Early

• The Democratic Republic of Congo reported on Tuesday that confirmed Ebola cases have risen to nearly 600, prompting increased public awareness of safety measures. • Medical staff, humanitarian workers, and public health officials report a critical shortage of basic equipment necessary to prevent the disease from spreading. • The International Rescue Committee has issued an urgent call for funding to contain the outbreak, which is currently centered in Ituri province.

• BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton has released his score predictions for the opening round of group games at the 2026 World Cup. • Sutton predicts a 0-0 draw between Ecuador and Ivory Coast, citing both teams' strong defensive records during their respective qualifying campaigns. • In his overall tournament forecast, Sutton has picked Japan as the eventual winners and the Netherlands as the runners-up.

• BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton has released his score predictions for the opening round of group games at the 2026 World Cup. • Sutton predicts a 0-0 draw between Ecuador and Ivory Coast, citing both teams' strong defensive records during their respective qualifying campaigns. • In his overall tournament forecast, Sutton has picked Japan as the eventual winners and the Netherlands as the runners-up.

• President Lee Jae Myung issued a public apology on Wednesday after a recent poll revealed his approval rating plummeted by nearly 10%. • The sharp decline in public support follows the results of recent local elections, signaling significant voter dissatisfaction. • This drop in popularity puts pressure on the administration to address governance failures and improve its relationship with the electorate.

Debbie Crosbie receives £3.2m in bonuses after mutual building society’s takeover of Virgin MoneyNationwide building society has nearly doubled the pay packet of its chief executive, Debbie Crosbie, a year after the board pushed through a controversial bonus scheme for its top boss. The mutual, which is owned by its members, released its annual report on Monday, showing Crosbie was handed £3.2m in bonuses – a combination of payouts for annual and longer-term performance – up from £1.1m a year earlier.It pushed her overall pay packet to £4.7m for the year to March 2026, marking an 88% jump on the near-£2.5m she earned for the previous year. Meanwhile, eligible staff within the wider 26,890-strong workforce will see their pay rise by an average of 3.8% from 1 July. “These changes reflect a significant investment in our people, recognising the contribution and commitment of those at the heart of serving our customers and delivering our strategy,” Nationwide said. Crosbie’s £1.2m annual salary was increased a further 2.9% in April this year. Continue reading...

Police and hunters in Utsunomiya, 100km north of the capital, resume their search for animal that is not usually seen so close to TokyoA city in Japan has closed all its 94 primary and secondary schools after a bear was spotted in the municipality for the first time.Officials in Utsunomiya, a city of half a million people about 100km (62 miles) north of Tokyo, took action after a medium-sized black bear – estimated to be about one-metre-long – was seen near a park in the city on Saturday. The bear was spotted again on CCTV running just in front of two startled young men in the city centre, in the early hours of Sunday. Continue reading...

• Indian stock market indices climbed in early trade on Friday, with the BSE Sensex rising 269.93 points to 74,629.94 and the NSE Nifty increasing by 62.4 points to 23,478.95. • The upward movement comes as investors position themselves ahead of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) upcoming monetary policy decision. • This activity reflects market anticipation regarding potential interest rate changes or policy shifts that could impact economic growth and liquidity.

• A new report from June 2026 highlights evolving funding standards for early-stage startups across Eastern Europe, including Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Baltic states. • Investors are shifting focus away from low costs, instead prioritizing founders who demonstrate high technical capability, proven customer evidence, and a global market strategy. • This shift matters as the CEE region seeks to compete internationally by leveraging technical discipline and cross-border scalability rather than just regional affordability.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the virus ‘had a big head start’ but that the response was catching upThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could have begun as early as January, the head of the World Health Organization said, giving the virus “a big head start”.Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said the response was being hindered by blanket travel restrictions and highlighted high levels of community mistrust and low levels of contact tracing as key concerns. Continue reading...

• In early 2026, the EU and UK have issued updated regulatory signals for AI start-ups, with EU policymakers working to simplify specific elements of the AI Act. • The UK government is actively encouraging firms to utilize regulatory sandboxes, live testing environments, and formal consultation processes. • These initiatives matter because early engagement allows start-ups to reduce legal uncertainty and help shape the development of industry expectations.

Under new rules, tech companies will be asked to share AI models with government for review before public releaseDonald Trump signed an executive order to create a voluntary framework for the federal government to vet powerful new AI models before they are released. Tuesday’s highly anticipated order represents an attempt by the president to tighten his grip on cybersecurity and national security threats posed by AI, tacking against his earlier deregulatory stance.Under the new rules, tech companies would be asked to share their AI models with the government for a voluntary review, up to 30 days before a public release. The Trump administration says doing so will allow them to improve national security, particularly with regards to cybersecurity. Continue reading...

Artist said Man in a Black Scarf was not his but evidence has emerged to show he painted it when a student in SuffolkAn early portrait by Lucian Freud, which the artist denied was his for years, is to be exhibited for the first time after experts proved it was painted by him.Man in a Black Scarf was created in 1939 by the British artist when he was still a student at the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing in Hadleigh, Suffolk. The sitter is thought to be John Jameson, a friend of Freud’s and scion of the whiskey family. Continue reading...

Former Liberal senator initially labelled ruling by parliamentary expenses authority ‘patently ridiculous’, saying visits were necessaryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has paid back nearly $8,800 in parliamentary expenses after her partner claimed family reunion allowances to visit his son in Melbourne while en route to meet her in Canberra.Reynolds accepted the ruling of the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) but initially disputed their ruling, saying her partner’s visits to his son – her stepson – were necessary after “high profile (and false) 2021 workplace allegations made against me”, seemingly a reference to her long-running court dispute with former staffer Brittany Higgins. Continue reading...

