*) Latest Israeli strike kills four, wounds dozens in Lebanon’s Beirut Israel has launched at least four missiles targeting central Beirut, leaving a devastating impact. According to local reports, four people were killed, and at least 33 others injured, with fears that the death toll could climb further. The attack focused on Beirut’s Basta neighbourhood, where residents say many buildings were reduced to rubble. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes unleashed five missiles, completely flattening an eight-story residential building. *) Cost of Gaza genocide: Israeli troops afflicted with mental illness The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reports that at least six Israeli soldiers have died by suicide in recent months. The cause? Severe psychological strain from what’s being described as prolonged genocide in Gaza and the ongoing war in southern Lebanon. The investigation hints that the actual numbers could be even higher. Despite earlier promises, the Israeli military has yet to release official figures. This report shines a light on a growing mental health crisis within the Israeli army, which has been carrying out mass killings and widespread destruction in Gaza for the past 414 days. *) North Korean troops in Russia might ‘soon’ join fray in Ukraine: Pentagon Thousands of North Korean troops stationed in Russia could soon take up arms in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, according to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. Speaking from Fiji, Austin shared that around 10,000 North Korean soldiers are reportedly stationed in Russia’s Kursk region, being actively “integrated into Russian formations”. “Based on their training and deployment, I fully expect them to engage in combat soon,” Austin said. However, he added that there hasn’t yet been significant evidence of their involvement in active fighting. *) Russia will do more tests of hypersonic Oreshnik missile: Putin Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country isn’t slowing down when it comes to its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile. Speaking on Friday, he confirmed that Russia would conduct more combat tests of the missile and ensure stocks are ready for use. This announcement came just a day after Russia fired the Oreshnik into Ukraine for the first time — a move Putin says was in response to Ukraine using US ballistic missiles and British cruise missiles against Russia. Calling the missile’s debut test “successful”, Putin made it clear that more trials are on the horizon. *) UN climate cash deal proposes $250B aid for poorer nations annually In a bid to break a deadlock at the UN climate talks, a new draft deal proposes that wealthy nations commit $250 billion a year to help poorer countries fight global warming. Delegates from nearly 200 nations, gathered in Azerbaijan for COP29, had been waiting anxiously for this proposal after two weeks of tough negotiations. The draft sets an ambitious target: $1.3 trillion annually by 2035. The plan relies heavily on contributions from rich governments, supplemented by private-sector funding.