9 h. ago Trump’s strongman image got boos at the US Open, and perhaps that was the point | Andrew Lawrence

The president’s appearance at the men’s final was met with pushback. But his visit was always about distraction, even if it exposed his flawsIt was just the authoritarian image Donald Trump hoped to project at the US Open: the president himself, looming from Arthur Ashe Stadium’s giant screens like Chairman Mao at Tiananmen Gate, as he stood at attention for the national anthem. But there was no denying that, while the picture was there, the sound clashed. The burst of cheers that went up for his stiff salute on Sunday was quickly drowned out by a chorus of boos made louder from the Ashe roof being closed for rain – perhaps fitting given that many fans had been left to stand in the wet and endure the long security lines that resulted from his attendance. In that awkward five-second moment, as the Stars and Stripes was unfurled on center court, the president smirked at the negative reaction. It surely rang so familiar.Trump’s presence at the US Open men’s final wasn’t just intended a...

Politics

38 h. ago Scientists reveal exactly what will happen if the Earth continues to spin faster

A new book imagines what the world would be like if Earth spun faster and faster until days just last two hours.

Science

51 h. ago Blur’s Dave Rowntree: ‘People think music was better in the old days, to which I say: bollocks!’

The drummer for the Britpop band on why Oasis aren’t his nemesis, his failed bid to become a UK Labour MP and how he finally conquered mathsGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailYou’ve just put out a coffee table book of photographs of your early years with Blur. I imagine you didn’t have too many expectations at the time. Why had you stopped taking photos by the time the band blew up?I told myself that I was not experiencing life, that I was looking at it through the lens of the camera. But what really happened was, after a few years, things stopped being bright and shiny and new and exciting. It was pretty clear that we were going to have a career, that this wasn’t just a 15-minute Warholian burst of fame. I just moved on to other things.Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morningNo One You Know: Dave Rowntree’s Early Blur Photos is out now Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Children and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels

A huge brolly; sibling revelry; poetic Paris; first aid for youngsters; Regency blackmail; blackly comic YA fiction and moreA Totally Big Umbrella by Sarah Crossan, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb, Walker, £12.99Rain ruins all Tallulah’s favourite things until she finds a really huge umbrella – but it’s so big it holds her back. Could there be worse things than getting wet? Enchanting and imaginative, this gentle, playful picture book addresses an anxious child’s need to find control.The Elephant and the Piano by Colette Hiller, illustrated by Nabila Adani, Magic Cat, £7.99Short-tempered and destructive, Bonti the elephant is all alone – until the music of a piano reaches him. A luminous, touching picture book, based on a true story. Continue reading...

Culture

2 w. ago John and Paul by Ian Leslie audiobook review – the bromance behind the band

Actor Chris Addison narrates a deep dive into the creative partnership of Lennon and McCartneyAnother book on the Beatles? It’s hard to imagine a writer shedding new light on the band given the mountain of literature already in existence. But there is a freshness of perspective in Ian Leslie’s book, which tells of Lennon and McCartney’s unique alchemy through the songs they wrote together. Leslie’s background in psychology serves him well in a study that jettisons the usual narrative of male rivalry; their partnership, Leslie suggests, was closer to a marriage.He begins with the pair’s early songwriting sessions, usually in McCartney’s front room, where rather than each taking ownership of songs, they worked in sync. Other fabled musical partnerships such as Leiber and Stoller, or Rodgers and Hammerstein, divided the labour between lyrics and melody, but Lennon and McCartney worked together on both. Pointing to their profound connection, Leslie notes how in the song I...

Culture

4 w. ago From White Lotus to the Fatberg Challenge: five immersive shows we can dream of seeing

Elvis, Grease and Traitors Live are all the rage this summer. But could audiences be tempted to try something a little different?This is the summer of the live immersive experience – Elvis, Grease, Traitors Live – but the biggest shows are expensive and tickets are already selling out. Never fear: there are plenty of other experiences out there for anyone looking to get immersed on a budget, or to try something a bit different. But what? We had a look at a few we could imagine happily queueing for. Book now, while places remain. Continue reading...

Events