Allies

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that a new round of technical negotiations between the United States and Iran will resume in Switzerland at the end of June. • The announcement followed a high-stakes tour of the Persian Gulf, where Rubio sought to reassure regional allies regarding security and Washington's tentative accord with Tehran. • This diplomatic push aims to calm regional concerns and signal a return to normal operations after months of conflict and disruption.

• General Christopher Donahue, a highly respected four-star Army general commanding U.S. soldiers in Europe, is set to retire from his post. • The retirement follows a lack of new nominations for a position consistent with his rank from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. • This leadership change occurs as Secretary Hegseth conducts a broader review of U.S. military support and commitments to NATO allies.

US secretary of state to reassure UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain that his country remains committed to their securityMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesMarco Rubio, the US secretary of state, is to meet Gulf allies on Tuesday and Wednesday in an attempt to reassure them that the US remains committed to their security and the 60-day ceasefire deal struck with Iran last week will not embolden Tehran.The Gulf is divided over the deal. While Qatar has played a central role in mediating the agreement, some countries – notably the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain – are fearful it hands Iran substantial sums that may be ploughed into its military. Continue reading...

• ABC is urging fans of "The View" to submit public comments to the FCC by July 6 to support the program's commitment to free speech. • The call for public support comes as the network faces investigations by the FCC regarding the show's content and broadcasting standards. • This effort highlights the ongoing tension between regulatory oversight and the protection of editorial freedom for daytime talk shows.

• Herve Renard has been appointed as the new head coach of Tunisia, replacing Sabri Lamouchi following a crushing 5-1 defeat to Sweden. • Tunisia made history as the first nation to sack a manager after just one World Cup game, prompting Renard to rally his players with a "spirit of revenge" ahead of their match against Japan. • Renard aims to inspire his squad by citing recent tournament upsets, such as Cape Verde's draw with Spain, to prove that underdogs can compete.

• Western allies, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Belgium, are accelerating military assistance to Ukraine to counter potential Russian escalation. • The new support packages prioritize strengthening air defenses, expanding drone production, and sustaining critical battlefield operations. • This surge in aid comes as European nations express growing concern that Russia may employ its full military capabilities to annihilate Ukraine following recent long-range strikes.

Some Labour MPs still want former mayor to face the ‘scrutiny’ of ideas through a contested leadership contestUK politics live – latest updatesAllies of Andy Burnham are increasingly confident of a coronation-style transfer of power after the number of MPs backing his planned leadership bid surged following his byelection victory.Burnham and his team are understood to have spent the last few days enlisting the support of MPs and ministers, as he prepares to challenge Keir Starmer in the coming weeks. Continue reading...

Figures including Jared Kushner and Scott Bessent named in directory of Dialog participants that was exposed onlineA website leak has exposed participants in the secretive, Peter Thiel-founded Dialog retreats which includes top politicians from across the American divide, officials from foreign countries, other titans of the tech industry world and prominent media figures.The annual Dialog retreats, which have been compared to other quasi-secret elite conferences like the Bilderberg Group and Bohemian Grove since they began in 2006, have had some participants revealed in previous media reports. Fairly little is known about the invitation-only event, which is usually held at luxury establishments around the world and features organized discussions on global affairs. Continue reading...

One Labour MP said there are about 200 who are prepared – if necessary – to sign Burnham’s nomination papersUK politics – live updatesHow quickly could Burnham become PM?Allies of Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting will ask cabinet ministers, friends and Labour grandees to persuade Keir Starmer over the weekend not to fight a leadership challenge.Burnham, who won a compelling majority in the Makerfield byelection overnight, is expected to travel to London on Monday to meet MPs in the expectation of becoming prime minister within weeks. Continue reading...

• European Union leaders are convening for a summit in Brussels on Thursday, notably excluding Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for the first time in 16 years. • Orban's absence follows a bruising election loss, which many EU leaders viewed as a rebuke of his combative relationship with the bloc and his close ties to Russia. • Despite the defeat, Orban met with far-right allies in Brussels on Wednesday, asserting that his loss does not halt the "historical process" of rising patriotic and anti-migration movements across Europe.

• US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month review of US military forces stationed in Europe on Thursday. • Hegseth criticized NATO allies for their limited involvement in the conflict with Iran, reinforcing the Trump administration's combative stance toward the alliance. • This move signals a potential shift in US strategic commitments and pressures allies to increase their contributions to regional security.

• U.S. stocks rebounded in early trading on Thursday, recovering losses from a previous Federal Reserve-driven sell-off and positioning major indexes for a winning week. • Accenture reported fiscal third-quarter earnings of $3.80 per diluted share, a 9% year-over-year increase that beat Wall Street forecasts. • Despite the earnings beat, Accenture missed revenue estimates with $18.7 billion in sales and lowered its full-year revenue growth forecast to a range of 3% to 4%.

• President Donald Trump displayed a more positive attitude toward his allies during the G7 summit at a French Alpine resort. • The shift in tone was driven by support from fellow world leaders regarding Trump's tentative agreement with Iran to end the war. • However, Trump complicated this diplomatic momentum by thanking Russia and China for remaining "neutral" during the conflict.

• U.S. stocks rallied on Monday, June 15, 2026, following President Donald Trump's announcement that an agreement to end hostilities with Iran is now complete. • The deal includes a formal signing ceremony scheduled for this Friday in Switzerland and the strategic reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. • This diplomatic breakthrough is significant as it aims to stabilize global energy shipping routes and reduce geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

• Financial markets in India and Indonesia have experienced a "turbocharged relief rally" following the implementation of radical intervention measures. • These measures were designed to defend domestic financial stability and buy time for the emergence of a peace deal. • The recovery is particularly significant for these Asian economies due to their high reliance on energy imports, which makes them vulnerable to global volatility.

