Nigel Farage is angry. We know this, because yesterday he went to great lengths to tell us so. ‘So yes, you can ask: am I angry? Well, I’ve never been angrier in my life’, he raged in a recorded address to the nation from his Reform bunker.

The reason for his anger? A national newspaper had published a photo of a house he owns which is lived in by a family member.

A house, incidentally, that Farage himself had happily posed in front of for photographs previously. And a broadcast journalist had knocked on the door of a family member whilst apparently trying to inquire about his whereabouts.

He is also furious at the fact that he was being asked questions about his personal finances. ‘Making money is not a crime,’ he insisted furiously. ‘The really big question that I want to pose is: Do we want leaders that know how to make money? Do we want leaders who have run businesses, employed people and understand how the world works?’

To which the answer from most reasonable people would be ‘yes’. But that’s not the issue Reform’s leader keeps dodging. He isn’t currently under investigation by parliament’s sleaze watchdog for making an honest living.

He’s under investigation for accepting a staggering £5million gift from a mysterious British-Thai sugar daddy, not declaring it, then telling the voters legitimate questions about what he himself boasted was ‘a lottery win’, were ‘none of their business’. He’s also facing separate questions over accepting staff, security and a flat near Buckingham Palace from an acquaintance called George Cottrell (aka ‘Posh George’), who is a convicted fraudster, and recently published a book titled How To Launder Money. ‘I have not broken the law in any way at all’, Farage furiously declared. No, but some of his closest allies have.

We know too that Nigel Farage is scared. Scared for his own safety. ‘I am the most physically and verbally attacked public figure or politician of modern times’, he claimed. This was why he needed millions of pounds for his personal security. He used the example of an occasion when his car was surrounded and ‘written off’ by a hostile mob.

Though in the midst of his justifiable anger at this appalling incident, he seems to have forgotten that two of his parliamentary colleagues – Jo Cox and David Amess – were murdered during the course of their public duties.

And that, in a nutshell, was the problem with yesterday’s piece of political street theatre.

Nigel Farage claimed his decision to give up his Clacton seat and call a by-election, in which he will stand, was all about David fronting up to the establishment Goliath. A fresh mandate would leave him free to finish his populist revolution, he insisted.

But it wasn’t really about any of those things.

Nigel Farage’s statement was about one thing. Nigel Farage.

Or, to be more accurate, someone who currently calls himself Nigel Farage. Because the self-pitying, evasive and frankly boorish figure we saw yesterday was a pale shadow of the engaging, irreverent swashbuckler who has spent the past decade cutting a swathe through the British political elite.

His speech could have very simply been boiled down to two words. ‘Poor me.’ Everyone was out to get him. The parliamentary standards commissioner. Left-wing thugs. The editor of The Times. In Farage’s eyes, just about everyone in British politics is to blame for his political woes, other than him.

Yes, his tightly controlled and choreographed media appearance will inevitably garner rave reviews amongst his social media cheerleaders.

He will inevitably be re-elected in what is effectively the safest Reform seat in the entire country, especially given the major parties will not be standing and his only ‘serious’ competition will be from the intergalactic space warrior, Count Binface.

But his victory will be a meaningless one. Because it will not address any of his or Reform’s basic structural problems.

Through his infatuation with wealthy ex-lags and shadowy foreign crypto-billionaires, Farage now appears to be in politics primarily for himself, rather than any of the causes he used to so boldly champion.

His regurgitation of cliched anti-Press tropes to try to deflect from legitimate scrutiny simply reinforces the impression he has something to hide. And his increasingly tired rhetoric and demeanour is rapidly propelling Kemi Badenoch into pole position as the standard-bearer of the insurgent Right.

Which is why Farage’s attempt to deflect from all of this by using the voters of Clacton as his human shield is doomed to fail. The British people will look at the man taking his ego for a spin along the east coast, compare it to the one who fought so tirelessly and tenaciously to free his country from the tentacles of Brussels, and ask each other: ‘Who is this imposter?’

Nigel Farage is meant to be a populist warrior. The embittered, cry-baby who hid behind his podium and his advisers yesterday and raged at the world is anything but. To use a phrase he and his supporters are very keen on, he has turned into British politics’ biggest ‘snowflake’. And the heat generated by his sleazy dealings and relationships is seeing him melt under the pressure.

