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MUMBAI, July 7 (Reuters) - India's federal police have arrested three railway employees on Friday in connection with the country's deadliest train crash in two decades that killed 292 people last month, the crime agency said in a statement. It is India's worst train crash in more than two decades. The accident happened when a passenger train hit a stationary freight train, jumped off the tracks and hit another passenger train coming from the opposite direction. Reuters reported earlier this week that workers repairing a rail-road barrier had made faulty connections in the automated signalling system on the network. The malfunctioning system directed the passenger train onto the path of the freight train, it said.

Persons: Narendra Modi's, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Krishn Kaushik, Jatindra, Shivam Patel, YP Rajesh, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI, Reuters, of Railway Safety, CRS, Local, Indian Railways, Railway Board, Railways Ministry, YP, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, Bahanaga Bazar, Odisha

It is not the end of our relationship with the IMF though, as the SBA is a short-term bridging operation. GARETH LEATHER, SENIOR ASIA ECONOMIST AT CAPITAL ECONOMICS, LONDON"The agreement of a loan deal between Pakistan and the IMF should put the economy back on a more secure footing and limit the biggest downside risks. There is a strong risk that Pakistan reneges on the deal once the immediate crisis has passed. Our target shall be that the next IMF programme should be the last one and it would be a great opportunity to correct our fiscal account once and for all." "Things would have been much better if successive governments would have invested in completing the IMF programme.

Persons: MURTAZA SYED, GARETH, Shehbaz Sharif, ABDUL ALEEM, SHERANI, SHAHBAZ ASHRAF, MAHA RAHMAN, ZAFAR MASUD, MUSTAFA PASHA, SHAHID HABIB, ARIF HABIB, ZULQARNAIN, MOHAMMED SOHAIL, AHFAZ MUSTAFA, ISMAIL IQBAL, SAJID AMIN JAVED, Ariba Shahid, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Monetary Fund, South, IMF, BANK OF PAKISTAN, SBA, State Bank, EFF, Capital, UL HAQ, OF PUNJAB, Pakistan, ARIF, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, ASIA, KARACHI, ISLAMABAD, LAHORE, PAKISTAN

☆ Factbox: Sri Lanka asks foreign investors for a 30% haircut in debt restructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The domestic debt restructure is needed to help the country reach the IMF programme goal of reducing overall debt to 95% of GDP by 2032. WHAT WILL THE DOMESTIC DEBT RESTRUCTURING INCLUDE? "We are asking foreign debt holders for a 30% haircut but that is still under discussion," Weerasinghe said. This will be implemented in Phase 2 of the domestic debt restructuring. Aiming to contain any potential market volatility, Sri Lanka declared a five-day holiday from June 29 to July 3.

Persons: Read, Nandalal Weerasinghe, Weerasinghe, Mahinda Siriwardana, CBSL, Uditha Jayasinghe, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Kim Coghill, Emelia Organizations: International Monetary Fund, IMF, Sri Lanka Development, Bank of Sri, Treasury, Sri, Thomson Locations: Colombo, Sri Lanka, Britain, Bank of Sri Lanka, China, Japan, India

☆ Sri Lanka targets 30% haircut for international, domestic dollar bonds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The government also aims to rework its foreign debt with bondholders and bilateral creditors including China, Japan and India. Under the domestic debt revamp, holders of locally issued dollar-denominated bonds, such as Sri Lanka Development Bonds (SLDBs), will be given three options, Weerasinghe said. "We are asking foreign debt holders for a 30% haircut but that is still under discussion," Weerasinghe said. "Sri Lanka is under enormous pressure to restructure as quickly as possible and get its economy back on track, they need funds to import a lot of goods to reinvigorate their key tourism industry," Lutz Roehmeyer, fund manager at Capitulum Asset Management, who holds Sri Lanka international bonds. "A 30% haircut is too little given the shape the country's economy is in."

Persons: Nandalal Weerasinghe, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Weerasinghe, Lutz Roehmeyer, Uditha Jayasinghe, Rosario, Karin Strohecker, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Himani Sarkar, Kim Coghill, Simon Cameron, Moore, Toby Chopra Organizations: Saturday International, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Sri Lanka Development, Capitulum Asset Management, Sri Lanka, World Bank, Sri, Jorgelina, Thomson Locations: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Britain, China, Japan, India, United States

[1/2] Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan block a highway, during a protest against his arrest, in Karachi, Pakistan May 9, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File PhotoISLAMABAD, June 26 (Reuters) - Pakistan's army has sacked three senior officers, including a lieutenant general, for failing to prevent violent attacks on military assets by ex-prime minister Imran Khan's supporters protesting his arrest, the army's spokesperson said on Monday. He also declined to name the senior officers who had been fired. Human rights groups have raised concerns about military trials of civilians in Pakistan that they say cannot ensure a fair defence. Chaudhry added that several relatives, including women, of senior army officers were also facing trials for allegedly being facilitators of the violence.

