Brace for (Greta) Thunberg

Hi Global Recap readers,

Finally, the weekend’s here.

I used to dread weekends a bit, because if something big broke, I’d have to cram all the catch-up into Monday’s newsletter, and that can get overwhelming for readers who rely on Global Recap for quick, clean updates.

But this time? I’m actually glad for the break. The whole Musk-Trump drama was a lot.

• Loyalists spun it as some 4D chess master plan to root out corruption

• While others went full tilt, calling for Elon to be investigated or even deported. 😬

But very soon, we have Greta Thunberg arriving in Gaza to shake things up again. So, there’s that…

🌐 WORLD
Fast Scroll News

🇮🇱 Israel to Block Thunberg. The Israeli Navy is preparing to intercept the Madleen, a UK-flagged protest vessel bound for Gaza and organized by the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel Freedom Flotilla Coalition. On board are Greta Thunberg and 11 other activists, along with aid supplies like baby formula, rice, and medical gear. Israel asked the UK to step in, but London declined, saying it would only act if there were an actual safety threat. The crew could face arrest and deportation once intercepted.

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🇪🇺 EU Hits Back at China. The European Commission found “clear evidence” that China unfairly blocks EU-made medical devices from its public procurement market. EU members voted this week to launch retaliatory measures under a trade rule called the International Procurement Instrument, set up in 2022 but never used until now. The move comes after years of complaints from European medical device firms facing opaque approval systems, vague exclusion rules, and pricing pressures they say make competing in China nearly impossible.

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🇺🇸 US Blocks Nuclear Exports. The US just suspended export licenses for nuclear power plant equipment bound for China. It’s part of a two-week blitz that also slapped new license rules on hydraulic fluids and jet engines as the US-China tariff truce fell apart. It’s unclear if next Thursday’s call between Trump and Xi will change anything, but Beijing isn't happy. China’s embassy is urging the US to back off, calling the restrictions “negative measures” against its economy.

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🇧🇩 Bangladesh Sets Election Date. Bangladesh’s interim government just announced that the next general election will happen in April 2026. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus made it official in a televised address, saying a detailed election roadmap will come later. The country has been in political limbo since student-led protests ousted Sheikh Hasina’s government last year. Hasina, now in India, faces trial in absentia, while opposition leaders demand a faster transition.

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🇺🇦 UKRAINE
Russia’s Massive Air Assault

Russia fired over 400 drones and missiles at nine regions, killing at least six and injuring dozens. Ukraine’s defenses say they shot down 406 of 452 incoming projectiles, marking one of the war’s biggest strikes yet.

The Nighttime Barrage

That barrage hit Ukraine in the early hours of Friday, days after Kyiv’s daring bomber raid.

• Russia launched more than 400 drones, six ballistic missiles, 38 cruise missiles, and an anti-radar missile between dusk and dawn.

• President Zelensky said it covered nine regions from Lviv in the west to Sumy in the northeast, making it one of the war’s largest aerial attacks.

Human Toll and Damage

By dawn, the scale of destruction was clear across Kyiv and beyond.

• Six people were killed: three firefighters in Kyiv, two civilians in Lutsk, and one person in Chernihiv.

• Dozens were injured, while apartment buildings in Kyiv were pocked with shattered glass and masonry.

Context: Retaliation

That massive assault was billed as Moscow’s response to Kyiv’s weekend operation.

• On June 1, Ukraine struck more than a third of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers in what it called the “Spiderweb” raid.

• Putin told Trump during a Wednesday call that Moscow “would have to respond” to what it labeled Kyiv’s “terrorist acts.”

Ukraine’s Counterstrikes

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s general staff launched overnight raids on two Russian airfields.

• The strikes targeted bases housing the bombers that survived the “Spiderweb” operation.

• Kyiv said the goal was to cripple the planes used to launch missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Political Ripples

While missiles were still falling, political fallout spread far beyond the battlefield.

• Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday that Ukraine “gave Putin a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them last night.”

• Pro-Kremlin pundits have since called for harsher, potentially nuclear, retaliation against Ukraine.

🇨🇦 CANADA
Controversy:
Modi’s G7 Invite

Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, is catching heat for inviting India’s leader, Narendra Modi, to the G7 summit despite an ongoing murder investigation linking the “highest levels” of India’s government to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The Invitation

Carney insists that the invite was rooted in economic logic.

• Carney extended the invitation to Modi for the June 15–17 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.

• He argued India is the world’s fifth-largest economy and “central to supply chains.”

• Modi accepted and praised Canada as “a vibrant democracy bound by deep people-to-people ties.”

Murder Allegations

But it’s awkward considering a high-profile killing on Canadian soil.

• Canada’s federal police concluded the “highest levels” of the Indian government orchestrated Nijjar’s murder in Surrey, BC.

• Carney refused to say if he believed Modi was involved, noting on Friday, “… there is a legal process that is literally underway and quite advanced in Canada, and it’s never appropriate to make comments with respect to those legal processes.”

• Four Indian nationals in Canada have been charged in the case.

Community Backlash

Unsurprisingly, that sparked outrage among Sikh groups.

• Danish Singh, president of the World Sikh Organization, called the invite “a betrayal of core Canadian values.”

• He pointed out Canada wouldn’t roll out the red carpet for Russia, China, or Iran under similar circumstances.

• The organization accused India of transnational repression and demanded full cooperation with investigators.

Diplomatic Balancing

Still, Carney sees a broader outreach. Whether that strategy proves effective is still up for debate, but his recent election suggests Canadians are leaning toward a more balanced, pragmatic approach to geopolitics.

• He’s reopening talks with China to end trade disputes on canola, pork, and electric vehicles.

• In his first call with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, both sides agreed to “regularize channels of communication.”

• Carney is also negotiating with US President Trump to lift tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.