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Microsoft has completed its $69bn (£56bn) takeover of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard in the gaming industry's biggest ever deal. It comes as Microsoft, which owns the Xbox gaming console, was given the green light for the global deal after UK regulators approved it. The Competition and Markets Authority said its concerns had been addressed, after it blocked the original bid. Microsoft's Phil Spencer said securing Activision was "incredible". Following the announcement of the deal, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick confirmed in a letter to staff that he would step down at the end of 2023. "I have long said that I am fully committed to helping with the transition," he said. "[Phil Spencer and I] both look forward to working together on a smooth integration for our teams and players." Despite concerns from rivals such as PlayStation-maker Sony, and regulators over competition in the gaming industry, Mr Spencer, who is chief executive of Microsoft Gaming, sought to reassure gamers. "Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here - and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn't where you play your favorite franchise," Mr Spencer said in a statement following the takeover. "Because when everyone plays, we all win. We believe our news today will unlock a world of possibilities for more ways to play." 'Preserve prices' Under the re-worked deal, Microsoft has handed the rights to distribute Activision's games on consoles and PCs over the cloud to French video game publisher Ubisoft. But while a concession has been made, Microsoft will now control games such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush that will provide the firm with huge revenues. The CMA said the revised deal would "preserve competitive prices" in the gaming industry and provide more choice and better services. But despite approving the takeover, the watchdog criticised Microsoft's conduct over the near-two year battle. "Businesses and their advisors should be in no doubt that the tactics employed by Microsoft are no way to engage with the CMA," said chief executive Sarah Cardell. "Microsoft had the chance to restructure during our initial investigation but instead continued to insist on a package of measures that we told them simply wouldn't work. Dragging out proceedings in this way only wastes time and money." FULL STORY

President Vladimir Putin has denied that Russia damaged an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia. Investigators found a rupture on the Baltic-connector pipeline was caused by mechanical force. Finnish officials said they could not rule out a state actor being involved. Mr Putin said it was "rubbish" to blame Russia, and the damage could have been caused by an anchor or earthquake. The pipeline shut last weekend as operators noted a sudden drop in pressure. A telecoms cable was also damaged. Helsinki said it believed the leak on the 77km (48-mile) gas pipeline was caused by "external" activity. Sources told the BBC that suspicion fell on Russian sabotage as "retribution" for Finland joining Nato in April this year. Estonia's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said the damage must have been done "by something greater than a diver or an unmanned submersible", ERR News reported. But the Russian leader said he did not even know the pipeline existed and that the accusations were "to distract attention from the terrorist attack carried out by the West against Nord Stream". Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said if the incident was proven to be deliberate, it would be met by a "united and determined response" from Nato allies. "Allies expressed strong solidarity with Estonia and Finland as they work to establish the facts. Nato and allies are sharing information to support that effort," Mr Stoltenberg said. On Tuesday, Jüri Saska, commander of the Estonian Navy, said he was "not going to be drawn into speculation" over the cause of the damage. Finnish authorities said damage to the cable and pipeline damage happened at two different locations in Finland's Exclusive Economic Zone. "The discovered damage could not have been caused by normal use of the pipeline or pressure fluctuations," Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told journalists. Other possible causes such as seismic activity had already been ruled out. The pipeline is Finland's only direct link to the wider European Union's gas network. Mr Orpo said there were enough alternative sources of gas to ensure the country's energy security was not at risk. FULL STORY

Sir Michael Caine has confirmed he has retired from acting, following the release of his latest film. The 90-year-old screen legend stars in The Great Escaper opposite Glenda Jackson, who completed the film months before her death in June. Sir Michael has previously indicated his intention to retire but has often been tempted back. But he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I keep saying I'm going to retire. Well I am now." He added: "I've figured, I've had a picture where I've played the lead and had incredible reviews... What am I going to do that will beat this?" The Great Escaper sees Sir Michael portray Bernie Jordan, a real-life World War Two veteran who made headlines in 2014 when he escaped from his care home to attend D-Day anniversary celebrations in France. The Guardian's review said Sir Michael delivers "a gruffly heart-breaking performance" in the film, while the Radio Times added he "plays his role with complete dignity". But Sir Michael said the likelihood of fewer parts being offered to him in old age has ultimately prompted his decision to retire. "The only parts I'm liable to get now are 90-year-old men. Or maybe 85," he joked to presenter Martha Kearney. "They're not going to be the lead. You don't have leading men at 90, you're going to have young handsome boys and girls. So I thought, I might as well leave with all this." The star acknowledged he turned down his last film three times before finally saying yes, because he already considered himself retired. FULL STORY

