Headline news for Thursday December 7, 2023 – Israeli military forces have encircled Gaza’s largest refugee camp after a raid on a Hamas command post in the settlement, where they uncovered surveillance equipment, weapons, and maps.
The Israeli Defense Forces are actively operating around the Jabalya Camp, north of Gaza City, following their earlier actions against other Hamas bases, where they demolished military infrastructure and seized critical military positions used for attacks on Israeli troops, as per an IDF news release.
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In a tragic error, the Nigerian Army inadvertently killed at least 88 individuals during a drone strike at a religious festival in Kaduna State, as reported by local authorities.
The accidental strike happened on Sunday night in Tudun Biri, Kaduna State, during a gathering for Mawlid al-Nabi, a Muslim holiday celebrating Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, officials stated. The casualties were from four different communities congregated for the celebration.
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In a groundbreaking action, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Wednesday that it is unsealing war crimes charges against four individuals connected to the Russian military. This marks the first instance of the U.S. filing charges under its war crimes statute.
The charges accuse Suren Seiranovich Mkrtchyan, Dmitry Budnik, Valerii (surname unknown), and Nazar (surname unknown) of detaining, brutally assaulting, and torturing an American citizen they allegedly kidnapped from his home in Mylove, Ukraine, following Russia’s 2022 invasion.
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Following an internal review triggered by sexual assault and harassment reports, U.S. Coast Guard officials are pledging reforms to address safety concerns and declining trust in leadership among members.
The comprehensive 90-day review, unveiled on Wednesday, recommends eliminating a culture that tolerates inappropriate jokes and comments, and emphasizes early intervention against “inappropriate or unhealthy behavior.” The report’s suggestions are based on interviews with numerous Coast Guard members across various locations.
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Ten Republicans from Wisconsin, involved as alleged “fake electors” in the 2020 presidential election, have conceded to a settlement, recognizing their participation in an effort to contest the election results in favor of Donald Trump.
Following a $2.4 million lawsuit filed by the Biden campaign in December 2020, the defendants, while avoiding monetary penalties, issued a statement affirming the 2020 election’s outcome and admitted involvement in an attempt to challenge the results.
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A man has received a four-year prison sentence after a video recorded by his 9-year-old child, showing him assaulting his wife, came to light, as per authorities.
Miguel Lazaro-Castillo was given the maximum sentence of four years last Friday by Yuba County Judge Julia Scrogin, after pleading no contest in October to felony domestic violence, false imprisonment, and misdemeanor child abuse, according to the Yuba County District Attorney’s Office, north of Sacramento.
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The Biden administration is postponing its initiative to prohibit menthol cigarettes until next March, following intense lobbying by civil rights groups, some backed by the tobacco industry, citing concerns over racial targeting.
This postponement, revealed in an online announcement, represents a significant setback for health advocates who have long sought to restrict access to menthol cigarettes, heavily marketed in Black communities. The CDC notes that menthol enhances the addictive qualities of cigarettes and complicates quitting efforts.
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The White House has confirmed the approval of nearly $5 billion in additional student loan debt relief for over 80,000 borrowers, enabled by improvements to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
With this new allocation of $4.8 billion, the total amount of debt cancellation authorized by the administration now stands at $132 billion, benefiting more than 3.6 million Americans, as per the White House’s latest announcement.
