Sail away from the mainland to explore spectacular scenery and diverse wildlife in these unspoiled spots

Whether youare an English wine devotee or you want to learn more about the winemaking process, thereas a bumper crop of vineyard tours and harvesting experiences to discover this year

Overtourism posters read aSintra: a traffic jam in paradisea and compare the wealthy town to Disneyland

Stomp the highlands and islands on a Scotland staycation, from the Cairngorms National Park to the Outer Hebrides

The second officer has been suspended from flying pending investigation

Italyas sultry islands are having a moment but not everyone wants the millionaires and excess a Sardiniaas far southern reaches are a different story, discovers Lucy Thackray

Worldas biggest cruise operator says the vessels will adeliver even more funa

The European tourist was rushed to hospital

Almost 14 million motorists are expected to get behind the wheel for leisure trips between Friday and Sunday

aCoordinated acts of malice in Francea are causing cancellations on day of maximum demand a with airspace closure cutting off flight options

aMy Heart Will Go Ona singer, who has been diagnosed with an incurable neurological condition, has been spotted in Paris ahead of Olympics

The famed Canadian singer closed out the Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony

aWatching the first ever Olympic Opening Ceremony held on a river, you begin to realize why no other Olympic Opening Ceremony has ever been held on a river,a one critic writes

aThe choices that I made are because I wanted to feel like theyare choices I could be proud of in 50 years,a Culpo said

The Paris 2024 Olympics will start on July 26 and run through August 11

Kateb joined Alex Cooper on Call Her Daddy for a tell-all July 25 episode

Kateb and her partner, Miguel Harichi, were voted as the season six runners-up

aCall Emma out and remind her that you repeatedly said no,a one user on Reddit writes

The Duke of Sussex has claimed it would be astill dangerousa for his wife to return to the UK following their move to the US.

Every time you drink youare transferring bacteria from your mouth, which can then multiply in the container

Actor gave birth afour times on screena before ever doing it for real

Ellie Muir is surrounded by millennials a and sheas sick of their generational traits. Here, the Gen-Zer points out their worst habits, from bizarre Harry Potter obsessions to pug-owning tendencies

Lancashire Police said the suspect and farmer were known to each other

The children have been named as 13-year-old boy Nakash Malik, 11-year-old girl Aayat Malik and seven-year-old boy Muhammad Hanan Malik

The officer has also been served with a disciplinary notice

A gang who murdered Andrew Foster at his home in Gateshead by throwing ammonia in his face stopped for snacks at a petrol station after killing him, CCTV shows.

Hongchi Xiao convicted of manslaughter of Danielle Carr-Gomm who became adeliriousa after stopping medication

Matt Greenhalgh had been married just three months and Jamie Fernandes had aso many plans for futurea

Fears that the chancellor may need to consider further tax rises as she is set to reveal bad news on public finances

Advocates of paida lajin, or slapping therapy, believe it can release toxins from the blood

Exclusive: aItas 2024 - we are years on from Stephen Lawrenceas murder and the MacPherson report highlighting institutional racism within policing,a Azeem Rafiq told The Independent. aYet, where are we? Not enough has changed.a

Shopkeepers tell The Independent thieves from all walks of life are destroying their businesses

Collection includes insights into Dianaas royal life

Duke won privacy case against Mirror Group newspapers last year

Exclusive: Prime minister is set to hold a series of bilateral meetings at the Games to fix Britainas damaged relations with the European Union for the benefit of agenerations to comea

Exclusive: The move comes decades after a BTP detective framed and helped imprison Black people during the 1970s for crimes they had not committed.

Chief prosecutor Karim Khan KC has accused Israeli PM of starvation as a method of warfare and intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population

Long queues of holidaymakers formed at the Port of Dover in Kent on Friday 26 July, as the busy summer travel period kicked off.

Exclusive: The fundraiser was launched by Lady Colin Campbell for Thomasas 80th birthday

Officer has been suspended by Greater Manchester Police as anger grows over clip of arrest in terminal

Exclusive: Participants must sign a waiver accepting the risk of ainjury or damagesa

Experts say the government will need to find more money somewhere - and that could mean tax rises

Exclusive: Tory former defence secretary Gavin Williamson has hailed Labour run Liverpool City Council for arecognisinga the former UK protectorate of Somaliland as an independent country

The NHS has made an urgent appeal for more blood donors after it issued a national alert over shortages of certain blood types.

Craig Carter pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office at Wood Green Crown Court

Duke claims he and Queen had amany conversationsa about tabloid fight

Ross Wild stood trial accused of series of sex offences against multiple victims over a decade

Princess Anne, Princess Charlene of Monaco and Zara Tindall amongst royal Olympians

Suella Braverman has emerged as a strong favourite among Tory members but Conservative MPs are trying to keep her off the leadership ballot

Hereas what you need to know

Mel Stride offered a four-word response when asked why he should be the next Conservative Party leader.

