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Hospitality giant responded to Guardian story about Ice's use of Sheraton hotel to hold families prior to deportationMarriott, the hospitality giant, has not disputed recent revelations that a Louisiana hotel in its portfolio was used to detain migrant families before deportation, which contradicts a 2019 policy that it would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). In a new statement to the Guardian, the company suggested that its acceptance of business" did not mean it supported the Trump administration's immigration policies.The Guardian reported on Tuesday that a Sheraton hotel in the city of Alexandria, situated close to a major Ice deportation hub, has been used to hold family groups before they are removed from the US. The Sheraton brand is owned by Marriott International. Continue reading...

Workers were led away in zip ties after CBP officials raided a workplace in Edison, New JerseyDozens of immigrant workers were detained at a warehouse in New Jersey on Wednesday, in the latest federal raid as part of Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.Agents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) descended on the warehouse, in Edison, New Jersey, at 9am on Wednesday, the New York Times reported. Officers led some workers away in zip ties, employees told the Times, while people they deemed to have legal status in the US were given yellow wristbands. Continue reading...

In the Arms Down program at San Quentin in California, incarcerated men analyze the violence, heartbreak and poor choices that have shaped their livesOn a recent Friday morning, the chapel of San Quentin prison was abuzz as more than 100 incarcerated men and their friends and families took their seats at tables filling the room. A banner with large orange lettering hanging at the front read Arms Down: Teaching there are options between the first and second amendment", and the mood was festive, with the men hugging their spouses, parents and siblings.Now sheltered from the foggy, misty Marin county morning, participants and leaders of this first-of-its-kind program stepped onto the stage and started to talk, about mistaking being feared for being respected, about living with unaddressed trauma, about leaning into misconceptions of manhood and how that led them to rely on firearms as a source of safety and power. Continue reading...

Democrats hope to negate Republican gains with their own redistricting. Plus, seeking a safe place to abandon a babyGood morning.The Republican-controlled Texas House passed a redrawn congressional map requested by Donald Trump on Wednesday despite the attempts of Democrats to thwart it.What happens now? The measure will go to the state Senate, where it is expected to pass, before being signed into law by the state's Republican governor.Could other states do the same? Yes - Trump has said Florida, Indiana, and others are looking to do the same thing". Even Democrats highly opposed to the brazen practise of gerrymandering are backing aggressive efforts to counter the Republicans' efforts.What has the administration been asking for? It has instructed museum officials to issue content corrections" including replacing divisive" language. Continue reading...

Lawyer for Winnie Greco says cash for journalist was gesture of friendship and not an attempted bribeA former longtime adviser to the mayor of New York City who resigned while under FBI scrutiny gave a reporter a potato chip bag filled with cash Wednesday after a campaign event.A lawyer for Winnie Greco, the former adviser, insisted the cash was not an attempted bribe. Continue reading...

Coco Gauff is once again the home favourite while this is Aryna Sabalenka's last chance to win a grand slam this yearAryna Sabalenka Is 2025 just not the world No 1's year? Finishing as runner-up in Melbourne and Paris and falling in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, Sabalenka has failed to get over the line at slams this season despite being a constant favourite. But with her powerful game and a devastating serve - especially on hard courts - she has the tools to make a deep run as the defending champion in New York. The Belarusian has racked up a total of 52 weeks as the world No 1, surpassing her compatriot Victoria Azarenka's 51 for the 13th-most weeks atop the WTA rankings since they began in 1975. Perhaps, like Roger Federer in 2008, the 27-year-old can triumph in the final slam of the year after making two finals and a semi. Continue reading...

It's not about Nato or the Soviet Union. It's about democracyIt may be difficult for a real-estate mogul like Donald Trump to recognize, but Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is not about slices of war-torn land in eastern Ukraine. It is about Ukraine's democracy. Putin fears that the Russian people will see that democracy as an enticing alternative to his stultifying autocratic rule. Trump is unlikely to secure a peace deal unless he acts on that reality and changes the cost-benefit analysis behind Putin's continuing war.Much of the public analysis of the Alaska summit between Trump and Putin, and the Washington collection of European leaders protecting the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, from the temperamental Trump, has been replete with red-herring issues. For example, Putin did not invade Ukraine because of feared Nato expansion. The unanimous consent of all Nato members required to admit Ukraine is nowhere on the horizon, especially since article 5 of the Nato treaty would require all Nato members to defend Ukraine from the ongoing Russian incursion.Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch (1993-2022), is a visiting professor at Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs. His new book, Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments, was published by Knopf and Allen Lane Continue reading...

