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Data from hotel site Trivago shows fewer US bookings by holidaymakers from Canada, Japan, Mexico and GermanyHolidaymakers in countries hit the hardest by Donald Trump's trade tariffs are taking the US off their list for trips abroad, according to online travel booking data.Findings from the hotel search site Trivago also suggest that UK and US travellers are increasingly choosing domestic holidays amid concerns over an uncertain economy. Continue reading...

President honors fallen soldiers but also says God did that' when taking credit for US hosting world sports eventsThis year's summer months promise to be among the hottest on record across the United States, continuing a worsening trend of extreme weather, and amid concern over the impacts of Trump administration cuts to key agencies.The extreme heat could be widespread and unrelenting: only far northern Alaska may escape unusually warm temperatures from June through August, according to the latest seasonal forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa). Continue reading...

Jaws was filmed on island in 1975, stoking fears of marine animal that swimmer Lewis Pugh is now trying to protectA British-South African endurance athlete crossed the finish line of his 62-mile (100km) multiday swim around Martha's Vineyard on Monday, becoming the first person to swim all the way around the island off the coast of Cape Cod.Lewis Pugh, 55, began swimming multiple hours a day in the 47F (8C) water on 15 May to raise awareness about the plight of sharks - as the film Jaws nears the 50th anniversary of its cinematic release. Continue reading...

Longtime New York lawmaker was first Black chair of House ways and means committee and fierce opponent of Iraq warFormer US congressman Charles Rangel of New York, an outspoken, gravel-voiced Harlem Democrat who spent nearly five decades on Capitol Hill and was a founding member of the Congressional Black caucus, died on Monday at the age of 94.His family confirmed the death in a statement provided by City College of New York spokesperson Michelle Stent. He died at a hospital in New York, Stent said. Continue reading...

New York Times published a Memorial Day essay by Drew Gilpin Faust as university spars with Trump administrationA recent former president of Harvard University urged people to speak out" in defense of foundational threats" to values such as freedom, autonomy and democracy in the US, as those whose deaths for such causes in war were being honored on Memorial Day.Drew Gilpin Faust, the first female president of Harvard, also warned on Monday of US constitutional checks and the rule of law being at risk" under the current administration, even as Donald Trump issued a fresh threat against the elite university as it seeks to repel his assaults on its independence and funding. Continue reading...

Agency also announced new inquiry into pipe bombs found outside Democratic and Republican offices in 2021The FBI will launch new investigations into the 2023 discovery of a bag of cocaine at the White House during Joe Biden's term, as well as into pipe bombs discovered at Democratic and Republican party headquarters before the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot by supporters of Donald Trump, and the leak of the supreme court's draft opinion before the historic overturning of national abortion rights with the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v Wade in 2022.Dan Bongino, a rightwing podcaster turned deputy director of the FBI, made the announcement on X, where he said he had requested weekly briefings on any progress in looking into the old cases. The incidents have been popular talking points on America's political right wing and among conspiracy theorists. Continue reading...

Emma Raducanu and Jacob Fearnley moved into round two while Paulo Badosa beat Naomi Osaka, Daniel Altmaier saw off Taylor Fritz and Carlos Alcaraz also wonRaducanu is getting nowt for nowt, forced to 30-all as she seeks her endorsement. From there, though, she does well to close out for 4-2, while Bouzas Maneiro breaks Navarra at the start of srt two for 6-0 1-0. This is an absolute tousing ... so far.Inside-out backhand to the corner ... and Wang can't control her response. Raducanu breaks again, for 3-2, and can she hold on to it this time? Continue reading...

Doge has gut staff at Fema, EPA and the army corps, who are crucial for helping survivors get back on their feetOn 13 April, Tess McGinley was working in her Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) cubicle in Los Angeles, calling people who had lost their homes in the January wildfires, when her team was told to stop what they were doing and leave the office immediately.McGinley, a 23-year-old team leader for AmeriCorps, the US agency for national service and volunteerism, was helping Fema by reviewing wildfire survivors' cases to ensure they received housing assistance. Over the past six weeks, she and her seven teammates had reviewed more than 4,000 cases and made hundreds of calls to survivors. Now, even as the team drove home after their jobs were cut, their government phones kept ringing. Survivors just kept calling us ... And we weren't able to help," McGinley said. Continue reading...

