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Nigel Farage urged to clarify ‘dependence’ on Cottrell, who also joined Reform leader in Abu Dhabi in DecemberNigel Farage has been accompanied by his friend George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster, to numerous Reform events and fundraisers and a trip to Abu Dhabi, raising questions about the claim that he has no official role in the party.Labour has called on Farage to clarify his “personal and financial dependence” on Cottrell, who also has been supporting his lifestyle through accommodation and security before the election. Continue reading...

• The July 4, 2026, science roundup highlights three major discoveries: the James Webb Space Telescope's identification of a previously unknown substance, the rapid growth of China's "Great Green Wall," and the resolution of a Medici family murder mystery. • The report emphasizes the telescope's role in expanding astronomical knowledge and the environmental impact of China's accelerated reforestation efforts. • These findings matter as they bridge the gap between cutting-edge astrophysics, global climate mitigation, and historical forensic analysis.

• Nearly 100 Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillors resigned from municipal bodies across West Bengal within weeks of the state assembly election results. • This mass exodus is described as a distinct and unprecedented decline for the ruling party, differing from the historical patterns of previous political shifts in the state. • The trend signals a potential crisis in leadership and stability for the TMC as it faces internal fragmentation and loss of local governance control.

• The James Webb Space Telescope has detected a missing wavelength of light on both Pluto and Saturn's moon, Titan. • This specific signal indicates the presence of a mysterious molecule that has never been observed elsewhere in the solar system or the wider universe. • The discovery is significant because it suggests these distant worlds harbor unique chemical compositions previously unknown to science.

• BTS is preparing for an upcoming performance at the Arirang Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, sparking a deeper look into the group's global rise. • Insiders and experts, including author Euny Hong, attribute much of the band's unique sound and international success to the leadership and fluency of rapper RM. • The group's trajectory highlights the broader phenomenon of "Korean Cool" and the strategic influence of K-pop on global pop culture.

Suspect is said to be a woman who tried to pass off as a man during attack apparently targeting Ukrainian-born oligarchThe main suspect in ⁠a ⁠bomb attack in ​Monaco ⁠this week is a woman ⁠who ​has ‌been spotted ‌in Germany, a ‌judicial source in Monaco told Reuters on Friday.Three ‌people were wounded on ​Monday evening in a parcel ⁠bomb explosion in the ​wealthy ​principality, which ​was ​believed ‌to ​be an attack ​on a Ukrainian-born oligarch. Continue reading...

• The Communist Party of China (CPC) is emphasizing the role of political parties in the Global South as essential drivers for global governance and modernization. • During discussions, the CPC highlighted its commitment to fostering friendly cooperation with parties in developing nations to promote economic growth and public welfare. • Tamara Duisenova, former Kazakh deputy prime minister, noted that the mission of political parties extends beyond elections to building a social consensus on the future.

Outright bans may have unintended negative consequences for young people, University College London report warnsSchool smartphone bans are “overly simplistic” and are not supported by young people who regard them as “punitive” rather than helpful, according to research by University College London.The UCL report was published on Tuesday, the day after a statutory ban on smartphones in schools in England came into force, making individual schools and trusts legally responsible for being phone-free throughout the day. Continue reading...

• BCA Research identifies South Korea as the most "stretched" market in the current global equity rally, noting that the KOSPI benchmark is hovering near record highs. • The rally is highly concentrated in a few large technology stocks, as only a small percentage of KOSPI-listed companies are trading above their 200-day moving average. • This imbalance suggests a lack of broad market participation, increasing the risk of a correction if the few leading tech names falter.

Guardian investigation also finds same areas experienced relative decline over same periodLeave-voting areas have seen faster relative growth in foreign workers since the Brexit referendum, a Guardian investigation has found.Data analysis suggests that the decade since the Brexit vote may not have matched the expectations of many Leave supporters, showing their local areas have also become relatively more deprived over the same period. Continue reading...

• Welsh singer Duffy has been seen in public for the first time in 16 years after disappearing from the spotlight in 2010. • The singer, born Amy Duffy, was spotted visiting a café in her hometown of Nefyn, marking her first appearance since her hiatus. • This public sighting follows her recent revelations regarding a traumatic ordeal involving kidnapping and rape.

• The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne has launched a major Cartier exhibition featuring hundreds of jewelry pieces never before seen in Australia. • The collection showcases dazzling tiaras and necklaces worn by global icons, including Hollywood stars Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly. • The exhibition highlights a local connection by featuring several pieces worn by the renowned Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba.

Tom Homan says he made Kathy Hochul promise after governor signed bill protecting New Yorkers against ICEDonald Trump’s hardline border czar has again threatened to dispatch a surge of immigration agents to New York City, as the administration vows to press ahead with its controversial crackdown.Tom Homan said on Monday that he has reviewed a plan to expand Immigration Enforcement and Customs (ICE) operations in New York and deploy “more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen” in the city. Continue reading...

The Men Who Saved the World, the Pulitzer winner’s lost manuscript found in Yale archives, appears in Strand magazineA never-before-published short story by Edith Wharton, the first female Pulitzer prize winner, who encapsulated the so-called gilded age of US society in bestselling novels including The Age of Innocence, received a first public airing on Friday.The Men Who Saved the World, discovered in the author’s archives at Yale University, appears in the Strand, a quarterly magazine that has previously turned up lost or previously unknown works by literary luminaries such as Raymond Chandler, Graham Greene and Tennessee Williams. Continue reading...

