World

NICOSIA — Cypriot authorities rescued 60 migrants in an overnight operation after their boat got into difficulty 15 nautical miles off the Mediterranean island's southeast coast, officials said on Tuesday.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) said the rescue operation was completed successfully on Tuesday, with 54 men, three women and three children brought safely to shore.

They are expected to be transferred to a migrant reception centre on the outskirts of the capital Nicosia.

Two marine police patrol boats, two speed boats, a helicopter and a volunteer rescue vessel were involved in the rescue operation off Cape Greco, near the resort town of Ayia Napa, the JRCC said in a statement.

"Around 8:00 pm (17:00 GMT) on Monday, August 14, the Centre received information about a boat with migrants in danger, which was sailing 15 nautical miles east of Cape Greco," the statement said.

There were no details of the nationality of the migrants or from where the boat set sail. Police would only confirm the rescue took place.

Authorities say there has been a rise in the number of migrants arriving by boat this year, with a 60 per cent increase recorded in the first five months compared to the same period of last year.

According to the Aliens and Immigration Unit, most irregular migrants arriving by sea board boats in the Syrian port of Tartus which are usually detected off Cape Greco.

European Union member Cyprus argues it is a “frontline country” on the Mediterranean migrant route, with asylum-seekers making up 5 per cent of the 915,000 people living in government-controlled areas of the island — the highest proportion in the bloc.

Asylum applications between May and July were down 53 per cent on last year, falling to 4,976 claims, while the government has ramped up migrant returns. 

Returns of failed asylum seekers have exceeded 4,370 so far this year, sharply up on the 2,353 recorded for 2022, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said last month.

DEHRADUN, India — Rescuers searched on Tuesday for people feared missing in floods and landslides that have killed at least 65 in India, including 11 who died in the collapse of a popular temple.

Days of torrential downpours have washed away vehicles, demolished buildings and destroyed bridges in the Himalayas.

Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India's treacherous monsoon season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity. 

At least 52 people have been killed in Himachal Pradesh since Sunday, with thousands more stranded after disruptions to roads, power lines and communication networks.

"The suffering of those affected cannot be relieved with money, but the government will provide all possible help to them in this hour of distress," State Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said in a statement on Tuesday.

Sukhu said earlier that up to 20 others were feared trapped under rubble after landslides, and appealed to residents to stay indoors and avoid going near rivers. 

Images from hard-hit areas in Himachal Pradesh showed bodies being pulled from piles of dark earth that had crushed buildings and smashed roofs.

At least 11 people died when a landslide triggered the collapse of a popular temple for the Hindu deity Shiva in state capital Shimla. 

"The rescue work is ongoing and we fear that at least 10 more people are still trapped under the rubble," district disaster management committee chair Aditya Negi told AFP. 

Elsewhere in the state, railway lines were seen dangling in midair after the ground beneath them was washed away.

Sukhu said the disaster was the worst to hit Himachal Pradesh in the past 50 years, adding that state authorities had scaled down Tuesday’s annual celebrations of Independence Day, marking the end of British colonial rule, to concentrate on rescue efforts.

More than 300 tourists had been rescued from the floods, he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking from the Red Fort in New Delhi for his annual Independence Day address, said that recent natural disasters had caused “unimaginable troubles” for families across the country.

“I express my sympathies towards all of them and I assure them that state and central governments will work together,” he told the crowd. 

Yoga retreat 

At least 13 more people have also been killed since Friday in neighbouring Uttarakhand state, officials said on Tuesday.

Rescue teams there raced to remove debris after people were feared buried when heavy rainfall triggered landslides.

Five people were buried when a landslide hit a resort near the popular yoga retreat of Rishikesh on the banks of the river Ganges.

Nearly 350 roads around Uttarakhand had been closed to traffic, according to state disaster bulletins.

Several riverside towns and villages in both states were at risk of flash floods from the heavy rain forecast. 

The monsoon brings South Asia around 80 percent of its annual rainfall and is vital for both agriculture and the livelihoods of millions. But it also brings destruction every year in the form of landslides and floods.

Days of relentless monsoon rains killed at least 90 people last month, while the capital New Delhi saw the Yamuna River — which snakes past the megacity — record its highest levels since 1978. 

Forecasters expect heavy rains to continue across the Indian Himalayas until at least Friday.

KABUL — Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Tuesday marked the second anniversary of their return to power, with supporters celebrating as critics denounced ever-tightening restrictions on women’s rights.

