'She just tapped him. Rex Heuermann didn’t fall down, and he sued,' said Steve VonDuerring

Violent and disturbing scenes erupted on the streets of Dublin on Thursday night as rioters caused chaos following a knife attack on five people, including three children in the Irish capital. Public transport was set ablaze and shops were looted as a gang labeled by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris as a “complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology” took to the streets in protest. More than 400 Irish police officers were involved in the height of the response to a riot in Dublin. In a video statement on social media, Garda Chief Superintendent Patrick McMenamin said some members of the police force had been attacked and assaulted. However, he said no serious injuries had been reported by gardai or members of the public. Gardai remain on patrol in the city centre. Mr McMenamin said: “Dublin city centre is now calm and returning to normal.” The chief superintendent said the thoughts of the police service are with the victims of the assault in Parnell Square earlier in the day. Speaking about the riot, he said: “The violence had nothing whatsoever to do with a serious assault which occurred this afternoon on Parnell Square, it was gratuitous thuggery.” One of Ireland's most prominent celebrities, the former UFC champion Conor McGregor, has been vocal about the stabbing incident and the violence that unfolded as a consequence. Hours before the riot, McGregor called for 'war' after complaining about non-Irish people being allowed to vote in Irish elections. He tweeted: "US allows non residents to vote? Visitors can vote? I can fly in now and register a vote in the United States elections? Surely not. However, Ireland's current government is proposing this. A disgrace! A shame! Hang their heads in shame! The Working man is the real hero! Ireland, we are at war. Do not let any irish property be took over unannounced. Evaporate said property. It's a war." McGregor then doubled down and attacked Harris for his statement on the riot calling it "not good enough." He later called for more 'action' on the stabbing claiming there was "no action being taken at all during these ever more frequent events." The UFC fighter then aimed his vitriol at Ireland's political establishment calling on them to "fix this situation IMMEDIATELY." McGregor then shared a picture of a burnt out bus asking what the great Irish historical figure Daniel O'Connell would say about the events that unfolded in Dublin. The 35-year-old then called for the knife attacker to experience 'torture and death' as a result of the crime but did find time to praise a Brazilian man for helping to intervene at the scene and stopped the attack from getting any worse. McGregor then called a journalist who showed up to report on the stabbing 'weak and feeble'. He added: "One of the most horrific crimes this nation ever seen has occurred, we do not care anymore what you sad cases have got to say. In a war you are nothing. We are not backing down, we are only warming up. There will be no backing down until real change is implemented for the safety of our nation." McGregor has been widely condemned for the outburst. Irish Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said while the scenes in Dublin on Thursday were shocking, gardai “contained this for the most part to a very small area”. “This was our main thoroughfare and I acknowledge that and I think the scenes are incomprehensible,” she told RTE. “By midnight last night order had been restored to our city, but this was a violent mob of thugs and criminals whose sole focus was to wreak havoc and it is a very volatile situation. “There were a huge number of gardai who were assaulted, who were spat at, who were the victims of vitriol and hate themselves. “I cannot commend them enough. I think they responded in the way that they felt was appropriate and that was required, and they are trained. They’re the people on the ground who do this day in, day out. “Gardai will take what happened last night, they will adapt their response and they will make sure that from this morning, throughout the day and over the weekend, there is a strong presence and that they stop any type of gathering like this from happening again. “There will be a very strong presence on the ground, but they will of course monitor any movement, any chat, or anything that’s happening online today.” Additional reporting by PA. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $200 million to help save the lives of mothers and children during child birth

The US Marine Corps is without leadership for the first time in more than a century after its commandant stepped down and a Republican party senator blocked over 200 military appointments that include a successor for the post. The marine services of the US Department of the Navy are in for a historic limbo as Alabama’s Republican senator Tommy Tuberville has blocked the nominations for months to protest against the defence department’s abortion policies. General David Berger stepped down as commandant on Monday and his assistant commandant and potential successor, general Eric Smith, stepped in as the acting leader of the US Marine Corps. His nomination by the Senate is among the 256 nominations that have been hindered by Mr Tuberville’s blockade. The Republican senator launched his bid to obstruct the nominations in response to a Pentagon policy that offers travel allowances and time off for a service member who has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. Denouncing the policy approved by defence secretary Lloyd Austin as “illegal tax-payer funded abortions”, Mr Tuberville said his hold will have a “minimal effect” on Mr Smith’s ability to lead. Under the law, top military decisions are approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee and eventually by the consent of the full chamber. But a single objector can hold up the process. The Pentagon said the blockade could lead to the stalling of promotions of 650 personnel if it continues till the end of the year. Mr Smith was nominated for promotion by Joe Biden and his confirmation hearing was on 13 June, something that was blocked by Mr Tuberville. The stall in his promotion means he will not be able to move to the main residence of the commandant or the commandant’s office, or even issue any new formal commandant’s planning guidance, which is usual for a successor. He will have the authority to implement new policies for the services such as budget, training and other personnel decisions. “Two positions that require two different people to be in those roles will now be a dual-hatted position,” said the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh, “which of course is going to impact the US Marine Corps”. The Pentagon is asking officers to delay their planned retirements, while some officers have already taken the responsibilities of more senior ranking jobs without getting the pay for the new rank, she said. Both Mr Austin and Mr Berger have called on the Senate to take action to resolve the situation. “You know, it’s been more than a century since the US Marine Corps has operated without a Senate confirmed commandant,” Mr Austin said at a ceremony at the Marine Barracks Washington. “Smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States and to the full strength of the most powerful fighting force in history,” he said. “Stable and orderly leadership transitions are also vital to maintaining our unmatched network of allies and partners. And they’re crucial for our military readiness.” The Republican senator has been called out by senior leadership for the blockade. “This blockade weakens our national security,” said senator Jack Reed, the Democratic chairman of the Armed Services Committee. “Every day it goes on it has a more significant impact on operations within our military – all branches of our military.” “My hold is not affecting readiness,” said Mr Tuberville in a Washington Post op-ed, steadfast in his opposition to the policy. “Acting officials are in each one of the positions that are due for a promotion. The hold affects only those at the very top – generals and flag officers. The people who actually fight are not affected at all.” If the blockade continues, it will affect the appointment of the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, as current chair, army general Mark Milley, is set to retire from the highest-ranking US military job in September. General CQ Brown, the current chief of the Air Force, has been nominated to replace Mr Milley, and is scheduled to go before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his hearing on Tuesday. Read More What are cluster bombs and what is controversial about Biden sending them to Ukraine? Biden will meet Zelensky at Nato summit in Lithuania as war with Russia rages on Biden news – live: President to meet Zelensky as palace reacts to King Charles royal protocol breach A grand jury being seated Tuesday could decide whether Trump is charged over Georgia's 2020 election Colorado lawmakers sue colleagues over closed-door meetings Texas governor names second interim attorney general ahead of Ken Paxton's impeachment trial

