LIBYA DEMANDS PROBE AS FLOOD DEATHS MAY SURPASS 20,000

Libyan authorities are calling for an investigation into the potential human failings behind a devastating flood that could result in over 20,000 deaths. The disaster occurred when a powerful storm unleashed torrents, breaching dams and sweeping multi-story buildings with families inside into the sea in the eastern city of Derna. While official death tolls have varied, Derna's mayor fears the number could reach 18,000-20,000, with concerns of potential epidemics due to bodies under debris. The lack of a functioning weather agency in Libya has been highlighted as a contributing factor, with warnings issued in advance, making it clear that preventive measures could have been taken.

HUNTER BIDEN INDICTED ON THREE FEDERAL GUN CHARGES

Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son, faces three criminal charges related to firearm purchase forms. This marks a historic moment as the child of a sitting U.S. president faces criminal prosecution. The charges stem from allegations that he provided false information when purchasing a firearm in 2018 while being a frequent user of crack cocaine. Prosecutors claim he falsely stated he was not an "unlawful user of and addicted to any stimulant narcotic drug." Conviction could result in a maximum 25-year prison sentence, although actual sentences are often less. Hunter Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell, argues the charges are politically influenced. Legal experts question the severity of the case, believing it to be non-violent and potentially subject to a plea agreement. Earlier plea negotiations between prosecutors and Hunter Biden's legal team fell apart, leading to the current indictment.

POLITICAL FRACTURES HINDER GLOBAL AID

Rescue teams have arrived from Egypt, Tunisia, the UAE, Turkiye and Qatar. But the efforts are hindered by the political fractures in a country of 7 million people, at war on-and-off and with no government holding nationwide reach since a Nato-backed uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. An internationally recognised Government of National Unityis based in Tripoli, in the west. A parallel administration operates in the east, under control of the Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar. Derna has been particularly chaotic, run by a succession of armed Islamist groups, before being uneasily brought under Haftar’s control.

RUSSIA CLAIMS UKRAINIAN DRONES DESTROYED IN CRIMEA, BLACK SEA

MOSCOW: Russia said it destroyed nearly two dozen Ukrainian drones trying to hit Moscow-annexed Crimea, patrol ships in the Black Sea and border regions on Thursday. At about 5.30 a.m. on Thursday, “air defence systems on duty destroyed 11 unmanned aerial vehicles” over the Crimean peninsula, Russia’s Defence Ministry said.

KIM INVITES PUTIN TO VISIT N. KOREA DURING RARE SUMMIT

Kim Jong-un invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea, raising concerns about bolstering Russia's military in Ukraine and sharing missile technology with Kim. Putin accepted the invitation, though the Kremlin hasn't confirmed it. The two leaders, calling each other "comrades," met, toured a space launch facility, and held talks with their Defense Ministers. They discussed deepening defense cooperation, with Russia denying arms deliveries from North Korea. Kim plans to visit aviation factories in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and inspect Russia's Pacific fleet in Vladivostok.

RAMASWAMY SAYS HE WOULD FIRE 75% OF FED WORKFORCE IF ELECTED US PREZ

Washington : Indian American-Republican presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy has said he would fire more than 75% of the federal workforce and shutter several major agencies like the FBI if he wins the 2024 elections, as he continued to put forward strident proposals that have helped him stand out in the crowded primary field. In an interview with American news website Axios, Ramaswamy said that his targets would be the department of education, the FBI, the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, and the commerce department.

“We would start on day one, and we want a 50% reduction by the end of year one,” he was quoted as saying. “Keep in mind that 30% of these employees are eligible for retirement in the next five-year period,” Ramaswamy, 38, said. “So it is substantial — no doubt about it —but it’s not as crazy as it sounds,” he said. According to Axios, Ramaswamy says his eventual goal would be to cut the federal civil workforce of 2.2 million people by 75 %after four years.

PAK EC QUESTIONS POLITICAL NEUTRALITY OF CARETAKER GOVT

Islamabad : Pakistan’s election commission has questioned the neutrality of the country’s caretaker government tasked with holding elections, saying it appears to be aligned with the opponents of jailed former PM Imran Khan. “It is a general perception that the caretaker government is a continuation of the previous government,” says a letter written by the EC to the office of caretaker PM Anwar ul Haq Kakar. The letter, dated Wednesday, is a rare official rebuke.No date has so far been given for the voting, and analysts fear that Kakar, who comes from a pro-military political party, could remain in power for a longer period. Caretaker information minister Murtaza Solangi dispelled the suggestion of bias. “We have no favourite horses in this race,” he said.

US SANCTIONS 150+ BUSINESSES AND PERSONS FROM FOE RUSSIA TO NATO MEMBER TURKIYE

The US announced sanctions on over 150 entities and individuals from Russia to various countries, aiming to cut off support for Putin's Ukraine war and limit access to technology and funds. These sanctions, among the largest by the state and treasury departments, focus on countries like Turkey, NATO member, that supply Western technology to Russia. They also target Russia's energy sector, Arctic gas projects, and weapon-related industries to reduce its war capacity. Turkey and the UAE, while condemning Russia's invasion, haven't joined Western sanctions. This move comes as the US seeks Turkey's NATO support for Sweden, but there's no immediate response from Turkey. Meanwhile, Russia expelled two US diplomats over alleged "illegal activity."

MUSK FACES FLAK FOR CALLING TAIWAN ‘PART OF CHINA’

Taipei : Taiwan is “not for sale”, the island’s foreign minister said in a stern rebuke to Elon Musk who asserted Taiwan was an integral part of China. Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, made the comments to the All-In Summit in Los Angeles. “Their (Beijing’s) policy has been to reunite Taiwan with China. From their standpoint, maybe it is analogous to Hawaii or something like that, like an integral part of China that is arbitrarily not part of China mostly because ... the US Pacific Fleet has stopped any sort of reunification effort by force,” he said. Taiwan foreign minister Joseph Wu, in a post on X, said, “Listen up, Taiwan is not part of the PRC & certainly not for sale!”Taiwan’s democratically elected government strongly rejects China’s sovereignty claims.

GERMANY BLOCKS FULL CHINESE TAKEOVER OF SATELLITE START-UP

FRANKFURT: According to reports, Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) holds about 53% of KLEO Connect, the German space telecommunications company and wanted to acquire another 45%. But Berlin blocked SSST’s move after a review by the Economy Ministry concluded that it could endanger public security.

IRAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS CHIEF TARGETED IN FRENCH CRIMINAL PLAINT

PARIS: The commander-in-chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, is one of three senior officials targeted in a rare criminal complaint filed with Paris prosecutors on Thursday. Mr. Salami is accused of “death threats and justifying terrorism,” a lawyer for the six Iranian and Franco-Iranian plaintiffs said.

NASA’S UFO REPORT OUT AFTER ONE YEAR

NASA said on Thursday that the study of UFOs will require new scientific techniques, including advanced satellites as well as a shift in how unidentified flying objects are perceived. The space agency released the findings after a yearlong study into UFOs.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the panel found no evidence that UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) had extraterrestrial origin.

‘INDIAN GIRL WAS THROWN 100FT AFTER POLICE CAR HIT HER’

Washington/Seattle : The Biden administration has promised a swift investigation into the tragic death of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula in Seattle. The US government acted after India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, raised the issue in Washington, demanding action against the responsible police officers.

Kandula, 23, was fatally struck by a speeding police car driven by Officer Kevin Dave, who was responding to an overdose call. Bodycam footage revealed Officer Daniel Auderer's insensitivity to the incident. US lawmakers and Indian Americans expressed outrage.

Senior US officials have assured Ambassador Sandhu and the Indian government of their commitment to a thorough investigation, closely monitoring the case to ensure accountability.

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna emphasized the infinite value of every immigrant's life and called for accountability in law enforcement. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal expressed her hope for justice and accountability for Kandula's family.

Kandula, pursuing graduate studies in the US, tragically lost her life, leaving her family in India.

PIG KIDNEY WORKS A RECORD 2 MONTHS IN DONATED BODY

New York : Dozens of doctors and nurses silently lined the hospital hallway in tribute: For a history-making two months, a pig’s kidney worked normally inside the brain-dead man on the gurney rolling past them. The experiment came to an end on Wednesday as surgeons at NYU Langone Health removed the pig kidney and returned the donated body of Maurice “Mo” Miller to his family for cremation. It marked the longest a genetically modified pig kidney has ever functioned inside a human, albeit adeceased one. And by pushing the boundaries of research with the dead, the scientists learned critical lessons they’re preparing to share with the FDA — in hopes of eventually testing pig kidneys in the living.

Dr Robert Montgomery, the transplant surgeon who led the experiment, said, “Two months is a lot to have a pig kidney in this good a condition. That gives you a lot of confidence for next attempts.” Montgomery, himself a recipient of a heart transplant, sees animal-tohuman transplants as crucial to ease organ shortage.