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Politics
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Double-elimination, reseeding and 20 teams: MLS plans overhaul of playoffs
Format would resemble that of Australian rules football League will ditch conferences for five-division setup Major League Soccer is planning a significant overhaul of its playoff format, multiple league and club sources told the Guardian this week. The changes, which would debut in 2028 alongside the league’s shift to a fall-to-spring schedule, could include a “double-elimination” component and see as many as 20 teams feature. Sources spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the league’s plans. The Guardian has viewed a potential schedule for the new format, in which the playoffs start in late April and unfold over roughly three weeks with MLS Cup being played on Sunday 21 May 2028. The changes to the playoff format would pair with long-reported changes to MLS’s regular season, with the league going to a five-division setup in place of its current Eastern and Western Conference structure. Continue reading...
Como mayor bans bikes in city centre after being hit ‘by one of these beasts’
Alessandro Rapinese denies accusation he is waging personal vendetta against cyclists amid a public backlash The mayor of Como set the wheels of controversy in motion for banning bikes in the walled historic centre of the lakeside city after being hit by one. Alessandro Rapinese’s ban, which comes into force in September, targets about 30 streets and means cyclists, whether it be those on e-bikes or push bikes, will have to dismount or walk their vehicles through those areas. Continue reading...
Founder of China’s Evergrande jailed for life after pleading guilty to fraud
Hui Ka Yan also forfeits all his personal property and the company he set up is given hefty fines Business live – latest updates The founder of Evergrande, one of China’s largest property developers, has been sentenced to life in prison and had all of his personal property confiscated. Hui Ka Yan, 67 and once named by Forbes as China’s richest man, with a net worth of $42.5bn (£31.2bn) in 2017, pleaded guilty in April to eight charges. Continue reading...
Has Trump no shame about all the money he has made since being in office? | Francine Prose
By now we know that charity, generosity and compassion are virtues that the US president doesn’t seem to have even in trace amounts Many years ago, in the crowded corridor of a Manhattan hotel, I was surprised to find myself standing face-to-face with Imelda Marcos, then the first lady of the Philippines. At that time, she was said to possess 3,000 pairs of shoes. I desperately longed to ask the wife of the dictatorial president, Ferdinand Marcos, why anyone could need all those shoes. And more importantly, why would someone spend so much of her country’s wealth on stiletto heels when so many citizens were so desperately poor? But natural reticence, good manners or simply fear prevailed, and I walked away. Continue reading...
From McDonald’s to Congress: can a former fry cook flip a key district for Democrats?
Manny Rutinel hopes price-tag politics can win key voters in Colorado House race During his presidential campaign in October 2024, Donald Trump staged a photo op at a McDonald’s franchise in Pennsylvania, where he was briefly taught how to work the fryer and drive-thru window at the closed restaurant, while making several unsubstantiated claims about Kamala Harris’s past summer job at McDonald’s. The posturing around McDonald’s garnered significant publicity, as Trump and Republicans capitalized on an affordability crisis triggered by high inflation that occurred globally due to the Covid pandemic. Continue reading...
Democrats and Republican outraged over $40tn national debt – US politics live
Deficit has doubled over the past decade with spending growing under Trump and Biden US gross national debt tops $40tn for first time Sign up for the US Breaking News email Hello and welcome to our live coverage of US politics. The US gross national debt reached $40tn for the first time on Wednesday, the highest in US history. Continue reading...
North Korea fires 10 missiles day after Trump curtails South Korea joint drills
Launches, detected by South Korea and Japan, came after US scaled back exercises with South Korea in apparent overture to Kim Jong-un North Korea launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, a day after North Korea shrugged off Trump’s order to scale back military drills with South Korea in an apparent bid to resume diplomacy. The joint chiefs of staff said the launches happened from North Korea’s capital region around 5pm (0800 GMT) on Thursday. The military said the missiles were launched towards North Korea’s eastern waters. Continue reading...
