Keyword – Life and style
Trefwoorden – Life and style, Family
Title – You be the judge: should my husband stop letting our kids climb over our neighbour’s fence to get their ball back? | Life and style | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/georgina-lawton
Link – You be the judge: should my husband stop letting our kids climb over our neighbour’s fence to get their ball back? | Life and style | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-18T06:00:02.000Z
Category – Lifestyle
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jun/18/should-my-husband-stop-letting-kids-climb-over-neighbours-fence-get-ball-back

The prosecution: Penelope

It doesn’t matter that it only takes five seconds. It’s a flagrant disregard for property rights

My husband, Spencer, and I have two children, Georgia, 12, and Alex, nine. We are usually quite aligned on how we parent, but I recently learned that Spencer is a little more relaxed with our children’s garden activities.

During half-term, Spencer was at home and I was at work. When I got back and asked the kids how their day was, they told me their ball went over the fence and into the neighbour’s garden. I assumed our neighbours hadn’t been in and the ball was still there, but they said “Dad let us hop over the fence to get it.” I was shocked.

When I spoke to Spencer, he just shrugged and said it was fine. These neighbours are a middle-aged couple with no kids. He said getting the ball only took five seconds, and then Alex and Georgia hopped back over. I asked them how many times they’ve done this and they said “four or five”.

This is a flagrant disregard for boundaries and property rights. If we allow our kids to hop over fences into spaces that don’t belong to them, we are encouraging public and private disobedience. It also reflects badly on us if the neighbours happen to be in one day. So far, it’s been OK, as they’ve been at work.

I said to Alex and Georgia that they need to be more careful with their football and tennis balls. We have a large garden and there’s no need for their balls to be going over the fence. It is really Spencer’s fault, though. He should be the disciplinarian.

We have a good relationship with our neighbours, but we haven’t asked their permission to retrieve these balls so if they suddenly see my kids playing in their garden, they would have every right to have a go at us.

I’m annoyed at Spencer for encouraging this. I am the stricter parent, but I thought we had similar styles overall. He thinks it’s funny how annoyed I am over this, but it’s the thought that Alex and Georgia have done this many times without me knowing. Spencer needs to see that he is in the wrong and be stricter when I’m not by his side.

The defence: Spencer

No harm was done to their garden. It’s just a lawn with a few shrubs. I don’t see the problem

The way Penelope goes on, you’d think I was letting the kids roam around the garden naked and screaming. They hopped over our fence to get their ball – it’s happened a few times. It was either let them go and get it, or listen to them complaining because the neighbours weren’t there to pass it over.

I manage my own business from home, so during half-term I had to juggle work and looking after the kids, which I’m happy to do, but some peace and quiet is conducive to a good working day.

The first time Alex’s football went over the fence he asked if he could hop over. I said, “Be quick.” He was very quick and Georgia helped him hop back over. From then on, they just retrieved the ball whenever it flew over.

Alex told his mum they went over the fence a few times. No harm was done to the neighbour’s garden, it’s just a flat lawn with a few shrubs, so I don’t see the problem. I’ve seen him do it – it’s very quick and it is usually just Alex going into the garden. It’s not as if both of the kids are there “trespassing”, as Penelope calls it.

Perhaps I’m used to this sort of thing because I grew up with siblings on a busy road in London. Penelope grew up in the countryside with no neighbours either side of her. I think they take trespassing and boundaries a lot more seriously there. Penelope said, “What if Alex damaged the garden and we had to pay for something?”

She is worried about going to war with our neighbours, but she’s being a bit dramatic. There’s no way for Alex to damage anything. We also share responsibility for the fence.

Penelope is worried about how it makes us look if the neighbours come home and see our children in the garden, but I would explain and say they needed the ball. If I had to apologise, I would. Penelope says I’m not strict, but I know how to discipline the children without her. I just don’t think this is a situation that requires so much emotion.

The jury of Guardian readers

Spencer and the kids should really get permission – asking your neighbours if it’s OK if the kids hop over the fence to get the ball when they accidentally hit it over would only take a moment, and the answer is unlikely to be no. Asking is just good manners. Tammy, 44

The worst thing that can happen is that the neighbours spot the kids and may give them and you a talking to. Everyone learns that way and hopefully it’ll improve communication in the long term, so carry on kids – just don’t smash any windows! Charlie, 33

Penelope is right. Spencer shouldn’t be encouraging the children to jump over the fence into their neighbours’ garden without permission. They either need to ask their neighbours if they mind them jumping the fence, or perhaps just get some more balls. Sarah, 29

I think people should respect their neighbours’ privacy and property, so Spencer is teaching his kids the wrong attitude. The family should apologise for any misdirected balls and maybe the couple will suggest hopping over next time, but it is up to them who they let into their garden. Kelly, 52

Spencer is definitely guilty. It’s an important part of being a kid that you have to wait, bored, until the neighbour comes home and chucks the ball back over. Good luck with teenagers who have been taught other people’s boundaries don’t matter, Spencer. Alicia, 53

Now you be the judge

In our online poll, tell us: is the game up for Spencer?

The poll closes on Wednesday 24 June at 9am BST

Last week’s results

We asked whether Charlene should share a digital calendar with her partner 57% of you said yes – Charlene is guilty 43% of you said no – Charlene is innocent

Keyword – Sport
Trefwoorden – Tennis, Sport, Emma Raducanu
Title – ‘I hope it works’: Tim Henman on Raducanu’s coach and vice-captain duties at Laver Cup | Tennis | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/donaldmcrae
Link – ‘I hope it works’: Tim Henman on Raducanu’s coach and vice-captain duties at Laver Cup | Tennis | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-20T04:00:51.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jun/20/tim-henman-emma-raducanu-laver-cup-interview

“T ennis is in a good place, but I think it could be better,” says Tim Henman when asked about the state of the sport that has consumed most of his life. He will soon outline ways tennis could be improved but, first, it helps to remember that the 51-year-old played in six grand slam semi-finals, including four at Wimbledon, won an Olympic silver medal and became No 4 in the world despite constant gripes from part-time tennis supporters who wrongly said he lacked the grit of an elite player.

Yet grit filters through Henman’s memories and explains why he loves tennis while always striving to reach a better place. We meet at the Queen’s Club and the elegance of the venue provides a stark contrast to the series of cheap B&Bs where Henman lived, down the road in Earl’s Court, for two years at the outset of his career. Money was tight then and sometimes four young players could share a single room.

“I somehow convinced my parents that I should leave school at 16 to play full-time tennis,” he says. “I was still very small so my results weren’t particularly good. We were based in a far corner at Queen’s with the two indoor courts. It was such a basic facility, but it was brilliant.”

Henman grins when I ask him about B&B life. “Amazing,” he says. “So good. Funnily enough I bumped into Andrew Richardson just before I walked in to see you.”

