Israel bombed a car near the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza. As one of the men escapes, Israeli forces strike again. Double tap attacks are widely considered to be war crimes.

KATIE Price has furiously hit back after Meg Matthews branded her “utterly irresponsible” for buying a £2,000 dog with husband Lee Andrews in Dubai. 

The 48-year-old announced yesterday how she and Lee, 43, had dropped the huge sum of cash on a male pomsky, which is a mix between a Siberian Husky and a Pomeranian.

Following the news, Meg, 60, took to Instagram to slam Katie, writing: “Why buy a puppy when you don’t live in Dubai?

“This is utterly ridiculous, irresponsible… a husky mix in Dubai, heat training takes time [and] commitment.

“Do they have a house and garden/yard? Just heartbreaking, sends the wrong message.”

Katie wasted no time in responding to Meg’s words, commenting on her post:  “Am I missing something Meg?

slip up?

Katie Price appears to wish Princess happy birthday on wrong day – but had reason

New arrival

Katie Price & Lee say ‘we’re having a baby boy’ as they buy £2k puppy in Dubai

“Go back through your messages to me, how nice you have always been, asking me for help and now this?

“You don’t know me personally so calm down. And Lee lives in Dubai, my husband.”

Katie and Lee excited announced their newest addition yesterday, with her telling fans: “Just like we signed for our marriage, we’ve signed for our baby.

Lee added: “We’re new owners of this baby boy.”

Katie jumped in, explaining: “We’ve got no kids but this is our baby boy.”

“He’s our first baby together,” she later added as she introduced the puppy to fans.

The couple have chosen to call the blue-eyed dog Dubaii – with an extra ‘i’ – as a nod to where he’s from.

It comes days after the death of one of Katie’s Sphynx cats and disappearance of two others – Eilleen and Doris.

Announcing the sad news on Cameo, Lee told a fan: “I love dogs, I love cats, I love animals. So does Kate, so we share that empathy. She’s got five Sphynxes actually. One has just passed away.

“Sorry, eight Sphynxes, five dogs. Eight Sphynxes, now seven, one passed away.”

Published on
30/06/2026 – 11:57 GMT+2

The Japanese yen fell to around 162.4 per dollar in Asian trading on Tuesday morning, its lowest level since 1986.

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The drop extends a punishing run for the yen, which has kept weakening despite the Bank of Japan’s efforts to support it, and now revives the prospect that the authorities will step into the market directly.

Japan’s finance minister, Satsuki Katayama, has already responded to the situation by stating that the government was ready to take “appropriate” and even “decisive” action against excessive currency moves, adding that she had confirmed with Washington that such a step remained an option.

Traders are now watching closely for any sign that Tokyo is selling US dollars to prop up the yen, as it did in the spring.

At the heart of the weakness is the current wide gap between Japanese and American interest rates.

Even after the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark to 1% in mid-June, its highest since 1995, Japanese yields remain far below those in the US, where ten-year government bonds have recently paid around 4.5%, compared with roughly 2.6% in Japan.

That gap sustains the so-called carry trade, in which investors borrow cheaply in yen to buy higher-yielding assets elsewhere, continually pushing the currency down.

A robust dollar has compounded the pressure.

The greenback has drawn safe-haven demand from tensions around the conflict involving Iran, while expectations that the US Federal Reserve could raise rates later this year, even as the Bank of Japan moves cautiously, have widened the divide further.

Japan’s heavy reliance on imported energy, which is costlier amid elevated oil prices, has also added to demand for US dollars.

A test for Tokyo

The renewed slide is a headache for policymakers who have already thrown considerable firepower at the problem.

Between April and May, Japan spent a record ¥11.7 trillion (€63.3bn) intervening in currency markets, the largest such effort on record, yet the Japanese yen has continued to weaken.

Domestic politics has not helped, with the big-spending, growth-focused agenda of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raising doubts about Japan’s fiscal discipline.

Analysts say the immediate risk of intervention is high, given that speculative bets against the Japanese yen have climbed to multi-year peaks and a fresh four-decade low tends to sharpen political anxiety in Tokyo.

However, many doubt that buying the currency would reverse its course for long, since the underlying rate gap remains firmly against it.

The Bank of Japan’s next policy decision, due on 31 July, is now in sharp focus, with further rate rises seen as the more durable route to stemming the decline.

For now, the Japanese yen remains at the mercy of forces its central bank has struggled to control.

For the next five years, the Environmental Protection Agency has indicated it will not require public water utilities to test for microplastics or pharmaceuticals in drinking water, according to a proposed rule published in the Federal Register.

On Friday, the EPA submitted a list of chemicals it plans to test for under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, a mandatory testing program used to collect information about concerning chemicals in drinking water that could be harming human health. It did not include microplastics or pharmaceuticals.

The omissions come after announcements by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin earlier this year that his agency was designating microplastics and pharmaceuticals priority contaminants for testing.

“This is a direct response to the concern of millions of Americans who have long demanded answers about what they and their families are drinking every day,” he said at an April news conference with Health and Human Secretary Robert F. Kennedy at EPA headquarters.

