Hezbollah’s deputy chief says ready for Israeli ground push, to pick leader soon

Hezbollah’s deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has pledged that the group is ready to meet an Israeli ground offensive, despite the martyrdom of its leader and many senior commanders.

Israel has not hit Hezbollah’s military capabilities, said Sheikh Naim Qassem on Monday as he delivered a message of defiance in a public address. He insisted that Hezbollah will continue to fight.

Hezbollah’s operations have continued at the same pace and more since the killing of leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, Qassem asserted.

He added that Hezbollah will install a new leadership soon via “internal mechanisms”. The choice of new leadership is clear, Qassem continued, without offering further details.

“We are quite ready, if the Israelis want a ground incursion, the resistance forces are ready for that,” he declared.

Hezbollah will continue with its main goals despite Israel’s aim of creating chaos with aggression and massacres against civilians in Lebanon, Qassem continued.

“Israel is committing massacres in all areas of Lebanon until there is no house left without traces of Israeli aggression in it,” he said. “Israel attacks civilians, ambulances, children and the elderly. It does not fight fighters, but rather commits massacres.”

Qassem also underlined the role of the US, which he called “a partner with Israel, through unlimited military support – culturally, politically, financially”.

“We will win, just as we won in our confrontation with Israel in 2006,” said the deputy chief as he ended the video message.

Israel's brutal airstrikes continues on Beirut, 105 more martyred

The Israeli army continues to bombard various areas of Lebanon, a residential building in the urban area of ​​Beirut was also targeted by air strikes.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, during the last 24 hours, another 105 people were martyred and dozens were injured due to the Israeli bombing in other areas of Lebanon, including the Bekaa Valley and Ain al-Dalib.

According to the Arab media, the Israeli army has claimed to have targeted 120 positions of Hezbollah, while a major air attack was also carried out on Yemen's coastal city of Hudaydah, in which four Yemenis were martyred and 29 were injured.

On the other hand, Israeli brutality has not softened in Gaza either, 28 more Palestinians were martyred in Israel's attacks on Gaza.

According to the report of the Arab media, the Israeli army is advancing towards the border of Lebanon with heavy military weapons and vehicles, which is deepening the fears of a ground attack on Lebanon.

On the other hand, US President Joe Biden said that it is necessary to avoid a wide war in the Middle East.

Pakistan all set to witness rare Comet A3 with naked eye today

Pakistan is all set to witness the rare Comet (Tsuchinshan ATLAS) A3 through the naked on Sunday morning, Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) confirmed.

Currently, the comet rises around 4:45am and can be seen when it's around 3-4 degrees altitude above the horizon until twilight sets in and it fades into the sunlight around 05:20am.

This comet is currently making the turn around the Sun and has become fairly bright to be visible to the naked eye. Many people across the world have already reported sighting it with the naked eye, including Pakistan.

Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) spokesperson Marya Tariq said that the comet, named Comet C/2023 (Tsuchinshan ATLAS) A3, "is going to visit us after 80,000 years as it returns to the inner solar system, just passing a few million miles (25 million miles) from our home at closest approach".

"If you are a night sky enthusiast and an early riser, now is the chance to have a glimpse of this beautiful visitor," the spokesperson said.

To locate the comet, look a few degrees right of east, where the sun rises; one would be able to find it with his naked eyes, given the atmosphere is clear of any haze and the horizon is clearly visible.

The comet will continue to be visible in the morning skies till October 3, and after that, it will start going down towards the Sun until it turns back around the Sun and becomes visible again in the evening sky from October 13 onwards.

As there has been torrential rainfall across most parts of the country, Sunday would be the best day to have a glimpse of this comet.

Sharing the tips for today's viewing, the spokesperson asked to observe it at 12:15am and locate Orion’s belt roughly around East. "It should be around 10 degrees altitude from the horizon, which is quite a fair altitude."

"One must mark any building or any object over the horizon directly below Orion's belt. This is important because this is exactly the spot where the comet will rise," she said.

Comets have been observed by humanity for thousands of years, and it’s only recently that they have been understood and studied in great detail.

World powers warn of Israeli attack’s repercussions

With the spectre of all-out war looming over the Middle East, world powers warned of the potential repercussions of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s assassination by Israel amid growing calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Middle East.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the UN General Assembly on Saturday that there must not be a delay in reaching a “comprehensive ceasefire” in the Middle East, and said a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians rema­ins the way out of the region’s tensions.

Russia strongly condemned “yet another political assassination” in the Lebanese capital Beirut. Its foreign ministry said, “This forceful action is fraught with even greater dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East. The Israeli side could not fail to recognise this danger, but took the step of killing Lebanese citizens, which would almost inevitably provoke a new outburst of violence. Thus, it bears full responsibility for the subsequent escalation.”

However, US President Joe Biden the United States fully supported Israel’s right to defend itself and said he had directed Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to further enhance the US military forces in the Middle East, calling Hassan Nasrallah’s killing “a measure of justice” for his many victims.

Israel’s chief of the general staff Herzi Halevi said Hassan Nasrallah “indiscriminately murdered Israeli civilians” and aimed “to end this war” with the destruction of Israel.

France, Germany

On the other hand, France called on Israel to stop striking Lebanon. Acco­mpanied with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Paris wanted “an immediate halt to Israeli strikes in Leb­anon” and was “opposed to any ground operation”, the foreign ministry said.

Also, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock warned of ‘spiral of violence’ in Middle East, terming the situation ‘extremely dangerous’. “There is a threat that this entire region will slip further into an absolute spiral of violence.”

Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan, in a post on X, condemned the attacks as part of an Israeli policy of “genocide, occupation, and invasion” and said the Muslim world should show a more “determined” stance.

In another post on X, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani wrote, “The glorious path of the leader of the resistance, Hassan Nasrallah, will continue and his sacred goal will be realised in the liberation of Quds (Jerusalem), God willing.”

Iraq’s premier Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani said the killing showed “the reckless desire to expand the conflict at the expense of all the peoples of the region and their security and stability”.

Also, the foreign ministry of Syria condemned the attack, stating “The Zionist entity (Israel) confirms through this despicable aggression, once again… its barbarism and wanton disregard for all international standards and laws.”

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas offered his condolences to the Lebanese government and people of Lebanon over the civilian casualties in the ongoing Israeli aggression.

Also, the Hamas in Gaza and Houthis in Yemen condemned the unabated Israeli aggression in the region. “We condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric Zionist aggression and targeting of residential buildings… and we consider it a cowardly terrorist act,” Hamas said.

Order for Israel’s assassination of Nasrallah issued from New York: Iranian President

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the international community will not forget that the order for Israel’s terrorist act to assassinate Secretary General of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was issued from New York.

In a statement on Saturday, Hezbollah confirmed the martyrdom of its leader in massive Israeli airstrikes targeting a group of residential buildings in southern Beirut on Friday.

The attacks took place as the Israeli regime's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was addressing the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

According to Iranian media, in a message of condolences on Saturday, Pezeshkian said the United States cannot absolve itself of complicity with the Zionists in the terror attack against the Hezbollah chief.

He added that Israel’s Friday terrorist attack on the Dahiyeh area in the south of Lebanon’s capital Beirut and the martyrdom of prominent figures of the resistance movement, particularly Nasrallah, will further strengthen the “tree of resistance."

The Iranian president noted that the Hezbollah leader was the pride of Muslims and the symbol of resistance and finally achieved his long-standing dream – martyrdom.