More than 750 health workers say Kennedy's misinformation fuels violence and endangers livesCurrent and former employees at US health agencies released a letter on Wednesday outlining how misinformation spread by Robert F Kennedy Jr is endangering the lives of federal employees and the American people.Experts emphasized to the Guardian that he's an existential threat to public health". Continue reading...

US president told top advisers trilateral meeting would take place after leaders of the two countries have met firstDonald Trump intends to leave Russia and Ukraine to organize a meeting between their leaders without directly playing a role for now, according to administration officials familiar with the situation, taking a step back from the negotiations to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine.The next stage in Trump's eyes to end the war in Ukraine remains a bilateral meeting between Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, the officials said. Continue reading...

Glaswegian teacher's moan about the weather has racked up 4m views - and opened conversations about race on both sides of AtlanticIt began with a good-natured rant about the Scottish summer weather and has developed into a global conversation about history, diaspora and diversity on both sides of the Atlantic.Last week, Torgi Squire uploaded a TikTok post that any Scottish parent could relate to: why is it, he asked, that without fail the washout summer weather always improves the week that the kids go back to school? Continue reading...

USA center was the kid in the pink scrum cap' then soared with a winning blend of speed, power and body positivityOne Saturday in September 2014, the women's rugby team from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut travelled to Norwich, Vermont. On the home team, a powerful 18-year-old prop scored three tries in a convincing win.Quinnipiac coach Becky Carlson turned to her assistant. Oh man," she remembered saying. Who's the kid in the pink scrum cap? I'd give my right arm to have her. Continue reading...

Host of TV show Caught in Providence billed his courtroom as a place where people and cases are met with kindness'Frank Caprio, a retired municipal judge in Rhode Island who found online fame for his compassionate nature as host of the reality courtroom series Caught in Providence, has died aged 88.Caprio's official social media accounts said that he passed away peacefully" after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer". Continue reading...

In a draw filled with many of the best singles tennis players in the world, the Italians made a decisive case for the importance of teamwork in this disciplineAcross two frantic days in New York, Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani repeatedly made their intentions clear. As the only doubles specialist team in a tournament that had banished the rest of their kind, they were on a mission to prove their worth by succeeding on the court.Shortly before midnight on an Arthur Ashe Stadium still filled with raucous spectators, the mission was complete. They triumphed in spectacular fashion at the reimagined US Open mixed doubles championship by closing out the star singles pairing of Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, the third seeds, 6-3 5-7 (10-6) in a supreme, intense tussle to defend their title. Continue reading...

Amid review of institution, a White House document argues Smithsonian has overly negative portrayal of American history. Key US politics stories from Wednesday 20 AugustAfter Donald Trump on Tuesday lashed out at the Smithsonian Institution - a premier museum, education and research complex for US history and culture - over what he called an excessive focus on how bad Slavery was", the Guardian has revealed the shape his administration's targeting of seven flagship museums will take.Trump suggested he would pressure the institution to accept his demands, just like he did with colleges and universities by threatening to cut federal funding. The White House said last week it would lead an internal review of some Smithsonian museums after Trump earlier this year accused it of spreading anti-American ideology". Continue reading...

Former US president wades into national conflict over House maps, as Texas lawmakers approve map to favor GOPBarack Obama waded into states' efforts at rare mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying he agreed with California governor Gavin Newsom's plan to counter the new Texas congressional map by launching an effort to redraw his own state's map and create more Democratic-friendly districts, calling it a responsible approach".I believe that governor Newsom's approach is a responsible approach. He said this is going to be responsible. We're not going to try to completely maximize it," Obama said at a Tuesday fundraiser on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. We're only going to do it if and when Texas and/or other Republican states begin to pull these maneuvers. Otherwise, this doesn't go into effect." Continue reading...

Exclusive: White House flags seven institutions including those for Latino, African and Asian art for review, document showsAmid the Donald Trump administration's heavy-handed review of Smithsonian museums, the Guardian has seen a document compiled by the White House that details examples of how the widely visited cultural institutions have overly negative portrayals of US history.The document, based on public submissions shared with the administration, points to what it says are problematic exhibits at seven different museums, including a Benjamin Franklin exhibit that links his scientific achievements to his ownership of enslaved people and a film about George Floyd's murder that it says mischaracterizes the police. Continue reading...

This liveblog is now closedThe White House launched an official TikTok account on Tuesday, as Donald Trump continues to permit the Chinese-owned platform to operate in the US despite a law requiring its sale.America we are BACK! What's up TikTok?" read a caption on the account's first post, a 27-second clip, on the popular video-sharing app. Continue reading...

Forms posted online show Trump made over 600 financial purchases the day after he was inaugurated for second termDonald Trump has bought more than $100m in company, state and municipal bonds since taking office in January, according to new disclosures which shed further light on the vast holdings of the US's billionaire president.The forms, posted online on Tuesday, show the Republican former real estate mogul made more than 600 financial purchases since 21 January, the day after he was inaugurated for his second term in the White House. Continue reading...

Redrawn map fiercely opposed by Democrats now moves to state senate, where it is expected to passThe Republican-controlled Texas house on Wednesday approved a redrawn congressional map requested by Donald Trump and fiercely opposed by Democrats, who led a weeks-long protest to stall the effort that kicked off a redistricting arms race between red and blue states.With the house's approval, the measure next goes to the state senate, where it is expected to pass, possibly as soon as Thursday. Continue reading...

Administration officials given legal right to move towards deportation of people from Nepal, Honduras and NicaraguaA federal appeals court on Wednesday sided with the Trump administration and halted for now a lower court's order that had kept in place temporary protections for 60,000 migrants from Central America and Nepal.This means that the Republican administration can move toward removing an estimated 7,000 people from Nepal whose temporary protected status designations expired on 5 August. The TPS designations and legal status of 51,000 Hondurans and 3,000 Nicaraguans are set to expire 8 September, at which point they will become eligible for removal. Continue reading...

US vice-president, at Washington's Union Station with Stephen Miller and Pete Hegseth, defends use of troops in area with less crimeJD Vance was booed and heckled with chants of Free DC!" during a photo op with national guard troops at Union Station in Washington on Wednesday afternoon.Handing out burgers to troops deployed last week by Donald Trump, at the station's Shake Shack alongside the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and White House deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, Vance told soldiers we appreciate everything you're doing" and asserted: We brought some law and order back." Meanwhile, a crowd of demonstrators protested outside. Continue reading...

Attorney general Ken Paxton orders two organizations and an individual to end unlawful conduct' or face lawsuitThe heated US war over abortion pills warmed up another degree on Wednesday, as the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, sent cease-and-desist letters to two organizations and an individual that he accused of mailing abortion pills to Texans or facilitating their shipment. Paxton threatened to sue if they do not stop their alleged activities.These abortion drug organizations and radical activists are not above the law, and I have ordered the immediate end of this unlawful conduct," Paxton said in a news release announcing the letters. Continue reading...

Secretary of state Marco Rubio announces US assets frozen over efforts to prosecute Americans and IsraelisThe Trump administration has ramped up its efforts to hobble the international criminal court in what the ICC has denounced as a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution".The US state department on Wednesday announced new sanctions on four ICC officials, including two judges and two prosecutors, saying they had been instrumental in efforts to prosecute Americans and Israelis. As a result of the sanctions, any assets that the targets hold in US jurisdictions are frozen. Continue reading...

Federal judge said the transcripts pale in comparison to what documents the government already has on EpsteinThe government lost its bid to unseal grand jury transcripts in the sex-trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein.Richard Berman, a federal judge in New York, said the transcripts pale in comparison to the documents the government already has on Epstein and that disclosing them could harm victims. Continue reading...

Grants Pass reaches settlement with advocacy group that accused it of discriminating against people with disabilitiesThe Oregon city at the heart of a major US supreme court homelessness ruling has agreed to ensure camping spaces for at least 150 people as part of a settlement reached with a disability rights group that sued the city over its camping rules.Disability Rights Oregon, which sued Grants Pass in January, said on Friday that it had reached a settlement agreement. The advocacy group accused the city of discriminating against people with disabilities and violating a state law requiring cities' camping regulations to be objectively reasonable". Continue reading...

