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PM says the government will not tolerate' rioting and says people were targeted because of their background'Keir Starmer has issued a statement about the rioting in Belfast last night. He says people were targeted because of their background (he means race - but doesn't say so explicitly), and says the government won't tolerate this.He also condemns those who encouraged" the disorder online. This seems like a clear reference to Elon Musk - although the PM does not refer to him by name.The scenes in Belfast last night were shocking and completely unacceptable.There is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere. Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsAI companies are on track to borrow $570bn in 2026, according to estimates by the bank Morgan Stanley.Big tech companies are increasingly taking out more debt to fund their huge investment needs - and the US bank has found that AI-related debt issuance stood at almost $236bn as of the end of May. That is four times higher than the same point last year, according to a report by Reuters. Continue reading...

Company says it has strong bookings for England matches and has spruced up gardens for domestic tourists

Renewed outrage at White House's use manga and anime imagery after US president is depicted as ninja NarutoJapanese anime and manga fans are urging Donald Trump to stop using their favourite characters in his social media posts.About 20,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org entitled Protect Japanese Manga, protesting against the official White House X account posting videos featuring unauthorised use of imagery from the popular Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Naruto series. Angry fans have also been posting their displeasure on social media. Continue reading...

IRGC says it has targeted an airbase in Jordan hosting US forces, as well as Kuwait and Bahrain, in response to US strikes

Northern Ireland's justice minister says online bad faith actors' have incited racism in city after knife attack

Billboards are being painted over and former allies seem eager to forget the man they once glorifiedFor years, his bewhiskered face stared down from propaganda billboards glorifying the supposedly revolutionary rule of a dictator who styled himself as the protector of the people".The spin-doctored adoration was such that factories churned out plastic action figures exalting Nicolas Maduro as an indestructible" and iron-fisted" caped crusader nicknamed Super Moustache". Continue reading...

Outcome of polls in four states offers mixed signals about direction of two major parties before November's midtermsProgressives rallied round the controversial Graham Platner after his primary victory in Maine on Tuesday, while Donald Trump again exerted his grip on the Republican party, helping to defeat a politician who had pushed for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.Primary elections were held in four states - Maine, Nevada, North Dakota and South Carolina - ahead of November's midterms to decide control of both houses of Congress. The results offered mixed signals about the direction of the two major parties. Continue reading...

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England supporters face paying inflation-busting 95 for an adult shirt as the tournament begins in the USFans of World Cup teams kitted out by Nike face the highest costs if they want to buy a replica shirt before the tournament kicks off this week amid a striking" overall increase in prices.Alongside the official match versions, which are retailing for as much as 160, manufacturers typically make stadium", or replica, versions aimed at supporters. Continue reading...

The 700 projects include wind and solar farms, battery storage, gas and hydro plansMore than half the renewable energy projects needed to meet the government's clean power targets by 2030 are now able to plug into the electricity grid after years of delay, according to the system operator.The National Energy System Operator (Neso) has offered more than 700 clean energy projects in Great Britain a grid connection date since the start of the year, after a two-year process to unblock a bottleneck that threatened to delay projects into the 2030s. Continue reading...

Government plan to de-link gas and electricity prices aims to reduce bills for consumers after global surge in pricesHouseholds in England, Scotland and Wales could save nearly 200 a year on their energy bills if the government stepped into the market to act as the sole buyer of electricity, according to a thinktank.The research found that public procurement of electricity, meaning the government would become the single buyer" of power before it is resold to consumers, could shave billions of pounds from electricity prices. Continue reading...

MP Melanie Ward calls on Charity Commission to look into 32 organisations she says have given at least 28mThirty-two charities in England and Wales have donated at least 28m to Israeli settlements that are illegal under international law, an MP has said.Labour's Melanie Ward said that if gift aid were claimed against the donations in the usual way, it would mean taxpayers had subsidised illegal settlements to the tune of 5.6m, a situation she described as deplorable. The foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced on Tuesday that the Charity Commission has been tasked with investigating UK charities' links to settlements. Continue reading...

Diamond Light Source and ISIS Neutron and Muon Source face cuts of up to 20% as Science and Technology Facilities Council seeks savingsBritain's scientific capabilities face serious damage" with some national facilities at risk of closure under spending cuts that are being considered to meet spiralling costs at the government's infrastructure funding agency.The concern surrounds sites funded and operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), including the Diamond Light Source and ISIS Neutron and Muon Source in Oxfordshire and other national facilities at the Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire. Continue reading...

