2 people killed, 40 trapped in Mumbai building collapse



International Desk. Barta24.com
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At least two people were killed and over 40 feared trapped under the debris of a four-storey building that collapsed in Dongri area at Mumbai of India.

The building collapsed at around 11.40 am on Tuesday. Fire tenders and three teams of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) are carrying out rescue operations -- looking for survivors.

Five people have been rescued so far.

According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) disaster management cell, the four-storey Kesarbai building collapsed at Tandel Street in Dongri, Mumbai.

Two teams of the NDRF are currently at the site of the building collapse and are carrying out rescue operations.

An aerial shot of the spot showed that the collapsed four-storey building was situated in a congested, crowded neighbourhood with structures on all four sides.

In other shots of the rescue operation, rescue teams were seen trying to remove debris. Visuals also showed locals forming a human chain to clear concrete blocks with their bare hands.

As per eyewitnesses, a loud thud was heard around 11.40 am following which the four-storey building collapsed. An eyewitness said the 90-year-old building housed around nine families.

The BMC, earlier this week, set up a team of experts to investigate the incident of a wall collapse at Pimpripada in Malad, in which 26 people were killed.

The incident happened around 2 am on July 2 when a compound wall in Pimpripada in Malad east area collapsed and people living in shanties adjacent to the wall got trapped under the debris.

Over 75 injured were admitted to civic-run hospitals and 15 of them were discharged after primary treatment.

Source: NDTV

   

Americans have right to protest, not violence: Biden



International Desk, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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US President Joe Biden has said that Americans have the right to protest, but not the right to spread violence.

The US president made this comment at a press conference at the White House on Thursday (May 02) amid growing political pressure on anti-Israel protests and clashes at universities in the United States over the Gaza issue.

Biden said that everyone has the right to protest, but no one has the right to cause chaos.

Recently, pro-Palestinians have been protesting in various universities in the United States. A few university protests were dispersed by the police. Hundreds of students have been arrested. Many are criticizing the initiative of the Biden administration to deal with the situation. He was available for comment through a spokesperson until Thursday.

Biden, who is hoping to be re-elected next November, made very cautious comments. While rejecting anti-Semitism in his comments, he supported the right of young people to protest. He has taken such a stand to avoid political damage in the long run.

Both sides have valid points, Biden said. Peaceful dissent is important in a democracy. But violence will not be tolerated.

Biden said that everyone has the right to protest, but no one has the right to cause chaos.

He said, destruction of property is not a peaceful protest. It is against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing class cancellations – none of these are peaceful protests.

The US president said the US is not an authoritarian state that will silence critics. But discipline must be maintained.

Anti-Israel protests began two weeks ago at Columbia University. Later it spread to other universities in America. At least 30 universities currently have anti-Israel protests.

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Netanyahu in fear of ICC arrest



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Israel's attack on Gaza did not stop. The death procession is increasing every day under the orders of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli army is not paying attention to the ongoing movement around the world. On the other hand, Tel Aviv is listening to the calls of pro-Palestinian world leaders.

Killing, torture and destruction are being carried out indiscriminately in violation of international law. The blockaded area is being gradually completed, including women and children. On the other hand, the world is not able to do anything about such activities in Israel.

But now it is known that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may issue an arrest warrant against the Prime Minister of Israel.

This is what the country's local media reported on Saturday (April 27). According to The New Arab, citing unnamed sources, Maariv newspaper reported that Netanyahu is under stress and panic over the threat of an ICC arrest warrant.

Not only Netanyahu, but also some of his prominent officials may receive this arrest notice, according to reports in the Israeli media.

According to Israeli media reports, the names of the country's Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi will be included in the list. Senior government officials held an emergency meeting in Tel Aviv this week to discuss that possibility.

In the meantime, Netanyahu has spoken on the phone with international friends, especially US President Joe Biden, to prevent the arrest warrant. It is not clear when an arrest warrant may be issued, and it is not standard for courts to disclose such information.

But fears of an arrest warrant against Netanyahu were first aired on Thursday by British-pro-Israel commentator Douglas Murray in an opinion piece in the US tabloid New York Post.

A warrant could be issued within days, Murray wrote. Netanyahu will not immediately face trial. But it would be a major blow to the prime minister on the world stage and put pressure on Israel's allies and ICC members to act.

Earlier in an interview on Friday, Netanyahu wrote, "Israel's natural and self-defense rights are undermined, and this country will not accept any such efforts by the ICC under my leadership." Threats to seize military officers of the Middle East's only democracy and the world's only Jewish state are outrageous. We will never bow down to it.'

Senior Israeli officials are said to be concerned about what such a warrant would mean for military operations against Hamas in Gaza.

Israel's Channel 13 broadcaster quoted officials as saying they believed the tribunal would target policy makers rather than junior soldiers.

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20 soldiers were killed in an explosion at an army base in Cambodia



International Desk, Barta24.com
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An ammunition explosion at a military base on Cambodia's western border has killed 20 soldiers. Prime Minister Hun Manet said the explosion happened on Saturday afternoon.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Facebook that the explosion occurred at a military base in Kampong Speu province in western Cambodia.

He said, we are deeply shocked by this. However, the cause of the explosion is not yet known.

Expressing his condolences to the families of the slain soldiers, he said that the funeral expenses of the deceased would be paid.

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Endangered hippos stranded in dry rivers in Botswana amid severe drought



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African countries are suffering from severe drought. A herd of endangered hippos trapped in the mud of a dry reservoir in the drought-stricken African country of Botswana is at risk of dying.

South Africa has been hit by severe drought due to El Nino weather, AFP reported. Crops in the region are under threat, millions of people are starving. Several countries in the region have recently declared national disasters.

Herds of hippos become trapped in dried-up rivers near the vast wetlands of the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana.

Lesego Moseki, spokesman for the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) in Botswana's capital Gaborone, said the river system had dried up and the animals were in a compromised situation.

Botswana is home to the world's largest population of hippos living in the wild. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there are approximately 2,000 to 4,000 hippos.

Moseki said hippos in Ngamiland (North West District) depend on water flowing through the Okavango Delta system. They are still investigating how many hippos died in the pools.

Hippos have thick but sensitive skin. They need to bathe regularly in water to avoid sunburn and they usually live in humid areas.

Without water they can become aggressive and approach villages. Local authorities have called for the hippos to be relocated to protected areas to avoid conflict with humans.

El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern usually associated with global warming, leading to drought in some parts of the world and heavy rainfall in others.

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