Seoul, July 22 (IANS) Another person has been confirmed dead after last week’s heavy rains and landslides in South Korea, bringing the total death toll to 19, the government said on Tuesday.Nine others also remain missing, raising the total number of those dead or unaccounted for from the heavy rainfall between Wednesday and Sunday to 28, according to tentative data from the interior ministry.The casualties include 10 dead in the southern county of Sancheong, three in the northern county of Gapyeong and two in the western city of Seosan, according to the ministry.Four of the missing were reported in Sancheong, while another four were reported in Gapyeong.Authorities have sped up recovery efforts, with about 2,976 of the 6,752 buildings and facilities reported damaged having undergone emergency restoration work, Yonhap news agency reported.More than 14,000 people have taken shelter since the heavy rains started, with 2,549 people yet to return to their homes.Earlier on July 21, South Korea President Lee Jae Myung had instructed government officials to swiftly designate flood-stricken regions as special disaster zones to bolster rescue and recovery efforts, and provide support to affected residents.During the visit, Lee had directed Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung to mobilise all available resources and administrative support for the victims and promptly designate flood-stricken regions as special disaster zones, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters.Special disaster zones are entitled to government support for damage recovery and victims’ relief.The South Korean Army had also deployed some 2,500 military personnel and equipment to areas hit hard by the recent torrential rain to help recovery work.A total of around 2,500 emergency personnel and 20 equipment have been deployed in the southwestern city of Gwangju, parts of the South Chungcheong Province and the South Gyeongsang Province since Thursday, according to the Army.The recovery efforts centred on overhauling houses and stores flooded from the rains, including removing soil and organising household items, the Army said, adding that it will continue to assist recovery efforts.–IANSint/jk/sd

Dhaka, July 22 (IANS) The death toll in the Bangladesh Air Force jet crash climbed to 27, twenty-five of the deceased being students, authorities announced on Tuesday.According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media division of the South Asia nation’s Armed Forces, the Air Force’s F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1:06 p.m. (local time) on Monday and crashed into the Milestone School and College building in Dhaka’s Uttara around 1.30 p.m.Addressing a press briefing on Tuesday morning, Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief advisor at the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute in Dhaka, confirmed the update on the casualties.He further stated that at least 78 people are receiving treatment at different hospitals, and five are in critical condition.”Among the deceased, 25 are children — many under the age of 12 — with extensive burn injuries. The other two victims include the aircraft’s pilot and a female schoolteacher,” the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star, quoted Rahman as saying.He added that the bodies of 20 people have been handed over to their relatives.”We are continuing all possible efforts to provide medical care. However, the condition of some patients remains extremely critical,” he added.Rahman also stated that among the dead, six bodies have not been identified, while their DNA has been taken.”Most of the injured are children. Their blood requirement is low. Besides, the ICU at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) is ready,” Rahman further stated.A total of 171 were injured following the tragic incident, the ISPR had said on Monday.Members of the Bangladesh Army and eight engines of the Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the spot and started rescue operations as the jet crashed into the two-story school building of our Milestone School and College, according to a fire service notification on Monday.”On the first floor of this two-story building, there were classes for third and fourth graders. On the second floor, there were classes for second and fifth graders,” Brigadier General Mohammad Zahed Kamal, the Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence, was quoted as saying by the country’s leading Bengali daily, Prothom Alo.”There was a meeting room for the principal’s office next to it. A coaching class was in progress,” he added.–IANSint/scor/sd

