“Landfall process is continuing and by midnight it will be completely over the land. Part of the eye (of cyclone) is over the land,” the India Meteorological Department said in its latest bulletin.
India and Pakistan evacuated more than 180,000 people from the coastal areas to safety ahead of the cyclone.
The contraction in the first three months compared with shrinkage of 0.5pc in the corresponding period of 2022, and a decline of 12.4pc in last year’s final quarter. A currency crisis from late 2021 led to severe shortages of food, fuel and medicines and triggered months of protests that led to the toppling of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa 11 months ago.
Sri Lanka defaulted on its $46bn external debt in April last year, and is still negotiating with its bilateral and private creditors on repayments. Thursday’s figures confirmed that economic challenges persist.
“Industry and services activities declined by 23.4pc and 5.0pc respectively in the first quarter of 2023,” the statistics office said in a statement.
It said only the agricultural sector had shown growth, but that was a modest 0.8pc, and followed the lifting of a ban on agrochemicals and easier access to fertiliser than late last year.
The International Monetary Fund released the first $330m of a $2.9bn bailout in late March.
It forecasts Sri Lanka’s economy will contract by 3.1pc this year. The World Bank is more pessimistic, predicting a 4.2pc contraction.
The mayor of Perryton, which is near the Oklahoma border, said the tornado caused deaths but could not say how many.
The tornado destroyed communication towers and a trailer home park.
Surrounding areas are sending emergencies crews to assist Perryton, home to about 8,000 people.
There are 75 in hospital said Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher.
At least 30 mobile homes took a “direct hit” from the tornado and were damaged or destroyed, according to Mr Dutcher.
The local hospital, Ochiltree General Hospital, told ABC News they are operating on generators amid widespread power outages.
The National Weather Service (NWS) reported the tornado touched down around 17:00 local time (23:00 BST) on Thursday.
Republican US Representative Ronny Jackson said on Twitter that he is “praying for the people of Perryton tonight” and, in addition to being in touch with Perryton’s mayor, is monitoring the situation with his staff.
Multiple tornadoes may have hit the town, according to local media.
The severe weather threat will continue for southern states over the weekend. States across the Plains and mid-south could see more hail and damaging winds, but tornadoes are a possibility.
Daily hailstorms have plagued the southern US since Saturday, and on Thursday, around 43,000 people were without power in Texas and Oklahoma, according to Poweroutage.us.
Elsewhere in the south, in Abbeville and Eufaula, Alabama, witnesses reported at least two tornadoes on Wednesday.
The mayor of Eufaula, Alabama, told local media a tornado carved a nearly four-mile path through town, tearing down at least one building and toppling 40 trees.
No injuries or deaths have been reported. This was the fourth time a twister hit the small town in as many years, the mayor said.
In neighbouring Georgia, two people narrowly escaped a house that collapsed during storms in the south-west of the state, the town’s sheriff was quoted as saying by local media.
Trees and downed power lines were also reported in other parts of the state.
Watch: Are tornadoes in the US getting worse?
Much of the south remains under severe storm warnings, according to the NWS, with officials warning of severe thunderstorms, tornados, gale-force winds and flooding.
Another NWS meteorologist, Juan Hernandez, said: “It’s a little late in the year to be getting daily hailstorms across the southern plains, this number of consecutive days.”
Meanwhile, on Thursday more than 33 million people in Texas, Florida and Louisiana were under heat advisories, according to the NWS.
The Scottish Conservatives claimed she had broken the code by delaying vital rail works, costing taxpayers £1m.
Tory leader Douglas Ross claimed Ms Gilruth had “given preferential treatment to her constituents” in Fife.
Mr Yousaf has now written to Mr Ross saying he is “confident” there was no breach of the rules.
He said Ms Gilruth was “acting entirely legitimately” in a bid to minimise disruption to the public.
The row centred on proposed line electrification work between Edinburgh Haymarket and Dalmeny, which would have caused eight days of disruption from Boxing Day last year.
It was part of a “decarbonisation” scheme to replace diesel trains with electric units on rail routes from Edinburgh to Fife.
Ms Gilruth, MSP for Mid Fife and Glenrothes who is now education secretary, asked for the work to be postponed.
