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New Israeli airstrikes in Syria

Thursday, 23 March 2017 7:47 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 23 March 2017 7:47 AM ]

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These are some of the headlines we are tracking for you in this episode of On the News Line:

New Israeli airstrikes in Syria

Reports coming out of Syria say Israel has launched new airstrikes via a drone against the Arab country which is itself at war with a wide range of militant groups hellbent on toppling the Damascus government. The latest airstrikes targeted a pro-government militia commander in the Golan Heights. Israel says it hits arms convoys of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah. Tel Aviv has now opened a new front against the Syrian government with its repeated air attacks. Some observers say Israel has stepped up air raids against Syria in a bid to tilt the balance against Syrian President Basher Al-Assad.

French police brutality

As France is preparing for the presidential election, criticisms are mounting against police brutality, especially against black and other minority groups. Thousands marched in Paris to demand changes to the country's police force that has become a source of criticisms over a rise in beatings and deaths in custody. But even the same anti-brutality demonstration received a heavy handed response by the authorities. The brutality by the French police has even caught the attention of the United Nations and major NGOs. They have routinely condemned what they describe as the racial profiling, harassment and excessive force which they say is a routine complaint of the nation’s immigrant and Muslim communities.

Possible snap elections in Israel

Crisis hits the Israeli coalition administration. The reason: a dispute between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon. Their point of difference: the establishment of a new public broadcaster to replace the existing one. Netanyahu initially supported the move. But he had a sudden change of heart after protests recently grew over possible job cuts. The bombastic premier has even threatened to disperse the Knesset and bring forward elections if Kahlon fails to agree this week to the closure of the new broadcaster. Israeli political parties have already expressed surprise over what they see as an escalation of a crisis inside the ruling coalition. And some have openly criticized Netanyahu's positions as irrational and senseless.

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