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Há 2 dias
domingo, 21 de junho de 2026
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is widely expected to announce his resignation on Monday, June 22, 2026, according to major British media outlets.
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Keir Starmer expected to announce departure as
prime minister on Monday
UK Prime
Minister Keir Starmer is widely expected to announce his resignation on Monday,
June 22, 2026, according to major British media outlets. Reports first published by The Observer state that Starmer has concluded his position
is no longer tenable after intense pressure from within his own party.
Key
Details of the Looming Announcement
- The Exit Plan: Starmer is expected to lay out
a structured timetable for an orderly departure, likely aiming for a final
exit in September to allow a successor to be chosen at the autumn Labour
Party conference.
- The Catalyst: The political crisis escalated
dramatically after his prominent party rival, Andy Burnham, won the
Makerfield by-election. This win cleared a path for Burnham to enter
Parliament and launch a direct leadership challenge.
- Cabinet Revolt: High-profile figures including
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, and
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband have reportedly urged him to step aside or
set a clear departure date.
Official
Response and Context
Downing
Street sources initially pushed back on the reports, maintaining that Starmer
remains focused on his immediate duties. However, Business Secretary Peter Kyle
confirmed on Sky News that the Prime Minister is using the weekend at Chequers
to "reflect on the political realities". Starmer has faced months of
plummeting poll numbers, public unpopularity, and sharp internal criticism
following major policy U-turns and key cabinet departures
Keir Starmer expected to announce departure as prime minister on Monday
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Keir
Starmer expected to announce departure as prime minister on Monday
Business
secretary says Starmer is reflecting on ‘political realities’, amid
overwhelming pressure from MPs
Peter
Walker Senior political correspondent
Sun 21
Jun 2026 09.04 BST
Keir
Starmer 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 to become Labour leader.
The prime
minister and his allies had insisted for weeks that they would fight a
leadership challenge from Burnham, or anyone else, before the Makerfield
byelection in which Burnham secured a return to Westminster.
But on
Sunday morning, the business secretary, Peter Kyle, told Sky News that Starmer
was spending the weekend “making time to reflect on the political realities” he
faces.
Speaking
for the government, Kyle refused to say what he thought Starmer’s plans were,
or what he had asked the PM to do.
Asked if
Starmer did plan to step down on Monday, Kyle said he had no reason to think
this was the case. He said that Starmer would be reflecting on “what putting
country first means in a moment like this”.
He did
not push back on the idea that a change in No 10 was imminent after Burnham’s
big win in Thursday’s byelection.
Saying he
had spoken at length to Starmer on Friday, Kyle said: “What I know for a fact
is that he has been engaging in conversations with a wide, wide range of
people, including myself, and that he is working really hard over this weekend.
“I think
he is making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and
opportunities that he finds himself in. You know, I think that is what people
would expect him to be doing at this moment in time.”
Downing
Street denied that Starmer was planning to go, saying his position was
unchanged since Friday.
Speaking
to reporters then, Starmer had said: “If there is a contest, just to be clear
with you, then, yes, I will run.” He said such a contest would “plunge us into
chaos”.
After the
Greater Manchester mayor won Thursday’s contest by a significant margin over
Reform, gaining a 9,000-plus majority and more than 50% of the vote, Burnham’s
team believed they had the support of about 200 Labour MPs, about half the
parliamentary party.
That
number has since increased, with Burnham becoming increasingly confident of a
coronation in which he would take over as Labour leader and thus PM without a
contest, with Starmer setting out a relatively quick timetable for departure.
On
Friday, ministers previously loyal to Starmer told him that he should reach a
decision on a timetable for his departure by the end of the weekend or face
being forced out of office, with an intervention at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting
likely to result.
Any MP
who wishes to challenge to be leader needs the backing of at least 20% of the
parliamentary party, or 81 MPs.
Wes
Streeting, the former health secretary, who resigned last week in frustration
at Starmer’s leadership, has pledged to seek the top job and says he has
sufficient backers, but allies of Starmer and Burnham are sceptical. His
candidacy will become less likely if wavering Labour backbenchers conclude that
they would prefer to back a likely winner and swing behind Burnham.
Starmer’s
departure will set the UK on course for a seventh prime minister in 10 years,
just two years after he led Labour to a sweeping general election victory,
winning a majority of 174.
But his
premiership has been battered by controversies and U-turns, including over
winter fuel payments to older people and the decision to appoint Peter
Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington.
Labour
has slumped in the polls, and Starmer himself is enormously unpopular with much
of the public. Reform UK has led for more than 300 consecutive national polls,
with many Labour MPs increasingly convinced that without a change of leader,
Nigel Farage will become the next prime minister.
President Donald Trump has publicly acknowledged "real problems" at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, reversing earlier administration claims that the water was "crystal clear".
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Trump
acknowledges ‘real problems’ at reflecting pool after $14m makeover, blaming
‘vandalism’
President
Donald Trump has
publicly acknowledged "real problems" at the Lincoln Memorial
Reflecting Pool, reversing earlier administration claims that the water was
"crystal clear". Following a highly criticized $14.2 million
makeover aimed at turning the basin an "American flag blue," the
site has been plagued by a massive green algae bloom and widespread peeling
paint. Trump has explicitly blamed the issues on "vandalism" and
foul play, though critics and experts attribute the failure to poor planning,
chemical reactions, and a controversial contracting process.
The Core
Issues and Trump's Response
- The "Vandalism" Claim: Trump alleged on Truth Social
that vandals "destroyed the grass" and did "everything
possible to hurt the inside surface".
- Arrests Reported: Trump claimed multiple people
were arrested by National Guard troops and Park Police. One detained
citizen noted he was simply a curious tourist who touched a piece of the
rubbery, peeling paint.
- Chemical Sabotage Suspected: The president claimed
perpetrators used destructive chemicals similar to those used to etch
"86 47" into the National Mall grass, a slang threat directed at
the 47th president.
- Projected Fix: Trump stated the algae is
already "75% gone" and that the "small area of damage"
will be fully repaired.
Scientific
and Political Backlash
- Algae Growth: Laboratory testing
commissioned by The Atlantic identified the culprit as Scenedesmus,
a standard genus of green algae.
- Peeling Paint: Large flakes of the newly
installed industrial blue coating are detaching from the basin floor and
floating to the surface. Experts suggest the frantic use of hydrogen
peroxide by crews to kill the algae may have reacted poorly with the new
paint.
- No-Bid Contract Scrutiny: The New York Times
reported that the Trump administration bypassed standard procedures to
award the no-bid contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings Ltd. The
Virginia-based company is tied to a longtime Trump donor and previously
worked on his golf resorts, but lacks government contracting experience.
- Political Fallout: Political opponents, including
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have leveraged the debacle as a metaphor for
the administration, calling it a cycle of "imaginary problems,"
ignored experts, and millions grifted to buddies
Trump acknowledges ‘real problems’ at reflecting pool after $14m makeover, blaming ‘vandalism’
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Trump
acknowledges ‘real problems’ at reflecting pool after $14m makeover, blaming
‘vandalism’
US
president also claims vandals have been arrested, as Washington attraction sees
algae bloom and peeling paint
Anna
Betts
Sat 20
Jun 2026 09.57 EDT
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/20/trump-reflecting-pool-renovation-vandalism
Donald
Trump has blamed “vandalism” for “real problems” at Washington’s reflecting
pool after an algae bloom in the wake of a $14.2m renovation of the site he
declared would turn it “American flag” blue. Paint has also been seen peeling
off in the water. He also made claims that vandals had been arrested.
Days
after his administration claimed the pool was actually “crystal clear”, despite
an unmistakably green hue, the US president acknowledged issues – and, without
evidence, blamed foul play.
“We’ve
cleaned, renovated, and beautified over 45 Monuments and Memorials, 28 Statues,
and 22 Fountains in Washington, DC,” Trump wrote in a lengthy post on his Truth
Social platform on Friday night. “However, we’ve had some real problems with
Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington
Monument and The Lincoln Memorial.”
Trump
noted that “86 47” was recently etched onto a vast patch of grass nearby – “86”
is frequently used across the restaurant industry to mean “stop” or to get rid
of something, while Trump is the 47th president of the US – and claimed some
people had “also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface” of the
pool painted as part of the recent renovation.
“No
different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used
something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our
beautiful work,” Trump alleged, again without evidence.
In a
Truth Social post on Sunday afternoon, Trump claimed, again with no evidence
whatsoever, that “multiple individuals” had been arrested by US park police for
“vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Poll”. “Who would do such a
thing?” Trump wrote. “These are very serious crimes having to do with the
destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately
on its repair.”
Trump
also claimed in his post that the algae problem was largely under control,
suggesting it was “75% gone” and the issue would soon be “completely remedied”.
Law
enforcement is “actively investigating this situation”, he claimed, and “will
hopefully have it resolved soon”. The Department of the Interior did not
immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Trump’s statement.
A
three-time US Olympian and canoeist was arrested on Friday after noticing a
partly detached piece of the blue liner and reaching into the water to see what
it felt like, he said.
“I didn’t
vandalize anything,” David Hearn, who had been cycling, told the Washington
Post. “I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what
was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.”
Trump
ordered a refurbishment project to turn the pool “American Flag blue” ahead of
the country’s 250th birthday celebrations. The site – one of Washington DC’s
most historically symbolic attractions – has been one element of his efforts to
recondition Washington during his second term.
Just days
after the renovation was finished, however, an algae bloom turned the water
green. In response, National Park Service employees were deployed and seen
using skimmers and adding hydrogen peroxide to the water in an attempt to
restore the water quality.
In a
statement on social media on Wednesday, the interior department declared that
“advanced nanobubbler technology” had “very effectively killed the algae”,
adding: “Our National Park Service team is now vacuuming up the dead algae
resting on the bottom of some parts of the Reflecting Pool – just like the
destroyed Iranian Navy resting on the bottom of the Persian Gulf.”
In
reality, however, much of the water remained murky later in the week, with
algae still visible in some areas, and large flakes of paint peeling from the
basin and floating on the surface.
The
Atlantic reported this weekend that laboratory testing it commissioned
identified algae in the pool as Scenedesmus, a genus of green algae.
The
project has also come under scrutiny over its contracting process. The New York
Times reported that the Trump administration had awarded a no-bid contract to a
business tied to a longtime supporter of the president to install the
water-purification system in the pool.
Tim Walz,
the Minnesota governor who ran against Trump and JD Vance as the running mate
of Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, wrote on X, formerly
Twitter: “Found an imaginary problem, said only they could fix it, didn’t
listen to experts, hired buddies who grifted millions, failed miserably,
bragged how great it went. The entire Trump presidency in a nutshell.”
sábado, 20 de junho de 2026
Meloni, Trump trade barbs in escalating spat after G7
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Meloni,
Trump trade barbs in escalating spat after G7
The two
leaders, once politically close, have been bickering since the U.S. president
claimed the Italian leader “begged” him for a photo at this week’s G7 summit.
June 20,
2026 4:00 pm CET
By
Tommaso Lecca
https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-giorgia-meloni-g7-photo/
U.S.
President Donald Trump on Saturday stuck hard to his claim that Italian Prime
Minister Giorgia Meloni “begged” for a photo with him at the G7 summit earlier
this week, drawing a sharp retort from the Italian leader.
“These
constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless,” Meloni said after Trump’s latest
broadside against her.
The two
right-wing leaders, once politically close, have been at loggerheads since
Trump on Friday told Italian television channel La7 that the Italian prime
minister had “begged” him for a photo at the G7 summit earlier in the week.
“Italian
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me
during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump wrote on his social media platform on
Saturday, initially misspelling her name as “Gigiorgia.” He added that he isn’t
interested in repairing relations.
“She is
doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity,” Trump added, blaming Italy
and what he called “other ‘so-called’ NATO Allies” for not providing military
support during the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran.
“Now,
after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again
in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks!!!” Trump wrote.
Hit by
the U.S. president’s attack during this week’s European Council meeting, Meloni
fired back in a combative social media video, calling Trump’s statement
“completely made-up” and insisting that “Italy and I never beg.”
On
Saturday, after Trump’s latest blast, Meloni retorted on Instagram: “As for my
popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend
on my relationship with you.”
Meloni
defended Italy’s decision regarding American military bases in Italy, saying
“their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected.”
She
concluded: “In any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you
focus on yours.”
In
reaction to Trump’s attack, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a
planned visit to the United States scheduled for Sunday. Other Italian
ministers reportedly will not attend U.S. Independence Day celebrations
scheduled in Rome.
According
to the Italian daily La Repubblica, Meloni said while leaving the EU summit
venue in Brussels that she was convinced the dispute with Trump was not over.
The two
leaders appeared together in several photos at the three-day G7 gathering June
15-18 in Evian, France, speaking in person for the first time since an earlier
public skirmish in April, when the Italian prime minister called Trump’s
attacks on Pope Leo XIV “unacceptable,” prompting the American president to say
Meloni was “no longer the same person” he once knew.
At a
press conference after the G7 summit, Meloni said she considered her
relationship with Trump “unchanged” despite the earlier spat. “We have a strong
enough character, we are both [leaders who] defend the national interest with
determination, there is no need for us to clarify when we disagree on
something,” she added.
In his
post on Saturday, Trump returned to the dispute over the war in Iran.
“She
wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways, a great logistical
inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of
Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other ‘so-called’ NATO
Allies,” Trump said.
The U.S.
president mocked Meloni’s popularity in her own country — where she lost a key
referendum in March — and linked it to her foreign policy posture.
“She
turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and
protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a
Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!),” Trump wrote.
While the
tone of this dispute between Trump and an Italian prime minister is
unprecedented, it is not the first time he has misspelled the name of an
Italian head of government. He endorsed the reappointment of then-Prime
Minister Giuseppe Conte in 2019 in a tweet referring to him as “Giuseppi”
before deleting and reposting the message.
Spanish PM’s wife to stand trial on corruption charges and banned from leaving country
Spanish
PM’s wife to stand trial on corruption charges and banned from leaving country
Begoña
Gómez has been ordered to surrender her passport as her husband, Pedro Sánchez,
says the case is politically motivated
Oliver
Holmes and agencies
Sat 20
Jun 2026 16.55 CEST
A judge
in Spain has ruled that the wife of socialist prime minister Pedro Sánchez must
stand trial on corruption charges and has banned her from leaving the country.
Begoña
Gómez had previously been charged after a two-year investigation with
embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and
misappropriation of funds.
Gómez,
55, denies any wrongdoing in the case, which was triggered by a complaint from
the group Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), a self-styled trade union with far-right
links.
The judge
in the case, Juan Carlos Peinado, ordered Gómez to surrender her passport, barred her from leaving Spain and required her to report to
court twice a month,
according to a court order released on Saturday. She will face trial by jury on
an unspecified date.
Sánchez
had repeatedly dismissed the case against his wife as a baseless and
politically motivated smear. The prime minister, an outspoken leftist leader in
Europe, has accused his political and media opponents of pursuing his family
and has also openly questioned the impartiality of some members of the
judiciary.
The
Socialist party quickly reacted to the judge’s ruling, posting on X: “(Begoña)
has been subjected to judicial and political persecution for two
years. Today’s
development is another step in that process.”
The case
is one of a series of corruption investigations that have plagued Sánchez, who
came to power in 2018 by promising to end the graft that had mired the ruling
conservative People’s party (PP).
Now,
several investigations into Sánchez’s family and former top political allies
threaten to topple the government.
Sánchez
has not been named in any of the cases but his brother, David, is accused of
influence peddling while the former transport minister, José Luis Ábalos, is
accused of taking kickbacks on public contracts. Both deny the accusations.
One of
the most potentially damaging cases is against former socialist prime minister
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero – a titan of the Spanish left – who was placed
under investigation last month for alleged influence peddling.
Zapatero,
who served as prime minister from 2004 to 2011, defended his innocence during
hearings this week.
Reuters
and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
Chumbo da Reforma Laboral pelo Chega
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Chumbo da
Reforma Laboral pelo Chega
A proposta
de lei do Governo para a Revisão da Lei Laboral foi chumbada na generalidade
no Parlamento a 19 de junho de 2026, após o voto contra decisivo do
Chega, que se juntou aos partidos de esquerda. A votação ditou a rejeição
imediata do documento, impedindo que este seguisse para a discussão na
especialidade.
O
Alinhamento de Votos
- Votos contra: Chega, PS, Bloco de Esquerda
(BE), PCP, Livre, PAN e JPP.
- Votos a favor: PSD, Iniciativa Liberal (IL) e
CDS-PP.
A
Reviravolta do Chega
O desfecho
surpreendeu o Executivo da AD e os partidos da maioria. Menos de 24 horas antes
do sufrágio, o líder do Chega, André Ventura, tinha dado sinais de viabilização
do documento, chegando a reivindicar vitórias negociais em matérias como férias
e amamentação. No entanto, a escassos minutos da votação de sexta-feira, o
partido solicitou uma suspensão dos trabalhos parlamentares por 30 minutos,
regressando ao hemiciclo para ditar o chumbo do diploma.
Razões
Apresentadas por André Ventura
O presidente
do Chega justificou a mudança de posição de última hora apontando várias falhas
ao Governo:
- Falta de cedência na idade da
reforma: O
recuo final deveu-se à recusa do Governo liderado por Luís Montenegro em
aceitar a redução progressiva da idade de reforma exigida pelo Chega.
- Acusações de
"arrogância": Ventura criticou o Executivo por conduzir o processo de forma
"unilateral" e "arrogante", tentando passar a imagem
de que a economia exige trabalhadores descartáveis e facilidade de
despedimento.
- Defesa dos trabalhadores: Afirmou que o partido
"não se vende nem verga" e demarcou-se da visão laboral do PSD e
da Iniciativa Liberal quanto à precariedade. Reações Políticas e
Sociais
O chumbo do
pacote laboral gerou fortes ondas de choque e reações opostas no panorama
nacional:
- O Governo e a Direita: O primeiro-ministro Luís
Montenegro classificou a posição do Chega como "inaceitável" e
acusou o partido de se aliar à esquerda numa "força de bloqueio"
à 25.ª hora. A ministra do Trabalho, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho,
lamentou a "oportunidade perdida para o país", mas afastou
qualquer cenário de demissão.
- A Esquerda e os Sindicatos: Celebraram o resultado como
uma vitória histórica. O momento foi aplaudido de pé pelas bancadas da
esquerda e pelas galerias do Parlamento, onde o secretário-geral da CGTP,
Tiago Oliveira, se emocionou até às lágrimas com a rejeição da proposta.
Também a UGT saudou o desfecho por considerar que o diploma retirava
direitos a quem trabalha.
Mideast Live Updates: Strait of Hormuz Re-emerges as Point of Tension After Iran Says It’s Closed
Mideast
Live Updates: Strait of Hormuz Re-emerges as Point of Tension After Iran Says
It’s Closed
Iran’s
military command said it had closed the waterway over the continued fighting in
Lebanon. But the U.S. military said traffic continued to flow. Still, the next
phase of talks between Washington and Tehran appeared ready to start on Sunday.
Abdi
Latif Dahir Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Alan Yuhas
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/06/20/world/iran-trump-israel-lebanon
Here’s
the latest.
The
status of the Strait of Hormuz was thrown into confusion on Saturday, as Iran’s
military said that it had again closed the critical waterway to maritime
traffic and the U.S. military said ships were still passing through it, leaving
a key element of the preliminary U.S.-Iran peace deal in limbo.
The
Iranian military, justifying its action, accused the United States of breaching
its commitments in the agreement by failing to rein in hostilities between
Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, which exchanged fire again
on Saturday. The naval arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps warned
that ships that approached the strait would put their own security at risk.
But Capt.
Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, later said: “Iran does
not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic continues to flow, and U.S. forces
are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case.”
Fifty-five
commercial ships traveled through the strait on Saturday, according to the U.S.
Central Command, the largest number of ships in a single day since early in the
war, though still far below the 130 daily prewar average. It was not clear
whether traffic had changed after Iran’s warnings.
Despite
the fighting in Lebanon and the renewed Iranian threats to shipping, the next
stage of U.S.-Iran talks appeared ready to start. Pakistan, which has served as
an intermediary in talks, said on Saturday that “technical talks” would begin
Sunday in Switzerland.
President
Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are already in Switzerland and
ready to negotiate, Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Saturday. A
spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry said that an Iranian delegation was on
its way.
The war
in Lebanon between a U.S. ally, Israel, and an Iranian one, Hezbollah, has
threatened to upend the fragile agreement. The first paragraph of the initial
agreement calls for a cease-fire on all fronts, including Lebanon, but neither
Israel nor Hezbollah have signed on to the pact. Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu of Israel has indicated that he is not bound by the agreement,
drawing rebukes from the White House.
On
Friday, Israel and Hezbollah had reached a new cease-fire, diplomats and
officials said, but that seemed to evaporate on Saturday. Lebanese state media
reported Israeli airstrikes on towns and cities in southern Lebanon, and the
country’s civil defense agency reported at least 16 people were killed.
The
Israeli military said that Hezbollah had fired more than 50 projectiles at
Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, prompting Israeli strikes on what
the military described as Hezbollah targets in the region.
In a
statement on Saturday, Hezbollah maintained it was adhering to the cease-fire,
but acknowledged its fighters had ambushed Israeli infantry attempting to
advance overnight on a strategic ridge overlooking the city of Nabatieh, about
45 miles south of Beirut.
Here’s
what else we’re covering.
Lebanon
strikes: The diplomatic breakdown on Friday was the second time in recent weeks
that the conflict in Lebanon has upended talks between the United States and
Iran.
Supreme
leader: Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, distanced himself
from the agreement with the United States.
Economic
repercussions: If the deal holds, billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets
could be released.
Yes, a "Super" El Niño is officially developing and has a high probability of striking by the end of this year.
Super El
Nino is coming?
Yes, a
"Super" El Niño is officially developing and has a high probability of
striking by the end of this year. On June 11, 2026, the U.S. National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared that El Niño conditions are
officially underway in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Because a massive reservoir
of subsurface heat is rapidly surging to the ocean surface, climate models give
this event a 63% chance of intensifying into a "very strong" or
Super El Niño by the winter of 2026–2027.
🌡️ Global Temperature and Climate
Impacts
- Record heat: This event is almost virtually
guaranteed to make 2027 the hottest year on record, temporarily
pushing global temperatures past the critical 1.5°C threshold.
- Severe droughts: Monsoons in India are expected
to weaken, threatening staple crops like rice, while severe aridity will
heighten wildfire risks in Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Amazon
rainforest.
- Extreme flooding: In contrast, the southern
United States, the West Coast, and parts of South America are bracing for
intense rainstorms and high-tide flooding.
- Ocean disruptions: Standard jet streams will
shift, crushing the Atlantic hurricane season while supercharging storms
in the Pacific. Warmer surface layers are already shutting down vital
marine food chains, triggering global closures for major commercial
fisheries.
📉 Historical Comparisons
A Super El
Niño occurs when central Pacific sea surface temperatures spike by 2°C or more
above the historical baseline. Scientists are warning that the 2026–2027 event
is building so fast that it could match or even surpass the most intense
climate disruptions in modern history:
- 1997–1998: The strongest modern event on
record, causing trillions in economic damage.
- 2015–2016: The most recent Super El Niño,
which sparked global coral bleaching and intense droughts
France is currently grappling with a severe, widespread heatwave as temperatures are forecast to hit 40°C (104°F) across multiple regions, including Paris, early next week.
Heatwave
France
France is
currently grappling with a severe, widespread heatwave as temperatures are
forecast to hit 40°C (104°F) across multiple regions, including Paris, early next week.
Driven by a massive, slow-moving atmospheric "heat dome" pulling hot
air upward from North Africa, this marks the country's second extreme
temperature event in less than a month. Authorities have placed over half of
the country's administrative departments under severe weather warnings,
prompting massive disruptions to daily infrastructure, public events, and
transit systems.
Current
Regional Forecasts
According to
national forecaster Météo-France:
- Central & Southern France: Temperatures are averaging 39°C
over the weekend and are expected to push past 40°C in inland valleys by
Monday.
- Paris & Île-de-France: Temperatures are currently
sitting around 36°C to 38°C, with a multi-day stretch peaking at 40°C by
early next week.
- Tropical Nights: Nighttime temperatures are
remaining exceptionally high, refusing to drop below 20°C to 25°C, giving
local infrastructure and residents very little opportunity to cool down.
Widespread
Public Disruptions [1]
- Transport Halts: National rail operator SNCF has canceled dozens
of train routes due to extreme risks of rail expansion and onboard
air-conditioning failures.
- Energy Restrictions: Energy provider EDF has been forced to curb
output or take reactors offline at multiple nuclear power plants along the
Rhône and Garonne rivers because cooling water temperatures have risen too
high to safely discharge back into local ecosystems.
- Cancellations: Multiple municipalities have
officially canceled the upcoming Fête de la Musique street
festivities scheduled for Sunday to avoid mass heatstroke.
- School Adjustments: Class schedules have been
altered, and some school activities have been entirely suspended in highly
affected zones.
Public
Health Advisories & Safety
The French
government has activated the emergency Heatwave Info Service hotline,
reachable for free within France at 0 800 06 66 66. Residents and
travelers currently in the country are advised to take the following steps:
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water even if
you do not actively feel thirsty.
- Seek "Cool Rooms": Take refuge inside
air-conditioned spaces, thick-stone local libraries, or churches during
peak daylight hours.
- Manage Windows: Close all household shutters,
curtains, and windows during the day to block out solar radiation, opening
them only at night once external temperatures drop.
- Avoid Physical Strain: Do not engage in heavy outdoor
exercise or running during peak afternoon heat.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sharply rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's claims that she "begged" him for a photograph during the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France.
Italy PM
Meloni ‘stunned’ by Trump’s claims she begged him for a photo
Italian
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sharply rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's
claims that she "begged" him for a photograph during the G7 summit in
Évian-les-Bains, France. Describing the remarks as "completely
fabricated," Meloni stated in a social media video address that
"neither I nor Italy ever beg". The exchange has triggered a swift
and severe diplomatic fallout between Rome and Washington.
The
Catalyst: Trump's Interview Claims
The dispute
erupted after President Trump gave a telephone interview to the Italian
television channel La7.
- The Allegation: Trump asserted that Meloni
requested a photo-op on the sidelines of the G7 summit. According to La7's broadcasted translation, Trump stated, "She
begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so
badly. I wouldn't have taken it, but I felt sorry for her."
- The Context: Video and photos from the
summit had previously captured the two leaders engaging in seemingly warm
conversation, including a widely shared moment sitting side-by-side on a
small sofa.
Meloni's
Counter-Attack
Meloni
bypassed standard diplomatic channels to immediately post a direct rebuttal to
her followers.
