Donald Trump grows angrier as Vladimir Putin exposes his impotence

As Washington settled in for a typically sleepy Memorial Day following the passage of Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” in the House, the president fired off one of his trademark furious rants on Truth Social, but the target was a surprise.

This time, the target wasn’t any of his domestic political foes — like the Democrats who voted in lockstep against the budget package he endorsed, or the handful of Republicans who refused to fall into line. It wasn’t even aimed at the various law enforcement figures who have attempted to hold him to account over the years.

Sunday evening’s rant was aimed squarely at Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite what he called a “very good relationship” with Putin, Trump in his latest statement on the Ukraine-Russia war blasted the Russian leader as “absolutely crazy.”

“He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!” Trump warned.

He echoed the same thoughts as he spoke to reporters in New Jersey on Sunday ahead of his return to Washington that day.

“He’s killing a lot of people,” said the president. “I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin, I’ve known him for a long time.”

Trump’s sudden harsh turn was illuminative, if not for the reason he may have intended. A throwaway jab aimed at Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky (“everything out of his mouth causes problems … it better stop”) in the same post solidified the underlying intention of the screed: Trump was massaging a bruised ego.

With his pride wounded, Trump has turned to lashing out at the Russian leader who is now publicly refuting his repeated claim that he could end the destructive three-year-old conflict in “24 hours.” Four months after Trump took office, supposedly poised to immediately shut down the war, attacks on Ukrainian targets intensified over the weekend, with Russia launching its largest aerial assault of the war thus far.

Loath as he is to give Zelensky any credit for correctly predicting that Russia’s leadership had no real intentions of ending the war, Trump’s emotional outburst comes as he seems to be realizing that the issue could become a major blemish on the “dealmaker” perception he has sought to cultivate.

More importantly than representing a threat to his ability to live up to his own boasting, the attacks also refute many of Trump’s more recent statements about the Russian president and his supposed desire to see the war end. Trump, who famously hates being made to look foolish by his allies, said as recently as last Monday of Putin: “I do believe he wants to end it.”

But France’s president Emmanuel Macron believes Trump is beginning to realize the truth about Putin’s war stance.

“I believe that President Trump has realized that when President Putin told him he was ready for peace, he was lying,” Macron said on Monday. He pointed to the severity of Russian offensives as the persuading factor.

“You cannot claim to be ready for negotiations and carry out attacks at the same time. Such double rhetoric demonstrates the insincerity of any statements about dialogue,” said the French president.

Now, Washington is already beginning to wonder if Trump will back up his rhetoric with action. He has repeatedly vowed to slap damaging sanctions on Russia if the invasion continues without a resolution, most recently doing so this month in an interview with Fox’s Bret Baier.

But in a press gaggle days after those remarks, Trump also suggested that his administration may “just back away” from the conflict, which would “keep going” without U.S. involvement if a deal was not reached.

Capitol Hill is not keen to let that happen — a bipartisan resolution to impose a new slate of sanctions on Russia hit 81 co-sponsors in the Senate last Wednesday, according to a press release from joint co-sponsors Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal.

The bill, which is designed to be snapped into place if peace talks fall apart, would slap sanctions on a range of Russian top ministers, as well as on businesses and entities that transact with the Russian armed forces.

“Russia has agreed to provide its term sheet for a ceasefire in the next few days. Its contents will speak volumes as to whether or not Russia is serious about peace. We suspect it will be more of the same,” the pair said in a joint statement.

“If it is more of the same, Russia can expect decisive action from the United States Senate.”

Harry Potter series casts Harry, Ron and Hermione

HBO has officially cast the key roles of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley in their new television adaptation of JK Rowling’s beloved book series.

Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry, Arabella Stanton will play Hermione, and Alastair Stout has been cast as Ron.

More than 30,000 actors auditioned for the roles after HBO announced an open casting call last year. Filming is expected to begin this summer.

In a statement, showrunner Francesca Gardiner and executive producer and director Mark Mylod said: “After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

“The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen. We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It’s been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.”