The Tories said officials told the Scottish government this would lead to an extra £1m in cost and cause disruption to 9,000 passengers a day due to the work taking place at non-holiday times.
Mr Ross said that a freedom of information response the party had received made clear that, “instead of a few days of closures after Christmas, Jenny Gilruth pushed for more than six weeks of disruption, including four full weekend closures”.
He added that it looked like a “clear-cut sackable offence”.
In parliament he read out Scottish Rail Holdings Board papers, which stated: “The board is asked to note that Network Rail and ScotRail chose to do the work at this time precisely to minimise the number of passengers impacted, and Transport Scotland were fully aware of and endorsed this approach.”
He said the board papers also showed that Chris Gibb, who worked in the rail industry for more than 40 years and chaired ScotRail in 2022, raised concerns over “micromanagement by Scottish ministers, advisors and officials”.
Mr Gibb resigned just a few weeks after Ms Gilruth’s decision.
At the time, the first minister said there would be an appropriate investigation but added that the situation was not as Mr Ross described, saying the decision was made for the “correct reasons” in order to benefit the “entire network”.
Mr Ross described Mr Yousaf’s investigation as a “total whitewash”.
“This response is shamefully weak from Humza Yousaf,” he said. “Any impartial assessment can clearly see that Jenny Gilruth breached the ministerial code.
“That states that ministers should not be involved in decisions which affect their constituency, but Humza Yousaf has totally ignored this.
“Despite struggling to answer questions over her actions when I pressed him at FMQs, he’s now rowed in full square behind one of his key cabinet ministers.”
Mr Ross added: “Less than three months into the job, Humza Yousaf is showing time and time again he’s incapable of taking tough decisions against his colleagues when they are clearly in the wrong.”
In a joint letter to National Assembly speaker Raja Muhammad Pervaiz Ashraf, vice-chancellors from Sindh’s public sector universities condemned Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s remarks made during his recent speech referring to VCs as “dacoits”.
The letter stated: “We strongly condemn the statement made by the minister and demand the expungement of these remarks from the proceedings of the August House, National Assembly. We also demand for public apology”.
In their joint letter, the VCs said that such a statement undermined their significant contributions to the education sector and had far-reaching implications for the youth regarding employment prospects and access to scholarships.
As custodians of the higher education sector in the country, “we have strived relentlessly” to create an environment that nurtures learning, innovation, and academic excellence, despite the government’s indifference and lack of support towards higher education, the letter read.
“Our collective efforts, in collaboration with dedicated faculty members, staff, and students, have helped shape the future of countless young individuals who have gone on to contribute to society in diverse fields,” they highlighted.
They said that just a few months ago, the NA speaker invited VCs to join the National Assembly in celebrating the constitution-making day. This gesture highlighted vice chancellors’ vital role in shaping our nation’s future through education.
“Therefore, it is disheartening to witness such disparaging remarks directed towards Vice Chancellors who were recently honored guests within the august house.”
The VCs said that they believe in healthy debate and constructive criticism, which are integral to the growth of any sector; public representatives must exercise caution and respect in their choice of words.
Describing VCs — who shoulder immense responsibilities — as “dacoits” not only reflects a lack of understanding but also undermines the entire higher education community.
The letter added that such derogatory comments “demoralise” Vice Chancellors, faculty members, and staff, hindering their motivation and dedication to their roles.
The VCs added that it is essential to note that the implications of this statement extend beyond mere rhetoric, adding that Pakistan’s youth, who are the future of our nation, are directly affected by the perception of our education system.
The minister inadvertently cast doubt on the quality and integrity of our institutions, consequently jeopardising the prospects of our youth seeking employment opportunities, admissions and scholarships — both nationally and internationally, they said.
They added that the term undermines the trust that international bodies and organisations place in our education system, potentially impacting collaborations, research partnerships, and scholarships.
“We firmly believe in the power of dialogue and collaboration to address issues and improve the higher education landscape in Pakistan. However, for such constructive engagement to take place, mutual respect and understanding must prevail,” the letter read.
The VCs urged Khawaja Asif to reconsider his choice of words and refrain from disparaging remarks undermining the efforts of Vice Chancellors and the higher education community.
