Keyword – Football
Trefwoorden – World Cup 2026, World Cup, Football, Sport, US sports, Australia sport
Title – World Cup 2026: Cape Verde continue remarkable story; Messi, Mbappé and Haaland return – live | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/danielharris,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/paulmacinnes
Link – World Cup 2026: Cape Verde continue remarkable story; Messi, Mbappé and Haaland return – live | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-22T09:15:07.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/jun/22/world-cup-2026-cape-verde-continue-remarkable-story-messi-mbappe-and-haaland-return-live

Michael Olise was incredible in the second half against Senegal – now that you don’t ask, that game was, for mine, the highest-level we’ve seen so far, though I also really enjoyed Germany v Côte d’Ivoire. And it’s actually hard to know whether France hit a groove, or Olise just made it look that way.

What level do we think Mbappé can reach? In terms of output, he’s already up there with the best, and he’s scored a hat-trick in a final too – it certainly wasn’t his fault France lost on penalties. But to cement himself among the highest echelon of legends, he does need to lift the trophy, and he may never have a better chance than this time around. By the next World Cup , he’ll be 31 – still good, but this is the tournament of his peak.

Mbappé said he had already rewatched the Senegal game twice, once by himself and once with staff. He praised the performance of Dembélé, whose international form has been the subject of much scrutiny by French journalists, to the extent that, when later confronted with the same topic, Deschamps insisted the media were “very much on his back”.

‘In the first half he was the best attacker, he made the play fluid,’ Mbappé said ‘In the second half Michael Olise and I were decisive [in the opening goal] but Ousmane also contributed. If you see Michael’s pass, Ousmane creates the space. It doesn’t count in the stats, but it matters. He is the Ballon d’Or and everyone is on board.’”

However, Iqbal and pals have a problem; well, they have several. Here’s one:

I saw a fair bit of Iqbal when he was playing age-group football at Manchester United. He’s really comfortable in possession and has a good eye for a pass; I’m looking forward to seeing how he does against France … 12 hours and nine minutes from now.

Iqbal bids to make Iraq proud against France

On the pristine training pitches of the University of Pennsylvania, where Iraq are training before of their Group C match with France, the laconic Mancunian drawl stands out. “They have big players, big personalities, big talents,” says Zidane Iqbal of his opponents. “They’re an amazing team, but it’s just another game. We’re preparing for it like we’ve always done.”

Iqbal, product of the Manchester United academy and focus of no little hype as a teenager, now plays his football in the Netherlands for Utrecht. He is also part of the Iraqi diaspora from which the Australian coach, Graham Arnold, has built a side that has reached its first World Cup since Mexico 86.

“It’s been 40 years since Iraq was last at the World Cup and the country has been through so much. It’s an honour to represent them,” says the 22-year-old. “We get messages from the people in Iraq and I’ve seen a lot of stuff on Instagram. We just want to make those people proud.”

Iqbal speaks with the calm confidence of a lost Gallagher brother, and said Iraq have already brushed off their 4-1 defeat to Norway in Boston last week. “We made a few mistakes, but that can happen to anyone,” he said. “We’ve learned from it. It decided the game but, inshallah, tomorrow [Monday] no mistakes. We’ll bounce back and give 100% tomorrow. Always.”

Iqbal made his debut for the Lions of Mesopotamia in 2022 and now has 26 caps. He says the bond inside the squad is strong, despite their diverse backgrounds. “Some of us have been together for two World Cup campaigns,” he said. “We know each other pretty well. We’re also know how to keep ourselves entertained at these long camps; lots of Uno, Fifa and Werewolf.”

Usually starting on the bench, Iqbal played the last 30 minutes against Norway, and said the first 30 seconds of that spell were memorable. “Reaching the World Cup has been a dream and when I first went on the pitch I felt it, but then it went away because you’re just focussed on the game,” he said. “Afterwards I was able to sit down with my family and appreciate it, I had done something I’d been dreaming of since a child. I think that experience has just given us all a taste for more. We need to work hard get ready for [the France] game but we’re all excited.”

I could get lost in this for days.

Anything else going on in the world?

No, thought not.

You gate amazing marine life off the cost of Mauritania, I’m told. I daresay that, after Cape Verde’s exploits at the World Cup , more tourists will be visiting to find out.

It’s about the football but also, it’s not about the football at all. I can’t even begin to detail everything that football has taught me; currently, I’m learning about Cape Verde.

Alexander Abnos has some thoughts on the man of yesterday, Alireza Beiranvand of Iran.

The latest World Cup Daily is poised to caress your cochleas.

So what of Uruguay? I’m afraid even the wizardry of Marcelo Bielsa can’t create talent, and when you’ve lost the likes of Diego Godin, Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani, it’s not easy to find anything remotely as good.

Email! “Cape Verde is the Cameroon of 2026,” reckons Krishnamoorthy V. “And Vozhina is the new Roger Milla. Keep the fairy tales coming. Isn’t it what the world cup finally is all about. They dilute the toxic Giannis and the Donalds.”

Yup, I’m having a couple of weeks off the World Cup from next Monday for Wimbledon and was just musing, while stroking my chin of course, that what the early stages of those tournaments share in common is being about lesser lights and surprise bangers.

And what a joy Kevin Pina’s goal was – in execution but also in celebration, their first at the World Cup .

What I love about Cabo Verde is the discipline, structure and composure of their defending. They shut out Spain with difficulty but also with comfort, the confidence in what they were doing palpable. And they also know how to counter, the question now whether they can change gears and force the issue against Saudi.

What a World Cup Cape Verde are having. A draw with Saudi, in their final group match, might be enough to get them into the last 32; a win certainly will.

Beiranvand, by the way, holds the world record for the longest throw in a competitive match – 61.0026m – and for the longest drop-kick , 78.014m. Not bad for someone who was once sleeping rough.

But let’s return to Iran for a moment. Their goalie, Alireza Beiranvand – or “The Wall of Persia” as he’s known – had to run away from home to become a footballer, his old fella less than enchanted by the ruse and cutting up his gloves. I wonder how he feels now his boy has been player of the match at a World Cup .

Egypt, meantime, have taken control of things, coming form behind to beat New Zealand.

Group G is pretty tight. Belgium, who ought to be favourites, are between teams, the old stagers not what they were and younger players not as good – perhaps yet but possibly ever. They’ll hope to beat New Zealand in their final match and really should, but their attack doesn’t look poised to click.

I do wonder if they’ve enough goals in them when it comes down to the biggest matches, but they may only need one to win them. And though it’s true that if you stop Lamine, you’re a long way towards stopping Spain, that’s easier said than done and, if Olmo stays in the team, though he’s not a possession player in the same way that Fabian Ruiz is, he’s a very serious goal-threat.

