Headlines: 15-21 June 2026

Saturday, 20 June 2026

Horses originated in America and reached Europe through China, fossil DNA reveals: believed to be restricted to northeastern China, genomic analysis shows the Dalian horse's range extended to southern Siberia and Yakutia (LINK) — 20 June 2026

Friday, 19 June 2026

UN agencies IAEA and WFP launch $1 million project to contain screwworm outbreak in Central America, Mexico amd US (sending beef prices there to near record highs) (LINK) — 19 June 2026

— The outbreak could be tackled through the release of flies treated with radiation to make them unable to reproduce, the agencies said. The sterile flies then mate with wild flies, reducing the population over time. Emergency response efforts could require up to 600 million sterile flies a week, they said. The only operational facility located in Panama now produces about 100 ?million. They said planned capacity in Metapa de Dominguez, Mexico, and Mission, Texas, could add up to 400 million sterile flies a week in coming years.

Poland strips Zelensky of country's highest honour, escalating World War II-era row (LINK) — 19 June 2026

Swiss government wants to strengthen medicine supply: plans to make it easier to import and manufacture medicines. Online sales of over-the-counter medicines are also set to become easier (LINK) — 19 June 2026

Swiss Parliament proposes VAT increase by 0.4% to fund 13th Swiss pension payment (LINK) — 19 June 2026

— As the Constitution must be amended to implement it, the people and the cantons must give their approval at the ballot box. The referendum could take place before the end of the year.

Swiss ski resort, the Glarus mountain village of Braunwald, closes because of climate change (LINK) — 19 June 2026

Solar power generates more energy than coal in the US for the first time ever (LINK) — 19 June 2026

China helped solar power hit record expansion levels by adding more than the rest of the world combined in 2025 — (LINK)

Elon Musk: what it means to be a trillionaire — and his character (LINK) — 19 June 2026

Cambodian Supreme Court upholds incitement conviction of opposition politician in charged case (LINK) — 19 June 2026

Texas Air Force base hit with fu outbreak infecting nearly 160 troops after Hegseth lifts vaccine requirement, prompting the Air Force to temporarily require recruits there to once again get the flu shot: report (LINK) — 19 June 2026

Kennedy Center refuses to take tarps off where Trump's name was removed (LINK) — 19 June 2026

Trump's reflecting pool nightmare takes another turn, as the algae controversy leads to an even more embarrassing discovery: videos of blue paint strips peeling off the bottom — "hydrogen peroxide is a paint remover" (LINK) — 19 June 2026

Orbán-appointed Hungarian president bans him from returning to power (LINK) — 19 June 2026

The Shroud of Turin: What the latest scientific evidence finally proves about "Jesus' burial cloth": five independent scientific clocks have completely shattered the medieval forgery narrative (LINK) — 19 June 2026

— The Queen Zone: The famous 1989 Nature study concluded with 95% confidence that the Shroud was a medieval fake dating to 1260 to 1390 AD. However, the raw data kept by the British Museum was hidden for decades until a legal request forced its release in 2017. A groundbreaking 2019 study published in Archaeometry analyzed this raw data and found it completely lacked statistical homogeneity. The single sample tested came from a heavily contaminated corner that had been invisibly repaired by medieval nuns. In fact, chemist Raymond Rogers proved this corner contains medieval dye and starch, whereas the main body of the Shroud does not. The Shroud's molecular decay perfectly matches that of a historical linen sample from the siege of Masada, dating to 55 to 74 AD. The reddish stains on the cloth are not artistic paint, but real human group AB blood. Furthermore, the blood soaked into the linen before the body image was formed, proving the cloth wrapped a real corpse.

Thursday, 18 June 2026

Moscow hit by largest Ukrainian attack since start of Russia's full-scale war: close to 200 drones hitting targets around the Russian capital (LINK) — 18 June 2026

— BBC: Almost 1,000 drones and four Ukrainian cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed across the country in 24 hours — Russia's defence ministry.

