Opposition is mounting to the government’s requisition of two of the last green spaces in India’s overheated capital

For decades, the social highlight of winters in Delhi for the “beautiful people” was the polo season. A sprinkling of royalty and diplomats, impeccably groomed women in pearls and chiffon saris, along with wealthy industrialists sporting silk pocket squares used to gather to watch polo players compete under the mild, balmy sun.

They cheered on handsome players who, once the match was over, had children shrieking in delight as they put on a heart-stopping display of tent-pegging derring-do. Swish champagne lunches and other après-polo celebrations followed.

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The latest in our series of writers paying tribute to their favourite comfort films is a pick for a comedy that demands countless rewatching

There’s a moment in Groundhog Day that genuinely changed my life: the bit where, noticing that Andie MacDowell has walked into the party that he’s rocking with an up-tempo boogie-woogie solo, weatherman Phil Connors cuts the band with a gesture, takes off his shades, and pivots straight into a soulful rendition of Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Has Bill Murray ever looked so cool in a film, before or since? Has anyone?

To be upfront, it took me a while to act on my love of that climactic moment (more on this in a minute) but there’s a lot to love in the prototypical time-loop drama even before you get to the Connors redemption arc. Murray, obviously, gets to showcase his full comedic range, moving from irascible cynic to unhinged hedonist to enlightened altruist and somehow keeping us onside for the entire problematic journey. Stephen Tobolowsky puts in a performance that would steal any other film as Ned Ryerson (“Needle-nose Ned! Ned the Head!”), and MacDowell has never played a more charming character than Rita, Phil’s endlessly patient producer. But really, the whole town of Punxsutawney should have got the best supporting actor nod: it’s the sort of place that you could imagine retiring to eat pancakes every morning in a diner where everyone knows your name. Phil might hate it: I love it, more and more every time I watch.

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Coconuts, watermelon … hot doughnuts? We asked five globetrotting chefs for their most memorable seaside eats

Picture a high-summer day at a far-flung beach: the faint putter of lapping waves, drifting plume of suncream scent, and the approaching call of a food hawker making their way across the molten sand. What would you expect, or want, them to be selling? Though cold drinks, fresh fruit and miraculously unmelted ice-creams feel universal, the street snacks and beachside dishes that we crave vary wildly across countries and cultures.

So what pairs best with open water and a coastal breeze all around the world? What should you be on the lookout for when holidaying this summer? And what should you avoid? Here, from custard doughnuts in Portugal and chilli-spiked Mexican coconut pulp to flash-fried red mullet in Cyprus, five chefs fly the flag for the culturally distinct, freshly prepared beach dishes that they spend the whole year craving.

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Germany, Czechia, Poland and Hungary reached record temperatures of more than 40C on Sunday

Like much of Europe, the Czech Republic has been grappling with an unprecedented heatwave for the past two weeks, AFP reported.

“We have seen the peak of an inflow of very warm air from the southwest so there is no wonder [Sunday’s] records were higher than yesterday,” CHMI said on Sunday.

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Makerfield MP and hopeful prime minister to pledge ‘growth in every postcode’

Journalists have been told that Andy Burnham will not be taking questions after his speech today. Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, has described that in a post on social media as “power without accountability”. He says:

Burnham’s coup is well underway.

Big speech today with no questions from journalists. No debate in Parliament. No scrutiny from MPs until September.

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Dunhill maker to cut about a fifth of workforce, aiming to reduce costs and become more ‘technology enabled’

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British American Tobacco (BAT) will cut about a fifth of its 47,000-strong workforce this year, as the cigarette-maker looks for ways to push down costs and become more “technology enabled”.

BAT, which is one of the biggest tobacco groups in the world, has announced it will cut 5,500 jobs by the end of the year and outsource a further 3,500, affecting a ⁠total of 9,000 employees.

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Animatiefilm ‘Minions & Monsters’ diept het oorsprongsverhaal van de vrolijke, in hun unieke eigen taal brabbelende minions verder uit. En geeft bedenker Pierre Coffin de kans een ode te brengen aan zijn filmhelden, met verwijzingen naar stomme-filmkomieken Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin en Harold Lloyd.

​​De Speld Sport Quote van het weekend.

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CANBERRA (ANP/AFP) - Australië en Vanuatu hebben een omvangrijke overeenkomst ondertekend op het gebied van economie en veiligheid. Daarin staat onder meer dat op de eilandengroep in de Grote Oceaan geen buitenlandse militaire basis mag komen. Dit wordt gezien als een maatregel tegen de groeiende Chinese invloed.

China en Australië strijden om invloed in de Zuidelijke Grote Oceaan. Canberra maakt zich zorgen dat Beijing streeft naar een permanente veiligheids- of militaire aanwezigheid in de regio. De Australische regering zal Vanuatu de komende tien jaar steunen met ruim 500 miljoen Australische dollar (ruim 300 miljoen euro).

De Australische premier Anthony Albanese stelt dat het akkoord zijn land de zekerheid geeft dat er geen buitenlandse militaire basis op Vanuatu zal worden gevestigd. Hij spreekt van een "evenwichtige overeenkomst" die zowel de gezamenlijke als de nationale veiligheid en de soevereiniteit van beide landen beschermt.