China’s Scared of Seditious Sheep

The Spanish island is certainly not going to have a party, as its plans to resume pre-pandemic tourism have been upended by a surge in COVID-19 cases. Across the Mediterranean, Tunisia has handed over its pandemic response to its military as it battles a deepening crisis. In Japan, Tokyo will host the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics today, even as cases linked to the Games have crossed 100. And back in the U.S., federal health officials are warning that the country stands at a “pivotal moment” as infections and hospitalizations rise sharply, especially in regions with low vaccination rates. (Sources: FT, Reuters, Japan Times, WaPo)

2. Tibet Trip

Chinese President Xi Jinping made an unannounced trip to Tibet yesterday, his first since taking office, which Beijing’s state media only confirmed after citizens posted videos showing the leader in Lhasa. China is marking the 70th anniversary of its takeover of Tibet and trying to dictate the choice of the successor to the 86-year-old Dalai Lama. (Sources: South China Morning Post, Bloomberg)

3. Havana Headache

The CIA has tasked a former officer who led the hunt for Osama bin Laden to uncover the origins of “Havana Syndrome” — a mysterious illness that manifests as severe headaches, dizziness and memory loss. It has afflicted more than 200 U.S. officials and their families, including more than 100 from the CIA, in Cuba, Russia, China, Central Asia and most recently, Austria. Who do you think is responsible? Vote here or on Twitter. (Sources: NPR, NYT, Reuters)

4. Not Chipper

There’s little to smile about if you belong to the myriad industries — from cars to electronics — that rely on semiconductor chips. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said Thursday that he expects a global shortage of chips to continue until 2023, even as the gap between supply and demand drives up consumer prices. (Source: WSJ)

They’re a national security threat to one of the world’s most powerful nations. Hong Kong officers have arrested five members of a group that’s publishing children’s books craftily depicting the city’s pro-democracy activists as sheep surrounded by wolves.

A 15 foot fall off the side of a vert ramp last year cracked Brown’s skull and broke her arm … but could not damage her spirit. Now healthy, the 12-year-old is Britain’s youngest-ever summer Olympian. The first female skater to land a frontside 540 at the X Games, she took bronze at the 2019 World Skateboarding Championship in Brazil and has appeared in Nike ads with past Olympic gold medal winners Simone Biles and Serena Williams. Will she emulate their wins in Tokyo?

2. Hiroto Ohhara — Surfing (Japan)

Since the 2015 announcement that surfing would be included in the Tokyo Games, Japan has set its eyes on Hiroto Ohhara to drive it to medals. Despite a large surfing community and history within the sport, few Japanese surfers have made a splash in surfing’s biggest competitions. But as the first Japanese surfer ever to win the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing, the 24-year-old Chiba native will have home advantage and the crowd cheering for him as he rides the waves toward an Olympic gold.

3. Janja Garnbret — Sport Climbing (Slovenia)

From trees and door frames as a young girl to more recently Europe’s tallest chimney, Janja Garnbret is never not climbing. But it’s in competition where the 22-year-old Slovenian truly shines. And backed up by a plethora of World Cup wins, Garnbret is among the favorites to mount the peak of the podium this summer. Read more about the next Olympic stars on OZY.

Mark the start of the biggest sporting show on the planet by watching former figure skater and Olympic bronze medalist Adam Rippon reveal how a tip from Beyoncé helped him perform at his best and why he’s hanging up the skates to try his hand at writing a comedy TV series. Watch now.

1. Peru

Pedro Castillo, a Marxist rural teacher, beat Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, by a slender margin of 44,000 votes in June’s presidential election runoff. But though international observers concluded that the election was clean, Fujimori refused to concede, instead demanding a recount using what prosecutors believe was faked evidence of voter fraud. Earlier this week, electoral authorities finally declared Castillo president-elect.

2. Brazil

Fujimori waited until after the election to allege fraud. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has seen his popularity plummet over his mismanagement of the pandemic, is laying the ground for Trumpian claims well before next year’s election. Bolsonaro is alleging that the electoral system is rigged against him and that the 2022 vote won’t be fair. His supporters have already followed the Trump campaign in spreading misinformation online. What’s next?

3. Myanmar

Similar claims formed the basis for a military coup in February. The country’s generals falsely alleged large-scale fraud in the November election that returned Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s party to power. They reversed years of democratic gains to reinstate military rule and placed Suu Kyi under arrest, shackling Myanmar’s democracy in chains again. Read more on OZY on how Trump’s example is inspiring others to try and upend democracy. 

Scientist Martin Janousek and entrepreneur Stu Aaron have found a way to turn the decades-long process of aging whiskey, rum and brandy into a mere three-to-five day ordeal by exposing alcohol to “micro staves” of different woods under pressure. Their process, which they’ve likened to a boozy Nespresso machine, has won them awards in blind tastings for their drinks. Read more on OZY.

2. Beer Goggles to VR Goggles

Your wine bottle’s speaking to you. And no, you’re not drunk. From Australia and New Zealand to Argentina and South Africa, winemakers are now offering virtual reality and augmented reality experiences through their bottles. You can meet some of history’s most enterprising women, watch zombies and criminals in action or visualize dramatic natural disasters while sipping on your glass, just by hovering your smartphone camera over the bottle’s label. Read more on OZY.

3. Pick Your (Level of) Poison

Craft beers are all the craze, with seemingly endless opportunities to try different flavors — yet nonalcoholic options remain limited. So BrewVo is pioneering a system dubbed Alcohol By Choice, combining a base nonalcoholic beer with any amount of flavorless alcohol, allowing world-class brews to be accessible at a range of booziness that you can choose. 

The debut film from director/writer Alisha Tejpal and co-writer Mireya Martinez premiered at Sundance earlier this year, depicting the daily routine of protagonist Lata, a young domestic worker in a wealthy Mumbai home. It’s a powerful commentary on the complexities of classism and casteism in India.

2. ‘Yes-People’

“Já” or “yes” is the only word used throughout the Oscar-nominated animated short Yes-People, which uses design, facial expressions, sound effects and score to tell the story of Icelandic characters navigating the everyday annoyances of life.

3. ‘If Anything Happens I Love You’

The Academy Award-winning animated short directed by Will McCormack and Michael Govier reached No. 2 in popularity on Netflix worldwide just a week after its release last November. It tells the haunting story of a couple that lost their child in a school shooting. Keep tissues handy.  

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