WASHINGTON (AP) — Tulsi Gabbard resigned as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence on Friday, saying she needed to leave office as her husband battles cancer. She is the fourth Cabinet member to depart during Trump’s second term, all of them women.

In her resignation letter, which she posted on social media, Gabbard said she told Trump she would leave her job overseeing the coordination of 18 intelligence agencies on June 30. She said her husband had recently been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and “faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months.”

“At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle,” she wrote in the letter, which was reported earlier by Fox News.

Trump, in his own social media post, said “Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her.” He said her principal deputy, Aaron Lukas, will serve as acting director of national intelligence.

While Gabbard says her departure is for personal reasons, the juxtaposition between her long-held, anti-interventionism stance and Trump’s series of overseas military operations had seemed to put them on a collision course.

There had been rumblings that Gabbard would split with Trump after the president’s decision to strike Iran, which caused some division within his administration. Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation in March and said he “cannot in good conscience” back the war.

Gabbard, a veteran and former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, built her political name on her opposition to foreign wars. This put her in an awkward position when the U.S. joined Israel in launching attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.

During a congressional hearing in March, her measured comments were notable for their careful non-endorsement of the Iran war. She repeatedly dodged questions about whether the White House had been warned of potential fallout from the conflict, including Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway crucial for global oil shipments.

Gabbard said in written remarks to the Senate Intelligence Committee that there had been no effort by Iran to rebuild its nuclear capability after U.S. attacks last year “obliterated” its nuclear program. That statement contradicted Trump, who has repeatedly asserted that the war was necessary to head off an imminent threat from the Islamic Republic.

This created several awkward exchanges with lawmakers who asked Gabbard for her opinion on the threat posed by Iran as the nation’s top intelligence official. She repeatedly said it was Trump’s decision to strike, not hers.

“It is not the intelligence community’s responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,” she said.

Gabbard’s departure follows Trump having ousted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in late March, in the midst of mounting criticism over her leadership of the department — including the handling of the administration’s immigration crackdown and disaster response.

A surprising choice for the job

A military veteran but without any intelligence experience, Gabbard was a surprising choice for director of national intelligence. She ran for president in 2020 on a progressive platform and her opposition to U.S. involvement in foreign military conflicts.

Citing her military experience, she argued that U.S. wars in the Middle East had destabilized the region, made the U.S. less safe and cost thousands of American lives. Gabbard later dropped out of the race and endorsed the ultimate winner, President Joe Biden.

Two years later, she left the Democratic Party to become an independent, saying her old party was dominated by an “elitist cabal of warmongers” and “woke” ideologues. She subsequently campaigned for several high-profile Republicans and became a contributor to Fox News.

She later endorsed Trump, who also was a strong critic of past U.S. wars in the Middle East and campaigned on a pledge to avoid unnecessary wars and nation-building overseas.

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Shortly after taking on the job and before this year’s war, Gabbard testified before lawmakers that there was no intelligence suggesting Iran was seeking to develop nuclear weapons. After Trump launched attacks on Iranian nuclear sites last June, he said Gabbard was wrong and that he didn’t care what she said.

She appeared to be back in Trump’s good graces when she took a lead role in Trump’s effort to relitigate his 2020 election loss to Biden. She appeared at an FBI search of election offices in Fulton County, Georgia, even though her office was created to focus on foreign espionage, not state elections.

She also worked to undermine the results of earlier investigations into Trump’s ties to Russia.

In her year on the job, Gabbard oversaw a sharp reduction in the intelligence workforce, as well as the creation of a new task force that she charged with considering big changes to the intelligence service.

Earlier this year, an intelligence sector whistleblower filed a complaint that Gabbard was withholding intelligence for political reasons, a complaint that prompted calls from Democrats for Gabbard’s resignation.

Gabbard, 44, was born in the U.S. territory of American Samoa, raised in Hawaii and spent a year of her childhood in the Philippines. She was first elected as a 21-year-old to Hawaii’s House of Representatives but had to leave after one term when her National Guard unit deployed to Iraq.

As the first Hindu member of the House, Gabbard was sworn into office with her hand on the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu devotional work. She was also the first American Samoan elected to Congress.

During her four House terms, she became known for speaking out against her party’s leadership. Her early support for Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ 2016 Democratic presidential primary run made her a popular figure in progressive politics nationally.

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Kinnard reported from Columbia, S.C.

Anyone travelling this bank holiday weekend across London may want to check their options as multiple London Underground and Overground lines will be closed.

