Ukraine has “penetrated” the first line of Russian defences in some areas and is making “good progress” in its counteroffensive, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said. Kyiv has conducted “significant operations” over the past 48 hours in southern and eastern parts of the country, it added. Earlier, Vladimir Putin announced Russia would start deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus next month – Moscow’s first move of such bombs outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. The Russian president said the weapons would be deployed after special storage facilities are ready in just under a month’s time. It comes after he, last month, announced he wanted to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, in an apparent warning to Nato over its support for Ukraine. “Everything is going according to plan,” Mr Putin told his ally and Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. “Preparation of the relevant facilities ends on July 7-8, and we will immediately begin activities related to the deployment of appropriate types of weapons on your territory,” he said, according to a Kremlin transcript of his remarks. Read More Ukraine goes on attack in Zaporizhzhia – as counteroffensive steps up Ukraine tells ‘clown’ Tucker Carlson to check his facts after pro-Kremlin rant in first Twitter show Before-and-after satellite images show profound toll of Ukraine dam collapse

Mike Pence struggled to take a clear stance on troubles concerning former US president Donald Trump’s indictment in the classified documents case. Mr Trump is reportedly facing 37 counts of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate. These charges come less than three months after he was charged in New York with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Earlier this week, during an appearance on CNN, Mr Pence shared his views about Trump’s indictment. The politician, who has launched his 2024 Presidential campaign, said: “I hope the DOJ thinks better of it and resolves these issues without an indictment. “I think it would also send a terrible message to the wider world,” he added. “I mean, we’re the emblem of democracy. We’re the symbol of justice in the world.” Mr Pence also ended up criticising the FBI’s raid on Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, saying: “I was very troubled last summer when, for the first time in history, there was a search warrant executed at the home of a former president of the United States. He added: “There had to be dozens of ways that could have been handled.” After making these statements, Mr Pence undercut his own views, saying: “I don’t know the facts of the former president’s case.” The former vice president’s contradictory statement led to the host asking him whether what he was “saying is that, if they believe he committed a crime, they should not go forward with an indictment?” Mr Pence replied: “No, look, let me be clear that no one’s above the law.” He then added: “But with regard to the unique circumstances here, it – look – I – I. No one is above the law. But … unique circumstances.” Ultimately, Mr Pence ended up conceding that Trump and President Joe Biden “had no business” having classified documents after leaving office. “But I would just hope that there would be a way for them to move forward without the dramatic and drastic and divisive step of indicting a former president of the United States,” he said. Read More Trump boasts about having non-declassified papers in bombshell recording: ‘I have a big pile’ Trump news — latest: Trump ‘plotted to hide documents from FBI after showing military docs to visitors’ Fox host Mark Levin screams at camera in outrage at Trump indictment over secret papers Trump set for first public appearances since federal indictment, speaking in Georgia, North Carolina DeSantis pledges to restore name of Confederate general Braxton Bragg to Fort Liberty Will Trump’s growing laundry list of legal woes hurt his standing with GOP voters?

Newly released documents have revealed that Donald Trump’s businesses charged the Pentagon almost $1m during the first three years of his presidency. As per the documents obtained by ethics watchdog American Oversight, and verified by Forbes, Trump’s businesses charged his Department of Defense $976k from 2016 to 2019. The number is reportedly way larger than previous public information of about $300k, which was reported by CNN in 2019. “As far as we can tell, this is the first time these specific expenses have been reported– and they are long overdue,” Heather Sawyer, American Oversight’s executive director told Forbes. “While we expect to receive receipts of government spending at Trump properties for years to come, we urge the government to pick up the pace so that the American people have this information as they consider Trump’s re-election efforts.” As per the documents, the