The tally of Credit Suisse Group AG investment bankers in the US leaving for rivals ahead of the

China’s consumer prices increased only slightly in May while factory-gate prices continued to contract, a sign of weak

Former President Donald Trump released a four-plus minute video on Truth Social on Thursday decrying the “woke” military, spreading baseless conspiracy theories about electoral politics, and announcing that the United States is “going to hell” as he prepares to be indicted by the Justice Department. Mr Trump posted to the social media platform earlier on Thursday that will be indicted over his handling of classified documents after leaving the presidency, and, as that post and the subsequent video show, he’s not happy with the news. “It’s election interference at the highest level,” Mr Trump said. There’s never been anything like what’s happened. I’m an innocent man, an innocent person.” That very much remains to be seen. Mr Trump, who earlier this year became the first ever former president to be indicted when he was charged in New York over his role in the alleged payment of hush money to adult film Stormy Daniels, is now facing even more legal trouble as he attempts to reclaim the White House next winter. In his video response to the news, Mr Trump aired a long list of familiar grievances — including that he is being persecuted because he has strong poll numbers and that all of the evidence complied against him is a “hoax.” “We’re leading against Biden by a lot, a tremendous amount,” Mr Trump said. “And we went up to a level where the figured the way they’re going to stop us is by using what’s called warfare. And that’s what it is. This is warfare for the law. And we can’t let it happen. We can’t let it happen. Our country is going to hell, and they come after Donald Trump.” Mr Trump’s rambling video also included a claim that the military was not “woke” when he was president — one of a number of purported accomplishments he lists. “When you look at what’s happened to our country in the last three years, we were energy independent, we had a military that wasn’t woke, we were doing so well, we were respected all over the world, we had the biggest tax cuts in history, biggest regulation cuts in history, and what do you do? You have a president where the election was taken,” Mr Trump said. The Justice Department has been building its case against Mr Trump for his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House since at least last summer, when FBI agents searched the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence and removed a number of potentially classified documents from the premises. Read More Trump news – live: Trump says he is ‘an innocent man’ as he’s being indicted over secret documents case

Greg Wasson worked for Walgreens for more than three decades, starting as an intern and serving as chief

Critics of Donald Trump mocked the former president on Twitter on Thursday night after it was revealed a grand jury chose to indict Mr Trump on charges stemming from a Department of Justice investigation into his handling of classified materials. “Trump will cry witch-hunt, and play the victim again. He is not,” Illinois representative Adam Kinizinger tweeted. He added: “He is corrupt If in fact he was the victim (he’s not) he would be one of the weakest men ever, since he just continually gets victimized and can’t stop it. But he’s a criminal not a victim.” Mr Kinizinger’s tweet comes just moments after CNN reported that Mr Trump will face seven charges regarding the investigation. In response to the news, Mr Trump took to Truth Social where he asserted he was an “innocent man”. Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social: “I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election.” This is the second time Mr Trump has been indicted, the first being in New York earlier this year. But the first time he will face a federal indictment. Peter Strzok, the former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent who led the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election tweeted a photo of handcuffs following the news. Michael Steele, the former chairperson for the Republican National Committee, tweeted: “Remember: he is in this position because of his own actions; there was no “witch-hunt”; a federal judge ruled there was probable cause Trump committed a crime. HE owns this.” More follows Read More Trump indictment - live: Trump says he’s ‘an innocent man’ as he faces seven charges in documents case Trump says he’s been indicted again: Here are all of the major lawsuits and investigations he is facing Donald Trump has been indicted in Mar-a-Lago classified documents case Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

