Cabinet Office officials delayed telling Starmer about Mandelson vetting recommendation for almost three weeks – UK politics live

Permanent secretary Cat Little tells MPs that she sought legal advice before sharing the vetting information with the prime minister

Little says in March she had a meeting when she asked to see the Foreign Office’s documentation about the decision to grant Mandelson vetting. She said she was asking because this was documentation covered by the humble address. She said was told that “that information would not be forthcoming”.

In the middle of March, I have a meeting with Sir Olly and a senior member of his team, and this is after the point that I’ve been told that this summary document exists.

I specifically ask to see this document and any decision-making audit trail around those judgments at the time. It was made clear to me that that information would not be forthcoming.

I took the very unusual judgment that I should directly request the information from UK Security Vetting.

And I did that because I go back to my responsibilities, to discharge the humble address, which is a responsibility that is unique to me and I take very seriously.

EU set to sign off €90bn loan for Ukraine and fresh Russia sanctions – Europe live

Move comes after Hungary and Slovakia dropped opposition following reopening of the Druzhba oil pipeline

Over in Brussels, the European Commission is giving its daily briefing.

Responding to a question from our Brussels correspondent Jennifer Rankin, the commission has confirmed its plans to withdraw its funding for Venice Biennale after it allowed Russia to take part in the event.

Middle East crisis live: US and Iran in blockade stalemate as Pentagon reportedly says clearing strait of Hormuz could take six months

Leaked assessment says clearing mines could take half a year; US navy secretary leaves office ‘immediately’

• ‘Impossible’ to reopen strait of Hormuz amid ‘flagrant’ ceasefire breaches, Iran says

The Pentagon abruptly announced that the secretary of the US navy, John Phelan, would be leaving his job yesterday. No reason was given for the unexpected departure of the navy’s top civilian official, who had addressed a large crowd of sailors and industry professionals at the navy’s annual conference in Washington just a day before the announcement.

People familiar with the dynamics at the Pentagon told the Guardian Phelan was fired. Phelan had an increasingly rocky relationship with the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, and other senior staff.

Bibby Stockholm asylum barge contractor admits overcharging UK government £118m

Australia’s Corporate Travel Management is ‘negotiating commercial arrangements’ to refund the money

The Australian company that ran the Bibby Stockholm asylum barge has admitted it overcharged the British government by £118m.

Corporate Travel Management (CTM) said its auditor had found evidence of “erroneous billing” of its UK clients, increasing its estimate of how much it owes the government by £40m.

The international right has CPAC. Has the left finally found its answer? | Owen Jones

Spain’s PM, Pedro Sánchez, hosted the inaugural meeting of the Global Progressive Mobilisation. Keir Starmer and other social democrats were notable by their absence

Can progressives push back the rising tide of authoritarianism? Thousands of people gathered in Barcelona this weekend in search of an answer. The occasion was the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilisation – an ambitious initiative backed by the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez – which drew an impressive cast: Brazil’s Lula, Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, alongside many activists and civil society organisations. There was no shortage of targets in the discussion panels and speeches: Donald Trump, fascism, war, corporate power and Israel’s genocide.

What was striking, though, was who wasn’t there. Europe’s leaders were largely absent. That was inevitable, given that Spain stands alone as the only major European country governed by a meaningfully progressive administration. Keir Starmer’s failure to attend – even if his deputy, David Lammy, turned up – was hardly surprising. Indeed, the political distance between Starmer and a leader such as Sánchez is striking. Once little known beyond his own country, the Spanish PM’s outspoken opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza and his unequivocal condemnation of the Iran war have won him respect among European publics and governments across the global south alike.

Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist

Why are White House journalists partying with Trump? | Margaret Sullivan

The White House correspondents’ dinner has always been a questionable affair. It’s even more worrying under an anti-press administration

Even in the pre-Trump era, I had reservations about the annual black-tie celebration in Washington that some have dubbed “the nerd prom” but is more formally known as the White House correspondents’ dinner.

Was it really a wise idea, I wondered, for Washington DC journalists and their bosses to chum around with the very government officials that they were supposed to be covering? Shouldn’t reporters maintain some critical distance? What about the “optics” of this much-publicized event (and the week of gala festivities surrounding it) that made journalists appear frivolous about holding the government accountable to the public? Given the American public’s rock-bottom trust in traditional media, hasn’t this annual, televised display worsened that problem?

The 2026 NFL Draft is tonight. Here's when and how to watch.

Here is what to know about where and when to watch the 2026 NFL Draft.

2026 NFL Draft first round order shows when your team will get their next picks

The 2026 NFL Draft is Thursday night. Here is the order of picks for Round 1.

Sycophantic AI flatters and suggests you are not to blame

The AI models and chatbots that we interact with tend to affirm our feelings and viewpoints — more so than people do, with potentially worrisome consequences.

AI is fueling a surge in crypto fraud schemes, IRS investigators say

One woman's entire life savings was stolen from her by sophisticated scammers who used artificial intelligence to perfectly manipulate her.

Head-on train collision near Copenhagen leaves five critically injured

At least 17 people hurt after crash involving two local services north of Denmark’s capital

Two trains have collided head-on in Denmark, injuring at least 17 people, five of whom are in a critical condition.

The crash happened on Thursday morning at a level crossing at Isterødvejen, near Hillerød, a town about 19 miles (30km) north-west of Copenhagen. Emergency services received a report of the collision just before 6.30am.

Anthropic looks to hire six-figure role for negotiating data center deals to fuel Europe AI expansion

U.S. tech giants have announced huge infrastructure expenditure in 2026 as they look to scale the deployment of AI.

