↩ Accueil

Vue lecture

Fries with everything: fans swelter on Headingley’s Test return as Jaiswal tucks in

Queues for water refills and ice creams surpassed even those for beer at a sun-baked ground offering unseasonably hot sustenance

After two years without a Test here, 23 in which India’s red-ball side had visited only once, seven months since the last tickets for the first three days were snapped up and six in which the sum total of England’s action in this format had been a low-key three-day win over Zimbabwe, it is fair to say that Leeds was ready for this. Or at least, in classic Yorkshire fashion, that it would be ready in its own sweet time.

Play started with the stands barely half-full and television commentators feeling they had to remind viewers the day was actually a sellout. That much was swiftly evident, but as India’s batters settled in for the long haul there was no need for anyone to hurry.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images

  •  

The Guide #196: How blockbusters, streaming and risk-averse studios shaped the last 25 years of cinema

In the ​last ​of our miniseries,​ we look at how Hollywood has become a franchise machine​​. But in a sea of superheroes and sequels, there is still room for cinematic artistry

We’ve mulled over music, tackled TV and now, to finish our series looking at how pop culture has changed in the first quarter of the 21st century, we’re chewing over cinema.

And there’s quite a bit of chewing to do, equivalent to at least a medium-rare steak or a large toffee. Because, while film might not have been disturbed quite as dramatically by streaming as music or TV has, its still had to contend with some serious changes in audience habits. The more than a century-old practice of spending money to stare at a giant screen in a darkened room now has all manner of competition, including streamers like Netflix beaming films with the same production values and star names straight to your living room at a fraction of the price.

Continue reading...

© Composite: Marvel Studios, Warner Bros, PR

© Composite: Marvel Studios, Warner Bros, PR

  •  

Manchester City open to letting Ilkay Gündogan join Galatasaray

  • Midfielder likely to have limited game time next season

  • Former Germany international wants to keep playing

Galatasaray are considering a move for Ilkay Gündogan, with Manchester City open to a transfer for the 34-year-old midfielder.

The Turkish club are believed to have inquired about Gündogan’s availability in the winter window but City did not want him to leave midway through the season. But with Pep Guardiola having signed Nico González in February and Tijjani Reijnders in this window, with Rodri again fit after a serious knee injury and Mateo Kovacic expected back from an achilles problem in mid-September, game time for Gündogan may be limited.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Marco Bello/Reuters

© Photograph: Marco Bello/Reuters

  •  

‘It is impossible to recall him without smiling’: Simon Rattle on Alfred Brendel

The conductor first heard Brendel as a schoolboy. He was to become his cherished friend, inspirational collaborator and valued mentor for many decades. Simon Rattle remembers the great pianist’s wit, wisdom – and a particular pair of scissors

It’s hard even to know where to start with Alfred: for any musician of my generation he was simply always there, the very definition of integrity and a kind of unique probing humour.

I heard him first in Liverpool, playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 22, K482, an unforgettable concert for an impressionable 14-year-old. I could never have imagined then that my first collaboration with him would be in the same city when I was 20. That Beethoven – his first piano concerto – began a long journey of learning and friendship over the subsequent decades. I cannot stress how much I learned from him, or how painfully obvious it was to me just how steep the climb was to be able to come anywhere near to being an adequate partner for him. I remember clearly the sense of being kindly but firmly stretched to beyond my level of musicianship. Immense freedom within a strict framework. I am profoundly grateful that he was willing to carry on pulling me upwards for nearly 40 years!

Continue reading...

© Photograph: unknown/Sophia Evans

© Photograph: unknown/Sophia Evans

  •  

‘Fashion murder’: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy fans aghast at first images from Netflix series

Style watchers quick to disapprove of late publicist’s portrayal in Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story

In fashion, only the real favourites have acronyms. See SJP for Sarah Jessica Parker, ALT for the fashion editor André Leon Talley and – particularly relevant right now – CBK for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.

