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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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Can Aryna Sabalenka find a way to repair her collapsed form? | Tumaini Carayol
With one semi-final in her last seven tournaments, the coming months will define the next stage of her career Towards the end of a messy first set tie-break late on Wednesday, Aryna Sabalenka wildly sprayed another painfully nervous backhand before slamming her racket to the ground. As the racket connected with the acrylic floor, its vibration dampener detached from the strings and rolled off in the direction of the broadcast camera pit by the side of the court. With the diminutive 20-year‑old Czech player Sara Bejlek leading Sabalenka 6-5 in the tie-break, this slapstick sequence forced play to pause while the Belarusian and a couple of volunteers comically searched for the missing vibration damper underneath the cameras until she gave up and retrieved a new one. A few minutes later, Sabalenka trailed by a set. Continue reading...
Australia news live: PM says he shouldn’t have gone on Bush Deep podcast; home sales to overseas buyers plunge
Albanese said now-infamous interview, dubbed ‘melon-gate’, taught him he needs ‘to do better every day’. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Anthony Albanese says the AFL “certainly needs to do better” after an alleged sexual assault that occurred at a hotel in Melbourne early on Monday morning. Asked on ABC’s 7.30 about the incident, the prime minister said: Continue reading...
Man suffered brain injury and severe bruising after ICE arrest in Virginia, records show
José Mejía Hernandez, 45, who was hospitalized for his injuries, was then transferred to an ICE office and fitted with an ankle monitor A man in Virginia was hospitalized with a brain injury and severe bruising all over his face after he was arrested by US immigration agents, according to his lawyers, who shared photos and medical records with the Guardian. José Mejía Hernandez, 45, was walking to a bus stop in Arlington on the morning of 11 August when two agents got out of an unmarked vehicle and started chasing him, according to one of his lawyers, Margaret Hellerstein. The man recalled being hit by some kind of stun gun, but did not remember what happened after that, only waking up hours later in the hospital, Hellerstein said. Continue reading...
US places sanctions on 10 people over alleged Hezbollah cash-smuggling ring
Courier network carried millions of dollars in cash to Lebanon on commercial flights, treasury department says The US treasury department announced sanctions on Thursday against 10 people it says formed a courier network that smuggled hundreds of millions of dollars to Hezbollah by carrying cash onboard commercial flights between Iran, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. The office of foreign assets control (OFAC) said the network allowed Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group,to obtain foreign currency and dodge sanctions outside the formal banking system. The treasury department linked the operation to a scheme once associated with Behnam Shahriyari, a now-deceased finance official for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. Continue reading...
Trump administration faces questions over top aide Natalie Harp’s security clearance
Ex-White House ethics tsar calls it ‘shocking’ that executive assistant to US president didn’t have clearance for a year US politics live – latest updates The White House faced fresh questions on Thursday over whether Donald Trump’s closest aide, Natalie Harp, had access to US government secrets without security clearance. Harp, who is executive assistant to the US president, worked at the White House for a year without the routine clearance, the MS Now network reported on Thursday . She refused to file the relevant forms for unknown reasons, according to two unnamed sources cited by MS Now. Continue reading...
Woman charged with planning IS-inspired attack on New York state capitol building
Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, allegedly planned to deploy explosive before fleeing to IS-controlled territory in Syria US authorities arrested and charged a New York woman with planning to carry out an Islamic State-inspired attack on the state’s capitol building in Albany, the justice department said on Thursday. Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, was charged with planning to deploy an explosive device at the state capitol with the intention of killing public officials and destroying “as much of the building as possible” before fleeing to IS-controlled territory in Syria, according to John A Eisenberg, assistant attorney general for national security. Continue reading...
Controversial California oil pipeline can continue to operate, judge rules
State sought to stop system off coast of Santa Barbara from resuming operations after Trump ordered its reopening A controversial oil pipeline can continue to operate off the California coast after a judge gave it the greenlight this week, despite the opposition of state regulators and environmental groups. The system off the coast of Santa Barbara resumed operations earlier this year for the first time in more than a decade after Donald Trump ordered Sable Offshore Corporation to reopen it, citing US energy needs during the war in Iran. It had been closed since 2015 when a burst pipe caused one of California’s worst oil spills, and its reopening was supposed to be governed by a federal consent decree. Continue reading...
Lindsay Clancy murder trial draws some 300 US supporters, many of them women: ‘nobody takes us seriously’
The attorney for Clancy, who strangled her three children, says she suffered from postpartum psychosis Hundreds of Lindsay Clancy supporters, many wearing pink clothing emblazoned with phrases such as “Believe”, “She Needed Help” and “Peace For Lindsay”, gathered on Thursday outside the courthouse where she is on trial in the killings of her three children. Several of the 300 women, and a few men, said Clancy’s story resonated with them and that they wanted to raise awareness about how the mental health system treats women. Clancy’s lawyer does not dispute that she killed the children, but says she should not be held criminally responsible because she was mentally ill. Continue reading...
