The Guardian

Exclusive: University College London acquires Gollancz archive that was in danger of being dispersed forever

George Orwell’s correspondence, contracts and readers’ reports relating to his earliest novels are among historic papers that have been saved for the nation after an outcry over their initial dispersal.

University College London (UCL) said it had acquired the archive of the Nineteen Eighty-Four author’s publisher as “a valuable piece of Britain’s cultural heritage”.

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We know some medications work differently in men and women. Why is it taking so long for studies to reflect this?

The first step, they say, is admitting you have a problem, and on that front the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has made some much-needed progress. The agency, which is responsible for approving all clinical trials in the UK, has identified a “notable imbalance” in trials conducted between 2019 and 2023: there were nearly twice as many all-male trials as all-female trials.

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

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With a magnificent scouse accent and entertainingly debauched lyrics, EsDeeKid is blowing up fast – plus check out new music from Fiona Apple and more

From Liverpool
Recommended if you like Playboi Carti, 2hollis, YT
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Second in the league table of unfairly maligned British accents behind Brummie, nothing sounds like scouse, consonants rolling around at the back of the mouth while vowels wheedle their way to the front. Delivering the accent at its most potent is rapper EsDeeKid, part of a vibrant UK rap underground going any which way after the drill years.

Meeting aimed at de-escalating trade war after Chinese exports beat expectations despite slump in trade

Donald Trump has floated cutting tariffs on China from 145% to 80% before a weekend meeting as he looks to de-escalate the trade war.

Top US officials are expected to meet a high-level Chinese delegation this weekend in Switzerland in the first significant talks between the two nations since Trump provoked a trade war with stiff tariffs on imports.

Grace Marsceau promised to pack A Million Lives event. Authors arrived to empty rooms, unpaid bills and no decor

In the days leading up to the A Million Lives book festival, things already seemed amiss. Grace Marsceau, the event organizer, messaged an attending author that the DJ was in the hospital and the company had no replacement. She owed the hotel “six figures” because the room block hadn’t sold out, according to messages.

Asked about his tariffs’ impact, the president has repeatedly pointed to dolls – because they’re seen as feminine, childlike and frivolous

Donald Trump has found a new target for his trademark mockery and dismissal: little girls.

In comments at a 30 April cabinet meeting, the president seemed to dismiss the economic impact of his chaotic tariff regime on American consumers by citing girls as the primary complainants. “Somebody said, oh, the shelves are going to be open,” Trump said. “Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls. And maybe the two dolls will cost a couple bucks more than they would normally.”

Casting A-listers such as Florence Pugh strongly suggests these misfit superhero also-rans will not be limited to just one adventure

Warning: contains spoilers

This article contains major spoilers, so do not read if you have not watched Thunderbolts*. There was always something deeply suspicious about that asterisk, and now the word is out. If you’ve been to see it during the past week, you’ll know that the motley crew of antiheroes and sometime superheroes led by Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and David Harbour’s Red Guardian may well be the New Avengers.

Casting A-listers such as Florence Pugh strongly suggests these misfit superhero also-rans will not be limited to just one adventure

Warning: contains spoilers

This article contains major spoilers, so do not read if you have not watched Thunderbolts*. There was always something deeply suspicious about that asterisk, and now the word is out. If you’ve been to see it during the past week, you’ll know that the motley crew of antiheroes and sometime superheroes led by Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and David Harbour’s Red Guardian may well be the New Avengers.

John Prevost says his brother is middle-of-the-road but shares Pope Francis’s concerns about Trump’s policy

Despite the pronouncements of veteran Vatican-watchers, the rash of profiles and the raking over of old statements, very few people seem to know exactly where Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost – now known as Pope Leo XIV – stands on the big issues of the day.

But one person who has a better idea than most is the new pontiff’s elder brother John Prevost.