December 2022 - Page 4 of 21

PM Shehbaz reiterates resolve to uproot menace of terrorism

As the country has been witnessing an uptick in terror incidents, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday reiterated his resolve to uproot the menace of terrorism by using all resources available in Pakistan.

The premier, while addressing an event in Dera Ismail Khan, said that he will take all possible steps to control terrorism in all its forms in the country.

PM Shehbaz’s assurance came while commenting on the recent acts of militancy across the country, particularly highlighting the Bannu operation against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) where its terrorists took over the Counter-Terrorism Department compound, which was later cleared by security forces.

“Security forces bravely combatted the terrorists in Bannu. Acts of terrorism have once again seen a rise in the recent weeks. Those who embraced martyrdom in Bannu are Pakistan’s heroes. The nation will remember them,” the premier said, speaking at an event following the launch of development projects in DI Khan.

He told the attendees about his visit to the Rawalpindi Hospital to meet soldiers injured in the Bannu operation. The prime minister also spoke about the spate of terror attacks in Balochistan a day earlier.

“Another terror attack took place in Balochistan yesterday. We are working hard to prevent them. We will employ all resources to uproot terrorism to bring peace in Pakistan,” Premier Shehbaz added.

He also assured the people of the eradication of extortion and other crimes.

Inauguration of development projects

Commenting on the state of development in Pakistan, the prime minister said that the country was led towards a disaster due to the wrong policies of the previous government.

While inaugurating development projects in district DI Khan and realising the dream of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif of constructing motorways across the country, he said: “Inaugurated development works in DI Khan today. [We] have also laid the foundation for the Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway. Nawaz Sharif’s dream of motorways from Peshawar to Karachi has come true.”

The premier also lambasted the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for not doing the necessary infrastructural work in DI Khan and Zhob.

“The previous government did not even lay a brick for the DI Khan and Zhob corridor. The provincial government did not spend a penny on the project that the federal government completed in the past,” he said.

The premier went on to say that the Chashma Right Bank Irrigation Project (CRBIP) would irrigate millions of acres of land in Chashma, Mainwali.

“This government has eight months. We will work day and night,” PM Shehbaz said, highlighting the need for building dams to ensure prosperity in the country.

He said that he will ask Chairman WAPDA Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani to devise a plan and brief about the dam’s completion.

Speaking on the construction of an airport, the premier said that it will be a waste to invest money in the old airport as it gets flooded. He added that to ensure the success of the airport, the government will complete the project of an industrial state.

In a veiled reference to PTI Chairman Imran Khan, PM Shehbaz said that he had brought disrespect to the country after selling out precious gifts presented by foreign leaders given as a symbol of fraternal ties with Pakistan’s people, but the former ruler sold them out in open markets.

He added that when taking an oath, Imran Khan did not realise the economic disaster that Pakistan was heading towards, as it was on the verge of default. But following the efforts of the coalition government, with all relevant institutions and prayers of the nation, they saved the country.

The premier said the country is still facing economic challenges. He added that Pakistan suffered a whopping loss of about $30 billion due to floods and these woes were multiplied by global inflation and recession, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the exorbitant price of gas and oil in the international market.

Safety advisories for foreign missions

Saudi Embassy in Pakistan has cautioned its citizens in Islamabad to remain alert amid tightened security measures in the country after recent terror attacks aggravate law and order.

“The embassy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan would like to warn all citizens residing and visiting the Islamic Republic of Pakistan of the need to take caution and not go out except for necessity, given that the authorities in the capital, Islamabad, have raised the security alert to the highest level,” the embassy shared its statement on Twitter.

Moreover, the Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Neil Hawkins also cautioned citizens to remain vigilant amid the possibility of terror attack in the federal capital during holidays.

“Heightened security arrangements are in place and public events have been banned. Australian officials in Islamabad have been advised to increase vigilance and limit travel within the city. You should exercise heightened vigilance and monitor the media for latest updates,” the statement on the website of Australian department of foreign affairs and trade read.

