25-04-2026

Month: June 2023

Cyclone Biparjoy live updates: Mass exodus as typhoon nears costal areas in Pakistan, India

A cyclone, moving at a speed of 3 kilometres per hour towards to coast of Pakistan and India, is likely to have an extreme atmospheric impact on the coastal areas of the adjoining countries, prompting the authorities on both sides to carry out mass exodus from the settlements near the sea.

As per the latest forecast, the cyclone — named Biparjoy, meaning “disaster” in Bengali — in the Arabian Sea is categorised as a very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS).

It has moved nearly northwards during the last six hours and is currently positioned near latitude 21.9°N and longitude 66.3°E, about 280 km west-southwest of Jakhau Port (Gujarat) and 340 km south-southwest of Karachi.

It is very likely to move nearly northeastwards today and then recurve northeastward and cross between Keti Bandar and adjoining Indian coasts between Karachi and Mandvi (Gujarat) near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) by the evening of June 15 as a VSCS with a maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph.

Mass evacuations are underway in the coastal areas of both countries, and the authorities remain high alert as the cyclone inches closer.

There is a high risk of coastal inundation in the areas near the coastline, including Karachi, Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin, while the Indian Met department warns of torrential rains with thunderstorm under the impact of Biparjoy.

Fishermen are advised not to venture into the open sea till the system is over by 17 June, as the sea level has risen to a dangerous level along the coastal belt, and the Arabian Sea conditions are very rough.

— Widespread wind-dust/thunderstorm rain with some very heavy/extremely heavy falls accompanied with squally winds of 80-100kmph gusting 120kmph likely in Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparker, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot districts during 13-17 June.

— Dust/thunderstorm-rain with few heavy falls & accompanied with squally winds of 60-80 Km/hour likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allayar, Shaheed Benazirabad & Sanghar districts from 14 -16 June.

— Dust/thunderstorm-rain with isolated heavy falls likely in Hub, Lasbella districts of Balochistan during 14-16 June.

— Squally (high intensity) winds may cause damage to loose & vulnerable structures (Kutcha houses) including solar panels etc.

— Storm surge of 3-3.5 meters (8-12 feet) expected at the land falling point (Keti Bandar and around) which can inundate the low-lying settlements.

— Sea conditions along Sindh coast may get very rough to high (2-2.5 meter) accompanied and rough to very rough (2 meter) along Balochistan coast (Sonmiani, Hub, Kund Malir. Ormara and surroundings).

Possible impacts on Indian coastal areas:

— Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Junagarh and Morbi districts of Saurashtra and Kutch on June 14.

— The intensity of rainfall would increase with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places very likely over Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka & Jamnagar and heavy to very heavy rainfall in districts of Gujarat and isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely over remaining districts of Saurashtra and north Gujarat region on June 15th.

— Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over north Gujarat and adjoining south Rajasthan on June 16 and southeast Rajasthan & adjoining North Gujarat region on June 17.

Key updates on cyclone:

NDMA urges people to stay cautious and safe

Rough sea conditions intensify at Hawkes Bay

The sea conditions have intensified at Karachi’s Hawkes Bay as high waves are crashing on the beach. Despite the sea water reaching the road along the coast, there is no one to prevent people from visiting the beach.

Light to moderate rain expected in Karachi today

Sindh Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz on Tuesday said that light to moderate rain is expected in Karachi today, while heavy showers are likely on Thursday and Frida

PM leaves for Baku today; LNG deal announced

Pakistan LNG, a government subsidiary that procures LNG from the international market, has one tender seeking six cargoes on a delivered-ex-ship (DES) basis to Port Qasim in Karachi in October and December, according to the tenders posted online. The delivery windows are Oct 5-6, 20-21 and 31, and Dec 7-8, 13-14 and 24-25. The tender will close on June 20, Reuters reported.

 

The other tender seeks three cargoes, also on a DES basis to Port Qasim, for delivery windows of Jan 3-4, 28-29 and Feb 23-24. The second tender closes on July 14.

Pakistan LNG last issued a tender seeking 10 spot cargoes in July 2022, but it received no offers.

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to Azerbaijan from June 14 to 15 on the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev, the PM Office announced.

Ministers representing the priority areas of cooperation with Azerbaijan will be part of the PM’s entourage.

According to the PMO, the prime minister will hold wide-ranging talks with Mr Aliyev on key areas of cooperation including trade, investment and energy. 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.

