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The GuardianWar & ConflictLondon
Zelenskyy says Ukraine will respond after 10 killed in overnight Russian attack – Europe live

Zelenskyy says Ukraine will respond after 10 killed in overnight Russian attack – Europe live

Ukraine launched over 600 drones at Moscow and surrounding areas overnightUkraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy also responded to the overnight Russian attack, saying Ukraine “will definitely respond” by strikes on Russia.He said:“As of now, 10 people have been reported killed. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Many people have been injured and are receiving all necessary medical care. First responders have already extinguished the fire, and all emergency and response services continue working at the site. All the circumstances of this tragedy are being established. We will definitely respond to this Russian strike. And it is equally important that our partners also complement our just kinetic responses with their own actions to put pressure on Russia and support Ukraine.”“I urge all states to join our accountability efforts, including the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine, which will soon begin its operations in The Hague. Accountability for Russian crimes is a matter of principle – not only for the victims of Russian attacks, but for the entire international community.”

2h ago
The GuardianWar & ConflictUkraine
Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv could hit Russia with domestic ballistic missiles in months, former defence minister says

Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv could hit Russia with domestic ballistic missiles in months, former defence minister says

Mykhailo Fedorov says Ukraine is innovating its arsenal of weapons quickly; Moscow hit with ‘one of the most massive drone attacks’. What we know on day 1,637Ukraine could be capable of striking Russia with domestically made ballistic missiles in three to six months, the former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has estimated. Kyiv has so far relied mostly on long-range drones and cruise missiles for deep strikes against Russia, but attacks with ballistic missiles will be far harder for Russian forces to thwart. In an interview with , Fedorov said: “We need to defeat Russia in every technological cycle.” Though Ukraine is innovating quickly, Federov warned that Russia is also advancing rapidly. , a Ukrainian defence manufacturer, is developing ballistic missiles and conducted a launch test in June. Fedorov was one of the key drivers of Ukraine’s highly effective drone programme but in July.Ukraine on Sunday launched one of its largest drone attacks since the start of the war, causing a fire at a Wildberries distribution warehouse near Moscow and killing at least six people, according to Russian authorities. The defence ministry in Moscow said it had shot down 1,478 Ukrainian drones in the past 24 hours – the highest ever total claimed, Dan Sabbagh . Moscow’s regional governor Andrey Vorobyov described the overnight assault as “one of the most massive drone attacks in recent memory”.In the attack, Ukraine hit ⁠a ⁠missile fuel production ​facility in ⁠Russia’s Rostov region, the Ukrainian ​military ‌said ‌on Sunday. It said the company “manufactures solid rocket propellant for multiple ‌launch rocket systems, ​as well as ⁠for a ​range of missile ​systems ​and ​airborne ‌weapons”.A Spanish fighter jet on Sunday shot down a drone that had breached Romanian airspace near the border with Ukraine and Moldova, Nato said. The interception of the drone – which entered from Moldova – was carried out by an F-18, deployed on Nato duties, the Romanian defence ministry said. Debris fell in an unpopulated area of the Galati region, near the Ukrainian border. A growing number of drones have crossed into Nato states in eastern Europe as Russia pursues its invasion of Ukraine.In Ukraine, a barrage of Russian drones and missiles on Sunday killed two people and wounded 14 at ArcelorMittal’s steel plant in Kryvyi Rih, the home town of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The plant, one of Ukraine’s biggest steel producers, said it had partially halted operations because of the strike. Another attack hit Kryvyi Rih on Sunday evening, killing one person. Strikes also killed two people in the Zaporizhzhia region. In Kyiv, a popular outdoor book market at Pochaina, long the place to find rare and antiquarian volumes, was hit by the Russian attack. Bookseller Dmytro Semenukha saw all four of his stalls burn to the ground. “There used to be a store. And books, and flags of all the countries, all the countries. Tons of everything. And that’s it,” the 45-year-old told Agence France-Presse.In a social media post on the overnight raid, Zelenskyy said that “wherever the Russians can reach with their ballistic missiles, they strike civilian infrastructure”. Over the past week, Zelenskyy said, Ukrainian cities had been pummelled by “more than 1,550 attack drones, nearly 1,560 guided aerial bombs, and 62 missiles”, as he renewed his appeal to allies for more air defence.