A day earlier, the US Embassy in Islamabad also advised its mission personnel to avoid “non-essential and unofficial” travel in Islamabad days after a suicide bombing hit the city.

In a statement, the embassy said that the directions have been issued in light of Islamabad being placed on high alert due to security concerns.

“As Islamabad has been placed on a Red Alert citing security concerns while banning all public gatherings, the embassy is urging all Mission personnel to refrain from non-essential, unofficial travel in Islamabad throughout the holiday season,” the statement stated.

Police in Brazil have arrested a man they say had tried to detonate an explosive device to “sow chaos” ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on 1 January.

The man had planted the bomb in a fuel truck near the airport in Brasilia, but it failed to go off, police said.

The suspect told officers he had hatched the plan with other supporters of outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro.

Police are trying to find his possible co-conspirators.

The 54-year-old suspect told investigators he had come to Brasilia on 12 November to take part in protests outside the army’s headquarters.

Supporters of President Bolsonaro have been demonstrating there for weeks, demanding that the security forces intervene to prevent his elected successor, Lula, from taking up office.

These hardcore supporters of the far-right president believe that the presidential election, which Lula won by a narrow margin against Mr Bolsonaro, was fraudulent, even though there is no evidence to support their claim.

Mr Bolsonaro himself had repeatedly sown doubt about Brazil’s electronic voting system in the run-up to the election, thereby fuelling his supporters’ mistrust of the result.

His allegations have been dismissed as baseless by Brazil’s electoral court and a challenge by his party against the election result was also rejected, but many of his supporters remain convinced the election was “stolen” from him.

Police said the suspect had told them that he and fellow protesters outside the army headquarters had decided “to try to provoke an armed forces intervention” to prevent “communism from taking hold in Brazil”.

They had planned to detonate a number of bombs across the capital to force the army to declare a state of emergency, in the hope of stopping the swearing-in ceremony from taking place.

Brasilia Police Chief Robson Cândido told journalists at a news conference that the group had set off the explosive device it had planted on a fuel truck parked at the city’s airport, but that it had failed to go off.

The device was spotted by the truck’s driver, who alerted police.

Officers managed to track the suspect to an apartment, where he was storing “an arsenal of weapons”, according to Mr Cândido.

Brazil’s justice minister designate, Flávio Dino, said security measures for Lula’s swearing-in on 1 January would be “re-evaluated and reinforced” following the incident. “Democracy won and will win,” he wrote on Twitter, referring to the election and the handover of power.

At least 28 people have died in western New York State, most of them in Buffalo, as a monster winter storm continues to batter North America.

A state official said some people had been trapped in cars for more than two days during what was “probably” the worst storm of their lifetime.

Up to nine more inches (23cm) of snow are expected in parts of the state through Tuesday, meteorologists warn.

The storm stretching from Canada to the Mexican border has killed 56 people.

US President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration allowing federal support for New York State. “My heart is with those who lost loved ones this holiday weekend,” he tweeted.

Mark Poloncarz, the executive for Erie County where Buffalo is located, said: “We can see sort of the light at the end of the tunnel, but this is not the end yet.”

“It’s a generational storm,” he said, warning that the county was yet to begin assessing the “full toll”.

Officials fear that more storm victims will be found in the next few days

Emergency vehicles have been struggling to reach some worst-hit areas in New York State

Citing the local medical examiner’s office, Mr Poloncarz said many of the victims had died from heart problems while shovelling or blowing snow. Some were found dead in their vehicles.

State Governor Kathy Hochul, a native of Buffalo, earlier said: “It is [like] going to a war zone, and the vehicles along the sides of the roads are shocking.”

She added that many emergency vehicles had been unable to reach worst-hit areas or had got stuck in snow themselves.

One local family with young children – aged two to six – had to wait for 11 hours before being rescued in the early hours of Christmas Day (Sunday).

“I was basically just hopeless,” the father, Zila Santiago, told CBS News. He said he had managed to stay warm by keeping the engine running and kept distress at bay by playing games with the children.

