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Whether the issue is shattered relationships or the ugly deaths of those who are fighting, these works give voice to often unspoken horrorsWar is made of blood and terror, but it is also made of emotion, not all of it logical, easy, pretty or comfortable to express. In Ukraine, there is a maelstrom of guilt", the film-maker Iryna Tsilyk told a book festival audience in Lviv recently. Each of us finds something to be guilty about ... Those who left the country feel guilty for those who have stayed. Those who have stayed but live in the rear feel guilty for the military. The military have their own guilt - they feel guilty for their brothers and sisters who have had different levels of experience."There is survivor's guilt when your fellow soldier was killed and you escaped unscathed. There is guilt for not doing enough" to help the war effort. There is the guilt felt when your friend's boyfriend is serving, but your own partner is exempt from mobilisation. Russia's war has snatched territories from the Ukrainians, but has also insinuated itself into people's relationships, where it squats, monstrously, between friends and lovers and family members.Charlotte Higgins is the Guardian's chief culture writer Continue reading...

Tens of thousands descend for the D23 conference - will familiar faces and bigger parks maintain their loyalty?It was Friday night, and the southern California stadium was packed with cheering fans. They wore light-up bracelets and homemade costumes, and screamed every time a new A-list celebrity made a surprise appearance.This wasn't a pop concert or a sports game. It was a marketing event for Walt Disney, a company with a legion of fans so devoted that about 15,000 were willing to buy a ticket and come to Anaheim, California, to see its newest film and TV advertisements first. Continue reading...

Trump's refusal to accept the 2020 election results serves as a preview to expected challenges in NovemberThere wasn't anything particularly controversial about Georgia's presidential primary in March this year. Donald Trump won the Republican contest - picking up a little more than 400,000 more votes than Nikki Haley, who had long dropped out of the race.Nonetheless, two Republicans on the five-person Fulton county election board refused to certify the election. Continue reading...

The Thames is often treated badly: pumped with effluent by water companies and viewed as just a geographical gap or dividing line. It is worth remembering its magicPull on your effluent suits and ring the sewage bell because, friends, Thames Water is being fined. Or at least it might be. The industry regulator, Ofwat, finally said out loud what we have all known for some time: that the privatised water company has been pumping raw sewage into our waterways for years. As a consequence, the company is facing a fine of 104m; just to put that number into context, according to the BBC, Thames Water reported an increase in annual profits to 157.3m last year, but is also facing a debt of 15.2bn. It makes huge profits and has no money; it's almost as if turning one of life's most essential building blocks into a commodity to be distributed for private gain wasn't a great idea in the first place.The thing about the Thames is that many of us - particularly residents of London and the towns and cities further upstream - don't really think of it as a river at all. We treat it as a geographical gap; a dividing line between north and south, or between local wards, or between different demographics. It might be scattered with boats, sure, but it's also scattered with plastic bottles, old shopping trolleys, timber pallets and crisp packets, just like any rundown city car park or alleyway. But the Thames is a river. In many ways, it is one of the most beautiful rivers in Britain; aesthetically and for all the history and culture it holds. Continue reading...

The American gymnast, and her Romanian counterpart, have been on a rollercoaster. They should be allowed to keep the medals they earnedIn 1972, the US Olympic men's basketball team took a one-point lead over the Soviet Union in the gold-medal game in Munich with three seconds left. Through a chaotic sequence of events, those three seconds were played three times. The third time was the charm, for the Soviets at least, and they took a one-point win.The US men have, for 52 years, refused to take their silver medals. They sit unclaimed in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the International Olympic Committee has refused to reconsider the outcome of the game. Continue reading...

Family call for $3m in licensing fees stemming from Trump's frequent use of the Hayes-penned Sam & Dave track Hold On, I'm Comin'The family of late soul and funk singer Isaac Hayes has ordered Donald Trump to stop using the Hayes-penned song Hold On, I'm Comin' at campaign rallies.A letter sent to Trump and his campaign team, shared by Hayes's son Isaac Hayes III, threatens Trump with legal action if he continues to use the 1966 Sam & Dave song, written by Hayes and David Porter. It alleges copyright infringement, and also demands $3m in licensing fees incurred from the use of the song between 2022 and 2024. Continue reading...

