News, culture and style

After the Ayatollah

The unlikely heir

Mojtaba Khamenei is expected to maintain his father’s hardline. But he is a little-known figure who may find it difficult to assert authority within Iran’s political system

By Ruth Michaelson

Lebanon

Trail of destruction

More than 40 people were killed when Israeli commandos tried to recover the body of an airman who disappeared over Lebanon four decades ago. The night raid raises questions about Israel’s war aims, Oliver Marsden writes

Manosphere

The kids aren’t alright

Young men have become more conservative. After spending some time on TikTok, disguised as a teenage boy, Lily Isaacs believes its algorithm may be partially to blame

Space

Musk, Mars and the moon

Elon Musk once saw colonising Mars as the only way to save humanity. Now he is focusing on building a city on the moon Giles Whittell writes

News in brief

Royal Mail

The price of stamps is going up again

Space

Nasa altered the orbit of an asteroid circling the Sun

Politics

A former rapper will be the next leader of Nepal

Television

Switzerland chooses to keep world’s highest TV licence fee

For today

Fred Harter

Keir Starmer is a punching bag of the US president

Andrew Anthony

Conan O’Brien, the Oscars’ host with a love of the absurd

Harry Lambert

‘I speak to my parents every single day – it’s essential’

Katherine Cowles

Olivier awards 2026: it’s the year of the musical

The Last Time, with Harry Lambert

The British stylist — best known for making fashion choices for Emma Corrin, Alexander Skarsgard and his long-time friend Harry Styles — tells us about the last time he checked social media, belly laughed and cried.