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Lawmakers prepare for key procedural vote Saturday after dissent among GOP ranks threatens to postpone debateThe US Senate is preparing for a key procedural vote Saturday as Republicans race to pass Donald Trump’s package of tax breaks, spending cuts and bolstered deportation funds by his Fourth of July deadline.Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all Republican senators are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8tn in Trump tax breaks. Continue reading...

Seven-year-old girl dies in hospital after incident at Chalkwell park in Southend-on-Sea involving five childrenA young girl has died and another is in a critical condition after a tree fell in a seaside park in Essex on Saturday.The girls, aged seven and six, suffered serious injuries and were taken to hospital. Police said the seven-year-old girl died in hospital. Continue reading...

Police assessing video footage of rap trio’s performance to ‘determine if any offences may have been committed’Kneecap began a politically charged set at Glastonbury on Saturday afternoon, leading the crowds in chants of “Fuck Keir Starmer!”The Irish rap act took to the stage at 4pm for their controversial set, which had been criticised by the UK prime minister as not “appropriate”. Continue reading...

A former "trusted operative" of Donald Trump is sounding the alarm about a "global power shift" purportedly in the works.Lev Parnas, whose story of working with Trump on issues that led to the president's first impeachment is told in a documentary called From Russia with Lev, used to work closely with Trump and his aides. More recently, Parnas reported that Trump plans to "stonewall" Congress on crucial war issues.On Saturday, Parnas published a "breaking" report on the current situation between Trump and Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin."As I sit here this morning reflecting on the historic and horrifying moments of this past week, I want to be very clear: we are living through a global power shift—one being sealed with drone strikes, courtroom rulings, and backdoor alliances," the former Trump associate warned on his Substack. "In the early hours of today, a Russian suicide drone slammed into a high-rise residential building in Odessa, Ukraine. A married couple was killed in their sleep. At least 14 others were injured, including three children, and entire families were displaced as fire consumed three floors. While rescue teams fought to save lives, Moscow made it clear: this war isn’t slowing down—it’s accelerating."Parnas went on to say, "As Ukraine burns, here at home, the United States Supreme Court is paving the road for Donald Trump’s authoritarian regime. We are witnessing the dismantling of democratic checks and balances in real time—a legal coronation of a man who has made clear he will rule by vengeance, not by law."After highlighting some of the recent back-and-forth compliments between Putin and Trump, Parnas said, "Let me be clear: this is not normal diplomacy.""This is not about peace. This is not about national interest. This is about two men working toward a shared goal—through optics and orchestrated messaging. As I’ve told you again and again: the real conversations are happening behind closed doors," he wrote. "The back-and-forth public compliments between Trump and Putin? That’s all optics. Because Trump is the showman. Putin is the puppet master. And what you’re seeing now—the praise, the silence, the inaction—is the execution of deals that were already made."Continuing, Parnas said, "Deals not just about territory, but about minerals. About access. About leverage. And Trump, once again, is willing to trade it all—so long as it benefits him."He then flagged some key questions he says the press should be asking."Why is no one in the media asking: Why are Trump and Putin praising each other while Ukrainian civilians are being burned alive? Why has no one reported on the quiet Russian delegation that arrived in D.C.? Why are we not hearing anything from Steve Witkoff?" he asked. "The answer is simple: they don’t want you to know."Read the full post here.

An estimate of 60-80 interceptors were utilised during the conflict. A single launch of a THAAD interceptor costs between $12-15 million, so the entire cost of these interceptors sits between $810 million to $1.215 billion.

It's expected to strengthen into a tropical storm over the weekend.

Organisers of Budapest Pride said the government was attempting to restrict peaceful protests by targeting themJeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are preparing for the last party of their three-day wedding festivities in Venice as demonstrators mobilise for a final protest against the couple’s opulent nuptials in the Italian lagoon city.The Amazon founder, 61, and the former TV journalist, 55, exchanged vows in front of around 200 celebrity guests in a black-tie ceremony on the nearby island of San Giorgio Maggiore on Friday evening. Continue reading...

Elon Musk said a Tesla Model Y SUV drove itself from the company's factory near Austin to a customer's home in the company's latest move to showcase its push into autonomous driving.