Celebration of 250th anniversary, falling on Trump's birthday, to also feature tanks and hundreds of vehiclesA major military parade to celebrate the US army's 250th anniversary - which will also coincide with Donald Trump's 79th birthday - could cost up to $45m and involve thousands of soldiers, hundreds of army vehicles and dozens of warplanes and battle tanks.The 14 June parade in Washington DC will feature 6,600 soldiers, as well as 50 military aircraft and 150 vehicles, multiple US outlets reported, citing US army spokespeople. Continue reading...
Nearly a dozen crews battled blaze at Nottoway, a historic structure converted to place of reflection and education'Flames ripped through a massive mansion in Louisiana, destroying much of the historic structure that was used as a plantation house when it was completed in 1859 before eventually becoming a place of reflection, education and dialogue" given the more than 150 people who were enslaved there before the abolition of slavery in the US, authorities said.The fire that engulfed the Nottoway plantation house on Thursday devastated the building along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Chris Daigle, the president of Iberville parish (Louisiana's term for county), said on social media. Nearly a dozen fire departments from surrounding towns battled the blaze, he said. No injuries were reported. Continue reading...
Players should remember the effect of golf's fiscal vulgarity before they seek to dictate terms of media questioningMud balls. Hardly a provocative topic in the grand scheme of life. A chunk of soil attaches itself to a golf ball, meaning the individual hitting said object has less control than they would like. Scottie Scheffler and others believe the element of chance created by mud balls at the US PGA Championship is unbefitting of a major. There is an opposing view, one which says golf is not supposed to be perfect or fair. It's a run-of-the-mill sporting debate.Scheffler had volunteered his own mud ball situation as rationale for a shot that flew into water on the 16th hole during round one at Quail Hollow. Within only three more questions, the world No 1 wanted to shut the conversation down. By the way, this is going to be the last answer that I give [on this subject]," Scheffler began. Scheffler, once such a placid soul, was dictating what he may and may not be asked. About golf balls. Continue reading...
by Agence France-Press in San Salvador on (#6XB6V)
Lawyers hired by Venezuela have been unable to confirm proof of life' for 252 migrants imprisoned in El SalvadorLawyers for 252 Venezuelans deported by the Trump administration and imprisoned in El Salvador for two months have alleged that the migrants are victims of physical and emotional torture".A law firm hired by the Venezuelan government said that it had been unable to visit the migrants in the mega-prison where they are locked up. Continue reading...
Trump's justice department is considering a non-prosecution agreement, through which Boeing would not need to plead guiltyBoeing is set to avoid prosecution in a fraud case sparked by two fatal crashes of its bestselling 737 Max jet that killed 346 people, according to sources familiar with the matter.The US Department of Justice is considering a non-prosecution agreement, relatives of the victims were told on Friday, through which the US aerospace giant would not be required to plead guilty. Continue reading...
Priya Saxena was studying in South Dakota when Trump administration revoke her visa over traffic infractionAn Indian PhD graduate who was studying at a university in South Dakota, whom the Trump administration has been attempting to deport, was granted an injunction by a federal judge, allowing her to stay in the country after having received her degree.Priya Saxena's student visa was terminated by the Trump administration in April, which would have prevented her from completing her doctoral program and graduating on 10 May. Continue reading...
The new pick for surgeon general, Casey Means, doesn't have an active medical license. But she does have impeccable Maha credentials'The US health secretary doesn't think you should really listen to him when it comes to health issues. During an appearance before House and Senate committees this week, Robert F Kennedy Jr, famous for his unconventional views about medicine and his revelation that a parasite ate part of his brain, seemed to think it was strange that lawmakers were asking him about vaccines.What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant," Kennedy said when pressed on whether he would vaccinate his child for measles. I don't want to seem like I'm being evasive, but I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice, from me." The US health secretary repeated his refrain about not wanting to give advice a number of other times. Continue reading...
