Many are complaining they’re unable to make any payments this afternoon using their online banking apps

Lloyds Bank and Halifax customers are unable to make payments this afternoon (Wednesday) as the apps associated with their banks are experiencing an outage.

Issues with online banking apps have seen many complaining they’re unable to use their online payment option. The majority of reports are relating to the Lloyds and Halifax banking apps, with some users struggling to log in.

Other reports are relating to online banking, according to Downdetector. A Downdetector graph showed a huge spike in complaints from Lloyds customers at around 11am.

The majority of complains coming from London, Belfast and Cardiff, while customers in Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham and Manchester are also facing significant disruption.

“Can’t use cards, online banking and app, what’s is going on, need to pay for something and I can’t,” one user said.

Another added: “Can’t buy any lunch on my only break in work today.”

Another fumed: “Trying to sell a car, can’t access my account to accept bank transfer, what a useless bank!!”

Lloyds say on X, formerly Twitter: “We’re aware some customers are having issues with our app and online banking. We’re really sorry about this. We’re working hard to fix it and will let you know as soon as we’re back to normal.”

Halifax told its customers: “We’re aware some customers are having issues with our app and online banking. We’re really sorry about this. We’re working hard to fix it and will let you know as soon as we’re back to normal.”

Halifax and Lloyds are experiencing simultaneous outages because they’re both owned by Lloyds Banking Group. This means they share the same digital infrastructure and servers, so both Halifax and Lloyds customers will be reporting issues with their online banking services.

Consumers are not automatically entitled to compensation in these circumstances, reports The Mirror.

It depends on how badly the outage has affected you. For example, if it made you miss a bill or it affected your credit score.

It also depends on how long the service disruption lasts for and how quickly the bank worked to resolve it. If you’re considering making a complaint, you should gather evidence about how the service issues affected you and for how long.

Make sure you get your complaint in writing, so you have a paper trail.

Want to see more of the stories you love from Belfast Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives… To add Belfast Live as a preferred source, simply click here.

Ethan Knight, 24, carried out multiple assaults against his partner, who said the abuse led her to take an overdose

A former boxer viciously attacked his girlfriend on multiple occasions and suffocated her, a court has heard. After punching and kicking his then partner, Ethan Knight made a joke about assaulting her saying: “I kicked your head like a football, you were snoring for ages”.

Knight, 24, had been in a relationship with his partner for 12 months, during which he subjected her to physical abuse which led to her suffering multiple injuries and feeling emotionally exhausted.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday heard the first assault took place on May 18, 2024, in a caravan park in Weymouth, Dorset, when the defendant punched the victim to her face and kicked her on the floor until she was unconscious. Always keep on top of the latest Welsh news with our newsletter

The second assault took place on July 19, 2024, while the couple had gone on holiday to a B&B in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, when they began arguing about Knight speaking to a girl on Snapchat.

When the victim attempted to call the girl in the defendant’s presence, he responded by attacking her. He repeatedly punched and kicked her, took the phone off her and ended the call before running off.

As a result of the assault, the victim suffered a black eye.

The couple split up but got back together, with the final incident taking place on May 29 last year.

They attended the Bush Inn, in Llantwit Fardre, where they both drunk alcohol and returned to the victim’s home in Church Village.

Prosecutor Nuhu Gobir said the couple argued about previous partners and the defendant became annoyed and angered.

The victim had a shower and went to bed but Knight went into a “rage” after she refused to unlock her phone.

He used his right hand to try and suffocate the victim and held it over her nose and mouth while squeezing tightly.

She was wriggling in an attempt to get air, but every time she did this the defendant would close the gap.

He then dragged her by her hair to the toilet but she managed to grab her phone and called the police.

Knight took the phone from her and ended the call. He appeared to “snap out of his rage” and asked “What have you done?” before leaving in his car.

The victim had reddening to her nose and mouth where the defendant attempted to suffocate her.

He was later arrested but gave a “no comment” interview.

Knight, of Lewis Street, Riverside, Cardiff, later pleaded guilty to intentional suffocation and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The court heard that Knight, who has a significant following on TikTok and is known by thousands for his posts, has one previous conviction for driving offences.

