Vehicle explodes, forcing US-Canada border closings
A vehicle exploded on Nov 22 at the Rainbow Bridge connecting the United States and Canada at Niagara Falls, prompting authorities to close all four border crossings between western New York and Canada, US and Canadian officials said.
The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force was mobilised to investigate the incident, according to New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
Two people in the vehicle were killed in the blast and one border patrol official was injured, the Fox News Channel reported, citing unnamed sources.
Official details of the incident were murky. The Niagara Gazette newspaper, citing law enforcement sources, said the car sped onto the bridge plaza, went through a fence separating the inbound lanes from the outbound lanes, and towards the inspection lanes, where it exploded.
Israel army shows reporters tunnel in Gaza hospital
Israeli soldiers escorted journalists through a war-ravaged landscape to Gaza’s largest hospital on Nov 22, to show them a tunnel shaft they said was part of a vast underground network Hamas uses for military purposes.
For weeks, Al-Shifa Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip has been the focal point of the fight between Israel and the Palestinian militants.
Israeli officials say Hamas has been using the hospital to hide weapons and command centres – a claim denied by medical staff and the Islamist movement.
Putin bristles as leaders criticise Russia’s Ukraine invasion
In his first address to officials from the Group of 20 leading economies since his invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Nov 22 rebuffed criticism that the war’s aggression was “shocking” and accused Western nations of a double standard because of their response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Appearing at a virtual meeting of the G-20, he called the war in Ukraine “a tragedy” that must be stopped and said Russia had “never refused” to engage in peace negotiations.
For Mr Putin, it was a rare interaction with Western leaders since the start of the war last year. It was also the first time he had to listen to direct, public criticism of the invasion at an international event. Once he had a chance to respond, Mr Putin could not hide his irritation.
Estonia accuses Russia of helping migrants to its border
Estonia’s interior minister accused Russia on Nov 22 of being involved in “a hybrid attack operation” to bring migrants to its border, aiming to undermine security and unsettle the Baltic state’s population.
A total of 75 migrants, largely from Somalia and Syria, have attempted to enter Estonia from Russia through the Narva crossing point since Nov 16, Estonia’s public broadcaster ERR reported. None have asked for an asylum and all were turned back, the interior ministry said.
Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets said migrants were appearing at the Estonian border points “in an orchestrated manner and in groups of 7-11 people”, and Russian border guards were filming with a pre-prepared recorder as migrants were turned back by the Estonians on Nov 20.
Dutch far-right leader leads in election exit poll
Far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders is on course to lead the largest bloc in the Dutch parliament, although he may face an uphill struggle in finding partners to join him in a governing coalition.
After a late surge in the final days of the campaign, Mr Wilders’ Freedom Party is projected to win 35 seats, substantially less than the 76 required to secure an outright majority, according to an exit poll from public broadcaster NOS.
If the projections are accurate, his prospects of leading the next government will hinge on his ability to forge alliances with rival parties, some of whom have already ruled out working with him.