defence department spent money across 15 different Trump properties with the former president’s Miami resort being the biggest beneficiary, followed by his golf club in New Jersey. Both properties collected $274k and $266k respectively. Mr Trump’s Scottish resorts also collected approximately $181k. Mr Sawyer pointed out that “Trump’s refusal to divest from his businesses created an environment rife with the potential for abuse”. He added: “During his administration, Trump’s properties became vessels for self-enrichment. “Donald Trump is now running for president again. His ‘old’ habit of enriching himself at taxpayer expense deserves renewed scrutiny as he seeks another term.” In other news, Mr Trump is set to make his first public appearances since his federal indictment, speaking on 10 June to Republican audiences in Georgia and North Carolina as he seeks to rally supporters to his defence. The former president is going to reportedly deliver a full-throated rebuke of the charges and amplify his assertions that he is the victim of a politically motivated “witch hunt” by Joe Biden’s Justice Department. Read More Trump lashes out at ‘deranged lunatic’ and ‘psycho’ Jack Smith as startling secret papers charges revealed Trump news — latest: Trump ‘plotted to hide documents from FBI after showing military docs to visitors’ Trump boasts about having non-declassified papers in bombshell recording: ‘I have a big pile’ US announces new $2.1 billion package of military aid to Ukraine Plane lost contact with air traffic control before it crashed in Virginia White House says it wasn’t behind Pentagon decision to cancel drag shows

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan. And get a heads-up on top stories coming this weekend in the Weekend Lookahead Digest. ————————— ONLY ON AP —————————- REDISTRICTING-BALANCE-OF-POWER — Democrats have for years bemoaned partisan redistricting plans that helped Republicans win far more congressional seats than expected. But that advantage has disappeared. In the first elections held with 2020 census data, Democrats battled back with their own gerrymandering that shaped districts to their advantage and essentially evened the outcome. By David A. Lieb. SENT: 1,300 words, photos. With REDISTRICTING-BALANCE-OF-POWER-LAWSUITS — New voting districts could change again in some states before the 2024 elections (sent). ——————————— TOP STORIES ———————————- ELECTION 2024-TRUMP — Donald Trump is set to make his first public appearances since his federal indictment. He is speaking Saturday to friendly Republican audiences in Georgia and North Carolina as he seeks to rally his supporters to his defense. By Bill Barrow. SENT: 920 words, photos. UPCOMING: 1,100 words after events: 2:30 p.m. speech in Georgia, 7:10 p.m. speech in North Carolina. TRUMP-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS-CONGRESS — Part of Donald Trump’s defense is well underway in the halls of Congress, where Republicans have been preparing for months to wage an aggressive counter-offensive against the Justice Department. By Mary Clare Jalonick and Farnoush Amiri. SENT: 1,140 words, photos. COLOMBIA-PLANE-CRASH-CHILDREN — Four Indigenous children survived an Amazon plane crash that killed three adults and then wandered on their own in the jungle for 40 days before being found alive by Colombian soldiers. By Manuel Rueda. SENT: 680 words, photos, video. LEARNING-TO-READ — Exiting from the pandemic, the assumption might be students who returned quickly to in-person learning might be the least scathed academically. But the upheaval still took a toll, even in tiny rural communities like Columbus, Kansas. Three years later, an elementary school teacher has more third graders than ever who are reading below grade level. Third grade typically is the last year students are taught to read. By Heather Hollingsworth. SENT: 1,810 words, photos. This story moved as the Sunday spotlight. GREY-TEAM-VETERANS-CENTER — A Florida organization is helping veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental and physical ailments get back into the civilian world. The Boca Raton-based Grey Team has worked with more than 700 veterans since its founding seven years ago. The center uses a 90-day program of exercise and high-tech machines to help the veterans. By Terry Spencer. SENT: 930 words, photos. BOSTON-PRIDE — The biggest Pride parade in New England returns to Boston after a three-year hiatus, with a fresh focus on social justice and inclusion rather than corporate backing. By Steve LeBlanc. SENT: 640 words, photos. ———————————-———————————-———————- MORE ON TRUMP-CLASSIFED DOCUMENTS ———————————-———————————-———————- TRUMP-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS-LEGAL TAKEAWAYS — The federal indictment against Donald Trump accuses the former president of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate after leaving