Briefly

INDIA

Recovery begins after storm slams coast

Indian authorities on Friday began assessing damage and clearing roads in the wake of Cyclone Amphan that killed more than 96 people and left millions displaced after barreling through the coastal communities of eastern India and neighboring Bangladesh. In West Bengal state, which bore the brunt of the storm that caused extensive flooding in its capital Kolkata, police and teams from India's national disaster response force removed fallen trees and other debris, repaired communication lines and started getting hundreds of thousands of people out of shelters. Amphan hit land on Wednesday as the most powerful storm in the region in more than a decade.

MIDDLE EAST

Israel reduces water supplies to West Bank

Palestine on Thursday blasted Israel for reducing water supplies to West Bank districts this week without notice. The Palestinian Water Authority, or PWA, said in a statement that Israeli authorities significantly reduced the amount of water allotted to the West Bank districts of Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin and Hebron, during the past few days. The sudden cuts directly affected the amount of water supplied to the public and led to irregular water pressure, the authority said.

UNITED STATES

Michigan officials assess flood damage

It could be days before the full scope of damage from flooding in central Michigan that submerged houses, washed away roads and threatened a Superfund site is apparent, authorities warned on Thursday. Some of the floodwaters from heavy rains that overtook two dams retreated, but much remained underwater, including in Midland, the headquarters of Dow Chemical Co. And floodwaters continued to threaten downstream communities.

VENEZUELA

Letter sent to Pelosi on invasion attempt

Venezuela has sent a letter to the US Congress outlying its case against the US government regarding a claimed failed seaborne invasion, Venezuelan Attorney-General Tarek William Saab said on Thursday. Two former US special forces soldiers who now face terrorism charges were among the 91 people Venezuela said it had captured in thwarting an armed incursion from the sea. Caracas has accused US President Donald Trump of being directly responsible for the raid. William Saab said the letter had been received by Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives.

SAUDI ARABIA

Khashoggi's family forgive five killers

The family of slain Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi announced on Friday that they have forgiven his killers, giving legal reprieve to the five government agents who had been sentenced to death for an operation that cast a cloud of suspicion over Riyadh. Salah Khashoggi has received financial compensation from the royal court for his father's October 2017 killing. Jamal Khashoggi's death in Istanbul, which took place as his Turkish fiance waited for him outside the Saudi consulate, drew international attention.

Agencies - Xinhua