There was one way Reform’s leader could have sought to transform his political fortunes yesterday: Come clean. Is the £5million gift for security, as initially claimed? Or something else, as he and his allies implied in a series of car crash interviews last week? What is the true nature of his relationship with ‘Posh’ George Cottrell? What other undisclosed gifts from mystery benefactors are floating around?

But he didn’t come clean.

Instead, he’s running away. Running away from the scrutiny. Running away from parliament’s sleaze watchdog. And hoping that amidst the circus of the upcoming by-election he’ll be able to slip away into the crowd.

He won’t. Because the British people will be able to spot him a mile off. They know what the real Nigel Farage looks like.

They can easily see through the doppelganger that stood before them yesterday. And they won’t accept any cheap imitations.

Nottinghamshire Police have issued a statement as they assist the fire service with the large-scale fire at the scrap yard.

Police have evacuated a number of properties in the area, and road closures are expected to be in place for “some time”.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesperson said: “Emergency services are currently dealing with a large-scale fire at a scrapyard in Radford Road. Police have evacuated a number of properties in the area.

“Road closures will be in place for some time in Radford Road to the junction of Northgate. Officers are advising people to avoid the area and for residents to keep windows and doors closed while the fire is extinguished.”

The arrests involved two men, both in their 60s, and a woman in her 50s.

The two men were also arrested on suspicion of fraud, while one was additionally arrested on suspicion of bribery.

The arrests mark the latest development in a long-running investigation which has already seen senior university figures suspended and a separate higher education regulator launch its own inquiry.

Police say they are exploring evidence indicating over £1million’s worth of fraudulent activity. As part of their enquiries, we’re probing around 60 transactions and investigating more than a million emails.

Our investigation team is working closely with the Crown Prosecution (CPS)’s Serious Economic Crime team.

Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson, GMP’s lead for crime, intelligence and forensics, said: “This is a key development in this significant and complex investigation which is seeing our detectives conduct painstaking work. This is a lengthy operation, and we are following every line of enquiry to ensure we are in a position to compile the strongest possible evidence for a potential prosecution.

“The investigation has become an even more complex picture since the allegations were first brought to our attention a year ago. We are ensuring that we have targeted phases focussing on each of the separate elements so that each strand is progressed methodically and thoroughly.

“The action today relates to one key strand of that investigation, and we are working closely with the CPS with a view to providing an initial file of evidence for their advice before the end of the year.

“We don’t lose sight of the fact that at the heart of this are students whose university experience has been impacted by money that should’ve been invested in their education instead allegedly being used for personal gain.

“We are continuing to engage with all relevant parties so that all necessary action can be taken in relation to any suspected criminality and to support those at the University potentially impacted by this case.”

An investigation into alleged “fraud and bribery”, the suspension of senior university figures and a separate regulator inquiry have placed the University of Greater Manchester under intense scrutiny over the past year.

Police are looking to work with the Office for Students, and are working with the University of GM to encourage any staff or representatives to provide any information that may assist with enquiries.

(Image: University of Greater Manchester)

The institution, formerly known as the University of Bolton, has faced a series of developments since allegations surrounding its governance and financial affairs first emerged in 2025.

In May 2025, the university announced that vice-chancellor Professor George E Holmes, provost Zubair Hanslot and another senior member of academic staff had been suspended following what it described as “serious allegations”.

The university said the suspensions were a precautionary measure and did not imply any assumption of guilt.

The move followed an investigation by PricewaterhouseCoopers into allegations which had surfaced publicly earlier in the year.

Dr Greg Walker, Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic), was appointed acting vice chancellor and interim accountable officer while internal procedures got under way.

Later, Greater Manchester Police confirmed it had launched a criminal investigation into allegations of fraud and bribery at the university.

The force said its investigation began after receiving allegations from online publication The Manchester Mill and following a report produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the university’s Fraud Response Panel.

In July 2025, detectives searched seven properties across Greater Manchester and the south of England as part of the inquiry.

At the time, police said no arrests had been made and described the investigation as being in its early stages, adding that officers expected it to be complex and lengthy.

In December 2025, the Office for Students opened a separate investigation into the university.