Zeldin’s announcement was seen at the time as a move to placate the increasingly disgruntled Make America Healthy Again contingent of Trump supporters.

Now the agency says it has no validated or standardized method to test for the plastic particles in drinking water, and wouldn’t be able to develop one before December, when testing is required to begin.

Among the 33 chemicals the EPA will require water utilities to test for are seven PFAS, or forever chemicals, and three pesticide residues.

It will be five years before the EPA proposes another list.

The EPA did not respond to a request for comment.

The agency noted in its proposed rule that it will collaborate with other federal agencies to “evaluate risks and exposures” of microplastics for future monitoring.

Environmentalists reacted with frustration and resignation. They pointed out that the European Union has developed methods to test for the tiny plastic particles, which have been found in people’s blood, brains and lung tissue. California has one in the works.

“The California water board has spent a lot of time and money on how to measure in drinking water,” said Judith Enck, a former EPA regional administrator and president of the anti-plastic environmental group Beyond Plastics “EPA should give them a call.”

California was required by a 2018 state law to establish a protocol for local water utilities to test for the particles in drinking water. The state has not yet begun reporting its results, but protocols were established in 2021. Blair Robertson, a spokesman for the State Water Resources Control Board, said it’s not “a fully validated, end-to-end regulatory method” yet.

At the April meeting, Zeldin announced that he would place microplastics on what is known as the Contaminant Candidate List, which acts as a preliminary “watch list” of unregulated, priority contaminants in drinking water. Like the mandatory monitoring list, it is updated only every five years. The most recent list was published on April 2 — the day he made his announcement.

“Americans have been ignored as they sound the alarm about plastics in their drinking water,” Zeldin said at the April announcement. “That ends today by placing microplastics on the contaminant candidate list for the first time ever. EPA will follow the science, will pursue answers and will hold ourselves to the highest standards to protect the health of Americans.”

There appears to be no clear association between these two lists, although the contaminant list is supposed to inform the monitoring list. Seventy-five chemicals and four chemical groups (microplastics, pharmaceuticals, PFAS chemicals, and disinfection byproducts) were listed on the 2026 contaminant list. Only seven of those chemicals were also on the proposed monitoring list (as well as seven PFAS chemicals).

When Zeldin announced microplastics as “‘a priority contaminant for regulation,’ and called it ‘a historic action on microplastics,’ he made it seem like the administration was going to take microplastics seriously,” said Mary Grant, water policy director for the environmental group Food & Water Watch.

“By not including them, they made it clear they don’t actually have plans to immediately address this crisis by getting the real-world monitoring data that we need right now to really start correcting ourselves,” she said.

Craig Davis, senior director of plastics chemistry at the American Chemistry Council — the nation’s largest trade group for chemical companies — said that while his organization supports microplastic research, it also agrees with the EPA’s decision not to include them in the monitoring list.

“National drinking water monitoring should be based on validated, standardized methods that can produce reliable and comparable data,” said Davis in a statement. He said “limited” national monitoring resources should be focused where data can produce “actionable public health information.”

The public has 60 days to comment once the plan is published in the Federal Register.

Everton are close to agreeing a deal with Chelsea to sign winger Tyrique George following his loan spell.

The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan on Merseyside, with an option to buy for £25m, but Everton have renegotiated an upfront fee to one with add-ons.

George made 11 appearances for Everton, starting once, but impressed manager David Moyes during his four-month spell at the club.

In May Moyes described him as “an excellent boy” with an “excellent work-rate” when asked about the possibility of a permanent move before the final match of the season.

With the deal for George close, Everton are finalising a £16m deal for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

Attacking midfielder Merlin Rohl is also set to make his loan move permanent following a successful spell from SC Freiburg last season, while Idrissa Gana Gueye and Seamus Coleman have departed after their contracts expired.

George, who came through Chelsea‘s academy, has been available for transfer for the past 12 months.

He held talks with RB Leipzig last summer, while a £22m move to Fulham collapsed on transfer deadline day in September 2025.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are continuing their squad rebuild under new manager Xabi Alonso.

They have signed Marco Palestra from Atalanta and retain interest in Crystal Palace‘s Maxence Lacroix, Como’s Jacobo Ramon and Rayo Vallecano full-back Pep Chavarria.

However, the club are also looking to reduce the size of their squad after finishing 10th in the Premier League and failing to qualify for European competition.

That means fewer matches and reduced revenue from broadcasting and matchdays, while Chelsea remain under a Uefa settlement agreement for the next three seasons after breaching financial regulations last summer.

Player sales are therefore likely, with Real Madrid interested in Enzo Fernandez, while Como and Inter Milan are among the clubs keen on Trevoh Chalobah.

The futures of Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana also remain uncertain, along with forwards Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap.

June 29 (Asia Today) — The Esther Prayer Movement began a five-day fasting prayer conference Monday in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, to pray for the salvation of North Koreans and what organizers call “gospel unification.”

