In closing paragraphs of his speech, Zelenskyy praises everyday heroism of the people of Ukraine, with a number of awards to Ukrainian soldiers and, when they died in service, to their families.
Bahrain’s defences forces said Iran has continued to launch “heinous attacks” against the country and that its air defences have thwarted “several” Iranian air attacks. It did not specify how many or what type of projectiles were intercepted. Earlier today, the IRGC claimed to have destroyed what it described as the command and control centre, naval support management centre, warehouses and fuel tanks at the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain.
The arrest in Ibiza and US justice department extradition request for a wealthy American donor to lefwing causes in connection with alleged material support for Hamas is sending ripples through leftwing circles in Spain and being closely monitored in the US for potential “chilling effects” on support for Palestine. Spanish authorities detained James “Fergie” Chambers Friday and are now holding him without bail in Madrid. A hearing is scheduled on whether he can be released on bail for Thursday. The Spanish high court has 40 days to decide whether to grant the Trump administration’s extradition request. If the court says no, the case closes there. If it says yes, the Council of Ministers has the final decision, according to a spokesperson for the court. The indictment against Chambers is sealed. This is the first known case of the US seeking extradition of a citizen arrested and charged with supporting Hamas, according to Stanley Cohen, an attorney with 40 years’ experience working on terrorism cases. “I don’t doubt the decision was made [to seek Chambers’ extradition] because it looks good for Trump, for AIPAC and for Zionist supporters,” said Cohen, who’s been following the case. “It’s a conscious decision to target for political purposes.” Chambers is a self-described anti-imperialist and heir to one of the richest families in the US, owners of Cox Communications. He sold stock back to his family worth around $250m in mid-2023 and since then has been funding politically progressive and humanitarian projects, from a Black community group to a nonprofit organization helping Middle Eastern children. Stella Schnabel, Fergie’s partner, wrote in a statement: “Fergie is being jailed because he uses his wealth to support Palestine and those suffering genocide in Gaza. In short, he is facing political persecution for having dedicated his life to building a better society, rather than exploiting people and profiting from war. He should be with our family, continuing his important humanitarian and social advocacy work.” Chambers has donated more than $1m to humanitarian projects in Gaza, his attorney, Llorenç Salvà, wrote in the same statement. The self-described communist has been extensively profiled in US media and was interviewed on local TV news in New Hampshire in late 2023 about a direct action against Elbit Systems, an Israel defense contractor, staged by a group that he supported financially, then called Palestine Action. Shortly after, he moved to Tunisia – where he bought the hugely popular football club, Club Africain. Chambers has said that he’s known for more than a decade that he was on the US federal government’s radar, and the Trump administration, with its focus on targeting US funding for alleged terrorist activities, is now seeking his extradition. Irene Montero, member of the leftist Podemos party and Spanish representative to the European parliament, posted on X Monday that: “Spain can’t collaborate with Trump in the persecution of solidarity with Palestine: the government should protect him and not surrender him to Netanyahu’s friends.” Similarly, six members of Spain’s Congress from the leftist Sumar party wrote Monday that Chambers’ arrest “was produced in the context of growing repression from the Trump administration against the Palestinian solidarity movement”. The letter also refers to the Spanish government’s ongoing critiques of Israel’s actions in Gaza, and the tension this has created with Trump. The arrest and extradition request concerns human rights groups, they wrote, since these actions seem to have “political motivations related to his support for the Palestinian cause”. Extraditing him, they assert, would set a precedent that would impact “free expression, association and political participation”. Trevor Aaronson, author of several books on the FBI and terrorism, pointed to the notion advanced by Sebastian Gorka, the Trump administration’s top counter-terrorism official, that “all leftist groups are part of some huge network and are active participants in terrorism”. He sees the Chambers case as a continuation of “troubling precedents established in the post-9/11 ‘War on Terrorism’ and directed at foreign nationals, now being turned inward, at US citizens”. Aaronson pointed to the Holy Land Foundation case of the mid-2000s, where the legal concept was advanced that money is fungible so that anyone financially supporting, for example, “school books in Gaza – that’s more money that Hamas could then use for terrorism”, since Hamas governs the area, he said. The result of such an argument, including, potentially, with the Chambers case is “a chilling effect, where no one wants to give money to Palestinian groups or to other left groups, because it could be used against them”. Aaronson pointed to the timing of the case. “Arguably, the need for humanitarian aid in Gaza is greater than ever. Conflating that with terrorism is remarkable.”
