Keyword – Environment
Trefwoorden – Wildlife, Somerset, UK news, England, Animals, Environment, Conservation
Title – ‘Emotional and horrific’: volunteers ‘live’ as Somerset animals to study wildlife risks | Wildlife | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/patrickbarkham
Link – ‘Emotional and horrific’: volunteers ‘live’ as Somerset animals to study wildlife risks | Wildlife | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-22T14:48:59.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/22/volunteers-somerset-animals-study-wildlife-risks

What does a kestrel make of the dog sniffing in the long grass below? Why does an exhausted salmon pause before a weir? How will an otter experience the rumble of a passing train?

Eighteen people have spent six weeks swimming, slithering and soaring as otters, salmon, earthworms, red deer and kestrels in an attempt to better document the risks for wild animals in our human-dominated landscape.

The volunteers were trained to experience distinctive animal “umwelts” and report back on the reality of being a non-human animal trying to survive around the River Tone in Somerset , England.

Anita Roy, a nature writer, chose to be an otter in what she called the “revolutionary” Risks Beyond Human Eyes research study. “Otters are apex predators, playful and fierce. I like their style,” she said. “The whole point was not to go out and see an otter but to be in the world as if you had taken that imaginative leap into otterhood, and see what happened.”

In the pioneering study – conducted by the University of the West of England and the Accelerator for Systemic Risk Assessment ( ASRA ), funded by the Ecological Citizen(s) Network – participants were given a detailed scientific briefing about the sensory powers of their chosen “animal collaborators” and trained to undertake exercises in the wild.

Encouraged to use a single key sense, they were advised by social anthropologists on the research team not to interpret, explain or evaluate, but simply to describe their experiences. By “de-centering” human understanding, they were told they might allow another understanding to come through, before they reported their oral testimonies back to researchers.

Roy said she began her life as an otter by scanning the riverbank for suitable places to deposit her spraint. “Assessing the landscape for a suitable place to poo isn’t something I normally do,” she said.

Because otters sense so much through their whiskers and paws, she was encouraged to pay attention to vibrations. She was struck by the thundering disturbance caused by trains on the nearby railway line that would disorientate her otter during fish-hunts.

She and another volunteer, Helen Lawy, who sought to experience the world as a kestrel, became newly aware of the ubiquity of dogs. “People stick to the path but dogs are rooting around all the time,” said Lawy. “That’s a massive issue we all need to face up to. Everybody is always wanting open access everywhere – I came to the conclusion that kestrels would probably like some areas left alone, with nobody there.”

“Sitting by the riverbank for two hours, there were probably 15 dogs that came past and jumped in the river or played around,” added Roy. “If I had been a human, I would have said: ‘Dogs in the river is a major problem for otters, with flea treatments entering the water.’ As an otter, the testimony came out absolutely viscerally: ‘I hate dogs!’ I was really taken aback. When you are ‘inside’ the animal, the whole experience is extremely emotional.”

Lawy, who is the chair of the Friends of Longrun Meadow , a community green space beside the River Tone, said she was attracted to living as a kestrel by the appeal of being “free”. She did not try to fly – “I thought that might be a step too far” – but imagined her kestrel-self searching for long grass where she could hunt for voles and mice. “When you look at a landscape through a kestrel’s eyes, you realise there’s very little opportunity for them to feed. Far from being free, the kestrel was reduced to looking for disjointed little strips of land.”

James Grischeff, the director of nature recovery at Somerset Wildlife Trust , who volunteered to step into the mind of an earthworm, said: “I’ve been a nature conservationist for a very long time and my training has been in soils, but this project did a lot more than I expected – it really made me get under the skin of worms. It was fascinating, it wasn’t exactly a trance but there was a moment where you went: ‘OK, that’s how these worms interact with the environment.’”

Phil Tovey, the director of nature-centric approaches at ASRA and a former soldier, said the testimonies they received from the “as-otter”, “as-kestrel” and others were rather like civilians caught in a war zone who struggled to find food, safety or shelter. “We heard that access was deeply stressed. When the volunteers gave their testimonies they were on the verge of tears. They took it so seriously but none of them dramatised it.”

Roy said she was almost crying when a fellow volunteer described how his salmon-self was too weary to leap up a fish-run constructed to supposedly help salmon around the weirs on the River Tone. “We mostly think of nature as biodiversity, a concept, but this made it so personal, so emotional and so horrific,” she said. “It was hard to feel how we’ve made the world a really hostile place for all these individual creatures. When that’s you, you really feel it. It was quite galvanising.”

The project reflects a growing interest in the rights of nature movement and the burgeoning More-Than-Human Life programme, and follows innovative thinkers such as Charles Foster , whose pioneering book Being a Beast documented him living as a fox, red deer, badger and swift .

The study will be written up for academic journals, but Tovey said its second phase – a plan to revitalise the wild River Tone – would hopefully trigger local action.

“We should definitely do more of this kind of work,” he said. “Animals are here, active and shaping the very ground that we live on. We have to find a way to acknowledge them, and not in an abstract or performative way,” he said. “We need to accept that we live in a multispecies society, as our Indigenous brothers and sisters know.”

Roy added: “We’re already living in a multiverse, it’s right on our doorstep and yet [through our destruction of nature] we’re trying to make it into a monoverse.”

Keyword – Life and style
Trefwoorden – Health & wellbeing, Fitness, Life and style, Yoga, Pilates, Training programmes
Title – From riding the bus to reaching the top shelf: 18 simple exercises to prepare you for everyday life | Health & wellbeing | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/joel-snape
Link – From riding the bus to reaching the top shelf: 18 simple exercises to prepare you for everyday life | Health & wellbeing | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-21T13:00:31.000Z
Category – Lifestyle
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jun/21/18-simple-exercises-for-everyday-life

T here are lots of movements that make you stronger and more physically capable – press-ups, squats and kettlebell swings build strength and muscle that help in a huge variety of situations. But can you get more specific? Well, yes: there are exercises that target the challenges of everyday life, whether that’s playing on the floor with your kids or bringing in the big shop. Here are the moves you may want to consider, presented by a dozen movement coaches, personal trainers and strength specialists.

To stay upright on public transport … do side planks with a twist

Plenty of people think planks are just for abs, but they’re a full-body stability exercise that helps us brace against other movements, from carrying a toddler on one hip while unlocking the front door to standing on the deck of a ship (or, er, the No 12 bus).

“Side planks with extra movement – hip dips or leg lifts, for example – teach your body to stay strong when something is trying to pull you sideways,” says Callum Roberts, the head coach at the gym Results Inc . “They train your obliques, hips, glutes and shoulder stability all at once.”

To begin, start in a classic side plank – one forearm on the floor, feet slightly staggered – then move one leg up and down .

To simplify the big shop … do the suitcase carry

Lots of coaches will tell you to do the farmers’ walk – a heavy weight in each hand – but this one-sided variation will help you carry groceries, luggage or a toolbox without leaning unnecessarily to one side, explains the trainer Jacob Siwicki . “Hold a heavy weight such as a dumbbell or a kettlebell in one hand and walk tall,” he says. “It will teach your core and body to resist tipping over sideways; almost nothing else trains this specifically.”

