2 h. ago Heartbreak and troubles abound in this week's literary fiction: The Scrapbook by Heather Clark, Ordinary Love by Marie Rutkoski, The Mobius Book by Catherine Lacey

Featuring unsure lovers in post-war Germany, a sexy, summer romance reuniting two young female lovers and a high-concept memoir that literally turns itself upside down.

Events

2 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia ‘on verge of recession’, Putin minister tells economic showcase

Drone attacks on Kharkiv and Odesa; don’t forget about Ukraine because of Iran-Israel fighting, say Kyiv officials. What we know on day 1,213 Vladimir Putin’s economy minister has warned that Russia is “on the verge” of recession as he spoke on the second day of a signature event meant to bolster economic confidence. The minister, Maxim Reshetnikov, said at the St Petersburg economic forum that his view was based on “current business sentiment and indicators” pointing to a slowdown. “Everything else depends on our decisions,” Reshetnikov said, calling for the central bank to show a “little love for the economy”.Russia’s central bank raised interest rates to an eye-watering 21% in October 2024 to combat inflation and kept them at that level until this month when it eased them to 20%. Russia’s economic growth slowed to 1.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, the lowest quarterly figure in two years. Prices are rising across the economy driven up by massive government spending ...

Politics

2 h. ago The bomb from hell... So will the US deploy it? Can it take out Iran's nuclear site? And what would happen next?: MARK ALMOND

Donald Trump loves to back a winner, says MARK ALMOND. The prospect of a quick win must be tempting for a man who has already let it be known he wants a Nobel Peace Prize.

Events

3 h. ago Defiant Iran boasts all its nuclear material is 'in a safe place' after Trump dramatically backed down on war

'Israel hit Natanz, Isfahan, Khandab, and Arak but they were already evacuated',  Iranian commander Mohsen Rezaei said on Thursday.

Events

4 h. ago Lammy to meet Iranian foreign minister as Trump steps back from military action

The Foreign Secretary is set to meet Abbas Araghchi alongside his counterparts from France, Germany and the EU.

Politics

4 h. ago Consumer confidence up in June amid ‘dark shadow’ of inflation and war

GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index rose two points but remains firmly in negative territory at minus 18.

Economics

4 h. ago Trump sets deadline of two weeks to decide if US will join Israel’s war on Iran

US president leaves window for negotiation after Israeli defence minister openly embraces regime change Middle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump has set a two-week deadline to decide whether the US will join Israel’s war with Iran, allowing time to seek a negotiated end to the conflict, the White House has said.The decision to leave a window for diplomacy came after Israel’s defence minister openly embraced regime change in Tehran as a war aim. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago Foreign Office updates travel advice for countries popular with UK tourists including Dubai

The travel advice comes after escalating tensions between Israel and Iran

Society

6 h. ago Dubya Dubya II: Democrats see echoes of Bush Iraq War push in Trump’s Iran nukes rhetoric

“If this president wants to completely ignore the intelligence community, we are playing in dangerous ground,” one senator warned

Politics

6 h. ago The Bank of England never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity, says ALEX BRUMMER

The latest minutes from the Bank of England show that after an unexpectedly firm start to the year, the British economy has descended into gloom.

Politics

6 h. ago War in Middle East 'to push oil price to $100': Experts sound alarm as Israel and Iran trade blows

Brent crude - the global benchmark for oil - reached a five-month high above $78 a barrel as Israel and Iran exchanged missile attacks.

Events

8 h. ago Row breaks out in Peak District town as Pride flag is removed by council after complaints from Christians worried about 'the gay rights situation'

Matlock Town Council put up a number rainbow flags along its highstreet for the first time to mark the start of national Pride month, which takes place in June.

Politics

8 h. ago Israel’s attack has exposed Iran’s lack of firepower – but conflict could yet turn in Tehran’s favour

Iran has struggled to respond effectively after Israel killed many of its top military commandersIt is a week since Israel began its largest attack ever on Iran, and in conventional military terms it is clear that Tehran is under extreme pressure. Israel has been able to achieve superiority over Iran’s skies at extraordinary speed, within hours of launching its surprise assault. Its military claimed on Monday to have knocked out 120 Iranian air defence systems through a mixture of air and drone strikes, about a third of Tehran’s pre-war total.In response, Iran’s most effective weapon has been its stock of high-speed ballistic missiles, estimated at about 2,000 by Israel’s Defence Force (IDF) at the outset of hostilities last week. But the heavy targeting by Israel of launch sites in western Iran, in underground bases such as at Kermanshah – coupled with Israel’s grimly effective targeted killing of Iran’s top military commanders – have left Iran struggling to respond militarily and ...

Events

8 h. ago Duhan van der Merwe hits back at ‘SpringJock’ jibes: ‘I know how hard I’ve worked to get here’

Flying winger brushes off allegiance jibes and cannot wait for Australia after a testing Lions tour in 2021Duhan van der Merwe does not want to shake hands. It is not that the hulking Scotland winger is being rude – he is polite to a fault – but after a gruelling gym session the British & Irish Lion has blisters as big as golf balls. A fist bump – a touch daunting given the size of his biceps – must suffice.Van der Merwe’s war wounds are the first indication that public perception about him can be misleading and there are many to follow in the ensuing half-hour. From an impassioned response to accusations he is a “SpringJock”, to discussing why he runs roughshod over England once a year, Van der Merwe is illuminating company. Continue reading...

Events

8 h. ago Tucker Carlson is doing a better job than Democrats of countering Trump on Iran: ‘We’re in such a bizarro world’

ANALYSIS: Carlson’s anti-war advocacy even earned him reluctant praise from his arch-nemesis, Jon Stewart, Richard Hall writes.

Politics

8 h. ago Trump says talks with Iran could happen ‘in the near future’

US president’s comments come a day before British, French and German foreign ministers set to meet Iranian counterpart

Politics

9 h. ago A Ukrainian fled to Israel. An Iranian missile shattered her new life

Ukrainians who fled the war in their country for Israel are facing a new conflict

Events

9 h. ago Inter Miami v Porto live: Messi and Suarez start Club World Cup clash as Palmeiras

Lionel Messi is in action as Inter Miami and Porto vie to take control of Group A at the Club World Cup

Society

9 h. ago Keir Starmer must refuse to follow Donald Trump into war on Iran

Editorial: Should the US decide to join the Israeli attacks on Iran, there are strong moral and practical reasons why Britain should refuse to help its closest ally and stand aside

Politics

9 h. ago The Guardian view on Trump and Iran: Netanyahu’s war has no visible exit | Editorial

The US president promised to keep his country out of conflicts. The Israeli prime minister has other ideasThe maxim that wars are easy to start and hard to end does not appear to be troubling Benjamin Netanyahu. For the Israeli prime minister, conflict is an end as much as a means, extending his political survival. Under international pressure – however belated and insufficient – over the slaughter in Gaza, he launched the attack on Iran. Initially presented as essential to prevent Tehran from the imminent acquisition of a nuclear bomb, a claim running counter to US intelligence, it is increasingly discussed as the path to bringing down the regime. The defence minister, Israel Katz, has said that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “can no longer be allowed to exist”.Donald Trump has generally seen armed conflict as a trap rather than an escape route. He said that the US would “measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the war...

Politics