France, I think, have the most routes to winning games – their battery of attackers might be the most ridiculous we’ve ever seen – but Spain remain the hardest to beat, their control of possession and space meaning opponents need to make a lot out of a little. Their defence is far from impregnable but, though it’s not as hard to get at as when a midfield of xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andrès Iniesta were in front, Rodri, Pedri and Dani Olmo isn’t bad.

Spain are an entirely different proposition with Lamine Yamal, aren’t they? Apologies if that sounds unacceptably basic, it is, but sometimes, basic is what we need. He gives them width, edge, pace, invention – and his teammates the confidence they have him so anything is possible.

But hatred of the US as a single entity is also a confusing idea, albeit one that fits a certain monotheistic world view, where there can only be devils and angels. It involves demonising as a single failed entity a hugely diverse and varied nation with elements of every kind of people and every kind of culture, the great human experiment, with all its freedoms and flaws; and doing so based on the actions and pronouncements of a few governing Maga Republicans.

If America has become this single thing in so many people’s minds, it is perhaps because this is the way we experience things now. Everything is flattened, foreshortened, turned into sound and noise. Never underestimate the effect of the hive mind, that constant third space we carry around with us. This World Cup is the first global event to take place so deep inside that online space, experienced in peeled-eyeball detail through a screen as a set of images and shouted ideas

This is how our flow of information works now, and indeed how Donald Trump took power, flooding the zone, shouting the simplest message above the noise. The US may feel like an expression of violence simply in its daily existence, an endless amplification of human talent, greed, desire, cruelty, where nobody is ever really in charge, they’re just out there riding it like a runaway bronco. But the US is also not Trump. Seventy‑seven million people voted for him, 272 million did not. A nation of 350 million people with more than 100 significant immigrant cultural groups cannot be one thing.

The US is the world in a very large and varied grain of sand, endlessly rich in all its beauty, energy, flaws and vices. To hate this is a baffling idea. If you don’t like America, what do you like? This is what humans are.

OK, so before we begin stepping our way through yesterday – depending, of course on where we live – let’s begin by throwing things forward with Barnay Ronay’s latest missive.

Preamble

Howdy pardners! So Cape Verde are in with a serious chance of the second phase, likewise Iran – wins over Saudi and New Zealand respectively will seal it, but a draw might be enough … but nor are the latter two out of things.

Meantime, Spain are up and sprinting, Uruguay aren’t what they were, and we’ve another set of fixtures but a few hours away, tantalising us with their imminence. So we’ll look forward to Argentina v Austria, France v Iraq, Norway v Senegal and Jordan v Algeria.

Welcome to World Cup 2026 – day 12!

Keyword – UK news
Trefwoorden – Police, Race, Greater Manchester, UK news
Title – Top officer says anti-racism guidance has fuelled myth of two-tier policing | Police | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/josh-halliday
Link – Top officer says anti-racism guidance has fuelled myth of two-tier policing | Police | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-22T05:00:50.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/22/top-officer-says-anti-racism-guidance-has-fuelled-myth-of-two-tier-policing

Policing in Britain has “adopted the language of activism” and official guidance has “over-corrected” to combat accusations of racism, one of the UK’s most senior officers has said.

Sir Stephen Watson, the chief constable of Greater Manchester police, said he did not believe that “two-tier policing” existed or that forces were biased against white people.

Police had, however, allowed that perception to take hold in part as a result of anti-racism guidance that advised officers to treat suspects differently depending on their ethnicity.

Watson said the official guidance, produced by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) in 2025, should be reviewed after the murder of Henry Nowak , whose treatment by officers prompted riots in Southampton and accusations of two-tier policing from Nigel Farage and the Trump administration.

“Particularly in the light of the tragic murder of Henry Nowak, I do understand that this idea that two-tier policing takes place is now widespread,” he said. “I don’t think it’s justified, but I can understand where it’s coming from.”

Watson, who is tipped as the potential successor to Sir Mark Rowley as the head of the Metropolitan police, said forces must be “a little less timid about making sure we emphasise our impartiality”.

He said policing had “in some cases over-corrected” in official guidance which has “allowed the impression to take hold that we’re not policing without fear or favour”.

“I think we have some lessons to learn … Perhaps we have been uncritical in adopting certain elements of language. We’ve adopted the language of activism,” he said.

“We’ve sometimes taken on board what are challenged concepts and we’ve written those into policy and intent – all with the best of reasons – but these issues then get held up almost as exhibit X, as the proof that we do not treat people equally.”

After criticism in the wake of Nowak’s murder, the NPCC is reviewing its 2025 “anti-racism commitment”, which states that officers should “respond to individuals and communities according to their specific needs, circumstances and experiences, with understanding that these will be racialised and with the aim of reducing harm. It does not mean treating everyone ‘the same’ or being ‘colour blind’ (racial equality)”.

The policing minister, Sarah Jones, said earlier this month it was important to be “mindful of the fact that there has been a history of racism in policing” but called the guidance wrong.

Watson has been called Britain’s “anti-woke” police chief after he instructed officers not to take the knee during Black Lives Matters protests in 2021 because it would undermine impartiality. He said he would “probably kneel before the queen, God and Mrs Watson, that’s it”.

Speaking to reporters in Stockport, Watson said forces should not “use the language of being anti-racist” because it implies officers have “some activist role”.

“Of course we’re fiercely opposed to racism but we’re the police,” he said. “We are not activists. If we overstep … this is what then informs the public perception of two-tier policing.”

Watson was appointed chief constable of England’s second largest police force in 2021 after Greater Manchester police was put into special measures over a series of scandals in which a fifth of crimes went unrecorded.

The force has since more than doubled its number of arrests, and offences including theft, shoplifting and criminal damage fell faster than the national average in 2025, according to official crime figures .

Watson said British policing faced a bigger challenge than at any point in his near-40 year career because “distrust, disorder and division” was more obvious across society than it has been at any time” since the 1980s.

He said it would not be surprising if widespread disorder erupted across England again this summer “given the temperature of contemporary events”, with social media amplifying inflammatory rhetoric from high-profile figures.

He said how public figures conducted themselves was “a matter for them and their conscience” and that it was vital that police “don’t do anything to fuel the fire”.

Keyword – Sport
Trefwoorden – Prem Rugby, Northampton, Exeter, England rugby union team, Rugby union, Sport
Title – Pollock and Smith tune into Springbok summer after on-song Saints’ Prem triumph | Prem Rugby | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/robertkitson
Link – Pollock and Smith tune into Springbok summer after on-song Saints’ Prem triumph | Prem Rugby | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-21T17:00:36.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jun/21/henry-pollock-fin-smith-england-springbok-test-rugby-prem-final

O f all the celebratory snapshots of Northampton’s Prem final triumph , perhaps the best was the morning-after picture of Henry Pollock and Fin Smith in bed with the trophy accompanied by backing vocals from Frank Sinatra. “That’s life, that’s what all the people say. You’re riding high in April, shot down in May. But I know I’m going to change that tune, when I’m back on top, back on top in June …”

Talk about suitably perfect lyrics. Saints may have finished top of the regular-season table but when they were being smashed 41-17 at Leicester on 9 May they looked far from dead certs to collect a second title in three years. To have claimed it on the occasion of their captain, George Furbank, making his final Saints appearance made it all the sweeter for Pollock, Smith and all his other close compadres.

