Flagship

US to build port for Gaza aid

President Joe Biden is ordering the U.S. military to open an emergency port on Gaza’s coast to ramp up aid deliveries to starving Palestinians. Biden is expected to announce the directive at his State of the Union address Thursday, highlighting the “extraordinary dynamic that’s emerged as the United States has had to go around Israel” to distribute aid, CBS News wrote, after the U.S. began airdropping food into Gaza last week. Aid delivery has become more difficult and dangerous as the humanitarian situation worsens: Israel has faced international pressure to allow aid into Gaza by sea, while a United Nations official said a quarter of the roughly 2 million Gazans are “one step away from famine.”

TikTok’s anti-ban campaign backfires

TikTok’s campaign to block a bill that could ban the app in the U.S. appeared to backfire Thursday, as a House committee unanimously advanced the legislation. A pop-up message on the app urged users to call their representatives and tell them to vote against the bill, which would force TikTok’s Chinese parent company to sell off the app or face a ban over national security concerns. Congressional offices told Semafor they were flooded with calls from TikTokers, while the bill’s sponsor accused the app of “interfering with the legislative process, adding, “It almost proves the point that we’ve been making.” The legislation is backed by a broad coalition, from conservative lobbying groups to human rights organizations that have criticized the Chinese government.

Ramadan deadline looms over conflicts

Ramadan is being cast as an “unofficial deadline” in two deadly conflicts. The U.N. chief called for a ceasefire in Sudan “to honor the values of Ramadan,” while one Qatari official voiced concern about approaching the Muslim holy month without a Gaza ceasefire agreement, saying, “We are… getting to the point of no return.” Without a ceasefire, Muslims would have to contend with Gaza’s ongoing devastation during a sacred time, putting pressure on Arab governments to act, a Foreign Policy columnist wrote. Israeli officials worry Hamas is delaying negotiations and using Ramadan to stoke tensions; a Hamas leader called on Palestinians to turn Ramadan into a “confrontation” to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, which has long been a flashpoint of tensions in the region.

Muslim countries boycott brands

Western brands in Muslim-majority Asian countries are feeling the heat of boycotts over their perceived support for Israel. While Starbucks’ North American sales grew 5% in the last quarter, the company’s main franchise owner in Malaysia reported a 38% revenue drop. McDonald’s, French beverage giant Danone, and Unilever also took a hit in the region, Nikkei reported. The companies have pushed back on the notion that they’ve taken a side in the Gaza conflict, while the head of the Malaysian Starbucks franchise company stressed that most store owners and employees are Muslim, saying: “This boycott doesn’t benefit anyone.” It reflects the widespread support for Palestine in Indonesia and Malaysia; they’re two of six Asian countries that don’t formally recognize Israel.

Haiti’s political crisis worsens

The security crisis in Haiti is rapidly deteriorating. Officials warned that its health system and national police force are collapsing, leaving the country vulnerable to a complete takeover by armed gangs who are largely in control of the capital and are trying to seize its international airport. One diplomatic official called it a “civil war” as gang members form political alliances to topple the government, but Prime Minister Ariel Henry — who ABC News described as “a near-universally loathed public figure” — has resisted pressure from Caribbean leaders to step down. Gang violence is common in Haiti, but it’s been fueled by Haitians’ anger over his government’s failings, showing “how an already vulnerable country… has been pushed to the limit by a highly calculated revolt,” the Guardian wrote.

Sweden officially joins NATO

The Baltic Sea became a “NATO lake” Thursday as Sweden officially joined the military alliance, bolstering the bloc’s military power in the region to counter threats of Russian aggression. The accession that was kickstarted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brings Sweden’s strong naval prowess — designed to operate in the shallows of the Baltic — and one of Europe’s largest air forces into the alliance. European leaders are concerned that Russia could attack a NATO country in the next few years; Sweden’s membership ensures the country would be defended by the bloc’s 31 other members, and vice versa. Though NATO-dominated, the Baltics will remain an area of high tension and risk, an Atlantic Council expert said. “Russia is still there, but it will be more squeezed.”

Longest hydrogen pipeline planned

China will start work on the world’s longest hydrogen pipeline. The 460-mile pipeline will transport gas from Zhangjiakou, a city with abundant renewable energy sources, to a port southeast of Beijing, part of a wider plan to construct a 4,000-mile national pipe network to support the hydrogen-powered industry. Hydrogen, vital in fertilizer production, mostly comes from natural gas, making it a highly carbon-intensive industry: “Green” hydrogen could reduce its emissions to zero. Beijing also hopes to use the hydrogen in trucking, steel production, and exports, Hydrogen Insight reported. Work on the pipeline will start in June and is expected to be completed by 2027.

Lael Brainard, Director of the White House National Economic Council; Xavier Becerra, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Service; Julie Sweet, CEO Accenture and David Zapolsky SVP, Global Public Policy & General Counsel, Amazon have joined the world class line-up of global economic leaders for the 2024 World Economy Summit, taking place in Washington, D.C. on April 17-18. See all speakers, sessions & RSVP here.