As a new author, it was a thrill to read what people were saying about me. Then I found out that I wasn't alone. The habit just had to goLooking at my computer screen, I blinked in disbelief. I had just typed my name into Google and was flabbergasted to see page after page of results about me. It was April 2009 and I was a new author in Nigeria. My first book was just about to be released and I had been completely unaware of just how much pre-publication buzz the international publishing scene generates. A year earlier, Googling my name had presented just four results - mostly related to my old school's alumni website. Now there were 600 and I devoured every one of them; reviews, blogs and comments. But my fascination quickly spiralled into something much darker as I become addicted to searching my name on Google every hour of every day.The signs of my addiction were subtler than those of an alcoholic or drug addict, yet they disrupted my life just the same. Mobile internet and smartphones were uncommon luxuries in Nigeria at the time, with only 9% of the 156 million population having internet access. My habit of searching for my name online was confined to when I was working in the office, or at home tethered to an unreliable external modem. If I was out with friends, I would ask to borrow their laptop or phone. I would excuse myself from gatherings, shutting myself away in the corner of a friend's room to be close to the internet modem.Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is a Nigerian novelist and journalist. She is the author of I Do Not Come to You by Chance and Buried Beneath the Baobab TreeDo 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...

There is little doubt anti-racist activists led the pushback, but it is also important to know why so many others took a standIn some ways, the counterprotests across the UK against the far right have been a straightforward, much-needed good news story. A great array of people, right across the country, mobilising almost spontaneously to protect refugees, Muslims and other minorities from the worst wave of racist attacks for decades. The counterprotests are a sign that this country has become less tolerant of racism and more politically engaged, in a fundamental rather than party-political sense.At the counterprotest I went to in north-east London, people of different ages, races, sexualities and religions filled the road and pavements. The crowd was tense at first, but then grew chattier, almost festive, as it became clear that the racists weren't going to turn up. Continue reading...

Take note, Deutsche Bank, if there is anything that is not Brat, it's the bank-industrial complex

Vice-president returns to San Francisco for event attended by ex-House speaker Pelosi and governor Gavin NewsomKamala Harris returned home to the San Francisco Bay area for a Sunday fundraiser that drew top California Democrats and captured more than $12m for the conclusion of a swing state tour by the vice-president and her running mate, Tim Walz.Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and California governor Gavin Newsom attended the event in San Francisco at the Fairmont Hotel, where nearly 700 people had purchased tickets that cost at least $3,300 and as much as $500,000. Continue reading...

The Olympic flag has now passed to the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, via Tom CruiseParis is hugged by a pink sky and looks resplendent on the TV footage. Have the Beeb put some sort of filter on that? Seems almost too perfect. It's beautiful enough to bring a tear to the eye and send you grasping for the Gauloises. C'est magnifique.Over the next few hours we'll see the Olympic flag ceremonially transferred from Paris to LA and more than likely an entire country's GDP of fireworks spaffed into the inky Parisian sky at the close.Celebratory moments from previous Olympic Games have seen a reunion of the Spice Girls, the British pop group arriving into the arena standing atop the famous London black cab taxis singing Spice up your Life' at London 2012.At Sydney 2000, Australian popstar Kylie Minogue brought the curtain down on the first Games of the new millennium with a rendition of ABBA's Dancing Queen' clad in a bright pink showgirl costume, complete with feathers."More than 100 performers, acrobats, dancers, and circus artists will join world-renowned singers in various musical performances. Part of the show will take place in the air, accompanied by spectacular lighting effects and the flair of the French in the costumes, with the overall effect taking spectators - both those at home and in person - on a journey into the past, to the origins of the Games, but also into the future, and ultimately to a timeless universe".On 11 August 2024, the Olympic Games will be over, and the Olympic flame will be extinguished, that moment will remind us just how precious these Olympic Games are - a unique monument to a shared experience - and therefore fragile." Continue reading...