We are finally witnessing the decline of corporate Democrats | Robert Reich
Americans are backing progressives not because they want socialism, but because they want candidates who will fight for the working class Most discussions about the Democratic party in this election cycle focus on the remarkable rise of progressive Democrats, such as the Florida state representative Angie Nixon, a democratic socialist who scored an upset win in the Democratic US Senate primary on Tuesday. But an equally big story is the remarkable decline of corporate Democrats. Continue reading...
First Thing: Israel admits its soldiers opened fire at car carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab
Israeli military orders criminal investigation into deaths of Hind and six family members. Plus, FCC chair Brendan Carr’s close coordination with White House revealed Good morning. The Israeli military admitted on Wednesday its troops had opened fire on a car carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab and six family members in Gaza in 2024, saying it had ordered a criminal investigation into the killing. What prompted the investigation? The Israel Defense Forces repeatedly denied its troops had been in the area, but investigations by the media and others found evidence that strongly suggested nearby Israeli tanks were responsible. How significant is it? The IDF published reviews on Wednesday into five high-profile incidents in Gaza. But criminal misconduct investigations into Israeli troops over the killing of Palestinians rarely lead to convictions. A UN report published in February described “a pervasive climate of impunity” by Israel in occupied Palestine. What is the wider context? In September last year, a UN commission found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing tens of thousands of civilian deaths and massive destruction. What did Béjar say in his testimony? That his job often included him briefing Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, on product issues. He estimated that he spoke to Zuckerberg at least 100 times. One email Béjar sent to Zuckerberg in 2021 showed the engineer warning of constant reports of harmful content and damage to teenage wellbeing on Facebook and Instagram. Béjar said he emailed Zuckerberg after the chief exrecutive publicly said the company did not prioritize profit over safety. Meta denies all allegations in the case. Continue reading...
From ‘elation’ to ‘terrible news’ in 10 minutes: how the confusion over missing bushwalker Lily Hooper unfolded
The 18-year-old’s body was found in Nattai national park on Thursday – but initial police messages indicated she had been found alive Police have blamed dense bushland and radio confusion for wrongly reporting to 18-year-old Lily Hooper’s parents, the New South Wales premier and the media that the missing bushwalker had been found alive. Hooper had last been seen on 12 August after leaving home for a hike in the rugged bushland of Nattai national park, 90km south-west of Sydney . She was reported missing that night, triggering a multi-agency search involving nearly 1,000 people, including hundreds of volunteers. Continue reading...
Frustrated GP patients hang up as Yorkshire accent baffles AI receptionist
‘Emma’ the Rotherham chatbot has 17 languages says AI firm – but health watchdog says system struggling with local ‘twangs’ Patients in a South Yorkshire town are frustrated by an AI GP receptionist not understanding their “broad accents”, a health watchdog has said. Healthwatch Rotherham , a local health and social care watchdog, said a number of practices in the area had introduced a new AI receptionist called Emma. Continue reading...
Drug-dealing, makeshift weapons and a ‘culture of fear’ at Villawood detention centre, report warns
Prolonged detention of children, insufficient staffing and hazardous damage to buildings are among the ombudsman’s concerns Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Drugs are being openly dealt inside Villawood detention centre; makeshift weapons are being manufactured amid intimidation, standover tactics and a “culture of fear”; people are sleeping outside under CCTV cameras for their own safety; and children are being kept from going to school, a scathing report from the independent monitor has found. The commonwealth’s National Preventive Mechanism issued the report based on a three-day visit in March this year. A total of 428 people were held in Villawood at the time, including children. Some 78 beds were offline because of damage still not repaired from a fire three years ago. Continue reading...
Sales of trainers dive as cost of living pressures hit JD Sports performance
Inflation deterring shoppers from spending, especially in the US, says sportswear fashion chain Sports fashion retailer JD has slashed its profit forecasts as cost-of-living pressures, fuelled by the US war on Iran, weighed on sales of trainers. JD Sports, which sells a range of sports brands including Nike and Adidas, said widespread inflation had hit shoppers’ wallets, resulting in falling sales across important markets such as the US, where it struggled to quickly shift trainers and other footwear. Continue reading...
