Keyword – Television & radio
Trefwoorden – Television, Travel, Television & radio, Culture
Title – ‘That’s when the shark fins appeared’: your horrifying holidays – from natural disasters to missile threats | Television | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/guardian-readers,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/alfie-packham
Link – ‘That’s when the shark fins appeared’: your horrifying holidays – from natural disasters to missile threats | Television | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-17T10:36:17.000Z
Category – Culture
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jun/17/thats-when-the-shark-fins-appeared-your-horrifying-holidays-from-natural-disasters-to-missile-threats

‘I didn’t think too much about the quiet, empty place’

In early 1969, my parents booked a holiday in Belfast for one week and a bed and breakfast in Dublin for one week. When we arrived at our Belfast destination, The Elsinore Hotel, there wasn’t another car in the parking lot and the hotel was empty except for the aged husband and wife owners. Being 12 years old, I didn’t think too much at the time about the quiet, empty place but the owners invited the whole family down to the dining room every evening and we enjoyed some great meals. Lots of pictures of JFK and the pope adorned many of the hotel walls and being a Catholic family ourselves, the hosts made a big fuss of us.

A few days after returning home my dad and I sat in front of the TV eating supper when the BBC newsreader began the broadcast with the announcement that a bomb had gone off that morning in downtown Belfast and had pretty much destroyed The Elsinore Hotel – the purported meeting headquarters of the IRA. My dad spilled his dinner on the floor as he rose from his chair with a loud shout of “Good God!” Imagine a solitary car with an English number plate in a parking lot frequented daily by the leaders of the IRA? I guess we survived because we were a family of Catholic red heads even though we were English. Marcus Graham, Florida, US

‘My husband ended up walking barefoot because of his blisters’

Our honeymoon in 2008 was like a Laurel and Hardy sketch, since everything was done in silence. We weren’t speaking to each other after my new husband got so drunk at the wedding we couldn’t do the first dance. Then everything else seemed to go wrong. On our way to the airport, our car broke down so we had to get a hire car. When we finally got to the resort, we were told that our accommodation was two miles out of town and that there was no public transport or taxis because it was a religious feast day.

We walked uphill in baking sun and one of the wheels fell off my suitcase on the way. My husband ended up walking barefoot because of his blisters. When we arrived, the site restaurant had closed for the day so we had to have frozen pizza from the shop. My husband said we could have eaten the pizza box and it probably would have tasted better. We are, however, still married 18 years later. Fiona Irwin, 52, Hull, England

‘The water was red from my blood’

About 20 years ago, I went to Fiji. I can’t swim, and have a fear of going deeper than my knees. But my friend, an accomplished surfer, was relishing this part of our trip. The weather was so hot that going in the water seemed sensible and as it was only a degree or two less than the air, I was actually starting to like it. Then my friend [and I] rented kayaks. We went out to sea, staying close to land, and I had my lifejacket, goggles and snorkel to hand. It was genuinely fun.

My friend got excited about something called a “reef break” and wanted to get a closer look. The water got less calm. It got harder to control my kayak. My friend was getting further away. I shouted to my friend. At first I couldn’t hear his reply, which panicked me even more. Then I heard him say, “Ride the wave!” I saw him get on top of a huge lump of water and it propelled him back to shore. I turned to see a wave above my head and then, a second later, I was underwater, no kayak, no lifejacket, no snorkel. I was kicking my legs and waving my arms. My foot made contact with something that felt solid, but painful – coral. I pushed up, cutting my foot, but I got my head above water and could breathe again. Disoriented, I looked around and the water was red from the blood from my foot. That’s when the shark fins appeared, and I thought … this is it. I don’t know how many of them there were – it could have been three, four, 10 or a million.

Then there was a noise and something hit my back – a surfboard. A hand pulled me on to the board. I lay there exhausted and the surfer paddled back to land where my friend was waiting, in shock. The guy who saved me was a local from the island who had seen me in trouble. My friend said something to him about the sharks, and he laughed and said “they won’t kill you, they might bite you or take a nibble”. We walked back to our beach hut, bandaged my foot and went for several beers. Tim Halliday, 47, Madrid, Spain

‘I pictured the missile approaching the shore’

Our first day in Ka’anapali was spent on Canoe Beach, snorkelling. The next morning in a hotel courtyard, I pulled two chairs up to a table, and set my partner Alison’s purse beside me. Our phones beeped in unison. My text bubble read: “Emergency Alert. BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” A wave of cold nausea swept through my body. I showed Alison and her face grew pale.

When I asked the barista if the hotel had a bomb shelter, she pointed to a sign near the stairwell, an image of a dancing couple. An ashen-faced woman with a baby stroller rushed past. All around us, people stared at their phones, dazed and numb-looking. We decided a huddle in the basement ballroom would only increase our panic. Partway to the concierge desk, Alison fainted. I carried her to a chair, and the woman behind the counter offered to call 911. I wondered how island emergency services would be prioritised. When Alison regained consciousness, I put my arm around her and asked her what to do. “Take me to the beach. I want to sit near the water.”

We settled on to chaises to watch the waves and the sky. I pictured the missile approaching the shore, a composite of every childhood cartoon and nightmare image of nuclear detonation I’d ever seen. We phoned several people on the mainland but nobody answered. I began thinking of myself in past tense.

Several minutes later, a second text appeared: “Emergency Alert. There is no missile threat or danger to the State of Hawaii. Repeat. False Alarm.” I looked at my toes in the sand and watched the water sparkle over the beach, scattering small rocks and broken shells, erasing footprints. Thirty-eight minutes of my vacation had been stolen, but my souvenir was a glimpse of eternity. Benjamin Malay, 56, Seattle, Washington, US

Keyword – Sport
Trefwoorden – Royal Ascot, Ascot, Horse racing, Sport
Title – Royal Ascot 2026: Ombudsman wins Prince of Wales’s Stakes on day two – as it happened | Royal Ascot | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/gregwood,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tonypaley
Link – Royal Ascot 2026: Ombudsman wins Prince of Wales’s Stakes on day two – as it happened | Royal Ascot | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-17T17:53:07.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/jun/17/royal-ascot-2026-day-two-horse-racing-updates-live

That’s the lot today. Ombudsman was the star on the track, winning a strong Prince of Wales’s Stakes with ease although whether he’ll challenge the incredible sprinter Ka Ying Rising for highest-rated horse in the world is another matter. Meanwhile, off the track Aidan O’Brien came out in defence of his team after two of his riders were banned after the controversial St James’s Palace Stakes on Tuesday when he his jockeys were effectively found guilty of ‘team tactics’. There was plenty of debate on social media and in the racing press and for once most people were unanimous in agreeing that the stewards were right and O’Brien’s Ballydoyle squad were in the wrong. We may not have heard the last of this as his runners are sure to come under close scrutiny in forthcoming races. Meanwhile, we’ll be back tomorrow when it’s Gold Cup day, traditionally the highlight of the week. See you all then.

6.10 WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES result

1 King Of Cloughan (Billy Loughnane) 33-1 2 Moonrise (P J McDonald) 66-1 3 Harlequin Sky (Cieren Fallon) 125-1

6.10 WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES And they’re off … this will be over with quickly as it’s just five furlongs … Alpe D’Huez has an early lead after bursting out of the stalls … Troublesome Guest leads the pack on the stalls side … Moonrise hit the front but was caught near the post by King Of Cloughan … a 33-1 winner for trainer Joseph O’Brien and Billy Loughnane!

6.10 WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES betting

Controlla – 2/1

Sergei Diaghilev – 4/1

Sale Shark – 6/1

Celeron – 8/1

One Number – 8/1

Dance A Jig – 12/1

Rulers Control – 20/1

Alfred Wallace – 20/1

BAR 20/1

Betting via Oddschecker

6.10 WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES preview

There was a good deal of controversy when the British Horseracing Authority announced some significant changes to the conditions for this race, upping the distance from five to six furlongs and restricting it too to juveniles whose sire won at least once over seven furlongs as a juvenile, or at a mile or further at three. Karl Burke, the leading trainer in the north, suggested that the move – designed to broaden the appeal of middle-distance sires – would simply provide “low-hanging fruit” for racing mega-corps like Coolmore and Godolphin, and change the nature of a race “where the average man in the street has got a chance of buying a relatively cheap horse and having a runner at Royal Ascot.” Year one is not the time to judge, but Burke, at least, does not have a runner in this year’s race, and the closest thing to a “fairytale” runner is probably Celeron, who cost 20k gns as a yearling and runs for Michael O’Callaghan’s Irish stable. Aidan O’Brien fields the well-fancied Sergei Diaghilev, though his draw in stall two is not ideal, and another Irish-trained runner, Robson de Aguiar’s Controlla, makes more appeal from stall 15. She was just behind Victorious, one of the favourites for the opener, on her racecourse debut and will be a big fancy to open her account should that one run well.

