Iran Crackdown, Ukraine Stops Russia In Sumy, Dhaka Rain Relief

✅ SIGN UP

This is our daily newsletter Worldcrunch Today, a rapid tour of the news of the day from the world’s best journalism sources, regardless of language or geography.

It’s easy (and free!) to sign up to receive it each day in your inbox: 👉 Sign up here

🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

Bogotá-based daily El Espectador dedicates its front page to the decision of Colombia’s Constitutional Court to stop an electoral body from investigating accusations of illicit campaign financing and unreported spending by President Gustavo Petro. The ruling scraps a probe by the National Electoral Council into whether the left-wing leader’s 2022 campaign exceeded fundraising limits by about $1.2 million and whether it accepted funds from labor organizations. The case is now in the hands of the Colombian congress, which has never removed a Colombian president from office.

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Iran carries out wave of arrests and executions in wake of Israel conflict. It comes after what officials describe as an unprecedented infiltration by Israeli agents of Iranian security services. Authorities suspect information fed to Israel played a part in a series of high-profile assassinations during the conflict. Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was unaware of any intelligence suggesting Iran had moved any of its highly enriched uranium to shield it from U.S. strikes, amid continuing questions about the state of Iran’s nuclear program.

• Ukraine has halted Russia’s advance in the northern Sumy region. Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said that Ukrainian successes in Sumy have prevented Russia from deploying about 50,000 Russian troops, including elite airborne and marine brigades, to other areas of the front line. Read more about the state of Moscow’s recruiting efforts in this piece from Russian independent media Important Stories.

• Security forces disperse Togo protesters demanding president’s resignation. Security forces used tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters who blocked roads in Togo’s capital to demand the resignation of longtime leader Faure Gnassingbe.

• Japan hangs “Twitter killer” in first execution since 2022. Japan has executed a man who was found guilty of killing and dismembering nine people he made contact with on social media, the first use of capital punishment in the country in nearly three years. Takahiro Shiraishi was hanged on Friday after he was sentenced to death for the 2017 murders of eight women and one man in his apartment in Zama city in Kanagawa near Tokyo.

• India seeks permanent solution to border dispute with China. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told his Chinese counterpart that the two countries should seek a “permanent solution” to their decades-old border dispute. Singh met China’s Dong Jun on the sidelines of the meeting of the defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Qingdao on Thursday.

• Celebrities converge on Venice for Bezos-Sanchez wedding gala. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez began three days of lavish wedding celebrations in Venice on Thursday with tight security shielding their VIP guests from protesters. Some 200-250 A-listers from show business, politics and finance are expected to take part in what has been widely dubbed “wedding of the century”, estimated to cost around $50 million. For a different look at Amazon activities in Italy, read this piece by Italian weekly Internazionale, translated into English by Worldcrunch.

• News Quiz! Microsoft announced it would change its error screen, the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.” What will replace it?

A. Relaxing nature videos
B. A “Black Screen of Death”
C. A troubleshooting chatbot
D. An ad for Apple

[Answer below]

#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS

37

Style icon Anna Wintour is stepping back as editor-in-chief of American Vogue after 37 years and is seeking a new head of editorial content as part of a different organizational structure adopted four years ago.The British-born fashion magnate, 75, will remain on Vogue’s global editorial director as well as Condé Nast’s global chief content officer. Wintour, known for her stern management style and iconic A-frame bob, told staff on Thursday she wanted to help “the next generation of impassioned editors storm the field with their own ideas” as she announced her departure.

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

🛜 As war broke out with Israel, Iran plunged into an unprecedented internet blackout — cutting off 91 million people, silencing civil society, and tightening the regime’s digital grip.
— DIE ZEIT

✂️ The hair salon or barbershop can easily become a friendly, therapeutic space for people who need to talk, but only if a sensitive owner can foment the right level of coziness.
— CLARÍN

📦 In the Italian province of Rovigo, Amazon’s arrival appeared to be an opportunity to revive the area’s economy and create jobs. But two and a half years later, it’s clear that the giant has had a negative impact on the struggling area.
— INTERNAZIONALE

📸 PHOTO DU JOUR

Rain brings relief to residents of Bangladesh’s capital city Dhaka, which has suffered serious heatwaves in recent weeks. — Photo: Maruf Rahman/NurPhoto/ZUMA

📣 VERBATIM

“The Charter of the United Nations is not optional. It is not an à la carte menu.”

— United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Thursday that the UN founding Charter was under unprecedented assault, adding that it is “the bedrock of international relations.” Guterres’ comments came as the 193-member world body commemorated the 80th anniversary of its founding document, signed in San Francisco by an initial 50 states on June 26, 1945. While countries regularly accuse each other of breaching the Charter, few face concrete consequences. Iran has recently accused the U.S. of violating the Charter with its strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, with Washington justifying its attack under the Charter as self-defense.