Quake Deaths Could Top 20K

Start your day smarter with the most important world news, plus intriguing and offbeat stories. www.ozy.com [OZY]( [OZY]() Your World. Bold & Bright [Presidential Daily Brief]( Sponsored by [Cariuma]( Start your day smarter with a dossier on the most important world news, rounded off with a shot of intriguing and offbeat stories. Like the president, you deserve no less. Feb 07, 2023 Today The World Health Organization has warned that the earthquake in Turkey and Syria could have killed as many as 20,000 people. The situation in rebel-held Syria, already grappling with a 12-year civil war, is particularly dire. The surveillance balloon fiasco has poured petrol on already fiery U.S.-China relations. And two Americans were arrested for their “racist” plans to destroy the power grid in Baltimore. All this and more in today’s PDB. [OZY’s Pick For Spring Kicks]( [Cariuma]( We don’t know about you, but we’re over these winter blues. And…we have just the thing. Meet the OCA Low, by the cool, sustainable sneaker brand, [Cariuma](. Good news, they just cleared a 77k+ person waitlist- right in time for spring! With a comfort-first feel and dozens of colors to choose from, it’s no wonder they’re loved by celebs, skaters, and surfers (and even the OZY Tribe!). Exclusive to OZY readers: Get 15% off your pair of Cariumas with code [OZYFEB](, before they sell out again! [SHOP NOW]( IMPORTANT Counting the Cost Quake Death Toll Passes 5,000 — Expected to Rise Significantly Despite [occasional stories of people being rescued from the rubble]( the news out of Turkey and Syria is overwhelmingly dire. So far, 3,419 people have been confirmed dead in Turkey, taking the combined toll to 5,021. This number is almost certain to rise significantly, as thousands of rescuers from at least 45 nations battle snow and rain to comb the many thousands of collapsed buildings across the region for signs of life. Survivors, meanwhile, are often too scared to return to houses and apartment blocks, and are instead sheltering from the cold in cars or tents. (Sources: [NYT](, [The Guardian]() Kicked While They’re Down In Rebel-Held Syria, the Quake Couldn’t Have Come at a Worse Time For [almost 12 years](, rebel-held northwest Syria has been bombarded by Syrian and Russian artillery. The U.N. says 91% of the region’s 4.5 million residents need humanitarian aid. Around half of them are refugees — some forced to move 20 times. “The size of the disaster is far larger than our abilities,” said a member of the [White Helmets]( volunteer group. “Tens of thousands of civilians are homeless. The medical situation is abysmal. Tens of thousands of buildings are now cracked. There’s a snowstorm. There’s predictions of flooding in the area. The humanitarian situation is disastrous, with every meaning of the word.” (Source: [WaPo]() ‘A New Kind of Cold War?’ Spy Balloon Fiasco Heightens US-China Tensions Secretary of State Antony Blinken was meant to be in Beijing yesterday for high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Instead he spent the day in Washington as the debacle surrounding the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon — shot down by the U.S. — rumbled on. The White House stressed that the trip had been delayed, not canceled — but there was no mention of a new date. China expert Danny Russel said he’d put the dispute “at a six” on a scale of 10: “This is a setback but it’s not impossible to see a return. Absent mismanagement, this is recoverable.” Not everyone agrees. (Source: [AP]() Homegrown Terror Pair Charged With Trying to ‘Completely Destroy Baltimore’ Brandon Russell, 34, a member of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen, and Sarah Clendaniel, 27, were arrested for conspiring to demolish the power grid in the predominantly Black city. Russell, who served time in federal prison on bomb-making charges, “provided instructions and location information,” while Clendaniel was supposed to carry out the attacks. The duo used encrypted messaging apps to communicate, but these were infiltrated by an FBI informant. Clendaniel, who once robbed a store with a butcher’s cleaver, confided that terminal kidney disease had left her with months to live — and she wanted to achieve “something worthwhile” before she died. (Source: [NYT]() Briefly Here are some things you should know about today: Toxic train. On Monday afternoon officials in Ohio began draining [vinyl chloride]( from the derailed train and burning it in a trench. Authorities couldn’t say when residents of the village of East Palestine would be able to return home. (Source: [CNN]() Christmas comes early. In a bid to distance itself from the Russian church, Ukraine’s biggest Catholic church will now celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 instead of Jan. 7. Moveable feasts like Easter, however, will still follow the Julian calendar. (Source: [Reuters]() Mudslide misery. Incessant rain in southern Peru triggered catastrophic landslides that killed at least 36 people in a remote region of Camana province. (Source: [AP]() [The Shoe with the 77k Waitlist is Back in Stock!]