Parents and experts have voiced alarm over rising measles cases, with nurseries bringing in Covid-style isolation protocols to clamp down on outbreaks.
There have been more than 500 confirmed cases in England in 2025, the majority in young children. A child died at Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool on Sunday after contracting the infectious disease.
With cases increasing and vaccine uptake in some parts of the country worryingly low, nurseries are bringing back infection control measures last used during the pandemic to keep children safe and ease parents’ fears.
Adam Rowles’ two-year-old daughter attends a nursery in south-east London that recently had four cases of measles. Although his daughter is fully vaccinated, his six-month-old son is due to start attending the nursery before his first birthday, when he would be eligible for his first measles jab.
Rowles said: “It’s alarming, isn’t it? Because it’s something that you think has been eradicated, and we don’t have to worry about any more, but then all of a sudden here we are. It’s just baffling.”
He has asked about postponing his son’s nursery place until he is vaccinated but was told that would cost him his place. The nursery said it had implemented strict protocols, such as dividing up walking and nonwalking babies to reduce the spread of infection and had brought back “Covid levels of cleaning”.
“We felt slightly more at ease, but still not fully at ease,” said Rowles. “It made what seemed really bad and quite scary, still scary but less so. We’re basically just going to have to hope for the best for five months. And we have grandparents on hand to help if we have to take him out of there, if it comes to that.”
Melanie Pilcher of the Early Years Alliance, which represents providers, said nurseries were equipped to deal with outbreaks after the Covid pandemic and were starting to bring back similar infection control procedures. “They’re using all those good hygiene practices, staff have got PPE, they’ve got aprons, gloves, some settings still keep masks,” she said. “They’re doing everything they can, while obviously not scaring the children either.
“Thanks to Covid, we got very savvy at knowing what we needed to do in the case of a very serious illness occurring like this. It is a very real and present danger.”
Pilcher said many nurseries were asking whether they could turn away unvaccinated children: “They can’t, and it wouldn’t be right to turn children away because it is a parental choice at the end of the day, and we have to respect that.”
Experts said measles vaccine uptake had decreased in part because of misinformation online, missed appointments in the pandemic and limited access to GP appointments
Helen Bedford, a professor of children’s health at UCL, said inequality driven by poverty was the key underlying issue. “People talk about vaccine hesitancy and true, people do have questions, they have concerns. But the biggest problem really is about access. Under-immunisation goes hand in hand with poverty,” she said.
Parents being unable to take time off work to get their child to a vaccination appointment, or unable to afford the transport to get there, were regularly cited as reasons why children had not had both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella jab.
Prof Matt Ashton, the director of public health for Liverpool, where measles vaccine uptake is 73% compared with 84% across England, said: “Measles is a disease people are used to not seeing. And people have complex, difficult lives, aligned to poverty and deprivation.
“They are time-poor, often working really hard just to put food on the table. So that means they don’t prioritise a health intervention for a disease they don’t think is an issue.”
Dr Chris Bird, a paediatric emergency medicine consultant at Birmingham children’s hospital, has treated a number of measles patients, particularly during an outbreak of about 450 cases last year.
“That’s a huge number, and a lot of my colleagues had never seen measles before. We had almost eradication status in the UK just before Covid,” he said. “It’s also quite difficult to spot because the symptoms are very non-specific until the rash appears at day four.
“Measles is 10 times more infectious than flu or Covid, so you only have to have a child sitting in a busy waiting room for 15 minutes and then you’ve got a potential spread.”
He said he was increasingly speaking to families who had not had their children vaccinated, often for “personal reasons”.
Dr Qasim Malik, a paediatric registrar and member of the British Islamic Medical Association (Bima), said a more targeted approach toward different communities was needed to boost vaccine uptake. “We’re often talking about people who probably have been traditionally excluded from accessing healthcare,” he said. “For instance, the marginalisation of asylum seekers and refugees means they’re more reluctant to seek out healthcare for their children.
“At Bima, we use inclusive language sensitive to the Muslim community, such as considering if there is gelatine in the vaccine, for instance, whether that is affecting uptake and what alternatives are available. We need less demonisation and a kinder approach when looking at these issues.”
Carbs like oats, beans and sweet potatoes are full of fiber to help you poop more easily.
Fiber-rich carbs add bulk and softness to stool, which helps it move through your body better.
Drinking water, staying active and having a bathroom routine also help keep your digestion regular.
Digestive issues like constipation are common (and uncomfortable). The good news is that what you eat can make a big difference. Carbohydrate-rich foods, especially those high in fiber, play an important role in keeping things moving. If you’re looking for help to get your gut moving, look no further than these dietitian-recommended carb sources to help relieve constipation.
1. Oats
Oats are a great source of fiber that can help promote regularity. One cup of dry oats provides about 8 grams of fiber. Oats have both soluble fiber, which forms a gel-like texture to soften stool, and insoluble fiber, which adds bulk. This combination helps stool pass more easily through the digestive tract.
“Oats contain beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber that produces beneficial bacteria to promote regularity,” says KaTrina Samuels-Garrison, RDN. Start your morning with oatmeal or add oats to smoothies and baked goods to get more fiber in your day.
2. Lentils
Lentils contain a type of fiber called resistant starch that supports digestive health in several ways. One cup of cooked lentils provides about 16 grams of fiber, which helps add bulk to stool while promoting movement. The resistant starch in lentils has prebiotic benefits that feed the beneficial gut bacteria to help break down fiber and create short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids help support digestion, maintain a healthy colon and keep bowel movements regular.
“Lentils are packed with soluble and insoluble fiber, which work together to support regularity and keep your gut happy,” says Jessie Winstead, RD, LD. Try adding cooked lentils to salads, soups or grain bowls.
3. Apples
An apple a day might help keep constipation away. Apples are high in pectin, a soluble fiber that acts as a natural stool softener. One medium apple provides about 4 grams of fiber. Eating it with the skin on adds even more insoluble fiber, which helps bulk up stool and promote regularity.
