Voters in six states head to polls with Kentucky’s Massie facing Trump’s fury – US politics live

Government announces a near tenfold increase but forces fear it will not cover anticipated cost of dedicated teamsKeir Starmer’s government has announced a near tenfold increase in funding for detectives hunting grooming gangs but has been warned by police that the amount will “likely fall short” of what is needed.Operation Beaconport, which was set up last year to review closed group-based sexual exploitation inquiries in England and Wales, will receive nearly £38m, a Home Office statement said – up from £4m given last year. Continue reading...

Retired NHS worker Nicholas Stone died after becoming unwell at protest against far-right Bristol PatriotsThe police watchdog is investigating the use of force against a retired NHS worker who attended a counter-demonstration against the far right and died shortly after contact with officers there.Nicholas Stone, 65, who lived in Bristol, died on 10 January after becoming unwell at a protest opposing the rightwing group Bristol Patriots, who were demonstrating in the city centre. Continue reading...

Pub owner’s sale to Barcelona-based brewer Damm is latest takeover of a British beer by an overseas buyerBusiness live – latest updatesPub chain Greene King has agreed to sell its Old Speckled Hen ale brands to the Spanish owner of Estrella lager, making it the latest in a series of British beers to be snapped up by overseas buyers.Barcelona-based brewer Damm has agreed to buy Old Speckled Hen brands, including its non-alcoholic and golden ale versions. Continue reading...

Catalan police questioning Jonathan Andic over father Isak Andic’s apparent fall down a mountain ravine in 2024Police in Catalonia have arrested the son of Isak Andic, the founder of the fashion chain Mango, and are questioning him in connection with the death of his father in the mountains near Barcelona almost 18 months ago.Andic, who was 71, died in December 2024 after apparently falling 100 metres down a ravine while hiking in Montserrat with his son, Jonathan. His death prompted tributes from politicians, journalists and the fashion world. Continue reading...

Researchers found over 1,600 primates listed for sale on Facebook, TikTok and more over a six-week period in 2025A new report from leading wildlife and conservation organizations has revealed a sharp rise in the online sale of primates across major social media platforms in the US, raising concerns about wildlife trafficking, public safety and animal welfare.The report, titled Primates for Purchase: The Surge in Sales on Social Media in the US, was released Tuesday by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Continue reading...

Ben Crump says $4.85m police settlement over fatal traffic stop helps to show how ‘truth must always come to light’“No amount of money can erase” the pain that motorist Ronald Greene’s death at the hands of Louisiana police inflicted on his loved ones, but a $4.85m settlement which the state has agreed to pay his family helps illustrate how “the truth must always come to light”, their attorney has said.Ben Crump recently expressed those sentiments in a statement that served as one of his and his clients’ first public reactions to news first reported by the Guardian that mediation talks on 12 May had yielded a settlement between Louisiana authorities and Greene’s family. Continue reading...

Republican critic of president faces challenge from Ed Gallrein, while Georgia and Pennsylvania hold key contestsThe biggest day of primaries yet arrives Tuesday, with voters in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon and Idaho, heading to the polls to select candidates ahead of November’s midterm elections.While many primaries will be resolved with little drama, some have shaped up to be among the most contentious elections of the year so far, serving as gauges of Donald Trump’s control of Republicans, and the direction Democratic voters are looking to steer their party as they seek to retake control of Congress. Continue reading...

State department says Afrikaners in ‘emergency refugee situation’, a claim previously rebutted by South AfricaThe US government has said it will increase the number of white South Africans it admits as refugees this year from about 7,500 to 17,500, claiming that “unforeseen developments in South Africa created an emergency refugee situation.”Since starting his second term in office last year, Donald Trump has repeatedly made false claims that white Afrikaners are racially targeted and face a “white genocide”, which South Africa’s government has furiously rebutted. Continue reading...

At least 130 people thought to have been killed, says Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus before emergency meeting‘It’s heartbreaking’: panic in eastern DRC over return of EbolaThe director general of the World Health Organization has said he is deeply concerned about the scale and the speed of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there had been at least 500 suspected cases of Ebola and 130 suspected deaths in DRC since the new outbreak began. Thirty cases had been confirmed in DRC’s north-eastern province of Ituri, and one death and one case had been confirmed in Kampala, Uganda, he added. In addition, he said, there was “one US citizen confirmed positive and transferred to Germany, as reported by the US”. Continue reading...

London-headquartered bank will reduce back-office jobs and aims to move some workers to new rolesBusiness live – latest updatesStandard Chartered plans to cut more than 7,000 jobs over the next four years as it increasingly uses artificial intelligence.The London-headquartered lender is one of the first major global banks to lay out plans to cut thousands of jobs, citing AI as a driver to make its operations slimmer as it seeks to increase its profitability and tackle competition. Continue reading...

Cornwall Insight predicts rise in price cap of nearly 13% in Great Britain as Iran war pushes up gas costsBusiness live – latest updatesHouseholds in Great Britain could see their energy bills increase by over £200 a year to almost £1,900 from this summer in “a kick in the teeth” for millions struggling with the cost of living crisis.A typical gas and electricity bill is now forecast to reach £1,850 a year from July under the industry regulator Ofgem’s quarterly price cap, according to analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight. Continue reading...