The drinks will continue to flow in the East Midlands for a while after their 26-17 victory. There were a few moments when Exeter threatened to gatecrash their party but, ultimately, the Chiefs’ first‑half profligacy and an exhausting run of big games finally caught up with them. The yellow card for their captain, Dafydd Jenkins, followed by two well-taken tries within four minutes from George Hendy, proved the final straw.

At some stage the focus in Northampton will have to turn to replacing the Harlequins-bound Furbank , whose ability and example will be sorely missed. The good news, for now, is that this young Saints side remain in enlightened coaching hands in the shape of Phil Dowson and Sam Vesty, who have instilled a gameplan and a team bond that make them increasingly strong candidates as and when England seek fresh coaching inspiration.

In the meantime it is Pollock, Smith and co who must lie back and think of England, whose Nations Championship squad is being announced on Monday. In theory, nothing should sharpen the mind more than a flight to South Africa on Wednesday, before the Test on Saturday week against the world champions. In practice it has been another achingly long domestic slog and Steve Borthwick will head south with some seriously battered and patched-up foot soldiers.

Exeter’s Manny Feyi-Waboso, for instance, somehow played on Saturday despite a recently broken jaw. Given he underwent surgery on the injury only 17 days previously, things could easily have gone painfully awry. “We were planning on the first game being hopefully South Africa,” he said.

“Even then the chances of my jaw healing probably wouldn’t be high. We all sat down with the surgeon … and they just laid the information out to me. They said that [with] a direct blow to the jaw it’s likely the repair is going to fail, but you can try.

“It’s still a bit sore to touch but when the adrenaline’s pumping and you’ve got some painkillers you’re all right. I’m just happy the jaw stayed intact and it hasn’t jeopardised my chances to be away with England.”

Given Greg Fisilau also played on with a cracked eye socket and Archie McParland now has a lacerated knee, it leaves Borthwick to make a call. Is there any huge benefit, ultimately, in dragging barely fit players across three continents when what they need is a break? Thankfully, with George Martin, Alex Coles and Ollie Chessum all ready for duty, Maro Itoje is now poised for a summer off and hopefully the same will apply to one or two others.

On the flipside, Pollock is clearly itching to make a successful return to the country where he shared in a junior world title with England Under-20s in 2024. He has already had 29 competitive games for club and country this season on the back of the British & Irish Lions tour last year, but his latest man‑of‑the‑match display on Saturday has sharpened his appetite for more.

“We’ve got three big, big Test matches,” he said. “Obviously the Six Nations didn’t go our way and we are still hurting from that a little bit. I’m buzzing to get into camp and be around the boys again. There is no bigger challenge than going to South Africa and playing away at altitude in one of the biggest stadiums in the world. Those are the things you dream of.”

While not every South African is a fan of Pollock’s ebullient on-field persona – “They can talk all they want … I guess I keep showing up” – it is also a chance for the 21‑year‑old to measure his progress in comparison with the world’s best. “Obviously I want to let my hair down [this weekend] but I know in the back of my mind we’ve still got a job to do in the summer. There are lots of demands on us but we trust in the coaches and staff to manage us well. Those games are the ones you want to play in. You want to go away and play against the best in the world.”

To borrow again from Sinatra, come fly with me.

Keyword – World news
Trefwoorden – Iran, US-Israel war on Iran, World news, Mojtaba Khamenei, Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Middle East and north Africa, US news
Title – Iran’s regime survived the war. Can it make peace with its own people? | Iran | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/saeedshah
Link – Iran’s regime survived the war. Can it make peace with its own people? | Iran | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-22T07:18:43.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/22/iran-regime-survived-war-make-peace-with-own-people

The Islamic Republic regime in Iran may have survived the war , but it now faces an even greater challenge: making peace with its own population.

Iranians are reeling not just from the shock of the war but also the killing of thousands of protesters by the authorities at the start of the year, and an economy in free fall. Instead of removing the regime, an initial declared aim of Donald Trump and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu , the war showcased the Islamic Republic’s durability after its leader and layers of other top officials were killed.

Now that the war appears to be over, the new generation of leadership confronts competing demands , from hardliners to stick to rigid principles of the Islamic revolution and a population exhausted by economic hardship and repression.

The war caused significant destruction and, the authorities estimate, pushed two million people out of work. Inflation hit 77% last month. Iranians’ living standards had already crashed over the last decade as a result of international sanctions and mismanagement at home, with economic anger triggering the demonstrations that snowballed in January into an attempt to topple the government .

There are glimmers of hope. The framework peace deal , signed by Iran and the US last week, offers economic reprieve, potentially unlocking hundreds of billions of dollars for Iran, with some of that windfall immediate. The longer-term economic benefits of sanctions lifting and money for reconstruction depend, however, on thorny further negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.

The attack on Iran , and the bombing of civilians and civilian infrastructure, triggered a wave of nationalism – a rare moment of solidarity in the deeply divided country. There is a widespread belief that Iran won the war, analysts said.

“Trump and Netanyahu have managed to unite Iranians more than any Iranian politician could,” said Foad Izadi, an associate professor at the University of Tehran. “Even people who didn’t like the government, don’t want to send their children to school and not see them again, and they don’t want their local hospital to be bombed.”

Elham, an artist in Iran who describes herself as a leftist, said that the war and the bloodshed in January had forced a re-examination of beliefs about the west and protests. “The plan was to do to Iran what they did to Syria, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan: a collapse and occupation,” she said. “There’s now an understanding that the idea that the US can save us is a lie.”

She said that the authorities ought to allow protests but “regime change” uprisings are taken over by outside interests and lead to violent crackdowns, like in January. Instead, she said, there should be grassroots movements, which could win freedoms more gradually.

“The state may not collapse, but society will collapse if we see a repeat of January every year,” said Elham. “We have to build new coalitions. Whether you are a reformer or hardliner, everyone has to take a step forward towards each other. We have to imagine our future differently.”

Even the categories of conservatives, hardliners and reformers were scrambled by the war. The peace negotiations split, at least for now, more pragmatic conservatives from ultra-hardliners who opposed any agreement with the US.

The idea of striking a bargain with the west had been associated with reformers. But the negotiations with the US were led by someone from the conservative camp, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of parliament. The deal received public support from the Revolutionary Guards, the military force often considered to be a vanguard for hardliners. Ghalibaf said last week that there must now be a focus on economic recovery.

