News in Brief -2024-08-03

Saudi FM, Blinken discuss Mideast tensions over phone
RIYADH, Aug 02: Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discussed regional developments in the Middle East over the phone on Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Both sides highlighted the significance of reducing escalation and reaching a sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the report said. — Xinhua
Kim Jong Un wants Trump back, elite defector tells BBC
LONDON, Aug 02: Donald Trump returning to the White House would be "a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity" for North Korea, according to a man in a unique position to know. Ri Il Kyu is the highest-ranking defector to escape North Korea since 2016 and has been face to face with Kim Jong Un on seven separate occasions. The former diplomat, who was working in Cuba when he fled with his family to South Korea last November, admits to "shivering with nerves" the first time he met Kim Jong Un. But during each meeting, he found the leader to be "smiling and in a good mood". — BBC
13 killed in India floods, stranded pilgrims airlifted
DEHRADUN (India), Aug 02: Monsoon downpours caused flash floods that killed 13 people in India's Himalayan foothills, officials said Friday, with helicopters rescuing hundreds stranded near a renowned Hindu shrine. Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India's treacherous monsoon season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity. Thirteen deaths have been reported across the northern state of Uttarakhand so far, disaster official Vinod Kumar Suman told AFP. Officials said around 700 people were rescued by airlift while travelling to Kedarnath temple, a popular pilgrimage destination dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva. — AFP
Philippines says Chinatown fire kills 11
MANILA, Aug 02: A fire ripped through a building in the Philippine capital's Chinatown early Friday, killing 11 people, authorities said. Crews from 14 fire trucks took two hours to control the morning blaze in Manila's Binondo district, the city's fire bureau said in an initial report. Rescue personnel later found the bodies of 11 people inside the five-storey mixed-use building, it added. — AFP