We must not panic about Covid variants – the vaccines are working

Water crisis is creating nightmare conditions across the Middle East

Griffin Connolly

The ‘moderates’ in the US Senate aren’t who you think they are

NYC and California order state workers to get vaccinated against Covid

Those remaining unvaccinated will be ordered to take regular Covid-19 tests

Britney Spears asks for accountant to replace father as conservator

Trump spurns George P Bush to endorse Paxton for Texas AG

Tokyo 2020

Video shows schoolmates going wild as 17-year-old US swimming prodigy wins surprise gold

‘I wasn’t really expecting a gold medal so when I looked up at the scoreboard, it was insane’

MyKayla Skinner posts heartfelt message after crashing out of Olympics

Second Olympic athlete sent home for refusing to face Israeli opponent

Naomi Osaka knocked out of Tokyo Olympics

Here is the reason Olympic swimmers wear two caps in the pool

Olympics urges stars to stop biting medals made from recycled phones

Tokyo 2020: Gymnast takes knee and raises clenched fist in BLM tribute

Team USA swimmer Caeleb Dressel throws gold medal to teammate

Weightlifter trained with water bottles before winning first gold

Why are the Olympic skateboarders all so young?

Andino celebrates surf victory over Florence with throat-slash gesture

Three Team USA surfers through to quarterfinals and in hunt for medals

News

Photos show speed of Dixie fire as it consumes California homes

Fueled by the effects of climate change, the Dixie and Fly fires have merged to create the 15th largest wildfire in California history

‘The long term fight’: How Democrats plan to save voting rights

Kanye West’s Donda listening party breaks record

Independent TV

White House to maintain travel restrictions as UK is red listed by CDC

California Governor compares unvaccinated people to drunk drivers

Biden announces recognition of long Covid under ADA

Watch live as White House press secretary Jen Psaki holds briefing

Fans react as cast of new Exorcist trilogy is revealed

Tobacco firm Philip Morris calls for ban on cigarettes within decade

Dutch teen on Blue Origin flight told Bezos he’s never used Amazon

Échale un vistazo a Independent en Español

Tokio 2020: Paola Espinosa desata la polémica por incendiario tuit

Pedro Castillo anuncia que renunciará a su sueldo de presidente de Perú

Liga MX: Lo que dejó la Jornada 1 del Apertura 2021

AMLO asegura que tercera ola de COVID-19 es de menor intensidad

How Tom Harkin gave the first Senate speech in American Sign Language

Ted Lasso has the most elusive quality in TV: charm

The 5 outfits Lady Kitty Spencer wore to her wedding

Sport

Is Canada vs Great Britain on TV? Time, channel and how to watch

Flatmates and record-breakers – A look at Tom Dean and Duncan Scott

Dean overcomes Covid twice before beating friend Scott to Olympic gold

Argentinian fencer gets surprise proposal on camera from her coach

Culture

Paris Hilton supports Britney Spears after new conservatorship report

The Exorcist’s Linda Blair hasn’t been approached for $400m reboot

Lizzo asks fans for ‘six feet’ of space as Delta variant spreads

Pink offers to pay the fine for Norwegian women’s handball team

Mike Howe death: Lead singer of Metal Church dies at 55

Love Island 2021

Dale from Love Island: Casa Amor contestant in profile

Anita Rani questions Strictly result if she ‘didn’t have a brown face’

Tech

Bitcoin falls again after sudden recovery in crypto market

Apple bringing facial recognition to other products, rumour suggests

Elon Musk reveals SpaceX owns bitcoin and has no plans to sell

Ethereum price shoots up after Elon Musk reveals personal investment

Lifestyle

What should you actually do if you’re affected by a flood?

How to attract beautiful dragonflies to your garden

Limbo: Humour and humanity central to new film about the refugee crisis

Carol Kirkwood on romance, BBC shake-up rumours and her new career as a novelist

8 simple tips for making the most of a small bedroom

UK adults worried about appearance when meeting up, poll suggests

Health and Wellbeing

Here’s how to focus in a busy office

Grieving boyfriend uses chatbot to emulate dead girlfriend’s texts