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, the statement said.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2023

Now you can follow Dawn Business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Seven dead as India steps up evacuations ahead of cyclone Biparjoy

AHMEDABAD/MUMBAI: Four boys drowned after venturing into rough seas in Mumbai as Indian authorities began evacuating people from western coastal areas on Tuesday, two days before a powerful cyclone approaches Gujarat state and southern parts of neighbouring Pakistan.

Classified as a very severe cyclonic storm, Biparjoy is expected to make landfall around Thursday evening between Mandvi in India’s Gujarat and Karachi in Pakistan with maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 km (78-84 miles) per hour, gusting to 150 km (93 miles) per hour, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

“Four boys drowned at Juhu beach on Monday evening. So far, we have found the bodies of two, and the search is still ongoing to locate the remaining two,” said a police official in Mumbai, India’s western metropolis that is south of Gujarat.

High waves in the Arabian Sea, accompanied by a heavy downpour and gusting winds pounded Gujarat’s coastal areas, uprooting trees and resulting in wall collapse that killed three people in Kutch and Rajkot districts of the state, authorities said.

Eight districts in coastal Gujarat are expected to be affected, the state government said. Fishing operations in the region have been suspended till Friday while schools have declared holidays.

Gujarat is home to many offshore oil installations and major ports in the country and most have been forced to suspend operations.

According to the Gujarat government, 21 teams of the National Disaster Response Force and 13 teams of the State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in the state for rescue work.

“We have already started evacuations from coastal areas. More than 7,000 people have been evacuated so far and the number is expected to cross 50-60 thousand,” said Kamal Dayani, a senior state official.

Two of India’s largest ports — Kandla and Mundra — located in Gujarat, have suspended operations, the state government said. Other ports including Bedi, Navlakhi, Porbandar, Okha, Pipavav and Bhavnagar have also closed due to the cyclone, according to shipping sources.

Reliance Industries which operates the world’s largest refining complex in Gujarat’s Jamnagar, declared a force majeure, suspending exports of diesel and other oil products from Gujarat’s Sikka port due to the storm, traders said.

The Adani conglomerate’s ports business, Adani Ports, said it suspended vessel operations on Monday at Mundra, India’s biggest commercial port that has the country’s largest coal import terminal, and also at Tuna port near Kandla.

The Indian Coast Guard said it evacuated 50 personnel from a jack-up oil rig off Gujarat’s coast named Key Singapore, which is owned by Dubai-based Shelf Drilling and currently working for Cairn Oil & Gas (Vedanta Ltd), according to Shelf Drilling’s website.

In Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority said instructions were being given to take precautionary measures in southern and southeastern parts that may be affected.

Donald Trump arrested, pleads ‘not guilty’

Deputy marshals booked the former president and took his fingerprints, while his aide and co-defendant, Walt Nauta was also arrested, fingerprinted and processed.

Trump’s plea, entered before US Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman in a federal court in Miami, sets up a legal battle likely to play out over coming months as he campaigns to win back the presidency in a November 2024 election.

The hearing was closed to cameras and live broadcasts.

It was the second courtroom visit for Trump in recent months. In April, he pleaded not guilty to state charges in New York stemming from a hush-money payment to a porn star.

Trump is the first former president to be char­ged with federal crimes.

Trump has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence and accuses Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration of targeting him.

He called Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the prosecution, a “Trump hater” on social media on Tuesday.

Nato to set up liaison office in Tokyo

In May, Japan’s ambassador to the United States said the US-led military alliance was planning a Tokyo office, the first in Asia, to ease regional consultations, but French President Emmanuel Macron objected to the plan.

At the time, China said the Asia-Pacific did not welcome what it called “group confrontation”, urging Japan to be “extra cautious on the issue of military security” given its “history of aggression”.

The Nikkei said Nato would deepen ties with its four major partners in the Pacific, preparing two-way cooperation documents with each, to form a basis for collaboration on issues such as cybersecurity and space.

On a visit to Japan in January, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg pledged with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to strengthen ties in the face of “historic” security challenges, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s rising military power.

“Australia will have further updates on its partnership arrangements in due course,” a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.

“All Nato partners are transitioning to the new Individually Tailored Partnership Programme process once their existing partnership arrangements are due for renewal,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Iran discusses N-plan with Europeans in UAE

“Following diplomatic consultations with regional and extra-regional parties, we met with our German, French and British counterparts in Abu Dhabi and discussed a range of issues,” deputy foreign minister and top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri tweeted.

Germany’s foreign ministry said the meeting took place on Monday and that discussions broached topics concerning Iran’s nuclear programme.

State news agency IRNA added that Bagheri was also in Abu Dhabi to discuss with the officials the promotion of bilateral cooperation and to review regional issues.