The higher education regulator said it would examine whether the University of Greater Manchester had adequate and effective management and governance arrangements in place and whether it had complied with its conditions of registration.

The Office for Students previously stressed that opening an investigation did not mean any wrongdoing or non compliance had been found.

The regulator also confirmed it would cooperate with Greater Manchester Police while carrying out its own independent investigation.

Throughout the process, the university has said it is committed to the highest standards of integrity and accountability and that it will cooperate fully with both investigations.

It has also repeatedly said its day to day operations have continued as normal and that its internal procedures remain ongoing.

North Yorkshire Police has issued a photograph of a man officers want to speak to after the theft on Friday, June 5.

The force said the items were taken from the bike while it was left secured at the hospital.

A police spokesperson said the force wants to speak to the man pictured “as he has been identified from CCTV at the site”.

Anyone who recognises the man is asked to email Ben.Robinson-Brockhill@northyorkshire.police.uk or phone 101 and ask for PC Ben Robinson-Brockhill.

Information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference number 12260104245 when providing details to police or to Crimestoppers.

Arthur Fery has earned £480,000 at Wimbledon so far but that amount barely makes a dent in his family’s enormous fortune

Arthur Fery is, without question, the wealthiest British tennis player on the circuit. The 23-year-old hails from a seriously affluent background, with his father Loic Fery having amassed a staggering fortune through his career in finance.

In 2023, Loic was ranked the 398th richest person in France with an estimated net worth of £275million. He became the owner and president of Ligue 1 club FC Lorient in 2009 but sold it earlier this year.

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Fery attended a local private school in Wimbledon costing £33,000 a year before earning a scholarship in the United States, where he continued to develop his tennis career. Fery has accumulated £650,000 ($868k) in prize money throughout his time on the ATP tour and is set to pocket a further £480k for reaching the quarter-finals at the All England Club.

Should he overcome Flavio Caballo on Centre Court on Wednesday night, he will be guaranteed a minimum payout of £900,000. His family’s vast wealth dwarfs that of every other British tennis player.

Andy Murray, Britain’s former golden boy and three-time Grand Slam champion, built a fortune of £110m, according to the latest Forbes rich list. Emma Raducanu, who claimed the 2021 US Open title and secured lucrative sponsorship deals with the likes of Dior, Porsche and British Airways, holds a net worth of £13.5m.

Reflecting on his time at Stanford in the US, Fery said: “Yeah, yeah, it’s been a while now, three years since I was there. Yeah, spent three years at Stanford as a transition after my career as a junior. Yeah, really loved it. Don’t regret it at all.

“I came out with a lot of hunger coming out of that, and I was ready to attack the pro circuit.

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“Learnt a lot. Made some great friends. The coaches are awesome, and obviously it was a great academic school, as well. Provided me with a backup in case tennis didn’t work out.”

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Darlington Borough Council approved the plans on July 7 after receiving the application earlier this year from headteacher Claire Throw and her team at St George’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School on Neasham Road.

The project will remove an area of soft landscaping and replace it with a new safe play surface, extra play equipment and a pergola to give children more space to learn and play outside.

A low wall, fencing and a gate will be added to keep the new play zone secure and to help manage changes in ground levels on the edge of the site.

The school, which sits close to homes and the nearby railway line, asked for permission to extend its existing play area over a space of just over 500 square metres.

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Council officers looked at the impact on neighbours’ views, noise, wildlife, trees and drainage before reaching their decision.

In their report, planning officers said the changes would mainly be seen from within the school grounds and that nearby homes on Thorntree Gardens, separated by gardens and planting, would only see limited changes along the boundary.

Officers also said the scheme would not cause problems for neighbours’ day‑to‑day living, as the new facilities sit within an existing outdoor play space where children already spend time.

Because the school sits close to the railway line, Network Rail was asked for its views and said it had no objection in principle.

However, it has told the school and its contractors to make sure cranes, digging and any other work do not affect tracks, bridges or other railway structures nearby.

The school now has three years from July 7 to begin the work, giving staff time to line up funds and contractors for the new facilities.

The US has resumed striking Iranian military targets, following the funeral of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

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The US has resumed air strikes against Iran, with Donald Trump declaring the negotiated ceasefire “over”.

The US President branded the Iranians as “sick”, as he spoke to reporters during a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte in Turkey.

When asked about Iran, Trump said: “It’s a very interesting question. To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over. I’ll speak to our negotiators, they want to negotiate.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them.”

Trump added that they are now striking Iran with US military strikes “20 times tougher”. He said: “They’re sick. There’s something wrong with them, reports Daily Star.

“We said ‘Go and do your funeral stuff’, and instead of that, they start shooting rockets and ships yesterday. So we hit them very hard last night.”

The US launched strikes on Iran early Wednesday (July 8), hours after it revoked a licence authorising the sale of Iranian oil in retaliation for what it said were Tehran’s attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran hit back with strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait.

The attacks on shipping threatened efforts to resume fuel shipments in the strait that are crucial to the global economy.

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The crossfire came during the days-long funeral for Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in the war’s first moments.

The funeral, which ends Thursday, was supposed to be a period of lower tensions — though mourners have repeatedly called for the killings of Mr Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Negotiations to reach a final deal had been due to start after Mr Khamenei’s burial and focus on the toughest matters, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme. However, the new attacks threw that into question.

The US military’s Central Command said American forces launched the strikes “to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway”.

It said it hit Iranian targets including air defence systems, radars and over 60 small boats used by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Those boats have been key in harassing ships in the strait.

The US military remains “postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable when the agreement is not adhered to or obeyed”, it added, saying this round of attacks had ended.

Iran acknowledged the strikes, but offered no word on any losses.

A Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo plane with five crew members on board lost contact with air traffic control on Tuesday night after reporting a navigational system problem on its way to Karachi, Pakistan aviation authorities said.

Early flight data indicated the 27-year-old converted freighter operated by K2 Airways from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates possibly crashed into the sea southwest of Karachi after a series of sharp altitude changes before a steep final descent, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24.

Aviation expert Imran Aslam told local ARY News that it remains unclear what caused the aircraft to disappear from radar. 

He said that even if an aircraft suffers an engine failure, it would normally continue gliding rather than plunge suddenly. 

‘I still cannot understand how the plane went down so abruptly instead of gliding,’ he said. 

Authorities have launched a coordinated search and rescue operation at sea through various agencies to locate the missing plane, Pakistan Airports Authority said on Facebook.

K2 Airways said it was cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government agencies.

‘We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues,’ the aircraft operator said on Facebook. Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The plane reported a navigational system issue at 9.18pm Pakistan Standard Time (4.18pm GMT) while flying toward Karachi, the airports authority said.

Local air traffic control tried to guide the aircraft, but three minutes later radar systems showed the plane descending rapidly and communication was lost, the authority said. 

The flight was about 155 nautical miles (287 km) west of Karachi at the time, according to the statement.

Flightradar24 tracking data showed chaotic final minutes as the plane plunged about 5,000 feet in less than a minute, surged back some 6,000 feet in just 30 seconds, before a catastrophic dive from 36,550 feet. 

The last transmitted data point placed the aircraft at 1,100 feet above sea level, with a vertical rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute – about 400 kilometres per hour – an extremely steep and abnormal rate of descent.

‘Anytime you see something extreme like that, it catches your eye, but it is too soon to say what any of it means without more information,’ said Anthony Brickhouse, an aerospace safety consultant.

Pakistani rescuers scoured the waters around the presumed crash site of the plane as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities to speed up search and rescue operations.

K2 Airways said the crew comprised two pilots, two engineers and one support staffer. 

Authorities have made no official declaration on their status, although Sharif expressed his ‘heartfelt condolences’ to their families.

The missing aircraft is part of Boeing’s decades-old 737 family but is two generations older than the 737 MAX version that was involved in a recent safety crisis. 

It uses engines made by CFM International, jointly owned by GE Aerospace and France’s Safran.

The 737-400 was first delivered as a passenger plane to Russia’s Aeroflot in 1999 and was converted to a freighter in 2012, according to Flightradar24.

It is K2 Airways’ only aircraft and entered into service with the carrier in 2024. Before the last flight, it had not flown since June 28, according to Flightradar24 data.

If casualties are confirmed, the incident would be the first fatal crash in Pakistan since 2020, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 came down short of the runway in Karachi, killing 97 people after pilots were distracted discussing the coronavirus before a failed landing attempt.