Flagship

Lebanon looms over new US-Iran talks

US Vice President JD Vance hoped for an opportunity to “turn over a new leaf” with Iran in a new round of talks Sunday, but the negotiations face major headwinds. The broader talks are centered on Iran’s nuclear program, but have been dominated by Israel and Hezbollah’s on-again, off-again conflict in Lebanon. Tehran claimed to close the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday to protest Israeli strikes in Lebanon and President Donald Trump threatened to attack Iran if it failed to restrain Hezbollah; Vance conceded “these things are always a little bit messy.” Trump is fending off domestic backlash over the 60-day ceasefire agreement, while the Islamic Republic’s hardliners could end up “squandering even this enviable deal,” The Atlantic wrote.

Starmer eyes exit, setting up Burnham

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is said to be weighing “political realities” and could resign as early as Monday, setting up Andy Burnham as Britain’s next leader. As rightist parties surge across the UK, Labour members are betting on Burnham — who easily won a parliamentary seat last week — to salvage their moribund agenda. The Greater Manchester mayor has benefited from leading the UK’s fastest-growing region, Politico noted, and the perception, contra the historically unpopular Starmer, that he actually “seems to enjoy being a politician,” a former Tony Blair adviser said. Britain has churned through post-Brexit leaders including Rishi Sunak who, reflecting on his own sleepless nights in Downing Street, forewarned Burnham: “Political capital depreciates more quickly than ever before.”

Colombia votes in presidential runoff

Colombia’s voters on Sunday looked poised to elect a Donald Trump-endorsed right-wing businessman in a presidential runoff, as the polarized nation reckons with its worst security crisis in decades. Abelardo de la Espriella has proposed bombing gang-held territory and building 10 El Salvador-style megaprisons, while his opponent, the leftist ruling-party senator Iván Cepeda, has pledged to continue negotiating with armed groups under President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” strategy. Latin America has lurched rightward in recent elections, as governments scramble to curtail violence stemming from record cocaine production. Under pressure from Washington, Mexico’s president has foregone her predecessor’s “hugs, not bullets” approach in favor of direct military confrontation with cartels.

Meloni fires back at Trump

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s fiery spat with US President Donald Trump over his claims that she “begged” him for a photo at the G7 reflects her political calculation that being associated with Trump is now a liability, analysts said. Meloni said Trump fabricated the incident, and criticized his treatment of Washington’s allies. Firing back at his barb about her waning popularity, she said, “Being your friend… has not helped it.” The escalation by one of Trump’s closest ideological allies — once viewed as Europe’s “Trump whisperer” — underscores Meloni’s transition “from a populist politician to a practical one,” Bloomberg wrote. As Meloni gears up for reelection, she’s well aware that Trump is “electorally toxic in Europe,” a former Italian diplomat said.

Ukraine attacks trigger Russian fuel shortages

Ukraine is hammering Russia’s oil infrastructure, triggering fuel shortages and increasing gas prices. Ukrainian drones on Saturday struck a major oil refinery in western Siberia, more than 2,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, as Kyiv touted a new generation of long-range drones driving the campaign. The recent attacks on Russia’s energy network have knocked more than 20% of refining capacity offline, The Wall Street Journal reported. Russian officials have responded with rationing measures, including limits on gasoline purchases in regions as far as the Arctic and suspension of public fuel sales in occupied Crimea. The Kremlin has tried to downplay the crisis, but Ukraine’s systematic strikes are testing efforts to shield Russia’s economy and population from the war’s costs.

Taiwan announces combat drill

Taiwan’s defense ministry on Sunday announced a five-day combat readiness exercise as China intensifies military activity around the island. The announcement came as Taiwanese authorities said 21 Chinese aircraft, including fighter jets and surveillance planes, were operating near Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province. Taipei’s drills will simulate a scenario where China abruptly escalates one of its military exercises into an actual attack. Taiwan is now almost always surrounded by five or six Chinese warships, The Wall Street Journal reported. Analysts say the deployments allow Beijing to collect intelligence on Taiwan’s forces and operating patterns as it builds capabilities for a potential conflict. China’s leader has directed the military to be prepared for a possible Taiwan takeover by 2027.

Europe bakes in a punishing heatwave

A heatwave swept across Europe on Sunday, prompting a partial alcohol ban in France, the cancellation of public World Cup watch parties in Spain, and urgent weather alerts in Germany and Italy. Temperatures were expected to top 40° Celsius across parts of France and Spain, as a powerful “heat dome” trapped hot air over western Europe. French authorities restricted public alcohol consumption during the nationwide Music Day celebrations, while officials across the continent warned of health risks, wildfires, and train disruptions. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, and scientists warned that extreme temperatures so early in the summer could signal a prolonged season of dangerous heat.

David Droga is the most decorated creative in Cannes Lions history. Now he’s confronting how AI is changing the advertising business he’s spent his life building. On this week’s episode of Mixed Signals, Accenture Song vice chair David Droga joins Max and Ben to talk about what it actually takes to sell a CMO on a bold idea — and why the boldest of ideas are sometimes the easiest to sell. They also explore whether the creative visionary still has a place at the top of the industry and what The New York Times’ “Truth Is Worth It” campaign can teach struggling news brands about their own value. Plus, Droga breaks down some of his most famous ads and how they came to be.

HPV vaccine drives risk ‘close to zero’

There were no cervical cancer deaths in England among women aged 20 to 24 for five years up to 2024, as the human papillomavirus vaccine has driven risk “close to zero.” School-age girls have been offered the vaccine since 2008, and as that generation has reached adulthood deaths have plummeted: HPV, spread by sexual or skin contact, causes 99.7% of cervical cancer cases. Cancers are rare in young women, and around 23 deaths would have been expected without vaccination, but rates should stay low as the women age. Still, only 76% of girls in England, and 63% in the US, complete their vaccination program, well below the 90% the WHO says is necessary to eliminate the disease.

‘Nuclear bros’ heed Trump’s call