About 400,000 UK children supported by baby banks, up 11% on previous year

• On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, Donald Trump asserted that Iran "will agree" to permit international weapons inspections amidst ongoing conflict. • The statement comes during a period of heightened military tension involving a combined US-Israel war effort against Iran.

• The US and Iran concluded a high-level summit in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, resulting in a 60-day peace roadmap to stabilize relations. • The agreement includes the implementation of maritime safeguards to prevent conflict and ensure the safety of shipping lanes.

Temperatures could hit 38-40C in parts of England and Wales, smashing June record set in 1976; red alerts in France after 19 heat deathsTwo children found dead in car in France as heatwave hits EuropeWith temperatures forecast to reach 38-40C in parts of England and Wales, Britain’s national weather forecaster issued a rare red weather warning covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday.These were reserved for the most severe events, the Met Office said, meaning this heatwave was expected to bring “severe and significant impacts” including widespread health risks for many – not just those who were normally more vulnerable to the heat – and even danger to life. Continue reading...

Availability of teplizumab on the NHS – which postpones early stages of disease for up to three years – described as an ‘incredible moment’The world’s first drug to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes is to be made available on the NHS in England and Wales, in the biggest breakthrough in tackling the disease for more than a century.Millions of people have type 1 diabetes worldwide, which typically emerges during childhood or adolescence, and occurs when the pancreas makes little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone the body uses to allow glucose to enter cells to produce energy. Continue reading...

The PM said in May that ‘stories beat spreadsheets’, but what does the data tell us about his time in office?Keir Starmer is to step down as prime minister after just two years in office.Despite promising an end to Conservative sleaze and scandal, much political bandwidth towards the end of his time in No 10 was taken up by the fallout surrounding his appointment as US ambassador of Peter Mandelson, who had a close relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Continue reading...

Channel Nine TV presenter also calls former UK prime minister Keir Starmer a ‘wanker’ in teaser for interview with RobinsonFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastChannel Nine TV presenter Karl Stefanovic has posted a video of himself embracing UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson, who is set to appear on his podcast.It comes after the Gold Logie winner told another UK activist, Ant Middleton, a former soldier who has spoken at Robinson’s “unite the kingdom” rallies, he would “make a great prime minister”, in an interview on his podcast, the Karl Stefanovic Show, on Monday. Continue reading...

Earnings from mining the fossil fuel set to increase to $6.9bn over financial year, up from $4.8bn, with budget deficit to reach $6.17bnFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQueensland’s treasurer says he’s “not giving up” on halting a ratings downgrade for the state’s finances after handing down a budget full of red ink, amid predictions state borrowing will top $200bn in three years.David Janetzki promised a budget surplus in 2029-30, the year after the state’s next election – but only after years of billion-dollar deficits.Government revenue will increase 5.1% over the forward estimates, driven by increases in government duties, payroll tax and royalties.Spending will grow, rising from $100.8bn in 2025-26 to $111.6bn in 2029-30.The government says it is committed to returning the budget to a “fiscally sustainable position through strong expenditure management”, with expense growth dropping from 4.9% in 2026-27 to an average of 2.6% over the four years to 2029-30.Half a billion dollars will be saved through better coordinating procurement, reducing the cap on senior executive positions and reduced spending on contractors and consultants.$119.2bn for new roads, bus projects and rail in the next four years, and other infrastructure.The state’s 50 cent fare scheme will remain and be legislated. Continue reading...

Met Office forecasters have issued a rare red weather warning for England, with temperatures potentially reaching 40C (104F) in some places. Europe is also dealing with a debilitating heatwave, with schools closed, trains cancelled and France even restricting the consumption of alcohol outdoors to take pressure off the emergency services. The high temperatures coincide with the coming El Niño, which some scientists have nicknamed Godzilla for its predicted strength. To find out whether the two are linked, Ian Sample hears from our Europe climate correspondent, Ajit Niranjan. He explains why it’s so hot, why we could be in for even worse and how we can keep as cool as possibleClips: Sky News, BBC, Arirang NewsEl Niño is back with a vengeance – and fears of ‘Godzilla’ strength may be the least of our worries Continue reading...

Exclusive: Data reveals 60% of 18 to 28-year-olds would vote to rejoin bloc if given the opportunityA generation of young Britons who were locked out of the 2016 EU referendum because of their age now believe that Brexit has failed, with a majority demanding a fresh vote to rejoin the EU, exclusive polling shows.Gen Z Britons show deep dissatisfaction with the UK’s departure from the EU, according to new polling of 18- to 28-year-olds conducted by the thinktank More in Common and shared with the Guardian. Continue reading...

How five months in 2016 that encompassed Boris Johnson siding with Vote Leave, Jo Cox’s murder and David Cameron’s resignation shaped the UK’s futureDavid Cameron, having promised in 2013 that a future Conservative government would offer a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU, announces the date of the vote: 23 June 2016. The next day, Boris Johnson, then the mayor of London, says he will campaign for leave. Continue reading...

Rights campaigners and MEPs say meeting would normalise regime that erases women from public lifeEU officials are facing fierce criticism over plans to host the Taliban in Brussels on Tuesday, with rights campaigners and MEPs warning that the meeting risks normalising a regime that has banned girls from school beyond the sixth grade and sought to erase women from public life, while its ranks include two leaders accused of crimes against humanity.The Belgian foreign ministry said on Monday it had issued five single-day visas to a Taliban delegation to attend a meeting in Brussels. Sources told the Guardian the meeting was expected to take place on Tuesday. Continue reading...