The Guardian

Former WH Smith’s small suppliers to lose at least half of debts in rescue plan

If TG Jones’s aggressive restructuring is voted through, the charity Help for Heroes and other creditors will be out of pocketSmall suppliers including the charity Help for Heroes are to lose at least half the money owed to them by the former WH Smith high street chain if a planned restructure is voted through this week.The books to paperclips retailer, which has 450 stores, was bought by the private equity firm Modella Capital last year and rebranded TG Jones. It has said it is likely that it w

general  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian

Wednesday briefing: How can the UK protect its landscape in an increasingly hot world?

In today’s newsletter: As heatwaves intensify, Britain’s ecosystems are being pushed beyond their evolutionary limitsOur green and pleasant land is sizzling. This week, millions of us across the UK are baking in unprecedented heat. The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning from 9am today in parts of southern Wales, and central and southern England. The temperature record for June of 35.6C is almost certain to be broken; Bristol is forecast to hit an alarming 39C tomorrow.In the heat,

general  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian

Gay students extorted with threat of being ‘outed’ in home countries, Victorian hate crime inquiry hears

LGBTQ+ support service says men from countries where homosexuality is illegal are targeted for attacks via dating appsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastInternational students from countries where homosexuality is illegal are being lured into meetings via gay dating apps before being assaulted and extorted with threats of being outed, a Victorian inquiry into hate crimes has heard.Since June 2024, police identified 95

general  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian

‘The soul’s been ripped out of it’: Birmingham community housing scheme on brink over costs dispute

Row over ‘landmark’ development in Stirchley has left people homeless and put businesses at risk, say localsA housing development in Birmingham, touted as a model for community-owned housing in the UK, is at “serious risk of collapse” due to a dispute over construction costs.The Stirchley Cooperative Development (SCD), which was founded by local residents and businesses in Birmingham in 2016, was meant to provide 39 affordable and landlord-free homes owned and run by the people who live and work

general  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian

Progressive economists reject Unite leader’s criticism of Ed Miliband

Sharon Graham is urged to withdraw her claim that the energy secretary would cost jobs if he became chancellorMore than 40 progressive economists have written to Sharon Graham, the leader of Unite, rejecting her claim that Ed Miliband would destroy jobs if he becomes the next chancellor.With Andy Burnham almost certain to be prime minister within weeks, there is a fierce debate within Labour about who should succeed Rachel Reeves at the Treasury, with Miliband considered a frontrunner. Continue

general  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian

Failure to plan for rising temperatures has left UK’s schools sweltering

Many buildings are in use past their predicted lifespans, but even newer designs lack measures to beat heatTo see the UK’s failure to plan for the impacts of climate crisis, look no further than Beaconsfield primary school in west London – where a building more than 100 years old copes with extreme temperatures better than its neighbour, built less than 10 years ago.“I’ve got two buildings on my site – the older building is a Victorian-Edwardian-style building. It’s roughly 130 years old. That b

general  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian

Europe heatwave live: UK braces for record-breaking temperatures; Italy issues red alert for 16 cities

Temperatures expected to hit 40C in parts of the UK, as extreme heatwave spreads slowly eastwards, sparking warnings in Italy and the NetherlandsFrance records hottest day ever as 40 people drown across countryTell us: how is the heatwave in the UK and across Europe affecting you?Europe is braced for another day of an unprecedented heatwave that has smashed records in many countries.Italy’s health ministry has declared a red heatwave alert in 16 cities for Wednesday, including Milan and Rome, an

general  Jun 24, 2026

BBC World

Bondi Beach shooting hero pleads not guilty to alleged assault on his father

Ahmed Al Ahmed tackled one of the gunmen who killed 15 people at a Jewish event in December.

general  Jun 24, 2026

NY Times World

With a Turkish ‘Abrazo,’ Istanbul Ascends as a Tango Capital

Istanbul’s many tango schools, clubs and skilled dancers have won the city recognition, even among Argentine maestros, as a global tango destination.

