International
Israel’s operation in Rafah doesn’t cross US red lines – White House
Israel’s operation in Rafah doesn’t cross US red lines – White House
The US does not believe Israel has launched a full-scale invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, White House spokesman John Kirby has said.
He spoke hours after Israeli forces reached the centre of the city and reportedly seized a strategically important hill overlooking the nearby border with Egypt.
US President Joe Biden said this month he would limit weapons supplies to Israel if it entered the “population centres” of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of civilians are still believed to be sheltering.
Mr Kirby was also questioned about an Israeli strike and a resulting fire that killed at least 45 Palestinians – many of them women, children, or elderly – at a camp for displaced people on Sunday.
Israel has said the strike targeted and killed two senior Hamas officials, and that it believes the fire could have been caused by an explosion at a Hamas weapons store nearby.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Kirby described images from the aftermath of the strike as “heartbreaking” and “horrific”.
“There should be no innocent life lost here as a result of this conflict,” he added.
The US state department said it was watching closely for the Israeli military to conduct a quick and thorough investigation into the strike.
Pressed by BBC correspondent Tom Bateman on whether previous such investigations had led to accountability, state department spokesman Matthew Miller declined to name specific cases.
“You cannot reach a conclusion about the results of these investigations in the middle of a conflict,” he said.
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When the White House spokesman was asked whether the strike had violated the limits previously set by President Biden, he said he had “no policy changes to speak to”.
“We don’t support, we won’t support a major ground operation in Rafah,” Mr Kirby said.
“The president said that, should that occur, then it might make him have to make different decisions in terms of support.
“We haven’t seen that happen at this point. We have not seen them smash into Rafah.
“We have not seen them go in with large units, large numbers of troops, in columns and formations in some sort of co-ordinated manoeuvre against multiple targets on the ground.”
Israel has insisted it will not be able to achieve victory in its seven-month war against Hamas in Gaza without taking Rafah and rejected warnings of catastrophic humanitarian consequences.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) first began what it called “targeted” ground operations against Hamas fighters and infrastructure in the east of Rafah on 6 May.
Since then, tanks and troops have gradually pushed into built-up eastern and central areas while also moving northwards along the 13km (8-mile) border with Egypt.
Speaking to CNN on 8 May, President Biden said he had made it clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem”.
He said he had not suspended the supply of weapons at that point because Israel had not yet “gone into the population centres” in Rafah and that its operations had been “right on the border”.
The president is facing growing calls at home to put greater pressure on the Israeli government to ensure everything is done to minimise the humanitarian impact of the conflict.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, who visited Gaza in January, told the Washington Post: “The escalating civilian death toll and deepening humanitarian catastrophe make clear that the Biden administration should pause additional offensive military assistance to the Netanyahu government until we know that all the president’s requests, including with respect to Rafah and the urgent delivery of humanitarian assistance, will be respected.”
Israel’s operation in Rafah doesn’t cross US red lines – White House
BBC
International
Over 2,000 Russian troops killed in last 24hrs – Ukraine’s military
Over 2,000 Russian troops killed in last 24hrs – Ukraine’s military
In a significant escalation, Ukraine’s military reported that Russia lost over 2,000 troops in the past 24 hours, marking the highest daily toll since the conflict began.
According to Reuters, Ukraine’s General Staff disclosed these figures during its regular morning update on Friday, noting that over 300 pieces of Russian weaponry and military equipment were also destroyed. However, the numbers have not been independently verified.
The announcement comes as Russian forces push to capture as much Ukrainian territory as possible ahead of the anticipated return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, with both sides expecting Washington to advocate for ceasefire discussions in early 2025.
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Despite suffering significant casualties, Russia’s military has made substantial territorial gains over the past month, advancing westward at a pace not seen since the initial stages of the 2022 invasion. The area taken during this period is said to be half the size of London.
The General Staff’s report stated that it could not independently verify the loss figures, as assessing battlefield casualties remains notoriously challenging. This number surpasses the 1,950 Russian troops reported by Ukraine on November 12.
