February 8 top stories
It is February 8. Here are today’s top stories.
U.S drone strike kills Iran-backed militia commander
The senior commander Abu Baqir al-Saadi and two of his guards from one of Iran-backed militias Kataib Hezbollah were in a vehicle when it was targeted by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq. All three of them died.
The Pentagon said the commander was responsible for directing attacks on American forces in the region. They also linked the militia to a drone attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. troops last month.
It was a precise strike on a moving vehicle in a busy street and the car was reduced to a fiery attack.
Shortly after Wednesday’s attack, militias in the country called for retaliation against the US.
American forces in the region have been hit with more than 165 rocket and drone strikes since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7.
The US has some 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria in a mission to combat the Islamic State terror group, says the Pentagon.
Fl. woman stealing patrol car kills 2 and dies in crash
Local news reported that a Florida woman stole a patrol car and sent law enforcement on a car chase that ended with her and two others dead.
What happened? The woman, later identified as Kendra Boone (33), caught authorities’ attention last week Thursday after she was reported for allegedly trying to steal an older woman’s keys, the Marion County Sheriff said at a press conference.
Sheriff’s deputy Chris Witte responded to the incident, stepping out of his vehicle and telling Boone to go to the back of it. Instead, she jumped into the passenger side window and into the driver’s seat, where the keys were still in the ignition, and sped off.
Boone fled in the stolen patrol car for several miles, driving “well over 100 miles per hour and driving erratically during her attempt to evade deputies,” they continued at a press conference.
While trying to pass a semi-truck on the highway, Boone moved over to the shoulder. When she merged back onto the road, she lost control of the car and collided with oncoming traffic. Boone crashed head-on into a pickup truck. She and the three people who’d been in the pickup truck were found unresponsive. A 73-year-old man and 72-year-old woman in the pickup truck were declared dead at the scene. The third passenger was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
Boone was also found dead at the scene. Boone had a sprawling criminal history, including 13 felony charges. She had been released from prison weeks earlier, the spokesperson for Marion County Sheriff said at a press conference.
5 Marines confirmed dead after their helicopter crashed
Multiple sources reported on Wednesday, that a search was underway for five U.S. Marines whose military helicopter was found in a remote, snow-covered area of Southern California this week after it did not arrive at a San Diego base as scheduled. The authorities did not share the condition of the aircraft.
The Marines were on a training flight aboard a heavy-lift helicopter on Tuesday night – flying from an Air Force base near Las Vegas to a Marine Corps station in San Diego. But they eventually were reported overdue, a Marine Corps unit said Wednesday. Civil authorities found the helicopter around 9 a.m. local time Wednesday in Pine Valley, a mountainous area some 30 miles east of the San Diego station.
The aircraft’s last ping was recorded at 11:20 p.m. Tuesday. Winds were gusting up to 20 mph Tuesday evening near Pine Valley, and they likely were stronger at high elevations. Radar indicates a heavy band of precipitation swept through the area between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 4 a.m. Wednesday, with rain at lower elevations and snow at higher elevations.
On Thursday, authorities announced that the five U.S. Marines were confirmed dead. “It is with a heavy heart and a profound sadness that I share the loss of five outstanding Marines,” commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, said in a statement.
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Paris Olympics medals contain Eiffel Tower fragments
The Olympic and Paralympic medals at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris will have a uniquely French twist.
Paris 2024 organizers revealed Thursday that every medal will feature a piece of original iron from the Eiffel Tower at its center, allowing athletes to take home a piece of French history if they win gold, silver or bronze.
The medals were designed by Chaumet, the luxury jewelry designer who is part of the Louis Vuitton group. Organizers said they are the first medals to be designed by a jewelry company and the first to include an actual piece of the host country’s iconic landmark.
Each medal has a hexagonal piece of the original Eiffel Tower at its heart on the front. The Hexagon is the nickname of France for French people. This is because the country is roughly six-sided hence its geometric shape resembles the hexagon.
The back side of the Olympic medals feature a rendition of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, with the Olympic rings above her and the Eiffel Tower in the distance. The Paralympic medal depicts a low-angle view of the Eiffel Tower and features the words “Paris” and “2024” written in Braille – a nod to the writing system invented by Louis Braille, who was French.
[Shows two pictures of medals with both blue (Olympics) and red (Paralympics) necklaces with the shape of a hexagon - CREDIT to @NBCOlympics / X.com]
See the latest brief on Israel’s war on Gaza from Alex.
Israel PM Netanyahu rejects Hamas’ proposed terms
Thanks, Callie.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said he will not accept a hostage deal proposed by Hamas that includes a six-week ceasefire for the release of up to 40 Israeli hostages and a second phase that would release Israeli soldiers and civilian men for thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including those who were convicted for the mass murder of Israelis.
Netanyahu said the proposal was “delusional” and would lead to another attack similar to what happened on October 7, in which about 1,200 people were killed in southern Israel and 250 people taken hostage.
In separate news, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 13 people in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza at the border with Egypt. Two women and five children were among those killed. Over a million people in Gaza have fled to Rafah and tens of thousands are starving and suffering. The Palestinian death toll from Israel’s war has surpassed 27,000 people.
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken has told Israel that the civilian death toll in Gaza is too high, but Netanyahu said he will keep on with the war until all of Hamas is destroyed.
Thanks for that brief. That is all the news stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
U.S drone strike kills Iran-backed militia commander:
Fl. woman stealing patrol car kills 2 and dies in crash:
5 Marines confirmed dead after their helicopter crashed:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/5-us-marines-confirmed-dead-helicopter-went-missing-california
Paris Olympics medals contain Eiffel Tower fragments:
https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-olympic-paralympic-medals-reveal-eiffel-tower
https://x.com/NBCOlympics/status/1755592311763783789
Israel PM Netanyahu rejects Hamas’ proposed terms:
https://www.axios.com/2024/02/07/netanyahu-hostage-deal-hamas-gaza-israel
https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-02-08-2024-4707b906773fe8cd127d6ba2d706a9e8