Emma Raducanu’s coach helped her reach the final at the Queen’s Club last Sunday. Richardson also guided the 18-year-old Raducanu to her astonishing grand slam victory as a qualifier at the US Open in September 2021. That same month she decided to fire him as her coach before rehiring him this summer.

Henman nods when I ask if he shared a room with Richardson in Earl’s Court? “Absolutely. We first met when we were 11 and played against each other. Andrew was best man at my wedding.”

Henman was close to Raducanu during her unforgettable US Open run. Coaching was not allowed from the players’ box then and so Henman encouraged and advised her at courtside, where he was working as a television pundit. When she clinched the title the first person she turned to was Henman, who pointed back at her in delight. So he offers a unique perspective on her relationship with Richardson.

What did he think when, two weeks after she won what is, to date, her solitary adult title, Raducanu removed Richardson as she said he was not experienced enough? “I was surprised she chose not to work with him. She’s worked with a lot of coaches since then and now I really hope that her decision to get back with Andrew works for both their sakes.

“He’s one of my best friends and I’ve also been around Emma. So it would be good if results improve.”

Raducanu and Richardson have made headway and in the Queen’s Club final she lost to Donna Vekic . The winner acknowledged Raducanu’s resurgence after a difficult year, but Vekic reserved most praise for David Felgate – whom she restored to her own team a few weeks ago. Vekic said the victory at Queen’s, where she scraped into the main draw as a lucky loser, was shaped by Felgate’s expertise.

Felgate was one of three coaches Henman used during his career. “Emma’s had eight or nine coaches,” Henman says, “but it’s her prerogative. I looked for consistency, continuity and building the relationship – and that’s why I had three coaches in 16 years.”

Raducanu won the grand slam title that eluded Henman, but she has a long way to go before she matches the depth of his overall achievements. The way he had to fight for his spot on tour forged a resilience and steeliness in him. Does he believe Raducanu’s shock US Open victory damaged her development?

“It was so unexpected because no one had ever qualified and made the final of a slam, let alone qualified and won it. So she didn’t really have a foundation to build from. She’d just done her A-levels and played some grass-court tournaments and then her ranking went up to No 20 in the world.

“All of a sudden she was playing top-level events and she wasn’t ready, physically and mentally. You can’t drop down to build match practice and resilience but would you rather it had not happened? Absolutely not. It’s one of the most incredible achievements in sport.”

Henman is cautious when asked whether she can win another slam. “It would be very hard. Not many people win slams so you could say, if you’ve done it once, you can do it again. But it’s all about the process. She’s got to become physically more resilient to build up her schedule, her match count, her weight of shot, her speed of movement and durability.”

Is Richardson the right coach to unearth that consistency and durability? “Of course. He was a good player and he understands the game well. He’s got a good history with Emma as they’ve known each other since she was in her early teens.”

Even more than Raducanu, Jack Draper has struggled physically and the most talented British men’s tennis player on tour has missed most of the last year through injury. Does Henman expect that Draper, who reached No 4 in the world 15 months ago, will play at Wimbledon?

“I don’t know. He’s pulled out of Queen’s [this week] but this time last year he was in that conversation as to who might challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. He’s had such a rotten time because he was playing great tennis.

“It’s very challenging whether it’s this bone bruising or his knee. He’s just got to try and stay patient because, if you’re not healthy, you can’t compete.”

Henman expresses his misgivings in regard to the brutal calendar that has resulted in the injury of so many leading players. Alcaraz has been forced to miss the French Open and Wimbledon. And, after racking up a 30-match winning streak, Sinner’s body betrayed him during the first week in Paris. Leading Juan Manuel Cerúndolo 6-3, 6-2, 5-1, he lost 18 of the next 20 games to crash out in the second round. Sinner looked as if he had hit a wall after winning successive Masters tournaments in Madrid and Rome.

“The schedule needs looking at because less is more and I would definitely streamline it,” Henman says. “The Masters 1000 events should be eight or nine days and then you need some periods where there is no tennis at the very highest level. It’s good for the players and fans and builds expectation for the next event.

“I’m not a fan of the 12-day Masters 1000 events. Physically and psychologically that is tiring and, if anything, we should be trying to shorten the season.”

Money drives modern sport and so is it feasible that some tournaments could be curtailed or even cut? “It’s difficult, but that’s where the sport needs to come together. When you look at the governance of tennis there are seven different bodies – the ATP, WTA, ITF and the four grand slams. And right now we have this PTPA lawsuit .” The Professional Tennis Players Association triggered legal action against those seven organisations while accusing them of collaborating to reduce prize money, impose a restrictive ranking system and repress players’ promotional opportunities. “We really need to communicate, and that has made it very difficult with the lawyers.”

Henman has recently been at the heart of tense negotiations between the leading players and the grand slam tournaments over prize money. He is a board member at Wimbledon, but his achievements in the game mean Henman is respected by the players and last week there was a breakthrough. Wimbledon announced a 20% increase in prize money, which the players accepted, but has the situation been fully resolved?

“The communication needs to be better and conversations are not going to stop. It’s a huge strength of our sport that we have combined [men’s and women’s] events and look at how the grand slams have led the way in equal prize money and the opportunity that they’ve given to lower-ranked players. In the women’s game, the Wimbledon prize money for qualifying this year will be more than some of the [WTA] Masters 1000 events.”

Henman is particularly animated when confirming his reappointment as the vice-captain of Team Europe in the Laver Cup against Team World at the O 2 in London in September. He believes the competition, which began in 2017, has the potential to become as powerful in tennis as the Ryder Cup is in golf.

“I absolutely love it,” Henman says. “Until I first experienced the Laver Cup in person I’d thought it was an exhibition event. But when I was at the 2022 Laver Cup, when Roger Federer played his final match before retirement at the O 2 , I was blown away by the intensity and passion of both teams.

“The players are individuals and rivals and here they are coming together for the greater good of Europe or the rest of the world. The way the event was delivered was incredible and so when I was asked last year if I’d like to be vice-captain I was blindsided. But I felt it was an absolute privilege and I could not have enjoyed it more in San Francisco – apart from the fact that we didn’t win .”

Team Europe has won five of the eight Laver Cups and Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, the new French Open champion, have agreed to play at the O 2 . “We were bitterly disappointed when we lost last time but it was then that Alcaraz signed up. He said: ‘I’m coming back.’ If the players love the event they have that intensity to win.”

Will Alcaraz be fit again by September? “I have no idea. It’s obviously a serious injury, because he pulled out of Madrid, Rome, Paris, Queen’s and Wimbledon. So, fingers crossed.”

Negotiations to entice Sinner to make his Laver Cup debut are under way and Henman says: “We have a WhatsApp group so we’re always in dialogue, looking at how the team could shape up.”

It seems a long time since, at the end of 1992, Henman was 18 and finally left B&B life in Earl’s Court. “I got my first ranking points in Morocco and central Africa. I had seven points and my ranking was 780 at the end of the year. That was such a defining moment, because I was on the ladder. I wanted to be 700. I wanted to be 500. I wanted to be 300.”

Henman smiles when I ask if he believed then that, one day, he would become the fourth‑best player in the world with an enduring influence in tennis in the decades ahead?

“No chance. If you’d said to me then: ‘Sign this document and you can be top 100 for the next 10 years, and play the grand slams,’ I would have bitten both arms off. It’s what I always wanted to do.”

The Laver Cup is at the O 2 from 25-27 September. Visit lavercup.com .

Keyword – Music
Trefwoorden – Classical music, Music, Culture, Edward Elgar, Antonín Dvořák
Title – Elgar and Dvořák: Cello Concertos album review – Gerhardt’s readings are forthright, refreshing and thoughtful | Classical music | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/clive-paget
Link – Elgar and Dvořák: Cello Concertos album review – Gerhardt’s readings are forthright, refreshing and thoughtful | Classical music | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-19T06:00:27.000Z
Category – Culture
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jun/19/elgar-and-dvorak-cello-concertos-album-review-gerhardt

A lban Gerhardt adopts a back-to-basics approach in these thoughtful readings of cello concertos by Elgar and Dvořák. Determined to counter ideas embedded in the collective musical psyche by the likes of Jacqueline du Pré and Mstislav Rostropovich, there is a straightforwardness here, and a refusal to luxuriate that may not please those used to more heart-on-sleeve interpretations. Nevertheless, by scrutinising the scores – and few composers were as pernickety with their markings as Elgar – he finds much that is refreshing as well as illuminating.

In the Dvořák, he’s less theatrical, more poetic than his Soviet-born predecessor, aided by Andrew Manze, who keeps the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln clipped and generally light on its feet. Gerhardt’s is a noble, cleanly articulated performance that yearns where others prefer to gush and keeps its feet firmly planted in the Bohemian countryside, even when the music is at its most turbulent.

Where Du Pré takes 30 minutes to get through the Elgar, Gerhardt is over and done in 25, and yet the music seldom feels rushed. Less romantic than Du Pré, or Sheku Kanneh-Mason for that matter, he’s not quite as thought-provoking as Steven Isserlis, who takes a slightly bolder view of Elgar’s wishes. Manze, too, shuns the grandiose, fashioning delicate orchestral textures that support Gerhardt’s forthright vision.

Listen on Apple Music (above) or Spotify

Keyword – Business
Trefwoorden – Jaguar Land Rover, Manufacturing sector, Somerset, West Midlands, Business, Automotive industry, UK news, Tata, Electric, hybrid and low-emission cars, Industrial policy, Environment
Title – JLR at risk of battery supply delays after Somerset factory turmoil | Jaguar Land Rover | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jasper-jolly
Link – JLR at risk of battery supply delays after Somerset factory turmoil | Jaguar Land Rover | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-20T08:18:44.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/20/jaguar-land-rover-jlr-battery-supply-delay-somerset-agratas

Jaguar Land Rover faces the risk of delays to the first deliveries of electric car batteries from a £5.2bn government-backed factory in Somerset after construction problems.

The British carmaker is planning to rely on the Agratas factory in Bridgwater, Somerset , to supply the batteries for its new electric models. Agratas and JLR are owned by the Indian industrial conglomerate Tata.

The battery factory – only the second in the UK – is widely seen as a key step in the domestic car industry’s transition away from fossil fuel-powered vehicles. The UK government in April promised £380m in subsidies for the plant.

However, Agratas has terminated its main construction contractor, Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), and replaced it with another, Tonroe Group Ltd (TSL). Agratas informed SRM that its services will not be required beyond the end of the month, giving only three weeks’ notice by letter.

When Tata initially announced the gigafactory in 2023 it had targeted a 2026 start date, before pushing it back to 2027. However, it is understood that the latest internal start date, of January 2028, is also likely to be missed.

Agratas has set a budget of about £800m for the construction, but the actual cost is likely to exceed that by at least £500m, according to a person with knowledge of the project. Agratas is also building a gigafactory in Sanand, western India. It is thought that Agratas’s Indian management pushed for costs in the UK to match its other project.

The budget mismatch has caused tensions as contractors, including SRM, tried to hit targets they saw as impossible to deliver, the person said. SRM was never under contract, but was working under a temporary arrangement, known as a letter of limited authority, for more than two years. SRM billed about £400m during that time, without ever reaching a contractual agreement.

It is the second departure of a leading contractor after TClarke left in March amid reports of a “strained relationship”. The departures are likely to be noted by other companies in the supply chain, and may cause concern in government over the progress of a project it has backed heavily.

The new construction contractor, TSL, a privately owned business based in Buckinghamshire, will have to get up to speed quickly with the demanding requirements for the gigafactory. These include building facilities to handle dangerous electrolyte – the liquid through which lithium ions move inside car batteries to generate electricity – as well as constructing one of the largest clean rooms in Europe, with stringent humidity controls. TSL’s main focus is in building datacentres, although it was also involved in constructing a battery factory for Sweden’s now bankrupt Northvolt .

However, several parts of the project are understood to be behind schedule. Agratas has not bought crucial parts to build a substation that will handle the electricity connection – equipment that can take two years or more to arrive. Work has not started on an important ring road, and the building itself is well behind schedule, with many milestones delayed owing to slowed purchasing decisions.

There has also been relatively high turnover of senior staff within Agratas in the UK, and some senior personnel have departed including its head of process engineering and its vice-president of global manufacturing engineering, while its vice-president of manufacturing operations will take early retirement in August.

Delays to the Agratas start of production could prove challenging for JLR, which will depend on its sister company for cells to power its new electric Jaguar and electric Land Rover models, including the already delayed electric Range Rover .

The JLR chief executive, PB Balaji, said in November: “We are running against the clock on this one. It is stressed, but we’ll do our best to reach there.”

Delays could cause significant problems for JLR in its efforts to comply with the UK’s electric car sales targets, known as the ZEV mandate. JLR executives have doubts about whether they can hit much higher targets in the next few years, potentially leaving them exposed to fines. Their warnings are thought to be a leading motivation for the UK government’s decision to water down the mandate.

A lower ZEV mandate target could remove some of the time pressure for Agratas. However, JLR has also decided to sell more hybrids rather than battery models , which might also raise questions over future demand for batteries from Somerset.

A spokesperson for Agratas said it had “determined that a different construction delivery model is needed to support the next phase of our development”.

They added: “Following a review of the project’s requirements, we have decided to transition to a new construction partner. We thank our existing construction partner for their support to date.

