Oprah hosts star-studded sit-down with Kamala Harris: ‘Hope is making a comeback’

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Julia Roberts and Chris Rock tune in as vice-president attacks Trump on abortion and pledges to sign border bill

Kamala Harris sat down with Oprah Winfrey on Thursday for a “virtual rally” that included a wide ranging sit-down interview, during which Harris attacked her opponent’s stance on reproductive rights and pledged to sign a border security bill thwarted by Senate Republicans, but largely kept her guard up with the legendary television interviewer.

The event, helmed by one of the all-time masters of the television talkshow, was filled with celebrity cameos and heart-wrenching personal stories. It was live-streamed from Michigan, a key battleground state.

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Man fights for life after allegedly being shot twice in rural NSW home invasion

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Police say victim, 46, was at home in Hillston, near Griffith, when he was shot in the abdomen by an intruder on Friday morning

A man is fighting for life in hospital after allegedly being shot twice in the abdomen when a group of intruders entered his home in a small town in rural New South Wales.

Police alleged the 46-year-old man was inside a home in Burns Street in Hillston, about 100km north-west of Griffith in the state’s Riverina region, when three people – one armed with a gun – came inside the house about 2.30am Friday.

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Trump bemoans lack of support from Jewish voters and blames ‘Democrat curse’

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In disjointed Washington speech, nominee tells audience low numbers are because of ‘the Democrat curse on you’

Donald Trump has complained bitterly to Jewish donors that a majority of Jews vote against him in US presidential elections, suggesting that the Democratic party has a “curse on you”.

The Republican presidential candidate made the remarks during a speech on Thursday at the Israeli-American Council national summit in Washington, where he used hyperbolic language to warn that victory for his opponent Kamala Harris would result in Israel being wiped off the map.

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How Lebanon’s pagers and walkie-talkies became deadly weapons – podcast

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On Tuesday, dozens of people were killed when electronic pagers blew up. The next day walkie-talkies exploded. What was the goal of the attacks? William Christou reports

On Tuesday, William Christou, a journalist reporting from Beirut for the Guardian, began hearing about simultaneous explosions across the city. Then videos began to emerge of small blasts in shops, cars and people’s homes. The death toll began to rise. Then came the extraordinary reason: electronic pagers, used by members of Hezbollah to communicate, had blown up, wounding their owners and whoever was nearby.

Israel was blamed by its critics and supporters alike and questions multiplied: how could such an attack have been carried out, and why now? Israel and Hezbollah have been trading attacks over the Lebanese border since the beginning of the war on Gaza, but this operation took everyone by surprise. Then came more deadly explosions – this time walkie-talkies blew up.

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Covid origins: Genetic ghosts suggest pandemic started in market – BBC.com

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  1. Covid origins: Genetic ghosts suggest pandemic started in market  BBC.com
  2. New research points to raccoon dogs in Wuhan market as pandemic trigger. It's controversial  NPR
  3. New analysis of samples from Wuhan animal market supports its role as a central site of early spread of Covid-19  CNN
  4. Scientists again link covid pandemic origin to Wuhan market animals  The Washington Post
  5. Evidence points to Wuhan market as source of covid-19 outbreak  New Scientist
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Flood-hit central Europe will get billions in EU aid, von der Leyen promises – Reuters

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  1. Flood-hit central Europe will get billions in EU aid, von der Leyen promises  Reuters
  2. 1,000 Evacuated As Waters Rise In Northern Italy  The Weather Channel
  3. Flooding in Central Europe blamed for 24 deaths as EU promises $11 billion in emergency repair funding  CBS News
  4. Flooding in Europe Is a ‘Clear Reminder’ of the Threat of Extreme Weather  The New York Times
  5. Clean-up starts after devastating floods hit Italy's Emilia-Romagna  Yahoo! Voices
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Sword with markings of ancient pharaoh Ramses II unearthed in Egypt, archaeologists say – CBS News

