Libyan army chief dies in crash; Turkiye recovers plane recorders
ANKARA, Dec 24: Search teams in Turkiye recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from a jet crash that killed eight people, including Libya’s top military commander, Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, and four other senior Libyan officers. The Falcon 50 business jet crashed near Kesikkavak, south of Ankara, while attempting an emergency landing after reporting an electrical fault. Three crew members also died. Wreckage was scattered across three square kilometres, complicating recovery efforts, and Turkish authorities, including 408 personnel and specialised vehicles, worked to retrieve remains. The Libyan delegation had been returning from defence talks in Ankara aimed at boosting military cooperation. Turkish President Erdogan and Libyan Prime Minister Dbeibah expressed condolences, and Libya declared three days of national mourning. Al-Haddad played a key role in unifying Libya’s divided military. An investigation led by four Turkish prosecutors is underway. The crash occurred amid Turkiye’s recent efforts to strengthen ties with Libya’s eastern and western governments, following a two-year extension of Turkish troops’ mandate in the country. (AP)
Indian woman murdered in Canada, suspect identified
TORONTO, Dec 24: Toronto police are investigating the murder of 30-year-old Indian woman Himanshi Khurana. Her body was discovered on Saturday in a residence near Strachan Avenue and Wellington Street W., a day after she was reported missing. Authorities have issued a warrant for 32-year-old Abdul Ghafoori, also a Toronto resident, on charges of first-degree murder. The Indian High Commission in Toronto expressed shock and deep sorrow over the incident, describing it as “tragic” and “disturbing,” and extended condolences to Khurana’s family. The Consulate stated it has been closely monitoring the investigation and will continue to provide support to the bereaved family as authorities pursue the suspect. Police are actively searching for Ghafoori and urged anyone with information to come forward. (PTI)
Explosion in Russian capital kills three
MOSCOW, Dec 24: A bomb blast in Russia on Wednesday killed three people, including two police officers, near the site where a high-ranking general was killed days earlier. The explosion occurred after officers approached a suspicious individual near a police car on Yeletskaya Street, triggering the device. The deceased officers were identified as lieutenants Ilya Klimanov, 24, and Maxim Gorbunov, 25, with Gorbunov survived by his wife and nine-month-old daughter. The third victim, reportedly the suspected bomber, is being identified through DNA tests and may have links to the Ukrainian secret service. The blast comes shortly after Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov was killed in a car bombing in Moscow. Meanwhile, Russian air defence systems intercepted 172 Ukrainian drones overnight targeting several regions, including Moscow, according to the Defence Ministry. (AP)
