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• The California Science Center will open the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery in November to house the Endeavour Space Shuttle. • The new facility is designed to preserve a critical chapter of space exploration while showcasing the shuttle as a national engineering marvel. • The gallery will provide an enhanced educational experience by allowing visitors to view the spacecraft from multiple perspectives and elevations.

Driver told authorities he had driver-assistance technology engaged before crash that killed 76-year-old Martha AvilaThe US government has opened a second federal investigation into a recent crash of a Tesla that reportedly had driver-assistance technology engaged, struck a Texas home and killed a resident.Meanwhile, the family of Martha Avila, the 76-year-old resident who was killed, has sued over the wreck. Continue reading...

• A global sell-off in technology stocks continues to rattle markets, with the decline spreading through Asia and Europe on Tuesday. • The volatility has extended to precious metals as investors reassess the potential trajectory of interest rates. • MSCI has maintained South Korea's status as an emerging market, stalling the country's efforts to be recognized as a developed market.

Anthony Albanese presided over ceremony in Canberra last night. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA major new gallery at the Australian War Memorial will keep the “flame of memory” burning for future generations, the prime minister told the opening ceremony in Canberra last night, Australian Associated Press reports.Anthony Albanese was among those on hand last night for the opening of the memorial’s atrium and Anzac Hall, a gallery that focuses mainly on Australia’s commitments to the Middle East, Afghanistan and peacekeeping operations.That most unadorned of sentences that dwells within us like a heartbeat – we vow to keep the flame of memory burning so brightly that its glow reaches future generations.Today we adjourned the parliament so that everyone who wished to could come mark the opening of this Atrium and Anzac Hall, an addition to the Australian War Memorial that makes that flame burns so much brighter.Look at the faces and get lost amid the smiles, the hope and camaraderie – the counterpoint to war’s relentless, inhuman arithmetic. They are its true cost.Yet, amid this loss and sacrifice, what pulses so powerfully is life, and an abiding sense of what is worth fighting for. Continue reading...

• Toy Story 5 has achieved a record-breaking opening weekend for the franchise, marking a significant commercial success for Disney and Pixar. • The film serves as a critical "return to form" for the studios following a period of notable operational and financial challenges in recent years. • With a production budget estimated at $250 million, the movie must earn at least $500 million to offset marketing and additional overhead costs.

• CSRC Chairman Wu Qing announced at the 2026 Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai that the STAR Market's fifth listing standard will be expanded to include large language model (LLM) companies. • This policy shift creates a formal pathway for AI firms to go public, providing them with critical access to public capital markets. • The move is designed to support China's AI industry during an intense global funding race, ensuring domestic firms can scale their operations and research.

• Toy Story 5 premiered in North America on June 22, 2026, earning a record-breaking $160 million during its opening weekend. • The Pixar sequel's massive debut allows it to surpass the previous box office records set by the Super Mario sequel. • This performance highlights the continued dominance of established animation franchises within the $2.83 trillion global entertainment industry.

• India is hosting a major sports championship at the Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, featuring competitors from 17 nations including China, Japan, and Australia. • The Indian squad, consisting of national champions and Asian Games medallists, aims to repeat previous successes where the seniors team and pair Puja Batra and Asha Sharma won gold. • India faces significant competition from Hong Kong, the defending men's team champions, and Indonesia, the defending women's and mixed team champions.

• OpenAI is reportedly considering an initial public offering (IPO) as artificial intelligence firms target a historic wave of public market debuts in 2026. • Broadcom (AVGO) reported record revenue and profit, yet saw its market value drop by $300 billion due to escalating investor expectations. • Qualcomm is expanding its data center footprint by deploying energy-efficient AI accelerators, highlighted by a strategic new deal with ByteDance.

• V47 Entertainment, via its agency VIRTUE Asia, announced a partnership with COL Group on June 17, 2026, to expand microdrama and vertical-first entertainment in South East Asia. • The collaboration aims to provide brands with increased access to short-form storytelling, leveraging COL Group's expertise as a pioneer in the vertical video format. • This move matters as it allows brands to engage audiences through a rapidly growing medium of bite-sized, mobile-centric content tailored for the regional market.

• The three host nations of this year's FIFA World Cup are breaking local viewership records during the tournament's opening matches. • A standout performance occurred during the United States' victory over Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium, which attracted 27.5 million viewers. • These figures, provided by FIFA, highlight a massive surge in domestic interest and engagement for the tournament.

• The official TV audience for the U.S. World Cup opener against Paraguay has been revised upward to 27.5 million viewers, surpassing the preliminary estimate of 24.886 million. • This viewership figure sets a new record for the event and matches the previous regular-season streaming record set by the Lions-Vikings game on Netflix on Christmas Day. • The surge highlights the massive growing interest in the U.S. national team and the increasing reach of sports broadcasting platforms.

• Over 54 million viewers across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico tuned in to watch the opening matches of the World Cup 2026. • The United States' victory over Paraguay set a new milestone as the most-watched soccer broadcast in American history. • This record-breaking viewership highlights the surging popularity of soccer and the significant impact of hosting the tournament in North America.

