Chat over. Will Hughes strolls across the car park to get some photographs taken. As it happens, the man emerging from the gym at that very moment is the Crystal Palace midfield partner whose praises Hughes has just been lavishly exalting.
“Just added about £20m to your fee in that interview,” Hughes shouts at Adam Wharton as they pass. “You can have half,” Wharton retorts. All delivered with a knowing smile, for this is the Palace of Oliver Glasner, where – as Hughes puts it – “there’s egos, but good egos”. No arrogance, none of the blame culture he sees elsewhere. “You watch other teams and hands are in the air, there’s moaning,” he says. “But I honestly don’t see any of that here.”
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© Composite: Guardian Picture Desk; Action Images/Reuters; Getty Images
© Composite: Guardian Picture Desk; Action Images/Reuters; Getty Images
As her memoir of losing her sons is published, the author talks about radical acceptance and how writing fiction helped her to prepare for tragedy
As the novelist Yiyun Li often observes, there is no good way to state the facts of her life and yet they are inescapable: she had two sons, and both died by suicide. After her elder son Vincent died in 2017, at the age of 16, Li wrote a novel for him. Where Reasons End is a conversation, sometimes an argument, between a mother and her dead son, and it is a work of fiction that doesn’t feel fictional at all, because it’s also an encounter between a writer in mourning and the son she can still conjure up on the page. “With Vincent’s book there was that joy of meeting him again in the book, hearing him, seeing him, it was like he was alive,” she says. The book had 16 chapters, one for each year of his life, and Li felt she could have spent the rest of her life writing it, and also that she could not linger.
When her younger son James died in 2024, aged 19, Li wanted to write a book for him, too. James was harder to write for. Her sons were best friends but “such different boys”, she says. She and James did not argue in the same way as she did with Vincent, and he would hate to be thrust into the spotlight, or for her to write a “sentimental” book. James had a mind so brilliant that his inner workings were often unreachable – by seven or eight he’d open meal-time conversations with “apparently the Higgs boson …” or “apparently the predatory tunicates …”. He did not speak often, but could converse in eight languages and his phone was set to Lithuanian, a ninth. He once described Daniel Tammet’s Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant as the only book that captured how he felt about the world. If Vincent lived “feelingly”, James lived “thinkingly”, Li says, and she wanted her book for him to be “as clear as James, as logical and rational”.
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© Photograph: Maria Spann
© Photograph: Maria Spann
The long-suffering Knickerbockers were the butt of jokes around the league for at least two decades, but now they’re just four games from the NBA finals
On Friday night in New York City, more than 19,000 Knicks fans poured out of Madison Square Garden and onto Seventh Avenue, celebrating their team’s improbable 4-2 series victory over the Boston Celtics. The NBA’s social media peanut gallery had previously taken issue with Knicks fans for their overly exuberant early-round victory celebrations, but after landing in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in a quarter-century, this party was as legit as the Knicks newfound title hopes.
New York had beaten their rivals by a franchise playoff-record margin of 38 points, ending Boston’s reign as NBA champs. If you watched the way they suffocated the Celtics, you know it wasn’t even that close. The way this series ended was as stunning as how it began, with consecutive historic Celtic meltdowns at TD Garden, when the home team surrendered 20-point second-half leads not once but twice. Then New York were moments from wrapping up another improbable victory in Game 4 when Boston cornerstone Jayson Tatum went down with an achilles injury. Back in Boston, down three games to one, with their season on the brink and their all-NBA player in the hospital recovering from season-ending surgery, Boston powered through Game 5 on pure adrenaline. That wave of raw energy had crashed by the start of Game 6, and the Celtics finally tapped out. The Garden crowd let out 25 years of shpilkes as they watched their team bounce the champs.
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© Photograph: Frank Franklin II/AP
© Photograph: Frank Franklin II/AP
We recognise extreme poverty as ruinous, but this turbo-charged affluence is deeply damaging too. Treat it as such
Once again, it’s the Hinduja family. Gopi Hinduja and his family, who run the Hinduja Group, are cited as Britain’s richest family in the latest Sunday Times rich list. The big story so far seems to be that their wealth has dropped to £35.3bn from £37.2bn the year before. But that story, and much of the discussion there will be this weekend, risks missing the real story. “Rich list” is barely the right description for the extreme wealth we should be talking about.
In 1989, when the Sunday Times first published its annual rich list, to be included someone would need to have 6,000 times the wealth of the average person in the UK. That’s already a pretty big gap – but this has now tripled to more than 18,000 times the average, according to a study by the University of Greenwich.
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© Illustration: Matt Kenyon
© Illustration: Matt Kenyon
Edit your wardrobe, do a beauty blitz, organise your savings … Experts share tips on the tasks best tackled in small bites
Any day now I am going to do a complete wardrobe reorganisation and then make tons of money selling my old clothes on Vinted. Also, learn Spanish. Go through the 10,000 photos on my phone, print out the nice ones of the kids and put them in nice frames, and create one of those charming gallery walls. Definitely get into meditating and journalling. Should probably write a will? I’m all set. I’m just waiting for, say, a clear week to magically appear in my diary and I’ll get started.
Except, the penny is starting to drop that those pristine, blank diary pages are never going to happen. Life doesn’t work like that. And anyway, say a week off did magically appear, which it isn’t going to, wouldn’t it make more sense to go on holiday than sit on the floor sorting jumpers? If I had even half a day off, surely it would be a shame to waste it on dull jobs when I could, maybe, go to the cinema on my own – or get the train to Paris for lunch?
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© Illustration: Matt Murphy
© Illustration: Matt Murphy
The attack on the northern Sumy region comes hours after Kyiv and Moscow concluded talks in Istanbul
Nine people have been killed in a Russian drone attack on a minibus that local authorities say was evacuating civilians in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region.
Local authorities indicated some of those inside the minibus were being evacuated from Bilopillya, a town in the Sumy region that has come under repeated Russian attack.
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© Photograph: @NewsUkraineRBC/X
© Photograph: @NewsUkraineRBC/X
Met police say the three are accused of assisting the Iranian foreign intelligence service
Three men have been charged under the National Security Act on suspicion of assisting the Iranian foreign intelligence service.
Scotland Yard said a counter-terrorism investigation had led to three Iranian men being charged for engaging in conduct likely to assist the foreign intelligence service between 14 August 2024 and 16 February 2025.
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© Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP
© Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP
OVO Hydro, Glasgow
Her Tension world tour reaches the UK, and it’s the work of a relaxed but inherently flamboyant singer with a bold new vision for her back catalogue
The lights go down in Glasgow, and Kylie Minogue ascends from underneath the stage like a pop deity: head-to-toe in electric blue PVC, sitting in the centre of a giant neon diamond. After acclaimed runs in Australia and the US, she’s kicking off the UK leg of her Tension tour, celebrating an era that started two years ago with lead single Padam Padam – a phenomenon everywhere from gay clubs to TikTok – and continued with her equally hook-filled albums Tension and Tension II.
In contrast to some recent over-complicated arena tour concepts from the likes of Katy Perry, the Tension show is admirably straightforward after Kylie’s big entrance, allowing her to remain the focus at all times. She races through hits – some condensed into medleys – at an astonishing pace; from 1991’s What Do I Have To Do, to Good As Gone from Tension II. For Better the Devil You Know, she changes into a red sequin jumpsuit and matching mic, leading a troupe of highlighter-coloured dancers in front of a minimalist, impressionistic backdrop. There’s something of the Pet Shop Boys’ art-pop flair in the show’s considered design choices, and in Kylie’s inherent – rather than costume-driven – flamboyance.
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© Photograph: Martin Grimes/Getty Images
© Photograph: Martin Grimes/Getty Images
England’s titanic tussle with Australia enthralled a nation but then the Test game vanished from UK free-to-air TV
How are you planning to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 2005 men’s Ashes? Is it finally time to get that Kevin Pietersen skunk cut? Gather your friends for a drunken knees-up around Trafalgar Square?
Realistically, a quiet afternoon on YouTube will do, with Simon Jones’s reverse-swinger to Michael Clarke on repeat, off-stump gone like a popped cork. That rabbit hole should end up taking you to Pietersen’s 2014 appearance on the Graham Norton Show in which he discusses his strained relationship with Andrew Strauss while perched next to Taylor Swift. Yes, that actually happened.
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© Composite: Tom Jenkins, PA, Getty
© Composite: Tom Jenkins, PA, Getty
The results of the election rerun could alter the future of the country, which is suffering under political divisions
Collecting her 10-year-old son from primary school in Bucharest’s crumbling Ferentari neighbourhood, Georgeta Petre was quite sure who she would be casting her ballot for on Sunday, and why.
“I hope he will change things,” she said. “I hope he’ll do things better. Everyone before him just … lied. Look around – we can’t continue like this. I can’t afford food, or clothes for the children. I’m voting for George Simion. He will be different.”
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© Photograph: Andrei Popoviciu/The Guardian
© Photograph: Andrei Popoviciu/The Guardian
Israeli airstrikes continue in Gaza, the aftermath of the Kashmir crisis, protests in Panama, and the Cannes film festival: the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists
© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
It took a few adjustments on both sides – she wasn’t keen on snails or Rembrandt – but after seeing Paris, Berlin and Venice, she wants to go again next year
A year ago, I discovered a bit of a travel hack – that if accompanied by an adult (obviously) children under the age of 12 can explore Europe by train for absolutely zilch. Profoundly susceptible to any sort of bargain, even those that promise a net deficit in the long run, I determined to take advantage of Interrail’s generous offer, despite lacking dependents of the specified vintage.
Sourcing someone under 12 was far easier than I’d imagined. When I lodged an enquiry about my 10-year-old niece, asking if Annabelle might be available for an Interrailing stint at Easter, my brother couldn’t sign her up fast enough. (Though he did insist on some caveats: in bed by 10pm, out of bed by 9am, and no watching sweary Gordon Ramsay shows).
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© Photograph: PR
© Photograph: PR
I was too afraid to confess my feelings and be rejected, until hearing Jarvis Cocker’s words gave me a moment of clarity
The first time Gordon and I kissed I thought we’d made a terrible mistake. It was 1995, we were both 20 years old, and we were drinking at our university bar in Leicester. We had formed a friendship over the previous three years, but I had never considered Gordon in a romantic light. He was a goth at the time, which I thought was very cool, and he had this fruity, posh voice – whereas I was a timid girl from south London with a terrible perm. I remember Gordon leaning in to give me this very innocent, tentative kiss, but it caught me off guard. I felt excited but also confused. For one thing, I’d only ever known Gordon to kiss his fellow goths.
I avoided Gordon for weeks after that, which was difficult, considering we were on the same course. We bumped into each other almost every day in lectures but I made things awkward. Conversations between us didn’t flow in the same way. I’m an overthinker, whereas Gordon is much more relaxed. I think he would have been happy to keep kissing me in a casual sort of way and see where things led, but I was frightened of ruining our friendship. I was so shy at that time, and didn’t connect with people as easily as Gordon did. I had very deep feelings for him, but I wasn’t able to acknowledge them. Gordon was the closest person to me and I was terrified of losing him by having a fling.
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© Illustration: Martin O'Neill/The Guardian
© Illustration: Martin O'Neill/The Guardian
Moore plays a creepy socialite obsessed with raptors; Meghann Fahy plays a hot mess who thinks there may be a murder cover-up … or several. This is snappy satirical TV that goes down easy – and it’s only five episodes long. Woohoo!
