Good morning. We’re covering a fire in South Africa’s Parliament, a breach in the Demilitarized Zone between North Korea and South Korea, and possible changes to women’s rights in China.
South Africa’s parliament burns
On Sunday, large fires destroyed large swathes of the Houses. Officials warned that the historic building would be severely damaged.
Officials stated that the fire started in an office space on the third level of a building next to the National Assembly building. Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service spokesman warned that the buildings themselves were at risk of collapse, given the intense heat of the fire.
Parliament’s spokesman said that a man in his early 50s was arrested in connection to the fire, but he did not give any further details.
Details: There have been no reports of injuries or deaths. Parliament was not in session.
Quotable: “The entire parliamentary complex is severely damaged — waterlogged and smoke damaged,” said JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, adding that “the roof above the old assembly hall is completely gone.”
A breach in the DMZ
Sunday’s statement by the South Korean military stated that an unidentified individual had crossed into North Korea’s Demilitarized Zone.
Footage of the person climbing a tall barbed-wire fence — the southernmost of multiple fences in the 2.5-mile-wide buffer zone separating the Koreas — was captured by South Korean cameras at 6:40 p.m. on Saturday. The military stated that sensors on the fence set off an alarm.
But this latest security lapse at one of the world’s most heavily armed borders went unnoticed until 9:20 p.m. North Korea didn’t immediately respond.
Details: Crossings from South to North are rare and dangerous. The DMZ is bristling with fences, sensors, minefields, sentry posts and armed patrols, and nearly two million troops are ready for battle on both sides.
Background: The two Koreas have technically been at war for decades — the Korean War halted in 1953 with a truce, not a peace treaty. Some 33,800 North Koreans have defected to the South since famine struck the North in the 1990s.
Separately: Kim Jong-un has begun his second decade as North Korea’s leader with a vow to alleviate the country’s chronic food shortages, a problem that he inherited from his father 10 years ago.
China signals change on women’s rights
Beijing has framed proposed revisions to China’s law governing women’s rights as a major victory.
The revisions would be one of the most significant changes to the law in 20 years. They would refine the definition and prohibitions of workplace discrimination, ban emotional abuse and ban sexual harassment.
It appears to be a victory for activists. Many women are skeptical about the possibility of real progress.
The government has sought to control China’s fledgling #MeToo movement. It is rare that victims of sexual harassment go to court. Some women have been fired for making accusations. Others have been fined. Peng Shuai (a tennis star) was censored after she posted on social media that a top Chinese leader had forced her to have sex.
Context: Women have been increasingly pushed out of the workplace and into traditional roles since China’s leader, Xi Jinping, assumed power. Many of the revisions proposed already exist in other laws and regulations, but they have not been well enforced.
Details: The law would also codify women’s right to ask for compensation for housework during divorce proceedings — after the first-of-its-kind decision by a court last year to award a woman more than $7,700 for her labor during her marriage.
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South Korea, which has the highest gender wage gap among the wealthy countries, has seen slow gains in women’s rights. Now, a growing number of young men are protesting feminism, arguing that they are the victims of gender discrimination in the country’s cutthroat job market.
Lives lived: Betty White, who created two of the most memorable characters in sitcom history, Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and the sweet but dim Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls,” died. She was 99.
To the moon — and beyond
This year will be a huge year for spaceflight exploration and spaceflight. Here are some cosmic news items to be aware of during your trip around the sun.
The moon: If 2021 was the year for space tourism and robotic missions on Mars, then expect the moon to be the star of the show. With an eye towards returning humans there later in the decade, several governments are currently launching moon-bound spacecraft.
Meteors: Skywatchers will be able this year to see meteor showers burst through the darkness on a few dates. Here’s an overview with tips on ways to watch, including finding dedicated dark-sky areas in cities.
Rockets:Two huge rockets are expected launch. The NASA Space Launch System, designed for astronauts to the moon, will make its first test flight. SpaceX is also building Starship a reusable rocket to expand Mars tourism.
Source: NY Times