Author: France 24

A “US strike” in Baghdad on Thursday killed a military commander of the Hashed al-Shaabi, an ex-paramilitary faction of the grouping said, with an Iraqi security official reporting two deaths in a drone attack. Issued on: 04/01/2024 – 14:12 2 min The Iraqi government, supported by pro-Tehran factions, decried an “aggression”. It accused a US-led international coalition but stopped short of pinning the blame on Washington, as regional tensions soar amid the Israel-Hamas war.”A drone targeted the logistical support headquarters of Hashed al-Shaabi,” mainly pro-Iranian former paramilitary units integrated into the Iraqi armed forces, said the security official.The strike killed…

Issued on: 04/01/2024 – 11:16Modified: 04/01/2024 – 11:59 01:46 People gather near a body on the ground at the scene of two explosions during a ceremony held to mark the death of late Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Kerman, Iran on January 3, 2024. © WANA news agency via Reuters Iran blamed Israel and the United States on Wednesday for twin bomb blasts that killed at least 84 people in the country’s south, ripping through a crowd commemorating Revolutionary Guards general Qassem Soleimani four years after his death in a US strike. Read more on related topics: Source link

China showcased on Thursday fighter jets firing missiles in the South China Sea, as it held rival military exercises with the United States in the hotly contested waters. Issued on: 04/01/2024 – 11:56 2 min The drills follow tense standoffs between Beijing and Manila in disputed reefs that saw vessels from the two countries collide and Chinese ships blast water cannon at Philippine boats.China last month voiced growing frustration and anger at the Philippines’ unexpectedly bold tactics, warning its neighbour to exercise “caution”.And footage shared by state broadcaster CCTV and the Chinese military on Thursday showed what they called “live…

Israel’s Supreme Court struck down a key component of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul Monday, delivering a landmark decision that could reopen the fissures in Israeli society that preceded the country’s ongoing war against Hamas. Issued on: 01/01/2024 – 18:38Modified: 02/01/2024 – 11:25 4 min The planned overhaul sparked months of mass protests, threatened to trigger a constitutional crisis between the judicial and legislative branches of government, and rattled the cohesion of Israel’s powerful military.Those divisions were largely put aside after Hamas militants carried out a bloody cross-border attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, triggering a war…

Thousands of Japanese rescuers on Thursday battled rubble and blocked roads as hopes faded for dozens listed as missing three days after a devastating earthquake that killed at least 81. Issued on: 04/01/2024 – 04:25Modified: 04/01/2024 – 10:56 3 min As the frantic search for survivors continues, more than a dozen communities remained isolated by landslides and blocked roads in central Japan, where the 7.5-magnitude quake struck on Monday.The powerful main tremor, followed by hundreds of aftershocks, injured at least 330 people, local authorities said.Authorities published a list on Thursday of 79 people whose whereabouts were unknown.”This is the worst…

Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.The health ministry does not report how Palestinians were killed, whether from Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages or errant Palestinian rocket fire. It describes all casualties as victims of “Israeli aggression”.The ministry also does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Throughout four wars and numerous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, UN agencies have cited the Hamas-run health ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers.In the aftermath of war, the UN humanitarian office has published…

A US teenager has beaten classic computer game Tetris, forcing it into a game-ending glitch in a feat previously achieved only by artificial intelligence. Issued on: 04/01/2024 – 08:29 2 min Willis Gibson, 13, a competitive gamer known as “blue scuti,” became the first human to reach the “kill screen” of the Nintendo version of the puzzle game, as fellow players followed his progress online.”Oh my God!” Willis screams repeatedly towards the end of a more than 40-minute video he uploaded to YouTube this week.”I can’t feel my fingers,” he adds breathlessly. The emotion stands in stark contrast to the…

Issued on: 02/01/2024 – 10:57Modified: 02/01/2024 – 11:38 01:46 © FRANCE 24 Israel’s top court ruled Monday against a key component of the government’s controversial legaloverhaul which challenged the powers of the judiciary and sparked mass protests. Read more on related topics: Source link

Myanmar’s junta announced an amnesty for more than 9,000 prisoners on Thursday, part of an annual release to mark the country’s Independence Day. Issued on: 04/01/2024 – 07:33 1 min The traditional event comes as the army, which took power in a military coup in 2021, faces growing resistance from allied groups in the country’s north.A coalition of ethnic armed groups has said it has captured military positions and border hubs vital for trade with China, posing a serious threat to the junta, according to analysts.Independence Day in Myanmar has previously been marked by a parade in the capital Naypyidaw,…

Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.The health ministry does not report how Palestinians were killed, whether from Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages or errant Palestinian rocket fire. It describes all casualties as victims of “Israeli aggression”.The ministry also does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Throughout four wars and numerous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, UN agencies have cited the Hamas-run health ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers.In the aftermath of war, the UN humanitarian office has published…