June 1, 2026 - Daily News Digest
On this day: in 1812 U.S. President James Madison asks the Congress to declare war on the United Kingdom.
QOTD: "In a late-night social media post, U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran "really wants to make a deal".
He berated critics, including what he described as "seemingly unpatriotic Republicans", for negative “chirping” about the negotiations to end the conflict.
"Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end - It always does!" he said.
PERU/POL - Right-wing Fujimori holds narrow lead one week before Peru presidential runoff, polls show
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/right-wing-fujimori-holds-narrow-lead-one-week-before-peru-presidential-runoff-2026-05-31/
Right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori holds a narrow lead over leftist Roberto Sanchez one week before Peru's presidential runoff, two polls showed on Sunday.
Fujimori is expected to take 38% of the votes while Sanchez is predicted to secure 35% in the runoff on June 7, according to the Ipsos poll conducted May 29-30 and published in the local newspaper Peru 21.
Support for Fujimori fell by one percentage point compared to the previous Ipsos poll, while Sanchez maintained the same level of support. The number of people who said they would not vote for any candidate or would spoil their ballot increased by one percentage point to 27%.
"The big question in the final week is what undecided voters or those who say they plan to cast a blank or invalid ballot will do," said Alfredo Torres, CEO of Ipsos. "The logic of choosing the lesser evil will ultimately determine who will be president of Peru for the 2026-2031 term."
Another poll, conducted May 26-30 by Datum Internacional and published in the local newspaper El Comercio, showed Fujimori securing 39.8% of the vote and Sanchez taking 35.9%.
Fujimori, late former President Alberto Fujimori's daughter who is running for the fourth time, won the first round on April 12 with 17% of votes. Sanchez, an ally of jailed former leftist President Pedro Castillo, narrowly secured a place in the runoff with 12% of votes.
COLOMBIA/POL - Colombian presidency goes to runoff election that could redefine relations with the US
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/31/americas/colombia-runoff-espriella-cepeda-latam-intl
In a surprisingly strong performance, right-wing outsider candidate Abelardo de la Espriella will face leftist candidate senator Iván Cepeda in a June runoff election to decide Colombia’s presidency, setting the stage for a battle over the country’s political future and the direction of its relationships with key international partners, including the United States.
With more than 99% of the votes counted in Sunday’s first round of the presidential election, de la Espriella won the most ballots with 43.74% of the vote, falling short of the absolute majority required to win outright in the contest.
Cepeda, representing the left-wing Historic Pact coalition, was in second place with 40.90%. The left Democratic Center candidate Paloma Valencia was trailing well behind with 6.92%, according to preliminary results released by the National Civil Registry.
Valencia represented the Democratic Center party founded by former President Álvaro Uribe and became the first woman to win the party’s presidential nomination. Shortly after the results, Valencia announced her support for de la Espriella, urging people not to let the “new communism” in the country continue.
HUNGARY/POL - Hungary Seeks to Oust President in Purge of Orban Allies
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-01/hungary-to-amend-constitution-to-oust-president-magyar-says
Hungary plans to amend the constitution to oust the country’s president as part of Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s push to dismantle Viktor Orban’s regime.
Magyar said he’ll meet with his lawmakers about the next steps to remove Tamas Sulyok from office, setting the stage for a showdown with one of the key allies of the previous prime minister.
Hungary’s new leader said the president was complicit in letting Orban build out an increasingly authoritarian government in the heart of the European Union over the former premier’s 16 years in power. Magyar said the stature of the presidency could only be restored once Sulyok vacated it.
“Tamas Sulyok has betrayed the republic,” Magyar told reporters on Monday following a meeting with the president. His deadline for Sulyok to leave voluntarily by May 31 expired just hours earlier.
The premier said Sulyok had failed to speak up when the country needed it, including when Orban threatened to jail judges, civil society workers and journalists as part of a Russia-inspired crackdown in recent years.
IRAN/US/ISRAEL - Iran to Halt Message Exchanges With US Over Israel, Tasnim Says
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-01/iran-to-halt-message-exchanges-with-us-over-israel-tasnim-says?srnd=phx-politics
Iran said it would halt talks with the US in protest for Israel’s expanded ground assault in Lebanon, escalating tensions as Washington and Tehran seek to reach an interim peace agreement.
Negotiators will suspend “talks and the exchange of documents through mediators” the semi-official Tasnim new agency reported, citing a statement.
The report caused oil to surge and equity markets to drop, with Brent crude rising to around $97 a barrel. It fell more than 11% last week, with traders optimistic on the prospects of a deal.
Washington and Tehran have been indirectly trading messages on a draft deal — which would likely see the two sides extend their ceasefire by around two months, with Iran reopening the strait and the US lifting a blockade of Iranian ports.
But Iranian officials said an Israeli move over the weekend to expand its military reach in Lebanon, the broadest into the country in a quarter-century, represents a violation of the ceasefire. Tehran has insisted any agreement must apply to all fighting across the region, including in Lebanon where Tehran-backed Hezbollah and Israel are engaged in a parallel war.