Timeform top-rated: Controlla

SELECTION: CONTROLLA

5.35 KENSINGTON PALACE STAKES HANDICAP result

1 Alobayyah (Tom Marquand) 11-4 Fav 2 Miss Nightfall (D Egan) 12-1 3 Seren Star (Harry Davies) 40-1 4 Rhapsody (Cieren Fallon) 12-1

5.35 KENSINGTON PALACE STAKES HANDICAP And they’re off … All Moonshine has the lead on the farside but most runners have come to the nearside and Radiant Beauty leads that pack … Betty Clover is poised … Miss Nightfall kicks for home but Alobayyah gets there late to nab the prize! Trainer William Haggas has had the first, the third and the fourth home!

5.35 KENSINGTON PALACE STAKES HANDICAP betting

Alobayyah – 7/2

Radiant Beauty – 5/1

Stateria – 7/1

Gaga Girl – 10/1

Oolong Poobong – 10/1

Miss Nightfall – 12/1

Zgharta – 12/1

Rumba Numba – 14/1

BAR 14/1

Betting via Osddschecker

5.35 KENSINGTON PALACE STAKES HANDICAP preview

Something of a Hunt Cup for fillies, over the same track and trip, and a shortish favourite given a 24-runner field in William Haggas’s Alobayyah, 1lb higher in the weights after a promising handicap debut over course and distance behind today’s likely second-favourite, Radiant Beauty. Alobayyah is 5lb better off with that rival having been beaten by around two-and-a-half lengths, and she was also given plenty to do by her rider last time, so must have every chance to reverse that form, at least. The field is full of live rivals, however, including Stateira, third in a Group Two in Ireland last time despite finding some trouble in running, and her stable-companion at the Andrew Balding yard, Zgharta, who had some decent bits of form in good company last season. I’ll be throwing in my lot, though, with James Fanshawe’s Miss Nightfall, who will be finishing late from stall 21in a race that should unfold to suit, and ran better at Yarmouth last time than the bare form might suggest.

Timeform top-rated: Alobayyah

SELECTION: MISS NIGHTFALL

5.00 ROYAL HUNT CUP result

1 Rogue Diplomat (Harry Davies) 28-1 2 Blue Rc (H Crouch) 28-1 3 Indalo (Ray Dawson) 9-1 4 Ebt’s Guard (Lewis Edmunds) 20-1

5.00 ROYAL HUNT CUP And they’re off … Scoville leads on the far side … and they are clear of the horses on the stands side … Alchemist is up there as is La Botte … Jagged Edge coming strongly … Rogue Diplomat getting up on the nearside who now lead and gets there!

5.00 ROYAL HUNT CUP betting

Archivist – 6/1

Jagged Edge – 7/1

Erzindjan – 10/1

La Botte – 11/1

Indalo – 11/1

Fifth Column – 11/1

Shout – 12/1

Classic – 14/1

Chibitty N/R

Linwood N/R

BAR 16/1

Betting via Oddschecker

5.00 ROYAL HUNT CUP preview

Back to the straight course for what can be fairly described as the most famous and historic of Royal Ascot’s handicaps (though Saturday’s Wokingham has asked me to point out that it dates back to 1813, while the Hunt Cup is a relative stripling, having first been run in 1843). Others may differ, but for me the only way to break down a 30-runner field for a contest like this is to start with the draw – high numbers are best – and then look for a runner that can quicken from off the pace at the death, as it is notoriously difficult to make all the running over the straight mile. Archivist, who raced for William Haggas last season before being bought by the Wathnan operation and switched to Hamad al Jehani, had a productive winter in Dubai and has been given a break since March, though Timeform at least suggests he has something to find with quite a few of his rivals. Jagged Edge too has switched stables since last season, joining Stephen Thorne, who has made a strong start to his career after joining the training ranks in 2024. Fifth Column, Classic and Ebt’s Guard – seventh last year and better drawn this time – also fit the bill, but perhaps not so snugly as Terry “TJ” Kent’s eight-year-old Erzindjan. He is one of the most exposed runners in the field but not long with an up-and-coming yard and posted a very useful performance when winning his sixth start for the stable at Newmarket in May. Ryan Moore is booked for his first ever ride for Kent and he has an excellent pitch in stall 24.

Timeform top-rated: Scoville

SELECTION: ERZINDJAN

4.20 PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES result

1 Ombudsman (W Buick) 11-10 Fav 2 Minnie Hauk (R L Moore) 15-2 3 Daryz (M Barzalona) 2-1

4.20 PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES And they’re off … in the most anticipated race of the week with two of the world’s best in Daryz and Ombudsman … the expected pacemaker Mississippi River has the early lead … Minnie Hauk is behind the leader and Ombudsman is towards the back … on the turn for home Daryz and Ombudsman are waiting to pounce with the leaders on their own … new leader Devil’s Advocate is going to get caught and Ombudsman has stormed through for a convincing victory.

4.20 PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES betting

Ombudsman – 5/4

Daryz – 2/1

Almaqam – 6/1

Minnie Hauk – 7/1

See The Fire – 14/1

Dancing Gemini – 33/1

Mississippi River – 100/1

Devils Advocate – 100/1

Betting via Oddschecker

4.20 PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES preview

The betting suggests that Wednesday’s feature is a head-to-head between Daryz, last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, and Ombudsman, last year’s winner of this race and a dual winner at the highest level since, at York in August 2025 (with Daryz sixth and last) and then at Meydan in March. In true Royal Ascot style, though, it is more of a head-to-head-plus, as Minnie Hauk, a dual Classic winner and the Arc runner-up in 2025, and the improving five-year-old Almaqam could both have a big say in the proceedings. The tale of the tape has Daryz, successful in two Group Ones already this year in April and May, 2lb in front of Ombudsman on Timeform ratings, while they are tied three-all in terms of victories at the highest level ahead of their second meeting on the track. Ombudsman’s track form may tip the balance for some punters, and he is very much a 10-furlong specialist while Daryz’s famous success at Longchamp in October came at a mile-and-a-half. Francis-Henri Graffard’s runner found a very sharp turn of foot to score over an extended nine furlongs at Longchamp last time, however, and the stiff uphill finish will not go amiss, either. Minnie Hauk needs little introduction after winning the Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks before her close second behind Daryz at Longchamp, and her run into fifth behind Almaqam at the Curragh last time is forgiveable as she was found to be slightly lame after the race. Almaqam was the first horse to beat Ombudsman, in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May 2025, and while Ed Walker, his trainer, insists that the five-year-old needs some cut in the ground to show his best form, it was officially good-to-firm when he broke through at Group One level in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last month. Bay City Roller, the runner-up there, ran away with the Coronation Cup at Epsom on Derby day, and while the rain-softened ground was a significant factor in his win, Almaqam is not lightly dismissed.

Timeform top-rated: Daryz

SELECTION: DARYZ

3.40 DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE STAKES result

1 Blue Bolt (Colin Keane) 5-2 Fav 2 Jancis (S M Levey) 16-1 3 Friendly Soul (Oisin Murphy) 7-2

3.40 DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE STAKES

And they’re off … She’s Perfect has the lead in the early stages … Falakeyah had a slow start … Carolina Jetsream joins the leadert and they turn for home … Blue Bolt comes through with a strong run and wins the race!

O’Brien denies ‘team tactics’ claim

Aidan O’Brien has spoken about the controverisal bans received by Christophe Soumillon and Ryan Moore in Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes.

Moore, Gstaad’s jockey, pick up a three-day suspension from the stewards for “careless riding for allowing his mount to edge left-handed without correction” in the race while Soumillon on Gstaad’s front-running stable companion, Puerto Rico, moved left at the top of the straight to allow the second-favourite a clear run up the rail. While it did not affect the result, the manoeuvre did not impress the stewards and the rider picked up an eight-day suspension for “riding his mount in such a way that intended to give an advantage to another horse from the same stable”.

