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Le Weekend: K-Pop Impeachment, Dubai Chocolate, Wildlife Photography Awards

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December 14-15

  • Syria in limbo
  • Non-metallic metal
  • Google’s sports galore
  • … and much more.

⬇️  STARTER 


Desire and misery: On the world’s “fetishism” for Middle East conflict

The liberation of Syria is an unexpected and moving victory for its people, and a moment of hope for all freedom-loving Arabs in the region. It is also an event that stirs great anxiety. We watch people celebrate on the streets of Damascus, oblivious to how Bashar al-Assad’s “escape” is actually a checkmate move. And we know what's coming next.

We react with a mix of empathy and anger to the scenes of momentary liberation, which we are taught will eventually give way to return to the broader pattern of exploitation in the Middle East. It's a feeling I've become accustomed to, which comes free of charge with my skin color and weak passport.

Growing up in one of these so-called "dangerous" Middle Eastern countries, I was constantly surrounded by the melancholic images and monotonous voices of news presenters. I hated it then, but I became a news-consuming, highly skeptical, and politically engaged woman in my mid-twenties, who distrusts the West and braces for the worst whenever it suddenly becomes interested in my region.

The only difference between my parents and me is the medium — where they had their TVs and radios, I have my phone. Now, these upsetting images are a few clicks away, and the "peace and democracy are unattainable in the Middle East" narrative quickly starts to feel exhausting.

It was only when I removed myself, my policed body, and my “radical” thoughts from the equation and looked beyond the usual suspects — oil, terrorism, religious conflicts, dictatorship — that I arrived at another conclusion: the Middle East is not just a strategic prize of power and wealth, but an object of desire so unattainable to the West that it has become what psychologists and anthropologists call a fetish.

We can call it a kind of "geopolitical fetishism" — an obsessive engagement with the region’s destruction and intervention that goes beyond tangible goals and ventures into ideology, power, and even voyeuristic consumption. This framework may help to explain how the narrative of land, religion, and proxy battles gets repeatedly weaponized to justify a devastating cycle of war, control, and profit. [...]

Read the full Worldcrunch article by Hagar Farouk.

🎲  OUR WEEKLY NEWS QUIZ


What do you remember from the news this week?

1. In which city was Bashar al-Assad reportedly granted asylum, after insurgents forced the Syrian president out?

2. Which world leader underwent successful surgery for a brain bleed?

3. What was Luigi Mangione doing when he was spotted before being arrested and charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson?

4. A musical was canceled over copyrights and fears of reputational damage. What was it supposed to be about?
The Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud / The “Very Demure, Very Mindful” meme / Breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn / The U.S. election

[Answers at the bottom of this newsletter]

#️⃣  TRENDING


How about some "Dubai chocolate" under the Christmas tree? The foodie trend appearing in thousands of videos on Instagram and Titktok is now popping up at European Christmas markets. Originally created by Dubai-based chocolatier Sarah Hamouda, the treat combines pistachio cream and crunchy kadayif pastry inside crisp chocolate. But the question remains: Who can actually use the name "Dubai chocolate"? The UAE isn’t part of international treaties protecting origin names (like "Champagne" wine), allowing everyone, even big brands like Lindt, to jump on the bandwagon. No matter who owns the name, chocolate lovers are going crazy for this viral sweet treat.

🎭  5 CULTURE THINGS TO KNOW


K-pop stars join calls to impeach South Korea’s president. While K-pop stars tend to stay away from political issues, several artists have broken their silence to lend their voices to ongoing protests calling for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment, following his short-lived declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 and the unsuccessful impeachment vote last weekend. “As an idol, some might find my stance uncomfortable, but as a citizen, I believe this is right,” said Hyeju of girl band Loossemble on social media.

In memoriam: Acclaimed U.S. poet, activist and author Nikki Giovanni, known for her work on civil rights and social issues, died at the age of 81; Cuban singer-songwriter Ángela Álvarez, who made history by winning the 2022 Latin Grammy best new artist award at 95 for her debut album, passed away aged 97; Thai artist Santi Lunpae, who gained fame in Thailand as a singer with the Royal Thai Army Band and was known for his powerful tenor voice, died at 88 years old.

Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez leads Golden Globes nominations. The French director’s audacious Spanish-language musical, which tells the story of a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender affirming surgery to become a woman, has scored 10 nods, including Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy), Best Director and Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) for Karla Sofía Gascón. Top film competitors of the 82nd Golden Globes also include post-World War II The Brutalist with seven nominations, followed by papal selection story Conclave with six. The Bear, Only Murders in the Building and Shōgun emerged as frontrunners for television. The ceremony will take place on Jan. 5, 2025.

