Benjamin Hall, Author at Cactus three

Netflix Film’s Removal Shows Power of India’s Hindu Right Wing

13

Jan

Investments and Business

Netflix Film’s Removal Shows Power of India’s Hindu Right Wing

The trailer for “Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food” promised a sunny if melodramatic story of uplift in a south Indian temple town. A priest’s daughter enters a cooking tournament, but social obstacles complicate her inevitable rise to the top. Annapoorani’s father, a Brahmin sitting at the top of Hindu society’s caste ladder, doesn’t want her to cook meat, a taboo in their lineage. There is even the hint of a Hindu-Muslim romantic subplot.On Thursday, two weeks after the movie premiered, Netflix abruptly pulled it from its platform. An activist, Ramesh Solanki, a self-described “very proud Hindu Indian nationalist,” had filed…

Israel-Hamas War: U.N.’s Top Court Hears Genocide Case Against Israel

12

Jan

By Benjamin Hall

New miscellaneous

Israel-Hamas War: U.N.’s Top Court Hears Genocide Case Against Israel

Since mid-November, the Houthis, a Yemeni rebel group allied with Hamas and backed by Iran, have launched dozens of attacks on ships sailing through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, a crucial shipping route through which 12 percent of world trade passes.Early Friday morning, the United States and a handful of allies, including Britain, struck back, carrying out missile strikes on Houthi targets inside Yemen and thrusting the rebels and their long-running armed struggle further into the limelight.The attack on Houthi bases came a day after the United Nations Security Council voted to condemn “in the strongest terms” at…

What Happens When There Is No Food: Experts Say Severe Malnutrition Could Set in Swiftly in Gaza

11

Jan

By Benjamin Hall

Health

What Happens When There Is No Food: Experts Say Severe Malnutrition Could Set in Swiftly in Gaza

A panel of experts affiliated with the United Nations has warned that the population of the Gaza Strip is at imminent risk of famine, with more than 90 percent of its 2.2 million people facing “acute food insecurity” and a quarter of the population experiencing “catastrophic levels of hunger.”Even before the war between Israel and Hamas, nearly 70 percent of Gazans were dependent on humanitarian assistance for food because the territory has been under Israeli and Egyptian blockade since 2007. Now, only 20 to 30 percent of what people there need is being permitted over the border into Gaza, according…

Special report: Maddy Cusack – why her family want a new investigation into her death

11

Jan

By Benjamin Hall

New miscellaneous

Special report: Maddy Cusack – why her family want a new investigation into her death

It is the heartbreaking story of a talented and popular footballer, her tragic death and the investigation into a family’s complaints about what they believe caused her emotional anguish.Maddy Cusack’s death in September sent shockwaves throughout the sport and plunged Sheffield United into a state of mourning for their longest-serving player. As her parents, David and Deborah, tried to get through their first Christmas without their eldest daughter, fans launched a petition to retire her No 8 shirt as a permanent tribute.“She fell in love with Sheffield United, the fans and the city of Sheffield,” Deborah told a memorial service…

Google Cuts Hundreds of Jobs in Engineering and Other Divisions

11

Jan

By Benjamin Hall

Science and Technology

Google Cuts Hundreds of Jobs in Engineering and Other Divisions

Google laid off hundreds of workers in several divisions Wednesday night, seeking to lower expenses as it focuses on artificial intelligence and joining a wave of other companies cutting tech jobs this year.The Silicon Valley company laid off employees in its core engineering division, as well as those working on the Google Assistant, a voice-operated virtual assistant, and in the hardware division that makes the Pixel phone, Fitbit watches and Nest thermostat, three people with knowledge of the cuts said.Several hundred employees from the company’s core engineering organization lost corporate access and received notices that their roles were eliminated, two…

As Utility Bills Rise, Low-Income Americans Struggle for Access to Clean Energy

11

Jan

By Benjamin Hall

Investments and Business

As Utility Bills Rise, Low-Income Americans Struggle for Access to Clean Energy

Cindy Camp is one of many Americans facing rising utility costs. Ms. Camp, who lives in Baltimore with three family members, said her gas and electric bills kept “going up and up” — reaching as high as $900 a month. Her family has tried to use less hot water by doing fewer loads of laundry, and she now eats more fast food to save on grocery bills.Ms. Camp would like to save money on energy bills by transitioning to more energy-efficient appliances like a heat pump and solar panels. But she simply cannot afford it.“It’s a struggle for me to…