September 16, 2024

Daily News Brief

*) Israeli army admits to killing three hostages The Israeli army has admitted three hostages, whose bodies were found last December, were killed in its own air strike in Gaza. The victims, two soldiers and one civilian were reportedly near a senior Hamas official who was the target of the strike. Though the army had known these details since February, the information was only recently shared with the families. *) FBI investigates fresh Trump ‘assassination attempt’ The FBI is investigating what it describes as an "attempted assassination" of former US president Donald Trump after Secret Service agents fired on an armed man at Trump’s golf club in Florida. Trump was on the course and remained unharmed. The suspect Ryan Wesley Routh fled the scene but was later arrested during a traffic stop. Authorities recovered a rifle, camera, and backpacks at the scene. Routh had previously been interviewed in a report on foreign fighters in Ukraine. *) Israel offers residency for African, Indian asylum seekers who contributed to the Gaza war Israel is offering permanent residency to African asylum seekers as a trade-off for fighting for the Israeli military in Gaza, according to Haaretz. Defence officials confirm the initiative is underway. However, so far no asylum seekers who helped in the conflict have been granted official status. Currently, over 30,000 African asylum seekers live in Israel, many of whom volunteered for work after the October 7 attack. *) Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso reveal plan for common passport The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), formed by the military leaders of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, has announced plans to launch a common biometric passport. This new passport aims to enhance cooperation, security, and ease of movement for citizens across the three nations. Mali’s military leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, also revealed plans for a shared information channel to unify communication efforts. *) SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew returns to Earth SpaceX's Polaris Dawn crew has safely returned to Earth after a groundbreaking five-day mission, including the first commercial spacewalk. The Crew Dragon capsule landed off the coast of Florida, carrying four crew members, including the mission commander and two engineers. The mission reached a record altitude of 1,400 km, marking the highest human orbit since the Apollo era.