Hard Numbers: Germany's bloated Bundestag, Seoul students back online, Mexico corruption vote, Peru nightclub tragedy

598: Germany's government this week agreed to electoral reforms that would prevent the bloated Bundestag from growing even larger. There are currently 709 MPs, more than the 598 members the chamber is supposed to have, in part because over the years additional constituencies have been added. Some lawmakers worry that if numbers aren't capped, the Bundestag will become too unwieldy to function.

280: After being hailed as a model for coronavirus containment, Seoul, South Korea's capital, abruptly closed schools on Tuesday after 280 new COVID-19 cases were detected nationwide. It was the 12th straight day of triple-digit increases in a country that has kept the virus mostly in check because of robust testing and contact-tracing schemes.

5: Mexico's leftist president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) has proposed a popular referendum to decide whether five former presidents should be charged with corruption. AMLO, who was elected in 2018 in part on his pledges to root out endemic graft, says that many of the country's problems stem from previous governments' mismanagement and corruption.

13: At least 13 people were killed in Lima, Peru, after police stormed a nightclub for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules. Peru— which has recorded almost 28,000 deaths from COVID-19 — ordered the closure of all nightclubs back in March, and recently moved to ban family gatherings as the outbreak worsened.

More from GZERO Media

A miniature statue of US President Donald Trump stands next to a model bunker-buster bomb, with the Iranian national flag in the background, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on June 19, 2025.
STR/NurPhoto

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will decide whether to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities “in the next two weeks,” a move that re-opens the door to negotiations, but also gives the US more time to position military forces for an operation.

People ride motorcycles as South Korea's LGBTQ community and supporters attend a Pride parade, during the Seoul Queer Culture Festival, in Seoul, South Korea, June 14, 2025.
REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon

June is recognized in more than 100 countries in the world as “Pride Month,” marking 55 years since gay liberation marches began commemorating the Stonewall riots – a pivotal uprising against the police’s targeting of LGBTQ+ communities in New York.

Port of Nice, France, during the United Nations Oceans Conference in June 2025.
María José Valverde

Eurasia Group’s biodiversity and sustainability analyst María José Valverde sat down with Rebecca Hubbard, the director of the High Seas Alliance, to discuss the High Seas Treaty.

Housing shortages in the US and Canada have become a significant problem – and a contentious political issue – in recent years. New data on housing construction this week suggest neither country is making enough progress to solve the shortfalls. Here’s a snapshot of the situation on both sides of the border.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks during a meeting of northeastern U.S. Governors and Canadian Premiers, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., June 16, 2025.
REUTERS/Sophie Park

While the national level drama played out between Donald Trump and Mark Carney at the G7 in Kananaskis, a lot of important US-Canada work was going on with far less fanfare in Boston, where five Canadian premiers met with governors and delegations from seven US states.

- YouTube

What’s next for Iran’s regime? Ian Bremmer says, “It’s much more likely that the supreme leader ends up out, but the military… continues to run the country.”

Enbridge’s 2024 Sustainability Report is now available, outlining our approach to meeting today’s energy needs while advancing solutions for tomorrow. Now in its 24th year, the report reflects our ongoing commitment to being a safe operator of essential energy infrastructure and a responsible environmental steward, principles at the heart of our mission to be North America’s first-choice energy delivery company. Highlights include a 40% reduction in emissions intensity, surpassing our 2030 target, and a 22% drop in absolute emissions since setting our goals in 2020. Explore the 2024 Sustainability Report today.