general  Jun 24, 2026

NY Times World

Myanmar’s Civil War Has Become an Apocalypse

Overshadowed by conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, the fighting in Myanmar’s isolated heartland has reached new depths.

general  Jun 24, 2026

NY Times World

Myanmar’s Civil War Has Become an Apocalypse

Overshadowed by conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, the fighting in Myanmar’s isolated heartland has reached new depths.

general  Jun 24, 2026

NY Times World

What to Know About Myanmar’s Chaotic War

The Southeast Asian nation recently experienced its highest monthly civilian death toll since the war began in 2021.

general  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian

Different sperm whale ‘dialects’ detected on separate sides of the Mediterranean

Matriarchal groups in east and west exhibit distinct click patterns, used to form social structuresFrom “Howdy” to “G’day”, English – like other languages – is rich in dialects. Now researchers have found sperm whales on different sides of the Mediterranean show similar variations in their vocalisations.Sperm whales communicate vocally using sequences of short clicks called codas. However, the rhythmic pattern of these clicks, known as the dialect, can differ between different matriarchal groups

general  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian

Trafalgar Square’s St Martin-in-the-Fields gives up secrets of its stones

Church marks 300 years with exhibition and online archive telling of UK’s first Black voters, and history of compassion and protestFrom a family of chimney sweeps including one of Britain’s two earliest documented Black voters, to the mystery of a 19-year-old youth believed enslaved, St Martin-in-the-Fields church on Trafalgar Square still has secrets to share as it marks its 300th anniversary.Standing at the heart of London’s political and cultural life for three centuries, its ranks of engrave

general  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian

Play puts spotlight on Kenya’s crisis of gender-based violence

Autobiographical work Free Me aims to encourage victims to speak out in country where violence against women is risingThere are audible gasps in the auditorium in Nairobi as a husband launches a volley of blows and slaps on his wife and pushes her to the floor. “I wish I could spare you this,” the wife tells the audience. “My husband beat me up as if we were in a bar fight. Except, in a bar someone fights back.”The scene comes from Free Me, an autobiographical play by Gathoni Kimuyu, a Kenyan th

general  Jun 24, 2026

NY Times World

On the Front Lines of Myanmar’s Forgotten War

Our Times correspondent, Hannah Beech, travels to the center of the armed resistance movement in Myanmar and meets rebel fighters who are outgunned and undermanned after years of fighting in a civil war.

general  Jun 24, 2026

BBC World

Congress passes war powers measure for first time, rebuking Trump's war with Iran

The resolution is largely symbolic, but it adds to pressure on the White House to end the conflict once and for all.

general  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian

Artist accused of winning prize with ‘imitation’ won Australian award with piece ‘influenced’ by Basquiat

Jane Allan’s winning Darling portrait prize painting has raised eyebrows after her Doyles art award piece was compared to artist Nicholas HardingAn Australian painter was “clearly influenced” by New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in a major prize-winning work, according to the National Portrait Gallery, after she was accused of winning a separate $20,000 prize with “an imitation” of a Nicholas Harding piece.The National Portrait Gallery has declined to comment further on the marked similaritie

general  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian

Liberals dumbfounded by Angus Taylor’s multiculturalism comments: ‘Embrace the reality of modern Australia’

Party colleagues concerned opposition leader was missing an opportunity to differentiate Coalition from One NationFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAngus Taylor has attempted to clarify comments on multiculturalism after his five non-answers on Tuesday which left colleagues dumfounded and questioning the opposition leader’s approach to One Nation.As senior Liberals lined up endorse to Australia’s cultural diversity on

general  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian

Admiral fired in Hegseth purge wins Democratic primary in South Carolina

Nancy Lacore will spearhead effort to flip Republican House seat in November’s midterm electionsA three-star navy rear-admiral fired by Pete Hegseth last year in the defense secretary’s purge of senior US military officials has won the Democratic primary in a closely watched congressional race.Nancy Lacore secured the party’s nomination for the US House of Representatives in South Carolina’s first congressional district on Tuesday after defeating Mac Deford, a US Coast Guard veteran, in a runoff

general  Jun 24, 2026