“This change reflects the evolving needs of the project, positioning us to deliver the next phase with the capability and focus required to meet our objectives safely, efficiently and on schedule.”

A spokesperson for SRM said: “Having successfully completed the first phase of Agratas’s battery manufacturing facility in Somerset, following extensive discussions, we have mutually agreed to part ways. We are now working closely with Agratas to support a smooth and orderly transition to a new construction partner.”

JLR declined to comment.

Keyword – World news
Trefwoorden – Lebanon, Middle East and north Africa, Israel, Hezbollah, US-Israel war on Iran, US foreign policy, Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Trump administration, Donald Trump, World news
Title – Israel and Hezbollah renew ceasefire after deadly flareup disrupts opening of Iran talks | Lebanon | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jasonburke,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/william-christou
Link – Israel and Hezbollah renew ceasefire after deadly flareup disrupts opening of Iran talks | Lebanon | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-20T05:29:54.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/19/israel-hezbollah-renew-ceasefire-lebanon-us-iran-agreement

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to renew a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after 24 hours of intense violence that posed an early challenge to the new agreement between the US and Iran to end their conflict.

A meeting that was scheduled to take place on Friday between Washington and Tehran in Switzerland to discuss implementation of the new deal was cancelled when Hezbollah killed four Israeli soldiers and Israel carried out a wave of retaliatory airstrikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley that killed at least 47 people.

The talks were to have begun in the Swiss village of Obbürgen two days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that opened a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent understanding over Iran’s nuclear programme while getting oil traffic moving through the strait of Hormuz.

The MoU called for an end to hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned on Friday against any breach of the agreement, threatening a “decisive response … to the enemy”.

The cancellation of the talks between Iran and the US on Friday came so abruptly that the staff of the US vice-president and expected lead negotiator, JD Vance, and a small pack of journalists had gathered at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington in anticipation of the trip. Dozens of White House officials, advance staff and media were already in Switzerland to prepare for Vance’s arrival.

Late on Friday, it appeared that Donald Trump’s ⁠special envoy, ⁠Steve ​Witkoff, might instead open the talks. Axios reported on Friday, ​citing a US ⁠official, that Trump’s envoy was already in Switzerland, along with the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Citing a source “with knowledge”, Axios reported that the Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi was planning to travel to Switzerland on Saturday, but that was subject to change.

On Saturday morning, at ⁠least five people were killed in ⁠an ⁠Israeli air ​strike on the southern ⁠Lebanese town of Arabsalim, Lebanon’s ​state ‌news agency ‌NNA reported.

NNA said Israeli warplanes and ‌drones carried out a series of ​strikes across the Nabatieh area overnight and ⁠into the morning, destroying ​residential buildings ​and ​houses, while Israeli ​artillery ‌shelled Nabatieh ​and ​its outskirts before dawn.

The flaring violence and diplomatic back-and-forth over the planned talks added to the uncertainty over ​whether a definitive end could be found to a regional war that has killed at least ‌7,000 people, sent energy prices soaring and threatened global economic chaos.

Donald Trump again defended the deal after criticism in Washington, including from some of his Republican allies in Congress who have questioned whether he conceded too much to end a war unpopular with most Americans before November’s midterm elections.

“The War has diminished Iran!” he wrote in social media posts on Friday. “We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did. They are FINISHED! We’ll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not ten cents!”

Lebanon has emerged as a flashpoint that could upend Trump’s efforts to extricate the US from the war, frustrating the president, who has lashed out at Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

The latest clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, which has close ties with Tehran, were the most violent since the ceasefire was established. Hezbollah targeted Israeli forces near the city of Nabatieh, in southern Lebanon, with several salvoes of rocket fire and drones overnight after intermittent Israeli shelling throughout Thursday.

Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes on the city and surrounding towns against what it said were Hezbollah targets, leaving at least 18 people dead and 33 wounded, according to Lebanon’s ministry of health.

By evening, the clashes appeared to have ended. “If Hezbollah does not attack us, then for us it is not a time of war,” an Israeli official said late on Friday. Two Hezbollah sources confirmed a new ceasefire to Reuters.

Many Israeli commentators believe Iran will be strengthened by the deal agreed by Trump earlier this week, and the killing of Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah prompted fury.

Netanyahu, who promised the joint US-Israeli war against Iran would lead to regime change in Tehran, has faced fierce domestic criticism this week. His office issued a statement saying Israel would not tolerate attacks on its soldiers or territory, and would “exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks”.

“Israel will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary for the protection of the communities of the north,” the statement said.

Netanyahu faces elections within months and is under pressure from political rivals. Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said “all of Lebanon must burn”. “With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not up for bargaining,” he said in a statement.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said on Thursday that he had approved the MoU despite reservations, while the US officially lifted a blockade of Iranian ports .

Before the talks were cancelled, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said Iranian negotiators needed ⁠to see signs of implementation of the interim agreement from the US before the next rounds of peace talks could begin, and that there was no confirmation that Tehran’s delegation would travel to Geneva.

Israel, which was not included in the peace talks and has distanced itself from the US-Iran agreement, has accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire, an accusation the group has thrown back at Israel.

Fighting began in Lebanon on 2 March when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in what it said was revenge for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader by the US and Israel in the opening wave of attacks of the most recent war. The subsequent Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon and bombing campaign has left more than 3,900 people dead. Hezbollah has killed at least 32 Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and three Israeli civilians.

On Thursday, Israel announced a “security zone” in southern Lebanon, which comprises hundreds of square miles of territory. Lebanese officials have demanded a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, something Iran said was required by the MoU.

Vance said Israel needed to respect the peace process.

US forces have lifted their naval blockade of Iranian ports that prevented ships from sailing to or from the country, the US military said on Thursday, noting that its warships would “remain in the general area”.

Activity remained muted in the strait of Hormuz, the strategic bottleneck for energy shipments that Iran blockaded during the conflict.

Keyword – US news
Trefwoorden – Donald Trump, Qatar, US news, US politics
Title – Trump unveils new Air Force One, a converted Qatari 747 | Donald Trump | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/edwardhelmore
Link – Trump unveils new Air Force One, a converted Qatari 747 | Donald Trump | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-19T23:05:52.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/19/trump-air-force-one-qatar

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

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

Trump dismissed criticism of the arrangement, saying it would be “stupid” to turn down the offer. Then Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell had said that “the secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations”.

The cost of converting the Qatari 747 has been put at $1bn, and it is designed to serve as a “bridge” aircraft until two long-delayed presidential Boeings are delivered in 2027 and 2028. The cost of the two purpose-built aircraft have ballooned from $3.7bn to $5bn.

