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Australia’s alliance is with the US, a country that stands for freedom, democracy, liberty and civil rights. Under Trump, that could be destroyedCan Australia – should Australia – continue its alliance with the United States if the United States is no longer the United States?This is the existential question Australia must face if Donald Trump, or a Trumpist, wins the US election in 2024 because at that point, American democracy as we have known it will probably come to an end.Democracies are more than a form of government. They’re a way of being, a way of seeing the world – a way that defines who we are, what we believe, why we do what we do.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...

Fox was the only major cable news network to carry the former US president’s speech live following his arraignment hearing earlier in the dayFox News labelled US president Joe Biden a “wannabe dictator” who attempted to have “his political rival arrested” during a live broadcast of Donald Trump’s post-arraignment speech.The network was the only major cable news network to carry Trump’s Tuesday evening speech live, with CNN and MSNBC choosing not to air the address. Continue reading...

With mordant wit and stark description, the literary great wove a tapestry of anger, humour, decency and bad behaviour – and of the perpetual terror of man

In the latest case to upend the scandal-plagued board, Curren Price Jr was also charged with perjury and conflict of interestProsecutors charged a Los Angeles city councilman with 10 counts, including embezzlement and perjury, on Tuesday in the latest criminal case to upend the scandal-plagued governing board of the nation’s second-largest city.Curren Price Jr faces five counts of embezzlement of government funds, three counts of perjury and two counts of conflict of interest, according to the Los Angeles county district attorney’s office. Continue reading...

Former US president addresses supporters after pleading not guilty to federal charges in MiamiMeanwhile in Washington, Donald Trump’s allies in Congress are vowing to do all they can to help him fight Jack Smith’s prosecution.Here’s the judiciary committee’s Republican chair Jim Jordan hinting to CNN that he may demand testimony from Smith, the special counsel appointed by attorney general Merrick Garland specifically to handle the investigations into Trump: Continue reading...

Former president accused of wilfully withholding classified documents and obstructing justice, and is charged with 37 countsHours after facing criminal charges for the alleged mishandling of classified documents, Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters at his golf resort in New Jersey that his indictments were a “corrupt” and “political pursuit” designed to destroy him.Donors and supporters chanted Trump’s name, cheered him on and sang “happy birthday”. “I just got charged,” joked the former president, who turns 77 on Wednesday. “A wonderful birthday.” Continue reading...

Ex-president arraigned and charged in Miami court over allegations he mishandled classified documents

Ex-president sat quietly during the 45-minute hearing, folding his arms and clenching his fingers, and occasionally grimacingEven by Florida’s already unorthodox standards, the arraignment of Donald J Trump, the ultimate carnival barker, in Miami on Tuesday afternoon was something of a circus.The concept of a former leader of the free world appearing before a federal judge to deny he stole and retained some of the nation’s most sensitive secrets – keeping some in a bathroom – was surreal enough. Continue reading...

Gershkovich was arrested in March on espionage charges, which both he and his employer, the Wall Street Journal, denyThe US House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday for a resolution calling for the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been imprisoned in Russia for three months.The vote was 422-0 in favor of the nonbinding measure. Continue reading...

Ex-president enjoyed the upsides of ruling the news cycle, but none of the downsides of public humiliation before a judge he must obeyWith a presidential-style plane and motorcade, a bunch of flag-waving fans and a lawyer shouting alternative facts, the latest season of The Trump Show – let’s call this one The Defendant – again filled every TV screen on Tuesday.But the most important scene of all was missing. And no one was happier about that than Donald Trump himself. Continue reading...

Access to Escondido beach was cut off in the 1980s by wealthy homeowners who craftily hindered the path to the coastlineCalifornia’s “hidden” beach will now be fully accessible to the public for the first time in 40 years, after the state approved an agreement for wealthy landowners to create a new path to the coastline.Escondido beach, known for placid waters and golden sand, had been mostly inaccessible to the public since the 1980s, when homeowners in the area cut it off from the public. Though California law requires that land below the high tide line remain open to all, complicated legal and construction maneuvers had obscured access to the strip of coastline. Continue reading...

