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An all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah would have devastating consequences for civilians in the proximity, and perhaps beyondIt is not yet certain that a ground invasion of Lebanon will follow Israel's intense attacks on Hezbollah. But the signs increasingly point that way. The swift Israeli dismissals of the US and French-led call for a temporary ceasefire followed the mobilisation of IsraelDefense Forces brigades to the northern border and the chief of staff's announcement of a possible ground operation.Many in Israel have long believed that such an assault is inevitable at some point if citizens in the north are to live safely, given Hezbollah's entrenchment in, and attacks from, the south of Lebanon. They see it as more necessary than ever after the Hamas attack of 7 October in southern Israel. Air and other remote assaults, however devastating, will not be enough to eradicate the threat from fighters. Hezbollah is vulnerable after the killings of so many senior figures, the loss of confidence resulting from Israeli intelligence penetration, and attacks upon its weapons stores. A delay may allow it to regroup. Continue reading...

If you have been impacted by the storm, we would like to hear from you. Share your experiencesSouth-eastern US states are bracing for the impact of Hurricane Helene, which has been forecast to be the most severe US storm this year.The hurricane is expected to reach Florida's coast late on Thursday evening or early Friday morning, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. Continue reading...

New indictment leaves Anthony Odiong facing seven sexual assault charges - all in connection with three womenA grand jury in Texas has handed up more felony sexual assault charges against a Roman Catholic priest accused of preying on women whom he met while ministering to them in that state as well as in south-east Louisiana, officials said.Anthony Odiong is now facing a total of five charges of sexual assault in the first degree and two more such counts in the second degree - all in connection with three separate women - after a new indictment was handed up against him on Thursday in the McLennan county, Texas, state courthouse. Continue reading...

During a press conference outside his official residence, New York City's mayor, Eric Adams, maintained his innocence after he was charged with accepting bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources. 'I do not take money from foreign donors,' he said. Hecklers shouted: 'Resign, resign, resign' as he walked back inside, which Adams has said he will not do

Louisiana's Clay Higgins called Haitians thugs' in now-deleted X post after Ohio group filed charges against TrumpA Republican congressman provoked a hail of outrage after posting a racist attack on Haitian immigrants on social media, which he subsequently deleted amid calls for him to be censured.Clay Higgins used his congressional X account to repeat debunked accusations - spread by Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee - about Haitians eating pets and broadened the attack to call them thugs" and brand Haiti as the nastiest country in the Western hemisphere". Continue reading...

Emmanuel Littlejohn put to death for role in 1992 shooting, which would be state's third execution this yearOklahoma executed a man by lethal injection on Thursday morning, despite conflicting evidence regarding his guilt.Emmanuel Littlejohn, 52, was executed by lethal injection for his role in the 1992 shooting death of a convenience store owner during a robbery in Oklahoma City. Littlejohn was the third inmate put to death by the state this year. He was 20 years old at the time the crime was committed. Continue reading...

Unfortunately, what's happening to Tlaib is far from unique. Advocating for basic Palestinian human rights has always been billed as controversial'Here's a handy tip: before you comment on an article, read the whole damn thing. Don't just read the headline, don't just read a paragraph someone screenshot and put on social media - read the whole thing. This one weird trick is very helpful when it comes to ensuring you're not taking something dangerously out of context or just making up facts entirely.This advice isn't addressed to you, dear reader. I'm sure that you don't need to be told something so basic. Rather it is addressed to everyone - including some very prominent cable news anchors - who has spent the last few days spreading inflammatory misinformation about the Michigan congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. It's addressed to everyone who has falsely and dangerously claimed that Tlaib said that the Michigan attorney general, Dana Nessel, only filed charges against pro-Palestinian activists at the University of Michigan because she is Jewish. Which, if this is what Tlaib actually said, would obviously be an outrageous statement. Continue reading...

Democrats including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez say mayor should step down as federal agents search official residence

The last Republican House speaker was ousted by the hard right over a bipartisan bill to keep the government openThe Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, pursued the same strategy as his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, to prevent a government shutdown this month - working with Democrats to pass a bipartisan funding deal.Now Johnson has to hope he can avoid the same fate as McCarthy, the California congressman who was ousted from the speakership by hard-right members of his own conference last year just days after the House voted to keep the government open. Continue reading...