The three newcomers will join a star-studded cast that also includes Nick Frost as the half-giant Rubeus Hagrid.

Oscar nominee John Lithgow has been cast as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Taking over Dame Maggie Smith’s role of Minerva McGonagall is Golden Globe winner Janet McTeer.

Elsewhere in the lineup, Gangs of London, The Lazarus Project and The Capture star Paapa Essiedu will play Severus Snape in the series. Alan Rickman famously played the role in the films.

Additionally, Luke Thallon will play Defence Against the Dark Arts professor Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse will take on the role of caretaker Argus Filch.

The TV adaption was confirmed by HBO Max in 2023 and aims to be a “faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer JK Rowling”.

The series is expected to run for a decade, with each season based on one of the seven Rowling books.

In a previous statement regarding casting, Gardiner and Mylod said: “We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.”

The original film series, which were released between 2001 and 2011, made international stars of the three leads Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry, Emma Watson, who played Hermione, and Rupert Grint who played Ron.

Last year, Radcliffe said he was excited by the idea of the new television adaptation.

“Like the rest of the world, I’m very excited to watch as an audience member,” the actor told E! News.

Asked about a possible cameo or guest appearance, Radcliffe said: “I don’t think so.”

“I think they very wisely want a clean break. And I don’t know if it would work to have us do anything in it. I’m very happy to just watch along with everyone else.”

Macron and wife Brigitte in show of unity after shove video

The difference between the images is stark: on Sunday Emmanuel Macron’s face was being shoved by his wife Brigitte as the pair prepared to leave an airplane that had just landed in Vietnam.

The apparent altercation – and the French president’s reaction to it – was caught on camera for the world to see.

But on Tuesday the pair were all smiles as they boarded the steps to the same flight leaving Vietnam as part of their six-day tour of Southeast Asia.

Offering a picture of unity, the married couple with a 25-year age gap was seen holding hands after waving from the boarding staircase. Ms Macron, 72, wore a cream-coloured pin-stripe suit as she stood next to her 47 year-old husband.

On Monday, in the middle of an overseas trip aimed at developing relations between France and Europe, Mr Macron had been forced to dismiss speculation of a spat spilling into the public eye.

Footage from the Macrons’ arrival in Vietnam, for the first leg of a three-country tour, caught the apparent shove before the pair descended from the presidential plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. The incident caused him to step back, looking surprised, before he quickly beamed and waved at the cameras on the Tarmac below.

Ms Macron remained momentarily hidden behind the plane’s fuselage, blocking any view of her face or body language. The couple, who have been married since 2007, then descended the steps together, with France’s first lady appearing to refuse her husband’s arm.

“I was bickering, or rather joking, with my wife,” Mr Macron later told reporters. “It’s nothing. I’m surprised by it, it turns into some kind of global catastrophe where people are even coming up with theories to explain it… It’s nonsense.”

The couple appeared to convey a different image when pictured boarding the presidential plane on Tuesday as they left Vietnam for Indonesia. They will travel to Singapore towards the end of this week.

A presidential aide said the purpose of the trip was to pitch France as a reliable alternative partner to the United States and China.

But the incident between the couple has shifted the media focus of the trip.

Mr Macron cautioned that this was not the first time in recent weeks that the content of videos of him had been twisted by people he described as “crackpots”.

The French president cited a video shared on social media that showed him removing a crumpled white object from a table on a train during a visit to Ukraine.

Some social media users suggested – without providing evidence – that the object was a bag of cocaine. Mr Macron said it was a tissue, and his office accused France’s enemies of spreading fake news.

On Monday, an Elysee official said of the latest video: “It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh.”

Adidas warns cyber attack stole customer data

Sportswear brand Adidas has admitted it has been hit by a cyberattack in which customer data has been compromised.

The German company said criminals had accessed certain consumer data through a third-party customer service provider.

Adidas confirmed no passwords or credit card data was taken.

“We immediately took steps to contain the incident and launched a comprehensive investigation, collaborating with leading information security experts,” the company said in a statement.

