A federal judge in Indiana has partially blocked a ban on affirming healthcare for trangender youth, continuing a streak of victories in legal challenges against state laws targeting gender-affirming care. The ruling on 16 June from US District Judge James Patrick Hanlon, who was appointed by Donald Trump, issues a preliminary injunction against a recently enacted law that His ruling is the fourth recent courtroom victory for LGBT+ advocates who have challenged similar laws across the US, including a recent federal court ruling in Florida that eviscerated the state’s anti-trans policies and condemned the bigotry that fuelled such legislation. Indiana’s law, which was set to go into effect on 1 July, prohibits healthcare providers from allowing trans youth under age 18 to access hormone therapies, puberty blockers and affirming surgeries, which are not even provided to minors in the state. The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Indiana filed a lawsuit to block the law on behalf of four transgender youth and their families and Mosaic Health. “We warned lawmakers that if they passed laws attacking trans people that they would see us in court,” Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice with the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project, said in a statement. “This victory belongs to the families who have bravely participated in this case, as well as other trans youth in Indiana who spoke up about the harms created by this law. Our work in Indiana and around the country is far from over – including with this law,” he added. Judge Hanlon, who was appointed to the federal judiciary by Mr Trump in 2018, stated in his ruling that “medical harms, including to mental health, can constitute irreparable harm,” including harm from being denied treatment for gender dysphoria. “And –again– there’s evidence that puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone therapy reduces distress for some minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria,” he added. “The risk of irreparable harm therefore supports a preliminary injunction.” By the end of May, state lawmakers across the country had introduced more than 500 bills impacting LGBT+ this year, including 220 bills specifically targeting trans and nonbinary Americans, according to an analysis from the Human Rights Campaign. More than 70 such bills have been signed into law. At least 19 states have enacted laws or policies banning affirming healthcare for young trans people, all against the guidance of health providers and major medical organisations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Read More Pioneering transgender lawmaker has advice for pushing back against transphobic bills NYC mayor Eric Adams signs bill protecting gender-affirming care Texas family moves so trans teen can escape anti-LGTBQ laws: ‘I’d rather be out than dead’

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Donald Trump’s arraignment in Fulton County, Georgia has been scheduled for 9.30am on 6 September. The remaining 18 defendants in the 2020 election subversion case have been scheduled to be arraigned after Mr Trump in 15-minute increments. Former New York Mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to be arraigned at 9.45am, and former law professor John Eastman after that at 10am. “Kraken” lawyer Sidney Powell is set to be arraigned at 10.15am on 6 September – Wednesday next week – followed by former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows at 10.30am. More follows...

