Clacton byelection likely to take place on 6 August – UK politics live

Count Binface to be one of few challengers to Nigel Farage as major parties boycott contest

For anyone involved in British politics, an invitation to be interviewed on Radio 4’s Today programme is the ultimate badge of seriousness. There are probably hundreds of MPs who have never made it onto the programme because they have not been deemed important enough.

But, as if to prove the point that the Clacton byelection really is a “farce” (see 7.59am), this morning Today had an interview with Count Binface, the serial joke byelection candidate who may turn out to be Nigel Farage’s main opposition in Clacton.

Probably not, but then you know my job is to celebrate and defend the wonders of British democracy.

And look at this, eh? The fact that you are interviewing me on the Today Programme, because all the other parties aren’t standing, says more about them than it does about me.

I don’t believe that single-handedly will tackle homophobia, racism or indeed any hate crime. But I do strongly believe that returning power back to people’s hands is a huge part of the role we should all be playing as elected public servants – and it’s how we build trust again.

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The curse of Donald Trump: where he goes, sporting defeat follows

The USMNT’s World Cup crashout is the latest episode to suggest the support and intervention of Donald J Trump brings bad luck

Breaking a mirror. Walking under a ladder. Spilling salt. A black cat crossing one’s path.

After the events of this week, it feels safe to add one more item to the list of things said to bring bad luck: the support and intervention of Donald J Trump.

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Police urge man suspected of murdering wife and daughters near Bedford to hand himself in

Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, is believed to have left UK for Zimbabwe before bodies of his family were discovered

A man suspected of murdering his wife and two daughters near Bedford has been urged by police to hand himself in after fleeing to Zimbabwe.

Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, known as Zandile, and Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were found dead in their £1.3m detached house in Carnoustie Drive, Great Denham. Police forced entry to the house on Monday after receiving reports that the family had not been seen for days.

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The Pitt, Hacks and newcomers Widow’s Bay and Pluribus lead 2026 Emmy nominations

HBO and Apple shows head up this year’s nominations while Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer follow-up Half-Man only receives one nod

The second season of hit hospital drama The Pitt and the final season of Hacks dominate this year’s Emmy nominations, announced on Wednesday.

The Pitt leads with 25 nominations while Hacks has 24, both scoring a big win for HBO, the latter series also breaking an Emmy record for most nods ever received by a comedy in a single year.

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Trump administration threatens states with criminal charges in elections fight

State officials call federal demands for voter data ‘truly bizarre behavior’ amid unproven noncitizen voting claims

The US Department of Justice sent letters to election officials in every state threatening potential criminal charges for officials if noncitizens vote, an escalation in an ongoing push by the federal government.

As Donald Trump’s administration pushes to exert greater control over elections, the justice department confirmed letters went out to all 50 states and the District of Columbia, “asking for voluntary compliance in a timely manner with their obligations under federal law to ensure only citizens vote in federal elections”.

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Reform to ask for Clacton byelection to be held on 6 August after Farage resignation

Constituents to vote in contest being boycotted by major parties over financial scandal surrounding Reform leader

Reform UK will request that the Clacton byelection be held on 6 August, the party has said, after Nigel Farage’s decision to resign from the seat.

The Reform UK leader, who has represented the Essex constituency since the 2024 general election, said on Tuesday he was standing down and would put himself forward again in what he has sought to portray as a “people versus the establishment” contest.

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More Reform UK transactions worth millions reported to National Crime Agency

Exclusive: Bankers have raised potential money-laundering concerns over loans and donations involving senior party figures

A host of transactions involving Reform UK’s most senior figures and donations to the party caused bankers to report potential money-laundering concerns to the National Crime Agency, a Guardian investigation has found.

On Tuesday, the Guardian revealed that the undisclosed £5m gift provided to the Reform leader, Nigel Farage, by a cryptocurrency billionaire shortly before the 2024 general election was reported to the NCA.

One relates to a £1m donation made to Britain Means Business, a fundraising organisation for Reform UK, before the last general election. Half of the £1m was then transferred by Tice, as director of the company, to Reform UK. Renamed from Leave Means Leave, Britain Means Business is a company that is used to help fund Reform. The £1m seemingly came from the aristocrat and Reform UK donor Fiona Cottrell. In this instance, the Guardian understands bank staff were not satisfied that the funds had ultimately come from her. The NCA has sought help from a foreign partner agency to trace the original source of the funds.

Two other SARs relate to a loan from George Cottrell to Tice. The loan was made shortly before Tice finalised a property purchase and made a party donation, and was not repaid until after those two transactions were completed, according to sources. George Cottrell is the son of Fiona Cottrell, and is a convicted fraudster, former deputy treasurer of Ukip and close associate of Farage.

A fourth relates to the £5m gift from the Thailand-based businessman Christopher Harborne to Farage, which was first revealed by the Guardian in April.

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Search under way after Boeing 737 cargo plane goes missing off Pakistan coast

Early flight data shows K2 Airways plane crashed into sea with five crew on board south-west of Karachi

Pakistan has located the wreckage of a Boeing cargo plane, the country’s airports authority said, adding that rescuers were searching for the five crew members on board when the aircraft went missing.

The plane was approaching Karachi from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates when radar showed it “rapidly descending” on Tuesday evening after reporting a “navigational system issue”, according to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA).

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Oil prices rise sharply after Iran launches attacks on tankers near strait of Hormuz

Brent crude benchmark rose to more than $80 a barrel, its steepest increase since ceasefire began

Oil markets have recorded their sharpest price rise in nearly two months after a series of attacks on fossil fuel tankers near the strait of Hormuz led Donald Trump to declare that the ceasefire deal with Iran was over.

At the same time, UK short-dated bonds suffered their worst day since the end of March as the prospect grew of a Bank of England rate rise to cope with the renewed inflationary pressures.

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Treasury yet to do due diligence on finding extra money for UK’s Nato spend

How to hit the 3.5% of GDP defence spending promise would be a matter for ‘the next prime minister’, MPs told

The Treasury has as yet carried out no analysis of the trade-offs necessary for the UK to hit the 3.5% of GDP defence spending promise made to Nato, the department’s chief secretary has said.

Under robust questioning in a joint session of the Treasury and defence select committees on Wednesday, Lucy Rigby repeatedly said that how to fund additional defence spending would be a matter for “the next prime minister”.

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Photo of bound Palestinian detainee corroborates Israeli torture reports, say rights groups

Image of man in underwear, blindfold and bound to iron rod has been widely shared on social media

An Israeli soldier’s photo of a Palestinian man from Gaza stripped to his underwear, blindfolded and bound face-down to an iron rod corroborates extensive reporting on Israeli torture of Palestinians in detention and itself may constitute a war crime, rights groups have said.

The image was shared on a now-deleted personal social media account, with the Hebrew-language caption “good morning”. It was brought to wider public attention by a Palestinian writer and activist who goes by Tamer.

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Austrian court rules ski resort hotel’s burkini ban is discriminatory

Hotel did not allow two Muslim women to wear full-body bathing suit, which has become bugbear of European far right

An Austrian court has found an alpine hotel’s ban on burkinis discriminatory, a politically explosive ruling in a country where the far right is on the rise.

The full-body bathing suit worn by some Muslim women has become a bugbear of the European far right, which has campaigned to restrict Muslim dress in public spaces.

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