3 h. ago ‘People told me it gave them a sense of hope’: Ismail Zaidy’s best phone picture

The Moroccan photographer intended this portrait of his sister, taken during the Covid pandemic, to bring optimism in uncertain timesIsmail Zaidy took this image, with the help of his siblings, in the gardens of the famous La Mamounia hotel in Marrakech. The Moroccan photographer received special authorisation to shoot there in 2021, when Covid restrictions were in place. He took his brother, Othmane, as shoot assistant and his sister, Fatimazahra, was the model in the image, wearing a vintage dress their mum had bought at a flea market. The small team fixed flowers to a plastic sheet and took a number of shots over a three-hour period; Othmane appeared in some, too.Zaidy recalls what a treat it felt to be outside. “Getting access to open spaces was limited, so being outdoors – even briefly – felt refreshing and special,” he says. “ It was a fairly chaotic period for all of us, but over time things calmed down and we found a rhythm. It actually gave us more time to cr...

Politics

3 h. ago We just found the best £35 alternative to Lisa Snowdon’s £1.3k colourful beaded necklace

Lisa Snowdon’s colourful beaded necklace is the perfect summer accessory, and we’ve managed to find a great alternative to her £1.3k jewellery – that costs just £35

Economics

4 h. ago Crossbow cannibal cop found severed breasts on table and brain in microwave

Stephen Griffiths was caught because one of his victims managed to briefly escape from his home, before he dragged her back and killed her.

Politics

4 h. ago Brad Rea shows true colours with Shakan Pitters title fight claim – 'not for one second'

BOXING CLEVER: Brad Rea has had plenty of bad luck in boxing over the last six months but will face Shakan Pitters tonight hoping to turn the tables

Politics

4 h. ago Enzo Maresca drops huge bombshell as he reveals EVERY Chelsea player could leave

Enzo Maresca admits that he can't guarantee the future of any Chelsea player, with the Blues set for another busy summer transfer window both in terms of incomings and outgoings

Sport

5 h. ago Can I tame my 4am terrors? Arifa Akbar on a lifetime of insomnia – and a possible cure

From Van Gogh’s starry skies to the nocturnal workings of Louise Bourgeois and Patricia Highsmith, sleepless nights have long inspired heightened creativity. Could those artistic impulses actually help us to sleep?I can’t remember when I first stopped sleeping soundly. Maybe as a child, in the bedroom I initially shared with my brother, Tariq. I would wait for his breathing to quieten, then strain to listen beyond our room in the hope of being the last one awake, and feel myself expanding into the liberating space and solitude. By my early 20s, that childhood game of holding on to wakefulness while others slept began playing out against my will. Sound seemed to be the trigger. It was as if the silence I had tuned into as a child was now a requirement for sleep. Any sound was noise: the burr of the TV from next door, the ticking of a clock in another room. When one layer of sound reduced its volume, another rose from beneath it, each intrusive and underscored by my own unending thoug...

Events

7 h. ago We’re Going on a Bear Hunt sculpture trail comes to Tatton Park this summer

Families will be able to follow the trail of 10 bright and colourful bears through the gardens and farm

Politics

7 h. ago How wedding guests are coping with rising costs: ‘the total will come to £3,000 this year’

As celebrations become more lavish, those invited face higher costs. Here’s how some people juggle spending and expectationsBy the time Layla had paid for flights, booked a hotel, bought a dress and contributed to the honeymoon fund, her friend’s wedding had cost her more than £1,600 – and it is just one of three she is attending this summer.With more couples planning bigger celebrations – often with multiple events, and with some away from home, guests are left footing ever bigger bills. Continue reading...

Economics

7 h. ago ‘We are privileged’: liberal Afrikaners reject Trump’s ‘white genocide’ claims

As white South Africans arrive in US to escape ‘unjust racial discrimination’, many progressives feel angry at Trump’s portrayal of them as victimsFor some white Afrikaner South Africans, Donald Trump’s offer of refugee status in the US has been seen as a godsend. For others, it has provoked anger and frustration that they are being falsely portrayed as victims of a “white genocide”, 31 years after their community’s own oppressive minority rule ended.In February, Trump signed an executive order claiming Afrikaners, who make up about 4% of South Africa’s population, or about 2.5 million people, were victims of “unjust racial discrimination”. The order cut aid to the country and established a refugee programme for white South Africans. The first group arrived in May. Continue reading...

Politics

8 h. ago Dunelm drops two new colours of table lamp that makes home 'feel like a hotel'

Shoppers can now get their hands on the Clementine Table Lamp in two of the trendiest shades this year

Society

8 h. ago From flat to foothills: How indoor training made Mallorca’s Sa Calobra climb feel (almost) manageable

After months of indoor sessions on the Wattbike Proton, a three-day cycling trip through the Balearics was the perfect test of whether smart training really works

Politics

8 h. ago 'I'll be wearing Joanie Clothing's pretty postcard print jumpsuit all summer'

The colourful organic cotton jumpsuit is super comfy and lightweight

Politics

8 h. ago Crossbow cannibal cop found brain in microwave and severed breasts on table

Serial killer Stephen Griffiths proudly proclaimed himself as the Crossbow Cannibal when he appeared in court charged with the murders of three women. Now as a Prime Video documentary looks back at his twisted crimes, the two police officers who caught him reveal the sickening sights inside his blood-splattered Bradford flat

Politics

8 h. ago 'I eat 20oz steak and 10 fried eggs for breakfast – it makes me feel my best'

One man who describes himself as the 'UK’s Number 1 Carnivore Diet Coach' and often shares his tips about following the diet online has revealed the huge steak, egg and lamb breakfast he often likes to eat

Politics

8 h. ago We stayed at the grand London hotel where celebrities prepped for this year's BAFTAs

Love Island stars and Hollywood A-listers alike love this central London hotel, where first impressions are grand ones and the service is super friendly and personal

Politics

8 h. ago We found the London hotel where celebrities prepped for this year's BAFTAs

Love Island stars and Hollywood A-listers alike love this central London hotel, where first impressions are grand ones and the service is super friendly and personal

Politics

9 h. ago Iran almost assassinated former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2022, new book claims

Iranians had discovered the hotel where Pompeo was staying when they reportedly tried to carry out the hit, according to a new book

Politics

9 h. ago 'This is the London hotel where celebs stay before events – the views are incredible'

We checked in to this popular central London hotel to see why it's so popular – with celebrities and 'regular' travellers alike – and discovered spacious rooms and amazing views

Politics

12 h. ago Truth about your takeaway drivers. You thoughtlessly open your door to these masked strangers when they drop off your food

What I found strange about the delivery bikers arriving at my door was that I could never see their faces. They were invariably masked in motorbike helmets, with only their eyes showing

Politics

13 h. ago A good deal or a good deal of waste? How to be more conscious about your consumption during sales periods

Understanding your brain on sale is the first step. Here are some practical measures to ensure you only buy things you need – or items that truly bring you joy in the long termChange by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprintGot a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.comWhether the discount is offered on social media, via email or in a banner on your favourite website, if a business you’ve ever been a patron of is having a sale you can be sure they’ll find a way to tell you.“Temporary sales events are aimed at leveraging FOMO,” says Jason Pallant, a senior lecturer in marketing at RMIT University. “The idea is to make consumers feel like they will miss out on a great bargain if they don’t buy something right away.” Continue reading...

Economics