Reuters: World

Himalayan lake flooding in India kills 18, nearly 100 missing At least 18 people were killed and nearly 100 were missing on Thursday after heavy rains caused a Himalayan glacial lake in northeast India to burst its banks, the worst such disaster in the region in more than 50 years. Lhonak Lake in Sikkim state overflowed on Wednesday, causing major flooding that authorities said had impacted the lives of 22,000 people. It is the latest deadly weather event in South Asia's mountains being blamed on climate change. The weather department said Sikkim received 101 mm (4 inches) of rain in the first five days of October, more than double normal levels, unleashing floods worse than one in October 1968 in which an estimated 1,000 people were killed. The department has predicted heavy rain over the next three days in parts of Sikkim and neighbouring states. read more

India's Reliance unveils swappable, multipurpose batteries for EVs Indian oil refining giant Reliance Industries showcased its swappable and multipurpose battery storage technology for electric vehicles (EVs) on Wednesday, as it makes a big push on clean energy. Reliance, led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, displayed removable and swappable batteries for EVs that can also be used to power household appliances through an inverter at a renewable energy exhibition. The idea is that a person can use one battery for mobility as well as for powering appliances at home, company executives at the event said, requesting not to be quoted as they are not authorized to speak with media. read more

US sends seized Iranian ammunition to Ukraine The U.S. has sent Ukraine more than 1 million rounds of Iranian ammunition that had been seized last year, the U.S. military said on Wednesday. U.S. naval forces for years have been seizing weapons believed to be from Iran bound for Iran-backed fighters in Yemen, usually transported by fishing vessels. U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for military operations in the Middle East, said about 1.1 million 7.62 mm rounds were sent to Ukraine. read more

Kevin McCarthy ousted as House Speaker in historic vote A handful of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday ousted Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as party infighting plunged Congress into further chaos just days after it narrowly averted a government shutdown. The 216-to-210 vote marked the first time in history that the House removed its leader, with eight Republicans voting with 208 Democrats to remove McCarthy. McCarthy told reporters he would not make another run for speaker. "I fought for what I believe in," McCarthy said. "I believe I can continue to fight, but maybe in a different manner." read more

Thailand police arrest 14-yr-old suspected gunman after 3 killed at luxury mall Police in Thailand arrested a 14-year-old suspected gunman after a shooting on Tuesday at a luxury mall in the capital Bangkok that authorities said killed three people and injured four others. Chaos erupted after reports of gunfire in the late afternoon approaching peak shopping hours at the Siam Paragon mall, among the city's most popular shopping and leisure venues and a draw for foreign tourists. Police said a 14-year-old suspected of being the gunman had been arrested and was being questioned. Emergency services shared an image of a police officer apprehending and handcuffing an individual lying face down on the ground and another of an officer retrieving a handgun from the floor. read more

El Chapo's sons ban fentanyl production in Sinaloa, according to banners A powerful faction of the Sinaloa cartel led by the sons of ex-Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has banned fentanyl production and sales in Sinaloa, according to roadside banners, though analysts doubted the group would leave such a profitable business. The banners that appeared in the northern Sinaloa state on Monday, known as "narcomantas", were signed by Los Chapitos, a grouping of brothers who took over their father's criminal empire when Guzman was extradited to the United States in 2017. It is unclear who put up the banners, festooned to bridges and overpasses. They appeared at a time when U.S. authorities are ramping up pressure on Mexico to take action against crime groups involved in fentanyl production. read more

Nobel Prizes: Kariko and Weissman, pioneers of COVID vaccine, win medicine award Hungarian scientist Katalin Kariko and U.S. colleague Drew Weissman, who met in line for a photocopier before making mRNA molecule discoveries that paved the way for COVID-19 vaccines, won the 2023 Nobel Prize for Medicine on Monday. "The laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times," the Swedish award-giving body said in the latest accolade for the pair. The prize, among the most prestigious in the scientific world, was selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden's Karolinska Institute medical university and comes with 11 million Swedish crowns (about $1 million) to share between them. read more

Indonesia launches China-backed 'Whoosh' high-speed railway Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday inaugurated a $7.3 billion high-speed railway connecting the country's capital with the city of Bandung, a China-backed project that has been marred with problems. The 142-kilometre (88.23-mile) railway, one of the president's flagship infrastructure projects and part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, has faced problems ranging from land procurement issues, pandemic-related delays and ballooning costs. Monday's launch for the bullet train named "Whoosh" is far behind an original target of operations in 2019. "The name is inspired by the sound of a rushing high speed train," Jokowi, as the president is popularly called, said during the launch. read more

Climate change means New York City's flooding is 'new normal,' governor says Torrential downpours that caused flash flooding in New York City on Friday reflect a "new normal" due to the effects of climate change, New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned on Saturday, as the city began drying out after one of its wettest days ever. Almost eight inches (20 cm) of rain fell in some parts of the most populous U.S. city, enough to enable a sea lion at the Central Park Zoo to swim briefly out of the confines of her pool enclosure. While the risk of flooding in the city had receded by midday Saturday, a municipal hospital in the borough of Brooklyn said it would evacuate all patients and staff following a power failure on Friday. read more

Canada's Sikhs are grateful - and afraid - after Trudeau's India allegations Canadian Sikhs are grateful to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for giving voice to their fears and standing up to India at the risk of severe backlash from New Delhi, which he said could be linked to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader. The Indian government considered Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who was shot to death in June in British Columbia (BC), a terrorist because of his advocacy for Khalistan, an independent Sikh state. India forcefully denied its involvement in Nijjar's murder, which took place in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in Surrey, BC. But Canadian Sikhs are unconvinced, and the minority who are active proponents of Khalistan are afraid. read more

Republicans reject own funding bill, US government shutdown imminent Hardline Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday rejected a bill proposed by their leader to temporarily fund the government, making it all but certain that federal agencies will partially shut down beginning on Sunday. In a 232-198 vote, the House defeated a measure that would extend government funding by 30 days and avert a shutdown. That bill would have slashed spending and restricted immigration, Republican priorities that had little chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate. The defeat left Republicans - who control the chamber by 221-212 - without a clear strategy to avert a shutdown that would close national parks, disrupt pay for up to 4 million federal workers and hobble everything from financial oversight to scientific research if funding is not extended past 12:01 a.m. ET (0401 GMT) on Sunday. read more

Suicide bombings rip through two mosques in Pakistan, killing at least 57 Suicide bombings ripped through two mosques in Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 57 people and injuring dozens more as believers marked the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad, police and health officials said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blasts, one of which was reported to have trapped dozens under rubble. A surge in militant attacks in Pakistan's western provinces has cast a shadow on election preparations and public campaigning in the run-up to January's general elections, but until now the attacks had mostly targeted security forces. read more