Former president Donald Trump’s attorney Alina Habba said on Fox News that she is “ashamed” and “embarrassed” to be a lawyer after the former president was indicted. Ms Habba spoke on Jesse Watters’s show amid news that a federal grand jury indicted Mr Trump on charges related to his allegedly unlawful retention of national defence information. Mr Trump’s attorney said the indictment was a distraction from supposed impropriety on behalf of President Joe Biden, pointing to the fact that House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer was planning to hold FBI Director Christoper Wray, whom Mr Trump nominated to lead the bureau in 2017, in contempt of Congress for supposedly withholding documents. But Mr Comer retracted the contempt vote after the FBI agreed to share documents, The New York Times reported. “Every single time there is a coordinated dance that is becoming obvious to the American people because they are smart,” she said. Ms Habba said that the indictments of the twice-impeached former president were the equivalent of a “shiny ball” meant to distract people. “I'm embarrassed to be a lawyer at this moment,” she said. “Honestly, I am ashamed. I'm ashamed to be a lawyer. I'm ashamed that this is the state of our country.” Ms Habba said the indictment showed the United States had a two-tiered system of justice. “And it is so obvious that there's this dual-system of justice,” she said. “This is selective prosecution, selective persecution. It is absolute persecution. It is Russia third world stuff, and it should not be happening.” Mr Trump first broadcast the indictment on his Truth Social networking platform on Thursday, one day after The Independent had reported that federal prosecutors planned to ask a grand jury to indict Mr Trump. “I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election,” Mr Trump said, denying his guilt and proclaiming he is an “innocent man.” Mr Trump said he has been summoned to appear at a federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday by 3.00 pm ET. Read More Trump indictment - live: Trump says he’s ‘an innocent man’ as he faces seven charges in documents case Donald Trump has been indicted in Mar-a-Lago classified documents case Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

Former president Donald Trump on Thursday said his lawyers have been told he has been indicted on charges related to his alleged unlawful retention of national defence information at his Palm Beach, Florida home. Writing on his Truth Social platform, the ex-president wrote: “The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax”. The ex-president followed the bombshell claim with a series of allegations against his successor in the White House, President Joe Biden, stemming from the discovery documents bearing classification markings at several locations linked to the sitting president. In a subsequent post, Mr Trump said he has been summoned to appear at a federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, 13 June, at 3.00 pm ET. “I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election,” he said, adding that he is “an innocent man”. “This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America. We are a Country in serious and rapid Decline, but together we will Make America Great Again!” he added. More follows... Read More Trump says he is ‘an innocent man’ as he’s being indicted over secret documents case James Watt, sharp-tongued and pro-development Interior secretary under Reagan, dies at 85 Funeral director thought to be Capitol rioter dubbed ‘#BlackBonoHelmet’ is arrested

Spain’s leading opposition party is set to hand Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez a scathing defeat in a national

Months after his identity was gleaned by online sleuths working to track down the names of those who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, a Long Island funeral home director has been arrested. The arrest of Peter Maloney – of Bayport, New York – was announced on Wednesday in a press release from the Department of Justice, which accused him of “spray[ing] police officers with ... insecticide” on at least two occasions, and also helping other rioters gang up on and violently assault persons who they mistook for news reporters. He was dubbed #BlackBonoHelmet online by the group, which has identified other Americans yet to be arrested in connection to the attack He faces two felony counts and five misdemeanors for his participation in the assault; the felony charges include assault of a police officer, a more serious charge than many others who simply followed the mob into the Capitol, illegally, before leaving would later receive. It’s a far lighter list of charges than members of the far-right Oathkeepers militia received, however; leaders of that group were charged with seditious conspiracy against the United States. FBI agents who compiled evidence against him argued that Mr Maloney’s decision to come equipped with insecticide and body armour showed his intent to commit violence before the attack even began. His arrest coincides with a much more high-profile nabbing of a January 6 conspirator this week — Bob’s Burgers and Arrested Development fans reacted with disbelief and disgust as actor Jay Johnston, known for his roles on the shows, was arrested and charged with felony obstruction of peace officers among several misdemeanors. He was previously fired from the former show after being ID’d online by Sedition Hunters, the very same group responsible for sniffing out Mr Maloney’s identity. Apparently indicating the limits of the Justice Department’s capabilities, spokespersons for the group noted on Twitter just last month that it had been more than two years since Mr Maloney’s identity had been confirmed positively by the website’s sleuths. Read More Bank records raise questions about home remodel in Texas Attorney General Paxton's impeachment Trump knew how to correctly declassify documents, White House official tells prosecutors Bob’s Burgers actor arrested and charged in connection with Jan 6 Capitol riot

