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US-Iran talks over $6bn Iranian assets to restart

Talks at an indirect level between US and Iranian officials over unfreezing at least $6bn Iranian assets will recommence on Wednesday in Doha, Iran has said. The two sides are yet to have their first face-to-face meeting since signing a deal to extend the ceasefire and reopen the strait of Hormuz. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were in Qatar on Tuesday for talks covering regional issues including the Iran ceasefire and Lebanon, but Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, Majed Al-Ansari, stressed these were with Qatari mediators. “They are not here for their negotiations with the Iranians,” he said. The US team is seeking details of a plan for Iran to charge tolls in the strait of Hormuz, and how the plan relates to proposals for consultation being tabled by Oman that would introduce fees for navigational services. The lack of renewed direct contact between the US and Iran on how to implement the memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June reflects tensions over Iran’s determination to maintain control over commercial oil tanker traffic through the strait of Hormuz, as well as Iran’s opposition to the proposed Lebanon ceasefire negotiated by Israel, the US and the Lebanese government last week. Talks between Iran and the US have not even started on Iran’s nuclear programme even though only 60 days from 17 June had been set aside to complete the complex talks. In theory those talks can be extended beyond the 6o-day deadline, but the slow progress is starting to alarm some diplomats. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, speaking at a press conference in Tehran, warned European powers such as France and the UK not to seek to become involved in de-mining the strait of Hormuz. “Iran is better aware of its responsibilities than any other party and is capable of fulfilling them, and there is no need for the intervention of others. Interventions that, even if made with good intentions, will in practice only complicate the situation,” he said. Western powers object to Iran’s plan to impose tolls for commercial shipping passing through the strait, but may be more open to discussing Oman’s plan for voluntary contributions or fees charged for specific services. The UN’s International Maritime Organisation was holding informal discussions with Iran about Tehran ’s objections to the IMO opening a sea route through the strait close to Oman in conjunction with the US and Oman. At one point last week IMO thought it had the agreement of the Iranian foreign ministry to the route, but Iran then attacked two ships last week, possibly fearing its control of the strait was being eroded. The IMO secretary General Arsenio Dominguez then suspended the route to hold talks with Iran. According to data from Kpler, a maritime tracking firm, 40 ships transited the waterway on Monday, up from 24 the previous day and 39 on Saturday. Hundreds of vessels have been stranded since the war between the US and Iran broke out on 28 February, leaving as many as 10,000 seafarers stranded. Not all ships have their transponders on, making an accurate count hard, but Iran may regard this level of traffic as so far below normal levels as to keep the pressure on the price of oil. It is committed to using its best endeavours to lift the blockade in the Strait within 30 days Giving a relatively optimistic account of the state of relations with the US, only days after the two sides exchanged fire arising from a dispute over the control of the strait, Baghaei said: “From the beginning when we entered this diplomatic process, no one imagined a smooth and unchallenged process. Keep in mind that this diplomatic process began after two wars in less than a year […] we expected to face challenges in the implementation phase.”

Italian MEP suggests government wants to ‘hide truth’ about Albania migrant centre

