Por Ivana Kottasová, CNN

Un nuevo informe histórico concluye que los militantes de Hamas y sus aliados violaron, agredieron y torturaron sexualmente a sus víctimas durante y después del ataque terrorista del 7 de octubre de 2023 en el sur de Israel “para maximizar el dolor y el sufrimiento”.

El informe, publicado inicialmente por CNN, presenta el conjunto de pruebas más completo hasta la fecha sobre la violencia sexual y de género contra mujeres, hombres y niños, que describe como “sistemática, generalizada e intrínseca” a la agresión.

“La conclusión más importante es que la violencia sexual del 7 de octubre contra los rehenes cautivos fue una estrategia calculada por Hamas”, declaró a CNN Cochav Elkayam-Levy, autora principal del estudio y experta en derechos humanos.

El informe incluye testimonios de primera mano de más de 10 supervivientes que sufrieron violencia sexual extrema y abusos sexuales durante el ataque, su secuestro o mientras estuvieron cautivos en Gaza.

Algunos de ellos, entre los que se incluyen los exrehenes Romi Gonen, Rom Braslavski, Arbel Yehud, Amit Soussana, Ilana Gritzewsky y otros, han hablado públicamente sobre su terrible experiencia.

Otras víctimas solo han compartido sus vivencias de forma confidencial con expertos, investigadores y personal médico.

Pero el informe también incluye denuncias hasta ahora desconocidas, entre ellas el caso de dos menores que, mientras estaban secuestrados en Gaza, afirman haber sido víctimas de abusos sexuales y obligados por sus captores a realizar actos sexuales entre ellos.

Algunos de estos detalles surgieron tras la publicación de informes previos, incluso después de la liberación de rehenes en Gaza.

Algunos provenían de testimonios directos a los investigadores, mientras que otros se recabaron en numerosas reuniones con expertos médicos, abogados que representaban a algunas de las víctimas y otras personas.

En un ejemplo particularmente desgarrador, el informe detalla tres incidentes separados de violación en el lugar del Festival de Música Nova, cerca del perímetro de Gaza, citando a una sobreviviente que se escondía en las inmediaciones del ataque.

“Escuché una violación en la que la pasaban de mano en mano. Probablemente estaba herida, a juzgar por sus gritos. Gritos que jamás había oído en ningún otro lugar”, declaró la sobreviviente.

Su relato es corroborado por otra sobreviviente, según el informe, quien también habló de haber escuchado las violaciones, así como por otras personas que posteriormente vieron los cuerpos de las víctimas, con la ropa rasgada, las piernas abiertas y las partes íntimas mutiladas.

El informe detalla al menos otros seis incidentes en los que personas presenciaron directamente violaciones y violaciones en grupo, y todos los testigos describen que las víctimas fueron asesinadas a tiros.

En un caso, una testigo afirmó haber visto a una joven siendo violada por varios hombres, mutilada y asesinada a tiros.

Elkayam-Levy afirmó que el objetivo del informe —y del archivo digital que contiene todas las pruebas recopiladas por el equipo— es garantizar que el sufrimiento padecido por las víctimas no pueda ser “negado, borrado ni olvidado”.

Al igual que otros archivos de este tipo, el material no será accesible al público durante un período determinado para proteger la privacidad de las víctimas.

CNN no ha podido verificar todo el contenido del archivo, pero ha tenido acceso a gran parte del material visual incluido en él.

El informe recibió el re

By Jennifer Agiesta, Annette Choi, Ariel Edwards-Levy, Edward Wu, David Goldman, CNN

(CNN) — “It’s more expensive to exist.”

“You’re just staying afloat instead of getting ahead.”

“It should not be like this.”

Those responses to a new CNN poll sum up Americans’ feelings about the economy: They just feel stuck.

CNN’s poll, conducted by SSRS, finds a surge in people naming high prices and the cost of living as the top economic problem facing their family. Strong majorities are pessimistic about the economy as a whole — almost 7 in 10 believe a recession is likely in the next year — and about their own ability to cover expenses and make purchases.

Those negative feelings about the economy, with major political implications for the midterms, reflect the strain across economic, generational and partisan lines on Americans’ everyday lives. Many people are trimming their grocery lists and cutting back spending on extras, and few feel comfortably able to save.

Americans feel a prevailing sense of economic uncertainty and precarity

A widening wealth gap in the United States has insulated the overall economy from a downturn. Stripping away gas prices and inflation, consumers continued to increase their spending during the first month of the Iran war. Part of the reason is that paycheck growth has outpaced inflation each month for nearly three years — a streak that could be broken in April as inflation expectations rise.

But averages don’t tell the full story: Middle-income and lower-income Americans’ wages stopped outpacing inflation last year, according to Bank of America.

That’s left many Americans in a sour mood about their financial prospects.

The public has held a negative view of the economy for five straight years in CNN’s polling. There’s a near-universal sense that the current economic moment is a better time to save than to spend on major purchases: Eighty-eight percent feel that way, including more than 8 in 10 across income brackets.

