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Craig Bellamy says he rejected Burnley manager’s job to stay in ‘right place’ with Wales

‘I’ve never done anything for money,’ Bellamy says He was in intensive care last year after appendix rupture Craig Bellamy said he rejected the chance to take charge of Burnley in the summer after deciding the Wales job is “the right place for me”. The 47-year-old was among the managers targeted by the Championship club, who appointed Nicky Hayen. Bellamy is preparing to lead Wales in the Nations League, with next Thursday’s trip to Portugal the first of four matches across the extended international break. Bellamy spent two years on the staff at Burnley, working as an assistant to Vincent Kompany and taking caretaker charge after Kompany left for Bayern Munich. Burnley were granted permission to hold talks with him after a triggering release clause in his Wales contract. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianBen Fisher15 Sept

US confirms for first time it has deployed weapons into space

Analysts warn of an acceleration in high-risk arms race with Russia and China in Earth’s orbit The US has deployed weapons in space, the US military has confirmed, in an extraordinary public announcement that analysts warn will accelerate a high-risk arms race with Russia and China in Earth’s orbit. US secretary of the air force, Troy Meink, announced that Washington had active “on-orbit” weapons, meaning they had been deployed and were currently circling the globe. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianOliver Holmes15 Sept

US surgeon general nominee made $270,000 from supplement company

Tobacco investments raise new concerns about Dr Nicole Saphier ahead of confirmation hearing Donald Trump’s nominee for US surgeon general reported more than $200,000 in business income from a company she owns that sells dietary supplements, a loosely regulated industry that health and consumer advocates say raises concerns about her record and which some critics allege are akin to “ snake oil ”. Dr Nicole Saphier, who specializes in breast cancer as a radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New Jersey and was formerly a Fox News contributor, is facing a Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday. She filed a financial disclosure and ethics agreement last week. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianMichelle R Smith15 Sept

James McNeill Whistler review – painter’s work shines through attention-grabbing life story

The latest Exhibition on Screen documentary does a good job balancing the famous scandals with the subtle brilliance of his art Timed to coincide with Tate Britain’s impressive gallery show – which closes at the end of September, so you haven’t long if you’ve missed it so far – this latest from the Exhibition on Screen strand does a fine job in outlining the ins and outs, and ups and downs of this still somewhat divisive artist who, Whistler’s Mother notwithstanding, is still probably most famous for winning a farthing in damages in his “flinging a pot of paint” libel action against John Ruskin. The film assembles the customary lineup of notables including the Tate’s Carol Jacobi, critic Rachel Campbell-Johnston and art historian Stephen Calloway, the latter of whom’s dandyish attire and Colonel Sanders goatee suggests he has very much bought into the Whistler aesthetic. In fact, as all the interviewees are keen to point out, Whistler’s self-constructed persona, always with an eye to making a splash, is as significant an element of his artistic presence as the art itself – even if, as I can’t be alone in thinking, there’s something fundamentally irritating about his southern-genteel attudinising even at a century and a half’s distance. Be that as it may, the film gets to grips with Whistler’s instinctive brilliance as an artist, his natural flair for boundary-pushing and forward-thinking idealism. The big life episodes – his arrival in London, painting his mother, the brouhaha over the Peacock Room , the court case and subsequent bankruptcy – are recounted, but there is impressive detail on the actual art: from the dynamics behind his brooding Wapping picture to the temper tantrums (not his) that made Harmony in Grey and Green, his portrait of the eight-year-old Cicely Alexander so distinctive. And while Whistler’s dealings with the women in his life wouldn’t exactly pass modern-era scrutiny, his pictures of them are genuinely brilliant, with especial attention given to a wonderfully tender sketch of his wife Beatrix , terminally ill in a hotel bedroom. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianAndrew Pulver15 Sept