An Italian MEP has questioned whether the Italian government is trying to “hide the truth” about conditions at an offshore migrant detention centre in Albania after a delegation she was part of said they were prevented from conducting a full inspection. Cristina Guarda, from Italy’s Greens and Left Alliance (AVS), said staff at the Italian-run facility in Gjadër had refused to give MEPs from the Greens/EFA group key information, such as how many people were being held at the centre, and that they had not been allowed to access their cells. Guarda said that testimony gathered from those they were able to speak to depicted a daily existence defined by “limbo and alienation”. Citing an official register of “critical events”, she said there had been six attempts by people held at the centre to kill themselves since mid-May, as well as other acts of self-harm. “Whether they want to hide the truth about the conditions of life inside the detention centre, something is not clear,” said Guarda, who also described “sweltering” heat at the facility. Rome’s prefect office, which has overall responsibility for Italy’s offshore migrant processing centres in Albania, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian. Neither did Medihospes, the Italian cooperative that manages the facilities. Italy opened two centres in Albania – in Gjadër and Shëngjin – in 2024 as part of a controversial pact aimed at processing the asylum applications of adult men intercepted at sea by Italian government vessels and detaining refused asylum seekers pending their deportation. The five-year deal, which is costing Italy an estimated €130-140m (£112-120m) a year, has faced numerous legal challenges. Citing European law, Italian judges have rejected many transfers on the grounds that migrants’ countries of origin were unsafe to be repatriated to if their asylum requests were rejected. Several people are believed to have arrived at the facilities since the European parliament adopted a plan this month enabling the creation of offshore “return hubs” – centres outside the EU where undocumented people can be held for unspecified periods while waiting to be sent back to their home country. Although there are no official figures, the facility in Gjadër, which is primarily used to detain people before expulsion, hosts an estimated 70-80 people. Between them, the facilities in Albania are designed to accommodate roughly 1,000 people, with the original agreement allowing a cap of 3,000 at any one time. Guarda said the use of psychotropic drugs was “a constant” and that people filled their time by sleeping because “essentially they have nothing to do”. “One person said he was living his days in pursuit of his freedom,” she added. “This situation is alienating – it amplifies difficulties of a psychiatric nature and must be taken seriously.” The scheme, which falls under Italian jurisdiction, has often been touted as a model to follow by other EU states seeking to manage irregular immigration. Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has on several occasions expressed her determination to make the initiative work, despite her government so far failing to achieve its original goal of sending 36,000 people a year to the centres. In April, a group of senators from her Brothers of Italy party visited Gjadër and described a “modern, efficient facility in excellent condition and designed to ensure proper reception, safety and compliance with standards”. Tineke Strik, a Dutch MEP who was among the European parliament delegation, said in a statement that the visit was “very disappointing and disgraceful”. She added: “The staff really created a lot of obstacles for us. We didn’t get any data, they didn’t answer any questions, and we were not allowed to really go into the cells, and see what the situation is like. “For the people we did manage to speak to here, it’s clear they have problems asking for asylum, and many of them don’t see any way out of a failed system.” Cecilia Strada, a politician with Italy’s centre-left Democratic party, called on the Italian government and European Commission to explain why the MEPs faced obstacles. “They keep telling us that human rights are and will be guaranteed in centres located in third countries,” she said. “But European parliament representatives, who have the authority to enter, were ultimately unable to genuinely verify respect for those rights.” In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

Monaco bombing was ‘attempted assassination’, not terror attack, say prosecutors – as it happened

We are now closing the blog. Here is your summary of the day so far: Monaco prosecutors said they had opened an attempted murder investigation into Monday night’s bombing that shook the city, as they continued their manhunt for the main suspect (12:22). The main target of the attack was identified by local and French media as Ukrainian-born oligarch Vadym Iermolaiev, one of the three people seriously injured in the attack (12:38, 13:33, 17:04). In other news, Hungary reported a new all-time high temperature of 42C as the Europpean heatwave moves south-east (16:53). If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com. I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.