Charities say a mental health crisis is unfolding among migrants at the Wethersfield asylum site in Essex

Sarah Boyle collapsed in her cell at HMP Styal

Her comments come as new study suggests stalkers are enabled to ahide in plain sighta as criminal justice system fails victims

A temporary installation outside the Houses of Parliament pays tribute to the 487 Ukrainian athletes who are known to have been killed following Russiaas invasion of the country in 2022.

After a catastrophic defeat the party has kicked off its own election a to pick Rishi Sunakas successor

The river Seine procession was battered by driving rains. Despite some silver linings, including a hotly-anticipated Celine Dion comeback, the cloudy ceremony was too much filler, too little killer, writes Nick Hilton

Director Coppola has been accused of inappropriate on-set behavior while filming his self-funded passion project

Dion performed Edith Piafas aLaHymne A laamoura atop the Eiffel Tower during the Paris Olympicsa opening ceremony

Billy Joel"s daughters joined him on stage for his final show of his Madison Square Garden residency on Thursday, 25 July.

aDoctor Whoa showrunner Russell T Davies has created the new series

aIt"s Always Sunny in Philadelphiaa star said he traveled a6,000 milesa to shoot cameo

A Supe from season three is returning for the showas final outing as well as a new prequel series: aVought Risinga

Starr plays Homelander in the famously explicit Prime Video superhero series

Things are getting worse for the Saturday night favourite

aI was gently suggested that I remain invisible,a the actor said

aNo rapping included for the rest of the day,a the presenter assured viewers

Reynolds said he was ashockeda they managed to get through filming the movie without some of their biggest surprises getting leaked

Chalamet does his own vocals in the new film, director James Mangold previously confirmed

The 74-year-old music veteran proves once again that time is impotent in the face of Gramps Power

aAnyone who pays those prices is an absolute mug,a one person fumed

aI just cannot unsee thisa said @Stark_Verse in the now viral video

aIt was a pretty hardcore moment,a says band of the scene that used their music

Gyllenhaal stars in the show he helped produce

The surprise guests confirmed their cameos in the film after months of speculation

The 35-year-old action star has been paired with Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sydney Sweeney in two recent hits. Louis Chilton asks what it is about Hollywoodas man of the moment that makes audiences put down their pitchforks

Hartnett and Damon starred alongside each other in the Oscar-winning biopic

Reviews have ranged from atedious and annoyinga to proof that the Marvel franchise still has life in it

Mangoldas remarks come after Hugh Jackman made his return as Wolverine in aDeadpool & Wolverine,a despite his superhero having died in 2017as aLogana

Film releases in theatres on 25 July, and fans already want to know whether they need to stick around until after the credits

Hugh Jackmanas return as Wolverine is appropriately intense a but shortchanged by the fact that the character went through the exact same emotional beats in 2017as aLogana

Fans have a theory over who the aDunea star might play

Following a wave of overlong albums, the cool, TikTokable concision of Ice Spiceas first full-length record feels effortlessly in control

Art historian Adam Busiakiewicz noticed the barely visible portrait in the background of a picture posted by the Warwickshire Lieutenancy

The aMidnight Cowboya star claimed Jolie has been ainfluenced by antisemitic peoplea

This will mark Dionas first stage performance since she announced her Stiff Person Syndrome diagnosis in 2022

An armada of boats carrying athletes along the Seine, dangling dancers and parading drag queens a all under torrential rain

The Paris Olympic Games opened on Friday night with a high-kitsch, riverside spectacle, as an armada of boats carried athletes along the Seine, dancers dangled from high poles, drag queens paraded on bridges and the Olympic rings lit up the Eiffel Tower a all under unrelenting, torrential rain.

France had promised its opening ceremony would be the biggest open-air show on Earth. More than 300,000 people watched from the riverside and bridges a and hundreds more stood at windows and balconies a as a show of dance, live music and acrobatics unfolded along more than 6km of river from the Pont daAusterlitz to the Eiffel Tower.

Singer, who cancelled tour dates as a result of stiff person syndrome, makes comeback with Edith Piaf rendition

CA(c)line Dion made a triumphant return to the stage at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

The star, who has been diagnosed with the neurological disorder stiff person syndrome, sang Edith Piafas Hymne a laamour at the Eiffel Tower for a global audience of millions, her first live on-stage performance since early 2020.

Five highlights of an innovative, and very wet, Olympic opening ceremony in Paris

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games a the first ever to be organised outside a stadium a has unfurled on the Seine River against a spectacular backdrop of the capitalas most celebrated monuments. Here are some takeaways:

Arsonists used crude methods but disruption to opening of the Olympic Games in Paris was severe

It was about 1.15am when the SNCF maintenance workers, carrying out repairs by moonlight, spotted the group of people a little further down the railway line near a signal box outside the sleepy village of Vergigny, in the northern French department of Yonne.

They were concerned enough by the unlikely sight at such an hour to approach the intruders, and then to make a call to the local police as those they had interrupted ran off into the dark.