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  1. Sword with markings of ancient pharaoh Ramses II unearthed in Egypt, archaeologists say  CBS News
  2. 3,200-year-old ancient Egyptian barracks contains sword inscribed with 'Ramesses II'  Livescience.com
  3. Ancient sword from the era of Moses, Book of Exodus uncovered in Egypt  Fox News
  4. Sword with pharaoh’s mark found in Egypt, still shimmering 3,000 years later  MSN
  5. These Ancient Egyptian Barracks Paint a Vivid Picture of Military Life During the Reign of Ramses II  Smithsonian Magazine
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Israel bombards southern Lebanon after Hezbollah chief vows ‘punishment’

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Hassan Nasrallah decries targeting of pagers and walkie-talkies that killed 37, including children, and hurt thousands

Israeli warplanes carried out dozens of strikes across southern Lebanon late on Thursday, hours after Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, threatened “tough retribution and just punishment” for the wave of attacks that targeted the organisation with explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies.

The Israeli military said it had hit hundreds of rocket launchers which it said were about to be used “in the immediate future”.

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Exclusive | U.S. Officials Concede Gaza Cease-Fire Out of Reach for Biden – The Wall Street Journal

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  1. Exclusive | U.S. Officials Concede Gaza Cease-Fire Out of Reach for Biden  The Wall Street Journal
  2. IDF removes movement restrictions put in place after intensive strikes on Hezbollah  The Times of Israel
  3. US believes Gaza ceasefire deal unlikely in Biden’s term: Report  Al Jazeera English
  4. 'No deal is imminent': US officials cast doubt on possibility of negotiation success  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Here’s what officials are considering to break the Gaza cease-fire impasse  POLITICO
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Ohio city’s mayor issues emergency order over false migrant rumors

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Springfield mayor Rob Rue says the order will allow city officials to ‘acquire resources to address potential threats’

The mayor of Springfield, Ohio, has issued an emergency proclamation following the continued rise in public safety threats over false rightwing rumors about the city’s migrant communities.

On Thursday, Rob Rue released a statement, saying: “Ensuring the safety of Springfield’s residents is our top priority.” He added: “We are addressing these threats with the seriousness they warrant and are taking immediate steps to ensure the security of both our community and our employees. Our commitment to preventing harm is unwavering.”

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US opens civil rights investigation into Mississippi sheriff’s office after torture of Black men

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Six Rankin county officers known as ‘Goon Squad’ were convicted for hours-long attack involving racial slurs

The US Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into a Mississippi sheriff’s department whose officers tortured two Black men in a racist attack that included beatings, repeated use of stun guns and assaults with a sex toy before one of the victims was shot in the mouth, officials said Thursday.

The justice department will investigate whether the Rankin county sheriff’s department has engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive force and unlawful stops, searches and arrests, and whether it has used racially discriminatory policing practices, according to assistant attorney general Kristen Clarke.

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Navy Boss Lays Out Ambitious Goals on Ships and Recruiting But Dodges on Accountability – Military.com

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  1. Navy Boss Lays Out Ambitious Goals on Ships and Recruiting But Dodges on Accountability  Military.com
  2. US Navy Planning for Possible War by 2027 Amid China Concerns: Admiral  Business Insider
  3. CNO NAVPLAN 2024  navy.mil
  4. Navy prepares for China conflict with newly announced strategy  Fox News
  5. How the Navy’s top officer will prep the service for war with China  NavyTimes.com
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Domestic abuse specialists to be embedded in 999 control rooms

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The measure – part of ‘Raneem’s Law’ – will speed up referral of domestic and sexual abuse victims to support services

Domestic abuse specialists will be embedded in 999 control rooms from early next year in the first step towards the government’s goal of halving violence against women and girls in a decade, the home secretary has said.

The advisers will make risk assessments on cases involving rape, domestic and sexual abuse claims to ensure that victims are referred to support services as quickly as possible, as part of an initiative to be announced by Yvette Cooper on Friday.

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‘Bounty hunter’ couple finds body believed to be Kentucky shooting suspect

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Fred and Sheila McCoy to receive $25,000 reward for locating remains near highway where gunman opened fire

A retired couple who decided to become bounty hunters for the week found the body that authorities believe to be the shooter who attacked people on an interstate highway and then disappeared, it emerged on Thursday.

After the shooter fled, leaving a Kentucky community scared and on guard, Fred and Sheila McCoy decided to plunge into rugged terrain in search of what was widely anticipated to be the gunman’s remains, as law enforcement were also searching.

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