Unidentified persons vandalized the idol of Hindu god Mahadev at a temple on the premises of Diknogor resident Govinda Saha’s house in Faridpur, Bangladesh. “I came out of the home after hearing noises coming out of the temple and saw some people vandalizing the idol. They fled as soon as I went there,” said Saha before adding that he could not identify the perpetrators. The incident was reported to the police immediately, he added. OC MA Jalil of the Faridpur Kotwali police station said that raids were being conducted to nab the perpetrators. Sanjeev Das, a member of the district puja celebration council, said it was an abhorrent act and demanded the perpetrators be brought to justice.
Portugal begins to ration water
Several cities across Portugal, more than 95% of whose territory is in “severe or extreme drought”, have begun measures to ration water use. The water crisis is particularly serious in the southern region, where the Algarve Intermunicipal Community announced “joint measures” to face the drought, reports Xinhua. Those measures include reducing irrigation of green spaces, using wastewater for non-drinking purposes, as well as campaigns to promote rational use of water.
President of the Portuguese Water Distribution and Drainage Association Rui Godinho defended the urgent implementation of structural measures to reduce water losses. It is necessary to “attack the problem” with specific measures and a national program for efficient use of water, he was quoted by the local media as saying. Late last month, the government had announced that it would allocate 5 mn Euros to fight the severe drought across the country.
Bombing targets police van in Pak kills 3
A bomb exploded near a police van in southwestern Pakistan, killing an officer and two other people and wounding 27, mostly passers-by, police said. The attack took place in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, on the Fatima Jinnah Road that runs through a market, according to Fida Hussain, a senior police officer. He identified the slain officer as Ajmal Sadozai. Several shops at the market caught fire after the bombing. Hussain said the police van appears to have been the target of the attack. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing but previous such attacks have been blamed on the Pakistani Taliban and various militant and insurgent groups.
Balochistan has been the scene of a long-running insurgency by Baloch secessionist groups that for decades have staged bombings and shooting attacks on civilians and security forces to press their demands for independence.
14 workers found dead in China coal mine collapse
Fourteen workers who were trapped when a coal mine in southwest China collapsed 10 days ago had died, media reported. A rescue operation finished noon after the bodies of the miners were retrieved, state-owned Xinhua News Agency said. The workers were trapped after the roof of a shaft at Sanhe Shunxun coal mine in Guizhou province collapsed on Feb. 25. The rescue operation was challenging because the roof caved in about 3 km from the entrance of the mine, and the collapsed area was considerably large, media reported. Further investigation into the cause of the accident was underway. China’s coal mines are among the world’s deadliest, regularly suffering explosions and gas leaks despite repeated safety crackdowns.
Six dead as tornado roars through Iowa
Six people were killed on Saturday when a tornado swept through central Iowa, damaging buildings and knocking down trees and power lines, authorities said. Emergency management officials in Madison County said four were injured in addition to those killed when the tornado touched down in the area southwest of Des Moines. Among those killed were children and adults
UAE says Ukrainians eligible for visas-on-arrival
The UAE said that Ukraine nationals are eligible for visas on arrival in the Gulf Arab state, in an apparent reversal of a decision to suspend visa waivers to Ukrainians as thousands flee war in their country. Kyiv’s embassy in UAE had said Emirati authorities had temporarily suspended the waivers. “Concerning reports on the issuance of advance visas to Ukrainians, the ministry of foreign affairs, has announced that Ukrainians continue to be eligible for visa on arrival,” the foreign ministry said.
Moldova applies for EU membership
Moldovan President Maia Sandu signed a formal application for her country to join the EU, charting a pro-Western course hastened by Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. Moscow is fiercely opposed to the eastern expansion of both the EU and especially of Nato, which it sees as a direct threat to its own national security.
France upholds hijab ban in courtrooms
France’s highest court upheld a ban on barristers wearing the hijab and other religious symbols in courtrooms in the north, a ruling that may set a precedent for the country. The court’s decision may stir a nationwide debate ahead of April’s presidential election. The case was brought by Sarah Asmeta, a 30-year-old French-Syrian lawyer, who challenged a rule set by the Bar Council of Lille that bans religious markers in its courtrooms on the grounds that it was discriminatory. In its ruling, the court said the ban was “necessary. . . to preserve the independence of the lawyer and. . . to guarantee the right to a fair trial”. Banning the wearing of religious symbols “does not constitute discrimination”, it added.
Vulgar comments on Ukraine women in China cyberspace
China’s government censors are desperately trying to stop a flood of vulgar and abusive comments on Chinese social media about Ukrainian women refugees. Some social media users have gone beyond making jokes and are asking Russian soldiers to “have fun” with them. The adverse postings have resulted in a sharp reaction in Ukraine, where some Chinese students are stuck fearing for their safety. The Chinese embassy initially asked its citizen to clearly identify their nationality while travelling in Ukraine. It later changed the order to say that they should not identify their nationality and stay indoors. Social media in China has seen an outpouring of support for Russians, which is in sharp contrast to the situation in neighbouring countries like Singapore and Japan where there has been overwhelming support for Ukraine.
Florida likely to pass 15-week abortion ban
Florida’s Republican-led Senate is expected to pass a bill to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, putting the state one step closer to adopting a gestational limit currently under review by the US Supreme Court. Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign it after Senate approval. The state currently permits abortions up to 24 weeks without a mandatory waiting period. The measure, which would take effect on July 1, makes exceptions to the rule only in cases when the mom is at risk of death or “irreversible physical impairment”, or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality.
Boston Marathon bomber’s death penalty reinstated
The US Supreme Court reinstated convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence for his role in the 2013 attack that killed three people and wounded more than 260 others, ruling in favour of the federal government. In a 6-3 decision, the judges sided with the justice department’s challenge to a 2020 federal appeals court ruling that had upheld Tsarnaev’s conviction but overturned his death sentence. The court faulted the Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals on its findings both that Tsarnaev’s right to a fair trial under the US Constitution’s Sixth Amendment was violated and that the trial judge wrongly excluded certain evidence about a separate crime.
US Supreme Court rules in favour of FBI in spying case
The United States Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the FBI in a case concerning discrimination claims by three Muslim men from California who accused the agency of conducting illegal surveillance of them after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The court unanimously overturned a lower court’s 2019 ruling that said a federal law regulating government surveillance called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) trumped the state secrets privilege – a legal defence based on national security interests – that the government asserted. The ruling means the case returns to lower courts for further litigation, with the claims made by the plaintiffs not yet dismissed. The Supreme Court faulted the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals’ analysis, with Justice Samuel Alito writing that the FISA provision in question “does not displace the state secrets privilege”.
Kenya declares yellow fever outbreak
Kenya has declared an outbreak of Yellow Fever after three people died in Isiolo County with 15 others recovering in hospital. The first case was detected on January 12, 2022 and has since been listed in Isiolo's Merti and Garbatulla sub-counties, a statement by Director-General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth said. “To date 15 patients presenting with fever, jaundice, muscle pain and joint pain have been line-listed, the youngest being 11 whereas the oldest is 65. While the majority are young adults, males are most affected,” reads the statement in part. As a result, the health ministry is planning to conduct vaccination in all the high-risk counties. Although there is no known specific anti-viral for yellow fever, the disease is preventable through an effective vaccine which Dr Amoth said is "safe and affordable."