O’Brien told the Racing Post : “The stewards are the ones that make the decision. Rules are rules, the stewards have their job to do and that’s the way it is.

“I thought both horses would be very forward and I thought one could be leading. I thought Christophe might be leading because his horse won making the running twice last year in a Group One and that’s why Christophe was on him. I thought he would lead and I thought Ryan would be sitting second. That’s the way I read it.

“I don’t know what happened. I saw it like everyone else.”

On whether he disagrees with the opinion that team tactics were used, O’Brien added: “There’s no doubt about that. I always say when we put horses in a race, they’re in there for one thing – it’s to make sure there’s an even pace for everybody. That’s the only reason.

“Then you come out of the race and you know what trip your horse wants and whether your horse is good enough to run against those horses or not. If it’s a muddle, you don’t know what’s going to happen and it’s inconclusive for everybody.

“What happened was a mess, wasn’t it?”

3.40 DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE STAKES betting

Blue Bolt – 3/1

Friendly Soul – 6/1

Catalina Delcaprio – 6/1

Cathedral – 6/1

Godspeed – 8/1

Jancis – 11/1

Kon Tiki – 12/1

Falakeyah – 16/1

BAR 16/1

Betting via Oddschecker

3.40 DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE STAKES preview

A race that was run on the straight mile until 2024, and with 15 runners, the second-largest field in its 22-year history, due to go to post, it might make for a fairer race if it were back on its original turf. The round mile it is, though, and that may well favour pacier, low-drawn horses that can sit handy while the runners from outside stalls get in each other’s way. Blue Bolt raced close to the pace when second in the Group One Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket last October, but she has also been drawn a little higher than ideal in 10, while Friendly Soul and Catalina Delcarpio, the next two fillies in the betting, have fared better in five and four respectively. Friendly Soul arrives with a “P” against her name, having been the luckless runner that found a hole in the Haydock turf during a race there on 23 May, and she will be a big runner if she is back to her Group One-winning form – albeit over an extra two furlongs – in the Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp in October. The lightly-raced Catalina Delcarpio too deserves close inspection, as she arrives with just five races in the book and was sent off favourite for the 12-furlong Ribblesdale here last summer. She finished third without quite seeing out the trip and has already shown improvement back at a mile this spring. Jancis and Cathedral deserve to be factored in too on their 1-2 in the Dahlia Stakes in May, although Jancis let the form down slightly when only fifth in a Group Two at the Curragh next time up.

Timeform top-rated: Cathedral

SELECTION: CATALINA DELCARPIO

3.05 QUEEN’S VASE result

1 Limestone (Dylan Browne McMonagle) 10-3 2 Del Maro (W Buick) 12-1 3 Ranga Tang (Cieren Fallon) 40-1

3.05 QUEEN’S VASE And they’re off … Mr Colonel was slowly away … Ravenspire leads from Limestone in the early stages of the race … Ranga Tang has taken it up but is pulling very hard and is well clear though she’s surely going to tire herself out very fast … they turn for home and Galiyan makes a move. … Ranga Tang still leads but the others are coming … including Limestone and Del Maro have gone past the post together. Photo finish! LIMESTONE gets the verdict! And that’s naother for son of Aidan, Mr Joseph O’Brien.

Victorious victorious again for O’Brien

Victorious lived up to her name when maintaining her unbeaten record in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot , the first race on the Wednesday card. The Wootton Bassett filly was on a hat-trick following successive spring wins at Naas, most recently landing a Group Three at Naas over six furlongs.

“Ryan [Moore] gave her a brilliant ride. She is a filly with one eye so she’s always lacked a bit of confidence but she’s been coming along lovely,” said O’Brien, registering his 99th Royal Ascot winner.

“She’s incredible, we knew she was very classy and we’ve always felt that she’d be very good. Going back to five [furlongs] in this type of race, sometimes you can get lost, but it was lovely how Ryan got her racing in a small group.

“In her left eye she doesn’t have any sight, so he slowly got her out and reassured her all the time. He rode her in Naas and he really loved her. We knew she was very good but sometimes over five they might not get everything together but we were very hopeful.

“The people around her are the ones who are very careful not to frighten her, they’ve taught her everything very slowly.”

Moore said: “She is a gorgeous filly and I think the world of her. She is actually blind in her left eye so she can’t see anything on that side. She is just a sweetheart and has always shown plenty. She is so straightforward and the complete professional.”

The winner was given a 12-1 quote for the 2027 1,000 Guineas by Paddy Power.

Appropriately, on the day England have their first World Cup group game in Dallas the former manager of the national team, Gareth Southgate, was on hand to present the trophy to the winning connections of Victorious after the first race. A queue of journalists formed to ask him the obvious questions but were briefed by the Ascot PR team that Southgate “was not doing any media today”. Probably wise.

3.05 QUEEN’S VASE betting

Galiyan – 2/1

Limestone – 7/2

Point Of Law – 7/1

Asakir – 9/1

Ravenspire – 10/1

Port Of Spain – 10/1

Del Maro – 12/1

Wareeth – 18/1

BAR 16/1

Betting via Oddschecker

3.05 QUEEN’S VASE preview

The first runner of the week in the royal colours could hardly have been more disappointing – although the very relatable pictures of the King’s grimace as Reaching High dropped away to finish last in the Ascot Stakes will have done no harm at all to his public image. He’s a punter, just like us! But the second runner in scarlet and purple will hopefully fare at least a little better, and Point Of Law looks like a solid 8-1 shot for what, if we’re honest, feels like a slightly sub-par renewal of this Group Two contest. He was a short-priced favourite for his second start, at Newbury in mid-May, and did not need to improve to shed his maiden tag, through a Timeform rating of 109p gives him plenty to find with several of today’s opponents. Galiyan, from the Andrew Balding stable, is probably foremost among those, as the form of his maiden success at Chester looks more robust and is backed up by a strong timefigure. Limestone bids to give Joseph O’Brien a second winner of the meeting after his 1-2 in yesterday’s Ascot Stakes, while his father Aidan’s runner, Port Of Spain, is also impossible to rule out given that the trainer is looking for a record ninth win in the race.

Timeform top-rated: Port Of Spain

SELECTION: GALIYAN

2.30pm QUEEN MARY STAKES result

1 Victorious (R L Moore) 10-3 Fav 2 Senorita Bonita (W Buick) 8-1 3 Ruiva (Juan Hernandez)

2.30pm QUEEN MARY STAKES And they’re off … this will be very quick given it’s over the minimum trip of five furlongs … Envision has the lead in one group … More Champagne tries to make ground … Senorita Bonita is there … Victorious finishes fast and best of all. Another winner for the unstoppable Aidan O’Brien team!

There’s going to be an awful lot of talk and front pages dedicated to the Princess of Wales in tomorrow’s papers given her striking choice of outfit.

2.30pm QUEEN MARY STAKES betting

Victorious – 4/1

Alta Regina – 4/1

Senorita Bonita – 8/1

More Champagne – 9/1

Wild Blossom – 9/1

Ruiva – 12/1

Drazinda – 20/1

Velozee – 22/1

BAR – 22/1

Betting via Oddschecker

2.30pm QUEEN MARY STAKES preview

The biggest field this century for Royal Ascot’s five-furlong dash for juvenile fillies with 27 due to go to post in the absence of Your Song, and Aidan O’Brien’s impeccably-bred Victorious is a narrow favourite to give the trainer only his second win in this race after True Love broke his duck 12 months ago. Victorious is more stoutly-bred than True Love, and on paper would be a more likely candidate for the Albany Stakes later in the week as she has won her two races to date over six furlongs, but perhaps that is just a further tip for Sun Goddess, O’Brien’s sole entry in that contest on Friday. Victorious does have a slightly sub-optimal draw in stall five, however, not least in view of how the races on the straight course panned out yesterday. Senorita Bonita, a narrow winner at Nottingham on debut, is also prominent in the betting, and can be rated much better than that bare form – she ran into traffic problems and still had three lengths to find on the leader with a furlong to run. She was a six-figure purchase at the breeze-up sales in the spring, a comment that also applies to Alta Regina, a four-and-a-quarter length winner at Lingfield 18 days ago, while Wild Blossom was made favourite for this race after a 10-length win at Carlisle in mid-May but has since drifted to around 9-1 as other candidates have staked their claim. That quartet are among nine unbeaten fillies in the field, but it would be surprise if one of the remainder found significant progress to figure and Kentucky Rain, who was snapped up by Amo Racing for £380k at the London Sale earlier this week, is worth a second look at current odds of up to 66-1. She was unfancied on debut in a well-run race at Goodwood but travelled smoothly and looked unlucky not to win after finding trouble in running.

