An early exit was not the only disappointment for footballers at the 2026 World Cup.

Whilst some stole the limelight with goals and trophies, a number of the game’s biggest stars experienced a tournament of a different kind: being included in their national teams’ squads, yet completely absent from the pitch.

Six weeks of waiting ended without a single minute played, reducing their participation in football’s biggest event to nothing more than a name on the team sheet.

The largest World Cup in history saw 1,248 players take part, but a small number of them returned home without their manager giving them a single opportunity, whether due to injury, fierce competition or tactical decisions that remained unchanged right up until the final whistle.

World Cup players who never played

N’Golo Kante: The world champion who became a spectator

France’s N’Golo Kanté tops the list of the most notable absentees from the pitch. The man who was one of the pillars of France’s 2018 World Cup triumph found himself left out of manager Didier Deschamps’ plans for the entire tournament this time round. Neither his track record or experience were enough to secure him a place, not even in the third place play-off, leaving him to watch from the substitutes’ bench.

Kobbie Mainoo: Disappointment for the Manchester United midfielder

No one expected Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the 2024 European Cup final, to become the only outfield player in the England squad not to feature for a single minute at the World Cup. An injury compounded his misery by also ruling him out of the third place play-off, meaning his World Cup campaign ended without him making an impact.

Spain: So many champions who didn’t play

Although Spain was crowned world champions, some of their players experienced the tournament with a different sense of bitterness.

Young striker Víctor Muñoz, 23, missed out on his World Cup debut after an injury ruled him out of the starting line-up. By the time he had recovered, he could not find a place in Luis de la Fuente’s squad, which continued its steady march towards the trophy.

As for goalkeeper David Raya, one of the Premier League’s finest, he was overshadowed by the brilliance of Unai Simón, who retained his place in the starting line-up right until the end.

Meanwhile, full-back Alejandro Grimaldo paid the price for Marc Cucurella’s outstanding performances, leaving both players as world champions without having featured in a single match.

England, Brazil and Uruguay next

In the England squad, goalkeeper James Trafford remained the third choice keeper throughout the tournament and did not get his chance even when manager Thomas Tuchel made substitutions in the third place play-off.

In Brazil, Gleison Bremer came up against the solid partnership of Marquinhos and Gabriel at the heart of defence. Uruguay captain Ronald Araújo’s dream ended before it began as injury ruled him out before his side was knocked out in the group stage.

As for the Portuguese player Gonçalo Inácio, he failed to break down the defensive partnership between Rúben Dias and Renato Vega.

Dutchman Mats Wieffer remained on the sidelines despite Jurrien Timmer’s injury as the coaching staff continued to rely on Denzel Dumfries at right-back.

The other side of the World Cup

These stories reveal that the World Cup is not defined solely by those who lift the trophy or score goals, but also by those who wait for an opportunity that never comes. For these players, the World Cup dream ended without a single touch of the ball or a moment on the pitch.

They left the tournament with medals and memories but without their names being immortalised in minutes of playing time, which is one of the harshest realities of football that rarely makes the headlines.

Featured image via ESPN

By Alaa Shamali

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Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has vowed to retaliate against Ukraine for its attack on a commercial Iranian ship in the Caspian sea.

Araghchi said that the attack, which blew up the ship and killed at least one crew member, violates the UN Charter and “cannot go unanswered”.

In a call with the EU’s pro-Israel foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Araghchi also said that Israel was behind the attack to try to “drag Europe into its war”.

Ukraine claimed it had attacked a Russian warship.

MP Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the Iranian parliament’s national security body, said:

Any attack on Iran always comes with a cost, and that remains true today; the US and Israel are well aware of this. Ukraine, too, may soon come to understand that Iran does not let actions go unanswered.

A post by the non-governmental Iran Observer X account showed a graphic that it said demonstrated the ability of Iranian missiles to reach Ukraine in retaliation.

BREAKING: Iran’s Foriegn Minister has announced that Zelensky’s Drone Strike on an Iranian Vessel in the Caspian Sea will receive a Response from Iran

Russia and the European Union have been Notified pic.twitter.com/TvIvFAs80G

— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) July 26, 2026

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Iran has summoned Ukrainian officials in Tehran over the “hostile and criminal act”. Araghchi thanked local authorities in Russia’s Astrakhan region for helping surviving crew members.