The 36th Gospel Unification Conference, also called the Fasting Prayer Assembly for North Korea’s Salvation, will continue through Friday at the Osanri Choi Jasil Memorial Fasting Prayer Mountain.

Organizers use “gospel unification” to refer to reunification accompanied by religious freedom and the spread of Christianity in North Korea.

The interdenominational gathering brings Christians together to pray for what the organization describes as “a holy South Korea,” the salvation of North Koreans and gospel-based reunification.

The fasting prayer gathering began in January 2009 and has since been held twice a year, during the second week of January and the first week of July. The conferences run for five days and are livestreamed on YouTube for viewers in South Korea and abroad.

At its 35th conference in January, the organization announced a 40-day fasting prayer campaign for the country during 2026.

About 600 pastors and church members registered for the campaign, which is continuing throughout the year, organizers said. Members also participated in a 150-day special overnight prayer campaign from Jan. 17 through June 14.

The organization said the latest gathering is intended to draw attention to North Koreans living under the rule of the Kim family.

It said North Koreans are subjected to the state-sponsored deification of the ruling family and compelled to show reverence to statues and portraits of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

Lee Yong-hee, head of the Esther Prayer Movement, cited Hebrews 13:3, which calls on Christians to remember prisoners and people who are mistreated.

He also cited 1 Timothy 5:8, which says believers should care for their relatives and immediate families.

“The Korean church should fulfill its responsibility toward fellow Koreans,” Lee said.

Lee said he had recently heard accounts that North Korean Christians who fasted and prayed during the gatherings experienced what they described as divine grace, including speaking in tongues.

“Let the underground church in North Korea, Korean churches overseas and churches around the world unite and do their utmost in fasting and prayer to bring forward the day of gospel unification,” Lee said.

He said Christians should make every effort if greater participation in fasting and prayer could hasten that day.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260629010009929

A MUCH-LOVED lido is launching its summer season tomorrow, with the popular swimming site now set to open daily.

The venue boasts multiple water flumes and a diving board, with visitors hailing it as “a fab day out”.

Aldershot Lido in Hampshire is fully reopening for its summer season from tomorrow.

Having welcomed families throughout June, the venue now hopes to attract even more visitors with the summer holidays coming up.

From tomorrow, the lido will open daily between 10am to 6pm, continuing until August 31.

Aldershot Lido welcomes tens of thousands of visitors annually to its outdoor pool, boasting a capacity of up to 3,000 swimmers.

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Opening in May 1930, Aldershot Lido was once reputed to be “the largest and finest open-air bathing pool in the country”, playing host to the London Olympics Games in 1948.

Spanning over nine acres, the site offers three water flumes and a diving board, alongside a toddler paddling pool and sandpit for the little ones.

For those wanting a workout, the facilities include a 75-metre pool with plenty of space for lane swimming, as well as a full-sized basketball court.

A wide range of food and drink vendors are on offer for refreshments, with lawn space surrounding the pool reserved for family picnics.

The lido’s popular Doggy Splash sessions will also return in September, giving local pups the chance to play in the outdoor pool before the end of the season.

Swimmers have raved about Aldershot Lido across the years, with one calling it a “fab day out”, and another saying it is “a lovely place for children”.

Karl Miles, Everyone Active regional contract manager, said: “The move to daily opening marks the start of our busiest and most exciting period of the year.

“Aldershot Lido offers a unique outdoor swimming experience and we are pleased to be providing residents and visitors with even more opportunities to enjoy everything the site has to offer this summer.”

Adults can enjoy the open air pool from just £12.50, with children’s tickets priced at £9.50 and those under three swimming for free.

Aldershot Lido will be open daily between 10am and 6pm from July 1 to August 31.

An Israeli attack on the al-Mawasi camp in Khan Younis has killed several people, including a mother and her child. More than one hundred tents belonging to displaced Palestinians were also destroyed.

Another former bombshell has apologized for past use of a racist slur that got her ousted from the villa.

Fired “Love Island USA” contestant Alannah Keyser posted a video to TikTok on Saturday addressing a past video that showed her using the N-word as she sang along to the Roddy Ricch song “The Box.” On Friday, Peacock confirmed to The Times that Keyser had been dismissed from the hit reality dating show after the resurfaced video began circulating online.

“I do want to begin by addressing the video of me singing along to a Roddy Ricch song that contains a racial slur,” Keyser says in her video. “I’m sorry to whoever has seen that video and has been offended by it; that was never my intention. The video is from six years ago, and that word is just not in my vocabulary anymore.”

A USC film student from Miami, Keyser also addressed some of the other social media chatter about her that had been making the rounds prior to her dismissal. Included were accusations of racism due to screenshots of her alleged use of the racist slur on Snapchat and Instagram as well as observations that alleged she had interacted less with Black men on the show.

She said those screenshots had been “falsified.”

“What has been shared does not reflect the truth, and it’s never been in my character to discriminate against anybody’s skin color,” Keyser said. “I do want to say directly that I do not support racism or discrimination of any kind, and I never have.

