36 m. ago Dream State by Eric Puchner review – an epic tale of paradise lost

A love triangle plays out across generations in this brilliantly panoramic tale of family tiesAmerican author Eric Puchner’s latest novel is a colossus: a vast, bright behemoth of a book, panoramic as the Montana skyline. Dream State opens in 2004 with the image of a young woman, a month before her wedding, diving into a perfect lake whose “blue expanse of water” reflects the “overlapping peaks of the Salish range”. From this Edenic outset, it traverses decades, barrelling through our present day into a projected future: dipping in and out of the lives of a tight cast of characters as they succeed and fail; love and fall out of love; change and stay the same.The young woman is Cece. She has stepped out of the lakeshore family home of Charlie Margolis, a cardiac anaesthesiologist to whom she’s engaged. Route 30 traffic noise aside, the place is a bucolic idyll, marked by abundance and continuity: orchards filled with “ancient apple trees”, “raspberry bushes, magically replenishing”, ...

Politics

37 m. ago Zoe Ball's son Woody Cook gives update on her relationship with ex husband Fatboy Slim

EXCLUSIVE: BBC Radio 2 host Zoe Ball's son Woody Cook has opened up about his relationship with his famous parents Zoe and Fatboy Slim, and revealed that he's 'more of an adult' now

Politics

38 m. ago Dad 'savagely beaten to death by friend' as he tried to defend daughter

Louis Serbeck, who was praised as being a devoted father and grandfather, died after he was allegedly savagely beaten by his friend since high school and the pal's son

Events

68 m. ago Erin Patterson trial live: mushroom cook described estranged husband as ‘coercive’ and in

Australian woman has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her Leongatha home in 2023. Follow live updatesWho are Erin Patterson and the other key figures in Australia’s mushroom murders trial?Our justice and courts reporter, Nino Bucci, was in the court room in Morwell last week for the first week of Erin Patterson’s murder trial.Catch up on his report on the first week of the trial: Continue reading...

Society

91 m. ago Alleged mushroom murders trial: husband denies asking Erin Patterson ‘is that what you used to poison them?’

Simon Patterson cross-examined by estranged wife’s lawyer as Victorian supreme court trial enters second week Erin Patterson trial LIVEWho are Erin Patterson and the other key figures in Australia’s mushroom murders trial?Erin Patterson’s estranged husband has denied asking her “is that what you used to poison them?” in the days immediately after the deadly mushroom lunch.Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha in South Gippsland in 2023.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Events

93 m. ago Mushroom chef Erin Patterson's estranged husband denies accusing her of poisoning his parents after deadly lunch

Simon Patterson has denied accusing his estranged wife Erin of poisoning his parents in the days after the deadly lunch. 

Events

94 m. ago Albanese has ‘very warm’ call with Trump, who says he has ‘no idea’ who Dutton is

Re-elected PM foreshadows meeting with US president after conversation that covered tariffs and Aukus treaty Australian federal election news LIVE – latest results and updatesLive results: federal election votes tracker, electorates map and seat countsSee our full coverage of the Australian electionGet our breaking news email,free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese has had a “very warm” conversation with Donald Trump about tariffs and Aukus, foreshadowing a coming meeting with the US president after Labor’s election win.Trump was asked earlier on Monday about the Australian election at the White House. He said, “I’m very friendly with” Albanese, but distanced himself from the Liberal leader, Peter Dutton.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Politics

96 m. ago ‘The beauty of this angle is the distortion’: Sanket Khuntale’s best phone photo

The Indian photographer was delighted with the image he captured during a stroll in Pritisangam Gardens with friendsSanket Khuntale describes Pritisangam Gardens in Karad, India as “a go-to hangout spot for everyone in town”. Khuntale lives in Mumbai now, but visits the gardens as a ritual every time he goes home to Karad. On the day he took this photo, in 2017, he was there to meet friends for an evening stroll. The gardens lie against the banks where the Krishna and Koyna rivers meet, and the group walked by the water, talking, admiring their surroundings and stopping for street food.One of the group was Khuntale’s childhood friend Tejali, who had been stopping to pick flowers along the way. Khuntale suggested taking a photo with his mobile phone. He positioned himself behind Tejali’s head to take the shot, then later rotated the image 180 degrees. Continue reading...

