October 14, 2024

Daily News Brief

Death toll from Israeli attack on Gaza shelter rises to 22 The death toll has climbed to 22 after an Israeli strike hit a school shelter in central Gaza, according to officials. What makes this particularly tragic is that the school was housing thousands of displaced women and children. These are people who had already lost their homes in earlier bombings. And to top it off, the Israeli army reportedly knew that the school was being used as a shelter. *) Türkiye condemns Israel’s attack on UNIFIL Türkiye has spoken out strongly against Israel, condemning its attacks on UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon — UNIFIL. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry didn’t hold back, warning that Israel’s ambitions might go beyond Gaza, suggesting it could expand its offensive into Lebanon. The ministry also pointed out that, given the situation, UNIFIL’s role in maintaining peace and security in the region is more important than ever. *) Seoul says N Korea readies to destroy northern parts of inter-Korean roads South Korea has spotted some suspicious activity up north. According to the South Korean military, North Korea looks like it’s gearing up to blow up the northern parts of the inter-Korean roads — those stretches of road that connect the two countries but are no longer in use. Apparently, the North has put up screens and is working behind them, possibly preparing for the demolition. It could even happen as soon as today, officials say. And that’s not all. South Korea is also keeping an eye on the possibility that North Korea might launch another space rocket, which, according to the UN, would basically be a long-range missile test in disguise. *) China starts new drills around Taiwan with no end date China’s military is kicking off another round of war games near Taiwan, and this time they haven’t given any hint about when it might stop. The exercises, named “Joint Sword-2024B”, are happening in and around the Taiwan Strait, and China says these drills are both “legitimate” and “necessary” for protecting its sovereignty. Taiwan isn’t too thrilled about it and has already condemned the move. *) Mechanical SpaceX arms ‘catch’ Starship rocket booster at landing pad In a major test flight, SpaceX sent its massive Starship rocket into the skies on Sunday, and this time, things got even more daring. After launching from southern Texas, the first-stage booster made a return, only to be caught mid-air by mechanical arms — yes, like something out of a sci-fi movie. This booster-catching system, affectionately called “chopsticks”, is part of Elon Musk’s latest risky endeavour with SpaceX. While previous Starship launches have ended with the rockets being destroyed, this one marks a huge leap forward in terms of success.