👋 Salibonani!*
Welcome to Wednesday, where India strikes alleged terrorist sites across Pakistan, the U.S. and Yemen’s Houthi rebels reach a Red Sea ceasefire deal, and today’s quiz question comes from the New Zealand wilderness. Meanwhile, Jorge Imbaquingo for Argentine daily Clarín wonders whether Latin America’s new “can-do” leaders aren’t just strongmen in sheep’s clothing.
[*Ndebele, Zimbabwe]
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🗞️ FRONT PAGE
“Unprecedented actions at midnight,” titles Indian Hindi-language daily Hindustan, devoting its front page to the overnight missile strikes launched by India on nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. “Operation Sindoor” aimed at “hitting terrorist infrastructure” following last month’s deadly militant attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir, India’s government said. Pakistan, which has denied any involvement in the attack, has claimed that it has shot down five Indian aircraft and reports that 26 people have been killed in India’s air strikes.
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• India strikes Pakistan in escalating conflict. India launched missile strikes early Wednesday into Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with the Pakistani military saying it had shot down five Indian Air Force jets and a drone in self-defense. Islamabad said that the attack, which New Delhi claimed targeted “terrorist infrastructure,” killed at least 26 civilians. The military escalation comes after an attack in India-administered Kashmir last month, which saw gunmen kill 26 tourists. India has said Pakistan is responsible for the attack, which Islamabad denies. Meanwhile, world leaders, including the heads of the UN, U.S., China, Russia and the UAE, have all urged leadership of the two nuclear powers to exercise restraint. Read more about it here.
• Russia launches drone strike ahead of ceasefire. An overnight Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv killed two, a mother and a son, just hours before a Moscow-led three-day ceasefire is set to start later today. Ukraine also launched a drone attack on Moscow, forcing airports to close for the second consecutive night ahead of May 8 Victory Day celebrations. The festivities in Russia, meant to celebrate the 80-year anniversary of the end of WWII, will start a four-day state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, something analysts say is a show of unity amid a global political environment that is rapidly changing due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies.
• Israel strikes school in Gaza, killing 13. Israeli airstrikes on a school in Gaza housing displaced families killed 13 on Wednesday, just a day after similar airstrikes on a different school killed 29. The attacks came as U.S. President Trump announced that three of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas had died, a claim Israel’s hostages coordinator denied. Follow Worldcrunch’s coverage of the Gaza war here.
• U.S., Houthis reach ceasefire deal. The U.S. and Yemen’s Houthi rebels reached a ceasefire deal to prevent attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Oman said in its role as a mediator. The announcement came after President Trump announced the U.S. would end its near-daily attacks on the rebel group in exchange for its ending of attacks on ships passing through the corridor. Neither statement made mention of the ongoing conflict between the Iran-backed Houthis and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days. Meanwhile, a fighter jet from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier has reportedly been lost in the Red Sea, the second such occurrence in just over a week.
• China swats at U.S. ahead of trade talks. Ahead of trade talks in Switzerland between Chinese and American officials, China’s commerce department criticized the U.S. and said it “must face the serious negative impact of unilateral tariff measures on itself and the world” in order to resolve the trade war between the countries. Both Beijing and Washington have said the other made the first move in setting up trade talks, with U.S. Commerce Secretary Scott Bessent saying the negotiations would likely focus on de-escalation rather than trade specifics.
• The new German chancellor makes first foreign visits to France, Poland. After a bumpy start, newly-selected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is headed to Paris and then Warsaw today. In his first foreign visits, which come the day after his historic defeat in the first round of voting in the German parliament, Merz will try to reassure major European allies, principally French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish President Andrzej Duda, that Germany remains an economic leader and a steady hand despite the rough start to the new government. Read more about the potential domino effect of a U.S. China trade war here.
• News Quiz! Researchers in New Zealand caught on video for the first time a local animal’s bizarre habit. What did the researchers get on film?
A. A kiwi bird building a nest from rocks
B. A snail laying an egg out of its neck
C. A dolphin giving birth to twins
D. A penguin playing rugby
[Answer below]
#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS
-62%
Tesla’s sales continue to plunge across Europe, despite an increase in sales of electric vehicles. In the UK, one of the few European markets where the U.S. automaker reported stronger sales in the first quarter, April sales declined by 62%, according to UK auto industry trade group SMMT. Sales were also down 81% in Sweden, 59% in France, 7% in Denmark and 74% in the Netherlands, according to monthly sales figures. While Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s politics have inspired backlash and protests across Europe, the drop can also be attributed to increased EV competition from other automakers, particularly Chinese rival BYD, which is expected to overtake Tesla as the world’s largest EV maker this year.
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
✍️ “Migration is a heavy word. But in reality, it’s a light movement.” A personal reflection from Beirut capturing the quiet heartbreak of watching loved ones emigrate in search of stability and dignity.
— DARAJ
⚖️ Latin American voters are turning to leaders seen as efficient and able to tackle endemic problems like crime and corruption. Does it mean they have also turned their back on party politics for good, and even their own rights or liberties?
— CLARÍN
☣️ As Argentina deregulates pesticide and herbicide drones, residents in Lobos fight the growing threat to health and the environment.
— GLOBAL PRESS JOURNAL
📣 VERBATIM
“It’s not for sale. Won’t be for sale, ever.”
— Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney firmly rejected Donald Trump’s suggestion that Canada become the 51st U.S. state in his first meeting with the U.S. president in the White House on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters alongside Trump, Carney said that Canada “won’t be for sale, ever,” to which the U.S. leader replied: “Never say never.” Despite a recently strained relationship between the once-close neighbors amid conflicts over tariffs and Canadian sovereignty, the two leaders exchanged praise for each other in what was a largely cordial Oval Office meeting.
Let us know what’s happening in your corner of the world!
✍️ Newsletter by Jacob Shropshire & Anne-Sophie Goninet
Quiz Answer: B. A rare carnivorous snail called the Powelliphanta augusta snail was recorded laying an egg for the first time – through its neck. The video was taken by conservationists who have been keeping a population of the highly endangered snails alive for nearly two decades. “It’s remarkable that in all the time we’ve spent caring for the snails, this is the first time we’ve seen one lay an egg,” said Lisa Flanagan from New Zealand’s Department of Conservation.
