WORLD BRIEFING: January 16, 2024
Former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump gave a victory speech in Iowa after a convincing win in the party’s first state nominating for the 2024 election, cementing his place as the runaway frontrunner. Earlier polling in the state showed Trump with a substantial lead, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in a tight race for second place
Gaza death toll passes 24,000: At least 132 people were killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, and 252 others wounded, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health said Monday, putting the number of people killed there since October 7 over 24,000. “A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads and in ambulances, and civil defense crews cannot reach them,” the ministry said. The casualties recorded on Monday bring the total death toll in Gaza since October 7 to 24,100, and 60,834 injured, the ministry said - CNN
Houthis strike US-owned ship: A Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile struck a US-owned and operated vessel on Monday, US Central Command said in a statement. The attack against the M/V Gibraltar Eagle appears to be the first time the Houthis have successfully struck a US-owned or operated ship, raising the stakes in the Red Sea after the US vowed that further Houthi launches would be met with a response - CNN
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her far-right “frenemy”, deputy premier Matteo Salvini, have kept their rivalry largely in check since their coalition took power in late 2022. But tensions are likely to escalate ahead of European parliament elections in June, as Salvini attempts to rebuild support for his far-right League, which has been eclipsed by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI) - FT
On Monday, medics in central Israel said they attended to at least 18 wounded people, including at least seven children and minors, at the two scenes where two Palestinians allegedly rammed cars into pedestrians - WSJ
New Angus Reid poll: half of Canadians say they worry that their southern neighbour could be on the way to becoming an authoritarian state. One-in-five (22%) say that they believe the “American Age” of geopolitical dominance is already over, while 33% say it is on its last legs
Canada is looking at capping the number of international students it admits as the country tries to grapple with an ongoing housing affordability crisis. Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that the move is to tackle "a system that has gotten out of control". Nearly one million students were admitted to Canada in 2023, a record high. Meanwhile, rent for Canadians rose 22% in the last two years, driven by a persistent housing shortage. - BBC
