In one of India’s worst aviation disasters in decades, at least 240 people were killed when a Boeing 787 owned by Air India crashed in Ahmedabad soon after takeoff. The sole survivor, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, is in hospital but out of danger. The plane, bound for London, struck a residential building housing medical students; five students were killed and dozens injured. Charred wreckage and bodies were found across the crash site. Firefighters battled flames fed by full fuel tanks, while Indian army teams assisted rescue efforts. Eyewitness footage showed the plane descending before erupting into a fireball. Authorities reported the aircraft issued a mayday call before losing contact. Narendra Modi expressed profound sorrow, and Boeing is investigating its first-ever 787 Dreamliner crash. Investigators will analyse flight data to determine exactly what happened. Air India’s chairman said, ‘At the moment our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families.’

Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, has condemned Donald Trump’s uninvited deployment of the National Guard to quell unrest in Los Angeles, calling it an illegal escalation and ‘brazen abuse of power’. The unrest followed protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting illegal immigrants. Newsom argued that California could have managed the protests without federal intervention and accused Trump of using force theatrically, inflaming tensions. He warned that such actions threaten democracy nationwide. Newsom also criticised the Trump administration’s indiscriminate deportations, which target hardworking immigrant families and foster fear. ‘Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting the vulnerable but do not stop there,’ he cautioned. Linking Trump’s actions to broader attacks on American institutions, from the judiciary to the press, he called for peaceful resistance. Urging citizens to reject fear and silence, Newsom ended with a call to defend constitutional freedoms.

Greta Thunberg, the climate-change inspiration for millions of young people world-wide, has condemned Israel’s seizure of a Gaza-bound aid boat she was aboard, calling it ‘an illegal act’. The British-flagged yacht Madleen had sailed from Sicily intending to breach Israel’s sea blockade of Gaza. Thunberg and eleven others were detained in international waters and brought to Israel. She described their treatment as forced and restrictive, but stressed the real issue is Gaza’s ‘systematic starvation’ and the blockade preventing essential supplies. Israel countered with footage of the boat’s passengers being given food, which Thunberg dismissed as a PR stunt. She was put on a plane back to Sweden on 10 June, and three others have agreed to deportation, but the rest remain in detention. Meanwhile, tensions in Gaza escalate: Hamas reported three paramedics killed by Israeli strikes, and local authorities say Israeli fire killed at least 17 Palestinians at a US-backed aid site. The Israeli military says it is investigating. Aid routes remain perilous, with over 130 Palestinians killed near such sites in recent weeks.

Argentina’s supreme court has upheld a six-year prison sentence for former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner on corruption charges, barring her permanently from public office. The ruling sparked protests in Buenos Aires, where her supporters accused the court of serving the nation’s economic elite. Fernández de Kirchner, who led Argentina from 2007 to 2015, was convicted in 2022 of directing irregular public works contracts to an ally. She denounced the decision as politically motivated and appealed, but the court stated that it was ‘based on the abundance of evidence produced’, and said that her conviction did nothing more than protect Argentina’s democratic system. President Javier Milei, her fierce political rival, welcomed the verdict. The decision seems to mark the end of a significant chapter in Argentine politics, just days after Kirchner had launched a campaign for the Buenos Aires legislative elections in September. She has five days to turn herself in to the authorities, but her lawyer has requested house arrest due to her age (she is 72).

Faure Gnassingbé, Togo’s president, faces rising unrest after constitutional changes that could extend his rule indefinitely. Recent protests in the capital, Lomé, were met with arrests and alleged mistreatment of demonstrators. Gnassingbé, in power since 2005, was recently sworn in as president of the Council of Ministers - an influential role without term limits. Critics call this a ‘constitutional coup’. About forty of the arrested protesters have been released, but at least 25 remain detained. Government officials have defended the arrests as necessary to uphold state institutions. However, a coalition of political groups has demanded not only the release of all prisoners but also an end to Gnassingbé’s regime, which they describe as repressive after two decades in power. Protests are rare in Togo, where demonstrations were banned in 2022 after a deadly attack.