Federal investigators have raided home of the former police officer whose career is dotted with inconsistencies

WNBA players were subject to racist abuse online and in person in the build-up to and during Indiana Fever's and Connecticut Sun's second game of the series. It followed a foul by Connecticut Sun's DiJonai Carrington on Caitlin Clark in game one that left the Indiana Fever star with a black eye. Although both players said the injury was unintentional, Carrington shared an email on social media which referred to her by a racist slur and threatened her with sexual violence. The Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas said: 'I think in my 11-year career, I've never experienced the racial comments [like those] from the Indiana Fever fanbase.' The Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White said it was 'unacceptable' while the Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides added: 'It is just not acceptable when it gets personal'.

The images of Israeli troops shutting down our bureau are a warning to journalists everywhere - but we will not be silenced

Sharing these posts may seem harmless, but don't be drawn in. There are better ways to combat the threats to our dataIf you've spent any time on Instagram or Facebook lately, you will probably have encountered concerned citizens sharing posts denying Meta, the parent company of both platforms as well as WhatsApp, the right to use their data to train AI systems.If it wasn't your slightly oddball old schoolfriend who posted the message, which begins Goodbye Meta AI" and concludes I do not give Meta or anyone else permission to use any of my personal data, profile information or photos", then it'll have been a Hollywood celebrity. Actor James McAvoy and former NFL player Tom Brady are among those who have posted the disclaimer. Continue reading...

The Republican secretary of state and two Republican ex-governors have said the new rules are destroying confidence' in Georgia's election systemsA rule passed last week, which bipartisan election officials in Georgia say will delay the counting of votes in November, was introduced by an election denier who appears to believe in various rightwing conspiracies and whose apparent experience in elections dates only to February.The rule - which requires poll workers to hand-count ballots at polling locations - was passed by an election-denier majority on the Georgia state election board on Friday. It was introduced by Sharlene Alexander, a Donald Trump supporter and member of the Fayette county board of elections, who was appointed to her position in February. Alexander's Facebook page alludes to a belief in election conspiracies, the Guardian has found. Continue reading...

Republicans are making anxiety around masculinity a key voting issue - but the Democratic nominee is hoping to turn it to her advantageA man in a baseball cap strides through a field of corn. A woman in flannel turns and smiles, a line of trucks visible behind her. As piano music swells, an American flag ripples in a gentle breeze. This video is pure, uncut Americana. Naturally, it's a political ad.Specifically, it's an ad made by the Lincoln Project, a group of moderates and former Republicans united by a desire to topple Donald Trump and support Kamala Harris. And it's making one of the most obvious appeals to men and masculinity yet in the 2024 election. Continue reading...

Ten states will vote on abortion in November, with most seeking to protect abortion up until fetal viabilityThis November, abortion will be on the ballot in 10 states, including the states that could determine the next president.In the two years since the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade, abortion has become the kind of issue that decides elections. Outrage over Roe's demise led Republicans to flounder in the 2022 midterms, and abortion rights supporters have won every post-Roe abortion-related ballot measure, including in red states such as Ohio, Kentucky and Kansas. Continue reading...

Trump and his supporters are happy to deploy vile sexual slurs. It's a timeworn tactic - and the fight against it must not ceaseOh no, here we go again. The Donald Trump admirer Laura Loomer makes claims that Kamala Harris used sex to advance her career and reach striking distance of the White House, and it all feels horribly inevitable. A vile sexual joke comparing Harris and Hillary Clinton appears on social media. Trump quickly reposts it.Now 59 and happily married to a lawyer, Harris's relationship with the former San Francisco mayor and California power-player Willie Brown was in the mid-90s when she was barely 30. But then, the sex life of a woman in public life is always fair game to her detractors, even decades later.Sonia Purnell is the author of Kingmaker: Pamela Churchill Harriman's astonishing life of seduction, intrigue & powerDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Longshoremen's union says wage demands must be met or members will strike on Tuesday for first time since 1977Ten of the busiest ports in North America are at risk of shutdown next week, as a leading union warns that 45,000 workers stand ready to walk off the job if industry operators fail to make key concessions.The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) has accused the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents 40 ocean carrier and terminal operators, of making insulting offers" to staff demanding higher pay and commitments on automation. Continue reading...

Israeli prime minister's office did not even respond' to the plan. Plus, how Britishisms invaded the US

With SpaceX, Starlink and X, Musk has more foreign policy sway than probably any unelected person in US historyShortly after the apparent second assassination attempt against Donald Trump, Elon Musk wrote in a now deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter: And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala," with an emoji of a person thinking.Musk later said his post was intended as a joke. But it could be interpreted as a call to murder Joe Biden and Kamala Harris - at least by one of Musk's almost 200 million followers - which is presumably why the Secret Service is investigating it. Continue reading...