The struggle to obtain these medications illustrates the dangerous mess the US healthcare system has become, writes the former FDA chiefThe American healthcare system is broken. It is too complicated and too hard for people to get the care and medications they need. More than 70% of Americans feel it has failed them. The level of frustration and anger directed at this system is palpable. In fact, what is increasingly apparent is there is no system" at all.New GLP-1 drugs - a class that includes Wegovy and Ozempic - have revolutionized our understanding of weight loss, but they have also illuminated the flaws in our healthcare delivery. People who have struggled with their weight for their entire lives are rightfully frustrated when they learn there is now a medication that can help them but they cannot access it. I carry three health insurance plans and none of them would cover payment for the drug. Faced with this reality, and my increasing percentage of body fat, I decided to pay out of pocket - over $1,000 a month - for a GLP-1 to treat my prediabetes. For most people, that is not an option.David A Kessler MD served as commissioner of the FDA under Presidents George HW Bush and Bill Clinton. He co-led Operation Warp Speed in the Biden administration and has been the dean of the medical schools at Yale and the University of California, San Francisco. His latest book is Diet, Drugs, and Dopamine: The New Science of Achieving a Healthy Weight. Continue reading...
Power isn't equal in an unhealthy relationship. But it's no surprise Sean Diddy' Combs's team is deploying the tacticSean Diddy" Combs's sex-trafficking and racketeering trial is under way, and the music mogul's lawyers gave us a glimpse into what their strategy would be during jury selection last week, when they finally admitted that he was violent toward his ex Cassie Ventura. But now they're claiming that the violence was mutual.In a statement to the judge, the defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said they plan to take the position [that] there was mutual violence in their relationship". Combs's lawyers also describe Ventura, the prosecution's star witness, as strong" with a nature of violence", and capable of starting physical confrontation".Tayo Bero is a Guardian US columnistIn the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women's Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org. Continue reading...
Hogg, a Florida activist, presses on importance of strong fighters in face of Trump for isolated' Democratic baseDavid Hogg believes the Democratic party not only needs better messengers - it needs stronger fighters.The base of the party, they just want us to do anything," the 25-year-old Florida activist and Democratic National Committee (DNC) vice-chair said in an interview last week. They feel alone, they feel isolated, they feel unheard, and they feel like they're not being fought for." Continue reading...
The war in Gaza means the European Broadcasting Union is risking its liberal reputation, but to ban Israel would be to undermine the organisation's fundamental purposeAs they get ready to watch this year's final on Saturday, many Eurovision fans will be feeling conflicted. Some will not watch at all. The reason is the participation of Israel. Isn't Eurovision supposed to be about love, love, peace, peace" (as the 2016 contest's Swedish hosts so memorably portrayed it)? If so, they may ask, what's the besieger of Gaza doing there?Some people argue that the people who run Eurovision, members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), are simply spineless. Others point to the sponsorship of the event by Moroccanoil, which despite its name is Israeli. But a big international organisation is hardly dependent on a beauty products company.Chris West is the author of Eurovision: A History of Modern Europe Through the World's Greatest Song Contest, published by Melville House UK
by Coral Murphy Marcos, Lucy Campbell, Maya Yang and on (#6X9ZW)
This blog is now closed. Read our latest story hereHere are some pictures from when Donald Trump arrived in the United Arab Emirates a short while ago, where he was greeted by the UAE president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at the Abu Dhabi airport. It's day three of Trump's Middle East trip aimed at drumming up investment in the US and securing lucrative economic deals with the oil-rich Gulf nations.Donald Trump said there won't be movement on Ukraine peace talks until he and Russian president Vladimir Putin get together. Continue reading...
Central to the court's discussions is whether federal judges should retain their powers to issue nationwide injunctions - key US politics stories from Thursday 15 May 2025 at a glanceUS supreme court justices on Thursday took issue with Donald Trump's attempt to sidestep the constitution to limit birthright citizenship, in a trio of immigration cases that could reshape presidential power and the role of federal courts.The cases before the court stem from the president's January executive order that would deny US citizenship to babies born on American soil if their parents aren't citizens or permanent residents. The plan is likely to be ultimately struck down, as it directly contradicts the 14th amendment, which grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States". Continue reading...
Glen Rogers, 62, convicted over 1995 murder of mother of two, receives lethal injection in state prisonA suspected serial killer once scrutinized for a possible link to the OJ Simpson case that riveted the nation in the 1990s was executed on Thursday in Florida for the murder of a woman found dead in a Tampa motel room.Glen Rogers, 62, received a lethal injection at Florida state prison near Starke and was pronounced dead at 6.16pm, authorities said. He was convicted in Florida of the 1995 murder of Tina Marie Cribbs, a 34-year-old mother of two he had met at a bar. Continue reading...