Criticism of the gifted Qatari jet, which the Gulf state had previously tried to sell without success, included accusations that the costs of conversion could divert money from Sentinel, an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) modernization program already running years behind schedule.

At the unveiling, Trump thanked the emir of Qatar. “He’s a fantastic guy,” he said. “He went through a lot over the last few months.”

“This is considered ​the world’s most luxurious plane.” Trump added. “When it was built, it was built at a level that will probably never be seen again.”

Trump has argued that the new jet was necessary to keep pace with more modern aircraft flown by foreign leaders. “These countries have a lot of respect for us, and yet they have a plane that’s much newer ​and much better. It’s a little ridiculous,” Trump said.

The two ageing 747s in the presidential fleet entered service in 1990, during the presidency of George HW Bush.

Earlier this year, one of the pair was forced to turn back to Washington on a trip to Davos, Switzerland, owing to a technical fault. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the crew identified a “minor electrical issue” and chose to turn around and return to the Andrews base.

The air force fast-tracked the retrofitting of the Qatari jet, but has skipped some planned modifications for the next-generation presidential jet in order to deliver an interim version sooner. Officials said it was up to presidential standards.

“The safety and security of the commander in chief is our highest priority,” Troy Meink, secretary of the air force, said in a statement on Friday. “From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission.“

The new jet, with a color-scheme that echoes that of Trump’s own jet, arrives two weeks before a planned formation flight over Washington DC on 4 July to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. Trump told the crowd at Andrews that the new aircraft will lead the “biggest flyover in American history”.

A tour of the interior given to reporters on Friday revealed that its decor includes a framed print of a duck swimming in the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.

The delivery of the Qatari jet crosses over with the retirement of the Air Force One tail number 29000, the Boeing 747-200 that transported the president back from Europe on Thursday and is ultimately destined for a museum.

But its companion aircraft, with the tail number 28000, with its light blue and white trim, will continue flying with the new VC-25B aircraft until the new jets are delivered.

Fears that Trump might simply use the Qatari jet for his personal use when he leaves office in 2028 appear unlikely, given that a 747 costs $180,000 to $200,000 per flight hour, a sharp increase from the $12,000 to $16,500 cost per hour of Trump’s own Boeing 757.

Keyword – Opinion
Trefwoorden – Andy Burnham, Labour, Makerfield byelection, Politics, Greater Manchester, UK news, Reform UK
Title – The Guardian view on Labour after Makerfield: change must mean more than a new leader | Editorial | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/editorial
Link – The Guardian view on Labour after Makerfield: change must mean more than a new leader | Editorial | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-19T16:56:23.000Z
Category – Opinion
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/19/the-guardian-view-on-labour-after-makerfield-change-must-mean-more-than-a-new-leader

A ndy Burnham’s triumph in the Makerfield byelection leaves the prime minister with only two options : fight openly for the Labour leadership, or leave office cleanly. The former Greater Manchester mayor easily saw off Reform UK’s candidate – winning 55% of the vote to his rightwing rival’s 35%. He won largely because he changed the political meaning of voting Labour in Makerfield. With Mr Burnham, the party went from being the unpopular incumbent to being the vehicle for change.

The prime minister’s implicit claim that it was Starmerism that beat Reform is not credible. The polling by Persuasion UK in Makerfield shows that Labour won because of Mr Burnham’s personal brand, anti-Starmer signalling and leftwing economic message. Significantly, Mr Burnham’s victory rally speech on Friday connects with the data. He was offering, in rhetoric, economic security through a visible state. This is not just redistribution, but the state as buyer, planner and manager. That would be a welcome shift, but how would he deliver cheaper essentials, more public control, fiscal expansion, industrial renewal and fairer rules on housing, work and migration? Mr Burnham’s programme needs to be more than slogans.

It was an unusual byelection: Mr Burnham is a household name in England’s north with a mayoral record, fronting a dramatic Labour leadership subplot. A general election would not be Makerfield. In Scotland, Wales and the south-east, Mr Burnham’s local identity may carry less force. But he cannily fused anti-Starmer and anti-Reform moods by standing both inside and against Labour while selling a more rooted , hopeful politics.

That is why Sir Keir must either force the issue – call a leadership contest, stand in it, and smoke out his rivals – or accept that his authority has drained away and step aside, allowing the party to choose a successor. A Burnham coronation would be tempting, especially with overwhelming parliamentary backing. That would avoid a summer of internal warfare. But it would also risk repeating the original sin of Starmerism : a leader taking power on the promise of “change” without making it clear what the change consists of.

It is ironic that a leadership contest might actually help Mr Burnham. It would force him to turn his Makerfield speech from a mood into a mandate . He might have to say: here is what I would do in the first 100 days; here is what needs legislation; here is what it would cost; here is what can be done through regulation; here is what requires confronting the Treasury; here is where I break with Starmerism; here is where I continue its work.

The strongest argument for avoiding a contest is practical. A long campaign could make Labour look like the Conservatives in 2022 : unstable and riven by infighting. Mr Burnham might avoid a brawl and secure Sir Keir’s quiet retreat by negotiating a clear, short programme , winning support from MPs across the parliamentary party and trade union assent while offering roles to defeated factions.

It looks likely that Sir Keir Starmer’s days are numbered. Whoever replaces him will need a mandate for a fresh agenda. If MPs can unite around such a plan from Mr Burnham, a leadership contest may be unnecessary. If they are just rallying around his poll ratings in the face of Sir Keir’s weakness, then a contest becomes more necessary, not less.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here .

Keyword – US news
Trefwoorden – Washington DC, Donald Trump, US news, US politics, Communities, Cities
Title – Trump’s DC makeover frenzy bewilders locals and visitors: ‘It’s like we’re under occupation’ | Washington DC | The Guardian
Author – Robert Tait
Link – Trump’s DC makeover frenzy bewilders locals and visitors: ‘It’s like we’re under occupation’ | Washington DC | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-20T09:00:05.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jun/20/trump-dc-makeover-frenzy

On the edge of Lafayette Square, a landmark park near the White House, a scuffed sign proclaimed: “We are making DC safe and beautiful.”

Julie, visiting Washington DC with her husband, Robert, to celebrate their recent marriage, was unconvinced. “The irony,” she said. “It’s neither safe, nor beautiful.”

A chain-link fence surrounded the square, closing the site off from the public as it underwent refurbishment on the orders of Donald Trump .

It is one of many locations across the city currently under renovation, or construction, as Trump tries to put his stamp on the capital in time for the US’s forthcoming 250th anniversary celebrations.

Local preservationists say Julie’s withering verdict is widely shared.

“It is a different city right now,” said Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League , a city heritage group. “There are visitors from out of town who are disappointed that they’re only here for a few days, and there’s so much construction going on at the moment.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for some people, and to have it marred down with not being able to access certain sites can be really disappointing.”