Harris is leading in five of seven key battleground states - but her leads are only one or two percentage pointsAmid the turbulence, conflict, hyperbole, unprecedented misogyny, and downright hate that provides the backdrop for US elections this year, one thing remains in equilibrium: the 2024 presidential election. Vice President Kamala Harris may lead following a honeymoon, a great nominating convention, and a solid debate performance, but she never leads by much. Former President Donald Trump may at other times lead nationally and in a few battleground states, but by one or two percentage points, more or less.Around 5%-8% of voters remain undecided but they are probably not really focused on anything more than keeping their job, getting the kids off to school, grocery shopping, and the other demands of everyday life. And there is only a little wiggle room, with so many decided voters firm in their support for their candidate or their intense disgust for the other candidate.John Zogby is senior partner at the polling firm of John Zogby Strategies and is author of Beyond the Horse Race: How to Read the Polls and Why We Should Continue reading...

The burden of expectation has been heavy for years, but the American is having no problem carrying it for club and country right nowMilan - and their under pressure manager Paulo Fonseca - simply had to win Sunday's Derby della Madonnina and Christian Pulisic ensured they did. The American's dribble and finish to open the scoring against Inter after only 10 minutes set the tone for the Rossoneri. It was the highlight reel moment of the match and Pulisic was the best player on the pitch too.Milan supporters are used to Pulisic being their best player by now. The winger registered 20 goal involvements (12 goals and eight assists) in his maiden Serie A season and has started this campaign in even better form, notching three goals and two assists in just five games. Fonseca has endured a difficult start as Milan manager, but it would have been much worse if not for Pulisic. Continue reading...

A lovable goofball who is happy to cheerlead for his wife, the vice-president of the US? Thank God for Doug EmhoffFor the past month, every woman I know has been having versions of the same conversation, roughly opening with: for the love of God, how rapey is the news? No period of history has been free from accounts of male sex-offending. But the present roll call of alleged offenders - Diddy, Fayed, the French rapist and his endless accomplices, various scandals in broadcasting, and last week, new charges for the man who keeps giving on this subject, Harvey Weinstein - is particularly grim. For just one day, I would like to turn on the news without having to hear a presenter struggling to find a way to say lube" in a BBC voice. So let's talk about something else: Doug Emhoff.Doug Emhoff! Kamala Harris's husband and consort, a man very possibly in line to be the first first gentleman of the United States and, as far as we can tell, an antidote to lousy men everywhere. This week, I heard Emhoff referred to as a wife guy", which made me smile - wife guy being simultaneously a nice term of affection for men who unreservedly support their wives, and also a reminder that no word for a female equivalent can exist. (What use the tautology of being a husband chick" when, for straight women, embedded in the definition of the word wife" is total, unwavering support of your husband).Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

During the first world war, Americans across society were expected to contribute. And that included baseball's biggest starsGreat Bambino ... Sultan of Swat ... steelworker?Yes, Babe Ruth, the man who would hit 714 home runs in Major League Baseball had a stint as a steelworker early in his career. Why the move to working for Bethlehem Steel in Lebanon, Pennsylvania? The career change was a result of a US government directive during the first world war called the Work-or-Fight Order: Eligible men had to either register for the draft or find essential work - such as at a steel mill. But there was a loophole for Major Leaguers like Ruth. Bethlehem Steel had its own baseball league and was all too happy to hire professional athletes, ostensibly for war-related jobs but actually to enhance its league's competitiveness. This story rises from obscurity in a book published earlier this year - Work, Fight, or Play Ball, by Pennsylvania-based journalist William Ecenbarger. Continue reading...

It's still early in the season but alarm bells are already ringing for a number of players and teams. Some problems are more grave than others thoughA slow start is familiar territory for Cincinnati. In six seasons under Zac Taylor, the Bengals have started 0-2 five times. But dropping their opening three games is new ground, and the odds are now stacked against them. Only four out of 162 teams that have started a season 0-3 have made the playoffs since 1990. The expanded format helps tilt the odds slightly in Cincy's favor, but not by much. Continue reading...

The decision by Olaf Scholz's government to reimpose checks at Germany's frontiers is chilling for those of us born behind the iron curtainWhen we were teenagers in Poland, it was the end of the 1990s and by then we had already acquired the freedom to travel to Paris or London to go to language school and work. To afford this, we travelled by shabby, worn-out buses. It took dozens of hours, and the journey was always further prolonged by a stop of several hours at the Polish-German border.The border was real and symbolic. It was the beginning of European space, but in our heads, we were making a journey through time - a trip into the future, to a time when as members of the European Union we would be realising the promise of a better life. Continue reading...

