Republicans split on following Trump’s demands for restrictive voting bill 11. June 2026 (20:49) US president urges congressional Republicans to use budget reconciliation procedure to enact his priorities Donald Trump has demanded that congressional Republicans get to work on a party line measure that would ensure defense spending reaches its highest level in decades and also make a likely fruitless attempt to impose a host of new restrictions on voters nationwide.In a post on Truth Social Wednesday, the president said he was “calling on Republicans in Congress to IMMEDIATELY advance and pass the forthcoming $350 Billion Reconciliation Bill”, which would also include the Save America Act, a rightwing makeover of elections that his allies in Congress have sought to pass for months, without success. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump nominates Jay Clayton as top US intelligence official after pushback on Bill Pulte 11. June 2026 (20:44) US president had faced widespread criticism of his decision to install a controversial ally, Bill PulteDonald Trump has nominated Jay Clayton, former head of the top US markets watchdog, to be the country’s leading intelligence official.The US president faced widespread criticism of his decision to install a controversial ally, Bill Pulte, as acting director of National Intelligence while searching for a permanent candidate. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Delhi issues ‘strong protest’ after US strikes kill three Indian seafarers in Gulf 11. June 2026 (20:11) Washington claims vessel was violating its blockade of Iranian ports and failed to comply with instructionsMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe Indian government has voiced a “strong protest” after three Indian seafarers were killed in US military strikes against oil tankers travelling through the strait of Hormuz.US Central Command confirmed that its aircraft had fired two Hellfire missiles at the engine room of the MT Settebello as it sailed through the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Thank God for the Knicks’: New Yorkers abuzz after historic Game 4 comeback 11. June 2026 (19:30) Largest comeback in NBA finals history galvanizes city and inspires morning-after chants of ‘Knicks in five!’New Yorkers woke up on Thursday morning – those who had even slept in the city that never sleeps – still jubilant after the Knicks men’s basketball team had made history the night before.The team staged the largest comeback in NBA finals history to overcome the San Antonio Spurs in the dying seconds of the fourth game of the finals – and put themselves 3-1 up and within one game of a rare championship win. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Alleged rape of girl ‘simply not true’, Jeffrey Donaldson tells trial 11. June 2026 (19:17) Former DUP leader also rejects suggestion wife knew about or witnessed abuse, saying ‘there was nothing to know’Jeffrey Donaldson is “crystal clear” that an allegation he raped a girl several years ago is “simply not true”, the former Democratic Unionist party leader has told a court.Giving evidence in the third week of his trial on sexual abuse charges, the ex-MP said an allegation that he had touched the same girl’s breasts was “just unbelievable”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Canadian mother sues OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT led her daughter to kill herself 11. June 2026 (19:17) Suit filed in US alleges chatbot told Alice Carrier, 24, ‘maybe this is just the end’ as she struggled with suicidal thoughtsA Canadian mother sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, in US court on Thursday, alleging that ChatGPT encouraged her daughter to commit suicide. The lawsuit is the latest in a slew accusing the company of failing to address dangerous conversations between users and the company’s chatbot.Kristie Carrier said in a lawsuit filed in San Francisco state court that her daughter, Alice, told ChatGPT about her suicidal ideations more than a dozen times leading up to her death but that OpenAI’s safety systems never flagged the conversations for human review or terminated them. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Helen Mirren speaks out about being called ‘evil Zionist’ on the street in London 11. June 2026 (18:57) Responding to an incident in which she was verbally abused, the actor said that ‘evil forces are rising everywhere’, as well as expressing support for MobLand co-star Tom HardyHelen Mirren has commented on being called an “evil Zionist bitch” while being harassed in the street in London, saying she was “attacked by mistake by a man who was maybe a little over passionate or maybe mentally not quite stable”.Footage circulated last month of an incident, believed to have taken place last year, while Mirren was walking with her husband, film-maker Taylor Hackford. They were approached and filmed by an unidentified person, who commented on Mirren’s support of Israel and then launched a volley of abuse at her. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Video shows angler freeing great white shark after surprise catch at Nantucket 11. June 2026 (18:40) Footage shows Elliot Sudal hauling the shark from the surf before releasing it within seconds, sparking online reactionAn angler who reeled in a rare great white shark at a Nantucket beach said he posted extraordinary video of the encounter to social media as an example of how to safely catch and release one of the ocean’s greatest predators.Elliot Sudal said he was “testing the waters” off the Massachusetts beach he regularly uses when he inadvertently snagged the shark on Sunday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump threatens to strike Iran ‘very hard, tonight’ and to take Kharg Island 11. June 2026 (17:48) US president warns of further military action as both sides accuse each other of breaching temporary ceasefireMiddle East crisis – live updatesUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump has said the US will take control of Iran’s oil and gas infrastructure and launch further strikes on Iran on Thursday night, just hours after the countries exchanged fire for the second consecutive day despite a nominal ceasefire being in place.In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US would hit Iran “VERY HARD, TONIGHT”, claiming that most of Iran’s offensive capacity had been destroyed. He also said the US would seize Kharg, an island in the Gulf that handles about 90% of Iran’s oil exports and hosts vast storage facilities. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Musk’s xAI fired engineer for raising concerns about Grok chatbot, lawsuit claims 11. June 2026 (17:47) Former xAI engineer Devin Kim alleges he was illegally fired for trying to implement safety mechanisms for the chatbotA former engineer at Elon Musk’s xAI who now heads a thinktank focused on AI safety filed a lawsuit claiming he was fired from the SpaceX subsidiary for raising concerns about the risks artificial intelligence poses to humanity.Devin Kim claims in the lawsuit filed in California state court on Tuesday that his efforts to place guardrails on the development of the chatbot Grok made him a target for company leadership. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