New York, July 22 (IANS) Representing India at the Ministerial Segment of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Suman Bery, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, on Tuesday, emphasised the need for the United Nations to remain a key catalyst in driving inclusive and sustainable development across the globe.Addressing the session, Bery said, “We gather at a decisive moment for our shared 2030 agenda. The world is navigating a period of significant economic shifts and uncertainty, which makes our collective work on the Sustainable Development Goals more critical than ever. The world needs anchors of stability, new engines of growth, and development models that can be scaled and shared. India, with its strengths and experience, is willing to offer all three.”He emphasised that India’s sustained economic growth makes it an anchor of stability for the global community, while the country stands out as a vibrant democracy with steadily improving socio-economic indicators enabled by inclusive digital technology, principled reforms, and a focus on empowering all segments of society.Bery stressed that India’s commitment to leaving no one behind through targeted policies and digital public goods has lifted 248 million people out of poverty between 2013-14 to 2022-23.“India is today home to the world’s largest cohort of youth entering employment. India is committed to making sure that they have a bright and productive future. India’s journey demonstrates that inclusive and sustainable development is both possible and scalable. Success of Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) is reshaping consumption patterns and promoting climate-conscious behaviours in more than a billion people,” the NITI Aayog vice chairman noted.Bery affirmed that India is committed to catalysing change through global South cooperation, and it has extended concessional finance, technology partnerships, and capacity-building support to developing countries.“India stands behind the central role of the UN in catalysing change for our world. As we mark UN @80, we reaffirm our belief in the UN as the cornerstone of multilateralism. The UN must continue to serve as a catalyst for inclusive and sustainable development. India supports a more representative and effective UN system that reflects contemporary realities and empowers all nations to shape our shared future,” he concluded.–IANSint/scor/rs

Dhaka, July 22 (IANS) Bangladesh Students’(Chhatra) League, the student wing of Awami League party, on Tuesday slammed the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for failing to provide adequate medical care to the injured children after the country’s Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school building in the capital Dhaka.According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media division of the South Asian nation’s Armed Forces, ISPR, Bangladesh Air Force’s Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1:06 pm, local time, on Monday and crashed into the Milestone School and College building in Dhaka’s Uttara around 1.30 p.m..Local media reported that at least 22 people, most of them reportedly children, were killed and around 171 injured until early Tuesday morning following the tragic incident.“The entire state apparatus has utterly failed to provide adequate medical care to the injured children. From a lack of medical resources and disruptions in treatment, to shameless political showdowns, failure to collect sufficient blood donations- everything contributed to the growing death toll and unimaginable losses. The cries of wounded children and their parents have shaken the air with unbearable grief,” read a statement issued by Saddam Hussain, President of Bangladesh Students’ League.“Meanwhile, there have been blatant attempts to suppress the actual number of casualties, violent crackdowns on protesting students, obstruction of journalists, and inhumane treatment of grieving parents and families. Nearly 12 hours have passed since the plane crash, yet the government has failed to release an official death toll. There have been no updates, while the media remains eerily silent,” the statement added.Expressing deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the victims of the tragic incident, the Students’ League stated that “such deliberate silence and suppression have only deepened public grief, turning sorrow into outrage and despair.”“The Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute has now become a refuge for the wounded children. But the bloodthirsty Yunus regime has failed to ensure proper treatment by maintaining order, hygiene, and safety,” the Students’ League noted.Accusing the Yunus-led interim government, it further stated that “through politicisation, occupation, and corruption of health facilities, by turning hospitals into political offices and persecuting doctors- the country’s entire healthcare system has been brought to ruin.”Following the plane crash, former Prime Minister and Awami League President, Sheikh Hasina, on Monday expressed grief, sympathy, and called for comprehensive support and responsible action.In her statement, she said that “the plane crash has caused a humanitarian crisis in the affected area and its surroundings”. She urged everyone, including local Awami League leaders, members of affiliated organisations, and residents of the area, to come forward with full cooperation and a sense of responsibility to assist with rescue efforts and help relocate people to safety.–IANSint/scor/rs

Sanaa, July 22 (IANS) Yemen’s Houthi armed group claimed that it had launched five drone…

