The Guardian
16 hours ago
At last, something Europeans and Americans can agree upon | Letter
Never make the mistake of conflating the actual people of a country with those who govern it, says Eric JanssonThe survey on which you report (Only one in 10 Europeans now see US as an ally, survey suggests, 10 June) is wonderfully in line with the view of US citizens themselves, given the recent poll finding that only 2% of them trust the US government “just about always”, and only 15% trust it “most of the time” – a shrivelled fraction of the 73% who in 1958 said they trusted it always or most of the time, according to the Pew Research Center. We can rest easy knowing that Europeans and Americans (never mind their governments) remain natural allies with plenty to agree about.Never make the mistake of conflating the people of a country or civilisation with those who govern it. This goes for Washington, Brussels, London, Moscow, Beijing, Kinshasa, you name it.Eric JanssonOxford Continue reading...
The Guardian
17 hours ago
Heathrow third runway GDP yield may be 90% less than previous estimates
Department for Transport analysis suggests tiny economic boost would be outweighed by up to £62.5bn in trade-offsThe economic boost from a Heathrow third runway could be a tiny fraction of previous estimates, government analysis shows, while the overall trade-off from the bigger airport could set the UK back by as much as £62.5bn.As ministers promised to speed up expansion of the London airport in the name of economic growth, documents prepared by the Department for Transport said the runway was expected to boost GDP by only up to 0.05% – 90% less than the 0.5% previously stated. Continue reading...
The Guardian
17 hours ago
The rise of the luxury barbecue: the UK’s new outdoor cooking obsession
Sales of high-end barbecues are booming as hotter and longer summers increase appetite for alfresco diningBurned sausages, limp salads and undercooked chicken legs you live to regret; the British barbecue has historically been a sorry affair. But a slew of fancy equipment the price of a secondhand car is revolutionising the grilling game.Over the past few years, the £1,000-plus barbecue has soared in popularity. The Big Green Egg, a pioneer of the premium outdoor cooking movement, has recorded 1m visits to its UK website so far this year. Its classic model retails at £1,495. Continue reading...
The Guardian
18 hours ago
Barack Obama says US is ‘worse off’ than before war with Iran
Former president nevertheless said in an interview that he was happy to see a ceasefire with Iran and hopes it holdsAnalysis: Iran peace deal makes clear how far US has been forced to retreat since 2025Barack Obama has said that after 15 weeks of war with Iran, the US is now “worse off” than before the conflict started in February.“We’ve now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, you know, put enormous strain on our military. A lot of people have died. And it feels like we’re back where we were before we started the war, except maybe a little bit worse off,” the former US president told NBC News in an interview that aired on Friday. Continue reading...
The Guardian
18 hours ago
The best 4K wireless TV streamers for more choice – with no aerial required
Want to prolong the life of your TV? A wireless TV box could be the answer. Our expert put top devices – from Freely streamers to Sky and Amazon Fire – through their paces• Do you really need a new TV? Simple ways to upgrade your current setupTV is changing – and so is the way we watch it. Forget that dusty aerial or unsightly satellite dish, you can now stream mainstream channels such as the BBC, ITV and others via Freely, alongside premium services such as Sky Atlantic, over wifi – and it doesn’t need to cost the earth.Freely comes from the creators of Freeview and Freesat. It’s backed by the UK’s main public service broadcasters and is supported by a growing list of TV providers. Scroll the Freely programme guide, and you’ll find familiar channels such as Dave, Yesterday and W. To watch them, you just need a wireless TV box and wifi.Best Freely TV streamer:Manhattan AeroBest budget wireless TV stick:Amazon Fire 4K Max Continue reading...
The Guardian
19 hours ago
What could US-Iran peace deal mean for UK household costs?
The impact on petrol and food prices, energy bills and mortgages if the truce holds and strait of Hormuz reopensAround the world, markets reacted with relief this week to news that Donald Trump had signed a draft peace deal with Iran that promised to reopen flows of oil and gas from the Gulf to global buyers.There are already signs the truce could unravel, with Friday’s peace talks in Switzerland abruptly called off, but for now markets seem persuaded that commercial vessel traffic through the key waterway can start returning to normal. Continue reading...
The Guardian
19 hours ago
Andy Burnham: our next Prime Minister? – podcast
Andy Burnham will return to Westminster as an MP, and potential challenger to Keir Starmer, after decisively beating Reform UK to win the Makerfield byelection. Kiran Stacey and Jessica Elgot chat through what happens nextWhat would ‘change’ look like if Andy Burnham becomes prime minister?Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/politicspod Continue reading...