To entertain the kids on car journeys … work on your thoracic rotations

If you regularly occupy the passenger seat on long road trips with children, then you probably know that constantly turning around to deliver snacks, fix tablets or address arguments takes its toll – especially on your spine. “Most people are really stuck in the mid-back, so the spine ends up rotating as one stiff block rather than moving segment by segment,” says the posture and pilates expert Kerrie-Anne Bradley . “Rotating and moving the middle thoracic spine – the middle section of your back, made up of the 12 vertebrae between the neck and the lower ribs – helps to restore rotational range without loading a stiff spine.”

For a simple way to prepare, try thoracic twists : “Sit up on your sit bones [at the base of your pelvis] on your chair, with your feet flat on the floor, and imagine your head being pulled up by an invisible thread,” says Bradley. “Bring your middle fingers to touch at the centre of your chest, elbows lifted in line with shoulders, keeping the tops of shoulders down. Keep your pelvis, legs and arms fixed in this position, breathe in through your nose and rotate to the right. Let your head move with your chest, not ahead of it, and rotate only as far as you can without your hips shifting.

“Once that feels controlled, extend your arms straight out in line with your shoulders once in the rotation and turn a little further, doing a full breath in and out. Return to the centre with your arms straight out to the sides before bending them to start the rotation on the other side.”

To always win at tag … learn the Cossack squat

“This variation of a side lunge develops lateral strength, hip mobility, ankle mobility and the ability to shift your weight confidently from side to side, which are qualities that often get neglected in traditional fitness programmes,” says Autumn Noble, a personal trainer at Genesis Health Club. “Practising this lunge will help with movements such as scrambling over rocks on a hike, stepping sideways on to a crowded train or recovering from a misstep on uneven ground.”

Squat down with most of your weight on one flat foot , with your other leg extended, toes pointing up and heel on the floor. Slowly shift your weight across to hit the same position on the other side, feeling the stretch in your groin and hamstrings.

To safely put bags in the overhead locker … do wood chops

“Twisting is one of the most underrated movement patterns,” says the wellness coach Nikkii Behrens , the founder of Rare Street Pilates. “We rotate constantly in everyday life, whether we’re unloading the dishwasher, putting luggage into an overhead compartment or lifting and turning with a child. Wood chops help build strength through the core while improving mobility through the upper back. They also teach the body how to create and control rotation safely, which is something many people lose as they get older.”

You can do these with a cable or a resistance band tied to a solid anchor – or, for a slight variation, a kettlebell or dumbbell. Hold the handle low on one side of your body, then bring it upwards and across your body, twisting as you do it. Pause, then return to the start.

To mow the lawn more easily … get into bridging

“Bridging is one of my favourite exercises, because it strengthens the glutes, the hamstrings and the back of the body, which are muscles many people underuse due to spending so much time sitting – it can take time for the muscles to actually wake up and engage properly,” says Behrens. “Strong glutes are essential for all sorts of everyday tasks and they’re crucial for supporting the lower back.”

For the simplest version, lie on your back with your feet close to your bottom. Push through your heels to “bridge” your hips up in the air until your upper thighs form a straight line with the rest of your body, then pause and repeat.

To prepare for parenthood … do loaded carries

“I love variations of the loaded carry for my clients who are parents or parents-to-be – they’re great for the awkward unilateral loading involved in holding a child, a bag or a pram,” says Brian Abell, a coach at Fit Happens personal training.

Start with the “front rack” – hold a kettlebell in one hand, resting the bell part on your forearm with your elbow tucked against your ribs. Practise walking or even lunging like this and consider adding a second kettlebell – especially if you’re having twins.

To make rambling easier … learn the step vault

Full-bore parkour may feel like a bit much to take on, but the “step vault” – among its most beginner-friendly movements – is one of the safest and easiest ways to clear an obstacle that is below your chest height. “The step vault is a very natural movement and can be one of the fastest ways to vault,” says Dan Edwardes, the founder of Parkour Generations . “Take the time to train it and you’ll find it becomes an invaluable part of your basic movement skills, letting you glide over low walls, handrails or gates.” As long as you’ve got right of way, obviously.

Move towards the obstacle at a comfortable speed. Avoid taking small steps as you approach. As you get close, push off from one leg and reach out with the same hand to place it on top of the obstacle at the same time as your opposite leg comes up to step on top of the obstacle (with either the ball or the heel of the foot). Bring your trailing leg up and through the space that has been created between your body and the top of the obstacle. Keep your momentum going forward. The trailing leg then becomes the leg to touch the ground first on the other side, landing softly on the ball of the foot. Keep moving!

To get something off that high shelf … master the tree-to-three

“This yoga transition builds balance that doesn’t leave you frozen in one place – it’s about control as your centre of gravity moves forward,” says Bassanti Pathak , the co-founder of Pathak Yoga. “It’s just what you need to lean forward to pick something off a high shelf.” Start in a “tree” pose with one foot tucked against the opposite leg and your hands high. Then, without putting your foot down, straighten the tucked leg behind you as you bend forward at the waist, keeping your supporting leg as straight as possible and bringing your torso and arms parallel to the ground. This pose is known as “warrior three”. If you like, you can go back to your starting position for the tree-to-three-to-tree.

To catch falling crockery … use the chest expansion

“There’s a perception that pilates is just a boutique workout for wealthy women, but that misses the entire point,” says Lesley Logan, a pilates teacher and mindset coach. “Joseph Pilates originally developed the method for men recovering from illness and war injuries. It’s not about doing pilates instead of your life or other sports – it’s about doing pilates to make everything else you do better.”

It’s also underrated for preparing you for unexpected physical tasks such as twisting to catch a falling mug. Use the chest expansion to open up your tight shoulder and chest muscles and add a neck turn to challenge your balance. With your arms by your side, hold a pair of light weights (or cans of beans, say). Bring them slightly behind you to stretch your shoulders, then look left and right. Repeat by bringing the weights ahead of you before reaching back again, trying to stretch slightly further each time.

To recapture your childhood … train slow step-downs

Remember the joys of running downhill at top speed as a child, knowing that the worst-case scenario was losing your balance and tumbling giddily through a cloud of daffodils? If that thought made your knees twinge, it’s time to take action. “Lots of people train going uphill, but nobody trains the brakes,” says Siwicki. “ Training step-downs helps in situations such as running down a steep hill at full speed, or walking up and down stairs with a laundry basket and no free hand for the rail.”

This one couldn’t be simpler: just step on to a lowish box at normal speed, then lower your trailing foot to the floor slowly ahead of you (you can also do variations where you lower your trailing leg behind or to the side). Do a few reps and repeat on the other side.

To avoid embarrassment at soft play … do the bear crawl

“Crawling reconnects shoulders, hips, trunk, hands and feet in one coordinated pattern,” says Oscar Trelles, the founder of the training company Breathing Flame . “It builds strength and control in positions adults often lose access to, without needing heavy equipment or complicated technique.” And if you’re chasing an errant toddler through a brightly coloured tunnel, it will allow you to match their pace without ending up too red-faced.

In the classic bear crawl , you keep your knees an inch or two off the ground and move each hand and its opposite foot forward simultaneously; it’s surprisingly fast once you get the hang of it. Put it into your warm-up or try it in the garden.

To prepare for five-a-side season … start skipping

“Skipping is something that lots of us stop doing after school, but it’s the perfect way to warm up our lower body and all of our jumping, sprinting and dancing muscles,” says Steve Kamb, the author of How to Try Again and the founder of Nerd Fitness. “Plus, it’s basically impossible not to smile while you do it.” If you haven’t skipped in a while, start simply, trying to keep your jumps low and quiet – then move to bouncing from one foot to the other, figure-eights – and eventually the punishing double-under , where the rope passes under your feet twice every time you jump.