Perceptions of the economy went south shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly because prices rose sharply and the housing market froze. Although inflation has come back down in recent years, job growth has remained surprisingly strong and consumer spending has stayed robust, people haven’t yet adjusted to higher prices. Many feel left out of an unaffordable housing market.

Cost of living is a major concern across the board

Americans from all backgrounds name cost of living as their primary financial concern in an open-ended question.

Worries about the costs of food and gas are particularly prominent, with the share specifically naming gas prices rising from 5% a year ago to 23% now.

About one-third of Americans say they worry all or most of the time that their income won’t be enough to meet their expenses, with another 42% saying they worry about that at least some of the time.

Most say they cannot comfortably afford extras like a nice dinner out or a vacation, and only about a third feel they can comfortably afford an emergency expense of $1,000 or to save money for the future.

There’s little belief that the economic system works for average Americans

Three-quarters of Americans say the economic system unfairly favors powerful interests, and less than half now say that most people who want to get ahead can make it if they’re willing to work hard.

About half of Americans are dissatisfied with their financial situation, and more see their finances as worsening in the last year rather than improving.

And two-thirds of American workers say their wages are not keeping up with those climbing prices. That’s true for majorities across education and income lines, and regardless of whether people work in offices, factories or on outdoor worksites. Even among thos

By Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN

(CNN) — It’s President Donald Trump’s economy – and most Americans aren’t happy with it.

A new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds that 77% – including a majority of Republicans – say that Trump’s policies have increased the cost of living in their own community. Roughly two-thirds of Americans say that Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions in the country. And Trump’s approval rating stands at 30% on the economy, a career low.

Economic unhappiness has become a fixture of the political landscape. Views of the US economy have remained underwater since the start of the pandemic, with the only exception a brief spike of optimism at the beginning of Joe Biden’s presidency.

That dissatisfaction gave the Republican Party a yearslong advantage on trust to handle economic issues. Now, it’s left the GOP with the brunt of the blame for Trump’s second-term policies.

In the latest poll, Democrats are more trusted than the GOP to handle central economic issues, including the cost of living, helping the middle class and inflation. Significant shares of the public, however, say they trust neither party on many of those same issues.

One-third of the public approves of the way Trump is handling helping the middle class. Just 26% of Americans approve of his performance on inflation and 21% on gas prices, with significant pockets of dissatisfaction even among those who overall support his presidency.

A majority of Republicans disapprove of his handling of gas prices. The share saying Trump’s policies have made cost of living rise is up 17 points overall since last year, and up 25 points among Republicans.

Distrust of both parties

The public is close to evenly split on which political party would do a better job of dealing with the economy. That contrasts with the GOP’s typical advantage on the issue during the Biden era: In one 2022 CNN survey, Americans said by a 15-point margin that the Republican Party’s economic views were closer to their own.

When it comes to cost of living, Democrats hold a 9-point advantage. That’s due in part to Republicans’ doubts about their own party: Democratic-aligned adults are 15 points likelier than GOP-aligned adults to say their party could better address the cost of living.

Democrats also lead by double digits on trust to handle income inequality, healthcare costs and helping the middle class, with a smaller edge on handling inflation. Republicans are ahead in trust to handle the stock market, with relatively close divides on which party would do a better job of dealing with taxes.

The divide on economic issues arguably leaves Democrats well-positioned on a set of issues with more populist appeal. The vast majority of Americans, 85%, describe themselves as working-class, middle-class or upper-middle class, and three-quarters say that the country’s economic system is unfairly geared toward powerful interests. By contrast, just over half of the public reports holding any investments in the stock market, including retirement funds.

But one possible warning sign for Democrats emerges here. On each of the issues tested, more than 30% of Americans – including half or more of political independents – say they trust neither party. And by an 8-point margin, the public says that there’s a bigger problem with the government giving help to too many people who “don’t deserve it” rather than failing to help enough people, suggesting some limits to the appetite for a more robust social safety net.

The poll finds registered voters closely split in their partisan preference ahead of the midterms, with 45% saying they’d support a Democratic candidate for Congress, 42% a Republican candidate, and 14% neither. Polling on congressional preference this year, including previous CNN surveys, has largely given Democrats the advantage.

Voter

Por Tal Shalev, CNN

Cientos de militantes de Hamas acusados de cometer crímenes de guerra durante el ataque de octubre de 2023 podrían enfrentar la pena de muerte después de que Israel aprobara a última hora del lunes la creación de un tribunal militar especial para juzgar sus casos.

La legislación recibió un amplio respaldo tanto de la coalición de Gobierno del primer ministro de Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, como de gran parte de la oposición, y fue aprobada con 93 votos a favor y ninguno en contra.

