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19 women drowned as boat capsizes in Pakistan's Indus River: media
At least 19 women were killed on Monday when a boat capsized in the Indus River near Machka area of Sadiqabad city in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, local media reported.
According to media, around 60 to 70 passengers were on board. They were part of a marriage procession that was heading towards Machka from a nearby area.
Read: Soldier killed in terror attack in NW Pakistan
At least 35 people were rescued by the locals, police told media.
The search operation for the people who are still missing is underway.
Sri Lanka's Parliament readies to accept names for president
Sri Lanka's Parliament was preparing Tuesday to accept nominations to elect a successor to its ousted president, amid political turmoil that threatens to worsen instability as the country endures its most severe economic crisis in recent memory.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country last week after protesters outraged by the crisis stormed his official residence and occupied other key public buildings. He later submitted his resignation via an email to the speaker of the parliament.
Three lawmakers— the leader of the main opposition Sajith Premadasa, former government minister Dallas Alahapperuma and Marxist party leader Anura Dissanayake have said they will contest Wednesday's parliamentary vote.
Also read: Sri Lanka's political turmoil sows worries for recovery
Acting President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has not said he will run, but statements from Rajapaksa's party, which still holds a majority in Parliament, expressed backing for him. This has angered many who see his possible election as an extension of the Rajapaksa rule and a potential comeback for the beleaguered political family.
Separately on Tuesday the Supreme Court was set to decide whether Wickremesinghe's appointment as acting president last week by the speaker of the parliament was legal. If it is pronounced illegal, Wickremesinghe may become ineligible to run for president.
Students and political activists said they planned protests Tuesday. Some intimidating posts circulating on social media warned lawmakers against returning to their constituencies if they vote for Wickremesinghe.
Parliament was heavily guarded by hundreds of soldiers, its entry points barricaded. Staff at parliament and reporters were thoroughly searched before they were allowed to enter.
Sri Lanka's economy has collapsed, its foreign exchange reserves depleted, and it has suspended repayment of foreign loans. Its population is struggling with shortages of essentials like medicine, fuel and food.
Also read: Is the pro-Chinese Left behind the Sri Lanka agitation?
The government is in talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout package and is preparing a loan restructuring plan as a prelude to that.
Rajapaksa's exit last week marked at least a temporary dismantling of the Rajapaksa dynasty that had ruled Sri Lanka for most part of the past two decades.
Before the recent upheavals, six family members held high positions including president, prime minister and finance minister. All have lost their positions after public protests started in late March.
Sri Lanka's political turmoil sows worries for recovery
A day after Sri Lanka’s president fled, Mohamed Ishad waited outside an immigration office near the capital, clutching a file of documents that he hopes will get his passport renewed so he can leave, too.
With the nation in the throes of its worst economic crisis, Ishad has no job, relies on relatives for financial help and sells vegetables to feed his wife and three children. He wants to go to Japan and find work there so he can send money back home.
Ishad is devastated to leave his family behind, but feels there is no choice — and no opportunity — in his country. “Living in Sri Lanka right now is not good — if you want a good life, you need to leave,” he said. Not only has the economy collapsed, but “there’s hardly a government functioning right now.”
Also read: Sri Lanka acting president declares emergency amid protests
Bankruptcy has forced the island nation's government to a near standstill. Its once-beloved and now reviled former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to Singapore before resigning last week. The acting president and prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is seen as his proxy and opposed by angry crowds.
Parliament is expected to elect a new leader Wednesday, paving the way for a fresh government, but it is unclear if that's enough to fix a shattered economy and placate a furious nation of 22 million that has grown disillusioned with politicians of all stripes.
The political ruckus has deepened worries that solutions to the crisis, including a crucial assistance from the International Monetary Fund, may be delayed.
“Right now, the eye is off the ball,” said Dayan Jayatilleka, a former diplomat and political analyst. “It’s like in the middle of a serious surgery, everybody from the top surgeon to the anesthesiologist, ran out of the operation room to start a revolution — but they need to come back and finish the surgery before the patient is dead.”
Also read: Wickremesinghe becomes interim Sri Lankan president
The IMF is monitoring the situation closely, but any bailout package will be contingent on Sri Lanka’s debt-restructuring strategy and political stability. “People are probably thinking, who do we talk to? Don’t you guys care about the economy? Will the real president please stand up?” Jayatilleka said.
