First Thing: Democrats express ‘grave concerns’ over secretive ICE deportation flights

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Good morning.

A group of 40 House Democrats have described “grave concerns” complete nan Trump administration’s secretive programme of deportation flights and demanded that nan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reside allegations of mistreatment and inhumane conditions connected ICE charter jets.

In a missive shared pinch nan Guardian and addressed to nan FAA administrator, Bryan Bedford, nan lawmakers picture nan “urgent request for transparency” complete ICE’s expanded usage of commercialized airliners to transportation detained immigrants and criticise its “inappropriate and dangerous” efforts to conceal these operations.

The missive follows a Guardian investigation that recovered nan management was transporting immigrants successful irregular ways that often violated their law rights.

  • By really overmuch person deportation flights accrued nether Donald Trump? The number of ICE flights during 2025 has surged by 84% compared pinch 2024, according to monitoring by quality authorities groups.

Trump says ceasefire pinch Iran connected ‘life support’ aft rejecting bid proposals

Donald Trump sitting astatine a table successful nan Oval Office pinch group opinionated down him
‘I would opportunity nan ceasefire is connected monolithic life support,’ nan president said. Photograph: Kent Nishimura/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump has described nan month-long ceasefire pinch Iran arsenic being on “life support” and said he is considering restarting US navy subject escorts of ships done nan strait of Hormuz successful an effort to break nan Iranian blockade.

The US president rejected Iran’s counterproposals, sent this weekend, and denied he was nether immoderate home unit to scope a deal. Referring to nan ceasefire successful unit since 7 April, Trump said: “I would telephone it nan weakest, correct now, aft reference that portion of garbage they sent america – I didn’t moreover decorativeness reference it. I would opportunity nan ceasefire is connected monolithic life support, wherever nan expert walks successful and says: ‘Sir, your loved 1 has astir a 1% chance of living.’”

Last week, nan US sent Iran a group of conditions for halting nan war, mostly related to limiting Tehran’s atomic capabilities. At nan weekend, Iran sent counterproposals that Trump rejected, pinch points astir its atomic programme said to beryllium nan cardinal sticking point.

  • What has Tehran said? Trump’s latest comments came aft lipid prices jumped again erstwhile Iran said location would beryllium nary further talks astir ending nan blockade unless he accepted its terms.

  • Follow nan latest updates connected our liveblog.

Alabama tin usage electoral representation that favors Republicans, ultimate tribunal rules

A ample representation successful nan foreground and group sitting astir a array successful nan background
An Alabama Senate committee discusses a connection to tie caller legislature territory lines connected 20 July 2023. Photograph: Kim Chandler/AP

The US ultimate tribunal has ruled that Alabama can usage a legislature map that a little tribunal antecedently said had been drawn to discriminate against Black voters.

The court’s determination allows Alabama to usage a congressional representation it passed successful 2023 aft courts struck down an earlier type of its representation arsenic a usurpation of nan Voting Rights Act – a determination nan ultimate tribunal agreed pinch at nan time. A three-judge sheet concluded nan 2023 representation had been intentionally drawn to dilute nan voting spot of nan state’s Black electorate.

  • How soon could this person an effect? Alabama will beryllium capable to usage nan representation successful this year’s midterm elections.

  • Was an mentation fixed for nan ultimate tribunal ruling? No reasoning was offered for its decision, moreover though it said successful its Voting Rights Act lawsuit 2 weeks agone that nan applicable rule successful nan Alabama lawsuit had not been overturned.

In different news …

Eileen Wang
Eileen Wang astatine an Asian Hall of Fame induction ceremonial successful LA connected 21 October 2023. Photograph: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
  • The politician of a mini confederate California metropolis has resigned aft being charged pinch being a overseas supplier of China. Eileen Wang, 58, agreed to plead guilty to nan felony complaint and could look a condemnation of up to 10 years successful prison.

  • Two Israeli soldiers person been jailed for desecrating a statue of nan Virgin Mary successful Lebanon, after a photograph of a worker holding a cigaret to nan statue’s rima sparked wide anger.

  • The US interior section has scrapped a norm that put conservation connected an adjacent footing pinch improvement successful nan US’s nationalist lands, arsenic nan Trump management seeks to grow exploitation of taxpayer-owned land.

Stat of nan day: Top World Cup tickets to unit astatine almost $33,000

Gianni Infantino
‘It is difficult to return thing Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, says earnestly aft his determination to grant a bid prize to Mr Trump.’ Photograph: Bob Frid/EPA

Fifa has tripled nan price of immoderate of nan champion seats for nan World Cup last successful New Jersey to a staggering $32,970 – and for nan US’s opening group crippled against Paraguay successful Los Angeles, nan cheapest tickets first offered were priced astatine $1,200. The Guardian’s view: “These are ridiculous, exploitative prices that undermine nan integrity of nan world’s astir avidly followed sporting event.”

Culture pick: Rivals play 2 reappraisal – if I could springiness this exquisite bonkbuster 10,000 stars, I would

Four members of nan formed of Rivals successful polo uniforms
Chukka clip … Danny Dyer arsenic Freddie Jones, Luca Pasqualino arsenic Bas Baddingham, Brendan Patricks arsenic Henry Hampshire and Alex Hassell arsenic Rupert Campbell-Black. Photograph: Disney+

Season 2 of Rivals is simply a monolithic deed pinch nan TV professional Sarah Dempster, who can’t get capable of nan gloriously ridiculous adaptation of nan English writer Jilly Cooper’s silly and saucy 1980s novel. “How champion to reward specified exquisitely knowing escapism? Ten stars? Ten 1000 stars? Rivals is beyond earthly praise.”

Don’t miss this: The sinister dispersed of France’s slayer seaweed

Green algae connected Saint-Michel-en-Grève beach
Green algae connected Saint-Michel-en-Grève beach. Photograph: François Lepage/Hans Lucas for The Guardian

When Jean-René Auffray didn’t travel location from his regular tally successful 2016, his panicked family went retired successful hunt for him. They recovered his assemblage connected a crust of dried seaweed successful 1 of nan estuaries that empties into Brittany’s bay of Saint-Brieuc. In her first shock, Rosy Auffray didn’t deliberation to mobility if her husband’s decease might beryllium connected to nan stinking seaweed choking nan area – an detonation driven by nan usage of fertilizers successful business farming locally. But successful nan months that followed, Rosy learned location was grounds to propose that nan seaweed was to blame. It was nan commencement of a 10-year conflict to found nan truth.

Climate check: Hi-tech missions way grounds snowpack nonaccomplishment successful US west

A Lidar scan of snowfall connected a mountain.
A Lidar scan of snowfall connected a mountain. Photograph: Airborne Snow Observatories

Flying supra California’s Sierra Nevada, nan jagged peaks look blanketed pinch snow. But nan sensors onboard a specialized craft uncover that nan snowpack is astatine critically debased levels.

Last Thing: Hot divorcee summer?

A female successful a achromatic dress dancing successful a field
Is nan artistic ‘sugar-coating a bitter pill’? Photograph: Oleksii Donenko/Alamy

We’ve had basking woman summer, Brat summer; could this year’s inclination beryllium … basking divorcee? Apparently, you don’t moreover request to beryllium divided for this one. Tatty Macleod, a comedian and writer, told Zoe Williams: “Divorcee is an energy, it’s not a ineligible status.”

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Source theguardian.com
theguardian.com