Reading out her own victim personal statement to the court, the victim said: “I stayed in that relationship because he showed me small acts of kindness, just enough to make me think things could be better. He tried to downplay the attacks and said ‘I kicked your head like a football, you were snoring for ages’. I developed anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

“I was hospitalised from an overdose and self harming, my mental health was not good. I lived in fight or flight mode and experienced disassociation. Every part of my life has been affected, my family life, education, home, and expenses. I lost all sense of self worth…. My family have witnessed things they should never had to see, bruises and cuts caused by the man I loved.

“I had to change locks of the doors in my home multiple times. I made a Clare’s Law request as I was frightened of what he would do to me. I suffer from daily flashbacks of him using household objects to hurt me. I have vivid nightmares where I struggle to breathe and worry about being safe.”

The victim said Knight blamed her for him not being able to live a lavish lifestyle, which she said he became obsessed with, which led to him racking up debts.

She added: “I shared a bed for two years with someone who would have killed me. I’ll never forget how helpless I felt, being unable to breathe and exhausted by his actions towards me. When I didn’t meet his expectations or challenged him the abuse would get worse. As my partner he should have protected me but now I need protection from him.”

In mitigation, Alice Sykes said her client had found it difficult to come to terms with his actions, but is now doing so and has expressed remorse for his actions.

The barrister said the defendant had served 296 days in custody on remand.

Sentencing, Judge Eugene Egan said: “You somewhat appallingly believed you were playing the hard man as you beat someone who was physically smaller than you. Decent men don’t treat female partners in the way you treat them.”

Knight was sentenced to 108 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years.

The defendant was made subject to a mental health requirement of eight to 12 sessions, the Building Better Choices programme for 26 sessions, a rehabilitation activity requirement for 20 days, and a restraining order for five years.

Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Kuwait briefly shut its main airport Wednesday after Iranian drones heavily damaged a terminal building, killing one person and wounding dozens — the latest in back-and-forth attacks by Tehran and Washington that have tested a fragile ceasefire.

Semiofficial Iranian news agencies have said the country had stopped communicating with mediators about extending the ceasefire in the war with the U.S. and Israel. A regional official said Tehran wanted a separate fragile in Lebanon enforced before returning to talks. U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations continued.

The talks have dragged on for weeks, and exchanges of strikes in the Gulf region and Israel’s broadening war with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon are further strains.

Iran maintains its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial waterway for the world’s oil and natural gas — and the U.S. continues its blockade of Iranian ports. Global fuel prices remain high and the effects of the conflict are felt well beyond the region.

An Indian national is killed at Kuwait’s main airport

Defense Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi said “a number of hostile drones” targeted a passenger building at Kuwait International Airport.

Authorities said one person was killed and 63 wounded, including passengers and workers. Health Ministry spokesman Abdullah Al Sanad said some suffered serious injuries. India’s embassy said the person killed was an Indian national.

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said the country reserves the right to respond to Iran and it will “neither accept nor tolerate” the attacks.

The airport partially reopened later, according to civil aviation authorities. Kuwait Airways flights resumed from a different terminal. No other flights would be operating, they said. The airport only reopened Monday after closing early in the war that began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military said Iran fired two missiles at Kuwait that fell apart en route, and it “downed multiple drones” targeting American forces in the country.

The military also said U.S. and Bahraini forces intercepted missiles aimed at the Gulf kingdom, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th fleet. Bahrain’s Defense Ministry said its military intercepted and destroyed three missiles and a number of drones fired by Iran.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged that it targeted the headquarters of the 5th Fleet and U.S. military facilities in another country, but did not name Kuwait.

Both the U.S. and Iran said they were retaliating for earlier attacks or attempted attacks.

The U.S. military also said it launched strikes on an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. strikes on Qeshm Island, where it said a telecommunications tower was struck, and other previous strikes. It called them “acts of aggression” that it said violated the ceasefire.

A senior Emirati diplomat called for “a firm, unified, and cohesive Gulf position” against Iran following the attacks.