Featured image via Baird Maritime

By Skwawkbox

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Weeks after the ruling ‘Bureau’ of the International Criminal Court (ICC) changed its voting rules to please the US and Israel, and stitch up its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan has been removed from his role.

The removal was voted through despite expert lawyers unanimously clearing Khan of wrongdoing in connection to alleged sexual misconduct with a junior colleague, which he has denied.

It is the first time in ICC history that a prosecutor has been removed. Meanwhile, Israel has boasted of its role in him being ousted.

Khan has said he will appeal the decision.

ICC top prosecutor pursued war criminals

Khan lost his role after a sustained pressure campaign by the US and Israel after Khan obtained arrest warrants for wanted Israeli war criminals, Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister, Yo’av Gallant, for crimes in Gaza.

Netanyahu has now claimed that Khan issued the arrest warrants to distract from the misconduct allegations, which the Canary has written about here. However, the warrant process considerably pre-dates any allegations against Khan.

The prosecutor and his family also faced physical threats from supporters of Israel and financial sanctions from the US.

Khan’s lawyers were not allowed to address the Bureau.

Lawyers for the ICC Prosecutor have been forced to write publicly after being denied the opportunity to address the body that will decide whether to remove him. It appears that the President of the Assembly of States Parties is determined to bring the Court into disrepute by… https://t.co/FOvwPf771I

— Martin Shaw (@martinshawx) July 21, 2026

Retributive manoeuvres

Israel and the US have pressured and manoeuvred for Khan’s dismissal ever since he applied for war crimes arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.

The Bureau is staging the latest manoeuvre despite repeated findings by independent legal experts that Khan was innocent of any wrongdoing.

Featured image via Piroschka Van De Wouw/ Reuters 

By Skwawkbox

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Animal welfare campaigners took to the streets of central London on Saturday 25 July. They were calling on the government to ban the “inherently dangerous” sport of greyhound racing in England.

Campaigners organised The Century of Suffering: March to End Dog Racing Now to highlight the scale of pain and suffering greyhounds have faced at the hands of the greyhound racing industry since the first race took place 100 years ago.

It follows landmark moves by the Welsh and Scottish parliaments earlier this year to ban greyhound racing in both Wales and Scotland.

The government stipulates that governing body the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) releases death and injury figures every year. This year’s figures paint a bleak picture.

The number of greyhounds euthanised at British greyhound tracks rose to 161 deaths in 2025. This was an increase of 31% on the previous year, and the highest number since 2020.

The trackside death toll has now reached 1,518 since 2017 when figures were first published, and the same figures show a shocking 38,816 injuries suffered by racing greyhounds during that period.

New coalition takes on greyhound racing

A new coalition called Greyhound Freedom UK organised the event. Members include:

• Animal Aid.
• Gamban.
• Grey2K USA Worldwide.
• The League Against Cruel Sports.
• Shut Down Campaigns.

Green Party peer Natalie Bennett, who spoke at the rally, said:

Today we celebrate the progress in Wales and Scotland in banning greyhound racing and demand England catch up and bring in a greyhound racing ban here.

The focus is often on the dogs that are injured and killed but we must also not forget that they spend 95 per cent of their lives confined in kennels and suffering, which is unacceptable in terms of animal welfare.

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Will Morton, head of public affairs at the League Against Cruel Sports, said:

Greyhound racing is inherently dangerous and causes extensive pain and suffering to the dogs, so we need urgent action.

We call on the UK government to follow the progress made by other governments around the world and ban greyhound racing in England, and live up to its pledge to deliver the most ambitious animal welfare reforms in a generation.

Sean Gifford, chief executive at Animal Aid, said:

Today has been an important step towards ending greyhound racing in England. Very few nations worldwide still tolerate such a cruel practice and if action is not taken urgently, England risks being the last country on the planet in which dogs are raced, injured, and killed for sport.

Norb Gordon, the founder of Shut Down Campaigns, said:

Greyhounds, like the dogs many of us share our homes with, have their own personalities and desires, and deserve comfy sofas in loving homes.

Instead, they are confined to barren kennels that overheat in the summer and freeze in the winter, and are forced to race around dangerous tracks that claim far too many lives.

The march started outside the offices of the GBGB in central London before finishing at Parliament Square in Westminster.