Flags of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan — the Taliban’s formal name for the country — fluttered across the capital Kabul, which fell on August 15, 2021, after the US-backed government collapsed and its leaders fled into exile.

In the two years since, Taliban authorities have imposed their strict interpretation of Islam, with women bearing the brunt of laws the United Nations has termed “gender apartheid”.

A statement from the authorities hailed a victory that was able to “pave the way for the establishment of the Islamic system in Afghanistan”.

“The conquest of Kabul proved once again that no one can control the proud nation of Afghanistan” and that “no invader will be allowed to threaten the independence and freedom” of the country, it said.

Hundreds of Taliban supporters, from elderly men to young boys, gathered near the abandoned US embassy building, one of the many that now stands empty — the Taliban government is still not formally recognised by any other country.

US-made military vehicles, claimed by the new Taliban rulers when they were left behind by international forces after a weeks-long chaotic withdrawal, rolled past the ajar gates of the fortified embassy walls.

‘Security provided’ 

In the city of Herat in the west, a crowd of Taliban supporters chanted: “Death to the Europeans, death to the Westerners, long live the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, death to the Americans.”

In Kandahar, the cradle of the Taliban movement and from where reclusive Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada rules by decree, a military parade was cancelled and then moved to a military compound, officials told journalists.

Kandahar resident Agha Sahib praised Akhundzada’s leadership, saying he had unified the country.

“When he issues a decree from [Kandahar], it is accepted... all over the 34 provinces of Afghanistan,” said the 24-year-old who works for the interior ministry.

The decrees have not been welcomed equally by all Afghans, however, nor by the international community, which is divided over whether to engage with the Taliban authorities.

Restrictions on the rights of women — squeezed from public spaces, employment and education — have been key obstacles to recognition and aid, which was slashed as foreign nations were wary of dealing with Kabul’s new rulers.

The country’s economic and humanitarian crisis is a stark worry for many Afghans, even if, like Herat rickshaw driver Abdulwase Qadri, they express relief at the end of the fighting.

“Security has been provided in these two years,” the 35-year-old said. “But the work environment is not favourable for young people.”

Women in particular have seen avenues to work closed, most recently with the shuttering of thousands of beauty parlours across the country.

Non-governmental groups have marked the anniversary by again denouncing the Taliban authorities’ treatment of women.

“We strongly condemn ongoing and escalating gross human rights violations by the Taliban especially against women and girls and the lack of an effective response from the international community,” said a joint statement from 10 rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

‘Dark future’ 

Zholia Parsi, one of those who joined in the rare and brief demonstrations by women against Taliban rule ahead of the anniversary, urged more action from the international community.

“Afghanistan has fallen into a pit of darkness, and nobody is paying attention to it,” she said.

On Tuesday, in the capital of neighbouring Pakistan, more than 100 Afghan women protested, carrying a poster that read: “15 August Black Day in Afghanistan”.

For Kabul resident Farah, who had to abandon her medical studies under new laws, the anniversary was also a grim reminder.

“I am facing an unknown future and deprived of the right to an education, and at the same time I see the Taliban celebrating their victory today,” she told AFP. “I see a dark future for myself.”

But it was a bright day for her male peer, 21-year-old Mortaza Khairi, who is still studying medicine and attended a celebration at Kabul University on Tuesday hosted by the ministry of higher education.

“We need to celebrate today,” he said. “Today marks the end of the occupation in our country.”

DEHRADUN, India — At least 24 people were killed, nine of them in a temple collapse, and dozens more were feared missing after intense rains caused floods and landslides in India, officials said Monday.

Days of torrential downpours have washed away vehicles, demolished buildings and destroyed bridges in the northern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. 

Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India's treacherous monsoon season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity. 

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, chief minister of the worst-affected state Himachal Pradesh, said at least 16 people had lost their lives in the past 24 hours, including nine in a Hindu temple collapse in state capital Shimla.

“The local administration is diligently working to clear the debris in order to rescue individuals who may still be trapped,” the chief minister said in a statement.

Images from hard-hit areas showed bodies being pulled out of thick piles of dark earth that have crushed buildings and smashed in roofs.

Thousands of people have been stranded, with key roads, power lines and communication networks disrupted.

Railway lines were seen dangling in midair, with the ground beneath them washed away.

‘Disturbing’

Sukhu, who posted on social media a “disturbing” video of a raging torrent swamping roads, appealed to residents to stay indoors and avoid going near rivers.

Schools in the state had been shut, he added.