Mayor says he will stay in his role after reports emerge that he may soon become the first sitting mayor of the city to be criminally chargedEric Adams, the New York City mayor, has said he will stay in office despite reports emerging that he had been indicted following a federal corruption investigation.It is still unclear what charges Adams, 64, will face but federal prosecutors are expected to layout the details of the charges Thursday, the New York Times reported. Continue reading...

The Pentagon is urging de-escalation in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah as the death toll continues to rise. More than 600 people have been killed in Lebanon in recent days. The conflict has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, and rekindled fears of a broader war in the Middle East

California governor rejects bill that would've helped Black families reclaim or be compensated for land taken unjustlyCalifornia governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have helped Black families reclaim or be compensated for property that was unjustly taken by the government.The bill would have created a process for families to file a claim with the state if they believe the government seized their property through eminent domain due to discriminatory motives and without providing fair compensation. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. You can read more on Kamala Harris's economic vision hereThe only vice-presidential debate before the November election is scheduled for next Tuesday, where Ohio's Republican senator JD Vance will square off against Minnesota governor Tim Walz in New York City.In a call with reporters today, Vance was asked about his plans for the debate, and if he plans to hold the sort of debate boot camp Walz is reportedly doing.We have, I think, well-developed views on public policy, so we don't have to prepare that much. I think what we're going to focus on is making sure that I make as concise and direct an appeal to the American people as possible about Donald Trump's successful policies and Kamala Harris's failed ones. Continue reading...

Ralph de la Torre, paid at least $250m by Steward Health Care amid facility issues and closures, ignored subpoenaThe US Senate has voted unanimously to hold the CEO of Steward Health Care in criminal contempt for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena - marking the first time in more than 50 years that the chamber has moved to hold someone in criminal contempt.On Wednesday, the Senate voted to hold Ralph de la Torre in contempt of Congress after the 58-year-old head of the Massachusetts-based for-profit healthcare system - which declared bankruptcy earlier this year - ignored a congressional subpoena and failed to appear at a hearing over the hospital chain's alleged abuse of finances on 12 September. Continue reading...

Senate approves bill extending funds until December two hours after House passes it, sending it to Biden's deskUS Congress passed a three-month government funding package on Wednesday, sending the bill to Joe Biden's desk and averting a shutdown that was set to begin next Tuesday.The Senate approved the funding package just two hours after the House passed the bill on Wednesday afternoon, as lawmakers raced to return to their home districts six weeks before election day. Continue reading...

Zelenskyy's visit to Pennsylvania weapons factory upsets speaker as Trump continues attacks on Ukrainian presidentThe US House speaker, Mike Johnson, has demanded that Ukraine fire its ambassador to Washington as the feud between Donald Trump and Volodymr Zelenskyy escalated and Republicans accused the Ukrainian leader of election interference.In a public letter, Johnson demanded that Zelenskyy fire the Ukrainian ambassador, Oksana Markarova, over a visit to a munitions factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania, last week where the Ukrainian president thanked workers for providing desperately needed shells to his outgunned forces. Continue reading...

Trump son-in-law's Affinity Partners fuels Senate suspicions of foreign influence-buying before US electionA private equity firm owned by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, has been paid $157m in fees since 2021 without returning any profit to investors, according to a US Senate inquiry.The finding from the Senate finance committee has fuelled suspicions that the Miami-based company, Affinity Partners, may be a foreign influence-buying operation established in anticipation of the former president returning to the White House. Continue reading...

Those onboard the bus had alleged they were terrorised' for over 90 minutes and calling 911 also did not yield any helpA federal jury in Texas on Monday cleared five supporters of Donald Trump but found one driver liable in a civil trial over a so-called Trump Train" that surrounded a Biden-Harris campaign bus on a busy highway days before the 2020 election.The two-week trial in a federal courthouse in Austin centered on whether the actions of the Trump Train" participants amounted to political intimidation. Among those onboard the bus was Wendy Davis, the former Democratic lawmaker, who testified she feared for her life while a convoy of Trump supporters boxed in the bus along Interstate 35.This story was updated on September 25 to correct a headline and add more detail on the man found liable. Continue reading...

