July 26, 2024

*) US arrests top Mexican drug lords 'El Mayo' and 'El Chapo' in Texas The US Justice Department has announced Mexican drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and the son of his former partner, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, were arrested in Texas. "The Justice Department has taken into custody two additional alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organisations in the world," the department said in a statement. *) Palestinian leader dies in Israeli custody in West Bank The Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs said a Palestinian leader in the occupied West Bank has died in Israeli custody following a significant deterioration in his health. The Palestinian government body said in a statement that Mustafa Muhammad Abu Ara, 63, died after being transferred to a hospital from the Ramon jail in southern Israel. *) Bangladesh continues curfew amid mass arrests of protesters Bangladesh has announced that a curfew will continue on Friday and Saturday with a nine-hour pause amid an intensified crackdown against those involved in violence during student protests. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan made an announcement at a news conference that the curfew will continue in Dhaka and three other cities. *) Sri Lanka announces first presidential election since unrest Sri Lanka's first presidential elections since an unprecedented economic crisis spurred widespread unrest will be held in September. The election will be the first test of the public mood since the height of the 2022 downturn, which caused months of food, fuel and medicine shortages across the island nation. *) Countdown begins as France set for PARIS 2024 opening ceremony Paris is counting down the hours to what promises to be the most ambitious Olympics opening ceremony in history, set to unfold on the River Seine today. The show will see up to 7,500 competitors sail down a six-kilometre stretch of the Seine on 90 boats, accompanied by a performance blending French culture and Olympic values that organisers promise will be spectacular. The Paris ceremony will take place in front of 300,000 spectators and an audience of VIPs and celebrities from around the world.