A Palestine Action protest is under way in central London ahead of an expected government announcement on proscribing the group as a terrorist organisation.
Hundreds of people met at Trafalgar Square after police banned them from protesting outside of Parliament.
Activists from the group broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire last week and spray-painted military planes red to protest against the UK’s support of Israel during the war in Gaza.
Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley said he was “shocked and frustrated” about the protest, but said it could not be stopped unless proscription came into force.
Scuffles have broken out at the protest, with at least two people arrested.
Organisers made the last-minute venue change after Scotland Yard enforced an exclusion zone across much of Westminster.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark said while the force had no legal power to stop the protest, they would impose the conditions “robustly”.
Charing Cross, next to Trafalgar Square, was blocked for a time as the protesters gathered.
Some supporters of the group waved Palestinian flags and carried placards, with other protesters chanting: “We will not be silenced.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to announce plans to proscribe Palestine Action on Monday afternoon, effectively branding it a terrorist organisation.
It is understood this would start a parliamentary process which means Palestine Action would not be immediately proscribed, even once the statement is made.
The expected move to proscribe the group has drawn criticism from a number of human rights groups and activists.
Labour peer and activist Baroness and Shami Chakrabarti said that she did not advocate criminal activity in protest, she felt proscription was a “step too far.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves condemned Palestine Action’s behaviour as “totally unacceptable” ahead of the statement in Parliament later.
“To cause damage to military assets, but also to cause such damage to privately owned assets, it is unacceptable whatever your views are on what’s happening in the Middle East,” she said.
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar is advising American citizens in the country to shelter in place, amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.
“Out of an abundance of caution we recommend American citizens shelter in place until further notice,” reads the U.S. Embassy alert, which was dated Monday.
The notice comes as the world braces for Iran’s response after President Trump on Saturday evening ordered U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites: in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow, the last of which is located inside a mountain.
Fears are running high that Iran could retaliate against any of the 40,000 U.S. forces in the Middle East or through other means and targets.
A “heightened threat environment” exists because of Trump’s order to attack Iran, according to a federal bulletin issued to the public Sunday by the Department of Homeland Security, which warned of potential cyberattacks carried out by Iran or its proxies.
The State Department on Sunday also issued a “Worldwide Caution Security Alert” advising U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution, noting “the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad.”
When Cumming, Georgia, homeowner Venkat Garikapati’s roof sustained heavy wind damage in 2021, he filed a claim with his home insurance company, State Farm, to have it fixed.
However, State Farm only approved the replacement of 38 shingles and estimated the cost at $1,422.15 — less than Garikapati’s $2,500 deductible — and closed the claim without paying, according to Atlanta News First. But Garikapati’s roofer, David Garner, disputed the insurance company’s assessment.
“It was torn all to pieces,” Garner told the local broadcaster of the roof’s condition. “More than 70 shingles were creased or missing.”
Garner, along with a public adjuster, spent years trying to prove to State Farm that Garikapati’s roof needed a full replacement to avoid further damage and leaking, reports Atlanta News First. State Farm kept denying the claim before finally approving a full roof replacement on April 25, 2024 — more than three years after the original claim.
“They are never shy on collecting the monthly premium at all, but to get this approved took quite a long time,” Garikapati said.
Garner went ahead and did the work. But after the initial “actual cash value” check cleared, State Farm refused to pay the replacement cost in full, citing a clause in Garikapati’s insurance policy that stipulates a repair or replacement must be completed within two years of the date of loss to receive additional payments. As a result, Garner is out $12,000 — and he blames State Farm fully.
When a contractor does work on a home and isn’t paid for it, they may be able to place a lien on the home. However, Garner doesn’t want to do that to Garikapati.
“It’s not the homeowner’s fault that this is taking place,” Garner said.
Despite the clause in Garikapati’s insurance policy, Atlanta News First reports an attachment to State Farm’s approval estimate stated: “Replacement cost benefits will be issued contingent completed of roof replacement and submission of photos, submission of photos, certificate of completion and or signed contract agreement with service provider.”
But when Garner submitted the paperwork, he said State Farm wouldn’t pay up.
“What am I supposed to do?” Garner asked. “I’ve already built the roof. I paid for the materials. I paid for the labor. Everything’s done.”
Garikapati filed a complaint with the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner in January, per Atlanta First News, but that went nowhere.
“The whole reason this claim took a long time to get approved is because deny and delay, deny and delay,” Garner said.
