A 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was trapped in a car with her dead relatives after it came under Israeli fire in Gaza last month has been found dead.

On January 29, Hind Rajab had been traveling in a car with her uncle, his wife and their four children, fleeing fighting in northern Gaza, when they came under Israeli fire, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS).

The PRCS also confirmed the death of two ambulance workers dispatched to rescue the girl.

“The occupation deliberately targeted the Red Crescent crew despite obtaining prior coordination to allow the ambulance to reach the location to rescue the girl Hind,” read the statement.

Hind’s cousin, 15-year-old Layan Hamadeh, made a desperate call for help to emergency services that was recorded by the PRCS and shared on social media. Audio of gunshots heard during the call revealed that Hamadeh was killed while making the call.

“They are shooting at us. The tank is right next to me. We’re in the car, the tank is right next to us,” Layan screams, amid intense gunfire in the background.

Layan then goes quiet, and the rounds of fire stop.

The paramedic on the phone tries to speak to her, repeatedly saying, “Hello? Hello?” but there is no response.

Alone, terrified and trapped in the car with the bodies of her relatives around her, Hind made a desperate call for help.

“Come take me. Will you come and take me? I’m so scared, please come!” Hind can be heard saying in a recording of the call to responders, released by the PRCS.

Hind’s mother Wissam Hamada said her daughter dreamed of becoming a doctor.

Australian police are combing a large swathe of bushland in the state of Victoria for a woman who has been missing without a trace since going for a run six days ago.

Samantha Murphy left her Ballarat home for a run in the Woowookarung Regional Park at 7am on Sunday, according to Victorian police.

Her family raised the alarm when the 51-year-old mother failed to return, and no sign of her or her belongings have been found despite an extensive search by police and community members.

Detectives from the Missing Persons Squad took control of the operation on Friday, coordinating local police, search and rescue services, police dogs and mounted officers who are scouring the area.

“I want to be clear that at this time, we have nothing immediate to indicate there is anything sinister behind Samantha’s disappearance,” detective acting superintendent Mark Hatt said on Friday.

But high temperatures over recent days – sometimes reaching 37 degrees Celsius (98 Fahrenheit) – and the length of time she’s been missing have fueled concerns for her safety.

Hatt confirmed that Murphy had her phone with her and that police had been working with communication technicians throughout the investigation.

Murphy was last seen wearing black half-length leggings and a maroon singlet, according to Victoria Police, who have circulated an image of her taken by the family’s security cameras on Sunday.

Her daughter, Jess, made an emotional plea on Thursday, saying how much she wants her mother to “come home soon” and can’t wait to give her “the biggest hug.”

“I know she’s out there somewhere, so if you could please continue to search for her to give us something to work with,” she said.

Woowookarung Regional Park spans 641 hectares, about twice the size of the Central Park in New York City and is popular among local joggers and cyclists for its scenic trails.

Inspector Bob Heaney said the terrain involved in the search had been “challenging,” with many unused mines, waterways and thick scrub.

But a local resident later came forward to identify herself in the footage, dashing hopes for a potential lead, the news network said.

A Facebook group called Find Samantha Murphy has been created with almost 14,000 followers as of Friday. Users discussed the search operation and shared their good wishes.

Speaking alongside his daughter on Thursday, her husband, Michael, urged local residents to report every “little thing” they find relevant.

“It’ll give us a bit of peace of mind if we get some hope,” he said.

Internet connectivity was shut down for a third day in Sudan amid ongoing clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that have left thousands killed and millions displaced in nearly 10 months of fighting.

Internet monitoring firm, Netblocks confirmed the outage Friday, saying that “a near-total telecoms blackout” has limited communication in the country and prevented the Sudanese people from seeking safe zones and accessing healthcare and banking services.

The Sudanese foreign ministry blamed the RSF for the blackout which further complicates the dilemma of millions of locals unable to flee the conflict and who the UN says are in dire need of humanitarian aid. The RSF has yet to publicly deny responsibility for the blackout.

The UN on Wednesday appealed for $4.1 billion to meet the “most urgent humanitarian needs” amidst “epic suffering” in Sudan, adding that half of its population – some 25 million people need support and protection, with millions hungry and displaced by the war.

Citizens facing acute hunger

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN’s Refugee Agency (UNHCR) launched the joint appeal, seeking $2.7 billion for humanitarian aid to 14.7 million people, and $1.4 billion to support nearly 2.7 million refugees in five countries neighboring Sudan.

“Ten months of conflict have robbed the people of Sudan of nearly everything – their safety, their homes and their livelihoods,” said the UN’s emergency aid chief Martin Griffiths, adding that last year’s appeal was less than half funded.

While the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary RSF have both failed to honor their previous commitments to facilitate humanitarian aid for civilians, attacks on humanitarian workers, facilities and supply convoys have taken place since the war’s outset. Humanitarian aid has been severely hampered by the fighting and lack of access.

The RSF on Thursday, in an apparent effort to deflect responsibility for the large scale civilian suffering in Sudan called for “prompt action from regional and international organizations and agencies to provide urgent relief, adding that Sudanese civilians were “facing the real possibility of starvation.”

The organization’s head, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, in a post on X, wrote that the crisis is “largely due to the obstruction of humanitarian aid by the opposing forces”.

