Microplastics can’t be avoided completely, but even small steps in the right direction can help significantly

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On a recent trip to New Orleans, the king cake baby became, for me, a symbol of plastic’s ubiquity in the food system. King cakes are a beloved Mardi Gras season sweet, and when bakers are done cooking them, they hide a small plastic baby in each. Whoever gets a slice with the baby in it receives good luck in the coming year.

I write about toxic chemicals for a living, so when I learned about the tradition, I let out a small groan while estimating how many microplastics the baby must be shedding into the cake.

Ukrainian president has held talks with PM Keir Starmer ahead of defence summit with European leaders tomorrow

• ‘He defended our honour’: Ukrainians react to Zelenskyy’s clash with Trump

Ukraine has destroyed 103 drones launched by Russia during an overnight strike, its air force has said.

In full: Zelenskyy and Trump meeting descends into heated argument in front of the press – video

As the Bond franchise heads to the online giant, thriller author William Boyd foresees a slew of spin-offs and says AI is not a threat to human screenwriters

Among the people best placed to predict how any James Bond of the future might look is a British writer with a strong feel for spies and for spying. William Boyd has been drawn back to the terrain repeatedly in his books. What’s more, he wrote his own official Bond novel, Solo, in 2013.

Now Amazon has picked up the rights to the character, Boyd foresees a succession of 007 spin-off products and entertainments. Perhaps even be new AI-generated novels? “Certainly wait for Bond aftershave – and for the theme park and the dinner jackets,” he said. “The new owners will have to commodify everything about their billion-dollar purchase, so there will be nightclubs and vodkas.”

As he prepares to face Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday, the midfielder talks tactics, up and downs and being part of Norway’s ‘little golden generation’

As Fulham finalise their preparations for Sunday’s trip to Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup, Sander Berge is thinking about how to handle adversity. “It taught me a lot about myself,” the midfielder says, recalling how spirits could have sagged when he was part of unsuccessful fights for survival with Burnley and Sheffield United.

“When you’re struggling every day it’s difficult. That’s a time to show character more than ever. You demand the ball, you take pride in going out there and showing you have the ability to stay at that level. It’s about who you want to be.”