WASHINGTON (AP) — Shouting over the banging and clanging sounds from heavy construction equipment, President Donald Trump on Tuesday gave a group of reporters a closer look at the construction for the White House ballroom he’s building on the site of the former East Wing to mount a defense for the project that has hit a speed bump in Congress.

The administration has asked for $1 billion from taxpayers for security additions on the White House campus, including for the ballroom. But the Senate parliamentarian ruled the proposal could not be included in a bill to fund immigrant enforcement agencies for three years, and several Republican lawmakers have balked at the price tag in an election year where voters are grappling with gasoline, grocery and other prices spurred to new heights by the Iran war and the disruption in oil supplies.

So Trump, ever the pitchman, surprised White House reporters by bringing them to a platform overlooking the construction site on a hot and breezy morning as workers in hard hats and fluorescent yellow vests milled about below.

Easels were set up to display renderings of the ballroom building and at least one of them blew off in the wind. “Give that to me, I’ll hold it,” Trump told an assistant.

“There will never be another building like this built, that I can tell you,” Trump told reporters.

He highlighted the security aspects of the building, notably its “dead flat” roof made of “very strong steel” and said it is “drone-proof” because “if a drone hits it, it bounces off, it won’t have any impact — but it’s also meant as a drone port, so it protects all of Washington, the roof of the building.”

He said the military will “stay on it” to keep watch over the city.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to halt construction until Congress approves plans for the building.

Trump insisted he will have “very little” time to use the ballroom. He recently announced that it will be ready in September 2028, less than six months before his term ends.

“This is really for other presidents,” he said.

Trump sidestepped a question about whether he’ll kick in any more of his own money if Congress rejects the $1 billion funding request.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said Trump’s tour was not in response to the difficulties brewing in Congress. “President Trump is the most transparent president of all time and was excited to showcase to the press and American people the amazing gift he is giving to the White House and generations of future presidents to come,” Ingle said.

Trump also touched on some of the other beautification projects he’s undertaking across the city, such as restarting dormant park fountains. He claimed to be spending much less to clean up the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool than did his immediate predecessors — both Democrats.

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The star of 24 is promoting his new album Grey with a series of intimate dates where he will play a short acoustic set and sign copies of the new album.

Kiefer Sutherland is currently midway through the UK and European leg of his Love Will Bring You Home headline tour, which included a date in Manchester at the weekend.

As well as playing Jack Bauer in the series 24, he has starred in the political drama Designated Survivor.

Kiefer Sutherland (Image: Beth Elliott)

His movie career ranges from The Lost Boys to A Few Good Men.

He has recently concentrated more on his music career and Grey will be his fourth album.

He is the latest high profile artist to perform at the Bury record store following the likes of Melanie C and Blue.

For details of the in-store performance on Thursday, May 28, visit www.waxandbeans.co.uk

Met Office weather forecasters suggest high 20s on Friday – which looks likely to be the hottest day of the year – but even warmer conditions may follow

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The hottest day of the year is set to hit this on Friday, with temperatures expected to climb to very high 20s in parts of Northern Ireland.

The warmest conditions is predicted to come in the south-east, although the north-west and parts of Yorkshire could also rise to 30C. Parts of southern Scotland could reach 27C, with 26C coming in Wales and 25C in Northern Ireland, according to the maps.

The Met Office says the warm spell will arrive just in time for the Bank Holiday weekend following cooler weather and an unsettled start to the week. The current record for this year was set on April 8 when Kew Gardens hit 26.6C – but that could soon be beaten, with the Met Office forecasting London will reach 27C on Friday and possibly 30C over the weekend, reports The Mirror.

Other parts of England and Wales are also expected to feel the heat. Manchester could see highs of 29C by Sunday while Bristol and Swansea could reach 28C and 27C respectively.

Sky News weather producer Jo Robinson was slightly more cautious about the mercury hitting the 30s this weekend. She said there is a “small chance” that temperatures could reach 30C in some areas – something she noted is “quite rare for May”.

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However, if the mercury doesn’t reach the 30C mark this weekend, we shouldn’t have to wait too long before it does. The GFS weather model suggests temperatures could surge as high as 32C on June 3.

Temperature anomaly maps show the whole country covered in areas of deep red and orange for June 3. This indicates where temperatures are expected to rise well above the seasonal average.

In its outlook for Thursday to Saturday this week, the Met Office says: “Turning drier, brighter and warmer through Thursday. Very warm on Friday and Saturday, although some rain or thundery showers are possible at times.”

Tony Wisson, deputy chief forecaster at the Met Office, said many parts of the country will enjoy “warm, fine and settled weather” that will continue through to Sunday and Monday.

He added: “There is also the chance of thundery rain in places. Nonetheless, temperatures should remain warm or very warm through Saturday and into Sunday.”