Nearly 18 million people are facing acute hunger, according to OCHA, with civilian infrastructure like water supplies damaged by the fighting, and three-quarters of health facilities not functioning in conflict areas.

Some 19 million children not attending school, continued widespread human rights violations, and gender-based violence are among the challenges cited in the UN’s funding appeal.

The war that erupted in April 2023 between Sudan’s Armed forces and the paramilitary RSF has created the world’s largest displacement crisis, with children making up nearly 4 million of those fleeing their homes.

In Sudan’s North Darfur Zamzam camp for displaced people, at least one child dies every two hours from malnutrition, according to estimates by the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders.

Sudan’s two warring factions have been accused of gross human rights violations.

The US determined that both SAF and RSF members have committed war crimes, holding the latter responsible for crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in Sudan.

The International Criminal Court prosecutor said “there are grounds to believe” genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity – are being committed in Sudan’s Darfur region by both SAF and RSF, and their affiliated groups.

Satellite images show Venezuela has bolstered its military presence near the border with Guyana, despite Caracas saying it would pursue a diplomatic avenue to try and resolve the long-standing territorial dispute over an oil-rich piece of Guyanese land.

Imagery from Maxar collected in January showed an expansion of operations at Venezuela’s Anacoco Island military base, on the Cuyuni river, which borders Guyana, with several new sections of rainforest cleared recently and others being bulldozed when the images were captured.

The pictures also show new infrastructure and several armored vehicles present on site.

While the base’s airstrip appeared unchanged, a helicopter could be seen on it, and access roads were improved.

North of the base, on the Cuyuni River crossing that provides land access to the base, a heavy river ferry is visible, and large swaths of rainforest have been cleared. Large stockpiles of what appear to be construction supplies are visible on the side of the road, as are three armored vehicles.

In January, Venezuela bragged about expanding its military presence in the region in propaganda videos released on its army’s social media accounts, showing bulldozers clearing land, as well as light tanks and infantry fighting vehicles on the move and an Mi-17 military transport helicopter.

“[The expansion of the base] promoted by the 11th Armoured Brigade together with the 6th Venezuelan Army Corps Engineers, is improving the response system of the FANB in this important border area with the state of Guayana Esequiba and repelling any eventuality that attempts against the Republic,” the Venezuelan Army said in a post on X.

The expansion of Venezuelan operations along the disputed border was first reported by the Washington-based think tank, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Tension over the land, which amounts to about two-thirds of Guyanese national territory, mounted last year after a Venezuelan referendum in which voters assented to creating a Venezuelan state within the disputed region. Guyana had called the move a step towards annexation and an “existential” threat as the specter of armed conflict loomed over the region.

Venezuela later reached an agreement with Guyana on December 15 to avoid escalation and try to settle the dispute between the two countries without force.

In a joint declaration, both sides agreed to “not threaten or use force against one another in any circumstances” and “refrain, whether by words or deeds, from escalating any conflict or disagreement arising from any controversy between them.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the country’s military to plan for the “evacuation of the population” from Rafah, his office said in a statement on Friday, ahead of an anticipated ground assault on the southern Gaza city.

More than 1.3 million people are believed to be in Rafah, the majority displaced from other parts of Gaza, according to the United Nations.

Netanyahu on Thursday said that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would “soon go into Rafah, Hamas’s last bastion.”

Many Palestinians have trekked through the enclave and taken refuge in the city as the IDF’s campaign has moved south through Gaza.

But it is unclear where next they could go; the city borders Egypt to the south, but the border into the country has been closed for months.

In the statement, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said that it was not possible to both eliminate Hamas and leave “four Hamas battalions in Rafah.”

“On the other hand, it is clear that a massive operation in Rafah requires the evacuation of the civilian population from the combat zones.”

“That is why the Prime Minister directed the IDF and the defense establishment to bring to the Cabinet a dual plan for both the evacuation of the population and the disbanding of the battalions.”

Rafah is the last major population center in Gaza not occupied by the IDF.

It has rapidly become home to a huge population of displaced Palestinians. Satellite images showed this week how a tent city in Rafah has swelled in size in just a few weeks, as more Gazans descend on the area to escape the IDF’s campaign.

In a statement Friday, the office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the plan for military escalation and called a potential evacuation a “real threat” and “dangerous prelude” to the Israeli displacement of Palestinian people from their land.

“The time has come for everyone to bear their responsibility in the face of creating another catastrophe that will push the entire region into endless wars,” the statement said.

“We are praying to God that what happened in Gaza City does not happen in Rafah because if the same happens in Rafah we will have no place to go,” Mohammad Jamal Abu Tour said.

“If we go to Gaza City or Khan Younis or El Nuseirat we are not going to find the supplies that were provided for us here in Rafah,” he added. “We keep hearing that in Gaza City they can’t find clean water and that they are eating grass, they drink from the sea, God help them.”

Mahmoud Khalil Amer, who was displaced from the Al Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, said he stayed in a tent near a cemetery in Rafah. “We are not living, the dead are better than us,” he said.

A spokesperson for the United States State Department said Thursday that the US would not support an Israeli military operation in Rafah “without serious planning.”

