Thousands of Knicks fans celebrate big win with joyous New York parade: ‘We family now’ 18. June 2026 (18:38) Parents and their kids, new and old fans and a few celebrities gathered to honor the team’s NBA ChampionshipThousands of Knicks fans – decked out in blue and orange jerseys, shorts, hats, necklaces and more – gathered in downtown New York City on Thursday to celebrate the team’s NBA championship in a lively ticker-tape parade.All along Church Street, the street running parallel to the parade route, fans lit joints, threw back shots of Fireball whiskey and drank Coronas, within view of bemused and outnumbered New York City police officers. Some fans climbed atop police cruisers and posed for photos. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
South African men sentenced in ‘world’s largest’ rhino horn trafficking case 18. June 2026 (18:15) ‘Mastermind’ Dawie Groenewald given fine of 2m rand or four-year jail term almost 16 years after arrestTwo traffickers of rhino horns have been sentenced by a South African court in what police said was the world’s largest such case, partly bringing to an end an almost two-decade legal saga.Dawie Groenewald and Tielman Erasmus had faced more than 1,700 charges ranging from illegally hunting and dehorning rhinos to racketeering and money laundering. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fed governor Lisa Cook faced $1.3m in legal and security fees after Trump’s bid to fire her 18. June 2026 (17:43) Cook is at the center of a supreme court case focused on whether Trump’s firing of her from the Fed board was legalFederal Reserve governor Lisa Cook faced more than $1.3m in legal and security fees after coming under attack from the Trump administration, according to ethics disclosures that were filed on Wednesday.The White House targeted Cook last summer as Donald Trump ramped up his unprecedented campaign to push the Fed to cut interest rates. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran peace deal makes clear how far US has been forced to retreat since 2025 18. June 2026 (17:41) Plan is admission US could not achieve what it sought through war as red line after red line has been erasedOnly a man with an unparalleled ignorance of history such as Donald Trump would have signed America’s peace treaty with Iran at Versailles, the byword for national humiliation. And only a man with an impish sense of humour such as Emmanuel Macron would have suggested it.It is easy to cast Trump in the role of the humiliated and hurt German Count Ulrich von Brockdorff-Rantzau. The treaty of Versailles after all was based on 14 points, just as the memorandum of understanding has 14 clauses. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump administration quietly shifts $352m in federal funds for White House ballroom 18. June 2026 (17:36) Funds meant for Secret Service were transferred to project president promised would be financed by private donationsUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s administration has quietly redirected $352m in federal funds designated for the Secret Service toward the president’s controversial White House ballroom project, despite repeated promises by Trump that the construction would be financed by private donationsThe funds were drawn from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Trump’s signature tax legislation passed last summer on Republican-only votes. The law stipulates the money may only be spent on Secret Service personnel, training facilities, technology and related costs, not construction. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Not so empty nesters: record-high number of US adults under 35 live at home, new data says 18. June 2026 (17:33) Data shows that the increase in at-home living stems from high housing costs rather than labor market conditionsA record number of the US’s young adults were living with their parents last year, according to new data from Realtor.com, as high housing costs pushed the milestone of independent living out of reach.A third of young adults between the ages of 25 and 35 – 25.2 million people – were living with their parents in 2025. Of those, 70% had jobs, and many held college degrees, highlighting that the increase in at-home living stems from high housing costs rather than labor market conditions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
VAT on private school fees has not caused pupil exodus, says Bridget Phillipson 18. June 2026 (17:30) Education secretary cites admissions data for England since tax imposed showing falling applications to state sectorAdding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Zack Polanski cleared by ethics inquiry over council tax payment complaint 18. June 2026 (17:25) Labour and Tories claimed Green party leader breached London assembly ethics code over non-payment of taxZack Polanski has been cleared by an ethics inquiry looking into complaints that he did not pay council tax while living on a houseboat.A report by the Greater London authority’s monitoring officer found that the circumstances of the Green party leader’s living arrangements were beyond its scope and he had therefore not breached the code of conduct for London assembly members. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Border Force officer and Hong Kong trade official jailed for spying for China 18. June 2026 (17:17) Peter Wai and Bill Yuen sentenced to 10 and eight years at Old Bailey in first convictions under National Security ActA UK Border Force officer and a Hong Kong trade official based in London have been jailed for spying for China in the first such conviction in British criminal history.Peter Wai, who conducted “shadow policing” operations on Chinese dissidents in the UK, was sentenced to 10 years, while his handler, Bill Yuen, received an eight-year term. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bank of England governor warns UK public to expect higher costs this year 18. June 2026 (17:02) Andrew Bailey says ‘still inflationary pressure in pipeline’ despite US and Iran nearing peace deal as interest rates kept on holdBusiness live – latest updatesThe governor of the Bank of England has warned consumers to expect higher costs this year as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, despite falling oil prices as the US and Iran near a peace deal.Speaking after the Bank kept interest rates on hold at 3.75%, Andrew Bailey said there was “still some inflationary pressure in the pipeline” after the conflict pushed up energy prices. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