Rory McIlroy's push to win back-to-back majors got off to a rough start but Scottie Scheffler is lurking on a surprise leaderboardBirdie for Tommy Fleetwood at the par-three 13th. He's still looking for his first win on the PGA Tour. This would be a decent time to break that duck.... but Scottie catches a break! A decent lie and a route under the branches to the green. He fires out low and sends his ball scampering towards the apron. That's a decent result all told, and he'll have a chance to get up and down from the front for his par. Rory meanwhile has found sand down the left of the fairway and Xander the fairway; both find the green in regulation, albeit not particularly close to the flag. Outside chances for birdie. Continue reading...
FAA says contact remained during incident, which comes after series of Newark outages that shook public confidenceThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Thursday that Denver air traffic control lost communications for about two minutes on Monday, but was able to maintain contact through an emergency frequency.FAA communications failures have gained attention due to a series of telecom outages at the facility overseeing Newark air traffic that shook public confidence. Unlike the 28 April incident at the facility that handles Newark traffic, radar screens did not go blank in Denver. Continue reading...
Doctors are keeping Adriana Smith on life support months after medical emergency until baby is ready, family saysA pregnant woman in Georgia was declared brain dead after a medical emergency and doctors have kept her on life support for three months so far to allow enough time for the baby to be born and comply with Georgia's strict anti-abortion law, family members say.She could be kept in that state for months more. Continue reading...
New Mexico judge rules immigrants did not know they were entering US military zone, marking setback for TrumpA federal judge in New Mexico on Thursday dismissed trespassing charges against dozens of immigrants caught in a new military zone on the US-Mexico border, marking a setback for Trump administration efforts to raise penalties for unlawful crossings into the US.Chief US magistrate judge Gregory Wormuth began filing the dismissals late on Wednesday, ruling that immigrants did not know they were entering the military zone in New Mexico and therefore could not be charged, according to court documents and a defense attorney. Continue reading...
Tiffany Slaton of Georgia went missing during a blizzard in April while on solo trip through Sierra NevadaA hiker who went missing for weeks during a solo camping trip in the California wilderness has been found safely, after she became trapped in a blizzard and took refuge in an empty lakeside cabin.Tiffany Slaton of Jeffersonville, Georgia, was found near a lake in Fresno county, California, after the owner of Vermilion Valley Resort, a lodging site between Yosemite and Kings Canyon national parks, was checking on his property and noticed that one of his cabins was occupied by a woman, according to the Fresno county sheriff's office. Continue reading...
Law goes against concerns of public health experts but aligns with Robert F Kennedy Jr's viewsRon DeSantis, the Republican governor of Florida, on Thursday signed a bill making it the second state after Utah to ban adding fluoride, or any other additives, to drinking water.Legislators approved the bill last month that goes against the concerns of public health experts and medical professionals, who say the measure will increase tooth decay and cavities, especially in children. Continue reading...
Trump administration policies on immigration, families and children have been pockmarked by contradictionsSome of the children were too young to stand on their own. Instead, they sat on their parents' knees or in their parents' arms, waving American flags. Many of them seemed confused about what, exactly, was even happening.But these kids were in the midst of making history: their families were among the first to take advantage of Donald Trump's February executive order granting white South Africans refugee status in the United States, on the grounds that Afrikaner landowners - who make up just 7% of South Africa's population yet, decades after the end of apartheid, control about half of its land - are facing persecution. While the doors to the US refugee program have been slammed shut to virtually everyone else, these Afrikaners showed up in the US earlier this week, their refugee status promising a path to US citizenship. Continue reading...
University says it strongly denounces' commencement speech by Logan Rozos, who called out atrocities' in GazaNew York University is withholding a student's diploma after he condemned Israel's deadly war on Gaza during his graduation ceremony speech.On Wednesday, Logan Rozos, an undergraduate student speaker from NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, delivered his commencement speech in which he said: The only thing that is appropriate to say in this time and to a group this large is a recognition of the atrocities currently happening in Palestine." Continue reading...