“To conduct such an operation right now with no planning and little thought in an area where there is sheltering of a million people would be a disaster,” Deputy State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a press briefing Thursday.

Later on Thursday, President Joe Biden offered one of his sharpest rebukes to date of Israel’s military conduct saying the operation to go after Hamas had been “over the top.”

“I’m of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza – in the Gaza Strip – has been over the top,” Biden told reporters at the White House, describing his own efforts to open up Gaza so more humanitarian aid could flow in.

“I’ve been pushing really hard – really hard – to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza. A lot of innocent people are starving. A lot innocent people in trouble and dying. And it’s got to stop,” Biden said.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) meanwhile said in a press release Thursday that Rafah could soon turn “into a zone of bloodshed and destruction that people won’t be able to escape.”

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is months out from a crucial election seen as a barometer of his mid-term popularity, but surveys show he has a big problem – the latest scandal surrounding his wife.

Kim Keon Hee, 51, is not a typical first lady in patriarchal South Korea. She had already established a career in organizing art exhibitions when she married Yoon, then a prosecutor, 12 years ago. The couple have no children but own a brood of cats and dogs whose photos feature prominently in Yoon’s presidential office.

Unlike her predecessors, who mostly kept a low profile in the shadow of their husbands, Kim has her own fan club and appears comfortable in the spotlight – as an avid promoter of Korean culture, a vocal critic of the dog meat trade and a glamorous fashionista on overseas trips with Yoon, often donning outfits from domestic brands.

But it was reportedly her love of designer handbags that has thrust the first lady into the center of a raging political storm, in which she was accused of accepting a $2,200 Christian Dior bag as a gift.

The first lady is no stranger to controversy – over the past few years, she has apologized for resume-padding and has faced allegations from academic plagiarism to stock manipulation.

Kim has not publicly commented on the two latter accusations. The presidential office has repeatedly denied that she was involved in stock manipulation.

The latest storm swirling around Kim has refused to blow over. Instead, it has escalated into a full-blown crisis for Yoon and South Korea’s ruling party as they gear up for a closely contested parliamentary election in April.

“The Dior bag is the proverbial needle that broke the camel’s back,” said Cho Hee-kyoung, a law professor at Hongik University in Seoul, citing the “never-ending litany of scandal” surrounding Kim since Yoon started campaigning for president.

“But with the Dior bag, there is this powerful visual evidence.”

‘Dior bag scandal’

The controversy began in late November, when a secretly filmed video surfaced online purporting to show Kim receiving a cloud blue, calfskin “Lady Dior Pouch” from a Korean American pastor, Choi Jae-young.

“Why do you keep bringing these? Please, you don’t need to do this,” the first lady is heard saying in the video when presented with the gift. The footage does not show her taking the bag from Choi, though a Dior shopping bag is seen placed on a coffee table as they continue their conversation.

According to Choi, the meeting took place in Kim’s personal office at her art exhibition company in September 2022, months after Yoon took office as president. Choi said he recorded the meeting with a secret camera hidden in his wristwatch.

The footage was released more than a year later by Voice of Seoul, a left-leaning YouTube channel known to be highly critical of Yoon’s conservative government. The channel also provided Choi with the wristwatch and the Dior bag, according to the pastor.

South Korea’s anti-graft law bans public officials and their spouses from receiving gifts valued at more than $750 in connection with their public duties. By appearing to not reject the bag, Kim gave ammunition to critics who have long accused her of using her position for personal gain.

If there’s a problem, it was that she couldn’t cut him off more cold-heartedly and that’s regrettable

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol

On Wednesday, Yoon addressed the allegations publicly for the first time, claiming the video’s release was designed to influence the April vote.

“This is clearly a political stunt, involving hidden camera footage captured a year ago and releasing it before an election,” the president said in an interview with public broadcaster KBS.

“Going forward, my wife and I need to be more clear and firm when dealing with people so that the public doesn’t worry.”

Yoon did not specifically deny that his wife had accepted the bag but expressed regret that Kim was not more resolute with Choi.

“My wife lost her father during middle school, so when people from her hometown approach her, it’s difficult for her to be cold to them,” he said. “She couldn’t say no to him when he kept telling her to visit. If there’s a problem, it was that she couldn’t cut him off more cold-heartedly and that’s regrettable.”

Some Yoon supporters have also accused Choi and the Voice of Seoul of setting a trap to smear the first lady and influence the upcoming election. Choi, an advocate for Korean reunification, has promoted friendly relations with North Korea, in contrast to Yoon’s tough stance against Pyongyang.

Shin Pyeong, a lawyer and close supporter of Yoon, pointed to patriarchal attitudes in South Korea’s traditionally conservative society, saying at the root of the scandal “lies the dark side of ‘misogyny’ and ‘phallic worship.’”

“There is no other way to explain this strange craze that is biased against Kim,” he said in a social media post in January, adding that in South Korea, “prejudice against women is still deeply rooted.”

But critics say it has nothing to do with misogyny.

“It seems that the first lady seeks too much attention and there seems to be no one who can rein her in,” said Cho, the law professor.

“I don’t think it’s got much to do with patriarchy. Her conduct would be objectionable even in a matriarchy,” she said.

In a news conference in January, Choi defended his use of a hidden camera to film Kim, saying it was necessary to expose her alleged abuse of her position as first lady.

Choi said he had approached Kim on a messaging app to share advice on North Korea policy when Yoon was running for president. He said she agreed to a meeting in June 2022, during which his offer of a Chanel cosmetics set worth $1,300 was accepted by the first lady.

Choi claimed he asked to meet the first lady multiple times, but his requests were only granted on two occasions after he told her in advance that he would bring expensive gifts.

I don’t think it’s got much to do with patriarchy. Her conduct would be objectionable even in a matriarchy

Cho Hee-kyoung, law professor at Hongik University

Choi also claimed that during the meeting in June, he overheard Kim talking on the phone and sounding as if she was meddling in the appointment of a senior government official. She “acted and spoke as if she was the president,” he told the news conference.

Choi said he was shocked and decided to record his next meeting with the first lady to secure evidence of her interfering in state affairs.

In the secretly filmed footage of their next meeting, Kim is heard expressing her intent to “actively get involved in inter-Korean matters.” But it was the Dior bag that sparked the most uproar.

“South Korean society reacts most sensitively when public figures or people close to them abuse their power and enjoy privileges by leveraging their political and social status,” said Kim Yun-cheol, a politics professor at Kyung Hee University.

South Korean voters have a low tolerance for corruption in the wake of high-profile scandals involving former presidents, including the country’s first female leader Park Geun-hye, who was impeached in 2017 following mass protests over her confidante’s meddling in state affairs.

Yoon, who was part of a special investigation team that indicted Park, had vowed to continue to fight against corruption as president.

Political fallout

The expensive alleged gift has already proved costly for the first lady and her husband.

Kim has all but disappeared from public view, while support for Yoon dropped to a nine-month low.

The president’s approval rate fell to 29% in a weekly poll released last Friday by Gallup Korea. The scandal around the first lady was cited as one of the top reasons behind public disaffection – after the economy and Yoon’s perceived lack of communication.

In a Gallup Korea survey last month, 56% of respondents said Kim should apologize for allegedly receiving the Dior bag. In another poll released by YTN cable news, 69% of respondents said they want an explanation from Yoon.

The scandal could not have come at a worse time for Yoon and the ruling People Power Party (PPP), who are striving to win back a majority in parliament to cement the conservative government’s hold on power. The election is seen as a mid-term evaluation of Yoon’s governance. If the PPP fails to retake control of the legislature, Yoon is likely to be plagued by political deadlock for the remainder of his five-year term.

The main opposition Democratic Party has seized on the issue to attack Yoon, accusing the president of “concealing suspicions” surrounding his wife.

The mounting public backlash has also caused a rift between Yoon and senior members of the PPP – one party official even compared Kim to Marie Antoinette, the 18th century French queen notorious for her extravagance. Some PPP members have urged Yoon and Kim to apologize.

The party’s interim leader Han Dong-hoon, widely seen as Yoon’s closest aide, acknowledged the scandal is “a matter of public concern.” While calling it a “planned set-up using a spy cam,” the former justice minister conceded “there were several misdeeds in handling the issues.”

Shortly after his comment, Han told South Korean media he’d been asked by the president’s office to resign as party leader, which he refused.

Han and Yoon have since appeared to be mending fences, showing up at public events together. Han later told local media he and the president are “in agreement on how to serve the people,” and denied there was any rift between them.

High-profile first lady

Kim married Yoon in 2012, long before the career prosecutor entered politics. By then, she had worked her way up in the art industry and founded her own exhibition agency, Covana Contents.

She was 39, he was 51, and they had been “acquaintances for a long time” until “a monk stepped in and played matchmaker,” Kim said in an interview in 2018.

“My husband is an honest and pure person,” she said at the time. “He didn’t have any money and it felt like he would never be able to get married if it wasn’t for me.”

Kim Yun-cheol, the politics professor, said Kim Keon Hee differs significantly from other first ladies before her.

I believe the ideal style of first ladies in Korea has been someone who’s elegant, quiet, and doesn’t stand out in front, but Kim’s style can be seen as exceptional

Kim Yun-cheol, politics professor at Kyung Hee University

“She’s been a ‘career woman’ who has succeeded in acquiring status and accumulating wealth through her socioeconomic activities, and she is not of a ‘quiet housewife’ style,” he said.

“I believe the ideal style of first ladies in Korea has been someone who’s elegant, quiet, and doesn’t stand out in front, but Kim’s style can be seen as exceptional.”

The first lady’s high profile has earned her fans but also increasingly drawn criticism.

“She seems to have a tendency to show off in her behaviour and that is why the public seems to have developed a feeling of rejection or disapproval, wondering if she is trying to attract attention by coming out and standing in front of President Yoon,” said Kim Yun-cheol.

Kim Keon Hee has been mired in controversies ever since her husband joined the presidential race.

In 2021, she publicly apologized for inflating her resume, an issue that came under scrutiny during Yoon’s presidential campaign. In her apology, Kim also vowed to “remain focused on my role as a wife” if Yoon won the election. Following her promise, Yoon abolished the office in charge of the first lady’s affairs after he became president.

But Kim has been dogged by subsequent scandals and remained in the political limelight.