Timeform top-rated: Victorious

SELECTION: SENORITA BONITA

6.10 WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES preview

There was a good deal of controversy when the British Horseracing Authority announced some significant changes to the conditions for this race, upping the distance from five to six furlongs and restricting it too to juveniles whose sire won at least once over seven furlongs as a juvenile, or at a mile or further at three. Karl Burke, the leading trainer in the north, suggested that the move – designed to broaden the appeal of middle-distance sires – would simply provide “low-hanging fruit” for racing mega-corps like Coolmore and Godolphin, and change the nature of a race “where the average man in the street has got a chance of buying a relatively cheap horse and having a runner at Royal Ascot.” Year one is not the time to judge, but Burke, at least, does not have a runner in this year’s race, and the closest thing to a “fairytale” runner is probably Celeron, who cost 20k gns as a yearling and runs for Michael O’Callaghan’s Irish stable. Aidan O’Brien fields the well-fancied Sergei Diaghilev, though his draw in stall two is not ideal, and another Irish-trained runner, Robson de Aguiar’s Controlla, makes more appeal from stall 15. She was just behind Victorious, one of the favourites for the opener, on her racecourse debut and will be a big fancy to open her account should that one run well.

Timeform top-rated: Controlla

SELECTION: CONTROLLA

5.35 KENSINGTON PALACE STAKES, HANDICAP preview

Something of a Hunt Cup for fillies, over the same track and trip, and a shortish favourite given a 24-runner field in William Haggas’s Alobayyah, 1lb higher in the weights after a promising handicap debut over course and distance behind today’s likely second-favourite, Radiant Beauty. Alobayyah is 5lb better off with that rival having been beaten by around two-and-a-half lengths, and she was also given plenty to do by her rider last time, so must have every chance to reverse that form, at least. The field is full of live rivals, however, including Stateira, third in a Group Two in Ireland last time despite finding some trouble in running, and her stable-companion at the Andrew Balding yard, Zgharta, who had some decent bits of form in good company last season. I’ll be throwing in my lot, though, with James Fanshawe’s Miss Nightfall, who will be finishing late from stall 21in a race that should unfold to suit, and ran better at Yarmouth last time than the bare form might suggest.

Timeform top-rated: Alobayyah.

SELECTION: MISS NIGHTFALL

5.00 ROYAL HUNT CUP preview

Back to the straight course for what can be fairly described as the most famous and historic of Royal Ascot’s handicaps (though Saturday’s Wokingham has asked me to point out that it dates back to 1813, while the Hunt Cup is a relative stripling, having first been run in 1843). Others may differ, but for me the only way to break down a 30-runner field for a contest like this is to start with the draw – high numbers are best – and then look for a runner that can quicken from off the pace at the death, as it is notoriously difficult to make all the running over the straight mile. Archivist, who raced for William Haggas last season before being bought by the Wathnan operation and switched to Hamad al Jehani, had a productive winter in Dubai and has been given a break since March, though Timeform at least suggests he has something to find with quite a few of his rivals. Jagged Edge too has switched stables since last season, joining Stephen Thorne, who has made a strong start to his career after joining the training ranks in 2024. Fifth Column, Classic and Ebt’s Guard – seventh last year and better drawn this time – also fit the bill, but perhaps not so snugly as Terry “TJ” Kent’s eight-year-old Erzindjan. He is one of the most exposed runners in the field but not long with an up-and-coming yard and posted a very useful performance when winning his sixth start for the stable at Newmarket in May. Ryan Moore is booked for his first ever ride for Kent and he has an excellent pitch in stall 24.

Timeform top-rated: Scoville

SELECTION: ERZINDJAN

Oddschecker market movers

Alta Regina (2.30pm) – 4/1 from 7/1

Cathedral (3.40pm) – 11/2 from 10/1

Jagged Edge (5.00pm) – 7/1 from 12/1

Royal Ascot Procession List 1st Carriage The King The Queen Mr Daniel Chatto The Lady Sarah Chatto

2nd Carriage The Prince of Wales The Princess of Wales The Duke of Richmond and Gordon The Duchess of Richmond and Gordon

3rd Carriage Mr Rory Stewart Mrs Rory Stewart The Lady Sarah Keswick The Marchioness of Lansdowne

4th Carriage Mr William Haggas Mrs William Haggas Mr John Gosden Ms Rachel Hood

Racing fans will be most interested that two of the finest British trainers (John Gosden and William Haggas, both from Newmarket) are in the Royal Procession while the world of politics is represented by Rory Stewart. As is customary the Prince and Princess of Wales are at Royal Ascot on Wednesday when the Prince of Wales’s Stakes is run. The current King and Queen have carried on the late Queen Elizabeth II’s tradition of going to Royal Ascot every day. Some will wonder whether that will be the case when William accedes to the throne.

We speculated here yesterday about whether Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie would not be at Royal Ascot amid the continuing fallout of their father’s association with Jeffrey Epstein. No other outlet seems to have picked up on this other than the Sun but they reported that Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were at the races yesterday but ‘hid from the cameras to prevent stealing the limelight’. A source told the Sun: “Beatrice attended Royal Ascot privately and deliberately avoided then parade ring.”

4.20 PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES preview

The betting suggests that Wednesday’s feature is a head-to-head between Daryz, last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, and Ombudsman, last year’s winner of this race and a dual winner at the highest level since, at York in August 2025 (with Daryz sixth and last) and then at Meydan in March. In true Royal Ascot style, though, it is more of a head-to-head-plus, as Minnie Hauk, a dual Classic winner and the Arc runner-up in 2025, and the improving five-year-old Almaqam could both have a big say in the proceedings. The tale of the tape has Daryz, successful in two Group Ones already this year in April and May, 2lb in front of Ombudsman on Timeform ratings, while they are tied three-all in terms of victories at the highest level ahead of their second meeting on the track. Ombudsman’s track form may tip the balance for some punters, and he is very much a 10-furlong specialist while Daryz’s famous success at Longchamp in October came at a mile-and-a-half. Francis-Henri Graffard’s runner found a very sharp turn of foot to score over an extended nine furlongs at Longchamp last time, however, and the stiff uphill finish will not go amiss, either. Minnie Hauk needs little introduction after winning the Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks before her close second behind Daryz at Longchamp, and her run into fifth behind Almaqam at the Curragh last time is forgiveable as she was found to be slightly lame after the race. Almaqam was the first horse to beat Ombudsman, in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May 2025, and while Ed Walker, his trainer, insists that the five-year-old needs some cut in the ground to show his best form, it was officially good-to-firm when he broke through at Group One level in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last month. Bay City Roller, the runner-up there, ran away with the Coronation Cup at Epsom on Derby day, and while the rain-softened ground was a significant factor in his win, Almaqam is not lightly dismissed.

Timeform top-rated: Daryz

SELECTION: DARYZ

3.40 DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE STAKES preview

A race that was run on the straight mile until 2024, and with 15 runners, the second-largest field in its 22-year history, due to go to post, it might make for a fairer race if it were back on its original turf. The round mile it is, though, and that may well favour pacier, low-drawn horses that can sit handy while the runners from outside stalls get in each other’s way. Blue Bolt raced close to the pace when second in the Group One Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket last October, but she has also been drawn a little higher than ideal in 10, while Friendly Soul and Catalina Delcarpio, the next two fillies in the betting, have fared better in five and four respectively. Friendly Soul arrives with a “P” against her name, having been the luckless runner that found a hole in the Haydock turf during a race there on 23 May, and she will be a big runner if she is back to her Group One-winning form – albeit over an extra two furlongs – in the Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp in October. The lightly-raced Catalina Delcarpio too deserves close inspection, as she arrives with just five races in the book and was sent off favourite for the 12-furlong Ribblesdale here last summer. She finished third without quite seeing out the trip and has already shown improvement back at a mile this spring. Jancis and Cathedral deserve to be factored in too on their 1-2 in the Dahlia Stakes in May, although Jancis let the form down slightly when only fifth in a Group Two at the Curragh next time up.

