- The Guardian
- Issue #2198
CHINA: The China passenger car association said that June sails reached 1.50 million, 22 per cent higher than in June 2025 and a 12 per cent rise even on May. Analysts think rising oil prices due to the US-Israel war on Iran were the reason for the shift to electric vehicles.
IRAN: Three days of public mourning have concluded as crowds of millions lined a 10 km route for the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s former supreme leader. Khamenei was killed in an Israeli air strike in February, during negotiations with the US. There have also been demonstrations of public mourning in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.
FRANCE: Far-right leader Marine Le Pen is allowed to run in next year’s French presidential election, but will have to do it wearing an electronic tag. The career politician was found guilty of embezzlement in 2025. She appealed the verdict. Her conviction was upheld, with the condition that she wear the tag for two years of a four year sentence. Le Pen had been banned from running for public office for five years. That was reduced to fifteen months on appeal, leaving her free to have another shot at the presidency.
LEBANON: The United Nations children’s fund (UNICEF) has warned that around 100,000 children in Lebanon could be left without access to education at the start of the next academic year due to widespread damage to schools caused by the Israeli attack. According to UNICEF, at least 340 schools have been damaged or completely destroyed across the country, including public, private schools, technical and vocational training centres.
RUSSIA: A detachment of Russia’s Pacific Fleet arrived at the naval base in Qingdao, China for the joint Russia-China exercise Maritime Interaction 2026. The drills took place in the Yuellow Sea. Russian and Chinese naval forces, supported by maritime aviation, practiced joint rescue operations, anti-submarine missions air defence and joint artillery firing. According to China’s Ministry of National Defence, the drills are part of the annual cooperation plan between the two militaries and are aimed at jointly responding to security challenges and maintaining regional peace and stability.
PERU: Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of disgraced former dictator Alberto Fujimori was declared the winner of the presidential run-off election. Keiko Fujimori was running for the presidency for the fourth time and will be Peru’s ninth president in 10 years when she takes office later this month. Her victory, along with that of Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia and Jose Antonia Kast in Chile, confirms a regional shift toward the far right.
ESTONIA: Estonia has been stripped of the right to host the 2027 European Air Weapons championship after refusing to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part. The tournament has been moved to Granada, Spain. The European shooting Confederation lists Granada as a host city for the event which will take place on 3 to 9 March 2027.
Spain: The Spanish government has ordered state-backed companies to cut their ties with US defence contractor Palantir. The ban affects business operations in communications, defence, military technology, and public infrastructure projects. However the Spanish military has reportedly been given an exemption. In 2023, the Spanish Defence Ministry’s armed forces Intelligence centre signed a $18.8 million deal with Palantir, which expires next November. Spain is the third European country to ban its agencies from working with Palantir. The move follows similar bans in France and Germany.
