Nearly 200 witnesses to Charlie Kirk shooting apply for victims' benefits in Utah

While the high-profile shooting at Utah Valley University had only one homicide victim, Kirk's assassination was witnessed by thousands in person and even more as video spread online.

Madrid residents brace for noise and disruption from new F1 circuit

City council emphasises economic case for Madring amid local outrage over disruption and environmental impact

Opponents of Madrid’s newly constructed Formula One circuit have accused the regional authorities of putting profit before people’s wellbeing after tests for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the track later this month yielded noise levels that were almost twice the legal decibel limit.

The regional government of Madrid and the city council are hoping that the 5.4km-long (3.3 miles) Madring circuit – which has been built in the north-east of the Spanish capital at a cost of €83m (£71m) – will attract visitors, boost the local economy and put the city firmly on the motor racing map. The Madring bills itself as “a perfectly connected circuit: just 20 minutes from the city centre”.

The best art and architecture of autumn 2026

A self-confident woman strides on to the Fourth Plinth, Nan Goldin captures sex, cats and death and even the Turner Prize shows promise this year

• See all of our unmissable autumn arts recommendations here

The most anticipated exhibition of the year centres on an embroidered epic of war and conquest that miraculously preserves an intimate window on the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066. Yet, you may find yourself simply fascinated by the artistry of the Anglo-Saxon women who used coloured wool to depict billowing sails, charging horses and King Harold’s spectacular moustache. Jonathan Jones
• British Museum, London, 10 September to 11 July

‘If you build something vastly smarter than you, it better be on your side’: can we stop AI from deceiving us?

We are used to the idea that our fellow humans might intentionally mislead or manipulate us, but the idea that machines can now do the same is deeply unsettling. Researchers are racing to find solutions before it’s too late

• The summer issue of the Long Read magazine is out now. Click here to order

In November 2023 – a lifetime ago in the field of artificial intelligence – some of the most powerful people in the world descended on Bletchley Park, the wartime codebreaking hub in Buckinghamshire, to talk about AI safety. In attendance were the then US vice-president, Kamala Harris, the AI bosses Sam Altman and Dario Amodei, delegations from 28 countries, two of the three so-called “godfathers” of AI, and Elon Musk.

The first iteration of ChatGPT had been released only a year earlier, and there was already plenty of evidence that AI models could be used for ill, from spreading misinformation to generating deepfakes. A presentation at the summit, however, highlighted a different issue: what if the biggest problem wasn’t to come from people misusing the technology, but from AI’s own behaviour?

‘I’m not nervous, I’m ready’: Tschabalala Self on racist vandals and her bold striding woman for the Fourth Plinth

The last time she displayed a sculpture in public in Britain, someone covered it in white paint. But, undeterred, the acclaimed artist is a placing a black woman in Trafalgar Square

Tschabalala Self is relentlessly positive and unstoppably optimistic. The US artist is waiting for the unveiling of Lady in Blue, her new sculpture for the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, London, a towering, colourful painted bronze of a black woman striding (positively, optimistically) into the future. Self seems resolutely hopeful about the work, which is pretty impressive considering what happened to her last public sculpture in the UK. “Yeah,” she says, speaking from her home in upstate New York. “I mean, that was a completely racist act.”

In 2022, Self unveiled Seated at Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross, London. Like Lady in Blue, it was a vast, brightly painted bronze depiction of a black woman, this time seated demurely on a chair. After being shown at Coal Drops Yard without incident, it was moved to the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea, where the reception wasn’t quite as warm. “Within the first week,” says Self, “it was spraypainted white, but only on the skin of the sculpture.” As vandalism goes, it doesn’t get much more pointed, or racist. “The first feeling I had was just pain that my sculpture had been harmed. That someone had enacted violence on an object I had imbued with love and affection.”

Iceland’s close ties with EU mean no vote is not a Brexit-style rejection

A yes to membership would have given Brussels a boost but Icelanders have not voted to isolate themselves

Iceland’s 52.8% to 47.2% vote against reopening EU accession talks is, undeniably, a blow for Brussels. But claiming it as a Brexit-style victory for “national sovereignty” or evidence of broad rejection of the EU misrepresents the reality of the island’s relationship with the bloc.

For the EU, Iceland was a dream candidate: small, stable, prosperous and strategically located in an increasingly contested Arctic. Eager as it is to wield more geopolitical clout and revive flagging momentum around enlargement, a vote in favour would have given Brussels a very welcome boost.

Kākāpō rising: 90 chicks swell population of the world’s heaviest parrot

Critically endangered New Zealand bird enjoys record breeding season triggered by mass fruiting of native tree, pushing its numbers to 325

The population of the world’s heaviest parrot, the kākāpō, has surpassed 300 birds for the first time in 75 years, after a record breeding season triggered by the mass fruiting of a native New Zealand tree.

Ninety chicks were officially added to the population of the critically endangered birds on 1 September, pushing the total to 325 – a record high since recovery efforts began.

3 friends went hiking in the Grand Canyon. 1 died, 2 were reported missing.

At least two people were killed after flash floods swept through parts of Grand Canyon National Park over the weekend.

St. Louis becomes the latest battleground in fight over data centers

"We have to be very careful about where and how we install these large data centers," said Kasey Fowler-Finn, a biologist at St. Louis University, who is among a group suing to halt a data center development.

