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The arrest of workers has strained relations between Seoul and Washington. Plus, the Myanmar scam centers thought to hold 100,000 trafficked people

The US will face a tall test against another East Asian power - this one with ambitions to make World Cup history in 2026Not even the most blinkered South Korean fan would deny that Japan present the United States with the strongest test that Asia has to offer. The Samurai Blue may not have a player like Christian Pulisic who has played regularly at elite clubs, but the roster is full of talents playing at high level, and they were the first team other than the hosts to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Continue reading...

A House committee will receive the late sex offender's will and contacts from his black book', among other filesThe release of records from Jeffrey Epstein's estate to US lawmakers this week, as well as potentially suspicious transaction reports, could offer a roadmap to where the scandal swirling around the late convicted sex trafficker goes next.Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed full transparency around Epstein and his links to a wide circle of powerful, rich and famous associates. But instead, the administration has been accused of foot-dragging and a cover-up, and has faced intense scrutiny over the extent of Trump's own social contact with Epstein. Continue reading...

Trump has been an enabler of war, famine, disease and deathDonald Trump's thuggish campaign to bully his way to the Nobel peace prize should not be the cause for the committee to reject him. There are many more substantial grounds that render him patently unqualified to receive the award.Among the numerous reasons that make him one of the least deserving people in the world who should be honored, he has single-handedly destroyed the United States Agency for International Development, which has saved hundreds of millions of people from hunger and disease, and promoted democracy and the rule of law around the world. In an executive order issued on his inauguration day, 20 January, Trump slandered USAID as not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values" and claimed that its workers serve to destabilize world peace".Sidney Blumenthal, former senior adviser to Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, has published three books of a projected five-volume political life of Abraham Lincoln: A Self-Made Man, Wrestling With His Angel and All the Powers of Earth. He is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...

The Indiana Fever have shut down their star for the rest of 2025. And the toxic elements of her fanbase have lost a culture-war totemCaitlin Clark's season is over. The Indiana Fever confirmed on Thursday night what many suspected, when the 2024 rookie of the year announced on social media that she would not be returning this year from the groin injury that has limited her to 13 games.I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season," she wrote. Disappointed isn't a big enough word ... This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good. The way the fans continued to show up ... brought me so much joy and perspective." Continue reading...

The new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback required a bit of luck to win on his debut but there were signs he can be an effective weapon for his teamAs revenge games go, this one was pretty sweet. Aaron Rodgers led the Steelers to a 34-32 win over the Jets, his former team, and over a coaching staff that fired him before they had the decency to check out his crystal collection.I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets," Rodgers said on Sunday, after throwing for 244 yards and four touchdowns in his Pittsburgh debut. Continue reading...

South Korea has said that 300 of its nationals detained during the immigration raid would be flown home. Key US politics stories from Sunday 7 September at a glanceDonald Trump has told foreign companies that they must hire and train American workers and respect immigration laws, after a raid at a Hyundai Motor manufacturing facility in Georgia saw about 300 South Koreans detained.Nearly 500 workers in total were detained in the raid on Thursday, with US authorities releasing footage showing them restrained in handcuffs and ankle chains, loaded on to buses. Continue reading...

President says the Israelis have accepted my terms' and urges release of hostages to secure peace agreementDonald Trump on Sunday issued what he called his last warning" to Hamas, urging the Palestinian militant group to accept a deal to release hostages from Gaza.The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!" Continue reading...

Governor Gavin Newsom hails towering figure' who stood up for working class and nurtured many political careersThe former US congressman John Burton, a salty-tongued and unabashedly liberal San Francisco Democrat who stood up for the working class and nurtured countless political careers, including that of Nancy Pelosi, died Sunday. He was 92.Burton died in San Francisco of natural causes, his family said in a statement. Continue reading...

Health department says vaccines for polio, measles and other diseases will still be mandatory unless updated through legislation'Florida's plan to drop school vaccine mandates likely won't take effect for 90 days and would include only chickenpox and a few other illnesses unless lawmakers decide to extend it to other diseases, like polio and measles, the health department said on Sunday.The department responded to a request for details, four days after Florida's surgeon general, Dr Joseph Ladapo, said the state would become the first to make vaccinations voluntary and let families decide whether to inoculate their children. Continue reading...