I have a theory that TV shows nowadays are all tonal variations on either The White Lotus, Boiling Point or possibly Yellowstone, but honestly I haven’t seen the latter. You might wish I had supporting evidence, but isn’t that what a theory is?
Anyway, this week’s pick is definitely in the White Lotus mould. Sirens (Netflix, from Thursday 22 May) unfolds over Labor Day weekend in the Lloyd Neck peninsula of upstate New York, where a wealthy group of guests descend on a beachside estate for a charity gala. The raptor conservation organisation (think falcons, not velociraptors) is run by socialite Michaela Kell, a wellness-y guru who expects obedience from everyone around her. But preparations are interrupted by Devon, a chaotic falafel waitress who has come to save her sister Simone, Michaela’s assistant. Devon comes to believe Simone has been brainwashed, and that they’re mixed up in a murder, or several. It’s a long weekend.
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© Photograph: MACALL POLAY/NETFLIX
© Photograph: MACALL POLAY/NETFLIX
From Tsar Alexander II and Queen Anne to Korky the Cat, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz
1 Which king’s sister, wife and lover were all called Edith?
2 Korky the Cat was the first cover star of what in 1937?
3 Which fabric is made from flax fibres?
4 What type of holiday is named from a Swahili word for journey?
5 Who orchestrated the FTX fraud?
6 Maria Mitchell, in 1847, was the first US astronomer to discover what?
7 Which west London stadium hosted one game of the 1966 World Cup?
8 What is the lowest composite number?
What links:
9 Tasmin Archer; Frederick Delius; Gareth Gates; Zayn Malik; Kimberley Walsh?
10 Buenos Aires; Canberra; Luanda; St John’s; Tirana; Vienna; Yerevan?
11 Beds; cream; espresso coffee; quotation marks; window glazing?
12 Borghese; David; François; Medici; Portland; Warwick?
13 Hawaii (1); Sicily (2); Thailand (3)?
14 The future Tsar Alexander II; Queen Anne; future Edward VII; Edward Smith-Stanley?
15 Beryl Bainbridge’s Master Georgie and JG Farrell’s Troubles?
© Photograph: Patrick Ford/Redferns
© Photograph: Patrick Ford/Redferns
Smartphone Nation by Dr Kaitlyn Regehr vows to help us take control. But can her methods beat the algorithms?
Can you count the number of times you’ve looked at your phone today? Or how often you’ve opened it to do one thing to find yourself doing something else entirely?
If you’re anything like me, you’ll have little idea – merely an inkling – that it’s more times than you’d hope. Smartphone algorithms are designed to capture our attention and hold it, but a new book written by an academic who studies them promises to help people take back control.
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© Photograph: Adria Sherratt/The Guardian
© Photograph: Adria Sherratt/The Guardian
Comment: Palace have transformed into serial winners this season and the emotions before Saturday’s FA Cup final against Manchester City are almost overwhelming, writes former Independent sports editor Ed Malyon
© Getty
Mohammad Younis Khan was among 40 residents seeking shelter in a cowshed when shelling began in Gingal, a scenic mountain village in north Kashmir on the Indian-controlled side of the de facto border with Pakistan. Men, women and children sought refuge in the 3-meter-by-4.2 meter (10-feet-by-14 feet) space, which they felt offered greater safety than their brick and cement homes.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
© AP
© PA Wire
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
These vegan burgers are child’s play and fun to make, too
This is exactly my kind of recipe. It’s easy, flavourful and, as a bonus, it’s crisp, too. In fact, it’s so simple, you could make the mixture with your eyes closed or, better still, give it to a six-year-old to do (they could also make it with their eyes closed). The key is the black beans, because they crisp up perfectly, and the condiments, which supercharge the flavour. There is one small catch, though: the onions need caramelising until they’re jammy, and ready to top the patty. You don’t have to do this, but I’m here to tell you that it is worthwhile (especially if there’s a six-year-old already making the burgers).
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© Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay. Food styling assistant: Laura Lawrence.
© Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay. Food styling assistant: Laura Lawrence.
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