EU risks fallout with US over Trump-linked Balkans pipeline plan

Exclusive: Brussels seeks to stall awarding of contract to firm fronted by US president’s lawyer in letter seen by Guardian

The EU risks a confrontation with Donald Trump after it sought to stall the awarding of a lucrative Balkans pipeline contract to a company fronted by his personal lawyer, documents seen by the Guardian show.

Brussels has clashed with Trump over trade, Ukraine and military spending, but the intervention in the Southern Interconnection pipeline project appears to mark the first time it has challenged a commercial venture by those close to the president.

Criminal gangs profiting as child sexual abuse websites double, experts say

Analyst who worked on Internet Watch Foundation report says content exists ‘across all social media platforms’ and is ‘very easy’ to find

The number of commercial child sexual abuse websites has doubled in a year as experts say that criminal gangs are making “huge profits” from online sexual exploitation.

According to data collected by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), 15,031 commercial child sexual abuse sites were found in 2025, compared with 7,028 found in 2024, a 114% increase.

Sex, drugs and going Maga: what does Netflix’s Hulk Hogan series tell us?

The four-part docuseries Hulk Hogan: Real American shows the almighty rise and bleak fall of a one-time wrestling hero who became closer friends with Donald Trump

It’s an interesting move that Netflix has taken recently, buying the rights to WWE programming while simultaneously commissioning documentaries about how fundamentally flawed its stars are. Nevertheless, after the success of its Vince McMahon series, it was only a matter of time before it made a series about wrestling’s biggest and most complicated star. And now it is here, in the form of Hulk Hogan: Real American.

Few wrestlers have risen quite as high or fallen quite as low as Hogan, born Terry Bollea. For a considerable stretch of time, Hogan was the WWE; a bundle of imminently marketable tricks and quirks that gave him the nod over all the other grunting men in pants who made up the sport.

Bonobos enjoy pretend tea parties and chimps think rationally: why apes are more like us than we ever thought

A series of stunning findings about great apes’ mental capabilities in recent years has transformed how we see our closest relatives

Clear plastic cups and pitchers adorned the wooden table in Des Moines, Iowa. Invisible juice was poured and presented to Kanzi, who enthusiastically chose the fake filled cup, playing along with the man who had come to visit. In many ways, it was the quintessential scene of a children’s imaginary tea party. Only Kanzi, at 44 years old, was a bonobo.

The experiment, carried out at the Ape Initiative facility in 2024, was the first to empirically test and document pretend play in a great ape species, with the results published in the journal Science in February. The study adds to an expansive repertoire of research over the past decade that has uncovered robust similarities between ape and human behaviours, upending long-held beliefs about how we distinguish ourselves from our closest kin.

NFL 2026 draft predictions: the stars, the needs and the lower-round gems

Our writers take a look at the best prospects coming out of college, and which teams needs to nail their picks over the coming days

Arvell Reese, LB/Edge, Ohio State. He is one of the best pure linebacker prospects in a generation, and he has the athletic traits to become a full-time edge defender. Some teams view him as a linebacker; those at the top of the board prefer him as an edge rusher. In an ideal world, Reese will do a bit of everything. Think Philly’s Zack Baun on Super Soldier Serum. Reese has a rare combination of smarts, speed and power. Whichever role he plays, he will be a force multiplier for a defense. OC

How TikTok is driving American expats to Southeast Asia

Americans who moved to Vietnam and Thailand say their lives are now lower-stress and lower-cost. But glamorous videos on TikTok don't tell the whole story.

Senate GOP is kickstarting budget reconciliation to fund ICE. Here's how that works

After a historic partial shutdown of Homeland Security, congressional Republicans are looking to a budgetary tool that could enable them to fund immigration enforcement agencies without Democratic support.

Starmer urged to bring in ticket-touting ban as resellers target Big Weekend

Industry groups dismayed at hints policy will not be in king’s speech, as touts make huge sums from BBC Radio 1 event

Keir Starmer has been urged to honour his pledge to ban ticket touting, amid fears that the policy will be left out of next month’s king’s speech, potentially costing fans “hundreds of millions”.

Music industry groups called on the prime minister to act as fresh evidence showed that professional ticket “traders” had targeted BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend next month, making huge mark-ups through sites such as Viagogo and StubHub.

‘They tore up everything’: the wolf hunters of Kyrgyzstan – in pictures

In the remote village of Ottuk, men protect their precious sheep by heading into the mountains. Luke Oppenheimer went to photograph them … and stayed for four years

UK looked at ways to ‘open doors’ to US chlorinated chicken, FoI request shows

Exclusive: Documents released to campaign group 38 Degrees reveal UK officials briefed on possibility of altering food standards

British officials were briefed on the possibility of allowing chemical-washed chicken into the UK before a meeting with the US embassy, new documents reveal.

The Food Standards Agency is also looking at studies performed in the US on washing chicken with bacteriophages, including chlorine dioxide, to remove pathogens, according to the documents, released to the campaign group 38 Degrees under freedom of information laws.

With his Bible readings, Trump is doubling down on his God complex. Somehow, evangelical Christians are buying it | Emma Brockes

The US president is making a desperate plea to the one group that seemingly hasn’t deserted him – yet

He has lost the Catholics, the foreign policy isolationists and the millions of people affected by ICE’s immigration raids. But Donald Trump is still counting on the goodwill of one powerful constituency of American voters, to whom he appealed this week by reading a passage from the Bible urging people to repent their “wicked ways”. A lot of thoughts spring to mind in relation to this, but at the very forefront, one question: do the US’s evangelical Christians, who overwhelmingly support Trump, have a red line and if so, can they find it with both hands?