the White House in 2021, and then scheming and lying to thwart government efforts to recover them. Justice Department prosecutors brought 37 felony counts against Trump in their indictment. SENT: 1,020 words, photos. TRUMP-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS-KEY MOMENTS — The criminal indictment against Donald Trump includes allegations that he stored classified documents in a bathroom and shower at his Florida club. SENT: 780 words, photos, video. TRUMP-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS-TIMELINE — The 49-page federal indictment of former President Donald Trump lays out a stunning timeline of events, detailing allegations that he not only mishandled sensitive material, but also took steps to hide records and impede investigators. SENT: 1,910 words, photos, audio. ———————————-———————————-———————- MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR ———————————-———————————-———————- RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-HUMANITARIAN-HELP — The humanitarian situation in Ukraine is “hugely worse” than before the Kakhovka dam collapsed, the U.N.’s top aid official has warned. Undersecretary-General Martin Griffiths says an “extraordinary” 700,000 people are in need of drinking water and warned that the ravages of flooding in one of the world’s most important breadbaskets will almost inevitably lead to lower grain exports, higher food prices around the world, and less to eat for millions in need. SENT: 840 words, photos. RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Thousands of people are believed to be trapped by floodwaters across a swath of Ukraine after a catastrophic dam collapse. Officials say that more than 6,000 people have been evacuated from dozens of inundated cities, towns and villages on both sides of the river. But the true scale of the disaster remains unclear for a region that was once home to tens of thousands of people. At least 14 people have died in the flooding. By Illia Novikov, Yuras Karmanau and Hanna Arhirova. SENT: 1,100 words, photos. —————————— MORE NEWS —————————— LIVING-UNDERWATER-RECORD — A university professor who spent 100 days living underwater at a Florida Keys lodge for scuba divers has resurfaced and raised his face to the sun for the first time since March 1. SENT: 360 words, photos, audio. OPIOID SETTLEMENT-NEW-MEXICO — New Mexico has settled with Walgreens for $500 million over the pharmacy chain’s role in distributing highly addictive prescription painkillers. SENT: 270 words. SNOWBANK-BODY-MURDER-FOR-HIRE — The Colorado man who prosecutors say abducted and killed a Vermont man as part of an international murder for hire conspiracy has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that could land him in prison for life. SENT: 220 words photo. JAPAN-AIRPORT-RUNWAY-CLOSED — Two passenger planes bumped into each other on a runway at a major Tokyo airport but no injuries were reported, Japanese media reports say. SENT: 160 words, photos. SOMALIA-HOTEL-ATTACK — Security forces in Somalia have ended an hourslong extremist attack on a beachside hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, state media reports. There was no immediate word on any deaths. SENT: 130 words, photos. ——————————————————— WASHINGTON/POLITICS —————-—————————————- REALITY-SHOW-LEGISLATURE — Mention televised legislative debates, and what may come to mind are stuffy, policy-wonk discussions broadcast by C-SPAN. This year’s Nebraska Legislature was more like a reality TV show, with culture-war rhetoric, open hostility among lawmakers, name-calling, yelling and more. SENT: 940 words, photos. BIDEN — President Joe Biden has traveled to the recently renamed Fort Liberty in North Carolina to sign an executive order that aims to bolster job opportunities for military and veteran spouses whose careers are often disrupted by their loved ones’ deployments. SENT: 780 words, photos. CONGRESS-FAA-AIRFARES — Lawmakers are considering rolling back an Obama-era rule that requires airlines to show the total price of a ticket upfront in advertising, while also tweaking training requirements for airline pilots and making other changes in a massive bill covering the Federal Aviation Administration. SENT: 540 words, photos, audio. BORDER-PATROL-CHIEF — The Biden administration has named U.S. Border Patrol veteran Jason Owens to lead the agency, replacing retiring chief Raul Ortiz at a time of intense political scrutiny over the administration’s immigration policies. SENT: 370 words, photo. ———————— NATIONAL ———————— BUILDING-COLLAPSE-IOWA-WARNINGS — It seems everyone from the structural engineer to city officials to tenants had concerns about the 116-year-old Davenport apartment building. But no one ordered residents out, and it was only when a section of the six-story building tumbled to the ground on May 28 that everyone seemed to connect the dots. By then, three men were