Niger, Nigeria – At least 60 people have been confirmed dead and dozens more rescued after a boat carrying over 100 passengers capsized in north-central Niger State, local officials said on Wednesday.
The vessel left Tungan Sule in Malale district around 11 a.m. local time (10:00 GMT) on Tuesday and was en route to Dugga on the Kainji reservoir. According to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), the incident occurred near the Gausawa community in Borgu Local Government Area after the boat struck a submerged tree stump.
“The cause was attributed to overloading and collision with a tree stump,” NSEMA told the local newspaper Daily Trust.
The passengers, including many women and children, were reportedly traveling to Dugga for a condolence visit. Abdullahi Baba Ara, NSEMA’s director general, said the death toll had risen to 60, while search and rescue operations were still ongoing to recover missing persons.
“Ten people have been found in serious condition, and many are still being sought,” Ara told Reuters. Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad, the district head of Shagumi who visited the site, said the boat was carrying more than 100 people. “We were able to recover 31 corpses from the river. The boat was also recovered and removed,” he said. He added that four victims have already been buried in line with Islamic rites.
Boat accidents are common in Nigeria’s riverine communities, especially during the rainy season between March and October, when rivers overflow. Many incidents are linked to overcrowding, poor vessel maintenance, and lack of safety enforcement.
In August, more than 40 people were reported missing after a similar accident in Sokoto State, and later that month, another 25 passengers went missing when a boat sank in the same region.
Local leaders have appealed to the federal government for urgent intervention, calling for stricter safety checks, provision of life jackets, and stronger oversight of water transport operators.
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Seoul, South Korea — A man fatally stabbed three people at a pizza restaurant in Seoul on Wednesday (Sep 3), in what police described as a rare but shocking act of violence in the usually safe South Korean capital.
The attack took place in the city’s Gwanak district, where the restaurant’s owner, reportedly in his forties, became embroiled in a dispute with contractors before suddenly launching the deadly assault. According to police, the suspect stabbed two men and one woman, all of whom were rushed to a nearby hospital but were later pronounced dead.
Following the attack, the suspect attempted to take his own life at the scene but was stopped by emergency responders. Authorities confirmed that he remains under medical supervision and will be taken into custody once his condition allows.
Police said initial findings suggest the violence was triggered by a business-related dispute, though investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances and motive.
South Korea is widely regarded as one of the safest countries in the world, with a murder rate of just 1.3 per 100,000 people in 2021 — far below the global average of around six per 100,000, according to government statistics. Still, recent months have seen a string of unsettling knife-related attacks, including a May incident in which a man stabbed three police officers.
The killings have rattled residents in the Gwanak district, where violent crime is rare, and raised concerns over the growing frequency of knife assaults across the country. Authorities have pledged a thorough investigation and said additional measures to enhance public safety may be considered.
Hong Kong — The Port of Singapore reaffirmed its standing as one of the world’s leading maritime hubs after being named “Best Global Seaport” for the fourth time and “Best Seaport in Asia” for the 37th time at the 2025 Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards, held in Hong Kong on September 3.
The dual honours underscore Singapore’s pivotal role in international trade and logistics. As one of the busiest ports in the world, Singapore continues to serve as a critical gateway linking Asia to global markets, with its efficiency, advanced infrastructure and service reliability frequently cited by shipping and logistics companies.
Organised annually by Asia Cargo News, the AFLAS Awards recognise service excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction across the global logistics and supply chain industry. Winners are determined through open nominations and votes cast by more than 15,000 readers of the publication, including shippers, freight forwarders and supply chain professionals.
Mr Ang Wee Keong, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, accepted the awards and highlighted the teamwork behind the achievement. “These awards reflect the contributions of our industry stakeholders, international partners, research community, and unions. We remain committed to developing Singapore as a global hub port and international maritime centre. Singapore will continue to strive to be a preferred port of call,” he said.
Singapore’s port has consistently ranked among the most efficient in the world, with round-the-clock operations, deep-water berths capable of handling the largest container ships, and extensive global shipping connections. It handles over 37 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers annually and connects to more than 600 ports in 120 countries.
The city-state has also been investing heavily in digitalisation and sustainability initiatives. The upcoming Tuas Port, billed as the world’s largest fully automated container terminal, is set to consolidate Singapore’s port operations under one roof, further strengthening efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
Industry analysts note that Singapore’s continued dominance comes despite intense competition from other Asian ports such as Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Busan. Its ability to maintain high service standards, coupled with a strategic location along vital shipping lanes, ensures that Singapore remains a preferred port of call for global carriers and logistics providers.
