January 8, 2024

*) Israeli attacks on Palestine’s Gaza to continue throughout 2024 Israel’s military chief has said that the war in Gaza will likely continue throughout the year. Israel’s Army Chief of General Staff spoke about his country’s attacks on Gaza during a visit to the occupied West Bank, according to a statement from the Israeli army. He said 2024 will be "tough” and that they will “fight in Gaza all year, for sure.” *) 6,000 critically injured Palestinians in Gaza need 'urgent treatment' abroad The government in Gaza has announced that 6,000 critically injured people urgently need to be transported out of the enclave for treatment. In a statement, the media office in Gaza shared details about the "catastrophic situation" that the health sector is in due to Israeli attacks since October 7th. It said 30 hospitals in the area are out of service as more than 58,000 people have been injured due to the attacks. *) Qatar's emir meets US' Blinken, calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Abu Dhabi for the latest leg of his Middle East tour. It comes as fears grow that Israel's war in Gaza may spill into the wider region, after one of Hamas’s senior leaders was killed in a bomb attack in Beirut last week. Blinken held talks with both Jordanian and Qatari representatives in Amman and Doha. For his part, Qatar’s emir called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the blockaded territory. *) Bangladesh’s Hasina secures fifth term amid opposition boycott Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has won re-election for a fifth term, an Election Commission spokesman said in the early hours of Monday morning. The polls were boycotted by the country’s major opposition party and initial reports suggested the exercise had a meagre turnout of some 40 percent. Hasina has presided over breakneck economic growth in a country once beset by grinding poverty, but her government has been accused of rampant human rights abuses and a ruthless opposition crackdown. *) Hollywood stars attend 81st awards ceremony The 81st Golden Globe Awards has taken place in Los Angeles. It's been a huge year for cinema which saw Barbie and Oppenheimer dominate the box office. Oppenheimer also dominated the awards, winning best drama, best actor, as well as best director awards. Comedy film Poor Things also received two awards, including one for American actress Emma Stone.