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Ukraine faces ‘forever war’ unless Europe steps up pressure on Russia, says ex-Nato chief

Anders Fogh Rasmussen calls for air shield on Nato territory and deployment of European protection force for Ukraine

Ukraine is facing a “forever war” and a slow erosion of territory unless Europe dramatically increases pressure on Russia, including by deploying troops and establishing a missile and drone shield on Nato territory to protect Ukraine from Russian attacks on its infrastructure, a former Nato secretary general has said.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who held the Nato post from 2009 to 2014 and was the prime minister of Denmark from 2001 to 2009, said in an interview with the Guardian that if countries such as Poland agreed to host such air defences, Russia would understand that an attack on Ukraine would be an attack on the whole of the Nato alliance.

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© Photograph: Oleg Petrasyuk/EPA

© Photograph: Oleg Petrasyuk/EPA

© Photograph: Oleg Petrasyuk/EPA

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Workers decry Trump officials as ‘out of control’ as longest shutdown drags on

Key figures accused of harassment, bullying and attacks as US employees work without pay to keep services running

As the US federal shutdown enters its second month, government workers are accusing the Trump administration of being “out of control” and bullying people who are “simply trying to do their best”.

The shutdown surpassed 35 days this week, beating the previous record set under Donald Trump’s first presidential term. About 700,000 federal employees are furloughed without pay, and about 700,000 additional federal workers have been working without pay through the shutdown.

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© Photograph: Aashish Kiphayet/Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Aashish Kiphayet/Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Aashish Kiphayet/Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock

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Zohran Mamdani is filling disillusioned Americans with hope and inspiration | Osita Nwanevu

Whatever he manages to accomplish as mayor, much of potentially national significance can be learned from his candidacy alone

The thing that should surprise us most about Zohran Mamdani’s election is that it wasn’t a surprise. Well before the result was called on Tuesday night, weeks of reliable surveys had already suggested his victory in New York’s mayoral race, by a nine point margin over former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, would be a foregone conclusion ⁠— an extraordinary finish for a man unknown to the vast majority of New Yorkers when he launched his run just over a year ago. The campaign that followed was one of the greatest in American history.

True as it may be that both Cuomo and incumbent mayor Eric Adams were deeply flawed candidates marred by scandal, it was by no means inevitable that Mamdani would be the leading candidate against them ⁠— as recently as February he was polling at 1% in the Democratic primary, well-behind a slew of challengers with more name recognition, more experience and deeper roots in city politics. They were defeated by an ever-growing army of volunteers ⁠— 90,000 by the summer ⁠— led substantially by organizers from the Democratic Socialists of America. Early in the campaign, it was a given to many commentators that an openly leftist campaign for the mayorship of the world’s financial capital would face impossible headwinds. In Tuesday night’s victory speech, Mamdani opened with a quote from Eugene Debs. Per exit polling from CNN, one out of four New Yorkers who went to the polls described themselves as socialists.

Osita Nwanevu is a Guardian US columnist

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© Photograph: Heather Khalifa/AP

© Photograph: Heather Khalifa/AP

© Photograph: Heather Khalifa/AP

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The Choral review – Ralph Fiennes leads the choir in impressively unsentimental Alan Bennett fable

Genteel manners of first world war story about repressed passion delivered with surprising sexual candour

Alan Bennett’s new film, directed by Nicholas Hytner, is a quiet and consistent pleasure: an unsentimental but deeply felt drama which subcontracts actual passion to the music of Elgar and leaves us with a heartbeat of wit, poignancy and common sense. Music itself mysteriously exalts and redeems the community, and I mean it as the highest possible praise when I say that The Choral reminds me of Victoria Wood’s musical That Day We Sang, about the recording of Purcell’s Nymphs and Shepherds by Manchester Children’s Choir.

The film is about men in a fictional Yorkshire town during the first world war who are variously too old or too young to fight, and the women who have to deal with the menfolk’s repressed emotions and their own. The place is upended by the arrival of Dr Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) who is to be the choirmaster, directing the music society’s annual production; he scandalises some with the fact that he once lived in Germany and has a scholar’s love of that country’s literature and music – as well as the fact that he is a bachelor who had a close friendship with another young man now serving overseas.

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© Photograph: Nicola Dove

© Photograph: Nicola Dove

© Photograph: Nicola Dove

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Opinion: Activist judges are eroding Canada’s democracy by abusing the Charter

Canadians rightly respect their courts. Such respect is foundational to public trust in our institutions and confidence that disputes are resolved fairly. Yet, confidence in the justice system is starting to slip, particularly at the appellate and Supreme Court levels, where decisions increasingly divide Canadians along political lines. Read More
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Traitors winner shares how to master ultimate game of deceit

This week on Streamline, we dive into The Celebrity Traitors – the ultimate watercooler show where Britain’s best-loved stars lie, bluff and backstab their way to victory. From Jonathan Ross being a style icon that rivals Claudia Winkleman, to Alan Carr’s theatrics, it’s the no-so guilty pleasure that’s got us all hooked.

© The Independent, BBC

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J.D. Tuccille: Really close the U.S. government and keep it closed

As I write, the U.S. is about to set another record, this time for the longest government shutdown ever. Never mind that D.C.’s phony shutdown really suspends just enough funding and functionality to inconvenience people without hindering the federal leviathan from lumbering along more or less as usual. Now air traffic control has been disrupted, and beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are making do with partial subsidies. Congress remains deadlocked — so we’re told — something must be done to get the theatrically paused government running once again. Read More
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