TODAY’S HEADLINES: Gaza ground operation; Tesla suspends Bitcoin; Ellen ends
Israel’s military is drafting a plan for a possible ground ground operation of Gaza, as it presses ahead with a fierce air offensive on the enclave and as Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza, fires volleys of rockets deep into Israel. Israel’s defense minister vowed to continue attacking Gaza until “complete quiet” had been achieved.
Meanwhile, racist mob attacks spread through Israel in the worst Jewish-Arab chaos for years. On Wednesday a mob of far-right Israelis dragged a man they thought was an Arab from his car and beat him until he lay on the ground motionless and bloodied. The mayor of Lod, a city with both Jewish and Arab residents, warned that “civil war” was breaking out after Arab mourners clashed with police. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, visited Lod and Acre, where he pledged to “stop the anarchy” and restore order “with an iron fist if needed”.
At least 90 more bodies of suspected Covid-19 victims have washed up in rivers in India, as the virus continues to spread into poor rural areas. Many believe the bodies had been dumped due to the rising cost of cremating bodies, with crematoriums overrun and firewood for pyres now expensive and in short supply. Images of ambulance drivers throwing bodies over a bridge on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar into the river emerged on social media.
Two transgender women in Cameroon have been convicted of “attempting homosexuality” and sentenced to five years in prison, in a case feared to be part of a growing campaign against sexual minorities, according to rights groups. Shakiro, a popular social media figure identified in court as Loïc Njeukam, and Patricia, identified as Roland Mouthe, were convicted on Tuesday. The charges included public indecency and non-possession of a national ID card, an offense rarely prosecuted in Cameroon. Both were arrested in February at a restaurant in Doula, Cameroon’s largest city, targeted for the way they dressed, their lawyers said.
Two climbers have lost their lives on Mount Everest, the first fatalities of 2021. Swiss climber Abdul Waraich, 40, died near the summit after reaching the top and suffering exhaustion. American Puwei Liu, 55, reached the Hillary Step but was helped back down after he suffered snow blindness and exhaustion. He was able to reach Camp 4, “before he suddenly passed away” late Wednesday according to reports.
Tesla has suspended customers’ use of bitcoin to purchase its vehicles, Elon Musk has announced, citing concerns about the burning of fossil fuel to power computers that generate the electronic currency. The news came as a surprise to some given Musk and Tesla’s somewhat laissez-faire attitude to the environment after it destroyed a German forest to build its latest giga factory.
In e-commerce, South Korea’s Coupang reported widening quarterly losses even as the Covid-19 pandemic boosted its sales to a record. The group’s valuation, which at one point reached $118bn, has tumbled to $62bn and it has been rocked by a series of deaths of its couriers and warehouse employees. Coupang, which was founded in 2010, is the largest player in South Korea’s highly competitive e-commerce market.
In entertainment, Ellen DeGeneres is to end her long-running US talk show in 2022 after 19 years on the air. "As great as this show is, and as fun, as it is, it's just not a challenge anymore," she told the Hollywood Reporter. The announcement comes just months after the show faced accusations it was a toxic place to work. It led to three senior producers losing their jobs and DeGeneres opening the current season with an on-air apology.
And finally, a county in southwest China has banned birthday parties and other celebrations for communist party members, civil servants, and village organization leaders, following calls from the central government to be more frugal. It also set out new rules for weddings and funerals, including a ban on cash gifts of more than 200 yuan (US$31). It is a traditional Chinese custom to give cash gifts at parties. However, they have also been used as bribes for influential hosts. This is not the first time the Communist Party has cracked down on its members. In 2015, they were banned from extravagant eating and drinking, joining golf clubs, or entering private clubs, as part of an anti-corruption drive. However, China has generally for years been calling on its citizens to hold more "simple and moderate" weddings, condemning "extravagance and wastefulness". Wait until they hear about gender reveal parties.