{"id":5131,"date":"2026-07-06T12:52:03","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T12:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/06\/iran-begins-long-farewell-to-former-supreme-leader-with-calls-for-trumps-death-first-thing\/"},"modified":"2026-07-06T12:52:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T12:52:03","slug":"iran-begins-long-farewell-to-former-supreme-leader-with-calls-for-trumps-death-first-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=5131","title":{"rendered":"Iran begins long farewell to former supreme leader with calls for Trump\u2019s death | First Thing"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"35d32cf7-0449-42fc-942f-9798410aaadb\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Coffins draped in the Iranian flag on display amid a sea of mourners, many carrying flags.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/18554a9e07d63c3d30fe04f7def434cff7ead196\/660_0_2329_1863\/master\/2329.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"371.9600686990124\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Mourners gather around the coffins of Ali Khamenei and members of his family, including his infant granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Golpaygani.<\/span> Photograph: Atta Kenare\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"35d32cf7-0449-42fc-942f-9798410aaadb\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Mourners gather around the coffins of Ali Khamenei and members of his family, including his infant granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Golpaygani.<\/span> Photograph: Atta Kenare\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">First Thing: Iran begins long farewell to former supreme leader with calls for Trump\u2019s death<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Millions gather in streets and officials appear in public at Tehran funeral of Ali Khamenei in show of defiance. Plus, origin of mysterious \u2018space balls\u2019 in Australia revealed<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Good morning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Iran\u2019s week of mass funeral processions \u2060for the former supreme leader Ali Khamenei has seen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jul\/05\/iran-ali-khamenei-funeral-supreme-leader-mojtaba-absent\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">public calls for the killing of Donald Trump<\/a>. Khamenei was killed along with other members of his family on February 28, the first day of the US and Israeli war against Iran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The Guardian\u2019s Patrick Wintour in Tehran reported the funeral was designed to show the Trump administration that Iran retained social resilience. Attendees included senior political, military and judicial officials, suggesting they have assurances that the tentative US-agreed ceasefire precludes attacks on the ceremony. The al-Quds force commander, Esmail Qaani, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief, Ahmad Vahidi, were both in full view \u2013 inconceivable earlier in the war.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>Who made the direct call for the killing of Trump?<\/strong> During part of the ceremony, the poet Mohammad Rasouli said: \u201cI swear by your blood; Trump\u2019s murder is our responsibility. Why is the most bastard man in the world still alive? \u2026 Why should we not kill the man who killed our imam? It would be a disgrace if we did not.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>Where is the new supreme leader?<\/strong> Appointed 10 days after his father\u2019s death, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public or recorded any audio message for three months. His absence was made more conspicuous when his brothers, Mustafa, Massoud and Meysam, stood alongside one another beside their father\u2019s coffin.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"florida-republican-says-deporting-haitians-with-tps-would-be-huge-mistake\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\"><strong>Florida Republican says deporting Haitians with TPS would be \u2018huge mistake\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"05bbdc73-dd5d-4d5c-904f-24107275d8e0\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Police officers block medical students from advancing during a protest demanding the reopening of the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, last week.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/02bcea9b5173f1885818ad653a7453996baad9aa\/963_0_6101_4881\/master\/6101.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"356.0145877724963\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"05bbdc73-dd5d-4d5c-904f-24107275d8e0\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Police officers block medical students during a protest demanding the reopening of the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince last week.<\/span> Photograph: Odelyn Joseph\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Carlos Gim\u00e9nez, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/republicans\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Republican<\/a> congressman from Florida, broke with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/trump-administration\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Trump administration<\/a> on Sunday, calling on the White House to reconsider its push to eliminate temporary protected status (TPS) for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/haiti\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Haitian<\/a> migrants.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Returning about 350,000 Haitians to their chaotic, dangerous homeland would be a grave error, Gim\u00e9nez said, after the US supreme court\u2019s ruling that the Trump administration could cut off temporary legal protections.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>What did Gim\u00e9nez say?<\/strong> He said: \u201c[TPS] is meant to safeguard those who are either fleeing countries that are failed states and are at risk of going back to them or countries that really can\u2019t handle them right now, as is the case with Venezuela that has suffered a natural disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>What did the court decide?