Israel using US-made electroshock weapons on Palestinian detainees | First Thing

An American company is still supplying Taser weapons linked to prisoner abuse by Israeli forces. Plus, 12 valuable lessons about life and death by hospice workers

Good morning. An investigation has revealed that Israel is using US-made electroshock weapons on Palestinian detainees. The American company Axon is still supplying the Taser weapons despite evidence they have been used to torture prisoners. The news comes as US volunteers including a lawmaker helping Palestinians harvest olives were detained, and Heidi Levine revealed more details of her violent assault by Israeli settlers.

Human rights groups have condemned allegations of the repeated torture and ill-treatment of detainees held in Israeli detention centres and prisons using electric shock devices, with Amnesty calling for restrictions on exports of such devices. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said the abuse of detainees was strictly prohibited.

Who was detained by Israel near Nahalin in the occupied West Bank? The Israeli military detained about 80 US, Israeli and British volunteers helping Palestinians harvest olives near Bethlehem, including the New York Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander, several rabbis and Israel’s former deputy attorney general. Soldiers said the area had been declared a closed military zone.

What more has Levine said about the Israeli settler attack on her? The Washington Post photojournalist who was attacked and seriously injured by Israeli settlers on Friday has described how she was saved with the help of local Palestinians. Witnesses said thee attack on her ceased only when young men used slingshots to aim stones at the settlers, forcing them back.

What is the latest development with US diplomats in the Middle East? The US state department has ordered some diplomats and the families of US government employees to leave Saudi Arabia, as it faces a barrage of near-daily attacks from Yemen’s Houthis. Reports have emerged of similar US withdrawals in UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain amid concerns of a return to conflict with Iran after the midterm elections.

Where has Elon Musk been spending his election campaign money? Elon Musk’s Super Pac has spent more than $500,000 in New York’s highly competitive 17th congressional district race to help Mike Lawler, the Republican incumbent, hold his seat. Lawler, a moderate Republican, is fending off a challenge from the Democrat Cait Conley in one of the most-watched races that could determine who controls Congress.

What has happened with letters containing white powder being sent to Congress? Nancy Pelosi’s office received “a suspicious letter” on Wednesday in what appears to be the latest incident of ill-intentioned mailings targeted at US Congress members. The offices of more than three dozen members of Congress across the political spectrum have received envelopes containing white powder in recent days.

What is Trump’s polling as the election looms? Donald Trump’s approval rating has sunk to 36%, the lowest recorded, with most respondents expressing frustration over his handling of the US economy, cost of living and Iran war. The president was heckled at least nine times during a campaign event yesterday, and reacted to a supporter punching a demonstrator by saying: “Man, I loved that.”

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Aung San Suu Kyi’s son speaks to detained former Myanmar leader for first time in five years

Kim Aris says ‘hearing her voice again means more than words can express’ amid loosening of detention restrictions

The son of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi has been allowed to speak to the detained former democratic leader for the first time in more than five years.

“Today, I was finally able to speak with my mother, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, after more than five years. Hearing her voice again means more than words can express,” Kim Aris said in a post on Facebook on Thursday.

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Palantir vows NATO AI system has no ‘kill switch’ after Starlink row – Euronews.com

  1. Palantir vows NATO AI system has no ‘kill switch’ after Starlink row  Euronews.com
  2. Palantir says it cannot shut off NATO AI system as Europeans fear US tech dependence  Reuters
  3. Palantir Says It Can’t Shut Down European Military AI System—Days After ‘Extremely Concerning’ Starlink Slowdown  Forbes
  4. Europe Should Accept Reliance on US Tech, Palantir’s Mosley Says  Bloomberg.com
  5. Palantir says it cannot shut down Maven for NATO headquarters  UA.NEWS
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The Subterranean Battle Playing Out Deep in Ukraine’s Soviet-Era Pipelines – WSJ

  1. The Subterranean Battle Playing Out Deep in Ukraine’s Soviet-Era Pipelines  WSJ
  2. The New Subterranean Front  The Atlantic
  3. They fought firefights inside 1.2-metre-wide gas pipe: Khartiia reveals details of operation near Kupiansk  Українська правда
  4. Ukrainian forces advance 15 km behind Russian lines through underground routes on Kupiansk front  Ukrinform
  5. Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian troops infiltrate Russian rear near Kupiansk through 15 kilometers of gas pipelines  The Kyiv Independent
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Russia bombards Kyiv with missiles hours after agreeing to resume talks with Ukraine

Experts say Russia is trying to destroy energy infrastructure before winter and US ‘appeasement and flattery’ will not achieve peace

Russia has carried out a massive “demonstrative” attack on Ukraine, bombarding Kyiv with ballistic missiles just hours after Vladimir Putin said he had agreed to resume trilateral negotiations after talks with the US envoy Steve Witkoff.

Overnight, Moscow pounded the Ukrainian capital, killing at least two people and wounding 22, including four children. Targets included the southern bridge over the Dnipro River, civilian houses, energy infrastructure, an ambulance station, office buildings and a monastery.

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Six European destinations included in ‘Best of the World’ selection for 2027 – Euronews.com

  1. Six European destinations included in ‘Best of the World’ selection for 2027  Euronews.com
  2. Best of the World 2027  National Geographic
  3. 25 must-visit destinations for 2027, according to National Geographic  CNN
  4. National Geographic features Baltimore on list of ‘The Best Places in the World to Travel to in 2027’  Baltimore Fishbowl
  5. The 25 Best Places In The World 2027, According To National Geographic  Forbes
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Meta strikes deal with Zuckerberg to help him foot billionaire tax bill

Chief executive agrees to remain in California for eight years even if the state brings in a one-off wealth tax

Meta has struck a deal with Mark Zuckerberg to help him foot a possible California wealth tax targeting billionaires.

The social media company behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp revealed on Wednesday night that the arrangement would keep its chief executive living in California, where Meta’s headquarters are located.

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A genocidal militia was coming for his city. He was one of the last doctors left – The Economist

  1. A genocidal militia was coming for his city. He was one of the last doctors left  The Economist
  2. Attacks on Health Care in Sudan, 01-15 October 2026  ReliefWeb
  3. Trauma Persists Among Displaced El Fasher Women and Girls, Survey Finds  Mirage News
  4. Sudan: El Fasher civilians suffer unlawful killings, detention and torture one year after city’s capture by the RSF – new testimony  Amnesty International
  5. BBC investigation claims systematic RSF attacks on El-Fasher’s hospitals  Arab News
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Pope urges Catholic schools to help young people find new way to live in world – Vatican News

  1. Pope urges Catholic schools to help young people find new way to live in world  Vatican News
  2. Two powerful talks show why the world needs Catholic higher education  National Catholic Reporter
  3. Pope Leo XIV returns to activity after his recovery and warns of young people's fear of the future: "A poorly conceived meritocracy leads to a lack of respect"  El Constitucional
  4. Beneath their armour, teenagers want to love and be loved says pope  ANSA
  5. Pope urges educators to help young people encounter Christ amid ‘merciless’ treatment by culture  EWTN News
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