Israel Invades Lebanon, Expands Bombing to Yemen; Iran Fires Missiles in Response
In the past week, Israel has rapidly escalated its military campaign against the so-called “axis of resistance,” a regional network of political and militant groups backed by Iran that include Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis of Yemen. Overnight Monday, Israel invaded southern Lebanon. Israel’s latest operations have killed over 1,000 Lebanese civilians, wounded 6,000, and displaced up to one million.
On Sunday, one day after the Houthis fired a hypersonic missile called Palestine-2 at Israel, the Israeli Defense Forces bombed major seaports and power stations in Yemen, killing at least four people and wounding dozens. On Tuesday, Iran responded to Israel’s recent attacks by launching around 180 missiles at Israel, the majority of which were intercepted.
Austria’s Far-Right Freedom Party Secures Historic Win
On Sunday, Austria’s Freedom Party, known by the acronym FPÖ, secured the first far-right national parliamentary election victory in post-World War II Austria after running on anti-Islam and anti-immigrant rhetoric. The FPÖ finished first with 29.2 percent of the vote, beating the ruling center-right People’s Party, by nearly three percentage points. This marks the FPÖ’s biggest election victory since its founding in 1956 by Anton Reinthaller, who was a lieutenant general in the SS. Exit polling shows their victory is due to increased support from younger voters frustrated by high inflation, the Ukraine–Russia war, COVID-19 policies, and immigration.
Over 200 Dead in Nepal After Heaviest Monsoon in Decades
Over 200 people died in Nepal this weekend after some of the heaviest monsoon rains in history hit the capital city of Kathmandu and surrounding valleys. By Monday afternoon, officials reported 204 bodies recovered and at least 30 more people still stranded or missing, with hundreds more injured. Swathes of southern Kathmandu and nearby cities were left underwater or buried in thick mud as torrential rain caused major rivers to rise far above danger levels. Flash flooding and landslides have destroyed hundreds of homes, cut off highways and roads, and knocked down power lines. More than 300 people have died in Nepal this year from rain-related disasters, which experts attribute to climate change.
Pope Francis Criticized for Clergy Sexual Abuse, Views on Women During Belgium Trip
After adoring receptions on his Asia-Pacific tour, Pope Francis was met with heavy criticism during his weekend trip to Belgium, a largely Roman Catholic country. Francis was criticized by child sexual abuse survivors for scheduling too little time to meet with them after the documentary series Godforsaken brought attention to sexual abuse in the Church last year.
The trip was organized to commemorate the 600th anniversaries of two Christian universities, U.C. Louvain and Catholic University of Leuven. However, the Pope received criticism from both schools. Students and professors at U.C. Louvain released a statement “deplor[ing] the conservative positions expressed by Pope Francis on the role of women in society.” This was in response to statements made by the Pope, specifically that “the woman is more important than the man, but it’s bad when the woman wants to be a man.” A rector at Catholic University of Leuven also criticized the Pope for his continued refusal to ordain female priests.
Outbreak of Marburg Virus in Rwanda
For the first time in its history, Rwanda is experiencing an outbreak of Marburg virus, a rare but deadly hemorrhagic disease similar to Ebola. Unlike Ebola, Marburg virus currently has no treatment or vaccine. The disease has a fatality rate of 88 percent. As of Sunday, 26 people have been confirmed to be sick, 18 are in treatment, and eight people have died according to the health ministry. Unlike previous instances of Marburg outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa, most cases in Rwanda come from the densely populated capital city of Kigali rather than in rural areas where the spread is easier to contain. However, health officials like Dr. Brian Chirombo, the WHO representative to Rwanda, are optimistic about the country’s ability to fight the outbreak due to its strong public health emergency response system.
