TODAY’S WEATHER

☀️ We’re at the start of what should be a pleasant week’s weather, with early overcast skies in Glasgow clearing to join Edinburgh and Aberdeen in a bright, dry day. If you’re headed for London, be ready for proper summer heat - especially later this week. (Here’s the UK forecast).

THE BIG STORIES
Leaders gather for G7 under cloud of Israel-Iran conflict | Minnesota suspect arrested | Oasis row

📣 Leaders of some of the world’s most significant economic powers gather for a G7 summit later today in Canada, with the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran top of the agenda.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had discussed efforts to de-escalate the crisis with Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and expected “intense discussions” to continue. (AP)

• Overnight, Iran launched fresh air strikes on Israel, with explosions heard across Israel’s major cities. Israel killed the chief of Iran’s armed forces intelligence unit. (BBC)

• Residents of Tehran attempted to flee or find shelter over the weekend (Warning - graphic images) (Guardian)

• CBS News reported that Trump had vetoed plans to assassinate Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (CBS News)

• Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that Iran wants to assassinate Donald Trump (Fox News)

• US leadership is divided on the extent to which it should support Israel: some at the Pentagon think it should retain its focus on containing China, and not move resources to the Middle East. (Semafor claims the exclusive)

📣 The man suspected of shooting two Minnesota politicians has been caught following the biggest manhunt in Minnesota’s history. Vance Boelter, 57, now faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder after attacks on Saturday. There’s been no indication of motive. (AP)

📣 Oasis singer Liam Gallagher has hit out at Edinburgh City Council after claims the band’s fans were described as “rowdy”, “intoxicated” and “middle-aged men” who “take up more room” in a safety briefing ahead of their concerts at Murrayfield later this summer. “I’d love to see a picture of all the people on the Edinburgh council bet there’s some real STUNING individuals,” the star posted on X. (The Sun)

IDEAS
Was Israel right to attack Iran?

🗣️We have entered the age of impunity, writes Steve Bloomfield. Where once the US would hold Israel back, that old restraint has gone. ”The attacks, which have sparked a new regional war, highlighted the vulnerability of the Iranian regime, the intelligence capabilities of Israel, and the impunity with which Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to operate,” he writes.

“Those three factors are at the heart of the new war and underline just how unpredictable the coming weeks will be. No one outside the Iranian regime itself knows just how vulnerable its supreme leader Ali Khamenei and his government truly are. It’s possible Khamenei himself doesn’t know. A coup, a collapse, an uprising are all on the table.” (The Observer)

🗣️Those regime-changing outcomes are likely on Benjamin Netanyahu’s mind, thinks Bloomberg’s analysis, with the Israeli PM likely looking at goals “far beyond scuttling US nuclear talks he’s long opposed.

“It showed how Israel is trying to exploit the Islamic Republic’s weaknesses to foment economic unrest and spark the overthrow of the clerical regime that’s ruled Iran for almost half a century,” writes Golnar Motevalli and Dina Esfandiary.

“How the conflict escalates will determine whether a wider regional war breaks out and the future of Iran’s nuclear ambitions,” they write. Fear of dragging the US into the war means they are unlikely to start attacking other nations’ oil or military installations in the region. A prolonged conflict could also ferment a middle-class uprising in the country. (🎁Bloomberg - free to read)

🗣️ Matthew Syed is unequivocal on the importance of Israel’s assault on Iran. “The West is afflicted, as so often, by a stunning failure of imagination,” he writes. “Again and again over the past two days, I’ve read commentaries with ‘on the one hand, on the other hand’ prevarication about the Israeli strikes,” he says.

“Still we in the West struggle to understand religious fanaticism, the high likelihood that if Iran gained nuclear weapons, it would use them against Israel. That isn’t just my opinion, by the way; it’s what the mullahs have been telling us for more than 40 years.

“When religious psychopaths say they love death, not life, they are telling the truth. Listen to them. Drink it in. Allow it to subvert your ‘enlightened’ complacency about what it would mean for Iran to get to 90 per cent enrichment, when it is already so close.” (Sunday Times £)

🗣️That’s a view echoed by Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, who says Iran had always planned to gain a nuclear arsenal which would have been “an intolerable danger not only to Israel but to other nations regarded as enemies by the Tehran regime – including us.”

