Mudslide death toll in Nepal reaches 1,344
The death toll from the deadly mudslide in Nepal has crossed the 1,300 mark, the Nepal Police said on Saturday.
According to the latest details released by police, as many as 1,344 bodies had been recovered by 5 a.m. local time Saturday.
Police said 4,898 people remained out of contact as of Saturday morning, and 8,631 people have been rescued so far, as security agencies continue search and rescue operations in the mudslide-affected areas.
U.S. forces strike 3 Iranian crude oil carriers
U.S. forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday on social media.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) fired ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships patrolling regional waters, CENTCOM said in a statement, adding that no American personnel were harmed.
The U.S. military "permanently disabled" the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask, and "completely destroyed" the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman, according to CENTCOM.
IRGC says hit 3 oilers in Hormuz Strait, 3 U.S. vessels elsewhere
The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Saturday it had targeted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and three U.S.-affiliated vessels elsewhere in retaliation for the U.S. attacks on Iranian tankers earlier in the day.
The three tankers that were struck in the strait were crossing the waterway through the "unauthorized" route, the navy said in a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, adding the other three vessels were hit in other regions.
The navy also urged all vessels in the Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz to refrain from being "deceived" by the U.S. Army and any suspicious movement to transit the waterway through "unauthorized" routes, otherwise they will be targeted.
Putin orders three-day halt to strikes on Kiev for U.S. envoys' visit
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a three-day halt to strikes against Kiev, a move linked to preparations for contacts with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.
"The meeting with President Putin will indeed take place, and there will be talks. As a rule, such meetings have been quite lengthy in the past. Let us wait and see. We will certainly keep you informed," Peskov told journalists.
Peskov also urged against making predictions about settlement proposals and called for waiting for the outcome of Putin's meeting with the U.S. negotiators.
Ukraine says ready to observe ceasefire during negotiations
Ukraine is ready to observe a ceasefire in airstrikes against the Russian cities involved in the negotiation process, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday.
"From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow," Zelensky said on X after a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Ukraine is expecting Russia to take similar steps regarding Kiev, Zelensky said.
Israeli military plans partial withdrawal from southern Lebanon
The Israeli military is preparing to reduce its forces in southern Lebanon, with a partial withdrawal and the creation of a narrower "security zone" along the border, Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported Saturday.
The channel quoted Israeli security officials as saying that Israeli forces would withdraw to positions three to four kilometers from the border, down from the current zone of approximately 10 kilometers.
The new deployment, which requires approval from Israel's political echelon, has been dubbed the "Gray Line" and will replace the current "Yellow Line," Kan said.
Greek Air Force fighter jet crashes during Athens air show
A Greek Air Force F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed on Saturday afternoon during the Athens Flying Week air show at Tanagra Air Base, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported.
The aircraft suddenly lost altitude and crashed just minutes after the Hellenic Air Force flight demonstration began. The aircraft broke into two pieces, causing fires at separate locations, according to the report.
Two pilots of the fighter jet were found unconscious some distance from the crash site, according to military sources who spoke to ERT.
Bolivia military barracks explosions kill 2, leave 7 missing
At least two people were killed, seven remained missing, and 59 others were injured after two explosions Friday at the Bolivar Regiment in Viacha, about 35 km from La Paz, local media reported, citing police.
According to the reports, police will begin investigations once the area is cleared.
UN adopts resolution in favor of Equal Earth cartographic projection in world maps
The United Nations General Assembly voted on Friday to adopt a non-binding resolution that encourages the use of the Equal Earth cartographic projection in maps worldwide to replace the Mercator projection widely used so far, which distorts the sizes of continental landmasses.
The resolution of "Correct the Map" aimed at rebalancing global cartographic representation and promoting equitable representation of the world's regions, particularly Africa, was adopted with 164 votes in favor, 1 against, and 6 abstentions.
The United States was the only member state that voted against it. Six countries -- Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine -- abstained.■