The president of India, Droupadi Murmu, said she was “hurt with the loss of lives in accidents because of heavy rains”, and offered her condolences to the families who have suffered in Himachal Pradesh.

In neighbouring Uttarakhand state, rescue teams raced to remove debris after people were feared buried when heavy rainfall triggered landslides.

Five people were buried under the debris after a landslide hit a resort near the popular yoga retreat of Rishikesh on the banks of the river Ganges.

District police superintendent, Shweta Choubey, told AFP that a girl had been rescued from the site but that the rest of her family was still under the collapsed building.

At least eight people have been killed since Friday in the state, officials said.

Several riverside towns and villages in both the Himalayan northern states were at risk of flash floods from the heavy rain predicted in the region. 

The monsoon brings South Asia around 80 per cent of its annual rainfall and is vital both for agriculture and the livelihoods of millions. But it also brings destruction every year in the form of landslides and floods.

Last month, days of relentless monsoon rains killed at least 90 people, while the capital New Delhi saw the Yamuna river, which snakes past the megacity, record its highest levels since 1978. 

BANDA ACEH,  Indonesia — Rescuers are searching for seven people, including four Australian tourists, who went missing when their boat hit bad weather off Indonesia’s Sumatra island, officials said on Monday.

Two boats carrying a total of 17 people left Nias Island headed for the private island of Pinang on Sunday, local search and rescue agency head Octavianto said, before bad weather hit.

One of the speedboats, with 10 people on board, took shelter on another nearby island but the other boat carried on.

Rescuers were told by resort management on Pinang early on Monday that the second boat, which carried the four Australians and three Indonesians, never arrived, said Octavianto who, like many Indonesians, uses only one name.

He told AFP a search was launched immediately.

“From morning until now, we have yet to find the speedboat which carried the seven people,” Octavianto told AFP.

“We will continue the search until tonight. If there is no result, the search and rescue team will be deployed again tomorrow at 7:00.”

The second boat, which carried another eight Australians and two Indonesians, reached Pinang late on Sunday, he said. Two rescue vessels and an aircraft were assisting the search.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was working closely with Indonesian authorities.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those missing during this distressing time,” a spokesperson said.

Marine accidents occur frequently in the Southeast Asian archipelago nation of around 17,000 islands, where people rely on ferries and small boats to travel despite poor safety standards.

In 2018, more than 150 people drowned when a ferry sank in one of the world’s deepest lakes on Sumatra island.

A ferry carrying more than 800 people ran aground in shallow waters off East Nusa Tenggara province in May 2022 and remained stuck for two days before being dislodged. No one was hurt.

SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for a “drastic boost” in missile production during visits to key weapons factories, state media said on Monday, as South Korea and the United States prepared for joint drills next week.

The tour of the plants from Friday to Saturday came after Kim called for stepping up war preparations at a key military meeting last week.

Kim’s two-day inspections included visits to factories producing tactical missiles, large-calibre control multiple rocket launcher shells, as well as armoured combat vehicles, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

During the tactical missile factory visit, Kim “expressed satisfaction” as the plant had “perfected the scientific and technological issues arising in production” and pushed ahead with the modernisation of the weapons.

“He set forth an important goal to drastically boost the existing missile production capacity” and underlined the factory’s role in “speeding up” war preparations, KCNA said.

Kim stressed the “need to ensure boost in the production of shells” and personally drove a armoured combat vehicle, according to the report.

Photos carried by the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed a beaming Kim seated in the driver’s seat of a “newly-developed utility combat armoured vehicle” as he took it out for a test drive surrounded by three officials.

Kim also inspected a factory producing transporter erector launchers — vehicles for transporting and launching tactical missiles — and stressed the importance of developing and producing the mobile platorms.

The North Korean army should have an “overwhelming military force” and be “fully prepared for coping with any war at any moment” against the enemy, Kim said, adding they must “surely annihilate them if they launch an attack”, KCNA reported.

The inspections come as South Korea and the United States prepare for the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise set to take place August 21 through August 31.

North Korea views such exercises as rehearsals for an invasion and has repeatedly warned it would take “overwhelming” action in response.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday described the upcoming joint drills as “a tough and realistic exercise to strengthen the combined defence posture and alliance response capabilities”.

Leaders from South Korea, the United States, and Japan are also set to hold a trilateral summit in Washington on Friday, as they seek to bolster security cooperation in response to North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats.

Last week, Kim presided over a meeting with key military officials, calling for stepping up war preparations “in an offensive way” including boosting weapons production and conducting more drills.

