️ Lap-by-lap news from Montreal race (9pm BST) ️ Send your thoughts to Alex by email here Hold on, is that the sight of sparks flying in the Mercedes garage? Metaphorically, of course. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have played the roles “the gent” and “tenacious teen” for the first four races of this F1 season. But with it becoming increasingly clear that it’s likely to be a straight shootout between the teammates for the drivers’ title, we’ve seen the first flash of friction between the pair in Montreal. A clash during the sprint race when Antonelli attempted to overtake Russell left the Italian fuming and Toto Wolff had to intervene, telling him to “stop the radio moaning”. Russell held on for victory, Lando Norris splitting the Mercs, though it’s a Russell-Antonelli front row for today’s race after the Briton pipped his teammate by six-hundredths of a second in qualifying. Continue reading...

Announcement comes after Alan Milburn says Britain has neglected generation of young people struggling to access work and training opportunities Ministers are expanding youth work experience and training schemes, after Alan Milburn warned Britain is spending £25 keeping young people on benefits for every £1 spent helping them into work. Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary will announce plans for 300,000 extra work experience placements over the next three years as Labour attempts to tackle what the minister described as a “quiet crisis” in youth employment. Continue reading...

World No 39 beaten 6-0, 7-6 (4) by Solana Sierra Briton Fran Jones wins at a grand slam for first time Twenty minutes into her time at the 2026 French Open, Emma Raducanu already appeared to be on her way out. Trailing 0-4, 30-40 on her serve, the games falling from her at warp speed, this was the moment for Raducanu to fight, to claw her way back into the first set, at least try to keep herself in contention. She responded by shanking a backhand, which flew high into the sky before bouncing far out. This point epitomised a miserable day on court for Emma Raducanu, whose last-ditch fight was not enough to turn the match around as she lost 6-0, 7-6 (4) at Roland Garros, beaten by the unseeded Argentinian, Solana Sierra. Continue reading...

The US has apparently had to agree to unfreeze billions of Iranian assets for a regime more hardline than before the war Middle East crisis: live updates On 24 May each year, Iranians celebrate a historic victory in the war with Iraq: the liberation of Khorramshahr in 1982. This year, some were hoping a peace deal looking likely to be signed with the US might mark a similar turning point in their country’s history. Continue reading...

Actor recounts three alleged approaches by intelligence services, including through senior BBC executive Riz Ahmed, the Oscar-winning actor, has claimed that Britain’s intelligence services tried three times to recruit him, including one occasion involving a senior BBC executive. Ahmed, 43, said: “Well, it’s happened three different times and they’re all slightly ridiculous, and this is what I mean by it, it’s just like inherently comedic. Continue reading...

Education secretary asks UK watchdog to look into nursery practices, including non-refundable deposits Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, is ordering a competition review of hidden childcare charges amid concerns parents are being hit with extra charges, despite the government’s flagship expansion of funded childcare hours. Phillipson has written to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) asking it to examine practices including non-refundable deposits, compulsory add-ons and restrictions attached to government-funded childcare places. Continue reading...

Fulham gave Marco Silva a victory in what could be his final match in charge as Tom Cairney’s second-half wonder goal sealed a win over Newcastle at Craven Cottage. The manager is due to meet with the club hierarchy next week having promised he would make a decision after the season had concluded on whether to extend his five-year stay or to depart. Continue reading...

Who saw this coming? A year ago Sunderland won the Championship playoffs and were everybody’s favourite for an immediate relegation. Instead Régis Le Bris’s wonderfully resilient side have finished seventh and secured a lucrative passport to the Europa League. This fully merited win against a Chelsea side whose own European ambitions were shredded along the way was in many ways emblematic of their season. It was a day when the second tier old boys upstaged the Club World Cup holders and Enzo Le Fée eclipsed Chelsea’s World Cup winning Enzo Fernández. Continue reading...

“Pep Guardiola!”: the two magical words for all of a Manchester City stripe came from the Etihad Stadium announcer ahead of the great man’s entrance in light-tan slacks and white T-shirt, a ‘P’ for Pep emblazoned across the left breast pocket. The reception was rapturous. Poignant too. From a record 60,332 crowd due to the opening of the extension to the newly named The Pep Guardiola Stand. Continue reading...

Sussex by the sea will host Conference League football next season even if Brighton could not meet their side of the bargain. They let their fate drop from their control, making for an anxious afternoon of relying on results elsewhere and a decent 5G connection to bring good tidings. Eventually, as players stood in the centre circle, the good news arrived. At 6.01pm European football was secured by events on Merseyside and Wearside. Manchester United, third place and Champions League football long in the bag, in the first game of Michael Carrick’s reign as permanent manager, had dazzled in the sun. History was made by Bruno Fernandes supplying a record 21st assist of the Premier League season. Continue reading...

Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson were given in-game guards of honour as they said farewell to Liverpool. The tears streamed down the former’s face when he stood in the centre circle after the final whistle and absorbed the enormity of the moment. They leave behind a club that secured Champions League qualification on the final day of a uniquely challenging season, but could have been staring at another defeat but for Dango Ouattara’s late miss for Brentford. Ouattara put a free header wide with Alisson’s goal at his mercy with practically the final touch of the season. Keith Andrews’s team would have qualified for Europe had he found the target but were left to ponder what might have been. Not that Brentford merited victory. Continue reading...

This was an occasion for Mikel Arteta to savour. With owner Stan Kroenke watching on from the stands on a rare visit to see his team in the flesh, Arsenal celebrated being crowned champions for the first time since 2004 by recording a comfortable victory over a Crystal Palace side who also have a European final on their minds. Max Dowman became the youngest player ever to start a Premier League game at the age of 16 years and 144 days and played his part, as goals from Gabriel Jesus – on what could be the Brazil striker’s last appearance – and Noni Madueke rounded off a memorable campaign for Arteta and his side. But as they waited to be presented with the Premier League trophy at a sultry Selhurst Park after Oliver Glasner completed his own lap of honour following his last home match in charge of Palace, attention will switch very quickly to the daunting prospect of facing Paris Saint-Germain in next weekend’s Champions League showpiece. Palace - who scored a late consolation through Jean-Philippe Mateta and saw a late equaliser from Yéremy Pino ruled out for offside - will be concerned to see Adam Wharton limp off ahead of their meeting with Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig on Wednesday in the Conference League final in what should be an emotional farewell for Glasner. Palace revealed this week that it had identified more than 35,000 bots attempting to buy tickets in the home sections of the ground and asked fans to report any Arsenal supporters transgressing. Yet other than a handful who sneaked in wearing hi-vis jackets before being ejected by security, everything passed off peacefully in the end. Continue reading...

It was a question of dignity, according to Roberto De Zerbi, which was certainly a valid starting point. But for Tottenham, it was so much else besides. Reputations. Livelihoods. The very future of the club. Everything was on the line because the consequences of a first relegation from English football’s top division since 1977 did not bear thinking about. Even if everybody had thought about them all the same. It was impossible to ignore the feeling of foreboding. It was there as the Spurs fans made their way to the stadium, which has been a house of horrors for them in the Premier League this season. No club in the division had a worse home record than them at the start of the day. It was there throughout the game, rising exponentially in the second half as West Ham, needing to beat Leeds at the London Stadium to make it very interesting, scored three times. And it hammered on in to the 12 minutes of stoppage time; only nine had been signalled. Continue reading...

As the minutes ticked away and the trap door widened, the home crowd wanted everyone to know who they blame for West Ham’s relegation. They were united in their disdain for David Sullivan, the club’s shortsighted owner, and spent the final moments of a dreadful season showering him with abuse. Sullivan watched from the directors’ box, perhaps contemplating how it has come to this point, but the answer is his refusal to relinquish power. This is his mess. West Ham have dropped into the Championship for the first time since 2012, a 3-0 victory over Leeds on the final day not enough to lift them out of the bottom three at Tottenham’s expense, and as the club’s largest shareholder and most influential individual it is Sullivan who must accept much of the blame. Continue reading...

There was an inflatable miniature plane bobbing around the Bournemouth away end and, for long periods, their unlikely Champions League dream was on. The Europa League will have to suffice. Andoni Iraola, whose name was serenaded on loop approaching the final whistle, will exit the stage having led Bournemouth to sixth, their best finish, a record points tally of 57 and having secured European football for the first time in their history. It doesn’t sound too bad. Bournemouth’s result at Nottingham Forest was quickly rendered redundant by Brighton imploding at home to Manchester United but Aston Villa’s shock win at Manchester City and Liverpool’s failure to beat Brentford denied Iraola the perfect ending. This draw at Forest, who led through a Morgan Gibbs-White free-kick, does mean Bournemouth completed the second round of fixtures unbeaten, a run that goes back to the tail of last year. Continue reading...

Suspect who died after exchanging fire with agents had tried to enter the complex last summer, records show A gunman who opened fire outside the White House on Saturday before he was shot by federal agents was already known to the US Secret Service, court records show. The man, 21, was taken to a nearby hospital, before he was later pronounced dead. He had previously tried to enter the complex, according to an affidavit filed in DC superior court in 2025, following an arrest nearby. Continue reading...

The removal of an opposition party leader and closure of a liberal university show an authoritarian democracy moving closer to one-man rule Turkey’s next presidential election is scheduled for 2028. Many think it will come sooner. But by the time ballots are actually cast, the outcome may already have been decided – especially after the last few days. On Thursday, an appeals court removed the head of the opposition Republican People’s party (CHP), Özgür Özel, by annulling its 2023 leadership contest. The 51-year-old was credited with reviving the CHP, which trounced the ruling Justice and Development party in 2024’s local elections. He was also one of the few senior figures not caught in a sweeping crackdown that has led to hundreds of CHP officials and politicians being arrested. Human Rights Watch says that the justice system has been weaponised against the opposition. A mass corruption trial opened in March, with defendants including the Istanbul mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was arrested last year on the day that he was chosen as the CHP’s presidential candidate. He could face a sentence of more than 1,900 years if convicted on all counts. Continue reading...

