Researched by: Aarthi Ramnath, Anannya Parekh & Aakriti Anand
War on Gaza: Deadly strikes in Nuseirat
On Saturday, Israeli forces struck a school in Gaza’s Nuseirat, which was housing 7,000 displaced people—killing 16 and injuring 50. The death toll is likely to rise, as many of the wounded were in critical condition. The health ministry called the attack an “odious massacre”. Also on Saturday: ten people, including three journalists, were killed in a strike on a house in Nuseirat—and two UNRWA workers were killed in a strike at Al-Bureij in central Gaza. (The Guardian)
Iran’s got a reformist prez
The context: In May, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in northern Iran. He was a well-known hardliner and the architect of the ongoing campaign to brutally put down any sign of dissent—especially from women. This Big Story has more.
What happened now: In a rude surprise for the conservative establishment, a reformist beat out a hardliner. Masoud Pezeshkian is a reformist—well, by Iranian standards—who said in a TV debate: "We are losing our backing in the society because of our behaviour, high prices, our treatment of girls and because we censor the internet.” Also this:
Mr. Pezeshkian’s win marks a return of the relatively moderate reformist agenda in Iran after years of being sidelined. He opposed the mandatory hijab law for women, promised to disband Iran’s morality police and to lift restrictions on the internet. He said he wants peaceful relations with the West.
In that sense, his victory can be seen as an expression of popular discontent with Islamic hardliners—like his main opponent Saeed Jalili. That said, he is not expected to rock the boat too much. And the primary decision-maker remains the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. One of the voters summed up why Pezeshkian won:
I don’t expect anything from him — I am happy that the vote put the brake on hard-liners. I hope Pezeshkian can return administration to a way in which all people can feel there is a tomorrow.
Associated Press has loads more on the election. New York Times (paywall) has the main takeaways.
Keir Starmer’s first day: Big changes ahoy?
It’s the honeymoon period for the newly elected UK PM. Everybody loves a winner—especially the guy who won char-sau paar. Here’s what everyone’s talking about, re: the new man in Downing Street:
One: The big Tory dream of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda has been destroyed. Though Starmer has promised a new plan to crack down on illegal immigration—which is bound to make someone unhappy, somewhere. (BBC News)
Two: Every moment of Starmer’s day was held up to breathless scrutiny—including his call with Joe Biden. Yes, that ‘special relationship’ was mentioned—though it may be a lot less special if Donald ends up in the White House. (Independent UK)
Three: The big change that matters to India: Starmer’s stance on Kashmir. Unlike his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, he has been unwilling to make an issue of Kashmiri independence—telling his Indian origin voters: “Any constitutional issues in India are a matter for the Indian Parliament, and Kashmir is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve peacefully.” (NDTV)
A scorching heat dome over the US
The West Coast is in the midst of a historic and dangerously long heatwave—affecting California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona. The temperatures hit a staggering 51°C in Palm Springs, California—and 47.2°C in Las Vegas. Death Valley—the hottest place on Earth—reached a record breaking 52.8°C.
The really bad news: The misery is just beginning, according to meteorologists: “A dangerous and historic heatwave is just getting started across the area, with temperatures expected to peak during the Sunday-Wednesday timeframe.” Associated Press has more on the role of climate change in creating a new normal for high temperatures.
Meanwhile in India: A new study has flagged the greater danger for members of the Dalit, Tribal and OBC communities—from higher temperatures. The very obvious reason: They are more likely to work outside in the sweltering heat: “For instance, general-caste workers spent on average 28% of their working hours outdoors while ST workers spent 43-49% outdoors.” The Telegraph has that story.
Meanwhile in Pakistan: Bodies are piling up in the street in the unrelenting heat in Karachi: In the stretch of intense heat from June 23 to June 30, the city’s largest morgue received about three times as many bodies as it does on a typical day… In all, the charity’s morgues received around 700 bodies in those eight days.” New York Times offers a ground report.
Can Ozempic result in blindness?
Worried by the mania for ‘miracle’ weight loss drugs, many have been waiting for the inevitable bad news—which may have finally arrived. A recent JAMA study shows that Ozempic and Wegovy increase the risk of a common optic nerve disease:
Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, is a condition that affects the optic nerve, a bundle of fibers that connects to the back of the eye and carries signals to the brain so a person can see. In people with NAION, blood flow to the optic nerve gets reduced or blocked, leading to sudden vision loss.
