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Politics
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Even if US democracy can be salvaged from Trump, Europe is moving on | Rafael Behr
It will take decades to rebuild trust in a country that removed a tyrant once – and then reinstated him four years later When Joe Biden entered the White House in 2021 it was possible to believe that Donald Trump’s reign had been an aberration. “America is back. The transatlantic alliance is back,” the new president declared to relieved European leaders shortly after winning the 2020 race. It was true, but not for long. Trump’s defeat proved that US democracy was mechanically operational, not culturally robust. His supporters tried violent subversion to prevent the inauguration of a successor. A second term should have been unthinkable. Republicans who failed to denounce the 6 January insurrection should have been unelectable. Instead, within four years, US voters reinstated the champion of a failed coup against their cherished constitution as commander-in-chief. Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Panel rules out further inquiry into sexual harassment claims against Lib Dem peer Chris Rennard
Party leader Ed Davey ‘disappointed and upset’ at decision by independent panel after claims original investigation was flawed The Liberal Democrat peer Chris Rennard has been told there will be no further investigation into sexual harassment allegations made against him, after an independent panel concluded it could not reopen the claim. The party leader, Ed Davey, said he was “disappointed and upset” by the conclusion, having suspended Rennard from the party after an investigation was reopened earlier this year amid claims a previous inquiry was flawed. Continue reading...
US man charged with mailing hundreds of letters containing powder to officials before midterms
Oklahoma man accused of sending letters with white nonhazardous powder before 2024 and 2026 elections Federal authorities have charged an Oklahoma man with sending hundreds of letters containing nonhazardous white powder to public officials before the 2024 and 2026 elections. The powders turned out to be yeast or flour, though not all letters had been fully tested, the FBI said in a court filing made public on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Man who drugged and raped wife found many men ‘whose fantasy is an unconscious woman’, court told
Nine men stand trial in Manchester accused of participating in abuse at couple’s home in Stockport, or encouraging it online The Stockport man who drugged, raped and sexually assaulted his wife personally found a large number of the “many, many men whose fantasy is an unconscious and unresponsive woman”, a court has heard. Nine men are on trial at Manchester Minshull Street crown court, accused of either participating in the abuse, which took place at the couple’s home, or encouraging it online. Continue reading...
USOPC considering plan to sell stake in Team USA as LA Olympics approach
US set to host Summer and Winter Olympics USOPC CEO says business model in early stages The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is in the advanced stages of setting up an entity to sell a stake in the commercial rights for Team USA in return for capital, according to multiple reports. Any deal would mark a significant shift for the USOPC, a non-profit organization that, unlike many national Olympic committees, relies heavily on sponsorships, licensing and other commercial revenue streams rather than government funding. Continue reading...
Pardoned January 6 participant charged over alleged threats to kill federal judges
Cleveland Meredith arrested after allegedly posting a call to execute all judges involved in 2021 US Capitol attack trials A man pardoned by Donald Trump for participating in January 6 attack on the US Capitol and threatening to kill then house speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing new charges for threatening to kill federal judges that presided over his and other cases arising from the violent anti-government clash. Cleveland Meredith, from North Carolina , was arrested on Monday over a Facebook post in April that allegedly read: “ALL J6 Federal JUDGES will be EXECUTED!” Continue reading...
Protect Poundland from predatory capitalism, MPs tell government
Budget retailer and 12,000 jobs at risk after US owner fails to accept buyout offers MPs have called on the government to protect Poundland and other high street stores from “predatory capitalism” and asset-stripping. The fate of the retail chain and its 12,000 staff remains uncertain after it filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators at the high court last Thursday. The US restructuring specialist Gordon Brothers, which controls Poundland, has lined up the advisory company AlixPartners to run the process. Continue reading...
UK cuts aid to Commonwealth countries despite warm words at Chogm summit
Nations in the group fare worse than others, with funding for nature projects especially hard hit even as climate crisis intensifies global need The UK government has slashed overseas aid to Commonwealth countries, the Guardian can reveal, in contrast to the warm words for the group from the king and the prime minister, Andy Burnham , this week. Amid sharp cuts in the UK’s aid budget overall, the Commonwealth has fared poorly, an analysis of the most recent and projected aid figures, seen by the Guardian, has shown. Continue reading...
Trump says US will end military aid to Israel by the end of this year
US president makes surprise election day announcement, saying country does not ‘need’ $4bn annual payment Donald Trump has said that the US will end military aid to Israel at the end of this year in a surprise election day announcement that appeared to be targeted at voters sceptical of US support for Israel and the war in Gaza . In a phone interview with Fox News as voting began on Tuesday morning, Trump said the US would cut nearly $4bn (£2.96bn) in military aid to Israel because “they don’t need it.” Continue reading...