UK to provide 150,000 drones to Ukraine as part of $996 million package (LINK) — 18 June 2026

Explosions, sustained gunfire at airport in Niger capital, witnesses say (LINK) — 18 June 2026

Iran war day 111: Tehran warns US as 14-point plan takes effect (LINK) — 18 June 2026

Germany: Minister weighs cuts to UN contributions (LINK) — 18 June 2026

US: Key FDA committee unanimously recommends its first vaccine since 2023: Moderna's mRNA influenza vaccine, mFlusiva, for adults 50 and over (LINK) — 18 June 2026

Study: top 10% of consumers cost Earth $5.7 trillion in annual damage: 60 per cent live in the US and the European Union (EU), while only about two per cent are in India (LINK) — 18 June 2026

— The top 10% of American consumers face annual bills ranging from $19k to $63k per person, while India's top 10% face significantly lower costs between $410 and $1.4k, reflecting consumption inequality.

US judge orders release of Palestinian rights advocate/mosque leader, 53, who has lived in the US for nearly 32 years, detained by ICE (LINK) — 18 June 2026

— He has no criminal record in the US, but the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called him a "criminal and a terrorist". It accused him of lying on his green card application and failing to disclose that he was convicted by an Israeli military court for allegedly throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli forces. US District Judge James Patrick Hanlon ruled that the man had raised a "substantial" claim that he was targeted for speech protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. That, in turn, could "render his detention unlawful".

Swiss central bank readies for FX intervention if safe haven franc strengthens but left its main policy rate unchanged on Thursday (LINK) — 18 June 2026

UK: Interest rates held as Bank warns of impact of high energy prices (LINK) — 18 June 2026

SpaceX stock has officially fallen down to the low $170s from the $220s, down over 20 percent over its all-time high on Tuesday (LINK) — 19 June 2026

Fast-track trials for shoplifters have been called for by the Metropolitan Police as the force revealed 104 repeat offenders were responsible for more than 5,300 crimes over the past two years (LINK) — 18 June 2026

— Each of the 104 broke the law at least 31 times before they were jailed, and the shoplifting offences made up around a third of cases in London where a suspect has been identified. All but three of the criminals continued offending after they had been charged.

Newsweek: Obama Presidential Library compared to plans for Donald Trump's: Barack Obama's presidential library is the most expensive in U.S. history. Trump's is estimated to cost even more (LINK) — 18 June 2026

'Bitcoin Rodney' pleads guilty in $1.8 billion crypto fraud case (LINK) — 18 June 2026

Bill Hagerty revives July 4 hope for CLARITY Act passage (LINK) — 18 June 2026

Wednesday, 17 June 2026

U.S. and Iran remotely sign deal ahead of schedule (LINK) — 17 June 2026

CNN: the 14-point US-Iran peace plan, annotated — (LINK)

G7 promises to support Ukraine and sanction Russia in joint declaration also signed by Trump (LINK) — 17 June 2026

UN80 initiative: what has changed, what comes next, and what it means for people: Guy Ryder: We've come a long way in one year. This is a reform that has gathered a lot of momentum (LINK) — 17 June 2026

Foreign Policy: The End of the United Nations (LINK)

US: Ambassador Jeff Bartos on historic UN reform and next steps in the U.S. drive to get the UN back to basics — (LINK)

RFK Jr. announces $700M investment in addiction services, emphasizing faith-based organizations (LINK) — 17 June 2026

US: FBI director Kash Patel accused of directing $1m to 'slush fund' to pay bonuses to loyalist agents (LINK) — 17 June 2026

Fox News: Subcontractors say they're owed millions, face financial ruin, after helping build Obama Presidential Center (LINK) — 17 June 2026

— Overall construction costs were reported to be $830 million in 2021, and have likely climbed past the $1 billion mark. Subcontractor owners interviewed by Fox News Digital described what they characterized as a chaotic work environment marked by repeated design changes, rework, scheduling disruptions, extensive oversight and years-long compensation disputes that still remain unresolved. The allegations emerge days after a Fox News Digital investigation reported that the Obama Foundation's reserve fund — originally promoted as a $470 million financial safeguard intended to help protect taxpayers if the project encountered financial trouble — remains funded at roughly $1 million.

