Seoul, July 21 (IANS) South Korea President Lee Jae Myung on Monday 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, his office said.Lee made the call during a visit to Sancheong County, located about 300 kilometres southeast of Seoul, where 10 people have been confirmed dead, four remain missing and two others were seriously injured after a record downpour in the area.Torrential rains have triggered floods and landslides, leaving at least 18 people dead since last Wednesday, with the heaviest damage reported in southern regions, including Sancheong, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.During the visit, Lee 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, Yonhap news agency reported.Meanwhile, eighteen people in South Korea have been killed and nine others remain unaccounted for following heavy rains and landslides that began ravaging the country last week.The casualties as of 9 p.m. Sunday included 10 dead in the southern county of Sancheong, two in the northern county of Gapyeong and two in the western city of Seosan, according to the interior ministry.Four of the missing were reported in Sancheong, while another four were reported in Gapyeong.More than 14,000 people have taken shelter across 15 major cities and provinces since the heavy rains started last Wednesday.Property damage has been extensive, with 1,999 cases reported at public facilities and 2,238 cases reported at private facilities as of 6 p.m. Sunday.The state weather agency has forecast more rainfall through Monday morning in South Jeolla Province, South Gyeongsang Province and the southern island of Jeju.North Jeolla Province and North Gyeongsang Province are expected to see rainfall starting at 9 a.m., while the capital area and the Gangwon and Chungcheong provinces are forecast to receive rain in the afternoon.The government has lifted all heavy rain advisories and, on Sunday, lowered the warning level from “serious” to “attention.”The South Korean Army has also deployed some 2,500 military personnel and equipment to areas hit hard by the recent torrential rain to help recovery work, the armed services said on Monday.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 heavy rains and landslides that began last week have killed 18 people and left nine others missing so far, displacing more than 14,000 people across 15 major cities and provinces.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/dan

Dhaka, July 21 (IANS) At least 19 people, most of them reportedly children, were killed and around 164 injured when a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school building in capital Dhaka Monday afternoon.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media division of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, stated that the pilot of the crashed training aircraft was among the 19 people who lost their lives in the accident.According to the ISPR, the Bangladesh Air Force’s 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 PM.”As you all know, today an F-7 BJI fighter aircraft of the Air Force made a crash landing at approximately 1:00 pm in the two-story school building of our Milestone School and College’s Uttara branch. 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. There was a meeting room for the principal’s office next to it. A coaching class was in progress,” Brigadier General Mohammad Zahed Kamal, the Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence, was quoted as saying by Bangladesh’s leading Bengali daily, Prothom Alo.A Milestone College teacher told ‘The Daily Star’ newspaper that he was standing near the college building when the aircraft hit the front side of the three-storey school building, trapping several students.”The college teachers and staff rushed to rescue the students. Members of the army arrived shortly afterwards, followed by firefighters who joined the rescue operation,” the newspaper reported.Members of the Bangladesh Army and eight engines of Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the spot and started rescue operations, according to a fire service notification.Meanwhile, Dhaka Tribune reported that eght units from the Uttara, Tongi, Pallabi, Kurmitola, Mirpur, and Purbachal fire services are working at the scene.”Videos circulating on social media show several people being rescued with injuries. They were being taken to Uttara Adhunik Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital, Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Govt Hospital, Uttara Women’s Medical College, Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College Hospital,” the newspaper reported.–IANS/as

Hanoi, July 21 (IANS) One person has been confirmed dead and four others injured in…

Quetta, July 21 (IANS) Human rights activists from Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) on Monday slammed Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for making shameful comments about the Baloch community after a viral video showed a woman and a man being shot dead in Balochistan in an alleged case of ‘honour killing’ for marrying against the wishes of their families.

