Working for Hope Not Hate, I infiltrated an extremist organisation, befriended its members and got to work investigating their political connections

Charlie, the leader of a white nationalist group, leaned over the sticky pub table. He pointed a big finger at me and locked eyes. “You better not turn out to be an infiltrator for Hope Not Hate,” he said. I froze. Flanked by several of his lieutenants, Charlie watched, waiting for my response. His face softened into a smile. He started laughing and yanked down his collar, pretending to talk into a hidden microphone. “Abort! Abort!” he shouted. I played along, lifting up my wrist like there was a wire stashed in my cuff. “Get me out of here!” I yelled into my sleeve. “They’ve discovered me!”

Charlie was right to be suspicious of me. I was, in fact, an infiltrator for the anti-fascist organisation Hope Not Hate. The only thing he got wrong was the location of my microphone: it wasn’t in my collar but strapped to my chest.

Madeleine Finlay and Ian Sample discuss three intriguing science stories from the week. From a hint at alien life on a distant planet, to a clue in the search for answers over why colon cancer rates are rising in the under 50’s, and news from a group of scientists who claim to have experienced a colour no one has ever seen before.

Are we alone? New discovery raises hopes of finding alien life

Childhood toxin exposure ‘may be factor in bowel cancer rise in under-50s’

Two Belgian 19-year-olds have pleaded guilty to wildlife piracy – part of a growing trend of trafficking ‘less conspicuous’ creatures for sale as exotic pets

Poaching busts are familiar territory for the officers of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), an armed force tasked with protecting the country’s iconic creatures. But what awaited guards when they descended in early April on a guesthouse in the west of the country was both larger and smaller in scale than the smuggling operations they typically encounter. There were more than 5,000 smuggled animals, caged in their own enclosures. Each one, however, was about the size of a little fingernail: 18-25mm.

The cargo, which two Belgian teenagers had apparently intended to ship to exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia, was ants. Their enclosures were a mixture of test tubes and syringes containing cotton wool – environments that authorities say would keep the insects alive for weeks.

When they’re not shouting at their own children, many of Britain’s soccer dads like nothing more than swearing at the officials, or even trading blows on the touchline. Isn’t this supposed to be fun?

A chilly Saturday morning on the Astroturf pitches at Coram’s Fields in central London and several youth football matches are under way. I’m watching an under-11s game. The sound is the thud of boot on ball, the shrill interruption of the referee’s whistle, and a whole lot of shouting. From the players (“Mine!”, “Here!”, “Pass!”, “Ref!”, etc). From the two coaches (“Press!”, “Stay wide!”, “Push up!”, “Ref!”, etc). And from the touchline dads. There is one mum here today, but she’s less vocal.

To varying degrees, the dads are part fan, part coach, part personal trainer to their progeny. There is one dad (there’s always one) who’s taking it a bit further, who’s a bit shoutier than the others. “Get rid of it!” he screams at the defence, meaning hoof it upfield, which is the opposite of the coach’s instructions to play it out from the back. “Ref! Seriously?” he shouts at the referee (who’s only about 17 himself).

The government began to roll out its free breakfast club scheme this week as part of plans to help struggling families. But with predictions that child poverty could increase by the end of this parliament, how serious is Labour about tackling the problem? John Harris hears from a headteacher, and speaks to our political editor, Pippa Crerar

With local election punishment looming, Conservative stress bubbled over after Jenrick’s remarks about Farage

Some veteran Conservatives are so convinced that Robert Jenrick, the ambitious shadow justice secretary, is intent on striking an election pact with Reform UK that they have nicknamed him “Nigel’s chancellor”.

The joke, however, gets to the heart of what many of them fear most: that the Tory party is in such a parlous state that their only hope of survival will be to work with Nigel Farage to unite the right.

Wife of rugby league legend who spent the last five years of his life raising awareness of MND and fundraising for a cure says the game will always be a part of her family’s life

This weekend Lindsey Burrow will run the London Marathon. Two weeks later, she will run the Leeds Marathon. And she’s not even what she’d call a good runner. “I think coming from Yorkshire and having that Yorkshire grit,” she says, with a smile, “I’m just quite stubborn.”

Burrow has always found getting out for a run good for her mental state and in the nine months since she lost her husband , it has become vital. “It’s just given me that headspace to go out and focus on something positive,” she says, speaking on Zoom from her Pontefract home. “And the marathons have given me a goal.”

Stuart Semple is selling product for £10,000 (or £29.99 to fellow creatives) – but scientists say hue cannot be replicated

A British artist claims to have replicated in paint a colour that scientists say they discovered by having laser pulses fired into their eyes .

Stuart Semple created his own version of the blue-green colour based on the US research published in Science Advances , which he is selling on his website for £10,000 per 150ml jar – or £29.99 if you state you are an artist.

RNID survey finds half of sign language users did not understand diagnoses – some terminal – or how their treatment worked

Deaf patients face systemic discrimination when it comes to learning about their own health due to NHS failings, with some not understanding that they might have a terminal illness, according to a damning report.

The study by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) accuses the NHS of “routinely failing” deaf people.