My Take 5 (Edition 73): The week that was in international affairs

• Former top officials from the Biden Administration are expressing regret over their failure to effectively restrain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. • The officials claim that the administration's policies emboldened Israel's military aggression within the Gaza Strip and toward Iran.

• Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi suggested that critical decisions regarding negotiations were reached without the input of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. • This admission indicates potential internal friction or a breakdown in the decision-making hierarchy within the Iranian leadership.

• Oil prices have climbed above $90 a barrel following Iranian military attacks on two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. • Tehran has criticized the U.S. by comparing Donald Trump's attacks on bridges to the tactics used by ISIS.

• A London-based research group has proposed a shared control pact among Gulf states for the Strait of Hormuz, modeled after a defunct European coal and steel agreement. • The proposal aims to resolve an acrimonious dispute over the waterway, which serves as a critical chokehold for one-fifth of the global oil supply.

• The Iranian regime is facing a critical survival crisis driven by a convergence of internal fractures, including severe economic deterioration and persistent nationwide protests. • Key drivers of this instability include declining public legitimacy, leadership disputes, and significant uncertainty regarding the future of political succession.

Case against Ismael Zambada García, who helped co-found and lead the violent Sinaloa cartel, unfolded in New YorkThe Mexican drug kingpin, Ismael Zambada García, known as “El Mayo”, was sentenced in a US federal court on Monday to life in prison, after a plea deal last year in which he admitted ⁠to shipping vast amounts of cocaine and other substances as leader of the violent Sinaloa cartel.Zambada is 76 and one of the most high-profile Mexican ⁠drug traffickers to be sentenced in a US court since his fellow Sinaloa leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán ​was sentenced to life in prison in ‌2019. The case unfolded in federal court in Brooklyn, New York. Continue reading...

The 18-year-old was found dead after a 4 July boat trip with his friends to an island in the Gulf coastFamily and supporters of Nolan Xavier Wells gathered in a Mississippi church on Monday to mourn and celebrate the 18-year-old, whose death following a 4 July boat trip with friends has captured national attention and prompted calls for an independent investigation.The ceremony began with tearful remarks from Wells’s parents, who described their son as a warm and gentle presence, a gifted athlete and a role model to his younger siblings. Continue reading...

Jenitar Na’amoana’s already had four children when she learned of surprise pregnancy ‘unheard of’ in AustraliaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA 34-year-old woman from Brisbane has defied the odds and delivered four naturally conceived, identical quadruplets in what is believed to be an Australian first.Jenitar Na’amoana, who already had four children, was not planning having another but the quadruplets emerged from a “one in 15 million” pregnancy, splitting into four from a single fertilised egg. Continue reading...

Polarizing social media influencers are being held in federal detention in Miami as district judge considers extraditionSocial media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will fight extradition to the United Kingdom, their lawyer told a US magistrate in Miami on Monday after the brothers were arrested to face rape and sex-trafficking charges.The Tates appeared in federal court for the first time since their arrest on Saturday and are being held in federal detention. In the coming weeks, a US district judge will consider whether they meet the conditions for extradition. Continue reading...

Scientists recorded slower reduction over past 20 years, but study finds this was ‘temporary rather than sustained’A previously recorded slowdown in Arctic sea ice decline has ended, according to a new study, with the largest year-to-year wintertime reduction ever recorded.In a study published last summer, researchers found that melting sea ice in the Arctic had slowed down over the past 20 years, with no statistically significant decline in its extent recorded between 2005 and 2024. Continue reading...

Chancellor appointment and early policies avoid market meltdown but next week remains ‘moment of real peril’UK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham has not quite gone for Keir Starmer’s extreme caution in the run-up to entering No 10 – but he is certainly aware that any early wrong moves would cost him.Back in 2024, Starmer was criticised for his “Ming vase” strategy, where the leader treads very carefully so as not to drop a valuable metaphorical piece of china being carried across the room. Continue reading...

From the Treasury to the Home Office, we look at who is heading up key departments in new PM’s governmentUK politics live – latest updatesBurnham vows his arrival in power will be ‘circuit breaker’ moment for UKSix highlights from Andy Burnham’s first Downing Street speechAndy Burnham has appointed his first cabinet, with the new prime minister rewarding those who have been loyal to his takeover efforts. He had promised to pick his top team from all wings of the party in an effort to show he is trying to run a more inclusive administration. But at the same time, his decision to have a brutal clearout of Starmer allies resulted in many considered to be on the right of the party or close to the former prime minister losing their jobs. These are the key announcements so far: Continue reading...