German riot police clash with protesters hoping to block far-right AfD conference 04. July 2026 (14:06) Thousands of police deployed to Erfurt in central Germany as AfD holds conference on key Nazi dateRiot police have clashed with opponents of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party on the streets of Erfurt in Germany, where thousands met to block roads and prevent AfD delegates from attending the party’s biennial national conference to elect its leadership.Police reported 20,000 protesters were demonstrating in the eastern city, where Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla are expected to be re-elected as the party’s co-leaders in the run-up to crucial regional elections in which AfD could win power at state-level for the first time. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mayfair casino facing legal action after former waiter says he did not get fair share of tips 04. July 2026 (14:00) Former worker at Metropolitan on Park Lane in London says he had to share tips with managers and other staffA Mayfair casino is facing legal action from a former waiter who says he was not given a fair share of tips.The former worker at the Metropolitan Mayfair – part of the Metropolitan Casinos group owned by the US investment firm Silver Point Capital, which operates seven casinos in the UK and four in Egypt – has filed a complaint with the employment tribunal in London over his share of cash tips given directly to him, which he says he was forced to share with managers and other staff. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Third of disadvantaged white pupils in England leave primary school without being able to read properly 04. July 2026 (14:00) 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...(The Guardian)
OpenAI’s apparent failure to visit key site raises questions over UK investment 04. July 2026 (14:00) Exclusive: £20bn of ‘potential’ £30bn AI investment touted by UK ministers appears to have been hypotheticalIt was to be the biggest undertaking in Britain for OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Stargate UK – a multibillion-pound UK datacentre project – would represent “a major step forward in the US-UK technology partnership”.But the plans were paused in April, with an OpenAI spokesperson citing concerns over regulation and high energy costs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
How the 1986 Mexico World Cup was almost cancelled after a devastating earthquake 04. July 2026 (13:40) Guardian reports after the disaster told of 5,000 deaths, much of the capital being razed, and doubts about Mexico hosting the finalsMexico last hosted the World Cup in 1986, but the competition was almost cancelled several months before the start when an earthquake struck the capital, Mexico City, leaving at least 5,000 people dead, 30,000 homeless and much of the city flattened, in one of the worst earthquakes to hit the country.To this day, the death toll remains disputed, with some estimates putting it as high as 40,000. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Birdsong data from Merlin ID app to help global biodiversity project 04. July 2026 (13:00) Cornell Lab for Ornithology plans data linkup between app and population monitoring on eBird platformThe Merlin bird ID app will allow users to feed real-time bird identifications into one of the world’s biggest citizen-science biodiversity projects in an update it is hoped will aid conservation of at-risk birds.Since 2021, the free Merlin app, created by the Cornell Lab for Ornithology, has used machine learning to provide an almost instantaneous sound-identification service for birdsong, along with an image for each bird identified. In future, the detections of bird species recorded by people will be automatically collected on the global online database eBird, which contains more than 2bn bird observation records. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Emotional connection’: Wonderwall becomes England’s World Cup anthem 04. July 2026 (13:00) Oasis tune has been sung from Texas to Massachusetts and soon in Mexico City – and the players have joined in tooIt has become England’s World Cup anthem more three decades after it was first released, being belted out by fans from Texas to Massachusetts.Wonderwall by Oasis will soon be heard in Mexico City too, where the Three Lions will face the tournament co-hosts Mexico on Sunday evening – or at 1am on Monday for fans singing along back home. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK woman, 21, arrested in Thailand after allegedly stabbing boyfriend to death 04. July 2026 (12:26) Officers found the body of a 34-year-old man in a luxury rental home in the Pattaya area, local media saysA 21-year-old British woman has been arrested in Thailand after allegedly fatally stabbing her boyfriend, according to local media reports.The Bangkok Post reported that on Thursday morning local time, officers found the body of a 34-year-old man, who operated a cannabis farm, in a luxury rental home in the Pattaya area, a beachside region two hours outside of Bangkok known for its large expat population and nightlife. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Trump accounts’: Wall Street-backed investment funds for children to go live 04. July 2026 (12:00) Savings plans for children born between January 2025 and December 2028 launched as president seeks electoral boostTrump accounts, a savings vehicle named after the US president and authorized by congressional Republicans, are set to go live on Saturday, offering American parents a new way to save money for their children by investing in funds managed by major Wall Street firms.All accounts established for children born between January 2025 through December 2028 – nearly the entirety of Donald Trump’s second term – will receive $1,000 from the government. Parents, friends and employers will be able to deposit as much as $5,000 a year into the accounts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Crowds gather as six-day funeral for former Iranian supreme leader begins 04. July 2026 (11:43) Up to 30 million people expected to attend delayed events for Ali Khamenei, killed at start of war with US and IsraelThe funeral of the former Iranian supreme leader has begun as the gates of the sprawling Grand Mosalla mosque in central Tehran let in thousands of mourners who had been waiting through the night to enter the grounds.Iran is staging mass funeral processions for Ali Khamenei – whose 37-year reign was brought to an end in February by the first airstrike of the war launched by the US and Israel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
