Good morning, readers!

Well, this is embarrassing. Yesterday, we reported on President Lula confidently suggesting Putin would be free from ICC charges in Brazil…

Oh, and China wants to ban clothing that “hurts feelings.”

Yep, more on that soon. 👇🏻

Today’s geopolitics hotspots:

China’s cracking down on clothes now

China’s recently proposed law changes will let authorities fine and detain those wearing clothes that are:

Yes, you read that right. Clothes.

Apparently, some clothes are just “not patriotic enough” for the CCP.

👕 What clothes?

Well, that’s frustrating part. The proposed law does not specify what kind of clothes or symbols are considered “detrimental.”

It just says that anyone who wears or forces others to wear such clothes in public places could face detention and fines. It also bans any speech or content that damages China’s "spirit."

❌ Examples of what might be banned.

• Kimono: Last year, a woman was detained in Suzhou, a city near Shanghai, for publicly wearing a kimono. This incident likely stems from China’s deep-seated resentment towards Japan due to WWII atrocities.

• “Effeminate” clothing: China’s state media and officials are cracking down on such clothing on TV shows. They fear that young men who dress and act in “gender-ambiguous” ways are threatening the country’s masculinity and national security.

• Rainbow symbol: Two students were reprimanded at the prestigious Tsinghua University for handing out pro-LGBTQ flags.

🚔 But why?

• The official reason: to protect the dignity and honor of the country and its people.

• The unofficial reason: to control what people think and say about China and its policies.

👗 How are people reacting?

Not very well, as you can imagine. Read some of the comments on Weibo here (needs translation).

• Many Chinese social media users have expressed opposition to the draft law, saying it is vague and oppressive.

• Some legal scholars have also questioned the vagueness of the law, which could open the doors to loose interpretations of the law.

• They also warn that the law could fuel extreme nationalism.

🏛️ Consequences.

Violators could face up to 15 days in a detention center or be fined up to 5,000 yuan ($686).

To download the PDF of the draft law: (link)

Quick updates

Click the country's name for more.👇🏻

🇧🇷 Brazil:

Lula rolls out the red carpet for Putin, then rug pulls him.

After inviting Putin to the next year's G20 summit in Brazil and suggesting that he would be free from arrest, Brazil's president is now claiming a sudden case of judicial amnesia.

He now says it is up to the judicial system to decide Putin’s fate.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom:

UK spy scandal: Sunak slams China for spying on Parliament.

China faces backlash as two alleged Beijing spies are apprehended. One of them, a researcher for Tory MPs, had his hands on sensitive information on international policy.

• At the G20 summit, Prime Minister Sunak expressed his “significant concerns” about China’s alleged meddling in UK’s democratic affairs.

• China hit back, denying espionage activity and slamming the UK for “anti-China political manipulation.”

Rishi Sunak on the matter: (video)

🇺🇸 United States:

Biden frees five Americans from Iran with a hefty price tag.

The U.S. government has struck a deal with Iran to release five American prisoners who have been held in Iranian jails for years.

The price? 

• $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds,

• five Iranian nationals held in the US.

The money will be transferred from South Korea to Qatar, where Iran can only use it for humanitarian purposes. But not everyone’s happy about the deal.

🇩🇰 Denmark:

Denmark says sorry for decades of abuse against disabled.

Denmark has finally apologized for one of its darkest chapters in history. For nearly half a century, state-run institutions became prisons for thousands of disabled individuals, subjecting them to unimaginable horrors including sterilization, sexual assault, and violent punishment.

🇹🇷 Türkiye:

Trapped American caver rescued from Turkish depths.

Mark Dickey, a 40-year-old cave explorer, was stuck 3,400 feet underground for over a week after suffering from severe stomach problems, bleeding, and vomiting. He was part of a team mapping the Morca cave system, one of the longest and deepest in Turkey. A massive rescue operation involving nearly 200 people from seven countries finally brought him to safety on Monday night.