International
We killed local Hamas commander in West Bank – Israeli military
We killed local Hamas commander in West Bank – Israeli military
JERUSALEM: Israeli forces killed a local commander of the militant group Hamas in the flashpoint city of Jenin on Friday as they pressed a major operation in the occupied West Bank for a third day, the Israeli military said.
The military said Border Police forces had killed Wassem Hazem, who it said was the head of Hamas in Jenin and was involved in shooting and bombing attacks in the Palestinian territory.
Two other Hamas gunmen who tried to escape the car they were all traveling in were killed by a drone, it said. Weapons, explosives and large sums of cash were found in the vehicle, it said. There was no immediate comment from Hamas.
In the village of Zababdeh, just outside Jenin, a burnt-out car riddled with bullet holes stood against a wall where the driver crashed the vehicle after being pursued by an Israeli special forces unit, residents said.
Villager Saif Ghannam, 25, said one of the two other men who escaped from the vehicle was killed just outside his house by a small drone strike that shattered the windows, while a second man was killed a short distance away.
Ghannam said Israeli forces had removed the bodies but large pools of blood lay on the ground where he said the men were killed.
The incident occurred as Israeli forces kept up a large-scale operation involving hundreds of troops and police that was launched in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Jenin and Tulkarm, another volatile city in the northern West Bank, as well as the Jordan Valley.
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Israeli armored personnel carriers backed by helicopters and drones pushed into Jenin and Tulkarm on Friday while armored bulldozers plowed up roads to destroy roadside bombs planted by the militant groups.
The escalation in hostilities in the West Bank takes place as fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants still rages in the Gaza Strip nearly 11 months since it began, and clashes with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in the Israel-Lebanon border area have intensified.
In the first two days of the West Bank operation, at least 17 Palestinians were killed, including the local commander of the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad forces in Tulkarm.
Since the Hamas attack on Israel last October that triggered the Gaza war, more than 660 Palestinians — combatants and civilians — have been killed in the West Bank, according to Palestinian tallies, some by Israeli troops and some by Jewish settlers who have carried out frequent attacks on West Bank Palestinian communities.
Israel says Iran provides weapons and support to militant factions in the West Bank — under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Middle East war — and the military has as a result cranked up its operations there.
The British government said on Friday it was “deeply concerned” by Israel’s operation in the West Bank and said there was an urgent need for de-escalation.
“We recognize Israel’s need to defend itself against security threats, but we are deeply worried by the methods Israel has employed and by reports of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure,” a Foreign Office statement said.
We killed local Hamas commander in West Bank – Israeli military
ARAB NEWS
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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