A fantastic performance from Carlos Alcaraz set him up to win his second US Open and sixth grand slam titleMore from Bryan.An hour before Sunday's US Open men's final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the boardwalk from the Mets-Willets Point subway to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was quiet, punctuated only by bursts of fans spilling out of the No 7 train every few minutes.

Billionaire Scott Bessent dismisses concerns about president's levies and predicts acceleration' in US economyUS treasury secretary Scott Bessent has refused to acknowledge that the sweeping trade tariffs imposed by Donald Trump around the world are taxes on Americans.In a new interview on Sunday with NBC host Kristen Welker, Bessent, a former billionaire hedge fund manager, dismissed concerns from major American companies including John Deere, Nike and Black and Decker who have all said that Trump's tariffs policy will cost them billions of dollars annually. Continue reading...

Residents told to stay connected to family and tell people their whereabouts as city readies for expected crackdownThe Rev Marshall Hatch urged congregants of a prominent Black church on Chicago's West Side to carry identification, stay connected to family and protest as the city readied for an expected federal intervention.You need to start telling people about your whereabouts, so you don't disappear," Hatch said during services at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist church. We're not going to despair. We're not going to feel threatened. We're not going to give up and give in to fascism and authoritarianism." Continue reading...

World No 1 has proved she can control her emotions to become one of the most consistent big tournament playersAryna Sabalenka thought she had everything figured out. She believed she had done all the work necessary, harnessing successfully her once uncontrollable power into consistent excellence. After overcoming so many hurdles en route to becoming the best player in the world, she felt ready for anything. Sabalenka was convinced she could handle any challenge that came her way.It was not until her excruciating French Open final defeat against Coco Gauff that Sabalenka understood this was not true. As she struggled with her nerves under such significant pressure and punishing windy conditions, the 27-year-old was outplayed by a tireless, gutsier opponent in Gauff who broke her down by forcing her to work hard for every single point. Continue reading...

The strike on a speedboat allegedly containing Venezuelan drug traffickers may be performative, but sets a frightening precedentMore than five decades ago, Richard Nixon launched awar on drugs". The drugs won. Now Donald Trump is turning a failed metaphor into a worse reality.On Tuesday the US president claimed that the military had killed 11 drug traffickers from Venezuela, posting footage of the strike that US officials said took place on a speedboat in international waters in the Caribbean. The administration supplied no evidence for its claim that the boat contained Tren de Aragua members, or drugs, and gave varying accounts of its destination. It also warned that there was more to come, with the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, arguing that intercepting boats had not curbed the drugs problem: What will stop them is when you blow them up." Earlier this year, Mr Trump secretly ordered the use of military force against cartels internationally. Continue reading...

Rand Paul decries thoughtless' comment after vice-president defends strike against alleged drug traffickersThe Republican senator who heads the homeland security committee has criticized JD Vance for despicable" comments apparently in support of extrajudicial military killings.Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military," the vice-president said in an X post on Saturday, in defense of Tuesday's US military strike against a Venezuelan boat in the Caribbean Sea, which killed 11 people the administration alleged were drug traffickers. Continue reading...

Jarvis McKenzie says he was shot at by a white man in a car with a rifle while waiting to go to workA Black man from South Carolina is calling for hate crime laws to be enacted in the state, one of only two states in the US that do not have them, after being targeted at in a racist attack.Jarvis McKenzie said that on 17 July, while waiting to go to work, a white man in a car picked up a rifle, fired over his head and shouted you better get running, boy!", according to the Associated Press. McKenzie reportedly escaped behind a brick wall and police later arrested Jonathan Felkel, 34, in the shooting, according to WIS 10. Continue reading...

