Technology isn’t just creeping into every aspect of our lives. Criminal organizations love new gadgets too. Today, check out how some are using drones to transport drugs. Meet the former soccer player now known as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s “Charm Cannon” — she’s the emerging face of European populism. And for a bit of fun, come for a stroll among some of the world’s best modern circuses, with no animal cruelty in sight.
Isabelle Lee and Eromo Egbejule
News in a Minute
1 - Deadly Record
The U.S. has seen its largest-ever annual increase in recorded murders, with 5,000 more Americans killed in 2020 than in the previous year, a 30% spike. Authorities documented the surge both in large and small cities with firearms used in the vast majority of cases. (Sources: NPR , Guardian )
2 - Musical Abuser
R&B artist R. Kelly was found guilty on Monday of leading a criminal organization that recruited and sexually abused women and girls. The 54-year-old musician has faced allegations of abuse for a quarter century. He now potentially faces a lifelong jail sentence. (Source: NYT , NPR )
3 - Democracy, Dictatorship-Style
Guinea’s military government has said that its members will not be allowed to stand for office in the country’s upcoming elections. The announcement comes after the junta held meetings with public figures and business leaders as the country tries to agree on a common framework for its transition. (Source: Reuters )
4 - Social U-Turn
Social media giant Facebook has put the brakes on plans to launch a version of Instagram for children. The move came after concerns were raised over the photo-sharing app’s impact on teenage girls’ mental health. The company said this version would be ad-free and allow parents to monitor their children’s activity. (Sources: WSJ , WaPo )
5 - Imagine
John Lennon fans across the world, get ready to bet on an old cassette tape containing a 33-minute interview with the late Beatles frontman and Yoko Ono, along with a previously unheard song. The rare tape, made more than 50 years ago by four Danish teenagers, could fetch up to $50,000 at an auction. What would you like to see happen to it? Answer here or on Twitter . (Source: BBC )
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Populists You Didn’t Know
We’ve heard the term a lot lately. Here are three populists you should know.
1 - Sadyr Japarov
Just before winning the presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan by a landslide in January, he was serving a jail sentence for kidnapping a political rival. But since then, he has fulfilled a key — and controversial — election promise, nationalizing a massive gold mine that Canadian firm Centerra has spent more than $3 billion developing. That’s not all. In May, Japarov signed into law a new constitution that gives him the power to appoint the majority of the country’s judges and heads of law enforcement agencies.
2 - Nayib Bukele
President of El Salvador since 2019, Nayib Bukele is a man of many facets. Four years ago, the college dropout was expelled by the left-wing Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front and founded his own party called New Ideas. Turns out his fresh ideas are all aimed at consolidating power in old ways. The 39-year-old used soldiers to force a vote in parliament , publicly attacked journalists and human rights activists and managed to persuade the country’s Supreme Court to drop a ban on presidential reelections.
3 - Judit Varga
She has been called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s “ Charm Cannon , ” publicly defending his authoritarian style amid growing tensions with Europe — whether it’s a law giving Orbán the power to effectively rule by decree during the pandemic or anti-LGBTQ measures. There’s more. The 40-year-old former soccer player claims she can juggle the ball 37 times with her feet and it looks like she is not ready to drop it anytime soon.
When Narco Meets Tech
What happens when you add tech to the murky business of organized crime? The Answer: A lot.
1 - Over Prison Walls
Is it a bird? A plane? No, it’s a drug drone — carrying narcotics over the walls of a high-security prison in Chile. Inmates in penitentiaries in the U.S., Mexico and across Europe have also been using the technology, with one recently caught in Spain capable of carrying up to 330 pounds!
2 - Dropping Bombs
It’s not just drugs these drones are carrying. In April, Mexico’s bloody Jalisco New Generation Cartel is believed to have used the flying gizmos to drop explosives on police headquarters in the town of Aguililla, injuring two officers. The attack signaled an escalation in the arms race between Mexican authorities and gangs looking to bolster their arsenal.
3 - Bitcoin
Increasingly cornered by law enforcement, Latin American crime groups are turning online to launder their dirty money , and not only on the dark web. Buying and selling electronic coins in the lightly regulated online space is allowing criminals to insert the proceeds of their illegal businesses into regular economies. But some authorities seem to be slowly catching on , investing more resources in patrolling the elusive cyberspace.
Great Modern Circuses
They’re keeping the thrill of an age-old institution alive, using 21st-century tools.
1 - Holophants Are In
Germany’s Circus Roncalli uses holographic images of circus animals you expect to watch prowling the ring. It’s all the entertainment and none of the guilt.
2 - Hakuna Matata
As Timon and Pumbaa tell Simba in The Lion King , it’s a Swahili phrase that means “no worries.” It’s also an iconic and brilliant Zimbabwean traveling circus with some of the boldest, gravity-defying acrobatics you’ll ever see, coupled with pulsating dances. Check your worries at the entrance and soak in some “wow!”
3 - Wizards of Oz
Are you the audience or the ringmaster? Is it a circus or a critique of one? In fact, Australia’s Circus Oz is all of these and more. An innovative twist on an ancient tradition soaked in Australian humor, rock ‘n’ roll and daredevilry.
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