Beirut, July 22 (IANS) US special envoy Thomas Barrack underscored Washington’s diplomatic efforts to support Lebanon’s sovereignty and peace process, noting that it cannot force Israel to do anything.”The US has no business in trying to compel Israel to do anything,” Barrack told reporters at a press conference following his meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.The US envoy, who also serves as US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, arrived in Beirut on Sunday for his third visit since June to meet with senior officials and political and religious figures, Xinhua news agency reported.Barrack said that although a ceasefire agreement had come into effect between Lebanon and Israel, it had not succeeded. He acknowledged that there are reasons for its failure and that addressing those reasons is a collective effort currently underway.He said the US efforts are aimed at leveraging diplomatic influence to help bring the conflict to a peaceful resolution.The US envoy said the disarmament of Hezbollah is “a deeply internal matter,” noting that Washington is ready to work with the Lebanese government to explore ways of providing support.Also on Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday presented US envoy Thomas Barrack with a draft memorandum outlining Lebanon’s commitments since the ceasefire with Israel, which came into effect on November 27, 2024.According to Lebanon’s presidency, the memorandum reaffirms Lebanon’s intention to assert full state authority across its territory through its armed forces, limit the possession of weapons exclusively to the Lebanese military, and ensure that decisions on war and peace remain under the jurisdiction of Lebanon’s constitutional institutions.The statement added that this process will take place in parallel with the preservation of Lebanese sovereignty along all its international borders, the initiation of reconstruction efforts, and the launch of economic recovery.Despite the US- and French-brokered ceasefire agreement, which called for a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the Israeli army has occasionally carried out strikes in Lebanon, claiming they are meant to eliminate Hezbollah “threats.” Israel has also maintained a presence at five key positions in the Lebanese border region, despite a February 18 deadline for complete withdrawal.–IANSint/rs

Washington, July 22 (IANS) Gita Gopinath, the First Deputy Managing Director (FDMD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will be stepping down from her role in August 2025 to return to academia at Harvard University, the IMF announced. Gopinath, a trailblazer in international economics, will be taking on the role of the inaugural Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics at Harvard.The IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva confirmed Gopinath’s departure and said a successor will be named “in due course.”Gopinath first joined the IMF in 2019 as Chief Economist, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Her leadership during a time of extraordinary global economic upheaval, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting macroeconomic disruptions, was widely recognised.In January 2022, she was promoted to First Deputy Managing Director, the Fund’s No. 2 position.In a post on X, Gopinath reflected on her nearly seven-year tenure at the Fund and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve at one of the world’s foremost financial institutions.“After nearly 7 amazing years at the IMF, I have decided to return to my academic roots. On September 1, 2025, I will rejoin @HarvardEcon as the inaugural Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics. I am truly grateful for my time at @IMFnews, first as Chief Economist and then as First Deputy Managing Director,” she wrote.”I have had the privilege of working closely with the IMF’s brilliant and committed staff, colleagues in management, the Executive Board, and country authorities. I am especially thankful to @KGeorgieva and her predecessor, @Lagarde, for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve the IMF’s membership during a period of unprecedented challenges. I now return to my roots in academia, where I look forward to continuing to push the research frontier in international finance and macroeconomics to address global challenges, and to training the next generation of economists.”Before joining the IMF, she served as the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard University.Under her leadership, the IMF played a key role in shaping the global economic response to crises, including COVID-19, supply chain shocks, debt distress in developing countries, and climate finance challenges.Her successor at the IMF is yet to be announced.–IANSint/rs

London, July 22 (IANS) British Defence Secretary John Healey announced the launch of a 50-day military support campaign for Ukraine, aligning with a recent warning issued by US President Donald Trump to Russia.

Healey said on social media platform X that at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) meeting held on Monday, participating countries reached a new agreement to supply critical air defence ammunition to Ukraine, “as part of a 50-day drive to arm Ukraine and force Putin to the negotiating table.”Last week, Trump said that he had secured an agreement with NATO allies to facilitate large-scale arms deliveries to Ukraine. He also warned Russia that it would face a second round of tariffs if it fails to reach a peace deal within 50 days, Xinhua news agency reported.At the UDCG meeting, Healey affirmed Britain’s support, saying that Britain “backs this policy” and will fully participate to ensure its success.Healey also revealed that Britain and Germany have agreed to jointly provide air defence missiles to Ukraine. The partnership is part of a wider European initiative aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.According to a press release from the British Ministry of Defence on Monday, Britain has already delivered more than 150 million pounds ($202.5 million) worth of air defence missiles and artillery to Ukraine over the past two months. The country is also ramping up procurement efforts to provide hundreds more air defence missiles and thousands of artillery shells.In total, Britain is expected to spend at least 700 million pounds on air defence and artillery support for Ukraine this year, including the 150 million pounds worth of equipment already delivered, according to the release. (1 pound = 1.35 US dollars)–IANSint/rs

Washington, July 22 (IANS) US President Donald Trump’s Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that the administration has released over 230,000 pages of documents related to the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK).

