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As we hit the midpoint of the season, let's look at the imperfections that could sink the teams with realistic championship aspirationsBaltimore Ravens (6-2) Continue reading...

Giorgia Meloni and the hard right are celebrating JRR Tolkien's saga - while taking over Italy's key cultural institutionsAs a longtime fan of JRR Tolkien, I've long felt put out by Giorgia Meloni's bizarre obsession with The Lord of the Rings. Over the years, Italy's ultra-conservative prime minister has quoted passages in interviews, shared photos of herself reading the novel and even posed with a statue of the wizard Gandalf as part of a campaign. In her autobiography-slash-manifesto, she dedicates several pages to her favourite book", which she refers to at one point as being a sacred" text. When I read the news this week that Italy's culture ministry is spending 250,000 to organise a Tolkien show at Rome's National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, and that Meloni will attend the opening, I couldn't help wondering: why? What is this government trying to achieve by stamping its mark so aggressively on one of the world's most loved fantasy sagas?My Italian friends don't get the fuss. This is everyday politics, they say, a simple branding exercise to soften Meloni's image. Perhaps. But there's a deeper, and frankly stranger, side to this story. When The Lord of the Rings first hit Italian shelves in the 1970s, the academic Elemire Zolla wrote a short introduction in which he interpreted the book as an allegory about pure" ethnic groups defending themselves against contamination from foreign invaders. Fascist sympathisers in the Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI) quickly jumped on the provocation. Inspired by Zolla's words, they saw in Tolkien's world a space where they could explore their ideology in socially acceptable terms, free from the taboos of the past. Meloni, an MSI youth wing member, developed her political consciousness in that environment. As a teenager she even attended a Hobbit Camp", a summer retreat organised by the MSI in which participants dressed up in cosplay outfits, sang along to folk ballads and discussed how Tolkienian mythologies could help the post-fascist right find credibility in a new era.Jamie Mackay is the author of The Invention of Sicily. He lives in Florence, Italy Continue reading...

The 2018 NBA MVP was officially introduced as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday afternoon, sounding hurt at times while taking parting shots at his latest former teamDamn, it's small in here," James Harden observed to himself, with a touch of disappointment, as he entered a packed conference room on Thursday afternoon. Harden took a seat at the podium, visibly uncomfortable by the claustrophobic setting. Here he was in his hometown to give his much-anticipated first public remarks as a Los Angeles Clipper following a drama-filled, drawn-out request to be traded away from Philadelphia, to maybe less fanfare than he anticipated.There weren't exactly innumerable suitors for Harden, the Most Valuable Player of six seasons ago who demanded a trade from his third team in as many years and has thusly earned a reputation as perhaps the NBA's least dependable superstar. He is an offensive savant, and almost universally acknowledged as one of the most gifted scoring talents the league has ever seen. But even putting aside his penchant for dissatisfaction in the workplace, the 34-year-old Harden has compiled a less-than-stellar track record in big playoff moments - the entirety of which made trading him a hard sell for 76ers GM Daryl Morey this offseason. Continue reading...

The global political right is flailing. If it is to reinvent itself, it will need a fresher vision than that espoused by Peter ThielWhere on earth is conservatism going? In Britain, at least, the simple answer seems to be opposition, and possibly for a long time. Non-Tories scarred by previous Conservative poll recoveries and shock victories may not quite believe it yet, but a Tory implosion at the next general election is becoming likely, as their dramatically shrunken support in recent byelections has shown. Our electoral system can be brutal towards any party whose share of the vote falls below a third, and for many months most polls have put the Tories closer to a quarter.Yet political disasters, or even just the threat of them, can also create new possibilities: the abandonment of old taboos and assumptions; the rise of new ideas, personalities, messages and alliances. Particularly since 2021, as three successive Tory premierships have become exercises in frantic reinvention, but also over a longer period of self-doubt and experimentation, a new Conservatism has been struggling to emerge.Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Mikel Arteta and Roberto De Zerbi are taking advantage of the re-introduction of five subs. But should managers go further?Jose Mourinho wore many faces as a Premier League manager. Chameleon-like, shifting from rambunctious to cantankerous.If Chelsea's 2015 Premier League title win had all the hallmarks of a Tom Wambsgans redemption arc, his 2004 to 2007 incarnation was defined by his Logan Roy lead character energy. Every game felt tinged with Mourinho razzmatazz - good or bad. No wonder, then, when Chelsea lost to neighbors Fulham for the first time in 27 years on 20 March 2006, Mourinho preserved his role as chief headline maker. Continue reading...

