Temperature records tumble across Europe as heatwave moves east 28. June 2026 (13:24) More than 191m people in Europe face temperatures over 35C, with extreme heat warnings from Germany to Hungary‘A sad inevitability’: after decades of climate warnings, why is Europe so unprepared for rising heat?Poland, Czechia and Slovakia are braced for record temperatures of over 40C as a heatwave linked to hundreds of deaths in western Europe spreads east.More than 191 million people in Europe faced temperatures of at least 35C on Sunday, with extreme heat warnings in Germany, Czechia, Poland and Hungary. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The curious case of the cremation ashes left at Newbury racecourse burger van 28. June 2026 (13:00) Urn with loving messages to ‘Gary Bonsor’ to be buried in local churchyard as efforts to find family draw a blankIt is a puzzling story with a still unsolved mystery at its heart: just who is the individual whose cremated remains were left on the counter of a burger van at Newbury racecourse?And why – despite the cremation urn being labelled with a name and a message that hints at a loving family – has no one come forward to claim it? Continue reading...(The Guardian)
When it comes to taxing the super rich, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel 28. June 2026 (13:00) Any new tax on the rich won’t raise much money unless many of the exceptions and loopholes are dealt withIn this new era of rampaging oligarchs, nothing may seem as satisfying as slapping a tax on Elon Musk’s new trillion-dollar fortune. What most bothers Americans about federal taxes is that billionaires don’t pay their fair share. As the race to develop artificial intelligence mints more billionaires, policymakers’ temptation to directly tax their brobdingnagian wealth is becoming unbearable.The first state out of the blocks is California, where voters in November will decide whether to impose a one-time tax of 5% on fortunes worth more than $1bn. Given the ease with which plutocrats avoid paying income taxes, the case for this sort of direct tax on their stash appears unassailable. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Tech firms are losing the public’: social media age bans near tipping point 28. June 2026 (12:00) UK is latest country to set minimum age for social media access but big tech is fighting back globally against curbsSocial media bans go global: big tech faces a reckoning after Australia’s crackdownArturo Béjar, a former employee turned whistleblower at Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, has talked to parents around the world. He says they share the same perspective: they dread the day their children are old enough to go online.Governments appear to be listening too. This month the UK became the latest country to state that it would set a minimum age of 16 for accessing major social media platforms. Social media bans are becoming a legislative trend after the precedent set by Australia last year, when it imposed an age limit on platforms including Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, Google’s YouTube, Elon Musk’s X, TikTok and Snapchat. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Anti-ICE organizers shift focus to defend democracy from Trump assault 28. June 2026 (12:00) Citizens in Minnesota using lessons learned from migrant crackdown to protect elections from president’s threatsWhen thousands of immigration agents flooded Minnesota earlier this year, a loose network of neighbors sprang into action. They fed each other. They got kids to and from school safely. They tracked the surge that tore through their communities.After organizing, block by block, to monitor Donald Trump’s extraordinary crackdown on their state, the same neighbors are shifting their focus to a different threat. What if the US president tries to steal an election? Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rising cost of insuring against climate crisis will have wider knock-on effects for UK economy | Heather Stewart 28. June 2026 (11:34) As extreme weather events become more common, economists say government will need to take more active role to protect consumersAnyone attempting to notch up a productive day’s work in the searing heat of southern England this last week was left in little doubt about the impact of extreme weather.But the economic effects of the climate crisis for the UK are not confined to the many hours lost to quietly perspiring – or fetching kids dismissed early from scorching classrooms. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Venezuelan earthquakes test Trump’s new western hemisphere policy after gutting of USAID 28. June 2026 (11:32) Marco Rubio is scrambling to provide effective disaster response to country whose president US deposed in JanuaryThis week’s dual earthquakes in Venezuela are a test for the new era of American power in the western hemisphere, as the Trump administration scrambles to provide an effective disaster response mission to a country that it now calls an ally in Latin America, after a US special forces raid in January deposed the country’s strongman leader, Nicolás Maduro.The US is marshalling what secretary of state Marco Rubio called a “big, fast, effective” and “whole-of-government” response as the state department sent three specialised urban search and rescue teams and pledged a $150m assistance fund that one former disaster relief expert called the largest he had seen within 24 hours of an incident. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Donald Trump threatens to annihilate Iran after crossfire over Hormuz – Middle East crisis live 28. June 2026 (11:28) Iran attacked Bahrain and Kuwait after US strikes, and threatened a ‘complete halt’ to talksUS and Iran trade strikes as both sides accuse the other of endangering ceasefireIran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is in Baghdad for a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart. The pair have been discussing the latest attacks as well as the all-important issue of Hormuz, according to Reuters.Gulf states have publicly said that the strait of Hormuz must remain toll-free. For his part, Araghchi’s Iraqi counterpart said that he stressed the importance of opening the passage in their joint meetings and that Iran should lift the naval blockade. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian man charged with murder in Thailand after teenage girl’s body found in suitcase 28. June 2026 (11:25) Simon Peter Carman, 46, has denied the charges against himGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian man has been charged with the murder of a teenage girl whose naked body was found in a suitcase in Thailand.Pattaya City police told the Guardian the man, identified as Simon Peter Carman, 46, has denied the charges against him. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Prince Harry may cancel UK family visit after being refused police protection 28. June 2026 (11:14) Sussexes trip to Britain in balance after government declines request for taxpayer-funded securityThe Duke of Sussex is understood to be reconsidering plans to bring his wife and children to the UK next month after his request for taxpayer-funded police protection was rejected.Prince Harry and Meghan were planning their first trip to Britain as a family in four years for events related to the Invictus Games, due to be held in Birmingham in July. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