The unidentified couple were shot dead on the orders of a local tribal council last month, the video which went viral on social media. Reacting to it, the Pakistani Defence Minister on Sunday instead blamed the Balochs, stating that “the ones responsible for this oppression are your own brothers”.Baloch activists have termed Khawaja Asif’s statement as a “matter of regret and shame”, stating that the current government minister, instead of acknowledging the Sharif government’s incompetence regarding the incident and holding their government accountable for such heinous events caused by state lawlessness, public distrust in the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, and the unchecked proliferation of weapons, is instead trying to shift the burden of their failures onto others”And look at the hypocrisy: if this same incident had occurred during the tenure of an opposing government, these very people would have been the first to point fingers at the government. But since they are in power today, no remorse or shame is visible. When you yourself claim that ‘Balochistan is under your control’, then how do such incidents happen in broad daylight? You are pushing people to lose faith in the state, compelling them to turn to armed groups,” said BYC’s Sammi Deen Baloch.Sammi questioned whether the Pakistan government realises the dangerous trend they are promoting. She further recalled an incident that occurred in Awaran district of Balochistan, where the victim’s family sought help from an armed group instead of state institutions, and that armed group assisted the girl’s family, providing them relief.The human rights activist asked whether the Minister wanted people to lose faith in the State and stressed that this trend is already growing.Raising concern, Sammi stated that there have been several incidents in the past where allegations were made against government Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs), but no action was taken against them.She highlighted that six months ago, an incident of a girl’s abduction occurred in Khuzdar district in Balochistan, after which the family protested on their own and secured the girl’s release, but “the culprits are still roaming free with no judicial action taken”.Similarly, a few years ago, Sammi mentioned that a serious allegation of murdering a mother and her two innocent children was levelled against a current minister. However, with the full support of the state machinery, she stated that not only was he granted immediate bail, but the Shehbaz Sharif government later included him in its ranks.The rights activist noted that currently the person is serving as a minister representing the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) party in the Balochistan Assembly, “as if the blood of the victims demands no accountability”.”There may indeed be flaws in Baloch society, but before criticising, look at your own actions and consider your province, which is not even a war-torn area, where far more women are killed each year in the name of honour compared to Balochistan,” Sammi stated.The BYC condemned the horrific murder of the couple, identified as Bano Baloch and her husband, Ehsan, describing it as a “deep and permanent scar on the conscience of Balochistan”.”No self-respecting society can condone such brutal and inhumane acts. In a region where women already endure systemic repression and violence, this tragedy highlights how tribal and feudal forces, often empowered and shielded by the state, continue to act with impunity. These acts are not isolated but symptoms of a broader culture of complicity and silence,” the BYC emphasised.–IANSscor/as

Canberra, July 21 (IANS) The Premier of South Australia (SA) said he has asked the federal government for significant funding to help the state respond to a toxic algae outbreak causing widespread marine destruction.
Peter Malinauskas on Monday said that he has held conversations with the federal government in recent days to ask for millions of dollars in emergency funding in response to the toxic algal bloom.Since it was first identified in March, the outbreak of the toxic algae Karenia mikimotoi off the coast of SA has caused the deaths of tens of thousands of sea creatures, including sharks, penguins and octopuses, along hundreds of kilometers of coastline.”This is a natural disaster. It should be treated as a natural disaster and I’ve made my view known very clearly to the federal government this morning,” Malinauskas told News Corp Australia newspapers.He said that federal government money would build upon state government relief measures for commercial fishers and fund further scientific testing as well as recovery efforts, Xinhua news agency reported.According to experts, the algal bloom is linked to an ongoing marine heatwave off the SA coast and will not dissipate until there is a significant shift in environmental conditions.The premier’s comments came as Murray Watt, federal environment minister, on Monday inspected areas affected by the algae.Politicians, marine experts and conservation groups have urged the federal government to declare the algal bloom as a national disaster, which would streamline government activities and unlock financial assistance for affected communities.Nina Wootton, a marine scientist from SA’s University of Adelaide, said in a media release on Monday that the algal bloom is a major ecological crisis that is “crying out for help” from the government.”While not yet formally declared a national disaster, the scale of this event, spanning hundreds of kilometers of coastline and devastating huge numbers of marine life, is unprecedented for the region and demands national attention,” she said.Malinauskas has called a meeting of the state government’s Emergency Management Cabinet Committee on Tuesday to prepare an action plan.–IANSint/bpd/as

