Rio Olympics Could Trigger Global Health Crisis: Here’s What We’re Reading Today

The Daily 5 is Sharp’s essential reading list for what’s happening in the world today. Make sure to follow us on Twitter or subscribe to the Sharp Insider newsletter to stay up to date.

Here’s what we’re reading:

1. Stay away from Rio Olympics, Brazilian soccer star urges

The Rio Olympics could speed up the global spread of the Zika virus, as hundreds of thousands of spectators from around the world flock to the Brazilian city. What’s more, because of mounting violences and economic corruption, former soccer star Rivaldo is urging visitors to stay away.

+1: The Brazilian Supreme Court has rejected President Dilma Rousseff’s last minute appeal to remain in power

2. Ghomeshi’s apology is still “admission of guilt,” accuser tells media

Jian Ghomeshi apologized in court today for his actions relating to a 2008 sexual assault involving a former colleague at the CBC. Previously anonymous, his accuser Kathryn Borel stepped forward today to say the peace bond, which will leave Ghomeshi without a criminal record, “seemed like the clearest path to the truth.”

+1: Woody Allen’s son, Ronan Farrow, reflects on the sexual assault allegations against his father, who is said to have abused his daughter Dylan when she was seven.

3. Saudis used armoured vehicles to suppress dissent

The Globe and Mail has analyzed footage from Saudi Arabia which confirms the country uses armoured vehicles against Shia dissidents. The footage comes after Stephane Dion signed export orders for the sale of armoured vehicles from London’s General Dynamics. The footage, Steven Chase writes for the Globe, “goes to the very heart of the controversy over whether the Trudeau government is breaking Canada’s weapons export-control rules.”

4. The new face of India is the Anti-Gandhi

New Republic explores the “violence, insecurity, and rage” behind the man who has supplanted Gandhi as India’s chief figurehead, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

5. Scientists still can’t explain mysterious “Alien Megastructure”

“Every now and then, a distant star called KIC 8462852 dims by as much as 20 percent. That’s huge. Even a passing planet as big as Jupiter would only block about 1 percent of the star’s light.” What could be causing such a drastic dip in luminescence?

One astronomer — and bear with us here — thinks that the light patterns are consistent with a hypothetical array of solar collectors, orbiting the star to harness its energy.