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Can Ken Paxton outrun a trail of scandal to win US Senate seat in ruby-red Texas?
The Republican state attorney general appears uniquely ill-chosen as a candidate – but he is a political survivor who could yet frustrate Democratic dreams Depending how you look at the situation, it is either predictable that Ken Paxton, Texas’s attorney general and Republican candidate for US Senate, is struggling in the polls – or impressive that he is not doing worse. Beloved by hardcore Maga voters and regarded with skepticism by the broader voting public, Paxton is also puzzlingly bland. Recently, Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters that the 63-year-old Paxton “may not dress right, he may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen”. The president was endorsing him. Yet it is Paxton’s ability to attract – and somehow scrape through – scandal that makes him a less charismatic, perhaps, but still kindred spirit of “ Teflon Don ”: nothing sticks. He has survived state prosecution (on securities-related charges that he settled without admitting guilt), impeachment by the Republican-led Texas legislature (on abuse-of-office charges of which he was later acquitted), and so many controversies that it can be difficult to pin down the most outrageous. Continue reading...
Hilarious quips and ‘100,000-volt’ energy: the hypemen (and women) redefining Afrobeats music
Style of emceeing based on high-octane, ad-libbed vocals has flourished thanks to its unique way of captivating crowds For the 2015 freshmen cohort of the history degree programme at the University of Lagos, their classmate’s first-semester presentation was so captivating that they began calling him Toby Shang, after the 16th-century Chinese dynasty he had focused on. His crowd engagement that day had been harnessed from his high school days as a ginger-man (energiser) in a three-man band and as a private tutor. By his final year at university, his viral catchphrases and infectious energy had resulted in a hit song, Shedibalabala. Today, he is one of the self-acclaimed “evangelists and pioneers” in the Afrobeats sub-genre some are now calling Afrohype or lamba. Continue reading...
Whole streets in Paris ‘devastated’ by protests, says mayor, as France demonstrations continue – Europe live
France’s worst protests in years saw buildings set ablaze across the country France is recovering after its worst protests in years saw buildings attacked and set ablaze across the country. More than 1,200 people were arrested in the demonstrations on Saturday, which began with protests from students over the cost of living. Continue reading...
‘Many family stories’: Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet takes out ABC radio poll of top 100 Australian books
Markus Zusak’s novel The Book Thief secures second place, while Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe rounds out podium dominated by men Cloudstreet, Tim Winton’s sprawling Australian family epic, has been voted Australia’s favourite book in a poll run by ABC Radio National. The broadcaster announced over the weekend the results of a nationwide poll to determine a list of readers’ top 100 Australian books. Continue reading...
‘Austerity is inevitably painful’: How Michael Gove justifies his politics | Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty
For more than three decades, Michael Gove has been a leading figure in British Conservatism. As a journalist, government minister and now editor of the Tory bible the Spectator, he has helped shape the right even as it has moved further rightwards. In the latest episode of Radical Thinking, Gove joins Aditya Chakrabortty to discuss the future of the right, his record on Brexit and austerity, and the Spectator’s position on Islam Watch the full episode with Michael Gove here . Aditya’s suggested reading: To read the fruits of Michael Gove’s dalliance with the Marxism Today gang, look up his essay in a 1998 collection called The Moderniser’s Dilemma: Radical Politics in the Age of Blair For a slalom ride through Michael Gove’s years in power, read The Demented Dalek by the historian Richard J Evans in the London Review of Books To learn more on what’s become of the British right, there’s a Guardian column by Aditya Phil Burton-Cartledge analyses in depth why the most successful political party is now failing in his book The Party’s Over: The Rise and Fall of the Conservatives from Thatcher to Sunak Phil also writes a very good blog on British politics, which keeps a close eye on how each party is trying to marshall a coalition of voters. Here he is on Kemi Badenoch Geoffrey Wheatcroft does an entertaining short narrative in Bloody Panico!: or, Whatever Happened to The Tory Party For more on the economics of the Cameron years, this paper is acute on how the Tories failed to move the UK away from being a country of renters towards a country of makers. Two of its authors will join us for a podcast later in the series. And if you want to read how Brexit may have cost the UK 8% of GDP, there’s this paper based on data from the Bank of England Finally, on the Spectator, read Nesrine Malik’s recent Guardian column Why has Britain’s oldest political magazine become such a rabid cheerleader for Islamophobia? Continue reading...
