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• EU prosecutors launched searches in France and several other European countries on Tuesday to investigate the alleged misappropriation of EU funds. • The probe targets the "Identity and Democracy" (ID) group, a defunct far-right faction in the European Parliament that included members from Italy's League, Germany's Alternative for Germany, and France's National Rally. • This action matters as it scrutinizes the financial integrity of influential Eurosceptic parties and their use of public European funds.

• Most U.S. stock indexes rose on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, though overall market gains were limited. • The upward trend was tempered by price drops among several influential technology companies, which acted as a drag on the broader indices. • This mixed performance highlights a tension between general market optimism and volatility within the high-growth tech sector.

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has significantly increased funding for the U.K. military in one of his final major acts of office. • The decision to boost weapons spending on Tuesday prioritizes military expansion over domestic welfare programs. • This move is criticized as a "legacy of warfare," signaling a strategic shift toward increased defense capabilities.

• Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are preparing to launch a formal scrutiny process into the far-right European Sovereignty and Democracy (ESN) grouping. • The ESN includes affiliates such as Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) and has previously cooperated with the EPP on legislation like the return regulation. • The EPP, the Parliament's largest group, indicated it would support the investigation, framing the upcoming vote as a procedural necessity rather than a political judgment on EU value breaches.

• Germany's domestic intelligence agency reports that nearly 60,000 far-right extremists are currently active in the country. • This figure represents an increase of over 8,000 individuals compared to the previous year, with more than 25% believed to be violent. • The agency's annual report also warns that extreme left-wing violence is rising, describing the trend as an "alarm-call" for the nation's rule of law.

• Prosecutors have launched coordinated raids across France, Spain, Italy, and Belgium to investigate the alleged misuse of European Parliament funds. • The probe targets the defunct far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group, focusing on how public funds were allocated and spent. • This action highlights ongoing efforts by EU authorities to ensure financial transparency and accountability among political factions within the European Parliament.

• EU prosecutors have launched coordinated raids across France, Spain, Italy, and Belgium to investigate alleged embezzlement. • The operation targets far-right political entities suspected of misappropriating funds, though specific figures and names have not yet been disclosed. • This action highlights the European Union's crackdown on the misuse of public subsidies and financial irregularities within populist movements.

• Germany's domestic intelligence agency reports that there are now nearly 60,000 far-right extremists in the country, an increase of over 8,000 from the previous year. • The agency warns that more than a quarter of these identified individuals are believed to be violent, posing a significant threat to public safety. • The annual report also highlights a rise in extreme left-wing violence, describing the overall trend as an "alarm-call" for the nation's rule of law.

• EU prosecutors have conducted raids across France, Spain, Italy, and Belgium to investigate the alleged misappropriation of European Parliament funds. • The probe targets the now-defunct Identity and Democracy (ID) group, which included MEPs from France’s National Rally, Italy’s League, and Germany’s AfD. • This investigation is significant as it scrutinizes the financial conduct of prominent Eurosceptic parties within the EU's legislative body.

• A curated list of the 29 best TV shows of 2026 has been released, highlighting top streaming series available as of June. • The selection features a mix of award-winning hits and buzzy new releases across major platforms including Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Prime Video, and Apple TV+. • Notable titles mentioned in the guide include the latest episodes of 'Industry' and the second season of 'Beef'.

• Pixar has released a new outdoors-themed caper featuring a nature-loving protagonist who uses secret technology to infiltrate a beaver community. • The plot centers on the protagonist's mission to save a beloved wildlife sanctuary from being destroyed by developers' bulldozers. • Critics and audiences are drawing frequent comparisons to the Avatar franchise, suggesting the film has a significant cultural footprint.

Reform UK leader’s Direct Bullion payment is double his fee from 2025UK politics live – latest updatesNigel Farage received £270,000 from a gold marketer for which he is a brand ambassador, his single biggest payment as an MP.The Reform leader has been criticised in the past over his £400,000-a-year second job promoting the idea for Direct Bullion that people should buy physical gold and put it in their pension pots. Continue reading...

Supermarket has lifted sales with Aldi price match, and has benefited from hot weather and World Cup matchesBusiness live – latest updatesGrocery inflation in the UK has not been as bad as feared so far, the boss of Sainsbury’s has said, but “pressure in the system” remains as the industry hopes for a swift resolution to the Middle East conflict.Simon Roberts, the chief executive of the UK’s second largest supermarket, said it was still early in the year and there was “still uncertainty where inflation will go”, but suggested it could come in well below the Food and Drink Federation’s initial prediction of at least 9% by December. Continue reading...

