The New Orleans terror attack that killed 15 and the Tesla Cybertruck that caught fire and exploded may have been related, Elon Musk suggested on X/Twitter on Wednesday."Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo," Musk wrote, "Perhaps they are linked in some way."According to Musk, the explosion was caused by "very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself.""All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion," he stated.The Cybertruck explosion is currently being investigated as a "potential act of terrorism," Las Vegas law enforcement announced.

The US Justice Department announced Monday the tenth and final distribution of funds to the victims of financier and fraudster Bernard Madoff.Over $131.4 million will be provided through the Madoff Victim Fund to over 23,000 victims worldwide. The ten distributions saw the MVF pay over $4.3 billion from forfeited funds to 40,930 victims in 127 countries due to the collapse of the Madoff's Investment Securities LLC.“This office has never stopped at pursuing justice for victims of history’s largest Ponzi scheme,” New York Southern District Acting US Attorney Edward Kim said in the department statement.FBI New York Field Office Assistant Director in Charge James Dennehy said that the victims " implicitly trusted Madoff with their investments only to ultimately lose significant monies to his selfish plan."Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison in 2009 for running what the department said was the "largest fraudulent scheme in history." Madoff, who had been heavily involved in Jewish philanthropy before his fall from grace, died in prison in 2021.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shared a post on X/Twitter in Hebrew on Wednesday evening.In it, Khamenei stated that "Al-Aqsa Mosque is the great shrine of the Muslim world," referring to the shrine in Jerusalem's Old City.

Israeli security authorities arrested two men from the West Bank, aged 25, on suspicion of attacking Jews with clubs on Wednesday evening with clubs and stones near Ramot Migron, north of Jerusalem, according to a Thursday Maariv report.Police said that during the incident, three individuals arrived and allegedly began attacking the group of Jews, the report added.One victim was also reportedly hospitalized.

The discovery of antisemitic graffiti including Nazi swastikas at a New Jersey school drew outrage from Fair Lawn borough officials on December 16.Superintendent of Schools Dr. Rui Dionisio announced the discovery of graffiti at a Fair Lawn High School restroom in a letter to the community, assuring that disciplinary action would follow an investigation."Such expressions of hate are unacceptable, have no place in our community, and starkly contrast the principles of inclusivity and respect instilled in our schools," said Dionisio.Fair Lawn Mayor Gail Friedberg Rottenstrich said on December 17 that she was distressed by the news."I understand how upsetting this is not just for students, but their families and our wider community as well," Friedberg Rottenstrich said on Facebook. "We must all work together to increase dialogue and understanding if we are to eradicate hate."

The Islamic State group on Wednesday claimed responsibility for an attack on a military base in Somalia's northeastern region of Puntland a day earlier, the group posted on its Telegram channel.In its statement, Islamic State said the attack was conducted by 12 militants and two booby-trapped vehicles, adding that it killed around 22 military personnel from the Puntland forces and injured dozens of others.Somali authorities could not immediately be reached for comment.

US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday law enforcement is investigating whether there are any links between a New Orleans truck attack that killed 15 people and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel Las Vegas."We're tracking the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas," Biden said. "Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there's any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans."

Hamas's police chief, Mahmoud Salah, and his aide Hussam Shahwan were killed in a strike in the al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Thursday, citing Palestinian reports. According to Israel's public broadcaster KAN, Husam Sahwan, who reportedly served in the past as the head of the Hamas police investigative unit, was also killed in the strike. In total, 10 people were killed, and 15 were wounded in the strike, Reuters reported, citing Gazan medics.