While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Aug 22
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Major-General Aharon Haliva, a 38-year veteran of the military.
PHOTO: X/@MANNIEFABIAN
Israeli military intel chief asks for ‘forgiveness’
The outgoing head of Israeli military intelligence, Major-General Aharon Haliva, asked on Aug 21 for “forgiveness” from Israelis for failing to protect them from Hamas’ Oct 7 attack.
According to a video released by the Israeli military, Maj-Gen Haliva - the first high-ranking official to make a public appeal for forgiveness - said at a ceremony marking his departure that “we did not uphold the sanctity of our oaths”.
Oct 7, when Gaza militants stormed southern Israeli communities, army bases and a rave party, was a “bitter and dark day which I carry in my heart, on my conscience and on my shoulders every day and night since”, Maj-Gen Haliva said.
The military announced in April that Maj-Gen Haliva had asked to be relieved of his duties, citing his “responsibility” for the failure to prevent the attack, which triggered the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
US Fed officials leaning strongly towards Sept rate cut
REUTERS
Federal Reserve officials in July were strongly leaning towards an interest rate cut at their September policy meeting and several of them would have even been willing to reduce borrowing costs immediately, according to the minutes of the July 30-31 gathering.
US central bank officials left interest rates unchanged at the Federal Open Market Committee meeting in July but opened the door to a cut at the Sept 17-18 session.
For some time, financial markets have been expecting the September meeting to kick off the reductions in the federal funds rate, which is currently set in the 5.25 per cent to 5.5 per cent range. As much as a full percentage point worth of easing is expected by the end of 2024.
Pakistan man faces charge over false posts linked to UK riots
A Pakistani man appeared in court on Aug 21 to face charges of cyber terrorism after allegedly spreading disinformation on his clickbait website thought to have fuelled anti-immigration riots in Britain.
Farhan Asif was accused of publishing an article on his Channel3Now website falsely claiming that a Muslim asylum seeker was suspected in a deadly knife attack on children in the United Kingdom.
UK authorities have blamed online misinformation for sparking days of riots which targeted mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers as well as police officers and other properties.
Blast at India pharma factory kills 15, injures 40
At least 15 people were killed in an explosion on Aug 21 at a pharmaceuticals manufacturing plant in southern India’s Andhra Pradesh state, a district government official said.
“Death toll as of now is 15 and is likely to go up. Nearly 40 people have been injured. Rescue operations under way,” District Superintendent of Police M. Deepika told Reuters.
The fire broke out in the afternoon at privately held Escientia Advanced Sciences’ 16 hectare manufacturing unit that was operational since 2019 in the state’s Anakapalli district, according to district collector Vijaya Krishnan.
S’pore athletes hail new financial support plans
The Straits Times
Inspired by her senior Amita Berthier, fencer Juliet Heng wants to follow in her footsteps and do the country proud at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Heng, 19, hopes to enrol in the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, which has a strong tradition in sports like fencing and counts the likes of two-time Olympic individual foil champion Lee Kiefer and Berthier among its alumnae.
But furthering her studies overseas would mean putting additional financial constraints on her family, which led to Heng having reservations. That was until plans for a spexEducation Undergraduate Scholarship for student-athletes were unveiled.
