World Briefing: October 14, 2024
The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not seeking to revive hostage talks and the political leadership is pushing for the gradual annexation of large parts of the Gaza Strip, senior defense officials tell Haaretz. This comes as the beleaguered prime minister calls for the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from southern Lebanon and as Israeli forces breached the gates on one of the UN positions
Israel's military is investigating how a Hezbollah drone was able to kill four Israeli soldiers at the Binyamina camp, south of Haifa, on Sunday. Speaking at the base on Monday, Israel's military chief says "we are at war". The Lebanese health ministry says 51 people were killed across the country by Israeli air strikes on Sunday. In Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry says 62 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees says Gaza's Nuseirat camp, where 22 Palestinians were reportedly killed, was supposed to be used today to administer polio vaccines. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on the al-Aqsa Hospital complex in central Gaza killed four people, according to local officials - Israel says it was targeting a "terorrist command and control centre" - BBC
A man armed with guns and a high-capacity magazine was arrested outside Donald Trump's rally in California on Saturday, police say. Vem Miller, 49, was arrested near a checkpoint to the Coachella rally site. He was stopped and found to be in possession of multiple passports and driving licences in different names, and a fake licence plate. The incident "did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event", police say. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco says officers probably prevented a third assassination attempt, but the suspect was a "lunatic" - BBC
China's PLA releases new video of aircraft carrier Liaoning participating in military drills east of Taiwan. The US is “seriously concerned” by the exercises, which Taiwan estimates cost Beijing billions of dollars last year alone. - CNN
After inviting millions of newcomers to Canada in recent years to help lift the economy, the government has reversed course amid growing concerns that immigrants are contributing to the country’s deepening challenges around housing, health care and other issues. A series of measures unveiled this year, focused on Canada’s vast temporary residence program, has imposed barriers that have left hundreds of thousands of migrants in legal limbo. The country’s immigration minister, has announced a series of cuts to immigration quotas since the start of this year, including lowering the number of student visas issued and capping the number of temporary foreign workers that a company can employ.As part of the government’s efforts to rein in the temporary residence program, expiring or expired work permits for many immigrants may not be renewed. - NYT
A crisis is literally brewing in the Indian capital of Delhi. Beer taps are running dry and wine stocks running critically low - including at elite lounges at Delhi International Airport - due to glitches in a government- run portal that go back at least 45 days. Lounge staff tell me they’ve exhausted white wine supplies are down to last bottles of beer. On top of that new “dry days” have been introduced when liquor sales will be banned on around a half dozen religious holidays and festivals over the months of October and November.