“When I first found out that these things were going around online, it really broke my heart, and I couldn’t do anything about it. But this has definitely been a learning lesson for me, and it sucks that I didn’t get a chance to really show my personality and who I am,” she added.

In the caption of her TikTok video, Keyser wrote that “reality tv is HEAVILY edited & [her] chats/kisses with the other boys were unfortunately not aired.”

Keyser was the second “Love Island USA” contestant who was dismissed from the show this season after video of them using the N-word surfaced on social media. Earlier this month, Peacock axed Oregon-based beauty technician Vasana Montgomery just days after it announced its slate of Islanders for the show’s eighth season. She has since apologized, saying, “There is no excuse” for her use of the slur.

Last year, contestants Cierra Ortega and Yulissa Escobar were dismissed from the show for their use of racist slurs. Ortega had been caught repeatedly using a derogatory slur for Chinese people (and Asian people in general) on social media, while Escobar had used the N-word in a couple of podcasts. Both have since apologized.

Tom Caunce weas annoyed at people getting up at 6am to reserve sunbeds in Mallorca

A holidaymaker fed up with fellow tourists getting up early to reserve sunbeds by the pool decided to sprinkle itching powder onto their towels. Tom Caunce decided to take matters into his own hands during a family holiday in Mallorca.

The 31-year-old filmed the sabotage and shared the footage online. Tom said he specifically targeted what he described as “repeat offenders” who reserved prime poolside loungers before heading back to their rooms.

“I think we’ve all experienced the frustration of trying to get a sunbed on holiday,” Tom said. “Many of us have accepted the 6am wake-up call just to have a chance of getting a decent spot. On my last holiday, I decided enough was enough and that it was time for a bit of playful payback.”

Tom, from Southport, said he spent the first few days keeping an eye on guests who repeatedly claimed the same loungers each morning before disappearing. His first target was a woman he estimated to be in her late 40s.

According to Tom, she and her husband reserved the same beds every day despite spending little time around the pool. He attempted a quick “walk-by sprinkle” of itching powder onto one of the towels. But the plan appeared to backfire almost immediately.

Tom said: “As soon as she arrived at the pool she seemed annoyed. She immediately grabbed the towel from the sunbed and stormed back to her room to change it, while her husband stayed behind to reserve the spot.”

Undeterred, Tom returned the next morning with a new plan. After setting his alarm for 6am, he watched from his balcony as holidaymakers headed towards the pool.

Within minutes, he spotted another couple making a beeline for the same loungers they had used the previous day. Tom said he sneaked downstairs and rubbed itching powder into one of the white hotel towels before waiting for the pair to return.

Hours later, at around 1.30pm, the man finally appeared. Tom initially feared the prank had failed after noticing the holidaymaker had brought another towel with him. But moments later, he said, the scratching began.

Tom said: “After about a minute, I noticed him starting to scratch his legs. After around 10 minutes, he got up and jumped into the pool.”

According to Tom, the situation escalated when the man later used the towel to dry himself. He said: “He picked up the white towel and used it to dry himself, and the small irritation seemed to turn into a full-body scratch.”

Tom claimed the holidaymaker eventually gave up sunbathing and spent the rest of the afternoon sheltering under an umbrella. He said: “I tried to get more footage of it on a few occasions, but I couldn’t stop laughing. The reaction was priceless.”

The videos were viewed a combined 864,000 times and attracted more than 13,000 likes, with social media users split over the stunt. One person said: “This is incredibly strange.”

Another user added: “It’s not ok to do this. Remove towels, yes, but this no.”

Man sprinkles itching powder on sunbeds

A different user said: “Oh, I love this! Just make sure you don’t do it to people who are just swimming and not reserving.”

One person added: “Absolute genius, thank you for your service.” Another person said: “What a b*llend.”

The prank took place in Majorca on 6 and 7 June.

The most common traditional ingredient of itching powder comes from the seed pods of rosehips (specifically Rosa canina). Inside the pod, the seeds are surrounded by tiny, sharp, microscopic hairs. Some cheap or poorly made novelty powders historically used ground-up fiberglass or specialized glass fibers. This type is highly hazardous.

SEATTLE — Cole Young hit two home runs to back eight strong innings from George Kirby as the Seattle Mariners came from behind to beat the Angels 6-2 on Monday night.

Dominic Canzone also went deep to help Seattle (43-43) get back to .500 and stay a half-game behind the first-place Texas Rangers in the American League West.

Zach Neto doubled to center field leading off the game against Kirby (7-7), and Denzer Guzman singled two pitches later for a 1-0 lead. Neto hit his 18th home run in the third — a two-out shot that made it 2-0.

Kirby gave up a one-out double to Josh Lowe in the fifth but struck out the side — including Neto — to end the inning. The right-hander used 16 pitches to get six straight outs from there until Lowe doubled leading off the eighth.

Kirby issued his only walk, to Neto, with one out before striking out Guzman looking and Nolan Schanuel swinging on his 100th pitch.

