Saturday, January 17

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Israel says eight soldiers killed in clashes with Hezbollah in Lebanon
World News

Israel says eight soldiers killed in clashes with Hezbollah in Lebanon

Relatives and friends mourn by the grave of Israeli soldier Eitan Itzhak Oster killed in fighting in the northern border area with Lebanon, during his funeral at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem. Photo: AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP By Ari Rabinovitch and Maya Gebeily, Reuters Israel said eight of its soldiers were killed in combat in south Lebanon as its forces thrust into its northern neighbour in a campaign against the Hezbollah armed group. The losses were the deadliest suffered by the Israeli military on the Lebanon front in the past year of border-area clashes between Israel and its Iranian-backed Lebanese foe. Hezbollah said its fighters were engaging Israeli forces inside Lebanon on Thursday, reporting ground clashes for the first time since Israeli forces pushed over the bor...
House prices will stop falling soon – Corelogic
Business

House prices will stop falling soon – Corelogic

Auckland house prices fell 0.7 percent in September. File photo. Photo: 123rf New Zealand's property downturn continues, Corelogic says, but it may not last much longer. Its house value index shows that prices fell another 0.5 percent in September, the seventh fall in a row. Values are 16 percent higher than in March 2020 but 18 percent below their Covid boom peak. Hamilton was down 1.2 percent in September, Wellington 0.5 percent and Auckland 0.7 percent. Christchurch values were flat and Dunedin's were slightly up. Chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said there were signs falling mortgage rates had started to boost sentiment but that was yet to show up in the data. "I think you've probably got to call this a downturn. The language has been 'it's a bit soft, it's soggy, ticking al...
Netizens upset as THIS ‘Bridgerton’ actor to play young Tabu in ‘Dune` prequel
Entertainment, Movies

Netizens upset as THIS ‘Bridgerton’ actor to play young Tabu in ‘Dune` prequel

Months after unveiling seasoned actor Tabu’s look as Sister Francesca in the upcoming series `Dune: Prophecy`, the makers announced `Bridgerton` star Charithra Chandran to play her younger version. `Dune: Prophecy’ is set 10,000 years before the events of the recent films and is based on Sisterhood of Dune, a novel by Brian Herbert (the son of Dune author Frank Herbert) and Kevin J. Anderson. Young Francesca.The new HBO Original Series #DuneProphecy premieres this November on Max. pic.twitter.com/g8a1Zm5SfT — Max (@StreamOnMax) October 1, 2024 Netizens upset over Charithra Chandran’s casting as young Tabu As the first look of Charithra Chandran surfaced on social media, netizens were upset since the actress has no resemblance to Tabu to play her younger version on screen.  Cha...
120 people accuse Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of sexual assault and abuse
World News

120 people accuse Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of sexual assault and abuse

Sean 'Diddy' Combs is already in custody awaiting trial on three counts of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering. Now he's set to face lawsuits from 120 people who have accused him of sexual assault and abuse. Photo: AFP / Angela Weiss Hip hop mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs, already in custody awaiting trial on three counts of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering, is now set to face lawsuits from 120 people who have accused him of sexual assault and abuse. Last month the 54-year-old was arrested in a New York hotel and taken into police custody. Reuters reported that prosecutors accused Combs of running a criminal enterprise to facilitate his exploitation of women, dating back at least 16 years. According to the 14-pag...
Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes Tonga
World News

Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes Tonga

Photo: 123rf An earthquake measuring 6.8 magnitude has struck Tonga, the US Geological Survey says. The quake on Wednesday was at a depth of 10 km, USGS said. The US National Tsunami Center said it does not expect a tsunami after the earthquake. - Reuters Source link
Israel vows response to Iran missile attack as fears of conflict escalation rise
World News

Israel vows response to Iran missile attack as fears of conflict escalation rise

By James Mackenzie and Maya Gebeily This picture shows projectiles being intercepted by Israel near the northern city of Baqa al-Gharbiya on 1 October, 2024. Photo: AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday in retaliation for Israel's campaign against Tehran's Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, drawing vows of a sharp response from both Israel and the United States. Alarms sounded across Israel and explosions could be heard in Jerusalem and the Jordan River valley. Israelis piled into bomb shelters and reporters on state television lay flat on the ground during live broadcasts. Israel said more than 180 missiles were launched into Israel from Iran and Israeli air defences were activated to intercept them. US Navy warships fired about a dozen interceptors again...
How Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’ stops missile attacks and how much it costs
World News

How Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’ stops missile attacks and how much it costs

This video grab from AFPTV taken on 14 April, 2024 shows explosions lighting up Jerusalem sky during Iranian attack on Israel. Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed early April 14, 2024 that a drone and missile attack was under way against Israel in retaliation for a deadly 1 April drone strike on its Damascus consulate. Photo: AFPTV / AFP Israel's Iron Dome air defence system has intercepted thousands of rockets since it went into operation in 2011, providing the country with crucial cover during times of conflict. It has been heavily relied upon to protect military and civilian sites from frequent barrages of rockets fired from Gaza and Lebanon in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Israel's air defences were in operation on Tuesday night, when Iran fired missiles at Israel in w...
Voluntary blood donation low in India, mandatory NAT test may ensure safety
Health

Voluntary blood donation low in India, mandatory NAT test may ensure safety

While India continues to face a deficit in blood donation, making Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) mandatory may ward off the risk of infections to those requiring regular blood transfusions, said experts here on Tuesday.  National Voluntary Blood Donation is celebrated on October 1 every year to raise awareness about the importance of blood and the need for voluntary blood donation. India has consistently fallen short of the World Health Organization`s recommendation that 1 per cent of the population donate blood. This is despite having a potential donor base of 402 million people. While the country needs 14.6 million units of blood annually, it faces a deficit of around one million units. Myths and misconceptions about contracting infections like HIV, and lack of awareness, are the major r...
New Caledonia’s controversial constitutional reform will not go ahead: French PM
World News

New Caledonia’s controversial constitutional reform will not go ahead: French PM

New Caledonia's controversial constitutional reform, which triggered violent unrest after a vote in the French National Assembly, will not go ahead, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier says. Delivering his inaugural speech on his government's roadmap, Barnier said the controversial text, which had already been endorsed by both Houses of Parliament, the Senate (in March 2024) and the National Assembly (in May 2024) "will not be submitted to the Congress". The Congress (a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament) was necessary before the constitutional reform on New Caledonia's electoral roll for provincial elections could become valid. The amendment intended to modify the conditions of eligibility for voters at New Caledonia's local elections. It was supposed to "unfreeze" the electoral...
Controversial $20 cookies spark flood of complaints
Business

Controversial $20 cookies spark flood of complaints

By Georgie Hewson, ABC Sofia Qistine (left) said she was surprised about how expensive the cookies were. Photo: Supplied/ Sofia Qistine For Sydney foodies with a sweet tooth, the chance to try treats from a famous cookie brand only sold in the US was too good to pass up. So, a pop-up store selling the cookies advertised on TikTok in Bondi over the weekend was met with long lines down the block. Many had high expectations for the treats, which were being sold for $AU17.50 ($NZ19.40) each. But soon, social media was flooded with complaints about the quality of the cookies and their high price. Then an even-more confusing story emerged: The pop-up was not approved or run by the US brand Crumbl, and the organisers has gone to unusual lengths to bring the product to Australia. It was the ...