An extraordinary life: descendant welcomes biography of woman ‘gifted’ to Queen Victoria
A girl called Àìná was captured by an African king and later taken to England to become Sarah Forbes Bonetta, protege of the imperial monarch When she was seven years old, Bayo Randle’s great-great-grandmother Sarah Forbes Bonetta was presented to Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle as a “diplomatic gift” from an African king. Victoria would go on to pay for Bonetta’s education, approve her marriage to one of west Africa’s wealthiest men, and become godmother to her eldest daughter. Continue reading...
Condé Nast’s UK profits drop by more than a third as sale of Vogue publisher ruled out
Magazine group points to restructuring bill but says it ‘remains profitable in the UK for another year’ Profits at Condé Nast’s UK arm slumped by more than a third last year, according to figures published shortly after the billionaire family that owns the luxury magazine group and titles from Vogue to GQ ruled out a sale. The publisher, which enjoyed a bumper 2024 after booking £64m in proceeds from the sale of its UK headquarters Vogue House in London, saw pre-tax profits excluding exceptional items tumble 36% from £28m that year to nearly £18m last year. Continue reading...
Washington Spirit clinch NWSL playoff berth as Gotham miss chance to seal Shield
Di Guglielmo scores first NWSL goal in 1-0 victory Gotham denied chance to clinch NWSL Shield San Diego secure top-four seed as Angel City rally Lucia Di Guglielmo scored her first National Women’s Soccer League goal and the Washington Spirit clinched a playoff spot with a 1-0 victory over Gotham FC on Saturday. In other NWSL action, the San Diego Wave beat the North Carolina Courage 2-1, Angel City FC defeated the Denver Summit 3-2 and the Kansas City Current shut out the Utah Royals 2-0. Continue reading...
Fundora brutally knocks out Hadribeaj with one second left to retain 154lb title
Fundora lands decisive blow at 2:59 of final round Champion makes fourth successful title defense 6ft 5in fighter targets undisputed crown at 154lb Sebastian Fundora kept his pursuit of an undisputed championship on track with a second to spare. Fundora stopped Ermal Hadribeaj with a left hand at 2:59 of the 12th round on Saturday night at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to retain his WBC super welterweight title. Continue reading...
Blunder in, abandon allies and court a dictator: it’s the Trump doctrine, now playing out in Myanmar | Steve Bloomfield
The US condemned the genocide and military rule there, but now that Trump craves its rare earths, that’s all changed. For democracy activists, that’s a disaster Marco Rubio was once adamant that the US had to do everything in its power to end what he described as the “ethnic cleansing” of the Rohingya in Myanmar. In a 2017 letter he signed along with 20 other US senators , Rubio called for “strong multilateral sanctions against specific senior Burmese military officials associated with the gross human rights abuses”. Those responsible for the atrocities should be prosecuted, he argued. In the years since, the Myanmar military’s crimes have only increased. What was then deemed ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya is now widely viewed, including by the US, as genocide. What little democracy existed in Myanmar was eradicated in 2021 when Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested and imprisoned and her party’s election victory overturned, and the military took full control. Continue reading...
‘I felt disgusted’: MEP speaks out over nude deepfakes and urges EU action
Lena Schilling of Austrian Greens says images are ‘digital violence against women’ and a threat to democracy An Austrian MEP has spoken out about her experience of being “stripped naked” online without her consent and has urged the EU to take action, as a report found that one in six female MEPs had been targeted by sexualised AI-generated content. Lena Schilling of the Green party said she had learned last month about nude deepfakes of herself circulating online. When she opened the links, she found herself staring at images from one of her first ever press conferences – but the images had been digitally altered to remove her clothing. Continue reading...