1d ago
The GuardianWar & ConflictEastern Europe
Ukrainian drone attack on Russia kills at least six, says Moscow

Ukrainian drone attack on Russia kills at least six, says Moscow

Kyiv launches what may be its largest attack wave of war, with fire breaking out at warehouse near Russian capitalUkraine has launched one of its largest drone attacks since the start of the war, causing a fire at a distribution warehouse near Moscow and killing at least six people overnight, according to Russian authorities.The defence ministry in Moscow said it had shot down 1,478 Ukrainian drones in the past 24 hours – the highest ever total claimed – in an escalating air war in which seven Ukrainians were also killed as Russia bombed 13 locations inside the country.

1d ago
BBCWar & ConflictEastern Europe
Russia warns UK will pay for supplying drones to Ukraine

Russia warns UK will pay for supplying drones to Ukraine

Russia has accused the UK of "deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis", following confirmation that British-made drones were used in recent strikes on military and industrial targets in Russia. "London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer," the Russian embassy to the UK wrote in a statement, adding "the deeper its involvement in the conflict...

1h ago
The GuardianScandalUSA
Jon Ossoff calls Trump’s handling of Iran war ‘uniquely despicable’ in excoriating speech

Jon Ossoff calls Trump’s handling of Iran war ‘uniquely despicable’ in excoriating speech

Georgia Democratic senator has stoked speculation for 2028 presidency bid by delivering stinging attacks on TrumpDemocratic senator Jon Ossoff has attacked Donald Trump’s “uniquely despicable” handling of the US-Israel war on Iran, accusing the US president of “re-rigging” a corrupt system for himself in an excoriating speech.Ossoff, who is running for re-election in Georgia in November, has repeatedly stoked speculation that he is laying the ground for a bid for the US presidency in 2028 by delivering a series of stinging attacks on Trump and his administration.

18h ago
The GuardianScandalUSA
John Oliver on fetal personhood: ‘It effectively treats women as incubators’

John Oliver on fetal personhood: ‘It effectively treats women as incubators’

The host discussed problems with giving fetuses equivalent rights to humans after the overturning of Roe v WadeOn his HBO show on Sunday night, discussed the debate over fetal personhood and how the topic has become central to the anti-abortion movement in the US.About a third of US states have established fetal personhood by law, giving legal rights and protections to fetuses and in some cases embryos. As a result, hundreds of women have lost custody to their children for reasons related to their pregnancies.

19h ago
The GuardianScandalUSA
US states take on Meta in pivotal trial over child social media addiction claims

US states take on Meta in pivotal trial over child social media addiction claims

State attorneys general allege that tech company intentionally designed addictive products that harm young peopleMore than half of the states in the US have joined together in an unprecedented lawsuit against that goes to trial on Tuesday, accusing the parent company of Instagram and Facebook of deliberately designing addictive products that lured in young people and caused them harm.The jury trial is taking place in federal court in Oakland, , and is expected to last between six and eight weeks. The jury is expected to hear from Meta CEO , Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri and employee turned whistleblower .

3h ago
The GuardianPoliticiansNorth America
New Mexico’s attorney general pushes new social media safety laws after $900m court victory over Meta

New Mexico’s attorney general pushes new social media safety laws after $900m court victory over Meta

Exclusive: Raúl Torrez is drafting two bills with state lawmakers to bolster consumer protections and child safety online, building on state’s landmark case against Meta’s attorney general is mounting a full-court press against technology companies to improve their child safety measures, capitalizing on a landmark in court against earlier this year. is working with state lawmakers to draft two new bills he says will strengthen consumer protections and child safety online. The legislation, expected to be announced in the coming weeks, will build on the state’s case against the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. A jury found in March that the company misled its users about the safety of its platforms and enabled harm, including child sexual exploitation. The social media giant was fined nearly $1bn as a result of the case.

23h ago
The GuardianHealth AlertsCongo
Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo now deadliest in country’s history

Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo now deadliest in country’s history

At least 2,325 people have died from the virus, according to official data, with outbreak on track to be biggest in historyThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is now the deadliest in the country’s history with at least 2,325 people dead, according to government data, surpassing the toll from the 2018-20 outbreak.The DRC’s public health institute said confirmed cases had risen to 4,945, including 101 detected in the previous 24 hours.

1d ago
The GuardianHumanityAustralia
Controversial NDIS bill undergoes ‘substantial’ amendments as Labor and Coalition strike deal

Controversial NDIS bill undergoes ‘substantial’ amendments as Labor and Coalition strike deal

David Pocock says legislation still includes ‘indiscriminate cut’ impacting hundreds of thousands of participants The government’s controversial NDIS bill will undergo “substantial” amendments after Labor and the Coalition struck a deal, with some of the changes attracting heavy criticism from the Greens, the ACT senator David Pocock and the disability community.Sixty-three government amendments across both houses will be introduced as part of backroom deals to pass the bill on Tuesday night, the NDIS ministers, Mark Butler and Jenny McAllister, revealed.

1h ago
The GuardianPublic PolicyAustralia
David Pocock condemns Labor-Coalition deal on gambling bill as ‘betrayal of all Australians’

David Pocock condemns Labor-Coalition deal on gambling bill as ‘betrayal of all Australians’

Labor’s legislation to restrict gambling ads is set to pass this week, with the Greens calling the agreement ‘cowardly’Two Coalition MPs have crossed the floor after a deal between the major parties to pass Labor’s new restrictions on betting advertising and inducements, with cross-benchers and the Greens expressing anger and dismay at the contentious bill’s final form.Anthony Albanese and the communications minister, Anika Wells, secured the support of the opposition to pass the bill, with amendments including tweaks to ad timing rules and some restrictions .

3h ago
The GuardianEconomyAustralia
Taylor demands Albanese repeal ‘cruel tax’ in return for NDIS bill support

Taylor demands Albanese repeal ‘cruel tax’ in return for NDIS bill support

Coalition leader tells Anthony Albanese that delaying change to budget measure is ‘unconscionable’Get our , or Angus Taylor says the Coalition will only support the Albanese government’s proposed overhaul of the NDIS if it first removes the “widow tax” loophole from its changes to taxing investment properties.The warning comes as the Albanese government hopes to land a deal with the opposition this week in order to pass the bill in the Senate after the Greens ruled out supporting changes to the scheme that are expected to boost the federal budget’s bottom line by $37.8bn over four years.

1d ago
The GuardianPoliticiansAustralia
As melon-gate raged, Albanese quietly cut deals in parliament. The PM should make some noise this week | Josh Butler

As melon-gate raged, Albanese quietly cut deals in parliament. The PM should make some noise this week | Josh Butler

With gambling, the news bargaining incentive and NDIS reform all set to pass, the PM needs to get the focus off fruit and on to policyGet our , or Last week’s melon-gate controversy was a pretty unedifying spectacle for everyone involved. There’s much more important work to be done in this parliamentary week, with a logjam of long-awaited reform landing all at once.But beyond the immediate – disability, media, gambling harms, and a looming fight on immigration – it will give a glimpse into how the major parties plan to combat the rising populist rage from the right.

1d ago
The GuardianRelationshipsAustralia
Women’s experiences sidelined in response to Sydney Swans sexual assault allegations | Jack Snape

Women’s experiences sidelined in response to Sydney Swans sexual assault allegations | Jack Snape

The AFL’s latest regrettable chapter was handled delicately in some areas, while others initially viewed it largely through a sporting lensSydney Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich, coach Dean Cox and captain Callum Mills spoke to reporters in the 24 hours after police began investigating an alleged sexual assault at the Pullman Hotel on Monday.None of the three said much – likely on legal advice – but none felt compelled to even share a thought about the woman or women whose experiences prompted them to go to police.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at (1800 385 578). In the UK, offers support on 0808 500 2222. In the US, offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at

4h ago
The GuardianCrime & SafetyAustralia
AFL chief breaks silence over ‘deeply concerning’ Sydney Swans sexual assault allegations

AFL chief breaks silence over ‘deeply concerning’ Sydney Swans sexual assault allegations

Andrew Dillon says the AFL ‘will consider the broader conduct of the players as more information comes to light’The AFL has declared it is prepared to act over “deeply concerning” sexual assault allegations involving Sydney Swans players.Victorian the sexual crimes squad was investigating a reported sexual assault at Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel early on Monday morning. No arrests have been made and no charges have been laid.