Timeform top-rated: Cathedral

SELECTION: CATALINA DELCARPIO

3.05 QUEEN’S VASE preview

The first runner of the week in the royal colours could hardly have been more disappointing – although the very relatable pictures of the King’s grimace as Reaching High dropped away to finish last in the Ascot Stakes will have done no harm at all to his public image. He’s a punter, just like us! But the second runner in scarlet and purple will hopefully fare at least a little better, and Point Of Law looks like a solid 8-1 shot for what, if we’re honest, feels like a slightly sub-par renewal of this Group Two contest. He was a short-priced favourite for his second start, at Newbury in mid-May, and did not need to improve to shed his maiden tag, through a Timeform rating of 109p gives him plenty to find with several of today’s opponents. Galiyan, from the Andrew Balding stable, is probably foremost among those, as the form of his maiden success at Chester looks more robust and is backed up by a strong timefigure. Limestone bids to give Joseph O’Brien a second winner of the meeting after his 1-2 in yesterday’s Ascot Stakes, while his father Aidan’s runner, Port Of Spain, is also impossible to rule out given that the trainer is looking for a record ninth win in the race.

Timeform top-rated: Port Of Spain

SELECTION: GALIYAN

2.30pm QUEEN MARY STAKES preview

The biggest field this century for Royal Ascot’s five-furlong dash for juvenile fillies with 27 due to go to post in the absence of Your Song, and Aidan O’Brien’s impeccably-bred Victorious is a narrow favourite to give the trainer only his second win in this race after True Love broke his duck 12 months ago. Victorious is more stoutly-bred than True Love, and on paper would be a more likely candidate for the Albany Stakes later in the week as she has won her two races to date over six furlongs, but perhaps that is just a further tip for Sun Goddess, O’Brien’s sole entry in that contest on Friday. Victorious does have a slightly sub-optimal draw in stall five, however, not least in view of how the races on the straight course panned out yesterday. Senorita Bonita, a narrow winner at Nottingham on debut, is also prominent in the betting, and can be rated much better than that bare form – she ran into traffic problems and still had three lengths to find on the leader with a furlong to run. She was a six-figure purchase at the breeze-up sales in the spring, a comment that also applies to Alta Regina, a four-and-a-quarter length winner at Lingfield 18 days ago, while Wild Blossom was made favourite for this race after a 10-length win at Carlisle in mid-May but has since drifted to around 9-1 as other candidates have staked their claim. That quartet are among nine unbeaten fillies in the field, but it would be surprise if one of the remainder found significant progress to figure and Kentucky Rain, who was snapped up by Amo Racing for £380k at the London Sale earlier this week, is worth a second look at current odds of up to 66-1. She was unfancied on debut in a well-run race at Goodwood but travelled smoothly and looked unlucky not to win after finding trouble in running.

Timeform top-rated: Victorious

SELECTION: SENORITA BONITA

Going to start putting up some previews of the day’s action from our racing correspondent and tipster Greg Wood, who is currently leading the national press challenge in the Racing Post.

Good morning. It was a bit drizzly this morning at Ascot but it has had minimal impact on the racing surface. The going for day two of Royal Ascot is: Good to Firm and there’s very little between the different sides of the track.

GoingStick at 8.30am: Stands’ side: 8.9 Centre: 8.7 Far side: 8.5 Round course: 7.6

We have two non-runners so far so cross these off your list of possible wagers … 2.30pm Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) 28 Your Song ( sold at Goffs London Sale on Monday and off to America) 5.35pm Kensington Palace Stakes (Fillies’ Handicap)| 20 Song N Dance (vet’s certificate – infection)

Preamble

Good morning from a somewhat overcast royal racecourse, where France’s racing superstar, Daryz, will attempt to follow up the footballers’ impressive showing against Senegal yesterday evening when he goes to post for the Group One Prince of Wales’s Stakes at 4.20pm.

The feature event is the only Group One on today’s card after the meeting kicked off with three in the first four races on Tuesday, but it is perhaps the week’s most eagerly-awaited race as it pits Daryz , last season’s Arc winner, against Ombudsman , bidding to follow up his win in this race last year, and two more live contenders at each-way prices in Minnie Hauk , the Arc runner-up, and Almaqam , a Group One winner in Ireland last time out.

Arc winners are hardly an unfamiliar sight at Ascot , but they tend to run in the King George, in July, rather than at the Royal meeting, and Daryz is the first reigning Arc winner to run at this meeting since Treve finished third in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes in 2014.

The second day’s card is nothing if not varied, as the five-furlong Queen Mary for juvenile fillies at 2.30 is swiftly followed by the Queen’s Vase , over a mile-and-three-quarters, where Point Of Law, the second royal runner of the week, will set off at around 8-1. The main handicap on the card, meanwhile, offers the unmissable sight of a 30-runner field hammering down the straight mile in pursuit of the Royal Hunt Cup .

It is cloudy but dry at the track and the going is good-to-firm on both the round and straight tracks, after 5mm of water was applied overnight. Picks for the seven races on today’s card are here and the live blog will be here throughout the afternoon and early evening until the last runner in the Windsor Castle Stakes is safely back in its box.

Keyword – World news
Trefwoorden – France, Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Europe, World news, Vladimir Putin
Title – ‘Very naive’: French left up in arms as Macron hosts Trump at Versailles | France | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/angeliquechrisafis
Link – ‘Very naive’: French left up in arms as Macron hosts Trump at Versailles | France | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-17T14:08:59.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/17/french-reaction-macron-host-trump-versailles

The US president, Donald Trump , will be the guest of honour at a sumptuous dinner at the Palace of Versailles, as the French left criticises Emmanuel Macron for going too far in attempts to flatter him.

“Versailles is not gold leaf, Versailles is the real deal,” said Trump of the opulent 2,300-room palace which was once home to France’s Sun King, Louis XIV. “I’m a fan of beautiful places.”

Macron’s office said the dinner on Wednesday night would mark the 250th anniversary of the independence of the US, in which France had played an important role by supporting the American revolution. The Palace of Versailles was chosen as a venue because it is “a historic symbol of Franco-American friendship”, an Élysée official said.

The French president, under pressure to show he was not fawning over Trump, said it was not a “gala dinner” but instead simply a moment to mark France’s role in American independence. Macron said: “I’m pragmatic. It’s by firm and respectful discussion that one gets results.”

The dinner at France’s most spectacular palace – the seat of the French monarchy and a symbol of the French Revolution of 1789 – was seen by French politicians as a way to dangle a carrot for Trump to stay the full length of the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains and not leave early as he did last year in Canada. “I’m the boss,” said Trump to fellow G7 leaders, including Macron, as the final day of the summit began.

Before dinner on Wednesday, Trump will be shown around the palace’s temporary exhibition on the history of French-US relations. He will also tour the Hall of Mirrors, the famed 17th-century gallery built under Louis XIV to project the power and majesty of the French monarchy.

Trump has made several negative comments about Macron over the past year, including: “Emmanuel, nice guy but he doesn’t get it right too often.” Before the G7 summit began, Trump said the US would “have no ​choice” but to apply 100% tariffs on French wine unless Paris scrapped a digital services tax on technology firms. Macron responded that he would stay firm on the issue.

Earlier this year, Trump put on an accent and mocked the French president and his wife during a private lunch in Washington. Trump said Macron’s wife “treats him extremely badly”, an apparent reference to a May 2025 video that appeared to show Brigitte Macron pushing her husband’s face as they prepared to disembark from a plane on an official visit to Vietnam. Macron said the comments were “neither elegant nor up to standard”.

Fabien Roussel, the head of the French Communist party, said Macron was being “very naive” and “obsequious” in inviting Trump to Versailles after the US president’s hostility towards him and France. “He’s rolling out the red carpet while we’re being fleeced,” Roussel said.

Mathilde Panot, the head of the parliamentary group of the leftwing party La France Insoumise, said: “The flattery is not working.” Panot added that Trump had “insulted France and Europe multiple times”. Éric Coquerel, an MP for LFI, said there was too much “grovelling” to a US that was increasingly “aggressive and very imperialist”.

Nathalie Loiseau, a centre-right European parliament member who served as Europe minister during Macron’s first term, told France Inter radio that the “flattery” approach to Trump didn’t necessarily work. “He’s not someone who is easy, it’s true. But I’m not sure the more you bow to him, the more he respects you.”

But Alice Rufo, a junior defence minister, said this moment of “courtesy” towards Trump at Versailles did not prevent France speaking “frankly and clearly”.

Macron has often used the Palace of Versailles as a backdrop for international diplomacy, including hosting Vladimir Putin there in 2017 , and staging a state dinner for King Charles in 2023.

