In a year when the Democratic base is inflamed over their party’s shutdown capitulation in the Senate, and sees its leaders’ resistance efforts as insufficient, there’s little appetite for bipartisanship in primaries for the make-or-break midterms.
With that in mind — and with control of the U.S. Senate on the line — Michigan’s Democratic primary has become an all-out brawl over dark money and Israel, one that is central to the debate over the Democratic Party’s identity, but still risks opening old wounds at an inopportune time.
That debate was dialed up to 11 this past week with the news that Rep. Haley Stevens, viewed as the favorite of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, had become the beneficiary of a $5 million surge in dark money ad spending from a group aiming to boost Stevens’ image as an opponent of the Trump administration and ICE.
The group is “strongly suspected to be linked to the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee [AIPAC],” HuffPost reported. And it’s no secret that AIPAC, which also supports some of the most right-wing, pro-Trump members of the U.S. Congress — and has tarred Democrats who show support for Palestinians as antisemitic — is increasingly a pariah with large portions of the Democratic base.
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Naturally, both of Stevens’ opponents in the primary leapt on the announcement with scorn: “No amount of dark money will paper over the fact that Haley Stevens voted to thank Trump’s ICE agents and proudly took thousands in corporate PAC money from the company that makes ICE’s TASERs,” said a spokesperson for state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.
Rep. Haley Stevens is seen as Chuck Schumer’s favored candidate in the race (Getty)
“Michiganders will see through this clear attempt to buy this race for Congresswoman Stevens,” added Abdul El-Sayed’s spokesperson.
That news immediately followed a separate AIPAC-related bulletin: A fundraising page, launched by the controversial pro-Israel PAC, featured Stevens right next to Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, an effort to rally support for “pro-Israel candidates [running] for U.S. Senate.”
“Right now, Democrats in Michigan and around the country are organizing to win this seat and flip the Senate. Meanwhile, my opponent Haley Stevens is fundraising with a Republican Senator who could block the Democratic Senate Majority,” wrote McMorrow on X, who went on to argue in a video message that it showed Stevens’ priorities were not with building a Democratic majority.
A source with knowledge of the arrangement told The Independent that the page featuring both Collins and Stevens was set up without the campaign’s knowledge and was taken down when the Stevens campaign requested it.
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Polling shows Israel losing support among Democrats at a record pace in the wake of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s deadly onslaught against Gaza and the resulting humanitarian crises. Reports indicate the group is increasingly using tactics like this most recent announcement — funneling money through unrelated groups using messaging unrelated to Israel, all aimed at boosing pro-Israel candidates. Groups like TrackAIPAC have sought to identify candidates with financial backing from the PAC and its growing network of related organizations.
AIPAC’s support for Trump-aligned candidates has led to accusations that it uses Republican money to interfere in Democratic primaries (Reuters)
Supporters of the Uncommitted movement, pictured outside of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, tried to pressure the party to take a stance against Israel’s war in Gaza (EPA)
But the group’s influence threatens to roil the Democratic primary in Michigan in a way it did not in the Texas Senate primary, the first major Democratic contest of the year. Unlike in Texas, AIPAC has made clear which candidate it strongly prefers and has thus kicked off the first real opportunity for Democrats nationally, not just in Michigan, to hash out the debate over Israel’s influence and support within the party that voters and electeds have been having internally since November 2024.
Stevens, whose PAC-funded ad buy will put her on TV at a key moment while many voters are undecided, received 44% of her donations, minus PAC support and unitemized contributions, in the third quarter of 2025 through a network of pro-Israel groups including AIPAC, according to an analysis of her donor list and a list of AIPAC contributors reviewed by The Independent. That figure, not before reported, represents a major show of support from the group that essentially represents a lifeline for her campaign.
The Independent reached out to the Stevens campaign for comment.
Allies of the congresswoman contend that support for Israel and AIPAC’s track records are not issues of high importance to voters in the primary, though their opponents clearly disagree. Michigan, in 2024, was the birthplace of the “Uncommitted” movement which sought to pressure the Biden and later Harris campaigns into taking a stronger stance against the Israeli war effort and strategy as it related to the Gaza Strip.
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Mallory McMorrow hit her opponent for appearing alongside Susan Collins on an AIPAC fundraising page, while facing her own criticism for taking money from corporate PACs in past election cycles (AP)
Polls for months have shown that issues like inflation, high fuel prices and fears about America’s economic future still remain the most pressing issues for voters nationally, especially as the war in Iran has caused gas prices to surge past $4.50 a gallon on average.
Stevens has taken fire on the issue of AIPAC in particular from both of her opponents. McMorrow and El-Sayed, however, have also locked horns over McMorrow’s own past support from corporate PACs including one tied to a major Michigan energy company, DTE, in her previous campaign for state senate. The Detroit Metro Times reported on her past comments defending taking money from corporate PACs in March.
And El-Sayed’s supporters have pummeled the state senator’s campaign online over whether her repudiation of AIPAC is genuine, given that her husband previously interned for the group. The same newspaper reported that McMorrow also ”reached out to pro-Israel Democratic groups, attended a private pro-Israel leadership event, and traveled to Israel on a trip sponsored by a prominent pro-Israel organization”.
“One of our opponents is partnering with AIPAC to fundraise alongside a Republican, while the other has conveniently forgotten that she too met with them earlier in the cycle and reportedly submitted a position paper. Abdul has been consistent on this issue and believes that our tax dollars should be spent here at home, rather than dropping bombs abroad,” Roxie Richner, a spokesperson for El-Sayed’s campaign, told The Independent.
Former Detroit-area health department director Abdul El-Sayed is running with Bernie Sanders’s endorsement (Getty)
McMorrow and El-Sayed’s own separate duel is playing out for control of the race’s progressive lane, which El-Sayed leads as the Bernie Sanders-endorsed candidate but McMorrow retains a sizable chunk of support as well, having won support from Elizabeth Warren. She and El-Sayed refer to Israel’s war in Gaza as a genocide; Stevens does not.
With three months to go until the primary, a clear frontrunner has failed to emerge. El-Sayed’s campaign is exuding confidence amid a recent polling uptick, while supporters of his opponent believe (or hope) that his support is reaching a ceiling. McMorrow and El-Sayed both remain extremely active on the trail, while Stevens is taking the opposite approach — she is holding fewer public events including town halls than her opponents, and has been hit by political analysts for an awkward campaigning style that isn’t connecting with voters with the same fervor that El-Sayed or McMorrow can evoke.
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“I’m not seeing any enthusiasm for her campaign,” Michigan-based Democratic strategist Chris De Witt told NOTUS last October as the outlet reported that Stevens’ D.C. allies were growing nervous about her bid. “That certainly can change, but it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of excitement about her effort.”
There’s good reason for Democrats to be nervous. Many in D.C. still blame the Uncommitted campaign for withholding support for Harris at a moment when her campaign needed Democratic unity. Plenty of other Democrats around the country see it the opposite way: They blame out-of-touch D.C. policymakers for wedding the party to a deeply unpopular war under an increasingly unpopular Democratic administration helmed by a man so old he was forced to drop out of the race after months of those same policymakers’ insistences to the contrary.
The August primary is still three months away.
Until then, Democrats will have to sit back and watch as those 2024 wounds are re-opened, re-examined and hashed out in a state where Democrats need to defend an open seat to have any chance of winning back a Senate majority many still see as out of reach until the next election cycle.
TOTTENHAM 1-1 LEEDS: Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s penalty ensured that Roberto De Zerbi is still looking nervously over his shoulder after Mathys Tel went from hero to zero
Mathys Tel went from hero to villain as Tottenham wasted a huge chance to push themselves towards safety.
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Tottenham forward Tel scored a sensational opener to put Spurs on course for a third straight win which would have put them four points clear of West Ham in the drop zone.
