August 14, 2024

*) Palestine envoy urges UNSC 'it is time to sanction' Israel Palestine's envoy to the UN, Riyad Mansour, has urged the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Israel amid its ongoing carnage on civilians across Gaza. "Israel continues taking human lives and every action possible to spread wildfires across the Middle East as we sit here on the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions," Mansour said. Mansour urged the Security Council to "Wake up" and ask for accountability. *) US approves $20 billion weapons package for Israel In a statement on Tuesday, the Pentagon said the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has approved the possible sale to Israel of F-15 jets and equipment worth nearly $19 billion. The Pentagon said he also approved the possible sale of tank cartridges worth around $774 million and army vehicles worth $583 million. *) Russia says it thwarted Ukrainian forces expanding Kursk incursion Russia claims its forces stopped a Ukrainian attempt to push further into the Kursk region after a weeklong incursion. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that troops, including fresh reserves, aircraft, drones, and artillery, blocked Ukrainian armoured groups from advancing near Kursk settlements. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Kiev has no plans to occupy Russian territory. *) Over 1,000 arrested in UK after anti-Muslim riots UK police have arrested over 1,000 people in connection with anti-Muslim riots which took place over the last two weeks in England. At least 575 people have been charged as courts continued to deal with those involved in the disorder. *) Seismic data reveals large underground water reservoir on Mars Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley suggest a vast reservoir of liquid water may exist deep beneath Mars' surface within fractured rocks, potentially enough to cover the planet. This conclusion is based on seismic data from NASA's InSight lander, which studied Mars' interior. The water, located 7.2 to 12.4 miles below the surface, could offer conditions suitable for microbial life, past or present.