2 dead, at least 1 missing after Grand Canyon hit by flash floods

Violent flash floods hit the Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area, causing "extensive damage" to the park's water infrastructure.

Tanker struck in Hormuz, raising worries over escalation, as Trump vows to hit Iran 'hard'

Iran launched an attack on two American bases in Jordan on Monday in retaliation for the U.S. attack on its Larak Island.

How intense rains in the Grand Canyon turned into a deadly disaster

Flash flooding in Arizona tourist destination was likely triggered by compounding climate factors, such as drought and warming in Pacific Ocean

• Remote Grand Canyon lodge hit by deadly flash flood boasts fabled history

A deadly flash flood in the Grand Canyon over the weekend was likely driven by a confluence of climate factors, including drought, wildfire scarring and warming temperatures in the Pacific Ocean that can supercharge storms.

At least two people have died, nearly 80 people were rescued and one remained unaccounted for after a surge of water and debris swept through the immensely popular tourist destination on Saturday, fueled by torrents of rain that hit the national park’s Bright Angel Creek area.

Supreme Court continues to allow construction of Trump's White House ballroom

The Supreme Court divided 5-4 in allowing construction of the new White House ballroom to continue.

Two people dead and nearly 80 rescued after Grand Canyon flash flood

Officials say one person still unaccounted for as forecast heavy rain and thunderstorms threaten further flooding

A second death was confirmed by National Park Service officials on Monday after a flash flood sent a surge of water and debris through an area of the Grand Canyon over the weekend.

Dozens of visitors had to be evacuated by helicopter during the deluge, which consumed trails and infrastructure. Nearly 80 people were rescued and one person is still unaccounted for, as more heavy rain and thunderstorms in the forecasts threaten additional debris flows, flash floods or rock falls, the NPS said in a statement.

Stefanos Tsitsipas says Nick Kyrgios’s cocaine ban was ‘pretty much expected’

• Australian tested positive at event in June

• Kyrgios and Tsitsipas have clashed in the past

Stefanos Tsitsipas says he is not surprised that Nick Kyrgios was suspended from tennis for taking cocaine.

“Pretty much expected, to be honest,” Tsitsipas said. “I am surprised it came so late, though.”

Duane Keith Davis found guilty of 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur

Las Vegas jury returns verdict against ex-South Side Compton Crips gang leader in killing of US rap legend

A Las Vegas jury has found former South Side Compton Crips gang leader Duane Keith Davis guilty of the murder of Tupac Shakur, bringing the case to a close nearly 30 years after the famous rapper was gunned down.

The jury took about three hours to reach a guilty verdict in a case that relied heavily on multiple confessions from Davis himself, including his description of the killing in the 2019 memoir Compton Street Legend.

Ukraine war briefing: Pressure stays on Russian economy until war is over, says Bessent

US treasury secretary speaks with Russian counterpart who is controversially attending G20 talks; India’s Modi says war must end. What we know on day 1,651

Police fatally shoot woman who stabbed two people in Times Square

Pamela Cisneros, 49, was wielding two knives when she stabbed a woman, who died in the hospital, and a man

New York City police shot and killed a woman Monday after she stabbed two people in Times Square, city authorities said during a press conference.

Jessica Tisch, the New York City police commissioner, described the stabbings as “random and unprovoked” acts carried out by a woman with previous mental health problems.

Guilty verdict in 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur

Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, was charged with murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in Shakur's death.

Tropical Storm Edouard threatens Louisiana, Texas coasts

The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for parts of the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana ahead of Tropical Storm Edouard.

Camp Goldie features 13 golden retrievers: "Unless you're allergic to fur, what's not to like?"

Camp Goldie in New Jersey invites humans to "play dates" with its dozen or so golden retrievers. Tony Dokoupil has the story.

Growing backlash against data centers in American cities as poll finds over 70% oppose them

Tech companies pour trillions of dollars into new data centers, the backbone of the AI boom. But many communities across the U.S. are rejecting them. A recent Gallup poll found that more than 70% of Americans don't want data centers in their area. St. Louis is in the middle of the national fight, and Tony Dokoupil takes a visit.

Parents, coaches fighting at youth games leads to cancellations and bans

Two youth football coaches near Pittsburgh had a fight on the field over the weekend, earning suspensions from the league and adding to a growing list of adults behaving badly at their kids' sporting events. Mark Strassmann reports.

U.S. launches its first strike on Iran in over a month, regime retaliates

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation to President Trump on Monday. Over the weekend, the war with Iran entered its seventh month, with the first exchange of attacks in weeks. Weijia Jiang reports from the White House.

Tropical storm warnings in effect from Louisiana to Texas

Tropical storm warnings were in effect from Louisiana to Texas on Monday as thunderstorms built off of a tropical depression around 100 miles off the Gulf Coast. Jason Allen reports and Rob Marciano has the forecast.

Police shoot woman who allegedly stabbed 2 people in Times Square

Warning: Disturbing footage. NYPD officers opened fire on a woman allegedly wielding at least one knife in Times Square on Monday. Tom Hanson reports from New York City.

At least 2 dead from Grand Canyon flooding, 15 still missing

More monsoon rains, which triggered deadly flash floods in the Grand Canyon, hampered rescue efforts on Monday. At least 2 were killed in the flooding and 15 people are still missing. Matt Gutman reports.

Trump suggests he is reviewing US support for UK over Falkland Islands

Comments signal president prepared to use dispute to push UK to raise defence spending and Nato contributions

Donald Trump has suggested he is reconsidering US support for Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, in a move likely to strain the “special relationship” between Washington and London.