Conservative firebrand Jim Jordan has been chosen as Republican nominee to become Speaker of the House. The Ohio congressman won 124 votes from party members in the secret ballot held on Friday afternoon, with 81 against. But Mr Jordan, who has the backing of former President Donald Trump, is already facing mounting opposition from the ranks of his own party. The week ends with Republicans no closer to successfully installing a Speaker amid continued infighting. While Mr Jordan emerged victorious from Friday's secret ballot against Georgia lawmaker Austin Scott, he faces mounting criticism from many House Republicans. Immediately following the vote, Republican representatives held a second motion to determine whether members would support Mr Jordan in a floor vote, before breaking up for the weekend. The second vote saw 55 members vote "no" on Mr Jordan. As things stand, Mr Jordan has no clear path to the Speaker's office, leaving House Republicans leaderless and wracked by uncertainty. Supporters of Steve Scalise - who was nominated as the party's candidate for Speaker on Wednesday before withdrawing - have vowed to oppose Mr Jordan at all costs. And Mr Jordan only narrowly expanded the fragile margin Mr Scalise earned on Wednesday of 113 votes to 99. Whether he has enough support to secure an overall majority in the chamber is therefore unclear. Among those still opposed to Mr Jordan was Florida's Mario Díaz-Balart, who told reporters that Mr Jordan faces a "very, very big hurdle" to become Speaker. "I don't think he is the one," Mr Díaz-Balart said. "Ultimately, we're going to have to have someone who can truly unify us." FULL STORY

Summary Israel is telling everyone in north Gaza - about 1.1 million people - to relocate to the south of the Strip in the next 24 hours, according to the United Nations Israel's military has directly told Gaza City residents to leave for their "safety and protection", as its forces mass ahead of an expected ground offensive The UN has called on Israel to withdraw the order, arguing it's "impossible" for Palestinians to fully comply and warning of "devastating humanitarian consequences" Hamas kidnapped at least 150 people and took them into Gaza during deadly attacks on Israel at the weekend that killed 1,300 people More than 1,400 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched retaliatory air strikes, Palestinian health officials say The bombardment comes amid a total blockade, with fuel, food and water running out. Israel says it won't lift the restrictions unless Hamas frees all hostages Elsewhere, three Jewish schools in north London have told parents they won't be opening today, citing safety concerns SOURCE:

flame and response removed.

Requested by OP. Asked and answered. CLOSED

Next month ChatGPT will celebrate its first birthday – marking a year in which the chatbot, for many, turned AI from a futuristic concept to a daily reality. Its universal accessibility has led to a host of concerns, from job losses to disinformation to plagiarism. Over the same period, tens of millions of users have been investigating what the platform can do to make their lives just a little bit easier. Upon its release, users quickly embraced ChatGPT’s potential for silliness, asking it to play 20 questions or write its own songs. As its first anniversary approaches, people are using it for a huge range of tasks. We’ve all heard about uses like crafting emails, writing student essays and penning cover letters. But with the right prompts, it can take on jobs that are more esoteric but equally useful in everyday life. Here are a few that might come in handy. Jargon demystifier You’re at a work meeting, and the accountants are talking about GAAP operating income for Q4 of FY22, the design people are panicked about kerning, and the CEO wants you to circle back to drill down on some pain points. On top of that, your British boss says your work is “quite good” but strangely doesn’t seem happy with it, while your US colleague claims everything anyone has ever done is amazing. Users say they’ve turned to ChatGPT for help as an intermediary, employing it to translate workplace jargon so everyone’s on the same page about the concerns you flagged, tnx. FULL ARTICLE

