Astronauts from India, Poland, Hungary and the United States returned to Earth early Tuesday after the 20-day SpaceX Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. They parachuted into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California.
The European Union has imposed sanctions on seven individuals and three entities it said are responsible for efforts to destabilise Moldova’s democracy, including through vote-buying and political bribery linked to the country’s 2024 presidential election and referendum on EU accession.
In a statement on Tuesday, the European Council said those sanctioned were engaged in “actions aimed at destabilising, undermining or threatening the sovereignty and independence as well as democracy, the rule of law and stability of the Republic of Moldova.”
Among those targeted are figures closely associated with Ilan Shor, the exiled pro-Russian Moldovan businessman and political figure already under EU sanctions. Shor is accused of funding political operations from abroad and leading efforts to spread disinformation.
The council named Shor’s Victory political bloc as one of the three entities sanctioned. It accused the bloc of running orchestrated campaigns to buy votes and spreading misinformation during the EU referendum.
In October 2024, Moldovans voted ‘yes’ to constitutionally codifying their goal to join the EU by a razor-thin margin amid accusations of Russian meddling.
Another group, the Cultural Educational Centre of Moldova, was listed for facilitating interference in the elections. The third entity, A7, was cited for its links to Russian political influence operations.
Those listed will face asset freezes and travel bans across the EU, the council said.
This is the second time the EU has used its special sanctions system for Moldova, which was set up in 2023 at the request of the Moldovan government. It comes as the country faces growing threats linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“The EU remains unwavering in its support for the Republic of Moldova and its peace, resilience, security, stability, and economic growth in the face of destabilising activities by external actors,” the council said, adding that destabilisation attempts would be met with firm measures.
With Tuesday’s announcement, a total of 23 individuals and five entities have been sanctioned under the Moldovan government. EU officials said the listings send a clear signal to actors attempting to undermine the country’s pro-European trajectory.
Two people have been killed in New Jersey following flash flooding in the northeastern United States that caused travel chaos, authorities said, as the region braced for more heavy rain.
Governor Phil Murphy on Tuesday noted the deaths occurred in the northern New Jersey city of Plainfield, where there were two storm-related deaths on July 3. A third person was killed in North Plainfield during that previous storm.
“We’re not unique, but we’re in one of these sort of high humidity, high temperature, high storm intensity patterns right now,” Murphy told reporters after touring storm damage in Berkeley Heights. “Everybody needs to stay alert.”
The names of the two latest victims were not immediately released Tuesday.
Flood warnings in states such as New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania began to expire on Tuesday morning as a torrential storm moved on, but some areas remain inundated with floodwater.
“A moisture-rich Summer-time airmass over much of the eastern/central US will continue to lead to areas of scattered to widespread thunderstorms capable of heavy downpours and flash flooding,” the National Weather Service said.
Videos show subway stations in New York City filling with fetid floodwater. Buses and cars in New Jersey were also stranded by flooding, and the state’s Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency on Monday, warning residents to avoid unnecessary travel.
Rescue workers in New York’s Westchester County helped recover people stuck in their vehicles amid rising waters.
“At this time, residents are still strongly advised to avoid all travel unless fleeing an area that is subject to flooding, or under an evacuation order,” said Carolyn Fortino, a spokesperson for the county executive.
Emergency workers also rescued people from flooded basements and carried out 16 water rescues after severe flash flooding in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
“Intense rainfall dropped over 7 inches of rain in less than five hours,” the fire department for the county’s Mount Joy Borough said in a social media post.
The storms come amid growing debate about US disaster preparedness and predictive capacity following deadly floods in Texas that killed at least 131 people earlier this month, including dozens of children at a summer camp.
Critics have argued that sweeping cuts to numerous government agencies, including weather prediction and meteorological services, will hinder the country’s ability to anticipate and respond to incidents of extreme weather, which are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change.
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Party’s nominee for New York City mayor, stated in a social media post that the flooding underscores the challenges that extreme weather driven by climate change will pose for existing and outdated infrastructure.
“We must upgrade our infrastructure for this new climate reality,” he said.
While rainfall is expected to diminish, weather services said that possible showers and thunderstorms could continue through the evening. They also warned that the region will face high temperatures in the coming days.
“After yesterday’s rainfall, today should be mainly dry. However, a few isolated showers or a thunderstorm is possible this afternoon/evening,” National Weather Service New York said in a social media post.
Brazil’s chief prosecutor has called for a guilty verdict in the case of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who has denied accusations of leading an alleged coup plot.