Atlanta News First says it looked at recent complaints filed with the commissioner’s office and found that State Farm, the state’s biggest insurer, had 892 complaints in 2024, up 126% from 2022. It also found that Allstate had 770 complaints, up 77% from 2022, while Progressive had 557, up 49% from 2022. The office did not supply information about the results of complaints.
Garner feels like he’s out of options — he doesn’t think it would be financially feasible to sue State Farm, and he’s not interested in holding Garikapati responsible.
“He was operating in good faith, just like I was,” Garner said.
A spokesperson for State Farm told Atlanta News First “we believe we have provided every benefit available to the customer within their policy.”
So, what can you do if your home insurance company comes up short on funds or doesn’t pay?
First, you should read the terms of your policy carefully. What happened to Garikapati above wasn’t exactly his fault, but it seems the fine print of his policy provided the insurance company with an out. Familiarizing himself with those details may have prevented the situation above from occurring.
One thing you’ll want to check your policy for is exclusions. There are certain things your insurer may not pay for, which should be outlined in your policy agreement. It’s also important to read the terms of your claim approval carefully to make sure you and your contractor are in compliance.
But from there, if you believe an insurer isn’t paying out like it’s supposed to, you should collect evidence. Document all of the work that was done so you can show if it was in accordance with what your insurer approved. That means taking pictures and getting a write-up from your contractor detailing the work performed.
Your insurer may have tools in place for claims and payment denials. Follow those once you’ve gathered your documentation. If that doesn’t work, you can try to file a complaint with your state’s insurance agency. If that doesn’t work, you may want to seek legal guidance.
To be clear, there’s a difference between your insurance company denying a claim and refusing to pay following an approval. There should be no expectation your insurer will pay out on a claim that’s been denied.
Also keep in mind that any contractor you hire may not be as understanding as Garner, and you don’t want yours to come after you for their money. So, you should do all that you can to ensure everything is above board.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
While Nothing is gearing up to officially unveil its first over-ear headphones next week, leaked images and videos have given us a good idea of what they look like. The Nothing Headphone 1 sports an unusual design that appears consistently across leaks from multiple sources, featuring a squircle earcup with the company’s signature transparent elements and support for what looks like a 3.5mm audio cable.
Nothing announced in a video last month that it would be launching over-ear headphones in “summer 2025,” but remained largely tight-lipped about what to expect. What little was teased — including Nothing’s Tom Ridley saying the company was making “a more interesting looking pair of headphones that say something about you,” and Adam Bates suggesting its buttons would feature distinct designs for each control function — appears to have been realized in these design leaks.
Images shared by Nothing_fan_blog on Instagram show that the earcups for the Nothing Headphone 1 resemble a couple of quirky cassette tapes, and true to Bates’ word, there appear to be multiple buttons to control the music. The images show the headphones in black or silver colorways, and branding for “Nothing Headphone 1” and “Sound by KEF” on either earcup.
Videos shared on X by Arsène Lupin also show two people at a private brand event trying out the headphones with what looks like a 3.5mm wired connection. That cable could introduce improved audio performance (compared with Bluetooth) that doesn’t require a battery when connected to compatible sources.
It won’t be long before we get official confirmation about the Headphone 1 design, specs, and price. According to comments made by Nothing CEO Carl Pei at the London SXSW conference, it’s set to be announced on July 1st alongside the brand’s incoming flagship phone, the Phone 3.
On Friday and Saturday of this week, the NHL draft will take place in Los Angeles, including seven rounds of prospect selections and (most likely) a handful of franchise-altering trades. Then on Tuesday, July 1, free agency officially begins.
To help make sense of it all, our reporters reached out to sources in front offices around the league for their takes on the draft, trades and the free agent class.
So ahead of this week’s flurry of action, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski deliver the latest buzz around the NHL:
Schaefer earned perspective through tragedy
Matthew Schaefer has been the projected first overall pick in this year’s draft for months, projected to land with the New York Islanders, who hold the first pick on Friday. But the Erie Otters defenseman isn’t all that concerned about where he ultimately lands.
No pressure. No stress. It’s all about enjoying the journey — a lesson Schaefer has learned the hard way.
“I’ve been through a lot,” he said recently. And that’s putting it mildly.
Schaefer lost his billet mother in late 2023. Two months later, his own mother died after a long battle with cancer. Then, during the 2025 World Junior Championship, Otters owner Jim Waters — with whom Schaefer was close — also passed away. During that same event, Schaefer broke his collarbone and missed the remainder of his season in Erie.
