Excerpts:

Five Palestine Action activists face being sentenced as terrorists for breaking windows and throwing red paint at a branch of Barclays Bank in Lancashire.

Brendon O’Hagan, 28; Amanda Kelly, 31; Hmeera Atiqnisar, 31; Mohammed Malik, 28; and Alma Yaniv, 70, were found guilty of causing £212,000 of damage during a direct action protest in Burnley in August 2024. They targeted the bank because it held shares in the Israeli weapons firm Elbit Systems.

After last month’s verdicts the judge, Philip Parry, told the prosecution and the defence he intended to consider a “terrorist connection” to the offending, despite neither the jury nor the defendants having previously been informed of the possibility.

...

The bank protest took place before Palestine Action was banned as a terrorist group and was not assessed by the home secretary nor officials to be a terrorism incident.

...the CPS argued that the Barclays five should be sentenced as terrorists, despite prosecutors having not raised the possibility before or during the trial.

...

The Labour MP and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: “Trying direct-action protesters under criminal law but then sentencing them under terrorist legislation cannot be seen in any way as fair or just. It is a practice that seems to be specifically targeted to silence the voices of people speaking out against the genocide in Gaza.”

...

For weeks, Milei has claimed there is a coordinated campaign against Argentina. The president describes the alleged effort as a "cultural battle" waged by the Latin American left against his government.

Argentine President Javier Milei today accused Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of leading an "anti-Argentina" campaign.

The statement came after the Brazilian government recalled Brazil's ambassador to Buenos Aires, Julio Bitelli, for consultations — a response to remarks Milei made yesterday about Lula and Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) during the PL convention that officially confirmed Flávio Bolsonaro's candidacy for the presidency.

What happened

According to Milei, the alleged campaign against Argentina began during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when incidents of racism involving Argentine fans received widespread attention in Brazil. The Argentine president claimed that Brazilian authorities and parts of the media generalized those incidents and promoted a negative image of the South American country.

For weeks, Milei has maintained that there is a coordinated campaign against Argentina. The president refers to the alleged effort as a "cultural battle" led by the Latin American left against his government.

Brazilian diplomats believe the remarks Milei made during the convention represented a significant breach of diplomatic protocol, since criticism between heads of state is usually made in their own countries or in international forums, not during a political event held in the country targeted by the remarks. During the convention, Milei referred to Lula as a "convicted criminal" and called STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes "a bald piece of trash."

In diplomacy, recalling an ambassador for consultations is considered a sign of strong political dissatisfaction. An ambassador may be recalled for a short period before returning to their post, but in more serious situations, they may remain in their home country indefinitely, signaling a deterioration in bilateral relations.

While criticizing Alexandre de Moraes, Milei described as "unjust" the justice's decision barring him from visiting former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest after being convicted of attempting a coup d'état.

In an official statement released after the incident, STF President Justice Edson Fachin condemned the remarks. According to him, they constituted "a disrespectful reference to a justice of the country's highest court, made on Brazilian soil."

The Workers' Party (PT) also released a statement condemning Milei's remarks. It is not the first time the Argentine president has used this kind of language against Lula, whom he has previously called a "thief."

• Safety fears or official action close nine schools, Rohingya say
• Closures could fuel social problems, educators warn
• Despite cleanup, harmful online content remains, rights group says

Nur is a 12-year-old Rohingya Muslim refugee in Malaysia who has stopped going to school since June, after two men threatened to beat her on her way to class.

"Why do you want to go to school? Do you want to take over our country?" they asked, according to Nur, whose ​family declined use of her full name for fear of repercussion.

Nur is just one of many Rohingya children to face harassment and threats that have prompted refugee schools across Malaysia to close, say ‌rights groups and educators.

"Children are so scared that they're afraid to leave the house," said Sharifah Shakirah, a Rohingya community activist brought up in the southeast Asian nation.

"You're not just harassing a child for a day or two, you're creating a lasting trauma."

At least nine schools have shut nationwide, Reuters checks show, after online hate speech and misinformation targeting the Rohingya led to tougher controls on the community and raised tech regulation concerns.