Evangelist David Karcha has said that even in the midst of war, Ukraine is seeing a profound spiritual awakening.  He has described how churches have become sanctuaries of hope, drawing countless people to Christ. When Russia invaded in 2022, Ukrainian evangelicals chose not to flee but to remain, share in the suffering, and witness through faith. Karcha declared that while the Gospel is powerful in peace, it becomes ‘unstoppable’ in war. Across the country, churches are seeing thousands profess faith and be baptised, driven by deep spiritual hunger. Their acts of faith have created a unified movement no war can halt. Evangelicals minister on the frontlines, in hospitals, to widows, orphans, and the broken. The church serves not only physical needs but also hearts seeking hope. Thanking European churches for their love and support, Karcha says, ‘We listen. We pray. We help. Then, when we see how we can help and what can be gone, we speak Jesus.’

Pop and hip-hop artist Bodie has shared a powerful testimony of divine healing, describing how God restored his wife Royale Kuljian’s hearing after doctors had deemed it irreparable. Her eardrum had been completely destroyed, with doctors preparing for reconstructive surgery. But after attending church and receiving prayer, she experienced immediate healing. ‘This girl at church was praying over me by my bad ear, and suddenly I could hear her’, Royale recalled. Doctors had previously found no eardrum at all, but post-healing examinations now show her hearing is ‘perfectly normal.’ Medical professionals remain baffled, but Bodie and Royale are calling it what they believe it is - a miracle. Bodie described the event as a ‘tangible’ and ‘pretty cool’ sign of God’s faithfulness, saying it has been deeply meaningful to watch Him continually give him fresh vision in both life and career.

Rachel Reeves has unveiled £15.6 billion in transport investment across England’s regions, marking a major shift in infrastructure funding and regional priorities. Targeting areas long considered underfunded, the funding will support tram, train, and bus developments in the Midlands, the North, and the West Country. Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will receive over £2 billion each for tram expansions, while £2.1 billion will launch the West Yorkshire Mass Transit system. There are also major sums for Liverpool, the North East, the East Midlands, Tees Valley, and South Yorkshire. This investment marks Reeves' first open move away from the stringent rules in the Treasury’s traditional Green Book rules, which have long favoured London. Though some projects were originally introduced under the Conservatives, Labour has reviewed and restructured them. While regional leaders praised the announcements, critics called for tangible results rather than mere promises.

Rachel Reeves has announced that more pensioners will qualify for winter fuel payments this year, following the backlash over Labour’s 2024 decision to cut the benefit for most retirees. While she confirmed the means-test threshold will rise, she did not specify by how much, and at Prime Minister’s Questions, Keir Starmer also failed to clarify how many of the ten million affected pensioners will regain eligibility. Labour’s original decision to means-test the payment reduced eligibility from 11.4 million to just 1.5 million, limiting it to pensioners receiving benefits like Pension Credit. The move, intended to save £1.5 billion annually, was part of an effort to address what Labour calls a £22 billion fiscal gap left by the previous government. Critics, including Kemi Badenoch, accused Labour of lacking preparation and transparency. Reeves insisted the government remains committed to easing winter costs for vulnerable seniors but acknowledged that specifics are still being finalised.

Ahead of a final Westminster vote on assisted suicide legislation set for 20 June, leading Christian groups have called for a national day of prayer on 11 June. They are urging believers across the UK to pray against what they consider dangerous proposals. Assisted suicide bills are currently advancing in both Westminster and the Scottish parliament, although it seems growing numbers of MPs who previously supported them may now abstain or vote against. Simon Calvert of the Christian Institute said that ‘no safeguards can make these bills safe’, warning that the legislation effectively facilitates suicide under the guise of compassion. He called for prayer to open politicians’ eyes to the reality and risk posed to the vulnerable. MP Brian Mathew, who once supported the bill, now voices serious concerns, particularly the pressure it could place on terminally ill individuals who fear becoming a burden. Christian leaders are praying for courage, compassion, and clarity among lawmakers.