Kirby gave up seven hits and fanned seven before José A. Ferrer pitched a scoreless ninth.

Young led off the third against Angels rookie Ryan Johnson (1-3) with his eighth homer to cut it to 2-1. Josh Naylor walked and stole second in front of Young’s two-out shot in the sixth off Mitch Farris to make it 6-2.

Randy Arozarena was hit by a two-out pitch in the fourth before advancing on a two-base fielding error by Guzman at third base on a grounder from Naylor. Both runners scored on Cal Raleigh’s bloop single for a 3-2 lead.

Canzone hit his 13th homer to make it 4-2 in the sixth, a leadoff shot against Farris.

Johnson gave up three runs (one earned) in five innings. Farris was tagged for three runs in three innings.

June 30 (UPI) — A U.S. federal judge has sentenced exiled Chinese entrepreneur Guo Wengui to 30 years in prison for defrauding investors of more than $1 billion.

Guo, also known as Ho Wan Kwok and Miles Guo, is a Chinese national who made his fortune in Chinese real estate before fleeing China, in 2014, relocating to the United States around 2015.

He was arrested in March 2023 on a series of fraud and money laundrying charges. Federal prosecutors alleged that, beginning around 2018, he led a conspiracy that defrauded his online followers of more than $1 billion through investment and membership schemes tied to his anti-Chinese Communist Party movement and related business ventures.

In sentencing him on Monday to the three-decade punishment that the prosecutors had requested, Judge Analisa Torres in a Manhattan courtroom said Guo had “preyed on people seeking to bring democracy to China,” The New York Times reported.

During the trial, the prosecutors alleged that in around 2018, he created two nonprofit organizations, which he used to amass followers aligned against the CCP and who were inclined to believe his business advice.

In the years that followed, Guo established several investment opportunities that he advertised to his online followers, who gave him hundreds of millions of dollars over the years.

Prosecutors alleged that Guo had used the money he stole from his followers to line his own pockets, buying himself and cloase relatives luxuries, such as a 50,000-square-foot mansion, a $4.5 million Ferrari sports car and two $36,000 mattresses. He also used the money to finance a $37 million luxury yacht, they said.

Guo denied the accusations.

During sentencing Monday, Torres also imposed ann $889 million forfeiture order against Guo, chastising his “exploitation of a philanthropic purpose, his history of intimidation of critics and his refusal to accept responsibility,” The Guardian reported.

Yanping “Yvette” Wang, Guo’s former chief of staff, was sentenced to 10 years in January 2025 after pleading guilty to related wire fraud and money laundering charges. A second co-defendant, Kinn Ming Je, also known as Willian Je, has been charged with several fraud and money laundering charges.

Guo is also an associate of Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and former top aide to President Donald Trump.

Bannon was arrested in August 2020 aboard a yacht owned by Guo on charges related to a crowdsourced campaign to raise money to build barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Police and personnel from private security firms have been deployed across South Africa because of fears that anti-immigration protests could turn violent as President Cyril Ramaphosa urged those planning to take part to do so without “intimidation, threats or ultimatums”.

The planned protests mark an unofficial deadline set by campaigners for all undocumented foreigner to leave the country.

Many have already fled to escape violence and intimidation. South African police say 25,000 have been repatriated so far. Most are from other African countries.

One undocumented Malawian told the BBC he was “happy to be going back” but “heartbroken” to be leaving behind four young children.

Johannesburg, where one of the protests is planned, is unusually quiet.

All the shops in the vicinity of where marchers are due to gather are closed, while police visibility is high on the city’s major streets.

Police said that five people were arrested in Johannesburg’s biggest township, Soweto, for allegedly looting a foreign-owned shop.

Five people were also arrested for allegedly breaking into a tuck shop in Hammarsdale in KwaZulu-Natal province.

Many businesses in central Durban, the main city in the province, are shut.

Ramaphosa has repeatedly warned demonstrators to act peacefully and responsibly, while also accepting the need for immigration reforms.

“Some foreign nationals who live in South Africa are here lawfully,” he reminded citizens in his weekly newsletter, external.

“They work, study, raise families, invest in our economy and contribute positively to our society. They too are entitled to the protection of our laws and our Constitution.

“The right to protest and freedom of expression does not allow people to threaten or intimidate others, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence,” he wrote.

There are more than three million documented foreign nationals in South Africa, according to official figures.

Ahead of the deadline, thousands of migrants have been awaiting processing in temporary camps for several weeks out of fear for their safety.

Reuben Owen will be going head-to-head against Jess’ dad in tonight’s Season 3 finale.

Reuben Owen Life in the Dales is almost over once again – but there’s a silver lining.

Spreading his wings away from his family’s original Channel 5 show Our Yorkshire Farm, eldest son Reuben Owen takes centre stage in his own series Life in the Dales.

The ambitious 22-year-old entrepreneur has been continuing to tackle building up their plant machinery and groundwork business with help from his friends and girlfriend Jess.