Journeys through and around the capital are set to be disrupted over the late May bank holiday weekend period as both Transport for London (TfL) closures and a rail strike threaten to cause some bumps to your journey.

If you didn’t catch it earlier this week, a new two-day strike affecting West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services will cause a severely reduced timetable today.

No trains will run from 7am today, and National Rail has urged people to only travel if necessary due to the small number of trains that are expected to run.

Meanwhile, in London, several Tube lines will be closed between Saturday and Monday, including London Underground, London Overground, and the DLR.

Scroll on to see which routes are closed to avoid disruption to your travels.

Which London Tube lines are closed this weekend?

District line, part closure (All weekend)

There will be a partial closure on the District line over the entire weekend:

• No service between Earl’s Court and Ealing Broadway
• No service between Earl’s Court and Richmond

TfL has suggested you use Mildmay line services when available or utilise the PLI replacement bus service between Earl’s Court and Richmond.

Piccadilly line, part closure (All weekend)

On Saturday, the Piccadilly line will face disruption from Hyde Park Corner between 2am and 4.30am:

• No service between Hyde Park Corner and Heathrow Terminal 5

Then, from 4.30am onwards on Saturday and all day Sunday and Monday, including Saturday Night Tube, there will be:

• No service between Hyde Park Corner and Northfields
• No service between Hyde Park Corner and Uxbridge

TfL suggests travellers use Metropolitan services when possible or the PLI replacement bus service.

Waterloo & City line, planned closure (All weekend)

The Waterloo & City line, which never operates on weekends and bank holidays, will be completely closed, including on bank holiday Monday.

DLR, part closure (All weekend)

There are several closures planned across the DLR on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. This includes:

• No service between Lewisham and Poplar
• No service between Lewisham and Westferry
• No service between Poplar and Westferry
• No service between Poplar and Canary Wharf

TfL recommends travellers use the Jubilee line or replacement bus service DLR3 between Westferry and Lewisham.

Windrush London Overground, part closure (Sunday)

There will be a part closure on the Windrush London Overground line all day on Sunday:

• No service between Clapham Junction and Surrey Quays

TfL have urged travellers to use the M replacement bus service between Canada Water and Wandsworth Road.

Northern line, part closure (Bank holiday Monday)

TfL have confirmed a part closure on the Northern line as part of ongoing track replacement work, which started in January but is due to end on Thursday, May 28.

The closure is only in operation from 10pm on bank holiday Monday:

• No service between Camden Town and Kennington (via Bank)

From 10pm Monday through to Thursday, all trains will operate via the Charing Cross branch, and travellers will be able to use a shuttle service between Mill Hill East and Finchley Central.

Suffragette London Overground, reduced service (Bank holiday Monday)

The Suffragette London Overground line will operate a reduced service across its entire line, with the 05.33 and 05.48 morning trains not running.

Weaver London Overground, part closure (Bank holiday Monday)

The Weaver London Overground line will be affected by a part closure, which sees the majority of the line shut down on bank holiday Monday:

• No service between Chingford and Hackney Downs

An L3 replacement bus service will be in operation between Hackney Downs and Chingford. Meanwhile, the Weaver line will still be operational between Liverpool Street and Hackney Downs.

Are there any other travel disruptions for this weekend?

TfL has warned of further non-London Underground and Overground travel disruption.

A march will take place today from midday in central London, starting from Marble Arch and finishing at Trafalgar Square via Park Lane, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, and Cockspur Street.

Road closures have been confirmed as well as bus diversions, and TfL has warned to expect large crowds throughout the afternoon.

While that’s happening, there will be temporary traffic signals on Streatham High Road at the junction with Prentis Road due to essential Thames Water works, which is due to continue until mid-June.

Tomorrow, a cultural procession will close roads and divert buses. The procession starts at Park Lane at midday and will finish later in Trafalgar Square.

Finally, TfL has confirmed that its Santander e-bike docking stations in Lancaster Drive, Tower Hamlets, and New North Road, Hoxton, will be suspended over the entire weekend.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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Six artists were shortlisted for the commission, which aims to shape the tree’s next chapter by using half of its timber.

Helix Arts and George King Architects won the contest after a national public vote and final decision by an expert judging panel, the National Trust said on Saturday.

The arts charity and architects studio, based in North Shields near Newcastle and London respectively, collaborated on an idea called “The People’s Tree”.

The proposal combines public participation, sound, architecture and storytelling to respond to the loss of the world-famous tree.

It comes after Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, from Cumbria, travelled to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland during Storm Agnes in 2023 to cut it down.