Hurricane Erin's arrival is being felt all along the US east coast. Residents are bracing for the possibility of a dangerous storm surge reaching up to 4ft (1.2 metres), along with severe beach erosion. The hurricane is expected to generate 'life-threatening' waves ranging from 15 to 20ft, with North Carolina beaches anticipating the most brutal waves

Sporting great will chair committee aimed as reshaping the game's future - but the LIV question still lurksTiger Woods will chair a newly created PGA Tour committee aimed at reshaping golf's competitive landscape in the US. But comments made by Brian Rolapp, the Tour's newly appointed chief executive, showed that unification between the sport's traditional ecosystem and the Saudi Arabianbacked LIV circuit is as distant as ever.Woods, who has not competed since the 2024 Open Championship because of injury, was the headline name when Rolapp addressed the media in Atlanta on the eve of the Tour Championship. After just three weeks in office, the chief executive has formed a future competition committee that will also feature Patrick Cantlay and Adam Scott. Rolapp seems clear that the tournament landscape has to change. Continue reading...

Shannon SJ' Joslin among group who hung 66ft flag on El Capitan as others could face prosecution under protest lawsA Yosemite national park ranger was fired after hanging a pride flag from El Capitan, while some park visitors could face prosecution under protest restrictions that have been tightened under Donald Trump.Shannon SJ" Joslin, a ranger and biologist who studies bats, said they hung a 66ft-wide transgender pride flag on the famous climbing wall that looms over the California park's main thoroughfare for about two hours on 20 May before taking it down voluntarily. A termination letter they received last week accused Joslin of failing to demonstrate acceptable conduct" in their capacity as a biologist and cited the May incident. Continue reading...

More than 750 workers in letter say HHS secretary's rhetoric played a role in recent attack at CDC's Atlanta headquartersMore than 750 current and former federal health employees on Wednesday accused health and human services (HHS) secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, of fueling harassment and violence directed at government healthcare staff.In a letter sent to Kennedy and members of Congress, the group accuses RFK Jr of contributing to the harassment and violence experienced by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff", citing decisions such as removing members from a CDC vaccine advisory panel, questioning the safety of the measles vaccine, and firing key CDC staff as actions that sow distrust in federal medical professionals. Continue reading...

Incident comes as six states pledge to send at least 1,200 troops to Washington DC despite falling crime rateA military vehicle crashed into a car in Washington DC on Wednesday morning, an incident that comes as more than six Republican-led states have all pledged to send more national guard troops to DC.The city's local CBS station first reported on the accident, which happened in Washington's Capitol Hill neighborhood, and cited confirmation from the DC fire and emergency services. On social media, the department said that one person was extricated and transported with minor injuries". Continue reading...

As she prepares for final tournament, two-time Wimbledon champion is grateful for her second career' after 2016 knife attackIt would be tempting for Petra Kvitova to dwell on what might have been as she prepares for what will be her last tournament before she retires from tennis. For all her many achievements - she won two Wimbledon titles, 31 tournaments worldwide and reached world No2 - there has long been a feeling that she could, maybe should, have won even more. Martina Navratilova, her fellow Czech who won Wimbledon a record nine times, said she felt Kvitova could go on to win it five times. But like Rafael Nadal, who always found a way to put things in perspective, Kvitova heads into retirement content that she has given absolutely everything she had.It's my personality, probably, that I didn't win more," Kvitova, 35, says on the eve of the US Open. I think I had a talent. Maybe I could work a little bit more, but then, on the other hand, I think maybe it will kill my talent or my mentality. Continue reading...

The Maxwell prison transfer is just another element of the many-ringed circus act that is American politics these daysIn any other era, the shockingly cushy treatment for the convicted sexual offender Ghislaine Maxwell would be a weeks-long scandal.The longtime associate of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein sat down with a justice department attorney last month and then, before long, was transferred to a minimum-security prison in Texas known for its arts and crafts programs and inmates' ability to move around the grounds.Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...