‘He isn’t political’: the Ukrainian-born oligarch targeted by a Monaco bomber

Nobody paid much attention to the man with the backpack, as he approached the entrance to a beige-coloured Monaco apartment building. It was 9pm, Monday. The street – rue Révérend-Père-Louis-Frolla – is located in a quiet hillside part of the wealthy principality, close to the border with France. The man left his bag on the front steps. Soon afterwards, the Ukrainian-born oligarch Vadym Iermolaiev emerged, together with his wife and their 13-year-old child. There was an explosion and CCTV captured an image of the suspect, wearing a black jacket and a bucket hat, running from the scene towards the neighbouring French town of Beausoleil. All three victims were injured and taken to hospital. According to reports, the oligarch’s wife was critically hurt. As European police searched for the bomber, the unanswered question was why someone wanted to kill Iermolaiev, one of Ukraine’s richest businessmen, with a fortune estimated at $225m (£170m). Iermolaiev is a real estate developer who was born and raised in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. His company, the Alef Group, also has interests in agriculture and vodka production. In 2018 the oligarch gave up his Ukrainian passport and acquired EU citizenship from Cyprus. As well as Monaco, he is a frequent visitor to London and Paris. In 2022, the newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda identified the oligarch as a member of the “Monaco battalion”, an ironic reference to wealthy Ukrainians who live in comfort abroad while their fellow citizens experience daily Russian drone and missile attacks. Iermolaiev enjoyed the high life and drove a £250,000 Bentley Flying Spur, it noted. The following year, Ukraine imposed personal sanctions on Iermolaiev after an investigation by the country’s SBU security agency. It said the 58-year-old oligarch continued to trade alcohol in occupied Crimea and paid millions of dollars in taxes to the Russian treasury. His assets were frozen and he was prohibited from doing business. In an interview with Ukrainian media, Iermolaiev strongly denied the allegations, calling them “completely surreal”. He claimed Russia seized his grape growing and cognac enterprise in Crimea when it annexed the peninsula in 2014. “We lost everything,” he said, adding that he had hired a team of lawyers to get the sanctions against him lifted. The oligarch condemned Russia’s invasion and said a missile strike on Dnipro airport had destroyed his private plane. Chechen militants stole his agricultural machinery, he added. “I despise our enemies and believe that they will bear responsibility for the grief they brought to Ukrainian land and to my hometown,” he told RBK Media, saying he gave money to Ukraine’s armed forces. Several sources on Tuesday dismissed the idea the audacious attack in Monaco could have been carried out by Ukraine’s special services. “He’s an opportunist, not an open enemy,” one remarked. Another described him as someone with “no ideology” and “zero political views” who could not “by definition be a Russian asset”. “He isn’t a political person,” somebody who knew him socially said. “He’s a businessman. Vadym is nicer than 95% of people on that level … He’s always smiling and pleasant to be around, a typical Dnipro Jew. He likes life, tells endless jokes and speaks in a rather stumbling manner.” A more plausible explanation for Monday evening’s bomb attack might be claims that the oligarch was connected to an alleged call centre scam, the sources said. They added: “It looks like something very, very personal. There are security cameras on every street corner in Monaco. That’s why rich people feel safe there. The hit doesn’t seem to be the work of a top professional.” Late last year, Iermolaiev’s son, Artur, was detained in Cyprus at the request of Interpol and subsequently extradited to Estonia. There, he was accused of creating a criminal organisation engaged in telephone fraud. According to Estonian investigators, Iermolaiev Jr, along with three other defendants, created fraudulent call centres in Ukraine that “offered fictitious investment opportunities”. As a result, between 2019 and 2022, the defendants received over €100m, €5.4m of which came from Estonian residents. Iermolaiev Jr entered into a plea bargain, received a suspended sentence, paid €8.5m and left Estonia shortly afterwards, the media outlet Meduza reported. He is now banned from entering Estonia. Chechen criminals are known to be behind many call centre scams, which have led to thousands of Russian pensioners being defrauded of their savings. In March suspected Chechen gangsters kidnapped the sons of two prominent businessmen from Dnipro, while they were on holiday in Bali. The body of one of them, 28-year-old Igor Komarov, was found chopped up on a beach. According to Ukrainian media, Komarov admitted his role in the fraudulent call centre business. Before killing him, his captors demanded a $10m ransom. His friend managed to escape. Ukraine’s main police investigation unit opened a case into Komarov’s murder and kidnapping, together with their Indonesian counterparts. A Chechen connection to the Monaco bombing is so far unproven. Sources who know the low-profile oligarch say he is someone who typically tries to avoid conflict, especially with government, and prefers to settle disputes by making backroom deals. In 2024 he transferred some of his assets to his 21-year-old daughter, Sofia, who lives in London and Cyprus, according to the Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske. Whoever the perpetrator, other members of the “Monaco battalion” are likely to be decidedly more nervous in future. “Everyone is in shock,” one regular Ukrainian visitor to the principality admitted. They added: “Vadim is a very nice man. The TV screens and cameras didn’t protect him.”

Like being ‘stabbed in the back’: abuse survivors left without trials after Christian Brothers’ unprecedented legal tactic

An abuse survivor feels as if he has been stabbed with a “sharp, long, bladed knife to the back” after his trial was aborted at the 11th hour due to an unprecedented legal tactic by the Christian Brothers. Last week, the Christian Brothers sought a permanent halt to hundreds of cases lodged by survivors of abuse at its schools and orphanages, arguing it was about to go broke and could not afford to meet them. It instead wants to sell off its remaining property portfolio, and set up its own scheme outside the court, to divide up the proceeds between a range of creditors, including survivors. Church property records obtained by Guardian Australia show the Christian Brothers has spent the past decade transferring vast wealth – including holdings of land, school buildings and multimillion-dollar homes – to another Catholic entity, Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA), for $1 each. Those assets will not be sold off to help survivors, according to EREA. The attorney general Michelle Rowland’s spokesperson said the government “takes any alleged attempts by institutions to hide assets from victims of child sexual abuse extremely seriously”. Arnold Thomas & Becker has 78 claims against the Christian Brothers on behalf of abuse survivors. Partner Jodie Harris said her firm would be scrutinising the property transfers with “laser focus”. “[Survivors] know about the movement of assets to Edmund Rice over a period of time, and for them, all it is is the Christian Brothers trying to protect themselves again, at [expense to] their lives that have been devastated,” Harris said. “That’s certainly where most plaintiff lawyers, most lawyers who are acting for people who were abused are looking. We are looking very, very hard at that.” Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email Lawyers were given little advance warning about the Christian Brothers’ proposed moratorium. One survivor was due to finally have their trial heard against the Christian Brothers beginning on Monday. It has been aborted. “After every delaying tactic in the book was used up – to be told that there is little, perhaps no money available after years of my family and myself hanging on by our fingernails, days before trial, is like my white-collared, black-robed rapist returning to finish me off with four deep thrusts of a sharp, long-bladed knife to the back, after fifty years of gradual, painful, delayed death,” the survivor said. Guardian Australia understands that, in another case, a survivor had recently settled with the Christian Brothers, prompting the court to dismiss the proceedings due to the settlement agreement. The survivor had taken out a loan in the expectation of receiving money from the Christian Brothers, which was expected next week. That payment will now not be made. A third survivor said he had suffered lifelong impacts from his abuse at the hands of four Christian Brothers and one non-religious teacher at St Kevin’s College in the 1970s. “Failed relationships, depression and repeated suicide attempts have haunted me throughout my life,” the survivor said. “Over the past few years, I have been able to find forgiveness. This progress has been destroyed. Last week, when I heard about the Christian Brother’s transferring ownership of the St Kevins property and other assets into another name, I felt betrayed – again. “I declined into a state where I was again, the boy locked in the bathroom, smashing his head and crying. The complexity of emotion is impossible to describe. The Catholic church is evil. They enable child abuse, they hide it, and I doubt will ever face up to the consequences for their actions. I will never forgive them.” Other survivors said they had been looking forward to moving on from the ordeal. “I was hoping to resolve my claim quickly to move on,” the survivor said. “I just want to live life and put it behind me. But I feel this will delay things.” Christian Brothers have informed survivors and other creditors that the sale of property would not be enough to pay each person what they are entitled to. Their proposed scheme will be run by retired judges who will divide up the proceeds of the property sales and decides what each survivor and other creditor is entitled to. EREA took over the running of former Christian Brothers schools from 2007 and is named after the order’s founder. EREA has made it clear it will not be selling property to help the Christian Brothers pay survivors. EREA’s financial reports indicate it has received transferred land worth $891m, according to its latest financial report in December 2024. Proxy adviser Dean Paatsch, who has examined the Christian Brothers’ financial reports, said that property could now be worth $2bn, an estimate first reported by the Australian Financial Review. A spokesperson said the property was transferred as part of a slow, progressive process of turning over Christian Brothers school land and property to EREA, which was delayed by what the spokesperson describes as the “complexity of transferring individual titles across multiple jurisdictions”. “The diversion of school assets or funds to support the liabilities of another organisation would raise significant governance, fiduciary and regulatory issues,” they say. “We sincerely hope the Christian Brothers find a path through their challenges, including planned asset sales, to allow them to continue their commitment to supporting survivors and victims of historic sexual abuse.” The Christian Brothers said the scheme it is proposing would scrutinise the property transfers to EREA, and said its advisers about the proposed property sell-off scheme were not involved in the past transfer of property to EREA. A Christian Brothers spokesperson said the scheme they are proposing is not designed to stop survivors from suing EREA in the future and it would not attempt to stop survivors from suing EREA. The spokesperson said that, if the moratorium is not granted, the order would enter liquidation. “Seeking a moratorium on all civil proceedings ensures that all claimants under the proposed creditors scheme of arrangement will be treated equally, assuming the moratorium is granted and creditors and court approve the scheme,” the spokesperson said. “We acknowledge the decision to publicly announce the difficult financial position of the Province’s entities, our decision to seek a scheme of arrangement and also a moratorium on civil proceedings, may have been unexpected, however it was important that all eligible creditors were made aware of the financial position.” In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helpline International

Delhi plans to ban petrol rickshaws and scooters in effort to cut toxic fumes

The unruly chaos of Delhi’s roads would be unrecognisable without the rickshaws and scooters that zip through India’s capital in their millions, emitting toxic fumes in their wake. But now, ambitious policies aim to give the city’s most recognisable vehicles an environmental makeover. On Monday, Delhi’s government announced plans to eventually ban petrol scooters, motorbikes and autorickshaws in favour of those running on electricity, in an attempt to bring down dangerously high pollution levels in the city by the end of the decade. The policies, which will phase out new petrol and gas scooters, trucks and buses in the capital over the next two years, have been hailed by some environmentalists as a “gamechanger” in the fight to bring down toxic emissions. In recent years, transport has been one of the highest contributors to Delhi’s air pollution, which is consistently at levels dangerously high to human health and has become an emergency in the capital, linked to tens of thousands of deaths each year. Scooters and rickshaws – which largely run on petrol and compressed fossil gas – account for more than two-thirds of the tens of millions of vehicles on Delhi’s roads. Under the new policy, India’s capital will now issue new licence plates only to electric small trucks and three-wheelers, known as e-rickshaws, from 2027, and to e-scooters and electric motorbikes from 2028. The Delhi government said it hoped the move would lead to an electrification of at least 30% of the capital’s vehicle fleet by 2030. “The policy focuses on pure EVs, which offer superior environmental benefits as zero-emission vehicles,” Delhi’s government said in a statement on Monday. Amit Bhatt, the managing director or the International Council on Clean Transportation, said: “The proposed phaseout of two- and three-wheelers could be a gamechanger in Delhi’s fight against air pollution.” Emphasising that scooters, rickshaws and trucks accounted for most of the vehicles on Delhi’s roads, Bhatt added that “accelerating their transition to zero-emission vehicles can significantly reduce vehicular emissions, improve public health, and pave the way for a broader transition to zero-emission transport across all vehicle segments”. The Delhi state government, run by the Bharatiya Janata party, which also governs at national level, had faced significant criticism and numerous protests during the winter after it was accused of doing nothing to tackle the dangerously high pollution levels that lasted for months. According to the government’s own figures, vehicle emissions count for an average of 23% of pollutants in the air, making it the highest single source of emissions, particularly during the toxic winter months when a thick smog routinely cloaks the city. E-rickshaws have become an increasingly familiar sight on Delhi’s roads over the past two years, but the lack of charging points has made drivers reluctant to switch over. Under the new policy, the government has pledged to establish more than 30,000 public charging points across the capital. Vikas Nimesh, an assistant professor at the School of Public Policy at IIT Delhi, also used the phrase “gamechanger”. He emphasised that the availability of affordable Indian electric vehicles was rapidly expanding, with Delhi already India’s largest market. Nimesh expressed optimism that the new policy would provide impetus for manufacturers to invest in new green technology and “come up with more EV models” to provide greater consumer choice and competition. News of the policy had yet to reach most of the city’s millions of auto-rickshaw drivers. Sitting in the shade of his rickshaw cab, parked in Delhi’s busy Connaught Place, Rajesh Gopi, 37, said he was sceptical that any real transition could take place in only two years and worried the electric vehicles would not provide the same earnings. “I have heard that the e-rickshaws need charging a lot and can’t travel as far as we can on gas,” he said. “If I have to wait one or two hours every day for charging, that’s lost income for me that I can’t afford. I also don’t know how to maintain an e-rickshaw or stop the batteries getting stolen.” However, he conceded that the city’s pollution was unbearable for rickshaw drivers forced to breathe in deadly fumes. “I am not against change and making the air clean, but I hope we are not the ones to pay the price,” said Gopi. The policy also introduced significant road and vehicle tax exemptions for people buying new electric cars, in an attempt to incentivise drivers to switch over by choice. However, some critics expressed concern that two years was too short a window to phase out new petrol scooters and rickshaws and ensure there was enough consumer choice. Others raised concern that the policy should have a wider focus beyond just private vehicles. Bhavreen Kandhari, a prominent environmentalist, said the government should also commit to expanding green public transport in the city. While Delhi has a substantial metro system, it is often criticised for lack of connectivity across the vast city, which keeps people reliant on flagging down rickshaws and driving their own scooters between their homes and metro and bus stops. “More cars on the road is not a solution,” said Kandhari. “To reduce traffic jams and dust in the city, the government should work on improving public transport and last-mile connectivity with green solutions. This EV policy falls short on that aspect.”

One million migrants in Spain apply to regularise status in new scheme

More than 1 million undocumented migrants and asylum seekers have applied to regularise their status in Spain under a government programme to harness and defend the benefits of immigration at a time when most European countries are pulling up the drawbridge. Although the massive regularisation initiative, announced by the socialist-led government in January, was originally intended to benefit about 500,000 people, it had attracted more than twice that number of applicants by the time the registration period ended on Tuesday. The scheme offers a residence and work permit, initially valid for one year, to applicants who can prove that they do not have a criminal record and that they had lived in Spain for at least five months – or had sought international protection – before 31 December 2025. Speaking in Madrid on Tuesday, Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said the huge take-up of the programme revealed how sorely it was needed. “The fact that more than 1 million people submitted applications shows just how necessary this recognition of rights and responsibilities was,” he said. Sánchez said Spain needed immigration to grow economically, to tackle its demographic crisis and to finance its welfare state. “Without immigration, Spain’s GDP would be 19% lower in 2050,” he said. “And what does that mean in business terms? It means, for example, that 90,000 bars would have to close, that 50,000 primary and secondary classrooms would find themselves without students, and that around 220,000 farms would disappear.” He added that without immigration, Spain would be “poorer, emptier, weaker and without the resources to fund its welfare state”. Although similar extraordinary regularisation programmes have been introduced by previous socialist and conservative governments in Spain, the latest scheme has been fiercely criticised by the rightwing People’s party (PP) and the far-right Vox party. The PP has suggested the move will overwhelm Spain’s public services, while Vox has claimed that Sánchez is trying to bring about “the demographic, social, labour and electoral transformation of Spain”. The PP regional governments of Valencia and Aragón have lodged appeals against the regularisation programme. On Tuesday, the court said it was considering asking the European court of justice whether aspects of the Spanish government’s regularisation decree could be at odds with EU law. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the PP, has also taken issue with the government’s decision to introduce a democratic memory law four years ago that offered Spanish citizenship to the descendants of Spaniards who were forced into exile during the Spanish civil war and the subsequent Franco dictatorship. More than 2.4 million people applied for citizenship under the law and more than 544,000 people have already been approved. In a radio interview on Monday, Feijóo accused Sánchez of engaging in “electoral engineering” in the hope of securing more socialist voters. “What’s behind this [the descent law] is an obvious interest in getting new voters,” he told Es Radio. “Seeing as the current voters aren’t working out, let’s see if manufacturing [new] voters pans out.” The government dismissed Feijóo’s accusations, saying they reeked of desperation. “I find them incredibly irresponsible,” said Elma Saiz, Spain’s minister for inclusion, social security and migration. “They demonstrate the desperation and frustration of someone who has no political project for our country and who already seems to sense an electoral defeat.” Sánchez has been a staunch and sustained defender of the need for migration at a time when other European leaders have adopted the language of the far right in an effort to convince voters they are also taking immigration seriously. Addressing parliament in October 2024, Sánchez said the country was at a demographic crossroads and needed migration to grow its economy and maintain its welfare state. “Throughout history, migration has been one of the great drivers of the development of nations while hatred and xenophobia have been – and continue to be – the greatest destroyer of nations,” he said. “The key is in managing it well.” On Tuesday, Sánchez unveiled a €500m (£431m) “integration and citizenship” plan to help manage the flow of migrants and ensure they are well integrated. “Spanish society must guarantee equal treatment, combat discrimination, and offer opportunities,” he said. “And those who arrive must respect our laws, learn our official languages, and share the democratic values that define us.”

China is a clear winner from Trump’s war in Middle East, report concludes

China has emerged as the sole winner in Asia from the strait of Hormuz crisis, according to a report published on Tuesday. The report by the geopolitical consulting firm Asia Group concluded that China had weathered the storm of the global commodities crisis resulting from the closure of the Middle Eastern waterway, and also stood to gain from the economic and geopolitical trends sparked by the wider conflict. Iran virtually closed the strait, a vital waterway through which much of the world’s oil and gas flows, after the US and Israel launched joint strikes on 28 February, targeting government and military sites and killing Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. The ensuing crisis has sent global energy prices soaring, with Asia particularly exposed. The report noted that before the strait’s closure, roughly 80% of the oil and nearly 90% of the liquefied natural gas transiting the waterway was destined for Asian markets, along with a significant share of other critical commodities. The report looked at Asia’s largest economies – China, India, Japan and South Korea – as well as emerging markets across south-east Asia. The researchers mapped the economic and political repercussions of the crisis and its impacts across key sectors including manufacturing, energy and agriculture. They concluded that China was a clear winner from the crisis caused by Donald Trump’s foray into the Middle East. The country’s large stockpiles of oil and the hugely ambitious rollout of renewable energy mean it has been less exposed to the energy shock than other countries. China has long maintained strategic reserves of energy, and last year took advantage of cheap prices to build up even bigger stockpiles. Its crude imports grew from 11.1m barrels a day to 11.6m in 2025, with over 80% of that increase being sent to stockpiles, according to analysis by Erica Downs, a senior research scholar at the Centre on Global Energy Policy. As of January, China had enough stockpiled to cover 104 days of imports at the 2025 level. The country has also been building massive amounts of renewable energy infrastructure in recent years. Last year it installed 315GW of new solar capacity, more than half of the world’s new solar. The year before, it added 277GW. Beijing is aiming for half of China’s energy to come from non-fossil sources by 2030, with the share from wind and solar reaching 30%, up from 22% in 2025. Although China’s energy mix is still largely based on coal, which accounts for more than 50%, renewables’ share is increasing rapidly. The Asia Group’s report said: “With 1.4 terawatts of operating renewable capacity already online and a reported 90-110 days of crude import cover in reserve, China weathered the initial shock better than any regional peer.” China has also benefited from other countries reacting to the crisis by accelerating its clean energy buildout. Beijing dominates the global supply chain in solar and other clean technology industries and in recent years has been pushing much of this production overseas at low prices, to the chagrin of western leaders worried about their own industries. China’s electric vehicle exports soared by more than 110% in May compared with the previous year, while solar shipments in April increased by 60%. Beijing has called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, and when Trump visited in May and met China’s president, Xi Jinping, he claimed the two countries were united in wanting to find a settlement. But the Asia Group report noted: “The crisis allows Beijing to cast the United States as the destabilising actor whose Middle East entanglements impose costs on the world.” There are some risks to China from the instability. Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said: “It’s tempting to see any loss of credibility in the US as a benefit for China, but that’s not necessarily the case for Beijing, which does not want to supplant Washington as a Middle East hegemon or provider of security for the region.” Wen-Ti Sung, a non-resident fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, based in Taiwan, said the crisis could also make Beijing think twice about a future military assault on Taiwan because it showed the difficulty of navigating ships through hostile territory. The Asia Group’s report concluded: “Ultimately Beijing views the pain points not as existential threats, but as challenges to be managed and even opportunities to be exploited.”