2 deputies shot in California shooting
Knightsen (US): Two sheriff’s deputies were shot late Thursday night and a suspect is dead in a shooting in Contra Costa County, California, according to reports.
The shooting was reported in Knightsen, an unincorporated area about 50 miles (81 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco. Sheriff’s officials said there was an officer-involved shooting but didn’t immediately release other details, including the conditions of the deputies.
KPIX-TV reported that the deputies were shot, citing a sheriff’s office spokesman. (AP)
Locust swarms may reach Pak
Islamabad: Pakistan officials have warned that the next few weeks could be crucial in the fight against desert locust infestation with major swarms expected to reach the country later this month from the Horn of Africa.
On Thursday, Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority Lt Gen Mohammad Afzal, while briefing the diplomatic corps at the National Locust Control Centre (NLCC), said the locust problem is likely to peak in the next three to four weeks, Dawn news reported. Pakistan is on the locust migratory route and has both summer and spring breeding areas. (IANS)
Malaysian police grill Al Jazeera
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian police grilled a group of reporters and staff from news broadcaster Al Jazeera on Friday over a documentary on the treatment of undocumented immigrants that officials have slammed as unfair and biased.
National police chief Abdul Hamid Bador said the documentary aired earlier this month had sparked public anger and an initial probe showed it was inaccurate and depicted the country in a negative light.
He said the attorney-general ordered an investigation into the documentary for possible sedition, defamation and violation of the country’s Communications and Multimedia Act. (AP)
Japan braces for more heavy rain
Tokyo: Parts of Japan still searching for missing people and evacuating those stranded by deadly floods and mudslides were bracing for more pounding rains through the weekend. The death toll has risen to 66 as of Friday, with 16 others still missing, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. Most of them are in prefectures on Kyushu, Japan’s third-largest main island.
The damage has spread beyond Kyushu into central Japan’s scenic mountain villages known for hot springs and hiking. (AP)