28 June 2025

Weekly Newsletter

Military & Armed Conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump announced an Iran-Israel ceasefire,which saw him nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize,Washington moved to restart negotiations with Tehran,and a preliminary report claimed that Trump's strikes on Iran didn't destroy its nuclear program,while the CIA found that they set Iran's nuclear program back by "years."Meanwhile, Iran fired missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar,as it held a mass funeral for its military leaders who were killed in Israeli strikes,Iran's supreme leader claimed "victory" over Israel and the U.S.,Iran moved to suspend ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency,and leaked audio appeared to show Israeli intelligence officers threatening Iranian officials.This comes as a Hamas attack killed seven Israeli soldiers,Israel halted the delivery of aid to northern Gaza,the EU said there are "indications" that Israel's actions in Gaza are in breach of their trade deal,and a report claimed that Israeli forces were ordered to shoot Palestinian aid seekers.Elsewhere, Ukraine and the Council of Europe agreed to establish a Russia war tribunal,NATO's annual summit was held at The Hague,where Trump met with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy,Spain secured an exemption from the alliance's commitment to a 5% security spending target,a report cautioned that Europe's military defense is "vulnerable,"and the U.K. warned of a potential wartime scenario.In other news, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed a U.S.-brokered ceasefire,Canada signed a security pact with the EU,the U.S. Pentagon tested a long-range radar for its Golden Dome defense shield,Japan conducted its first domestic missile test,and Colombia rescued 57 soldiers taken captive by civilians.

World Politics

Trump ended trade talks with Canada,the U.S. and China signed a trade deal,EU leaders met in Brussels,where European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed an Asian trade alliance as a potential alternative to the World Trade Organization (WTO),the U.K. joined the WTO's appeal body,and Russia and Mali signed multiple deals to strengthen their ties.Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced plans to seek reelection,French Prime Minister François Bayrou faced a no-confidence vote,Romania approved a new pro-European coalition government,and Belgium saw widespread protests over pension reforms.This comes as at least 16 died during protests in Kenya,a Chinese super-embassy in London neared approval,a Canadian died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),and nearly a third of Tuvaluans sought Australian climate visas.In other news, a judge asked Spain's Supreme Court to probe Justice Minister Félix Bolaños,Georgia jailed four opposition leaders,Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov was charged in a corruption investigation,South Korea's Yoon Suk Yeol was questioned over his attempted martial law declaration,and Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves faced accusations of illegal campaign financing.

US Politics

The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) limited judges' authority to issue nationwide injunctions,the House rejected an effort to impeach Trump,House Republicans subpoenaed a former aide to Jill Biden,Trump held a White House event in support of his "One Big Beautiful Bill Act,"and Kari Lake defended cuts to Voice of America.In other news, the Trump administration sued all federal judges in Maryland over a paused deportation order,the White House ended temporary protected status for Haitians,SCOTUS allowed third-country deportations to resume,over a dozen Democratic lawmakers called on Trump to close U.S. facilities at Guantánamo Bay,Rep. LaMonica McIver pleaded not guilty in an ICE incident,and a senior Justice Department official was accused of directing subordinates to ignore court orders.In New York City, Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic mayoral primary,sources indicated that Andrew Cuomo would remain on the mayoral ballot as an independent,and Mayor Eric Adams launched his reelection bid.Elsewhere, Robert Garcia was elected ranking member of the House Oversight Committee,Scott Brown announced his campaign for the New Hampshire Senate seat,Lisa Murkowski acknowledged she had considered leaving the GOP,and WhatsApp was banned from all House of Representatives devices.Meanwhile, former Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro was disbarred,a jury awarded $500,000 to the widow of a police officer who committed suicide following the Jan. 6 riots,and a judge blocked an order to eliminate federal workers' bargaining rights.

Civil Liberties

The Trump administration ruled that California violated civil rights by allowing transgender athletes in girls' sports,and SCOTUS allowed parents to opt their kids out of lessons with LGBTQ+ books,as it agreed to hear a case where a Rastafarian's braids were shaved by prison guards,and upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for adult sites.Meanwhile, Rhode Island's legislature approved the sales of assault weapons,Mississippi executed its longest-serving death row inmate,a convicted murderer known as the "Twitter killer" was put to death in Japan,and the U.K.'s health secretary said there's no budget for an assisted dying service.

Crime & Justice

INTERPOL seized $65 million worth of counterfeit medicines in a record global bust,Ecuador captured a wanted drug lord,Thailand moved to recriminalize cannabis,and the criminal who inspired the term "Stockholm syndrome" died.Meanwhile, prosecutors rested their sex trafficking case against American rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs,the Norwegian crown princess' son was charged with multiple rapes,an Arizona man confessed to crucifying a pastor,a Texas teen was indicted for murder in the stabbing of a student-athlete at a track meet,and Argentina decided to try the suspects in a 1994 Jewish center bombing in absentia.

Business

Meta's oversight board found inconsistent artificial intelligence content labeling,the U.S. Federal Trade Commission was sued over its probe into X ad boycotts,and Australia considered including YouTube in its under-16s social media ban.In other news, California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a $787 million defamation suit against Fox News,Warren Buffet donated $6 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to five charities,and Anna Wintour stepped down as editor-in-chief of American Vogue.

Money & Economy

The U.S. economy contracted 0.5% in the first quarter of this year,American home sales rose 0.8% in May,and the U.S. Federal Reserve proposed easing the capital requirements for the nation's largest banks.Meanwhile, Canada's Senate passed a bill to fast-track infrastructure projects,Argentina's GDP grew 5.8%,and Germany's Federal Cabinet approved a record 503 billion ($590 billion) budget.

Health

The University of Washington warned that global childhood vaccination rates have stalled,the U.S. halted funding to the global vaccine alliance Gavi,and major U.S. health insurers pledged to ease their approval practices.Elsewhere, Chinese scientists discovered 20 new viruses in bats,U.K. food poisoning cases hit a decade high,and a report warned that 20% of Europeans are exposed to dangerous levels of noise.

Weather & Environment

Over 150 million across the U.S. were placed under heat advisories,and Trump rescinded a rule protecting 59 million acres of forest from logging and road construction.

Science & Technology

An artificial human DNA project in the U.K. received $13 million in funding.

Sports

Kirsty Coventry became the first female and African International Olympic Committee president,and Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco was found guilty of sexual abuse.

Space

SpaceX launched private astronauts to the International Space Station,NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured the first direct images of a new exoplanet,and Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory released its first images.

Other

Jeff Bezos' wedding drew celebrities and protesters in Venice.