She has faced persistent accusations of plagiarism over her academic writings. Her PhD alma mater, Kookmin University, said it found no misconduct in Kim’s dissertation or other publications after an eight-month probe, but a group of professors disagreed and released their own findings arguing otherwise.

The opposition has also long accused Kim of being involved in stock price manipulation of Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in South Korea, more than a decade ago – allegations the presidential office has repeatedly denied. Last month, Yoon vetoed a bill passed by the opposition-controlled parliament that would have mandated a special prosecutor to investigate Kim’s alleged involvement.

The first lady is also haunted by her mother’s conviction and one-year prison sentence for forging a financial document in a land purchase, a ruling upheld by the Supreme Court in November.

And last year, the government scrapped an expressway project in Seoul amid opposition allegations that its construction would benefit Kim’s family by raising the price of land they own.

Cho, the law professor at Hongik University, said part of the public anger over Kim’s scandals is also directed at Yoon.

“Because after all, he was elected because he seemed to be justice personified,” she said, referring to the president’s previous career as a prosecutor.

“He claimed that he would bring back justice and fairness, but he is bringing neither of these when it comes to his wife.”

Independent candidates affiliated with jailed Pakistani political leader Imran Khan’s party won the most National Assembly seats in Pakistan’s general election, delivering a surprise victory in a vote marred by a slow count and rigging allegations.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, independent candidates won 98 seats so far, with 22 seats still unclaimed. The majority of the independents are affiliated with Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party (PMLN), which had been favored to sweep the polls, has so far won the second-most seats with 69. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has the third-most with 51 seats.

The 22 remaining seats would not be enough to give PMLN, headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, or PPP the lead, even if they were to win all of them. Still, none of the three major parties of the country will win the necessary 169 seats to have a majority in parliament and, therefore, will be unable to form government on their own, leaving it unclear who will be picked to be the country’s next prime minister.

In a speech released Friday, an AI-generated version of Khan claimed victory in the election and called on his supporters to “now show the strength of protecting your vote.”

Khan, who has been behind bars since August, has been using AI to get messages out to supporters. “You kept my trust, and your massive turnout has stunned everyone,” the AI voice said in the video.

Khan’s opponent, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, claimed that his PMLN party had emerged with the largest share. He admitted that his party did not have the “majority to form a government” and was looking for coalition partners.

Sharif, who once saw one of his terms end in a military coup, is considered by analysts to be favored by the country’s military establishment. The military has previously denied backing Sharif.

Violent protests had broken out on Friday over allegations of vote rigging and the slow vote count, amid warnings from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan that the “lack of transparency” surrounding the delay in announcing the election results was “deeply concerning.”

At least two people were killed and 24 injured in Shangla in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during a confrontation between workers from Khan’s political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and police officers.

‘Indicative of tampering’

Analysts attribute the widespread anger to efforts by the country’s caretaker government and its powerful military, a force that has long-dominated Pakistani politics, to suppress Khan and his supporters, including through “pre-poll rigging.”

Khan has accused the military of orchestrating his removal from office in 2022, which saw thousands of his supporters throng the streets after that episode in defiance of the army. Both the military and Pakistan’s caretaker government have denied suppressing Khan or the PTI.

It was then announced Friday that she had lost in the Punjab constituency of Multan with what she said was a “historic” number of rejected votes, adding that this was “in my opinion, clearly indicative of tampering.”

Foreign governments have expressed concerns about interference in Pakistan’s election. On Friday, the US called for an investigation into “claims of interference or fraud” surrounding the vote, with a State Department spokesman agreeing with assessments that the elections “included undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.”

“We condemn electoral violence… and are concerned about allegations of interference in the electoral process” spokesman Matthew Miller said.

Thursday’s vote, already delayed for months, comes as the country of 220 million faces mounting challenges – from economic uncertainty and frequent militant attacks, to climate catastrophes that are putting its most vulnerable at risk.

Former cricket star Khan, 71, who was ousted from power in a storm of controversy, remains imprisoned on multiple convictions and banned from contesting the vote against his rivals. The PTI has been prohibited from using its famous cricket bat symbol on ballots, dealing a blow to millions of illiterate people who might use it to cast their vote, and television stations are banned from running Khan’s speeches.

His longtime foe, 74-year-old Sharif, a scion of the elite Sharif political dynasty, is seeking to make what would be a remarkable political comeback following years of self-exile overseas after he was sentenced to prison on corruption charges.

Even if PTI does come out on top after the vote count is finalized, holding on to power in a new government could prove challenging.

Court rulings ahead of the election had forced the party’s candidates to run as independents. “This means that PTI has to worry that some of its sponsored candidates could align with other parties. And the military will likely pressure them to do so,” Kugelman said.

Sharif’s PMLN may also be able to form a coalition with other parties and shut out the PTI, Kugelman added.

If Sharif’s party forms the new government he would become prime minister for a historic fourth term. He took a conciliatory tone on Friday and stated that “all parties should sit together to heal a wounded Pakistan.”

He also stated that his party respected the mandate of all parties, “including independents,” referring to the candidates from jailed former Prime Minister Khan’s party, who had been unable to run under their party name.

Sharif stressed that his party “did not want to fight” as “Pakistan could not afford conflict.” He also said his party “wanted to improve relations” with Pakistan’s neighbors.

Also standing is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 35-year-old son of slain former leader Benazir Bhutto, hoping to reestablish his Pakistan People’s Party as a major political force.

Independent candidates affiliated with jailed Pakistani political leader Imran Khan’s party won the most National Assembly seats in Pakistan’s general election, delivering a surprise victory in a vote marred by a slow count and rigging allegations.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, independent candidates won 98 seats so far, with 22 seats still unclaimed. The majority of the independents are affiliated with Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party (PMLN), which had been favored to sweep the polls, has so far won the second-most seats with 69. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has the third-most with 51 seats.

The 22 remaining seats would not be enough to give PMLN, headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, or PPP the lead, even if they were to win all of them. Still, none of the three major parties of the country will win the necessary 169 seats to have a majority in parliament and, therefore, will be unable to form government on their own, leaving it unclear who will be picked to be the country’s next prime minister.

In a speech released Friday, an AI-generated version of Khan claimed victory in the election and called on his supporters to “now show the strength of protecting your vote.”

Khan, who has been behind bars since August, has been using AI to get messages out to supporters. “You kept my trust, and your massive turnout has stunned everyone,” the AI voice said in the video.

Khan’s opponent, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, claimed that his PMLN party had emerged with the largest share. He admitted that his party did not have the “majority to form a government” and was looking for coalition partners.

Sharif, who once saw one of his terms end in a military coup, is considered by analysts to be favored by the country’s military establishment. The military has previously denied backing Sharif.

Violent protests had broken out on Friday over allegations of vote rigging and the slow vote count, amid warnings from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan that the “lack of transparency” surrounding the delay in announcing the election results was “deeply concerning.”

At least two people were killed and 24 injured in Shangla in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during a confrontation between workers from Khan’s political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and police officers.

‘Indicative of tampering’

Analysts attribute the widespread anger to efforts by the country’s caretaker government and its powerful military, a force that has long-dominated Pakistani politics, to suppress Khan and his supporters, including through “pre-poll rigging.”

Khan has accused the military of orchestrating his removal from office in 2022, which saw thousands of his supporters throng the streets after that episode in defiance of the army. Both the military and Pakistan’s caretaker government have denied suppressing Khan or the PTI.

It was then announced Friday that she had lost in the Punjab constituency of Multan with what she said was a “historic” number of rejected votes, adding that this was “in my opinion, clearly indicative of tampering.”

Foreign governments have expressed concerns about interference in Pakistan’s election. On Friday, the US called for an investigation into “claims of interference or fraud” surrounding the vote, with a State Department spokesman agreeing with assessments that the elections “included undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.”

“We condemn electoral violence… and are concerned about allegations of interference in the electoral process” spokesman Matthew Miller said.

Thursday’s vote, already delayed for months, comes as the country of 220 million faces mounting challenges – from economic uncertainty and frequent militant attacks, to climate catastrophes that are putting its most vulnerable at risk.

Former cricket star Khan, 71, who was ousted from power in a storm of controversy, remains imprisoned on multiple convictions and banned from contesting the vote against his rivals. The PTI has been prohibited from using its famous cricket bat symbol on ballots, dealing a blow to millions of illiterate people who might use it to cast their vote, and television stations are banned from running Khan’s speeches.

His longtime foe, 74-year-old Sharif, a scion of the elite Sharif political dynasty, is seeking to make what would be a remarkable political comeback following years of self-exile overseas after he was sentenced to prison on corruption charges.

Even if PTI does come out on top after the vote count is finalized, holding on to power in a new government could prove challenging.

Court rulings ahead of the election had forced the party’s candidates to run as independents. “This means that PTI has to worry that some of its sponsored candidates could align with other parties. And the military will likely pressure them to do so,” Kugelman said.

Sharif’s PMLN may also be able to form a coalition with other parties and shut out the PTI, Kugelman added.

If Sharif’s party forms the new government he would become prime minister for a historic fourth term. He took a conciliatory tone on Friday and stated that “all parties should sit together to heal a wounded Pakistan.”

He also stated that his party respected the mandate of all parties, “including independents,” referring to the candidates from jailed former Prime Minister Khan’s party, who had been unable to run under their party name.

Sharif stressed that his party “did not want to fight” as “Pakistan could not afford conflict.” He also said his party “wanted to improve relations” with Pakistan’s neighbors.

Also standing is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 35-year-old son of slain former leader Benazir Bhutto, hoping to reestablish his Pakistan People’s Party as a major political force.

Travel across China ramped up in recent days as millions boarded trains and planes and braved heavily trafficked roads in what officials have estimated will be a record 9 billion trips surrounding the Lunar New Year on Saturday.

Train stations, airports and highways were packed with travelers carting suitcases, provisions and gifts for family members in recent days as the weeks-long “chunyun” or Spring Festival travel rush period, which began late last month, got into full swing.

Much of the “chunyun” travel sees workers leaving China’s prosperous large cities and returning to hometowns across smaller cities, towns and rural areas to celebrate with family and friends during an eight-day public holiday, which many extend.

