Tamil Nadu-born in race to become Washington DC mayor
Washington, April 4: Tamil Nadu-born Rini Sampath has become the first South Asian candidate to be on the ballot for the primary for the election for the mayor of Washington DC. The 31-year-old government contractor from the Democratic Party has based her election campaign on the theme ‘Fix the Basics’ and the promise of “A new DC”. “I’m not a politician. I don’t owe any special interest groups. It’s time for an outsider who is relentlessly focused on fixing our basic city services,” Samapth says on her campaign website. Born in Theni in Tamil Nadu, she came to the US as a seven-year-old and has been a resident of Washington DC for more than a decade. The primary is scheduled for June 16, while the general election will be held on November 3. (PTI)
Fire at factory near Dhaka kills 5
Dhaka, April 4: A fire broke out at a factory manufacturing gas lighters near Bangladesh’s capital on Saturday, leaving at least five people dead, authorities said. The blaze broke out in the Kadamtali area of Keraniganj near Dhaka, according to the fire service and civil defence. Seven firefighting units were deployed to extinguish the blaze, which started in the afternoon, the fire department said. It took several hours to bring it under control. Firefighters recovered five bodies by the evening and they couldn’t immediately be identified. The cause of the fire was under investigation. (AP)
Death toll in Afghanistan floods rises to 77
Kabul, April 4: Widespread flooding, landslides and lightning strikes triggered by heavy rain and storms across Afghanistan have left 77 people dead and 137 injured over the past 10 days, the country’s Disaster Management Authority said Saturday. More rain has been forecast for the coming days throughout Afghanistan, and the authority warned the public to stay away from river banks and areas prone to flooding. So far this year, dozens of people have died due to extreme weather in Afghanistan, an impoverished country that is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Earlier this year, heavy snowfall and flash floods left dozens of people dead across the country. (AP)
Dacoits stealing govt equipment on Pak highway
Karachi, April 4: Dacoits in the riverbed areas who once robbed people on the highways between Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan have now started stealing equipment, including surveillance cameras, installed for the security of the travellers. The worst hit is a 200-kilometre stretch on the Sukkur-Multan motorway (an access-controlled road) from Sukkur in Sindh to Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab province. A senior police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said surveillance cameras, speed cameras, solar panels, lights, accessories and poles have been removed by these dacoits. (PTI)
