Ukrainian minister dies in helicopter crash

Denys Monastyrsky is the highest-ranking Ukrainian government official to die since the war began. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Ukrainian minister dies in helicopter crash [A view of the scene where a helicopter crashed on civil infrastructure in Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023.] Credit: Daniel Cole/AP Ukraine Ukraine's minister for internal affairs, along with other top officials, [died in a helicopter crash]( on Wednesday near the capital Kyiv. Denys Monastyrsky is the highest-ranking Ukrainian government official to die since Russia’s invasion of the country began last February. Authorities say the incident also killed more than a dozen other people, including children. The impact damaged a kindergarten and a 14-story residential building, and occurred in the morning when parents typically take their children to school. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, but [initial information]( did not indicate the aircraft was shot down. China China has [lifted its ban on Marvel films]( that has lasted for three-and-a-half years, which cost Disney hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket sales. Movies like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania now have release dates for February after the Lunar New Year. Regulators at the China Film Administration are responsible for approving or denying [foreign film releases](, and they routinely block them to maintain censorship measures and protect the domestic film industry. Vietnam Vietnam’s President Nguyen Xuan Phuc [has resigned](. The ruling Communist Party has blamed him for “violations and wrongdoing” committed by officials under his control. It’s part of a major escalation in the country’s anti-graft campaign. The post of president is largely a ceremonial role in the country, but Phuc also previously served as the country’s prime minister, during which time he’s been widely credited with accelerating pro-business reforms. Vietnam is [officially led by four “pillars”](: the party’s secretary, president, prime minister and speaker of the house. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [How well is the grain deal working for Ukraine?]( [The Eaubonne bulk carrier ship docks in the port of Mombasa, Kenya, Nov. 26, 2022.]( Credit: Gideon Maundu/AP The UN [brokered a deal with Russia]( in July to create a “humanitarian corridor” in the Black Sea to resume sending grain abroad, with ships inspected by UN, Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian authorities. Ukraine says the deal, which is set to expire in mid-March, is not meeting expectations, and that it needs long-term protection to avoid a global food crisis. [Lula vows to end illegal mining in the Amazon. But legal mining is more complicated.]( [The Belo Monte dam.]( Credit: Michael Fox/The World Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made a campaign promise to roll back illegal mining in the Amazon. But he has a more complicated relationship with legal mining. Indigenous activists are continuing to battle a [new gold mine project]( managed by a Canadian firm. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot A statue of an [88-ton Buddha statue]( that fell, likely during an ancient earthquake on a South Korean mountain in the year 1430, is set to be replaced by 2025. Some officials have even called the move unprecedented. The statue, known as a Maaebul, is believed to be around 1,300 years old, and was discovered by a research group in 2007. [Screenshot of ARTnews tweet]( Credit: Twitter In case you missed it on The World --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.