Rain kills 30 in Pak’s Punjab, emergency declared
LAHORE, July 17: Pakistan’s Punjab province has experienced a “rain emergency” due to torrential monsoon rains, resulting in 30 deaths and 300 injuries. The most affected area is Chakwal, a salt range area, which received 423 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, leading to floods. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) is assisting in evacuating people trapped by flash floods. The monsoon rainfall is expected to continue across the province, and authorities have issued an alert for possible flooding in rivers and streams. The toll of rain-related incidents has risen to 170 across Pakistan, with most deaths occurring in Punjab since June 26. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz of Punjab has imposed a “rain emergency” in various parts of the province, including Rawalpindi, and urged citizens to stay alert. (PTI)
Taliban militant killed in NW Pakistan
PESHAWAR, July 17: Pakistani security forces have killed a militant affiliated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The operation, conducted in Tehsil Dargai, Malakand district, involved an intelligence-based operation. An Afghan terrorist, Syed Habib, was injured during the operation. A cache of arms and explosives was recovered from the terrorists, along with flags and insignia of the banned group. The security forces are now conducting a clearance and surveillance operation to eliminate any remaining threats. Terror activities have increased in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the TTP’s ceasefire in November 2022. (PTI)
65 remains, child among them, found in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, July 17: A girl aged between four and five years has been identified among 65 sets of human remains exhumed from a mass grave in Sri Lanka’s Jaffna district. The site, first drew international attention in 1998 when a soldier testified about mass graves containing hundreds of civilians killed during the LTTE conflict. The gravesite is one of the dozens of sites unearthed throughout the country, which has seen thousands of people die and disappeared during the 26-year-long civil war. The main Tamil political party, Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), has emphasized the grave as clear evidence of war crimes and a genocidal campaign against Tamils. (PTI)
Ex-policeman jailed for maid’s death in Singapore
SINGAPORE, July 17: A Singapore court sentenced an Indian-origin man to 10 years in prison for his role in the death of a 24-year-old house help, Piang Ngaih Don. Chelvam was convicted on four charges, including voluntarily causing harm, abetting starvation, providing false information, and tampering with evidence by dismantling a CCTV recorder. Don died from brain injuries from repeated blunt trauma. The court found Chelvam guilty of endorsing the denial of food to the victim. (PTI)