August 10-11
- U.S. VP’s “dad energy”
- The ripples of Haniyeh’s assassination
- New paint for a cooler ride
- … and much more!
🎲 OUR WEEKLY NEWS QUIZ
What do you remember from the news this week?
1. To which country did Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina flee, following deadly anti-government demonstrations?
2. Colombia’s Congress announced it was mulling a ban on souvenirs linked to which controversial local figure?
3. Out of the eight runners at the Paris Olympics 100-meter sprint, how many finished under the 10-second mark?
4. A new study has found that Indonesia’s diminutive extinct species Homo floresiensisors may have been as short as 1 meter (3.3 feet). What were they nicknamed?
Hobbits / Oompa-Loompas / Smurfs / Ewoks
[Answers at the bottom of this newsletter]
#️⃣ TRENDING
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was thrust into the spotlight on Tuesday, when Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris named him as her VP running mate. Not exactly a household name, the 60-year-old has since become something of an internet sensation. While Democrats widely applauded Harris' choice (Walz is former Army National Guard and school teacher with a track record as a liberal policy champion) social media has picked up on his Midwest nice vibes and “America’s dad” energy.
🎭 5 CULTURE THINGS TO KNOW
• In memoriam: Veteran South African actor Connie Chiume, who starred in several South African TV shows and appeared in Marvel movie Black Panther, died at the age of 72; U.S. actor Patti Yasutake, known for her roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Netflix’s Beef, passed away at 70 from cancer; Shaun Martin, U.S. singer and keyboardist of jazz band Snarky Puppy and multiple Grammy winner, died at 45 years old.
• Five Bansky works appear in five days in London, one already stolen. The mysterious street artist unveiled a new animal-themed artwork on Friday, the fifth this week in the British capital. The two pelicans above a fish-and-chip shop follow a goat stencil on a wall, two elephants poking their heads out of blocked-out windows on the side of a house, three swinging monkeys on a railway bridge and a howling wolf painted onto a satellite dish. The latter was removed by two masked individuals within hours of its discovery. Banksy posted pictures of the artworks on his Instagram account but without a caption, leaving fans to speculate on their meanings.
• Netflix unveils series adaption of Argentina’s Mafalda. The beloved comic strip character will get her own animated adaptation with Oscar-winning director Juan José Campanella at the helm, Netflix announced, as the streaming platform unveiled its 2024 “Made in Argentina” slate. Other adaptations include El Eternauta, based on the graphic novel of the same name and a local version of dating series Love is Blind.
• David Lynch says he will not retire despite illness. In a post on social media platform X, the 78-year-old U.S. filmmaker clarified comments he made earlier in an interview with Sight and Sound magazine, in which he revealed he was diagnosed with emphysema “from smoking for so long” and that he was “homebound.” The Twin Peaks creator said he would not stop working, mentioning the possibility of directing remotely.
• Tenacious D “will be back,” says Jack Black. The U.S. artist told Variety that the rock duo will return “when it feels right,” after a controversial comment by his bandmate, Kyle Gass, about Donald Trump’s attempted assassination in July prompted Black to cancel their latest tour. “We need to take a break. Everybody needs a break sometime,” Black said, adding that Gass and he are still friends.
🇵🇸🇸🇾 How Israel benefits from the Syria-Gaza debate over Haniyeh’s assassination
The assassination of Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh has become the subject of an unhealthy debate between Palestinians and Syrians. Yet this discussion misses the point and has allowed Israel to benefit from the situation, according to Palestinian journalist Majed Kayali. “Palestinian and Syrian critics of Hamas could have condemned Haniyeh’s assassination in principle, while at the same time expressing their disagreement with Hamas,” Kayali writes in Arabic-language independent digital media Daraj.