ICE detains captain of New York boat that capsized and led to death of mother and daughter
DHS says Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana is in US illegally after lying to border patrol when he entered in 2007 The captain of a boat that capsized in the New York harbor, resulting in the death of a woman and her infant daughter, has been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ), with the federal agency saying it intends to deport him. The deadly incident unfolded near the Statue of Liberty on 8 August. Authorities said a 911 call was received at approximately 10.25pm that prompted a major emergency response including multiple boat teams, a scuba team and a helicopter unit. Continue reading...
‘Here we go’: Carlos Alcaraz confirms US Open return after four-month injury absence
Seven-time major winner has not played since April Spaniard missed French Open and Wimbledon US Open announces record $108m prize fund Carlos Alcaraz has won his battle to be fit for the US Open. The seven-time grand slam champion has not played on the ATP Tour since April due to an ongoing wrist issue, but enlisted the help of football transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano to announce his comeback. Continue reading...
Leaders attack ‘demotivating’ plan to make pupils who fail GCSEs retake maths and English
Government announce plan for ‘stepping stone’ qualification as 620,000 year 11 students face retaking maths or English after failure to achieve grade 4 The government’s plans to make young people continue studying maths and English if they fail GCSEs could be demotivating and ineffective, according to education experts and school leaders after retake pass rates slumped this year. Only one in seven students in the age group retaking GCSE maths after a previous failure got a grade 4 or above this summer, while only one in six managed to pass English, meaning the majority will have to retake the exams next year if they remain in education or training. Continue reading...
Academic who accused Jason Arday of plagiarism suspended by his university
Researcher Nathan Cofnas previously claimed Black people would hold few high-profile positions in a meritocracy Nathan Cofnas, the academic who made plagiarism allegations against Prof Jason Arday before his death, has been suspended by a university. Arday, 41, resigned from his role at the University of Cambridge this month after Cofnas accused him of plagiarism. The allegations, which were not proven in any formal investigation, triggered questions about Arday’s achievements. Continue reading...
FBI raids Eric Swalwell’s home amid sexual assault claims inquiry – report
Federal agents also ‘seized electronic devices’ from former Democratic representative at San Francisco airport Authorities are said to have searched the Washington DC home of disgraced former California Democratic representative Eric Swalwell on Sunday amid an ongoing law enforcement investigation into sexual assault allegations. CNN reported that federal agents on Saturday “seized electronic devices” from Swalwell at the San Francisco airport, citing unnamed sources familiar with the investigation. Multiple other outlets have confirmed the federal search; the Daily Mail was the first to repor t this law enforcement activity. Continue reading...
Reform UK hates ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees – apprenticeships in dodgy crypto, anyone?
Dicky Tice recalls digging trenches with a JCB as a young man, omitting to say the firm he went on to run was founded by his grandfather You have to hand it to them. Most political parties would have chosen to go quiet, what with it being the middle of August and having next to nothing to say. But Reform are made of stronger stuff. They aren’t bothered that the only interesting thing about them at the moment is that they are fighting like rats in a sack. They seem to wear that as a badge of honour. A coming of age sophistication. So for the second time in a week they called a press conference. Obviously there was no sign of Nigel Farage. He is still in hiding, avoiding answering questions on Reform’s unusual funding models and perhaps having therapy to recover from his humiliating byelection adventure . Nor were we to be graced with Zia Yusuf who is now close to becoming a persona non grata in the party having picked fights with almost everyone. It’s just that no one, least of all Tim Montgomerie, is allowed to say so until Nige works out what to do about him. Continue reading...
US aircraft carrier arrives in Middle East to relieve troubled USS Lincoln
USS George Washington will replace warship families say suffers from shortages, plumbing problems and low morale The USS George Washington aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East, where it is expected to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln from its record deployment amid concerns about poor living conditions and morale. US Central Command announced on Thursday that the Washington arrived in the area on Wednesday, and posted an image of sailors working on the flight deck as the ship transited the Arabian Sea. No date has yet been announced for the Lincoln to return to the US. Continue reading...
