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Cost of tickets included £858 to a Harry Styles concert at Wembley; £1,839 to the Chelsea flower show and £3,432 of hospitality at the Brit AwardsMPs have been accused of failing to learn their lesson over freebies after taking almost £400,000 of hospitality to concerts, sport matches and other events this year, with Louise Haigh, Lucy Powell and Wes Streeting among those accepting tickets.Despite the previous outcry in 2024 over Keir Starmer accepting football tickets and gifts of clothing, MPs appear to have been declaring hospitality since the start of the year on a greater scale than previously seen. Continue reading...

• Entrepreneur Kevin O'Leary emphasizes that achieving financial freedom is primarily driven by personal discipline rather than just income levels. • He urges individuals to prioritize smart spending habits and specifically advocates for saying "no" to unnecessary expenditures. • This approach matters because it shifts the focus from earning more to managing existing resources effectively to build long-term wealth.

• Merck and Moderna announced that their Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial met primary endpoints for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in patients with completely resected stage IIB-IV melanoma. • The study found that combining KEYTRUDA with intismeran autogene—an mRNA-based individualized neoantigen therapy tailored to a patient's specific tumor mutations—provided statistically significant improvements over using KEYTRUDA alone. • This marks the first and only combination regimen to demonstrate such clinically meaningful improvements in the adjuvant melanoma setting.

Staff members said Free Speech Union would “need to explain” how it spent money donated by its supportersStaff at a campaign group that claims to defend free speech in Britain said it would “need to explain” how it spent roughly £60,000 that was crowdfunded for a legal case that was ultimately fought by a pro bono lawyer.The Free Speech Union (FSU), an activist group founded by Conservative life peer Toby Young, last year took up the case of Julian Foulkes, a 71-year-old retired police officer who had been arrested 18 months earlier after writing a social media post about antisemitism Continue reading...

Win is significant for region’s premier, Doug Ford, who blames protected zones as cause of city’s traffic illsThe Ontario government is now free to rip out Toronto’s bike lanes on its busiest streets after the region’s top court ruled in favour of the province on Friday, overturning a lower court’s decision that decreed removing the lanes would violate constitutional rights.The win is significant for Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, and his government, who have long railed against Toronto’s bike lanes, blaming the protected zones as the cause of the city’s traffic ills. Continue reading...

Kevin Rideout, who was abducted by unknown assailants in Niamey, said to be in good health and in care of US officialsAn American missionary who was kidnapped in Niger in October has been released, his organisation has said.Kevin Rideout “is in good health in the care of US officials” and would soon be reunited with his extended family, SIM International said in a statement. Continue reading...

Twenty-one birds released on Bodmin Moor where it is hoped they will one day return to produce their own youngThey took a little coaxing at first – after all, they had got used to a safe, comfortable aviary tucked away in woodland on the edge of Bodmin Moor. But after a few minutes, the birds stepped out into freedom and the bolder ones were soon soaring into the blue, the first white storks to be released into the wilds of Cornwall.Yan Swiderski, the founder of the Cornwall Stork Project, had tears in his eyes. “I do feel a bit emotional,” he said. He sounded a little like a proud father wanting to play down the achievements of his offspring – and failing. “They’re a little bit clumsy at the moment. They aren’t used to flying free … but they do look majestic, don’t they?” Continue reading...

• The Trump administration has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to quickly rule on a case regarding an executive order that seeks to limit vote-by-mail options for the upcoming midterm elections. • The request follows conflicting rulings from district and circuit courts, leaving the Supreme Court's emergency docket to determine if the restrictive rulemaking can proceed. • If upheld, the order would require states to provide the federal government with lists of intended mail-in voters, significantly impacting voting methods in several Western states.

• PSG and Aston Villa will face each other in the UEFA Super Cup 2026. • Viewers can watch the match live and for free via the RTÉ Player, which does not require a sign-up process. • This provides a streamlined, accessible way for fans to stream the high-stakes final from any location.

• A technical issue caused K-pop stars to freeze on TV during an awards show, breaking the typical perfection of South Korean entertainment. • The show was able to continue without further issues, but some viewers criticized the mistake, questioning the preparedness of the performers. • The performers, Sion, Ian, and Sungchan, are all signed to SM Entertainment, and many viewers noted this while discussing the incident.