“Apples are also high in water, which can help lead to better bowel movements,” says Samuels-Garrison. Snack on raw apples, slice them into oatmeal or pair them with nut butter for extra nutrients.
4. Whole-Wheat Bread
Adding whole-wheat bread to your diet is a simple way to get more insoluble fiber, which helps move waste through the digestive system. Look for breads with at least 3 grams of fiber per slice to get the most benefit. Checking the ingredient list for “100% whole wheat” as the first ingredient can also help ensure that you’re getting a true whole-grain product that’s rich in nutrients and gut-friendly fiber.
“Carbs often get a bad rap, but the right ones can actually be your gut’s best friend,” Winstead says. Whole grains like whole-wheat bread also offer B vitamins and minerals that support energy and digestion.
5. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes contain a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber, making them especially helpful for promoting regular bowel movements. They’re also rich in water, which can help soften stool naturally. With 8 grams of fiber per 1 cup, they’re a delicious, nutrient-dense option that supports digestion and keeps you satisfied.
Enjoy them roasted, mashed or baked. Leave the skin on for an extra fiber boost.
6. Beans
Beans, including black beans and kidney beans, are loaded with fiber and prebiotic resistant starch to feed good gut bacteria. Just a half-cup serving can provide 7 to 8 grams of fiber.
“Beans and lentils contain resistant starches that support Bifidobacteria, a bacterium which helps you digest fiber,” explains Samuels-Garrison. Start by slowly increasing your intake of beans and drink plenty of water to reduce gas and bloating.
Other Tips to Help You Poop
In addition to including these high-fiber carbs in your meals, there are other small steps you can take to help get things moving.
Drink water: Staying hydrated softens stool and helps fiber do its job effectively. A common mistake is increasing fiber intake without also increasing water intake, which results in further constipation.
Move your body: Regular exercise can help stimulate digestion and relieve constipation.
Don’t ignore the urge: Go when you feel the need. Waiting can increase the risk of constipation.
Manage stress: Stress can slow down digestion. Take a few calming breaths throughout the day to help relax the body and digestive tract.
Create a routine: Eating meals and visiting the bathroom around the same times each day can train your digestive system to stay regular.
Gut-Friendly Recipes to Try
Our Expert Take
Carbs that are loaded with fiber can be powerful foods to support digestive health and relieve constipation, thanks to gut-friendly prebiotics and stool-promoting benefits. “Fiber-rich carbs help add bulk and softness to your stool, making it easier to go,” Winstead says. Pair these foods with plenty of fluids, movement and consistent habits to keep your gut working smoothly. If constipation continues, consider talking to a health care professional to explore other solutions.
First streamed on Apple TV+, this kidnapping drama (briefly) features Uma Thurman and follows five suspects as they attempt to clear their names after a kidnapping. As the endgame approaches, the quartet are forced to hide in a country cottage. Could this be a blessing in disguise, giving them time to figure out who framed them? Phil Harrison
The Hit List
5.45pm, BBC One
Musical pairs … The Hit List on BBC One. Photograph: BBC/Tuesday’s Child TV/Ellie Merridale
The quiz show for music fans returns. Marvin and Rochelle Humes ask contestants to name as many songs and artists as possible for £10,000 – starting with best pals Izzy and Ellie from Sheffield, husband and wife Joy and Joe from Nottingham, and father and son Tom and Paul from Liverpool. Hollie Richardson
Lip-Reading the Royals: The Secret Conversations
7pm, Channel 5
“Sausage!” That’s what Prince William once called a person who interrupted him at a football game, according to lip reader Nicola Hinkling. Expect such spicy revelations and more as “experts” work out wha the royals have said at funerals, weddings and state occasions. But nothing will beat Queen Elizabeth II exclaiming “cows!” to Prince Philip as a herd parade past them. HR
Charles vs Andrew: Can the Rift Ever Heal?
8.30pm, Channel 5
Saturday night continues to be Windsors night, and now the royal-watchers are wrestling with the King’s estrangement from his brother. Charles has understandably distanced himself from Prince Andrew, who is a PR liability at best. Can/should they reconcile? Jack Seale
Love Island: Unseen Bits
9pm, ITV2
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There’s still two weeks left of the summer reality staple, which means there’s still time to let yourself get sucked in – apparently, it’s one of the series with the most beef and bust-ups, and the least romances. This week’s unseen bits will help you catch up with all the drama. HR
Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection
Face off … Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection on ITV2. Photograph: ITV
10.05pm, ITV2
She’s covered boobs, penises, vaginas, bottoms and the face in this series about modern beauty obsessions. For the final episode of the eye-opening series, former Love Islander Olivia Attwood is meeting people who have spent more than £10,000 on surgery. HR
Live sport
All-Ireland Senior Hurling: Cork v Tipperary, 3pm, BBC Two The championship final at Croke Park, Dublin.
What were you hoping for? My parents met on a blind date and I thought it would be a bit of fun.
First impressions? Friendly and funny, if a bit younger than I’d usually go for.
What did you talk about? Our summer plans, the festivals we’re going to. We both love film, so we exchanged our Letterboxd top four.
Most awkward moment? When he put his Instagram handle in my phone it popped up that I’d searched for him. I’m not a stalker, Matt, promise.
Good table manners? It’s quite hard to eat Sri Lankan food with grace, but he did his best.
Best thing about Matthew? It was nice to see the energy of someone moving to the city for the first time.
Q&A
Fancy a blind date?
Show
Blind date is Saturday’s dating column: every week, two
strangers are paired up for dinner and drinks, and then spill the beans
to us, answering a set of questions. This runs, with a photograph we
take of each dater before the date, in Saturday magazine (in the
UK) and online at theguardian.com every Saturday. It’s been running since 2009 – you can read all about how we put it together here.
