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Six great reads: sports bros, London's most rock'n'roll hotel and Tetris-like architecture

Six great reads: sports bros, London's most rock'n'roll hotel and Tetris-like architecture

The Guardian19-07-2025
'Today's sports broadcast world,' wrote Aaron Timms in this fascinating exploration of the sports-based manosphere, 'runs according to a new set of rules, in which 'respectable' TV and the demimonde of sports podcasts, streaming, and shitposting increasingly intersect: all engagement is good engagement, and the best type of filter is no filter. Whatever faint norms of decorum constrained earlier generations of professional sports talkers have faded completely. There's a reciprocal flow of testosterone and ideas between these shows, the world of sports, social media and real life. A handful of subjects and themes recur: veneration of the military, glorification of strength and traditional 'male' values, celebration of gambling, the denigration of women and anything thought to represent 'woke' culture.'
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A new architectural guidebook was written as a love letter to the Ukrainian city – then Russia started bombing it. How will this home to Tetris-like offices and daring curved cinemas be rebuilt, asked the Guardian's architecture critic, Oliver Wainwright.
If you liked this piece, you might also be interested in Charlotte Higgins's feature on the ghost museums of Ukraine.
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One of the giants of British media, Street-Porter is a regular on Loose Women, a former TV executive, newspaper editor and author – and about to launch a one-woman stage show. Before she dashed out of the restaurant where they met for lunch, she told Simon Hattenstone about love, regrets and her fury with her late mother.
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Nearly seven years ago, Emmanuel Carrère travelled on the presidential plane with Emmanuel Macron, to profile him for the Guardian. It was at the start of his first term in office, and everything seemed to be going well for him. Now, Carrère wrote on Tuesday, hating Macron is a national sport in France. For the long read, Carrère travelled once more with the French president, this time to Kananaskis in Alberta, Canada, for the recent G7 conference most notable for Donald Trump's abrupt departure: 'With [Trump] gone, the tension subsided. We could breathe again but there was no denying that the game had lost some of its appeal. Even though the second day was no more than a half day it dragged on, which was all the crueller given that its star was Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Invited by the G7, he had travelled more than 3,000 miles just to see Trump and beg him once again not to completely abandon Ukraine, and Trump once again humiliated him, this time by leaving just before he arrived.'
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On Monday, Marten and Gordon were found guilty of the manslaughter of their newborn daughter, who died after they took her to live in a tent in freezing wintry conditions to evade social services. Their story – of a woman born into extraordinary aristocratic privilege and her life with a violent convicted rapist – grimly fascinated Britain. For an extraordinary long read, Sophie Elmhirst spent months attending their retrial and chronicled the chaotic scenes as Gordon chose to defend himself and Marten pushed the patience of the presiding judge to its limits.
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The Columbia hotel in west London was known for its cheap rooms, its bar's flexible opening hours, and its look-the-other-way attitude. It became a go-to spot for musicians in the 1980s and, in the 90s, became the place to descend on. In this fun history, Daniel Dylan-Wray spoke to those who remember (or perhaps don't) its hedonistic glory days.
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Russia kills 21 civilians in Ukraine as the Kremlin remains defiant over Trump threats
Russia kills 21 civilians in Ukraine as the Kremlin remains defiant over Trump threats

The Independent

time19 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Russia kills 21 civilians in Ukraine as the Kremlin remains defiant over Trump threats

Russian glide bombs and missiles struck a Ukrainian prison and a medical facility overnight, killing at least 21 people, officials said Tuesday, as Russia kept up its bombardment of civilian areas despite U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to soon punish Russia with sanctions and tariffs unless it stops. A Russian airstrike on a prison in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region killed at least 17 inmates and wounded more than 80 others, officials said. In the Dnipro region, authorities reported at least four people were killed and eight injured. Trump said Monday he is giving Russian President Vladimir Putin 10 to 12 days to stop the killing in Ukraine after three years of war, moving up a 50-day deadline he had given the Russian leader two weeks ago. The move meant Trump wants peace efforts to make progress by Aug. 7-9. Trump has repeatedly rebuked Putin for talking about ending the war but continuing to bombard Ukrainian civilians. But the Kremlin hasn't changed its tactics. 'I'm disappointed in President Putin,' Trump said during a visit to Scotland. The Kremlin pushed back, however, with a top Putin lieutenant warned Trump against 'playing the ultimatum game with Russia.' 'Russia isn't Israel or even Iran,' former president Dmitry Medvedev, who is deputy head of the country's Security Council, wrote on social platform X. 'Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,' Medvedev said. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor, the Kremlin has warned Kyiv's Western backers that their involvement could end up broadening the war to NATO countries. 'Kremlin officials continue to frame Russia as in direct geopolitical confrontation with the West in order to generate domestic support for the war in Ukraine and future Russian aggression against NATO,' the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said late Monday. The Ukrainian air force said Russia launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles along with 37 Shahed-type strike drones and decoys at Ukraine overnight. They say 32 Shahed drones were intercepted or neutralized by Ukrainian air defenses. The Russian attack close to midnight Monday hit the Bilenkivska Correctional Facility with four guided aerial bombs, according to the State Criminal Executive Service of Ukraine. At least 42 inmates were hospitalized with serious injuries, while another 40 people, including one staff member, sustained various injuries. The strike destroyed the prison's dining hall, damaged administrative and quarantine buildings, but the perimeter fence held and no escapes were reported, authorities said. Ukrainian officials condemned the attack, saying that targeting civilian infrastructure, such as prisons, is a war crime under international conventions. In Dnipro, missiles hit the city of Kamianske, partially destroying a three-story building and damaging nearby medical facilities including a maternity hospital and a city hospital ward. Two people were killed and five were wounded, including a pregnant woman who is now in a serious condition, according to regional head Serhii Lysak. Further Russian attacks hit communities in Synelnykivskyi district with FPV drones and aerial bombs, killing at least one person and injuring two others. According to Lysak, Russian forces also targeted the community of Velykomykhailivska, killing a 75-year-old woman and injuring a 68-year-old man. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at

Starmer to convene urgent Cabinet meeting on Gaza to set out pathway to peace
Starmer to convene urgent Cabinet meeting on Gaza to set out pathway to peace

STV News

timean hour ago

  • STV News

Starmer to convene urgent Cabinet meeting on Gaza to set out pathway to peace

Sir Keir Starmer will convene an urgent Cabinet meeting on Tuesday as he seeks to set out a pathway to peace in Gaza. The Prime Minister will call senior ministers in during the summer recess for the meeting on Gaza on Tuesday afternoon, the PA news agency understands. Starmer shared plans he is working on with France and Germany to 'bring about a lasting peace' with US President Donald Trump when they met in Scotland, Downing Street said. And he plans to share details with Arab states and other key allies in the coming days. Starmer is facing mounting calls to recognise Palestinian statehood immediately. PA Media Humanitarian aid is airdropped to Palestinians over the central Gaza Strip as seen from Khan Younis (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP). The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'This week, the Prime Minister is focused on a pathway to peace to ensure immediate relief for those on the ground, and a sustainable route to a two-state solution. 'We are clear that the recognition of the Palestinian state is a matter of when, not if, but it must be one of the steps on the path to a two-state solution as part of a wider plan that delivers lasting security for both Palestinians and Israelis.' Amid international alarm over starvation in Gaza, Israel announced at the weekend that it would suspend fighting in three areas for 10 hours a day and open secure routes for aid delivery. The UK confirmed it was taking part in airdrops of aid into the territory. Aid agencies have welcomed the new measures but said they were not enough to counter the rising hunger in the Palestinian territory. Starmer said that the British public is 'revolted' at the scenes of desperation in Gaza as he appeared alongside Trump at his Turnberry golf course on Monday. 'It's a humanitarian crisis, it's an absolute catastrophe. 'Nobody wants to see that. I think people in Britain are revolted at seeing what they're seeing on their screens, so we've got to get to that ceasefire.' The US president hinted at sticking points in US-led negotiations over a peace deal, saying Palestinian militant group Hamas had become 'very difficult to deal with' in recent weeks. He suggested this was because they only held a small remaining number of Israeli hostages. Starmer has likened the plan he is working on with France and Germany to the coalition of the willing, the international effort to support Ukraine towards a lasting peace. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said the plan would build 'on the collaboration to date that paves the way to a long-term solution on security in the region'. Starmer is meanwhile facing calls from a growing number of MPs to recognise a Palestinian state immediately. More than 250 cross-party MPs have now signed a letter calling for ministers to take the step, up from 221 on Friday. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds on Monday dismissed the idea that there is a split at the top of Government over when to recognise a Palestinian state, saying 'we all want it to happen'. Health Secretary Wes Streeting is among those to have signalled a desire for hastened action, calling for recognition 'while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise', while Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the Government wants to recognise a Palestinian state 'in contribution to a peace process'. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

Eddie Howe makes Alexander Isak transfer statement as Newcastle reality becomes clear
Eddie Howe makes Alexander Isak transfer statement as Newcastle reality becomes clear

Daily Mirror

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mirror

Eddie Howe makes Alexander Isak transfer statement as Newcastle reality becomes clear

Alexander Isak's future at Newcastle is now front and centre in the transfer market and Eddie Howe admits he is not the one calling the shots regarding the Swede's next move Eddie Howe has underlined that Alexander Isak is "still our player" amid the uncertainty surrounding his Newcastle future - but admits he's not in "full control" of whether the player stays or goes. ‌ The Swede has made it clear he wants to explore his options away from the Magpies - with Liverpool his most likely destination if he does depart. It would take a British-record fee before Newcastle did choose to sell up this summer however. ‌ Isak is not part of the club's pre-season tour at present and Howe admitted there are no plans for him to join his team-mates in the Far East. Injury is thought to have kept him at home, but the club are equally trying to control the noise around his future. ‌ Howe is yet to lose one of his leading lights since taking charge at Newcastle. The club have been able to warn off suitors when the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon have been linked with the exit door, but Isak's situation presents a new challenge. The Newcastle boss said: "He is still our player. He's contracted to us. We, to a degree, control what is next for him. I would love to believe all possibilities are still available to us. My wish is that he stays, but that's not in my full control" Newcastle would demand £150m before they considered cashing in on Isak, who has just enjoyed the best season of his career. He scored in eight straight Premier League games, one being against suitors Liverpool. He also netted against the Reds as the Magpies won the Carabao Cup back in March. It has proved to be a difficult summer for Howe, who has seen a number of his targets head elsewhere. The likes of Joao Pedro and James Trafford have opted for other moves and now he accepts there will be a collaborative approach regarding the future of Isak, who he does want to keep. He said last week: "There's a whole football club that has to make the decision. The ownership, together with the board of directors, especially with the money involved in modern day transfers. The manager of course has an opinion, but ultimately the decision will rest with the board." Newcastle have reportedly identified the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Yoan Wissa as possible replacements should Isak leave. Sesko was recently on Arsenal's radar before they signed Viktor Gyokeres whilst Manchester United are keen on Watkins. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

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