Season 3’s ninth episode and grand finale airs tonight, Tuesday, June 30, spelling the end of the popular docu-series with no confirmation of a fourth outing just yet. However, fans of the young Yorkshire farmer will be thrilled by its Channel 5 replacement on TV schedules next week.

Series 3 might be ending but next Tuesday, July 7, fans are going to be treated to a repeat episode from Reuben Owen Life in the Dales Season 2.

The instalment that’s taking up the primetime slot at 8pm will be episode seven where Reuben celebrates his 21st birthday with a vintage tractor journey. His girlfriend Jess also organises a cute surprise of balloons and a cake which is secretly transported under his best friend Tommy McWhirter’s tractor engine.

As of yet though, it isn’t clear if this is just a one-off repeat of Life in the Dales or if Channel 5 is going to continue airing episodes every Tuesday.

But before fans step back in time, there is the Season 3 finale to get excited about. The official synopsis for tonight’s episode reads: “With lambing season well underway, Reuben and Jess race to stock-proof the fences at Brough Castle Farm before more than 300 newborn lambs arrive in the fields.

“However, when Reuben challenges Jess’s dad Dave to a battle of man versus machine, Jess is left caught in the middle.

“Capper and Sonny attempt to breathe life back into a vintage tractor, but getting it to run proves tricky.”

Reuben Owen Life in the Dales is available to watch on Channel 5.

The United States’ head of homeland security said he “danced a happy dance” when Iran were eliminated from the World Cup.

Iran missed out on qualifying from the group stage on goal difference after having a stoppage-time winner against Egypt disallowed for a marginal offside.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei said his team were the “most oppressed” at the tournament amid the backdrop of the country’s conflict with the US and Israel.

Iran’s training base was switched from Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico before the World Cup began and they faced travel restrictions throughout.

Despite Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Egypt, Iran still had a chance of qualifying as one of the eight best third-placed teams.

But their elimination was confirmed when Algeria and Austria played out a dramatic 3-3 draw on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said: “I’m just glad they’re done, and they’re not coming back.

“I was so happy when we were able to pull their visas and said they could leave the US soil, and I might’ve sung a song or two or maybe even danced a happy dance.”

He added: “There wasn’t a single team that we had to spend more time dealing with than Iran.”

Iran were only permitted to enter the US the day before their first two matches and had to leave on the same day as the game, under the terms of their visas.

Those restrictions were eased for their final group game in Seattle, allowing them to arrive two days early, but they again had to return to Tijuana after Saturday’s match.

Iran coach Ghalenoei said that the US, co-hosts of the World Cup with Canada and Mexico, had “treated us very unfairly” and that his squad had been given “less than half” the training window it needed to prepare.

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi added: “This kind of tension undermines the joy of the World Cup. I felt the tension from the first moment we arrived.”

June 30 (UPI) — The Trump administration has filed lawsuits challenging Massachusetts and Rhode Island laws that offer in-state tuition benefits to certain undocumented immigrants, alleging they unlawfully discriminate against U.S. citizens.

The lawsuits announced Monday are the latest the Justice Department has filed against state laws that offer in-state rates, financial aid or scholarships to certain undocumented immigrants who meet state residency or education requirements, which generally consist of living in the state for a number of years and attending high school there.

Justice Department lawyers allege these laws are illegal because they offer noncitizens benefits denied to U.S. citizens from other states.

“The Department of Justice is committed to fulfilling President Trump’s promise that illegal aliens will not receive taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment over America’s own citizens,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said in a statement.

“As our nation marks 250 years of freedom, we will continue to challenge state laws that place aliens over citizens in clear defiance of Congress’ commands.”

Massachusetts has extended eligibility for in-state tuition benefits, financial aid and scholarships at Massachusetts state schools to qualifying undocumented immigrants since 2023, while Rhode Island has allowed qualifying undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition costs going back to 2011. Rhode Island then codified this law in 2021.

The lawsuits filed Monday ask the courts to enjoin enforcement of these laws, saying they violate a federal statute, enacted in 1996, that specifically bans offering in-state tuition to any noncitizen “unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit … without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident.”

Proponents of these laws, sometimes referred to as Dream Act laws, argue that without offering in-state tuition rates, post-secondary education will be kept out of reach for undocumented immigrants living in the United States, while such laws can reduce high school dropout rates as well as raise student incomes and tax contributions, among other economic benefits.

The Trump administration has been targeting these laws as part of President Donald Trump‘s aggressive immigration policy that has seen mass roundups and deportations of noncitizens.

In April 2025, Trump signed an executive order directing the attorney general to identify and stop the enforcement of state laws and policies “favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens,” specifically highlighting laws that “provide in-state higher education tuition to aliens but not to out-of-state American citizens.”

Since then, federal prosecutors have challenged laws in 12 states. Four lawsuits, against Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Nebraska, have resulted in orders permanently enjoining the states’ in-state tuition laws, while Kansas last week joined the Justice Department in seeking a proposed consent decree that must be approved by the court.

The remaining challenges are pending against Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, all Democratic-led states.

