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Canada removes 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi threatens to revoke their immunity

Diplomat Times
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Canada removes 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi threatens to revoke their immunity

Canada removes 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi threatens to revoke their immunity

By ROB GILLIES

TORONTO (AP) — Canada has recalled 41 of its diplomats from India after the Indian government said it would revoke their diplomatic immunity, the foreign minister said Thursday, in an escalation of their dispute over the slaying of a Sikh separatist in Canada.

The moves come after Canada’s allegations that India may have been involved in the June killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in suburban Vancouver. India has accused Canada of harboring separatists and “terrorists,” but dismissed the allegation of its involvement in the killing as “absurd” and has taken diplomatic steps to express its anger over the accusation.

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said Thursday that 41 of Canada’s 62 diplomats in India have been removed, along with their dependents. Joly said exceptions have been made for 21 Canadian diplomats who will remain in India.

READ MORE : Turkey in talks with Hamas on hostages but ‘nothing concrete for now’ – state media

“Forty-one Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having their immunity stripped on an arbitrary date and this would put their personal safety at risk,” Joly said. “Our diplomats and their families have now left.”

Joly said removing diplomatic immunity is not only unprecedented but contrary to international law, and said for that reason Canada wouldn’t threaten to do the same thing with Indian diplomats.

“A unilateral revocation of the diplomatic privilege and immunity is contrary to international law and a clear violation of the Geneva Convention on diplomatic relations. Threatening to do so is unreasonable and escalatory,” Joly said.

Joly said India’s decision will impact the level of services to citizens of both countries. She said Canada is pausing in-person services in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bangalore.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had previously called for a reduction in Canadian diplomats in India, saying they outnumbered India’s staffing in Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last month that there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the slaying of Nijjar, a 45-year-old Sikh leader who was killed by masked gunmen in June in Surrey, outside Vancouver.

For years, India had said that Nijjar, a Canadian citizen born in India, had links to terrorism, an allegation Nijjar denied.

India also has canceled visas for Canadians, and Canada has not retaliated for that. India previously expelled a senior Canadian diplomat after Canada expelled a senior Indian diplomat.

Trudeau has previously appeared to try to calm the diplomatic clash, telling reporters that Canada is “not looking to provoke or escalate.”

The allegation of India’s involvement in the killing is based in part on surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, including intelligence provided by a major ally, a separate Canadian official previously told The Associated Press.

Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller noted that in 2022 India was the top country for permanent residents, temporary foreign workers and international students in Canada. Miller said as a result of India’s decision to remove immunity Canada’s immigration department will be significantly reducing the number of Canadian employees in India. Miller said the lower staff levels will hamper the issuing of visas and permits.

Senior Canadian officials said India was firm on the number and rank of Canadian diplomats for whom it would lift diplomatic immunity. India also indicated it would cancel various permits, such as those permitting spouses to work in India and allowing the use of diplomatic plates on cars, officials said.

Nelson Wiseman, a political scientist at the University of Toronto, said there would be no point in Canada retaliating over India’s latest move.

“The expulsions of the Canadian diplomats reveal the thin skin of the Indians; it suggests that they know they are complicit in the murder of a Canadian in Canada,” Wiseman said. “They are trying to deflect attention from their lack of cooperation with Canada in the investigation of the murder.”

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Turkey in talks with Hamas on hostages but ‘nothing concrete for now’ – state media

Shasi Kumar
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Turkey in talks with Hamas on hostages but ‘nothing concrete for now’ – state media

Turkey in talks with Hamas on hostages but ‘nothing concrete for now’ – state media

ANKARA,(Reuters) – Turkey is in talks with the Palestinian militant group Hamas to secure the release of hostages it seized in Israel and took to Gaza, but there “is nothing concrete” for now, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was cited as saying on Wednesday.

Fidan said on Tuesday that Ankara was discussing the release of foreigners, civilians, and children held by Hamas, and added “many countries” had asked for Turkey’s help in facilitating the release of their citizens.

READ MORE : What we know about the deadly blast at a Gaza City hospital

“Talks, work on the prisoner swap continue. There are talks and meetings held through intelligence units, but, in the heat of the first days, it was not possible to create a framework for this,” Fidan told representatives from Turkish media this week, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.