What questions will I be asked? We
ask about age, location, occupation, hobbies, interests and the type of
person you are looking to meet. If you do not think these questions
cover everything you would like to know, tell us what’s on your mind.
Can I choose who I match with? No,
it’s a blind date! But we do ask you a bit about your interests,
preferences, etc – the more you tell us, the better the match is likely
to be.
Can I pick the photograph? No, but don’t worry: we’ll choose the nicest ones.
What personal details will appear? Your first name, job and age.
How should I answer? Honestly
but respectfully. Be mindful of how it will read to your date, and that
Blind date reaches a large audience, in print and online.
Will I see the other person’s answers? No. We may edit yours and theirs for a range of reasons, including length, and we may ask you for more details.
Will you find me The One? We’ll try! Marriage! Babies!
Can I do it in my home town? Only if it’s in the UK. Many of our applicants live in London, but we would love to hear from people living elsewhere.
How to apply Email blind.date@theguardian.com
Would you introduce Matthew to your friends? Yeah, for sure!
Describe Matthew in three words Fun, friendly, chill.
What do you think he made of you? We had a good vibe going.
Did you go on somewhere? We went to a pub and discussed how to pronounce the beer Jubel. And … did you kiss? There’s just something in a Jubel that makes me want to kiss someone, so yes.
If you could change one thing about the evening what would it be? I think I’m looking for someone who’s in a slightly different phase of life.
Marks out of 10? 9.
Would you meet again? I’m sure we’ll bump into each other on a night out in London.
Edward and Matthew on their date
Matthew on Edward
What were you hoping for? When do you actually get the chance to go on a proper blind date? I had very little expectation; I was just looking to have a laugh.
First impressions? Great hair and moustache, and I liked what he was wearing.
What did you talk about? Music, the different places in London he’s lived, where I should live next, our favourite pubs in the city. And how the beer Jubel is pronounced, which included asking several strangers and watching a couple of YouTube videos.
Most awkward moment? Probably that he had to help me finish my pint at the end.
Good table manners? Definitely. We shared every dish.
Best thing about Edward? He has a very laid-back and fun energy; very easy to get along with.
Would you introduce Edward to your friends? I’d just come from a friend’s birthday drinks. I did consider messaging them to see if we could rejoin them.
Describe Edward in three words Intelligent, funny, well-dressed.
What do you think he made of you? I hope I wasn’t talking his ear off; we had a good laugh.
Did you go on somewhere? After all that talk about the best pubs in the city, he showed me one of his favourites.
And … did you kiss? Would’ve been rude not to.
If you could change one thing about the evening what would it be? Maybe the weather: walking across the city in 31-degree heat meant I had to freshen up when I got to the restaurant.
Marks out of 10? 9.
Would you meet again? I’m sure I’ll bump into him somewhere soon.
Edward and Matthew ate at Kolamba East, London E1. Fancy a blind date? Email blind.date@theguardian.com
Ella Al-Shamahi hosts Human. Photograph: BBC Studios
Summed up in a sentence Explorer, paleoanthropologist and standup comedian Ella Al-Shamahi delivers a wonder-filled, joyful look at the origins of humanity that is never short of fascinating.
What our reviewer said “It feels as if a presenting star is being born here.” Jack Seale
Read the full review
Further reading ‘Forever chemicals’ are killing whales – and harming us
Pick of the rest
Bookish
U&Alibi
From left: Buket Komur as Nora, Mark Gatiss as Gabriel Book and Connor Finch as Jack in Bookish. Photograph: Nicolas Velter/UKTV
Summed up in a sentence Mark Gatiss leaps into the world of cosy crime dramas as a postwar bookseller with a mysterious “letter from Churchill” that lets him assist the police with investigations.
What our reviewer said “Bookish is a fine piece of entertainment – meticulously worked, beautifully paced and decidedly moreish. A joy.” Lucy Mangan
Read the full review
Further reading Mark Gatiss: ‘What does Benedict Cumberbatch smell like? Strawberries’
My Mom Jayne
Sky Documentaries
Summed up in a sentence A touching, beautiful and sad biopic of film star Jayne Mansfield, created by the daughter who lost her mother to a car crash aged three.
What our reviewer said “My Mom Jayne is tender rather than schmaltzy, compassionate rather than hagiographic and an evident labour of love for all involved.” Lucy Mangan
Read the full review
You may have missed…
Live Aid at 40: When Rock ’n’ Roll Took on the World
BBC iPlayer
Bob Geldof, interviewed for Live Aid at 40. Photograph: Brook Lapping/BBC
Summed up in a sentence A three-part retrospective of the era-defining 80s charity concerts, filled with startling archive clips and soul-baring modern-day interviews.
What our reviewer said “A fascinating portrait of a complex man’s imperfect attempt to solve an impossible problem.” Jack Seale
Read the full review
Further reading Live Aid campaigner Bob Geldof was ‘scathing about African leaders’, files reveal
Film
If you only watch one, make it…
Friendship
In cinemas now
Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship. Photograph: AP
Summed up in a sentence Tim Robinson is magnificently cringeworthy as a man in thrall to his cool neighbour Paul Rudd in Andrew DeYoung’s comedy bromance.
What our reviewer said “This is a shaggy dog tale of ineffable silliness, operating ostensibly on the realist lines of indie US cinema but sauntering sideways from its initial premise, getting further and further from what had appeared to be a real issue: how difficult it is for grown men to make new friends.” Peter Bradshaw
Read the full review
Further reading ‘A case study on psychosis’: men on why Tim Robinson’s Friendship feels a little too real
Pick of the rest
I Know What You Did Last Summer
In cinemas now
Jennifer Love Hewitt in I Know What You Did Last Summer. Photograph: Matt Kennedy/AP
Summed up in a sentence Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr return for a goofy, slickly made legacy sequel to the classic 90s slasher.
