World news in brief
Centenarian who danced with Obamas dies at 113
Virginia McLaurin, the woman who captured American hearts when she danced with the Obamas aged 106, has died at 113. Ms McLaurin died on Monday after spending a few days under hospice care, her family said in a statement on Facebook.
Ms McLaurin shot to national attention in 2016 when a video of her meeting then-president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama went viral on social media. The centenarian excitedly danced with the couple and shared her amazement that she had lived to see a Black president.
As the first lady asked what her secret was to be dancing at the age of 106, the trio shared a moment where they held hands and danced together.
Larry David and Tom Brady named in FTX lawsuit
Hollywood and sports celebrities including Larry David and Tom Brady have been named as defendants in a class-action lawsuit against cryptocurrency exchange FTX, arguing that their celebrity status made them culpable for promoting the firm’s failed business model.
FTX is in the public eye after the third-largest cryptocurrency exchange ended up with billions of dollars worth of losses and had to seek bankruptcy protection. The Bahamas-based company and its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, are under investigation by state and federal authorities for allegedly investing depositors’ funds in ventures without their approval.
The lawsuit filed late on Tuesday alleges that celebrities such as Seinfeld creator David and NFL legend Brady brought instant credibility to FTX and should be held just as culpable as Mr Bankman-Fried.
Class-action lawyer Adam Moskowitz filed the lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida. AP
Chinese man smokes his way through a marathon
A chain-smoking runner has completed a marathon in China in 3 hours and 28 minutes, all while dragging his way through a pack of cigarettes. “Uncle Chen”, from Guangzhou, became a national celebrity on the social network Weibo after photos of him smoking while running the Xin’anjiang Marathon near Shanghai were uploaded after the event on 6 November.
Fans were quick to point out that it’s not the first time Chen has completed a marathon in his signature style. Many dredged up pictures of him smoking while running the 2018 Guangzhou Marathon, as well as the 2019 Xiamen Marathon.
Uncle Chen only smokes when he runs, according to the Hong Kong Standard. The cigarette-loving athlete finished 574th out of more than 1,500 competitors.
Protests follow Indian teen footballer’s death after surgery
Protests broke out in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu after a teenage football player died following an allegedly botched knee operation. R Priya, 17, died on Tuesday due to multi-organ failure, days after she underwent surgery for a ligament tear in her knee.
The teenager’s family staged a sit-in protest in front of a government hospital in Chennai city and refused to leave demanding action against the doctors and hospital, alleging negligence. Videos of the protest showed the parents crying as several people, including students and relatives of the girl, chanted “arrest doctors” and “medical negligence”.
On Tuesday, the two doctors who performed the surgery were suspended on charges of medical negligence after an internal inquiry found them guilty.
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