Some of the biggest American stars at Paris 2024 may be tempted to extend their careers when they would otherwise be riding off into the sunsetThe run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics officially began on Sunday night with a closing ceremony at the Stade de France featuring a death-defying stunt" by Tom Cruise - who repelled off the stadium to collect the Olympic flag before riding off to LA through the streets of Paris - with performances by California emissaries Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.But for more than a few American athletes, the countdown to LA 2028 began at some point over the past two weeks after their business here in Paris was finished and they began openly weighing their own missions impossible: extending their careers for a chance to compete in an Olympics on home soil when they might otherwise be riding off into the sunset. Continue reading...

City officials release trove of records including 911 calls, text messages, body camera footage and surveillance videosNewly released records by the city of Uvalde are offering another devastating glimpse into the deadly mass school shooting that unfolded on 24 May 2022.On Saturday, following a years-long lawsuit brought forth by the Associated Press and other news organizations over Uvalde officials' refusal to publicly disclose records related to the Robb elementary school shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead, city officials released a trove of records including 911 calls, text messages, body camera footage and surveillance videos. Continue reading...

Senior Democrat points to press conference where Trump told 162 distortions or lies, according to fact-checkersThe Republican presidential ticket of Donald Trump and JD Vance might be slipping in the polls, but remains unmatched in the Olympics of lying", according to transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg.The senior Democrat was responding Sunday, the final day of the Paris Olympics, to remarks by the Ohio senator criticizing Tim Walz for misstating his military service in an interview six years ago. Continue reading...

Fear has driven campaigning in the US and elsewhere in recent years. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz hope a brighter mood can encourage voting tooThank you for bringing back the joy," Tim Walz told Kamala Harris in his first speech after agreeing to become her running mate. He has continued to invoke the emotion, describing himself and Ms Harris as joyful warriors" against opponents who try and steal the joy". Donald Trump has attacked Ms Harris's ready laughter, but the Democrats are embracing an upbeat coconut-and-brat-meme atmosphere while Republicans invoke American carnage.Rarely have two presidential campaigns had such contrasting moods. Asked by a reporter what made him happy, Mr Trump's running mate, JD Vance, retorted that I smile at a lot of things including bogus questions from the media", and that he was angry about what Kamala Harris has done to this country". Mr Trump - along with other rightwing populists globally - has channelled fear and rage to extraordinary effect. Continue reading...

Several potential candidates say they had talks with Green party nominee about VP position for her long shot 2024 bidGreen party presidential nominee Jill Stein is seeking Palestinian Americans as potential running mates for her long shot White House bid, according to reports.Speaking to NBC on Friday, several potential candidates said that they had multiple conversations with Stein about the vice-president position. Continue reading...

Amid a faltering campaign, Republican VP hopeful claims pair are uncomfortable in their own skin'Republican vice-presidential hopeful JD Vance lashed out at Kamala Harris and Tim Walz during a whirlwind tour of political shows on Sunday as he attempted to seize back momentum to his own faltering campaign.The Ohio senator claimed the pairing on the Democratic presidential ticket were uncomfortable in their own skin" over their policy positions ahead of November's election. Continue reading...

The Trump campaign has been praised as tighter - but when Harris became the opponent, it lost control of its candidateHis name was spelled out in bright lights reminiscent of a Broadway show. Donald Trump thanked God for sparing him from an assassin's bullet. To thousands of devoted fans, the carefully stage-managed Republican national convention felt like the coronation of a man poised for victory over an ageing, ailing incumbent.But Trump's long and grievance-filled address that night hinted at trouble to come. For months his US presidential election campaign had been praised as tighter, smoother and more professional this time around. Then, when Democrats upended the race by replacing Joe Biden with Kamala Harris as their nominee, the wheels came off. Continue reading...

