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☆ Pakistan releases official election results, independents affiliated with Khan’s PTI secure most seats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Heather Chen | Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Pakistan’s official election results were announced by the election commission on Sunday, with independent candidates affiliated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party securing the most seats in parliament. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, independent candidates won 102 seats. The majority of the independents are affiliated with Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party (PMLN), headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, came in second with 73 seats, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won 54 seats. The PTI party has called on party workers and supporters to hold protests on Sunday outside polling offices in constituencies where party members say election results were “withheld and delayed.”The capital Islamabad has imposed Section 144, allowing police to take legal action against any illegal assemblies and activities.

Persons: CNN —, Imran Khan’s, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Nawaz Sharif Organizations: CNN, Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan People’s Party, PTI Locations: Imran Khan’s Pakistan, Pakistan, Islamabad

☆ Japanese trading giant Itochu to cut ties with Israeli defense firm over Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong/Tokyo CNN —One of Japan’s biggest trading firms, Itochu, has decided to end its partnership with a major Israeli defense company due to the war in Gaza. The sprawling conglomerate, best known outside Japan for its Family Mart chain of convenience stores, said its aviation unit will cut ties with Elbit Systems, which bills itself as Israel’s largest defense contractor, by the end of February. Itochu Aviation, Elbit Systems and Nippon Aircraft Supply signed a cooperation agreement in March 2023, months before war broke out between Israel and Gaza. Itochu, which reported revenues of $104 billion in 2023, has faced small-scale, student-led protests in Tokyo against its partnership with Elbit since January. Its Family Mart chain has also been the target of calls for boycotts in Muslim-majority Malaysia over the agreement.

Persons: ”, Itochu, Israel, Tsuyoshi Hachimura, Hachimura, Bezhalel Machlis, Hanako Montgomery, Heather Chen Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Elbit Systems, International Court of Justice, United Nations, Japan’s Foreign Ministry, CNN, ICJ, Israel, Itochu Aviation, Nippon Aircraft Supply, Elbit, Japan’s Defense Ministry, Self - Defense Force, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Gaza, Japan, Israel, South Africa, Itochu, Malaysia

☆ Live updates: US airstrikes in Middle East, Israel-Hamas war, Gaza crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Heather Chen | Andrew Raine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

US-led coalition conducts airstrikes in Yemen in response to the Houthi aggression at the Red Sea on February 3. US Central CommandThe US and the United Kingdom have conducted strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen from air and surface platforms — including F/A-18s — on over 30 targets across 13 locations, according to officials. The US and UK carried out the strikes with the support of several other countries, according to a joint statement on Saturday. The Houthis said US and UK warplanes struck multiple provinces in Yemen, including the capital of Sanaa. The USS Gravely and USS Carney fired the land-attack cruise missiles and F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier were also involved, officials said.

Persons: “, Carney, Dwight D, Joe Biden's, CNN's Eyad Kourdi Organizations: US Central Command, US, CNN, Eisenhower Locations: Yemen, United Kingdom, UK, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sanaa, Tehran, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Red

☆ Finance worker pays out $25 million after video call with deepfake ‘chief financial officer’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Heather Chen | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A finance worker at a multinational firm was tricked into paying out $25 million to fraudsters using deepfake technology to pose as the company’s chief financial officer in a video conference call, according to Hong Kong police. Chan said the worker had grown suspicious after he received a message that was purportedly from the company’s UK-based chief financial officer. Dale De La Rey / AFPBelieving everyone else on the call was real, the worker agreed to remit a total of $200 million Hong Kong dollars – about $25.6 million, the police officer added. At the press briefing Friday, Hong Kong police said they had made six arrests in connection with such scams. Authorities across the world are growing increasingly concerned at the sophistication of deepfake technology and the nefarious uses it can be put to.

