Month: June 2025

LIDL is launching a new garden plant range with flowers starting from just £1.99.

The budget supermarket has unveiled a huge variety of indoor and outdoor plants to help Brits give their gardens a glow-up without breaking the bank.

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Green-fingered shoppers can snap up British bedding plants and assorted flowering plants, which are perfect for brightening up flowerbeds, hanging baskets and window boxes this summer.

The budget blooms start from just £1.99 and are already hitting the famous middle aisle, with more due to land in stores later this week – just in time for the sunny season.

From Friday, 7 June, shoppers can pick up gorgeous flowering plants that will brighten your outdoor space from late spring all the way through to autumn, meaning you’ll get plenty of bang for your buck.

But that’s not all. Lidl is also stocking large perennials for just £4.99, and Hibiscus plants for only £6.99, which will add colour and height to any patio or garden display.

These prices are incredibly competitive, considering a 9cm potted perennial plant would set you back between £10 at Dobies.

Likewise, Waitrose sell Hibiscus plants for £12.99, whilst B&Q sell them for £11.99 – making Lidl the cheapest.

The new drop includes hardy plants in vibrant shades of purple, pink, white and yellow – ideal for creating a full, colourful display with minimal effort.

And for those looking to spruce up their indoor space, Lidl also has a fresh selection of houseplants and stylish ceramic pots in-store now.

The stylish plant allows you to revamp your lounge for just £14.99.

Available across stores nationwide, these blooming great buys are expected to fly off shelves, so you’ll want to be quick.

As always, stock is limited and varies by store, so head to to your local Lidl if you want to dig into these flowery deals.

Its also worth calling up ahead to check the items you’re after are in stock.

Garden makeover

Meanwhile, Lidl isn’t the only retailer offering great garden deals this summer.

In fact, a Home Bargains buy is said to add a touch of glamour to your garden.

The retailer is also selling a budget buy guaranteed to brighten up your space.

You can also add a stylish touch to your privacy fence with a B&M buy.

Or you can pick up another summer flower favourite from B&Q right now.

Shoppers can also nab a £9.99 novelty decor buy that adds character to flowerbeds.

A £7 gardening gadget is also available from Home Bargains and is guaranteed to transform your lawn.

And Lidl customers can add a “whimsical” touch to their flowerbeds for just £3.

Or a £2 B&M buy transforms your patio into an “ambient” paradise this summer.

Its always worth comparing prices across different stores to make sure you’re bagging the best deals.

That’s where price comparison tools can come in handy.

Websites like Google Shopping let you type in a product name or model number to instantly compare prices across dozens of retailers.

BOSTON — Mike Trout had three hits, including a three-run, 454-foot homer off the left-center field light stanchion in the Angels’ six-run first inning on Monday night and Los Angeles held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6.

Zach Neto homered to lead off the game, and the Angels opened a 5-0 lead before before Red Sox starter Richard Fitts (0-3) recorded his first out. Jo Adell also homered in the first and added another solo shot in the sixth after Boston cut the lead to 6-5.

Jarren Duran had three hits for Boston, including a double to start the four-run fifth inning. Ceddanne Rafaela homered to make it 7-6 in the eighth.

Ryan Zeferjahn (3-1) was credited with the win, pitching a scoreless seventh inning and striking out two. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 11th save, getting Romy Gonzalez on a line drive to the warning track in right to end it.

Boston scored four in the fifth to make it 6-5 and loaded the bases in the sixth before reliever Reid Detmers got cleanup hitter Carlos Narváez on a slow chopper to third to end the inning.

Trout spent a month on the injured list with a bone bruise on his left knee. He returned on Friday and has gone 8 for 14 since then.

Key moment: Neto’s homer was followed by a walk, single, error and Trout’s homer. One out later, Adell added a solo homer.

Key stat: With hits in his first three at-bats, Trout reached 1,675 in his career, passing Tim Salmon for second all-time in franchise history. Garret Anderson is first with 2,368.

Up next: Boston RHP Brayan Bello (2-1) faces Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi in the second game of the three-game series.

June 2 (UPI) — Just days before the U.S. Senate was set to hold a confirmation vote, President Donald Trump withdrew Jared Isaacman’s nomination for NASA administrator, citing “prior associations.”

While the White House did not reveal specifics about why the nomination was being pulled, spokesperson Liz Huston confirmed Monday that the administration is looking for a new candidate to lead the agency.

“The administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and execute President Trump’s bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars,” Huston said. “It’s essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon.”

On Saturday, Trump revealed in a post on Truth Social that he was withdrawing the nomination “after a thorough review of prior associations,” without providing more details.

“I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA. I will soon announce a new nominee, who will be mission aligned and will put America First in space,” Trump said.

Isaacman was expected to be confirmed this week after Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., filed cloture on the nomination May 22. Several Democratic members of the Senate Commerce Committee had voted with Republicans in April to favorably report the nomination to the full Senate.

Isaacman, a commercial astronaut and billionaire businessman with ties to SpaceX, led the first all-civilian space flight into orbit and had received the endorsement of 28 former NASA astronauts. Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., criticized the administration’s decision to pull his nomination.

“Astronaut and successful businessman Isaacman was a strong choice by President Trump to lead NASA,” Sheet wrote in a post on X. “I was proud to introduce Jared at his hearing and strongly oppose efforts to derail his nomination.”

NASA released details Friday about its proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, which includes 25% cuts to the space agency’s overall spending. In April, Isaacman criticized reports that science funding could be cut by nearly 50%, saying it “does not appear to be an optimal outcome.”

After Trump’s weekend post, Isaacman — who was nominated last December — thanked the president and the Senate “who supported me throughout this journey.”

“The past six months have been enlightening and, honestly, a bit thrilling. I have gained a much deeper appreciation for the complexities of government and the weight our political leaders carry,” Isaacman wrote Saturday in a post on X.

“I have not flown my last mission — whatever form that may ultimately take — but I remain incredibly optimistic that humanity’s greatest spacefaring days lie ahead. I’ll always be grateful for this opportunity and cheering on our president and NASA as they lead us on the greatest adventure in human history.”

Ukrainian drones struck multiple military airbases deep inside Russia on Sunday in a major operation a day before the neighbours held peace talks in Istanbul.

The Russian Defence Ministry said Ukraine had launched drone strikes targeting Russian military airfields across five regions, causing several aircraft to catch fire.

The attacks occurred in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions. Air defences repelled the assaults in all but two regions – Murmansk and Irkutsk, the ministry said.

“In the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, the launch of FPV drones from an area in close proximity to airfields resulted in several aircraft catching fire,” the Defence Ministry said. FPV drones are unmanned aerial vehicles with cameras on the front that relay live footage to operators, who in turn use those visuals to direct the drones.

The fires were extinguished, and no casualties were reported. Some individuals involved in the attacks had been detained, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

On Sunday night, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the “absolutely brilliant” Ukrainian drone attack on the Telegram messaging app.

But the Sunday attacks were only the latest in a series of audacious hits on Russian military facilities, territory and symbols of power over the past three years of war — often acknowledged by Kyiv, and in some cases widely believed to have been carried out by Ukrainian special forces.

What happened on June 1?

Zelenskyy said 117 drones had been used to attack the Russian bases on Sunday. “Russia has had very tangible losses, and justifiably so,” he said.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said that it had hit Russian military planes worth a combined $7bn in a wave of drone strikes on Russian air bases thousands of kilometres behind the front line.

Targets included the Belaya airbase in Irkutsk, about 4,300km (2,670 miles) from the Ukrainian border, and the Olenya airbase in south Murmansk, some 1,800km (1,120 miles) from Ukraine.

Earlier on Sunday, multiple local media reports in Ukraine claimed that the operation was carried out by the SBU using drones smuggled deep into Russia and hidden inside trucks.

At least 41 Russian heavy bombers at four airbases were hit, the reports said. The strikes reportedly hit Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers, which Russia uses to fire long-range missiles at Ukrainian cities.

Russia is yet to confirm the extent of the damage, but the attack could mark Ukraine’s most damaging drone strike of the war to date.

Al Jazeera’s John Hendren, reporting from Kyiv, said it’s “an audacious strike, one that Ukraine has been waiting a long time and patiently to deliver, and it’s come after Russian air strikes into Ukraine have dramatically accelerated over the past couple of weeks”.

What’s the backdrop?

Both Russia and Ukraine have sharply ramped up their drone attacks against the other side in recent days.

Russia launched more than 900 kamikaze drones and 92 missiles last week, killing at least 16 civilians. Those attacks followed days of Ukrainian strikes on Russian military infrastructure in Russia’s Tula, Alabuga and Tatarstan regions, in which Kyiv used at least 800 drones.

Meanwhile, Ukraine sent a delegation to Istanbul led by its Defence Minister Rustem Umerov for talks on Monday with Russian officials. A previous round of talks, on May 16, led to a deal under which Ukraine and Russia exchanged 1,000 prisoners of war each. Monday’s talks led to an agreement on another prisoner swap.

Zelenskyy, who has previously voiced scepticism about Russia’s seriousness about peace talks, said that the Ukrainian delegation would enter the meeting in Istanbul with specific priorities, including “a complete and unconditional ceasefire” and the return of prisoners and abducted children.

Russia has said it has formulated its own peace terms and ruled out a Turkish proposal for the meeting to be held at the leaders’ level.

Monday’s meeting in Turkiye was spurred by US President Donald Trump’s push for a quick deal to end the three-year war. But the meeting did not lead to any major breakthrough.

Trump, who has increasingly demonstrated frustration with the lack of progress towards a ceasefire, recently vented his frustration at Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Something has happened to him,” Trump wrote on his social media platform on May 25, referring to Putin. “He has gone absolutely CRAZY!”

Trump told reporters, “We’re in the middle of talking and he’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities.”

The US president is yet to react to Sunday’s Ukrainian attacks on Russian airbases.

The strikes are the latest in a series of stunning, headline-grabbing attacks that Russia has periodically suffered since it launched the full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Crimea Bridge attacks, 2022 and 2023

In May 2018, four years after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula, Putin drove a truck across a newly built bridge connecting the Russian mainland to the peninsula, enraging Ukrainians.

Ukraine would take its revenge, first in 2022 and then again in 2023.

In October 2022, a truck explosion that Russia blamed on Ukraine blew up a part of the bridge. Russia repaired the damage, and Putin tried to revive the symbolism of 2018, again driving across it, this time in a Mercedes.

But Ukraine would strike again. In July 2023, the bridge that serves as a crucial supply route for Russian forces in Ukraine was blown up. Russia’s National Antiterrorism Committee said the strike was carried out by two Ukrainian sea drones. Officials said two people were killed and a child was wounded.

Black Sea Fleet attacks, 2023

In September 2023, Ukraine launched a series of attacks on occupied Crimea, using drones and missiles to target key facilities of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet near Sevastopol.

Satellite images showed that the first attack destroyed half of the Black Sea Fleet’s communications command centre in Verkhnosadove.

Ukraine followed up on that attack with a strike against the Saky airfield in Crimea, which was hosting 12 Russian combat aircraft, including Su-24 and Su-30 fighter-bombers, according to the Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne.

Then came the most devastating of the attacks, on September 22.

Ukraine hit the Black Sea Fleet command headquarters and claimed to have killed 34 officers, including fleet commander Admiral Viktor Sokolov. A further 105 soldiers were reportedly wounded.

Kremlin attack, 2023

In the dead of night in early May 2023, the ultimate symbol of Russian power for centuries — the Kremlin — came under attack, as flashes of light from small explosions over the red building’s citadel were seen in images and grainy video around the world.

Moscow said that two Ukrainian drones had been used in the attack on Putin’s residence, but had been disabled by electronic defences.

“We regard these actions as a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the president’s life, carried out on the eve of Victory Day, the May 9 Parade, at which the presence of foreign guests is also planned,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

Zelenskyy denied that his country had attacked the Russian capital or its president.

“We don’t attack Putin, or Moscow, we fight on our territory,” Zelenskyy told a news conference in Helsinki, Finland. But independent analysts, including from Western nations that are Ukrainian allies, believe Ukrainian special forces were behind the drone attacks on the Kremlin.

And a year later, Ukraine would blur the line between its territory and Russian land in the escalating war between the neighbours.

Kursk invasion, 2024 and 2025

Ukrainian forces launched a surprise attack on the Kursk region on August 6, 2024, taking Moscow by surprise. Russia began evacuating the neighbouring Belgorod region as the country’s forces were forced to confront Ukraine’s offensive in Western Russia.

At the height of the incursion, Ukrainian forces claimed nearly 1,400 square kilometres (540 square miles) of Kursk — roughly twice the size of Singapore.

By the start of 2025, Russia had most of the territory it lost in Kursk before Ukraine launched a second wave of attacks in January.

However, Kyiv suffered a major setback earlier this year after Trump temporarily cut off all military and intelligence assistance. By early March, Russia had recaptured most of the territory.

SANTANDER is slashing interest rates for two of its savings accounts from today – and customers should check if they’re affected.

The major bank is cutting savings rates from June 3 (today) on its Good for Life ISA and Rate for Life accounts.

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The interest rate on the Good for Life ISA account will drop from 4.5% to 4.25%, while the rate for the Rate for Life account will drop from 4.75% to 4.5%.

Those who have saved less than £1,000 in the Rate for Life account will still continue to earn the same rate (1%) on these balances.

It comes after the Bank of England (BoE) cut the base rate from 4.5% to 4.25% last month – the fourth cut since 2020.

The base rate is used by banks to determine the interest rates offered to customers on savings and borrowing costs.

