There were more protests in Minneapolis overnight after a video was released of the killing of a Black driver by a white police officer. People defied curfew to turn out, with authorities saying early this morning that some 40 protesters had been arrested. The female officer who fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright is believed to have accidentally fired her gun when she meant to use her Taser. Tensions are already high in the city, which is in the third week of the Derek Chauvin trial. Yesterday, George Floyd’s brother broke down in tears while giving testimony. The trial continues today.

Sources: NYT, CNN

2. Fury Over Japan’s Plan to Release Fukushima Wastewater

But would you swim in it? Japan announced it’s planning to release more than 1 million tons of contaminated water — equivalent to 500 Olympic swimming pools — from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. A decade after the meltdown, Japan says radionuclides in the water can be reduced to levels allowed for release, which will begin in two years but take decades to complete. Environmental groups and neighboring South Korea and China are furious, but the U.S. is supportive of the move. On Friday Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga visits Washington for talks with President Joe Biden.

Sources: Al Jazeera, The Guardian

3. Taiwan Concerned Over Chinese Military Jet Incursion

“Increasingly aggressive.” That’s how U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described China’s actions toward Taiwan, just before Beijing flew a record number of military jets into the island’s airspace. Taipei says 25 aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, flew into its zone yesterday, adding that it deployed combat aircraft to warn the jets. Beijing views the self-governed island as a breakaway territory. Meanwhile, the U.S. and the Philippines are preparing for two weeks of joint drills, after China massed vessels in disputed waters in the South China Sea over the weekend.   

Sources: Axios, BBC, CNN

4. Ghana Chosen as Twitter’s Africa Headquarters

Africa’s already full of tech-savvy twitterati. So it’s no surprise the tech giant is opening its first office on the continent. “We must be more immersed in the rich and vibrant communities that drive the conversations taking place every day across the African continent,” Twitter said, adding that the office will be in Ghana. President Nana Akufo-Addo welcomed the announcement on Monday — how else? — in a tweet. Facebook already has a hub in Johannesburg, and while internet use is still low in Africa compared to the world average, cheap phones and expanding mobile networks mean it’s constantly growing. 

Sources: TechCrunch, Reuters

5. Also Important …

Myanmar’s New Year begins today, but anti-coup activists are not taking a holiday, instead calling for people to stage symbolic protests throughout the five-day period. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has visited soldiers on the front lines at the Russian border, where Moscow is massing troops. And more than 100,000 viewers have complained to the BBC about its round-the-clock coverage of Prince Philip’s death, including appearances by Prince Andrew despite his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Coronavirus Update: The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins today, with many countries putting strict social-distancing measures in place in mosques, including in Mecca. The WHO has urged countries to pause the sale of live wild animals in food markets, saying they are a leading source of infectious diseases like coronavirus. 

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It’s a hare-raising tale. The world’s biggest rabbit was stolen over the weekend in England and its owner is offering an equally sizable reward for his return. Darius, a 4-foot-2-inch Continental Giant rabbit, won the Guinness World Record for largest bunny in 2010. He was taken from his enclosure in Worcestershire on Saturday, with his owner Annette Edwards pleading with the thief to “please bring him back,” as he is too old to breed. Edwards is offering more than $1,000 in reward for his safe return.   

Sources: The Guardian, People

2. Uber CEO Gets Blunt About Weed Delivery

Do you use Uber to score a pizza when you’ve got the munchies? Before you want that pizza, you’re going to need the weed, and Uber’s CEO says one day that might be deliverable too. “We’re absolutely going to take a look at it,” Dara Khosrowshahi said yesterday, adding that it’s all dependent on federal legalization laws. While recreational marijuana has been legalized to some degree in 16 states, it’s still banned at the federal level, something Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hopes to change. So prepare to order your Swazi Gold without moving from your beanbag — it’ll be dope! 

Sources: The Verge, Gizmodo

What do you think? Should marijuana be legalized at the federal level? Answer here.  

3. Iraqi Baby First to Be Born With Triphallia

It’s a world first. That’s what doctors are saying after a baby boy was born with three penises, two of which have since been removed. “Triphallia is an unreported condition in humans until now,” researchers wrote about the baby from Iraq, who was born last year. Not much is known about why this would have occurred, though cases of babies born with two have been reported. While some men might joke that having more than one penis is a dream scenario, the condition is no laughing matter, as researchers say treatment poses “medical, ethical and cosmetic” issues.

Sources: Yahoo News, LiveScience

4. Crafty Kamala Harris Spins a Good Yarn

Baking bread, knitting, gardening … we’ve all had hobbies to help us through lockdown. But you might have thought Vice President Kamala Harris would be a bit busy, you know, running a country. It turns out she doesn’t just knit her brows over tricky foreign policy matters. The vice president is a keen crocheter. “I have crocheted more afghans than I can tell you,” the veep said after she was spotted at a yarn store. Since then, there’s been a spike in sales of a pattern for a Harris crochet doll, and there is even a wine-colored wool named after her. 

Sources: Washington Post

5. Barcelona Scores Title of Most Valuable Soccer Team

Barcelona beats Real Madrid, not on the pitch, but at the bank. Lionel Messi’s team has topped the Forbes list of the world’s most valuable soccer teams for the first time, pushing Real Madrid to second place. Either Real Madrid or Manchester United held the top spot for the past 16 years, but Barcelona’s now valued at $4.76 billion to its Spanish rival’s $4.75 billion. Bayern Munich places third, while Messi is the highest-earning player. Despite fewer matches due to lockdowns over the past year causing a fall in revenue, investors still see potential in soccer’s huge global following. 

Sources: Forbes

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