‘Biased’ Channel 4 programme on ADHD misrepresented my views, says expert
Prof Katya Rubia withdraws support for The Great ADHD Myth? as other leading figures voice criticisms A contributor to a controversial Channel 4 documentary on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has withdrawn her support for the programme, saying it was biased and could lead to an increased suicide risk by encouraging parents to take their children off medication. Katya Rubia, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, also said The Great ADHD Myth? misrepresented her views. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on GCSE results: much to celebrate, much to reform | Editorial
Another post-pandemic cohort has shown its resilience and talent. But growing inequalities of outcome must be addressed Most pupils who received their GCSE results this week were in the penultimate year of primary school when Covid struck, disrupting their preparation for secondary education. As with other post-pandemic cohorts, their achievements are therefore a testament to their ability, resilience and determination. A strong set of results, particularly in the core subjects of English and maths, should also be seen as a tribute to teachers dealing with ever expanding workloads. Overall the impression is one of a welcome return to stability, as the legacy of the years of cancelled exams and teacher assessments is left behind. The proportion of top grades awarded in England, Wales and Northern Ireland rose compared with last year, but only by a tenth of a percentage point, while the overall pass rate fell by the same margin to 67.3% – the same as in 2019. Nevertheless, the latest results throw up familiar grounds for concern. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on Trump’s MMR executive order: endangering the children he claims to care about | Editorial
The president’s empty advice that children should receive separate jabs against measles, mumps and rubella will only lead to less take-up by parents Nobody wants to hurt a child. The howl of pain, the tears, the look of betrayed shock all make it very hard to deliver a cherished small person to the needle-wielding nurse. But that’s part of being a responsible parent. It becomes a lot tougher if mum or dad is being fed mixed and erroneous messages about the benefits and harms of vaccination. Parents have to make a lot of decisions about what’s right for their child, from the school they should go to and the food they should eat to the hours they should spend on the phone or watching TV. In the US, Donald Trump wants them to add another: do they choose to give their children separate jabs against measles, mumps and rubella, involving six visits to the clinic, or should they opt for the combined MMR vaccine, which does the job in two? For decades, the vast majority of families have been taking the advice of doctors, accepting their assurance that the MMR vaccine is safe and very effective. But what are they to think when a US president announces that the triple jab could be “quite lethal” and signs an executive order advising states to offer separate vaccines? Continue reading...
Man arrested over Nord Stream bombing was consultant on film about it starring Sean Penn
Volodymyr Zhuravlev had been consulted on Snake Island, a dramatised reconstruction of incident Earlier this month locals in Zagreb noticed something odd outside an art deco building. Sandbags and barricades appeared in front of the Esplanade hotel, along with a film crew and extras sporting Ukrainian military uniforms. Soon afterwards the actors Sean Penn and Adrien Brody were spotted on the set in the Croatian capital, together with Doug Liman , the Hollywood director of the Jason Bourne movies. Liman had come to shoot his latest fictional political thriller. Its subject: the 2022 Nord Stream explosions, in which a team of Ukrainian divers allegedly blew up a pipeline supplying Russian oil to Germany. One of the chief suspects, Volodymyr Zhuravlev, had twice eluded the Germany authorities: once allegedly slipping out of Poland in the boot of a diplomatic car, and on another occasion freed by a court. Continue reading...
BBC’s Trevor Nelson recovering after brain tumour surgery
Radio 2 DJ, who stepped back from work commitments in June, says operation went ‘incredibly well’ Trevor Nelson, the BBC Radio 2 DJ, has revealed he had surgery after being diagnosed with a brain tumour and is now on the mend. The broadcaster, 62, said in June that he was taking a break from work commitments to deal with health issues. Continue reading...
Mark Zuckerberg buys 440-acre Strancally castle estate in Ireland
Meta chief executive paid roughly €20m for gothic-style mansion built in 1830 and its surroundings It stretches the definition of pied-à-terre but Mark Zuckerberg now has a pad in Ireland : Strancally castle. The Meta chief executive and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have bought the gothic-style mansion and its 178-hectare (440-acre) estate in county Waterford to use as a base during visits to Ireland. Continue reading...
Reform’s new economic adviser has called for end of pensioners’ triple lock
Exclusive: Mitchell Palmer has also argued for privatising the NHS and immigration as way of cutting poverty Reform UK’s new economic adviser has previously called the pensions triple lock unsustainable, advocated privatising the NHS and welcomed migration as a poverty alleviation tool, the Guardian can reveal. Robert Jenrick, Reform’s economic spokesperson, has appointed Mitchell Palmer, a rightwing economist at the free-market Adam Smith Institute, as one of his key aides. Continue reading...
Charity campaigner’s death from microlight crash injuries was accidental, coroner rules
Claire Lomas had been filming a series for Apple TV in Amman, Jordan when she lost control of the aircraft The death of a disability campaigner after a microlight crash while filming a TV programme for Apple was an accident, a coroner has concluded. An inquest heard on Thursday that Claire Lomas, 44, died of severe traumatic injuries on 22 August 2024, five weeks after a light aircraft that she had been piloting while filming a promotional video for Apple’s Vision Pro headset “veered off the runway” and crashed into a rock in Amman, Jordan, on 15 July. Continue reading...
Why is the Trump administration causing turmoil in the bond markets? | Richard Partington
As yields are dragged higher in the UK, Europe and Japan, the impact for consumers and businesses will be far-reaching Government borrowing costs around the world have surged to the highest levels in decades amid growing fears over US bond market turmoil. Anxiety about Donald Trump’s handling of the US economy, and concern that the US president’s war with Iran is driving up inflation, are causing a sell-off in the US bond market. Continue reading...