The de minimis suspension is another change worrying small business owners, but the concern is misdirectedEarlier this month the Trump administration moved forward with eliminating a loophole that allowed businesses to avoid tariffs if making purchases under $800. Some experts say that the de minimis" exemption will hit many, many" small businesses hard.The de minimis suspension ending is yet another change that has forced every American small business owner to become an accidental trade policy expert overnight," Jacob Bennett, CEO and co-founder of small business banking platform Crux Analytics, told Forbes. There's this whiplash effect that many, many small business owners are now feeling which is leading to growing uncertainty and concern about how they're going to continue running their business." Continue reading...

The Eagles thrashed Samoa but missed the quarter-finals on points differential. Nonetheless, a joyful display was fitting for a team showing encouraging signsThe US Eagles exited the World Cup on Saturday after beating Samoa 60-0 in York but seeing Australia hold England to 47-7 in Brighton, enough for the Wallaroos to reach the quarter-finals on points differential.Kate Zackary's team will be disappointed to miss a last-eight date with Canada, knowing they might well have made it had a few things gone differently.Martin Pengelly writes on Substack at The National Maul, on rugby in the US Continue reading...

Democrat Analise Ortiz shared post warning of Ice activity near school; critics say she endangered federal agentsA Democratic lawmaker in Arizona who is facing calls for expulsion for resharing an Instagram post warning of immigration enforcement activity near an elementary school said that state senate Republicans absolutely are trying to make an example out of me".Analise Ortiz, a Democratic state senator in Arizona, shared an Instagram post from a community organization that warned, in text only, that immigration enforcement agents were near a local elementary school. Continue reading...

By asking broadcasters not to show any protest against Donald Trump at Sunday's final, the governing body has caved to fear while contradicting its own history of spectacleWhen the dust finally settles in the days after Sunday's eagerly awaited US Open men's final, the United States Tennis Association will issue its annual victory-lap press release. It will tout another record-setting Open: more than a million fans through the gates, unprecedented social-media engagement, double-digit growth in food and beverage sales, and hundreds of celebrities packed into suites from Rolex to Ralph Lauren. It will beam about growing the game, championing diversity and turning Flushing Meadows into a pop-culture destination.But for all the milestones the USTA is preparing to celebrate, this year's tournament will be remembered for a different kind of first: the governing body's lamentable decision to ask broadcasters not to show dissent against Donald Trump. In making that pre-emptive concession, the USTA has committed an unforced error that can't be undone: sacrificing authenticity and credibility in order to shield a politician - any politician, regardless of party, ideology or affiliation - from the sound of public disapproval. Continue reading...

Former officials and experts say Bill Pulte's request for inquiry into Fed governor's alleged fraud is unusual'The head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency embraced a highly unusual process to accuse Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve governor, of committing mortgage fraud, former officials and experts have said. One former high-ranking official called the director's involvement in a criminal referral bizarre".William Pulte, a businessman and major GOP donor whom Donald Trump appointed to head the powerful housing agency earlier this year, has accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud by misrepresenting her homes as a primary residence, potentially securing more favorable mortgage rates. The justice department formally opened a criminal investigation into whether Cook committed fraud and has issued subpoenas related to the transaction. Cook's lawyers have called the discrepancies a clerical error" and she has denied any wrongdoing. Continue reading...

Sources say Prince, whose firm's contractors committed 2007 Iraq massacre, eager to get into valuable drone sectorAmid reports that Donald Trump's administration is considering using US private military contractors in a postwar Ukraine, multiple sources tell the Guardian one high-profile and controversial American from the war on terror" era is already circling for business.In the streets of Kyiv, military hawks and defense privateers have described how Erik Prince, Maga disciple and founder of the now-defunct mercenary company Blackwater, has been aggressively pitching his services and looking to buy. Continue reading...

Twelve months since Brian Niccol took the top job and promised change, the union and CEO are still at loggerheadsIt's been a year since Brian Niccol took the top job at Starbucks and promised change after years of bitter fighting with the company's burgeoning union.I deeply respect the right of partners to choose, through a fair and democratic process, to be represented by a union," Niccol wrote in a letter to the union last September. If our partners choose to be represented, I am committed to making sure we engage constructively and in good faith with the union and the partners it represents." Continue reading...