What our reviewer said “There’s something charmingly deranged about this kind of hyper-specific fan service, appealing to a select few with the brash confidence that everyone knows exactly what you’re talking about.” Benjamin Lee
Read the full review
Human Traffic
In cinemas now
Summed up in a sentence Reissue of 90s one-crazy-night clubbing comedy, a loved-up ensemble piece that is cheerfully apolitical, pro-drugs and pro-hedonism.
What our reviewer said “A reminder of that interesting 90s moment when euphoria and uncomplicated fun had cultural cachet.” Peter Bradshaw
Read the full review
Further reading How we made Human Traffic: ‘The first question I asked in the auditions was: have you ever taken drugs?’
Barry Lyndon
In cinemas now
Summed up in a sentence Stanley Kubrick’s hypnotic masterpiece, adapted from Thackeray, follows the fluctuating fortunes of Ryan O’Neal’s humble Irish hero.
What our reviewer said “Barry Lyndon is an intimate epic of utter lucidity and command. The final intertitle drily noting that all the characters are “equal now” in death is exquisitely judged.” Peter Bradshaw
Read the full review
Further reading Stanley Kubrick: the Barry Lyndon archives – in pictures
Now streaming
Moon
Mubi; available now
Florentina Holzinger in Moon. Photograph: Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion
Summed up in a sentence Gripping thriller about an Austrian ex-cage fighter called Sarah who goes to Dubai to work with three teenage sisters, and realises they are trapped.
What our reviewer said “It’s easy to imagine the Hollywood version of this story, with a heroic escape orchestrated by Sarah. But Moon is gripping in its own understated way as it presents the unvarnished reality: that standing up to injustice is harder than it looks in the movies.” Cath Clarke
Read the full review
Books
If you only read one, make it …
Photograph: PR
Endling by Maria Reva
Out now
Summed up in a sentence A black comedy about endangered snails and the Ukraine marriage industry is disrupted, in terms of both narrative and form, by Russia’s full-scale invasion.
What our reviewer said “Rather than feeling distracting or tricksy, the author’s intervention heightens the impact of the story, giving it a discomfiting intensity and a new, more intimate register. We all have skin in the game at this point.” Marcel Theroux
Read the full review
Pick of the rest
Photograph: Scribner UK/PA
The Original by Nell Stevens
Reviewed by Lara Feigel
Summed up in a sentence A flamboyant tale of fakery and forgers that delights in queering the Victorian era.
What our reviewer said “In book after book, Stevens is showing herself to be that rare thing: a writer who we can think alongside, even while she’s making things up.”
Read the full review
Further reading Nell Stevens: penguins, paranoia and an old potato on the island of Bleaker
Among Friends by Hal Ebbott
Reviewed by Christopher Shrimpton
Summed up in a sentence The perfect lives of wealthy New Yorkers are shattered by a violent act on a birthday weekend.
What our reviewer said “A bracingly honest and affectingly intimate depiction of abuse, family dynamics and self-deceit… it upends its characters’ lives so ruthlessly and revealingly that it is hard not to take pleasure in a false facade being finally smashed.”
Read the full review
Witness in a Time of Turmoil by Ian Mayes
Reviewed by Joe Moran
Summed up in a sentence Behind the scenes at the Guardian, 1986-1995.
What our reviewer said “Few events in these years, from the fatwa on Rushdie to the first Gulf war, failed to provoke fierce disagreements in the newsroom.” Joe Moran
Read the full review
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The Evin Prison Bakers’ Club by Sepideh Gholian
Reviewed by Alex Clark
Summed up in a sentence Life on the women’s wards of Iran’s infamous prison.
What our reviewer said It is unclear how many of these dishes are materially realised within the confines of the prison, and how many are acts of fantasy, a dream of what life might be like in the future. Alex Clark
Read the full review
Further reading I endured Evin, Iran’s most notorious jail. I can’t understand how Sweden can leave its citizen to die there
Albums
If you only listen to one, make it …
Jim Legxacy: Black British Music
Out now
Jim Legxacy – Black British Music.
Summed up in a sentence The London rapper and producer doubles down on his vaulting style, lurching from alt-rock to distortion and chipmunk soul on an astonishingly coherent and melodic third record.
What our reviewer said “It feels like the work of someone who has grown up with the all-you-can-eat buffet of streaming as standard, hurling contrasting ideas and inspirations at you in a way that recalls someone continually pressing fast-forward in a state of excitement … That it doesn’t result in an annoying mess comes down to Legxacy’s skills as a producer, which allow him to weave it all into something coherent, and to his songwriting.”. Alexis Petridis
Read the full review
Pick of the rest
Alex G: Headlights
Out now
Alex G. Photograph: Chris Maggio
Summed up in a sentence While the sonic invention and off-kilter details remain, on his 10th album the cult musician eschews distortion for melancholic melodies and crooked love songs.
What our reviewer said “The sonic invention remains, but it is deployed with increased subtlety, serving the timeless, melancholic soft-rock rather than overpowering it.” Rachel Aroesti
Read the full review
Poor Creature: All Smiles Tonight
Out now
Summed up in a sentence Ruth Clinton of Landless and Cormac MacDiarmada and John Dermody of Lankum contrast hauntological synths with robust noise on this playful debut.
What our reviewer said “Poor Creature comprises three musicians expert in heightening and managing atmosphere … Within Clinton and MacDiarmada’s dense harmonies, Dermody’s drums and the track’s cacophonous final minutes, you sense folk rocketing somewhere poppy, wild and new.” Jude Rogers
Read the full review
Further reading ‘We are extreme’ … how Lankum’s heavy mutant folk made them Mercury favourites
Justin Bieber: Swag
Out now
Summed up in a sentence Bieber reverts to his first love, R&B, in what seems to be a genuine passion project.