Keyword – Football
Trefwoorden – World Cup 2026, England, Football, World Cup, Sport, Fifa, Football politics
Title – England flags could be confiscated from supporters attending World Cup opener | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/matthughes
Link – England flags could be confiscated from supporters attending World Cup opener | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-16T19:47:46.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/16/england-flags-could-be-confiscated-from-supporters-attending-world-cup-opener

England fans face having flags confiscated when they attend their opening game of the World Cup against Croatia at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday.

The England Supporters Club (ESC) is understood to have been advised by stadium officials that fans will not be allowed to hang flags over the LED advertising boards that surround the pitch, with only small flags to be allowed into the ground, which must be hung on rails behind the goals.

The ESC has arranged for several large banners and flags to be displayed behind the goals, but casual supporters attempting to bring a flag into the ground are likely to have them confiscated.

Fifa sources said the ban on hanging flags over LED signage was due to “safety and security reasons”.

A number of Dutch and Japanese fans had flags confiscated at Dallas Stadium when attending the 2-2 draw on Sunday , but there have been no issues bringing them in at other grounds.

Fifa’s tournament guide for fans states: “Small flags, banners and posters made of a fire-resistant material are allowed in the stadium. Larger flags, banners, posters or instruments must be approved in advance.”

Fifa also prohibits flags “that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature” and on Monday won a court hearing in Los Angeles to prevent Iran supporters from taking the pre-revolutionary flag into their matches, classifying it as a political symbol.

Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, who was at the first game in Dallas, complained of a lack of consistency in enforcing Fifa’s guidelines. “You were not really allowed to bring a flag in, or at least to show it, which is inconsistent with most Fifa rules and regulations, but also what was allowed at previous tournaments,” Evain said. “Most of the flags were removed by the staff.

“At a lot of the stadiums it hasn’t been a problem, so it’s hard to understand what is the actual policy and what is improvisation by the staff locally with the rules that they now have. The broader problem – and I think it’s a demonstration of how much Fifa has little control over this tournament – is that there’s no consistent rule, and when you look at what Fifa has published, there’s a code of conduct that is very broad.

“But it never clarified a lot of things, like what sort of symbols are allowed and not allowed? Are you able to bring a flag of your region or city or club? A lot of this is still up in the air, and I think there’s a bit of learning by the venues, but also, again, inconsistency.”

Keyword – Music
Trefwoorden – Punk, Indie, Japan, Pop and rock, Music, Culture, Metal, Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl, Feminism
Title – ‘We weren’t allowed to meet Oasis!’: Japanese punk band Otoboke Beaver on fun, feminism and famous fans | Punk | The Guardian
Author – Daniel Robson
Link – ‘We weren’t allowed to meet Oasis!’: Japanese punk band Otoboke Beaver on fun, feminism and famous fans | Punk | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-16T11:37:26.000Z
Category – Culture
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jun/16/japanese-punk-band-otoboke-beaver-dave-grohl-foo-fighters

T hey say brevity is the soul of wit and few bands have as much of both as Otoboke Beaver. Playing short, sharp songs packed with equal parts ferocity and black humour, next week the Japanese quartet will play easily their biggest UK gig yet, at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium supporting Foo Fighters .

“We met Foo Fighters at an overseas festival, and again in Japan,” says vocalist Accorinrin as we chat in a music bar in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, a couple of hours before Otoboke Beaver go on stage and eviscerate an audience at the nearby O-Nest. “Dave Grohl told so many people about us, which helped us a lot. He didn’t have to introduce a nobody band like us, but Dave is always looking for newcomers and he wanted to hook us up within the music industry.”

Due in part to Grohl’s evangelism, Otoboke Beaver’s popularity has spread: along with putting out around a dozen records in various formats since they formed 17 years ago, they have opened for the likes of Green Day, Idles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, Eddie Vedder and Oasis. “I learned from those shows that amazing bands have amazing support staff,” says wild-eyed guitarist Yoyoyoshie (all Otoboke Beaver members go by mononymous nicknames like this). “Those staff are so professional, and they have such compassion for the artists they work with. It seems like a small thing, but that really left an impression on me.”

I ask what the Gallaghers were like. “We weren’t allowed to meet them. There were lots of restricted areas and black curtains were hung up when the Oasis members passed by.” How about Idles ? “So cool and friendly. They were just like a bunch of cool punk guys, and they invited us to go drinking together.”

Otoboke Beaver’s music is most easily described as punk, but that’s not really the half of it. Their songs are short but incredibly dense, packed with changes in tempo and tone, aggressive but hilariously funny. Each song is an ornate puzzle box: pretty on the surface but with intricate hidden depths to unravel.

Accorinrin sings about love and food, but also about being harassed by old perverts (Dirty Old Fart is Waiting for My Reaction), the pains of dealing with Japan’s music royalties agency Jasrac (I Put My Love to You in a Song, Jasrac), and her lack of desire to have children (I Am Not Maternal). Despite these song titles, “I never thought our songs were feminist until people said they were,” she says. “Japan has always been a male-oriented society, so it never occurred to me to be bothered by it.” Any latent frustration, she says, “naturally comes through in my lyrics”.

The band formed in Kyoto in 2009 and were fans of bands from nearby Osaka including the wildly chaotic Oshiripenpenz, whose gonzo performances are filled with unhinged surprises. “I couldn’t believe music could be like that,” says Yoyoyoshie.

As the home to Japan’s biggest comedy talent agencies, the Kansai region, where Kyoto and Osaka are located, is the humour factory of Japan; and as such, Otoboke Beaver take influence from comedy as much as music. “It’s in our DNA,” says Accorinrin. “If the songs aren’t funny, it’s no fun.” Sure enough, that night at O-Nest, Accorinrin berates an audience member for using the flash on his phone camera – “Old men who don’t know how to turn off their flash should bin their smartphones!” – and raises her middle finger to each audience member in turn: it brings to mind the jovially antagonistic routines of Stewart Lee. Not least because the audience are in on the joke: a sadomasochistic relationship that is endlessly fun to experience. Accorinrin says the band can work on a melody or lyric idea “hundreds of times, trying new things, thinking about the emotion we want to convey, and how to make it funnier or sillier”.

Otoboke Beaver’s longtime drummer Kahokiss recently left the band, leading them to rush out a three-song single and mini-tour to see her off. Their last show with her was a joyous celebration rather than a maudlin farewell, according to Accorinrin and Yoyoyoshie, and she was replaced by Emi “Leo” Morimoto, formerly of veteran Osaka band and fellow humorists Shonen Knife. Ludicrously complex basslines are handled by Hirochan.

At O-Nest they play four new unreleased songs written with Leo including Don’t Dance in Front of My Grave, which is poppy and mid-tempo by their standards, and actually very danceable. Fans are begging for more new material like this: the band’s most recent album – the 18-song, 21-minute Super Champon – came out four years ago. Poking fun at the constant nagging, one of the songs on their new single is titled Is the New Album Out Yet?

“We’re working on it bit by bit,” says Accorinrin soothingly. “Our songs take a long time to write, and we like to play live a lot, plus we’ve had a lineup change.” She laughs as she rebukes the fans once more: “We need everyone to shut up and wait.”

Otoboke Beaver play Electric Ballroom, London, 21 June; and support Foo Fighters across Europe, including at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, 25 June

Keyword – Media
Trefwoorden – Jeremy Clarkson, Prostate cancer, Cancer, Media, Television, Culture, UK news
Title – Jeremy Clarkson shares ‘aggressive’ prostate cancer diagnosis | Jeremy Clarkson | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/donna-ferguson
Link – Jeremy Clarkson shares ‘aggressive’ prostate cancer diagnosis | Jeremy Clarkson | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-17T08:29:41.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jun/17/jeremy-clarkson-aggressive-prostate-cancer-diagnosis

Jeremy Clarkson has revealed he was diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer last summer and had an operation to remove 10% of his prostate, eight months after he underwent heart surgery for blocked coronary arteries.

In the final two episodes of the fifth series of his Prime Video documentary, Clarkson’s Farm, the 66-year-old presenter told his farm manager, Kaleb Cooper, and his land agent, Charlie Ireland: “I’ve got cancer.”

In the scenes, which were filmed last year and released on Tuesday night, the former Top Gear host added: “I had a medical, remember, back in May? I disappeared off the other week and I had a biopsy and it is cancer, and it’s aggressive.”