For many, this year – the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese zodiac calendar – marks the return of normal travel for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

China’s stringent coronavirus controls limited the movement of people across the country since 2020. Last year’s holiday took place just weeks after those measures were lifted, only to coincide with a wave of infections that complicated travel.

This year, travelers were determined to make it back to see loved ones, even as blizzards and freezing rains across parts of eastern and central China earlier this week decimated flight and train schedules and left motorists stranded for hours on snowy highways.

Travel was expected to see a significant uptick this year. Authorities last month forecast that China’s population of 1.4 billion would take a record 9 billion trips during the 40-day holiday travel period, which began on January 26.

Preliminary data released this week suggested that boom was in full swing.

On Tuesday, three days ahead of Lunar New Year’s Eve, when families typically gather for a customary reunion meal, travelers made 2.2 million air trips and 12.9 million journeys by rail, according to official data.

Both marked a significant rise from pre-pandemic travel – with flights up 17% and train rides up 23% from the comparable travel date in 2019, transport authorities said. More than 232 million trips were made that day overall, with similar figures recorded Wednesday and Thursday.

Local data also showed a jump. On Friday, Shanghai’s major railway stations were expected to handle some 475,000 passengers – a more than 61% increase on 2019, according to the Shanghai-based state media outlet The Paper.

Domestic flight volumes during the first week of the travel rush were up roughly 15% over the same period in 2019, the outlet also reported, citing a civil aviation publication.

Robust travel could lend itself to “more buoyant consumption demand during the holidays,” HSBC economists said in a Thursday note.

But the country is also celebrating the holiday amid growing uncertainty about the future of the economy, which has been rattled by a property market crisis, stock market meltdown, weaker exports and high youth unemployment over the past year.

Turmoil in the stock market cast a shadow over the weeks leading up to the holiday. Two major indexes recorded their worst drops in years capping off a dire 2023 that saw China’s stock markets become the world’s worst performer.

The government has been scrambling to revive public and investor confidence.

Beijing fired its main stock market regulator Wednesday as anger grew over trillions wiped off shares in recent years, with desperate investors even flocking to the page of the United States Embassy in Beijing on Chinese social media platform Weibo earlier this month to vent their frustration and concern about what’s to come.

Ahead of the holiday, China’s major state media publications highlighted a speech delivered by leader Xi Jinping during a political meeting Thursday, where he called for “Chinese people” to “forge ahead” in the Lunar New Year.

“As long as we persist on our path, hold onto our will, remain consistent and join forces together, we can overcome all adversities and obstacles, and continue to move towards success,” Xi said, according to state media.

For Lionel Messi, it should have been a few minutes of easy work.

But the Argentine soccer idol’s failure to leave the substitutes’ bench in a routine preseason exhibition match has unleashed an unexpected public relations nightmare in one of the world’s most lucrative sports markets where, until now, he had enjoyed widespread popularity.

The public backlash in China began Sunday when Messi didn’t appear for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami while in Hong Kong – and ramped up when he joined the team’s game in Japan just days later.

Messi, who was declared unfit to play in Hong Kong, came on as a 60th minute substitute against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo on Wednesday – an appearance that seemed to energize his teammates before they lost on penalty kicks.

Across social media in mainland China, scathing commentary on Messi was a dominant topic. One widely circulated video appears to show a blogger chopping up his collection of Messi jerseys with a pair of scissors.

Many on Chinese social media platform Weibo questioned how the star was able to make such a quick recovery three days after the Hong Kong game. The sarcastic hashtag “medical miracle” trended high with more than 1.3 million views.

Others lashed out against what they saw as disrespect for Hong Kong – and China.

“Messi must give Chinese fans and the Chinese people an explanation,” one user wrote in a comment liked 59,000 times.

“(He) played in five of the six preseason games and only missed the game in Hong Kong, China! Don’t come to China, China doesn’t welcome you,” another user wrote in a post liked by 20,000 others.

The backlash facing Messi, who has a huge fanbase in China, follows a litany of instances where foreign celebrities or brands have sparked ire in the country for perceived affronts.

The incident also comes as Hong Kong attempts to burnish its image as an international hub – even as it has come under increasing influence from mainland China, with Beijing tightening its control of the city and its government following mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.

And it highlights both the political and financial risks major brands can face in the midst of such a backlash.

As public – and official – anger mounted throughout the week, Hong Kong match organizer Tatler XFEST announced on Friday that it would refund 50% of the ticket price for fans, a move it said would cost the company $7.1 million and leave it facing nearly $5.5 million in losses.

“We have invested millions of dollars and months of hard work into bringing a world-class event to Hong Kong, the city that is our home and where we have been headquartered for more than 45 years,” the company, which publishes multiple Tatler branded magazines across Asia, said in their statement.

“Our aspiration was to create an iconic moment in support of the government’s efforts to remind the world how relevant and exciting Hong Kong is. That dream is broken today for us and all those who bought tickets to see Messi on the pitch,” the company added.

After the Hong Kong game, frustration and disappointment from fans in the city ballooned into outrage across mainland China, as influential voices like Hong Kong lawmaker Kenneth Fok and mainland Chinese political pundit Hu Xijin condemned the behavior of the player and the team.

