Weidel celebrates ‘a dream result’ for far-right AfD in key German state – Europe live

Group fail to secure majority in Saxony-Anhalt state parliament leaving uncertainty over next steps

• Far-right AfD wins key German state election but falls just short of majority

AfD’s Chrupalla continues in this vein, saying the German public wants to see a change in direction, and specifically saying the electorate is “fed up” as the government keeps “transferring billions of our tax money to Ukraine … instead of using it for our own population.”

He says the party has “a clear mandate” to rule in Saxony-Anhalt and will hold discussions with others about what can be done.

‘Swiftly enchanted’: why Bedknobs and Broomsticks is my feelgood movie

The latest in our series of writers recommending their most rewatched comfort films is a reminder that Disney’s kids fantasy is more than a Mary Poppins knock-off

“Filigree, apogee, pedigree, perigee!” – the four incantatory words I blame for receiving a shonky Paul Daniels Magic Set as a child in the 80s. In Bedknobs and Broomsticks, it’s the spell that Angela Lansbury’s patriotic Nazi-vanquishing witch Eglantine Price casts to transform people into fluffy rabbits; a trick I yearned to pull off.

When it became clear I wouldn’t deter the Third Reich with three plastic thimbles, a deck of playing cards and a flaccid wand, my conjuring kit was mothballed – but my irrational love of the Disney film remains to this day. For me, it originally fell into the category of the crackling VHS that your parents taped off ITV at Christmas then would repeatedly plonk you in front of to shut you up – to the point I can even recall the adverts.

25 years ago, two strangers met in the twin towers and escaped on 9/11. What happened next?

Stanley Primnath and Brian Clark were two of only four individuals known to have survived above the impact zone in the north tower

He has told the story hundreds of times, but it never seems to fade. If anything, it only becomes more vivid. “Oh, gosh,” exclaims Stanley Praimnath, his voice cracking with an “ooooooh!” as if bearing a weight. “It’s like reliving that day.”

Nearly 3,000 people died in the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington DC on September 11 2001. But Praimnath and another office worker, Brian Clark, were two of only four individuals known to have survived from above the impact zone in either tower of the World Trade Center. The two strangers met in the smoke and fire of the 81st floor of the south tower, and walked down 1,620 steps into the rest of their lives.

What's open and closed on Labor Day 2026? See which businesses are operating.

Most major retail stores and grocery chains will remain open on Labor Day, while banks will close.

The first day of school: Bells, bikes, buses and big feelings

Fifth graders calm school kindergartners in Los Angeles. Kids take the "bike bus" in Oklahoma. High school students take in a new high school building in Oregon.

The copper peptide trend has gone from creams to injections — ahead of the science

The peptide is supposed to deliver flawless and firm skin, promote wound healing and other anti-aging effects. So what's the evidence behind GHK-Cu?

Morning news brief

Five people are dead after a cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport, Trump's top envoys go to Ukraine with hopes of restarting peace talks, Germany's far-right party wins landslide victory.

Labour’s new powers for water customers are a ‘stitch-up’, say campaigners

Exclusive: Documents reveal water firms have been allowed to advise on how they wish to be held to account

Labour’s new powers for customers to hold water companies to account are a “stitch-up”, campaigners have said, as utilities firms have been advising on how to implement it.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is creating what the government referred to as “powerful consumer panels” so the public can question the executives of their local water company and get redress for problems they face from sewage and water companies in England and Wales.

Weather tracker: Typhoon Saudel causes mass evacuations in south-east China

Torrential rain causes widespread damage; while north-west South Africa hit by thunderstorms and central-southern US faces oppressive heat

Typhoon Saudel brought days of torrential rain to Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong provinces in south-east China last week. The city of Putian, in Fujian province, recorded 416.5mm of rain in a 24-hour period between Thursday and Friday, with surrounding villages recording more than 500mm in the same period. In Fujian, authorities estimate that almost 600,000 people were evacuated from high-risk, flood-prone areas. A further 128,000 people in 53 counties were also affected across Jiangxi, with emergency evacuations affecting 9,000 people.

Flooding, landslips and infrastructure damage were reported widely in the region. More than 2,500 teachers and students were trapped in a school compound in the Zhejiang city of Wenzhou on Wednesday after extreme rainfall caused flash floods in low-lying areas. At least 1,260 people reportedly had to be rescued in Putian after a river embankment collapsed on Thursday, flattening 100 homes. On Saturday, a landslip in a village of Suichuan county, in Jiangxi province, killed three people and nine others remaining missing.

Okurimono review – a heartbreaking dispatch from survivors of the Nagasaki bomb

Laurence Lévesque’s powerful documentary follows a woman who discovers a support network among her mother’s generation of survivors of the nuclear blast

No words are spoken during the first five minutes of Laurence Lévesque’s documentary. In a rustic house on the island city of Nagasaki, a Japanese woman in her 60s, Noriko, draws back the curtains to let in the glow of dawn. The tranquil mood, however, is deceptive. Once her childhood home, the place holds a lifetime of secrets, which Norkia only discovers after her parents’ death. While clearing out the house, she comes across letters received by her mother that shed light on her turmoil as a survivor of Nagasaki’s atomic bombing in 1945.

Noriko has always known her mother was a hibakusha – a term referring to people who survived the nuclear bombs. Already scarred by psychological and physical trauma, the victims also faced ostracism in the postwar period, with many barred from work or marriage. Perhaps due to the stigma, Noriko’s mother mentioned little of this to Noriko and her siblings. The letters, however, reveal a moving network of support among the hibakusha, as well as those who lost their loved ones in the bombings. In one heartbreaking note, a grieving mother speaks of sending a healthy son into the army, only to receive his hair and clipped nails in return.

Ministers condemn ‘thuggish’ far-right activists after Portsmouth unrest

Hundreds of men, some wearing balaclavas, attempted to prevent asylum seekers being transported for processing

• UK politics live – latest updates

The government has condemned the “thuggish and intimidating behaviour” of far-right activists who blocked roads in Portsmouth after a boat carrying asylum seekers arrived in the city, two days after similar scenes in Dover.

Hundreds of men, some dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, tried to stop the arrivals from being transported for processing until 3am, when police removed them with threats of arrest. A witness said two police car windscreens were smashed.

Jaguar Land Rover to layoff thousands of jobs in $2.3 billion cost-saving overhaul

The luxury carmaker is targeting £1.7 billion ($2.3 billion) in savings as it faces Chinese competition, a cyberattack and U.S. tariffs.

Will hordes of influencers, weed smokers and mid-point talkers bring down the US Open?