‘Outstanding young Americans’ came together to catch a tennis ball for freedomThe Patriot Games, held this week in Ohio, was intended to be a “national athletic competition celebrating the character, determination, and excellence that define the American spirit”, according to a press release.The competition, which organizers insisted would be nothing like the Hunger Games, was to bring together “outstanding young Americans” from across the country, “to compete, inspire, and showcase the values that have shaped the United States for nearly 250 years”. ESPN, hosting the games, said it would “test excellence in skillsets of beloved American sports”. Continue reading...

Labour chair says Reform deputy leader is trying to harass journalists over reporting on his financial affairsUK politics live – latest updatesRichard Tice has been accused by Labour’s Bridget Phillipson of mounting a “deeply chilling attempt to silence the free press” after he sent a legal threat to the Guardian over its reporting on his financial affairs.Lawyers for Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, singled out a Guardian correspondent for her journalism about a series of Tice’s financial transactions that were referred to the National Crime Agency. Continue reading...

Robert Gilman had been deteriorating rapidly in prison and was said to be in a catatonic stateRussia has freed a former US marine who had been in jail since 2022, after Vladimir Putin granted the ailing American a pardon on humanitarian grounds.Robert Gilman, 32, an English teacher who briefly served in the US Marines, was travelling by train when he was arrested in the southern Russian city of Voronezh in January 2022 for allegedly kicking a police officer while drunk, according to Russian state media. He was later sentenced to four and a half years in prison, though his family has consistently denied the allegations against him. Continue reading...

• The European Athletics Championships 2026 will be hosted in the UK for the first time in 92 years. • The seven-day event will take place at Birmingham's Alexandra Stadium, featuring the continent's elite track and field athletes. • This event marks a historic return of the championships to British soil, highlighting the UK's role in hosting major international athletics.

• Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani suggested that current border checks could be lifted provided there are no further mass arrivals of migrants. • Nine EU member states, including Germany, France, Austria, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, have reintroduced border controls, many of which have remained in place since the 2015 migration crisis. • The situation highlights a growing tension between the EU's principle of free movement and the perceived need for national security measures during exceptional migration events.

US congresswoman to share journey online as she criticizes Trump administration’s attacks on reproductive careAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez has announced she is going to freeze her eggs and will be sharing the process online.The progressive New York congresswoman, 36, revealed her decision to undergo fertility treatment in a series of Instagram stories this weekend. “This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,” Ocasio-Cortez said. Continue reading...

• The UK pension industry is urging the new government to rule out changes to tax-free lump sum rules before the October 28 Budget. • AJ Bell reports that over £18 billion in lump sums were withdrawn in the 2024-25 tax year, which is £10 billion higher than previous annual averages. • Public policy director Tom Selby warns that continued speculation is driving premature withdrawals, threatening long-term retirement security and investment in UK businesses.

Those tempted to access fake websites run risk of phishing scams and having computer infected with malwareThe Odyssey is the hottest release this summer and you have been looking forward to seeing the much-acclaimed adaptation of Homer’s epic ancient Greek poem. But you have been unable to go to the cinema, so when you spot an ad to watch online, you jump at the chance.There are positive reviews posted on the site so you decide to sign up. Although it asks for your bank details – which is unusual for a “free” trial – you are so eager to watch the blockbuster you input your details. Continue reading...

Delays to sexual assault charges and failures to report past convictions in court hearings gave Simon Levy chance to attack more womenCatastrophic errors left a prolific and proven sex offender free before he murdered two women in London, it can be revealed.On Friday an Old Bailey jury found Simon Levy, 40, guilty of murdering Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo in March 2025 and Sheryl Wilkins five months later.The CPS admitted errors at three court hearings in May, June and August 2025, which ended in Levy remaining free. It would not specify publicly what those were, but a source authorised to speak for the organisation said they included failing to mention he had been arrested for Valencia-Trujillo’s murder, and that it could find no record or mention of Levy’s past sexual assault convictions, nor that he was a suspect in a 2024 rape. The CPS said: “We accept there was relevant information regarding bail that was not provided to the court when bail applications were being considered. Our actions fell short of the standards that victims, families and the public are entitled to expect … We could and should have taken a more robust approach to representations about bail.” By May 2025, police wanted Levy remanded, fearing he posed a “high risk of reoffending” with his crimes “escalating”.Levy failed to attend three crown court hearings for the train attacks, and the CPS accepts there is no evidence of a warrant being sought for his detention. For two he claimed illness, for the other that he was not informed. His final non-appearance in crown court was on 11 August 2025. A fortnight later he murdered Wilkins. A CPS source said individuals involved in the Levy case had been disciplined.The assaults on the London tube network and trains were investigated by BTP. Officers arrested Levy, who was travelling on a stolen Oyster travel card, but handed it back to him, unaware it was stolen. With it he travelled to south London to commit his first murder, and carried out further sexual assaults on trains.BTP admitted the charging of Levy for his sexual assaults on trains in November 2024 was held up because of a delay in holding an identification parade after his arrest. It meant his bail was extended and during this delay he attacked and raped another woman and murdered Valencia-Trujillo, a mother of two.BTP identified him as a suspect and charged him but never searched his home. Peter Fulton, BTP’s head of crime, said: “There’s a fine line between going fishing and breaching someone’s human rights.” He said that every woman who reported Levy for attacking them on a train saw him charged and convicted. When the Met, which investigated the murders, searched Levy’s home, evidence was found about his attack on the prison officer.The police watchdog has placed two Met officers under investigation over whether Levy was supervised correctly as a person on the sex offender register. A constable is under investigation for gross misconduct, meaning he could be dismissed. The other officer, under investigation for misconduct, is a detective sergeant.BTP said it had not referred its errors to the police watchdog. Instead it has moved one officer, who it says delayed the holding of the ID parade, out of investigations, and given a supervisor words of advice. Continue reading...