“Why didn’t Messi play in Hong Kong or participate in the handshake with HK (the Hong Kong) chief executive? And why did he smile, run freely and looked fit in Japan?” Hu wrote on social platform X, referring to a moment during Sunday’s post-match trophy ceremony, as he called for an “explanation and apology.”

The location of the match appeared to add a sting for many – given historic animosity and modern-day frictions between China and Japan.

State-affiliated Global Times took the backlash a step further, on Wednesday night publishing an editorial noting a “theory” suggesting without evidence that Messi and Inter Miami’s actions could have been linked to efforts from “external forces” who wish to embarrass Hong Kong.

The Chinese government has not commented on the incident.

‘Not sincere at all’

A statement released on Messi’s official Weibo social media account minutes before the start of the match in Tokyo appeared as an attempt to calm the backlash.

“It was a real shame not to be able to play in Hong Kong the other day due to a groin injury that had swollen and I was in pain,” the post said, reiterating comments the player made to reporters in Tokyo Tuesday, adding that he hopes to return to both Hong Kong and mainland China.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I always want to play, that’s what I always want, to do my best in any game. And especially in these games when we travel so far and fans are excited to see us attend the game healthily,” said the statement, posted in both Chinese and Spanish.

But the statement’s IP address showed it was posted in China’s Sichuan province, some 2,100 miles (3,400 kilometers) from Tokyo, fueling derision online. Major social media platforms in China require users to show their IP address location. “This is not sincere at all,” one Weibo user wrote in response.

Other users were vitriolic. “Don’t ever come again if you can’t provide a reasonable explanation. You are polluting China’s air by being here. Support the Hong Kong government.”

The situation is the latest example of how backlash against brands or celebrities can quickly snowball in China’s highly nationalistic social media sphere – in some cases with the potential for significant business ramifications in the country’s major consumer market.

China’s so-called “wolf-warrior” diplomats and other government agencies have also made sharp public statements in such instances.

In one such incident in 2019, the National Basketball Association appeared at risk of losing its lucrative footing in the country after the general manager of the Houston Rockets expressed support for Hong Kong’s protesters.

Soccer is a massively popular sport in China and major clubs will often incorporate stops in the country on what can be highly profitable pre-season tours.

Ardent support for Messi gripped mainland China last summer after the Argentina national team played a friendly match against Australia in Beijing. That was the superstar’s seventh time in China, and his eighth could come in March when Argentina has two friendly matches scheduled in the country. 
 
This week, the social media page of a Chinese liquor company whose product campaign features Messi was also inundated with comments calling for boycotts or “contract termination.”

Following the Hong Kong game, Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino explained the decision not to field Messi was made on very late notice and under the recommendation of the club’s medical staff. He also asked for fans’ forgiveness.

But it added: “We do feel it necessary to express that injuries are unfortunately a part of the beautiful game, and our player’s health must always come first.”

David Rowe, an emeritus professor at Western Sydney University focused on media and sport, said there could have been better communication with fans before and during the game.

“Messi is a human being not a machine or a replicant. However, these games are not mainly about football, but promotional and commercial exercises,” he said.

“In the case of Messi, is it more important that he performs in matches that mean very little in strict footballing terms, or preserves his body for actual competitive sport contests such as in MLS? Purist football fans would say the latter – but they are not the majority at touring exhibition games like this one.”

Hong Kong outrage

The furor comes as Hong Kong officials aim to restore the city’s international image, which has been damaged by years of stringent anti-Covid controls and a crackdown on civil liberties following the mass and at times violent 2019 pro-democracy protests.

The Inter Miami game was widely promoted by its organizer in the city for months, with Messi featured prominently in adverts. The sold-out game, with some tickets at eyewatering prices, featured as part of the city’s campaign to host “mega events” meant to drive a tourism rebound.

The Hong Kong government has issued multiple statements expressing its “extreme” disappointment with the outcome as it scrambled to respond to public anger over Sunday’s match – and avoid becoming its target.

On Wednesday after the Tokyo match, Hong Kong officials swiftly released a statement demanding Inter Miami explain how Messi appeared to have played so “actively and nimbly” at Japan’s National Stadium.

Several pro-Beijing politicians also took to the internet to slam Messi.

Among them, veteran lawmaker Regina Ip, also a top adviser to Hong Kong’s chief executive, called Messi’s snub “deliberate and calculated,” saying “his lies and hypocrisy are disgusting.” “Messi should never be allowed to return to Hong Kong,” she wrote on X.

But some questioned whether such a response would help officials’ efforts to burnish Hong Kong’s appeal.

“Although the government has tried hard to woo the world back, mood swings and occasional outbursts have the opposite effects, undermining confidence because the climate has become more volatile and less predictable,” said Kenneth Chan, an associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, who drew parallels to the so-called “wolf-warrior” rhetoric used by officials on the mainland.

Many social media users in Hong Kong continued to criticize Messi and voice their frustration with the lost opportunity and perceived wasted funds, but others too questioned how the response would play out for the city.

One social media user noted that it was not only Messi who played in Tokyo, but not Hong Kong. The Japanese capital is also hosting pop superstar Taylor Swift this week for one of only two Asia stops on her Eras Tour.

“Tokyo is the real ‘capital of mega events,’” the user wrote.

This story has been updated.