“The evidence is clear: the defendant acted systematically, throughout his mandate and after his defeat at the polls, to incite insurrection and the destabilisation of the democratic rule of law,” Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet said in a 517-page document released late on Monday.
Bolsonaro is accused of seeking to overturn the 2022 election in which he was defeated by a left-wing rival.
“All the accusations are false. I never violated democracy or the constitution,” Bolsonaro said on X hours before Gonet submitted his final allegations. He said the trial was a “witch hunt”, echoing a term used by US President Donald Trump when he came to his South American ally’s defence last week.
The prosecution accuses Bolsonaro of leading an armed criminal organisation, attempting to stage a coup and attempting violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, aggravated damage and deterioration of listed heritage.
The defence will present its case shortly. Then the panel of Supreme Court justices that opened a trial against the former president will vote on whether to convict or acquit him. Experts expect that to happen in the second half of the year.
A coup conviction carries a sentence of up to 12 years. A conviction on that and other charges could bring decades behind bars.
The former president has repeatedly denied the allegations and asserted that he is the target of political persecution.
Trump last week imposed a 50 percent import tax on Brazil, directly tying the tariffs to Bolsonaro’s trial. The US president has described Bolsonaro as a friend.
Trump said that Brazil “is doing a terrible thing in their treatment” of Bolsonaro.
Gonet formally charged Bolsonaro and 33 others in February in connection with an alleged coup days after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office.
The former president’s supporters stormed and ransacked the National Congress and other state institutions in January 2023 to reject Lula’s victory. After his defeat weeks earlier, Bolsonaro had declined to publicly concede his loss.
Police have accused Bolsonaro aides of attempting to disrupt the transfer of power to spark a military coup.
Before the election, Bolsonaro had suggested without evidence that the vote could be marred by fraud.
In his filing, Gonet said Bolsonaro’s actions “were not limited to a passive stance of resistance to defeat, but were a conscious effort to create an environment conducive to violence and a coup”.
He added that “the criminal organisation documented almost all of the actions described in the indictment through recordings, handwritten notes, digital files, spreadsheets, and exchanges of electronic messages”.
The prosecution is also seeking convictions for several close allies of Bolsonaro, including his running mate during the 2022 election, his former Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto; ex-Justice Minister Anderson Torres; and his aide-de-camp Mauro Cid.
Brazil’s Supreme Court president, Justice Luis Roberto Barroso, said the US “sanctions” — a reference to Trump’s tariffs — are based on “an inaccurate understanding” of events.
“For those who didn’t live through a dictatorship or don’t remember one, it’s worth remembering: there was a lack of freedom, torture, forced disappearances, the closure of Congress, and the persecution of judges. In today’s Brazil, no one is persecuted,” Barroso said.
On Monday, senior US diplomat Darren Beattie accused the Brazilian government of “attacks” on Bolsonaro and freedom of expression.
Welcome to the Mirror’s Daily Digest, where we pull together all the best stories of the day from our News, Showbiz, Sport teams and more. This Tuesday, we’re featuring everything from the real reason the Sycamore Gap tree was felled by vandals to the BBC admitting it is looking into a licence fee overhaul.
The Sycamore Gap vandals learned their fate earlier today as they were jailed for four years. Before their sentence was passed down the pair revealed the real reason they felled the famous tree. Elsewhere, the BBC director general revealed some key TV licence fee updates and Romeo Beckham continued to goad his estranged brother.
This afternoon, our News team’s focus has been drawn toward the courtroom as the Sycamore Gap vandals learned their fate for felling the famous tree. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, who chopped down the landmark have been put behind bars for four years and three months.
Defending their case, the pair offered an underwhelming excuse for the infamous felling, claiming that it was a drunken prank. Despite their defence claiming the act was “no more than drunken stupidity”, neither the prosecution nor the judge were convinced.
Andrew Gurney, lawyer for Adam Carruthers, however said he could not offer a “better explanation”. He said: “People want to know ‘Why? Why did you conduct this mindless act?’ Unfortunately, it is no more than drunken stupidity. He felled that tree and it is something he will regret for the rest of his life. There’s no better explanation than that.”
Read the full story here.
Following the controversies of Glastonbury, MasterChef and coverage of Gaza, BBC Director General Tim Davie faced a grilling today as the corporation’s annual report was published. The report revealed 23.8m licences were in force at the end of the year, down from 24.1m in 2023-24.
The BBC has admitted it is looking into a licence fee overhaul as 300,000 more households have stopped paying it. The drop means a loss of about £50m in revenue for the corporation.
