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Israeli Strikes Kill 46, Injured 33 Across Gaza and Lebanon as Regional Conflict Widens

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Israeli Strikes Kill 46, Injured 33 Across Gaza and Lebanon as Regional Conflict Widens

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 46 people in Gaza and 33 in Lebanon Tuesday, including an attack on a makeshift cafeteria in a designated humanitarian zone, as violence escalated across multiple fronts in the widening regional conflict.

In southern Beirut, explosions rocked the Hezbollah-dominated Dahiyeh neighborhood after Israeli forces issued evacuation warnings for 11 buildings. The military claimed it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, including command centers and weapons sites, without providing evidence. Elsewhere in Lebanon, an Israeli strike on an apartment building east of Beirut killed six people, including three children, while another attack in central Lebanon killed 15 people, among them eight women and four children.

“The strike came without warning,” said Wael Murtada, whose uncle’s family had fled to the building from Dahiyeh last month. Several people remain missing, he added.

In Gaza, an Israeli strike hit a cafeteria in Muwasi, designated as a humanitarian zone, killing 11 people including two children Monday night, according to Nasser Hospital officials. Video footage showed rescuers pulling casualties from an enclosure of corrugated metal sheets where tables and chairs were arranged in sand.

The violence continues as the U.S. State Department declined to reduce military support for Israel despite a deadline for increased humanitarian aid access to Gaza. While citing some progress, international aid groups say Israel failed to meet U.S. demands.

Additional strikes Tuesday killed 15 people in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun, including relatives of Al Jazeera journalist Hossam Shabat. Among the dead were volunteer doctors Mohamed and Dima Shabat and their daughter Eliaa, according to Kamal Adwan Hospital director Hossam Abu Safiya. Twenty more people died in central and southern Gaza strikes, Palestinian medical officials reported.

The conflict has spread to northern Israel, where a Hezbollah drone struck a nursery school near Haifa, though children were in bomb shelters and unharmed. A rocket attack in Nahariya killed two people and wounded two others.

Israel has intensified its bombardment of Lebanon since September, vowing to stop Hezbollah’s cross-border attacks and disable the militant group’s capabilities. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the latest Gaza casualties.

AP

Trump Taps Musk, Ramaswamy to Lead External Government Efficiency Group

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Trump Taps Musk, Ramaswamy to Lead External Government Efficiency Group

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will head a new external advisory group dubbed the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), named after Musk’s preferred cryptocurrency.

The organization, despite its official-sounding name, will operate outside the federal government, offering “advice and guidance” to the White House while partnering with the Office of Management and Budget. Trump said the group will “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.”

The arrangement could fall under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which governs external advisory groups, though specific operational details remain unclear. Unlike federal employees, Musk and Ramaswamy would not face standard government ethics requirements such as asset disclosure or divestment of potential conflicts of interest.

“I don’t think I can get him full-time because he’s a little bit busy sending rockets up and all the things he does,” Trump said of Musk at a September Michigan rally. “He said the waste in this country is crazy. And we’re going to get Elon Musk to be our cost cutter.” Musk has claimed he could identify more than $2 trillion in potential savings, representing nearly a third of annual federal spending.

Trump’s statement outlined the group’s mission to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Ramaswamy, who suspended his presidential campaign in January to endorse Trump, joins Musk, who has been frequently present at Mar-a-Lago since Trump’s election victory.

Bondi Attack Inquest: Killer Stabbed 16 People in Three Minutes, No Alarms Sounded

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Bondi Attack Inquest: Killer Stabbed 16 People in Three Minutes, No Alarms Sounded

Joel Cauchi took just three minutes to fatally stab six people and wound ten others at a Sydney shopping center, a coroner’s inquest heard Tuesday, revealing critical security failures and mental health oversights that preceded the April 13 tragedy.

The New South Wales Coroner’s Court learned that Cauchi, 40, who targeted predominantly female victims, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia but stopped taking medication in 2019. Despite repeated warnings to Queensland authorities about his deteriorating condition, he was homeless and had developed an obsession with knives before the attack.

Dr. Peggy Dwyer SC, counsel assisting the coroner, detailed how Cauchi entered Westfield shopping centre at 3:30 p.m. and began his rampage after drawing a knife while waiting in a bakery line. His victims included Dawn Singleton, 25; Jade Young, 47; Yixuan Cheng, 25; Ashlee Good, 38, who was wounded trying to protect her stabbed nine-month-old baby; security guard Faraz Tahir, 30; and Pikria Darchia, 55.

“It’s presently unclear why it took so long for the alarm to sound,” Dwyer said, noting no alert was raised during the five-minute, 43-second attack. Police Inspector Amy Scott shot and killed Cauchi within a minute of arriving on scene.