El Parlamento de Israel aprobó el lunes en segunda y tercera lectura un proyecto titulado “Ley de enjuiciamiento por la masacre del 7 de octubre”. La legislación crea un tribunal militar para juzgar a unos 400 miembros de Hamas pertenecientes a la unidad de élite Nukhba, detenidos en Israel desde el ataque, según dijo un funcionario israelí a CNN. Durante el ataque del 7 de octubre liderado por Hamas, el grupo militante palestino que controlaba la Franja de Gaza, los atacantes mataron a más de 1.200 personas en Israel y tomaron a 251 como rehenes.

La ley incluye un marco legal que permitirá aplicar la pena de muerte a quienes sean condenados por genocidio. El funcionario señaló que podrían pasar varios meses antes de que el tribunal quede establecido y comiencen los procedimientos.

Yulia Malinovsky, una de las impulsoras del proyecto y legisladora del partido opositor Yisrael Beytenu, comparó el tribunal con un “juicio moderno contra Eichmann”, en referencia al proceso de 1961 contra el alto funcionario nazi Adolf Eichmann. Eichmann, una figura clave del Holocausto, fue condenado en un juicio histórico en Israel y ejecutado en 1962, una de las únicas dos ejecuciones realizadas en la historia del país.

El tribunal especial tendrá sede en Jerusalén. Sus deliberaciones serán públicas y quedarán registradas en audio y video, mientras que las audiencias clave se transmitirán en un sitio web específico. Los paneles judiciales estarán encabezados por jueces distritales en funciones y retirados. El proyecto también establece que el financiamiento de la defensa legal de los acusados será descontado de los fondos transferidos a la Autoridad Palestina, aunque esa entidad no participó en el ataque del 7 de octubre.

Adalah criticó duramente la creación del tribunal y afirmó que es “fundamentalmente incompatible con el derecho a la vida, la presunción de inocencia, la independencia judicial y el estado de derecho”.

“Esta legislación convierte cualquier sentencia de muerte impuesta en una privación arbitraria de la vida, absolutamente prohibida por el derecho internacional y potencialmente un crimen de guerra”, sostuvo Adalah en un comunicado antes de la aprobación final del proyecto.

El ministro de Justicia de Israel, Yariv Levin, afirmó el domingo que la ley garantizará “no solo que se haga justicia, sino también que el registro histórico de la horrible masacre —de las víctimas, los rehenes y los responsables— perdure por generaciones”.

Según las notas explicativas del proyecto, el objetivo es “regular el enjuiciamiento de los responsables de actos de hostilidad, asesinato, violencia sexual, secuestro y saqueo perpetrados por Hamas y sus afiliados como parte del ataque terrorista coordinado y deliberado contra civiles israelíes que comenzó el 7 de octubre de 2023”. El texto define esos hechos como crímenes contra el pueblo judío, crímenes de lesa humanidad y crímenes de guerra. La legislación también abarca delitos cometidos posteriormente contra los rehenes llevados a la Franja de Gaza, incluidos quienes murieron en cautiverio.

El proyecto es independiente de la ley de pena capital aprobada por el Gobierno de Israel en marzo, que amplió la pena de muerte para palestinos condenados por terrorismo y asesinatos nacionalistas. La norma provocó fuertes críticas de Gobiernos extranjeros, organizaciones de derechos humanos y de la Autoridad Palestin

By Jessie Yeung, CNN

(CNN) — If you’re shopping for your favorite Calbee chips in Japan and see that familiar bag in black and white – it’s not a printing mistake.

The Japanese snack maker said on Tuesday it will temporarily change the packaging to grayscale and ditch its typically bright and eye-catching colors in stores nationwide because of supply chain disruptions from the Iran war.

The move comes in response to “supply instability affecting certain raw materials amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East,” the company said in a statement.

“This measure is intended to help maintain a stable supply of products.”

The black-and-white change will apply to 14 products. The new packaging will roll out on May 25 and won’t affect product quality, Calbee said.

The company didn’t specify exactly which shortages had prompted the change. But a spokesperson from the Japanese government said it had “received no reports of immediate supply issues regarding printing ink or naphtha, and we recognize that the necessary volume for Japan as a whole is being secured.”

Naphtha is a petroleum byproduct sometimes used in parts of the ink manufacturing process.

The spokesperson added that the government plans to meet with Calbee to discuss the situation and resolve any supply imbalances.

Companies around the world have been scrambling to find solutions to supply disruptions since the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February, prompting the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is a major shipping route and source of Middle Eastern oil to the rest of the world.

Already, we’ve seen these disruptions play out in different sectors: fertilizer shortages hurting farmers across Asia, and Indian rice producers unable to export their grain to Middle East markets. There are also delays in consumer deliveries around the world since Middle Eastern airlines account for a major share of global air cargo capacity.

Images released by Calbee show the new bags in varying shades of gray. The usual imagery of a hat-wearing mascot amid a sea of potato chips is gone, leaving just colourless wrapper and text labels.

The stripped-down packaging might mean shoppers need to rely more on the words on the packets, rather than the colors, when quickly grabbing their favorite flavors from supermarket shelves.

Usually, regular Calbee consumers would know that the red bag is for lightly salted potato chips, while the yellow packets with green labels are for seaweed flavor fans.

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