The wife of John F Kennedy Jr who died in a plane crash in 1999 is sometimes seen as America’s answer to Diana, Princess of Wales. Like Diana, she was loved for her style – called minimalist, chic or “quiet luxury”. Instagram is full of accounts posting archive images of her, influential brands such as The Row, Toteme and Gabriela Hearst design clothes that channel her approach to dressing and there have been books and auctions in recent years.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: AKGS/BrosNYC/BACKGRID

© Photograph: AKGS/BrosNYC/BACKGRID

  •  

Critic of Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega shot dead in Costa Rica

Retired army officer Roberto Samcam was killed in San José by gunmen, the latest of several attacks on Ortega’s critics

A retired Nicaraguan army officer in exile turned fierce critic of the country’s authoritarian president Daniel Ortega has been shot dead in neighboring Costa Rica.

Maj Roberto Samcam, 66, was shot at his apartment building in San José on Thursday, reportedly by men pretending to deliver a package.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Inti Ocón/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Inti Ocón/AFP/Getty Images

  •  

Britain is one step closer to compassionate, kind death for all | Kim Leadbeater

This historic day comes too late for many who supported my bill, but I will never forget their courage and selflessness

  • Kim Leadbeater is Labour MP for Spen Valley

I am relieved and overjoyed by the historic vote on assisted dying in England and Wales in the House of Commons today. The road has been long and hard, and I am very aware that many others have been on that journey since long before I even became an MP. The question of whether to offer choice to people at the end of their lives was first raised in parliament in 1936 – almost a century ago.

Since then, terminally ill people have pleaded repeatedly with MPs to heed their simple wish to have control and autonomy at the end of their lives. A courageous few have taken their cases to the courts, even while they confronted the prospect of their own imminent and inevitable deaths. The judges said it was for parliament to decide. Now, at last, the House of Commons has responded, and responded decisively to recognise the justice of their cause.

Kim Leadbeater is Labour MP for Spen Valley

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.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters

© Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters

  •  

Woman appears in court charged with murdering sister in north London flat

Nancy Pexton appears at Highbury Corner magistrates court charged with murdering Jennifer Abbott

A woman has appeared in court charged with murdering her 69-year-old sister who was found stabbed inside her north London home.

Nancy Pexton, also 69, appeared at Highbury Corner magistrates court on Friday charged with murdering Jennifer Abbott, also known as Sarah Steinberg, last Tuesday.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Metropolitan Police/PA

© Photograph: Metropolitan Police/PA

  •  

Thousands gather at Stonehenge for summer solstice celebration

Combination of weekend timing and good weather could make this year’s event one of the busiest in years

Glen Michael Herbert, a woodcarver known as Herbie to his friends, summed up the draw of the summer solstice beautifully.

“It’s a spiritual thing that people of all faiths and none can embrace,” he said. “I think it’s about feeling the wheel of the year turning, enjoying the light, appreciating nature. Most of all, coming together.”

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Sam Frost/The Guardian

© Photograph: Sam Frost/The Guardian

  •  

‘I’ve never been so obsessed with a band’: readers’ best albums of 2025 so far

Bad Bunny blasting bigotry against Puerto Ricans, Davido’s uplifting vibes and a blast from trip-hop’s past. Here’s what has caught your ear this year
Read the Guardian’s best albums of the year so far

Constellations for the Lonely is a fabulous return for Doves: textured, layered and, as ever, occupying a space and sound all their own. From the futuristic reflection of Renegade to the soulful Cold Dreaming to the thought provoking A Drop in the Ocean, and the devastating realisation of loss in Last Year’s Man ... This is a band confronting the past, to channel hope and find redemption by coming through challenges that can only be overcome through genuine friendship. Steven, Wolverhampton

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Rob Latour/REX/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Rob Latour/REX/Shutterstock

  •  

Mike Lynch’s superyacht Bayesian raised from seabed off Sicily

UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter were among seven killed when vessel sank during storm last August

Mike Lynch’s superyacht, Bayesian, has been resurfaced for the first time since it sank during a violent storm off the coast of Sicily in August last year, killing seven people including the tech tycoon and his teenage daughter.

