Hello and welcome back. 

Today, five new states have been elected to the UN Security Council for 2026–27, South Korea has chosen a new president, and the Dutch government has collapsed. In conflict developments, al-Qaeda-linked militants have attacked a Malian army base in the north, Ukraine has struck a key Russian bridge as its NATO summit invitation is confirmed, and the UN is calling for an independent investigation into Israel’s killing of Palestinians at a Gaza aid distribution site. 

Today’s lead story examines Venezuela’s deepening political deadlock.

This, and more, below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇺🇳 🇧🇭 🇨🇴 🇨🇩 🇱🇻 🇱🇷 Five countries elected to the UN Security Council for 2026/27: Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Latvia, and Liberia have secured seats as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, beginning two-year terms in January 2026. They will join Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia, who continue through 2026, succeeding Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia. The 15-member Council comprises five permanent veto-wielding powers—China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US—and ten rotating non-permanent members. Elected by a two-thirds General Assembly majority via secret ballot, the new members were chosen with strong support: Bahrain (186 votes), DRC (183), Liberia (181), Latvia (178), and Colombia (180). Notably, Latvia will serve for the first time, while Colombia, DRC, Bahrain, and Liberia return after prior terms. Seats are regionally allocated, balancing Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

2️⃣ 🇰🇷 Lee Jae-myung wins South Korean presidency after political crisis: Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung secured victory in South Korea’s snap election, winning 49.42% of the nearly 35 million votes cast. His conservative opponent Kim Moon-soo gained 41.15%. The election followed the impeachment of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, whose brief imposition of martial law triggered mass outrage. Lee, a former human rights lawyer, pledged to unify a deeply divided country grappling with economic challenges and political instability. Despite facing pending corruption charges, Lee campaigned on promises to revive the economy, address inequality, and pursue a more diplomatic approach toward North Korea. He also reaffirmed commitment to South Korea’s alliances with the U.S. and Japan. With no transition period, Lee will immediately assume office. The high voter turnout signals both deep public frustration and resilience within South Korean democracy.

3️⃣ 🇳🇱 Dutch government collapses: Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV) has abruptly quit the Dutch coalition government, plunging The Hague into political turmoil. Wilders cited coalition resistance to his strict asylum demands as the breaking point, announcing his party’s withdrawal after partners refused to endorse PVV’s “ten-point plan.” Prime Minister Dick Schoof said he would submit the cabinet’s resignation to the King but continue in a caretaker role. Schoof condemned Wilders’ decision as “unnecessary and irresponsible,” while coalition leaders from BBB, NSC, and VVD echoed criticism. The coalition, already strained since its formation after Wilders' 2023 election win, faced growing tensions over asylum policy and foreign affairs. With new elections looming, Wilders' gamble could reshape Dutch politics, as opposition parties, including Frans Timmermans’ Green-Labour alliance, prepare for a fresh contest.

4️⃣ 🇸🇾 🇸🇦 🇶🇦 Saudi Arabia says it will jointly fund Syria state salaries with Qatar: Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced joint financial support for Syrian state employees, to be delivered over three months, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud confirmed during a visit to Damascus. Details on the funding size were not disclosed. The announcement follows a previous Saudi-Qatari contribution in April that cleared Syria’s $15 million debt to the World Bank. Bin Farhan, accompanied by a Saudi economic delegation, said Riyadh would continue backing Syria’s reconstruction and economic revival after recent U.S. and EU sanctions lifts. The Syrian leadership, now under Ahmed al-Sharaa’s Islamist government, is seeking deeper ties with Arab and Western states. Syrian President Sharaa will visit Kuwait on Sunday for talks on political and economic cooperation, aiming to attract Gulf investment to rebuild the conflict-torn country.

5️⃣ 🇪🇺 🇰🇪 🇿🇦 🇺🇳 Africa and Europe reset ties amid global instability and shifting alliances: For the first time in three years, African and European foreign ministers met in Brussels, concluding with a joint statement addressing longstanding tensions over Ukraine and the occupied Palestinian Territories. Crucially, both blocs also expressed shared concerns over Washington’s shifting foreign policy, vowing to defend the UN Charter and maintain commitments to gender equality and climate action—issues the U.S. has been retreating from. Many European officials see this as a breakthrough in repairing a partnership historically marred by colonial legacies and power imbalances. Although past disagreements, particularly over Ukraine, have derailed cooperation, growing distrust toward U.S. diplomacy under President Donald Trump has fostered new resolve. Yet, the durability of this renewed partnership depends on concrete action, including the long-delayed AU-EU summit, which would signal a genuine recommitment to collaboration.

