Here is some international news in brief.
Posted at 7:37 a.m.
The oldest person in the world, Japanese Tomiko Itooka, died at the age of 116, the city of Ashiya (southern Japan) where she lived announced on Saturday.
Mme Itooka, who had four children and five grandchildren, died on December 29 in the residence for the elderly where she had resided since 2019, the mayor of Ashiya said in a press release.
Born on May 23, 1908 in Osaka, not far from Ashiya, she was identified as the oldest of humanity after the death in August 2024 of the Spaniard Maria Branyas Morera at the age of 117.
Agence France-Presse
Hundreds of animals killed in Dallas mall fire
A fire that broke out Friday morning at a Dallas shopping center killed more than 500 animals, most of them small birds, authorities said.
All 579 animals at the Plaza Latina pet store in northwest Dallas died of smoke inhalation, Dallas Fire Department spokesman Jason Evans said in a statement.
The flames of the fire never reached the animals. Chickens, hamsters, two dogs and two cats also died, Mr Evans said.
The two-alarm fire took about two hours and up to 45 firefighters to put out around 11 a.m., Evans said.
Associated Press
Burmese junta pardons nearly 6,000 prisoners for independence anniversary
PHOTO AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Relatives reunite during the release of prisoners in Yangon on January 4.
The Burmese junta announced on Saturday the amnesty of nearly 6,000 prisoners, an annual measure on the occasion of the anniversary of the country’s independence.
More than 5,800 detainees, including 180 foreigners, will soon benefit from this measure, the junta said in a statement on Saturday, as Burma commemorates the date of January 4, 1948, when the country became independent from the United Kingdom.
About 600 of them had been convicted under Article 505 of the penal code, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said in an audio statement to media.
This law prohibits any action deemed likely to harm the army and provides a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
Agence France-Presse
Briton, linked to royal family, killed in New Orleans attack
A 31-year-old British man, who was the stepson of the former housekeeper of Princes William and Harry, is among 14 people killed on New Year’s Eve in the Islamist car-ramming attack in New Orleans, British police announced on Saturday.
Charles III is “deeply saddened” by the death of Edward Pettifer, the British PA agency reported. The king contacted the victim’s family to offer his condolences.
Edward Pettifer was the stepson of Princes William and Harry’s former governess, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who is also known as Alexandra Pettifer.
Agence France-Presse
