Trump loyalist Jim Jordan linked to group that received ‘dark money’ from ICE detention contractor 20. June 2026 (17:00) Report finds close ties between the Trump administration and Geo Group, which profits from anti-immigration crackdownJim Jordan is among the most famous names in this stretch of Ohio.The congressman and chair of the powerful House judiciary committee is considered among the most conservative and influential members in Congress, and is a longtime loyalist of Donald Trump. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Burnham allies confident of No 10 ‘coronation’ after surge in backers 20. June 2026 (16:41) Some Labour MPs still want former mayor to face ‘scrutiny’ of ideas through contested leadership raceAllies of Andy Burnham are increasingly confident of a coronation-style transfer of power after the number of MPs backing him for the Labour leadership surged following his byelection victory.Burnham and his team are understood to have spent the last few days enlisting the support of MPs and ministers, as he prepares to challenge Keir Starmer in the coming weeks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘They have all the power’: investigation finds that 93% of ICE arrests targeted Latinos 20. June 2026 (16:00) 430 ICE street arrests filed over a five-month period were clustered in predominantly Latino communities across New Jersey and New YorkFederal agents have arrested hundreds of immigrants off New York and New Jersey streets in recent months in a stealth enforcement campaign that disproportionately targeted people from Latin American countries, according to an investigation by the City Reporter based on a review of more than 1,200 lawsuits.More than 93% of the people grabbed off area streets who filed suit were from Latin American countries, although Latinos make up only 66% of immigrants without legal status in the region. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US treasury chief urged Trump not to host ‘Mr Bean on crack’ Zelenskyy, book says 20. June 2026 (15:00) Suggestion that Scott Bessent so described a world leader included in Regime Change, by New York Times reportersScott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, advised Donald Trump not to host Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, having called the Ukrainian president a “little fucker”, a “special-needs child” and “Mr Bean on crack”, according to a new book.The suggestion that a US cabinet official described a world leader in such terms is included in Regime Change, a blockbusting account of the second Trump administration by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, set to be published worldwide on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Louisiana pastor sentenced to 80 years for sexually molesting two boys 20. June 2026 (15:00) Terry Reed, found guilty of rape and molestation of a juvenile, called ‘utter failure of a man’ by victim’s motherA suburban New Orleans religious pastor has been sentenced to 80 years’ imprisonment after being convicted of sexually molesting two boys – the third time in which he was found guilty of abusing minors.While Terry Reed received his punishment at a state court hearing on Thursday, the mother of one of his survivors read a victim-impact statement on behalf of her son which called him “an utter failure and a sorry excuse for a man”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ghost of far-right paramilitaries hovers over Colombia’s presidential runoff vote 20. June 2026 (14:00) Colombians will choose on Sunday between two men whose lives have been very differently shaped by the militias, and whose visions for the country are poles apartWhoever wins Sunday’s presidential runoff vote in Colombia, the country’s next leader will have a personal history intertwined with one of the criminal forces at the heart of a decades-long armed conflict that claimed nearly half a million lives.The lives of Iván Cepeda and Abelardo de la Espriella have, in very different ways, been shaped by their relationship with Colombia’s paramilitaries – private armies originally established by rightwing landowners, drug traffickers, businessmen, mining magnates and politicians to fight leftwing guerrilla groups. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Key Trump allies and Musk on leaked list for secretive Peter Thiel retreat 20. June 2026 (14:00) Figures including Jared Kushner and Scott Bessent named in directory of Dialog participants that was exposed onlineA website leak has exposed participants in the secretive, Peter Thiel-founded Dialog retreats which includes top politicians from across the American divide, officials from foreign countries, other titans of the tech industry world and prominent media figures.The annual Dialog retreats, which have been compared to other quasi-secret elite conferences like the Bilderberg Group and Bohemian Grove since they began in 2006, have had some participants revealed in previous media reports. Fairly little is known about the invitation-only event, which is usually held at luxury establishments around the world and features organized discussions on global affairs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli strikes kill at least 16 in Lebanon despite reports of renewed ceasefire 20. June 2026 (13:54) Outbreak of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel has forced mediators to cancel US-Iran talks in SwitzerlandIsraeli strikes on southern Lebanon have killed at least 16 people, local authorities said on Saturday, despite reports of a renewed ceasefire aiming to end persistent violence that threatens the new agreement between the US and Iran.Lebanon’s civil defence agency said its personnel transported “16 dead and 12 wounded” to hospital, adding that they had been working “since the early morning hours” in the Nabatieh district in response to “ongoing attacks targeting the area”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Like a bomb had gone off’: suspected arson attack fuels Glastonbury unease 20. June 2026 (13:45) Arrests after explosion and caravan fires heighten controversy over number of people living in vehiclesJan Johnston was tucked up in the van she calls home when she was rocked by the explosion. “I heard this massive boom,” she said. “I came out and there was thick, black, billowing smoke. It was like a bomb had gone off.”It turned out not to be a bomb, but a suspected arson attack on one of the many caravans, motorhomes and converted vehicles tucked away in side roads and industrial estates around the town of Glastonbury in Somerset. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli attack kills famed turtle sanctuary ecologist in Lebanon 20. June 2026 (13:32) Mona Khalil led decades-long effort to protect nesting site for turtles near her home in south of the countryThe Lebanese marine activist Mona Khalil, who became a beloved figure in the country for a decades-long effort to protect a nesting site for turtles near her home, has died from injuries sustained in an Israeli strike.Khalil, 76, ran a sanctuary called the Orange House Project near the Mediterranean city of Tyre. She hosted volunteers in her house to clean and monitor a mile-long beach and welcomed tourists to stay and learn about conservation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