Read the full story: What The Debate Over Haniyeh’s Assassination Reveals About Syria And Gaza
🇺🇸 Trump’s isolationism, a threat for the West
From Brexit to the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president, a series of political decisions and events in recent years have been modifying the strategic balances that affect the distribution of global power. The West will be weakened should Trump return to power and should the United States turn its back on its alliances. But does the current Republican presidential nominee understand what that could mean for U.S. strength and security, Carlos Pérez Llana asks in Argentine daily Clarín.
Read the full story: Trump's Plans To Undo The Western Alliance Is A Death Sentence For American Power
⛱️ Locals are fed up of Spain’s voracious tourism model
In 2023, foreign tourists broke a new record in Spain, and 2024 is set to top it. After the break imposed by the pandemic, more than 85 million visitors came last year, surpassing 2019 figures, which were already historic. While tourism is a boon for the Spanish economy, locals say the current model is untenable, and are taking to the streets to demand limits be set. “The solution is not to build more roads or more desalination plants, the problem is the model and the lack of planning,” Alfonso Boullón, spokesperson for the Canarias Se Agota (The Canaries Have Had Enough) collective, tells monthly paper magazine La Marea.
Read the full story: Spain's Economy Has A "Tourism Addiction" — And It's Time For An Intervention
🚗❄️ BRIGHT IDEA
Japanese automaker Nissan has come up with a new cooling paint for cars. Developed in partnership with Chinese company Radi-Cool, the paint features two microstructure particles that react to light: one reflects near-infrared rays, and the other creates electromagnetic waves that block sun rays. The new paint is said to be capable of cooling internal cabin temperatures by 5 °C (9 °F) while helping lower emissions by reducing the need for air conditioning.
🏅 SMILE OF THE WEEK
Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqin’s endearing reaction on the Olympic podium went viral on social media, with fans praising her “little sister” energy. When the first-time Olympian was posing for photographs with her silver medal won in the women’s gymnastics balance, she looked surprised when Italian gymnasts Alice D’Amato and Manila Esposito bite into their medals, prompting her to imitate her fellow athletes (although she didn’t actually bite the medal). “Like a lil sister copying her big sisters and it’s too cute!,” one user commented.
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⏩ LOOKING AHEAD
• Next Monday, former U.S. President Donald Trump is slated for an interview with billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, one of his biggest supporters. Details of this meeting are yet to be announced.
• Indonesia president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is set to hold the first plenary cabinet meeting in the new capital city of Nusantara on Tuesday. This gathering of mayors, regents, governors and acting governors, scheduled ahead of Independence Day ceremonies on Aug. 17, is meant to focus on the transition to his successor, Prabowo Subianto.
• Lisa, of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, is set to release her new single, “New Woman,” next Friday. The rapper’s new song is said to feature Spanish pop star and Grammy Award winner Rosalía.
• The Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony will be held on Sunday at the Stade de France, under the supervision of Thomas Jolly, who directed the Opening Ceremony. Although details on the event have already been shared, speculations — and sometimes wild theories — about who will perform on the U.S. side to pass the baton to the next Games in Los Angeles, in 2028. Beyoncé on her white horse? Tom Cruise on his Mission Impossible motorbike? Both?!
News quiz answers:
1. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to neighboring India after weeks of deadly anti-government demonstrations in the South Asian nation.
2. Colombia’s Congress is considering a ban of souvenirs depicting the country’s infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar, with a bill that would include fines of up to $170 for vendors selling this merchandise to tourists.
3. U.S. athlete Noah Lyles won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics’ 100-meter dash, in what is deemed one of the most remarkable races of all time, crossing the finish line in 9.79 seconds. All eight men finished within 0.12 seconds of Lyles, with last-placed ending in 9.91.
4. A new study suggests that the diminutive Homo floresiensis, an early human species living on the Indonesian island of Flores, some 700,000 years ago, were about 1 meter (3.3 feet) tall. They were nicknamed “Hobbits” after the fictional characters in The Lord of the Rings.
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*Photo: Banksy/IG