Zeinab Ghasemi Tari, an associate professor at the University of Tehran, said the big nightly gatherings in public squares in towns and cities, which started during the war and still continue, represented something deeper than nationalism: a form of collective resilience and defiance. She said that while economic grievances remain, protests of the sort seen in January were tied to a now discredited pro-western outlook.

“We are seeing fewer reformists openly advocating for engagement (with the west), and more either recalibrating their positions or remaining silent,” said Tari. “The war has reshaped public consciousness in ways that are still unfolding.”

Even with more pragmatic figures in ascendancy, many are doubtful that the regime would be willing to use this moment of unity for reform. The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei , believed to have been wounded in the war, is yet to appear in public or set out a domestic agenda.

Mehran Haghirian, director of research and programmes at Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, a London-based thinktank focused on West Asia, said that the Islamic Republic was not capable of change, as that required being open to the outside world.

“With the current system in place, it is impossible for it to alleviate the economic situation of the country,” said Haghirian. “It is a country ruled by a minority, so it will always have domestic opposition as its main consideration.”

Alex Vatanka, senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said that the Islamic Republic needs sanctions relief and economic recovery, or wartime solidarity would curdle back into the old conflict between state and society.

“The real challenge now isn’t deterring Washington; it’s whether Tehran can convert a moment of forced cohesion into a durable compact with its own citizens,” said Vatanka. “That is the harder and more existential test.”

Keyword – World news
Trefwoorden – Mount Everest, India, Nepal, Mountaineering, Mountains
Title – Mount Everest, a climber known only as ‘Green Boots’, and the mission to solve a 30-year mystery | Mount Everest | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/mark-saunokonoko
Link – Mount Everest, a climber known only as ‘Green Boots’, and the mission to solve a 30-year mystery | Mount Everest | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-22T03:25:08.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/22/mt-everest-green-boots-man-cave-climber-identity

Thirty years after he perished in a small limestone cave near the top of Mount Everest , the body of the climber known only as “Green Boots” may finally be heading home.

If successful, the mission into Everest’s notorious “death zone” will also lay to rest any doubts about the identity of Green Boots.

Since 1996, it was often reported – but never confirmed – that the climber was Tsewang Paljor, an Indian climber killed on Everest during a severe blizzard .

But now that has been called into question. Indian authorities recently released a plan to retrieve Green Boots that contains information about the identity of climber – and also sets up an incredibly difficult recovery process.

The plan identifies Green Boots as Dorje Morup – not Paljor. Both Indian climbers died near the summit on the same day.

“That’s kind of a mystery to me, why all of a sudden the identity has changed,” says Alan Arnette, US mountaineer and prominent Everest blogger. “I’m glad that they’re bringing him down [but] it’s going to be a gruesome task.”

For decades, Green Boots has been stitched into Everest lore.

Named after his lime-coloured Koflach boots, Green Boots became a landmark for climbers tackling the tricky north-east ridge route, accessed from the Tibet and China side of the world’s tallest mountain.

Curled up as if napping, Green Boots is fully clothed and lies nestled under a small rocky alcove about 8,500 metres above sea level and just 350 metres from the summit. A red fleece is pulled up over his face; perhaps a final act as he succumbed to -30C temperatures and hurricane-force winds in a storm that was documented in Jon Krakauer’s bestselling book Into Thin Air.

Since 1996, climbers have used Green Boots as a macabre marker of their progress and timing up Everest’s 8,848 metres. Many radio back to base camp, informing support teams they have reached Green Boots. Others rest or seek shelter alongside the body.

In 2006, on his first summit from the north side, Tshiring Jangbu Sherpa encountered Green Boots as he sought shelter from strong winds under the rocky outcrop. A light dusting of snow had mostly covered Green Boots, he tells the Guardian. “When I touch[ed] him, I clear[ed] the snow a little bit. Then I totally saw Green Boots lying down under that snow.”

About 200 bodies remain on Everest. Grieving families make hopeful inquiries, but taking dead climbers down is often too hard or expensive, and helicopters cannot safely fly at such extreme altitudes.

Use the slider below to show a picture of the body of the climber known as Green Boots where it lies on Mount Everest. Some readers may find the image distressing:

A gruelling task

India’s plan to bring Green Boots home is contained in a tender document, seen by the Guardian, asking companies to bid for the mission. The specialist team must have at least six Sherpas who have summited Everest multiple times. They must provide evidence of the mission, and transport the body to Delhi by October.

The document explicitly names Morup as the climber called Green Boots. The identification of Morup “has been confirmed through a prior verification process conducted under an earlier tender/technical assessment”, the document states, without providing further detail. The tender does not state why authorities want Green Boots brought down.

In 1996, Morup and Paljor were part of an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) expedition attempting a historic first Indian ascent of Everest from the north side. Both men pushed for the summit on the same day, along with a third member of the team. None made it down.

Tshiring Jangbu, the founder of Everest Sherpa Expedition, has been involved in numerous body recovery efforts. He says retrieving Green Boots will be arduous and dangerous, even for an experienced Sherpa team. With only a third of the oxygen available at sea level, activity above 8,000 metres requires huge effort and decision-making can become more difficult.

An iced-up body in climbing gear can weigh up to 200kg, Tshiring Jangbu says. And limbs frozen solid at awkward angles make dragging or lowering the corpse down rocky and icy terrain exhausting and treacherous work. Sometimes, he concedes, they must amputate a limb that “we cannot bend” – a gut-wrenching act, “but there is no choice to do another way”.

Such work takes a toll on the Sherpa, who are predominantly Buddhist, Arnette says. “They don’t believe in desecrating bodies, they really don’t even believe in touching bodies.” He believes a team would seek about $150,000 to carry out the expedition.

Nepal-based Makalu Adventure says monsoon weather conditions , with its heavier snowfall, will complicate a recovery between June and October, the timeframe stipulated in the tender. It estimates the mission, from start to finish, could take 40 days.

Guy Cotter is a New Zealand climber whose company Adventure Consultants operates expeditions in the Himalayas. In 1997, Cotter coordinated the retrieval from Everest of a climber who died the same year as Morup and Paljor.

“It would have been a good thing to have done a long time before now,” says Cotter, of the attempt to bring down Green Boots.

“For families to have a body returned from the mountain brings closure, as long as it’s not putting other people at undue risk,” Cotter says. “There have been situations with body recoveries where more people have died. It’s a very thin line.”

A family wanting the body can complicate matters, Arnette says, because many experienced climbers wish to be left on the mountain if they die on a climb, but to be moved out of sight.

In the past 10 years unconfirmed rumours suggest the body of Green Boots has been moved or buried. But Arnette says he has heard from climbers who insist Green Boots remains in the cave, “right where he’s always been”.