Iran has threatened to halt all energy exports from the Middle East after the US reimposed a blockade of its ports and ships, as the two countries continued to trade strikes for a fifth day, further threatening the interim deal between them. The US blockade came into force early on Wednesday, prompting Iran to shut the strait of Hormuz and carry out a wave of retaliatory airstrikes on countries hosting US bases in the region. “Regional energy exports are either shared by all or denied to all,” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement on Wednesday. It added that the strait would remain closed until the “end of America’s evils”, further disrupting shipping in the waterway that before the war was a choke point for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas. The flare-up in violence and disruption to shipping further drove up the price of oil, with the price of crude on Wednesday continuing to rise past the one-month high reached on Tuesday. The US said Iran had attacked seven commercial ships in the strait last week, with almost a dozen crew members killed, missing or injured. Iran also launched airstrikes on Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, countries that host US forces. Jordan said it intercepted three ballistic missiles from Iran on Wednesday, while Kuwait said it was working to extinguish a fire caused by Iranian attacks. At least 30 civilians have been killed by US strikes in southern Iran in recent days, said the Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani. At least seven Iranian soldiers were killed in US strikes on the Bampur military base in the south-east of the country. The dispute over the strait threatened to pull the region back into a total war. Donald Trump said he would begin targeting power plants and bridges in Iran if a deal was not reached by next week. Targeting civilian infrastructure without a clear military target could constitute a war crime. “Next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges,” the US president said in a Fox News interview on Tuesday. “We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.” Trump said US negotiators had been in touch with their Iranian counterparts to tell them to make a deal, while saying the US would save energy targets for last but would ultimately hit them. Trump made similar comments in March, when he threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power stations and fresh water plants if Tehran did not agree to peace terms “shortly”. US Central Command (Centcom) said the latest strikes were aimed at “degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping” in the strait. Iranian state media reported explosions near the port city of Bandar Abbas, on the Gulf island of Qeshm near the strait, and at other locations. In response, the IRGC said it had targeted what it described as command-and-control, logistics, fuel and military equipment facilities belonging to the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. The Iranian state news agency IRNA said earlier that Iranian forces had launched a drone attack on a military base in Jordan that hosts American warplanes. Trump backtracked from a threat earlier this week that ships would have to pay a 20% fee to the US for “security” in the strait, replacing it with what he described as investment and trade deals with Gulf Arab states. The US president said he had decided to scrap the toll “based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership”, and touted “massive” investments, just five hours before the toll was due to come into effect. He said the US would continue to blockade Iranian ports. Prospects for negotiations aimed at securing a permanent truce after a fragile interim ceasefire was signed on 17 June appear increasingly dim. Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said the US decision to renew the blockade “has, in a way, dismantled the Islamabad memorandum”. With Agence France-Presse
Spain and Gibraltar are celebrating the fall of the last frontier fence in western Europe after the signing of a post-Brexit deal that brings an end to border checks for residents, tourists and the thousands of Spanish workers who cross into the British overseas territory every day. The agreement, which was signed in Brussels on Tuesday and came into effect at midnight, marks the conclusion of more than four years of negotiations between the UK, Spain, Gibraltar and the EU after Britain’s departure from the bloc. The deal eliminates border controls and customs checks to create a fluid frontier, and gives Spain responsibility for Schengen controls at Gibraltar’s airport and port. It has also led to the removal of the border fence that has physically separated Spain from Gibraltar since 1908. Gibraltar, which was ceded to the British crown under the treaty of Utrecht in 1713, is home to only about 40,000 people and relies heavily on the 15,000 Spanish workers who cross into the territory each day. The Rock, as the territory is nicknamed, is also hugely important to the economy of the neighbouring Campo de Gibraltar region of Andalucía. Under the previous system, long rush-hour queues formed at the border, especially during periods of heightened tension between Madrid and London. Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, hailed the deal as a “historic agreement” that would ensure mutual prosperity. “We have just put an end to a long period of discord and opened the door to a new era of coexistence for two populations that lived apart and are now joining hands, three centuries later,” he said. “This is a historic agreement, an agreement for the future, which represents a huge leap forward in terms of stability and prosperity for the 300,000 Andalucíans in the Campo de Gibraltar.” Gibraltar’s chief minister, Fabian Picardo, said the treaty, which does not affect the territory’s British sovereignty, marked the beginning of a new era. “The frontier that has so often divided and constrained our region will now become a place of cooperation and shared opportunity,” he said. “The daily lives of thousands of people will be made easier, our economy will be given greater certainty and Gibraltar’s future will rest on firm legal foundations.” Picardo added: “We have reached this moment without surrendering who we are, without compromising our British sovereignty and without weakening the constitutional protections that define Gibraltar.” The UK minister for Europe, Stephen Doughty, called the signing of the treaty “a very special moment”, while the European commissioner Maroš Šefčovič toasted “shared prosperity and no more barrier for the 15,000 people crossing between Spain and Gibraltar daily”. Under the terms of the deal, Gibraltar will become a de facto part of the EU’s Schengen free-movement area and Britons flying into the territory will have to pass through the bloc’s new entry/exit system (EES), whose fingerprint and face scans have caused long queues at some airports. “I am concerned [similar queues] could happen,” Picardo told the Financial Times this week. The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, is to travel to the border town of La Línea de la Concepción on Wednesday to witness the removal of the last remaining section of the border fence. Spain has long sought the return of its lost territory. The Brexit referendum in June 2016 prompted the conservative Spanish government of the time to suggest that joint sovereignty could be an option. “It’s a complete change of outlook that opens up new possibilities on Gibraltar not seen for a very long time,” the country’s then acting foreign minister, José Manuel García-Margallo, told Onda Cero radio just after the referendum. “I hope the formula of co-sovereignty – to be clear, the Spanish flag on the rock – is much closer than before.” The suggestion was rebuffed by Gibraltar and London and a lengthy process of negotiations began. More than 96.6% of Gibraltar residents voted to remain part of the EU. The territory’s connections with Spain were totally cut off in 1969 when the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco ordered the land border to be closed after Gibraltar approved a new constitution. Families were separated and thousands of Spaniards lost their jobs overnight. The border did not reopen until 1982.
Good morning. I’m Hettie O’Brien, and I’ll be arriving in your inbox regularly from today, rounding out the First Edition team alongside Libby and Michael. I’ve spent much of my time at the Guardian writing about who is pulling the strings in Britain: I enjoy illuminating knotty subjects for our readers, exposing how power works, and helping to make sense of the stories defining our world. I’d love to hear what you think – just reply to this email – we want you to play a part in shaping First Edition. But go easy, it’s my first day. This morning I’ll be looking at a new law that could dramatically change Britain’s political landscape. The representation of the people bill – supposedly one of Keir Starmer’s final acts as prime minister – contains numerous proposals, including the extension of the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds and new rules on voter registration. But thanks to the ongoing questions raised by the Guardian’s reporting into Nigel Farage’s finances, particularly the £5m donation he received from the Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne (a gift that Farage insists was “personal”, not political), one aspect of the bill has become potentially explosive: the role that big money plays in British politics. And perhaps that is why the soon to be prime minister, Andy Burnham, hit pause on the bill that was due to be debated yesterday, to allow for his new administration to shape what is ultimately passed into law. Given that delay – and the fact I’m sure our new PM is a loyal reader – I spoke to Steve Goodrich, head of research at Transparency International, about how the rise of mega-donations is undermining democracy, and what Burnham should do about it. That’s after the headlines. Five big stories UK news | The police investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe is examining whether a leftwing or single-issue cause may lie behind her killing, the Guardian has learned. Middle East | Donald Trump has threatened to expand US strikes on Iran next week to target power plants and bridges if Tehran does not agree to a deal amid a continuing dispute over the strait of Hormuz. UK politics | Boris Johnson’s government wasted £10bn of public money because of the way it went about buying PPE during the coronavirus pandemic, an official inquiry has concluded. Europe news | A spokesperson for the EU has pushed back against the Trump administration’s assertion that the international criminal court poses a threat to US sovereignty. US news | The man killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Maine on Monday has been identified as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, according to local news outlets. In depth: ‘Money talks the loudest’ The representation of the people bill was due to have its third reading in parliament yesterday. But it has now been delayed until after the summer recess, giving the incoming prime minister ample opportunity to shape the legislation. The death of Ann Widdecombe has sparked a wider conversation about the security of politicians, and Reform UK (the party for which she was immigration and justice spokesperson at the time of her death) hasn’t missed an opportunity to argue that restricting party finances could imperil the lives of its representatives. But many MPs now believe that ever-larger donations are corrupting our political system. Here’s just one example: in 2025, Harborne gave £9m to Reform, the largest single donation by a living donor a British party