In interview, president says if Trump wins a second term it would be a genuine danger to American security'Joe Biden has said it was his obligation to the country" to drop out of the 2024 presidential election and prevent what he said would be a genuine danger to American security" if Donald Trump won a second term of office.The US president gave his reasoning for stepping aside in at-times an emotional interview with CBS News on Sunday, his first since quitting the race in July. He explained that losing the confidence of senior House and Senate Democrats, who feared his unpopularity would hurt them at the polls in November, had weighed on his mind. Continue reading...

Red Rock Island, a 5.8-acre hunk of stone with a colorful history, is an outlier in the luxury market. We joined the realtor tasked with finding a buyerChris Lim gazed across the water, perched at the hull of a small speedboat hurtling over choppy waves towards the only private island in the San Francisco bay.The stony cliffs of Red Rock Island loomed in the distance, encircled by seagulls, the noise of traffic on the nearby Richmond-San Rafael Bridge droning overhead. Continue reading...

This summer's events - Biden bowing out, Harris running and Walz as VP pick - show Pelosi's considerable influenceWhen you've lost Nancy Pelosi, you might as well clear out your desk.Amid all the chaos and whiplash in US politics over the past few weeks, one law remained constant: Pelosi is uniquely influential and has the power to make or break careers - even those of American presidents. Continue reading...

As the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad draws to a close, we take a look at of the best images from day 16 in Paris Continue reading...

Microsoft appears to confirm that alleged hackers with ties to Iran sent email from account of a former senior adviser'Donald Trump said that only publicly available information" had been stolen by a hack of his campaign for the presidency as he pinned the dramatic theft on the Iranian government.The news of an alleged hack emerged amid reports from the news website Politico that it had begun getting emails from an anonymous account with internal documents from the Trump campaign, including a vetting dossier on his running mate JD Vance. Continue reading...

Beneath his folksy, aw, shucks' midwestern demeanor, the Minnesota governor is a skilled political operatorTim Walz must be having the wildest month of his life.After the Minnesota governor was announced as Kamala Harris's pick for running mate, progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent senator Joe Manchin both put out statements praising him, an indication of his appeal across Democratic constituencies. Continue reading...

Head coach's late father inspired her to take the US job and tapestry of emotions led to glittering gold in ParisTwelve years ago Emma Hayes was sitting next to her father, Sid, at Wembley watching the United States women's national team win their fourth Olympic gold medal. Hayes, to all intents and purposes unemployed, after she had been sacked by the Chicago Red Stars, leaned across to Sid and, as he recalled it, said: Dad, you see those 50 people out there? I've coached 40 of them."It was a poignant moment for Sid, one he remembered in an interview with the Guardian in 2021 as the moment he truly understood just how good a coach she was. Continue reading...

Make sure you don't miss a thing with our full, updating localised guide to the dates and times of all the events at Paris Olympics 2024Follow all the latest action live | Support the GuardianSearch for every event and start time at the Paris Olympics with our comprehensive live schedule. From the football pitch to the pool, via track and field and much more, use our filter tool to pinpoint the sports and disciplines you want to follow most so that you don't miss a thing. Continue reading...

Find out who is leading the way at the Paris Olympics, and drill down to see which events each country has won medals forFollow all the latest action live | Support the GuardianAs is traditional, the table prioritises the number of gold medals won. On this basis at the 2020 Olympics, held in Tokyo in 2021, the United States led the field with 39 golds, with China second on 38 and Japan third with 27. If countries have the same number of gold medals, the order is then dictated by which has the most silvers, and finally bronze if the numbers are still identical. Continue reading...

Schools' investment in social-emotional support appears to pay off, especially for girls, but work is far from complete'A recently released study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows levels of sadness and hopelessness are improving in some US teenagers, and notably among girls.However,, the survey and experts said, challenges remain, as some metrics worsened in the most recent report. Of particular concern is a growing group of students who missed school because they did not feel safe. Continue reading...