Family were enjoying a waterside barbecue in Bochum before members ended up in jeoparty in riverA cyclist has been praised for having “stepped in decisively” and rescuing four members of a family who nearly drowned in the Ruhr River in Germany during a waterside barbecue that nearly ended in tragedy.The family of eight had set themselves up on the riverbank in the western city of Bochum, the local fire brigade reported, but the gathering took a panicked turn when one woman got too close to the water’s edge and toppled down into the current, police told local media. Continue reading...

Ten people, all of whom were e-scooter riders, were killed in collisions compared with six in 2024Nearly 500 people were seriously injured in collisions involving e-scooters in Great Britain last year, government statistics have shown.The Department for Transport (DfT) said there had been an estimated 1,484 casualties in crashes involving electric scooters, compared with 1,390 in 2024. Continue reading...

Urgent action needed to avoid ‘lost generation’, says the former Labour health secretary’s report, due on ThursdayBritain risks a 25% rise in the number of young people not in work or education to 1.25 million by the early 2030s without urgent government action to avoid a “lost generation”, a landmark report has warned.Alan Milburn, the leader of the review into why so many young people are economically inactive, said the UK risked opening up a “generational fault line” between young and old without urgent steps to overhaul schools, the health service, the welfare system and the jobs market. Continue reading...

Anne Keast-Butler says Russian forces are ‘going backwards on the battlefield’ for first time since late 2022Nearly half a million Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since the start of Vladimir Putin’s invasion more than four years ago, according to a new estimate from the head of the British spy agency GCHQ.Anne Keast-Butler, the chief of the electronic intelligence agency, said in her first speech in the job that Russian forces were “going backwards on the battlefield” inside Ukraine for the first time since late 2022. Continue reading...

Barnardo’s says survey shows online abuse and harassment becoming ‘part of background noise of growing up’Nearly one in five girls in the UK receive persistent, unwanted images online, according to a poll by the charity Barnardo’s, which warned that online misogyny was becoming an everyday part of childhood.Its survey of 4,000 young people found that a quarter of girls had been called degrading names online, while one in seven 13- to 15-year-olds had been asked to send a nude photo. Continue reading...

• Comedian Josh Widdicombe revealed that he nearly declined the opportunity to audition for a presenter role during the early stages of his stand-up career. • Widdicombe noted that neither he nor his peers foresaw his transition into television presenting when he first began performing comedy. • This reflection highlights the unpredictable nature of his career trajectory and the shift from niche stand-up to mainstream broadcasting.

• An exceptionally early spring heatwave has scorched parts of Western Europe, leading to record-breaking temperatures across Britain and France in May. • London experienced a rare “tropical night” on Monday, while firefighters in Edinburgh were deployed to battle grass fires triggered by the extreme heat. • The event is significant as it has already resulted in deaths and prompted government warnings regarding severe risks to public health and life.

• Rangers have begun a squad overhaul, with captain James Tavernier and Leon King both departing the Ibrox exit door. • Midfielders Emmanuel Fernandez and Nicolas Raskin are currently attracting significant interest from other clubs and could command major transfer fees. • Scottish clubs including Celtic, Hearts, Hibs, and Aberdeen are actively monitoring the market for early signings to strengthen their rosters.

• Zee Entertainment reported a decline in ad revenues for Q4 FY26, citing the ongoing conflict in West Asia and rising operational costs as primary drivers. • Despite the revenue hit, the company noted that losses for its streaming platform, ZEE5, are narrowing. • The stock price slid nearly 6% following the results and a downgrade of the stock by Elara Securities.

• Stock markets edged higher in early trading as investors anticipate key financial reports and macroeconomic data. • Nvidia is scheduled to report earnings, with market participants specifically focusing on the company's gross margins. • The release of Federal Reserve minutes is expected to provide critical clues regarding potential interest rate hikes amid rising inflation and yields.

• Zee Entertainment reported a decline in ad revenues for Q4 FY26, citing the geopolitical conflict in West Asia and rising operational costs as primary drivers. • While the company noted that losses for its streaming platform, ZEE5, are narrowing, the overall financial outlook led to a nearly 6% drop in its stock price. • The stock's decline was further exacerbated by Elara Securities downgrading the company, reflecting investor concern over revenue stability.

Aimee Bock ran Feeding Our Future, which claimed it helped provide millions of meals to children during the pandemicSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA judge on Thursday handed down an extraordinary prison sentence – nearly 42 years – to the former leader of a Minnesota nonprofit who was convicted in a staggering $250m fraud case that helped ignite an immigration crackdown by the Trump administration.Aimee Bock ran Feeding Our Future, which had claimed it helped provide millions of meals to children in need during the pandemic. Continue reading...

Decline to 171,000 last year will encourage ministers in what is seen as a battleground issue against ReformNet migration to the UK fell by nearly 50% to 171,000 last year, according to official figures released on Thursday, in what will be seen as a boost for Keir Starmer’s government.Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the difference between the number of people moving to the UK and the number of people leaving was at its lowest level since 2021. Continue reading...

Cornwall Insight predicts rise in price cap of nearly 13% in Great Britain as Iran war pushes up gas costsBusiness live – latest updatesHouseholds in Great Britain could see their energy bills increase by over £200 a year to almost £1,900 from this summer in “a kick in the teeth” for millions struggling with the cost of living crisis.A typical gas and electricity bill is now forecast to reach £1,850 a year from July under the industry regulator Ofgem’s quarterly price cap, according to analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight. Continue reading...