More victims are expected to be discovered once melting snowdrifts reveal trapped vehicles and allow access to remote homes.

The “bomb cyclone” winter storm – which occurs when atmospheric pressure plummets, causing heavy snow and winds – has disrupted travel across the US.

Forecasters say it will ease off in the next few days, but the advice remains to avoid travelling unless essential.

Thaw on the way to US cold spots

Over the weekend an estimated 250,000 homes and businesses experienced blackouts – although power has been steadily restored.

Storm-related deaths were also reported in Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Colorado. South Florida’s temperatures dropped so low, that iguanas froze and fell from trees.

The western US state of Montana was the worst hit by the cold, with temperatures dropping to -50F (-45C).

In Canada, the central province of Ontario and Quebec, in the north-east, bore the brunt of the storm.

Ontario’s Prince Edward County, along Lake Ontario, declared a state of emergency and had to take snow ploughs off the streets because they were in danger of getting stuck, Mayor Steve Ferguson told CBC News.

More snow was expected in parts of Ontario on Tuesday

A number of vehicles are reported to have been trapped in snow.

Four fatalities earlier occurred when a bus rolled over on an icy road near the town of Merritt, in the western province of British Columbia.

Emergency services in Spain have confirmed a seventh death after a bus plunged from a bridge into a river on Christmas Eve (Saturday).

Rescuers retrieved the body of a woman from the Lerez river in the north-western Galicia region on Monday.

Two people, including the driver, were hurt after the bus travelling from Lugo to Vigo fell from a height of about 30m (98ft) into the fast-flowing river.

Officials say bad weather may have caused the crash.

They say the bus driver tested negative for alcohol and drugs.

A passing driver and one of the survivors from inside the bus alerted the local emergency services

An investigation continues, with officials saying bad weather may have caused the deadly crash

Rescue teams initially ended their search near the village of Pedre, not far from Galicia’s regional capital of Santiago de Compostela, on Christmas Day (Sunday) after finding six bodies.

But they resumed the operation after one surviving passenger said a friend she had been travelling with was not on the official list of victims.

The woman had not been reported missing as nobody had been waiting for her, a Guardia Civil police spokesman told AFP news agency.

Her body was spotted by a helicopter in the river on Monday morning.

Emergency services were first alerted about the incident by a passing driver who told them that a section of the bridge’s safety barrier was missing.

Just minutes later, one of the survivors called them from inside the bus as it was fast filling with water.

This helped rescue teams to quickly locate the crash site.

Among those on board were people who had just visited loved ones at a prison in central Galicia, AFP adds, quoting local media.

Train journeys are expected to start later on Tuesday following the latest round of strikes by rail workers.

Members of the RMT union who work for Network Rail will end a walkout at 06:00 GMT on 27 December.

However, it means many trains will not begin running until between 09:00 and midday.

Network Rail said that 70% of services will be operating but has urged passengers to check their travel times with train companies.

“Staff are returning to work so it is [a] much later start-up for passenger services,” a spokesman for Network Rail said.

“Passengers should really check before they travel so they don’t just turn up at a station for no trains to be there.”

ScotRail said it will start to restore some services from about 07:15 but warned there would be some disruption throughout the day.

“Routes across the country will see services start up later than normal due to signal boxes opening at different times following industrial action,” it said.

Thousands of RMT members across Network Rail, which operates and maintains the rail system, and 14 train companies have been engaged in strike action in a row over pay and conditions.

It coincides with wider industrial unrest across a number of sectors including nurses and ambulance drivers as well as Border Force workers at six of the UK’s biggest airports.

Employees are walking out over pay at a time when the rate of price rises, or inflation, is running at a 40-year high.

Rail strikes will restart between 3 and 4 January as well as from 6 to 7 January.

In the meantime, there is an overtime ban by RMT members at 14 train companies which is scheduled to run until 2 January.

Network Rail said that 70% of normal services will run on Tuesday which it hopes will increase to 90% in the days ahead.

