British armed forces intercepted and boarded a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the Channel in the early hours of Sunday, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, has confirmed. According to the tracking website Marine Traffic, the vessel is now anchored off the coast of Dorset near Weymouth. Authorities said it would be monitored for environmental or safety concerns. The UK says the Smyrtos is one of 700 vessels in a shadow fleet responsible for carrying 75% of Russia’s oil exports, which are und...

‘Coastal uplift’ exposes coral and kills marine life, as residents say shorelines extended by up to 200 metres A powerful earthquake that killed at least 61 people in the Philippines this week raised the seabed by as much as 2 metres (6.6 feet), exposing coral and harming marine life, the environment department said on Sunday. At least 40 people are still missing after the 7.8-magnitude tremor in southern Mindanao island on Monday, according to updated tolls from the disaster agency. Continu...

Thousand of arrests last summer led to mass protests and some deaths - across the city, communities still bear the scars Most people in Brian Gavidia’s life haven’t seemed to notice that a year has passed since armed federal immigration agents descended on their city. In East Los Angeles, in the neighborhood where he was born and has lived his whole life, the scene this week appeared more or less normal. A family in formalwear settled into the big round table at the torta ahogada restaurant f...

Activists argue business model is ‘plantation tourism’ designed to benefit elite and disadvantage most Jamaicans Campaigners go to court to fight privatisation of Jamaican coast Devon Taylor remembers when the Mammee Bay shoreline in St Ann, Jamaica, was filled with children frolicking in the ocean after school, fishers haggling with locals over the price of their daily catch and craft vendors carving souvenirs under almond trees. “I grew up on Mammee Bay,” Taylor says. He recalls fetching ...

Touring this bitterly divided constituency, what strikes you most is people want something better. But what exactly? Keir Starmer teeters. The defence secretary exits, and thereby seems to confirm the prime minister’s demise. Andy Burnham scents a final, belated breakthrough, while most of the national talk is of violence, a country in crisis and malaise. And in Platt Bridge, a neighbourhood at the heart of the constituency where the fates of the Labour party, the current government and the ...

Founder of Bellacouche in Devon says personalised covers tap into growing interest in alternatives to traditional funerals In the days leading up to his wife Claire’s death, Andrew Kent sat with her and talked about fabric leaves. She wanted them in different shades – greens, browns and golds, the colours she saw on walks. Later, after she died, each of her three children would take one home. The others would be stitched to the wool cover Andrew was designing for his wife’s funeral shroud – t...

Poolbeg Pharma to test the treatment in NHS hospitals and says it is also developing a GLP-1 weight loss pill A London-based startup is about to trial a drug at six NHS hospitals that could stop people on cancer immunotherapy getting a life-threatening side-effect. Poolbeg Pharma said its oral drug POLB 001 could make treatment for blood cancer safer by preventing cytokine release syndrome (CRS), when the immune system goes into overdrive and attacks the body, leading to organ damage. Contin...

The monument excites reverence for the Declaration of Independence. Of course it is threatening to a president who doesn’t share its egalitarian vision The Lincoln Memorial has always been special. Its siting is perfect, facing the Capitol, across the length of the Mall, as if speaking truth to power. The symmetry of its proportions adds to its moral grandeur. It feels balanced and and open to all, like Lincoln’s vision of democracy. That was consciously on the mind of the architect, Henry Ba...

Updates from around the grounds xxx report | Mail Tanya or comment BTL Division One Grace Road: Leicestershire 180-9 v Essex 401 Continue reading...

Complete solitude may not be for everyone, but walking the windswept Harris hills by myself gave me the space to contemplate a difficult year Sitting in a remote cabin earlier this year on the Hebridean isle of Harris, watching the fishing boats come and go in the little harbour, I felt the fog of the previous months finally beginning to clear. I kept thinking back to a cold November night, returning from Leeds to south London, when I finally admitted to myself that something needed to change...

Prime minister says British armed forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the early hours of Sunday morning In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Dan Jarvis said he had a “big responsibility” towards soldiers who risk their lives for the country. Jarvis, himself a former soldier, said he was still working through the detail of the defence investment plan, which will lay out how much military equipment and infrastructure will be paid for over the next decade. The new defence s...

Euphoric fans flooded midtown Manhattan on Saturday night to celebrate the New York Knicks’ first championship in 53 years Continue reading...

The Real Madrid star was his country’s best player in their World Cup opener on Saturday. They’ll need more of the same if they are to make a deep run Vinícius Júnior is not wearing the famous Brazil No 10 at this World Cup. For now, the hallowed shirt of Pelé, Zico, Rivellino, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and all the rest belongs to Neymar. Or at least it belongs to a man faintly resembling Neymar. Now 34, he showed just enough at Santos to make Carlo Ancelotti’s squad after two lucrative but mostly...

