Wolff’s suit aimed to head off billion-dollar legal action brought by first lady over statements linking her to Epstein Melania Trump has won the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by author Michael Wolff designed to head off a billion-dollar defamation action brought by the first lady over statements he made in the media. The US district judge Mary Kay Vyskocil said that Wolff’s claim against Trump under anti-Slapp statutes, which are designed to allow defendants to quickly dismiss meritless, intimidating lawsuits, was “preemptive” and presented in a “somewhat contorted posture”. Continue reading...

Department of Justice acknowledges the removal of news releases about criminal cases related to 2021 Capitol attack The Department of Justice is acknowledging it has removed from its website news releases about criminal cases related to the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack, calling the information about the prosecutions “partisan propaganda”. The purge of news releases documenting criminal charges, convictions and sentencings is the latest step by the Trump administration to dramatically rewrite the history of the assault on the US Capitol, when hundreds of supporters of Donald Trump stormed the building in an effort to halt the congressional certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Continue reading...

Experts say exponential growth in the use of drugs such as Wegovy is shifting our perception of what is attractive Mona Lisa is the most famous portrait ever painted and millions of people flock to the Louvre to admire her enigmatic smile every year. As well as being beautiful, Mona Lisa was, according to some experts, also seriously overweight. Now they are asking how that leaves our notions of artistic beauty in an era of weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, arguing that in future, “GLP1-face” could become the subject of modern depictions of artistic beauty. Continue reading...

The sweet drink is a staple in Spain and Mexico, and it’s being served around the UK as an iced beverage and even in desserts. Here’s how to drink it Having lived through the “matcha revolution”, I’ve become used to giving unfamiliar drinks a go. From bubble tea to pumpkin-spiced lattes, coffee tonic to ube frappes, I’ll try anything twice and – compared to those beverages – horchata feels like a more palatable prospect. The refreshing yet creamy cold drink from Spain and Mexico is often compared to cereal milk, which has also gained popularity as a flavour in its own right and is increasingly cropping up on menus elsewhere. Last month, Starbucks announced that, in the US, an iced horchata shaken espresso would be returning to its summer menu (this year joined by a new horchata frappuccino), having outperformed all previous seasonal iced shaken espresso beverages by an impressive 44%. In the UK, where horchata is less commonplace, I started spotting “dirty” versions, with added espresso, on coffee shop menus, alongside “dirty chai”. Continue reading...

FFT pledge to make concrete proposals in next month Breakthrough follows media boycott at Roland Garros The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has pledged to make concrete proposals about increased prize money, player welfare and representation within the next month in talks with leading agents at the French Open. The discussions took place on Friday, the same day many players, including the world No 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, collectively decided to limit their pre-tournament media briefings to 15 minutes in protest at what they regard as insufficient prize money paid by the four grand slams. Continue reading...

Wait times of more than two hours reported at terminal for cross-Channel ferry to France French police have temporarily suspended extra EU border checks at the port of Dover as thousands of holidaymakers faced long delays in the hot weather. Wait times of more than two hours were reported at the terminal in Kent for the cross-Channel ferry to France. The delays come a month after the EU’s entry-exit system (EES), which replaces passport stamps with a digital registration, became fully operational. Continue reading...

British No 1 missed two-and-a-half months with illness Faces Argentina’s Solana Sierra in Sunday’s first round Emma Raducanu is hopeful her health issues are behind her as she prepares for her opening match at the French Open. The British No 1 takes on Argentina’s Solana Sierra in the first round on Sunday in what will be just her second match since March following two-and-a-half months out with a post-viral illness. She lost a close contest with Diane Parry in her opening match in Strasbourg this week but feeling healthy again is the most important thing for the 23-year-old. “I feel a lot better,” she said. Continue reading...

⚽️ 3pm BST kick-off; Celtic can secure domestic double ⚽️ Follow Championship playoff final live | Email Barry Celtic: Sinisalo, Johnston, Trusty, Scales, Tierney, McGregor, Engels, Nygren, Yang, Maeda, Forrest Subs: Doohan, McCowan, Iheanacho, Osmand, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Saracchi, Murray, Tounekti, Ralston Continue reading...

Some locals fear Nansledan, touted as a blueprint for community-focused retail, is draining life from the town next door A buzzard soars above wildflower meadows glinting with buttercups, as a giant construction vehicle whirs across a concrete pad where a new Tesco and a market hall are under construction. The development could be seen as a vote of confidence in a great British tradition. The Prince of Wales this week cured his hangover after Aston Villa’s Europa League win by checking out building work on what could be the UK’s newest high street, in Nansledan, Cornwall. Continue reading...

⚽️ Wembley showdown kicks off at 3.30pm BST ⚽️ Match preview | Scottish Cup final live | Email Scott In one of the infinite number of parallel universes that definitely exist, this match will be contested by Millwall and Southampton. They were the two in-form teams during the Championship run-in, after all, respectively winning five and eight of their last ten matches, while Hull and Middlesbrough both managed only three. But Millwall didn’t really show up for the play-off semi-finals, while as for Southampton … oh Tonda. So in the end it’s sixth versus fifth for a place in next season’s Premier League. And it’s not as though Hull and Middlesbrough aren’t worthy of a place at Wembley. Boro looked good for automatic promotion for large portions of the season, and despite that aforementioned stumbling end to the campaign, still finished a mere five points off achieving that goal. Hull meanwhile, having avoided relegation to League One last year by the skin of their teeth, have turned things around admirably and timed their run almost perfectly. Continue reading...

Threat of jihadism continues to lurk along borders with Mali and Burkina Faso These days, when she is not organising the annual International Day of Reggae celebrations in Côte d’Ivoire, Rose Ebirim picks up litter scattered on the beach in the historic port town of Grand Bassam, 25 miles east of Abidjan. Both activities have become a form of therapy since the time she saw someone die. “13 March 2016 was a Black Sunday for me,” she said. Continue reading...

Firefighters are racing to douse flames on Santa Rosa Island as experts express concern for survival of its unique habitat On the south-eastern corner of Santa Rosa Island lies a grove of a few thousand Torrey pine trees, some of them more than 250 years old. The only other place on earth where these gnarled pines exist is in San Diego county, but biologists classify the two groves as different subspecies. So when a rare wildfire broke out on Santa Rosa Island late last week, firefighters raced to keep it from spreading into the grove, where it threatened to consign the island’s Torrey pines to extinction. So far, they appear to be succeeding – even as the 18,000-acre fire has torched nearly one-third of the island’s surface. But biologists who have studied Santa Rosa Island’s unique ecology are watching anxiously as the fire continues to burn a part of the island that is home to six plants found nowhere else on the planet. Continue reading...

Moves comes against backdrop of challenge by prime minister, Narendra Modi, to country’s traditional elites India’s government has ordered one of the country’s most exclusive private clubs to vacate its premises in two weeks, underscoring the long-running push of the prime minister, Narendra Modi, against entrenched elite institutions. The ministry of housing and urban affairs directed the Delhi Gymkhana Club to hand over its sprawling site in the heart of New Delhi by 5 June, citing urgent public interest requirements, including defence and security infrastructure. Continue reading...

OBO updates from 2.30pm BST start at Canterbury Capsey steers England to opening win | Email Tanya Raf Nicholson is in situ in a full to the rafters Canterbury, where she reports that it is sweltering and they’re doing a roaring trade in iced coffee. She’s also been talking to Kent’s resident women’s cricket historian, Rosemary Piddock, “who tells me that the first women’s match at this ground was 1959.” Continue reading...

Swiss police investigating an alleged home invasion 71-year-old sustained a head injury, says reports Swiss police are investigating an alleged robbery amid reports that the four-times Formula 1 world champion Alain Prost was injured during a home invasion. The Swiss tabloid Blick reported late on Friday that the 71-year-old Frenchman sustained a head injury from intruders who forced his son to open a safe during the incident on Tuesday morning. Continue reading...

Many contestants have a positive experience on the reality show, but for others the emotional fallout is lasting It was about 1am. After a day of relentless filming in which he had met and “married” a stranger, the Married at First Sight UK cameras stopped rolling and Adrian Sanderson was left alone with his new TV partner. “Honestly, I’ll never ever forget that feeling – it was so difficult,” he says. “When those producers leave you and you’re, like: ‘I’m alone – I don’t get this. How is this about to happen?’ It would be daunting for anyone. You’re exhausted by this time. Continue reading...

With wife Mildred, Rodney Taylor of Atlanta was moved to activism after his detention led to deteriorating health Rodney Taylor stood outside on a balmy late afternoon recently in Atlanta’s Candler Park neighborhood, relishing his first root beer float in a year and a half. Released on 1 May from Georgia’s Stewart Detention Center, the Liberia-born barber had been detained since 15 February of last year, after ICE agents with guns drawn dragged him from his car in front of his house, while his two youngest children, now eight and six, looked on from the back seat. Now he was all smiles, surrounded by family and supporters. Continue reading...

A thinktank investigation shows how immigration detention has torn apart families, and experts point to trauma Stephen Miller, Donald Trump’s immigration czar and the architect of some of the government’s cruelest policies, doesn’t care what you think about him. He doesn’t care if you call him “Pee-wee German” or “Weird Stephen” or “Voldemort”, or any of the other nicknames he has inspired; his self-esteem is excellent. “I have a very, very secure, intact ego,” Miller told Fox News’s Jesse Watters this week after being asked how he felt about his wife, Katie Miller, potentially landing a big distribution deal with Paramount for her terrible Maga podcast. “I’ve never had a larger fan following,” Miller continued. “[A]ny man who works for President Trump is a man that is very, very strong and self-assured in his role.” Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Ham, cheese, spread, bread: it’s a failsafe formula, right? Apparently not, with our chef-tester disappointed with flavour and provenance • The best (and worst) supermarket quiche This was a really tough test for me, as a wholefood chef who cares deeply about quality. In this instance, animal welfare, provenance and processing were my main concerns, and there’s disappointingly little transparency on display. Some products claim to use British pork, a term that in itself has little, if any, meaning, not least in terms of traceability, sustainability or welfare; others boast of higher welfare standards without any certification. This week’s best bargain and best overall are therefore merely acceptable, rather than exceptional. Most of the sandwiches feature reformed ham, which is bulked out with phosphates and water, but some higher-quality ones are made with real ham – that is, sliced meat without added water; some of the best are made with shredded ham hock. Every single product contains additives, however. As for flavour, most are good enough only to fill a hole, but a few are genuinely tasty: moist, flavourful and fresh. And please butter your bread, supermarkets! Mayonnaise is not a substitute. Continue reading...

Oklahoma City Thunder 123-108 San Antonio Spurs San Antonio trail 2-1 in playoff series Gilgeous-Alexander leads OKC with 26 points Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 points and 12 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder climbed out of a 15-point hole minutes into the game to beat the host San Antonio Spurs 123-108 on Friday night and take a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals. Oklahoma City’s bench outscored San Antonio’s 76-23, including 15 points by Alex Caruso. Victor Wembanyama had 26 points for San Antonio. Devin Vassell added 20 and De’Aaron Fox had 15 in his series debut. Continue reading...

As Canada tightens asylum rules, refugees reuniting with family say they were turned over to ICE and jailed for months after failed border claims As each day in US detention passes, Markens Appolon can feel the life he had dreamed of slipping away. The 25-year-old fled Haiti to escape the rampant gang violence that upended his university studies in economics, and planned to join family in Montreal. Continue reading...

Growing numbers of people are seeking improbable cosmetic surgery based on chatbots’ recommendations Plastic surgeons are increasingly concerned about the rise of “AI face”, as more and more clients arrive in their offices with unrealistic AI-generated visions of what they want to look like. Dr Nora Nugent, a cosmetic surgeon from Tunbridge Wells, has seen this first hand. Clients have started coming to her office with photos of themselves beautified by AI and a false expectation that those results are achievable with surgery. She is also the president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, and says many colleagues are having similar experiences. Continue reading...

Exclusive: ‘Desperate’ man, in hiding after returning in a lorry, says he knows of 18 others from scheme who live in Britain covertly An asylum seeker sent from the UK back to France under the “one in, one out” scheme has covertly returned to Britain and is now in hiding, the Guardian has learned. In the first interview with a one in, one out returnee living under the radar in the UK, the man told the Guardian his situation was “desperate”. Continue reading...

Former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn says firms must offer more flexibility and mental health support An “anxious generation” of young people is struggling to adapt to the outdated world of work, according to the government’s jobs adviser. Alan Milburn, a former Labour health secretary, will say this week in a report that businesses must adapt by offering more flexibility and mental health support for young people to stave off an “economic catastrophe.” Continue reading...

Ex-foreign secretary urges reset at ‘higher dosage’ after officials revealed to have pitched single market for goods The UK needs a “national consensus” about rejoining the European Union, David Miliband has said, in response to revelations that the UK government pitched the creation of a single market for goods with the EU to the bloc. The former foreign secretary, who is now president of the International Rescue Committee, said he thought the UK needed a reset of its relations with the EU at “a much higher dosage” than the government was planning. Continue reading...