While a rate cut is good news for borrowers, it’s usually bad news for savers, who will usually see savings rates fall when the base rate is cut.

This means they will earn less on their cash.

For example, the average easy access savings rate was 2.78% on May 8, when the base rate was cut.

Now it has dropped to 2.72%, according to comparison site Moneyfacts.

Santander is not the only bank cutting rates on savings accounts. HSBC has also cut rates on eight of its savings accounts today.

Nationwide Building Society cut savings rates on 63 of its accounts on Sunday, from easy-access ISAs to children’s accounts.

NatWest cut savings rates on four of its accounts last Friday.

Meanwhile, rates on three of its savings accounts and a kids’ current account will be slashed from July 15.

How to get the best savings rate

As savings rates tumble, now is a good time to check what the interest rate is on your existing account.

Around £280billion is sitting in accounts paying zero interest, according to latest data from the BoE.

If you have an interest rate below the rate of inflation – which is currently 3.5% – then consider moving your money elsewhere, otherwise the spending power of your savings is eaten away.

Use price comparison sites such as moneysavingexpert.com or moneyfactscompare.co.uk to browse the best savings accounts on the market.

The best easy access savings rate (based on a balance of £1,000) is offered by Atom Bank at 4.5 per cent.

Experts are predicting that more cuts to the base rate this year are likely, so it may be worth considering locking up your money in a fixed rate savings account if you can afford to do so.

The best one year fixed rate savings account is offered by Hampshire Trust Bank at 4.45%.

However, be aware that you usually can’t make withdrawals out of fixed term savings accounts, even in an emergency.

Anne Bowes from The Private Office said: “Review your savings accounts and switch if you are being paid an uncompetitive rate.

“Double check the terms and conditions of any account you are looking to open – or indeed close – as some accounts may have very short-term bonuses or restricted access.

“That means you might not earn as much interest as you hoped, or get hold of the money in as timely a manner as you were expecting.”

How to switch banks

For customers not happy with the latest shake-up, you may want to consider switching banks.

Switching bank accounts is a simple process and can usually be done through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).

Dozens of high street banks and building societies are signed up – there’s a full list on CASS’ website.

Under the switching service, swapping banks should take seven working days.

You don’t have to remember to move direct debits across when moving, as this is done for you.

All you have to do is apply for the new account you want, and the new bank will tell your existing one you’re moving.

There are a few things you can do before switching though, including choosing your switch date and transferring any old bank statements to your new account.

You should get in touch with your existing bank for any old statements.

When switching current accounts, consider what other perks might come with joining a specific bank or building society.

Some banks offer 0% overdrafts up to a certain limit, and others might offer better rates on savings accounts.

And some banks offer free travel or mobile phone insurance with their current accounts – but these accounts might come with a monthly fee.

Grupo Firme was unable to show up for its previously planned June 1 set at Napa’s La Onda festival.

The Tijuana band announced the cancellation Friday afternoon on social media.

“Currently, the visas of Grupo Firme and the Music VIP [Entertainment] team are in an administrative process by the U.S. Embassy, a situation that makes it impossible for Grupo Firme’s performance at La Onda Fest to go on as planned,” the band wrote in a statement posted on its Instagram stories. “We are sorry for the inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your understanding and, above all else, the love from our U.S. fans.”

Grupo Firme is the latest international musical act facing visa issues since President Trump took office for his second presidential term. Many of these have been música Mexicana artists.

The group’s news came only a week after Mexican singer Julión Álvarez postponed his May 24 show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, after he claimed his work visa had been revoked.

The 42-year-old musician alleged in a May 23 Instagram video that he had received the news of his work visa revocation that day, leaving him and his band unable to travel to Texas for their planned performance. He also claimed he didn’t have a full sense of clarity regarding the ongoing status of his visa and was limited in what he could dispel about the situation.

Also in May, Chicago’s Michelada Fest, a Spanish-language music festival that had programmed several Latin American acts was canceled due to concerns over artists’ visas.

“Due to the uncertainty surrounding artist visas and the rapidly changing political climate, we’re no longer able to guarantee the full experience we had dreamed up for you with all your favorite artists,” the festival’s organizers explained in a statement. “Although we tried to push through, it became clear that we wouldn’t be able to deliver the full lineup as planned.”

The organizers would go on to write that, as an independent outfit, Michelada Fest “can’t afford to take on a big risk with so much uncertainty ahead.”

Grupo Firme, Anitta, Danny Ocean, Tokischa and Luis R. Conriquez were scheduled to perform at the July festival.

In early April, the U.S. State Department canceled the work and tourist visas of the members of the Mexican corrido band Los Alegres del Barranco after the group displayed photos of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes at its concert in Guadalajara, Mexico.

During their March 29 show at the University of Guadalajara, the band put an illustrated depiction of Cervantes — a key player in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG — on a mega-screen while playing their song “El Dueño del Palenque.” Videos of the incident were captured on social media.

“I’m pleased to announce that the State Department has revoked the band members’ work and tourism visas. In the Trump Administration, we take seriously our responsibility over foreigners’ access to our country,” said Christopher Landau, the U.S. deputy Secretary of State in April. “The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists.”

Outside of the world of Latino artists, British singer FKA twigs announced in April on Instagram that she had to cancel series of concerts for the month in North America — including a slot at Coachella 2025 — due to “ongoing visa issues.”

West Brom have appointed Ryan Mason as their head coach.

The Championship side, who dismissed Tony Mowbray on 21 April, opened talks with Mason, 33, last week and he arrives at the Hawthorns on a three-year deal.

It brings a seven-year coaching career at Tottenham to an end for Mason, who progressed through the club’s academy to also play 70 times for his boyhood team.

“This is a huge club with a fantastic infrastructure and an incredible fanbase, and I am excited about what we can achieve together,” said Mason.

“Having spoken at length to the board and those at the club I am convinced that Albion is the perfect place for me to be and I can’t wait to get started.

“I will bring with me a huge amount of enthusiasm, dedication and ambition, and look forward to a positive future together at such a fantastic club.”

Nationalist populist Karol Nawrocki will be Poland’s next president after a tight election race. His victory marks a significant boost for the populist tide in Europe and around the globe.

Electoral Commission results on Monday showed that Nawrocki, backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, won 50.89 percent of the vote. His rival, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, received 49.11 percent in Sunday’s run-off.

The close result is being viewed as an illustration of the deep divide in Polish society between conservative forces, often linked to the powerful Catholic Church, and liberals, largely based in major cities.

Although the government holds the majority of power in Poland, Nawrocki is expected to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Andrzej Duda from PiS in using the president’s veto power to block Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s agenda.

Tusk’s centrist coalition government has pledged to reform the judicial system, which PiS revamped during eight years in power that came to an end in 2023. PiS’s changes caused a bitter fight with the European Union, which said they politicised the judiciary and were undemocratic.

The government has also struggled to ease restrictions on abortion and institute LGBTQ rights due to Duda’s resistance.