Keyword – Football
Trefwoorden – Mary Earps, London City Lionesses, Women’s Super League, Women’s football, Paris Saint-Germain Women, Football, Sport
Title – ‘People think I’ve vanished’: Mary Earps on signing for London City and feeling forgotten | Mary Earps | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tom-garry
Link – ‘People think I’ve vanished’: Mary Earps on signing for London City and feeling forgotten | Mary Earps | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-19T12:30:32.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/19/mary-earps-london-city-lionesses-signing-interview

W hen Mary Earps signed for Wolfsburg eight years ago, shortly after they had played in the Women’s Champions League final, there was no club photographer available for her unveiling, meaning her agent popped out to buy a scarf from the club shop before taking a makeshift announcement image. So when the former England goalkeeper’s latest club, London City Lionesses , announced her Women’s Super League return with a glamorous photoshoot on a boat on the Thames in front of landmarks such as Tower Bridge, she was struck not only by how much the women’s game and her life have been transformed, but by the bold scale of her new team’s ambitions.

“The energy and effort put into the shoot, I would never have imagined this even five years ago,” says Earps, whose move to London City from Paris Saint-Germain was confirmed on Friday. “All I keep saying is ‘I’m so excited,’ but that shoot just poured petrol on the excitement fire. Wow, if that’s what they do just to say ‘Hey, by the way, Mary’s arrived,’ then imagine hopefully what we can do [in the future].”

The 33-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the club that recently finished sixth in their debut WSL season, having chosen to return to the league where she has spent most of her career, including five years at Manchester United.

“I had an amazing time in Paris for two years, in a really special city, but last year I was sort of swaying more and more towards coming home,” the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year says. “Every contract now, with where I’m at in my career, it’s just about maxing out with whatever I’ve got left in the tank, and I wanted to do that at home.

“It felt like being back home in the WSL, scrapping it out every week, playing in front of the fans, being in those incredible English stadiums, being a part of English football culture again.”

When it came to choosing London City, a video call with the club’s owner, the American businesswoman Michele Kang , helped Earps feel valued: “She showed a real energy for me to join. I found it really impressive that she even made the time for me in [among] the crazy amount of business ventures that she’s got going on and how successful she is. She never made me feel like she had to leave. She was really, really open. She really believes in women’s football. I really respect her.”

The independently run club, who play home games in Bromley and train in Kent, will be hoping Earps’s fame can help them build a fanbase off the pitch as well as succeed on it. Work to build their new training centre at Cobdown Park in Ditton was also a pull for Earps. “I had the pleasure of playing at world-class facilities last year [at PSG],” she says. “In women’s football, I’ll be brutally honest, when you’ve experienced everything, you don’t expect perfection. But [London City’s] intention and the plan of: ‘This is when it’s going to happen, by this date,’ it feels tangible and more real. Whereas I think there’s a lot of broken promises that can be made in women’s sports sometimes because just of where it’s at in its timeline. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows. But their vision and the way they’re actively working towards it, it’s not just words, it feels very much like action.

“The main thing was really feeling like our values really aligned in terms of what the club wants to achieve, their ambition, my ambition. The fact that it’s a woman-owned football club, independent, can really go about its business in its own way was really exciting for me.”

Earps says she has no regrets about moving to PSG: “The facilities are the best facilities I’ve ever trained at in my whole entire life. You could eat dinner off the pitches. And, it sounds stupid, but even having your own [women’s team] places to park when you come in. These things, I’d not experienced prior to that. The league was maybe not as competitive as I would have liked and that’s just the nature of football sometimes.

“When I joined they were Champions League semi-finalists so I probably had hoped we’d be a little bit more competitive on the pitch than we turned out to be, but that’s football. I think a lot of people don’t take those jumps [in life] and I’m just one of those people – I’d rather give it a go and look back with no regrets. I loved it, the city especially was incredible.”

Can the fans expect to see a slightly different goalkeeper, on a technical skills level, from the one who left United after lifting the 2024 Women’s FA Cup at Wembley? “I’ll let the people decide, because I feel like for two years I know people think like I’ve vanished off the face of the earth,” Earps says. “People ask me if I’m still playing, which is sometimes a bit hard to hear because I’m like: ‘Guys, still here, I’m still around, I’m still alive and kicking.’ But I understand that’s how football is and obviously here it’s very WSL-focused.”

London City will be the sixth WSL side Earps has played for and she appears to have no desire to slow down or contemplate retiring. “It will be a challenge for myself to come back and to come to a new team [but] there’s still some fight in the old dog,” she says. “There’s still a lot to come, and still many years to come, hopefully. I think when you retire internationally, you accept that you’re not going to be in those conversations about being the ‘top goalkeeper’ any more, because that’s just how it goes when you’re not playing for your country.

“You do fall down the pecking order. So maybe people don’t expect that much of me any more, but hopefully I can show a good level and really contribute to the team. I felt really good for the last two years in PSG.

“I’m one of those people that always believe that better days are coming. I still want to be the best version of myself every day. I still think I can learn. If I didn’t think I could better myself, I would have hung my boots and gloves up already. Hopefully I can continue to grow as a player and peak. I don’t know if I’ll reach the 40s, but maybe a few more years.

“The 40s seems so far away. It does get a little bit harder as every season that you play, there’s a few more cracks in the back and the neck and the knees as you wake up in the morning. But I love this game and I will play it for as long as I love it … I want to play until the wheels fall off a little bit. I want to avoid going into the real world for as long as possible because football is a pretty good job.”

Keyword – Games
Trefwoorden – Online multiplayer games, Games, Culture, Consumer rights
Title – ‘They kill games, we fight back’: the activists campaigning to keep video games playable | Online multiplayer games | The Guardian
Author – Nicole Carpenter
Link – ‘They kill games, we fight back’: the activists campaigning to keep video games playable | Online multiplayer games | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-19T09:00:27.000Z
Category – Culture
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/jun/19/stop-killing-games-activists-campaigning-online-gaming

Y ou can never be sure how long an online video game will last. Developer BioWare shut off sci-fi shooter Anthem’s servers in January, after seven years. Electronic Arts discontinued access to The Sims Mobile the same month. Wildlight Entertainment shuttered its Highguard servers in March, mere months after the game’s release. Activision Blizzard took Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile offline in April. Dozens more games have had their servers shut down in the first six months of 2026, adding to an already long list of video games that are no longer playable.

There is little that players can do when a company decides to stop supporting online play. Communities work hard to keep their favourite games online, sometimes keeping dead games running on private servers , though that may not necessarily be entirely legal. Generally, though, when a game goes offline it is dead and it’s not coming back.

But there’s a movement lobbying to stop this practice. Stop Killing Games was set up in 2024 by YouTuber Ross Scott, after Ubisoft announced it was shutting down its online-only racing game The Crew . Something about that particular instance of game-death seemed to particularly rile people: two gamers filed a lawsuit accusing Ubisoft of fraud over it.

