Pub chain Fuller’s hopes for bumper summer from World Cup and staycations 10. June 2026 (11:10) Company says it has strong bookings for England matches and has spruced up gardens for domestic touristsBusiness live – latest updatesThe boss of pub and hotel chain Fuller’s has said that the evening kick-off times of World Cup matches will provide a double-hit of business through the peak summer period, as the group gets “garden-ready” for fans before the tournament.Simon Emeny, the chief executive of Fuller, Smith & Turner, said that there have been strong advance bookings for the World Cup and that it has spruced-up garden areas across its 337 pubs, hotels and inns to cater for a bumper summer. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Japanese manga fans urge Trump to stop using characters in his online posts 10. June 2026 (11:09) Renewed outrage at White House’s use manga and anime imagery after US president is depicted as ninja NarutoJapanese anime and manga fans are urging Donald Trump to stop using their favourite characters in his social media posts.About 20,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org entitled Protect Japanese Manga, protesting against the official White House X account posting videos featuring unauthorised use of imagery from the popular Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Naruto series. Angry fans have also been posting on social media. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The vanishing of Nicolás Maduro: how the former dictator is being erased from Venezuela 10. June 2026 (11:00) Billboards are being painted over and former allies seem eager to forget the man they once glorifiedFor years, his bewhiskered face stared down from propaganda billboards glorifying the supposedly revolutionary rule of a dictator who styled himself as “the protector of the people”.The spin-doctored adoration was such that factories churned out plastic action figures exalting Nicolás Maduro as an “indestructible” and “iron-fisted” caped crusader nicknamed “Super Moustache”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Democrats rally round Platner in Maine as Trump reaffirms grip on GOP after primaries 10. June 2026 (10:33) Outcome of polls in four states offers mixed signals about direction of two major parties before November’s midtermsProgressives rallied round the controversial Graham Platner after his primary victory in Maine on Tuesday, while Donald Trump again exerted his grip on the Republican party, helping to defeat a politician who had pushed for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.Primary elections were held in four states – Maine, Nevada, North Dakota and South Carolina – ahead of November’s midterms to decide control of both houses of Congress. The results offered mixed signals about the direction of the two major parties. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Omar Artan given hero’s welcome in Somalia after referee’s US entry blocked 10. June 2026 (10:11) Artan deemed a threat to national security by US officials‘I promise you that I will attend the next one’The World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the US arrived on Wednesday in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, where he was received by a crowd of supporters and officials.Omar Artan was due to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making Fifa’s final list for the tournament. He is one of Africa’s top referees and was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bill Gates to face questions from House committee over links to Jeffrey Epstein 10. June 2026 (10:00) Microsoft co-founder to appear in closed-door session as part of lawmakers’ investigation into convicted sex offenderBill Gates is set to testify in front of the House committee on oversight and reform on Wednesday as part of the panel’s investigation into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The Microsoft co-founder will appear in a closed-door session, where lawmakers are expected to question him about his past relationship with Epstein. A transcript of the interview is expected to be released at a later date. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
More than half of clean energy schemes needed for Labour’s 2030 target offered grid connection 10. June 2026 (08:00) The 700 projects include wind and solar farms, battery storage, gas and hydro plansMore than half the renewable energy projects needed to meet the government’s clean power targets by 2030 are now able to plug into the electricity grid after years of delay, according to the system operator.The National Energy System Operator (Neso) has offered more than 700 clean energy projects in Great Britain a grid connection date since the start of the year, after a two-year process to unblock a bottleneck that threatened to delay projects into the 2030s. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Public procurement of electricity could save GB households £200 a year, says thinktank 10. June 2026 (08:00) Government plan to de-link gas and electricity prices aims to reduce bills for consumers after global surge in pricesHouseholds in England, Scotland and Wales could save nearly £200 a year on their energy bills if the government stepped into the market to act as the sole buyer of electricity, according to a thinktank.The research found that public procurement of electricity, meaning the government would become the “single buyer” of power before it is resold to consumers, could shave billions of pounds from electricity prices. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Chinese activist in UK told by X that abusive deepfakes do not breach rules 10. June 2026 (08:00) Apple Peiqing Ni targeted by account portraying her as promiscuous drug addict after posting about Tiananmen SquareA high-profile Chinese activist in the UK who was inundated with deepfake posts on X portraying her as a sexually promiscuous drug addict was told that the abuse did not breach the rules of Elon Musk’s platform.Apple Peiqing Ni, the 27-year-old founder of the UK-based China Dissent Network, had been advised by UK police to complain to the US-headquartered platform after she was targeted by what she believes is a pro-regime bot. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Charities in England and Wales ‘donate millions to illegal Israeli settlements’ 10. June 2026 (07:00) MP Melanie Ward calls on Charity Commission to look into 32 organisations she says have given at least £28mThirty-two charities in England and Wales have donated at least £28m to Israeli settlements that are illegal under international law, an MP has said.Labour’s Melanie Ward said that if gift aid were claimed against the donations in the usual way, it would mean taxpayers had subsidised illegal settlements to the tune of £5.6m, a situation she described as deplorable. The foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced on Tuesday that the Charity Commission has been tasked with investigating UK charities’ links to settlements. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