Uber and WeRide to bring self-driving taxis to Zurich, the first region in Switzerland to offer on-demand self-driving taxis (LINK) — 17 June 2026

All detainees from immigration facility 'Alligator Alcatraz' have been transferred, DHS says, citing concerns related to the hurricane season (LINK) — 17 June 2026

'Scientists were dead right': Al Gore says on 20th anniversary of 'An Inconvenient Truth' (LINK) — 17 June 2026

— In a review of key claims by the documentary, ABC News found that the majority of the scientific observations made in "An Inconvenient Truth" have come to fruition or are on track to in the years to come.

Nigeria's ex-oil minister Alison-Madueke cleared of all charges (bribery) in UK corruption trial (LINK) — 17 June 2026

US Embassy warns citizens to avoid popular jet ski beach activity in the Bahamas, citing reports of sexual assaults and safety incidents involving local operators (LINK) — 17 June 2026

Dell CEO Michael Dell donates $750 million to UT Austin for AI-focused medical campus and hospital (LINK) — 17 June 2026

Apple to raise prices due to memory chip crunch, Tim Cook says (LINK) — 17 June 2026

Royal Caribbean unveils stunning art spaces debuting onboard its newest megaship Legend of the Seas which launches in Europe this July: featuring work by six emerging Central American and Caribbean artists (LINK) — 17 June 2026

Tuesday, 16 June 2026

US gov: United States announces more than $1 billion in assistance to UNICEF and World Food Program to address global humanitarian needs (LINK) — 16 June 2026

UN chief visits Haiti, where a new international force will be deployed to help fight gangs (LINK) — 16 June 2026

At least 58 states and territories contaminated by landmines, UN human rights chief says (LINK) — 16 June 2026

AI reveals 30,000 plant species face extinction, but digitisation and mathematical models can significantly help speed up the naming of new species and extinction assessments — Kew's State of the World's Plants and Fungi 2026 report (LINK) — 16 June 2026

— Eurekalert: 29,748 species of plants and 411 species of fungi are now threatened with extinction3, yet only a fraction of known species have been assessed (18% of plants and 0.6% of fungi). Fewer than 1,000 plant species have been formally declared extinct; many more are likely to have disappeared. Consequently, the true scale of extinctions has likely been underestimated. The challenge is compounded by the fact that over 100,000 plant species and more than 2 million fungal species are unknown to science (less than 10% of fungal life has been described to date), many of which could become extinct before being named and understood. The report comes as Kew completes a groundbreaking project, funded principally by the UK government through Defra, digitising all 7.4 million herbarium and fungarium specimens in its collections.

— In Costa Rica, researchers increased the country's known fungal diversity by nearly 20% by combining published records with digitised collections, providing new insights into how climate influences fungal distribution and establishing critical baselines for future research.

Russian frigate fires warning shots at British pleasure yacht in Channel (LINK) — 16 June 2026

Apple to raise prices due to memory chip crunch, Tim Cook says (LINK) — 17 June 2026

FBI foiled alleged plot targeting Trump's UFC event on Sunday, FBI Director Patel says: multiple people are in custody (LINK) — 16 June 2026

Daily Kos: FBI affidavit makes rather clear that the people behind the planned drone attack on the UFC event were not leftists. Rather, they were ultra-right Christians with Nazi and fascist leanings who viewed the Trump Administration as a continuation of corrupt regimes (LINK) — 16 June 2026

Brazilian police arrest 25 people in a crackdown on Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang (LINK) — 16 June 2026

Jeffrey Epstein attempted to take his own life on multiple occasions before his death, his former cellmate told The New York Times (LINK) — 16 June 2026

— He died by suicide just hours after a cellmate was transferred to another facility, leaving him alone in a cell for the first time.

SpaceX closes in on Amazon in sprint toward $3 trillion market value, briefly topping both Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) (LINK) — 16 June 2026

EU states say new deals known as Bilateral Agreements III 'only viable path' in relations with Switzerland: status quo is not a viable alternative (LINK) — 16 June 2026

Researchers calculate incidence of sunlight in Switzerland: even the shadow cast by every single tree is recorded in a new map (LINK) — 16 June 2026

— swissinfo: The map depicts solar radiation across the whole of Switzerland with a resolution of ten metres. The data is available for every hour and every day over a full annual cycle. Around a third of precipitation in Switzerland falls as snow. The new data therefore helps with flood warnings and planning for hydropower.