But Tel gave away a second half penalty for a reckless challenge on Ethan Ampadu which allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin to smash home a penalty to snatch an equaliser.
It nearly got even worse as Tottenham keeper Antonin Kinsky made a sensational save from Sean Longstaff deep into injury time to stop them snatching all the points.
Tottenham home games have been pretty torturous for their fans this season – and this had a real element of make-or-break about it. Their Premier League survival would certainly not be decided with still two more games to go but victory would go a long way to keeping their heads above water and pushing West Ham closer to the drop.
For once, there felt less pressure in the stadium and that was in partly because of a huge favour from their bitter North London rivals Arsenal. Arsenal’s win at West Ham not only meant Leeds were mathematically safe but it also meant Spurs had a real chance to climb away from danger.
The one uncertainty was how Leeds would approach the game with Daniel Farke’s men knowing the pressure was off with their Premier League status in tact. Tottenham started with lots of pressure and intensity but it was Leeds who actually had the best early openings.
Tottenham forward Tel inexplicably played the ball across his own penalty box, Kevin Danso made a brilliant last-ditch header to stop the ball reaching Leeds wing back James Justin.
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Brenden Aaronson’s cross found Leeds defender Joe Rodon and his header was well saved by Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky. Tottenham began to turn the tide as Richarlison’s shot was well saved by Leeds keeper Karl Darlow and then Rodrigo Bentancur headed a big chance wide.
There was a massive sigh of relief from the home fans after Destiny Udogie clearly pulled back Leeds striker Calvert-Lewin only for VAR to rule it was offside otherwise it would have been a stonewall penalty. But just as the nerves were beginning to creep in, Tottenham changed the mood just after after half time.
Pedro Porro’s corner was only half cleared by Jaka Bijol and the ball fell invitingly for Tel on the left edge of the penalty area. Tel had enough time to control the ball, take a step forward and then curl a stunning 20 yard shot into the top corner.
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That was his first goal since January and suddenly the roof came off Tottenham’s stadium as the home fans breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Tottenham only got their first win of 2026 two weeks ago and, after back-to-back wins at Wolves and Aston Villa, you could finally feel the upward momentum under Roberto De Zerbi.
Tottenham could have got a second soon after when Randal Kolo Muani crossed for Richarlison and the Brazilian slashed wide at the near post.
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When you do not take your chances, football can come back to bite you. Sure enough, Tel’s reckless challenge caught Ethan Ampadu and, after a lengthy VAR check, referee Jarred Gillett gave a penalty.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin stepped up and smashed home to level it up and give Leeds’ travelling fans even more reason to celebrate.
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The prime minister has said he will not resign following the results, and in a fightback speech on Monday vowed to “face up to the big challenges ahead”.
But at least 78 LabourMPs have now called on Sir Keir to stand down and make way for a leadership contest. The list continues to grow throughout Monday with a wave of statements issued in the evening, as the prime minister remains defiant.
Check back or refresh the page for updates
Four ministerial aides also handed in their resignation amid the chaos, including Joe Morris, a ministerial aide to Wes Streeting, widely considered a potential leadership contender.
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Tom Rutland, a PPS to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds and Cabinet Office PPS Naushabah Khan also resigned while calling on Sir Keir to step down.
Both former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and health secretary Streeting are seen as potential leadership contenders, although both are yet to make a move against the prime minister.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is also seen as candidate, although he is still not an MP after Sir Keir prevented him from becoming Labour’s candidate in February’s Gorton and Denton by-election.
On Sunday, Ms Rayner said that Labour’s approach “isn’t working, and it needs to change”, adding that the party should not have blocked Mr Burnham from attempting to become an MP.
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Labour MP Catherine West called on cabinet members over the weekend to challenge Sir Keir by Monday, threatening to start formally gathering names to trigger a contest.
Angela Rayner has said that Labour’s approach ‘isn’t working, and it needs to change’ (AP)
After Sir Keir’s speech on Monday morning, in which he vowed to prove doubters wrong and would not “walk away”, Ms West backed down from leadership bid, but urged Labour MPs to call on the prime minister to set out a timetable for his resignation by September.
The growing list of Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) members who have spoken out against the prime minister goes beyond the list of usually vocal opponents, echoing the 100-plus strong rebellion over welfare cuts that the cabinet faced last July.
Among them are former transport secretary Louise Haigh, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and veteran MP Barry Gardiner.
Labour was elected with 411 seats at the 2024 general election – a 174-seat majority – marking the best performance for the party since 2001. With this many sitting MPs, it technically becomes harder for a leadership challenge to be launched against the prime minister, as 20 per cent of these members would be needed to nominate a contender, which translates to 81 MPs.
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However, with the figure of Labour MPs voicing their calls publicly, it will be cause for huge concern within Downing Street.
At the height of the blaze more than 80 firefighters and personnel were involved in the response, with appliances from across Northern Ireland, including from a pump from Whitla fire station and two water tankers from Warrenpoint and Pomeroy.
Two aerial appliances from Knock and Springfield fire stations were used alongside specialist rescue teams from Central fire station and a command support unit from Lisburn.
The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental ignition.
The new 5.4 kilometre ‘Whitespots Line’ is expected to open in a few weeks
A new greenway is almost ready for opening in County Down.
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Officials at Ards and North Down Borough Council have briefed elected representatives that a stretch of greenway between Newtownards and Bangor is near completion, and will soon be ready for public footfall.
The new Whitespots Line of the Comber Greenway, a 5.4 kilometre active travel route linking Newtownards and Bangor, is expected to open at the end of May or the start of June this year.
In March the Stormont Department for Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmons visited the greenway and was met with a group of students from the West Winds Primary school who came along on their bikes. The PSNI joined the event, as well as councillors, council officers and the Deputy Mayor.
The Greenway contractor Charles Brand Ltd has completed sections at the Floodgates Park, Bangor Road to SERC, Green Road through Breezemount and Londonderry Park. Remaining sections still being finished are Breezemount to Drumhirk Way, Drumhirk Way to Ark Farm/The Somme/Whitespots, the rear of Belvedere, and the Floodwall over to Ballyrickard Waste Water Treatment Works.
A council officer report for the Ards North Down Environment Committee states: “Welcome signage and wayfinding signage is currently being produced and will be installed in due course. The branding follows the design of existing sections of the Comber Greenway in Comber, Dundonald and Belfast. A map is also being produced for installation at key entry points and will be added to the website also when finalised. The planting, fencing and addition of bins and benches is also being finalised.”
A new Comber to Newtownards section, planned to connect to the existing Comber Greenway, was granted approval in January 2025.
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The council report refers to this plan, stating: “The discussions to connect the Greenway from the section at Ballyrickard Waste Water Treatment Works through Comber to connect with the existing Comber Greenway are ongoing. A planning application to deliver the section along the A21 is still required. Draft drawings are currently with DFI for its input prior to the submission of the planning application for that one missing section.”
A feasibility study for a proposed Green Road to Donaghadee Greenway will be forwarded later this year.
New plans have been submitted to Redcar and Cleveland Council for 20 new one and two-bedroom flats on the site of the former Empire Theatre in Loftus.
Located at the corner of Deepdale Road and Cowscote Crescent, the long-derelict building would be demolished to make way for the new homes, which would include parking.
The scheme includes a single three-storey apartment building, designed to take advantage of the sloping site by partially setting the lower ground floor into the ground.
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This approach ensures that the development does not appear overly dominant within the street scene.
The site has a long history dating back to 1911 when it first opened as the Empire Palace of Varieties, hosting variety shows and early cinema screenings.
Rebuilt and expanded in 1937, it became known as the Empire Theatre and later operated as the Regent Bingo Club.
In 1977, it briefly returned to life as a cinema before closing in 1983.
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The building has since been used for storage, but has remained derelict for many years.
A statement from Origin Planning Services, on behalf of applicant Peter Hall, said: “The proposed layout has been carefully developed in response to the site’s prominent corner position and sloping topography.
“Adequate separation distances are achieved between the proposed development and adjacent properties, ensuring that privacy, outlook and residential amenity are preserved.”
Vehicle access would be from Deepdale Road, with 21 parking spaces provided.
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The plans describe a “contemporary architectural approach” that aims to create a “high-quality and cohesive appearance” through the use of varied materials and façade detailing.
The flats would be located a short distance from Loftus Leisure Centre and other neighbourhood amenities.
Outline planning permission for residential development on the site was granted in 2023.
The reserved matters application now seeks approval for detailed design, layout, and access arrangements, bringing the long-anticipated redevelopment of the site a step closer.
The northern lights may be visible across the UK, including Manchester, later this week after a powerful solar flare erupted
A powerful solar flare could potentially trigger northern lights displays later this week.
This follows a coronal mass ejection (CME) on May 10 — a vast expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona. These events can eject billions of tons of coronal material and carry an intense magnetic field.
The eruption broke out at 1.13pm on Sunday and is now rotating into Earth’s “strike zone” on the Sun’s northeastern edge. Any significant solar flares or CMEs will have a greater likelihood of being directed towards Earth as this region comes into view over the coming days, reports the Express.
The Met Office says part of the expanding plume of solar material could brush past Earth around May 13 – in just two days’ time. This could set off minor geomagnetic storm conditions, boosting the northern lights across the UK and northern US.
The northern lights are visible in the UK on multiple occasions throughout the year, particularly during periods of heightened solar activity, with 2026 being a peak year.
While best observed in Scotland and high-latitude areas every few months, powerful solar storms can occasionally make them visible across the whole of the UK, including the south, between September and March.
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They were last spotted in the UK during intense displays on 23-24 March 2026, with notable sightings reported further south across the country earlier in the year.
The breathtaking displays are produced by solar activity, whereby charged particles from the Sun’s atmosphere travel through space as solar wind and collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere. These impacts energise oxygen and nitrogen atoms, which then emit energy in the form of vivid, luminous colours.
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She has been struck off The Nursing and Midwifery Council register
A nurse who was found to have administered medication “incorrectly” to a patient has been ordered to be struck off the nursing register. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said Natalie Smith’s fitness to practise as a nurse was impaired by reason of “lack of competence”.
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An NMC panel upheld several charges against the nurse who worked at North West Anglia NHS Trust at a hearing on May 1. The panel heard that in December 2018, Miss Smith administered inhaler medication “incorrectly” in that she “did not count at least 8 seconds per puff.” On February 8, 2019, it was determined that Ms Smith did not administer medication as prescribed to a patient.
The panel also found Ms Smith inserted a nasal bridle and cannulated a patient without the required training to safely do so in two separate incidents.
It was also determined that Ms Smith “failed to demonstrate the standards of knowledge, skill and judgment in patient care required to practise without supervision as a registered nurse” by not completing vital signs for a patient when it “would have been clinically appropriate to do so” on January 4, 2019.
She also failed to sign a drug chart for a patient, didn’t sign a patient’s prescription chart to confirm IV medication had been administered and signed to indicate she had administered ibuprofen to a patient when she had not done so between December 2018 and November 2019.
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The report said: “The panel considered that Miss Smith’s actions in relation to the charges found proved, namely not monitoring a patient post-procedure who had been sedated, not replacing tracheostomy tube packs, and poor record keeping related to medications administration, put patients at real risk of harm. The panel therefore decided that a finding of continuing impairment is necessary on the ground of public protection.”
The report added: “The panel also considered that Miss Smith has not practised for a considerable period of time, which is likely to have had a detrimental impact on her clinical skills.
“There is no evidence before the panel of any efforts to maintain or develop her competence during this period. The continued lack of engagement and absence of material demonstrating insight or remediation indicate that no progress has been made towards safe practice.”
