Israeli forces kill 2 Lebanese soldiers and injure 2 UN peacekeepers

BEIRUT (AP) — The Lebanese army says that an Israeli airstrike killed two of its soldiers and wounded three others, an incident that further entangled Lebanon’s official army in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. As Israel escalates its campaign against Hezbollah with waves of heavy airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion at the border, Lebanese troops have increasingly found themselves in the crossfire. Friday’s strike came hours after Israeli troops fired on the headquarters of United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, injuring two peacekeepers for the second time in as many days.

Russia launches 4th aerial attack in a week against Ukraine’s Odesa region

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Authorities say a nighttime Russian missile strike on Odesa has killed at least four people, including a 16-year-old girl. It is the latest in a series of attacks this week on the southern Ukrainian region that likely are intended to disrupt the country’s grain exports. Local officials say four Russian missile and drone attacks on the Odesa region this week have killed 14 people and wounded around 20. The strikes have hit several merchant ships and damaged port infrastructure in the region which is a vital hub for Ukraine’s agricultural exports through the Black Sea. They’re part of an apparent Russian effort to frustrate Ukraine’s exports, which bring vital revenue for a national economy battered by more than two years of war.

North Korea accuses South Korea of flying drones to its capital

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has accused rival South Korea of flying drones to its capital to drop anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets and threatened to respond with force if such flights occur again. South Korea issued a vague denial of the allegation. North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday that South Korean drones were detected on Oct. 3 and Wednesday and Thursday this week. The ministry accused the South of violating North Korea’s “sacred” sovereignty and threatening its security, and said its forces will prepare “all means of attack” and respond without warning if South Korean drones are detected in its territory again.

UK police say 40 women have made sex crimes claims against late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed

LONDON (AP) — Police in London say 40 more women have made allegations of rape or sexual assault against the late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed. The claims have been made since the BBC broadcast claims by several former employees of the London department store last month. The Metropolitan Police force said it had received allegations “relating to 40 victim-survivors and covering offenses including sexual assault and rape” taking place between 1979 and 2013. They are in addition to the 21 women who went to the police between 2005 and 2023 with sex crime allegations against the businessman. He was never prosecuted and died last year at 94.