Briefly

RUSSIA

New chief named for ground forces

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov has named Colonel General Andrei Mordvichev as commander-in-chief of the ground forces, the military newspaper Red Star reported on Thursday. Belousov described the 49-year-old general as "an experienced combat officer who has fully demonstrated his leadership abilities during the special military operation". In February last year, Mordvichev led the capture of Avdiivka in Donetsk, for which he was awarded the Hero of the Russian Federation.

AUSTRALIA

Floods leave over 50,000 stranded

Record floods stranded more than 50,000 people in eastern Australia on Thursday, killing three as a muddy tide swept through towns and swollen rivers cut off roads. Police have pulled three bodies from rising floodwaters on the Mid-North Coast, about 400 kilometers north of Sydney. Authorities launched a major search-and-rescue mission as people clambered atop cars, houses and highway bridges to escape flash floods. The storms have dumped more than half a year's worth of rain over just three days, the government weather bureau said. "We are seeing levels in local tributaries, creeks and rivers that we haven't seen since 1920," said Chris Minns, premier of New South Wales.

UNITED STATES

Jetliner accepted from Qatar as gift

The United States has accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jetliner as a gift from Qatar and the Air Force has been asked to find a way to rapidly upgrade it for use as a new Air Force One to transport President Donald Trump, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. Qatar's offer of the jet — which is valued in hundreds of millions of dollars — has raised huge constitutional and ethical questions, as well as security concerns about using an aircraft donated by a foreign power for use as the presidential plane. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accepted the jet in accordance with all federal rules and regulations, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said, adding that the Defense Department "will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered". Legal experts have questioned the scope of laws relating to gifts from foreign governments that aim to thwart corruption and improper influence.

PHILIPPINES

Marcos seeks 'bold reset' after poll fiasco

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr sought the resignation of all his cabinet secretaries on Thursday after disappointing results for his party at the midterm elections, a move seen as an attempt to reset the political agenda. The order came after the president's allies failed to win a majority of Senate seats contested in the May 12 polls, leaving Marcos facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028. "The people have spoken, and they expect results — not politics, not excuses. We hear them, and we will act," Marcos said, calling his plan for cabinet renewal a "bold reset".

Agencies - Xinhua