Briefly

INDIA

13 die after drinking bootleg liquor

Thirteen people have died over the past five days in India's eastern state of Bihar after allegedly consuming bootleg liquor, local media reported on Thursday. The deaths have reportedly taken place in the Aurangabad and Gaya districts. Bihar has been a "dry state" for the past several years since the state's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar prohibited the sale and consumption of liquor. However, the illegal trade of liquor involving the liquor mafia purchased from neighboring states and secretly sold in Bihar has been going on in the state. Most of the victims complained about vomiting, stomachache, and vision problems, said media reports.

PAKISTAN

Ex-PM Khan issues election ultimatum

Pakistan's ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday warned the government to stage fresh elections or face more mass protests, after leading thousands of supporters to the capital Islamabad in a showdown with his political rivals. His morning address was the culmination of a chaotic 24 hours which saw the capital blockaded and clashes break out between police and protesters across the country. The government had attempted to prevent the convoy from reaching the capital by shutting down all entry and exit points around the city, but was forced to allow in the protesters by an emergency Supreme Court order.

UNITED STATES

Starliner completes key ISS test mission

Boeing's Starliner capsule returned to Earth on Wednesday in the final step of a key uncrewed test flight to prove itself worthy of providing rides for NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. The spaceship landed in a puff of sand at 4:49 pm local time in the New Mexico desert, wrapping up a six-day mission crucial to restoring Boeing's reputation after past failures. "Just a beautiful touchdown in White Sands this evening," said an announcer on a NASA live feed, as a recovery team quickly raced to the landing site.

Xinhua - Agencies