World events 13 in a concentrated form, understandable
World events 13.
Israeli troops are massing for what’s widely seen as an inevitable ground invasion of the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas’s attack.
To see important ads, turn off your ad blocker! Article continued below:But such an operation will be complicated by the enclave’s dense population, complex network of subterranean tunnels, and the danger to scores of hostages being held by Palestinian militant groups.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon said it hit an Israeli military post with guided missiles.
World events 13 Russia.
Russia is set to benefit from the Israel-Hamas conflict, as Israel’s requests for US military aid risk diverting weapons and focus from Ukraine and rising oil prices bolster Moscow’s economy.
While the US and NATO allies have dismissed concerns about their ability to continue supporting Ukraine, there’s a clear understanding in the Kremlin that the war between Israel and Hamas will work to Russia’s favor, sources say.
China.
China’s Middle East special envoy called for humanitarian support for the Palestinian people in his first public response to Hamas’s attack on Israel — an assault that’s testing Beijing’s ambitions to play peacemaker in the region.
Zhai Jun said China’s ready to coordinate with Egypt to promote an immediate cease-fire in a phone call with an Egyptian Foreign Ministry official, according to a statement from Beijing.
World events 13, Poland.
Poland, the largest eastern European Union member, faces arguably its most vicious and divisive election since the end of communism.
Sunday’s vote will decide not just if Poland diverges further from western Europe socially and politically, but will indicate whether the continent can stand united in its support of Ukraine amid growing signs of war fatigue among electorates.
Mexico.
Claudia Sheinbaum’s work as a scientist and former mayor of Mexico City make her look like a climate president in the making.
A top contender to become the nation’s next leader, she’s also a protégé of the incumbent, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who’s a strong backer of fossil fuels.
The question is whether she will fight to cut greenhouse gas emissions if she wins the election in June.
Slovakia.
Slovakia’s Robert Fico won the backing of two allied parties, putting the former prime minister who campaigned to end military aid to Ukraine on course to return to power.
Crime.
An Indian crime investigating agency raided the office of an online news portal and the home of its founder, sources say, as a crackdown intensifies against a media outlet critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Military.
The US formally designated Niger’s military uprising a coup, a move that will halt counter-terrorism cooperation and $500 million in aid while still keeping its largest military presence in Africa outside of Djibouti.
World events 13, Biden and Israel
Despite Biden’s full-throated support for Israel, in the recent past his administration kept Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who enjoyed a cozy relationship with former President Donald Trump, at arm’s length.
The decision reflected both distaste for his government — the most right-wing in Israel’s history — and the complex nature of Biden’s base, which includes both a large bloc of urban Jewish voters as well as young liberals sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians.
Since the crisis, Biden has called Netanyahu at least three times to coordinate a response and sent a six-vessel aircraft carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean.
Then there is the Ukraine factor and the resistance by conservative Republicans to approve more military aid to Kyiv to thwart Russia’s invasion.
Many lawmakers hope they’ll be able to push through a spending package that includes both countries, but others have suggested diverting Ukraine funding to Israel.
The risk for Biden is that world events largely beyond his control may distract from his domestic achievements, and upend his campaign for another term in the White House.
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