<\/strong> The ruling gave the green light to plans to end TPS for more than 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians. TPS allows people to live and work in the US if the Department of Homeland Security deems their home countries unsafe due to war or natural disasters.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"usmnt-avoids-key-player-suspension-at-world-cup-after-trump-intervenes\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\"><strong>USMNT avoids key player suspension at World Cup after Trump intervenes<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"586f2a40-d5ad-4942-9c27-11000af13eff\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Balogun (wearing #20) will not face further punishment for this tackle.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/560d3d5f29ca344abde2af4619fb89f36f4c64b2\/818_0_6287_5030\/master\/6287.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"356.02831239064733\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"586f2a40-d5ad-4942-9c27-11000af13eff\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Folarin Balogun (wearing #20) will not face further punishment for this tackle.<\/span> Photograph: Martin Meissner\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The USMNT\u2019s Fifa World Cup campaign is mired in controversy after Folarin Balogun\u2019s red-card suspension was overturned in an unprecedented move after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/2026\/jul\/05\/folarin-balogun-red-card-suspension-lifted-usmnt-belgium-world-cup\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">an apparent direct intervention from Donald Trump<\/a>. The president made three calls to Fifa to ensure the striker could play Belgium tonight, later writing on Truth Social: \u201cThank you to Fifa for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!\u201d Balogun had been sent off for a dangerous tackle against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the previous round.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>How have <\/strong><strong>Belgium reacted?<\/strong> While USMNT\u2019s coach, Mauricio Pochettino, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/2026\/jul\/05\/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-belgium-balogun-red-card-fifa-reversal\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">praised the decision<\/a>, it has been received poorly by the Belgium team<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/2026\/jul\/05\/belgium-rudi-garcia-world-cup-usmnt-folarin-balogun\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">, whose coach Rudi Garcia said<\/a>: \u201cI didn\u2019t know that 5 July was equal to April Fools\u2019 Day at Fifa.\u201d The Royal Belgian Football Association said it was \u201castonished\u201d by the decision and was \u201cinvestigating all potential options\u201d, while Uefa said Fifa had crossed a \u201cred line\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>What have been the security concerns at the World Cup?<\/strong> In another development, the FBI has revealed it has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/05\/fbi-seizes-600-drones-world-cup-games\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">seized more than 600 drones<\/a> flying over the tournament games in US cities. Drone restrictions apply to three hours before and after a scheduled game.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"in-other-news\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\"><strong>In other news \u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"44e0b5b2-0cc5-45f7-ba29-4f9eca1b413e\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-4\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mallory McMorrow.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/a2e3c7f08c6b66ba8ec95de2c41e02c2f517c2fa\/210_34_2880_2304\/master\/2880.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"356\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-4\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"44e0b5b2-0cc5-45f7-ba29-4f9eca1b413e\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Mallory McMorrow\u2019s withdrawal has set up a straight contest straight fight between the party\u2019s progressive and establishment wings.<\/span> Photograph: Jose Juarez\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan Democrat, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/05\/mallory-mcmorrow-drops-out-senate-race-michigan\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">dropped out of a contentious US Senate primary campaign<\/a><\/strong>, setting up a straight fight between the party\u2019s progressive and establishment wings.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>Venezuela\u2019s interim president has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jul\/05\/rodriguez-defends-venezuelas-emergency-earthquake-response-as-bodies-expected-to-soar\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">defended her country\u2019s emergency<\/a> response to the twin earthquakes<\/strong> that have killed more than 3,000 people, vowing it would not descend into social unrest.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>A cruise ship carrying 2,000 LGBTQ+ passengers has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jul\/06\/turkey-blocks-lgbtq-cruise-ship-citing-moral-values-ntwnfb\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">blocked from docking in <\/a><\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jul\/06\/turkey-blocks-lgbtq-cruise-ship-citing-moral-values-ntwnfb\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Turkey<\/a><\/strong> after local authorities said their behaviour did not \u201calign with the structure of our society and our moral values\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>Kelsey Pfendler<\/strong><strong> has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/04\/california-hawaii-rowing-solo-journey\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">rowed solo across the mid-Pacific<\/a><\/strong> and completed a record-breaking journey from California to Hawaii, becoming the first US woman, as well as the youngest woman and fastest woman to do so.