Olympics opening ceremony creates sporting armada of worldas top athletes but locals bemoan lack of access

aCaest Zizou!a went the cry as one of Franceas most beloved sons appeared on the screen next to the Seine a and with a blaze of red white and blue, they were off.

As a procession of boats carrying more than 8,000 of the worldas top athletes in a sporting armada along 6km of the River Seine began their journey, the visitors to Paris 2024 not among the 300,000 people allowed to watch from the bridges and riverbanks crammed into bars and restaurants to cheer as their team went by.

Over 160,000 attendees in a key demographic aanswered the calla on Thursday, with nearly $8.5m raised for Harris

Following the success of a virtual call to mobilize Black women voters for Kamala Harris, a similar event with more than 160,000 attendees was held on Thursday aimed at white women, and appeared to break records.

White women will be a key demographic for the Democrats to win over this election.

Rachel Reeves is expected to accept pay review body recommendations in move that could cost up to APS10bn

Millions of public sector workers are set for an above-inflation pay rise due to be announced by Rachel Reeves next week after more than a decade of austerity.

The chancellor is expected to accept the recommendations of public sector pay bodies for pay increases on Monday a a move economists believe could cost up to APS10bn.

Writer Russell T Davies says drama The War Between the Land and the Sea awill shake the Whoniverse to its foundationsa

Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are to star in a Doctor Who spin-off called The War Between the Land and the Sea, it has been announced.

They will lead the cast alongside Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient in the series, which was created by Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies. He has co-written the series with Pete McTighe, who has also worked on Doctor Who.

Exclusive: Higher limit reflects longer race, while cash-strapped party seeks APS50,000 from candidates to cover costs

The Conservatives have set the spending limit in their leadership contest at APS400,000, as the beaten and skint opposition party tries to use the race to cover costs.

Robert Jenrick, a frontrunner who has been preparing for the contest for some time, had pressed for a higher cap. The APS400,000 limit is APS100,000 more than it was in the last contest, two years ago.

Acasia Welburn pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual activity with child by person in a position of trust

A school worker has been jailed for sexually abusing an autistic boy who was under 16 at the time, police said.

Acasia Welburn, now 26, had been working at a school in North Yorkshire in a atrusted care positiona when she abused the child.

Social media platform uses pre-ticked boxes of consent, a practice that violates UK and EU GDPR rules

Elon Muskas X platform is under pressure from data regulators after it emerged that users are consenting to their posts being used to build artificial intelligence systems via a default setting on the app.

The UK and Irish data watchdogs said they have contacted X over the apparent attempt to gain user consent for data harvesting without them knowing about it.

Three others sentenced to up to five years in young offender institution for revenge attack against teenager

Four teenagers have been sentenced for killing a 16-year-old boy out of revenge in a fatal attack where a single stab apierced his hearta.

Kennie Carter died after being stabbed in the chest once in Stretford, Greater Manchester, on the evening of 22 January 2022.

Judge dismisses challenge over removal of womanas name and warns against risks of informal conception arrangements

A woman has lost a court of appeal challenge over her name being removed from a childas birth certificate after her ex-wife admitted she secretly had sex with their sperm donor.

The aunprecedenteda and aunusuala case centred on the question of who were the legal parents of a girl, now aged six.

Court urges federal and Ontario governments to make payouts after adishonourablya neglecting 174-year-old deal

• The Crown promised riches to First Nations in Canada a over 150 years on, they could finally get billions

An aegregiousa refusal by successive Canadian governments to honor a key treaty signed with Indigenous nations made a amockerya of the deal and deprived generations of fair compensation for their resources, Canadaas top court has ruled.

But while the closely watched decision will likely yield billions in payouts, First Nation chiefs say the ruling adds yet another hurdle in the multi-decade battle for justice.

US announces arrest of two leaders of organised crime group as Mexican authorities say they were in the dark

The Mexican president, AndrA(c)s Manuel LA3pez Obrador, has called for atransparencya after the sudden and secretive arrests by US authorities of two top leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexicoas most powerful organised crime groups.

Ismael aEl Mayoa Zambada GarcAa, 76, founded the Sinaloa cartel with JoaquAn aEl Chapoa GuzmA!n Loera, and has been a top target of US law enforcement for decades, with a $15m bounty on his head.

