Israel ramps up criticism of UN agency in Gaza as it alleges 450 of its staff are Hamas militants
The only allegation communicated to him verbally was about 12 UNRWA staffers alleged to have participated in the October 7 attacks, he said, and they appeared so serious that they were fired, and two UN-ordered investigations are underway.
China unveils plan to drive economic growth above 5 per cent annually, IMF forecasts 3.5 per cent shrink
China started the year with a stock market rout and deflation at levels unseen since the global financial crisis of 2008-09. The property crisis and local government debt woes persisted, increasing pressure on China’s leaders to come up with new economic policies.
Jailbreak: Haiti prime minister’s whereabouts unknown after Kenya trip, neighbours prepare for ‘drastic escalation’ in violence
Heavy gunfire was seen near Port Au Prince’s international airport during the day, airport authorities said. The United States urged its citizens to leave Haiti “as soon as possible.” A spokesperson for the US State Department said he believed Henry was returning to Haiti.
US sanctions Zimbabwe president over ‘criminal network of government officials and businesspeople’
Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the changes to Zimbabwe’s sanctions regime “are intended to make clear what has always been true: our sanctions are not intended to target the people of Zimbabwe.”
Report by a UN team accuses Hamas of rape, gang rape occurred during attack on Israel
The UN team said it also received information from institutional and civil society sources and direct interviews, about “sexual violence against Palestinian men and women in detention settings, during house raids and at checkpoints” after October 7. The detention centres were in Israel.
International Criminal Court to hold first ever in absentia hearing over Ugandan rebel leader Kony
The LRA began its attacks in Uganda in the 1980s, when Kony sought to overthrow the government. After being pushed out of Uganda, the militia terrorized villages in Congo, Central Africa Republic and South Sudan. It was notorious for using child soldiers, mutilating civilians and enslaving women.
Republican ticket frontrunner Trump wins Colorado ballot ineligibility case at US Supreme Court
The justices unanimously overturned a December 19 decision by Colorado’s top court to kick the former president of the state’s Tuesday Republican primary ballot after finding that the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment disqualified him from again holding public office. The Colorado court had found that Trump took part in an insurrection for inciting and supporting the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.
Six Moroccans to face firing squad after Somali military court rules they’re Islamic State allies
An Ethiopian and a Somali were each sentenced to 10 years in prison, while another Somali defendant was acquitted due to lack of evidence. It was not immediately clear if any of the men had access to legal representation or where they were being held on Friday. The eight men claimed they were misled into joining the group and expressed a desire to be repatriated, Osman said.
An online protest movement exposes corruption in Uganda that has rattled officials and MPs
Mathias Mpuuga, a former opposition leader in the National Assembly, was said to have received a $131,000 “service award” for his work in Parliament. Mpuuga denies any wrongdoing, but another opposition figure who nominated Mpuuga to the parliamentary post is accusing him of abuse of office.
Palestine Question: As American Jewish support for Israel grew, Jerusalem and its allies began to push back on anti-Zionism
Instead, Breira wanted to provide the “alternative” and called for Israel to recognize Palestinians’ desire for nationhood; it was the first American Jewish group to advocate for a two-state solution. The New York Times editorialised in early 1976 that Breira was overcoming “the misapprehension of many Jewish Americans that criticism of Israeli policies would be seen as a rejection of Israel.”
