Biden plan to strike back at Iran for killing of three US soldiers in Jordan considered risky in an election year
On Tuesday, one of the major Iran-backed militia groups, Kataib Hezbollah, announced in a statement “the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces” in Iraq, referring to US troops. The group, which US officials consider a top suspect in the Jordan attack, said the suspension was to “prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government.”
Biden or Trump: To the Chinese, an American cat whether black or white is a bad cat
In China’s social media, many commentators appear to be favouring Trump, whom they see not only as a businessman up for a deal but also a disruptive force that undermines American democracy and US global leadership to the benefit of Beijing. Trump’s policies and remarks as president earned him the nickname of Chuan Jianguo or “Trump, the (Chinese) nation builder,” an implication that he was helping Beijing.
Israel accuses 190 UN workers, among them teachers and doctors, of being ‘hardened’ militants
The agency employs 13,000 people in Gaza. More than 10 countries, including major donors the United States and Germany, have halted their funding to the agency.
Political pressure builds on Biden to strike Iran after US deaths, but experts warn of risk of all-out war
Biden said the United States would respond, without giving any more details. Republicans accused Biden of letting American forces become sitting ducks, waiting for the day when a drone or missile would evade base defences.
UN to consider criminal action against Palestinian agency workers, tells donors not to pause funding
Since the October 7 attacks, which killed 1,200 people in Israel, most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have become reliant on the aid UNRWA provides, including about one million who have fled Israeli bombardments sheltering in its facilities.
Senior Biden official reveals US-engineered deal to pause war and free Israeli hostages is near
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to continue the offensive until complete victory over Hamas is achieved. Netanyahu has faced increasing pressure from the families of many hostages who are demanding a deal to win their loved ones’ release.
Revealed: Pentagon tried to hide that it bought Americans’ data without a warrant
Ron Wyden, the US senator from Oregon, informed the nation’s intelligence chief, Avril Haines, on Thursday that the Pentagon only agreed to release details about the data purchases, which had always been unclassified, after Wyden hindered the Senate’s efforts to appoint a new director of the National Security Agency.
Spotlight turns on possible complicity of UN workers in Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy accused UNRWA of announcing the news while the world’s attention was focused on the World Court ordering Israel to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and do more to help civilians in Gaza.
GOP primaries frontrunner Donald Trump still in a rut as Supreme Court is urged to rule him ineligible to run
Lawyers called for a decision that makes clear that what happened on January 6 was an insurrection, for which Trump bears responsibility. The president is covered by the constitutional provision at issue and Congress doesn’t need to take action before states can apply it, the lawyers wrote.
Donald Trump ordered to pay journalist Carroll $83.3 million for rape, reputational hurt
Carroll’s case has become an issue in Trump’s campaign to retake the White House in the November US election. Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden, who beat him in 2020.
