Rorisang Modiba delivers daily updates from around the world.
Brazil – Elon Musk’s attacks on Judge Alexandre de Moraes who is overseeing cases against Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, have made him a celebrated figure among Bolsonaro’s far-right supporters. Recently, thousands of these supporters rallied in Rio to back Bolsonaro and praise Musk. They view Musk, owner of the social media platform X, as a defender against what they think are unconstitutional actions by Moraes. The judge has been blocking social media accounts and arresting individuals linked to Bolsonaro.
New York – Nigerian chess champion Tunde Onakoya has potentially set a new record for the longest chess marathon after playing chess for 60 continuous hours in New York City’s Times Square. While awaiting confirmation from Guinness World Records, he is already seen as a hero in Nigeria. Onakoya aimed to raise $1-million (R19-million) for his charity, Chess in Slums Africa, which supports education for children in slum areas across the continent. He surpassed the previous record of 56 hours set in 2018.
Israel – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would increase attacks and pressure on Hamas to free Israeli hostages, despite international requests to reduce injury to civilians and send more aid to Gaza. After a big military operation in the West Bank, Israeli forces said they killed 10 “terrorists”, but Palestinian officials reported 14 deaths, including a child. In another incident, an ambulance driver was killed by gunfire from Israeli settlers, leading to more sanctions from the US and EU.
Nigeria – In Lagos, the Nigerian army recently announced the rescue of Lydia Simon, one of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the militant group Boko Haram a decade ago. She was found in northern Borno State with her three children during a military operation. She is currently five months pregnant. Details on the exact timing and circumstances of the rescue were not disclosed, but it occurred recently. This rescue adds to the more than 100 girls who have been freed since their abduction in 2014, though over 80 remain unaccounted for.
China – China’s young people are deliberately wearing their “grossest” clothes to work as a sign of protest. They arrive at the workplace wearing their worst pyjama bottoms, and hairiest slippers and head to the office in protest against bad bosses, poor working conditions and low pay. The “grossoutfitforwork” videos of badly dressed people are trending on social media, attracting more than 140 million views.
Pictured above: The protest in Brazil.
Image source: X
