A 55-year-old Indian-origin man died while attempting to hike the Grand Canyon in Arizona, US, rim-to-rim, in a single day. Ranjith Varma of Virginia became unresponsive while hiking with a group of six others at the national park’s North Kaibab Trail, the Arizona daily Sun said. According to Grand Canyon Park spokesperson, the group was attempting to hike from the canyon’s South Rim to the North Rim on the North Kaibab Trail in a single day. The North Kaibab Trail is considered to be the most difficult out of the Grand Canyon’s major inner trails.
Nawaz Sharif to return on Oct 21
Nawaz Sharif, former Pakistan prime minister and PML-N leader, would return to Pakistan on October 21 to oversee the party's electoral campaign for the nation's approaching elections, his brother and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said. Shehbaz told a Pakistani TV station about the date after a meeting of the PML-N top leadership, chaired in London by his brother. According to Shehbaz, his brother is to land in Lahore and he will personally receive him in his hometown. The date of Sharif’s return was also confirmed by PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on X. Nawaz was permanently barred from holding public office by the Pakistan SC in 2017 as a result of the "Panama Papers" revelations.
Imran’s remand in cipher case extended
A special court has extended PTI chief Imran Khan and his party vice chief Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s judicial remand till September 26 in the cipher case. Khan and Qureshi have been charged with making public the contents of a confidential diplomatic cable - known as a“cipher” - sent by Pakistan’s ambassador to the US. Khan had cited the cipher as proof of an attempt by the US to remove his government because he had visited Russia shortly before its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Both Islamabad and Washington have denied his accusations. Khan’s party has challenged the trial of its leaders in the case. The cipher controversy had surfaced just days before Khan’s ouster from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.
Iran frees 5 Americans in prisoner swap
Five Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran were allowed to leave the country on Monday, according to White House officials, after two years of high-stakes negotiations in which the US agreed to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue and dismiss federal charges against five Iranians accused of violating US sanctions. The announcement that the Americans took off in a plane from Tehran came as President Joe Biden and President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran were to attend the annual UN General Assembly meeting of world leaders. Top aides to Biden said financial sanctions and strict monitoring will prevent Iran from spending the money on anything except food, medicine and other humanitarian goods.
Congo denies claims of coup attempt
The Congo-Brazzaville government has refuted recent claims of a coup attempt against President Denis Nguesso, who has held office for an uninterrupted 39 years. These allegations surfaced on social media, suggesting an orchestrated effort by the military to remove the 79-year-old leader from power. President Nguesso was at the time of these rumors in New York, participating in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. In response to these allegations, Information Minister Thierry Moungalla took to X to unequivocally dismiss them, stating, "The government categorically denies the spread of false information. We wish to reassure the public of the prevailing tranquility and encourage everyone to carry on with their daily activities calmly."
Iran seizes two foreign tankers for ‘smuggling’
Iran has seized two oil tankers allegedly carrying smuggled fuel in the Gulf and arrested their crews, state television said. “The Revolutionary Guards naval forces seized two ships over the course of the last two days,” state television said. “The seized tankers... flying the flags of Panama and Tanzania were transporting more than 1.5 million litres of Iranian oil and gas,” the Guards said. “The Guards escorted the confiscated ships to the port of Mahshahr in the country’s southwest, sources said. “Thirty seven crew members were handed over to judicial authorities in Mahshahr,” the sources added.
Marilyn Monroe’s LA home saved from demolition
Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe’s LA residence, the only property she owned in her life, has been saved from demolition after a backlash from residents in the neighbourhood. Marilyn bought the palatial pad in 1962 after her divorce from Arthur Miller but was found dead in the property just months later, following an apparent drug overdose at the age of 36. The property was to be demolished by its current owner, who bought the 2,900-square-foot hacienda for $8.35 million. The neighbours became aware of the planned demolition after the owner filed for permits. After a backlash from the residents, the Los Angeles officials intervened to block the demolition.
‘Indiana Jones of art world’ recovers stolen Van Gogh
A Dutch art detective has recovered a precious Vincent van Gogh painting that was stolen from a museum in a daring midnight heist during the Covid lockdown three-and-a-half years ago, police said. Arthur Brand - dubbed the “Indiana Jones of the Art World” - took possession of the missing painting, the 1884 “Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring.” Brand said frequent calls by him and the Dutch police to hand back the stolen artwork finally paid off when a man, whose identity was not revealed, handed Brand the painting in an IKEA bag, covered with bubble-wrap and stuffed in a pillow casing.
Beijing upgrades ties with Venezuela
China announced it was upgrading its diplomatic ties with Venezuela to an “all weather” partnership, a label reserved for a select few of its diplomatic partners. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is on a state visit in Beijing, his fifth as president, according to state broadcaster CCTV. He met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. One of the best known of China’s select all-weather strategic partnerships is with Pakistan, where it has invested $25.4 billion over the past decade. China and Venezuela signed several bilateral cooperation documents focused on economy, trade and tourism, China’s state broadcaster said.
A ‘river’ of wine floods streets in Portugal
The wine flowed freely in one Portuguese town over the weekend. Two tanks holding nearly 2.2 million litres of wine at a distillery collapsed, sending a torrent of red wine down the streets of the small town of Levira. One tank, open at the top, collapsed because of a “structural failure”, said Pedro Carvalho, the CEO of the distillery, Destilaria Levira, in Anadia. The sheer force of the wine knocked over another tank. Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse. It looked “like a river,” said Carvalho. Portugal, like France and Italy, is suffering from an oversupply of wine because of a decline in consumption and exports.