Your one-stop destination for all the top international stories of the day.
Death Of 100 Gazans Will Impact Hostage Negotiation
At least 100 Palestinians waiting for aid are believed to have died in Gaza on Thursday. Israel, and the Health Ministry in Gaza run by Hamas, have different versions of how the tragedy took place but it is expected to have an impact on the hostage negotiation deal currently underway in Qatar. The edited video, released by IDF, claims people were trampled upon when they rushed and surrounded the trucks where aid was being distributed by private contractors. The Gaza Health Ministry has claimed IDF forces shot dead Gazans waiting for aid.
Do China-Made Cars Pose A Security Risk In The US?
The United States will start a probe into whether China’s vehicle imports are a national security risk. The focus is expected to be on ‘connected car technology’.. where vehicles gather large amounts of sensitive data on drivers, and passengers. “China’s policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “I’m not going to let that happen on my watch.” White House officials have said no call had been taken on bringing in a ban or any restrictions on Chinese-made vehicles
Putin: Don’t Send Your Troops To Ukraine, Or Else…
In his annual address, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin was direct and clear – if the West decided to send in troops into Ukraine, the escalation could mean nuclear war and the end of civilisation. He said Russia was fully capable of hitting targets in the West and strategic nuclear forces were in a state of full readiness. The two-hour long address comes just two weeks before Russia votes where Putin is expected to return for another 6-year term.
US Congress MPs Urge Biden Not To Recognise New Pakistan Govt
Congress leaders Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal are among 31 representatives who have written to President Biden urging him not to recognize the new government in Pakistan. They want an investigation into election interference given widespread allegations of election fraud. Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N and Bilawal Bhutto’s PPP have decided to form a coalition government after no single party got a full majority. Imran Khan-backed candidates won 93 seats though not enough to form the govt on its own strength. His party has rejected the election results, claiming there was widespread rigging.
As Iran Votes, Focus On Voter Turnout That’s Expected To Be Low
It’s voting day in Iran and 61 million are eligible to vote. It’s also the first parliamentary elections after the mass protests following Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022 and many are expected to stay away as a mark of protest. Mahsa Amini’s mother wrote on Instagram that if voting would have brought a change, it would not have been allowed. As per The Guardian, jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi has said elections are stage-managed and that the true duty of Iranians is to boycott elections.