Without action wildfires in Europe will increase 39% even in best-case climate scenario, study finds
Improvements in fire management however could mitigate increases by more than 70%, study shows Wildfires are projected to burn 39% more of Europe by the end of the century even in the best-case scenario for stopping the planet from heating, a study has found , unless action is taken to manage them better. The increase in hot, dry and windy weather that leads to small fires turning into raging infernos is to engulf more of Europe as carbon pollution pushes temperatures higher. In the worst-case scenario the researchers modelled, which would see global heating reach 3.6C above preindustrial levels, the burnt area would almost triple. Continue reading...
An open letter to Iran’s political prisoners, trapped ‘between two blades of a scissors’
On one side, you face the domination of the Islamic Republic; on the other, the imperialist forces that Republic claims to stand against August marks the anniversary of the 1988 mass executions in Iran, a horror that echoes in the country’s current surge in death sentences. It also marks the 19 August anniversary of the UK- and US-orchestrated coup against the prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953. Amid the current, indiscriminate waves of US-Israeli military assaults against Iran, this letter of solidarity denounces the repression of the Iranian people and their political prisoners by forces both at home and abroad. *** Continue reading...
Michele Tafoya: from unassuming NFL sideline reporter to rightwing firebrand
The former Sunday Night Football stalwart is now one step from a seat in the US Senate. And she could cause a shock in liberal Minnesota As the third leg of NBC’s Sunday Night Football crew alongside play-by-play man Al Michaels and the tart-tongued analyst Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya was a paragon of deference and neutrality for 11 years as an NFL sideline reporter, dutifully relating boilerplate tactics, talking points and injury updates when she wasn’t nodding along to softball interviews or fumbling through hammy production gimmicks for viewers who might have been too offline to get the bit. She was almost pathologically committed to not doing anything to draw attention to herself or her gender in an era when sideline reporting was a fast track to national celebrity. Even her football takes hewed to the middle. (“New Orleans doesn’t want to lose to Atlanta twice in a season …”) Anyone who says they saw the 61-year-old emerging as a rightwing firebrand was watching a different game. And yet here we are. Last week, Tafoya was the decisive winner of Minnesota’s US Senate Republican primary , earning the party’s nomination for November’s general election. Even more striking: she beat back eight challengers, not least Adam Schwarze, the party-endorsed pro-gun, pro-military ex-Navy SEAL, and Royce White, the anti-leftist , anti-trans NBA flameout currently testing WNBA gender norms . Continue reading...
Burnham announces plans to clean up illegal waste dumps – UK politics live
The prime minister has promised a crackdown on criminal gangs making money from dumping waste Hello and welcome to the UK politics live blog. The days of criminal gangs making easy money from dumping waste are “over”, the prime minister will say on a visit to a waste site in Yorkshire later today. These toxic dumps have blighted communities for too long. I said we would clean them up – and that’s exactly what we’re announcing today. These mountains of rubbish have been a clear sign to communities that politics hasn’t been working for them or their area. This government is going to tackle the issues that have been ignored by Westminster for too long and bring back hope. Andy Burnham has said government money alone may not be enough to get rough sleepers off the streets by Christmas, as he issued a “rallying call” for councils, charities and communities to help solve the problem. Speaking on a visit to the north-east of England, he said he felt “very passionately” about tackling homelessness and wanted the wider society to play a part in wiping it out. Burnham is “too chicken” to approve the controversial Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gasfields, the Tories have claimed. Production had been approved by the previous Conservative government, but those decisions were quashed after a legal challenge by Greenpeace, leaving Labour ministers to decide whether drilling should go ahead. Labour could lose dozens of seats to the Green party if the government allows new drilling in the North Sea, according to internal research shared with the Guardian. Green party analysis suggests up to 50 Labour MPs – including key Andy Burnham ally Louise Haigh – could lose their seats at the next election if the government fails to make urgent climate action a priority or allows new drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea. The Tories believe they can cut energy bills by £540 a year for the next two decades by prioritising cheap energy over net zero. Speaking in London, the shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho said, when she was a minister, civil servants had been unable to prove to her that wind and solar energy was cheaper than fossil fuels. Burnham has warned of the dangers of open-water swimming as he called the deaths of a mother, father and their teenage daughter who got into difficulty in water off Sussex “a terrible family tragedy”. The prime minister expressed his sympathies as a young girl from the same family remained in a critical condition in hospital. Continue reading...