I’m stating the obvious but it’s worth raising again, if only to boggle at the sheer shamelessness of a religious community that has thrown in its lot with Trump: how on earth do the evangelicals work out the maths on this? Let’s remind ourselves of the facts; that the president treating us to a section of the Old Testament as part of a week-long, continuous public reading of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation – separation of church and state, anyone? – is the same president who has, variously, been found by courts to have falsified business records, as part of a hush-money payment scheme to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, and sexually abused and defamed E Jean Carroll. As the president intoned to camera in the Oval Office on Tuesday: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist

Private secretary of billionaire Judith Neilson refused bail on $1.6m fraud charges

Annalouise Spence allegedly used credit card to make ‘unauthorised purchases of luxury and personal items, including clothing, artwork and jewellery’

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The former private secretary of billionaire philanthropist Judith Neilson has been charged with dozens of counts of fraud after she allegedly used a business credit card to make more than $1m worth of purchases, including luxury clothing, artwork and jewellery.

Annalouise Spence, 50, was refused bail at a local court hearing on Thursday after being charged with 68 counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception.

Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 review – this spinoff takes the sci-fi smash back to happier times

Walkie-talkies, teen romance, hideous monsters … this animated series has everything that made the original series so lovable. It might go nowhere, but that’s not such a bad thing

Stranger Things takes us back to simpler times. The original Netflix series plonked us in a fantasy past where kids in small American towns rode bikes, chewed gum, listened to cassettes and played Dungeons and Dragons in their friend’s basement; or, if you weren’t American, it reminded you of movies you’d seen where that was the vibe. Either way, it was access to an era before the internet, 9/11, the banking crash, the pandemic and Trump, when life seemed easier.

The cartoon spin-off Tales from ’85 does something similar for Stranger Things itself. It rewinds to a happy, straightforward time, namely between seasons two and three. In that moment, the world of Hawkins, Indiana had been established, but we were yet to endure the show’s bumpy late period, when it got long and boring, then supersized itself and became breathtakingly spectacular, then lost control of the monster it had created and became both spectacular and boring at the same time.

The life of PIs: the strange case of 2026’s resurgence of hard-boiled detectives

Boozing, grumpy, brilliant TV private eyes never really went away, but now they’re sleuthing with renewed vigour. Why is the noir detective back with a vengeance – and is it a bad omen?

Lace up your gumshoes! Hard-boiled detectives are back on the scene, fedoras pulled low, cigarettes sparked up. Nicolas Cage is leading the charge in Prime Video’s Spider-Noir, a shadowy spin on Spider-Man that drops in May – available to stream in black-and-white for the diehards. It promises all the hard-edged hallmarks of a good film noir: fast-paced, slangy dialogue, femme fatales, and a heavy-drinking detective at its centre – albeit one with web shooters rather than a snub-nose revolver.

He’s not the only PI in the frame this year. Apple TV is adapting Philip Kerr’s Berlin Noir series into a series starring Colin Firth, while a new NBC pilot promises Jake Johnson as a “cynical and heartbroken” sleuth. And Brad Bird’s animated noir, Ray Gunn, is finally hitting Netflix after almost 30 years in development.

Leaving present? Eva Olid takes Hearts Women within sight of historic title

Spanish manager has led Edinburgh side to top of Scottish Premier League and a showdown with Rangers looms

Hearts have an opportunity to move one step closer to making history when they face Rangers on Friday. Hearts have never won the Scottish Women’s Premier League but they sit top of the table, one point above their opponents and two ahead of the country’s most successful women’s team, Glasgow City, with five games remaining.

Win or lose, lift a first league title or not, the rise of the Edinburgh side has been remarkable and their manager, Eva Olid, has been a hugely significant part of the journey.

Churning Chelsea threw Rosenior in at the deep end but left him out of his depth | Jacob Steinberg

Decision to hire an inexperienced manager has backfired badly and club’s owners will have to reassess their approach

There was symbolism to the Chelsea project reaching a reckoning at the Amex Stadium. Behdad Eghbali, one of the club’s co-owners, looked ashen-faced in the directors’ box. Enzo Fernández stared into the distance. Liam Rosenior apologised to the few supporters left in the away end and then went on to rip into his players for their performance during the team’s latest humbling by Brighton.

Rosenior’s position as head coach looked untenable long before Chelsea’s fifth straight league defeat was over. The optics were harsh. As a measure of where Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s BlueCo consortium have struggled since buying Chelsea in 2022, it does not get much starker than them having a losing record against Brighton, given how often they have nabbed one of Tony Bloom’s players or staff members.

You be the judge: my partner’s hair cream is toxic for our pets. Should he give it up?

Steven uses a mousse to prevent his hair thinning, but Mabel thinks it’s risky for their cat and dog. Whose argument contains a strand of truth?

• Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a juror

The mousse he uses puts our animals at risk. I would like him to switch treatments

I’m really careful with the cream and always keep it away from our pets. Plus, it works

‘We’re attached to this land like a tree is rooted in soil’: unexpectedly timely exhibition speaks up for the people of south Lebanon

While the population of southern Lebanon have sometimes felt abandoned by their own state, a show in London told their stories and celebrated their resistance

In one room of London’s Palestine House, a large screen plays looped news footage from southern Lebanon. Tanks and armoured vehicles plough their way through a rural landscape of hills and villages, amid frequent interruptions of mortar fire. As a person turns away from the screen, she says that “it’s like watching the news now”.

