4 killed in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon

4 killed in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon

Four people, including two Hezbollah members, were killed on Thursday in Israeli airstrikes targeting eastern and southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese sources, reported Xinhua. Two people were killed and two others injured by Israeli airstrikes in the evening targeting a house in the town of Arabsalim, deep in the south, whereas two were killed and several others injured by earlier Israeli airstrikes targeting areas in the Baalbek district, eastern Lebanon, the official National News Agency reported. A Lebanese army intelligence source told Xinhua the two dead in eastern Lebanon were Hezbollah members identified as Mohammad Haidar Jazini and Hisham Khalil. A ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel has been in effect since Nov. 27, 2024, largely halting clashes triggered by the Gaza war. Still, the Israeli army continues to conduct occasional strikes in Lebanon, citing operations against Hezbollah "threats," while maintaining forces at five main positions along the Lebanese border.

Trump calls off sending National Guard to San Francisco

Trump calls off sending National Guard to San Francisco

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called off the deployment of the National Guard to San Francisco, the U.S. state of California, in a reversal from his previous remarks, reported Xinhua. "The Federal Government was preparing to 'surge' San Francisco, California, on Saturday, but friends of mine who live in the area called last night to ask me not to go forward with the surge in that the Mayor, Daniel Lurie, was making substantial progress," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "I spoke to Mayor Lurie last night and he asked, very nicely, that I give him a chance to see if he can turn it around," Trump continued. "Therefore, we will not surge San Francisco on Saturday." Lurie said on X that he received a phone call from Trump and told him that "San Francisco is on the rise." "We have work to do, and we would welcome continued partnerships with the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Attorney to get drugs and drug dealers off our streets, but having the military and militarized immigration enforcement in our city will hinder our recovery," said the mayor, referring to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Democratic leaders -- including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Lurie -- had spent weeks preparing for the possibility that Trump would send federal forces to San Francisco. In June, the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles -- in response to protests sparked by immigration enforcement raids -- drew strong backlash. In August, the Trump administration deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C. to fight crime, and threatened to send troops to more Democratic-led cities. In late September, Trump announced he was ordering troops to Portland, calling the city "War ravaged," but the deployment was temporarily blocked by a federal judge.

France seizes Bulgarian truck carrying cocaine

France seizes Bulgarian truck carrying cocaine

French authorities have seized 179 kilograms of cocaine transported in a Bulgarian truck, Bulgaria's Interior Ministry said Thursday, reported Xinhua. The cocaine, packed in 148 packets, was found on Oct. 10 in the Bordeaux region during a joint operation with Bulgaria's General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime. It had been hidden in a secret compartment of a fuel tank and was loaded in Spain. A 50-year-old Bulgarian driver was arrested and later sentenced to five years in prison and fined 7.16 million euros. The vehicle and its cargo were confiscated.

Researchers develop drug molecule to curb cancer growth

Researchers develop drug molecule to curb cancer growth

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel have developed a new type of drug molecule that could help stop certain cancer cells from growing, the university said in a statement on Thursday, reported Xinhua. The discovery, published in Advanced Sciences, focuses on a molecule called TERRA. This molecule helps protect the ends of chromosomes, which keep cells healthy and stable. When TERRA does not function properly, cells can age or divide incorrectly. In some cancers, such as certain brain and bone cancers, the cancer cells use TERRA to stay alive and keep multiplying. In their new study, the researchers created a small drug molecule that can find and destroy TERRA inside cancer cells without harming healthy ones. The statement explained that the drug molecule works like a smart missile that seeks out the harmful RNA and makes it disappear. The new molecule was built using a technology called RIBOTAC (Ribonuclease Targeting Chimera), which allows the molecule to recognize a special shape that TERRA forms and then call on a natural enzyme in the cell to break the RNA apart. When the scientists tested the treatment on cancer cells grown in the lab, it reduced TERRA levels and slowed cancer growth. According to the statement, this is the first time researchers have been able to destroy TERRA so precisely.

Majority Finns consider e-scooter problematic: survey

Majority Finns consider e-scooter problematic: survey

A significant portion of people in Finland considered electric scooters problematic, according to a survey commissioned by Pohjola Insurance (OP). The survey result showed that 73 per cent of people in Finland believed the top speed of electric scooters is too high, 63 per cent found there are too many scooters, and 53 per cent said they've been inconvenienced by parked scooters, said OP in a press release on Thursday. There is a notable difference in the responses concerning experiences of hazardous situations related to electric scooters. "Hazardous situations arise when people fail to obey traffic rules or adjust their driving speed and manner to prevailing weather conditions and other circumstances," said Kristian Hiljander, Head of Motor Insurance of Pohjola Insurance. Six per cent of the respondents said they had experienced a near miss situation when riding an electric scooter, while as many as 29 per cent said they had been in a near miss situation with an electric scooter ridden by another person. "The top speed of rental scooters is 20 kilometres per hour. It's understandable that at such speeds, it is more difficult to steer the scooter among pedestrians, and that near miss situations become frequent. A collision at 20 kilometres per hour with a pedestrian is like an adult sprinting at full speed and bumping into you," said Hiljander. The response percentages have remained much the same compared to autumn 2023, when Pohjola Insurance last conducted a survey about the topic. The online survey conducted in September 2025 was answered by 1,042 people in Finland, who were over the age of 18 at the time. The survey was conducted for OP Financial Group by Taloustutkimus. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points for the entire respondent group.