Nawrocki has pledged to protect Poland’s sovereignty from what he calls excessive interference from Brussels while he also has been critical of Ukraine’s hopes of joining the EU and NATO.

Although he remains supportive of Kyiv in its war against Russia, Nawrocki has also promised to put the interests of Poles above the large number of Ukrainian refugees that the country has taken in.

Therefore, his victory could complicate Warsaw’s relations with the EU and impact its support for Ukrainian refugees.

United States President Donald Trump gave Nawrocki his blessing before the election, and right-wing forces in Europe, who were disappointed by the defeat of nationalist George Simion in Romania’s presidential election last month, have been quick to celebrate.

Here is how the world reacted to his victory:

Poland

Trzaskowski conceded defeat and congratulated Nawrocki on his win but also cautioned him to represent all Poles. “This win is an obligation, especially in such difficult times. Especially with a close result. Don’t forget that,” Trzaskowski said on X.

Slawomir Mentzen, leader of the far-right Confederation party, who came third in the May 18 first round of the election, told Nawrocki: “I am really counting on you not forgetting those millions of voters who did not vote for you in the first round but did yesterday. These people wanted change.”

“The referendum on the dismissal of the Tusk government has been won,” PiS lawmaker Jacek Sasin wrote on X.

European Union

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent her congratulations, saying she is “confident” that “very good cooperation” with Warsaw would continue.

“We are all stronger together in our community of peace, democracy, and values. So let us work to ensure the security and prosperity of our common home,” she said on X.

Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he looks forward to “fruitful cooperation” with Poland.

“By reinforcing one another on our continent, we give greater strength to Europe in global competition and bring the achievement of real and lasting peace closer,” Zelenskyy said.

Germany

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier congratulated Nawrocki and urged Poland to “cooperate closely based on democracy and rule of law”, stating that the two neighbours must cooperate to “ensure a future of security, freedom and prosperity for Europe”.

NATO

Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he was looking forward to working with Nawrocki on “making sure that with Poland, NATO becomes even stronger than it is today”.

France

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen welcomed the result of the election, branding it as “a rebuff to the Brussels oligarchy, which intends to impose a standardisation of legislation on member states, contrary to any democratic will”, and the European Commission’s “authoritarian policies and federalist ambitions [that] are brutalising national sovereignty”.

Hungary

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who seeks to make himself a figurehead for Europe’s nationalist populist forces, congratulated Nawrocki on his “fantastic victory”. Orban added that he is “looking forward to working with [Nawrocki] on strengthening Visegrad cooperation”, a reference to the four-nation Visegrad Group, in which the Czech Republic and Slovakia are also members.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called Nawrocki’s success a “fresh victory for [European] patriots”.

Romania

“Poland WON,” Simion, whose failure to win the Romanian presidency disappointed nationalist and eurosceptic forces, wrote on X.

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a new prisoner swap and the return of thousands of war dead during direct talks in Istanbul although little headway was made towards ending the war.

The delegations met on Monday at the Ottoman-era Ciragan Palace in the Turkish city, and officials confirmed that both sides will exchange prisoners of war and the remains of 6,000 soldiers killed in combat.

Negotiators from both sides confirmed they had reached a deal to swap all severely wounded soldiers as well as all captured fighters under the age of 25.

“We agreed to exchange all-for-all seriously wounded and seriously sick prisoners of war. The second category is young soldiers who are from 18 to 25 years old – all-for-all,” Ukraine’s lead negotiator and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov told reporters in Istanbul.

Russia’s lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said the swap would involve “at least 1,000” on each side – topping the 1,000-for-1,000 POW exchange agreed at talks last month.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking from Vilnius, Lithuania, said the two parties “exchanged documents through the Turkish side” and Kyiv was preparing for the next group of captives to be released.

The Istanbul meeting marks the second direct dialogue in less than a month, but expectations were low. The talks on May 16 produced another major prisoner swap but failed to reach a ceasefire.

“The exchange of prisoners seems to be the diplomatic channel that actually works between Russia and Ukraine,” Al Jazeera correspondent Dmitry Medvedenko said, reporting from Istanbul.

“We’ve actually had exchanges of prisoners throughout this war, not in the numbers that have been happening as a result of these Istanbul talks,” Medvedenko added.

Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said Kyiv also handed over a list of children it accuses Russia of abducting and demanded their return.

As for a truce, Russia and Ukraine remain sharply divided.

“The Russian side continued to reject the motion of an unconditional ceasefire,” Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya told reporters after the talks.

Russia said it had offered a limited pause in fighting.

“We have proposed a specific ceasefire for two to three days in certain areas of the front line,” Medinsky said, adding that this was needed to collect the bodies of dead soldiers from battlefields.

At the negotiating table, Russia presented a memorandum setting out the Kremlin’s terms for ending hostilities, the Ukrainian delegation said.

Umerov told reporters that Kyiv officials would need a week to review the document and decide on a response. Ukraine proposed further talks on a date between June 20 and June 30, he said.

After the talks, Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti published the text of the Russian memorandum, which suggested as a condition for a ceasefire that Ukraine withdraw its forces from the four Ukrainian regions that Russia annexed in September 2022 but never fully captured.

As an alternate way of reaching a truce, the memorandum presses Ukraine to halt its mobilisation efforts and freeze Western arms deliveries, conditions that were suggested earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The document also suggests that Ukraine stop any redeployment of forces and ban any military presence of third countries on its soil as conditions for halting hostilities.

The Russian document further proposes that Ukraine end martial law and hold elections, after which the two countries could sign a comprehensive peace treaty that would see Ukraine declare its neutral status, abandon its bid to join NATO, set limits on the size of its armed forces and recognise Russian as the country’s official language on par with Ukrainian.

Ukraine and the West have previously rejected all those demands from Moscow.

Ceasefire hopes remain elusive

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the talks “magnificent”.

“My greatest wish is to bring together Putin and Zelenskyy in Istanbul or Ankara and even add [United States President Donald] Trump along,” he said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who chaired the talks, said the world was watching closely. He acknowledged the two sides had discussed the conditions for a ceasefire but no tangible outcome was announced.

Oleksiy Goncharenko, a Ukrainian member of parliament, told Al Jazeera he was not very optimistic about the talks in Istanbul.

“Russia clearly shows that they don’t want to end the war because Ukraine proposed a 30-days ceasefire in March, and the American and Europe proposition was the same, but only one country [Russia] refused,” Goncharenko said.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has ramped up its military efforts far beyond the front lines, claiming responsibility for drone attacks on Sunday that it said damaged or destroyed more than 40 Russian warplanes. The operation targeted airbases in three distant regions – the Arctic, Siberia and the Far East – thousands of kilometres from Ukraine.

“This brilliant operation will go down in history,” Zelenskyy said, calling the raids a turning point in Ukraine’s struggle.

Ukrainian officials said the attacks crippled nearly a third of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet. Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine, said the mission had taken more than a year to plan.