Singer, who hasnat performed onstage since 2020 as a result of her health, brought down the house with a breathtaking take on an Edith Piaf classic

The casual sports fans of the world endured four hours of rambling, chaotic, rainy pomp and circumstance along the Seine on Friday evening for one reason: to possibly see CA(c)line Dion return to the stage. The 56-year-old French-Canadian singer has not performed in over four years, owing to a rare, incurable neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome. Despite struggling with uncontrollable muscle spasms extreme enough to break ribs, Dion, a true-blue born performer, promised to one day return. aIf I canat run, Iall walk. If I canat walk, Iall crawl,a she said in her recent documentary I Am: CA(c)line Dion. aAnd I wonat stop. I wonat stop.a

On a soggy Friday night in Paris, at the tail end of the Olympic opening ceremonies, Dion did more than just return a she triumphed. Bedecked in silver sparkles, accompanied by a rain-soaked piano on the steps of the Eiffel Tower, she not only sang Edith Piafas Hymne a laamour a which, truly, would have been more than enough a but performed it with the gusto of someone who, by her own admission, longs to resume touring more than her fans. If you have seen the documentary, then you know it is nearly impossible to fathom the amount of medicine and therapy, on top of bottomless grit and determination, required for Dion to retake the stage, let alone be the capstone performance at Parisas Olympics, let alone do it well, with palpable, distinctive vocal power and without seeming to miss a note. She is, as pop singer Kelly Clarkson put it on the American NBC broadcast, a avocal athletea.

Writer says cyclical nature of politics allows satire to appear to predict future, including vice-presidentas run for top job

For years, British politics has echoed the ludicrous and sometimes concerning storylines of Armando Iannuccias TV show The Thick of It. Now, with the US vice-president, Kamala Harris, campaigning to become the commander-in-chief, Americans are using the show Veep as proof of the satiristas gift for prophecy.

So what does Iannucci think about being dubbed the Nostradamus of western politics?

Itas normal to want to avoid confrontation, but identifying where old patterns of doubt and self-blame come from helps us to be more assertive when necessary
aC/ Every week Annalisa Barbieri addresses a problem sent in by a reader

I have been afflicted by shame and guilt, leading to anxiety and very low self-esteem, all my life. Whenever I find myself in conflict initiated by another person, I am so overcome by guilt and the feeling that I must be in the wrong, that I cannot think clearly. This prevents me being able to work out at the time, whether I have actually done something wrong that requires me to address the issue, or that the other person is being unreasonable. It is not until I have had time to process what has happened, that I can understand what has occurred. By then, the moment has gone.

If I do try to raise an issue of potential conflict with another person, I almost always do it in writing. I find that this way I can take time to express myself clearly. But where conflict arises on the spot, this is not an option.

The British musicianas new album is everywhere but it took her 15 years to go from Myspace to the White House

As someone who existed outside the mainstream for much of her early career, Charli xcx has come a long way. The British pop star who was first noticed via her Myspace page is not only responsible for the meme of the summer, she has even become an influential factor in the turbulent presidential elections across the Atlantic.

aCanat believe Charli xcx is successfully doing foreign intervention in a US election as an album marketing tactic,a one fan posted on X after Kamala Harrisas campaign fully embraced the singeras endorsement.

The Parisian rain showed there is a good reason why Olympic opening ceremonies are held in stadiums

Avant: le deluge. There was a moment, about an hour into Paris 2024as Grand Opening Spectacular, as the rain soaked through shoes, trousers, socks and eventually skin, hair and bone; as yet more boats of waving people chugged down the Seine, like watching an endless series of weirdly nationalistic office parties; as some men did some dancing in a place, for reasons that frankly seemed quite remote at that point, where a thought occurred.

Maybe this wasnat just the worst Olympic opening ceremony ever. Maybe this wasnat the worst outdoor event ever. Maybe this was the worst thing ever.

Another record haul is possible for Team GB in Paris, and those behind it hope they can use success to make a lasting impact on society

There used to be a hidden wall at UK Sportas old London headquarters where senior figures would meticulously plot Team GBas medal charge before each Olympics. But with every passing Games there was increasingly less space on it, as the 30 medals Britain won in Athens jumped to 51 in Beijing, and the 65 in London was eclipsed by the 67 in�Rio. And while the Goodge Street office permanently shut during the�pandemic, the ambition inked on that wall remains: for Britain to stay an Olympic sporting superpower.

For Paris, UK Sport has forecast a medal range of 50 to 70. But the absence of most Russians, and an uptick in medal events, should mean that target is achieved with gusto. As its director of performance, Kate Baker, puts it: aOn a good day that 70 is really within our grasp.a

Marchand, Peaty, Ledecky and co mean the pool is stacked with big names despite shadow of Chinese doping scandal

You canat miss LA(c)on Marchand in Paris, his picture runs right up along all 200m of the only skyscraper in the city limits, the Tour Montparnasse. Marchand is 22 and has never won an Olympic medal, but he is one of the three French faces of the Games, along with Antoine Dupont and Victor Wembanyana. It means that for the first time since Michael Phelps set himself the impossible job of winning eight gold medals at Beijing in 2008, a swimmer is the star turn at the Olympics. Itas no coincidence that last year Marchand finally beat Phelpsa last surviving solo world record, in the 400m individual medley.

Marchand goes in four separate solo events in seven days, the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke, with the finals just an hour and a half apart on Wednesday evening, the 200m later in the week and the 400m medley, which is the first event up, on Sunday evening. That night he will share the top of the bill with Adam Peaty, who is trying to become the second man, after Phelps, to win the same event at three consecutive Games. There was a time Peaty was the nearest thing to a sure thing in sport, but he has had a rough three years since Tokyo, and, while he has set the fastest time in the world this year, he is still searching for his very best form.

Simone Biles has reframed her relationship with the sport but will face fierce competition from Rebeca Andrade

In the aftermath of her nightmare second Olympic experience, all Simone Biles wanted to do was go home. But even after she departed Tokyo, Biles had to follow her teammates to New York and wade through numerous excruciating talk show appearances and photo ops. Then came a parade in her home town of Houston. Each time the cameras trained on her, she plastered a fake smile over her face. When she finally returned home, she wept.

It has taken so much work for Biles to return to the top of her sport after the events of Tokyo 2020. She stepped away from gymnastics for a year, she has spent many hours of therapy trying to fully understand the root causes of her mental suffering and she has had to reframe her relationship with her sport. Now, she says, she is performing for herself.

From meticulous preparation to sandbagging, breaking down the psychic toolbox competitors in Paris will be working with

Olympic athletes employ a number of strategies in their attempts to gain a psychological advantage over the other competitors. Some of these may be Adeliberate, but in many cases they will be employing tactics they donat fully understand. Here are 10 mind games to look out for.

A resounding medal tally may be a secondary thought but podiums will offer powerful means of representation

Inside Ukraineas ministry of youth and sports stands a solemn memorial, displayed along a section of wall, displaying the names of athletes and coaches at various levels who have died during Russiaas full-scale invasion. It was unveiled in May; around 500 are listed and the awful truth is that, as the countryas army continues to defend against relentless attack, the list is likely to grow before any resolution is reached.

So the sportspeople who represent Ukraine at Paris 2024 are the lucky ones, if anyone from a country experiencing such horrors can in any way be described thus. The reality is that each of them carries more on his or her shoulders than the vast majority of their competitors could ever imagine. There is no opportunity like an Olympics to test yourself and chase your dreams; this summer they must attempt that while embodying a nationas fight for survival in front of the world and offering a hint of escapism for those putting lives on the line back home.

• Olympic champion: organisers acould have done bettera
• Womenas race takes place on Sunday a day before menas

Tom Pidcock has branded the Paris 2024 Olympic mountain biking course ablanda and said that the organisers acould have done a better job of making a more amountain bikea coursea.

Pidcock, a Team GB gold medallist three years ago in Tokyo and winner of the UCI world cross-country title in Glasgow last year, described the cross-country course in suburban Alancourt, west of Paris, as anot the best course in the world, but itas the same for everyonea.

Too often this series the captainas wicket has led to flurry of dismissals but his predecessor dug in to avert a collapse

First ball of the Test, Chris Woakes bowling to Kraigg Brathwaite. It pitched a little short, and the West Indies captain dabbed it into the ground and ran. It felt a little ambitious, if only for a moment a by the time Woakes had extended and diverted his follow-through to reach the ball both he and the batters knew the risk had paid off. Was this, perhaps, a sign that West Indies had come out on the front foot, having won the toss, determined to impose themselves on the game?

Mikyle Louis, Brathwaiteas opening partner, pushed his bat unconvincingly at the first ball he faced, left the last four balls of that Woakes over well alone, and took 22 balls to get off the mark. Perhaps not.

• Dutchman fears repeat of last seasonas injury woes
• Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee have joined this summer

Erik ten Hag is concerned that Manchester United need to acatch up on squad deptha with the manager worried that the 60-plus injuries his side suffered last season could happen again due to the load on players.

United have already signed the defender Leny Yoro and forward Joshua Zirkzee this summer. The manager is also pursuing a full-back a Bayern Munichas Noussair Mazraoui is a target a plus a defensive midfielder, with Paris Saint-Germainas Manuel Ugarte of interest.

Claims that drone use was not a one-off cast doubt over Bev Priestmanas future in womenas game and teamas 2021 glory

The reputation of one of the most respected coaches in the womenas game lay in tatters on Friday after the spying scandal engulfing the Canada team led to Bev Priestman being sent home from the Paris Olympics in disgrace.

Three years ago Priestman, who is from County Durham in England, oversaw one of Canadaas proudest modern-day sporting achievements, as her side upset the odds to win a historic first gold in womenas football. Back-to-back nominations for the Best Fifa coach of the year award followed for Priestman, who had been Phil Nevilleas assistant with England at the 2019 World Cup. Such was her standing in the game that, when Neville announced in April 2020 that he would leave the England head coach role, Priestman was initially installed as the bookmakersa favourite to succeed him.

Red Bull driver, who launched tirade at team after car underperformed and handled badly in Budapest, struggling to handle threat of resurgent McLaren team

Formula One wants gladiatorial drivers, sportspeople set apart, racing on the edge in the heat of battle, so it might be considered a little rich when the sport clutches at its pearls in distaste over Max Verstappenas vehement swearing at last weekas Hungarian Grand Prix. It is impossible not to sense that the affront at his bad language is rather missing the point.

When Verstappen launched a tirade at his Red Bull teamas poor performance in Budapest, at one point including one abullshita and two afucksa in the same breathless exposition of distaste, the team radio bleeper operative would have struggled to mash his button fast enough.

• Wigan Warriors 4-40 Warrington Wolves
• Teenager Lindop and Ashton run in doubles for Wolves

When the dust settles on this most extraordinary of Super League seasons, it is highly likely that all six teams who make the playoffs look back on this night as one of the most pivotal of them all.

Let us begin at the top, and this outstanding victory for Warrington Wolves. As recently as a fortnight ago, the battle for the League Leadersa Shield was considered done and dusted when Wigan Warriors beat St Helens, who at the time were second but could finish this weekend sixth, such is the congested nature of the competition in 2024.

• Quarterback led NFL in passing yards last season
• Deal is a record for a Dolphins player

The Miami Dolphins signed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a four-year contract extension valued at a franchise-record $212.4m, according to media reports on Monday.

At an average of $53.1m per year, Tagovailoa will rank third in the NFL in quarterback pay behind Jacksonvilleas Trevor Lawrence and Cincinnatias Joe Burrow. The deal includes $167m guaranteed, eighth most among quarterbacks.

ESPN first reported the extension, attributing the terms to the agency that represents Tagovailoa, Athletes First. The Dolphins did not announce the extension, though the team did post a video of Tagovailoa on social media Friday afternoon.

Tagovailoa was still playing under the contract he signed when the Dolphins made him the fifth overall selection of the 2020 draft. Tagovailoa was looking for a contract similar to those signed by Burrow and Justin Herbert, who were drafted the same year. After their rookie deals, Burrow and Herbert signed multiyear contracts in excess of $200m.

Throughout negotiations, Tagovailoa participated in the teamas offseason workouts and parts of the first few days of training camp. He was a full participant on Friday.

Tagovailoa, who sustained multiple concussions his first three NFL seasons, positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards.

The Dolphins reached the postseason but were eliminated in the first round by eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City, extending to 24 years Miamias stretch without a playoff win.

The contract extension will keep Tagovailoa with Miami through 2028.

Ultra-consistent choice has an impressively game attitude and no-nonsense front-running style to go with his talent

Rebelas Romance is a more familiar name to racegoers in Dubai, Hong Kong and the US than he is to fans in the UK, as nine of his last 10 starts a including five Group One or Grade One wins a have been abroad.

Charlie Applebyas six-year-old gelding could raise his profile with the British betting public significantly on Saturday, however, when he will be a live 7-2 shot against Auguste Rodin, last yearas Derby winner, in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Fate has swung wildly in her favour, with everything from the Democrat establishment to memes on her side. Will we finally see a Madam President?

A week has always been a long time in politics, but this might have been the longest week in Kamala Harrisas life. While Joe Biden is still technically the US president, he already feels irrelevant. All eyes are on Harris now. The speed with which she has gone from being one of the most unpopular vice-presidents in modern history to sitting at the top of the Democratic ticket, with an army of enthusiastic fans behind her, is astounding. Bidenas trajectory has been widely compared to a Shakespearean tragedy; Harrisas sudden reversal of fortune, meanwhile, is like something out of a fairytale.

A quick recap: Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris on Sunday. The Democratic establishment then threw its weight behind her on Monday. So did hundreds of thousands of donors; Harrisas campaign raked in a record-breaking $81m in just 24 hours. By Tuesday, she had earned enough support from delegates to win the Democratic nomination for president next month. On Wednesday, Democrats approved rules meaning that any Democrat who wants to compete against Harris for the nomination only has days to do so. Then, on Friday, Barack Obama endorsed the vice-president. Her coronation is almost complete.

A staggering 72% of Israelis want Netanyahu to step down. Netanyahu doesnat represent us and itas shameful that Congress invited him

To put it bluntly - Benjamin Netanyahu is the enemy of the Israeli people, the Palestinian people, and of every person on this earth who values human life. He is also personally responsible for October 7. The fact that he spoke in Congress, with tens of thousands dead in Gaza and no hostage deal in sight, is an embarrassment to Congress and to every single representative who attended.

When Netanyahu spoke to Congress, Congress shouldave walked out, not given him standing ovations. Even beyond the moral obvious, no dialogue should be had with this man for the same reason dialogue with Trump is a waste of time - all youare ever going to get is another masterclass in gaslighting. And that is exactly what this speech was - from craven lying about the death toll in Gaza to craven lying about his attempts to free the hostages - A smorgasbord of craven lying, which congress, for some reason, could not stop applauding.

France still doesnat have a government but at least it can unite in the joy of seeing Parisians even more peeved than usual

Getting to the Left Bank is easier said than done. Actually itas fine by metro, but crossing the river by any other means is, temporarily at least, a bit of an ordeal: innumerable detours for closed bridges, and cops as confused as you are.