According to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, about 20 states and Washington, D.C., provide in-state tuition to undocumented students, while 18 and the nation’s capital also provide state financial aid.

Time Out has named this spot as one of the best places to visit in the UK highlighting its stunning beaches, world-class museums and vibrant food scene

It’s time to look beyond the obvious and consider some of Britain’s finest destinations which may not yet feature on your travel radar — but absolutely should — and one of them is tucked away in the North East.

Time Out has unveiled its list of ‘The 14 best places to visit in the UK in 2026’, and cracking the top 10 is a North East city that is frequently overlooked in favour of its more celebrated neighbour just 10 miles down the road.

Certain spots earned their place on the list for their buzzing nightlife, others for their coastlines, some for their museums, and others still for their exceptional food scenes. Claiming the number 10 spot was Sunderland, carving out a reputation that stretches well beyond its celebrated football club.

Premier League glory aside, Sunderland might not immediately spring to mind for many travellers, yet according to the publication’s experts, there’s a wealth of experiences waiting to be discovered in this seaside city. With a host of exhibitions, sporting fixtures and much more scheduled throughout 2026, there are countless reasons to visit — and even more to make you want to linger.

Beaches

Unlike most thriving cities, Sunderland is fortunate enough to boast a handful of sweeping and stunning beaches, owing to its enviable position along the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea coast. The twin beaches at Roker and Seaburn are the perfect spot to kick back and relax, with many visitors hailing them as “the best in the UK” — some having made the trip since childhood.

Both hold blue flag status, making them a clean and safe destination for the whole family, whether you’re soaking up the golden sands in summer or enjoying a brisk stroll along the shore during the cooler months.

A recent visitor shared on TripAdvisor: “We spent a fine sunny spring morning walking on the seafront. We got there easily by taking the E1 bus from Sunderland city centre.

“Roker and Seaburn are attractive with good beaches with nice cafes with good coffee, which we sampled, and seafront restaurants that we would like to try next time. We only spent three hours here, but it has whetted our appetites and will certainly come again when visiting Sunderland.”

Pier Point at Roker sits right on the beachfront, lined with a variety of cafés and restaurants where you can tuck into classic seaside fare and stop off for a drink or two.

Museums

As highlighted by Time Out when unveiling their rankings, museums play a central role in Sunderland’s appeal as a tourist destination and serve as a brilliant showcase of the city’s rich cultural and historical heritage. It’s worth checking ahead for any upcoming exhibits, but on any given day, these venues are well worth a visit.

Standing out among the city’s attractions is the National Glass Centre, set within a striking glass structure beside the waterfront. The venue is devoted to examining concepts and heritage through the medium of glass, while offering visitors the chance to get hands-on and engage with the educational programmes available.

It’s highly regarded as one of Sunderland’s top attractions, ranking second on TripAdvisor. One visitor remarked: “This place is amazing. The glassblowing demonstration is really good, the cafe is really nice, food delish, staff very good. Nice setting on the water.”

Additional museums include the North East Land, Sea and Air Museum, Ryhope Engines Museum and, perhaps most significantly, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. Located in the city centre, Sunderland Museum chronicles the city’s story across four levels, featuring an array of captivating galleries and displays.

One visitor said: “The museum offers free entry and has plenty of exhibits. I first had to see the staple of the museum, which is Wallace the Lion who has been with the museum for over 160 years.

“There was a write-up about how Wallace came to be in the museum which was nice to read about. There were a few other areas which showed off the history of the mines and celebrated the miners’ unions, etc.”

For those seeking somewhere to while away a few hours indoors, whether escaping dreary weather or beating the heat, free entry means there’s every reason to discover what the museum has to offer.

Across the city, a diverse array of thriving independent eateries are serving up some seriously tasty grub, from street food stalls to cosy cafés and beloved seafront staples. Time Out made a point of singling out Propa Pies, a “nostalgia-fuelled pastry pop-up from Hairy Biker Si King”, which offers an impressive selection of inventively flavoured pies alongside timeless classics.

WhatsApp says the feature is designed to give its three billion users a new layer of control over who can contact them.

WhatsApp will let users go by usernames instead of phone numbers, closing a longstanding privacy gap on the app used by more than three billion people.

The Meta-owned platform said on Monday that it has begun letting users reserve unique usernames before a wider rollout later this year when people will be able to choose to be found and contacted only by their handles.

WhatsApp said the change was designed as a core privacy feature with no public directory of usernames and no autocomplete suggestions, meaning users will need to know someone’s exact username to reach them for the first time.

WhatsApp offers end-to-end encrypted communication across smartphones, tablets and desktop computers. Until now, it has allowed users to be contacted by anyone who has their phone number.

The app said in a blog post that over the “coming months”, users will get the option to be found and contacted only by their username, and not their number. It wasn’t more specific about the timeline.

“We have designed this as a core privacy feature,” Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s vice president of product, told reporters.

“People will need to know your exact username to contact you for the first time,” she said.

WhatsApp’s current privacy settings are limited to blocking individual users and silencing unknown callers.

