Food prices rise at fastest rate since January 2024 with vegetables, milk, cheese and fish going up; Bank of England expected to keep interest rates on hold on Thursday

Tom Lancaster, land, food and farming analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said:

Food price inflation is once again up, after the hottest spring and summer on record has hit UK farmers ability to grow crops and feed their animals, with the UK again facing one of its worst harvests in decades.

Although this extreme weather will only be part of the story in these price rises, the signature of climate change is clear. And it’s not just British grown foods such as beef, milk and vegetables that are rising, but also prices for food and drink like chocolate and coffee too, both driven up by extreme weather linked to climate change.

Central banks are clear that climate change increases food prices in ways they cannot control or predict, creating systemic risk to our food system. There is no monetary policy lever they can pull to address this. Only by reducing our emissions to net zero and bringing balance back to our climate will we limit the impact of climate change on food prices in the future.

After nearly 50 years, Greenfield says he cannot ‘in good conscience’ continue; Unilever has previously rejected similar claims by Ben & Jerry’s social mission board

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield has stepped away from the ice-cream brand after nearly 50 years, according to a post by the other founder, Ben Cohen.

Cohen’s post shared what he said was a letter from Greenfield in which he called it one of the “hardest and most painful decisions” he had ever made.

Sam Altman said if there is doubt the system will default to the under-18 experience putting ‘safety ahead of privacy and freedom for teens’

OpenAI will restrict how ChatGPT responds to a user it suspects is under 18, unless that user passes the company’s age estimation technology or provides ID, following legal action from the family of a 16-year-old who killed himself in April after months of conversations with the chatbot.

OpenAI was prioritising “safety ahead of privacy and freedom for teens”, chief executive Sam Altman said in a blog post on Tuesday, stating “minors need significant protection.

Cosying up to Trump is an all-in gamble. Britain should be building better relations with more reliable allies closer to home

Interpreters are not required for visiting US heads of state, but that doesn’t mean Donald Trump and Keir Starmer will speak the same language this week. The UK prime minister will practise the art of tactful diplomacy emphasising mutual advantage and historical alliance. Most of the words in that sentence mean nothing to a president who is fluent only in self-interest.

Given the likelihood of miscommunication between two men from such different political cultures – the showbiz demagogue and the lawyer technocrat – relations have been remarkably friendly and, in Downing Street’s estimation, fruitful.

Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist

What if Descartes had melted his brain on acid? Find out in this mind-expanding exploration of drugs and formal philosophy

This book is a trip. Among other things, it copiously details all the drugs that the US-born professor of history and philosophy of science at the Université Paris Cité has ingested. They include psilocybin, LSD, cannabis; quetiapine and Xanax (for anxiety); venlafaxine, Prozac, Lexapro and tricyclics (antidepressants); caffeine (“I have drunk coffee every single day without fail since September 13, 1990”); and, at least for him, the always disappointing alcohol.

The really trippy thing, though, is not so much Justin Smith-Ruiu’s descriptions of his drug experiences, but the fact that they’re written by a tough-minded analytic philosopher, one as familiar with AJ Ayer’s Foundations of Empirical Knowledge as Aldous Huxley’s mescaline-inspired The Doors of Perception. Moreover, they’re presented with the aim of melting the minds of his philosophical peers and the rest of us by suggesting that psychedelics dissolve our selves and make us part of cosmic consciousness, thereby rendering us free in the way the 17th-century Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza defined it (paraphrased by Smith-Ruiu as “an agreeable acquiescence in the way one’s own body is moving in the necessary order of things”).

From telling the insurers to accepting you may need to get the experts in, tips on dealing with the deceased’s property

When someone close to you dies, be it a relative or a friend, practical considerations may be far from your mind. But you could quickly find that you have the responsibility of looking after, then clearing out, their home.

First feature from director Donncha Gilmore is propelled by charismatic and natural performances by leads Adam Lunnon-Collery and Liath Hannon

This Irish gen Z romance begins so naturally, on Halloween in Dublin where Trinity College students are partying in an abandoned building. Rugby player Jason (Adam Lunnon-Collery) is chatting up aspiring indie film-maker Charlie (Liath Hannon); their conversation is laidback and intense, light-hearted and meaningful, like life. “I’m in character as an arrogant jock,” jokes Jason. We’ve just watched him taking stick in the locker room for having his ears pierced. Now you can practically see his heart thumping in his chest talking to Charlie, who is trans.

The pair spend the night drifting through the city; they message a drug dealer (to score fireworks not drugs) and film each other with a Super 8 camera. Nobody hassles them. The movie is gentle and sweet until a sudden reveal – a twist that will require a stiff test of your ability to suspend disbelief, that almost verges on clumsy. But the charisma and lovely naturalism of performances from newcomers Lunnon-Collery and Hannon carries it off. Lunnon-Collery is particularly excellent as Jason, all warmth and charm on the surface.

Field-to-fork farmers on the Scottish island are restoring abandoned crofts and serving home-grown produce and freshly caught seafood in their homesteads

‘Edible means it won’t kill you – it doesn’t mean it tastes good. This, however, does taste good,” says chef Carla Lamont as she snips off a piece of orpine, a native sedum, in her herb garden. It’s crisp and juicy like a granny smith but tastes more like cucumber. “It’s said to ward off strange people and lightning strikes; but I like strange people.”

We’re on a three-hectare (seven-acre) coastal croft on the Hebridean island of Mull. Armed with scissors, Carla is giving me a kitchen garden tour and culinary masterclass – she was a quarter-finalist in Masterchef: The Professionals a few years back. Sweet cicely can be swapped for star anise, she tells me. Lemon verbena she uses in scallop ceviche.

A new exhibition showcasing African American photography in rural and urban areas of Texas underscores the role of the community photographer in documenting local life and culture

Kaitlin Olson’s turn as an extremely intelligent, glamorous crime-solver isn’t always the most believable. But it’s crowd-pleasing TV that’s slick, easy on the eye and highly watchable

Will we ever grow bored of the savant sleuth? I suspect not – the satisfaction of witnessing a fantastically gifted person crack absurdly complex cases is one of fiction’s most reliable draws. As ever, our screens are swarming with them: in the past year alone we’ve been introduced to Ludwig, David Mitchell’s puzzle-setter turned incredibly astute (if reluctant) detective; been reunited with Natasha Lyonne’s human lie-detector Charlie Cale in Poker Face; and crossed paths once again with brainiac attorney Elsbeth, whose forays into policing are chronicled in the Good Wife spin-off of the same name.

Also back for more mental gymnastics is Morgan Gillory, the protagonist of breezy procedural High Potential, which returns for a second season. With an IQ of 160 – giving her “high intellectual potential” (Mensa typically requires a score of about 130) – Morgan’s ability to unravel mind-bendingly complicated sequences of events is downright astonishing. Yet there’s something a little different about this particular clever-clogs crimestopper. Ever since an antisocial drug addict by the name of Sherlock Holmes set the genius detective tone, such characters have usually had a few issues. Ludwig is reclusive, his talents tempered by intense awkwardness. Cale is a chaotic, commitment-phobic outsider partial to a drink or two, while Elsbeth is a no-filter weirdo who gives people the creeps.

I should have been devastated when I came third in a public speaking competition. But the joy that came out of nowhere has shaped the rest of my life

“I am a teenager, living in an age with war, corruption, discrimination, racism, sexism. But no one seems angry about it. People see the slight advances towards equal society as having solved our issues entirely and it just isn’t enough.”

It’s March 2015, and I’ve done it: I’ve solved inequality. Standing in the basement room of Modern Art Oxford for my regional heat of the Articulation prize public speaking competition, I truly believe that I may have just introduced this room full of parents and teachers to the concept of feminism. I’m very pleased with myself.

Retailer hopes to bounce back from summer cyber-attack with fashion picks aimed at wider age range

After a cyber-attack rained on its summer, Marks & Spencer is banking on fashion to brighten its autumn.

A Prada-esque, crystal-embellished, charcoal V-neck cardigan (£46), a faux leather trenchcoat with a price tag of £90 – £6,810 less than the Burberry version – and a £36 short pleated skirt that offers a wearable take on Charli xcx’s “brat” styling will hit shop floors shortly.

A rich and savoury meat main served over steamed rice, and a crunchy and satisfying side or snack

Our restaurant Bao turns 10 this year, and today’s two dishes capture what’s driven us from the start: heritage and innovation. As the season shifts towards autumn, we crave deeper, more grounding flavours, and lu rou fan is just that: rich, savoury and nostalgic. The daikon tots, meanwhile, are a happy kitchen accident from even before we even had a restaurant – they’re crunchy on the outside, soft within and oddly satisfying. Both dishes reflect what we have always been about: balancing the familiar and the unexpected. Honest, humble and a little indulgent, and perfect for that in-between time as summer fades.