Iron Maiden unveils new drummer for next tour. The British metal band said Simon Dawson, a former session drummer from Suffolk, will be on the drum stool for its The Run For Your Lives World Tour, which will start in Budapest, Hungary, in May 2025. Dawson will replace Nicko McBrain, who announced he was retiring from touring after 42 years with the band.

Google reveals top global searches of 2024. The tech giant released its annual “Year in Search,” which shows terms that saw the highest spike in traffic on the search engine compared to last year. Sports, in particular soccer and cricket, dominated Google’s overall trending searches, with Copa América topping the list globally, followed by the UEFA European Championship and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. In the people category, Donald Trump was the most searched while the U.S. presidential election led news-specific searches worldwide.

🐿️ SMILE OF THE WEEK


Milko Marchetti won this year’s Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards for his picture of a “Stuck Squirrel,” showing the red rodent entering the trunk of a tree at a right angle. The picture, chosen from more than 9,000 entries — a record participation in the competition's 10-year existence — “brilliantly captures the playful and unpredictable moments that make nature so enchanting,” said Stefan Maier, senior general manager of Nikon Europe.

📰 IN OTHER NEWS


🇸🇾 Amid questions over how Syria will be run and fears of more conflict, experts parse the national and international influences at play.
AL-MANASSA

✍️ “It was a scene embodying hope we once thought impossible.” As the Assad regime was crumbling, the sight of the prisoners being freed had its own impact on so many people, including exiled Syrian writer Ruqayyah Al-Abbadi, who knew them from the inside.
DARAJ

🇺🇦 The debate over a possible ceasefire in Ukraine has shifted from territorial defense to securing guarantees for Kyiv. A new formula that involves NATO might be the most realistic hope now that Trump is arriving at the White House.
FRANCE INTER

🗞️ Why has Brazil’s mainstream media stayed silent over the revelations that link the founder of one of the country's largest retail chains to a decade-long sexual exploitation scheme?
AGÊNCIA PÚBLICA

💑 Only 5% of German couples are formed by East-West partners. So why, 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification, does an invisible wall still seem to keep Germans apart romantically?
DIE ZEIT

✨  BRIGHT IDEA


A young French start-up, Auressens, has developed a groundbreaking technology that gives any surface a metallic sheen — without using metal. This innovative process, based on a natural pigment, could revolutionize industries from cosmetics to electronics, starting with luxury packaging. The company’s first target market includes perfume makers who dream of crafting golden bottles without the environmental cost of traditional metallization methods. With a bio-sourced and energy-efficient process, the three employee start-up hopes to market its offering by 2026 or 2027. Before that, it will have to raise 1.2 million euros, which Auressens hopes to complete in 2025.

👓 WORLDCRUNCH MAGAZINE


Our weekly digital magazine is live — Check it out: full access for subscribers!

⏩  LOOKING AHEAD


The Korea Times reports growing momentum for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol following public outrage over his December 3 martial law declaration. A second vote is scheduled for Saturday: deemed unlikely just until a few days ago, analysts now predict the impeachment proposal will likely pass due to mounting pressure and secret ballot proceedings.

• Georgia's pro-EU protests keep getting traction, driven by anger over delayed European Union accession talks and election fraud. Demonstrators fiercely oppose the ruling party’s bid to appoint far-right loyalist Mikheil Kavelashvili as president, amid violent crackdowns, torture allegations, and mounting international pressure on the new government’s authoritarian methods.

• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for a Bundestag confidence vote on Monday, following the collapse of his coalition. The expected no-confidence vote would trigger new elections set for February 23, 2025, under Germany’s Basic Law provisions.

• Tiger Woods and his son Charlie will compete in the PNC Championship on December 21-22, marking Tiger’s return after undergoing back surgery in September. The duo aims to improve on their 2021 runner-up finish in the family golf event.

News quiz answers:

1. Bashar al-Assad has reportedly been granted asylum in Moscow after being ousted as Syrian president by insurgent forces. Russian media confirmed his departure "out of humanitarian considerations".

2. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva, 79, successfully underwent two brain surgeries this week to treat an intracranial hemorrhage caused by a fall in October.

3. Luigi Mangione, the main suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, was eating at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania when customers recognized him from widely shared police images. He faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder, as the investigation continues.

4. Raygun: The Musical, a parody show based on breakdancer Rachael Gunn’s odd Olympic journey, was canceled after Raygun’s legal team raised concerns over potential reputation damage and copyrights. The creator, Steph Broadbridge, plans to rework the show.


✍️ Newsletter by Worldcrunch

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*Photo: Republic of Korea/Flickr


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