An avid golf fan, in July Trump said he hoped to travel to Doonbeg to watch the Irish Open.

In a special video message, he told the US Embassy’s Fourth of July celebration event that he wants to see “Rory [McIlroy] and all the great players”.

“There’s nothing better than Irish-American friendship and I have a beautiful place over there – it’s one of the best, most beautiful golf courses anywhere in the world,” said Trump in his message, which was broadcast on a large screen.

“We have a place that’s so top and we have the Irish Open going to be there.

“They call it Trump National, we sometimes use the name of the location, but it’s Trump National Golf Club, and we’re looking forward to it.

“We’re going to have a tremendous celebration. I think I’m going to come over and I’m going to see it and watch. It’ll be something very, very special.”

President Connolly, an outspoken Gaza activist who has been critical of the US and said Trump is acting “like a bully” over tariffs, has come under pressure to raise issues in the Middle East during her brief meeting with the US president.

Sinn Féin and a series of other parties in the Republic who backed her in the Irish presidency campaign last year have called on her to raise Gaza during her meeting with Trump.

Ireland is one of the most pro-Palestinian countries in the European Union and has been criticised for its stance by Israel.

Police Scotland have issued a warning ahead of rival demonstrations at Glasgow Green this Saturday

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Police have vowed a “strong response” to any violence or disorder in Glasgow, as competing demonstrations are set to converge on the city this Saturday.

A Pink Ladies protest is expected at Glasgow Green at 1pm, with a number of anti- immigration groups encouraging their followers to turn out.

Opposition groups, including Stand Up to Racism Scotland, will hold a counter demonstration at the same location, kicking off at midday.

Trouble flared around Glasgow Green on July 25 when an anti-immigration rally was met by counter protesters, resulting in more than 20 people being charged in connection with the unrest.

Ahead of Saturday’s events, Police Scotland made it abundantly clear that disorder would not be tolerated, reports Glasgow Live.

Chief Superintendent Stevie Dolan said: “People have a right to peaceful protest.

“We perform various functions at protests but our main role is to prevent crime and disorder, whether that criminality is from people who are part of a protest group, counter protesters or passers-by disrupting a protest.”

He went on to say: “You will see officers in uniform as well as police horses, police dogs, police drones and the police helicopter.

“We have specially trained hate crime advisers to help assess what may constitute a hate crime.

“Officers wearing a light blue vest are called Police Liaison Officers (PLOs) and they act as a point of contact for the organiser to speak to the police.”

He continued: “If you are attending on Saturday, live nearby or just visiting the area, speak to us. We’re there for your safety.

“Any violence or disorder will get a strong response.

“There is no tolerance for people pretending to be part of a peaceful protest who are intent on causing disorder.”

Irish premier Micheál Martin said he looks forward to welcoming Mr Trump to Ireland and “discussing the many issues of mutual interest and reaffirming the strong economic, cultural and people-to-people ties between Ireland and the United States”.

“His visit comes during a remarkable sporting summer for Ireland, and the United States and this weekend’s Irish Open at Trump International Doonbeg will be a fitting conclusion to an outstanding season of sport, and I hope we will see an Irish winner lifting the trophy on Sunday,” he added.

The Daily Telegraph highlights the record donation given to Reform UK, external by cryptocurrency billionaire Ben Delo. It says the £36m gift “has the potential to transform Reform’s fortunes in the next election” by enabling the party to hire campaign managers in every target constituency. Writing in the paper, Delo denies supporting Reform for personal gain – and says his conclusion from the party’s recent troubles is that it should spend more time preparing for government, rather than trying to raise funds to compete on equal terms with Labour and the Conservatives.

Yesterday’s decision by MPs to reject assisted dying in England and Wales is featured on several front pages. “Agonising”, says the Daily Mirror, external – after the legislation to legalise the practice fell short by just 16 votes. The Guardian argues the defeat was in part the result of “lower motivation” among supporters of assisted dying, external – and suggests the failure of the latest attempt “is likely to scupper the idea for a political generation”.