‘4,000 people minding our own business’: four decades on, Falklands again face a hostile Argentina
Facing a slump in the polls, Argentina’s president is making economic attacks on the islands’ oil industry, and suggesting its key fisheries industry could be next A dozen local people and a uniformed military police officer (“Do you mind if I sit in?”) took their seats at the back of the handsome wood-panelled courtroom that doubles as the Falkland Islands’ legislative assembly. Outside, it was a typically blowy early evening. It may nominally be spring in the south Atlantic, but Stanley harbour, with its dark grey water speckled with historical shipwrecks, was a cauldron of swells and churn. Six of the assembly’s eight members – five men, one woman – waited patiently at a row of desks and microphones. The heating had been turned up to just short of uncomfortable. Behind them, a portrait of King Charles. From the other walls, dusty photographs of governors, of varying popularity, gazed disinterestedly at the scene. Continue reading...
Is sisterhood the secret to a long life? The Sardinian village that could hold key to women’s longevity
Meet some of the elderly residents of Bolotana, in line to be the world’s sixth ‘blue zone’ for its high number of female centenarians When Giovanna Marras opens the door to her home in Bolotana, a mountain village in central Sardinia, her eyes are bright with curiosity as she sizes up her visitors. Her sister, Mariangela, peeks out too, soon ushering her guests inside and handing out dishes of ice-cream. The sisters are full of life, talking animatedly. Giovanna is 101 and Mariangela is 99. Sitting in their living room, Giovanna swiftly recaps her life story: she excelled at school before moving to Cagliari, the capital of the Italian island, at 18 to train as a seamstress. The sisters went on to run a successful tailoring business in Bolotana before travelling the world after retirement. Neither married. Continue reading...
Indigenous woman shackled to hospital bed while in labour in Queensland
Birth happens days before Labor and Coalition block bill to ban ‘barbaric practice’ of shackling incarcerated women during childbirth Get our new political email , free app or daily news podcast An incarcerated Indigenous woman was shackled to a hospital bed in Queensland while she was in labour last weekend, an advocacy group has said. The birth happened just days before Labor and the Coalition blocked a bill to ban the “barbaric practice” of shackling incarcerated women during childbirth . Continue reading...
Rays punish Cleveland defensive lapses to square ALCS at two games apiece
Rays defeat Guardians 7-3 to level ALCS at 2-2 Díaz seals victory with ninth-inning home run Tampa Bay and Cleveland meet again on Sunday Jonathan Aranda’s single led to two runs in the seventh inning when the ball got by right fielder Chase DeLauter, Nick Martinez pitched five and one-third innings for his first postseason win and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on Saturday night to even the AL Championship Series at 2-2. Game 5 of the best-of-seven matchup is Sunday in Cleveland before the series shifts back to St Petersburg, Florida, on Monday. There is no off day for travel after Friday’s game was postponed by rain. Continue reading...
‘Serious incident’ at Alberta military base causes deaths and injuries, Canada officials say
Incident at CFB Wainwright base in Alberta caused a ‘major fire’ that is spreading to the nearby town because of strong winds People have been killed and injured after an incident at one of Canada’s busiest military training bases in Alberta caused a large fire, Canada’s defence minister said Saturday. “I’m saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base,” defence minister David McGuinty said at a press conference on Saturday night. Continue reading...