Maseru, July 21 (IANS) As part of his ongoing multi-nation official visit to the African…

Georgetown, July 21 (IANS) Underlining the deep-rooted cultural ties between India and Guyana, the Indian High Commission and Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Georgetown successfully organised a ‘Srimad Bhagavad Gita’ chanting competition.The event, held in collaboration with the Chinmaya Mission in the capital of the South American country, witnessed participation of various temples and socio-cultural organisations.”It was heartening to witness young children and youth chanting shlokas from Chapter 5 of Bhagavad Gita at the Award Ceremony hosted earlier today. It underlines the deep cultural connection between Guyana and Bharat through our shared heritage and the strong desire in Guyana and India to preserve and reinforce our strong cultural and people to people ties,” the High Commission of India in Georgetown posted on X.”We wish all the very best to our young Guyanese brothers and sisters who participated in this initiative and within a few months demonstrated their mastery in Shloka chanting and appreciation of our shared tradition,” the post added.The programme also included photographic display of important religious sites in and around Kurukshetra – the place where Lord Krishna had recited Gita to Arjuna.Coinciding with the event, the Indian High Commission in Georgetown also informed the gathering about the forthcoming ‘International Gita Mahotsav’ scheduled at Haryana’s Kurukshetra from November 15 to December 5, 2025, and informed about various cultural events planned on the sidelines of this international event.The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Georgetown, established in 1972, is one of the oldest Indian Cultural Centres abroad, and also teaches Indian classical dance, yoga and music. The majority of the Indo-Guyanese population strictly follows religious practices brought with them during the time of indentureship.In November, during a two-day visit to Guyana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a heartwarming religious event that highlighted the deep cultural ties between India and Guyana.PM Modi also took part in a Ram Bhajan (devotional song) at the Promenade Garden in Georgetown.Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the Promenade Garden was particularly significant, as it highlighted the strong presence of the Indian diaspora in Guyana, where many people trace their roots back to India. It also reinforced the importance of cultural diplomacy in strengthening bilateral ties between India and Guyana.–IANSscor/as

Beijing, July 21 (IANS) A new heat wave alert has been sounded worldwide as Europe and the Middle East are battling an extremely scorching heat wave this week, prompting various climate emergencies in many countries.
According to the national meteorological service, Iran is sweltering through its hottest week of the year above 50 degrees Celsius, with temperatures in Tehran hitting 40 degrees on Sunday.As searing heatwaves persist, Tehran’s water authority has urged residents to slash consumption by at least 20 per cent, warning that dam reservoirs supplying the capital have sunk to “their lowest levels in a century.”Some 3,500 km west of Tehran, the Greek capital of Athens is enduring its first prolonged heatwave of this summer as well.Hot air masses sweeping in from North Africa arrived earlier this summer and have formed a heat dome over Greece and the Balkans, pushing temperatures up to 10 degrees above the seasonal norm, said the National Observatory. With average highs forecast to approach 38 degrees this week and peak at 44 degrees in some areas, The National Herald, a Greek daily, described conditions as “hotter than hell.”Such aridity, combined with gales, has put Greece under severe wildfires.Firefighters on Thursday grappled with a blaze on the island of Crete that burned through forests and olive groves, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,000 people. Meanwhile, a new fire near Athens edged dangerously close to residential areas.Elsewhere, Turkey recorded 761 wildfires in the 10 days following June 26. The fires flaring in and around the western Izmir Province have claimed the lives of an elderly man and a forestry worker.Across Europe, at least eight heat-related deaths have been reported in countries including Spain and Italy as the continent is baked in the heatwave, Xinhua news agency reported.”We are currently under the influence of a strong high-pressure system; this is trapping hot air from northern Africa over the region. And as we can see, it’s having a pretty big impact on the way we feel,” Clare Nullis, a World Meteorological Organisation spokesperson, said earlier.She noted that humans will have to learn to live with more frequent and intense heat waves as a result of climate change.The EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service said in a recent article that “damage to the built environment from extreme weather events is expected to increase tenfold by the end of the century due to climate change alone.”Such widespread climate impacts highlight the importance of building greater resilience, it noted, calling for physical and technological measures such as water recycling, separation of rain and greywater, climate-resilient building design, risk mapping and early warning systems.”Adaptation is required across all sectors and governance levels, and actions must address both current climate impacts and protect against future risks,” it said.–IANSint/bpd/as