However, it expects this will drop to 20% of normal services once the next set of strikes begins in early January.

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, said: “The union remains available for talks to resolve this dispute.

“But until the government gives the rail industry a mandate to come to a negotiated settlement on job security, pay and condition of work, our industrial campaign will continue into the new year, if necessary.”

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “The only way we’re going to resolve any industrial dispute is by negotiation and by talking so of course we’ll look to sit round the table.

“It is just unclear at the moment where we can go as all the cards we have to deal are already on the table.”

Opposition to new housing developments could be curbed if there was more focus on the “heart and soul” of areas, Michael Gove has suggested.

The levelling up, housing and communities secretary said too many planning applications were “indifferent” or “insipid”.

Mr Gove made the comments in the foreword to a report by the centre-right think tank Policy Exchange.

He is backing its call for a new school of architecture and urban design.

The government has a target of building 300,000 new homes by the middle of the decade.

But, Mr Gove previously said the pledge would be “difficult” to deliver in the next year because of the economic slump and rising inflation.

Labour’s shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy said: “The thousands of families who saw their dreams of home ownership go up in smoke after the Tories crashed the economy need a real plan for more homes to be built.”

In the think tank’s report, Mr Gove suggested the potential of some public spaces was being squandered as a result of poor design and maintenance.

“Places must be at the heart of levelling up but if places themselves have no heart and soul, then levelling up too will falter,” he said.

“Much of the opposition to new housing developments is often grounded in a fear that the quality of the new buildings and places created will be deficient and therefore detrimental to existing neighbourhoods and properties.

“If a general improvement in the standard of design reassures the general public that this will in fact not be the case, then they may be less likely to oppose it.”

But Mr Gove acknowledged there is “no silver bullet” to solve the housing crisis.

The Policy Exchange report calls for the government to back a new “School of Place”, arguing if there was “a generally higher quality of architecture and placemaking then this could help diffuse much of the aesthetic opposition to new housing”.

The school would include architects, planners, designers, engineers and consultants.

Earlier this month, the government watered down its housing targets for local councils following the threat of a rebellion from some Conservative MPs.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had been trying to bring in binding targets, but the government now says: “Housing targets remain, but are a starting point, with new flexibilities to reflect local circumstances.”

Captain among five soldiers martyred as terror hits Balochistan

QUETTA: Five soldiers were martyred and more than a dozen others injured as seven separate blasts ripped through Balochistan — three in Quetta, two in Turtbat, and one each in Hub and Kohlu district — officials said on Sunday as the nation battles rising terrorism.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that during an intelligence-based clearance operation — which is underway since December 24 — an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near a “leading party” in Kohlu district’s Kahan area.

As a result, five soldiers — Captain Fahad, Lance Naik Imtiaz, Sepoy Asghar, Sepoy Mehran and Sepoy Shamoon — embraced martyrdom, the military’s media wing said.

Describing the incident as an “externally perpetrated threat of terrorism”, the ISPR said that “such cowardly acts by inimical elements cannot sabotage the hard-earned peace and prosperity in Balochistan”.

The military’s media wing said that the security forces remain determined to challenge their nefarious designs, “even at the cost of blood and lives”.

Following the incident, according to the ISPR, a sanitisation operation was launched in the area to apprehend perpetrators.

Subsequently, today evening, unidentified men threw a grenade at a police checkpost in Quetta’s Satellite Town, injuring eight — three on-duty men and five citizens — police said.

Hours before this incident, a grenade blast across the Shaheed Ameer Dasti police station at Sabzal Road in Quetta left four people injured including a woman and a little girl, the police said.

The bomb disposal squad was called in to the site of the blast after reports of another grenade at the site, according to the law enforcers.

The Quetta police added that two hand grenades were thrown on the road of which one exploded while the other was defused.

The police said they were determining the nature of the blast. The injured were shifted to the Bolan Medical Complex Hospital in the city, the law enforcers added.

In another incident that occurred in the evening, a blast went off near Turbat’s Taleemi Chowk area, the police said, however, no loss of life was reported.