Major Story

🇻🇪 VENEZUELA’S POLITICAL DEADLOCK: A STALEMATE BETWEEN ABSTENTION AND AUTHORITARIAN ENTRENCHMENT

Venezuela’s 25 May regional and legislative elections unfolded against a backdrop of deep political apathy and a suffocated opposition. With most voters disengaged and the ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) assured of victory, the exercise resembled a ritual more than a contest. Following the widely disputed 2024 presidential election—marred by accusations of fraud and brutal crackdowns—many opposition figures had been jailed, exiled, or silenced. With most opposition parties banned or hollowed out by government interventions, the electoral process was neither free nor fair. Turnout estimates suggest around three-quarters of voters stayed home, highlighting widespread disillusionment.

Strategic Divisions in the Opposition

The Venezuelan opposition remains fractured. María Corina Machado and her supporters advocate total abstention, arguing that participation legitimises Maduro’s rule. Meanwhile, figures like Henrique Capriles continue to push for electoral engagement, despite repeated setbacks. Machado frames abstention as a form of civil disobedience, calling for the military to facilitate Maduro’s departure, while moderates argue that refusing to participate only deepens the regime’s stranglehold. Yet the opposition’s influence has dwindled, and even those willing to contest elections gained few seats amid massive irregularities and government control over the process.

External Pressures and Fractured Alliances

Internationally, Machado’s strategy leans heavily on rekindling Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” approach, demanding tougher sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Yet within the U.S. Republican establishment, divisions persist: figures like Richard Grenell advocate pragmatic engagement with Maduro, citing energy and migration concerns. The expiration—and near-immediate renewal—of Chevron’s licence to operate in Venezuela highlights Washington’s ambivalence. Meanwhile, Venezuelan society bears the brunt of escalating sanctions, deepening humanitarian suffering and eroding public support for external pressure strategies.

Toward a Communal State?

Maduro’s proposed constitutional reforms could further erode democratic norms. His plan envisions shifting power from elected institutions to government-controlled “communes,” marginalising representative democracy. This echoes Hugo Chávez’s earlier, failed attempt at similar reforms in 2007. For the embattled opposition and Venezuela’s beleaguered civil society, defending the 1999 constitution could become a unifying rallying point against creeping authoritarianism.

Political change in Venezuela seems remote. Both government repression and opposition fragmentation have paralysed momentum for reform. Yet beneath the stalemate, civil society remains a potential engine for renewed political engagement—if it can survive and mobilise under increasingly hostile conditions.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇺🇦 🇷🇺 Ukraine strikes key Russian bridge as NATO invitation confirmed: Ukraine’s SBU security service claimed responsibility for an underwater explosion that severely damaged the Kerch bridge linking occupied Crimea to Russia. The attack, using over a metric tonne of explosives, marked Kyiv’s third strike on the strategic route since 2022. It follows a major drone assault on Russia’s bomber fleet, signalling Ukraine’s intent to challenge narratives of weakness as it prepares for NATO’s June summit in The Hague. Russia has accused Ukraine of sabotaging civilian infrastructure. Moscow rejected Kyiv’s ceasefire call, proposing instead brief local truces. Negotiators exchanged roadmaps, but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov downplayed prospects for swift progress. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s top officials travelled to Washington to press for stronger sanctions, as NATO reaffirmed support by inviting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to its upcoming summit.

2️⃣ 🇺🇳 🇵🇸 UN calls for investigation into Israel’s massacre of Palestinians at Gaza aid distribution site: Israeli forces have again opened fire on Palestinians gathering at a Gaza aid distribution site. The incident, the second in as many days at the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation site in southern Gaza, has sparked global outrage. Witnesses reported Israeli snipers and drones targeting civilians without warning. The UN has called for an independent investigation, with Secretary-General António Guterres condemning the violence, stating it is "unacceptable" for Palestinians to risk death to access food. The Israeli military claims it fired warning shots at perceived threats, while critics question the neutrality of the GHF, which has faced controversy since its inception. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued across Gaza, with 51 Palestinians reported killed in the past 24 hours, as forced evacuations expand and humanitarian conditions worsen.

3️⃣ 🇲🇱 🇧🇫 Al-Qaeda-linked militants launch assault on northern Malian army base: Militants from Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked group, attacked a Malian army base in Timbuktu, detonating a vehicle packed with explosives near the camp before gunfire erupted, according to local officials. The assault follows JNIM’s claim of responsibility for another attack on an army base in Boulkessi near Burkina Faso, where sources report up to 30 soldiers killed. Mali’s military has struggled to contain insurgent violence since 2012, despite the 2020 military coup promising security improvements. Human rights groups report ongoing violence, including abuses by Malian forces and Russian mercenaries now operating under the Africa Corps label. Jihadist attacks continue across the Sahel, a region accounting for well over half of global terrorism deaths. Recent months have seen intensified violence, contributing to Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger’s withdrawal from Ecowas and formation of the Alliance of Sahel States.

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Book Shelf

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Prisoners of Geography

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