Persons: “, Baron Chan Shun, Chan, Hong, Dale De La, deepfakes, Taylor Swift Organizations: CNN, Hong, RTHK Locations: Hong Kong, Dale De La Rey, AFP, American

CNN —Chile has declared a state of emergency as it battles raging forest fires throughout the country that have killed at least 51 people – and authorities say the death toll is likely to rise. He added that the defense ministry would deploy more military units to affected areas, with all necessary resources made available. The declaration was made for the provinces of Marga Marga and Valparaíso, the presidential delegate of Valparaíso Sofía González Cortés said. The wildfires in Valparaíso have also damaged an estimated 1,100 homes, authorities said. At least six of those who died did so while being treated in hospitals for burns, according to authorities.

Persons: “, Gabriel Boric, Marga Marga, Valparaíso, González Cortés, Carolina Tohá, Tohá, Esteban Felix, Javier Torres, Toha Organizations: CNN, Chile, Marga, Firefighters, AFP, Getty Locations: Valparaíso, Chile’s, El

☆ Pigeon suspected of spying for China released in India after PETA intervention, group says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Heather Chen | Sania Farooqui | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A pigeon suspected of spying for China and held for eight months was released by Indian officials this week after intervention from animal rights organization PETA, the group said in a statement. “After learning that a pigeon was held at the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals (BSDPHA) in Parel as case property for an astonishing eight months, PETA India sprang into action to secure the bird’s freedom from captivity,” PETA said. The animal’s ordeal began in May last year, when it was captured near a port in Mumbai. There was a message written on the pigeon’s wings in words that appeared to be Chinese, PETA added. B. Kulkarni, Chief Medical Superintendent of the BSDPHA,” PETA said.

Persons: Dinshaw, ”, Mumbai’s, Narendra Modi, B, Kulkarni, Bombay SPCA, Hvaldimir Organizations: CNN, Indian, PETA, Hospital for Animals, ” PETA, ” CNN, Bombay Society for Locations: China, Parel, PETA India, Mumbai, Bombay, Russian

☆ Malaysia cuts prison sentence of disgraced former Prime Minister Najib Razak
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Malaysia has cut former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 12-year prison sentence for corruption in half, according to authorities in the Southeast Asian country. Najib, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018, was found guilty of money laundering, abuse of power and other charges in 2020 related to the 1MDB scandal, which saw billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money embezzled out of Malaysia. In a statement Friday, the country’s Federal Territories Pardon Board said the former leader’s application to shorten his prison sentence to six years had been approved. The 1MDB fund was created soon after Najib took office in 2009. Goldman Sachs, which underwrote much of the 1MDB fund and was facing a host of criminal and regulatory proceedings in Malaysia, agreed to a $3.9 billion settlement with the country’s government in 2020.

Persons: Najib Razak’s, Najib, 1MDB, Goldman Sachs Organizations: CNN, United Locations: Malaysia, Territories, United States

☆ British BASE jumper falls to his death from condominium in Thailand after parachute fails
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Kocha Olarn | Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Bangkok, Thailand CNN —A British BASE jumper has died in Thailand after his parachute failed to open when he launched off an apartment building, local police told CNN. The victim was identified as Nathy Odinson, a 33-year-old British male citizen, he added. Odinson was believed to have been involved in a business selling parachute kits for about 10 years, Sinthurat said. Police confirmed that a parachute backpack was still attached to Odinson’s body and said the parachute kit likely malfunctioned. CNN has reached out to the British Foreign Office as well as the British Embassy in Bangkok for further comment.

Persons: Thailand CNN —, Nawin Sinthurat, Instagram, Odinson, Sinthurat, ” Sinthurat, “, ” Organizations: Thailand CNN, CNN, Authorities, Facebook, Police, British, Office, British Embassy Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, British, Pattaya

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Gaza crisis, UNRWA allegations
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Heather Chen | Andrew Raine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Palestinians inspect a damaged house after an Israeli air strike on Rafah in southern Gaza on January 27. The Israel Defense Forces claimed UNRWA facilities were used for "terrorist purposes" in a statement on Saturday. Situation deteriorating at Khan Younis hospitals: Nasser Hospital, the main medical center in the southern Gaza city, is running out of its supply of blood, anesthesia and other medications, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health said Saturday. Where hostage talks stand: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu challenged Qatar on Saturday, saying, "They position themselves as intermediaries. The Houthis claim the attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinian people as a result of the war in Gaza — an argument the US has repeatedly rejected.

