January 24, 2024

*) Israel suffers deadliest single-day loss since start of Gaza ground war Twenty-four Israeli soldiers have been killed in the biggest single-day losses since the start of its ground war in Gaza. Intense fighting has been raging in southern and central Gaza, where Israel says it has been attacking the remaining strongholds of Hamas and trying to clear areas near the border. It was in one of those border areas that 21 of the soldiers died when there was an explosion in a building and it collapsed. Israel's brutal war on Gaza — now in its 110th day — has killed at least 25,490 Palestinians and wounded 63,354, local authorities say. *) EU says Israel can't 'have veto' to block creation of Palestinian state EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell has said that Israel cannot be allowed to unilaterally block the creation of a Palestinian state after the war. This comes after Borell chaired talks between the EU's 27 foreign ministers and top diplomats from Israel, the Palestinian Authority and key Arab states. Meanwhile, speaking at the UN Security Council meeting, the Palestinian foreign minister said Israel had denied Palestinians existence, rights and humanity. *) Ukraine war hits day 700 amid spike in Russian missile strikes The war in Ukraine has hit its 700th day amid a spike in Russian missile strikes. A wave of new Russian missiles hit Kiev and other Ukrainian cities, killing 18 people and wounding more than 100, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Rescue workers in Kharkiv hauled survivors from smouldering piles of rubble as apartment blocks were toppled by the strikes. *) Türkiye slams international failure to stop bloodshed in Gaza Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has criticised the international community for its perceived failure to intervene and halt Israel's ongoing conflict with Palestine. Fidan said that the argument claiming the current war is primarily about ensuring Israel's security lacks credibility. He criticised the proponents of this viewpoint for neglecting to address the security concerns of Palestinians and Palestine's right to self-defence. And finally… *) Trump triumphs in New Hampshire primary, leaving Haley in shadows Donald Trump has won the New Hampshire's Republican primary, delivering a setback to rival Nikki Haley. Tuesday was his second straight victory in his quest for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. He won Iowa's leadoff caucuses by 30 percentage points. Allies of President Joe Biden, meanwhile, are hoping their write-in campaign on the Democratic side is successful.