In the simplest terms, Stop Killing Games wants governments to introduce legal protections to prevent publishers shutting down video games, and advocates for “end-of-life plans” to keep them playable. Stop Killing Games’ director of US operations Jonah Goldman posits an example: if you play Call of Duty, you have the option to play multiplayer matches both online or through your own home network. If publisher Activision were to shut down the Call of Duty servers, Stop Killing Games suggests the company should allow players to buy and operate their own private online servers.

The movement has grown quickly, and Stop Killing Games has evolved into a non-governmental organisation in the US and Europe. The group has pursued “multiple legal and legislative avenues”, according to its website: a European Citizens’ Initiative petition, a lawsuit filed in conjunction with a French consumer advocacy group over Ubisoft’s The Crew, and a successful petition to get the issue debated in the UK parliament. As a result, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot met with European Commissioners and the trade organisation Video Games Europe on 3 June to discuss digital policy. And on 9 June, 45 members of the European parliament sent a letter urging the commission president Ursula von der Leyen, executive vice-president Henna Virkkunen, and commissioner for consumer protection Michael McGrath to commit to legislative action.

The European Commission responded this week that “it cannot propose a legal obligation to keep video games playable after they stop being provided commercially” because of European copyright and intellectual property laws. But it stated it will work with publishers to create a “code of conduct on managing video games’ ‘end of life.’”

This is a better response than expected. In an interview with the Guardian before the decision, Stop Killing Games’ strategy lead Moritz Katzner said that it had expected the Commission to simply do nothing. Instead, the group will lobby for inclusion in a forthcoming piece of legislation aiming to regulate manipulative practices online. “The Digital Fairness Act, which is a law package coming in front of the European parliament this summer, is perfect for us,” says Moritz. “We have committed promises, public commitment, that they’re going to put [our proposals] in there.”

In the US, meanwhile, Stop Killing Games helped the Protect Our Games act pass California’s Assembly vote in June; now it will head to the California senate for a second vote. If it becomes law, this bill will require publishers to give advance notice before taking a game offline, and mandate a way for players to keep accessing the game. It would apply only to purchased games – not free-to-play titles – released after January 2027.

“A constituent in my district brought this issue to my attention, highlighting a concerning gap in consumer protection for live service games,” assembly member Chris Ward told the Guardian in an emailed statement. “As technologies and markets evolve, our laws must keep pace, in this case to ensure that Californians can make use of the games they pay for.”

Goldman says the quick progress on the bill was “slightly unexpected, but very exciting.” He is optimistic about the bill’s chances of getting through the state senate. But whether it passes or fails, he expects more states to get involved. “There’s a lot of opportunity here for a lot of different states, especially those who have members who are focused on and care about consumer rights and consumer protections,” he says.

Stop Killing Games’ advancements have encouraged other states. Legislation such as that proposed in California is a major boon for the movement. That bill’s impact could be felt across the US; a California bill about transparency of digital licensing is the reason why every player purchasing a game on Steam now sees a disclosure right below the payment button: “A purchase of a digital product grants a licence for the product on Steam.”

The bill has met opposition from the Entertainment Software Association, a US-based trade organisation for the video games industry. In a press release in June, its president Stan Pierre-Louis wrote: “Behind every online game is an enormous, invisible infrastructure … When a game’s popularity fades, that infrastructure continues to run, for a fraction of the audience, at nearly the same cost.

“A legal requirement to keep games playable indefinitely will put game publishers in an impossible situation … This proposal essentially keeps games alive long after their natural lifecycle, draining resources and energy from creating what comes next.” Pierre-Louis posited that companies will make fewer games if they become “permanent obligation[s].”

Game companies’ resistance to Stop Killing Games policies is a “pure business decision,” says Katzner. “They’re concerned that … people still playing their existing games aren’t going to buy a new one,” he said. “That’s the simple thought chain here. But if you buy a new car, your old provider doesn’t come and destroy the old one.”

Keyword – US news
Trefwoorden – Arizona, Extreme heat, National parks, Texas, Oregon, Alaska, Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, US weather, West Coast, US news
Title – Grand Canyon on ‘extreme heat’ watch, with temperatures set to soar | Arizona | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/anna-betts
Link – Grand Canyon on ‘extreme heat’ watch, with temperatures set to soar | Arizona | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-20T19:36:00.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/20/grand-canyon-extreme-heat-watch

Extreme heat is set to hit lower parts of the Grand Canyon from Monday, the US National Weather Service (NWS) warned, with temperatures projected to exceed 100F (37.7C).

An alert published on Saturday will be in effect from 10am local time on Monday through 7pm on Tuesday.

Temperatures could climb as high as 112F (44.4C), according to the NWS’s office in Flagstaff, Arizona , compounding concern about warm conditions. Three hikers in the national park have recently died in heat-related incidents.

Forecasters warned “dangerously hot conditions” were possible below 4,000ft, with daytime temperatures expected to range between 97F (36.1C) at Havasupai Gardens to 111F (43.8C) at Phantom Ranch.

“Most individuals will be at risk for heat-related illnesses without effective cooling or adequate hydration, especially with prolonged outdoor exposure,” the agency’s Flagstaff office said. Such “extreme heat watch” notices are “reserved for only the hottest days of the year”, it added, and “issued when temperatures could rise to dangerous levels”.

Weather officials urged hikers to avoid being in the canyon between 10am to 4pm, and advised against physical activity.

The warning follows a series of recent heat-related deaths in the park. On Friday, the National Park Service (NPS) said that Grand Canyon park rangers and emergency personnel responded to two separate heat-related incidents, on 12 June and 16 June, that resulted in three deaths.

“In both cases, the deceased hikers were hiking trails in the Inner Canyon, where temperatures can exceed 109F in the shade during midday hours,” the agency said .

According to park officials, on 12 June, a 72-year-old male “succumbed to symptoms of heat-related illness” along the South Kaibab Trail. And on 16 June, in a separate incident, a 67-year old man and a 68-year-old woman also appeared to have “succumbed to symptoms of heat-related illness” on the North Kaibab Trail, although the investigation is “still ongoing”.

“Despite rapid response and aerial support, all three individuals were found deceased when responders arrived,” the statement said.

Earlier this month, an 18-year-old man also died in the park after experiencing what the authorities described as “heat-related symptoms”.

“Hiking in Grand Canyon can be a challenge for anyone, especially during the heat of summer,” the park service said on Friday. “Recent increase in heat-related incidents comes as summer temperatures in the Inner Canyon have reached dangerous levels, creating conditions that can quickly overwhelm hikers during the hottest parts of the day.”

