International
Israeli defense minister warns an attack on Iran would be ‘lethal’ and ‘surprising’
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister says his country’s retaliation for a recent Iranian missile attack will be “lethal” and “surprising.” The warning on Wednesday came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden held their first call in seven weeks. In Gaza, a large-scale Israeli operation in the northern part of the Palestinian territory left dozens of people dead and threatened to shut down three hospitals over a year into the war with Hamas. That’s according to Palestinian officials and residents. The continuing cycle of destruction and death in Gaza, unleashed by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, comes as Israel expands a weeklong ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon and considers a major retaliatory strike on Iran.
The death toll in a gang attack on a small Haitian town rises to 115, a local official says
PONT-SONDÉ, Haiti (AP) — A local official in Haiti says the death toll in a horrific gang attack last week on a small town in central Haiti has risen to 115. The attack on residents of the town of Pont-Sondé on Oct. 3 was one of the biggest massacres that Haiti has seen in recent history. Myriam Fièvre, mayor of the nearby city of Saint-Marc, said Wednesday that the toll had risen to 115 and would likely keep rising because authorities are still looking for bodies and haven’t been able to access certain areas of the town.
Elon Musk’s X is back in Brazil after its suspension
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The social media platform X is returning to Brazil after remaining inaccessible for more than a month following a clash between its owner, Elon Musk, and a justice on the country’s highest court. Internet service providers began restoring access to the platform on Wednesday after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized lifting X’s suspension the previous day. De Moraes ordered the shutdown of X on Aug. 30 after a monthslong dispute with Musk over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. Musk had disparaged de Moraes, calling him an authoritarian and a censor, although his rulings, including X’s nationwide suspension, were repeatedly upheld by his peers.
Japan’s new PM dissolves the lower house of parliament to set up a snap election
TOKYO (AP) — New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has dissolved the lower house of parliament to set up an Oct. 27 snap election. He asks people to trust the governing party’s policies even as critics say the vote comes far too soon. Ishiba took office last week as Fumio Kishida resigned after leading the governing Liberal Democratic Party for three years while it was dogged by corruption scandals. Ishiba seeks to secure a majority in the lower house, the more powerful of the two chambers, for his governing party before the congratulatory mood fades. That has been criticized for allowing little debate.