That would be a debilitating 12 months for anyone to endure, let alone a 17-year-old on the cusp of achieving his life-long dream of playing in the NHL. Schaefer has an infectiously upbeat attitude to it all, though. What others might view as adversity he sees as almost a superpower, and it’s helped him cope with the demands of being a highly touted prospect.
“There’s a lot worse things that can happen in life [than not being picked No. 1],” he said. “Going through injuries are super easy. I feel like when I was younger and I stubbed my toe, I probably would have thought the world was ending, but going through everything, there’s so much worse things that can happen in life. And honestly, you just gotta take the opportunities. You gotta work as hard as you can. I think just being a good person goes such a long way.”
Schaefer is quick-witted and personable, admirably earnest and entirely genuine. He’s done charity work with other kids experiencing grief-related challenges, and plans to do more volunteering with the hospital where his mother received treatment. It’s not for show, either.
Schaefer readily admits he enjoys meeting new people, and hearing their stories.
“I personally love helping people,” he said. “Respecting people, [treating them] how you’d like to be treated. Holding a door for someone, it goes such a long way. I think each and every day I just want to have a positive mindset. My mindset has changed a lot with everything. Seeing what my mom went through, having a smile on her face with cancer and everything trying to bring her down, but she wouldn’t let it bring her down. Wish I was as tough as her.”
Schaefer believes that mom will be watching when the draft takes place, and that maybe along the way she’s even suited up again in her own signature role that shaped him into the player he is today.
“My mom used to go in net and put on the equipment, and I’d shoot on her,” he recalled. “When I’m shooting pucks in the basement, she probably spiritually has the hockey equipment on, trying to save them, and I’m missing the net because she’s probably blocker saving that. There’s a lot of things I’ve learned. I’m definitely a lot stronger now.” — Shilton
Could the Islanders draft Hagens too?
James Hagens knows how badly some Islanders fans want to see the Hauppauge-born, Long Island native drafted by their team. After all, the 18-year-old Boston College center is one of their own: A kid in the stands cheering on the Islanders during playoff games at Nassau Coliseum who just happened to one day become a top NHL draft prospect.
“I still have the [rally] towel to this day,” he told me during the Stanley Cup Final. “I just remember being a little kid, screaming my lungs off. It was a small building, but it got loud.”
Hagens said he’s had people walk up to him on the golf course back home expressing hope that he’ll be an Islanders draft choice. Driving back from a workout one day, he saw a car with a “Bring Hagens Home” bumper sticker on the back.
“I just tried to duck my head and drive by. Didn’t really try to make eye contact or anything,” Hagens recalled.
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James Hagens’ NHL draft profile
Take a look at some of the best plays for Boston College center James Hagens.
He couldn’t help but get his hopes up when he watched the Islanders win the first overall pick in the lottery. There was a time when Hagens looked like he’d go first overall in the 2025 draft. The venerable Bob McKenzie of TSN had him ranked first before the season, with nine of the 10 NHL scouts he surveyed in agreement.
There were a variety of factors for why Hagens slipped a bit this season — a great but not elite freshman season at BC, continuing concerns about this 5-11-ish frame — but chief among them was the emergence of Schaefer as the Islanders’ presumptive No. 1 overall pick.
Yet here was buzz during the Stanley Cup Final that the Islanders might seek to make a draft-day splash by taking Schaefer first overall — and then trading back into the top four again to select Hagens. It’s assumed the San Jose Sharks are drafting forward Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit) and Hagens hasn’t been linked much with the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 3. Utah has the fourth overall pick, while Nashville is drafting fifth.
What could be in play from the Islanders? Speculation surrounds 25-year-old defenseman Alexander Romanov, a restricted free agent due a sizable raise, as well as the Colorado Avalanche‘s first-round pick in 2026 that the Avs can defer to 2027. But that’s just a starting point for acquiring a top-five pick and, most importantly, a hometown offensive star.
Isles GM Mathieu Darche has talked about his charges becoming an “attacking” team. Co-owner John Collins has discussed the necessity for the franchise to make “deeper connections” with the Long Island hockey community. Hagens would seem to address both needs, either at No. 1 — or if the Islanders can hit a two-fer in the draft. — Wyshynski
Clock is ticking on Tavares in Toronto
Unless Mitch Marner and the Toronto Maple Leafs undergo seriously successful couples counselling in the next week, it’s unlikely the winger will be back in blue and white this fall. That ending has been projected for months, and frankly reflects some poor asset management by the Leafs that they’re about to lose this year’s top UFA for nothing.
