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👋 નમસ્તે*
Welcome to Thursday, where Republicans have secured their hold of both chambers of the U.S. Congress, Israel strikes Beirut for the third consecutive day and Florence introduces new ways to crack down on overtourism. Meanwhile, Les Echos’ Florence Bauchard takes us to Norway to understand why its lucrative king crab industry is now in a bit of a pinch.
[*Namaste - Gujarati, India]
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Levante-El Mercantil Valenciano, a regional newspaper from Spain’s Valencian community, sounds a “Red alert” on its front page as severe flooding wreaks havoc across parts of southern Spain. This flooding comes just two weeks after deadly flash floods killed more than 200 near the Spanish city of Valencia. The new round of storms have led to evacuation of thousands, especially in the Valencia and Málaga regions, as well as the popular tourist area of Costa del Sol.
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• Donald Trump’s party secures control of Congress as Republicans win House majority. Republicans have won a majority in the House of Representatives, giving Donald Trump’s party full control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress and wide latitude to push a radical agenda through the legislature. Meanwhile, Trump was welcomed at the White House by outgoing President Joe Biden, where they discussed Ukraine and the Middle East in a cordial meeting Wednesday designed to demonstrate a smooth transfer of power despite deep disagreements over policy. Read more about what Trump’s win means for the definition of “right wing” in the world today in this article by Italian daily La Stampa.
• Israel strikes Hezbollah areas in Beirut. Israeli forces launched airstrikes on Hezbollah-controlled areas in Beirut for a third consecutive day on Thursday, hitting locations in the capital's southern suburbs early in the morning after a night of heavy bombardments. Five people were killed in airstrikes on the towns of Bazourieh and Jumayjimah. Follow Worldcrunch’s coverage of the Middle East here.
• Highest alert level raised as Philippines braces for Super Typhoon Usagi. The Philippines has raised its highest storm alert and evacuated thousands of people as it braces for Super Typhoon Usagi, the fifth storm to hit the country in three weeks. Packing sustained winds of up to 185km/h (115mph), Usagi is set to make landfall in the northern part of the main island of Luzon on Thursday.
• One dead after attack on Brazil's Supreme Court. A man who tried to attack Brazil's Supreme Court in the capital Brasilia late on Wednesday is believed to have been killed by his own explosives. Police have named the man as Francisco Wanderley Luiz, who stood unsuccessfully in council elections for ex-President Jair Bolsonaro's Liberal Party (PL). Bystanders said they saw him throwing what appeared to be explosives before the detonation.
• The Guardian and La Vanguardia quit social media platform X. British news outlet The Guardian has announced it will no longer post content on X due to the “disturbing content” on the media platform, including racism and conspiracy theories. Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia has also announced it will stop publishing its content on the social media platform, which it said had become a “disinformation network.”
• France tightens security for Israel match after Amsterdam violence. Thousands of police are being deployed in Paris to ensure security at Thursday’s France-Israel football international match, a week after violence in Amsterdam in which Maccabi Tel Aviv fans came under attack. Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez says 4,000 officers will be on patrol, 2,500 at the Stade de France in the northern Paris suburbs and the rest on public transport and inside the capital.
• Florence takes steps to cut overtourism. This includes introducing measures including a ban on key boxes used by short-term rental landlords and tour guide loudspeakers, amid complaints that a surge in visitors has become unsustainable. This week, as the Italian city prepares to host tourism ministers from the G7 group of the world’s most advanced economies, authorities approved a 10-point plan to tackle the problem, introduced by Mayor Sarah Funaro. Read more about which other countries are tackling overtourism in this piece by Fabrizio La Rocca for Worldcrunch.
#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS
$4.8 million
A piece of history — and scandal — was auctioned off for $4.8 million in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday. This diamond necklace, thought to include stones from the notorious “Affair of the Diamond Necklace” — a scandal that damaged Marie Antoinette’s reputation and shook the French monarchy — hadn't been seen in public for 50 years prior to the auction. The 18th-century, 300-carat necklace was crafted for royalty and later adorned British aristocrats at the coronations of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. The necklace’s origins trace back to a deception in 1785, when Marie Antoinette was falsely implicated in a scheme involving a powerful cardinal and a fake queen, ultimately leading to a scandal that helped ignite the French Revolution.
📹 ON THIS DAY VIDEO — 4 HISTORY-MAKING EVENTS, IN 57 SECONDS
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➡️ Watch the video: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
✍️ “News of bombing has become so repetitive, it makes almost no difference.” A Lebanese journalist discusses how war has become “normal” and what that means for her and her work.
— DARAJ
📣 Donald Trump's reelection marks a new social coalition that found no voice in traditional political forces. The utopian-liberal order of the 21st century failed to deliver on its promises and it succumbed to a boisterous, combative new right.
— LA STAMPA
🦀 For the past two decades, Norway has developed an industrial and tourist sector around the king crab. But a mysterious threat is hanging over the giant crustacean.
— LES ECHOS
💬 LEXICON
수능
An estimated half a million students across South Korea have sat down for Suneung (수능), an eight-hour university placement exam widely regarded as one of the toughest in the world. The yearly mass test covers multiple subjects, including Korean language, mathematics, English and sciences. The exam is a crucial moment in a student’s life, as scores largely determine university admission, so to ensure minimal distractions, the entire country adapts to support test-takers on exam day: The government grounds flights during the English listening section, halts construction and urges drivers to avoid honking.
✍️ Newsletter by Emma Albright & Ella Nigro
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