LGBTQ+ people in the US contemplate heading north as they wrestle with the president's assault on the communityThe number of LGBTQ+ Americans inquiring about moving to Canada has soared since Donald Trump's re-election, campaigners have said, as people across the US wrestle with the fallout of rising anti-gay rhetoric, anti-trans executive orders, and the more than 600 bills targeting LGBTQ+ rights.So much is happening in the US right now and a lot of it is terrifying," said Latoya Nugent of Rainbow Railroad, a North American charity that helps LGBTQI+ individuals escape violence and persecution in their home countries. Continue reading...

Once prided as the people's slam', New York's major now doubles as a lifestyle carnival where attending is no longer just about watching, but being seen watchingEvery August, the US Open rolls into Queens with its ever-expanding rituals of consumption. Fans don't just buy in, they perform it: the $23 Honey Deuce held aloft for Instagram, the $40 lobster roll posted before the first serve, the $100 caviar-topped chicken nuggets bought as much for the flex as the flavor. The tennis has never been the cheapest day out, but lately the sticker shock feel less like a barrier than the point. The price tags are festival markers, proof that what was once a tournament with posh accents has morphed into a cultural happening. In what seems like a remarkably short time, New York's major has become less sporting event than aspirational brand.The final grand slam tournament of the season, which concludes Sunday with a mouth-watering men's final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, has never completely shied from its tony roots as part of the New York social season", but its latest evolution has taken it past a major sporting event into a festival economy. The sport is still there - highlight-reel shots, lung-busting rallies, after-midnight thrillers - but the real main draw are cocktails priced like small bond issues, influencer blocs in branded bucket hats and a dating show filmed courtside. The spectacle isn't Sinner's thunderbolt serve or Aryna Sabalenka's power-baseline game but whether Chloe Malle is Anna Wintour's plus-one or Kareem Rahma of Subway Takes posts his courtside selfie before or after the Honey Deuce runs dry. That libation, once just a cute themed lemonade and vodka in a souvenir cup, has mutated into an inflation-defying fetish object with its own merch line. Entire kiosks now sell Honey Deuce shirts and trucker hats in pastel colorways, so you can broadcast your melon-ball allegiance long after the hard-won hangover fades. It's less a drink than a franchise, an alcoholic Funko Pop, proof that you didn't just attend the Open: you consumed it, posted it, stacked it, wore it and recycled it into personal branding. Continue reading...

As the US president's state visit looms, he's leaving a trail of broken promises across the globe. Britain can't afford to look like a lackey state

Pair met with thunderous applause at town hall in Brooklyn as part of senator's Fighting Oligarchy tourZohran Mamdani, the New York City mayoral frontrunner and Democratic nominee, joined the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders in a rousing town hall in Brooklyn on Saturday evening where the two addressed the growing threat of oligarchic control across the US and how to fight it.The event, held at Sanders' alma mater Brooklyn College, drew an audience of about 1,700 people. Mamdani and Sanders co-hosted the town hall as part of Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy tour, which has included rallies in 20 states. Throughout the tour, the senator has been actively supporting and recruiting progressive candidates to run for office. Continue reading...

City and suburbs pull local events tied to Mexican Independence Day on 16 SeptemberDonald Trump's plan to deploy national guard troops and federal immigration agents to Chicago is already having an impact on the city's Mexican community.Organizers have canceled several local events tied to Mexican Independence Day, which occurs on 16 September. Continue reading...

Mexican festivals cancelled due to fears they may be targeted; end of tariffs exemption triggers plunge in parcels send to US - key US politics stories from 6 September at a glanceAt least three events connected to Mexican Independence Day have been canceled or postponed in Chicago, amid reports that Donald Trump plans to send troops and immigration agents as part of plans to launch mass deportations.Organizers decided to cancel El Grito Chicago, an event that drew 24,000 people last year and was scheduled for 13-14 September. Continue reading...

A Department of Homeland Security official confirmed the action in a statement, blaming mayor's sanctuary policiesThe Trump administration has targeted Massachusetts as its next location to begin arresting and deporting immigrants, a Department of Homeland Security official confirmed to NBC News on Saturday.DHS and its US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arm are calling the operation Patriot 2.0, modifying the name of a May deportation surge that led to the arrest of 1,500 people in the state, according to the reports. Continue reading...

Mauricio Pochettino must factor yet another loss into his evaluation of the US player pool after another disappointing outing, this time a 2-0 defeatThe United States men's national team's summer of experimentation has been extended all the way to the fall equinox, and on Saturday evening against South Korea, so too did the disappointing results. The 2-0 loss against the Taeguk Warriors on a steamy and damp evening at Sports Illustrated Stadium may have provided US head coach Mauricio Pochettino with valuable new insights about his additions to the US player pool, as he said was his goal for this international window. It may have confirmed pre-conceived theories about which players from an MLS-heavy roster can make the step up to the international level. It may have done none of those things. Whichever way, it certainly served as a continuation of a malaise for a team that desperately needs to break out of its slump just 279 days before hosting the first game of a home World Cup that is meant to be transformative.There was no such malaise for South Korea, even with head coach Hong Myung-bo under heavy criticism at home for the team's recent stale performances. The capacity crowd in Harrison, New Jersey certainly had something to do with that apparent rejuvenation, with the vast majority cheering for the visitors - a fact that may appear surprising until you consider the town is just down the way from Fort Lee, home to a growing South Korean diaspora. The nation's traditional Daehan minguk" chants broke out more than 20 minutes before kickoff, and continued throughout as wild cheers accompanied every thrust from Hong's counterattacking side. Continue reading...

Dozens of operators have suspended service to the US until a solution is implemented on parcels worth $800 or lessPostal traffic into the United States plunged by more than 80% after the Trump administration ended a tariff exemption for low-cost imports, the United Nations postal agency said Saturday.The Universal Postal Union says it has started rolling out new measures that can help postal operators around the world calculate and collect duties, or taxes, after the US eliminated the so-called de minimis exemption" for lower-value parcels. Continue reading...

Little known about decision, although Hanks, who has advocated for military memorials, also voted for BidenIn Forrest Gump, the title character, played by Tom Hanks, receives the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Lyndon B Johnson.In real life, it appears Hanks will no longer receive another military honor. Continue reading...

Sabalenka maintained her composure against an up-and-down Anisimova to retain her US Open title and condemn the American to a second straight major final defeatAnisimova says:I've worked really hard, especially on my mental game and not giving up. When I was at Wimbledon, every single match was a surprise to me. I was shocked with every match that I won. But here it feels more I believe in myself, and I'm able to do it. I think I have really shifted with my attitude.I'm super excited to give myself another opportunity, another final. If I'll be able to hold that trophy, it's going to mean a lot for me. I'll be just the happiest person on earth probably.I felt like in that match [against Anisimova] at Wimby, I was doubting a lot my decisions. That was the main thing that was bringing a lot of unforced errors. I feel like I had my opportunities, I didn't use them. The key for me is going to be just go out there, obviously fight, but trust my decisions and go after my shots. Continue reading...

Jerome Adams cites vaccine policy and chaos at CDC and joins other officials in saying Kennedy is risking US healthThe surgeon general from the first Trump administration on Saturday said that the US president should absolutely" fire health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr over his dangerous" policies on vaccines and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Jerome Adams, who has become a pointed critic of the public health decisions being swiftly rolled out in the second Trump administration, made his most fierce attack yet on what has been unfolding. Continue reading...

Spaniard won in Paris, Italian took the title at Wimbledon. Part three in New York could be another classicOn a tranquil evening in Manhattan last week, Carlos Alcaraz was making his exit from an Italian restaurant with his sizeable support team when he unexpectedly found himself staring at a familiar face. There was Jannik Sinner, quietly enjoying his own dinner. This was the second occasion during the US Open Alcaraz and Sinner just so happened to be dining at the same restaurant at the same time. Neither player could hide their amusement as they greeted each other warmly.Considering the frequency of their meetings it would not be unreasonable if they were starting to get sick of each other: On court we like to see each other, because it means that considering our ranking, we are doing well in the tournament," said Sinner." Off court we bump into each other at times. I don't know if we are happy or not." Continue reading...