For all its similarities to current events, the archival video actually dates from 2000 – the year of Israel’s withdrawal from the region, following an 18-year-long military occupation. Another corner of the room plays host to broadsheet pages from newspapers of the time, including a front-page report from the Guardian’s then Middle East correspondent, Suzanne Goldenberg.

Trump administration flies 10-year-old back from Cuba amid custody fight

President Trump's Department of Justice sent a plane this week to Cuba to return a 10-year-old from Utah who is at the center of a custody fight involving the child's gender identity.

The Asset Class by Hettie O’Brien review – the hidden hand of private equity

From utilities to care homes, how capital’s most rapacious form yet is taking over the public realm

This is a dark tale. In its opening scene the author is in conversation with a textile artist in her workshop under the arches in Deptford – arguably one of the last neighbourhoods that credibly sustains London’s claim to be a city that supports creativity. Guardian journalist Hettie O’Brien listens to her talk about rising rents as the railway’s lands are sold to new, invisible owners. The arches have become assets to be traded, and as a result the artist will soon be forced to ply her own trade elsewhere. Behind this story, and many others, lies the hand of private equity. The vast profits reaped by investors, and the toll on society, are all described here in lucid and highly readable prose.

Private equity partnerships are groups of individual and institutional investors with deep pockets. O’Brien traces their rise following the era of deregulation inaugurated by Reagan and Thatcher, and details how Blackstone, the Qatar Investment Authority, Macquarie, KKR and others have bought undervalued assets using borrowed money to minimise their exposure to risk. What happens next is that costs, wages and investment in the future are frequently cut to the bone in the cause of exceptionally high returns.

A catastrophic climate event is upon us. Here is why you’ve heard so little about it | George Monbiot

Scientists say a crucial Atlantic system is more likely to collapse than previously thought. But the billionaire death cult that steers humanity’s destiny doesn’t do existential crises

The poor and middle pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the very rich pay lawyers – and the ultra-rich pay politicians. It’s not an original remark, but it bears repeating until everyone has heard it. The more money billionaires accumulate, the greater their control of the political system – which means they pay less tax, which means they accumulate more, which means their control intensifies.

They reshape the world to suit their demands. One of the symptoms of the pathology known as “billionaire brain” is an inability to see beyond their own short-term gain. They would sack the planet for a few more stones on the pointless mountain of wealth. And we can see it happening. Last week delivered the biggest news of the year so far, perhaps the biggest news of the century. But partly because billionaires own most of the media, most people never heard it. We might find ourselves committed to a civilisation-ending event before we even learn that such a thing is possible.

George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist

A fashion-lover’s guide to Antwerp, Europe’s alternative style capital

In the 1980s ‘the Antwerp Six’ put Flanders on the fashion map. Now a major new exhibition celebrates the designers’ legacy and provides the perfect excuse to visit Belgium’s vibrant second city

You know you’re in a city that takes its fashion seriously when even the Virgin Mary is dressed head to toe in couture. A short walk from Antwerp’s old town, with its ornate medieval guild houses and cobblestone streets, is the baroque church of St Andrews. Like many of the city’s Catholic churches, it has beautiful stained glass windows, an exuberantly carved wooden pulpit and more artworks by Flemish masters than you can shake an incense stick at. But we’re here to pay homage to an art form of a different kind.

In a quiet chapel, an elegant 16th-century wooden statue of the Madonna is clothed not in her usual blue cloak, but a dress of pale gauzy fabric, trimmed with a collar of white pigeon feathers, custom made by renowned Belgian fashion designer Ann Demeulemeester. It’s a bold statement but one that’s entirely in-keeping with a city where a love of fashion seems woven into the fabric of everyday life.

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for almond and lemon spiced treacle tart | A kitchen in Rome

Some desserts never go out of fashion – even medieval ones – and, with its nutty, spiced almond and dried fruit filling, this treacle tart-alike is one of them

It wasn’t that dessert trolleys were banned in Italy during Covid, but guidelines from the Instituto Superiore di Sanità (national institute of health) were so (necessarily) rigorous around these “potential vehicles of the virus” that most places banished them to storerooms. Happily, many restaurants have since retrieved them from their long stay, so they glide or rattle between tables once more, or sit parked in an admirable position. This isn’t my first time mentioning the dessert trolley at La Torricella here in Testaccio, having written about its fabulous puff pastry and cream millefoglie in the past. But another dessert that might catch your eye as you enter the restaurant and look right at the cloth-covered trolley parked under the bar is what owner Augusto refers to as torta medievale, because of its spiced almond and dried fruit filling. It’s an unassuming but extremely good thing.

The torta medievale also reminds me of a favourite among favourites: treacle tart, which is, of course, made with golden syrup, whose story began in 1881 when the Scottish businessman Abram Lyle set up a sugar refinery in London. The process involved extracting juice from sugar cane, then boiling down this juice and moulding it into sugar loaves, which could then be grated as required. One of the byproducts of this process was a bitter, molasses-brown treacle, which was initially sold as animal feed, but later, thanks to the work of the chemist, further refined into a viscous, sweet syrup nicknamed “Goldie”, which was stored in barrels and distributed to staff and friends. Over time, though, seeing its popularity, the partially inverted refined syrup was given the name golden syrup and packaged in tins that remain so familiar: dark green with a dead gold lion swarmed by bees. It’s an image from Samson’s Riddle in the book of Judges, in which Samson, returning to the lion he has killed, finds that bees have created a honeycomb in the carcass, which also gives rise to the words on the tin, “out of the strong came forth sweetness”, and reminds one of Lyle’s strong faith.

Thursday news quiz: insurance scams, drinking games and errors of biblical proportions

Test yourself on topical news trivia, pop culture and general knowledge every Thursday. How will you fare?

