👋 Kaixo!*
Welcome to Wednesday, where Ukraine launches one of its largest ever drone strikes on Moscow, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken leaves the Middle East without an Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, and Maria Branyas Morera — the world’s oldest person — dies at age 117. Meanwhile, reporter Christian Putsch highlights the courage of Somali women, be they models, journalists or politicians, who dare to stand up to terrorists and patriarchal structures.
[*Basque - Spain and France]
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🗞️ FRONT PAGE
With the summer season drawing to an end, Madrid-based El País dedicates its cover to the soon-to-be achieved new record for the tourism sector in Spain. According to estimates, the country will have attracted 95 million visits this year, becoming the second favorite European go-to destination (with Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Malaga and Barcelona at the top of the list) for travelers after France. That is despite the many protests happening nationwide to denounce mass tourism and its impact on locals, their daily life and finances. Read more about Spain’s conundrum regarding tourism and its regulation in our article: Spain's Economy Has A "Tourism Addiction" — And It's Time For An Intervention
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• Ukraine launches drone attack on Moscow. Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian capital on Wednesday in one of the biggest drone strikes on the city since February 2022. At least 11 drones were shot down by Russia’s air defenses, and no damage or casualties were reported. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 23 other drones were also destroyed in the Bryansk region as well as a few others across the border with Ukraine. Follow our international coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war here.
• Israeli strikes in Lebanon. At least one person was killed and 19 injured, the Lebanese health ministry said early on Wednesday, following Israeli strikes in the country. In Gaza City, an Israeli strike on a school killed 12 Palestinians and an unknown number of people are still missing. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the Middle East without a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The deal “needs to get done in the days ahead,” Blinken said before leaving for Washington. Read more on the stakes of the Israel-Hamas conflict in this piece from Kayhan London.
• Bus crash in Iran kills 28 people. At least 28 people died and 23 others were injured in a bus crash in central Iran, in the Yazd province. The bus was carrying around 50 Shiite pilgrims from Pakistan to the holy city of Karbala, in Iraq, for the Arbaeen pilgrimage. Preliminary investigation showed that a technical defect in the vehicle’s braking system may be responsible for the accident.
• Australia gives green light to world’s largest solar farm. The Australian government granted approvals for the $19 billion Australia-Asia PowerLink project of the Sun Cable company, which plans to build a 12,400 hectare solar farm in the north of the country. The electricity produced on site will be transported to Darwin, 800 kilometers away, and then to Singapore through a 4,300-kilometer submarine cable. The “generation-defining” project will “herald Australia as the world leader in green energy,” said Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. Read more on solar power in this piece from Gazeta Wyborcza.
• Cargo ship quarantined over suspected mpox case. Argentinian authorities have quarantined a cargo ship near the port of Rosario, on the Parana River, over a suspected case of mpox among the crew. The person has been isolated and an emergency protocol has been activated, the government said. So far, around 13 countries have reported mpox cases after it was declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization last week.
• “Bennifer” no more. Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from actor Ben Affleck, a month after the couple’s two-year wedding anniversary. Tabloids had been speculating over the couple’s separation since May, after sources revealed they were living apart. Early July, Lopez and Affleck’s eight-figure mansion hit the real estate market. The couple had met in 2022 on the set of Gigli, when Lopez was still married to Cris Judd.
• World’s oldest person dies at 117. Spanish citizen and supercentenarian Maria Branyas Morera died yesterday at 117 years old, said her family. The world’s oldest known person was born in the U.S. in 1907 and lived through two world wars and two pandemics. She was acknowledged by the Guinness World Records after French nun Lucile Randon died at 118 in 2023. Interviewed by the Records book, she said her longevity stemmed from “tranquility, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature” but that it was “also about being lucky.” To learn more on how to live past 110, we offer this piece by Claudia Collucci.
📹 THIS HAPPENED VIDEO — TODAY IN HISTORY, IN ONE ICONIC PHOTO
➡️ Watch the video: THIS HAPPENED
📰 STORY OF THE DAY
The Somali women defying both al-Shabaab and conservative society
No other African country was dominated by men to the same extent as Somalia. Yet women have been fighting against male control: whether in parliament, where there is now a quota for female representatives, in journalism or in beauty contests. But, as German reporter and Africa specialist Christian Putsch points out, they are coming up against dangerous opposition.
🇸🇴 The United Nations ranks Somalia among the five worst countries in the world in terms of gender inequality. Less than 5% of women complete secondary education, and not even a quarter of women have a job. Recently, however, there have been signs that things are changing in the country, which has long been synonymous with a failed state. Following a change to the constitution, a third of the seats in parliament are now reserved for women. Women are pushing for greater participation. That can be seen in many areas; for example, on the construction sites in Mogadishu, popular with Turkish and Arab investors, there are female engineers. And there is increased pressure to improve women’s rights across society.
👸🏿 Hani Abdi Gas founded the Miss Somalia beauty pageant four years ago. The competition has not only come up against opposition from al-Shabaab, but also from conservative men in the country. In accordance with widespread Islamic custom, the competitors take to the stage with their hair covered, says Gas. But some men still think the high-necked clothes are too tight, and object to the fact that many of the women leave their necks uncovered.
📣♀️ Women’s voices are being heard more and more clearly, partly thanks to a media called Bilan, which is made up of six female journalists. The publication, founded two years ago, is currently mainly funded by the EU; it is the first in the country that is run entirely by women. The Bilan reporters quickly made a name for themselves as tough, dogged journalists. They are currently planning a trip to an area that the army recently liberated from al-Shabaab — despite significant security risks.
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✍️ Newsletter by Chloé Touchard and Laure Gautherin
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