Pezeshkian said words cannot describe his bravery and continuous efforts to fight the enemies and added that Hezbollah will further shine after Nasrallah’s assassination.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Israeli regime must watch in fear as the impact of Nasrallah’s blood leads to an even greater expansion of resistance

This is not the first time that the Israeli regime assassinated Hezbollah leaders and commanders but the “tree of resistance” will not stop growing, the top Iranian diplomat emphasized.

Araghchi expressed confidence that the “pure blood of the martyrs of the resistance will prepare the ground for the final victory and the liberation of Holy al-Quds” from the Zionist criminals.

Earlier on Saturday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the brutal attacks by the “rabid Zionist dog” on Lebanon revealed the shortsightedness and foolish policies of Israeli officials, calling on all Muslims to unite behind Lebanese people and Hezbollah.

Hezbollah confirms martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah

Lebanon's Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was martyred and vowed to continue the battle against Israel.

"His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, has joined his great and immortal martyr comrades who have led their path for nearly thirty years," Hezbollah said in a statement on Saturday.

According to reports from the resistance media, Nasrallah was assassinated in a massive Israeli attack in southern Beirut Friday evening.

The Israeli army launched a series of extensive assaults on what it described as the “central headquarters” of Hezbollah in the southern suburb of Dahieh.

The strike came amid heightened tensions between Hezbollah and the Israeli regime over the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.

Israel said earlier that it had killed the Hezbollah leader in an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs a day earlier, in what would be a devastating blow to the group as it reels from an escalating campaign of Israeli attacks.

The Israeli military said in a statement that Nasrallah was assassinated in a “targeted strike” on the group’s underground headquarters under a residential building in Dahiyeh — a Hezbollah-controlled southern suburb of Beirut.

It said he was killed along with another top Hezbollah leader — Ali Karaki —and other commanders.

“The strike was conducted while Hezbollah’s senior chain of command were operating from the headquarters,” it claimed.

Israel’s military says it has killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah

The Israeli military said on Saturday it had killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on the group's central headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut a day earlier.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah has yet to issue any statement on the status of Nasrallah, who has led the group for 32 years.

The Israeli military "eliminated ... Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization," Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote in a statement on X.

"Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world," the Israeli military said in a post on X on Saturday.

Israel launched a new wave of airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and other areas of Lebanon on Saturday, a day after carrying out the massive attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut known as Dahiyeh.

Nasrallah safe following Israeli airstrikes: Hezbollah

Hezbollah security sources said that Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the resistance movement, is in a secure location and has not been harmed by the recent Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut.

This statement follows rumors circulating on social media suggesting that Nasrallah was targeted during the Israeli regime's large aerial assault on the Dahiya neighborhood of southern Beirut on Friday.

Six buildings were razed to the ground as a result of the Israeli aggression on the southern suburb of Beirut.

The Israeli army radio said that F-35 aircraft carried out the aggression using bunker-buster bombs.

Israeli media reports said the regime had informed the United States of the attack shortly before it was carried out.

Lebanese media said civil defense personnel were working to extinguish the fire that broke out in the area and evacuate the injured.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati reacted to the attack, saying the international community must deter the Israeli enemy and stop its tyranny and the war of extermination it is waging against Lebanon.

Mikati said the Israeli attack shows the regime’s lack of interest in international calls for a ceasefire.

Ex-defence minister Ishiba set to become Japan’s next PM

Veteran lawmaker Shigeru Ishiba was set on Friday to become Japan’s next prime minister after winning a closely fought contest in his fifth and final attempt to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Ishiba prevailed over hardline nationalist Sanae Takaichi in a run-off vote in what was seen as one of the most unpredictable leadership elections in decades with a record nine candidates in the field.

The leader of the LDP, which has ruled Japan for almost all of the post-war era, is essentially assured of becoming Japan’s premier because of its majority in parliament.

The scramble to replace current premier Fumio Kishida was sparked in August when he announced his intention to step down over a series of scandals that plunged the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) ratings to record lows.

Ishiba must quell anger at home over rising living costs and navigate a volatile security environment in East Asia fuelled by an increasingly assertive China and nuclear-armed North Korea.

In brief comments made to lawmakers before the run-off, Ishiba called for a fairer and kinder Japan and tears welled in his eyes after the final results were read out.

Ishiba has courted controversy with his peers for going against the grain and challenging previous leaders, and has failed in four previous leadership bids. He has said he will not run again after this contest.

He supports some socially progressive policies like changing the law to allow married couples to use separate surnames, a move opposed by Takaichi and other more conservative LDP lawmakers.

US diplomacy

Seen as an LDP intellectual heavyweight and expert on national security policy, he advocates for a more assertive Japan that can reduce its reliance on longtime ally, the US, for its defence. That position, analysts say, could complicate relations with Washington.

During the LDP leadership campaign, he called for Japan to lead the creation of an “Asian NATO”, an idea quickly rejected by Washington as too hasty.

In Okinawa where most of the US troops in Japan are concentrated, he said he would seek greater oversight of the bases they use. He also wants Washington to give Japan a say in how it would use nuclear weapons in Asia.

In an interview with Reuters, Ishiba also criticised the US political backlash to Nippon Steel’s bid for US Steel, saying it unfairly cast Japan as a national security risk. Kishida has avoided making comments on the issue ahead of the US presidential election.

Policy shifts

Ishiba has, however, softened some policy positions that have put him at odds with party colleagues, most notably saying he would keep some reactors operating in Japan, despite his past opposition to nuclear power and support for renewable energy sources.

A fiscal conservative who has promised to respect the independence of the Bank of Japan to set monetary policy, he has more recently said it is unclear whether conditions were right for a fresh hike in interest rates.

“Politicians don’t need to be best friends, as long as their policies and political positions match,” Ishiba said in a video posted on YouTube this week.

‘Catastrophic’ Hurricane Helene races towards Florida

Hurricane Helene was set to slam into the Florida coast as a “catastrophic” Category 4 storm Thursday, the US weather service said, threatening up to six metres of deadly ocean surge and pummeling winds as residents rushed to get out of harm’s way.

The fast-moving storm was a Category 2 early Thursday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said, packing wind speeds of 155 kilometres an hour as it churns over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The NHC said it is expected to make landfall near the state’s Big Bend by Thursday evening or early Friday, warning that “damaging” winds may “penetrate well inland across the southeastern United States, including over the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians.”

Along with the storm surge and fierce winds, it warned of up to 18 inches of rain and potentially life-threatening flooding as well as “numerous” landslides across the southern Appalachians.

“Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” the hurricane centre said.

Several states are in the potential path and Atlanta, a Georgia metropolis hundreds of miles from the Gulf Coast home to five million people, is forecast to experience close to tropical storm-force winds and heavy rain into Friday.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency for nearly all of Florida’s 67 counties. He mobilized the National Guard and positioned thousands of personnel to prepare for possible search and rescue operations and power restoration. “The impacts are going to be far beyond the eye of the storm,” DeSantis said.

A White House statement said President Joe Biden’s administration “stands ready to provide further assistance to Florida, and other states in the path of the storm.” Helene earlier lashed Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, home to multiple tourist hotspots.

Sixteen Florida counties have announced mandatory partial evacuation orders, while two have ordered the evacuation of all residents. DeSantis said at least 62 healthcare facilities, from hospitals to nursing homes, have already begun evacuations.

Sandbags, boarded windows

A 402-kilometre stretch of coastline from Tampa Bay to just shy of Panama City, on the Florida panhandle is under a hurricane warning.