In 2011, Israel swapped hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to win the release of one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was held for five years. The exchange was criticised at the time by some Israelis as too lopsided.

Officials say Hamas has nearly 200 hostages in Gaza.

Fidan added that other countries, namely Qatar, were also engaged in talks with Hamas leaders, who are currently in Qatar.

“We also speak to our friends, counterparts there from time to time. There is nothing concrete at the moment,” he was quoted as saying. “The Americans, Germans (conveyed requests) regarding their own citizens. There were those who asked for our help from the first day in releasing their citizens.”

Turkey has backed Palestinians in the past, while supporting a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict with Israel. It has offered to mediate in the conflict and sent humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is stuck in Egypt as borders remained closed.

Ankara has also been working to mend long-strained ties with Israel. Unlike the United States and European Union, Turkey does not view Hamas as a terrorist group and hosts its members.

Ankara, which initially condemned civilian deaths and called for restraint, has toughened its rhetoric against Israel, saying Israel’s response to Hamas in Gaza amounted to a “massacre’, and a violation of human rights and international law.

It sharply escalated its criticism after a blast on Tuesday that killed hundreds of Palestinians at a Gaza hospital, which Palestinians blamed on an Israeli air strike. Israel said the blast was caused by Palestinian militants.

Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu Editing by Alexandra Hudson

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China promises open markets and billions in new investments for ‘Belt and Road’ projects

Marietta Reformado
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China promises open markets and billions in new investments for ‘Belt and Road’ projects

China promises open markets and billions in new investments for Belt and Road projects

By SIMINA MISTREANU

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping promised foreign companies greater access to China’s huge market and more than $100 billion in new financing for other developing economies as he opened a forum Wednesday on his signature Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

Xi’s initiative has built power plants, roads, railroads and ports around the world and deepened China’s ties with Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Mideast. But the massive loans backing the projects have burdened poorer countries with heavy debts, in some cases leading to China taking control of those assets.

At the forum’s opening ceremony at the ornate and cavernous Great Hall of the People, Xi promised that two Chinese-backed development banks – the China Development Bank and the Export–Import Bank of China – will each set up 350 billion yuan ($47.9 billion) financing windows. An additional 80 billion yuan ($11 billion) will be invested in Beijing’s Silk Road Fund to support BRI projects.

READ MORE : What we know about the deadly blast at a Gaza City hospital

“We will comprehensively remove restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector,” Xi said. He said China would further open up “cross-border trade and investment in services and expand market access for digital products” and carry out reforms of state-owned enterprises and in sectors such as the digital economy, intellectual property rights and government procurement.

The pledges of hefty support from Beijing come at a time when China’s economy has slowed and foreign investment has plunged.

Xi alluded to efforts by the United States and its allies to reduce their reliance on Chinese manufacturing and supply chains amid heightened competition and diplomatic frictions and reiterated promises that Beijing would create a fairer environment for foreign firms.

“We do not engage in ideological confrontation, geopolitical games nor clique political confrontation,” Xi said. “We oppose unilateral sanctions, economic coercion and the decoupling and severance of chains,” a reference to moves elsewhere to diversify industrial supply chains.

Reiterating Chinese complaints that such moves are meant to limit China’s growth, Xi said that “viewing others’ development as a threat or taking economic interdependence as a risk will not make one’s own life better or speed up one’s development.”

“China can only do well when the world is doing well,” he said. “When China does well, the world will get even better.”

Representatives from more than 130 mostly developing countries are attending the forum, including at least 20 heads of state and government. Russian President Vladimir Putin is attending, reflecting China’s economic and diplomatic support for Moscow amid the isolation brought by its war in Ukraine.

Addressing the forum right after Xi, Putin praised BRI as being “truly important, global, future-oriented, aimed at creating more equitable, multipolar world relations.”

“This is truly a global plan,” he said, adding that it aligns with Russia’s plan “to form a large Eurasian space, as a space of cooperation and interaction of like-minded people, where a variety of integration processes will be linked.” He referred to other regional organizations, such as the security-oriented Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Eurasian Economic Union of former Soviet states.

