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At least 49 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza, medical sources say, as the Israeli military has sent tanks into areas of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza for the first time since Israel began its assault on the besieged territory in October 2023.
Israel on Monday launched the ground offensive on southern and eastern areas of the city that is packed with displaced Palestinians, a day after its military issued a forced displacement order for residents in the areas, forcing thousands of people to flee west towards the Mediterranean coast and south to Khan Younis.
Tank shelling in the area hit houses and mosques, killing at least three Palestinians and wounding several, the Reuters news agency reported, quoting local medics.
Reporting from Deir el-Balah, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said gunfire was audible as Israeli tanks rolled into the area on Monday morning.
“We can see that the entire city is under Israeli attack,” he said. “We did not manage to sleep last night.”
“There has been an ongoing Israeli bombardment. Israeli jets, tanks and naval gunboats continue to strike multiple residential areas. Three more squares were destroyed in the city, and then residential houses were flattened.”
He said many Deir el-Balah residents fled using donkey carts and other modes of transport.
In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, an Israeli air strike killed at least five people, including a husband and wife and their two children, in a tent, medics said.
Among those reported killed since dawn on Monday were four aid seekers waiting for food near a distribution centre operated by the United States- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
Five other Palestinians were killed in a separate Israeli bombardment in Jabalia al-Balad in the north.
Earlier, the Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that its teams had recovered the body of one person and evacuated three wounded after an Israeli artillery strike on the nearby Jabalia al-Nazla area.
Drone strikes were reported in Gaza City, resulting in casualties, a source at al-Shifa Hospital told Al Jazeera Arabic.
The previous day, at least 134 people were killed and 1,155 injured by Israeli forces, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. At least 59,029 people in Gaza have been killed since the war began.
On Sunday, Gaza health authorities reported at least 19 people had starved to death in one day, highlighting the desperate situation under the Israeli aid blockade.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, the World Food Programme’s Palestine representative, Antoine Renard, said the United Nations agency has warned for “weeks” that Palestinians in Gaza are facing starvation.
“You have a level of despair that people are ready to risk their lives just to reach any of the assistance actually coming into Gaza,” Renard said from occupied East Jerusalem.
“[There’s a] soaring number of people facing malnutrition, and we can really see that the situation is really getting to levels that we’ve never seen ever before.”
UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said it is receiving “desperate messages of starvation” from inside Gaza, including from its staff, as humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate.
“The suffering in Gaza is manmade and must be stopped. Lift the siege and let aid in safely and at scale,” UNRWA said in a statement posted on X.
Amjad Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGO Network, told Al Jazeera on Monday that 900,000 children are experiencing varying degrees of malnutrition in Gaza.
Twenty-five countries, including the United Kingdom, France and other European nations, issued a joint statement saying the war in Gaza “must end now” and Israel must comply with international law.
The foreign ministers of the 25 countries, including Australia, Canada and Japan, said “the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths”, and they condemned “the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food”.
“The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,” the statement said.
“The Israeli government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law,” it said.
Evidence shows Jeju Air pilots shut off less-damaged engine before crash, source says
Prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has been charged with illegal possession of ammunition linked to protests last month in which at least 19 people were killed.
He denied the charge and has been released on bail.
He was not charged with “facilitation of terrorist acts”, as the police had earlier said.
On Sunday, investigators said they had seized phones, a laptop, and notebooks from his Lukenya home on the outskirts of the capital, Nairobi, and hard drives, computers, tear gas canisters and a blank firearm round from his office in the city.
His arrest – and especially the suggestion that he would face terrorism charges – sparked a wave of condemnation, with human rights groups denouncing it as aimed at suppressing opposition voices. The activist denied the accusations against him, saying in a post on X: “I am not a terrorist.”
As he appeared in court on Monday, fellow activists and supporters, who had gathered to show their solidarity and support, sang the national anthem.
The alleged offences are linked to the 25 June protests when, according to the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), 19 people died when demonstrators clashed with police. Hundreds were also injured and property and businesses were damaged.
Most of those killed died from gunshot wounds, with human rights groups blaming police brutality.
However, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen described the demonstrations as “terrorism disguised as dissent” and an “unconstitutional attempt” to change the government. He said that several police station had been attacked, with many officers injured and vehicles set on fire.
At least 38 more people were killed in subsequent protests earlier this month, the KNCHR says.
Since June last year, more than 100 people have been killed in successive waves of anti-government protests, with police accused of using excessive force to quell each one, leading to further demonstrations.
President William Ruto urged the police to shoot violent protesters in the leg, rather than killing them.
On Sunday, a coalition of 37 rights organisations condemned Mr Mwangi’s arrest on “unjustified terrorism allegations”, describing it as the “latest escalation in a systematic crackdown that has seen hundreds of young Kenyans detained on fabricated terrorism charges”.
“What began as targeted persecution of young protesters demanding accountability has metastasized into a full-scale assault on Kenya’s democracy,” they said in a joint statement.
James Orengo, a veteran politician and governor of Siaya county, said it was “ridiculous to charge Boniface Mwangi and our children who have demonstrated a high level of political consciousness with terrorism”.
Mr Mwangi has been detained multiple times in the past, and has been at the centre of many protests.
In May, he and a Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire were detained in Tanzania, where they had travelled to attend the trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is accused of treason.
Following their release several days later, both said they had been abducted, tortured and sexually assaulted. They have since filed a case at the regional East African Court of Justice over the matter.
Mr Mwangi is widely regarded as one of Kenya’s most prominent and fearless activists with a significant part of his life defined by his push for social justice.
He has been the face of many protests in the past, some of them dramatic and symbolic. This includes the 2013 demonstration when he brought piglets covered in blood to the gates of parliament in a protest against “greedy MPs” – who were demanding a pay increase.
In 2024, he called on people to bring coffins to the streets in a symbol of the way he said MPs were taxing Kenyans “to death” and to represent people killed by police in protests.
He has been beaten, arrested and detained many times for his bold and provocative actions. He has often spoken about the physical and emotional scars from his years of activism – and yet he has remained undeterred.
A former photojournalist, Mr Mwangi rose to global prominence after he documented the deadly violence that followed the 2007 election, with his powerful images capturing the depth of the crisis in which more than 1,000 people died and 350,000 forced from their homes.
He subsequently won the CNN Africa Photojournalist of the Year Award in 2008.
Mr Mwangi has since said that the journey of documenting these images personally affected him and left him disillusioned. He later moved to activism, and has since won other accolades, including being named among the top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2020.
As mental health continues to take center stage in the workplace, employers have made strides in offering support, but we can still improve in understanding who, exactly, needs help and how to reach them. Too often, mental health strategies overlook the people quietly carrying layered responsibilities outside of work: caregivers, older employees, and women navigating pivotal life and health transitions.
These groups aren’t niche. They make up a large share of the workforce, and their needs are shaping the future of employee well-being.
Workers aged 55 and older now comprise over 20% of the U.S. labor force, yet they remain an afterthought in many workplace mental health programs. While older workers may report better self-rated mental health than their younger peers, they’re also more likely to be navigating chronic pain, grief, or caregiving, and less likely to use digital tools that could help.
According to a recent Calm Health study—the “Work-Life-Health Balance Report,” a survey of 1,500 adults across the U.S. and U.K.—half of all workers reported at least one mental health concern.Furthermore, a study by the Aging Society Research Network found the impact of mental health on older workers in the lower income bracket is even more pronounced, with users aged 50 to 59 reporting nearly five days a month where their mental health is impacted. This is noticeably worse than even just 20 years ago.
Unfortunately, usage of workplace mental health resources among older workers remains low. Importantly, the issue isn’t unwillingness: Over 80% of workers overall said they would be open to using digital tools if offered, provided those tools are trustworthy, simple, and relevant. However, just 23% are actually aware they are offered this kind of tool.
To truly support older employees, employers must design for inclusion. That could mean creating low barriers to entry for support or framing support in ways that resonate with goals like independence and longevity. These small changes can boost digital engagement, reduce absenteeism, and help retain some of an organization’s most experienced talent.
One of the most overlooked experiences impacting employee mental health is caregiving. In Calm Health’s study, one in three workers reported a caregiving event in the past year. These experiences, whether related to aging parents, children, or partners, don’t stay neatly outside work hours.
The impact is profound: 65% of caregivers said they had to take time off or use leave due to caregiving responsibilities, and more than half reported reduced productivity, difficulty focusing, or needing coworkers to cover for them.
And yet, caregiving benefits remain rare. While these programs are rated among the most helpful of any workplace mental health resource, they are also among the least offered, representing a major gap in employer support.