“I always review every position – that’s just one of many,” the US president told reporters in the White House, in response to a question about whether he was reviewing the US’s position over the South Atlantic islands, an archipelago whose status has long been disputed by Argentina, which claims sovereignty.

Woman says she saw through alleged 49ers fraudster's claims: "Too good to be true"

Federal authorities allege that Daejon Love​ posed as an NFL player and real estate investor to defraud more than two dozen women of $1.3 million.

Ross Fire still burning after a week, with over 90,000 acres scorched

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

‘Pain-free’ Alcaraz brushes aside qualifier in US Open return after four months out

• Spaniard beats Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

• Alcaraz has not played since April with wrist injury

As Carlos Alcaraz edged closer to the conclusion of his first singles set in more than four and a half months, like so many times in his career instinct took over. Up 5-4, 30-15 in set one, Alcaraz swept forward to the net behind a precise wide serve and, when his opponent Roman Safiullin responded with a dipping backhand return directly to his feet, Alcaraz delicately pushed a half-volley over the net for a winner.

It was a gorgeous shot, a perfect example of the creativity and feel trademarked by Alcaraz that has been missed throughout his extended injury layoff. That touch of genius was followed, predictably, by a wide smile, a quick hold and a comprehensive victory as the Spaniard returned to competition with a stellar 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win against Safiullin.

8/31: CBS Evening News

A deadly flood disaster hit the Grand Canyon; a tropical storm warning was issued for the coasts of Texas and Louisiana.

Trump officials cut political interference ban after unusual Census Bureau report

After the Census Bureau issued a report tied to a Trump-aligned think tank, the bureau's parent agency cut language banning political interference from its scientific integrity policy, NPR learned.

Hiker, 91, becomes oldest person to complete grueling Appalachian Trail

Dale Sanders said he fell 71 times on the trail, but completed the journey as ‘people are motivated … by my efforts’

A 91-year-old hiker has reclaimed his record as the oldest person to complete the more than 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail.

By his count, Dale Sanders, of Tennessee, fell 71 times during the feat, six of which he said were hard falls and one which required a brief hospitalization and another just 200 yards from the end. The 2,193-mile trail runs between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine.

US supreme court allows Trump to keep building $400m White House ballroom

Justices’ 5-4 ruling permits Trump administration appeal to block lower court order halting above-ground work

A divided US supreme court has permitted Donald Trump to continue building his controversial $400m White House ballroom despite legal challenges, raising the likelihood it will be completed.

In a 5-4 ruling, the justices permitted the Trump administration’s request to ⁠block a lower court order that had halted above-ground construction of the project while a lawsuit by a historic preservation group seeks to block it.

Legal expert on third day of jury deliberations in Lindsay Clancy trial

Jury deliberations in the trial of Lindsay Clancy on will continue on Tuesday after no verdict was reached Monday. Clancy has admitted to killing her three children, but has pleaded not guilty to murder charges, arguing she was suffering from postpartum psychosis. CBS News legal contributor Caroline Polisi has more.

North Carolina teenager dies from rare infection caused by brain-eating amoeba

Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in warm freshwater, and if it enters through the nose, can cause brain damage

A North Carolina teenager has died after contracting a rare and often fatal brain-eating amoeba.

The state’s health department (NCDHHS) confirmed the boy’s death on Monday, saying: “NCDHHS has been informed that the teen who developed a rare illness, caused by Naegleria fowleri died on Aug. 31, 2026. We extend our condolences to the family, friends and community impacted by this loss.”

Supreme Court lets Trump build White House ballroom as lawsuit continues

Chief Justice John Roberts dissented with three liberal justices, saying, "That construction is likely unlawful."

House Intelligence Committee warns of 'Black Swan' AI risks

Bipartisan lawmakers cautioned that existing safeguards may not be enough to keep up with AI's advances.

17-year-old girl indicted in San Diego mosque shooting over livestream

A 17-year-old North Carolina girl has been charged with murder by aiding and abetting in connection with the deadly rampage at the Islamic Center of San Diego in May.

E&Y to award $100 million in bonuses for workers who show people skills

Management consulting firm EY said it will reward employees who demonstrate human skills, such as business acumen and judgment.

Saka settles gruelling battle with Aston Villa to extend Arsenal’s winning start

The smile on Declan Rice’s face with six minutes of normal time remaining said it all. He had just shut down Ian Maatsen as the Aston Villa full-back zoomed into the box. Arsenal, for whom Bukayo Saka scored the only goal, were authoritative and seemingly took great satisfaction in keeping Villa at arm’s length.

Unai Emery’s work‑in‑progress side struggled to test the champions, David Raya untroubled. The records will show Villa have lost their first two league matches of a season without scoring for the first time since 2002 but, despite successive defeats, this time there was no capitulation.

Bessent pushes back on Druckenmiller critique of bond intervention

Bessent, at a G20 finance meeting, told CNBC he spoke with Stanley Druckenmiller after his critical op-ed was published and that their conversation went "fine."

8/31: The Takeout with Major Garrett

U.S. and Iran exchange strikes for the first time in weeks; at least two dead, several missing after Grand Canyon flash floods.

Whatever happened to the U.S. famine alert system that Trump shut down, then reopened

The highly regarded FEWS NET network stopped posting data on Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen -- then says it will start posting again in September. What's the reason for this back-and-forth?

