August 28, 2024

*) Israeli attacks kill at least 10 Palestinians in occupied West Bank At least 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids and strikes in several towns in the north of the occupied West Bank, a spokesman for the Red Crescent said. Two Palestinians were killed in the city of Jenin, four others in a nearby village, and four more in a refugee camp near the town of Tubas, said the Red Crescent’s Ahmed Jibril. He added that 15 others had been wounded. *) UN says only 11 percent of Gaza spared from Israeli evacuation orders Only 11 percent of Gaza is not under evacuation orders, a UN official said. Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, said at a UN briefing in Geneva that since Friday, Israeli forces issued three new evacuation orders “for over 19 neighbourhoods in northern Gaza and in Deir al Balah”. Laerke said more than 8,000 people were staying in these areas, with many sheltering in displacement sites. *) Donald Trump hit with new indictment in federal Jan 6 case Special counsel Jack Smith has filed a new indictment against Donald Trump over his efforts to undo the 2020 presidential election. The new indictment keeps the same criminal charges but narrows the allegations against the former US president following a Supreme Court opinion conferring broad immunity on former presidents. The special counsel’s office said the updated indictment, filed in federal court in Washington DC, was issued by a grand jury that had not previously heard evidence in the case. *) Ukraine successfully tests first indigenous ballistic missile: Zelenskyy President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine successfully tested its first domestically produced ballistic missile. No further information has yet been provided about the missile’s specifications. But a Ukrainian military video hinted that its range is up to 700 kilometres on par with the US-supplied ATACMS. *) Australia to limit new foreign students in migration crackdown Australia has said it would limit the enrolment number of new international students to 270,000 for 2025, as the government looks to rein in record migration. The decision follows a raft of actions since last year to end Covid-era concessions for foreign students and workers in Australia that helped businesses recruit staff locally while strict border controls kept overseas workers out. New international student enrolments will be capped at 145,000 for universities, which is around 2023 levels, and 95,000 for practical and skills-based courses.