The sportswear giant said the breached data mainly consisted of contact information from consumers who had contacted its customer service help desk in the past.

“Adidas is in the process of informing potentially affected consumers,” it said.

“We remain fully committed to protecting the privacy and security of our consumers, and sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern caused by this incident.”

The breach on Adidas is the latest in a string of cyberattacks on companies.

A recent cyberattack on Marks & Spencer will cost the retailer around £300 million after it was targeted over the Easter weekend.

M&S faced availability issues earlier this month after taking some of its systems offline in response to the incident, which the retail group said was caused by “human error”.

Personal data that could have been accessed includes names, email addresses, postal addresses and dates of birth, according to the supermarket.

It is understood the process was part of a ransomware attack, reported to be linked to the hacking group Scattered Spider, but the company would not comment on potential ransoms.

There is no suggestion that this group is behind the data breach at Adidas.

A hack on Co-op earlier this month also caused significant disruption across its retail chain and led to bare shelves in many of its shops, while luxury shop Harrods has also been affected.

The National Crime Agency said it is investigating the attacks on M&S and Co-op individually but is “mindful they may be linked”.

Diddy’s ex-assistant testified he beat Cassie over relationship with Kid Cudi

Capricorn Clark, a former personal assistant and marketing director for Sean “Diddy” Combs, took the witness stand Tuesday as the music mogul’s sex-trafficking trial enters its third week of testimony.

Clark testified that Combs showed up at her house in December 2011 after discovering Cassie Ventura was dating Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi. Clark says Combs entered her home and asked her why she didn’t tell him about Mescudi. Combs, still armed with the gun, then told her to “get dressed, we’re going to go kill Mescudi,” Clark testified.

Combs kicked Ventura at “100 percent full force” after he found out about her relationship with Mescudi, Clark testified. Clark said she called Ventura’s mother afterward and told her, “Please help her. I can’t call the police, but you can.”

Mescudi testified last week that he received a call from Clark in December 2011, warning him that Combs had broken into his Hollywood Hills home after discovering his relationship with Ventura.

Combs is facing sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy charges. Combs was arrested in September 2024 as federal authorities alleged he threatened, abused, and coerced victims “to fulfill his sexual desires” between 2004 and 2024. Combs has denied any accusations of wrongdoing.

AI-powered robot salesperson could be coming to UK showrooms

Robots powered by AI could soon be selling cars to customers in the UK as a global car manufacturer debuts an unusual new member of staff.

Omoda and Jaecoo owner Chery has showed off robotic sales assistant ‘Mornine’ at the Shangai Motor Show on 23 April. It can greet customers, show them around a car, and even make them a tea or coffee.

The AI robot uses machine learning to improve its performance, learning from interactions with customers. It has been trialled in showrooms in Malaysia and could soon be rolled out worldwide, a spokesperson for Chery said.

The car maker added that Mornine has capabilities including perception, cognition, decision making and task execution and explained the “ideal use case” was for “dealer-level admin and service.”

The car brand’s robotics experts said Mornine uses speech and vision inputs that allow it to “accurately interpret commands including physical gestures”.

Ian Wallace, spokesperson for Chery’s Omoda and Jaecoo brands in the UK, said Mornine could even be offered for use in people’s homes in the future if showroom trials go well.

He said: “Mornine is an intelligent showroom aid. She can show customers around a vehicle, she can answer questions and she can make teas and coffees, so in a busy showroom environment, if staff are tied up, she’s there to be a helpful face of the brand.

“She has learning capabilities so she can react to commands and learn your voice so if you were to use her in a household environment she would start to learn what you like and don’t like.”

Chery said the robot uses ‘automotive-grade hardware’ to allow it to walk upright and it has ‘dexterous hands’ to allow it to grip items. It can also distinguish between voices to identify different customers.

The car maker also showcased a robotic dog called ‘Argos’ at the Shanghai show. They say the AI-powered animal is designed to offer companionship to those who are unable to keep real pets at home.