Iran’s nuclear programme has long been the subject of scrutiny from Western powers, resulting in sanctions that have hit the country’s economy.

A landmark deal in 2015, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme to guarantee that Tehran could not develop a nuclear weapon — something it has always denied wanting to do.

But the US unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and the reimposition of biting economic sanctions prompted Iran to begin rolling back on its own commitments.

On-off negotiations with France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China directly, and the United States indirectly to revive the deal have stalled in the past months.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani on Monday said the country has continued indirect negotiations with the United States over the issue.

On Sunday, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated that the country does not seek to acquire a nuclear weapon, adding that agreements could be reached in certain nuclear fields.

Boris Johnson has submitted a last-ditch letter to the MPs investigating whether he misled Parliament over lockdown parties, as they prepare to publish their findings.

The privileges committee said it was “dealing with” submissions received from the former PM at 23:57 on Monday.

The committee is set to publish its conclusions this week, but is unlikely to do so on Wednesday, as expected.

Mr Johnson quit as an MP last week after seeing the committee’s report.

In a statement, Mr Johnson said the committee should “publish their report and let the world judge their nonsense”, adding “they have no excuse for delay”.

“I have made my views clear to the committee in writing – and will do so more widely when they finally publish,” he said.

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”.

 

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 its chairwoman, Labour’s Harriet 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”.

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”.

PM Shehbaz commends Sindh govt’s efforts as it braces for cyclone Biparjoy

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday lauded the Sindh government for the arrangements it had made to deal with the fast-approaching cyclone Biparjoy — which is expected to make landfall on June 15 between Karachi and India’s Gujarat.

Taking to Twitter, the premier appreciated the efforts being made under the leadership of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

“I just spoke to CM Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and discussed the preparations to deal with the cyclone. I commend the Sindh government for the arrangements it has made under the leadership of the Chief Minister,” wrote the premier on the microblogging site.

Assuring the federal government’s complete support for the Sindh government, PM Shehbaz said that the province will “overcome this situation with the support of the people”.

Earlier today, the Sindh government kicked off the evacuation drive from the coastal areas of Badin, moving the residents to safe places in order to avoid any loss of life.

Meanwhile, the residents residing in the Karachi Defence Housing Society’s (DHA) Darakhshan and Sea View areas have been advised to evacuate voluntarily in the wake of Biparjoy — which is now just 550 kilometres away from the city of lights.

The government had decided to evacuate the residential areas and other human settlements near the coast of Sindh as the risk of tropical cyclone Biparjoy present in the Arabian Sea escalates.

Currently, the Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) lies about 530km south of Thatta, and 650km southeast of Ormara, expected to maintain a northward trajectory until the morning of June 14, then likely to recurve eastward.

CM Shah said that around 32,466 people of districts Sujawal, Badin, and Thatta and residents of 70 dangerous buildings in Karachi are prone to the cyclone.

“We are taking all-out measures to shift the people to secure areas and removing loose installations like billboards, sign boards, and such other weak structures to avoid any untoward incident,” said the CM while addressing a press conference at the CM House.

He added that under the existing upper-level steering winds, it was most likely to track further in the North-Northeast direction towards Southeast Sindh-Indian Gujarat coast.

Earlier today, CM Shah — along with Local Bodies Minister Nasir Shah, and Sindh Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput — visited Shah Bandar area of the district.

After the visit, the chief minister headed a meeting to review arrangements for mitigating the impact of Biparjoy in the coastal belt at 31 Creek Conference Room in Sujawal.

While briefing the CM on the evacuation work, the Hyderabad commissioner said that the evacuation began from Badin’s zero-point village Bhagra Memon and at least 2,000 people have been evacuated from the island of Shah Bandar.

A total of 50,000 people will be evacuated from the villages of Shah Bandar, Jati, and Keti Bandar.

The chief minister was informed that Biparjoy will hit the coast of Sindh on June 15, but its intensity will subside by June 17 to 18.

However, the seawater will surge as the wavelength will rise up to 4 to 5 metres when the storm hits, he added.

The decision to evacuate areas was taken on Sunday in a meeting chaired by Karachi Commissioner Iqbal Memon, where the participants discussed the preemptive measures regarding the cyclonic storm.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz, alongside other relevant officials.

The authorities concerned have been directed to implement the evacuation plan in coordination with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) by tomorrow (June 13), when the storm is likely to hit the coast.

Baba Bhit, Mubarak Village, Ibrahim Hydri Village, harbour, and other low-lying areas and villages along the coastal belt are included in the evacuation plan.

The meeting directed the Keamari, Malir, South, and Korangi deputy commissioners to ensure that all the residents of the said areas have been evacuated by the deadline, and shifted to safe places or relief camps set up for the facilitation of evacuees.

