Author: WTX News

Bolivian government denies alleged assassination attempt of Evo Morales The Bolivian government has denied claims by former President Evo Morales that it orchestrated an attack on his life. Morales alleged that his car came under heavy gunfire in Cochabamba on Sunday night, sharing a video on social media that appeared to show bullet holes in his vehicle’s windshield. He called it a targeted assassination attempt. However, Bolivia’s Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo refuted these claims, stating that Morales’ convoy had fled an anti-drug patrol, during which his security team allegedly fired at police and ran over an officer. Del Castillo…

At least 60 killed in Lebanon, including children, in Israeli airstrikes Lebanon’s health ministry has reported at least 60 fatalities following Israeli air strikes on the Bekaa Valley, a region known for its Hezbollah presence. Among the deceased were two children, with another 58 people injured. Rescue operations are still ongoing in the area, officials said. The strikes targeted 12 areas within the Baalbek region, which the area’s governor, Bachie Khodr, called the “most violent” since Israel intensified its operations against Hezbollah last month. The Israeli military has not yet responded to the reports. These strikes add to ongoing hostilities…

Iran executes German-Iranian dissident Iran has executed Jamshid Sharmahd, a German-Iranian dissident convicted of “leading terror operations,” according to state media reports. Sharmahd, a US resident, was sentenced to death last year on charges of “corruption on Earth,” with authorities alleging he led a pro-monarchist group based in the United States. His family, however, insists he was only a spokesperson for the group. Germany’s foreign minister had previously warned Iran that executing a German citizen would have “serious consequences.” Sharmahd is believed to have been abducted by Iranian agents while in Dubai in 2020, and then forcibly taken to Iran.…

Venezuela blasts Brazil over Brics membership block Venezuela has sharply criticised Brazil’s veto of its bid to join the Brics group, calling it an “immoral aggression.” The decision, made during the Brics summit in Russia, has strained relations between Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Tensions have risen since Venezuela’s July presidential election, in which Maduro claimed victory despite reports suggesting opposition candidate Edmundo González won by a landslide. Though Lula initially backed Maduro, he withdrew support pending a full vote breakdown, aligning with international doubts over the results. Venezuela, which has lobbied to…

Canada announces immigration cuts to ‘pause population growth’ Canada has announced a sharp reduction in immigration targets to curb population growth and allow provinces to address housing and social service strains. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government will lower the number of permanent residents allowed in 2025 from 500,000 to 395,000—a 21% decrease. By 2027, the goal will fall further to 365,000 new permanent residents. The PM acknowledged his government “didn’t get the balance quite right” when increasing immigration following the pandemic to fill labour shortages. While Canada’s growth was 97% immigration-driven last year, rising concerns over housing shortages and stretched…

Cuba extends shutdowns amid power blackouts and Hurricane damage Cuba has extended the closure of all non-essential workplaces and schools through Sunday due to a severe power shortage and the aftermath of Hurricane Oscar. The shutdown will only exempt vital services like hospitals, as the government works to restore electricity. The island lost power last Friday when its largest power plant failed, collapsing the entire grid. The situation worsened over the weekend as Hurricane Oscar hit, flooding areas and damaging power lines, resulting in at least seven deaths. While power has been restored to 70% of the country, many regions…

Turkey strikes PKK targets after deadly gun attack Turkey’s military launched strikes on Kurdish militant group PKK sites in Iraq and Syria on Wednesday night, following a deadly attack near Ankara that killed at least five people. The Turkish government blamed the PKK for the assault, which took place at Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), about 40 km from the capital. Footage showed two attackers firing guns at the TAI entrance. While no group claimed responsibility, Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the PKK was likely involved. Two attackers were killed, and 22 people were injured, including seven special forces members.…

10 people have been killed in a terrorist attack in Türkiye.Some footage of the attack has emergedTurkiye #Turkey pic.twitter.com/aYqtDfY5mN— विवादित इंसान (@i_am_aashusir) October 23, 2024 Turkey attack latest: At least 5 dead in terror attack in Turkey Turkey suffered a suspected terrorist attack today in which at least 5 people have been killed and a further 22 people injured. 

