October 26, 2024

*) Israel attacks Iran Israel has launched air strikes targeting what it described as "military targets" in Iran, with Iranian state-run media acknowledging the blasts and saying some of the sounds came from air defence systems around the capital Tehran. Fearing Iranian retaliation, the Israeli military said it had "fully mobilised" its offensive and defensive capabilities. Iran said it is prepared to respond to any Israeli aggression and that Tel Aviv will face a proportional reaction for any action it takes. *) Israeli army shoots inside Gaza hospital with 600 people inside Meanwhile, the Health Ministry in Gaza has said the invading Israeli military is searching and opening fire inside the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza with 600 people inside. The ministry said in a statement that the Israeli military is risking lives of 600 people inside, including 70 medical staff, 195 patients and wounded Palestinians, and their escorts. It also said two children in the hospital's intensive care unit died as the Israeli army disrupted the work inside the hospital. The ministry added that the Israeli army destroyed three ambulances, a transport vehicle and a power-generating system in the hospital. *) UNIFIL withdraws from south Lebanon's Dhayra post after Israeli fire The UN Interim Force in Lebanon has said that its peacekeepers withdrew from an observation post near Dhayra town in south Lebanon after Israeli forces fired at it. The UN mission is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation Blue Line with Israel - an area that has seen fierce clashes. The mission said that when Israeli soldiers conducted house-clearing operations nearby and realised they were being observed, they fired at the post, which prompted the duty guards to withdraw to avoid being shot. *) Putin defends 'sovereign right' to deploy North Korean troops Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended his country's sovereign right to utilise foreign troops in its conflict with Ukraine, responding to mounting Western allegations that North Korean soldiers have already been deployed to support Russian forces on the front lines. Putin also asserted that if Ukraine sought to join NATO, Moscow would take whatever measures it deemed necessary to ensure its own security. Putin said that when Russia has to decide something, it will decide, but it would be a sovereign decision whether to apply its decision or not and that this was their business. *) Brazil settles for $23B with mining firms over 2015 environmental disaster Brazil's federal government has reached a multibillion-dollar settlement with the mining companies responsible for a 2015 dam collapse that the government said was the country's worst-ever environmental disaster. Under the agreement, Samarco — a joint venture of Brazilian mining giant Vale and Anglo-Australian firm BHP — will pay $23 billion over 20 years. The payments are meant to compensate for human, environmental and infrastructure damage caused by releasing an immense amount of toxic mining waste.