Study finds more than 40% of ice shelves have shrunk, with millions of tonnes of freshwater entering ocean More than 40% of Antarctica’s ice shelves have shrunk since 1997 with almost half showing “no sign of recovery”, a study has found, linking the change to the climate breakdown. Scientists at the University of Leeds have calculated that 67tn tonnes of ice was lost in the west while 59tn tonnes was added to the east between 1997 and 2021, resulting in a net loss of 7.5tn tonnes. Warm water on the western side of Antarctica has been melting ice, whereas in the east, ice shelves have either stayed the same or grown as the water is colder there. The ice shelves sit at the end of glaciers and slow their rate of flow into the sea. When they shrink, glaciers release larger amounts of freshwater into the sea which can disrupt the currents of the Southern Ocean. Dr Benjamin Davison, an expert in Earth observation and the study’s lead, said: “There is a mixed picture of ice-shelf deterioration, and this is to do with the ocean temperature and ocean currents around Antarctica. FULL STORY

“I just shared with my colleagues that I’m withdrawing my name as a candidate for speaker-designee,” Scalise said as he emerged from the closed-door meeting at the Capitol, where he first informed fellow Republican colleagues of his decision. Scalise, a hardline conservative representing Louisiana, said the Republican majority “still has to come together and is not there”. “There are still some people that have their own agendas,” Scalise said. “And I was very clear, we have to have everybody put their agendas on the side and focus on what this country needs.” Next steps are uncertain as the House is now essentially closed, while the Republican majority tries to elect a speaker after a small number of them voted alongside Democrats to oustKevin McCarthy from the job. The standoff over the speakership, which was sparked by the hard-right Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, has left congressional business at a standstill, with many Republican lawmakers furious at the degree of division within their party – and how voters are likely to judge them for their inability to govern. FULL STORY

The UK will send two Royal Navy ships and surveillance aircraft to the eastern Mediterranean in plans to "bolster security", No 10 says. The aircraft will begin patrols on Friday to "track threats to regional stability such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups". Three Merlin helicopters and a detachment of Royal Marines are also being dispatched. Rishi Sunak spoke to Israel's PM on Thursday to reaffirm the UK's support. His call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was meant to "reaffirm the UK's steadfast support for Israel following Hamas' appalling terrorist attack", Downing Street said. "The additional military assistance would be deployed in the coming days to bolster security in the wider region and mitigate any attempts to escalate the conflict," it added. "He [Mr Sunak] reiterated that the UK stands side by side with Israel in fighting terror and agreed that Hamas can never again be able to perpetrate atrocities against the Israeli people. "Noting that Hamas has enmeshed itself in the civilian population in Gaza, the Prime Minister said it was important to take all possible measures to protect ordinary Palestinians and facilitate humanitarian aid." The two prime ministers "agreed to remain in close contact and to explore any further support the UK can provide". FULL STORY

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared his “independence from the Democratic Party” on Monday in Philadelphia, ending his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination and launching an independent bid that he said aims to heal the political divide, which he portrayed as a fiction of a corrupt establishment. “I intend to wrest the reins of power from both parties and give to it the American people,” he said, comparing Republicans and Democrats to teenagers fighting over the steering wheel of an out-of-control car, both following a GPS route programmed by lobbyists. “This hatred we have for each other is orchestrated,” Kennedy said, switching to a medieval metaphor. “My job ... is to unify Americans. Then we’re all going to go over the castle walls together.” Kennedy has struggled to gain traction in the Democratic primaries, even with voters expressing a desire that someone younger take the party banner from President Joe Biden. His views on issues like vaccines and abortion has left him outside the Democratic mainstream. A crowd of about 1,000 turned out on a sunny fall day to hear Kennedy speak in front of Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Some wore suits and ties; others wore homemade Kennedy T-shirts, hats and buttons and at least one custom-made cape. One sign read, “I want Camelot," a reference to the mythologized Kennedy dynasty. “There have been antiestablishment candidates before but none of them who actually understand how to get the job done,” he said. “This time the independent is going to win.” Kennedy said the time is ripe, citing the growing proportion of Americans who tell pollsters they’re fed up with both parties — a record 63% say Republicans and Democrats do “such a poor job” of representing America that “a third major party is needed,” according to a new Gallup survey. Still, Kennedy faces long odds. The best-perform FULL STORY