The director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, says move targets officials accused of politicizing intelligence

Brian Cornell to be replaced next year as retailer navigates boycott over its scaling back of DEI initiativesThe CEO of Target is stepping down, as the embattled retail giant seeks to turn around its fortunes amid an ongoing customer boycott over its scaling back of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.Brian Cornell will be replaced next year by , Target's chief operating officer, the company said on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Ugandan official said the east African country does not have the capability to take in undocumented immigrantsUganda said it has not reached any agreement with the US to take in undocumented immigrants, contradicting reports that the east African country had struck a deal with the Trump administration to do so.Henry Oryem Okello, Uganda's state minister for foreign affairs, told Reuters the country does not have the capability to take in immigrants. It comes as the US has deported migrants convicted of crimes in the US to non-native countries including South Sudan and Eswatini. Continue reading...

KSDP brings vital information - from tsunami warnings to salmon levels - to an Alaskan town of 600 people. Can it survive losing 70% its budget in federal support?In Sand Point, Alaska, the radio dial is mostly empty. For a commercial broadcaster, running a station in this Aleutian Island fishing town of about 600 people just is not worth the cost of doing business. But KSDP, the local public radio station for Sand Point, is a community anchor, bringing listeners music, emergency alerts, live color commentary of high school sports, state and local news. Without a newspaper specifically serving the town, the station is residents' resource for all things local.On 1 August, for example, KSDP hosted an interview with local fish biologist Matthew Keyes. Asking the questions was Austin Roof, general manager of the station. Over fuzzy microphones, the two volleyed stats back and forth about the escapement rates of pinks" and kings" (colloquialisms for two of the most fished species of salmon). Roof served as a stand-in for the laborers listening at home or aboard their ships, asking about the noticeably low catches early that summer; Keyes told listeners that while June was among the lowest harvests on record, July had been much better. He then announced the fishing schedule for early August: there would be no fishing allowed for 60 hours straight as officials monitored fish populations, after that, anglers could tune to the radio daily for specific opening and closing times. In a region where livelihoods are tied to this turbulent and highly regulated industry, this information gave residents a chance to plan their summer of labor. Continue reading...

FDA officials detected Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, in shipping containers and a sample of shrimp from IndonesiaWalmart has recalled frozen, raw shrimp sold in 13 states because federal health officials say it could have potential radioactive contamination.The US Food and Drug Administration asked Walmart to pull three lots of Great Value brand frozen shrimp from stores after federal officials detected Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, in shipping containers and a sample of breaded shrimp imported from Indonesia. Continue reading...

Filipino immigrant made up about 40% of Lahaina's pre-fire population - but many feel left behind in a systemic failure that reflects Hawaii's colonial historyAlfred Dasugo, 84, says he's tired of waiting for help.A Filipino immigrant, Dasugo has called Lahaina home for more than a half century. As a young musician, he performed at the Royal Lahaina Resort with famed ukulele player Nelson Waikiki. Later, he spent 25 years working for Maui county parks and recreation, coaching volleyball and basketball to generations of youths. Continue reading...

Ron Ross called 911 after he saw a young woman running in distress while he was parked at a rest area in TennesseeA professional trucker who had a hand in saving a California abduction victim while driving through Tennessee - and recording key video evidence with his windshield camera - recently earned recognition as an angel" of the US's highways, according to officials.Ron Ross, who drives for MCK Trucking in Madison, Alabama, is at the center of the dramatic story, which has seized attention in media circles dedicated to unearthing uplifting news stories. Continue reading...

President says US may provide air support to Kyiv as part of security guarantees. Plus, the boy who founded his own countryGood morning.Donald Trump has ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine to enforce a potential peace deal with Vladimir Putin, tempering a promise to provide Kyiv with security guarantees that European allies had called a significant breakthrough towards halting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Where do the talks stand? At the heart of Tuesday's talks among European allies was the question of what security guarantees could be offered to Ukraine. On Monday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy described security guarantees as a key issue, a starting point towards ending the war" and he appreciated Trump's indication that the US was ready to be part of that guarantee.Which law firm have Republicans chosen? The Mandeep Dhillon law firm filing the suit was previously owned by Harmeet Dhillon, who is now assistant attorney general overseeing the Department of Justice civil rights division. Dhillon was known for her efforts to sue California's university system to overturn policies which barred controversial conservative speakers from appearing. Continue reading...