With more workers falling into the “sandwich generation,” caring for both children and aging parents, addressing this need isn’t just compassionate, it’s strategic. Employers can start by offering flexible scheduling, mental health counseling, and content tailored for caregivers, or assistance navigating elder care. These investments not only improve employee well-being, but they also protect retention and productivity among a critical slice of the workforce.
Another blind spot: women’s health. Experiences like pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause aren’t just physical; they carry emotional and psychological impacts that ripple into how women show up at work.
In the U.K., 56% of women said reproductive health events interfered with their ability to perform at their best, compared to 37% of women in the U.S. Yet, most employer mental health programs don’t address these transitions directly.
What’s needed in addition to evolved benefits is recognition. Training managers to respond with empathy, including supportive content or tools specific to women’s health stages—or normalizing conversations around the intersection of women’s health and mental health—can make a measurable difference in how supported employees feel.
In the past year alone, 78% of workers experienced at least one major life event, such as caregiving, illness, or a significant unexpected expense. And 44% said these events negatively impacted their work performance.
What’s more, many of the events with the greatest impact, like the death of a loved one or the illness of a family member, often go unsupported by workplace programs. Three in 10 workers report wanting mental health resources that their employers simply don’t offer.
If employers want to build resilient, future-ready teams, they must move beyond generic wellness programs, supporting the full spectrum of life experiences across age, gender, and caregiving status. Make sure you actually know your workforce and the unique needs they have. This requires tailored tools, empathetic leadership, and benefits that meet people where they are.
The mental health conversation is expanding. Workplace strategies have to do the same.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
Alright, alright, this one may seem like a no-brainer (pun intended), but I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen travelers cruise past me on a moped with no helmet on!
Concussions can disrupt a trip, and your “how’d you get that scar?” story won’t exactly sound epic when you tell them you fell off a bike without a helmet on your head. Unfortunately, common sense is not always a common virtue.
Besides, while your insurance company may cover emergency medical evacuation or repatriation, it may not cover dumb decisions like not wearing your helmet. Do you really want to test it?
And this goes for any kind of personal protective equipment, especially if you opt to participate in extreme sports. You wouldn’t skydive without a parachute, so please don’t scooter without a helmet!
I hope these travel safety tips help you feel secure while getting the most out of your travels (and if you want more, check out my 65 Best Travel Tips). Whether you’re backpacking or traveling first class for a vacation, this universal list of advice is tried and true. Travel safe!
Invisibility cloaks are frequently spotlighted in science fiction, showcasing futuristic technology. While similar advancements in smart clothing aren’t ruled out in the near future, there are equally intriguing applications on the horizon. Besides aesthetic features like color-shifting, researchers are advancing a new wave of smart textiles capable of adapting their structure to regulate body temperature. A recent development comes from a team of specialists at MIT in the United States, unveiling a material with this remarkable capability.
Many of us have likely experienced the dilemma of wearing too many or too few clothes when stepping out on the street. Perhaps the weather unexpectedly turned too hot, rendering a thick sweater uncomfortable. Conversely, a sudden chilly wind may have left us regretting the choice of a denim jacket instead of a warmer wool coat. MIT suggests a solution to these weather-related challenges is using liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers, known as FibeRobo. These fibers can regulate body temperature, offering a promising solution to address such weather fluctuations.
Smart textiles’ distinguishing feature is their ability to sense the environment and respond to stimuli, typically achieved through passive means or by utilizing external energy sources.
MIT’s fibers fall into the category of passive smart textiles. They autonomously contract in response to a drop in temperature, enhancing thermal insulation. As the ambient temperature increases, the fabric regains its original structure—all achieved without electricity.
An additional advantage of this smart fabric is its compatibility with other textiles, including electrically conductive fibers. This allows for electrical signals to contract or expand the fabric selectively. For instance, researchers envision sportswear garments like bras whose fabric contracts before a training session.
The key to this functionality lies in the unique characteristics of the liquid crystal, capable of flowing like a liquid or settling into periodic crystalline structures. Developers integrated these crystals into an elastomer network, mimicking a rubber band’s stretching and contracting properties.
In the presence of heat, the crystals disarrange and compress the elastomer network, causing the fabric to contract. The manufacturing process allows fine-tuning the thermal response to adapt to body temperature and desired levels of contraction or expansion.
Producing this innovative textile material posed challenges, but the research team successfully manufactured the LCE-based fibers using 3D printing and precision laser-cut parts. The process involves heating resins, generating yarns through nozzles, and subjecting them to ultraviolet radiation. Remarkably, this technique produces up to one kilometer of fiber in a single day.
