Artwork removed from National Portrait Gallery after row over Churchill’s role in Bengal famine

• Qatar has established itself as a premier global mediator, leveraging diplomacy rather than military power to facilitate peace agreements across various conflict zones. • The nation has successfully brokered deals in multiple countries, including Libya, Syria, Somalia, Chad, Djibouti, and Eritrea, while managing critical prisoner exchanges and humanitarian evacuations.

• Iranian Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf announced that the United States will release $12 billion in frozen Iranian funds. • Donald Trump claimed the released funds would be used to purchase U.S. produce, a statement that Tehran immediately rejected.

• 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.

Martin Seidenberg, chief executive of parent company IDS, handed payouts after takeover of UK postal serviceBusiness live – latest updatesThe boss of the parent company of Royal Mail saw his pay and bonus package more than triple last year to almost £7m, despite group profits slumping by a fifth.Martin Seidenberg, the group chief executive of International Distribution Services (IDS), took home £6.9m in pay, bonus and long-term incentive scheme awards in the year to 31 March. This compares with the £2.1m he took home the previous year. Continue reading...

Central California US district court rejected claim policy was ‘unconstitutional’. Plus House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke on being sworn at by people wanting selfiesGood morning. A California court has dismissed a lawsuit filed ⁠by Donald Trump’s administration against Los Angeles over a city ordinance making it a “sanctuary city” and limiting ⁠its cooperation with federal ⁠immigration ​authorities.Fernando Olguin, a judge in the central California US district court, rejected the administration’s argument that the city’s policy was unconstitutional. ⁠He gave the administration permission to file an amended complaint. The White House did not ⁠immediately respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.What did the city say about the victory? The Los Angeles ‌city attorney, Hydee ‌Feldstein Soto, said: “This order reinforces the well-established principle that local governments have the authority to decide how to use their personnel and resources. The goal of this ordinance … is to encourage victims of and witnesses to crime to feel safe coming forward to seek help from LAPD regardless of their immigration status. It does not obstruct or impede lawful federal immigration enforcement operations.”Why did both sides want the act to pass? The legislation comes as Democrats and Republicans prepare for November’s midterm elections, in which concerns about affordability are expected to loom large in the minds of voters. A shortfall in construction of new homes is seen as a key driver of housing costs, which have crept higher in recent years. Continue reading...

The Iranian ambassador to the UN in Geneva described Israeli attacks on Lebanon as a red line in negotiationsHello and welcome to our live blog of the Middle East.The Iranian ambassador to the UN in Geneva has just warned that Tehran’s red line in negotiations with Washington is that Israel will cease attacks on Lebanon, including the capital of Beirut. The ambassador added that Iran “will respond” if Israel violates the memorandum of understanding established on Thursday in any way, including with attacks on Lebanon and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.JD Vance said the talks with Iran created a “good foundation for a successful final deal” to end the war. “The final deal is the house,” the US vice-president told reporters. “We set the foundation. We haven’t built the house, but we’ve laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.”When asked how soon IAEA inspectors could come to Iran, JD Vance said nuclear inspectors were called at 2am last night – but no one picked up the call. “As you can expect, not many people are answering their phone at two in the morning,” the vice president said.US secretary of state Marco Rubio will begin a trip to three Gulf countries on Tuesday amid negotiations with Iran to end the war in the Middle East, his spokesperson said. Visiting the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, Rubio will discuss “the memorandum of understanding with Iran, efforts to secure full and free safe transit through the strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region,” state department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.Tehran ⁠did not negotiate on its nuclear ⁠programme ⁠and did ​not accept any ⁠new commitments in Sunday’s talks with the ⁠US in ​Switzerland, ‌foreign ministry spokesperson ‌Esmaeil Baghaei told ‌the official IRNA news agency on Monday. Iran’s interaction with the International ‌Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue in ​accordance with current procedures, subject to the approval ⁠of Iran’s parliament ​and the decisions ​of ​the Supreme National ​Security ‌Council, ​Baghaei added. Continue reading...

Sharper, who pleaded guilty or no contest to raping women in four states, was transferred to a halfway house in May Convicted serial rapist and former National Football League champion Darren Sharper has registered as a sex offender in his home state of Virginia, after being transferred from federal prison to a halfway house there, according to official records.With a projected 2028 release date nearing, the US Bureau of Prisons (BoP) recently confirmed that the 50-year-old Sharper had been moved on 27 May from a federal correctional institution near Elkton, Ohio, to either home confinement or a facility colloquially known as a halfway house overseen by the agency’s residential re-entry management office in Baltimore.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

Democratic primary elections to test strength of party’s left flank as old guard faces string of challengesNew Yorkers were voting on Tuesday in a slate of Democratic primaries poised to reveal the strength of the party’s left flank and shape the battle for control of the US House of Representatives in November.Voters in Maryland and Utah will also nominate congressional candidates on Tuesday, while South Carolina holds a series of runoff elections for candidates who did not receive a majority of the vote earlier this month. Continue reading...

Independent senator says Anthony Albanese is preparing to announce an AI copyright plan in JulyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe independent senator David Pocock has challenged the Albanese government to rule out letting tech giants use Australian content to train AI models, as cabinet considers proposals to change copyright rules for the rapidly developing technology.Pocock used Senate question time on Tuesday to ask the government about intense lobbying from AI proprietors over possible new rules and regulations for Australian-made content – including suggestions Labor would create a new “carve out” or extend existing licensing arrangements. Continue reading...

Reform leader says it is ‘purely private matter’ and it is not hypocritical to criticise Keir Starmer for receiving glassesUK politics live – latest updatesNigel Farage has said his £5m gift from a crypto billionaire is “not any of your business”, saying the cash from the British Thai-based businessman Christopher Harborne was “a purely private matter”.The Reform UK leader also said it was not hypocritical of him to attack Keir Starmer for receiving donations of glasses and suits, because Starmer had been “the leader of the opposition and I was a presenter on GB News”. Continue reading...

Hastie tells colleagues home affairs minister did not disclose the threats made against him, but he has been targeted online for his views on Ben Roberts-SmithFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie is set to receive extra security in what he believes is a response to a One Nation-fuelled campaign against him, including over his stance on the Ben Roberts-Smith war crimes allegations.At a partyroom meeting on Tuesday, Hastie told colleagues that the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, had advised him that he had been identified for security measures at his home and electorate office. Continue reading...