Europe promises to ‘stand firmly’ with Ukraine as Trump and Putin prepare to meet for summit on Friday

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has welcomed a statement from European allies that insists the “path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine”, before a planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday night, leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland, along with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed Kyiv must be included in any peace talks with Russia.

• Minute-by-minute updates on the action at Wembley

• Have Liverpool changed too much? | Glasner fearful

Wirtz named Germany’s player of the year

Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz has been voted Germany’s player of the year for 2024-25 after another standout season at Bayer Leverkusen while Freiburg’s Julian Schuster has won the coach’s accolade. Germany teammates Giulia Gwinn and Ann-Katrin Berger have to share the women’s player of the year award after both received 608 valid votes from members of the Association of German Sports Journalists (VDS) in the yearly poll organized by Kicker magazine.

Palace’s planning has been severely disrupted by the uncertainty surrounding which European competition they will play in. STeve Parish spent most of Friday at the court of arbitration for sport in Switzerland as the club attempt to have their demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League overturned. Oliver Glasner again revealed his frustration during the Austria tour, saying he had been “promised that we would be more active and bring in the new players earlier this year”.

Woman claiming the late singer is her father speaks out after some of his inner circle cast doubt ahead of new book

His performances defined an era, and his life story has been dissected in tell-all books as well as on the big screen.

But now further revelations may open up an unknown chapter in the life of Freddie Mercury.

• South Korea star wins penalty in substitute appearance

• Son joined LAFC in record transfer earlier this week

South Korea star Son Heung-min made his MLS debut for Los Angeles FC on Saturday, providing a burst of energy as a second-half substitute in a 2-2 draw with the Fire in Chicago.

Son drew a penalty in the 77th minute that Denis Bouanga converted to clinch the draw in the 81st minute – VAR confirming the spot kick after the referee initially let play continue.

After volunteering to take on cases, Mike Gordon became known as a skilled litigator who took on high profile defendants

When he showed up to work on 27 June, Mike Gordon was having one of the best weeks of his career.

Gordon, a federal prosecutor in Tampa, had spent the last month working on a complex case involving allegations that well-known businessman Leo Govoni stole $100m from a fund for children with special needs. That Monday, the US attorney for the middle district of Florida held a press conference announcing an indictment in the case. On Wednesday, Gordon had his semi-annual performance review and received the top rating: outstanding. On Thursday, he appeared on behalf of the government in court and successfully convinced a judge that Govoni should remain in jail until his trial.

Want to be healthier and happier, without spending hours slogging away in the gym? The answer could be a state just above total inactivity

In our modern, time-squeezed lives, it’s tempting to do everything as fast as possible: listen to podcasts on double speed, work in email-free sprints, or train at lung-bursting intensity in the gaps between your morning meditation and the school run. But evidence is piling up that the last one might not be as beneficial as it seems – and that, in fact, just introducing a lot more ultra-low-intensity movement into your schedule can improve your fitness as well as your quality of life, whether you’re a top-tier athlete or experienced couch-crasher. Welcome to zone zero.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the concept, or just need a quick refresher, zone training is a way of structuring workouts based on how high your heart rate gets as a percentage of the fastest it can possibly thump. Lower means slower – and most of us will never hit maximum intensity in our day-to-day lives. Over the decades, the most-recommended zones have shifted as training techniques evolve and knowledge of our biology improves – but zone zero, the state just slightly above total inactivity, where your heart never gets above 50% of its maximum rate, is enjoying a resurgence.

The comedian on his sickly childhood, what made him leave his home town and his Matilda-induced anxiety

Born in 1975 in Northampton and raised in Perth, Australia, Tim Minchin is a musician, comedian, actor, writer and director. Starting out in musical theatre, he turned to comedy in 2003, winning the 2005 Perrier best newcomer at the fringe. In 2008, the Royal Shakespeare Company commissioned him to write music and lyrics for a stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda – it has since won seven Olivier awards and four Tonys. He is married with two children and lives in Sydney. His new album, Tim Minchin Time Machine, is out now. Matilda the Musical is playing in the UK and Ireland.

As photos were so rare in the 80s, compared with now, there’s a formality to my physicality here. I look proud, but as I didn’t like primary school, I would have been unhappy that it was time to go to class. I found the whole school experience very scary.

French officials says heatwave in southern Europe complicates efforts to contain biggest wildfire since 1949

Tourist trails have been closed on Mount Vesuvius in southern Italy as firefighters tackle a huge blaze on the volcano’s slopes, while officials warned of another “challenging day” for those working to contain France’s biggest wildfire since 1949.