Led by House speaker Mike Johnson, Republican plan passes Thursday 226-196 as Biden threatens vetoThe US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a Republican plan to provide $14.3bn in aid to Israel as it fights Hamas, despite Democrats' insistence it has no future in the Senate and the White House's promise of a veto.The measure passed 226-196, largely along party lines, with most Republicans supporting the bill and most Democrats objecting. Continue reading...

Chelsey Napper tells court she was scared to death' on night Taylor, 26, was shot dead by Louisville police in botched raidBreonna Taylor's neighbor recalled her horror as police bullets flew into her apartment near her sleeping son as a federal trial for the former Louisville officer who fired those shots began Thursday.Former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison fired 10 shots during the botched raid in March 2020 that left Taylor dead, though it was another officer who fatally shot the 26-year-old Black woman. Hankison, 47, is charged with two federal civil rights violations for endangering Taylor, her boyfriend and Taylor's neighbors, who shared a wall with her apartment. None of Hankison's shots hit anyone. Continue reading...

Donald Jr says he relied upon accountants' for financial statements while Eric says he never had anything to do' with themTrump's eldest sons claimed on Thursday that they had no knowledge of the financial statements at the heart of the family's $250m fraud trial.Eric and his older brother Donald Trump Jr claimed in court that they had relied on accountants and others to make sure their financial records were correct. Continue reading...

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Desmond Mills Jr is one of five officers charged in the beating death of the Black man who called for his mother as he was attackedA former Memphis police officer pleaded guilty on Thursday in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, becoming the first of five officers charged to reverse course, with prosecutors recommending up to 15 years in prison.Desmond Mills Jr entered his plea during a hearing at the Memphis federal courthouse as part of a larger agreement to settle charges in state court as well. It was not immediately clear if any of the other officers would follow suit. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed.Israel's conflict with Hamas continues as its troops push deeper into the Gaza Strip.We have a separate live blog covering it, and you can read it here: Continue reading...

Brianna Suggs questioned by corruption squad as Eric Adams cancels several Washington DC meetingsThe home of a consultant with ties to the New York city mayor, Eric Adams, was raided by the FBI on Thursday.Brianna Suggs, Adams's top campaign fundraiser, was questioned by the FBI's public corruption squad as they searched her house in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, the New York Times reported. Continue reading...

Teenager nabbed in National Booty Behavior Protection' truck says it was just funny, it was never meant to be anything bad'The driver of a Booty Patrol" truck in Florida, parodying border patrol vehicles, was pulled over by local police.The driver was cited by Florida police on Sunday under a law that bans vehicles from having similar lights of those used by law enforcement. Continue reading...

Indonesia's president was welcomed as the first to have emerged from outside its elites. Now his son is being propelled towards powerThe handing down of power from father to son sounds like it belongs to the age of kings and emperors. Yet dynasties continue to thrive in democracies as well as dictatorships, as Canada's current prime minister, Justin Trudeau, demonstrates. A 2018 study found that more than one in ten leaders worldwide came from families where a close relative was already involved in politics.Now dynastic rule appears to be entrenching itself further in south-east Asia. After four decades in charge, and following another stage-managed election, Cambodia's authoritarian leader Hun Sen this year handed over the prime ministership to his son, Hun Manet. The West Point-educated leader reportedly has a more diplomatic manner than his father, but there is no sign that he plans to diverge from him politically. Continue reading...

Lawsuit argues ex-president should be not be allowed to run in 2024 in state over efforts to overturn 2020 election and January 6Attorneys at the Minnesota supreme court argued on Thursday that the former president Donald Trump should not be allowed to appear on the state's ballots for president because of his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and role in the insurrection.A group of voters wants the courts to weigh a clause in the 14th amendment, which disqualifies an officer of the United States" who has taken an oath to defend the constitution from holding office if they have engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the country. In dozens of pages in their initial court filing, they cite examples of Trump's election interference, from the fake electors scheme to his comments to rioters on 6 January 2021. Continue reading...

Jonathan Karl says far-right ally used phrase Come Retribution' - linked to plot to assassinate Lincoln - in wake of March speechThe far-right Donald Trump ally and adviser Steve Bannon used Confederate code words linked to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln to describe a speech by the former US president before his historic first criminal indictment, a new book says.On 6 March this year, addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland, Trump took aim at Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney then widely expected to bring charges over hush-money payments to the porn star Stormy Daniels, thereby making Trump the first former president ever criminally indicted. Continue reading...