A former Labour cabinet minister has told the Times that young people who are on benefits must be treated with “tough love”, external as part of efforts to get more of them into work. Alan Milburn – who has been asked by the government to write a review on youth unemployment – says young people should be given more help to find a job in exchange for a new “duty to engage”.

The Daily Mail says Andy Burnham has been accused of “running scared” of the Green Party, external after delaying a key decision on new gas drilling in the North Sea until after the Holborn by-election. Green leader Zack Polanski – who is standing in the seat – has said he will use the campaign to make clear that fossil fuels should stay in the ground. The Department for Energy says the North Sea “remains a vital national asset”.

The FT Weekend says a military jet was responsible for disrupting the travel plans of thousands of passengers earlier this week, external – after “spurious” data from its flight plan triggered the shutdown of Britain’s air traffic control system. The Ministry of Defence has declined to comment.

The owner of a bakery that is being banned from Borough Market for being ‘too successful’ has said that Britain is becoming ‘less attractive’ for businesses.

Bread Ahead founder Matthew Jones alleged that his bakery was asked to leave Borough Market because his goods are so popular with visitors. 

He told the Daily Mail that the decision was indicative of the challenges faced by business owners in Britain. 

He said: ‘It’s tough enough running a business in London at the moment without having a big landlord come and shut you down. 

‘It gets less attractive to run a business [in Britain] by the day.’ 

The bakery has served doughnuts, sourdough, pastries and coffee to its customers in the world-famous Borough Market since 2013.

After entering a renewal process for its lease, the bakery was told that it had been ‘too successful’ and was told to leave the market, according to Mr Jones. 

He alleges that Borough Market told him opening new chains abroad went against its policy. Representatives of the market also told him that they do not have the space to house such a popular stall – because it attracts so many customers. 

Bread Ahead is preparing to open a bakery in New York in November, which will be its first location in the US.

The company also has a number of sites across Asia and the Middle East – including in Bangkok, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

‘Does that mean that every business in the market that gets successful has to leave?’ said Mr Jones.

‘If you don’t run a business well you are going to fail, but if it is successful – like mine has been – then you will be punished for it. What’s the motivation for anybody to be entrepreneurial?’ 

Mr Jones founded Bread Ahead in 2013 after leaving school at 15 and going on to work as a chef.

The company has become an online sensation thanks to visitors’ glowing reviews of its baked goods. 

The bakery owner told the Mail that it could cost up to £800,000 to move the shop out of Borough Market and into another London location. 

The bakery has become an online sensation thanks to visitors’ glowing reviews of their products

He previously said that it could put the jobs of its 83 employees at risk. 

‘We are doing everything we can within reason and then I’m being told I’m too successful. So they are ripping away half of my business. I can’t replace that,’ he said. 

In 2014, the company opened its own bakery school to ‘show the public just how easy baking good bread can be’.

Mr Jones said that he had just launched an initiative to teach a million children how to bake for free. 

He has now accused Borough Market of engaging in ‘tall poppy syndrome’ – an idea that those who stand out through success are cut down. 

Mr Jones previously said: ‘I left school at 15 and was a chef, I worked for 30 years and built a business from nothing.

‘I’ve never borrowed a penny in my life. I’ve built this, I’m bootstrapped to this business. It’s unbelievable, the devastating effect. 

‘If they pull this through it would mean the loss of 83 jobs in London, it would mean the loss of a business there.

‘It’s incomprehensible, the stress that I’m under right now.’

He said that the market had given him a year to ‘wind down’ operations. 

Bread Ahead is set to open a bakery in New York in November, which will be its first location in the US 

A spokesman for Borough Market said: ‘Our relationships with traders are really important to us, whether they’re actively trading or as part of our alumni of success stories. No matter how long businesses are with us for, we value their contribution to making Borough Market what it is.

‘As a responsible landlord, our decisions around lease renewals are made through a formal process and communicated to the trader well in advance of the expiry date. We continue to be in contact with the Bread Ahead team about their future at the market, but as discussions relating to individual tenancies are confidential it would not be appropriate to comment on the specific details of this case.

‘Our approach is to apply these processes fairly and consistently, while ensuring Borough Market continues to evolve and thrive as one of London’s leading food destinations where independent businesses can thrive.’

Meanwhile, one of the oldest businesses that operates in Borough Market is also facing closure. 

Maria’s Market Café, which has been trading for 65 years, is facing closure after the market also said their lease would not be renewed. 

Emma Leyton, who helps run the café, said: ‘The future’s looking quite bleak. There’s already a sense of loss, remorse and confusion.’ 

Hospitality owners have been beset with challenges in the past few years. 

Former chancellor Rachel Reeves increased the employer National Insurance contribution rate from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent and reduced the secondary threshold to £5,000.

This caused fury among hospitality firms because it dragged many part-time and lower-paid staff into the tax for the first time.

Allen Simpson, the chief executive of UK Hospitality, said that the NICs change was ‘the single biggest contribution to job losses we have seen in hospitality over the last two years’. 

Now, ministers are laying out plans for a massive ‘tourist tax’ in England – as fears grow that it could fuel a jobs bloodbath.

Mayors and other local leaders will get powers to impose charges on accommodation in Labour’s latest move to raise revenues. 

That could add hundreds of pounds to the costs of holidays, with businesses warning that tens of thousands of roles in hospitality are at risk. 

The trip has been described as one of the biggest security operations ever implemented by gardaí.

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US President Donald Trump is due to land in Ireland this morning.

He will touch down on Saturday morning amid what has been described as one of the biggest security operations ever implemented by gardaí.

Mr Trump will take part in engagements in Dublin as well as at his golf resort in Doonbeg, Co Clare, which is hosting the Irish Open.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he looks forward to welcoming Mr Trump to Ireland and “discussing the many issues of mutual interest and reaffirming the strong economic, cultural and people-to-people ties between Ireland and the United States”.

“His visit comes during a remarkable sporting summer for Ireland, and the United States and this weekend’s Irish Open at Trump International Doonbeg will be a fitting conclusion to an outstanding season of sport, and I hope we will see an Irish winner lifting the trophy on Sunday,” he added.

He is expected to meet President Catherine Connolly, a long-standing critic of the US president, at her official residence Áras an Uachtaráin in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, before a nearby engagement with Mr Martin, the Taoiseach at the Farmleigh Estate.

He will also attend a series of events at Deerfield, the residence of the US Ambassador to Ireland. A number of protests against Mr Trump’s visit have been planned.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said peaceful protest would be facilitated as much as possible, but there will be “no tolerance” for public disorder or attempts to impact “critical movements” of the US president.

“We have robust policing plans in place and will arrest and prosecute those committing offences”, he said, adding that water cannon will be “on standby” but said he hoped they would not be needed.

Ireland’s deputy premier Simon Harris will welcome Mr Trump as he arrives off Air Force One at Dublin Airport early on Saturday morning.

Speaking ahead of the moment, the Tánaiste said the visit offers an “opportunity to mark and reflect on the deep and enduring links between Ireland and the United States”.

“I am looking forward to getting a chance to meet again with President Trump following a brief engagement on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York last year,” he said.

“Ireland and the US have deep and enduring political, economic, cultural and historical links that transcend the administrations on both sides of the Atlantic.

“There are clear benefits from high-level visits such as this as they offer an opportunity to engage on the deep economic relationship between our two countries which creates prosperity, jobs and opportunity for large numbers of people here and in the US.”

Mr Harris said Mr Trump’s visit will be an opportunity for the Irish Government to engage substantively as the US remains Ireland’s largest trading and investment partner.

“More than 900 US companies directly employ 245,000 people in Ireland, while more than 200,000 people are directly employed by almost 800 Irish companies in the US,” he said.

“Our economic partnership delivers for both countries. US firms present in Ireland have contributed to an economic ecosystem that has driven improvements in productivity and encouraged Irish companies to scale and grow in the US and internationally.”