From publicly shunning British Palestinians, to supplying parts for fighter jets, Labour looks increasingly out of step with international opinion

On Tuesday, a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Its conclusion is unsurprising, with few states in history having been so brazen about their intentions. To take just two examples: in May, the Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said that “Gaza will be entirely destroyed”; a week later, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted that Israel is “destroying more and more houses [in Gaza, and Palestinians accordingly] have nowhere to return”.

At the beginning of this month, Labour’s deputy prime minister and former foreign secretary, David Lammy, wrote a letter to the chair of the international development committee, Sarah Champion, declaring that “the government has carefully considered the risk of genocide”, and has not concluded that Israel is acting with genocidal intent. How can two bodies come to such different endpoints? The British government has not come to a conclusion on genocide, because if it was to, it would have to face up to its complicity.

Since our 2024 climate pledge, there has been a global pushback against green progress. This update reflects the urgent and growing challenges facing our planet – and how the Guardian is more focused than ever on exposing the causes of the climate crisis

• In the past three weeks, more than 50,000 Guardian readers have supported our annual environment support campaign. If you believe in the power of independent journalism, please consider joining them today

The Guardian has long been at the forefront of agenda-setting climate journalism, and in a news cycle dominated by autocrats and war, we refuse to let the health of the planet slip out of sight.

2024 was the hottest year on record, driving the annual global temperature above the internationally agreed 1.5C target for the first time

Winter temperatures at the north pole reached more than 20C above the 1991-2020 average in early 2025, crossing the threshold for ice to melt

The planet’s remaining carbon budget to meet the international target of 1.5C has just two years left at the current rate of emissions

Humans are driving biodiversity loss among all species across the planet, according to the largest syntheses of the human impacts on biodiversity ever conducted worldwide

Tipping points – in the Amazon, Antarctic, coral reefs and more – could cause fundamental parts of the Earth’s system to change dramatically, irreversibly and with devastating effects. We asked the experts about the latest science – and how it makes them feel

Published our annual company emissions data, explaining what drives our emissions and where they have risen and fallen

Created a digital course, as part of an initiative by the Sustainable Journalism Partnership, sharing examples from experts across the Guardian of how to embed sustainability into journalism and media commercial operations

Contributed our time and knowledge to working groups in the advertising industry that are working on better ways to measure the emissions impact of advertising

Former Bank chief economist Andy Haldane says left-behind communities need investment to stem populist tide

Defeating far-right populism will require Labour to radically overhaul its “arid” approach to raising living standards in left-behind communities, the former Bank of England chief economist has said.

Andy Haldane warned that Labour’s growth plans were failing to support parts of the country where voters feel neglected and disenfranchised.

US president arrives on Tuesday ahead of a lavish programme, as Sadiq Khan calls for UK leaders not to shy away from ‘being critical’

Donald Trump has landed in the UK ahead of an unprecedented second state visit.

The US president and the first lady, Melania Trump, touched down on Tuesday evening at London Stansted onboard Air Force One ahead of a series of events over the next two days, including being hosted by King Charles, military parades and a possible flypast by the Red Arrows alongside British and American F-35 jets.

With his Sundance film festival and institute, Robert Redford used his considerable power to bring generations of talented film-makers to a bigger audience

Robert Redford, who died at the age of 89 on Tuesday, will rightly be remembered as one of Hollywood’s finest leading men, a true-blue movie star and assured actor who was, to quote my mother and surely many others, “very, very handsome”. His many iconic performances – in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men, The Way We Were, The Sting and more – certainly left an indelible mark on American movies. But he should perhaps be remembered more for his work behind the camera, as the country’s greatest benefactor of independent cinema.

Through his Sundance film festival and non-profit institute, Redford lent his considerable star power and funds to American independent film, and created what is still its most secure and enduring pillar of support. He provided maverick, cutting-edge film-making with a freewheeling marketplace and crucial buzz, helping to launch the careers of a true who’s who of critically acclaimed directors across generations. With Sundance, Redford played the role of mentor, patron, champion of the small and scrappy, benevolent godfather of independent cinema. It’s through Sundance, rather than his films, that Redford became, as the Black List founder Franklin Leonard put it on X, “arguably the film industry’s most consequential American over the last fifty years”.