Exclusive: largest data analysis of its kind counters Trump's aggressive efforts to deny trans minors' existenceMore than 2.8 million people now identify as transgender in the US, including an estimated 724,000 youth, according to a new data analysis that is the largest of its kind to date.Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Williams Institute used federal surveys and data from state health agencies to identify the size and demographics of the trans population in each state.1% of the total US population aged 13 and older identifies as trans, including 0.8% of adults (more than 2.1 million people) and 3.3% of youth ages 13 to 17 (roughly 724,000 people).Young adults ages 18 to 24 are significantly more likely to identify as trans (2.72%) than those 35 to 64 (0.42%) and those aged 65 and older (0.26%).Of the 2.1 million trans adults, 32.7% (698,500) are trans women, 34.2% (730,500) are trans men and 33.1% (707,100) are trans non-binary people.The trans populations are fairly consistent across regions, with 0.9% of adults in the west, midwest and north-east identifying as trans, compared with 0.7% of adults in the south.Minnesota had the highest rate of adults who identify as trans (1.2%), and Hawaii had the highest rate of trans youth (3.6%), though the ranges were similar across states. Continue reading...

The US president's eldest daughter has kept a low profile in his second term, so far. But a UFC match on the White House lawn could change everythingYou know what the US needs right now? Forget universal health care, better infrastructure, or an empathetic and mentally competent president - it needs a big, beautiful cage fight, baby. And because, to quote Maga merchandise, Jesus is our savior and Trump is our president, we're almost certainly getting one. As you may have heard, Trump is intent on staging an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match on the White House lawn next year to celebrate 250 years of American independence. After all, nothing says independence" like two half-naked men grappling in a cage.While Trump being crass and shattering norms is par for the course, there is one surprising element to the proposed testosterone-fest: Ivanka is apparently involved. The president's eldest daughter, and her partner in crime Jared Kushner, had their fingers in all sorts of official pies during Trump's first term. This time around, however, there has been some meddling behind the scenes (Jared was reportedly behind Trump's Gaza takeover plan) but Javanka have kept a deliberately low profile. Now it seems that Ivanka is stepping back in the ring. Continue reading...

The rise of the NWSL's Spirit and fall of MLS's United are emblematic of the two ownership groups' commitment to fans and the culture of a unique cityEven by the city's own high standards, things have been strange in Washington DC lately.On U street Friday night, the usual throngs of drunken party goers were decidedly smaller. Lines outside clubs and bars were nonexistent. The week prior, residents of the District watched as the reality of US president Donald Trump's crackdown" unfolded in front of them. Police set up checkpoints in some of their city's immigrant strongholds and approached other people at random. The mere presence of the military on the streets of the US capital has been an uneasy sight for many longtime Washingtonians, who already lack voting representation in Congress and are so frequently at the mercy and whim of the federal government. Continue reading...

The run up to the regular season is mostly noise as teams hold back starters. But there are a few patterns emerging that could be significant in 2025Most of the preseason is noise. Starters sit. Teams don't game plan. Coaches roll out bland schemes, evaluating their own roster rather than attacking the opposition. But there are always some threads that have a real, actual bearing on the regular season. Here are five storylines that look like they will matter in 2025. Continue reading...

The US president may be helping Putin to destroy the west, but his vanity is causing Europeans to speak with one voice on UkraineSeven is a biblical number, a number dear to ancient Rome, and the number of Cristiano Ronaldo's lucky jersey. Perhaps it is also now going to be the answer to Henry Kissinger's (probably apocryphal) question: what number do I call when I want to talk to Europe? Maybe the answer is seven, like the number of leaders sitting at the table in Washington on Monday alongside Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.It's difficult to say at this stage whether anything good will come from the impromptu White House summit, but European leaders showing up as a group in support of Ukraine was a first. This seven-member format - Nato, the European Commission, France, Germany, the UK, Italy and Finland - truly spoke with one voice. They did so on a crisis, Ukraine, over which they have sometimes been bitterly divided throughout the past three and a half years (remember Emmanuel Macron's early concern not to humiliate" Vladimir Putin?). Yet Ukraine is also the dossier over which European leaders have converged and yielded the greatest impact during the same timeframe: from the 18 sanctions packages the EU has imposed on Russia and the opening of EU accession negotiations for Ukraine, to the supply of weapons to Kyiv.Fabrizio Tassinari is executive director of the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute in Florence Continue reading...