The new presidential ticket is accentuating the positive on a swing through battleground states but opinions differ on whether they can shift the mood in rural AmericaWhen Vice-President Kamala Harris and the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, stepped onstage together for the first time on Tuesday, Philadelphia's Liacouras Center glittered red, white and blue as Beyonce's Freedom blared and the crowd pulsed.Walz, who was plucked from relative obscurity just hours, when he accepted Harris's offer to join the Democratic presidential ticket, placed his hand over his heart, almost bewildered by the reception. He waved. He bowed. He pointed to the crowd, and back to Harris. He grinned and laughed and bowed again. Continue reading...

Politico's Meridith McGraw reminds us of Trump's limited vetting skills and aversion to Ron DeSanctimonious'JD Vance is only the latest in a parade of personnel misfires launched by Donald Trump. The junior senator from Ohio turned unpopular vice-presidential pick follows other bad staffing ideas like Omarosa Manigault Newman, Anthony Scaramucci and Rob Porter.In Trump in Exile, her new book on the former president's time out of power, Meridith McGraw of Politico reminds us of Trump's limited vetting skills, as well as his antipathy toward Florida's Ron DeSantis, and his cravings for cash. Oh - and his fetish for being tanned.Trump in Exile was published in the US on 6 August 2024 by Penguin Random House Continue reading...

US economy has staying power but China's growth prospects have worsened and too little attention is paid to war in GazaBack in the 1930s, the French government constructed what it thought was an impregnable defence system to prevent a repeat of the German invasion at the start of the first world war. The Maginot Line might have looked impressive but proved to be a white elephant because when the attack came in 1940 it was in a different place altogether.In the past week the financial markets have displayed something of a Maginot Line mentality. They are right to think there is a threat lurking out there but they are wrong to think the biggest danger is a recession in the US. The real threat comes from elsewhere. Continue reading...

Traditional news outlets flagellate themselves when inaccurate. But the rightwing instigators of last week's riots aren't restricted by concepts such as truthLet's get ready to rhumble! As heroic locals and beleaguered police battle to stop cocaine-fuelled hard-right rioters burning people to death, the laughing faces of ITV's Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly hang suspended in the smoke shrouding buildings in Rotherham and Tamworth. Watch us wreck the mike!! Psyche!!!The greatest trick Nigel Farage ever pulled, appearing in December's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, was looking normal to the ITV millions by eating a pizza covered with some penises. How Ant and Dec laughed as Nigel's EU views were left un-factchecked by current affairs titans such as Britney Spears's sister and a man from JLS. Psyche!Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at observer.letters@observer.co.uk Continue reading...

When Joe Biden quit the race, no one could have predicted the surge in support for Kamala HarrisIn 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, the Democratic nominee for president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, adopted the ditty Happy Days Are Here Again as his official campaign song.With its upbeat lyrics - The skies above are clear again, So, let us sing a song of cheer again, Happy days are here again" - the tune spoke to the hopethat a brighter future lay aheadwith a new occupant of the White House. Continue reading...

Abiding memories of the Games included Marchand's dominance, Ngamba's bronze and 100m and 1500m thrillersThree years after Simone Biles wasforced to withdraw from all butone of her Olympic finals due tothe twisties, she returned to produce one of the great Games comebacks. Across nine days of excellence that yielded three gold medals and a silver, Biles most notably held off a brilliant challenge from Rebeca Andrade to become theoldest ever all-around champion, at 27. Her comeback has underlined the importance of mental health, longevity, sportsmanship, athletes having the freedom to express themselves and, of course, her peerless genius. Continue reading...

Buoyant Democratic duo, energized by recent polling data, hope to win over voters in critical states such as NevadaKamala Harris and Tim Walz wrapped up their first week together on the campaign trail with a rally in Las Vegas on Saturday, as the Democratic party seeks to further galvanize its base and win over undecided voters in battleground states such as Nevada.In what was the vice-president and Minnesota governor's fifth rally in five days, the pair hoped to continue building on the renewed wave of enthusiasm and engagement among some voters and organizers since Joe Biden stepped down from the presidential race amid growing concerns over his cognitive health and entrenched support for Israel's war in Gaza. Continue reading...