The white top and blue hull of the 56-metre (184ft) vessel emerged from the depths of the sea in a holding area of a yellow floating crane barge, as salvage crews readied it to be hauled ashore for further investigation. The Italian coastguard said the recovery was scheduled to begin on Saturday morning.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Igor Petyx/Reuters

© Photograph: Igor Petyx/Reuters

  •  

Football Daily | Will Spain serve up a helping of pain for England’s misfiring youngsters?

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!

Venganza is on the cards in Trnava on Saturday night when England take on Spain at the European Under-21 Championship quarter-finals. There are constant reminders on the Channel 4 coverage in the UK that “we” are the holders, despite the fact there are only a couple of remaining members from the squad that defeated La Rojita in the final in Batumi two years ago. It’s a night that Oliver Skipp will never forget. There is another stark difference between then and now: England were properly decent at that point. This current crop have stumbled their way into the last eight like a weary boozer, six pints deep, picking his way through an All Bar One terrace on a hot day.

The American dream. We guess the cowboy won …” – Botafogo remind PSG chief suit, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, of the insult he hurled at their owner John Textor, also chief suit at Lyon, after the Brazilian side’s shock 1-0 Copa Gianni victory over the Bigger Cup champions.

Re: the thinly veiled contempt from the Juventus players standing behind Donald Trump (yesterday’s Football Daily), brought to mind this scene from The Simpsons …” – Adam Clark.

The photo in yesterday’s Football Daily makes Mr Infantino look very much like Mickey Mouse in his magnum opus, Fantasia. On reflection, Mickey Mouse is a perfect description for Mr Infantino, and his mate Donald shares many comparisons with [Snip – Football Daily lawyer]” – Joe Carr.

Given the PFA has a young player of the year award, isn’t it only fair they also have an old player of the year award (over 78s perhaps? – Football Daily Ed)? I had a really good game with my dog in the garden recently so surely I qualify and I’m even older than James Milner” –Martyn Shapter.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Nikola Krstic/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Nikola Krstic/Shutterstock

  •  

James Bond owners say name battle is ‘assault’ on 007 franchise

Exclusive: Dubai-based property developer has filed claims challenging trademark registrations, including the phrase ‘Bond, James Bond’

The owners of James Bond have called the attempt by an Austrian businessman to take control of the superspy’s name across Europe an “unprecedented assault” on the multibillion-pound global franchise.

In February, the Guardian revealed that a Dubai-based property developer had filed claims in the UK and EU arguing that lack of use meant various protections had lapsed around James Bond’s intellectual property, including his name, his 007 assignation and the catchphrase “Bond, James Bond”.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Landmark Media/Alamy

© Photograph: Landmark Media/Alamy

  •  

Amazon under UK investigation over alleged failure to pay suppliers on time

Regulator says it has ‘reasonable grounds’ to suspect company breached groceries supply code of practice

The UK’s grocery industry watchdog has launched an investigation into Amazon over allegations that the retail and technology company is failing to pay its suppliers on time.

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) said it had “reasonable grounds” to suspect that Amazon had breached a part of the groceries supply code of practice, which mandates that there should not be delays in payments made to suppliers.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Niklas Halle’n/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Niklas Halle’n/AFP/Getty Images

  •  

French plans to stop small boats will lead to more deaths, says charity

French charity to challenge new Channel migrant interception plans in European courts

Plans by French police to enter the sea to stop small boats carrying UK-bound asylum seekers willcause more deaths and be challenged in the European courts, a French charity has said.

Arthur Dos Santos, the coordinator of the refugee charity Utopia 56, said there would be an increase in the number of people who would take “desperate” measures to reach the UK.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP/Getty Images

  •  

‘Youths everywhere were spitting over tinny beats playing off a Nokia’: great grime photographer Simon Wheatley

He was young and broke when he became grime’s first documentarian. Then his book Don’t Call Me Urban captured the energy of the grittier first wave – and an expanded edition is finally here

It’s an overcast Thursday morning, and photographer Simon Wheatley is doing a soft-shoe shuffle through Roman Road in Bow, east London, as a market stall blares out exquisite 70s funk. “That’s more like it,” he says, with a grin on his face. “A bit of energy.” This was once grime’s artery, its chaotic central hub, even its muse – a street Wiley once told me was “the nurturer” of local talents like him and Dizzee Rascal. And it was here, in the 2000s, that Wheatley would create a vivid and intimate document of grime in its frenzied flush of youth, and of working-class neighbourhoods like this before they became considerably more sedate. Fourteen years after the release of Don’t Call Me Urban, Wheatley’s long-sold-out photo-book from that era – once described by Vice as “grime’s Old Testament” – it is finally getting a rerelease, at almost double its original size.

