A record of what was published, when, and how it changed.

TV tonight: the jawdropping story of the mother who faked her son’s illness

By Phil Harrison, Hannah Verdier, Priya Elan and Simon Wardell

A shocking documentary about a woman who pretended her child was terminally ill. Plus: isolation and horror in Australia’s desolate outback. Here’s what to watch this evening 9pm, Channel 4 “He seemed to be allergic to the 21st century,” said journalist Paul Levie of Matthew Hayden-Johnson, a child from Torbay who, his mother, Lisa, claimed, was unable to walk, eat or breathe without medical assistance. However, as t

Jammy tomato risotto and amaretto roast peaches: Toklas chef Chris Shaw’s simple summer recipes

By Chris Shaw

Make the most of the season’s freshest produce with a light but richly flavoured tomato-dosed dinner and a booze-laced, New York-inspired dessert At Toklas, ingredients such as datterini tomatoes and ripe peaches are taking centre stage. These recipes celebrate the simplicity of summer cooking, allowing produce to shine with minimal intervention. From a risotto layered with sweet tomatoes, pecorino and mint to roast

UK relies on heat-stressed countries for fruit and veg it could grow itself – report

By Joanna Partridge

Food Foundation sounds alarm over supply risks and price shocks as about 40% of Britain’s food is imported The UK is vulnerable to food price shocks because of its dependence on imports of fruit and vegetable from countries even more exposed to the climate crisis, researchers say. Much of Britain has sweltered under a record five heatwaves this year and endured drought and wildfires, with the hot, dry conditions dama

A rightwing witch-hunt focused on Jason Arday – but so did legitimate journalism | Hugh Muir

By Hugh Muir

Amid the grief and rage at a tragic loss, it’s right to differentiate between those who fought a culture war and others who just sought the truth Even now it is very difficult to process the scale of tragedy that engulfed Jason Arday and those who loved him. The unbearable sadness at his death; the wretched knowledge that the very public onslaught against him began with the malign machinations of a self-defined “race

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Barking mad? How people in England’s ‘least friendly’ borough feel about the ranking

By Rachel Hall

Does the description from a study ranking all of England’s 296 boroughs for friendliness ring true for people in the east London town? Alice Fokuo is so friendly with her neighbour that they have exchanged keys to each other’s homes. The level of intimacy is such that “I call her mum, because she cooks for me”. So the market trader was surprised to learn that her borough, Barking and Dagenham, ranked the least friend

John Irvin, British film-maker who directed Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, dies aged 86

By Sian Cain

The director’s BBC hit opened the door to Hollywood action films including Hamburger Hill, The Dogs of War and Raw Deal John Irvin, the British film-maker who directed the Bafta-winning BBC miniseries Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, as well as films including Hamburger Hill, The Dogs of War and Raw Deal, has died aged 86. Irvin died “peacefully at home” on 11 August, surrounded by his family, his producer Claire Evans con

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Country diary: It’s hard being a vicar in a long, hot summer | Simon Lockett

By Rev Simon Lockett

Madley, Herefordshire: The cool of our churches has been welcome to many, but my polyester robes are not made for the heat Every summer, while roasting in my robes, I say to myself: “I must get a lighter set.” If I had a cotton cassock instead of a polyester cassock and alb, swaying to the singing of hymns might not raise my core temperature as much. In that regard, this year hasn’t been without its challenges. Even

Camilla found it ‘difficult’ keeping king’s cancer diagnosis private before announcement

By Caroline Davies

In video celebrating Maggie’s cancer charity, queen recalls ‘longing to let it out’ on visit to centre in 2024 The queen has spoken for the first time of how difficult she found it to keep King Charles’s cancer a secret before it was announced publicly. Camilla found herself “longing to let it out” during an official visit to a Maggie’s cancer support centre in 2024, after Charles had received his diagnosis but befor

Carbon pollution has fuelled ‘massive expansion’ of marine heatwaves in Europe, study finds

By Ajit Niranjan Europe environment correspondent

Hottest periods this year in most sea regions would have been ‘virtually impossible’ in a preindustrial climate Carbon pollution has fuelled a “massive expansion” of marine heatwaves in Europe this summer, research has found, with some waters recording temperatures 6C higher than normal. The hottest fortnights of this year would have been “virtually impossible” in a preindustrial climate in three of the four sea regi

The flag culture wars have come to an unlikely place: progressive Iceland | Alexander Hurst

By Alexander Hurst

Ahead of the Nordic nation’s EU referendum, the Icelandic flag has been co-opted by the far right To enter Reykjavik’s Grafarvogur Lutheran church, worshippers and visitors are invited to make their way down 16 steps painted in the rainbow stripes and the white, pink, blue, brown and black chevrons of the Progress Pride flag. The artwork, which can even be seen on satellite pictures, was originally a project of forme

Tourists on pastry quest overrun scenic spot in Italian mountains

By Angela Giuffrida in Rome

Alpine communities hit out after influencer videos draw huge queues to Friedrich August refuge in Dolomites Hundreds of people overwhelmed a mountain hut in the Italian Dolomites, not for the panoramic views but in search of a creamy pastry, reigniting the debate about social-media-driven tourism. The visitors ventured en masse to the Friedrich August refuge – perched at 2,300 metres (7,500ft) above sea level, betwee

‘Why do you never buy a round?!’ 20 mortifying money conversations with friends – and how to handle them

