Weekly World News

Oct 30, 2023

West Asia/Middle East:

Israel has reportedly begun its anticipated ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, with little known about the details of its actions and results on the ground so far. Meanwhile, Israel has continued its bombing campaign on the isolated strip, striking homes, schools, hospitals, mosques, churches, and UN shelters. Over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed so far, including 112 killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank. 33 aid trucks were able to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border, but the UN estimates that hundreds more would be required to meet Gaza’s humanitarian needs. Additionally, Hamas released two more hostages under Qatari-brokered negotiations.

American military positions in the Middle East have reportedly faced an increase in targeted attacks following the escalation in Gaza. United States forces faced attacks in Iraq and Syria, and a US naval vessel shot down drones launched from Yemen.

The United States General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a “humanitarian truce” between Israel and Hamas with a 120-14 majority and 45 abstentions. The resolution comes after the UN Security Council failed to pass a similar vote due to a veto from the United States. The Israeli ambassador expressed outrage at the vote, calling it “a day that will go down in infamy.”

North America:

The United States House of Representatives elected Republic Congressman Mike Johnson as the new Speaker of the House, ending a chaotic period without a speaker and subsequent inability to pass legislation. The House was without a Speaker for three weeks following the ousting of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Several nominations failed to gain the full support of the GOP, which holds only a slim majority in the House of Representatives. Mike Johnson successfully garnered the support of 220 Republicans, with 1 Republican absent and 209 Democrats voting for prominent Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. Johnson is serving his fourth term as a representative of Louisiana, making him the youngest Speaker of the House in 140 years.

Former Vice President Mike Pence announced that he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. He failed to gain significant support, recording low poll numbers and campaign funding. Pence made the announcement at an annual meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, saying, “It’s become clear to me: This is not my time.”

Sources:

Channel - https://t.me/SputnikInt_unc2