Embattled agency places employee on leave amid allegation of assault in hotel room in WisconsinThe US Secret Service has confirmed it is investigating accusations of sexual assault against one of its agents, reportedly with the alleged victim being a female staff member of Kamala Harris's election campaign team.The federal agency, already under fire over operational lapses that preceded the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in July, confirmed to NBC News on Wednesday: The employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation." Continue reading...

Storm forecasted to hit Florida's Gulf coast on Thursday as 40 million people under severe weather warningsTropical Storm Helene strengthened into a hurricane on Wednesday morning.The tempest was labeled a category 1 hurricane and the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said it was packing maximum sustained winds of 80mph (128km/h) as it churned in the eastern Gulf of Mexico just off the coast of the Yucatan peninsula. Continue reading...

Tropical Storm Helene strengthened into a hurricane on Wednesday morning. The storm was labelled a category 1 hurricane and the US National Hurricane Center said it was packing maximum sustained winds of 80mph as it churned in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. It is expected to hit Florida's Gulf coast later on Thursday as a forceful hurricane and is forecast to be the most powerful storm to hit the US in more than a year

US secretary of state emphasises he wants diplomatic solution, but remarks unlikely to be seen as warning against Israeli ground offensive

Toxic leak of styrene from railcar can cause respiratory issues and potentially can lead to organ damageJoe Biden and Kamala Harris were briefed on Wednesday on the dangerous chemical leak from a railcar near Cincinnati, Ohio, that has prompted evacuations of school buildings and homes.The White House announced that the US president had been briefed on the leak of styrene from a parked railcar in Whitewater Township, near Cleves, on the outskirts of Cincinnati, on Tuesday, saying: Federal Railroad Administration and Environmental Protection Agency officials are on the ground assisting with hazmat operations and air quality testing. Continue reading...

Early morning chase involves officers using spiked strips, flash-bang device, beanbags and stun grenadesA bus hijacking in downtown Los Angeles has left one person dead and another person in custody, according to police.At around 12.45am local time on Wednesday, a suspect boarded a bus between Figueroa Street and Manchester Avenue in south Los Angeles and held the bus driver at gunpoint. According to local media reports, there were four people on board, including two passengers, as the suspect ordered the driver to drive. Continue reading...

This is a critical time for global leadership. There must be an urgent plan and a firm resolve, and UK ministers must demand actionThe situation in El Fasher, North Darfur, has become a humanitarian catastrophe. As fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalates, more than 1.5 million people, including those in the Zamzam internal displacement camp, are at immediate risk. The threat of crimes against humanity is real and urgent. Civilians in the region are facing dire conditions, with mass violence, displacement and a paucity of essential resources.On the other side of the world, in New York, the high-level week of the 79th United Nations general assembly is beginning, gathering the world's leaders to address the most pressing international challenges. While the Middle East and Ukraine are set to dominate the agenda, we must not let the crisis in Sudan be ignored. The meeting is a pivotal opportunity - indeed, a responsibility - for collective action to ensure that the international community lives up to its obligation under the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) framework to help protect populations from destruction. Failure to do so risks the lives of more than a million people.Andrew Mitchell is the shadow foreign secretary Continue reading...

Senate inquiry finds there was no clear security decision-making at rally and general communications chaosThe breadth of known Secret Service errors that led up to Donald Trump's first near-assassination in July widened on Wednesday with the release of a report by the US Senate that found there was no one clearly in charge of decision-making for security at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, that day - causing foreseeable, preventable" failings before the former president was shot.The catalogue of security errors that allowed a would-be assassin to fire seven rounds at Trump at the election rally include failing to set up sight-line barriers around the outdoor rally area, the absence of a plan to secure the building the shooter took aim from and general communication chaos. Continue reading...

US intelligence officials warn Republican nominee of specific threats' unrelated to two recent attemptsUS intelligence officials have briefed Donald Trump about a suspected Iranian plot to kill him, his campaign has said.The briefing, from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), is believed to have focused on a scheme unrelated to two failed domestic assassination attempts against the Republican nominee for president, and came amid reports suggesting that Iran is conducting an ongoing hack against Trump's campaign. Continue reading...

Governor Gavin Newson signed new laws restricting gun ownership, including for perpetrators of domestic violenceCalifornia's governor signed several new gun control measures, expanding the state's restrictions on gun ownership and introducing new protections for survivors of domestic violence.California already has some of the strictest gun laws in the US. The new laws signed by Gavin Newsom on Tuesday will further limit who can own a gun, allow the court to consider stalking and animal cruelty as grounds to restrict access to firearms, and prevent the proliferation of ghost guns". The laws also increase protections for domestic violence survivors. Continue reading...