Signs tout a natural paradise, but pollution from over-farming has left Northern Ireland’s Lough Neagh choked by toxic algae

The bright, cheery signs dot the shoreline like epistles from another era, a time before the calamity.

“Ballyronan marina is a picturesque boating and tourist facility on the shores of Lough Neagh,” says one. “Contours of its historical past embrace the virginal shoreline.”

Recognizing a Palestinian state is a limited but welcome step that addresses an enduring blind spot: Palestinian rights cannot be conditioned on Israeli interests

Throughout the two years of the Gaza war, Israeli bombing has been so intense that, in certain weather conditions, its echoes can be heard here in Tel Aviv, 70km away. The mass starvation is quieter. Even images of dead children rarely pierce Israel’s media bubble. The war appears in protests over the hostages, political debates, stickers with the faces of fallen soldiers on walls and bus stops. Palestinian suffering – by contrast – remains distant, abstract, unmoving.

After two years, Israeli society is adapting: the army has developed a practice of not calling reservists who are likely to dodge the draft; instead, it turns to former soldiers in need of cash or employment, offering them to fill the ranks of its combat units. At times, special arrangements are made so that reservists can keep working in their old jobs, practically doubling their income. Civilian contractors are hired to systematically raze whole neighborhoods in the Strip; they are paid by the house. The IDF is becoming a new military, adjusted for permanent operations in Gaza, the West Bank and the northern borders. The rest of the public goes on with their lives. War is the new normal.

Whatever the reality of Britain today, our social media feeds are full of anger, violence and disorder – and that’s the reality politicians must confront

• Sign up for our new weekly newsletter Matters of Opinion, where our columnists and writers will reflect on what they’ve been debating, thinking about, reading and more

A decade ago, just before the Brexit referendum and Donald Trump’s presidential victory over Hillary Clinton started the febrile era we are still stuck in, there was a common understanding of the main way social media messed with our minds – by presenting absurdly idealised versions of people’s lives, and thereby making other human beings miserable.

“We see wild parties, holidays, weddings, family outings and close-knit friendship groups,” wrote one Guardian journalist in 2015. She went on: “Apart from commemorating a deceased person’s life, you’ll be hard pushed to find a really bad moment in your feed.” Here, it seemed, was a modern iteration of the opium always purveyed by free-market capitalism, resulting in a constant stream of personal happiness and precious little recognition of life’s more difficult aspects: social strife, inequality, disagreement.

For decades, lung cancer has been viewed as a disease of older men who smoked. Now, cases among young women are on the rise and doctors are baffled. Could air pollution be behind it?

Towards the end of 2019, Becca Smith’s life was full and hectic. At 28, she had taken on a unit in Chester to convert into a yoga studio, poured in all her savings and hired teachers, while at the same time working as a personal trainer. Her days started at 5am; she was driven, stressed, excited, and had no time for the back pain that just would not subside.

“It kept moving around,” she says. “Every day it would be in a different part of my back. I was strapping on heat packs and ice packs just to get to work.” Smith saw her GP, her physiotherapist and a chiropractor, all of whom suspected a torn muscle. “What really worried me,” she says, “the worst-case scenario, was a slipped disc.” One day in March 2020, the pain was so intense that Smith took to her bed, fell asleep and woke with a crashing migraine and blurred vision. Her mum took her to the optician who shone a light behind Smith’s eyes, saw haemorrhaging and sent her straight to the hospital. Once there, Smith was admitted, and over the course of a week, had an MRI, a CT scan, and a biopsy taken from the cells in her back.

Progressives in the US and UK are asking why leftwing politicians are not connecting with ordinary people

Progressives in the UK and US are grappling with the same question. Why have rightwing populists become so much more successful at tapping into public concern? And why are so few politicians on the left connecting with ordinary people?

Barely a year after taking power in Britain, Labour’s popularity has collapsed with unprecedented rapidity against surging support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

After Jessica and I received expert counselling from the hit show Couples Therapy, I became public enemy number one. Here’s what didn’t make it to the screen

“You are the reason women hate men,” a woman commented on one of my Instagram posts. “You don’t deserve Jessica, you schmuck,” another said in a direct message on Facebook. “I hope you’ve gotten the help you need and set your poor wife free,” wrote a third.

I am a novelist who relishes connecting with his audience. That disposition has suffered. The reason: three months ago, the US network Showtime aired the latest season of the documentary series Couples Therapy, on which my wife Jessica and I appeared as one of the pairs.

Exclusive: PM condemns attacks against police, racist intimidation of minorities and use of flag to instil fear

• What England’s flag-hoisters are saying – and what others are hearing

Britain will “never surrender” to far-right protesters who use the English flag as cover for violence and to instil fear, Keir Starmer has said, condemning attacks against police officers and the racist intimidation of minorities.

Starmer said the St George’s flag “represents our diverse country” and he would not tolerate people being “intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin”.

Hatton, known throughout his career as the Hitman, was one of the best-known British fighters of his generation

• Obituary: Ricky Hatton (1978-2025)

Tributes have been paid to the British former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton who has been found dead at his home at the age of 46.

Hatton, known throughout his career as the Hitman, was one of the best-known British fighters of his generation and won several world titles. He retired in 2012 and went on to speak openly about his struggles with depression and alcohol.

Peter Kyle says ‘singular talents’ were balanced against warnings as Epstein accuser’s family criticise appointment

Peter Mandelson had “singular talents” that meant his appointment as US ambassador had been seen as “worth the risks” despite warnings in the vetting process over his links with Jeffrey Epstein, the business secretary has said.

It came as the family of the Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre said Lord Mandelson should never have been made ambassador.

⚽ Premier League updates from the 4.30pm BST kick-off
⚽ Live scoreboard | Follow us on Bluesky and on Threads

Match report: Burnley 0-1 Liverpool

Premier League result: Burnley 0-1 Liverpool