Anti-immigrant violence erupts in Northern Ireland, US and Iran trade strikes, Democrats select scandal-laden candidate in Maine

Anti-immigration protests hit Northern Ireland

Violent demonstrations swept through Belfast last night following the stabbing of a local man on Monday, allegedly by a Sudanese asylum seeker. Protesters torched cars, targeted and raided immigrant‑owned businesses, and chanted “foreigners out” as they marched across the city. Authorities confirmed on Tuesday that the suspect had been granted permission to reside in the United Kingdom in 2023, but the announcement did little to calm tensions. The unrest was spurred on by several anti‑immigration figures, including far‑right Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Northern Ireland is the least ethnically diverse region of the UK, with only 3.4% of residents belonging to minority communities, but migration has ticked up modestly in recent years. Last night’s violence marks the latest flashpoint in a growing wave of anti‑immigration sentiment within the UK, following recent protests in Southampton after the stabbing of a college student.

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US-Iran ceasefire wobbles

The US and Iran traded strikes again on Tuesday and into early Wednesday, undermining President Donald Trump’s claims that the two sides are “close” to a deal. It started with Tehran downing a US Apache helicopter on Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz. Washington responded by striking Iranian air defense systems and radar sites. In turn, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched strikes at US bases in Jordan and Bahrain. Kuwait’s army also intercepted an attack. For now, each side is refraining from a return to larger hostilities, but the strikes — as well as Israel’s continued strikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon — don’t bode well for reaching a deal to end the conflict soon.

Democrats take a risky bet in Maine

Of all the US Senate races this fall, Maine is perhaps the most ripe for a Democratic flip. After all, it’s the only GOP-held Senate seat in a state that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. At yesterday’s primary, Democrats selected oyster farmer Graham Platner as their nominee to face Sen. Susan Collins, who is seeking a sixth term, in November. But Democrats are taking a gamble with Platner. For one thing, it emerged last October that he once had a tattoo that looked like a Nazi symbol. That same month, someone found dismissive comments he made online about rape from 2013 – he has since apologized for those. Then in May, the New York Times reported that he had been exchanging sexual messages with multiple women who weren’t his wife, and last week reported “disturbing” accounts of his behavior toward former girlfriends. Could these controversies cost Democrats a crucial seat?