Persons: Imran Khan, Akhtar Soomro, Imran Khan's, Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, Chaudhry, Asif Shahzad, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Toby Chopra, Christina Fincher, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, ISLAMABAD, Rawalpindi

[1/2] Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets with managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, in Paris, France June 22, 2023. Press Information Department (PID)/Handout via REUTERSJune 22 (Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday briefed International Monetary Fund's managing director Kristalina Georgieva on the economic outlook of the cash-strapped South Asian nation, hoping for the release of critical stalled funds. Under the $6.5 billion EFF's 9th review, concluded earlier this year, Pakistan has been trying to secure $1.1 billion of funding that has been stalled since November. "The Prime Minister expressed the hope that the funds allocated under the IMF's EFF would be released as soon as possible," said a statement from his office. Pakistan has defended the budget, but at the same time offered to review it in any further talks with the IMF.

Persons: Shehbaz Sharif, Kristalina Georgieva, Sharif, Asif Shahzad, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Sudipto Ganguly, Christina Fincher Organizations: Pakistan, International Monetary Fund, Press Information Department, REUTERS, Pakistan's, Monetary, Global Financing, EFF, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Pakistan, Islamabad

☆ Trees uprooted, roofs blown off by cyclone in India's Gujarat
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] A man rides a motorcycle through a waterlogged street in Mandvi before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in the western state of Gujarat, India, June 15, 2023. REUTERS/Francis MascarenhasAHMEDABAD, India, June 16 (Reuters) - Roofs were blown off houses and trees and electric poles uprooted in several parts of India's western state of Gujarat as a severe cyclone made landfall overnight and heavy rain continued to lash the coast early on Friday. India's weather department warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Gujarat and the neighbouring state of Rajasthan through Friday. Pakistan's weather department said moderate to heavy rain was expected in the Hyderabad, Nooriabad and Thatta regions. Local television showed visuals of uprooted trees, people sheltering against strong winds and debris lying on roads in the aftermath of the cyclone.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Biparjoy, Mohapatra, Sumit Khanna, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, India Meteorological Department, Thomson Locations: Mandvi, Gujarat, India, Francis Mascarenhas AHMEDABAD, Pakistan, Jakhau, Rajasthan, Hyderabad, Nooriabad, Thatta, Ahmedabad

WASHINGTON, June 16 (Reuters) - U.S. rights groups plan protests next week against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington over what they call India's deteriorating human rights record, even though experts do not expect Washington to be publicly critical of New Delhi. Washington hopes for closer ties with the world's largest democracy, which it sees as a counterweight to China, but rights advocates worry that geopolitics will overshadow human rights issues. The United States has said its human rights concerns related to India include the Indian government's targeting of religious minorities, dissidents and journalists. In a letter to Biden, Human Rights Watch's Asia Division director Elaine Pearson urged the White House to raise concerns, both publicly and privately, about human rights in India during Modi's visit. Advocacy groups have also raised concerns over alleged human rights abuses under Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Persons: Narendra Modi's, Modi, Joe Biden, Washington, Howdy Modi, Donald Trump, Biden, Elaine Pearson, Donald Camp, Camp, George W, Bush, Antony Blinken, Michael Kugelman, Kanishka Singh, Simon Lewis, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Don Durfee, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: Indian, Indian American Muslim Council, Veterans, Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition, House, United, Hindu, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Asia, Reuters, Biden, State Department, Strategic, International Studies, U.S . State Department, World Press, 161st, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, South Asia Institute, Wilson, Thomson Locations: Washington, New Delhi, Peace, China, United States, India, New York, Texas, Gujarat, U.S, Karnataka