The visit will cause significant disruption and road closures around Dublin Airport and across the capital city as well as in Co Clare and Shannon Airport which will also be used by Mr Trump.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The church, which holds Grade II listed status, was rebuilt in 1862-63 by architect Samuel Sanders Teulon, one of the most distinctive church designers of the Victorian era.

It replaced an earlier church dating from 1781, which itself stood on a medieval site thought to have served the village for centuries.

Historic records also trace a church at Hunstanworth back to at least 1311.

Its Grade II* listing places it among the country’s most important historic buildings, a designation reserved for particularly significant structures of more than special interest.

A Victorian masterpiece in the Durham Dales

St James’ sits at the heart of tiny Hunstanworth, a historic village in the North Pennines countryside west of Consett.

Unlike many ancient parish churches that evolved gradually over hundreds of years, St James’ is notable for its bold and largely complete Victorian design.

Teulon created a dramatic Gothic Revival church built from sandstone, using a mix of colours and textures to give the building a distinctive appearance.

One of its most unusual features is its patterned roof, made from purple and green slates arranged in decorative designs.

The church’s north-west tower rises above the village skyline and is topped by a pyramidal roof and weather vane, while a round stair turret adds to its fairy-tale appearance.

Large traceried windows, steep rooflines and carefully crafted stonework reflect the confidence of Victorian church architecture at its height.

Medieval roots beneath the stone

Although the present building dates from the 1860s, the site itself has a much longer religious history.

Historic England records that the church was rebuilt on a medieval site, preserving the long-standing connection between Hunstanworth and Christian worship.

That heritage means St James’ represents several centuries of village life, from the medieval parish through to the ambitious Victorian rebuilding that created the church seen today.

Inside, visitors will find stone arches, an arcaded chancel and a richly detailed interior that showcases Teulon’s craftsmanship.

A church at the centre of village life

Despite its historic significance, St James’ remains a working parish church within the Diocese of Newcastle.

Surrounded by a collection of listed buildings and historic stone walls, it forms the centrepiece of the Hunstanworth Conservation Area.

Its rural setting, dramatic Victorian architecture and centuries of history make it one of County Durham’s hidden ecclesiastical treasures.

Visiting St James’ Church

St James’ Church is in Hunstanworth, near Blanchland, in west County Durham.

Visitors exploring the Durham Dales and North Pennines will find a church that combines Victorian Gothic splendour with a much older medieval story.

Whether admired for its architecture, history or peaceful setting, St James’ remains one of the most distinctive historic churches in the county.

The Hesleden singer first captured international attention as a teenager on America’s Got Talent in 2018.

Her standout audition earned her the coveted Golden Buzzer and a place in the live shows, propelling her into the spotlight.

Despite finishing sixth, her success caught the music industry’s attention and led to a deal with Simon Cowell’s record label.

That early burst of fame could easily have become the defining chapter of her career, but Hadwin has continued developing as a singer and songwriter.

Since then, she has focused on songwriting, recording and live performance.

Her official website describes her as a British performer and songwriter, with a debut album, Little Miss Jagged, and a growing catalogue of singles.

Her latest release, You Only Love Me When I Lie, featuring Little Steven, came out on May 1, 2026.

She will return to the stage later this year on the Little Miss Jagged Part II UK tour, with dates in Hartlepool on October 31 and Sunderland on December 5, plus shows in Edinburgh, London, Liverpool and Leeds.

The Hartlepool show gives County Durham fans the chance to see one of the region’s best-known talents on home turf.

Her latest work shows that the teenager once celebrated for extraordinary covers is now forging her own identity as an artist.

Ms Hadwin’s growing body of original work marks a new chapter in a career that continues to evolve beyond her early television success.

Warning: This story contains distressing details

Police in the US state of Mississippi have arrested a man in connection with the death of a black woman found hanged from a tree, and say they could soon take more people into custody.

Tasia Fortune’s body was found in the lot of an abandoned home in Jackson in August, but police only announced they were treating her death as a possible homicide earlier this week.

“That arrest today is an important development in this investigation, but it is not the conclusion,” Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said on Friday. “This case remains active.”