Is there a possibility of a sign-and-trade, or another suitor interested in acquiring Marner’s rights like Toronto GM Brad Treliving did in acquiring Chris Tanev‘s rights at last year’s draft? Sure. But again … don’t hold your breath.
Where the Leafs’ focus can and should be at this stage is on John Tavares. The latest word is that the two sides aren’t close on an extension, and Toronto can’t beat around the bush too long here. Because there are not many other viable unrestricted free agent centers available.
There might not be much Toronto can recuperate from the Marner situation. Tavares is the opposite; he wants to be a Leaf and is willing to negotiate.
Dallas just inked Duchene to a four-year, $18 million extension. Yes, there’s some creative accounting in there between the base salary and signing bonuses coupled with Duchene’s continued buyout package from Nashville. However, a $4.5 million average annual value contract for Tavares isn’t looking so bad when you consider the Leafs can not lose a second-line center that just had one of his best seasons ever at age 34 and won’t have much choice on a replacement if Tavares does feel undersold and accept another team’s offer (of which there could be many).
This is a critical juncture for Treliving to handle just right, and considering all the factors at work, there’s no time like the present for Toronto to put its best foot forward and get Tavares back under contract. — Shilton
Can Panthers bring back the big three, including Marchand?
Having covered the Panthers for multiple rounds in the playoffs, I had hours of conversations about their three key unrestricted free agents: Center Sam Bennett, defenseman Aaron Ekblad and winger/Dairy Queen enthusiastBrad Marchand.
There was a common perception about them before the Panthers hoisted the Cup for a second time, but those have shifted:
1. Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP, was a lock to re-sign. While scores of teams might have doubled his base salary ($5 million), Bennett and the Panthers have been confident something would get done. Then, at the Panthers’ victory celebration at E11EVEN in Miami, he quoted “The Wolf of Wall Street” while informing fans he was not leaving while a message that read “8 more years” was displayed behind him.
2. Ekblad, who was drafted first overall by the Panthers in 2014, was iffy to re-sign. He would be coveted as a mobile right-shot defenseman with two Stanley Cups to his credit. The Panthers reportedly made an offer to Ekblad was reportedly rejected last summer, and Florida then explored the trade market for him.
But the winds have shifted here. Speculation in Sunrise was that the Panthers and Ekblad, 29, could swap a high cap number for term, which can be risky with a player that has Ekblad’s injury history. Florida really likes its current defensive depth — Ekblad with Gustav Forsling, and then Seth Jones on a second pairing, where the Panthers believe he’s perfectly cast. Ekblad now expects to stay, but as he cautioned recently: “Things seem to come down to the last minute here.”
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Kevin Weekes calls Panthers’ performance a ‘master class’
Steve Levy and Kevin Weekes break down how the Panthers pulled off back-to-back Stanley Cup titles against the Oilers.
3. Marchand took less money in Boston on his last deal for a player of his accomplishments — he made only $8 million in base salary twice in 16 seasons with the Bruins. So the perception was that he would sign with whichever team offered the highest salary with the term he was seeking, rumored to be four years. The Maple Leafs were the focus here, in the ultimate “if you can’t beat’em, have him join’em” moment in NHL history. But suitors ranging from the Washington Capitals to the Utah Mammoth were rumored to be waiting on him.
However, the fit and success he found in Florida appears to have shifted things here, too. Marchand publicly asked GM Bill Zito to give him a contract — at a Dairy Queen, no less — and Zito has said multiple times he expects to be able to sign Bennett, Ekblad and Marchand at a cap hit that allows the Panthers “to bring in other good players.”
For what it’s worth, Marchand was caught on video at the famed Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale telling a fan that he’s not leaving and then flashing four fingers. But it’s Marchand. He says a lot. — Wyshynski
Do the Blackhawks have a big surprise in store for Round 1?
Chicago is set to pick at No. 3. After Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa are all but guaranteed to go 1-2, the Blackhawks will be the first fascinating selection of the night.
Do they go center, or wing?
When the scouting combine in Buffalo was wrapping up, it sounded like Chicago was zeroed in on either Moncton Wildcats center Caleb Desnoyers or Brampton Steelheads winger Porter Martone.