This year, the noise at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has officially become A Problem. But changing it would mean changing society

The first thing you notice while sitting in the upper tiers of Arthur Ashe Stadium is the noise. A persistent exterior hum filters up from ground level, fed by the massive ventilation and cooling units that sit outside the stadium, the clack of the Long Island Rail Road to the north, and the forklifts receiving goods from the refrigerator trucks that keep the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center flush with its essential supplies of Evian, champagne, and premium IPA. Overhead, planes descending toward LaGuardia airport ensure the auditory assault takes place by land and air simultaneously. In the lower rakes of the stadium, the babble of the spectators is incessant; it’s not unusual to overhear full-volume conversations on various non-tennis topics – work, family, romance, last night’s dinner – that continue without interruption for the duration of an entire match.

New York is famously noisy, and the US Open, as the most glamorous annual sporting event in town, has always been loud in sympathy with its environment. Indeed, the brashness of the American grand slam has historically been its major selling point, the signature that distinguishes it from the Australian Open (the “happy slam”), Wimbledon (strawberries and cream, all-white attire, the home of tennis), and the French Open (French). People have been complaining about the volume of the New York crowd for decades. But this year the noise at the US Open feels different. This year noise at the noisy slam has become A Problem.

We’re the mayors of Paris, Milan and Phoenix. The heat crisis has us all facing the same question | Emmanuel Grégoire, Giuseppe Sala and Kate Gallego

Our three cities are learning from each other about how to protect residents. These climate policies are also public health measures

This summer, mayors met in London during the heatwave that ironically threatened to derail London Climate Action Week.

As temperatures broke records across the UK and Europe, leading some climate talks to be suspended or cancelled, we found ourselves seeking shelter and comparing how our cities prepare for extreme heat: how we protect vulnerable residents, communicate risk, and redesign neighbourhoods for hotter summers.

Warning over future of Olympic Games if Brisbane 2032 program is not modernised

• Kieren Perkins expresses concern over some traditional sports

• Door is open to likes of cricket and netball for Games in Australia

Former gold-medal winning swimmer and Australia’s most senior sport executive, Kieren Perkins, has called on the IOC to modernise the sporting program for Brisbane 2032, arguing that some current Olympic sports “have no modern relevance whatsoever”.

The IOC has indicated it wishes to curb a long-term trend of a rise in the number of sports at the Games. Sydney 2000 featured 28 sports, while Los Angeles 2028 is set to feature 36, including many with more than one discipline – for example road and track cycling – that require multiple venues.

‘Will I screw this up?’ How I played timpani for the Philharmonia Orchestra – with no experience

He hasn’t seen the score and can’t actually play his instrument. But with the help of a virtual headset, our writer joins the revered orchestra for the rollicking finale of Rossini’s William Tell Overture

I’m about to perform with the Philharmonia Orchestra and I’ve not rehearsed my part. In fact, I’ve not even seen the score. Or played my instrument before. Nervously taking my place among the virtuosos, I look around: the brass, string and woodwind sections are all warmed up and ready to be led by the energetic conductor, Santtu-Matias Rouvali. Then I glance up at the audience: the Royal Festival Hall is packed to the rafters. Gulp!

“Are you OK there?” asks Marta Génova, the Philharmonia’s head of digital product and experience, “or do I need to tighten your headset?” This, you see, is Virtual Orchestra, a VR experience designed by the Philharmonia that lets you play percussion during the rollicking finale of Rossini’s William Tell Overture. You’re offered the choice of triangle, cymbal and timpani (the last is “definitely the most fun”, Génova assures me) and after a quick run-through of the sounds you can get from your instrument, courtesy of Philharmonia percussionist Tom Edwards, you’re thrown into a rehearsal and then the actual performance. I’ve barely had time to say “How do I hold these sticks again?” before the strings start swelling, Rouvali waves his baton and a musical score starts hurtling across the bottom of my vision. Oh God, I think, am I about to screw this up?

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Fulham need a win, Tottenham show some spirit and Jack Grealish offers Everton much-needed energy

With 25 minutes to go against Manchester United, the Everton supporters had something to roar about as Jack Grealish made his return after rejoining on loan. The attacking midfielder remains universally popular thanks to his desire to entertain, getting the hosts back on their feet by creating dangerous situations within seconds of his arrival. Everton were limited in the final third for long periods as Thierno Barry sat on the periphery. If David Moyes is to keep his side pushing for a top-half finish, he will need Grealish to be a creative focal point. Will Unwin

Azhar Ali: ‘Pakistan cricket cannot change in the space of a year’

One of the batting stalwarts of the team that reached Test No 1 a decade ago says the current side’s woes go far deeper than this tour of England

As a pillar of the Pakistan team that climbed from the nadir of the Lord’s spot-fixing scandal in 2010 to the top of the Test rankings six years later, all while playing overseas for security reasons, Azhar Ali knows a bit about overcoming a crisis.

But for all that Misbah-ul-Haq’s side offered hope back then – a reminder of Pakistan’s innate ability to overcome hardship and defy expectations – Azhar is currently looking on in despair at the state of their cricket and a tour of England that has pretty much imploded this past week.

A crucial look at the disappearance of Austin Tice: best podcasts of the week

The US marine turned journalist went missing in Syria 14 years ago – and now, a suspenseful new pod uncovers essential evidence. Plus, the charming Julie Andrews serenades audiences with Jane Austen’s Emma

It has been 14 years since US marine turned journalist Austin Tice went missing in Syria. Much has changed in the embattled nation since then – not least the end of Bashar al-Assad’s regime – but Tice is yet to be found. In this series, Josh Baker and Sara Obeidat uncover crucial new evidence, some of which has already made headlines. Sensitive and highly suspenseful. Hannah J Davies
Widely available, episodes weekly

Hawking by Graham Farmelo review – the dark side of genius

A biography of the physicist recognises his achievements, but also reveals the selfish narcissist underneath

When I wrote an unadoring review of Stephen Hawking’s final book, a collection of essays published posthumously in 2018, New Scientist suppressed some of my criticisms on the grounds that it was “too early” to voice anything other than praise for the physicist who died, aged 76, that March. It was apparently still too early in 2021, when no British publisher would touch Charles Seife’s exposé of Hawking’s bullying and self-aggrandising behaviour, Hawking Hawking.

In this new biography, veteran science writer Graham Farmelo takes a different approach. It is a comprehensive and accessible portrait of a brilliant scientist and an extraordinarily determined man who also possessed deep personal flaws to which the scientific community and the public mostly turned a blind eye. The uncomfortable but unavoidable truth is that Hawking’s overweening ambition and self-promotion, his repeated failure to acknowledge the work of others, his sexism and controlling behaviour were largely ignored because of his disability. I think it is indeed going to take us years to process that.

Pixel 11 review: Google sets the bar for standard flagship phones

Longer battery life, faster chip, actually useful AI tools and better cameras keep quality Android ahead of competition

Google’s Pixel 11 continues to set the standard for what you should expect from the base model of a flagship phone with class-leading cameras, long software support and almost all the bells and whistles of its most expensive phones.