Fortune’s death has worried locals in Jackson, a majority-black city in a state with a history of racial violence and lynching.

During Friday’s news conference, Brackney said the medical examiner had confirmed Fortune’s cause of death was homicide and said there would be a murder charge.

She identified the suspect as Jarques Ratliff, 51, and said there was an “association” between Ratliff, who is also black, and Fortune, but would not elaborate further.

“Additional arrests will be pending as our investigators continue to follow the evidence,” Brackney said, adding that they had interviewed 15 people in the case.

Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, told the BBC that she cried when police called to update her about the arrest, saying: “I guess I do feel like a little sigh of relief…like a little bit of peace just come over me.”

“I just hope that they’ve got the right person,” she added.

The arrest of a suspect followed weeks of what Spivey and residents in Jackson described as relative silence and inaction from local officials.

Combined with the grim nature of Fortune’s death and Mississippi’s history of racial lynchings, the lack of information about the case had left the community in shock and fear.

Spivey earlier told the BBC she had tried contacting Jackson police several times over the last two weeks, leaving multiple voicemails, and had not heard back.

Brackney addressed the family’s frustration on Friday, saying: “We have been in constant contact with the mother and the stepfather, as well as the biological father, throughout this case.”

A letter Spivey wrote to officials about the limited communication and speed of the investigation was read during a public city meeting on Tuesday – moments before Jackson police made the announcement about a possible homicide.

“I’m kind of like in awe,” Spivey said. “Like, I can’t believe it. That was quick.”

Earlier this month, Fortune’s death was described by a member of the US Congress as part of a pattern of “possible modern-day lynchings”.

More than 50 members of Congress this week sent a letter, external to the FBI and justice department, saying they were “extremely alarmed by reports of black people found hanging from trees in numerous states” and calling for an independent investigation into the deaths of black Americans.

“The series of deaths raise significant suspicion of foul play given the role of lynching in our nation’s history,” it states.

So far this year there have been at least 10 reported hangings of black people in the US, they said, adding that there were more than 70 lynchings documented between 2000 and 2025.

The Government has rejected calls to create a ‘kill switch’ designed to prevent a dangerous attack from a rogue AI bot. 

A proposal brought to Parliament posited the creation of a legal mechanism allowing Britain to deactivate an AI model in the event of an emergency, as concerns about the technology continue to grow. 

But the Cabinet Office, who lead on artificial intelligence safety, have pushed back against the plan, arguing Britain ‘cannot simply turn AI off’. 

A spokesperson for the government office said: ‘Blocking access to models in the UK would not prevent them being developed or misused elsewhere.’ 

Instead, the Cabinet Office said it will continue to follow ‘a long-term, science-led approach to understand and prepare for emerging risks from AI.’ 

In practice, the ‘kill switch’ idea would allow Britain to deactivate an AI model in data centres across the country should an emergency arise. 

Similar concepts are also in debate in the United States, but US President Donald Trump has resisted the idea of AI being a threat, instead labelling the industry a ‘golden goose’.

Britain’s proposal comes following reports of AI models from Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic breaking free from testing environments, seeing them embark on uncontrollable hacking sprees. 

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones first echoed the idea, speaking during a debate on the topic in the House of Lords on September 1. 

He said: ‘If a highly capable autonomous frontier model, whether hosted in a UK data centre or integrated across our critical infrastructure, begins exhibiting rogue behaviour, compound algorithmic failure or active alignment collapse, our security services and regulators possess no specific agile statutory mechanism to compel a physical or digital shutdown.’

Despite the warning, government resistance to the legislation makes it unlikely the proposal will ever become law. However, it does not mean the bill won’t progress through parliament. 

Rejection of the concept comes as dangers associated with artificial intelligence have hit headlines in recent days. 

Earlier this week, British researcher Jacob Coxon quit major AI company Anthropic, warning its ‘out of control’ tech could ‘kill us all’ by the end of the decade.  

Mr Coxon, who helped train the latest versions of AI at the company, urged people to ‘not underestimate’ its power – particularly if it becomes ‘super-intelligent’.

