Foreign
Israel Flattens Gaza City High-Rise As It Tells Residents To Flee
An Israeli strike flattened a high-rise in Gaza City on Saturday — the second in as many days — after the military warned people to flee south to a “humanitarian zone” ahead of a planned offensive to capture the area.
Israel has been warning for weeks of a new assault on the territory’s largest urban centre, without issuing a timeline.
It has stepped up air strikes in the area and operations on the city’s outskirts despite calls to abandon the plan, which has sparked widespread fears it could worsen already-dire humanitarian conditions.
On Saturday, the military announced it struck a Gaza City high-rise, saying “Hamas terrorists installed intelligence gathering equipment and positioned observation posts in the building in order to monitor” Israeli troops, adding it had taken “measures to mitigate harm to civilians”.
Witnesses identified the building as the Sussi residential tower and said it was destroyed, with video shared by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz showing the roughly 15-storey structure buckling to the ground in a cloud of dust and smoke.
“We’re continuing,” Katz said in the post, after having shared a video the previous day of another Gaza City high-rise being destroyed.
The military has said that in the coming days it will target structures deemed to be used by Hamas, particularly tall buildings.
It also issued an evacuation order for another high-rise on Saturday, warning of an imminent strike and telling people to leave to the south.
A military spokesperson had earlier called on residents to leave the city for Al-Mawasi, along the southern coast, where the army said humanitarian aid and medical care would be provided.
“Take this opportunity to move early to the (Al-Mawasi) humanitarian zone and join the thousands of people who have already gone there,” spokesman Avichay Adraee said on social media.
Israel first declared Al-Mawasi a safe zone early in the war, but has carried out repeated strikes on it since, saying it targeted Hamas fighters hiding among civilians.
Gaza City residents said they believed it made little difference whether they stayed or fled.
“Some say we should evacuate, others say we should stay,” said Abdel Nasser Mushtaha, 48, a resident of the city’s Zeitun neighbourhood now sheltering in a tent in the Rimal area.
“But everywhere in Gaza there are bombings and deaths. For the past year-and-a-half, the worst bombings that caused massacres of civilians have been in Al-Mawasi, this so-called humanitarian zone,” he added.
“It no longer makes any difference to us,” said his daughter Samia Mushtaha, 20. “Wherever we go, death pursues us, whether by bombing or hunger.”
– US in ‘deep negotiation’ –
Israel has faced mounting domestic and international pressure to end the nearly two-year war in Gaza.
Its foe Hamas agreed last month to a proposal for a temporary ceasefire and staggered hostage releases, but Israel has demanded the militant group release all the hostages at once, disarm and relinquish control of Gaza, among other conditions.
At the White House on Friday, President Donald Trump said the United States was in talks with Hamas over the captives being held in Gaza.
“We’re in very deep negotiation with Hamas,” said Trump. “There could be some (hostages) that have recently died, is what I’m hearing. I hope that’s wrong, but you have over 30 bodies in this negotiation.”
Militants took 251 hostages during the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war. The Israeli military says 47 remain in Gaza, including 25 believed to be dead.
“We said let them all out right now, let them all out, and much better things will happen for them,” said Trump. “But if you don’t let them all out, it’s going to be a tough situation, it’s going to be nasty.”
– ‘Disaster’ –
The UN estimates nearly one million people remain in and around Gaza City, where it declared a famine last month. It has warned of a looming “disaster” if the assault proceeds.
The vast majority of Gaza’s population of more than two million people have been displaced at least once during the war.
Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,368 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the United Nations considers reliable.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military.
United States President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of the U.S. electoral system, warning that the country could face serious consequences if election reforms are not introduced.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, he claimed that American elections are “rigged” and have become a global embarrassment, arguing that urgent changes are needed to restore trust in the system.
He called on Republicans to rally behind a proposed electoral overhaul he referred to as the “Save America Act,” which he described as crucial to protecting democracy in the United States. According to him, the bill would strengthen voting integrity through measures such as mandatory voter identification and proof of citizenship.
Trump also proposed restrictions on mail-in voting, saying it should only be allowed in limited cases such as illness, disability, military service, or travel. He argued that mail-in ballots are vulnerable to abuse and compromise election integrity.
He further warned that he would not endorse any Republican who opposed the bill and urged lawmakers to support it regardless of party affiliation. Trump also suggested that opposition to the proposal would be politically damaging in future elections.
Observers note that the proposal is expected to spark debate, particularly given ongoing disagreements in the U.S. over voting rights, election security, and the balance of authority between federal and state governments.
The 31-year-old man, Cole Allen, who reportedly opened fire during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night, has told investigators that he deliberately targeted officials of the President Donald Trump administration, according to senior federal law enforcement sources familiar with the case.
Allen allegedly confessed after his arrest on Saturday night that his intention was to “shoot Trump administration officials,” investigators disclosed, according to Fox News.
The incident occurred at the Washington Hilton, where Allen reportedly forced his way through a Secret Service security checkpoint while armed with a shotgun, a handgun, knives, and other weapons.
He subsequently opened fire, hitting a Secret Service officer, whose ballistic vest prevented fatal injuries.
Law enforcement agents at the scene returned fire, but Allen was not struck. Both the injured officer and the suspect were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
In the aftermath of the shooting, operatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), alongside local law enforcement, moved swiftly to secure Allen’s residence in Torrance, California.
Officials said efforts were underway to obtain a federal search warrant to examine the property for further evidence.
According to the White House, new details have emerged suggesting that Allen may have communicated his intentions prior to the attack.
His brother reportedly alerted the New London Police Department after receiving what authorities described as a manifesto outlining the suspect’s motives.
Investigators said the document explicitly referenced plans to target members of the Trump administration.
Officials also pointed to Allen’s social media activity, which allegedly contained anti-Trump and anti-Christian sentiments.
Reacting to the development during an interview with Fox News, Trump described the suspect as deeply disturbed.
“The guy is a sick guy,” Trump said. “When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians. That’s one thing for sure.
“He hates Christians, a hatred. And I think his sister or his brother actually was complaining about it. You know, they were even complaining to law enforcement. So he was, he was a very troubled guy.”
Further insight into Allen’s behaviour was provided by his sister, Avriana Allen, who spoke with both the Secret Service and local police in Rockville.
She reportedly told investigators that her brother frequently made extreme statements and spoke about carrying out actions to “fix” societal problems.
She also revealed that Allen had legally purchased firearms, including two handguns and a shotgun, from a dealer identified as Cap Tactical Firearms.
According to her account, the weapons were stored at their parents’ residence without their knowledge.
Avriana added that her brother regularly practised shooting at gun ranges and was associated with a group known as “The Wide Awakes.”
She further disclosed that he had participated in a “No Kings” protest in California at some point prior to the incident.
The shooting has heightened concerns about security at high-profile political events in the United States, particularly those attended by senior government officials and members of the press.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing as they work to piece together the full scope of Allen’s motives and potential affiliations.
Foreign
“Our Girls Are Sleeping With Foreigners, They Must Leave” — Emotional South African Man Sparks Outrage with Xenophobic Rant
A video circulating on social media shows a man in South Africa expressing strong anti-foreigner sentiments, in remarks that have sparked concern over rising xenophobic tensions.
In the footage, the man appears visibly emotional as he complains about the presence of foreigners in the country, claiming that “our girls are sl33ping with foreigners” and insisting that they “have to leave.” He also warns that foreigners “must never think they can control” local communities.
This is coming amid xenophobic raids carried out by South Africans against mainly Black immigrants in the country.
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