Top chefs back Andy Burnham for prime minister to cut VAT on hospitality 08. June 2026 (07:00) Tom Kerridge says ‘whole of hospitality’ should get behind Burnham who has called for VAT cut from 20% to 10%Chefs and restaurateurs have said they hope Andy Burnham becomes prime minister after he backed calls to cut VAT tax for hospitality businesses.Burnham, who is standing as the Labour candidate in the Makerfield byelection and is expected to launch a challenge to Keir Starmer’s leadership if he wins, has called for the rate to be cut from 20% to 10% to be in line with European rates. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starwatch: Venus and Jupiter to shine side-by-side at dusk 08. June 2026 (07:00) Solar system’s two brightest planets appear close together low above the western horizon after sunset this weekThe two brightest planets meet this week in the western twilight sky. The chart shows the view looking west-northwest at 21:45 BST. No stars will yet be visible, but Venus and Jupiter will be brilliant against the darkening sky.The planets will be separated by about 1.5 degrees – about the width of three full moons. They will be low to the horizon, so you will need a clear sightline in their direction. If you can find a hill, that will help too. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israel strikes Iran despite Trump plea as Middle East crisis threatens to escalate 08. June 2026 (06:49) Latest exchange of attacks threatens to drag Middle East into regional war and comes after US president said ‘I call all the shots’, not Benjamin NetanyahuMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael launched airstrikes on central and western Iran on Monday in apparent defiance of Donald Trump after he urged restraint over a reprisal attack by Tehran in an escalation that threatens to drag the Middle East back into a regional war.It was the first exchange of direct strikes between the two enemies since a ceasefire paused the US-Israel war with Iran in April. Iran’s attack came in response to earlier strikes on Beirut by Israel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tony awards 2026: Death of a Salesman triumphs, as Lesley Manville and John Lithgow also win 08. June 2026 (05:47) Joe Mantello’s stark revival of Arthur Miller’s classic drama takes home six awards, while Ragtime and Schmigadoon! pick up musical winsTony awards 2026: red carpet looks and the best of the show – in picturesTony awards 2026: full list of winnersA stripped-back take on Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman dominated this year’s Tonys, winning six awards, while Lesley Manville and John Lithgow took home lead acting trophies.Death of a Salesman was named best revival of a play, with the award-winning director Joe Mantello praising Miller’s story as one that “still talks to us through time”. Star Nathan Lane accepted the award on behalf of the cast, and called it a play that “continues to teach us who we are as humans and Americans”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Strong earthquake strikes southern Philippines with tsunami warnings issued 08. June 2026 (05:17) People told to prepare for waves of up to three metres in parts of the Philippines, with smaller waves possible in Indonesia and MalaysiaA magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook part of the southern Philippines early on Monday, sparking tsunami warnings on some regional coasts, collapsing some houses and killing at least one person.“Many buildings were affected, but I cannot enumerate them now because we are busy with ongoing rescues,” Master Sergeant Robert Dagon of the General Santos City police told Agence France-Presse. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Disgusted’: Gillard and Albanese condemn ‘ditch the witch’ campaign against Victorian premier Jacinta Allan 08. June 2026 (05:15) Trucks with billboards depicting phrase alongside Allan wearing a black pointed hat have been seen around Melbourne for about six weeksFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJulia Gillard and Anthony Albanese have joined a chorus of politicians criticising a truck-mounted billboard featuring Victorian premier Jacinta Allan alongside the phrase “ditch the witch”.The billboards, which have been seen travelling through Melbourne for about six weeks, also ran AI-generated images of Allan wearing a black pointed hat and with warts on her chin, in between advertisements for a brothel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The jailing of Germany’s most wanted woman – podcast 08. June 2026 (04:00) Dancer, dog owner, bank robber. Germany’s most wanted woman, Daniela Klette, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after decades on the run. Deborah Cole and Jason Burke reportTo her friends and neighbours, there was nothing extraordinary about Claudia Ivone.As our Berlin correspondent, Deborah Cole, explains, the silver-haired 67-year-old had spent years living in the same apartment in a bohemian neighbourhood of West Berlin. She led an ordinary life: she owned a dog, went shopping and pursued an unusual hobby as an active member of a local capoeira dance group. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Missing Melbourne teacher allegedly drugged and murdered by brother in India 08. June 2026 (02:47) Sunil Sharma disappeared in Punjab province on 22 May, with police arresting four people, including his brotherFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian teacher who went missing in India for two weeks was allegedly murdered by his brother over a property dispute, police say.Melbourne maths teacher Sunil Sharma disappeared on 22 May after he travelled to Amritsar, in India’s northwestern Punjab province. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump walks out of interview with NBC’s Meet the Press after clash over election claims 08. June 2026 (02:15) Kristen Welker questioned Trump’s allegations that races for California governor and 2020 president were ‘rigged’Donald Trump walked out of an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press after he repeatedly made false claims that the US 2020 presidential elections was rigged in 2020 and questions around compensation for those charged in the January 6 insurrection.The US president’s abrupt exit came during a tense exchange between himself and NBC’s Kristen Welker during a Friday interview in Wisconsin that aired on Sunday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘What if all cockroaches came together?’ The youth movement threatening to shake up India’s politics 08. June 2026 (01:51) Cockroach Janta party began as online joke but is growing into one of the most unexpected challenges to country’s rightwing governmentThe call out to the youth of India was simple: “Get ready to swarm the streets of Delhi with peaceful and loving dissent.” They came in their thousands.The weekend marked the first public protest of the Cockroach Janta party (CJP), a movement that began as an online joke, but which has swiftly grown into one of the most unexpected challenges to the indomitable power of the country’s rightwing Narendra Modi government – driven by millions of discontented and disillusioned young people. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
