Secretary-General Appoints Nahla Valji of Canada United Nations Resident Coordinator in Eritrea
UNITED NATION – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Nahla Valji of Canada as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Eritrea, with the host Government’s approval. She took up her post on 21 January and will also serve as the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country.
Ms. Valji has more than 25 years of experience in sustainable development, peace and security, gender, and human rights in the United Nations and civil society, with expertise in leading institutional reform processes and start-up initiatives, including two UN funds and a Security Council mechanism on women, peace and security.
Prior to this appointment, she served as the Global Coordinator of the Spotlight Initiative to Eliminate Violence against Women and Girls, a €500 million flagship programme for the Sustainable Development Goals, and as a Senior Adviser in the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General.
Before that, Ms. Valji was the Acting Chief/Deputy of the Peace and Security Section of United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) where she led the entity’s work on peacekeeping, peace negotiations and the rule of law, and focused on country programming support and policy analysis and development. In 2015, she headed the Secretariat for the Global Study on the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), a comprehensive review requested by the Security Council on women, peace and security.
Before the UN, Ms. Valji worked in South Africa on issues of development, human rights, and peacebuilding. During this time, she led the Africa-wide work on transitional justice of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation. This involved managing partnerships with civil society, academia, experts, Governments and the African Union. She founded and was the managing editor of the International Journal of Transitional Justice and is the co-editor of the Oxford Handbook on Gender and Conflict.
Ms. Valji has a masters degree in political science and international relations and a joint diploma in forced migration studies from York University in Canada.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Cabo Verdean Prime Minister Correia e Silva
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began a tour of four African countries on Monday, meeting with the leaders of Cape Verde and Ivory Coast and touting America as the continent’s key economic and security ally at times of regional and international crises.
Blinken is visiting Nigeria and Angola next. The tour — which comes as deadly crises and rampant coups threaten the continent’s stability — focuses on trade, security, and democracy promotion.
In Cape Verde’s capital, Praia, he met with Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva and said the U.S. is committed “to deepening, strengthening, broadening” its partnerships with Africa whose young population of 1.3 billion is set to double by 2050 and make up a quarter of the world’s inhabitants.
Analysts say Africa seems to have been pushed to the back burner under President Joe Biden as his administration is increasingly consumed by other international issues such as the fighting in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, as well as its rivalry with China. Biden also failed to visit Africa last year as he promised.
“As President Biden has said, we are all in when it comes to Africa,” Blinken told the Cape Verdean leader. “We see Africa as an essential, critical, central part of our future. This trip … really does focus on President Biden’s commitment and conviction that the United States and Africa are joined in partnership for the future,” he added.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Cabo Verdean Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva today in Praia. Secretary Blinken congratulated Prime Minister Correia e Silva on Cabo Verde’s malaria-free certification by the World Health Organization and its selection as eligible to develop a Millennium Challenge Corporation compact for the purpose of regional economic integration. The Secretary and the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Cabo Verde partnership for advancing security and prosperity in the Atlantic Basin, West Africa, and around the world.
The Secretary welcomed the shared values between the United States and Cabo Verde in promoting democracy, good governance, and human rights.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, shakes hands with Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, at the Government Palace in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)
Silva described Cape Verde as “a longstanding and consistent partner” of the U.S. and said such a visit shows “the Biden administration’s genuine interest in win-win partnerships with Africa.”
“We would like to strengthen our partnership with the U.S. in maritime security and cyber security from a regional, global perspective,” said Silva.
Cabo Verde is a longstanding and consistent partner of the U.S. We have a diaspora of thousands of American Cape Verdeans, Cape Verdean American citizens who are proud of their origins. We share values of democracy, good governance, respect for human rights, and a defense of human dignity.
History, diaspora, and values are the foundations of our relations. That’s why they are strong in structure. In general, Cape Verde’s foreign relations are guided by the values of liberal democracy, international law, and multilateralism, and by predictability, consistency, and trust in our partnerships. It is based on these references that we strongly condemn Russians’ – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we condemned the terrorist act of Hamas in Israel, and we defend solutions that make the two states of Israel and Palestine viable.
