By Makiko Yamazaki TOKYO Nearly 70% of companies listed on the top "prime" section of the Tokyo Stock

By Trevor Hunnicutt and Nandita Bose SAN FRANCISCO U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday attacked former President Donald

House Republicans are insisting on spending cuts before they will agree to raise the nation's debt ceiling past $31 trillion.

New ick unlocked: People are paying for blue ticks on Instagram. Avid Instagrammers will have noticed the surge of blue ticks taking over the platform, leaving people confused as to how their friend become an overnight internet sensation. As exciting as that would be, it's sadly not the case. Instead, people are using their hard-earned money for a blue badge. For the blissfully unaware, Instagram followed in the footsteps of Twitter recently by offering a monthly subscription service from £9.99 a month. Let's break this down: Public figures Instagram offer free blue tick verification to public figures including professionals, journalists, influencers, celebrities and brands who meet the platform's account and eligibility requirements. Their accounts must be authentic, unique, complete and notable, meaning they "must represent a well-known, highly searched for person, brand or entity". "We review accounts that are featured in multiple news sources, and we don't consider paid or sponsored media content as sources for review," Instagram said. Once verified, public figures, celebrities and brands that meet certain account and eligibility requirements may not change their username on their account – nor can it be transferred to a different account. On the flip side, there's 'Meta Verified', the new subscription model that allows any Instagram user to pay monthly for a tick. As it stands, Instagram has used the same colour and design for both paying users and notable figures, making it difficult for users to set the two apart. Whether or not they will make the two more identifiable in the future is unclear. Meta Verified / paying subscribers Now, anyone can apply to be verified using their ID and a spare £10 a month. Meta suggests it's to help people have more protection from impersonation and give them access to a "real person" if they encounter any issues. Indy100 reached out to Instagram for comment. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Getting a case of laryngitis is an unpleasant experience and can happen to anyone. But singers are more prone to the throat condition and the latest performer to have come down with laryngitis is Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner. The band were forced to cancel a concert in Dublin that was scheduled for Thursday (22 June), and their appearance at Glastonbury this weekend has also been thrown into doubt. In a statement, the Arctic Monkeys said: “Alex is suffering from acute laryngitis and, following medical advice, has been ordered to rest.” According to the NHS, the illness can sometimes come on suddenly, but can be linked to other illnesses, such as colds and flu. It occurs when the voice box or vocal cords in the throat become irritated or swollen. It’s an uncomfortable illness, but can usually be treated at home or with help from a pharmacist. Here’s everything you need to know about laryngitis. What are the symptoms? Laryngitis can sometimes come on without warning and patients feel the worst during the first three days. The main symptoms are a hoarse voice or sometimes losing your voice; an irritating cough that doesn’t go away; always needing to clear your throat; and having a sore throat. In children, there can be additional symptoms including a temperature of 38C or above; losing their appetite; or having difficulty breathing, but this last symptom is rare. How long does it take to treat? Most people recover from laryngitis after one to two weeks, and don’t need to see a GP. The NHS advises treating the condition by drinking plenty of fluids and gargling with warm salty water, if you are an adult. You should also try to rest your voice as much as possible. This means speaking as little as you can, and if you must, do not talk loudly or whisper as both can strain your voice. Keeping the air moist is also helpful in treating laryngitis. You can increase the amount of moisture in the air by putting out bowls of water. Be aware that central heating and air conditioning can make the air drier. Staying out of smoky or dusty places will also help, as well as avoiding smoking cigarettes. You should steer clear of caffeine or alcohol as they can cause dehydration. Pharmacists can help with treating the symptoms by providing paracetamol or ibuprofen, cough syrup, gargling solution, or lozenges to soothe the throat. When should I see a GP about laryngitis? You should see your GP if your symptoms do not improve after two weeks, or if you keep getting laryngitis or problems with your voice. The GP may carry out some procedures to try and figure out what is the cause, including looking inside the throat with a small mirror, wiping a cotton bud around the back of the throat to be tested, and arranging a blood test. You may also be referred to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist if the condition keeps occurring. If it is very painful or you are finding if difficult to swallow, you should call 111. If you or your child are having difficulty breathing, you should call 999 or go to A&E. Read More I couldn’t climax, so I let ‘big testosterone’ take me for a ride ‘What in the wingardium leviosa?’: Emma Watson shocks fans with ‘levitating’ dress Harry and Meghan ‘Duke and Duchess of Dior’ rumours untrue, report says What is egg freezing and how does it work? Regular napping could be good for brain health, research suggests Dramatic rise in the number of women freezing their eggs

Vice President Kamala Harris has become the first woman to deliver a commencement speech at West Point

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ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson drove in five runs with two homers, including a go-ahead, two-run blast in the eighth, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6 on Sunday to cap their sweep of the high-scoring series.

By Eric Onstad LONDON Automakers, including Tesla and Mercedes, are rushing to lock in graphite supply from outside

Musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra Association have ratified a collective bargaining agreement calling for minimum salaries to increase by 15.8% over three years

Career diplomat Robert Olson admits violating ethics laws after serving as US ambassador to Pakistan.

David Moyes may stand just one match from writing his name into West Ham folklore, but he will not compare himself to the club’s two managerial greats. If the Hammers overcome Fiorentina in the final of the Europa Conference League on Wednesday night, Moyes will become only the third manager, after Ron Greenwood and John Lyall, to guide the east London club to a major trophy. Greenwood, who went on to manage England, was in charge when West Ham won their only previous European trophy, the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1964, while their last piece of silverware, the FA Cup, came under Lyall in 1980. Yet Moyes insisted: “I don’t think of myself as any different to anyone else in this room. “I’m really fortunate and privileged and thankful to be given an opportunity to be a football manager and to have the opportunity to go this far in my career and be on a stage like this. “I think it’s really special. I don’t ever really think of myself as being a legend or any words like that. “I’d just like to be known as a football manager and one who’s serious about his job and tries to do the best he possibly can, week-in week-out, try to prepare my teams to be competitive. “I’d like to be known as much for that as much as I would the word ‘legend’, really.” The final will hold special memories for West Ham’s Czech duo Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek, who both played for Slavia Prague at the Eden Arena. Midfielder Soucek said: “When I realised one year ago that the final was in Prague and we were in this competition, I was like, ‘come on guys, we have to go there’. “And now we are here in the Eden Arena in Prague, I can connect with the two teams I love.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live