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Sports leagues across the world are in thrall to the gambling industrial complex. Punishing individual players keeps our eyes off the bigger fixNewcastle United officials were quick to declare their dismay after star signing Sandro Tonali was handed a 10-month ban from competitive football last month for breaching Italian betting regulations. It was a massive shock, a massive surprise," Magpies sporting director Dan Ashworth told the BBC. Dealing with it was new to all of us. It came from nowhere."Tonali's ban relates to infractions committed during his time playing in Italy; it's not yet clear whether he had also begun betting on games in England after making his high-profile summer move to the Premier League. But to claim that any of this came from nowhere" is surely a reach. Soccer across Europe is saturated with gambling now - and increasingly it's the norm in US sports too, as more states move to legalize a practice that was until fairly recently prohibited. Continue reading...

The LA crowd favorite reflects on his journey from rural Arkansas to sharing top billing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the NBA's glitziest market and featuring on Team USAGo win the ball game, AR! Go win the ball game!" LeBron James is shouting in Austin Reaves' ear as he speaks to a reporter for a walk-off interview. It is just moments after the Lakers' scintillating overtime win against the Clippers on their shared home turf in Los Angeles, marking their first win against their Crypto.com Arena co-tenants in a dozen tries. Reaves, of course, didn't single-handedly secure the victory. It was a true team effort, led by James himself setting the record for most points ever (35) by a player in their 21st season.But James is emphasizing the conclusion to which everyone in the organization (and many more in the NBA at large) have already arrived: Reaves is - as he bellowed after sinking a half-court buzzer-beater against the Golden State Warriors during last year's playoffs - him. Continue reading...

Of the many cases against the presidential hopeful, a civil trial that threatens his image as a tycoon is likely to hit him hardestWe have been here before countless times: prematurely anticipating the end of Donald Trump on the basis of actions or implications that, for anyone else, would have proven fatal long ago. Quick recap: the former president is facing four separate criminal cases, involving 91 felony counts, in four separate states; plus a civil fraud case currently being heard in Manhattan; plus a second defamation suit brought by the writer E Jean Carroll, whom earlier this year Trump was found guilty of sexually assaulting and defaming and ordered to pay $5m. Plus a clutch of broken gag orders and the resultant fines.The question in all of these cases is less whether Trump will be found guilty than whether there is any outcome whatsoever that would be capable of preventing him from standing for president next year, or - the more depressing calculation, in some ways - of damaging his chances, if not. Trump voters have, historically, proven even more resistant than the rest of us to changing their minds when the evidence changes. And Trump himself has an almost preternatural gift for turning the most unpromising situations to his advantage. Even so, there may, within the detail of these extremely wide-ranging cases, be some aspects that are more harmful to Trump than others.Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Whether acting as tributes to her accomplishments or signalling dissent concerning an increasingly conservative court, the Notorious RBG's neckpieces always made a powerful statement, says a new book Continue reading...

Now, a country can be aligned with the US on security while cosying up to Russia on energy and China on tradeAs the leaders of the world's two superpowers, the US and China, hold a summit meeting in San Francisco, many observers hark back to grand bipolar simplicities. A new cold war! The west versus the rest! Democracy versus autocracy! Let's woo the global south! But the great Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt warned us always to beware of the terribles simplificateurs, the frightful simplifiers. The beginning of wisdom is to understand that we now live in a world fragmented between multiple great and middle powers who do not divide simply into two camps.The results of an ambitious round of global polling, released today, help us to understand this new world disorder. Conducted for the European Council on Foreign Relations and an Oxford University research project on Europe in a Changing World that I co-direct, this is the second time we have surveyed what we call in shorthand the Citrus countries: China, India, Turkey, Russia and the United States. This autumn we added to them five other major non-European countries - Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, South Africa, Brazil and South Korea - as well as covering 11 European countries. Continue reading...