The Guardian
19 hours ago
The UK’s social media ban for under-16s has just empowered big tech | Taylor Lorenz
Age verification means that the sector’s biggest players will now have access to information that will only make them richer and more powerfulThis week, the UK announced a wide-ranging ban on social media that will soon block users from communicating or accessing information on apps such as X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat unless they prove that they’re over the age of 16.The prime minister, Keir Starmer, called the policy “a line in the sand”. “Tech giants had their chance and failed,” he said, “but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations.” All internet users, especially children, should be protected from exploitative systems online, but this new law will only foster more harm and help the largest and most powerful tech companies consolidate power and influence over everyone’s lives.Taylor Lorenz is a technology journalist who writes the newsletter User Mag and is the author of the bestselling book Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet Continue reading...
The Guardian
19 hours ago
Luca Guadagnino’s Sam Altman movie dropped by Amazon after it announces OpenAI partnership
The web giant announced that Artificial, a biopic about the controversial tech executive, ‘will be better served if it were released by a different studio’Artificial, Luca Guadagnino’s controversial Sam Altman biopic, which is poised for an awards run next year, has been dropped by its distributor, Amazon.In a statement first reported by Puck, Amazon said that it believes “that Artificial will be better served if it were released by a different studio and are working closely with the film-making team to find the film a new home”. Continue reading...
The Guardian
19 hours ago
Bill Pulte assumes role of US acting director of national intelligence
Head of Federal Housing Finance Agency who investigated Trump’s enemies takes over top intelligence roleTimeline of Bill Pulte’s appointment as acting director of national intelligenceBill Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director, became the acting director of national intelligence (DNI) on Friday, following a tug-of-war between Donald Trump and Washington lawmakers over the short-term future of the cabinet intelligence post.Tulsi Gabbard, the outgoing DNI, initially planned to leave her post on 30 June, but Trump shortened her tenure to Friday. Senators planned to confirm Jay Clayton, the president’s DNI nominee, by Friday, which would have denied Pulte an opportunity to serve as acting director. But Trump abruptly called off on Wednesday a Senate confirmation hearing for Clayton and directed him not to appear in front of Senate lawmakers. Continue reading...
The Guardian
19 hours ago
Hormuz disruption will continue until 80 mines blocking route are cleared
Tanker owner trade body says centre of strait will stay shut for ‘some time’, and vessels forced to hug Omani coast risk running aground The centre of the strait of Hormuz is blocked with about 80 mines that will need clearing for normal shipping to resume, the independent tanker owner trade body has said.Several vessels began to exit the Gulf through the key maritime chokepoint on Thursday after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the US and Iran. Continue reading...
The Guardian
19 hours ago
Andy Burnham: Makerfield victory is 'our last chance' to change Britain - video
Andy Burnham addressed supporters at a rally after his seismic win in the Makerfield byelection. The new MP called for lower water bills, energy bills and rail fares to combat the cost of living crisis, saying that the victory was the ‘last chance’ to ‘lay out a new path for Britain‘ Continue reading...
The Guardian
19 hours ago
Is Trump's Iran deal a failure? - video explainer
Donald Trump has signed a 14-point agreement with Iran, claiming it delivered a 'major win' for the US – even as it made significant political and financial concessions to Tehran to reopen the strait of HormuzTrump’s Iran deal is result of unrealistic ambitions for an untenable warIran announces plans to bring in maritime fees for strait of HormuzIran peace deal makes clear how far US has been forced to retreat since 2025 Continue reading...
The Guardian
20 hours ago
‘It’s a scam’: Americans express unease over SpaceX’s influence on retirement savings
Guardian readers in the US share concerns about how the SpaceX IPO and AI boom affect their retirement accountsElon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire last week after SpaceX debuted on the stock market with a valuation of $1.77tn.Millions of Americans could soon become indirect investors in SpaceX and other emerging AI-focused companies as US markets increasingly shift toward AI-driven investments. Continue reading...
The Guardian
21 hours ago
St Kilda pier wins peak Victorian architecture award as judges praise playful and ‘deeply civic’ design
State government project among range of works celebrated for community-centred design that goes beyond utilityThe reimagined St Kilda pier has added more accolades to its burgeoning trophy cabinet, taking out some of the top gongs at the 2026 Australian Institute of Architects’ Victorian awards.The $53m Victorian government project by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, alongside Site Office Landscape Architecture and AW Maritime, took home the Victorian architecture medal on Friday, the award given to the most outstanding project of the year.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...
The Guardian
21 hours ago
Over-reliance on chatbots can diminish critical-thinking skills, study finds
Depending on AI can also potentially decrease the ability to discern misinformation, research saysA new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the latest research to find that relying too much on chatbots can diminish critical-thinking skills, and potentially decrease our ability to discern misinformation for ourselves.As AI tools are becoming more sophisticated and accessible, manipulated images and misleading headlines are becoming more common. AI can be part of the solution, and has proved useful in helping users identify fake content – but there’s a cost to using it this way, the new research suggests. An over-dependence on AI to help figure out what’s real on the internet can lead to trouble making those judgments. Continue reading...