He said he “wasn’t thrilled” to receive the diagnosis but that it had been caught at a “really early stage”.

He said: “If I hadn’t have got myself checked out and they hadn’t caught the problem early, this could well have been my last harvest. It’s only because they did catch it early, there’s every hope that I’ll be harvesting this farm for many, many years to come.”

When Cooper asked him what type of cancer it was, he replied: “Where it is, is of no concern to anybody.”

But in later scenes, after undergoing a procedure, he revealed it was in his prostate. “The prostate, 10% of it’s dead,” he said. “The 10% where the cancer is.”

At the end of the series, he is filmed in a hospital bed. “So we started season five in a hospital bed and here we are at the end of season five, I’m back in a hospital bed,” he said, referring to the earlier heart operation. “Some of the treatment has gone awry, let’s say. I’ll probably be here for a little while.”

He told his viewers: “What I wanted to say was: if this is all successful, I’ll see you for season six. And if it isn’t, I won’t. Take care, everyone.”

On Tuesday evening he warned fans on social media he had some “sombre news” with regard to Clarkson’s Farm. “Ordinarily we try to keep the show bucolic and charming and cheerful. But the final two episodes which drop in the middle of the night tonight are none of those things, really – they’re a difficult watch.”

He sounded emotional as he added: “They’re really, really difficult.”

Following the episodes’ release, charity Prostate Cancer UK thanked Clarkson for sharing his diagnosis and treatment saying it would raise “vital awareness”.

Chiara De Biase, the charity’s fundraising and health strategy director, said: “Thankfully he found the disease at an early stage, but sadly this is still not the experience of many men across the UK.

“Over 10,000 dads, brothers, sons and friends are diagnosed too late for a cure every year, and today the responsibility to know if you’re at higher risk and to act on it rest entirely on men’s shoulders. This must change.

“Any men worried by Jeremy’s story should take our 30 second online risk checker or have a chat with their GP about a quick and simple blood test to check for any signs.”

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK , accounting for 28% of all new male cancer cases, according to Cancer Research UK.

Last June, Clarkson had urged men to go for prostate checkups , saying: “I’ve had too many friends go down with prostate cancer, and all it takes to get on top of the situation early is a moment or two of being a bit cross-eyed. You get the all-clear and the doc goes home happy. What’s not to like?”

There is no national NHS screening programme for prostate cancer, but men aged 50 or over – and those aged 45 or older who have a strong family history of prostate cancer or are of a Black or African-Caribbean ethnicity – can request a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test from their GP.

Keyword – Football
Trefwoorden – Rangers, Football, Sport, Hearts
Title – Derek McInnes confirmed as Rangers manager after Danny Röhl joins Salzburg | Rangers | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/guardian-sport
Link – Derek McInnes confirmed as Rangers manager after Danny Röhl joins Salzburg | Rangers | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-17T18:46:22.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/17/danny-rohl-leaves-rangers-and-looks-set-to-be-replaced-by-derek-mcinnes

Rangers have confirmed the appointment of Derek McInnes as their manager on a three-year contract after Danny Röhl left for RB Salzburg by mutual agreement.

McInnes, a former Rangers player, joins from Hearts after leading them to second this season. He rejected the opportunity to manage Rangers in 2017 but said: “It is no secret that I grew up a Rangers supporter and I am convinced this is the right time to take on this prestigious role given the club’s structure and leadership.”

Rangers finished third last month, 10 points off the top, and McInnes said: “The demands here are clear, and our supporters rightfully have high expectations. It is up to me, my staff and my players to meet those expectations.”

Röhl, who replaced Russell Martin as head coach in October last year, will take charge of the Austrian Bundesliga side Salzburg after a seven-figure compensation package was agreed between the clubs. The performance manager Sascha Lense and first-team analyst Tristan Steiner will also depart Ibrox.

“I’d like to thank Danny for his service and commitment to Rangers,” the Rangers chairman, Andrew Cavenagh, said. “He and his staff put in a significant amount of hard work during his time in charge, which we are greatly appreciative of. We wish them the best of luck moving forward.”

Röhl made an encouraging start to his Rangers reign as he hauled the team into title contention after inheriting a side in the bottom six following a dire start under Martin. However, the 37-year-old German came under fire in the closing weeks of the season as Rangers capitulated after the split, losing four games in a row.

Keyword – Sport
Trefwoorden – Tennis, Wimbledon, Media, BBC, Sport
Title – Andrew Castle says this year’s Wimbledon will be his last as BBC commentator | Tennis | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/guardian-sport
Link – Andrew Castle says this year’s Wimbledon will be his last as BBC commentator | Tennis | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-17T09:07:08.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jun/17/andrew-castle-wimbledon-bbc-commentator-tv-sport-tennis

Andrew Castle has confirmed that Wimbledon this year will be his last at the commentator’s mic, the former British No 1 leaving the “best gig in sports broadcasting” after more than two decades as the BBC makes changes to its coverage.

The 62-year-old, who will remain in post as the All England Championships get under way on Monday, told the Times : “It’s been a hell of a journey. I can’t say I have enjoyed every minute because there have been moments of pressure and controversy, but it has been a huge privilege.

“To be honest, when I got the job 23 years ago, a lot of the more experienced commentators felt that they should have been first in line. Their noses were put out of joint. So, in the wider scheme of things, I am lucky that I had the best gig in sports broadcasting for so long, during the greatest age of men’s tennis.”

Castle was uncertain about his future, saying: “My wife Sophia and I are building a house and we’re about to have a third grandchild, so things are good. I am not sure what will come next professionally, but whatever it is, I’ll embrace it.”

Castle was Britain’s No 1 men’s singles player in 1986, and made the third round at the US Open in 1987, losing in four sets against Boris Becker. He established himself as a commentator at GMTV and has worked for Sky Sports as well as being a game-show host and DJ.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We wanted Andrew to continue with the BBC at Wimbledon next year, but he has now decided that this year will be his last. We look forward to working with him at the 2026 Championships and thank him for his great work leading our commentary team there for more than 20 years.”

Keyword – World news
Trefwoorden – US-Israel war on Iran, Middle East and north Africa, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, US foreign policy, Trump administration, Hezbollah, Donald Trump, Strait of Hormuz, World news
Title – Middle East crisis live: Iran agrees to destroy enriched uranium stockpile, memorandum read out by US officials says | US-Israel war on Iran | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/taz-ali,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tom-ambrose,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/joseph-gedeon,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jakub-krupa,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/patrickwintour,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/william-christou,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/geneva-abdul
Link – Middle East crisis live: Iran agrees to destroy enriched uranium stockpile, memorandum read out by US officials says | US-Israel war on Iran | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-17T18:56:31.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jun/17/middle-east-war-iran-israel-us-donald-trump-hezbollah-lebanon-peace-deal-netanyahu-latest-news-updated

Iran concedes its enriched stockpile must be destroyed

The MOU says that at minimum, Iran conceded, its enriched uranium stockpile “will be destroyed” through “down-blending”(or diluting the uranium) on Iranian soil, under IAEA supervision.

“The two parties also agreed to discuss the issue of enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear needs, based on a satisfactory framework being agreed upon in the final deal.”

Officials were emphatic that down-blending is a starting point, not the endpoint. “That’s the floor,” one said, “and we will push for more than that.”

Tehran floats a presidential signing of MOU in Geneva

Iran’s foreign ministry has confirmed it is weighing a proposal for both countries’ presidents to sign the MOU in Geneva, a significant symbolic step up from the arrangement that had previously been on the table.

“Regarding the signing of the memorandum of understanding, one idea is that it be done by the presidents of the two countries, which is currently under review,” ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said.

Until now, the plan had been for JD Vance and the Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, to represent their respective countries at the ceremony.

A head-of-state signing would carry considerably more political weight, and for Tehran, would amount to a public acknowledgment from Washington of Iran’s standing as a negotiating equal.

60 days to negotiate, but deal is fragile

Finally, the MOU gives both sides 60 days to negotiate a comprehensive final agreement, extendable by mutual consent. A binding UN security council resolution would be required to endorse any final deal.

“The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran commit to negotiating and achieving the final deal in maximum 60 days extendable with mutual consent.”

But the fragility shouldn’t be understated: one senior US official explained that “either side can walk away at any time”.

The official added that the Trump administration would know within “days or weeks, not months” if Iran was stringing it along.

And if talks collapse, they indicated the US was prepared to tighten the economic pressure significantly.