Trump inks deal with 9 pharmaceutical companies to lower drug costs

The White House said the agreements will reduce costs to treat Parkinson's disease, macular degeneration, glaucoma, liver disease and other illnesses.

Kalshi bans former congressman George Santos for life after State of the Union trades

Kalshi says Santos did not cooperate with its investigation into bets he placed on his own attendance at the State of the Union. The company also fined the disgraced congressman more than $71,000.

Trump strikes new drug pricing deals with nine midsized drugmakers

The string of deals builds on the Trump administration's push to link the nation's drug prices to cheaper ones abroad.

Tennessee to wear Dolly Parton tribute on helmets during 2026 college football season

• Beloved singer died last week at the age of 80

• Parton was born 30 miles from college campus

The Tennessee Volunteers will be honoring Dolly Parton with a helmet sticker this season, the college football team’s head coach, Josh Heupel, announced on Monday.

Parton, a Tennessee native, died last week at the age of 80 from cancer.

The U.S. sues Amazon again

Federal regulators and 22 states allege that the tech giant made billions by manipulating how much brands and sellers paid for ads on its platform.

FTC and 22 states sue Amazon over alleged secret ad surcharge scheme

Regulators allege that sellers and brands were overcharged by tens of billions of dollars through secretly inflated ad prices.

Markets see Warsh endorsing a rate hike in September. Not everyone is convinced

The path toward the move still looks cluttered.

Defense lawyers for singer D4vd withdraw from murder case

Singer, accused of murder and sexual abuse of teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez, to be represented by LA public defender

Singer D4vd lost his high-profile private lawyers on Monday at a hearing where he entered a new not guilty plea to charges that he killed, sexually abused and dismembered 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

It is not clear why Blair Berk and her colleagues Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter parted ways with the singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke. They were replaced by a lawyer from the Los Angeles county public defender’s office.

Mortgage rates surge to the highest since June 2025 as new Middle East attacks push oil prices up

The expectation had been for falling rates this year, but the war with Iran and its resulting rise in oil prices upended that.

Lionel Messi’s international retirement serves as a reminder: Watch him while you still can

The Argentine’s career with Argentina was singular, and his exit is a reminder that all good things come to an end

IIt was among the defining moments of the 2026 World Cup: Lionel Messi standing arms akimbo, looking up towards Argentina’s fervent supporters after losing the final. Tears streamed down his face after his team’s embarrassing loss to Spain in what we now know was Messi’s final match wearing that famous Argentina kit.

It was not the first time he’d cried at the tournament. There had been tears of joy in Argentina’s opening match, when Messi rolled back the clock to his glory days with a trio of spectacular goals against Algeria. There had been more when his brace against Austria pushed Argentina through to the knockout round as group winners, and even more when his equalizer against Egypt threw la Albiceleste a much-needed lifeline. Later, the world found out that Messi had been struggling all the while with the health struggles of his father, Jorge, a fact that clearly weighed heavily on him as Argentina made a dramatic return to the final in a bid to defend their 2022 title.

Trump says U.S. communities opposing AI data centers could end up 'backwards and poor'

"China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement," Trump said as Republicans express concerns about the backlash to data centers.

Turkish deep-sea search vessel joins efforts to retrieve 20 still missing after Cyprus ferry disaster

TCG Isin expected to play vital role in locating Filo Jet’s voyage data recorder 514 metres below surface

A deep-sea search and rescue vessel is on its way to Cyprus as Turkey joins efforts to retrieve the 20 people still missing after a passenger ferry capsized off the island’s northern coast.

The TCG Isin will join the vast operation to find survivors after the high-speed ferry sank on Sunday barely four nautical miles outside the port town of Kyrenia.

Kalshi bans ex-congressman George Santos for life after suspicious trades

George Santos faces a lifetime ban from Kalshi after failing to cooperate with the prediction market's investigation into his alleged unlawful trades.

Judge orders National Guard shooting suspect to be force-fed

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, accused last year of fatally shooting a National Guard member and severely injuring another, has been refusing to eat for months while in government custody.

Lionel Messi says he is retiring from the Argentina national soccer team

Lionel Messi played in six World Cups and led Argentina to win the tournament in 2022 in Qatar.

Will Trump's Venezuela oil deal ease U.S. gas prices?

The deal involves developing 17 strategic oil fields in Venezuela, an undertaking that experts said could take years.

Who would fall in love with a fake NFL player? Plenty of sensible people

The FBI has charged Daejon Love after he allegedly pretended to be a 49ers receiver. Although football isn’t as glamorous as it looks, it easy to see the attraction

Is romance dead? Yeah, probably. There have never been more options for finding a mate – dating apps, Instagram DM slides, hanging out next to a gas station at 2am – but it’s also never been harder. Meeting someone who is compatible, stable, and even remotely attractive is akin to putting a square peg in a round hole. Blindfolded. From a mile away. Underwater. So, I can’t blame anyone for falling for an elaborate hoax like the one allegedly perpetrated by Daejon Love.

Love is now infamous around the world for allegedly posing as an NFL player in order to scam more than 20 women out of $1.3m. Now that Love and his alleged accomplice, Taylor Jamie Chen, have been charged by federal authorities, prosecutors are claiming they are a flight risk. They certainly seem like they have the money to flee the country. According to court documents, Love managed to fabricate an entire online persona as a San Francisco 49ers player – posting photos and videos in Niners gear, posing with expensive cars, and even performing football drills (badly) to bolster the alleged grift. Love allegedly used AI to trick search engine results to add credibility to his claims on football success with the 49ers. There’s even a video of Love running wide receiver routes on the beach. In a helmet. Do real NFL players carry their helmets in the car, just in case? You never know when you may risk a concussion while laying in the sand.

