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Good morning! Today is Tuesday, the ninth of June, 2026 and this is the Tuesday Edition of GEORGE.
GEORGE is how curious thinkers catch up on global stories that matter, each and every weekday morning. It’s your tool to stay ahead of the news with reporting and commentary on what you need to know today.
Under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel and Iran promised to behave themselves and stop attacking each other. As Mr. Trump has said so many times with respect to the war in Iran, “we’ll see how it goes.” GEORGE’s@The War Room reporter has complete details on this and the Russo-Ukrainian War.
The death toll has continued to rise in the Philippines following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake. As GEORGE went to press, the toll had reached 35. Our @Today in Brief news editor has details on this and other important stories of the day.
The 79th Tony Awards took place this past weekend and “Death of a Salesman,” “Ragtime,” “Schmigadoon!,” and “Liberation” took home the top honors. Our @Thomashefsky on Theatre editor has complete details of the award-filled evening at Radio City Music Hall.
In Asia, China’s leader paid a visit to North Korea to remind that country’s Supreme Leader – also known by the nickname “Rocket Man” – of the importance of the two countries’ friendship. This news story and others are all in GEORGE’s @Today in Brief section.
Finally, our @The Sketch editorial cartoon editor presents a withering look at recent Russian repair attempts to the International Space Center.
As of late May, the daily greeting column you are reading has a name, @The Lede. A “lede” is journalism jargon for the opening sentence or introductory paragraph of a news story. It is deliberately misspelled to avoid confusion with the metal “lead” used in old printing presses to separate lines of type.
In addition, GEORGE has other exclusive news in today’s edition so don’t touch that dial. Simply scroll down and read more GEORGE, starting with today’s editorial cartoon in @The Sketch. GEORGE will be back tomorrow with a brand-new editorial cartoon, even more news, and stories you won’t find elsewhere.
Until then, remain curious!
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A stack of newspapers in Vienna’s Café Prúckel, each in an Original Wiener Zeitungshalter
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VOLUME VI… № 1,734
@THE LEDE (above)
@THE SKETCH (above) Roscosmos Spaceside Assistance for ISS
IN THIS ISSUE
@INTERMEZZO I The cast of Broadway’s “Schmigadoon!”
@THE WAR ROOM
@INTERMEZZO II The cast of Broadway’s “Death of a Salesman”
@THOMASHEFSKY ON THEATRE The Tony Awards
@INTERMEZZO III Dusk as viewed from the GEORGE editorial offices
@TODAY IN BRIEF
@INTERMEZZO IV Wien Mitte Train Station
@RECENT DISPATCHES OF NOTE
@ABOUT GEORGE
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The cast of Broadway’s “Schmigadoon!”
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U.S.-Israeli War in Iran
— Iran and Israel pledged not to attack one another at the urging of Mr. Trump, who appealed for de-escalation. The flare-up in strikes threatened to derail current peace negotiations that Mr. Trump is heavily invested in. In a televised statement on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that Israel would hold its fire for the time being, although at least one media outlet, the local television station N12, reported that strikes in southern Lebanon, where Israeli is fighting the terror group Hizbullah, would continue at full force.
— Israel bombed Iran for the first time since the cease-fire agreement was signed in April. The strike on Iran came after several barrages of Iranian missiles and drones directed towards Israel.
— Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country’s ideologically driven militia, said the operation would be “the beginning of a full week of continuous strikes.”
— Iran fired ballistic missiles in two separate barrages directed towards Israel late Sunday. The action was the first time since the April cease-fire went into effect that Iran had targeted Israel. The Israeli military said that it had intercepted all Iranian missiles in the first of two barrages and announced at around 11 p.m. (23:00) local time that it was safe to leave bomb shelters. As a precaution, the government ordered schools to be closed nationwide on Monday.
— Israel’s רֹאשׁ הַמַּטֶּה הַכְּלָלִי , or military chief of staff, אֱיָל זָמִיר, or Eyal Zamir, said that Israel will “strike the enemy with determination as soon as the order is given.”
