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Politics
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Trump’s midterm campaign theme is unrequited love | Sidney Blumenthal
The president senses a crisis in his cult of personality. He believes the path to victory is through unwavering devotion Donald Trump has framed his theme for the midterm elections. It has come to him as naturally and inevitably as staring into the mirror, beyond any logic or argument, his definitive answer to no specific issue, providing no understanding of any particular problem, but transcending all of them. His political theme is more primal than programmatic, more instinctive than analytical, a heartfelt expression to protect his greatest romantic attachment, his obsessive fixation, his idealized object: himself. Trump’s campaign theme is unrequited love. Unlike the pollsters, media consultants and pundits, he alone has grasped the magnitude and the source of the existential crisis threatening his politics. He has identified the problem for the Republicans as the faltering measure of complete devotion to him. His demand has nothing to do with mutual affection. It is a ploy to reassert his slipping control, a manipulative test to prove loyalty to him, or else. There can be no absolute rule without an absolute ruler; no absolute ruler without absolute submission; no absolute submission without the expression of absolute love. His sadness at its fading gives way to anger, paranoia and greater acts of retribution. He equates the fear he instills as a form of love. Trump accepts subservience, from whatever motive, as affection or its closest equivalent. He cares nothing about sincerity, so it’s all in the show. The less love displayed, the more fear required. Yet there is no rebound, but only deeper rejection. Continue reading...
John Healey to duck meeting UK defence spending target in budget
Chancellor pledges ‘fiscal discipline’ as plan to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 deferred until 2027 review The new chancellor, John Healey, will delay setting out when the UK will meet the target of spending 3% of GDP on defence until next year’s spending review, the Treasury has confirmed. Healey resigned as the defence secretary in June under Keir Starmer’s leadership, accusing the then prime minister of being “unable” and the Treasury “unwilling” to “commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country”. Continue reading...
ADHD and autism costs in England ‘running out of control’, NHS leaders warn
Soaring demand for services has led to tenfold increase in spending in a year in some areas, says NHS Alliance NHS leaders have warned that the costs of meeting soaring demand for ADHD and autism services in England are “running out of control” and have become unsustainable, with spending in some areas rising by up to tenfold over the course of a year. The NHS Alliance, which represents health managers, said the rise in demand since the coronavirus pandemic was forcing some to close waiting lists and look at reining in other services they provide. One integrated care board (ICB) cited in a report said its monthly spend had risen from £146,000 in 2024/25 to £1.5m last year. Continue reading...
Dolly Parton brought divided Americans together. What can we learn from her? | Margaret Sullivan
The singer had a serendipitous mixture of humor, humility and humanity. We could all stand to channel it a bit more The moment that the world found out that Dolly Parton had died , I was in a hair salon in the reddest congressional district in New York state. The neighborhood on the shore of Lake Erie where I move every summer voted solidly for Donald Trump in 2024. I often pass a lawn sign that has something misogynistic to say about New York’s Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul, and the mere mention of Kamala Harris’s name can bring derisive jokes. Of course, there certainly are liberals and independents to be found, but on balance the area leans right. Continue reading...
The hollowing out of Tennis.com is a warning for American sports journalism
The site once paired news and scores with distinctive voices. Its overhaul under Sinclair Media is the latest sign that serious tennis writing in the US is becoming endangered A few weeks ago, as I often do, I went to the Tennis.com site to get an update about a match and to check out the commentary from my fellow tennis journalists. I was taken aback when, instead of the usual colorful graphics and info, I was greeted with a rudimentary-looking homepage that displayed only scores and rankings. At first I thought it was a glitch of some sort. But sadly, no. As it turns out, Tennis.com, originally the online site of Tennis Magazine, is under a complete overhaul and will no longer be the home of esteemed writers such as Steve Tignor and Pete Bodo, robbing fans of unique and personal takes on the sport. It appears the longest running American tennis-specific publication is no longer alive in any form. Continue reading...
College football is booming, chaotic and more confusing than ever
America’s second biggest sporting obsession returns this weekend, which means marching bands, 100,000-seat stadiums, ancient rivalries and, increasingly, the operating model of a sport being invented in real time Is college football healthy? It’s a seductive question, one that now comes up every year around this time. Actually, it never recedes, so it’s just with the sport all the time. It’s also the wrong question, because whoever answers it is free to choose their own adventure. The television ratings are way up there in the galaxy. Money rains down on dozens of programs and thousands of players. Marching bands continue to march. Yet a lot of teams are stranded by realignment or an economic inability to keep up in a transfer arms race. Their fans – actually any team’s fans – may be exhausted by escalating asks for their dollars. If you have been checked out of the sport for a while ahead of this weekend’s first set of games, you may feel like your body has been frozen for a few decades. Indiana, ( yes, really ) are the defending national champs, fresh off a 16-0 season that puts them on the list of the handful of best teams ever. Texas Tech, once likened to Siberia by a former coach who is now a US senator , are the fiercest program in the Big 12. Ole Miss are good for the first time since integration. At least Ohio State and Georgia are still powerhouses. Continue reading...