LAHAINA, United States — The death toll in Hawaii from the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century was expected to cross the 100-mark Sunday, fueling criticism that an inadequate official response contributed to the heavy loss of life.

Officials updated the toll to 93 late Saturday, but warned the figure was likely to rise as recovery crews with cadaver dogs continued the grim task of searching burned out homes and vehicles in the epicenter of Lahaina.

The historic coastal town on the island of Maui was almost completely destroyed by the fast-moving inferno early Wednesday morning, with survivors saying there had been no warnings.

When asked Sunday why none of the island's sirens had been activated, Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono said she would wait for the results of an investigation announced by the state's attorney general.

"I'm not going to make any excuses for this tragedy," Hirono, a Democrat, told CNN's "State of the Union."

"We are really focused, as far as I'm concerned, on the need for rescue, and, sadly, the location of more bodies."

More than 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed as the fire tore through Lahaina, according to official estimates, wreaking $5.5 billion in damage and leaving thousands homeless.

“The remains we’re finding are from a fire that melted metal,” said Maui Police Chief John Pelletier. “When we pick up the remains... they fall apart.”

Among the ruins in Lahaina, a town of more than 12,000 and former home of the Hawaiian royal family, an iconic, 150-year-old banyan tree remained standing but severely burned, AFP journalists saw.

President Joe Biden said on Sunday he was “looking at” the possibility of visiting the island.

The wildfire is the deadliest in the United States since 1918, when 453 people died in Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to the non-profit research group the National Fire Protection Association.

The death toll surpassed 2018’s Camp Fire in California, which virtually wiped the small town of Paradise off the map and killed 86 people.

Maui suffered numerous power outages during the crisis, preventing many residents from receiving emergency alerts on their cell phones.

No emergency sirens were sounded, and many Lahaina residents have spoken of learning about the blaze because of neighbors running down the street.

“The mountain behind us caught on fire and nobody told us jack,” resident Vilma Reed, 63, told AFP.

“You know when we found that there was a fire? When it was across the street from us.”

Reed, whose house was destroyed by the blaze, said she was depending on handouts and the kindness of strangers, while sleeping in a car with her daughter, grandson and two cats.

In its emergency management plan last year, the State of Hawaii described the risk wildfires posed to people as being “low”.

Some residents who fled the flames have also expressed anger at a roadblock put up preventing them from returning to their homes.

Maui police said members of the public would not be allowed into Lahaina while safety assessments and searches were ongoing — even some of those who could prove they lived there.

Some residents waited for hours hoping to be allowed in to comb through the ashes or look for missing pets or loved ones.

When asked about growing anger at the response, Hirono told CNN she understood the frustration because “we are in a period of shock and loss.”

Maui’s fires follow other extreme weather events in North America this summer, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a major heat wave baking the US southwest.

Europe and parts of Asia have also endured soaring temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc. Scientists say human-caused global warming is exacerbating natural hazards, making them both more likely and more deadly.

VATICAN CITY — The number of migrants dying in the Mediterranean is an "open wound" for humanity, Pope Francis said Sunday after a week marked by a string of deadly shipwrecks.

At his weekly Angelus prayer, the 86-year-old pontiff offered his prayers for the 41 people reported missing on Wednesday by four survivors brought to safety on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

He recalled "with pain and shame" UN figures showing more than 2,000 migrants have lost their lives in the Mediterranean Sea since the start of the year.

"It is an open wound in our humanity," he told pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square.

"I offer encouragement to the politicians and diplomats who are seeking to heal it, in a spirit of solidarity and brotherhood."

He also hailed "the commitment of all those who work to prevent shipwrecks and rescue sailors".

Francis, who regularly urges better treatment of those who flee their homes for a better life elsewhere, had this week already warned against becoming “indifferent” to the deaths.

A spokesman for the UN migration agency, the International Organisation for Migration, said Saturday that “at least 2,060” migrants had lost their lives in the Mediterranean since January 1.

Of those, more than 1,800 died in the Central Mediterranean, the route from North Africa to Italy and Malta, he said, more than twice as many as in the same period last year.

In the latest incident, two Tunisians including a baby died when their boat sank Saturday shortly after leaving the shores of the North African country, the coast guard said.

On Monday judicial officials reported the deaths of 11 migrants in a shipwreck off Sfax, with dozens more missing.

The eastern Tunisian port city located about 130 kilometres from Lampedusa has emerged as a key migrant launchpad.

Meanwhile at least 30 migrants were reported missing on Sunday following two shipwrecks off Lampedusa, following days of bad weather.