MIT’s smart material does not require sensors, circuits, or electronic devices to deliver its advanced functionalities. Additionally, researchers anticipate relatively low production costs, and the fibers can seamlessly integrate into existing manufacturing systems without needing new machinery.
Alongside sustainability, the textile industry grapples with a significant shift towards smart garments. It’s crucial to distinguish between wearables, like patches integrated into T-shirts, and smart fabrics—textile fibers intrinsic to the garment’s structure, manufactured akin to conventional fibers like wool or cotton. Laboratories are currently focusing on five fundamental functionalities, employing either passive or active technologies:
For deeper insights into transformative technologies like smart fabrics and wearables, reshaping how we dress, work, and exercise, subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this page.
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Thousands of people were evacuated and some airlifted by helicopter, as a torrential storm tore through buildings in the nation’s southern and western provinces.
A São Paulo court has issued a ruling against Seguidores Marketing Digital, ordering the company to cease providing fake followers, likes, and streams on platforms like Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
The IFPI, which represents the global recording industry, said the ruling marks the first under Operation Authentica, an initiative targeting the streaming fraud industry.
The São Paulo Public Attorney’s Office led the operation through its Consumer Protection Unit and Cyber Gaeco division, supported by industry groups APDIF and IFPI Latin America. Investigators have identified 38 local websites offering streaming fraud services.
Seguidores has been found liable for misleading advertising and consumer fraud while violating constitutional rights protections. The court has then ordered Seguidores to cease its fraudulent services, pay damages and suspend its domain names.
The company will face additional fines if it continues operations. Seguidores has filed an appeal challenging the ruling, the IFPI said.
“This is a clear warning to those profiting from manipulating the online music environment. Their actions mislead music fans and undermine legitimate artists.”
Victoria Oakley, IFPI
IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley said: “This is a clear warning to those profiting from manipulating the online music environment. Their actions mislead music fans and undermine legitimate artists.
“Today’s ruling sets a strong legal precedent, and we are grateful to the São Paulo Public Attorney’s Office for this successful operation. We will continue to work closely with authorities to tackle these fraudulent practices, and to help protect Brazil’s thriving music community.”
Paulo Rosa, President, Pro-Música Brasil, added: “The content of this ruling goes beyond the music streaming manipulation itself. It adds the defense of consumer rights to cases where artificial and inorganic means are used to boost content online.
“We applaud this decision and will continue to work closely with Brazilian authorities to protect the integrity of our legitimate music market.”
The ruling follows the launch of what Brazilian law enforcement described as the “largest-ever” operation to disrupt streaming fraud. The initiative, launched in April, targets JustAnotherPanel, a global organization that provides technical infrastructure to a large network of resellers that offer fake streams used in streaming manipulation.
“The content of this ruling goes beyond the music streaming manipulation itself. It adds the defense of consumer rights to cases where artificial and inorganic means are used to boost content online.”
Paulo Rosa, Pro-Música Brasil
At the time, the IFPI said Cyber Gaeco, the cybercrime unit of the prosecutor’s office in Sao Paulo, obtained a court order that blocked JustAnotherPanel in Brazil, and at least 43 local illegal services have been disrupted, and 1,131 resellers of streaming fraud services outside Brazil have been impacted.
The development marks the latest in the crackdown on streaming fraud in Brazil. In March, authorities in the country arrested and charged a man accused of uploading more than 400 fake tracks to Spotify, generating more than 28 million plays and earning the unnamed suspect roughly $65,000.
Authorities also alleged that the suspect had stolen 36 tracks from local composers through promotional WhatsApp groups.
Elsewhere in 2020, Brazilian authorities announced they had taken down 14 websites involved in streaming manipulation, and the following year, they announced they had shut down 10 streaming manipulation services, while another 20 stopped offering the services.
In another case in 2023, Brazilian law enforcement took down FileWarez, which IFPI described as the most popular illicit file-sharing site in the country, which at its peak counted 118,000 registered users.
In 2024, law enforcement’s Operation Redirect took down eight illegal online music services that were being used to distribute malware to users.
Authorities in Brazil have also been running an ongoing initiative called Operation 404, to take down copyright-infringing music services with the cooperation of trade groups like IFPI and Pro-Música. According to the Office of the US Trade Representative, as of September 2024, seven Operation 404 initiatives had been carried out, the most recent focusing on stream-ripping sites and apps in Brazil and Paraguay.
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