52m ago
The GuardianScandalAustralia
Sydney Swans coach ‘extremely disappointed’ as club faces call on standing down players linked to alleged sexual assault

Sydney Swans coach ‘extremely disappointed’ as club faces call on standing down players linked to alleged sexual assault

Police investigation into alleged sexual assault at hotel continuesNo arrests or charges laid; club is ‘working through everything’ Victoria police confirmed an investigation into an alleged sexual assault sparked by an incident allegedly involving Sydney Swans players is continuing, but no arrests or formal interviews have taken place and no charges have been laid.Swans players Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordon and Riley Bice were reportedly questioned by detectives in relation to an alleged incident at the Pullman Hotel early on Monday morning, however there is no confirmation they were directly involved.Australian Associated Press contributed to this report

12h ago
The GuardianCrime & SafetyAustralia
Sydney Swans AFL players investigated over alleged sexual assault at Melbourne hotel

Sydney Swans AFL players investigated over alleged sexual assault at Melbourne hotel

Police investigating alleged incident at hotel near MCGSwans chief executive says he is ‘shocked and disappointed’Sydney Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich says he is “shocked and disappointed” about the circumstances which have led to several players becoming part of a Victoria police investigation into an alleged incident at a Melbourne hotel.Police were seen at the Pullman Hotel near the MCG on Monday morning where the Swans were staying after their victory over Essendon on Sunday.

1d ago
The GuardianHealth AlertsCongo
As Ebola kills thousands in DRC, a perfect storm is making the virus hard to stop | Devi Sridhar

As Ebola kills thousands in DRC, a perfect storm is making the virus hard to stop | Devi Sridhar

New species and regional instability are factors – but decisions made in the US and Britain are also costing livesDid you know that there is a major Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and it’s on track ? It is the second-worst Ebola outbreak in history, with the fastest community transmission we have ever seen. It’s estimated that there have been , giving a mortality rate close to 50%. The situation is bad. That’s the consensus among global health experts.Yet this Ebola outbreak isn’t attracting much media or public attention. If I compare it with working on the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the current silence is astounding. That year, Ebola was in the world, covered regularly on broadcast news in many countries outside the region, attracting newspaper headlines and magazine covers. Perhaps everyone is just tired of disease after the pandemic – Covid-19 fatigue, as it’s called. Trust me, no one wants to hear about infectious diseases.Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh

21h ago
The GuardianHealth AlertsCongo
What is Ebola and why is the outbreak in DRC causing so much concern?

What is Ebola and why is the outbreak in DRC causing so much concern?

Strain of virus with no vaccine has potential to overrun response impeded by conflict and misinformationHealth authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are losing their battle to contain .DRC’s health ministry declared an outbreak in Ituri province on 15 May, though sequencing shows it had begun in February. It has since spread to five other provinces and is on track to overtake as the largest in history.

22h ago
The GuardianPublic PolicyUSA
‘Preserve the stuff we own’: how right-to-repair laws are surging across the US

‘Preserve the stuff we own’: how right-to-repair laws are surging across the US

Federal and state lawmakers have proposed several bills to make it easier for owners to fix items such as phones, cars, wheelchairs and moreAaron Lehman is the fifth generation to run his family farm in central Iowa. He uses six tractors and grows corn, soybeans, oats and hay on 500 acres.He enjoys it because “the time you put in, the money you put in, the things you learn can be put to immediate use to benefit your farm and benefit your family”, Lehman, 58, said.

20h ago
The GuardianSustainabilitySouth Wales
Buried With Michael Sheen review – this vital look at a toxic waste scandal is deeply enraging TV

Buried With Michael Sheen review – this vital look at a toxic waste scandal is deeply enraging TV

The actor does a brilliant job of probing the alleged dumping of ‘forever chemicals’ in Wales. After grilling a stranger for two days, his investigation turns up horrible incidents – including potential links to cancer casesYou may scoff at celebrity-fronted documentaries, but there’s no need to moan about Buried With Michael Sheen, an investigation into how toxic were dumped in Welsh quarries in the middle of the 20th century. Much of our knowledge of the subject comes from a filmed interview given nearly 10 years ago by the environmental campaigner Douglas Gowan, who, after decades of trying to raise awareness, had only weeks to live and wanted to divulge all he had learned. The person behind the camera and asking the questions? Sheen.The actor and director is a little coy about how or why he came to spend two days – two days! – grilling a stranger to create the most valuable document we have about an underappreciated injustice. He says something about stumbling across Gowan online during a career lull and wanting to know more. But however it happened, the fact is that the best qualified person to present this two-parter is the award-winning Hollywood star, so here he is.