The League Against Cruel Sports and GREY2K USA Worldwide issued a report in spring 2026. Titled Reaching the Finish Line: Time to end dog racing in the UK, it laid bare the inherently dangerous nature of greyhound racing around oval tracks.

The report also highlighted overbreeding, a poor quality of life for greyhounds kept in kennels for up to 95 per cent of the time, and the challenges in finding homes for the dogs once they retire.

Three greyhounds tragically died at residential kennels attached to Star Pelaw greyhound track during the recent heatwave.

New Zealand is phasing out greyhound racing this year and it’s now illegal in 42 states in the US.

The ban on greyhound racing in Wales could come into force as early as April 2027.

Featured image via League Against Cruel Sports / Alex Harman

By The Canary

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The nasty little freak Boy George has released a song defending Israel’s genocide:

#Shalom pic.twitter.com/0BfHIrThzO

— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) July 26, 2026

Much like Israel itself, Boy George has a history of committing false imprisonment.

Boy George presents war crime: the song

For clarity’s sake; we should add that the song is absolute dog sh*t. The track itself sounds like one of the demos that comes with a free music production app. It also sounds like the sort of thing a person might make their prisoner listen to as a method of torture (although we’re sure that’s just coincidental, and not something George is actually considering).

In the first verse, George sings:

You say genocide, I say war
When you’re attacked, that’s what the army’s for
Does it get ugly? You bet it does
When I know you wanna kill every last one of us

Much like the Israeli government, George is seemingly saying it’s okay to inflict unlimited collective punishment on the Palestinians, because apparently they want to ‘kill every last one of us’. George is neither an Israeli nor a Jewish person, so presumably by “every last one of us” he means ‘every last Zionist’ (we’re clarifying this because George does also sing that he ‘stands with the Jews’ – just not the many Jews who oppose the genocide, obviously).

George continues:

You never mention October 7.

The October 7 defence is often used by Zionists and their backers, but of course it doesn’t hold up. People aren’t condoning October 7; they’re saying that the events of October 7 don’t give Israel the right to carry out unlimited war crimes.

It’s really not an argument Israel should want to get into either. If past events justify future actions, you could say October 7 was justified by the apartheid conditions Israel subjected Palestinians to; or it was justified because of all the peaceful protesters Israel murdered; or it was justified by the Nakba – i.e. the event in which Jewish settlers ethnically cleansed the native Palestinians from what is now Israel. We’re not making that argument, obviously, but anyone asking ‘what about October 7?’ logically is.

Criminals stand together

In 2009, a judge famously convicted Boy George of false imprisonment. Here’s what the Guardian reported at the time:

Boy George was today sentenced to 15 months in jail for falsely imprisoning a male escort by handcuffing him to a wall and beating him with a metal chain.

The judge told the 47-year-old former Culture Club front man, whose real name is George O’Dowd, he had left the escort “shocked, degraded and traumatised” by the ordeal.

O’Dowd was found guilty last month of attacking the Norwegian model Audun Carlsen, 29, after he visited the singer’s flat in London in April 2007.

The sentencing judge said:

Whilst I accept that Mr Carlsen’s physical injuries were not serious or permanent, in my view there can be no doubt that your premeditated, callous and humiliating hand-cuffing and detention of Mr Carlsen shocked, degraded and traumatised.

There’s an obvious parallel between this and how Israel treats prisoners. Articles we’ve published on the topic include the following:

• Serious scabies outbreak in Israeli occupation prisons is part of the policy of torture and slow killing used against Palestinian political prisoners.
• 2025 saw unparalleled testimonies and atrocities from Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
• Palestinian prisoners — Israeli lawyer branded traitor for exposing torture.

As Alaa Shamali reported for the Canary:

In recent reports, B’Tselem confirmed that torture in these prisons is not an isolated occurrence, but rather an institutional policy involving the occupation’s intelligence services, the Shin Bet, and the prison administration, aimed at breaking the prisoners’ will and humiliating their human dignity.

B’Tselem documents cases of direct physical torture, including beatings with rifles, sticks and military boots, electric shocks, and prolonged ‘shackling’ for hours on end, which has led to recorded deaths without any official investigation. Reports also reveal a comprehensive system of psychological and sensory torture, including depriving prisoners of sleep, food and water, placing them in metal tents or isolated containers, threatening them with execution or assault on their families, and forcing them to listen to the screams of others being tortured.