Meanwhile, Russia’s eastern offensive continues, with over 100 attacks launched against critical positions in Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. In response to Ukraine’s use of Western long-range missiles on Russian territory, Moscow has intensified its air strikes. Ukraine reported successfully downing 88 out of 132 drones launched by Russia overnight.
On Thursday, Moscow also launched a significant attack targeting Ukraine’s power infrastructure, leading to widespread blackouts across the nation.
Over 2,000 Russian troops killed in last 24hrs – Ukraine’s military
International
Australia bans under-16 from social media platforms
Australia bans under-16 from social media platforms
Australia yesterday announced a ban on children aged 16 and below from social media use.
The country’s parliament passed world’s first law banning under-16s despite safety concerns.
The bill was passed amid warning that the process had been rushed and that a ban could push teenagers towards the dark web or into isolation.
Australia’s parliament passed a law that will aim to do what no other government has and many parents have tried to stop children from using social media.
The new law was drafted in response to what the Labor Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, described as a “clear, causal link between the rise of social media and the harm [to] the mental health of young Australians”.
Yesterday, the parliament’s upper house – Senate, passed a Bill by 34 votes to 19 banning children under 16 from social media platforms.
But academics, politicians and advocacy groups warned that the ban – as envisioned by the government – could backfire, driving teenagers to the dark web, or making them feel more isolated.
There have been questions about how the ban will be effective.
Many worry that the process has been too rushed, and that, if users are asked to prove their age, it could lead to social media companies being handed valuable personal data. Even Elon Musk has weighed in.
The online safety amendment (social media minimum age) bill bans social media platforms from allowing users under 16 to access their services, threatening companies with fines of up to AU$50m (US$32m) if they fail to comply.
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However, it contains no details about how it will work, only that the companies will be expected to take reasonable steps to ensure users are aged 16 or over. The detail will come later, through the completion of a trial of age-assurance technology in mid-2025.
The bill will not come into force for another 12 months.
It was also silent on which companies the legislation would apply, though Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, said that Snapchat, TikTok, X, Instagram, Reddit and Facebook are likely to be part of the ban.
YouTube will not be included because of its “significant” educational purpose, she said.
The bill was introduced to parliament last week, with just three sitting days left on the parliamentary calendar. It received 15,000 submissions in a day.
Among these was one from Amnesty International recommending that the bill not be passed because a “ban that isolates young people will not meet the government’s objective of improving young people’s lives”.
The number of responses increased dramatically, the Australian broadcaster ABC reported, after X owner Musk reposted a tweet by Albanese announcing that the bill would be introduced that day, writing, “Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians.”
Most of the submissions were a form response, the ABC reported, with fewer than 100 submissions made by interest groups.
Australia bans under-16 from social media platforms
International
Finnish court fixes May 2025 for Simon Ekpa’s trial
Finnish court fixes May 2025 for Simon Ekpa’s trial
Pro-Biafran separatist leader Simon Ekpa is set to stand trial in Finland by May 2025, Finnish authorities have announced.
Ekpa, who was arrested alongside four others on suspicion of terrorism-related activities, remains in custody at the Päijät-Häme District Court.
Senior Detective Superintendent Mikko Laaksonen of Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation confirmed the trial timeline.
“The date for bringing up possible charges by the prosecution was set by the district court to May 2025,” he said, according to Punch.
Laaksonen added that both Ekpa and Finnish authorities could request a re-evaluation of the case in two weeks if necessary.
A Finnish citizen of Nigerian descent, Ekpa faces serious allegations, including incitement to violence, terrorism financing, and public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent.
Finnish police allege that Ekpa used social media to incite violence in Nigeria’s South-East region, targeting civilians and authorities.
His activities reportedly contributed to economic losses exceeding ₦4 trillion due to enforced sit-at-home orders and growing insecurity in the region.
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The arrests were part of a broader investigation requiring international cooperation.
While Finnish authorities have not disclosed further details about cross-border efforts, Ekpa’s arrest has drawn attention due to his influence on the ongoing unrest in Nigeria.
Self-proclaimed “Prime Minister” of the Biafra Republic Government-in-Exile, Ekpa gained notoriety for his calls to boycott Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, which led to violence and unrest.
Finnish court fixes May 2025 for Simon Ekpa’s trial
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