Martone’s stock has risen even further since the start of June, and while it may have been the Blackhawks’ inclination to go center, could they pass on Martone at this point? He’s 6-3 and 207 pounds, brings a physical edge, creative playmaking, a great shot and terrific hands. Martone collected 37 goals and 98 points in 57 games last season as the Steelheads’ captain, and scouts rave about his overall ability and potential to excel in the NHL.
Chicago already has one exemplary young center in Connor Bedard. While it’s tempting to add another potential standout at the position, the draw of what Martone could bring might just be too much on which to pass. — Shilton
Oilers GM baffled by goalie decision
There’s no question that the Edmonton Oilers‘ goaltending was a detriment during their Stanley Cup Final loss to the Florida Panthers.
Stuart Skinner (.861 save percentage, 3.97 goals-against average) was pulled twice and eventually benched for Calvin Pickard (.878, 2.88) in their Game 5 loss, before returning to give up three goals on 23 shots on their Game 6 elimination. Both goalies were below-replacement level in goals saved above expected over their last five playoff games. Meanwhile, Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky chugged along at 3.1 goals saved above expected in his last five games, and did what he needed to do (.919, 2.45) in the Final.
This confuses Oilers GM Stan Bowman about his goaltending, because he argues that Edmonton had the stronger goaltending in their three previous series in the Western Conference. “Darcy Kuemper, Adin Hill and Jake Oettinger, our goalies were better than them in each of those series,” he said. “I think that’s the reason we went to the [Stanley Cup] Final. And then in the Final it flipped.”
The assumption has been that goaltending would be a priority for the Oilers this offseason, especially finding an elite-level netminder that would theoretically prevent embarrassments like having to decide which struggling goalie will start Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. But Bowman said he’s still mulling over any goalie changes for next season, with both Skinner ($2.6 million AAV) and Pickard ($1 million) signed through next season before becoming unrestricted free agents.
Bowman said changes for next season “may involve the goaltending or it could not,” and that there’s a lot of analysis that has to be done in the wake of their second loss to Florida in two seasons before making that decision.
It’s hard to fathom that the Oilers would run it back with the same battery next season, but the options to upgrade are limited. They’ve been linked to John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks, who has a 10-team no-trade list and two years left on his contract at a $6.4 million AAV. New Jersey Devils veteran Jake Allen is the best option in a thin UFA market that also includes Alexandar Georgiev (San Jose), Alex Lyon (Detroit) and Anton Forsberg (Ottawa).
Bowman said that’s part of the decision for the Oilers: Who, exactly, would be an upgrade over Skinner and Pickard in the playoffs?
“It’s not like you just go down to the corner and pick up an elite goalie,” he said. “They’re not just waiting for you to join your team. So how many are there anyways in that group?”
“If you look at the [elite] guys, some of them have had some tough playoffs. So there’s no guarantee in the goaltending world. It’s the most important [position], but it’s also in some instances not why teams win,” the GM said. “So if you have a strong enough team, then there’s been teams that win the Cup without elite goaltending and there’s been teams that won because of their goalie.” — Wyshynski
Is Nashville really open to anything?
Rumblings about the Nashville Predators continue to grow. The Predators are picking at No. 5, but are not in the typical position a team would be in with that selection.
Nashville wants to compete now. And they have a piece of capital to wield in trying to land an NHL player now from a team that might be closer to that re-tooling stage and eyeing a top prospect for their pool.
If there were to be a blockbuster happening in the first round, it feels like Nashville would be involved.
Specifically, the Preds could use a viable defenseman to shore up the blue line alongside Roman Josi. And we know from recent offseasons that GM Barry Trotz is willing and able to go all-in as necessary and get creative.
If Trotz believes in Nashville’s opportunity to rebound from a rough 2024-25 with a winning year ahead then he seems likely to consider a fair deal for an NHL-level skater. — Shilton
“We have come to terms with who we are, we have been presented [with] a love like no other,” Pons continued, “and we get to have that cheesy rom-com, swept off our feet, romantic gesture moments, just like our straight counterparts.”
The author feels a sense of responsibility when it comes to sharing stories centered around LGBTQ+ romance—and its one he doesn’t take lightly.
“I’ve always believed that queer joy is an act of resistance and it’s an act of intention, where there are so many outside voices telling us that who we are and who we love is wrong,” he expressed to E!. “I think about the current climate that we’re in and I worry, but at the same time, everything that I’m doing is intentional so that it can find that set of eyes who needs to find it.”
