British Council faces more job cuts to help pay off £197m loan

• UNICEF released a report revealing that 1.1 billion children—nearly half the global youth population—are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards. • These environmental threats are critically endangering the health, education, and overall survival of children worldwide.

• Global news reports highlight ongoing uncertainty regarding a potential deal with Iran and the persistence of economic price shocks caused by war. • The European Union is actively pushing back against Russia while officially initiating Ukraine's path toward EU accession.

• EU and G7 leaders met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the second day of the summit in Évian, France, to discuss the ongoing war with Russia. • Leaders emphasized that "the tide is turning for Ukraine," signaling strong continued support for Kyiv's defense efforts.

• The author argues that journalist engagement is the most critical missing tool for combating surging antisemitism and shaping public understanding. • The piece highlights a visit to Hadassah, emphasizing that Israel's narrative should extend beyond geopolitics to include medicine, AI, and humanitarian innovation.

• A Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich, reportedly fired a warning shot at a yacht in the English Channel between Normandy and the Isle of Wight. • This naval escalation follows a recent incident involving the seizure of a Russian tanker, heightening tensions in the region.

• On June 16, 2026, the G7 unveiled a new global roadmap designed to transition developing nations away from aid dependency. • The strategy emphasizes a significant push for private investment to foster sustainable economic growth and self-sufficiency.

• Russia launched a large-scale wave of missile and drone attacks overnight targeting Kyiv, Kharkiv, and various cultural heritage sites across Ukraine. • UN Humanitarian Coordinator Matthias Schmale reported that several civilians were killed and dozens injured, with children among the casualties and residential buildings catching fire.

• Iran has threatened a "harsh response" following recent military attacks targeting Lebanon. • Former U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be "more responsible" regarding operations in Lebanon.

In today’s newsletter: The far right are using social media to foster division, from Southampton to Belfast, but there are calls for clear and urgent ways to counter digital radicalismGood morning. Ten years after the murder of the MP Jo Cox by a rightwing extremist in the run-up to the Brexit referendum, her sister Kim Leadbeater, now herself a MP, issued a clear and urgent summons.In an interview on our Today in Focus podcast, she proposed that political hatred in Britain is worse now than at the time of her sister’s killing, but insisted “those voices who are sowing the division are in the minority.”UK news | A Russian warship fired warning shots within a few hundred metres of a British pleasure yacht sailing across the Channel amid a period of heightened tensions between London and Moscow.UK politics | The Lib Dems will urge Andy Burnham to end Labour’s “torpor and timidity” towards the EU as they call for the UK to rejoin the single market, in a notable strengthening of their own position.Middle East | Iran’s top diplomat has said a peace deal with the US would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, as concern grows that Israel could undermine diplomatic efforts to finally end the Middle East war.Media | A BBC presenter lauded by the corporation for his appeal to young male audiences has a history of making abusive and misogynistic remarks about women, whom he has variously called “slags”, “sluts”, “psychos” and “bitches”, the Guardian can reveal.US news | Joe Biden’s decision to seek a second term was “a terrible mistake” that cost Democrats the presidency and may have permanently damaged his legacy, Hillary Clinton has declared. Continue reading...

Girl told mother she thought about killing people ‘all the time’, inquest into Biddy Porter’s death hears The mother of a child killer did not understand mental health and consulted a naturopathic herbalist about concerns for her teenage daughter, an inquest has been told.Two weeks after the 14-year-old confessed to her mother she thought about killing people “all the time”, the girl killed 10-year-old Biddy Porter at a property in rural New South Wales. Continue reading...

Exclusive: health professionals, survivors and politicians voice concerns in open letter over comments by Fatima Maadi Bio, who denies supporting the practiceThe first lady of Sierra Leone has denied that she supports female genital mutilation amid rising anger around her perceived approval of the practice.But in an exclusive response to the Guardian, Fatima Maada Bio, the wife of President Julius Maada Bio, also said she would not openly condemn FGM until she saw “reliable data” that the practice was harmful. Continue reading...

Heads of state and participants from more than 80 countries at three-day event in Accra to pursue actionable commitments to reconciliation and restitutionGhana is hosting a conference to advance the continent’s push for reparatory justice after the adoption of the landmark United Nations (UN) resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.Heads of state and government, ministers, civil society representatives, historians, researchers and legal experts representing more than 80 countries are converging in the capital, Accra, for the three-day event, billed Next Steps, which starts on Wednesday. It is the first major gathering on the issue since the resolution was adopted. Continue reading...