Cambridge hospital staff investigated over accessing records of boy hurt in crocodile pit 26. June 2026 (09:54) About 40 members of staff reported to have looked at information of boy, three, who ended up in zoo enclosureAbout 40 members of hospital staff accessed the medical records of a three-year-old boy hurt in a crocodile pit, prompting an investigation, it has been reported.Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) has referred itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and is investigating whether all the workers had a legitimate reason for looking at his information. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Child malnutrition in Nepal has reached ‘alarming’ levels since aid cuts, survey finds 26. June 2026 (09:00) Fears hard-won gains in reducing child mortality over 20 years are at risk after end of USAID funding for nutrition programmesChild malnutrition in Nepal has reached “alarming” levels, according to the largest ever survey of under-fives in the country.The new figures came just over a year after USAID, the former US flagship agency closed by the Trump administration in 2025, stopped funding work on child nutrition in Nepal. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Slough is like an experiment’: Europe’s largest datacentre hub leaves town sweltering 26. June 2026 (09:00) Emerging research suggests datacentres create a heat island effect, pushing up temperatures in the immediate vicinity by as much as 9C The community living next to the largest datacentre park in Europe say the scorching summer heat has grown unbearable.On days like Wednesday, said Nabeel Nawaz, the store manager of a Chaiiwala franchise in the centre of Slough, the heat is like something “pinching your body and burning your skin”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Red warning for south-east England after record June heat, as France braces for more stifling temperatures – Europe heatwave live 26. June 2026 (08:47) First time red warnings issued in UK for three consecutive days; Paris to ban drinking alcohol in public as hospitals reach ‘saturation point’European heatwave is worst ever and impossible without climate crisis, scientists sayParis to ban drinking alcohol in public as hospitals hit heatwave breaking pointThe UK Met Office has extended a red heat alert into Friday for a large area of south-east England, the first time such warnings have been issued for three days in a row.The red warning is in place until 9pm for London, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Hampshire and Kent. Amber heat warnings are in place for a wider area on Friday, and are running into Saturday for parts of east and south-east England. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Vital Blue Mountains highway to be closed for another year as NSW reveals bridge plans 26. June 2026 (08:22) New structure to be built above 194-year-old Mitchells Causeway as residents face months of delays to reopening of Victoria Pass section of highwayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA vital road connecting Sydney with New South Wales’ central west will remain shut for at least another year, leaving Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands residents facing extended travel times and detours for longer than expected.Transport for NSW closed the Victoria Pass section of the Great Western Highway in March after critical structural cracks were detected at Mitchells Causeway, or “Convict Bridge”, a 194-year-old, convict-built infrastructure. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
South Korea to train half a million military personnel to become ‘drone warriors’ 26. June 2026 (08:04) All branches of the military will be taught how to use technology that has become a ‘game changer on the battlefield’, says defence ministerAll of South Korea’s military forces will be trained as drone operators in a sweeping overhaul of its warfare strategy, the defence minister has said.“All soldiers should be able to use drones like a second personal firearm,” Ahn Gyu-back, who heads the defence ministry in Seoul, said on Friday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australians to pay at least 20% more for iPads and Macbooks after Apple hikes prices citing AI 26. June 2026 (07:00) Apple Macbook 13-inch prices jumps from $1,799 to $2,099 while the cost of iPads surges by 25%Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians woke up on Friday to more expensive Macbooks and iPads after Apple hiked prices worldwide, blaming an AI-driven cost-crunch for computer parts.The iPhone range was unaffected but experts predict Apple will raise prices for its flagship product later this year. Microsoft also lifted its Xbox prices overnight amid a wave of increases for phones and devices. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Porsche magnate puts historic Salzburg villa up for sale after row over private ‘tunnel for one’ 26. June 2026 (07:00) Plans by Wolfgang Porsche to bore private 500-metre road link through Austrian hill caused anger among localsWolfgang Porsche, the Austrian-German automotive magnate, appears to have abandoned plans to build a private 500-metre tunnel for his cars through the Salzburg hills after a public uproar over the “tunnel for one”.In 2020, Porsche bought a storied 17th-century villa on the outskirts of Salzburg for €8.4m (£7.2m), and last autumn he secured permission from the city authorities for an estimated €10m private access road through the rugged limestone hill. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Migrating swifts loyally return every year to nests in buildings, study finds 26. June 2026 (07:00) Conservationists emphasise importance of protecting nesting sites used by ‘strongly faithful’ red-listed speciesMigratory swifts loyally return every year to their nests in buildings, according to a study, underlining the importance of providing the endangered birds with hollow nesting bricks if traditional nest sites are lost to renovations.The swift, which is on the red list of conservation concern, is one of Britain’s most threatened species, having declined in number by 70% since 1995 because of the loss of nesting sites, often when old buildings are re-roofed or given better insulation. While Scotland this year made the installation of swift bricks – a simple hollow brick – a legal requirement in new buildings, the government in England has repeatedly refused to oblige builders to include a £35 swift brick in every new home. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Too hot for work: why extreme heat is a threat to Europe’s productivity 26. June 2026 (07:00) High temperatures make some workplaces dangerous, with economists warning disruption will dent growthMonique Mosley is used to sweltering conditions at the food factory in Yorkshire where she works, but June’s record-breaking heatwave has made conditions unbearable. “We make hot filled food products and it’s common that we see temperatures in the high 30s,” she said. “Thanks to our union, our employer is offering extra breaks, but not every workplace is the same.”The latest heatwave to grip the UK and much of western Europe has presented significant challenges to employers and their employees, from sweltering offices, disrupted commutes and school closures to dangerous construction sites where workers are at risk of dehydration, heatstroke and other injury. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