The third in a series of military AI summits was held in La Coruña, Spain in February 2026. The aim of the meeting was to convert previously agreed principles on the military use of AI into action. The summit was attended by government officials, military personnel, representatives from industry and researchers from thinktanks.

The goal of many experts and policymakers in this area is to usher countries towards a regulatory framework on using machine intelligence in warfare. To this end, the latest Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM) summit presented a non-binding commitment for countries to sign.

The REAIM agreement affirmed the need for human oversight of military AI systems, called for countries to carry out risk assessments and robust testing, and committed to transparency on how decisions are made when using AI in conflicts.

The reasoning behind such recommendations is sound. However, translating such a framework from plan to action faces multiple hurdles. Ultimately, less than half of the countries represented at this year’s REAIM summit signed the non-binding commitment.

To understand why, it’s instructive to look at what happened at the 80th UN General Assembly held in New York in December 2025. At the meeting, members of the assembly’s first committee voted overwhelmingly to approve two resolutions calling for greater international scrutiny of the risks from military uses of AI. However, the US and Russia notably opposed the resolutions.

The US had been a signatory to earlier REAIM summit commitments. But this year, the US and China both declined to sign it. There seems little doubt that this helped fuel the hesitancy of other countries.

The Netherlands’ defence minister Ruben Brekelmans put it succinctly when he said that governments face a “prisoner’s dilemma”. This is a concept in game theory where two rational individuals face competing incentives to cooperate with or betray one other.

Countries are effectively having to implement responsible restrictions on military AI without subjecting their armed forces to limitations that could be exploited by a less conscientious enemy.

An important sticking point is the deployment of autonomous AI systems in warfare. The idea of autonomous weapons systems, which make decisions without input from a human, remains a grave concern for many interested parties on this issue.

There continues to be a consensus against using such weapons. But countries can’t reach a common position over how to define them, particularly so-called lethal autonomous weapons systems – or Laws for short. These are often characterised as “killer robots”, though a more detailed description remains elusive.

A uniform definition for such systems could be an important first step towards a discussion on regulation. But, despite efforts by academic experts to draft and amend flexible definitions, countries remain too far apart on the characteristics they ascribe to these weapons.

The impasse is informed by a fear that accepting a definition could restrict countries’ militaries on the battlefield – threatening national security.

Testing grounds for tech

Existing legal mechanisms, such as international humanitarian laws, already prohibit the irresponsible and unethical use of military AI – in theory, at least. But how these laws would function in practice when applied to real world scenarios is uncertain.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the war in Gaza and the more recent escalation in Iran are being used by militaries as testing grounds for such technology.

The Lavender intelligence gathering and targeting software, used by Israel in Gaza, and Anthropic’s AI Model Claude, used by the US in Iran, demonstrate the rapid pace of advancement in AI-powered data gathering and analysis. This can help military planners make quicker decisions.

Drone warfare – AI assisted, autonomous and semi-autonomous – has grown at an equally rapid rate. This emerging technology is evolving significantly faster than the potential rules that could govern its use.

There’s a recurring argument that humans in the loop can operate as effective safeguards against the misuse of military AI systems. But as human overseers become familiar with the AI systems they use, their engagement may slip, causing them to become detached from the process.

As this happens, they may start to view real people as mere objects on a screen. This effect is known as automation bias. In such instances, human oversight could cease to be meaningful and instead lead to the simple rubber stamping of recommendations made by AI.

Additionally, the downsides of AI technology, such as bias, misinformation and disinformation generated by the systems themselves, and the erosion of human judgement resulting from overreliance on these systems, are not easy to solve after they enter use. This is why the REAIM summit commitment recommended risk assessments and robust testing before AI systems are adopted by militaries.

Without regulation, the risk of harm caused by AI systems remains significant. The severity of such risks balloons in magnitude when they are applied to military contexts. Miscalculations can lead to unintended escalation, as well as civilian deaths.

Arsenal’s decades-long wait is over.

Mikel Arteta’s team was crowned Premier League champion for the first time since 2004 on Tuesday after Manchester City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth.

“I told you all.. it’s done,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice posted on social media with a photo of he and his teammates celebrating.

The result put an end to what might be Pep Guardiola’s final title challenge with City after the decorated manager didn’t dismiss reports he was set to leave the club at the end of the season.

City needed to win at Bournemouth to take it down to the final game of the campaign on Sunday. But the draw left Arsenal with an unassailable four-point lead at the top, ending its 22-year wait for the title.

Arsenal fans celebrated wildly outside its Emirates Stadium, setting off flares and partying in the street. There were celebrations at the club’s training ground, too, where the players had gathered to watch the match.

City threatened another twist in an engrossing title race when Erling Haaland scored in stoppage time to equalize after Junior Kroupi’s first-half strike, but it was too late to find a winner.

Arteta’s players can now stand alongside club icons Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Ian Wright, who previously led the club to the summit of English soccer. And Arsenal’s current class could yet break new ground by winning the Champions League for the first time in its history later this month.

Thoughts of the May 30 final against defending champion Paris Saint-Germain can be put on the backburner for now.

Now is a time for celebration and relief for Arteta after finishing runner-up in the league three years running.

In back-to-back seasons in 2023 and ’24, he watched as Guardiola’s City chased down Arsenal’s lead to be crowned champion. And another chance was missed last year by finishing second to Liverpool.

Once again Arsenal has led the way for most of this campaign and despite seeing its points advantage ebb away during a gripping run-in, it has finally managed to get over the line.

Arsenal’s last champion was the so-called “Invincibles” team of 2004, which went an entire campaign without losing in the league.

Since then it has seen Chelsea, Manchester United, City, Leicester and Liverpool all take the title. This is the first time since 2017 that a team other than City or Liverpool has not been crowned champion. It is Arsenal’s 14th title and Arteta will hope it is the beginning of a new era of dominance.

He has finally got the better of Guardiola, who he was formerly assistant to at City.

The Spaniard took over at Arsenal in December 2019 — his first role as a manager. After winning the FA Cup in that first season, it has been a frustrating wait for more honors. Even still, he is the second-youngest coach after Jose Mourinho to win the Premier League at the age of 44.

While his team has not maintained the attractive playing style of former manager Arsene Wenger, it has powered its way to the title with the best defense in the league and earned a reputation as a specialist for set-piece goals.

Time will tell if Arteta adopts a more expansive style in the future, more in-keeping with Guardiola’s City.

How City will look going forward is a bigger question, with Enzo Maresco widely considered the front-runner to replace Guardiola.

The future of City’s greatest manager overshadowed the buildup to the game after 10 years at the club.

“I should talk with my chairman first,” Guardiola said. “After that, when I talk with my chairman…. we will decide. We will talk in the next days.”

He was aiming to win the title for the seventh time in England and a second domestic treble after winning the League Cup and FA Cup this term. But Kroupi’s curling shot in the 39th minute left City with a mountain to climb.

Bournemouth wasted further chances to extend its lead, and Haaland ensured a tense finish for Arsenal fans when he leveled in the fifth minute of added time.

Ultimately it wasn’t enough and Guardiola has gone two years without winning a league title for the first time in his coaching career.

Relegation battle

The fight for survival will go down to the final day of the season after Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-1.

Spurs are two points ahead of West Ham, which is in the final relegation spot.

West Ham needs to beat Leeds on Sunday to have any chance of leapfrogging Tottenham and climbing out of the drop zone.

Tottenham hosts Everton and a draw would likely be enough because of superior goal difference. A win would guarantee safety.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Greater Manchester Police said they were first made aware of the situation at around 4.45am after receiving reports regarding a woman at the top of The Rock car park.

A cordon was set up around the car park, meaning Derby Way was inaccessible for much of the day.

Derby Way cordon (Image: Dan Dougherty)

In a statement earlier in the day, GMP said: “Emergency services are responding to a concern for welfare at The Rock car park.

“We ask that people avoid the area while the incident is being dealt with.”

Several emergency vehicles attended the scene, including police cars, vans, fire engines and an unmarked police vehicle.

The cordon from inside The Rock (Image: Dan Dougherty)

The incident took place on the sixth floor of The Rock car park, which houses vehicles for local residents.

The lowest five floors, which offer parking for shoppers and visitors to The Rock shopping centre, remained open.

Traffic around the incident remained relatively stable, with the main thoroughfare, Rochdale Road, remaining open.

Police negotiators were at the scene to speak with the woman in an attempt to resolve the situation.

GMP later confirmed that the incident concluded at around 5.15pm, when the woman was brought down safely and taken to hospital.

The man sexually abused the young victim over four years

A paedophile who sexually touched a girl for four years has been jailed. Arsenad Guraj, 37, began touching the victim inappropriately in Peterborough between March 2019 and July 2023.

The girl told her family after realising she had been sexually assaulted from posters and assemblies at school. Cambridgeshire Police were told and arrested Guraj in April 2024.

During interview, Guraj, of Lincoln Road in Peterborough, denied sexually assaulting the victim. However, on May 12 at Huntingdon Law Courts, he was jailed for five years after being found guilty of two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching and engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and handed a restraining order for 12 years and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. In a personal statement, the victim said Guraj’s offending had led her to a loss of friends, isolation and self-harm, ruining her school life and education.

Detective Sergeant Lauren Kirkup, who investigated, said: “Guraj’s prolonged sexual abuse has had a deep impact on the victim, and I would like to praise her for her bravery in coming forward and supporting us with a prosecution.

“Guraj denied all charges against him, which had the added unpleasantness for the victim and her family of having to sit through a trial, so it’s great he’s been brought to justice.”

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