Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.
The New York Times says Israel eased the rules of engagement for its military when fighting began with Hamas last year, allowing for the risk of killing up to 20 civilians in a strike.
The U.S. newspaper cited Israeli military sources on Thursday about the order issued in October 2023 following the surprise attack by Hamas. The report gave an example that the order enabled the targeting of Hamas fighters when they were at home, surrounded by relatives and neighbors. It said Israeli strikes were rarely approved in previous conflicts with Hamas if it was concluded that 10 or more civilians could be killed. The newspaper quoted a senior military officer as saying that the rules of engagement were changed because it was believed that Israel faced an existential threat. The report added that Israel began to tighten some of its rules of engagement from November 2023 amid a global outcry, but they are now far from far more permissive than before the fighting started. Health authorities in Gaza announced that the death toll from Israeli attacks has surpassed 45,000 including many women and children.
Azerbaijan Airlines says physical and technical external interference may have caused the crash of one of its planes in Kazakhstan that left 38 people dead.
67 people were on board the passenger jet. It went down near an airport in Aktau, a city in western Kazakhstan, on Wednesday. It had departed from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, for Grozny in the southern Russian Republic of Chechnya. And Azerbaijani media outlet cites government sources as blaming the crash on Russian air defense systems. Russian aviation authorities say in a statement that Ukrainian drones were conducting attacks in Grozny when the plane was trying to land, but the statement makes no mention of Russian air defense systems. Reuters news agency quotes people who were on the plane as saying they heard at least one loud bang as it approached Grozny. One person said it was obvious that the plane had been damaged in some way.
Now, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby commented on the crash on Friday,He said the U.S. government has seen some early indications that point to the possibility that the jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems. Kirby added that the U.S. has offered its assistance to the investigation, which is being jointly conducted by Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to delay the implementation of a law aimed at banning the social media platform TikTok in the country. The legislation was approved under the current administration of President Joe Biden. It states that TikTok will be outlawed unless it's China-based parent company ByteDance sells its U.S. operations. The law is slated to take effect on January 19th, one day before Trump takes office.
The TikTok side has asked the Supreme Court to pause the ban. It says the law violates the right to free expression and is unconstitutional. Trump's request, submitted on Friday, said he took no position on the underlying merits of the dispute, but he urged the court to delay the law's implementation so that his incoming administration can pursue a negotiated resolution to prevent a nationwide shutdown of TikTok, thereby preserving the right to free speech while addressing national security concerns.
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments from the government and TikTok
on the matter on January 10.
And China has launched a new amphibious assault ship designed to improve the country's long range operational capabilities. The Sichuan was put into water at a ceremony in Shanghai on Friday. The Chinese military says the vessel has a full load displacement of over 40,000 tons and can carry helicopters and amphibious equipment. It is to be used to defend remote islands and landing operations.
The Sichuan also has an electromagnetic catapult and can carry fixed wing aircraft. The last amphibious assault ship that its Navy launched was the Hainan three years ago. China is quickly building up its naval capability in recent years. it has been stepping up military pressure on Taiwan. China also apparently intends to hold the Philippines in check amid their intensifying confrontations over sovereignty in the South China Sea.
And a court in China has sentenced a man to death for plowing a car into a crowd. The attack on November 11 killed 35 people.
Authorities detained the driver, who's in his 60s,At the scene of the incident in Chuhai, Guangdong province, the court said on Friday that he was dissatisfied with his divorce and wanted to vent his anger. The judge added that the attack has had a severe impact on society. A marathon event initially scheduled for December 8 in Chuhai was postponed and later canceled, and authorities in Jiangsu and Hunan provinces have also canceled events in large cities. During the New Year holiday season, a string of attacks on citizens that resulted in deaths and injuries prompted them to act.
And prosecutors in South Korea have indicted former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun for his role in President Yoon Suk-yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law earlier this month. Kim is charged with insurrection and abuse of power.
The prosecutor said on Friday that Kim ordered troops to block lawmakers from entering the National Assembly. They also accused him of ordering troops to detain officials, including the ruling People Power Party's leader at the time and the head of the largest opposition party.
The prosecutors say Kim ordered troops to take control of the National Election Commission. They say Yoon, Kim and other officials had discussed martial law multiple times since at least March this year. They added they add that Kim was involved in preparing for the declaration and wrote a draft to the text to be read by Yoon. The prosecutors say Yoon ordered a military commander to continue deploying troops around parliament even after lawmakers voted to overturn martial law.
Authorities say traffic disruptions are possible during the year and peak travel period.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says a winter pressure pattern and cold air mass have brought snowy weather to many areas.
The agency says about 330 centimeters of snow had piled up in Sukayo in Aomori Prefecture and about 200 centimeters in Tsunan in Niigata Prefecture as of 11:00 AM on Saturday.
Weather officials are advising holiday travelers to keep updated on weather and traffic conditions. Drivers should fit winter tires and snow chains to their vehicles when they travel on icy roads.
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And those were the top stories for this hour.♫
And that is a wrap for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard. Thank you very much for joining us.
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