The King has expressed his condolences and "deep shock" at the "barbaric" actions by Hamas in a call with Israel's president - as Prince William said he was "profoundly distressed" by the "horrors" inflicted. Israel's President Isaac Herzog thanked the King for his support and said his words were an "important statement" which would serve as a "great comfort to the people of Israel". Mr Herzog's office said in a statement: "President Isaac Herzog spoke today with the King of the United Kingdom, King Charles III, who called to express his condolences and deep shock at the criminal and barbaric actions of the terrorist organisation Hamas in its attack on the citizens of Israel." The statement added: "The two talked at length about the terrible massacre and how it was carried out. "The conversation between the two took place as part of a series of conversations the president has been holding on a daily basis with leaders from all over the world, including leaders of international organizations, and Jewish community leaders." The King has also asked to be "actively updated" on the conflict as he is "appalled" by the "barbaric acts of terrorism" in Israel, Buckingham Palace has said. The spokesman said the King is "extremely concerned" and his "thoughts and prayers are with all of those suffering". FULL STORY

The Israeli government wants to make it clear throughout the region - to Hezbollah, to Palestine Islamic Jihad, to Syria, and especially to Iran - that the country will never be passive in the face of attack. Michael Clarke Military analyst Israel will be looking at all military options at the moment. And they don't look very good - not with 130 or so Israeli hostages imprisoned and dispersed all over Gaza. But after Israel's current bombing campaign - designed to go after Hamas ammunition supplies and command facilities, most of which are disguised in ostensibly civilian buildings - there will be no alternative but for the Israeli Defence Forces to invade the whole Gaza Strip. Israel vows to 'wipe out' Hamas - live updates Anything less would not achieve Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stated objective of "destroying" the Hamas terrorist group completely. There is no mileage for him in "hurting it" or offering Hamas some lesser response. After the attacks of Saturday, the Israeli government reacted in the same way the British and American governments reacted to the atrocities of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq - with a legal justification and a political determination to eradicate it completely. Whether or not that can be achieved through a military campaign remains a moot question, but there certainly will be a full-scale military campaign in the very near future. Not least, the Israeli government wants to make it clear throughout the region - to Hezbollah, to Palestine Islamic Jihad, to Syria, and especially to Iran - that the country will never be passive in the face of attack. It will never turn the other cheek. What form might the full-scale response take? The overwhelming military preference will be for Israel to launch a multi-pronged attack into Gaza, probably from the landward and seaward side simultaneously, coupled with an even greater intensity air campaign in the hours preceding zero hour. FULL ARTICLE

The Metropolitan Police has appealed for footage or images of last weekend's attack in Israel after a number of British citizens were confirmed dead in the country. The force's counter-terrorism unit is "appealing for anyone in the UK who has direct evidence related to the terrorist attacks". It added: "This appeal is directed at anyone who may have already returned from Israel in the past few days. "There may also be people in the UK who have friends, relatives or loved ones in Israel and have been sent direct messages, images or videos. "UK nationals are among those who were killed or are missing. "Specialist officers are in close contact with colleagues in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to act upon information about UK nationals being received." The police are discouraging people from sending them footage or information from social media, online sources and media reports. Seventeen British nationals, including children, are feared to have been killed or are missing in the country, Sky News understands. Four British men have been confirmed to have died as a result of the incursion. Jake Marlowe, a security guard at the Supernova music festival raided by Hamas over the weekend, was confirmed dead today. FULL STORY

Alliance’s chief says if there is proof of attack it will be met with ‘determined’ response, amid speculation about Russian sabotage Alliance’s chief says if there is proof of attack it will be met with ‘determined’ response, amid speculation about Russian sabotage Nato has promised a “determined” response if damage to an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia proves deliberate, as investigators said traces of an “external, mechanical force” had been found on the seabed. Amid widespread media speculation about the likelihood of Russian sabotage, Risto Lohi of the Finnish national bureau of investigation told a press conference in Helsinki on Wednesday: “There is reason to suspect an external force … caused the damage.” The force, he added, “appears to have been mechanical, not an explosion”. The agency’s chief, Robin Lardot, said marks had been found on the seabed at the site of the damage to the Balticconnector pipeline. Its operators said it would take at least five months to repair the pipeline, meaning it was unlikely to come on stream again until April 2024. But Lardot said the investigation into aggravated vandalism was in its “very early technical stages” and could take several more days because of poor weather and the large search area. The bureau was working to “find facts and analyse them”, he said. Finnish authorities announced on Tuesday that a sudden fall in pressure in the pipeline recorded on Sunday had been caused by extensive damage that “appeared to be deliberate”. Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Wednesday that if the damage to the Balticconnector was “proven to be an attack on Nato critical infrastructure … it will be met by a united and determined response from Nato”. The incident happened just over a year after a series of underwater blasts burst three of the four pipelines that make up Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, a major conduit for Russian fossil gas exports to western Europe, spewing gas into the Baltic Sea. Finland’s preparedness level was raised on Wednesday after an extraordinary meeting of a high-level ministerial committee on foreign and security policy, but the security of the country’s energy supply – of which gas accounts for just 5% – was rated stable. FULL STORY