Several European officials including the French and Italian ambassadors to China and former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin walked out while Putin spoke and returned afterwards.

On Tuesday, Putin met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is the sole European Union government leader attending the forum. Their meeting was a rare instance of the Russian president meeting a European leader since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine in February 2022.

Putin met with Xi after the opening ceremony.

Also in attendance are the presidents of Indonesia, Argentina, Kazakstan, Sri Lanka, Kenya among other countries, as well as U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. Most Western European countries and U.S. allies sent lower level or former officials to the forum.

A key concern is whether the BRI can become more sustainable in terms of debt burdens, said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute in London.

The initiative now aims to become smaller and greener after a decade of big projects that boosted trade but left big debts and raised environmental concerns.

China will also “monitor the debt sustainability of BRI countries more closely,” Christoph Nedopil, director of the Asia Institute at Griffith University in Australia, wrote in a report.

“Chinese financial institutions will likely limit their exposure to projects that do not have stable cash flows from within the project,” he added. “That being said, ‘beautiful’ strategic projects, such as strategic railways or ports, will still find Chinese financial creditors.”

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Associated Press researcher Wanqing Chen and writers Ken Moritsugu and Jim Heintz in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed.

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Hamas attack on Israel thrusts Biden into Mideast crisis and has him fending off GOP criticism

Kyung An
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Hamas attack on Israel thrusts Biden into Mideast crisis and has him fending off GOP criticism

Hamas attack on Israel thrusts Biden into Mideast crisis and has him fending off GOP criticism

By MATTHEW LEE AND AAMER MADHANI

WASHINGTON (AP) — The deadly Hamas militant attack on Israel and the massive retaliation it provoked from Jerusalem have thrust President Joe Biden into a Middle East crisis that risks expanding into a broader conflict and has left him fending off criticism from GOP presidential rivals that his administration’s policies led to this moment.

The potential for prolonged and expanding violence could test Biden’s leadership on both the world stage and at home as he tries to navigate between demonstrating unflinching support for Israel and fostering a broader peace in the combustible Mideast, where sympathetic militants were quick to loudly praise the action by Hamas. Hundreds have been killed on both sides.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group welcomed the attack as a response to “Israeli crimes.” The Iran-backed group, which holds similar goals as Hamas for the destruction of the Israeli state, fired rockets and shells on Sunday at three Israeli positions, drawing a response from Israel’s military with armed drones. A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader lauded the operation by Hamas, which said it was ready for a potentially long fight.

READ MORE : Brutal Russian strike on café, shop in eastern Ukraine kills at least 51 civilians

Several 2024 Republican presidential contenders immediately tried to pin a portion of the blame on Biden. They sought to tie his recent decision to release $6 billion in blocked Iranian funds in exchange for freeing five Americans who had been detained in Iran to Saturday’s complex attack by air, land and sea.

The White House pushed back fiercely against the GOP criticism, noting that the money unfrozen last month in the prisoner swap has yet to be spent by Iran and can only be used for humanitarian needs.

Iran has historically maintained strong ties with both Palestinian Hamas and Hezbollah.

A senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity said it was “too early to say whether the state of Iran was directly involved in planning or supporting” the complex attack but noted Iran’s deep ties to Hamas.

Biden and top aides spent Saturday consulting with European and Middle East leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In remarks before reporters at the White House, Biden called the attacks “unconscionable” and pledged his administration would ensure Israel has “what it needs to defend itself.”

“Let me say this as clearly as I can: This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage,” Biden said.

The attack only adds new complications as the Biden administration and Iran are locked in disputes over Tehran’s nuclear program. Iran says the program is peaceful, but it now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. Still, the administration hasn’t given up hope on reviving a deal brokered during the Obama administration — and scrapped during the Trump White House — that eased sanctions on Iran in return for curbs to its nuclear program.

Biden administration officials have also been working on brokering a normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the most powerful and wealthy Arab state. Such a deal has the potential to reshape the region and boost Israel’s standing in historic ways.

