BEIJING (AFP) – Three Chinese astronauts landed in northern China on Saturday after 183 days in space, state broadcaster CCTV said, ending the country’s longest crewed space mission to date. The Shenzhou-13 spacecraft is the latest mission in Beijing’s drive to become a major space power rivaling the United States, after landing a rover on Mars and sending probes to the Moon. The two men and one woman -- Zhai Zhigang, Ye Guangfu and Wang Yaping -- landed safely in a small capsule shortly before 10 am Beijing time, after six months aboard the Tianhe core module of China’s Tiangong space station. “Shenzhou 13’s re-entry capsule successfully landed,” state broadcaster CCTV said. Live footage from CCTV showed the capsule landing in a cloud of dust, with ground crew who had kept clear of the landing site rushing in helicopters to reach the capsule. The trio originally launched in the Shenzhou-13 from the Gobi Desert in northwestern China last October, as the second of four crewed missions during 2021-2022 sent to assemble the country’s first permanent space station -- Tiangong, which means “heavenly palace.” The trio have completed two spacewalks, carried out numerous scientific experiments, set up equipment and tested technologies for future construction during their time in orbit.

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CAIRO (AP) – A migrant boat has capsized off the Libyan coast, leaving at least 35 people dead or presumed dead, the UN migration agency said Saturday. The shipwreck took place Friday off the western Libyan city of Sabratha, a major launching point for the mainly African migrants making the dangerous voyage across the Mediterranean, said the International Organization for Migration. The IOM said the bodies of six migrants were pulled out while 29 others were missing and presumed dead. It was not immediately clear what caused the wooden boat to capsize. The tragedy was the latest to involve migrants departing from North Africa to seek a better life in Europe. This past week alone, at least 53 migrants were reported dead or presumed dead off Libya, according to the IOM. “Dedicated search and rescue capacity and a safe disembarkation mechanism are urgently needed to prevent further deaths and suffering,” the IOM said. Investigators commissioned by the United Nations’ top human rights body found evidence of possible crimes against humanity committed in Libya against migrants detained in government-run prisons and at the hands of human traffickers.

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NEW DELHI (Anadolu) – India has received defense equipment for the training squadron of the Russia-made S-400 Triumf advanced surface-to-air missile defense system, local media reported. In December, India announced that Russia had begun deliveries of the S-400 long-range defense systems to India. Local news agency Asian News International (ANI) reported that the country received simulators and other equipment from Moscow. The report said that despite the war in Ukraine, “defense supplies from Moscow are continuing.” The latest supplies from Russia also included “overhauled fighter aircraft engines and spares for an aircraft fleet.” “It does not include missiles or launchers,” the agency quoted defense sources as saying, adding that India also received the final parts of the S-400 system from Russia whose first squadron was “operational to take care of threats” from neighboring countries. In 2018, India and Russia signed a $5.5 billion contract for the S-400 system, putting India at risk of U.S. sanctions. The U.S. has long tried to deter countries from buying military equipment from Russia, threatening them with punitive measures under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

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TUNIS (Al Jazeera) – Tunisian authorities have intensified efforts to avoid an environmental disaster after a merchant ship carrying 750 tons of diesel fuel sank in the Gulf of Gabes off Tunisia’s southeast coast. The cause of the incident was bad weather and authorities were working on Saturday to avoid an environmental catastrophe. Barriers were being set up to limit the spread of fuel and cordon off the ship, the ministry of environment said. “The ship sank this morning in Tunisian territorial waters. For the moment, there is no leak,” Mohamed Karray, a spokesman for a local court said on Saturday, adding that a “disaster prevention committee will meet to decide on the measures to be taken”. Earlier, authorities in Tunisia said the ship that ran into difficulty risks leaking fuel. The merchant ship, the Xelo, requested entry to Tunisian waters on Friday evening due to bad weather, the environment ministry said in a statement.

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ABUJA (AP) – The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has given approval for Nigeria to buy advanced attack helicopters worth nearly $1 billion despite concerns about the country’s human rights record. The State Department has announced the approval of the $997 million sales of 24 Bell AH-1Z Viper helicopters and related equipment to Nigeria. The related equipment includes guidance, night vision and targeting systems as well as engines and training support, the department said in a notice to Congress. The sale was initiated after Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a visit to Nigeria in November last year. Nigeria’s security forces have long been accused of human rights violations in their operations, with personnel involved often escaping justice. In October 2020, the army opened fire at a demonstration in the country’s economic hub where hundreds were protesting against police brutality, killing 11 people and injuring many others, according to a government-backed panel. During Blinken’s visit in November, he said the U.S. was looking forward to seeing the full results of the investigation and would make a decision on arms sales to Nigeria based in part on the findings and whether those responsible were held accountable.