**Wednesday Briefing: Implications of Iran's Attack on Israel for the Middle East**
In today's update, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Iran "will pay" for its recent launch of nearly 200 ballistic missiles targeting Israel, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.
Iran's missile barrage occurred on Tuesday evening as a response to a series of attacks on its allied groups. Tehran officials pointed to the assassinations of key commanders from Hezbollah and Hamas, including the recent killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, as well as Israel's military actions in Lebanon, as catalysts for this retaliation.
In other news, during a vice-presidential debate, JD Vance refrained from confirming whether Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, evading questions about his potential certification of a Trump loss this autumn. This prompted sharp criticism from his Democratic opponent, Tim Walz.
In the UK, government ministers have been cautioned against reviving Conservative plans to combat welfare fraud through mass algorithmic surveillance of bank accounts. Privacy advocates are concerned that the government may be preparing to implement a "snooper’s charter" that utilizes automation and possibly AI to address benefit fraud and errors, which reportedly cost the country £10 billion annually.
In local news, a 14-year-old girl sustained potentially life-altering injuries, and a 16-year-old boy was hospitalized after a male assailant threw a substance believed to be acidic at them outside their school in London.
In a public inquiry regarding nurse Lucy Letby, a senior doctor expressed his regret for not intervening sooner to prevent her from harming infants. He stated that police should have been alerted a year earlier, as doctors faced significant resistance from senior nursing staff when they raised concerns about Letby in early 2016.
Lastly, astronomers have reported the reappearance of a comet that hasn't been visible from Earth since the time of Neanderthals. This celestial body may soon be observable to the naked eye, exciting stargazers and scientists alike.
Stay informed as these stories develop.