It's a ‘New Situation’ in China

Restrictions Relax, but Chinese Protests Continue to Expand

China is facing a “new situation,” one high-ranking official said as COVID rules were rolled back Wednesday. Restrictions in Guangzhou were lifted after clashes between protesters and police, while Beijingers with mild symptoms will now, suddenly, be able to self-isolate at home. Case counts remain high but top pandemic official Vice Premier Sun Chunlan said the virus is weakening and vaccine rates are picking up. Meanwhile, protests against Beijing’s zero-COVID policy have gone viral: In Tokyo, Chinese nationals gathered to observe three minutes of silence for those who died in the Xinjiang fire that triggered the current wave of protests. (Sources: BBC, Nikkei Asia)

‘Farmgate’ Threatens to Take Down South Africa’s Leader

President Cyril Ramaphosa is accused of spending $4 million to cover up a burglary at his farm in 2020, as well as kidnapping and bribing the burglars to keep quiet. The revelations come from an independent inquiry that found Ramaphosa may have violated South Africa’s anti-corruption laws — particularly damning for a president who campaigned on an anti-corruption platform — and suggested the foreign cash stolen from his property came from nefarious sources. The timing couldn’t be worse for Ramaphosa: This month he’s set to address the African National Congress party to secure a second-term nomination. Parliament will deliberate on a possible impeachment. (Sources: Bloomberg, Mail and Guardian, BBC)

Australian PM: It’s Time for the US to Back Off Assange

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese personally called on the U.S. government to abandon its pursuit of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Albanese said he stressed the case with U.S. officials “recently in meetings,” possibly at last month’s G-20 summit in Indonesia, where Albanese met with President Joe Biden. Assange, an Australian citizen, has been fighting extradition to the U.S. on spying charges from a London prison since 2019. While Albanese continues to criticize Assange’s leaking of documents, he told Parliament “enough was enough.” The public comments mark a sharp departure from the Australian government’s previous behind-the-scenes diplomacy. (Sources: The Guardian, SBS)

US House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Block Rail Strike

The 290-137 vote imposing a compromise labor agreement comes a day after President Biden called on Congress to resolve the stalemate between rail companies and unions. Four of 12 unions are unhappy, saying the deal doesn’t meet their demands for family and medical leave, but the House passed a second bill to resolve a sticking point over paid sick days. Both bills now head to the Senate. Lawmakers on both sides are uncomfortable with tapping the Constitution’s commerce clause for the first time since the 1990s, while Republicans are queasy at government intervention and Democrats are unhappy with taking action against unions. (Sources: NYT, CBS)

Here are some things you should know about today:

Jailed. Chow Pak-kwan, a pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong, has been jailed for six years for his role in the 2019 movement. He was shot by police and lost his right kidney and injured his spine in a high–profile confrontation. (Source: Al Jazeera) Send help. Haiti’s Ambassador to the U.S. Bocchit Edmond would like to see international help in quelling gang violence destabilizing Port-au-Prince. The idea has been floated previously but is unpopular internationally. (Source: Reuters) Church of Who? Census data shows England is no longer a Christian-majority country, prompting calls to reassess the position and power of the Church of England in public life. (Source: The Guardian)

Want Your Own Island Paradise? It’ll Cost You — and the Environment

“Every billionaire can own a private island, but only one can own this exclusive opportunity,” Sotheby’s said in a statement. An entire archipelago of 100 Indonesian islands is up for grabs. Foreigners can’t legally buy land in Indonesia, so buyers will bid for shares in the company that’s licensed the rights to build luxury residential properties there. The auction has exploded in controversy in Indonesia. Environmental activists and local fishing communities worry any development on the islands, which are in a protected marine zone, will threaten the ecosystem and the livelihoods of people that already call the archipelago home. (Source: The Guardian)

FTX Founder ‘Didn’t Ever Try to Commit Fraud’

In the first public comments since his spectacular fall from grace last month, Sam Bankman-Fried claims he didn’t deliberately mislead FTX users. The crypto trading platform collapsed after revelations that $10 billion of its deposits had been transferred to Bankman-Fried’s proprietary trading firm, Alameda Research. The former fintech wunderkind now has “close to nothing” after FTX filed for bankruptcy — and customers are missing around $1 billion. Speaking via video link, Bankman-Fried said he was in the Bahamas and answering questions against his lawyers’ advice. He also hinted a potential return to the U.S., likely for congressional questioning. (Source: Reuters)

Buckingham Palace Responds to Lady-in-Waiting’s Racist Remarks

Lady Susan Hussey, lady-in-waiting to Britain’s late Queen Elizabeth II and godmother to Prince William, has resigned from the palace and apologized to Sistah Space charity founder Ngozi Fulani. Fulani, who is Black, attended a palace event Tuesday as part of her work to eradicate violence against women, and she later took to Twitter after Hussey repeatedly demanded to know where she was “really from.” Hussey and prominent palace members, including Prince William, have apologized and reiterated there is no place for racism in the U.K. But Fulani said the issue is “bigger than one individual. It's institutional racism.” (Source: BBC)

Woman Sues Kraft for ‘Misleading’ Mac and Cheese Cooking Time

The packaging says microwaveable Velveeta Shells & Cheese should take just three and a half minutes to put together. Not so for Florida woman Amanda Ramirez, who wants the company to pay $5 million for the inconvenience, since the time estimate does not include how long it takes to complete the other steps — that is, opening the sauce packet, adding water and stirring. Kraft called the class-action lawsuit “frivolous” and “will strongly defend against the allegations.” But Ramirez claims her case is serious because customers pay a price premium for cooking time and she was misled into her purchase. (Source: CNN)

Cristiano Ronaldo Offered Record Paycheck to Play in Saudi Arabia

The Portuguese superstar became a free agent last week after splitting with Manchester United. That departure set off a frenzy for teams across the world, including an offer from Riyadh-based side Al-Nassr worth up to $119 million per year for three and a half years, plus compensation for six months of lost wages after his early exit from Man U. The deal would make the 37-year-old the highest-paid athlete of all time. While Ronaldo’s told his representatives to stay out of negotiations while the World Cup plays out, rumors are swirling — including that he could join David Beckham’s Inter Miami. (Sources: ESPN, The Sun)

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