F*ck off, Boy George

The fact that Boy George was able to return to public life after his conviction is astounding. The man is an absolute danger. And his continued support of Israel shows that he can’t truly have rehabilitated himself since leaving prison.

Featured image via the Canary

By Willem Moore

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In an odd encounter in Clacton, Nigel Farage has refused to describe Andrew Tate as a bad role model for children:

So @Nigel_Farage doesn’t care about the allegations against @Cobratate, if you’ve got a big following you can do want to in his world. pic.twitter.com/JG6LfQOEDY

— Reform UK Exposed (@reformexposed) July 26, 2026

It comes as Tate and his brother are facing a criminal investigation into crimes which include the possession Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM).

Farage: mealy mouthed

In the clip above, a journalist asks Farage if Tate is a good role model for boys. Farage answers:

He’s got a massive following and that shows you how big the gap is. Huge gap.

By ‘huge gap’, Farage presumably means the gap between the online support Tate enjoys and the negative attention he receives. We can’t confirm this; it’s just unclear what else he could have meant.

Farage also said:

You know, he’s, I mean, clearly facing some very serious allegations and said some things that are difficult to level with. But the fact that he’s got the following shows you how big the gap is.

On the “very serious allegations”, the Crown Prosecution Service released the following statement on 19 July:

The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to bring further charges against brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate in relation to four further victims.

The CPS has decided to prosecute Andrew Tate, 39, with seven further counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and 19 additional charges for offences relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.

The CPS has decided to prosecute Tristan Tate, 38, with one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.

The offending is alleged to have taken place between July 2010 and August 2017.

The suspects were arrested by the US Marshal Service in the United States of America on July 18, 2026.

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Following their arrest in the US, prosecutors will be seeking extradition in relation to the original 21 charges and the further charges which we have decided to prosecute.

Tate has a history of describing how to commit some of the crimes he now stands accused of:

Here he admits in more detail to tricking women, giving them the false impression of love, and using a "bottom bitch" for manipulation for the sole purpose of putting them in front of a camera and making money off of them.

Deception and exploitation. This is human trafficking. pic.twitter.com/XtS6uU2E5g

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— Ridvan Aydemir | Apostate Prophet (@ApostateProphet) June 23, 2023

He has, however, denied that he is guilty of the crimes that the CPS is now accusing him of.

Weak

Many teachers have spoken out about the detrimental impact Tate has had on children. Speaking to the BBC in 2025, one said:

I have had boys refuse to speak to me and speak to a male teaching assistant instead because I am a woman and they follow Andrew Tate and think he is amazing with all his cars and women… These were 10-year-olds.

Another said:

In a secondary English class last year, a group of boys opted, despite discouragement, to write a persuasive essay on why Andrew Tate is the GOAT (greatest of all time) which included praise of his view that women are a man’s property… all of the parents were contacted and were appalled.

Given Tate’s alleged crimes – and the man’s long and well-documented history of vile behaviour – it should be easy for Farage to categorically say that the man is a bad role model. The fact that he can’t suggests he’s scared of offending the sort of people who think Tate’s online presence is admirable.

Featured image via the Canary

By Willem Moore

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Reform UK has multiple ongoing financial scandals right now. Several of these scandals link to the convicted fraudster George Cottrell – a.k.a. ‘Posh George’. Now, journalists have linked Cottrell to another dubious figure (a figure who is herself linked to Donald Trump):

This photo at Posh George's Montenegro penthouse was taken days after we exposed him as the criminal bankrolling Farage

Who is she?

We didn't expect to identify her as a US federal judge

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Or to uncover he paid her late husband, former AG for Arizona, where he was convicted pic.twitter.com/GvhMGaI5uz

— Venetia Menzies (@venetiamenzies) July 26, 2026

Reform aristo-cash

Posh George provided Nigel Farage with various benefits in the runup to the 2024 general election:

EXCLUSIVE

Nigel Farage failed to declare that a criminal and crypto gambler paid for his staff, security, drivers, social media output in year before election

Reform leader has also received free accommodation in Westminster from George Cottrell as MPhttps://t.co/fSKszEDnV1

— Gabriel Pogrund (@Gabriel_Pogrund) July 4, 2026

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This all happened in the runup to the election, which meant Farage potentially should have declared it after he became an MP. Farage and Reform defended not doing so on the basis that he wasn’t an MP and the benefits didn’t link to political activity, but the rules are that incoming MPs should provide details of any potentially relevant payments they received from the 12 months before they became an MP.

