A singularly horrendous TV show has crashed the star-rating review economy. But if zero stars is the new benchmark for critical rage, three films deserve the big 0

Kim Kardashian’s world-historically horrendous TV show All’s Fair has detonated a firestorm of critical horror which, as well as everything else, may have undermined the currency of the star-rating review economy. My colleague Lucy Mangan gave Kardashian’s show an all-but-unprecedented zero stars and zero stars are in fact very rare on this paper.

Yet perhaps in the post-Kardashian world they will become more commonplace. I actually have the distinction of giving the first zero star review in the Guardian’s history — for Cuba Gooding’s terrible comedy Boat Trip back in 2002. But it’s weird. There have been worse films than that which didn’t get zeroed. Not many. But some.

In this new series, our money and consumer editor considers the often perplexing reasons items cost what they do. As a new report suggests booze-free booze can cost 25% more than the alcoholic equivalent, what could possibly explain this?

Why do some 0% alcohol drinks cost as much as booze? Some of the fake spirits in my local supermarket cost more than £25 a bottle!

It doesn’t seem to make any sense, does it? Alcohol attracts tax and soft drinks do not, so why do some of the options on the no/low shelf have such big price tags? When browsing the drinks menu at a London venue recently, I saw a sparkling non-alcoholic wine costing £85 – enough to make me wonder if there’s a fake-champagne bubble.

Justice secretary seemed to be the only person not being released, as he hid from questions about latest prison mishaps

It was a message of defiance. A show of strength from the justice department. The system may be in crisis but there was leadership at the very top. There was one prisoner who was most definitely not getting an accidental early release. And that was the justice secretary himself.

After his distinctly disastrous showing – he had the shadow defence secretary, James Cartlidge, to thank for it not being far worse – while standing in for Keir Starmer at prime minister’s questions, David Lammy has been kept banged up on 15-minute observation watch by civil servants and advisers inside the department. Allowed out of his office only under electronic tag for toilet breaks.

Some see anti-Noriega operation as model for deposing Maduro but others say war of bluff and intimidation is more likely option

Michael Durant watched through night-vision goggles as two 2,000-pound laser-guided bombs slammed on to the Panamanian airbase while he hovered off the country’s south coast in a Black Hawk helicopter.

“A gigantic flash, followed by a boom … [like] the largest lightning strike you’ve ever seen in your life,” the retired US army pilot recalled of the opening salvo of the Battle of Rio Hato Airfield in December 1989.

Priscilla knows that when Chioma calls her ‘Pris’ she means no harm – but finds it very annoying. You get to name the offending party
• Take part in the Guardian’s You be the judge live event
• Get a disagreement settled or become a YBTJ juror

I hate being called Prissy – my cousins used to call me that when I was a kid and I’d get upset

Her nickname was born out of love. I feel hurt she’s framing it as if I’ve been disrespecting her

On one hand, no more safe seats or long careers could mean less complacency. On the other, no big parties could mean greater corporate influence

Politics as we have known it in Britain for more than a century seems to be falling apart. Only six years ago, at the 2019 election, the Conservatives and Labour got 76% of the vote between them, coming first and second in both votes and seats, as they have at every general election since 1922. Yet in most opinion polls now, the two parties around which politics is usually arranged at Westminster, in the media, and in the minds of millions of voters, activists and party donors have a combined support of less than 40%.

Not only has Reform UK surged well past them, Labour and the Tories are no longer consistently ahead of the Greens and Liberal Democrats – and sometimes level with them, or even narrowly behind. With an inexperienced, hard-right populist party dominating, and an equally unprecedented four-way battle to be Reform’s main challenger, British politics appears to be assuming a strange and volatile new shape.

Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist

Exclusive: Woman who accused Karim Khan of misconduct was subject of covert operation involving two British private intelligence firms

The woman who has accused the prosecutor of the international criminal court of sexual abuse has been targeted by private intelligence firms as part of a covert operation said to have taken place on behalf of Qatar.

The Guardian can reveal details of the intrusive operation, which has obtained sensitive information about the woman, who works at the ICC, and her family members.

New deputy leader also calls on government to lift two-child benefit cap urgently and in full

Labour should stand by its manifesto commitment not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT, its deputy leader, Lucy Powell, has said in a challenge that will put pressure on Rachel Reeves.

With the Treasury examining whether to raise income tax to plug a £30bn fiscal hole, Powell said it was “really important we stand by the promises we were elected on and do what we said we would do”.

Police continue hunt for Algerian sex offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif as fraudster returns to Wandsworth jail

A fraudster mistakenly released from prison this week has handed himself back in as a hunt continues for a convicted sex offender who was also accidentally freed.

While David Lammy, the justice secretary, insisted the government would clampdown on clerical errors, William Smith was filmed waving to cameras and hugging his partner before he walked back into HMP Wandsworth, in south-west London.

Three towns attacked despite truce with Hezbollah in what Israeli military says was effort to prevent group rearming

The Israeli military has carried out a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon in what it described as an attempt to prevent Hezbollah rearming.

Israeli warplanes struck the towns of Kfar Dounine, Tayr Debba and Zawtar al-Sharqiya on Thursday, about an hour after issuing evacuation warnings to residents. No deaths had been reported at the time of publishing.