“This aggression does not target a specific state, but rather all of us,” Anwar Gargash wrote on the X platform.

Trump calls reports of cessation in talks ‘false’

Iran’s Fars and Tasnim news agencies, both believed to be close to the Guard, have reported that Iran’s negotiators have stopped communicating with ceasefire mediators as tensions flare in Israel’s separate but related fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

A regional official involved in the mediation, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks, told The Associated Press that Iran had not communicated on Tuesday after saying that a ceasefire needed to be enforced in Lebanon for negotiations to continue.

Trump called reports of a cessation in talks “false and erroneous.”

“The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago and today,” Trump said in a social media post. “Where they lead, one never knows, but as I told Iran, ’It’s time, one way or another, for you to make a Deal.’”

The war is increasingly tied to Israel’s war in Lebanon

Israeli forces have moved deeper into Lebanon than at any time in over a quarter of a century while Hezbollah has launched rocket and drone attacks. The declared ceasefire in Lebanon is officially in place. No side has formally withdrawn or declared the ceasefire over, but attacks continue.

Lebanon has emerged as a key sticking point in Trump’s efforts to sign a ceasefire deal with Iran. Tehran insists that any larger potential truce must also quell the fighting in Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to keep the issues separate and is under heavy domestic pressure to strike Hezbollah as he prepares for new elections this fall.

The fighting has exposed a rift between close allies Israel and the U.S., with the U.S. pushing for restraint and Israel seeking to step up military pressure on Hezbollah.

A person familiar with the situation said Netanyahu and Trump had a “tense” conversation earlier this week. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media. The person didn’t elaborate on the details of the call.

___

Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi, Sam Mednick in Jerusalem, and Aamer Madhani and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.

Exertis UK formally appointed joint administrators on May 29 and has described the move as “deeply disappointing news.”

Around 70 staff remain on the payroll.

Administrators Martin Armstrong and Andrew Bailey of Turpin Barker Armstrong, along with James Hopkirk of Kreston Reeves, have begun overseeing the company’s affairs and business, according to IT Channel Oxygen.

Only 15% of enterprises say their infrastructure is fully ready to support AI. Is yours prepared for what’s next?
Scale your AI with the speed and security of Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA delivered by Exertis.
Contact your Exertis account manager today to learn more!📞 pic.twitter.com/Pp5ZQaelra

— Exertis Ireland (@ExertisIreland) June 2, 2026

A note on the company’s website said: “Please note that Martin Armstrong and Andrew Bailey of Turpin Barker Armstrong, together with James Hopkirk of Kreston Reeves, were appointed as joint administrators of Exertis (UK) Ltd on May 29, 2026.

“The affairs, business and property of Exertis (UK) Ltd are being managed by the joint administrators, who act as agents of the company and contract without personal liability.”

The company had announced plans in December to cut more than 90 per cent of its workforce, following its acquisition by private equity firm AURELIUS just weeks earlier.

Despite emerging from a 45-day consultation period in January with plans to reposition itself as a “specialist, independent distributor” focused on the retail sector, a second consultation was launched less than two months later for all remaining staff.

Back in December last year, staff in Basingstoke, Burnley, Elland and Harlow were reportedly told that 1,200 roles would be reduced to 130, subject to consultation.

Dr Paul Harvey, leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, said the “shock” news raised questions about private equity firm Aurelius.

The Independent councillor told the BBC at the time: “It is deeply concerning, especially right on top of Christmas for all the employees affected.

‘There are so many losers in this story’

Recommended reading:

Iceland set to make major changes in stores across the UK

UK brewery enters administration as survival crisis mounts

High Street chain could enter administration in weeks

“It’s a shock that this has happened and people deserve a full and transparent disclosure from the private equity owners and also those who sold the company in the first place.”

Now, Alex Tatham, a veteran of the IT distribution sector, said: “As is so often the case, there are so many losers in this story.

“I feel particularly sorry for the employees who worked hard to make Exertis a great place to work.”

Do you feel safe in your current job role? Let us know in the comments

Snooker legend Ken Doherty has announced his retirement from the game’s main circuit.