Witty, foul-mouthed, camp and punky, it was the 00s answer to slick superclubs and the rock patriarchy. As its rough, raw sound returns, the scene’s eyeliner-ed heroes, from Peaches to Jonny Slut, relive its excesses

Jonny Melton knew that his club night Nag Nag Nag had reached some kind of tipping point when he peered out of the DJ booth and spotted Cilla Black on the dancefloor. “I think that’s the only time I got really excited,” he laughs. “I was playing the Tobi Neumann remix of Khia’s My Neck, My Back, too – ‘my neck, my back, lick my pussy and my crack’ – and there was Cilla, grooving on down. You know, it’s not Bobby Gillespie or Gwen Stefani, it’s fucking Cilla Black. I’ve got no idea how she ended up there, but I’ve heard since that she was apparently a bit of a party animal.”

It seems fair to say that a visit from Our Cilla was not what Melton expected when he started Nag Nag Nag in London in 2002. A former member of 80s goth band Specimen who DJed under the name Jonny Slut, he’d been inspired by a fresh wave of electronic music synchronously appearing in different locations around the world. Germany had feminist collective Chicks on Speed and DJ Hell with his groundbreaking label International DeeJay Gigolos. France produced Miss Kittin and The Hacker, Vitalic and Electrosexual. Britain spawned icy electro-pop quartet Ladytron and noisy, sex-obsessed trio Add N To (X). Canada spawned Tiga and Merrill Nisker, who abandoned the alt-rock sound of her debut album Fancypants Hoodlum and, with the aid of a Roland MC-505 “groovebox”, reinvented herself as Peaches. New York had performance art inspired duo Fischerspooner and a collection of artists centred around DJ and producer Larry Tee, who gave the sound a name: electroclash.

Researchers from Imperial College London say 16,500 deaths caused by hot weather brought on by greenhouse gases

Human-made global heating caused two in every three heat deaths in Europe during this year’s scorching summer, an early analysis of mortality in 854 big cities has found.

Epidemiologists and climate scientists attributed 16,500 out of 24,400 heat deaths from June to August to the extra hot weather brought on by greenhouse gases.

The second season of this wildly irreverent spinoff of R-rated superhero satire The Boys is packed with swearing, violence – and an astonishing amount of penises

Two years after we last joined its troubled teens in their battle against the forces of corporate tyranny, superhero drama Gen V is back for a second series of powerfully bawdy chaos. Release the penis-shaped balloons! Uncork the Château les Norks! But for pity’s sake conduct your celebrations quietly: Godolkin University’s clipboard-clutching new dean is in no mood for frivolity.

“Let’s be real,” he drawls during his inaugural campus address. “The previous human administration was full of shit. We can’t trust humankind. And that is why, as your new dean, I will be preparing you for this brave new world,” he continues, as the assembled superheroes-in-training – or “supes”, as they’re called – variously gulp, whoop and clench their bum cheeks.

Authorities say they no longer have legal justification to hold Christian Brückner in jail after serving rape sentence

The main suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is expected to be freed on Wednesday as German authorities admit they no longer have legal justification to hold him in jail.

Christian Brückner, 49, is due to be released from prison in Sehnde, northern Germany, after serving a sentence for the rape of an American woman, then 72 years old, in Portugal in 2005.

He marched against the Vietnam war, supported the Black Panthers, has protested over animal rights, ended up in prison after a climate sit-in – and starred in Babe, LA Confidential and Succession. He explains how he became the ultimate activist-actor

Amid the hustle of midtown Manhattan on Wednesday 11 May 2022, James Cromwell walked into Starbucks, glued his hand to a counter and complained about the surcharges on vegan milks. “When will you stop raking in huge profits while customers, animals and the environment suffer?” Cromwell boomed as fellow activists streamed the protest online.

But the insouciant patrons of Starbucks paid little heed. Perhaps they didn’t realise they were in the company of the tallest person ever nominated for an acting Oscar, deliverer of one of the best speeches in Succession, and the only actor to utter the words “star trek” in a Star Trek production. Police arrived to shut down the store.

Lee-ché Janecke, winner of an MTV VMA for his work with Tyla, looks for ‘a new start’ as South African dance and music goes global

In a dance studio in suburban east Johannesburg, the choreographer Lee-ché Janecke put a group of student cheerleaders through their steps. After five hours of everything from body rolls to voguing with pompoms and a classic cheerleading lift, the excited group gathered round Janecke to make a TikTok of one of the latest South African amapiano dance challenges. They were done in just two takes.

Janecke has been at the forefront of the growing global popularity of South African dance and music in the past few years. Having worked with Tyla since she was 17, he was responsible for the viral dance that accompanied Water, the breakout hit that propelled the now 23-year-old South African singer and songwriter to worldwide fame.