Regional news

Russian armed forces chief of staff Valery Gerasimov said on Friday his country's strong military partnership with China provides stability around the world.

Ex-US president says Todd Blanche will be his criminal defense attorney; US district judge Aileen Cannon, who delayed documents case, listed on summonsThe US senate judiciary committee chairman, Dick Durbin, has said the investigation led by special counsel Jack Smith should be allowed to continue “without interference”.In a statement on Friday, Durbin added that Donald Trump “should be afforded the due process protections that he is guaranteed by our constitution, just like any other American”.I think before the sun sets today, the attorney general of the United States should be standing in front of the American people, should unseal this indictment, should provide the American people with all the facts and information here.And the American people be able to judge for themselves whether this is just the latest incident of weaponization and politicization at the justice department or it’s something different. Continue reading...

Former culture secretary and MP for Mid Bedfordshire quits with immediate effectResponding to Rachel Reeves’s comments about Labour’s green investment on the Today programme (see also 9.24am and 9.45am) Rebecca Newsom, Greenpeace UK’s head of politics, said:Any U-turn would be a huge mistake. Without the necessary immediate investment, we will lose out on the creation of thousands of jobs needed as we phase out fossil fuels, and we will lose out on the opportunity to put green tech industries at the centre of our economy.Rachel Reeves rightly cites the opportunities of green growth, but this prevarication on confirming the scale of investment needed from the start of a new Labour government risks throwing in the towel on the global race in green tech, with the US, China and the EU already far ahead.Should this letter be ignored, and negotiations are not in place by the 17 June the NEU national executive will be discussing our next steps. This will include the consideration of NEU teacher members in England taking further strike action in the week beginning 3 July.There are six school term weeks until the summer holiday. Up and down the country, head teachers are trying to plan their school budgets for next year and trying to cope with the rapidly growing problem of recruiting enough teachers to fill their classrooms.By not publishing the STRB report, your department is withholding vital information about what proposals that body has made on teacher pay, which may or may not help with the recruitment difficulties. It is also withholding vital information about the funding of pay rises. Continue reading...

Russian president says beginning of offensive ‘is evidenced by the use of strategic reserves’What we know on day 471 of the invasionRussian military bloggers are saying that overnight the Ukrainians were making another attempt to break through Russian lines in occupied Zaporizhzhia in the area of Orikhiv.The claims have not been independently verified. Continue reading...

Signals point to explosion early on Tuesday, as Ukraine says intercepted call proves Russia was responsibleRussia-Ukraine war – latest news updatesEvidence is growing that the Nova Kakhovka dam was blown up, after the publication of seismic data showing there was a blast at the site in the early hours of Tuesday.Norsar, the Norwegian Seismic Array, said signals from a regional station in Romania pointed to an explosion at 2.54am. Norsar did not draw conclusions on who was responsible. Continue reading...

Decision affects 15,000 hotel workers who are pushing for raises, affordable healthcare and safe workloads and staffing levelsHotel workers are threatening to strike in California over pay and conditions in what would be the largest ever strike by hotel workers.In a strike authorization vote held on 8 June, workers voted 96% in favor of authorizing a strike, which could begin as early as Fourth of July weekend. Continue reading...

BBC’s Today programme host ‘fearful’ of new era of US-style mixing of news and viewsNick Robinson has said the reputation for impartiality built over decades by the UK’s broadcasters faces an existential threat from the growing influence of partisan political figures on newer channels.The presenter of Radio 4’s flagship Today programme and former BBC political editor said he feared a new era of US-style mixing of news and views if the UK continued down its current path. Continue reading...

Saul Cookson, 15, collided with parked ambulance shortly after being followed by police vehicleThe family of a Salford teenager who died when the e-bike he was riding crashed after being followed by police have paid tribute to “the nicest lad about”.Saul Cookson, 15, collided with an ambulance at about 2pm on Thursday, Greater Manchester police said. It has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, “in line with normal proceedings” when someone has died after contact with police, it said. Continue reading...

Engineer’s family says International Court of Arbitration decision strengthens the case for freeing himGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastAn international tribunal has found Iraq’s central bank was to blame for a contractual dispute with an engineering firm that led to the jailing of Australian engineer Robert Pether, prompting his family to make a renewed plea that he be freed from the Baghdad prison cell where he has spent two years.Pether and his colleague Khalid Radwan were arrested and jailed in 2021 over a contractual dispute between their employer, Cardno ME (CME), and the Central Bank of Iraq, which had hired the firm to help build its new Baghdad headquarters.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Hesta and Aware Super say they won’t enter into new contracts with the firmGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s biggest superannuation funds have either frozen, or are reviewing, future work contracts with PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia, as the fallout from the tax leaks scandal proves costly for the embattled firm.Four of the country’s biggest funds, AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Hesta and Aware Super, say they will not enter into new contracts with PwC, after the professional services firm used confidential information obtained through its work for the government for commercial gain.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Nurse also rejects accusation she deliberately misled jury in her trial for alleged murder of babiesLucy Letby has denied she is a “very calculating” serial killer who has deliberately misled the jury in her trial over the alleged murder of babies.On a tense final day of cross-examination, the nurse admitted she was “drinking fizz and going to the races” and was very active socially at a time she claimed her life had been devastated. Continue reading...

Tory former minister and MP for Mid Bedfordshire says it is ‘time for someone younger to take the reins’Nadine Dorries, the Conservative former culture secretary, has announced she is standing down as an MP with immediate effect.She made the announcement in a tweet after having reportedly been dropped from Boris Johnson’s resignation honours. Continue reading...