Fringe

Longest ballot in UK voting history features likes of Count Binface and Howling Laud Hope alongside Reform leader Polls have opened in Clacton, with thousands of residents in the Essex seat to vote in a ballot featuring Nigel Farage and a range of novelty and fringe candidates led by Count Binface.The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelection in an attempt to address complaints over a deepening scandal about gifts he received. Continue reading...

• In April 2025, employees at the US State Department received notifications of cuts driven by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). • The initiative reflects a shift where fringe theories regarding a "vast censorship network" have been integrated into official Trump administration policy. • This transition matters as it signals a move toward dismantling established government structures in favor of ideologies previously held by online extremists.

Festival organisers defend show after criticism from sister of Meredith Kercher, Knox’s murdered former flatmate The Edinburgh festival fringe said it was “not afraid of controversy” after calls to cancel a sold-out show by Amanda Knox, who was falsely imprisoned for the 2007 murder of her flatmate Meredith Kercher in Italy.Knox’s comedy show, Cartwheel, has been condemned by Kercher’s family, with her sister, Stephanie, saying it “normalises and trivialises violence against women”. A petition calling for it to be cancelled has been signed by more than 6,000 people. Continue reading...

• NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has successfully awakened from a period of hibernation to resume its mission. • The probe is now continuing its journey to explore the fringes of the solar system, targeting previously unmapped regions. • This mission is critical for gathering data on the outer reaches of our solar system and understanding the environment beyond Pluto.

Julie Inman Grant singles out X when giving evidence to royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesionGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMainstream platforms are fighting to distribute and monetise “gore” and “fringe” content, the eSafety watchdog has told the antisemitism royal commission.Australia’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, on Thursday singled out X, telling the inquiry her office has to fight its billionaire owner, Elon Musk, to try to keep footage – including some posted of the Bondi terror attack – restricted or off the platform. Continue reading...

Outdoor clothing company is suing US environmentalist drag performer for $1 plus legal fees, claiming ‘we wish we didn’t have to do this’Patagonia has launched a trademark lawsuit against an environmentalist drag queen named Pattie Gonia, who has accused the outdoor clothing company of “trying to erase an activist”.Wyn Wiley, who performs as Pattie Gonia, has accumulated millions of followers online for their environmental activism, raising almost $4m for non-profits so far. Last year they raised $1m while hiking 100 miles in full drag from Point Reyes national seashore to San Francisco. Continue reading...

Strict restrictions on Americans with exposure to Ebola and hantavirus highlight officials’ previous rhetoric on public health measuresThe US is imposing strict restrictions on American travelers who have been exposed in dual Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks in ways that experts say could run counter to their legal rights and affect who will volunteer in future public health crises globally.The latest restrictions highlight officials’ previous rhetoric on public health measures and their attempts to contain outbreaks now, including reported opposition from the White House to Americans returning home. Continue reading...

Lawyer for DoJ argued actions taken in public while in possession of a smartphone afforded no expectation of privacyThe US supreme court is considering whether sprawling warrants for smartphone location data infringe on Americans’ privacy rights and violate the constitution.Justices heard opening arguments in Chatrie v United States on Monday that concerned law enforcement’s reliance on so-called “geofence warrants” in difficult cases. The case was originally brought by Okello Chatrie, whose phone location data helped police in Richmond, Virginia, track him down after he robbed a bank at gunpoint and escaped with $195,000 in 2019. Chatrie pleaded guilty to armed robbery and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but his lawyers argue none of the evidence against him should have been admissible in court. Continue reading...