Rangers at Glacier National Park have recovered the body of Siddhant Vitthal Patil, a 26-year-old from India who fell into Avalanche Creek on July 6 and drowned, according to a press release. Patil, a tech professional living in California, was hiking at the park with seven friends when he fell into Avalanche Creek. Glacier National Park officials said, “After weeks of searching, rangers at Glacier National Park believe they have recovered the body of Patil after he fell into Avalanche Creek on July 6, 2024, and drowned.” The officials added, “Clothing and gear similar to what, according to friends, Patil was wearing at the time of the incident were also recovered. Flathead County coroner is working to confirm identity through DNA or dental records.”
Pak PM writes to China for debt reprofiling
Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said he wrote a letter to the Chinese government requesting debt reprofiling as his administration seeks a $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has consistently focused on the country’s debt obligations and energy sector issues. Last month, Pakistan reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF for a fresh loan, which it expects to be validated by the Fund’s executive board later this month. “I have written to China for [debt] reprofiling,” the prime minister informed his cabinet ministers. Debt reprofiling is a financial strategy used to restructure a country’s existing debt obligations. It involves extending the maturity dates of debt, reducing interest rates or altering other terms of the debt agreements to make repayment more manageable.
Chinese varsity starts marriage-related degree course
China’s civil affairs university announced a new undergraduate marriage programme to develop marriage-related industries and culture, drawing scorn of social media users who questioned the need for such a course as marriage rates decline. Policymakers are struggling to reverse the fall in new births, which are closely linked to marriage rates. Called Marriage Services and Management, the new degree programme will “aim to highlight China’s positive marriage and family culture to students and the public and advancing reform of China’s marriage customs”, Global Times reported.
Anne Frank statue in Amsterdam defaced
A statue of Anne Frank, famous for her diary account of hiding from the Nazis during World War II, has been covered with pro-Palestinian graffiti, reports said. According to images published on X, the base of the statue was spray-painted with the slogan “Free Gaza”, while the girl’s hands were painted with the same blood-red colour. Police have opened a probe into the most recent defacement, which likely occurred in the night, an Amsterdam police spokesman said, adding that no suspect had yet been identified
US recognises Maduro’s rival as winner
The United States recognised Venezuela’s opposition presidential candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the winner of the country’s disputed election. The announcement, by secretary of state Antony Blinken, comes despite a claim by the country’s authoritarian president, Nicolas Maduro, and by the govt-controlled electoral body, that Maduro had won the election. Maduro has yet to produce clear evidence of a victory, and election officials have failed to provide a vote count. Gonzalez’s campaign says it has receipts from more than 80% of voting machines that indicate he won by an insurmountable margin. While some leaders have voiced support for Gonzalez in recent days, the US is the largest nation to recognise him as the winner.
US sues TikTok over privacy violations
The US justice department filed a lawsuit against TikTok and parent company ByteDance for failing to protect children’s privacy on the app. The govt said TikTok violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act that requires services aimed at children to obtain parental consent to collect personal information from users under age 13. The lawsuit is the latest US action against TikTok and its Chinese parent over fears the company improperly collects vast amounts of data on Americans for the Chinese govt, while influencing content in a way that potentially harms Americans. The suit, also joined by the Federal Trade Commission, said it was aimed at putting an end “to TikTok’s unlawful massive-scale invasions of children’s privacy”.
9/11 ‘plotters’ agree to plead guilty, will avoid death penalty
The man accused of plotting the attacks of Sept 11 and two of his accomplices have agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and murder charges in exchange for a life sentence rather than a death-penalty trial at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said the deal was meant to bring some “finality and justice” to the case, particularly for the families of nearly 3,000 people who were killed in the attacks in New York City, at Pentagon and in a Pennsylvania field. The defendants Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa alHawsawi reached the deal in talks with prosecutors across 27 months at Guantanamo and approved by a Pentagon official overseeing the war court. The men have been in US custody since 2003.
Turkey passes law to round up stray dogs amid protests
Turkey’s parliament passed a law to round up millions of stray dogs and put them into shelters despite protests by animal lovers and criticism from the main opposition party, which vowed to challenge the legislation in court. The law, drawn up by President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party, has touched a raw nerve in Turkey, where many think it will lead to large number of dogs being put down. Turkey has an estimated 4 million stray dogs and supporters of the law cited concerns about attacks, road accidents and rabies. Under the new rules, dogs showing aggressive behaviour or that have untreatable diseases will be put down. It got 275 votes in favour and 224 against.
Korean Air bars hot cup noodles
Korean Air will stop serving instant cup noodles, a popular snack in Korea known as ramyeon that requires boiling water, on its long-haul flights, part of changes in response to increased turbulence incidents. Concerns about turbulence on planes have heightened since a Singapore Airlines flight from London in May encountered a severe incident leading to one death and dozens of injuries. “This decision is part of proactive safety measures in response to increased turbulence, aimed at preventing burn accidents,” Korean Air said. The cup noodles are a popular part of the airline’s in-flight service, featuring heavily on social media.
1 dead, nearly 150 sick after eating eel in Japan
One person died and nearly 150 others were sickened after eating grilled eel prepared by a restaurant chain and sold at a department store near Tokyo. Among those sickened, two required hospitalisation. Keikyu Department Store said 147 customers as of Monday had reported symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea after eating grilled eel dishes sold separately or as part of box lunches served with rice. Japan has a tradition of eating roasted eel as a tonic for heat during the hottest days of summer. A woman in her 90s died, but her exact cause of death is being further investigated