But brokering such a deal was already seen as a heavy lift as the kingdom has said it won’t officially recognize Israel before a resolution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The new conflict adds an enormous new roadblock to Biden’s ambitions, although the administration official said the White House did not see the Hamas attack derailing the effort.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry in a statement did not condemn the Hamas attack, but noted the kingdom’s “repeated warnings of the dangers … of the situation as a result of the continued occupation, the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, and the repetition of systematic provocations against its sanctities.”

Netanyahu vowed in his own national address to avenge the startling attacks, pledging to “bring the fight to them with a might and scale that the enemy has not yet known.”

Another point of criticism leveled at the administration by Republicans is that its decision shortly after taking office to reverse a Trump-era ban on assistance to the Palestinians, including civilians in Gaza, may have helped fund the operation.

Biden administration officials did not address whether Iran, in anticipation of using the money — now held in Qatari banks — for food, medicine, medical supplies and agricultural products, may have diverted other funds to Hamas or other proxies.

In a briefing with Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff on Saturday, administration officials said the U.S. had warned Iran “through interlocutors” that direct involvement in the Gaza situation would imperil any future initiatives the U.S. might consider with the Islamic Republic, according to a congressional aide familiar with the session.

The officials did not elaborate on who the interlocutors were or what future initiatives would be in jeopardy, although acting deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and the top U.S. diplomat for the Mideast, Barbara Leaf, both spoke to officials in Lebanon about the situation. Some Lebanese officials maintain contact with Iran, which supports the militant group Hezbollah in the country.

Administration officials roundly rejected this, saying their efforts to help Palestinian civilians in Gaza and elsewhere do not involve money that Hamas can use or divert.

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Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Jill Colvin in New York and Thomas Beaumont in Waterloo, Iowa contributed to this report.

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US Sports Star, Bears legend Dick Butkus passes away at 80

Kyung An
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US Sports Star, Bears legend Dick Butkus passes away at 80

US Sports Star, Bears legend Dick Butkus passes away at 80

By Larry Mayer

CHICAGO (CB) – Dick Butkus, a legendary Bears Hall of Fame middle linebacker and Chicago native who many still consider the most ferocious defensive player in NFL history, has passed away. He was 80.

The Butkus Family released the following statement: “The Butkus Family confirms that football and entertainment legend Dick Butkus died peacefully in his sleep overnight at home in Malibu, Calif. The Butkus family is gathering with Dick’s wife Helen. They appreciate your prayers and support.”

“Dick was the ultimate Bear, and one of the greatest players in NFL history,” Bears chairman George H. McCaskey said in a statement. “He was Chicago’s son. He exuded what our great city is about and, not coincidently, what George Halas looked for in a player: toughness, smarts, instincts, passion and leadership. He refused to accept anything less than the best from himself, or from his teammates. When we dedicated the George Halas statue at our team headquarters, we asked Dick to speak at the ceremony, because we knew he spoke for Papa Bear.

READ MORE : Broadcaster Rick Jeanneret Dead at 81, After Multi-Organ Failures

“If I had a choice, I’d sooner go one-on-one with a grizzly bear,” Green Bay Packers running back MacArthur Lane once said. “I pray that I can get up after every time Butkus hits me.”

“Dick was an animal,” Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Deacon Jones once said. “I called him a maniac, a stone maniac. He was a well-conditioned animal, and every time he hit you, he tried to put you in the cemetery, not the hospital.”

Butkus was voted to the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight NFL seasons and was also selected as an All Pro in seven of his nine years. He won two NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979 in his first year of eligibility.

Butkus was named to the NFL All-Decade Teams for both the 1960s and 1970s, had his No. 51 jersey retired by the Bears and was voted to the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary Teams.

Butkus also possessed extraordinary ball skills. He set an NFL record that has since been broken with 26 fumble recoveries and his 22 career interceptions are tied for 11th in Bears history with fellow Hall of Fame middle linebacker Brian Urlacher.

In the Chicago Bears Centennial Scrapbook that was published in 2019, Hall of Fame writers Dan Pompei and Don Pierson ranked Butkus as the second greatest player in franchise history behind only superstar running back Walter Payton.

