Politics

When summer is sweltering, there is nothing more luxurious than a swimming pool in your own backyard. But is it actually a smart investment? Installing a swimming pool is certainly not cheap, nor is it a quick and easy project. …

A rocky super-Earth 48 light-years away, approximately 1.7 times the diameter and 5.6 times the mass of our planet, may be capable of sustaining life. The exoplanet, LHS 1140 b, was leaking helium, which could be indicative of the presence …

A shrinking pool of ultra-wealthy donors increasingly bankroll Britain’s political parties. Should we be worried? Why is this issue in the news? The short answer is because of Reform UK. In December 2025 the Electoral Commission, the statutory body that …

South Korea has some wondrous ancient sites, and none are more important than those around Gyeongju, says Oliver Berry in National Geographic Traveller. Set among forested hills a couple of hours by high-speed train from Seoul, this historic town is …

Since the US and Israel first attacked Iran on 28 February, President Trump “has claimed more than 30 times that Operation Epic Fury has been successful, is over, or almost is”, said Robin Wright in The New Yorker. None of …

Superstar is a word that is overused these days, said Oliver Holt in the Daily Mail; but if ever a man was worthy of it, it was Kevin Keegan. Back in the 1970s, the footballer – who died this week …

If you are saving for retirement with a 401(k) plan, there is a good chance you enjoy matching contributions from your employer. Those using an IRA do not have that same opportunity, however, as the retirement saving option is opened …

After their terms end, most U.S. presidents try to make their remaining time count. They often do so by building a presidential library and museum, as every commander-in-chief of the 20th and 21st centuries has done. Many of them also …

When President Donald Trump announced he was gifted a new luxury Boeing 747-8 from Qatar to use as an interim Air Force One, many national security analysts were worried about risks potentially inherent to the plane. Now that Trump has …

‘Why the world still can’t agree about alcohol’ Tim Brinkhof at Time De-normalizing “alcohol consumption seems like a logical next step after cracking down on smoking,” says Tim Brinkhof. But as “societies everywhere ramp up efforts to discourage drinking, a …

What happened Vance Boelter, the man who assassinated former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband at their home last summer, was sentenced on Thursday to two life terms plus 40 years in prison. Boelter, 59, who also …

What happened The US-Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement signed this week was thrown into uncertainty on Thursday after President Donald Trump said the deal would depend on Saudi Arabia establishing diplomatic ties with Israel. In a post on Truth Social, Trump …

Built to celebrate Škoda’s 130th birthday, the Fabia 130 is a sporty hatchback – a souped-up version of the top-tier Monte Carlo trim, and the fastest Fabia yet. With a top speed of 141mph, it does 0-62mph in 7.4secs; and …

What happened Undeterred by Supreme Court rulings rejecting his tariff regime, President Donald Trump on Thursday launched a new workaround to continue taxing foreign imports. Under the new scheme, which replaces an expiring near-blanket 10% duty, the United States will …

Iranian strikes on CIA facilities have led US intelligence officials to believe that unprecedented intelligence cooperation is taking place between Russia and Tehran, with China cooperating closely with Moscow too. The US is investigating how Iran was able to accurately …

A financial trick that uses credit card debt to make money has returned because of relatively high savings rates. Financial conditions are now in a “sweet spot” for the strategy known as stoozing, said The Telegraph. A “successful stoozer”, said …

“And why do you think you are sick?” I knew why I was sick. I was sick because I had a cold. And I had a cold because I have a toddler. And toddlers are, as far as I can …

Find out how closely you’ve been paying attention to the latest news and other global events by putting your knowledge to the test with our Quiz of The Week.