BBC Chair Samir Shah says in the annual report: “The fight is on, and it is vital we now think very carefully about the kind of media environment we want for the UK.” He added they were searching for “the best future funding model for the BBC”.
Read the full story here.
The three youngest Beckham siblings have proved they remain as tight knit as ever, despite eldest Brooklyn turning his back on them. With a close eye on Instagram, our Showbiz team spotted Romeo Beckham share some unseen photos with sister Harper to showcase their bond just as the feud with their older brother escalates.
The family has been rocked by a very public fallout that has now spilled into a social media war. David and Victoria’s eldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz have chosen to distance themselves from the clan over the last year with things heating up when the young couple failed to attend football icon David’s 50th birthday celebrations in May.
Brooklyn then did not send any message of support when David received his long awaited knighthood or a tribute on Father’s Day. Instead, he has been loyal to his wife and shared gushing posts about Nicola as well as her family.
Read the full story here.
A British mum who claims she was fitted up for trafficking more than £300,000 worth of cocaine into Bali today issued a grovelling apology as she wept: “I won’t trust people so easily again.” Lisa Stocker, 39, is facing the death penalty in Indonesia after she was found with 992 grams of cocaine stashed in 17 packets of the dessert Angel Delight.
She appeared in Denpasar central court today alongside her husband Jon Collyer, 39, and Phineas Float, 31, after the three Brits all pleaded guilty to smuggling the narcotics into the island. The mum-of-three today sobbed as she told Judge Heriyanti that she had no idea that the Angel Delight packets were stuffed with drugs.
Collyer, who comforted his wife throughout proceedings, uttered just five words when he addressed judge Heriyanti: “I won’t do it again.” Stocker and Collyer, from East Sussex, were arrested at Bali’s international airport on February 1.
Read the full story here.
After it emerged that Harry & Meghan’s aides had met with the King’s, a royal insider has offered fresh insight into the secret peace talks – and revealed what the summit in London means for future relations between father and son.
Harry’s chief communications officer, and Liam Maguire, who runs Harry and Meghan’s UK public relations team, met the King’s communications secretary Tobyn Andreae at the Royal Over-Seas League in London last week. The meeting has been described by sources as informal, with casual drinks intended to open a channel of communication between both camps.
And now, one royal insider has told PEOPLE magazine: “It was a good first step. It is always better to be talking.” They added: “It’s a positive step. There’s optimism that it can be taken forward.”
Read the full story here.
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John Torode sacked from MasterChef after racism allegation – explained
The BBC has released a statement to reveal John Torode’s time on MasterChef has come to an end. Just days after Gregg Wallace, 60, was axed from the BBC series following an investigation into his behaviour, John, 59, has also been told his contract will not be renewed.
It comes after allegations of racism were upheld against the presenter. It brings to an end almost two decades of John being the face of the show.
The BBC’s full statement on Tuesday read: “John Torode has identified himself as having an upheld allegation of using racist language against him. This allegation – which involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace – was investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm, Lewis Silkin.
“John Torode denies the allegation. He has stated he has no recollection of the alleged incident and does not believe that it happened. He also says that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment.“
“The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously. We will not tolerate racist language of any kind and, as we have already said, we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken. John Torode’s contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.”
Shortly after the BBC’s comment, Banijay released a statement of their own. It said that it had taken the matter “incredibly seriously”.
“The legal team at Lewis Silkin that investigated the allegations relating to Gregg Wallace also substantiated an accusation of highly offensive racist language against John Torode which occurred in 2018, “ they said.
“This matter has been formally discussed with John Torode by Banijay UK, and whilst we note that John says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint. Banijay UK and the BBC are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef.”
Following his own exit from the show, Wallace warned he would “not go quietly”. He responded to the publication of the MasterChef review, saying that he “challenged” the groping claim against him that was upheld, but lost.
The former greengrocer insisted that “none of the serious allegations against me were upheld” even though the review found him guilty of the “unwanted touching” plus three counts of being in “a state of undress”.
Wallace also said the last eight months of his life had been ‘brutal’ as he admitted he was ‘deeply sorry’ for the distress caused. Over 50 people came forward to make allegations of misconduct against him.
The report against Wallace, which was conducted by law firm Lewis Silkin, divided the complaints into seven categories.
Of the 45 upheld, 12 were for inappropriate comments (jokes and innuendo), 16 were sexually explicit comments, three were for being in a state of undress, two were for sexualised comments made to or about someone, four were over being culturally insensitive or racist, seven were over bullying and one was for unwanted physical contact.