The Republican nominee to lead the US House of Representatives struggled Thursday to find enough support to win a vote of the full chamber, underlining the mountain he will have to...

Family and supporters of an African American combat medic who tended to dozens of troops under harrowing conditions on D-Day are gathering in Arlington National Cemetery to posthumously honor him

Manhattan architect Rex Heuermann has been charged with six counts of murder in connection with the infamous Gilgo Beach serial killings. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office released charging documents on Friday confirming Mr Heuermann, 59, as the suspected serial killer who targeted sex workers and dumped their bodies along remote Long Island beaches. He is expected to appear in court later this afternoon to face three counts of murder in the first degree and three in second degree. Mr Heuermann was taken into custody on Thursday in connection with the unsolved murders of at least 11 victims more than a decade ago in Suffolk County. The case began in May 2010 when Shannan Gilbert, a 24-year-old sex worker, vanished after leaving a client’s house on foot near Gilgo Beach. During a search for Gilbert in dense thicket close to the beach, police discovered the remains of another woman. Within a matter of days, the remains of three more victims were found close by. By spring 2011, the remains of a total of 10 victims had been found including eight women, a man, and a toddler. Gilbert’s remains were then found that December. Read More Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect arrested on suspicion of murders of 10 women on Long Island Police release haunting 911 call from woman later found dead as possible serial killer probe continues: ‘There’s somebody after me’ New police chief vows to close the case on Long Island’s unsolved Gilgo Beach murders

Senator Lindsey Graham, after a trip to Ukraine and meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said that he had

Amazon has unveiled the first phase of its new headquarters complex in Virginia

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday suggested that indicting former president Donald Trump for any crime stemming from his attempt to remain in office against the wishes of voters after losing the 2020 election would mean the Department of Justice is “criminalising political differences” and going after Mr Trump because prosecutors dislike him. Mr DeSantis, who currently trails Mr Trump in most polls of 2024 Republican primary voters, was speaking to CNN anchor Jake Tapper when he was asked about Mr Trump’s claim that he has received a letter from prosecutors informing him that he could soon be indicted a second time by a Washington, DC grand jury that has been investigating events leading up to the January 6 attack on the Capitol, when a riotous mob of the ex-president’s supporters tried to stop certification of his loss to Joe Biden. The Florida governor replied: “ So here's the problem. This country is going down the road of criminalising political differences, and I think that’s wrong”. Rather than address the possibility of charges against Mr Trump stemming from the January 6 investigation, Mr DeSantis instead pivoted to attack Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who earlier this year charged Mr Trump with multiple felony counts of having allegedly falsified business records relating to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Mr DeSantis claimed that Mr Bragg “stretched” the statute under which he charged the ex-president in order to “target” him, and said “most people, even people on the left” have agreed that such a case wouldn’t have been brought had Mr Trump been “a normal civilian”. He also invoked the 2016-2018 Justice Department probe into Russia’s 2016 campaign of interference in that year’s presidential election as a “number one example” of both the DOJ and FBI being “weaponised against people they don’t like,” and called that investigation — which found that the Russian government’s efforts on Mr Trump’s behalf had been “sweeping and systematic” — “not a legitimate investigation” and alleged, falsely, that it had been opened to “drive Trump out of office”. Mr DeSantis then claimed his aim as president would be to “restore a single standard of justice” and “end weaponisation of these agencies” by firing FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee who has become a conservative hate object for failing to protect Mr Trump while not acting to target the ex-president’s Democratic enemies. Asked whether he was advocating for ignoring evidence of criminality on Mr Trump’s part, he replied that what he was actually saying was that “going after somebody on the other side of the political spectrum” was “wrong”. “I think we've gone down the road in this country of trying to criminalise differences in politics rather than saying, okay, you don't like somebody then defeat them in the election, rather than trying to use the justice system,” he said. Read More Michigan charges 16 fake electors for Donald Trump with election law and forgery felonies DeSantis pushes AI-generated attack ad featuring fake Trump voice Matt Gaetz launches bill to defund Jack Smith probe as Trump asks Capitol allies help

Megyn Kelly fumed over the news of ‘Day of Rage’ doing the rounds on social media