Maddy Cusack’s father tells inquest she was dismayed at Sheffield United manager’s return 29. June 2026 (21:41) Jonathan Morgan claims he provided player welfareDoctor says Maddy feared mental health stigmaThe most significant cause of the deterioration of the late Sheffield United footballer Maddy Cusack’s mental health was the behaviour of Jonathan Morgan, the team’s manager at the time, her father, David Cusack, has told an inquest.During a tense exchange with David Cusack, Morgan, who is representing himself at the inquest, accused the player’s father of relying on hearsay to form his opinion of him. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US man dies while discarding body of girlfriend he fatally strangled, officials say 29. June 2026 (21:11) Police found man, who died of a heart attack, next to his girlfriend by abandoned vehicle in wooded area of AlabamaA man recently died in Alabama from a heart attack while trying to discard his girlfriend’s body after fatally strangling her, according to authorities.At the center of the unusually macabre case was Daniel Robbins, 44, and Jessica Folds, 47. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tenured California professor fired over Gaza protest wins job back 29. June 2026 (21:09) Arbitrator rules California State University system violated law when it dismissed Sang Hea Kil, who now plans to sueA tenured professor who was fired last year over her pro-Palestinian activism has won her job back and is suing her university over the termination.Last November, Sang Hea Kil, a justice studies professor at San José State University in California, became the first tenured faculty member to be dismissed from a US public university following nationwide campus protests over Israel’s enduring war in Gaza. After several appeals, an arbitrator last week ruled that the California State University system had violated the law and ordered it to reinstate her. Kil had previously filed a lawsuit against CSU, which it accused of “discriminatory and retaliatory attempts to silence her”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
EU sets up three months of talks with China over €360bn trade deficit 29. June 2026 (20:33) Two sides agree to try to make bilateral relationship ‘more balanced’ after weeks of threatsThe EU and China have agreed to enter three months of talks to try to avoid a trade war over the bloc’s €360bn (£310bn) annual import/export imbalance.In their first joint statement in seven years, the two sides agreed in Brussels to open a formal trade consultation after weeks of threats and recriminations from China if the EU imposed any measures to stop the flood of goods and components into the bloc. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US supreme court upholds law to count mail-in ballots arriving after election day 29. June 2026 (20:27) Court sides against Republicans after deciding earlier this term to let Louisiana effectively dismantle Voting Rights ActUS supreme court decisions – live updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe US supreme court sided against national Republicans and Donald Trump’s administration to allow mail-in ballots that arrive after election day to be counted, upholding the law in more than a dozen states.The Republican National Committee (RNC) had challenged a Mississippi state law allowing mailed ballots to be counted if they arrive within five business days of election day, so long as they were postmarked by election day.This article was amended on 29 June 2026 to correct some misspelled names Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Burnham brings emotional connection and optimism in vibe shift from Starmer 29. June 2026 (20:26) Labour MPs value Burnham’s warmth as a communicator but they know that will not be enough on its ownWhen Keir Starmer welcomed Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, outside No 10 on Monday, the attire fitted the moment: dark formal suits, polished leather shoes. Almost 200 miles to the north, when Andy Burnham strode into the engine hall of the People’s History Museum in Manchester, the vibe could not have been more different.Dressed in his trademark dark T-shirt and jacket, Burnham could just as easily have been walking down the street outside. He even began with a joke about his thigh-skimming running shorts, after he was pictured going for a jog the morning after announcing his return to parliament, telling the assembled audience he had bought a new pair as it was “either do that or change the decency laws”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Resident doctors in England accept government offer on pay and jobs 29. June 2026 (19:53) Pay will be 35.2% higher on average compared with four years ago after series of strikes that have cost NHS £1bnResident doctors in England have voted to accept a new government deal on pay and jobs, bringing an end to strike action that has cost the NHS £1bn since last summer.It comes after the British Medical Association called off a strike at the last minute earlier this month to put the offer to members. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thai-based crypto investor funding Reform unlikely to avoid cap on overseas donations 29. June 2026 (19:47) Christopher Harborne, who also gave Nigel Farage £5m ‘gift’, reported to have registered to vote in HampshireChristopher Harborne, the Thailand-based crypto investor who has given millions of pounds to Reform UK, would be unlikely to get around a planned cap on overseas political donations even if he has registered to vote in the UK, it is understood.Harborne, who also gave Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, £5m as a “gift”, has registered to vote in Hampshire, the Times reported, with a spokesperson for the billionaire quoted in the paper saying that he had decided to become a “registered voter in the UK”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Strong aftershock terrifies Venezuelans days after devastating twin quakes 29. June 2026 (19:37) Caracas and La Guaira affected by 4.6-magnitude tremor as death toll passes 1,700 and humanitarian crisis growsA strong aftershock has rattled northern Venezuela, sending terrified residents racing on to the streets five days after the twin earthquakes that killed 1,719 people, left tens of thousands missing and triggered a growing humanitarian emergency.The aftershock early on Monday – which the US Geological Survey measured at a magnitude of 4.6 – shook the capital, Caracas, and the devastated port city of La Guaira, where rescue crews are still hoping to pull as many survivors as possible from the rubble. Colombia’s geological survey put the aftershock’s magnitude at 5.1. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Backlash from centrist Democrats as democratic socialist candidates sweep primaries 29. June 2026 (19:25) Party’s old guard abandons ‘blue no matter what’ banner to push for a more formal break with progressive wingAfter a string of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) primary victories, the loudest response from much of the Democratic establishment’s old guard was not reconciliation, but escalation.Over the last few days, prominent party figures have moved away from unifying under a “blue no matter who” banner to push for a more formal break with their left flank, and said the moment may have arrived for Democrats to confront their more socialist wing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