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"stat-of-the-day-at-least-25-people-die-as-record-heatwave-scorches-swaths-of-us\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\"><strong>Stat of the day: At least 25 people die <\/strong><strong>as record heatwave scorches swaths of <\/strong><strong>US<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"ebe001af-85b5-472a-91f6-c651a283ad1e\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-5\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A woman wipes sweat from her face as she walks through Midtown Manhattan during a heatwave in New York.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/d8e93e259db408a989315eda0e2615713a62e84d\/535_0_5353_4282\/master\/5353.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"355.966747618158\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-5\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"ebe001af-85b5-472a-91f6-c651a283ad1e\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">About 140 million people in the US were under active heat alerts on Sunday.<\/span> Photograph: Angela Weiss\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/05\/heatwave-deaths-weather\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">At least 25 people have died<\/a> in a perilous, climate-driven heatwave scorching the US, with 140 million people under active heat alerts on Sunday. The National Weather Service has urged people to stay hydrated and remain in air-conditioned environments.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"building-power-the-next-250-years-belong-to-all-of-us-seven-activists-on-rebuilding-the-us\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\"><strong>Building Power: \u2018The next 250 years belong to all of us\u2019 \u2013 seven activists on rebuilding the US<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"3f47ec3e-d286-4800-a50c-f3f8bae1942c\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-6\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"An illustration of the US Capitol and the faces of social activists.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/357ae626e0d2480547cf1a53b94230aba12a0e87\/0_0_3000_2400\/master\/3000.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"356\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-6\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"3f47ec3e-d286-4800-a50c-f3f8bae1942c\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">The US has arrived at its 250-year milestone amid sustained attacks on voting rights, civil rights and democratic institutions.<\/span> Composite: The Guardian\/Getty Images\/Kristen Clarke\/Summer Lopez\/Yasmin Cader\/ Celina Stewart\/Edgar Villanueva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">For many Americans, the weekend\u2019s celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which promised liberty and equality for all, is less a celebration than a reckoning. The US has arrived at this milestone amid sustained attacks on voting rights, civil rights and democratic institutions \u2013 challenges that organizers say are taking the country back generations. Fabiola Cineas presents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/01\/250th-anniversary-7-us-activists\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">views from seven activists on where the nation should be heading<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"dont-miss-this-stranger-things-finn-wolfhard-on-growing-up-on-tv-and-his-new-life-in-music\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\"><strong>Don\u2019t miss this: Stranger Things\u2019 Finn Wolfhard on growing up on TV \u2013 and his new life in music<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"13f8aa47-5cba-43db-ab02-caaa4a64455e\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-7\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Finn Wolfhard plays in Brixton in London, England.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/2bea4a912b7ed37fb36d448c0bdbe6befe454dd7\/343_0_2500_2000\/master\/2500.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"356\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-7\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"13f8aa47-5cba-43db-ab02-caaa4a64455e\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Finn Wolfhard has made music long before becoming an actor.<\/span> Photograph: Lorne Thomson\/Redferns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The actor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/lifeandstyle\/2026\/jul\/06\/it-was-pretty-depressing-when-stranger-things-ended-finn-wolfhard-on-growing-up-on-tv-and-his-new-life-in-music\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">tells Steve Rose in this interview<\/a> that \u201cit was pretty depressing when Stranger Things ended\u201d, but that having a built-in fanbase from the show has been a fillip to his musical aspirations \u2013 he made music long before he was an actor. Finn Wolfhard also makes this fine observation about being cast as a different kind of character to the role of Mike Wheeler that gave him his breakthrough \u2013 \u201cIt\u2019s fun sometimes to be the dick.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"-or-this-inside-the-telegram-drug-rape-chat-group-that-shocked-germany\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\"><strong>\u2026 or this: Inside the Telegram \u2018drug rape\u2019 chat group that shocked Germany<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"493962cd-a4d7-47f4-8b5d-4354144d6b5a\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-8\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A phone displaying the Telegram messaging app.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/cb6274bbfbdd349006d3e0b8dd8e47274bacedc9\/1281_545_5228_4182\/master\/5228.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"355.9659525631217\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-8\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"493962cd-a4d7-47f4-8b5d-4354144d6b5a\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">In a shocking piece, Zhaoyin Feng looks at a case in Germany.