Rare comet to flash through New Zealand skies – before it disappears for 170,000 years

• The United States and Iran have confirmed a peace deal to end the ongoing conflict involving the US and Israel, as reported on Sunday, June 14, 2026. • The formal signing of the agreement is scheduled to take place this coming Friday.

Daphy Michel, a vulnerable asylum seeker from Haiti, died at Pittsburgh bus shelter days after leaving federal custodyA medical examiner has ruled the death of a Haitian asylum seeker in Pennsylvania after being released from federal custody a homicide.Meanwhile, an attorney representing her family said he expects her relatives to sue Immigration and Customs Enforcement in connection with her death, though a spokesperson maintained in an email that the agency had “NOTHING to do with this woman’s death”. Continue reading...

Pedro Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, and his socialist predecessor José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero are charged with offences including influence peddlingEurope live – latest updatesSpain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, is facing one of the longest and most difficult weeks of his premiership as both his wife and his fellow socialist predecessor prepare to appear before judges investigating them for alleged influence peddling and other offences.Sánchez, who came to power in 2018 by promising to end the corruption that had mired the ruling conservative People’s party (PP), has found his family, his party and his administration engulfed by a series of scandals. Continue reading...

Trump says strait of Hormuz to reopen as part of imminent agreement. Plus, best pictures from historic NBA night for New YorkGood morning.The US and Iran have announced a framework peace deal, expected to be signed later this week, that would bring their 15-week conflict to a tentative end, offering hope of relief for the Middle East and the world economy.What do we know about the deal? Leaked drafts suggest an immediate 60-day period of intensive technical talks, during which the most contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, will be discussed. Iran’s deputy foreign minister said negotiators would seek to reach a broader agreement including sanctions relief.What has been the reaction in Iran? The Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour, reports anger among the country’s hardliners, who say the proposed deal does not guarantee an end to sanctions, compensation or control of the strait of Hormuz.And in Israel? Israel’s defense minister has said its forces “will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza – indefinitely – to defend the border and Israeli communities against jihadist elements”. Israel was frozen out of talks, despite having jointly launched the assault on Iran with the US.Will he have Trump’s blessing? “I have no doubt that the president of the US is going to be very supportive of anything that I ultimately decide to do,” Vance said. “I never bring it up. But sure, the president brings it up a lot, sometimes publicly, sometimes privately. You know, the president’s a political animal. He loves this stuff. He’s very fascinated by it.” Continue reading...

About 80% of 115 products tested show levels of Pfas that comply with rules – but some firms still exceeding limitsState laws banning Pfas in clothing and textiles have significantly reduced the amount of toxic “forever chemicals” used in the products, which public health advocates say marks a major public health win and underscores the value in protective policy.However, some companies appear to have ignored the laws as their products still contain high levels of Pfas. Continue reading...

All departments will be affected but biggest cuts are in news, with job losses expected to run into the hundredsBBC News is braced for a major round of job cuts to be revealed within days, in an announcement that will kick off a brutal cost-saving drive designed to save £500m across the corporation.The cuts could come as soon as Wednesday, with staff already told to expect a high number of redundancies. Job losses could run into the hundreds. Continue reading...

Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc convicted at Old Bailey over attacks on property and car connected to PMTwo men have been found guilty of conspiring to carry out arson attacks on property and a car connected to Keir Starmer.Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were found guilty at the Old Bailey. Another Ukrainian man, Petro Pochynok, 35, was cleared of the same charge. Continue reading...

The actor starts chant after president said he doesn’t ‘think about Americans’ financial situation, not even a little bit’Robert De Niro has renewed his attack on Donald Trump at an event in New York on Sunday. Speaking at Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the first amendment, the actor led the crowd in a repeated cry of “shut the fuck up!” in response to assorted remarks and policies of the current president.“I’m pretty close to being a free speech absolutist,” said De Niro, “even speech I don’t like, and there’s plenty of that around. So when I hear something I don’t like, I use my own free speech to respond. Continue reading...

RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Danny Beard Play to step into Lily Savage’s heels in Jonathan Harvey’s playFew showbusiness careers begin in a towering blond beehive in the gay pubs of Vauxhall and end with MPs pausing prime minister’s questions to pay tribute.But a new play inspired by the life of Paul O’Grady will chart the beginning of that unlikely journey from care worker to Lily Savage, with her dextrous use of expletives, to national treasure presenting heartwarming teatime TV shows about rescue dogs with Queen Camilla. Continue reading...

Judges overturn decision of high court that government proscription of group under Terrorism Act was wrongThe high court was wrong to rule that the ban on Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws was unlawful, the court of appeal has concluded.A five-strong panel, including the two most senior judges in England and Wales, overturned February’s decision of the lower court that the proscription of the direct action group, the first to be banned under the Terrorism Act, was wrong. Continue reading...

Despite reports of Anthony Odiong preying on female congregants, the Catholic church extended his termCatholic church had been alerted to Texas priest’s sexual predation for years – but dawdled before actingCatholic clergy leaders wanted to add nearly a decade to a priest’s temporary role as pastor at a suburban New Orleans church despite knowing several women had accused him of sexual misconduct or unwanted advances while ministering to them, the Guardian can report.But Anthony Odiong did not make it to the end of an extension that was supposed to last until 2027. A jury in Waco, Texas, another community where Odiong worked, convicted him of criminal clergy sexual assault of two women, leading him to a sentence of life imprisonment in early June. Continue reading...

President’s UFC fights held on the White House lawn overshadowed by chants about former first ladyHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Donald Trump’s UFC fights held on the White House lawn were marred by a misogynistic smear aimed at former first lady Michelle Obama last night.Trump arrives in Evian-les-Bains on Monday afternoon for talks with G7 leaders, including some who have been sharply critical of his managing of the roughly 15-week conflict that has led to a surge in global energy prices. World leaders began gathering in a French spa town for the summit with a new impetus following the US president’s announcement of an agreement that he says will bring an end to the war against Iran.The Iranian deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed in the early hours of Monday an agreement for an “immediate end” to the US-Iranian war, and said Lebanon was included in a peace deal due to be signed on Friday. Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, announced the agreement on Sunday afternoon, saying both sides would be declaring “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts”.Trump told Vladimir Putin that ending Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine was critical and that he was prepared to help, reported Russia’s TASS news agency. During a phone call on Sunday, Trump also informed the Russian president that the US was nearing a peace deal with Iran as the US-Israel war against the country continues, according to Yuri Ushakov, a Putin adviser.JD Vance said he would discuss a 2028 US presidential run with his wife, Usha, after the 2026 midterms. “Usha and I will absolutely sit down and talk about what comes next for our family,” said Vance. The US vice-president gave insight into his ongoing decision on whether to run during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning where he spoke on his new memoir, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, which details his conversion to Catholicism. Continue reading...