I have arranged to meet Wheatley outside the bougie Roman Road coffee shop that was once legendary grime record shop Rhythm Division. This leads to some confusion – there are simply too many bougie coffee shops in succession. “Back in the day it was absolutely thronging with people,” Wheatley recalls. “You’d turn a corner and down a sidestreet there’d be six guys doing an impromptu cipher [a freestyle MC-ing performance] – everywhere there were youths hanging out, wheeling around on their bikes, spitting over some tinny beat playing off a Nokia. This was the heartbeat of grime.”

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Simon Wheatley/MAGNUM PHOTOS

© Photograph: Simon Wheatley/MAGNUM PHOTOS

  •  

Nigerian communities to take Shell to high court over oil pollution

Residents of Bille and Ogale in Niger delta are suing Shell and subsidiary, but company denies liability

Residents of two Nigerian communities who are taking legal action against Shell over oil pollution are set to take their cases to trial at the high court in 2027.

Members of the Bille and Ogale communities in the Niger delta, which have a combined population of about 50,000, are suing Shell and a Nigerian-based subsidiary of the company, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, which is now the Renaissance Africa Energy Company.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

© Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

  •  

The internet’s nastiest gossipmonger has been exposed and guess what – he wants his privacy | Marina Hyde

If you’re not familiar with Tattle Life, congratulations. It’s a site that subjects women to relentless scrutiny, and lo and behold it’s run by a spineless man

With as much as two weeks to kill before nuclear winter sets in, many of you will be looking to road-test your new fallout suits. In which case: can I interest you in the sensational unmasking of the founder of Tattle Life? It turns out the guy who operates the radioactively toxic gossip forum is a “vegan influencer” – I think it’s one of those new types of job, dear – and his name is Sebastian Bond. From that professional description, Sebastian would never hurt a living creature – unless it’s a mummy blogger, in which case he would gut her like a pig. Metaphorically, of course! Sorry, but that is simply the price you pay for not declaring the nappies you’re unboxing on Instagram are actually sponsored.

But I’m racing ahead. If you’re not familiar with Tattle Life, it’s an online forum that claims to be “a commentary website on public business social media accounts” – much in the way the torpedoing of the Lusitania was a commentary on the commercial cruise business. At one point Tattle Life was said to have 12 million monthly visitors. Which, to put it into context, is more than the Times and Sunday Times website gets, and considerably surpasses the visitor numbers of something like GB News. The other thing Tattle Life says about itself on its homepage is: “We have a zero-tolerance policy to any content that is abusive, hateful or harmful.” This is a little bit like the Racing Post saying it has a zero-tolerance policy for stories about horses, greyhounds or sports betting.

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

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

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

  •  

Liverpool agree deal to sign Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth for £40m

  • Hungary left-back to sign five-year deal with champions

  • Florian Wirtz completes medical before £100m move

Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth for £40m. The left-back is to undergo a medical next week before signing a five-year deal with the Premier League champions.

The 21-year-old Hungary international has enjoyed two impressive seasons with Bournemouth after joining from AZ in July 2023, helping them finish ninth last season. Liverpool already have two left-backs in Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas. Robertson is of interest to Atlético Madrid and Tsimikas could well leave after spending five years largely as a back-up to the Scotland captain.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA

© Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA

  •  

Tell us about your best Reddit moment

As Reddit celebrates its 20th birthday at the end of the month, we’d like to hear about your favourite moments on the online community forum

Reddit celebrates its 20th birthday at the end of the month. With 17 million daily viewers, the online community forum has brought various issues to people’s attention, from the timely and topical to the bizarre.