“We request a public apology for the derogatory statement made against Vice Chancellors, along with a commitment to fostering a more positive and respectful environment for collaboration and growth in the higher education sector.”
They also seek if the remarks made in the NA could be expunged from the official record of the proceedings, as they do not reflect the dignity and decorum expected from our elected representatives.
“We trust that you will give due consideration to our concerns and take appropriate action to rectify the damage caused by this statement. We look forward to your prompt response and a positive way forward”.
Pakistan People’s Pakistan (PPP) leader Nafisa Shah slammed the defence minister’s remarks as derogatory and said it my have “serious repercussions” for the country’s higher education institutions.
Taking to Twitter, Shah wrote: “The Minister of defence #KhwajaAsifs derogatory remarks against all #ViceChancellors in the #NationalAssembly today may have serious repercussions on #Pakistans higher education institutions in the country and beyond in the world and further damage prospects and careers of the thousands of students studying in these institutions.
“I remember how the Minister for Aviation #GhulamSarwarKhan in the previous government made a sweeping statement on pilots degrees and as a consequence brought our National airlines to a halt.”
Furthermore, she said Asif should publicly apologise to the VCs and seconded their demand that the remarks be expunged from the House’s records.
“The #ViceChancellors of #Sindh have demanded a public apology from the Minister and asked the #Speaker to expunge these remarks in the statement below.
“Hope the minister would retract his statement as demanded by the Vice-Chancellors of Sindh in this letter. As it is the VCs are working under severe financial constraints as #HEC funding by federal government is meagre.”
Shah also added that public universities in Sindh were not being given “full support” and all civilian institutions should be respected.
“In the case of public universities in Sindh, if the Govt of Sindh were not providing full support to them, they would be in extreme hardship. As responsible office bearers we must respect our institutions.
“After all we are all unanimously condemning May 9 attacks on our institutions. In the same vein respect for civilian institutions and especially our universities is equally important. Individual wrongdoings of some officials cannot be generalised to condemn the entire leadership of higher education.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev, has left for Azerbaijan on a two-day official visit on Wednesday as Islamabad aims to obtain spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries from Baku.
The prime minister’s delegation would also include ministers representing the priority areas of cooperation with Azerbaijan.
During his visit, the premier will hold wide-ranging talks with the Azerbaijani president on key areas of cooperation, including trade, investment, and energy.
Meanwhile, regional and global issues of mutual concern and cooperation in multilateral forums will also be discussed.
“Pakistan-Azerbaijan relationship is embedded in commonalities of faith, culture and history, and strengthened by mutual trust and convergence of views on regional and global matters,” the FO statement read.
In a recent development, Pakistan released two tenders for spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments after nearly a year, coinciding with the announcement of a monthly LNG cargo agreement with Azerbaijan.
Pakistan has encountered difficulties in procuring spot cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) due to its dependence on gas for power generation and limited foreign exchange reserves, aggravated by the spike in global prices resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik, on Tuesday, announced that Azerbaijan had agreed to provide Pakistan with a monthly LNG cargo at a more affordable price. Although specific details of the supply agreement were not disclosed, Malik confirmed that a contract had been signed with Azerbaijan and that the deliveries would commence in the near future.
This situation resulted in widespread power outages. However, Asian spot LNG prices have significantly declined this year, dropping from the record highs of $70/mmBtu in August to below $10.
The minister added that the frequent leadership-level exchanges highlight the bonds of friendship between the two countries and contribute to closer multifaceted cooperation for the mutual benefit of the people of Pakistan and Azerbaijan.
On the other hand, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) will meet today (Wednesday) with Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar to take up the issue of approval for the import of distressed LNG for the third time from an Azerbaijan firm SOCAR, based in the UK.
The death toll has reached 106 after a wedding boat carrying 250 capsized Monday in north-central Kwara state, with rescue workers searching for other possible survivors, police said Wednesday.
It was the latest boat incident in the country where such occurrences are common as they mostly take place due to overloading, poor safety and heavy flooding in the rainy season.
“One part of the boat by the engine side collapsed where water penetrated the boat, which ultimately led to the boat capsizing,” Kwara police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi said in a statement.