It is time for the Thursday news quiz, where you must cling on to knowledge with both hands – even if, thanks to our quirky illustration by Anaïs Mims, they seem to have curled themselves into question marks. Like our primate friend above, you may find yourself swinging wildly between certainty and guesswork. Fifteen questions on the week’s news and culture await. There are no prizes, but we always enjoy hearing how you got on in the comments. Allons-y!

The Thursday news quiz, No 244

Has the world grown weary of art biennials? In search of an antidote, a Portuguese festival turns to anarchism

Art festivals can fill abandoned buildings with new life – or clear a path for property developers. Coimbra’s Anozero is trying out a more confrontational approach

If you decide to spend a night at Coimbra’s Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova in the near future, do bear in mind that the place is almost certainly haunted. Disembodied children’s voices echo around the first floor of the 17th century convent perched atop a hill in the Portuguese university city, overlooking the medieval centre from across the Mondego river.

In the garages, dry foliage has been arranged in geometric shapes, as if in preparation for a wicca ritual. You need the nerves of a ghost-hunter to walk through the pitch-black ground-floor corridor of the dormitory wing, lit only by a neon strip at either end, where tortured wails ambush you from the monkish cells. Sung in Albanian, Chinese, Kurdish, Kyrgyz and Turkish, these laments are part of an installation by US artist Taryn Simon, but they feel like spectral reminders of the nuns who lived in these quarters for two centuries.

Pilot’s selfie led to mid-air collision in F-15K fighter jet, says South Korea’s air force

One pilot ordered to repay some of the $600,000 of damage caused by collision in 2021

South Korea’s air force has apologised for a 2021 mid-air collision involving two fighter jets, a day after auditors said pilots were taking selfies and filming during the flight and held them responsible for the accident.

“We sincerely apologise to the public for the concern caused by the accident that occurred in 2021,” an air force spokesperson said in a press briefing. The spokesperson said one of the pilots involved had been suspended from flying duties, received severe disciplinary action and has since left the military.

To be human is to live with friction. That’s something AI boosters will never understand | Alexander Hurst

We’re being sold a world where there’s no room for reflection or spontaneity. This is the Black Mirror stage of capitalism

How fast do you have to strike a match to get it to light? Not the chemistry of the ignition, but the actual speed, in metres per second, that the little piece of wood and its bulbous head have to move to spark the chain reaction behind the flame.

It was a question born of insomnia. And there, in the dark, I did the thing you’re not supposed to do, if your goal is to fall back asleep: I opened my phone. Before I knew it, 3am had become 5am. I learned about the composition of the friction strip (red phosphorus, pulverized glass), and of the match head (potassium chlorate, antimony trisulphide, wax), and that a safety match struck against anything else will not light. I found slow-motion videos of a match strike captured at 3,500 frames per second. But nothing about the speed.

Alexander Hurst writes for Guardian Europe from Paris. His memoir Generation Desperation is out now

‘Lawrence is karma’: the gangster who became an icon of Modi’s India

Lawrence Bishnoi has been in high-security custody for more than a decade. During that time, he has been linked to multiple high-profile killings, both in India and as far afield as Canada. What explains his seemingly undimmed power?

The border that separates India from Pakistan is lined with 50,000 towering poles that hold 150,000 floodlights, which at night create a glare that is visible from outer space. Passing through the towns on the Indian side of the border, it can be difficult to tell, even in daylight, where one ends and the other begins. Curving along the rolling fields of wheat are nameless dirt roads where men sit on rope benches, whiling away their afternoons, staring as you pass by.

Dutarawali, right by the highway, is slightly different: here, the houses are big, with spacious courtyards. One of the houses – three storeys, painted white with red accents – has a 7ft boundary wall topped with barbed wire and four CCTV cameras overlooking the unpaved street. The symbol of Om is curled on its brown iron door, which has no nameplate. It is the house of Lawrence Bishnoi, who is today, at the age of 33, India’s most notorious gangster.

How to find a career you love – for gen Z and everyone else: ‘You don’t want your life’s compass to be dread’

In her new book, New York Times investigative journalist Jodi Kantor has set her mind to helping young people find their life’s work. What should they, or anyone else who feels lost and overwhelmed right now, do to get started?

Early last year, the investigative journalist Jodi Kantor was asked to give the commencement address to students at Columbia University in New York. The place was in chaos – amid continuing pro-Palestinian protests students were expelled, or arrested and detained by immigration officials, while President Trump had ordered a $400m withdrawal of federal funding (which was later reinstated as part of a settlement with the administration). Kantor was “horrified” to see what had happened at Columbia – her alma mater, where she was sacked from her first journalism job at the student paper– “a place and campus I loved, a place that stands for discussion and ideas and progress. I said: ‘I’ll do it if I can speak to the students first.’”

She spoke to several. They didn’t want to talk about Israel or Gaza, or Trump, or what was happening at the university and its implications for free speech. “They said: ‘Our class, despite all of its political differences, is united in anxiety over one question. When everything feels so broken, how do we start? How do we find our life’s work in this environment?’”

Compare the candidates for California governor, side by side, on the issues that matter to you

Compare the candidates for California governor with the CBS News California Investigates Side-by-Side Candidate Guide.

Remains found of 3 Memphis children may have been there for years, police say

Memphis authorities say they are investigating the discovery of remains of three children, believed to be between 3 and 7 years of age, that could have been there for years.

