Qatar’s PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told Al Jazeera that safeguards have been put in place to prevent US-Iran negotiations from regional escalation, including tensions in Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz, stressing diplomacy and respect for agreements.
Published On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026
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Messi scores twice to become all-time leading scorer in men’s World Cup history as Argentina reach knockout rounds.
Published On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026
Lionel Messi became the leading scorer in World Cup history as the captain struck twice to give Argentina a 2-0 win over Austria and send the champions into the last 32.
The player widely regarded as the greatest of all time pounced late in the first half in Texas on Monday with a trademark left-footed finish after neat build-up play.
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The predatory goal added to his hat-trick in Argentina’s opening match to make it 17 in total at the World Cup.
The 38-year-old then sealed the match deep in injury time after a scramble in the box, as he outfoxed four defenders who lined up to keep the ball out.
It should have been even better for Messi, who missed a penalty early on, stunning a fiercely pro-Argentina 70,649 crowd at the air-conditioned home of the Dallas Cowboys.
With both sides knowing a win would put them into the knockout rounds with a game to spare, Lautaro Martinez was brought down in the box, sandwiched by two Austrian players.
Referee Amin Mohamed gave a penalty after a VAR intervention, and a wall of noise went up as Messi stepped forward on nine minutes.
But his run-up was slow and his weak effort off target, dragging it wide.
For all his brilliance, Messi – who turns 39 on Wednesday – is surprisingly poor from the penalty spot by his standards.
He also saw his spot-kick saved by Wojciech Szczesny in a 2-0 win over Poland at the 2022 World Cup, where Argentina went on to be champions, and missed at the 2018 tournament.
In the 19th minute Messi had a clear sniff at goal, only for Austria captain David Alaba to steal the ball off his toes at the last moment as he danced through on goal.
Alaba denied Messi again just after the half-hour mark, blocking his goalbound shot with goalkeeper Alexander Schlager stranded.
Ralf Rangnick’s Austria, who beat debutants Jordan 3-1 in their opener, were content to sit back. They did not have a shot on target in the first half.
And then the came the big moment, Messi sweeping in on 38 minutes after being set up by Facundo Medina, with Thiago Almada cleverly letting the ball run through his legs to leave Argentina’s talisman all on his own and the goal gaping.
The Argentina fans, who greatly outnumbered their Austrian counterparts, rose to acclaim their hero.
Messi had equalled Miroslav Klose’s all-time mark of 16 World Cup goals when hitting a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria in the holders’ opening game.
Lionel Scaloni’s side failed to build on their lead, and the second half drifted, neither side creating much.
If anything, Austria threatened slightly more, but Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was only once seriously troubled.
And then up popped Messi to have the last word at the death.
Julian Alvarez’s initial attempt was saved by Schlager but the rebound was worked to Messi who, after seeing his first shot blocked, pounced to drive in a low strike from six yards out that confirmed the points.
Ukraine says facility a ‘critical component’ in defence production as local Russian authorities confirm attack.
Published On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026
Ukraine’s military has said it struck a plant producing electronics for missiles in Russia’s Voronezh region, as well as the Dubna satellite communications centre in the Moscow region.
In a statement on Telegram on Monday, the Ukrainian General Staff said it had used air-launched cruise missiles to hit the plant in Voronezh, which it described as a “critical component” in Russia’s defence production.
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Alexander Gusev, the Voronezh governor, said a production plant was damaged and three people were injured in the attack, without specifying the nature of the facilities.
Gusev said in a post on Telegram that air defence forces had destroyed several high-speed targets in the skies over Voronezh and warned residents of the danger of missile attacks.
The Ukrainian military also said it struck Russia’s Dubna satellite communications centre in the Moscow region, adding that heavy smoke was observed at the site and the extent of the damage was being assessed.
Eighty-four drones headed for Moscow were downed in the past 24 hours, the city’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
He said emergency services had been dispatched to the areas where drones were downed, but gave no further information.
The airports of Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo, as well as Zhukovskiy near the Russian capital, had temporarily suspended flights, the aviation watchdog said separately.
In total, Russian defence systems downed 301 drones overnight, local news agencies said, citing the Ministry of Defence. That tally included Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.
The latest raids follow a drone attack that hit Moscow’s sole oil refinery last week, in one of the biggest air attacks on the city since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In Ukraine, authorities said a Russian drone attack early on Monday in the Sumy region killed a 13-year-old boy, his 36-year-old father, and his 73-year-old grandmother.
Regional governor Oleh Hryhorov said the 73-year-old was the mother of the man’s roommate.
Russian drone attacks in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia overnight and early on Monday killed two people and injured a further seven, Ukraine’s emergency services said.
Russia also hit the southern Odesa region with an Iskander ballistic missile on Sunday evening, killing one and injuring three people, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram. Vehicles and fuel storage tanks caught fire after the strike hit an agricultural facility, he said.
Elsewhere, the city of Sevastopol in Russian-annexed Crimea cancelled all open-air public events on Monday and will keep streetlights switched off, its governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev said, as he called on people to curb electricity usage.
Russian drones hit a Turkish dry cargo vessel, the Victress, which was sailing under the Panamanian flag, Ukraine’s navy said.
Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said a 58-year-old Egyptian cook was killed and eight other crew members, including Turkish and Indian nationals, had to evacuate on a lifeboat.
The leaders of Europe’s top military powers will meet on Wednesday in Berlin to discuss the Ukraine conflict and an upcoming NATO summit.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to host the leaders of France, Britain, Italy and Poland, a spokesman said Monday, adding that the resignation announcement of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had not changed those plans.
EUROPE’s best airlines have been named and a major one in the UK was named the winner.
Virgin Atlantic came in top for the best airlines in Europe in this year’s Airline Passenger Experience (APEX) awards.
The awards are based on passenger feedback, with millions of people anonymoulsy rating their flights across four categories.
APEX Group CEO Dr. Joe Leader said: “Passenger feedback remains one of the clearest indicators of how airlines are delivering on the experiences travelers value most.”
Virgin has also launched two new flight routes this summer, to bucket list holiday destinations.
The airline’s first ever flights to South Korea took off earlier this year – and we were one of the first to join.
Otherwise new flights to Phuket will be starting later this year as well.
Other APEX winners included Turkish Airlines for both entertainment and food and drinks, while KLM won for Best Cabin Service.
Best Seat Comfort went to Finnair, and Best WiFi went to airBaltic.
Sadly, UK airlines missed out in the overall global categories, with Korean Air named Best Cabin Service, while Emirates won for Best Entertainment.
Qatar Airways took Best Food & Beverage while Eva Air had Best Seat Comfort.
WHEN it comes to beautiful hiking destinations, not many places beat Italy – but there is one top spot with some strict rules.
The Cinque Terre National Park in Italy spans 15sqm in the north of the country.
Home to over 75 miles of hiking trails, it is a popular spot due to its breathtaking landscapes and coastal location.
And while it is open to the public to explore, there is a major rule you need to be aware of.
Nowhere on the park’s marked hiking trails are you allowed to wear flip flops.
This includes backless sandals and shoes with smooth soles.
Read more on travel inspo
In fact, any shoes deemed unsuitable for the trails – along with flip flop and sandals – could score you a fine of between €50 (£43.15) to €2,500 (£2,157.31).
Staff across the park, as well as guards, can carry out checks including stopping visitors to check they have the right footwear.
If you don’t have the right footwear, you could get fined on the spot or not be allowed to use the trails.
One trail where flip flops are banned is the famous Blue Path, which connects all five villages in the park.
The path takes between five and eight hours to walk from end-to-end, or longer if you want to explore the villages.
To do the Blue Path, you will usually need a Cinque Terre Card, which gives you access to the trails as well as local shuttle buses and museum discounts.
Flip flops are allowed in some areas though, including the villages in the park – Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.
The park isn’t the only spot in Italy where you can’t wear flip flops though.
In Capri, a law that was created back in the 1960s bans people from wearing noisy shoes.
This includes flip flops, as well as squeaky sandals and even wooden clogs.
Follow updates as Messi's Argentina play Austria in Group J, including the build-up, analysis and live text commentary.
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US Vice President JD Vance has touted significant progress in talks with Iran over its nuclear programme and Israel’s war on Lebanon, while refusing to commit to an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. He said Trump is trying to bring ‘permanent peace’ to a region that’s been ‘a basket case for a long time’.
Published On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026
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As heatwaves become an increasingly common feature of European summers, more of us are looking to cooler, northern coastlines for our seaside holidays. From the traditional seaside towns of Germany, northern France and the Netherlands, to the long sandy beaches of the Baltic coast and the islands of Scandinavia, we’d love to hear about your favourite cooler coastal breaks in Europe.
The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet wins a £200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property – the company has more than 3,000 worldwide. The best tips will appear in the Guardian Travel section and website.
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Keir Starmer is under intense pressure from his own Labour party to announce plans to step down as Prime Minister.
By AFP, Reuters and The Associated Press
Published On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026
Prime Minister Keir Starmer could shortly announce a plan to step down, according to UK media reports, as his likely successor Andy Burnham is expected to be sworn in as a member of parliament.
Government ministers said the Labour leader was reflecting on his political future over the weekend.
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Starmer could set out an exit timetable on Monday, conceding to pressure from his Labour Party to hand over the reins of power.
The threat to the British leader, which has been building for months, increased sharply on Friday when Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, decisively won a parliamentary election to return to Westminster, beating a candidate from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, which has led national opinion polls for more than a year.
That victory gave hope to Labour lawmakers that Burnham, a career politician known for his communication skills, could transform the fortunes of a party that has lost support under Starmer, whose popularity ratings have sunk.
If Starmer does announce his exit, he will be the sixth prime minister in a decade to stand outside 10 Downing Street and announce a premature departure.
The beleaguered leader “is expected to announce on Monday that he will step down as prime minister after overwhelming pressure from Labour MPs to make way for Andy Burnham”, The Guardian said.
The BBC said “signs are growing” that Starmer could set out a plan to resign on Monday, while newspapers splashed with headlines like “Game Over”.
But the widely expected change of leader is not without risk.
Beyond saying that the country needs fundamental change and to bring down the cost of living, Burnham has yet to make clear his approach to foreign affairs, the economy and defence.
Like Starmer, he could find he has little room to manoeuvre, hemmed in by bond market investors opposed to any additional government borrowing, and confronted by an angry electorate who believe the country is not working properly.
Starmer had said on Friday he would stand in any formal Labour leadership contest that sought to replace him.
While Starmer’s team believes his landslide national election win in 2024 gives him the mandate to stay in post until 2029, business minister Peter Kyle said on Sunday the prime minister was reflecting on “the political challenges that he faces in this moment”.
If Starmer does step aside, it is unclear whether Burnham would face a coronation or a challenge. Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary last month to protest against Starmer’s leadership, has said that he will run in a contest if there is one.
Burnham, if he succeeds, would become Britain’s seventh prime minister since the Brexit vote to leave the European Union, which took place 10 years ago this week.
That level of turnover – the highest in Britain in nearly two centuries – underlines the struggle of maintaining the support of voters angry at successive failures to improve living standards, public services and tackle undocumented immigration.
Thomas Warrick, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, says the 60-day US-Iran talks face hurdles with regards to nuclear issues and sanctions, and will require time, willingness, and patience to achieve lasting results.
Published On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026
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Iranian fans in Tehran watched their team secure a 0-0 draw against Belgium at the World Cup in Los Angeles, keeping hope alive for an unprecedented chance at the second round. Iran competes under strict US travel restrictions, which forced them to fly back to Mexico within hours of the draw, rather than remaining overnight for recovery.
Published On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026
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Yamal makes a goal-scoring return for Spain as European champions get their World Cup campaign back on track.
Inspired by Lamine Yamal, Spain strolled to a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia in Group H, as Mikel Oyarzabal restored his reputation with two goals and Luis de la Fuente’s side found their groove after an underwhelming World Cup opener.
Yamal opened the scoring in the 10th minute on Sunday and Oyarzabal, who failed to register a touch in the opening half hour in Monday’s scoreless draw with Cape Verde, scored twice in quick succession as Spain had the game wrapped up by half-time.
An own goal shortly after the interval failed to reopen the floodgates, as Spain used the opportunity to make changes and rest their scorers.
De la Fuente celebrated his 65th birthday in style, and Yamal, whose only football in the last two months came as a substitute against Cape Verde, sparked life into the team that returned to Atlanta Stadium.
A huge cheer greeted Yamal’s first touch, twisting and turning his marker before playing a teasing cross that was cleared by Abdulelah Al-Amri, the scorer of Saudi Arabia’s goal in their 1-1 match with Uruguay.
The opening goal came with Oyarzabal sending an inviting ball across the box, and Yamal being there to slide in at the back post and score his first World Cup goal.
Having toiled in vain in their opening game, the goal relaxed Spain, who began to carve open the Saudi defence at will, and the second goal came from a corner.
Dani Olmo sent the ball back into the mix which the Saudis failed to clear and Aymeric Laporte nodded down to Oyarzabal, who bundled the ball into the net.
Three minutes later, Spain were in again with a beautifully worked goal. Pedro Porro floated a pass into the area and the ball never touched the ground until it found the net.
Marc Cucurella’s hooked pass found Olmo, who headed into the six-yard box for Oyarzabal to tap it in on the volley, as the striker proved that given the right service, he is Spain’s man to deliver.
Spain replaced Yamal and Oyarzabal for the second half, but picked up where they left off when the Saudi goalkeeper blocked Cucurella’s volley from a corner and the ball ricocheted off defender Hassan Al-Tambakti and into the net.
The European champions continued to create chances, but understandably took their foot off the gas on a day when even Vozinha, Cape Verde’s 40-year-old hero keeper, would have struggled against this version of Spain, who look back to their best.
Spain advance to four points in the standings, while Saudi Arabia stay on one after two games each. The other teams in the group, Cape Verde and Uruguay, meet later on Sunday in Miami.
Oyarzabal said he was happy to get the win and to have given his own performance after criticism of how he played against Cape Verde.
“It’s not about proving myself. I’ve always said I feel loved by my teammates, the coach, the staff day to day. That’s what counts for me,” he told the media.
“People will talk outside. We know how the football world works, but we have to stay relaxed.”
Yamal said it was a “dream” to score in a World Cup.
“I watched the last World Cup from a classroom, so being able to score here with my mum and my family in the stands is a dream come true,” he said.
Historic negotiations between Iran and the United States are officially underway, marking the start of what mediators describe as a crucial 60-day process.
Published On 21 Jun 202621 Jun 2026
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UK minister says Starmer considering ‘political realities’ after Labour rival Andy Burnham secured decisive by-election win.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is weighing whether to resign within days, according to media reports, amid mounting pressure from his own Labour Party following a decisive by-election win by his rival, Andy Burnham.
Expectation is growing that Starmer could announce a resignation timetable as soon as Monday, the same day Burnham is sworn in as a lawmaker after winning Thursday’s vote by a wide margin – a result that has reportedly emboldened Labour figures, including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, to call for Starmer to step aside.
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A resignation would lead to the United Kingdom’s seventh prime minister in a decade, a rapid rate of churn in the country’s modern history.
Starmer has been under growing pressure to step down after months of declining popularity, policy missteps and scandals.
In February, the premier came under fire when revelations from the Epstein files about Peter Mandelson, whom Starmer appointed as the UK’s ambassador to the US in December 2024, came to light.
Burnham, Greater Manchester mayor since 2017, has made clear he intends to challenge to lead the slumping centre-left party, warning in his by-election victory speech that it had a “final chance to change”.
If successful, he would become prime minister by default, given that the governing Labour has a huge parliamentary majority.
Starmer is deeply unpopular with voters, according to polling.
YouGov, a global public opinion and data analytics firm, reports that only 19 percent of British people have a positive opinion of the prime minister, and he ranks as the ninth most popular Labour politician.
Starmer has insisted he will fight any attempt to oust him.
But the emphatic nature of Burnham’s win in the Makerfield constituency in northwest England, where he nearly doubled Labour’s majority, has increased the internal pressure on Starmer to quit.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said on Sunday that Starmer was “making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and opportunities that he finds himself in”.
“He has been engaging in conversations with a wide, wide range of people,” Kyle told the Sky News broadcaster after having what he said was a “frank” conversation with Starmer on Friday.
The Observer newspaper headlined on its cover on Sunday that Starmer was “expected to resign” the following day, while the Sunday Telegraph also reported he was “ready” to go, citing allies of the embattled British leader.
The Observer said Starmer would “set out a timetable for his departure”, noting he had been holding weekend talks at Chequers, the countryside retreat for prime ministers.
Labour’s drubbing in local and regional polls in England, Scotland and Wales last month intensified the pressure on him.
The fallout from the polls saw Makerfield’s previous Labour MP resign to allow Burnham to stand there.
Burnham, a former MP and government minister under ex-prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, is due to be sworn back into parliament on Monday.
From the so-called soft-left wing of Labour, he reinforced his reputation as the party’s most popular figure by easily beating the hard-right populist Reform UK party’s candidate in this week’s by-election.
Reform, led by Brexit architect Nigel Farage, had won all of Makerfield’s wards in last month’s local elections.
US and Iranian delegations have arrived for high-level talks at a hotel in Switzerland. JD Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Pakistani mediators, while Iranian officials including Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi and chief negotiator Bagher Ghalibaf met their Swiss hosts.
Published On 21 Jun 202621 Jun 2026
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Iranian and US officials are set for high stakes talks in Switzerland aimed at reinforcing the Memorandum of Understanding framework. Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid says intense diplomatic efforts have kept negotiations on track, but key disputes remain unresolved.
Published On 21 Jun 202621 Jun 2026
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Lebanon to top the agenda as US and Iran to hold talks in Switzerland’s Burgenstock mediated by Qatar and Pakistan.
Published On 21 Jun 202621 Jun 2026
United States Vice President JD Vance has arrived in Switzerland for talks with Iran days after they signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the US-Israel war on Iran, which had sent oil prices soaring above $100 per barrel and rattled international markets.
The latest round of talks mediated by Pakistan and Qatar is scheduled on Sunday as Israel has intensified attacks on Lebanon, killing dozens of people on Saturday.
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire in Lebanon. The Iranian delegation, including parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, has also arrived in Switzerland.
Here’s what we know about the conflict, which has entered its 114th day:
Just 2km from the Lycian coast, Kastellorizo is much closer to Turkey than mainland Greece. Ferries from the Turkish beach town of Kaş, as well as Rhodes and other Dodecanese neighbours, dock at the island’s tiny harbour, lined with colourful neoclassical houses. One of them, an ochre-painted mansion with pistachio green shutters, is Hotel Mediterraneo, which is so close to the water that you can practically roll out of bed and into the sea from the ground floor suite.
Mediterraneo’s owner, Parisian architect Marie Rivalant, is one of many artists and creatives who have fallen for Kastellorizo’s sleepy charms. She took over the quayside pension 25 years ago, painting the seven bedrooms in sunny colours and layering them with rugs, cushions, antiques and artworks (if you like her bohemian style, there is a small shop at the hotel selling her finds). Breakfasts blend influences from her travels too: flaky Turkish börek pastries, Greek yogurt and freshly baked croissants, served on the terrace.