The inquiry, set for full hearings in April 2025, will investigate potential security lapses and failures in both New South Wales and Queensland mental health systems. Fourteen of the 16 victims were female, leading NSW police commissioner to conclude Cauchi had “obviously” targeted women.

State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan opened the hearing by acknowledging the community’s ongoing trauma. “It’s important to me and my assisting team… that you feel safe, you feel heard and you feel cared for throughout this proceeding,” she told victims’ families.

The attack has sparked national discussions about gendered violence in Australia, where mass murders remain rare.

US Strikes Iranian-Linked Targets in Syria After Personnel Attacks

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US Strikes Iranian-Linked Targets in Syria After Personnel Attacks

The U.S. military conducted strikes against nine targets associated with Iranian-backed groups at two locations in Syria Monday, responding to attacks on American personnel in the previous 24 hours.

“These strikes will degrade the Iranian backed groups’ ability to plan and launch future attacks on U.S. and coalition forces,” the military said in a statement. The operation follows a broader February campaign that hit more than 85 targets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated militias across Iraq and Syria.

The United States maintains 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq, advising local forces to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which seized significant territory in both countries in 2014 before its defeat. Since the Israel-Hamas war began October 7, 2023, the U.S. has bolstered its regional presence with warships and fighter aircraft to deter Iran and allied groups from expanding the conflict.

American forces have also assisted in intercepting Iranian projectiles aimed at Israel this year, highlighting the military’s broader role in regional security beyond its counter-ISIS mission.

Vehicle Attack at Chinese Sports Center Kills 35, Injures Dozens

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Vehicle Attack at Chinese Sports Center Kills 35, Injures Dozens

A 62-year-old man deliberately drove his vehicle into a crowd exercising at a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai late Monday, killing 35 people and injuring 43 others, police said Tuesday.

The suspect, identified only by his surname Fan in accordance with Chinese police practice, was detained at the scene of the attack, which occurred on the eve of the city’s annual People’s Liberation Army aviation exhibition. One hospital reported receiving more than 20 injured victims, according to state media.

Videos shared by news blogger Li Ying, known as Teacher Li on social media platform X, showed firefighters performing CPR and dozens of victims lying on the sports center’s running track. In one clip, a woman can be heard saying “my foot is broken” as emergency responders urged people to leave the area.

By Tuesday morning, Chinese internet censors had heavily restricted social media discussions about the incident, with searches on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, yielding few results. Previously published media articles about the attack were removed, consistent with authorities’ practice of limiting online discussion during major events.

The Xiangzhou district sports center, which regularly attracts hundreds of residents for running, soccer, and social dancing, announced an indefinite closure following the incident. Police have not revealed a motive for the attack as investigations continue.

The rampage adds to a series of similar attacks targeting random civilians in China. In October, a 50-year-old man allegedly injured five people in a knife attack at a Beijing school, while three people died in a September knife attack at a Shanghai supermarket.

Bangladesh Seeks Interpol Help to Arrest Former PM Hasina

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Bangladesh Seeks Interpol Help to Arrest Former PM Hasina

A special tribunal in Bangladesh requested Tuesday that Interpol issue a red notice for the arrest of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August following mass protests that ended her 15-year rule.

Prosecutor B.M. Sultan Mahmud told The Associated Press that the tribunal has contacted the France-based international police organization through Bangladesh’s police chief, seeking assistance in apprehending Hasina and her associates in connection with protester deaths during the uprising.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who assumed leadership of the South Asian nation as interim leader on August 8, has reconstituted the tribunal, previously used for prosecuting crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war against Pakistan.

The new government has pledged to prosecute Hasina and announced plans to seek her extradition from India, where she escaped on August 5 with close aides and former ministers.

Opposition Wins Landslide Victory in Mauritius Election

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Opposition Wins Landslide Victory in Mauritius Election

The opposition Alliance de Changement (ADC) secured 62.6% of votes in Mauritius’s general election, the election commission announced Tuesday, delivering former Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam a fourth term in office.

The ADC captured 60 of 62 legislative seats, according to state broadcaster Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, in a decisive victory that prompted incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth to concede defeat Monday.

Ramgoolam, who previously served three terms as premier, immediately announced plans to “dismantle the country’s spying system so that Mauritians will be free to talk” following his return to power in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

“I tried to do what I could for my country,” Jugnauth said in his concession speech, acknowledging his political alliance faced “a huge defeat.”

French News Outlets Sue X Over Unpaid Content Usage

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French News Outlets Sue X Over Unpaid Content Usage

Leading French newspapers including Le Monde, Le Figaro, and Le Parisien announced Tuesday they are taking legal action against social media platform X for allegedly distributing their content without compensation.

The publications claim X, formerly Twitter, has refused to open negotiations over ancillary rights payments, which require digital platforms to compensate news outlets for sharing their content. Unlike competitors Google and Meta Platforms, X has never engaged in such discussions, the newspapers said.

“The revenue from these rights, with the investment that it would enable its beneficiaries to make, is a boost to the plurality, independence and quality of the media, which are essential for freedom of expression and the right to information in our democratic society,” the newspapers said in a joint statement.

The newspapers also allege that X, owned by Elon Musk, has failed to comply with a Paris Court of Justice order from May requiring the platform to release information necessary for calculating owed payments.

A Paris tribunal spokesperson confirmed the case will be heard on May 15, 2025. Representatives for X did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

REUTERS

China Unveils New Aircraft Orders, Spaceplane at Zhuhai Air Show

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China Unveils New Aircraft Orders, Spaceplane at Zhuhai Air Show

China’s growing aerospace ambitions dominated the opening day of the Zhuhai air show Tuesday, as state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) announced Air China as the launch customer for its C929 widebody jet and unveiled plans for an uncrewed commercial spaceplane.

The show’s military displays featured the Bayi aerobatics team, four J-20 stealth jets, and the public debut of the J-35A stealth fighter, while commercial announcements included Hainan Airlines’ firm order for 60 C919 narrowbody jets and 40 rebranded C909 regional aircraft.

COMAC marketing director Zhang Xiaoguang announced the rebranding of the company’s ARJ21 regional jet to C909, citing brand uniformity. “After careful consideration, a long gestation and asking opinions of many involved parties, we chose to use C909 as the new commercial name to build the brand,” Zhang told reporters. Company representatives said the renamed aircraft features reduced weight, resistance, and noise, along with improved operating costs.

Aircraft of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force’s Red Falcon aerobatic team perform at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China November 12, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

The state-controlled Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) displayed a model of the country’s first commercial uncrewed spaceplane, designed to deliver cargo to China’s space station. China Daily reported that AVIC received a contract from the China Manned Space Agency on October 29 for engineering flight verification of what it called “a low-cost reusable cargo shuttle solution with Chinese characteristics.”

Military technology on display included the Z-20 helicopter, which experts say is being developed in multiple variants, including a submarine-tracking version seen as crucial for extending the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s operational range.

Airbus China CEO George Xu, responding to the growing domestic competition, said his company remained focused on developing partnerships with Chinese companies rather than viewing them as rivals.

Colorful Guizhou Airlines added to COMAC’s order book with an agreement for 30 C909 aircraft, including 20 firm orders and 10 options. The air show continues through November 17.

12 Maryland College Students Face Hate Crime Charges in Dating App Attack

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12 Maryland College Students Face Hate Crime Charges in Dating App Attack

Twelve Salisbury University students have been arrested on hate crime and assault charges after allegedly using a dating app to lure and brutally attack a man at an off-campus apartment, leaving him with a broken rib and extensive bruising, police said Thursday.

The suspects, ranging in age from 18 to 21, were members or associates of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, which has been suspended along with the students. According to police documents, one suspect posed as a 16-year-old on the dating app Grindr to arrange a meeting with the victim on October 15.

“The investigation revealed that the victim was targeted due to his sexual preferences,” Salisbury Police said in a statement. When the victim entered the apartment, police say about 15 men emerged from back bedrooms after someone yelled “YEE YEE!” The group allegedly surrounded the victim, forced him into a chair, and subjected him to punches, kicks, and homophobic slurs.

Police documents detail that one suspect repeatedly struck the victim with a cooking sheet while others prevented his escape attempts. The assault lasted “several minutes” before the victim was allowed to leave. The incident only came to light after witnesses reported seeing videos of the attack, which suspects had allegedly recorded.

“The thought of this happening to anyone — regardless of the circumstances — is dismaying,” Salisbury University President Carolyn Ringer Lepre said, calling the incident “an act of visceral hate.” The university has imposed its “harshest penalties” by suspending both the students and fraternity.

The suspects charged are:

– Ryder Baker, 20

– Bennan Aird, 18

– Riley Brister, 20

– Cruz Cespedes, 19

– Dylan Earp, 20

– Elijah Johnson, 19

– Zachary Leinemann, 18

– Cameron Guy, 18

– Jacob Howard, 19

– Eric Sinclair, 21

– Patrick Gutierrez, 19

– Dylan Pietuszka, 20

Defense attorneys for two suspects contest the hate crime classification. “Once all of the facts see the light of day, this case will be shown to be an ill-advised attempt to expose someone willing to travel to have sexual relations with a 16-year-old child,” attorney James L. Britt told the Baltimore Banner.

All suspects face charges of first-degree assault, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment, and associated hate crimes. One suspect’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 6, with his attorney indicating he will plead not guilty.

The victim told authorities “he was in fear for his life during the entirety of the incident” and believes he was targeted for his sexual orientation. Police say their investigation is ongoing.

Source: toofab

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