• AWS has rebuilt Kiro using the Agent Client Protocol, replacing three separate agent harnesses with a single, unified architecture. • This shift separates coding agents from developer tools, allowing clients to communicate with agents through a shared protocol. • The move is significant because it could eventually enable developers to choose their AI agents and coding tools independently rather than being locked into a single ecosystem.

President hails ‘successful’ rescue as country battles endemic kidnapping for ransom and insecurity worsensNigerian security forces have rescued more than 300 abducted people in what the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, hailed as the largest single-day hostage recovery in the country’s history.The release was announced on Wednesday after a joint operation, conducted by the military, police and counter-terrorism units, freed victims held captive in the dense forests of the Kainji Lake national park in the north-central region. Continue reading...

• Italy has suspended free movement and border-free travel with Spain following a deadly crossing incident in Ceuta. • Analysts suggest the decision is driven by political motivations rather than practical security needs. • The move raises critical questions about the stability of the Schengen Area and whether the zone of free movement is currently in crisis.

Christopher Phillips, who had been his mother Sylvia’s primary carer since 2008, given two years and four months in prison A man has been jailed for keeping his dead mother’s body in a freezer at their shared home for almost three years, during which time he received more than £70,000 of her benefits and other funds.Christopher Phillips, 60, stored the body of Sylvia Phillips, a retired company secretary, in the chest freezer in the living room of their house in the south Wales seaside town of Porthcawl. Continue reading...

• WWE is hosting SummerSlam 2026, a premium live event taking place over two nights in Minnesota starting Saturday, August 1. • The event will feature six major title bouts, including competitions for the World Heavyweight, Women’s World, and WWE Intercontinental Championships. • This event serves as a marquee summer spectacle for the organization, following the momentum from the recent Night of Champions.

• Italy has suspended the EU Schengen free-travel pact with Spain, reinstating passport requirements for travelers moving between the two nations. • The decision follows a migrant crisis in Ceuta, though critics argue there is no evidence that the migrants involved intended to travel to Italy. • Opponents of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government claim the move is a symbolic gesture designed to appeal to a domestic political audience.

• The U.S. Department of Justice has subpoenaed a freelance journalist for The New York Times regarding a 2025 report on a failed U.S. military operation in North Korea. • In a separate development, the United States will implement new tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on over 60 trading partners. • These tariffs are scheduled to take effect on July 24, signaling a significant shift in international trade policy.

• In July 2026, press freedom faced escalating legal pressure as new laws, security regulations, and court rulings reshaped the landscape of journalism. • Reporters continued to operate in high-risk environments, specifically facing extreme dangers while covering conflicts in Gaza, Israel, and Iran. • The period was marked by significant industry shifts, including intense debates over the role of AI in news and increasing media consolidation.

Ben Cohen says his ice cream company has been silenced by corporate ownership – and a boycott of Magnum brands could force a saleBen & Jerry’s ice cream in the tub is still great, but the brand’s newest chocolate-covered ice cream bar on a stick?“It ain’t the same,” Ben Cohen, the company co-founder, told the Guardian. Sure, the chocolate coating is still thick enough, but the ice cream itself is “kinda fluffy”, Cohen said – an insult in the ice cream world that suggests extra air was added to cut costs. Continue reading...