We’d like to hear about your best Reddit moment. Perhaps you’ve been able to share a personal experience and felt you found your tribe discussing it with others. Or maybe you’ve had a complex issue explained to you like a five-year-old, or just found yourself laughing along with a viral moment with millions of others.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

  •  

Living in Israel: how have you been affected by the recent conflict?

We would like to hear from people living in Israel and those who are part of the diaspora on the situation in the region

Israel’s attack on targets across Iran on Friday, has been followed by three days of escalating strikes, as both sides threatened more devastation in the biggest ever confrontation between the longstanding enemies.

We would like to hear from those living in Israel and who are part of the diaspora on how they have been affected.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

© Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

  •  

Living in Iran: how have you been affected by the recent conflict?

We would like to hear from people living in Iran and those who are part of the diaspora on the situation in the region

Israel’s attack on targets across Iran on Friday, has been followed by three days of escalating strikes, as both sides threatened more devastation in the biggest ever confrontation between the longstanding enemies.

We would like to hear from those living in Iran and who are part of the diaspora on how they have been affected.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters

© Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters

  •  

Tell us how popular culture has prompted you to make a dramatic life change

We’d like to hear from people who have been inspired by a song, TV show, film or book to make a major change in their life

Whether it’s leaving a loveless relationship after watching Sex and the City or a punk band inspiring you to quit drinking, we’d like to hear about your moments of cultural awakening for a column in the Guardian’s Saturday magazine.

If you’re having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.

Continue reading...

© Illustration: Martin O'Neill/The Guardian

© Illustration: Martin O'Neill/The Guardian

  •  

Assisted dying set to become law in England and Wales after bill passed by MPs

Terminally ill people with less than six months to live will have right to choose procedure after approval from doctors and panel

The right to an assisted death is set to become law in England and Wales within four years as MPs backed a historic societal shift in Parliament on Friday by a tight majority.

Kim Leadbeater’s private members’ bill, which passed by 314 to 291 votes, a majority of 23, was hailed by campaigners as “a day for the history books, where facts have prevailed over fear.”

Continue reading...

© Photograph: House of Commons/PA

© Photograph: House of Commons/PA

  •  

US supreme court divided as fossil fuel industry wins in car pollution case – live

The conservative-dominated supreme court voted seven to two to back a challenge by oil and gas companies

Donald Trump is once again repeating unfounded claims that the results of the 2020 presidential election were fraudulent, saying that the evidence is “massive and overwhelming” but not providing any of it. The president called for a special prosecutor to be appointed to the case.

He wrote on Truth Social this morning:

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Kevin Mohatt/Reuters

© Photograph: Kevin Mohatt/Reuters

  •  

Children suffered record levels of violence in conflict zones in 2024, UN report shows

Surge in violations to more than 40,000 – the highest since records began in 1996 – must serve as a ‘wake-up call’

A record number of children were subjected to acts of violence in conflict zones in 2024, with the number of incidents recorded rising by 25%, according to a UN report.

The UN security council’s annual report on children and armed conflict found 22,495 children in 2024 were killed, wounded, denied humanitarian support or recruited for conflict.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Jospin Mwisha/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jospin Mwisha/AFP/Getty Images

  •  

White House moves to keep costly, dirty, unneeded Michigan coal plants open

One plant produces more arsenic pollution than any other in US, and the other has been slated for closure since 2021

The Trump administration is moving to keep open two Michigan coal plants that emit about 45% of the state’s greenhouse gas pollution, which opponents say is an indication of how the US president plans to wield his controversial national energy emergency executive order.

Already, the US Department of Energy (DoE) has ordered the JH Campbell coal plant on Lake Michigan to remain open beyond its 31 May closure date, while the administration is expected to prolong the life of the Monroe power plant on Lake Erie, currently scheduled to begin closing in 2028.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

© Photograph: UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

  •  

Cocktail of the week: Prawn on the Lawn’s matcha whisky sour – recipe | The good mixer

A whisky sour with an earthy, verdant slant

This gloriously green drink matches the bright mood of early summer, when the countryside is bursting with verdant life. If you like, halve the amount of whisky and replace it with 25ml amaretto, for a sweet, nutty twist.

