2 US pilots shot down over Red Sea in ‘friendly fire’ incident
Dubai, Dec 22: Two US Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, the US military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in over a year of America targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Both pilots were recovered alive after ejecting from their stricken aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries. But the shootdown underlines just how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become over the ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis despite US and European military coalitions patrolling the area. The US military had conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels at the time, though the US military’s Central Command did not elaborate on what their mission was and did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press. The F/A-18 shot down had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, Central Command said. “The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18,” Central Command said in a statement. (AP)
Police nab two Indian nationals for smuggling gold in Nepal
Kathmandu, Dec 22: Two Indian nationals have been arrested on charges of smuggling gold in Nepal, police said on Sunday. Police arrested Dipak Gupta, 44, and Sumit Barma, 34, both residents of Uttar Pradesh, and seized 549.2 grams of gold from their possession at Dhangadhi sub-metropolitan city in Kailali district. They were transporting gold in a car bearing an Indian number plate without paying any customs duty, a bulletin issued by Nepal Police headquarters said. Gold is expensive in Nepal compared to India due to the high customs duty levied on it. (PTI)
Stampedes in Nigeria leave 32 dead in rush to get X-mas gifts
Abuja, Dec 22: The death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has increased from 13 to 32, police said Sunday. The victims, including at least four children, collapsed during crowd surges as people grew desperate for food items while the country grapples with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. The dead included 22 people in southeastern Anambra state’s Okija town, where a philanthropist on Saturday organised a food distribution, local police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. Ten others died in the capital, Abuja, during a church-organised similar charity event. Police said they were investigating the two incidents, only days after another stampede in which several children were killed. Witnesses of the Abuja stampede said there was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to enter the premises at around 4 am, hours before gift items were to be shared. Some of them, including older people, waited overnight to get food, said Loveth Inyang, who rescued one baby from the crush. The stampedes prompted growing calls for authorities to enforce safety measures at such events. (AP)