The act of vandalism sparked national outrage and an outpouring of grief for the widely-loved landmark, which is thought to have been planted in the late 1880s.

The National Trust said the winning proposal scored highest across the public vote and the judges.

Rather than centring on a single memorial, the artwork will involve a UK-wide programme where members of the public are invited to record reflections on their own relationships with trees and nature.

Alongside these sound and spoken word recordings, the artists will create a digital soundtrack by scanning the tree’s rings.

The final compilation of stories and audio will then be presented through a series of exhibitions and workshops held to the north, south, east and west of Sycamore Gap.

Sections of some of the seasoned wood will also be used to co-create artworks with communities and local artists.

After these exhibitions and workshops, the project will culminate in a “sound sculpture” – an artwork that includes some of its wood as well as the archive of stories and nature sounds, which will be placed in an accessible location along Hadrian’s Wall.

Cheryl Gavin, director at Helix Arts, said: “To be chosen by both the public and the judging panel feels phenomenal.

“This project comes from a belief that the legacy of the Sycamore Gap tree lives not only in its wood, but in the relationships, memories and moments of connection it sparked.”

George King, from George King Architects, said: “It is a real honour to be entrusted with responding to a place that means so much to so many people.

“The tree as it was can never be replaced, but what we can do is create a place for reflection and connections.”

Annie Reilly, public engagement director at the National Trust and chairwoman of the judging panel, said: “What stood out about this proposal was how it puts a real conversation between people and the tree at its heart.

“It doesn’t try to give one answer to loss. Instead, it invites people to listen, reflect and reconnect — with nature and with each other.”

The project will now move into a development phase, with Helix Arts and George King Architects working closely with the National Trust, local partners and communities along Hadrian’s Wall.

The public’s participation in the project is expected to start from this summer, with the completed work set to be realised by September 2027.

The initiative comes as part of a wider public engagement programme responding to the tree’s felling, supported by Northumberland National Park Authority (NNPA), Historic England, the Hadrian’s Wall Partnership and the National Trust.

So far, the main section of the tree’s trunk has been installed at the gateway to Northumberland National Park, where the tree once stood.

Heartwood prints from a cross-section of the trunk created by printmaker Shona Branigan are now on display at Seaton Delaval Hall in Northumberland.

UK communities were invited to apply for one of the 49 saplings grown from seeds rescued from the original tree, which have now been planted across the country.

The National Trust also confirmed on Saturday that, for the third consecutive year, several shoots are regrowing from the stump, giving further confidence that one day a new tree will grow in the Gap.

Shrek, the big green ogre who became the face of a multi-billion-dollar franchise, turned 25 this week, and the impact of its success is still being felt from here ot Far Far Away. 

The DreamWorks Animation pictures hit is impossible to ignore when considering the history of Hollywood animation, and the life it has taken as grown far beyond the cinema screen. 

From sequels and spin-offs, to theme parks, internet meme culture and themed club raves fueled by millennial nostalgia, the Shrek swamp party has never really stopped over the last 25 years. 

That is, in large part, thanks to the smash(mouth) success of the 2001 original. It made a splash with $494million at the box office. It even competed for the Palme d’Or at that year’s Cannes Film Festival, before topping it all off by winning the very first Oscar for Best Animated Feature. 

But that fairytale ending for Shrek wasn’t always a foregone conclusion – and it came after a long rollercoaster of a production that nearly saw a very different version come to the screen. 

So, as the original adventure for Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona returns to the big screens for the 25th anniversary, let’s dive into the swamp that made up the journey to get Shrek from page to mega stardom…

Once Upon a Time…

DreamWorks – founded by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen in 1994 – was having something of a moment in the late 90s and early 00s. 

The live-action wing was coming off of two back-to-back Best Picture winners with American Beauty (1999) and Gladiator (2000) – and would make it three-in-a-row in 2001 with A Beautiful Mind. The animation wing, however, was a different story. 

With Katzenberg in charge, the animation division was keen to go toe to toe with the mighty mouse itself, Walt Disney Pictures, a rivalry stoked by the fact that Katzenberg had been fired from Walt Disney in 1994 by then-president and CEO Michael Eisner. 

Their very first animated offering – the computer-generated Antz in 1998 – was released just one month before Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story follow-up, similar insect-focused A Bug’s Life, with the Disney-Pixar titans dominating the worldwide box office at the end of their runs (Antz grossed $171.8million, A Bug’s Life $363.3m). 

Antz was followed up by more traditional hand-drawn animated offerings – The Prince of Egypt ( well-reviewed and a modest financial success) and The Road to El Dorado, which received mixed reviews and was a big box office flop (it has, however, quite rightfully gained a cult following). 

