July 24, 2024

*) Netanyahu visit sparks wave of protests in DC, with all sides criticising the Israeli PM The arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has touched off a flurry of protests in the US capital, including a sit-in at a congressional office building that ended with multiple arrests. Some of the demonstrations have condemned Israel but others have expressed support while pressuring Netanyahu to strike a ceasefire deal and bring home the hostages. Dozens of protesters rallied outside his hotel Monday evening, and on Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of demonstrators staged a flash mob-style protest in the Cannon Building, which houses offices of House of Representatives members. *) WHO ‘extremely worried’ over possible polio outbreak in Gaza A top WHO official said he was “extremely worried” over possible outbreaks in war-torn Gaza after poliovirus was detected in the sewage. The official warned that communicable diseases could cause more deaths than injuries. But since human samples were yet to be collected, according to the WHO, it remained unclear if anyone was actually infected with the virus. *) Secret Service asks Trump to cancel outdoor rallies: report In a dramatic turn of events, the US Secret Service has thrown a major wrench into former US president Donald Trump’s campaign plans following a harrowing assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. According to the Washington Post, the Secret Service has asked Trump’s team to stop large outdoor rallies and events, reflecting concerns over the former president’s safety. The assassination attempt has prompted the Secret Service to re-evaluate the risks associated with Trump’s public appearances. *) Death toll soars to over 200 in Ethiopia landslide Using shovels or their bare hands, local residents searched desperately for survivors after a landslide in a remote area of southern Ethiopia killed at least 229 people. It is reported to be the deadliest disaster recorded in the Horn of Africa nation. So far, 148 men and 81 women are confirmed to have lost their lives after the disaster struck in the Kencho-Shacha locality in the Gofa Zone on Monday. And finally… *) IOC mulls Palestinian call for Israel ban from Paris 2024 The International Olympic Committee has been weighing a Palestinian call for Israeli athletes to be barred from the Games over the war in Gaza, three days before the Opening Ceremony in Paris. As the Israeli Olympic team settled into the Athletes’ Village on Tuesday, the IOC was studying a letter sent by the Palestine Olympic Committee to President Thomas Bach. The letter sent on Monday asked him to ban the Israelis, citing the bombings of besieged Gaza as a breach of the Olympic truce.