Sky makes £2bn spending pledge as it prepares takeover of ITV broadcasting arm

• From June 15 to 26, 2026, global attention focused on the implications of the Chişinău Declaration and ongoing geopolitical tensions. • Israel intensified its policies in occupied Palestine by establishing ad hoc military courts and implementing a blockade against the Sumud Flotilla.

• IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi spoke with reporters in Japan on Friday, June 26, regarding nuclear non-proliferation efforts. • Grossi stated that the primary objective of the recent agreement between the United States and Iran is to prevent the development of nuclear weapons within Iran.

• An Iranian state newspaper has inadvertently highlighted the strategic weaknesses and internal pressures—political, military, and economic—forcing Tehran to return to diplomatic negotiations. • These vulnerabilities coincide with a reported trilateral agreement between the United States, Israel, and Lebanon aimed at stabilizing the region.

• The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims to have destroyed eight U.S. military infrastructures located in Kuwait and Bahrain. • The operation was carried out using a combination of missiles and drones in a coordinated joint strike.

• Israeli aid teams from NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief are deploying to Venezuela to provide emergency assistance following a series of powerful earthquakes. • CEO Alice Miller emphasized that the organization prioritizes immediate medical aid and respect over political flags to ensure rapid response in disaster zones.

• Gulf nations and Western leaders are expressing concern over Iran's continued ability to project power and influence through proxy militia groups. • Despite existing deals between the US and Iran, analysts believe Tehran will likely increase its support for these armed groups to maintain regional leverage.

Mayor says progressive peers who swept primaries speak to Americans ‘coast to coast’ as moderates have reservationsZohran Mamdani, the New York City mayor, said on Sunday that he and a slew of democratic socialist allies who prevailed in recent primary elections are carrying a “national message” to struggling working Americans hungry for a new kind of politics “coast to coast”.Mamdani made that triumphant clarion call on ABC News’s This Week just five days after he had seen his endorsed candidates win Democratic nominations in three races for New York congressional seats, as well as for five state legislature positions in Albany. He made no effort to disguise his delight that his clean sweep marks a dramatic shift in Democratic politics – not just in New York City, which he has led since January, but also across the US. Continue reading...

Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith, from Dorset, is accused of killing Natalia Villalba in an apartment in BogotáA British man has been arrested in Ecuador after the body of a woman was found inside a suitcase in Colombia.Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith is alleged to have caused the death of 36-year-old Natalia Villalba in an apartment in the Chicó neighbourhood of Bogotá on 18 June, local authorities said. Continue reading...

Firefighters were involved in joint response to Knowles and Gore blazes as wildfires ravage western US, fire agency saysThree firefighters were killed and two others were hurt while responding to wildfires along the Colorado-Utah border, the US Wildland Fire Service announced on Sunday.The agency, which was established in January to coordinate wildfire suppression and prevention efforts across public lands, said the firefighters were involved in a joint response to the Knowles and Gore fires on Saturday. Continue reading...

Almost £24.4bn of government money went to private equity-run firms in year to April 2025, Guardian analysis shows‘Treating children like cattle’: what happens when private equity takes over a UK care home?Nurseries, vets and shops: the sectors where private equity plays a big roleOne pound in every £11 of UK government spending on contractors went to private equity-controlled companies last year, research shows, including key services such as transport, waste management and healthcare.Politicians and economists have raised concerns over the “financial fragility and sharp cost cutting” created by private equity-backed firms, which often have high levels of debt, and the “conflicting interests” in running public services for maximum profit. Continue reading...

The Australian Electoral Commission is examining if party breached laws in its $6m public funding claim after the last election, documents showGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian Electoral Commission questioned Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party over more than $800,000 of claimed electoral expenditure for the last election, Guardian Australia can reveal.Documents obtained under freedom of information laws show that the inquiries prompted the party to withdraw more than 140 items as it sought to provide additional information to justify almost 15% of the party’s $6.01m public funding claim. Continue reading...