From Segura to Maltby: six breakout stars from the Women’s Under-20 World Cup

With an incredible array of talent on show we select half a dozen players who could make the step up to the senior World Cup next year The 2026 Under-20 Women’s World Cup is entering the knockout stage in Poland and, after an intriguing group stage, we pick some of the young stars who have stood out. Celia Segura (Spain and Barcelona) Segura is no stranger to knockout football having helped Spain to silver at the Under-17 World Cup two years ago and finishing with the Bronze Ball and Bronze Boot. She has picked up the mantleagain as La Roja eased through their group. Her four goals against New Caledonia were an illustration of her pure scoring instinct and she has also played a key role with her high technical skills and instinctive ability to both make space for and find her teammates. Her back-heel assist to set up Pau Comendador against China was a memorable one. A product of the Barcelona academy, the 19-year-old forward made her debut for the senior side back in February and will return to Atlético Madrid for a season-long loan at the conclusion of this tournament. This is an extract from our free email about women’s football, Moving the Goalposts. To get the full edition, visit this page and follow the instructions . Moving the Goalposts is delivered to your inboxes every Tuesday and Thursday . Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianSophie Downey15 Sept

Can you freeze leftover risotto? | Kitchen aide

It’s probably not a good idea to freeze cooked risotto rice, but if you must , we have three experts who can tell you how to minimise the mush I have tried various ways to reheat risotto after freezing, but it always turns into a gloopy, starchy, unappetising mess. What am I doing wrong? Jill, by email “Freezing risotto will be a bit of a disaster,” says Theo Randall, chef/patron at Theo Randall Cucina Italiana at the Intercontinental in London, “and it doesn’t really work.” The reason for this is that the cooked rice absorbs all the moisture while it’s defrosting, resulting in, well, Jill’s gloopy mess. It’s also possible her risotto was overcooked to begin with, says Sue Quinn, author of Cheese Please . “Softer grains mean more leached starch, which leaves less leeway for further cooking without it going sticky and pasty.” Then there’s the question of reheating that defrosted rice for too long: “That can over-soften the already-cooked rice,” adds Quinn, so you have to do it “quickly and only until it’s piping hot”. The reality, however, is that “freezing, thawing and reheating rice will make it squishier whatever you do”, Quinn says, but “if that’s the way Jill rolls”, her best bet is to get that defrosted risotto in the microwave, sprinkle it with a little water or stock, cover loosely, then reheat on high in one-minute intervals, stirring in between, until it’s hot all the way through. “To do this on the hob, put the defrosted risotto in a pan with a splash of hot stock or water, and stir gently over a medium heat for just long enough to distribute the heat.” Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.com Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianAnna Berrill15 Sept

Leading legal experts say sanctions on Israel ‘fall far short’ of UK obligations

More than 130 counsels and KCs sign letter to PM saying international law requires further measures to stop illegal settlements More than 130 legal experts, including 18 king’s counsel (KCs), have written to Andy Burnham saying that sanctions on Israeli settlements “fall far short” of Britain’s obligations under the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ’s) finding that the occupation is unlawful. The foreign secretary, Ed Miliband last week announced an import ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine and other measures. Signatories to the letter to the prime minister, including the leading lawyers, Michael Mansfield KC and Imran Khan KC, and the former lord justice of appeal, Alan Moses, say it is not enough. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianHaroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent15 Sept

The Debut review – Julianne Moore is a thrill in Jesse Eisenberg’s oddball comedy

Toronto film festival: riotous lead performance holds together third movie from actor turned film-maker, about a housewife who joins a local musical Jesse Eisenberg’s last two directorial efforts – the prickly comedy When You Finish Saving the World and the slightly softer A Real Pain – are small films rooted in the real world. They have their little idiosyncrasies, their bits of cinematic flair, but they keep their feet grounded in the here and now. For his third film, Eisenberg has said goodbye to all that (or most of that) and run headlong at the surreal and the absurd, borrowing from Charlie Kaufman and other oddballs to tell a small story in a big way. The Debut is about a repressed housewife, Mona (Julianne Moore), who decides to audition for a role in a community theater production of a musical called Nosy Neighbors, one of those gassy Manhattan trifles that were so ubiquitous on Broadway a half century ago. Mona’s kids are about to fly the nest, and her husband barely seems to notice her when she’s standing right next to him. So why not have a little creative adventure? Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianRichard Lawson in Toronto15 Sept

Double cleansing: should we really be cleaning ourselves twice in each shower?