Experts call it a “stroke” of the optic nerve. Of the 200 diabetes patients prescribed semaglutide, 17 went on to develop NAION—a rate more than four times higher than those not prescribed the drug. For the 361 suffering from obesity, 20 people developed the condition—a 7X higher rate. But, but, but: The results have not established a direct cause-effect between semaglutide—the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy—and NAION. (NBC News)
In far happier news: A separate study found Ozempic and such drugs could potentially lower the risk of ten types of obesity-related cancers for people with type 2 diabetes. Reuters has that story.
India has a jobless growth problem
Our GDP is growing by 7%—which sounds impressive, except it isn’t creating enough jobs. According to a Citigroup report, at its current rate, the Indian economy will create eight-to-nine million jobs. The number of new graduates expected to enter the job market over the next decade: 12 million a year.
Also this: Most of the jobs that are available are neither secure—nor pay well. For example, manufacturing jobs accounted for 11.4% of total jobs in 2023—which is lower than 2018! Around 46% of working Indians are in the far more precarious and poorly-compensated agricultural sector. The number of people who work in the formal sector—with regular salaries—has dropped from 24% before the pandemic to 21% in 2023.
The most devastating stat:
The official unemployment rate of 3.2% underestimates the scale of the problem, with most economists relying instead on data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, a private research firm, which put the jobless rate at 9.2% in May, the highest in eight months. For those aged 20-24, the rate is more than 40%, according to CMIE figures.
For lots more, check out Bloomberg News via NDTV Profit.
A new FIR for Moitra
The Delhi police have filed an FIR under the new criminal laws against the Trinamool Congress MP. Her alleged crime: “derogatory” remarks against National Commission of Women chief Rekha Sharma.
What happened: When Sharma went to visit Hathras—after the deadly stampede—she was photographed with an aide holding her umbrella. Many wondered why she couldn't hold her own chattri—to which Moitra said: "She is too busy holding up her boss’s pajamas”—a tweet she later deleted. Moitra has been charged with “outraging a woman’s modesty.” Reminder: Moitra has just returned to Parliament—after being removed over cash-for-query allegations in December (explained in this Big Story). (The Telegraph)
The messy end of Andy Murray’s Wimbledon
The beloved English tennis star was denied his final performance on his home court by his mixed doubles partner—Emma Raducanu. She pulled out of their match on Saturday—at the very last minute—claiming “stiffness in my right wrist.” This was especially devastating since Murray had already lost the first round men’s doubles match on Thursday. Raducanu’s bailout spelled an ignominious end to his Wimbledon farewell tour. The one most upset at this turn of events: Murray’s mom—who called the decision “astonishing”—which is Brit for ‘outrageous’, no doubt. (The Guardian)
Five things to see
One: A horrifying NDTV report shows that Chhattisgarh schools have been feeding kids plain turmeric rice for their mid-day meals. Most of them are from Dalit or tribal backgrounds. Data to note: According to the State Hunger Index for 2019-20, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Jharkhand were the three worst performing states, showing an ‘alarming’ rate of hunger among children. As of 2022, the malnutrition rate in Chhattisgarh is 17.76%. (NDTV)
Two: The Zuck marked July 4 by releasing this clip of him surfing in a tux—with a chill beer in hand. All to the tune of ‘Born in the USA’ by Bruce Springsteen—an anthem of crushing poverty among blue collar Americans. The most offended by Mark Zuckerberg’s tone-deaf makeover—Elon Musk, who sulkily declared: “May he continue to have fun on his yachts. I prefer to work.” Haw. (Quartz)
Three: Centre Court at Wimbledon was temporarily turned into a football stadium—as fans celebrated England’s win over Switzerland in the Euros 2024. Our favourite bit: Novak Djokovic and Alexei Popyri miming a goal and a save—in tribute to England’s penalty shootout victory. (Independent UK)
Four: Only in America—can you buy bullets from vending machines. They supposedly use AI and facial recognition technology to verify if a buyer is of legal age to buy bullets—which may be more than you need to buy a gun. You can see the ad for this fine invention below. (Gizmodo)
Five: A video posted to X went viral over the weekend for showing paper plates that were made out of patient files at the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in Mumbai. The hospital’s dean reportedly clarified that the plates were made from old CT scan folders that were sent for recycling, but staffers at the hospital have been pulled up for it. So much for sustainability? (NDTV)