Protest marking 10 years since shooting escalated when fence was breached and Black officer was knocked to the ground, hitting his head, says police chiefA Ferguson, Missouri, police officer was critically injured outside the city's police station during protests on the 10th anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, police said on Saturday.The Ferguson police chief, Troy Doyle, said Officer Travis Brown suffered a severe brain injury on Friday after being knocked to the ground. He is in an area hospital right now fighting for his life," Doyle said. Continue reading...

Despite a febrile Bercy Arena, the USA's new Dream Team always looked in control in a 98-87 win against the hostsWith 16 seconds left on the clock at the Bercy Arena, Steph Curry took the ball in centre court, 30 feet from the rim, and already falling backwards, the sky blocked out by two French defenders in front of him, unable to see the basket, milliseconds ticking down before he lost control, before gravity took hold, the day closing in.Somehow from that blind position he still released the ball in a hard flat perfect arc, the roar of the crowd telling Curry he had indeed hit the invisible target beyond the flailing hands. It was a remarkable piece of morse-code accuracy at the best of times. Continue reading...

USA win fifth successive men's basketball gold, New Zealand's Hamish Kerr claims men's high jump, USWNT win women's football gold and more.Jerry Spring has sent in a lovely email about sport climbing, which I was delighted to receive.Glad you have enjoyed climbing. If you've never tried it , i hope you can get to your local gym or outside. It is just pure fun as you say.Sadly there are some issues over some athletes restricting their weight and potential longterm effects on joints... but there is increasingly awareness so I hope these get resolved. Continue reading...

Singer jabs at ex-president for playing My Heart Will Go On at campaign rally in Bozeman, Montana on FridayCeline Dion, the Canadian pop icon, has rebuked and mocked the Donald Trump campaign for unauthorized use of her hit song about the sinking Titanic as a musical interlude during a recent rally.Dion, beloved by millions of people for her tear-jerking ballads, issued a strong and somewhat tongue-in-cheek statement on Saturday, a day after Trump played a video clip of My Heart Will Go On from the film Titanic at a campaign event in Bozeman, Montana. Continue reading...

The preferred model of femininity for the yelping far right is the homebound tradwife. Let them cry and keep boxingThe saga of the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif at the Olympics. The explosive Times feature about the tradwife" Hannah Neeleman. Whatever has happened to the Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance to make him once insist that a coven of vengeful witches - sorry, childless cat ladies" - are hexing ruin on people's lives.They're not news stories. They're concurrent threads in the dystopian nightmare being woven for western women by the kind of far-right political forces you wouldn't want near you to darn your damn socks. Continue reading...

Dogs, horses, birds, goats and pet cockroaches were seized from a home in Riverside county and placed in careAnimal services officials in southern California have rescued more than 100 neglected animals including dogs, horses, birds and pet cockroaches from a home in Riverside county.Riverside county officials served a search warrant on Wednesday at a property that was discovered following the Nixon fire that burned more than 5,200 acres (2,100 hectares) in July, according to a statement released on Thursday. Continue reading...

Ex-Chelsea manager dropped Rose Lavelle and her team struggled to create chances but Hayes is now in creditShe checks her watch. She claps her hands. She points at things. She shouts at people. Trinity Rodman jogs past her on her way up the left touchline and she gives her a pat on the back. She is basically trying to convince herself that there are still jobs to do when, in fact, her work is done. We are deep into injury time, and Emma Hayes can no more influence this Olympic final than the fan in the Uncle Sam hat sitting 50 yards above her.Finally, the whistle. The explosion. Hayes raises her arms, looks skywards, lets out a roar. It is, perhaps, the only moment of personal indulgence she will allow herself. While her victorious players are dancing in a huddle, Hayes has no interest in thrusting herself into the middle, a move known these days as the Jorge Vilda". Instead she walks towards the devastated Brazilian players, offers them a word of comfort, seeks out the retiring Marta to pay her respects. Continue reading...