Parliament has paused the investigation into all this while Farage fights the Clacton by-election, but will resume after its conclusion.

On Cottrell, we added:

Cottrell is an aristocrat with a criminal record who’s involved ” in an offshore crypto gambling platform implicated in potential criminal betting in the UK”. As you might have guessed, he’s currently angling for a pardon from president Donald Trump – a good friend of Farage’s.

It later came out that Cottrell may have also made undeclared donations to Reform UK:

EXCL by @ManuMidolo ft me @venetiamenzies @GeorgeGreenwood

The criminal who funded Nigel Farage made undisclosed donations to Reform in apparent breach of electoral law

George Cottrell lawyers at Carter Ruck refuse to say when he became permissible donor https://t.co/yFEalCjDdr

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— Gabriel Pogrund (@Gabriel_Pogrund) July 12, 2026

And more keeps coming out:

BREAKING

Reform had its bank account frozen at height of general election after potentially illegal donations from George Cottrell's mother and Richard Tice

We reveal Arbuthnot Latham, its bank, blocked payments for two weeks after suspect transactions https://t.co/2xPKI827mO

— Gabriel Pogrund (@Gabriel_Pogrund) July 25, 2026

Judge not

As Venetia Menzies of the Times reported, the judge pictured at Cottrell’s residence is linked to president Donald Trump:

In 2023 her late husband Mark Brnovich retired as Arizona AG

Cottrell then paid him thousands for "legal services"

Brnovich then befriended Farage, and courted politicians in Montenegro such as prime minister Spajic, who Cottrell is accused of financing – which he denies pic.twitter.com/gonHwGEvZf

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— Venetia Menzies (@venetiamenzies) July 26, 2026

Menzies further noted that Trump has a habit of pardoning people who once would have been considered un-pardonable:

Cottrell announced he was lobbying for a pardon last summer

Mark died this January, with Cottrell dedicating his book "How to Launder Money" to his friend and mentor pic.twitter.com/dAKq6QcVwN

— Venetia Menzies (@venetiamenzies) July 26, 2026

The above isn’t a joke, by the way; Cottrell actually authored a book titled How to Launder Money. As you can see in the link below, it’s presented as a “guide for law enforcement”:

The latest revelations are attracting significant negative attention anyway:

What the actual….?
This is probably the most extreme example of someone meddling in their own pardon by corrupting US officials. Quite possibly the most notorious case of transatlantic corruption between Reform and MAGA.@mehdirhasan @harryjsisson @itsdeaann https://t.co/EMI6y4JeuX pic.twitter.com/ApsMEbdVUU

— The Finance Guy (@OneFinanceGuy) July 26, 2026

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There’s also speculation as to why the establishment media has suddenly found its teeth when it comes to Farage and his party:

My guess is that the Murdoch empire reckons Farage is no longer capable of winning a general election but could still stop the Tories from doing so. Expect Murdoch outlets to swing fully behind the Tories, who are now almost as far to the right as Reform anyway. https://t.co/tOFLU1K2oU

— Tom Scott (@Tom___Scott) July 26, 2026

Problems mounting

The more that the media looks into Reform UK and its various backers, the worse things look. And with three years between now and the next election, the party’s prospects of winning a majority are looking increasingly bleak.

Featured image via the Canary

By Willem Moore

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Reform UK and its senior politicians have embroiled themselves in several ongoing financial scandals, and deputy leader Richard Tice is now complaining that…people have noticed said financial scandals. Many of these controversies relate to funding the party received in the runup to the 2024 general election. And in what seems to be a clear sign that the Reform people are rattled, Richard Tice is now attacking the media outlets investigating him:

Both the BBC and Metropolitan Police appear to have acted in clear breach of legal obligations, contrary to well-established case law, in the BBC’s reporting about me over the weekend.

I have written to both the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the BBC’s…

— Richard Tice MP (@TiceRichard) July 26, 2026

Richard Tice panic stations

Tice’s message read in full:

I have written to both the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the BBC’s Director-General setting out these serious breaches. My lawyers have also been instructed.

Any media organisation considering repeating these allegations should exercise the utmost caution.

Tice has taken particular offence with the BBC, who reported the following:

Police are investigating payments to Reform UK by a company controlled by the party’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, BBC News has learned.