Don’t expect the Russian president to pursue peace. Instead, he could continue to expand the war beyond Ukraine’s borders – with dire risks for us all Just about everyone reckons Vladimir Putin is in deep trouble in Ukraine. Everyone – meaning Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his European backers and western military analysts and commentators – seems to believe Russia’s dictator is heading for humiliation. They could all be wrong, of course. But what if they’re right? How might a desperate, cornered Puti...

Keir Starmer said operation involving UK armed forces operation delivers ‘yet another blow’ to Russia and Putin The British armed forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the Channel in the early hours of Sunday, Keir Starmer has confirmed. The Ministry of Defence said Royal Marine commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency boarded a sanctioned oil tanker during a six-hour operation – the first UK-led operation of its kind. Continue rea...

Exclusive: Former minister calls for urgent action against companies such as X that allow incitement to violence Wes Streeting has called for Keir Starmer to take urgent action against X and other online platforms that have helped whip up social tensions, suggesting they should be forced to contribute to rebuilding costs after the riots in Belfast. The intervention by the former health secretary, who is seen as a likely challenger to Keir Starmer in any leadership contest, comes after Downing...

A 1,600-mile journey to the wild peaks of Scotland, via Llandudno’s Victorian promenade and the bright lights of Blackpool proved an eye-opener in more ways than one One of my favourite recent photographs is of me (unusually), perched on the bonnet of our car, about to set off on a solo, two-week road trip from our Sussex home to the wilds of Scotland, taking in Eryri (Snowdonia), Lancashire, the Lake District and Yorkshire. I had no idea that the research trip I was about to embark on – for ...

US defence secretary cancelled appearance at D-day event in Legrune-sur-Mer after protest by residents When news came that the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, would be travelling to Normandy to mark D-day, some in the seaside village of Langrune-sur-Mer – where the afternoon ceremony was slated to be held – felt they had to speak up. “We found it unbelievable that they could send someone who held views and values contrary to democracy, human rights, peace and Europe,” said resident Chanta...

It may be obviously Michelin-chasing, but it’s also resolutely midriff-expanding Oudh 1722 is chef Aktar Islam’s first foray into London, following his barnstorming ascent in Birmingham with the likes of Opheem. Brum’s love for Islam is resolutely misty-eyed, while Opheem’s 10-course tasting menu has garnered two Michelin stars. It is the ultimate special-occasion spot within a 100-mile radius, more akin to L’Enclume in vibe than its fellow two Michelin-starred Indian Gymkhana in Mayfair. Isl...

Brutally tough return to tournament awaits, but the stature of opposition feels less important than the fact of being here at all It was an arrival worth more than half a century of waiting. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) players strolled into the arrivals hall of George Bush airport on Thursday kitted out in tuxedo suits and leopard-print sashes, channelling La Sape vogue for snappy dress that swept Kinshasa in the 1970s. A throng of local volunteers cheered them through and, in ...

️ Updates from Montmeló; lights out 2pm BST ️ Russell storms to pole | Follow us on TikTok | Mail Billy Hello, welcome, benvinguts. Is this the day George Russell reignites his title challenge? The Mercedes driver said he felt “like my old self again” after beating Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton to pole at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya yesterday and today is looking to win his first grand prix since the opener in Australia. Kimi Antonelli, flying the sporting flag for Italy this summer in the ...

As such technology advances quickly, firms should not lose sight of what qualities humans bring to jobs A robot magician called D4YRL was rejected as a member of the Magic Circle last week, for being insufficiently human. While D4YRL’s tricks were exemplary, the august organisation decided “he” did not engage the audience’s emotions as a flesh-and-blood performer would. Continue reading...

Our favourite music, clothes and books used to be markers of individuality – but the algorithm has made us all sheep. Meet the style rebels fighting back What are you into? What floats your boat? What music, films, clothes, art, books – anything, really – do you actually like? Do you find these questions more difficult to answer than you would have done 10 years ago? How about 20? You do? You’re not alone. It has become impossible to ignore: personal taste has been seriously debased – if not ...

Rebalance Earth is investing in Broughton Sanctuary to generate financial, environmental and social returns From a high point on the hill, the North Yorkshire landscape unrolls below. The moorland above gives way to grassland, trees and then pasture, divided by the region’s traditional dry stone walls. The view may be idyllic, but it belies the condition of parts of this land, belonging to the sprawling 1,100 hectare (2,500-acre) Broughton Sanctuary estate, near Skipton. Continue reading...