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The Rugby World Cup and new series of Strictly Come Dancing are both set to kick off soon – and one man who knows just how hard both of them are is Ugo Monye. “Strictly is gruelling,” says the former rugby pro-turned-pundit, who played with Harlequins and England before taking part in Strictly in 2021. “At times you’re training for 12 hours a day. So, you could go for a period of three or four days where all you do is wake up, go to the studio, go to sleep, wake up, go to the studio, go to bed.” He recalls recently telling his friend, comedian Eddie Kadi, all about this, the night before he was announced as a contestant for this year’s show. And because of the demanding schedule, taking care of yourself becomes a top priority. “You try and eat right, try and get as much sleep as possible. The biggest initial challenge everyone will find is their feet, because they wouldn’t have been used to dancing for 11 hours a day,” adds Monye, 40, who was partnered with Oti Mabuse on the show. Trading his rugby boots for ballroom shoes came with some challenges, but he still completed five weeks on the show (Monye and Mabuse finished in 11th place that year). “I remember when I did the quickstep, I had my smart watch on, which showed that I danced over 45km in five days,” he recalls. “I remember the first week or two, just the nervousness of rolling out of bed and putting my feet on the carpet because you didn’t know how they would feel.” Having played such a physically demanding sport for 13 years at pro level, Monye was not in bad shape. But Strictly was another “type of pressure”. “When I retired in 2015, I never thought that I’d be dancing, dressed in a low cut, electric pink, short sleeve shirt doing the samba. It’s something I’m actually really proud of,” he adds happily. Like lots of people, Monye, who has two daughters – Phoenix Lilly, six, and Ruby, three, with his ex-wife Lucy – recalls how his approach to self-care has evolved over the years. “Going back to the early 2000s, I was living the dream, right? I was 18 and I got a professional contract playing for my boyhood club, and within a year I travelled the world playing for England,” he says. “I was all, what mental health? I’m flying, right?” Things shifted with time, however, and he began to see the importance of having a proactive approach to maintaining his mental wellbeing. “I remember speaking to a friend, who is really interested in mental health, [about how] people often seek [mental health support] after something bad or traumatic has happened to a point where they actually need it. But it’s more like how you have to go and get an MOT on your car and service it,” he explains. “I think towards the end of my career, I became more aware of it. I have now definitely paid more attention to it and I absolutely love psychology, so I love understanding how the mind works.” Since his retirement, Monye – who has teamed up with Samsung ahead of the World Cup, which starts on September 8 – he has been busy being a dad, alongside jumping into a vibrant broadcast career. Having daughters made him reflect on his own upbringing too – going from being raised by a single mother on a London council estate, to a rural boarding school in Hampshire where he had his education funded (Monye secured a sports scholarship when he was 13). He attributes a lot of his success to his schooling. “I think the person I am now was born at age 13. Everything I was surrounded by was slightly different in that world. It was where I first was introduced to rugby, which then has quite clearly gone on to shape my career, the pathway that I have now, but also my personality. “I think I rely upon myself, I back myself. I had to depend on myself and try and get things done,” he reflects. “I think my personality traits, good and bad, were all developed at boarding school.” Having spent large chunks of his childhood away from family, how does he manage his own work-life balance as a parent now? “How do you manage your work-life balance? Well, you stand in the middle of the park taking a phone call,” he jokes (Monye is in the playground with his girls while we talk). “The time I have with them is absolute quality. For the World Cup, I’m going out for like three or four stints. I’d love them to be able to come out, but with school, it is a bit more difficult. “But I have said to Phoenix already that next year is the Olympics, and she loves gymnastics, so she’s going to be getting on the Eurostar with me. She is watching a lot of clips of Simone Biles at the moment on YouTube and she’s obsessed.” He wants to see his daughters inspired by brilliant women. “I love to watch sports with my daughters,” says Monye. “And we loved watching the Women’s World Cup. I had to get them to come and watch incredible women just do it.” Ugo Monye has teamed up with Samsung to help the nation see the new laws clearly and watch the match in supersize, thanks to the Samsung 98” Q80C TV (samsung.com/uk/big-screen-tv). Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live As Simon Cowell shares positive therapy experience, how can it help even if you aren’t in crisis? Project launched to bust myth that cancer is a ‘white person’s disease’ 10 slick ways to kit out your student digs

Germany’s ruling coalition approved a scaled-back plan to decriminalize personal use of cannabis in a first step toward

Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie has mocked rival Donald Trump’s take on ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, quipping: “Move over Churchill”. The former president announced he had a “one-day” plan for ending the war in Ukraine, stating in an interview with Fox News that he knew the leaders of Ukraine and Russia “very well” and that he would “have the deal done in one day”. But Mr Trump’s comments were ridiculed by Mr Christie, who invoked British wartime leader Winston Churchill in his mockery of his foe. “Breaking news… Donald Trump has released his Top-Secret plan for ending the war in Ukraine in 24 hours,” Mr Christie tweeted. “The Plan: He knows Putin and Zelensky “very well” and will make a couple calls. Move over Churchill, Trump is here to save the day.” Mr Trump’s unique approach to foreign policy saw him enter into a war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his tenure as US president, while his relationship with Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky saw the US president impeached for the first time after offering Mr Zelensky a quid-pro-quo if Ukraine looked into Hunter Biden. Asked about being able to end the war, Mr Trump referenced the call that led to his impeachment. “I know Zelensky very well. I felt he was very honourable because when they asked him about the perfect phone call I made, he said it was indeed perfect ... he didn’t even know what they were talking about,” he said. “I know Zelensky very well and I know Putin very well – even better. And I had a good relationship, very good, with both of them. I would tell Zelensky ‘No more – you gotta make a deal’, I would tell Putin, ‘If you don’t make a deal we’re gonna give em a lot – we’re gonna give ‘em more than they ever got, if we have to.’” “I would have the deal done in one day. One day.” Read More Trump 2024 rivals urge him to bow out of race amid news he’s set to be indicted in Jan 6 probe Next Trump indictment could drop as soon as this week Ron DeSantis news - live: Florida governor giving interview to CNN as 2024 primary campaign stagnates

