January 2, 2024

*) Hamas urges ICRC action as Palestine says Israel killed prisoner Palestinian resistance group Hamas has called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to document human rights violations against Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. According to the latest figures, more than 7,800 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons, including 80 women. Earlier, Palestinian prisoner affairs groups accused Israel of assassinating an incarcerated Palestinian man in an Israeli jail. This comes on the 88th day of Israel's attacks on besieged Gaza, which has killed at least 21,978 Palestinians and wounded 56,697 others. *) Hit by 155 quakes, Japan 'racing against time' to rescue victims Japan is racing against time to save people after a series of powerful earthquakes hit western regions, leaving at least 30 people dead. The Japan Meteorological Office said the country was hit with 155 earthquakes on Monday. Out of these, the largest had a magnitude of 7.5 and struck Ishikawa prefecture, according to the US Geological Survey. The scale of the damage is still emerging, with news footage showing toppled buildings, charred homes and locals without power in freezing overnight temperatures. *) Explosions in Kiev as Ukraine battles 'Russian drone attack' Explosions have been heard in Ukraine's capital as the country’s air force battled a Russian drone attack, officials say. The mayor of Kiev reported explosions about an hour after the region's military administration said unmanned aerial vehicles or drones had been detected in the city's airspace. There were also air alerts in the regions of Chernigiv, Cherkasy, Mykolayiv and Kherson. *) South Korea opposition chief 'stabbed in neck' during Busan visit South Korea's opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung has been attacked during a visit to the southern port city of Busan. Lee was stabbed in the neck with a weapon by an unidentified man while touring the site of a proposed airport, local media said. The assailant was subdued and arrested at the scene. Meanwhile, Lee had been transported to a hospital. He is reportedly conscious but his exact condition is unknown. *) Thousands march in Istanbul, chanting 'killer Israel, get out of Palestine' Hundreds of thousands of people have gathered on Istanbul's iconic Galata Bridge to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The event involved the participation of 308 non-governmental organisations in Türkiye. The demonstrators carried signs and chanted slogans in support of Palestinians under Israeli attacks in besieged Gaza. They also condemned a recent PKK terror attack that martyred 12 Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq.