Here's a news article synthesizing the provided information:
Israeli Hostage Says He Can "Breathe Again" After Body of Final Hostage Returned; Official Accepts High Palestinian Death Toll
An Israeli man, Sasha Troufanov, who was held hostage in Gaza for nearly 500 days, said he could "breathe again" following the return of the body of the final hostage this week, according to BBC World. Troufanov, an Amazon electronics engineer, was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, by Palestinian Islamic Jihad gunmen. His fiancée, mother, and grandmother were also kidnapped but were released after more than 50 days. Troufanov was freed a year ago, after 498 days in captivity. He told the BBC that the return of Ran Gvlili's body was a "big relief," signaling that all released captives can "now breathe and start our lives again."
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that a senior security source stated the military accepts that more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war in Gaza, according to BBC World. This figure, previously provided by the Hamas-run health ministry, had been met with skepticism by Israel. However, the UN and other human rights groups have deemed the figures reliable, and international media have widely cited them. The war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in about 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken. Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza.
In other news, a documentary about former US First Lady Melania Trump will not be shown in South African cinemas, BBC World reported. Filmfinity, the South African distributor, decided against releasing the film, titled "Melania." The head of sales and marketing for Filmfinity told the New York Times and News24 that the film would not be released, but did not provide specific reasons.
Separately, some of Iran's citizens are regaining internet access after nearly three weeks of a government-imposed shutdown, according to BBC Technology. The shutdown, which began on January 8, was widely viewed as an attempt to suppress information about government crackdowns on protesters. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated the internet was blocked in response to "terrorist operations." While some access has been restored, independent analysis suggests much of the country remains cut off from the outside world.
Finally, ministers in the UK have rejected calls for compensation for women affected by changes to the state pension age, BBC Business reported. Campaigners say 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were not properly informed of the rise in their state pension age, which brought it into line with men. The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group criticized the decision, with Angela Madden, who has been leading the Waspi campaign for years, calling it "utter contempt" for those affected. The government reconsidered the case after a new document came to light, but concluded no compensation should be paid.
AI-Assisted Journalism
This article was generated with AI assistance, synthesizing reporting from multiple credible news sources. Our editorial team reviews AI-generated content for accuracy.
Deep insights powered by AI
Continue exploring
Discussion
Join the conversation
Be the first to comment