China Eases COVID Restrictions, Ramaphosa In Turmoil, RIP Christine McVie
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đ 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
⢠China eases COVID restrictions: China lifted some COVID-19 restrictions in several major cities like Guangzhou, after days of unprecedented confrontations between police and protesters demanding the easing of the countryâs strict Zero-COVID rules.
⢠Letter bombs sent to Spanish PM and Ukraine embassy in Madrid: Spain has stepped up security at public and diplomatic buildings after at least five letter bombs were received, including one sent to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, all with an apparent link to the war in Ukraine. The first explosive letter arrived on Wednesday at the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid, which caused one minor injury.
⢠South African president faces impeachment: Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africaâs President, is facing a possible impeachment motion over his alleged involvement in the âFarmgateâ scandal where heâs accused of complicity in hiding a $4 million theft from his farm in 2020.
⢠Deadly landslide in Brazil: A landslide on a highway in southern Brazil has killed at least two people, with up to 50 others missing. As of now, six survivors have been found, including the mayor of the coastal town of Guaratuba.
⢠Hakeem Jeffries to succeed Nancy Pelosi: U.S. House Democrats have picked caucus chair Hakeem Jeffries to become the next leader of the Democrats in the lower house of Congress. The New York lawmaker will succeed current Speak of the House Nancy Pelosi, making Jeffries the first Black person to lead one of the two major parties in either chamber of Congress.
⢠French woman making history in World cup: StĂŠphanie Frappart is to make history today, being the first woman to ever referee a menâs World Cup match.
⢠Bye bye, Songbird: Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter Christine McVie died on Wednesday, at age of 79, following a brief illness. McVie was behind some of the bandâs most famous hits, including Everywhere, Little Lies, and Songbird.
đď¸Â FRONT PAGE
Brazilian daily Folha de SĂŁo Paulo reports on a landslide on a highway in the southern state of ParanĂĄ which killed at least two people and left dozens missing on Wednesday. Rescue efforts are underway, as authorities estimate mud buried up to 15 vehicles.
#ď¸âŁÂ BY THE NUMBERS
18.5 billion
Puerto Rican Reggaeton star Bad Bunny has been crowned most-streamed artist on Spotify for the third year in a row, with more than 18.5 billion streams in 2022. Following him in the worldwide top 5 are Taylor Swift, Drake, The Weeknd and K-pop band BTS.
đ°Â STORY OF THE DAY
In Denmark, beloved Christmas TV special cancelled for blackface scenes
Most Nordic countries share a passion for what's known as the "TV Christmas calendar": 24 nightly television episodes that air between Dec. 1 and Christmas Eve. But this year in Denmark, one vintage episode has been pulled from the air because of a blackface scene. The director of the 1997 episode complained that TV executives are being "too sensitive."
đđş Mette Nelund, the head of fiction at TV2, officially announced that the channel had decided to drop the Christmas calendar called Alletiders Julemand ("Santa Claus for the Ages"), originally produced in 1997, after rewatching it with a âfresh look.â The episode is part of the so-called âPyrus Seriesâ, a four seasons ensemble from the 1990s that tells the story of Pyrus, a Christmas elf who lives inside of a box in the National Archives of Denmark with his elf friends Kandis and Gyldengrød. Together, they explore Denmarkâs history, especially in connection with the traditions around Christmas.
â ď¸ In its statement, TV2 stated that âthe Christmas calendar contains outdated depictions of people and culture,â with one scene in particular that might be perceived as offensive in todayâs context: When a white boy, who has been painted black, is teased by some white children. In reaction, they are dipped in black ink and turn black. âWe take responsibility now, because we don't want to risk some children sitting out there feeling it's wrong to have dark skin,â said Nelund.
âď¸ In an interview with Danmarks Radio, Martin Miehe-Renard, the director of the series, expressed his disappointment over the decision, arguing it would have been possible to edit out scenes perceived as problematic, a suggestion that was ruled out by TV2. The filmmaker added that âwe just have a tendency to be too sensitive these days.â In the meantime in Denmark, TV2 already found a replacement for the Christmas calendar, and âFairytale for the Agesâ, the next calendar in the Pyrus series, will be shown this year.
âĄď¸ Read more on Worldcrunch.com
đš THIS HAPPENED VIDEO â TODAY IN HISTORY, IN ONE ICONIC PHOTO
âĄď¸ Watch the video: THIS HAPPENED
đŁ VERBATIM
Look, I screwed up.
â Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, made his first public appearance on Wednesday since his $30 billion business imploded. The 30-year-old declared that he âdid not ever try to commit fraud,â though he also took responsibility for the collapse, âLook, I screwed up. I was CEO.â FTX is currently being probed by federal investigators, and Bankman-Fried said that he was speaking publicly against the advice of his lawyers.
đ MORE FROM WORLDCRUNCH
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⢠Masks And Me: Take This Pandemic Story At Face Value â WORLDCRUNCH
⢠How Turkey Can Bring Its Brain Drain Back Home â OKSIJEN
âď¸ Newsletter by Emma Albright, Bertrand Hauger, Anne-Sophie Goninet and Laure Gautherin
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