<p><strong>The Week Unwrapped&nbsp;</strong></p><p><br></p><p><u>What’s next for the war in the Middle East?</u></p><p><br></p><p>Hopes for a<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/11/iran-ceasefire-us-attacks-strikes-deal"><u> truce in the Middle East</u></a> are fading, as the United States launched a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.npr.org/2026/06/10/nx-s1-5853882/us-strike-iran-second-day-renewed-fire"><u>second round of airstrikes into Iran on Thursday morning. </u></a>The attacks were launched after the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cze9359gglyo"><u>downing of an American helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.</u></a> Iran responded by targeting the US’s allies in the Gulf: Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday night that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-us-air-strikes-iran/33777784.html"><u>Tehran would “pay the price” </u></a>for stalling peace negotiations. Zoë and Ali discuss what these breaches mean for peace, whether it is turning into a long-term war, and what the cost is domestically for Donald Trump.</p><p><br></p><p><u>Defence Secretary John Healey resigns over military spending plans</u></p><p><br></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cgqeg09p3p1t"><u>Defence Secretary John Healey has resigned from Keir Starmer’s government </u></a>over military spending plans. In a<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://x.com/JohnHealey_MP/status/2065028766540145140/photo/1"><u> letter to the PM on Thursday</u></a>, he says the defence investment plan "falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time" and that he had no choice but to stand down. Zoë and Ali unpack why this comes as a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://observer.co.uk/news/politics/article/john-healey-was-a-loyal-starmerite-his-departure-leaves-the-pm-lonelier-than-ever"><u>surprise</u></a> and what this significant move <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/john-healey-resigns-starmer-defence-plan-labour-leadership-b2993955.html"><u>means for Keir Starmer’s future.&nbsp;</u></a></p><p><br></p><p><u>One week to go until the Makerfield By-election</u></p><p><br></p><p>Ali is in Makerfield again this week, so he brings us the latest from the constituency ahead of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/09/world/europe/makerfield-byelection-starmer-burnham-reform.html"><u>consequential by-election</u></a>. Ali also tells us about <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg4dywykjeo"><u>the mood locally</u></a>, why he thinks it is going to be a tight race and why he is concerned about the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/rupert-lowe-nigel-farage-uk-right-wing-rivalry/"><u>rise of the right-wing Restore Britain</u></a>.</p><p><br></p><p><u>Violence breaks out in Belfast after protests over a knife attack</u></p><p><br></p><p>Earlier this week, footage was widely circulated on social media of a serious knife attack in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Authorities say the suspect is a Sudanese refugee, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/11/how-the-belfast-stabbing-was-the-spark-to-a-fuse-loaded-with-grievance-and-provocation"><u>a detail that has fuelled anti-immigration protests.</u></a> Some were<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cr47x99k5n6t"><u> peaceful,</u></a> but others descended into violence.</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c992rvpyj99o"><u>Demonstrators have set fire to vehicles and buildings</u></a>, largely in Belfast, with residents reporting that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/11/belfast-northern-ireland-list-addresses-social-media-riots-violencehttps://www.reuters.com/world/uk/belfasts-minority-groups-living-fear-after-racist-thuggery-2026-06-11/"><u>many of those targeted were people of colour.&nbsp;</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>The unrest comes as anger over the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/united-kingdom/belfast-violence-northern-ireland-sudan-man-attempted-murder-rcna349380"><u>fatal stabbing of Southampton student Henry Nowak remains raw. </u></a>While the two cases are unrelated, both have sparked protests and renewed debate around immigration and asylum in the UK.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Zoë and Ali unpack why this is more than an immigration issue, how this casts light on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.dw.com/en/racist-riots-break-out-across-united-kingdom/a-77512091"><u>increasing racist rhetoric</u></a> in the UK and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/10/elon-musk-x-not-face-action-uk-government-posts-inciting-violence-belfast"><u>the role of social media</u></a>.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><u>Albania’s Flamingo Revolution: Jared Kushner’s hotel development sparks fierce backlash</u></p><p><br></p><p>To Albania now, where <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2026/06/11/albanias-protests-against-jared-and-ivankas-resort-plans-are-getting-bigger/"><u>thousands of people have taken to the streets of the capital</u></a>, Tirana, to protest a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/kushner-luxury-resort-plan-protests-albania-rcna348612"><u>multi-billion-dollar development linked to Jared Kushner</u></a>, the son-in-law of Donald Trump.</p><p><br></p><p>Plans for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3r2rdjv2n1o"><u>a 10,000-room luxury resort complex</u></a> on the former military outpost of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.euronews.com/2026/06/11/who-is-jared-kushner"><u>Sazan Island</u></a>, alongside a development near the neighbouring<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.birdlife.org/news/2026/06/02/albania-is-destroying-a-protected-wild-coast-for-president-trumps-son-in-law-and-lying-to-parliament-about-it/"><u> Vjosa-Narta Lagoon, a protected stretch of Albania's coastline</u></a>, have sparked opposition. Albania's government is backing the investment and appears <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://apnews.com/article/albania-rama-trump-kushner-development-protests-767df9dc0a359c0357a502b5c49f2aa5"><u>determined to push ahead.&nbsp;</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Una Hajdari, Politico Europe contributor and Balkans expert joins us to explain the political difficulty of the project, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://balkaninsight.com/2026/06/11/albanias-flamingo-revolution-is-about-more-than-kushner-and-birds/bi/"><u>why Albanians are so angry</u></a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/09/act-without-delay-brussels-warns-albania-over-trump-linked-resort-project"><u>what this might mean for the country’s future.</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Guest: Una Hajdari, Politico Europe contributor and Balkans expert. You can find Una on X <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://x.com/UnaHajdari"><u>here</u></a>.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Producer: Monica Lillis</p><p><br></p>