The 1997 world champion turns 57 in September and says: “It’s been the thrill and pleasure of my life, a magical journey.

“I probably should have done it years ago to be honest. It’s just gotten so much harder as I’ve gotten older.

“Winning the world title was the greatest thrill. The open top bus ride through Dublin was like something out of a dream.

“To bring that trophy out at Lansdowne Road on the day of an Irish match, at Croke Park when Dublin were playing Meath, at Celtic Park and, the pinnacle for me, to walk out at Old Trafford with Alex Ferguson, the stuff of dreams.

“It’s 30 years next year since I won the world title. I would have loved one more shot at The Crucible. But the young lads are just too good. They have youth on their side. Sadly, I no longer do.”

Doherty recalls days and dreams at his old Crucible stomping ground, notably that tremor-inducing world title triumph 29-years-ago.

A night preserved in aspic, Ken emulating boyhood hero Alex Higgins by defeating Stephen Hendry to claim one of sport’s most iconic prizes.

On other occasions as the 56-year-old takes a seat to observe the film of his own life, images of the late father and mother develop in the darkroom of his mind and he grows quieter, thoughtful, the love pouring from him like water from a fountainhead.

“My one regret is that my Dad never got to see me play. He died very young, when I was only 13 in 1983.

“He used to let me stay up and watch Pot Black with him on a Thursday night. I was only eight. He was a huge Ray Reardon fan. I was mesmerised by Alex Higgins.

“That year there was a small little snooker table at the end of my bunk bed on Christmas morning. That was the beginning, my father letting me stay up to watch Pot Black – the start of it.”

Nineteen yeas on, all his doubts melting away under the Sheffield lights, Doherty won the World Championship.

Famously his mother, Rose, had been too nervous to watch. She cycled to Clarendon Street Church to light a candle for Ken, suffered a puncture on the way home and heard from a passer-by that her son was champion of the world.

“There were hundreds at Dublin Airport when I got back. She was at the front. Just to see her there. Jeez. I handed her the trophy and told her ‘that’s for you Mam, for all you’ve done, for all the sacrifices…’”

It remains a moment of such gut-bursting power that his voice tails off as he stops to chalk the cue of his composure, the umbilical cord of love again conjoining mother and son.

Doherty can hear again the demons in his own ear as he sought to take down the great Hendry.

“I remember I was 15-7 up against Stephen and he came back to 15-12. He was noted for his comebacks. He was going for six titles in a row. I was properly shitting myself.

“I was thinking to myself ‘not me, not now, not in the final, not here. This is my moment. Don’t do this to me, because I’ll never get over it.’ If he had have come back and beaten me I probably never would have recovered.

Doherty remains enraptured by the game, “it blessed me, changed my world for the better”.

As far back as the 1985 final between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis, he discovered it was his first love.

“I was 14, going out with a girl from Donnybrook. I was dropping her home hoping to get a kiss and a cuddle and hoping that all the family were gone to bed. Because it was 11pm or something like that.

“Of course when we went into the house they were all up, glued to the TV watching the snooker.

“So I knew the kiss and cuddle wasn’t coming, so I said ‘f*** this, I’m running back to Ranelagh to watch the end of the match’.

“That superheated my ambition. If Dennis could topple the great Steve Davis, a player who was almost invincible at that time, then a young lad from Ranelagh could dream.”

Doherty remains the only player in snooker history to have won the Triple Crown of Junior (U-21), Amateur and Professional World Championships. He convulses into laughter as he recalls the first of those victories.

“I didn’t even know it was on. I was 19, I’d only just come over to London from Ireland with 500 quid, my cue and a little bag of clothes.

“A fella from London, Curly Mick, said ‘are you going to Iceland?’ I told him I couldn’t afford. He asked if he paid for my flight would you go. I said ‘f***ing right I will.’

“Curly Mick – to this day I don’t know his second name, he’d a mop of curly hair, he was a gambler from London who loved the snooker.

“I beat Jason Ferguson in the final. I got 3,000 quid, a perpetual silver cup and a trophy with an Icelandic flag made of volcanic rock. Curly Mick asked to bring that trophy back to his mates in London to take a few pictures. I never saw him or the trophy again. Not once to this day…he disappeared.”

The uncontainable warm rush from those later spring days in 1997 has lost none of its thermal powers. He glows as he remembers.

“An open top bus through Dublin. Even to this day I can’t believe that happened. It was like something from a movie.

“A Chief Superintendent told me they didn’t have a single phone call reporting a crime to Garda HQ in Harcourt Square for the last three hours of the final.

“A girl on the Garda switchboard rang Telecom Eireann to report a fault with the phones, that nobody was getting through. The person on the other end of the line said ‘there all watching the bleedin’ snooker.’

“The Superintendent said to me ‘Doherty, you should be on television more often, you’d make my life an awful lot easier.’

“The funny thing is after such a wonderful year, going out onto the pitch in Lansdowne Road and Croke Park on Leinster final day with the trophy, being invited to Celtic and Old Trafford, I made the final again in 1998, but got beaten by John Higgins.

“I get back to Dublin Airport and instead of an open top bus I had to queue for a f***in’ taxi home.”

He will continue to play on the Masters circuit and to commentate on a game that lives in his heart

Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox

Man United have agreed a deal with Atalanta to sign Ederson, who is expected to be an upgrade on Manuel Ugarte.

Manuel Ugarte has struggled with the Premier League’s intensity since his arrival in England, but it was concerning to watch him suffer against Grimsby Town at the start of the season.

Although Grimbsy’s first goal on the night of United’s humiliation at Blundell Park could have been stopped by four other players, Ugarte failed to react quickly to losing the ball at the beginning of the move.

Ugarte and Amad collided on the halfway line. The Urguary international did not get back up to his feet quickly enough to sprint back.

Click here to find out the latest Manchester United news in our daily newsletter

There were 11 seconds between Ugarte going to the ground and the goal. He reached the penalty area as the ball left Charles Vernam’s boot, suggesting he could have got closer if he had reacted immediately.

There is no guarantee that Ugarte would have been able to reach Vernam to stop his shot if he’d reacted quicker, but maximum effort is obviously the bare minimum expectation. The problem is that Ugarte was trying – he just didn’t have the athleticism to recover quickly enough.

Ugarte’s running statistics were decent at Paris Saint-Germain, but playing in the Premier League is a different kettle of fish from competing in Ligue 1, as the intensity is relentless, and there is no time to dither.

That has not been the only worry with Ugarte, whose passing is not a strength, which is a problem in a division where it has become increasingly important for deep-lying midfielders to set the tempo.

Those two areas are strengths for Ederson, who should be an upgrade on Ugarte after his arrival from Atalanta. The Reds have reached an agreement with the Italian club to sign the midfielder for £35million, plus £4 million in potential add-ons, and the deal will be completed by early July.

The 26-year-old can play as a deep-lying midfielder or as a No.8 because of his ability to pass through the lines. At Atalanta, he regularly finds wing-backs with long passes from midfield, a trait that is not in Ugarte’s skill set.

Ederson can dribble out of tight spaces, like Kobbie Mainoo, and relieve pressure when United are under pressure from the opposition. In comparison, United fans sit nervously when Ugarte gets in those scenarios.

The Brazilian has a better engine than Ugarte as well, building a reputation in Italy for his running power and high energy levels, averaging 10.6km per game in the Champions League this season.

Ederson looks better suited to the demands of the Premier League, but crunching the numbers in the market also led United to sign Ugarte, who has never looked comfortable with English football.

United’s record of signings from Serie A is another reason to be a tad cautious about the Ederson transfer, however, there has been a feeling in Italy that he was destined for a bigger move, and that he will receive international recognition from Brazil when the time is right.

FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page

The 26-year-old has cut it against English opposition too, having impressed when Atalanta beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield – covering almost every blade of grass – in the first leg of the 2024 Europa League semi-final.

Atalanta hammered Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final, and Ederson was singled out for praise by his manager. “I’ve been fortunate enough to coach a lot of very good players,” Gian Piero Gasperini said.