Britain Means Business gave the party two donations of £250,000 in the run-up to the 2024 general election, when Tice was party chairman.

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Tice has said the money was given to his firm by Fiona Cottrell, a significant donor to Reform UK and mother of a convicted fraudster with close links to Nigel Farage.

The convicted fraudster in question is George Cottrell – a.k.a. ‘Posh George’. Posh George is also linked to other party scandals, having partially bankrolled Farage and Reform in the runup to the 2024 election:

EXCL by @ManuMidolo ft me @venetiamenzies @GeorgeGreenwood

The criminal who funded Nigel Farage made undisclosed donations to Reform in apparent breach of electoral law

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George Cottrell lawyers at Carter Ruck refuse to say when he became permissible donor https://t.co/yFEalCjDdr

— Gabriel Pogrund (@Gabriel_Pogrund) July 12, 2026

As with Tice, people accused Farage of trying to deflect from his scandals by focusing on everything besides the issue at hand. The key example of this was the Clacton by-election which Farage instigated for no obvious reason.

Deflections

Back to Tice, the BBC also noted:

The BBC understands that the party was not aware of the investigation into the payments from Britain Means Business.

So Tice’s issue is that the BBC and other outlets seems to have become aware of things he wasn’t aware of. In other words, he doesn’t seem to understand what ‘journalism’ is.

The BBC reported that the Metropolitan Police is investigating political donations made via a company controlled by Tice.

The Met confirmed this.

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Neither organisation claimed Tice is guilty.

Now he's threatening every newsroom that accurately repeats those facts. https://t.co/pnlEyXca1U

— Rebecca Tidy (@DrRebeccaTidy) July 26, 2026

Tice also seems to think that people are going to care more about how the revelations came out than the revelations themselves. This is optimistic on his part. It’s especially optimistic given that Reform has spent the past few months trying to deflect from its many scandals with pretty much no success.

As the Times revealed, the donations in question led to Reform’s bank blocking its payments for two weeks around the 2024 election:

BREAKING

Reform had its bank account frozen at height of general election after potentially illegal donations from George Cottrell's mother and Richard Tice

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We reveal Arbuthnot Latham, its bank, blocked payments for two weeks after suspect transactions https://t.co/2xPKI827mO

— Gabriel Pogrund (@Gabriel_Pogrund) July 25, 2026

The Times also reported:

Taking into account money she donated directly or via Tice’s company, Fiona Cottrell provided 35 per cent of all payments received by Reform during the [2024 election] campaign. She has never commented on the source of her wealth or the subsequent inquiries by the National Crime Agency or Scotland Yard.

Attention economy

By kicking up such a fuss, Reform and Tice could end up triggering the Streisand Effect; i.e. they could draw more attention to the story than if they just kept quiet. In other words, we encourage them to carry on kicking up a fuss.

Featured image via the Canary

By Willem Moore

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On Friday 24 July 2026, from 8.00-9.00am, activists converged on Aviva’s historic Norwich headquarters. They were demanding the insurer severs ties with companies accused of human rights abuses against migrants and asylum seekers.

They brought a 1.5m barbed wire ball surrounding Aviva’s logo, and spoke to hundreds of staff as they made their way to work.

Aviva insures the largest number of migrant detention and surveillance contractors operating in the UK. Activists say this record sits in stark contradiction to the company’s publicly stated human rights commitments.

Profiting from abuse?

Aviva, which grew out of Norwich Union to become a multinational company, positions itself as a leader on corporate human rights. Yet campaigners allege the insurer is failing to uphold its own due diligence policies.

They point out it continues to underwrite private corporations accused of serious human rights violations connected to the detention and surveillance of migrants and asylum seekers. These companies include Serco and Mears.

Activists are specifically calling on Aviva to drop its insurance contract with Serco, which comes up for renewal on 31 October 2026. Campaigner for Boycott Bloody Insurance, Andrew Taylor said:

Aviva’s five-plus years of cover have enabled Serco’s continued operation of immigration detention centres, round-the-clock surveillance of migrants, and substandard housing provision. Aviva has continued to insure Serco after reports of sexual abuse, human rights abuses and fraud. It’s time for Aviva to break ties with Serco.

Local context: migrant housing in Norwich

The action carries particular weight in Norwich. In 2025, the city saw a surge of anti-migrant protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers. Occupants and staff faced harassment and assault.