The former president has pleaded not guilty to charges related to allegedly hoarding government secrets at his Mar-a-Lago resort and frustrating efforts by the federal government to retrieve them at his arraignment in Miami, Reuters reports

Section 702 of Fisa is set to expire at the end of the year, but its reauthorization is facing backlashThe White House is stepping up pressure on lawmakers to renew a section of electronic surveillance law which permits the government to conduct targeted surveillance of foreign persons located outside the US.The provision, known as section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa), is set to expire at the end of the year. But its renewal is facing pushback from privacy advocates and lawmakers, some citing examples in which law enforcement search requests were misused to conduct illegal surveillance on US citizens. Continue reading...

City will lose one of its largest shopping centers as ‘challenging conditions’ downtown compel company departureWestfield is ceding control of its San Francisco mall, the latest business to leave the city as it struggles to recover its pre-pandemic commerce levels.The mall, located at 865 Market St, is among the city’s largest shopping centres. In a statement, to the San Francisco Chronicle, which was the first to report news of the planned closure, the company cited “challenging operating conditions” in the city’s downtown area as the reason for its departure. It has seen a decline in sales, occupancy and foot traffic, the company added. Continue reading...

Peyton Hillis tells Good Morning America about rescuing son, nine, and niece, eight, from rip current off Florida coast in JanuaryFormer NFL running back Peyton Hillis has said it was “100% a miracle” everyone survived when he saved his son and niece from drowning but ended up hospitalized himself.Hillis opened up about the near-death experience in an interview with fellow former NFL player Michael Strahan on the talkshow Good Morning America. Continue reading...

Burger outlet was owned by Turkish butcher sensation Nusret Gökçe, famous for bouncing flakes of salt off his forearm on to foodThree years after it was declared “The Worst Restaurant In NYC Right Now,” Salt Bae’s Manhattan burger joint has closed.Salt Bae, of course, is the social media tag for the New York celebrity chef and butcher Nusret Gökçe, who became famous for bouncing flakes of salt off his forearm and on to just about anything edible, giving customers varying degrees of salt-shock. Continue reading...

Hardline Republicans brought chamber to halt in revolt against speaker for working with Joe Biden to agree debt-ceiling dealThe US House of Representatives is set to resume votes on a handful of Republican-backed bills on Tuesday after a week-long impasse between Kevin McCarthy, the speaker, and a small group of far-right Republicans.Business is set to resume on the House floor on Tuesday afternoon. A slate of previously stalled votes, including a procedural measure to advance legislation protecting gas stoves, are expected to move forward. Continue reading...

Karine Jean-Pierre breached rule limiting political activities of federal employees with ‘mega Maga Republicans’ referenceWhite House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre violated the Hatch Act by referring to “mega Maga Republicans” before last year’s midterm elections, an official watchdog said.In a letter first reported by NBC News and confirmed by other outlets, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) said: “Because Ms Jean‐Pierre made the statements while acting in her official capacity, she violated the Hatch Act prohibition against using her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election.” Continue reading...

The former president is facing 37 federal criminal charges – what can we expect to see on his first day in court?Donald Trump will make his first court appearance on Tuesday after being charged with 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified documents after leaving the presidency. He is set to appear at 3pm at the federal courthouse in Miami.It will be Trump’s second arraignment this year. In April, he was arraigned in Manhattan on separate criminal charges related to his hush money payments to the adult film star Stormy Daniels. Continue reading...

Things may look dark but his acolytes are determined to go down fighting. And, true to type, he is determined to let themCan I just check something before we begin, because it feels as though we’re dealing with a weight of irony that defies all known physics? Is Boris Johnson leaving British politics absolutely howling with anger because someone supposedly told him a lie? Is Boris Johnson wetting his pants thrice daily over the injustice of him being supposedly misled? Is Boris Johnson now appalled at someone else’s supposedly casual relationship with the truth? It seems, incredibly, that he is. In which case I honestly don’t think I could take this story more seriously. It’s too perfect. Boris Johnson has been Boris Johnsonned.To the event horizon of irony, then, and the ongoing row over whether Rishi Sunak did or didn’t tell Johnson he could bend the rules to get peerages for a set of political inadequates completely devoid of ministerial achievements, and notable only for their slavish loyalty to a guy who would have betrayed them in a heartbeat if he thought there was some minuscule, fleeting advantage for himself at that moment. I note there is also some hokey cokey about why Johnson, 58, couldn’t get a knighthood for his daddy (genuinely one of the worst people in the country). But let’s face it: that one can’t even be dignified with discussion. Continue reading...

