👋 Bom dia!*
Welcome to Monday, where Israeli forces start evacuation of eastern Rafah, Russia nuclear weapon drills and French bakers get their bread record back. Meanwhile, Omnia al-Malki in Arabic-language news website Al-Manassa analyzes what Egyptian men's reluctance to use male contraception tells about the state of patriarchy in the country.
[*Portuguese]
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🗞️ FRONT PAGE
French daily Le Figaro dedicates its front page to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Europe, the first in five years, which began yesterday in France. Alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to advocate for fair competition with China during talks with Xi Jinping. The discussions come amid EU investigations into Chinese trade practices, including subsidies for various industries and concerns about Chinese espionage and military cooperation with Russia. Xi's visit to Europe is viewed as a test of the EU's approach to balancing relations between China and the United States, with European leaders divided over their response to the U.S.-China rivalry.
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• Israel calls on Gazans to leave parts of eastern Rafah. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it was a “limited scope” operation and that the evacuation would affect 100,000 people. With ceasefire negotiations breaking down, some fear this is preparation for a long-threatened offensive on the city, where more than 1.4 million war-displaced people are sheltering. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri warned that this was a “dangerous escalation that will have consequences.”
• Russia has announced its plans to hold nuclear weapon drills. The announcement from Moscow’s Defense Ministry comes in response to “provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation.” This is the first time the Kremlin has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, at least six people were killed and 35 injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s border city of Belgorod.
• Chad votes for president to move to democratic rule. Chadians go to the polls Monday after three years of military rule and transition triggered by the sudden death of long-time ruler Idriss Déby. This marks the first presidential election in Africa's Sahel region since a wave of coups. From the Worldcrunch vault, here is an article translated from French to English: The Killing Of Chad's President Is A Blow In Battle Against Jihad.
• Panama’s former security minister Jose Raul Mulino wins presidency. The 64-year-old won Sunday’s single-round, first-past-the-post race by a wide margin, the Central American country's electoral tribunal said. Mulino had replaced Ricardo Martinelli as the candidate for the right-wing Realizing Goals (RM) party after the former president was barred from running due to a money laundering conviction.
• Rescue efforts continue as death toll from Brazil floods rises to 78. At least 105 people were reported missing and more than 115,000 people have been displaced in the country’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul over the past seven days. The heavy rains mark the fourth such environmental disaster in the state in a year, following floods that killed 75 in July, September and November 2023.
• Missing U.S. and Australian surfers’ bodies identified in Mexico. The three tourists had been found dead at the bottom of a well in the state of Baja California after they disappeared on April 27 while on a surfing trip in Ensenada. The men were reportedly shot in the head, and authorities believe they resisted an attempt to steal their pick-up truck.
• The world’s longest baguette is back in France. A 18-member team of bakers set a new Guinness World Record on Sunday with a 140.5-meter (461ft) long baguette in Suresnes, in the suburbs of Paris, beating by about 10 meters the previous 2019 record held by the Italian city of Como. The baguette was eventually cut to be shared among the public while the rest was given to homeless people.
#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS
$79 million
Qantas Airways has agreed to settle a lawsuit with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over the sale of tickets for canceled flights, commonly referred to as “ghost flights.” The settlement involves Qantas paying A$120 million ($79 million), with a portion allocated to compensate more than 86,000 affected customers. This fine marks the largest ever imposed on an Australian airline and one of the largest globally in the sector.
📰 STORY OF THE DAY
An irresponsible patriarchy: Egyptian men just say “no” to contraception
Very different attitudes of modern Egyptian men and women about contraception and family planning — with troubling proof that the idea of sharing responsibility has not gained much momentum in Egypt's male-dominated society, reports Omnia al-Malki in Arabic-language news website Al-Manassa.
💊 In his pharmacy in the Egyptian capital, Muhammad Abdel Majeed sells different types of contraceptives. No doubt, there is a great demand for birth control in Egypt, the world’s 14th most populous country. But after giving birth to their second child, his wife decided not to take birth control pills due to a previous negative experience with them. So she asked her husband to take on the responsibility and to use condoms. “It is a very safe method of preventing pregnancy, but some men do not like to use it," Abdel Majeed said.
♂️ Contraceptive methods for men vary, from condoms to the contraceptive injection and vasectomy, to the male birth control pill, which is still in experimental trials. Al-Sawy said that most of his friends do not know anything about male contraceptives. “It is too early in our Arab society to try something new and not medically reliable, such as injections,” he said.
♀ Some men say that contraception is a women’s issue. “Why should I try strange and new medicines when there are safe methods for women? Their side effects are known, and we can treat them. But for men, they are unknown and not guaranteed,” says 33-year-old Muhammad Al-Asyouti. His point of view is widespread among men who see male-contraceptive methods, such as condoms, reducing their sexual ability and pleasure.
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📹 THIS HAPPENED VIDEO — TODAY IN HISTORY, IN ONE ICONIC PHOTO
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📣 VERBATIM
“I don't see that as a provocation.”
— Argentinian President Javier Milei acknowledged that the Falkland Islands are currently under UK control and emphasized pursuing their return under Argentinian rule through diplomatic channels. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron stated in February that the islands’ sovereignty was not up for discussion, to which Milei responded that he did not feel provoked by said statement. He stressed a non-confrontational approach, contrasting with past leaders, conceding that the resolution of the dispute could take decades. Despite criticism of Margaret Thatcher's actions during the Falklands War, he also praised her leadership.
👉 MORE FROM WORLDCRUNCH
• U.S. vs. China, Who Will Win The Race For Humanoid Robot Domination? — LES ECHOS
• The Perilous Gurus Of Online Psychology, From Reiki To "Touch Therapy" As Sex Abuse Cure — ETHIC
• Gùsto! How · What · Where Locals Eat (And Drink) In Marseille — WORLDCRUNCH
✍️ Newsletter by Anne-Sophie Goninet and Cory Agathe
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