Missile tests in North Korea, Taliban rules for female students, king’s hair

Dobrý deň! *

Welcome to Monday, where North Korea is testing a new long-range missile, the Taliban is not forbidding women from going to college this time around (but under several conditions), and a pot of hair has shaken the body. auction world. Meanwhile, the French daily The echoes examines how cosmetics and clothing companies in China (a country generally associated with low quality and fast fashion) have gone upmarket in recent years.

[*Slovak]

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW NOW

• North Korea is testing a new long-range missile: North Korea successfully claims it tested new long-range cruise missiles over the weekend which analysts say could have nuclear capability. Washington responded that the tests posed a “threat” to the country’s neighbors and beyond.

• The new Taliban rules for female students: Women in Afghanistan will be allowed to study at universities but in separate classes and with the mandatory Islamic dress code, said the new Taliban minister of higher education. Female students will also be taught by female teachers whenever possible. During this time, the first foreign commercial flight since the Taliban took over power has landed in Kabul.

• British American Tobacco suspected of bribing Mugabe: A BBC investigation uncovered evidence suggesting that British American Tobacco, one of Britain’s largest companies, negotiated a bribe to former Zimbabwean strongman Robert Mugabe in 2013. Documents also revealed that the company used illegal surveillance to harm rivals.

• Dutch court rules Uber drivers are employees: The Amsterdam District Court ruled that Uber drivers are not independent contractors but employees of a company and thus enjoys the same rights and benefits as other workers in the sector. Uber said it would appeal the decision and “has no plans to employ drivers in the Netherlands”.

• Pope Francis urges Hungary to be more “open”: During a four-day visit to Central Europe and his first international trip since his operation in July, Pope Francis met controversial Hungarian leader Viktor Orban. During mass, the Pope urged the country to “reach out to everyone”, what some see as a veiled critique of Orban’s anti-migration policy.

• Medvedev ends Djokovic’s candidacy for the Grand Slam: Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev won yesterday’s US Open men’s singles, his first Grand Slam title, dominating world number one Novak Djokovic, putting an end to the Serbian’s hopes of a Grand Slam calendar and a men’s record 21st major singles title. In the women’s finalOn Saturday, an unranked 18-year-old British player Emma Raducanu beat 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez. It was the first-ever final between two players who were to compete in the qualifying round.

• Prison lock: A jar containing Elvis Presley’s hair, collected by the singer’s longtime barber, sold for $ 72,500 at auction.

A MESSAGE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL

️ HOME PAGE

“Europe is preparing for a wave of migrants from Afghanistan from the Taliban”, headlines the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten, noting the 27 kilometer fence built by Greece and the 1,200 additional guards hired by the Turkey. The newspaper spoke to some of the Afghans who started the journey to Europe.

STORY OF THE DAY

Chinese fashion: the chic side of made in China

Chinese cosmetics and clothing companies that once operated in obscurity are now making a real name, at least among domestic consumers, who see brands like Li-Ning and Bosideng as offering both quality and style, reports the Hong Kong correspondent Julie Zaugg in Quotidien français The echoes.

Once synonymous with cheap and poor quality, Made in China has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years, going upmarket and gaining popularity among the 1.4 billion inhabitants of this immense country. “ This phenomenon began a dozen years ago, with the arrival of Chinese designers like Masha ma, Huishan Zhang or Angel Chen, graduates of the best fashion schools in Paris, London and New York, ” explains Babette. Radclyffe-Thomas, a Chinese Fashion Specialist. After working with western designers, they returned home to create their own labels.

Improving the quality of Chinese brands is part of the government’s objective of promoting domestic consumption in parallel with exports. The strategy is called “dual circulation,” and it has become one of President Xi Jinping’s favorite expressions. The tariff war between Beijing and Washington accelerated the process, encouraging China to break out of its dependence on Western products. Brands like Peacebird, Urban Revivo and Ochirly, which are often described as Chinese Zara or H&M, are leading the charge.

💄 One of the strengths of these companies is that they know how to adapt to local tastes. As Babette Radclyffe-Thomas explains: “A Chinese cosmetics brand will not try to market a lipstick with purplish or bluish tones because it would not be suitable for Asian skin. Perfect Diary is one example. Created in 2016 by former employees of Procter & Gamble, the cosmetics group has based its aesthetic on the androgynous codes of the world of video games and manga, extremely popular with Chinese youth.

➡️ Learn more about Worldcrunch.com

IN OTHER NEWS

🇳🇱🎓 Foreign students at Dutch universities are ‘homeless’ – blame Brexit

With their sleeping bags in hand, dozens of students occupied the main administrative building of Rijksuniversiteit Groningen in the Netherlands last week to protest the lack of accommodation for international students. The situation is dire, according to the local organization Shelter Our Students (SOS), as more than 600 international students in Groningen started their studies in September homeless, Dutch daily NRC reports. (Read in English via Worldcrunch here)

The Netherlands was already an increasingly popular destination for international students as it offers a wide variety of degrees taught in English. But this year, Dutch campuses are particularly overflowing with international students for two other reasons: Brexit, which made UK universities suddenly very expensive for EU residents wishing to study in English; and ending COVID-19 restrictions brings students back to class.

As a result, there are now 344,000 university students nationwide (last year it was 327,000) of which 72,400 (21%) come from abroad, writes NRC. But some universities have seen a larger increase than others. The Rijksuniversiteit Groningen in the north, for example, recorded a 25% increase in enrollment.

And yes, all of those students need housing, especially now that universities are returning to in-person classes after a year of online classes. A Romanian student named Paul told the Dutch broadcaster NOS that he’s been trying to find accommodation since learning he was accepted in the spring of 2021. “It’s like finding a needle in a haystack,” he said. “Of the dozens of announcements on the website, only a few are open to international students. Most student houses do not want foreigners.

Paul was able to find temporary accommodation with the help of Shelter Our Students, but he is one of the few. Most international students sleep on air mattresses in their friends’ already tiny dorms, writes By Volkskrant. Others stay in hostels or hotels: clean and safe, but not cheap.

VERBATIM

Thank god for the halo that saved me, and saved my neck

– Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton thanked the “halo” – a reinforced safety device in front of the driver’s head – for saving his life during a serious car accident yesterday at the Italian Grand Prix.

✍️ Bertrand Hauger newsletter and Anne-Sophie Goninet