Tory MPs opposed to this human right have been swept away. On Friday in the Lords, a path towards choice will finally be set

Every Labour government forges ahead with life-changing liberal reforms, and this one will be no exception. Expect the right to die to be one of this governmentas landmarks, removing one of the last barriers to freedom over our own bodies. Everyone must die, but the greatest dread is exiting the world through a torture chamber. Once assured that we need never bear the unbearable, death would lose much of its sting.

While other countries allow the mortally ill to be released from the last stages of life if they wish, the British have been denied that choice, mainly by the power of religious lobbies. Only God can decide how long we should suffer before death comes at a time of his pitiless whim, they say. Humanists UK has tussled with them for years on this. Yet faith campaigners have defeated a change in the law time and again, despite religion being a fading preoccupation.

Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

Hatred will continue to ooze from the right. Pay attention a because that bigotry isnat just talk, itas Republican policies

Like a warm compress drawing pus from a wound, the Democratic presidential candidacy of Kamala Harris immediately brought out the misogyny and racism of the Maga Republican party.

Tim Burchett, the Tennessee Republican representative, called Harris, the child of a Black Jamaican father and an Indian mother, a DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) hire a picked, that is, because she is Black, not because sheas qualified. Donald Trumpas running mate, JD Vance, insinuated that Harris is a welfare queen. aWhat the hell have you done other than collect a check?a he asked at a Michigan rally of Harris, a former state attorney general, US senator and now the vice-president. At the same time, social media posts showing Harris with her parents falsely claim sheas not really Black, because her father is light-skinned.

Judith Levine is a Brooklyn journalist and essayist, a contributing writer to the Intercept and the author of five books

Anyone can be a pro at these sports

• See more of Fiona Katauskasas cartoons here

Breathless calls for justice and reform a even when they come from the highest office in the land a feel stale and hollow

The police killing of Sonya Massey, the 36-year-old Black woman who was shot in the face by a white sheriffas deputy in her own home after she called for help reporting a prowler, is just the latest episode of the hellish TV show that is Black life in America.

And if youave been paying attention, the script is often the same: person calls cops for help, cops go into their house, cops shoot them, cops lie about what happened, cops get off (relatively) scot-free.

Tayo Bero is a Guardian US columnist

The horrors of the war in Gaza, and the Israeli prime ministeras conduct and rhetoric, are spurring shifts in policies overseas

The multiple standing ovations that Benjamin Netanyahu received in Washington this week, on his first trip abroad since the Hamas attack of 7 October, must have rung hollow even to his ears. The problem was not merely the distraction of the US political class by Joe Bidenas abandonment of his re-election bid, and Kamala Harrisas ascension. Almost half of House and Senate Democrats boycotted his address to Congress. Many instead met relatives of hostages, who are furious at Mr Netanyahu for failing to reach a ceasefire agreement. Nancy Pelosi described his speech as by far the worst by any foreign dignitary at the Capitol.

The Israeli prime minister is used to unpopularity: around 70% of Israelis think he has not done enough to win the hostagesa release; a similar number want him to resign. But abroad, he bears much of the responsibility for a decisive shift in attitudes towards his country as well as himself, even in its staunchest ally.

The duty of care must be taken more seriously as illusion meets the tough reality of the dancefloor

The new political dawn, when the BBC might have hoped for at least a brief period of tranquillity, came to an abrupt end with the double whammy of a scandal on one of its flagship programmes, Strictly Come�Dancing, and an annual report which revealed that half a million households had cancelled their licence fee last year. Though there is no direct link between the two the coincidence demonstrates the delicate line the corporation is treading in terms of keeping itself match fit and beyond criticism in an era of proliferating competition and sniping social media.

For the last 20 years, Strictly Come Dancing has been one of the pillars on which the BBC has been able to lean in demonstrating its capacity to entertain multiple generations simultaneously, while reflecting their own diversity back to them as something to be celebrated, with stars excelling regardless of age, physical disability, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

The crackdown on the right to protest in recent years is starting to look like an insidious march towards illiberal democracy, writes Patrick Callaghan. Plus letters from Rosy Mackin, Michael Daniell, Nigel Hooper, Ric Allen, Robert Nelson and Rowena Beighton-Dykes

I agree wholeheartedly with Chris Packhamas and Dale Vinceas article criticising the jailing of environmental protesters (You may find Just Stop Oil annoying. You may dislike their tactics. But they do not belong in prison, 19 July). Itas a chilling response that shames our judiciary.

Yes, the protesters are often annoying, aggrandising and disruptive: thatas the point. Our history is littered with such protesters, whose actions have changed the lives of many and resulted in governments enacting legislation. That we now have legally protected characteristics for many citizens is, in part, due to campaigns by annoying, aggrandising and disruptive citizens, often pilloried, jailed and worse. Our legislative limits on the right to protest in the past few years are starting to look like an insidious march towards ailliberal democracya, to coin a phrase that Viktor OrbA!n has used to describe�his government.
Patrick Callaghan
London

Readers respond to Emma Beddingtonas article about having the option of at-home smear tests

I used to share Emma Beddingtonas dislike of smear tests and was further outraged to discover that here in Spain they are not performed in your local GP surgery (DIY smear tests are on their way? Iall be first in the queue, 22 July). Instead I had to make an appointment with a gynaecologist in a hospital an houras drive away. It turned out that this huffed-about visit would save my life.