A “direct impact” was likely in the Tallahassee region, where coastal communities already looked like ghost towns by Wednesday afternoon. In Crawfordville, potentially in the storm’s direct path, wheelchair-bound residents of the Eden Springs Nursing and Rehab Center were being placed on coach buses for evacuation.

Other locals were seen loading up on gas and supplies, filling sandbags, and boarding up homes and businesses.

Communities across a wide swath of northwest Florida — including Tampa Bay, an area of more than three million residents — faced the dangerous threats of storm surge, heavy rain, and fierce winds.

In St Petersburg, adjacent to Tampa, cars lined up at supply donation or distribution centres while people filled sandbags.

“I expect the water to come up and just don’t want to get in the house,” Clearwater Beach resident Jasper MacFarland told AFP, adding that he is building a barrier to “keep as much water out of the house as possible.”

Chad Campbell, a tourist from Washington state, told AFP that he has changed his flights to get home to “where none of this ever happens. No tornadoes, no hurricanes. So we’ll be fine if we get back home early tomorrow.”

If forecasts are confirmed, Helene will become the most powerful hurricane to hit the United States in more than a year.

Category 3 Hurricane Idalia hit northwestern Florida in August 2023. Historic storms have hit multiple parts of the globe in recent weeks.

Researchers say climate change likely plays a role in the rapid intensification of storms because there is more energy in a warmer ocean for them to feed on.

Sudan army launches offensive to retake parts of Khartoum from RSF

Sudan’s army has launched a major offensive in the capital, Khartoum, to regain ground held by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The army carried out air strikes on Thursday against RSF positions in the capital and north of Khartoum in its biggest such assault in months.

According to international media reports, the army attacked several military sites belonging to the RSF, the sources said. Heavy and light weapons were being used in the continuing battles, and the Sudanese Air Force was carrying out several flights over Khartoum, they added.

At least four people were killed and 14 wounded during artillery shelling on Thursday morning by the RSF, which targeted residential neighbourhoods in the Karari Governorate, north of Omdurman, according to Khartoum State Health Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ibrahim. The injured were transferred to Al-No Hospital, he said.

Though the army retook some ground in Omdurman early this year, it depends mostly on artillery and air strikes and has been unable to dislodge more effective RSF ground forces embedded in Khartoum.

Military sources said the assault was “in the works for months”, said Morgan, against the din of artillery and fighter jets overhead.

Sudan plunged into conflict in April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo broke out in a conflict that has so far displaced more than 10 million people, a fifth of Sudan’s population, both within the country and across borders.

The bloody civil war has caused a dire humanitarian crisis, however diplomatic efforts by the United States and other countries have faltered, with the army refusing to attend talks last month in Switzerland.

A UN-backed assessment has warned of the risk of widespread famine in Sudan on a scale not seen anywhere in the world in decades.

WhatsApp enhances video call experience via new feature

Meta-owned WhatsApp has brought a new feature which would enhance the video-calling experience for its users.

According to WaBetaInfo, the new AR feature was rolled out in its latest update for call effects and filters.

Through this feature, users will be able to personalise their interactions with new visual tools. The messaging application is also refining this feature by allowing users to integrate these effects into the camera.

A new filter button has been introduced to the camera interface through this filter which would allow users to apply filters with just a tap, making their pictures and videos more enhanced.

These effects were only available during video calls, however, users can now access them through their cameras. "With this new button, users can quickly toggle through a variety of filters, allowing for real-time adjustments before capturing their images and videos," said WaBetaInfo.

Users will find skin-smoothing filter among others which would help them enhance their complexion by minimising blemishes or uneven skin tones.

Moreover, the messaging app has also integrated the background-changing feature that was previously available during video calls.

"Users can now replace their real-world background with virtual scenes or blur it entirely for a more professional look. The camera also supports lighting adjustments, such as a low-light mode that brightens up dark environments, making photos and videos clearer in challenging conditions," said the WhatsApp news tracker.

This feature can be accessed by beta testers who install the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android. It will be rolled out to more people in coming weeks.

Former Bangladesh PM Hasina’s son wants role for her party in reforms, election

The son of Bangladesh’s ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, said he was happy with the army chief’s timeline for elections within 18 months, though it was later than expected, but warned that genuine reform and polls were impossible without her party.

General Waker-uz-Zaman, whose refusal to stand by Hasina in the face of deadly student protests prompted her flight to India in August, has told Reuters that democracy should return within a year to a year-and-a-half.

“I’m happy to hear we have an expected timeline at least now,” Hasina’s son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, told Reuters late on Tuesday.

“But we have seen this play out before where an unconstitutional, unelected government promises reform and then things only get worse.”

He was referring to Bangladesh’s history of coups since independence from Pakistan in 1971. The most recent was in 2007, when the military backed a caretaker government that ruled until Hasina took power two years later in a tenure that ran 15 years.

With the police left in disarray after Hasina fled, the powerful army took a key role in subsequent events, with Zaman saying he meets the head of the interim government each week as the military backs its stability efforts.

The two main political parties, Hasina’s Awami League and its bitter rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have both called for elections to be held within three months of the interim government taking office in August.

The south Asian nation’s unelected interim government led by Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus has promised reforms in the judiciary, police and financial institutions before elections, but has not set a date for the exercise.

On Wednesday, Yunus’ office said the government would hold talks with political parties after receiving recommendations from the six reform panels it has set up.

“Once the consensus on the reforms is reached and the voter list is prepared, the date for the vote will be announced,” it said in a statement.

The BNP said it would like elections held at the earliest opportunity.

Wazed, who lives in Washington, said neither he nor the interim government had reached out for talks on the way ahead for the country of 170 million.

“It’s impossible to have legitimate reforms and elections by excluding the oldest and largest political party,” he added.

Hasina has been sheltering near Delhi since she fled last month. Many other senior Awami League leaders have either been arrested on accusations of having roles in the strife that killed more than 1,000 people, or have gone into hiding.

Many Awami League activists have been killed since Hasina’s downfall, Wazed added.

Representatives of the interim government did not immediately respond to requests for comment on his statements.

The head of an election reform panel, Badiul Alam Majumder, said it would make recommendations within three months following a review.

“It’s up to the government to decide whether to hold talks with the Awami League or determine the timing of the elections,” he added.

Last month, Wazed told Reuters that Hasina was ready to face trial at home, a demand made by students who led the uprising, and that the Awami League would like to fight the elections.

On Tuesday, asked when Hasina might return home, he replied, “That will be up to her. Right now I want to keep my party people safe, so I want to raise international awareness on the atrocities being committed against them by this Yunus regime.”

Hezbollah says it fired rocket targeting Mossad base near Tel Aviv

Hezbollah has claimed it fired a rocket at the Mossad spy agency headquarters near Tel Aviv. This comes as Israel announced that it has successfully intercepted a missile launched by Hezbollah aimed at Tel Aviv.

Fortunately, there were no reports of damage or casualties, and civil defense instructions remained unchanged.

It triggered warning sirens in Tel Aviv and other central locations, including Netanya.

Mossad spy agency headquarters near Tel Aviv was responsible for the assassination of Hezbollah leaders and the destruction of its communication devices.

It is reported that it is the first time the Lebanese group targeted Tel Aviv with a missile.

In recent days, Hezbollah has launched hundreds of missiles and rockets at Israel, intensifying the ongoing conflict along the Lebanese border.

The UN Security Council said it would meet on Wednesday to discuss the conflict.

“Lebanon is at the brink. The people of Lebanon – the people of Israel – and the people of the world - cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

In response, the Israeli military has conducted its most extensive airstrikes of the conflict this week, targeting Hezbollah leaders and numerous sites across Lebanon.