The security forces have cordoned off the effective areas and further investigations are underway.

Another grenade blast took place within the premises of Hub’s Sadar Police Station, injuring three people, police said. The rescue sources said the injured people were to the city’s civil hospital.

In the sixth attack, a hand grenade exploded at Saryab Road in Quetta’s Musa Colony. Fortunately, police said, no casualties were reported as a result of the attack.

The seventh attack — a hand grenade blast — hit Turbat’s Josak area, police said; however, no injuries were reported.

In a shootout with terrorists today morning, one soldier was martyred, while two others got injured in Balochistan’s Zhob, according to a statement issued by the ISPR.

An operation has been initiated in Zhob, which aims “to deny the terrorists’ use of a few suspected routes to move across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to sneak into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along the interprovincial boundary and target citizens and security forces.”

The multiple blasts hit Balochistan as the nation is celebrating the 146th birthday of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Christmas.

In light of the terror incidents, Islamabad has been placed on “high alert“, and the United States Embassy has also advised its mission personnel to avoid “non-essential and unofficial” travel in the federal capital.

Condemnation

President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attacks on security forces and paid tribute to the deceased victims.

In his statement, the president also applauded the security forces for their continued resolve to rid the country of terrorism.

In a statement, the prime minister termed the attack on security forces “heart-wrenching” and vowed to bring the terrorists to justice.

“The nation pays its tributes and respects to our heroes who laid down their lives for Pakistan. The perpetrators of terrorism will be brought to justice. Let there be no mistake about it,” he said.

Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah and Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also condemned the attack and resolved to back the security forces in their battle against terrorists.

Moreover, Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, and others also condemned the blasts in Quetta.

Terror on the rise

In the past few weeks, Pakistan has dealt with terrorist attacks of various natures including the recently thwarted hostage situation by Pakistan Army soldiers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu city where the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists seized control of the Counter-Terrorism Department’s (CTD) compound.

The military’s media wing had said that security forces killed 25 terrorists, arrested two and forced seven to surrender in the Bannu operation.

The situation on the southwestern border has also been challenged with intense hostility by the Afghan border forces who have opened indiscriminate fire towards the civilian population near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Balochistan’s Chaman city.

The situation calmed down after authorities on both sides agreed to resolve border and fencing issues through bilateral contacts and consultations earlier this week.

Following these attacks, the country’s civil and military leadership has resolved to confront terrorists and work against their intention to deteriorate peace in Pakistan.

In the wake of the Bannu operation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made it clear that the state would not surrender or bow down before any terrorist outfit or organisation.

The prime minister termed terrorism as a sensitive issue of national security, saying that collective thinking and action plan are needed in this regard.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir said Friday the military is determined to bring peace to the country and break the terrorist-facilitator nexus.

“Pakistan Army will consolidate the hard-earned peace, made possible by the supreme sacrifices of resilient Pakistani nation and LEAs (law enforcement agencies),” the COAS said.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that Pakistan is serious about eradicating terrorism, adding that the security situation in the country is better than it was in 2007.

“Action against extremists is necessary for the safety and security of the people,” said Bilawal, adding that peace is indispensable for economic stability in the country.

Gen (retd) Bajwa assisted Imran Khan in elections, Senate, reveals President Alvi

KARACHI: President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday revealed that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and his team helped Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the Senate and during the elections as well.

The president’s remarks came during a wide-ranging conversation with journalists, leaders of the business community and foreign diplomats at a dinner on Saturday, The News reported.

President Alvi, when asked why and when relations between Khan and Gen (retd) Bajwa soured, replied wittingly that he was still looking for the answer, but it was probably October last year and then it was April or May this year.

To a question regarding Khan’s allegations against former army chief, the president remarked that although the other side maintained that they had become neutral and they did not push people away, he believed there was some pushing away.

President Alvi added that during the PTI’s government, even people like Shireen Mazari had to concede they had no power when journalists were mistreated. The president went on to say that there was a lot of interference in the affairs of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He said politicians’ maturity needed to match with the situation.