Amos review sets out recommendations for government, but falls short on systemic racism and traumatic birthsEngland to get powerful maternity commissioner after ‘shocking’ failingsThe findings of Lady Amos’ review into maternity and neonatal services across England, which state the system is ultimately no longer fit for purpose, are unsurprising. The systemic failures and inadequacies of these services have been uncovered in several reports already, including Donna Ockenden’s review of the “toxic” Nottingham NHS trust published last week.But what this report does offer are a set of recommendations for the government to implement. Amos states that if they were to be delivered in full then “the overall safety and quality of maternity and neonatal care in England will be materially and sustainably improved”. But how far do these recommendations go, and what will it take for them to be implemented? Continue reading...

• The tech industry in 2026 is facing significant turmoil, characterized by massive AI data center failures, widespread layoffs, and disputes regarding Microsoft's approach to penetration testers. • Many companies are abandoning or offloading AI tools after finding them too expensive or incapable of replacing the human workforce as previously promised. • Leaked financial data from OpenAI suggests that the current business model for AI companies is unsustainable and impossible to fund long-term.

Two arrested after incident at town west of Hamburg, with motive unknownFive people have been shot and killed at a youth welfare facility ⁠in a northern German town, police have said.The motive for ⁠the ​incident in Stade, close to the port city of Hamburg, on Monday was not immediately clear, a police ⁠spokesperson said. Two people, including the suspected ⁠shooter, had been arrested, he added. Continue reading...

Thirsty England fans bought more than 8m pints on Saturday, with higher sales expected as the team progressesWorld Cup live – latest updatesEngland’s group stage matches in the World Cup have been a boon for UK pubs, which have poured 5.5m more pints of draught beer and cider than usual.Saturday’s clash against Panama was the biggest trading occasion of the tournament so far, with more than 8m pints served. Continue reading...

• Only two of the nine Asian Football Confederation (AFC) teams successfully progressed to the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup. • This result marks a decline in performance for Asian teams compared to the 2022 tournament, where more teams advanced. • The outcome highlights missed opportunities for the region's top footballing nations to make a deeper impact on the global stage.

• A heartfelt Chinese film by director Lan Hongchun, the final part of a Teochew-dialect family trilogy, unexpectedly triggered intense political and cultural debates in Singapore. • Han Yong May, deputy editor-in-chief of SPH’s Chinese Media Group, analyzes how the film became a catalyst for a cognitive warfare campaign. • The situation is significant because it highlights vulnerabilities in Singapore's multiracial identity and how cultural media can be weaponized for political influence.

Court files show how men connected through TikTok and encrypted apps planned attack on White House UFC fightWhen Tycen Proper, 19, finished high school, his family gave him at least $3,000 of “graduation money”, according to court documents. Despite the generosity, he seemed content to just live at his parents’ home, in a tiny Ohio town near Amish country, and spend more and more time on the internet.But Proper did have ambition of a kind, an affidavit says. He quit his job to focus on a special project that he was planning with friends from the internet. His mother saw him studying maps of Washington DC. He also put his graduation money into investments that made his father uneasy: a rifle, a shotgun, body armor, ammunition. Continue reading...

Relocation of Action on World Health raises questions over why Reform UK leader is involved in a US pressure groupNigel Farage’s campaign against the World Health Organization (WHO) is moving to the US with a new board of lobbyists, raising questions over why the Reform UK leader is involved in an American pressure group.The Action on World Health campaign, co-founded by Farage, is relocating to the US state of Delaware as a charitable foundation and grassroots non-profit. Continue reading...

• New Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin M. Warsh has pledged to restore price stability to combat ongoing U.S. inflation problems. • Internal divisions have emerged within the central bank regarding whether achieving this stability will necessitate higher borrowing costs. • Warsh is currently opposing the practice of sending explicit signals to the public about the future path of monetary policy.

“We hope to rescue as many living people as possible’, says the acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, but authorities fear the death toll will be in the thousandsA senior American military official has arrived in Venezuela’s capital Caracas to oversee US relief efforts, the US Southern Command (Southcom), whose area of responsibility covers Latin America and the Caribbean, said.US Marine Corps Maj Gen Kevin Jarrard is serving as the senior Southcom official on the ground to coordinate relief operations with local teams, Southcom said in a post on X. Continue reading...