Thursday 26th June 2025. S Korea Yoon warrant. Thailand cannabis recriminalisation. Armenia archbishop arrested. Vietnam Pakistan US deal...
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Good morning, this is Send7, world news in seven minutes. I'm Juliet Martin and today is Thursday the 26th of June 2025. We start in Asia today.

In South Korea, a court has rejected the special prosecutor's request to issue an arrest warrant for former president Yoon Suk-yeol. Yoon is facing insurrection charges for attempting to instate martial law. The charges are punishable by death or life in prison.

Thailand's health ministry aims to make cannabis illegal again. The ministry has issued an order to prohibit the sale of cannabis for recreational use and requiring a doctor's prescription to buy it. Health minister Somsak Thepsuthin said that cannabis will be classified as a narcotic in the future and

Thailand's cannabis industry is worth over $1 billion. In Armenia, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and 13 other people were arrested yesterday. They have been charged with plotting to overthrow the government.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that there had been a, quote, large and sinister plan by the criminal oligarchic clergy. Vietnam and Pakistan both expect to make trade deals with the United States before so-called reciprocal tariffs come into effect in early July.

Vietnam's Prime Minister Pan Min-chin said, I hope you will see that the result will come earlier than two weeks. Vietnam and the US share a deep understanding on tariffs. Pakistan's government has said that trade talks will conclude next week. Europe

In Greece, a Georgian woman has been arrested on suspicion of causing wildfires in Chios by discarding a cigarette. The fires broke out on Sunday and have destroyed 10,000 acres of bush and pasture land. The woman has been charged with unintentional arson, according to reports.

In France, Socialist Party politicians have submitted a no-confidence measure against Prime Minister François Bayrou.

Talks over pension reforms collapsed on Monday. Since Bayrou did not keep his promise to create a pension reform bill, socialist leader Boris Vallaud said, this compels us to file a motion of censure.

In the Netherlands, United States President Donald Trump has said he will make Spain pay twice as much as other countries after its refusal to meet a 5% defense spending threshold by 2035. They're the only country that won't pay the full up. They want to stay at 2%. I think it's terrible. And you know, they're doing very well. The economy is very well developed.

And that economy could be blown right out of the water with something bad happening. You know, Spain is the only country that... Are you from Spain? Good, congratulations. You're the only country that is not paying. I don't know what the problem is. I think it's too bad. So we'll make it up. You know what we're going to do? We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We're going to make them pay twice as much.

In Kenya, 56 people were hospitalised yesterday during rallies to commemorate protests against a tax bill one year ago, according to reports. Last year, more than 60 people died during demonstrations in the capital, Nairobi. Reports say that many of yesterday's victims had injuries from rubber bullets.

A South African court has prevented Zambia's former president Edgar Lungu from being buried in Johannesburg.

Lungu died in South Africa on the 5th of June. Zambia's President Hakande Hishilema's government has asked for Lungu's body to be brought back to Zambia for a state funeral. The government has been given until July 4th to argue for the repatriation of Lungu's body. The Americas

Brazil has signed a $1 billion agreement with Nigeria to improve agriculture, food security, energy and defence. In Colombia, at least 10 people have been killed and 15 injured in a landslide, according to local authorities.

In Mexico, at least 10 people, including children, have been killed and others have been injured in a domestic shooting, according to authorities. President Claudia Scheinbaum said it is an appalling multiple homicide and an investigation is being carried out.

And in China, the world's biggest and China's first Legoland will open in Shanghai in July. The theme park will have eight themed sections, including a mini replica of Shanghai's waterfront and downtown built of Lego. The recreations use more than 20 million bricks.

That's your world news in seven minutes. If you enjoy this podcast, please tell your friends about us. You can get in touch with us in a voice message at send7.org or by sending an email to podcast at send7.org. I'm Juliet Martin. Tomorrow you will be with Stephen DeVincenzi. Have a great day.