Buildings stormed after Moqtada al-Sadr, Iraqi political leader, retires
One of Iraq's most powerful figures, who has been at the centre of a long crisis over forming a government, says he is retiring from political life, BBC reported.
Moqtada al-Sadr, a firebrand Shia cleric with millions of followers, announced his decision on Twitter.
Several people were reported killed in clashes after his supporters stormed the presidential palace.
Hundreds have been camped outside parliament for weeks after previously storming it in protest at the deadlock.
Mr Sadr's announcement comes two days after he called for all parties and figures involved in political life following the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq to quit.
Pakistan floods: One third of country is under water - minister
One-third of Pakistan has been completely submerged by historic flooding, its climate minister says, BBC reported.
Devastating flash floods have washed away roads, homes and crops - leaving a trail of deadly havoc across Pakistan.
"It's all one big ocean, there's no dry land to pump the water out," Sherry Rehman said, calling it a "crisis of unimaginable proportions."
At least 1,136 people have died since the monsoon season began in June, according to officials.
The summer rain is the heaviest recorded in a decade and is blamed by the government on climate change.
"Literally, one-third of Pakistan is underwater right now, which has exceeded every boundary, every norm we've seen in the past," Ms Rehman told AFP news agency.
Of those who are known to have died, 75 were in the past 24 hours alone, officials said on Monday, adding that the death toll is expected to rise.
Speaking to the BBC, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said one-third of those killed are believed to be children.
"We're still coming to grips with the extent of the damage," he added.
Officials estimate that more than 33 million Pakistanis - one in seven people - have been affected by the historic flooding.
Heavy waters in the country's northern Swat Valley have swept away bridges and roads, cutting off entire villages, according to BBC.
"Village after village has been wiped out. Millions of houses have been destroyed," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday after flying over the area in a helicopter.
Those who managed to escape have been crowded into one of many makeshift camps across the country.
"Living here is miserable. Our self-respect is at stake," flood victim Fazal Malik told AFP from a school that was being used to home some 2,500 evacuees in the north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Provinces like Sindh and Balochistan are the worst affected but mountainous regions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have also been badly hit.
This year's record monsoon is comparable to the devastating floods of 2010 - the deadliest in Pakistan's history - which left more than 2,000 people dead.
"A very early, preliminary estimate is that it is big, it is higher than $10bn (£8.5bn)," Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told Reuters.
Almost half of the country's cotton crop has been washed away and vegetable, fruit, and rice fields have sustained significant damage, he added.
But Mr Sharif said the resumption of a loan by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), worth around $1.2bn (£1bn) over the coming year, would be of major assistance in reviving the economy.
The programme, which Pakistan entered into in 2019, had been suspended earlier this year after Islamabad failed to meet targets set by the lender, BBC reported.
On Saturday the UK government announced it had allocated up to £1.5m ($1.8m) for the flood relief efforts.
Speaking separately, Queen Elizabeth II said said was "deeply saddened to hear of the tragic loss of life and destruction" caused by the flooding.
"The United Kingdom stands in solidarity with Pakistan as it embarks on its recovery," she added.
A rice farmer near the south-eastern city of Sukkur in the Sindh province, told AFP news agency that his fields had been devastated by the flooding.
"Our crop spanned over 5,000 acres on which the best quality rice was sown and is eaten by you and us," 70-year-old Khalil Ahmed said. "All that is finished."
Sindh is so inundated with water that emergency workers are struggling to reach those in need of help, according to BBC.
"There are no landing strips or approaches available... our pilots find it difficult to land," a Pakistani military official told AFP.
Furnish clarification within seven days: SC tells Mayor Shah
The Supreme Court has directed Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah to furnish written clarification on the contempt of court case within seven days. Earlier, the SC had issued a temporary interim order directing the KMC not to demolish the structures of Thapathali-based Norvic Hospital. Soon after the order, Mayor Shah said that the right to pass the map should also be given to the apex court by amending the Constitution. A single bench of Justice Hari Krishna Karki had asked for clarification from Shah.