Also Monday, Blinken flew to the Ivory Coast where he met President Alassane Ouattara and senior government officials. They discussed “shared priorities of strengthening democracy, expanding trade and improving local and regional security,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement.
He is attending a football match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast later on Monday, part of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Secretary-General Appoints Mohamed Yahya of Somalia United Nations Resident Coordinator in Pakistan
UNITED NATION – The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Mohamed Yahya of Somalia as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Pakistan, with the host Government’s approval. He took up his post on 21 January, and he will also serve as the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country.
Mr. Yahya has more than 20 years of experience in development and peacebuilding. Prior to his appointment, he served as the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Nigeria, where he oversaw one of UNDP’s largest country portfolios in Africa with presence in five out of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.
Before that, he worked as the Coordinator for Africa Regional Programme for UNDP based in Addis Ababa, where he was responsible for regional development initiatives in support of the African Union and Africa’s Regional Economic Communities. Previously, Mr. Yahya held positions with UNDP as post-conflict recovery specialist supporting UN interventions in Afghanistan and Liberia, as well as coordinator for a UN joint initiative on natural resource management. Before joining the UN, he worked as a senior peacebuilding adviser for the non-governmental organization International Alert.
Mr. Yahya holds a master’s degree in violence, conflict and development and a bachelor’s degree in politics and history from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
Trump to be joined by Tim Scott, Ramaswamy and Burgum at New Hampshire rally
FRANKLIN, N.H (TH)- Former President Trump will be joined by three of his primary rivals-turned-supporters at a rally on the eve of New Hampshire’s primary contest.
Scott, Ramaswamy and Burgum each ran against Trump in the Republican presidential primary but in recent months suspended their campaigns and backed Trump.
Burgum did so on the eve of the Iowa caucuses, Ramaswamy did so after dropping out immediately after the caucuses, and Scott endorsed Trump on Friday, months after he suspended his campaign without endorsing anyone.
Scott is considered a contender to be Trump’s running mate should he win the nomination, while Trump has suggested there may be a place for Burgum in a hypothetical Trump administration. Burgum announced Monday he would not seek a third term as governor.
Scott spokesperson Nathan Brand told The Hill that in addition to appearing at Trump’s rally on Monday night, the South Carolina Republican would be campaigning all day with Trump in the Granite State on Tuesday and attending his victory party.
Their presence at Trump’s rally underscores the former president’s grip on the GOP as Republican lawmakers fall in line behind him. Several senators have backed Trump in recent weeks, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) endorsed Trump on Sunday after suspending his campaign.
Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations, is Trump’s lone remaining major primary rival, though she trails the former president in the polls by double digits in New Hampshire and other early primary states.
13 Detained in Connection with Mira Road Clash in Mumbai Preceding Ram Temple Ceremony; Fadnavis Emphasizes ‘Zero Tolerance
Mumbai, INDIA (DT)- A confrontation unfolded in Mira Road, located on the outskirts of Mumbai, resulting in the apprehension of 13 individuals. The clash transpired amidst a vehicle rally commemorating the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, underscored a “zero tolerance” stance against anyone seeking to disturb peace and order in the state.
The incident unfolded as two groups clashed during the rally in Naya Nagar, stemming from a minor scuffle. Contrary to initial concerns, the police clarified that the occurrence did not constitute communal violence but was rather a confrontation between the two groups. The Mira Bhayandar – Vasai Virar (MBVV) police acted swiftly to deescalate the situation, recognizing the potential for heightened tensions given the significance of the Ram Temple inauguration.
DCP (Zone I), Jayant Bajbal, provided assurance to the public that there were no reports of communal unrest and urged citizens not to succumb to rumors. The police have initiated a comprehensive investigation, including a review of CCTV footage, to identify and apprehend any other individuals involved in the incident.