For the first time in 53 years, the New York Knicks won the NBA. Jalen Brunson scored 45 points, including 13 straight for New York in the fourth quarter, and the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night. The Knicks won the series 4-1, rallying from double-digit deficits in all four of those victories Knicks beat Spurs to win their first NBA title since 1973 as brilliant Brunson shines again Continue reading...

Against Paraguay, the Monaco striker provided the ruthless finishing the USMNT have often missed in recent years World Cup newsletter | Daily podcast | Download the app Even after they conceded an early goal on Friday, Paraguay kept affording the United States ample room up the channel. As the ball reached Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie in midfield, their disoriented opponents never quite seemed to know how to station themselves to stem the tide. The US’s off-ball movement further compli...

The system of ocean current that moves heat in the Atlantic Ocean plays a key role in regulating climate. Today’s monitoring of it may be discontinued Imagine we detect a large asteroid heading straight for Earth. We are able to intervene and prevent disaster, but instead we cut the funding needed to track it. A few million dollars, it was argued, was too expensive to have a chance to save society. While this scenario isn’t real, the metaphor is alarmingly accurate. In Europe, we spend €1bn t...

Election of new Hungarian government in April has paved way for EU member states to agree to open talks Ukraine and Moldova will take a decisive step towards joining the EU on Monday, as they embark on the first phase of membership negotiations. The start of substantive negotiations, launched by senior EU officials and ministers from both countries in Luxembourg on Monday, will be a highly symbolic moment for the two countries that were both part of the former Soviet Union. It comes after Ru...

It’s so full of nutrients that it tops the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of powerhouse vegetables. But this superfood is also surprisingly versatile Watercress is among the oldest known plants consumed by humans, and claims for its medicinal powers are almost as ancient. Hippocrates grew it near his hospital for medicinal purposes; Pliny the Elder favoured it as a remedy for anxiety and coughs. At one time or another its peppery leaves have been used as old folk remedie...

Exclusive: Recovery efforts remain slow and passing of time makes it more likely they will be skeletonised The International Committee of the Red Cross has said the risk that the thousands of Palestinians buried beneath Gaza’s rubble may never be identified is increasing by the day, as recovery efforts remain slow and many victims have yet to be retrieved, the Guardian can reveal. “There is no doubt that these bodies could soon become difficult to identify,” said Pat Griffiths, the ICRC spoke...

Deal could see strait of Hormuz immediately ‘open to all’, but Trump says US retains the ‘ultimate alternative’ if talks fail Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East. Peace talks between the US and Iran grind on with Donald Trump on Saturday saying the US is set to sign a new agreement with Iran today, and claiming the deal would prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while reopening the strait of Hormuz to international shipping. Paki...

News, build-up and reaction from the United States, Mexico and Canada Player guide | Bracketology | Wallchart | Mail us here Latest results Brazil 1-1 Morocco Haiti 0-1 Scotland Australia 2-0 Turkey Continue reading...

He challenged homophobia not through sexualised imagery but by reshaping ideas of beauty, intimacy and desire. The result? From posters to cushion covers, A Bigger Splash has become an essential presence in countless gay households ‘He changed the world just by looking at it’ David Hockney, revolutionary British artist, dies aged 88 Six decades after David Hockney painted A Bigger Splash, his most famous painting, reproductions have become a visual motif in gay domestic life. I’ve seen fra...

Site takes no action over hate posts against UK politicians including Kemi Badenock, Shabana Mahmood and Zia Yusuf X has refused to take down dozens of social media posts reported as “hate, abuse or harassment” in which prominent UK politicians, including Kemi Badenoch, have been racially abused. In May, researchers from the social inclusion thinktank British Future reported 30 posts from this year in which the Conservative party leader was called the N-word. In each case the researchers us...

Increase in road deaths amid rise of e-bikes prompts Houten to test willingness of freedom-loving cyclists to slow down As road deaths increase and cycle lanes overflow with e-bikes, the Netherlands is considering a cycling speed limit of 12mph (20km/h). The government has started a two-week trial in Houten, near Utrecht, to gauge whether freedom-loving Dutch cyclists are willing to slow down – and whether they have any idea how fast they are going in the first place. Continue reading...

Kate Dearden says reforms such as enhanced sick pay simply bring UK into line with other big economies Labour’s radical workers’ rights reforms have simply put the UK on a “level playing field” with other big economies, the employment minister, Kate Dearden, has said. The government’s Employment Rights Act became law last year, with specific provisions being implemented this year and next. Continue reading...