That’s why on Winging It With You’s cover—designed and illustrated by Tal Goretsky—readers can see protagonists Asher Bennett and Theo Fernandez locked in a swoon-worthy embrace.
“I had very deliberate and long discussions with my publisher about the cover because this was my first traditionally published book,” Pons, whose previous foray into writing was self-published novel You & I, Rewritten, shared. “I only had one first, and I wanted it to show two adult grown men embraced in a moment of pure love and romance and adoration of one another.”
He continued, “I want people to walk into the store and see two adult men embracing the way that they’ve only historically seen a man and a woman.”
Reform UK has announced it would give non-doms the chance to avoid many UK taxes by paying a £250,000 fee, with the proceeds going to people on the lowest incomes.
Non-domiciles (or non-doms) live in the UK but have a permanent home overseas for tax purposes.
Under Reform’s plan, non-doms would pay the fee for a new Britannia Card and in return not be taxed on wealth, income or capital gains earned abroad. They would also avoid the need to pay inheritance tax.
Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the measure amounted to a “tax cut for foreign billionaires” and Reform would have to either raise taxes or cut public services such as the NHS to compensate for the loss in revenue.
Speaking in central London, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said “tens of thousands” of people would be tempted to the UK by the offer of the card, which could be renewed every 10 years, with no additional cost.
“Many talented people are leaving and we want as many entrepreneurs, as many risk-takers, as many job creators, as many people paying lots of tax, as many people investing huge sums of money.”
Asked if the policy was an example of “fantasy economics”, he said the initial £250,000 payment would be “just the tip of the iceberg of what these people will pay if they come back” in stamp duty and VAT in the UK.
Questioned on whether an influx of wealthy people would push up property prices in London, he said it was a “good point” but argued there would not be an impact on the cost of affordable housing.
Reform UK says income from the measure would be transferred annually tax-free to the bank accounts of the lowest paid 10% of full-time workers.
The party estimates its policy would raise between £1.5bn to £2.5bn annually, equating to £600 – £1,000 per low-paid worker.
Last year, the Labour government announced it would be abolishing the tax status, which allows non-doms to only pay UK tax on money they earn in the country.
The so-called loophole meant wealthy individuals were able to legally save money by choosing a lower-tax country as their permanent home.
Earlier this year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that, having listened to “concerns that have been raised by the non-dom community”, she would introduce a more generous transition phase to the policy.
There are reports she is considering watering down the policy further after claims it has triggered an exodus of wealthy people from the UK.
The government says its package of measures would raise £12.7bn over the next five years.
Under previous rules, non-doms paid an annual fee of £30,000 or £60,000 depending on how much time they had spent in the UK.
According to HMRC figures, 74,000 people claimed non-dom status in 2022-23.
Responding to the Reform UK policy, a Labour spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage can brand this whatever he wants – the reality is his first proper policy is a golden ticket for foreign billionaires to avoid the tax they owe in this country.
“As ever with Reform, the devil is in the detail. This giveaway would reduce revenues raised from the rich that would have to be made up elsewhere – through tax hikes on working families or through Farage’s promise to charge them to use the NHS.”
Conservative shadow chancellor Mel Stride said: “The British public need a real plan for putting more money in their pockets – but what Reform are peddling is fantasy economics. Their promises are ruinously irresponsible.
“Only Kemi Badenoch and the Conservatives believe in the fiscal responsibility our country needs.”
Believe it or not, artificial intelligence-generated child pornography is completely unrestricted under the laws of at least 12 states. It is allowed in at least some form in many other states.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where some people want to normalize such depravity. The perverts — who of course prefer the label “minor attracted persons” — style themselves as an oppressed sexual minority, subject to undue stigmatization and discrimination. And there is already a lobbying campaign underway — not just by fringe groups, but by legitimately big-deal academics and researchers — to gain acceptance for their perversion.
By the reckoning of Fred Berlin, director of the Johns Hopkins Sex and Gender Clinic, pedophiles “have discovered through no fault of their own that this is the nature of what they’re afflicted with in terms of their own sexual makeup. … We’re talking about not giving into a craving, a craving that is rooted in biology, not unlike somebody who’s having a craving for heroin.”
As Wired noted nearly two years ago, when it interviewed Berlin, “Some clinicians and researchers have suggested that AI-generated images can be used to rehabilitate certain pedophiles, by allowing them to gain the sexual catharsis they would otherwise get from watching child pornography from generated images instead.”