This idea has suddenly gained huge popularity online. But is it just a way to sell us more products – and could it potentially damage our skin? Gone are the days of the speedy shower; a quick lather with a squirt of shower gel will, apparently, no longer cut it. Double cleansing – once the remit of facial skincare and shampoo routines – has steadily trickled into body-care, too. But should you simply stock up on twice as much shower gel? Is it any more hygienic? And how clean do we really need to be? As always, TikTok – or rather, #ShowerTok – has a huge number of devotees to this new trend. “Double cleansing will change your life,” says self-care advocate Xara Beqele (@xarabeq) in a video that has almost 10,000 likes. “I think double cleansing is the most effective thing I have added for my shower. I just smell better, feel clean.” Likewise, digital creator Terree Ann (@terreetaughtme) calls double cleansing the body a “ hygiene must ”. “If you are only washing your body with a hydrating body wash, that’s like washing your body with lotion,” she says in a video that has been shared more than 6,000 times. “If you’re only going in with a scented body wash on top of unclean skin, that’s like spraying Febreze to try to mask the funk instead of properly removing it.” Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that recent research found gen Zs take longer showers than any other age group – despite being most anxious about the climate crisis. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianLeah Harper15 Sept

Three babies may have survived if hospital had acted over Lucy Letby concerns, inquiry finds

Lady Justice Thirlwall condemns ‘complete failure’ to protect babies on neonatal unit at Countess of Chester hospital Lucy Letby public inquiry report published – latest updates Three babies may have survived and seven others could have been protected if hospital bosses and doctors had taken action over concerns about the nurse Lucy Letby, an official inquiry into the deaths has concluded. A public inquiry led by Lady Justice Thirlwall found a “complete failure” to protect babies on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester hospital in north-west England. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianJosh Halliday North of England editor15 Sept

A Brooklyn bodega cat was stolen – and a community has rallied to try to find him

Two people appeared to take three-month-old Jabal the kitten in plain view of a surveillance camera Owners of a New York City bodega on Monday were holding out hope that they would be reunited with their store’s kitten after a couple passing by the store days earlier appeared to abduct the cat in plain view of a surveillance camera and ignited an intense grassroots search effort. The plight of three-month-old Jabal began on Thursday morning in Brooklyn, when he went just outside the Eighth Street Mini Market where he lives as it opened for the day. A man walking alongside a woman passed the Park Slope market then picked up Jabal, and the pair took off as the kitten visibly squirmed, according to store surveillance video which the bodega’s owner, Imad “Jimmy” Innab, reviewed after he noticed the cat had gone missing. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianRamon Antonio Vargas15 Sept

Imran Khan’s sons accuse Pakistani army chief of vendetta against imprisoned father

Kasim and Sulaiman Khan tell Guardian they believe ex-PM is being ‘slowly killed’ by harsh treatment, driven by Asim Munir The sons of Imran Khan have accused Pakistan’s powerful army chief of a “personal vendetta” against the incarcerated former prime minister and expressed fears their father is being “slowly killed” in jail, as international pressure mounts over his prison conditions. Kasim Khan, 27, and Sulaiman Khan, 29, have become strong advocates for the release of their father, who has been held in Adiala prison in Rawalpindi since his arrest in 2023, and is serving a 14-year sentence on corruption charges . Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianHannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi and Shah Meer Baloch in Islamabad15 Sept

UK trade unions warn against ‘Americanisation of our politics’ from big political donations

Bosses call union funding ‘cleanest money in politics’ as they stop short of backing cap after Reform UK given £72m UK politics live – latest updates Trade unions have stopped short of backing a cap on political donations but called for further action on big money in politics, in a joint emergency statement after Reform UK was given an unprecedented £72m from two donors . General secretaries have been split on a call for unions to back a specific cap on individual donors to political parties while protecting trade union donations, which the TUC said were the “cleanest money in politics” because it came from workers’ subscriptions. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianJessica Elgot Deputy political editor15 Sept