14h ago
The GuardianSustainabilityWales
TV tonight: Michael Sheen’s furious investigation into a pollution scandal

TV tonight: Michael Sheen’s furious investigation into a pollution scandal

The actor’s anger grows as he seeks answers about toxic ‘forever’ chemicals in Wales. Plus: speed dating with the Gypsy Wives. Here’s what to watch this evening9pm, BBC TwoIncreasingly as much an activist as he is an actor, Michael Sheen draws attention to a grim pollution scandal several decades in the making in this enraging two-part TV take on the award-winning podcast he co-hosted. Are parts of Wales contaminated with the toxic “forever chemical” PCB? As Sheen speaks to reporters, visits the towns and villages affected and journeys to Anniston, Alabama, in the US to hear of a connected outrage, his anger grows. Phil Harrison

1d ago
The GuardianInformationUnited Kingdom
Reform’s Tice accused of misinformation after urging people to enjoy heatwaves

Reform’s Tice accused of misinformation after urging people to enjoy heatwaves

Backlash from nurses, medical experts and green campaigners in response to deputy leader dismissing efforts to reach net zeroReform’s deputy leader has been accused of spreading misinformation after he dismissed efforts to tackle the climate crisis and urged British people to enjoy the warmth of the recent heatwaves.Richard Tice prompted a backlash from nurses, medical experts and green campaigners on Monday after he told a press conference he believed it was “arrogant” to try to stop the climate emergency, while encouraging people to focus on upsides such as better English wine.Additional reporting by and

16h ago
The GuardianSustainabilityAustralia
3M knew for more than 50 years that its products could harm humans, Australian government alleges in court documents

3M knew for more than 50 years that its products could harm humans, Australian government alleges in court documents

Exclusive: federal government court filings claim internal company documents included warnings about products being toxicGet our , or Manufacturing company 3M knew more than 50 years ago that its firefighting products – including components in Pfas “forever chemicals” – could be hazardous to the health of humans and animals and damage the environment, the federal government has claimed in court documents.In filings as part of its against the multinational company, commonwealth lawyers said products sold to Australia were known to stay present in water and soil, were persistent in the human body and in animals, and contributed to conditions including reduced kidney function, alterations in immune function, effects on fertility and puberty and lower birth weight in babies.

20h ago
The GuardianEconomyChina
China’s economy showing signs that slowdown may be extending

China’s economy showing signs that slowdown may be extending

Industrial output and retail sales slump in July after one of the country’s weakest quarterly growth rates everChina’s economy is showing signs of extending a slowdown with a slump in industrial output and retail sales in July, adding to pressure on Beijing to intervene with measures to support activity.After the world’s second largest economy posted one of its in the three months to June, the latest figures suggest it continued to falter in July.

19h ago
The GuardianHumanityUSA
Nolan Wells’ death made Black parents say the quiet part out loud – Stateside with Kai and Carter

Nolan Wells’ death made Black parents say the quiet part out loud – Stateside with Kai and Carter

When 18-year-old Nolan Wells went missing, his story immediately touched a nerve in Black families. He was last seen while hanging out with a group of white friends, at a popular beach near Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Wells never came home from the trip, and he was found dead days later. Many questions about how he died remain unanswered publicly. And the mystery surrounding his death has revived an old conversation within Black communities: are we ever truly safe in white-dominated spaces? Who will feel responsible for our children’s safety when we send them out into a world where Black life is not valued? Host talks with historian and writer about why Wells’ story has captured so much attention – and sparked so much anxiety – among Black parents, in particular. What does our collective reaction to Wells’ disappearance and death reveal about the limits of interracial society today?

14h ago
The GuardianSustainabilityFrance
Ithaca: a scintillating eco-thriller RPG that aims to confront our violent moment

Ithaca: a scintillating eco-thriller RPG that aims to confront our violent moment

The latest game from ‘reality-inspired’ studio the Pixel Hunt sees you transporting precious human cargo – and deciding what to do with itIthaca has one hell of an opening: Penelope, a disillusioned environmental lawyer, stops her car at a petrol station. But upon returning, she discovers something shocking: the unconscious body of an oil company CEO in her boot, his hands hog-tied together, dangling limply towards the vehicle’s number plate.This tantalising eco-thriller setup is a long way off the typical knights-and-castles fantasy fare of most role-playing games, more than . But road-trip RPG Ithaca arrives via refreshingly original developer the Pixel Hunt, a French outfit that specialises in what it calls “reality-inspired” games. The studio has made a number of arresting works in recent years. making a perilous migrant journey across Europe; the life-shattering effects of child sexual abuse. The climate crisis was always in the back of Pixel Hunt founder and Ithaca writer Florent Maurin’s mind. After all, he says, it is the uber problem of our day, the problem that touches all others. It was just a case of when, and, more importantly: “What do we say about it?”