Zelenskyy said the setback for Russia’s military would increase pressure on Moscow to return to the negotiating table.

“Russia must feel the cost of its aggression. That is what will push it towards diplomacy,” he said during his visit to Lithuania, where he met leaders from NATO’s eastern flank and Nordic countries.

Ukraine’s air force, meanwhile, reported that Russia launched 472 drones on Sunday – the highest number since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022 – aiming to exhaust Ukrainian air defences. Most of those drones targeted civilian areas, it said.

On Monday, Russian forces bombarded southern Ukraine’s Kherson region, killing three people and injuring 19, including two children. Separately, five people were killed and nine injured in attacks near Zaporizhzhia in the neighbouring Zaporizhia region.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its forces had intercepted 162 Ukrainian drones overnight across eight regions and Crimea while Ukraine said it shot down 52 of 80 drones launched by Russia.

Zelenskyy warned that if the Istanbul talks fail to deliver results, more sanctions against Russia will be necessary. “If there’s no breakthrough, then new, strong sanctions must follow – urgently,” he said.

A travel influencer has taken to social media to brand an ‘underrated’ holiday destination as the ultimate ’10 out of 10′ – and it is perfect for those on a budget

A travel influencer has hailed Malta as the ultimate ’10 out of 10′ destination, branding it extremely underrated. While many fantasise about exploring the historic ruins in Greece or basking on the sun-drenched beaches of Ibiza, Hannah, a TikTok travel expert, insists this often-neglected gem has everything to offer – particularly for those on a shoestring budget.

On her TikTok account @hannahshols, she shared: “Malta is by far the most underrated country I think I’ve ever visited. This is why you need to put it on your 2024 travel list.” She provided a brief cost rundown: “A quick cost breakdown – we paid just over £400 each, five nights in Solana Hotel and spa.

READ MORE: Doctor tells Brit dad to ‘carry on’ as he loses two stone in two months with one change

“That included flights, accommodation, breakfast, baggage and transfers… So, here’s a couple of things that I would not miss out if you’re heading to Malta this year.”

Despite its small stature, Malta packs a punch with historical treasures like its awe-inspiring Megalithic Temples, which predate even the grandeur of Stonehenge and Egypt’s famed pyramids.

The island also boasts spectacular sea caves and the celebrated Blue Lagoon, reports the Express. Hannah, an experienced globetrotter, highly praises the marvels of Malta’s fortified capital Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site acclaimed for being ‘one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world‘.

She enthused: “Please just spend a day in Valetta roaming around, street dining, going to the boutique shops, wandering in and out of the gardens, seeing the cannons being fired at the saluting battery and checking out the harbour front.

“Once you’re bored of city life, please book a boat trip! So, we booked the Gozo, Comino and Blue Lagoon tour through Get Your Guide.”

Hannah, who found endless charm on the less populated but equally enchanting island of Gozo, described an unforgettable boating adventure that cost her just £29, dubbing it her ‘favourite day’.

She elaborated: “Just one thing I loved about Malta was that it was like nowhere I’d ever been before. It’s got such strong Arabic and Roman influences, it was just absolutely beautiful.

“And everyone we met just seemed so proud to be Maltese. So, overall Malta gets a 10 out of 10 from me and I could not recommend it enough.”

Coronation Street fans may want to get the tissues next week, as the soap are set to air the final goodbye for PC Craig Tinker – but one resident fails to attend

It’s set to be an emotional week in Coronation Street next week as Craig Tinker gets the send off he deserves after being brutally killed. However, things are thrown into chaos when one resident fails to show up.

We’ll also see Betsy sneakily visit someone in prison, and a shock arrest for another unlikely resident.

The funeral day starts off in panic when Sarah’s concerned to discover that Kit’s already left for the day. Lisa is then forced to step in and make a heartfelt speech at the funeral after he’s still no where to be seen. But where is Kit?

It’s evident he has a lot on his mind as absence comes after he finds Brody injured in an alley with a broken bottle of whisky next to him.

It’s also a tough week for Lisa – as Carla confides in Betsy that she’s worried for her partner. However, Betsy only adds to the worry as Lisa soon catches her daughter snooping through some of her old files.

If the emotions of the weeks on goings weren’t enough for Lisa, she’s set for another shock when she learns her daughter has lied about her whereabouts.

Unbeknownst to Lisa, Betsy shows best friend Lauren a picture on her phone of the letter she found containing information on her mum, Becky, and is intent on getting answers.

She then seeks support from Lauren, who accompanies her to the prison visiting room where she prepares to meet Logan, the villainous brother of Mason and Matty Radcliffe. Betsy tells him she’s here to find out what really happened to Becky. But will Logan’s return come with the answers she needs?

However, it’s not long before Steve lets slip to Lisa and Carla that Betsy has lied about her whereabouts and in fact ordered a cab to Highfield Prison. How will Lisa and Carla react?

Betsy’s not the only one in trouble – as Maria’s shock altercation leaves her in trouble with the police.

During the Platts barbeque, Maria demands Lou empties her pockets after assuming she’s stolen money from Shona. But are Maria’s accusations correct?

The drama later escalates when Lou is found on the living room floor with a broken coffee table – with Maria standing over her.

The police quickly arrive and tell Maria they’re arresting her on suspicion of ABH. But did she do it?

Elsewhere, there could be more upset for Todd after saying goodbye to his mother Eileen last week. He’s left gutted when Theo cancels their date – could their relationship be on the rocks?

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X.

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The morning after a man hurled Molotov cocktails at a crowd of Jewish Americans in Boulder, Colo., Rabbi Noah Farkas celebrated the first day of Shavuot in the usual way: He read the Torah about the giving of the Ten Commandments to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai.

But Farkas, the president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, said what was supposed to be a holiday celebrating the establishment of law and order was marred by the weekend violence.

“The community is terrified,” Farkas said outside Temple Ramat Zion in Northridge.

“It’s remarkable to me that those who want to assault us are coming up with ever new and novel ways to do harm to us and to try to kill us.”

Twelve people between the ages of 52 and 88 were burned in the Colorado attack. A man — identified by law enforcement as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, an Egyptian citizen who had overstayed his tourist visa — used a “makeshift flamethrower” to attack demonstrators marching peacefully in a weekly event supporting Israeli hostages in Gaza.

According to an FBI affidavit, the attacker yelled “Free Palestine!” — the same cry uttered by the suspect in a May 21 incident in which two Israeli Embassy aides were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington.

The back-to-back attacks have unnerved many Jewish Americans — particularly as they come just a month after a man set fire to the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish. A suspect later said the fire was a response to Shapiro’s stance on Israel’s war on Gaza.

“We are in a completely new era for antisemitic violence in the United States,” said Brian Levin, the founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and professor emeritus at Cal State San Bernardino. “We are now at a point of extraordinary national security concern with respect to protecting Jewish communities across the U.S. and worldwide.”