Kalshi permanently bans former GOP Rep. George Santos over illegal trading

Former GOP Rep. George Santos, of New York, has drawn fire for allegedly trading on whether he would attend this year's State of the Union address.

Trump threatens further action as US and Iran exchange fire in new flare-up

Washington says it acted after observing Iran was planning to deploy fresh mines in strait of Hormuz

The US and Iran have exchanged fire for the first time in a month, with missiles and drones fired at Iranian rocket launchers on an island in the strait of Hormuz, and Iran targeting US military bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in response.

The US president, Donald Trump, on Monday threatened further action. The US is to trying to prise open Tehran’s grip on shipping going through the strait, which before the war accounted for a fifth of the world’s seaborne energy supply. Washington claimed that Iranian control over the waterway had been loosened by repeated US attacks on Iranian missile launchers and radars.

John Galliano's Met Gala exhibit canceled amid backlash

The Met's decision to highlight the work by designer John Galliano sparked widespread controversy due to his history of antisemitic and racist comments.

Paperwork, lines, hours on hold: There's a 'Time Tax' on Americans who need help most

Annie Lowrey explores the administrative burdens people face applying for government benefits. It's not just about wasted time: "When the government treats us like this, we don't trust it," she says.

The Guardian view on Trump’s immigration crackdown: who will have fewer rights next? | Editorial

The president’s deportation machine is creating a class of people inside the US who have fewer protections against the power of the state

Is the Trump administration creating a group in the US with fewer protections against executive power owing to their immigration status? Its often openly racist actions suggest so. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) claims to target “the worst of the worst” – undocumented migrants who commit violent crimes. Yet the Guardian reported that over half of those arrested in July had no criminal convictions or pending charges. That month, ICE made record arrests and deportations, apprehending 1,500 people and removing 1,100 daily.

When campaigning, Donald Trump falsely claimed that Haitians were “eating the pets”. In office, his administration moved to end temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians. In June, the supreme court let the protection expire, leaving about 350,000 people at risk of deportation to a country gripped by violence and instability. The court’s decision means more than 1 million TPS holders from 13 nations previously considered too unsafe to return to are now at risk of deportation. Many have lived and worked legally in the US for years.

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

The Guardian view on regulating big tech: Meta has got off too lightly | Editorial

New child safety measures are welcome, but the wider risks posed by these platforms remain unaddressed

“Hook, hold, harvest and hide” was how Megan O’Neill, a lawyer for the US state of California, characterised Meta’s business model in the trial that ended last week with an $18bn settlement, to be shared between the states and territories that brought the case. It was a clever way to describe the company’s approach to users’ attention and data. But the sharpness of her words was not matched by the deal. While the strengthening of child safety features is welcome, the tech giant once again batted off efforts to alter its products.

Meta’s decision to settle enabled it to avoid any admission of liability. It put a stop to the awkward questions being asked of witnesses including Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s CEO, and the damaging claims made by whistleblowers such as Arturo Béjar. This former Meta safety engineer told the court that his own daughter had been sent unsolicited photos of male genitals on Instagram.

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.

Head of Viktor Orbán’s favourite thinktank quits over unpaid wages

Frank Furedi announces resignation from MCC Brussels after organisation’s staff ‘not paid in July or August’

The head of Viktor Orbán’s favourite Brussels thinktank has quit, citing unpaid wages since the change of government in Hungary.

The sociology professor Frank Furedi said he was resigning as the executive director of MCC Brussels with “immediate effect” on Monday over “persistent failure to provide the contractually agreed funds”.

Liverpool sign Barcola in £123m deal and expect Gakpo to stay after City offer £80m

• France international says title ‘one of my biggest dreams’

• Club rejected weekend Gakpo bid from Manchester City

Bradley Barcola is aiming to win the Premier League after completing his move to Liverpool from Paris Saint‑Germain for an initial £106m, which could rise to £123m. The France international has signed a five-year deal.

Andoni Iraola has prioritised signing wingers this summer after replacing Arne Slot. Barcola follows the arrival of Victor Muñoz as the former Bournemouth head coach aims to rebuild the front line.

Pakistan sack head coach and send seven players home after England Test series defeat

• Sarfaraz Ahmed sacked after 194-run loss at Lord’s

• White-ball coach Mike Hesson steps in

Pakistan have decided to rip up their plans during an already chaotic tour of England by announcing that seven players and head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed have been sent home before the third Test at Edgbaston next week.

Already confirmed to lose the series after going 2-0 down with a 194-run defeat at Lord’s on Sunday, Pakistan have now asked Mike Hesson, the New Zealander who runs their white-ball teams, to replace Sarfaraz as head coach. Umar Gul, their bowling coach, has also been swapped out for the Australian Ashley Noffke.

Lionel Messi says he's retiring from playing internationally for Argentina

The soccer star is ending 21 years of Argentine national-team duty but will continue to play at club level with Inter Miami in U.S. Major League Soccer.

Dolly Parton laid to rest in private Nashville funeral

The queen of country was interred next to her late husband in an intimate ceremony attended by close family

Dolly Parton was laid to rest in a private ceremony in Nashville on Friday, her family has confirmed.