The US has zagged from isolation to imperialism, but Trump has emptied the ethical and moral frame' of diplomacyJD Vance is an Iraq war veteran and the US vice-president. On Friday, he declared the doctrine that underpinned Washington's approach to international relations for a generation is now dead.We had a long experiment in our foreign policy that traded national defence and the maintenance of our alliances for nation building and meddling in foreign countries' affairs, even when those foreign countries had very little to do with core American interests," Vance told Naval Academy graduates in Annapolis, Maryland. Continue reading...

Amanda Litman discusses vital but difficult conversations on age as younger Democrats work to remake partyAmanda Litman spent the past decade building a way for more younger people to run for office.Now, as the Democratic party debates its ageing leaders after the former president's decline led to a bruising loss in 2024, a groundswell of younger Democrats are working to remake the party by challenging incumbents and calling out Democratic leaders who fail to push back against Trump. Continue reading...

Six people killed in what Kyiv claims is largest drone attack since February 2022 invasion. Plus, what's going to happen to the place where George Floyd died?

British business figures say many companies in UK and US disguising inclusion policies in face of rightwing attacks

Family of couple sets up fund so four-year-old can carry on legacy of parents' through opportunities such as collegeA Louisiana family is grieving but seeking to rally behind a four-year-old boy whose mother was recently killed in a car crash - and whose father then died in a separate vehicle wreck while trying to get to her.Gabriel, the son of Alexus Lee and John JR" Collins, understands what happened", his paternal grandmother, Sandra Collins, told the Louisiana news station WAFB. And he's just having a little problem comprehending that we can't talk to [his parents]. We can't see them, but he understands that they are asleep and are with God." Continue reading...

Experts say president's dismantling of world order, rapport with Netanyahu and choice of Pentagon chief benefiting ISDonald Trump has a long and colorful history with the Islamic State. He incorrectly blamed the founding of IS on his predecessor, said its infamous leader died like a dog" while announcing his assassination, and rallied an international coalition that successfully ended its so-called caliphate.So far, in his second presidency, his administration has much less to do with IS. But the terror group has still benefited from him. Continue reading...

Attacks on the university make clear that the administration will wield its power against anyone who incurs its displeasureIn record time, a court has at least temporarily put a stop to the Trump administration's latest attack on Harvard University, part of a larger retaliation spree that began in April.On Thursday, Kristi Noem had revoked Harvard's certification to host international students, causing fear and existential uncertainty for thousands of young people and their families. The swift restraining order comes as a relief. But it is no cause for complacency.Jan-Werner Muller is a Guardian US columnist and a professor of politics at Princeton University Continue reading...

Small market teams have dominated this year's playoffs. Former players say playing outside big cities can help bring unity and cohesionTwo-time NBA All-Star Reggie Theus remembers the 1981 playoffs. In a big time" opening round series, his Chicago Bulls faced the New York Knicks. The first game tipped off in one of the world's most famous arenas, Madison Square Garden, and it included stars such as Artis Gilmore, Bill Cartwright and Michael Ray Richardson. The Bulls won game one and went on to win the series, playing Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics in the next round. Theus scored 37 points in the clincher against New York, an overtime victory in the Windy City. But it was a thrill he never quite felt again.While Theus made the playoffs three more times in his long career, he never again featured in such a glitzy postseason showdown like Chicago versus New York. During his 13-years in the league, the he suited up for teams like the Kansas City and then Sacramento Kings (the team relocated to NorCal in 1985) and Orlando Magic. In a way, he was like a kettle moving from the front to the back burners. Indeed, more often than not, the NBA's glamour markets - cities like Los Angeles, Boston, New York and Chicago - get the attention. But those aren't its only teams, nor are they necessarily the places with the most success in any one season. Continue reading...

It is not just about honouring past victims. It is about battling those who want to take us backwardsYesterday, I led a private memorial service at George Floyd's graveside, along with his family, in Houston, Texas. Once that was over, we visited the housing project where Floyd and his siblings grew up.Half a decade after Floyd was taken from them, they were keen, as are we, to ensure his life and legacy will not be forgotten - and to remind the world why the fight for police accountability continues. Continue reading...

Hong Kong has called on the city's universities to open their doors to those affected by Donald Trump's attempted ban on foreign studentsHong Kong's education bureau has called on the city's universities to attract top talent" by opening their doors to those affected by the Trump administration's attempt to ban Harvard from enrolling international students.Last week the Trump administration revoked Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, effectively banning the university from accepting foreign students. A US federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the government from enforcing the ban, which would have reportedly forced students currently enrolled and not graduating this year to transfer to another institution or lose their legal status and visa. Continue reading...

An air of complicity has prompted new rhetoric from UK and EU leaders. But it won't redeem them - or change history's courseWhy now? That's the question. Why now, after 19 months of relentless assault that was plain for all to see, and declared by Israeli authorities themselves, has the tide begun to shift on Gaza?The marked change in tone this past week from leaders in the UK and EU is a clear break from the pabulum of concerns" and reiterations of Israel's right to defend itself. Now the rhetoric is that Israel's actions are morally unjustifiable" and wholly disportionate", and the threats of its leaders abhorrent". Some of this is future-proofing. The war has amounted to genocide and ethnic cleansing in ways that are increasingly undeniable, indefensible and unspinnable. Some had a good go at it for a year and a half, but now cannot stand at a lectern or sit at a dinner table and argue that, yes, actually, there is an argument for killing 100 people a day, as was the case last week. Or that Israel has any plan other than what its leaders have consistently declared to be one of displacement and settlement. Long gone is the argument that this is simply about wiping out Hamas. Israel, as one British media ally lamented, has hung its friends out to dry.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...

The decision marks a U-turn for Trump, who said days ago that he was not looking for a deal' to scrap the tariffs - key US politics stories from Sunday 25 May 2025Donald Trump will delay his threatened 50% tariffs on all European Union imports into the US, after what he described as a very nice call" with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.Von der Leyen wrote that she had a Good call with POTUS" in a social media post announcing she had secured a tariff delay of more than a month, to 9 July, to give both sides more time to negotiate.Catching up? Here's what happened on 24 May 2025. Continue reading...

US president criticises Putin and Zelenskyy after the Ukrainian leader condemned his silence' over attacksDonald Trump has warned that if Vladimir Putin attempts to conquer all of Ukraine, it will lead to the downfall" of Russia, while also criticising Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a Sunday night post on Truth Social.I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!" Trump wrote in a social media post, adding, I've always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that's proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!" Continue reading...

Joseph Neumayer deported by Israeli officials after three molotov cocktails found in bag, justice department saysFederal officials say agents arrested a man on Sunday accused of attempting to firebomb the Tel Aviv branch office of the US embassy in Israel, a justice department press release said.According to a news release from the US justice department, Joseph Neumayer - a dual US and German citizen - was arrested at John F Kennedy airport in New York after being deported by Israeli officials. Continue reading...

Proposal would move security under judges' control as justice department has vowed loyalty to TrumpFederal judges are discussing a proposal that would shift the armed security personnel responsible for their safety away from the Department of Justice (DoJ) and under their own control, as fears mount that the Trump administration is failing to protect them from a rising tide of hostility.The Wall Street Journal revealed on Sunday that the idea of creating their own armed security detail emerged at a meeting of about 50 federal judges two months ago. A security committee at the twice-yearly judicial conference, a policymaking body for federal judges, raised concerns about the increasing number of threats against judges following Trump's relentless criticism of court rulings against his policies. Continue reading...

Leslie O'Neal of Georgia pulled over college student who then spent more than two weeks in federal immigration jailA Georgia police officer resigned from his job on Friday after erroneously pulling over a teenager, causing her to spend more than two weeks in a federal immigration jail, and leaving her facing deportation.The officer, Leslie O'Neal, was employed at the police department in Dalton, a small city more than an hour north of Atlanta. Continue reading...

Minneapolis site where Floyd was killed by Derek Chauvin in 2020 faces tense debate over how best to honor his legacyLast May, Roger Floyd and Thomas McLaurin walked the lengths of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis, passing a roundabout with a garden, and a vacant gas station with a large sign that read: Where there's people there's power." Though it had been four years since the murder of George Floyd, their nephew and cousin, respectively, concrete barriers erected by the city to protect the area still cordoned off the corner of the street where he was killed by the Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on 25 May 2020.Behind those barriers stands a memorial with a black-and-white mural of George Floyd on the side of a bus stop shelter. That's my blood that was laying there taking his last breath. What was he going through?" McLaurin recalled thinking as he stood in front of the mural. Flowers and stuffed animals from visitors surrounded the memorial. Roger said he was struck with a range of emotions from sadness to peace. You think about the racist demeanor that these individuals had toward him, and it was just like his life did not matter," he told the Guardian. The entire space to me is just sacred." Continue reading...

Prominent US senators warn Trump to get serious' about addressing budget deficit or they will block beautiful bill'Donald Trump has been warned by fiscal hawks within his own party in the US Senate that he must get serious" about cutting government spending and reducing the national debt or else they will block the passage of his signature tax-cutting legislation known as the big, beautiful bill".Ron Johnson, the Republican senator from Wisconsin who rose to prominence as a fiscal hardliner with the Tea Party movement, issued the warning to the president on Sunday. Asked by CNN's State of the Union whether his faction had the numbers to halt the bill, he replied: I think we have enough to stop the process until the president gets serious about spending reduction and reducing the deficit." Continue reading...

Aryna Sabalenka opened her French Open campaign with a straight-sets win over Kamilla Rakhimova on the first day at Roland GarrosOn Lenglen, Svitolina is serving for the first set, 5-1 up on Sonmez; on Mathieu, a fine backhand return, dipping cross, is too good for Paul, whose volley floats long, and that's a break for Moller, the 21-year-old lucky loser, who leads 3-2 in the first.On TNT, they're talking about Sabalenka, who sounds full of it as she discusses her ambition to win on clay. Her Aussie Open defeat to Madison Keys will have stung her badly, though - earlier in her career she was the one who choked - and as soon as she's put under serious pressure, we'll see whether the wound has healed. Continue reading...

Institutions in Los Angeles and beyond have seen millions in grants wiped away almost overnight. What happens when they can't tell their stories?For the past two years, a small arts non-profit has been telling stories about the communities living alongside the Los Angeles river, one voice at a time.The organization, called Clockshop, has collected the oral histories of nearly 70 local residents, activists and elected officials. Their knowledge is compiled in a vast cultural atlas - which contains videos, an interactive map and a self-guided tour exploring the waterway and its transformation from a home for the Indigenous Tongva people to a popular, rapidly gentrifying urban space. Continue reading...

NGO shelters along US-Mexico border, which have long provided aid, rattled by letter from FemaThe Trump administration has continued releasing people charged with being in the country illegally to non-governmental shelters along the US-Mexico border after previously telling those same organizations that providing immigrants with temporary housing and other aid may violate a law used to prosecute smugglers.Border shelters, which have long provided lodging and meals before offering transportation to the nearest bus station or airport, were rattled by a letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) that raised significant concerns" about potentially illegal activity and demanded detailed information in a wide-ranging investigation. Continue reading...

Unlike autocracies such as Russia or China, the US has strong liberal guardrails to prevent a dictatorship. But Trump has a plan for dismantling themThere is some mystery surrounding Donald Trump's moves to dismantle many cherished principles of American history and its culture of governance: his globalization denialism; his romance with Russia; his demolition of universities; his contempt for European values and histories; his campaign to humiliate Canada. These are all known examples, but it can be hard to see across them to discern anything like a unified theory of Trumpism.There are two possibilities here. One is that there is no rhyme or reason to Trump's actions. He is simply a randomizing generator of chaos. The other is that there is a method. Continue reading...

Assailant in Carmel tried to punch 13-year-old in face before she threw him to the ground and broke his ankleA 13-year-old California girl is reminding the public that knowing self-defense can save one's life after she reportedly used her martial arts training to fend off a stranger who tried to assault her - breaking the grown man's ankle in the process.The girl, whose name has not been widely shared, recently had to fight to protect herself three years since she began attending jiu-jitsu classes in Carmel, California, about 75 miles (120km) from San Jose, the local news station KSBW reported. Continue reading...

It grew out of a Google Doc, and now has millions of US members - what's the secret of Indivisible's success?After the biggest day of protest of the second Trump presidency, when millions of people rallied in more than 1,300 cities and towns across the country, Ezra Levin addressed thousands of faithful progressive activists.For the previous few months, as Trump reclaimed the White House and Democrats struggled to oppose him, the drumbeat of opposition had steadily grown. Protest was back in the air. Democrats were finding their way. And it was because of activists like them, Levin told the crew gathered on a weekly organizing call for Indivisible, the progressive movement that started during Trump's first term. Continue reading...

