3 d. ago This feels both sacrilegious and scary, but I have a bone to pick with Oprah Winfrey | Emma Brockes

Bravo Rosie O’Donnell for calling out America’s queen over her attendance at the Bezos-Sánchez nuptials. That takes courageA very unusual thing happened at the weekend, an event so outlandish, so vanishingly rare, that even in these times of general chaos and disorder it deserves our attention: someone prominent joined the tiny cohort of people willing to publicly criticise Oprah. I’m not talking about an attack from the right. Donald Trump and his Maga cronies routinely go after Oprah Winfrey as (feel free to laugh) a lefty agitator. I’m talking about the actor Rosie O’Donnell, on Instagram, calling out America’s queen for showing up at the Jeff Bezos wedding.Of course, criticising someone for throwing in their lot with Bezos shouldn’t be in the least controversial. The gross parade of wedding guests attending his marriage to Lauren Sánchez in Venice last weekend looked like a catwalk of shame. There was Leonardo DiCaprio, hiding his face with his hat (we still see you!), in the co...

Politics

3 d. ago ‘People pay to be told lies’: the rise and fall of the world’s first ayahuasca multinational

Alberto Varela claimed he wanted to use sacred plant medicine to free people’s minds. But as the organisation grew, his followers discovered a darker realityThe first time Dalia* took ayahuasca nothing happened. The second time it changed her life. It was 2017, and she had joined a dozen strangers in a chalet outside Barcelona. Everyone was searching for something. For many it was a way out of misery: an escape from years of addiction, or a last-ditch attempt to survive crippling depression. Dalia, a therapist in her early 30s, hoped ayahuasca would help her process the recent death of her mother. “I felt completely alone at that time,” she said. “And I think in some form that’s how everyone there felt.”The retreat, run by a wellness company called Inner Mastery, began with the two dozen participants talking about their expectations, before imbibing ayahuasca. The Amazonian plant brew, which contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a powerful naturally occurring psychoactive, induces an a...

Politics

5 d. ago Israel launches waves of Gaza airstrikes after new displacement orders

Scores of Palestinians reported killed as senior Netanyahu adviser due to arrive in Washington for ceasefire talks Middle East crisis – live updatesIsrael ramped up its offensive in Gaza on Monday, with new displacement orders sending tens of thousands of people fleeing the north of the devastated territory and waves of airstrikes killing about 60 Palestinians, according to local officials and medical staff.The violence in Gaza came as a senior adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, was due to arrive in Washington for talks on a new ceasefire, a day after Donald Trump called in a social media post for a deal to end the 20-month war and free 50 hostages held by Hamas. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Would Shell and BP creating a £200bn oil behemoth be a good idea for anyone at all?

Analysis: FTSE 100 pair have negated talk of a takeover and that looks the right call, writes Karl Matchett - at least for now

Economics

8 d. ago Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza as Qatar calls for peace talks – Middle East crisis live

At least 49 people were killed across Gaza by Israeli strikes, health staff sayEmirates extended its cancellation of flights to and from Iran’s capital Tehran until July 5 due to the “regional situation“, it said in a statement on Saturday, Reuters reports.The Dubai-based airline said it will recommence operations to Baghdad on 1 July and Basra on 2 July. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Would Shell and BP creating a £200bn oil behemoth actually be a good idea

Analysis: FTSE 100 pair have negated talk of a takeover and that looks the right call, writes Karl Matchett - at least for now

Economics

9 d. ago Happy Valley star James Norton feels like he has ‘become a man’ after break

Norton, 39, spoke about the break-up during a talk, called Daring To Change, on The Information stage at Glastonbury Festival on Thursday.

Politics

1 week ago Shell in early talks to buy rival BP to create oil giant – reports

Reported megamerger between supermajors would create British oil company worth more than £200bnShell is in early talks with BP over a historic £60bn deal that could create one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, according to reports.The so-called oil supermajors are reported to be in talks over a potential deal following speculation earlier this year that Shell was considering a bid for its struggling rival. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Trump sensationally calls for Iranian regime change as he holds crisis talks with UK prime minister: Live updates

President Donald Trump called for an Iranian regime change, less than one day after the US bombed the country's nuclear sites - triggering an array of reaction from world leaders.

Politics

1 week ago Trump sensationally calls for Iranian regime change as he holds crisis talks with UK prime minister Keir Starmer amid Tehran threats to unleash revenge

President Donald Trump held crisis talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as world leaders plan for Iran's revenge after its nuclear sites were severely damaged overnight.

Politics

1 week ago Iran says US ‘must receive a response’ after Trump’s strikes on nuclear sites

Pentagon claims major damage inflicted, world leaders call for restraint and Israel continues to strike Iranian targetsMiddle East crisis – latest updatesIran has warned the US to brace for retaliation after Donald Trump’s administration joined Israel in its war against Tehran, tearing up his isolationist foreign policy and launching the most consequential intervention in a conflict in a generation.Almost a day after US strikes targeting three key Iranian nuclear sites, Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, told France’s Emmanuel Macron: “The Americans must receive a response to their aggression,” signalling a potential Iranian reprisal that could drag the US into a new, protracted conflict in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago John Swinney and Keir Starmer call for talks after US bombs Iran

Donald Trump launched US air strikes on the Iran's nuclear facilities overnight.

Events

2 w. ago Man Utd and Tottenham both make same call on £70m transfer after private talks

Manchester United and Tottenham are both admirers of Antoine Semenyo but it seems as though neither club will be making a move for the Bournemouth star after discovering his price tag

Economics

2 w. ago Iran and Israel trade missile strikes as no sign of diplomatic breakthrough

Iran’s foreign minister said he would not negotiate with the US as long as Israel continued to carry out airstrikes against the country

Events

2 w. ago Middle East situation ‘perilous’, says Lammy amid calls for more talks

David Lammy flew from Washington to Geneva on Friday to meet Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.

Politics

2 w. ago Kara Swisher reveals ‘rage machine’ Kelly begged her for podcast advice: ‘Remember, Megyn, I did help you!’

‘Just so you know, Megyn Kelly doesn’t like Kara Swisher, but at the time that happened, she called me and we had drinks and I talked to her about this and how to do it,’ Swisher said this week.

Politics

2 w. ago Iran and Israel trade missile strikes as Europe begins negotiations with Tehran

Iran’s top diplomat accused Israel of committing war crimes by bombing Tehran’s nuclear facilities as he arrived for negotiations with the UK and European Union

Events

2 w. ago Britain withdraws staff from its Tehran embassy as Israel and Iran continue to trade airstrikes

'We have taken the precautionary measure to temporarily withdraw UK staff from Iran. Our embassy continues to operate remotely,' Britain said on its travel advice website page for Iran

Politics

2 w. 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

2 w. ago Keir Starmer calls for Iran nuke talks as Donald Trump keeps pondering joining Israel strikes

"We need to de-escalate this," the PM said. "Yes the nuclear issue has to be dealt with, but it's better dealt with through negotiations than by way of conflict"

Politics