A Ukrainian combat drone crashed into a non-residential building in central Moscow after it was shot down by air defense systems.
👋 Wai!*
Welcome to Friday, where a Ukrainian drone attack hits a building in central Moscow, China’s second-largest property developer files for bankruptcy, and a man gets arrested for parachuting off France’s most famous monument. For our special Summer Reads edition of Worldcrunch Today, we feature an article by Singapore-based newspaper The Initium — and three other stories from around the world on China.
[*Bodo, India, Nepal & Bengal]
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• Ukraine-Russia updates: A Ukrainian drone smashed into a non-residential building in Moscow after it was hit by Russian air defenses, disrupting air traffic at all the civilian airports in the capital. Meanwhile, the first cargo ship using Ukraine’s Black Sea corridor arrived in Turkey, after the humanitarian path was put into place last week to release the supply vessels trapped in ports after the termination of the main grain exports deal with Russia.
• China’s Evergrande group files for bankruptcy: Evergrande, China’s second-largest property developer, filed for bankruptcy in New York, adding new worries about the near future of the Chinese economy. The company defaulted on more than $300 billion in debt in 2021, sparking a massive property crisis in China’s economy, where the real estate sector accounts for as much as 30% of the country’s GDP.
• U.S. authorities investigate threats against Trump jury: Authorities in Georgia are investigating online threats made against members of the grand jury that indicted Donald Trump. Reports show that the personal data, including photos and addresses, of the 23 jurors and three alternates were shared on right-wing websites and on Telegram.
• Bahraini prisoners on hunger strike: At least 500 prisoners are on hunger strike at the Jau prison in Bahrain to protest their detention conditions. The detainees began refusing food on August 7 and submitted a list of demands including increased time outside their cells, prayers in congregation at the prison mosque, less constraints on family visits and access to proper medical care.
• Transgender women banned from chess tournaments: The International Chess Federation (FIDE) announced it is temporarily banning transgender women from competing in women’s chess tournaments. The FIDE said individual cases could be reviewed and that the decision could take up to two years, adding that transgender players could still compete in the open section of the federation’s tournament. The decision drew criticism from advocacy groups and supporters of transgender rights, as many sports governing bodies have been implementing discriminatory policies towards transgender athletes.
• Ten dead after private jet crashes on Malaysian highway: Ten people were killed when a small private plane crashed on a highway on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. All eight people on board were killed as well as two on the ground. The aircraft crashed into a motorbike and a car on the road after losing contact with the air traffic control tower, just before it was due to land in a nearby airport.
• Eiffel Tower jump: Parisian authorities have arrested a man for jumping off the Eiffel Tower with a parachute. The man scaled a pillar of the landmark early morning on Thursday before jumping and landing on the roof of a nearby sports center. This is the latest event in a series of security incidents at the site in the past week, including two American tourists found sleeping overnight on the iconic tower.
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🏳️🌈 CHINA GAY SENIORS
A friendly game of Checkers in Dongcheng, Beijing, China.
Wuhan used to have different such ways for LGBTQ+ to meet: newspaper columns, riversides, public toilets, bridges and baths to name but a few. With urbanization, many of these locations have disappeared. The transformation of Martyrs' Square into a park has gradually become a place frequented by middle-aged and older gay people in Wuhan, where they play cards and chat and make friends, as journalist Wang Er reports for The Initium.
Read the full story: My Wife, My Boyfriend — And Grandkids: A Careful Coming Out For China's Gay Seniors
🎥 THE CREEPY MEN WHO FILMED WOMEN ON CHINA'S SUBWAY
June 21, 2023: People take a subway train in Guangzhou, China.
Michael Ho Wai Lee/ZUMA
A woman in China who falsely accused a man of filming her on the subway has sparked an avalanche of vitriol against her. There are now fears that the case will stop the many real victims of secret filming from coming forward and fighting back, as Ma Biyu reports for The Initium.
Read the full story: The Creepy Men Who Film Women On China's Subways — And The Case That Sparked A Backlash
🏳️⚧️ LIFE AS A TRANS WOMAN IN CHINA
Shanghai Pride under the rain.
shanghaipride via Instagram
Cast out by family, discriminated against by the state, shut off from the medication, China's "male-to-female" trans community is under immense pressure, as suicide rates rise and incomprehension continues to spread, as journalist Liang Yutong reports for The Initium.
Read the full story: 'MTF' Alarm, Life Is Crueler Than Ever For Trans Women In China
✍️ Newsletter by Chloé Touchard and Anne-Sophie Goninet
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