WORLD BRIEFING: January 2, 2024

A plane was engulfed in flames as it landedon a runway at Tokyo's Haneda airport, causing the evacuation of the 379 passengers and crew who were on board. It's thought the aircraft had collided with a Japanese coastguard plane delivering earthquake aid - five people on the smaller plane are unaccounted for

Thousands of people in Japan have spent the night in evacuation centres after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Ishikawa prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast on Monday. Today, the extent of the damage is becoming clearer. Hundreds of buildings near the epicentre were destroyed. Officials have confirmed 48 people have died, while 120 are waiting to be rescued. The number of casualties is likely to rise since some areas remain difficult to reach. Rescue efforts may also be hindered by ensuing tremors. Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi has warned people to be on alert that there may be earthquakes "for about a week of an intensity scale of up to seven" - CNN

Over 250,000 people are reported to be without electricity in Kyiv and its region following massive Russian strikes by rockets & drones. Kharkiv was also hit on Tuesday. At least 4 people are reported dead, and 92 injured, according to officials.

Poland said it scrambled F-16 jets to monitor border with Ukraine on Tuesday amid another massive missile and drone attack. Last week a Russian missile transited Polish airspace for around three minutes.

Intense fighting has continued in Gaza even as Israel announced plans to pull back some combat troops. Residents say that Israeli war planes and tanks have stepped up bombings and artillery fire in the southern city of Khan Younis. The Israeli military says its troops have killed dozens of Palestinian fighters in Jabalia in the north, and targeted others in Gaza City and coastal areas - BBC

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 22,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel started its retaliatory campaign

The result of Bangladesh's general election on 7 January appears a foregone conclusion. With the main opposition parties boycotting the vote, and many of their leaders in jail, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League is set to win a fourth consecutive term in power. Critics question why the international community is not doing more to hold her administration to account. Her government flatly rejects accusations it is undemocratic. - BBC