Katzenberg needed a hit, but turning to Shrek wasn’t the most obvious choice. 

Getting ‘Shreked’ 

Adapted from a 30-page children’s book by William Steig, the movie had been in active development from the very early days of DreamWorks, but being assigned to it quickly became a short-hand for punishment at the fledgling DreamWorks Animation. 

‘It was known as the Gulag,’ an animator told author Nicole Laporte for her book The Men Who Would be King: An Almost Epic Tale of Moguls, Movies and a Company Called DreamWorks. 

‘If you failed on Prince of Egypt, you were sent to the dungeons to work on Shrek,’ the unnamed source added. Employees at Dreamworks began calling it being ‘Shreked.’ 

The film almost looked very different, too. Originally envisioned as a live-action project, the development then shifted to using an early version of motion-capture animation, which resulted in the now infamous Shrek – I Feel Good animation test. 

Not released publicly till 2023, the test features a very creepy-looking Shrek and a much darker tone. Animated by a crew known as the Propellerheads, which had future Shark Tale director Rob Letterman and mega-producer JJ Abrams in its ranks, it did not go down well with the powers that be, with Katzenberg stating, ‘It looked terrible, it didn’t work, it wasn’t funny, and we didn’t like it.’ 

It did feature comedian and actor Chris Farley in the role of Shrek. The SNL star was originally cast in the role, and even recorded much of the dialogue for the project before he died of an overdose at age 33 in 1997. 

You can see a recording set to early storyboards that give you a sense of what Farley was bringing to the character, a much different but surprisingly vulnerable take on the big green ogre who would go on to be voiced by Mike Myers, fresh off the success of the Austin Powers movies. 

Turning the page 

Around the time of Farley’s passing, the movie was beginning to have a creative overhaul.

Pacific Data Images PDI, the computer animation company that worked on Antz, took over the animation, and once Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson were confirmed as directors, joining the Shrek development team began to feel less like a punishment and a bit more punk rock. 

Discussing the film’s anniversary with journalist Barry Levitt for Letterboxd, Jenson recalls, ‘Because the spotlight’s not on you for quite a while, there’s a tremendous amount of focus. 

“For so long, it was just this little movie we were working on up in Palo Alto, away from the DreamWorks mothership. It felt like we were making a movie in our garage.’

The film also began to take shape as something that came to be the key to its success and tone, standing as a more satirical take on fairytales and of the movies produced by Walt Disney Pictures. 

Christopher Holliday, lecturer in film studies, Department of Liberal Arts, King’s College London, wrote for The Conversation that ‘Shrek was a milestone for American cartoons that paved the way for a unique brand of animated anarchy and sardonic irreverence that still holds sway across the industry today.’

From pop-culture references ranging from the obvious Disney targets (the Duloc song riffing on It’s A Small World) to the more adult-targeted (The Matrix fighting styles), Shrek’s irreverent humour stood in stark contrast to the traditional model of family-friendly movies of the time, and that approach has reverberated over the last quarter of a decade. 

The same can be said for its use of needle drops in the film, which replace the more traditional ballads and songbooks found in Disney movies. As Holliday observes, its signature hit, Smash Mouth’s All Star, has a bombastic tone that ‘fitted the film’s playful anti-Disney sensibility.

‘Shrek’s frequent aims at the Mouse House’s recognisable narrative formula and saccharine sentimentality were deemed a pointed dig at Katzenberg’s former employers too.’ 

But as Jenson is keen to point out, it was all about poking fun at Disney, which was something that was always on Katzenberg’s mind, too.

‘Obviously, we’re poking at fairy tales, and Disney was the one who brought most fairy tales to the culture in a big way,” she says Jenson 

‘And in a couple of cases, sure, we were. Like, the expectations of a princess. When we’d present something to Jeffrey that was especially pointed, he’d sit back in his chair and say, ‘They’re gonna blame me. But it’s funny, go for it.’ He was very out there about his dealings with Disney, and loved being on the phone with his lawyers, gloating. But he never sat us down and said this would be a middle finger to Disney. He knew the story came first. He wanted to make a great movie.’

An enduring appeal with many layers

But the film wouldn’t have its enduring appeal if it also didn’t offer characters in which to hook and a story that proved worthwhile, with its theme of not judging a book by its cover continuing to provide a sweetness and strong emotional arc that helps it resonate. 

Jenson points towards Cameron Diaz’s Princess Fiona as a character who embodies the strengths of the movie to both unpack stereotypes and genre trappings to mine both humour and emotion. 