Donald Trump tried to steal the spotlight away from Ron DeSantis’ 2024 campaign announcement day by launching into an insult-packed rant about the Florida governor on his Truth Social platform. The former president began his day on Wednesday morning by spewing a series of attacks at the man expected to be his biggest rival for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential race. Resorting to his nicknames of “Ron DeSanctus” and “Rob DeSanctimonious”, he repeated his usual talking points for the Florida governor and one-time close ally saying he “desperately needs a personality transplant” and calling him a “disloyal person” and a “disciple of horrible RINO Paul Ryan”. He also once again tried to take credit for Mr DeSantis’ successful 2018 gubernatorial bid. “Look, Rob DeSanctimonious came to me asking for help. He was losing badly, by 31 points, to popular Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam,” he fumed. “He was getting ready to drop out of the race - Ran a terrible campaign! Ron told me he had one last chance, my Support & Endorsement, which Putnam, and everyone else, wanted also. I gave it to Ron, and the race was over. In one day, he went from losing badly, to winning by a lot. With 3 LARGE TRUMP RALLIES, he WON THE GENERAL ELECTION in an upset. DISLOYAL!!!” Mr Trump continued in another post: “Ron DeSanctus can’t win the General Election (or get the Nomination) because he VOTED TO OBLITERATE SOCIAL SECURITY, EVEN WANTING TO RAISE THE MINIMUM AGE TO 70 (or more!), VOTED TO BADLY WOUND MEDICARE, AND FOUGHT HARD AND VOTED FOR A 23% “TAX ON EVERYTHING” SALES TAX. He was, and is, a disciple of horrible RINO Paul Ryan, and others too many to mention. Also, he desperately needs a personality transplant and, to the best of my knowledge, they are not medically available yet. A disloyal person!” In another post, he resorted to an all-caps rant making several dubious claims about his own record during his one term in the White House. “I BUILT THE GREATEST ECONOMY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, NO INFLATION, ENERGY INDEPENDENCE, AND SOON DOMINANCE, THE STRONGEST BORDER EVER, RECORD BEST EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS, BIGGEST TAX & REGULATION CUTS, REBUILT OUR MILITARY, NO WARS WITH RUSSIA/UKRAINE OR CHINA/TAIWAN (OR ANYWHERE!), AND THE USA WAS RESPECTED ALL OVER THE WORLD! WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY?” he wrote, before adding: “ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!” Mr Trump’s fury comes as Mr DeSantis is expected to officially enter the 2024 race on Wednesday in a Twitter Spaces event with Elon Musk. The audio-only event will involve a live interview with Musk, moderated by controversial tech entrepreneur David Sacks. Following the event, Mr DeSantis is expected to release an official launch video and make an appearance on Fox News. On Tuesday night, the governor’s wife Casey DeSantis kicked off his campaign by posting a video of him getting ready to go on stage in front of an American flag. “America is worth the fight... Every. Single. Time,” she tweeted. Mr DeSantis, 44, is seen as Mr Trump’s biggest rival for the Republican vote with several Republican lawmakers and right-wing media rallying behind him after the midterms. However, the latest polls show Mr DeSantis trailing Mr Trump. Read More Ron DeSantis news – live: Florida governor’s wife launches his 2024 presidential run Trump news – live: Trump seeks meeting with Garland over special counsel probes as hush money trial date set Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

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By Tyler Clifford NEW YORK More than a dozen U.S. states were under air-quality alerts on Wednesday as