Gaza's war divides the LGBTQ+ community
New York's LGBTQ+ community comes from all ethnicities and social backgrounds and tends to be sensitive to social justice issues, but the war in Gaza has caused some particularly raw conflicts. Divisions were evident during Pride month, a time usually focused on celebration and unity. The fight over how the community should respond to the war in Gaza has manifested in heated online comments and false accusations of pro-Hamas activism. Similar disputes have rocked gay bars, LGBTQ+ fundraising dinners, and Pride celebrations.
Emergency declared across Northeast as heat index reaches triple digits
A rare June heatwave had New Englanders digging their fans and air conditioners out of closets and attics on Tuesday as the East Coast braced for a heatwave that will continue into the weekend. Officials declared heat emergencies and opened cooling centers as temperatures reached the upper 90s across much of the Northeast and the heat index topped 100 in parts of Maine. The unusual heat, which is also scorching the Midwest, could be a sign of a harsh summer ahead.
Insiders: The three core members of Biden's brain trust
Interviews with people close to President Joe Biden reveal a truth at the heart of his political life. While surrounded by a diverse cast of campaigners, policy experts and Cabinet members, President Biden has placed his full trust in a handful of old-school insiders, such as Mike Donilon, a close aide since the 1980s, former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain and former Senate Chief of Staff Ted Kaufman. They are part of an echo chamber where dissent is rare. At key moments, each gave President Biden news he didn't want to hear, but none of them said no when the president was considering running for a second term.
Tree of Life Synagogue begins construction on new chapel
When 11 worshippers were killed at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, the shooter made his bigotry explicit, declaring on social media that he was acting out of a conviction that Jews were plotting to replace the white race. On Sunday, Tree of Life congregants will gather to break ground on a memorial and the Tree of Life's new building, which will include a sanctuary for worshippers, an education center to combat bigotry and a museum documenting the long history of anti-Semitism in America.
Taekwondo instructor's family thwarts sexual assault
Simon Ang had just arrived at his family's taekwondo class in Katy, Texas, with his parents, sister and brother on Tuesday afternoon when they heard a loud scream reminiscent of a horror movie. That's when the Angs, all taekwondo instructors, prevented a sexual assault from happening at a neighboring store and handed the assailant over to police. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed the incident in a Facebook post, thanking the Ang family for being “a bunch of good Samaritans.” Alex Robinson, 19, has been charged with felony attempted sexual assault in connection with the attack.
As Ukraine expands conscription, some men go into hiding
As Russian troops launch an offensive, the Ukrainian army has been desperately trying to replenish its war-weary ranks. Many Ukrainian men have responded to the call-up, but others are trying to dodge the draft. Even before the latest mobilization drive began, thousands had fled the country, some even swimming across the river that separates Ukraine from Romania. Now many are in hiding as officers scour the country's cities to conscript men of military age. An unknown number of them live in social media groups in major cities such as Kiev and Lviv that keep members updated on the movements of conscripting officers, with tens of thousands of members.
At least 53 killed in southern India after poisonous moonshine
The death toll from tainted liquor in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has reached 53 and is expected to rise, with many in critical condition. The victims fell ill after drinking bootlegged liquor with a high methanol content. Kallakurichi district police chief Rajat Chaturvedi said 98 people had been hospitalised. The first death was reported on Wednesday, after drinking locally made liquor that sells for around 50 cents a packet. The worst-hit village is Karunapuram, where more than a dozen victims were given their last rites in a mass cremation on Thursday.
Egypt suspends company transporting pilgrims to Mecca after Hajj fatality
After hundreds of pilgrims died in scorching desert heat during the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, the Egyptian government said it had taken action against travel agencies that brokered trips to Saudi Arabia, suspending the licenses of 16 of them. At least 450 people died during the pilgrimage, where travelers endured highs of 108 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. But the actual death toll is expected to be much higher as the government conducts a more accurate tally. The Egyptian government said the travel agencies did not provide pilgrims with vital services such as medical care and did not provide “adequate accommodation.”
USDA avocado inspectors begin returning to Mexican packing plants
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar announced that inspections of avocados and mangoes by Agriculture Department officials in the western Mexican state of Michoacan will resume “gradually.” It was not immediately clear when that would happen. Salazar appeared to suggest that the safety concerns that prompted a suspension of inspections last weekend had not been fully addressed. On Tuesday, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico said two officers from the department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service were assaulted and detained while traveling in Michoacan to inspect avocado orchards and packing plants.
Drugs become mainstream in Christian stronghold Philippines
In many parts of the Philippines, drag is becoming more mainstream and popular. No longer confined to comedy bars, gay pageants, and LGBTQ spaces. New clubs dedicated to drag are opening. Drag queens are gracing the covers of fashion magazines and promoting products for big-name brands. Students at at least one public university recently held a drag contest. The newfound interest in the art form comes as mores around religion and gender change in one of the world's largest Christian countries. For many performers, drag is not only a cultural phenomenon but also a political statement promoting social justice and gay rights.
From the news agency