Blinded, beaten or jailed, some protesters are still recovering physically and financially from speaking outFive years ago, on 25 May 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was murdered by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer. During an attempted arrest, Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, cutting off his oxygen supply. The gruesome killing was captured on video.Floyd's murder sparked global outcry, launching the largest protests seen in the US since the civil rights movement. During the summer of 2020, upwards of 26 million people protested nationwide to condemn police brutality and demand racial justice. Rallies also spread across the globe, with some 93 countries and territories participating in the uprisings. Continue reading...

Prosecutors appear to be more focused on forensic evidence than during 2024 trial of woman accused of killing her police officer boyfriendDuring week five of the retrial of Karen Read, a Massachusetts woman accused of killing her police officer boyfriend, prosecutors continued to present forensic evidence to prove that she intentionally ran over the victim. Meanwhile, defense attorneys tried to illuminate potential flaws in their case, according to legal experts.The case, which has attracted true crime fans around the globe and was the subject of an HBO Max docuseries, previously ended in a mistrial in July 2024 after a jury could not reach a verdict. Continue reading...

Five years after George Floyd's murder, America's view on policing has fundamentally changed. But one summer of protest isn't enoughMemory is a strange thing - the way sounds, images, and sensations converge to cement a moment in our minds. For millions of people, the memory of what happened to George Floyd five years ago in Minneapolis will stay with us for ever.On Sunday, we remember the life of George Floyd and reflect on the summer of 2020, when movement builders activated as many as 26 million people into the streets to demand an end to the state's violent disregard for Black lives. Many people will opine today about the perceived failures of that time and the years that followed, focusing on how corporate pledges to increase diversity have since been revoked or zeroing in on how many police departments did not cut their budgets, all in an effort to decide whether the summer of 2020 was really as powerful as it felt.M Adams, Co-Executive Director, Movement for Black Lives & Miski Noor, Publisher of the Forge and former Co-Director of Black Visions Continue reading...

Five years ago, George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis. Writers and activists from Brazil to Berlin talk about the protests, hope and disappointment that followedDo 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...

Former US vice-president tells conference I do worry, frankly, about what's happening right now in the world'Kamala Harris has criticised Elon Musk, noted it's important that we remember the 1930s" and raised concerns about AI when speaking to an audience of 4,500 real estate agents at an industry conference on the Gold Coast.The former US vice-president, who is visiting Australia for the first time, was the guest of honour at the 2025 Australian Real Estate Conference on Sunday. Continue reading...

US coast guard says accident occurred while employees were doing work involving a flame or sparksAn explosion on a boat carrying raw sewage that was docked on the Hudson River in New York City killed a longtime city employee, authorities said.Another worker on the city-owned Hunts Point vessel was injured and taken to the hospital after the blast about 10.30am Saturday near the North River wastewater treatment plant, according to city deputy assistant chief David Simms of the fire department. A third worker refused medical treatment. Continue reading...

Short shrift for Trump's 50% tariff' outburst; thousands of Americans want to become British for good - key US politics stories from Saturday 24 May at a glanceAs he continued his on-again, off-again tariff war with much of the world, Donald Trump went on social media to complain that the EU was taking advantage of the United States on trade" and not coming to the table about it. Therefore I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025."The EU's trade commissioner had a call with the US trade representative Jamieson Greer and Trump's commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick. Maro efovi said afterwards: The EU's fully engaged, committed to securing a deal that works for both." Continue reading...

Thomas Barrack also stresses temporary lifting of sanctions for first time since 1979 after meeting with Ahmed al-SharaaDonald Trump's old friend Thomas Barrack, now serving as the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, praised Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, after a meeting in Istanbul on Saturday.I stressed the cessation of sanctions against Syria will preserve the integrity of our primary objective - the enduring defeat of ISIS - and will give the people of Syria a chance for a better future," Barrack said in a statement, referring to actions taken on Friday by the Trump administration to temporarily suspend sanctions imposed on the government of the former president, Bashar al-Assad, who was deposed by rebel forces led by Sharaa late last year. Continue reading...

John Woeltz, 37, being held without bail after allegedly beating, shocking and dangling man from five-story homeA cryptocurrency investor was arraigned in Manhattan criminal court on Saturday morning and charged with kidnapping an Italian man and then beating and torturing him for several weeks, allegedly to extract cryptocurrency passwords.The 37-year-old crypto investor, John Woeltz, was arrested on Friday after allegedly torturing the man in a swanky home in the upscale Manhattan neighborhood of Soho. The victim reportedly escaped the five-story home on Friday and sought help from the police, who later arrested Woeltz. Continue reading...