Record-high heat so early in the season means state has been hotter than Death Valley, the hottest place on EarthTexas is in the grip of an extraordinary heatwave this week, with record-breaking temperatures sweeping across the central and southern regions of the state.While 100F days are common in Texas summers, such early-season heat is unusual. The record-high heat means that Texas has been recently hotter than Death Valley, California, which is often cited as the hottest place on Earth. Continue reading...
Democrat Ras Baraka appeared in federal court for trespassing charge after arrest at Ice detention centerRas Baraka, the Democratic mayor of Newark, said federal prosecutors were seeking to humiliate and degrade" him by making him give fingerprints and have a mugshot taken for a second time on Thursday.The move came after a court appearance on a trespassing charge stemming from his arrest at an immigration detention center where he was protesting with several members of Congress. Continue reading...
Interfaith group responds after books on Black, Jewish and LGBTQ+ history were burned and shared in racist videoA group of faith leaders in Ohio denounced a recent alleged hate crime in the state, in which a man burned books belonging to a public library. The destroyed books were on Jewish, African American and LGBTQ+ history.Unfortunately, this is one of those things that's, like, I'm shocked, but not surprised, every time it happens," Rev Ryan Wallace of Fairmount Presbyterian told the Guardian in an interview. We need to not get complacent. Every time it happens, we have to be there to say, this is unacceptable.'" Continue reading...
Nashville establishments owned by Trump supporter Steve Smith struggled as undocumented staff left mid-serviceThe restaurant Kid Rock's was among several others in Nashville owned by the conservative restaurateur and Donald Trump supporter Steve Smith where undocumented kitchen staff were asked to go home to avoid rumored immigration raids this weekend.The restaurant - whose full name is Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N' Roll Steakhouse, and is licensed by the rightwing musician Kid Rock, who has also become one of the US president's highest-profile supporters - reportedly found itself struggling to serve post-concert crowds on Saturday night after the order from managers instructing employees without legal status to leave, according to the Nashville Scene. Continue reading...
Justice department investigation into health insurance giant reported as company's CEO says he will retireShares in the UnitedHealth Group tumbled after it was reported that the largest health insurer in the US is under investigation over possible criminal Medicare fraud.The US Department of Justice has been investigating the health insurance giant since last summer, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. Continue reading...
The bronze figure, which replaced a wooden statue destroyed by arson in 2020, has been taken from SevnicaThe first Melania Trump statue in her native Slovenia was destroyed by fire and now its bronze replacement has gone missing, prompting a police investigation.The lifesize bronze statue of the US first lady was unveiled near her home town of Sevnica in 2020, towering over a field on a tree stump, after arson had destroyed the previous wooden one. Continue reading...
Russia's failure to send a top-level delegation to planned talks with Ukraine in Istanbul has reduced optimism that a peace deal could be made quickly. Donald Trump said on Air Force One that Vladimir Putin would not attend talks without his presence. 'Nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together,' Trump said
Retailer expects annual sales to continue to rise but we aren't able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins', CEO saysWalmart will have to start raising prices later this month due to the high cost of tariffs, executives said on Thursday.US shoppers will start to see prices rise at the end of May and certainly in June, said John David Rainey, Walmart's chief financial officer, in a CNBC interview. Continue reading...
Three people tell stories of when stockpiling in case of natural disasters and precarious employment paid offThe average prepper isn't some end-times fantasist, more of a resourceful planner. They know that having healthy stockpiles of all basic needs pays off in case of natural disasters, electricity outages, or even the more basic reality of precarious employment. From food and water, to blankets, batteries and romance paperbacks - their basements bulge with the just-in-case.As part of our Armageddon complex series on people preparing for end times, here are the stories of three preppers who were grateful they had made provisions. Continue reading...
Ben Cohen and others interrupted RFK Jr at hearing to protest Israel's Gaza blockade and Medicaid cutsBen Cohen, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice-cream, has been charged with crowding and obstructing" others after he was arrested while protesting against the Gaza blockade during a US Senate hearing.Cohen - the Ben in Ben & Jerry's - made his stand on Wednesday while Robert F Kennedy Jr was addressing a hearing of the health, education, labor and pensions committee. A group of activists heckled the health secretary over his anti-vaccine posture, yelling: When Bobby lies, children die," and Anti-vax, anti-science, anti-America". Continue reading...