Walkout at foreign policy lecture was in support of students who signed a declaration blaming Israel for October Hamas attacks

Patrick Dai, a junior, charged with threatening to murder Jewish students and will remain in custody until next court appearanceCornell University canceled classes on Friday as officials acknowledged the extraordinary stress" on students following the arrest of a junior accused of threatening to murder Jews on campus.Patrick Dai, 21, appeared in federal court on Wednesday charged with making threats to the university's Jewish community in the wake of Israel's retaliation in Gaza for last month's attacks by Hamas.Erum Salam contributed reporting Continue reading...

It often takes two incomes to make rent in the US, which is why a separation can push ex-partners into unusual arrangementsIn July 2020, Lauren White, a middle-school counselor, was sitting on her deck with her husband, discussing the impending sale of their home south of Richmond, Virginia, and the new home they had under contract.The four-bedroom, 2,500 sq ft house had an easier commute and a fenced-in backyard that made White, 41, dream of future barbecues with their children, ages four and eight. They'd sent letters to the seller in hopes of standing out from other buyers - and it worked. They got the home they wanted and were days away from closing. Continue reading...

Decision of Ken Buck, who condemned party for questioning Biden's victory, is good news for the country', ex-president saysDonald Trump welcomed the news that Ken Buck, a prominent conservative who criticized his party for questioning the validity of Joe Biden's election win, will quit Congress at the next election, crowing: Good news for the country!"Buck, from Colorado, announced his retirement on MSNBC on Wednesday and said he was disappointed that the Republican party continues to rely on this lie that the 2020 election was stolen and rely on the January 6 narrative and political prisoners from January 6 and other things." Continue reading...

Israel's stated war aim is to destroy Hamas; Hamas wants Israel to commit such barbarities in response to its attack that it loses international supportInternational calls for a ceasefire in Gaza are growing louder as the scale of destruction and humanitarian suffering visited on its population becomes ever clearer. Others, including the UN, call for at least a humanitarian pause". Is either likely? And could they pave the way to peace?Ceasefires, like peace processes, only work when both belligerents are either willing or can be persuaded to accept one and stick to it. In Gaza, this looks unlikely. In Syria in 2015-16 and in Sudan this year, similar attempts have failed dismally. In Ethiopia, a ceasefire with Tigray was achieved only after the two sides had fought each other to a standstill, at the cost of tens of thousands of lives.Nicholas Westcott is professor of practice in diplomacy at Soas University of London and former managing director for the Middle East in the EU's European External Action Service Continue reading...

The over-50s Bachelor spinoff is surprisingly popular, perhaps because its stars appear calmer and wiser than the average contestantIn the opening moments of The Golden Bachelor, the newest addition to the US reality show franchise, a dapper man who could be in his late 50s straightens his tie before picking up a hearing aid and discreetly fitting it behind one ear. This is Gerry, who, we learn, lost his wife several years ago and is soon depicted sobbing unrestrainedly in a way that, were this a crime drama, would send him straight to the top of the suspects list. Instead Gerry, at 72, is the first pensioner to lead America's biggest and longest-running dating show. How lucky would I be," he asks, with exquisite delivery of concept, to find a second true love in my lifetime?"Dating shows don't tell us much about the world we live in except via the back door of whom they leave out. In the US, The Bachelor - in which a single man dates a pool of women, ostensibly with the intention of choosing a wife - has been running since 2002, and didn't have a Black male lead until 2021. Occasionally, the producers accidentally book a closeted gay man who comes out after filming (Colton Underwood, season 23) but no one has ever put a gay bachelor in on purpose. In the UK, the closest the dating show landscape has come to pushing the boundaries is My Mum, Your Dad, an ITV1 show hosted by Davina McCall that launched earlier this year and featured adult children nominating their middle-aged single parents, and the hot young gay men of BBC 3's I Kissed a Boy, fronted by Dannii Minogue.Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

President responds to call from a rabbi in the crowd who urged him to call for a ceasefire

Barkan was diagnosed with ALS in 2016 and said his illness clarified the cruelty of our profit-driven system'Ady Barkan, an attorney and healthcare activist whose journey with motor neuron disease prompted a fight to overhaul the US healthcare system, died at the age of 39 from complications with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).Barkan's wife, Rachael Scarborough King, announced his death in a post to X, formally known as Twitter. Continue reading...

Alabama Republican continues blockade over Pentagon abortion policy, escalating standoff as defense officials say move endangers national securityRepublican senators angrily challenged Tommy Tuberville on his blockade of almost 400 military officers Wednesday evening, taking over the Senate floor for more than four hours to call for individual confirmation votes after a months-long stalemate.The Republican senator from Alabama stood and objected to each nominee - 61 times total, when the night was over - extending his holds on the military confirmations and promotions with no immediate resolution in sight. But the extraordinary confrontation between Republicans, boiling over almost nine months after Tuberville first announced the holds over a Pentagon abortion policy, escalated the standoff as defense department officials have repeatedly said the backlog of officials needing confirmation could endanger national security. Continue reading...