‘Just be aware of what you’re spending’: budget hints for students

The cost of living crisis hits students hard. Planning ahead and some self-discipline will help, alongside a sharp eye for a bargain and, if you’re eligible, a bursary Like late-night study sessions and cramming into a student kitchen to cook up meals, being savvy with money has long been part of the university experience. But with the cost of living remaining high, students are more money-conscious than ever. “It is one of the most difficult times to make ends meet as a student,” according to Tom Allingham, communications director at Save the Student (STS) . He says soaring prices for essentials, such as food and energy bills, have “disproportionately affected” students, while maintenance loans (intended to help cover day-to-day costs) have failed to keep up with high rates of inflation. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianMiatta Mbriwa15 Sept

Lucy Letby public inquiry report findings to be published after repeated delays – latest updates

Long-awaited Thrilwall inquiry has examined how the former nurse was able to murder babies at a Chester neonatal unity over a two-year period My colleagues Jamie Grierson and Josh Halliday have summarised the crimes Lucy Letby has been convicted of in a useful explainer I have linked to at the bottom of this post. What crimes was Lucy Letby convicted of? What was the outcome of the second trial? Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianYohannes Lowe15 Sept

Venice best actress winner says she signed on at Danish job centre days before her victory

Mathilde Arcel, who won the Volpi Cup on Saturday for her role in Golden Lion winner Woman Unknown, said job offers have now begun to arrive The winner of this year’s best actress prize at the Venice film festival has revealed that she is on unemployment benefits and had to fly to back to Copenhagen to report to the job centre before receiving her award. On Saturday night, Danish actor Mathilde Arcel won the prestigious Volpi Cup for her first leading role in a feature film, May el-Toukhy’s post-second world war drama Woman Unknown, which also won the Golden Lion award for best film. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianPhilip Oltermann European culture editor15 Sept

‘The cauldron was already bubbling …’ Green Lung, Druidess and the return of folk horror to British heavy metal

Playing a sound rooted in 80s bands such as Witchfinder General and Pagan Altar, metal bands are once again gravitating towards dark folklore – but in a ‘Glastonbury crystal shop’ kind of way Behind Tom Templar’s shoulder as we talk over video call is a poster for The Wicker Man , the 1973 cult folk-horror film set on a remote Scottish island, whose sunniness conceals – inevitably – a dark secret. It’s fitting, because Templar is the singer of Green Lung, the breakout British metal band who immerse themselves in British mythology. The forthcoming Necropolitan, their fourth album devoted to the folklore of the isles, takes its inspiration from the “Magnificent Seven” London cemeteries built in the 1830s and 40s, and from the Necropolis railway, which transported the dead out of the city. No generic demons here: this is metal in the spirit of Fairport Convention as much as Black Sabbath. “My big thesis is that heavy metal has become a form of folk music in the past couple of decades,” says Templar. “They’re both riff-based, circling around similar tropes, and about reinventing what has gone before. Metal even feels like a folk movement, in the way it’s full of festivals no one else has heard of. There’s such a thriving ecosystem.” Green Lung have certainly been nourished by it: at this year’s Desertfest in London, their T-shirts felt like an unofficial uniform. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianMichael Hann15 Sept

She was the Royal Ballet’s first ‘young choreographer’ – Charlotte Edmonds’ next 10 years show how dance is changing

As a teenager, Edmonds had a three-year residency at the Royal Opera House. Her eclectic career – creating NFTs, adverts and films as well as for the stage – reveals a precarious industry moving in new directions At the age of 18, Charlotte Edmonds was such a promising choreographer (“astonishing”, in the words of the Observer) that the Royal Ballet invented a whole new job for her. As the company’s “ young choreographer ”, she spent three years learning everything she could at one of the world’s biggest dance institutions. “It’s mad to think that happened,” she says, a decade on. With that kind of start, you’d expect Edmonds’ career to have followed a predictable narrative, choreographing for the big ballet brands, maybe setting up her own company. But that’s not exactly how it’s gone. Her eclectic portfolio reflects how the dance industry has changed and become ever more precarious, but also expanded in uncharted directions. She has indeed made short works for a number of European ballet companies, but she’s spent more time recently making films, music videos and adverts for the likes of Budweiser and Nike, as well as advocating for artists with dyslexia and launching her own video series, Cameo , in which she interviews female and non-binary choreographers to counter a lack of representation. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe GuardianLyndsey Winship15 Sept