US police allegedly found explosives in a car near Donald Trump's rally on Long Island, New York, after the second assassination attempt, the Daily Mail reports.

The driver of the car has fled from the site, the newspaper writes, citing sources.

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Lebanon pager attack: Who could be responsible and how can beepers explode?

At least 12 people were killed and up to 2,800 injured in the September 17 pager attack in Lebanon. No one has thus far claimed responsibility, with the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah blaming Israel, who has not yet commented on the matter.

As Hezbollah's investigation is under way, here are few versions based on information from open sources.

🔸 What could trigger the blasts?

The explosions could have been caused by the pagers’ batteries detonating, possibly due to overheating, even though experts are skeptical that the battery alone would have been enough to cause the blasts.This is why a version about a sophisticated remote attack with the use of explosives came to the fore.

🔸 How could pagers detonate?

According to Hezbollah, Israeli spy agency Mossad purportedly hid explosives inside the 5,000 beepers that were earlier ordered by Hezbollah from a Taiwan-based company (which flatly denied any link to the attack). After explosives were planted next to the pagers’ batteries, a switch was embedded to detonate them remotely, possibly with a radio signal.

Another version suggests the Israeli spy agency blew explosives inside the pagers up by raising the batteries’ temperature from afar.

🔸 What kind of explosives could be used and how much?

The beepers likely contained three to five grams of PETN, a military-grade high explosive. Under another version, there were up to 20 grams of the explosive in each and every pager.

🔸 Could the US be involved?

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reportedly called US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin minutes before the attack to say that Israel planned to carry out an operation in Lebanon, but did not give specifics. The State Department commented by claiming that the US “was not involved in it” and “was not aware of this incident in advance.”

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The media reports that this particular model of walkie-talkies is exploding

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'Trump needs to be SHOT... stopped' — US Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett told MSNBC

Freudian slip? Or was it? 🤔

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Wannabe Trump assassin roamed around Kiev ‘homeless’ for last three years - report

Ryan Wesley Routh was in Ukraine to recruit military personnel from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria to join the Ukrainian army and expand its foreign legion, according to The Times.

Routh was "essentially homeless", at times living on bases or in the barracks of Ukrainian military units that permitted him to stay there. He made "eccentric appearances" in the center of Kiev and in the company of legionnaires, the article says.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has been demonstrating apparent efforts to downplay any connections with Trump’s alleged shooter.

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More communication devices explode across Lebanon: What is known so far?

Following Tuesday’s mass pager explosions in Lebanese cities, a new wave of detonations of communication devices has occurred across the country. Here are latest updates:

▪️At least nine people have been killed and over 300 injured, according to the country's Health Ministry;

▪️One of the explosions occurred at a funeral ceremony for killed Hezbollah members near Beirut;

▪️The detonated devices, according to various reports, include: pagers, walkie-talkies, phones and fingerprint scanner. Sputnik cannot verify the information on the full list of exploding devices.

▪️The detonated walkie-talkies were purchased by Hezbollah about five months ago, around the same time as the pagers, Lebanese media claimed;

▪️BAOFENG communication devices were among those exploding, their detonation caused casualties in several Lebanese regions;

▪️More than 30 Lebanese Red Cross ambulances are involved in assisting and evacuating victims of the explosions.

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Saudi Arabia will not have diplomatic relations with Israel until there is "the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital" - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

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❗️The Israeli defense minister announced the beginning of a new stage of the war and the shift of the center of gravity of military efforts to the northern front

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Intel's woes prove US steadily losing innovation & tech leadership

Intel's troubles have exposed the US's feeble semiconductor policy and jeopardized any prospects for a US "chip-making renaissance."

During his term, Joe Biden introduced measures aimed at curbing China's hi-tech rise and AI development, and offered hefty subsidies for US-based chip-makers.

Despite Biden's efforts — including $8.5 bln in direct funding, up to $25 bln in tax cuts, and loans up to $11 bln — Intel still hasn’t seen any resurgence.

🔸In spite of getting nearly $3 bln in direct funding from the White House, Intel announced on Monday that it is postponing the construction of new factories in Germany and Poland.

🔸In August, Intel reported a $1.6 bln loss for the second quarter, announced a 15% cutback in its workforce—erasing 15,000 jobs—and suspended its dividend payments.

🔸Intel's stock plunged 60% in 2024.

So what's contributing to this decline?

🔹Intel Corp is no longer a leader in innovation. As Vox notes, it "missed the AI transition" and is now struggling to capitalize on the AI boom

🔹Intel's vertical integration model—where both design and manufacturing of computer chips are handled in-house—is outdated, experts say. In contrast, design-centric companies like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) thrive thanks to working with Taiwan's TSMC, which solely deals in chip production.

🔹Intel's investments in fabs in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon fail to adequately address the core challenges the US foundry industry faces. The Washington Times writes, "it costs 44% more to manufacture chips in the US than in Taiwan."

To make things worse, the US' rival, China is offering better conditions for chip-makers, experts argue. That said, the PRC leads the global AI race, having filed over 38,000 generative AI patents between 2014 and 2023—six times the number filed by the US.

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