To look good at the garden centre … try sandbag bear hugs

“Real life doesn’t look like the gym,” says Brian Murray, the founder of Motive Training . “Sandbags and stones – like the atlas stones you’ll see in World’s Strongest Man – are bulky, often asymmetrical and awkward to pick up and hold. For beginners who have never used one before, a bear hug carry is a good place to start.”

The bear hug carry involves holding the weight in front of you with your arms squeezed around it and one hand holding the other wrist. You could try carrying bags of compost or gravel, but if you’re after something more portable, try duct-taping together bags of builders’ sand, then throwing them in a rucksack or duffel bag. Hold the bag in a bear hug while you do squats, lunges or just walk around the house.

To get off the floor with ease … learn the Turkish get-up

“This trains the ability to move from the ground to standing with strength, motor control, balance and adaptability,” says Noble. “Getting on to and off the floor while playing with a toddler or grandchild, getting down to recover something from under the bed and crouching low to scoop cat litter all incorporate parts of the Turkish get-up.”

You can do it with a weight – the world record is nearly 119kg – but for control and balance, a clean shoe balanced on your upraised fist works just as well. Start lying down with one hand high, roll on to the opposite elbow, and use it to prop yourself up while you bring your other leg underneath you. From there, stand up, and then reverse the whole process to lie down again.

Also helpful is the no-hands get-up. This isn’t a specific movement – just practise standing up without using your hands, any way you like.

To recover gracefully … do extra-range lunges

“Forward or reverse lunges where you use a tool or an obstacle to push yourself beyond your usual range of motion build strength while improving mobility, balance and dynamic control,” says Roberts. “They’re perfect for getting up from the floor without using your hands, climbing stairs or catching yourself when you stumble.”

Start with the forward version. Lunge forward on to a small step such as a kerb or a weight-plate; this will give you a better stretch through the hips as your trailing knee brushes the ground. Push off your front heel to stand back up, then repeat on the other side.

To carry the kids in from the car … do Zercher exercises

The Zercher squat – a variation of the barbell where you hold the weight in the crook of your arms – is a favourite of Olympic wrestlers, as it mimics the positions that occur in a heated grappling exchange. But it’s also good for carrying a baby in a car seat, an older sleeping child or a very full laundry basket, says Roberts: “Any form of Zercher exercise trains awkward real-life strength – forcing your upper back, core, legs and arms to work together.” Try it with squats, lunges or even just a brisk walk.

To be ready for anything … work on your cartwheel

“Many people haven’t done one of these since childhood,” says Lara Heimann, the creator of LYT Yoga , who combines yoga, strength training and functional training in her own training system. “The practice of the cartwheel restores qualities such as lateral movement, inversion, play and whole-body coordination that many adults unknowingly lose. But these qualities are what make us remarkably capable and responsive during other physical challenges,” she says. “Plus, weight-bearing through the hands is an excellent motor skill for improving scapular [shoulder] strength and upper-body vitality – key areas that are often neglected.”

You can start very simply, with a mini-cartwheel , where your feet barely leave the floor and your hands only briefly support your weight. From there, it’s all about building confidence – and shoulder strength.

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Keyword – Games
Trefwoorden – Games, Role playing games, Culture
Title – The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales review – a playable love letter to Zelda | Games | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tom-regan
Link – The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales review – a playable love letter to Zelda | Games | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-18T11:15:01.000Z
Category – Culture
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/jun/18/the-adventures-of-elliot-the-millennium-tales-review

Y ou can’t help but wonder if developer Team Asano is in a private competition with itself to come up with the most ridiculous name for a video game. Following Project Triangle Strategy and Bravely Default: Flying Fairy we have this mouthful: The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. It’s a playable love letter to the Zelda adventures of yesteryear rendered in the studio’s trademark glorious 2D-HD art style, melding evocative pixel sprites with modern visual effects.

From west Philabieldia, born and raised, our hero is adventurer Elliot. The antagonist making trouble in the neighbourhood is a king’s dastardly aide intent on summoning an ancient evil. The story is pure after-school-TV schlock, fully voice-acted but still unafraid to make you sit through reams and reams of text, and the action comprises treasure-hunting, temple-roaming and dispatching monsters. It’s part Chrono Trigger, part Oracle of Seasons as our almost obnoxiously upbeat hero journeys through the ages in order to solve puzzles, tip his fedora and of course, save a princess.

In each of the world’s four time periods, your surroundings change to suit the age you’re in, helping you uncover new abilities and the realm’s mysteries. While there is potential for a darker tale to be told, this is all stupendously saccharine stuff. It’s a world where everyone is pure of heart except for the mustachioed villain. Side quests have you saving cats and running errands for orphans.

Luckily, it’s a blast to play. What starts off as a straightforward exercise in Zelda worship later possesses a surprisingly deep and customisable combat system. Equippable gems allow you to modify your weapons and mix up your gameplay, boosting a sword’s critical hit ratio or adding flames to your arrows; combining these different fun effects can result in total grin-inducing carnage on screen later in the game. Even the weapons themselves are fairly inspired. Alongside your quintessential classics such as a shield, sword, bow and boomerang, there is a wildly swinging scythe and utterly devastating hammer.

Some friction is introduced by refreshingly challenging late-game bosses, but everything else on this adventure is designed to speed players along to the credits. With Breath of the Wild-esque temples spread out across the map, fast travel and constant hints about your next destination, Team Asano sacrifices retro mystique for satisfying forward momentum. A controllable fairy companion helps you solve puzzles by, for example, bursting into flame to light candles, but she also constantly remarks on each new dungeon and cave, advising you on whether it’s worth exploring. Such constant good-natured assistance may make Hollow Knight players scoff, but Asano has made the decision to keep the good vibes rolling, also ensuring that younger players are never hopelessly lost.

The Adventures of Elliot is not especially ambitious. It is a comforting balm during turbulent times. If you can stomach its occasionally nauseating earnestness, this rich fantasy world is a cosy one to retreat to. And despite my instinctive reaction to the off-puttingly cheesy dialogue, this charming world eventually began to warm even my cold, cynical English heart, thanks to some inspired dungeons and rewarding, customisable combat.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is out now; £49.99

Keyword – Opinion
Trefwoorden – History books, Italy, Religion, Books, Culture, Europe, Philosophy books, Inequality, Social exclusion
Title – The Guardian view on the death of Carlo Ginzburg: a historian who taught us to think about outsiders | Editorial | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/editorial
Link – The Guardian view on the death of Carlo Ginzburg: a historian who taught us to think about outsiders | Editorial | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-22T17:40:53.000Z
Category – Opinion
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/22/the-guardian-view-on-the-death-of-carlo-ginzburg-a-historian-who-taught-us-to-think-about-outsiders

R eflecting on the genesis of his most famous work, Carlo Ginzburg wrote that by immersing himself in the trial of a 16th-century miller burned by the Roman Inquisition, he turned a possible footnote into a book. Fifty years on, after being translated around the world, The Cheese and The Worms still stands as a supreme exemplar of historical research devoted to the lives of “the persecuted and the vanquished”.