Iran wanted its frozen assets on signing but didn’t get them

According to the officials on the call, the text makes clear that access to Iran’s frozen funds is contingent on the regime actually implementing the agreement’s terms.

“Such funds … shall be made fully usable for payment to any ultimate beneficiary designated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran … upon the implementation of the MOU.”

Officials on the call said Iran had pushed hard for the opposite: immediate access to its frozen assets the moment the MOU was signed.

Netanyahu says he hasn’t seen the document, but US says he didn’t ask

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly stated he had not been given a copy of the MOU.

Senior US officials on the call did not dispute that Netanyahu may not have received the final text, but pushed back on the suggestion Israel had been kept in the dark.

“He has not asked us for a copy of it… but we’ve been briefing him and his team very frequently on what’s happening.”

One senior official said Netanyahu had told the US team privately that if Iran delivers on its commitments, “he thinks that it would be a historic deal”, though both the US and Israel remain skeptical.

Iran had stopped firing on vessels in strait of Hormuz

Senior officials said for the first time in the hundred days of war, Iran fired on no vessels in the strait of Hormuz the day before the call.

“Yesterday, which I believe for the first time in the 100 days of this conflict, Iran did not fire at any vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Under the MOU, Iran is required to ensure toll-free passage for commercial vessels for at least 60 days, with full restoration of traffic within 30 days. Senior officials said the Gulf states would never agree to any longer-term arrangement that charges for access.

The formal signing ceremony is set for Friday.

More commentary on the reasoning from senior officials on the oil relief:

“The President of the United States and the entire team agreed that it’s absurd to sanction Iranian oil in such a way that they are still allowed to sell that oil, we just give China a big fat discount, we stopped that process, and of course it’s part of the broader agreement.”

One immediate benefit for Iran: an oil sanctions waiver

More on sanctions: the MOU is structured so that Iran receives almost nothing upfront…with one exception. The US Treasury will issue waivers for Iranian crude oil exports, petroleum products, and associated banking services the moment the document is signed.

“Immediately upon the signing of the MOU… US Department of Treasury will issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives, and all associated services, including banking transactions and services, transportations, etc. …”

Officials defended the move, arguing that Iranian oil was already flowing to China regardless — and that existing sanctions were simply giving Beijing a steep discount.

Relieving the waiver, they said, removes that subsidy and gives the US better visibility into where Iranian oil is going.

Sanctions relief and nuclear action are linked

Much of the coverage of the deal has treated sanctions relief and the nuclear question as separate tracks. Officials on the call said the two paragraphs use identical language and are deliberately intertwined.

“The United States of America undertakes to terminate all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran… in an agreed upon schedule as part of the final deal.”

“The sanctions relief in seven is tied to the nuclear settlement in eight,” a senior official said, referring to the paragraph numbers in the agreement. “To the extent that you perform on the nuclear questions, you will get the sanctions relief.”

So: Iran will not receive broad sanctions removal simply by signing the MOU.

Iran concedes its enriched stockpile must be destroyed

The MOU says that at minimum, Iran conceded, its enriched uranium stockpile “will be destroyed” through “down-blending”(or diluting the uranium) on Iranian soil, under IAEA supervision.

“The two parties also agreed to discuss the issue of enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear needs, based on a satisfactory framework being agreed upon in the final deal.”

Officials were emphatic that down-blending is a starting point, not the endpoint. “That’s the floor,” one said, “and we will push for more than that.”

Donald Trump earlier cast some doubt on whether the signing would happen as planned. Asked how confident he was that the ceremony would take place, Trump remarked on the unpredictability of deals.

“You never know with deals, do you? But you’re going to find out pretty soon,” he said.

The deal commits both sides to an immediate, permanent halt to fighting — including in Lebanon

To start, both the US and Iran , along with their allies, agree to declare an end to military operations on all fronts the moment the document is signed.

Senior officials on the call read out the line: “The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war by signing this MOU declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon .”

The inclusion of Lebanon is significant, and it effectively requires Iran to rein in Hezbollah . Israel, officials added, retains the right to strike back if Hezbollah attacks regardless.

The officials spoke on Wednesday on condition of anonymity to read the the draft, which Iran has not released, ahead of formal signing ceremony set for Friday.

Senior US officials read out MOU to reporters

While Trump was delivering his press conference, senior US officials read the memorandum of understanding on Iran to journalists on a press call. The Guardian was on the line, and will be breaking down some of the key moments and lines from the text.

Keyword – Media
Trefwoorden – Advertising, Digital media, Social media, Social media ban, UK news, Media, Social media bans, World news, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, TV streaming, Television industry
Title – UK social media ban ‘likely to cause £1.3bn drop’ in digital advertising spend | Advertising | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/marksweney
Link – UK social media ban ‘likely to cause £1.3bn drop’ in digital advertising spend | Advertising | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-17T08:00:25.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jun/17/uk-social-media-ban-digital-advertising-snapchat-instagram-youtube

Brands are expected to cut more than £1bn of digital advertising spending due to the UK’s ban on social media for under-16s, with streaming services tipped to benefit as advertisers try to reach large audiences of teenagers.

The ban, due to come into force early next year, will leave UK advertisers scrambling to reassess marketing plans as millions of under-16s effectively disappear as a demographic that can be marketed to on platforms including Facebook, Instagram , Snapchat and YouTube.

Analysts at eMarketer cut their existing forecast for UK digital advertising spend for 2027 by £1.3bn to £17bn after assessing the ban’s likely impact.

Research conducted last month by Beano Brain, the kids and family research agency, found that among seven- to 14-year-olds a third said that YouTube ads and YouTubers were how they found out about new things that they wanted to buy. A quarter of those surveyed cited TikTok videos while 22% said TV ads influenced their buying decisions.

Helenor Gilmour, head of the DC Thomson-owned agency, said teenagers and younger children will continue to see some social media through “parallel me time” with their parents but streaming services could pick up business as a result of the ban.

“There is certainly going to be a period of readjustment,” said Gilmour. “Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ have ad tiers now, and kids are all over those platforms. We will see a big shift [in ad spend] moving in that direction, they will be big winners and soak up quite a bit of the YouTube revenue.

“Traditional TV will also benefit around big family-friendly event shows such as I’m A Celebrity and Britain’s Got Talent.”

In the four years since Amazon, Disney+ and Netflix introduced advertising, the number of UK viewers on subscriptions that include ads has hit 27 million , reaching a scale increasingly attractive for brands.

James Kirkham, a brand strategist who has worked with clients including JD Sports, Netflix and Chelsea Football Club, said the ban is an opportunity to channel marketing spend into creating “cultural cornerstones” – reaching young people through sport or via their schools.

“The notion that advertising money is going to evaporate is mad, the ban won’t mean shrinking budgets, it is going to go somewhere,” he said. “We are always saying to clients: ‘Does it survive the scroll?’ Most of the ads in feeds are gone from the consumers’ mind in 60 seconds.”

Advertisers targeting young people have long had to operate under tight regulations, dating back at least as far as the TV junk food ad ban around children’s shows and programmes of “particular appeal” to under-16s, introduced by the communications regulator Ofcom in 2006 .

Earlier this year, the UK advertising watchdog began cracking down on ads featuring junk food on TV before 9pm, and in paid online advertising at any time of the day , while billboards and posters within 100 metres of a school or sports centre have not been allowed to display junk food messaging for a decade.

“[Large] advertisers and the industry won’t be scared by the ban,” said Joseph Petyan, chief executive of WPP-owned agency VML. “We operate in a very regulated environment already, which is the right thing to do if you want to build a trusted brand.

“For those that are building a brand in a social media environment there will be a reassessment about what you do, but the large majority aren’t targeting kids in social media.”

Facebook-owner Meta, Snapchat and Google’s YouTube have all criticised the ban , which goes further than the one introduced in Australia earlier this year, arguing that it will send teenagers to unregulated alternative platforms.

The eMarketer market research company hasargued that digital advertising will quickly recover as brands get to grips with the new marketing landscape, and big tech companies double down on targeting older users of social media.

Bill Fisher, principal analyst at eMarketer, said: “The impact of a social ban would be concentrated in the first year after implementation, reflecting the immediate effect of lower teen usage, weaker targeting tied to minors and advertiser caution around the changing regulatory environment.

“Growth [will] actually rebound the following year. Social platforms will likely respond by shifting further toward adult monetisation, creator-led discovery, private messaging and commerce-oriented formats.”