First pelicans in 360 years hatch in St James’s Park London 19. June 2026 (19:32) Birds have been in the park since the Russian ambassador gave King Charles II two in 1664 – but none ever bred there They arrived in the royal park shortly before the Great Fire of London, when the Russian ambassador presented a pair to King Charles II as a gift.But although pelicans have been living in St James’s Park since 1664, none ever learned the art of courtship – until now, when for the first time in more than 360 years, chicks have been born. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Revolt in small Georgia town appears to ward off ICE detention center 19. June 2026 (19:32) Social Circle announces homeland security has canceled plans to convert warehouse to detain up to 10,000 peopleThe small town of Social Circle in rural Georgia has announced that the Department of Homeland Security has cancelled plans to turn a warehouse into what would have been one of the largest immigration detention centers in the country.The cancellation appears to be one of seven around the country, according to reporting elsewhere, and part of a reversal under new homeland security director Markwayne Mullin in the Trump administration’s plans to buy up warehouses and boost detention capacity – after spending $1bn on the effort in recent months. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Global framework for reparatory justice adopted at landmark conference in Ghana 19. June 2026 (19:26) Ensuring fair compensation for those affected by legacies of enslavement and measures to address debt burdens, part of 18-point strategic roadmapMore than money: the logic of slavery reparationsA global framework for reparatory justice has been adopted at a conference in Ghana.Heads of state, governments and other officials adopted the strategy on Friday at a gathering in a hotel in the capital, Accra, which was the first major meeting since the adoption of the landmark United Nations (UN) resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Comparison to Hitler, Mao, Stalin? Trump says: ‘Sounds good to me!’ 19. June 2026 (19:04) ‘Historian’ claims ‘overwhelming difference’ between him and rogues’ gallery of autocrats is that Trump is more powerfulDonald Trump has enthusiastically agreed with a public assessment by a man he met while golfing that the “overwhelming difference” between the current US president and historical figures who incited fear – such as Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Stalin, Mao and Hitler – is that Trump is more powerful.The US president reposted a short text in the early hours of Friday morning, in which the author writes: Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Heathrow third runway GDP yield may be 90% less than original estimate 19. June 2026 (17:26) Department for Transport analysis suggests 0.05% boost will be offset by overall negative trade-off The economic boost from a Heathrow third runway could be a tiny fraction of previous estimates, government analysis shows, while the overall trade-off from the bigger airport could set the UK back by as much as £62.5bn.As ministers promised to speed up expansion of the London airport in the name of economic growth, documents prepared by the Department for Transport said the runway was expected to boost GDP by only up to 0.05% – 90% less than the 0.5% previously stated. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK sexual predator who blackmailed Muslim men online jailed for 16 years 19. June 2026 (17:11) Police fear Waleed Saeed may have up to 70 more victims after campaign of entrapment, threat and extortionA sexual predator who targeted mostly Muslim males online for blackmail has been jailed for 16 years, with detectives fearing he may have up to 70 more victims.Waleed Saeed’s campaign of entrapment, threat and extortion started in 2018 and left two victims feeling suicidal because of the humiliation they felt.Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting 5335/18JUNE2026. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reform investigates whether Makerfield candidate’s sexist posts were costly 19. June 2026 (17:07) Nigel Farage admits result was ‘disappointing’ after party hoped for tightly fought battle with BurnhamUK politics – live updatesAndy Burnham wins by huge majorityReform UK is examining whether sexist comments by its candidate in the Makerfield byelection may have harmed the party’s chances, after Nigel Farage accepted the result had disappointed him.The party’s examination of its defeat comes after Andy Burnham won 55% of the vote share in a poll that Reform hoped would be a tightly fought battle between the Labour leadership hopeful and its own candidate, Robert Kenyon, a local plumber. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer facing pressure from ministers and Labour grandees to prepare for ‘orderly exit’ 19. June 2026 (17:04) Prime minister said to be calling cabinet members but faces growing consensus that his time in Downing Street is overUK politics – live updatesHow quickly could Burnham become PM?Cabinet ministers and Labour grandees are to urge Keir Starmer not to fight a leadership challenge and to prepare for an “orderly exit,” the Guardian understands.Andy Burnham, who won a compelling majority in the Makerfield byelection overnight, is expected to travel to London on Monday to meet MPs in the expectation of becoming prime minister within weeks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
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)
