5 vital stories to know this week [8/18]
From the U.S. approving $20 billion worth of military weapons for Israel to protests in India over rising violence against women, here are 5 stories to know this week.
Protests grow in India over the rape and killing of a doctor at a state-run hospital
Thousands of people across India protested on Friday, demanding justice for a trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at a Kolkata hospital. Demonstrations took place in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and even extended to some areas in the US and Canada, calling for accountability and an end to sexual violence against women, which is a growing problem in India. The incident has also intensified scrutiny on the handling of sexual violence cases in India, with victims saying the police and local governments often mishandle these cases.
By the numbers: The National Crime Records Bureau reported 31,516 cases of rape in 2022, marking a 20% increase from 2021. Many incidents of sexual violence go unreported due to societal stigma and mistrust of the police, particularly in rural areas where victims often face additional social pressures.
As a father was registering his twins' birth in Gaza, an airstrike killed the 3-day-olds and their mother at home
Mohammed Abu Al-Qumsan, a father from Gaza, has been left without his twin babies, wife and mother-in-law after all four were killed in an Israeli airstrike near the city of Deir al-Balah. He had gone to register the births of his four-day-old twins, Asser and Ayssel, at a local government office when he was told the home where his family was sheltering had been bombed.
“I don’t know what happened,” Al-Qumsan said, speaking after Monday's bombing. "I am told it was a shell that hit the house.”
J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk named in cyberbullying lawsuit filed by Algerian boxer Imane Khelif after Olympic win
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who clinched a gold medal in women’s boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics despite facing significant online harassment from anti-trans activists, is now taking legal action against several right-wing media figures who falsely accused her of being trans—including Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling. Her attorney, Nabil Boudi, confirmed that a criminal complaint has been filed with French authorities, alleging "acts of aggravated cyber harassment" perpetrated by these online personalities.
CONTEXT: The false controversy started when Khelif easily won her first match of the 2024 Paris Olympics when her opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, quit after taking several blows to the face in the opening seconds of the match. After her victory, anti-trans activists on social media took to X to declare Khelif a “trans woman,” while also attacking the trans community’s participation in sports. However, this was false as Khelif and her family said she was born a woman and has been competing at the Olympics for years with no backlash from the Olympic board, which doesn’t allow trans women to compete.
US approves sale to Israel of $20 billion weapons package
The U.S. has approved $20 billion in arms sales to Israel, including more than 50 F-15 fighter jets, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAMs, 120 mm tank ammunition, high explosive mortars, and tactical vehicles. However, the weapons are not expected to get to Israel anytime soon as they are contracts that will take years to fulfill.
This comes amidst growing tensions of a multi-country war in the Middle East and protests in the U.S. for their role in supplying the military weapons used to kill over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, which the International Court of Justice has deemed a “plausible genocide.”
Starbucks CEO ousted after Israel boycott fuels sales slump
Starbucks has ousted CEO Laxman Narasimhan after their shares fell by 25 points over the past year because of global boycotts of the coffee company for their shareholders’ alleged connection with the Israeli government and military. He has been replaced with Brian Niccol, the former CEO of Chipotle credited with turning around the chain’s fortunes.
However, despite their new CEO, these boycotts are continuing to happen, especially in the Eastern Hemisphere. Back in March, Starbucks’ Middle East division laid off almost 2,000 workers because of a decline in sales caused by boycotts linked to Israel’s war on Gaza.