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As completion of 144-year construction nears, questions swirl over resemblance of church to architect's original plansIt has been a long wait but 144 years after work began, Pope Leo XIV has blessed the recently completed central tower of Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia church in the presence of members of the Spanish royal family, the prime minister and hundreds of bishops.With the completion of the Jesus Christ tower, the tallest of 18 in the temple, the basilica has reached its full height of 172.5 metres. It is now not only the world's tallest church but Barcelona's tallest building. It was consecrated in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. Continue reading...

X owner retweets post by Reform's Matt Goodwin saying it is not social media that's inflaming tensions'

US president says he will look for a permanent director with experience in National Security' after backlash against Bill Pulte's lacking record

Two sides trade fire overnight and Trump promises more to come, a day after claiming they were close to agreeing a peace deal

President speaks to reporters, claiming the US was close to a deal but Iran is playing us for suckers'If the US genuinely wants a deal it will have to engage with Iranian demands on sanctions relief, says Danny Citrinowicz, the former head of the Iran branch of Israeli military intelligence.Today's exchange of strikes shows how easily both Iran and the US can slide towards another round of escalation, says Citrinowicz, who is now a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council.If Washington is unwilling to accept that reality, it should recognize the likely alternative: continued confrontations with Iran that could eventually spiral beyond anyone's control and lead to military conflict under less favorable conditions.Even a limited military campaign designed to weaken Iran would not fundamentally alter Tehran's negotiating position. It has not happened in the past, and there is little reason to believe it would happen now. Iran emerges from the latest exchange of blows convinced that it can absorb pressure and respond to attacks."Legal and moral responsibility of all countries in the region (especially those located along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf) to prevent the US military and Israel from using their territory or facilities to plan, organise, execute, or support hostile actions against Iran. Continue reading...

Republican who chairs House panel says he based decision on testimony from Epstein's longtime assistant Lesley GroffRepresentative James Comer, the Republican who chairs the House committee on oversight and government reform, announced that he would be asking Alan Dershowitz, Jeffrey Epstein's former attorney, to appear before the panel as part of its investigation into the late sex offender.I am going to ask Alan Dershowitz to come in, we will have questions for him and we will give him an opportunity to come in," Comer said on Wednesday morning, adding that the decision was based on the testimony of Lesley Groff, Epstein's longtime assistant, who testified before the committee on Tuesday, as well as a meeting that I had afterwards with several of the Epstein survivors". Continue reading...

Before the conflict began, inflation was at 2.4%, but the closure of the strait of Hormuz has affected energy pricesDonald Trump said I love the inflation" after new data showed that inflation jumped to an annual rate of 4.2% in May, the third consecutive monthly increase since the start of the Iran war and a three-year high.Speaking from the White House on Wednesday, the US president said that he was not concerned about inflation because of recent developments in the conflict. Continue reading...

Lucy Rigby says heavily subsidised system gives the government the right to alter terms of existing agreementsMinisters have rejected accusations that recent changes to student loans are unfair, arguing that they are so heavily subsidised that the government has the right to alter their terms.Pressure has been intensifying on the UK government to reform the student loans system but the chief secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby, told MPs on Wednesday that less than half of young people go to university, and the government had to bear in mind fairness to taxpayers as a whole". Continue reading...

Critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan population falls after extreme weather - fuelled by climate crisis - in North SumatraExtreme rainfall and landslides fuelled by the climate crisis killed 7% of the remaining population of the world's rarest great ape, a study has found, prompting fears for the species' survival.The research suggests 58 out of the remaining 800 critically endangered Tapanuli orangutans (Pongo tapanuliensis) were killed after more than 1,000mm (39in) of rain fell over four days in Indonesia's North Sumatra province in November 2025. This equates to 11% of the local population and 7% of the entire species. Continue reading...

Stranger Things actor makes first public comments about his ex's revealing hit album which tracks the dissolution of a relationshipDavid Harbour has spoken about his ex Lily Allen's tell-all album West End Girl for the first time in a new interview.The Stranger Things actor, who is on the Emmys trail for the HBO crime drama DTF St Louis, separated from the singer in early 2025 after they married in 2020. The couple filed for divorce months after their separation. Continue reading...

Sean Strickland claims he was not cleared to attend the UFC event because he made fun of Israel and Epstein'The only current men's US UFC champion says he has been barred from Sunday's fight card on the south lawn of the White House because he dared to criticize Donald Trump, Israel and Jeffrey Epstein.On Tuesday night, middleweight champion Sean Strickland wrote on X that he had been informed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that he had not been cleared to attend the event by the White House. Continue reading...

Enfield council in north London took legal action against restaurant chain after outrage over damage to treeThe UK restaurant chain Toby Carvery has settled a legal dispute over taking a chainsaw to an ancient oak tree without permission, by agreeing to pay to restore a lost orchard.The unauthorised partial felling of the 500-year-old oak next to a Toby Carvery car park in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, north London, in April last year, prompted widespread public outrage and questions in parliament. Continue reading...

Footage appears to contradict Israeli military's account of killing of seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal in West BankFootage has emerged that appears to contradict the Israeli military's account of the shooting that killed seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal in his mother's arms, showing the family's car slowing near a military post before soldiers opened fire.On Friday, the killing of the infant by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank caused outrage, after soldiers opened fire on the family's vehicle despite it having complied with an order to stop. Sam was killed and his mother, Daniyah Abu Haikal, and father, Fahed Abu Haikal, were both injured. Continue reading...

Retailer plans to shut unprofitable stores as falling US airport traffic due to Middle East conflict hits trading

Oscar winner Mikey Madison and Jeremy Strong to star in film focused on fallout from whistleblower Frances HaugenThe first trailer for Aaron Sorkin's eagerly anticipated follow-up to The Social Network has landed.The Social Reckoning has been described as a film that isn't a straight sequel" but one that will still revisit Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. Continue reading...

Relatives of Stephen Ogilvie say unrest is unwelcome and that many migrants make valuable contribution to UKThe family of the victim of the Belfast knife attack have called for calm after riots erupted across the city.Stephen Ogilvie is in hospital having lost his left eye in the attack, footage of which was shared widely on social media late on Monday evening and through the day on Tuesday. Continue reading...

System not fit for purpose due to poor infrastructure and planning, with minority groups particularly at risk, MPs sayThe UK's stem cell transplant system is potentially putting the lives of blood cancer patients at risk as a result of inadequate infrastructure and a lack of long-term planning, a parliamentary report has found.A hematopoietic stem cell transplant, often referred to as a bone marrow transplant, is a medical procedure in which stem cells from a healthy donor are transplanted into a patient. Continue reading...

Hadi Alodid, 30, further charged with possessing a knife in a public place and making threats to kill on same dayA man has appeared in court accused of the attempted murder of a man in Belfast on Monday night.Hadi Alodid, 30, of Duncairn Avenue, Belfast, was charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie. He was further charged with possessing a knife in a public place, Kinnaird Avenue, on the same day. Continue reading...

Jermiah Copeland had admitted killing Angelina Resendiz, attacking another sailor and illegally recording another

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...

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...

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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'

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...

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...