‘Period tax’ on sanitary products to be abolished, says Pakistan minister 17. June 2026 (14:46) Campaigners welcome announcement cutting levies on menstrual health items, but say their work to end period poverty is ‘far from over’Pakistan plans to abolish “period tax”, in a victory for young campaigners who had taken the government to court over the charges.Finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced that sanitary towels and related items were “daily necessities that are indispensable for women’s health, dignity and full participation in social activities”, and said he intended to remove the sales tax. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lammy tells Tory deputy chair to apologise for joking on TV about arson attack on Starmer’s home – UK politics live 17. June 2026 (14:40) David Lammy accused Matt Vickers of ‘promoting conspiracies’, as a Conservative spokesperson claims he was ‘trying to be polite’Andy Burnham may have trouble getting through to Keir Starmer if he tries ringing him after the Makerfield byelection to urge him to set a timetable for his departure. Burnham reportedly wants to call Starmer this weekend. (See 9.47am.) But, in his interview with Sky News, Starmer said: “I’m sure I’ll talk to Andy after the weekend.”If Starmer declines to take Burnham’s call, he may be following Ed Miliband’s example. In a Times story today, Patrick Maguire and Steven Swinford report:Sir Keir Starmer’s relationship with Ed Miliband has broken down to such an extent that the energy secretary has been accused of “ghosting” the prime minister in recent weeks.Senior government sources claimed that Miliband declined to take calls from the prime minister during a tense stand-off over defence spending. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Milan tram drivers ‘used WhatsApp for sexist chat about female passengers’ 17. June 2026 (14:34) Drivers suspended as prosecutors investigate group said to have been used to share and comment on CCTV imagesA group of tram drivers in Milan have been suspended from their jobs amid an investigation into a WhatsApp group in which they allegedly exchanged sexist and vulgar comments about images of female passengers.Milan prosecutors placed at least one employee of ATM, the city’s public transport firm, under investigation on Tuesday for allegedly accessing an IT system without authorisation and for hacking a CCTV system to obtain images of female passengers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At age 18, he’s already graduated law school. Now he wants to fight ‘extremely predatory’ social media companies 17. June 2026 (14:24) Jimmy Chilimigras graduated high school at 12 and is now pursuing a master of laws degree – and he wants to find ‘an area to do some good’A Mississippi teenager who in May became one of the youngest ever law school graduates says he wants to help reform US tax law as well as litigate against social media companies over claims that they design their products to be addictive – and therefore harmful – to youths.“What they’re creating is extremely predatory and harmful, and yet they’re sending it out knowing that it’s … harmful and not really taking any action to reduce the harm or address it,” 18-year-old Jimmy Chilimigras said with respect to his interest in participating in such social media litigation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Electrical retailer AO shifts UK call centre roles to South Africa 17. June 2026 (14:15) About 150 jobs have already been lost in Bolton as company reports 145% rise in profits and hands £20m to shareholdersBusiness live – latest updatesThe online electrical goods seller AO World has revealed it is outsourcing up to 200 UK call centre roles to South Africa blaming rising labour costs, as it handed £20m to shareholders.As the retailer reported a jump in profits, it said it was shifting the majority of call centre jobs overseas “in response to ongoing inflationary cost pressures, and particularly rising employment costs”. It expects to save about £4m a year as a result of the change. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US public still favours action on climate change despite Trump’s fossil fuel drive 17. June 2026 (14:00) Two-thirds of Americans say they are worried about climate but level of media coverage does not reflect thisUS political and media discourse has drifted away from the climate crisis amid a frontal assault by Donald Trump upon policies to limit global heating and the president’s pugnacious demands to “drill, baby, drill” for more oil and gas.Yet while elite attention on climate has waned, even among some previously vocal Democrats who have wound back on criticism of the fossil fuels that are overheating our planet, the American public remains concerned about the climate crisis and continues to favour action to deal with it, according to experts and polling. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump abruptly halts confirmation process for Jay Clayton as US intelligence chief 17. June 2026 (13:33) Move will allow Trump’s controversial pick, Bill Pulte, to assume role and remain in place for at least several weeksSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailDonald Trump abruptly halted the confirmation process for Jay Clayton as the US’s top intelligence chief early Wednesday, in a move that will allow Trump’s controversial selection for acting director of national security, Bill Pulte, to assume the role and remain in place for at least several weeks until Clayton is confirmed.Trump pushed the Senate to confirm Clayton after his appointment of Pulte as acting director sparked bipartisan pushback and stalled his administration’s push for renewal of the controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
BBC boss warns of compulsory redundancies as first phase of cuts revealed 17. June 2026 (13:12) Broadcast channels under review and 10% of senior leaders to go as part of drive to cut £500m in costsEntire BBC programmes will be scrapped and compulsory redundancies will be necessary as part of sweeping cuts at the corporation, the new director general, Matt Brittin, has told staff.The former Google executive also announced he was reviewing the BBC’s broadcast TV channels and radio network, as audiences continue to switch to online content. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Real estate event in London ‘advertised sale of land in illegal Israeli settlements’ 17. June 2026 (12:18) Pamphlets from event featured projects in West Bank and East Jerusalem despite previous denials by organisersAn Israeli real estate event in north London appears to have advertised the sale of land in Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, despite previous denials that illegal settlement properties would be marketed at the event.Pamphlets shared with the Guardian from the event on Sunday showed real estate projects in Ma’ale Adumim, Givat Ze’ev, Kfar Eldad and Teneh Omarim in the occupied West Bank, as well as Ramat Eshkol and Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Forced adoption survivors to get full apology from UK government, says Phillipson 17. June 2026 (12:11) Education secretary describes historical practice in England as a ‘shameful period’ in country’s historyDowning Street is to make a full apology on behalf of the state to those affected by historical forced adoption in England, the education secretary has confirmed.Bridget Phillipson, giving evidence to MPs on the education select committee on Wednesday, described it as a “shameful period” in UK history. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
