International
Israel extends control of Gaza’s entire land border
Israel extends control of Gaza’s entire land border
Israel’s military has said it has taken control of the strategically important buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border known as the Philadelphi Corridor, meaning it now controls Gaza’s entire land border.
A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said about 20 tunnels used by Hamas to smuggle weapons into Gaza had been found within the zone.
Egyptian TV quoted sources denying this, and said Israel was trying to justify its military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
The announcement comes during a period of heightened tensions with Egypt.
“In recent days, IDF troops established operational control on the Philadelphi Corridor, on the border between Egypt and Rafah,” IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Wednesday.
He described the corridor as a “lifeline” for Hamas, through which the group “regularly smuggled weapons into the Gaza Strip”.
He said troops were “investigating.. and neutralizing” tunnels found in the area.
Mr Hagari later said in a briefing with reporters that he could not be sure that all of the tunnels crossed into Egypt, the New York Times reported.
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The Philadelphi Corridor is a buffer zone, only about 100m (330ft) wide in parts, which runs along the Gaza side of the 13km (8-mile) border with Egypt. Gaza’s only other land border is with Israel itself.
Egypt has previously said it had destroyed cross-border tunnels, making any weapons smuggling impossible.
And a “high-level” Egyptian source, quoted by Al-Qahera News, accused Israel of “using these allegations to justify continuing the operation on the Palestinian city of Rafah and prolonging the war for political purposes”.
Israel has insisted that it must take Rafah to achieve victory in the war triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on the country on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 252 others were taken hostage.
At least 36,170 people have been killed across Gaza since the start of the conflict, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Tensions between Egypt and Israel have heightened since Israeli forces took control of the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing point three weeks ago as part of their offensive against Hamas.
Earlier this week, an Egyptian soldier was killed in an incident involving Egyptian and Israeli troops in the border area near Rafah.
Egypt is a strong supporter of the Palestinians and has condemned Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the killing of thousands of civilians by Israel in the war.
Like Israel, Egypt has maintained a blockade on its border with Gaza since Hamas came to power in 2006. Hamas is an off-shoot of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood organisation, which is banned as a terrorist group in Egypt.
Egypt has, however, kept channels open with Hamas and has been acting as a mediator in on-off indirect talks between Israel and the group to try to reach a ceasefire deal and release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Israel extends control of Gaza’s entire land border
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International
BREAKING: One Killed, Four Injured As Gunman Opens Fire Near White House
BREAKING: One Killed, Four Injured As Gunman Opens Fire Near White House
WASHINGTON, D.C. — One person has been killed and four others injured after a gunman opened fire at and around a fitness centre in Washington, D.C., triggering a massive security operation in the US capital.
The shooting occurred on Thursday morning, November 12, 2026, in the Logan Circle neighbourhood, approximately one mile from the White House.
The suspected gunman also died after barricading himself inside a nearby apartment and apparently shooting himself, according to police.
Authorities said the first emergency call came in at about 8 a.m. from people inside VIDA Fitness, a gym located around 15th Street and P Street Northwest.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) reportedly arrived within 30 seconds and discovered a man who had been shot inside the fitness facility.
Additional emergency calls subsequently reported more gunfire and victims in the surrounding area, bringing the total number of people shot to five, including the deceased.
Police said four other victims sustained gunshot injuries, with one reportedly in critical condition, while the remaining three suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Following the shooting, the suspect reportedly left the immediate scene and barricaded himself inside an apartment on the seventh floor of a nearby residential building.
Police officers and tactical teams subsequently surrounded the building as negotiators attempted to persuade him to surrender.
However, officers reportedly heard a gunshot during the negotiations. Upon entering the apartment, they discovered that the suspect had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll confirmed the development during a briefing, although authorities had yet to publicly disclose the identities of the victims or the suspected gunman.
The shooting prompted an extensive security operation involving local and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Several surrounding streets were cordoned off, while residents and people working in the neighbourhood were advised to remain indoors as officers secured the area.
Nearby schools also implemented precautionary security measures during the emergency response.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, including whether the suspect knew any of the victims.
Preliminary information from police indicated that the suspect may have been involved in a dispute with the homeowners’ association of the residential building where he barricaded himself. However, investigators have yet to establish a definitive motive for the shooting.
The incident has renewed concerns about gun violence in the United States, with the attack unfolding in a busy residential neighbourhood within close proximity to the White House.
The investigation is ongoing.
BREAKING: One Killed, Four Injured As Gunman Opens Fire Near White House
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International
New York Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Over Murder of Ghanaian Student
Police in New York City have arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ghanaian student, Javits Frimpong, who was killed while walking to school in the Bronx.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) announced the arrest on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, saying the suspect had been taken into custody and charged with murder over the October 29 killing.