Christopher Luxon shoots the messenger as nightmare New Zealand election scenario hangs over him | Claire Robinson

An increasingly unpopular prime minister scolded the media after surviving a tense caucus vote. It was a masterclass – just not in the art of leadership

Being prime minister is the hardest job in New Zealand. It requires presence, vision and the willingness to be publicly answerable for everything – to parliament, citizens, the party, business, the media. You can’t be accountable to one and not the other. Yet that’s what Christoper Luxon chose this week when he scolded the media and told them he would no longer engage with them on questions about his leadership.

For most of the last year, National, the lead party in a three-way coalition government, has been trailing the opposition Labour party in the polls. In January 2026 the gap was just 0.67% of a percentage point on average. Three months later, it widened to a 5.86% average with no signs of bottoming out.

4/22: CBS Evening News

Georgia streets reduced to ashes amid massive wildfires; Trump administration considers bailout for Spirit Airlines.

‘Pacific ashtray’: Australian billionaire’s plan to ship and burn waste in Fiji condemned by villagers

After his project got rejected in Sydney, a rubbish disposal magnate now hopes to build a $630m port and waste incinerator near a tourist gateway city

An Australian billionaire’s plan to burn rubbish for energy in Fiji amounts to “waste colonialism” and risks spoiling a “beach paradise”, villagers and the Pacific country’s UN ambassador have said.

Traditional landowner Inoke Tora boarded a bus to the capital, Suva, on Tuesday with a petition from villagers opposing the $630m waste-to-energy incinerator, which is forecast to consume 900,000 tonnes of non-recyclable rubbish each year.

Kalshi suspends, fines 3 congressional candidates in 'insider trading' enforcement actions

The incidents involved a candidate from Virginia seeking a Senate seat and candidates running for House seats from Minnesota and Texas.

Two home explosions on same San Antonio block injure 5

Five people were injured when explosions occurred several hours apart at two homes on the same block of a north San Antonio neighborhood.

Tesla misses on revenue but beats on profit as auto margins jump

Tesla's stock has underperformed all of its megacap peers so far this year as global competition ramps up in the electric vehicle market.

Microsoft looked at buying Cursor before SpaceX deal, sources say

Prior to SpaceX's announcement that it's agreed to a potential purchase of Cursor, Microsoft looked at buying the AI coding startup.

All U.S. attorney's offices must assign a prosecutor to new fraud division: Memo

In the memo, Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald​ said detailing a prosecutor from each U.S. attorney's office is aimed to help "execute a nationwide strategy to eliminate fraud in every district."

Chemical leak at a W.Va. plant kills 2 people, sends 30 more to hospitals, officials say

The leak occurred at the Catalyst Refiners plant, a silver recovery business. An emergency management official says workers were preparing to shut down at least part of the facility when the leak occurred, causing a chemical gas reaction.

4/22: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Future of Iran war uncertain with no date set for peace talks; new poll shows Congress is historically unpopular.

Meta is tracking employee keystrokes on Google, LinkedIn, Wikipedia as part of AI training initiative

As part of an AI initiative that tracks employee keystrokes and mouse clicks, Meta is monitoring use of popular sites like Google, LinkedIn and Wikipedia.

DOJ charges Southern Poverty Law Center with fraud

A federal grand jury indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on wire and bank fraud-related charges on Tuesday, the Justice Department says, accusing it of paying members of extremist groups as part of its efforts to investigate them.

Parents of slain Loyola freshman say they are not interested in politics, but accountability

The parents of Sheridan Gorman, the Loyola University student who police say was gunned down last month by an undocumented immigrant, spoke out for the first time with CBS News' Matt Gutman.

DOJ accuses Southern Poverty Law Center of fraud, law center calls it a political attack

The Southern Poverty Law Center has made its name battling extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan. It is now facing federal charges of fraud, accused of funneling millions into some of those very same hate groups. Jan Crawford has more.

Pirro says DOJ won't drop Fed probe, will appeal judge's order blocking Powell subpoenas

Powell has accused the DOJ of targeting him for refusing to obey Trump's demand that the Fed sharply lower interest rates.

The ‘big durian’: one day in Jakarta, the world’s largest city

The UN has officially designated Jakarta the world’s largest city, home to 42 million. We explore a day in the life of the ‘big durian’.

In December, the United Nations officially designated Jakarta the world’s largest city, hosting a staggering 42 million inhabitants. Michael Neilson speaks to several people who call the ‘big durian’ home – about the positives and the negatives – and how community and the city’s infamously dry humour get them through.

Boston woman and her dog set out to search for a 3-year-old's lost stuffy

Social media has the amazing ability to harness the power of a crowd, but that power still depends on individuals who decide to act. Tony Dokoupil has the story about the search for a lost stuffy in the Boston marathon.

IBM shares drop as company beats but opts to maintain guidance

Investors have been attuned to mainframe disruption threats from artificial intelligence, but IBM posted 51% growth in Z mainframe hardware revenue.

Trump administration, Spirit Airlines in advanced bailout talks, sources say

The negotiation comes after President Trump publicly said he wanted his administration to look at a rescue package for the budget carrier.

Pentagon says Navy secretary is leaving, the latest departure of a top defense leader

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said John Phelan, the Navy's top civilian official, was "departing the administration, effective immediately." Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao will become acting secretary of the Navy.

Latest details as Iran hits ships in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan is out, effective immediately, the Pentagon said. It's the latest departure of a top defense leader as the U.S. and Iran fight for control of the Strait of Hormuz. Charlie D'Agata reports.

Pentagon says navy secretary is leaving, marking another top leader’s departure

Exit of John Phelan, navy’s top civilian official, comes a week after Pete Hegseth fired army’s top officer

The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that the navy’s top civilian official, John Phelan, the secretary of the navy, is leaving his job.

In a statement posted to social media, Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, said Phelan was “departing the administration, effective immediately”.

Why is the Trump administration considering bailing out Spirit Airlines?

The fate of Spirit Airlines could affect ticket prices across the industry, which is why the Trump administration is considering a bailout, sources confirm. Kris Van Cleave has more details.

Georgia streets reduced to ashes amid massive wildfires

In Southeast Georgia, massive wildfires have transformed the sky into a fiery orange, burning homes and neighborhoods. Skyler Henry reports and Rob Marciano has the forecast.

Tesla's making money. But it's planning to spend an awful lot more

Tesla's profits were up from this time last year. But the company warned investors to prepare for expensive investments in next-generation technology like humanoid robots and AI.

One person diagnosed with cancer every 80 seconds in UK, report reveals

NHS struggling to cope with record numbers, which Cancer Research UK says puts progress on survival rates at risk

The number of people in the UK being diagnosed with cancer has reached a record high, with one person diagnosed every 80 seconds, a report reveals.

Cancer Research UK found that more than 403,000 people were being diagnosed with the disease each year, largely due to a growing and ageing population, as people are more likely to develop cancer as they get older.

European football: Lamine Yamal injury overshadows Barcelona moving nine points clear

• Forward subbed after scoring winner against Celta Vigo

• PSG stay in Ligue 1 title hunt with victory over Nantes

Barcelona moved closer to retaining their La Liga title with a 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo on Wednesday, but the win was overshadowed by an injury to Lamine Yamal, who scored the first-half penalty that settled the match.

With six games remaining, Barcelona lead the standings on 82 points, nine clear of Real Madrid on 73. The result keeps the champions firmly in control of the title race, though concern now surrounds Lamine Yamal with a Clásico looming in two weeks and the World Cup less than 50 days away.

Trump envoy asks Fifa to replace Iran with Italy at World Cup finals

• US special envoy Zampolli hopes for Italy involvement

• Doubts remain over Iran’s participation at tournament

An envoy to Donald Trump has asked Fifa to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

The plan is an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

"A breaking point": Inside the 68-day DHS shutdown

In a department built to respond to catastrophic threats, employees have been reduced to bartering for office supplies.

Virginia judge blocks redistricting referendum result that boosted Democrats' election hopes

Virginia voted by a slim margin on Tuesday to approve U.S. House district maps that could allow Democrats to flip four seats in the state this November.

Trump administration reaches $1.25 million settlement with Carter Page

The FBI obtained four warrants under FISA to monitor Carter Page, who served as an informal adviser to President Trump during his 2016 campaign.

Southwest Airlines forecasts quarterly earnings below estimates on higher fuel

The airline reported that revenue in its first-quarter period rose nearly 13% to $7.25 billion.

Israeli strike kills journalist after ongoing attacks blocked rescuers, Lebanon says

Amal Khalil had been buried in rubble after an Israeli strike that also injured another journalist, Zeinab Faraj

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed a journalist on Wednesday after rescuers were blocked from accessing the building where she was buried under rubble because of further Israeli fire, according to several witnesses.

Amal Khalil was covering developments near the town of al-Tayri with the photographer Zeinab Faraj when an Israeli strike hit the vehicle in front of them.

Fearless Rayan Cherki offers Manchester City a point of difference in title hunt | Will Unwin

Talented France forward roamed with intent on a nervy night at Burnley when City reclaimed top spot

In a season where the football on offer would struggle to entertain paint testers, Rayan Cherki has offered a point of difference. A playground footballer who gives off the impression of actually enjoying the game, while the majority of professionals are enduring the methodical nature of desperately practising set pieces. Cherki possesses an armoury of trickery and a desire to use it at every opportunity, even in a stuttering win at Burnley.

A fee of £30.5m was paid for the France international last summer, luring him from Lyon. While Florian Wirtz, a player who cost almost four times as much, struggles to adapt at Liverpool, Cherki’s relaxed attitude has made it a seamless transition from Ligue 1 to Premier League. There is a fearlessness to his play, knowing that if he does lose the ball then it will soon be back at his feet.

Trump administration in advanced talks for Spirit Airlines rescue package, sources say

The Trump administration is preparing to rescue ailing budget carrier Spirit Airlines.

Senate defeats Democrats' 5th attempt to limit Trump's war powers in Iran

The Senate rejected another attempt to rein in President Trump's ability to use further military force against Iran, marking Democrats' fifth effort to do so since the war began eight weeks ago.

2 University of South Florida doctoral students have gone missing, authorities say

Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27, were last seen in the Tampa area on April 16, the University of South Florida Police Department said​. Loved ones say their disappearances are out of character and they're concerned.

Convenience store owner Yesway is stealing customers from fast-food chains, CEO says

Yesway made its public market debut on Wednesday, trading on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange under "YSWY."

Prediction site Kalshi fines three US candidates who bet on own elections

Disclosures come after firm tightened rules on insider trading, including candidates betting on own campaigns

Before he announced his Senate candidacy, a political hopeful in Virginia did something not so unusual in this day and age: he logged on to a prediction market exchange and wagered money that he would run. Then he ran. Then he bet on that too.

The candidate and trader was Mark Moran, a former FBoy Island contestant who went viral recently for his campaign launch video. Investigators with Kalshi, the federally regulated prediction market exchange, found he placed two trades on their platform, the first in a market asking which individuals would seek public office in 2026, the second after he formally entered the race.

Rep. David Scott becomes 5th member of 119th Congress to die in office

Democratic Rep. David Scott, who represented Georgia in the House for more than two decades, has become the fifth member of the 119th Congress to die in office.

