The pioneering African country is lauded for slashing rates of mother-to-child transmission to just 1.2% and is holding trials that may now hold the key to curing young people

At the turn of the century, HIV was so rampant in Botswana that politicians and doctors viewed it as an existential threat. One in eight infants were reported to be infected at birth, while rates of mother to child transmission either through pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding ranged from between 20 and 40%, according to UNAIDS. Between 1990 and 2000, mortality among children under five almost doubled due to HIV.

With a population of just 1.7 million people, no cure available and the second-highest HIV prevalence in the world, the country’s then-president, Festus Mogae, declared in 2001: “We are threatened with extinction.”

Corridors of nectar-rich plants encourage pollination and brighten up city streets at the same time

Take a closer look at the colourful plants dotted along an initially unassuming Bristol alleyway and you’ll see them teeming with insects. Bumblebees, hoverflies and ladybirds throng around a mixture of catmint, yarrow, geraniums and anemones. “It’s buzzing with pollinators now,” Flora Beverley says.

Just over a year ago, the alley we are walking down was a dreary, litter-strewn dumping ground. Now, thanks to the pollinator pathways project, it is filled with nectar-rich plants and bee hotels. Colourful murals line the walls. A neighbour and her son passing by stop to tell Beverley they watered the plants yesterday. The local people who helped to transform the pathways continue to maintain them too.

As the party members choose their new leader, Guardian readers quiz the three hopefuls about class, Reform UK, Corbyn and the EU

Indulge both your caffeine and sugar cravings with this refreshing summer pudding

A low-effort dessert inspired by café de olla, which is a drink I consumed daily while on holiday in Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s a black coffee gently spiced with cinnamon and cloves, and sweetened with piloncillo (an unrefined sugar). Here, I’ve turned it into something refreshing for summer, using dark brown sugar instead, not least because it’s easier to find. I can never resist a post-dinner coffee, and this scratches both that caffeine and sugar itch.

Exclusive: Lib Dem leader says giving Tesla a foothold in Britain’s energy market could be national security risk

Elon Musk’s company, Tesla, should have its application to supply energy to UK homes blocked on national security grounds, Ed Davey has told ministers.

The Liberal Democrat leader argued that giving the electric car manufacturer a foothold in the British energy market would be “a gravely concerning move considering Elon Musk’s repeated interference in UK politics”.

Almost 200 endangered southern right wales have been spotted off state’s coastline this year, amid concerns about impact of algal bloom

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Scientists say a bumper season for southern right whales in South Australia is a “sign of hope” for the state amid the ongoing effects of a devastating algal bloom.

Flinders University marine biologist and chief scientist of the Australian right whale research program, Dr Claire Charlton, said research teams were pleased to record early sightings of almost 200 whales off the state’s coastline, after lower numbers in recent years. It comes amid concerns about the harmful algal bloom which has caused the deaths of some marine life off the SA coast.

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Rap trio will face intense scrutiny from French authorities when they play Rock en Seine festival on Sunday

The Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap are ploughing ahead with their European tour despite a ban on entering Hungary, the cancellation of a string of concerts in Austria and Germany, and the intense scrutiny of authorities in France.

The Irish-language group will this Sunday play in front an expected 40,000 spectators at the Rock en Seine festival west of Paris, one of France’s biggest live music events of the year, just days after one of their members appeared at a London court on a terrorism charge.

The stars and makers of a new version of The War of the Roses discuss modern dating, swearing in America and the problem with Mr Tickle

At the start of The Roses, a counsellor asks a couple to list what they love about each other. It’s a struggle. “He has arms,” is about as good as it gets. The actors who play them are less reticent. Highlights are itemised before I’ve even asked. “I love your hair,” Olivia Colman tells Benedict Cumberbatch. “Short at the sides! Brilliant!” It’s their first time together in ages. They compare half-terms and weeding. She coos over his dislocated shoulder. He admires her suit.

OK, enough mush. What do they hate about one another?

When I was growing up, puzzles were something older people did, but younger fans are connecting through YouTube and TikTok

It started as something to pass the time. I remember being 10, in 2001, at my grandmother’s house, a 1,000-piece puzzle spread across the table. I was determined to complete it before my mum and sister returned from a hike. By the end of the day it was done, and something clicked. There was a sense of satisfaction in fitting those pieces together.

After that, puzzles became a regular part of my life. I was always dipping into them – whether it was a quick 500-piece puzzle at the weekend or a more ambitious one over the holidays.

