For many young people on the right of American politics, Charlie Kirk was an icon.

He was 31-years-old, a media personality, podcaster, an author and the founder of Turning Point USA.

The non-profit organisation champions conservative politics in schools, colleges and university campuses. It has been described as one of the fastest-growing organisations of its types in America.

Read more: Powerful right-wing influencer and Trump ally shot dead

He had a huge following with his podcast consistently charting in the top 20.

According to NBC News, The Charlie Kirk Show is being downloaded between 500,000 and 750,000 times each day. It consistently charts highly on Spotify and Apple.

Across social media, he had a huge following with more than 7.3 million followers on TikTok, seven million on Instagram, five million on X and 3.5 million on YouTube.

A popular political activist, he spent much of his time travelling to college campuses across the country, encouraging debate and promoting conservative values.

A big supporter of President Trump and somewhat of a MAGA spokesman to young people across America, he publicly promoted conservative, Trump-aligned causes and often debated with people opposed to his views.

Born in Chicago in 1993, he was attracted to politics early, volunteering for the US Senate campaign of Illinois Republican Mark Kirk (no relation) during his high school years.

He was accused by critics of promoting falsehoods and conspiracy theories on issues including COVID-19, climate change and the 2020 US election.

Responding to the January 6th 2021 riots on Capitol Hill, he said it was not an insurrection but that the rioters did not represent the mainstream of Mr Trump’s support.

A day before the riots, in support of what he believed to be a stolen election, he wrote on X that he was organising for “buses of patriots” to Washington to “fight for the president”.

Read more from Sky News:
Donald Trump suffers legal setback in bid to fire Fed governor
What we know about Trump’s state visit to the UK

Follow the World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

Given his following among young people across America, this could be a moment of political jeopardy for the country.

Is this the spark which brings people together or drives the divide dangerously deeper?

Donald Trump had a heated phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his military targeted Hamas inside Qatar, according to a report.

The American president told Mr Netanyahu on Tuesday that the decision to strike inside the US ally’s territory was not wise, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing senior administration officials.

The Israeli prime minister responded by saying he had a brief window to launch the airstrike and took the opportunity, according to the newspaper.

A second call between the two leaders later that day was cordial, with Mr Trump asking Mr Netanyahu if the attack had been successful, the publication added.

Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of the Islamist group Hamas with the attack in the Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday.

Hamas has said its top leaders survived the airstrike, but five members were killed, including the son of its exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator Khalil al Hayya.

The Israeli military operation in Doha has been widely condemned internationally and was particularly sensitive as Qatar has been hosting and mediating in negotiations which are trying to bring about a ceasefire in the war in Gaza.

On Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu warned Qatar to either expel Hamas officials or “bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will”.

Qatar has hit back at him, saying his comments about the Gulf nation hosting a Hamas office were “reckless”.

Meanwhile, the Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, has said that if Israel failed to kill Hamas leaders on Tuesday, it would succeed next time.

“We have put terrorists on notice, wherever they may be… we’re going to pursue them, and we’re going to destroy those who will destroy us,” he said.

The airstrike took place shortly after Hamas claimed responsibility for Monday’s shooting at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem that killed six people.

Read more:
Analysis: Israel has crossed a huge diplomatic red line

In another development, Sir Keir Starmer has had talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Downing Street, with Mr Herzog saying they argued during a “tough meeting”.

PM condemns Israeli action

The prime minister has condemned the Israeli attack in Qatar, and raised the matter with the president, saying it was “completely unacceptable”.

“He said the strikes were a flagrant violation of a key partner’s sovereignty and do nothing to secure the peace we all desperately want to see,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.

Follow the World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

Israel has been angered by Britain’s plans to join several other Western countries, including France and Canada, in recognising a Palestinian state later this month – unless Israel meets conditions including a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Things were said that were tough and strong, and clearly we can argue, because when allies meet, they can argue. We are both democracies,” Mr Herzog said at an event at Chatham House.

He also proposed offering a “fact-finding mission” to Israel, “sitting with us and studying the situation in Gaza on the humanitarian level”.

“Because we have full answers, and we are fully transparent,” he said.

Donald Trump’s bid to fire a US central bank rate-setter has suffered a setback after a federal judge blocked the move.

The president revealed last month that he was removing Lisa Cook from her post at the Federal Reserve on alleged mortgage fraud grounds.

The move was widely seen by commentators as a bid to destroy the Fed’s independence through the appointment of a new governor who would support his bid for interest rate cuts to boost the trade war-hit US economy.

Money latest: Newspaper group confirms job losses

Ms Cook, who denies wrongdoing and any cause to dismiss her, was appointed to the Fed’s board by former US president Joe Biden. The board forms part of the panel that votes on US interest rate decisions.

She secured a preliminary court ruling late on Tuesday which found that the Trump administration’s claims she committed mortgage fraud prior to taking office were likely not sufficient grounds for her removal.

The White House has claimed she inaccurately described three separate properties on mortgage applications, which could have allowed her to obtain lower interest rates and tax credits.

But US District Judge Jia Cobb said: “President Trump has not identified anything related to Cook’s conduct or job performance as a Board member that would indicate that she is harming the Board or the public interest by executing her duties unfaithfully or ineffectively.”

The ruling, which could yet be appealed, means she can continue in her role while her own lawsuit proceeds.

It could end up in the Supreme Court.

Mr Trump’s demands this year that the Fed cuts rates have so far fallen on deaf ears as the central bank voting has shown too much concern over trade war-linked inflation. Prices have risen as higher import duties have been passed on.

He has repeatedly called for Fed chair Jay Powell to resign but retracted threats to fire him.

The president may actually get his wish for a cut this month amid a deterioration in the employment market – also widely blamed on his trade war – as hiring has slumped.

The central bank, unlike the Bank of England, has a dual mandate to ensure maximum employment as well as keeping inflation in check.

Any rate cut would be unlikely to extinguish the Trump administration’s effort to influence monetary policy.

Read more from Sky News:
JLR getting ‘daily’ support as workers told to stay at home
Dragon’s Den judge swoops with rescue bid for Claire’s

The Fed’s ability to set interest rates without regard to politicians’ demands is critical to market confidence, let alone the central bank’s ability to keep inflation under control.

Neither the Fed or the White House commented on the ruling.

Ms Cook’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said: “This ruling recognises and reaffirms the importance of safeguarding the independence of the Federal Reserve from illegal political interference.”