Officials are offering $20,000 for information about dolphin, originally found intact but later with its head removedWildlife officials in North Carolina are offering a reward of $20,000 for information about the decapitation of a dolphin on a remote coastal island.The 8ft-long dolphin was initially found, intact, on Lea-Hutaff Island in the state by a member of the public. When staff from the marine mammal stranding team from the University of North Carolina Wilmington arrived a few days later to investigate, they found the animal's head had been removed. Continue reading...
I was told my life would change if I let strangers prod my deepest wounds. But I wasn't sure: were these group training sessions empowering or exploitative?On a Saturday in March in a conference room with ugly carpeting near Los Angeles international airport, I meekly muttered thank you" as a group of six people - all strangers until the day before - enumerated my deepest flaws.I see you, Katherine, as inauthentic," led the charge. Continue reading...
Study paints picture of universities increasingly willing to penalize students over expression of their viewsParker Hovis was four courses away from getting his computer science degree from the University of Florida when he was arrested along with several other students at a pro-Palestine protest on campus last spring. While the charges against him were dismissed and a school conduct committee recommended only minor punishment - a form of probation - the university president suspended him for three years. He'll be required to reapply if he wants to come back after that.Hovis, who has since left Florida and is working to pay off his student loans despite never graduating, is one of more than 1,000 students or student groups that were targeted by their universities for punishment between 2020 and 2024 over their speech, according to a report published today by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (Fire). Some 63% of them were ultimately punished. Continue reading...
Many people have decided a trip to the US isn't worth the risk after recent border detentions. But if you are going, what do you need to know? Immigration lawyers explain it allKindness doesn't cost a thing. Putting up a big no foreigners welcome" sign, threatening to annex your neighbour, and throwing visitors to your country into detention for minor visa infractions, however? Such actions are expensive. The United States is on track to lose $12.5bn (9.4bn) in international travel spending this year, according to a study published on Tuesday by the World Travel and Tourism Council.If the Trump administration is concerned that its aggressive rhetoric is costing tourist dollars, it's not showing it. During a recent press conference about the 2026 Fifa World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, vice president JD Vance joked about deporting football fans who outstay their welcome. We'll have visitors from close to 100 countries. We want them to come..." Vance said. But when the time is up, they'll have to go home, otherwise they'll have to talk to [Homeland Security] secretary Noem." That's Kristi Noem, the woman who shot her own dog. Not someone you want to talk to when she's in a bad mood. Continue reading...
MLB's all-time hits leader was exiled from the sport he loved because of his gambling. Now the game is embracing betting at every opportunityThe not-so-bombshell decision on Tuesday by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to reinstate Pete Rose, Shoeless' Joe Jackson and others to eligibility for the Hall of Fame, was actually months in the making. In January, representatives for Rose filed a petition in support of the former Reds star, who died last September, with MLB. Then in an April White House meeting, Manfred met with Donald Trump and discussed the Rose affair. Trump has made his opinions known about Rose for years. Though the wheels were already in motion, the meeting made Rose's reinstatement feel inevitable.Manfred was - and is - in a difficult position. Across American institutions - from law firms to media outlets to universities - the intense pressure from the White House to conform to Trump has been hard to ignore. And with immigration from countries that produce many of MLB's players a major source of contention, it's entirely understandable that Manfred would want to protect the interests of his sport. Continue reading...
Milan is one of the world's most iconic clubs, and Pulisic's performance has been a bright spot in a disappointing seasonIf AC Milan didn't redeem their lost season in the Coppa Italia final against Bologna on Wednesday, it was no fault of Christian Pulisic's.As his teammates failed to grind down their tightly packed opponents in a 1-0 loss, owing to Dan Ndoye's second-half goal, the American did all he could, just as he has all season, toiling and pressing and charging after balls hopeful and hopeless alike. Continue reading...
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This blog has now closed. You can read more of our US politics coverage hereThe meeting between Donald Trump and Syria's president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, in Saudi Arabia was the culmination of months of diplomacy by the Syrians, as well as their Turkish and Saudi allies, who believed face time with Trump would help end Syria's international isolation, writes William Christou.Damascus had prepared a pitch to Trump that included access to Syrian oil, reassurances of Israel's security and a proposal to build a Trump tower in Damascus. Continue reading...
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