Sides

• The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday in favor of congressional Republicans, further loosening existing campaign finance limits. • The decision allows political parties to increase the amount of money they can funnel into television advertisements and other campaign efforts. • This ruling is significant as it is expected to upend spending strategies and financial flows for the upcoming midterm elections.

• European teams are competing in the 2026 World Cup hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. • Recent results for a featured European side include a 1-2 loss to South Korea on June 12 in Guadalajara and a 1-1 draw with South Africa on June 18 in Atlanta. • The team suffered a further 0-3 defeat against Mexico in Mexico City on June 25.

• The Supreme Court ruled against Republicans in Watson v. RNC, upholding the legality of grace periods for the receipt of mail-in ballots. • During hearings, Mississippi lawyers noted that the federal government failed to provide a single example of fraud resulting from post-Election Day ballot receipts in this century. • This decision arrives as a critical election-related ruling ahead of the November midterm elections, impacting how states manage ballot deadlines.

• Three Indian teams—India A (Men), India A (Women), and India B (Seniors)—have advanced to the semifinals of the 5th Bonus Asia Cup Bridge Championships. • The tournament is being hosted in Panaji, Goa, at the Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon with support from the Sports Authority of India and the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. • The teams qualified for the knockout stages following the completion of the round-robin rounds, positioning the men's sides to compete for gold medals.

• The group stage fixtures for European teams have been announced for the 2026 World Cup, hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. • A total of 12 groups (A-L) have been established, featuring European sides such as England, France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal alongside global competitors. • This structure highlights the expanded scale of the tournament, placing European nations in diverse matchups against teams from Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Opponents seize on Farrer MP David Farley’s decision to vote alongside teals and Greens to wind back fuel tax credits for miners, farmers and othersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne Nation is under pressure to clarify its position on fuel tax credits after its rookie MP voted to wind back the rebates, a position opposed by mining and farming groups.The Farrer MP, David Farley, sided with the Greens and teal independents in a lower-house vote to cap the scheme, which refunds miners, farmers and other industries that use heavy machinery the 52.6c a litre excise applied to petrol and diesel. Continue reading...

Matriarchal groups in east and west exhibit distinct click patterns, used to form social structuresFrom “Howdy” to “G’day”, English – like other languages – is rich in dialects. Now researchers have found sperm whales on different sides of the Mediterranean show similar variations in their vocalisations.Sperm whales communicate vocally using sequences of short clicks called codas. However, the rhythmic pattern of these clicks, known as the dialect, can differ between different matriarchal groups. Continue reading...