Anti-Jewish hate crimes, Levin said, hit record levels nationally in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, the last year that the FBI has available data, anti-Jewish hate crimes rose 63% to a record 1,832 incidents, Levin said. Last year, religious hate crimes were up significantly in major U.S. cities, Levin said, with anti-Muslim hate crimes rising 18%, and anti-Jewish ones rising for the fourth consecutive year, up 12% to a new record.

“Over the last decade, we’re seeing more mass casualties attacks and they’re becoming more frequent and more fatal,” Levin said. “It used to be that anti-Jewish hate crimes, unlike a lot of other hate crimes, were much more tied to property damage and intimidation. Now were seeing just a slew of high intensity types of attacks.”

The attacks in the U.S. come as United Nations officials and aid groups warn that the situation in Gaza has become increasingly dire, with Palestinians in Gaza on the brink of famine as Israel continues its 19-month military offensive against Hamas militants.

Two weeks ago, Israel agreed to pause a nearly three-month blockade and allow a “basic quantity” of food into Gaza to avert a “hunger crisis” and prevent mass starvation.

On Sunday, Gaza health officials and witnesses said more than 30 people were reported killed and 170 wounded as Palestinians flocked to an aid distribution center in the southern Gaza, hoping to obtain food. The circumstances were disputed. Witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds about 1,000 yards from an aid site run by a U.S.-backed foundation, but Israel’s military denied its forces fired at civilians.

Levin attributed the rise in violence in the U.S. to a number of factors, including the Israel-Hamas war and the “increasingly unregulated freewheeling online environment.” Horrifying imagery coming out of the Middle East, Levin said, was amplified on social media by those who ascribed responsibility to anyone who believes Israel has a right to exist, or is Jewish, or wanted hostages to be released.

“What happens is angry and unstable people not only find a home for their aggression, but a honed amplification and direction to it that is polished by this cesspool of conspiracism and antisemitism,” Levin said.

In Los Angeles’ Pico-Robertson neighborhood, the mood was subdued Monday as a smattering of Orthodox families made their way to services to observe Shavuot. Many kosher establishments were closed and armed guards flanked entrances to larger Jewish centers and temples.

On Pico Boulevard, a 25-year-old Orthodox man carried a prayer shawl close to his chest as he headed to a service at a temple just before noon. He had slept just a few hours after staying up all night reading the Torah.

Despite the news of the attack in Colorado, the man — who identified himself as Laser — carried an easy smile.

“It’s a joyous holiday,” he said.

The Colorado attack was horrifying, he said, but it was not anything new and paled in comparison with the feeling that descended on the Jewish community in Los Angeles and across the world after Oct. 7.

“It’s never good to see or read about those types of things,” he said. “We just pray for the ultimate redemption, for peace here, peace abroad, peace around the world.”

At Tiferet Teman Synagogue, a man standing at the door repeatedly apologized to a Times reporter, saying that he would not discuss the event that happened in Colorado.

“I’m not going to invite politics into the community,” he said. “God bless you all.”

Others observing the holiday declined to have their photo taken and many of the businesses were closed. A quiet buzz pervaded Pico Boulevard as Orthodox members of the community made their way to services, many of them trying their best to avoid eye contact.

A Persian Jewish man from Iran said he has always been hesitant about religious violence. The man, who declined to give his name, was on his way to service.

“You always have to keep your eyes open,” he said. “No matter where you are in the world.”

Noa Tishby, an Israeli-born author who lives in L.A. and is Israel’s former special envoy for combating antisemitism and delegitimization, said that many Jewish people were afraid to congregate.

“The Jewish community feels under siege,” she said. “People are removing their mezuzahs from their doorsteps. They’re removing Jewish insignia from themselves, removing their Star of David or hiding it. They’re afraid to go to Jewish events.”

Tishby said that the Colorado attacker appeared to be motivated by antisemitism: the views and beliefs of the victims didn’t matter.

“What if that particular woman that man tried to burn alive yesterday, what if she was a Bibi hater, would that appease him?” Tishby asked, using a nickname for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “The answer is no. He doesn’t know what her political opinions are in America or in Israel. He just burned her because she was Jewish.”

Antisemitism, Tishby argued, was a shape-shifting conspiracy theory that had evolved into anti-Zionism.

“What happened is that the word Zionist is now a code name for Jew,” she said. “We have been warning for decades that anti-Zionism is the new face of antisemitism…. They’re taking all the hate, everything that’s wrong in the world right now, and they’re pinning it on the Jewish state.”

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass was quick to denounce the attack Sunday as “an atrocious affront to the very fabric of our society and our beliefs here in Los Angeles.” In a statement, she said she would call an emergency meeting at City Hall addressing safety and security across the city immediately after Shavuot.

“LAPD is conducting extra patrols at houses of worship and community centers throughout LA. Anti-Semitism will not be tolerated in this city,” she said.

After speaking to Bass on Sunday, Farkas said that he planned to meet in person with the mayor on Wednesday after the Shavuot holiday to have a “real, frank conversation” about antisemitism.

“There is a cycle that we go through where our hearts are shattered and yet we have to keep enduring,” Farkas said. “And it makes us call into question the commitment of our wider community and our government to the safety of the Jewish community.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

John Brenkus, the charismatic TV host who found creative ways to get sports fans to think about science, has died, his production company, Brinx.TV, said Sunday in a statement.

“John, co-founder of Base Productions, founder of Brinx.TV, and co-creator and host of the 6-time Emmy Award-winning ‘Sport Science,’ had been battling depression,” the statement read. “John lost his fight with this terrible illness on May 31st, 2025.”

The statement added that Brenkus’ “heartbroken family and friends request privacy at this time, and encourage anyone who is struggling with depression to seek help.”

Brenkus grew up in Vienna, Va., and was a participant in multiple Ironman Triathlon races. Also a successful businessman and media producer, Brenkus was best known as the host of “Sport Science.”

The show aired from 2007-2017, first on Fox Sports as hour-long episodes for two seasons, then on ESPN in segment form within the network’s other programs. It featured scientific experiments that tested common notions about athletes, their abilities and the capacity of the human body.

In addition to the participation of numerous sports stars, Brenkus would often take part in the experiments, putting himself “in harm’s way for the sake of scientific discovery,” as ESPN once put it.

“Standing a very average 5’ 8” tall, and tipping the scales at an equally average 160 pounds, Brenkus intersperses his hosting and executive producing duties on Sport Science with performances as the show’s ‘Everyman,’ to help demonstrate what happens when a regular guy steps on the field, into the ring, or on the court with top athletes at the top of their games,” a 2009 ESPN press release stated. “Along the way, he helps audiences understand their own physiologies and how to improve their overall performance, health and well-being.”

ESPN’s Randy Scott remembered his former colleague, who was reportedly 53 when he died, Monday morning on “SportsCenter.”