Other key decisions

Moreover, directives for the evacuation from “dangerous buildings” have also been issued.

The Sindh Building Control Authority and the deputy commissioners will take “necessary action with regard to the dangerous buildings, building with a weak glass panels, scaffolding at around under construction buildings […]”.

The cranes and other construction machinery installed anywhere in the areas under threat will also be removed.

The evacuees will be provided will all facilities during their stay in the relief camps.

Other key decisions taken in the meeting were the implementation of Section 144 of the CrPC, removal of hoardings and signboards, solar panels, installation of de-watering pumps in the low lying areas and choking points, prevention of electrocution and falling of electricity poles and devising of a contingency plan.

During the meeting, the commissioner alerted all city departments to deal with the threat of Cyclone Biparjoy. He ordered all the relevant bodies to complete their preparations to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone.

Directives to declare high alert in all major city hospitals and establishment of control rooms had also been given.

Biparjoy may hit Pakistan’s coast by June 15

Cyclone Biparjoy is likely to hit the coastal belt of southeast Sindh between Pakistan/Rann of Kutch-Indian Gujarat coasts by June 15 afternoon as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS), officials said on Sunday evening.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that the cyclone could cause strong winds, torrential rains, and floods in coastal areas of the province.

The NDMA directed the authorities concerned to run an awareness campaign in the local language to inform residents of the coastal areas of weather conditions and advise them against visiting the shorelines.

“Fishermen should avoid boating in the open sea. Follow and cooperate with local authorities in emergency situation,” it added.

Victorious Erdogan demands recognition of northern Cyprus

Erdogan met the north’s leader Ersin Tatar, whose rule is recognised only by Turkey, two weeks after extending his two-decade rule until 2028.

“If there is to be a return to the negotiating table, the way to do this is through recognition” of the north, Erdogan declared.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when the Turkish army invaded the northern third of the island in response to a coup that had sought to unite the entire island with Greece.

United Nations peacekeepers patrol a buffer zone separating the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) from the internationally recognised south.

Turkey’s calls for a “two-state solution” to the Cyprus issue have been rejected by Greek Cypriots who comprise a majority in the south. The Republic of Cyprus along with the international community favours a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation in line with a UN framework.

Nearly 144,000 voters were registered in northern Cyprus, including Turkish settlers and troops and Turkish Cypriots who hold Turkish citizenship.

Erdogan’s performance was hurt in part by an economic crisis that has swept across Turkey and undermined the north’s economy, which relies on Ankara for support.

But some analysts also attributed it to a more accommodating stance taken on the status issue by Kilicdaroglu’s party during the campaign.

Erdogan rejected compromises during his joint appearance with Tatar.

“The just demands of the Turkish Cypriots are clear and unequivocal,” Erdogan said.

“There are two separate peoples in Cyprus,” Tatar added.

The island’s status is one of the world’s longest-running disputes. It has been a source of tension across the Mediterranean region for decades, heating up in more recent years because of the discovery of large energy deposits in the region.

It has also contributed to Turkey’s uneasy relations with Greece and the rest of the European Union.

Ankara maintains more than 35,000 troops in the north.

There have been no formal UN-sponsored peace talks for nearly six years.

Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, who won his own runoff election in February, wants a greater EU role on the Cyprus issue.

22 US soldiers injured in Syria helicopter ‘mishap’: Centcom

Twenty-two US soldiers were injured in a helicopter accident in northeastern Syria at the weekend that did not involve any reported enemy fire, US Central Command said Tuesday.

“A helicopter mishap in northeastern Syria resulted in injuries of various degrees to 22 US service members” on Sunday, Centcom said in a statement.

“The service members are receiving treatment for their injuries and 10 have been evacuated to higher care facilities,” it said. “The cause of the incident is under investigation, although no enemy fire was reported.”

The United States has about 1,000 troops deployed in Syria as part of international efforts to combat jihadists, and periodically carries out strikes targeting militants in the country.

US bases have been repeatedly targeted in the past year, with cells linked to the Islamic State group claiming responsibility for some of them.

In March the United States carried out air strikes on Iran-linked groups in Syria after a US contractor was killed in a drone attack on a US-led coalition base near the city of Hasakeh in northeastern Syria.

At the time, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said at least 19 people were killed in the US air strikes.

The conflict in Syria has killed around half a million people since it began in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests, spiralling into a complex battlefield involving foreign armies, militias and jihadists.

Copyright © UNews-UK All Rights Reserved. Designed By Webtechnomind IT Solutions