👋 নমস্কার*
Welcome to Monday, where Israel shells Gaza as it awaits news from Hamas on the fate of three hostages, Denmark salutes its new king, and another volcano wreaks havoc in Iceland. Meanwhile, Katja Hoyer in Berlin-based daily Die Welt offers some motivation to keep up with New Year’s resolutions — courtesy of Germany’s 19th-century “Iron Chancellor” Otto von Bismarck.
[*Nômôskar - Bengali]
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🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• Israel bombards targets across Gaza, awaits word on fate of Hamas hostages: Israeli attacks are continuing unabated across the south, north and center of Gaza on Monday, killing at least 12 in Gaza City. Israel is awaiting news after Hamas aired a video over the weekend of three Israeli hostages it is holding in Gaza, saying they would inform Israel “of their fate” on Monday and urging the government to halt its aerial and ground offensive.
• Houthi missile fired at U.S. warship Hin first attack since strikes: The United States military said it has shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired at one of its vessels by Houthis in the Red Sea, in the first known attack on U.S. forces by the Iran-backed group since Washington’s strikes on Yemen last week. More about the global repercussions of the Red Sea tensions in this analysis by Oleksandr Demchenko for Ukrainian outlet Livy Bereg.
• Nauru cuts ties with Taiwan in favor of China: The South Pacific nation of Nauru has announced on Monday that it is severing its diplomatic ties with Taiwan and will instead recognize the People’s Republic of China, in a switch which the government says is “in the best interests” of the country and its people. The announcement came less than 48 hours after Taiwan’s presidential election, which saw the victory of pro-sovereignty candidate William Lai. Follow Worldcrunch’s coverage of Taiwan here.
• Ukraine says it destroyed Russian spy plane: Ukraine’s military said on Monday it had destroyed a Russian military spy plane over the Sea of Azov as well as an Ilyushin Il-22 airborne command post, in what analysts say would be a blow to Russia’s air power. Moscow responded it had “no information” about the attacks. Meanwhile, Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted discussions on a peace plan proposed by Ukraine at the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland, which kicks off on Monday, are pointless without Moscow’s participation.
• Iowa kicks off Republican nomination process: The Republican presidential nomination race started on Monday with the Iowa caucuses amid sub-zero temperatures, marking the first votes of the 2024 U.S. election campaign. Former President Donald Trump is the overwhelming favorite to push past leading rivals Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis. For more, Lucie Robequain in Les Echos, has a warning for U.S. allies, translated from French by Worldcrunch: If Trump Returns — What Europe Must Do Right Now To Prepare.
• Arévalo sworn in as Guatemala president despite opponents’ efforts to stop it: Anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arévalo was sworn in as Guatemala’s president early on Monday after a 9-hour delay due to a last-ditch attempt by Congress opponents to weaken his authority. Since his unexpected win in August 2023, Arévalo has faced several legal challenges to try to prevent him from taking office.
• Iceland volcano erupts, sends lava into fishing town: A volcano has erupted near the southwestern Icelandic town of Grindavik, sending molten lava flows into the town and setting multiple houses on fire. Iceland's President Gudni Johannesson describes the disaster as a “black day” for his country, though no fatalities were reported.
🗞️ FRONT PAGE
Aarhus-based daily Jyllands-Posten salutes the new Danish King Frederik X. The monarch ascended the throne on Sunday after his mother, Queen Margrethe II, signed the declaration of her abdication during a meeting of the Council of State at Parliament. Margrethe, 83, ruled for 52 years and is the first in Denmark’s royal history to voluntarily abdicate. After the signing, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen proclaimed Frederik king on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, where a packed crowd saluted him. His Australian-born wife is now queen consort and his 18-year-old heir to the throne.
🔢 BY THE NUMBERS
40%
A new study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence to affect 40% of jobs worldwide. IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva says AI has the potential to exacerbate income and wealth inequality within countries, creating disparities among workers who can effectively leverage AI and those who cannot. She encourages policymakers to proactively address these challenges by implementing comprehensive social safety nets as well as retraining programs for vulnerable workers. Interested in the topic? Read this analysis by technology ethicist Paolo Benanti in La Stampa, translated from Italian by Worldcrunch: AI Can Manipulate Us But Not Persuade Us — And We Must Regulate Accordingly.
📰 STORY OF THE DAY
Bismarck diet: How Germany’s “iron chancellor” found a softer recipe for good health
Overweight, permanently exhausted and only able to work two hours a day: a few years after founding the German Empire, Otto von Bismarck was facing burnout. Then a young doctor came onto the scene. The diet he prescribed worked wonders, and may be worth reactivating for our busy modern lives, writes Katja Hoyer in German daily Die Welt.
⚖️ Otto von Bismarck was under constant strain after the German Empire was founded in 1871. Like many people, he turned to food, smoking and alcohol, until he became so overweight and ill that, according to his own assessment in the early 1880s, he could only work for two hours a day. Bismarck therefore had plenty of reasons to make changes to his lifestyle. But diet after diet failed. In the end it was Ernst Schweninger, a young doctor from Bavaria, who helped the chancellor to lose 20 kg, keep the weight off and be more physically active — without having to cut down on work.
🎯 Schweninger’s idea was actually very simple: It put the patient at the center. He had to want to change, and any treatment had to be “individualized, taking into account all the physical and other circumstances of the patient”. Therefore he always reminded the chancellor that he was there out of his own free will and could always go away again, but at the same time worked closely with him to find a new lifestyle that worked for Bismarck.
🏃 Today Schweninger’s methods, his choice to view the quest for a healthier lifestyle as an art rather than a science, has somewhat fallen out of fashion. Many people look for advice from self-help books, which always experience a spike in sales around the New Year. But perhaps the Bavarian doctor had discovered a simple approach that still holds up today: get enough fresh air, exercise, eat healthily as part of a regular schedule, and a healthy lifestyle is achievable. In 2024, the Bismarck diet is still worth a go – though perhaps without the two pipes after dinner.
➡️ Read more on Worldcrunch.com
📹 THIS HAPPENED VIDEO — TODAY IN HISTORY, IN ONE ICONIC PHOTO
➡️ Watch the video: THIS HAPPENED
📣 VERBATIM
“Your visit is highly meaningful.”
— Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen thanked the United States for their support, hailing the "American commitment to Taiwan" after the victory of William Lai Ching-te at the presidential elections, with 40.1% of the votes. A U.S. delegation arrived on Sunday to congratulate the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party, who will officially take on its role in May. Lai is set to meet with the U.S. delegates today, and highlighted "the long-term stability in Taiwan-U.S. partnership," while China condemned the delegation's visit.
👉 MORE FROM WORLDCRUNCH
• How Russia And China Will Try To Exploit The Houthi Red Sea Blockade — LIVY BEREG
• Ecuador Declares War on Cartel "Terrorism" — But Is War The Right Response? — CLARÍN
• AI Can Manipulate Us But Not Persuade Us — And We Must Regulate Accordingly — LA STAMPA
✍️ Newsletter by Anne-Sophie Goninet, Chloé Touchard, Cory Agathe and Laure Gautherin
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