In other words, mainstream academics have already been making the case for years that watching AI child pornography will supposedly curb predators’ appetite for preying on real children.
It seems much more likely that, when the studies are all done, rates of child sexual abuse will be much higher in places where such AI material is more widespread. The more such material in circulation, the more adults will be affected by it. But will the arguments of Berlin and others convince anyone? Will they convince our legal system?
The Supreme Court has fortunately already concluded that AI generated pornographic images of real children (deep fakes, in other words) are illegal. However, the law becomes murky in many states when the AI-generated materials are not based on a real child.
And AI has become so advanced that it can create pornographic images and videos of entirely fake children doing absolutely anything. Here is where the law is failing children that will assuredly be the future victims of these predators-in-waiting. The Supreme Court case New York v. Ferber criminalized traditional child sexual abuse material. But a subsequent case from 2002 (Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition) effectively rendered computer-generated child pornography legal, since, as Justice Anthony Kennedy claimed that “virtual child pornography is not ‘intrinsically related’ to the sexual abuse of children.”
The AI child porn is not just pictures. The technology means that virtual children — practically indistinguishable from real children — can be generated to talk to the pedophiles and let them live out their sick fantasies. The AI will produce likenesses of children to suit these predators’ preferences, and it will learn exactly what they like and don’t like.
Although the law is still murky on this matter, one would hope it can be updated to handle this. Perhaps the Supreme Court could even revisit its ruling.
But there is a great impediment beyond the usual slowness of bureaucracy — namely, this woke academic gender movement that teaches pedophilia is biological in nature. According to their dogma, these sexual cravings aren’t the fault of the “minor-attracted persons” — they simply cannot help themselves. Moreover, these realistic but fake child avatars that AI makes possible are supposed to be viewed as legitimately therapeutic for them.
The logic is similar to needle exchange programs. If they won’t stop taking drugs, then can’t we at least give them a way to consume safely? Well, perhaps the answer to all these questions starts right there. Those needle exchange programs — how have they worked out?
Let’s look at the hard research. In a single year alone in the U.S., Child Protective Services found strong evidence that 57,329 children were victims of sexual abuse. And we know that number doesn’t even come close to being the real number due to reporting, evidence, et cetera.
One in five girls and one in twenty boys are believed to be victims of child sexual abuse. That is an astounding number — just imagine your child’s class at school. Statistically speaking, there are probably several victims in it.
So, the real question is, with more access to child pornography, will these predators stop at just the AI-generated fake child material? Or will that just whet their appetite for more realistic and then real abuse scenarios?
With the invention of the internet, the amount of child sexual abuse material skyrocketed. Offenders appreciated the anonymity as well as the ability to perceive the children as “not real,” since they didn’t know them in real life. With more access, more and more material was made — and of course more and more children sexually abused to create said material.
This means with virtual or AI child pornography, there is an even greater risk of these predators offending, because the very nature of the AI lends itself to the offenders feeling an even greater detachment.
Over and over again, research shows that this kind of material only increases the chance that a pedophile will abuse a real child in real life. And given the advancement of the AI technology, such that the AI child avatar will tell the pedophile anything they want to hear (acceptance, enjoyment, and who knows what else), the risk of offending on a real child increases even more drastically. Nothing says “effective crime prevention” quite like handing child abuse images and videos to pedophiles and hoping it quenches their thirst instead of making them thirst for more. What could possibly go wrong?
This isn’t harm reduction — it is intellectual acrobatics masquerading as policy.
Other countries have already been thrust into this legal debate. Sadly, many academics argue with a straight face that AI child pornography can help pedophiles “curb their appetites” — even going so far as to claim that “there is a group of individuals for whom looking at these images is a voyeuristic interest and an end in and of itself, not a gateway to something more severe.”
In the course of making such claims, they routinely cherry-pick academic studies for their own purposes. It really makes one wonder about their own proclivities.
But in any case, we cannot allow high-brow academics, living in their ivory towers, to create new risks for our children. Financially, there is probably big business in AI child porn — just like there is in AI girlfriends. Someone makes them and someone buys them. We can’t allow this risk to our children in our country.
While the concept of AI child pornography may seem surreal and so abhorrent that you probably don’t even want to think about it, it is coming to a legislature, courtroom or debate hall near you. Contrary to what many academics will tell you, this invention will not decrease child sexual abuse but vastly increase it.
There are some benefits to the advancement of AI, but there is a terribly dark and horrifying side — one that lawmakers must wake up to and forcefully stamp out now.
