Libya probes collapse of two dams post flood
Derna (Libya), Sep 16: Libyan authorities have opened an investigation into the collapse of two dams that caused a devastating flood in a coastal city as rescue teams searched for bodies on Saturday, nearly a week after the deluge killed more than 11,000 people. Heavy rains caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel caused deadly flooding across eastern Libya last weekend. The floods overwhelmed two dams, sending a wall of water several metres (yards) high through the centre of Derna, destroying entire neighbourhoods and sweeping people out to sea. More than 10,000 are missing, according to the Libyan Red Crescent. Six days on, searchers are still digging through mud and hollowed-out buildings, looking for bodies and possible survivors. The Red Crescent has confirmed 11,300 deaths so far. Claire Nicolet, who heads the emergencies department of the Doctors Without Borders aid group, said rescuers found “a lot of bodies” on Friday and were still searching. “It was a big number … the sea is still ejecting lots of dead bodies unfortunately,” she told The Associated Press. She said massive aid efforts were still needed, including urgent psychological support for those who lost their families. (AP)
Birth centenary of Lee Kuan Yew celebrated
Singapore, Sep 16: Singapore on Saturday marked the 100th birth anniversary of its founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, with several leaders reflecting on his legacy and contributions to nation-building. Born in 1923, Lee was known as the economically prosperous republic’s chief gardener. He launched the first nationwide tree-planting campaign in 1963 and introduced the “Garden City” vision in May 1967, which started a greening movement which has lasted for decades. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Lee’s eldest son, reflected on how his father and the city state’s founding fathers shaped the values and ideals of a newly independent Singapore – meritocracy, religious freedom and racial harmony, justice and equality, self-reliance, integrity and incorruptibility. “Today would have been Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s 100th birthday. Several initiatives have been organised to mark his birth centenary. I hope Singaporeans will be able to appreciate and always have the resourcefulness, courage & conviction to take SG forward,” he posted on social media platform X. (PTI)
Man nabbed for climbing over Buckingham wall
London, Sep 16: A 25-year-old man was arrested near the stables of Buckingham Palace in London after he climbed the wall to enter the Royal Mews in the early hours of Saturday, Scotland Yard said. The man remains in custody at a London police station after he was arrested under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act for trespassing on a protected site. The Metropolitan Police said that the man did not gain access to the palace grounds at any point. “A man has been arrested in the Royal Mews area adjacent to Buckingham Palace,” the Met Police said in a statement. (PTI)