<\/span> Photograph: Diptendu Dutta\/ZUMA Press Wire\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Dr Juliane Kloess, a senior lecturer in forensic clinical psychology at the University of Glasgow, says the rise of online rape communities is a global problem. In this shocking piece, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/jul\/06\/telegram-chinese-men-germany-drugged-women-filmed-rape-court-chinese-diaspora-europe\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Zhaoyin Feng looks at a case in Germany<\/a>, where members of an online gang of men, targeting mainly women of Chinese heritage, drugged and secretly filmed their sexual assault victims.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"climate-check-bomb-the-arctic-dam-the-mediterranean-and-build-a-second-moon-five-outlandish-plans-to-remodel-our-climate\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\"><strong>Climate check: Bomb the Arctic, dam the Mediterranean and build a second moon \u2013 five outlandish plans to remodel our climate<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"bd594144-bc5c-4cba-9c16-6f9eec12dada\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-9\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"An illustration of the Atlantropa project.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/1165d1cefcaa0cda89711b716d9cc963bf68e221\/0_24_5315_4251\/master\/5315.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"355.9162746942615\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-9\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"bd594144-bc5c-4cba-9c16-6f9eec12dada\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">In the 1930s the German engineer Herman S\u00f6rgel proposed that a dam be built across the strait of Gibraltar.<\/span> Photograph: Album\/Alamy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">With varying degrees of practicality, author Tim Flannery, who co-wrote A Brief History of Climate Folly, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2026\/jul\/06\/five-outlandish-plans-to-remodel-earth-climate\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">examines five of the more \u201cout there\u201d ideas<\/a> for averting a manmade climate disaster for the planet.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"last-thing-australian-space-agency-reveals-likely-origin-of-mysterious-space-balls-found-on-queensland-beaches\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\"><strong>Last Thing: Australian Space Agency reveals likely origin of mysterious \u2018space balls\u2019 found on Queensland beaches<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"daca9dcf-bde9-49bd-8270-74b9a104a8f7\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-10\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The \u201csuspected space debris\u201d on Forrest Beach, Queensland.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4f306b17811ef4803c18edba89b91e28bda63076\/274_113_2155_1723\/master\/2155.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"355.79350348027845\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-10\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"daca9dcf-bde9-49bd-8270-74b9a104a8f7\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">The probable origin of the \u2018space balls\u2019 on Forrest Beach is slightly more prosaic than alien invasion.<\/span> Photograph: Queensland Fire Department<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Perhaps slightly less exciting than the answer \u201caliens\u201d, but the Australian Space Agency has said the six so-called \u201cspace balls\u201d found in north Queensland were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2026\/jul\/06\/mysterious-space-balls-queensland-beaches-origin-source-australia\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">probably from a \u201cforeign rocket body\u201d<\/a> that had recently re-entered the atmosphere after being in orbit.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sign-up\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\"><strong>Sign up<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"cd92e9d0-3b4c-4768-83c7-0824cddd45e3\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.EmbedBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div data-testid=\"embed-block\" class=\"dcr-bim5uz\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1uhxjbp\">Sign up for the US morning briefing<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you\u2019re not already signed up, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/info\/2018\/sep\/17\/guardian-us-morning-briefing-sign-up-to-stay-informed\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">subscribe now<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"get-in-touch\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\"><strong>Get in touch<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email <a href=\"mailto:newsletters@theguardian.com\" data-link-name=\"in body link | mailto:newsletters@theguardian.com\">newsletters@theguardian.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US news<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/series\/guardian-us-briefing\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">First Thing newsletter<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Iran%20begins%20long%20farewell%20to%20former%20supreme%20leader%20with%20calls%20for%20Trump%E2%80%99s%20death%20%7C%20First%20Thing&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/06\/first-thing-iran-supreme-leader-ali-khamenei-funeral-trump?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fjul%2F06%2Ffirst-thing-iran-supreme-leader-ali-khamenei-funeral-trump&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/jul\/06\/first-thing-iran-supreme-leader-ali-khamenei-funeral-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-axwinp\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mourners gather around the coffins of Ali Khamenei and members of his family, including his infant granddaughter Zahra<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":5133,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5131\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}