Culture

2 h. ago Manchester United might regret 'significant' revenue boost ahead of summer transfer window

Man Utd will play two post-season friendlies, which will raise funds to help them comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Sport

2 h. ago Homefires burning: how a cache of passionate love letters shows the second world war on two fronts

The intimate correspondence of a Manchester Guardian journalist and his wife is the basis for a theatre piece marking the 80th anniversary of VE DayDuring a house move, a cardboard box belonging to my husband Matthew’s grandparents came to light. Inside we found thousands of love letters sent between the Manchester Guardian journalist Gerard Fay and his wife Alice, during the second world war. They were jumbled up and undated, and reading them all seemed a daunting task, so the box was shelved.Matthew is an academic writing a book about an earlier generation of Fays, Frank and Willie, the actors who co-founded Dublin’s Abbey theatre with WB Yeats. Frank was Gerard’s father, so when lockdown happened we decided to tackle the correspondence, to see if there was any useful information for Matthew’s book. We discovered so much more. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago Erin Patterson trial live: estranged husband Simon gives evidence in mushroom murder trial

Australian woman has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her Leongatha home in 2023. Follow live updatesWho are Erin Patterson and the other key figures in Australia’s mushroom murders trial?Nanette Rogers SC is now re-examining Simon.Simon says his mother agreed to not read the messages sent from Erin to reduce anxiety she had been diagnosed with encephalitis. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago Nicola Peltz breaks silence after snubbing Beckham's 50th with heartbreaking post

Nicola Peltz has penned an emotional tribute to her two late grandmothers, who she described as her "best friends", after snubbing a string of 50th birthday celebrations for her father-in-law, David Beckham

Politics

5 h. ago Top Tory brands Prince Harry 'entitled' as Palace source 'says deluded Duke has lost touch with reality' amid fallout from scorched

Prince Harry has been branded 'entitled' by a senior Tory and 'deluded' by a palace source after a furious BBC interview attacking the UK establishment and his own family.

Politics

5 h. ago Erin Patterson trial live: estranged husband Simon to resume evidence in mushroom murder trial

Australian woman has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her Leongatha home in 2023. Follow live updatesWho are Erin Patterson and the other key figures in Australia’s mushroom murders trial?The jury has entered the courtroom for day five of the trial.Erin Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, is continuing his cross-examination of Simon Patterson, Erin’s estranged husband.The court was shown text messages where Simon and Erin communicated about her “forgotten” invitation to her mother-in-law’s 70th birthday. Simon said at this point in time there was “tension” in Erin’s relationship with his parents and between the pair.Simon told the court Erin had “struggled” with mental illness and postnatal depression after the birth of their first child.Simon said his estranged wife “hates” hospitals as he was asked about her discharging herself from Leongatha hospital against medical advice following the lunch. Continue ...

Events

5 h. ago JoJo Siwa's heartbroken ex Kath Ebbs seeks comfort in the arms of a friend as they share a kiss after returning to Australia following their brutal split at Celebrity Big Brother afterparty

JoJo Siwa's ex Kath Ebbs has been seen for the first time since returning to Australia after being brutally dumped at the Celebrity Big Brother afterparty.

Politics

5 h. ago Lily Allen shares a glimpse inside her wholesome 40th birthday bash as she celebrates with close friends despite facing 'tricky circumstances'

The singer, who split from husband David Harbout late last year, snapped a picture of her gorgeous sprint-themed birthday cake as she thanked her nearest and dearest for helping her celebrate.

Politics

5 h. ago My midlife friends ALL despise their husbands. This is EXACTLY why so many marriages are falling apart

I am scrolling Instagram and a reel pops up with a woman expressing her fury at her husband for not helping out more around the house.

Politics

5 h. ago The REAL reason Nicola stopped Brooklyn Beckham going to David's 50th birthday parties, as friends tell KATIE HIND the relationship is damaged 'beyond repair'

Tonight, with his glamorous wife Nicola on his arm, Brooklyn Beckham will no doubt be posing for photographers on the steps of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Events

5 h. ago Lose a stone in time for summer using bargain secret food known as 'Nature's Ozempic'

I'm an experienced nutritionist with a large number of midlife clients, and the one thing everyone asks me is how to lose the pounds without feeling constantly hungry.

Society

7 h. ago Husband of British mother, 65, who was knifed to death in French village says her affair is a 'betrayal'

Karen Carter, 65, was found dead on her property in the village of Trémolat, east of Bordeaux, after returning from a night out on Tuesday, April 29.

Events