What our reviewer said “It’s all very considered, cleverly nostalgic and subtly satisfying – there’s not a craven chart smash in earshot.” Rachel Aroesti
Read the full review
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Nídia and Valentina: Estradas (Versions)
Out now
Summed up in a sentence The Portuguese producer and British-Italian drummer united last year for a characterful, polyrhythmic debut; this redux sees each song remixed by a different producer, from Sherelle to Kelman Duran.
What our reviewer said “These transformations yank the source material in all kinds of different directions, from baile funk to breakbeat. My favourite is the brooding, bubbling take on the title track by Chinese producer Yu Su.” Laura Snapes
Further reading ‘Drumming is full of machismo, so vulgar, so dumb’: Valentina Magaletti, the musician giving the underground its rhythm
‘A new set of rules’ … the sports-based manosphere. Illustration: Ben Denzer/The Guardian
“Today’s sports broadcast world,” wrote Aaron Timms in this fascinating exploration of the sports-based manosphere, “runs according to a new set of rules, in which ‘respectable’ TV and the demimonde of sports podcasts, streaming, and shitposting increasingly intersect: all engagement is good engagement, and the best type of filter is no filter. Whatever faint norms of decorum constrained earlier generations of professional sports talkers have faded completely. There’s a reciprocal flow of testosterone and ideas between these shows, the world of sports, social media and real life. A handful of subjects and themes recur: veneration of the military, glorification of strength and traditional ‘male’ values, celebration of gambling, the denigration of women and anything thought to represent ‘woke’ culture.”
Read more
2. ‘People here are as strong as concrete’: the stunning architecture of war-torn Kharkiv
The Ukraina cinema and concert hall in Kharkiv. Photograph: Pavlo Dorohoi
A new architectural guidebook was written as a love letter to the Ukrainian city – then Russia started bombing it. How will this home to Tetris-like offices and daring curved cinemas be rebuilt, asked the Guardian’s architecture critic, Oliver Wainwright.
If you liked this piece, you might also be interested in Charlotte Higgins’s feature on the ghost museums of Ukraine.
Read more
3. ‘This is going to be a real hatchet job, isn’t it?’ Janet Street-Porter on ‘bitchiness’, backstabbing and her remarkable career
Janet Street-Porter outside her old school in Parsons Green, west London. Photograph: Sarah Lee/The Guardian
One of the giants of British media, Street-Porter is a regular on Loose Women, a former TV executive, newspaper editor and author – and about to launch a one-woman stage show. Before she dashed out of the restaurant where they met for lunch, she told Simon Hattenstone about love, regrets and her fury with her late mother.
Read more
4. The Shining: my trip to the G7 horror show with Emmanuel Macron
‘Hating Macron is a national sport in France,’ wrote Emmanuel Carrère. Photograph: Teresa Suárez/EPA
Nearly seven years ago, Emmanuel Carrère travelled on the presidential plane with Emmanuel Macron, to profile him for the Guardian. It was at the start of his first term in office, and everything seemed to be going well for him. Now, Carrère wrote on Tuesday, hating Macron is a national sport in France. For the long read, Carrère travelled once more with the French president, this time to Kananaskis in Alberta, Canada, for the recent G7 conference most notable for Donald Trump’s abrupt departure: “With [Trump] gone, the tension subsided. We could breathe again but there was no denying that the game had lost some of its appeal. Even though the second day was no more than a half day it dragged on, which was all the crueller given that its star was Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Invited by the G7, he had travelled more than 3,000 miles just to see Trump and beg him once again not to completely abandon Ukraine, and Trump once again humiliated him, this time by leaving just before he arrived.”
Read more
5. ‘A relentless, destructive energy’: inside the trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were found guilty of the manslaughter of their newborn daughter. Composite: Alex Mellon for the Guardian ; PA/Getty Images
On Monday, Marten and Gordon were found guilty of the manslaughter of their newborn daughter, who died after they took her to live in a tent in freezing wintry conditions to evade social services. Their story – of a woman born into extraordinary aristocratic privilege and her life with a violent convicted rapist – grimly fascinated Britain. For an extraordinary long read, Sophie Elmhirst spent months attending their retrial and chronicled the chaotic scenes as Gordon chose to defend himself and Marten pushed the patience of the presiding judge to its limits.
Read more
6. Where Oasis, the Killers and Noddy Holder raised hell: Britpop’s debauched HQ, the Columbia hotel
Columbia hotel became the place to be in the 1990s. Photograph: Roberto Herrett/Alamy
The Columbia hotel in west London was known for its cheap rooms, its bar’s flexible opening hours, and its look-the-other-way attitude. It became a go-to spot for musicians in the 1980s and, in the 90s, became the place to descend on. In this fun history, Daniel Dylan-Wray spoke to those who remember (or perhaps don’t) its hedonistic glory days.
Most of us are taught to keep our sexual lives private. We’re taught to hide our desires, and all too often, to be ashamed of them. Cultural instruction about sex tends to be very prescriptive. Sex happens in our bedrooms, behind closed doors, between a man and a woman. Sex is for procreation rather than pleasure. Sex is for marriage. Sex should only happen when you fall in love. If you’re a woman, you should only have one sexual partner for the whole of your life. If you’re a man, the sky’s the limit.
Certainly, some of these mores have shifted over time, relaxed a bit. But mostly, we’re supposed to keep our sex lives to ourselves. And certainly, we aren’t supposed to partake of anything that would strain the strictures of “good taste”, like say, pornography or sex toys.
My Toys, a project from Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti, is a frank celebration of the devices and accessories we use in our erotic lives. He photographed people, from around the world, with their collections of sex toys. It is a visual ode to pleasure, one that might be easy to dismiss or titter at given our general cultural discomfort with talking openly about sex and pleasure and what we do, what we use, how we enjoy our erotic lives. Our bodies can be lush sites of pleasure all on their own, but there is no shame in wanting, craving, seeking more. Toys give us access to that more. They afford us some control over our pleasure. They allow us to be expansive in our explorations of our bodies and the bodies of lovers. They allow us to test limits, to be voracious, even greedy with our sexual appetites. And why not?