The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed because he is a minor, is also reportedly facing manslaughter and firearm-related charges.
Frimpong was shot in the abdomen near Crotona Park, close to East 171st Street and Crotona Place, while making his way to DreamYard Preparatory School in the Bronx.
He was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital but was later pronounced dead.
According to police reports, the teenager was walking to school when he was attacked. Investigators have not established the motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect knew the victim.
The arrest followed weeks of investigations and growing demands for justice from Frimpong’s family, members of the Ghanaian community and civil rights advocates.
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Police had previously indicated that three people might have been involved in the shooting and had been investigating possible motives, including robbery and alleged bullying at the victim’s school.
Frimpong’s father, Thomas Frimpong, had earlier said his son complained about being bullied by fellow students at DreamYard Preparatory School. Two students were reportedly suspended over the alleged harassment.
However, investigators have not established a connection between the alleged bullying and the fatal shooting.
The arrest was announced as the victim’s parents, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, Reverend Al Sharpton and Ghana’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Yao Kumah, gathered at a news conference in New York to demand justice.
Frimpong’s mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, broke down in tears during the event as she appealed for justice for her son.
She reportedly travelled from Ghana following her son’s death, while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had earlier appealed to US President Donald Trump to facilitate arrangements for her to travel to the United States to mourn with her family.
Frimpong had moved from Ghana to the United States about a year before his death to reunite with his father and pursue better educational opportunities. He was a Grade 10 student and reportedly aspired to become a doctor.
The killing sparked protests and public demonstrations in New York, with demonstrators calling for accountability under the campaign slogan, “Justice for Javits!”
Crump, who is representing the family, acknowledged the arrest but said several questions surrounding the teenager’s death remained unanswered.
He called for a thorough investigation to establish why Frimpong was killed and whether the tragedy could have been prevented.
Ghanaian authorities have also been engaging with their American counterparts over the case. Ghana’s government has engaged Crump to assist in seeking justice for its nationals killed in the United States.
The NYPD said investigations were continuing, with the possibility of other arrests not ruled out.
The arrest marks a significant development in the case, although the circumstances and motive behind the killing remain under investigation.
New York Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Over Murder of Ghanaian Student
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International
Canada Announces Permanent Residency Plan for 100,000 Foreign Workers, Families
Canada has announced plans to provide permanent residency opportunities for up to 100,000 foreign workers and their eligible family members already living in the country under a new immigration measure scheduled for 2027.
The initiative is part of the Canadian government’s efforts to address labour shortages, reduce immigration application backlogs and provide greater certainty for migrant workers who have established themselves in Canadian communities.
According to details released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the programme will create additional permanent residency admission spaces for eligible workers living outside Quebec, alongside their family members.
The measure is expected to benefit workers whose skills are needed in local economies, particularly in smaller communities, as the government works with provincial and territorial authorities to identify eligible applicants.
However, the announcement does not establish a new immigration pathway open to every foreign worker. It is designed to accelerate permanent residency for people who already meet specified eligibility conditions under existing immigration programmes.
Under the proposed arrangement, workers may qualify through two main routes. They must either be awaiting a decision on a permanent residency application submitted under selected immigration programmes that are now closed to new applicants, or be eligible to apply through Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
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The selected programmes include the Start-Up Visa Programme, Self-Employed Persons Programme, Agri-Food Pilot and Home Care Workers (Caregivers) immigration programme.
The government said the additional admission spaces would cover workers living outside Quebec and their eligible family members.
The initiative is intended to recognise the contributions of foreign workers who have established roots in Canadian communities, paid taxes and helped address labour shortages.
Beyond the workers’ initiative, Canada is also setting aside additional permanent residency spaces for other categories of applicants.
These include up to 45,000 spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are already in Canada and awaiting decisions on their applications.
Another 12,600 applicants whose permanent residency cases have already received approval in principle on humanitarian and compassionate grounds are expected to benefit.
The government is also targeting outstanding applications under special immigration arrangements for Hong Kong residents and Ukrainians with family members in Canada.
According to IRCC, the measures are designed to provide stability for people who are already contributing to Canadian society while reducing outstanding immigration applications and improving processing times.
The department clarified that applicants do not need to submit separate applications or take additional steps to be considered under the temporary measures.
The 2027 initiative is time-limited and will operate outside Canada’s regular immigration admission targets. It is not a permanent expansion of immigration programmes.
The announcement is part of Canada’s wider effort to reform its immigration system, balance labour market requirements with sustainable population growth and prioritise applicants who are already living and working in the country.
The government said the additional admission spaces would help eligible migrants and their families secure greater certainty about their future in Canada.
Canada Announces Permanent Residency Plan for 100,000 Foreign Workers, Families
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