NATO summit
Over two days on 7-8 June, the 36th NATO summit took place in Ankara, Turkey. The Left Lane’s Brian Green assessed the summit here. The summit, like most international meetings these days, featured a scene-stealing appearance by Donald Trump and on this occasion, he took the opportunity to castigate Spain, threatening that all US trade with the country would stop. He also implied that the continuation of the 80,000 US troop deployment to Europe, the backbone of NATO defence, was contingent on agreement to the US taking over Greenland. The US also committed to licensing Ukraine to manufacture its own Patriot air defence batteries, but this is perhaps a token gesture given the systems poor operational performance. As the World Socialist Website sets out, the really serious money and military hardware is now coming from Europe, meaning in effect that Ukraine is transitioning from a US proxy war into a conflict between Russia and NATO.
Hamas dissolves Gaza administration
To the dismay of many, the Hamas civil administration which has governed Gaza since 2006, announced on 6 July 2026 that it had formally dissolved itself. Mohammed al-Farra, head of the Government Emergency Committee, submitted his resignation in order to facilitate an administrative transition to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a body set up by Trump’s Board of Peace. The board is often seen as an attempt to bypass the United Nations, albeit endorsed initially by the UN Security Council. In an article by Mohammad Mansour for Al Jazeera, he assesses this latest development against the background of the preceding 20 years of Hamas governance.
Events at the US World Cup
The football World Cup 2026, hosted by America, moves towards its final on 19 July and has not been without its controversies. By common consent, ticket prices have been astronomically high, pricing many fans out of viewing matches live. Notably, there has also been a very partial, arguably racist, approach by US customs authorities towards African players and officials. Many people will have seen media film footage showing the Senegalese team being frisked on the tarmac by customs staff, prior to boarding a private flight at Raleigh North Carolina enroute to San Antonio to play a friendly match against the Saudi team. Similarly, customs authorities denied a visa to Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan of Ethiopia, despite his having been issued with a diplomatic passport. In a Substack article by Palestine Will Be Free, they reflect on such matters, alleged US corruption and the ongoing support for Palestine at the World Cup, highlighting in particular the measured and statesman-like remarks of the Egyptian team coach at a press conference.
India’s ‘Cockroach’ movement
Whilst many eyes will be focussed on events in the Middle East and Ukraine, on the other side of the world in India, a vibrant protest movement has sprung into existence. The ‘Cockroach’ movement, identified principally with India’s Gen Z youth, (the demographic cohort born between 1997 and 2012), is a satirical reference to a derogatory throw away remark by India’s chief justice minister which sparked widespread outrage. The movement was founded in May and has grown exponentially, its Instagram account now having 22 million followers. Aparajita Ghosh writing for Waging Nonviolence gives a comprehensive account of the movement’s origins, purpose and recent activity.
Israeli bid to extend its influence in Venezuela
As if having its president and first lady kidnapped and most of its oil sequestered by the United States was not bad enough, Venezuela and the beleaguered government of Delcy Rodriguez now has to deal with the aftermath of an earthquake. Two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.3 to 7.5 struck on 24 June within seconds of one another on the north coast directly west of Caracas, resulting in the loss of an estimated 2,600 lives. More detailed information about the earthquake can be found here. A number of emergency relief appeals have been launched including that by the Disasters Emergency Committee. At Venezuela’s request, a number of countries have also sent specialist teams under UN mandate and coordination to assist in recovery work. The list of countries does not include Israel. Justin K P writing as The Dissident relates how, separately, Israel has sent a delegation including military personnel to Venezuela to assist with recovery work, but with an obvious agenda to exert its political influence on a country historically hostile to the Zionist entity.
The persecution of Begoña Gomez
Anyone who has lived in Spain for any length of time will know that the events of the Civil War (1936-9) and the subsequent period until the death of Franco in 1975 casts a long shadow. This is evident in the sometimes-vitriolic undertones in political discourse between the two main political parties, namely the Socialist Party (PSOE) and the People’s Party (PP). A tangible example of how the civil war continues to affect current Spanish politics is the Association of Historical Memory aimed in part at tracing the remains of victims of the Franco regime. PSOE, which founded the organisation under former Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, increases funding when in power whilst the PP cuts it. Against that sort of background, it is perhaps not surprising to see post-civil war political animosity playing out in Spanish civil life. In an article by Tommas Lecco for Politico, he recounts how the presiding judge in the forthcoming trial on alleged corruption charges of Begoña Gomez, wife of Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, has imposed bail conditions that are without legal precedent in Spain.
Subscribe to our regular updates to receive the latest articles, analysis and news direct to your inbox at https://theleftlane.media/subscribe/
