The death of Hind and her family was one of the most high profile of a series of incidents involving the killings of civilians during the first months of Israel\u2019s war on Gaza, and it led to international outrage.<\/p>\n
Hind died after a desperate three-hour phone call to the Palestinian Red Crescent on 29 January 2024 in which she pleaded for rescue. The family\u2019s Kia Picanto car had been hit as the family sought to flee a new Israeli offensive into Gaza City. All the other passengers were also killed. Their bodies were retrieved 12 days later when Israeli troops withdrew.<\/p>\n
What prompted the investigation? The Israel Defense Forces repeatedly denied its troops had been in the area, but investigations by the media and others found evidence that strongly suggested nearby Israeli tanks were responsible.<\/p>\n
How significant is it? The IDF published reviews on Wednesday into five high-profile incidents in Gaza. But criminal misconduct investigations into Israeli troops over the killing of Palestinians rarely lead to convictions. A UN report<\/a> published in February described \u201ca pervasive climate of impunity\u201d by Israel in occupied Palestine.<\/p>\n What is the wider context? In September last year, a UN commission found<\/a> that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing tens of thousands of civilian deaths and massive destruction.<\/p>\n Arturo B\u00e9jar, a former Facebook safety engineer and Instagram consultant, arrives at court in Oakland, California, on Wednesday. Photograph: Manuel Orbegozo\/Reuters<\/p>\n Meta has taken a \u201cdon\u2019t ask, don\u2019t tell\u201d strategy when it comes to the safety of children on its social media platforms, according to a whistleblower who testified during a landmark trial against the company<\/a> on Tuesday and Wednesday.<\/p>\n Arturo B\u00e9jar, a former Meta safety engineer, told the jury that the company was aware of the harm its products caused children, which included its recommendations pushing content from sexual predators and violent and graphic images. He said he repeatedly raised the issue to Facebook and Instagram executives but they did little to resolve it.<\/p>\n What did B\u00e9jar say in his testimony? That his job often included him briefing Meta\u2019s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, on product issues. He estimated that he spoke to Zuckerberg at least 100 times. One email B\u00e9jar sent to Zuckerberg in 2021 showed the engineer warning of constant reports of harmful content and damage to teenage wellbeing on Facebook and Instagram. B\u00e9jar said he emailed Zuckerberg after the chief executive publicly said the company did not prioritize profit over safety. Meta denies all allegations in the case.<\/p>\n Another democratic socialist victory sends shockwaves through party establishmentFlorida state Rep Angie Nixon at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist church on 17 August. Photograph: Joe Raedle\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Democratic socialist Angie Nixon emerged a surprise victor in the US Senate primary on Tuesday, after a campaign in which she was outfunded and outspent by Alexander Vindman at a ratio of more than 10 to one.<\/p>\n Her triumph sent shockwaves through the Democratic party machine<\/a>. There have been a series of primary wins for progressive candidates this summer, including in Philadelphia, Colorado, Michigan and New York City. Nixon only recently joined the Democratic Socialists of America, and was not endorsed by them.<\/p>\n In other news \u2026 More than 100 people have died after an artisanal goldmine at a small village in western Central African Republic caved in due to a landslide<\/a>, local officials and aid workers said on Wednesday, with many others trapped under the deluge.<\/p>\n The US has faced a critical shortage of firefighters<\/a> at the US Forest Service this summer as thousands of fires have burned, according to nine USFS firefighters who spoke to the Guardian\u2019s Gabrielle Canon anonymously.<\/p>\n The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to return to live in Britain<\/a>, six years after leaving for the US, according to reports in the Daily Telegraph and the Sun.<\/p>\n The actor Tom Holland, 30, is expected to \u201cmake at least $100m\u201d<\/a> from Spider-Man: Brand New Day, according to<\/a> the Wrap. The movie has already surpassed $2bn in ticket sales.<\/p>\n Stat of the day: US gross national debt tops $40tn for first timeThe US Department of the Treasury headquarters building in Washington DC. Photograph: J David Ake\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The US debt reached $40tn for the first time on Wednesday<\/a>, the Treasury department said, after years of growing government spending. During his first term, Donald Trump approved $8.4tn of debt, with a huge chunk going to Covid-19 relief spending, while Joe Biden approved $4.3tn of debt, according to the committee for a responsible federal budget.<\/p>\n The Filter recommends: 25 tech essentials for college studentsThe Filter team picked the best tech and accessories for navigating campus life. Photograph: Courtesy Photos<\/p>\n The Guardian\u2019s Filter US team tested every item on this list<\/a>, and picked the best tech and accessories for navigating campus life \u2013 from tablets and laptops to help with studying, to gaming systems and portable projectors for university downtime.<\/p>\n Internal documents obtained by Guardian show White House meetings and scheduled calls with top Trump officials and communications with Fox News producers. Composite: Rita Liu\/The Guardian\/Getty Images<\/p>\n A trove of Federal Communications Commission documents \u2013 obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request and lawsuit filed by the advocacy group Democracy Forward, and seen by the Guardian\u2019s Jeremy Barr<\/a> \u2013 sheds light on the close working relationship between Brendan Carr, the FCC chair, his top staffers and members of Donald Trump\u2019s White House team. Between 12 March 2025 and 11 February 2026, Carr attended at least eight meetings at the White House, according to the records.<\/p>\n Climate check: The threatening thaw \u2013 a climate professor on heatwave risks to tipping point of permafrostThe world\u2019s vast permafrost regions contain three times more carbon than all living vegetation and are at risk of thawing and emitting more greenhouse gases. Composite: Guardian Design\/2See\/S\u00f6ren Andersson\/Getty<\/p>\n Heatwaves and wildfires are not just scorching forests, they are adding to the tipping point risks in the world\u2019s vast permafrost regions, which contain three times more carbon than all the living vegetation on Earth. Check out the Guardian\u2019s Q&A with Gustaf Hugelius<\/a>, a professor at Stockholm University.<\/p>\n Last Thing: \u2018Should my partner stop hogging my side of the bed?\u2019 \u2013 You be the judge\u2018He thinks the sides we sleep on should be interchangeable.\u2019 Illustration: Igor Bastidas<\/p>\n \u201cMy partner, Dave, and I are two stubborn boys who both adore a great night\u2019s sleep. But we cannot settle a disagreement about which side of the bed belongs to whom,\u201d P\u00e1draig writes. \u201cHe thinks the sides we sleep on should be interchangeable \u2026 Now I\u2019m tossing and turning.\u201d Check out Dave\u2019s defense, and views from a jury of Guardian readers<\/a>. Whose side are you on?<\/p>\n Sign up<\/p>\n Sign up for the US morning briefing<\/p>\n First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you\u2019re not already signed up, subscribe now<\/a>.<\/p>\n Get in touch<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/577.jpg\")
Screenshot of verified video shows the goldmine collapse in Central African Republic, with more than 100 people reported dead. Photograph: AP<\/p>\n