‘I think she continues to resonate because when we were working on the movie, all the rom-coms out there, women were only talking about getting married, and landing a guy. To watch someone in real time go from these expectations handed to her about what her life was supposed to be, and discovering who she really is, and finding someone who could see that and not judge her, is unique. She relaxed into her own true self.’

It’s all these elements – including the buddy-movie banter between Shrek and Donkey – that helped the movie land with such a splash in the summer of 2001, becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of the year, as well as earning two Oscar nominations for best adapted screenplay and animated feature. 

It still boasts an impressive 88% Rotten Tomatoes score and continues to find fans, with nearly a million five-star reviews from users on Letterboxd, before even considering it would go on to spawn a franchise that to this date has earned over $4billion world-wide. 

What’s happening with Shrek 5? 

Speaking of that legacy, the long-rumoured and discussed Shrek 5 is finally on its way. 

While there have been three sequels and two Puss in Boots spin-offs, there hasn’t been a feature film featuring Shrek since the release of Shrek Forever After in 2010. 

But you can’t keep a good ogre (or IP) down for too long, with Shrek 5 currently slated for release on June 30, 2027, with a Donkey spin-off also in the works.

Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz are coming back, with Zendeya also joining the cast as Shrek and Fiona’s daughter. 

The first look at the movie left some fans in shock with the redesign of the characters, with some on social media calling for the creators to stay more in line with the original.

‘Bring back old animation, WTF IS THIS,’ Riccoo commented on Instagram. 

‘We’re all excited for this comeback, but to be honest, it’s not good. Bring back the old design’ Fernando added.

That reaction only goes to show the level of affection that fans have towards the movie, particularly the people who have grown up with it over the last 25 years. 

With the original now back in cinemas for its birthday celebrations, and a new entry just over one year away, the swamp party is far from being over.

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Manchester United are reportedly closing in on their first summer signing as Michael Carrick begins life as long-term manager

As the Premier League season reaches its conclusion, Manchester United have been handed a highly encouraging update on the transfer front. Michael Carrick’s side wrap up their campaign away to Brighton on Sunday, though they’ve already clinched third place.

The fixture comes less than 48 hours after it was announced Carrick has put pen to paper on a permanent deal to stay on as United boss. And the former interim manager would relish nothing more than marking the occasion with one last victory on the south coast before the summer break.

Bruno Fernandes also has extra incentive to shine at the Amex Stadium as he stands just one assist shy of beating the Premier League’s all-time record. An Old Trafford legend also crops up in the latest United headlines as MEN Sport rounds up this weekend’s biggest stories.

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Pep details Ferguson chat

Before Pep Guardiola’s final match at home to Aston Villa, Sir Alex Ferguson made contact to commend the City manager. The Catalan has confirmed his exit from the role following an iconic decade, which commenced just a few years after Ferguson stepped away from the game in 2013.

Ferguson’s United faced Guardiola’s Barcelona in two Champions League finals back in 2009 and 2011. The Premier League giants were comprehensively defeated on both occasions but evidently the two managers developed a mutual respect for each other.

Having claimed 16 major honours at the Etihad, Guardiola has been mooted as a contender to Ferguson’s unofficial crown as the Premier League’s greatest manager of all time. Wherever one stands on that debate, however, the Scot paid respects to his former rival with a personal message.

“I know I had incredible success during my time as the manager and it is nice to be there,” said Guardiola ahead of Sunday’s curtain call. “One of the biggest, biggest compliments I had, I got a message from Sir Alex Ferguson yesterday, two days ago, and that made me so happy.

“He is the greatest in this country. The tenure, the time, and for many, many reasons. I’m happy that Sir Alex Ferguson, the greatest could [see]…

“I’m pretty sure [to] Sir Alex we are not the ‘noisy neighbours’ [anymore], we are the ‘neighbours’. Just ‘the neighbours’. And I’m happy that he has been watching.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

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United on verge of signing Ederson

Carrick has pledged his future to United and it seems the club are already on the brink of completing their first summer deal. That’s after a report from SportItalia indicated United are close to securing Atalanta midfielder Ederson in a £45million transfer.

The Brazilian will be tasked with filling the gap soon to be created by fellow countryman Casemiro as he edges closer to joining Inter Miami. Ederson has just 12 months remaining on his contract in Italy, which is thought to have resulted in a substantial reduction in his valuation.