Survey in run-up to byelection also finds support for water renationalisation, wealth tax and cap on political donationsA majority of voters in Makerfield say they would be less likely to vote for an election candidate if they have posted offensive content on social media, polling shows.The polling for the campaign group 38 Degrees, undertaken by Survation, asked 518 voters in the Makerfield constituency for their views on a range of issues, with 55% saying they would be less likely to vote for a politician who has posted offensive material online. Continue reading...

Amazon and Sony among firms that may have sourced coltan, used in phones, from supply chains controlled by the M23 rebels, says Global WitnessLeading global brands including Amazon, Ericsson and Sony are likely" to have sourced minerals linked to a militia accused of widespread sexual violence, summary executions and torture, a new investigation claims.The companies allegedlybut unknowingly, acquired coltan smuggled from mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that are occupied by the M23 militia, which has committed myriad atrocities in eastern DRC. Continue reading...

Human rights lawyers and refugee advocacy groups are lauding the decision as a significant outcome'

Conservationists say cherished creatures such as whales, dolphins and seabirds are being killed in large numbers by fishing tackleThousands of Britain's most charismatic and protected marine wildlife, including whales, porpoises, dolphins, seals and seabirds are being killed as collateral damage" by fishing vessels every year, according to the first-ever analysis of bycatch data.The analysis, by the Wildlife and Countryside Link, a coalition of voluntary conservation groups, reveals the devastating toll bycatch, the accidental capture and killing of non-target species by fishing vessels, is having on marine species. Continue reading...

Former UK political operative endorsed by Trump will face off against Democrat Xavier Becerra in November electionRepublican Steve Hilton, the former UK political operative turned Fox News personality, has advanced to the November general election in the race to become California's next governor, facing off against Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former congressman, state attorney general and US health secretary.Hilton's success, a remarkable achievement for a recent immigrant, came after he was endorsed by Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Hilton has worn many hats since he arrived in the US 14 years ago, and now faces steep odds of defeating Democratic Xavier Becerra in NovemberAfter years of working in the background of Conservative party politics in Britain, Steve Hilton has passed the first major test as his own front man: clinching a spot in the November run-off to become California's next governor.The outcome was far from a given under California's open primary system, which rewards the top two vote winners regardless of party, and the particular challenge of running as a Republican in one of the most solidly blue states in the country. Continue reading...

Crowds gather at sites across Belfast after Sudanese man charged with attempted murder

Inspector of custodial services says inmates are sleeping on the floor and denied basic entitlements due to a systemic failure across multiple prisons'

Home city of Amazon and Microsoft passes moratorium as backlash against energy-guzzling AI infrastructure growsSeattle has passed a year-long moratorium on the construction of new datacenters. The city council voted unanimously in favor of the temporary ban on Tuesday.A major tech hub whose metro area is home to Amazon and Microsoft, Seattle is the largest US city to have passed such a moratorium as the backlash against AI infrastructure grows across the country. Continue reading...

Emily C Marks finds method proposed to kill Jeffery Lee violates ban on cruel and unusual punishmentA federal judge on Tuesday permanently blocked Alabama from executing a man with nitrogen gas after declaring the method violates the ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Alabama became the first state in the nation to use the execution method in January 2024, but has faced repeated legal challenges to its use.Emily C Marks, a US district judge, permanently enjoined the state from executing Jeffery Lee by nitrogen gas. Lee was scheduled to be executed Thursday at an Alabama prison. Continue reading...

President backs Pulte for acting DNI chief despite backlash that puts reauthorization of key surveillance law at riskDonald Trump met with the House speaker, Mike Johnson, at the White House on Tuesday as pressure mounts on the president to nominate a permanent director of national intelligence, the step some Republicans now believe is the only way to save a controversial and powerful surveillance law before it expires by the end of the week.At stake is section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a post-9/11 authority that allows US intelligence agencies to collect the communications of foreign targets overseas without a court warrant. While the program is intended to target non-Americans abroad, it can also sweep up communications involving Americans. This powerful and contentious spy tool is set to expire at midnight on Thursday. Continue reading...

AI company restricted access to Fable 5, its most powerful Mythos model, for months over cybersecurity concernsAnthropic, the maker of the Claude artificial intelligence (AI) models, made a new version of its technology available to the general public on Tuesday while restricting its use in sensitive areas.Dubbed Fable 5, the model is the first to be made widely available from the company's new Mythos class - its most advanced lineup of AI technology, unveiled in April but restricted to a small set of partner institutions for months over cybersecurity concerns. Continue reading...

