The Sunday Subject: November 3, 2024
Israel has banned UNRWA, the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees, from operating in its territory.
Israeli politicians accused UNRWA of being infiltrated by Hamas. Gaza’s population of 2.2 million is almost entirely dependent on aid to survive; around 90% of the population has been displaced and hundreds of thousands live in tent camps and shelters mostly run by UNRWA. The move was widely condemned internationally, including by the US and EU. The head of UNRWA, Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini, said that it was “unprecedented” for a UN member state to designate a mandated UN entity as terrorists. He also called the Israeli parliament’s decision “an affront to the very notion of the rule of law,” emphasizing the responsibility under the Geneva Conventions to ensure civilians and non-combatants are protected during conflict.
Donald Trump suggested that Liz Cheney, one of his strongest Republican critics, should be put somewhere “with nine barrels shooting at her.”
“She’s a radical war hawk,” Trump said during an event in Glendale, Arizona, with Tucker Carlson. “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK? Let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face.” Kamala Harris told reporters Trump’s remarks “must be disqualifying.” Meanwhile, in the final days of their presidential campaigns, Trump has employed fear-mongering language about immigration, repeated his 2020 election lies, and insulted and threatened his political foes, while Harris has taken a more positive approach. The race remains neck and neck.
Flash floods in Spain killed at least 200 people.
Torrential rains caused massive flooding in Spain’s southeast, turning roads into rivers of floating cars and cutting off highways. In some areas a year’s worth of rain fell in just eight hours. More than 1,000 troops have been deployed to carry out rescue operations.
Archaeologists discovered a lost Maya city under a jungle canopy in Campeche, Mexico.
The ancient site contains more than 6,600 structures, including pyramids, ball courts, and two major centers linked by causeways. Researchers believe the city was likely an important political or economic center during the Classic Maya period (250-900 CE) and may have housed up to 50,000 people.
