When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime .

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital Magazine NEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
In The News

Quake Toll Keeps Rising, Russia Claims Gains, Rihanna Shines Bright

Photo of Barbadian icon Rihanna performing during the Super Bowl LVII halftime show.

Rihanna brought her biggest hits to the Super Bowl LVII halftime show.

Ginevra Falciani, Bertrand Hauger, Hugo Perrin and Laure Gautherin

👋 Салом!*

Welcome to Monday, where the death toll surpasses 33,000 in Turkey and Syria a week after the earthquake hit, U.S. jets shoot down a fourth UFO in two weeks, and Rihanna (and the two teams) put on a memorable Super Bowl show. Meanwhile, Clemens Wergin for German daily Die Welt writes that the rushed Russian winter offensive thought to be underway in eastern Ukraine could actually play in Ukraine’s hands.

[*Salom - Uzbek]

✅  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

🌎  7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Russian forces claim gains along Ukraine frontline: Russia said on Monday its troops had pushed forward several kilometers along the frontlines in Ukraine, while Kyiv said its forces had repelled Russian attacks. The Ukrainian military on Monday reported heavy Russian shelling all along the frontline and said 16 settlements had been bombarded near Bakhmut.

• U.S. military shoots down fourth flying object: U.S. military fighter jets shot down an octagonal object Sunday over Lake Huron, at the border with Canada. It was the fourth flying object to be downed over North America in a little more than a week. China's foreign ministry said Monday it had no information on the latest three flying objects and accused the United States of “illegally” flying high-altitude balloons into its own airspace more than 10 times since January 2022.

• Earthquake rescue phase ending: The death toll in Turkey and Syria from the Feb. 6 earthquake has surpassed 33,000, as hope of finding more survivors is fading despite some miraculous rescues in the past 48 hours. After a visit to Aleppo, UN's aid chief Martin Griffiths said that the rescue phase would soon be "coming to a close". Syria has so far received little assistance as frontlines with the government are sealed off and there is only a single border crossing to Turkey.

• Cyprus elects new president: Former Cypriot foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides was elected president on Sunday in a runoff vote, promising a unity government tasked with breaking a deadlock in peace talks with estranged Turkish Cypriots. Christodoulides ran as an independent with the backing of centrist and right-of-center parties which typically take a hard line on solving the long-running division of Cyprus.

• Israel authorizes nine West Bank outposts: Israel granted retroactive authorization on Sunday to nine Jewish settler outposts in the occupied West Bank and announced mass-construction of new homes within established settlements. It is the first such move by the new government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the most right-wing in Israel's history. The international community regards all settlements as illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

• New Zealand cyclone: Around 58,000 homes are without power in New Zealand’s upper North Island on Monday as the approach of Cyclone Gabrielle brings strong winds, heavy rain and huge swells to Auckland and nearby regions, although its most destructive winds missed the island.

• Chiefs Win Super Bowl, Rihanna shines bright: The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in a thrilling 38-35 shootout at Super Bowl LVII. Rihanna gave a 13-minute performance of her greatest hits during the halftime show, skipping the typical guest appearances and revealing that she’s pregnant with her second child.

🗞️  FRONT PAGE

Istanbul-based daily Ekonomim writes that one million containers and temporary shelters are urgently needed to house the survivors of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated southern Turkey and Syria a week ago, killing more than 33,000 people and destroying thousands of buildings.

#️⃣  BY THE NUMBERS

€792 billion

European countries have spent nearly 800 billion euros since September 2021 to protect households and businesses from rising energy costs due to fallout from Russia cutting off most of its gas supplies in 2022. According to the new study by Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, Germany tops the spending chart, having allocated almost 270 billion euros, followed by the UK, Italy and France although each spent less than 150 billion euros, and other EU members spending only a fraction of that.

📰  STORY OF THE DAY

This is how Russia's new offensive could backfire

Latest reports show that Russia is stepping up its operations in eastern Ukraine, with a major offensive looking to be imminent. But international military strategists and tactical experts think that instead of sealing Kyiv's fate, this rushed assault could precipitate the demise of Vladimir Putin and his war, Clemens Wergin reports for Die Welt.

❄️ There are growing signs that a Russian winter offensive in eastern Ukraine is underway. Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov said recently that his country expected a full-blown assault around Feb. 24, on the anniversary of the Russian invasion. “Of course we expect there may be Russian offensives, as they love symbolism,” Reznikov said.

👉 According to Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Russia has sent half of its 300,000 newly mobilized soldiers straight to the front, to shore up the Russian lines over winter. In the Bakhmut region, these forces have been mercilessly used as cannon fodder by their leaders, which caused consternation even among their Ukrainian enemies.

🇷🇺 Given the Russian army’s poor performance, however, some skeptics doubt whether the offensive could take significant ground. “Russian forces have only managed to gain several hundred meters of territory per week. This is almost certainly because Russia now lacks the munitions and maneuver units required for successful offensives,” according to the British Ministry of Defense.

➡️ Read more on Worldcrunch.com

📣 VERBATIM

“If we sit down at the negotiating table with Zelensky, yes, I think that’s wrong.”

— Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the Russian region of Chechnya and close Putin ally, declared that any peace talks between Russia and Ukraine would not be the right option. In an interview broadcasted on Monday on state-owned Rossiya-1 channel, the strongman declared that Russia has the forces to take Kyiv as well as Kharkiv and Odessa, and that the operation would be over by the end of 2023. "I believe that, by the end of the year, we will 100% complete the task set for us today," Kadyrov said.

✍️ Newsletter by Ginevra Falciani, Bertrand Hauger, Hugo Perrin and Laure Gautherin


Let us know what’s happening in your corner of the world!

info@worldcrunch.com

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Society

Is Disney's "Wish" Spreading A Subtle Anti-Christian Message To Kids?

Disney's new movie "Wish" is being touted as a new children's blockbuster to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary. But some Christians may see the portrayal of the villain as God-like and turning wishes into prayers as the ultimate denial of the true message of Christmas.

photo of a kid running out of a church

For the Christmas holiday season?

Joseph Holmes

Christians have always had a love-hate relationship with Disney since I can remember. Growing up in the Christian culture of the 1990s and early 2000s, all the Christian parents I knew loved watching Disney movies with their kids – but have always had an uncomfortable relationship with some of its messages. It was due to the constant Disney tropes of “follow your heart philosophy” and “junior knows best” disdain for authority figures like parents that angered so many. Even so, most Christians felt the benefits had outweighed the costs.

That all seems to have changed as of late, with Disney being hit more and more by claims from conservatives (including Christian conservatives) that Disney is pushing more and more radical progressive social agendas, This has coincided with a steep drop at the box office for Disney.

Keep reading...Show less

The latest