The regular Pixel 11 costs £879 (€999/$899/A$1,499) making it £80 or equivalent more expensive than last year’s model as the cost of RAMageddon continues to bite. It’s not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but it comes with 256GB of storage and is £200 less than the Pixel 11 Pro, matching rival Samsung’s Galaxy S26.

Screen: 6.3in 120Hz FHD+ OLED (422ppi)

Processor: Google Tensor G6

RAM: 12GB

Storage: 256 or 512GB

Operating system: Android 17

Camera: 48MP+ 13MP UW + 10.8MP 5x tele; 10.5MP selfie

Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, wifi 6E, UWB, NFC, Bluetooth 6 and GNSS

Water resistance: IP68 (1.5m for 30 minutes)

Dimensions: 152.8 x 72.0 x 8.6mm

Weight: 197g

A new start after 60: I was always quiet – but at 82 I’m a famous, funny fashion influencer

Vivienne Truran was a civil servant and antiques dealer, who spent most of her life in the background. At 80, she realised how outgoing she was, and started a soaringly successful new career

‘It took me till I was 80 to realise that I’m quite an outgoing and loud person,” says Vivienne Truran. Now 82, she has 829,000 followers on Instagram, where she posts daily videos about her outfit choices, including which of her trademark glasses work best with her look, all in her lilting Cardiff accent.

It all started 18 months ago. “I think I want to be an influencer,” she announced in one of her first reels. “Now, what can I influence people in?”

Rob Reiner wins posthumous Emmy for The Bear, as Widow’s Bay dominates early awards

Reiner broke record set by his father Carl Reiner at the ceremony formerly known as the Creative Arts Emmys, with The Pitt, Pluribus and DTF St Louis also winning big

Rob Reiner has won a posthumous Emmy for his performance in The Bear, nine months after his death – breaking the record set in the exact same category by his own father, Carl Reiner.

Reiner’s win for outstanding guest actor in a comedy was announced on Sunday night at the ceremony formerly known as the Creative Arts Emmys, a two-day awards event held a week before the main ceremony and telecast.

Israeli ministers keep telling everyone their brutal plans – so why doesn’t the world take them seriously? | Nesrine Malik

Schemes to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza are not being promoted by fringe voices. But the international community continues to avert its eyes

The gap between what is being inflicted on Palestinians and the appropriate reaction on the part of the international community has always been vast. But now it yawns so wide that it swallows reality itself. As arms export licences for Israel from states such as Germany surge, talk of harsher measures and sanctions on the part of other European countries remains talk. People continue to be killed in Gaza, Palestinian families remain besieged in the West Bank, and the Israeli political right has been removing all doubt that these violations are intentional, by telling the world of its hopes and plans.

A sample from only the past few days. On Thursday, Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, detailed a scheme for the illegal ethnic cleansing of all Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. He also posted an AI-generated video, now deleted, of Palestinian men entering a conveyor belt into detention, emerging emaciated and tearful. Also a few days ago, the defence minister, Israel Katz, stated that the country was “organised and prepared” to expel Palestinians from Gaza “by every way possible”.

Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist

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

Bereaved parents to give evidence at independent review of Sussex maternity services

Review led by Donna Ockenden launches after campaign by families and media investigation into deaths

Susan Cacciacarro was almost 37 weeks pregnant with her daughter Chiara when she woke up one morning in 2021, unable to feel her baby kicking.

“My belly just didn’t feel right,” she said. “I didn’t feel any movements.”

Cheese pie, seed crackers and prawn rolls: Ravinder Bhogal’s recipes for cooking with filo

Making your own filo is notoriously faffy but, luckily, there are great ready-made versions out there that make these crunchy, golden savoury treats a doddle

I love this gossamer-thin pastry for its lightness and crunch, not least because it can be used for both sweets and savouries. Once, on a trip to Athens, I learned how to make filo from scratch: it needs to be rolled very, very thin, so, unless you are skilled with a rolling pin, it’s hard and time-consuming. Luckily there are good ready-made varieties out there (if you’re using the frozen variety, make sure it’s fully defrosted). And always keep the pastry you are not working with under a damp cloth, because it dries out very quickly and will probably crack.

Armed man arrested for allegedly charging at Democratic Ohio governor candidate

The suspect "aggressively shoved his way through the crowd" toward Amy Acton, Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene told CBS News.

Ukraine seeks to seize water company owned by billionaire family of British theatre mogul

Dispute centres on stake held by Patarkatsishvili family in bottled water firm it jointly owns with Russian oligarch

A British theatre impresario and her billionaire family are embroiled in a bitter dispute with Ukrainian authorities seeking to seize a water company they jointly own with a Russian oligarch.

The row centres on a 34% stake held in the producer of Ukraine’s biggest bottled water brands by the Patarkatsishvili family, including Liana Patarkatsishvili, who recently worked on an immersive show with Toby Jones and Meera Syal.

Reindeer and rare-earth minerals: Swedish politicians take aim at Indigenous Sami in mining dispute

Gabna community fear their traditional herding routes will be sacrificed as far-right rhetoric ramps up against them

For the Swedish-Sami politician Åsa Larsson Blind, it was something of a watershed moment in the national conversation around Indigenous rights.

In late April and May, as the country geared up for this month’s elections, the deputy prime minister and energy minister, Ebba Busch, gave a series of speeches and articles publicly attacking the Sami’s rights to graze reindeer herds on their ancestral lands. Reindeer husbandry, Busch said at one press conference, “is an industry that affects very large areas, but has limited economic significance”.

‘Sharks are my film stars’: how the Jacques Cousteau of the North Sea finally unlocked its beauty

Epic plankton blooms make filming in the North Sea notoriously difficult. But a new documentary gives a rare glimpse of the kaleidoscopic life – seals, sharks, tuna, orcas and shorthorn sculpins – lurking beneath its waves

The North Sea, as even its greatest admirers will concede, often glowers an unappetising grey or brown. And we assume that its dull exterior is matched by sediment-filled waters where little life dwells. For years, the friends and family of Peter van Rodijnen wondered why the Dutch cinematographer and diving fanatic spent so much time exploring “this murky bowl of soup”. But, inspired by a childhood of watching Jacques Cousteau’s adventures in rather more enticingly temperate waters, Van Rodijnen’s dedication to North Sea diving gradually revealed its hidden wonders.

Over 20 years, as camera technology improved, Van Rodijnen obtained more and more amazing footage of marine life near his home on the Netherlands coast. Nearly a decade ago, he teamed up with director Mark Verkerk. “We started with the idea,” says Van Rodijnen, “that if somebody can make a movie about the North Sea, it’s got to be us.”