Persons: Abed Rahim Khatib, Israel —, Younis, Benjamin Netanyahu, I’m, Bill Burns Organizations: Reuters CNN, Israel Defense Forces, United, Palestine Red Crescent Society, IDF, CNN, UN, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Nasser Hospital, of Health, Hamas, Hospital, Qatar, CIA, Command, Houthi Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, United Nations, Palestine, Hamas, Qatar, Marshall, Gulf, Aden, Iran

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Seoul’s police chief has been indicted for negligence over the 2022 crowd crush that killed more than 150 people during Halloween festivities in the popular Itaewon neighborhood that left the nation reeling. South Korean police on Monday confirmed that Kim Kwang-ho, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), had been indicted in connection with the tragedy – the most senior police officer charged over the incident. Four police dispatches were sent out to Itaewon, which had hosted Halloween celebrations in Seoul for years. Rescue officials and police gather in the district of Itaewon in Seoul on October 30, 2022. “For me, Halloween and the Itaewon tragedy are (inextricably) linked,” she said.

Persons: South Korea CNN —, Kim Kwang, Kim, ”, Anthony Wallace, Yoon Suk Yeol, Lee, “ Organizations: South Korea CNN, South Korean, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, ” Reuters, South Koreans, Rescue, Getty, South, Seoul police, CNN Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Itaewon, AFP, South

☆ Six-legged dog abandoned in Welsh car park undergoes surgery to remove extra limbs
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Heather Chen | Morayo Ogunbayo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A six-legged dog found abandoned in a supermarket car park in Wales has undergone surgery to remove her extra limbs. She was named after the Disney princess because her extra back legs were partly fused together, resembling a mermaid’s tail. She was taken in by Greenacres Rescue, a non-profit group based in the town of Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The group arranged Ariel’s surgery and set her up with a foster family. Ariel is recovering and walking normally, Greenacres Rescue said in a post shared on Facebook.

Persons: Ariel, “, “ Ariel, ”, Mikey Lawlor, ” Lawlor, who’s Organizations: CNN, Disney, Greenacres, Facebook, Animal Referral, Vets University of Bristol, Press Association Locations: Wales, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Australia

☆ Batu Caves: This 400 million-year-old cave site and temple in Malaysia is planning an escalator upgrade
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

To reach the temple housed in a limestone cave at the top, visitors must currently climb 272 steps. Adding an escalator would make the site “more accessible,” a spokesperson for the site’s management committee told a press conference Friday. “We hope the government will assist us since this (escalator) will allow the disabled and elderly who are unable to climb the steps to reach the main temple,” said temple committee chairman R. Nadarajah. Visitors on the stairs leading up to Batu Caves' Sri Subramaniar Swamy temple. Batu Cave officials say the strategy has worked, pointing out the colorful stairs have become popular with Instagrammers.

Persons: “, ”, Nadarajah, Mohd Samsul Mohd Said Organizations: CNN, Visitors, Tourists, Malaysian Locations: Malaysia, Batu, Kuala Lumpur

☆ Singapore transport minister resigns after being charged with corruption in a first for the city state
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Singapore’s Transport Minister S. Iswaran has resigned after being charged with corruption on Thursday, the prime minister’s office said, confirming a historic development for a city state that prides itself on having a squeaky-clean government. The charges against Iswaran are part of the biggest corruption probe to engulf Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in decades. Singapore’s anti-graft agency, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), which reports directly to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has been leading investigations into Iswaran’s case. Lee is the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister and founding father. The corruption probe into Ong and Iswaran comes at a sensitive time for Lee as he plans to step aside after nearly 20 years leading the country.