Replying to a question whether Khan at any stage thought of sacking Gen (retd) Bajwa, the president replied: “No, I don’t think so. That was a rumour.”

Audio leaks

During the conversation, President Alvi expressed deep concern and anguish over the release of audio and videos revealing private conversations of political leaders.

The president said he had made it a point to discuss with the new army chief the “game of audio and videos”. “I am surprised why it is going on. It should not continue in any sense of morality,” he said.

President Alvi said he discussed with the army chief the “neutrality” of the armed forces. He shared a funny anecdote of the time he was part of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in 1990s when the party candidates had to answer the question before submission of their nomination papers whether or not they consumed liquor.

He recalled how one of the candidates agreed he did consume liquor and another said he had quit it just two days back. “I mention this anecdote to all friends of mine who wear a uniform, just to tell them if you’ve left politics — you’ve left it only the day before yesterday,” he said, adding that this makes everyone laugh.

The president remarked that if the army had left politics, it was time politicians took charge of the situation. “You [politician] should create a situation where you don’t run to them [army],” he said.

Judiciary’s role

Dr Alvi was of the view that the country was facing difficult times. He said we should let go of the past and forgive people for the mistakes they had committed earlier for a new beginning.

“Let’s make a country that we deserve.” He rued that institutions had not played their role, even the judiciary. The president said courts had given verdicts allowing a dictator to change the constitution. He referred to the Reko Diq case in which Pakistan had to pay a fine of $7 billion.

“If you criticise the judiciary, it will reduce the efficacy of the entire judiciary. If you criticise the army, it brings disrepute to them and you don’t want them to get disrepute,” the president said. He, however, added that this principle was often stretched and applied to every situation, due to which one could not say anything against them.

The president also remarked that it was too easy in the country to send anyone to jail. He said if a particular person was on the target, any accusation could be levelled against that person and the relevant law invoked to ensure that he was behind the bars.

A middle ground

About the political imbroglio in the country, he said Imran Khan believed that his opponents wanted a second National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), but when those opponents were asked about it, they denied ever asking for cases against them to be withdrawn. However, he added that the incumbent federal government had indeed looked for cases against its leaders that could be withdrawn.

To a question regarding the next elections, the president said he had verbally suggested to both the government and opposition that a middle ground might be found and elections could be held at the end of April or in May. He added that the date of the next elections was not certain and Khan should be worried about whether elections are even held in October next year.

Regarding polarisation in Pakistan, he said the Pakistani nation had learnt through the situation in Afghanistan that it must not be polarised and it took the nation around 30 years to realise that. He added that currently, India was facing polarisation.

‘A good reply’

Speaking on Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s response to India, Dr Alvi remarked that the foreign minister had done the right thing. He said the world and the global order was based on vested interests. “A good reply was given by Bilawal sahib,” he stated.

The president handled with calm and grace a number of difficult questions put to him about former prime minister Imran Khan and his politics of polarisation. A number of leaders of the business community expressed concern at the near-default situation the country was facing. He agreed that reform and revitalisation of the economy had to be the prime objective. To that extent and for that reason, he was even prepared to advocate “a forgive and forget” policy to start afresh for the benefit of the country.

Over 180 Rohingya refugees feared dead at sea

Citing unconfirmed reports, the agency said the “unseaworthy” boat probably sank after it went missing in the sea. “Relatives have lost contact,” the UNHCR wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

Last week, two Myanmar Rohingya activist groups said up to 20 people died of hunger or thirst on a boat that was stranded at sea for two weeks off India’s coast. The boat with at least 100 people was said to be in Malaysian waters.A broken-down boat carrying 57 Rohingya refugees landed on Indonesia’s western coast on Sunday after a month at sea, police said.

“Those last in touch presume all are dead.” More than 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are living in crowded camps in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, including tens of thousands who fled Myanmar after its military conducted a deadly crackdown in 2017.

