Pete Buttigieg says family investigated over baseless child abuse allegation 26. June 2026 (23:31) Buttigieg calls anonymous tip ‘politically motivated’ and says separation from his kids was among his ‘darkest hours’Pete Buttigieg, the former US transportation secretary, said on Friday an anonymous and – police say – meritless accusation of child abuse led Child Protective Services to investigate his family.In a Substack post published on Friday, Buttigieg described the incident – which resulted in him being separated from his four-year-old twins – as “among the darkest hours of my life” and likened the accusation to “swatting”, the practice of calling police with a false report of an emergency to trigger a law enforcement response. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US says it struck Iran targets after attack on cargo ship on the strait of Hormuz 26. June 2026 (23:07) Strike was in response to drone attack a day earlier on a commercial vesselUS strikes Iran – latest updatesThe US military conducted strikes against Iran on Friday, Central Command said in a statement, adding that US aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites after Tehran’s attack on a commercial ship in the strait of Hormuz.The US strike was in response to a drone attack a day earlier on a cargo ship in the strait, a provocation that President Donald Trump said violated the ceasefire. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Release the footage’: Mississippi protest over police killing of one-year-old 26. June 2026 (22:50) About 100 marchers demand transparency after Kohen Wiley was shot dead in a car outside a WalmartAbout 100 people gathered on Friday morning outside of the Walmart in rural Senatobia, Mississippi, to protest about the killing of a one-year-old boy by police earlier this month.Walmart itself was closed, its doors barricaded. During a protest at the Walmart earlier in the week, officers deployed teargas on those gathered to force the crowds to disperse. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Call for inquiry into Alligator Alcatraz’s ‘abuse of Everglades’ despite closure 26. June 2026 (22:38) Environmentalists and immigrant-rights advocates seek accounting of damage done by notorious detention centerWhile they welcome the recent closure of the controversial Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention center, leading environmental groups and their allies say they want an independent investigation into the environmental damage the facility inflicted on the surrounding wilderness during its 12 months of operations.Those groups made that demand alongside immigrant-rights advocates and members of Florida’s Miccosukee Tribe at a news conference on Friday outside the entrance to the shuttered detention center, where the Friends of the Everglades (FOE) executive director, Eve Samples, condemned the camp as a “failure, an obscene waste of taxpayer dollars and an abuse of the Everglades”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump administration orders US health programs to move away from overdose prevention 26. June 2026 (22:25) Experts say move signals greater political interference into public health and will exacerbate opioid overdose crisisHealth programs receiving federal funding must agree within days to new priorities from the Trump administration, including a focus on “parental authority” in education and a move away from proven overdose-prevention methods like harm reduction, suggesting greater political control over public health.The new priorities will likely affect progress against the opioid crisis, and they could signal an attack on vaccination requirements at schools, which are set at the state and local level. The priorities may also weaponize public health to quash “public disorder.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump blames Iran for drone strike on cargo ship in strait of Hormuz 26. June 2026 (21:08) US president calls it ‘foolish violation’ of ceasefire agreement after drone damaged ship’s upper deckUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump on Friday blamed Iran for carrying out a drone strike on a cargo ship in the strait of Hormuz, calling it a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire agreement with the US.One drone damaged the upper deck of the ship but the ship was able to proceed, the US president said. The US shot down three other drones aimed at the ship, he said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UN calls for ‘prompt investigations’ of deaths in US immigration custody 26. June 2026 (20:12) High commissioner for human rights calls for ‘those responsible for violations of the law’ to be held to accountUS politics live – latest updatesThe United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, on Friday raised the alarm internationally about deaths in US government immigration custody and called for “prompt, independent, impartial and effective investigations”.Türk’s call came as the Trump administration faced investigations by watchdogs at its own Department of Homeland Security (DHS) into deaths and use of force against people detained in its expanding immigration detention system across the country. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US man who claims to have world’s smallest penis launches fundraiser for enlargement surgery 26. June 2026 (19:55) Michael Phillips, who says he has a 0.38in member, wrote that he needed procedure to improve his ability to urinateThe North Carolina man who has made the apparently undisputed claim of having the world’s smallest penis is seeking the public’s support for enlargement surgery.Michael Phillips said online on Thursday that he needed the procedure to improve his ability to urinate, which is difficult for him given that he is reportedly 0.38in (0.97cm) long when fully erect. Otherwise, he said he must continue to wear diapers for adults with incontinence every day. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Now we know how much tax King Charles pays, and it is very little 26. June 2026 (19:23) The monarch’s declaration does not tell us much, except that his bill is lower than for people with much smaller fortunesThe veil of secrecy that surrounds the royal finances was nudged aside a little on Thursday to allow the release of a new piece of information. We learned for the first time how much the king’s annual tax bill comes to.This was not a full tax return. It was a two-sentence declaration, stating his tax payable amounted to £12.9m in 2024-25, and a slightly smaller sum the year before. His total tax payable since accession comes to £30m. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Andy Burnham says he will give 15% of his MP’s pay to local causes 26. June 2026 (19:16) New member for Makerfield and expected next prime minister joins other MPs who donate some or all of their payAndy Burnham has said he will be donating 15% of his MP’s salary to local causes in his constituency of Makerfield.An MP’s salary currently stands at £98,599 and a number of MPs donate all or part of their salary to charities and causes in the areas they represent. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