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New Delhi, India — Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced sweeping cuts in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) covering hundreds of consumer items, ranging from soaps and toiletries to small cars, televisions and air conditioners. The move is aimed at boosting domestic demand and offsetting the strain of escalating tariffs imposed by the United States.
The GST Council, which includes finance ministers from all Indian states, approved the new measures during a late-night meeting in New Delhi. Speaking after the meeting, Sitharaman said the new GST regime will come into effect on September 22 and will simplify the structure by reducing the number of tax slabs to just two. Items previously taxed at 12 percent and 18 percent will now be brought down to the 5 percent bracket, making consumer products more affordable across the board.
At the same time, the Council approved a much higher tax of 40 percent on so-called super luxury and sin goods, including cigarettes, carbonated beverages, and passenger cars with engine capacities above 1,500 cubic centimeters. Officials said this was meant to balance revenue losses while ensuring that the burden did not fall on essential or everyday items.
The rate cuts are expected to result in an estimated revenue loss of 477 billion rupees, according to West Bengal finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, who briefed reporters after the meeting. However, she said the decision was unanimous and reflected a shared priority across the states to revive consumption and investment at a time of global trade uncertainty.
The reforms are likely to provide a strong boost to India’s consumer sector. Analysts said that fast-moving consumer goods firms such as Hindustan Unilever and Godrej Industries, as well as electronics makers like Samsung, LG and Sony, stand to benefit from the lower rates. The automobile industry, including manufacturers such as Maruti Suzuki, Toyota and Suzuki Motor, is also expected to see improved sales as tax cuts make small cars more affordable to the middle class.
The push to slash taxes comes against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for greater self-reliance in India. Last month, Modi vowed to bring down GST rates by October as part of his strategy to counter U.S. tariffs of up to 50 percent. His government has argued that easing the tax burden will stimulate consumption, strengthen local industry and help shield India from global trade pressures.
After the announcement, Modi welcomed the decision, calling the cuts “wide-ranging reforms” that would improve the lives of ordinary citizens and promote ease of doing business, particularly for small traders and entrepreneurs.
Lisbon, Portugal — At least three people were killed and about 20 others injured on Wednesday after Lisbon’s historic Gloria funicular railway derailed and crashed, turning one of the Portuguese capital’s most beloved tourist attractions into the scene of tragedy. Authorities said three of the injured remain in critical condition.
Emergency services confirmed the fatalities and reported that dozens of ambulances and fire crews were dispatched to the site near Restauradores Square. Footage from local media showed the mangled upper car of the funicular, with rescuers pulling passengers from twisted metal as crowds gathered nearby.
Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed condolences to the victims’ families, with the president describing the accident as a “dark day” for the capital. “We mourn those who lost their lives, and we will seek answers swiftly,” Mr. de Sousa said, adding that investigators had already begun examining the wreckage.
The Gloria line, inaugurated in 1885, connects Lisbon’s downtown area with the Bairro Alto, a neighborhood famed for its nightlife and scenic views. Operated by the city’s public transport company Carris, the funicular consists of two cars attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, powered by electric motors.
According to reports from CNN Portugal, the lower car of the funicular remained largely undamaged, but passengers were forced to jump out of its windows to escape after the derailment of the upper car. The cause of the crash remains unclear, though transport officials said technical experts had been dispatched to determine whether mechanical failure or a cable issue was to blame.
The Gloria funicular, along with its counterparts the Bica and Lavra lines, is not only a vital link between Lisbon’s steep districts but also a UNESCO-recognized symbol of the city’s heritage, drawing thousands of visitors every week.
For now, authorities have suspended the service and cordoned off the area, as investigators work to piece together how a 140-year-old icon of Lisbon’s transport network ended in catastrophe.
Kyiv, Ukraine — Russia fired more than 500 drones and two dozen missiles at Ukraine overnight, authorities said Wednesday, as Ukraine’s president and European leaders pressed on with talks on how to strengthen Ukrainian defenses and boost as-yet unsuccessful U.S.-led peace efforts.
The main Russian nighttime targets were civilian infrastructure, especially energy facilities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as another winter approaches three years after Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor. The attacks targeted mainly western and central Ukraine and wounded at least five people, the Ukrainian air force said.
