95 Libyan nationals arrested in S. Africa at suspected secret military training camp

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African police say they have arrested 95 Libyan nationals on suspicion of receiving training at a secret military camp in the north of the country. Police raided the camp at a farm in White River in the Mpumalanga province, about 220 miles northeast of Johannesburg. National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says in a post on the social media site X on Friday that the Libyans stated they were entering the country on study visas to train as security guards but police investigations suggest they have received military training at the camp. The Newzroom Afrika TV news channel broadcast pictures of the site of the arrests, showing a military-style camp with green tents.

Ethiopia declares 3 days of national mourning as mudslide death toll rises

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopian lawmakers declared three days of mourning Friday as diggers continued the search for bodies of mudslide victims in a remote part of the East African country. Heavy rain triggered deadly slides on Sunday and Monday in Ethiopia’s south, killing at least 257 people, according to the U.N. humanitarian office, known as OCHA. It said in its latest update that the death toll could rise to as many as 500, citing local officials. The national assembly said a three-day period of national mourning would begin on Saturday. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said earlier in the week that he was “deeply saddened by this terrible loss.”

Is the champagne nestled in a 19th-century shipwreck still fit for a toast?

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A team of Polish divers has discovered the wreckage of an old sailing ship loaded “to the brim” with luxury goods including porcelain items and about 100 bottles of Champagne and mineral water off the Swedish coast. They believe the precious goods could have been on the way to the royal table in Stockholm or the Russian tsar’s residence in St. Petersburg when the ship sank sometime in the second half of the 19th century. The private Baltictech group of divers, which searches for shipwrecks on the Baltic seabed, made the discovery on July 11. They have notified Swedish authorities and underwater search experts to determine the next steps in exploring the wreck.

Russia detains former deputy defense minister on corruption charges

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian security services say a former defense ministry official has been arrested on corruption charges. It’s the latest in a series of high-profile military arrests in Russia. Former Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Dmitry Bulgakov was detained in Moscow and ordered held in custody pending an investigation and trial, Russia’s Investigative Committee said Friday, without giving further details. Seven top military figures have now been arrested on charges of fraud, bribery or abuse of office in recent months, including Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, who was arrested for bribery in April and then dismissed from his post.