“Hence, whatever people think of Israel, their efforts in this case to end the nuclear ambitions of Iran must be applauded and supported by the entire free world,” he says. (🎁 Telegraph - free to read)

🗣️But Nesrine Malik sees Netanyahu attempting to reclaim credibility lost in Gaza, returning to a narrative that Israel is only acting as “the victim, acting in irreproachable good faith”.

“But what is the endgame?” she asks. “Does Israel envisage a close-ended campaign, after which it retreats, satisfied with the results? Or is that not a plausible scenario, considering the counterstrikes it has provoked? It’s all looking very Gaza-like: escalation with no end; or regime change with no plan.” (Guardian)

AROUND SCOTLAND

📣 John Swinney will attempt to cool simmering discontent from within his party with two speeches this week. Today, he’ll promise a “national project of renewal” to overhaul Scotland’s public services. Tomorrow, at the Scotland 2050 Conference in Edinburgh, he’s expected to argue Scottish independence is the key to achieving Scotland’s long-term ambitions. (Herald)

• Stephen Daisley: “Reports of a plot to replace John Swinney as SNP leader prompt an obvious question: with whom?” (Mail)

📣 Glasgow needs its own mayor and devolved powers or it risks “being left behind” by other big UK cities, a think tank report has warned. If the city was performing in line with others of its size, the Scottish GDP would be 4.6% larger, says the Centre for Cities. (Scotsman) (Read the report)

📣 The long-serving MSP Sarah Boyack will stand down at next year’s Holyrood election after 25 years in the Scottish Parliament. (Scotsman)

AROUND THE UK & WORLD

📣 The first funerals have been held for victims of the Air India crash while there remain few clear answers as to why the plane came down. The pilot is reported to have shouted “Thrust not achieved… falling… Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” moments before the plane hit the ground. (Independent)

📣 MI6 has a new chief: Blaise Metreweli becomes the first woman to be named “C” in the Secret Intelligence Service’s history. (BBC)

📣 There will be a national inquiry into grooming gangs - a u-turn by Keir Starmer, revealed in a press scrum on his flight to Canada for the G7 summit. The driver for the decision may less be about social media pressure, and more about the findings of the existing inquiry by Professor Alexis Jay, suggests Peter Walker. (Guardian)

📣 Poundland was sold for £1 last week: it’s another blow for Britain’s struggling high streets, with up to 200 sites set to close and hundreds of jobs at risk. But some of the famous discount store’s woes have been self-inflicted, analysts say. (Retail Gazette)

SPORT

⛳️ JJ Spain won the US Open after a rain-soaked final round at Oakmont to earn the first major title of his career. As Ewan Murray reports, debate about this year’s tournament will rage for a while, although the drama could not be denied. (Guardian)

🏎️ A soporific Canadian GP came to life with three laps to go, thanks to Lando Norris colliding with his team-mate as they jostled for fourth place. That ended his race, and ensured George Russell won for Mercedes under a safety car. (Guardian)

⚽️ Hearts have signed Portuguese striker Claudio Braga for an undisclosed fee - he’s been the top scorer for Norwegian second-tier side Aalesunds for the last two seasons. (BBC)

⚽️ Rangers have offered a feisty response to the SFA after being served with a notice of complaint over John Brown’s comments, on the club TV channel, about their controversial non-goal against Hibs. (Sun)

⚽️ Expect some transfer action at Celtic soon: RB Leipzig are reported to be considering a £15 million bid for Nicolas Kuhn, while the club looks to go shopping in Japan once more, this time for full-back Albirex Niigata. (Record)

⚽️ To the extent you care… at the FIFA Club World Cup, PSG thumped Atlético Madrid 4-0, Bayern Munich beat part-time Auckland City 10-0, and Botafogo won 2-1 against Seattle Sounders. Chelsea play Los Angeles at 8pm our time later, while Boca Juniors play Benfica at 11pm.