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• A joint prosecution-police team has requested an arrest warrant for Shincheonji chairman Lee Man-hee. • The warrant follows allegations that Lee orchestrated the mass enrollment of over 50,000 church members into the People Power Party. • This legal action highlights concerns over forced political affiliation and the influence of the religious group on South Korean politics.

Rights campaigners and MEPs say meeting would normalise regime that erases women from public lifeEU officials are facing fierce criticism over plans to host the Taliban in Brussels on Tuesday, with rights campaigners and MEPs warning that the meeting risks normalising a regime that has banned girls from school beyond the sixth grade and sought to erase women from public life, while its ranks include two leaders accused of crimes against humanity.The Belgian foreign ministry said on Monday it had issued five single-day visas to a Taliban delegation to attend a meeting in Brussels. Sources told the Guardian the meeting was expected to take place on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Company wants to sell objects despite agreements to only display them at museums and traveling exhibitionsA plan to auction more than 100 artifacts salvaged from the wreckage of the Titanic – including personal belongings, currency, kitchen items and decor – is facing pushback from the US government, according to newly unsealed court documents.RMS Titanic Inc, the company that owns exclusive salvage rights to the famous wreck deep in the North Atlantic, wants to sell the artifacts for the first time despite previous agreements to only display them at museums and traveling exhibitions. Continue reading...

Objections comes as Trump threatens to renew attacks on Iran if it doesn’t rein in its proxy in LebanonUS political figures from left and right voiced fresh objections on Sunday to Donald Trump’s provisional deal with Iran – even as the US president made fresh threats while Vice-President JD Vance hailed progress during the first round of direct peace talks in Switzerland.Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican who recently lost his primary battle for re-election, posted a line on X from a Wall Street Journal article on how rogue regimes evade US economic warfare. It said: “Iran’s ability to withstand sanctions so far exposes a hard fact for Washington: economic pressure has largely failed to cow rogue regimes, as they game out more ways to sidestep US restrictions.” Continue reading...

While PM’s desire to fight was strong, time with his inner circle at Chequers sharpened his sense of the inevitableOn Friday, as the dust settled on Andy Burnham’s thumping victory in the Makerfield byelection, Keir Starmer was in defiant mood. “I have said repeatedly, I am not going to walk away,” the prime minister said, adding: “Let’s pull together as a party and a movement.”Just 48 hours later, one of his most loyal ministers was on the BBC sending a very different message. “I don’t want to come on here and be delusional that there is no process, there are no forces at work which are challenging the prime minister as leader – that is clearly the case,” said the business secretary, Peter Kyle. Continue reading...

More than half of France’s population under severe weather warning with temperatures expected to exceed 40CMore than half of France’s population is under a severe weather warning as large swathes of western Europe endure the second extreme heat event of the year with temperatures expected to exceed 40C (104F).The French president, Emmanuel Macron, called for “extreme vigilance from everyone”, asking citizens to “take care of our oldest and most vulnerable people” and follow government advice. “We are going through difficult days,” he said. Continue reading...

• Singaporean man Andie Tan Kok Yong faces potential jail time for posting an edited image of Marina Bay Sands on fire to Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Facebook page. • The post included a mention of a "bomb," leading to charges of communicating a false threat and obstructing justice after Tan performed a factory reset on his phone. • This case highlights the severity with which Singapore treats threats against national landmarks and public officials, as well as the legal consequences of tampering with evidence.

• The film "Bandhu 2.0" is facing significant social media backlash on June 18, 2026, with critics comparing its promotional material to a "Frooti" advertisement. • This controversy occurs as the industry prepares for the upcoming release of "Cocktail 2," adding tension to the current entertainment cycle. • The situation highlights the volatility of celebrity and film branding within the $2.83 trillion global entertainment industry.

• G7 leaders have expressed support for a tentative agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the conflict with Iran. • The deal focuses on extending the current ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint shuttered by Iran since the conflict began in February. • This international backing is significant as the plan currently faces skepticism and political opposition within the United States.

• Rod Stewart faced backlash from fans after canceling a scheduled concert in California just hours before the performance, citing illness. • The controversy grew when the singer was spotted the following day in Boston, attending a FIFA World Cup match to support Switzerland. • Disappointed ticket holders expressed anger over the perceived inconsistency between his health claims and his ability to travel for sports.

National Audit Office says agency proposes closing operations in 11 countries as part of turnaround planThe British Council faces cutting its workforce further and closing operations in 11 countries as it struggles to repay a crippling £197m Covid-era government loan that threatens its survival, the public spending watchdog has said.The UK’s soft-power agency remains loss-making six years on from the pandemic and is not expected to make a profit until 2029-30, a report from the National Audit Office says. 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...

Make UK says manufacturers’ feedback shows sector at risk of collapse as it calls on Treasury to take actionBritain’s industrial sector is at risk of collapse as thousands of companies warn that they could face bankruptcy within the next year because of high energy prices, according to an industry survey.The manufacturers’ body Make UK said the latest feedback from its members found that many would not be able to cope for much longer with energy costs that were twice the average in continental Europe and four times higher than in the US. Continue reading...

• Meta is separating from the Chinese AI startup Manus, terminating all internal access and data sharing following a divestiture order from Beijing based on national security grounds. • Manus co-founders are currently seeking approximately $1 billion from external investors to buy back the startup from Meta. • This strategic move aims to establish a Chinese joint venture and pave the way for a future public listing in Hong Kong, following a trend of AI IPOs from firms like MiniMax and Zhipu.