Butkus told ChicagoBears.com in 2019 at the Bears100 Celebration in Rosemont that he felt fortunate to have starred in his hometown.

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Linebacker Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears pursues the play against the Pittsburgh Steelers during a game Sept. 19, 1971, at Soldier Field in Chicago. Butkus played for the Bears from 1965-73. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

“It’s kind of a unique position because I don’t think many players actually have done that,” Butkus said. “I feel very lucky. My parents got to see probably 95 percent of the games that were in Chicago, so it was good for my family, and I liked it.

“Playing for someone who was involved in football since I can remember, who’s better to play for than a guy like George Halas that started it all? I just felt that everything happened for a reason.”

Asked about the ferocity and intensity he was known for, Butkus said: “I thought that was the way that everybody should have played. But I guess they didn’t because they were claiming that I had a special way of playing. You try to intimidate the person that you’re playing against and hit him hard enough so that sooner or later he’s going to start worrying about getting hit and forget about holding the ball. If it stood out, I guess no one else was doing it as much.”

Interestingly, one of the most memorable moments of Butkus’ career did not occur on defense. It came late in a 1971 game against Washington when the Bears were attempting an extra point to snap a 15-15 tie. Bobby Douglass scrambled to recover a bad snap, rolled to his left and lofted the ball into the end zone to Butkus, who caught the pass to give the Bears a thrilling 16-15 victory.

After retiring from the Bears, Butkus became a popular actor who starred in dozens of movies and television shows —many alongside fellow former football star Bubba Smith. Butkus had recurring roles on TV shows such as “My Two Dads,” “Vega$,” “MacGyver” and “Hang Time.” His movie credits include “Brian’s Song” (appearing as himself), “The Longest Yard,” “Johnny Dangerously,” “Necessary Roughness” and “Any Given Sunday.”

Butkus endorsed several products, most notably appearing in a series of commercials for Miller Lite alongside other former professional athletes.

Throughout his adult life, Butkus generously supported numerous charitable causes. He created and operated The Butkus Foundation, which instituted the Butkus Award to honor the nation’s best linebacker in professional, college and high school football. The Hall of Famer also started the Dick Butkus Center for Cardiovascular Wellness, a nonprofit organization based in Orange County, Calif., with a cardiac screening program that uses specialized testing to help identify those at risk of heart disease and sudden cardiac death.

In addition, the Butkus Foundation runs the “I Play Clean Campaign,” which educates and encourages high school athletes to train and eat well without resorting to illegal steroids and other performance-enhancing products.

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Dr. Srinivas Eluri, a prominent diplomat hailing from the Telangana, has achieved a significant milestone on the international stage

Shasi Kumar
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Dr. Srinivas Eluri, a prominent diplomat hailing from the Telangana, has achieved a significant milestone on the international stage

Dr. Srinivas Eluri, a prominent diplomat hailing from the Telangana, has achieved a significant milestone on the international stage

NEW YORK (DT) – Invited to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, Dr. Eluri actively participated in a crucial event—the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Conference, held from the 16th to the 24th of September 2023.

This event served as a platform to emphasize and discuss the crucial role of sustainable development goals in steering global progress. Dr. Eluri’s focal points during the conference were gender equality and nuclear disarmament, pivotal aspects in promoting world peace and stability.

READ MORE : America International University Chancellor Dr Park Met with Guinea Ambassador in Malaysia, discussed about education

In the realm of global security, Dr. Srinivas Eluri passionately underlined the urgent need for a ban on nuclear weapons. The existential threat posed by these devastating instruments cannot be underestimated. He stressed that the current trajectory of nuclear proliferation presents a significant question to humanity, one that demands immediate and unified attention.

His resounding call was for a collective cessation of nuclear weapon production. He implored nations to reconsider their priorities and channel their efforts towards peaceful coexistence rather than the relentless development and accumulation of these destructive arms.

READ MORE : World Environment Day 2023: Solutions to Plastic Pollution, History, Importance

Dr. Eluri’s address was multifaceted, touching upon fundamental human rights and ethical considerations. He highlighted the necessity of prioritizing humanitarian needs, particularly in the face of growing global challenges.