☆ Fast approaching cyclone forces evacuation of 75,000 people on India's west coast
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Sumit Khanna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A man carries a child from a truck during an evacuation before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in Jakhau in the western state of Gujarat, India, June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Francis MascarenhasAHMEDABAD, India, June 15 (Reuters) - Authorities in India's western state of Gujarat evacuated more than 75,000 people from vulnerable coastal communities as cyclone Biparjoy was expected whirl in from the Arabian Sea to make landfall by Thursday evening. Early on Thursday, the cyclone was centred 180 km (112 miles) off Jakhau port in Gujarat and 270 km (168 miles) off Karachi in Pakistan, the India Meteorological Department said. "We have evacuated more than 75,000 persons from the eight coastal districts in Gujarat that are expected to be impacted by the cyclone," Kamal Dayani, additional chief secretary in Gujarat’s revenue department said. (This story has been refiled to fix a typographical error in the headline)Reporting by Sumit Khanna; Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Kamal Dayani, Sherry Rehman, Sumit Khanna, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, India Meteorological Department, IMD, Thomson Locations: Jakhau, Gujarat, India, Francis Mascarenhas AHMEDABAD, India's, Karachi, Pakistan

☆ Nine killed in clash in India's Manipur - police
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Zarir Hussain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GUWAHATI, India, June 14 (Reuters) - At least nine people have been killed in the latest clashes between members of rival ethnic groups in India's northeastern state of Manipur, police said on Wednesday, as security forces pressed on with a hunt for illegal weapons. Federal security force reinforcements have been sent to the state and they have been searching for illegal weapons. Manipur shares a nearly 400-km (250-mile) border with Myanmar and a coup there in 2021 pushed thousands of refugees into the Indian state. Kukis share ethnic lineage with Myanmar’s Chin community and Meiteis feared they would be outnumbered by the arrival of the refugees. Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Rupam Jain; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Narendra Modi's, K Shivakanta Singh, Singh, Myanmar’s Chin, Meiteis, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Rupam, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Robert Birsel Organizations: Thomson Locations: GUWAHATI, India, Manipur, Kuki, Myanmar, Imphal

Discounted crude offers respite as Pakistan faces an acute balance of payments crisis, risking a default on its debt obligations. The first cargo of discounted Russian crude oil arranged under a new deal struck between Islamabad and Moscow earlier this year arrived in Karachi on Sunday. Pakistan's Refinery Limited (PRL) will initially refine the Russian crude, the minister said. Malik on Monday played down concerns around the financial viability and concerns about the ability of local refineries to process Russian crude given the South Asian country's historical importation of Middle Eastern petroleum products. "No adjustments (were) needed at the refinery to refine the Russian crude," the minister told Reuters.

Persons: Florence Lo, Malik Says, Musadik Malik, Pakistan's, Malik, Ariba Shahid, Asif Shahzad, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Gibran, Philippa Fletcher, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, ., Karachi . Petroleum, Pakistan, Moscow, Pakistan's Refinery, Monday, Reuters, Energy, United, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Islamabad, ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Karachi, Russia, India, China, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, United Arab

☆ India train crash: Family hopes DNA test will help claim for body
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Francis Mascarenhas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Four days after the disaster, Haq has found no trace of his brother, who was travelling with the boys. "We are left with no option but to do a DNA test to determine whose body it is. The whole process takes really long," a distraught Haq told Reuters at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), one of the main hospitals in Odisha's capital of Bhubaneswar. Authorities had taken DNA samples from all the dead bodies in hospitals across the state, senior police official Prateek Singh told reporters on Tuesday. "In cases where there are multiple claimants, we have taken DNA samples from family members and we will preserve the bodies until the DNA matches," Singh told local media.

Persons: Imam Ul Haq, Tavseer Ansari, Francis Mascarenhas, Mohammed Imam Ul Haq, Haq, Prateek Singh, Singh, Francis Mascerenhas, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Bernadette Baum, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Francis Mascarenhas BHUBANESWAR, Reuters, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Balasore, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, Odisha's, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh

[1/2] A smartphone with the Netflix logo lies in front of displayed "Streaming service" words in this illustration taken March 24, 2020. Companies often face legal cases and police complaints their content sometimes hurt religious sentiment, and many have self-censored content over the years. As part of India's anti-tobacco drive, the health ministry this week ordered streaming platforms should within three months insert static health warnings during smoking scenes. The companies, and India's health ministry, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. But in India, companies from Netflix to Amazon (AMZN.O) to Disney (DIS.N), also have popular Hindi content which often shows Bollywood actors smoking, something activists say encourages tobacco use.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Mukesh Ambani's, Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine, Ambani's JioCinema, Kaushik Moitra, Dylan Mohan Gray, Aditya Kalra, Biplob Kumar Das, Tony Tharakan, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, David Evans Organizations: Netflix, REUTERS, Disney, Companies, Reuters, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros, Bharucha, Partners, Thomson Locations: India, DELHI, New Delhi, Bengaluru