Officials investigate fire at Mississippi police department tied to fatal shooting of Black toddler
Person arrested after fire broke out at police department where officer who shot and killed one-year-old Kohen Wiley previously worked In the early hours of 31 October, a fire broke out at the Senatobia police department in Mississippi, which has been embroiled in controversy recently after one of its officers shot and killed Kohen Wiley, a one-year-old. Though the cause of the fire has not been reported, it is being investigated as arson by agents with the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In June, former Senatobia police officer Sgt Hunter Foster shot Kohen as he sat in his mother’s arms in a Walmart parking lot. Foster, who is white, was responding to a report of an alleged shoplifting; Kohen, his mother and the driver of the vehicle, are Black. An arrest tied to the fire was made on Monday, but no details about the person of interest have been released. The Senatobia police department did not respond to a request for comment. Continue reading...
What made Haley Stevens turn on el-Sayed? | Judith Levine
Endorsing his opponent while the US risks plummeting into fascism, she reveals the one issue that triggers her to take destructive action “Did you talk to anyone? Did you have a long night of the soul? Were you up all night? ... Did you have a dream?” Interviewing the Michigan US representative Haley Stevens on CNN on Sunday, Anderson Cooper was casting about for explanations. What caused the Democrat’s radical change of heart between a Saturday night promise to her House colleague Debbie Dingell that she would stand with the Democratic Senate candidate Abdul el-Sayed and a public endorsement Sunday morning of his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers? Continue reading...
Datacentres are deeply unpopular – so the geniuses at OpenAI are rebranding them | Arwa Mahdawi
These resource-guzzling centres drive up utility bills and are hated across the political spectrum. Cue a clunky, but potentially influential, new name for them Jesus may have turned water into wine, but Donald Trump has done one better: he turned Lake Ontario into Lake America and the Gulf of Mexico into the Gulf of America. And then, for his next trick, he insisted we all stop talking about artificial intelligence (AI) and call it superintelligence (SI) instead. Those, of course, are only a few of the name changes the president has ushered in. When he’s not golfing or commenting on senators’ buttocks , president Trump loves a rebranding project. Which makes sense: coming up with a new name is far easier than making meaningful improvements to people’s lives. Continue reading...
All aboard with Kaptain Kemi, lost at sea on the good ship amnesia
Launching a defence plan on a rusty sloop, and dogged by a UK Iron Dome that never was, the Tory leader has forgotten her party’s 14 years in power HMS Wellington. A decommissioned Grimsby-class sloop from the second world war. A warship that has been moored on the Thames, going nowhere for the best part of 80 years. Today’s venue for the leader of the opposition to explain why the Conservative party hollowed out defence spending throughout their time in office. Sorry. Scrub that. To welcome in a brave new world order. Come aboard the good ship Badenoch. There are times when you wonder if the Tory media team have been infiltrated by Labour HQ. Still, we might as well enjoy it while we can. After a brief introduction from the loyal but dim Lieutenant “Steady as she goes, chaps and chapesses” James Cartlidge, who – for reasons not even he fully understands – is the shadow defence secretary, Kaptain Kemi appeared to take over the helm. “Why have I brought you here?” she began. A good question. Though if she doesn’t know, it seems a bit much expecting us to have the answers. Maybe this was more of a rhetorical cry for help. It wouldn’t be the only time her memory failed her on this latest public outing. Continue reading...
Primark brings forward home deliveries plan by two years after profits slide
Retailer acquires robot-assisted warehouse and intends to have UK service up and running before end of 2027 Primark is to begin making home deliveries by the end of next year as it aims to win new shoppers after a slide in profits. George Weston, the boss of the cut-price fashion chain’s owner Associated British Foods (ABF), said it had brought forward the launch of Primark’s home delivery plans by about two years. Continue reading...
Snap and crackle but no pop: Rice Krispies reformulated due to lack of rice
Kellogg’s substitutes ingredient with rice flour, as climate crisis affects availability of some grains They will snap and they will crackle, but they may no longer pop, as Kellogg’s has removed rice from its Rice Krispies and Coco Pops cereals due to “changing weather conditions”. Rice Krispies has been reformulated to use rice flour instead of rice, while Coco Pops now contain a blend of rice flour and corn flour instead of rice in order to maintain consistent quality. Kelloggs’ said the shift reflected how the climate crisis had affected the quality and availability of some rice and grains used in its most popular cereals. Continue reading...