Rents around the U.S. are growing more slowly than they have in years

The cost of renting a home, which surged during the pandemic, is showing signs of returning to earth, new data shows.

Judge dismisses Kash Patel's defamation lawsuit over claim he frequented 'nightclubs'

The lawsuit against Frank Figliuzzi was dismissed a day after FBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic magazine over claims he abused alcohol.

Warren presses Trump administration for answers on evacuation of Americans amid Iran war

Thousands of Americans were stuck in the Middle East at the start of the Iran war; some said they did not receive support they needed from the U.S. government.

RFK Jr. says he would support a potential ban on junk food TV ads

A ban on TV junk food ads would likely draw fierce backlash from major food manufacturers. 

Crypto mogul sues Trump family's World Liberty Financial, alleging fraud

Sun alleges that World Liberty Financial froze the digital tokens he had purchased, locking him out of assets worth as much as $1 billion.

Lando Norris backs Max Verstappen to stay in F1 after drivers win rule changes

• World champion expects Dutch rival to fight for fifth crown

• ‘It would be a miss for the sport’ if he acts on dissatisfaction

Lando Norris has said he believes Max Verstappen will continue to race in Formula One but that it would be “a miss” for the sport if the four-time world champion did decide to leave owing to his dissatisfaction with the way this season’s new regulations have affected how drivers race.

Verstappen has been outspoken in his dislike of the new regulations and their focus on electrical energy management that now makes up almost 50% of the car’s power output. He has intimated he might leave the sport but, with the rules having been adjusted by the FIA in an effort to address concerns of all drivers this week, Norris felt the Dutchman would remain in F1.

Super foamy sneakers are everywhere. How do they stack up?

Light as a feather and bouncy as a marshmallow, cushioned shoes have gone from marathons to daily commutes

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Floaty foam-based footwear has been spotted on celebrities for years, from Aubrey Plaza in Hokas and Harry Styles in New Balance to Zendaya’s ongoing deal with On running shoes.

A desire for “practical functionality” has driven technical sportswear to street pavements, says streetwear reporter Lei Takanashi from the Business of Fashion in New York.

Bessent says 'many' U.S. allies have asked for currency swaps amid Iran war turbulence

The White House on Tuesday said the UAE had not requested a currency swap line.

Rivian hits production milestone for R2 EV ahead of customer deliveries

Rivian Automotive on Wednesday said it has started production of its new R2 all-electric vehicle for customers at its plant in Normal, Illinois.

South Africa struggling to secure UK TV deal to screen England Test series

• Sky Sports declines offer to renew long-term contract

• Value of bilateral international cricket in decline

Cricket South Africa has yet to secure a UK television rights deal for England’s marquee Test series next winter with Sky Sports declining an offer to renew a long-term contract that expired last year.

Sky’s apparent reluctance to extend a relationship that began more than 30 years ago has left CSA searching for alternative broadcast partners so that the three Tests over Christmas and three one-day internationals in January are televised in the UK.

New report ranks the cleanest and most polluted U.S. cities

The new report evaluated air quality in different parts of the country by measuring the presence of ozone and particle pollution in the atmosphere.

The Guardian view on the Vatican v the White House: Pope Leo is carrying on Francis’s good work | Editorial

The pontiff’s criticisms of Donald Trump’s illegal war in Iran indicate a welcome resolve to follow in his predecessor’s footseps

One year after the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican this week hosted the premiere of a documentary tribute by Martin Scorsese. For a pontiff whose charisma and crowd-pleasing style helped cut through to a secular audience, marking the anniversary with the help of one of the world’s most famous film directors was a nice touch.

Francis’s successor, Leo XIV, is a far less flamboyant personality. In his inaugural year in St Peter’s chair, the first pope to come from the United States has generally taken a cautious, circumspect approach to his role. But it turns out that an aura of mildness and restraint makes him no less effective when criticising the posturing that passes for Christian piety in Donald Trump’s Washington.

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.

Microsoft's LinkedIn names longtime exec Dan Shapero its new CEO

Microsoft said Daniel Shapero will be the new CEO of LinkedIn, reporting to Ryan Roslansky, who held the job since 2020 and now has added responsibility.

Tourist charged with damaging historic Florentine fountain in pre-wedding prank

Police catch woman, 28, climbing colossal 16th-century statue of Neptune to touch its genitals as a dare

A tourist has been charged after allegedly climbing a colossal marble statue in Florence to touch its genitals for a pre-wedding prank.

Experts said the woman caused thousands of euros of damage to the Neptune fountain in Piazza della Signoria.

Thief who swiped purse of ex-DHS chief Kristi Noem gets 3 years in prison

The man, Chilean national Mario Bustamante Leiva, "came to Washington illegally to prey on citizens of the District," said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.

The tariff refund process has begun for businesses. What about customers?

While shipping companies are pledging refunds for customers who directly paid tariff fees, the situation is much trickier for retailers.

‘Tennis is about being fluid’: how Iga Swiatek is drawing on her time with Rafael Nadal to regain No 1 spot

Winner of six grand slams is changing her strategy after a run of poor results, helped by time in Spain with 39-year-old legend

Iga Swiatek had little interest in tennis as a teenager, but the one exception was Rafael Nadal. She spent her formative years idolising the Spaniard, who won 22 majors and, from afar, soon became one of his most avid students.

His influence is evident in the heavy topspin the Pole generates with her forehand, still a singular weapon on the women’s tour, proof of the intensity she demands of herself on every point and her four French Open titles earned by the time she was barely 23.