Russia’s aerial assaults that hit civilian areas and its army’s drive to crush Ukrainian defenses along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line have not abated in recent months, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to stop the fighting. While Zelenskyy has accepted Trump’s proposals for a ceasefire and face-to-face peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin has voiced reservations.
Putin said Wednesday he believed “that if common sense prevails, it is possible to agree on an acceptable option for ending the conflict,” adding that Trump has “a sincere desire” to find a settlement.
“It seems to me that there is a certain light at the end of the tunnel,” Putin said at a news conference in Beijing, wrapping up a four-day visit to China. “Let’s see how the situation develops. If not, then we will have to achieve our goal by military means.”
He said he was ready to receive Zelenskyy for talks in Moscow, but only if the meeting is “well prepared.” Kremlin officials have previously said a summit could happen only after a broad agreement has been hammered out first by lower-ranking delegations.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian leader described the overnight strikes as “demonstrative.”
“Putin is demonstrating his impunity,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram Wednesday, urging tougher sanctions on Russia. “Only due to the lack of sufficient pressure, primarily on the war economy, does Russia continue this aggression.”
Meetings in Beijing bring together Russia’s supporters
As part of diplomatic maneuvering, Putin was in China meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The three countries support Russia’s war effort, Washington says. Pyongyang has sent troops and ammunition to Russia, while China and India have bought Russian oil, indirectly helping its war economy.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief said that China’s alliance with Russia is supplying vital support for its invasion, including with products that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
“Russia is not acting alone. China provides Russia with up to 80% of dual use imports,” Kaja Kallas said in a speech Wednesday at the annual European Union Institute for Security Studies conference in Brussels. “This allows the killing to continue in Ukraine.”
In his daily video address on Tuesday evening, Zelenskyy said the number of Russian drone attacks is growing, including in broad daylight, and reported “another buildup of Russian forces in some sectors of the front.”
He said it revealed “an open disregard by Russia for everything the world is doing to stop this war.”
Ukraine and its allies discuss new military aid
Zelenskyy arrived in Denmark on Tuesday for talks with Northern European and Baltic countries about new military aid and further diplomatic support for Ukraine. He said in Copenhagen that a program for weapons sourced from the United States and paid for by Europe for delivery to Ukraine already has commitments of more than $2 billion. The goal, he said, is to add around $1 billion to the fund each month.
British Defense Secretary John Healey, meanwhile, was in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv for meetings on how to strengthen Ukraine’s military.
French President Emmanuel Macron greeted Zelenskyy in Paris on Wednesday evening, ahead of a Thursday meeting there of European countries assessing what kind of postwar security guarantees they might be able to provide with the United States.
Macron said defense ministers of these countries confirmed and documented contributions from 35 coalition members at a meeting earlier in the day. He didn’t elaborate on what he said was a confidential agreement, but said it was the result of ″intense work in recent weeks″ and ″allows me to say that this preparatory work has been completed.″
″We are ready, we Europeans, to bring security guarantees to Ukraine and Ukrainians the day a peace deal is signed,″ Macron said. ″The question now is about the sincerity of Russia and its successive commitments since it proposed peace to the United States.’
Zelenskyy said that “unfortunately, so far we have not seen any signals from Russia that they want to end” the war. “But I am sure that our union, the union with Europe which has been with us since the beginning of the war, and the union of Europe with America will help us increase the pressure on Russia to move towards a diplomatic solution,” he said.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said earlier Wednesday he expected clarity after the Paris talks about what each country can provide.
Rutte said he is “discreetly part of all the conversations” alongside NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, because the plans would draw resources from alliance countries and officials need to “prevent spreading our resources too thinly.
Beijing, China — China showcased its military might in a parade Wednesday marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II as it seeks to wield greater influence on the global stage.
Leader Xi Jinping, speaking before the parade, paid tribute to Chinese veterans of the war. Since coming to power in 2012, he has sought to build China into a country that cannot be bullied and is strong enough to stand up to foreign powers.
“The Chinese people are … not afraid of violence and are self-reliant and strong,” he said.
The Chinese military showed off aerial and underwater drones, hypersonic missiles and fighter jets and bombers in a 90-minute event attended by the leaders of about two dozen countries, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
China’s Communist Party hails progress since World War II
The splashy commemoration of the anniversary is a way to boost support for Communist Party rule by showing the progress made by China. The country was a major front in the war and millions died during Japan’s invasion.