Persons: Iswaran, Tan Kiat Pheng, Ong Beng Seng, Ong, Lee Hsien Loong, Lee, ” Lee, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s, ” Eugene Tan, ” Organizations: CNN, Singapore’s, Iswaran, Action Party, Singapore, Prix, Practices, Party, Government, Ong, Singapore Management University Locations: Singapore

☆ AirAsia flight: Live snake discovered in overhead cabin on plane from Bangkok
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Heather Chen | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Bangkok, Thailand CNN —Chaos erupted on a domestic flight traveling from Thailand’s capital Bangkok to the southern province of Phuket after a live snake was discovered by passengers in an overhead bin. In a statement sent to CNN, AirAsia Thailand said it was aware of an incident onboard Flight FD3015 that departed Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok on January 13. This is the second reported incident of a snake found onboard an AirAsia plane. Passengers seated near the bin where the snake was spotted could be seen standing, away from their seats, in the video. Airport ground security staff were later spotted onboard the plane, investigating the area of the cabin where the snake was captured.

Persons: Phol Poompuang, ” Phol Organizations: Thailand CNN, CNN, AirAsia, Don Mueang International, Kuching International Airport, AirAsia Thailand Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Thailand’s, Phuket, AirAsia Thailand, Don, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Kuching, Sarawak

☆ Brunei comes to a standstill for royal wedding of Prince Abdul Mateen
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Life in the tiny oil-rich kingdom of Brunei came to a standstill Sunday for a grand royal wedding attended by heads of state and royals from Bhutan and Middle Eastern countries, the highlight of 10 days of celebrations. The lavish ceremony saw Prince Abdul Mateen, the tenth child and fourth son of Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, wed his long-time partner, Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, the granddaughter of a royal adviser. Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty ImagesThe 32-year-old prince, a British-trained and educated military officer in the Brunei Royal Armed Forces who’s sixth in line to his father’s throne, has become the modern face of Brunei’s royal family. Iqbal Selamat/AFP/Getty ImagesThe royal wedding at Brunei's Istana Nural Palace. To Their Majesties Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Raja Isteri, our warmest congratulations on this happy occasion.”Prince Mateen kneels before his father, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, after the solemnization ceremony.

Persons: Prince Abdul Mateen, Brunei’s, Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Yang Mulia, Rosnah, Nurul Iman, Bandar Seri Begawan, Mateen, Mohd Rasfan, Michael Jackson, Britain’s, Prince Charles, Teh Firdaus, –, Iqbal Selamat, Lee Hsien Loong, Hassanal Bolkiah, Raja Isteri, ” Prince Mateen, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Mateen’s, Hassanal Organizations: CNN, Nurul, Royce, Getty, Brunei Royal Armed Forces who’s, Abaca Press, United Arab, Singapore Prime, AP, of Defense Locations: Brunei, Bhutan, Middle, Brunei’s Sultan, Bandar Seri, Bandar Seri Begawan, AFP, British, Malaysian, Nural, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Borneo, Britain

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Houthi strikes, Gaza crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Heather Chen | Andrew Raine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will not consider the war against Hamas finished until the border between Egypt and Gaza is closed. Israeli officials have not decided exactly how they would proceed with closing Gaza’s border with Egypt, according to Netanyahu — but doing so would signify a renewed Israeli control over the enclave not seen in years, and a blow to Palestinians’ limited sovereignty in Gaza. The border crossing with Egypt, at the town of Rafah, is the only crossing point not controlled by Israel, though it has still been subject to limited access and lengthy Egyptian bureaucratic and security processes. As the war enters its 100th day, the main United Nations agency operating in Gaza issued a stark warning that famine will spread across the enclave if more supplies are not allowed into the strip. These are the biggest updates you need to know for Sunday:

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu — Organizations: Hamas, United Nations Locations: Israel, Egypt, Gaza, Rafah

CNN —Iceland’s National Commissioner of Police has ordered residents in the fishing town of Grindavík, first evacuated in November, to evacuate again by Monday night after volcanic fissures opened on roads in the area. The town is also home to Iceland’s famed Blue Lagoon, which draws tourists to its steaming geothermal water and is one of the country’s most visited attractions. The amount of magma had reached a level similar to when a previous eruption occurred in December, the agency said. But in the case of the latest eruption, magma could “migrate further south” – as compared to the previous eruption – and possibly reach Grindavík town. As such, the country is accustomed to volcanic eruptions, though they often occur in the wilderness, away from populated areas.