Doubles from €170 B&B, mediterraneokastellorizo.com
In the 19th century, the Greek island of Symi grew wealthy on sponge-diving, shipbuilding and seafaring. This brought merchants, with silver, spices and sponges traded in a neoclassical building on the Kali Strata, a stone stairway that connects the harbour of Gialos with the upper village of Chorio.
Today that building, with its high-ceilinged historic grandeur, is The Old Markets hotel. In the bedrooms, antique maps, old globes, nautical paintings and silverware nod to its past life. There are only seven rooms and three suites spread between the old market and the neighbouring Captain’s Mansion, but the hotel has an outsized culinary reputation thanks to its rooftop tasting-menu restaurant, Agora, and huge Greek breakfast feasts of Symi orange blossom akoumia (rice doughnuts) and toasted tsoureki (sweet brioche-like bread). Like many islands, Symi is best explored by boat, bobbing from Agios Nikolaos beach to St George Bay and on to the monastery at Panormitis, before heading back to the pretty horseshoe-shaped harbour.
Doubles from £150 B&B, theoldmarkets.com
Spain’s paradors – state-run hotels in heritage buildings – are windows into the country’s history, from Moorish castles to medieval monasteries. In the hilltop town of Lerma, in the Castile and León region, the imposing 17th-century Ducal Palace is now Parador de Lerma, a place where royals married, princesses were born and even Napoleon stayed (walk in Bonaparte’s footsteps in room 313).
Several works by the great poet of Spain’s Golden Age, Lope de Vega, were first performed in the central covered courtyard surrounded by colonnaded galleries. The Duke of Lerma was also one of the great collectors of his time, and the parador is lined with moody oil paintings, Flemish tapestries and works by contemporary Spanish artists. The vaulted restaurant dishes up local favourites such as roast suckling lamb and Burgos cheeses. Nearby, the Arlanza wine region turns out muscular reds – try them at Bodega Palacio de Lerma.
Doubles from €124 room-only, breakfast €22, paradores.es
Set above the Costa del Maresme, the romantic manor of Can Casadella is a peaceful escape from Barcelona’s summer throng and just half an hour away. Magda and Josep allow visitors to have the run of antique-filled sitting rooms, cosy library and colonnaded terraces, where a hammock swings in the breeze. Outside, the old pond has been turned into a natural swimming pool, and there are orchards of orange, lemon, fig and almond trees. Freshly squeezed orange juice is served at breakfast, alongside homemade lemon and rosemary marmalade, breads, local cheese and sausages.
The nine large doubles and twins have original tiled floors and wooden beams, some with sea views and their own terraces. It’s enough to check out of the world for a few days, but Magda can also organise cooking workshops and yoga in the garden, and recommend hikes in the Parc de la Serralada Litoral next door or the best beaches a short drive away.
Doubles from €132 room-only, breakfast €12, cancasadella.com
Cortijo Genesis, a reimagined farmhouse, opened its doors last summer outside the whitewashed village of Gaucín, 40 miles west of Marbella. There’s a retro, Palm Springs-esque glamour to the pink scalloped parasols and wrought iron loungers in the garden, and the interior is just as colourful: a rainbow-painted ceiling in the reading room, a yellow-tiled kitchen and five bedrooms inspired by semi-precious stones – citrine, cornaline, morganite, lapis lazuli and aventurine.
Belgian co-owner Valentina Geyer is a reiki practitioner and equine therapist, and there’s a strong wellness focus, with meditation zones, yoga and pilates retreats, reiki healing and equine coaching. Much of the food is homegrown and homemade, with eggs from their hens, honey from their beehives, and herbs, fruit and vegetables from the permaculture plot. Good fuel to explore the hiking and biking routes through the hills nearby, or simply dip in and out of the swimming pool.
Doubles from €180 B&B, cortijo-genesis.com
Halfway between the hip grit of Marseille and the glitz of Saint-Tropez, Hyères is one of the quieter corners of the Côte d’Azur and known as Hyères-les-Palmiers for the thousands of palm trees that grow along boulevards and gardens. Part of its sleepy charm (and why it has stayed that way) is that its old town lies not on the beach, but a couple of miles inland, looking down on the Med from a hilltop perch.
It’s here that the Lilou Hotel opened a couple of summers ago, giving a Haussmann-esque building a fashionable twist, with cream and ochre paintwork, poplar burr wood furniture and rattan touches. There’s a slip of a pool outside and the restaurant dishes up coastal plates of bouillabaisse croquettes, tuna crudo and langoustine risotto. Down on the coast, l’Almanarre beach is a beautiful curve of sand popular with kite- and windsurfers. And just offshore are the islands of Porquerolles (home to a contemporary art institute and white sand beaches) and Port-Cros (a wild and rugged nature reserve) to explore.
Doubles from €145 room-only, breakfast €22, lilouhotel.fr
On the blustery Finistère coast, a 45-minute drive east of Roscoff, the Grand Hôtel des Bains in Locquirec has a timeless New England air with its shiplap panelling and jaunty stripes. The chic decor is thanks to late owner Dominique van Lier, who edited a Belgian interiors magazine and tastefully transformed what had been a stuffy spa resort. The Marine Spa is still a huge draw, with massages, magnesium therapies and beauty treatments from Breton skincare brand Thalion. There’s also a sauna, hammam and warm indoor pool with knock-out views over Baie de Morlaix.
Most bedrooms have sea views, and there are beaches to walk to either side of the hotel’s rocky promontory, from tiny coves to the sweeping sands of the Baie de Locquirec. While the look here is East Coast US, the food and service are decidedly French (oysters, roasted lobster with seaweed butter) and the hotel also owns Brasserie de la Plage on the quayside for a change from the white-tablecloth dining room.
Doubles from £198 room-only, i-escape.com
Claude Monet painted the luminous cliffs of Étretat more than 50 times during the 1880s, capturing the ever-shifting light on the white rock faces and dramatic sea arches. There are views of those famous chalk beauties from Le Donjon Domaine Saint Clair, which is set high above the Normandy seaside resort. One of the hotel’s bedrooms is named after Monet, while others honour novelists Guy de Maupassant, who lived in Étretat for part of his childhood, and Gustave Flaubert, a frequent visitor.
Less than three hours’ drive from Paris, Étretat is a popular spot with French tourists in the summer, who flock to the Alabaster Coast for locally caught seafood at waterfront bistros and the pebble beach between the cliffs. Built in 1862, Domaine Saint Clair is an imposing castle-style house with an idiosyncratic charm: bedrooms are tucked up and down little staircases and there is an open-air Jacuzzi atop the tower. There’s also a heated outdoor pool, a petit spa and a cocktail bar, which harks back to the town’s golden age.
Doubles from €190 room-only, breakfast €25, hoteletretat.com
With its imperial palace on the headland overlooking wetsuit-clad surfers catching the waves, Biarritz has a funny duality of belle époque grandeur and salt-crusted beachiness. But it works. A few blocks back from the beach, Hotel Saint-Julien has a similar mix of elegance and ease. The typical 19th-century Basque house, with a whitewashed facade and painted shutters, has good bones – high ceilings and original wooden floors.
More recent updates have given an easy breeziness to the 26 bedrooms, all slightly different but decorated in muted colours with vintage furniture – the top floor has views over the rooftops to the sea. There’s a homely chambre d’hôte simplicity, and the restaurant has a rotating cast of visiting chefs and pop-up residencies. Restaurant Anema (until October) serves a daily changing menu of whatever is freshest from the fish market – on balmy nights bag one of the tables on the terrace.
Doubles from €180 room-only, breakfast €19, hotel-saint-julien-biarritz.fr
Cannes turns on the full red-carpet sparkle for the film festival each May, but with its superyacht-filled marina and beach clubs, it is a prime people-watching spot any time of year. The French Riviera town is known for palatial institutions such as the Carlton, Hôtel Martinez and Le Majestic, but a short walk from La Croisette, the newly opened Hôtel Lepoussin gives Haussmann-style glamour at less haute prices. There’s a mid-century feel to bedrooms, with sunny yellow textiles and wide curving wooden headboards; downstairs there’s an honesty bar in the lobby and a dinky plunge pool.
Keep the costs down further by skipping the beach-club fees and head instead to the public Plage Macé or Plage de la Bocca, stocking up on a picnic from the Marché Forville first. Or nip across to the Îles de Lérins on the ferry, exploring quiet coves, coastal walking trails and the fort where the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned.
Doubles from €135 room-only, breakfast €19, lepoussinhotel.com
In 1870, King Luís I chose Cascais, 20 miles west of Lisbon, as his official summer residence. Aristocrats followed his lead to the Atlantic coast, building Italianate villas and ornate mansions, and turning the former fishing village into a fashionable resort. The Pergola Boutique Hotel was Cascais’s first hotel when it opened in 1985, transforming two chalets into an elegant 15-room retreat, the facade decorated with hand-painted tiles. Rooms are filled with art and antiques, and in the garden is a restaurant run by the team behind Lisbon favourite Café de São Bento.
The hotel is only a two-minute walk from the station, and arriving by train is easily the loveliest approach, with the line hugging the coast all the way from Lisbon. While Cascais still has a refined air, the coast is rugged and breezy – walk the boardwalk by the sea to neighbouring Estoril, catch a wave on the sandy stretch between Estoril and Carcavelos, or hike over cliffs to remote Praia da Ursa.
Doubles from £199 B&B, mrandmrssmith.com
This incredible rose-coloured palace – now Pousada Palácio Estoi – was built in the 19th century by the Viscount of Estoi, with more than a passing nod to Versailles. Outside there are immaculate French-style gardens with clipped parterre hedges, statues and fountains, while inside is full-throttle Louis XV: ceilings frescoed with cherubim, ornate plasterwork, giant gilt mirrors and huge chandeliers. The 63 bedrooms, on the other hand, are a curious minimalist counterpoint, housed in a new wing that flanks the palace – slick and white like a visual palate cleanser from all that bling.
The extension is also home to a spa, with hammam, saunas and treatment rooms, and the restaurant dishes up Portuguese fish stew and Algarve orange tart in the old palace kitchen. From here, it’s a 20-minute drive to Faro, where boat trips depart for the lagoons, pristine beaches, birdlife and barrier islands of the Ria Formosa natural park.
Doubles from €122 B&B, pousadas.pt
Italian-Canadian artist Bruno Billio knows hotels – he spent 18 years as resident artist at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto. But now his creativity, which spans installation, sculpture and design, comes to life in a new way at his four-bedroom guesthouse, La Giardina, which opened this spring in the hills outside Turin.
It’s a handsome conversion of a 12th-century convent, and deeply personal too, with rooms named after family members and a wedding picture of his parents in the sitting room. Billio’s sculptural installations (found objects bound in vibrant thread; porcelain figurines dipped in black rubber) and original paintings by other artists grace the guesthouse. There are views towards the tall peak of Monviso and the Alps, with vineyards and hill towns just beyond the estate’s gates.
Doubles from €140 B&B, lagiardina.com
Alessandro and Andrea Motti’s grandmother was born in this house in the village of Laglio on Como’s western shore, and when the brothers were little they used to play with the chickens and rabbits in the garden overlooking the water. Now they’ve turned their nonna’s old home (and the neighbouring one) into a charming bed and breakfast, Cà Spiga. All eight bedrooms have lake views, and a breakfast spread from the family’s deli, Da Luciano, is laid out on the terrace each morning. Recently they have started serving Sunday lunches in the garden too, with dishes from local bistro La Piazzetta in Cernobbio.
Alessandro is full of tips to sidestep the Como crowds. Follow his lead and drive to the beach on the northern part of the lake at Domaso, before lunch at Osteria Aquila d’Oro in the Valle del Dosso del Liro, finishing at his favourite cocktail bar, Lo Scalo in Cremia.
Doubles from €225 B&B, caspiga.it
Jutting out into the Adriatic, the Gargano peninsula, the spur to Italy’s boot, is a place of dramatic white limestone cliffs and sandy beaches, rugged mountains and deep forests – a wilder, quieter alternative to southern Puglia. At its very tip, the whitewashed town of Vieste is a place Italians flock to in summer for its clear waters and medieval centre.
In a historic building overlooking the marina, Tra Cielo e Mare has just six rooms, all decked out in white and wood. Three have balconies overlooking the sea, and breakfast is served on the terrace with views towards the lighthouse, which sits on its own little island. Spiaggia del Castello, a sandy stretch framed by the huge Pizzomunno monolith is 15 minutes’ walk from the hotel. And the whole peninsula is part of the Gargano national park, which is crisscrossed with cycling and hiking trails.
Doubles from €190 B&B, welcomebeyond.com
Prices are for late June/early July and were correct at the time of going to press
Bystanders captured the moment police arrested a machete-weilding man, believed responsible for a suspected anti-Muslim stabbing rampage in Edinburgh. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has denounced the attacks as “absolutely appalling.”
Published On 21 Jun 202621 Jun 2026
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Germany come from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Group E, sealing FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout place.
Published On 20 Jun 202620 Jun 2026
Deniz Undav scored two goals off the bench as Germany pulled off a thrilling comeback to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in their World Cup Group E match, securing their place in the knockout stage for the first time since they won the title in 2014.
After having two goals disallowed in the first half on Saturday, Germany did not lose focus and used intricate passing to find their way, while the West Africans produced their dynamic brand of attacking football in a wild Group E clash.
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Undav levelled the score with a controlled, volleyed finish in the 68th minute and struck again when he received a pass on the turn, before swivelling and firing home a ball that Yahia Fofana had no chance at stopping.
The versatile striker now has nine goals in his last eight matches.
Simon Adingra had a late chance for Ivory Coast, but he failed to get a shot off in the area before Germany charged back down the field and Fofana blocked a low shot from Nathaniel Brown.
Ivory Coast had opened the scoring in the first half when Franck Kessie slotted home a rebound off a shot by Amad Diallo on a play created when Yan Diomande charged down the left side and sent in a cross.
With more than 100,000 people of German ancestry living in Toronto, Julian Nagelsmann’s men enjoyed plenty of support but were a frustrated group at the interval with nothing to show for their eight attempts on goal.
Germany looked to have opened the scoring when midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic rose to meet a short corner in the 25th minute but was deemed to have fouled Fofana in the process.
The ruling left Pavlovic with his hands atop his head in disbelief while Fofana received some attention after the collision, and the partisan German crowd made their disdain for the referee’s decision known.
Shortly after, it was Ivory Coast who finally broke through with Kessie’s goal. The West Africans have scored in their last seven matches at the tournament – the longest such sequence on the global stage in their history.
Germany once again put the ball in the back of the net, but their celebrations were cut short as the referee determined that Jamal Musiala had fouled Odilon Kossounou in the buildup.
Germany top Group E with six points and are through to the last 32, while Ivory Coast remain on three after two matches. Ecuador and Curacao meet in Kansas City later on Saturday.
Germany will close out the group stage against Ecuador on Thursday in New Jersey, while Ivory Coast face Curacao in Philadelphia.
Published On 20 Jun 202620 Jun 2026
Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey both scored twice as the rampant Netherlands thrashed Sweden 5-1 in a World Cup warning to the favourites.
The big win on Saturday in front of nearly 69,000 at Houston Stadium put the delighted Dutch on the cusp of the knockout rounds and gave them lift-off after being held by Japan.
Ronald Koeman’s side top Group F with four points from two games, ahead of Sweden on three, Japan (one) and Tunisia (zero).
Despite the sobering loss, the Swedes had plenty of chances but were denied by good goalkeeping and wasteful finishing.
Sunderland striker Brobbey got his first start of the tournament and repaid Koeman with predatory goals after five and 17 minutes.
Before that, the 24-year-old had scored only once for his country since making his debut three years ago.
In a game full of top Premier League talent, Liverpool’s Gakpo – who set Brobbey up for the opener – scored twice early in the second half.
Substitute Anthony Elanga from Newcastle United pulled one back for Sweden just before the hour with a classy finish.
West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville had the last word for the five-star Dutch.
Two crew members from the historic Artemis II lunar mission were among the VIP guests, a nod to Houston’s place as the home of space flight.
There was no problem here as the Dutch, twice pegged back in a lively 2-2 draw with Japan to start their title bid, made the brighter start in front of their orange-clad fans and King Willem-Alexander.
Brobbey, who came in for Summerville despite the winger scoring against Japan, started and finished the first goal.
It was made in the Premier League, with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Gakpo all involved.
Brobbey exchanged passes with Gakpo, before the Anfield attacker crossed in low from the left for his team-mate to stab in from close range.
Sweden, who thrashed Tunisia 5-1 in their first game, could not handle Brobbey’s muscular presence.
Up front, the much-vaunted attack of Liverpool’s Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal were feeding on scraps for Sweden.
Twelve minutes after his opener, Brobbey made it 2-0 when a deflected Denzel Dumfries cross from the right fell perfectly into his path and he toe-poked past Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
Sweden’s English coach, Graham Potter, was in deep discussions with his backroom staff as the game threatened to run away from them.
At the unpopular hydration break, Potter made a beeline for left-sided defender Gabriel Gudmundsson of Leeds United, who was being overrun by the flying Dumfries and Donyell Malen.
Sweden then had their best chance, Gyokeres crossing for an unmarked Yasin Ayari, who completely miscontrolled the ball with his chest.
Gyokeres was next to fluff a good chance, failing to make proper contact after being played in by the largely anonymous Isak.
Gyokeres and Ayari both had further sights of goal, only to be denied by the increasingly overworked Verbruggen.
The Netherlands were hanging on by the end of the half.
Koeman sent on Summerville for Malen at the break and two minutes later it was mission impossible for Sweden, Gakpo prodding in from close range after yet another dangerous low cross from Dumfries.
All three goals were strikingly similar.
Gakpo scored a lovely fourth on 54 minutes, turning inside his defender before firing low into the bottom corner.
Elanga pulled one back five minutes later when he raced clear of the Dutch defence and rattled the ball past Verbruggen.
Summerville made it five in the dying minutes with his second goal in North America.
Sweden are still in with a good chance of progressing into the last 32.
Japan and Tunisia play later Saturday in Monterrey, Mexico.
Sweden face Japan next, while the Netherlands play Tunisia.
British PM resisting intensifying party pressure to step aside.
A landslide win, only two years ago – yet now British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is resisting calls to step down.
The return to parliament of Andy Burnham makes a leadership challenge more likely.
What’s gone wrong, so fast, for Starmer? And why is there so much turmoil at the top of British politics?
Presenter: Per Nyberg
Guests:
Peter Oborne – UK political commentator and associate editor of Middle East Eye – a digital news organisation
Jonathan Tonge – Professor of politics at the University of Liverpool and author of numerous books on British and Northern Irish politics
Peter Geoghegan – Editor of Democracy for Sale, an investigative news site in London
Published On 20 Jun 202620 Jun 2026
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