‘Tech firms are losing the public’: social media age bans near tipping point 28. June 2026 (12:00) UK is latest country to set minimum age for social media access but big tech is fighting back globally against curbsSocial media bans go global: big tech faces a reckoning after Australia’s crackdownArturo Béjar, a former employee turned whistleblower at Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, has talked to parents around the world. He says they share the same perspective: they dread the day their children are old enough to go online.Governments appear to be listening too. This month the UK became the latest country to state that it would set a minimum age of 16 for accessing major social media platforms. Social media bans are becoming a legislative trend after the precedent set by Australia last year, when it imposed an age limit on platforms including Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, Google’s YouTube, Elon Musk’s X, TikTok and Snapchat. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Anti-ICE organizers shift focus to defend democracy from Trump assault 28. June 2026 (12:00) Citizens in Minnesota using lessons learned from migrant crackdown to protect elections from president’s threatsWhen thousands of immigration agents flooded Minnesota earlier this year, a loose network of neighbors sprang into action. They fed each other. They got kids to and from school safely. They tracked the surge that tore through their communities.After organizing, block by block, to monitor Donald Trump’s extraordinary crackdown on their state, the same neighbors are shifting their focus to a different threat. What if the US president tries to steal an election? Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rising cost of insuring against climate crisis will have wider knock-on effects for UK economy | Heather Stewart 28. June 2026 (11:34) As extreme weather events become more common, economists say government will need to take more active role to protect consumersAnyone attempting to notch up a productive day’s work in the searing heat of southern England this last week was left in little doubt about the impact of extreme weather.But the economic effects of the climate crisis for the UK are not confined to the many hours lost to quietly perspiring – or fetching kids dismissed early from scorching classrooms. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Venezuelan earthquakes test Trump’s new western hemisphere policy after gutting of USAID 28. June 2026 (11:32) Marco Rubio is scrambling to provide effective disaster response to country whose president US deposed in JanuaryThis week’s dual earthquakes in Venezuela are a test for the new era of American power in the western hemisphere, as the Trump administration scrambles to provide an effective disaster response mission to a country that it now calls an ally in Latin America, after a US special forces raid in January deposed the country’s strongman leader, Nicolás Maduro.The US is marshalling what secretary of state Marco Rubio called a “big, fast, effective” and “whole-of-government” response as the state department sent three specialised urban search and rescue teams and pledged a $150m assistance fund that one former disaster relief expert called the largest he had seen within 24 hours of an incident. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Donald Trump threatens to annihilate Iran after crossfire over Hormuz – Middle East crisis live 28. June 2026 (11:28) Iran attacked Bahrain and Kuwait after US strikes, and threatened a ‘complete halt’ to talksUS and Iran trade strikes as both sides accuse the other of endangering ceasefireIran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is in Baghdad for a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart. The pair have been discussing the latest attacks as well as the all-important issue of Hormuz, according to Reuters.Gulf states have publicly said that the strait of Hormuz must remain toll-free. For his part, Araghchi’s Iraqi counterpart said that he stressed the importance of opening the passage in their joint meetings and that Iran should lift the naval blockade. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian man charged with murder in Thailand after teenage girl’s body found in suitcase 28. June 2026 (11:25) Simon Peter Carman, 46, has denied the charges against himGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian man has been charged with the murder of a teenage girl whose naked body was found in a suitcase in Thailand.Pattaya City police told the Guardian the man, identified as Simon Peter Carman, 46, has denied the charges against him. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Prince Harry may cancel UK family visit after being refused police protection 28. June 2026 (11:14) Sussexes trip to Britain in balance after government declines request for taxpayer-funded securityThe Duke of Sussex is understood to be reconsidering plans to bring his wife and children to the UK next month after his request for taxpayer-funded police protection was rejected.Prince Harry and Meghan were planning their first trip to Britain as a family in four years for events related to the Invictus Games, due to be held in Birmingham in July. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Paul Hogan has reportedly called Pauline Hanson a ‘pelican’. Please explain? 28. June 2026 (09:41) Crocodile Dundee was held up by the One Nation leader as an exemplar of ‘Australian monoculture’. Hoges had other ideasGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIn one swift rhetorical blow, Crocodile Dundee has disarmed Pauline Hanson’s latest attack on multiculturalism.But his weapon of choice has left some scratching their heads. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gulf shares concerns with US as Iran’s influence and power continue by proxy 28. June 2026 (09:00) Analysts and western leaders believe Iran will increase support of militia groups despite deal between US and IranAs Marco Rubio ended his brief visit to the Middle East on Friday, he sought to cast in the best possible light his discussions with leaders of the Gulf states. Those leaders are deeply anxious that the deal agreed earlier this month between Iran and the US fails to address their worries about continued Iranian efforts to project power and influence throughout the region.“They’ve shared with us some very concrete concerns,” the US secretary of state admitted, and insisted that any definitive agreement will require Tehran to not only restrict its nuclear programme but also halt its support of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, militia in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Greens examining how party decides policy as membership triples under Zack Polanski 28. June 2026 (09:00) Exclusive: Concerns in-person vote system is giving bigger say to organised fringe activists who can attend conferenceSenior Greens are examining ways to revamp the party’s structures to make it more effective and representative now its membership has more than tripled since Zack Polanski became leader.Under the party’s direct-democracy model, policy is voted on only by members who attend one of its two annual conferences, a system some Greens believe risks empowering organised fringe activists who make the effort to travel to the events. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