Liberty Vittert is a professor of data science at Washington University in St. Louis and the resident on-air statistician for NewsNation, a sister company of The Hill.
Argo Infrastructure Partners (Argo), through its wholly owned subsidiary Isle Gas under AMF Hawaii Investment Holdings, has agreed to acquire key gas storage and delivery assets in Hawaii from UGI’s subsidiary AmeriGas Propane.
The acquisition includes approximately 750,000 gallons (gal) of propane storage capacity distributed across multiple sites, along with a fleet of delivery vehicles.
These assets currently serve thousands of residential and commercial customers across four major Hawaiian islands: Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Kauaʻi.
Following the transaction, Isle Gas will be serviced by Hawaiʻi Gas, which already supplies propane to nearly 34,000 non-utility customers statewide.
Both Hawaiʻi Gas and Isle Gas are owned by funds managed by Argo, positioning the company to expand its role in Hawaii’s critical energy infrastructure.
The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025 (Q4 FY25), pending customary closing conditions.
Argo Infrastructure Partners managing partner and founder Jason Zibarras said: “Our continuing focus is on investing in and growing infrastructure assets that provide essential services to their communities. The addition of these assets will complement our existing Hawaiʻi operations supporting a more resilient and energy-efficient future.”
Hawaiʻi Gas, founded in 1904, is the only government-franchised, full-service gas company engaged in the manufacture and distribution of gas in Hawaii.
The company’s non-utility operations include distribution of liquefied petroleum gas to tank and bottled gas customers throughout the state.
Argo managing director Hugh Au added: “As we have done across our managed portfolio of infrastructure assets, Argo will support Isle Gas with access to capital and operational expertise. With this investment, Argo continues to invest in the energy needs of the Hawaiian Islands, building on and supporting Hawaiʻi Gas’ strong track record of reliability, resiliency and safety.”
“Argo to buy UGI’s gas storage and supply assets in Hawaii” was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.
The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Xiaomi released its first EV model, the SU7, in early 2024. By the end of the year, foreign diplomats, investors, and guests from other Chinese companies had already started arriving at the company’s factory in Beijing to participate in one-off tours, but the company didn’t create a standardized experience for the public until the start of 2025. At first, Xiaomi offered just three tours with 20 participants each per month.
But the excursion proved incredibly popular, and Xiaomi quickly began scheduling significantly more slots. In July, the company said it will offer one tour every weekday and six tours most weekends, accommodating more than 1,100 visitors in total. When July registration opened, however, over 27,000 applications flooded in overnight, according to the Xiaomi app—so the chances of snagging a ticket remain slim.
Those lucky enough to secure a spot can expect to first be taken to an exhibit hall to learn about notable innovations in Xiaomi’s electric cars. The visitors then hop on a shuttle and go into three working production lines out of six total to observe the workers and robots in action.
Afterwards, they can test ride a model Xiaomi SU7 on a racecourse, where a trained racecar driver demonstrates how the car can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just a few seconds. “It felt awesome—takes off really fast, with an instant kick,” Zhao tells WIRED. Recently, Xiaomi also started selling affordable meals at the factory and souvenirs to complete the experience.
Another visitor notes that the shuttle will temporarily stop if it gets in the way of a robot, which is programmed to do its job on a strictly timed schedule and is thus less flexible than a human worker. Yuanyuan recalls that after the tour ended, her daughter remarked: “I need to study harder, otherwise I won’t be able to find a job in the future. It’ll be robots doing all the work.”
Xiaomi’s factory is a prime example of how Chinese companies are quickly evolving from labor-intensive manufacturing to highly automated manufacturing, thanks to new advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence. In recent years, the Chinese government has been heavily promoting the idea of “lights-out factories” that require no human labor, meaning the machines can toil away in the darkness without anyone needing to turn the lights on. Companies that have managed to achieve this high level of automation, from Foxconn to home appliance giants, have turned their factories into marketing opportunities, inviting humans to marvel at the technology rather than do work.
Nio, another leading EV maker in China, has been publicly showcasing one of its highly automated factories since late 2023. In 2024, over 130,000 people visited the factory, where certain production lines like the body shop have achieved 100 percent automation, according to a statement sent by the company. Zhang says when her latest tour group visited Nio’s factory in the city of Hefei last month, the participants were able to view three out of the four production lines. (The car painting process, however, was excluded from public visits.)
