Rorisang Modiba delivers daily updates from around the world.
Scotland – A Scottish woman, Fiona Harvey, has filed a lawsuit in a California court against streaming giant Netflix for defamation, negligence, and privacy violations. She claims to be the inspiration for the character Martha in the series Baby Reindeer. Harvey seeks over $170-million (R3.2-billion) in damages, alleging that the series falsely portrayed her as a convicted stalker and criminal. Written by Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, the series depicts Martha as a stalker who sexually assaulted Gadd, a narrative Harvey contests. Netflix intends to defend Gadd’s right to share his story. Despite Gadd and Netflix not confirming her identity, Harvey is confident in her legal challenge.
Mexico – President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has announced that Mexico is pursuing an agreement with the US to deport asylum-seekers and migrants who cross the border into the US directly to their countries of origin rather than back to Mexico. This follows US President Joe Biden’s executive action to prevent those crossing the US-Mexico border illegally from seeking asylum during peak crossing periods. Obrador desires a direct deportation agreement, indicating confidence that Mexican border towns can handle current asylum seekers. He described his recent call with Biden as respectful and amicable, focusing on supporting Latin American nations.
China – A record 13.4-million high school students in China have started the national college entrance exam, known as the “gaokao”. This two-day test, regarded as the world’s toughest college entrance exam, is crucial for students aiming to secure places in the country’s top universities. The gaokao includes subjects like Chinese literature, maths, English, physics, chemistry, politics, and history, with each test lasting less than two hours. Unlike in the US, where students can retake university entrance exams, Chinese students typically get only one chance at the gaokao. This year’s exam comes amid China’s slowing economic growth and rising youth unemployment, increasing the pressure on students. Parents, some dressed in red for luck, waited anxiously outside exam centres. In Beijing, traffic police were deployed early to manage traffic near exam sites.
France – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Paris to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and address the National Assembly. Zelensky’s address follows his attendance at the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, where he met with US President Joe Biden. Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited. Putin is set to speak at the St Petersburg Economic Forum, presenting his “vision of the current situation in the world economy and politics”. These events occur as Russia’s offensive continues in the Kharkiv region, with Ukraine now retaliating using Western weapons.
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