Author: France 24

The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said it has recovered a total of 14 bodies from an Israeli raid in the Nur Shams urban refugee camp in the West Bank that began late Thursday. At least 469 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Most have been killed during Israeli military arrest raids, which often trigger gunbattles, or in violent protests. Source link

Voting got under way in the Maldives Sunday in a parliamentary election likely to test President Mohamed Muizzu’s tilt towards China and away from India, the luxury tourism hotspot’s traditional benefactor. Issued on: 21/04/2024 – 10:17 2 min Among the first to vote was Muizzu, 45, who cast his ballot at the Tajuddin school in the capital Male.Election chief Fuad Thaufeeq urged the 284,663 eligible voters to cast their ballots early. Polling stations across the archipelago will be open for nine and a half hours.Primarily known as one of the most expensive holiday destinations in South Asia, with pristine white…

The US House of Representatives on Saturday passed billions of dollars in new military aid to Israel which continues to prosecute its war against Hamas, despite growing international concern for the fate of civilians in Gaza. The news came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Palestinians to ‘act with unity’ amid Israel’s war in Gaza following hours-long talks with Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul, his office said. Read our blog to see how the day’s events in the Middle East unfolded.  Source link

After a year’s worth of rain hammered the UAE in a single day, bringing the country to a standstill, speculation soared that cloud seeding  – a process that involves small planes flying through clouds while dispersing substances to induce precipitation  – was to blame for the severity of the deluge. Though the UAE does conduct cloud seeding to address water shortages, experts point to climate change as a more likely factor. Vedika Bahl explains why the theories are false in this episode of Truth or Fake. Source link

One person was killed and eight wounded in an overnight explosion at an Iraqi military base housing a coalition of pro-Iranian armed groups, officials said Saturday. Source link

Iran on Friday downplayed an apparent Israeli air strike near a major air base and nuclear site in central Iran. Authorities said air defences fired at an air base near Isfahan, which has long been home to Iran’s fleet of American-made F-14 Tomcats – purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Source link

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh began talks in Istanbul on Saturday as tensions in the Middle East soar, Turkish media reported. “It is quite likely that Turkey aims to position itself as a mediator in the conflict and perhaps take over Qatar’s role,” said Selin Nasi, visiting fellow at the London School of Economics. Source link

Twenty-three Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned drug before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 the World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed Saturday, defending the decision to let them compete based on China’s findings they had ingested it unknowingly. Issued on: 20/04/2024 – 20:11Modified: 20/04/2024 – 21:42 4 min The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD reported Saturday that the athletes included nearly half of the swimming team that China sent to Japan, with several going on to win medals, including gold.Many are expected to be in contention again at the Paris Olympics this summer.The Times reported that they tested positive…

The timing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh’s visit to Turkey to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is significant, says FRANCE 24’s Leela Jacinto. Their talks on Saturday came days after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit to Qatar, where Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said Doha was reassessing its role as mediator in talks aimed at a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Source link

One person was killed and eight wounded in an overnight explosion at an Iraqi military base housing a coalition of pro-Iranian armed groups, officials said Saturday. While the head of security of the province said the incident looked like an air strike, Iraqi authorities said there were no planes in the air at the time of strike, FRANCE 24’s Lina Malers said, reporting from Beirut, adding that some have accused the US of being responsible, which the US has denied. Source link