Top story: Fury at US leak of Manchester bomb evidence
Good morning, it’s Warren Murray getting you on top of things this morning.
Theresa May is expected to collar Donald Trump today over photos and details of the Manchester Arena bomb that appeared in the New York Times. Both leaders will be at the Nato summit in Brussels. No 10, Whitehall, British intelligence and the security forces are incensed by the apparent leaking of the material by their US counterparts with whom it was shared as a matter of routine and longstanding co-operation.
We are supposed to be on the same side, but UK investigators fear that such sensitive evidence making it into the public domain could jeopardise their work to roll up any terror network around Salman Abedi. In terms of those efforts: Abedi’s father and brother have been detained in Libya, while six men remain in custody this morning after arrests around south Manchester, Wigan, Blackley and Nuneaton. One woman was detained and released. Early this morning police raided an address in the Moss Side area of Manchester and carried out a controlled explosion.
More details of confirmed victims have been coming out, with tributes paid to those who died – a primary schoolgirl, teenagers, men, women, mothers and fathers. Ariana Grande has suspended her European tour and returned to her home in Florida. We’ll have more details today as we continue our live coverage.
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‘Are you with the Guardian?’ – A Republican byelection candidate has been recorded “body-slamming” Guardian US reporter Ben Jacobs for trying to ask a question about healthcare policy. Greg Gianforte, who is running for Montana’s congressional seat, threw Jacobs to the floor in a frightening and bizarre encounter.
Jacobs – one of our US political team and a veteran of the 2016 election campaign – ended up in the back of an ambulance. He had his glasses broken in what he described as “the strangest thing that has ever happened to me in reporting on politics”. Gianforte was last night cited for misdemeanour assault by the county sheriff, Brian Gootkin, who said the incident was not serious enough to warrant a felony charge. Gootkin happens to be a donor to Gianforte’s campaign.
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Campaign is back on – The major parties are reverting to election mode after pausing because of the Manchester attack. Some local campaigning will resume today, after the minute’s silence for victims at 11am. National party events are to restart from Friday. To gently prod you into thinking like a voter again, here’s why Theresa May’s free school breakfasts promise may be slightly undercooked – sorry that’s “undercosted”.
So that you’re always up to speed on the election, don’t forget to subscribe to the Snap. It’s easily done – read to the bottom to find out how.
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Trump meets pope – The head of the Roman Catholic church wore a face like a tombstone when he posed for this picture with the leader of the free-associating world.
Apart from the photo op being a bit of a downer, the president’s visit evidently went OK – the gulf between them on issues from climate change to immigration notwithstanding. They had a cordial chat and swapped gifts. It did seem like the press office of the Vatican couldn’t resist a few digs, calling for “serene collaboration” with the US on “healthcare, education and assistance to immigrants”. Overall, it was something of a contrast with the warmth of Barack Obama’s 2014 audience. Coincidentally the previous president is in Europe this week too.
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To your health – Drinking coffee may reduce the risk of liver cancer, according to new research. One cup a day is associated with a 20% lower chance of hepatocellular cancer (HCC), while at five cups the rate falls by 50%, according to a British study in the journal BMJ Open. No one is suggesting that much caffeine is necessarily a good idea – especially during pregnancy. Thankfully, decaf may also have some protective benefits. None of the findings are definitive.
Lunchtime read: ‘We are not objects. We are queens’
Who is Ariana Grande? A question that you might have been asking following the Manchester Arena bombing – especially if you are above a certain age, or have no young daughters.
In just eight years, Grande has worked her way up from teenage actor on a Nickelodeon sitcom to tween/teen idol on the pop music stage – and feminist role model for youth. Sam Wolfson tracks the story so far of a young and vibrant career that deserves to be celebrated, not just remembered for what happened on Monday night.
Sport
Paul Pogba dedicated Manchester United’s Europa League final victory over Ajax to “England, Manchester and the people who died” in this week’s terror attack. The win, on an emotional night in Stockholm, brought José Mourinho’s side their first European trophy in nine years.
A number of England rugby players could face New Zealand at Twickenham this autumn after all, with the Barbarians hopeful Eddie Jones will agree to release a few of his prized assets to play. Eoin Morgan’s century set up a winning start for England against South Africa in their series of warmup matches before the Champions Trophy. And Jenson Button, who returns to Formula One for a one-off appearance for McLaren at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, has insisted he is confident in his ability to come back strongly despite not having driven this season’s new-specification cars.
Business
Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific have shrugged off yesterday’s decision by Moody’s to downgrade China’s sovereign rating with investors pushing share values to a two-year high. MSCI’s index of shares in the region outside Japan advanced 0.7%, hitting its highest level since June 2015 and bringing its gains so far this year to about 17%. In a front-page editorial in the People’s Daily overseas edition, Mei Xinyu, a government researcher, says the Moody’s decision “went against objective facts”.
The pound traded at $1.298 and €1.155.
The papers
This morning several of the papers turn their spotlight on what the security forces knew about the Manchester Arena attacker. The Telegraph says there were “Five missed chances to foil bomber” who was repeatedly flagged to authorities. The Mail echoes this with the strapline “Damning questions for security forces” and brands Salman Abedi, his brother and their father “The jihadi family”. The Times says “MI5 was warned”.
The Guardian says Theresa May will confront Donald Trump at the Nato summit in Brussels after US authorities apparently leaked “crucial bombing evidence” – referring to the New York Times report and pictures that have infuriated British investigators. The FT goes with the hunt for Abedi’s possible “terror network” in the UK amid theories that he didn’t make the bomb – and whoever did is still at large. “Find the bomb gang”, demands the Sun.
The back page of the Express has “We won it for Manchester” – celebrating, like others, United’s victory over Ajax in the Europa Cup final.
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