- Acquiescence Refused: Meloni declared she was
"frankly stunned" by the behavior of the U.S. president toward
an ally.
- Deference to Adversaries: She heavily criticized Trump's
foreign policy approach, noting on Instagram that it is "a shame he
doesn't show the same resolve toward the enemies of the West... toward
leaders with whom he, on the other hand, is much more accommodating."
Immediate
Diplomatic Fallout
The public
dispute has deeply angered the Italian government, resulting in immediate
diplomatic cancellations:
- Trip Canceled: Italian Foreign Minister
Antonio Tajani canceled his upcoming official visit to the United States.
Tajani called Trump's words "serious and offensive" to the
entire nation of Italy. [1,
2]
- Forum Called Off: An upcoming U.S.-Italy
business and scientific conference in Miami, which Tajani was scheduled to
attend alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was called off.
- National Solidarity: Italian political figures
across the ideological spectrum have united behind Meloni. Italian
President Sergio Mattarella placed a supportive phone call to the Prime
Minister, while Transport Minister Matteo Salvini posted online that
"whoever attacks Giorgia attacks all of us."
Fraying
Transatlantic Ties
While Meloni
initially sought to act as a political "bridge" between the European
Union and the second Trump administration—even being the lone EU head of state
to attend his January 2025 inauguration—relations have steadily deteriorated.
Geopolitical friction points include Italy's opposition to the U.S. conflict in
Iran, strong differences over aid to Ukraine, and disagreements regarding U.S.
trade tariffs
Italy PM Meloni ‘stunned’ by Trump’s claims she begged him for a photo
Italy PM
Meloni ‘stunned’ by Trump’s claims she begged him for a photo
US
president provokes outrage as PM says he ‘totally invented’ story in interview
with Italian media
Angela
Giuffrida in Rome
Fri 19
Jun 2026 16.10 CEST
Italy’s
prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has said Donald Trump “totally invented” a
story about her after the US president claimed she begged him to take a photo
with her during the G7 summit.
The two
former allies had appeared to be getting their relationship back on track by
having several one-to-ones on the sidelines at the gathering in Évian after
falling out in April over the US-Israeli war in Iran.
But
referring to Meloni during a brief interview with Italy’s La7 – a dubbed
version of which was broadcast by the Italian TV network on Friday – Trump
said: “She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her. She
begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly. I
wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her.”
The
remarks provoked fury in Italy and words of solidarity for Meloni from across
the political spectrum, with Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, saying
he had cancelled a trip to the US next week.
Responding
in a video post on Instagram with the caption “Italy and I never beg”, Meloni
said “some things deserve an immediate response”.
“Donald
Trump’s declarations are totally invented,” she added. “Frankly, I am stunned.
I don’t know why the US president behaves this way towards his allies. It’s not
the first time it’s happened, I can only say it’s unfortunate he doesn’t show
the same determination towards the west’s enemies.”
Trump and
Meloni fell out in April for two reasons: Italy’s refusal to support the
US-Israeli war in Iran and then Trump’s extraordinary broadside against Pope
Leo in reaction to the pontiff’s condemnation of the war. Until then, Meloni
had long nurtured good relations with Trump, mostly rooted in shared
nationalistic rhetoric, and was the only European leader invited to attend his
inauguration as US president.
Giuseppe
Conte, the former prime minister and leader of opposition party the Five Star
Movement, said Italy “doesn’t deserve to find itself so blatantly humiliated”.
Announcing
the cancellation of his planned trip to the US on X, Tajani said: “The serious
and offensive words of President Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia offend
the whole of Italy.”
Giovanbattista
Fazzolari, undersecretary to the prime minister’s office, said in a statement:
“It is unclear whether out of intent or ineptitude [Trump] is
wrecking the historic relations between the United States and Europe. With
his inappropriate outbursts, he has managed no easy feat, to make the US unpopular across the entire European continent, damaging
not only Europe but above all the US.”
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