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Russo-Ukrainian War
— Ukraine said Russian drones struck a nuclear-fuel storage facility within the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The United Nation’s atomic watchdog called the attack “completely unacceptable.” The attack “partially destroyed” the facility, which was empty at the time, Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear operator Energoatom said in a post on social media. The attack also sparked a fire that spanned roughly 40 square meters, or 430 square feet, the operator said.
— It was just several days ago that Russia blamed Ukraine for a separate drone attack on the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear plant in south-east Ukraine.
— Ukraine also reported that three people were killed in a Russian drone strike while waiting at a bus stop in southeastern Ukraine on Sunday,
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The cast of Broadway’s “Death of a Salesman”
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The 79th Tony Awards ceremony took place Sunday evening at Radio City Music Hall in New York City with “Schmigadoon!” taking home the prize for best new musical, “Ragtime” for best musical revival, while “Liberation” won for best play. “Death of a Salesman,” meanwhile, won the Tony for best revival of a play.
“Sometimes singing, dancing, a lot of jokes, and a happy ending is really all you need,” said Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, as he took the stage as lead producer of “Schmigadoon!”
“Salesman” took home the most statuettes, six, while “Ragtime” and “Schmigadoon!” each received four. “The Lost Boys” also won four, although that show did not win any of the “Best Show” awards.” Still, it captured best performance by a featured actor in a musical for Ali Louis Bourzgui and best performance by a featured actress in a musical for Shoshana Bean.
John Lithgow, who will turn 81 in October, became one of the oldest Tony Award winners for his role as the cantankerous, antisemitic children’s book author Roald Dahl in “Giant.” Lesley Manville, 70, took home the trophy for best actress in a play for “Oedipus.” And several seasoned Broadway performers celebrated their first Tony wins: Caissie Levy and Joshua Henry for “Ragtime”; Alden Ehrenreich for “Becky Shaw,” and the aforementioned Ms. Bean, who made her debut on Broadway original cast of “Hairspray” in 2002 and was Elphaba in “Wicked” in 2004 through 2006.
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Dusk as viewed from GEORGE’s New York City offices Monday evening
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A powerful 7.8‑magnitude earthquake off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday has resulted in the death of at least 35 people, with dozens more injured. Disaster officials said that Manila would set up search-and-rescue operations, while survivors recounted the fear they felt when the quake struck, some saying that the tremors were unlike anything they had experienced in the past. The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings in multiple countries and tremors were felt hundreds of miles away, including in the city of Manado on the Indonesian island of Sluaweisi. The collapse of a building that housed a fast-food restaurant was captured in a video. Panicked passers-by could be seeing fleeing the scene as a thick cloud of dust subsumed what had been there.
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China’s leader, Xi Jinping, on his first trip to North Korea in seven years, arrived there on Monday to deliver a not-so-subtle reminder to his host country’s seemingly emboldened dictator, Ki Jong un. The message he telegraphed was his country, China, remains his most important economic partner and benefactor as well as a rampart against a common foe, the United States of America. Mr. Xing called for “close strategic communication” with Mr. Kim and for strengthening exchanges “at all levels and in all fields,” according to the official summary released by Chinese state media. He also indicated a desire to deepen the relationship with Mr. Kim in “the new era,” a phrase Mr. Xi uses to indicate his country’s growing presence and strength in the international arena. The Chinese top leader needs to counterbalance Russia’s attempts at influencing Mr. Kim. Two years ago, Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defense pact.
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Apple revealed improvements to its artificial-intelligence system, Apple Intelligence, at its Worldwide Developers Conference, including a long-delayed overhaul of its Siri digital assistant. Siri will soon become a more capable and conversational digital assistant that resembles chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and these tools will work across multiple Apple devices and via a dedicated Siri AI app; its familiar voice is also becoming customizable. The company has argued that its methodical approach to AI is different than that of other technology firms. On Monday it emphasized that it had developed its latest AI tools with privacy in mind, explaining that much of the computer processing required to answer questions would happen on iPhones and other devices themselves, not in data centers.