Guns are used so often in suicide that if the left were associated with lax gun laws, the right might accuse liberals of conspiring to kill white menThe gunman who a week ago killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, finished his bloodbath by shooting himself. Like many mass shootings, his rampage appears to have been a suicide that took others with him. Mass shootings draw deserved media attention, but they are a small percent of all gun deaths in the US; suicide is the most common way people die by gun. That is, if you own or have access to a gun, the person you're most likely to kill is yourself. Fifty-four percent of US gun deaths are suicides, which means access to a gun is a major risk factor for dying this way.This fact, often cited but rarely examined, means the gun industry is pushing guns the same way the tobacco industry pushed cigarettes: their intentions toward their customers are blithely murderous. It also undermines the advertisements and arguments claiming that guns provide safety and protection. Of the 48,117 reported gun deaths in the US in 2022, 26,993 were suicides - a stunning number, a gun death every 11 minutes, the equivalent to a mid-sized town being wiped out annually.Rebecca Solnit is a Guardian US columnist. She is the author of Orwell's Roses and co-editor with Thelma Young Lutunatabua of the climate anthology Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility Continue reading...

Method has not been used before to carry out a death sentence but now is likely to be used in execution of Kenneth Eugene SmithA divided Alabama supreme court said the state can execute an inmate with nitrogen gas, a method that has not previously been used carry out a death sentence.The all-Republican court in a 6-2 decision Wednesday granted the state attorney general's request for an execution warrant for Kenneth Eugene Smith. The order did not specify the execution method, but the Alabama attorney general indicated in filings with the court that it intends to use nitrogen to put Smith to death. The exact date of the execution will be set later by Kay Ivey, Alabama's governor. Continue reading...

Moving to California may not have had the same impact as David Beckham but the jockey is enjoying relative anonymityFrankie Dettori walked into a bar ... but don't expect a punchline, because nobody paid any attention. I went to a restaurant the other day with my wife," he says, and I went to buy a drink at the bar and I found myself looking round to see if people were looking at me. But I realised that no one knew who I was, and I thought, this is great!'"The last significant sporting celebrity from Britain to divert his career path towards Los Angeles would have struggled to maintain such a low profile. Posh and Becks went straight into the upper reaches of the Hollywood A-list. Tom Cruise, Eva Longoria and Arnie were among the stars in attendance when David Beckham made his debut for LA Galaxy. Continue reading...

Texas were not always the best team in baseball this season but with players like the explosive Corey Seager at their disposal they were capable of beating anyoneSo this is what it feels like. Leaping around the infield, hugging in the dugout, arms aloft, cameras snapping, commemorative T-shirts donned at the speed of a Nathan Eovaldi fastball. Now, finally, the Texas Rangers know.A World Series replete with rare feats ended with the biggest novelty of all: the Rangers are Major League Baseball's champions for the first time at the 63rd attempt, a mere 51 years after a franchise that began as the Washington Senators relocated to the Dallas area. Continue reading...

His comments came as Hamas says the death toll at the Jabalia refugee camp nears 200. Plus, Pentagon's UFO online reporting tool launches

From pandemic to book bans and school bathrooms, parents' rights' are playing a key role - but its electoral potency is being questionedIt was a career-ending gaffe, or at least has come to be seen that way. I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach," said Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe during a 2021 Virginia gubernatorial debate with his Republican rival, Glenn Youngkin.The line was replayed endlessly in attack ads, and handed Youngkin a gift for the central plank of his election campaign: Parents matter." He prevailed in a state that Joe Biden had won a year earlier. Now Youngkin is seeking to repeat the trick on 7 November on behalf of Republicans in elections for Virginia's state assembly. Continue reading...

Ruling says barriers should remain intact at US-Mexico border, but allows agents to cut fence for medical emergenciesA federal judge has ordered border patrol agents not to interfere with razor wire that the state of Texas installed at a busy crossing for migrants on the US-Mexico border, ruling that the barrier can only be cut to provide aid during medical emergencies.The temporary restraining order signed by US district judge Alia Moses allows federal agents to cut the wire only in order to provide emergency medical aid" to migrants, some of whom have been gashed or snagged by the wire after crossing the Rio Grande seeking to enter Texas.The Associated Press contributed reporting Continue reading...