The surprise resurrection of the man who gave us Brexit could be good news for a political scene in need of compromiseIt is quite incredible really. David Cameron is back. The former prime minister who gambled with the future of his country by calling the Brexit referendum because he wanted to resolve a dispute within his own party is now entrusted with representing British interests on the world stage.As a European, it is impossible not to laugh: I did, for several minutes, when news broke of his resurrection. But in spite of the staggering irony of it all, this could actually be good news from the perspective of the UK's allies in Europe and beyond. Politics is the art of the possible, and every appointment should be weighed against its alternatives. Bearing in mind some of the candidates that Rishi Sunak could have chosen to replace James Cleverly at the Foreign Office, this appointment is good news.Helene von Bismarck is a Hamburg-based historian specialising in UK-German relations Continue reading...

Speakers from Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer to Republican House speaker Mike Johnson greeted crowdsTens of thousands of Israel supporters gathered in Washington DC on Tuesday to show support for its war against Hamas, declare their opposition to a ceasefire and decry a global rise in antisemitism.Massed ranks of demonstrators bearing placards and draped in Israeli flags gathered in the capital's National Mall amid ultra-tight security and under clear blue skies in an event designed, at least partially, as a riposte to large recent US rallies demanding an immediate halt to Israel's military offensive. Continue reading...

Officials announced ceremony honoring the Buffalo Soldiers, 19 of whom were executed, to atone for Jim Crow-era racismThe US army is overturning the convictions of 110 Black soldiers - 19 of whom were executed - for a mutiny at a Houston military camp a century ago, an effort to atone for imposing harsh punishments linked to Jim Crow-era racism.US army officials announced the historic reversal Monday during a ceremony posthumously honoring the regiment known as the Buffalo Soldiers, who had been sent to Houston in 1917, during the first world war, to guard a military training facility. Clashes arose between the regiment and white police officers and civilians and 19 people were killed. Continue reading...

More than 500 appointees and staff members criticized Biden's unwavering support for Israel in letter demanding ceasefireThe Biden administration is increasingly seeking ways to restrain the Israeli military in an effort to slow the civilian toll and limit the risk of a wider conflict, while it faces a rising level of internal dissent over its Middle East policy.In a letter presented to Biden and his cabinet on Tuesday, more than 500 political appointees and staff members from about 40 agencies across the administration criticised the extent of the president's support for Israel in its war in Gaza. Continue reading...

The blog is now closed, but read about the House vote here:

Democrats and mainstream Republicans join forces with vote of 336 to 95 to advance stopgap spending packageThe House on Tuesday approved a novel plan to prevent a government shutdown, with the recently installed Republican House speaker Mike Johnson relying on Democratic votes as the far-right flank of his caucus dissented.A coalition of nearly every Democratic representative and more mainstream Republicans joined forces to advance the stopgap spending package by a vote of 336 to 95, easily clearing the two-thirds threshold needed for passage under an expedited process. Ninety-three Republicans and two Democrats opposed the bill, which would fund the federal government into early 2024. Continue reading...

David DePape, accused of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband in a home invasion last year, testified for an hour on TuesdayDavid DePape, the man accused of attacking the husband of Nancy Pelosi with a hammer last year, told a federal jury how his fringe political beliefs brought him to the Pelosis' home to interrogate the former house speaker.In emotional testimony that lasted for more than an hour, DePape offered detailed insight into his motivations that evening in October, which he described as part of a bigger plan to end corruption in the United States. Continue reading...

Oleksandr Dubinsky accused of spreading disinformation about Ukrainian interference in US politics while in pay of Russian intelligenceUkrainian authorities have arrested a controversial MP who was at the heart of efforts by Rudy Giuliani to dig up compromising material about Joe Biden, and placed him in pre-trial detention.Oleksandr Dubinsky, 42, is accused of collusion with Russia and of spreading fake" information about Ukraine's political and military leadership, in particular related to his claims about supposed Ukrainian interference in US political processes. Continue reading...

Setback for challengers who say Trump should be barred from presidential run under insurrection' clause of 14th amendmentDonald Trump can appear on the ballot for the Republican primary in Michigan, a state judge ruled on Tuesday, a setback to challengers who argue he is constitutionally disqualified from being president because of his actions on 6 January 2021.The lawsuit is one of several that left-leaning groups have filed across the country arguing that section 3 of the 14th amendment bars Trump from holding office. The provision says anyone who takes an oath to the United States and then engages in insurrection" or rebellion" against the nation cannot hold office unless Congress votes by two-thirds majority to allow them. The measure was adopted after the civil war and has not been tested. Continue reading...

Sam Miele admitted to charge in relation to impersonating a senior aide to then House speaker Keven McCarthyA former fundraiser for the New York Republican congressman George Santos pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a federal charge of wire fraud, which could put him behind bars for more than two years.Sam Miele admitted to a single count of wire fraud relating to impersonating a senior aide to the then House speaker Kevin McCarthy. The ruse was part of a fundraising scheme conducted in 2021 to raise money for Santos's bid for a seat in the US House of Representatives. Continue reading...

Request follows publication of confidential video recordings' of statements by Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell and Ken ChesebroFulton county prosecutors have asked the judge overseeing the 2020 election subversion case against Donald Trump and his co-defendants in Georgia to immediately impose an emergency" protective order over the discovery materials to prevent potential future leaks of evidence.The request came after several media outlets published details of videotaped statements that former Trump lawyers Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro gave as part of plea deals to avoid being tried as racketeering co-defendants with the former president. Continue reading...

Five vehicles were involved in the crash and 15 people were injured, and officials said the cause was not immediately knownA charter bus carrying students from a high school was rear-ended by a semi-truck on an Ohio highway on Tuesday morning, leaving three people dead and 15 others injured, according to an emergency official.Five vehicles were involved in the crash, including a Pioneer Trails charter bus that was transporting students from the Tuscarawas Valley local school district in eastern Ohio, said Sean Grady, Licking county's emergency management agency director. There were a total of 57 people onboard, he said. Continue reading...

Ex-president says truly beautiful' Maryanne Trump Barry, who died on Monday at 86, was made to suffer in those years from 2016'Donald Trump paid tribute on Tuesday to his sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, after her death at the age of 86, saluting her beauty and intellect but also complaining about what he called her merciless" treatment by US news media after he became president in 2016.Barry retired from the federal bench in 2019 after investigations of Trump family tax affairs seemed to implicate her in avoidance schemes. Continue reading...

Stamp's upside down Curtiss JN-4 airplane was printed in error so its production was stopped, making the stamp incredibly valuableTalk about a stamp of approval.A New York man bought a rare postage stamp at an auction Wednesday for the record-setting price of $2m. Continue reading...

Senator bangs gavel and calms tensions after Markwayne Mullin asked Teamsters' Sean O'Brien if he wanted to 'finish it here'An Oklahoma senator and a union boss squared off in a congressional hearing on Tuesday, each daring the other to stand your butt up" and fight in an exchange the chair of the Senate labor committee, Bernie Sanders, struggled to contain.Sit down!" Sanders shouted at Markwayne Mullin, the Republican on the dais beside him. You're a United States senator!" Continue reading...

Spain's caretaker prime minister has cut a controversial deal to stay in power. It is in the country's interest that it succeedsIn recent political memory, few spectacles have been as surprising as the sight of David Cameron striding back into Downing Street to become Britain's new foreign secretary. But Mr Cameron's Lazarus-style comeback may yet be put in the shade by the career resurrection of the exiled Catalan separatist Carles Puigdemont.Following Spain's inconclusive snap election in the summer, Mr Puigdemont's Together for Catalonia party has unexpectedly found itself occupying a kingmaker role as the caretaker prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, seeks enough votes to stay in power. The price of its support is an amnesty deal which could benefit Mr Puigdemont and hundreds of other activists facing criminal charges related to his failed independence campaign. Continue reading...

Jason Donner accuses Fox News of firing him after he said inaccurate reporting of Capitol attack would get us all killed'Fox News is being sued by a former Capitol Hill reporter who accuses the network of discriminating and retaliating against him because he refused to appease Donald Trump and the former president's supporters by propagating lies about the stolen" 2020 election.Jason Donner, who worked for Fox News for 12 years as a Capitol Hill reporter and producer, accuses the network of firing him because he spoke out against the coverage of Trump's stolen election lie and the storming of the Capitol building on 6 January 2021. He was the victim of a wider purge of the newsroom, the lawsuit claims, designed to hold up the network's ratings by playing along with election denial. Continue reading...

Louisiana congressman Clay Higgins asks judge to show leniency to Ryan Nichols, charged with assaulting police at US CapitolSeeking leniency for a January 6 rioter charged with assaulting police, the Louisiana Republican congressman Clay Higgins - a former law enforcement officer himself - saluted the man's good character, faith and core principles".In video taken during the attack on Congress on 6 January 2021, the rioter was seen to say: It's going to be violent and yes, if you are asking, Is Ryan Nichols going to bring violence? Yes, Ryan Nichols is going to bring violence.'" Continue reading...

ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl reports blunt advice from former president to use debunked claim in US Senate raceAs Herschel Walker faced defeat by his Democratic opponent Raphael Warnock in a high-stakes US Senate election in Georgia last year, Donald Trump advised the Republican candidate: Just call him a child abuser."At first, Walker did not take the former president's advice, letting go his sole debate with Warnock - a church pastor - without raising the slur. Continue reading...

Participants in Northwestern University prison education program will graduate despite having to work through Covid-19 pandemicStudents of Northwestern University who have completed their coursework while serving time in prison are preparing to graduate on Wednesday and become the first such pupils to receive bachelor's degrees from the highly regarded college, according to academic officials.The class graduating from the Northwestern Prison Education Program (NPEP) is one of four cohorts with 20 incarcerated students. Four hundred incarcerated people applied for the program during the latest application cycle, with only 70 getting interviewed. Continue reading...

President reportedly called David Axelrod a prick' for criticising his re-election effortsAfter it was reported that Joe Biden has called David Axelrod a prick" for criticising his re-election efforts, the former Barack Obama adviser kicked back, saying the president should get out or get going" in his campaign, most likely against Donald Trump.Politico reported the president's prick" remark about Axelrod, sourcing it to a person who has heard Biden use the word ... in private". Continue reading...

Officials have hired an exterminator to kill the city's most notorious residents by gassing their burrowsNew York City has long been known for its rat population - but there's been a dramatic surge in recent years. According to a recent estimate, there are now as many as 3 million rats in New York City, an increase of nearly 1 million over the last decade. They've benefited from the food waste left by Covid-era outdoor diners as well as recent cuts to the city's sanitation department, creating the perfect storm" for a ratsplosion, says Julie Menin, a city councilmember representing Manhattan's Upper East Side. Her office has been inundated" with rat complaints: We were literally hearing from parents about rats running across their children's feet as they're walking them to school."Now Menin says her district has an answer: gassing them. Amid the post-Covid rat spike, Menin's staff researched solutions and learned that Boston and San Diego had started fumigating rats using carbon monoxide. So Menin's office located an exterminator in New York that utilizes the technique, a veteran exterminator named Matt Deodato, and it's really made a big difference". Could this be the way to finally rid New York City of its most notorious residents? Continue reading...

We are living amid death and devastation. What good is sending in aid if the killing resumes afterwards?Living in Gaza, we wake up feeling grateful every morning to have survived for one more day. For more than 30 days, we have lived surrounded by death, devastation and desperation. To say that the situation is exceptional does not begin to describe the reality of nonstop Israeli bombardments, huge missile strikes from air, land, and sea, and the collective struggle to stay alive. Nowhere in the Gaza Strip is safe. More than 11,000 people have been killed - over 4,500 of them children.When I hear the phrase humanitarian pause", it sounds like a farce. How can it be that when we are in the worst imaginable crisis, some leaders call for a pause and not a ceasefire?Ibrahim Muhtadi is an architect, designer and business developer Continue reading...

Platform posted loss of $50m in 2022, with net sales of just $1.4m, and lost $23m in first half of this year, with net sales of $2.3mDonald Trump's social media platform Truth Social has lost $73m since its launch in early 2022, a securities filing revealed on Monday, and is struggling to find additional funds.The ex-president had announced the launch of his social media app in October 2021, saying it would stand up to big tech" companies such as Twitter and Facebook that previously barred him. Continue reading...