About the incident occurred last night at Mira Road : I took detailed info on what happened in NayaNagar in Mira Bhayender last night itself. Also was constantly in touch with Mira Bhayender CP till 3.30 am. Police were instructed to take strictest action against the culprits.…
On the same day as the clash, the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya took place, marked by the Maharashtra government declaring January 22 as a state holiday. Security measures were heightened for the event, including the deployment of Anti-Terrorist Squad commandos.
In response to the clash, Fadnavis directed the Police Commissioner to take immediate action, leading to the arrest of 13 individuals. He maintained close communication with the Mira Bhayander Commissioner of Police until the early hours following the incident, ensuring stringent measures were taken against those responsible.
“Police were instructed to take the strictest action against the culprits. Thirteen have been arrested so far, and a detailed analysis of CCTV footage is underway to identify and apprehend others involved too,” stated Fadnavis.
With Trump closing in on nomination, the effective audition to become his vice president is underway
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — As she addressed a crushing crowd of volunteers and media at Donald Trump’s New Hampshire headquarters on Saturday, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik received a welcome chant.
“VP! VP! VP!” one man shouted across the room.
While vice presidential candidates typically aren’t picked until after a candidate has locked down the nomination, Trump’s decisive win in last week’s Iowa caucuses and the departure of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis from the race have only heightened what had already been a widespread sense of inevitability that he will be the Republican nominee. That has given the campaign trail stops by Stefanik and other Republicans the feel of a public tryout reminiscent of Trump’s days as a reality TV host.
Many Republicans covet a spot on the presidential ticket with Trump as a chance to serve in a high-profile role that has elevated many ambitious politicians from relative obscurity.
That interest comes despite the fate of Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence. For four years, Pence was Trump’s most loyal defender, advocating for him at every turn. But in the final months of their administration, Trump turned on Pence, casting him as disloyal for refusing to go along with his unconstitutional effort to block President Joe Biden’s win.
Pence’s role in certifying the 2020 election not only threatened his life during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol but also sidelined his political career. He would end his own bid for this year’s GOP presidential nomination in October after failing to get traction. Many of Trump’s supporters still believe the former president’s lies about the election and view Pence as a traitor.
The Trump campaign has held several events in both Iowa and New Hampshire with high-profile surrogates.
FILE – Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, right, speaks as former President Donald Trump listens during a rally, Oct. 9, 2022, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
Beyond serving as opportunities to display their loyalty and star power to Trump’s team, the events serve as a reward for volunteers as well as a recruiting tool that brings in new faces, senior Trump officials said.
Stefanik joined Trump on stage at his Friday night rally in New Hampshire and stopped by his campaign headquarters the next morning to thank volunteers and make calls. In both appearances, she stressed that she was the first member of Congress to endorse Trump’s comeback bid.
“I’m proud to be one of his strongest supporters, particularly at key moments,” she told reporters. Asked if she would consider being his running mate, Stefanik said, “Of course I’d be honored, I’ve said that for a year, to serve in a future Trump administration in any capacity.”
Others who have appeared in Iowa and New Hampshire on Trump’s behalf include Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Lake was at a rally Sunday night taking pictures with supporters and holding a baby in the crowd.
FILE – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., waves while former President Donald Trump points to her in Bedminster, N.J., July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy appeared with Trump on stage in New Hampshire a day after dropping out of the race, also drawing “VP” chants from the crowd as he delivered a fiery speech.
And at the same rally where Stefanik spoke, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Trump’s former rival in the presidential race, announced his enthusiastic endorsement in what sounded like his own audition.
“We need Donald Trump!” said Scott, leading the crowd in an impassioned call-and-response full of the fervor many of his own campaign appearances seemed to lack. Trump stood behind him grinning.