His assertion that “people need food, not missiles” encapsulates the essence of this humanitarian perspective, emphasizing the importance of addressing basic human needs. Moreover, the discourse extended to the inhumanity inherent in nuclear warfare. Dr. Eluri emphasized that nuclear warfare stands as a stark violation of human dignity and moral principles.

He implored for a collective conscience that categorically rejects the engagement in and endorsement of such inhumane practices.

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Dr. Srinivas Eluri, at United Nations Headquarters. Photo : Provided

Additionally, the diplomat underscored the significance of inclusivity and global collaboration in decision-making processes concerning nuclear weaponry. Dr. Srinivas Eluri stressed that every nation’s opinion and concerns regarding nuclear weapons should be considered and weighted equally.

This democratic approach ensures that decisions related to nuclear armament are collective, well-informed, and representative of the global population’s diverse perspectives.

In conclusion, Dr. Srinivas Eluri’s presence and active contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Conference marked a crucial stride towards fostering a world driven by peace, humanitarian values, and sustainable development.

His articulate and impassioned address serves as a reminder of the collective responsibility we bear in shaping a future free from the shadows of nuclear conflict and oriented towards the welfare of all humanity.

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Flash floods kill at least 18 in northeastern India and leave nearly 100 missing

Shasi Kumar
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Flash floods kill at least 18 in northeastern India and leave nearly 100 missing

Flash floods kill at least 18 in northeastern India and leave nearly 100 missing

By ASHOK SHARMA

NEW DELHI (AP) — Rescue workers were searching for nearly 100 people on Thursday after flash floods triggered by sudden heavy rainfall swamped several towns in northeastern India, killing at least 18 people, officials said.

More than 2,000 people were rescued after Wednesday’s floods, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority said in a statement, adding that state authorities set up 26 relief camps for more than 22,000 people impacted by the floods.

Eighteen bodies have been found so far, said Vinay Bhushan Pathak, the top state bureaucrat.

READ MORE :Death toll in Libya floods nearly 3,000 after Storm Daniel

Twenty-six people have suffered injuries and were undergoing treatment at various hospitals across Sikkim, he said.

Among the missing were 22 soldiers, officials said. One soldier who had been reported missing on Wednesday was later rescued by authorities, the army said in a statement.

The Press Trust of India news agency cited a statement by neighboring West Bengal state as saying that the bodies of four soldiers were found. However, it wasn’t immediately clear whether they were among the 22 missing soldiers, or had died separately.

Some army camps and vehicles were submerged under mud following the floods, the army said.

Pathak said that nearly 3,000 tourists and 700 drivers with their vehicles have been stranded in the flood-hit areas.

“We are evacuating them through helicopters provided by the army and the air force,” he said.

The army is extending medical aid and phone connectivity to civilians and tourists stranded in the areas of Chungthang, Lachung and Lachen in north Sikkim, the army statement said.

Eleven bridges were washed away by the floodwaters, which also hit pipelines and damaged or destroyed more than 270 houses in four districts, officials said.

The flooding occurred along the Teesta River in the Lachen Valley in Sikkim state and was worsened when parts of a dam were washed away.

Several towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo in the Teesta basin, were flooded, and schools in four districts were ordered shut until Sunday, the state’s education department said.

Parts of a highway that links Sikkim, the state capital, with the rest of the country were washed away.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office said in a statement that the government would support state authorities in the aftermath of the flooding.

The flooding was caused by cloudbursts — sudden, very heavy rains — which are defined as when more than 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) of rainfall occurs within 10 square kilometers (3.8 square miles) within an hour. Cloudbursts can cause intense flooding and landslides affecting thousands of people.

The mountainous Himalayan region where Sikkim is located has seen heavy monsoon rains this season.

Nearly 50 people died in flash floods and landslides in August in nearby Himachal Pradesh state. Record rains in July killed more than 100 people over two weeks in northern India, as roads were waterlogged and homes collapsed.

Disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in India’s Himalayan region during the June-September monsoon season. Scientists say they are becoming more frequent as global warming contributes to the melting of glaciers there.

