Upi

• South Korea's ruling Democratic party has announced it will consider a recount of 2.47 million ballots from the June 3 local elections in Seoul. • In separate developments, Naver, Naver Cloud, and Korea Aerospace Industries are partnering to develop sovereign defense AI for drones and combat systems. • A catastrophic tornado in China resulted in 11 deaths and over 300 injuries, with reports of a man being sucked from a 12th-story apartment.

• A new UN report warns of an unfolding humanitarian crisis in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine, where thousands of civilians are facing severe life-threatening risks. • Affected populations are currently struggling with critical food shortages and a systemic lack of essential medical assistance. • The situation highlights the precarious nature of civilian life under occupation and the difficulty of delivering aid to these contested regions.

Exclusive: Initial figures yet to be confirmed by Department for Education, which said schools ‘at the heart’ of the celebrationAbout 332,000 fewer children were in school on Monday morning than a week earlier, according to initial figures, as attendance fell after England’s 3-2 World Cup win over Mexico.School registers were down more than three percentage points on last week, after England manager Thomas Tuchel advised parents to “write an excuse for school and let them watch”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Analysis finds lower reading fluency than children from other ethnic backgrounds and richer peersA third of disadvantaged white pupils in England leave their primary school unable to read well enough to access the secondary curriculum, leading to disengagement and school absence, according to new research.The findings were published days after an independent inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes concluded the current education system was “not set up to serve white working-class children and families”. Continue reading...

• South Korea's ruling party remains deeply divided as leadership races persist despite unity appeals from President Lee Jae Myung and former President Moon Jae-in. • The internal feud led to the main opposition's absence from the judiciary committee meeting on July 2. • This political instability occurs as the ruling party attempts to advance critical prosecution reform bills scheduled for next week.

• South Korea is launching a $10.3 billion financing initiative to accelerate the development of "physical AI" sectors. • The government has selected a subsea cable expansion project by LS Cable as the first initiative to receive support under this plan. • This push aims to integrate AI into manufacturing and industrial infrastructure to enhance national competitiveness in the global tech landscape.

• South Korea is set to unveil a massive $649 billion investment plan focused on semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI. • The initiative will be led by the nation's largest tech conglomerates, specifically Samsung and SK Group. • The presidential office stated the plan is part of a regional development strategy to decentralize advanced industries away from the Seoul metropolitan area.

• NPCI CEO Dilip Asbe stated that AI will propel Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions from 750 million to one billion daily. • The growth will be driven by AI-powered fraud detection, improved credit distribution, and the implementation of multilingual voice onboarding. • Asbe noted that voice models must achieve higher accuracy levels before they can become a critical component of the payment ecosystem.

• The 26th annual BET Awards will be held this Sunday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles to celebrate Black excellence in music, film, TV, and sports. • Comedian and social media personality Druski will serve as the host for the event. • Cardi B enters the ceremony as the most-nominated artist and is scheduled to perform alongside other stars including Nas, Kehlani, Tems, and Doechii.

• This week's international news highlights a series of diplomatic and military developments, including US-Iran talks aimed at ending their conflict and a sudden diplomatic dispute between Ukraine and Poland. • Ukraine has intensified its military operations by increasing strikes on Russian-occupied Crimea to destabilize Russian control in the region. • In political shifts, the report notes the resignation of Keir Starmer in the UK, alongside updates on the progress of the Fifa World Cup in the US.

• India's Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are transitioning from basic digitalization to the deep integration of AI and digital payment systems like UPI. • This shift aims to enhance overall business productivity, foster greater financial inclusion, and accelerate economic growth across the sector. • The transition signals a move toward a more mature, technology-driven ecosystem, though it requires overcoming barriers in digital literacy and AI readiness.

Education secretary cites admissions data for England since tax imposed showing falling applications to state sectorAdding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then. Continue reading...

Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator, joins Democrats in bid to stop dismantling the Ocean Observatories InitiativeUS politics live – latest updatesA group of Democratic senators and one Republican, as well as two Democratic House committees, sent letters on Monday to the National Science Foundation asking it to reverse course on its plan to dismantle a sprawling ocean monitoring network, with House lawmakers going further and accusing the agency of acting illegally.The Ocean Observatories Initiative is a network of more than 900 ocean sensors built at a cost of $386m. Over the last decade it has tracked ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, climate change and extreme weather, producing data freely available to the public and informing more than 500 scientific publications. The project was slated to run another 15 to 20 years. Continue reading...

Cases reported in 83 countries, with at least 10,600 students and staff killed, injured, abducted or arrested, GCPEA saysAttacks on education globally have surged by 40% with more than 8,556 recorded incidents and 10,600 students and staff killed, injured, abducted, arrested or otherwise harmed in 2024 and 2025, according to new research.Attacks were reported in 83 countries, with the highest incidences recorded in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Palestine and Ukraine. Continue reading...

• A new 30-day photographic collage documents the gradual approach of Venus and Jupiter in the western sky. • The visual sequence captures the planets appearing to move closer together from Earth's perspective, despite actually drifting further apart in space. • This celestial alignment serves as a buildup to a climactic close conjunction scheduled for June 9.

• Jupiter and Venus will appear in a dazzling conjunction on June 9, glowing just a few degrees apart in the western sunset sky. • Observers can also spot Mercury lurking nearby, positioned close to the horizon during the event. • This celestial alignment offers a rare opportunity for stargazers to view three prominent planets in close proximity.

• The author argues that for the United States under the Trump administration, hosting the World Cup is less about soccer and more about "security theater." • The piece claims that the traditional goals of international unity and peaceful celebration are being discarded in favor of border security theatrics. • This shift matters as it suggests the event is being leveraged as a political tool to project strength and control over national borders.

Solar system’s two brightest planets appear close together low above the western horizon after sunset this weekThe two brightest planets meet this week in the western twilight sky. The chart shows the view looking west-northwest at 21:45 BST. No stars will yet be visible, but Venus and Jupiter will be brilliant against the darkening sky.The planets will be separated by about 1.5 degrees – about the width of three full moons. They will be low to the horizon, so you will need a clear sightline in their direction. If you can find a hill, that will help too. Continue reading...

Historians and campaigners accuse US defence secretary of desecrating memory of soldiers who fell in NormandyThe US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has been accused by historians and rights campaigners of “grotesque stupidity” and desecrating the memory of the soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy after he sought to link immigration to the D-day anniversary, saying that Europe was facing a different “invasion” of its shores.Speaking in north-west France on Saturday to mark the 82nd anniversary of the D-day landings, Hegseth seized on the moment marking the wartime liberation of Europe to reiterate the US administration’s longstanding attack on European immigration policies. Continue reading...

Holy Family Catholic primary school says enthusiastic response from parents has been biggest surpriseSchools banning pupils from having smartphones are commonplace. But what about a school where pupils ban teachers from using their smartphones, and then get their parents to join in?And not just phones: at Holy Family Catholic primary school in west London teachers are also barred from using laptops, monitors or tablets during the school’s screen-free Mondays, after an idea that came from the pupils themselves. Continue reading...

The seven-month-old, Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, was in his mother’s arms when he was hit in the incident in HebronIsraeli troops killed a seven-month-old Palestinian baby in the occupied West Bank and injured one of the child’s parents on Friday after opening fire on the family’s car, despite it having complied with an order to stop.Soldiers opened fire on a car carrying the infant and his parents in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron. The seven-month-old, Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, was critically injured, evacuated in critical condition to a local hospital, where he later died. His parents were also injured. Continue reading...

• Several Premier League clubs are actively pursuing new talent, with Bayern Munich targeting Ngumoha and Liverpool opening talks for Yan Diomande. • AC Milan's Rafael Leao has signaled a potential departure from Serie A, stating to Sport TV that he is seeking a "new challenge" this summer. • Manchester United is closely monitoring Leao's situation as a primary transfer target following his public admission of wanting a move.

CCTV cameras caught the carnivorous marsupial skulking around deserted grounds at 4am Tuesday morningFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA search is under way on Queensland’s Gold Coast for a missing Tasmanian devil who escaped her enclosure in a daring early morning dash caught on camera.The devil, named Mary, did a Houdini from the Paradise Country theme park, escaping from quarantine in the early hours of Tuesday. Continue reading...

• The People Power Party has filed an election law complaint against President Lee Jae-myung following a dispute over marked ballots. • The Democratic Party has dismissed the legal action, characterizing the complaint as "political theater" intended to disrupt the political landscape. • This legal clash intensifies tensions ahead of South Korea's local elections, which serve as a critical early measure of public support for Lee's administration.

• President Lee Jae-myung is approaching his first anniversary in office with strong public support, maintaining approval ratings above 60%. • His first year has been characterized by a surging stock market and the implementation of a specific policy agenda. • Political tensions persist as the People Power Party filed an election law complaint against Lee regarding a marked ballot dispute, which the Democrats dismissed as "political theater."

• Oliver Glasner is reportedly being considered for the managerial position at AC Milan, while Liverpool is currently negotiating a transfer fee with Inter Milan for Curtis Jones. • Preston North End has activated the option-to-buy clause for 21-year-old midfielder Alfie Devine and may break their club transfer record to secure the Tottenham player. • Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli, 24, has attracted interest from Tottenham and Aston Villa as a potential replacement for former Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon.

• Chelsea and Arsenal are reportedly competing to sign Junior Kroupi from Bournemouth, according to Transfer Talk. • Separately, Manchester United is preparing a "double midfield swoop" for Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali and Atalanta's Éderson. • Sky Sports Italy reports that United is optimistic about securing both players during the upcoming summer transfer window.

• Arsenal are reportedly targeting a move for Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi following the player's role in helping the club secure a Premier League title win. • In other football news, Mikel Arteta is expected to become one of the Premier League's highest-paid managers after agreeing to a lucrative new contract. • Additional reports indicate that Enzo Maresca has started working behind the scenes at Manchester City, while Hansi Flick is keen for Marcus Rashford to remain at his club.