Thursday, December 26, 2024

BIG Wrap

Ukrainian war dead reaches 43,000, Zelensky says in rare update

(BBC News) Some 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia's full-scale invasion began, Volodymyr Zelensky has said in a rare admission of the extent of the nation's casualties. In a post on social media, the Ukrainian president said 370,000 injuries had been reported, though this figure included soldiers who had been hurt more than once and some of the injuries were said to be minor. He also claimed that 198,000 Russian soldiers had been killed...

What happened in Syria? How did al-Assad fall?

(Al Jazeera Media Network) In the early hours of Sunday morning, opposition forces declared Syria liberated from the rule of President Bashar al-Assad as opposition forces surged into the capital. The former president in question reportedly fled Damascus, with no information yet as to which country will receive him. The stunning collapse of more than 53 years of al-Assad family rule has been described as a historic moment – nearly 14 years after Syrians rose in peaceful...

Impeachment hopes fade for South Korean protesters

(BBC News) As pulsating rave music boomed out of speakers set up outside Seoul's National Assembly, the protesters cheered and waved multicoloured light sticks. "Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol! Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol!" they chanted. The mood was festive, but the crowd was there for a serious cause – to get rid of the country's president. Police estimated the crowd to be around 100,000 people. On Saturday morning, four days after Yoon's failed attempt to implement martial law,...

Russia, Turkiye, Iran want ‘immediate end’ to fighting in Syria: Lavrov

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov has said he and his Iranian and Turkish counterparts are calling for “an end to hostile activities” in Syria, where opposition fighters have made a rapid advance in a major challenge to President Bashar al-Assad. Speaking to Al Jazeera at the Doha Forum in the Qatari capital on Saturday, Lavrov said Russia, Iran, and Turkiye expressed support for “dialogue between the government and legitimate opposition” in Syria. The three...

U.S. appeals court upholds TikTok law forcing its sale

(Al Jazeera Media Network) A United States federal appeals court has upheld a law requiring Chinese-based ByteDance to divest itself of its popular short video app TikTok in the US by early next year or face a ban. The decision is a complete win for the Department of Justice and opponents of the app, and a devastating blow to ByteDance. The ruling increases the possibility of an unprecedented ban in just six weeks on a...

Rebels take most of key southern Syrian region — reports

(BBC News) Rebel forces in southern Syria have reportedly captured most of the Deraa region — the birthplace of the 2011 uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. A UK-based war monitor reports that the "local factions" were able to take control of many military sites there following "violent battles" with government forces. According to the Reuters news agency, rebel sources said they had reached a deal for the army to withdraw and for military officials to be...

Macron to name new French PM within days

(BBC News) French President Emmanuel Macron said he will name a new prime minister "in the coming days," after Michel Barnier was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday. Macron rejected calls to stand down in the wake of the government's collapse, saying he would complete his five-year mandate through 2027. In a televised address, Macron said France could not have new parliamentary elections for 10 months, following the snap polls in July. Barnier's government...

Hezbollah backs Syria’s al-Assad as opposition forces intensify offensive

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Hezbollah’s secretary-general Naim Qassem has pledged the Lebanese group will stand by the Syrian government amid an advance by “terrorist groups” trying to sow chaos in the country. “They will not be able to achieve their goals despite what they have done in past days, and we as Hezbollah will be by Syria’s side in thwarting the goals of this aggression as much as we can,” Qassem said on Thursday, adding...

South Korea opposition files motion to impeach President Yoon

(BBC News) South Korea's opposition lawmakers have begun impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed attempt to impose martial law. The country woke up to an uncertain reality on Wednesday after a night of unprecedented scenes which saw Yoon impose martial law, 190 lawmakers gather to vote it down, and a reversal of the decision around six hours later. After introducing the impeachment motion, South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party condemned Yoon's initial martial law...

Health insurance CEO fatally shot in ‘targeted’ New York attack

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest health insurance companies in the United States, has been shot and killed in New York City in what officials describe as a “targeted” attack. Thompson was fatally shot by an unknown gunman at about 6:40 am (11:40 GMT) on Wednesday as he was walking toward the New York Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, dressed in a suit and tie, to attend...