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Within Israel, Iran is seen as the ultimate threat. The prime minister knows this is his chance to rewrite his bloodied legacyIt's 1938 and Iran is Germany ... The Jewish people will not allow a second Holocaust." Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, recited slogans like these incessantly for decades, urging action against the gravest threat to the Jewish state - a nuclear-armed Iran. He conveyed the message to successive US presidents. He presented a bomb cartoon at the UN. At countless Holocaust memorial events he described Iran's nuclear ambitions as the present-day final solution".Netanyahu talked and talked about the pressing Iranian threat, but his listeners were not convinced. They dismissed him as an alarmist whose deadline Iran crossed year after year without deploying a nuclear weapon (it still hasn't). Netanyahu's critics at home taunted him as a chicken who would never dare to attack Iran's nuclear installations - unlike his more decisive predecessors, who had ordered the bombing of nuclear reactors in Iraq and Syria.Aluf Benn is the editor-in-chief of Haaretz Continue reading...

Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil was released from US immigration detention, where he had been held for more than three months over his activism against Israel's war on Gaza. Khalil, the most high profile of the students to be arrested by the Trump administration for their pro-Palestinian activism, and the last of them still in detention, was ordered to be released by a federal judge on Friday afternoon from an Ice facility in Jena, Louisiana

This blog is now closed. Read our latest Iran-Israel conflict story hereDonald Trump is once again repeating unfounded claims that the results of the 2020 presidential election were fraudulent, saying that the evidence is massive and overwhelming" but not providing any of it. The president called for a special prosecutor to be appointed to the case.He wrote on Truth Social this morning: Continue reading...

The Palestinian activist described a bittersweet feeling as he emerged from Ice detention into the Louisiana sunMahmoud Khalil squinted in the afternoon sun as he walked away from the fences topped with razor wire, through two tall gates and out into the thick humidity of central Louisiana.After more than three months detained in this remote and notorious immigration detention center in the small town of Jena, he described a bittersweet feeling of release, walking towards a handful of journalists with a raised fist, visibly relieved, but composed and softly spoken. Continue reading...

Columbia graduate freed from Louisiana facility after judge ruled he is not a danger to the community - period'Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil was released from US immigration detention, where he had been held for more than three months over his activism against Israel's war on Gaza.Khalil, the most high profile of the students to be arrested by the Trump administration for their pro-Palestinian activism, and the last of them still in detention, was ordered to be released by a federal judge on Friday afternoon from an Ice facility in Jena, Louisiana, where he has been held since shortly after plainclothes immigration agents detained him in early March in the lobby of his Columbia building. Continue reading...

Vice-president visits Los Angeles and condemns Democratic leaders over protests against Trump's Ice raidsJD Vance, the US vice-president, accused California governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass of encouraging violent immigration protests as he used an in Los Angeles to rebut criticism from state and local officials that the Trump administration fueled the unrest by sending in federal officers.The centerpiece of Vance's Friday visit was a 14-minute news conference, during which he delivered remarks and took questions from correspondents selected by the White House. Local reporters were barred from attending, according to Elex Michaelson, the host of Fox LA's local evening news report. Continue reading...

Supreme court ruled fossil fuel companies could challenge a California emissions law, as White House moved to keep Michigan coal plants open. Key US politics stories from Friday 20 JuneIt was a day of environmental setbacks across the US on Friday after the Trump administration moved to keep two Michigan coal plants open and the US supreme court handed a win to fossil fuel firms in an emissions case.Already, the US Department of Energy (DoE) has ordered the JH Campbell coal plant on Lake Michigan to remain open beyond its 31 May closure date, while the administration is expected to prolong the life of the Monroe power plant on Lake Erie, scheduled to begin closing in 2028. Continue reading...

Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi says he supports more talks with European counterparts despite lack of progressIran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said that his country is ready for more diplomacy with the US only if Israel's war on his country is brought to an end and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes he committed".After several hours of talks with European foreign ministers in Geneva on Friday, there was no sign of a diplomatic breakthrough - or a resumption of negotiations with the US. Continue reading...

Nicolas Jackson was shown a red card as Enzo Maresca's side imploded in the second half against the Brazilian side6 min Liam Delap breaks free on the right side of the Flamengo area but just delays his shot a touch - he does let fly, forcing Rossi to palm the ball away for a corner.4 min Sanchez provides two wayward kicks from the back to land Chelsea in trouble but a toe-punt from De Arrascaeta, from outside the area, flies high. Continue reading...