“All efforts to draw the attention of the villagers hosting the wedding ceremony for assistance by the persons in the boat proved abortive, leading to the deaths of about one hundred and six people.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu offered his condolences to the families of the victims Wednesday and said that “his government would look to improve inland water transport safety”.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of our people in Kwara State. That the victims were guests at a wedding ceremony made the unfortunate accident more painful,” he said.
Ajayi, a Kwara police spokesman said: “All efforts to draw the attention of the villagers hosting the wedding ceremony for assistance by the persons in the boat proved abortive, leading to the deaths of about one hundred and six people.”
The residents near the Niger River use it as it can be faster for transportation in comparison to roads and also safer because the roads are poorly maintained and oftentimes dangerous due to the presence of kidnappings.
In May, 15 children reportedly drowned and two dozen went missing after a loaded boat capsized upon returning from the north-west Sokoto State.
Another incident, a year earlier, claimed at least the lives of 29 children in the same river as they were on a trip to collect firewood.
During the rainy season in the southeastern Anambra State, in December 2022, 76 people also drowned after their boat sank in a swollen river.
There are rules and regulations in place on night-time sailing in the rivers as well as overloading vessels, but people do not abide by them.
After asserting his diplomatic footprints in the highly volatile region of the Middle East, President Xi Jinping while meeting Palestinian leader Mehmud Abbas said Wednesday that China supports the Palestinian call for becoming a full United Nations member state
Both leaders met each other in Beijing where Xi also said that “the fundamental way out of the Palestinian issue lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian State.”
The Chinese position on the Palestinian issue was also put forth during an Arab leaders’ huddle in December in Saudi Arabia as Beijing has become active diplomatically to resolve outstanding regional issues.
A major breakthrough was sought after mediating a rapprochement between long-standing regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Iran back in March, with the US no more seen playing an assertive role in Middle Eastern diplomacy.
President Xi also met Abbas during the December trip and pledged to “work for an early, just and durable solution to the Palestinian issue”.
“China supports Palestine in becoming a full member State of the United Nations,” Xi said, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
According to Al Jazeera, President Xi told Abbas at the start of their meeting that “We are good friends and partners,” adding, “We have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights.”
The Palestinian leader be in Beijing until Friday on his fifth official visit to the world’s second-largest economy.
The Chinese president also told Abbas at a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People that China was “ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Palestinian side”.
“Today, we will jointly announce the establishment of a China-Palestine strategic partnership, which will be an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations,” Xi said.
Abbas arrived in China Monday to hold talks with top Chinese officials including Xi and Premier Li Qiang, with aims to take the bilateral ties further and resolve longstanding challenges to the Palestinian-Israel relationship.
As Beijing started to seek extensive support from the Middle Eastern countries, the US is regarding it as a challenge to its supremacy.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called long-time Palestinian leader Abbas an “old and good friend of the Chinese people” during a regular media briefing last week.
Finding a lasting solution to Israeli-Palestinian tensions may prove elusive, as peace negotiations between the two sides have been stalled since 2014.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts in April that his country was willing to aid peace negotiations, according to Xinhua.
And Qin told Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki that Beijing supports the resumption of talks as soon as possible, according to the state news agency.
In both calls, Qin emphasised China’s push for peace talks on the basis of implementing a “two-state solution”.
India has long expressed interest in buying large armed drones from the United States. But bureaucratic stumbling blocks have hampered a hoped-for deal for SeaGuardian drones that could be worth $2 billion to $3bn for years.
US negotiators are counting on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s White House visit on June 22 to break the log jam.
Since the date for Modi’s visit was fixed, the US State Department, Pentagon and White House have asked India to be able to “show” progress on the deal for as many as 30 armable MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones made by General Atomics, two sources said.
Modi and Biden are also expected to discuss co-production of munitions and ground vehicles, like armoured personnel carriers, while Modi is in Washington, the sources said.
Spokespeople for the White House, Department of State and the Pentagon declined to comment on the negotiations.
Washington frustrated
President Joe Biden has made deepening ties with India a cornerstone of his policy to counter China’s growing influence, placing special attention this year on collaboration on advanced military technologies, despite their lack of a formal security alliance.