Galimberti’s new work stands in stark contrast to a previous project, The Ameriguns, a series of photographs of Americans, from all walks of life, with their extensive gun collections. We know America has a gun problem, that there are more guns than people in the United States, that unfettered access to guns, no matter the consequence, is a core tenet of conservative ideology but still … to see the shocking abundance of weaponry laid out on a pool deck, or in a bedroom, or neatly organised in a room dedicated to firearms, is jarring. It is damning. It is terrifying.
I was reminded of The Ameriguns, because there is far less cultural sanction toward such wanton displays of weaponry than toward overt displays of sexuality. My Toys is not prurient, but it is fascinating. The sheer range and quantity of toys on display is impressive and even educational. Each image in the series speaks to the diverse buffet of a healthy sex life – so much possibility in so many shapes and sizes. In the photos, the toys aren’t actively being used. Instead, they are artfully arranged in a semicircle on a wood floor or in a neat row on a coffee table or on a kitchen counter or hanging from a large wall rack. The people allowing us these intimate moments look into the camera. Many of them have small but sly smiles, giving the impression that they know something delightful that we don’t. I admire the unabashed confidence of the subjects, so willing to share with strangers a window into their sex lives, how they receive pleasure, how they give it.
When you look at sex toys, it can feel kind of silly. Many look alien. You study them and wonder how, exactly, they’re supposed to be used until, through trial and error, you figure it all out and, hopefully, enjoy the reward of your efforts. There is a pact many friends make, an entreaty, should something terrible happen to us, to rush to one another’s homes, for the sole purpose of clearing out whatever cache of sex toys and other contraband we might have, before our families descend and go through our things. It’s funny but also not, a reminder of the ambient anxiety many of us have around admitting that yes, we have sex, and yes, some of us use toys. That we care about what people might think about our erotic lives after we are dead and no longer able to feel shame or have to withstand judgment speaks to the way shame is intertwined with our sex lives.
I don’t really write about my own sex life. Perhaps, it is the Catholic in me. Or the fact that I teach college students. Or that I am shy. Or that I believe some things are better kept private, because they are intimate and sacred. My wife and I have toys, we enjoy them, though we aren’t particularly organised about them. It’s nice to have options. We don’t have to limit ourselves. As consenting adults, we are free to explore the pleasures of one another without restraint (metaphorically) and with restraint (literally).
As I have transitioned into middle age, I have become intensely bored by puritanical attitudes toward sex. The abnegation of pleasure, the valorisation of erotic austerity, hold no sway. To what end do we deny our desires? Who does our dissatisfaction really satisfy? But being sex-positive, libertine, open to the fullness of an erotic life is not apolitical. It does not happen in a vacuum. As Amia Srinivasan notes in The Right to Sex,“the sex-positive gaze risks covering not only for misogyny, but for racism, ableism, transphobia, and every other oppressive system that makes its way into the bedroom through the seemingly innocuous mechanism of ‘personal preference’”. We want what we want, yes, but are we willing to interrogate why and what has influenced our desires?
In some ways, sex toys liberate us from some of these questions. It is just us and, perhaps our partner(s) and a girthy length of silicone or strands of leather bound to a handle or metal nipple clamps dangling from a chain, and the possibilities of where our erotic imaginations lead us. In My Toys, we see some of what that looks like, a gorgeous atlas of abundant desire.
It is a fantasy, though, to believe sex toys might free us from the ills of oppression. In some parts of the world, in some states within the US, the purchasing and/or owning of sex toys is verboten. In Thailand, they are considered obscene objects. Sex toys cannot be imported to the Maldives. They cannot be sold in Alabama, or Mississippi, and under Texas Penal Code 43.23 an adult can only legally own five or fewer sex toys. How the Lone Star state enforces that law, I couldn’t tell you. It all comes down to control, but pleasure is one realm where few people will allow themselves to be controlled (nonconsensually). We must deny ourselves all kinds of things, for all kinds of reasons, but pleasure, that is ours. We have every right to embrace our libidinal selves, licitly and illicitly, alone, or with strangers, or partners or others. It is how we can surrender to the whelm of desire. It is why, in the images here, we see the smirks, but we also see defiance.
Put another way: for our fifth wedding anniversary this year, my wife Debbie gave me a piece of art from Joseph Beuys, a 3inx8in piece of paper with the word “SURRENDER” in bold type. My cheeks immediately warmed because I knew the art was not just art. It was an offering.
‘Our bodies have changed. We’re using gentler toys now’
Bustie, 49, burlesque performer, and Tony, 60, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bustie: Sex has really changed for Tony and me as our bodies have changed. For me, it’s perimenopause, and Tony has a spinal cord injury. Tony was active in the BDSM scene and I was always a really sexual person, so there has been a lot of grief. But it was nice to take the toys out for the photo. Some of them we hadn’t used for a while – it was a bit of a sad moment. You think, where have you been? Tony has started to give some away to friends because they should be enjoyed – especially the beautiful leather ones.
Bodies change over time. What feels good now might not feel good 10 years later. What’s changed is which toys we play with. To wield a whip, you need to be able to stand, balance, have strength in your arm; it’s quite a workout. And for me, sometimes with perimenopause, genitals respond differently, and vibrators feel more intense. So we’re using different, gentler toys now, much more foreplay and much more lube.
The root of the stigma is the patriarchy. A straight man who has a lot of sex isn’t shamed about it, but everyone else is.
‘My first vibrator was horrible – it was a wake-up call’
Frida, 37, sex shop owner, Milan, Italy
My first sex toy was horrible! I got it in my early 20s from a shop in Berlin – this terrible red, huge, too hard vibrator. I think I used it once and put it in a drawer. It was a bit of a wake-up call for me. I thought, maybe I have to be the person who brings higher-quality products to people.