A spokesman for the White House National Security Council (NSC) has flatly rejected a report which claimed that China and Cuba have reached an agreement in principle to host a surveillance post. John Kirby appeared on MSNBC shortly after the publication of The Wall Street Journal’s report on Thursday; the report claimed that the cash-strapped Cuban government had accepted an offer by Beijing to set up a listening post on Cuban soil, within range of some US military installations. The article went on to claim that such a listening post could theoretically scoop up communications across much of the southeastern United States. “Officials familiar with the matter said that China has agreed to pay cash-strapped Cuba several billion dollars to allow it to build the eavesdropping station and that the two countries had reached an agreement in principle,” read the report. It continued: “An eavesdropping facility in Cuba, roughly 100 miles from Florida, would allow Chinese intelligence services to scoop up electronic communications throughout the southeastern U.S., where many military bases are located, and monitor U.S. ship traffic.” But Mr Kirby said that the Journal’s assertions were inaccurate when confronted by NBC’s Andrea Mitchell. "China and Cuba have now reached a secret agreement, we’re told, for China to establish an electronic facility which would allow Chinese intelligence agents to scoop up electronic communications throughout the southeastern US,” Mitchell began to Mr Kirby. “I’ve seen that press report, it’s not accurate,” Mr Kirby contended. “What I can tell you is that we have been concerned since day one of this administration about China’s influence activities around the world, certainly in this hemisphere and in this region, we’re watching this very, very closely.” Mitchell tried again: “You’re saying it’s not accurate that they’re planning this?” “I’m saying we’ve seen the report, it’s not accurate,” said Mr Kirby in response. It was a much stronger statement than he himself had made to the Journal initially. The paper quotes him as saying in response to their request for comment, “While I cannot speak to this specific report, we are well aware of – and have spoken many times to – the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to invest in infrastructure around the world that may have military purposes, including in this hemisphere.” “We monitor it closely, take steps to counter it, and remain confident that we are able to meet all our security commitments at home, in the region, and around the world,” he added in that statement. At a news briefing on Thursday, a spokesman for the Pentagon echoed Mr Kirby’s denial. “I’ve seen that reporting, I can tell you, based on the information that we have, that that is not accurate,” said Air Force Brig Gen Pat Ryder. The report’s publication comes at a time of tension between Washington and Beijing, with both sides accusing the other of purposefully inflammatory actions. Some of those actions have included trips to Taiwan by senior US officials, which have enraged the Chinese government as they mark the US’s continued defiance of China’s claims of sovereignty over the island. It also comes as many in the US, particularly on the left, argue that the time has come for an end to the US embargo of Cuba, the socialist nation shunned by the US since the Cold War, when it was firmly allied with the Soviet Union. The decades-long trade prohibition has left Cuba’s economy in a delicate state, and many argue serves no purpose in the modern era. Read More Biden and Sunak to focus on Ukraine and economic security in British PM's first White House visit AP-NORC poll finds both Democrats, Republicans skeptical of US spying practices Alabama senator says Space Command prefers Huntsville for HQ, but command has no comment Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden stress ‘unwavering support’ for Ukraine Sunak announces ‘Atlantic Declaration’ to boost UK-US ties after Biden talks AP-NORC poll finds both Democrats, Republicans skeptical of US spying practices