The Socceroos’ future has arrived early, after Australia’s next generation delivered one of their best World Cup victories, upsetting highly-fancied Turkey 2-0 in Vancouver to start their 2026 campaign in style. They can thank a trio of young stars, all of whom were in doubt to start the match. Nestory Irankunda finished a brilliant end-to-end attack with a goal in the 27th minute, assisted by midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler. Young goalkeeper Patrick Beach – thrust into the starting side in a p...

Forecasters were wrong about an immediate recession but right that we would be worse off outside the EU As the 10th anniversary of the Brexit vote approaches, the verdict on Britain’s economic performance is clear: voting to leave has resulted in severe costs for households and businesses. The immediate recession predicted in the Treasury forecasts ordered by George Osborne – dubbed “project fear” by the Leave campaign – did not happen. The impact from the Covid pandemic, wars in Ukraine and ...

Alarm over the judgment and behaviour of the world’s most powerful man, and the consequent risks to the world, can only get worse The main Nuremberg trial ended, Winston Churchill warned of an iron curtain descending across Europe, It’s a Wonderful Life received its premiere and, at Jamaica hospital in the borough of Queens, New York, Donald John Trump was born. It was 1946, also the birth year of George W Bush and Bill Clinton, but on Sunday the current US president celebrates his 80th birth...

As it happened: Knicks 94–90 Spurs Jalen Brunson scores 41 points to seal 4-1 series victory The long wait is over. After 53 years of sometimes painful anticipation the New York Knicks are NBA champions once again. Their 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Saturday’s Game 5 sealed a 4-1 series victory in the NBA finals. Continue reading...

Leadership hopeful to also say tax revenues from new North Sea oil and gasfields should be used to cut energy bills Wes Streeting’s pitch to be the next Labour leader will include a plan to increase high-skilled immigration to the UK, arguing that Donald Trump is telling scientists and AI experts they are not welcome in the US. In a speech this coming week, the former health secretary will also say that tax revenues from new North Sea oil and gasfields should be used to cut energy bills. Con...

Activists are challenging colonial-era law and demanding ‘free, legal, unfettered, forever rights’ to use beaches Jamaica’s beach access crisis: ‘We shouldn’t be forced to fight for what is already ours’ Campaigners in Jamaica are heading to court next week to try to prevent the government from cutting off access to more of their beaches. They argue that ceding their shorelines to big hotel chains enriches private investors and benefits tourists and outsiders while depriving Jamaicans who d...

Questions about the efficacy of door-knocking feel valid. But I see it as a weapon against autocracy – and a spiritual workout In the fall of 2024, I spotted a middle-aged couple standing on their front lawn in Bucks county, Pennsylvania. I waved and gingerly approached. The woman, whose name appeared in my canvassing app, told me she had never voted in an election before, had never seen politics as relevant to her life. And her husband, she said, was a lifelong Republican. But after the retu...

Reform leader claims ‘anti-whiteness is institutionalised’ in UK as polls suggest Labour have lead in Makerfield UK politics live – latest updates Nigel Farage said he would ban foreign nationals from social housing and then deport them if they could not find private sector homes, in a hardening of anti-immigration rhetoric before the Makerfield byelection. It comes as two new polls in Makerfield suggests Farage’s Reform UK continues to leak potentially crucial support to its far-right riva...

Strange things are afoot at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, giving rise to an obvious question: how did we get here? Rising from the South Lawn of the White House is a 92ft-tall skeletal structure known as “the Claw”. Beneath it sits an octagonal cage surrounded by sponsor logos, temporary grandstands and thousands of seats for a mixed martial arts card on Sunday night to celebrate Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand. The event has prompted comparisons to Idioc...

It could top 90F in several cities hosting World Cup games – and workers could pay the price with their health As the World Cup kicks off, labor advocates and scholars warn that the workers making the tournament possible could face serious heat-related risks. “It’s going to be extremely hot, and you just cannot leave people unprotected or you’re going to deal with a lot of injuries,” said Jonathan Alingu, co-executive director of Central Florida Jobs With Justice, which has been calling for w...

Edward thinks of sex as playtime and has a vivid imagination, which Jane is happy to go along with despite being quite ‘vanilla’ herself • How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously When I dreamed about Jane in a latex catsuit, we had one made Continue reading...

Lisa Nandy says discussions are taking place about how to ‘keep this country safe’ after John Healey’s resignation UK politics live – latest updates Cabinet ministers have been asked to look for more money in their departments to fund an increase in defence spending after the resignation of the former defence secretary John Healey. The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, told the BBC that her department was among those still in conversations with the Treasury about finding further sums for defen...