“John was uniquely talented and singularly brilliant at not only analyzing sports but then translating sports and science to generations of fans in memorable ways, because John was memorable,” Scott said. “… This world was a better place with John Brenkus in it.”

June 2 (UPI) — A Romanian man on Monday pleaded guilty as the ringleader of a group making bomb threats and triggering “swatting” attacks against 75 U.S. public officials, including members of Congress, four religious institutions and journalists, the Justice Department said.

Thomasz Szabo, 26, was extradited from Romania to the District of Columbia in November, DOJ said in a news release.

Szabo and his co-conspirators reported false emergencies at government buildings, houses of worship, and private residences, including the homes of senior government officials, prosecutors said.

Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, was charged with Szabo in August 2024 on one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives, and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce.

Szabo, who is also known as Plank, Jonah and Cypher, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats involving explosives.

He faces up to 15 years in prison for the two counts. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23.

“This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation’s security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

In late 2020, Szabo founded an online community that falsely reported threats at the addresses for the purpose of provoking a police response there, DOJ said. He was the moderator of chat groups.

The false reports included a threat in December 2020 to commit a mass shooting at New York City synagogues, and one in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill President-elect Joe Biden.

Szabo publicized “swatting” activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in behavior like that.

From Dec. 24, 2023, to early January 2024, DOJ said members of Szabo’s group committed swatting and bomb threats that included at least 25 members of U.S. Congress or family members, at least six current or former senior U.S. Executive Branch officials, at least 13 current or former senior federal law enforcement officials, multiple members of the federal judiciary and at least 27 current or former state government officials or family members of officials. Also targeted were religious institutions and remembers of the media.

“I did 25+ swattings today,” one subordinate bragged to Sazabi, and “creating massive havoc in America. $500,000+ in taxpayers wasted in just two days.”

Investigating the cases were the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI’s Washington and Minneapolis Field Offices, and the U.S. Capitol Police.

In December, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger testified before the Senate Rules and Administration Committee about the need for more officers as the number of threats against members of Congress escalates.

Other agencies assisting were in Bucharest, Romania; south Florida, central Florida; Syracuse, N.Y.; western Washington State; South Dakota; southern Illinois; and northern New York.

“Today, Szabo pleaded guilty to a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims with swatting and bomb threats, including to government buildings, houses of worship and homes of government officials,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “Swatting endangers lives and will not be tolerated by the FBI. We are fully committed to working with our partners.”

“Anyone who hijacks police resources for senseless crimes like these will have to answer for their actions,” interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro in the District of Columbia said.

Szabo was born in Egypt and lived in Kuwait for 17 years.

Amnesty International calls for an investigation into the ‘reckless’ attack in the violence-hit Zamfara state.

A military air strike in northwest Nigeria has killed at least 20 people, according to the military and local residents, prompting calls from human rights groups for an investigation into the attack.

The strike occurred over the weekend in Zamfara state, one of the regions worst affected by violence from armed groups, commonly referred to as “bandits”.

Nigerian Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said the strike followed intelligence that “a significant number of terrorists were massing and preparing to strike unsuspecting settlements”.

“Further intelligence confirmed that the bandits had killed some farmers and abducted a number of civilians, including women and children,” Ejodame said in a statement, adding that two local vigilantes were killed and two others injured in the crossfire.

However, according to residents cited by the AFP news agency, a group of local vigilantes pursuing a gang was mistakenly bombed by a Nigerian military jet.

The air force had been called in by villagers who had suffered an attack earlier in the weekend. Locals said an unknown number of people were also wounded in the strike.

“We were hit by double tragedy on Saturday,” said Buhari Dangulbi, a resident of the affected area. “Dozens of our people and several cows were taken by bandits, and those who trailed the bandits to rescue them were attacked by a fighter jet. It killed 20 of them.”

Residents told AFP that the bandits had earlier attacked the villages of Mani and Wabi in Maru district, stealing cattle and abducting several people. In response, vigilantes launched a pursuit to recover the captives and stolen livestock.

“The military aircraft arrived and started firing, killing at least 20 of our people,” Abdullahi Ali, a Mani resident and member of a local hunters’ militia, told the Reuters news agency.

Another resident, Ishiye Kabiru, said: “Our vigilantes from Maraya and nearby communities gathered and went after the bandits. Unfortunately, a military jet struck them.”

Alka Tanimu, also from the area, added: “We will still have to pay to get those kidnapped back, while the cows are gone for good.”

Amnesty International condemned the strike and urged a full investigation.

“Attacks by bandits clearly warrant a response from the state, but to launch reckless air strikes into villages – again and again – is absolutely unlawful,” the rights group said.

Nigeria’s military has previously acknowledged mistakenly hitting civilians during air operations targeting armed gangs.

In January, at least 16 vigilantes were killed in a similar strike in Zamfara’s Zurmi district.

In December 2022, more than 100 civilians were killed in Mutunji village while pursuing bandits. A year later, an attack on a religious gathering in Kaduna state killed at least 85 people.

B&M shoppers are snapping up a dupe of The White Company’s iconic table lamp – priced nearly £100 less.

The lamp features a sleek white concrete base with a large matching shade and sells for just £20 at the popular British discount retailer.

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The White Company’s Clayton Table Lamp, currently priced at £110, has been popular for its minimalist design.

The upmarket home brand advertises the lamp as a versatile piece made from natural linen, ideal for bedside tables, consoles and sideboards.

B&M claims to offer a knockoff of the sought-after lamp.

The discount chain shared a video on social media promoting its own white lamp, with on-screen text that reads, “White Company who?” and “£20 base & shade”.

The post drew comments from shoppers tempted by the bargains displayed in the video.

One user wrote: “I’ve got to stop looking at these posts, too much temptation.”

Meanwhile, B&M shoppers can buy a three-person tent for just a fraction of the cost of the North Face equivalent.

B&M is selling the Outdoor Adventure 2-3 Person Camping Tent for £18.

North Face’s Stormbreak 2-Person Tent is currently available for a total of £225.

Offering a similar capacity, the more expensive model is described as water-resistant, breathable and lightweight.

B&M shoppers have also recently spotted a chair originally priced at £100 now selling for just £30.

The Louise chair, available in cream and green, measures 58cm wide, 72cm high and 68cm deep, and supports up to around 100kg.

Meanwhile, a garden gadget is available for just £1 at B&M.

The Modern Solar Table Lamp has been further reduced to £1, down from £1.50.

The lamp is 21cm tall and has a rechargeable battery, making it an affordable way to light up an outdoor space on summer nights.

It emits a soft, warm white LED light.

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A MAJOR car brand has unveiled a new look for its smallest motor due to be rolled-out later this year.

The tiny Toyota Aygo X has received a mid-life update, with its mini 1.0L petrol engine being swapped out for a hybrid powertrain, borrowed from its big brother, the Yaris.

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When it arrives in the UK later this year, it will be the smallest entirely hybrid car on sale in the country.