Among a flurry of expensive projects, the US president has ordered the East Wing of the White House demolished to make way for a massive ballroom. Recently disclosed figures reveal the work is projected to cost $600m, with half the bill footed by taxpayers, contradicting Trump’s claim that the price tag would be $400m and met by private donors.

The National Park Service has been restoring fountains across the city, too, making them flow once again in time for the country’s birthday.

The administration also commissioned a restoration of the reflecting pool on the National Mall, which links the Lincoln Memorial with the George Washington monument, to repair the effects of discoloring algae. And plans have been unveiled for a 250ft triumphal arch south of the Potomac River, near Arlington national cemetery, which critics say would transform Washington’s low-rise skyline for the worse.

A simple recitation of the projects does not convey the temporary air that this frenzy of renovations has bestowed upon a historic area that has long drawn tourists from across the world.

Until its recent completion, the reflecting pool was for weeks a site of frenetic activity from workers repainting and re-coating its surface. The view for visitors was obscured by a fence covered by black tarpaulin. (Upon completion of a project Trump said would turn the pool “American-flag blue”, algae turned the water green .)

The transitory aura is compounded by renovations on the neighboring Arlington Memorial Bridge, a neoclassical structure built in 1932 whose columns and gold statues are also covered by tarpaulin.

Nearby, two projects unconnected to the administration – a memorial to veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf war, and the Potomac River tunnel project, an infrastructure scheme aimed at reducing sewage overflows – add to the building site atmosphere.

It is more intense still near the White House, which is overshadowed by a large crane.

In recent weeks, the area has resembled an exclusion zone, with extended areas previously open to the public – from the Ellipse south of the White House to Lafayette Square at the north and encompassing parts of Pennsylvania Avenue – sealed off.

Lafayette Square, a 7-acre site featuring fountains and statues of the heroes of the American revolution, forming part of the larger President’s Park, is subject to renovations carried out under a $17m contract awarded on a no-bids basis to Clark Construction, the same company undertaking the White House ballroom project.

Scenes of visitors – like Robert and Julie – squinting for a better view have become commonplace.

“Everything that I’ve seen is to honor Donald Trump, not America’s 250th anniversary,” said Robert, a retired US history professor at a private college in Brooklyn, who like Julie declined to provide a second name.

Trump’s claims of grandeur outstripped those of King George III, the British monarch at the time of the Declaration of Independence, Robert suggested. “We have the irony of a man who has the instincts of an absolute monarch presiding over the celebration of our separation from a constitutional monarch,” he said. “It’s quite something.”

A block away, on 17th Street, Norma Roth, a 62-year-old children’s book author from Tampa, gaped at scores of temporary toilets – known colloquially as “Porta Potties” – which were installed on the Ellipse for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on the White House’s South Lawn, which took place on 14 June, on Trump’s birthday.

“It’s so symbolic of what he’s doing to the country. It’s like he’s shitting all over our nation’s capital,” she said.

Wearing an “Elections Matter” T-shirt from a recent Bruce Springsteen concert, Roth called the exclusion area around the White House a denial of the free-speech values she taught her three children.

“They didn’t like George W Bush, but my husband and I explained to them what was meant by freedom: that you are allowed to protest and speak your mind,” she said. “So they stood in front of the White House and gave the thumbs down. You can’t do that now. It’s like we are under occupation.”

About a mile away, Mark, 68, a retired lawyer visiting Washington from his current home in Paris, took selfies at the reflecting pool, where he recalled being forced to stand during the 1976 bicentennial celebrations because of the vast crowds.

He voiced disappointment at the results of the recent work, costing $13.1m and leaving the surface water looking black under a slightly overcast light rather than the “American-flag blue” trumpeted by the president. “I don’t know if it’s a success or failure, but it doesn’t look as blue as I imagined,” he said.

Visitors were much rarer across the Potomac near the site of the proposed arch, which critics have dubbed the “Arc de Trump”, in mocking reference to Paris’s Arc de Triomphe.

Costing an estimated $100m, the arch would be built on a large roundabout that is now a busy traffic intersection. The few who passed expressed surprise and bemusement at the idea of the imposing structure.

Gabe Adame and his wife, Beth, both 43, from Corpus Christi in Texas and visiting the capital for the first time, reacted positively. “The whole area feels like a blank canvas and unfinished. It would be a good addition,” said Gabe, an instrumentation manager for an oil and natural gas company, who said he was a Trump supporter.

But Oliver, a 42-year-old worker for a nongovernment organization, said placing a towering structure at the gateway to the city could obscure more famous long-established landmarks. “I think it could be an obstruction to the main body of Washington, which is the George Washington monument,” he said. “The Lincoln Memorial has been with us for 150 years.”

That argument has been central to the objections of local heritage campaigners, who had until 15 June to make comment on the proposal under the planning schedule. “What is currently proposed does fundamentally cut off the sight line, unless you’re walking down the absolute center of Memorial Bridge,” said Miller, of the DC Preservation League.

About 600 letters of objection have been sent to the US Commission of Fine Arts, while congressional Democrats have introduced legislation to defund the project on the ground that it does not seek approval of Congress.

The White House argues that such approval is already granted under a 1925 report allowing for two 166-columns connected to the Arlington Memorial Bridge.

Miller dismissed that contention. “What they’re proposing is not the columns that were authorized for that design,” she said. “The columns [that were authorized] were on either side of the bridge, not on the traffic circle. It was designed in a very different way. That is not congressional authorization for them to build the arch.”

With large areas of the National Mall still cordoned off for the Great American State Fair, a 16-day exposition due to start on 25 June, Angie Clark, a molecular biologist from Salt Lake City visiting Washington for a scientific conference, complained of a “forbidding” atmosphere.

“I’ve been here many times before, and I have never imagined that I would be so completely locked out of everything,” she said. “It feels exclusive, and not in a good way. Maybe once the party starts up, it will be better.”

Keyword – World news
Trefwoorden – Road safety, Road transport, Cycling, Travel and transport, Motoring, Automotive industry, UK news
Title – SUV buyers undeterred by warnings of risk to pedestrians, UK study finds | Road safety | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/peterwalker
Link – SUV buyers undeterred by warnings of risk to pedestrians, UK study finds | Road safety | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-20T06:00:02.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/20/suv-risks-warnings-road-safety-buyers-uk-study

Drivers who are told about the safety risks posed by SUVs to cyclists and pedestrians are very unlikely to be deterred from buying one, a new study has found.

The findings indicate that if governments want to reduce the number of large, dangerous vehicles on the roads, it is likely to require financial penalties, according to the psychologists at Swansea University who led the research.

A series of studies have shown that sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and similarly oversized domestic vehicles such as pickup trucks are more dangerous than standard cars for pedestrians and cyclists. Much of the risk comes from their higher and blunter front ends.