Crowds, including people in masks and hoods, burned vehicles and properties after calls for demonstrations from far-right figures

Vice-president says deal could absolutely' come before midterms, as US strikes Iran after downing of helicopter

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Secure America Act passes largely along party lines in 214-212 vote, ending months-long standoff with DemocratsHouse Republicans on Tuesday approved a $70bn bill funding through the duration of his term the agencies leading Donald Trump's crackdown on undocumented immigrants, ending a months-long standoff with Democrats that at one point forced the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to shutter.The Secure America Act passed in a 214-212 vote that was largely along party lines, with Kevin Kiley, an independent who aligns with the Republicans, joining all Democrats in voting no. The Senate approved the measure last week, which allocates $38bn to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), $26bn to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and $5bn more to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through September 2029. The legislation now awaits Trump's signature. Continue reading...

Low wages and fears of ICE crackdowns have set workers on edge of strike as thousands set to arrive during World CupHospitality and food service workers in several US cities hosting World Cup games are warning of looming labor disputes and possible strikes as the largest single sport tournament in the world gets ready to kick off on 11 June.In Los Angeles, California, cashiers, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders, concessions workers and food attendants at the SoFi stadium reached a tentative agreement on Tuesday afternoon, but the union noted it had a contractual right to walk off the job if it determines that federal immigration enforcement is threatening worker safety during the World Cup. The US's opening match, against Paraguay, is scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium - rebranded as the Los Angeles Stadium for the tournament - on 12 June. Continue reading...

Leon O'Leary threw a smoke grenade and Connor Bishop a traffic cone at officers during disturbance in SouthamptonTwo men who threw a smoke grenade and traffic cone at police during the violence in Southampton that followed the sentencing of Henry Nowak's killer have been jailed.Leon O'Leary, 41, from Basingstoke, Hampshire, was sentenced to three years and one month after throwing a smoke grenade at officers. Continue reading...

Fears grow over anti-immigration protests after asylum seeker charged with attempted murder in Northern IrelandThe Sudanese barber shop owner was at his cash register and smiling at the question, Did he feel safe in Belfast?", when two men strolling down the street paused at his open doorway and unleashed a sudden, shrieking howl.It ended as abruptly as it began and without saying a word the two men, white, in their 20s, wearing grey tracksuits, resumed their stroll. Continue reading...

David Stroud grabbed a woman's hair and asked if he could kiss her two days after legislation took effectA train passenger has become the first person to be sentenced under a new harassment law after a prosecution brought by the British Transport Police (BTP).David Stroud, 44, grabbed a woman's hair and asked her can I kiss you?" on a rail journey to London on 3 April, two days after the new legislation came into force banning harassment motivated by a person's sex. Continue reading...

Attack was filmed and shared online prompting Elon Musk and others to call for anti-immigration protestsPoliticians from across the spectrum have called for calm after a knife attack in Belfast prompted widespread shock and condemnation.There are fears there could be disorder after figures on social media, including Elon Musk, called for people to fill the streets in protest against immigration. The alleged perpetrator of the attack, which was filmed and shared widely online, was revealed today as an asylum seeker from Sudan. Continue reading...

Political row emerges over state's failure to tackle sexual violence against children as people protest across FranceA lawyer for the family of an 11-year-old girl whose disappearance and murder sparked protests across France has called for more funding for the struggling justice system, amid a political row over the French state's failure to tackle sexual violence against children.Frankly, if the justice system had more resources, this tragedy and all the others wouldn't have happened," said the family's lawyer, Francois Roujou de Boubee, on Tuesday. The victim's family and I trust in the justice system. So enough is enough." Continue reading...

Oysterman and marine veteran favored to win Democratic primary amid a string of controversiesVoters are headed to the polls on Tuesday for primary elections that include a crucial Senate race involving the scandal-haunted Graham Platner.In Maine, Platner is favored to win the Democratic primary after his main opponent, former governor Janet Mills suspended her campaign. Incumbent senator Susan Collins remains safely at the top of the Republican ticket - just slightly behind newcomer Platner's lead in polling. Continue reading...

Maitiu Mag Tighearnan said he was there by chance and managed to protect a young lad'A man who used a hurling stick to fight off a knifeman in north Belfast has been named as Maitiu Mag Tighearnan.Tighearnan, from Northern Ireland, was filmed hitting the assailant five times on the head with the wooden hurley as other people kicked and punched him on Kinnaird Avenue on Monday night. Continue reading...

Police dispersed demonstrators in Nanyuki, 120 miles from Nairobi, amid rising anger at US plansKenyan police have shot dead a man during a protest against a proposed Ebola quarantine facility for US citizens.Patrick Wahome, who has organised protests in Nanyuki against the centre, told Reuters on Tuesday the man died from a gunshot wound to the head. Reporters from the agency saw the body lying motionless in a police van with a large head wound. Continue reading...

Daniel Crago says he feels extremely lucky' after encounter with bear at Glacier national park last monthAs the large roaring grizzly bear charged down at him from across a snow field in Montana and mauled him, hiker Daniel Crago had just enough time to put his arm up and think: This is it."But two weeks after that perilous, exceedingly rare encounter in Glacier national park, Crago, 32, is still alive, recovering after three surgeries and feeling extremely lucky", he said on Monday in an interview with ABC News. Continue reading...

Geoffrey Wall is alleged to have flown over 900 flights domestically and internationally between 2009 and 2025A former Air Canada pilot has been charged after flying for years without a proper license, Canadian police have said.Geoffrey Wall, of Barrie, Ontario, is alleged to have operated as an airline captain between 2009 and 2025 without a license to fly large commercial passenger planes, according to Peel regional police. Continue reading...

Labour backbenchers disappointed as new trade guidance over illegal settlements stops short of outright banThe UK in alliance with a group of other western powers including France and Norway has announced it is imposing sanctions on six firms and one individual involved in enabling and financing the recent upsurge in settler violence in the West Bank.However, the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, disappointed many of her own backbenchers by stopping short of banning trade, saying instead the government was only issuing updated advice to British firms not to become involved in any economic activity with the illegal settlements. Continue reading...

When politicians talk common sense' it's time to worry; when the Tory leader does, it's time to be doubly vigilantYou know how it is. You're a middle class, straight white man in his 60s in A&E. Possibly the most disadvantaged person in the entire country. You complain of chest pains. In the adjoining triage queue there is a black woman with what looks like a broken toe. You know what happens next. The black woman is seen within minutes. You have a cardiac arrest on the waiting room floor.Said no one ever. There may be times when there simply aren't enough staff in the A&E department. There may also be times when a doctor under pressure fails to make the right diagnosis. But no one for a minute believes they are being deliberately kept waiting any longer than necessary. The founding principle of the NHS is predicated on patients being treated according to the severity of their condition. Continue reading...

People flee historic district of ancient city after airstrikes hit residential areas and damage archaeological sites

Pontiff appeals in Catalan for harmony on Barcelona leg of Spain tour after making football foes in cityTo the delight of many, Pope Leo XIV kicked off the Barcelona leg of his week-long visit to Spain with a few words in Catalan, calling on the faithful who had gathered in the city's cathedral on Tuesday to build harmony and communion beyond all polarisation".The pontiff's familiar and commendable plea for people to set aside their differences may, however, have come a little late. Three days earlier, while chatting to journalists on the flight to Spain, Leo had made an awkward confession. Continue reading...

Bosses of M&S, Sainsbury's and Tesco among those writing to Starmer calling for action on youth unemployment crisis

Audience members said baby's cooing and gurgling ruined Branagh's return to the RSC after 30 years, with some seeking refundsBoatswain! The opening scene of Shakespeare's seminal play The Tempest, in which Prospero conjures up a violent storm to shipwreck his treacherous brother, is enough to wake up anyone - let alone a baby.Audience members at a matinee performance of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production, starring Kenneth Branagh as Prospero, complained after a baby gurgled and cooed its way throughout the entire first half. Continue reading...

Father and mother of Annabel Rook praised her dedication to helping others and want to focus on her legacyA retired Old Bailey judge has paid tribute to his daughter after her killer was jailed for life.Today at Snaresbrook crown court, Clifton George, 45, was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of the murder of Annabel Rook, 46, whom he stabbed in the living room of her own home in Stoke Newington, north London. Continue reading...

Tory leader takes aim at police guidance and says more black boys searched means more black lives saved

Gabriel Raimondo, who put his studies on hold to run in Channel Islands, is one of world's youngest politiciansMost politicians who win an election in Jersey are probably satisfied with a pat on the back from their supporters and a mention in the local newspapers.But after becoming one of the youngest politicians in the world, Gabriel Raimondo received a message of congratulations from Donald Trump. Continue reading...