Gazans returning through the Rafah crossing reported being subjected to checks by a Palestinian militia linked to Israel, while hundreds of Google employees are demanding the company cut ties with ICE, according to recent reports. Additionally, new reports indicate that many smart motorways are failing to deliver the expected value for money.
Two Gazan women, who passed through the newly reopened Rafah crossing with Egypt on Monday, told the BBC that members of the Abu Shabab militia, also known as the Popular Forces, searched them and their belongings at an Israeli military checkpoint inside the Gaza Strip. Lamia Rabia, traveling with her children, described being escorted by Israeli forces from the border to the checkpoint. Delays and security restrictions meant only 12 Palestinians were able to return to Gaza on Monday, according to BBC World.
Meanwhile, Google executives are facing pressure from nearly 900 full-time employees who signed an open letter published on Friday, demanding more transparency regarding the company's technology use within the US government. The employees are concerned about Google's ties to federal immigration enforcement, which has recently seen violent and deadly incidents. One Google employee of seven years found it "mind-boggling" that the company was maintaining its ties with immigration enforcement, as reported by BBC Technology. Google has contracts to provide federal agencies with cloud services and is also linked to work being done on federal immigration enforcement.
In other news, newly released reports from National Highways revealed that many smart motorways are not delivering the value for money initially planned. Two schemes, including sections of the M25 and the M6, were found to be offering "very poor" value. Only three out of sixteen projects across England were on track to deliver the expected financial benefits, although most were delivering safety benefits as originally forecast, according to BBC Business. The AA, representing motorists, stated the schemes had turned out to be a "catastrophic waste of time, money and effort."
In a separate story, Iranians inside and outside the country are discussing the possibility of US intervention. For some, like Mojdeh and her husband, the situation is personal. They were stranded in Tehran after traveling from Washington, DC, when protests erupted and flights were canceled. "Life was on pause," Mojdeh said, as reported by BBC World, especially at night when the internet and phone networks went dark.
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