So 10 years ago I opened a shop called Wovo (which sounds like the Italian word for “egg”). It could trivially be considered a sex shop, but I wanted it to be a point of connection for Milanese subcultures, where people don’t have to feel as if they need to hide or justify themselves for having unconventional sexual preferences. It’s a place where the topic is, first and foremost, normalised. We organise sex parties which have strict rules about consent and people as sexual subjects, not objects, and this also challenges a very rooted cultural idea about owning one’s partner.
Social media has done a great job on the normalisation of sex and masturbation, but also of the non-desire for sex. It’s important to make all people feel included.
I also think the influence of family in Italy means that we inherit a cultural legacy of fascism from our grandparents, which obviously limits sexual freedom and gender expression. Historically, we have not been a particularly rebellious country that fought for its rights; whereas in Spain, for example, the feminist struggle has made itself heard much more.
‘Before the internet, I had to be resourceful’
Griffon, 45, artist and entrepreneur, New York, US (photographed in Austin, Texas)
I grew up in the Oregon countryside before the internet was around to answer my questions, give me ideas, or offer something like Amazon to deliver what I needed at a moment’s notice. I used to use all sorts of things: tampons before I even got my period, vegetables from the garden – once I sculpted a dildo out of duct tape. Looking back, I am amazed at how resourceful I was.
Now I love to use the Hitachi Magic Wand with my partners, combined with a thrusting dildo if I’m playing alone. Where sex toys are winning in my life is that I actually orgasm. I’m amazed at how often men don’t even care if we enjoy it.
‘Sex is resistance’
Coco, 30, clinical sexologist, Thailand
Sex is not just pleasure – it’s resistance. Every time I claim ownership of my desires, I reject the patriarchal script that says my body exists for male consumption. Society polices women’s sexuality through slut-shaming, purity culture, and reproductive control – but my autonomy is my rebellion. Whether I embrace celibacy, casual sex, self-pleasure, or committed intimacy, the power lies in my decision.
Sex toys are illegal here in Thailand; talking about them has become how I “screen” people. If someone claims they’re open-minded but then says legalising sex toys is “morally debatable”? Out. After sharing my story, I realised how many people were waiting for someone to say out loud that it’s OK to like sex. To have a body that doesn’t fit some bullshit “standard”. To unapologetically take up space in a world that tells us to be quiet, ashamed, and small. I do it because the second I did, people exhaled.
‘For me, talking about sex is like talking about food’
Enkiny, 29, artist, Qingdao, China
I don’t see any difference between the topic of sex and something like food – I can say I like spicy or sweet flavours, and I can express my love for sex toys. However, with older generations like my parents’, I would never talk about sex toys in front of them; it’s still something they would find difficult to accept.
In my art, I explore themes of self-awareness, including sexuality. That is a result of the social environment we live in. My German friends and I can discuss sex, and there’s no embarrassment. On the other hand, in China, most people tend to avoid the topic.
My ex-partner and I both believed that sex toys were an important part of enhancing our experiences. But when I was gifted a whip, that took me by surprise!
‘Showing myself like this encourages people to live freely’
Serena, 35, nurse, Florence, Italy
For me, sex is a necessity. I crave it and think it’s essential in my relationship above all. As a homosexual woman, toys take the pleasure of penetration to a higher level. In long-term relationships, they encourage you to discover yourself and your partner. Also when you imagine how to first use them, it’s fun. At the moment, the curve dildo is my favourite, because of its shape and dimensions.
There aren’t many spaces where you can share thoughts about sexuality without being judged. I don’t really care what others think of my personal life – it’s called personal for a reason. By showing myself to the public, I’d like to encourage people to live freely.
‘Toys are a curiosity but I can live without them’
Nadia, 36, geophysicist, Kilamba, Angola
For me, sex is a synonym of relaxation. It’s a biological manifestation of the fact we were born to complement one another. This is my favourite toy, but for me they are mere curiosity – I can live without them.
‘People ask: are they all yours?’
Enrica, 33, data visualisation manager, Milan, Italy
Sometimes with my partner I felt blocked, and so initially I used sex toys alone to try to get back in touch with myself and my body. The sensations you get when you know your body are totally different. It unlocks pathways to emotional connection with a partner, and also creates a connection with yourself and with your body that you then carry into the rest of your life.
I bought my first dildo about two years ago out of curiosity, during a Black Friday sale. After using it, I wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner and why none of the people close to me had told me to do it. My favourite depends on my mood, but it’s probably the clit sucker.
Talking about sex feels normal for me, like I’m showing tools that should be part of everyone’s lives. You don’t have to work in the sex toy industry for it to be normalised; you can work in analytics and still chat with people about it.
I think while there’s still stigma, we are more able to create sex-positive spaces. When people see this picture of me, reactions are split between positivity and, “You’re crazy to expose yourself like this!” and “Are they all yours?”
‘It’s easy fun that is available 24/7’
Daniel, 30, PA to an MP, Berlin, Germany
Sex for me means joy, personal freedom and emancipation. Sexuality constitutes an important part of me as a human being. I have a positive idea of sex and admire the variety of sexual experiences, be it random or intimate, sensitive, rough or whatever.
I prefer casual human bodily contact over the use of sex toys, which I have barely used with other people. But I still see them as a vital part of my sex life. It’s easy fun that is available 24/7. Many people use sex toys – they bring joy and pleasure. Why shouldn’t I speak publicly about them?
‘When I was younger, I wasn’t doing things for my own pleasure’
Sex is a way to discover yourself, a way to try new things and see what we like and don’t like – and that evolves and changes. Over the past five years, I went into a research phase around my sexuality, and sexuality in general – reading books, listening to podcasts and so on. Reading about sex toys and sex education made me want to test out new things. I realised that at times, particularly when I was young, I was doing things not for my own pleasure, but because in some way someone told me to.
