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Today’s News Briefs include Big Lots downsizing; Russian emergency; Iran’s fake US news sites.
Russia declares emergency after Ukraine takes territory
Russia on Friday declared a federal emergency as Ukraine has turned the tables and invaded a large swath of territory. The declaration comes four days after Ukrainian troops poured over the border in what appeared to be Kyiv’s biggest attack on Russian soil since the war began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Social media videos showed hundreds of thousands of Russians leaving their cities and towns as billowing smoke filled the distance. Western analysts say Ukraine may be taking land for a possible future land swap in an effort to get back its own territory now under Russian control. Russia responded on Friday by launching a missile attack on a suburban Ukrainian shopping mall killing at least nine people and injuring 26, the AP reports.
Iran creating phony news outlets to sway US election
Iran has ramped ut up its attempts to “influence and monitor the US presidential election by creating fake news outlets” Microsoft said in research published late Thursday, CNN reports. One of the phony news sites allegedly created by Iranian operatives called former President Donald Trump an “opioid-pilled elephant in the MAGA china shop” and a “raving mad litigiosaur,” Microsoft researchers said. Iran has previously said it hoped to assassinate Trump who successfully put a worldwide embargo on the despotic regime. The embargo was later lifted by the Biden administration. “The report also underscores how the number of foreign actors trying to sow divisions around US elections has continued to grow since the Kremlin’s sweeping effort to influence the 2016 election.” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in June also to hack the email account of a high-ranking official on a US presidential campaign, according to Microsoft.
Israel issues message to Lebanese people
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned the citizens of Lebanon not to repeat the mistakes of the past by enabling their Hezbollah leaders to draw the country into war. Hezbollah controls the country and its military and has fired more than 7,500 missiles and rockets into Israel since Oct. 7. But this week, it implied it may strike Israel in a huge attack ahead of Iran. Gallant stressed that Israel seeks “peace, prosperity and stability on both sides of the northern border” in contrast to Hezbollah, who have “taken Lebanon and its people hostage for the sake of narrow sectarian interests.” He continued, “If Hezbollah continues its aggression, Israel will fight it, with all its might,” reports Fox News.
Big Lots to close 1 out of 5 stores
Big Lots is closing hundreds of outlets after the company expressed “substantial doubt” on continuing business operations, Epoch Times reports. A 2022 agreement with creditors originally gave approval to close up to 150 outlets, and the amendment boosted it up to 315. The retailer had already reduced its stories to 1,392 from 1,425. The new closures represent 22 percent of its current outlets.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice
Photo: Harrison Keely | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