Maddy Slack, bar and restaurant manager, Prawn on the Lawn, London N1 and Padstow, Cornwall

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Rob Lawson/The Guardian. Drink stylist: Seb Davis.

© Photograph: Rob Lawson/The Guardian. Drink stylist: Seb Davis.

  •  

‘If there’s a rule, he tries to break it’: the explosively colourful works of Sam Gilliam

A new exhibition explores the late artist’s unexpected sojourn in Ireland, where practical constrictions and the wild scenery inspired a burst of fierce creativity

Sam Gilliam’s artistic life was bookended by success against the odds. In 1972, he became the first Black artist to represent the US at the world’s most prestigious art festival, the Venice Biennale. He had overcome poverty and prejudice in the south to study art at one of the first desegregated universities, and, after settling in Washington, was hailed as a radical innovator within the group of abstract painters dubbed the Color School.

Pushing his medium in new sculptural directions, he broke convention by taking his canvases off their wooden stretchers. His best-known colour-drenched works have an improvisatory quality, never installed the same way twice, whether they’re draped on the wall or hung tent-like from the ceiling.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Mark Gulezian/Image Courtesy of Sam Gilliam Foundation Photography by Mark Gulezian/QuickSilver

© Photograph: Mark Gulezian/Image Courtesy of Sam Gilliam Foundation Photography by Mark Gulezian/QuickSilver

  •  

‘My grandmother never used yuzu’: global gastronomy is out as Catalan chefs celebrate tradition

Top chefs in this year’s World Region of Gastronomy are looking back as they shift from avant-garde cuisine to something more homespun

They revolutionised cooking worldwide with radical techniques and a highly technical cuisine of playful trompe l’oeil – but now many disciples of Catalonia’s iconoclastic chef Ferran Adrià believe it’s time to get back to their roots.

Catalonia has been named World Region of Gastronomy 2025 by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism and later this month 60 Michelin-starred chefs will launch a campaign to position Catalonia as a unique and exceptional gastronomic destination.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Album/Alamy

© Photograph: Album/Alamy

  •  

We’re on the brink of a disastrous, illegal conflagration in the Middle East. Trump must be stopped | Fawaz Gerges

This is a war of choice, based on misinformation. If the US and UK join it, they risk a rerun of the Iraq debacle of 2003

Like the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, Israel’s war on Iran is neither legal nor just. It is a war of choice, not of necessity – and should the US or its European allies, particularly Britain, join in, they risk being dragged into another disastrous and unlawful conflict in the Middle East.

A US military intervention would be in direct contravention of international law. Already, the US, once the architect and guardian of the international order, is now among its chief violators. Instead of pressuring Benjamin Netanyahu to end his siege and destruction of Gaza, Donald Trump has fully sided with Netanyahu and called Israel’s attacks on Iran “excellent”. He has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender”. Trump is considering military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Doing so is explicitly prohibited under article 56 of the additional protocol to the Geneva conventions because of the danger of nuclear contamination.

Fawaz Gerges is professor of international relations at the London School of Economics. His most recent book is The Great Betrayal: The Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in the Middle East

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.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

  •  

England v India: first men’s cricket Test, day one – live

4th over: India 14-0 (Jaiswal 10, KL Rahul 4) Carse induces a tentative poke from Kl Rahul and the meaty edge flirts away for a four to deep third.

Good morning to Guy Hornsby:

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Scott Heppell/AP

© Photograph: Scott Heppell/AP

  •  

Israel, please let aid organisations do our jobs in Gaza | James Elder

Four hundred distribution points have dwindled to four under this private and militarised ‘aid’ system. This is not how to avert a famine

  • James Elder is Unicef’s global spokesperson

Abed Al Rahman, just a boy, carried the weight of his family’s hunger as he stepped into the streets of Gaza in search of bread. He had his father’s money, but when he saw the tide of people pushing towards a food distribution site in Rafah, hunger pulled him into their flow.