My grandma has sewn every costume and baked every birthday cake. Now, I can give her my timeIt's Monday morning, and I should be at work. Instead I'm in a draper's shop on the high street in Hythe, Kent, helping my 86-year-old grandma buy elastic. Elastic bands?" the assistant asks. No, knicker elastic," Grandma says firmly. She tuts. Mine's getting all worn out."Ten minutes later we leave with the elastic in a paper bag, along with some shoulder pads, which Grandma intends to sew into a jacket. She will do this with the same ease she exhibits when replacing her knicker elastic. There's no question of her buying new ones, as I would. Nearly lunchtime," Grandma says (it's 10.30am). I've made a lovely quiche."Ellie Keel is a writer and theatre producer, and the founder director of the Women's Prize for Playwriting Continue reading...

Biden can revive ailing poll numbers by reminding voters Trump was a threat to social security and cut taxes for the wealthyJoe Biden should sharpen his economic message by acknowledging voters' pain and drawing a more direct contrast with Donald Trump to revive his ailing poll numbers, according to research presented to the White House and seen by the Guardian.Surveys by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), a grassroots organisation aligned with Senator Elizabeth Warren, found that voters trust Republicans over Democrats to handle the economy - but there are ways to close the gap by highlighting Trump's past mistakes and threat to social security. Continue reading...

After his triumph in Libya I can't wait to see what Mr Failed State achieves as foreign secretary. Sorry, that's unfair - Lord Failed StateWho's that walking up Downing Street? Why, it's the man who ghosted Britain! In some ways the sight of David Cameron back in SW1 was always a possibility. Behavioural science tells us these guys often return to the scene of their crimes - either to retrieve a trophy, or to show police the various burial sites in the hope of receiving a slightly more lenient sentence. In this case, from the history books.But let's be real: the only acceptable excuse Cameron would have for being in the Downing Street area is that he has been sent back in time to terminate his past self before the moment he accidentally sets the UK on the course of permacrisis politics, in which it is still agonisingly and destructively trapped. Unfortunately, the Cameron unit has made the wrong calculations - again - and emerged through the space-time tear seven and a half years too late. He is now foreign secretary, and after his full-spectrum triumph in Libya it will certainly be interesting to see what Mr Failed State achieves in that role. Sorry, that's unfair - Lord Failed State.Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

As ministers seek to dehumanise Palestinians, I am part of a coalition of Jews and Arabs showing that there is another way

Revelation comes during interview with Georgia district attorney's office about events around US electionAn attorney for Donald Trump has told prosecutors in Georgia that one of the former president's top aides told her in December 2020 that Trump was not going to leave" the White House under any circumstances", despite having lost the election to Joe Biden.The revelation from Jenna Ellis came during an interview with the Georgia district attorney's office in Fulton County. Ellis is cooperating as part of a plea agreement in the Georgia election interference case against Trump and various allies. Continue reading...

Peggy Ann Fulford, 65, was given a 10-year sentence in 2018 for stealing millions of dollars pretending to be a financial adviserA woman who admitted to stealing millions of dollars from Dennis Rodman, Ricky Williams and other professional athletes has been released early from the 10-year prison sentence she had been handed in 2018.Peggy Ann Fulford, 65, served part of the punishment at a low-security federal prison in Aliceville, Alabama, which is about 45 miles west of Tuscaloosa. The US bureau of prisons then released her on 27 April to a halfway home program in Orlando, Florida, which is administered by the government, an agency spokesperson said in a statement on Monday. Continue reading...

The Italian PM has watered down old far-right ideas for the 21st century - and is attempting to remake Italy in her own imageShe's the brash campaigner and paradoxical populist - the Brothers of Italy sister who has strongly partisan prescriptions for a country prone to a stagnant economy, a lagging birthrate and political stalemate. She intends to defeat these challenges by consolidating her own power. Giorgia Meloni is western Europe's most ruthless tactical operator - a new kind of nationalist populist who defies the easy categories.She's also the ideological descendant of a dangerous tradition, formed in the Italian Social Movement, rooted in the the postwar incarnation of Benito Mussolini's fascists and steeped in the adaptation of beguiling cultural tropes. After decades of fractious coalitions and technocratic solutions, supporters relish her dominant leadership approach and mission to defend" the country from outside influences.Anne McElvoy is executive editor at Politico. The Reinvention of Italy is on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday 14 November, repeated on Monday 20 NovemberDo 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...

Patients and medics in desperate situation' at al-Shifa as Israeli tanks and snipers encircle the complex. Plus, the menu items that mystify us but we order them anywayGood morning.Patients and medics remain trapped in Gaza's main hospital after days of fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas, as aid agencies warn that critically ill patients and babies are at risk of death due to lack of fuel and dwindling supplies of food and water.What's happening in the US? A New York civil liberties group is suing Joe Biden for allegedly failing in his duty under international and US laws to prevent Israel committing genocide in Gaza. The complaint by the Center for Constitutional Rights on behalf of several Palestinian groups and individuals alleges that Israel's actions, including mass killings", the targeting of civilian infrastructure and forced expulsions, amount to genocide.What else does the report say? Allison Crimmins, a climate scientist and director of the National Climate Assessment, said escalating dangers from wildfires, severe heat, flooding and other impacts meant the US now had a disaster costing at least $1bn in damages every three weeks on average, compared with once every four months in the 1980s. Continue reading...

A new report says many countries are increasing their oil and gas production. Delegates to Cop28 must confront this crisisLet me see if I have this right.A vast majority of the world's best climate scientists have told us again and again that to maintain a stable and liveable planet, we, the human race, must reduce the burning of fossil fuels - and emissions of greenhouse gases - by half by 2030. And end emissions altogether by 2050. Knowing this, what are we on track to do? Continue reading...

In the toxic manosphere, fasting is seen as a mark of strength and self-reliance. I can think of another word for itFood's awful and eating sucks." Thus spake Andrew Tate, on X (formerly Twitter). I hate eating. I hate feeling full," he elaborated, before broadening, in his trademark fashion, the personal to the universal: Imagine how stupid you have to be to find food entertaining. Literally embarrassing."It is not at all unusual, in the toxic manosphere, to see hunger as a human frailty to which you, as the ultimate man, are immune. Jordan Peterson has a not dissimilar relationship with food, having once gone on a months-long diet of nothing but beef, salt and water. He ended up in a coma in 2019, yet insists that wasn't due to the steak but rather, his dependence on clonazepam, a type of tranquilliser. You have to wonder whether, whatever the immediate causes of his nine solid days unconscious, the odd vegetable might have helped. He once also claimed to have gone 25 days without sleeping, thanks to a deviation from the meat-only diet. I can't remember what his slip-up was - I want to say a Jelly Baby? Continue reading...

Clint Hill flung himself on to the back of the president's limousine in a desperate attempt to block any further bullets on that fateful day in Dallas 60 years agoIt has become a cliche that everyone of a certain age could tell you where they were when they heard President John F Kennedy was dead. Clint Hill spent decades trying to forget.The Secret Service agent was in the Dallas motorcade as a member of the first lady's detail when Kennedy was assassinated on 22 November 1963. Hill leaped on to the back of the presidential limousine to use his body to shield the Kennedys from any additional shots. Continue reading...

Democrats and Republicans must back the movement together, senator says ahead of Senate hearing with labor leadersIf the US is going to save the middle class" then Democrats and Republicans must come together to back the newly resurgent labor movement, Bernie Sanders told the Guardian this week ahead of a Senate hearing on the benefits of unions.Sanders is holding a Senate health, education, labor and pensions committee hearing on Tuesday with US labor leaders on the state of the US labor movement and efforts to rein in corporate greed in America. Continue reading...

