France says it struck Islamic State positions in Syria
The Hindu
French aircraft strike IS in Syria, as Defence Minister Lecornu vows to battle terrorism in the Levant.
French aircraft have bombed Islamic State positions in Syria, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Tuesday (December 31, 2024), in its first such strike on the country's soil since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
"Our armed forces remain engaged in battling terrorism in the Levant," Mr. Lecornu wrote on X while on a New Year visit to French U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon.
"On Sunday(December 29, 2024), French air assets carried out targeted strikes against Daesh on Syrian soil," he added, using the Arabic name for IS.
The defence ministry told AFP that France's Rafale fighter jets and U.S.-made Reaper drones "dropped a total of seven bombs on two military targets belonging to Daesh in central Syria".
France has belonged to the Inherent Resolve international coalition against IS since 2014 for Iraq and 2015 for Syria.
French troops involved in the operations are based in the region, including in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
As Assad's fall to a shock offensive by Syrian rebels led by a radical Sunni group rapidly reshapes the country, observers fear space could be left for IS to regather its strength.
IEA suggests working from home and avoiding air travel to mitigate rising energy prices amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran.
NTSB investigates a near-collision between Alaska Airlines and FedEx jets at Newark, raising safety concerns in air traffic control.
Vietnam accelerates its shift to ethanol fuel as rising energy prices from the Iran war impact its economy.
Teenagers sue Musk's xAI, alleging its image-generator created explicit images of them as minors, sparking concerns over AI safety.
Shorts News:Watch: Netanyahu: Israel ‘acted alone’ in Iranian gas field attack
Indonesian billionaire Michael Bambang Hartono, co-founder of Djarum Group, has died at 86, leaving a significant legacy.
European nations, Japan, and Canada unite to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and stabilize energy markets.
Some of the estimated 20 billion yuan ($2.9 billion) worth of equipment, including screen-printing production lines, will require export approval from Chinese regulators, according to the people. It wasn't immediately clear how much of the equipment would require approval or how long it would take.
Three men, including a Super Micro VP, charged with smuggling U.S. AI technology to China, threatening national security.
Trump compares U.S. strikes on Iran to Pearl Harbor in meeting with Japan's PM, highlighting the element of surprise.
Iran-Israel war: Follow the latest updates from The Hindu on the West Asia conflict on March 20, 2026
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts a vital artery of the global economy, triggering price increases and turmoil in energy markets; as supply shocks reshape the geopolitics of energy, countries like India, the U.S., and Russia recalibrate strategies amid shifting oil flows and rising dependence
EU lawmakers advance U.S. trade deal legislation, overcoming delays and adding safeguards amid concerns over compliance from the Trump administration.