New Delhi, which often prizes its non-alignment in conflicts between great powers abroad, has frustrated Washington by maintaining some defence and economic ties with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
Breaking India’s bureaucratic log jam on drones hinges on an internal meeting to generate an “Acceptance of Necessity” document, an Indian precursor to a formal “Letter of Request” which kicks off the foreign military sale process.
As of Tuesday, the sources did not know if New Delhi had generated the necessary internal document.
“That’s gonna be a decision that the government of India needs to make,” said a senior Biden administration official. “We think it would be good for them to go through with the purchase of MQ-9s. But those decisions are sort of more in the hands of India than they are of us.” The topic was expected to be on the agenda as Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday to finalise preparations ahead of Modi’s visit.
As of last week, India’s defence ministry had still not made up its mind about the number of drones it wants to buy, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Earlier, the number was pegged at 30, but that was later revised to 24, and then further down to 18 last month. Sources cautioned that none of the numbers were final.
India is also seeking components of the equipment to be domestically manufactured, something that could complicate any deal.
The Quad grouping of countries — the United States, India, Australia and Japan — all operate, or have operated, the MQ-9B SeaGuardian. Currently, India is leasing MQ-9Bs as part of an intelligence-gathering operation.
Mr Johnson quit as an MP after receiving an advance copy of the report – which he said had found him guilty “regardless of the facts”.
The report follows a year-long inquiry by the Privileges Committee.
On Wednesday Mr Johnson called for a committee member to resign over claims the MP had breached Covid restrictions.
The Guido Fawkes website alleged that Sir Bernard Jenkin, a senior Conservative MP on the committee, attended a drinks party for his wife’s birthday in the House of Commons in December 2020. At the time social mixing outside of households or support bubbles was banned in London.
Having contacted several people involved in the allegations, the BBC has not been able to independently verify the claims. Sir Bernard, Lady Jenkin and the alleged host of the gathering have been approached for comment.
Sir Bernard originally denied attending any drinks parties during lockdown. When he was asked by a Guido Fawkes reporter whether he had a drink at the celebration of his wife’s birthday that evening, Sir Bernard is quoted as saying “I don’t recall”.
Dame Eleanor Laing, the Deputy Speaker, who allegedly hosted the party, told the website: “I took advice on how many could be present in a room, I had the room measured and I kept a two-metre ruler so that I could always verify that nobody who was working here was put at risk.”
Mr Johnson has written to Labour’s Harriet Harman, who has chaired the inquiry, demanding she clarify whether she checked that panel members had not attended such events before the inquiry began.
If the reports were true, Sir Bernard was “guilty of flagrant and monstrous hypocrisy”, Mr Johnson said.
Last week, the former prime minister branded the committee a “kangaroo court” whose purpose “has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts”.
Mr Johnson accused the committee of mounting a “witch hunt” against him, and Ms Harman, of showing “egregious bias”.
The committee said it had “followed the procedures” at all times and accused Mr Johnson of impugning “the integrity of the House by his statement”.
At 23:57 BST on Monday, Mr Johnson sent a last-minute letter to the committee in response to their findings.
Under the published process, Mr Johnson was entitled to respond to the committee up to 14 days after receiving its draft findings, which were sent last week.
The committee said it would deal with the new developments and “report promptly”.
For almost a year, the seven-person committee – a majority of whom are Conservatives – have been considering whether Mr Johnson misled MPs about Covid-19 breaches in Downing Street and what he knew about them.
Giving evidence in March, Mr Johnson admitted misleading Parliament, but denied doing it on purpose.
He said social distancing had not been “perfect” at gatherings in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns, but insisted the guidelines, as he understood them, were followed at all times.
The Partygate scandal dogged Mr Johnson’s premiership, with police fining him for breaking Covid rules in 2020 – making him the UK’s first serving prime minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law.
Mr Johnson’s resignation as an MP, which has triggered a by-election in his marginal constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, came last Friday.
Mr Johnson said the draft report he had seen was “riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of prejudice”, adding it was clear the committee was “determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of Parliament”.
“They have still not produced a shred of evidence that I knowingly or recklessly misled the Commons,” he said, insisting “I did not lie”.
