International
BREAKING: 29 Palestinians Killed, One Severely Injured In Israel As Violence Escalates
Israel and Gaza militants have traded heavy fire on Thursday, the third day of the worst escalation of violence in months, which has killed 29 people in the blockaded Palestinian enclave and one in Israel.
Air strikes by the Israeli army since Tuesday have killed fighters as well as civilians, including several children, said officials in the crowded coastal territory.
Rocket fire from the Gaza Strip killed one person in the central Israeli city of Rehovot and injured at least two others, Israeli police said. Three others sustained shrapnel injuries elsewhere in Israel.
Cairo was mediating efforts towards a truce between Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group, while European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for “an immediate comprehensive ceasefire”.
The United States stopped short of a clear call for a truce, but State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said the casualties were “tragic and heartbreaking”, while urging that steps be “taken to ensure that violence is reduced”.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said “the bloodletting must end now”, and the UN warned of “a negative impact on an already difficult humanitarian situation in Gaza”.
A source close to Islamic Jihad later disclosed that “a final formula for a ceasefire” was said to be under discussion in Egypt.
The Israeli army, however, said just before midnight (2100 GMT) that it was continuing to strike Islamic Jihad targets.
Gaza militants have fired 620 rockets at Israel since Wednesday, the military said, adding that 179 had been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system.
The army said 25 percent of rockets fired from Gaza fell into the territory itself, killing four people, including three minors. AFP could not immediately obtain confirmation from Islamic Jihad or Hamas.
Shops in Gaza were shuttered and the streets largely abandoned as Israeli military aircraft circled the territory, where several buildings lay in ruins.
Islamic Jihad confirmed it had lost five military leaders in strikes in recent days, including Ahmed Abu Deka — the deputy of Ali Ghali, commander of a rocket launch unit, who was also killed by Israel on Thursday.
AFP
International
Explosion at China fireworks factory kills 21 people
Authorities deployed nearly 500 personnel to conduct search and rescue operations and treat the injured, while robots were used to help find those trapped within the building.
A blast at a fireworks factory in China’s Hunan province has killed 21 people and left 61 wounded, according to state media.
The explosion at the Huasheng Fireworks plant happened at around 16:40 local time (08:40 GMT) on Monday, in the city of Liuyang, leading rescuers to evacuate everyone within a 3km (1.9mi) radius of the plant.
Authorities deployed nearly 500 personnel to conduct search and rescue operations and treat the injured, while robots were used to help find those trapped within the building.
Police, who are investigating the cause of the blast, have taken “control measures” against the person in charge of the fireworks company, Chinese state media reported.
Authorities said that two gunpowder warehouses within the factory area posed a high risk amid rescue efforts, state media reported.
Rescue teams had to evacuate everyone within a 3km (1.9mi) radius of the fireworks plant.
They also implemented measures like humidifying the area to “prevent secondary accidents during the rescue”.
International
Ugandan govt detains 62 Nigerians for ‘operating church without work permits’
Simon Peter Mundeyi, spokesperson for the country’s ministry of internal affairs, said the Nigerians often pose as gospel preachers and engage in other illegal activities.
Photo of the detained Nigerian preachers ( NCIC/X)
The Ugandan government has detained 62 Nigerians for “illegally operating” a church, as well as living and working in the country without valid permits.
In a statement posted on its X handle on Wednesday, the Ugandan national citizenship and immigration control (NCIC), said that the arrest followed a tip-off after learning that the individuals were operating illegally without the required permits.
“Following a tip-off, our enforcement team has arrested 62 Nigerian nationals operating illegally in Adjumani (without work permits),” the statement reads.
The group, primarily found operating a church among other things, is now being processed for prosecution under Uganda’s immigration.
Simon Peter Mundeyi, spokesperson for the country’s ministry of internal affairs, said the Nigerians often pose as gospel preachers and engage in other illegal activities.
He added that they are currently being held at the ministry’s Namanve facility, where they are undergoing legal processes that could result in deportation, fines, or blacklisting.
International
US war in Iran has cost $25 billion so far, says Pentagon official
Jules Hurst, who is performing the duties of the comptroller, told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee that most of that money was for munitions.
The United States’ war in Iran has cost $25 billion so far, a senior Pentagon official said on Wednesday, providing the first official estimate of the military’s price tag for the conflict.
With just six months before midterm elections in which President Donald Trump’s Republicans may face an uphill battle to keep their House majority, Democrats are riding high in public opinion polls as they attempt to link the unpopular Iran war with affordability.
Jules Hurst, who is performing the duties of the comptroller, told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee that most of that money was for munitions.
Hurst did not detail what that cost estimate included and whether it took into account the projected costs of rebuilding and repairing base infrastructure in the Middle East damaged in the conflict.
Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, responded to Hurst: “I’m glad you answered that question. Because we’ve been asking for a hell of a long time, and no one’s given us the number.”
(Reuters)
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