Brock Turner was convicted of three felonies for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on the Californian campus, but spent only three months in prison
Hello, this is Anna getting you caught up on Wednesday's news from around the world.
Today's headlines
Brock Turner case judge recalled
The California judge who was universally slammed for his presiding over the Stanford sexual assault case, People v. Turner, has been recalled from office by local voters in an extremely rare outcome in the US court system. It is a landmark victory for activists who have spent two years calling for the official to be removed from his post. Judge Aaron Persky faced international condemnation in June 2016 after he sentenced the ex-Stanford University student Brock Turner to just six months in jail. Turner had been convicted of three felonies for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman outside a fraternity party in northern California. The law calls for a minimum of two years in state prison for Turner’s offenses, but Persky ordered more limited jail time and probation, which resulted in Turner being released after only three months.
Fuego erupts again
Rescue efforts in Guatemala have been suspended after its Fuego volcano erupted for a second time on Tuesday afternoon, shooting out a fresh torrent of volcanic matter. Hundreds of villagers and rescue workers were evacuated just before the latest eruption discharged volcanic matter down the south side and a towering plume of smoke rose into the sky. The official death toll as it stands is 70, but hundreds – possibly thousands – of people remain unaccounted for. Many of the people from the communities who lived on the foothills of Fuego - where it’s been too hot and dangerous for rescue workers to even get close to - are unknown on public records.
Qatar Airways
The boss of Qatar Airways has issued ‘heartfelt apologies for any offence caused’ for saying that a woman could not do his job because it is too difficult. Akbar al-Baker said on Tuesday that the airline had to be run by a man ‘because it is a very challenging position’. He then defended Qatar Airways' record on gender diversity, which failed to hush growing criticism. In a statement on Wednesday, al-Baker said Qatar Airways fully supported gender equality. He said his comments on Tuesday were ‘sensationalised by the media... Qatar Airways is made stronger by its female employees for whom I hold nothing but the highest regard.’
A fashion icon dies
Kate Brosnahan Spade, who created an iconic handbag line that bridged Main Street and high-end fashion, hanged herself in an apparent suicide Tuesday at her Manhattan apartment, according to New York Police Department sources and worldwide media reports. Police responded at 10:10 a.m. after Spade was found by her housekeeper, NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said. A suicide note was found at the scene, he said, addressed to her daughter.
India to ban single-use plastic
India has pledged to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by 2022, prime minister Narendra Modi announced. Modi’s move aims to drastically reduce the flow of plastic from the 1.3 billion people living in the large country. ‘The choices that we make today will define our collective future,’ said Modi on Tuesday. ‘The choices may not be easy. But through awareness, technology, and a genuine global partnership, I am sure we can make the right choices. Let us all join together to beat plastic pollution and make this planet a better place to live.’
Canada’s marijuana experiment
All eyes are on Canada as a vote in the Senate on Thursday is expected to ratify Bill C-45, effectively making Canada the first G20 nation to legalise recreational marijuana use. Each Canadian province plans to roll out its marijuana market in a slightly different way, creating about a dozen mini-laboratories within one huge test case.