Our daily expedition around the world

🇨🇳 Residents of Guangzhou, China, staged a rare protest against the country’s strict Covid protocols this week. Videos and images circulating on social media show protesters smashing temporary barriers and marching in the streets, reportedly due to lack of food amidst an ongoing lockdown. The demonstrations come as China reported 10,000+ daily Covid cases for the first time since April 2021 this week, with the biggest hotspot currently in Guangzhou.

🇹🇻 The Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, facing extinction from rising sea levels, is recreating itself in the metaverse. The country’s foreign minister told the COP27 climate summit yesterday that Tuvalu’s move is necessary to “preserve its culture and history.” He said the idea is that Tuvalu will continue to function as an independent state – it just won’t have any physical land to govern. Up to 40% of the island nation’s capital district is underwater at high tide, and local officials expect the entire country will be underwater by the end of this century.

🇩🇪 German youths will be given a €200 "Kulturpass" to boost the local arts scene. Each of the 750,000 Germans who turn 18 next year will receive an extra birthday present: a government voucher worth ~$207 to spend on a wide range of cultural goods, experiences, and events. Online platforms like Amazon and Spotify are excluded from the program, which emphasizes smaller, often local organizations like independent cinemas and bookshops. Germany is now the fourth EU nation to offer a youth culture pass.