The Guardian
22 hours ago
Datacenters driving US clean energy growth while still threatening climate
As datacenters’ connections to electric grids are held up, big tech is forced to throw money at producing its own powerDatacenters are driving unprecedented growth in the US clean energy industry, paradoxically boosting a sector that was sputtering before the artificial intelligence boom even as AI’s rollout creates immense environmental challenges.However, observers caution that while the centers are propelling wind, solar, and other clean energy companies, datacenters remain a climate nightmare. Continue reading...
The Guardian
22 hours ago
‘Termination shock’: trust our expert warnings on geoengineering’s planetary risks | Raymond Pierrehumbert, Julia Slingo, Michael Mann and Valerie Masson-Delmotte
Do we really want to play dice with our planet?A series in the Guardian recently declared “it’s time to talk about geoengineering.” So let’s talk about it. And let us start with some simple truths about this cluster of techno-optimistic “quick fixes” which purport to somehow offset our slow progress towards zeroing out planet-warming carbon emissions.Solar geoengineering proposals – reducing sunlight – have received the most attention, but a host of desperate schemes have been proposed in an effort to “fix” the disruption of climate caused by the growing burden of carbon dioxide human activities add to the atmosphere. Continue reading...
The Guardian
23 hours ago
How the world’s voracious appetite for shrimp is destroying Ecuador’s mangroves
As demand soars, the country’s mangrove forests and the livelihoods of shellfish gatherers are under threat from encroaching farms and unchecked pollutionAt low tide, Johana Carolina Cruz Potes steps into the mudflats around Isla Costa Rica, in Ecuador’s Jambelí Archipelago. Holding a bucket and a short metal hook, she probes the tangled roots of a mangrove patch, searching for concha negra, black-shelled cockles, buried beneath the sludge.Cruz Potes has done this work since she was nine, when she first followed her father into the mud. But earning a living from shellfish gathering – often the only income for families here – has become harder as grounds shrink and catches decline. Continue reading...
The Guardian
23 hours ago
Shoppers splash out on fans and paddling pools as retail sales in Great Britain hot up
May heatwave drives up volume of sales 1.2%, the strongest monthly growth since January, says ONSRetail sales bounced back to growth in May as record hot weather spurred sales of fans and paddling pools, while online purchases also soared.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the volume of retail sales in Great Britain grew 1.2% in May compared with the previous month, the strongest monthly rate of growth since January. Continue reading...
The Guardian
23 hours ago
US-Iran talks abruptly called off after Israel and Hezbollah trade deadly attacks
JD Vance’s staff were at an airbase ready to fly to summit in Obbürgen before trip was suddenly cancelledMiddle East crisis – live updatesTalks due to take place on Friday between the US and Iran in Switzerland to implement a peace deal were cancelled as Hezbollah killed four Israeli soldiers and Israel carried out a wave of retaliatory airstrikes in south Lebanon and the Bekaa valley that killed at least 18 people.The talks had been due to begin in the Swiss village of Obbürgen two days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that opened a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent understanding over Iran’s nuclear programme, while getting oil traffic moving through the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...
The Guardian
23 hours ago
‘They kill games, we fight back’: the activists campaigning to keep video games playable
When a company decided to shut down an online game’s servers, there wasn’t much the players who had bought that title could do – until a group called Stop Killing Games began lobbying for new consumer protection lawsYou can never be sure how long an online video game will last. Developer BioWare shut off sci-fi shooter Anthem’s servers in January, after seven years. Electronic Arts discontinued access to The Sims Mobile the same month. Wildlight Entertainment shuttered its Highguard servers in March, mere months after the game’s release. Activision Blizzard took Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile offline in April. Dozens more games have had their servers shut down in the first six months of 2026, adding to an already long list of video games that are no longer playable.There is little that players can do when a company decides to stop supporting online play. Communities work hard to keep their favourite games online, sometimes keeping dead games running on private servers, though that may not necessarily be entirely legal. Generally, though, when a game goes offline it is dead and it’s not coming back. Continue reading...
The Guardian
1 day ago
Mainland Australia’s first suspected case of deadly H5N1 investigated after seabird tests positive for bird flu
Agriculture minister says no evidence of mass mortality or infection in poultry as WA authorities say a second bird is sick and being testedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA migratory seabird found in southern Western Australia has tested positive for avian influenza with further testing under way to confirm if it is Australia’s first mainland case of the deadly H5N1 strain.The brown skua, a subantarctic species, was found at Cape Le Grand national park on Sunday and had since died, the WA government said on Friday. Continue reading...
The Guardian
1 day ago
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