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Israeli forces launch operation in West Bank, kill at least 10 militants AL-FARAA REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank — Israel has launched a major military operation in the occupied West Bank that has killed at least 10 Hamas militants. Israel said on Wednesday the operation is aimed at preventing attacks on Israeli civilians. Palestinian health officials say the operations into Jenin and Tulkarem have blocked access to hospitals and ripped up roads and infrastructure.
Israel has carried out near-daily raids across the West Bank since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack out of Gaza triggered the ongoing war there. The Palestinian Health Ministry says over 600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the war in Gaza began.
French authorities issue preliminary charges against Telegram CEO PARIS — French authorities have handed Telegram CEO Pavel Durov preliminary charges for allowing alleged criminal activity on his messaging app, and barred him from leaving France pending further investigation. Durov was detained on Saturday at Le Bourget airport outside Paris as part of a sweeping judicial inquiry opened last month, and released earlier Wednesday after four days of questioning. Allegations against the Russia-born Durov, who is a French citizen, include that his platform is being used for child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, and that Telegram refused to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.
Ecuador's citizens voted to stop oil drilling in heart of Amazon; it hasn't happened BOGOTA, Colombia — Voters in Ecuador last year approved a referendum to keep some 700 million barrels of crude oil in the ground in Yasuni National Park. When they did it, they were intent on protecting a haven for biodiversity and a home for Indigenous peoples in the heart of Ecuador's share of the Amazon. But a year later, the government hasn't moved to end drilling by the state-run oil company.
What's more, they've requested at least a five-year extension to do so. Experts say a year wasn't enough to wind down the drilling, and they also note how important oil is to a country dealing with economic and other problems. Indigenous leaders and rights groups say the inaction is a threat to Ecuador's democracy.
Iran says Houthis will allow tugboats, rescue ships to aid tanker in Red Sea UNITED NATIONS — Yemen’s Houthi rebels have agreed to allow tugboats and rescue ships to assist a Greek-flagged tanker that remains ablaze in the Red Sea “in consideration of humanitarian and environmental concerns,” Iran’s U.N. Mission says.
The Pentagon said Tuesday that attempts by an unidentified “third party” to send two tugboats to the stricken Sounion were blocked by the Houthis. Last week’s attack on the Sounion marked the most serious assault in weeks by the Houthi rebels, who continue to target shipping through the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Iran’s U.
N. Mission said in a statement Wednesday that following the fire and “environmental hazards” the Houthis agreed to a request by several unidentified countries to allow tugboats and rescue ships into the area. California advances landmark legislation to regulate large AI models SACRAMENTO, Calif.
— A California landmark legislation to establish first-in-the-nation safety measures for the largest AI systems has cleared an important vote. The bill advanced Wednesday would require AI companies to test their models and publicly disclose their safety protocols so they can’t be potentially manipulated to wipe out the state’s electric grid or help build chemical weapons. Supporters say it would set much-needed safety ground rules for large-scale AI models in the United States.
Opponents said the proposal would hurt the industry. The proposal would only apply to the largest systems that are still being developed. It still needs a final Senate vote before reaching the governor's desk.
A chicken plant was to be built on a property north of Aiken. Instead, a subdivision will be built there. Facebook owner Meta selects Aiken County for first South Carolina data center People have tried to break into the Hotel Aiken three times in August.
Here's what we know. An Aiken teacher is now able to walk again thanks to a device that controls her movements Aiken company purchases property once slated to be part of Weeping Willows development Too hot to handle? These Aiken County ZIP codes rank among most likely to feel effects of heat No damage reported after Aug. 26 earthquake at the Savannah River Site Aiken County got $168.
85 million from the plutonium settlement. How much has been spent so far? From Kazakhstan to Aiken: Impact of first Soviet nuclear test still felt 75 years later Game Balls: Prep stars get out of the gates quickly in Week 1 Rio de Janeiro police have a new target in their crosshairs: Hard-to-get stuffed animals RIO DE JANEIRO — Rio de Janeiro police carried out 16 search warrants targeting the claw machines that elicit exhilaration among children and adults alike across the city. But police said in a statement that the machines defraud users who believe scoring stuffed animals to be a test of skill.
In fact they are games of chance — just like slot machines — and therefore illegal. Officers on Wednesday seized claw machines, laptops, tablets, cell phones, a firearm and — yes — stuffed animals. They are investigating whether organized crime may be the invisible hand behind the claw.
2 German boys die after being buried in sand at a Denmark beach COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Officials say two German boys, who got buried in the sand after digging a hole in a dune in northwestern Denmark on Sunday, have died. Police said Monday that the boys, 9 and 12 — who were on holiday with their family from Munich — died late Tuesday. They have not been named.
The boys were pulled out by people at the beach, after being buried for 40 minutes. They were flown by helicopter in critical condition to the university hospital in Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city, where they died. Backpage.
com founder sentenced to 5 years in prison, fined $3M for money laundering PHOENIX — Backpage.com founder Michael Lacey was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison and fined $3 million for a single money laundering count in a sprawling case involving allegations that he used the classified ads site to promote and profit from prostitution. A jury convicted Lacey of a single count of international concealment money laundering last year, but deadlocked on 84 other prostitution facilitation and money laundering charges.
Authorities say the site generated $500 million in prostitution-related revenue before it was shut down by the government in 2018. He still faces about 30 other prostitution facilitation and money laundering charges that weren’t dismissed by a judge. Ex-politician convicted in 2022 killing of reporter sentenced to 20 years to life LAS VEGAS — A Democratic former Las Vegas-area politician is guilty of murder and has been sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility at 20 years.
Robert Telles was found guilty Wednesday of killing an investigative journalist who wrote articles critical of his conduct in elected office. Telles has been in jail since his arrest several days after Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German was stabbed to death in September 2022. Prosecutors presented overwhelming evidence against Telles, including his DNA beneath German’s fingernails.
Telles insisted he was “framed” in the case. FAA grounds SpaceX after rocket falls over in flames at landing SpaceX launches are on hold after a booster rocket toppled over in flames while landing. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded the company's Falcon 9 rockets and ordered an investigation following Wednesday's accident off the Florida coast.
It's too early to know how much impact this will have on SpaceX's two upcoming crew flights, one private and the other for NASA. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off before dawn, and all 21 Starlink internet satellites made it to orbit. But the first-stage booster fell over in a fireball upon landing on an ocean platform.
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