Australia confirms first mainland case of H5N1 bird flu

The minister for agriculture, Julie Collins, confirms case of H5N1 bird flu in Western Australia, with another suspected

The deadly H5N1 bird flu strain has arrived on the Australian mainland with test results confirming a bird found on the Western Australian coast was positive for the disease.

The agriculture minister, Julie Collins, confirmed a brown skua found unwell last Sunday at Cape Le Grand national park in southern WA died from H5N1.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jun/20/australia-confirms-first-case-of-h5n1-bird-flu

Trump unveils new Air Force One, a converted Qatari 747

New craft, called VC-25B Bridge, had provoked protest since $400m jet wildly exceeds limit on unsolicited gifts

Donald Trump unveiled the new, temporary Air Force One at a hangar at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday, a day after White House officials bid farewell to one of two Boeing 747s used to transport presidents for more than 30 years.

The new jet, designated VC-25B and decked out in a punchy red, white, dark blue and gold livery, was gifted to Trump by the Gulf emirate of Qatar, provoking howls of political protest since the $400m jet wildly exceeds the limit on unsolicited gifts of $50 in value in a single calendar year from the same source.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/19/trump-air-force-one-qatar

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Nearly 160 sick with flu at US air force base after Hegseth ends mandatory vaccines

Reports say Texas recruits ill from outbreak, which comes weeks after defense secretary made flu vaccine optional

An influenza outbreak has reportedly sickened more than 150 recruits in training at Lackland air force base in San Antonio, Texas.

The outbreak comes just weeks after the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ended mandatory flu vaccination for the military, citing the need for bodily autonomy for servicemembers.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/18/lackland-air-force-base-flu-outbreak

Burnham brings in top economists before possible leadership run

Labour mayor giving advisory roles to ex-Bank of England economist and others seen as attempt to reassure markets

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Three economic heavyweights have been brought in to advise Andy Burnham as he attempts to reassure the markets before his possible return to parliament on Friday and challenge to Keir Starmer.

Burnham is understood to be getting advice from Andy Haldane, a former Bank of England chief economist, as well as Richard Hughes, a former chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility and Jim O’Neill, a crossbench peer and former Treasury minister who worked on George Osborne’s “Northern Powerhouse”.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/18/andy-burnham-top-economists-possible-leadership-run

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LA leaders back investigation into police killing of two-year-old dog

Officers responding to call about ‘screaming woman’, who was celebrating Knicks win, shot dog named Jameson

As the Los Angeles police department faces mounting scrutiny after officers shot and killed a two-year-old golden Saint Bernard doodle, the city’s political leaders have backed calls for an investigation into the incident.

On Saturday, LA police officers responded to a radio call about a “screaming woman” in the Canoga Park neighborhood, about 30 miles (48km) from downtown, which turned out to be celebratory noise in reaction to the New York Knicks’s long-awaited championship win.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/17/los-angeles-police-dog-killing