👋 Салом*
Welcome to Wednesday, where Donald Trump meets Syrian President al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, former Uruguayan President José “Pepe” Mujica dies at 89, and today’s quiz question looks at the very human behavior of our ape cousins. Meanwhile, in La Stampa, Anna Zafesova unpacks how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was able to back Vladimir Putin in a corner.
[*Salom – Uzbek]
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🗞️ FRONT PAGE
Uruguayan daily La Diaria lends its front page to the “indelible footprint” left by former president José “Pepe” Mujica who died Tuesday at the age of 89. Mujica was renowned as the “world’s poorest president” for his austere lifestyle. He notably rejected moving into the presidential residence, was often seen driving his light blue 1987 Volkswagen Beetle and gave away a large portion of his salary while he served as president from 2010 to 2015. Mujica championed progressive reforms, including the legalization of marijuana, despite controversies over education spending. Once a guerrilla fighter who endured long years of imprisonment, Mujica’s resilient, unorthodox legacy continues to influence Latin American politics.
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• Trump meets Syrian President al-Sharaa. U.S. President Donald Trump met Wednesday with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, pledging to lift years-long restrictions on the Syrian economy. The meeting came at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during the first day of Trump’s visit to Gulf countries. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia announced a $147 billion arms deal, as well as a series of other investments by the Saudi crown. Trump travels to Qatar on Wednesday, followed by the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
• Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 60, including 22 children. Early morning Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 60, including at least 22 children, on Wednesday. The deadly attack came just a day after the release of the last remaining American hostage held by Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday there was “no way” Israel would halt its attacks on Gaza, smothering any hopes of a ceasefire soon.
• Zelensky dares Putin to meet in Istanbul. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he wouldn’t hold talks with any Russian officials other than the country’s president, Vladimir Putin, in his upcoming trip to Istanbul on Thursday. The move from Zelensky came after the Russian leader suggested direct talks to respond to a “ceasefire or sanctions” ultimatum given to Moscow by European leaders. Meanwhile, in a televised interview, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the European Commission was preparing a new sanctions package on Russia if it fails to agree to an unconditional ceasefire. Worldcrunch has translated a piece by Anna Zafesova that breaks down how Zelensky has rebounded from his White House debacle to put Putin in a corner.
• Peruvian Prime Minister resigns amid rampant crime. Peruvian Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen resigned from his post just a day before a censure vote in the country’s congress was scheduled over growing crime. The resignation puts pressure on President Dina Boluarte, who is seen as widely unpopular, to name a new prime minister and cabinet. The political upheaval follows the kidnapping and killing of 13 miners by an illegal mining operation, and comes less than a year ahead of Peru’s national elections in April 2026.
• Carney announces new cabinet. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney swore in his new cabinet on Tuesday after winning the country’s parliamentary elections in late April. The new cabinet’s “primary focus,” Carney said, would be on the economy and Canada’s new and evolving economic relationship with the U.S. amid tariff hikes by its southern neighbor.
• Trump administration slashes Harvard funding. The Trump administration cut another $450 million in federal grants to Harvard University for its refusal to agree to demands that would give some academic control to the government and would codify controversial rules surrounding free speech on campus. The new cuts came after more than $2.2 billion in funds meant for the university were suspended last week.
• News Quiz! Scientists in Uganda filmed and recorded chimpanzees doing what humanlike behavior for the first time?
A. Using plants as medicine
B. Barbecuing insects
C. Creating bags from banana leaves
D. Choosing a leader they don’t really like
[Answer below]
#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS
26%
A new study has found that French men emit 26% more carbon than women on average, primarily due to higher car use and red meat consumption. Researchers from LSE’s Grantham Research Institute and the Center for Research in Economics and Statistics analyzed data from 2,000+ car models and food items and found that traditional gender norms drive the disparity, highlighting that differences in household structure, lifestyle and commuting patterns partly explain the emissions gap. For climate activists and politicians, the findings may shed light on how climate policies impact men and women differently, contributing to their success or failure.
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
✊ The West’s treatment of Pro-Palestinian protesters has shattered the image of democracies as bastions of free expression. But the West’s contradictions hold lessons for the Arab world.
— DARAJ
🇺🇦 By challenging Putin to face-to-face talks in Istanbul, Ukraine’s president has reshaped the diplomatic game and forced Moscow into a high-stakes dilemma.
— LA STAMPA
💬 “There was a moment when we said, ‘What? Bob won?’ It just felt so unlikely.” Die Zeit speaks with Father Lukas Schmidkunz, who has known Robert Provost for a long time, about the man who has become Pope Leo XIV.
— DIE ZEIT
📣 VERBATIM
“What Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is doing today in Gaza is a disgrace.”
— During a three-hour TV interview Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron lashed at Israel’s action in Gaza. “This is a humanitarian tragedy and it’s unacceptable,” he said. When asked about the appropriateness of using the term “genocide” to describe the situation, the French President punted, saying “it is not up to a president to say ‘this is genocide’, but up to historians.” He added that his “job was to do everything possible to make it stop.”
✍️ Newsletter by Jacob Shropshire & Cecilia Laurent Monpetit
Quiz Answer: A. Students from the University of Oxford, working with local scientists in Uganda’s Budongo forest, captured chimpanzees using medicinal plants to treat wounds and injuries. The discovery sheds more light on previous revelations that chimps seek out certain plants to self-medicate, and even uncovered evidence that the animals used the “forest first aid” on other animals, indicating that wild chimpanzees “have the capacity for empathy.”
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