As well as defiant stories of empowered kids, we need to offer reminders that the responsibility isn’t theirs aloneWhen I was in primary school my favourite Baby-Sitters Club member was Dawn Schafer, the environmental crusader. This was the 1990s, when we were all very concerned about CFCs and other greenhouse gases, although not enough to lose sleep over them. I remember carefully spelling out CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS in bubble letters on poster paper for a school project. I had a thing for dolphins and wanted to be a marine biologist. Clean Up Australia Day was still in its infancy.

Exclusive: Trump is expected to be represented by existing lawyers Todd Blanche and Chris KiseDonald Trump is expected to be represented at his first court appearance to face federal criminal charges for retaining national security materials and obstruction of justice by two of his existing lawyers, despite trying to recruit a local Florida lawyer willing to join his legal defense team.The lawyers making an appearance with Trump on Tuesday will be the top former federal prosecutor Todd Blanche and the former Florida solicitor general Chris Kise, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump’s co-defendant, his valet Walt Nauta, will be represented by Stanley Woodward. Continue reading...

Three people critical in hospital from shooting near Ball Arena, while three killed in Anapolis, Maryland on Sunday eveningNine people were injured in a shooting early on Tuesday in Denver, and police arrested a suspect, authorities said.The shooting – which left three of the victims in critical condition – happened about a mile from Ball Arena, where the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat on Monday night to claim their first NBA title. It was not immediately known whether the shooting was connected to any post-game celebrations. Continue reading...

Ex-president to be arraigned in Miami, accused of intentionally retaining hundreds of classified documents at Mar-a-LagoDonald Trump, the former US president, is set to face the sobering reality of a courtroom on Tuesday afternoon as he stands accused of illegally hoarding classified information in a case watched around the world.The justice department’s first prosecution of an ex-president concerns conduct that prosecutors say jeopardised national security and involves Espionage Act charges carrying the threat of a significant prison sentence in the event of conviction. Continue reading...

The Nuggets have their first championship in their 47-year history. With a young core and the world’s best player more titles beckonBefore Denver had the Nuggets, there were the Larks – the original name given to the city’s local basketball franchise on its foundation in 1967. The lark is Colorado’s state bird, so the original name made a certain sense, but a small, unimposing passerine that rarely leaves the ground always seemed like a difficult sell as the avatar of a team playing a sport in which height and flight are two of the key ingredients for success. Eventually, the Larks became the Denver Rockets, and the team’s final name change – to the Nuggets – came in 1974.Height always loomed as the Nuggets’ decisive advantage in this finals series – height, and their possession of the world’s best basket player – but on Monday night, as Denver sealed their inaugural championship with a squeaky Game 5 victory over Miami, the team played in a manner that seemed to pay tribute to the franchise’s original mascot: rooted to the ground, at one with the floor. Continue reading...

Inflation year-over-year in May was down 0.9% compared with April and is the lowest rate since April 2021The prices of goods and services in the US rose 4% over the last year, showing a cooling of prices as the Federal Reserve considers pausing interest rate hikes this week.Inflation year-over-year in May was down 0.9% compared with April and is the lowest rate since April 2021, when prices started to climb, according to the latest consumer price index (CPI) data, which measures the prices of a basket of goods and services. The slowing of price increases can largely be attributed to energy prices, which were soaring this time last year because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Sajak, 76, has presided over the gameshow, which features contestants guessing letters and words to win prizes, since 1981Pat Sajak is taking one last spin on Wheel of Fortune, but then that’s it.He announced Monday that its upcoming season will be his last as host of the venerable gameshow, a gig he has held for more than four decades. Continue reading...

The former prime minister was a symptom, not the cause, of a political culture that gorges on spectacle and triviaPoliticians, journalists and assorted hangers-on have been regaling each other with their risque Boris Johnson anecdotes for as long as I can remember. “Boris” this, “BoJo” that. Even his detractors used his first name. The braggadocio, the enjoyment of watching his ascent, reached a peak during his tenure as mayor of London. Commentators, even those on the left, joked about how fun it was to have a Conservative in charge of the capital city who whizzed around on a zipwire.The bonhomie suddenly turned to buyers’ remorse when he embraced the Brexit cause in 2016. What, I ask now, as I asked then, took people so long? It was abundantly clear to me from the moment I met him (he and I were foreign correspondents at the same time for the Telegraph) that Johnson was a charlatan. While I was covering the collapse of communism from Moscow, he was in Brussels inventing stories about straight bananas. Continue reading...