• South Koreans are participating in high-stakes local elections that serve as a critical political test for President Lee. • The elections are being closely monitored as a measure of public sentiment and a referendum on the current administration's performance. • These results are expected to influence the political landscape and the strategic direction of the ruling party moving forward.

• NASA released observations from the James Webb Space Telescope regarding interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, captured in December 2025. • The data reveals that the comet's composition is fundamentally different from any objects previously observed within our own Solar System. • This discovery is significant as it provides rare insight into the chemical makeup of other star systems and the materials that travel between them.

• South Koreans are casting votes in mayoral and local elections to determine the level of public support for President Lee Jae Myung’s liberal government. • The elections coincide with the one-year anniversary of Lee's presidency this Thursday, during which he has maintained approval ratings above 60%. • Lee's popularity is largely attributed to his "pragmatic diplomacy," which has successfully mitigated concerns regarding the stability of South Korea's ties with the U.S. and Japan.

• The 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships will take place on June 23 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila, Philippines. • The event brings together regional athletes to compete in Sambo, a combat sport originating from the Soviet Union. • This championship is expected to significantly boost local sports tourism by attracting international visitors and participants to the city.

As campaigners take to the streets for what could be the most significant byelection for decades, the Reform leader’s absence remains a mysteryIt’s been six days since Nigel Farage cancelled a scheduled appearance at a Reform UK rally in Sunderland, a key election target in Labour’s heartlands.The reasons given – chaos in government and what appeared to be an impending Labour leadership race – seemed logical. After all, as a quotation sometimes attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte goes: never interfere with an enemy while he’s in the process of destroying himself. Continue reading...

Conservatives expected to keep majority as socialists face drubbing and ballot tests trajectory of far-right Vox partyVoters in the southern Spanish region of Andalucía will cast their ballots in an election this weekend that is likely to deliver an absolute majority to the conservative People’s party (PP) and inflict another debilitating defeat on Pedro Sánchez’s embattled socialists in what was previously one of their proudest strongholds.Sunday’s election in Spain’s most populous region – the last big poll before next year’s general election – will serve as a barometer of wider electoral opinion and could also reveal whether the popularity of the far-right Vox party is beginning to peak. Continue reading...

Privilege being mistaken for competence as study reveals no evidence to suggest companies run by state-educated peers underperformChief executives who attended private school are perceived as a “safer bet” by investors, according to a study, despite there being no evidence they perform or behave differently to their state-educated counterparts.Companies run by privately educated bosses tend to experience lower stock market volatility, even though there are no meaningful differences in their performance, decision-making or crisis management, the research from the University of Surrey found. Continue reading...

People gathered at dusk under the fig tree canopy of Sydney’s Hyde Park to pay tribute to 32-year-old, who laid undiscovered for up to a weekFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNo one should be left to die in the middle of Sydney, alone and unseen.That was the powerful message delivered by homelessness support worker Erin Longbottom to a crowd gathered in Hyde Park to honour Bikram Lama. Continue reading...

Sabine Mairey, who was arrested on Thursday over social media posts, pictured with party activists in ClaphamA Green council candidate arrested this week over alleged antisemitic social media posts has been seen canvassing subsequently alongside other party members, with Labour saying it showed the issue was not being taken seriously by Zack Polanski’s party.Sabine Mairey was among two Green candidates in Lambeth, south London, arrested by the Metropolitan police on Thursday morning. Continue reading...

IDF says sledgehammer photo circulating online is authentic and is being viewed with ‘great severity’The Israeli army has said it is investigating a soldier who was seen apparently striking a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon.The Israel Defense Forces said they had determined that an image circulating on social media showing the incident was authentic. The image appears to show an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off a cross. Continue reading...

Extension of three-year lifespan for bronze coincides with 25th anniversary rerelease of original romcomA record 149 days have now passed without alcohol, cigarettes or ice-cream for Bridget Jones’s statue in Leicester Square in London – and her fast is set to be extended indefinitely.Originally conceived to be in situ for three years, the bronze statue, which was unveiled in November, has now been granted permanent residence opposite the Empire Casino and adjacent to the toilets, where she joins the likes of Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and Batman as part of Westminster council’s Scenes in the Square initiative. Continue reading...

Bibby Boys photo exhibition documents experiences of the men who lived on the former asylum seeker vessel in Dorset and the local community that rallied around them The Bibby Stockholm barge, which was moored off Portland, Dorset, to accommodate asylum seekers, attracted many negative headlines – from evacuation after the discovery of legionella bacteria, to the suicide of Albanian asylum seeker Leonard Farruku and angry far-right protests.But an exhibition launching this week reveals a less reported side of life on the barge, where enduring connections between asylum seekers and members of the local community were forged and continue long after the last group of asylum seekers left the vessel in November 2024. Continue reading...

Passenger on Flight VA 328 alerted the crew who responded by ‘containing the device’ before plane landedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Melbourne was met by firefighters after smoke was seen coming from a vape on board.Flight VA 328 landed safely and all passengers disembarked normally after a vape “activated” in the cabin shortly before landing at about 4pm on Sunday afternoon in Melbourne, Melbourne airport said. Continue reading...

Ballots in 35,000 villages, towns and cities will be closely watched for signals about party strategies and alliancesFrance has begun voting in the first round of municipal elections, seen as crucial a test of the political temperature before next year’s presidential election.The vote for mayors and councillors in 35,000 villages, towns and cities across France is focused on local issues including security, housing and refuse collection and is very different from national elections. Continue reading...