As Russian drones and missiles continue to rain down death, the prospect of a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting seems unlikely

It was night in Ukraine when President Trump met President Putin in Alaska – a night during which Russia shelled only frontline Ukrainian cities. People in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro and even Kharkiv could sleep, but they did not. They were waiting for news from Alaska. I was also awake and watching the news feed, aware that this meeting would lead to nothing, or worse, something bad for Ukraine. But in difficult, seemingly hopeless situations, human nature is prone to desperate optimism. In the middle ages, people often hoped for a miracle, forgetting about the logic of events. So, the night of 15 August was a night of hope for a miracle, which, of course, did not happen.

Unlike on the eve of the Alaska meeting, in Ukraine, there was no particular tension in the buildup to the meeting of European leaders at the White House on Monday, despite images of a hugely powerful team arriving in Washington. Ukrainians seemed to sense that this meeting had to be visually positive in order to push into the shade the Alaska meeting, which ended in nothing, if not actual failure.

Panel declines to grant parole to Menendez, convicted over parents’ deaths, while brother Lyle faces hearing on Friday

The California board of parole hearings denied the release of Erik Menendez, on Thursday who has spent nearly 30 years in prison since he was convicted with his brother in the shooting deaths of their parents.

Erik and Lyle Menendez were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison for fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. They were 18 and 21 at the time. While defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

Soldiers who had returned from Russia were honoured with a concert and relatives of troops killed in action were among those to attend a banquet

Kim Jong-un has hailed North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia in the war in Ukraine as “heroes”, at a ceremony to honour soldiers who recently returned from the conflict, state media said on Friday.

The North Korean leader said in a speech this week that his troops had displayed “fighting spirit of the heroes” during their operation to retake Russia’s Kursk region from Ukrainian forces – which had established a foothold there last year – the state news agency KCNA said.

Lese-majesty case against Thaksin Shinawatra is dismissed, but his daughter Paetongtarn will hear next week if she will be removed as prime minster

A criminal court in Thailand has dismissed a case accusing former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of defaming the monarchy, the first of three court cases that could decide the fate of one of the country’s prominent political families.

Thaksin was accused of insulting the monarchy during an interview with South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo in 2015.

It’s worth asking not just how to seize the day but why exactly we’re not, advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith writes

• Read more Leading questions

I long to carpe diem! I have a busy life, a loving partner and good friends but, despite looking forward to holidays or events, when I am in them I feel unable to relax and enjoy.

I constantly think about work or my daughter or my elderly mum or, most dully, my pension. I know people notice. And it’s not just an obvious checking of my phone, I feel it’s a vacantness behind the eyes. How can I be more present?

Central Coast council says residents should not touch the balls and avoid beaches where they wash ashore

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Debris balls have again washed up along the New South Wales coast as officials warn residents not to touch the mysterious spherical globules and to avoid beaches where they appear.

Central Coast council said on Thursday the debris balls – which are grey-coloured and about 10mm to 40mm in size – had been found on beaches including at The Entrance, the Grant McBride baths, Blue Bay, Toowoon Bay, North Shelly, Shelly and Blue Lagoon.

Trump administration’s move includes people already admitted to the US, with vetting also to occur on social media – key US politics stories from 21 August 2025

The Trump administration is reviewing the records of more than 55 million US visa holders for potential revocation or deportable violations of immigration rules, in a significant expansion of Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

The state department said that all of the foreigners who now hold valid US visas are subject to “continuous vetting” for any indication that they could be ineligible for the document, including those already admitted into the country. Should such evidence come to light, the visa would be revoked and, if the visa holder were in the United States, they would be subject to deportation.

Spurs must forget Eze humiliation, Isak will be all the talk on Tyneside and Everton begin a new era at Hill Dickinson

Enzo Maresca’s request for Chelsea to replace the injured Levi Colwill with a new centre-back remains unanswered. The club’s position is straightforward: there are no suitable defenders on the market and, in any case, it is up to Maresca to find internal solutions. The Italian can call upon Josh Acheampong, who performed well against Crystal Palace on the opening weekend. The 19-year-old started with Colwill’s long-term absence complicated by Tosin Adarabioyo’s minor injury. Adarabioyo may return for Friday night at West Ham but there is a case to give Acheampong another chance next to Trevoh Chalobah. Acheampong, who counts Manchester City as one of his many suitors, stood up to Jean-Phillipe Mateta in the goalless draw with Palace. It is worth having another look at whether he can cope as the central centre-back when Chelsea morph into a back three in possession. Replacing Colwill’s line-breaking passes will not be easy but Maresca has options. Jacob Steinberg

West Ham v Chelsea, Friday 8pm (all times BST)

Manchester City v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm

Brentford v Aston Villa, Saturday 3pm

Burnley v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

Bournemouth v Wolves, Saturday 3pm

• Northern Irishman five off lead after opening 66

• Scheffler hits 63, Fleetwood and MacIntyre 64

More Rory McIlroy drama in ­Georgia. Events at the final hole of the ­opening round of the Tour Championship barely compared with what played out at Augusta National in April but these were still moments of ­McIlroy box office. No wonder he stood ­laughing with arm aloft.