“This is, incredibly sadly, another classic case of a cascading hazard chain that amplifies as you go downstream,” said Jakob Steiner, a climate scientist with the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, commenting on Wednesday’s flash flooding.

Earlier this year, Steiner’s organization published a report saying that Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming isn’t controlled.

In February 2021, flash floods killed nearly 200 people and washed away houses in Uttarakhand state in northern India.

___
Sibi Arasu contributed to this report from Bengaluru.

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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receive support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Suspect in Bangkok mall shooting that killed 2 used a modified mock gun, police say

Andy Sengiah
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Suspect in Bangkok mall shooting that killed 2 used a modified mock gun, police say

Suspect in Bangkok mall shooting that killed 2 used a modified mock gun, police say

By JERRY HARMER AND JUTARAT SKULPICHETRAT

BANGKOK (AP) — The teenage boy who allegedly shot two people dead and wounded five others inside a major shopping mall in the center of Thailand’s capital used a mock handgun that had been modified to fire real bullets, police said Wednesday.

The suspect was taken into custody less than an hour after the first gunshots Tuesday afternoon at the Siam Paragon Mall, one of Bangkok’s biggest and most upscale shopping destinations.

Video uploaded to social media and broadcast on television showed a long-haired teenage boy in the custody of police. Major Thai media reported he was 14 years old and a student at a prominent private school. Recently appointed Police Chief Torsak Sukvimol confirmed only that he is a minor and had a record of being treated for mental illness.

READ MORE : Shocking Incident: Police Col. Wachira Yaothaisong Shot Himself, Investigation Underway

Assistant National Police Chief Samran Nualma said at a news conference Wednesday that the weapon used was “a plastic gun and adapted to use with real bullets.” It has variously been described as originally intended to fire blanks or BBs.

Samran said the authorities were looking into the regulation of such items. Mock weapons are popular among military buffs in Thailand and can be freely purchased. Licensing of real guns is restricted and limited to people 20 years or older. The penalty for unlawful possession of a firearm is up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 20,000 baht ($538).

The minister of Tourism and Sports, Sudawan Wangsuppakitkosol, confirmed at the news conference that a Chinese citizen and a Myanmar citizen had died. She said five people were hospitalized — one from China, one from Laos and three Thais — and that several were in critical condition.

“We need to rebuild confidence. We will discuss with the National Police putting safety measures in malls and communities to prevent such incidents,” she said.

Siam Paragon installed metal detectors at its entrances during political tensions several years ago, but recently they have been only casually monitored. Security guards were conducting hand searches of customers’ bags at entrances on Wednesday. Inside, workers were repairing the front of a luxury shop that was apparently damaged by the gunfire.

Thailand is relying on its once-robust tourism industry for a full economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic. It is especially encouraging visitors from China, who before the pandemic were by far the largest national group. But Chinese social media have lately been filled with warnings about safety in Thailand because of some high-profile crimes and scam operations.

Gun violence is not uncommon in Thailand, though mass shootings are rare.

The incident occurred days before Thais are to mark the anniversary of the country’s biggest mass killing by an individual, a gun and knife attack at a rural day care center in a northeastern province that killed 36 people, most of them preschoolers, on Oct. 6, 2022.

In 2020, a disgruntled soldier opened fire in and around a mall in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, killing 29 people and holding off security forces for about 16 hours before eventually being killed by them.

Tuesday’s shooting prompted authorities to temporarily shut access to the nearby Siam Square elevated train stop, preventing commuters from exiting at the key transfer point as the evening rush hour began and intense rain pounded the city.

Although gun laws in Thailand are relatively restrictive, the country has one of the highest levels of gun ownership in Asia, according to GunPolicy.org, a research project at Australia’s University of Sydney.

There are about 10 guns per 100 people in Thailand, including those owned illegally, compared with less than one per 100 in neighboring Malaysia, the project said.

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Associated Press journalists Penny Yi Wang, Grant Peck, Tian Macleod Ji and Jintamas Saksornchai contributed reporting.

