Politics & World Affairs — June 26, 2026

South Korea targets 500,000 drone warriors. South Korea announced plans to train all military branches as drone operators and acquire more than 20,000 low-cost expendable drones, citing escalating weapons tests by North Korea.

The Guardian World · Read more ↗

Middle powers court Beijing over Washington. Xi Jinping has hosted more than a dozen heads of state in 2026. Middle-power nations are seeking alternatives to U.S.-led international arrangements as American foreign policy grows less predictable.

The Guardian World · Read more ↗

Sanders releases RFK Jr. vaccine pressure emails. Sen. Bernie Sanders published HHS emails he said show Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the CDC to alter its vaccine messaging — a direct challenge to the agency’s scientific independence.

The Hill · Read more ↗

Courts stall Trump voter fraud push. Federal courts have blocked key provisions of Trump’s mail-in voting executive order. The SAVE Act remains stalled in Congress. Both setbacks are limiting the administration’s election-integrity agenda ahead of November’s midterms.

Axios · Read more ↗

Trump requests billions for Iran war costs. President Trump asked Congress to approve billions in new spending tied to military operations against Iran, a request that faces resistance from some Republican lawmakers over cost and scope.

BBC World · Read more ↗