United have conducted multiple transactions with Atalanta in recent years, beginning with the acquisition of Amad back in 2021. Two years later, they brought in striker Rasmus Hojlund in a package valued at up to £72m, though he has since transferred to Napoli.

According to SportItalia, the Ederson transfer is “almost closed” following months of rumours connecting the two sides. Nevertheless, he would mark only the opening addition as United commence another overhaul this summer.

Strengthening the midfield is understood to be a key focus for United going into this summer. That said, securing Ederson would represent an early statement of intent, with expectations that his presence could replicate Casemiro’s formidable partnership alongside Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo during the latter stages of the 2025/26 campaign.

‘We never had as much disrespect as we did at that meeting. It was absolutely shocking’

A protest was held at a West Belfast community centre this morning by “disappointed” local residents after it was denied funding by Belfast City Council.

The Glen Community Complex has been described as the heart of the Lenadoon area, providing a space for local residents and groups to gather and support one another through various projects. However, some of this could be put at risk after it was denied funding by Belfast City Council.

The centre provides space for educational courses, daycare, parent groups, support services for women and mothers and community wellbeing with it being the main facility used for the area’s Covid response during the pandemic.

Michael Doherty said he was shocked with the response from the council to the centre’s funding request as it has previously had a very good relationship with it. He said the funding from the Community Support Programme was vital, allowing the centre to provide its facilities free of charge by covering overheads like electricity and heating bills and without it they may have to reduce opening hours or start charging.

Nuala Fitzpatrick told Belfast Live that the services provided at the Glen Community Complex helped her go from “rock bottom” to a safe and secure place where she can best care for her young daughter. Nuala said that she was so impressed with the support that she received from the centre that she now works there.

She said she was shocked and disappointed that the council had rejected the centre’s funding request saying: “Everything that this community represents depends on this building and to me personally I have been able to go from rock bottom as the women’s group was able to support me and gave me everything that I needed and helped save me personally.

“I was then able to get a job her and my daughter attends the daycare while I work and I couldn’t do that without it. The older generation come here for computer classes which helps them to keep in touch with younger family members and in here helps the older generation do that.

“Belfast City Council have two values that standout to me and that is responsibility and integrity and I don’t think they took those into consideration when they made the decision to reject the funding.”

A protest was held at the Glen Community Complex on Friday, May 22, where staff, service users, local residents and political representatives gathered to show their support for a judicial review on the funding rejection.

Michael said at the protest:”For 20 years we’ve had a brilliant relationship with Belfast City Council, we worked really, really well with them, worked well with our staff. We have 1,500 people use the services in there and to be honest with you, we were really shocked in February when we found out that our application had been turned down.

“The funding that we get from the council, it helps towards the gas, electric, the running costs, the cleaning costs, and it allows us, to let groups come in and use it. We have over 12 groups use the building free of charge, and it’s because of the funding we’ve got of them over the years that we were able to do that.

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“We actually asked could we appeal the decision, and they said no. I think the thing that made things much worse for us was we actually done a meeting with council officials and it was probably the worst meeting I’ve done in 40 years.

“I’ve met British government ministers, unionist ministers, and we never had as much disrespect as we did at that meeting. It was absolutely shocking.

“Every question we asked was answered by One answer, community development is not a priority in your governing document. That’s all they would say. We pointed out all the services that we run, we were glad that every group that got got the funding that they have.

“But when we looked and seen well over a dozen groups that run the exact same services as we run in there were all being funded and we weren’t, we couldn’t understand it.

“What we have done is we then sought for the first time in our lives to take a judicial review, and the judicial review was in the hope that the courts would overturn the decision.”

Michael said the Council is now “trying everything in its power” to stop the centre from taking a judicial review against them, but they will continue fighting to provide for the local community and residents.

In a statement to Belfast Live, Belfast City Council said: “The Council received and has responded to pre-action correspondence from Glen Community Parent/Youth Group, who were unsuccessful in their application. It would be inappropriate to comment further on this particular application at this time.

“Belfast City Council introduced a new Community Support Plan large grant scheme last year, following a period of public engagement and consultation on the Plan.

“Through this grants programme, the council is providing over £5.4million support per annum to successful applicants, allowing them to bring targeted local activities and support to communities across the city.

“The Community Support Plan Grants scheme offered a three year fund of a maximum of £60,000 per year, to support organisations from April 2026 to March 2029. It opened on August 5, 2025, and applications had to be returned by noon on October 6.

“This was publicised through our usual channels, and we held seven information events for the sector between August 11 and 12 September, across the city and online, to allow organisations to ask questions about the application process.