Earlier this month, the Sri Lankan navy rescued 104 Rohingya adrift off the Indian Ocean island’s northern coast.

Survivors land in Indonesia

Thousands of the mostly Muslim Rohingya, heavily persecuted in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, risk their lives each year on long, expensive sea journeys — often in poor-quality vessels — in an attempt to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.

The wooden vessel with 57 men on board arrived around 8am local time (0100 GMT) on a beach in the westernmost Aceh province, local police spokesman Winardy said.

“The boat had a broken engine and it was carried by the wind to a shore in Ladong Village in Aceh Besar (district),” Winardy, who goes by one name, said.

“They said they have been drifting at sea for a month.” Winardy added that police arrived at the beach after being informed by some locals that the boat had docked there.

He said four of the men on board were sick and had been transported to a hospital.

Telmaizul Syatri, the head of the local immigration office, said the refugees will be temporarily housed at a local government facility.

“We will coordinate with the International Organisation for Migration and the UNHCR so that it can be handled well,” Syatri said.

This is the third Rohingya refugee boat to arrive in Muslim-majority Indonesia in recent months.

Two boats carrying a total of 229 Rohingya landed in Aceh on Nov 15 and 16, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).

Sunday’s arrival comes after the UNHCR and Southeast Asian politicians called for the rescue of another vessel carrying as many as 200 Rohingya refugees, including women and children, which has been stranded at sea for several weeks.

That boat has been reported in waters close to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea and the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

The UNHCR said last week that it has been in the water since late November, and it had received reports of at least a dozen people dying on board. Those left on the boat have no access to food or water.

22 killed as savage US blizzard cuts power

The extreme weather, a mix of prolonged blizzards and historic cold, plunged wind chill temperatures in all 48 contiguous US states below freezing this weekend, stranded holiday travelers with thousands of flights cancelled and trapped residents in ice- and snow-encrusted homes.

Twenty-two weather-related deaths have been confirmed across eight states, including at least seven fatalities in western New York, where ferocious snows, relentless winds and deep freezes have plunged Buffalo and surrounding towns into crisis.

While large swathes of the country have begun shovelling out from the massive storm and temperatures in some locations were returning to seasonal normality, Buffalo remained in the grips of “a major disaster,” with emergency responders unable to reach several high-impact areas, a senior official said early on Sunday.

“We do have seven confirmed deaths at this point as a result of the storm in Erie County. There may be more,” county executive Mark Poloncarz told reporters.

He described ferocious conditions, with hours-long whiteouts and bodies discovered in cars and under snow banks in a region where Governor Kathy Hochul deployed the National Guard to help with rescues. “It was as bad as anyone has ever seen it,” Poloncarz said.

‘Conditions are just so bad’

The National Weather Service warned that blizzard conditions in the Great Lakes region caused by lake-effect snow would continue on Christmas Day, with “additional snow accumulations of 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 metres) through tonight.” One couple in Buffalo, which sits across the border from Canada, said that with the roads completely impassible, they would not be making a 10-minute drive to see their family for Christmas.

“It’s tough because the conditions are just so bad… a lot of fire departments aren’t even sending out trucks for calls,” said 40-year-old Rebecca Bortolin. A broader travel nightmare was in full effect for millions.

The “bomb cyclone” storm, one of the fiercest in decades, forced the cancellation of more than 1,500 US flights on Sunday, in addition to some 3,500 scrapped and nearly 6,000 on Friday, according to tracking website Flightaware.com.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted that “the most extreme disruptions are behind us as airline and airport operations gradually recover.” But travelers remained stranded or delayed at airports including in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis and New York.

Road ice and white-out conditions also led to the temporary closure of some of the nation’s busiest transport routes, including the cross-country Interstate 70.

Drivers were being warned not to take to the roads — even as the nation reached what is usually its busiest time of year for travel.

The extreme weather has severely taxed the country’s electricity grids, with multiple power providers urging customers to reduce usage to minimise rolling blackouts in places like North Carolina and Tennessee.

Month: December 2022