Ginzburg’s death last week , at the age of 87, means that one of the last living links with a remarkable postwar generation of historians has gone. In its passion for reconstructing the fabric of lives previously thought too marginal to bother with, his writing had affinities with EP Thompson’s “ history from below ” movement and the Annales school in France. As the rise of 21st-century authoritarianism creates new generations of scapegoats and misfits, the approach of one of Italy’s greatest scholars speaks directly to our times.

In the preface to The Cheese and the Worms, Ginzburg wrote: “If the sources offer us the possibility of reconstructing not only indistinct masses but also individual personalities, it would be absurd to ignore it.” Examining the two trials of Domenico Scandella, known as Menocchio, an unusually literate miller in an Italian village, he duly performed an intellectual and cultural salvage operation.

The result was a gripping portrait of the defendant’s dangerously egalitarian views, which had been formed from a mishmash of peasant and pagan culture, religious chronicles and Boccaccio’s The Decameron. Menocchio’s fate was sealed when he rashly disclosed to the inquisitors his pantheistic beliefs and compared angels to the worms that emerge from rotten cheese. In a characteristically moving touch, Ginzburg noted that a childhood friend of the miller had desperately urged him “not to talk too much”.

The use of medieval and renaissance court records relating to heretics, witches and shamans influenced researchers of the history of women and oppressed minorities, as they too sought to read between the lines of documents written by the powerful. As Ginzburg noted with satisfaction, his works gained an enthusiastic reception in postcolonial societies, where imperial administrations had left treasure troves of official documents. During the 1990s, he deployed his detective methods to publicly contest the dubious conviction of the leftwing radical Adriano Sofri, who was found guilty of ordering the 1972 murder of a police commissioner during Italy’s “ years of lead ”.

In later life, Ginzburg came to realise that his commitment to history’s victims sprang from an impulse rooted in his own past and identity. During the Nazi occupation of Italy, his father, Leone, was tortured and murdered, and as a young boy Ginzburg was forced to disguise his Jewish identity and go into hiding. In a postscript to a 50th anniversary edition of The Cheese and the Worms published this year, he mused that this had been an internally suppressed connection.

As one of Ginzburg’s last pieces of writing, the postscript summed up the value of a legacy that can inspire us to think harder and better about today’s outsiders. In it, he recalled that Menocchio told his interrogators: “My mind … wished for a new world.” The state of the world in 2026, Ginzburg argued, “makes these words, pronounced nearly five centuries ago, more urgent than ever. Menocchio is with us, speaks to us.” The same will surely continue to be true of his own work.

Keyword – Fashion
Trefwoorden – Milan fashion week, Men’s fashion, Fashion, Fashion weeks, Life and style, Italy, Europe
Title – Ralph Lauren bridges generations with menswear tie-up in Milan | Milan fashion week | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/chloe-mac-donnell
Link – Ralph Lauren bridges generations with menswear tie-up in Milan | Milan fashion week | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-20T11:21:21.000Z
Category – Lifestyle
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2026/jun/20/ralph-lauren-milan-fashion-week-menswear-ties

For his second standalone menswear show in Milan, Ralph Lauren reverted to the accessory that launched his empire in 1967 – ties.

Skinny silk ties featuring subtle swirly prints were neatly knotted and used as the finishing touch to elegant pinstripe suits, while more brightly printed or striped cravats were whirled and worn like ties peeking out from under knitwear and rugby shirts.

Elsewhere, ties were used in place of belts; others came wrapped around bags, and even footwear came tied up, with the uppers of espadrille shoes formed of ties that had been spliced together.

For the American fashion house that has become catnip to gen Z, the focus on ties in Friday night’s show was a slick way of appealing to this younger cohort, who have recently discovered both the brand and the accessory for the first time, but without alienating its existing older customers, many of whom are octogenarians like Lauren himself and have been wearing ties since day dot.

While other key players in the fashion industry continue to grapple with a widespread luxury slowdown, Ralph Lauren is enjoying a renaissance. In May, its CEO, Patrice Louvet, announced that sales for the last fiscal year had increased by 15%, with revenue exceeding the $8bn (£6bn) mark for the first time in the company’s history.

While womenswear has been a key focus of this growth, the decision by the brand to join the men’s fashion week schedule in Milan suggests there is further momentum to be found in menswear too. The show that kicked off Milan fashion week on Friday night combined its dapper-driven label Purple with its more accessible Polo brand, which focuses on collegiate style classics.

Part of Lauren’s magic is worldbuilding and this time around he transported guests to the golden age of Italian sport. A gleaming 1920s mahogany speedboat plonked in the courtyard of his Milan headquarters – a sprawling palazzo in the capital that Lauren bought in 1999 – greeted guests including the actors Tom Hiddleston and Colman Domingo and the grand prix record-breaker Lewis Hamilton.

Textured knitwear in sea-salt whites, striped shirting in nautical blues along with reversible butter-soft leather jackets lined with cashmere captured a fantasy mood of zipping around Lake Como. Reflective racer sunglasses, deck shoes and squashy tote bags that could be easily stowed onboard added a purposeful touch.

Later came the Polo collection, which Lauren in his show notes described as the “next-generation vision of American prep”. This was luxury through the lens of TikTok fashion fans. For them, much of its aspirational appeal lies in the styling that can be easily riffed on as they rummage around secondhand platforms and shops.

Camo trousers were worn loose and baggy; colourful checked shirts were styled untucked; rugby shirts were patchworked together featuring motifs of flowers and crossbones, while neat blazers clashed with denim speckled with paint or visible mending created by using sashiko embroidery.

Keyword – World news
Trefwoorden – Iran, US-Israel war on Iran, US foreign policy, US military, Pete Hegseth, Trump administration, US news, Middle East and north Africa, World news
Title – Four months after the horrific Iran school bombing, fears grow that Trump and Hegseth will bury the truth | Iran | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/roth-andrew,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tess-mcclure
Link – Four months after the horrific Iran school bombing, fears grow that Trump and Hegseth will bury the truth | Iran | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-21T11:04:00.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/21/iran-school-bombing-minab-fears-trump-hegseth-bury-truth-investigation-findings

T he attack on a girls’ elementary school in the Iranian town of Minab was one of the US military’s deadliest civilian bombings in decades. But nearly four months on, the Pentagon has produced no answers about why the military fired a Tomahawk cruise missile into a school on the first day of the war, killing at least 175 people, mostly children.

Some critics doubt that the Pentagon ever will, or will bury the results under classifications to keep the worst mistakes secret from the public.

As the US signs a shaky memorandum of understanding on a ceasefire with Iran, the secretive investigation into the attack has also become a test case for the self-styled secretary of war Pete Hegseth’s new approach to what he calls “warfighting”. As he said in early March, nearly two weeks after the attack, “our rules of engagement are bold, precise and designed to unleash American power, not shackle it”.

Shortly after the attack, Donald Trump suggested that it was carried out by Iran. When it became clear that the strike used a US-made Tomahawk missile , he suggested that Iran also had access to the cruise missiles. It does not.

As he celebrated a ceasefire deal to open the strait of Hormuz last week, Trump signalled he was ready to write off the attack as a mistake. “It’s such a strange question to be asked at this date, because you’re talking about a long time ago,” Trump said when he was asked about the investigation during a press conference at the G7 meeting in Évian-les-Bains, France. “But nobody did that on purpose.”

It was at the beginning of what Trump has taken to calling a “little excursion” into Iran that the back-to-back or “double tap” strikes on the school building took place, killing mainly children under the age of 12. Officials have told media anonymously that the site was believed to be an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base.