Teen boy allegedly messaged two others to join ‘degrading’ and ‘humiliating’ Sydney gang rape, court hears
Two 17-year-olds accused of subjecting teenage girl to hours-long sexual assault granted bail Two boys allegedly invited to join a “degrading” and “humiliating” gang rape in Sydney have been granted bail. The pair are among three-17-year-olds accused of subjecting a teenage girl to an hours-long sexual assault on the night of 16 August. Continue reading...
‘We praise God’: Australian woman feared missing in Nepal flooding makes contact with family
Cara Severino calls parents – but still faces trek of more than 110km to reach Kathmandu on foot Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast An Australian woman has made contact with her family, more than two days after she was reported missing in flash flooding in Nepal. At least 469 people have been killed and more than 1,500 are missing after a catastrophic flash flood hit the China-Nepal border on Wednesday. Cara Severino, 25, is the first of 39 Australians who had been reported missing in the tragedy to have been confirmed safe. Continue reading...
Weather tracker: More extreme rain in Japan and a tornado in France
Flash flooding and mudslides in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, while convective storms hit western Europe Following an “unprecedented” deluge in Chiba in mid-August, Japan has had more extreme rainfall in recent days. Moisture from the Sea of Japan brought relentless heavy rain to the prefectures of Ishikawa and Toyama on Thursday. In Himi, Toyama, 361.5mm of rain fell in 24 hours, equivalent to half the average annual rainfall in London and Paris. As a result of the downpours, several rivers burst their banks, leading to flash floods and mudslides with trees felled and buildings damaged. Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued its highest-level rain warning within the two prefectures earlier in the week as well as landslide warnings, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of thousands from the region. Models on Thursday indicated there could be a further 200mm of rain just south of this region as it continues to come in from the west. Continue reading...
Nicola Coughlan and Matt Lucas among stars backing campaign against AI voice cloning
About 80 people sign open letter to Andy Burnham calling for legislation to protect voice ownership Nicola Coughlan, Hugh Bonneville and Matt Lucas are among a group of actors backing a campaign against artificial intelligence voice cloning. Save Our Voices Now, which is also being supported by Luke Evans, Jen Brister, Siobhán McSweeney and Pearl Mackie, aims to stop the practice in which AI technology is used to replicate a real person’s voice to say anything it is prompted to. Continue reading...
Burnham electrified the Labour party by talking about electoral reform – now he needs to act on it | Polly Toynbee
The prime minister has lifted the spirits of the public and party members, and must use that goodwill to push through change He bounded into the packed rally, a spring-heeled intruder whose very presence announced a coup at last year’s Labour conference. And so it was. Andy Burnham spoke with ebullient self-confidence, yet without aggression or a barrage of insults. They tried to stop him with a bogus constitutional fix barring him from standing in Gorton and Denton. But those Labour hierarchs lost it without him. His subsequent Makerfield victory proved their mistake and opened the door right into No 10 without dispute. At that standing-room-only rally on proportional representation he made a pitch-perfect noteless speech of personal passion about the failure of politics to connect, the decline of Westminster, the public’s distrust and the risk of this lost public belief in democracy. His hands were clean, he never benefited from the monster majority that first past the post had delivered so unfairly to Labour MPs: he wasn’t there at the last two elections. He quit out of despair, returning to repair. Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Norway’s King Harald dies leaving stormy succession over crown princess’s Epstein links
Crown Prince Haakon’s wife, Mette-Marit, corresponded with late US sex offender between 2011 and 2014, long after he was convicted King Harald V of Norway has died at the age of 89, the palace in Oslo has announced, triggering the succession of his son, Haakon, whose wife Mette-Marit’s association with Jeffrey Epstein has sparked fierce recent controversy. “It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away today. King Harald passed away peacefully at Oslo University Hospital on Friday, August 28 at 6.35 am,” the palace said in a statement. Continue reading...
‘We execute the prick’: Charles Perrottet plotted political downfall of NSW Liberal minister, Icac hears
Brother of former state premier sent message regarding plan to damage political career of then-police minister David Elliott Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Charles Perrottet wrote about a plan to damage a Liberal minister’s career following his brother’s accession to the New South Wales premiership in October 2021, stating “we execute the prick once party room is over”, a corruption inquiry has heard. Anita Perrottet told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) on Friday she could not recall the meaning of messages exchanged between herself and husband Charles Perrottet in the days before Dominic Perrottet was elected premier by Liberal MPs following the resignation of Gladys Berejiklian. Continue reading...
Flood risk forces halt to rescues in Tibet, as Nepal death toll rises to 469
Lake has formed at epicentre of flood, forcing rescue teams to withdraw, Chinese state media report Nepal flash flood – latest updates Nearly 1,400 missing, mostly tourists, and hundreds killed Visual guide: how the deadly flooding unfolded Tell us: have you been affected by the flash floods? China has paused rescue work at the epicentre of the catastrophic flooding in Tibet this week amid fears that a lake formed at the site was at risk of bursting, as the overall death toll in Nepal rose to 469 people, with more than 1,300 missing. A lake formed by immense piles of debris has begun overflowing towards the area where rescue teams were headed, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday. Continue reading...
Dolphin dies from H5 bird flu in SA as researchers withdrawn from sub-Antarctic island over ‘psychosocial risk’
Australian government announces 24 expeditioners based at research station on Macquarie Island will be evacuated over possible ‘prolonged psychological stress’ A dolphin has died from H5 bird flu in South Australia, marking the second native mammal species known to have contracted the virus. It comes as the federal government announced it would withdraw researchers from the subantarctic Macquarie Island research station due to the “psychosocial risk” of witnessing potential mass seal deaths from H5N1 during the upcoming seal breeding season. Continue reading...
Please don’t rearrange our shoes when we turn up, paramedics in Japan urge
It is polite to reposition a guest’s shoes when they arrive, but the emergency services in one city advise just skipping that part Etiquette, manners and consideration for others are integral pillars of Japanese society but there are times when they might go a step too far, according to one city’s emergency services. The fire department in the central city of Kanazawa has urged people not to tidy up the shoes that paramedic crews have taken off when entering a house, warning it could hinder their ability to get in or out quickly, particularly when carrying someone on a stretcher. Continue reading...
How Nepali diaspora is responding to flood disaster and how Australians can help in relief effort
Nepali and Tibetan communities plan vigils and work to raise funds for recovery in ‘devastating’ time Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Australia’s Nepali community plan to host vigils to remember the victims of the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster to coincide with a day of mourning, as the number of people killed continues to rise. As Australia’s Nepali diaspora wait for the full scale of the disaster to become clear, community members are desperately waiting to hear from missing relatives and friends. Nepal police said on Friday that the death toll had risen to 469, with more than 1,300 people still missing, after massive flash floods and landslides tore through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river basins on Thursday. Continue reading...
Bondi library returns book How to Sell a Genocide to shelves after State Library ‘outlines the law’
Book was removed for review earlier this month following complaint but reinstated after petition and State Library letter to Waverley council Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A Sydney library has returned to its borrowing shelves a book critical of Israel called How to Sell a Genocide following a public campaign and an intervention from the State Library of New South Wales. Waverley library removed the book “for review ” earlier this month after the Jewish news outlet JWire reported it had approached the council. Continue reading...
‘Confluence of errors’ led to Belgian tourist Celine Cremer’s death in Tasmanian wilderness, coroner finds
Coronor finds 31-year-old deviated from a walking track as dusk fell, four days before the winter solstice Overlapping errors, including a lack of preparation in near-freezing winter weather, contributed to the death of a Belgian tourist on a wilderness track. Celine Cremer set off on a walk at Philosopher Falls in Tasmania’s remote northwest on 17 June 2023, and was reported missing almost 10 days later. Continue reading...
Identity of high-profile Queensland man drawn into extortion case to remain secret after court ruling
Man – referred to as MM by court – will keep his identity hidden after legal challenge against suppression dismissed The identity of a high-profile Queensland man drawn into a Cairns extortion case will remain secret, after the state’s supreme court threw out a legal challenge against a suppression order. The man – referred to as MM by the court – was drawn into an extortion case earlier this year . He is not a party to the case and is not accused of any offence. Continue reading...
Former AFL star Nicky Winmar jailed for six months for assault on woman
Barrister for former St Kilda player says he will appeal both the sentence and the conviction for unprovoked assault in May 2025 Former AFL star Nicky Winmar has been jailed for six months for attacking a woman in a violent assault. Winmar, 60, dropped his head as he was sentenced in Bendigo magistrates court over the May 2025 assault against a woman at Cohuna in northern Victoria. Continue reading...
Seven charged with damaging Trump’s Scottish golf course accused of ‘terrorist connection’
Course at Donald Trump’s Turnberry resort was painted with words ‘Gaza is not 4 sale’ and clubhouse was sprayed with graffiti Seven people charged with vandalising Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf course in Scotland have been accused of malicious damage “having a terrorist connection”. The clubhouse at the five-star Trump Turnberry hotel and resort on the west coast of Scotland was graffitied on 8 March last year and the course was dug up and painted with the words “Gaza is not 4 sale”. Continue reading...
‘No precedent’: Lorde and Little Simz to star at world-first festival run on clean power
A zero-emission compact hydrogen power plant will drive the main stage at Clifton Down in Bristol When Lorde, Little Simz and Wet Leg stride on to stages in Bristol this weekend, they will not only be entertaining tens of thousands of festivalgoers but taking part in what is being billed as a world-first clean power project. The two stages at Forwards festival on Clifton Down are being driven almost entirely by green power – a combination of hydrogen and mobile batteries charged with sustainable energy. Continue reading...
What could Meta’s US settlement mean around the world – and what now for other claims against firm?
Other governments could seek similar concessions, while separate legal action is pending in places ranging from Kenya to the Netherlands In October 2021, Abrham Meareg’s father, a professor of chemistry in Ethiopia’s northern town of Bahir Dar, was shot at close range and died outside his family home. This was in the middle of the country’s civil war. For weeks, Facebook’s algorithm had actively promoted posts calling for the academic to be murdered, according to Meareg and Foxglove, a nonprofit organisation supporting Meareg’s lawsuit against the company in Kenya. These posts included photos of his father and his home address. Continue reading...