This is the moment a Range Rover exploded at Luton Airport before a blaze that ripped through a car park and sparked travel chaos for thousands of passengers. One hundred firefighters spent 12 hours battling the inferno at the airport's Terminal Car Park Two when the £20million block was engulfed by flames and caved in just before 9pm last night. Up to 50,000 passengers are suffering disruption at the airport, which only reopened at 3pm this afternoon, as more than 140 flights were cancelled. Five people were taken to hospital during the fire, which was finally extinguished this morning. Investigators believe the blaze was started when a diesel car suffered an electrical fault or leaking fuel line. The fire then spread as a number of electric vehicles burst into flames in a domino effect, one firefighter suggested. As many as 1,500 vehicles are feared to have been damaged. Dramatic footage on CCTV captured the moment the explosion erupted, as light fixtures crashed from the ceiling and a fireball soared through the building. The vehicle appears to be in the middle of the track used to get around the car park, rather than a designated space. The car park, which opened in 2019 as part of a £20million modernisation drive, did not have sprinklers. One fire chief urged the airport to install them in existing and future car parks, adding that it 'may have made a positive impact on this incident'. He added that the building's open sides meant the fire will have spread 'horizontally' before it went up through the structure. The inferno was so hot that the car park building is unsalvageable and will eventually be demolished, sources claimed. The temperature of the flames soared well over the 600C (1,110F) that would destroy the building's integrity, and one fire officer said it would have hit six million watts. The contractor for the car park was Buckingham Construction, which went into administration last month with 500 jobs lost. Lancashire-based Raised Floor Solutions installed part of the floor system but had no design involvement. It comes as devastated Britons told MailOnline how their cars went up in flames at the site - including one couple who had parked a new £48,000 Mercedes there. Some are scrambling for parking spaces at different sites while several chain hotels including the local Marriott, Best Western and Hampton have sold out for tonight. FULL STORY

House Republicans on Wednesday nominated Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) to be the next Speaker, sending his candidacy to the House floor following Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) stunning ouster last week, multiple lawmakers told The Hill. Scalise secured the nomination 113-99 in a closed-door GOP conference meeting, defeating House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) in a close race that did not have a clear front-runner heading into the internal vote. Scalise will now take his candidacy to the House floor, where he will be up against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who Democrats nominated for Speaker on Tuesday night. The floor fight could get messy. Candidates need the support of a majority of the chamber to take control of the gavel and Republicans hold a razor-thin majority. McCarthy required 15 rounds of voting to secure the gavel. At least six Republicans have already said they’ll vote for someone other than Scalise on the floor, and and handful of others remain undecided or declined to comment. Jordan, however, said he offered to deliver a nominating speech on Scalise’s behalf. Scalise’s nomination marks the pinnacle of his congressional career, which began in 2008 and has spanned more than nine years in leadership, including stints as Republican whip and, most recently, majority leader. Throughout the week-long race for the top spot, Scalise branded himself as the Republican who could unite the conference following McCarthy’s ouster, which bitterly divided the GOP and inflamed tensions within the party. “I’ve got a long history of bringing people together, uniting Republicans, focusing on the issues that we’ve got to do to address the issues we came here to do to get our country back on track,” Scalise told Fox Business in an interview Tuesday. FULL STORY