MORE: Kuwait comes under fire as US and Iran trade blows
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-says-it-struck-iranian-military-sites-tehran-responds-with-air-base-attack-2026-06-01/
Iran said it had attacked a U.S. air base following weekend U.S. strikes on Iranian military targets and Kuwait said on Monday it had come under fire, despite a fragile ceasefire and diplomatic efforts to end three months of war.
Oil prices rose more than 3% after the latest strikes, with tensions also fuelled by Israel ordering troops to move further into Lebanon against Tehran-backed Hezbollah, in a conflict that was reignited by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated that he believed Tehran wants to reach a deal. But hopes of a breakthrough were tempered by comments by Iranian officials criticising the "constantly changing" U.S. negotiating stance and condemning Israeli attacks in Lebanon, where a ceasefire is also in place.
"Violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The U.S. and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X.
UK/POL - A new trove of Mandelson files brings more bad news for Keir Starmer
https://apnews.com/article/mandelson-epstein-documents-published-starmer-8de7ac27962b5bebc68d67a4480c23bf
His poll ratings are dismal and rivals are eyeing his job. Now British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces more embarrassment on Monday with the publication of hundreds of pages of files about former U.K. ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson, a friend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The government complied with a demand by lawmakers to release documents related to Mandelson’s appointment to, and conduct in, the U.K.’s most important diplomatic post.
Among the more than 1,000 pages of documents is a note from Mandelson to then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy before his appointment pledging the government would “never regret” giving him the job.
Mandelson was fired after nine months, and fallout from the misjudged appointment has left Starmer fighting for his job.
A first trove of files published in March revealed ministers had been warned that Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein exposed the government to “reputational risk.”
PHILIPPINES/VIETNAM/CHINA - Philippines, Vietnam upgrade ties, say South China Sea peace 'non-negotiable'
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-vietnam-elevate-ties-enhanced-strategic-partnership-2026-06-01/
The Philippines and Vietnam are elevating their ties to an enhanced strategic partnership, reaffirming that shared commitment to peace and stability in the South China Sea is "non-negotiable," President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Monday during a state visit by Vietnam's top leader To Lam to Manila.
Marcos said there is no doubt the Philippines and Vietnam share a common interest in maintaining peace, stability and a rules-based order in their region, adding that the partnership has become more important as the region navigates an evolving and uncertain global environment.
UKRAINE/RUSSIA/MIL/TECH - Ukraine: How a kamikaze drone partially operated by AI is attacking Russian convoys
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260601-ukraine-kamikaze-drone-partially-operated-ai-attacking-russian-convoys
For the past few months, a drone has been prowling Russian logistics routes. The Hornet, which the Russians call the "Martian-2", is a mid-range kamikaze drone partially piloted by artificial intelligence.
The drone – which is built of polystyrene, has a 2-metre wingspan and a range of more than 100 km – costs $6,000 USD. It can hit a target at a speed of 200 km/h and can carry a 4.5kg payload. After the drone is launched using a catapult, it flies using an electric propeller motor, which means that it is nearly silent, according to Russian sources. It is piloted using two cameras.
The US-designed Hornet was developed by the American company Perennial Autonomy, which was founded and financed by former Google CEO, Eric Schmidt. This drone is frequently used in US Army training exercises. However, in July 2025, Perennial Autonomy – then called Swift Beat – made a deal to supply Ukraine with drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on May 5 that Ukraine had quadrupled its number of mid-range strikes, meaning those beyond 20 kilometres, between February and April 2026.
MALAYSIA/TECH - Malaysia bans social media accounts for children under 16 but questions remain
https://apnews.com/article/malaysia-social-media-ban-16-bfaa7b01163b61b5d53c4ecfa870d133
Malaysia on Monday began enforcing rules barring millions of children younger than 16 from having social media accounts, joining a growing global effort to tighten safety protections. Not all families approved, and critics raised concerns about data protection and potential surveillance.
Social media platforms with at least 8 million users in Malaysia, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, must implement age-verification systems and block users under 16 from creating accounts.
Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission said age verification for existing users will be rolled out over the next six months. Users identified as under 16 will have a month to download or transfer data, including photos and videos, before restrictions or other actions are applied.
Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 10 million ringgit ($2.5 million). Parents whose children manage to bypass the law will not be penalized.
GERMANY/POL/ECON - Germany’s €500 Billion Infrastructure Fund Has Sluggish Start
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-01/germany-s-500-billion-infrastructure-fund-has-sluggish-start?srnd=phx-politics
Germany’s government is struggling to mobilize infrastructure spending from its flagship €500 billion ($582 billion) investment fund designed to revive Europe’s largest economy.
Through April, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition deployed some €11 billion of €40 billion earmarked for 2026 — or roughly 28%, according to the Finance Ministry’s first monitoring report on the spending.
The sluggish pace also registered last year, when authorities spent €24 billion of a planned €37 billion, or just under two-thirds. Federal spending, excluding Germany’s states, achieved a rate of 75%, according to people familiar with the calculations.
Authorities will seek to accelerate disbursements this year, the people said on condition of anonymity as discussions take place behind closed doors.