Exclusive: Oxevision system used by 40% of NHS mental health trusts being scrutinised by information commissioner over privacy concernsThe information commissioner has launched an investigation into a controversial camera-based system for monitoring patients in their bedrooms, used by 40% of NHS mental health trusts, over data protection concerns.Oxevision is described by patients as “creepy” and a form of “spying”, and has been blamed by a bereaved mother for contributing to her daughter’s sense of paranoia before she took her own life.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Musical stars and retired politicians from less polarised era seeming antidote to cage fights on White House lawnThe Barack Obama presidential center opened in Chicago on Thursday after more than a decade in the making amid a musical fanfare and paeans to democratic principles that evoked a previous age, all while delivering an implied rebuke to Donald Trump.Featuring appearances by a cast of musical stars and retired politicians from a less polarised era, it was a seemingly perfect antidote to the crass spectacle of cage fights on the White House lawn. Continue reading...

• Portugal and DR Congo played to a draw in their Group K World Cup opener held at NRG Stadium in Houston. • Cristiano Ronaldo struggled to impact the match, continuing a trend of poor form at major tournaments despite his prolific scoring for Al Nassr and in qualification. • The result is historic for DR Congo, marking a significant milestone for the team in their World Cup campaign.

Andy Burnham hopes a successful byelection will mean he can encourage Keir Starmer to step aside as prime ministerReform UK’s candidate Robert Kenyon has visited St Aidan’s Parish Centre in Wigan, accompanied by party leader Nigel Farage, to cast his vote in today’s byelection.Kenyon was pictured wearing a replica England shirt (looks like Italia 90 to me, most closely associated with Gazza blubbing at the end of a hard-fought contest…), following last night’s World Cup win for Thomas Tuchel’s men. Continue reading...

• Rising operational costs for proprietary AI models are driving investors and developers toward open-source alternatives to reduce dependencies on expensive closed systems. • Chinese firms are currently leading this movement, leveraging open-source frameworks to rapidly scale their AI capabilities and challenge Western dominance. • A "rebel alliance" of startups is emerging across the AI stack, focusing on creating accessible, transparent, and cost-effective infrastructure for enterprises.

• OpenAI reported a $3.7 billion loss in Q1 despite generating $5.7 billion in revenue and has confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO. • SoftBank Corp and OpenAI have launched a joint venture in Japan to deploy a cybersecurity product designed to protect critical national infrastructure. • The U.S. government invested $500 million into Nvidia-backed SandboxAQ to strengthen domestic semiconductor supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign tech.

The southern US is seeing intense rain that is expected to cause dangerous flash floodingSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season formed on Wednesday near the Gulf coast, bringing intense rain and the threat of dangerous flash floods to states including Texas and Louisiana, meteorologists said.Tropical Storm Arthur was a disorganized cluster of storms that brought rain for days over parts of eastern Mexico and the Gulf. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said conditions were conducive for a short-lived tropical storm to form. Continue reading...

• The G7 is shifting its focus toward AI as the United States implements protectionist policies to restrict access to specific AI models. • In a separate development, Snap co-founder Spiegel debuted "Specs," the company's first augmented reality (AR) device designed for the general public rather than developers. • These moves signal a broader transition in how society interacts with computing, moving beyond the smartphone era that began with the iPhone nearly 20 years ago.

• Over 70,000 fans gathered at SoFi Stadium to witness the United States' opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. • The event featured a unique visual spectacle where the stadium's partially covered roof reduced overhead helicopter flyovers to silhouettes. • The U.S. national team established early dominance, dictating the pace of play from the start of the match.

Litter-picking creatures emerge from underground for global franchise targeting nostalgic adults and gen AlphaMove over Paddington Bear. After almost 30 years off screen, the Wombles – the furry, litter-picking creatures who live beneath Wimbledon Common – are set for a comeback.The characters, whose motto is “Make Good Use of Bad Rubbish”, are being revived after the consolidation of the brand’s intellectual property rights under The Blair Partnership, which will oversee its global development. Continue reading...

Former SAS soldier had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross recipients, judge toldGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.However, he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and after-party north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there. Continue reading...

• 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.

• The Asian Media Awards are now open for nominations to recognize outstanding media professionals and organizations serving the British Asian community in the UK. • The awards are open to UK-based and UK-coordinated work across various media platforms, including newspapers, radio, television, and digital platforms, with a deadline of August 21, 2026. • The awards aim to acknowledge the contributions of media organizations, journalists, broadcasters, and public relations practitioners who cater to the British Asian community.

• Mexico's World Cup opening match against South Africa attracted 7.1 million viewers in the United States. • This figure marks a new record for the most-watched opening match of the tournament for an English-language broadcast. • The high viewership underscores the significant growth and popularity of soccer within the U.S. market.

• A peace deal is expected to be signed this Friday to end military operations across all fronts, including conflicts in Lebanon. • Donald Trump has announced that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz will be re-opened as part of the resolution. • Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that both sides have agreed to an immediate and permanent termination of hostilities.