Former US vice president Mike Pence officially announced that he is running for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, pitting him against Donald Trump. In a speech in Iowa on his 64th birthday, Mr Pence trod a fine line between embracing the record of the Trump administration and attacking Mr Trump for his role in the deadly Capitol riot of 6 January 2021. In a CNN town hall on Wednesday evening, Mr Pence reasserted his conservative culture war credentials on abortion, gun rights, crime, school choice, and climate change. When asked about his estranged former boss, he called on the Department of Justice not to prosecute Mr Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents, immediately after saying that everyone should be treated equally under the law. Significantly, he refused to say he would pardon the ex-president if he won the White House. In an increasingly crowded GOP field, Mr Pence faces competition from the likes of Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, senator Tim Scott and ex-UN ambassador Nikki Haley. On Thursday, Mike and Karen Pence celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary on the campaign trail. Read More Mike Pence isn’t even a contender for 2024. Why are we pretending? Mike Pence suffered the wrath of Trump. Now the ex-vice president wants his old boss’s job in 2024 The Republican presidential field is largely set. Here are takeaways on where the contest stands.

A significant Ukrainian force has launched an assault on Russian lines in the southern Zaporizhzhia region – with a surge in attacks that points towards its counteroffensive shifting into high gear. A number of US and Ukrainian officials suggested this was the start in earnest of Kyiv's bid to reclaim territory lost to Russian occupation during Moscow's invasion. Ukraine's commanders and government have always said there would be no official announcement of the start of the counteroffensive and there has already been an increase in military activity all week. The combat against Russian positions – including intense fighting outside of the town of Tokmak, a Russian logistical hub – is said to involve Western-supplied tanks, armoured vehicles and infantry backed by artillery. The Kremlin has repeatedly claimed to have repelled Ukrainian attacks – that it calls the counteroffensive – across various points of the war's frontlines for a number of days, but Russian military bloggers noted an increase in clashes overnight Wednesday and into Thursday. One said: “Wave after wave of the enemy is trying to break through our defence." Appearing to confirm an operation was underway, the Ukrainian deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, said Russia was “actively on the defensive” in the Orihiv area of Zaporizhzhia region. Citing two unnamed Ukrainian officials, including a source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, ABC News reported that the offensive was truly beginning. Reports from other US outlets citing both Ukrainian and US officials, all speaking anonymously, said similar things. But when asked about these reports, a spokesperson for the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces told Reuters: "We have no such information." Video footage appearing on social media appeared to suggest that that German-made Leopard 2 tanks were involved in the battle. Russian Colonel General Alexander Romanchuk claimed, without providing evidence, that Moscow's forces had destroyed three Leopard tanks. The officer also said that the general in charge of Russia’s troops in Ukraine, chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov, briefed President Vladimir Putin on the battles in Zaporizhzhia. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also claimed that country's forces had driven back Ukrainian troops trying to punch through defensive lines in the Zaporizhzhia region – after a two-hour battle involving what he said was up to 1,500 Ukrainian soldiers and 150 armored vehicles. The Kremlin has a habit of inflating such numbers and the fog of war obscures a significant proportion of what happens on the frontlines. Zaporizhzhia – one of four partly occupied regions illegally annexed by the Kremlin – has long been seen as a likely point of a main Ukrainian strike, but Kyiv has worked to mask its plans by launching attacks on multiple points across the vast frontlines. Zaporizhzhia is part of the land corridor that Moscow has sought to create between Ukrainian's industrial heartland and the Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014. For Ukraine, breaking or disrupting that land bridge will likely be one of the main aims of the offensive. The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based thinktank that tracks the war in daily updates, said it had concluded on Thursday that the Ukrainian counteroffensive "has begun". “Activity throughout Ukraine is consistent with a variety of indicators that Ukrainian counteroffensive operations are under way across the theatre,” the organisation tweeted. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden stress ‘unwavering support’ for Ukraine Renowned human rights campaigner Oleg Orlov on trial for “discrediting” Russian military Ukraine tells ‘clown’ Tucker Carlson to check his facts after pro-Kremlin rant