MEXICO
Naked men tied to poles
The Pacific coast resort of Puerto Vallarta is having a problem with naked men. Two times this week, alleged thieves have been abducted and tied naked to lampposts with their buttocks beaten raw. The local prosecutors’ office confirmed that the incidents occurred and opened an investigation, but would not say how many people were involved. Local media on Friday reported that a total of 10 men were tied naked to posts and had the letter “R” marked on their heads. That apparently refers to the Spanish word for “rat,” a slang term for thief.
UNITED STATES
Stealth plane crashes
A F-35 stealth fighter plane was completely destroyed in a crash during training on Friday, officials said. The pilot safely ejected. The crash is the first of its kind for the troubled F-35 program, marking an unfortunate moment for the most expensive plane in history. The Marine Corps said in a statement that a Marine Corps F-35 had crashed at about 11:45am outside Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina. “It’s a total loss,” one official said. Images on social media show a plume of black smoke rising above what users said was a crash site.
NIGERIA
Air force pilot dies
An air force pilot has died after two aircraft crashed while rehearsing for the west African nation’s 58th Independence Day celebrations, the government said on Friday. Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola said the pilot had “successfully” ejected from one of the F-7Ni aircraft during the rehearsals in the capital, Abuja. The pilot later died due to complications from injuries sustained on impact, the air force said in a statement. He was among three pilots forced to eject from their aircraft, which crashed in the general area of Katamkpe Hill. There were no civilian casualties, the statement said. Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, the chief of the air staff, launched an investigation into the cause of the incident.
GERMANY
Asylum seeker arrested
A 19-year-old Afghan asylum seeker on Friday stabbed three people in a town in southwestern Germany before being arrested, authorities said. His motive was not immediately clear. One of the people stabbed sustained life-threatening injuries in the afternoon attack in a central square in Ravensburg, police and prosecutors said in a joint statement. They said that those attacked, all three of whom were taken to a hospital, were two Syrian asylum seekers aged 19 and 20, and a 52-year-old German man. Two were attacked at a bus stop and the other about 50m away. Authorities said they were still investigating the possible motive, but there was no immediate indication of any terrorist background.
DR CONGO
WHO increases Ebola risk
The WHO on Friday announced it had revised its Ebola risk assessment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from “high” to “very high.” The WHO cited transport links and population movements as potential risk factors in offering its latest assessment, while stressing that the global risk remained low. “As the risk of national and regional spread is very high, it is important for neighboring provinces and countries to enhance surveillance and preparedness activities. WHO will continue to work with neighboring countries and partners to ensure health authorities are alerted and are operationally ready to respond,” it said.
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese