The stars are no strangers to public scrutiny of their most intimate relationships – but they’ve never experienced anything like this. They talk about playing a famous divorcing couple, and how money makes things revolting

In a London hotel room, Dominic West is weighing up how much he would accept to strip to his socks. In the new series War, West plays a social media billionaire who is supposed to be fairly decent, though there’s one excruciating scene – goading someone to strip for money – that reveals he’s definitely also a bit of a git. “That, I suppose, is the kick billionaires must get: that people would do anything for money,” he says. He wonders what his price would be. His co-star Sienna Miller laughs and says he’d do it “for the lols”, and West grins and says: “No, I’d want three figures. A hundred quid.”

War is a juicy eight-part legal drama, where Miller and West are a divorcing couple – she a narcissistic film star, he said billionaire – so just about all their scenes together are suppurating with contempt, which is fun, but also a bit of a shame because they have such good chemistry. They first worked together 21 years ago in the West End production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. “So we had a history, which was great,” says Miller. There have been many times she’s gone into jobs where “on the first day you’re married to someone and you don’t know them. It’s helpful to have some sort of rapport.”

Israel and the US have used AI to kill in Gaza and Iran, while law enforcement uses it in surveillance and arrests. The future is here

In recent weeks, concerns about AI have forged unlikely alliances in the tech and policy worlds. Tech moguls such as Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Demis Hassabis joined Dario Amodei, Satya Nadella and Bill Gates in sounding the alarm about the dangers of AI and called for a slowdown of the technology’s development despite years of racing for dominance. The senator Bernie Sanders teamed up with Steve Bannon to urge Congress to regulate AI, which has become one of the very few issues to unite Americans across the political spectrum.

The latest moves were sparked in part by the AI researcher Jacob Coxon’s warnings on Twitter/X that AI companies are “gambling with our lives” and believe that the technology “could kill us all by the end of the decade”.

To escape the stresses and strains of adulting, more people are choosing to rekindle their love for childhood toys, games and pastimes

A growing number of adult enthusiasts are rediscovering their love for Lego, helping to fuel a surge in sales that has increased the Danish toymaker’s revenues by 21%.

But Lego isn’t the only childhood pastime people are returning to. We spoke to people who have rediscovered old hobbies about what drew them back. For some, returning to an old pastime offers an escape from the pressures of adult life, while for others it is a chance to reconnect with a younger version of themselves.

Alan Milburn is preparing to implement his report to bring young people back into work. Let’s hope the government will see it through

As certainly as the moon pulls on the tides, Labour governments improve the lives of the poorest children. Just as surely, Conservative governments pull back and reverse the good done. Here we go again: despite the social devastation caused by George Osborne’s cuts last time, Kemi Badenoch announces that she wants to impose cuts to universal credit for the poorest if she gets the chance.

She doesn’t do subtle, none of Iain Duncan Smith’s cruel-to-be-kind routine, but goes straight for populist rabble-rousing, stirring up fact-free contempt for anyone on benefits, with a proposed ban on buying cigarettes and alcohol, or gambling, with benefit money. Welfare, she says, must not be “a lifestyle choice for those who can’t be bothered”. As with all crude rightwing populism, the harm she does spreads hatred of the weak. In this most unequal country, it encourages bullies to kick downwards, stifling more generous human instincts.

Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist

The Mercury prize winner hasn’t been able to go home since falling ill last summer. In his only interview, he opens up about the ‘poignancy’ of finally releasing the new album his stroke shelved

At the end of July 2025, Michael Kiwanuka was back home in Southampton after a series of European gigs. His 2024 album Small Changes had been critically acclaimed and was kept off the UK No 1 slot only by Kendrick Lamar’s GNX. His fifth record, Fudge, was due that autumn. All was going perfectly for the virtuoso singer-songwriter, whose eccentric, genre-busting mix of psychedelic rock, prog soul, blues and gospel had marked him as a real one-off.

Kiwanuka had been expected to appear at the All Together Now festival in County Waterford, Ireland, in the coming days, when an announcement was posted to his Instagram story: “We are so sorry to announce that due to continued illness, and on the advice of doctors, Michael will sadly be unable to perform at the rest of his scheduled festival performances throughout the rest of the summer and the shows in North America in October.”

Boris Karloff’s daughter and composer Michael Shapiro, whose musical score for the 1931 film is finally coming to London, talk about how it became a much-loved classic

Once seen, never forgotten – the 1931 Frankenstein is 95 years old, but still one of the most instantly recognisable of classic horrors. Whether it’s the sight of lanky Boris Karloff lumbering into the frame with his squared-off head, neck bolts and oversized leaden shoes, or the sound of a thunderclap and Colin Clive exclaiming “It’s alive!” as the monster comes to life one stormy night in the laboratory – the film still raises hairs on the back of the neck.

However, this classic has arguably long been missing one element: a continuous musical soundtrack – the original movie had dialogue but no music. In 2001, the American composer Michael Shapiro wrote a full-length score, which he will be conducting alongside the film for the first time in London next month, at Cadogan Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. “It becomes one artistic expression, one artistic experience,” he says. “The film and the music, together, and the audience forgets that I am there.” Shapiro says his music emphasises what is already up on the screen. “Suddenly the film jumps out in a way it never did before.”

⚽ All the latest heading in to the weekend’s action
⚽ De la Fuente wants more from Spain | Mail John

One of the best players in the world right now is Raphinha and Sid Lowe sat down with him about life at Barca, read here:

The Premier League may be on an international break but there are some English domestic games happening this weekend in the Women’s Super League. There are some big matches too with two derbies.

Charlton Athletic v Manchester City, Saturday, 1.30pm

London City Lionesses v Brighton, Saturday, 5pm

Manchester United v West Ham, Sunday, 1pm

Birmingham City v Crystal Palace, Sunday, 2pm

Liverpool v Everton, Sunday, 2pm

Tottenham v Aston Villa, Sunday, 2pm

Chelsea v Arsenal, Sunday, 4.30pm

Three-year-old became separated from a relative in Suffolk and went in direction of pond where he was later found dead

A three-year-old boy who was found dead in a pond after going missing from a playground had left the play area “through a gap in the fence”, an inquest heard.

Noah Woods became separated from a relative after visiting the playground in Merriam Close, Brantham, on the afternoon of 15 September, Suffolk police said.

Far-right activist who was filmed appearing to slash boat with blade is refused bail as he denies charges

The far-right agitator Daniel Thomas has pleaded not guilty to causing criminal damage after he was filmed apparently slashing a boat in the Channel with a blade while an emergency responder was onboard.

Thomas, 37, appeared at Basingstoke magistrates court on Friday morning. He also pleaded not guilty to failing to disclose to police the pin number of his phone, under section 53 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Exclusive: Economist Ravinder Athwal who worked in Keir Starmer’s team is poached from Flint Global

• Business live – latest updates

Ravinder Athwal, the economist who wrote Labour’s 2024 manifesto, is taking on a senior role as an adviser to John Healey, in a move likely to fuel speculation about an early general election.

The chancellor is keen to strengthen his team before the critical budget on 28 October, as the economy is buffeted by high oil prices and rising government borrowing costs.