As bombs rained down on Gaza Monday, Palestinian-Americans visiting or living there said they were desperately trying to find ways out of the region but have received little or no support from US Embassy officials, even though they are US citizens. They said they were told by the embassy that routes out of the Gaza Strip had been narrowed down to one: A passage though Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, which reportedly had been closed for a period of time Monday because of bombing. “U.S. citizens in Gaza who wish to leave and can do so safely are advised to check the status of the Rafah Crossing into Egypt,” the US Embassy in Jerusalem said in a security alert on Monday. Said Shaath, 64, of Fresno, California, who is currently working in the humanitarian sector in Gaza, said embassy officials told one of his cousins to make his way to the Egypt border crossing if he could do so safely. “I don’t know what ‘safely’ means? We are living in Rimal, it’s very risky to drive all the way to south Rafah terminal,” he said. “This is not secure because along the way there is a chance that you will be targeted,” given the constant barrage of Israeli airstrikes. Under normal circumstances, the drive from Rimal to the Rafah crossing can take up to an hour. A CNN reporter on the phone with Shaath could hear loud explosions from the bombardment throughout the call. FULL STORY

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said every Hamas member was "a dead man" after the first meeting of his country's emergency government. Alongside him, opposition figure Benny Gantz said it was "a time for war". But US President Joe Biden said he had spoken to Mr Netanyahu and made it clear that Israel must "operate by the rules of war". The death toll in Israel has reached 1,200. More than 1,100 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza. Mr Biden said he understood the anger and frustration of the Israeli people but urged Israel to adhere to the principles of the Geneva conventions. He also warned Iran - which has welcomed the Hamas attack - to "be careful". Earlier on Wednesday Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gantz agreed to put aside a bitter political rivalry that had escalated into widespread protests. Mr Gantz told Israeli citizens that the newly-formed government was "united" and ready to "wipe this thing called Hamas off the face of the Earth". Alongside Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gantz, the centrist National Unity Party leader and a former defence minister, the new temporary cabinet would also include Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. The country's main opposition leader, Yair Lapid, has not joined the alliance. However, Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gantz said in a joint statement that a seat would be reserved for him in the war cabinet. "During the war period, no bills or government decisions will be promoted that do not concern the conduct of the war," said a statement. "All senior appointments will be automatically extended during the war period." The emergency government will give broader national consensus to military action. It also brings to the war cabinet two voices who are experts in military strategy. Both Mr Gantz and also Gadi Eisenkot, who joins as an observer, are former Israeli military chiefs of staff. The announcement of the new cabinet came in the wake of savage attacks by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip. FULL STORY

As per request of OP Topic Closed

Reported post removed. playground name calling like "orange cult" is juvenile trolling ! persist in such trolling and your ability to post may be removed.

If you have it tracked, and showing delivered to them, they cannot fine you for not reporting as you have evidence you did.

Officials in the Israeli military say they have uncovered evidence of a bloody assault by Hamas fighters on the village of Kfar Aza that included the killings of women and children as young as infants. “They cut heads of children, cut heads of women,” David Ben Zion, a deputy commander in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), said in an on-camera interview with Israeli television station i24 News. IDF officials took a group of reporters to the Kfar Aza village near Gaza, but much of the information on specifically what happened has come from IDF sources. Nicole Zedeck, an i24 correspondent, said she had been told by soldiers that 40 babies had been killed in the attack, a figure that has widely been picked up elsewhere. “The horrors that I’m hearing from these soldiers that … about 40 babies, at least, were taken out in gurneys,” Zedek said. “Still, right now, they’re going house to house, still evacuating dead bodies.” Major Nir Dinar told Insider that forces had found the corpses of decapitated babies at the village but said he had not seen images or videos himself. He also could not confirm the number of casualties a soldier had told the i24 reporter. “We cannot confirm any numbers. What happened in Kibbutz Kfar Aza is a massacre in which women children, toddlers and elderly were brutally butchered in an ISIS way of action,” he said in a statement to Insider. The Hill has not confirmed the accounts from i24 or IDF personnel. The Hill has reached out to the State Department and an Israeli military spokesperson for more information about what happened at the village. President Biden, during remarks from the White House on Tuesday, talked of his horror at “stomach turning reports of babies being killed.” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told CNN that he heard that a woman who gave him a tour of Kfar Aza sent him a message that her parents had been killed in the village. FULL STORY