Burnham may have to boost defence spending to pass ‘Moscow test’, says ex-military chief 28. June 2026 (16:05) Adm Sir Tony Radakin says UK currenly ‘falls short’ of level required to keep Russian threats at bayThe former head of the armed forces has told Andy Burnham that plans for defence spending must meet a “Moscow test” to keep Russian threats at bay, warning the UK currently “falls short” of that level of commitment.Adm Sir Tony Radakin, who was the chief of the defence staff until last year, said that if the government’s defence investment plan (Dip), expected to be published this week, was “not enough” then the probable next prime minister would have to find more funding before the general election. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Escalating US-Iran strikes threaten interim peace agreement 28. June 2026 (15:45) Tehran attacks Bahrain and Kuwait amid efforts to open strait of Hormuz without Iran’s direct oversightFresh hostilities in Gulf suggest US-Iran memorandum was too broadly wordedA new round of escalating strikes between Iran and the US has continued, further undermining the fragile interim peace agreement between the two countries, and prompting Donald Trump to threaten violence that would ensure Iran “will no longer exist”.On Sunday, Tehran launched drone and missile attacks against Bahrain and Kuwait after new US strikes on sites in southern Iran and threatened a “complete halt” to negotiations to end the war. Trump said that a moment might come soon when he abandoned talks and the US would “militarily finish the job”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ministers urged to curb energy costs as Great British homes face 13% bill surge 28. June 2026 (15:04) Quarterly Ofgem price cap rises to equivalent of £1,862 a year from 1 July amid growing consumer energy debtMinisters are facing growing pressure to lower energy costs as households in Great Britain face the steepest rise in summer bills in four years this week.The quarterly cap on gas and electricity charges will rise by 13% from Wednesday to the equivalent of £1,862 a year for an average household, just days after figures revealed that consumer energy debt had reached record highs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
French skydiving plane crashes near Nancy, reportedly killing all 11 onboard 28. June 2026 (14:37) Five pairs of students and instructors dead along with pilot after plane fell suddenly near aerodrome, says prefectA skydiving plane has crashed in north-eastern France, killing all 11 people onboard, according to the region’s prefect.The parachuting-school plane crashed near Nancy at 11am, said Yves Séguy, the prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle region. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Complaints filed to police watchdog over Met’s handling of Al Fayed abuse allegations 28. June 2026 (14:24) IOPC confirms complaints from three survivors of alleged sexual misconduct by late Harrods owner in addition to ongoing investigationSurvivors of abuse at the hands of the late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed have complained to a watchdog about how the Metropolitan police handled allegations.More than 400 claims of sexual misconduct have been made against Al Fayed, including rape and human trafficking, dating between 1977 and 2014. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Good-faith lawsuit? LDS church in fight with podcaster over Mormon name 28. June 2026 (14:00) Church sues excommunicated member over Mormon Stories podcast but John Dehlin says name free for all to useTrademark changes and copyright infringement disputes take many forms. Dunkin’ Donuts changed its name to Dunkin’ because Donuts did not suggest the vigorous, on-the-go attitude the coffee company wants to project.But what happens when a church changes its name, but former adherents continue to use the original term in ways it may not like? Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lucy Powell appears to endorse Ed Miliband as Andy Burnham’s chancellor 28. June 2026 (13:41) Labour deputy leader says she thinks energy secretary would be good in Treasury but ‘tittle-tattle’ over cabinet posts is ‘unedifying’Ed Miliband would make a “good” chancellor to Andy Burnham, Labour’s deputy leader, Lucy Powell, has said, ahead of the likely next prime minister’s first major speech on the economy since he returned to Westminster.Powell, who served as Miliband’s chief of staff in opposition and is close to the former party leader, appeared to endorse him to run the Treasury – although some in Burnham’s camp acknowledge such a move could be politically risky. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Temperature records tumble across Europe as heatwave moves east 28. June 2026 (13:24) More than 191m people in Europe face temperatures over 35C, with extreme heat warnings from Germany to Hungary‘A sad inevitability’: after decades of climate warnings, why is Europe so unprepared for rising heat?Poland, Czechia and Slovakia are braced for record temperatures of over 40C as a heatwave linked to hundreds of deaths in western Europe spreads east.More than 191 million people in Europe faced temperatures of at least 35C on Sunday, with extreme heat warnings in Germany, Czechia, Poland and Hungary. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The curious case of the cremation ashes left at Newbury racecourse burger van 28. June 2026 (13:00) Urn with loving messages to ‘Gary Bonsor’ to be buried in local churchyard as efforts to find family draw a blankIt is a puzzling story with a still unsolved mystery at its heart: just who is the individual whose cremated remains were left on the counter of a burger van at Newbury racecourse?And why – despite the cremation urn being labelled with a name and a message that hints at a loving family – has no one come forward to claim it? Continue reading...(The Guardian)
When it comes to taxing the super rich, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel 28. June 2026 (13:00) Any new tax on the rich won’t raise much money unless many of the exceptions and loopholes are dealt withIn this new era of rampaging oligarchs, nothing may seem as satisfying as slapping a tax on Elon Musk’s new trillion-dollar fortune. What most bothers Americans about federal taxes is that billionaires don’t pay their fair share. As the race to develop artificial intelligence mints more billionaires, policymakers’ temptation to directly tax their brobdingnagian wealth is becoming unbearable.The first state out of the blocks is California, where voters in November will decide whether to impose a one-time tax of 5% on fortunes worth more than $1bn. Given the ease with which plutocrats avoid paying income taxes, the case for this sort of direct tax on their stash appears unassailable. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