Persons: CNN — Organizations: CNN, CNN — Iceland’s, Police, Civil Protection Agency, “, Icelandic Meteorological, North Locations: Grindavík, Iceland’s, Reykjavík, Blue, –, Iceland, North America, Eurasia

☆ All prison staff held hostage by inmates in Ecuador now free, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —All prison guards and administrative employees held hostage by inmates at correctional facilities across Ecuador have now been freed, the national prisons agency said Saturday night. Earlier on Saturday it had said 133 guards and three administrative employees were still being held after at least 41 were released. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa welcomed the news and congratulated SNAI, the armed forces and the national police for securing their release. The agency had also reported an armed confrontation at a prison in the southern region of El Oro between inmates and members of the armed forces and the National Police. More than 3,000 police officers and members of the armed forces have been deployed to find him.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, SNAI, Jorge Rendon, ”, Rafael Correa, Adolfo “ Fito, Oliver, Fito, Fernando Villavicencio, Rodrigo Buendia, Villavicencio Organizations: CNN, Ecuadorian, National Police, Catholic, Security, Authorities, Getty Locations: Ecuador, Esmeraldas, El Oro, ”, Peru, Colombia, Guayaquil, Fito, Mexico, United States, Sinaloa, AFP, Quito

☆ Mount Marapi: 11 climbers killed, 12 missing following Indonesian volcano eruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Jakarta, Indonesia CNN —Eleven climbers have died and another dozen are missing in Indonesia following the eruption of a highly active volcano in the province of West Sumatra, officials told CNN on Monday. Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia has 127 active volcanos – more volcanoes than anywhere else in the world – and Mount Marapi is among the country’s most active. A student walks as Mount Marapi volcano spews volcanic ash as seen from Nagari Batu Palano in Agam, West Sumatra province, Indonesia, December 4, 2023. Officials monitoring Marapi’s movements told CNN affiliate CNN Indonesia of potential dangers from Sunday’s eruption, including flowing molten lava which could reach roads and nearby rivers. It is Mount Marapi, not Mount Merapi

Persons: Marapi, Abdul Malik, Malik, Antara, el Fitra, Ada Setiawan, Merapi Organizations: Indonesia CNN —, CNN, Reuters, National Disaster Management Agency Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, West Sumatra, Batu, Agam , West Sumatra, CNN Indonesia, Marapi

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Gaza airstrikes, truce talks, IDF offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Heather Chen | Andrew Raine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Photo of Hisham Awartani, one of three Palestinian students shot in VT, with his mother, Elizabeth Price. Institute for Middle EastHisham Awartani, one of three Palestinian students who were shot while walking in Vermont is now paralyzed, his mother Elizabeth Price tells CNN. A 20-year-old junior at Brown University, Hisham was coming to terms with the “very long road he has in front of him," Price said. Price said Awartani was scheduled to be released from the hospital next week and will go on to receive rehabilitation care. Read More: One of the three Palestinian students shot in Vermont is paralyzed from the shooting, his mother says

Persons: Hisham Awartani, Elizabeth Price, Price, “ It's, it's, Hisham, ” Price, Awartani, Tahseen Ali Ahmad, Trinity College –, Jon Murad, Jason J, Eaton, Read Organizations: Elizabeth Price . Institute for Middle, CNN, Brown University, Haverford College, Trinity College, Burlington Police, West Bank Locations: Vermont, Burlington, Ramallah, United States

☆ Paris attack: One dead, two injured, French interior minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Heather Chen | Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Paris, France CNN —French police have arrested a man suspected of killing one person and injuring two others in a knife and hammer attack in central Paris. The attack took place at Bir Hakeim, near the Eiffel Tower, France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told reporters at the scene on Saturday night. He said that the man arrested was a French citizen previously known to intelligence services. The minister said he had been told by police that the attacker had reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the assault. French President Emmanuel Macron called the incident a terror attack and said France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office would investigate.

Persons: Gérald Darmanin, Philippines –, Darmanin, “, ” Darmanin, “ Allahu Akbar ”, Emmanuel Macron, ” Macron Organizations: France CNN —, German, Paris Fire Brigade Locations: Paris, France, Bir Hakeim, French, Philippines, Afghanistan, Palestine

☆ Mindanao blast: Three people killed as explosion hits Sunday mass service in Philippine university gym
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Heather Chen | Alex | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —At least three people were killed and nine injured by an explosion at a Sunday mass service being held in a university gymnasium in the Philippines, according to a regional official. The blast took place in Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao on Sunday morning, according to CNN affiliate CNN Philippines. Governor of the Lanao del Sur province, Mamintal Adiong Jr., condemned what he called a “violent bombing incident” on a gymnasium at the Mindanao State University during a Sunday mass congregation. Mindanao, a province in the far south of the Philippines, sits at the borders of Malaysia and Indonesia and is home to several Islamist insurgent groups including Abu Sayyaf. The island, the second largest in the Philippines, has long been a hotbed of insurgency against the Philippine government.

Persons: Mamintal Adiong, Abu Sayyaf Organizations: CNN, CNN Philippines, Mindanao State University, ISIS Locations: Philippines, Marawi, Mindanao, Lanao del Sur province, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippine

☆ Elephant herd tramples car after baby struck along Malaysian highway
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A herd of wild elephants in Malaysia trampled on a car traveling along a major highway after it struck a baby in their group, local authorities said Monday. It had been drizzling and foggy at that time, Gerik Police added, and the car was “negotiating a left bend on the highway” when it hit the baby elephant. Authorities did not provide further updates about the condition of the elephant baby. In 2017, a baby elephant was discovered dead on the side of a highway, apparently killed by a car believed to have been speeding, elephant conservation group Management and Ecology of Malaysian Elephants (MEME) said at the time. In 2020, a distressed adult elephant trampled on a car that had been traveling on the same highway as the latest incident.

Persons: ”, Zulkifli Mahmood, “, ” Mahmood, Sylvain CORDIER Organizations: CNN, Gerik Police, Police, Management, Malaysian Locations: Malaysia, Gerik, Malay, Penang, Terengganu, Borneo

☆ New Zealand’s new government scraps world-leading smoking ban to fund tax cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

A year after passing a world-leading smoking ban designed to save thousands of lives and prevent new generations of young adults from smoking, New Zealand has announced a u-turn to help pay for tax cuts, infuriating public health officials and anti-tobacco groups. Marty Melville/AFP/Getty ImagesNew Zealand’s initial smoking ban was hailed by public health officials around the world. Months after New Zealand’s announcement, Britain also unveiled plans to phase out smoking for new generations. A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the British government remained committed to phasing out smoking, even after New Zealand’s reversal. The anti-smoking group Health Coalition Aotearoa (HCA) expressed disappointment at the new coalition’s plans to repeal the smoking ban.

Persons: Chris Luxon, Luxon, Christopher Luxon, Marty Melville, Rishi Sunak, ”, Nicola Willis, Saturday, Mario Tama, Ayeshea Verrall, “ What’s, ” Verrall Organizations: CNN, National Party, New Zealand First, ACT New, Radio New Zealand, Government House, Getty, British, World Health, Radio New, Health Coalition Aotearoa, New Zealanders Locations: New Zealand, ACT New Zealand, Wellington, AFP, Britain, Los Angeles , California, Radio New Zealand, New

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital, Rafah fuel deliveries
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Heather Chen | Andrew Raine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows Al-Shifa hospital and surroundings in Gaza City on November 11. Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies/APA group of United Nations humanitarian workers visited the Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza on Saturday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a post on X. The group spent one hour inside the hospital during which time there was heavy fighting in close proximity to the facility, the WHO said. "Many trauma patients have severely infected wounds due to lack of infection control measures in the hospital and unavailability of antibiotics." Israel claims Hamas is using the hospital complex for military purposes and has built a command center under the facility – allegations repeatedly rejected by both Hamas and hospital officials.

Persons: ”, Israel Organizations: Maxar Technologies, United Nations, World Health Organisation, WHO, UN, Staff, Hamas, CNN Locations: Gaza City, Gaza, Al, Israel, Gaza’s

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