“In terms of physicality, regains and the timing of his runs, Ederson is definitely an extraordinary player, one cut out for teams at the very highest level. It surprises me he still doesn’t play for Brazil, even if he’s often been called up. But that’ll come.”

Ederson was not included in Brazil’s squad for the World Cup, but there are talented players ahead of him in his position, with the likes of Casemiro, Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes, and Fabinho making the cut instead.

United admire Guimaraes and would take him in a heartbeat from Newcastle if a deal could be agreed, as most clubs would. That’s not going to happen, but the Reds have got their own version for a cheaper fee with Ederson.

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

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

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.

Dr Caitlin Todd will sexually assault Charity this week

Emmerdale is to explore the devastating effects of sexual violence and the complex feelings of isolation survivors can experience, particularly in the context of female-on-female assault.

The powerful storyline airs on Sunday, 7th June, when the character Charity Dingle, played by Emma Atkins, is sexually assaulted by her blackmailer, Caitlin Todd, played by Caroline Harker.

In the coming weeks, Charity will struggle to come to terms with the attack, having to choose between confiding in her loved ones or internalising the trauma.

Emmerdale producer, Sophie Roper, explains the importance of the storyline: “Charity’s storyline will explore the impact of sexual violence, and though this heinous act is fundamentally about power, we’ll explore the complexities of how Charity processes her trauma when the perpetrator is a woman.

With little conversation surrounding female-on-female assault, we’ll explore the overwhelming feelings of isolation many survivors experience and will examine the disparity between the legal term sexual assault and the fact that many women in Charity’s position feel this minimises what’s happened to them, because they feel like they’ve been raped. Though difficult viewing at times, Charity’s resilience will inspire hope as she confronts what has happened to her.”

Emma Atkins commented: “This has been one of the most demanding and significant storylines I’ve had to navigate as Charity. We know her as a tough, resilient character, but this trauma will expose a deep, raw vulnerability that has been heartbreaking at times to play.

“I hope this storyline gives even one person the courage to speak out or helps others understand the quiet devastation of trauma.”

In confirmed spoilers, Charity is desperately trying to find a way to pay off Todd, so Sarah’s 21st birthday isn’t ruined. Overwhelmed with guilt and drinking heavily, Charity confronts Todd and dares her to expose the secret. Todd backs down, seemingly unable to publicly destroy Sarah’s life.

Todd tries to justify her blackmail to Charity and admits to enjoying Charity’s chaotic life. A temporary truce is formed when Todd implies the secret is safe, but it’s not long before Todd’s malicious nature resurfaces when Charity is subjected to an assault.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX and YouTube from 7am.

Londoners endured a 24-hour Tube strike yesterday, with torrential rain and even hail making journeys even more miserable.

Commuters survived the first wave of the two-day strike sweeping London this week as the dispute between the RMT union and TfL over working hours remains unresolved.

Tuesday’s walk-out saw the return of hordes of strikelists, while the Elizabeth line, one of the few routes not included in the strikes, suffered a signal fault, affecting trains to and from Heathrow.

Businesses around Liverpool Street station told Metro their takings were down on the first strike day, while commuters rushed to nab Lime bikes by pre-booking them.

Cycle paths were full to the brim despite the wet weather, and Metro saw both pedestrians and riders rush through red lights at rush hour.

As there is no immediate resolution in sight in the bitter row, commuters should brace for another strike scheduled to go ahead tomorrow.

When will the Tube strike end?

There is no Tube strike today, so commuters can enjoy some respite before the next 24-hour walkout.

The strike will start on Thursday, June 4 at 00:01, and end at 23:59.

Which lines are affected?

Some Underground routes have fared better through the strikes, while the likes of Circle and Piccadilly have had no service.

Here is what kind of disruption is expected tomorrow.

• No service on the entire line – The Circle and Piccadilly lines
• Partially suspended – The Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate, the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street

Tube services will be severely limited before 6.30am tomorrow, and passengers are advised to finish journeys before 9pm, TfL said.

Once the night turns into Friday, the June Tube strikes are over, and normal service is expected from then on.

What TfL services are running tomorrow?

The Elizabeth line, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway, buses, tram and National Rail are running business as usual tomorrow, although they will be busy.

Then there are the dockless e-bikes like Lime and Forest, and Santander cycles, which have surged in popularity during previous strikes.

Lime told Metro that it increases drivers and foot patrollers on the streets to swap out batteries and redistribute bikes during the strikes.

One Lime fan, Lydia Dunne, 33, had secured a bike near Liverpool Street where bikes were scarce as commuters poured out of the offices by pre-booking it.

‘Otherwise it’s impossible to get one,’ she told Metro, pointing to the nearly empty bike parking area on Bishopsgate Plaza.

Passengers were dealt a major blow yesterday when the Elizabeth line was disrupted due to a signal meltdown.

The purple line was busy throughout the day, and hotspots like Liverpool Street saw bottlenecks form at the platform exit.

Liverpool Street railway station concourse was extra busy, with more commuters than usual opting for trains.

Hospitality bears the brunt of the Tube strike

Along with commuters, hospitality businesses reported a drop in revenue during the first day of June Tube strikes.

Rossana Merlin, the manager of Okja next to Liverpool Street station, said the new cafe selling plant-based baked goodies and coffee opened last week, but takings were down on Tuesday.

She said: ‘We usually have 80 transactions between 8am and 12pm, but today we only had around 60.

Advertisement

‘But we knew to expect it so we cut down accordingly to avoid waste.

‘It could also be partially because of the weather.’

Bar staff at the nearby Railway Tavern said the pub is usually busier on Tuesdays all day, because it is the one day in the week when most work-from-home office staff are in.

Advertisement

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

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: The ‘scrumptious’ £7 cinnamon rolls from London’s late-night bakery that keep selling out

MORE: General strike to hit 500 flights and public transport in major European country today

MORE: Londoner claims men shouldn’t sit down on the Tube – here’s what Metro readers think

When the US and Israel launched their strikes on Iran on February 28 and Iran retaliated by targeting the Gulf Arab states, I was closely monitoring social media accounts from the region. I research Middle East politics, with a focus on the Gulf, and the social media platforms I use are full of people living in the region – including western migrants, or as they tend to style themselves, expats. To my surprise, from many of them I saw the same message: “It is safe and normal here.”

This was not a trivial claim – these messages were sent as the countries they live in came under attack. But the attitudes they exhibited reflect a broad strategy long cultivated by Gulf Arab regimes. This aims to instil in the people that opt to live there a sense of security, as well as aspiration for the lifestyle on offer and loyalty towards the country for making that lifestyle available.

More importantly, the expats’ reactions exposed the role that foreign residents and influencers have played in advancing a particular understanding of “normality”. Not only do they accept authoritarian rule in the Gulf, they have been pushing out messages about insecurity elsewhere.

To be clear, a lot of foreign workers did leave the Gulf, reportedly in the tens of thousands, when the conflict began. But even so, many of the initial reactions on social media, whether people stayed or opted to leave, projected this sense of security.

Part of the US security hub

These regimes have developed an image designed to attract global connectivity, foreign capital and flows of people and goods. The UAE, especially Dubai, has become a symbol of tax-free residency and luxury tourism. Qatar has established itself as reliable gas exporter and world-class mediator. Saudi Arabia has launched a sweeping reform project recasting national identity and the kingdom’s global role in championing “moderate Islam”, while Bahrain has worked early since independence to become a regional banking hub.

These state-building processes thrived under the security umbrella of US and other western military bases across the Middle East. Firmly embedded in the US sphere of influence, Gulf monarchies have benefited from precious diplomatic cover and access to global markets. Other regional regimes, meanwhile – notably Iran – were excluded. This was more often due to their hostility towards the US than for their brutal repression and disastrous governance at home.

By directing global attention to threats such as Iran, Gulf regimes forged a strong sense of domestic normality. But in recent years, a less reliable US regional policy has made the security arrangement increasingly uncertain, prompting Gulf regimes to explore alternatives. Without renouncing deeper engagement with the US, they welcomed cooperation with other powers outside the region, like China, as well as the possibility of closer relations with Israel and even a modus vivendi with Iran.