UK to see off bank holiday rain with temperatures to soar up to 25C

A Caribbean jetstream is set to see temperatures rise across the country, ending the UK’s bank holiday washout.

The South East may even see up to 25C by the end of half-term week, according to a Met Office forecast.

Weather maps show a Caribbean jet stream sweeping across Britain, triggering a 48-hour spell of summer weather warmer than parts of Greece, Morocco and southern Italy.

London will even be hotter than Rabat, the capital city of Morocco, and Palermo in Sicily on Friday.

But Met Office spokesperson Oliver Claydon told The Independent that the burst of warm weather doesn’t quite reach the forecaster’s criteria for a heatwave.

He said: “Temperatures this week will fluctuate as weather systems move across the UK, bringing wet and windy weather at times, interspersed by warmer spells of sunshine.

“Temperatures could reach highs of 25C in the south on Friday and Saturday, while remaining a little cooler further north with temperatures reaching the high teens, possibly low 20Cs.

“There is a possibility as we head into June and through the latter part of next week that we could see higher pressure moving in and with it higher temperatures in the south, but at this stage, there is fairly low confidence in the extended outlook.”

He added: “Temperatures in the mid to high 20s are not unusual for late May and early June. Additionally, any period of higher temperatures is more likely to be fairly short-lived.”

Temperatures are predicted to return to normal by Monday, but could rise again by Tuesday 3 June.

The Met Office’s long-range forecast warns of strong winds and thunderstorms in that period. It reads: “Strong winds may also develop at times, particularly in the North and North West.

“With time, the signs are that systems will increasingly track to the northwest of the country, with the South probably starting to see longer, drier interludes while the North West continues to see more in the way of rain and at times strong winds.

“Temperatures are expected to be around normal overall, but will be cooler in any prolonged periods of rainfall. Meanwhile, there is the possibility of some very warm, perhaps hot conditions developing, especially in the South, and these bring with them the chance of thunderstorms.”

It came as April 2025 was declared the sunniest since records began in 1910. This followed the third-sunniest March, and both months saw temperatures well above average nationwide.

On 1 May, the temperature reached 29.3C in Kew Gardens in London – a new record for the date.

Meteorologists are warning of the potential for a summer drought, as the UK has seen roughly half its usual amount of rainfall for March and April. While farmers are concerned about this year’s harvest, some water companies are urging customers to help reservoir levels recover by limiting water use.

Appeal to find two lucky winners of shared £4.8 million Lotto prize

The National Lottery is hunting for two lucky winners of a shared £4.8 million jackpot.

One lucky player scooped the £3.8 million Lotto jackpot in Saturday’s draw – but has yet to claim.

Four players won £1 million after matching five out of six numbers plus the bonus ball – three have been claimed with just one lucky player still to come forward.

The winning numbers were 09, 12, 13, 26, 38, 40 and the bonus number was 04.

A set of balls eight and the draw machine Guinevere were used.

National Lottery organiser Allwyn has urged the two winners to check their tickets to claim.

In addition to Saturday’s draw, last Wednesday’s saw two players share the £2 million jackpot.

Four players also matched five main numbers and the bonus ball to win a guaranteed £1 million. All four of these prizes have been claimed.

Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn, said: “My colleagues and I have a busy week planned getting out and about to meet and pay all of the eleven new Lotto millionaires. Huge congratulations to the nine players who have claimed and I hope the rest of you are checking your tickets as we still have two big winners to come forward.

“Seeing £1M land in a player’s bank account is always a joy, knowing how it will transform both their life and the lives of the people closest to them. I can’t wait to hear all their amazing stories.”

Two players bagged the top prize in Lotto HotPicks on Saturday, which uses the same numbers as the Lotto draw.

They matched five of five numbers to win £350,000 each.

The winning Thunderball numbers were 14, 15, 26, 29, 37 and the Thunderball number was 08.

No one matched all five numbers and the Thunderball number to scoop the top prize, but one ticket-holder matched five to win £5,000.

Wednesday’s estimated Lotto jackpot is £2 million.