Terminations of 639 employees were announced at organization founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propagandaThe Trump administration has terminated 639 employees at Voice of America and its parent organization in the latest round of sweeping cuts that have reduced the international broadcasting service to a fraction of its former size.The mass terminations announced Friday rounds out the Trump-led elimination of 1,400 positions since March and represents the near-complete dismantling of an organization founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, whose first broadcast declared: We bring you voices from America." Continue reading...

ACIP panel to discuss influenza vaccines that contain thimerosal, which Kennedy called dangerous' in 2014 bookA key vaccine advisory panel reconstituted by health secretary and vaccine skeptic Robert F Kennedy Jr is slated to discuss thimerosal-containing influenza vaccines in its first meeting - an ingredient which has been a fixation of anti-vaccine activists for decades.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will hold two separate votes later this month: one on influenza vaccines" and one on influenza vaccines that contain thimerosal. Continue reading...

State to argue in federal court that control of national guard - deployed to Los Angeles - should return to Gavin NewsomCalifornia's challenge of the Trump administration's military deployment on the streets of Los Angeles returned to a federal courtroom in San Francisco on Friday after an appeals court handed Donald Trump a key procedural win in the case.Friday's hearing comes a day after the ninth circuit appellate panel allowed the president to keep control of national guard troops he deployed in response to protests over immigration raids. Continue reading...

Justices deny request by toy company - which challenged president's trade policy - to expedite review of disputeThe US supreme court declined on Friday to speed up its consideration of whether to take up a challenge to Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs even before lower courts have ruled in the dispute.The supreme court denied a request by a family-owned toy company, Learning Resources, that filed the legal challenge against Trump's tariffs to expedite the review of the dispute by the nation's top judicial body. Continue reading...

Small plane had raised a wheel after landing to keep from killing animal, and then took off again before crashingThe pilot of a small plane that crashed near a North Carolina airport this month had raised a wheel after landing to avoid hitting a turtle on the runway, according to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report.The pilot of the Universal Stinson 108, a single-engine, four-seat aircraft, and a passenger were killed in the 3 June crash near Sugar Valley airport in Mocksville, officials said. A second passenger was seriously injured in the crash. Continue reading...

Latest incidents include death threats against Zohran Mamdani in New York and a purported road rage attack on Max Miller in OhioA fresh wave of violent threats and incidents targeting elected officials broke out in the US this week, prompting more urgent calls for increased security measures just days after the killing of a Minnesota state legislator and the shooting of another.Amid a series of attacks involving federal and local officials, the latest incidents included death threats against Zohran Mamdani, the New York mayoral candidate, a purported road rage attack on Max Miller, the Ohio congressman, and an alleged kidnapping attempt targeting Paul Young, the mayor of Memphis. Continue reading...

Senator from Massachusetts questions state department's redirection of $500m to troubled organization

States that enact stricter gun control measures show a decrease in the leading cause of death of US childrenGuns have been the leading cause of death among US children since 2020. A new study shows a clear path to addressing this scourge and saving kids' lives: state gun control laws.The study, published this month in Jama Pediatrics, reveals that states which enacted stricter gun control measures following the 2010 McDonald v Chicago supreme court ruling - a landmark decision that struck down Chicago's ban on handguns and, in effect, expanded the second amendment nationwide - have seen a relative decrease in firearm deaths among children aged up to 17. By contrast, states that expanded gun freedoms have seen a notable increase in kids' deaths from gun violence, including by homicide, by suicide and from accidents. Continue reading...

Emerson Colindres had no criminal record and was attending appointment with Ice when detainedA teenage student and soccer stand-out was arrested by immigration authorities four days after his high school graduation ceremony in Ohio earlier this month, and deported to Honduras this week, his family has said.Emerson Colindres, 19, had no criminal record and was attending a regularly scheduled appointment with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) in Cincinnati when he was detained on 4 June, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Continue reading...

However, the president did take to social media to complain about too many non-working holidays'Donald Trump failed to mark Juneteenth, commemorating the ending of slavery in the US, until he posted on Thursday night that there are too many non-working holidays" in the country.The US president has put out statements previously as president and even tried to take credit for boosting awareness of the significance of 19 June before it became a federal holiday under the Biden administration. Continue reading...