Haul for Abu Dhabi aquarium leads state officials to agree to review the issuing of marine special activity licenses'Florida authorities have agreed to review the issuing of special permits allowing companies to capture endangered creatures to sell, after an outcry over the netting of a huge manta ray for an aquarium in Abu Dhabi.The review comes after a viral video released on 12 July showed a boat crew capturing a giant manta ray off a Panama City beach in Florida and pulling it onto their boat, sparking outrage among the community. A dolphin tour operator who witnessed and filmed the scene confronted the crew and asked whether they would release the manta ray, but they explained they had a legal permit. Continue reading...

Effort could be a tough task in current political climate, with Trump maligning ex-president and left-leaning groups dailyFormer US president Joe Biden has decided to build his presidential library in Delaware and has tapped a group of former aides, friends and political allies to begin the heavy lift of fundraising and finding a site for the museum and archive.The Joe and Jill Biden Foundation this past week approved a 13-person governance board that is charged with steering the project. The board includes former secretary of state Antony Blinken, longtime adviser Steve Ricchetti, prolific Democratic fundraiser Rufus Gifford and others with deep ties to the one-term president and his wife. Continue reading...

Over a decade after her body and commitment were doubted, the American became the Open's most compelling presence amid controversy, prejudice and triumphChanda Rubin left the door open. Slotted into hosting Friday's US Open women's doubles trophy presentation, the respected former American great kicked off the festivities at Arthur Ashe Stadium by inviting the runners-up to the mic on center court to speak freely. Really? I just get to talk?" Taylor Townsend said. As long as you want," Rubin warmly assured.The 29-year-old American and world No 1 in doubles had already made quite the statement over the past fortnight. Well, three weeks if you count her run in the mixed doubles bracket with compatriot Ben Shelton in the US Open's newly extended format. After that came a dazzling unseeded run to the fourth round of the singles that saw her beat the Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva for her third ever victory against a top-five player before taking a tough three-set loss to two-time slam champion Barbora Krejcikova, the American matching the career high-water mark she reached in 2019. Thirteen years after becoming tennis-famous as the world's No 1 junior, Townsend had became an overnight mainstream sensation: No player in New York gained more Instagram followers in week one. Continue reading...

Jackson, Birmingham, St Louis and Memphis had the highest murder rates in 2024 - all are Republican-led statesAs Donald Trump threatens to deploy national guard units to Chicago and Baltimore, ostensibly to quell violence, a pattern has emerged as he describes which cities he talks about.Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC and Baltimore. Continue reading...

Justice believes court should not impose' own values as it weighs request to overturn same-sex marriage decisionUS supreme court rulings are not just an opinion poll" of its nine judges' beliefs, conservative Amy Coney Barrett says, as she and her colleagues weigh a request to overturn the legalization of same-sex marriage.The court should not be imposing its own values on the American people," Barrett remarked in a preview of an interview airing on the latest episode of CBS News Sunday Morning. That's for the democratic process." Continue reading...

The first lady wants to help children use AI. Perhaps instead she should ask her husband to stop gutting public educationThe robots are here," proclaimed Melania Trump during an AI event at the White House on Thursday. It can be hard to parse the first lady's poker face and expressionless voice, but this certainly wasn't a statement of regret. Rather Trump, reading from a script encased in a very analogue binder, was taking it upon herself to help America's children navigate AI, which she touted as the greatest engine of progress in the history of the United States of America". Continue reading...

The American Turkish woman, 26, was shot in the head on 6 September 2024 by an Israeli sniper in the West BankOzden Bennett's first reaction after learning of her younger sister's killing was disbelief. Ayenur Ezgi Eygi had traveled to the occupied West Bank just three days earlier to volunteer with Palestinian communities facing violence at the hands of Israeli soldiers and settlers.But the shock and grief quickly gave way to dread - that nothing would come of it, that she would have just died under that olive tree and that was it", Bennett said this week, before the anniversary of Eygi's death. Continue reading...