👋 ආයුබෝවන්*
Welcome to Thursday, where Volodymyr Zelensky is set to address EU leaders after a “positive” one-hour phone call with Donald Trump, new Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 70, and today’s quiz question is all about happiness. Meanwhile, Ahmad Rafat in Persian-language media Kayhan is looking into claims that Iran is working toward the downfall of new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
[*Ayubōvan - Sinhala, Sri Lanka]
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Turkish daily Hürriyet headlines “İmamoğlu in custody” after Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu — a popular opposition leader and key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — was arrested on Wednesday, together with several other prominent figures, as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links. Coming just days before he was due to be selected as a presidential candidate, İmamoğlu’s arrest has led to large-scale protests across Turkey, and 37 people were detained over social media posts commenting on his arrest as of this morning.
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• Zelensky to address EU leaders after “positive” phone call with Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to open an EU summit with a speech via videolink on Thursday following a “positive” phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelensky said that after this “very substantive and frank” conversation, he believed lasting peace could be achieved “this year.” He asked Trump for more air defense support to protect his country against Russian attacks, while Trump suggested that Washington could take ownership of Ukrainian power plants to ensure their security. Meanwhile, top military leaders from countries across Europe and beyond are due to meet Thursday in London to discuss plans for an international peacekeeping force for Ukraine. Follow our coverage of the Ukraine-Russia war here.
• At least 70 killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza. Health officials from the Gaza Strip reported on Thursday that at least 70 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in Israeli airstrikes overnight. This comes after Israel resumed its bombing campaign and ground operations in the enclave, effectively abandoning a ceasefire that had held since January. Meanwhile, Israel said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen early on Thursday by the rebel Houthi group.
• Iran frees French citizen held since 2022. French tourist Olivier Grondeau has been released from Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison and has returned to France after being held for more than 880 days, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday. Grondeau, 34, was arrested in southern Iran in October 2022 and sentenced to five years in prison for “conspiracy against the Islamic republic.” Two other French nationals are still being held in Iran. Read more about Iran in this analysis translated from Persian by Worldcrunch: With Trump And Putin Moving Closer, Iran Can No Longer Count On Moscow.
• Ottawa condemns China’s execution of four Canadians for drug crimes. Canadian authorities confirmed on Wednesday that four Canadians were executed in China on drug-related charges earlier this year and strongly condemned Beijing’s use of the death penalty. China’s Foreign Ministry responded on Thursday that it had acted “in accordance with the law,” while a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada reportedly urged Ottawa to “stop making irresponsible remarks.”
• Malaysia approves new search for MH370 wreckage. The Malaysian government has greenlit a fresh search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which vanished in 2014 with 239 people on board while travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The aircraft’s disappearance remains one of the biggest mysteries of modern-day aviation.
• Ex-F1 team owner Eddie Jordan dies aged 76. Former racing driver, F1 team owner and entrepreneur Eddie Jordan, who gave Michael Schumacher his debut with his Jordan team in 1991, has died aged 76, his family announced on Thursday, after battling an “aggressive form of prostate cancer.” The Irishman had his own team in Formula 1 in the 1990s and 2000s and later became a well-known television pundit after selling the team in 2005.
• News Quiz! The World Happiness Report 2025 has crowned Finland as the world’s happiest country for the eighth consecutive year. Which countries entered the top 10 for the first time?
A. Canada and Mexico
B. Costa Rica and Mexico
C. Costa Rica and Canada
D. Liechtenstein and the U.S.
[Answer below]
#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS
3:58.35
New Zealand 15-year-old Sam Ruthe became the youngest athlete to run a sub-four-minute mile, crossing the finish line with a time of 3:58.35 at Go Media Stadium in Auckland on Wednesday. “This was probably my favorite goal that I’ve reached,” Ruthe told Reuters. A sub-four-minute mile has long been a benchmark in athletics, a feat first achieved by Great Britain’s Roger Bannister in 1954.
📹 ON THIS DAY VIDEO — 4 HISTORY-MAKING EVENTS, IN 57 SECONDS
➡️ Watch the video: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
🇮🇷 While Tehran has denied any involvement in Syria, elements affiliated with the ousted Assad regime in Syria say Iran is helping their fight to topple the government of President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
— KAYHAN-LONDON
💰 Germany has finally decided to start spending. Is this going to save its stagnating economy? The new fiscal package is the biggest economic policy test in post-War German history. Now it's crucial that the government avoids any mistakes.
— DIE ZEIT
🔍 In a new study, France's Observatory of Immigration and Demography (OID) think tank highlights the remarkable social and economic integration of immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
— LE FIGARO
📣 VERBATIM
“You can't bankrupt a movement.”
— Greenpeace has vowed to appeal the verdict by a North Dakota jury ordering the environmental protection organization to pay $660 million in damages to Energy Transfer company over Dakota Access Pipeline protests. “The reality is you can't bankrupt a movement,” Greenpeace USA interim executive director Sushma Raman told AFP, adding that “the work will continue.” Greenpeace International is counter-suing Energy Transfer in the Netherlands, accusing the company of using nuisance lawsuits to suppress dissent. A hearing is set for July 2.
✍️ Newsletter by Anne-Sophie Goninet & Cécilia Laurent-Monpetit
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Quiz Answer: B. Nordic countries have topped once again the World Happiness Report 2025 published Thursday, with Finland clinching the top spot for the eighth year in a row, followed by Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. But Costa Rica and Mexico entered the top 10 for the first time, ranking at 6th and 10th, respectively.