‘Work hard – nobody cares how good you used to be’: Paul Smith at 80 on love, fun and his fabulous life in fashion

With the release of his new biography, the British designer talks about leaving school at 15, the real reason he won’t retire and why no one wears velvet trousers any more

Go for a browse in the Paul Smith shop in Mayfair, London, on any given Saturday and you’ll likely find an older shop assistant, straight-backed in fine tailoring, approaching to help you with a new shirt, or a suit for a special occasion, perhaps a jaunty pair of socks. There aren’t many global fashion brands, Paul Smith points out, perhaps unnecessarily, “where the owner is a Saturday boy”. But working in his shop, one of more than 130 around the world, is probably Smith’s favourite part of the job. “It’s fantastic, you meet so many interesting people,” he says, smiling broadly. Smith’s whole career, he says, has always been about doing things in a different way. He’s the untrained fashion designer who created a global British brand, who put a bright lining or some stripes into classic tailoring, and who has turned down multiple substantial offers to buy his company, in order to remain in control.

Sir Paul Smith has just turned 80 – and he has the enviable energy of someone more than half his age, swimming each day before 6am. He’s about to publish his memoir, Threads: My Life in Style. It’s been a good opportunity to do a stocktake. His has undoubtedly been a lucky life – right place, right time, right people (not least his wife, Pauline, whom he met at the age of 21 and who has been integral to his success) – but it’s also a story of hard work, integrity and modesty. We’ll get to whether those values are still relevant in a harsher, more competitive world, and whether Paul Smith can survive.

Ross Fire still burning, with over 90,000 acres scorched

The wildfire, which has torn through Palo Pinto and Jack counties, forced evacuations, closed roads and disrupted schools.

At least 5 dead in Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami airport

An Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport and struck several vehicles, killing at least five and injuring five others, officials said.

Millions mark end of summer at "The Great Minnesota Get-Together"

Jonah Kaplan is at one of the biggest state fairs in the country to show us why so many are drawn to some old-fashioned fun in the digital age.

Volcano eruption in Indonesia leaves 170,000 travellers stranded as seven airports remain closed

Volcanic ash from eruption of Anak Krakatau delays more than 1,500 flights, including in the capital Jakarta, while airport closures extended

Seven Indonesian airports – including two serving Jakarta – remained closed on Monday ⁠morning because of volcanic ash from eruptions at Mount ⁠Anak Krakatau, the transport minister ⁠said.

Ash from ​Anak Krakatau, which sits halfway between Java and Sumatra islands, has blanketed Jakarta and several surrounding areas since it erupted ⁠late on Friday, leading to the closure of the airports for safety reasons.

Connecticut school honors Sept. 11 attacks victim through education

The Adam J. Lewis Academy in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is a living tribute to principal Patty Lewis' husband, who died in the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. "CBS Weekend News" producer Caroline Lewis reports on her dad's legacy 25 years after the terrorist attacks.

Labor Day weekend gas prices hit record high

Labor Day weekend gas prices have never been higher, and Californians are feeling the sticker shock more than most in the U.S., as prices regularly top $6 per gallon. Mark Strassmann is in Los Angeles with the latest.

Amazon cargo jet runs off Miami airport runway, crashes into multiple vehicles

Emergency crews rushed into action on Sunday after an Amazon cargo jet ran off the runway in Miami. At least five people were killed. Lindsey Reiser reports on what we know so far.

Susan Sarandon says she is losing movie roles because of her support for Palestine

Oscar-winning actor says she and other outspoken critics of Israel have found it ‘impossible’ to get hired by major studios

The Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon has said she is still losing work because of her outspoken support for Palestinians, despite what she ⁠described as a broader shift ⁠in public opinion against ​US support for Israel.

Speaking at the Venice film festival, where she is promoting her latest movie The Echo Chamber, Sarandon said some parts of the film industry continued to ⁠shun her over her activism.

Chancellor to argue UK economy can ‘turn corner’ despite bond market turmoil

John Healey speech on Monday will stress links between fiscal discipline and growth amid concerns his cautious approach jars with Burnham’s radical plans

John Healey will argue the government’s plans to boost growth across the whole country will enable the British economy to “turn a corner” despite anxiety over volatile bond markets derailing Labour’s crucial first budget.

The chancellor is expected to argue that fiscal discipline is “indivisible” from good growth, especially at a time of difficult global headwinds, amid concerns that his cautious approach jars with Andy Burnham’s more radical policy plans.

9/6/2026: Sharswood; Boom Chicago

First, man unknowingly buys former plantation house where his ancestors were enslaved. Then, a look at the Amsterdam improv club behind comedy legends.

9/6: CBS Weekend News

An Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport and struck several vehicles, killing at least five people. Gas prices rise for Labor Day weekend.

At least five dead after Amazon cargo plane crashes at Miami airport

Three people in critical condition and two hospitalized as operations at one of busiest US airports brought to a halt

An Amazon cargo plane crashed at Miami international airport in Florida on Sunday afternoon after the flight, which was arriving from Puerto Rico, overshot the runway, striking several vehicles and resulting in at least five deaths.

The plane erupted in flames as dark smoke billowed into the sky, bringing operations at one of the busiest airports in the US to a halt. The pilot and copilot were trapped in the cockpit as a result of the crash, said the Miami-Dade rescue fire chief Ray Jadallah.

Lewis Hamilton rules out world title challenge after Italian Grand Prix setback

• Briton finishes sixth after clash with teammate Leclerc

• Hamilton questions Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur’s strategy

Lewis Hamilton has conceded the Formula One world ­championship this year is all but out of reach after a bruising Italian Grand Prix. ­Hamilton’s afternoon included a clash with his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, which he thought was the result of the team’s failure to listen to his entreaties to manage their drivers and execute races better.

The race at Monza was won by Kimi Antonelli after a remarkable comeback by the Mercedes driver from 19th on the grid. Hamilton could manage only sixth. Having been 59 points back he now trails Antonelli by 76 with 10 meetings remaining and he felt that Ferrari not ­prioritising his title chances, coupled with operational failures, had finally cost him a shot at the drivers’ championship.

The US now has access to more than half Australia’s military bases – could it drag the country unwillingly into war?

Exclusive: US-controlled weapons corporations and forces have control or access to more than 100 facilities across the continent, which some analysts describe as a ‘colonisation’ of Australia’s military. Find a map of them here

• US military presence in Australia, mapped – video

• Why can the US access so many Australian military bases? – podcast

US military interests control or have access to more than 100 defence facilities on Australian soil, in what some analysts describe as a “saturation” – even a “colonisation” – of the Australian continent.

New data compiled by the Nautilus Institute and published by Guardian Australia maps the extent of US militarisation. The US military controls 17 facilities on mainland Australia and has access to 75 more Australian-run military installations. US defence corporations have access to an additional 18.

Gathering intelligence, accessing satellite data for targeting information and communications intercepts.

Training, including for 2,500 marines on dry-season rotation in the Northern Territory.

Pre-positioning warfighting assets such as Osprey aircraft.