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Germany and France scrapped plans to jointly build a next-generation fighter jet, in a hit to European defense coöperation. The Future Combat Air System, which also involves Spain, reportedly fell apart after France’s Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which represented Germany and Spain in the project, failed to agree on lead and control. Germany’s government said that Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron concluded that the companies were unable to “come together.”
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The European Union fully activated the new European Entry-Exit System, often referred to as EES, and it is fully operational at all external border crossing points of the countries using EES. The system aims to streamline and better secure border crossings for non-EU nationals on short stays. Twenty-nine countries from Austria to Switzerland have switched the system on and some travelers are reporting that they are missing flights because of it. The Independentreported that British travelers are being warned of delays of up to six hours at popular destinations, a figure that might cause many a traveler to kick himself for having voted in favor of Brexit in 2016. Another report stated that the EES kiosks have been reported as out of service in some popular European cities including Brussels, while Greece and Portugal have essentially reverted to older technology such as passport stamps when wait times become unmanageable.
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Delta Air Lines began its return to Hong Kong on 6 June after inaugurating new daily non-stop service from Los Angeles. The Atlanta-based carrier had discontinued its service linking Seattle to Hong Kong in 2018, after four years of operation. Prior to that, the airline offered continuing service to Hong Kong through its hub at Tokyo’s Narita Airport, a service it inherited in its 2008 merger with Northwest Airlines. The flight was greeted by a water cannon salute upon arrival on Monday at Hong Kong International Airport at 5:05 a.m. The carrier’s return flight, also on Monday, was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the departure gate that was attended by the U.S. Consular General and representatives of Hong Kong International Airport and the Los Angeles Tourism Board. All passengers received a special commemorative gift. Delta is operating Flights 88 (inbound to Los Angeles) and 89 (outbound service) using Airbus A350-900 wide-body airliners. The A350 features four cabins, namely Delta One business class, which is equipped with Delta One Suites; Delta Premium Select, the carrier’s premium economy section; Delta Comfort, the airline’s premium economy light section; and Delta Main Cabin, or coach as most people would call it.
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For years, students at the Liceo Scientifico Statale C. Cavour, or the C. Cavour State Scientific High School, told stories about the mysterious rooms hidden beneath the school’s gym that they had supposedly explored. Six years ago, students told Claudia Marino, a history and Latin teacher at the school, about them, a move that resulted in the arrival of archaeologists to examine the find. An extensive excavation earlier this year revealed that the rooms were part of a domus, or large Roman villa, that dated back to the second century. There are figurative and floral frescos on the walls and stucco decorations along the ceiling vaults of the villa. In one room, archaeologists discovered a mosaic with large, irregularly shaped tiles, a style that had been fashionable among elite Romans in the second century. The archaeologists also found graffiti left behind by students, tourists, and other subterranean explorers in the 20th and 21st centuries.. An inscription indicates that the domus was owned by a member of the Umbrius family, although little is known about this particular household. Officials named the villa the Domus Liceo Cavour and students and teachers hope to eventually be able to open it up to the public and offer tours. A Liceo is a secondary educational institution that provides a rigorous, academic, and mostly theoretical education, preparing students primarily for university and higher education. It is similar to a lycée in France or Gymnasium in Austria and Germany as well as to an academically rigorous high school in the United States.
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Seattle’s Gay Pride month culminates in a massive Pride Weekend from 26 to 28 June, highlighted by the annual Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, 28 June, and there will be free PrideFest events across Capitol Hill and the Seattle Center. Therefore, it stands to reason that the 2026 FIFA World Cup match at Seattle’s Lumen Field on 26 June, designated by local organizers as a “Pride Match,” should be one of the highlights. Therein lies the rub. The match on 26 June will be between Iran, where homosexuality is punishable by death, and Egypt, where homosexual activity is punishable by up to three years in prison. When FIFA’s schedulers announced the Pride Match pairing after December’s draw, it must have felt a little like a sick joke to many. The Egyptian Football Association has said it will reject “in absolute terms” any signs or symbols of gay pride. Mehdi Taj, the head of the Iranian football federation, told news agencies that the game assignment was an “irrational move.” For once, and just this once, just about everyone was on Iran’s side.