On Tuesday, an airstrike in Beirut resulted in the death of senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Qubaisi, who led the group’s missile forces. Qubaisi’s death adds to a growing list of key figures assassinated since fighting escalated nearly a year ago alongside the Gaza conflict.

Since the start of Israel’s recent offensive on Monday, 569 people, including 50 children, have been reported killed in Lebanon, with 1,835 others wounded, according to Health Minister Firass Abiad.

Biden stresses diplomacy over conflict in final UN address as president

US President Joe Biden makes his final appearance at the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, after dropping out of the race in July and endorsing his vice president as the Democratic nominee, the 81-year-old is not taking any chances.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also attended the opening session of the 79th UNGA being held today marking the beginning of the annual gathering of world leaders.

Biden asked world leaders to prevent "full-scale war" over Lebanon, as clashes escalated between Israel and Hezbollah, prompting the UN chief to warn of a situation "on the brink."

The UN General Assembly, the high point of the diplomatic calendar, comes as Lebanese authorities say Israeli strikes killed 558 people — 50 of them children.

"Full-scale war is not in anyone's interest. Even though the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible," Biden said in his farewell address to the global body.

"In fact (it) remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely," Biden said.

Biden also pushed again for an elusive ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, telling the global body it was time to "end this war."

UN Security Council member France called for an emergency meeting on the crisis, as the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell warned "we are almost in a full-fledged war."

"We should all be alarmed by the escalation. Lebanon is at the brink," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran — which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas — condemned the "senseless and incomprehensible" inaction by the UN against Israel.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon hit back at the UN chief, calling the General Assembly debate an "annual charade of hypocrisy."

"When the UN Secretary General speaks about the release of our hostages, the UN assembly is silent, but when he speaks about the suffering in Gaza, he receives thunderous applause," Danon said.

Since last year's annual gathering, when Sudan's civil war and Russia's Ukraine invasion dominated, the world has faced an explosion of crises.

With Israel's leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas expected to address the General Assembly this week, there could be combustible moments.

Abbas took his seat alongside the Palestinian delegation in alphabetical order for the first time after the delegation received upgraded privileges in the assembly in May.

Biden said that Russian President Vladimir "Putin's war has failed at its core aim. He set out to destroy Ukraine, but Ukraine is still free."

It is unclear if the grand diplomatic gathering can achieve anything for the millions mired in conflict, poverty and climate crisis globally.

Additionally, he urged all countries to stop arming rival generals in Sudan, whose bloody war has triggered a major humanitarian crisis.

"The world needs to stop arming the generals. Speak with one voice and tell them: 'Stop tearing your country apart. Stop blocking aid to the Sudanese people. End this war now,'" Biden told the UN General Assembly.

Apple likely to unveil revamped Siri with AI in early 2025

Apple, the world’s leading phone manufacturer, had quite a busy past few weeks following the launch of its latest iPhone 16 series, featuring its iOS 18, earlier this month.

With the iPhone 16 series available in stores in many countries, Apple enthusiasts are now eagerly waiting for the roll out of Apple Intelligence — the tech company's suite of artificial intelligence features — which is expected to make its debut in October with iOS 18.1, India Today reported.

Despite Apple Intelligence being rolled out next month, the full suite of AI features will be gradually introduced over the course of 2025.

These AI powered features also include a revamped version of Siri, which promises to redefine the personal assistant experience.

However, the timeline for the rollout of the new version of Siri, which was announced by the iPhone maker during its Worldwide Developers’ Conference 2024 in June, remained unknown until recently.

Some of the new Siri features could potentially be integrated into iOS 18.3, which may be expected to arrive as early as January, India Today reported citing insights from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Additionally, he stated that new features will be rolled out with every iOS 18 update.

The iOS 18.1 will bring the first wave of Apple Intelligence in mid-October, including a light Siri refresh, Writing Tools, Photos Clean Up, and Notification Summaries.

Apple’s iOS 18.1 will be followed by iOS 18.2, which is expected to introduce Image Playground, Genmoji, as well as ChatGPT integration. This is expected to be followed by the 2025 launch of iOS 18.3, featuring the updated Siri.

The revamped Siri is expected to feature a glowing light around the screen edges when activated. It will also have enhanced functionality, including onscreen awareness to perform actions based on the content displayed on the screen.

Notably, Apple partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT technology into Siri, boosting its generative AI capabilities and enabling it to handle more complex tasks and provide more sophisticated responses.

Israeli strikes kill 492 and wound 1645 in Lebanon

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Monday killed at least 492 people, including 35 children, 39 women and two medics, according to the health minister.

Firass Abiad said Israeli bombing targeted homes, medical centres, ambulances and cars of people trying to flee reported. Over 1,600 people were injured in air raids.

The Israeli military in a statement said that it conducted over 800 air raids targeting locations associated with Hezbollah

The escalation of violence raises concerns about the potential for a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as broader regional conflict. Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health stated that among the casualties were children, women, and medical personnel.

This announcement followed warnings from the Israeli military for civilians to evacuate areas it claimed were being utilized by Hezbollah, which had launched a series of rockets into northern Israel the day before.

The fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border has intensified, coinciding with the ongoing conflict that began when Israel launched its war on Gaza in October. This escalation follows last week’s incidents involving explosions from pagers and walkie-talkies that resulted in numerous casualties in Lebanon.

In the early hours of Monday, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari announced that Israeli forces had carried out “extensive strikes” against Hezbollah positions after detecting attempts to launch rockets.

The Israeli government has recently shifted its focus toward the conflict with Hezbollah, aiming to facilitate the return of approximately 60,000 Israelis who had been evacuated from border areas.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant urged the public to remain calm as military operations expanded.

In a video message, he stated, “We are deepening our attacks in Lebanon, and these actions will continue until we achieve our goal of safely returning northern residents to their homes.”

Gallant stressed the need for the Israeli public to demonstrate composure during these challenging times.

When asked, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari warned residents in southern Lebanon to evacuate areas where the armed group Hezbollah maintains positions. Civilians received phone calls urging them to leave these locations for their safety.

 

The Israeli army spokesperson said: “We recommend that civilians in Lebanese villages near buildings and sites used by Hezbollah for military purposes, including weapon storage, immediately move to safety.”

When asked about the possibility of a ground invasion into Lebanon, Hagari responded, “We will take all necessary actions to ensure the safe return of northern residents to their homes.”

Reports from Lebanese media indicate that individuals across the country, including in the capital, Beirut, have been receiving similar evacuation messages from Israeli authorities.

Trash balloons saga: South Korea warns of 'decisive' action against North

South Korea said Monday it would take "decisive military action" if anyone is killed by the wave of trash-carrying balloons being launched across the border by North Korea.

Pyongyang has sent more than 5,500 balloons carrying payloads of garbage since May, disrupting flights, causing fires, and even hitting government buildings in the South.

Pyongyang says the tactic is a response to activists in the South sending balloons carrying propaganda to the North.

Seoul "will take decisive military actions if the North's trash-filled balloons post a serious safety threat or are deemed to have crossed a line", Lee Sung-joon, of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.

The line would be crossed if anyone died as a result of the balloons he said, without giving details on exactly what the "decisive" measures would entail.

Most of the balloons sent by the North have bags of waste paper attached, which pose no specific health risk, but concerns have been raised after new devices attached to some caused fires in recent weeks.

"Our military is closely monitoring North Korean military and tracking the launch point of the balloons in real time," the JCS's Lee said.

The warning came hours after the latest balloon launch briefly disrupted flights at Incheon airport.

Shortly after the North's launch of trash-filled balloons in May, Seoul suspended a military deal with Pyongyang and restarted propaganda broadcasts from loudspeakers along the border.

Relations between North and South Korea are at one of their lowest points in years, with the North recently announcing the deployment of 250 ballistic missile launchers to its southern border.

The North also earlier this month released images of its uranium enrichment facility for the first time, showing leader Kim Jong Un touring as he called for more centrifuges to boost his nuclear arsenal.

The country, which conducted its first nuclear test in 2006 and is under rafts of UN sanctions for its banned weapons programmes, had never publicly disclosed details of its uranium enrichment facility before.

At least 50 killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, health ministry says

At least 50 people have been killed and more than 300 wounded in Israeli attacks across eastern and southern Lebanon. Children, women and paramedics among those killed and wounded in the attacks, Lebanon’s Health Ministry says.

Israel’s military has warned civilians to avoid Hezbollah positions as it pounds southern Lebanon, while it was reported that phone warnings have been received across the country.

The Israeli army reported on Monday that its warplanes had launched more than 300 strikes in Lebanon.

The intensification of the fighting across the shared border, which has seen low-level skirmishes since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October, follows last week’s explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies which killed dozens in Lebanon. The increased hostilities further raise fears of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah, or even a wider regional conflagration.

In the early hours of Monday, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the army had conducted “extensive strikes” against Hezbollah posts after identifying attempts to fire missiles. Israel’s government recently declared that it was shifting more focus to the fighting with Hezbollah in a bid to allow the 60,000 or so Israelis evacuated from the border areas to return.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant called on the public to remain calm as the military broadened its assault.

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that “citizens in Beirut and a number of areas are receiving landline telephone warning messages whose source is the Israeli enemy, asking them to quickly evacuate.”

Information Minister Ziad Makary’s office in Beirut said it received a landline call featuring a “recorded message” that told them to evacuate the building in order to avoid an air strike.

NNA labelled the phone warnings “part of the psychological war that the enemy has adopted”.

Brazil court asks X for documents as the platform starts to comply with orders

The Brazilian Supreme Court on Saturday asked Elon Musk-owned social platform X to present documents validating its new legal representative in the country, as the firm's lawyers now say it will comply with court demands to be allowed to resume operations in Brazil.

X was shut down in Brazil in late August after it did not comply with orders from the top court related to hate speech moderation in the social platform.

But in the last few days, X representatives have started to publicly vocalise intentions to address the court demands, even though the firm had previously said it would not meet them.

X lawyers said late on Friday that the platform had named a legal representative in Brazil, addressing a key demand imposed by the court.

In a Saturday decision, Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes gave five days for X to provide commercial registries and other documents proving that X formally signed Rachel de Oliveira Conceicao as its Brazil legal representative.

Brazilian law requires foreign companies to have a legal representative to operate in the country. The representative would assume the legal responsibilities for the firm locally.

X had a legal representative in Brazil until mid-August, when it decided to close its offices and fire its staff in the country.

The move followed a months-long dispute between Musk and Moraes over the firm's non-compliance with court orders demanding the platform to take action against the spread of hate speech, which the billionaire denounced as censorship.

Besides the indication of a legal representative, Brazil's top court also required X to block certain accounts investigated in a hate speech and misinformation probe, and to pay fines amounting over $3 million as conditions to lift the ban.

At first X had said it would not comply with the "illegal" orders, but now its lawyers said the platform will pay the fines it owes, and that it has also started to block the ordered accounts.

It was not immediately clear which were the accounts X has been ordered to block, as the probe is confidential.

Despite the ban, X became accessible to many users in Brazil on Wednesday for a limited period of time after an update to its communications network bypassed the court-ordered block.

Curfew imposed in Sri Lanka despite peaceful polling

Sri Lanka imposed a night curfew across the country on Saturday despite a peaceful presidential election that is effectively a referendum on an unpopular IMF bailout.

Police announced the eight-hour curfew shortly after the independent Election Commission said Saturday’s poll was the most peaceful in the country’s electoral history. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is facing an uphill battle to retain power, imposed the unexpected travel restriction “as an additional measure to protect people”, police said in a statement.

It urged people to remain indoors. Earlier in the day, the government declared Monday a special public holiday. Results of Saturday’s election are expected on Sunday.

Turnout was at an estimated 75 per cent when polling stations closed after nine hours of balloting, an election official said, citing provisional figures. The record for voter turnout in a Sri Lankan presidential election was set in 2019 with 83.72 per cent.

Wickremesinghe is seeking re-election to continue belt-tightening measures that stabilised the economy and ended months of food, fuel and medicine shortages after Sri Lanka’s worst economic meltdown in 2022.

His two years in office restored calm to the streets after civil unrest spurred by the downturn saw thousands storm the compound of his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country as anger mounted. “I’ve taken this country out of bankruptcy,” Wickremesinghe, 75, said after casting his ballot.

But Wickremesinghe’s tax hikes and other measures, imposed under the terms of a $2.9-billion IMF bailout, have left millions struggling to make ends meet.

“The country has been through a lot,” lawyer and musician Soundarie David Rodrigo told AFP after casting her vote in Colombo.

Sri Lanka Marxist candidate takes early lead in presidential vote

Sri Lanka's Marxist politician Anura Kumara Dissanayaka took an early lead in Saturday's presidential election during the counting of postal ballots, official results showed.

Dissanayaka had 60.21% of the 164,000 votes counted, out of just over 700,000. Public servants involved in conducting the election are entitled to post their ballots, which are the first to be counted.

About 76% of the 17.1 million person electorate turned out for Saturday's vote, and final results are expected later Sunday.

The election has turned into a referendum on incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe's austerity measures, implemented in line with a $2.9 billion bailout loan he secured from the IMF early last year.

The 55-year-old Dissanayaka had vowed to renegotiate the unpopular IMF agreement under which Wickremesinghe had doubled income taxes, removed energy subsidies and raised prices.

The initial results showed opposition leader Sajith Premadasa had 19.98, almost neck-and-neck with Wickremesinghe who had 18.59%.

If elected, Dissanayaka would be Sri Lanka's first Marxist head of state. The authorities declared an eight-hour evening curfew across the country while results were being announced via manual counts, as Sri Lanka does not have electronic voting.

Wickremesinghe is seeking a fresh term to press ahead with his austerity measures after claiming credit for stabilising the economy after a crushing default on the national debt in 2022.

France to finally get new govt

France’s new premier said he hoped to finalise a long-awaited government soon, as President Emmanuel Ma­c­­ron weighed a line-up that marks a shift to the right.

The full line-up, which includes fresh faces in almost all key posts, is due after “final fine-tuning”, Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s office said, after over two months of deadlock created by inconclusive legislative elections.

While there appeared to be no major surprises or big-name entrants into the cabinet, there are set to be new foreign, economy and interior ministers, with only the defence minister remaining unchanged among the key offices of state.

Barnier has proposed Europe Minister Jean-Noel Barrot as foreign minister, a source close to Macron’s political faction said. The move would be a major promotion for the 41-year-old, whose slick media appearances have impr­e­ssed observers, but boosting France’s presence on the international stage could pose a challenge.

Bruno Retailleau, who heads the faction of the right-wing The Republ­icans (LR) in France’s upper house, is to take on the interior ministry, according to several sources.

And another meteoric rise will likely see Antoine Armand, the 33-year-old head of parliament’s economic affairs commission, installed as economy minister.