I was invited to a school panel that wasn't even about Israel and Palestine. Then, some parents accused me of hate speech'The Downingtown area school district, the sixth-largest school district in Pennsylvania, claims to be a twenty-first century district with the idealistic warmth and charm of a small town". The district's diversity, equity and inclusion program says it works to create a culture where every individual can feel included and thrive". And this charming and inclusive school district has also just trammeled on my free speech rights. I've been cancelled.Here's the story. Last March, the district approached me about offering a virtual event supporting their diversity, equity and inclusion program. Initially, I was asked to present a program on Arab Americans, but in May, the district proposed changing the focus to supporting refugee students and their families. This is a topic I have previously presented on and one that is close to my heart, as my family has long been involved in various aspects of refugee resettlement. We agreed on the details, I sent them a headshot and bio, and the district began advertising the event on their website on 1 November. Continue reading...

Taika Waititi's Next Goal Wins is the latest attempt to create a blockbuster based around the beautiful game. Focusing on personal stories may be the answerSports movies have been a mainstay of Hollywood throughout its history.Cinema wouldn't be the same without Robert Redford's Natural hitting a light bursting home-run, Paul Newman's Hustler smirking as he chalks his cue, Raging Bull's operatic pugilism, or Rocky hurling himself up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Continue reading...

The 7ft 4in Frenchman has a decent body of work after his first few weeks in the league. We asked former players and a coach to give their verdictsVictor Wembanyama's rookie campaign has been the story of the NBA season so far, which is little surprise given that he's 7ft 4in and plays with the agility of a much smaller man. Now that we have a decent body of work - 10 NBA games - to learn from, what do those who have been around basketball their whole lives think of the young Frenchman.Kevin Willis (NBA All-Star, 2003 NBA champion with Spurs) Continue reading...

A small plane overshot the runway while landing at a Texas airport and struck a car driving along a nearby road, injuring one person. The propeller plane smashed through a fence during an emergency landing in the Dallas suburb of McKinney and then bounced and skidded on to a road, losing a wheel and colliding with the car Continue reading...

Pedro Sanchez's amnesty for separatists will return him to power, but he faces mounting public discontentAs many Europeans clashed over protests related to the war in Gaza in recent days, Spaniards took the streets to contend with an entirely different issue. Hundreds of thousands came out in Madrid and other major cities to demonstrate against a deal struck between the Socialist prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, and Catalan separatists. That agreement will allow Sanchez finally to form a new coalition government this week, ending a political crisis that has afflicted the country since the general election on 23 July.But it is a politically incendiary settlement that leaves Sanchez exposed. The far-right Vox party leader, Santiago Abascal, in over-the-top, unjustified rhetoric, accused him of a coup", and the conservative People's party (PP)'s Isabel Diaz Ayuso, president of the Madrid region, said the prime minister had ushered in a dictatorship through the back door".Maria Ramirez is a journalist and deputy managing editor of elDiario.es, a news outlet in Spain Continue reading...

Ugly, divisive rhetoric has been embedded in the Conservative party since the days of moderates' like Cameron and MayThat Suella Braverman ever graced one of the great offices of state should forever dispel any illusions about our political establishment. She owed her grip on the Home Office to the tawdry cynicism of Rishi Sunak, whose thin technocratic veneer poorly disguises a man who burns with political ambition but doesn't have the talent to match. Braverman's endorsement of his leadership candidacy was important because, knowing that the average Tory member would probably view Genghis Khan as a milquetoast liberal, a chastened Sunak needed to bolster his right flank to prevent Boris Johnson from returning. This short-term advantage came with a heavy long-term cost; a pattern that has defined Sunak's benighted premiership.But while Braverman's pantomime villain persona makes her downfall all the more satisfying, it would be a mistake to treat her sacking as a symbol of Sunak's newfound moderation. That she crudely exploited Britain's most extreme political sentiments in the name of self-advancement is undeniable. Decrying immigration as an existential threat to European civilisation was to summon a great replacement" conspiracy theory beloved by the far right. She compared migrants to a hurricane - that is, a natural disaster that inflicts death and destruction. Her claims that most child grooming gangs were almost all British-Pakistani" - disproven by Home Office research, which found most were actually white - were designed to foment racist division and hate. Continue reading...