Elsewhere in Arizona, evacuation orders have been issued for some communities between Sedona and Forest Highlands as firefighters work to contain a the Pocket fire located just north of Sedona in the Oak Creek Canyon area.

Meanwhile, extreme heat watches have also been issued for parts of Oregon from Monday through Tuesday evening, and for portions of California from Tuesday evening through Thursday, with forecasters warning of potentially dangerous temperatures.

In Texas, the NWS office in San Angelo, said that “triple-digit heat” can be expected from Sunday into early next week.

Heat advisories are currently in effect for parts of Alaska, Puerto Rico , Florida and Texas. The advisories have also been issued for Sunday in portions of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico.

The heat comes as the US is currently co-hosting the Fifa World Cup, alongside Mexico and Canada. Earlier this week, a Guardian analysis found two matches of the tournament’s first round were played at a level of severe heat that a football players’ union has previously said should trigger the delay or postponement of games.

Keyword – Sport
Trefwoorden – Tennis, Sport, US sports
Title – Cerúndolo fights back in marathon three-hour Queen’s final to defeat Paul | Tennis | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/seaningle
Link – Cerúndolo fights back in marathon three-hour Queen’s final to defeat Paul | Tennis | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-21T17:39:59.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jun/21/francisco-cerundolo-tommy-paul-queens-club-longest-final-tennis

All week at the Queen’s Club, ­Francisco Cerúndolo has had an unlikely guest in his players’ box: the No 10 Argentina shirt of Diego Maradona. And on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Hand of God, Cerúndolo summoned tennis from the heavens to lift the biggest trophy of his career.

But after fending off the American Tommy Paul 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3 in an epic that lasted a record three hours and two minutes, Cerúndolo said he had been inspired by another of his heroes: his father, Alejandro, who had flown to London to see him win.

“It is the first time my dad takes a flight and it’s the first time he has watched me outside Argentina,” he said. “I want to congratulate my dad for taking a plane. It’s Father’s Day, so this is for him.”

Cerúndolo added: “When I was born, he stopped travelling, because he hated planes and he couldn’t handle it. Last year he started taking therapy to approach his fear. Last week, he was saying: ‘I will go to the grass season.’ He always loved London and always loved grass, and he never came.

“Me, my brother and my sister were saying: ‘OK, Dad, until you are in the plane, we don’t believe you.’ They took the plane yesterday evening. I knew they were landing in London around 2:30pm. So I knew if the match was short, they wouldn’t arrive. But if the match was longer, maybe they could.”

Cerúndolo had to do things the hard way. He was a set and a break down against Paul before coming back to take the longest Queen’s Club final in history, ­beating the previous record of two hours and 57 ­minutes set by Marian Cilic and Novak ­Djokovic in 2018.

“It’s not easy to speak,” ­Cerúndolo said during his ­victory speech, having secured the title on his sixth match point. Just imagine how this talented but occasionally ­brittle player would have felt if he had thrown this one away.

Now, however, the 27-year-old can legitimately dream of making a run at Wimbledon. After all, Carlos Alcaraz is injured , Djokovic is 39 and the French Open champion , Alexander Zverev, has never won a title on grass.

Of course Jannik Sinner is rightly the prohibitive favourite. But if the heat dome over London ­lingers for another few weeks, all bets could be off, especially with Cerúndolo’s forehand – which was responsible for most of his 27 ­winners – firing like this.

It turned out to be a ­compelling final, and one that repeatedly zigged when you thought it would zag, ­starting with the opening game.

Paul had got here without ­dropping a set, but he started wildly and allowed his opponent an ­immediate break. Cerúndolo then played ­sublime tennis until at 5-4 in the first set he was suddenly broken to love.

Soon the Argentinian had lost the tie-break too and, when Paul broke to go 3-2 up in the second, the engraver on the huge Queen’s Club trophy was on high alert. But from nowhere the American dropped his serve twice in quick succession and suddenly it was one set all.

By now the temperature on court was 29.5C. And the quality of tennis, like the mercury levels, continued to rise. At 3-2 Cerúndolo got the break to move two games from victory, but more drama was to come.

First he had to save two break points in the next game before increasing his lead to 5-2. Then five match points came and went before victory was finally sealed with an overhand smash.

Paul was gracious in defeat, telling his opponent: “We always seem to have unreal matches and today you were the better player.”

That much was true. And forget the Hand of God. This final was all about the forehand of Francisco.

Keyword – The Filter
Trefwoorden – Fashion, Men’s shoes, Women’s shoes
Title – ‘Ideal for long days on your feet’: the 30 best summer sandals for men and women | Fashion | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/charlotte-gornall
Link – ‘Ideal for long days on your feet’: the 30 best summer sandals for men and women | Fashion | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-21T13:00:32.000Z
Category – Lifestyle
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter/2026/jun/21/best-summer-sandals-men-women

I ’m over clunky shoes the minute there’s a glimmer of sunshine in the sky. And because flip-flops will only get you so far (literally and figuratively), a range of sandals is constantly in rotation for me during the summer months.

Sandals have also become an unlikely favourite for men’s event dressing, with Alexander Skarsgård stepping out in a pair of Valentino Rockstud flip-flops on the Sundance red carpet earlier this year. And while thong sandals aren’t for everyone, plenty of more reserved options offer additional coverage.

But where to find the perfect middle ground between function and fashion? From comfort first and office friendly to dressy, these are the best sandals to keep you walking on sunshine all summer.

The best summer sandals for women and men

Best women’s sandals for comfort

Archies arch support flip-flops

If, like me, you find flat shoes are the enemy, those classic flat-soled flip-flops are off the cards for anything beyond a quick seaside stroll. However, Archies – as the name suggests – makes flip-flops with proper arch support, something you’d normally only get from a chunkier shoe. They’re easy to style since they’re so minimal, and the range of colours means there’s something for everyone. The hot pink pair is a personal favourite. Inspired by the early 00s trend, these can be styled with jeans for a laidback – the Row-approved – summer outfit.

Teva midform infinity sandals

Teva is known for making practical, sport-inspired sandals. The midform soles add a slight platform with built-in support, making them ideal for long days on your feet. The elastic lacing keeps them secure without them digging in or causing friction.

John Lewis x Rejina Pyo flatform sandals

Comfortable but fashion forward, these shoes from the John Lewis x Rejina Pyo collaboration have a soft, clean look that channels the designer’s minimalist aesthetic. The flatform soles add subtle height without compromising stability, while the cushioned base makes them easy to wear. I like how the mesh upper keeps things light and breathable too.

Best women’s sandals for the beach

Crocs platform flip-flops

After high-profile collaborations with designers such as Simone Rocha and Balenciaga, Crocs have become an unlikely fashion-world favourite. That said, their practicality is still a big selling point. These platform flip-flops are lightweight, waterproof and easy to clean, while the thicker straps offer a more secure fit than your average pair.