One key person said to be staying on is Defence Minister Sebastien Leco­rnu, who is believed to enjoy a close and trusting relationship with Macron.

Tense lunch

Barnier was at the Elysee Palace late on Thursday to discuss the nominations with Emmanuel Macron.

The president could seek to veto the prime minister’s proposals, but doing so would cause immense tensions with his Barnier at this stage.

Sources added that names still need to be vetted to ensure they have no conflict of interest before entering government, as is customary.

But Macron “will not censor any name”, said a source close to him.

Among the more junior positions, a last-minute controversy arose over the proposed appointment of Senator Laurence Garnier as family minister. The senator is a member of Michel Barnier’s LR party.

Macron’s centrist allies strongly protested her nomination to the family brief, with Garnier having opposed both gay marriage and the inscription of the right to abortion in the constitution.

There had been tensions between centrist Macron and Barnier over the balance of the government, notably at a lunch earlier this week that was far from cordial.

The Le Monde daily said that Barnier had even raised the possibility of resigning just days into the job. The tensions were then resolved on Thursday.

‘Very serious’

Politics in France has been deadlocked since the June-July snap legislative elections left it with a hung parliament.

Prime Minister Barnier, the European Union’s former top Brexit negotiator and a right-winger, was appointed earlier this month by Macron in an attempt to breach the impasse.

Key posts were vacant, with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire stepping down after occupying his post since Macron came to power in 2017, and Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne tapped by Macron to be France’s new EU commissioner.

However, there seems to be no place in the cabinet for the ambitious Gerald Darmanin, interior minister since 2020, who has reportedly long coveted the job of foreign minister.

The 73-year-old Barnier has already faced a raft of challenges since taking office.

He warned on Wednesday that France’s budgetary situation, which has seen Paris placed on a formal procedure for violating EU budgetary rules, was “very serious”.

Macron had hoped to reassert his relative majority in parliament by calling for the elections in late June and early July, but the plan backfired.

A left-wing alliance, which nabbed the most seats in the lower house but does not have a working majority, is outraged at the prospect of a right-wing government.

On Saturday, the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI) and allies joined demonstrations organised in several cities by student, environmental and feminist groups against Macron and Barnier.

The LFI hopes to “increase popular pressure”, leading party figure Mathilde Panot said, after more than 100,000 left-wing demonstrators protested Barnier’s nomination and Macron’s “power grab” earlier this month.

Israeli attack on Gaza school sheltering displaced Palestinians kills 22

At least 22 Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli attack that hit a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

The Palestinian Civil Defence agency in Gaza confirmed that Israel targeted the Zeitoun School in the eastern part of Gaza City on Saturday.

Those killed include 13 children, six women, and a three-month-old baby, the Government Media Office said in a statement, adding that Israel had committed a “horrific massacre”.

At least 30 people were wounded, the ministry said, including several who suffered severe burns. Two people remain missing.

Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal noted that thousands of displaced people had sought shelter at the school.

This is the latest in a series of Israeli raids on school buildings housing displaced people in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes by Israeli offensives and evacuation orders have been sheltering.

A strike on the United Nations-run al-Jawni School in central Gaza on September 11 drew international outcry after the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said six of its staffers were among the 18 reported deaths.

X names Brazil legal representative as it fights ban in the country

Elon Musk-owned social media platform X has named a legal representative in Brazil, the firm's lawyers said Friday, in a move that would address one of the demands imposed by Brazil's top court to allow the company to operate in the country.

Andre Zonaro and Sergio Rosenthal, who were recently appointed as X's lawyers in Brazil, told Reuters that colleague Rachel de Oliveira Conceicao was chosen as the firm's legal representative.

In late August, Brazil's top court ordered mobile and internet service providers to block X in the nation, and users were cut off within hours.

The shutdown followed a monthslong dispute between Musk and Brazilian Justice Alexandre de Moraes over X's noncompliance with court orders demanding the platform take action against the spread of hate speech.

Courts have previously blocked accounts implicated in probes of allegedly spreading misinformation and hate, which Musk has denounced as censorship, and had also ordered X to name a local legal representative as required by Brazilian law, after the firm closed its offices in Brazil in mid-August.

On Thursday, the lawyers representing X in Brazil said the firm would present a legal representative to the local Supreme Court "very soon."

They also said the firm was starting to comply with the orders on removing content, which is another demand from the top court.

Donald Trump says Jews will be partly to blame if he loses election

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Thursday that Jewish-American voters would be partly to blame if he lost the November 5 election to Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate.

During comments to the Israeli-American Council National Summit in Washington, the former president lamented that he was trailing Harris among American Jews.

Israel would likely cease to exist within two years should Harris win the election, and Jews would be partly to blame for that outcome because they tend to vote for Democrats, Trump argued.

“If I don’t win this election — and the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that if that happens because if 40 per cent, I mean, 60pc of the people are voting for the enemy — Israel, in my opinion, will cease to exist within two years,” Trump told the crowd.

Trump was citing a poll that he said showed Harris polling at 60pc among American Jews. He also lamented winning less than 30pc of the vote among American Jews in the 2016 election, which he won, and the 2020 election, which he lost to Democratic President Joe Biden.

It was not clear what poll the former president was citing, but a recent Pew Research Survey found American Jews favour Harris over Trump, 65pc to 34pc. Trump made similar comments at a separate summit earlier in the evening, also in Washington, which was dedicated to fighting antisemitism in America.

The Trump campaign has made winning over Jewish voters in key battleground states a priority. US Jews have leaned heavily towards Democrats in federal elections for decades and continue to do so, but just a small shift in the Jewish vote could determine the winner in November.

In the crucial battleground of Pennsylvania, for example, there are over 400,000 Jewish people, in a state Biden won by 81,000 votes in 2020.

In a statement before the speech, Morgan Finkelstein, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, criticized Trump for at times associating with anti-Semites. Trump has rejected all accusations of anti-Semitism, noting during his speeches on Thursday that he has a Jewish son-in-law.

During his comments, Trump did not address a CNN report published earlier in the day regarding the Republican gubernatorial candidate in North Carolina, Mark Robinson.

 

My whatsApp storage is full: How to clear space

WhatsApp, a messaging platform owned by Meta, has introduced a feature that will tell the user which chat is consuming more memory.

Many users get worried or worried about WhatsApp memory being full, but now WhatsApp has made this problem easy for them.

A large number of users are unaware of the hidden WhatsApp hacks that must be known. An easy way is to know who you have interacted with the most.

The following lines describe the method of the new feature through which you can easily know who you have sent the most messages to on WhatsApp and which chats are using up the most of your phone’s memory.

For this follow the following simple steps:

1. Open WhatsApp on your mobile phone.
2. Click on the three dots (Menu) in the upper right corner.
3. Go to “Settings”.
4. Select “Storage and Data”.
5. Then click on “Manage Storage”.

Recently, Meta also announced its plans to roll out a feature to support third-party video and voice calls in 2027.

Meanwhile, the tech giant has maintained that the privacy and security of WhatsApp users remain its top priority despite the move.

According to details, the messaging platform will notify its users to change the app’s settings once the feature rolls out.

In a separate development, WhatsApp is reportedly testing a new feature allowing users to open status updates directly from the list of people who have viewed their status.

With the latest update, the Meta-owned app is expanding this functionality to the sheet that displays who has seen your status. Now, users will notice a green ring around a contact’s profile picture in the viewer list if that contact has also posted a status update.

Ukrainian President Zelensky to meet Biden and Harris, plans to see Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet US President Joe Biden and Vice President and Democratic Nominee Kamala Harris next week and plans to see Donald Trump as he visits the United States to shore up support before November’s crucial presidential election.

Zelensky will be covering all political bases in what could be his last such visit before an election that could upend Washington’s policy of support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

The White House said Zelensky will have separate talks on September 26 with President Biden and with Vice President Harris, who is the Democratic nominee against Republican former president Trump. Zelensky has said he will share a “victory plan” with the US leaders to end the war with Russia.

“The president and vice president will emphasize their unshakeable commitment to stand with Ukraine until it prevails in this war,” Biden’s Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Biden said separately that he was “looking forward to hosting my friend President Zelensky”. “During his visit, I’ll reaffirm America’s commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom and independence,” Biden said.

The Ukrainian presidency said separately that Zelensky plans to meet “the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump.” There was no immediate confirmation from Trump’s camp.

Both Ukraine and Nato allies have been fretting that Trump could loosen US support for Kyiv. Trump has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, and refused to take sides on the war during a debate with Harris last week, saying only: “I want the war to stop.”

Zelensky has meanwhile been pressuring the Biden administration to let it fire Western-made long-range weapons into Russian territory.

Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer put off a decision on the issue last week, with Starmer saying they would discuss it further when they meet at the UN General Assembly in New York.

The Ukrainian leader said last week that he planned to discuss his victory plan with Biden “this month” and added on Wednesday that the plan was now “fully prepared.”

Zelensky has also said he aims to host another international peace summit outlining his vision to end the war in November, to which Russia will be invited.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dragged on for more than 30 months, with Ukraine now controlling parts of Russia’s Kursk region while Moscow presses an advance into eastern Ukraine.

LinkedIn trains AI models on user data ahead of changes to privacy policy

LinkedIn has quietly enrolled users into training generative AI models.

According to media reports, without prior consent, the professional social network introduced a privacy setting allowing the platform to use personal data for AI training.

While LinkedIn recently updated its privacy policy to reflect this change, many users were not notified beforehand.

In its updated policy, LinkedIn states that personal data may be used to "improve, develop, and provide products and services," including training AI models and using automated systems to personalize the platform.

Users can opt-out by visiting the "Data for Generative AI Improvement" setting in the Data Privacy tab and toggling the option off. However, LinkedIn notes that opting out only affects future data usage, not previous training conducted with personal data.

LinkedIn’s AI training policy highlights that it uses "privacy enhancing technologies" to redact or remove personal data in its training sets.

Additionally, LinkedIn does not train models using data from individuals living in the EU, EEA, or Switzerland.

The platform also utilizes other machine learning tools for moderation and personalization, separate from generative AI models. Opting out of these requires users to fill out the LinkedIn Data Processing Objection Form.

Israel arrests 27 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

At least 27 Palestinians were rounded up in Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to media reports.

A journalist was among the detainees in the raids that targeted the cities of Nablus, Qalqilya, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, and other towns in the occupied territory.

Israeli army forces searched and vandalized several homes in Qalqilya and the nearby town of Jayyus, arresting 13 people, witnesses said.

Four more people were detained in Nablus amid clashes between angry residents and Israeli forces, which used live fire and tear gas canisters during the raid, they added. No injuries were reported.

In Jenin, two people were arrested by Israeli army forces, including a journalist, witnesses said.

More than 10,700 Palestinians have been arrested by the Israeli army in the West Bank since last October amid rising tensions over the ongoing Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 41,300 people, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian figures.

The figure does not, however, include those arrested from the Gaza Strip, whose numbers are estimated in the thousands.

At least 707 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 5,700 others injured by Israeli army fire in the West Bank since last Oct. 7, according to the Health Ministry.

The escalation follows a landmark July opinion by the International Court of Justice that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land "illegal" and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

China has urged Israel to halt building illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank while implementing a UN resolution for a ceasefire in embattled Gaza, state-run media reported.

Speaking to reporters in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said countries should take a responsible attitude and concrete actions to promote the implementation of UN resolutions.

"All parties, especially Israel, should earnestly implement the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, immediately cease military operations in Gaza, and halt illegal settlement activities in the West Bank," Global Times quoted Lin Jian as saying.

US reattires denial of support for Pakistan’s ballistic missile program

The United States has reiterated its "longstanding policy" denying support to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme, saying it will continue to use sanctions and other tools to ensure its own national security and protect its financial system from being used by "proliferators".

In a press briefing on Tuesday, addressing a query regarding the recent sanctions considered "biased and politically motivated" by Islamabad — as per the journalist, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said that while Pakistan has been a long-term partner of the US, there are disagreements.

"... and when we have disagreements, we won’t hesitate to act on those to protect America’s interests," he said, emphasising on the country's policy to deny support to Pakistan’s missile programme.

"... we will continue to use our sanctions and other – our other tools to ensure our national security cannot be – cannot be impacted, and that the US financial system cannot be used by proliferators," said Miller.

The statement comes days after the US imposed sanctions. Washington had similarly targeted three China-based companies with sanctions in October 2023 for supplying missile-applicable items to Pakistan.

The Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machine Building Industry, according to Miller's statement last week, had worked with Pakistan to procure equipment for testing rocket motors for the Shaheen-3 and Ababeel systems and potentially for larger systems.

The sanctions also targeted China-based firms Hubei Huachangda Intelligent Equipment Co, Universal Enterprise, and Xi'an Longde Technology Development Co, alongside Pakistan-based Innovative Equipment and a Chinese national, for knowingly transferring equipment under missile technology restrictions, said Miller.

In the briefing, the spokesperson also addressed a question pertaining to the "real reasons and concerns" that triggered the sanctions imposed on a Chinese research institute and several companies involved in supplying Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme.

"So the United States is committed to strengthening the international nonproliferation regime by taking action against networks supporting activities of proliferation concern," said the spokesperson.

He added that the executive order action that was taken last week follows Washington October 2023 and April 2024 designation of six Chinese entities and one Belarusian entity that have worked to supply Pakistan’s missile programme as well as the listing of numerous Pakistani and third-country entities on the Department of Commerce Entity List for decades.

John Bass discussed bilateral cooperation in Pakistan: US State Dept

The US State Department said on Monday that Under Secretary John Bass discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in his recent visit to Pakistan.

Bass had met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir in Islamabad, according to a readout from the US Embassy in Islamabad on Monday.

Speaking at a routine press briefing on Monday, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said that discussions included countering terrorism.

“So they discussed our approaches to expanding bilateral cooperation on economic and security issues, including countering terrorism and violent extremism, the importance of fostering regional stability and prosperity,” Miller said in response to a question regarding Bass’ visit.

“The under secretary expressed his gratitude for Pakistan’s continued cooperation in assisting Afghans in resettlement pathways to the United States, and we will continue to work closely with the Government of Pakistan on all these issues,” Miller said.

“The Under Secretary congratulated the Deputy Prime Minister on Pakistan’s election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2025-2026 term and expressed the United States’ interest in working closely with the Government of Pakistan during its tenure,” the readout had added.

Explosions linked to walkie-talkies kill at least three in Lebanon

Three people have been killed in Lebanon’s Bekaa region in the east of the country in the latest device blasts, the state news agency has reported, a day after thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah detonated across the country.

Multiple explosions have been reported across Lebanon on Wednesday, with Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reporting that pagers and “devices” have exploded in Hezbollah strongholds in the east and south of Beirut.

Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV reported explosions in multiple areas of Lebanon, which it said were the result of walkie-talkies detonating.

On Tuesday, pagers used by Hazbollah, exploded nearly simultaneously in Lebanon, killing at least 12 people, including two children, and wounding around 2,800.

Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel. Israel did not comment on the attacks.

Hezbollah says will continue to support Gaza after pager blasts

Hezbollah has said it "will continue, as in all the past days, its blessed operations to support Gaza", after a deadly wave of exploding pagers the group blamed on Israel.

"This path is ongoing and separate from the difficult reckoning that the criminal enemy must await for its massacre," the group said in a statement issued on Telegram.

Hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded across Lebanon Tuesday, killing at least nine people and wounding around 2,800 in blasts the group blamed on Israel.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the wave of explosions, which came just hours after Israel announced it was broadening the aims of the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attacks to include its fight against Hezbollah along the country’s border with Lebanon.

The blasts “killed nine people, including a girl”, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said.

He added that about “2,800 people were injured, about 200 of them critically”.

A son of Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Ammar was also among the dead, a source close to the group told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

The 10-year-old daughter of a Hezbollah member was killed in east Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley when his pager exploded, the family and a source close to the group said.

Tehran’s ambassador in Beirut was wounded but his injuries were not serious, Iranian state media reported.

Hundreds of Hezbollah members wounded when pagers explode in Lebanon

More than 1,200 people, including Hezbollah fighters and medics, were wounded on Tuesday when the pagers they use to communicate exploded across Lebanon.

According to international media reports, the pagers exploded in the southern suburbs of the capital, Beirut, known as Dahiyeh on Tuesday, security sources said, adding that communication devices were also exploded in the south of Lebanon.

Officials said the blasts appeared to be a remote cyber attack by the Israeli regime at a time of rising tensions across the Lebanese border.

Footage shared on social media showed the wounded were attended by passers-by. Groups of people also gathered at the entrance of buildings to check on people they knew who may have been injured.

In a statement, Hezbollah said at least three people, including a girl, were killed in the pager explosions and many others sustained injuries in the blasts.

Hezbollah said that relevant authorities are currently conducting security and scientific investigations to determine the causes of these simultaneous explosions.

The group emphasized that its resistance forces remain at the highest level of readiness to defend Lebanon and its people.

People said blasts were taking place half an hour after the initial explosions and ambulances could be heard non-stop.

Over 50 ambulances from the Red Cross were sent to the scene to help transport casualties to hospitals.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health has asked for all medical workers to remain on alert and respond to the incident if needed.

Lebanon’s Minister of Health, Firas Abiad, said the number of injured was in the “hundreds” and there were some fatalities from the explosions.

Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also one of the injured in the explosions.

The Iranian Embassy in Beirut later announced that Ambassador Amani sustained minor injuries, but he was in good condition.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has been exchanging fire with Hezbollah since early October, shortly after the occupying regime launched its war on Gaza after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

 

Instagram rolls out teen account with privacy, parental controls as scrutiny mounts

Meta Platforms is rolling out enhanced privacy and parental controls for Instagram accounts of users under 18 in a significant overhaul aimed at addressing growing concerns around the negative effects of social media.

Meta will port all designated Instagram accounts automatically to “Teen Accounts”, which will be private accounts by default, the company said on Tuesday.

Users of such accounts can only be messaged and tagged by accounts they follow or are already connected to, while sensitive content settings will be dialed to the most restrictive available.

Users under 16 can change the default settings only with a parent’s permission. Parents will also get a suite of settings to monitor who their children are engaging with and limit their use of the app.

Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok and Google’s GOOGL.O YouTube already face hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of children and school districts about the addictive nature of social media. Last year, 33 U.S. states including California and New York sued the company for misleading the public about the dangers of its platforms.

Top platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, allow users who are 13 years of age and above to sign up.

Meta’s move comes three years after it abandoned development on a version of the Instagram app meant for teenagers, after lawmakers and advocacy groups urged the company to drop it, citing safety concerns.

In July, the U.S. Senate advanced two online safety bills – The Kids Online Safety Act and The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act – that would force social media companies to take responsibility for how their platforms affect children and teens. As part of the update, the under-18 Instagram users will be notified to close the app after 60 minutes each day. The accounts will also come with a default sleep mode that will silence notifications overnight.

Meta said it will place the identified users into teen accounts within 60 days in the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia, and in the European Union later this year. Teens around the world will start to get teen accounts in January.

10 killed, several injured in Iran bus crash

A bus accident in Iran has resulted in the deaths of at least ten people and left 41 others injured, according to reports.

The incident occurred when a passenger bus traveling from Bushehr to Mashhad overturned, allegedly due to excessive speed.

The bus, which was en route to Mashhad, reportedly lost control and flipped over.

Emergency services swiftly arrived at the scene and transported over 50 passengers to a nearby hospital.

Unfortunately, 10 individuals were confirmed dead upon arrival, with six pronounced dead at the scene and four succumbing to their injuries in the hospital.

Among the injured, 41 passengers were admitted to the hospital, with nine in critical condition requiring intensive care. More than 15 others were treated for less severe injuries and discharged.

The identities of the victims have not yet been fully established, and it remains unclear whether they were local residents or pilgrims. Eyewitnesses suggest that the bus’s excessive speed may have been a major contributing factor to the accident.

This tragic event follows a series of severe bus accidents in Iran in recent weeks, including two incidents last month that resulted in the deaths of over 30 Pakistani pilgrims and injuries to more than 50 others.

Tribal violence over Papua New Guinea mines kills at least 20: UN

Papua New Guinea has given police permission to use “lethal force” to restore order as shootouts between rival tribes have killed dozens of people.

Between 20 and 50 people have been killed in the violence in the Porgera Valley in Enga province, home to one of the country’s largest gold deposits, the United Nations estimated on Monday.

The fighting involving hundreds of tribal warriors, apparently over control of local mining access, is continuing, the government said. The violence has spiralled after an attack in August on a landowner in the area by unauthorised miners, police said as they reported that 300 shots had been fired the previous day.

Mate Bagossy, the UN’s humanitarian adviser for Papua New Guinea, said the death toll from the intensifying tribal conflict had reached “at least 20” on Sunday but was “likely up to 50 people” based on information from community members and local authorities.

“Today, some security forces have started moving in,” Bagossy said on Monday, adding that “it remains to be seen what effect this will have”.

Police reported 30 men had been killed across the rival clans, hundreds of women and children displaced and “many” homes burned to the ground. The use of “lethal force” has been sanctioned to try to quell the violence, according to Police Commissioner David Manning.

“Put simply, this means if you raise a weapon in a public place or threaten another person, you will be shot,” Manning said in a statement over the weekend, adding that “illegal miners and illegal settlers” were “victimising” traditional landowners and terrorising local communities.

According to police, unauthorised miners from the Sakar clan have been squatting on land owned by their Piande rivals.

Alcohol sales have been banned and an overnight curfew is in place, Manning added. He promised to remove the miners from the valley, which is located near the site of a landslide in May that was estimated to have killed more than 2,000 people.

Tribal conflicts are a frequent occurrence in Papua New Guinea’s highlands, but an influx of automatic weapons has made clashes deadlier.

The latest burst of fighting had been turbocharged by the presence of more than “100 high-powered weapons in the wrong hands”, police said.

The Porgera gold mine once accounted for about 10 percent of Papua New Guinea’s yearly export earnings.

But recurrent flare-ups of tribal violence and a drawn-out government takeover have slowed production in recent years.

Gunfights between rival clans living near the mine killed at least 17 people in 2022.

And at least 26 people, including 16 children, were killed when three villages in East Sepik province were attacked this year.

Pope Francis urged Papua New Guinea to “stop the spiral” of violence during a visit this month.