The striking off order is due to come into effect upon the expiry of the current suspension order, at the end of June 28, 2026.
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A spokesperson for North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust said Ms Smith had been suspended from work pending the decision from the NMC Fitness to Practice Committee.
The Gower MP Tonia Antoniazzi is the latest politician to call for the Prime Minister to step aside
Another Welsh Labour MP has called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to resign, saying now is the time for him to “step aside in an orderly manner”. On Monday evening the Labour MP for Gower, Tonia Antoniazzi, said it was time for Mr Starmer to stand down.
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It also emerged that around 80 MPs have signed a letter calling for Sir Keir Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure. The Press Association is reporting Most of these have publicly called for the Prime Minister to stand down, it is understood.
A fourth Government aide has also resigned, joining the dozens of Labour MPs calling for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down following the local elections.
The Labour party was humbled in elections last week which saw them lose more than 1,460 council seats across England and finish a distant second to the SNP in a vote to decide the next Scottish Parliament. In Wales Labour suffered a result which would previously have been considered unthinkable: finishing third, comfortably behind Plaid Cymru and Reform.
The party now has only nine seats out of 96 in the Senedd, with even First Minister Eluned Morgan failing to get re-elected. She has since stepped down as Labour’s leader in Wales and will be replaced as First Minister by Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
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Nationally this has been seen as the electorate making their views on Keir Starmer’s premiership perfectly clear.
Posting on social media, Ms Antoniazz, said: “Sir Keir Starmer is a man of great integrity who has led the Labour Party through difficult times.
“There will be those that disagree with me but I think it is genuinely time for him to step aside as PM in an orderly manner. I will make a further statement tomorrow.”
This came after fellow Labour MP Ruth Jones – who represents Newport West and Islwyn – told the BBC on Monday morning: “I think we need him to set out the timetable for when he is going to stand down – not yet, not in a rush, not in a hasty way.
“He’s done a brilliant job, he’s been there six years, he’s got us in, after one term in the wilderness, he’s got us a massive majority.
“He’s brilliant on the international stage but he’s not cutting through on the doorstep as a leader with charisma.”
Blue Labour, an internal pressure group, has called for the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for his departure.
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The group said in a statement on X: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure.
“Nothing has convinced us that he is able to rise to the challenge confronting this country.
“As the process unfolds, no candidate should be blocked from standing; the job is too important for factional warfare and NEC machinations.
“Labour must now navigate a very difficult transition to a new prime minister. It must avoid the danger of retreating back into its comfort zone in which it can pretend there are no hard choices and trade-offs in rebuilding the country.
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“There is a hard road ahead. The people of our islands are looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.
“The next leader must have a clear programme of government and story to tell the British people about how we will get there.”
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LONDON (AP) — The Beatles are headed back to one of the band’s most famous sites with a new fan experience in London.
Apple Corps Ltd, the company founded by the Fab Four, announced Monday that it will open a new seven-floor fan experience at the company’s early headquarters. The building is the place where the band’s “Let It Be” album was recorded and its rooftop was the site of the Beatles’ last public performance on Jan. 30, 1969.
The attraction in central London will allow fans access to the rooftop, studios and extensive Beatles archives.
“It was such a trip to get back to 3 Savile Row recently and have a look around. There are so many special memories within the walls, not to mention the rooftop. The team have put together some really impressive plans and I’m excited for people to see it when it’s ready,” Paul McCartney said in a statement announcing the attraction.
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“Wow, it’s like coming home,” Ringo Starr said in a statement.
An opening date for the attraction has not yet been announced.
Interest in the Beatles remains high, with four biopics in production. Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series, “The Beatles: Get Back,” relied heavily on footage filmed during the “Let It Be” recording sessions and of the farewell rooftop performance.
In 2023, artificial intelligence helped create the final Beatles recording, the song “Now and Then,” which relied on recordings by the original Beatles.
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