Appeals court extends pause on district judge ruling that president called troops into federal service unlawfully

With misinformation and murky details on bird flu and measles outbreaks, experts worry about the next pandemicAmid controversial dismissals for independent advisers and staff at health agencies, alongside lackluster responses to the bird flu and measles outbreaks, experts fear the US is now in worse shape to respond to a pandemic than before 2020.H5N1, which has received less attention under the Trump administration than from Biden's team, is not the only influenza virus or even the only variant of bird flu with the potential to spark a pandemic. But a subpar response to the ongoing US outbreak signals a larger issue: America is not ready for whatever pathogen will sweep through next. Continue reading...

Britain's driving force on EuroBasket prospects, playing alongside Caitlin Clark and the importance of a team mentality at the highest levelIt's great to be back with Great Britain," Temi Fagbenle says, her voice carrying the quiet confidence of a seasoned international basketball player. I come from the WNBA but I'm glad I was able to make both work." For the captain of GB's women's basketball team, balancing the demands of the world's premier league with national team duties is a familiar tightrope walk. I'm thankful teams see European competition as a priority for some of us. They've accommodated where they could."EuroBasket, a biennial competition, is one of the biggest international tournaments in the game. It is also a qualifying metric for the Women's World Cup and the Olympics. With the 2025 edition under way, Fagbenle's presence is crucial as one of the leading WNBA players choosing to play in an international tournament during the season. Continue reading...

In the diverse Iranian hub of west LA, a sense of dread over the escalating conflict is permeating the cafes and bakeriesIn uncertain times in Persian Square, in the Iranian enclave on the west side of Los Angeles, there is always hope - and ice cream.Farbod Freddy" Papen is happy to dole out scoops of cucumber ice cream at Saffron and Rose, just as his grandfather once did in the same neighborhood affectionately known by many nicknames: Little Tehran, Tehrangeles, or Little Persia. Continue reading...

If the United States joins Israel's fight to try to finish Israel's job, it will enter into a war of unknowable scope against a country of 90 million peopleTwo decades ago, as Americans debated whether their country should invade Iraq, one question loomed the largest: did Saddam Hussein possess weapons of mass destruction? If so, the implication was that the United States should disarm and overthrow his regime by military force. If not, Washington could keep that option in reserve and continue to contain Saddam through economic sanctions and routine bombings.In time, the implications of the Iraq war far exceeded the boundaries of the original debate. Saddam, it turned out, had no weapons of mass destruction. But suppose he had possessed the chemical and biological agents that the war's advocates claimed. Invading his country to destroy his regime would have given him the greatest possible incentive to use the worst weapons at his disposal. The war would have been just as mistaken - more so, in fact.Stephen Wertheim is a senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Continue reading...

As Americans, we need to know what's happening so we can act. But that doesn't mean constant online immersionThe threat of a world war. Political assassinations. Federal raids on unsuspecting migrants.There seems to be no end to terrifying news these days. In fact, it comes at us so unceasingly that numbness can set in. Or even depression or melancholy, like a black cloud over every part of our lives. Continue reading...

Friday's meeting comes a day after Trump said he would decide whether to attack Iran within two weeks'. Plus, Los Angeles Dodgers say they denied Ice agents entry to stadium

The Lakers' record sale underscores how owning elite sports franchises is increasingly beyond even the wealthiest individuals, shifting power toward corporate consortiumsThe sale of the Los Angeles Lakers is many things.First of all, it is a record. The glitziest team in basketball is changing hands at a valuation of $10bn, the biggest ever for a sports franchise. Second, it is probably an excellent deal for the buyer, even at that astonishing valuation. And third, the shift in majority ownership from the Buss family to an investment group led by Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, is something else: inevitable. Continue reading...

With the group stage approaching halfway, it is time to take stock of key issues surrounding the expanded tournamentThe Club World Cup is into the second round of games in the group stage, with matches across the United States showing off all that was hotly anticipated about this newly expanded tournament, as well as a few concerns.Here's a breakdown of five major storylines we were keeping track of before the games, and where we stand. Continue reading...

LA was once a conservative stronghold; now the military is occupying it. Liberal cities have become targets for politicians looking to stir up their voters elsewhereFrom Los Angeles to London, Istanbul to Warsaw, cities are making rightwing populists angry. Their liberal elites, immigrants, net zero policies, leftwing activists, globalised businesses, expensive transport infrastructure and outspoken municipal leaders - all are provocations to populist politicians whose support often comes from more conservative, less privileged places.Three years ago the founders of national conservatism, the transatlantic ideology on which much of modern rightwing populism is based, published a statement of principles. One of these, surprisingly little noticed at the time, declared with some menace: In those [places] in which law and justice have been manifestly corrupted, or in which lawlessness, immorality, and dissolution reign, national government must intervene energetically to restore order."Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Trump has signalled that he wants two weeks to decide whether or not to strike Iran - key US politics stories from 19 JuneWill he or won't he? That's the question manyare asking regarding whether Donald Trump will join Israel's attacks on Iran and take out one of its most difficult targets: the Fordow nuclear enrichment site.But another question has arisen. Can he? Continue reading...

Baseball team says Ice agents were denied permission to access parking lots but agency claims agents were never there'The Los Angeles Dodgers said on Thursday they denied US immigration enforcement agents access to the parking lot at Dodger Stadium earlier in the day.This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots," the baseball team said in a post on X. Continue reading...

States argued US transportation secretary lacks authority to impose conditions on funding appropriated by CongressA federal judge on Thursday blocked Donald Trump's administration from forcing 20 Democratic-led states to cooperate with immigration enforcement in order to receive billions of dollars in transportation grant funding.Chief US District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island, granted the states' request for an injunction barring the Department of Transportation's policy, saying the states were likely to succeed on the merits of some or all of their claims. Continue reading...

Messi hit a trademark free-kick for the winning goal in the second half as Miami topped the Portuguese giants in Atlanta. Read our minute-by-minute report4 min: Messi involved again, this time latching on to a bouncing ball in midfield, slotting a through ball for Suarez that has just a bit too much on it, allowing Ramos to gather it easily.2 min: A chance! Already! Lionel Messi finds a spot in the right half-space, and lofts a perfect diagonal ball over the backline to Luis Suarez. Suarez's attempt is saved, and he is later called offside. An early statement from Miami. Continue reading...

President denies report in Wall Street Journal and says newspaper has no idea' of his plans for Israel and Iran

Federal prosecutors reverse course in case of Jose Manuel Mojica, who came forward to Guardian to say he was brutally attacked by agentsFederal prosecutors in California have moved to dismiss charges against a Los Angeles protester accused of assaulting border patrol agents, a major victory for the demonstrator who said he himself was brutally attacked by law enforcement.US attorney Bill Essayli, a Donald Trump appointee, filed a motion on Wednesday to dismiss a complaint against Jose Manuel Mojica, a 30-year-old Los Angeles resident who was present at one of the first major protests of immigration raids in southern California this month. Mojica, a father of four born in LA, came forward last week to the Guardian, which published footage of his arrest by a group of officers. Continue reading...

Election officials told to give 72 hours' notice before visiting immigration facilities, with some sites completely off limitsThe US Department of Homeland Security is now requiring lawmakers to provide 72 hours of notice before visiting detention centers, according to new guidance.The guidance comes after a slew of tense visits from Democratic lawmakers to detention centers amid Donald Trump's crackdowns in immigrant communities across the country. Many Democratic lawmakers in recent weeks have either been turned away, arrested or manhandled by law enforcement officers at the facilities, leading to public condemnation towards Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (Ice) handling of such visits. Continue reading...

Emmanuel Mwamba and Fiona Mulaisho respond to an editorial on US aid cuts to Zambia and huge sums taken out of the country by multinationalsYour editorial (The Guardian view on Zambia's Trumpian predicament: US aid cuts are dwarfed by a far bigger heist, 10 January) highlights research by Prof Andrew Fischer, and the exploitation of Zambia's commodity resources via illicit financial schemes. Many Zambians have raised the issue of this looting for years, but have met coordinated resistance. Consequently, Zambia's treasury loses billions of dollars in revenue. These losses are driven by well-known multinationals working in concert with certain insiders closeto the Zambian state.Your editorial also says: The US decision to cut $50m a year in aid to Zambia ... is dreadful, and the reason given, corruption, rings hollow." Alas, I disagree and wish to place this in context. Continue reading...

Messaging request for holiday marking Black emancipation comes as Trump administration wages anti-DEI campaignThe office of the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, requested a passive approach to Juneteenth messaging," according to an exclusive Rolling Stone report citing a Pentagon email.This messaging request for Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating when enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free, was transmitted by the Pentagon's office of the chief of public affairs. This office said it was not poised to publish web content related to Juneteenth, Rolling Stone said. Continue reading...