Americas

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Iran of shooting down a US military helicopter during a patrol mission in the Strait of Hormuz and vowed that the United States would respond. "I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack," Trump said. Earlier Tuesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the crew of a US Army helicopter had been rescued after the aircraft was brought down in the Strait of Hormuz.

Middle East

Beirut: President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon discussed the overall situation in Lebanon and the region during a telephone call with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on Tuesday, focusing on the progress of Lebanese-American-Israeli negotiations aimed at ending the military escalation and restoring calm and stability to Lebanese territory. According to a statement issued by the Lebanese presidency, President Macron reaffirmed France’s commitment to standing by Lebanon and its people across all fields.

Europe

Belfast: Northern Ireland police said Tuesday they had arrested a man following what Prime Minister Keir Starmer branded a "sickening" stabbing in Belfast, with graphic video prompting protest calls from UK far-right figures. Video of Monday night's incident posted on social media networks shows a man straddling another man lying in a street and slashing him several times in the head and neck with a knife in what appears to be an attempted beheading. Several people can then be seen intervening and tackling the perpetrator, as police arrive. Police work at the scene of a stabbing on Kinnaird Avenue in north Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 9, 2026.Photo by Paul Faith / AFP The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the arrested man was in his 30s and Sudanese, after initially disclosing he was believed to be Somali. The police update came as demands circulated online for demonstrations across the province on Tuesday evening. Numerous social media accounts linked to so-called "patriots" urged people to "protest against mass immigration into their communities" -- a year after racially-motivated riots rocked Northern Ireland. Tensions heightened in Britain following violent skirmishes last week in Southampton, southern England, over the police handling of the murder of a young white student stabbed to death by a British Sikh man. Starmer called Monday's attack in Belfast "horrific" and "sickening". "I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets," he said on X. "My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim, and I thank the first responders, including members of the public who intervened." 'Critical incident' The PSNI said the arrested man had been detained on suspicion of attempted murder. The force added the victim, a man in his 40s, was in "a serious condition" in hospital after sustaining injuries to his face, neck and back. Local media reported police had recovered a knife from the scene in the New Lodge area of the Northern Irish capital. Police work at the scene of a stabbing on Kinnaird Avenue in north Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 9, 2026.Photo by Paul Faith / AFP Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the force had declared the "deeply concerning assault" a "critical incident". "We have commenced an investigation to establish a motive," he added, noting "this brutal attack will have sent shockwaves through the community causing real concern". "I want to reassure the local community that we are treating this attack with the utmost seriousness. Our investigation is continuing at pace." The leaders of Northern Ireland's five main political parties issued a joint statement condemning the incident, saying "there is no place in our society for this kind of brutality". "We call for calm and for space to allow justice to take its course," it added. The leaders and police urged people not to share the video, noting its "graphic nature would only serve to retraumatise those involved". 'Graphic' Northern Irish MP Gavin Robinson, from the pro-UK Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) claimed in parliament that the suspect was in the UK on a five-year visa. UK authorities were yet to confirm his immigration status. "What occurred last night will have profound implications for community cohesion in this country," Robinson said, urging the government to "recognise that uncontrolled immigration needs to end". Immigration has become a hot button issue in UK politics, and helped fuel the rise of the far-right Reform UK party in the polls. Leading far-right figures in the UK, including anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who is also known as Tommy Robinson, were among those circulating the attack footage and demanding immediate protests. Some accounts posted numerous locations where protests were planned late Tuesday, noting businesses had been urged to close from 5:30pm (1630 GMT). Anti-immigrant violence had spread to other towns across the British territory, with dozens of houses attacked and some residents resorting to displaying "locals live here" signs in windows to deter rioters. Mainland Britain also saw violent disorder at anti-immigration protests last year, primarily targeting hotels used to house asylum seekers.