“We encouraged all applicants to attend these sessions, even if they had received community funding from us on previous occasions, as it was a new process. Ultimately it was however for organisations to ensure that they met the essential criteria and provide the relevant supporting criteria as part of their application.”

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The new bags are 25p cheaper than the supermarket’s lowest-priced plastic option, with reusable plastic bags currently costing 40p each. The move comes after a price increase last year when Lidl raised the cost of plastic carrier bags from 30p to 40p.

Customers have shared mixed opinions on social media about the new paper bags, with some in favour and others expressing doubts.

One user wrote: “Some would say this is a good thing as it means less plastic waste. I’m not so sure.”

Another commented: “Put more than one apple in that paper bag and the handles say ‘I’m off mate’.”

UK supermarket rankings in 2026

Others raised concerns about durability.

One customer said: “Never had a brown paper bag that didn’t rip or collapse before l got home.”

Some felt there was no need to charge for a non-plastic bag.

Another user wrote: “Thought they only charged for plastic bag because of well…plastic.”

Others questioned whether the bags would hold up in wet weather.

One said: “Paper won’t stand the weight and if it rains a waste of time.”

Despite the criticism, some welcomed the change.

One user said: “Paper bags every time, easier to recycle!”

Another agreed: “A paper bag is great.”

Lidl and more UK supermarkets introduce ‘£13 rule’

Most of the major retailers are implementing a new ‘£13 rule’ as the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze Brits households’ budgets.

The rule means many major branches are introducing a wage increase for staff to make sure hourly pay reaches a minimum of £13.

In April, the legal minimum wage increased to £12.71 per hour.

Currently, the Real Living Wage stands at £13.45, which is determined by the Living Wage Foundation Charity.

Here is a list of other retailers and supermarkets set to adopt the ‘£13 rule’.

Primark

Customer assistants across England, Scotland and Wales have received a pay increase to a minimum of £13.

Those working at the fashion chain in London will see their wages increase to £13.71 an hour.

Tesco

Tesco has also increased the wages which will take effect from this month. According to The Workers Union [TWU], the hourly pay rate for store assistants increased to around £13.35 per hour nationally.

Aldi

Supermarket retailer Aldi has revealed its updated pay structure. The chain has said shop assistants will receive £13.50 per hour across the country.

Workers at branches in London will see their pay increase to £14.88 per hour.

Lidl

Lidl has stated that starting hourly rates have risen to £13.45 per hour across the nation and this can progress to £14.45 with time served. In the capitol, wage increase is set to climb to £14.80 and can climb to £15.30 based on experience.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s increased their hourly wage to £14.54 from £13.23 nationally.

M&S

Hourly wages at supermarket M&S increased from £12.60 to £13.41 on April 1.

While staff based in London saw their wage climb from £13.85 to £14.74.

A US court filed criminal charges against Cuba’s 94-year-old former leader, Raúl Castro, on May 20. Castro has been charged with conspiracy to kill US nationals, four counts of murder and two counts of destruction of aircraft. The charges relate to a 1996 incident in which four men were killed after Cuban fighter jets shot down two planes belonging to an exile group from Miami.

The indictment comes at a time when tensions between the two countries are running high, and raises the possibility that the US could try to remove Castro from the country by force, to be brought to trial in the US. We spoke to Anna Grimaldi, a lecturer in global development and Latin American studies at the University of Leeds, about the prospect of military action.

Is there any evidence of Raúl Castro’s involvement in shooting down the aircraft?

Raúl’s brother, Fidel Castro, who was the Cuban president at the time, took responsibility for the 1996 incident shortly after it took place. But US prosecutors argue that, as the then-defence minister, Raúl’s direct orders for Cuban forces to train in tracking and intercepting aircrafts constituted an operational role in the planning phase of the shooting.

In reality, the basic facts of the incident are still unclear. The US maintains the planes were unarmed and flying in international airspace, which would make the downings unlawful. But Cuba argues the aircraft were part of repeated and deliberate violations of its airspace and sovereignty.

Cuban officials continue to frame the attack as a justified act of self‑defence against ongoing provocation. And in any case, Cuban law explicitly prohibits the extradition of its citizens to another country. So unless the US stages an operation to seize Castro, he is unlikely to face trial in the US.

Could the US be using the charges as a pretext for military action against Cuba?

Raúl Castro’s indictment has raised familiar alarm bells. A few months ago, the US carried out a military operation along similar lines in Venezuela which resulted in the capture of the sitting president, Nicolás Maduro. At that time, the US alleged Maduro was involved in drug trafficking and had partnered with cartels designated as terrorist groups.

The US is keeping its options open in Cuba. When asked by reporters following Castro’s indictment whether there could be an arrest similar to Maduro, Trump said: “I don’t want to say that.” Yet he has persistently hinted an interest in carrying out what he calls a “friendly takeover” of Cuba. The Cuban president, Miguel Díaz‑Canel, says this threat alone “constitutes an international crime”.

At least for now, there is little to suggest Washington is actively preparing to intervene in Cuba militarily. In comments to the Associated Press in early May, US officials speaking on the condition of anonymity stated they are “not looking at imminent military action against Havana”.

Cuba’s military doctrine, which is oriented primarily towards territorial defence and in which every citizen is considered a participant, means that military intervention would probably be prolonged. It would also be politically and financially costly.

When fears of retaliation (Cuba lies just 90 miles from Florida) and existing US military commitments elsewhere are also considered, such an intervention looks unlikely in the near term.

The US is much more likely to continue its campaign of indirect pressure, which has intensified in recent years but ultimately stretches back to the Cuban revolution in 1959.

The US regime of sanctions and fuel blockades is crippling Cuba’s economy. Washington appears to be pursuing a strategy of straining the Cuban regime internally, while simultaneously constructing the legal and political justifications for escalation.

Would a Venezuela-style operation in Cuba even be possible?

There are some similarities between the Venezuelan and Cuban cases. By targeting a sitting and former head of state, the US has tried to delegitimise the political leadership of both countries. Cuba and Venezuela have also both faced deep economic crises, heightening their vulnerability to external pressure.

However, there are significant structural differences between the two countries. Venezuela represents a strategically valuable resource for the US, with US policy there closely tied to control over its oil reserves. Cuba lacks comparable material incentives, and has instead been subjected to a long-term embargo and containment strategy.

Cuba’s centralised one‑party system and entrenched institutions also contrast with Venezuela’s more fragmented and weakened state apparatus. And Cuba’s long history of confrontation with the US has fostered a political culture of resistance. Together, these make an operation to impose regime change much less viable.

Is there an opposition movement inside Cuba that would back US military action?

There is no unified political opposition in Cuba. Expressions of dissatisfaction there have frequently taken place through mass emigration, with the island’s one‑party system and other mechanisms of state control constraining the ability of opposition groups to organise and expand.

Rare protests have erupted in Cuba in recent months. But this dissent appears to have be driven largely by material grievances, with reports of demonstrators chanting slogans such “turn on the lights” amid blackouts, rather than an organised political agenda.

At the same time, the external pressure from the US has produced nationalist mobilisation and demonstrations in defence of Cuban sovereignty. Mass rallies throughout the country have framed US threats against Cuba as imperial aggression, emphasising unity and resistance against external intervention.

Dissatisfaction with the Cuban government does exist. But so far, it seems to remain rooted in economic and domestic concerns, rather than translating into alignment with US objectives or welcoming possible intervention.

DC Andrew McKeane, who investigated, said that the images are the ‘worst he’s graded’ since moving into his role about five years ago

A paedophile has been found to have over 2,000 indecent images of children stored on his device, as well as on a cloud storage app linked to him. Ben Sharpe, 31, was visited by the officers at his home in the Huntingdon Road area of Cambridge at about 1.15pm on January 31.

Sharpe, who had already been convicted of indecent images of children offences in 2021, handed over his mobile phone to one of the officers working for the force’s management of sexual and violent offenders (MOSOVO) for them to examine.

The 31-year-old admitted to deleting some apps from the phone before he let the officers in and was arrested. The phone was examined, and 2,188 indecent images of children were found to have been stored on the device, as well as on a cloud storage app linked to Sharpe.

He had also breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) handed down following the 2021 conviction by uninstalling mobile internet browsers, failing to provide police access to his cloud storage, deleting apps and installing a storage cleaner on his phone.

On Thursday, May 21, at Peterborough Crown Court, Sharpe, of Brooks Road, Cambridge, was jailed for two years and six months, having pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching a SHPO, three counts of making indecent photographs of children and one count each of possessing a prohibited image of a child and possessing an extreme pornographic image. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

DC Andrew McKeane, who investigated, said: “The images are the worst I’ve graded since moving into my current role about five years ago so I’m happy Sharpe has been jailed. He clearly hasn’t learned anything from his previous conviction.

“Officers from MOSOVO will always check on convicted sex offenders in the county to make sure they are adhering to their conditions and court orders. In this case, a routine visit has uncovered further offences which has led to a repeat paedophile being jailed.”