Outstanding international events of the past week

(Baonghean.vn) -Armed attack at a nightclub in Türkiye leaves 39 dead;A serious train accident in New York left more than 100 people injured; South Korea held impeachment hearings for its president; violent riots broke out in a Brazilian prison... these were some of the prominent international events of the past week.

1. Armed attack at a nightclub in Türkiye leaves 39 dead.

The scene of the shooting.

On January 1st, an attack occurred at the Reina nightclub in the Ortakoy district of Istanbul, Türkiye, resulting in 39 deaths.

The gunmen, disguised as Santa Claus and speaking Arabic, carried assault rifles. One witness reported seeing four bodies lying on the ground. Several other witnesses also claimed there was an explosion. According to Mynet Haber, the death toll could rise as approximately 700-800 people were present at the nightclub at the time of the armed attack.

2. Serious train accident in New York leaves over 100 people injured.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo encourages firefighters after the accident - Photo: Reuters

The incident occurred at a busy train station in downtown Brooklyn, New York City, during the morning rush hour on January 4th (local time), resulting in over 100 injuries, but thankfully no fatalities.

Reuters, citing a statement from the New York Fire Department, reported that the train in question, belonging to the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), was en route from Queens to downtown New York when the incident occurred at Atlantic Station. Approximately 600-700 passengers were on board at the time of the accident.

Speaking at a brief press conference afterward, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the train was traveling slowly and derailed after hitting an obstacle at the station. The collision severely damaged two of the six train cars.

3.South Korea holds impeachment hearings for the President.

The first hearing of the Constitutional Court took place on the morning of January 3, 2017, with the participation of nine judges.

On January 3rd, the South Korean Constitutional Court held its first public hearing to consider the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye over the scandal involving her and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil. However, after only nine minutes, Chief Justice Park Han-chul announced the hearing was adjourned because President Park Geun-hye had not appeared in court.

Subsequently, South Korean President Park Geun-hye was once again absent from the second hearing of the South Korean Constitutional Court today, January 5, 2017, to consider her impeachment.

4.Violent riots at a Brazilian prison leave 60 dead.

Family members of the victims gathered outside Anisio Jobim prison after the riot (Photo: Reuters)

A 17-hour riot in a prison in northwestern Brazil left at least 60 people dead on January 2nd.

According to Reuters, the riot occurred at the Anisio Jobim prison in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, late on January 1st and was brought under control around 7 a.m. local time on January 2nd. The incident resulted in at least 60 deaths, and 184 prisoners took advantage of the chaos to escape. However, by yesterday afternoon, 40 prisoners had been recaptured.

5. The US admits to "unintentionally" causing the deaths of 188 Syrian and Iraqi civilians.

The scene was one of devastation, with thick smoke billowing after the US-led coalition launched airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq.

Following numerous accusations of civilian casualties in the fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq since 2014, the US-led coalition has for the first time admitted to "inadvertently" killing at least 188 civilians.

In a statement issued on January 2, 2017, the Joint Task Force on Iraq (CJTF-OIR) said: “According to statistics, our forces have unfortunately caused at least 188 civilian deaths in airstrikes since the start of the operation against IS. The CJTF-OIR deeply regrets the loss of civilians in the fight against IS in Iraq and Syria.”

We also extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and those affected by these airstrikes. Our forces have made every effort to minimize civilian casualties, but in some incidents, fatalities are unavoidable.”

6. Iraq: Bombing in the capital leaves 90 casualties.

A panoramic view of the bombing site.

On January 2nd, a car bomb planted by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group killed 24 people in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq.

Reuters, citing an online statement posted by the IS-backed Amaq news agency, reported that IS targeted Shi'ite Muslims, whom IS considers apostates. In addition to the 24 deaths, 67 others were injured in the explosion.

Peace

(Synthetic)