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The trumpeter, composer and band leader still towers over jazz because he treated reinvention not as a betrayal, but as necessary for its survival The space reserved for Miles Davis in the pantheon of 20th-century music is not simply because he mastered jazz, but because he refused to let it stand still. As musicians and fans mark the centenary of his birth , Davis’s work still feels limitless. “I always thought that music had no boundaries,” he wrote in his 1989 autobiography, “no limits to where it could grow and go, no restrictions on creativity.” Davis repeatedly dismantled the sound he had helped invent – embracing the electric age in 1968, much as Bob Dylan had in folk. Davis moved to New York as an 18-year-old after hearing Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. While bebop prized speed, Davis preferred restraint and precision – spearheading cool jazz. By 1988, now the grand old man of jazz, he was playing trumpet with Prince, whom he remarked could be the “new Duke Ellington of our time if he just keeps at it”. Such was his refusal to be pigeonholed, he hated the word “jazz”. Whatever it was, Davis reasoned, had to evolve: absorbing funk, rock, African rhythms and electronica to emerge altered again. Continue reading...

Animals have tactics of their own to cope with the heat, but zoo animals also get a little help from their keepers A hot bank holiday weekend might see humans flock to the beach, don summer hats and crack open a cold beer, but when it comes to keeping big cats cool, zoos turn to a rather different treat: blood lollies. While experts note habitats within zoos are carefully tuned to their inhabitants’ needs, with areas of shade, water, sun and mud as appropriate, animals have tactics of their own to cope with the heat. Continue reading...

Some casualties after attacks on multiple locations in south and east of country on Sunday, state media reports Middle East crisis: live updates Israeli strikes have hit southern and eastern Lebanon, a day after 11 people were killed in a single raid on the south despite a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war and claims that the US and Iran are about to reach a peace deal. Saturday’s strike in Sir al-Gharbiyeh “resulted in a massacre whose final toll is 11 dead including a child and six women, and nine wounded including four children and a woman,” Lebanon’s health ministry said. Continue reading...

Vingegaard among riders unhappy about race furniture Dane remains in pink going into Giro’s final rest day Fredrik Dversnes won the 15th stage of the Giro d’Italia on Sunday, taking the honours from a breakaway on a day in which the final lap of Milan was neutralised due to rider complaints about the race conditions. Norwegian Dversnes crossed the line in front of three Italians – Mirco Maestri, Martin Marcellusi and Mattia Bais – as a widely expected bunch sprint failed to materialise. Continue reading...

Reform UK leader claims ‘counter-espionage experts’ suggest state-sponsored hackers are behind the disclosure of £5m gift Nigel Farage is under mounting pressure to provide evidence for his claim that a state-sponsored Russian hack was behind the disclosure of the £5m gift he received from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Reform UK claimed over the weekend that analysis of Farage’s phone by “counter-espionage experts” suggested that “Farage’s phone, email and bank accounts were compromised by hostile actors, almost certainly linked to Moscow, using spear phishing tactics”, before the Guardian revealed details of his undeclared gift last month. Continue reading...

Readers respond Devi Sridhar’s call for the world to act now over the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Devi Sridhar is right that this Ebola outbreak needs urgent attention (Ebola in the DRC needs the world’s attention now – if your neighbour’s house is on fire, you don’t wait and watch, 19 May). Present an engineer with a problem needing a build or fix and you will often hear: “You can have it good, fast or cheap – pick two.” In global outbreak responses, we learn too late every time that we must pick “fast” first. Having worked on the west African Ebola outbreak in 2014-16 and on smaller Ebola responses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2018-2020, I have seen the same failure pattern repeat. We think too long before going in, despite knowing what is needed, and we overestimate the complexity of what must be accomplished. Continue reading...

Readers respond to Emine Saner’s article about the ubiquity of pooches in public spaces Your article on dogs was uncannily timely (‘She compared her dachshund to my newborn baby’: should you be able to take your dog everywhere?, 19 May). I have had a phobia of dogs since childhood and can’t get past an unleashed dog. This causes me a problem every couple of years, but in the last week I’ve twice been inconvenienced by thoughtless owners who don’t see the need for a lead while walking dogs on public highways. The first time I was trapped in a restaurant until the staff managed to persuade the owner to move (my panic attack alerted them to the problem), and a day or two later it was a market stallholder who was letting a dog run loose. The dog was jumping up at passersby and investigating the occupants of passing pushchairs. A kindly passerby noticed me crying and came to help. Continue reading...