( [Cariuma]( From LA to NYC, and Munich to Sydney meet the shoe that’s loved by celebs, surfers, and skaters alike. The [OCA Low]( is the perfect shoe for spring – with a vast variety of shades and prints to pick from, they’re sure to meet the vibe check. Don’t wait around – these comfy kicks fly off the shelves (they just cleared a 77k+ person waitlist!) and won’t be here for long. Claim your cool, and use your limited-time code [OZYFEB](for 15% off your pair of Cariumas. [SAVE 15% NOW]( INTRIGUING ‘Killing Made Them Hungry’ Argentina: Eight Amateur Rugby Players Sentenced in Racist Attack Five of the men were sentenced to life imprisonment. The other three received 15-year sentences for playing “secondary” roles in the murder. Fernando Báez Sosa, 18, the son of Paraguayan immigrants was kicked and beaten to death outside a nightclub in 2020. One of the attackers called Báez Sosa “negro de mierda” (black piece of shit) while another filmed the assault. Afterward, the killers hugged and went for hamburgers. “The big issue is not the prosecutor, or the lawyers, but the judicial system,” said legal activist Alejandro Mamani. “The judicial system doesn’t consider racism to be a reality in Argentina.” (Sources: [Al Jazeera](, [The Guardian]() Water Wars Scientists Propose Solution to Nile Dam Dispute Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan have been bickering about the $5-billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ever since construction began in 2011. The Egyptian government is adamant that a massive hydroelectric dam on the Nile — the source of 90% of Egypt’s fresh water — will spell disaster for its people and economy. Sudan, also bisected by the river, is similarly concerned. Now a team of environmental scientists has penned [a proposal that could settle the argument]( in a way that works for all parties. The only problem? It’ll require compromise from all three nations. The authors hope their plan will serve as a springboard for negotiations. (Source: [Nature]() Sugar Pill Adults Who Live With a Partner Have Lower Blood Sugar Levels Married and cohabiting couples have lower blood sugar levels than those who live alone — even if the relationship is rubbish. This is the main takeaway from [a survey]( of 3,335 over-50s in England that warns social isolation could lead to an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes. Researchers already knew that people with larger social networks are less susceptible to diabetes. But this study highlighted marital relationships as particularly important, regardless of the quality of the relationship. On the flip side, adults going through relationship changes due to divorce or bereavement “may be at particular risk of worsening glycemic levels.” (Source: [The Guardian]() ‘Miracle Worker?’ India Divided Over Controversial New ‘Godman’ Disciples of Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, aka Bageshwar Dham Sarkar, say the 26-year-old “godman” can exorcize ghosts, heal the sick and make financial problems disappear. But others — including the famed rationalist Shyam Manav — say he can’t possibly have divine powers. To further complicate matters, Shastri’s been embraced by the Hindu nationalist cause, with several politicians — including one cabinet minister — from the ruling BJP party singing his praises and Hindi-language news channels devoting hours of coverage to his every word. “What he’s doing is mentalism. You cannot call it a miracle. It’s an art form, a skill that’s learned,” said Suhani Shah, herself a mentalist. (Source: [BBC]() Shifting the Goal Posts Manchester City Charged With Breaking Over 100 Financial Rules The Premier League referred the club to an independent commission over 83 alleged financial breaches between 2009 and 2018. A further 30 charges stem from City’s supposed non-cooperation with investigators. The club, which has won the English Premier League six times since being bought by [investors based in Abu Dhabi](, said it was “surprised” by the announcement, “particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with.” If found guilty City could face a points deduction or even relegation from the league. Either way, it’ll likely be years till any sanctions are issued. (Sources: [Sky Sports](, [BBC]() NOW STREAMING FROM OZY STUDIO COMMUNITY What else are you curious about? Share your questions or thoughts with us at OzyCommunity@Ozy.com ABOUT OZY OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on “the New and the Next.” OZY creates space for fresh perspectives, and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment. [www.ozy.com]( / #OZY Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Action. That’s OZY! 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