The queen of country music, who died aged 80 on 25 August “after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer”, was interred at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum alongside her husband of 60 years, Carl Thomas.

Fifa extends ban on man who secretly filmed female footballers in Austria

• Former SCR Altach employee now banned worldwide

• Move follows pressure from players’ unions

Fifa has extended worldwide the ban on a former match official and SCR Altach employee found guilty of taking secret videos and photographs of members of the club’s women’s team.

In February, a regional court in Feldkirch, Austria, handed the man a seven-month suspended prison sentence, a €1,200 (£1,046) fine and ordered him to pay the victims €625 (£545) each in compensation after he was found guilty of filming and taking photographs of players, including minors, in the changing room, gym and showers of Altach’s women’s team between 2018 and 2025.

Onslaught review – super soldier slasher doesn’t go hard enough

There’s a committed performance from a spunky Adria Arjona in the Guest director Adam Wingard’s decent B-movie but it’s missing some sharper weaponry

There’s something rather fascinating about an indie director who heads to the A-list before returning to their roots, a wider skillset and different perspective gained for better or worse. Working within a stricter system – the tiniest of choices being agreed upon by the largest of committees – can often be a creatively crushing experience that we’ve heard gruesomely detailed by many who survived it but the expansion of what one is allowed to technically do with a bigger budget can also be instructive and enriching. The dream scenario is bringing back the good and allowing the bad to inspire new work that makes the most of how unshackled one again now is.

There are plenty of examples of how this hasn’t worked. Neill Blomkamp following Elysium and Chappie with chintzy low-budget horror Demonic (easily his least effective film although since opening his own AI “studio” I imagine the worst is yet to come), Marc Forster following Quantum of Solace and World War Z with a blind Blake Lively film that, ironically, no one saw while Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck went from the greatness of Half Nelson to the blandness of Captain Marvel to the headache of Freaky Tales. But then we were also gifted with the hometown intimacy of Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma after he came back from space for Gravity and Hogwarts for the Prisoner of Azkaban while Karyn Kusama brushed off the nightmare of Æon Flux with the brilliantly creepy dinner party thriller The Invitation.

Did you solve it? The fin-tastic fish puzzle

The solution to today’s underwater conundrums

Earlier today I set you the following puzzles. Here they are again with the solutions.

A fish is swimming in a tank that is two metres high, one metre across and one metre deep. The image below shows one path it swam.

Nepal rescuers race to reach hundreds feared trapped in hydropower tunnels

Workers thought to be stuck in underground areas at 11 sites after last week’s devastating flash floods

Rescue teams are working to reach more than 900 missing hydropower workers, hundreds of whom are feared trapped in the tunnels and underground areas of 12 hydropower projects in Nepal after the devastating flash floods, ​the ⁠country’s disaster ​management authority has said.

The death toll from the ⁠unprecedented deluge of ice, rock, mud ​and debris on Wednesday last week has risen to 939 people, with 16 more dead reported in Tibet. More than 4,400 are missing on the two sides of the border.

Trump warns 'we're going to hit them hard' after Iran targets U.S. forces in Jordan: Report

The latest attacks prompted oil prices to climb above $90 a barrel, as energy market participants monitored the prospect of renewed supply risks.

Queensland has passed tough new laws on ebikes and e-scooters. What do they mean for riders, and will the world follow?

Transport minister says laws target ‘young hooligans’ holding ‘communities to ransom’, but cycling advocates say changes most affect law-abiding riders

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This week, Queensland became the first Australian state – and one of the first jurisdictions on the planet – to set age limits and licensing requirements for e-vehicle riders.

Bicycle Queensland, the advocacy body for cycling in the state, says only a handful of other other jurisdictions around the world have passed similar legislation for ebike or e-scooter riders, such as New Jersey and Israel.

Ultramarathon runners train for months, sometimes years. But what happens when they don’t finish a race?

DNF stands for ‘did not finish’ – the acronym no ultrarunner wants assigned to their race result. For amateurs, DNFing is loaded with emotion – but attrition rates are extremely common

Drenched, freezing, utterly miserable and with a GI catastrophe ready to blow, my internal conflict of quit/don’t quit was in full force. I was at about kilometre 56 of my 100km ultramarathon. After a cascade of bad decisions and worse weather, totally wretched, I shuffled and sobbed my way through the dark to the next checkpoint. By the time I got there at 62km, the resignation of dropping out had settled in. Months and months of training had come to nothing.

Inside the checkpoint, soaked runners and their besieged crew were crowded into what resembled a field hospital triage unit. In the chaotic throng I found my crew, slumped down on to a bench and said: I’m pulling out.

Met Gala exhibition honoring John Galliano is cancelled after backlash

Fashion designer was convicted of hate crime by French court in 2011 after series of racist and antisemitic remarks

The controversial fashion designer John Galliano announced on Monday that an exhibition honoring his work that New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art had scheduled to open for the upcoming spring’s Met Gala is not going to go forward.

The museum’s decision to honor Galliano, who was convicted of a hate crime by a French court in 2011 after a series of racist and antisemitic remarks, had drawn controversy and backlash.