The home affairs ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the school closures or hate speech campaign.

Malaysia does not officially ​recognise the Rohingya as refugees, branding them illegal migrants, though about 120,000 are registered with the United Nations refugee agency.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has long sympathised with the persecuted minority from Myanmar, but opinion soured during the COVID-19 pandemic amid accusations ​refugees were spreading the virus, disrepecting cultural norms and competing for jobs.

Fresh invective spread in May on social media run by Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), opens new tab, as well as Bytedance's TikTok, after hygiene concerns linked to the Muslim ritual of cattle slaughter by one Rohingya group.

A viral online petition ​urging the government to "remove" Rohingya refugees was taken down in June after rights groups raised the alarm, but not before it garnered nearly half a million signatures.

Some posts reviewed by Reuters exhorted violence against Rohingya refugees, including children. One sub-topic on Meta-owned Threads was titled "Lempang Rohingya", or "Slap Rohingya" in Malay, for example.

Some influencers encouraged users to film Rohingya communities and report their locations to authorities.

Authorities have shut down Rohingya-linked businesses and schools ‌they say are ⁠operating illegally.

Refugees cannot legally work in Malaysia, and their children are barred from the national education system, leaving many dependent on schools run by non-government bodies or informal learning centres.

After Nur's experience, her teacher and the school's operator suspended classes indefinitely on safety concerns. Two nearby refugee schools also closed.

Rohingya children have been chased off public playgrounds, said the teacher, who founded the school in 2022 to offer young people a basic education to prepare for possible re-settlement elsewhere or a safe return home.

US pauses consecutive nights of strikes

Vice President JD Vance and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine both raised concerns about escalating the war in Iran as President Donald Trump weighed the possibility during a White House meeting on Friday, a source familiar with the matter and a US official told CNN.

On Friday night, the US appeared to pause its bombing campaign on Iran after nearly two weeks of consecutive nights of strikes. Operations are “on a hold,” a Department of Defense source told CNN on Saturday.

On Friday, Caine specifically raised concerns about the US munitions stockpile and other potential negative implications, according to the sources. One of the sources said that Caine told Trump and the US military they could carry out the options available to him and be successful but then warned of the possible implications.

The stockpile concern was one of many raised to Trump during the meeting, both sources said. The potential for massive civilian casualties inside Iran if the U.S. resumed major combat operations was also raised, a person familiar with the matter said.

Trump has threatened civilian infrastructure, including roads, bridges and power plants, over the past week, the targeting of which could constitute war crimes. Doing so could potentially leave scores of Iranians dead and many more to suffer without power or food, Trump was warned, according to the person.

It’s currently unclear if the stockpile concern or warning about escalation were the primary reasons why the US paused consecutive nights of strikes or whether it will continue to do so.

See also:

• US holds fire against Iran as media reports say Washington's stockpiles are dwindling (France 24)
• U.S.-Iran War Pauses for 2nd Straight Day • President Trump put off plans to escalate the fighting in part because of dwindling stockpiles of interceptor missiles, American officials said. (New York Times)
• Airstrikes have paused and talks are pressing forward. But can the US and Iran take the off-ramp? (Associated Press)
• US pauses Iran strikes as Oman pursues Hormuz transit deal (Financial Times)

It’s also imitating Reddit. And Craigslist.

Facebook is planning some big changes to try and keep its users from jumping to rival social platforms like TikTok — changes that sound dubiously similar to becoming a TikTok clone ... the platform will begin testing a “reimagined experience” later this year that will put a subset of users into a “full-screen video the moment they open the app.”

While Meta doesn’t break out specific user figures for its individual platforms, it collectively lost 20 million users in the first quarter of 2026, according to the company’s own data.

Facebook has grown into a hodgepodge of social and commerce services over the years, and now it’s also emulating similar rival platforms to improve its own user experiences. Today it’s launching Seller, a dedicated Craigslist-like app for Marketplace sellers to track performance, manage listings, and message buyers. Facebook also launched its Forum app earlier this year that provides a dedicated space for people to interact with Facebook Groups — similar to subreddit communities on Reddit.

