Deadly Floods in Nepal and Tibet: Over 500 Confirmed Dead, 1,000 Missing

More than 500 people have been confirmed dead and at least 1,000 are missing after a massive wave of water, mud and debris tore through a Himalayan river valley in Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday. Nepali police issued a new flood alert Friday, warning that additional floodwaters could surge into already devastated areas. Rescue efforts continue as the death toll is expected to rise.

Iranian officials said Iran will only reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping if the U.S. lifts its blockade of Iranian ports, provides compensation and removes sanctions. The statement came six months after joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which President Trump at the time called a “short-term excursion” that would end within weeks.

The Washington Post reports CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a secret trip to Moscow this week amid fresh U.S. intelligence suggesting the Kremlin views the U.S. as weakened by the ongoing war with Iran. Meanwhile, the Pentagon faces a severe shortage of Patriot missile interceptors in Europe after depleting most supplies defending U.S. bases and Israel from Iranian drones and missiles.

In southern Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed a woman just 48 hours after her wedding in the Nabatieh district. Her home was also destroyed. Six others were wounded, including a child, a woman and two elderly people. In Gaza, an Israeli drone strike killed three members of the same family north of Khan Younis. On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to target any Palestinians flying balloons or kites over Gaza, calling it a “terrorist act.” Parents have since banned children from flying kites.

The Trump administration deported more than 50 Haitians to Cap-Haïtien on Thursday as part of an expanded removal effort following the end of temporary protected status (TPS). The flight included children as young as 1 and several children born in the U.S. and Brazil. In Springfield, Ohio, Haitian residents report increased fear of immigration enforcement, with masked ICE agents in unmarked vehicles detaining community members.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty is demanding the capture of ICE agent Christian Castro, who was released from custody Thursday after a judge blocked Minnesota’s extradition request. Castro is accused of shooting a Venezuelan man in the leg in Minnesota. Moriarty called the move by Texas officials “manipulating an extradition process” to protect a man accused of shooting into a home with children inside.

President Trump signed an executive order Thursday renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America, effective immediately. The move came days after the White House imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. The order received support from MAGA-aligned politicians and criticism from Democrats, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who mocked the renaming in a social media post.

Three employees of the federally funded news organization Stars and Stripes filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon, alleging they were fired for critical reporting. The firings followed Stars and Stripes’ coverage of poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln during its deployment to the Middle East. President Trump had called the reports “fake news.”

The U.S. Navy is considering renaming an aircraft carrier after President Trump once its construction is complete. The warship was originally named after Doris Miller, an African American sailor who served during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Justice Department lawyers suggested the Trump administration may demolish the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts unless permitted to add the words “renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump” to the building’s exterior, despite a federal judge’s order to remove Trump’s name. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended the plan, citing cost concerns.

Newly published financial disclosure forms show President Trump made more than 1,000 stock transactions in June, including trades in energy companies profiting from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, as well as artificial intelligence and pharmaceutical stocks.

A sold-out event at New York’s Riverside Church in March celebrated 30 years of Democracy Now! with appearances by Angela Davis, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith and Michael Stipe.