The endurance athlete is attempting to win the 3,000 mile Race Across America for a second time. And women are excelling in ultra-distance eventsWhen Leah Goldstein sets off from Oceanside, California on Tuesday morning to begin this year’s Race Across America (Raam), it will most likely be 40 hours before she is next able to grab some sleep. And that’s if everything goes to plan.“In the practice ride,” says the ultra-endurance cyclist, “I left at 10 [in the morning] and I went down the next day at midnight for about 45 minutes … in [Raam], we’re going to probably do the same thing. We’re going to go through the first night and into the second night as much as I can.” Continue reading...

Case against the former president names several people who allegedly played a role in mishandling classified documentsDonald Trump’s 44-page federal indictment depicts a varied cast of characters orbiting around the former president as he mishandles, flaunts and conceals top secret documents and reveals classified military information. The case involves numerous individuals, some named and others referred only by their titles, but all who allegedly played a role in Trump committing crimes related to the boxes of classified documents he took from the White House after leaving office.The indictment, which was unsealed last week, sets up a criminal case that could lead to significant time in prison if Trump is convicted and further complicate his presidential campaign for the 2024 election. Along with the Trump world staffers mentioned in the indictment, it will also put attorneys on both sides of the case on the national stage. Continue reading...

The former president, who faces 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified documents after leaving the presidency, is to make his first court appearance in the case in Miami

Move follows reports of extortion by Mexican officials in Nuevo Laredo who threaten migrants with missing asylum appointmentsThe Biden administration has stopped taking mobile phone app appointments to admit asylum seekers at a Texas border crossing that connects to a notoriously dangerous Mexican city after advocates warned US authorities that migrants were being targeted there for extortion.US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) gave no explanation for its decision to stop scheduling new appointments via the CBP One app for the crossing in Laredo, Texas. Continue reading...

Young people are grappling with challenges that no generation in modern history has been forced to deal with. They need our help nowThis country faces a longstanding mental health crisis, exacerbated by the isolation, fears and uncertainties of the pandemic. This crisis affects all generations, but has been especially devastating for young people.In America today, 40% of parents report being either extremely or very worried that their child is struggling with anxiety or depression. Continue reading...

Ten evacuated to care facilities outside region after incident on Sunday that is being investigatedTwenty-two US service members were injured in a helicopter “mishap” in north-east Syria on Sunday, the US military said late on Monday, without disclosing the cause of the incident or detailing the severity of the injuries.The military’s Central Command said 10 service members had been evacuated to higher-level care facilities outside the region. Continue reading...

The Saudis came for golf. Will your favourite sport put up any more of a fight?Perhaps you were invited to the exclusive Venice wedding of a billionaire’s daughter where Jay Monahan and Yasir al-Rumayyan are reported to have met for the first time. Perhaps you happened to be playing a round at Beaverbrook Golf Course at the same time as Rumayyan and the PGA board member Jimmy Dunne were thrashing out the early stages of a deal that would change golf for ever. Perhaps you happened to be eavesdropping at the next table as they ate dinner or at least close enough to hurl a well-aimed bread roll or slip something into the ceviche.Short of that, however, there is very little you or I could have done to prevent the effective merger of the PGA Tour with the rebel LIV Golf organisation, backed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. Your opinion was not consulted. Your vote was not canvassed. Players who had turned down eye-moistening sums of Saudi money out of what they laughably believed was a reciprocated loyalty to the PGA Tour found out, like everyone else, when their phones started pinging. Continue reading...