A surfer rides the waves off the coast of Dakar, Senegal (Image credit: Jerome Favre / EPA / Shutterstock) Supporters of India’s Cockroach Janta Party scuffle with police as they attempt to march on Parliament House to demand the resignation …

Ana Mendieta “made art from blood, feathers, flowers and sand and in such fresh ways, you’d think these primeval substances were new inventions”, said Jonathan Jones in The Guardian. “She literally played with fire, drawing a human figure with gunpowder …

For much of its duration, the 23rd edition of the men’s World Cup was “dominated by the exploits of star players”, said Oliver Kay on The Athletic. Yet for all that Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham excelled, none …

Scientists are testing the “surprising theory” that “splitting sleep into two separate blocks” may be “the most effective sleep pattern for people working through the night”, said the BBC. Better management of insomnia Biphasic sleep means two distinct sleep periods …

Spring forward, fall back — that old rule of thumb for resetting clocks at the start and end of daylight saving time may soon be a relic of the past, as the House of Representatives last week overwhelmingly supported a …

Apple just declared war on OpenAI, said Rolfe Winkle in The Wall Street Journal. In a lawsuit filed last week, the iPhone maker accused the artificial-intelligence startup of a corporate espionage campaign “at every level.” It claims that former Apple …

‘Big money is distorting college sports in too many ways to count’ The Dallas Morning News editorial board College sports has been “known for its regional affiliation,” but “after the latest major conference realignment,” this has “become a distant memory,” …

In a growing movement in India, young people have opted to trade alcohol and house music for chai and devotional music. Bhajan clubbing has brought Hindu tradition to the dance floor, providing a sober and spiritual nightlife experience. The trend …

Heat waves this summer have brought droughts to large swaths of the United States, and they are spelling disaster for many farmers. Coupled with the lingering problems from last year’s dry winter, some farmers say their livelihood in the fields …

Frustrated homebuyers should be celebrating “one of the most significant pieces of housing legislation passed in decades,” said Emma Janssen in The New Republic. The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act automatically became law on July 11 after lingering …

Interest in majoring in history may have declined over the course of the 21st century, but the field remains a powerful engine for streaming television content. Audiences are still flocking to true stories as well as fictional narratives set in …

What happened More than 1,000 people have died of Ebola in Congo, in the fastest-growing outbreak on record, African health officials said Wednesday. Congo’s Ministry of Health said 2,536 cases have been reported since this outbreak was declared May 15. …

What happened French professional model recruiter Daniel Siad, who introduced Jeffrey Epstein to young women and teenage girls, was found dead in his home near Paris, French prosecutors said Wednesday. Siad’s name “appears more than 2,000 times” in the Justice …

In 2023, the South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son Paul. The pair had been shot at the family’s hunting estate; Murdaugh claimed to have discovered the bodies after returning from a …

Christopher Nolan is “hardly a stranger to ambition”, said John Nugent on Empire. His first major film, “Memento”, told its story in two sequences – one that moved forward in time, the other backwards. Since then he has tackled wars, …

In his new role as artistic director of Birmingham Rep, Joe Murphy has got off to a flier, said Alison Brinkworth on WhatsOnStage. Having given us a “sparkling” “Midsummer Night’s Dream” for his main stage debut, we now have this …

What happened Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Thursday morning said they had attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, enforcing a threatened blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb waterway that Saudi Arabia has been using to bypass the Strait of …

Two of the biggest tech giants are locked in a head-to-head legal battle, with Apple claiming OpenAI stole trade secrets as the AI start-up plans its first hardware devices. Apple launched the “blockbuster lawsuit” last week, accusing OpenAI and several …

“It is still one of the great bargains in British culture,” said The Times. An on-the-day Promming ticket at the Albert Hall is just £8 – and the wide variety of “world-class talent you can catch for under a tenner …

Film fans are embarking on “epic journeys of their own” to see Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of “The Odyssey” in one of the “few surviving” Imax 70mm cinemas, said The Guardian. That’s because it’s the first feature film to be shot …

In politics, first impressions can mean a great deal and Donald Trump has heaped praise on Andy Burnham for his plans to fast-track oil and gas drilling in the North Sea. Writing on his Truth Social platform, the president said …

Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic have undoubtedly made their mark on healthcare. But they have also begun to shape the broader economy. While there are those “salivating at the prospect of where AI can go in the years ahead,” perhaps the …