Mohammadreza Ahmadi Tifakani lost two children in the school bombing. His seven-year-old daughter, Hanieh, was killed, along with all of her classmates in the girl’s section of the school, when the first missile hit. According to witnesses, her 10-year-old brother, Sobhan, survived the initial explosion and ran back to look for his sister. He was killed in the second blast.

“I personally went to the morgue and identified both of them,” Tifakani told the Guardian in an interview shortly after the attack. “Sobhan was missing an eye, and half of his face was gone. His legs were broken. Hanieh’s skull was fractured but her face was intact. I recognised Sobhan at first glance, even though he was severely injured.”

Trump said last week: “Mistakes are made. The war is nasty.”

Several former Pentagon and national security officials expressed doubt to the Guardian that the US government would take responsibility for the deaths of the schoolchildren in Minab or even release the full report into the attack.

“It’s very rare that you would have a military operation and not have some incidents where there was a mistaken target and civilians are harmed or killed, but then there is a system for investigating, assessing accountability and taking responsibility” in those cases, said one former senior Pentagon official.

“Even without the civilian harm mitigation office, there’s a very clear process for this, and I’m very doubtful that the Hegseth Pentagon will follow through,” the former official added.

As part of Hegseth’s “anti-woke” crusade at the Pentagon, the military has shuttered or reduced units meant to review civilian casualty incidents and has more broadly indicated that decisions made in combat by “warfighters” would not be subject to such close scrutiny. The reduction in civilian oversight at the Pentagon under Hegseth may make it easier to skirt blame for the incident.

The incident is comparable to some of the worst mass-casualty incidents of past US wars, including the 2017 Mosul airstrike that killed at least 105 and perhaps more than 200 civilians, the 2015 Kunduz hospital airstrike that killed 42 people, and the 1991 Amiriyah air raid shelter bombing that killed more than 400 Iraqi civilians who were sheltering during Desert Storm.

Trump said last week that the investigation was continuing. US Central Command, when asked about the investigation, gave no new information. “We have no updates at this time,” a defence official wrote.

But media reports indicate that the investigation has concluded. Preliminary results said the attack came because of the US using seven-year-old targeting data that failed to indicate that the building next to an IRGC base was in fact a girls’ school. The New York Times reported last week that at least one analyst had alerted a colleague several years ago that the US appeared to be targeting what was now a school in Minab. But the targeting data was not updated, and military officials continued to revalidate the site as a legitimate target for bombing.

Tifakani said at the time he had little hope of accountability from US investigations or the world. Asked what message he had for legal institutions or investigators looking into the bombing, he said: “They are witnessing everything themselves. We saw what happened in Gaza and Palestine. Now the same tragedy has befallen our own children. No matter what we say to them, that will not change anything.”

Congressional inquiries into the incident have also been stymied. “The US strike in Minab is one of the most horrific episodes of the entire illegal Trump war in Iran,” said Yassamin Ansari, an Iranian-American congresswoman who represents Arizona’s third district. She said she had written to the Trump administration to demand answers about the strike and “gotten little to no response”.

“Donald Trump is hiding the truth from the American people and Congress, and deflecting blame to Secretary Hegseth, because he does not want the public to know the true horrors of what he unleashed on the Iranian people with absolutely nothing to show for it,” Ansari said. “I will continue to do everything in my power to get answers for the families of these girls.”

Wes Bryant, a former US air force special operations targeting expert and former chief of civilian harm assessments at the Pentagon, said his few remaining colleagues overseeing civilian harm reduction at the Pentagon had been prevented from seeing the preliminary results of the investigation.

“I believe Hegseth and Trump are both going to do everything they can to suppress this investigation,” he said. “So, even if there is one really sitting there, it’s not getting out any more, unless we have, you know, a brave whistleblower.” He added: “The amount of people with eyes on that report are going to be very small.”

He said strikes in Iran that had killed thousands of civilians were a sign of the rising “aggregate harm” that the US was willing to accept as part of a culture of that pointed to “pure negligence and recklessness, but also to a degradation of culture at senior leadership levels in the military”.

Early in his tenure as secretary of defence, Hegseth moved to close down or severely reduce civilian oversight of the Pentagon’s civilian harm mitigation and response, and a report released in May by the department’s inspector general concluded that the US military no longer had the people, tools or infrastructure needed to comply with two federal statutes requiring it to maintain a functioning civilian casualty policy and operate a civilian protection centre of excellence.

In September, Hegseth said publicly that he had done away with “stupid rules of engagement” for the US military as part of an anti-woke revamping of the Pentagon. In March, weeks after the strike on the school, as the US campaign against Iran continued at a fever pitch, he boasted: “Warfighters have maximum authorities granted personally by the president and yours truly.”

Observers have said the remarks and shuttering of key offices have limited civilian oversight at the Pentagon, with one former official saying the US “threw in the trash the whole mitigating civilian harm strategy”.

Niku Jafarnia, the acting deputy Washington director for Human Rights Watch, said: “Hegseth himself has publicly expressed a lot of his scepticism around the amount of measures that we had in the military previously to mitigate these types of reckless errors and massive civilian harm incidents.

“He has publicly expressed scepticism about the value of constraints on fighters, and he has taken actions that have systematically weakened some of these protection measures that are supposed to ensure compliance with the law.”

Pointing to Hegseth’s earlier public remarks about “untying the hands of our warfighters” and ignoring “stupid rules of engagement”, she added: “I think we saw the effects of that on day one of the war.”

Keyword – Fashion
Trefwoorden – Fashion, Life and style, Retail industry, Business
Title – ‘How am I supposed to know if it’s cute on me?’ The strange death of the changing room | Fashion | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/chloe-mac-donnell
Link – ‘How am I supposed to know if it’s cute on me?’ The strange death of the changing room | Fashion | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-19T09:06:36.000Z
Category – Lifestyle
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2026/jun/19/changing-rooms-high-street-shops

I s the changing room dead? According to the teenage fashion mecca, Brandy Melville, it is. The brand has closed all its fitting rooms across stores in the UK, US and Canada, with shoppers taking to social media lamenting the change.

“Why does Brandy hate [its] customers?” one TikTok user questioned. “How am I supposed to know if it’s cute on me???!” another exclaimed.

The closure follows similar moves by retailers, including Sainsbury’s in the UK, which permanently closed all of its changing rooms in 2025, and the charity shop chain Goodwill in the US that shuttered its rooms in 2023.

While Sainsbury’s said the decision was motivated by the need to “simplify tasks in stores”and Goodwill cited unmanageable staffing expenses, Brandy Melville has yet to confirm its rationale. Online, there are reports of employees blaming an uptick in shoplifting, while others credit “the gum issue” – a well-documented trend on TikTok of customers using chewing gum to hold its flimsy changing room curtains together for privacy. Genius but grim.

The decision to remove the option of trying clothes on instore comes at a time when the British high street is in crisis. Everything from inflation and geopolitical events to online shopping has left many shops struggling. In April British retailers reported the highest year-on-year decline in sales in more than 40 years. Boarded up buildings have quickly become commonplace in towns and cities, while shoplifting figures in the UK are at an all-time high . Removing a changing room often means brands can reduce the number of staff they need, including security, while also increasing the availability of floor space to flog stock.

