Progressive economists reject Unite leader’s criticism of Ed Miliband 24. June 2026 (07:00) Sharon Graham is urged to withdraw her claim that the energy secretary would cost jobs if he became chancellorMore than 40 progressive economists have written to Sharon Graham, the leader of Unite, rejecting her claim that Ed Miliband would destroy jobs if he becomes the next chancellor.With Andy Burnham almost certain to be prime minister within weeks, there is a fierce debate within Labour about who should succeed Rachel Reeves at the Treasury, with Miliband considered a frontrunner. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Play puts spotlight on Kenya’s crisis of gender-based violence 24. June 2026 (06:00) Autobiographical work Free Me aims to encourage victims to speak out in country where violence against women is risingThere are audible gasps in the auditorium in Nairobi as a husband launches a volley of blows and slaps on his wife and pushes her to the floor. “I wish I could spare you this,” the wife tells the audience. “My husband beat me up as if we were in a bar fight. Except, in a bar someone fights back.”The scene comes from Free Me, an autobiographical play by Gathoni Kimuyu, a Kenyan theatre and TV producer who lived through an abusive marriage. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Artist accused of winning prize with ‘imitation’ won Australian award with piece ‘influenced’ by Basquiat 24. June 2026 (05:47) Jane Allan’s winning Darling portrait prize painting has raised eyebrows after her Doyles art award piece was compared to artist Nicholas HardingAn Australian painter was “clearly influenced” by New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in a major prize-winning work, according to the National Portrait Gallery, after she was accused of winning a separate $20,000 prize with “an imitation” of a Nicholas Harding piece.The National Portrait Gallery has declined to comment further on the marked similarities between a 1982 work by Basquiat, Untitled (Two Heads on Gold), and a work by Lennox Head artist Jane Allan, titled Weight of the Mind’s Periapt. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Liberals dumbfounded by Angus Taylor’s multiculturalism comments: ‘Embrace the reality of modern Australia’ 24. June 2026 (05:28) Party colleagues concerned opposition leader was missing an opportunity to differentiate Coalition from One NationFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAngus Taylor has attempted to clarify comments on multiculturalism after his five non-answers on Tuesday which left colleagues dumfounded and questioning the opposition leader’s approach to One Nation.As senior Liberals lined up endorse to Australia’s cultural diversity on Wednesday, outspoken backbencher, Andrew McLachlan, went further, challenging his leader to “embrace the reality of modern Australia”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mamdani-backed candidates sweep Democratic primaries in New York City 24. June 2026 (05:18) JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg fails to advance in election to replace Jerry Nadler in Manhattan districtZohran Mamdani’s growing influence over the Democratic party was on show in New York City on Tuesday as three congressional candidates endorsed by New York’s democratic socialist mayor won closely watched primaries.Brad Lander, the former New York City comptroller who also ran for mayor last year before endorsing Mamdani, won his race comfortably, defeating the Democratic representative Dan Goldman. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Admiral fired in Hegseth purge wins Democratic primary in South Carolina 24. June 2026 (05:15) Nancy Lacore will spearhead effort to flip Republican House seat in November’s midterm electionsA three-star navy rear-admiral fired by Pete Hegseth last year in the defense secretary’s purge of senior US military officials has won the Democratic primary in a closely watched congressional race.Nancy Lacore secured the party’s nomination for the US House of Representatives in South Carolina’s first congressional district on Tuesday after defeating Mac Deford, a US Coast Guard veteran, in a runoff. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Chinese supercomputer leapfrogs best US machines to be ranked world’s fastest 24. June 2026 (03:18) China’s LineShine debuts at number one in Top500 – a list sometimes viewed as a national measure of global tech prowessA supercomputer in China now outranks its US counterparts as the world’s most powerful. It is the first time since 2017 that a Chinese computer has topped a list sometimes viewed as a measure of a nation’s technological prowess.The LineShine computer in Shenzhen displaced top-ranked US computer El Capitan in the Top500 rankings released on Tuesday. It was LineShine’s debut on the list. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Federal judge blocks Trump policy that allows immigration court arrests 24. June 2026 (02:39) Judge vacates administrations policies, finding actions of ICE and another government arm ‘arbitrary and capricious’A federal judge in California vacated the Trump administration’s nationwide policies expanding arrests at immigration courthouses and the duration for detaining noncitizens in short-term facilities, finding the actions of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and another government arm “arbitrary and capricious”.US district judge P Casey Pitts of the northern district of California on Tuesday vacated ICE’s policies that had rescinded previous strictures on arrests at immigration courthouses and allowed detainees to be held in short-term cells for up to 72 hours. He did the same for a similar policy undertaken by the US Department of Justice’s executive office for immigration review that removed limits on courthouse arrests. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
House gives final approval to bipartisan housing bill aimed at lowering costs 24. June 2026 (02:03) Donald Trump has indicated he will sign rare bipartisan initiative to tackle affordability after 358-32 vote in HouseThe House gave final approval on Tuesday to a broad bipartisan bill aimed at lowering the cost of housing, with lawmakers in both parties eager to show progress on affordability issues ahead of this year’s midterm elections.The 358-32 vote sends the bill to Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it into law on Wednesday at the Capitol. The Senate passed the legislation 85-5 on Monday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump’s acting intelligence chief fires dozens of staff members – report 24. June 2026 (01:51) Firings come less than a week after US president appointed Bill Pulte as acting director after Tulsi Gabbard left the postSeveral staff members have reportedly been fired from the US office of the director of national intelligence (DNI), multiple outlets have reported. These firings come less than a week after Donald Trump appointed Bill Pulte as the acting director after former director Tulsi Gabbard announced she was leaving the post in late May.According to CNN, which was first to report the firings on Monday, political appointees with ties to Gabbard were among those purged. ABC News reported that cuts to the National Terrorism Center were expected to be particularly large. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
