ISIS Claims Responsibility For Pakistan Suicide Blast That Killed 54

 The Islamic State group on Monday claimed responsibility for the Bajaur suicide blast in Pakistan that killed 54 people, including 23 children, according to Al Jazeera.

The bombing targeted an election rally in Pakistan's border district of Bajaur on Sunday in which nearly 200 people were wounded.

"A suicide attacker from the Islamic State [ISIL] … detonated his explosive jacket in the middle of a crowd" in the town of Khar, the armed group's news arm Amaq said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera.

A bomber detonated an explosives-packed vest near the platform as some 400 members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) party, a significant government coalition partner led by hardline politician Fazlur Rehman, awaited the start of the speeches.

The gathering was hosted near a market beneath a huge tent, but Rehman chose not to go. Rehman has previously escaped at least two explosions that occurred at political rallies in 2011 and 2014, Al Jazeera reported.

Police took testimony from some of the injured on Monday at a hospital in Khar, the biggest town in Bajaur. The provincial minister of information, Feroz Jamal, stated that police were "investigating this attack in all aspects."

A First Information Report on the blast was filed with the Counter Terrorism Department on Monday as the initial investigation, according to the police, indicated that the terrorist group ISIS was responsible for the suicide attack.

The suicide bomber detonated explosives when JUI-F members and supporters gathered in the town of Khar, near the border with Afghanistan. The convention started at 2 pm, and the explosion happened at 4:10 pm, according to the official.

The FIR has been filed by the KP CTD against unidentified persons on suspicion of terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and other offences, as per Geo News.

According to Shokat Abbas, additional inspector general for the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), nearly 10–12 kg of explosives were used in the blast.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of the JUI-F, asked that Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister, and Azam Khan, the interim chief minister of KP, look into the incident, Geo News reported.

The United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia have condemned the terror attack and have sent their condolences to the impacted families.

Since last year, when a truce between Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad collapsed, attacks by extremists have increased in Pakistan.

More than 100 people were killed earlier this year in a Peshawar mosque blast, reported Geo News. According to a recent UN Security Council report, the TTP may be looking to unite with Al Qaeda to form a single entity that would house all militant organisations active in South Asia.

Although cross-border militancy persists, Pakistan has long held Afghanistan responsible for failing to uphold its promise to ensure that its soil was not utilised for terrorism in Islamabad.

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'Euphoria' Actor Angus Cloud Dies At 25

Angus Cloud, the 25-year-old co-star of hit HBO drama "Euphoria," died on Monday, his family said.

No cause of death was given for the actor, who portrayed laconic drug dealer Fezco "Fez" O'Neill in the multiple Emmy Award-winning series.

A statement said Cloud had been struggling to deal with the recent passing of his father, and had experienced ongoing mental health issues.

"The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend," said his family, in a statement sent by Cloud's publicist.

"Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence."

"Euphoria," fronted by Zendaya, is one of the most-watched HBO series of all time.

The show has drawn controversy as well as plaudits for its dark depiction of the issues facing contemporary American teens, including drug addiction and sexual violence.

It was Cloud's first acting job, having been discovered by a casting director while walking through the streets of Brooklyn, New York with friends.

"We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone. We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss," said the family statement.

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China's Ex-Foreign Minister Is Gone But Wait For Explanation Goes On

 Hours after China's top legislature convened a special meeting last week to remove foreign minister Qin Gang, photos and mentions of the 57-year-old started disappearing from his former ministry's website.

While some of this information reappeared days later, Qin does not feature on the website's list of "former ministers" and a search for his name turns up: "Sorry, Qin Gang is not found."

In fact, he has not been seen in public for more than a month.

The foreign ministry's brief explanation weeks ago that this was due to health reasons, a remark later excised from official transcripts, has failed to stem a swirl of speculation not just about his fate but on how the whole saga reflects on the man that supported his meteoric rise, President Xi Jinping.

China named veteran diplomat Wang Yi to replace Qin, but gave few further clues on the reason for the change.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Thursday said Beijing will release information in a timely matter regarding Qin and opposes "malicious hype".

She was responding to a reporter who asked about transparency around Qin's removal, one of more than 25 questions mentioning Qin at press briefings in recent days that the ministry has ducked.

SPECULATION SWIRLS

China's Foreign Ministry and the State Council Information Office, which handles media queries on behalf of the party and government, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this story.

Qin's unusually long and unexplained absence, his abruptly cut-short tenure, as well as other strange happenings like the ministry's website, mean speculation will continue to swirl.

"The truth will eventually come out - it usually does in China, although it sometimes takes months or years - but the way he was dismissed makes it unlikely that it was for health reasons," said Ian Johnson, senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Beijing-based political analyst Wu Qiang said he could "almost certainly rule out health as the real reason". If that was the case, the state could have assigned a deputy to fill in for him rather than officially removing him, Wu said.

Qin lasted barely half a year in the role after becoming one of the country's youngest foreign ministers in December 2022, a position with a five-year tenure.

There are precedents for officials disappearing and being scrubbed from the collective memory in China.

Industry minister Xiao Yaqing vanished for nearly a month last year before it was revealed he was being investigated for corruption.

The foreign ministry removed all online traces to its former chief protocol officer Zhang Kunsheng who was found guilty of corruption and using his position of power to obtain sex in 2016.

Such erasures go back decades in China.

A state-commissioned painting depicting the historic moment when Mao Zedong stood on top of Tiananmen Gate to announce the founding of the people's republic was altered three times between 1955 and 1972 to erase officials that subsequently fell foul of Mao.

'ONE-MAN POLITICS'

But other observers say, in Qin's case, it is far from clear cut.

The National People's Congress Standing Committee that convened on Tuesday did not remove Qin's other title of State Councillor, a cabinet member who ranks higher than a minister, despite having the power to do so, experts say.

And despite the omissions from the foreign ministry's website, a portrait of the former U.S. envoy remained hanging prominently on the wall of the Chinese embassy in Washington on Thursday, according to a Reuters witness.

Analysts also point out that Qin would have gone through a rigorous vetting process to take the role just months ago.

Communist Party regulations say leaders are vetted based on their ideologies, work performance and adherence to party discipline, while they also have to declare details about their family, including whether they have lived overseas and what assets they have.

Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has put in place a slew of regulations to combat corruption and enforce party discipline in a bid to address corruption in ways that analysts say have consolidated members' loyalty towards him.

But this also raises the stakes for Xi if Qin's removal is about something more than just health, especially given his meteoric ascent through the ranks has been partly attributed to his closeness to the president.

Qin came to Xi's attention when he served as chief protocol officer during Xi's first term, a job that would give him direct access to Xi whenever the latter meets with foreign leaders.

He then made a triple jump from director of protocol to U.S. ambassador and then to foreign minister and state councillor in five years, bullet-train speed by China standards.

The final leadership lineup for Xi's precedent-breaking third term in office revealed earlier this year consisted mostly of officials he worked with before and trusts, analysts say.

Xi ditched a traditional process of allowing current and retired top leaders to vote on potential candidates before finalising a list for a wider group of party delegates to formally endorse.

Instead, the names were decided under Xi's "direct leadership" after he personally met with potential candidates and consulted with others, according to state media Xinhua.

"This Qin saga exposes the vulnerability of Xi's one-man politics," said Alfred Wu, associate professor at the Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.

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6 Killed In Ukraine As Moscow Says It Intensified Strikes

A missile strike on a residential building in Ukraine killed six and wounded dozens on Monday, as Russia said it stepped up strikes against Ukrainian military facilities in response to attacks on its territory, including Moscow.

Two missiles landed close to the centre of the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rig just after 9:00 am (0600 GMT), Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko wrote on Telegram.

Among the dead were a 10-year-old girl and her 45-year-old mother, while 75 people were injured, according to local authorities.

One of the strikes hit a large nine-storey residential apartment block, punching a huge hole in the facade that destroyed flats on several floors and sparked a fire.

Firefighters used a cherry-picker crane to direct jets of water at the fire, while the emergency ministry said part of the building had collapsed while the rubble was being cleared.

As the toll of the strike rose, Russia said it had intensified attacks on military infrastructure in Ukraine after increasingly frequent drone assaults blamed on Kyiv.

Russia on Sunday said it had downed Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow and annexed Crimea in the latest wave of drone attacks.

- 'Act of desperation' -

"Against the background of the failure of the so-called 'counteroffensive', Kyiv... has focused on carrying out terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure," Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday.

In response, "the intensity of our strikes against Ukrainian military facilities... has been considerably increased," Shoigu said.

Sunday's drone attack damaged two office towers in a Moscow business district, shattering several windows and leaving documents strewn on the ground.

The capital and its environs, lying about 500 kilometres (310 miles) from the Ukrainian border, had rarely been targeted during the conflict until several drone attacks this year.

Following the strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Sunday that war was coming to Russia.

"Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia -- to its symbolic centres and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process," Zelensky said.

The Kremlin responded Monday, describing the strikes on the capital as an "act of desperation" by Ukraine following setbacks on the battlefield.

"It is obvious that the counteroffensive is not a success," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that the situation was "very difficult" for Ukrainian forces on the front.

"All possible measures have been taken to defend civil infrastructure" against Ukrainian strikes, Peskov added.

Ukraine began its long-awaited counteroffensive in June but has made modest advances in the face of stiff resistance from Russian forces on the frontline.

- Zelensky's hometown -

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was born and grew up in Kryvyi Rig, said Russians were "continuing to terrorise peaceful cities and people".

The strikes in the city also damaged an academic building, according to the head of the city's military administration Oleksandr Vilkul.

In the southern city of Kherson, Russian shelling killed four and injured another 17, said the head of Ukraine's presidential office, Andriy Yermak.

"The enemy is hitting residential neighbourhoods," Yermak said.

Meanwhile, shelling by Kyiv's armed forces killed two people and wounded six in Ukraine's eastern city of Donetsk, which is controlled by Russian forces, Moscow-installed authorities said.

"A bus was destroyed by the shelling... Two people died and six were wounded," the Russian-installed head of the Donetsk region Denis Pushilin said on Telegram.

Russian forces had repelled Ukrainian attacks in the east and south of the country, while it continued its own offensive around Kupiansk, the defence ministry said in its daily briefing.

 

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X Reveals Reporting Structure Under Elon Musk, CEO Linda Yaccarino

X, the social media company formerly known as Twitter, said on Monday that owner Elon Musk will lead the product and engineering teams, while its Chief Executive Linda Yaccarino will lead all other teams including legal and sales.

The company said both Musk and Yaccarino will oversee the trust and safety team, which is responsible for content moderation.

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Donald Trump's Property Manager Appears In Court For Secret Documents Case

The property manager of Donald Trump's Florida estate made his first court appearance on Monday to face charges he helped the former president conceal top secret government documents.

Carlos De Oliveira, 56, who is accused of conspiring to obstruct justice, destroying evidence and making false statements, was released pending trial on a bond of $100,000.

Carlos De Oliveira, who was wearing a navy blue suit, did not enter a plea because he has not yet retained a local attorney.

He listened attentively as federal magistrate judge Edwin Torres read the charges against him at a brief hearing in Miami.

Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in June to charges of unlawfully retaining national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements.

The former president and frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination is scheduled to go on trial next May at the height of what is expected to be a bitter and divisive presidential election campaign.

Special counsel Jack Smith filed additional charges against Trump in a superseding indictment last week and added Carlos De Oliveira as a co-defendant.

The new charges relate to Donald Trump's alleged efforts to obstruct the FBI investigation and its bid to recover classified documents he took with him when he left the White House in January 2021.

Donald Trump is specifically accused in the latest indictment of attempting to delete security camera footage at Mar-A-Lago to prevent it from being provided to the FBI and a federal grand jury.

Also charged are Donald Trump's personal aide Waltine "Walt" Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira.

Nauta, a 40-year-old US Navy veteran from Guam, served as Donald Trump's military valet while he was president and continued working for him in a personal capacity since he left the White House.

Donald Trump, Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira allegedly sought to have another Trump employee, who is not identified in the indictment, erase security camera footage at Mar-A-Lago.

Carlos De Oliveira, according to the indictment, allegedly told "Trump Employee 4" that "the boss" wanted the server containing security camera footage of a storage room deleted.

Carlos De Oliveira is additionally charged with making false statements to the FBI.

Asked if he ever helped unload or move boxes of documents at Mar-A-Lago, Carlos De Oliveira said he had not.

"Never saw nothing," he said.

- 'We're ready to go' -

Carlos De Oliveira and Nauta are scheduled to go on trial with Donald Trump unless they enter into plea deals with prosecutors engaged in the first ever criminal case against a former president.

The twice-impeached Donald Trump is accused of endangering national security by holding on to top secret nuclear and defense information after leaving the White House.

Donald Trump kept the files unsecured at Mar-a-Lago -- a club that entertains thousands of members and guests every year -- and thwarted official efforts to retrieve them, according to the indictment.

Donald Trump faces other legal problems including a looming indictment from Smith for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden.

Georgia prosecutors are also investigating whether Donald Trump illegally attempted to reverse the election outcome in the southern state.

Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis, who has been leading the probe, told a local television station over the weekend that the "work is accomplished" and "we're ready to go."

Donald Trump also faces multiple felony counts in a New York fraud case involving alleged hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.

 

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1 Dead, 12 Injured After Bomb Blast In Myanmar

A bomb blast in southeastern Myanmar killed one person and wounded 12 others on Monday, an official said.

Violent clashes have ramped up since the military deposed Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in February 2021, unleashing a bloody crackdown on dissent that has left thousands dead.

The junta has been battling anti-coup "People's Defence Force" (PDF) militias, as well as long-established ethnic rebel armies that control large areas of territory close to the country's borders.

The blast from a vehicle detonated near Thanlwin bridge checkpoint at around 6:50 am local time (0020 GMT), a government official from the Karen State administration council told AFP.

"About 13 people including passengers and security members there were injured," they said, requesting anonymity.

"One died from those injuries when they arrived at hospital."

They did not give any further details, but the checkpoint is known for its strict security.

No group has claimed resposibility for the attack.

The junta is fighting scores of ethnic rebel outfits.

More than 3,800 people have been killed since the coup, according to a local monitoring group.

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Sports Radio Host In US Fired After Calling Female Reporter "Barbie" On Air

Sports radio host Michael Sorce, who goes by the name Don Geronimo on air was fired by WBIG-FM on Sunday after he made sexist remarks toward a female reporter who was covering Washington Commanders, New York Post reported.

According to the media outlet, Mr Geronimo made the comment toward WUSA9 Washington D.C. reporter Sharla McBride. While speaking with his co-host Crash Young, Mr Geronimo made several offensive comments about Ms McBride. Mr Sorce called her "Barbie" and "a cheerleader" on air while she was on assignment.

"Hey look, Barbie's here. Hi, Barbie girl," he shouted toward Ms McBride while on air on Thursday. "I'm guessing she's a cheerleader."

He later referred to Ms McBride as "that chick."

"After an internal review, Don Geronimo is no longer an employee of WBIG," Aaron Hyland, iHeartMedia's D.C. regional president, said in a statement to The Washington Post on Saturday night. "We take matters of this nature very seriously and this behaviour does not align with our core values."

A Commander's spokesperson added, "We were confident that iHeart would address this swiftly and are pleased that they did."

The Commanders barred Mr Geronimo and Mr Young from training camp while investigating the incident and prohibited the station from airing.

In a statement with ESPN, Ms McBride said, "When I heard the comments made about me on the radio show, I felt incredibly insulted and embarrassed."

Adding, "In my 17 years as a professional journalist, I have never been disrespected in such a blatant manner while trying to do my job. Their words were sexist and misogynistic. No woman should experience this in the workplace, and I appreciate the Commander's swift response in handling this matter."

The sports host also addressed the situation on social media on Sunday. He wrote, "At this time I will not be providing comment on the events of the last few days. I am consulting with my advisors as to my options moving forward, including an accurate reflection of the situation."

At this time I will not be providing comment on the events of the last few days. I am consulting with my advisors as to my options moving forward, including an accurate reflection of the situation. Thx -d.

— DonGeronimoShow (@DonGeronimoShow) July 30, 2023

Mr Geronimo has been a notable figure in local radio for decades. He is known for his sports broadcasts including "guy talk" radio as half of "The Don and Mike Show".

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Daredevil Known For Skyscraper Climbs Dies After Falling From 68th Floor

Remi Lucidi's stunts were not for the faint of heart. The 30-year-old French daredevil, known for extreme sports was found dead after falling off the 68-story of Hong Kong residential.

According to the South China Morning Post, Mr Lucidi was climbing the Tregunter Tower complex when he fell. The daredevil was pronounced dead at the scene. He is believed to have gotten trapped outside the top-floor penthouse, frantically knocking on a window and startling a maid inside.

According to media reports, the man lost his footing and plunged to his death.

As per Hong Kong officials, Mr Lucidi was seen at the building at around 6 pm and he told the security guard at the gate that he has come to visit a friend on the 40th floor.

The media outlet reported that the security gate tried to stop him after the alleged friend confirmed he was not acquainted with Mr Lucidi, but by then he was already in an elevator.

CCTV footage shows Mr Lucidi arriving on the 49th floor and later taking the stair up to the top of the building. People found a hatch leading to the roof open but say the man was nowhere to be found.

However, he was seen alive at 7.38 pm, tapping on the window of the complex's penthouse, which prompted a maid in the apartment to call the police.

Media reports said that Mr Lucidi was trapped outside the penthouse and was banging on the window for help before he lost his balance.

The police found Mr Lucidi's camera at the scene and it contained videos of his high-rise stunts.

Police have not released the official cause of death.

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National Assembly Will Be Dissolved Before August 12: Pakistan PM

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated that the National Assembly will be dissolved before August 12 with the consultation of the allied parties, ARY News reported on Monday.

In an interview at a Geo News programme, he said the tenure of the National Assembly will end on August 12 and before that, the assembly will be dissolved.

While the Election Commission will announce a date for the next elections, he added.

Sharif further said the decision about the caretaker PM will be taken in consultation with the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and before that he would consult all the allied parties and Pakistan Muslim League(N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif, ARY News reported.

Earlier in the day, Shehbaz Sharif had lashed out at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan calling him the “mastermind” behind the events that took place on May 9 which aimed to topple military leadership, reported The News International.

Shehbaz Sharif also said that along with PTI workers, a group of politicians, some military men and their families were also involved in May 9 violence.

Moreover, the military labelled it as a 'Black Day' in the history of Pakistan.

Shehbaz Sharif during an interview on Geo News's programme said, "Those involved in the May 9 incidents wanted to overthrow the military leadership."

He further mentioned that the planners wanted "anarchy" and "war" in the country, according to The News International.

As many as 2138 suspects have been arrested in five major cities of Pakistan's Punjab province in connection with the May 9 case, ARY News reported.

Whereas the PTI opposes that its members were not involved in the attacks, however, the government and military reject their claims and say they have 'irrefutable evidence' of their involvement, reported The News International.

On May 9, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan was arrested at the Islamabad High Court in the Al Qadir Trust case. After his arrest, protests erupted in Pakistan and military installations including the Lahore corps commander's residence and state properties were attacked in Pakistan.

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Prince William Serves Burgers To Shocked Diners. There's An India Connect

Britain's Prince William served up a surprise to diners in south London when he dished out environmentally-friendly burgers from a food truck.

In a video released on Sunday, the heir to the throne handed out "Earthshot Burgers" to highlight the work of last year's winners of his annual Earthshot Prize, which he set up to help develop solutions to major environmental problems.

"Coming right up," the prince said as he served up the burgers to the stunned customers. "Morning everyone, nicely cooked, ready to go."

The object for William, who had teamed up with the founders of the YouTube channel Sorted Food which reviews kitchen gadgets and shares recipes, was to raise the profile and work of three previous Earthshot prize winners.

"So the box you're about to eat in is built by a company called Notpla and there's no plastic involved, they've come up with a seaweed coating," the prince told the customers at the burger van.

"The ingredients inside the burger are grown from a greenhouse in India from a company called Kheyti, and last but not least, the way we cook them has been on a thing called Mukuru Clean Stoves, and that is designed by a lady in Kenya who came up with the concept to reduce air pollution."

He added: "Can't vouch for the taste, the quality but ... I'm rolling with it."

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US Nurse, Her Child Kidnapped In Haiti: Report

 A US nurse and her child have been kidnapped in Haiti, a faith-based humanitarian aid organization said on Saturday.

"We can confirm that Alix Dorsainvil, our director's wife, and their child were kidnapped on the morning of Thursday, July 27th from our campus near Port au Prince while serving in our community ministry," El Roi Haiti said on its website. The statement gave no further information on the age or gender of the child.

“We are aware of reports of the kidnapping of two US citizens in Haiti,” a US State Department spokesperson said in a statement. “We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our US government interagency partners.”

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Puerto Rico's Olympic Boxer Found Guilty Of Killing Pregnant Girlfriend

A jury in the US convicted former Puerto Rico boxer Felix Verdejo Sanchez on Friday on two charges related to the killing of his 27-year-old pregnant girlfriend Keishla Rodriguez. 

The chilling murder of Ms Rodriguez took place in April 2021. Mr Sanchez was arrested by the FBI on May 2, 2021. Investigators said that Mr Sanchez punched his girlfriend who was two months pregnant. He then drugged her and threw her off a bridge. 

The postmortem report revealed that Keishla Rodriguez died of drowning after being drugged. The boxer had denied all the charges.    

The trial against Mr Sanchez, who represented Puerto Rico in the 2012 London Olympics, went on for 25 weeks. The gory details of the murder, which shocked the United States, were minutely heard by the jury during the trial. 

According to the Associated Press, the jury, comprising three women and nine men, convicted Mr Sanchez on the charge of kidnapping leading to death and one count of causing the death of an unborn child. The jury, however, could not come to a unanimous judgement on the charge of intercepting and stealing a vehicle with the outcome of causing death or the charge of carrying a weapon to commit a crime. 

US District Judge Pedro Delgado Hernandez set a November 3 date for sentencing. 

The federal prosecutors depended on the testimony of more than 30 people in the case. This group of people also includes a crucial witness Luis Antonio Cadiz, who is a friend of Mr Sanchez. The 30-year-old former professional boxer reportedly remained calm and expressionless while the verdict was being read out at the courtroom.

“May he live the rest of his life thinking about what he did to my daughter,” Keishla Rodriguez's father, Tony Rodriguez was quoted as saying outside the courthouse.

At the 2012 London Olympics, Felix Verdejo Sanchez represented Puerto Rico. His boxing career faced a jolt after a motorcycle accident in August 2016. 

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8 Killed After Bus Carrying Tourists Falls Into Ravine In Gilgit-Baltistan

At least eight people, including a child, were killed after a van carrying tourists plunged into a ravine in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday, according to Dawn.

Nine people were also injured in the accident that took place near Babusar Pass in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan.

While verifying the death count to Dawn.com, Diamer Rescue 1122 District Coordinator Shaukat Riaz stated that the accident occurred after the can collided with a car.

The van, which was claimed to be transporting 16 tourists, was en route from Sahiwal to Gilgit, according to Chilas Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Wazir Liaqat.

"After it fell into the ravine, the van caught fire," Wazir Liaqat told Dawn, adding that the injured were immediately taken to the Chilas Regional Headquarters Hospital.

Liaqat stated that there were four women, four children, and a man among the injured.

Earlier this month, six people were killed and 17 others were injured when a bus carrying tourists fell into a gorge on the Karakoram Highway close to the Thalichi area in Gilgit Baltistan, reported Dawn.

Pakistan's terrible road safety record is a result of ramshackle motorways, low safety regulations, and irresponsible driving.

Buses carrying passengers are usually packed to capacity, and seatbelt use is uncommon.

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US Announces $345 Million Military Aid For Taiwan Amid China Tension

The United States unveiled a $345 million military aid package for Taiwan on Friday, in a move certain to anger China at a time of fraught relations between Washington and Beijing.

A statement from the White House announced the package of "defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan."

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Factbox: Legal Troubles Of Trump Ahead Of 2024 US Presidential Elections

Here is a list of legal troubles facing former U.S. President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Trump, 77, denies any wrongdoing.

JAN. 6 AND THE U.S. CAPITOL ATTACK

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland is investigating Trump's role in actions surrounding his loss in the 2020 presidential election that culminated in Trump's supporters' deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump said his attorneys met on Thursday with U.S. Justice Department officials, in a sign charges could come soon.

Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the Department of Justice had not told his attorneys when action was likely.

Officials have testified that during his final months in office, Trump pressured them with false voter fraud claims.

The federal probe is also examining a plot to submit phony slates of electors to block U.S. lawmakers from certifying Biden's victory

ILLEGAL RETENTION OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS

Trump pleaded not guilty in federal court on June 13 in Miami to charges he unlawfully kept classified national security documents when he left office in 2021 and lied to officials who sought to recover them.

The trial is scheduled for May 20, 2024.

Smith accuses Trump of risking national secrets by taking thousands of sensitive papers with him when he left the White House in January 2021 and storing them in a haphazard manner at his Mar-a-Lago Florida estate and his New Jersey golf club, according to the indictment.

Photos included in the indictment show boxes of documents stored on a ballroom stage, in a bathroom and strewn across a storage-room floor.

Those records included information about the secretive U.S. nuclear program and potential vulnerabilities in the event of an attack, the indictment said.

Trump faces charges that include violations of the Espionage Act, which criminalizes unauthorized possession of defense information, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

On Thursday, prosecutors unveiled a new indictment, which charges Trump, his co-defendant and valet Walt Nauta, and a third Trump employee, Carlos De Oliveira, with attempting to delete security camera footage at Mar-a-Lago after they were sent a grand jury subpoena for the videos in June 2022.

Prosecutors allege De Oliveira told another employee that "the boss" wanted a server containing security footage to be deleted.

GEORGIA ELECTION-TAMPERING CRIMINAL PROBE

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is investigating whether Trump and others tried illegally to overturn his defeat in that state's 2020 presidential vote. A charging decision in the criminal case is expected by Sept. 1.

The investigation focuses in part on a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call Trump made to Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, asking him to "find" enough votes needed to overturn Trump's loss in Georgia.

Legal experts said Trump may have violated at least three Georgia criminal laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties.

Trump could argue that his discussions were free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution.

NEW YORK 'HUSH MONEY' CRIMINAL CASE

A New York grand jury indicted Trump for allegedly falsifying business records in connection with a hush-money payment to a porn star before the 2016 presidential election.

Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 for her silence about a sexual encounter she said she had with Trump in 2006. Prosecutors in Manhattan accuse Trump of trying to conceal a violation of election laws.

Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. He has denied having a sexual encounter with Daniels but admitted to reimbursing Cohen for his payment to her.

Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations and other crimes and was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 during Trump's presidency.

The trial is scheduled for March 25, 2024.

SEXUAL ABUSE AND DEFAMATION CIVIL LAWSUITS

Trump is appealing a $5 million verdict by a Manhattan federal jury that found him liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s and then defaming her by lying about it in 2022.

Carroll is seeking at least $10 million more in a separate defamation lawsuit she amended after Trump blasted the verdict on CNN and on his social media platform. He has denied meeting Carroll and accused her of making up her allegations.

A trial in that case is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2024.

NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL CIVIL LAWSUIT

New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump and his family business, the Trump Organization, last September for alleged fraud by him and his family.

James, a Democrat, accuses Trump of lying from 2011 to 2021 about asset values, including for his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and Trump Tower penthouse in Manhattan, as well as his own net worth, to obtain better terms from lenders and insurers.

The lawsuit seeks at least $250 million in damages from Trump, his adult sons Donald Jr and Eric, the Trump Organization and others, and to stop the Trumps from running businesses in New York.

A trial is scheduled for Oct. 2. James said in June that her case may have to be adjourned in light of the federal documents case.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Elon Musk Says X Monthly Users Reach "New High"

Elon Musk said on Friday monthly users of social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, reached a "new high" and shared a graph that showed the latest count as over 540 million.

Musk's post on X about the user figures comes as the company goes through organizational changes and faces competition from the newly launched Threads app, owned and operated by Meta Platforms.

Twitter had 229 million monthly active users in May 2022, according to a statement made before the buyout.

Under Musk, X has gone through a series of product changes and staff cuts as the company tries to boost revenue.

X's cash flow remains negative because of a nearly 50% drop in advertising revenue and a heavy debt load, Musk said earlier this month, falling short of his expectation in March that the social media platform could reach cash flow positive by June.

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Twitter Slammed For Reinstating Account That Posted Child Sex Abuse Image

Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter, is facing criticism after reinstating a right-wing account that had previously been suspended for posting images of child sexual abuse. 

The account in question, Dom Lucre, with nearly 600,000 followers was banned after he posted two screenshots of a video depicting child sexual abuse on July 22. The post was about Peter Scully, an Australian man sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing children.

Four days later, Mr. Lucre was suspended from the platform four days later, as Twitter's policy indicates “zero tolerance towards any material that features or promotes child sexual exploitation.''

Soon after, Mr. Lucre's right-wing supporters complained about it and demanded his reinstatement.

Responding to the outrage, Mr. Musk wrote, ''Only people on our CSE team have seen those pictures. For now, we will delete those posts and reinstate the account.''

Only people on our CSE team have seen those pictures. For now, we will delete those posts and reinstate the account.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 26, 2023

The decision to reinstate the account attracted considerable criticism from a lot of users.

"Have been tagged a few times on this one, so let me just say: It's insane to write 'we have zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation' while also arbitrarily reinstating accounts that share CSAM," Yoel Roth, Twitter's former head of trust and safety, posted on the social media site BlueSky on Wednesday.

Earlier, the social media site was blocked in Indonesia for violating local pornography and gambling laws. 

Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Informatics in a statement said that the site was restricted as the domain had been previously used by sites that did not adhere to the country's strict laws against "negative" content such as pornography and gambling.

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Belgian Man Kills Mother, Throws Fridge With Her Body Parts In Canal

A man in his mid-30s in Belgium has confessed to killing his mother and sticking parts of her body in a fridge found in a canal in the country's east, prosecutors said Friday.

The refrigerator with its grisly contents -- two arms and two legs -- was found Tuesday bobbing in a canal on the outskirts of the city of Liege, triggering a murder investigation.

That led detectives to discover the rest of the woman's body -- her head and torso -- in a trash container thrown in a nearby river.

A tattoo on the torso helped identify the victim as a woman in her 70s, a spokeswoman for the Liege prosecutors' office told AFP.

Her son, born in 1988, was arrested just before dawn on Thursday in a hotel close to Brussels's airport.

He apparently was preparing to take a flight to South Korea, the spokeswoman, Catherine Collignon, said.

Under questioning by police, the man "confessed", she added, and the investigating judge ordered him charged and taken into custody.

Early indications in the investigation suggest the mother and son had regular arguments after he moved back in with her after the Covid pandemic.

The killing was said to have occurred in Seraing, a southwestern neighbourhood of Liege, where the woman lived with her two children and a grandchild, according to local media.

The suspect was said to have confessed to the killing to someone in his entourage, who shared the information with another person who spoke to police.

 

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UK Islamist Preacher Anjem Choudary Remanded In Custody On Terror Charges

British Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary was remanded in custody by a UK magistrate on Monday after London's Metropolitan police charged him with three terrorism offences.

Mr Choudary, 56, faces charges of belonging to a proscribed organisation, addressing meetings to encourage support for a proscribed organisation, and directing a terrorist organisation, the force said.

A 28-year-old Canadian, Khaled Hussein, was also ordered held in custody after he was charged with membership of a proscribed organisation.

Both appeared separately at Westminster Magistrates Court in London, which heard that the charges relate to "an extreme form of Islam".

"The charges relate to the proscribed organisation al-Muhajiroun, also known as the Islamic Thinkers Society," prosecutor Nick Price said.

"Criminal proceedings against Mr Choudary and Mr Hussein are now active and they each have the right to a fair trial," he added.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring ordered the pair remanded in custody and set their next appearance, at the central criminal courthouse known as the Old Bailey, on August 4.

Choudary, from east London, wore a black jacket and glasses and spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, and address during Monday's 30-minute court hearing.

The high-profile preacher was not asked to enter any pleas to the three charges.

A lawyer for Hussein, who is from Edmonton in the Canadian province of Alberta, said he would not be entering a plea.

The defendant spoke -- in a Canadian accent -- only to confirm his name, date of birth, and address.

He is alleged to have been in "close contact" with Choudary online to provide "a platform" for the group's views for around two years, the court heard.

Counter-terror officers investigating alleged membership of the proscribed organisation arrested both men last Monday, the Metropolitan police said.

Officers detained Choudary in east London and held Hussein at Heathrow Airport after he arrived on a flight.

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Military Coup In Niger: President Detained, All Institutions Suspended

Soldiers claimed to have overthrown the Niger government on Thursday following an apparent coup in the fragile state, after members of the Presidential Guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum.

Disgruntled members of the elite Presidential Guard sealed off access to the president's residence and offices in the capital Niamey on Wednesday, and after talks broke down "refused to release the president," a presidential source said.

"We, the defence and security forces... have decided to put an end to the regime" of President Bazoum, said Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane in a televised address, surrounded by nine other uniformed soldiers.

They said "all institutions" in the country would be suspended, borders were closed, and a curfew had been imposed "until further notice".

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union both decried what they called an "attempted coup d'etat".

A source close to Bazoum used the same term, saying the bid was "doomed to fail".

The head of ECOWAS said Benin President Patrice Talon was heading to Niger in a mediation bid, after the latest bout of turbulence to hit the region.

President Talon was expected to arrive in Niamey Thursday to speak with both sides to resolve the crisis, after a meeting in Abuja Wednesday with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Nigerian leader said President Talon would mediate with both the Presidential Guard and Bazoum with a view to finding an agreement.

One of a dwindling group of pro-Western leaders in the Sahel, Bazoum was elected in 2021, taking the helm of a country burdened by poverty and a history of chronic instability.

In a message on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X, the president's office said "elements of the Presidential Guard (PG) had a fit of temper... (and) tried unsuccessfully to gain the support of the national armed forces and the national guard".

"The army and national guard are ready to attack the elements of the PG who are involved in this fit of temper if they do not return to a better disposition," the presidency said.

"The president and his family are well," it added. The reason for the guards' anger was not disclosed.

- 'Madness' -

UN chief Antonio Guterres was able to talk to the Niger president on Wednesday afternoon, his spokesman said, and "expressed his full support and solidarity".

The United States has demanded Bazoum's release, saying it was "deeply concerned".

Hours after his detention, Bazoum's supporters tried to approach the complex where he was being held, but were dispersed by members of the Presidential Guard who fired warning shots, an AFP reporter saw.

One person was hurt, but it was not immediately clear if he was injured by a bullet or from falling as the crowd scattered.

The parties of Niger's ruling coalition in Niamey denounced "a suicidal and anti-republican madness" in a statement, saying that "certain elements of the presidential guard sequestered the President" and his family, as well as the interior minister.

ECOWAS called for Bazoum's immediate and unconditional release, and warned all those involved would be held responsible for his safety.

The European Union said it "associates itself" with the ECOWAS statement and attacked "any attempt to destabilise democracy and threaten the stability" of Niger.

France -- Niger's former colonial power -- and neighbouring Algeria also issued condemnations, as did the World Bank which said it "strongly condemns any attempt to seize power by force" or "destabilise" Niger.

- Coup-prone -

The landlocked Sahel state has experienced four coups since independence from France in 1960, and numerous other attempts.

Bazoum, a former interior minister, was right-hand man to former president Mahamadou Issoufou, who voluntarily stepped down after two terms.

Their handover in April 2021, after elections won by Bazoum in a two-round contest against former president Mahamane Ousmane, marked Niger's first peaceful transition of power since independence.

But reminders of the troubled past have never been far away.

An attempted coup took place just days before Bazoum's inauguration, according to a security source at the time.

Several people were arrested, including the suspected ringleader, an air force captain named Sani Gourouza, and former interior minister Ousmane Cisse.

Five people, including Gourouza, were jailed in February for 20 years while Cisse was acquitted.

A second bid to oust Bazoum occurred last March "while the president... was in Turkey", according to a Niger official, who said an arrest was made. The authorities have never commented publicly on the incident.

- Poverty and jihadism -

Niger is two-thirds desert and frequently ranks at the bottom of the UN's Human Development Index, a benchmark of prosperity.

It has a surging population of 22.4 million, driven by a birthrate averaging seven children per woman.

Niger is struggling with two jihadist campaigns -- one in the southwest, which swept in from Mali in 2015, and the other in the southeast, involving jihadists from northeastern Nigeria.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes, stoking a humanitarian crisis and further straining the economy.

The poorly equipped military is receiving training and logistical support from the United States and France, which have bases there.

Niger last year became the hub of France's anti-jihadist Sahel operations.

The mission was reconfigured after French forces quit Mali and Burkina Faso after falling out with the ruling juntas in those countries.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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'Coup Attempt' In Troubled Niger As President Detained By Guards

An attempted coup was under way Wednesday in the fragile state of Niger, where members of the Presidential Guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, triggering a standoff with the army, sources said.

The head of the West African bloc ECOWAS said Benin President Patrice Talon was heading to Niger on a mediation bid after the region was struck by a new bout of turbulence.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union both decried  what they called an "attempted coup d'etat," while the UN secretary-general said he had spoken to the apparently-detained leader and offered support.

One of a dwindling group of pro-western leaders in the Sahel, Bazoum was elected in 2021, taking the helm of a country burdened by poverty and a history of chronic instability.

Disgruntled members of the elite Presidential Guard sealed off access to the president's residence and offices in the capital Niamey, and after talks broke down "refused to release the president," a presidential source said.

"The army has given them an ultimatum," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In a message on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X, the president's office said "elements of the Presidential Guard (PG) had a fit of temper... (and) tried unsuccessfully to gain the support of the national armed forces and the national guard."

"The army and national guard are ready to attack the elements of the PG who are involved in this fit of temper if they do not return to a better disposition," the presidency said.

"The president and his family are well," it added. The reason for the guards' anger was not disclosed.

UN chief Antonio Guterres spoke with the Niger president on Wednesday afternoon, his spokesman stated, and "expressed his full support and solidarity."

Earlier, Guterres had condemned "any effort to seize power by force".

- Shots fired -

The United States has demanded Bazoum's release, saying it was "deeply concerned".

"We specifically urge elements of the presidential guard to release President Bazoum from detention and refrain from violence," the White House stated.

Hours after his detention, Bazoum supporters tried to approach the complex where he was being held, but were dispersed by members of the Presidential Guard who fired warning shots, an AFP reporter saw.

One person was hurt, but it was not immediately clear if he was injured by a bullet or from falling as the crowd scattered.

ECOWAS and the AU issued separate statements condemning an "attempted coup d'etat."

The same term was used by a source close to Bazoum, who said the bid was "doomed to fail".

ECOWAS called for Bazoum's immediate and unconditional release, and warned all those involved would be held responsible for his safety.

The European Union said it "associates itself" with the ECOWAS statement and attacked "any attempt to destabilise democracy and threaten the stability" of Niger.

France -- Niger's former colonial power -- and neighbouring Algeria also issued condemnations, as did the World Bank which said it "strongly condemns any attempt to seize power by force" or "destabilise" Niger.

- Coup-prone -

The landlocked Sahel state has experienced four coups since independence from France in 1960 and numerous other attempts.

Bazoum, a former interior minister, was right-hand man to former president Mahamadou Issoufou, who voluntarily stepped down after two terms.

Their handover in April 2021, after elections won by Bazoum in a two-round contest against former president Mahamane Ousmane, marked Niger's first peaceful transition of power since independence.

But reminders of the troubled past have never been far.

An attempted coup took place just days before Bazoum's inauguration, according to a security source at the time.

Several people were arrested, including the suspected ringleader, an air force captain named Sani Gourouza, and former interior minister Ousmane Cisse.

Five people, including Gourouza, were jailed in February for 20 years while Cisse was acquitted.

A second bid to oust Bazoum occurred last March "while the president... was in Turkey", according to a Niger official, who said an arrest was made. The authorities have never commented publicly on the incident.

- Poverty and jihadism -

A landlocked state in the heart of the scorching Sahel, Niger is two-thirds desert and frequently ranks at the bottom of the UN's Human Development Index, a benchmark of prosperity.

It has a surging population of 22.4 million, driven by a birthrate averaging seven children per woman.

Niger is struggling with two jihadist campaigns -- one in the southwest, which swept in from Mali in 2015, and the other in the southeast, involving jihadists from northeastern Nigeria.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes, stoking a humanitarian crisis and further straining the economy.

The poorly equipped military is receiving training and logistical support from the United States and France, which have bases there.

Niger last year became the hub of France's anti-jihadist Sahel operations.

The mission was reconfigured after French forces quit Mali and Burkina Faso after falling out with the ruling juntas in those countries.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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US Hiding Info On Alien Craft: Ex Intel Officer In Congressional Testimony

We are not alone -- and American authorities are covering up the evidence, a former US intelligence officer told a congressional committee on Wednesday.

David Grusch testified that he "absolutely" believes the government is in possession of unidentified anomalous phenomenon, or UAPs -- which has replaced UFO in official parlance -- as well as remains of their operators.

"I was informed, in the course of my official duties, of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program," Grusch said.

"I made the decision, based on the data I collected, to report this information to my superiors and multiple inspectors general, and in effect becoming a whistleblower," he said.

Pressed for details in the course of the hearing, Grusch repeatedly said he could not comment in a public setting because the information is classified.

He said the US government is hiding information on UAPs not only from the public but from Congress, and that he "personally interviewed" people with direct knowledge of non-human craft.

"My testimony is based on information I've been given by individuals with a longstanding track record of legitimacy and service to this country -- many of whom also shared compelling evidence in the form of photography, official documentation, and classified oral testimony," Grusch told lawmakers.

US Representative Tim Burchett supported the idea that the government was concealing information, saying at the opening of the hearing -- which also featured testimony from two former Navy officers who said they witnessed UAPs -- that "we're going to uncover the cover-up."

"This is an issue of government transparency. We can't trust a government that does not trust its people," he said.

But the head of the Pentagon office set up to identify UAPs that pose a potential threat told lawmakers earlier this year it had not identified signs of alien activity.

The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office "has found no credible evidence thus far of extraterrestrial activity, off-world technology, or objects that defy the known laws of physics," Sean Kirkpatrick testified in April.

The US government has however begun taking the issue of UAPs more seriously in recent years.

NASA held its first public meeting on UAPs in May, calling for a more rigorous scientific approach to clarify the origin of hundreds of mysterious sightings.

The Pentagon also began paying closer attention after a slew of inexplicable sightings from US Navy and Air Force pilots.

The central worry was that the sightings could be of unknown aerial surveillance technology China was using to collect intelligence on US defenses.

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US President's Son Hunter Biden Pleads Not Guilty In Tax Offences Case

U.S. President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to tax charges on Wednesday, after a federal judge in Delaware said she needed more time to review a proposed deal with federal prosecutors to avoid a felony gun charge.

The stunning turnabout came after what was expected to be a routine plea hearing turned into a three-hour affair featuring hushed negotiations between lawyers and pointed questions from U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika.

"I cannot accept the plea agreement today," she said, asking the parties to brief her on why she should accept it.

That means that Hunter Biden's lawyers and prosecutors may yet persuade Noreika to approve the deal as it was previously negotiated, or to alter it to a form she can accept.

But the news means the saga will continue to drag out even as the elder Biden campaigns for re-election in 2024, in a possible rematch with former President Donald Trump, who faces his own extensive legal woes.

Hunter Biden was accused of failing to pay taxes on more than $1.5 million in income in 2017 and 2018 despite owing more than $100,000, prosecutors allege.

He is charged in a separate case with unlawfully owning a firearm while addicted to and using a controlled substance, a felony.

Republicans have for years accused Hunter Biden of leveraging his father's political power for personal gain in his dealings in Ukraine and China, though the probe by U.S. Attorney David Weiss of Delaware, a Trump appointee, has not turned up any evidence to support those claims.

News of the plea deal in June sparked accusations of favorable treatment for the president's son from Trump and his Republican allies, who have for years accused the younger Biden of influence-peddling abroad, among other things.

Those allegations spurred the criminal investigation by Weiss, who in a departure from typical practice was allowed to remain in office to continue the probe after Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election.

White House spokesperson Karine Jeane-Pierre said the president supported his son, adding, "Hunter Biden is a private citizen and this was a personal matter for him."

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US Travelers Will Need A Visa To Travel To Europe Starting 2024

US citizens currently enjoy visa-free access to most E.U. countries, however, this privilege is set to change soon. 

According to the official travel site of the European Union, visitors from more than 60 countries that are visa-exempt will be required to apply for European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) approval ahead of their trips starting in 2024. Visitors will need to pay about $8 to apply for ETIAS authorization when traveling to European countries.

The new travel authorization program is being implemented by the Europen Union to protect and strengthen its borders amid mounting terror threats in Europe.

''The rules of travel to Europe have changed. Starting from 2024, some 1.4 billion people from over 60 visa-exempt countries are required to have a travel authorisation to enter most European countries,'' the EU website noted.

Notably, ETIAS is an electronic travel authorization linked to a traveler's passport. 

All U.S. citizens who want to travel to the 27 member countries of Europe's Schengen Zone will need to register with ETIAS or risk being turned away at the border. Once the authorization is secured, however, it is valid for up to three years or until the visitor's passport expires.

According to ETIAS, most applications should be processed within minutes, but in case an application takes longer, decisions will be sent within four days or up to 14 days if the applicant is asked to provide additional documentation.

''With a valid ETIAS travel authorization, you can enter the territory of these European countries as often as you want for short-term stays — normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. However, it does not guarantee entry. When you arrive, a border guard will ask to see your passport and other documents and verify that you meet the entry conditions,” the EU's website reads.

According to the Henley Passport Index, American travelers have visa-free access to 184 global destinations, 

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Dozens Of Whales Dead After Beaching In Australia

Dozens of pilot whales have died just hours after stranding themselves on a beach in Western Australia, authorities said Wednesday. 

The 51 long-finned pilot whales were among a pod of almost 100 spotted off Cheynes Beach near Albany, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) southeast of Perth on Tuesday.

The state's Parks and Wildlife Service said it was working with volunteers to try to save the remaining 46 whales, with plans to guide them to deeper water during the course of the day.

A spokesperson for the organisation said it had been "overwhelmed with hundreds of offers of help" but that it has enough volunteers and the public should "stay away" from the beach.

They said: "The priority focus of the Incident Management Team is to ensure the safety of staff and volunteers and the welfare of the whales.

"The response zone has a range of hazards, including large, distressed and potentially sick whales, sharks, waves, heavy machinery and vessels."

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6 Found Guilty Of Murder At Brussels 2016 Attack Trial

A Brussels court on Tuesday convicted French citizen Salah Abdeslam and Belgian-Moroccan Mohamed Abrini for 2016 jihadist bombings in the Belgian capital that killed 32 people, after the country's largest-ever criminal trial.

The high-profile pair -- already sentenced to life in jail by France for a 2015 massacre in Paris -- were among six accused found guilty of "murder linked to terrorism" over the biggest peacetime attack in Belgium.

The suicide attacks on March 22, 2016 at Brussels' main airport and on the metro system were claimed by the Islamic State group.

Hundreds of travellers and transport staff were maimed and seven years on many victims, relatives and rescuers remain traumatised.

The murder convictions leave those found guilty facing a life sentence in Belgium. Sentencing is expected after the summer recess ends in September.  

Abdeslam, 33, was the sole surviving perpetrator of the 2015 Paris attack that killed 130 people. Prosecutors told the court they believed the Belgium-based cell also carried out the November 13, 2015 rampage in the French capital.

Abdeslam had fled to Brussels after taking part in the Paris attacks and holed up for four months in an apartment hosting members of the local cell.

He was arrested several days before the Brussels attacks took place.

But the jury -- which spent over two weeks deliberating -- rejected his claim not to have been involved in planning the violence.

- High security -

Abrini was found guilty of being one of the teams of suicide bombers who targeted Brussels' airport and a metro station.

He testified that he decided at the last-minute not to blow himself up at the airport -- as did another defendant, Osama Krayem, a Swede of Syrian descent.

Krayem was also found guilty of murder, along with defendants Ali El Haddad Asufi and Bilal El Makhoukhi.

Suspect Osama Atar, who is believed to have been killed in an air strike in Syria, was convicted in absentia of masterminding the attacks.

Two other defendants -- Tunisian Sofien Ayari and Rwandan Herve Bayingana Muhirwa -- were acquitted of murder but found guilty of participating in a terrorist group.

Brothers Smail and Ibrahim Farisi were acquitted of the charges they faced.

A lawyer for Abrini said the verdict marked an "important moment" after years of legal proceedings and that attention would now focus on the sentencing.

The trial, which started at the end of last year, was held under tight security at the converted former headquarters of the NATO military alliance.

Dozens of wounded survivors and bereaved relatives gave often emotional testimony during the months of hearings.

Pierre Bastin, the father of one of those killed at the metro blast, said he hoped the trial would "help to turn the page".

On the morning of March 22, 2016, two men blew themselves up at Brussels-Zaventem international airport, and a third an hour later in a metro train near the seat of the European Union.

The bombings -- near the headquarters of both NATO and the EU -- were part of a wave of attacks claimed by the Islamic State group in Europe.

The court on Tuesday formally boosted the death toll from the attacks from 32 to 35, after finding a link between the trauma suffered and the deaths of three more people subsequently.

One of those included a 23-year-old woman, present at the airport, who decided to end her life through euthanasia due to the mental suffering inflicted.

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Blinken Says Expects To "Work Well" With New Chinese Foreign Minister

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that he expects to "work well" with China's new foreign minister, after previous incumbent Qin Gang was abruptly removed from office.

"I've also known Wang Yi for more than a decade. I've met with him repeatedly," Blinken said in reference to the new top diplomat. "I anticipate being able to work well with him as we have in the past."

"It is important for us to manage this relationship responsibly. That starts with diplomacy, that starts with engaging, and I will work with whoever the relevant Chinese counterpart is."

Blinken said it was China's "sovereign decision" to remove Qin, who had not been seen in public since June 25.

No official reason has been given for his removal or disappearance from public view.

"Qin Gang was ambassador to Washington. I got to know him when he was ambassador. I had constructive conversations with him in his role as foreign minister and I wish him well," Blinken said.

Qin's absence had sparked a storm of speculation that the 57-year-old, considered a confidant of President Xi Jinping, had fallen from grace or was subject to an official investigation.

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NASA Offers Brazil Satellite Imaging To Help Stop Amazon Deforestation

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson visited Brazilian space research center INPE on Wednesday and proposed extending satellite partnerships with the United States to help monitor and prevent destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

Nelson said NASA will have a satellite in January that can even render images of what is happening below the forest canopy. The satellite, called NISAR, will be launched with India.

"It is going to be able to look through the canopy of the jungle so that we can see if someone has burned the undergrowth and that would ultimately kill the big trees," he said at a news conference at INPE in Sao Jose dos Campos.

Science Minister Luciana Santos showed Nelson around INPE headquarters and explained Brazil's space program. The agency has launched a series of satellites in partnership with China since 1999 for agricultural and environmental monitoring.

Brazil relies on satellite imagery to watch over the Amazon, but cloud cover is often a hurdle for precise and timely images.

Nelson, a former U.S. senator, met on Monday with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia.

"I thanked the president for his continuous effort to save the Amazon rainforest," he told reporters after the meeting.

Nelson said when he flew in space 37 years ago he could see with the naked eye the destruction of the rainforest by the different colors visible from his spacecraft window.

Satellites that NASA plans to place in orbit early next year will add "extreme ability to understand what is happening" to the rainforest, he said in Brasilia.

Earlier on Tuesday, Nelson visited Brazilian plane maker Embraer in Sao Jose dos Campos and toured the production line for its narrow-body commercial E-Jets.

Nelson will continue his South American trip this week with visits to Argentina and Colombia.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Video: Firefighting Plane's Wing Clips Tree, Crashes Seconds Later

A Greek water-bombing plane crashed Tuesday while battling a forest fire on the island of Evia as hundreds of firefighters struggled to beat back blazes still raging in Rhodes and Corfu amid a new wave of soaring temperatures.

The fire department said the Canadair aircraft crashed into a ravine close to where the fire started on Sunday. Footage on state TV ERT showed the plane clipping a tree before falling nose-first and exploding.

"A Greek Canadair plane, with at least two people on board, crashed near Platanisto," a village in Evia, spokesman Yannis Artopios said. 

The plane was among at least three other aircraft and around a hundred firefighters in the fight against the flames on Evia.

The accident occurred as Greece battled wildfires on three major fronts, including the tourist islands of Rhodes and Corfu, with many of the country's regions listed at extreme risk of dangerous forest fires exacerbated by strong winds.

A CL-415 Amphibious-Firefighting Aircraft with the Hellenic Air Force has Crashed today while Fighting a Wildfire on the Greek Island of Evia, the Crash is reported to have resulting in the Immediate Death of the 2 Pilots. pic.twitter.com/Z62f0BLrn3

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) July 25, 2023

The very hot weather comes after a weekend of intense heat as thousands of locals and tourists fled forest fires on the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu, with the prime minister warning the heat-battered nation is "at war" with the flames.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said Tuesday the heatwaves that have hit parts of Europe and North America this month would have been almost impossible without human-caused climate change.

"We have another difficult summer ahead of us," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the cabinet.

WWF Greece on Tuesday said 35,000 hectares (86,500 acres) of forest and other land had been scorched by fire in the country just in the past week.

In the capital Athens the heat is expected to reach 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit), and hit up to 44C in central Greece, according to the national weather forecaster EMY.

Authorities evacuated nearly 2,500 people from the Greek island of Corfu on Monday, after tens of thousands of people had already fled blazes on the island of Rhodes, with many frightened tourists scrambling to get home on evacuation flights.

More than 260 firefighters were still battling flames for an eighth consecutive day on Rhodes, supported by nine planes and two helicopters.

A source at Rhodes airport operators Fraport on Tuesday said the situation had normalised, with traffic levels consistent with the height of the summer season on one of Greece's prime travel destinations.

The Greek transport ministry said over 2,100 people had flown home on emergency flights on Sunday and Monday.

Fires were also raging on Greece's second largest island of Evia, where Greek civil protection authorities issued an overnight evacuation order in one northern locality.

Mitsotakis said Greece's state apparatus faced a "major challenge" as the prolonged heatwave and successive wildfires had officials on a 24-hour alert footing for "several weeks."

The mercury hit 46.4C in Gythio, in the southern Peloponnese peninsula on Sunday, though failed to reach the hottest temperature nationally on record of 48C.

Mitsotakis has warned that the country faced "another three difficult days ahead" before high temperatures are forecast to ease from Thursday.

'Protect our home'

The severe heatwave in Greece has also been reflected across much of southern Europe and Northern Africa.

In Algeria at least 34 people have died as wildfires raged through residential areas, forcing mass evacuations.

In southeastern France officials Monday issued a fire warning at the highest level in the Bouches-du-Rhone region, warning that the weather conditions make the risk of flames "very high compared to normal summers".

In Albania's capital Tirana, temperatures surpassed 40C on Tuesday, spurring hospitals to open a string of emergency care centres to treat heat-related illnesses.

On average more than 100 patients a day have been flocking to each heat centre across the country, with ailments linked to the spike in temperatures including blood pressure issues, dizziness, and fainting, said Skender Brataj, who oversees the national centre for emergency medical care in Albania.

The exceptional temperatures in Greece have forced key tourist sites such as the Acropolis in Athens to close at the hottest times of the day.

Vassilis Kikilias, Greece's civil protection minister, said crews had battled over 500 fires around the country for 12 straight days.

The fires are particularly devastating on islands such as Rhodes and Corfu where the tourist season is in full swing and hotels are often full.

Volunteers had come to the aid of foreign tourists in the north of Rhodes where nearly 200 people are still camped out at a school after being evacuated from the fires on Saturday.

"I can't believe they are so nice, they gave so much in every way," said 69-year-old British tourist Christine Moody, who was spending her first vacation in Greece when the fires hit.

"I am very moved," she said.

In the village of Vati, in the southeast of the island, local mayor Vassilis Kalabodakis said the impact on the region was "tragic".

"The village has been ordered to evacuate but we can't abandon it," he said. "We are leading the fight to protect our home".

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Involved In Car Accident, Is Uninjured

Republican Florida governor and US presidential election candidate Ron DeSantis was involved in a car crash on Tuesday while traveling to a campaign stop in Tennessee, aides said.

He and his team were uninjured in the incident ahead of a scheduled appearance in Chattanooga, according to a statement sent to AFP by the campaign, which offered no further details.

"We appreciate the prayers and well wishes of the nation for his continued protection while on the campaign trail," press secretary Bryan Griffin said.

The accident was the latest setback in a two-month campaign that is in the midst of a reset after a series of largely self-inflicted woes that began with a glitch-ridden Twitter launch.

Campaign officials have acknowledged lavish overspending, according to US media reports, while DeSantis himself has been criticized for his awkwardness and inability to connect with ordinary voters on the campaign trail.

Former president Donald Trump commands a lead of around 33 points over Mr DeSantis in national polling averages as a crowded field of candidates prepares for the first debate in Milwaukee on August 23.

Despite languishing at 18.5 percent, Mr DeSantis is still clear of the chasing pack and best placed to capitalize should Trump's legal woes take him out of the race.

In the FiveThirtyEight national average, former vice president Mike Pence is third with just 5.6 percent support, in a virtual tie with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who is at 5.5 percent.

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After Virtual Stardom, TikTok Chef Sets Up Restaurant In Los Angeles

Tue Nguyen became a TikTok star by posting videos of herself cooking Vietnamese dishes during the pandemic. With lockdowns over, the young chef has leapt from the virtual to the real world to open her first restaurant near Los Angeles.

"I think that's always kind of been like a dream," Nguyen, 25, told AFP recently at Di Di, her restaurant in the vibrant suburb of West Hollywood.

"But... I honestly didn't know that it would come this fast."

Nguyen attended culinary school to learn the basics of the craft, but says she truly mastered gastronomy when she tapped into her heritage.

"I genuinely didn't learn how to cook until... I really looked back at what I grew up with. And that's the taste of my mom's cooking."

Nguyen, who immigrated to the United States from Vietnam with her family as a child, credits her mother and stepfather as her main influences in the kitchen.

"They remind me every time that I'm in the kitchen to cook, to make good food and to trust your taste," Nguyen said.

'Find my taste in the kitchen'

Known on social media as @TwayDaBae, Nguyen first started posting mukbangs, or videos in which people livestream themselves eating.

But it was her cooking videos that made her genuinely popular on platforms like TikTok.

Nguyen began posting on social media just for fun, but she quickly saw that people had an appetite not only for eating but also for learning to recreate the food themselves.

"And that was when I realized okay... I'm going to take this opportunity as a way for me to not only learn but also develop like my style of cooking... and find my taste in the kitchen."

Unlike other chefs who rise to restaurant fame before they become media celebrities, Nguyen tried the opposite approach and began bringing her online dishes to the real world at pop-up restaurant venues.

The location of her first appearance is where she later opened Di Di.

With hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, and millions of likes on her videos, Nguyen doesn't think sharing her recipes with the world will hurt her restaurant business.

"A lot of times my recipes online are very easy to follow," Nguyen said.

"Here," Nguyen said of Di Di, "it's more polished."

'My story, my heart'

Filled with huge armchairs and golden lamps and decorated with tropical plants, Di Di -- the Vietnamese phrase for "Let's go" -- opened its doors on Thursday.

Nguyen, who takes care of every detail at Di Di, describes her cooking style as a blend of the techniques she learned in culinary school and the taste of her mother's cooking she grew up with.

Nguyen hopes this personal brand will help her succeed in the competitive Los Angeles gastronomic scene.

"I have my story. I have my heart. That is really what makes this place special, she says.

"This restaurant is about just celebrating the culture that raised me and a picture I'm really proud of."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Israel PM Defends "Necessary" Judicial Reform Vote As Protests Intensify

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday defended as "necessary" parliament's vote for a key clause of the government's controversial judicial reform package, defying mass protests and international concern.

Netanyahu and his coalition allies approved the bill earlier on Monday following a stormy parliamentary session, which saw opposition lawmakers boycott the decisive vote with some shouting "shame, shame".

Critics charge the judicial revamp could open the way to more authoritarian government by removing checks and balances on the Israeli executive.

The bill passed with 64 votes in the 120-seat chamber. It aims to limit the powers of the Supreme Court in striking down government decisions which the judges deem "unreasonable".

The premier justified the decision to press ahead with the vote as a "necessary democratic step".

"We passed the amendment on reasonableness so that the elected government can carry out policy in line with the decision of the majority of the citizens of the country," he said in a televised address.

Israel's traditional bedrock ally Washington has repeatedly raised concern about the political turmoil and described Monday's vote as "unfortunate".

Netanyahu's coalition government, which includes far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, argues that the proposed changes are needed to ensure a better balance of power.

The reform package has triggered one of the biggest protest movements in Israel's history since it was unveiled by the government in January.

The Histadrut trade union confederation threatened a nationwide strike in response to the parliamentary vote, urging the government to resume negotiations with the opposition.

"Any unilateral progress of the reform will have serious consequences," Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David said in a statement.

A walkout staged by Histadrut in March within hours prompted Netanyahu to halt the legislative process, paving the way for cross-party talks which ultimately collapsed.

- 'Really sad' -

Protesters gathered throughout the day outside parliament, where they blew horns, beat drums and waved Israeli flags.

Rallies continued into the evening on Monday in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the country's commercial hub, while demonstrators blocked roads.

Police used water cannon and mounted officers were deployed against the crowds.

"I thought there would be a change or a compromise, but deep inside I knew this would happen and it's really sad," protester Danny Akerman, 52, told AFP after the vote.

"We need to continue the protest, continue to put pressure, in the hope that they won't continue with more" such initiatives, he said.

The vote took place hours after Netanyahu, 73, returned to the Knesset only a day after undergoing surgery to have a pacemaker fitted.

The White House said US President Joe Biden has "expressed his views that major changes in a democracy, to be enduring, must have as broad a consensus as possible".

"It is unfortunate that the vote today took place with the slimmest possible majority," a statement said.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, just back from a Washington trip, had gone to Netanyahu's hospital room on Sunday in a last-minute effort to reach a compromise.

Herzog, who had tried but failed to broker negotiations after half a year of mass street protests, earlier warned that Israel faced a "national emergency".

The driving force behind the revamp, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, said there was "no reason to fear" the clause.

"There are many reasons to see it as an important step in returning the balance between the government branches," he told parliament at the end of a marathon debate leading up to the vote.

After the legislation passed, the minister said he wanted to "reach an agreement" on the broader reform package.

But opposition leader Yair Lapid described Monday's move in parliament as a "defeat for Israeli democracy".

"The government can decide a policy but not change the character of the State of Israel, and that's what happened today," he said.

- 'Crazy speed' -

Speaking near parliament ahead of the vote, demonstrator Alona Kesel, a 26-year-old high-tech worker, criticised the government for forging ahead with the judicial overhaul at "crazy speed".

Opponents accuse Netanyahu, who has been fighting corruption charges in court, of a conflict of interest.

The "reasonableness" clause is the first major component of the reform package to become law. Other proposed changes include allowing the government a greater say in the appointment of judges.

The protests have drawn support from across the political spectrum and among secular and religious groups, blue-collar and tech sector workers, peace activists and military reservists.

Another protester, teacher Avital Mesterman, vowed to "do whatever I can do democratically" and keep protesting.

"I feel that we're going down, but I feel optimistic because of all the people that are here," said the 42-year-old, who had travelled from Tel Aviv to join the Jerusalem rally.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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US Government Sues Texas Over Anti-Migrant River Buoys

Texas Governor Greg Abbott defied the administration of President Joe Biden on Monday as the Justice Department sued his state for trying to block the US-Mexican border with a floating barrier and razor wire along the Rio Grande river.

The department told the state late last week that the string of large orange buoys near Eagle Pass, Texas illegally obstruct river navigation and lack federal permissions.

"This floating barrier poses threats to navigation and public safety and presents humanitarian concerns," said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta.

But in a reply letter addressed to Biden Monday, Abbott said that he had the power to protect the "sovereign" interests of Texas by installing the buoys.

He accused Biden of not fulfilling his own responsibilities to halt the flow of migrants over the southern border with Mexico.

"If you truly care about human life, you must begin enforcing federal immigration laws," Abbott wrote.

"By doing so, you can help me stop migrants from wagering their lives in the waters of the Rio Grande River," he said.

"Texas will see you in court, Mr President," he added.

The string of buoys was installed in the river at the popular migrant crossing point this month, along with large barriers of razor wire on the shore.

According to reports, some migrants have required rescue after being trapped in the razor wire.

A Biden administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Republicans are "playing political games" with immigration.

Republican hardliners have spent years whipping up fear over what they frequently call an invasion of illegal immigrants. Donald Trump and his main rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have put what they claim to be out-of-control border crossings at the center of their campaigns.

However, the White House points out that the number of illegal crossings has plummeted in the wake of strict new asylum rules.

"Republican officials don't want solutions. They want chaos," the administration official said.

Hours after Abbot's letter was released, the Justice Department filed suit in federal court in Austin, Texas.

It said the barrier violated the US Rivers and Harbors Act, which establishes protections for public waterways under the oversight of the Army Corps of Engineers.

The suit said Texas needed permission from the Army Corps of Engineers to place any structure or barrier in the Rio Grande.

The Justice Department asked the court to order Abbott to remove the barrier.

"We must all recognize that there are laws and policies in place -- both domestic and international -- to ensure the safety and security of everyone working, living and traveling along the river. These laws cannot be ignored," said Jaime Esparza, the federal prosecutor in Austin.

In addition, a leaked US Customs and Border Protection memo said the razor wire placed by state agents interfered with its own border patrol operations.

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Pak Army Chief Says Pakistanis Must Throw Out Beggar's Bowl

Pakistan's Army Chief Syed Asim Munir underlined the need to make the country self-reliant to end the dependency on foreign loans, which the cash-strapped nation recently secured with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Geo News reported.

While addressing the opening ceremony of Khanewal Model Agriculture Farm on Monday, the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan said, "Pakistanis are a proud, zealous and talented nation. All Pakistanis must throw out the beggar's bowl."

Notably, Pakistan is set to receive another loan from China. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently said that Pakistan has received a rollover of an additional USD 600 million loan from its all-weather ally China to help shore up the country's foreign exchange reserves on the back of an IMF deal.

In July, the Pakistan government's debt swelled to USD 2.44 billion, including USD 2.07 billion in non-guaranteed debt owed to China, as per Geo News.

The army chief also said that Allah Almighty has blessed Pakistan with all blessings and no power in the world can stop the country's progress.

General Munir said a state is like a mother and the relationship between the people and the state is of love and respect.

He said security and the economy are interlinked and indispensable to each other.

COAS also stated that the Pakistan Army is proud to serve its nation, adding that the military drew its strength from the people and vice-versa.

General Munir promised that the military would not rest until Pakistan is steered out of the prevailing crisis.

Speaking about the model farm, the COAS asserted that the country will witness the agricultural revolution, reported Geo News.

He added that model farms will be established across the country in line with modern standards to benefit small farmers and spread the scope of green initiatives.

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Extension Of EU Import Ban On Ukrainian Grain "Unacceptable": Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday branded as "unacceptable" any move by the European Union to extend curbs on Ukrainian grain to protect local farmers who fear being undercut.

"Any extension of restrictions is absolutely unacceptable and frankly anti-European. Europe has the institutional capacity to react more rationally than to close its borders to a particular good," he said on social media.

Zelensky said he hoped Europe "will fulfil its obligations" after the current restrictions on Ukrainian grain lapse on September 15.

Last week, Ukraine's European neighbours urged the EU to extend a grain import ban until the end of the year, amid fears local farmers would suffer due to diverted Ukrainian supplies.

In June, Brussels agreed to allow Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania to restrict imports of grain from Ukraine through September.

Zelenksy's statement came after Russia refused to renew a deal allowing the safe passage of grain from Ukrainian ports throught the Black Sea, saying that its exports were being hampered by Western sanctions in violation of the agreement brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Consuming Borax Is The Newest TikTok Trend, Experts Call It ''Dangerous''

TikTok is no stranger to dangerous viral trends. In yet another disturbing trend, some influencers on social media sites have reportedly been encouraging their followers to drink borax as a way to help “heal inflammation”, New York Post reported. 

Notably, Borax is a salt that is typically seen in a white, powdery substance also known as sodium borate. The powder is a combination of boron, sodium, oxygen, and hydrogen, and is found in laundry detergents, insecticides, and cleaning supplies. Boric acid, a distinct formulation of boron, is also used to kill ants and cockroaches. It has been banned from food products in the United States.

However, some people have wrongly claimed that adding a pinch of Borax to smoothies or coffee can ease the symptoms of arthritis, lupus, or other health issues. Many TikTokers with hundreds of thousands of followers have advocated the practice in videos that were later removed.

i regret to inform you that the tiktok girlies are drinking borax pic.twitter.com/K70969dCHO

— drew coffman ?? ?????? ? (@drewcoffman) July 17, 2023

The tiktok trend of consuming Borax for “its boron content” proves that even though we have unlimited resources to educate ourselves online people will still be stupid. These are all adults btw pic.twitter.com/KKj9YoPDqw

— Mallory (@theyrepassedout) July 17, 2023

Health professionals and medical experts are increasingly worried about the trend and are trying to debunk this bizarre practice, which can cause considerable harm to humans.

''But borax is actually a poisonous compound and should never be eaten. Borax consumption has been recently popularized on TikTok as a way to treat inflammation, but … there is no evidence that swallowing borax has any human health benefits,'' Johnson-Arbor, a toxicology physician and co-medical director at the National Capital Poison Center, told Yahoo In the Know.

She added that consuming borax can cause stomach irritation and potentially result in blue-green vomit or diarrhea if ingested. Over time, it can cause anemia and seizures. 

A chemist working on his doctorate in organic chemistry, with over 1.8 million viewers also raised an alarm, and called the trend, "patently dangerous."

According to the National Institutes of Health, Borax is known to be dangerous when ingested. It can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, skin flushing, rash, excitation, convulsions, depression, and vascular collapse. In severe cases of poisoning, borax can cause kidney damage, seizures, and death.

“Extremely high doses of boron can be fatal; for example, 15,000 to 20,000 mg can cause death in adults,'' the NIH said.

U.S. Borax also warned people about ingesting its product, saying the company "does not offer any product that we approve nor intend for use as a dietary ingredient, pharmaceutical and/or over-the-counter active ingredient, nor food additive or direct additive to foods. Our ... products are labeled as 'not for internal use' and thus are not intended for internal related applications nor as an active ingredient."

Earlier in April, a 13-year-old boy from Ohio, US died after overdosing on over-the-counter medication while attempting a viral TikTok trend. The boy was attempting the 'Benadryl Challenge', which encouraged viewers to take large doses of the antihistamine to induce hallucinations.

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