Despite ongoing rivalries, including within the regional forum, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), regional conflict de-escalation and management appeared to be the preferred means to continue insulating the Gulf normality. Yet the ongoing destruction in Gaza, closer US-Israeli alignment in the latter’s pursuit of regional dominance, and the ensuing pressure on Iran’s network of proxies has undermined this delicate balance.

Expats get political

The attack on Iran exposed foreign residents’ role in sustaining the image of “normality”. Until then, expats and influencers embodied this normality by displaying safe, privileged and apolitical lives.

I saw posts attempting to divert attention from the threat of war in the Gulf by people claiming to feel safer under missile attacks in Dubai and Doha than “after 9pm” in London or Manchester. Other posts preferred the prospect of missile attacks to being “bombed by 50% taxes”.

These sorts of comments tend to mimic narratives pushed by far-right movements in the west around crime, taxation and immigration.

A viral trend concentrated in the UAE but replicated across other Gulf countries featured influencers responding to the question “Aren’t you scared?” with imagery of members of the ruling families and messages such as: “No, because I know who protects us.” The UAE president’s much-publicised walk in Dubai Mall followed this paternalistic framing of security.

After the initial shock, many influencers returned to the old form of messaging, not posting about the war and focusing on showing their privileged “everyday” lives.

Controlling the message

It’s important to remember that Gulf Arab regimes possess robust censorship apparatuses and broad national security and anti-cybercrime laws that penalise content deemed to “cause panic” or “disturb public order”.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia were swift to remind residents that “photography serves the enemy”, banning unofficial sharing of damage caused by the war, while the UAE threatened severe sentences for people posting negative messages. There have been reports of people detained for posting the wrong content – more than 300 in Qatar alone. Heightened security concerns exposed western expats to coercive practices typically reserved to political dissidents.

Having invested efforts in insulating their domestic projects from external threats through seeking political accommodation with neighbours, including Iran, Gulf leaders may now pursue a different strategy. In fact, we’re already seeing some different approaches as various Gulf countries work out their own best approach to the changing situation in their region. Some, like Bahrain, remain hostile to Iran. Others, including Saudi Arabia, are more nuanced in their approach, looking overall to ensure security in the region.

But for regimes and expats alike, this is a time of reckoning for the parameters sustaining “normality” in the Gulf. Most certainly, the region will never be the same.

Korsaks also controlled the victim’s finances and monitored her movements

A man has been jailed for more than two years after subjecting his partner to controlling abuse. Janis Korsaks, 42, of Hornbeam Close, March, started to become increasingly violent towards his victim after she tried to end their relationship due to his drinking and aggressive behaviour.

On November 8 last year, Korsaks repeatedly pressured the victim to go downstairs to talk. He later punched her as she lay in bed and threatened her. The police were called at around 2.30am the next morning and arrested Korsaks.

Leading up to his arrest, Korsaks subjected the victim to a sustained campaign of physical and emotional abuse. He made multiple threats of what he would do if she left him.

Korsaks had controlled his victim’s finances and monitored her movements. He demanded to know her location to follow her and, on one occasion, turned up unannounced at her workplace to try and take her home.

Korsaks was sentenced to two years and two months in prison at Huntingdon Law Courts on Thursday, May 28, after he admitted to engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship. He was also handed a seven-year restraining order.

Two counts of threats to kill, two counts of assault by beating, two counts of intentional strangulation, and threatening a person with a bladed article were ordered to lie on file.

DC Jake Boreham-Dennis, who investigated, said: “This was a sustained pattern of controlling, coercive and violent behaviour that left the victim living in fear. Korsaks used threats, intimidation and violence to try to control her, and his behaviour escalated when she tried to leave.

“I hope this sentence provides some reassurance to the victim and shows we will take action against those who commit domestic abuse. If you are experiencing this type of behaviour, please know you are not alone – support is available and we will listen.”

To get more news and top stories delivered directly to your phone, join our new WhatsApp community. Click this link to receive your daily dose of CambridgeshireLive content.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .