October 9, 2024

Daily News Brief

*) Israel orders Beirut residents to leave before air strikes The Israeli military has issued an urgent warning for residents in southern Beirut to evacuate ahead of planned air strikes, which it claims are targeting Hezbollah-linked sites as Tel Aviv widens its war throughout the Middle East. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry over 2,100 Lebanese people have been killed and thousands have been wounded since the Israeli attacks began. Meanwhile, Tel Aviv's ally, the US' trust in Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's government is eroding, with concerns over Israel's handling of Gaza and rejection of a ceasefire proposal, according to a report published by Axios. US officials have said they are concerned that the directive is setting the stage for a potential siege and that Palestinian civilians would not be allowed to return. *) WHO warns of disease outbreaks in Lebanese shelters amid Israel's invasion The World Health Organization warns of looming disease outbreaks in Lebanon as crowded shelters and hospital closures strain the health system amid Israel's intensified ground invasion. The UN health agency has already warned that the system is overstretched and five hospitals in the country have closed so far and four are only partly functional. Meanwhile, the WFP highlighted Lebanon's food crisis, with abandoned farmland and rotting crops threatening food security in the conflict zone. *) India's Modi surprises with Haryana win as opposition alliance takes Kashmir Indian PM Narendra Modi's BJP clinched a surprise win in Haryana state, defying exit polls and reinforcing its strength despite recent national setbacks. The Congress party, predicted to win, called the outcome "unexpected" and plans to challenge the results. Meanwhile, National Conference, a regional Kashmiri opposition alliance won in India-administered Kashmir, signalling shifting dynamics ahead of key state elections. *) British spy chief reveals surge in youth involvement in extremism UK's MI5 Chief Ken McCallum warns of a surge in youth terrorism cases, with under-18s now making up 13 percent of investigations—a threefold rise in three years. He cites online extremism, driven by right-wing ideologies, as a key factor. McCallum said the intelligence service was seeing "far too many cases where very young people are being drawn into poisonous online extremism" and singled out "canny" internet memes. *) AI pioneers Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield receive Nobel honours Geoffrey Hinton, the "Godfather of AI," and physicist John Hopfield won the Nobel Physics Prize for groundbreaking AI foundations. Hinton, 76, expressed concern over AI’s future dominance, despite its benefits. The Nobel Committee highlighted AI’s daily impact, urging ethical use. Hopfield, 91, was honoured for his "Hopfield network," crucial for image and pattern recognition.