A meta-study of existing safety research earlier this year found that if an adult pedestrian was struck by an SUV, they were 44% more likely to be killed than if the vehicle was a smaller car. This rose to 82% higher for children.

To test how much this affected people’s buying decisions, the study took a UK-wide sample of more than 2,000 people, including drivers and nondrivers, and split them randomly into two groups.

Half of the sample was shown one of three mocked-up SUV adverts, which included a warning that the vehicle concerned posed a “significantly higher risk of fatality” to pedestrians and cyclists. The others were shown the same adverts, but without the safety warnings.

Both groups were asked questions about their awareness of the risks from SUVs before and after viewing the adverts. Among those who saw the warnings, this rose from 35% awareness to 54%.

But when the same people were asked if they intended to buy an SUV as their next car, the proportion who said they would fell only very slightly. Compared with the group who saw the standard adverts, they were only 3.7 percentage points less likely to make the same decision after they had seen the safety warnings.

The overall effect, as the authors noted, was negligible: 95% of people who said they wanted to buy an SUV stuck with the decision, despite being told about the risks.

It was almost as minimal even among the subset of the sample who said the safety of vulnerable road users was an important factor in what car they decided to buy. Of those, 86% stuck with their plans to buy an SUV.

Prof Ian Walker, an environmental psychologist at Swansea University and one of the study’s authors, has closely studied the idea of what he called “motornormativity” – the way people judge car travel by different metrics to other areas of their life.

He said: “Buying whatever vehicle we like, and driving it wherever and whenever we please without having to think about the consequences for other people, has become normalised and ingrained across our society over decades.

“As such, it’s not surprising there’s a growing body of evidence that says asking or encouraging people to drive differently doesn’t work, and that stronger interventions will be needed if governments want to get serious about the issue.

“This almost certainly includes having a more honest conversation about how driving, no matter how useful to the person doing it, imposes harms on to other people.”

With SUVs now making up nearly 60% of new car sales across Europe, some places have started to respond to the difficulties they pose, which also include greater emissions due to their increased weight.

Paris tripled parking charges for SUVs in 2024 after a vote by residents. Transport for London is considering whether to impose extra charges for SUVs in the UK capital, in part because of the greater risks they pose to others.

Keyword – Football
Trefwoorden – World Cup 2026, World Cup, Football, Sport, US sports, Australia sport
Title – World Cup 2026: Scotland fall flat; USA into knockouts; Turkey’s tears and Almíron’s red for covering mouth – live | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/michael-butler,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tomdavies,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/matthughes
Link – World Cup 2026: Scotland fall flat; USA into knockouts; Turkey’s tears and Almíron’s red for covering mouth – live | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-20T11:31:06.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/jun/20/world-cup-2026-scotland-morocco-usa-australia-netherlands-sweden-germany-cote-d-ivoire-ecuador-curacao-tunisia-japan

A reminder that you can play around with group permutations in our Bracketology game.

Paraguay’s win over Türkiye was obviously a huge boost for the South American nation, but it was also pretty much the perfect result for Australia, too.

With Türkiye guaranteed to finish bottom of the group and eliminated – as the standings are now decided by head-to-head record rather than goal difference – the Socceroos are now highly likely to finish as at least one of the eight third-placed teams and will now play a weakened Paraguay, who will surely be fatigued by their 10-man exploits. who will be without the suspended Miguel Almirón.

If Australia win or get a draw against Paraguay, they will finish in second and play the second place in Group G (New Zealand, Iran, Belgium and Egypt are all currently on one point). If they lose against Paraguay, they still have a good chance of making it through, although as a third-placed team they would then face a group winners.

Good to see people are not getting carried away . USA have looked good, it’s true, but against … Australia and Paraguay.

The next two matches are a couple of ripsnorters : Netherlands v Sweden and Germany v Côte d’Ivoire, all of whom won their opening games.

Sweden were arguably the most impressive side in the first round of matches, sweeping aside Tunisia 5- 1. It will be interesting to see if they line up with the same attacking line-up against a stronger Dutch side, who have been tipped by economist Joachim Klement to win the tournament. The German has developed his own formula that has previously accurately predicted the winners of the past three tournaments.

Iran to complain to Fifa over travel restrictions

Iran plans to lodge a complaint with Fifa over travel restrictions its team is facing in the US at the World ⁠Cup. Due to uncertainty over ⁠visas and the conflict ​with the US, the Iranian team are commuting from their tournament base in co-host Mexico for their three group games in the United States.

US authorities require them to enter within ⁠24 hours of a match and leave the same day, leading team coach Amir Ghalenoei to say Iran were the “most oppressed” team in the tournament.

“The Football Federation of Iran believes these restrictions are inconsistent with ⁠the principles of providing equal conditions for participating teams and may affect their technical preparation,” the federation said in a statement on ​Friday announcing its protest to Fifa. Fifa did not immediately ‌respond to a request for comment.

Andrew ‌Giuliani, director of the White House World Cup Task Force, told the Telegraph that he would be open to renegotiating ‌the terms of Iran’s entry to the United States. He added that Washington could consider allowing Iran to stay longer around their matches.

“Look, everything is dynamic, things can be discussed on this and we certainly want to create competitive fair play on the field, that’s why every coach on the team has got their visa, has the opportunity to come in,” he said in Seattle ahead of United States’ match against Australia. “The president wants to make sure this tournament strikes a competitive balance, ‌while also making sure bad actors don’t get into the country. We’ve done that, with a month to go.” Reuters

Hello everyone! I’m still reeling from staying up to watch Scotland v Morocco, which as a new-ish father with a sleep deficit, is increasingly looking like a foolish decision.

Right, time to hand you over to Michael Butler for a bit. See you’se later.

Cold War Steve ’s latest exclusive World Cup collage is with us:

A couple of contrasting views on Scotland from BTL. Hyndsight is not impressed:

I’m sorry to say that Clarke has to take full responsibility for that first half. Tierney and Robertson weren’t sure where they were playing. 3-5-2 is best for Scotland. Tierney on the left of a 3 and Robertson further forward. Doak is our only direct threat and we need a goal against Brazil because they always score.

Gunn Hendry, Hanley, Tierney Doak, McGinn, McTominay, McLean, Robertson Shankland Adams

all depending on injuries.

Benwyvis2 begs to differ:

Gave one of the top ten teams in the world a run for their money despite losing a goal in the second minute. Could well have stolen a draw. And but for the early goal, might have stolen a one-nil win. The tactics were correct. Well done, Steve. Better luck trying to fend off Brazil.

Throwing things forward now, Saturday’s action starts with a couple of potential crackers. The Netherlands, who looked enterprising and fallible in equal measure against Japan, take on Graham Potter’s revitalised Sweden in Houston, who hammered Tunisia in their opener. Then Germany meet Côte d’Ivoire, each having won their first games.