For months, the country has been on edge, triggered by a foreign exchange crisis that has crippled imports of essentials like fuel, food and medicine. Doctors are warning people to not get sick while families are struggling to eat three meals a day in a country that was once an inspiration across South Asia for its expanding middle class and high per capita income.
Now, the government owes $51 billion in debt and is unable to make payments on its loans. Its currency has collapsed by 80%, making imports more expensive and worsening inflation. Sri Lanka has only $25 million in usable foreign reserves and needs $6 billion to stay afloat over the next few months.
“Gotabaya resigning is one problem solved -- there are so many more. They will continue if we don’t make the right choice in choosing our leaders,” said Bhasura Wickremesinghe, a 24-year-old maritime engineering student.
Among the candidates that Parliament will choose as president are Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the main opposition party; Dullas Alahapperuma, a former minister under Rajapaksa who is likely to be backed by a section of the ruling coalition; and Anura Dissanayake, a Marxist leader whose public support has grown during the crisis.
Another rumored candidate — and the most contentious — would be Wickremesinghe, who could likely count on support of the governing party if he decided to seek nomination. Protesters have rallied for weeks to kick him out of office, accusing him of protecting the Rajapaksa dynasty. If he is nominated and chosen, it will be a “powder keg," said Jayatilleka.
The six-time prime minister, who is also the current finance minister, was appointed by Rajapaksa in May to begin difficult negotiations with lenders and financial institutions. He has also promised to overhaul the political system to clip presidential powers. But his unpopularity grew as lines for fuel got longer, food prices surged and power cuts continued.
He recently called the protesters “fascists” and imposed a state of emergency after his office was seized and his private residence torched.
Wickremesinghe is the only lawmaker from his party to hold a seat in Parliament after it suffered a humiliating defeat in 2020, limiting his public support and political heft. Many don’t see him as a legitimate leader despite his seasoned political career and expertise, said Bhavani Fonseka, a senior researcher at Colombo-based Center for Policy Alternatives.
“This political uncertainty is a killer of the economy -- that has to be resolved fast and in a way that satisfies the people of the country,” said W.A. Wijewardena, a former deputy governor of the Sri Lankan central bank. An immediate roadmap is needed, focused on boosting exports, increasing revenue through new taxes and slashing expenditure, but none of this can be achieved if there is no stable government in place, he added.
Many people are aching for a tangible change in their lives right now, Fonseka said, and don't care about the complex negotiations. “For them, it's the basics of fuel and food — are they getting it or not?”
She said that whoever forms the government "cannot rule the way it was before, they will need to engage better with the public and protesters to show they are different.”
“But if it is someone who does not have the confidence or trust of the people, then the tumultuous protests will continue, and there won't be any stability or solutions in near sight.”
13 killed in India bus accident
At least 13 people died after a commuter bus fell off a bridge into a river in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on Monday, police said. More than 40 people, including a driver and a conductor, were on board the bus when it veered off the road and plunged into the Narmada river after breaching the railing of the bridge at Khalghat in Dhar district, some 260 kms from state capital Bhopal.
"The accident occurred when the driver lost control of the bus amid light showers. The government-owned bus was on its way to the neighbouring state of Maharashtra," a police officer told the local media.
"Some 13 bodies have been fished out of the river, while we could manage to save 15 lives. The rescue operation is on," he said.
Read:India records over 20,000 COVID-19 cases for third day
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took to Twitter to express grief over the loss of lives in the accident. "Instructions have been given to make arrangements for proper treatment of the injured," he wrote.
"A probe has been ordered into the tragic accident," the police officer said.
Road accidents are common in India, with one taking place every four minutes. These accidents are blamed on poor roads, rash driving and scant regard for traffic laws.
The Indian government's implementation of stricter traffic laws in recent years has failed to rein in accidents, which claim over 100,000 lives every year.
Sri Lanka acting president declares emergency amid protests
Sri Lanka’s acting president on Monday declared a state of emergency giving him broad authority amid growing protests demanding his resignation two days before the country’s lawmakers are set to elect a new president.
Ranil Wickremesinghe became acting president on Friday after his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled abroad on Wednesday and resigned after months-long mass protests over the country’s economic collapse.
Wickremesinghe’s move to impose a state of emergency comes as protests demanding his resignation too have continued in most parts of the country, with some protesters burning his effigy.
Lawmakers who met on Saturday began the process of electing a new leader to serve the rest of the term abandoned by Rajapaksa. Nominations for the election of the new president will be heard on Tuesday, and if there is more than one candidate the lawmakers will vote on Wednesday.
Read: Sri Lanka begins choosing leader to replace ex-president
The emergency decree issued by Wickremesinghe invokes sections of the Public Security Ordinance that allow him to make regulations in the interests of public security, the preservation of public order, the suppression of mutiny, riot or civil commotion, or for the maintenance of essential supplies.
Under the emergency regulations, Wickremesinghe can authorize detentions, take possession of any property and search any premises. He can also change or suspend any law.
The South Indian island nation is engulfed in an unprecedented economic crisis that has triggered political uncertainty.
Sri Lanka has run short of money to pay for imports of basic necessities such as food, fertilizer, medicine and fuel for its 22 million people. Its rapid economic decline has been all the more shocking because before the crisis the economy had been expanding, with a growing, comfortable middle class.
Sri Lanka is seeking help from the International Monetary Fund and other creditors, but top officials say its finances are so poor that even obtaining a bailout has proven difficult.
The economic hardships led to political upheaval and widespread protests demanding the government led by Rajapaksa step down. Although many ministers resigned in April, Rajapaksa had remained in power until last week.
The main protests have occurred in the capital, Colombo, where protesters occupied the front of the president’s office for more than 100 days.
The protesters accuse Rajapaksa and his powerful political family of siphoning money from government coffers and of hastening the country’s collapse by mismanaging the economy. The family has denied the corruption allegations, but Rajapaksa acknowledged that some of his policies contributed to Sri Lanka’s meltdown.
Rajapaksa flew first to the Maldives on Wednesday and then to Singapore.
Voting underway to elect new India President
Voting is underway in India to elect a new President, in a high-octane contest where over 4,500 lawmakers across the country are eligible to exercise their franchise.
The front-runner is ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate Droupadi Murmu, a tribal politician and a former state governor. She is being challenged by opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha, a former Finance Minister.
In India, the President is elected not directly by the people but by the members of both Houses of Parliament -- the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha -- and state assemblies and federal government-ruled Territories.
Like in Bangladesh, the Indian President is the ceremonial head of state who does not exercise executive powers.
Read: Bengal governor likely to become India's Vice-President
The counting of votes will be held on July 21 and India's 15th President will take oath of office on July 25, replacing incumbent head of state Ram Nath Kovind, according to the Election Commission of India.
Murmu, a former teacher hailing from the eastern state of Odisha, is projected to win as President, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party and its coalition partners commanding over 48% of the electoral vote.
If elected, the 64-year-old will be youngest and first tribal President of India.
Who's Murmu?
Born in independent India on June 20 in 1958, Murmu completed her graduation in 1979 and began her career as a government employee before becoming a school teacher.
She subsequently made a foray into the eastern Indian state of Odisha's politics, first as a local civic body councillor and then as a legislator.
The two-term legislator went on to become a minister in the state government in 2000. And some 15 years later, Murmu was sworn in as the first woman Governor of the eastern state of Jharkhand.
In her personal life, Murmu lost her husband and their two sons. While her husband died of a cardiac arrest, one of her two sons was found dead under mysterious circumstances in 2009. She has a daughter.
China floods leave at least 12 dead, thousands evacuated
Flash floods in southwest and northwest China have left at least a dozen dead and put thousands of others in harm's way, state media reported Sunday.
In the southwestern province of Sichuan, at least six people have died and another 12 are missing after torrential rain triggered flash floods, state-owned news outlet CGTN reported.
Some 1,300 people had been evacuated as of Saturday, the report said.
Meanwhile, in Longnan city in the northwestern province of Gansu, another six deaths were reported and 3,000 people have been evacuated, state broadcaster CCTV said. Rainfall in 1 1/2 day was as much as 98.9 millimeters (3.9 inches) in the worst affected areas, almost double the July average.
The rains come amid a heat wave in parts of the country including eastern Zhejiang province and the city of Shanghai, with temperatures soaring as high as 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit) last week.
Experts say such extreme weather events are becoming more likely because of climate change. Warmer air can store more water, leading to bigger cloudbursts when it’s released.
The flooding adds to economic woes brought on partly by stringent “zero-COVID” measures restricting travel and disrupting supply chains.
China is not the only country experiencing extreme weather this summer. In Germany, low water levels in the Rhine due to droughts have disrupted the supply chain for commodities into the country. Heat waves have also hit the southern part of the U.S., with temperatures expected to soar over 38 C (100 F) in coming days.
Bengal governor likely to become India's Vice-President
Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is likely to become the country's next Vice-President, with India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday naming him as its candidate for the coveted constitutional post.
"Dhankhar is a 'kisan putra' (son of a farmer) who established himself as people's governor," party chief JP Nadda told the media, following the ruling outfit's parliamentary board meeting in Delhi this evening.
The country's vice-presidential polls are slated for August.
Born on 18 May, 1951, in Kithana, a small village in the western state of Rajasthan, to a farmer family, Dhankhar completed his graduation in law and entered politics at a young age.
He subsequently became a member of the Rajasthan state assembly and then India's Parliament. He also served as a senior advocate with India's Supreme Court.
The Vice-President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament -- the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) and the Lok Sabha (Lower House).
The incumbent Vice-President, Venkaiah Naidu's five-year term ends on August 10.
Sudan says 31 killed in tribal clashes in Blue Nile province
At least 31 people were killed in tribal clashes in a Sudanese southern province, authorities said, the latest bloodshed in a country in turmoil since an October military coup.
The fighting between the Hausa and Birta ethnic groups in the Blue Nile province grew out of the killing of a farmer earlier this week, according to a statement from the local government late Friday.
The clashes also left at least 39 people injured and damaged some 16 shops shops in the town of Roseires, it said.
The local government deployed the military and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces — or RSF — to bring stability to the region.
Authorities also imposed a nightly curfew and banned gatherings in the area where the clashes took place.
Read: Sudan's top general lifts state of emergency from coup
The violence came amid chaos in Sudan since the military’s took over in October, removing a transitional government that ruled the country since a popular uprising forced the overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
The coup upended the country’s transition to democracy and raised questions about military leaders’ ability to bring security to Sudan’s far-reaching areas. In April, tribal clashes killed over 200 people in war-wrecked Darfur.
Gunmen kill 10 traders, hurt 2, in Indonesia's restive Papua
Gunmen believed to be separatist rebels killed 10 traders and wounded two others in an attack Saturday in Indonesia’s restive Papua province, police said.
Clashes have escalated in country's the easternmost province since last year, when rebels set fire to several schools and killed two teachers.
Attackers were believed to be members of the West Papua Liberation Army, the military wing of the Free Papua Organization, police said.
Read: Indonesian troops kill Papuan rebel commander
About 20 gunmen stormed the village of Nogolait in Nduga district while a grocer was preparing to open his wares. They shot him and seven other traders who were on an open freight truck, along with four passersby, said Papua police spokesman Ahmad Musthofa Kamal.
He said that most of the victims, all men, were immigrants from other Indonesian islands. Security forces found the bodies scattered in four separate areas.
Seven men were killed instantly while three others died at a nearby clinic, Kamal said. He said police and the military were searching for the attackers.
A spokesperson for the Free Papua Organization couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
On many occasions, rebel spokesman Sebby Sambom has said the group’s fighters had warned civilians to leave areas the rebels consider a “war zone.” He also urged workers to leave all Indonesian government projects, or they would be considered part of security forces.
Papua is a former Dutch colony in the western part of New Guinea that is ethnically and culturally distinct from much of Indonesia. Conflicts between indigenous Papuans and Indonesian security forces have raged for years.
Indonesia’s government, which for decades had a policy of sending Javanese and other Indonesians to settle in Papua, is now trying to spur economic development to dampen the separatist movement.
In March, rebel gunmen killed eight technicians repairing a remote telecommunications tower. In December 2018, at least 31 construction workers and a soldier were killed in one of the worst attacks in the province.