I bought my first sex toy in 2011 after watching a Sex and the City episode where they were talking about the Rabbit. Right now, my favourite one is ceramic; I love beautiful objects, so that’s a factor when choosing one.
I’m tired of society always wanting us to shut up about sex. People have kinks, women masturbate just as men do and no, not everyone likes the same things. There are still taboos around it but I hope that talking about sex, self-pleasure and kinks is getting more normalised.
‘I was 18. My mom said: here’s money for a vibrator’
Photograph: Gabriele Galimberti
Jessica, 35, cartoonist, Amsterdam, Netherlands
My introduction to the world of sex toys was nothing short of iconic. I grew up in Maryland in a strong matriarchal family. When I was about 18 my mom found out I was having sex, sat me down and said: “When it comes to your pleasure, you can’t always rely on men to get the job done.” Then, with a knowing smile, she handed me some cash. “Here’s some money for a vibrator.” So armed with her encouragement and the legendary Rabbit vibrator, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery and took control of my own pleasure.
It took me years to realise I could bring my partner into this process. Men often have a fear of sex toys because they think, “But where am I in this?” Men grew up being told the goal is to perform and women were taught to fake orgasms and centre male pleasure. I still think a big problem is that many women don’t know that their own pleasure is valid.
Sex toys are a normal part of many people’s lives, yet a lot of shame still surrounds them. I moved to the Netherlands a decade ago and found myself living in this 17-person university flat, heartbroken, unemployed and embarrassed about my life. So I decided to draw about it. That led to the creation of Vanillacooldance, my cartoon on a mission to break taboos about sexuality and relationships. By sharing my stories and the thousands I get back, we all collectively realise that we’re not alone. Silence breeds shame.
‘Teen girls should be given them’
Alexis, 46, writer, Berlin, Germany
Toys teach me to slow down and savour new pleasure paths. My ex-partner gifted me a toy for my 40th birthday. My clitoris was thrilled! Now I test them for the brand.
I wish we were given toys as teenagers as part of public education, before we even had partnered sex. Because from a female perspective, I think we are overtly and subconsciously taught that we are here to give pleasure, to perform pleasure and to be receptive to this external force. And that creates a really messed-up feedback loop. If we were to give a young lady of maybe 16 a toy to start to explore her body, it would help de-stigmatise self-pleasure and agency. Can you imagine the dialogue that would open up around that?
‘Men can be scared of sex toys’
Hugo, 31, painter, and Tania, 34, performance artist and acrobat, Berlin, Germany
Tania: Sex should be playful and exploratory, a way of showing love and affection to yourself and your partner. Toys are the perfect way to experience new sensations and intensify existing ones, and also to explore outside the gender roles of sex. I came out as queer not long ago and it was life-altering to realise that if I wanted a big and beautiful pink cock, I could have one.
It has been a slow journey of self-discovery with my own desires and sexuality. Growing up femme-presenting and a people-pleaser, sex was more about the other person than my own experience of pleasure. My first toy was a little bullet vibrator that my roommate in college went to buy with me when one drunken night I told her I had never had an orgasm. It wasn’t until I met Hugo that I really got into sex toys. I remember being a little overwhelmed and excited seeing his collection for the first time, and almost surprised that he had so many toys designed for female pleasure. I had never had a partner who was interested in pleasing me without reciprocal expectations.
I grew up in a household that never discussed sex. I was born in Italy, where you don’t even talk about tampons; then I went to Catholic school in Georgia, US. Our sex education was basically just showing all the diseases you could get – it stunted my sexuality. Living in Berlin, and with this relationship in particular, I felt excited and safe exploring my sexuality. Our connection has only deepened through the use of sex toys; they allow us to please each other in ways we never thought possible.
Hugo: I’m a surrealist painter and include sex toys in my paintings. When I was growing up, there was an idea that sex toys were only for women or old people. Men can be scared of them. First, there’s a bit of homophobia; then also the idea that if you introduce one into your relationship, you’re admitting you’re not enough for your woman. But toys bring a lot of pleasure and fun, especially in a couple situation.
‘I want to fight prejudices about overweight women’
I don’t have a partner right now, so toys help me not to lose interest in sex. A close friend owns a sex shop and gave me my first one. I don’t use it any more, but keep it as a souvenir. At the moment, my favourite is the Womanizer; I call it the Porsche of vibrators.
In Kazakhstan, the topic of sex is taboo. When I published photos of myself in underwear on social networks, several people said overweight women should be ashamed to show themselves. I want to fight prejudices about overweight women. We are also beautiful, sexy, love sex and orgasms.
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Curtis Jones caps a strong Summer League showing with 22 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals.
• Download the NBA App • Summer League: Complete Coverage
• Nuggets 106, Lakers 84: Box Score | Game Detail
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 106-84 in the NBA 2K26 Summer League at Thomas & Mack Center on Friday.
There were nine ties and 14 lead changes through the opening three quarters, with neither team leading by more than six points until the final 12 minutes. Denver was the one who snapped that streak, outscoring Los Angeles in the fourth quarter, 30-15. The Nuggets also outscored the Lakers in all four quarters. Denver shot 52 percent from the field while holding Los Angeles to 41 percent shooting. They really dominated down low, outscoring the Lakers in the paint, 62-26. The Nuggets also outscored the Lakers in fastbreak points, 21-6, and in points off turnovers, 19-7.
The Lakers (1-4) had just one starter reach double figures in scoring, with Cole Swider compiling 17 points and six rebounds. R.J. Davis led the bench with 17 points and three assists. Ethan Taylor tallied 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Sir’Jabari Rice had 14 points and three boards.
The Nuggets (2-3) were led by Curtis Jones, collecting 22 points, five rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Reyne Smith led the bench with 17 points and three assists. Donovan Williams amassed 16 points and six rebounds, while Terrence Hargrove Jr. had 12 points and six rebounds.