The app also allows users to add a profile name, but that’s only displayed in chat groups for other people who don’t have the user’s contact info saved.

A scramble for unique usernames

While people in the United States still prefer text messaging to WhatsApp, the app is widely used in Europe, Asia and much of the rest of the world.

Catchy online handles are highly coveted, and users will likely scramble to claim a desirable one.

“I think a lot of people will go and get usernames, and that’s why we decided to open reservations early,” Newton-Rex said.

Companies, organisations and creators with existing accounts on Meta’s social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook, will get the chance to claim their usernames on WhatsApp.

Usernames need to be three to 35 characters. To prevent impersonation, WhatsApp will hold back usernames for high-profile people or groups, such as celebrities, public figures and government entities.

The ITV star has been hosting another well-known programme this week away from her role on Good Morning Britain.

A Good Morning Britain star has shared a career update with her followers online.

Popular ITV presenter Charlotte Hawkins has moved channels as she’s been fronting Jeremy Vine’s show on Channel 5 – and fans have been rushing to comment following her debut.

Charlotte, who has been a regular face on Good Morning Britain since it launched in 2014, confirmed she’d be filling in for Jeremy on her social media last Friday (June 26) after she’d guest-hosted Matt Allwright’s show on the channel.

Now, the 51-year-old has been showered with support after fronting Jeremy’s show for the first time on Monday (June 29) as she shared a snap of herself in the studio alongside Joanna Jarjue and Mike Parry.

One person commented: “You looked amazing. Good job done.” Someone else added: “It went very well, very natural.”

Another fan wrote: “This works for you, good job.” While on X, one viewer shared: ” #Jeremyvine Oh Charlotte’s swapped the sofa on ITV’s Good Morning Britain to the Channel 5 desk and chair #ThisMorning #Gmb “

While someone else commented: “Great seeing @CharlotteHawkns on @JeremyVineOn5 this morning #Jeremyvine .”

Opening the show on Monday, Charlotte commented: “I’m Charlotte Hawkins, sitting in for Jeremy while he enjoys a holiday!”

Charlotte confirmed that she’d be back on the programme on Tuesday (June 30). During Monday’s episode she welcomed back Mike Parry to the panel after his recent treatment for skin cancer.

When asked how he’s doing, he replied: “I feel very well, thank you. I can’t thank The Royal Marsden Hospital enough for what they did for me last week.

“It was five consecutive days, a blast of radiation, once a day, a serious blast and then other procedures.

“But, I feel good at the end of it, I feel mentally very well. I know I was in the hands of some of the best people in the world.”

He also shared a warning to viewers as he highlighted the importance of keeping out of the sun following his diagnosis.

Mike added: “can I say to everybody, please, please, take the greatest precaution against that big yellow ball in the sky, the sun. It will get you; you have a chance to stop it.”

The Jeremy Vine show airs every weekday on Channel 5 from 9:15am.

Mercedes’ George Russell took his second win of the season with victory from pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen recovered from a crash in the final part of qualifying to finish second at Red Bull’s home race, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli in third.

Russell’s win moves him back up to second in the drivers’ standings, 40 points behind team-mate Antonelli.

BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson answers your latest questions before this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

I think a pole position under a yellow flag sets a dangerous precedent, because it’s clear that from now on, everyone will continue to push hard after a small slow down, or else their lap will be cancelled. I’d be curious to hear your opinion – Lorenzo

George Russell’s pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix, the foundation for his victory on Sunday, came about in controversial circumstances.

According to the rules, Russell did nothing wrong.

Marshals trackside initially waved a single yellow flag when Max Verstappen crashed at Turn Nine.

Kimi Antonelli mis-read the light board as a double yellow, and backed out of his lap – the correct response for what he thought to be the case. Under a double yellow, drivers have to “slow down and be prepared to stop”.

But under a single yellow, a driver does not have to abandon their lap. They only have to not set a fastest time in the relevant section of the track.

Russell complied with this, but the rest of his lap was fast enough to put him on pole anyway.

The concern here is less the specifics of these rules, but whether the correct flag was shown in the circumstances.

The answer to that has to be no.

Verstappen crashed at the fastest corner on the track, which is taken at close to 140mph.

Turn Nine is notoriously challenging, with its downhill entry, and an exit kerb that’s easy to over-run.

Both Verstappen and Antonelli questioned the decision to show only a single yellow at the time, when Verstappen’s car was in the barrier at this corner as other drivers were seeking to set what would be their fastest laps of the weekend.

Verstappen described it as “quite crazy”.

Antonelli said: “There was a car in the wall in a fast corner. I don’t know why it didn’t go double-yellow straight away, because it’s a super-quick corner, and if you go off at the same time, it can end up very badly. That was a bit confusing.

“For sure it’s something that needs to be reviewed, especially when it happens in a high-speed corner.

“If it’s a slow-speed [corner], single yellow can be OK but fast corners should be double yellow straight away.”

To underline the point, within 20 seconds, race control upgraded the flag to a double yellow, but everyone had completed their laps by then.