Top Israeli and Egyptian officials secretly meet to discuss possible Rafah invasionIsraeli officials said close military and diplomatic coordination with Egypt is one of the basic conditions for Israel's military action in Rafah, especially in light of Israel's intention to take control of the Philadelphi corridor, which is adjacent to the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Spokespersons for the IDF, Egypt's General Intelligence Service and Egyptian officials declined to comment.
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/24/israel-gaza-rafah-operation-egypt One soldier killed, 4 surveillance cameras destroyed in Zap - On 22 April, the occupiers and the surveillance camera systems belonging to the occupiers in Girê Amediyê Resistance Area were targeted with assassination tactics. As a result of the strikes, 1 invader was punished and 2 surveillance camera systems were destroyed. On 23 April, the surveillance camera systems of the invaders in Girê Amediyê Resistance Area were targeted with assassination tactics. As a result of the strikes, 2 surveillance camera systems were destroyed.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/kurdistan/one-soldier-killed-4-surveillance-cameras-destroyed-in-zap-72946Another ex-State Department official alleges Israeli military gets ‘special treatment’ on abuses“In my experience, Israel gets special treatment that no other country gets,” Blaha said. “And there is undue deference, in many cases, given” to Israeli officials’ side of things when the U.S. asks questions about allegations of Israeli wrongdoing against Palestinians, he added.
https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-military-aid-international-law-1e9b612631a7c20438053189c3b62187France: Top left-wing MP Mathilde Panot investigated for pro-Palestine comments“We will not be silent. No summons, no intimidation of any kind will prevent us from protesting against the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people,” Panot said in a press release. Panot is the leader of the biggest left-wing parliamentary group in the French parliament, France Unbowed (La France Insoumise/LFI), which has been outspoken in condemning the war on Gaza since 7 October.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/france-top-left-wing-mp-mathilde-panot-investigated-pro-palestine-commentsUK passes law to send asylum seekers to Rwanda after months of wranglingA controversial United Kingdom government bill to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has finally secured the approval of the upper house of parliament, which had demanded numerous amendments, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to start the first flights to Kigali within weeks.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/23/uk-law-to-send-asylum-seekers-to-rwanda-passed-after-months-of-wranglinghttps://archive.is/yWKWYEU Parliament approves plan to quit energy charter treatyThe European Parliament gave its consent on Wednesday for the EU to exit the energy charter treaty, an international agreement protecting energy investments, over concerns that it undermines efforts to fight climate change.
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/eu-parliament-approves-plan-quit-energy-charter-treaty-2024-04-24/Angry farmers in a once-lush Mexican state target avocado orchards that suck up too much water As a drought in Mexico drags on, angry subsistence farmers have begun taking direct action on thirsty avocado orchards and berry fields of commercial farms that are drying up streams in the mountains west of Mexico City. Rivers and even whole lakes are disappearing in the once green and lush state of Michoacan, as the drought combines with a surge in the use of water for the country’s lucrative export crops, led by avocados.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/villagers-mexico-organize-back-water-drought-avocados-dry-109558853Hundreds of thousands protest at Milei's attack on education fundingTuesday’s demonstration in Buenos Aires appeared even bigger than previous protests against Mr Milei’s war on public spending. Even conservative politicians, private university administrators and right-wing TV personalities joined the march to defend state education.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/hundreds-thousands-protest-mileis-attack-education-fundingVenezuela to accelerate cryptocurrency shift as oil sanctions returnPDVSA since last year had been slowly moving oil sales to USDT, a digital currency also known as Tether whose value is pegged to the U.S. dollar and designed to maintain a stable value. The return of oil sanctions is speeding up the shift, a move to reduce the risk of sale proceeds getting frozen in foreign bank accounts due to the measures, the people said.
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/venezuela-accelerate-cryptocurrency-shift-oil-sanctions-return-2024-04-22/War, fear of war spur global military spending to new record: SIPRI reportThe world spent $2.4 trillion on military forces last year, the highest amount ever recorded by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). SIPRI has been monitoring military expenditures since 1949 and found in its annual report released on Monday that in 2023 they rose to 2.3 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP) from 2.2 percent the year before.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/22/war-fear-of-war-spur-global-military-spending-to-new-record-sipri-reporthttps://archive.is/DIvAB