Keyword – World news
Trefwoorden – Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, Strait of Hormuz, US-Israel war on Iran, Trump administration, US foreign policy, US news, Middle East and north Africa, World news
Title – What lessons will Iran’s new leadership draw from the 110-day war? | Iran | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/patrickwintour
Link – What lessons will Iran’s new leadership draw from the 110-day war? | Iran | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-20T10:00:01.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/20/what-lessons-will-irans-new-leadership-draw-from-the-110-day-war

T he precise ideological lessons that Iran’s new leadership draws from the 110-day war may prove to be the overriding factor in determining whether negotiations with the US culminate in an agreement that verifiably prevents the country from developing a nuclear weapon – an outcome that could usher in a new era for the Iranian economy while also reshaping the Middle East.

Does this rapidly assembled leadership team, forged in the fire of war, still represent an Islamic ideological crusade – a description coined by Henry Kissinger – or does the acceptance of the memorandum of understanding, in the words of JD Vance, denote a desire for pragmatism?

The vacuum created by the invisibility of Iran’s injured supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei , makes this moment something of an interregnum. On Thursday, Khamenei published a letter saying he opposed the deal in principle but had deferred to the president, Masoud Pezeshkian, after being given undertakings that if the US demanded too much, he would not accept.

The rights of the country and the axis of resistance had to be protected, Khamenei said. Like his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, he has put himself in the enviable position of ensuring absolution from blame if the elected politicians get burnt dealing with the west.

His public intervention, on the eve of now-cancelled talks in Switzerland, may yet influence the balance of a charged debate inside the US administration as to the nature of Iran’s new, younger leadership.

On Friday last week, Donald Trump seemed to land on one side when he accused the Iranian leadership of being “very dishonourable people who don’t deal in good faith”.

That assessment appeared to chime with the views of John Ratcliffe, the CIA director, who warned his president that a significant gap separated the positions publicly expressed by Iranian officials from what they were saying privately. “Intelligence indicates that Iranian intentions do not align with the commitments made in the agreement,” Ratcliffe concluded, a source close to the discussions told Axios.

The hint was that Iran’s leadership team would either stall on a nuclear agreement or, worse, conclude they must secretly assemble a weapon since the strait of Hormuz would eventually become a wasting asset.

Few Iranians deny that the strait was decisive in proving the US could no longer impose global order unilaterally.

Payam Fazlinejad, a hardline editor of the magazine Naqd Andisheh, said: “History has also shown America that geography sometimes takes revenge on technology; part of the source of power lies in geographical straits, not in heavy military equipment. Iran has come to understand that it possesses a greater deterrent power than a nuclear weapon.”

But, like many others, Fazlinejad urged the leadership to break the never-ending cycle of war, negotiations and protests. “The country cannot afford a new miscalculation and must restore stability to the country,” he told Pezeshkian at a meeting of media editors this week. Politicians may have different prescriptions but it is clear the public crave a return to normality.

Trump, judging by his remarks at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, has gone all in on a version of this analysis and, as a result, decided to embrace Iran’s leadership. On Tuesday, he described the country’s leaders – the third set with whom he has had to negotiate – as “the most rational group we have ever dealt with … They are not radicalised. They are looking to help their country.”

Trump’s team like to think they have been given in the last few weeks privileged access to the most senior figures in Tehran in a way that is unprecedented for US politicians since the 1979 revolution.

Vance, for instance, said the US had never got so close to the Iranian leadership. “The coolest thing about the progress we’ve made over the last few weeks is that you’re seeing people within the Iranian system – senior leadership, even IRGC officials – say: ‘You know what? We recognise the way that we’ve done business with the US for 47 years is a mistake.’”

He said it was the hardliners in Tehran who were playing up the benefits of the deal for Iran and playing down its drawbacks – an assessment that in fact is probably the opposite of what has been happening in the capital over the past two weeks.