As he opens a career-spanning show in London, the Turner prize-winning artist gives us a private view of his giant studio and talks censorship, controversy and why disobedience is central to making great art In Anish Kapoor’s 3,100 sq metre studio complex in south London, photographers, assistants and gallery representatives gather in an upstairs meeting room. The artist has a staff of 23 in London – 11 studio assistants, nine people in the offices, three stone masons at a yard in Battersea –...

Founded in 2004, the free weekly 5km event has grown into a global fixture of weekend life, taking place in parks, fields, seafronts and even prisons The millionth parkrun took place on Saturday, acting as a celebration of the community cohesion and public health benefit that the charity has been aiming to achieve across the past two decades. Those in attendance at the event in Bushy Park in west London included former Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, as well as thousands of locals and par...

Goalkeeper repays faith shown in him with resolute display Socceroos open campaign with win against Turkey – in pictures Before he became an instant national hero, Socceroos goalkeeper Patrick Beach had a perfect view of Nestory Irankunda’s opening goal during the 2-0 win against Turkey in Vancouver. “We know one of our threats is our pace up front,” he said. “I just saw an opportunity to get it out wide, and then within two or three passes, Nes was in the 18-yard box and having a crack on ...

Forget the Olympic and the rest. People across the planet remember where they were for their biggest World Cup matches The connection between King Lear and the 1966 World Cup is little known, mainly because it affected very few people at a now defunct boarding school. I had been a surprise selection to act in the school’s production of Lear (yes, I played the Fool; yes, I was typecast). The day before one of the performances I fell and twisted something and was a doubtful starter for a part t...

The Knicks ended a decades-long title drought behind a 45-point explosion from Brunson, whose teammates say his influence extends far beyond the box score The New York Knicks spent decades searching for the player who could carry them back to the top of the NBA. On Saturday night, Jalen Brunson removed any remaining doubt that they had found him. With Karl-Anthony Towns limited to two points and New York struggling offensively for much of the evening, the Knicks’ 6ft 2in floor general erupted...

Exclusive: Cancer charity says dispelling falsehoods gleaned from social media is now routine task for clinicians Social media misinformation about the use of dietary supplements such as turmeric, St John’s wort and magnesium is now so common that dispelling online claims has become a routine part of NHS clinicians work. Two out of five frontline health workers say they encounter patients who raise inaccurate or misleading information about supplements at least once a week. Continue reading...

After falling for a scam call, ‘The Tech Chap’ host Tom Honeyands realised he’d given away vital details in social media posts When Tom Honeyands realised he had been defrauded out of £70,000 he was furious and embarrassed – and left wondering if he had given away too many details on his social media vidoes. Honeyands was on a work trip to Tokyo when he got a call from someone claiming to be from Lloyds bank. The caller asked if he had made a recent transaction in Singapore and when he said n...

Failure to clear up rotting, rat-infested site is a key issue for local people as they weigh up politicians’ promises A mountain of rubbish sits behind a metal fence in the village of Bickershaw, where it has remained for more than 20 months. For many residents, it is a physical manifestation of the north-south divide as well as a rotting, rat-infested symbol of a broken system in which organised criminal gangs make millions while communities endure the toxic impact of their trade. The 25,000...

Head coach ‘absolutely delighted’ with World Cup triumph over Haiti ‘Different approach’ needed in games against Morocco and Brazil Steve Clarke suggested expectation weighed heavily on the shoulders of Scotland’s players after they laboured at times during the 1-0 win over Haiti. The game marked Scotland’s first at a World Cup since 1998 and delivered a first win since eight years earlier. The Scots top Group C after Brazil drew with Morocco. Yet with those teams, both ranked in the top 10...

The 47th has his 80th this weekend – a milestone that surely shouldn’t go unmarked. Artists, activists, writers and thinkers send their messages to the man of the hour (even if they’re unlikely to get a party invite) Cory Doctorow Dear Comrade Trump: On this, the occasion of your 80th birthday, I write to extend my sincere thanks for all the work you have done. After decades of deadlock, you have inspired the world to action! You have done more to de-dollarise the world than any American lead...

England’s squad arrived at Swope Soccer Village, their World Cup base, to find locals (and the local police) out in force Before Thomas Tuchel and his England players departed for the United States, there was talk about their World Cup training ground in Kansas City being too open. It was motivated, in part, by the Southampton Spygate scandal. Would England’s rivals be able to steal a glance at them? Tuchel even said that the Football Association would look to erect protective fences. The nin...

Nine-year-old visiting relatives in Punjab province when police opened fire on car, local media report Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A nine-year-old Australian girl has been killed and two of her family members injured after reportedly being shot by police in Pakistan. The family were visiting a relative in Chakwal, in Punjab province, when they were robbed while in their rental car on Wednesday night loca...