21h ago
The GuardianHealth AlertsUnited Kingdom
Rising number of people seeking ADHD diagnosis without treatment, say experts

Rising number of people seeking ADHD diagnosis without treatment, say experts

Psychiatrists in Channel 4 documentary argue it is more a ‘social construct’ than a medical conditionPeople are increasingly seeking to an obtain an ADHD diagnosis without pursuing treatment, according to experts who have called for more research to understand why.Some people now regard as “an identity, rather than a disorder”, with the result that many obtain assessments from poor quality private providers, which lead them to “believe they have a condition needing treatment”, said the psychiatrist Dr Marios Adamou, the founder of the UK Adult ADHD Network.

5h ago
The GuardianElectionsUSA
Election denier Tina Peters to be hired as elections consultant in conservative California county

Election denier Tina Peters to be hired as elections consultant in conservative California county

Shasta county, hotbed of US election denialism movement, set to appoint ex-Colorado clerk who served prison termA northern California county that has become a hotbed of activism for those who sow doubts about the reliability of voting machines plans to hire Tina Peters, the prominent Colorado election denier recently released from prison, to work on elections., the top election official in Shasta county, told the Guardian he plans to hire Peters as a consultant to replace Brent Turner, his top deputy, who has been on medical leave. He said Peters would not have access to the county’s voting system. Plans to hire Peters were first reported .

13h ago
The GuardianElectionsIsrael
Netanyahu party campaign billboard likens Mamdani to leaders of Iran and Hezbollah

Netanyahu party campaign billboard likens Mamdani to leaders of Iran and Hezbollah

Likud’s depiction of Zohran Mamdani is latest move in spat between Israel’s prime minister and New York’s mayorBenjamin Netanyahu’s party has compared the New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani to the leaders of Iran and Hezbollah on a campaign billboard.The billboard in central Tel Aviv depicts Mamdani alongside the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and the chief of the militant group Hezbollah, Naim Qassem.

15h ago
The GuardianHealth AlertsUSA
Hollywood continues to fail child stars and Hayden Panettiere is the latest casualty | Jesse Hassenger

Hollywood continues to fail child stars and Hayden Panettiere is the latest casualty | Jesse Hassenger

The untimely death of the Heroes and Scream star was a tragic ending to a life filled with darkness in an industry that still lets its younger stars downFor a little while, it looked as if maybe former child actors had shed the stigma, long understandably held, that Hollywood success at a young age would lead to tragedy later in life. Child stars from the 1970s and 1980s seemed particularly mistreated and/or self-destructive, whether born into dysfunctional Hollywood families, like Tatum O’Neal, or the result of more sui generis success, like Brad Renfro, River Phoenix, or Corey Haim. But as these cases became more notorious, they seemed to act as cautionary tales for a generation of stars that seemed – broadly speaking – to be receiving better guidance, whether from family, friends, or themselves.Look at the astonishingly well-adjusted core cast of Harry Potter kids, who worked for a full decade, from their pre-teen years to young adulthood: among Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, there are more awards, charity work and seemingly happy relationships than genuine scandals. (The biggest malfeasance of anyone in the trio? Some mild tax problems for Grint.) Other awards-show fixtures like Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, and Kieran Culkin have come out the other side of child stardom with terrific careers and strong reputations closer to the Jodie Foster model. Even Lindsay Lohan, whose behavior in the 2000s and into the 2010s seemed to signal impending tragedy, seems to be doing well: sober, happily married, and back on the big screen last year with the hit sequel Freakier Friday. In terms of more recent young stars, a pop singer like Olivia Rodrigo appears to have much more autonomy than Britney Spears did, even in her early-2000s heyday.

15h ago
The GuardianDiplomacy
The Kuril Islands: how a visit from Putin reignited a 150-year-old dispute between Japan and Russia

The Kuril Islands: how a visit from Putin reignited a 150-year-old dispute between Japan and Russia

The diplomatic spat continues to simmer as Moscow summons Tokyo’s ambassador after the Russian president’s trip to the disputed islands last weekThe diplomatic spat between Japan and Russia following continues to escalate, after Moscow summoned the Japanese ambassador on Tuesday.On Thursday Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s prime minister, called Putin’s actions “absolutely unacceptable” and Russia’s ambassador in Tokyo was immediately called in for a dressing down. Russia countered that it was Japan making unfounded claims on its territory.

5h ago