☆ Foxconn to make iPhones in India's Karnataka by next April -state govt
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, June 1 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) supplier Foxconn (2317.TW) will start manufacturing iPhones in the southern Indian state of Karnataka by April 2024, the state government said on Thursday. Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, has set a target of manufacturing 20 million iPhones a year at the plant in Devanahalli, on the outskirts of state capital and tech hub Bengaluru. Apple has been shifting production away from China after the country's strict COVID-related restrictions disrupted the production of new iPhones and other devices in the country. The tech giant is also looking to avoid a hit to its business due to tensions between Beijing and Washington. A spokesperson for Foxconn did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Persons: Foxconn, Munsif, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, David Goodman, Kim Coghill Organizations: Apple Inc, Apple, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Karnataka, Foxconn, Devanahalli, Bengaluru, China, Beijing, Washington

At least 70 children in Gambia, most under 5 years old, died from acute kidney injury between June and October. Tests by the WHO found that the Maiden cough syrups contained the lethal toxins diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG), used in car brake fluid. Indian officials have said the WHO failed to prove a causal link to the Gambia deaths, accusing the agency of denigrating its $41 billion pharmaceutical industry. However, cough syrups made by a second Indian drugmaker have been linked to the deaths of 19 children in Uzbekistan. India has since made drug testing mandatory for cough syrups before export.

Persons: Sagnia, Lamin, Edward McAllister, Dawda Jallow, Jallow, syrups, Maiden, Adama Barrow, Dawda, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Sara Ledwith, Michele Gershberg, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, World Health Organization, WHO, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, EG, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Serekunda, Gambia, BANJUL, India, Uzbekistan

☆ Reliance's JioCinema signs content streaming deal with NBC Universal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, May 29 (Reuters) - JioCinema, the streaming platform run by India's Reliance Industries Ltd (RELI.NS), has signed a partnership with NBC Universal Media in a push to increase Hollywood content on the platform for Indian viewers, the companies said on Monday. The multi-year deal will give JioCinema's premium subscribers access to popular shows such as "Downton Abbey", "Suits" and "The Office," the companies said in a joint statement. This comes after JioCinema signed a content streaming deal with Warner Bros Discovery Inc (WBD.O) in April for shows such as "Succession" and "Game of Thrones". JioCinema announced its premium pricing earlier this month, moving away from free content model to fight rivals like Netflix (NFLX.O) and Disney (DIS.N) in the content streaming space. Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Hritam Mukherjee; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bollywood film on Islamic State recruits sparks debate in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Shilpa Jamkhandikar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, May 9 (Reuters) - A low-budget Bollywood film about young women recruited by the Islamic State has stirred up passionate debate, helping to make it an instant box-office hit in India. "The Kerala Story," set in the coastal southern state of the same name, follows three women who are indoctrinated, converted and sent to IS camps. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the film by director Sudipto Sen, saying it showed the consequences of terrorism. Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, two states ruled by his Bharatiya Janata Party, have exempted the film from state taxes, making tickets cheaper. However, the Kerala High Court has refused to impose a ban in the state where the film is set, saying it was "inspired by true events."

REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File PhotoSummarySummary Companies Reliance's JioCinema to lock horns with Netflix, DisneyWarner deal to boost English content, local content in focus tooExecutives say Warner deal will boost Reliance streaming plansJioCinema content quality key to beat rivals, analyst saysMUMBAI, April 28 (Reuters) - The video streaming business of Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest person, is likely to focus on pricing and local content following a deal with Warner Bros as it seeks to challenge the likes of Disney and Netflix, industry sources said. While Netflix and other rivals boast of content specially created for the India audience, JioCinema's current free offerings largely include old Hindi and local language movies. The big challenge is lack of fresh local and global content on JioCinema, something that will be become even more critical as the IPL season ends next month. They have also diversified into regional local language content. The only way to scale up is to really differentiate your content and make sure execution is right," he said.

☆ Exclusive: Reliance JV Viacom18 strikes deal with Warner for streaming content-sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Aditya Kalra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, April 27 (Reuters) - The broadcast venture of India's Reliance (RELI.NS) has struck a deal with Warner Bros Discovery Inc. (WBD.O) for its streaming platform JioCinema, a big push into bringing popular Hollywood content on the platform, two sources with direct knowledge said. The first source said the partnership will be exclusive and see most of Warner's marquee content on the JioCinema platform. "It's a deep exclusive arrangement which will make JioCinema the house of Warner, HBO in India," said the person. The content deal could bring in thousands of hours of streaming content onto JioCinema, which has become popular for streaming the IPL cricket tournament on the platform for free in the ongoing season. Viacom18 won the IPL digital streaming rights from 2023 to 2027 for around $2.9 billion, rights which Disney previously held.