Jury in Russell Brand rape and sexual assault trial retires to consider verdicts
Judge tells jurors he will be able to accept only a unanimous decision on seven charges against the comedian The jury in Russell Brand’s rape and sexual assault trial has retired to consider its verdicts. Brand, 51, has been described as a ruthless, calculated and manipulative sexual predator during the three-week trial at Southwark crown court. The comedian is accused of seven offences, including rape and sexual assault, against six women in allegations spanning 10 years from 1999. He denies all the charges. Continue reading...
I’d all but forgotten my ‘altercation’ with Nigel Farage. But since he mentions it, here’s what happened | Caroline Voaden
His boorish behaviour towards me typifies the politics of Reform UK: this is a party full of disdain for parliament, its people and its traditions Caroline Voaden is the Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon I got an unexpected message last week from a former colleague whom I haven’t heard from in 20 years. I was all over her TikTok, she said, so she reached out to say hi. Such was the furore caused by Nigel Farage bizarrely raising an incident that took place in the House of Commons nearly six months ago that I suddenly found myself trending on social media. That had not been on my bingo card for budget week. I was at home, having just got back from London, when I received a message telling me that Farage had referenced “the incident”. I looked at the footage of his press conference and was completely dumbfounded. Because this “physical altercation”, as he described it, was something I’d chosen not to discuss in public at the time, and something that, if I were him, I’d have kept quiet about. Caroline Voaden is the Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here . Continue reading...
The new UK-EU food produce deal – explained
The two sides have agreed to remove certain Brexit checks on food and animal product exports to EU The UK and the EU have finalised their deal to remove red tape for food producers wanting to export to the EU. It is the first of a series of agreements the two sides will formally announce at a summit in Brussels on 20 November. It is understood the text is “settled” and not subject to further negotiation with the European Commission although an EU member state may yet raise issues with the text which is being formally circulated among EU ambassadors at a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday. Continue reading...
America has been witnessing the worst speeches in presidential history | Ted Widmer
The US has seen plenty of terrible speeches over the centuries. But Trump’s midterm rallies are a new low In a sense, history has already been made. We do not know the result of the election yet, but over the last two months, Americans have endured the worst speeches ever given by a president of the United States. It is far from a simple matter to adjudicate – there have been so many bad speeches over the years, going back the founders, some of whom dreaded speaking in public. George Washington’s inaugural address did not begin promisingly, with a halting first sentence: “Among the vicissitudes incident to life, no event could have filled me with greater anxieties than that of which the notification was transmitted by your order, and received on the 14th day of the present month.” Continue reading...
Christian voters in Washington state divided by common religion: ‘I don’t think the US is God’s kingdom on Earth’
Christians in the south of the state seek to vote their values – but a common faith does not mean a common politics A few days before the Fourth of July, Ron Peterson, the 38-year-old pastor of Longview United Pentecostal church, stood beneath a large white tent in a parking lot in Longview, Washington. Surrounded by church members selling fireworks for a fundraiser, Peterson remembered watching area residents rally after an industrial accident at the local paper mill killed 11 people in May. “We can all come together,” he said. “There’s not going to be sections in heaven.” Continue reading...
Great Britain’s worst-ever bluetongue season ‘a major animal welfare crisis’
British Veterinary Association president tells MPs surge in cases putting farmers under severe pressure and stress The worst bluetongue season on record has been a major animal welfare crisis in Great Britain, MPs have been told, putting farmers under “severe emotional stress”. Bluetongue, a viral disease that affects sheep, cattle and goats, can cause fever, lesions, stillbirths and death. The tongue may go blue and protrude from the mouth. Continue reading...
The private creative world of Rabindranath Tagore, the man Yeats called ‘greater than any of us’
A previously unseen family archive offers a glimpse into the Indian Nobel prize winner’s artistic process and personal relationships in his final years Don’t get This is India delivered to your inbox? Sign up here It’s easy to run out of words to describe Rabindranath Tagore. The first non-European to win the Nobel prize in literature, Tagore was a Bengali poet, musician, novelist, philosopher, songwriter, painter, humanist and educator. Born in 1861, Tagore left an indelible mark on the subcontinent’s literature, music, education and art. Among his enduring legacies are the national anthems of India and Bangladesh. Continue reading...
Voting begins in US midterm elections – in pictures
Americans are voting in midterm elections with control of the House and the Senate at stake for the remainder of Donald Trump’s second term in office, while voters are also electing governors and other state and local officials Continue reading...
Justice department funds research into gender dysphoria and violent crime in latest anti-trans effort
Experts say ‘very dangerous’ move diverts attention from violence driven by far-right extremist ideologies The US Department of Justice is funding research aimed at exploring whether there is a link between gender dysphoria and violent crime. Last month, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research arm of the justice department, said it would grant up to $1m for studies into the frequency and type of violence committed by people who have been diagnosed and treated for gender dysphoria. Continue reading...