Almost immediately, the site descended into chaos. Gunfire. Drones. Then in a flash, shrapnel from a tank shell ripped through his little body. When I met him at a hospital in Khan Younis – where painkillers, like food, are scarce – the 13-year-old was in agony. “I have shrapnel inside my body that they couldn’t remove,” he told me. “I am in real pain; since 6am I have been asking for a painkiller.” As he recounted the chaos, his father’s composure shattered, and tears rolled down his face. Was he going to lose his son simply because Abed Al Rahman wanted his family to eat?

James Elder is Unicef’s global spokesperson

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.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

  •  

Rare maccoa ducklings hatch at Chester zoo for first time

Four ducklings add to safety-net population of African species that is estimated to be down to 5,000 in the wild

Chester zoo has successfully hatched one of Africa’s rarest species of duck for the first time.

It said the successful breeding of four maccoa ducklings formed part of growing efforts to safeguard Africa’s most threatened species.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Chester Zoo/SWNS

© Photograph: Chester Zoo/SWNS

  •  

UK grocery watchdog investigating Amazon over alleged supplier payment delays; company insolvencies jump – business live

Groceries Code Adjudicator calls on suppliers to share their experiences of working with Amazon

The number of companies collapsing across England and Wales jumped last month, in a sign of the economic pressures hitting firms.

There were 2,238 company insolvences in England and Wales during the month, which is 8% higher than in April and 15% more than in May 2024.

“This latest rise in corporate insolvencies reflects the harsh reality many businesses face: fragile demand is not keeping pace with rising costs. Even the increasingly-likely prospect of rate cuts in August won’t do much to fix this – insolvency levels will remain elevated for the foreseeable future.

“Sectors like hospitality are having a particularly challenging time in this environment, in no small part due to the impact on labour costs of April’s National Insurance and minimum wage increases. These businesses are now approaching what are some of their peak months and will be hoping for strong trading to bolster their resilience. If this doesn’t materialise, then they could be facing a short road ahead.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

  •  

‘It’s life and death’: parents of baby killed at nursery call for mandatory CCTV

Nursery worker would not have been convicted of Genevieve Meehan’s manslaughter without footage, parents say

The weekend before Genevieve Meehan died was one of the best of her short life.

The nine-month-old with the beaming smile and emerald eyes was leaping through her milestones: she had taken her first tentative steps, hands clasped to her mother’s, and said her first word: “Dadda”. She tried on sunglasses and a swimsuit for their first family holiday two months later.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Katie Wheeler

© Photograph: Katie Wheeler

  •  

Brad Pitt in the paddock: how F1 the Movie went deep to keep fans coming

F1 and Liberty Media went to great lengths to assist filming, with star’s APX team embedded within the sport

After the British Grand Prix last year the drivers took their places in the media zone to conduct interviews, with Formula One world champions Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso among them. Yet it was all but impossible not to cast a glance sideways as Brad Pitt nonchalantly strolled out to face the microphones and cameras of his own, entirely staged, media scrum.

None of us in the media pack openly goggled at the fact that Hollywood’s A-list had joined the sweaty throng, because Pitt was there filming what would become F1 the Movie. And we, as with everyone else, were under strict instructions to behave normally.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters

© Photograph: Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters

  •  

Add to playlist: James K’s downtempo dream pop and the week’s best new tracks

Right on time for the return of the chill out era, the New York producer traces a hypnotic path on an album that bobs along on sleepy breakbeats and angelic atmospherics

From New York
Recommended if you like Caroline Polachek, Voice Actor, Vegyn
Up next
New album Friend released via AD 93 on 5 September

Pull up your beanbag, light a lava lamp and crack open the Vicks VapoRub: downtempo is back. New compilation Telepathic Fish documents the 90s south London ambient night; Logic1000’s latest DJ-Kicks mix would barely register on an ECG; there’s none more languid than even the summer’s flagship pop album, Addison by Addison Rae. New York producer and musician James K has been dabbling in trip-hop – and various shades of experimental pop and club music – for more than a decade, but nonetheless, her new album, Friend, arrives right on time for summer’s wind down. (What is autumn if not the chill out room to escape the year’s most hectic season?)

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Sam Clarke

© Photograph: Sam Clarke

  •