dead, about 50 tenants were left homeless and the city was faced with one of its taller buildings at risk of crumbling in the heart of its downtown. SENT: 1,410 words, photos. GARDENING-SMOKE — Smoke from hundreds of wildfires burning in Canada drove down air quality across swaths of the Eastern U.S. this week, a problem all too familiar in many Western states. In the New York City suburbs where I live, the air became smoggy and orange, categorized for a time by monitoring agencies as “hazardous.” SENT: 590 words, photos. LOS-ANGELES-POLICE-FATAL-SHOOTING — A Los Angeles police sergeant and five officers broke department policy when they opened fire last year on an armed man who refused to follow officers’ commands, killing him, a police commission has found. SENT: 620 words, photos. POLICE-SHOOTING-COLORADO — A Black teen fatally shot by an officer was armed with a pellet gun and not a semiautomatic handgun, police in suburban Denver have revealed. SENT: 560 words, photo. SCHOOL SHOOTING-FLORIDA DEPUTY — A police officer who rushed into a high school building during the 2018 Parkland shooting has testified that a sheriff’s deputy outside confirmed that the shooter was upstairs. SENT: 490 words, photo, audio. —————————————- INTERNATIONAL ————————————— SOUTH-AFRICA-WILDLIFE-ART-EXHIBIT — Often depicted as an integral feature of the continent, African wildlife, from iconic big beasts to its vast array of species, continues to attract millions of foreign travelers every year. SENT: 750 words, photos. UNITED-NATIONS-MALI — Attackers killed one U.N. peacekeeper and seriously injured eight others in Mali’s northern Timbuktu region, an area where extremists continue to operate, the United Nations say. SENT: 430 words. NICARAGUA-CRACKDOWN — The government of Nicaragua has announced it has confiscated properties belonging to 222 opposition figures who were forced into exile in February after being imprisoned by the regime of President Daniel Ortega. SENT: 330 words, photo. PAKISTAN-BUDGET — Pakistan’s cash-strapped government has presented its draft for the national budget, allocating funds to fight climate change despite staggering $30 billion in losses from last summer’s devastating floods. SENT: 310 words, photos. TAIWAN-COSTGUARD-DRILLS — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Saturday said the self-ruled island would work to improve its rescue and defense capabilities with new technologies, adding that strengthening Taiwan is key to maintaining peace. SENT: 290 words, photos. GUATEMALA-MIGRANT-CENTERS — Migrant transit centers fiananced by the United States will be set up in Guatemala to receive applications from Central American citizens seeking to apply for work visas, family reunifications or refugee status, an official says. SENT: 250 words. ——————————————— HEALTH & SCIENCE ———————————————- MED—ALZHEIMER’S DRUG — Health advisers have unanimously backed the full approval of a closely watched Alzheimer’s drug, a key step toward opening insurance coverage to U.S. seniors with early stages of the brain-robbing disease. SENT: 790 words, photo, audio. ————————————————— BUSINESS/ECONOMY ————————————————— FTX-BANKRUPTCY — The names of individual customers of collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX Trading can be permanently shielded from public disclosure, a Delaware bankruptcy judge has ruled. SENT: 620 words, photo. AIRLINES-ANTITRUST — American Airlines and JetBlue say they should be allowed to keep selling tickets on each other’s flights in the Northeast and link their frequent-flyer programs despite losing an antitrust trial over their partnership. SENT: 330 words, photo. ————————————— ENTERTAINMENT ————————————— MUSIC-REVIEW-JESS-WILLIAMSON — Jess Williamson’s fifth solo album “Time Ain’t Accidental” takes place on a lyrical road trip that unpacks America, its western landscapes, reckless storms and evanescent roots, transforming country music’s legacy into her own search for redemption, writes Associated Press reviewer Amancai Biraben. SENT: 390 words, photo. ———————— SPORTS ———————— BKN--NBA FINALS — The mission for the Denver Nuggets was clear: Come to Miami, get two wins and head back home with a chance to finally become NBA champions. It’s officially there for the taking. SENT: 930 words, photos. HKN--STANLEY CUP PREVIEW — So, we’ve got ourselves a series. Less than 200 seconds from falling behind three games to none, the Florida Panthers have new life in the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. SENT: 700words, photos. ————————- HOW TO REACH US ———————— At the Nerve Center, Vincent K. Willis can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006. Read More 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 Analysis: What makes a fair election? Recent redistricting the most politically balanced in years Trump's GOP defenders in Congress leap into action on charges after months of preparation Trump set for first public appearances since federal indictment, speaking in Georgia, North Carolina

Tucker Carlson has made strong comments about Barack Obama’s personal life in his new Twitter show, Tucker on Twitter. On Friday, the 54-year-old American political commentator posted a new episode titled “Cling to your taboos!” where he said Mr Obama has a “highly creepy personal life”. In his 13-minute monologue, Mr Carlson spoke about how “fast” taboos are changing and how “American society isn’t overtly religious, but it’s governed by taboos”. The television personality claimed what Americans “are allowed to dislike is being dictated to us from above” before giving examples. Speaking of “the current behaviour of our politicians” and how “adultery was considered disqualifying [in 1992] for anyone seeking higher campaign”, Mr Carlson referenced Bill Clinton’s alleged extramarital affair with Gennifer Flowers, and how he went to “elaborate lengths to lie about the relationship, because he had no choice”. The commentator then pivoted to speaking about Mr Obama, saying: “By 2008, it was obvious to anybody who was paying attention that Barack Obama had a strange and highly creepy personal life, yet nobody ever asked him about it. “By that point, a leader’s behaviour within his own marriage, the core relationship of his life, had been declared irrelevant. It was Barak Obama’s business, not yours.” Mr Carlson did not elaborate on his reference to Mr Obama. The presenter went on to say that “one by one, with increasing speed, our old taboos have been struck down. “Those that remain have lost their moral force”. This isn’t the first time Mr Carlson has slammed Mr Obama in public. In 2021, he was widely mocked on Twitter after calling Mr Obama a “hater”. Carlson was responding to Mr Obama’s comments to CNN about right-wing news outlets, which he said were making money out of stoking fear and resentment among white Americans. “[They] do everything they can to give people a sense that their way of life is threatened,” Mr Obama told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “Lo and behold, the single most important issue to them currently right now is critical race theory.” he said. “Who knew that that was the threat to our republic?” Speaking to his Fox News audience about Mr Obama’s comments, Mr Carlson said: “He’s back to let you know that if you’ve got any problem with your kids’ teachers telling them that some races are better than others that you, my friend, are a racist.” He went on to say that Mr Obama should have “retreated to Hawaii and Martha’s Vineyard”, where the former president and his wife, Michelle Obama, bought a $12m beachfront property. “That guy is a hater. For real.” he added. Mr Carlson’s latest episode of Tucker on Twitter has amassed over 45m views and almost 500k likes so far. Read More Madeleine McCann news – latest: Soil from reservoir compared to samples from prime suspect’s van Is Donald Trump going to prison? Trump lashes out at ‘deranged lunatic’ and ‘psycho’ Jack Smith as startling secret papers charges revealed Why did Fox News fire Tucker Carlson? Here are six theories Ukraine tells ‘clown’ Tucker Carlson to check his facts after pro-Kremlin rant Fox News accuses Tucker Carlson of breaching contract with new Twitter show

Vladimir Putin has announced Russia will start deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus next month – Moscow’s first move of such bombs outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. The Russian president said the weapons would be deployed after special storage facilities are ready in just under a month’s time. It comes after he, last month, announced he wanted to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, in an apparent warning to Nato over its support for Ukraine. “Everything is going according to plan,” Mr Putin told his ally and Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. “Preparation of the relevant facilities ends on July 7-8, and we will immediately begin activities related to the deployment of appropriate types of weapons on your territory,” he said, according to a Kremlin transcript of his remarks. Earlier, Ukraine‘s domestic security service said it had intercepted a telephone call proving a Russian “sabotage group” blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric station and dam in southern Ukraine. The destruction of the facility on Tuesday unleashed mass flooding, forcing thousands of residents to flee and wreaking environmental havoc. Read More Ukraine goes on attack in Zaporizhzhia – as counteroffensive steps up Ukraine tells ‘clown’ Tucker Carlson to check his facts after pro-Kremlin rant in first Twitter show Before-and-after satellite images show profound toll of Ukraine dam collapse

Quebec has seen improvements in the last 48 hours but country's west coast warns fire challenges ahead.