Trump, too, has been stoking the speculation, saying during a recent Fox News town hall that he already knows “who it’s going to be.” He told Fox News host Bret Baier over the weekend that ”there’s probably a 25% chance” that he would ultimately pick the person he had in mind, adding: “The person that I think I like is a very good person, pretty standard. I think people won’t be that surprised.”
Jason Miller, a senior campaign adviser, declined to address vice presidential prospects or speculation about potential running mates. But he said those who have campaigned on Trump’s behalf in Iowa and New Hampshire “have drawn massive crowds and have all done a fantastic job of energizing voters to turn out for President Trump. So we’re very happy and very excited with both the jobs that they’ve all done but as well, the reception that they’ve all received,” he said.
Trump has been talking through potential choices since well before he formally launched his campaign, throwing out names, peppering friends and Mar-a-Lago members for feedback, and keeping a close eye on those jockeying for the post.
In those conversations, he has often indicated his interest in selecting a woman. Allies also say that while loyalty — and having a dependable attack dog who can effectively defend him — is paramount, Trump is also cognizant that he would enter a second term as a lame duck president and wouldn’t want a second-in-command who might overshadow him with immediate 2028 speculation.
Among those considered high on the list is Stefanik, a member of House Republican leadership who has seen her profile rise after her aggressive questioning of a trio of university presidents over antisemitism set in motion two of their resignations.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., at a campaign event in Concord, N.H., Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Vance said he wouldn’t pretend to give Trump advice on the decision, but that Nikki Haley, Trump’s last remaining major Republican rival, would be a poor choice. “Stefanik’s great. Kristi Noem’s great. I think all these people are great. Tim Scott’s a very, very good dude and would make a great vice president,” he said.
Trump has already effectively ruled out Haley. He said at a rally in Concord last week that his former U.N. ambassador is “not presidential timber.”
Haley is staunchly opposed by many in Trump’s “MAGA” base, including his son, Donald Trump Jr., who said he would go to “great lengths” to prevent her from being offered the job.
Other potential contenders mentioned by Trump allies include Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, his former press secretary, Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who recently endorsed Trump after dropping his own White House bid, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds and Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Susan Ingrahm-Kelly, 64, from Bedford, New Hampshire, visited Trump’s campaign headquarters to see Stefanik in person Saturday and raved about the congresswoman’s questioning of Ivy League presidents.
“Oh, I think she’s fabulous!” she said. “I absolutely love what she did, this whole thing with the Harvard.”
Ingrahm-Kelly, who is leaning toward voting for Trump on Tuesday, said she also likes the idea of another woman vice president. “I like to see strong, educated, articulate women, don’t we? I think she’s fantastic.”
Choice Hotels Nominates Board Directors in Hostile Wyndham Bid-Sources
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Choice Hotels International pressed ahead with its $8 billion hostile bid for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts on Monday by nominating a slate of directors to replace Wyndham’s eight-member board, people familiar with the matter said.
It is Choice’s latest attempt to break a stalemate after trying for most of the last year to negotiate a deal with Wyndham, which has rebuffed the bid as low-premium and fraught with antitrust risk. Wyndham has also raised concerns about the combined company carrying too much debt and a slowdown in Choice’s business.
The sources said Choice’s slate of nominees includes hospitality industry veteran Jay Shah, who currently serves on the board of private equity-backed HHM Hotels; Susan Schnabel, founder of aPriori Capital Partners which advises private equity on leveraged buyouts; James Nelson, CEO of real estate investment trust Global Net Lease; and Fiona Dias, who served on Choice’s board from 2004 to 2012.
Choice’s board nominees also include Barbara Bennett, founder of consulting firm Bennett West and a former Discovery Communications executive; Emanuel Pearlman, who serves on several public-company boards including Diebold Nixdorf, and Network-1 Technologies; Nana Mensah, who serves on the board of Darden Restaurants which operates brands such as Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse; and William Grounds, a veteran of the real estate and hospitality industries, who serves on the board of PointsBet Holdings, the sources said.