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The United States will greet gay, lesbian, and transgender World Cup fans through a mixed landscape. Laws on gay and lesbian rights vary by state. Fan groups, human rights organizations, and civil rights coalitions have issued travel advisories for the United States and are actively boycotting World Cup matches in restrictive host states like Florida and Texas. The groups cite “don’t say gay” and “don’t say they” legislation, deteriorating human rights, and the stripping of federal protections as reasons they feel unsafe. As a result, prominent European organizations, such as England’s Three Lions Pride, have officially boycotted the tournament. Meanwhile, New York, New Jersey, and California have a number of laws that have robust anti-discrimination laws. There are two other host countries, Canada, one of the safest and most inclusive nations on the planet, offering full federal legal protections against discrimination, and Mexico, which has enshrined such protections in its federal constitution but is currently mired in controversy over the persistent use by Mexican football fans of an anti-gay one-word chant, “puto,” which can be translated as “male prostitute,” but, in the context of how it is employed by some Mexican football fans, is regarded by FIFA, gay advocacy groups, and numerous Spanish-language scholars as a homophobic slur directed against gay men or those men who are perceived as insufficiently masculine.
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Thousands of people took to the streets in Tirana, Albania, for the eighth day in a row over fears that the $1.6 billion luxury resort on the picturesque Adriatic coast, backed by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, threatens an ecologically sensitive area. The resort would be constructed in an area that is home to pristine beaches and a variety of protected species including flamingos, which is why some protestors carried inflatable flamingos with them. The luxury complex includes plans to develop a stretch of coastline in the area of the protected Vjosa-Narta delta and the nearby uninhabited island of Sazan, which was once a secret communist military base. Some fear that outside investors would eventually be able to transform the 2.2-square-mile (5.7-square-kilometer) island into a luxury tourist destination, a move that could affect the island’s critical biodiversity areas while displacing thousands of migratory birds that pass through the area. Protests were also held in the protected lagoon of Vjosa-Narta, where participants highlighted the ecological importance of the area. The protestors in the Albanian capital have called for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, and voiced their displeasure while carrying Albanian flags and banners with messages such as “Albania is not for sale.” Many of the protestors are accusing the government of favoring investors at the expense of national interests, local newspapers are reporting.
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Iran accused the United States of denying visas for what it termed “integral” members of its team, specifically backroom staff, hours after Washington confirmed Iranian players had been given permission to enter the country ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which starts in less than one week. The White House has said that visas have been granted for Iran’s footballers and what it termed “necessary support staff.” But Iranian state media claimed that 15 officials, including the head of the football federation, have been denied entry. Iran is due to play three games in America. Iran’s embassy in Turkey accused the United States of “politically biased interference in sport” by denying visas to a “large portion of the managerial and executive staff” and “technical advisers.” An unnamed U.S. official said that Iran would not be allowed to “abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses.”
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Five of the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station were evacuated onto a docked SpaceX vessel after an air leak in Russia’s Zvezda service module’s transfer tunnel worsened. The five crew members had been told to assume an “elevated safety posture” as two Russian cosmonauts attempted repairs on the transfer tunnel. NASA had voiced objections to Russia’s repair method, which involved the use of a saw to access the crack. NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens told GEORGE that the structural repair works had been paused while measurements and data were being assessed, thus prompting the astronauts’ having been told to return to the station. Russia maintained that the crew faced no immediate threat. The International Space Station is a space station in low Earth orbit and is operated by five partner space agencies: NASA (the United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada). It is the first space station built, maintained, and crewed through international coöperation and the largest human spacecraft ever constructed. Since 2 November 2000, it has hosted the longest continuous presence of humans in space. Zvezda’s hull was initially built in the mid-1980s as a structural spare of the Mir core module and later reconfigured as the core module of the Mir-2 station
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Jonathan Spira, Alexander Khusid, Tim Perry, Christian Stampfer, Kurt Stolz, Anna Breuer, and Paul Riegler contributed to this issue of George.
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