In another era, a Republican frontrunner facing his second indictment in three months would mean that primary voters would actively be shopping for other candidates to put up against a president as unpopular as President Joe Biden. Instead, former president Donald Trump’s indictment, which he announced on Thursday evening and which was unsealed on Friday, calcified his support among Republican voters at the North Carolina Republican Convention in Greensboro. If anything, the 37-charge indictment accusing Mr Trump of showing highly classified information to unauthorised persons on two separate occasions made Republicans in the Tar Heel State more likely to support him. “After yesterday?” Beverly Atwell of Forsyth County asked in response to a question from The Independent about who she was leaning towards. “Trump.” Ms Atwell said what happened to Mr Trump was “terrible.” “Everybody needs to support him,” she said. “What Joe Biden has done, only somebody like Trump can fight.” Terry Stafford, an attendee, said the indictment would not affect his vote either way. “I know they’re just making s*** up,” he told The Independent. “If they wanted to show us how true they were, Biden would have been arrested for his crimes.” Friday should have been all about Mr Trump’s main rival for the Republican nomination, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis. Mr DeSantis addressed a packed house for the Old North State Dinner at the Koury Convention Center. The super PAC that supports Mr DeSantis called Never Back Down had a booth on the third floor of the building. One campaign button being sold showed Mr DeSantis telling Mr Trump, “hold my beer.” The convention is meant to be a cattle call for the top Republican presidents. Former vice president Mike Pence will speak there on Saturday afternoon during a luncheon and Mr Trump will deliver one of his first speeches since his indictment in the evening after he speaks at the Georgia GOP’s state convention earlier in the day. Alan Pugh of Randolph County told The Independent that the GOP had a wide array of qualified candidates, citing not just Mr Trump and Mr DeSantis but also Sen Tim Scott of South Carolina and Gov Doug Burgum of North Dakota. But he said that Mr DeSantis had received much of the talk. “I think the reason is, simply the fact that his record in Florida,” he said, noting how Mr DeSantis went from narrowly winning his first race to winning re-election by almost twenty per cent and carrying the Hispanic vote. “People like whoever you want to, but we’ve got to win. And DeSantis is a winner.” But Mr Trump dominated the discussion. Even Mr DeSantis spoke about the Department of Justice “weaponising” itself against conservatives, though he didn’t mention the former president by name. “Our Founding Fathers would have absolutely predicted the weaponisation of these agencies, particularly Justice and the FBI, because if we don’t have constitutional accountability, human nature is such that they will abuse their power,” he said. He also criticised the Justice Department for not indicting former secretary of state Hillary Clinton for using a private email server during her tenure as secretary. “Is there a different standard for a Democrat secretary of state versus a former Republican president,” he said. “I think there needs to be one standard of justice in this country.” Republican presidential candidates find themselves in a bind in that they now have to simultaneously show their support for the twice-impeached and now twice-indicted former president and make the case that they are a more optimal choice. Even Mr Pugh, who praised Mr DeSantis, said that even though he was not committed to any candidate, the charges helped Mr Trump “because he’s being attacked by our own government.” “Our own Justice Department,” he said. “That infuriates me as a lawyer.” Republicans will likely continue to feel pressure to show solidarity with Mr Trump. Charlie Kirk, the chief executive of Turning Point USA, tweeted that every Republican should suspend their campaign and go down to Miami to show support for Mr Trump. “Either we have an opposition party or we don't,” he said. “GO to Miami Tuesday, and show solidarty or we will mark you as part of the oppsition [sic].” The predicament many Republicans face is personified by one poster in one of the booths at the convention centre which featured a quote from Ronald Reagan showing his 11th commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.” Read More DeSantis pledges to restore name of notorious Confederate general Braxton Bragg to Fort Liberty Florida man: Why prosecutors charged Trump in the Sunshine State, and what it means for the judge and jury Trump indictment: Ex-president kept nuclear and military papers and showed some to unauthorised people Hiding documents from the FBI and foreign nuclear plans: Key allegations in Trump’s unsealed indictment 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

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pledged to restore the name of a military fort to the name of a Confederate general in North Carolina if he is elected president. The 2024 candidate for the Republican nomination for president made the remarks at the North Carolina Republican Party convention on Friday evening. “I also look forward to, as President, restoring the name of Fort Bragg to our great military base in Fayetteville, North Carolina,” he said during the Old North State Dinner in Greensboro. “It's an iconic name and iconic base, and we're not gonna let political correctness run amok.” Earlier this month, the Department of Defense announced that Fort Bragg, which was established in 1918, would be renamed Fort Liberty. The Pentagon began the initiative to rename military bases in 2020 in response to the Black Lives Matter protests after a white police officer killed George Floyd. Fort Bragg had been named for Braxton Bragg, who was a general for the Confederate States of America. He also served as a adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He also owned slaves and many in the South also despised him for abandoning Kentucky during the Civil War. Unlike other Confederate generals like Robert E Lee, he refused to surrender. Mr DeSantis is one of three presidential candidates speaking at the state convention. Former president Donald Trump and former vice president Mike Pence will also speak at the convention. The governor also claimed to have banned “Critical Race Theory,” a niche legal theory taught in law schools but that conservatives have used as a catch-all term to describe most teaching about racism. “We place renewed emphasis on American civics, about teaching kids about our Constitution and our Bill of Rights and about what it means to be an American,” he said. “Because no matter what avenue they take, they choose in life. they are all going to be citizens of our republic.” Mr DeSantis also took a subtle swipe at Mr Trump during his speech. “I tell you this leadership at the end of the day is not entertainment,” he said. “It's not brand building.” He also emphasised how he won re-election by double digits in November, while Republicans, many of whom Mr Trump endorsed, fell short in Senate races. “We had good stuff in some other states,” he said. “But we had huge disappointments across the board. We have 49 Republican US senators, we should have 55 Republican US Senators right now.” Mr DeSantis launched his campaign for president last month and is often polling second against Mr Trump but continues to lag by double digits in most surveys. The governor also touched on many themes that have also animated his campaign, such as fighting, “woke ideology,” which he called a form of “cultural Marxism.” “Woke represents a war on truth itself,” also briefly seeming to hit the former president, who said that Republicans who crow about the word “woke” do not know how to define it. Mr DeSantis also mentioned how he banned teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, most notably with his “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, which triggered a fight with Walt Disney. “And I know in Florida, they basically called the shots for many, many decades but there’s a new sheriff in town,” he said. Mr Trump and Mr Pence will address the North Carolina Republican Convention on Saturday. Read More DeSantis accused of changing pronunciation of his own name DeSantis news – latest: Florida governor most popular with rich Republicans as he defends move to fly migrants to California Fort Bragg drops Confederate namesake for Fort Liberty, part of US Army base rebranding 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

A British three-year-old girl who was stabbed in a playground attack in France was awake and watching television on Friday Emmanuel Macron said – as he also praised the heroism of a young Catholic pilgrim who fended off the knifeman with a backpack. The French president said he had heard “positive” news about the four children – aged between 22 months and three years old – injured in the attack in a lakeside park in Annecy. Two men in their 70s were also injured. Mr Macron and his wife Brigitte, visited three of the children and their families in hospital in Grenoble about 100km (62 miles) from Annecy. The British girl who received surgery, named as Ettie, had “woken up” and was “watching TV”, said President Macron. According to Agence-France Presse, he added: “Doctors are optimistic” suggesting that “everything is going the right way”. A Dutch toddler – who was being treated in Geneva – and two French cousins aged two and three, were also said to be in a stable condition. Mr and Ms Macron later travelled to Annecy, where they sat at the bedside of one of the injured men, who was both knifed and wounded by a shot that police fired as they detained the suspected attacker. Mr Macron said he is regaining consciousness. The second injured adult was discharged from a hospital and was among dozens of people that Mr Macron met and thanked, his left elbow still bandaged. “The first thing doctors told me ... is that these children were saved by the swiftness of the collective intervention,” Mr Macron said. “Thank you immeasurably for your courage.” One of those was Henri, 24, a Catholic pilgrim who is on a nine-month walking and hitchhiking tour of France’s cathedrals and happened to be in the Alpine town of Annecy when the attack occurred. French media hailed Henri as “the hero with a backpack” after he was shown in a video using a weighty backpack he was carrying to swing at the assailant and fend off his blade. “You experienced very hard moments, traumatising,” Mr Macron said. “I am very proud of you.” Henri had a heavy backpack and was holding another in his hand when the attacker slashed at him. Henri continued to harass him, pursuing the man inside a playground – where he stabbed a child in a stroller – and then out of the park again, carrying his backpacks. Henri appeared to hurl one at the assailant at one point and then pick it up again to take another swing. Henri said he was powered by his Catholic faith. “When you know that you’re loved by God and that he saved our lives, you can act without thinking too much about your own [life] to try and save those of the children,” he told French broadcaster BFMTV. Henri asked Mr Macron to be invited to the reopening of Notre Dame in Paris next year, following repairs to the cathedral damaged in a fire in 2019. “I’ll take care of it personally,” the French leader replied. The management graduate said to BFMTV that that he was not the only civilian who put themselves in harm’s way. He had “acted like any French person would”, he said. “Many other people intervened in whatever way they could. I saw a park employee try to hit the attacker with his big plastic spade.” Henri’s father, Francois, said he believed that his son’s dogged