The law won't save us from Meta's 'pervert glasses'. The only solution is mockery | Jonathan Liew

These things are undermining not just our public spaces but the very nature of being human. Let’s shame them off the streets

So far I am yet to be tempted into purchasing a pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses. To a certain extent this is a function of possessing a large, misshapen and comically convex head upon which no pair of sunglasses has ever looked remotely appropriate. Nor am I one of those consumers who professes to be “really into gadgets”, a preference I’ve always found weirdly unspecific. It’s subtly telling when people claim to be into “gadgets”, because they’re never talking about, say, a tin opener. What they really mean is something gimmicky and expensive that almost certainly requires the services of a datacentre and enough water to irrigate Kent.

And even if I were to surmount these two obstacles, you then get into the ethics of the thing. I’m nobody’s idea of a PR expert, but if your shiny new product keeps requiring patches and updates to prevent people from using it to do degenerate things to women, perhaps it might be worth walking it back to the research and development stage.

Jonathan Liew is a Guardian columnist

Germany poised to identify suspect in Leipzig drone attack on Ukrainian plane

Berlin expected to outline response to incident this month widely speculated to have been coordinated by Russia

The German government is imminently expected to announce who it believes was behind a suspected drone attack on a Ukrainian cargo plane earlier this month and to outline its response to the incident in coordination with its European and Nato partners.

The chancellor, Friedrich Merz, told the public broadcaster ARD in an interview on Sunday evening: “We are in the process of concluding the investigations; we have reached a broad agreement within the federal government on how we will respond, and we will make this clear in the coming days. It won’t take much longer.”

Costumed carnival-goers in Notting Hill – in pictures

People hit the streets of west London as Europe’s largest street carnival marks its 60th year, celebrating Caribbean history and culture

100 ultramarathons in 100 days: former rugby pro hit by brain injury nears end of feat

David ‘Jacko’ Jackson has aimed to raise awareness of brain injuries, with fellow runners sharing their stories

The key for David “Jacko” Jackson is to take each stage nice and gently. “It’s not about running fast,” he said. “It’s more like the hare and tortoise story. Slow and steady – and do it again tomorrow.”

So far, so good. Jackson, a former professional rugby player who retired after a traumatic brain injury, is nearing the end of an extraordinary bid to run 100 ultramarathons (50km, or about 30 miles) in 100 consecutive days.

A$AP Rocky review – arena spectacular has plenty of helicopters but little sense of direction

O2 Arena, London
The polymath rapper’s stage show, which also features SWAT teams and a warship, is truly bravura stuff – but you can’t help feeling this is an artist at a creative crossroads

A$AP Rocky dangles precariously from a helicopter, while beneath him black-clad SWAT officers brawl with his white-masked followers. This isn’t some cliffhanger setpiece from the rapper/actor’s latest film – it’s just how shows on his Don’t Be Dumb tour open. It’s a big production: there are further prop helicopters, including a smaller one up in the rafters from which he also raps (a reference to his single Helicopter), while the stage recreates the top deck of a naval warship, for reasons that never become clear.

The bizarre set underscores a sense of a man in career transition, unsure who he is any more. In the eight years since his last album, this survivor of homelessness and incarceration became a father, three times, with Rihanna; he’s pivoting towards movies – good ones – and co-chairs the Met Gala. His new record sought to redefine him as an artist, juggling more of his trademark pugilistic rap with ambitious stylistic experiments and unexpected collaborations (Damon Albarn! Danny Elfman!).

South African airline defends dramatic low-level flyby before rugby union clash

• Cape Town stunt sparks major debate over safety risks

• Airlink insists flyby conducted according to regulations

A pre-game stunt involving two passenger jets flying dramatically low over a stadium in South Africa drew huge cheers from the estimated crowd of 56,000 people, but also sparked a major debate over safety risks. The flyby by two Embraer jets, operated by the local airline Airlink, happened on Saturday before the second rugby union Test between South Africa and New Zealand in Cape Town.

The flight tracking service Flightradar24 estimated that the lead jet passed just 41-46 feet (12-14 metres) above the roof of Cape Town Stadium, with the crowd and the world’s top-ranked rugby teams below. The second jet, which was very close behind, flew through a cloud of pink dust that shot up from the stadium roof as part of the show.

A mobile cinema in Gaza and a golden ritual in Thailand: photos of the day – Monday

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

Fiorentina’s Serie A renaissance feels a way off after chastening centenary | Nicky Bandini

The home game against Frosinone seemed a perfect way to celebrate their landmark. It did not work out that way

Fiorentina’s 100th birthday party had been going for four days, starting with a fan procession through the historic centre of Florence on Wednesday night and extending to their home game against Frosinone on Saturday afternoon. The club was founded on 29 August 1926, but a decades-old discrepancy in the reporting of that date has led supporters to celebrate traditionally on the 26th.

This time they started a few hours earlier, gathering in their thousands beneath the marble façade of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella on the evening of 25 August and building to a firework show beside the river Arno at midnight. The club’s president, Giuseppe Commisso, stopped by to give a speech. At least one former player, Borja Valero, was among the crowd.

‘The whistling on the theme tune? That’s Dickie Attenborough!’ Hayley Mills on Whistle Down the Wind

‘I’d just made two films in America. Shooting on a Lancashire farm was very different. There was mud everywhere – and we’d be eating dripping, jam butties and fried eggs in buns’

Whistle Down the Wind was originally a novel written by my mother, Mary Hayley Bell, about three children living on a farm in Sussex. The children – loosely based on my sister Juliet, my brother Jonathan and myself – discover a man in their barn. Thinking he’s Jesus, they decide to hide him and protect him from the adults because they don’t want the same thing to happen to him as before.

