‘Skyrocketing’ demand for matcha raises fears of shortage in Japan | Tea

The appearance of the vivid-green powder elicits smiles and appreciative sounds, and anticipation among dozens of tea lovers. Their hand-milled batches now ready for whisking with hot water, they will soon be rewarded for their patience. The foreign tourists attending a matcha-making experience in Uji, near Kyoto in western Japan, are united in their love … Read more

US protests live: Demonstrations planned across US to oppose Trump agenda | Protest

Good morning, Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets of Washington DC and other major cities across the US in a show of defiance against Donald Trump’s “authoritarian overreach and billionaire-backed agenda”. The “Hands Off” protests – of which more than 1,000 events are planned across the country – are … Read more

Gen Z and young millennials battling ‘negative wealth’ as debt burden grows | Poverty

Gen Z and young millennials are battling a “negative wealth” problem due to growing debt burdens that limit their life chances, according to a new analysis from the Fairness Foundation. The thinktank says negative wealth, where debts outweigh assets, is linked to lower wages and worse health in later life, and that ministers should reintroduce … Read more

Venezuelans with legal status are being illegally detained in the US, lawyers say | US immigration

Venezuelans with legal permission to live and work in the United States are being unlawfully arrested by federal authorities at their homes, in their cars, at regular immigration check-ins and on the streets, attorneys say. They are then stuck in immigration detention around the country, sometimes for weeks, despite the law explicitly banning the government … Read more

UK woman says she was not at abortion clinic ‘to express views’ after conviction | Freedom of speech

A woman who was given a conditional discharge after being convicted of breaching a buffer zone outside an abortion clinic in Bournemouth has claimed she was “not there to express my views”. Livia Tossici-Bolt, an anti-abortion campaigner whose case has been cited by the US state department over “freedom of expression” concerns in the UK, … Read more

Senate approves Republican plan for trillions in tax breaks and spending cuts | US Senate

Senate Republicans plugged away overnight and into early Saturday morning to approve their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks and spending cuts framework, hurtling past hardened Democratic opposition toward what Donald Trump calls the “big, beautiful bill” that is central to his agenda. The vote, 51-48, fell along mostly party lines, but with sharp dissent from two prominent … Read more