The wildfire on Mount Vesuvius, close to Naples, broke out a few days ago and by Saturday afternoon had stretched to about 3km (1.9 miles) wide, destroying hundreds of hectares of woodland and killing wild animals. Thick smoke could be seen from Pompeii and Naples.

Grim predictions of ‘societal collapse’ and ‘civil war’ will hit home so long as Labour fails to address the country’s problems

A last stretch of this strange, uneasy summer remains. Between now and September, there could conceivably be further outbreaks of the kind of violence that rightwing politicians and their media allies have been frantically predicting. But for now, behold a fascinating spectacle: a country quietly refusing to chaotically combust, despite being endlessly encouraged to do so.

One word in particular symbolises the gap between hyped-up rhetoric and everyday reality. “Tinderbox” was first used in the mid-16th century, to describe a crude instrument for starting fires: a container that carried a piece of either flint or steel, and a pocketful of the dry, flammable material that gave the device its name. With the invention of matches, the use of such implements fell away, and the word began its passage to how it is used today: as political shorthand for any situation supposedly on the brink of explosion. And here we are: over the past few weeks, “tinderbox” has become an inescapable cliche.

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

• Record does not stand as it was was made in preseason

• Official record by Justin Tucker remains at 66 yards

Standing half a football field away and with more than a dozen offensive and defensive linemen blocking his view, Cam Little couldn’t see the ball clear the crossbar. But when his Jacksonville Jaguars teammates started screaming and scrambling, Little knew the outcome: a 70-yard field goal that he initially thought set an NFL record.

He later learned it wouldn’t count because it happened in a preseason game, a 31-25 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

• Nkunku is for sale and could return to Bundesliga club

• Blues remain in Garnacho talks and look to sell Jackson

Chelsea are in talks with RB Leipzig over a potential swap deal for Xavi Simons that could lead to Christopher Nkunku returning to the German club.

It is understood Leipzig would like to re-sign the France striker, who moved to Stamford Bridge on a six-year deal in 2023 for £52m but has failed to settle in west London, as a replacement for Benjamin Sesko after his £73.7m move to Manchester United. Chelsea have been in negotiations with the Bundesliga club over a fee for Xavi Simons, with the Netherlands forward having already agreed personal terms despite interest from Bayern Munich.

Scientists say lightning bugs are having a revival this year – but they’re concerned about the insects’ long-term viability

Max Vogel, a 29-year-old public defense attorney, was picnicking with friends in early August at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York, when he noticed flashes of light appear in the air around him.

They were fireflies, bioluminescent insects that the Washington DC native had not seen while living in Oregon, where there are few, if any. For many Americans who live where fireflies do, their flashing lights at dusk are a tangible rite of summer – though one that may now be under threat.

Between 2010 and 2013, I was on the ground capturing Israel’s attacks on Palestine. Few wanted to see it

When I moved to Jerusalem in 2010, the foreign correspondents there offered me some unsettling advice: “The first year here you’ll hate the Israeli government, the second year the Palestinian leadership, by the third you’ll hate yourself.” It’s best to leave before four, I was told, in the interest of sanity. I nodded along thinking how sadly cynical they were. I would do better than that, I told myself. I did not.

I lasted a little under four years in Israel and Palestine. In that time, I reported on forced displacement and punitive bureaucracy (Israel’s occupation is expanded through denied permits, home demolitions and revoked ID cards). I wrote about child killings, war crimes and terrorism (perpetrated by both sides). I tried to explain as best I could the annexation of the West Bank and the collective punishment of two million people in Gaza without using forbidden phrases such as apartheid or war crime. I included the necessary balance of voices and opinions. But still, every report of an atrocity in Palestine was met with highly personal accusations of bias. Editors were often twitchy, readers disengaged.

A fruity stew topped with something akin to a crumble dumpling, the cobbler is a beloved specialty of the southern US – but whose version will make it to your table?

‘If you go to a picnic in the south,” wrote the late South Carolina chef Emily Meggett, “and there’s no peach cobbler, someone’s got some explaining to do.” Cobblers, a rustic variety of fruit pie that seems to have originated in the rough-and-ready environs of the American west, are now principally associated with the US south and are, as chef Brad McDonald observes, “unglamorous” yet “rarely fail to please”.

As befits frontier food, they’re extremely adaptable to a variety of climates and kitchens, too, but, as the southern food critic James Villas once explained, “no matter how you construct a hot cobbler, the main principle is that the filling should never be either soggy or dried out and the crust must be crisp enough to create a good counterpoint with the soft fruits or berries – not to mention the obligatory scoop of ice-cream on top”. Far easier to pull off than a pie, but more impressive than a crumble, cobblers are a great way to use a bargain tray of overripe or bruised fruit, should you be lucky to come across such a thing.