Xi, who has been positioning China as a stabilizing force in an unstable world, said humanity must choose between peace and war and dialogue and confrontation.
Military personnel take part in a military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender held in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. Photo : AP/Ng Han Guan
“The Chinese people’s rejuvenation cannot be blocked, and the noble goal of the peaceful development of human civilization must triumph,” Xi said at the end of his speech.
An analyst at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore said the turbulence in U.S. policy is an opportunity for China.
“This is the right time for China to announce its arrival on the stage, to be a security guarantor, to fill the political, economic, military, diplomatic vacuums,” said James Char, an assistant professor in the China Program.
Parade showed off drone submarines and hypersonic missiles
Highlights of the weaponry in the parade included the AJX002 underwater drone, a long, black, tube-shaped craft that looks like a narrow submarine with a rear propeller.
Other weapons that got attention were hypersonic missiles designed to take out ships at sea and a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-61, which could carry nuclear warheads to distant targets.
The hypersonic weapons are of particular concern to the U.S. Navy, which patrols the western Pacific from its 7th Fleet headquarters in Japan.
Fighter jets and bombers flew across the sky, some painting colored trails. Helicopters flew in formation, one group of 26 spelling out the number “80” for the war’s anniversary year.
The ceremony began with an 80-gun artillery salute, followed by the national anthem, the “March of the Volunteers,” a song composed in 1935 during the early years of resistance against invading Japanese forces.
Trump sends a message
As the parade got underway, U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that the big question is whether Xi will recognize the contributions of Americans who fought in the war.
“Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America,” he added.
Military personnel take part in a military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender held in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. Photo : AP/Andy Wong
“Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America,” he added.
Putin said that everyone with whom he had spoken during his four-day visit to China had “supported” his meeting with Trump in Alaska last month and expressed their hope that negotiations would end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I’m saying this without irony, without joking, as public figures all over the world will see this as I say it, and they will understand,” Putin said.
Xi reviews troops and reminds them to defend China’s claim to Taiwan
The event began with troops marching in rhythmic lockstep, their boots echoing off the pavement, to be reviewed by Xi, who heads China’s military as chairman of the Central Military Commission.
Xi rode the entire length of their formations along Beijing’s central Chang’an Avenue in a classic black limousine. He stood up through the vehicle’s sunroof with four microphones lined in front of him and greeted flanks of personnel as he passed them and rows of armaments and military vehicles.
They shouted back mottos in unison, such as “We serve the people.”
The People’s Liberation Army is a heroic military “the people and the Party can trust and rely on completely,” Xi said, adding that the army’s task was to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and unification — a reference to China’s claim over the self-ruled island of Taiwan.
Across the Taiwan Strait, President William Lai said military might should not be used for aggression or territorial expansion.
“Taiwan does not use the barrel of a gun to commemorate peace,” he said in a Facebook post. “Instead, it recalls the martyrs, remembers the lessons of history, and upholds the belief in freedom and democracy.”
New Delhi, India – Shri Rohit Rathish 2006 batch IFS, presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Seychelles. He is expected to assume his new diplomatic assignment shortly.
Key Posting in Strategic Indian Ocean Region
Seychelles, a key maritime partner for India in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), holds immense strategic importance due to its proximity to major sea lanes and its longstanding bilateral cooperation with India in defence, security, and development. The appointment of a senior IFS officer like Shri Rathish reflects New Delhi’s commitment to further deepening this critical partnership.
India and Seychelles enjoy close and enduring relations built on shared history, culture, and strong people-to-people ties. Cooperation spans maritime security, defence, renewable energy, health, education, and capacity-building. Shri Rathish’s appointment is expected to strengthen this collaboration further, especially in the context of evolving regional dynamics in the IOR.
Distinguished Career in Indian Foreign Service
Shri Rathish joined the Indian Foreign Service in 2006 after securing an impressive 3rd rank in the Civil Services Examination out of 433 successful candidates. Over the past 15+ years, he has served in several high-responsibility roles in India’s diplomatic and foreign policy ecosystem, gaining expertise in bilateral as well as multilateral engagements.
Known for his professionalism and policy acumen, Shri Rathish has contributed significantly to India’s external relations during his tenure in the MEA and in missions abroad. His leadership in key assignments has prepared him well to take on this new role in Seychelles, where India’s strategic and developmental partnership continues to expand.