A smear test canat diagnose ovarian cancer, but a good gynaecologist taking advantage of a smear appointment to perform an exam can. The doctor discovered a 13cm tumour on my right ovary. He immediately sent me for blood tests and made some referrals. Within two weeks of my smear, I found myself sitting opposite two onco-gynae surgeons a who operated on me a week later.

Half a million people evacuated, 21 deaths confirmed so far and capsized tanker in Manila causes huge oil spill

Typhoon Gaemi has been wreaking havoc, with the Philippines government forced to declare a state of calamity last week in its capital Manila, and flooding and at least three deaths in Taiwan. . Manila received more than 300mm of rainfall, with resulting floods reaching as high as one-storey buildings in places. More than half a million people have been evacuated or displaced, with 21 deaths confirmed so far.

Gaemi initially developed on Sunday as a tropical storm to the east of the Philippines and then tracked north-west, strengthening until it achieved typhoon status on Monday as it drew level with the northernmost tip of the Philippines. Despite not making landfall in the Philippines, the typhoon interacted with existing monsoon weather systems, worsening the already heavy rains across the island of Luzon and causing several landslides.

More than 120,000 heat-related ER visits were tracked in 2023, as people struggle in record-breaking temperatures

In his 40 years in the emergency room, David Sklar can think of three moments in his career when he was terrified.

aOne of them was when the Aids epidemic hit, the second was Covid, and now thereas this,a the Phoenix physician said, referring to his cityas unrelenting heat. Last month was the cityas hottest June on record, with temperatures averaging 97F (36C), and scientists say Phoenix is on track to experience its hottest summer on record this year.

Danielle Carr-Gomm fell fatally ill when she stopped taking insulin during Wiltshire workshop run by Hongchi Xiao

aC/ Profile: the healer convicted over two deaths

An alternative healer who promoted a aslapping therapya taken up by millions of people across the world has been found guilty of the gross negligence manslaughter of a British woman who died at one of his workshops.

Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, who had type 1 diabetes, fell fatally ill in 2016 after she stopped taking her insulin and fasted during a paida lajin therapy retreat run by Hongchi Xiao at a country house in Wiltshire.

Hundreds of staff at the fashion chain reportedly told they will lose their jobs

Ted Baker could disappear from British high streets as the struggling fashion chain plans to shut all its stores within weeks.

The business behind the fashion brandas UK shops, No Ordinary Designer Label Limited (NODL), entered administration in March.

Education secretary ato consider optionsa including repeal of controversial powers introduced by last government

• UK politics live a latest updates

Powers introduced by the Conservatives to protect freedom of speech in universities have been halted by the new government in a dramatic about-turn, paving the way for ministers to scrap the legislation.

Only days before it was due to come into force, the education secretary said she had decided to astop further commencement of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, in order to consider options, including its repeala.

Yorkshire clubas supporters decry Red Bullas logo bringing colour of Man Utd and Lancaster rose to all-white shirt

With the football season fast approaching, fans young and old will be looking forward to getting their hands on their clubas new kit.

But Leeds United supporters have to contend with the beloved white of their home shirt being blemished with their most hated colour: red.

Nakash, 13, Aayat, 11, and Muhammad Hanan, 7, amissed beyond measurea, say Khurram Malik and Naumana Gul Khan

The parents of three children who died in an east London house fire have paid tribute to them, saying they were aloved beyond words and missed beyond measurea.

The children who died after the blaze in East Ham on 13 July were named by police on Friday as 13-year-old Nakash Malik, 11-year-old Aayat Malik and seven-year-old Muhammad Hanan Malik.

Officer under investigation by IOPC, having already been suspended from duty after being filmed kicking teenager

An armed officer who was filmed kicking a teenager in the face as he lay prone on the ground is facing possible criminal charges, the police watchdog has said, as community leaders attempted to calm tensions over the abarbarica assault.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said on Friday it was exploring a criminal prosecution against the unnamed officer, who has been suspended by Greater Manchester police (GMP).

Conditions looking warm into early next week, with Met Office saying some areas may reach aheatwave criteriaa

Parts of the UK could experience a heatwave with temperatures expected to soar this weekend and next week, the Met Office has warned.

The south-east, particularly London and the home counties, could reach 30C on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

aDraconiana bannings, including of two local councillors, follow original candidateas withdrawal at behest of local party

The Green party has been accused of acting in a draconian and authoritarian way after a number of members were expelled for allegedly trying to support tactical voting to defeat Jeremy Hunt at the general election.

At least three members, two of them councillors, have been banned from the party until 2029. One of those expelled said it seemed to go directly against the Green values of internal party democracy and tolerance.

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