Toyota will also discontinue its manual gearbox petrol version, making the Aygo X hybrid-only.

The Japanese carmaker has found a great deal of popularity with its “A-segment” city car, selling nearly 300,000 since they were introduced in 2022.

Now, its refreshed Aygo X could attract even more buyers with its 114bhp 1.5L petrol-electric hybrid setup – borrowed from the larger and more expensive Yaris and Yaris Cross.

However, the design has been adapted from these other motors, due to the Aygo’s tight dimnesions.

For example, while battery cells are usually found parallel in the Yaris, the Aygo X will have them placed as two stacks alongside each other underneath the rear seats.

The auxiliary battery will also be moved under the boot storage in order to not cramp the space inside the tiny motor.

In terms of power, this new hybrid setup churns out a respectable 114bhp, far more than the 71bhp seen in the current Aygo.

Toyota says this means the Aygo X will be able to go from 0-62mph in “less than 10 seconds”.

The new motor is also expected to boast fuel economy figures beyond 70mpg, reports Car Magazine.

On top of this all, Toyota says the new Aygo X will have CO2 emissions of just 86g/km, the lowest of any car that does not need to be plugged in.

The iconic Japanese carmaker has also claimed to have made the Aygo quieter and more comfortable through increased noise insulation, especially on the top-spec model – which will come with thicker glass.

On its exterior, the updated Aygo X boasts new sharp LED headlights as well as a redesigned front bumper.

The motor stretches 76mm longer than its predecessor, primarily to accommodate the larger hybrid powertrain.

On top of a new bonnet, there is also an option to have a retractable canvas roof.

If you’re feeling like splashing out some more cash, there’s also a newly introduced GR Sport trim level for the Aygo X, said to be “inspired by Toyota’s motorsport teams”.

In the cabin, there aren’t many changes to come with the update – although a new seven-inch digital instrument cluster has been added.

There is also expected to be a new wireless smartphone charger for higher-spec cars.

Prices and specifications have yet to be fully announced for the Aygo X, although experts have said to expect a “healthy increase” on top of the car’s current starting price of £16,845.

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England are using heated tents as part of training to replicate the conditions they could experience at the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico next year.

Thomas Tuchel and his squad are in Girona in Spain for a training camp.

England play Andorra in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday before playing Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on 10 June.

As part of the training camp the England head coach and the Football Association performance staff will look at how players cope in the extremely hot and humid conditions they could face at the World Cup.

Players will carry out fitness tests inside the tents on exercise bikes, in temperatures they could be expected to face during the tournament, and their recovery will be analysed.

Speaking last week, Tuchel said he expects his players to “suffer” in the tournament’s conditions and he will travel to the Club World Cup this summer in the United States to assess the conditions.

“It is important to see matches now in America, and in Miami at three in the afternoon,” Tuchel said.

“I will see that. How it looks, and we need to understand how to cool the players down, to drink. What our options are.

“Let’s see because it is after the season, so it will be very similar. The actual experience is for the players, but I have done pre-season there in Orlando and I will be very surprised if we do not suffer. Suffering is one of the headlines for this World Cup.”

There have been warnings that the temperatures at 14 of the 16 stadiums being used for the 2026 World Cup could exceed ‘potentially dangerous levels’ during the tournament. In host city Dallas, in an average year more than 80% of June and July days exceed 28C.

England have won their first two World Cup qualifiers under Tuchel and sit top of the Group K table.

A Colorado man has been charged with a federal hate crime for his alleged role in a bomb attack on a pro-Israeli rally in Boulder that injured twelve people, according to an affidavit issued by the US Department of Justice.

Mohamed Sabry Soliman was already facing an array of state charges, including attempted murder, after the attack on Sunday in the city of Boulder on a group seeking to draw attention to hostages seized in Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the suspect would be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law for what was described as an “antisemitic terror attack”.

The affidavit said Soliman, 45, had planned the attack for more than a year. Investigators found 14 Molotov cocktails filled with petrol or gasoline near where the suspect was detained.

The police also found a petrol canister in his car parked nearby and a weed sprayer filled with petrol at the scene. Soliman told investigators that he had learned how to make the firebombs from YouTube.

The affidavit references a video posted on social media during the attack showing Soliman “shirtless, pacing back and forth while holding what appear to be Molotov cocktails”.

The suspect, who was being detained in lieu of $10m bail, according to official records, told police he “wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead”, the affidavit said.

The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder, unfolded against the backdrop of Israel’s war on Gaza that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in anti-Semitic violence in the United States.

The attack happened at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which is marked with the reading of the Torah and barely a week after a man who also yelled “Free Palestine” was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington.

‘Millions of individuals like this’

According to the complaint, Soliman lived with his wife and five children in Colorado Springs, a city about 161km (100 miles) south of Boulder. The affidavit says that he waited until after his daughter’s graduation to conduct the attack.

Few other details were available about him.

Todd Lyons, acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Soliman had overstayed a tourist visa and had an expired work permit.

Federal documents make no reference to his nationality, but the New York Times said he was Egyptian, citing the Department of Homeland Security.

The Departments of Homeland Security and Justice did not respond to requests for comment. The Denver office of the FBI, which is handling the case, did not immediately respond to emails or phone calls seeking details in the case.

Officials from the Boulder County Jail, Boulder Police and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to inquiries.

“There are millions of individuals like this that we are attempting to locate from the past administration that weren’t properly screened that were allowed in,” Lyons said during a press conference in Boston. “I will tell you that’s a huge effort for ICE right now.”

Under former US President Joe Biden, ICE prioritised arrests of serious criminals and called for officers to consider humanitarian factors when making arrests.

Lyons declined to provide more information, but a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson previously said Soliman had entered the country in August 2022 and filed for asylum the following month. “The suspect, Mohamed Soliman, is illegally in our country,” the spokesperson said.

President Donald Trump criticised Biden over the incident.

“Yesterday’s horrific attack in Boulder, Colorado, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED in the United States of America,” Trump said on his Truth Social network, describing it as a “terrible tragedy”.

He blamed “Biden’s ridiculous Open Border Policy” for allowing Soliman into the country.

“This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland,” he wrote.

Four women and four men between 52 and 88 years of age were transported to hospitals after the attack, Boulder police said. Another four victims were identified on Monday, according to authorities.

The attack took place on the Pearl Street Mall, a popular pedestrian shopping district near the University of Colorado, during an event organised by Run for Their Lives, a group devoted to drawing attention to the hostages seized in the aftermath of Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel.

Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm, the Chabad director at the University of Colorado, Boulder, told CBS Colorado that the 88-year-old victim was a Holocaust refugee who fled Europe.

Sunday’s attack was not the first high-profile incident of mass violence in Boulder, a university town that attracts many young professionals and outdoor enthusiasts. In 2021, a gunman fatally shot 10 people, including an off-duty police officer, in a local supermarket.