I n reality, it has been the most hardline faction, known as the Paydari Front and long opposed to engagement with the west, that has denigrated the deal. This group, linked to the former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and prominent in the parliament, described the deal as a catastrophe and said ending the blockade now was premature.

Many of its members appeared at street rallies and on TV to denounce the negotiating team as a betrayal of the revolution and of the martyred supreme leader. Jalili’s brother Vahid, who runs much of the state broadcaster Irib, has provided a platform for critics of the deal, to the open frustration of Pezeshkian. Critics claim Irib is an inverted version of Fox News, suppressing diverse opinion.

The internal battle over the deal was, in some ways, a re-run of the arguments Iran went through when it signed the nuclear deal in 2015. The chief negotiator, the then foreign minister Javad Zarif, became a target of vitriol for years, accused of naively striking a deal with the “Great Satan”.

When Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018, he severely undermined the faction that saw Iran’s opening to the west’s markets as essential. Ever since, the advocates of negotiation have had to overcome the reasonable argument that the US cannot be trusted. Currently it is Trump’s inability to control Israel in Lebanon that weakens the negotiations in Tehran.

Nevertheless, it still feels as if, despite Khamenei’s intervention, the hardliners are the ones who had to retreat. The advocates of a deal won not only an argument but also a power struggle. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the conservative-inclined consensus builder recently re-elected as speaker of Iran’s parliament , is probably – along with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from where he came – the most high-profile beneficiary of the war.

Ghalibaf was so confident of his position, he suggested a vote was taken at the supreme national security council on whether to accept the deal. Unusually, army members were allowed to vote as well. Only one person present opposed, reportedly most likely Jalili.

Key figures in the parliament, a possible roadblock, concede the memorandum is not a document that requires parliament’s approval.

In a long interview on Wednesday, punctuated by many personal pronouns as well as praise for national unity, Ghalibaf justified the act of negotiation and, implicitly, the concessions inherent in bargaining.

“My job is not diplomacy,” he said. “I am a fighter. But with the spirit and culture of a fighter I pursue diplomatic work. Our goal was to relieve the pressure and fire on the people. If this negotiation had not taken place, would such an event have just happened just by firing a missile? No.

“Our armed forces, compared to an enemy armed to the teeth, can wipe the floor with them, but could this have been possible without the support of the people? Never.”

But if survival in war was the primary objective, the big question now is how the government will behave.

The early clues, experts say, are that the new leadership is operating a new grand strategy, that it will be more authoritarian, more pro-China and more willing to listen pragmatically to the advice of the IRGC. Preparations for Ali Khamenei’s funeral hardly suggest Iran is morphing into a secular regime.

On the nuclear front, a deal is available, since the US has abandoned previous red lines. However, Kelsey Davenport, an Iran expert at the Arms Control Association, warned that discussions about the critical on-the-ground verification role of the UN nuclear inspectorate, and the regime’s willingness to accept a necessarily intrusive UN inspection regime, were still to be tested. Strict timelines were needed for Iran to report to the International Atomic Energy Agency, she said.

G halibaf also seems aware that the focus inside government needs to shift to address inflation and the currency markets. “We must take over the frontline from the launcher kids and relieve the people from economic pressure,” he said. “The criterion of success is shifting from repelling external threats to improving the economy.”

One way to do that is to not put all Iran’s eggs in the western basket. Ghalibaf, appointed as special envoy to China last month, emphasised a balanced approach between west and east.

Sina Toossi, a senior fellow at the Centre for International Policy, said: “For years, Iran treated China transactionally. They were ultimately seeking some kind of accommodation with the west, and were using China as a form of leverage. But they did not really deliver to China everything that China wanted.

“Xi Jinping visited Tehran in January 2016, the same month the JCPoA [joint comprehensive plan of action] was signed. During his visit, China and Iran signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, but Iran gave all the contracts to European countries.”

Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, one of the best analysts of Iran’s economy, said: “Chinese business leaders and officials felt jilted. It was a strategic error by Iran not to prioritise relations with China. Ghalibaf is signalling he’s not about to make the same mistake.”

After all, few countries in the region are making progress without Chinese investments, but since 2018 US sanctions have made that investment in Iran near impossible.

Another unresolved problem is politics. Iranians who pinned their hopes on Trump’s promise that “help is on its way” feel abandoned. One said: “When you go in a taxi, to the stores, [or] talk to friends, no one is happy with the deal. We did not expect this in March. We did not want a Xi, or an Iranian Putin.”

Keyword – Football
Trefwoorden – World Cup 2026, Australia national football team – Socceroos, USA, Football, World Cup, Sport, US sports, Australia sport
Title – USA surge into World Cup knockout stage after dominant victory over Socceroos | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/alexander-abnos
Link – USA surge into World Cup knockout stage after dominant victory over Socceroos | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-19T21:25:50.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/19/usa-australia-world-cup-2026-group-d-match-report

Whatever the result, soccer was always going to win. But on a hot and bright Friday afternoon in the pacific north-west, the word had an American accent.

The United States’ 2-0 World Cup win over Australia was a rare meeting between sides that could agree not just on terminology, but on the weighty significance of a good result. Both seemingly play every men’s World Cup with the weight of the future of the sport on their shoulders, both facing intense competition from other sports for the country’s hearts and minds.

The significance of this match was never going to be in question, though. Not at the World Cup, and certainly not in a group as balanced as Group D, with both teams enjoying positive momentum from World Cup-opening wins.

For the US, that momentum now continues. As John Denver’s Country Roads blared over the Seattle Stadium PA, they celebrated history: a spot in the knockout round secured with a game to spare, two wins to start a World Cup for the first time since 1930, a big moment for a breakout star in goalscorer Alex Freeman, and the continuation of a journey that US Soccer hope will be transformative for the sport in their country.

“We built the victory in our attitude,” Mauricio Pochettino said. “Today, even if I am not American, after the game I was emotional … To connect with the people is what we wanted.”

By contrast, Australia’s forward progress has now been blunted. The defensive resolve and surgical counterattack that powered their 2-0 win against Turkey was undone by an early own goal, the second time in as many games the US have benefited from that sort of advantage. A subpar first half could not be saved by a far more competitive second stanza, with the manager Tony Popovic electing to leave Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe, the two goalscorers last time, on the bench.

Speculation about Christian Pulisic’s status dominated the leadup up to the match, and shortly beforehand Pochettino confirmed that he was not available for selection. Still Popovic insisted that “there were not surprises in what they did … We didn’t match that. We were slow to every ball, and we couldn’t wrestle back any momentum.”

Australia fans, almost uniformly resplendent in yellow, were audible throughout in their three large pockets of support centered around Seattle Stadium’s south end. But ultimately this was a raucous and partisan crowd in one of the capitals of the sport in the United States.

The Americans took control of the game within short order, probing Australia though channels on either side. That was how the breakthrough came, with Antonee Robinson playing forward to Folarin Balogun, shifted out wide to where Pulisic might otherwise have been. Beating Jacob Italiano for pace, Balogun fired a low service into the penalty area that Cameron Burgess knew little about, and could only deflect into his own net.

Australia had a chance to reply just two minutes later, with Mohamed Touré holding up the ball against a tight US backline, as Mathew Leckie attempted an audacious outside of the boot effort from the top of the box around Richards, which went high and wide.

The physical battles that both teams said would be a hallmark of this matchup began to crop up at this point. Jordan Bos was issued the game’s first yellow card for a hand to the face of Weston McKennie shortly thereafter, with Alessandro Circati picking up another later on for clipping Malik Tillman’s heel. By the end, seven yellow cards were issued – a tournament high. “I didn’t think it was physical, really,” Popovic said. “I thought it was as you’d expect.”

The genesis of the US’s second came from Tillman, who battled Nishan Velupillay to keep the ball along the Australia byline, eventually earning a dangerous free-kick. Robinson played it to the top of the box to Sergiño Dest, whose shot was deflected by a flying Harry Souttar.

Freeman was first to the rebound, bundling it into the back of the net in a goal that was initially checked for offside, then allowed. Freeman, by then back in his customary center-back position, ended up celebrating at the opposite end that the goal occurred, surrounded by his teammates onrushing from the bench.

“The evolution is massive,” Pochettino said of the 21-year-old Freeman. “He has potential to be one of the best players in his position in the world.”

Popovic responded to that lackluster first half with a raft of attacking substitutions bringing on the two goalscorers from the Socceroos last game. The attacking approach brought its own risks, with a Balogun breakaway just after the half eventually blocked. It also brought rewards, with Australia looking for more comfortable on the front foot.

Popovic made another change just after the hour mark, with Cristian Volpato replacing Leckie. The Sassuolo man had a key moment almost immediately, firing over the bar after a surging run from Irankunda down the right flank. Metcalfe had another attempt minutes later smothered by Matt Freese with little difficulty.

Physical challenges threatened to boil over as the crowd chanted “USA,” willing the match to conclusion. The final whistle was delayed only slightly by an odd injury to referee Felix Zwayer, who later finished out the game. Sensing the environment flagging, Balogun waved his arms to pump up the crowd. The party started not long after.

Keyword – Football
Trefwoorden – World Cup 2026, Turkey, Paraguay, World Cup, Football, Sport
Title – ‘Everybody’s crying’: Turkey crash out as 10-man Paraguay hang on for World Cup win | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian
Author – Reuters
Link – ‘Everybody’s crying’: Turkey crash out as 10-man Paraguay hang on for World Cup win | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-20T07:57:00.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/20/turkey-paraguay-world-cup-2026-group-d-match-report

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.

Despite facing 10 men for more than a half, Turkey slumped to a 1-0 defeat against the spirited South Americans after racking up 32 goal ⁠attempts to be eliminated with a match to spare. It came after they amassed 30 fruitless attempts in a 2-0 opening defeat by Australia, a match in which they were similarly thwarted by poor ⁠finishing and a staunch opposition defence.

The 62 shots combined were the most without a goal in any two-match span in the ​World Cup on record in data collected since 1966. That wastefulness ‌was only amplified by Paraguay’s ‌incredible efficiency as Matias Galarza struck the tournament’s fastest goal with a stunning, 25-metre strike just over a minute into the ‌match.

Turkish fans will wonder what might have been had Mert Muldur’s 35th-minute header from a free-kick gone in off the crossbar rather than rebounding against the post.That was as close as Turkey came despite players queuing up for a ping at goal right up to the finish, with Baris Yilmaz, Can Uzun and Merih Demiral all failing to put away good chances.

Arda Guler, the 21-year-old pinup boy of Turkish soccer, 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 last 32.

For Paraguay, ⁠it was a win for the true believers following their dreadful display against the USA. The coach Gustavo Alfaro backed his no-frills squad ​to turn it around but his decision ​to bring in Galarza, who was unused against the USA, proved a masterstroke. After the midfielder’s goal ​it was grit, determination and ‌a generous dollop of ​luck that kept their tournament ​alive.

Not even a red card in first-half stoppage time could deny the South Americans, though their task was made harder by Miguel Almirón’s dismissal for remarks made to Muldur with his hand covering his mouth. Almirón fell foul of a new rule, which was approved at a meeting of the International Football Association Board, the game’s lawmakers, in April.

Alfaro said his players had shown their mettle. “It’s nothing about tactics or strategy here. This victory, this result is to the credit of the players,” he said.

Keyword – Life and style
Trefwoorden – Australian lifestyle, Dating, Relationships, Life and style
Title – The moment I knew: When he saw my unkempt hovel, he was so nonjudgmental | Australian lifestyle | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/doosie-morris
Link – The moment I knew: When he saw my unkempt hovel, he was so nonjudgmental | Australian lifestyle | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-13T20:00:23.000Z
Category – Lifestyle
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jun/14/moment-i-knew-unkempt-hovel-nonjudgmental

I ’d had a big, sparkly pop career in my 20s but by 2024 I was beyond my twink era, and getting by hopping from one weird gig to the next. Covid had really done a number on the music industry and, while my friend Paul Mac had kept me making music, I found myself drifting through a strange, boozy few years in Sydney. I’d been single since 2020 and my best friend was my cat.

Throughout that hazy time, I was as terminally online as ever. At 38 I was posting like a 20-year-old. One day, for no particular reason, I posted a track from the Dissociatives’ self-titled album from the mid-noughties. Paul, who I call my gay uncle, and Daniel Johns of Silverchair fame, had made just one LP together, and the obscure track, Thinking in Reverse , was one of my favourites.

To my surprise it earned me a little fire emoji reaction from the drag queen Karen from Finance, who I was vaguely aware of from their time on Drag Race. I didn’t think queens listened to indie music, so I was snobbily impressed and clicked “follow”.

As I looked over their Instagram posts I was intrigued by this self-made character and realised we had crossed paths over the years. It turned out in 2022 at the Gaytimes festival, as I scrambled to deal with a keyboard malfunction, Karen had performed a 15-minute-long Tina Turner medley to tide the crowd over!

Still, we had never spoken and I had never laid eyes on Richard Chadwick, the man behind the makeup. An online connection bubbled between us and occasionally, if I noticed we were in the same city (he lived in Melbourne), I’d suggest we meet up. But the stars never aligned.

As the 2025 Melbourne fringe festival approached, I was staying with a friend in the city. I popped on to Grindr only to be greeted with this familiar, very handsome face at zero metres away.

Richard, it turned out, was my friend’s flatmate. Not wanting to sully our finally meeting face to face by involving the app, I casually kicked open the door of the spare room I was in, hoping to catch him wandering by. When that didn’t work I started marching loudly around the house trying to get his attention. Little did I know Richard was suffering through a severe hangover.

Eventually my antics lured him out of his room and I got my first look at him, all sparkling blue eyes in a black band tee and a pair of basketball shorts. It was the first time I’d seen him out of costume. He had this beautiful warm smile and I threw my arms open at the sight of him. I knew as we were locked in that first firm embrace I was going to fall for him.

He must have felt something too because his hangover magically disappeared and he joined me at my gig. I spent the entire performance catching his eye in the crowd and singing my little heart out as if he was the only one there.

On the drive home we gushed about Silverchair’s highly underrated Diorama album. And put it this way: I didn’t need to make use of the spare room.

I flew home to Sydney the next day feeling elated but not expecting anything more. I was bowled over a few days later when he proposed taking a detour, after a show in Adelaide, through Sydney to visit me.

I hadn’t had a house guest in years and my apartment was a bachelor pad in all the worst ways. I was so embarrassed about it I booked us a hotel, but the room was so bad he insisted we go back to mine. There he got his first glimpse of who I was behind my performer’s facade – dirty dishes, hideous bed linen and all. He was so fine with the state of my house I could hardly believe it. This is a person who will not drink champagne unless everyone’s glasses match, yet my unkempt hovel didn’t receive much more than a side eye.

That is something I adore about Richard. Despite his own exacting standards, he is so nonjudgmental. I am a famously cynical guy. I see the worst in everything, especially myself. But Richard doesn’t; he challenges my negativity without ever making me feel bad about it.

When I get salty about some perceived slight, he asks me gently if it’s really something worth spending my energy on.

I didn’t even have a full-length mirror in my home when Richard started to stay, so he bought me one. Now when I send him my daily fit checks, I make my bed and tidy up before I take the shot. Not because I fear he will judge my slovenly ways but because his love makes me feel like the kind of person who deserves to have six decorative bed pillows and not sleep with their shoes on.

Brendan Maclean performs in the cabaret production Velvet Inferno at the Sydney Opera House, 24 July to 12 September

Tell us the moment you knew

Keyword – Culture
Trefwoorden – Culture, The Wombles, Children’s TV, Television, Television & radio, UK news
Title – The Guide #247: As the Wombles stage their latest comeback, what sort of country are they returning to? | Culture | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/gwilym-mumford
Link – The Guide #247: As the Wombles stage their latest comeback, what sort of country are they returning to? | Culture | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-20T04:00:51.000Z
Category – Culture
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jun/19/the-wombles-return-the-guide

A t the height of Womble-mania in the mid-70s, Elisabeth Beresford, creator of the snout-nosed, litter-collecting sensations, laid down three strict ground rules for anyone appearing in costume as her characters: no smoking; no drinking; and absolutely no taking your head off in public.

The latter was a real problem: in 1974 a cabaret club in Liverpool was forced to sack the entire cast of Wombles – the cast provided by theatre impresario and future Everton FC chairman Bill Kenwright, no less – after a disastrous opening night performance of their Christmas panto that featured inaudible singing, under-rehearsed dance routines, Wombles that looked “too thin” and, most unforgivably, one of the cast members removing their head in the theatre wings “in full view of the children”, according to the club’s director. Things got worse at another shambolic Wombles performance in Belfast, which was cut short after less than an hour, after booing, catcalls and furious mothers storming the stage, brandishing handbags and umbrellas.

Such was the devotion for Great Uncle Bulgaria, Tobermory and the rest. The Wombles were a genuine cultural phenomenon for a time. Their adventures on Wimbledon Common were chronicled in Beresford’s book series, which fed into their own stop-motion animation TV show narrated by Bernard Cribbins. They were also plastered over all manner of merchandise, from flannels to hot-water bottles, and were a fixture in the singles chart, courtesy of the costumed supergroup fronted by Mike Batt (who, sensibly, always made sure to keep his Womble head firmly on).

Why are we talking about the Wombles in 2026? Well, because Beresford’s creations are receiving one of their occasional updates, with another production company hoping to restore the characters to their 70s peak. The last attempt was in 2016 when a CGI series (CGI? Sacrilege!) featuring Ray Winstone was canned before a single episode aired. This latest reboot promises to turn the Wombles into a “multi-platform international franchise”, beginning with a YouTube channel that will show old episodes and new shorts, and will launch this summer. It’s an ambitious plan for a cast of characters that few under the age of 25 are likely to be familiar with: the last time the Wombles were regularly on British screens was for a brief revival in the mid-90s, though they have periodically popped up in charity campaigns. Can they be successfully resurrected?

It’s hard not to be sceptical. The Wombles originally arrived at a perfect moment in the early 70s, just as the environmentalist movement was starting to find favour in Britain. Litter had become an everyday blight on the nation’s streets as disposable products became prevalent, necessitating an urgent shift in public attitudes. There was the stick, of course – the Dangerous Litter Act 1971 set a fine of £100 for anyone who was caught dropping rubbish – but the carrot of something softer was required. In this climate the Wombles and their call to “make good use of bad rubbish” chimed perfectly, inspiring children across the country to embark on mass litter-picking sessions.

Such a show seems a harder sell today. Environmental issues have become contested terrain, subsumed into our wider, ceaseless culture war. It’s easy to imagine the Wombles being greeted less cheerfully in this climate than in the 70s: certain tabloids declaring that the creatures have “gone woke”; conspiracy theories about the series being pro-Ulez propaganda spread across Facebook groups and on rightwing news networks and so forth. And that’s before getting into the issue of reviving a half-century-old kids TV product in a drastically different, far more fragmented entertainment landscape.

Mind you, the same could have been said about another recently revived TV relic from another age. Paddington, in book form at least, was even older but just look at him now: a planet conquering, highly merchandisable instrument of soft power . And Paddington’s gentle pro-immigration message was arguably an even tougher sell than that of the Wombles (even more so today, and yet, the franchise keeps selling). So there’s hope for our rubbish-amassing friends yet, I’d say – provided everyone keeps calm and doesn’t lose their heads.

Keyword – World news
Trefwoorden – Europe, Extreme heat, France, Spain, Germany, Environment, World news
Title – Macron calls for vigilance as western Europe faces second heatwave of year | Europe | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jonhenley,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/samjones,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/kateconnolly
Link – Macron calls for vigilance as western Europe faces second heatwave of year | Europe | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-19T16:30:27.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/19/macron-calls-for-vigilance-as-western-europe-faces-second-heatwave-of-year

More than half of France’s population is under a severe weather warning as large swathes of western Europe endure the second extreme heat event of the year, with temperatures expected to exceed 40C (104F).

The French president called for “extreme vigilance”, urging people to “take care of our oldest and most vulnerable people” and follow government advice. “We are going through difficult days,” Emmanuel Macron said.

A 30-year-old man died after going into cardiac arrest on an athletics track near Paris on Thursday as the temperature reached 37C. The rail operator SNCF cancelled 71 intercity trains, while schools rescheduled exams.

Météo-France extended its ⁠orange heatwave alert to 60 of the country’s 96 mainland departments – home to about 41 million people – on Friday and Saturday, warning of a “widespread, prolonged ​and intense” heatwave.

The national weather service said several more departments could be added over the weekend and that some alerts could be raised to red, the highest level. “In terms of duration and severity, this event could equal that of August 2003,” it said.

The 2003 heatwave was France’s worst on record, with temperatures above 40C for nearly a fortnight. More than 14,800 people, most of them elderly care home residents, died, leading to a government heatwave planaimed at preventing a repeat.

Although astronomical summer does not begin until Sunday, France is already experiencing its second extreme temperature event of 2026, after an unusually hot spell in May shattered local and national monthly temperature records.

Météo-France said temperatures were likely to average 36C in the north-west and 39C in central and southern regions on Friday. After a slight dip on Saturday, they are forecast to rise to 40C in many regions, including Paris, early next week.

With so much of the country affected, the agency said the national heat index, an average of day and night temperatures recorded at 30 weather stations nationwide, could approach a record high on Sunday and Monday.

The power utility EDF ​has said four nuclear ​plants ​were likely to curb output next week because of unusually warm cooling water in the Rhône and Garonne rivers. Meanwhile, several municipalities have cancelled Sunday’s Fête de la Musique festivities.

A spokesperson for Spain’s state meteorological office, Aemet, said temperatures would reach 40C as the country entered “an episode of persistently high temperatures likely to meet the technical threshold for a heatwave”.

Rubén del Campo said it was likely to exceed 35C across the Iberian peninsular and Balearic Islands, climbing to 40C in southern areas – including the Tagus, Guadiana and Guadalquivir valleys, as well as in eastern Cantabria and the Ebro valley in the north.

The heatwave could persist until Wednesday or Thursday, after which temperatures are expected to fall. However, it could remain “very hot” across much of the country, with overnight lows remaining above 25C in many areas.

Temperatures in south-west Germany are forecast to rise to 36C by the weekend, prompting authorities to issue heat warnings even at altitudes of 600 metres (2,000ft). The DWD weather service also forecast heavy thunderstorms and downpours.

The agency advised people to avoid strenuous physical activity where possible, regardless of fitness level, and urged non-swimmers to take extra care after a series of drownings during hot spells.

A hitzefrei (heat-free) day was declared for Friday, with lessons cut short and pupils sent home early as school buildings became uncomfortably hot.

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.