LEBANON: A Lebanese judge has ruled that the country’s former central bank chief will remain in jail while facing charges of embezzling tens of millions of dollars from state coffers.

Lebanon’s Financial Public Prosecution division charged Riad Salameh last week with embezzlement of £32 million after he was detained following an interrogation by Lebanon’s top public prosecutor over several alleged financial crimes.

Mr Salameh claims he is innocent.

CROATIA: Fourteen have been injured after a van, reportedly packed with migrants, veered off a road and hit a lamp post during a police chase, emergency services have said.

The accident happened in eastern Croatia when police tasked with stopping illegal entry into the country spotted a van with Swiss licence plates carrying too many people. When the driver was signalled to stop, they sped up, police said. 

CHINA: China’s Defence Ministry announced today joint naval and air drills with Russia starting this month.

The ministry said the “Northern United-2024” exercises would take place in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk farther north.

It said the naval and air drills aimed to improve strategic co-operation between the two countries and “strengthen their ability to jointly deal with security threats.”

TANZANIA: The most prominent opposition party says an official who went missing last week has been found dead with signs of beatings and acid poured on his face.

Armed men abducted Ali Kibao, a secretariat member of the Chadema party, from a bus travelling from the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam to the port city of Tanga, on Friday. His body was discovered on Saturday.