Iran arrests Nobel Peace Prize laureate
DUBAI, Dec 13: Iran has arrested Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, her supporters have said. A foundation in her name said on Friday that she was detained in Mashhad, some 680 km northeast of the capital, Tehran, while attending a memorial for a human rights lawyer recently found dead under unclear circumstances. A local official reportedly acknowledged arrests had been made, but did not directly name Mohammadi, 53. It wasn’t clear if authorities would immediately return her to prison, where she had been serving a sentence until her temporary release in December 2024 for medical purposes. However, her detention comes as Iran has been cracking down on intellectuals and others as Tehran struggles with sanctions, an ailing economy and the fear of a renewed war with Israel. (PTI)
Death toll in Indonesia floods exceed 1,000
Jakarta, Dec 13: The death toll from floods and landslides that struck three provinces on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island has exceeded 1,000, with 218 people still missing, according to the latest data released Saturday by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). The disasters have caused extensive infrastructure damage. BNPB data listed damage to about 1,200 public facilities, as well as 219 health facilities, 581 educational facilities, 434 houses of worship, 290 office buildings and 145 bridges. Meanwhile, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto called on all citizens to remain steadfast and keep their spirits up. (IANS)
8 killed after Cholera outbreak in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: At least eight people, including six children, have died in a cholera outbreak in Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province this week, raising the death toll to 12 over the past three weeks, local health officials said on Saturday. The latest deaths were reported from the Cheena Khundi area of Musakhel district, where six children and two adult men lost their lives, District Health Officer Abdul Ghaffar Khetran told Xinhua news agency. He said medical teams from Quetta, Loralai and Barkhan have reached the affected area, while medicines were dispatched on the instructions of the provincial director general of health. (IANS)