GCSE results: almost one in four boys in England get top grades in maths
Overall results slightly better than last year, with share receiving grades 7, 8 and 9 rising by 0.1 of a percentage point to 23.1% GCSE results – latest updates Almost one in four boys in England received top grades in maths while results in English improved across the board, helping to propel improved GCSE results for this year’s cohort of 16-year-olds. The stronger performances in maths helped pupils taking GCSEs in year 11 reach a record level for higher grades in England outside the Covid pandemic years, when exams were replaced by teacher assessments. Continue reading...
‘An insult’: Zomi Frankcom’s family issues strongly-worded statement as Israel rejects criminal investigation into her killing
Penny Wong calls in Israeli ambassador as PM expresses ‘outrage’ over IDF decision Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The family of the slain Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom has described a decision by the Israel Defense Forces not to open a criminal investigation into her death as deeply disappointing, and called on the government to push for the release of evidence, including audio from the drone strike. Israel’s decision prompted outrage from Australia on Thursday. The country’s ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, was called in by the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, while the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, expressed “outrage” and insisted he would press for justice for Frankcom and her colleagues. Continue reading...
Russia launches ‘massive attack’ on Kyiv and surrounding region – Europe live
Zelenskyy says Russia had been preparing for a long time, combining different types of missiles Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said 18 people have been hospitalised after the overnight attacks, with emergency and clean-up response continuing at various sites across three districts of the city. “The capital is recovering from a massive enemy attack,” he said in a video on Telegram. Continue reading...
Travelodge boss quits amid fallout over hotel chain’s security failings
Joanna Boydell steps down after widespread criticism over company’s handling of guest safety issues The boss of Travelodge has resigned after widespread criticism of her handling of security failings at the hotel chain, including a shocking case where a domestic abuser was given a key to a woman’s room before assaulting her. In a brief company statement on Thursday, Travelodge said Joanna Boydell had stepped down and temporarily replaced by its finance chief, Ray Reidy. The company has launched a formal search for a permanent substitute. Continue reading...
More than 1,000 birds found dead in three mass mortality events amid ‘significant’ H5 escalation in Australia
South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas says there have still been no detections in poultry or livestock and no mass deaths involving mammals South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas has declared a “significant escalation” in H5 bird flu in the state after the detection of three mass mortality events involving more than 1,000 greater crested terns. Malinauskas said the cause of the deaths was presumed to be H5 bird flu. Continue reading...
Alan Jones’s barrister argues alleged victim was not groomed because that ‘happens to young children’
Sydney court hears complainant was more than 40 years younger and far less powerful than the shock jock when he started working as his driver Alan Jones’s defence team has suggested his alleged victim was never groomed because “grooming is something that happens to young children”. Complainant C was on Thursday cross-examined in a Sydney court over allegations the former 2GB star broadcaster touched him on the penis and kissed him when he worked for Jones as a young man. Continue reading...
Farage using Christianity ‘to stir anti-Muslim feeling’, says Rowan Williams
Former archbishop of Canterbury also has ‘awkward questions’ for activist Tommy Robinson on his claimed faith A former archbishop of Canterbury has accused Nigel Farage of misusing the UK’s Christianity “to channel anti-Muslim feeling” and said he also had “some awkward questions” for the far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Dr Rowan Williams, who was the archbishop of Canterbury for 10 years until 2012, said there was an “inevitable scepticism these days about some claims to religious conviction”. Continue reading...