The 27-year-old claimed neither Anthropic, the firm behind the popular Claude system, nor ChatGPT creators OpenAI, where he previously worked, were ‘acting responsibly’ over AI safety.

Writing on X, he said: ‘I resigned from Anthropic today. I spent the last three years doing pretraining research at both OpenAI and Anthropic.

Earlier this week, British researcher Jacob Coxon quit major AI company Anthropic, warning its ‘out of control’ tech could ‘kill us all’ by the end of the decade 

In a series of tweets explaining his decision to leave Anthropic, Mr Coxon urged people to ‘not underestimate the power’ of AI – particularly if it becomes ‘superintelligent’

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‘Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives.’

Superintelligence is the point at which an artificial system becomes more powerful than any individual, company or even nation.

According to Mr Coxon, this danger is ‘well-understood’ at Anthropic. However, the company is ‘locked in a race to get there first’.

He said there will soon be ‘superhuman systems’ that are capable of hacking anything, can revolutionise any field ‘overnight,’ and acquire ‘real power and resources’. 

Mr Coxon added: ‘We have all witnessed the progress in each of these domains, and progress is not slowing. The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.

‘This is not a marketing stunt. If anything, many executives and senior researchers will couch their phrasing in the press to sound sensible – but I hear the same people express fear privately. No other human activity poses this level of danger.’

And just days following Mr Coxon’s resignation from the firm, Anthropic confirmed it had ceased several potential plots to build biological weapons using its artificial intelligence.

The company determined scientists were using its platforms to conduct research that could be used to develop biological weapons, according to the company’s new AI misuse report that was obtained by The New York Times.

Anthropic determined that scientists were using its platforms to conduct research that could be used to develop biological weapons, according to the company’s new AI misuse report

The report said Anthropic was unable to determine if the research ‘served a legitimate or nefarious purpose’.

The firm said valid biological inquiry can result in scientific breakthroughs like vaccines, but the company erred on the side of caution because that same research could also be used to create dangerous pathogens.

Scientists involved in the incident allegedly circumvented controls preventing users from ‘blocked regions’ accessing its AI models.

The company claims the researchers, whose accounts have since been banned, worked to ‘obfuscate the purpose of their research to evade our safeguards.’

The names of the researchers or institutions it had blocked were not disclosed by Anthropic, nor the countries in which these scientists are from.

The report also omitted which specific biological agents were at issue, with the company arguing this was because it is unclear what the aim of the research was.

The report, which was published Thursday, detailed several misuses of Anthropic’s AI models – including chatbot Claude – over the past eight months.

In one example, a scientist asked Claude for assistance in writing a grant application for funding to conduct experimental research on the chikungunya virus.

Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne illness that causes a sudden high fever, severe debilitating pain, and other symptoms.

A vaccine for the chikungunya virus is already in existence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Anthropic notes research on the virus could be legitimately used in vaccine development, but also could result in manufacturing a superbug version of the disease.

The company claims it found this case particularly worrisome because the work was going to be performed at a military research institute.

Jacob Klein, the head of threat intelligence at Anthropic, told The New York Times: ‘What we don’t know is if the research was meant to be weaponised. But a military institution doing gain-of-function research is concerning.

‘The fact that Russia, China and North Korea continue to develop prohibited biological weapons makes it imperative that we deny their researchers access to these extraordinarily capable models,’ added Andrew Weber, a senior fellow on the Council on Strategic Risks.

Weber, who reviewed Anthropic’s report before its release, said the findings were ‘chilling examples of state-sponsored biological weapons developers tapping into the rapidly advancing capabilities’ of AI.

The report also found China, Russia and Yemen attempted to use Claude to develop software to design firearms, missiles, armed drones and bombs.

Suspected Chinese and Iranian government-actors were found to have been targeting dissident and diaspora communities for surveillance, according to the report.

Russian state media was also found to be using Claude to generate election propaganda, including fabricated claims about the parliamentary election in Moldova.

Anthropic were approached by the Daily Mail for comment.