The related files were released after nearly 60 years of questions surrounding the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Gabbard said in a post on social media platform X.”The documents include details about the FBI’s investigation into the assassination of MLK, discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, information about James Earl Ray’s former cellmate who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot, and more,” according to Gabbard.On January 23, three days after taking office, Trump signed an executive order to declassify any remaining files from the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and MLK, Xinhua news agency reported.After a court’s order in 1977, the records gathered by the FBI which totaled to more than 240,000 pages were blocked from public viewing and were in turn kept in the National Archives and Records Administration.King’s family, including his two living children, Martin III and Bernice, were informed about the decision by the Trump administration to release the files and their own teams were reviewing the records. However, several members of the King’s family opposed the release of documents.MLK stands as one of the most prominent figures in the American civil rights movement. He is widely celebrated for his commitment to nonviolent campaigns against racial segregation and inequality, as well as his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.–IANSint/rs

Islamabad, July 21 (IANS) A Baloch human rights organisation on Monday slammed the Pakistani authorities for forcibly evicting Baloch protestors – including women, children and elderly members – from their flat after cutting off water supply and exposing them to extreme weather conditions in Islamabad.”Islamabad authorities have now forcibly evicted Baloch protestors from their flat after cutting off water and subjecting them to rain and heat. Pressuring landlords to displace peaceful demonstrators is cruel and unacceptable,” said the Baloch Voice for Justice.According to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), Sunday marked the fifth consecutive day of the sit-in protest by the families of forcibly disappeared persons and detained leaders of the BYC in Islamabad. Since the beginning of the camp, the protestors have been denied the right to set up the camp in front of the Islamabad Press Club.Nadia Baloch, sister of BYC Central Organiser Mahrang Baloch, on Monday criticised the Islamabad Police and state institutions, accusing them of mistreating Baloch women in a manner unimaginable even for immigrants anywhere in the world.”Islamabad police and state institutions are treating Baloch women in a manner that is not even meted out to immigrants anywhere in the world. For years, our people have been forcibly disappeared, and then their mutilated bodies are dumped in desolate places. Occupying Baloch resources, state control over our land, imposing artificial leadership on our politics, and imprisoning our true leaders—despite doing all this, the State is still not satisfied. Now, we are apparently not even given the right to live in the capital of our own country, Islamabad,” Nadia posted on X”Evicting Baloch children, mothers, and elders from their homes in the darkness of last night and leaving them on the streets is not just insensitivity but the worst form of state oppression, fascism, and racial discrimination. Islamabad police and state institutions should clearly state: Are Baloch equal citizens of this state or not? If we are not given the right to live, speak, or demand justice in Islamabad, then we too will have to think about what this state means to us,” the post added.Nadia asserted that the Baloch community have always demanded their rights through peaceful protests while remaining within the constitutional framework. But if the State does not change its attitude, she stated, then the “Baloch mothers, sisters, and daughters will not remain silent either”.”This country does not belong only to the powerful elites; it is ours too. If you do not consider us citizens of this country, then we will also speak the language you understand. And this path will not be easy for you either,” Nadia emphasised.The BYC highlighted that even on the fifth day of the protest, the Islamabad Police continued to obstruct the families from carrying on with their protest.”Now, on Day 5, Islamabad police are actively preventing the families from continuing their sit-in in front of the Islamabad Press Club. This comes after a series of repressive tactics: Roads sealed to restrict access to the protest site. No tents or shade allowed, despite extreme weather. Elderly women and children fainting under heat and arrival of a police bus, raising fears of forced deportation back to Balochistan,” the BYC stated, detailing the restriction imposed by the Islamabad Police.”This is not only a denial of the right to peaceful assembly, but a clear attempt to suppress and erase the voices of those demanding justice. These families have come from far and are only asking for what is owed to them: freedom for the detained, and accountability for the disappeared,” it added.–IANSscor/as