Auburn stun No 1 Georgia on last-gasp field goal as top-ranked teams fall in successive weeks
Alex McPherson’s 34-yard kick seals 27-24 upset Georgia lose two interceptions and late fumble Alex McPherson kicked a game-winning 34-yard field goal as time expired and Auburn, led by quarterback Byrum Brown’s dominant running game, upset No 1 Georgia 27-24 on Saturday. It was the second straight week the top team in the AP Top 25 lost to an unranked opponent after then-No 1 Texas fell to Oklahoma last Saturday. Auburn’s win meant the team ranked No 1 in the AP Top 25 lost in consecutive weeks for the first time since October 1990, according to Sportradar. Continue reading...
Ebike rider, 13, charged with sexual touching after girls and women allegedly harassed on northern beaches trails
Sydney teenager charged with offensive behaviour and sexual touching without consent in relation to incidents involving females aged 13 to 54 An ebike riding 13-year-old boy has been charged with multiple sexual offences allegedly committed against women on walking trails on Sydney’s northern beaches. New South Wales police said the boy was arrested on Saturday evening after a strike force was established to investigate inappropriate comments and alleged sexual touching incidents on walking trails in the Narrabeen area in the first weeks of October. Continue reading...
Arizona joins Nevada to fight proposed cuts to their shares of Colorado River
Move comes after Trump administration announced restrictions that could slash water supplies Arizona has joined Nevada in its legal battle against the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to their shares of the shrinking Colorado River. The move comes after the interior department announced restrictions this summer that could slash the water supplied to lower basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – over the next two years depending on the river’s condition. Continue reading...
Hurricane Trudy strengthens to category 2 as it heads toward Mexico
Hurricane warning in effect from Manzanillo to Cabo Corrientes as storm moves toward Pacific coast Trudy strengthened to a category 2 hurricane as it moved toward Mexico’s south-western and west-central Pacific coast on Saturday, the US National Hurricane Center said. A hurricane warning was in effect from Manzanillo in Colima state to Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco. The latest NHC data showed Trudy with maximum sustained winds of 100mph (155km/h) and about 205 miles (330km) south/south-east of Cabo Corrientes and 115 miles (180km) south/south-west of Manzanillo, moving north-west at 10mph (17km/h). Continue reading...
Two people, including child, killed after person drives through soccer game in Kansas
The driver of the vehicle is in custody, and two juveniles were in the vehicle, according to Wichita police department Two people, including a child, were killed during a soccer game in Wichita, Kansas, when a person drove a vehicle through the field at Stryker soccer complex, police have confirmed. Multiple other people were injured. The driver of the vehicle is in custody, Aaron Moses of the Wichita police department said Saturday in a news conference . There were two juveniles in the vehicle, he said. Continue reading...
Yvette Cooper pledges £140m to boost urgent care as NHS faces ‘tough’ winter
Health secretary says government has been preparing early and will spend money on ambulances and A&E upgrades The NHS faces a more challenging winter than normal, the health secretary has warned, as she announced a £140m increase for urgent care in England. Yvette Cooper said the money would help increase capacity, and that the NHS has been preparing since July to deal with the impact of seasonal illnesses. Continue reading...
New York City police seek suspect in fatal subway station shooting
Suspect shot a man in his 30s on the E train platform of the 53rd Street-7th Avenue subway station, according to NYPD A man was shot and killed in a New York City subway station Saturday afternoon, and the New York police department is searching for the suspect. The suspect fatally shot a man in his 30s on the E train platform of the 53rd Street-7th Avenue subway station, according to a statement from the NYPD . Continue reading...
Jalen Hurts placed on injured reserve after Eagles quarterback diagnosed with blood clot
Eagles star sidelined by blood clot in his calf Hurts sustained injury against Rams on 4 October Super Bowl MVP must miss at least four games Quarterback Jalen Hurts was placed on injured reserve on Saturday, two days after the Philadelphia Eagles revealed he had a blood clot in his calf. Hurts was initially ruled out on Thursday for the Eagles’ upcoming game against Carolina. The Eagles said at the time that Hurts had been injured when he took a cleat to his calf during their game against the Los Angeles Rams on 4 October. Continue reading...