Every peaceable advance since 1967 has been provoked by an unforeseen seismic event. This could be one of them too

Perhaps it's not about judging the act of posting or not about the war between Hamas and Israel, but interrogating the intentions behind itThe welcome irony is that Martin Niemoller's words about not speaking out are everywhere. If you were not already familiar with First They Came, his urging of resistance in the face of tyranny and persecution, from history lessons or documentaries on the Holocaust, you will be from countless Instagram feeds during the past three weeks.Niemoller's words, repurposed from a speech he gave in 1946, are a cautionary tale and mea culpa, deploring his own inertia in the face of Hitler's growing persecution of minority groups (the majority of victims, of course, Jews). His words, along with the Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote, Silence in the face of evil is itself evil", have spread on social platforms following the latest outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas.Hannah Jane Parkinson is a Guardian columnistDo 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...

Germany has become the go-to destination for up-and-coming US stars. Next up: Paxten Aaronson. The player standing in his way? His brother, BrendenEverything moves fast for Paxten Aaronson.The 20-year-old American is an all-action attacking midfielder, a player who thinks and acts quickly, who thrives in tight spaces or amid the organized chaos of transition football. He is as fleet of mind as he is of foot. And, so far, his career trajectory has mimicked his super-charged playing style. Continue reading...

For one last crack at the title that's eluded him, Chris Paul has joined the Golden State dynasty he spent a decade trying to conquer. It's a tailor-made twist for the NBA soap operaSworn enemies team up for an epic final stand. It's a movie trope older than Adam Silver.This year, it's the NBA's turn to write that same script, with Golden State going full Hollywood, and Silver's ongoing basketball soap opera getting yet another superb subplot: Chris Paul joining his former nemeses Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and co for one final title quest, in what may well be the 38-year-old future Hall of Famer's last chance at a championship. Continue reading...

Inspired by Michael Jordan, the American created an entire training method and is dreaming of an armless 1-2-3' in ParisMatt Stutzman believes that controlling adrenaline is crucial if you want to be a successful archer. So he used to have a quick parachute jump before training. I literally would shoot my bow, get on a plane and jump out," he says. Then I would land close by, shoot my bow until the adrenaline wore off and then go back up and jump out again."This may not be the kind of training approach that works for every athlete, but Stutzman is a bit different from the norm. For a start the American from Iowa is a world champion archer, and recreational parachutist, who was born with no arms. He is also someone who, since childhood, has been in determined pursuit of what he calls a Michael Jordan moment", the point where one person not only changes their sport but the perception of it. And come the Paralympics in Paris in a year's time, it seems likely he will have achieved his ambition. Continue reading...

The lying representative from New York retained his seat with fewer than two-thirds of the chamber supporting the resolutionA vote to expel Republican lawmaker George Santos from the US House of Representatives failed on Wednesday when fewer than two-thirds of the chamber supported the resolution, preserving Republicans' narrow 221-212 majority.Santos on Friday pleaded not guilty to a 23-count federal indictment accusing him of crimes including laundering funds to pay for his personal expenses, illegally receiving unemployment benefits and charging donors' credit cards without their consent. Continue reading...

Bob Knight, the brilliant and tempestuous coach who won three NCAA titles at Indiana, led the US to an Olympic gold medal and retired as college basketball's all-time wins leader, has died aged 83

One thing is clear: there cannot be a return to the status quo that existed in Gaza before the war Continue reading...

Donald Trump's eldest son testifies in New York civil trial, claiming repeatedly: I don't recall'Donald Trump Jr took the stand in the ongoing fraud trial against his father and the family business on Wednesday and tried to distance himself from the financial statements at the center of the case.Trump's eldest son, 45, is the first family member to testify in the civil trial brought by the New York attorney general, Letitia James. His younger brother Eric is expected to testify on Thursday, with Trump and his daughter Ivanka expected in court next week. Continue reading...

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US district judge Aileen Cannon expressed concern current timetable would clash with Trump's 2020 election subversion trialThe federal judge presiding in Donald Trump's criminal case related to his retention of national security documents at Mar-a-Lago appeared inclined to delay the scheduling of the trial, expressing concern that the timetable would clash with Trump's 2020 election subversion trial in Washington.The US district judge Aileen Cannon did not specify what changes she would make to the pre-trial timetable at a hearing on Wednesday, but signaled she would make adjustments to certain deadlines - which could have the net effect of pushing back the start of the trial. Continue reading...

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Colorado congressman Ken Buck will not seek re-election saying party must project to the public what the truth is'A leading conservative congressman announced his retirement, in large part because his Republican party continues to rely on this lie that the 2020 election was stolen".I have decided I'm not going to seek re-election," Ken Buck of Colorado told MSNBC on Wednesday, after news that Kay Granger of Texas, the longest-serving Republican congresswoman, will also step down next year. Continue reading...