Actor said Trump phoned her to make the offer on the day her divorce from Kenneth Branagh was confirmed in 1998

Emma Thompson has accepted Academy Awards, Baftas and even a damehood over a glittering career, but there was one offer she had to turn down.

The actor says she once got asked out on a date by Donald Trump on the same day her divorced was confirmed.

Republicans see it as the epitome of Trump keeping his promises, while for Democrats it’s an opportunity to return from the political wilderness

Earlier this summer, Republican lawmakers gathered around Donald Trump and applauded as he sat before a desk outside the White House and put his signature on what he calls his “one, big, beautiful bill”.

But there were few claps for Mike Flood this week when the Republican congressman appeared before an auditorium of his Nebraska constituents to extol the tax and spending legislation’s benefits – just boos and jeers.

Israelis are united behind the army, and a clash with the military could have irreparable consequences for the administration

Israel’s decision to approve a plan to occupy the Gaza Strip has reportedly deepened tensions between the government and the country’s military leadership, while also exposing fresh fractures within the army’s senior ranks and straining relations with reservists summoned for what could become the most dangerous phase of the war.

According to Israeli media reports, a bruising week of leaks and public recriminations has laid bare the rift between Israel’s political leaders and its military high command.

‘Nobody told us anything,’ one of women said after all other passengers were rebooked on earlier flight amid delays

The US’s Southwest Airlines has publicly apologized after two women who are blind were both left behind by a plane flying to Orlando that the pair evidently should have had the opportunity to be on.

Southwest eventually ended up flying the women, Camille Tate and Sherri Brun, on another flight for which they were the only two passengers, with the rest being rebooked on a plane that left earlier, according to recent reporting from the Orlando news stations WSVN and WOFL. Nonetheless, as WSVN noted, the two friends from Florida remained outraged at their experience, which resulted from their not being able to see information about the rebooked flight and not being verbally notified of the switch by the airline.

It’s been the year of weight-loss drugs, with celebrities seemingly disappearing before our eyes. For those of us left behind, it’s both a torment and a temptation. Spoiler alert: I tried the jabs, too

It is a balmy evening in early July. I have finally managed to get both of my small children to sleep and I am engaging in what has become a new and unhealthy ritual: scrolling through Instagram and trying to work out which of the people behind accounts I once followed for their body positivity content are now taking weight-loss drugs. I take a break from scrolling to pinch layers of fat between my thumb and middle finger, willing them – as I have since I was a child – to disappear. My fingertips trace the folds of skin that have appeared between my hips and ribs since my youngest son was born last summer, then over the raised red zigzags that have emerged all over my tummy since I first began growing children in 2021.

By the time my partner has made his way up to our room, I am sobbing. His face bears the slightly pained but loving expression of someone who has seen this all before. Without a word, he draws me in for a hug before taking the phone from me. “I just … ” I say between sobs. He nods as I finish my sentence “… wish it were me.”

Conservationists say Canvey Wick in Essex shows potential for brownfield sites as havens for nature

“You must see this!” Marc Outten shoulders past tangles of blackthorn and shimmies around hummocks of blackberries the size of buses and glades filled with wildflowers. What beautiful wildlife spectacle awaits?

Weaving across carpets of bird’s foot trefoil, we reach our destination: a vast, barren circle of asphalt, 70 metres across – the ruins of an uncompleted oil refinery.

Exclusion of older people from research due to arbitrary age cut-offs could stall development of life-saving treatments

People aged over 75 are being excluded from health research due to arbitrary age cut-offs, potentially stalling the development of life-saving treatments, leading charities and research institutes have warned.

Some clinical studies restrict participation for older people due to concerns about the potential frailty of participants and a belief that age may reduce the effect of the drug or device being studied.

A software worker and a retired photographer locked horns on criminal justice and illegal immigration. Could they agree on another controversial topic?

Cushla, 49, London

Occupation Works in software

Australia battled back from a dreadful start n Darwin to win the first of three T20 matches

5th over: Australia 60-3 (Green 25, David 18) So the run rate’s up and the wickets are falling. David doesn’t mind the latter, he maintains the former, thrashing Corbin Bosch’s first ball over backward point for four. It was full and wide but David has the reach to fetch what Travis Head couldn’t earlier. Bosch, tall and blond and built, looks annoyed, bowls the next into leg stump, and has David hitting to his outfielder at deep backward. That’s more the plan. No plan is containing Green though, who makes it look so easy slotting another six over long on. He’s 24 off 7 balls! Then races a single. He’s six foot seventy-three but he’s also quick enough. One ball to come, and David drives it over cover for six!

Oh boy. Three down and they’re going at 12 an over. The ground DJ is playing Chappell Roan. Hot to Go.