☆ Parliament, not courts, best place to debate same-sex marriage, India minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, April 21 (Reuters) - India's parliament, not a court of law, is the best place to debate the issue of same-sex marriage, an influential government minister said on Friday, as the country's top court heard appeals asking for such unions to be recognised. "The issue of marriage concerns society and society's opinion on this issue cannot be excluded. The voice of society is best reflected in parliament..." Yadav, who is minister for labour and the environment, said in the piece. Courts around the world have been debating and examining the issue of same-sex marriage and whether such unions can be recognised by law, but Asia largely lags the West in this regard. In an historic verdict in 2018, India's top court decriminalised homosexuality by scrapping a colonial-era ban on gay sex.

☆ Indian court denies Rahul Gandhi's appeal to stay defamation conviction
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Sumit Khanna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AHMEDABAD, India, April 20 (Reuters) - A court in India's western state of Gujarat on Thursday rejected Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's petition seeking a stay of conviction in a defamation case, fuelling uncertainty over whether he will be able to contest an election due next year. "The Surat district court has not granted a stay on Rahul Gandhi's conviction," Naishadh Desai, a local Congress leader and lawyer, told reporters outside the court room. While Thursday's ruling was a setback for Gandhi, his jail sentence remained suspended until he exhausts all legal challenges. Senior Congress leader and Supreme Court lawyer Jairam Ramesh said the party would use every legal option to overturn Gandhi's conviction. The defamation case against Gandhi was brought by Purnesh Modi, a BJP legislator in the Gujarat state assembly.

☆ Indian court orders YouTube to remove fake news on Bachchan grandchild
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File PhotoNEW DELHI, April 20 (Reuters) - The Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered YouTube to remove fake news videos about the grand-daughter of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, in response to her petition to stop circulation of false rumours about her health, lawyers said. Judge C. Hari Shankar ordered YouTube to ensure the videos about Aaradhya Bachchan, 11, were taken down immediately. Three lawyers representing Aaradhya said in a statement that it was a landmark judgment as the court has upheld the privacy of a child. Aaradhya is the daughter of actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and is frequently photographed accompanying them at public events. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is a former Miss World and a brand ambassador for L'Oreal (OREP.PA).

☆ Landslide in Pakistan's Khyber Pass buries trucks, kills at least two people
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/8] People search for survivors next to a damaged supply vehicle after a landslide close to the Torkham border, Pakistan, April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Fayaz AzizPESHAWAR, Pakistan, April 18 (Reuters) - A landslide during a thunder and lightning storm on the main road through northwest Pakistan's Khyber Pass buried more than 20 trucks on Tuesday, killing at least two people, with dozens more feared trapped, officials said. "Twenty to twenty five containers are buried in the wreckage," Abdul Nasir Khan, deputy commissioner of the Khyber district, told Reuters. Photos shared by officials showed truck containers mostly buried in huge piles of rocks. Reporting by Jibran Ahmad in Peshawar, writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Soaring temperatures bring school closures in parts of India
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KOLKATA, April 18 (Reuters) - Authorities in parts of India have shut schools for a week after they recorded sweltering temperatures of more than 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). At least two states, Tripura in the northeast and West Bengal in the east, ordered schools to shut this week, as temperatures rose more than 5 Celsius above normal, state governments said. India is likely to experience heat waves between March and May, the national weather office said in February. Average maximum temperature in February across India was 29.54C 85.1F) the highest since 1901, when the IMD started keeping weather records. Reporting by Subrata Nag Choudhary Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Eleven people die of sunstroke near Mumbai after open-air award function
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, April 17 (Reuters) - At least eleven people died on Sunday after suffering from sunstroke at an event attended by India's home minister on the outskirts of Mumbai, the chief minister of Maharashtra state said. Hundreds of thousands of people attended an award function on Sunday afternoon where federal home minister Amit Shah presented an award to a well-known social activist, on the outskirts of the country's financial capital of Mumbai in Maharashtra. Around 50 people were admitted to hospital after the event and 11 had died, Maharashtra's chief minister, Eknath Shinde, told reporters late on Sunday night. India is likely to experience heat waves between March and May, the weather office said in February this year. Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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