Cars advised not to use touchscreens

European car manufacturers will be encouraged to drop touchscreens and return to physical buttons. An industry safety body plans to introduce new rules requiring cars to have buttons, dials, or stalks for basic functions such as turn signals, hazard lights, and wipers, in order to receive a five-star safety rating. The overuse of touchscreens makes drivers “take their eyes off the road … raising the risk of distraction crashes,” a regulator told The Times of London. The rules will be implemented in 2026: They are not legal requirements, but car manufacturers “take safety ratings pretty seriously,” The Verge reported, so despite the cost savings of using touchscreens, physical controls may make a comeback.

K-pop stars’ dating lives scrutinized

A K-pop star’s public acknowledgement that she has a boyfriend sent her record label’s shares tumbling, reflecting the fraught nature of celebrities’ personal lives in Korea. Karina, a member of popular girl group Aespa, was forced to write a handwritten apology to fans who felt “betrayed” after her agency announced she is dating Lee Jae-wook. K-pop stars’ personal lives are under intense scrutiny, and any relationship is seen as scandalous; it’s led some record labels to ban performers from dating. Even rumors are enough to impact shares of the multimillion-dollar K-pop companies: When a grainy photo appeared to show two members of BTS and Blackpink together in 2022, their labels’ stock prices dipped.

Tourist ban in geisha district

Kyoto’s famous geisha district will bar tourists from its narrow alleys. Residents of the Gion district, home to teahouses where geisha — entertainers trained in traditional dance and music — perform, have become frustrated with “out-of-control” tourists, with reported incidents of geisha having their kimonos pulled or cigarette ash flicked on them. Photographing geisha is forbidden, but tourists act like the “paparazzi,” the South China Morning Post reported. Tourism in Japan has been booming since the pandemic ended, driven partly by the weak yen, with visitor numbers in 2024 expected to break the 2019 record of 31.88 million. It’s a welcome boost to the economy, with some downsides: Hikers on the most popular route up Mount Fuji will be charged $13 this summer to reduce congestion.

WeChat is the center of the Chinese internet — powering everything from messaging to payments — and the main portal where China’s news outlets and bloggers publish their work.

Fishy drone business

Drone warfare has come of age in the Ukraine war. And while Beijing has denied that Chinese firms are selling drones to Russia, some reporting suggests otherwise. Meanwhile, countries like Azerbaijan are eagerly showing videos of their militaries training with Chinese-made, grenade-dropping drones, according to Yuǎnfāng Qīngmù, a Chinese security blog.

But internet users in China have claimed that those drones are actually from Shenzhen-based SwellPro, which makes fishing drones. These are expensive, but “some fishermen who like to have fun are not short of money,” Yuǎnfāng Qīngmù wrote. While designed with “good intentions,” these drones now appear to be a part of China’s and other countries’ air forces, fueling U.S. concerns that private Chinese companies have links to the military.

Middle-aged influencers

Former Chinese women’s national soccer team star Zhao Lina chastised followers of her Douyin livestream who criticized her for becoming a social media influencer and focusing on e-commerce. “After retiring, what’s wrong with accepting sponsors?” Zhao said.

Celebrities are among the power players who are “descending to the human world in response to a weakening economy,” according to Dòngjiàn, a socioeconomics blog. Douyin has hundreds of middle-aged influencers — predominantly men, many of whom used to be managers at tech firms or banks — selling books, snacks, and grooming products. You can still be a “hero” in your 40s if you keep providing for your family, the blog advised readers.

Night school popularity

Night school — which includes classes on traditional dance, sewing, and martial arts — is becoming popular with young people in China looking to escape the mundanity of work. Searches for “night school” on business-focused apps Meituan and Dianping increased by 980% between 2022 and 2023, according to lifestyle news blog Vizion Zine.

For many young adults, hobby classes are a way to “make up for childhood regrets” after years of tutoring-focused, academic night courses, the blog wrote. Unlike the short-lived dopamine high of watching TikTok or shopping online, these classes offer “a continuous and upward sense of fulfillment brought by learning.”

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March 8: The Greek Parliament votes on a bill that would pave the way for private universities, amid protests from students.

March 8: The world marks International Women’s Day, as protesters in Poland will urge officials to restore prescription-free emergency contraception.

March 9: The Golden Raspberry Awards, known as the “Razzies,” are handed out to the worst films and performances on the eve of the Oscars.

March 10: Polls open in Portugal for a snap general election after Prime Minister António Costa resigned following a corruption investigation.

Boxing stars are embracing the world of high fashion. Brands like Off-White and Dolce & Gabbana now dress boxers for their fights and “ring walks” — the moment fighters enter the ring — but many turn to British designer Imtayaz Qassim, who has a roster of 174 male and female clients, The Guardian reported. Qassim — who recently designed a Black Panther-inspired gold robe, crown, and shorts for French-Cameroonian boxer Francis Ngannou — said boxers are increasingly using fashion to show off their personalities and interests. But the sports’ love affair with fashion goes back decades: Joe Frazier, for example, was known for wearing his signature cowboy hat.

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