Reuters videographer killed in southern Lebanon by Israeli shelling is laid to rest
Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah who was killed in Israeli shelling of southern Lebanon, was laid to rest in his hometown Saturday in a funeral procession attended by hundreds of people. Draped in a Lebanese flag, Abdallah’s body was carried on a stretcher through the streets of his southern town of Khiam, from his family’s home to the local cemetery. Dozens of journalists and Lebanese lawmakers attended the funeral. Abdallah was killed Friday evening near the village of Alma al-Shaab in south Lebanon when an Israeli shell landed on a gathering of international journalists covering exchange of fire along the border between Israeli troops and members of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group. Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry asked Beirut’s mission to the United Nations to file a complaint against Israel over Friday’s shelling calling it a “flagrant violation and a crime against freedom of opinion and press.” The statement was carried by the state-run National News Agency. Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told the Associated Press in Jerusalem Saturday: “We are aware of the incident with the Reuters journalist and we are looking into it.” Hecht did not confirm that the journalists had been hit by Israeli shells, but called the incident “tragic,” adding, “we’re very sorry for his death.” Reuters said in a statement that two of its journalists, Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, were wounded in the same shelling while Qatar’s Al-Jazeera TV, said its cameraman Elie Brakhya and reporter Carmen Joukhadar, got wounded as well. France’s international news agency, Agence France-Presse, said two of its journalists were also wounded: photographer Christina Assi, and video journalist Dylan Collins. AFP reported Saturday that photographer Christina Assi was in need of blood donations at the American University Medical Center in Beirut where she was hospitalized. The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing sporadic acts of violence since Saturday's surprise attack by the militant Palestinian group Hamas on southern Israel. Journalists from various countries have been flocking to Lebanon to monitor the situation as tensions have been escalating between Hezbollah and Israel. Read More Police in Warsaw seal off a large square after a man climbs a monument and reportedly makes threats Blinken calls for protection of civilians as Israel prepares for expected assault on Gaza Armenian president approves parliament’s decision to join the International Criminal Court
2023-10-14 20:20
Australia Voice Referendum Defeated After Divisive Campaign
Australia has voted against including First Nations people in the country’s constitution, projections show, rejecting a proposal to
2023-10-14 17:45
Ukraine’s Avdiivka ‘completely ablaze’ as Russia pounds city for fourth straight day
Russia has pounded Eastern Ukrainian’s Avdiivka for the fourth straight day, further destroying the city that is reportedly already “ablaze.” “The fighting has been going on for four consecutive days...They have substantial reserves of personnel and equipment. Avdiivka is completely ablaze,” Vitaliy Barabash, head of the city’s military administration, told Ukrainian national TV. “They shoot, using everything they have. The hospital is again under fire, as are administrative buildings and our volunteer centre,” Mr Barabash said. Russian attacks on the city, known for its large coking plant, have gutted it, according to Reuters. In what is considered the biggest military offensive of the ongoing conflict in months, Russia has moved a large column of three battalions, including about 2,000 troops, dozens of armoured vehicles, as well as jets into the northern flank of Avdiivka. Officials say the attacks on Avdviivka were relentless and that the enemy was attacking from all sides. The region is a crucial gateway to the Donetsk territory which is the primary communication hub within the occupied territories. “The enemy does not stop storming, they come from all directions,” Vitaliy Barabash, the head of the city’s military administration, said. Both Washington and Russia’s UN representative say the intensified battles in the east signified a new stage in the campaign. “Russian troops have, for several days now, switched over to active combat action practically throughout the entire front line. The so-called Ukrainian counteroffensive can therefore be considered finished,” UN’s Russia representative Vasily Nebenzia said. However, the US said it is confident Ukrainians would beat back Russian forces, although Russia does not seem ready to give up its campaign. “All Russian attacks have resulted in significant losses for them,” military analyst Serhiy Zgurets said. Russia’s own military has also suffered its worst combat losses since mid-February, according to Kyiv Post. The new offensive also suggests Russia could be unwilling to give up its campaign. “On average, there are 50-60 instances of intense shelling with artillery and rockets targeting the town. As for military positions, they get hit at least 500-600 times a day,” Mr Barabash added. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Zelensky and Dutch PM visit Odesa and agree to boost air defence Israel-Hamas war live: Tens of thousands of Gazans flee homes as IDF launches ground raids US says North Korea delivered 1,000 containers of equipment and munitions to Russia for Ukraine war
2023-10-14 16:48
Zimbabwe Worker Exodus Intensifies With Economy in Meltdown
Years of mass migration from Zimbabwe has gained fresh impetus as an economic meltdown continues unabated, further denuding
2023-10-14 14:30
UK Jobs Market Has One Recession Warning Signal Flashing Red
With 4.3% unemployment, the UK economy would seem to be holding up well against a barrage of headwinds.
2023-10-14 13:49
EU Official to Hold Follow-Up Talks in China, Top Diplomat Says
The European Union will send its political director to Beijing next week for follow-up discussions with China, the
2023-10-14 12:46
Embryo Errors, Flooded Clinics: Kindbody and IVF's Risky Business
In March, a 39-year-old woman and her husband sat in a fertility clinic near Atlanta, and waited. The
2023-10-14 10:17
Yellen, UK's Hunt discussed 'joint actions to deny Russia revenue' -US State Dept
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met with U.K Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt on the sidelines of
2023-10-14 09:25
RFK Jr. Raised $8.7 Million With Help of Hollywood, GOP Donors
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raised $8.7 million in the third quarter while he was running for the Democratic
2023-10-14 08:24
Pfizer Cuts Guidance on Weakening Demand for Covid Antiviral Paxlovid
Pfizer Inc. slashed its revenue and earnings forecasts for the year after agreeing to take Paxlovid doses back
2023-10-14 07:54
UK Seeks to Ban Baby Wipes That Clog Sewers and Pollute Rivers
Plastic wet wipes used for babies and to remove makeup may be banned in the UK under plans
2023-10-14 07:54
Australia’s Indigenous Voice Put to Test in National Vote
Australians are voting on Saturday on a proposal to write its Indigenous people into the nation’s constitution, a
2023-10-14 07:51