How a South African town cleaned up its polluted river using stones, wood and sand

Scientists say system to treat contaminated wastewater offers a model for ensuring food security in a fast-warming climate

All it took to turn the murky, heavily polluted waters of South Africa’s Stiebeuel River into a resource clean enough for irrigating a community’s vegetable plots was a collection of stones, heat-treated wood and sand.

Without chemicals and using renewable energy, researchers from the University of Cape Town are cleaning 36,000 litres of water, polluted by sewage, chemicals, and traces of drugs and medication, every day to make it usable for growing food in a fast-expanding informal settlement along the course of the river.

Readers reply: If all car tyres were filled with CO2, would this cut atmospheric carbon significantly?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions considers a change that might help the environment

This week’s question: Would equal pay create a better society?

If all the vehicles on the planet had their tyres pumped up with CO₂, would this lock up enough carbon to lower the amount in the air significantly? Would there be other issues, such as the carbon cost of trapping it all into the tyres? Chris Coldwell, Lancaster

Send new questions to [email protected].

Can Reform UK recover from its summer horribilis?

Clacton, funding, internal divisions – party prepares for annual conference next week after a season of missteps

Senior Reform UK figures like to boast that the summer time – and parliament’s longest recess – is when the party makes hay.

Supposedly, it is when Nigel Farage and co can muscle in on the news cycle with provocative statements and new policies, painting “establishment” opponents as workshy layabouts.

Rosie Mackean’s quick and easy recipe for cucumber rice with fudgy eggs | Quick and easy

An intriguing and refreshing hot-cold combo of eggy rice, butter, cold cucumber sauce and pickles

When cooking on a weeknight, it’s easy to forget that sometimes experimenting with temperature is as important as flavour. Hot things combined with very cold things are exceptionally refreshing in the summer, and also make the mundane more exciting and playful. This dish of hot rice, hot butter, cold cucumber sauce, hot egg and cold pickles might sound, well, a bit weird, but I promise it’s delicious, comforting and also cooling.

Good Time Cooking: Show-Stopping Menus for Easy Entertaining, by Rosie Mackean, is published by Pavilion Books at £26. To order a copy for £23.40, visit guardianbookshop.com

Rise of Chicken Shop Date highlights how YouTube turned the tables on TV

Amelia Dimoldenberg says publicists ignored her interview show for years but she can now be picky over A-list guests

Just a decade ago, Amelia Dimoldenberg found it impossible to drum up any mainstream celebrities to come on her mock date YouTube show, in which she chats awkwardly with guests over chicken and chips.

Even persuading a local actor connected with her London youth club to come on took years of prodding. Managers of A-listers with movies or albums to push instead battled to claim a spot on the hallowed cushions of the primetime TV chatshow sofa.

Elversberg and ‘miracle village’ prove that Bundesliga fairytales still exist | Andy Brassell

German football has long insisted there is more to their elite league than a title race. Now they have a story that shows the world that surprise and wonder does live here too

Friday night was no first day fun for VfB Stuttgart as they got first-hand proof of what the rest of the Bundesliga feared: that Bayern Munich are perhaps mightier than ever. The curtain-raiser, though, didn’t actually set the tone for the the weekend. German football has long insisted there is more to their elite league than a title race, and now they have a story that shows the world that surprise and wonder does indeed live here too.

Bayer Leverkusen arrived into their opening fixture of the campaign thinking their season might contain greater certainty than the last one, a more tranquil voyage after being blown off course by almost €300m of player sales and the ill-fated appointment of Erik ten Hag. Enter SV Elversberg, Bundesliga first-timers and representatives of – a “miracle village” as Bild put it – Spiesen-Elversberg, a town with a population of just over 13,000, situated 15km north-east of Saarbrücken, 30 minutes’ drive from the French border.

Nepal's hesitance to accept foreign help for flood relief comes under scrutiny

A group of the country's private sector power producers says Nepali authorities lost crucial time in rescuing hundreds of people trapped in hydropower tunnels.

U.S., Venezuela strike oil deal. And, the staggering hidden toll of U.S. heat deaths

The U.S. and Venezuela have entered into an oil deal. And, NPR spent two years tracking heat-related deaths and found that people in the U.S. are dying from heat more than the official counts show.

Russia's jet-powered drones bring empty Kyiv supermarket shelves and rattle Ukrainians

Russian forces relentlessly battered Kyiv and cities in the region around the Ukrainian capital for a fifth straight day, leaving some supermarket shelves bare after repeated strikes on warehouses.

Space junk punched a new hole in the moon. It’s not ours to abuse | Moriba Jah

The space industry treats the sky as a place to dump what it no longer wants. We must develop a new model of accountability

On 5 August, a piece of a derelict SpaceX rocket traveling at 5,400 miles an hour met with the moon and punched a fresh hole into it near Einstein Crater. Astronomers were thrilled. The European Southern Observatory caught sodium and lithium flaring in the debris plume and called it a bonus. The media called it a light show. Nobody was physically hurt, so nobody is responsible, and within a week the story was gone.

I have spent 20 years tracking the junk humanity leaves behind in space for a living, and I want to tell you plainly what that crater actually is: a receipt. It’s what you get when an entire industry treats the sky, and now the moon, as a place to dump what it no longer wants, and calls the dumping “normal operations” or “space exploration”.