News in Brief (2024-01-26)

FE Team | Published: January 25, 2024 21:33:57

Ukraine calls on UN, Red Cross to inspect Russian plane crash site
KYIV, Jan 25: Ukraine on Thursday said it had asked the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to inspect the site where Moscow claimed a Russian transport plane carrying Ukrainian servicemen crashed. "I will ask that representatives of these organisations join the inspection of the scene," Ukraine's rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said in a statement. -- AFP
French court to rule on immigration bill
PARIS, Jan 25: France's highest constitutional authority will on Thursday issue a keenly-awaited verdict on whether an immigration bill adopted under pressure from the far-right is in line with its basic law. The bill is one of the flagship reforms of President Emmanuel Macron's second term but its text had to be hardened under pressure from the right and caused a revolt among lawmakers from the ruling party. —AFP
Cyclone set to make landfall in Australia
SYDNEY, Jan 25: A powerful category three cyclone is expected to make landfall in northeastern Australia late on Thursday, lashing cities along Queensland's Great Barrier Reef coast. Severe Tropical Cyclone Kirrily packed winds of more than 160 kilometres (100 miles) per hour winds as it barrelled toward Townsville's 180,000 residents. The storm is predicted to weaken quickly once it hits land, shortly before midnight local time (1400 GMT Thursday), but residents were taking no chances. —AFP