Potter has been bigging up Alexander Isak in the buildup after his goal and two assists against Tunisia, as AFP reports. “Alex has had a season that has been interrupted,” Potter said. “Most football players would say they need a certain amount of time and games to get up to top, top level, so we’ve had to try to build Alex up. I think there’s more to come from him.”

Germany’s head coach, Julian Nagelsmann, said his team had to be prepared for Côte d’Ivoire’s athleticism. “Their speed is one of their biggest strengths and that’s what I think they do best,” he said, highlighting the French-born Ivorian winger Nicolas Pépé. “During the last game, he was everywhere,” Nagelsmann said.

On this day in World Cup Euros history : 1976 – Antonin Panenka won the final for Czechoslovakia with the most famous penalty of all time. And 50 years on, he sat down with Gavin Newsham for a good long chat:

Antonin Panenka laughs like a bear might, a low rumble, suggesting mischief among the memories. He is sat in an office at Bohemians football club in Prague, recounting the story of his impudent, revolutionary penalty that not only won the 1976 European Championship for Czechoslovakia against West Germany but soured his relationship with the goalkeeper his spot-kick humiliated, Sepp Maier. “He went 35 years without uttering a single word to me,” he smiles.

But the feud went much deeper. “I read some articles that he even had a shooting target in his garage with my face on it that he used to fire darts at. We get on well enough now though.”

Saturday marks 50 years since that moment in Belgrade’s Red Star Stadium slipped into football folklore. With the final locked at 2-2 after extra time, Czechoslovakia and the reigning world champions found themselves in uncharted territory: the first penalty shootout to decide a major international tournament.

One of the biggest gripes about the World Cup so far has been the advert hydration breaks, but Emma Hayes, from a coach’s perspective, has a more mixed view:

I’m not a fan of the hydration breaks that have been introduced at this World Cup , but they’re here for now and it is fascinating from a coaching perspective because the momentum has swung straight after several hydration breaks. That could suggest coach involvement has helped teams to tweak things.

Turning the game into four quarters – it felt inevitable it was going to head in that direction, and I hope it doesn’t carry on going in that direction. I don’t like it, but let me also be clear – when it’s hot, you really need it, for health and safety. So put yourself in Fifa’s shoes. If you only have drinks breaks in the hot cities you could be accused of giving certain teams an advantage with a chance for a tactical discussion over, say, a team playing in Seattle, where it’s cooler. Imagine turning around and saying: “We’ll only have VAR in some of the stadiums, not all.” You’re either going to have it or you’re not going to have it.

Having just watched the highlights of Paraguay v Turkey , would it be fair to describe it as a minor classic of its type? A spicy, high-tempo tear-up full of Scenes That Everyone No One Likes To See – and who doesn’t love a heroic defensive rearguard against relentless attacking (apart from fans of the losing team)? And the sending-off looked fair to be honest. That rule was brought in for a reason, whatever was said in this instance.

It’s been a star striker’s tournament so far – aside from the immobile slab of monetised wax playing at No 7 for Portugal – and that’s reflected in the big names already nestled in Golden Boot top 10. Here’s the current hit parade:

A first dive into the old mailbag produces this, from Gerry Scott, with which I heartily concur:

If best placed third placed teams are going to be able to advance from the group then goal difference should be preferred to head to head as a way of ranking teams. Türkiye should at least have the prospect of beating the US and overtaking one of Paraguay or Australia rather than already being out of the tournament.

I’m sure Gianni will be on it soon.

Football Daily has landed . Listen in as Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Lars Sivertsen, Jack Snape, Ewan Murray, Seb Hutchinson and Alex Abnos digest what they’ve just seen.

Manchester City close on appointing Maresca

Some non-World Cup news now , from the ever-busy Matt Hughes:

Manchester City are close to reaching a financial settlement with Chelsea that will enable them to appoint Enzo Maresca as their new manager.

Chelsea are demanding compensation from City to release Maresca as they believe they have evidence that the Spaniard breached his contract at Stamford Bridge by talking to the club’s Premier League rivals when he was still their manager last season.

It has been widely reported that Maresca informed Chelsea he had been approached by both City and Napoli last winter in the chaotic weeks that led to his surprise resignation on New Year’s Day, a claim that has never been disputed.

Chelsea are adamant they deserve to be compensated for the loss of Maresca, whose departure destabilised a season that ended with them finishing 10th in the Premier League and missing out on European qualification, but they have a good relationship with City and have confidence an amicable agreement can be reached.

What do you think of it so far? It’s basically almost impossible to have a bad time at a World Cup , for all the oppressive politics and commercialism that seek to suffocate the spectacle. And here’s our writers’ verdicts on how they’ve found the first week and a bit.

This country is big enough to host a vibrant and fulfilling World Cup; it is simultaneously capable of hosting one that passes entirely unnoticed.

‘Everybody’s crying’: Turkey come to terms with shock exit

Turkey arrived at their first World Cup in 24 years with great expectations and a host of rising stars but crashed ⁠out goalless and in tears ⁠after another shocking ​failure to convert against Paraguay.

As Reuters reports, they had an astonishing 32 attempts on goal against Paraguay, scoring none of them, having had 30 – count ’em – in their opener against Australia, which they lost 0-2.

Arda Guler, the 21-year-old star of Turkish football, apologised to the nation. “We tried very hard ‌but it didn’t work. But we should have scored some goals,” he said. “We should have won these games … Everybody’s sad, everybody’s crying.“

It was a stunning fall for a team that made a swashbuckling ​run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals. A golden generation of players anchored by the young talents of Guler and Kenan Yildiz had appeared set to make their mark on the global stage.

Instead, Turkey’s players and staff will face a fierce reaction on the home front before their final group game against the USA, who have already qualified for the round of 32.

Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro said his players had shown their mettle after losing 1-4 to the USA in their first game. “It’s nothing about tactics or strategy here. This victory, this result is to the credit of the players,” he said.

Preamble

Greetings everyone and welcome to day 10 of the World Cup. Readers in Europe have plenty to digest as they wake up. Scotland slipped to a 1-0 defeat by Morocco that could have been worse, after they went behind within two minutes and were thoroughly outplayed in the opening stages before I went to bed, but could have been better, with Scotland having two big penalty shouts turned down.

Elsewhere, we have perhaps the shock of the tournament so far with many people’s dark horses, Turkey, exiting already after a second straight defeat, to Paraguay, who had Miguel Almirón sent off for remarks made to Mert Muldur with his hand concealing his mouth, the first use of that new sanction.

The host nations continue to enjoy themselves, USA’s win over Australia securing their qualification for the knockouts, while Brazil eased to a 3-0 win over Haiti.

Here’s yer reports: