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Hamas Leader Reportedly Killed, Putin’s Fiery First Address, Macho Michelin

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👋 Elo!*

Welcome to Tuesday, where the U.S. says Hamas leader Marwan Issa died in an Israeli airstrike, Hong Kong passes a tough new security law, and the 2024 Michelin Star picks leave a bitter taste. Meanwhile, Feras Dalaty in Arabic-language independent digital media Daraj analyzes the dark legacy of two generations of Assads in Syria.

[*Tetum, Timor-Leste]

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🗞️  FRONT PAGE


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Madrid-based daily El País dedicates its front page to Gaza with a headline reading “Spain warns of the ‘real and direct’ risk of terrorism due to the war in Gaza.” Spain’s National Security Council warns of potential terrorism threats as the war in Gaza continues, now exceeding 31,000 deaths. It also warns there is an increase in circulation in Europe of weapons and explosives because of the war in Ukraine. It says there is an increase in “the terrorist threat, violent extremism and the emergence of new movements that promote a radical and violent ideology.”

🌎  7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW


• U.S. reports death of senior Hamas military leader Marwan Issa: One of Hamas’ top leaders Marwan Issa died in an Israeli airstrike according to U.S. White House official, Jake Sullivan. As deputy military commander, Issa would be Hamas's most senior leader to die since the war began on Oct. 7. Israeli media sources have reported that Issa was killed in a strike on a tunnel complex under the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza last week. Follow Worldcrunch’s coverage of the situation in the Middle East here.

• Europe must shift to “war economy,” says top EU official; Putin invites Eastern Ukrainians to “home family”: Europe must strengthen its defense capabilities and shift to a “war economy” mode in response to the threat posed by Russia, European Council President Charles Michel said. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin rallied the war effort in Ukraine at a Monday night victory celebration in Red Square after his stage-managed reelection. He invited eastern Ukrainians to come back to their “home family.”

• Trump fails to secure bond for $454 million judgment in civil fraud case: Donald Trump's efforts to secure a bond to cover a $454 million judgment in a New York civil fraud case has been rejected by 30 surety companies, inching him closer to the possibility of having his properties seized. The former U.S. president must either pay the sum out of his own pocket or post a bond to stave off the state's seizure while he appeals Justice Arthur Engoron's Feb. 16 judgment against him for misstating property values to dupe lenders and insurers.

• Gambia votes to reverse landmark ban on female mutilation: Gambia has taken steps towards lifting a ban on female circumcision, a move that could make it the first country in the world to reverse legal protections against the practice for millions of women and girls. Politicians in the West African nation’s parliament voted to advance the controversial bill, which would repeal a landmark 2015 ban on female genital mutilation that made the practice punishable by up to three years in prison.

• Hong Kong passes tough security law: Hong Kong has passed a tough security law that authorities say is necessary for stability, but which critics fear will further endanger civil liberties. Article 23 targets new offenses like external interference and insurrection, and penalties that include life sentences. It was fast-tracked through its final stage by the city's pro-Beijing parliament in less than two weeks. More on Hong Kong here.

• China property giant Evergrande accused of $78bn fraud: Chinese property giant Evergrande and its founder, Hui Ka Yan, have been accused of inflating revenues by $78 billion in the two years before the firm defaulted on its debt. Hui also faces being banned for life from China's financial markets. Back in January, Evergrande was ordered to liquidate by a Hong Kong court.

• “Where are the women?” Michelin Guide gets heat on new stars: The prestigious Michelin Guide added 52 new starred restaurants in France, the highest of any country, yet critics noted that only six women were among those recognized. Follow Worldcrunch’s coverage of all things food & beverages here.

💬 LEXICON


カラオケ

The inventor of the world’s first karaoke machine has died aged 100. Shigeichi Negishi’s “Sparko Box” prototype is one of several devices which helped to begin Japan’s karaoke craze. Negishi was inspired to create his device in 1967 as a regular listener of a singalong radio show. He ran a company which built car stereos so used his expertise to create a popular device, called karaoke (カラオケ in Japanese), a word combining kara (空 “empty”) and ōkesutora (オーケストラ “orchestra”) that would allow people to sing without the need for live instruments.

📰 STORY OF THE DAY


Bashar Al-Assad, still running from his father's shadow

Recent changes in Syria's security apparatus are yet another step in President Bashar al-Assad's years-long effort to escape the shadow of his father and predecessor, Hafez Assad, more than two decades after his death, reports Feras Dalaty in Arabic-language independent digital media Daraj.

🇸🇾 In Syria, reports emerged recently about restructuring the security apparatus of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, including changes in top positions, reassigning or replacing top officials. In January, Kifah Melhem notably replaced Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk, 76, as head of the National Security Bureau. One theory is that the changes are part of Bashar al-Assad's years-long effort to escape the shadow of his father, former President Hafez Assad, more than two decades after his death and his perceived victory in a global war.

🎖️ Replacing Mamlouk with Melhem is Assad's most recent step in the process of isolating the old guard, who were appointed by Hafez Assad. This process began more than two decades ago, when Bashar al-Assad succeeded his father and began to put in place a “new generation” that has run the country in an era of war and blood. His decisions and actions aim not only to uproot his father’s legacy, but also to write a dark chapter in Syria's history.

🇷🇺🇮🇷 The shadow of his father has apparently triggered something in Assad's mind. That included chants of his supporters he heard during his speeches when the civil war began more than a decade ago: “They fought you, and forgot who your father was!” In recent years, after what he perceived a “victory” in Syria’s civil war, a “global war”, Assad has distanced himself from his father’s shadow. Yet Assad's regime has become merely a front; Russia and Iran virtually control his regime, despite the unprecedented economic slide.

➡️ Read more on Worldcrunch.com

📹 THIS HAPPENED VIDEO — TODAY IN HISTORY, IN ONE ICONIC PHOTO


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➡️ Watch the video: THIS HAPPENED

📣 VERBATIM


“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to a very, very big GPU.”

— “We need bigger GPUs,” said Jensen Huang, CEO of AI giant Nvidia, as he unveiled new higher performing GPU “superchips” at a developers conference in California, dubbed the “AI Woodstock.” A GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit, is an electronic circuit which performs mathematical calculations at a high speed, and is capable of completing tasks such as graphics rendering, video editing and machine learning. Nvidia aims to increase its dominance over AI infrastructure; its chips and software, used notably by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, already play a crucial role in the creation of generative AI. Companies including Microsoft and Amazon have developed their own AI based chips but depend on Nvidia’s products. Nvidia also announced at the conference that it is working with Apple to develop AI capabilities in Apple’s newly released Vision Pro spatial computing gear. For more, read this article translated from Polish by Worldcrunch: Inside Malaysia's Intel Factory, A Global Hub Of The Microchip Market.


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