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New York City mayor heads to Latin America with message for asylum seekers: ‘We are at capacity

Kyung An
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New York City mayor heads to Latin America with message for asylum seekers: ‘We are at capacity

New York City mayor heads to Latin America with message for asylum seekers: ‘We are at capacity

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday said he will travel to Latin America to discourage people from seeking asylum in the city as it struggles to handle a massive influx of migrants that have overwhelmed its shelter system and strained financial resources.

The Democratic mayor is set to visit Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia during a four-day trip this week. The city has absorbed almost 120,000 migrants over the past year, with hundreds still arriving daily in need of housing and employment.

“We want to give an honest assessment of what we are experiencing here in this city,” said Adams. “We are at capacity.”

READ MORE : Mexico’s president says 10,000 migrants a day head to US border; he blames US sanctions on Cuba

“We’re going to tell them that coming to New York doesn’t mean you’re going to stay in a five-star hotel. It doesn’t mean that, the mere fact that you come here, you automatically are going to be allowed to work,” he said.

Adams has made a series of urgent pleas for a shift in federal immigration policy and for funding to help the city manage the arrival of migrants, which he said could cost the city $12 billion as it rents space at hotels, erects new emergency shelters and provides various government services for asylum seekers.

The trip will begin Wednesday in Mexico, where Adams will attend the North Capital Forum and meet with government officials. He will then travel to Quito, Ecuador, for additional meetings before he heads to Bogotá, Colombia and eventually to the Darien Gap, a dangerous section of the route many migrants pass through on their way to the U.S.

Adams has recently moved to tighten New York shelter rules by limiting adult migrants to just 30 days in city-run facilities amid overcrowding. The city has also been challenging a decades-old legal agreement that requires it to provide shelter to anyone who requests it. On Tuesday, the city asked a judge to allow the rule to be suspended during a state of emergency where the shelter population increases at a rapid rate.

City and state leaders in New York, Illinois and elsewhere have urged the federal government to make it easier for migrants to get work permits, which would allow them to pay for food and housing.

The Biden administration last month took a step toward complying with the demand by extending a temporary legal status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans in the U.S., which will make it easier for them to get work authorization. Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul have announced $38 million in new state funding to help connect migrants with legal services.

Still, expediting work permits for migrants in general would take an act of Congress to shorten the mandatory six-month waiting period for work permits for asylum-seekers who cross the border illegally. With divided control of Congress, such legislation appears unlikely.

Chicago is also planning to send a delegation to the Texas border with Mexico to meet with government officials and nongovernmental organizations, and give migrants a more realistic portrayal of what they might expect in Chicago.

Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first deputy chief of staff, said the Texas border trip will be used, in part, to warn migrants about Chicago winters.

“We want to manage the number of people that are coming and staying in Chicago,” she said.

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For more AP coverage of immigration: https://apnews.com/hub/immigration

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Asian Games 2023 : Anu Rani ‘s First Gold in women’s javelin throw at the Asian Games in Hangzhou

Shasi Kumar
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Asian Games 2023 : Anu Rani ‘s First Gold in women’s javelin throw at the Asian Games in Hangzhou

Asian Games 2023 : Anu Rani ‘s First Gold in women’s javelin throw at the Asian Games in Hangzhou

Annu Rani finished on top of the podium with her season’s best throw of 62.92 metres in her fourth attempt.

Hangzhou (TFPJ) – India’s Annu Rani made history on Tuesday as she clinched the gold medal for the country in the women’s javelin throw final at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou.

Rani finished in top with her season’s best throw of 62.92 metres in her fourth attempt. The 31-year-old, who hails from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, is the first Indian woman to win a gold in javelin at the Asian Games.

Rani’s maiden gold is India’s 15th at these continental Games in China. India currently occupies the fourth position on the medals tally with 15 gold, 26 silver and 28 bronze.

China (159G, 87S, 46B) continues to lead the list ahead of Japan (33G, 46S, 64B) and Republic of Korea (32G, 42S, 64B).

READ MORE : Parul Chaudhary conquers 5000m gold, second medal at 2023 Asian Games

Athletics Federation of India post winning photo on their twitter/X handle and said Gold in women’s javelin throw at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Annu Rani best throw was 62.92m.

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