5,350: Myanmar’s ethnic groups fighting against the junta are up in arms over China hosting junta leader Min Aung Hlaing for the first time since the military coup in 2021. According to a UN report, 5,350 civilians have been killed by the junta. The talks come as ethnic minority militias and pro-democracy fighters are making unprecedented gains in parts of Myanmar, including areas bordering China. and as India is reportedly in talks with some rebels and the shadow pro-democracy government.
2,200: Seventy-seven years after it was sliced, a piece of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s wedding cake has sold at auction for £2,200 (US$2,863) to a phone bidder from China. The family selling the slice are the descendants of the queen’s housekeeper, who was gifted it by the royal.
38: US Boeing workers have ended their seven-week strike, accepting the aviation manufacturer's offer of a 38% pay raise over the next four years. The walkout consisted of 30,000 workers demanding a 40% pay rise and has cost Boeing nearly $10 billion.
7: Ever wonder what would have happened if Joe Biden hadn’t dropped out of the presidential race? According to a YouGov, if we lived in an alternative reality where Biden was still on the ballot, Donald Trump would be ahead seven points nationally. In this scenario, such a poll would have translated to a Trump landslide.
The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut, global energy markets are under mounting pressure, and President Trump appears to be backing away from some of his original demands on Tehran. Ian Bremmer argues that Iran increasingly believes it has more leverage than the United States, and that perception alone is reshaping the negotiations.
Carl Bildt answers two major political questions shaping Europe’s future: Could Canada ever join the European Union? And is UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer politically finished after Labour’s disastrous local election results?
The world is a wild place. Happy 100th Sir David Attenborough
The Pentagon has poured billions into AI warfare, from drone footage analysis to autonomous targeting. Katrina Manson, author of Project Maven and Bloomberg reporter, joins Ian Bremmer to trace how AI went from a computer experiment to key technology for the Pentagon, and why some risks and moral stakes remain unresolved.