Guardian review finds group tied to Cleta Mitchell and Heather Honey funded misleading ads in swing statesAs the 2024 election approached, advertisements began popping up in key swing states suggesting local officials had discretion not to certify elections.The advertisements, reported at the time by ProPublica and Wisconsin Watch, were misleading. Certification is not optional, and officials are required to certify the vote once the proper process for any election challenges are complete and an official challenge is complete. The warnings, nonetheless, arrived at a moment when Donald Trump and allies seemed to be gearing up to contest the election results if he lost. Continue reading...

Labour backbenchers disappointed as new trade guidance over illegal settlements stops short of outright banThe UK in alliance with a group of other western powers including France and Norway has announced it is imposing sanctions on six firms and one individual involved in enabling and financing the recent upsurge in settler violence in the West Bank.However, the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, disappointed many of her own backbenchers by stopping short of banning trade, saying instead the government was only issuing updated advice to British firms not to become involved in any economic activity with the illegal settlements. Continue reading...

• President Zelensky met with his closest European allies to establish a framework for potential peace negotiations. • The allies have outlined five specific conditions that must be met before peace talks can commence. • This diplomatic push occurs as U.S. President Donald Trump shifts his primary focus toward the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Keir Starmer hosts Ukrainian, French and German leaders in Downing Street amid optimism in Kyiv over state of warVolodymyr Zelenskyy met his staunchest allies at Downing Street on Sunday night, hours after a Russian drone strike damaged a storage centre for spent nuclear fuel nine miles from the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.Keir Starmer welcomed Zelenskyy, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz for a meeting to discuss ongoing support for Ukraine as the country seeks to capitalise on a series of strikes on key Russian positions. Continue reading...

• Members of the "Cockroach Janta Party" organized a rally in New Delhi to lead youth protests against the current educational administration. • The demonstrators are demanding the immediate resignation of the education minister following a series of exam scandals. • The movement symbolizes a widespread loss of faith among India's youth regarding the integrity and fairness of the national examination system.

• Allies of the INDIA bloc have expressed support for the Cockroach Janta Party’s youth-led protests, while the Congress party has remained strategically silent. • The divide highlights internal differences within the opposition alliance, as some partners embrace the controversial movement while Congress adopts a cautious stance. • Political observers suggest Congress is avoiding the issue to prevent potential internal complications or public embarrassment.

Three GOP senators joined Democrats as dispute over proposed payouts exposed party divisionsUS politics live – latest updatesSenate Republicans on Thursday narrowly scuttled an attempt by Democrats to stop Donald Trump from creating a $1.8bn fund to pay his allies, even as signs emerged that dissent over the proposal was spreading inside the US president’s own party.Democratic Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, had proposed inserting language barring the payouts into Republican-backed legislation to fund Trump’s mass deportation campaign through the duration of his term. Continue reading...

Scientists praise moves to investigate, retract or remove controversial studies. The authors stand by their workThree scientific papers that raised questions about vaccine safety and were used by the Trump administration to justify controversial changes to US vaccine policies have over the last two months been removed, retracted or placed under investigation by the journals that published them.In some cases, the actions occurred years after scientists first raised alarms about the studies’ scientific merits. Continue reading...

Sydney crowd told to target National MPs as upper house prepares to vote on a bill outlawing sex-selective terminationsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne Nation’s Barnaby Joyce has joined pro-life campaigners to pile pressure on Nationals MPs to vote to criminalise some abortions ahead of a tight vote in New South Wales.Anti-abortion activists have threatened to campaign for One Nation against major parties to force new limits on terminating pregnancies on the back of its polling surge. Continue reading...

• US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced at the Shangri-La Dialogue forum on Saturday that the Trump administration will prioritize cooperation with "model allies" in Asia. • Hegseth praised these regional partners as being the most capable and clear-eyed in their readiness to defend their interests. • The strategy aims to strengthen security ties with key Asian allies while simultaneously working to maintain stable diplomatic and military relations with China.

US president’s move comes as both sides try to prevent fresh ceasefire breaches scuppering a potential dealMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump has circulated a draft peace agreement for the war with Iran among allies including Israel as both sides try to prevent fresh breaches of the ceasefire escalating out of control and scuppering any deal.In an attempt to speed up the negotiations, Pakistan‘s foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, will fly to Washington on Friday to meet his US counterpart, Marco Rubio. Continue reading...

• Britain and its allies are facing a significant cyber threat from Russia, targeting critical infrastructure, elections, and public trust. • A top UK spy chief has warned of the urgent need for action from all parties, including businesses and individuals, to counter this threat. • The rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have created a narrow window for Britain and its allies to stay ahead of rivals like China and Russia in the cyber arena.

Labour MPs and PR experts praise his refreshingly forthright approach that is a marked contrast to Keir StarmerUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham’s fingers must be aching. Between pitching to become the MP for Makerfield, continuing in his day job as the mayor of Greater Manchester and going for his regular runs, Keir Starmer’s would-be challenger has also found enough time to reply to dozens of posts on social media.Since it became clear that Burnham planned to stand as a candidate in the Makerfield byelection last Thursday, allies have delighted in his snarky retorts on X, pointing to posts that combine humour with a passive-aggressive thumbs-up emoji as proof he is a natural, and refreshingly forthright, communicator. Continue reading...