President Bhandari calls UML leaders to hold discussion on Citizenship Bill
President Bidya Devi Bhandari has called the main opposition CPN-UML leaders for a discussion. UML Vice-Chairman Subash Chandra Nembang said that the President called the leaders to hold a discussion on contemporary issues. “The President has called us at 5 pm for a discussion. The meeting will dwell on contemporary issues,” he said. According to a Sheetal Niwas source, President Bhandari called the UML leaders to discuss the Citizenship Bill. It has been learnt that senior leaders of the party will take part in the meeting. Earlier today, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had urged President Bhandari to authenticate the bill.
PM Deuba urges President Bhandari to certify Citizenship Bill
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has urged President Bidya Devi Bhandari to authenticate the Citizenship Bill. He along with the Nepali Congress office bearers on Monday reached Sheetal Niwas to hold a discussion on the Citizenship Bill with President Bhandari. Earlier, the President had sent the bill, endorsed by both the houses, back to the Parliament with a 15-point message for reconsideration. But, the House of Representatives endorsed the bill without any change. Meanwhile, the National Assembly on Sunday sent the bill to the Legislation Management Committee of the Parliament for clause-wise discussion.
Nepse surges by 3. 76 points on Monday
The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 3. 76 points to close at 1,993.02 points on Monday. Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 1. 76 points to close at 387. 46 points. A total of 3,440,900 unit shares of 222 companies were traded for Rs 1. 26 billion. In today’s market, all sub-indices saw green except for Banking, Life Insurance, Mircrofinance, Mutual Fund and Investment. At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 85 trillion.
Conflict victims, rights defenders hand over memo to UN Resident Coordinator Richard Howard
A group of conflict victims and human rights defenders handed over a memorandum to the UN Resident Coordinator Richard Howard on Monday. The letter was addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres alerting him to “multiple flaws” in the transitional justice amendment bill before Nepal’s Parliament. A copy of the letter was handed over for transmission to Michelle Bachelet Jeria, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The letter seeks the good offices of the Secretary-General to ensure necessary amendment of provisions that are perpetrator-friendly. It reminds the Secretary-General that the United Nations has been a meaningful partner in Nepal’s peace process, which makes it surprising that the respective Special Rapporteurs, the OHCHR and other UN entities have not publicly reacted to the transitional justice bill. Among other matters, the memorandum states that the transitional justice bill does not follow the directives of the Supreme Court of Nepal and violates international principles and practice on transitional justice. Issues related to differentiations made between ‘murder’ and ‘cruelly conducted murder’, coercion on victims for amnesty, provisions for reduced sentencing and absence of due process are some of the flaws mentioned. The absence of the issue of child soldiers in the bill, even though it has been so well recognized by the United Nations in the context of Nepal, is also mentioned as a grievous flaw. All in all, “the amendment bill is designed to provide de facto immunity to perpetrators of both sides (Maoists and state security personnel)”, states the letter. The letter states that “Nepali society is capable of developing a just, humane and realistic transitional justice process, one that will be exemplary at the international level. This is also why we hope that the United Nations will remain engaged on the matter.” The text asks the Secretary-General’s good offices to seek amendment to the bill as recommended by victims of conflict and human rights defenders. At the meeting, following presentations by victims’ representatives and human rights defenders, UN Resident Coordinator Richard Howard updated the gathering on the United Nations’ position and activities related to transitional justice in Nepal and said that the Organization remained committed to values inherent in the transitional justice process.
PM Deuba in Sheetal Niwas to hold discussion on Citizenship Bill with President Bhandari
Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba along with his office bearers have reached Sheetal Niwas to discuss the Citizenship Bill. Earlier, President Bhandari had returned the Citizenship Bill to the Parliament with a 15-point message for reconsideration. But, the House of Representatives endorsed the bill without any change. The bill is in the National Assembly. On Sunday, the upper house sent the bill to the Legislation Management Committee of the Parliament for clause-wise discussion. The ruling coalition is in favor of endorsing the bill at the earliest while the main opposition CPN-UML is against the same. Of late, President Bhandari has intensified discussions after knowing that the bill would come to her for certification without any change.