Monday, 15 June 2026

Russian anti-Putin artist shot dead in a residential parking lot in Poland: two suspected killers involved (LINK) — 15 June 2026

Russia was behind arson attacks targeting British PM, BBC reveals (LINK) — 15 June 2026

Trump projects confidence about Iran deal as he meets global leaders for G7 summit (LINK) — 15 June 2026

Trump, Vance, Iranian official sign US-Iran peace memo on Sunday: the details of the memorandum will be released in 24 to 48 hours, officials said (LINK) — 15 June 2026

Heather Cox Richardson: President Donald J. Trump's remaking of Washington, D.C. (LINK) — 15 June 2026

'The next pandemic will not wait': Lula and WHO director in urgent joint plea for leaders to finalize agreement (LINK) — 15 June 2026

Switzerland-France feud erupts over G7 security costs linked to the G7 summit taking place in Evian-les-Bains. (LINK) — 15 June 2026

— France is refusing to contribute to the $25-32 million cost of securing the border and policing the protests, according to Laurent Paoliello, communications director for Geneva's security department. Several Swiss politicians have proposed withholding funds owed to France as a way of forcing Paris to pay for the security costs, including retaining tax income due to the French to compensate for lost tax income from cross-border workers. But Paoliello said such moves were "complicated" due to the fact that the exchanges of funds were enshrined in treaties. Geneva this year paid France €446 million as part of the 1973 treaty. France has not seen fit to establish designated protest sites or "counter-summits". Tens of thousands of protesters are gathering on the Swiss side of the border where they aim to stage rallies during the summit. Swiss police clashed with some 600-700 protesters on Monday, leading the protest to be forbidden after three hours. All other public rallies have been forbidden during the G7 summit. In addition to police, some 4,000 Swiss military personnel are being mobilized this week to oversee protests and staff border checkpoints.

Russian attack sets fire to centuries-old religious site in Kyiv and kills rescuers in Kharkiv (LINK) — 15 June 2026

UK Prime Minister Starmer says Britain will ban under-16s from using social media apps including TikTok and YouTube (LINK) — 15 June 2026

— Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children's access to social media. France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are among others studying or developing similar approaches.

Swiss tourism: summer 2026 faces difficult circumstances: weaker demand from long-haul markets. (LINK) — 15 June 2026

Exceptional winter for Swiss hotel industry: increase was fuelled only marginally by foreign demand — (LINK)

— December (+6.8%), January (+2.6%) and February (+2.9%) proved particularly successful. The outbreak of conflict in the Middle East coincided with a sudden fall in foreign demand (-4.8% in March and -5.7% in April), particularly from Asia, which weighed on the end of the season.

8 crew members killed when a B-52 bomber crashes on takeoff at California's Edwards Air Force Base on a routine test mission (LINK) — 15 June 2026

Newsweek: Why Switzerland voted to reject population cap (LINK) — 15 June 2026

— Switzerland's population has expanded by nearly 2 million people since 2002—from 7.3 million to more than 9 million in 2025 — following the introduction of freer movement between Switzerland and the European Union (EU), according to the Federal Statistics Office.Foreign-trained doctors make up around 43 percent of all physicians working in Switzerland, according to the Swiss Medical Association. The vast majority of the 165,386 foreign nationals who moved to Switzerland last year migrated for employment, according to the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). Two-thirds of them are coming from the EU/European Free Trade Association (EFTA). "In an uncertain world, a small country at the heart of Europe was ultimately not prepared to risk a rupture with the EU, in many ways our closest and most reliable ally," said Cloé Jans, a senior project manager at the Swiss public opinion research firm gfs.bern. "For many voters, a flawed status quo was preferable to an unpredictable leap into the unknown."

Al Jazeera: Swiss right-wing plan to cap population rejected by narrow margins — (LINK limited)

"Worldwide, people in all age groups are ditching news sites and publishers' apps in favor of social media and video networks. In fact, 18-34-year-olds are abandoning content on publishers' platforms even more quickly than they're dropping TV news" — 2026 Digital News Report from Oxford's Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) (LINK) — 15 June 2026

— Nieman Lab: Almost all online news growth is coming from third-party sources, and publishers' own sites and apps are being left behind. "Social media and video networks are now more popular as a source of news than owned and operated online news websites and apps in 30 of [...] 48 markets."