Choice and Wyndham did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Reuters was first to report on Nov. 27 that Choice was preparing to nominate directors to the board of Wyndham. The move gives Wyndham shareholders a way to push for the deal by turning the vote on board directors in the spring into a referendum on whether the company should open negotiations with Choice.
Reporting by Anirban Sen in New York; editing by Shri Navaratnam and Jason Neely
DT BUSINESS (BBC) – Sony’s Indian arm has scrapped a planned merger with Zee Entertainment which would have formed one of India’s largest entertainment groups.
The $10bn merger, first announced two years ago, was set to combine more than 75 television channels, film assets and two streaming platforms.
Sony said merger conditions had not been met, but there have been reports of a disagreement over leadership.
In response, Zee said it could take legal action against Sony.
The closing date for the deal had been set as 20 January, but Sony said this was not met “as, among other things, the closing conditions to the merger were not satisfied by then”.
When the deal was originally announced, Zee chief executive Punit Goenka was set to lead the newly-merged company.
However, Sony is reported to have been unhappy with this after India’s market regulator launched a probe into Mr Goenka.
In a statement, Zee said that Sony was seeking a $90m (£70.8m) termination fee as result of alleged breaches of the terms of the merger, but said it “categorically denies” the allegations.
Zee added that “all efforts and steps were taken by ZEEL [Zee] in line with the Merger Cooperation Agreement, approved by its shareholders and all regulatory authorities”.
The company said it was now “evaluating all the available options”.
Zee added it would take “all the necessary steps to protect the long-term interests of all its stakeholders, including by taking appropriate legal action”.
It also said that Mr Goenka has been “agreeable to step down in the interest of the merger and proposals in this regard were discussed”.
When the deal was first announced, the newly-planned firm was set to become a major media player in the country, challenging rivals such as Walt Disney’s Hotstar.
Both firms have operated in India for years and own streaming platforms ZEE5 and SonyLIV. They also have a vast TV following with popular channels such as Sony MAX and Zee TV.
The merger was also seen as key to providing a rival to the planned merger between Disney’s Indian businesses and the media assets of Reliance Industries.
“A deal collapse will have a negative impact on both parties as they were looking at scaling up in the Indian market which is going through a digital disruption and a potential threat of increased competition intensity if the Reliance-Disney deal goes through,” Karan Taurani, an analyst at Elara Capital, told Reuters.
India is becoming an increasingly lucrative market for streaming platforms that are targeting a young digital audience.
The past few years have seen a surge of competition from streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon and Hotstar.
At least 27 people are reported killed in an attack on Donetsk in Russian-occupied Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Moscow-installed officials said Ukrainian shelling killed at least 27 people and wounded 25 on Sunday at a market on the outskirts of Donetsk, a Russian-occupied city in the eastern part of the country.
Among the injured in the suburb of Tekstilshchik were two children, said Denis Pushilin, the local leader.
Ukrainian officials in Kyiv did not comment on the incident, and the claims could not be independently verified by The Associated Press. Both sides have increasingly relied on longer-range attacks this winter amid largely unchanged positions on the 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) front line in the nearly 2-year-old war.
The artillery shells that hit the area had been fired from the area of Kurakhove and Krasnohorivka to the west, Pushilin said, adding that emergency services responded to the scene.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “strongly condemns all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including today’s shelling of the city of Donetsk in Ukraine,” according to a U.N. spokesperson, adding that all such attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law.
Donetsk is one of four regions in Ukraine that Russia annexed illegally in 2022, months after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry also blamed Ukraine and described the strike as a “terrorist attack.”
Also on Sunday, a fire broke out at a chemical transport terminal at Russia’s Ust-Luga port following two explosions, regional officials said. Local media said the Baltic Sea port, 165 kilometers (about 100 miles) southwest of St. Petersburg, had been attacked by Ukrainian drones, causing a gas tank to explode.