Jerusalem, July 21 (IANS) The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Monday claimed that it attacked and destroyed the military infrastructure of the Houthi regime in Yemen’s port of Hodeidah. Taking to X, the IDF said, “Among the infrastructure targetted: engineering tools used to restore the port’s infrastructure, fuel tanks, and vessels used for military activities and to exert force against the State of Israel and ships in the maritime area near the port, as well as additional terror infrastructure used by the Houthi terror regime”.The Hodeidah port has been used by the Houthi regime for ‘military’ purposes, due to which it has had to face several attacks in the past. Along with carrying out terror operations against Israel as well as its allies, the port was also used to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, the IDF stated.The IDF claimed to have pinned down a number of attempts to rebuild the terror infrastructure at the port.“The IDF identified ongoing activity and attempts to restore terror infrastructure in the port by the Houthi terror regime’s forces, and therefore, the components used to advance this activity were attacked,” the statement mentioned.According to the IDF, the Houthi terror regime has, time and again, exploited the maritime region to conduct terror activities as well as exerted pressure on commercial, passing ships in the global shipping space.The targets that have been attacked, in and near the port, are allegedly very similar to the Houthi terror regime’s military use of the civilian infrastructure, for the purpose of spreading terror.The IDF has also stated that it will continue to strike out any threats against Israel, including the Houthi terror regime.”The IDF will act with force against the repeated attacks by the Houthi terror regime against the citizens of the State of Israel and is determined to continue striking with force any threat to the State of Israel, in any area where it is required,” it said.–IANSint/bpd/as

Kabul, July 21 (IANS) Police set on fire more than half a tonne of illegal drugs in the southern Afghanistan Kandahar province on Sunday, provincial police spokesman Assadullah Jamshid said Monday.
The contraband, which included 130 kg of opium poppy, 480 kg of methamphetamine and 660 pieces of stimulant tablets, had been collected over the past two months and was burned publicly, the official added.Police won’t allow anyone to produce, process or traffic illegal drugs, the official further said.Yesterday, Afghan security forces dismantled two drug processing labs and discovered more than 580 kg of illicit drugs in western Afghanistan’s Farah province, the office of the Deputy Minister of Interior for Counter-Narcotics said in a statement.According to the statement, counter-narcotic police launched separate operations on the outskirts of the Bakwa district, where they destroyed two drug labs and confiscated 589 kg of illicit substances. Nine suspected drug smugglers were detained, Xinhua news agency reported.The Afghan interim government has stepped up its crackdown on illicit drugs and those involved in the business.In a similar case, on July 8, the Afghanistan Police thwarted attempts to smuggle 43 kg of illegal opium type drugs and arrested two individuals on charges of involvement in the drug business in eastern Wardak province.The alleged drug traffickers were attempting to take the contraband, which was smuggled from the northern Balkh, onward to the western Farah province. They were intercepted by police in Wardak’s provincial capital, Maidan Shar and drugs confiscated.Both the arrested men, after necessary investigation, would be handed over to the judiciary for further interrogation, the official further said.Further, police also launched operations to destroy hashish farms in northern Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province.During search operations, police found 1500 kg of opium poppy from inside a tanker of liquid gas on July 5 and arrested a drug smuggler who was attempting to take the contraband out of Takhar province, the official said.–IANSint/bpd/as