Logistics hubs holding weapons, munitions and fuel, stored in case of a war in the Pacific.

Five dead after Amazon cargo plane crashes at Miami airport

Video showed thick smoke rising from the plane crash of the Boeing 767 that the Federal Aviation Administration says overran the airport runway in Miami.

Hawaii declares state of emergency as Hurricane Lowell approaches islands

Storm, which may make impact as soon as Monday, is third system in weeks to threaten state during hurricane season

Hawaii has declared a state of emergency as powerful Hurricane Lowell makes its way toward the islands, with the first impacts expected as soon as Monday.

The storm is the third system in just over three weeks to threaten Hawaii during an active hurricane season in the central Pacific. Lowell remained a category 3 hurricane early on Sunday morning, packing winds of 125 miles per hour while moving north-west at six miles per hour.

GOP conference chair says Miller is "our nominee right now" despite allegations

House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain said she is supporting Rep. Max Miller's reelection bid for a third term because "I will support anyone with an R behind their name."

Woman laid to rest in coffin made from mushrooms in Australian first

The casket, grown from mycelium and hemp fibres, takes just 45 days to break down, enriching the soil in the process

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

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A woman has been buried in a coffin made from mushrooms in New South Wales in an eco-friendly first for Australia.

Carolyn, whose surname was withheld for privacy reasons, was laid to rest on Friday by friends and family at Springwood Cemetery in the Blue Mountains. She was aged in her 70s.

Full transcript of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Sept. 6, 2026

On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Rep. Jason Crow join Margaret Brennan.

SEC sues ISS as Trump administration ramps up scrutiny of proxy advisers

The SEC sued Institutional Shareholder Services to enforce a subpoena as the Trump administration increases scrutiny of influential proxy advisers.

Energy secretary says US might not reach nuclear agreement with Iran

Chris Wright tells ABC there ‘may not’ be an agreement that would prevent Iran from having nuclear weapons

US energy secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday morning that the US may not be able to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran that would prevent the country from having nuclear weapons.

Asked on ABC on Sunday morning about any sign of such a deal, as negotiations appear stalled and the US-Israel war on Iran continues, Wright said: “There may not be a nuclear agreement.”

‘What are we doing?’: Brennan’s anger at racing in 44C heat as Van Aert wins shortened stage

• ‘It wouldn’t surprise me if some got heatstroke’

• Spain’s Enric Mas retains leader’s red jersey

Britain’s Matthew Brennan expressed his disbelief at the extreme heat riders had to endure on Sunday during stage 15 of the Vuelta a España. His Visma Lease a Bike teammate Wout van Aert took a sprint win in Córdoba after the stage was shortened because of high temperatures.

“It’s 41 degrees average,” Brennan said. “When I was on the climb at the start it was 44, and at that point you start thinking: ‘What are we doing?’ A normal office person has to have the temperature set at 20 degrees or whatever, and I’m sure that the UCI [cycling’s governing body] office will have their 20 as well.”

Ella Baron on Reform UK and the donations row – cartoon

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Jamaican delegates arrive in UK to hand slavery reparations petition to King Charles

Slavery’s legacy continues ‘to deprive our country and our people’, says minister, as group prepares to appeal to Jamaica’s head of state

A landmark petition is to be handed to King Charles by Jamaica over slavery reparations, aiming to confront historical crimes that still disadvantage former British colonies, the Caribbean nation’s culture minister has said.

The petition will be lodged with Charles, Jamaica’s head of state, on Monday.

Minecraft cosplay and Oasis in Venice: photos of the weekend

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

EU faces 300,000 factory job cuts as China ‘colonises’ supply chains, industry warns

Protest using 10 coffins to symbolise struggling manufacturing industry to take place in Brussels

Job losses in EU manufacturing will rapidly increase unless Brussels stops the “colonisation” of industry by Chinese component manufacturers, a leading industry trade body has warned.

Eurometal predicts 300,000 job losses in manufacturing in the rest of 2026 because of expanding competition from China, which is now enjoying a record €1bn-a-day trade surplus with the bloc.

Germany's far-right achieves an electoral breakthrough in key state election

Germany's populist, far-right Alternative for Germany party has declared victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt after more than doubling its share of the vote in the first of several regional elections this fall.

The Guardian view on extreme heat: its scale should be a wake-up call to us all | Editorial

With thousands dead across Europe this summer, it’s time to recognise heatwaves as the major natural disasters they are

The numbers are now trickling in: nearly 2,900 dead in the UK, at least 35,000 dead across Europe. That’s how many people are believed to have lost their lives in this year’s early-summer heatwaves – the death tolls for the August heatwaves have yet to be counted. In a sense, these people died in a series of natural disasters, similar to the hundreds who died last month after flooding in Nepal, or during the 2024 floods in Valencia, Spain. And yet we do not process these events the same way. Increasingly deadly heatwaves are the most direct and damaging effect of the climate crisis felt in Europe, but they are rarely framed as such.

There are some obvious reasons for this. Heatwaves by definition unfold over longer periods than other disasters, they are less dramatic, the majority of those who die are elderly or otherwise vulnerable, and their deaths often take weeks or months to be catalogued and reported, all of which make heatwaves seem less immediate and visible. But while heatwaves will probably never provoke the same visceral shock as earthquakes or tornadoes, it should still be possible to shift the way the public thinks about them, which could save lives and lessen their damage.

The Guardian view on Burnham’s devolution plans: power must be accompanied by scrutiny | Editorial

Vital accountability mechanisms have withered as English devolution has evolved. The government should take note

Andy Burnham has criticised Britain’s “unaccountable state” that is at once too powerful and too distant from everyday life. He has made English devolution the central idea of his premiership, but his plan to give England’s mayors unprecedented power and money will have to confront a number of tricky realities, not least a landscape in which scrutiny of local government is vastly diminished.

As England’s devolution map has evolved, vital accountability mechanisms have withered. The abolition of the Audit Commission in 2015 deprived Whitehall of information about local government spending. The decision, taken by the then Tory prime minister David Cameron during his “bonfire of the quangos”, coincided with a period when cash-strapped councils were selling off assets and making risky investments. A succession of bankruptcies and scandals have since exemplified the dangers of governing in darkness, including the questions raised at Teesworks, the development led by Ben Houchen, a Tory mayor, where a “culture of excessive confidentiality” has prevailed, according to a damning 2024 government report.

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.

This week on "Sunday Morning" (Sept. 6)

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

Pupils with Send plans in England likely to double to one in 10 in rush for support

Schools and councils express financial concerns as EHCP applications surge before potential change in provision

• ‘Powerful example’: minister looks to Essex school for blueprint to transform Send provision

Schools and councils across England are expecting the proportion of children with special needs plans to double to one in 10, with families rushing to secure support before ministers bring in changes.

Headteachers have reported an “unreal” surge in applications for education, health and care plans (EHCPs) mandating support for needs or disabilities such as speech and learning difficulties, autism or ADHD. In 2025, just one in 20 school-age children had EHCPs.

Biopsies, aerial drills and a personal pizza: a day in the life of a shark scientist

Jasmin Graham, a shark scientist and science communicator, also makes time in her day to practice her hobbies and play music bingo with friends

“Sharks are not monsters, they just need better PR,” writes Jasmin Graham. And she should know: Graham is a shark scientist and science communicator.

Here’s what a day in Graham’s life in Sarasota, Florida looks like.

China prepares £40bn stimulus for financial sector amid fears over sluggish growth

Beijing wants banks and insurers to bolster investment in stock market as it helps to replenish cash reserves

China will inject $54bn (£40bn) into its financial sector as Beijing attempts to shore up banks and insurers in the face of faltering economic growth.

A host of financial institutions said they were due to receive billions of yuan in capital from state institutions including the ministry of finance and even the company that runs the country’s tobacco monopoly.

Kindness of strangers: A hall-of-fame athlete helped my 94-year-old mum buy a vacuum cleaner

A woman in the queue said she was happy to drive an hour, pick up the vacuum, then bring it to Mum’s house. I was worried – but how wrong I was!

• Read more in the kindness of strangers series

For a 94-year-old woman, my mother is still very busy and active. So when a vacuum cleaner she liked the look of went on sale at a national electronics chain, Mum drove herself to the nearest store to buy it.

Unfortunately, the shop in her area had sold out by the time she got there. The sales assistant told her it was still available in another Melbourne store – but that store was an hour’s drive away. As active as she is, Mum pointed out that at her age she really could not manage a drive of that length. She asked the sales assistant if they could transfer the vacuum to this store and was flatly told no.

Shutting down the office bore is one thing – but can you use the same tactics in everyday life? | Polly Hudson

We’ve all had meetings that could have been emails. Often, this also applies to casual chats with your friends

The last thing you need in a meeting that could have been an email is attachments. Sadly, it’s sod’s law that there’s one oblivious person in every work gathering who raises extra, unnecessary queries using as many words as possible, and holds everybody up. Now, Forbes magazine has helpfully supplied three phrases business leaders can use to stop rambling questions from hijacking or lengthening proceedings, without embarrassing the hijacking lengthener.

But obviously it’s not only the office where we encounter those seemingly hellbent on derailing interactions, so can we steal Forbes’ gameplan for boring chat in real life?

Remembering 9/11: Where tragedy left its marks

"Sunday Morning" talks with people forever touched by the 2001 terror attacks, from a man who helped a woman escape the North Tower, to a Marine major who rushed into the Pentagon, to a young woman who lost her dad when Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.

9/11 changed the U.S.; can we change back?

Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, former Carter White House speechwriter James Fallows offers thoughts on the legacy of 9/11 and how American daily life and civic culture changed after the attack.

Possible Love review – a tale of two couples is finely judged study of exploitation and friendship

Acclaimed Korean director Lee Chang-dong returns with an inspired account of an unhappy married couple befriended by a documentary maker and her wealthy husband

Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong brings to Venice his first feature for eight years. It is a finely judged, beautifully acted and rather novelistic work, in which a character at one point actually compares her surroundings to something from a novel. It is expansive and diffuse in terms of storytelling scope and dramatic focus, rich in intelligence while paying its audience the compliment of treating them as intelligent also. There are moments of pure inspiration in the superb flashback scenes of two characters’ early lives, and I rather regretted that these flashbacks were phased out relatively early on and that more was not made of their relationship with the present. Possible Love is perhaps a little contrived and self-aware and unsure how much emphasis to lay on its moments of irony and comedy, but it is made with such fluency and verve.

It is a tale of two couples. Jeon Do-yeon (from Lee’s Secret Sunshine) and Sul Kyung-gu play Mi-ok and Ho-seok, a deeply unhappy married couple from a blue-collar background with a young son. Ho-seok is angry, depressed and struggling with a drinking problem after a catastrophic end to a strike at the factory where he worked. While at the funeral of a colleague of Ho-seok’s, who has taken his own life, he and Mi-ok meet a fashionable and wealthy couple who are making a documentary about the injustice of the way the factory workers were treated. (This couple have a dog instead of a child.)

9/11 changed the U.S.; can we change back?

Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, former Carter White House speechwriter James Fallows offers thoughts on the legacy of 9/11 and how American daily life and civic culture changed after the attack.

Robert De Niro on helping revive Lower Manhattan after 9/11

As the dust settled on New York City following the 9/11 attacks, Robert De Niro and his longtime business partner, producer Jane Rosenthal, looked for ways to pull Lower Manhattan out of the ashes. The Tribeca Film Festival, which debuted in 2002, has not only successfully launched a new generation of filmmakers; it has also helped revitalize the city in what De Niro called "an act of defiance." Tracy Smith talks with De Niro and Rosenthal about their festival's mission: to use art as an antidote to what they see as traumatic times facing America.

Extended interview: Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem, a trailblazing figure in the women's liberation movement, died on Sept. 2, 2026 at age 92. In this extended interview recorded in 2023 and posted for the first time, Steinem talked with correspondent Rita Braver about the challenges facing female journalists in the 1960s; the founding of Ms. Magazine, and the response from advertisers and the public; the use of Wonder Woman as the cover of its first freestanding issue; and why, despite setbacks in the fight for gender equality in the decades since, she considered herself a "hope-aholic."

Look back: Gloria Steinem on the founding of Ms. Magazine

Gloria Steinem, a trailblazing figure in the women's liberation movement who died on Sept. 2, 2026 at age 92, was a 30-something columnist for New York magazine when she helped found a publication aimed at pushing feminism into the mainstream. In this "Sunday Morning" report that originally aired Sept. 17, 2023, Steinem talked with Rita Braver about the origin of Ms. Magazine. Braver also talked with Ms. executive editor Katherine Spillar, who compiled the anthology, "50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine That Ignited a Revolution."

Remembering 9/11: Andrew Card on the moment everything changed

On the morning of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush was visiting an elementary school classroom in Sarasota, Fla., when his chief of staff, Andrew Card, informed him that America was under attack. Card revisits the Emma E. Booker Elementary School with correspondent Major Garrett, and talks about a singular moment, captured in an iconic photograph.

Remembering 9/11: Andrew Card on the moment everything changed

On the morning of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush was visiting an elementary school in Sarasota, Fla., when his chief of staff, Andrew Card, informed him that America was under attack – a singular moment, captured in an iconic photograph.

What is postpartum psychosis?

Postpartum psychosis (not to be confused with postpartum depression) is a psychiatric emergency with symptoms that can be extreme and dangerous, as testified in the trial of Lindsay Clancy. Correspondent Faith Salie talks with experts about the symptoms, diagnosis and stigma surrounding postpartum psychosis; and with a mother whose experience of hallucinations and distorted reality soon after giving birth threatened her and her family.

9/6: Face The Nation

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," with midterm elections less than two months away, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joins as well as Reps. Jason Crow and Lisa McClain. Plus, Sunoco chairman and Republican midterm convention chair Ray Washburne joins.

Remembering 9/11: Where tragedy left its marks

Twenty-five years after September 11, correspondent Lee Cowan talks with people forever touched by the terror attacks, including Harry Handler, who helped a woman escape the North Tower of the World Trade Center; Marine Major Dan Pantaleo, who rushed to rescue survivors, and remove remains, from the Pentagon; and Laurel Homer, who was 10 months old when her father, First Officer LeRoy Homer Jr., was killed when Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pa.

The sleeping x eating secret: 15 ways to better rest, a healthier diet – and a happier life

We all know tiredness can lead to hunger, and vice versa. But there are so many other ways our habits in these areas are linked. Here are some easy tweaks to help us feel properly refreshed

A study published in the journal Nature Health last month found that food choices and meal timings have “immediate and measurable effects” on sleep. It was just the latest in a growing body of research into the link between diet and rest. Here is the latest science on what to eat for better sleep – and how sleep deprivation can affect your dinner the next day.

9/6: Sunday Morning

Hosted by Lee Cowan. Featured: Looking back at 9/11; Robert De Niro on revitalizing Lower Manhattan; how Gander, Newfoundland responded to 9/11; postpartum psychosis; Gloria Steinem and the founding of Ms. Magazine; and the quest for the best burger.

‘Model fatigue’ sets in as AI labs race to roll out new versions at frenetic pace

Anthropic, OpenAI, Meta and Google all released model updates this week, while Nvidia said it's acquiring open-source AI platform Hugging Face.

How to make the perfect Sri Lankan chicken curry – recipe | Felicity Cloake's How to make the perfect …

There are as many variations are there are cooks, but every interpretation of kukul mas bears the country’s classic bold aromatics and adrenaline-pumping flavours

“Every family in our sunny little island craves this creamy chicken,” says Sri Lankan journalist Zinara Rathnayake, “devouring each morsel with carbs of choice: string hoppers, thin rice noodle mats; hoppers, bowl-shaped pancakes; and kiribath, slender rice cooked with coconut milk. All our family recipes may slightly vary, but this glorious dish pins down the labour and love that goes into every Sri Lankan curry.”

After all, Sri Lanka is a country that’s “rich in spices”, chef Peter Kuruvita explains. “Most Sri Lankan cooking,” he writes in Lands of the Curry Leaf, “features unapologetically punch-you-in-the-face, get-the-adrenaline-pumping flavours. But [in part thanks to tropical crops such as coconut, lemongrass and pandan leaf] the heat is more an intensity of spice than actual physical ‘chilli heat’.” Boldly aromatic rather than delicately fragrant, rich and light at the same time, kukul mas, which SH Fernando Jr’s book Rice & Curry calls “a mainstay of Sri Lankan cuisine”, is surprisingly quick to make once you’ve prepared, or bought, the spice blend, yet it tastes as if it’s been simmering for hours.

‘I’m trying to figure out where I’m supposed to be’: singer Momo Boyd on making space for herself

The Infinity Song artist is embracing uncertainty as she launches her solo career, while challenging the assumptions placed on Black women in music

“I’m trying to figure out where I’m supposed to be, but at the same time enjoying the fact that there’s nowhere I’m supposed to be.” This admission might seem like the beginning of an existential crisis, but it’s a welcome, liminal space for the rising singer and songwriter Momo Boyd. Between her recently released debut EP, a second EP in the works, and two tours, the 27-year-old is being pulled in many directions. But she’s also enjoying the emotionally ambiguous position she’s currently in – it’s what characterizes much of her work.

Boyd, who’s a part of Infinity Song, a pop rock sibling quintet that debuted in 2015, confesses that she’s nervous about striking out on her own as a solo artist. The demands are high: Her debut Miss Michigan tour just finished its US leg this past August and she will continue on throughout Europe in the fall, with a stop in London in November. She said that in comparison to Infinity Song’s sound, which can be characterized by guitar-driven melodies full of romanticism. “I’m doing my own thing and it’s a bit folksy, emotional and personal.” One might expect that Boyd being both a solo artist and an ensemble group member means that she runs the risk of producing indistinguishable bodies of work. But her moodier sound could not be more different from the family band’s more optimistic tunes. Nevertheless, the young singer is quick to say that the balance between the two lanes has been “pretty easy”.

Prediction markets have become America’s new national pastime | Dave Schilling

My parents’ generation may have been on to something when they railed against gambling. If only George Santos had listened

If only George Santos and Bill Simmons had my parents, they wouldn’t be facing down a hailstorm of condemnation for circumventing the basic rules and regulations of dubious “prediction markets” and online gambling. Kalshi just banned the former congressman George Santos from its service and he was forced to pay back his winnings after he was accused of the dumb person’s version of insider trading. He bet on himself to not attend the State of the Union address, then conveniently didn’t go. For his trouble, he won (and will be forced to relinquish) more than $17,000; he’ll also have to pay more than $80,000 in total fines from Kalshi and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Bill Simmons, the sports commentator, podcast host, and founder of The Ringer, had a different story.

Game on: November elections kick into high gear with control of Congress in the balance

Trump is unpopular and inflation is still high – and Democrats are looking to use that to their advantage

When voters went to the polls in the 2022 midterm elections, all the ingredients were there for Joe Biden’s allies to suffer a wipeout. The president was unpopular, inflation was high and historical trends predicted voters would take out their frustrations by ending the Democratic party’s control of Congress.

But when the ballots were tallied, the gains Republicans expected to make did not quite materialize. They had won the House of Representatives, but only by a slim margin, while Democrats had expanded their majority in the Senate and built up their strength in state legislatures.

This is how we do it: ‘As carers, we have to be responsible. During sex, we relinquish control to each other’

Betsy and Felix have sex once a week when they are alone in the house – it frees up their minds just to be together

• How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously

I used to kick guys out of bed after any sexual encounters. But with Felix it was totally different from the start

American Muslims are giving Texas barbecue a halal makeover

Even as anti-Muslim rhetoric rises in Texas, Muslim pitmasters are winning over diners and reshaping one of the state's most iconic culinary traditions.

Witkoff and Kushner call Kyiv talks 'substantive' after Moscow Putin meeting

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held meetings in Kyiv with Ukraine's President Zelenskyy on Sunday, a day after lengthy conversations with Russian President Putin in Moscow.

QUIZ: Ugh, I'll do it later. How much do you know about procrastination?

Learn a few surprising facts about procrastination — and helpful tools to overcome it — with this quiz. It's based on social scientist Itamar Shatz's new book, Solving Procrastination.