The surge in online shopping but also secondhand platforms such as Vinted also means we have become more accustomed to buying without trying, in the latter case, sometimes without even the hope/expectation of sending back if something doesn’t fit. Technology is also a factor. Retailers such as Uniqlo offer tools that let you input your measurements to determine what size you are in each garment, while AI-driven 3D body scans and virtual try-on services are also being deployed by the likes of Asos .

The retail consultant Catherine Shuttleworth credits the decline to the changing behaviour of consumers. Traditionally a user would try on a piece in a changing room and then buy it in-store. But now Shuttleworth points out shoppers are using changing rooms with a sort of try now, buy online later approach, a method some brands are not keen to indulge.

Then there’s also the experience of the actual room/cubby hole, many of which are so small you can barely outstretch your arms. Add to the mix glaring overhead lights that seem designed to highlight every insecurity, plus the fact you often have to get redressed to fetch an alternative size yourself – it’s enough to leave you wishing you’d just splurged on next day delivery instead. “Why squeeze into a hot and sweaty space when you can try on in the comfort of your own room?” asks Shuttleworth.

But while Brandy Melville fans bid farewell to the changing room, some stores are championing them. While designer stores have always made changing rooms part of the luxury journey – on London’s Bond Street complimentary flutes of champagne and tiny biscuits are regularly doled out – more mid-tier brands are now following suit. At Rixo’s flagship store in west London, you’ll find a coffee kiosk and cocktail bar. Plus, individual pods feature lots of flattering natural light. Elevated changing rooms are also part of Zara’s plan as it attempts to shift its image from fast-fashion brand to a more premium destination. At its new revamped store on Oxford Street the changing room section has been widened and features individual wood panelled rooms while sensory tags alert staff to what items are being tried on, meaning they can aid shoppers and replenish stock quicker.

After-all, a changing room isn’t just about seeing how an item of clothing fits. The fictional world has regularly riffed on this. In Pretty Woman, after originally being snubbed by a luxury store’s sales assistants, Vivian (Julia Roberts) returns laden down with designer bags to deliver the memorable line “You work on commission, right? Big mistake. Big. Huge!” In Sex and The City, Carrie emerges from a changing room in her underwear to ask for a different size only to be greeted by Natasha who has just married Carrie’s ex Mr Big. Plus, who doesn’t have that scene from Bridesmaids burned into their memory.

As anyone who has ever grappled with an insubstantial curtain will tell you, it’s a space to experiment with your style, to try on something you can’t even afford “just for fun” and most of importantly, especially for teenagers, an excuse to hang out with friends in front of a mirror rather than behind a screen.

To read the complete version of this newsletter – complete with this week’s trending topics in The Measure and your wardrobe dilemmas solved – subscribe to receive Fashion Statement in your inbox every Thursday.

Keyword – Politics
Trefwoorden – Labour party leadership, Keir Starmer, Andy Burnham, Politics, Labour, UK news, Stock markets, Economic policy, Shabana Mahmood, Wes Streeting, Nigel Farage
Title – Burnham prepares for power as an emotional Starmer bows out | Labour party leadership | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/pippacrerar,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/kiran-stacey,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jessica-elgot
Link – Burnham prepares for power as an emotional Starmer bows out | Labour party leadership | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-22T19:47:49.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/22/burnham-prepares-power-emotional-starmer-uk-prime-minister-resignation

Keir Starmer has finally bowed to intense pressure to stand down as British prime minister as he conceded that he was no longer the right man to lead the country, leaving Andy Burnham all but certain to succeed him.

In an extraordinary day at Westminster, Starmer announced a timetable for his departure after months of growing discontent among Labour MPs and cabinet ministers, many unnerved by the threat from Reform UK before the next general election.

As the new-elected MP for Makerfield made his way down by train to Westminster, it became increasingly likely Burnham would be crowned Labour leader without having to face a contest, giving him just over three weeks to prepare for government.

After Wes Streeting confirmed he would not challenge him for the top job, the focus among jubilant Labour MPs turned to Burnham’s policy agenda, his plans to take on Nigel Farage’s party and who might be in his first cabinet.

With his platform beginning to take shape, the Guardian understands that:

Burnham will begin to set out his likely policies next week with a series of speeches to demonstrate a big symbolic shift from Starmer’s government, starting with the economy and devolution.

He is considering appointing Ed Miliband as chancellor in order to challenge Treasury orthodoxy but has not yet made a final decision. Sources said Burnham was aware of the potential risks with business and the unions opposed to the move, but could be prepared to make the argument.

Shabana Mahmood is expected to stay at the Home Office after the former Greater Manchester mayor praised the home secretary for “facing up” to the big issues on immigration during the byelection campaign.

Wes Streeting could be appointed to one of the top cabinet jobs, but did “not come with any leverage” to discussions, with campaign sources rejecting his claims he had the numbers to run. Others have argued for him to be appointed chancellor to reassure the markets.

Starmer loyalists are still seeking a candidate who could potentially stand against Burnham – with it depending on whether Miliband was chancellor. Darren Jones has been touted as a possibility, and while sources said he was not organising a run, they stopped short of a categorical denial.

After spending the weekend with his family at Chequers, Starmer took the painful decision to set out a timeline for his departure, less than two years after a historic election victory, thereby kickstarting the process to select the UK’s seventh prime minister in 10 years.

“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” he said in an unusually emotional speech from a lectern in Downing Street.

“I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace. Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first, that is why I will resign as leader of the Labour party.”

While Starmer had insisted on Friday that he would fight any leadership contest, conversations with cabinet ministers over his weekend and time with his wife, Victoria, shifted his thinking.

He has asked Labour’s ruling national executive committee to set out a timetable for a contest, with nominations opening on 9 July, and to be completed by the summer recess just a week later. Labour MPs would hold an in-person hustings regardless of the number of candidates.

But with no other Labour MP expected to get the requisite 81 names, and Streeting saying he would not challenge him, Burnham is set to take over unopposed, entering No 10 as early as 16 or 17 July.

In a message aimed at his likely successor, Starmer said he would do “everything I can” to ensure an orderly handover of power, despite what insiders have described as his earlier anger and frustration over Burnham’s ambitions. One friend said he would do so through “gritted teeth”.

In his resignation speech, he said: “I will also give my successor my full and unequivocal support, knowing they will inherit a Britain that is far stronger and fairer than the one I inherited two years ago, better prepared for the challenges ahead and better able to ensure the Labour party secures a second term in office.”

It was unclear last night whether Starmer would stay on as an MP once he leaves Downing Street, with some friends suggesting that he would feel duty-bound not to inflict another byelection on the country, while others believe he is unlikely to stay on for long.

In a statement shortly after Starmer’s resignation, Burnham – who has not spoken to the prime minister since before the Makerfield campaign – thanked him for his service.

“His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way,” he said.

“I will put myself forward as part of this process. The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get.”

To cheers from Labour MPs and jokes from the opposition benches, Burnham – who changed out of the T-shirt and jeans he was wearing when he left Manchester earlier in the day, dressing in a suit and tie – was sworn in as an MP.

Bond markets were muted on Monday, with the yield on 10-year government bonds – a key measure of government borrowing costs – falling slightly. But Burnham allies say he wants to do more to reassure investors given his comments about the country being “in hock” to bond markets.

As part of that push, Burnham’s team have spoken to Jim O’Neill, the economist and former Conservative Treasury minister, about becoming his chief economic adviser should he enter No 10.