Man held over shooting of Mexican priest Mexican police have arrested a man accused of murdering Father Marcelo Pérez, a Roman Catholic priest and human rights advocate in Chiapas. Father Marcelo was shot on Sunday after celebrating Mass in San Cristóbal de las Casas, with witnesses reporting two men on a motorbike carried out the attack. Authorities identified the suspect as Edgar N, a local drug dealer. Father Marcelo was known for his efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region, where violence has escalated due to cartel turf wars. Mexico’s bishops called his death a loss of a “prophetic…

Irish general election to be called this year The leaders of Ireland’s three government parties have agreed that the next general election will take place in 2024, ahead of the official deadline in March 2025.  Taoiseach Simon Harris, Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin, and Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman are focusing on passing the Finance Bill, which introduces new tax provisions, before setting an election date. While O’Gorman suggested 29 November for the election, no official date has been confirmed. He emphasised the need to provide certainty to the public, while Harris stated that the government will prioritise completing its current…

A quick summary of the news headlines today includes the discontent in Israel over the-rising casualties of war. The lockdown in Peruvian politics convicting former presidents of fraud and the addition of 7 new cases against P Diddy.  

London taxi fares could go up by 7% as Transport for London (TfL) has launched its latest consultation on taxi fares – and they’re considering three different options for the minimum fare. London taxi fares could go up by 7% Minimum fares could stay at the current rate of £3.80, or increase to either £4.00 or £4.20. A jump that could see London taxi fares could go up by 7%. Potential tariff changes include either freezing them or adjusting them based on rising costs, which could see tariffs go up by up to 7.48%. The consultation is open until December…

Hurricane Oscar leaves six dead in Cuba Hurricane Oscar left six people dead after hitting Cuba over the weekend, during a nationwide power blackout, authorities confirmed Monday. The blackout occurred on Friday when the collapse of the country’s largest power plant knocked out electricity for Cuba’s 10 million residents. By Monday afternoon, nearly 90% of Havana’s two million residents had regained power, according to a report by the capital’s electricity company on the state-run news portal Cubadebate. However, many areas outside Havana were still without electricity. The hurricane made landfall in eastern Cuba on Sunday as a Category 1 storm,…

Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo sentenced to 20 years for corruption A Peruvian court has sentenced ex-President Alejandro Toledo to 20 years and six months in prison for corruption and money laundering. Toledo, who served as president from 2001 to 2006, was convicted of accepting $35 million in bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht in exchange for awarding a major road-building contract in southern Peru. Toledo, 78, was arrested in California five years ago, where he had been living, and was extradited to Peru in 2023 to face charges. Odebrecht, now rebranded as Novonor, has admitted to paying millions in…

Israel still blocking humanitarian aid to north Gaza, Unrwa says  The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has accused Israel of continuing to block humanitarian missions from delivering essential supplies like food and medicine to northern Gaza. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Lazzarini highlighted that hospitals in the region have been hit and are without power, leaving injured civilians without medical care. Lazzarini also described the dire conditions in UNRWA shelters, which are so overcrowded that displaced people are being forced to live in bathrooms. He cited reports that some civilians attempting to…

Foreign media access to Gaza or face revolt is what Representative James P. McGovern leads 64 lawmakers in a powerful letter to US president, arguing the Israeli curbs on foreign reporting undermine “the very foundation of press freedom and democratic accountability.” “The restrictions on media reporting have created significant challenges in obtaining accurate, verifiable information from the genocide in Gaza, leading to increased scepticism about the limited reports that do emerge,” the members wrote in a powerful letter. Foreign media access to Gaza or face revolt Foreign media remains largely barred from the blockaded area, with only a handful of…

Quick View – Contents What the media made of Tuchel’s appointment as England manager  For England fans the expectation for the new England manager is always simple: lead us to a major trophy. For only the third time in their history, England has named a foreign manager.  Thomas Tuchel is a dream manager for many England fans – but not everyone in the media agrees.  He has the experience and skill to bring football home again and lead this immensely talented group of young English players to world cup glory in 2026. 

Hurricane Oscar slams Cuba causing widespread blackouts  Hurricane Oscar made landfall in eastern Cuba on Sunday evening, intensifying the country’s ongoing struggle with power outages. The Category 1 storm, with winds reaching 80 mph (130 km/h), struck just as Cuba was dealing with its third day of near-total blackout after the collapse of its largest power plant on Friday. This power plant failure triggered a nationwide power crisis, and the government is working to restore electricity by Monday night. Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said most Cubans should have power by then, though full restoration might take until…

Prabowo Subianto Sworn in as Indonesia’s President Former military general Prabowo Subianto has been inaugurated as Indonesia’s president, unveiling the largest cabinet in decades. At 73 years old, Prabowo takes office as the country’s eighth president, succeeding Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, who led the nation through a decade of economic growth. After two previous unsuccessful bids for the presidency, Prabowo secured over 58% of the vote in February’s elections, defeating two opponents. In his inaugural speech, he pledged to tackle corruption and poverty, stating he would be a president for all Indonesians. Prabowo was sworn in alongside his running…

Israel kills 33 civilians in Gaza refugee camp -including 21 women in Jabalia. More people remain under the rubble. Jabalia refugee camp, a densely-populated urban area north of Gaza City which Israeli forces have besieged for two weeks, sending another army unit to support troops already operating there. Israel kills 33 civilians in Gaza refugee camp Northern Gaza, particularly Jabalia area, is under a suffocating siege, with the most sophisticated army in the middle east fighting against children and women. It is under constant Israeli bombardment and terrorising the local population, with homes being blown away with their inhabitants. Dr…

Australia to Protect 52% of its Oceans, More Than Any Other Country Over 10,000 square miles of additional protected area will be added to the Heard and McDonald Islands in Australia’s far southern territorial waters. Coupled with other expansions of existing marine sanctuaries, it puts Australia on course to have 52% of its ocean territory protected, more than any other nation, by the end of the current administration’s term. “This is not just a huge environmental win for Australia, it’s a huge environmental win for the world,” said Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. “This is a unique and extraordinary part of our…

Israel bombs Gaza school killing at least 15 Israel bombed a school in central Gaza on Sunday killing at least 15 people. The school was being used to shelter displaced Palestinians.  Gaza’s Civil Defence Agency said the site in Nuseirat camp was struck by a volley of artillery on Sunday, killing entire families and wounding dozens more. Earlier, five children were reportedly killed by a drone strike as they played on a street corner in northern Gaza.

No 10 appalled by Israel’s attacks at the UN. A Downing Street spokesperson says the government is “appalled” by reports that Israel has deliberately fired at an observation post belonging to the UN’s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. It follows a statement from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon which said an Israeli tank fired on Unifil facilities in southern Lebanon yesterday, hitting an observation tower and wounding two peacekeepers. Andrea Tenenti, Spokesman for Unifil in Lebanon said that the Israeli attacks on UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon are a breach of international humanitarian law. Additionally, the United Nations…

Grzegorz Braun a Polish MEP calls for Israel to be declared a terrorist state to solve the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon. Polish MEP calls for Israel to be declared a terrorist state During a European Parliament discussion on the Middle East, The MEP Grzegorz Braun for Poland accused the EU of enabling Israeli aggression, labeling Israel as a “terrorist state.” To solve the conflict in Gaza, Israel must be declared a terrorist state, Polish MEP Grzegorz Braun said during a debate in the European Parliament on Monday, marking the first anniversary of the 7 October attacks calling Mr Netanyahu…

China & Russia celebrate 75th anniversary of peace and diplomatic ties as president Xi sent a congratulatory message sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a view to expand ties. China & Russia celebrate 75th anniversary of peace Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday said that he stands ready to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin to take the opportunity of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties to continue expanding all-round practical cooperation. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 75 years ago, the two sides have continuously upgraded the quality of bilateral ties based on the fundamental interests of the two…