Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 War in Israel: Outcry Grows Over Gaza Crisis
Hamas and Israel have both committed war crimes during the past month, the UN human rights chief said. Volker Türk also urged both sides to agree to a ceasefire to allow aid deliveries to Gaza, the release of hostages by Hamas, and to work toward an "end to the occupation." Israel's military pushed back against war crimes accusations, saying its strikes on Hamas targets followed international law and sought to minimize civilian casualties. Meanwhile, the US and its G7 allies have repeatedly rejected calls for a ceasefire, putting them at odds with mounting calls from their Arab partners and international aid agencies.
2 Last Night's Third Republican Debate Involved Personal Attacks Between Haley And Ramaswamy
With the shots back and forth between former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy at last night’s third Republican presidential debate, it was obvious that there’s still heat between the two candidates. At one point, Ramaswamy answered a question by asking if voters wanted a member of the next generation in charge, or “Dick Cheney in three-inch heels.” Haley responded by saying, “They’re five-inch heels, and I don’t wear them unless you can run in them,” then added, “They’re not a fashion statement. They’re for ammunition.” The stand-out moment between the two came when Ramaswamy took aim at Haley for her opposition to TikTok, saying that Haley’s daughter is on TikTok. “Leave my daughter out of your voice,” Haley said, then finished a few seconds later by saying “You’re just scum.” When asked at the start of the debate why they should be the Republican nominee instead of former President Donald Trump, the candidates took the opportunity to go on the attack against Trump. Haley said that Trump “was the right president at the right time, but he’s not the right president for this time.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ran through a long list of things he said Trump should be at the debate to explain, including his failure to “drain the swamp,” the debt that was added during the Trump administration, and ended by saying, “He said Republicans would get tired of winning, but look at last night…I’m tired of Republicans losing.”
3 The SAG-AFTRA Strike Ended At Midnight After Tentative Agreement Reached Yesterday
A deal was reached to end the SAG-AFTRA strike yesterday after 118 days. The union announced yesterday that the tentative agreement was approved by a unanimous vote of its negotiating committee and will now go to the national board for approval tomorrow. The union isn’t waiting until the eventual vote by its membership to ratify the new deal before ending its labor action, declaring the strike suspended as of 12:01 a.m. this morning. While the details of the deal won’t be revealed before tomorrow, the union said in a thread on X that the contract is valued at over one billion dollars, including a streaming participation bonus, raises in pension and health caps, and “outsize compensation increases for background performers.” The deal will reportedly see most minimums increase by 7-percent, which is two percent above the increases negotiated by the Writers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America.