By Rachel Dixon

Whether it’s paying for dinner, going on holiday or sharing a taxi, friendships can be fraught with financial frustrations, which are very rarely aired. Here’s how to break the taboo Summer is the season of socialising, from alfresco drinks to weddings to group holidays. It can get expensive – and suddenly you start noticing those friends who don’t pay their way. Or the ones who splash the cash and make you feel chea

Trump hits pause on Canada tariffs threat, and hints at revival of Keystone XL oil pipeline project

By Uwa Ede-Osifo

US president delays 50% tariffs by three days, and says contentious oil project ‘may be awoken from the grave’ Canada has temporarily avoided a bruising 50% US tariff, reaching a Tuesday-evening agreement with Trump administration officials hours before a hike that would have affected $20bn worth of goods was set to take effect. Donald Trump posted late on Tuesday on social media that he had paused the tariffs for th

US-led drills to end six days early, South Korea says, amid Trump push for Kim Jong-un talks

By Raphael Rashid in Seoul

South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise would end on 21 August at the request of the US Analysis: In cutting joint drills, Trump has given South Korea’s president what he wants. So why does Seoul look so uneasy? South Korea’s military has confirmed that joint military drills with the US will be cut short, days after Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back the exercises. In a

Tupac Shakur trial: lawyers share full account of killing as witnesses still refuse to testify

By Lois Beckett

Murder trial of Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis, 63, former South Side Compton Crips gang leader, opens in Las Vegas For nearly 30 years, the unsolved murder of 25-year-old rapper Tupac Shakur has sparked lawsuits, theories and conspiracies. Now, decades after his death in a September 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, local prosecutors are finally offering a detailed official account of Shakur’s killing, accusing Duane “Kef

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Boyfriend of Hayden Panettiere was at apartment when actor died

By Associated Press

Police report shows Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were at Greenville, South Carolina, residence Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were at the South Carolina apartment where the actor died over the weekend, according to a police report released on Tuesday. A Greenville police officer who responded to the residence on Sunday afternoon was met by

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Premier League 2026-27 preview No 15: Manchester City

By Jamie Jackson

With the departures of Pep Guardiola and Rodri it looks like the end of an era at City. Will Enzo Maresca be able to sustain their position as a domestic and continental superpower? Guardian writers’ predicted position: 2nd (NB: this is not necessarily Jamie Jackson’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Last season’s position: 2nd Continue reading...

Shrews may grow bigger snouts in winter to cope with cold air, scientists say

By Nicola Davis Science correspondent

Study of long-clawed shrew skulls from Japan shows that while skulls get smaller in winter, snouts elongate Humans turn to heated blankets and fluffy socks to cope with winter, but long-clawed shrews have a very different adaptation: they increase the size of their snouts. Researchers have previously discovered that certain small mammals, including the common shrew and European mole, reversibly shrink their body mass

Poor sleep can cost over-50s nine months of career, study finds

By Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent

Findings highlight importance of sleep health during middle age, particularly for those with lower socioeconomic status Sleep that is extremely disrupted or that goes on too long could mean a loss of nine months from working life after the age of 50, a study has found. It also found that women with no sleep disturbances had a longer working life from 50 to 68 than their male equivalents. Continue reading...

Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds

By Damien Gayle Environment correspondent

Researchers find capacity stunted by pollution was restored after introduction of ultra-low emission zone Children’s lungs grew bigger and stronger after the most polluting vehicles were restricted from entering London, a study has found. Examinations of London schoolchildren before and after the introduction of the city’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) found a restoration of lung capacity that had been stunted by ex

Introducing Ulez was my hardest decision as mayor of London – but now we know its astonishing impact | Sadiq Khan

By Sadiq Khan

Critics said I was attacking motorists. It’s more important for me that the city’s children are no longer breathing dangerous levels of pollution Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds When I introduced London’s clean air zone – the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) – more than seven years ago, no city had ever attempted anything quite like it. At the time, the scheme in central Lon

Three dead after family get into difficulty in water off Shoreham-by-Sea

By Nadeem Badshah

A man, woman and teenage girl have died, while a younger girl is in a critical condition, say Sussex police A couple and their teenage daughter have died after getting into difficulty in the sea off the West Sussex coast, police said on Tuesday. A man, a woman and a teenage girl died after the incident in Shoreham-by-Sea, the chief superintendent of Sussex police, James Collis, said. Continue reading...

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Ukraine’s dismissed defence minister calls for wartime presidential election

By Dan Sabbagh in Kyiv

Mykhailo Fedorov’s appeal is most direct challenge to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russian invasion in 2022 Ukraine’s recently dismissed former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for a wartime presidential election in the most direct political challenge to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The politician, whose abrupt sacking last month triggered a wave of protests, s

GPs’ advice service is causing cancer diagnoses to be missed, inquiry finds

By PA Media

Advice and guidance services for doctors in England found to be creating risk of missed or late detection of illness Cancer diagnoses have been missed or delayed because of a system designed for GPs to seek specialist advice before referring patients to hospital, according to an investigation. The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) identified patient risks linked to how advice and guidance (A+G) servi

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Second major fire at south London recycling centre in under three months

By Nadeem Badshah

Fifteen fire engines tackling blaze at Landmann Way in Deptford involving 50 tonnes of household waste About 100 firefighters are dealing with a fire that has broken out at a waste facility in London for the second time this summer. Fifteen fire engines are at the incident in Deptford, south-east London, which involves about 50 tonnes of stored household waste. Continue reading...