pursuit helped dissuade the attacker from stabbing more victims before police wrestled him to the ground. “He took a lot of risks – when he wasn’t armed, with just his backpacks,” the father said. “He didn’t stop running after him for many minutes, to stop him from coming back and massacring the kids even more ... Really very courageous.” Francois asked that their last name not be published, expressing concerns about their family being thrust suddenly and inadvertently into the public eye at a time of shock and outrage in France provoked by the attack. Henri had posted on Instagram in late May about being two months into a nine-month pilgrimage which would see him walk and hitchhike across France, having started in Provence. Many flocked to his social media pages to hail his courage, with one person writing: “May God bless you. You did what you could at that moment, you did not give up, you did not run. You are an angel.” “Bravo for your courage and bravery, you saved lives today, you can be proud of yourself my friend,” wrote one commenter, while another said: “France has a hero tonight, a humble hero.” Many of the hundreds who wrote to share their thanks and “deep respect” for his “incredible” bravery called for him to be awarded the Legion of Honour, the highest French order of merit, while others living across France offered to host him as he continues his pilgrimage. The suspect – a Syrian man with refugee status in Sweden – has had his custody extended and is due to undergo a psychiatric assessment. The 31-year-old is thought to have been living homeless in Annecy and recently had an asylum claim rejected in France, thanks to already holding the status in Sweden. On that French application he said he was a “Syrian Christian”. No terrorist motive is suspected. Commenting on the suggestion that the suspect in Thursday’s attacks also identifies as a Christian, Henri said it was “profoundly unchristian to attack the vulnerable”. A mass was held in Annecy Cathedral in tribute to the victims and their families later on Friday, church authorities said. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Read More ‘You are an angel’: France hails ‘backpack hero’ who confronted knifeman in ‘unspeakable’ Annecy attack Everything we know about suspected France playground attacker after toddlers stabbed British girl injured in Annecy stabbing was on holiday at time of attack British girl injured in Annecy stabbing was on holiday at time of attack France hails ‘backpack hero’ who confronted knifeman in ‘unspeakable’ Annecy attack Annecy locals attend mass as Mayor says injured children are ‘stable’

Special Counsel Jack Smith has assembled a strong criminal case against Donald Trump that outlines his mishandling of

Kevin McCarthy launched an aggressive defence of Donald Trump after his indictment on 37 counts of mishandling top secret documents. “This is going to disrupt this nation because it goes to the core of equal justice for all which is not being seen today,” the Republican House Speaker told Fox News on Friday. “And we're not going to stand for it.” Mr McCarthy’s comments came after the Department of Justice unsealed a 49-page indictment which laid out in extraordinary detail Special Counsel Jack Smith’s 15-month investigation into Mr Trump’s “willful defiance” of efforts to retrieve the materials. The indictment painted a damning picture of Mr Trump’s reckless storage of top secret material he took to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House, and his efforts to obstruct investigators. The classified material included nuclear secrets, war plans, and vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies. Mr Trump told lawyers tasked with complying with a DOJ subpoena that he didn’t want “anyone going through my boxes”, according to the indictment. Mr McCarthy, who is struggling to hold on to the House leadership, called the indictment a “dark day for America”. “You've got a sitting president right now in the exact same situation. You have a former first lady, senator, secretary of state, that had the same situation that nothing was done to,” he told Fox News. Republicans also rushed to defend Mr Trump despite the seemingly overwhelming evidence presented in the 49-page indictment. “We have now reached a war phase. Eye for an eye,” Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs wrote on Twitter. Elise Stefanik, the number three House Republican, tweeted that she was committed to “holding government officials accountable for their endless illegal witch hunt against President Trump”. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley wrote: “If the people in power can jail their political opponents at will, we don’t have a republic.” And Marco Rubio, the Florida senator, said: “There is no limit to what these people will do to protect their power & destroy those who threaten it, even if it means ripping our country apart & shredding public faith in the institutions that hold our republic together.” However, the indictment comes not from political rivals or even from prosecutors but from a grand jury. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was investigated by the FBI in 2016 for her handling of classified material, who opted not to charge her after saying she had been “extremely careless”. President Joe Biden and Trump’s vice president Mike Pence were found to have retained classified materials, but complied with efforts by the National Archive to return them. Read More Trump news — latest: Trump ‘plotted to hide documents from FBI after showing military docs to visitors’ Jonathan Turley tells Fox News the Trump indictment is ‘extremely damning’ and a ‘hit below the waterline’ Trump praised attorney for deleting Hillary Clinton’s 30,000 emails, indictment shows Trump described Pentagon ‘plan of attack’ and shared classified military map with PAC member, indictment shows 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