One of Burnham’s first moves in office could be to make a major devolution announcement, with some around him advocating for major fiscal changes, for example allowing mayors to set their own business rates.

While he will stick to Labour’s manifesto, he is expected to look at other areas where his government could be bolder.

Louise Haigh, who ran Burnham’s successful byelection campaign, will now run his transition team, with Miliband, former minister Miatta Fanbulleh and ex-Makerfield MP Josh Simons all working alongside her. Labour MPs Anneliese Midgley and Sally Jameson will remain closely involved.

After the announcement, Farage was the only opposition leader to call for a general election in the event Burnham takes over, saying the UK could not afford to “waste another week drifting from crisis to crisis”. Burnham has signalled he would not go down this route.

Keyword – Football
Trefwoorden – World Cup 2026, Argentina, Austria, World Cup, Football, Sport
Title – Argentina 2-0 Austria: Messi breaks scoring record at World Cup 2026 – as it happened | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/dominic-booth
Link – Argentina 2-0 Austria: Messi breaks scoring record at World Cup 2026 – as it happened | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-22T19:19:30.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/jun/22/argentina-v-austria-world-cup-2026-live

Right then, the match report from Nick Ames in Dallas has now landed. So I will thank you all for your many emails and conclude this minute-by-minute.

The Lionel Messi roadshow rolls on, and on, and on. Has there ever been a better player in footballing history? Probably not. Can anyone stop him at this World Cup ? Well that remains to be seen. For now, Argentina are two from two and Messi has five goals in two – so it’s been a pretty strong start.

Thanks and bye!

The action barely stops. Our live coverage of France v Iraq has already begun and you can join Tim de Lisle for all the buildup.

Jordan v Algeria later on really gives both teams a chance to make a claim for second spot. Whoever wins it will be level on three points with Austria .

Ralf Rangnick’s team will be assured of second spot, whatever happens, if they beat Algeria in their final group contest.

An email has arrived from an unimpressed Samuel Dobson:

Apart from the England game (that was fun, wasn’t it?!), this is the second successive World Cup in which I’ve found myself lacking the motivation to watch any of the other games. Something about all the overt corruption, blood oil money, peace prizes, etc. this follows that glorious period in my life (ah, student days) where I tuned into every match at Germany 06, South Africa 10, Brazil 14. Messi piqued my interest enough for me to tune into this game. But it has been excruciating for the most part. Dare I risk another match?

England play again tomorrow Samuel, perhaps the Three Lions can roar you awake again!

Messi even had time to fire a late free-kick just wide as he searched for a successive hat-trick. Now that would have been ridiculous stuff.

He could have easily had three today, of course, let’s not forget he missed a penalty early in the piece.

FT: Argentina 2-0 Austria

It wasn’t overly pretty at times, but Argentina found a way thanks to their genius forward. It’s been an occasion that will always be remembered as the day Lionel Messi broke Miroslav Klose’s World Cup scoring record – and then added another goal to his tally for good measure. Five for the tournament in two games. Five!

Austria were competitive but unimaginative in attack and easily thwarted in the end.

The win means Argentina will surely go on to top Group J. Austria will need something from their final game against Algeria to be sure of progression to the knockout stages.

GOAL! Argentina 2-0 Austria (Messi, 90+5)

You cannot keep a good man down! Argentina have five goals in this World Cup and every one of them has been scored by Lionel Messi.

First Alvarez was denied, then Messi was denied himself. Then he found a way to squeeze it home to seal the three points.

90 mins +4: Sabitzer will throw this late free-kick into the mixer… and Danso’s header puts it into an even more dangerous area, with Wimmer trying to flick it goalwards with his head. That wasn’t far away at all.

90 mins + 2: Maybe it’s simply been a case of Argentina being solid enough in defence to keep out a limited Austrian attack.

Paredes is booked. Can Rangnick’s team conjure something up late on here?

Added time: As Argentina slow the game down and look to keep the ball, the fourth official’s board displays five minutes.

Gonzalez is tripped to win a free-kick for the holders deep into Austrian territory.

89 mins: There’s a ‘he is human after all’ moment from Messi as he hits a stray pass into midfield for Austria to gobble up and break away. Yet again, their progress is halted by a clever Argentinian foul. No momentum.

87 mins: Danso and others put their bodies on the line in a series of vital blocks by Austria . At the other end, they are finally throwing the ball into the box in the general direction of Arnautović.

85 mins: Even the commentators are urging Austria to be a bit more, er, urgent. And Rangnick is introducing the dangerous Carney Chukwuemeka into his attack. Good move, Ralf.

84 mins: There is an argument that Argentina are something of the Atlético Madrid of international football, many of them schooled in the Diego Simeone-inspired dark arts. The difference between them and Atléti is… they have Lionel Messi.

“Austria are so toothless,” writes Mark Horan on email. “And Argentina plays in a way that makes people hate football. All machismo bullsh*t while falling down at every opportunity.”

Tell us what you really think, Mark.

82 mins: Leandro Paredes is on for Argentina as Scaloni beefs up his midfield, with De Paul trudging off behind the net as Austria prepare to take a corner. Medina is taken off too after that booking, replaced by the experienced Nicolás Tagliafico.

81 mins: If Argentina play this like against the really top sides, they won’t win the World Cup .

There’s a prediction for you.

80 mins: Martínez has taken a bit of a bash in the head (emphasis on the word ‘bit’) and has stayed down. Arnautović did catch him as he tried to get to Laimer’s ball and the keeper smothered.

78 mins: I know there are a lot of Messi devotees out there, but the neutrals are surely screaming for an Austria goal to spice up the end of this match. At the moment, it doesn’t look overly likely.

77 mins: There’s a bit of a scuffle between Facundo Medina and Konrad Laimer, who both get yellow cards for their trouble. I’m struggling to comprehend that Medina is the first Argentinian player booked in this game… and that i took nearly 77 minutes.

75 mins: What’s the opposite of a classic? Whatever it is, this game fits into that particular category.

It’s taken nearly 73 minutes for Argentina to get a corner in this game. Here is that corner, which Messi swings in … and Nico Gonzalez will be annoyed he hasn’t headed that in.

He met it with a glancing near-post header, but it whizzed just wide of the far post.

71 mins: I thought by the way Austria began this second half that we’d see more impetus from Ralf Rangnick’s team. They’re quite well organised but, to me, are seriously lacking in end product.

We’re back under way.

Thank you to Mark Schmidt and Sandgk in my email inbox, who have clarified that referees can only take away incorrectly given corners , but cannot award a corner that’s initially been given a goal kick. There’s logic for you.

It’s the 69th minute, so it’s time for some hydration, which will take absolutely ages for no reason whatsoever. Boos from the stands.

Ralf Rangnick is rolling the dice now. Wanner, Posch and Alaba go off and Marko Arnautović, Friedl and Prass are thrown on. You’d think Arnautović would fashion himself a chance over the next 23 minutes or so.

67 mins: For what it’s worth I think the ref, Amin Omar, has largely done OK. There have been loads of fouls.

Gregoritsch heads over the bar after good work by Sabitzer down the left.

65 mins: Argentina are absolutely incensed they haven’t been awarded a corner. It did look like Schlager parried away Messi’s shot. I thought VAR was intervening in such matters during this World Cup ? Apparently not.

64 mins: Some tigerish defending from Austria’s tough-tackling midfield keeps Messi and co at bay. He is drifting back into the game now, the little fella.

Another big cheer greets the arrival of Julián Alvarez. He and Nico Gonzalez are on, with Lautaro replaced.

This truly is the World Cup of ducks, isn’t it? More of a Dawn the Duck myself (admits it).

61 mins: One underrated aspect of this Argentina side, perhaps, is their defence. They don’t concede many and have been able to hold Austria at arm’s length for much of this contest.

As Argentina counter, Almada lays it off nicely to Enzo Fernández, whose shot is blocked.

59 mins: The next goal determines the outcome of this game, without a doubt (again I am Captain Obvious). If Austria get it, anything could happen. If Messi anyone from Argentina can make it 2-0, it’s game set and match.

57 mins: This could be doing them a disservice – I only saw highlights of Argentina’s game against Algeria, rather than the full thing – but they still seem like a ‘moments’ team, quite reliant on Messi pulling a rabbit from the hat. Very much like they were in 2022.

A huge cheer goes up. Not for Nicolas Otamendi replacing Romero, but for Shakira appearing on screen. Waka waka.

Sabitzer forces a decent save from Emi Martínez! That was a strong hit from the former Manchester United loanee, and (I think) Austria’s first effort on target of the game.

55 mins: Yet another Argentina foul, yet another opportunity for the referee to give them a card not taken … but this is a good chance for Austria here. Sabitzer stands over the kick.

Keyword – Global development
Trefwoorden – Global development, India, Extreme heat, Global education, Delhi, World news, Environment, South and central Asia, Climate crisis, Women’s rights and gender equality
Title – How India’s heatwaves are shutting schools – and pushing women out of the workforce | Global development | The Guardian
Author – Arsalan Bukhari and Naila Tabbasum in Delhi
Link – How India’s heatwaves are shutting schools – and pushing women out of the workforce | Global development | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-22T03:00:47.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jun/22/how-india-heatwaves-shutting-schools-pushing-women-out-of-the-workforce

O utside, the temperature has passed 41C (105.8F). Inside Sakshi Katyal’s city apartment, the air conditioner is blasting but it does little to relieve the stress of balancing housework and helping her five-year-old log in on a laptop to online classes. Her daughter’s school closed in May and Katyal is not clear when it will reopen. Probably not till the autumn.

Schools across Delhi and in about half of India’s 28 states have been ordered to close from mid-May until the end of June, when in many places the summer break starts. There is no official record of closures in past years but the Guardian has spoken to school officials who say the number of days schools are shut for because of the heat has risen sharply. The impact on families, especially on working women, has been huge.

Katyal and her husband moved to Noida, part of greater Delhi’s National Capital Region, in December 2025, to be closer to their daughter’s school, and to make balancing childcare and work easier.

“Till last year, everything was great,” Katyal says. “I had a great job and last year we even bought our apartment. The apartment meant more than property. It meant stability.

“Then one notification changed everything: the notification that my daughter’s school was shutting.”

Katyal had already left her higher-paying corporate role for a less demanding job to better manage childcare during repeated school disruptions. “Last year felt like a battle,” she says. Between June and September her daughter barely attended school physically at all.

In February, exhausted after months of juggling work and childcare, Katyal quit her job.

“My daughter would ask for food or attention while my manager was demanding reports,” she says. “Sometimes I would hand her a phone or switch on the TV just to keep her occupied.”

The family now survives on a single income while continuing to pay a monthly mortgage of about ₹50,000 (£390). “I already knew schools were likely to shut again because of the heat,” says Kaytal. “That’s when I realised I could not do this any more. Earlier, I managed everything on my own. Now, I have to ask my husband for money even for groceries or my daughter’s school fees.”

India is facing increasingly intense spells of extreme heat, with this year’s heatwaves beginning as early as April . Hundreds of thousands of parents in India are struggling with managing jobs and children as lives are disrupted by prolonged school closures linked to the high temperatures . And as childcare disproportionately falls to women, it is women who are bearing the brunt.

Nearly 15km away from Noida is Nai Basti, a densely packed neighbourhood in Okhla, south-east Delhi. Here 24-year-old Zeenat Khatoon lives in a one-room rented home with her two children. The entrance opens on to a narrow unfinished staircase, with clothes hanging from ropes tied along the walls. She cooks here, in the staircase outside her room, in 40C heat, on a small stove. “I don’t have a kitchen,” she says. Khatoon works as a domestic helper in two homes in Shaheen Bagh, earning about ₹8,000 a month. About ₹5,000 goes towards rent. Her seven-year-old daughter attends a nearby government school, and she hopes to enrol her son next year. But with schools closed, her daughter is at home.

Khatoon estimates that her daughter has been at home for roughly seven months in the past 12, with closures caused by heatwaves and pollution. “When classes go online because of heatwaves, I don’t even know if my daughter is studying properly,” she says. “I can’t stay home to monitor her. If I stop going to work, who will pay the rent, school fees and food expenses?”

She pays a local woman ₹600 a month to supervise the children and help monitor their studies during school closures. “To arrange that money, I cut down on groceries,” she says. “But I don’t want my children to spend their lives washing dishes or mopping floors like me.”

Across the city, another mother, 42-year-old Surbi Devi, who lives in a room in Saket with her disabled child, says she lost nearly a month of wages during last summer’s school closures. “What kind of policy is this?” she asks.

A labour economist, speaking on condition of anonymity because of workplace restrictions, says the disruptions are creating cascading economic consequences.

“The majority of women are being forced either to stay at home or move into precarious, lower-paying work because they have to care for children during repeated school closures,” the economist says. “This reduces household income and pushes some families closer to poverty.”

He says employers are losing productivity when workers miss shifts or leave jobs, especially in healthcare and service sectors where staffing shortages already exist. Children lose months of education, affecting future potential. “Unless schools, childcare systems and worker protections adapt to climate disruption, this will widen inequality and slow economic growth,” he says.

Urvashi Prasad, a former director at government thinktank Niti Aayog, who has worked on public health, says India’s climate response rarely accounts for women’s unequal burden. “Most heat action plans in India barely have a gender component,” she says. “We don’t analyse gender-disaggregated data to understand how climate policies affect women differently.”

She says informal workers such as domestic helpers, street vendors and agricultural labourers, and their children, are hit hard. “If we already know heatwaves and pollution will come every year, why aren’t we planning ahead instead of shutting schools at the last moment?”

A senior official in Delhi’s higher education department, who does not wish to be named, defends the closures as emergency measures. “Sometimes governments are simply trying to save lives,” he says. “Many schools lack the infrastructure to deal with extreme heat. We know online classes are not fully effective, but safety becomes the priority.”

The strain is visible in all sectors. India has fewer than 500 paediatric cardiologists for a population of 1.4 billion. Noopur Goyal, 44, a single mother in Noida, is one. After 16 years of medical training, she works with children with life-threatening heart conditions. But her schedule can collapse because of a school notification.

“How do I work properly on shifts?” she asks. “Suppose I have an important case tomorrow and my child’s school closes. What do I do?” As a single mother, every disruption falls on her shoulders. “My child is barely going to school for six months of the year,” she says. “You rarely hear a man saying, ‘I can’t go to work because my maid hasn’t come.’ But women have to say that all the time.”

In a country already struggling with shortages of specialised doctors, climate breakdown is beginning to reshape careers, households and futures – one closed school, one missed shift and one impossible morning at a time.