has ever received. It would take the average person 3,000 years to save enough to match it. You might assume – given Farage’s humiliating decision to call a byelection in which he’ll be campaigning against a talking bin – that Reform is losing its touch. But the party’s fortunes are closely tied to those of its wealthy friends. The vast majority of its funding comes from just a handful of donors, among them Harborne, who has donated more than £22m, Ben Delo, founder of a crypto exchange, and Nick Candy, the billionaire property developer. The rich have always sought to influence politics, but they’re now doing so at an unprecedented scale, says Goodrich, who has spent years uncovering the influence of big money on British politics. “What you’re seeing is an increasing Americanisation of British politics, where money talks the loudest.” In 2015, only 1% of private donations to UK parties came from companies and individuals giving £1m or more: by 2024, this had risen to over a third. “This ballooning of big money is encouraging parties to listen less to their voters and members at large, and more to a small clique of uber-wealthy people who are gaining an outsize influence on our political system.” This rise in mega-donations stems from a 2023 decision by the Conservative government to quietly hike the election spending cap by 80%, which has locked parties into a vicious cycle. As campaign expenditure has increased (in 2024, parties and their candidates spent over £90m on the general election, the highest figure in modern British history), fundraisers have attempted to raise greater amounts of money than ever before. “If you’re a fundraiser who has to raise £100m for an election, the quickest way you’re going to do that is to tap up a bunch of billionaires rather than trying to make the case to your membership or the public for funds,” Goodrich says. The problem is far greater than a single party: it reflects how the super-rich are remodelling politics to suit their interests, funnelling money towards parties that promise tax cuts, deregulation, and the destruction of government oversight. As the Institute for Public Policy Research recently observed, there is a troubling affinity between men who made fortunes from cryptocurrencies and tech platforms, and a global network of right-wing politicians who can appear hostile to democracy. Whatever happens next with Farage, the new British right will be counting on the continued support of its deep-pocketed funders. *** Awkward questions The representation of the people bill was an opportunity to stem this flood of money, but some MPs think it is overly timid. Among its reforms are an annual £100,000 limit on donations from British citizens living abroad, and new checks to stop foreign actors from using UK shell companies to make political donations. The government has also put in place a (temporary) moratorium on political donations made in cryptocurrencies. A number of Labour MPs want it to go further. Some have proposed amendments to the bill including a permanent ban on cryptocurrency donations and a sizeable reduction in campaign spending limits. But such a reduction would do nothing to prohibit the type of gigantic donation that Delo and Harborne have made to Reform (or the £2m that Labour received from David Sainsbury in 2023, for that matter). “One of the major issues is that we currently have no limit on how much UK individuals or companies are allowed to donate to parties,” Goodrich tells me. MPs Stella Creasy and Alex Sobel have proposed capping donations at £100k and £1m, respectively. Under Creasy’s £100k cap, Reform would have lost an estimated 85% of its registered donations in 2025. Still, those hoping the Labour government might be swayed by her proposal will probably be disappointed. “There’s always been a standoff between Labour and the Conservatives about limiting donations,” said Kiran Stacey, the Guardian’s policy editor, who has been following this story closely. The Conservative party has historically benefited from large donations made by individual wealthy donors and Labour has benefited from sizeable donations from the unions, giving neither party a reason to adopt a cap. “Each of the major parties has tried to avoid talking about this substantively, because it raises awkward questions about where they get their money from,” Goodrich says. *** A global outlier Burnham might take a different view. In emails with a grassroots campaigner that he sent while campaigning in the Makerfield byelection, he suggested he would back a £500k cap on political spending – though he has since gone rather quiet on the issue. Here, Burnham could perhaps take note of what other countries already do: Australia, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands all impose caps on political donations. The gold standard is arguably set by Canada, which bans corporations (and trade unions) from making donations to parties, and sets strict limits on how much can be donated: the maximum an individual can give to any party is just $1,775 per year. The failure of successive governments to cap political donations has made the UK an outlier among western democracies in Europe, and is cutting Westminster adrift from public opinion. The majority of people in Britain feel that big money has too much sway in politics, and voters from all the major parties (including Reform) are united on this issue. Introducing a cap would be popular, Goodrich says, restoring faith in the idea that politicians are ultimately elected to serve us, the general public. “It’s the only way of protecting democracy from big money – before public trust crumbles.” What else we’ve been enjoying Robyn Vinter has gone undercover in Laos to make this incredible film about how Chinese tourism is fuelling animal trafficking. Libby After reading this piece about Enid Marx, the textile designer behind some of the London