Dettol apologises after ‘toxic men’ advert sparks backlash in China 24. June 2026 (09:16) British disinfectant brand withdraws advert about a man’s efforts to find a ‘clean and untouched’ womanThe British hygiene brand Dettol has apologised after an advertisement released in China, which it said was intended to criticise “toxic men”, was widely condemned on social media as offensive to women.The five-minute advert for a multipurpose disinfectant, released across many online platforms at the end of May, features a man comparing his girlfriend with his former partner. Learning that his former girlfriend previously lived with someone else, the man likens their relationship to a “secondhand service”. He then tells his friends that he intends to find a “clean and untouched” woman for whom he can be the first sexual partner. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Europe heatwave live: UK braces for record-breaking temperatures; Italy issues red alert for 16 cities 24. June 2026 (08:53) Temperatures expected to hit 40C in parts of the UK, as extreme heatwave spreads slowly eastwards, sparking warnings in Italy and the NetherlandsFrance records hottest day ever as 40 people drown across countryTell us: how is the heatwave in the UK and across Europe affecting you?Grahame Madge, a Met Office spokesperson, said the agency is forecasting 39C as a headline maximum temperature on Thursday in the UK, most likely for somewhere in London or the south-east.“It is possible we could see temperatures higher than the 39C if the final values are at the upper end of our narrow range,” he said, according to the Press Association. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gay students extorted with threat of being ‘outed’ in home countries, Victorian hate crime inquiry hears 24. June 2026 (08:38) LGBTQ+ support service says men from countries where homosexuality is illegal are targeted for attacks via dating appsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastInternational students from countries where homosexuality is illegal are being lured into meetings via gay dating apps before being assaulted and extorted with threats of being outed, a Victorian inquiry into hate crimes has heard.Since June 2024, police identified 95 attacks targeting gay and bisexual men across Victoria, resulting in 42 arrests, Thorne Harbour Health’s chief executive, Chad Hughes, told the inquiry on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Philippines blocks GoreBox gaming app after school shooting kills three, injures 20 24. June 2026 (08:27) Investigators said one of the teenagers who allegedly opened fire on students at a high school had regularly used the GoreBox gaming appPhilippine authorities have temporarily blocked the online gaming app GoreBox days after a rare school shooting in the south-east Asian nation killed three students and injured 20 others.Investigators said that of the two teenagers accused of opening fire on students at San Jose National high school in Tacloban city, one had regularly played the game, which allows players to use various weapons and depicts graphic violence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bird flu confirmed in South Australia as infected petrel brings deadly H5N1 cases to three 24. June 2026 (08:19) An additional case is suspected in Western Australia, which would bring the total number of bird flu infections to fourFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDeadly H5 bird flu has been confirmed in two Australian states after a migratory seabird tested positive for the disease in South Australia.Western Australia also has another suspected positive case, in a southern giant petrel, found in the Quindalup region in the state’s south west. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Darren Jones says he will not challenge Andy Burnham for Labour leadership 24. June 2026 (08:15) Chief secretary to PM says he had been ‘reassured’ about Burnham’s economic plans after conversation with himAndy Burnham has moved a step closer to becoming prime minister after Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, said he would not stand in a Labour leadership contest.Jones, who had been mooted as a candidate who could put Burnham’s ideas to a test in a race, told Sky News that he had a “reassuring conversation” with the newly elected MP for Makerfield about his economic policy plans . Continue reading...(The Guardian)
One Nation angers miners after rookie MP sides with Greens on fuel rebates 24. June 2026 (08:14) Opponents seize on Farrer MP David Farley’s decision to vote alongside teals and Greens to wind back fuel tax credits for miners, farmers and othersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne Nation is under pressure to clarify its position on fuel tax credits after its rookie MP voted to wind back the rebates, a position opposed by mining and farming groups.The Farrer MP, David Farley, sided with the Greens and teal independents in a lower-house vote to cap the scheme, which refunds miners, farmers and other industries that use heavy machinery the 52.6c a litre excise applied to petrol and diesel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Interest rate hikes remain on cards as Australia’s underlying inflation climbs, economists warn 24. June 2026 (08:05) Despite plunging fuel prices, trimmed mean inflation increased from an annual pace of 3.4% to 3.6%Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s inflation challenge is far from over and more Reserve Bank rate hikes remain on the cards, economists warn, even after a plunging petrol costs drove an unexpected fall in consumer price growth in the year to May.Annual inflation dropped to 4%, from 4.2% in the year to April, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, dragged down in large part thanks to a nearly 12% drop in fuel prices in the month of May. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Former WH Smith’s small suppliers to lose at least half of debts in rescue plan 24. June 2026 (08:00) If TG Jones’s aggressive restructuring is voted through, the charity Help for Heroes and other creditors will be out of pocketSmall suppliers including the charity Help for Heroes are to lose at least half the money owed to them by the former WH Smith high street chain if a planned restructure is voted through this week.The books to paperclips retailer, which has 450 stores, was bought by the private equity firm Modella Capital last year and rebranded TG Jones. It has said it is likely that it will have to call in administrators if creditors, including shop landlords, do not approve an amended restructuring plan, seen by the Guardian, designed to cut costs in a vote on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘The soul’s been ripped out of it’: Birmingham community housing scheme on brink over costs dispute 24. June 2026 (07:00) Row over ‘landmark’ development in Stirchley has left people homeless and put businesses at risk, say localsA housing development in Birmingham, touted as a model for community-owned housing in the UK, is at “serious risk of collapse” due to a dispute over construction costs.The Stirchley Cooperative Development (SCD), which was founded by local residents and businesses in Birmingham in 2016, was meant to provide 39 affordable and landlord-free homes owned and run by the people who live and work there by 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