Havianas square-toe flip-flops

If you find most flip-flops rub, snap or just feel flimsy, Havaianas are a good option. I’ve had my pair for years and go back to them every summer. I love this chocolate brown pair with square toes, for added interest on an otherwise classic shape.

Lululemon Restfeel woven slides

These woven slides are a great alternative if you don’t like a toe-post style. The waterproof design makes them ideal for poolside or beach days, and they’re an easy-to-wear, subtle pop of colour.

Best women’s sandals for work

M&S leather woven flat slingback sandals

In classic black leather, these sandals are more polished than flip-flops but far lighter than traditional shoes – perfect for warmer office days. The layered woven straps add both coverage and stability, and are finished with smart gold buckles.

Cos crossover leather sandals

This crossover style is a smart choice. With open backs and peep toes, they’re neutral enough to work with most officewear. Also, if worn with trousers, these sandals almost pass as a closed shoe while still allowing extra airflow.

Charles & Keith Easley t-bar caged sandals

If traditional sandals feel off limits in your office, this caged-toe design might still pass. With its more structured, shoe-like feel, the breathable weave is softer and more forgiving for hot days.

Best women’s dressy sandals

Birkenstock Arizona rivet mules

If you live in Birkenstocks during the day, this gold-studded version of the Arizona should fit the bill – a little more dressed up without the signature cork sole.

Alohas Dawn sandals

A little more directional, this pair is crafted from red leather with an elegant toe-ring design. I also like the sculptural wavy sole. These feel minimal enough to style easily but have the right amount of design interest to elevate a summer dress.

Aldo Riva heeled sandals

With extreme versions seen on the runway at Matthieu Blazy’s recent Chanel Cruise show, barely there sandals are a big trend this summer. You’ll be glad to hear that, unlike Blazy’s, this metallic-gold leather pair does come with full soles.

Best women’s chunky sandals

Dr Martens Gryphon sandals

Dr Martens sandals have been increasingly popular over the past few summers. Whether I’m strolling down the high street or I’m in my local pub’s beer garden, I almost always see someone wearing a pair. The hard-wearing soles are brilliantly durable but do need a breaking-in period, so it’s worth having plasters on hand for the first few wears.

Camper Thelma sandals

Heavy shoes aren’t ideal for travel, but this platform pair weighs practically nothing thanks to its ultralight soles. The design taps into that revived 90s aesthetic while still feeling easy and wearable.

Hollister raffia platform sandals

This pair takes a bold shape and softens it with natural raffia. It’s chunky but not clunky; more Mediterranean getaway than heavy-duty platforms.

Best men’s sandals for comfort

Birkenstock Milano sandals

Birkenstocks are great starter sandals because they’re as functional as they are stylish. This style offers a slight update on the popular Arizona, adding heel straps to keep feet extra secure. The anatomically shaped cork-latex footbed is designed to mould to your foot over time, so these sandals should get more comfortable with every wear.

Keen Uneek sneakers

If you’re familiar with gorpcore, you’ve probably seen a pair like this before. Sitting somewhere between sneakers and sandals, this hybrid style from Keen leans into the outdoors-meets-everyday aesthetic. Made using recycled PET plastic, the bungee drawstring fastenings make them easy to slip on and off, while the contoured soles keep things comfortable whether you’re actually on the trail or just dressing as if you could be.

Vivobarefoot San-dal leather sandal

These sandals are designed to have thin, flexible leather soles that mould to your feet and the ground so you can feel as close to barefoot as possible. This might not be for everyone, particularly if you prefer more cushioned soles, but it’s great for those who love really lightweight shoes.

For more, read our guide to the best barefoot shoes

Best men’s sandals for the beach

FitFlop iQushion ergonomic flip-flops

FitFlop’s speciality is ergonomic footwear in designs that don’t look overengineered. This pair has cushioned soles, built-in arch support, and what the brand calls rebound technology – essentially impact pillows that reduce pressure on your feet as you walk.

Adidas Adilette Aqua slides

Fabrics such as leather, suede or anything too light in shade that could be easily marked are best avoided on the beach. You can’t go wrong with classic sporty slides instead. This navy and white pair is made from Eva, a soft foam-like material that’s fast drying – ideal if you’re in and out of the pool or sea.

AllSaints Dune slip-on logo slider s

These sliders are sleek and made from lightweight TPU, a recyclable alternative to rubber, that’s practical for water, salt and sand. The shark-tooth tread also gives the extra grip needed for a pool day. Less overtly sporty than your typical slides, they’re great if you favour a clean, fashion-led approach to summer dressing – and, if necessary, they’re smart enough to take you beyond the beach and out to dinner.

Best men’s sandals for work

M&S fisher sandals

M&S’s take on the fisher style offers a smart middle ground for summer dressing. This semi-open-toe suede pair is easily worn with or without socks, so it could work for chillier early autumn days too. These would look great at the weekend with light-wash denim jeans.

Grensen Quinton sandals

This pair, from 160-year-old shoemaker Grenson, blends the shape of a leather shoe with the structure of sandals. For stricter dress codes, they wouldn’t look out of place with smart trousers – wear with black socks for extra coverage.

Toms Santiago leather mule sandals

Inspired by classic smoking slippers, Santiago mules keep things clean and refined, with closed leather uppers and easy slip-on backs.

Best men’s dressy sandals

Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 sabots

Reworking its bestselling Mexico 66 trainers, Onitsuka Tiger has tipped into holiday mode with a backless clog design. With beige woven uppers and green accents, this style feels relaxed but put together enough for an evening look.

Cos leather mule loafers

Business in the front, party at the back: you could probably get away with wearing these loafer slip-ons to a summer wedding. They’re a strong option when you want something breezy without sacrificing formality.

Dune Is sac leather sandals

This is a pretty timeless design that should see you through several summers. The warm brown shade feels softer than black, making this pair an easy match for everything from tailored trousers to casual shorts.

Best men’s chunky sandals

The North Face Explore Camp sanda ls

This olive green pair is a sportier take on a chunky style. Set on sturdy but not overly chunky soles, they still align with the North Face’s signature outdoorsy style. With adjustable straps for comfort, they have hints of neon orange that add a welcome pop of colour.

Veja Etna suede sandals

These sandals manage to feel both minimal and chunky at once. With adjustable straps and cushioned footbeds, they’re designed for comfort as much as style and, like all other pieces from the brand, are made with a focus on sustainable practices.

Ugg Otzo slides

If I told you to wear a pair of Uggs in blistering heat, you’d probably think I’d gone mad, but this warm-weather option by the California brand known for its cosy sheepskin boots is lightweight and supportive.

For more: The best UV -protected sunglasses for men and women Jess Cartner-Morley’s 52 women’s summer wardrobe updates for under £100 50 men’s summer fashion updates for under £100 – some are even free