The purchase of professional golf by a brutal regime has exposed yet again the lack of moral sanctities on the global free marketBrace for another season of upheaval in the sports world. The Arabs are coming. Again. After the Qatar World Cup raised misgivings about sportswashing, that charge is now being levelled at Saudi Arabia. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF has essentially bought professional golf, taking over the PGA Tour by merging it with LIV, a new, smaller competition golf series that Saudi Arabia launched in 2021. Last year’s World Cup taught the Saudis a very important lesson. Oil is temporary; sport is for ever.The move has triggered outrage. Human Rights Watch declared that Saudi Arabia “is attempting to ‘sportswash’ its egregious record of human rights violations”. US media channels have numerous segments discussing the ethics of accepting money from a notoriously brutal regime. These are justified concerns: Saudi Arabia’s image problem has intensified under its leader, Mohammed bin Salman, who brought the nation into global disrepute with the grisly murder of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a crackdown on political opposition and the ramping up of capital punishment. Last year, Saudi Arabia executed 81 people in 24 hours for crimes that included witchcraft and drug smuggling.Nesrine Malik 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...

Governor spoke with host Sean Hannity about the state’s housing crisis and criticized Ron DeSantis while praising the presidentCalifornia’s Gavin Newsom sat down with Fox News’s Sean Hannity for a wide ranging interview on Monday night that fueled speculation about his presidential aspirations – even as he again said he had no plans to run for the presidency in 2024.The Democratic governor’s decision to appear on Hannity confounded many of his supporters, but Newsom, who routinely spars with Republicans on social media, took the opportunity to defend his state’s record and its policies with a senior adviser telling Politico that he viewed the interview as “going into the lion’s den”. Continue reading...

Former US president lands in Miami ahead of court appearance on Tuesday; Miami officials detailed security measures in press briefingThe White House said Joe Biden will not be under anesthesia during his root canal today, meaning the 25th amendment won’t be invoked.Ratified in 1967, the amendment is one of the most recent additions to the constitution, and outlines the procedure for the vice-president to temporarily assume the president’s duties at the chief executive’s request. In November 2021, Biden used its authority to hand power to Kamala Harris while he underwent a colonoscopy. Continue reading...

Sewell, first woman to hold post, says ‘my time here will come to a close’ amid reports of tension with mayor Eric AdamsNew York City’s police commissioner Keechant Sewell, the first woman to hold the position, is stepping down after 18 months on the job.Sewell, who was appointed by the city’s Democratic mayor, Eric Adams, announced the resignation in an email to department staff on Monday afternoon. Continue reading...

As court officials set up barricades and police tape around the Miami courthouse where Donald Trump is due to be arraigned on Tuesday afternoon, police officials sought to assure local residents they would safely handle any protests.Miami police chief Manny Morales repeated that the city is ready for protests of any size.'We’re taking this event extremely seriously. We know that there is a potential of things taking a turn for the worst, but that’s not the Miami way,' Morales said.'We’re bringing enough resources to handle crowds, anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000. We don’t expect any issues,' he added

Police chief says department taking Trump court appearance ‘extremely seriously’ and that it can handle crowds of up to 50,000As court officials set up barricades and police tape around the Miami courthouse where Donald Trump is due to be arraigned on Tuesday afternoon, police officials sought to assure local residents they would safely handle any protests.“Make no mistake about it, we’re taking this event extremely seriously, and there’s a potential for things to take a turn for the worse,” said the city’s police chief, Manuel Morales, adding “but that’s not the Miami way. Continue reading...

Roadrunner hatchling named Miles was driven 660 miles in total before dying at wildlife rescue center several days laterA man was clearing land in the west Texas city of Odessa when he realized he had made a horrible mistake: he ran over a bird’s nest and smashed the eggs inside.But one egg remained intact, and he went to extraordinary lengths to try to save it in a saga that has captured national US media attention. Continue reading...

Nichols, who died after being beaten by police in Tennessee, spent much of his youth skateboarding at Sacramento parkCalifornia has dedicated a skate park in honor of Tyre Nichols, a Black man who spent much of his youth in the state and was killed last January in what prosecutors said was a fatal beating by police in Tennessee during a traffic stop.An avid skateboarder, Nichols spent much time as a youth at the park on the outskirts of Sacramento. City officials and others held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated skate park now named for Nichols. Continue reading...

Lawsuit claims that officials at the bank ignored warning signs about Epstein’s abuse because he was a wealthy clientJPMorgan Chase has announced a tentative settlement in a legal claim brought by a woman who said that the US banking giant knowingly benefited from sexual abuse that she and others suffered at the hands of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.The value of the settlement for a class of plaintiffs that has grown to encompass as many as 100 women or more is placed at $290m, said a source familiar with the terms. Continue reading...