Five terrorists killed in NW Pakistan

Peshawar: At least five wanted terrorists were killed in a clash with security forces during an operation in the restive northwest Pakistan, the Pakistan Army said on Saturday. The incident occurred on Friday in the volatile Tank district bordering South Waziristan where the forces launched the operation on the reported presence of terrorists in the area. In the lethal exchange of fire, five militants were killed, the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Army, said. The forces seized huge quantities of arms and ammunition from the possession of the slain terrorists. The terrorists killed were wanted by the forces for their attacks on the forces, target killings, and money extortion. Clearance operations are still underway in the area due to the possible presence of more terrorists, it said. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

Indian-American seeks re-election in Kansas

New York: Indian-American Senator Usha Reddi from the 22nd district of Kansas state of the US has submitted her candidacy for another term in the state legislature. The Democrat, who has held the seat following previous senator Tom Hawk’s withdrawal from the legislature in January this year, announced her candidacy on her social media platform X. “Just filed as a candidate for the Kansas State Senate in the 2024 election! Public service is a significant part of my life, and I am dedicated to continuing to work for the people as your State Senator!” she wrote on X. Her term is expected to end by January 2025. Reddi will focus on addressing health care, mental health, public education, safety, equity, jobs, security, economic growth, infrastructure, housing, and childcare, her campaign website said. “I will continue to work with legislators, experts on issues, and community members to develop and support policies that will assist and empower individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits,” her pitch on the website reads.

Hospital fire kills at least 3 in Rome

Rome:  A fire broke out in a hospital on Rome’s outskirts, killing at least three people and forcing the overnight evacuation of the smoke-filled facility and its patients, officials said on Saturday. Patients in intensive care at St John the Evangelist hospital in Tivoli were transferred immediately to other hospitals via ambulance, the Tivoli mayor’s office said in a statement. Less-critical patients were moved into a nearby municipal gymnasium and then transferred to other facilities. The governor of the Lazio region, Francesco Rocca, said from the scene that three people were killed and an investigation would determine the cause of the blaze. He acknowledged there were “notable delays” in updating Italy’s aging hospitals with sprinkler systems and other fire safety infrastructure. The fire department initially said four people were killed after the blaze broke out on late Friday. Italian news reports said the confusion arose because a body, already in the hospital morgue, was initially counted among the fire victims.

11 killed in criminals-villagers clash in Mexico

Mexico City: Eleven people were killed in a clash Friday between gunmen from a criminal gang and residents of a small farming community in central Mexico, authorities said.  Dramatic video of the fight posted on social media showed villagers in cowboy hats with sickles and hunting rifles chasing down suspected gang members amid bursts of automatic gunfire. Police in the State of Mexico, which abuts Mexico City, said the clash occurred in the hamlet of Texcaltitlan, about 130 kilometers southwest of the capital.  State police said eight of the dead were members of the criminal gang, while three were village residents. Police did not identify the gang, but the violent Familia Michoacana drug cartel has been dominant in that area for a decade. The video appeared to show the attackers wore military-style uniforms, some with helmets. Villagers apparently set their bodies and vehicles on fire.