From the gothic noir of Dept. Q to the continued cool of Andor and a miraculous show about a fungus that can heal all illnesses, here are Guardian readers’ favourite shows of the year to date

(Disney+) Andor is a cool, intelligent look at how fascism grows and the cost of resistance. It may be set in a galaxy far far away, but it is in an entirely different universe to any other Star Wars production. No lightsabers; no magic space wizards; barely a stormtrooper in sight – until the grim and horrifying mid-season climax. Who knew committee meetings and wedding parties could be so gripping? It’s as though George Lucas placed the keys to his kingdom in the hands of John le Carré instead of Disney. Remember that fizz of excitement you got as an eight-year-old heading in to see A New Hope? Andor makes this 55-year-old feel the same way. Russell Jones, Cheshire

The PM feels he has to say something about the Middle East but knows his words will have absolutely no impact

It was late into the night. The phone rang in the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem. Benjamin Netanyahu stretched out an arm to take the call.

“Yes.”

Her rhyming tales have enchanted children and parents the world over – but which is the best? From a busker’s cat to a greedy rat, it’s time to rate the hits

• Parents: what is your child’s favourite Julia Donaldson book?

Although Julia Donaldson is best known for her work with Axel Scheffler, her books made with other illustrators yield their own delights. Illustrated by Rebecca Cobb, 2012’s The Paper Dolls has an irresistible sense of childlike wonder, following a string of cut-out dolls as they explore a house while trying to avoid scissors.

From politics to business, the determination to exclude women is purely emotional – a fact that remains as unspoken as it is obvious

MI6 has never had a female head in its 116-year history – until now. How fitting that the first woman should be called Blaise Metreweli. That forename has it all: derring-do (courtesy of Modesty Blaise), onomatopoeia, modernity.

Metreweli will take over in the autumn as C, the real-life version of M from James Bond. She currently runs Q branch, MI6’s technology division, which apparently is named after the Bond quartermaster. No fictional Q has ever been female, but in real life at least two women, including Metreweli, are thought to have held the role. M can be male or female, except now they succeed or fail by how much they resemble Judi Dench, so all of them, including the incumbent, Ralph Fiennes, are de facto female.

Bitcoin, internet, EVs, private dinners for hire – the list of pay-for-play and quid quo pro goes on, and on … and on

The South Lawn of the White House had never seen anything like it. The president of the United States was posing for the world’s media against a backdrop of five different models of Tesla, peddling the electric vehicles with the alacrity of a salesman on commission.

“I love the product, it’s beautiful,” Donald Trump said as he sank into the driver’s seat of a scarlet Model Y. With the Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, beside him, he went on to enlighten the American people that some Tesla models retail for as little as $299 a month, “which is pretty low”.

In Pushers, the comedian and actor plays a disabled woman from Yorkshire who turns to crime after her benefits are cut. She talks about beating trolls, ‘inhumane’ Labour – and her love of gravy

‘No,” says Rosie Jones with a laugh. “I have never done any drug-related illegal activity, believe it or not. But I respect your attempt to try to get me to reveal I am an underground drug dealer. Sorry – not the world I live in!”

We’re having this conversation because Pushers, the comedian and actor’s new series about a disabled woman who turns to drug dealing when her benefits are stopped, kicks off this week on Channel 4. Jones wrote the script and stars as the main character, Emily. How much of it is influenced by her own life? There are, undoubtedly, similarities. “From the very beginning,” Jones says, referring to when she originally came up with the idea, back in 2018, “we knew my character would be northern, working class and disabled.” That was important for two reasons: firstly, Jones’s favourite sitcoms growing up all featured “gritty” northern characters; and secondly, those sitcoms lacked any representation of disability.

Hostilities continue for fourth day but Iran reportedly seeking urgent negotiations to end strikes and resume nuclear talks

• Iran strikes Tel Aviv and Haifa as conflict enters fourth day

• Living in Israel: how have you been affected?

• Living in Iran: how have you been affected?

If you are just tuning in to the latest developments in the escalating conflict in the Middle East, here is our new wrap on the strikes between Israel and Iran.

Iran has executed a man who was found guilty of spying for Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday, as reported by Reuters.

A guide to the nuclear sites, residential areas and military installations that have been hit during the conflict so far

• Middle East crisis – latest updates

The conflict began on Friday when Israel launched predawn strikes that hit more than 100 targets, including nuclear facilities and missile sites, and killed senior military commanders and scientists. That attack set off an escalating series of tit-for-tat exchanges, raising fears of a wider, more dangerous regional war.

Residential areas in both countries have suffered deadly strikes since the hostilities broke out. As of Monday, Iran’s health ministry said 224 people had been killed and 1,277 injured; while official Israeli sources said 23 civilians had been killed and nearly 60 injured.

UK prime minister and French president among those pressing for de-escalation of conflict with Israel

• Middle East crisis – live updates

• US politics live – latest updates

European leaders at the G7 summit in Canada are trying to engineer an Iranian return to the negotiating table using Gulf leaders as intermediaries.

But Iran is demanding a joint ceasefire with Israel, while Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, is resisting the move, and Donald Trump has yet to show his hand.

Death toll is highest yet reported in near-daily shootings since US-backed group began aid operations in territory

• Middle East crisis – live updates

At least 37 Palestinians were killed on Monday in new shootings in Gaza near food distribution centres run by private US contractors guarded by Israeli troops, local authorities said.

Witnesses blamed the shootings on Israeli troops who opened fire early in the morning in an effort to control crowds of hungry Palestinians converging on two aid hubs managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private organisation that began operating recently in the devastated Palestinian territory with Israeli and US support.