Underground’s cheerful fabrics, I’ve gained a new appreciation for my seat on the tube. Hettie When I spoke to Melissa Hellman for First Edition about America’s 250th birthday celebrations, she told me about this play retelling the revolutionary war from the perspective of former slaves. Libby World Cup 2026 France 0 - 2 Spain | Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro gave Spain a win in the World Cup semi-final against France. They now await England or Argentina in the final. England| Whatever the result of the semi-final clash with Argentina, it’ll be a career-defining night for England captain Harry Kane. Jacob Steinberg looks at what’s at stake. Penalties | To date, 342 World Cup players have faced the most nerve-wracking test in football. This anxiety-inducing gallery captures the agony – and ecstasy – of stepping up to the spot. Today’s Fixtures England v Argentina, 8pm on BBC One Sport Cycling | Tadej Pogacar extended his lead in the Tour de France with another imperious solo victory on the 10th stage to Le Lioran, in the Massif Central. Cricket | Axar Patel and Washington Sundar both score unbeaten half-centuries to lead India to a six-wicket win against England at Edgbaston. LA Olympic Games | The six-time Olympic medalist gymnastics star Suni Lee, announced she is returning to the sport, about two years out from the Los Angeles Games. The front pages “Police examine possible leftwing motive for Widdecombe murder”, is the Guardian’s front page headline today, while the Times has “Widdecombe suspect ‘may have targeted other MPs’”, the Mail says “Widdecombe suspect probed over Left-wing extremism”, and the i Paper writes “Widdecombe killed in targeted attack, UK counter-terror police chief reveals”. Elsewhere, the Telegraph leads with “Alzheimer’s drug could stop disease”. The FT says “Wall Street banks reap record profits as AI frenzy powers trading bonanza”. On the World Cup, the Express urges its readers to “Roar them on!”, the Sun says “It’s in YOUR hands now, lads”, the Mirror says “You can do this” and Metro writes “Don’t jinx it, Keir”. The Latest Trump forced to refund billions in tariffs The US government has been forced to pay billions in refunds to companies that were hit by Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs. The US has paid out $81bn (£61bn) this fiscal year, after the supreme court ruled the tariffs were illegal. Lucy Hough speaks to international editor for Guardian US, Chris Michael. Cartoon of the day | Ella Baron The Upside A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad Can humans hibernate their way to Mars? A growing group of scientists thinks so. Certain animal species can survive months without food or water, thanks to a specific area of their brain. Turns out we have one, too – and with the help of technology, humans might also be able to safely shut down. “It could absolutely transform the future of space travel,” says Christiane Hahn, from the European Space Agency. Hibernation could shrink the provisions needed for deep space travel, while reducing its potential health risks. Plus, there’s hope this research could one day treat all sorts of diseases. “This has so much therapeutic potential,” says physician professor Matteo Cerri. “It’s just an incredibly exciting area.” Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday Bored at work? And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply
Authorities are searching for a bear that sneaked into the home of an elderly couple and raided their fridge amid concerns it may be behind 14 break-ins across a Japanese town in the past fortnight. On Monday evening, Mitsuo Matsubara, 87, was confronted by a large Asiatic black bear when he went to investigate a noise in his kitchen. His fridge was open, and food was strewn across the floor. His wife called the police. Break-ins have now been reported at five locations in the north-eastern town of Shizukuishi, leading officials to suspect one bear may be a repeat offender. They have set up box traps, installed electric fences around repeatedly targeted houses and deployed patrols to warn people about the bear. “It’s unusual for a bear to break into the same place multiple times,” said Shiho Chida, a bear specialist with the nature division in Iwate prefecture, where the town lies. “It’s possible this is the same animal, so we want to capture it as soon as possible.” So far, a bear has been caught breaking into buildings on a farm in the area four times over the past couple of weeks, helping itself to milk-based cattle feed. It was caught on camera attempting to open the sliding door of a farmhouse in the dead of night, but ran away after the farmer shone a light on it and shouted loudly. In the hope of discouraging the unwanted intruder, the farmer has taken to spreading a homemade anti-bear mixture containing Japanese mustard around entranceways. On Friday last week, another local resident came home from shopping to find a bear inside his house near the room where his elderly father was sleeping. The animal ran outside when he banged on a nearby door. But it attempted to come back inside, and the man spent about 30 seconds struggling to hold a sliding door shut as the bear stood on its hind legs trying to push its way in. He described the bear as about 1.65 metres tall. The following evening a woman discovered a bear going through food in her kitchen, and on Sunday it broke into a Japanese confectionery shop and took doughnuts out of the fridge. The bear’s sweet tooth has driven it to break into one house five times, where it has eaten cookies, sugar and karinto, a Japanese sugar-coated sweet made from fried dough. Record numbers of bear attacks and fatalities have occurred in Japan in recent years. Experts believe that shrinking populations in rural areas have made it less intimidating for bears to come into towns, and that many have now lost their fear of humans.
Shared ebikes will disappear from some inner-city Melbourne streets after a council scrapped its agreement with Australia’s largest electric bike operator. The City of Yarra on Tuesday voted to end its memorandum of understanding with Lime, terminating its almost six-year-long trial. Though some councillors noted shared ebikes were an affordable and environmentally friendly transport option, others said the operator had not done enough to prevent users from blocking footpaths, dumping ebikes or riding while drunk. “There are two issues here: shared ebike users who refuse to follow the rules and show no consideration for others, and an operator which has demonstrated it cannot or will not manage its operations so that the community members are safe on Yarra streets,” the deputy mayor, Sharon Harrison, said. “We must prioritise the needs of pedestrians on our footpaths, we have legal obligations, and that’s the bottom line.” Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email The termination of the agreement means Lime will have 30 days to end its operations in the area once notice has been given by the council. The City of Yarra’s jurisdiction, which encompasses Fitzroy, Richmond and Carlton North, boasts some of the highest rates of shared ebike use in Australia, with Lime estimating roughly 614 trips were made every day since January 2025. Lime has made about $2.5m from the area, according to council figures. But the council has not earned anything from the ebike scheme due to the terms of its agreement with the company. “They’re actually taking the mickey,” the mayor, Stephen Jolly, said. The shared memorandum of understanding was intended to be a rolling, one-year trial, and a permanent ebike sharing scheme would have allowed the council to receive a payment from an operator. The council had begun a procurement process in December, but Lime was the only company to apply through the tender process. Councillors on Tuesday also voted not to award the contract to Lime. “We’re not saying no to ebikes – people can have their own private ebikes,” Jolly said. “We will reopen the tender if we have a company that comes back and meets the bare minimum standards, which is not a corporate monolith expecting an underfunded council to bankroll them.” A Lime spokesperson said the company was disappointed by the decision. “This entirely unnecessary disruption to the ebike network across Melbourne should be avoided,” their statement said. The area’s geography means the change could impact users who live in the neighbouring councils of Melbourne, Darebin and Stonnington. Councillor Sarah McKenzie, who opposed the motion, called for a more balanced approach to shared ebikes. Most users were not visitors but local residents cycling to work, public transport or other small businesses nearby, she said. “Those against it do relate a lot to user behaviour, but we don’t ban cars for user behaviour,” she said. “I know the scheme isn’t perfect … but I don’t think that is a good enough reason to cease this now.” Ebike proponents, including Streets Alive Yarra spokesperson Jeremy Lawrence, suggested the council introduce bike parking corrals to prevent ebike dumping and raise revenues by charging for car parking. “By choosing to forgo the possible revenue from non-resident commuters, council is nudging people toward driving, and therefore propping up multinational organisations such as Saudi Aramco, TotalEnergies, or Exxon Mobil. “We believe that streets are for everyone, and we should be supporting people to use the mode that best works for them.” Surrounding councils are expected to re-evaluate their relationships with shared ebikes in the coming months, with the City of Melbourne to consider a permanent scheme later in the year.