Week of Jun 22 – Jun 28

Weekly Briefing

US launches second round of strikes on Iran

The US military struck Iranian targets for a second consecutive night, hitting sites on Sirik and Qeshm Island after Iran's forces attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz with drones. Trump escalated his rhetoric through the week, threatening to 'militarily complete the job' as air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain and Kuwait following retaliatory attacks on Gulf states. The strikes deal a serious blow to any prospect of a sustained ceasefire and raise the risk of wider regional escalation. US Central Command confirmed the Saturday strikes were 'in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping.'

World

Venezuela earthquake death toll surpasses 1,400

Twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela earlier in the week, killing more than 1,430 people and leaving nearly 70,000 unaccounted for as rescue operations stretched across the week. Anger mounted as the military blocked citizens from entering devastated zones, and interim leader Delcy Rodríguez faced accusations of failing to coordinate an adequate emergency response. With aftershocks continuing — a 4.8-magnitude quake hit on Saturday — and 3,100 people left homeless, the humanitarian situation remains dire. The disaster is shaping up as one of the deadliest in Venezuela's modern history.

Politics

Keir Starmer resigns, Andy Burnham leads Labour race

Keir Starmer resigned as UK Prime Minister and Labour leader, triggering a contest that has quickly centred on Andy Burnham, the popular ex-Mayor of Manchester, who is set to deliver a major economic policy speech next week. Burnham, nicknamed the 'King of the North,' has become the front-runner, though questions remain about whether his regional brand can translate to national leadership. The resignation has fuelled a surge in support for Nigel Farage's Reform party, and Britain's political realignment is drawing comparisons across the English-speaking world. Sunday papers led with Burnham's 'devolution revolution' platform and a record heatwave dominating the national mood simultaneously.

Climate

Record heatwave grips Europe, 150 million affected

Germany, Denmark, and the Czech Republic all broke temperature records this week as an estimated 150 million Europeans experienced temperatures above 35°C. The heatwave dominated Sunday newspaper front pages in the UK and contributed to at least four deaths from flash flooding in Kentucky and Indiana as extreme weather simultaneously swept North America. The back-to-back climate extremes — drought-level heat in Europe, violent storms in the US — are intensifying the political debate over adaptation funding ahead of the autumn UN climate talks. Czech stations recorded their highest June temperatures since records began.

World

Serbia's Vucic announces resignation amid protests

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced he will resign within weeks, the most significant concession yet after months of mass anti-government protests that have paralysed the country. The declaration marks a potential turning point for a leader who has dominated Serbian politics for over a decade and maintained an uneasy balance between the EU and Russia. What comes next — a managed transition or genuine democratic opening — depends heavily on whether opposition forces can coalesce around a credible alternative. Vucic had faced sustained street pressure since late 2025, when demonstrations erupted over the collapse of a railway station canopy that killed 15 people in Novi Sad.

Politics

Trump nominates Lance Schroyer as new ICE director

Donald Trump nominated Lance Schroyer, a 29-year Oklahoma law enforcement veteran, to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement, pushing for immediate Senate confirmation. Schroyer previously ran a state-level ICE-partnered deportation programme in Oklahoma, signalling Trump's intent to accelerate removals even beyond the current pace. The agency has operated without a Senate-confirmed director since 2017, and the nomination hands Congress its next flashpoint on immigration policy. Trump framed the pick in a Truth Social post addressed directly to the Senate: 'Don't delay it.'

Economy

Ford's AI hiring gamble backfires badly

Ford's experiment with replacing human workers with AI-driven automation has backfired, with the company reporting significant operational disruptions after cutting staff in favour of automated systems. The episode adds a high-profile data point to a week in which Shenzhen's robotaxi expansion was also drawing scrutiny for its effect on gig-economy drivers, and tech firms were openly blaming AI investment costs for price rises on Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam Deck. Together the stories mark a moment when the promised productivity gains of AI automation are colliding visibly with real-world labour and quality costs. Ford has not disclosed the financial scale of the reversal.

Economy

Milei aide resigns over Argentina corruption scandal

Manuel Adorni, cabinet chief and one of the most visible faces of Javier Milei's libertarian government, resigned after corruption allegations that had been engulfing the administration for months finally became politically untenable. The scandal is a serious credibility blow to a government that built its brand on anti-corruption and fiscal shock therapy, arriving just as Argentina's economic stabilisation programme was showing tentative signs of progress. Investors and the IMF will be watching whether the reshuffle disrupts Milei's reform momentum or whether it is managed as a contained personnel issue. Adorni had served as the government's chief spokesman since Milei took office in December 2023.

Tech

Shenzhen robotaxi expansion squeezes gig drivers

Shenzhen has dramatically expanded its driverless vehicle fleet, with the Financial Times reporting that the rollout is now large enough to meaningfully displace the city's ride-hail and delivery workforce. The story crystallises a pattern visible across multiple sectors this week: automation delivering efficiency gains at a direct cost to lower-wage workers, with no safety net in sight. China's robotaxi push is further advanced than most Western markets and could serve as the template — or the warning — for how autonomous vehicle deployment plays out globally. Shenzhen is home to both BYD and several of China's leading autonomous-driving startups.

World

New Caledonia holds first provincial elections since 2019

New Caledonia opened polls on Sunday for its first provincial elections in seven years, after the vote was repeatedly delayed as talks over the French territory's political future stalled following the 2024 independence referendum deadlock. The result will determine the balance of power between pro-independence Kanak parties and loyalist groups ahead of a fresh round of negotiations with Paris over the territory's constitutional status. The election carries particular weight because New Caledonia holds roughly a quarter of the world's known nickel reserves, making its political future a matter of strategic interest well beyond the Pacific. The vote was originally scheduled for May 2024 but was postponed after violent unrest killed a dozen people.