Latest news with #Afgh
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- New Straits Times
Pakistan rescuers recover bodies after monsoon rains kill 320
PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Rescuers were struggling to retrieve bodies from debris after flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across northern Pakistan killed at least 321 people in the past 48 hours, authorities said on Saturday. The majority of deaths, 307, were reported in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said. Most were killed in flash floods and collapsing houses, with the dead including 15 women and 13 children. At least 23 others were injured. One resident told AFP it felt like "the end of the world" was coming, as the ground shook with the force of the water. The provincial rescue agency told AFP that around 2,000 rescue workers were engaged in recovering bodies from the debris and carrying out relief operations in nine affected districts where rain was still hampering efforts. "Heavy rainfall, landslides in several areas, and washed-out roads are causing significant challenges in delivering aid, particularly in transporting heavy machinery and ambulances," said Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's rescue agency. "Due to road closures in most areas, rescue workers are travelling on foot to conduct operations in remote regions," he told AFP. "They are trying to evacuate survivors, but very few people are relocating due to the deaths of their relatives or loved ones being trapped in the debris." The provincial government has declared the severely affected mountainous districts of Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and Battagram as disaster-hit areas. The meteorological department has issued a heavy rain alert for Pakistan's northwest for the next few hours, urging people to take "precautionary measures". Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, the national disaster authority said. Another five people, including two pilots, were killed when a local government helicopter crashed due to bad weather during a relief mission on Friday. DESTRUCTION The monsoon season brings South Asia about three-quarters of its annual rainfall, vital for agriculture and food security, but it also brings destruction. Landslides and flash floods are common during the season, which usually begins in June and eases by the end of September. Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah, a representative of the national disaster agency, told AFP that this year's monsoon season began earlier than usual and was expected to end later. "The next 15 days... the intensity of the monsoon will further exacerbate," he said. In Buner district, where there have been dozens of deaths and injuries, resident Azizullah said he "thought it was doomsday". "I heard a loud noise as if the mountain was sliding. I rushed outside and saw the entire area shaking, like it was the end of the world," he told AFP. "The ground was trembling due to the force of the water, and it felt like death was staring me in the face." In Bajaur, a tribal district abutting Afghanistan, a crowd gathered around an excavator digging through a mud-soaked hill. On Friday, funeral prayers began in a paddock nearby, with people grieving in front of several bodies covered by blankets. In the picturesque district of Swat, an AFP photographer saw roads submerged in muddy water, electricity poles grounded, and vehicles half-buried in mud. The torrential rains that have pounded Pakistan since the start of the summer monsoon, described as "unusual" by authorities, have killed more than 600 people. In July, Punjab, home to nearly half of Pakistan's 255 million people, recorded 73 percent more rainfall than the previous year and more deaths than in the entire previous monsoon. Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its population is contending with extreme weather events with increasing frequency. Monsoon floods in 2022 submerged a third of the country and killed around 1,700 people. Another villager in Buner told AFP residents kept on searching through the rubble overnight. "The entire area is reeling from profound trauma," said 32-year-old schoolteacher Saifullah Khan. "We still have no clear idea who in this small village is alive and who is dead," he added.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Can you still visit the countries listed under Trump's travel ban?
(NEXSTAR) — People from a dozen countries will soon be barred from entering the U.S., while those from seven others face expanded travel conditions, after President Donald Trump signed a travel ban on Wednesday. The ban, which Trump said was brought on by national security concerns, takes effect on Monday, June 9, and is similar to an order issued during his first term. Additional countries may also be added to the list 'as threats emerge around the world,' Trump said in a video posted Wednesday. Trump reinstates, expands travel ban: Which countries are affected? For now, however, you don't necessarily need to reconsider any travel plans you have. First, the order is focused on people entering the United States. More specifically, it fully restricts the entry of nationals from the following countries, as previously reported by The Hill: Afghanistan Chad Republic of the Congo Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Haiti Iran Libya Myanmar Somalia Sudan Yemen Nationals coming to the U.S. from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will also face partial restrictions under Trump's order. Existing visa holders, lawful permanent residents of the U.S., and those 'whose entry serves U.S. national interests' from those 19 countries are exempt. Other exempt travelers include certain athletes and coaches traveling for major sporting events as determined by the U.S. secretary of state; Afghans who worked for the U.S. government or its allies in Afghanistan and are holders of Afghan Special Immigrant Visas; Iranians belonging to an ethnic or religious minority who are fleeing persecution; certain foreign national employees of the U.S. government who have served abroad for at least 15 years and their spouses and children; refugees granted asylum or admitted to the U.S. before the ban; individuals with U.S. family members who apply for visas in connection to their spouses, children or parents; diplomats and foreign government officials on official visits; those traveling to the U.N. headquarters solely for official business related to the U.N.; representatives of international organizations and NATO on official visits in the U.S.; and children adopted by U.S. citizens. Some of the impacted countries, including Venezuela, have already warned citizens against traveling to the U.S. Can you fly without a REAL ID? What to know If you're expecting visitors from these countries, they may encounter a difficult entry process, even if they're exempt from the bans. When Trump issued a travel ban in 2017, travelers from impacted nations were either barred from getting on their flights to the U.S. or detained at U.S. airports after they landed. They included students and faculty, as well as businesspeople, tourists and people visiting friends and family. Trump's travel ban is focused on those traveling into the U.S., not out of it. It's worth noting, however, that of the 19 countries impacted, the U.S. State Department warns against traveling to nine: Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Venezuela, and Yemen. Burundi and Chad are labeled as 'Level 3: Reconsider Travel' by the State Department. Atlantic seaweed blob breaks record — and it's about to get even bigger Americans hoping to visit the Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Laos, Sierra Leone, and Togo are urged to 'exercise increased caution.' Visitors to Turkmenistan should 'exercise normal precautions,' according to the State Department. Travel to Cuba for tourist activities is already prohibited, the U.S. Embassy in Cuba notes. Travel to Cuba is only prohibited for 12 specific categories covering family visits, official businesses, education activities, and religious activities, among others. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
19-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Afghanistan evacuation whistleblower wins unfair dismissal case against FCDO
A sacked Foreign Office whistleblower has won a case for unfair dismissal over her disclosures to the media about the UK evacuation from Afghanistan. Josie Stewart was sacked by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in 2022 after being accidentally identified as a confidential source by a BBC journalist. Ms Stewart's lawyers said her disclosures to BBC Newsnight related to the Conservative government's handling of the evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021, and a 'subsequent denial by the Prime Minister and other very senior ministers and officials'. We can't have a system that says stay silent, no matter what you see, and forces dedicated public servants to choose between their conscience and their career Josie Stewart An employment tribunal before three judges, chaired by Employment Judge Andrew Glennie, found that her complaint of unfair dismissal under Section 98 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 was 'well-founded'. Ms Stewart's lawyers said the case was 'without precedent' and 'raised numerous important issues about civil servants' rights to whistleblower protection under existing law'. The tribunal heard that the FCDO had instituted a 'lessons learned' exercise following the Afghanistan evacuation, with Ms Stewart declining to participate because of how 'unforgivably bad' she thought the response had been. In her witness statement, Ms Stewart said she believed the exercise would be a 'whitewash' of the department's response. The tribunal found there was a 'clear public interest' in the evacuation and whether it was being carried out effectively and fairly, as the lives of individuals who had assisted Nato in Afghanistan were 'potentially at stake'. It also considered that it was 'reasonable' for Ms Stewart to go to the BBC when allegations had already been put into the public domain by former FCDO employee Raphael Marshall and 'government ministers were publicly disputing them'. The tribunal heard that Ms Stewart had 'experienced a culture in FCDO which silences concerns and ostracises those who raise them'. It found that Ms Stewart's complaint of making a protected disclosure was 'well-founded' with regard to the withdrawal of her security clearance, but 'dismissed' in relation to her suspension. An additional complaint of automatic unfair dismissal under Section 103A of the Employment Rights Act 1996 was also dismissed. Ms Stewart was identified as a whistleblower after a BBC journalist tweeted two images in January 2022 which revealed her email address. The whistleblower said her experience of the FCDO's Afghanistan crisis centre in August 2021 'reflected the worst of our political system'. In a statement upon receiving the judgment, she added: 'By calling this out, I lost my career. 'The outcome of this case doesn't change any of this, but it has achieved what I set out to achieve: it has established that civil servants have the right not to stay silent when systemic failures put lives at risk, as happened during the Afghan evacuation. 'I hope that, knowing that their colleagues have this right, senior officials will do more to build accountability in government, and speak truth to power when it is needed. 'We can't have a system that says stay silent, no matter what you see, and forces dedicated public servants to choose between their conscience and their career.' Gavin Millar KC, who represented Ms Stewart in the proceedings, said in submissions that the evidence presented in the proceedings showed 'terrible failings by government'. Cathy James, solicitor for Ms Stewart, said the tribunal had 'vindicated' Ms Stewart's actions and 'upheld her rights'. Ms James added: 'This is an important win not just for Ms Stewart, but for civil servants, the public interest, and democracy.' An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We will review the findings of the tribunal and consider next steps.' Remedies for Ms Stewart's successful complaints will be determined at a future hearing.