Following the closure of the Brook Hotel in Bowthorpe, there are currently no hotels in Norfolk housing asylum seekers, according to Home Office data. But campaigners say the underlying detention system remains intact.

Representing Nelson Ward in Norwich, Green Party councillor Hannah Hoechner said:

Serco’s role in the UK’s immigration system is a stark reminder of what happens when government outsources responsibility for vulnerable people’s lives.

Despite serious concerns raised about the treatment of those detained in Serco-run facilities, the company continues to be awarded contracts worth billions from the UK government.

The UK’s asylum system should be built on dignity, compassion and accountability—not on contracts that allow private companies to put profit over basic human rights.

What activists are demanding:

• Aviva drops its insurance contract with Serco before its renewal on 31 October 2026.
• Aviva conducts transparent, independently verifiable human rights due diligence on all clients involved in migrant detention and surveillance.
• Aviva publicly reports on the steps taken to align its underwriting portfolio with its human rights commitments.

Featured image supplied

By The Canary

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Luke Littler delivered a record-breaking masterclass to retain his World Matchplay crown, overpowering Gerwyn Price 18-9 at the Winter Gardens and becoming the first darts player since Michael van Gerwen to win back‑to‑back titles.

The 19‑year‑old produced an extraordinary 111.53 average, hit 12 maximums and reeled off six ton‑plus finishes in a performance that never dipped, never loosened and never allowed Price a meaningful foothold.

Price, the 2022 runner‑up, averaged 104.97 himself. This was his best of the week, but he still found no way to disrupt Luke Littler’s rhythm.

The world no. 1’s scoring power and relentless accuracy pushed him clear early and kept him there, sealing a second straight Blackpool triumph and extending his lead at the top of the PDC rankings.

Luke Littler set the tone

The opening exchanges went with a throw before Littler detonated the first major blow: a clinical 167 checkout, his first bull finish of the tournament. He backed it up instantly with a 110 to hold, moving 4-1 ahead despite Price averaging north of 109 in the mini‑session.

From there, Littler tightened the screw. Back to back 11‑dart legs followed, then a tops‑tops finish for his third ton‑plus checkout inside the first nine legs. Price held where he could, but Littler’s scoring was already stretching the match beyond him.

Littler’s most brutal burst came across four legs that took him from 7-3 to 11-3. He pinned 128, then 127, and needed just 47 darts to sweep through the session. Price responded with successive legs to halt the slide, but the gap remained vast and the momentum stayed firmly with Littler.

Price kept himself within six legs, but Littler’s late acceleration was inevitable. A stunning 148 checkout landed with the same ease as everything else, followed by a break of throw that pushed him into the finishing straight.

He closed out the title with an 81 on the bull – a fitting end to a week where he averaged 109 or better in all five matches and smashed Phil Taylor’s long‑standing tournament scoring record from 2010.

Historic numbers, historic run

Littler’s victory marked his 10th consecutive win over Price and his 28th straight victory in PDC major matches over 20 legs, a streak stretching back to the 2024 World Championship final.

He also broke his own record for most 180s in a World Matchplay campaign and reclaimed the Phil Taylor Trophy along with the £225,000 first prize cashpot, pushing his season earnings past the £3 million barrier.

The win continues his perfect run through every PDC TV major in 2026, strengthening his bid to sweep the entire ranked major calendar.

Price had spoken before the final about needing his A‑game to challenge Littler. He produced something close to it, but the teenager’s finishing and scoring left him with too few chances to apply pressure.

Price acknowledged on air afterwards that the 167 checkout was a turning point and praised Littler’s consistency. He called him “one in a million” and admitted he was a little bit gutted not to have converted more of his opportunities.

Price’s run to the final included strong wins over Joe Cullen and Peter Wright, and his scoring throughout the week had been solid. But against Littler, he found himself repeatedly forced into chasing legs rather than dictating them.

It just was not meant to be for Price on this occasion.

To be clear on this performance, Luke Littler won 12 legs in that final in 12 darts or less.

It means the opponent has got to hit a 9 darter to win those legs. It was just not happening. Littler’s becoming unbeatable.

With every major still to come, and with his form showing no sign of dipping, Littler’s season continues to build towards a potential sweep of the ranked PDC majors. A feat no player has achieved.

Featured image via Luke Littler/ Instagram

By Faz Ali

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