👋 Lasso fyafulla!*
Welcome to Thursday, where 1 million Ukrainians are left in the dark after Russia launches its second major attack on energy infrastructure this month, Israel and Hezbollah trade accusations of ceasefire violations and we’ll introduce you to the Alaska Turkey Bomb. Meanwhile, Ethic’s Raquel C. Pico takes us through the surprisingly recent history of public smiling.
[*Tamang, Nepal]
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🗞️ FRONT PAGE
Spanish sports daily AS spotlights Real Madrid’s shocking 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in the UEFA Champions League. AS reports on the major revolcón (meaning both a “tumble” and a “thrashing”) as the club superstar striker Kylian Mbappé — in addition to this impressive fall — missed a crucial penalty in the second half and key player Eduardo Camavinga’s performance was undershadowed by an injury. The loss marks a significant blow to Madrid’s campaign, highlighting the challenges they face in maintaining dominance on the European stage.
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• Russia launches attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Russia unleashed its second major attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure this month, cutting power to more than 1 million people in the west, south, and center of the country. The attack Thursday reinforced fears of long power cuts during the winter months as temperatures across Ukraine near zero. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is preparing a $725 million weapons package for Ukraine, as the outgoing president seeks to bolster the government in Kyiv before leaving office in January. Follow Worldcrunch’s international coverage of the war in Ukraine here.
• Israel accuses Hezbollah of breaching ceasefire. This comes hours after Lebanese security sources said Israeli tanks attacked six areas of southern Lebanon, calling into question a truce reached after more than a year of fighting. Meanwhile, Israeli military strikes kill at least 17 Palestinians across Gaza. Read more about what a possible ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon could mean for Gaza in this analysis by Pierre Haski, translated by Worldcrunch.
• India's parliament suspended temporarily. Both houses of Indian parliament were suspended temporarily on Thursday within minutes of opening as opposition lawmakers disrupted proceedings for the third day this week seeking a discussion on allegations against the Adani Group. U.S. authorities have accused Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and managing director of Adani Green, Vneet S. Jaain, of being part of a scheme to pay bribes of $265 million to secure Indian solar power supply contracts.
• U.S. and China swap three prisoners each. Three Americans detained in China were released in exchange for three Chinese prisoners in the U.S., after the Biden administration negotiated a prisoner swap. The exchange was reportedly months in the making, and included the release of three Chinese citizens in U.S. custody.
• Landslides bury Uganda homes. More than 10 people have been killed and many others are feared dead after heavy rains caused landslides in eastern Uganda. The Uganda Red Cross Society said on Thursday at least 13 bodies had been recovered after landslides buried 40 homes in six villages of the mountainous district of Bulambuli the previous night.
• South Korea battles second day of heavy snow. Dozens of flights have been cancelled, ferry operations suspended and at least five people reported dead. The snowfall was the third-heaviest in Seoul, the capital, since records began in 1907, the Yonhap news agency said, citing data from the city.
• “It’s a bird! It’s a plane!” In Alaska, it’s both. Thanks to the Alaska Turkey Bomb, people living in the rural areas of Alaska will still be able to enjoy turkey on Thanksgiving day. For the third straight year, a resident named Esther Keim has been flying low and slow in a small plane over rural parts of south-central Alaska, dropping frozen turkeys to those who can’t simply run out to the grocery store. Alaska is mostly wilderness, with only about 20% of it accessible by road.
#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS
10 millimeters
Prominent sanitary pad manufacturers in China have apologized after facing backlash, following revelations that their products fall short of advertised dimensions. An investigation by Chinese news outlet The Paper found that nearly 90% of the measured pads were undersized by at least 10mm (0.4 in). Authorities are revising national standards amid broader concerns over product quality and safety scandals in the feminine hygiene market.
📹 ON THIS DAY VIDEO — 4 HISTORY-MAKING EVENTS, IN 57 SECONDS
➡️ Watch the video: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
🤝 One might think that the rush to announce the completion of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal refers to its preemptive failure with each party blaming the other for this failure. But there are many moving parts in the negotiations, like there are in the region.
— DARAJ
🇳🇬 With a population of more than 200 million, Nigeria is facing a series of crises: an economy at its lowest, endemic corruption and insecurity. The country is holding firm, but for how long?
— LES ECHOS
😁 Today, smiling at the camera is almost taken for granted. But smiling for posterity is a fairly recent phenomenon.
— ETHIC
📣 VERBATIM
“Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.”
— Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has pushed back against President-elect Donald Trump’s claim that Mexico agreed to stop migration to the U.S. border. Following a phone call between the two leaders, Trump took to X, announcing the supposed “deal.” Sheinbaum responded quickly, emphasizing that Mexico’s approach is not to close borders but to “address migration while respecting human rights.” She reiterated that her government seeks to build bridges between nations through dialogue and cooperation rather than imposing restrictions on movement. Mexican political analyst Luis Rubio says his country should fix its own problems rather than focusing on fighting Trump.
✍️ Newsletter by Emma Albright & Ella Nigro
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