‘It leaves holes inside of you’: graphic novel aims to remember the history and horror of genocide

Dana Mashoian Walrath’s The Book of Genocides is an audacious and personal new look at genocides from Germany to Palestine

The artist Dana Mashoian Walrath’s new book honours the Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust. But she also expects it to get her banned from Israel.

That is because The Book of Genocides also contains a chapter that portrays Palestinians forced to live as second-class citizens and watch their homes bulldozed or bombed. “What does it mean to be starved?” the narrative asks. “To know that perpetrators have themselves experienced genocide and now commit genocide against you?”

‘On the other side of pain there can be renewal’: Ezra Collective’s Femi Koleoso on reasons to hold on to hope

The bandleader, drummer, DJ and broadcaster is guest-editing this week’s Saturday magazine Culture features. In his editor’s letter, he shares why he’s optimistic for the future. Plus: his bandmates offer their cultural picks

• ‘Things work out for the good people’: Ezra Collective’s Femi Koleoso meets his inspirations
• ‘Like painting with light’: photographer Temi Adegbayibi on capturing the energy of music
• My cultural awakening, featuring Ezra Collective

My first thought when contacted about guest editing the culture section in today’s Saturday magazine was: this will elevate me into an intellectual bracket far beyond my wildest dreams. The first person I told was my dad. The second was my secondary school English teacher, Mr Pickering. I guess it was a subtle way of letting them know that the student is now in charge.

It’s a truly wonderful feeling. Even if this entire takeover is trash, I’m still proud to have been given this wonderful opportunity. That said, I did get an A in my GCSE English and English Lit!

Whatever happened to kindness? Spoiler alert: Our readers prove it's alive and well

We asked readers to share stories about a moment of kindness involving a stranger. Here are some of their heartwarming anecdotes.

Detective says cruelty of woman's murder will "stay with me forever"

Lt. Dakota Black of the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office in Shawnee, Oklahoma, says the case of Makayla Meave, a missing teacher's aide, was one of the most heart-wrenching cases of her career.

Broken feet, ripped-out hair and now a death sentence: the fate of twin sisters jailed over Iran protests

Taraneh Rahimi was told prison guards would rape her sister, Romina, if she did not sign a confession

The twins were 19 and still in high school when they were taken from their beds in the dead of night by masked men later identified as being sent by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

After four months of desperately seeking news from hospitals and state institutions, their mother, Marzieh Nourmohammadi, finally learned their fate. Taraneh and Romina Rahimi had been seized over their decision to join millions on the streets of Iranian cities during the January protests against the regime. The twins were unrecognisable by the time of their mother’s prison visit in May.

‘Fabulous museums and no queues’: five of the best under-the-radar city breaks in Europe

From the Renaissance treasures of Parma to offbeat creativity in Nantes, these cities offer world-class art, great food and a laid-back alternative to Europe’s hotspots

As dilemmas go, it’s an unusual one: saddle up a giant squid or board a submersible for a voyage to the bottom of the ocean. In the end, I find myself drawn to a fierce-looking merhorse and tentatively take the reins. High above, my daughter glides by on a flying fish, metallic fins flapping, while her Dad is battling stormy seas at the helm of a huge conch shell. A ride on the Carrousel des Mondes Marins (marine worlds carousel) – a three-storey steampunk merry-go-round inspired by Jules Verne’s novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea – is one of the highlights of a visit to Nantes. A surreal fairground ride, a work of art and a homage to the city’s most famous son. It’s also a lot of fun.

A young mom was near death from lead poisoning. Who was trying to kill her?

Hannah Pettey, 22, a married mother of two from Alabama, suffered debilitating pain and lost more than 45 pounds as her health rapidly declined. Doctors suspected either her mother or her husband were trying to poison her.

I’ve always supported my dysfunctional siblings, but I’ve had enough. How can I divorce myself? | Annalisa Barbieri

You feel guilty because you’ve done ‘better’ in life, but you can’t rescue them. Listen to your resentment and learn to let go

I’m a 66-year-old widow and the middle of three siblings. They are struggling with mental health, financial issues, or both. I’m the only one who is doing well in both areas. I’m the only one who graduated high school and college; the only one who hasn’t spent time in jail; the only one who had a successful career and has a comfortable retirement. I help them when asked and appropriate, and do my best to be supportive, even when they continue to make bad decisions.

Recently, my older sister mistakenly texted me intimate pictures meant for the new man in her life. It’s one more disturbing thing in a very long line of disturbing things she’s said and done over the years and I’ve had enough. My world is so different from my siblings’ – it always has been.

Tupac trial spotlights decades of US police failures in solving the case

Police received information nearly immediately after the killing. It took Las Vegas police 27 years to make an arrest

For years, US law enforcement officials blamed their failure to solve hip-hop star Tupac Shakur’s murder on the lack of cooperation from key witnesses, and on gang members’ “snitches get stitches” culture.

But testimony in a much-delayed murder trial, which concluded this week, almost 30 years after Shakur’s death, highlighted just how much law enforcement officials knew about the shooting, and how early.

‘The first half of my 20s was hell’: Maisie Williams on her tough childhood and why she’s been having more fun since Game of Thrones

After her role in the fantasy series, the actor felt lost. Now she’s getting relationship advice from Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, and following a Sex and the City star’s mantra: never be anywhere you aren’t enjoying yourself

Maisie Williams has dabbled in witchcraft exactly once. The actor was getting ready to audition for a part in a film. “I wanted it so badly that I went on to Etsy, and I paid a witch to manifest me the role,” she says, poker-faced.

“It didn’t work, and that was where my days of witchcraft ended,” she adds, breaking into an infectious cackle.

‘It was a sweet, tender voice’: the pilot who fell for his air traffic controller – before ever seeing her

Alfredo Bravo had a job he loved and was determined never to be grounded by marriage and kids. Then a voice from the control tower changed everything

Alfredo Bravo had landed aeroplanes in a lot of sticky situations – as a bush pilot in Chilean Patagonia and as a commercial pilot in rural China – but it was a singular voice floating over the radio waves from air traffic control in Santiago, Chile, that set his heart aflutter, upended his concentration and reshuffled his life.

It was the 1990s and, although he was still young, Bravo had held pretty much every low-level flying gig possible. He had dumped plumes of orange chemicals on to forest fires and flown surveillance missions to detect illegal fireplaces polluting the already smoggy Santiago airspace. He had completed hundreds of flights with photo crews operating a big Hasselblad camera as they mapped tree farms, calculating the heights of trees in a forest owned by a timber company involved in a low-level guerrilla war with the Indigenous Mapuche. As a pilot for the company, Bravo was a conspicuous outsider who slept in the fields amid the Indigenous communities, and worked alone in the hangar. But Bravo had a pair of aces up his sleeve.