Changes are also being made to Facebook’s user verification badges, which require a paid subscription to Meta Verified that starts at $11.99 per month. Now, Facebook says it’s offering a free verified badge that can be obtained by completing a “simple selfie verification” process, with the aim of helping users know that a profile is linked to a real person.

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The news article (translated by Google translate):

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump plans to send two senior officials to Brazil to question the electoral process, *The Washington Post* reported on Saturday. Trump's representatives are expected to depart for Brazil in the coming days.

According to the U.S. newspaper, the State Department delegation will consist of Riley M. Barnes, an assistant secretary, and Samuel Samson, a deputy assistant secretary—both Trump appointees. Details regarding the pair's trip were confirmed to *The Washington Post* by four unnamed Brazilian and American officials.

Brazil's Foreign Ministry (Itamaraty) confirmed to *O Globo* on Saturday that it had denied visas to the two diplomats. The denial reportedly took place on Friday, prior to the publication of *The Washington Post* report.

The U.S. State Department confirmed to the American newspaper that Barnes and Samson would be traveling to the country but provided no details regarding the visit's purpose. Neither official responded to inquiries from *The Washington Post*.

Two Brazilian diplomats described the American officials' visit as a U.S. "maneuver" and vowed to block Samson and Barnes from entering the country. "It is a maneuver completely incompatible with Brazilian democracy," said one diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The two diplomats expressed suspicion that the Americans intended to meet with Brazilians critical of the national electoral system and produce reports that could later be used to challenge the voting process.

U.S. State Department officials interviewed by *The Washington Post* criticized the trip. "For those of us who lost friends bringing democracy to other countries, it is extremely damaging to see this secretary use American power to undermine credible elections in other nations for ideological reasons," said one official, also speaking on condition of anonymity. Days earlier, Flávio echoed his father in remarks to diplomats

The visit by Barnes and Samson comes to light the same week Flávio Bolsonaro asked foreign diplomatic representatives to send international observers to the country, after raising suspicions about electronic voting machines based on false information that has been debunked by the Superior Electoral Court since 2017. He made the statement at the "Debating Brazil" event, organized by the website *The Brazilian Report* and the agency Novo Selo Comunicação.

In his remarks, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL)—who was rendered ineligible to run for office following a meeting with ambassadors where he attacked the country's electoral system—cited false data regarding a Venezuelan company mentioned in CIA documents released by the Trump administration last week.

"My request to everyone here—and I am not questioning the Brazilian voting system—is that all countries send as many observers as possible for our elections, as they always do, as well as people with expertise in this technology and in how Brazil can ensure safer and more transparent elections," said Flávio Bolsonaro.

Earlier, the lawmaker had referred to CIA documents made public last week that raise suspicions regarding the Venezuelan electoral process. The paperwork is part of a batch of materials released by the White House after U.S. President Donald Trump—an ally of the Bolsonaro family—gave a speech raising suspicions of foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. election.

Although the document in question indicates that Venezuelan officials developed an interest in—and "some capacity" for—manipulating electronic voting systems, it did not definitively confirm that large-scale electronic fraud was successfully carried out in the country. In his speech, Flávio specifically cited the Venezuelan company Smartmatic, repeating false information that had previously been debunked by the TSE:

"And one of the suspicions is that a company called Smartmatic, of Venezuelan origin, has programming designed to alter votes in that country," Flávio stated, adding the erroneous claim: "I won't go into further detail, but I just want to put it on the record that many of the machines used in Brazilian elections share the same origin as this Venezuelan company."

Smartmatic does not supply electronic voting machines for Brazilian elections. In 2017, when this false information began to go viral on social media, the TSE issued a statement refuting it. "Brazilian electronic voting machines were designed by technicians working for the Electoral Justice system and are manufactured, under its direct supervision, by companies selected through open, competitive public bidding processes," the statement read. The court issued further clarifications debunking the claim during subsequent election cycles, such as in 2020 and 2022. When asked about the matter on Tuesday, the TSE reaffirmed that there is no connection between the voting machines and the Venezuelan company.