The blaze was at a site run by Russia’s second-largest natural gas producer, Novatek.
In a statement to Russian media outlet RBC, the company blamed the fire on an “external influence,” saying operations at the port were paused.
Yuri Zapalatsky, the head of the Kingisepp district on the Gulf of Finland where the port is located, said there were no casualties but the area was on high alert.
In this photo released by Telegram Channel of Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko fire fighters extinguish the blaze at Russia’s second-largest natural gas producer, Novatek in Us-Luga, 165 kilometers southwest of St.Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan.21,2024. Photo : Telegram Channel of Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko /AP
News outlet Fontanka reported that two drones had been detected flying toward St. Petersburg on Sunday morning, but were redirected toward the Kingisepp district. AP could not independently verify the reports.
Russia’s Defense Ministry did not report any drone activity in the Kingisepp area in its daily briefing. It said that four Ukrainian drones had been downed in Russia’s Smolensk region, and that two more were shot down in the Oryol and Tula regions.
Russian officials previously confirmed a Ukrainian drone had been downed on the outskirts of St. Petersburg on Thursday.
In fighting on the front line, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Moscow’s forces had taken control of the village of Krokhmalne in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Ukrainian forces confirmed the settlement had been occupied, but described its capture as temporary.
Ukrainian Ground Forces Command spokesman Volodymyr Fityo said Kyiv’s troops had been pulled back to reserve positions from the village, which had a population of about 45 people before the start of the war.
“That’s five houses, probably,” he was quoted as saying by Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske. “Our main goal is to save the lives of Ukraine’s defenders.”
Recent Russian attacks have tried to find gaps in Ukraine’s defenses by using large numbers of missiles and drones in an apparent effort to saturate air defense systems.
The massive barrages — more than 500 drones and missiles were fired between Dec. 29 and Jan. 2, according to officials in Kyiv — are also using up Ukraine’s weapons stockpiles.
Landslide in mountainous southwestern China buries 47 people
BEIJING (AP) — A landslide in southwestern China’s mountainous Yunnan province early Monday buried 47 people and forced the evacuation of 200 more amid freezing temperatures and falling snow.
The disaster struck just before 6 a.m. in the village of Liangshui in the northeastern part of Yunnan province. Rescue efforts were underway to find victims buried in 18 separate houses, the Zhenxiong county publicity department said.
There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. The cause of the landslide wasn’t immediately known, although photos showed snow was on the ground and continuing to fall.
Luo Dongmei, 35, was sleeping when the landslide struck, but she survived and was relocated to a school by local authorities.
“I was asleep, but my brother knocked on the door and woke me up. They said there was a landslide, and the bed was shaking, so they rushed upstairs and woke us up,” Luo said.
Luo, her husband and their three children, along with many other residents, have been provided with food at the school but are still waiting for blankets and other protection from the cold weather, she said.
Luo said she’s been unable to contact her sister and aunt, who lived closer to the site of the landslide. “The only thing I can do is to wait,” she said.
Rescuers evacuated tourists last week from a remote skiing area in northwestern China where dozens of avalanches triggered by heavy snow trapped more than 1,000 people for a week. The avalanches blocked roads, stranding both tourists and residents in a village in Altay prefecture in the Xinjiang region, close to China’s border with Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan.
Landslides, often caused by rain or unsafe construction work, are not uncommon in China. At least 70 people were killed in landslides last year, including more than 50 at an open pit mine in the Inner Mongolia region. In 2021, 14 workers were killed when a tunnel under construction was flooded.
The landslide in Yunnan also came just over a month after China’s most powerful earthquake in years struck the northwest in a remote region between Gansu and Qinghai province. At least 149 people were killed in the 6.2-magnitude temblor that struck on Dec. 18, reducing homes to rubble and triggering heavy mudslides that inundated two villages in Qinghai province.
Nearly 1,000 people were injured, and more than 14,000 homes were destroyed in China’s deadliest earthquake in nine years.
