Barack Obama says US is ‘worse off’ than before war with Iran 19. June 2026 (16:14) Former president nevertheless said in an interview that he was happy to see a ceasefire with Iran and hopes it holdsAnalysis: Iran peace deal makes clear how far US has been forced to retreat since 2025Barack Obama has said that after 15 weeks of war with Iran, the US is now “worse off” than before the conflict started in February.“We’ve now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, you know, put enormous strain on our military. A lot of people have died. And it feels like we’re back where we were before we started the war, except maybe a little bit worse off,” the former US president told NBC News in an interview that aired on Friday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Italy PM Meloni ‘stunned’ by Trump’s claims she begged him for a photo 19. June 2026 (16:10) US president provokes outrage as PM says he ‘totally invented’ story in interview with Italian mediaItaly’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has said Donald Trump “totally invented” a story about her after the US president claimed she begged him to take a photo with her during the G7 summit.The two former allies had appeared to be getting their relationship back on track by having several one-to-ones on the sidelines at the gathering in Évian after falling out in April over the US-Israeli war in Iran. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bill Pulte assumes role of US acting director of national intelligence 19. June 2026 (15:13) Head of Federal Housing Finance Agency who investigated Trump’s enemies takes over top intelligence roleTimeline of Bill Pulte’s appointment as acting director of national intelligenceBill Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director, became the acting director of national intelligence (DNI) on Friday, following a tug-of-war between Donald Trump and Washington lawmakers over the short-term future of the cabinet intelligence post.Tulsi Gabbard, the outgoing DNI, initially planned to leave her post on 30 June, but Trump shortened her tenure to Friday. Senators planned to confirm Jay Clayton, the president’s DNI nominee, by Friday, which would have denied Pulte an opportunity to serve as acting director. But Trump abruptly called off on Wednesday a Senate confirmation hearing for Clayton and directed him not to appear in front of Senate lawmakers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man released by police after boy, three, critically injured in zoo crocodile enclosure 19. June 2026 (14:44) Cambridgeshire police say 30-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder is not fit to be interviewedA man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy ended up in a crocodile enclosure has been released because he is not fit to be interviewed, police have said.The 30-year-old man from Norfolk has been bailed while detectives from the major crimes unit conduct further inquiries, Cambridgeshire police said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Midwives on frontline of childbirth deaths crisis denied visas for key summit 19. June 2026 (14:30) Outcry as experts from African and Asian countries – where mortality is highest – prevented from attending Portugal conference on preventionVisa rejections have threatened progress on mother and baby health after experts from struggling countries were barred from talks, global midwife leaders have said.Politicians, donors and UN agencies convened this week at the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) congress in Lisbon, Portugal, a key conference to discuss the millions of avoidable mother and baby deaths every year.Emily Maclean is a midwife Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Two men jailed for arson attacks on property linked to Keir Starmer 19. June 2026 (14:26) Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc imprisoned for seven years and two years respectivelyRoman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc have been jailed at the Old Bailey for seven years and two years respectively for arson attacks on property connected to Keir Starmer.Lavrynovych, 22, from Ukraine, and Carpiuc, 27, from Romania were found guilty on Monday of conspiring to commit arson on a car and two properties linked to the prime minister. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bologna’s niche festival of forgotten films captures the streaming generation 19. June 2026 (14:00) Over 40 years, Italy’s Il Cinema Ritrovato – or ‘rediscovered cinema’ – has evolved into an influential international gatheringBologna will be transformed into an open-air museum of cinema on Saturday as a nine-day festival dedicated to restored, rediscovered and overlooked films – some dating back more than a century – gets under way in the northern Italian city.Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, Il Cinema Ritrovato, or “rediscovered cinema”, has evolved from its niche origins into an influential international gathering captivating a new generation of cinephiles. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
St Kilda pier wins peak Victorian architecture award as judges praise playful and ‘deeply civic’ design 19. June 2026 (14:00) State government project among range of works celebrated for community-centred design that goes beyond utilityThe reimagined St Kilda pier has added more accolades to its burgeoning trophy cabinet, taking out some of the top gongs at the 2026 Australian Institute of Architects’ Victorian awards.The $53m Victorian government project redesigned by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, alongside Site Office Landscape Architecture and AW Maritime, took home the Victorian architecture medal on Friday, the award given to the most outstanding project of the year.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘The purpose of the rule is fascism’: scientists fight back against planned Trump research cuts 19. June 2026 (14:00) Stand Up for Science founder says proposal to control how grants are spent would ‘dismantle US science ecosystem’While waiting to board her flight home at Ronald Reagan Washington national airport recently, Colette Delawalla was reviewing a list of possible impacts from a proposed Trump administration rule on controlling federal money, including grants for research.Delawalla, the founder of the group Stand Up for Science, had just completed a three-day visit to Capitol Hill, where she met one by one with more than 30 members of Congress, part of a full-court press the organization has launched in recent weeks, sounding the alarm on the office of management and budget (OMB) proposal. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Macron calls for vigilance as western Europe faces second heatwave of year 19. June 2026 (13:39) More than half of France’s population under severe weather warning with temperatures expected to exceed 40CMore than half of France’s population is under a severe weather warning as large swathes of western Europe endure the second extreme heat event of the year with temperatures expected to exceed 40C (104F).The French president, Emmanuel Macron, called for “extreme vigilance from everyone”, asking citizens to “take care of our oldest and most vulnerable people” and follow government advice. “We are going through difficult days,” he said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