Alarm over the judgment and behaviour of the world’s most powerful man, and the consequent risks to the world, can only get worseThe main Nuremberg trial ended, Winston Churchill warned of an iron curtain descending across Europe, It’s a Wonderful Life received its premiere and, at Jamaica hospital in the borough of Queens, New York, Donald John Trump was born.It was 1946, also the birth year of George W Bush and Bill Clinton, but on Sunday the current US president celebrates his 80th birthday in a style uniquely his own. Trump will stage a night of cage fighting on the once-pristine White House south lawn as part of events marking the 250th anniversary of US independence. Continue reading...

• OpenAI is facing an investigation by an undisclosed number of state attorneys general regarding its business practices. • The inquiries focus on several critical areas, including the company's advertising policies and its management of sensitive health data. • This investigation highlights increasing regulatory scrutiny over how AI companies handle user privacy and commercial transparency.

Dmitriy Popov fatally stabbed O’Shae Sibley in Brooklyn in 2023 and was found guilty of manslaughter as a hate crimeA New York City man who was recently convicted of a hate crime in the 2023 stabbing death of vogue dancer O’Shae Sibley is facing a prison sentence of between eight and 25 years.Sentencing for Dmitriy Popov, who was 17 at the time of Sibley’s slaying, was tentatively scheduled for 30 June following his conviction. Continue reading...

• Leading researchers, investors, and policy experts warn that Europe faces a potential AI "catastrophe" unless the region takes urgent action to modernize its technological landscape. • The report argues that Europe must secure unprecedented levels of public and private capital to build sovereignty over critical infrastructure, including semiconductors, energy, data centers, and robotics. • This strategic shift is deemed essential to prevent Europe from falling behind globally in the AI race and to maintain leverage over the technologies that power artificial intelligence.

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, already under investigation for alleged influence-peddling, facing questions over items found in office safeThe former Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is being investigated for possible tax fraud and smuggling after police discovered jewellery valued at more than €1.3m (£1.1m) while searching his office safe as part of a separate inquiry.Zapatero, who led two socialist governments between 2004 and 2011, is already under investigation for alleged influence-peddling and other offences relating to the state bailout of the Spanish Plus Ultra airline during the Covid pandemic. He is alleged to have overseen “a hierarchical structure of influence-peddling”, whose purpose was “to obtain economic benefits through intermediation and the exercise of influence before public bodies in favour of third parties, mainly Plus Ultra”. Continue reading...

• The European Central Bank (ECB) has raised interest rates by 0.25%, marking the first increase in three years. • President Christine Lagarde defended the decision, citing inflation pressures driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. • The move comes amid warnings of stagflation in the Eurozone, with critics arguing that higher rates could hinder critical investments in clean energy.

• Gen Z students across Asia, particularly in India, are facing an intensifying "examination hell" characterized by extreme academic pressure and a lack of viable job opportunities. • The situation is highlighted by recent "cockroach protests," where students use provocative imagery to symbolize their feelings of being insignificant and discarded by the system. • This crisis matters as it reflects a systemic failure where high educational attainment no longer guarantees employment, leading to widespread mental health struggles and social unrest.

• Experts and policymakers at a Nikkei conference in Tokyo warned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is triggering an energy crisis with wide-reaching economic spillover effects. • The Malaysian central bank Governor highlighted that these disruptions are negatively impacting industrial inputs, logistics, food prices, and the tourism sector across Asia. • The regional outlook is further complicated by the rise of AI-driven disinformation, which threatens to destabilize markets and political stability.

• CrowdStrike's 2026 Technology Threat Report identifies the global technology industry as the most targeted sector for cyberattacks, driven primarily by eCrime and state-sponsored actors from China and North Korea. • A critical vulnerability was highlighted involving a software package downloaded approximately 100 million times per week, posing a risk for one of the largest supply chain incidents recorded. • Threat actors are increasingly shifting their focus toward software development environments to compromise the integrity of the digital supply chain.

• Investors are questioning the valuations of AI infrastructure stocks following a sharp rally leading into 2026, prompting some traders to take short positions. • Semenikhin has specifically bet against Nebius, AMD, and Bloom Energy as the AI theme expands beyond traditional chips and cloud services. • Bloom Energy has become a top holding for the hedge fund founded by former OpenAI researcher Leopold Aschenbrenner, whose investments helped drive the stock's momentum.

• An eight-month investigation by The Athletic reveals that match-fixing is a pervasive global crisis affecting "every sport in every continent." • The World Cup is identified as a high-risk target due to its status as the most-watched sporting event, attracting massive betting volumes from East Asia, Europe, and the U.S. • Corruption is driven by the immense profitability of betting markets, with some sources claiming only politics and drug trafficking are more lucrative than fixing.

Government hopes to rush NDIS and tax changes through parliament but opposition and minor party push for more scrutinyThe Greens want Labor to halt its plans to rush NDIS cuts through the Senate later this month, urging a longer inquiry process as the government seeks the minor party’s support for its contentious tax and housing changes.It opens the possibility of the Greens and Coalition teaming up in parliament to support extending separate Senate inquiries into both the disability insurance scheme and tax proposals, and thus delaying Labor’s hopes of passing those bills before the end of June. Continue reading...

• South Korea's ruling party has won the majority of seats in the recent local elections, marking a significant victory for the administration. • Despite the overall sweep, the ruling party faces a potential loss in the critical capital city of Seoul. • The election results serve as a pivotal "report card" evaluating President Lee Jae Myung's performance during his first year in office.

• The European Central Bank (ECB) is undergoing a significant leadership transition, replacing key top officials during a period of economic instability. • This reshuffle occurs as the bank attempts to balance fragile economic growth and persistent inflation risks against rising political tensions across Europe. • The transition is critical because central bank independence relies on the public perception that monetary policy remains insulated from political influence.