McIlroy found himself in a ­greenside bunker in two at the par-five 18th. He caught his attempt from the sand trap far too cleanly, the ball ­flying over the flag and rebounding from a grandstand. The bounce was favourable; McIlroy had 17ft left for a birdie. The putt found the bottom of the cup, much to the amusement of McIlroy and his playing partner ­Scottie ­Scheffler. McIlroy’s 66 at East Lake leaves him five shy of the first-round lead after Russell Henley’s stunning 61.

The 26-year-old rapper and singer was seen walking down the street in his underwear Thursday morning in LA

Lil Nas X has been arrested and briefly hospitalized after an altercation with police in the early hours of Thursday morning, according to authorities in Los Angeles.

Officers found the 26-year-old rapper and singer walking on the normally busy Ventura Boulevard in the Studio City neighborhood shortly before 6am, according to a police spokesperson, Charles Miller.

• MLS side’s trade of Djordje Mihailovic shocked fans

• Club opens ‘new chapter’ with Paxten Aaronson purchase

The Colorado Rapids are celebrating the arrival of their new star player by allowing fans to discard memorabilia of their old one.

The MLS team announced on Thursday that it has acquired Eintracht Frankfurt attacking midfielder Paxten Aaronson in a club-record deal involving a reported $7m transfer fee. The purchase fills an obvious need for the Rapids, as the club’s previous starting No 10, Djordje Mihailović, was traded to Toronto FC for $8m after expressing to the club that he wanted to leave not even two full seasons after joining.

• Crystal Palace 1-0 Fredrikstad

• Palace begin life without Eze with win over Norwegians

It might not be the Europa League. But even the absence of Eberechi Eze as he closes in on his £67.5m move to Arsenal could not spoil Crystal Palace’s first taste of European football as they sealed a victory in the first leg of their Conference League playoff.

After a summer of uncertainty over which competition they would play in, the last thing that Oliver Glasner would have wanted was to receive a call from Eze on the morning of the game informing the Palace manager that he was not feeling well enough to play. Yet having struggled to break down well-drilled Norwegian side Fredrikstad in the first half in the absence of their talismanic England forward, Jean-Philippe Mateta’s goal calmed Palace’s nerves, even if they could not find a second that could have proved crucial as Palace attempt to secure their place in the group stages of Uefa’s third-tier competition. Glasner, who led Eintracht Frankfurt to victory in the Europa League in 2022, will know that this tie is far from over given that they must play the second leg next week on an artificial surface. Nothing is ever certain when it comes to Palace.

Netflix star and model husband Jake Bongiovi, 21 and 23, say they are ‘beyond excited’ to become parents

The Stranger Things actor Millie Bobby Brown and her husband, Jake Bongiovi, have announced they have become parents after adopting a “sweet baby girl”.

Brown, 21, and Bongiovi, 23, said in a statement on social media that they were “beyond excited” to enter the next chapter of their lives.

Despite working on the transfer all summer Tottenham felt their north London rivals were always waiting to pounce for the Crystal Palace man

It was towards the end of June when it became clear that Tottenham were considering a move for Eberechi Eze, one to install him as the centrepiece of their new project under Thomas Frank. Or, at least, when it became public knowledge. And it was the prompt for two things to happen.

Firstly, it would be reported a few days later that Arsenal were also on the case. The club’s new sporting director, Andrea Berta, had put the feelers out for the Crystal Palace forward. Call it a declaration of interest, albeit Berta was having a lot of conversations about a lot of potential targets at the time. His idea was to have plenty of options on the boil before deciding which to prioritise.

Teams once had to sell raffle tickets and vodka to fund their campaigns, now women are front and centre of the sport’s global development strategy

The first Women’s Rugby World Cup ran on grit, goodwill, vodka and raffle tickets. Back in 1991, the men who were in charge of the sport did not just refuse to sanction the new women’s competition, they made legal threats against the four organisers, who had to design their own team and tournament logos to avoid a copyright lawsuit.

The women approached more than 600 businesses for support, but could not persuade one to sign on so the 12 teams had to cover the cost of their own transport, food and accommodation. The Russian team did it by trading the booze they had brought over with them.