Storms also kill seven in Missouri, spawn tornadoes in Wisconsin and bring a heatwave to Texas

Storm systems sweeping across the midwestern US have left more than 25 dead in Missouri and Kentucky.

Kentucky’s governor, Andy Beshear, said at a briefing in London, Kentucky, that “at least 18” of the deaths were in his state. At least nine of those were reported after a tornado sparked what authorities called a mass casualty event in south-eastern Kentucky.

Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the last seven days

William, 24, a business development manager, meets Lucy, 25, a doctor

What were you hoping for?
An evening with someone fun, full of character and full of conversations.

María Del Rosario Navarro, 39, accused of conspiring to provide material support to Jalisco New Generation cartel

A 39-year-old woman has become the first Mexican national to be indicted in the United States on charges of providing material support to a cartel designated as a foreign terrorist organization, according to the US Department of Justice.

María Del Rosario Navarro is accused of conspiring with others to provide grenades to the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), a powerful Mexican crime faction that the US in February designated as a terrorist organization alongside other criminal groups across Latin America.

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

Order follows Pentagon’s announcement of plan to remove 1,000 military members who openly identify as trans

US military commanders will be told to identify troops in their units who are transgender or have gender dysphoria, then send them to get medical checks in order to force them out of the service.

A senior defense official on Thursday laid out what could be a complicated and lengthy new process aimed at fulfilling Donald Trump’s directive to remove transgender service members from the US military despite years of service alongside all the other 2 million US troops.

Pledge to strengthen ties with Gulf state includes a $14.5bn agreement with Boeing, GE Aerospace and Etihad Airways

Donald Trump has announced deals totaling more than $200bn between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, including a $14.5bn commitment among Boeing, GE Aerospace and Etihad Airways, as he pledged to strengthen ties between the US and the Gulf state during a multiday trip to the Middle East.

The White House said on Thursday that Boeing and GE had received a commitment from Etihad Airways to invest $14.5bn to buy 28 US-made Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft powered by GE engines.

Winning images from the 2025 Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Environmental Photography award, selected from 10,000 images submitted globally. The contest aims to reward photographers who put their creativity to good use in raising awareness of the importance of environmental protection

• Shortlisted exhibited in Monaco from 3 June to 31 July 2025 then touring in various locations around the world

Lila thinks it’s fine to share as she and Tim are in an intimate relationship. He worries it risks spreading infection. You decide who should face the music
Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a juror

It’s gross – I wouldn’t use her toothbrush, so why would I use her earphones?

We kiss and do all the normal things couples do – so why are earphones a step too far?

From adventures in adolescence to Venezuelan dancers, these images from new artists were nominated for the Photo London Nikon emerging photographer award

Alphabet warns of ‘Scattered Spider’, network of hackers reportedly behind cyber-attack against UK retail giant M&S

Alphabet’s Google warned on Wednesday that hackers responsible for paralyzing disruptions of UK retailers are turning their attention to similar companies in the United States.

“US retailers should take note. These actors are aggressive, creative, and particularly effective at circumventing mature security programs,” John Hultquist, an analyst at Google’s cybersecurity arm, said in an email sent on Wednesday.

A new study says that, as well as causing stress and anxiety, overwork increases grey matter, which isn’t as beneficial as it sounds

Name: The 52-hour work week.

Age: Relatively new – our hunter-gatherer ancestors probably only worked for 15 hours a week.

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts. This week’s followed the Spain/Portugal outages

If you were prepping, what should be your top five things to hoard in light of the recent power outages in Spain and Portugal? Alina Ahmad, Johannesburg

Send new questions to nq@theguardian.com.

In a final interview, Mujica said: ‘We are too focused on wealth and not on happiness … Before you know it, life has passed you by’

Uruguay’s former president José Mujica, a onetime Marxist guerrilla and flower farmer whose radical brand of democracy, plain-spoken philosophy and simple lifestyle fascinated people around the world, has died. He was 89.

His death was announced by the current Uruguayan president. Yamandú Orsi. In a post on social media platform X, Orsi called Mujica a “president, activist, guide and leader”. Mujica had been under treatment for cancer of the esophagus since spring 2024, when the disease was diagnosed.

What if a simple selfie was enough to show scientifically how well or badly we’re ageing? That moment’s getting closer …

Name: FaceAge.

Age: New.

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

Vesak is the most sacred day for Buddhists, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, all traditionally believed to have occurred on the full moon day of the Vesakha month in the ancient Indian lunar calendar

From Tower Bridge bathers to moody night bus portraits, these photographs from David Bailey, Mary McCartney and more reinvent the way we see the city

The film festival seems to have rejected one of this season’s hottest fashion trends - wearing very little at all. But why all the worry?

Name: Naked dressing.

Age: You could say the trend goes back to Genesis …

Most recent lawsuits include accusations of drugging and raping as recently as 2022, and Jay-Z added as accused

Sean “Diddy” Combs is on trial in New York on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. The 17-page indictment against Combs – which reads like a charging document filed against a mafia leader or the head of a drug gang – alleges that Combs engaged in a two-decade pattern of abusive behavior against women and others, with the help of people in his entourage and employees from his network of businesses.

Combs and his lawyers say he is innocent and any group sex was consensual. They say there was no effort to coerce people, and nothing that happened amounted to a criminal racket.

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

Colonial and familial archives, intergenerational storytelling and deeply personal approaches to identity, gender and sexuality are some of the themes considered among the 10 longlisted titles for the annual Kraszna-Krausz photography book award

Group, including families and small children, departed for US after Trump order created relocation program

A group of 49 white South Africans departed their homeland on Sunday for the United States on a private charter plane having been offered refugee status by the Trump administration under a new program announced in February.

The group, which included families and small children, was due to arrive at Dulles international airport outside Washington DC on Monday morning local time, according to Collen Msibi, a spokesperson for South Africa’s transport ministry.

Nesrine Malik and Jason Okundaye deliver your weekly dose of Black life and culture from around the world

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