WORLD BRIEFING: February 8, 2024

In Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, now in its fourth month, some 27,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and nearly two million people are displaced - NYT

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Hamas's proposed ceasefire terms - saying "total victory" in Gaza is possible within months. He was speaking after Hamas laid out a series of demands in response to an Israel-backed ceasefire proposal. He said negotiations with the group were "not going anywhere" and described their terms as "bizarre". Talks between negotiators are continuing. "There is no other solution but a complete and final victory," Mr Netanyahu told a press conference on Wednesday. "If Hamas will survive in Gaza, it's only a question of time until the next massacre." - BBC

Pakistan has suspended mobile calls and data services as millions head to the polls to vote in a new government. An interior ministry spokesman said the measure was warranted, citing recent incidents of terror in the country. The election comes almost two years since the previous prime minister, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, was ousted in a no-confidence vote. Three-time PM Nawaz Sharif is now on the ballot in what many analysts say is Pakistan's least credible election yet - BBC

‪There was an overnight Russian drone attack on Ukraine. In all, 11 of 17 Russian drones intercepted. As a result of the impact of a drone in Odesa, an unfinished high-rise building, and an educational institution damaged - officials ‬

Azerbaijan's incumbent strongman Ilham Aliyev looks set to breeze to a fifth consecutive term as president, according to nearly complete results of a snap electioncriticized by watchdogs as being neither free nor fair. Aliyev, who called the early election following Baku's swift and decisive victory over ethnic Armenian separatists in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, faced no opposition amid a crackdown on independent media and the absence of any real contender. The Central Election Commission said early on February 8 that with just over 93 percent of the ballots counted, Aliyev garnered 92.05 percent of the votes - RFE/RL

An alleged Russian spy is claimed to have lied to gain asylum in Britain before working for the country’s spy agencies and meeting with the future King. The Afghanistan refugee is alleged to have acted as a spy for Russia while working for GCHQ and MI6. He also had access to working alongside two ministers along with the then Prince Charles and Prince William, during his time in Afghanistan working for the British government. It is said he had both Russian and British citizenship but went on to be stripped of his UK passport in 2019. The step was taken as MI5 believed he had acted for the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency, which was said to be behind the nerve agent attack in Salisbury a year earlier. He admitted in a hearing before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) on Tuesday that he had lied in his asylum application and said he had opted not to say he had been living in Russia over fear he would have to leave the country - The Telegraph

A new poll from Ipsos says nearly two-thirds of Canadians believe Canada is already doing enough to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, and about half say Canada cannot afford to give Ukraine more financial aid. In fact, 40 per cent of Canadians think Ukraine should negotiate a peace settlement with Russia. But a deeper dive into those numbers shows a partisan split with those who identify themselves as Conservative voters much more likely to have softer support for Ukraine than those who identify as Liberals, New Democrat or BQ voters. That partisan divide came to a head in the House of Commons Tuesday with a vote on a Canada-Ukraine trade deal - Global National.

This review is reprinted with the author’s permission from his World Briefing blog.

See the original here.