Sun finally shines over Kerala, UAE pledges $100 mn
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 21 : For the first time in many days, the sun shone brightly over Kerala on Tuesday even as hundreds of thousands remained in relief camps while many who returned home broke down after seeing the enormity of the destruction.
There were no rains and the level of flood water in several areas of the state that got submerged had receded, officials and residents said. But the low-lying areas in the districts of Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur were still under a sheet of water.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), home to hundreds of thousands of Keralites, has pledged $100 million for relief work in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced.
"A new Kerala has to be built... Funds are the prime requisite for this. This will be raised by us through various sources besides getting it from the Centre and other agencies," he told the media.
Both central and state agencies besides NGOs continued to rescue those still stranded in flooded areas and provide relief on a massive scale in the wake of the worst flooding in the state in a century that has left some 370 people dead and caused widespread destruction.
In Neliyamapathy in Palakkad district, helicopters ferried pregnant women and others seeking medical help from a marooned spot while dumping food for more than 1,000 people still cut off after roads in the region were severely damaged.
In Chengannur, the last of those trapped in water-logged places had been rescued, said local legislator Saji Cherian.
Likewise, rescue operations were declared over in Paravur in Ernakulam district, one of the most affected places since torrential rains and the opening of sluice gates of many dams caused a deluge.
In Wayanad, people began to start going back to their homes, now filled with mud and filth. But 800 tribal families were distraught as their homes had been washed away.
"We have nothing left. And we have nowhere to go," cried a tribal woman.
In Malappuram and Kozhikode districts too, many were seen leaving the camps.
"We have given a departure kit to everyone and it includes all the basic things for people to restart life," said a government official.
The Kerala Police on Tuesday took charge of all the 3,000 relief camps.
Police chief Loknath Behra warned that appropriate action would be taken against all traders who jack up prices of essential commodities.
"There will be no leniency shown to such people and those who engage in spreading fake messages and news. Already a few are behind the bars."
Murali, a carpenter, lamented that there was nothing in his house that could be salvaged. "I have lost Rs 50,000 worth of equipment. I have to start from the scratch."
A freelance photographer in Chengannur broke down when he found his most precious camera destroyed.
Said a woman in Pandanadu: "We are left just with the clothes we are wearing."
Meanwhile, a Coast Guard ship arrived at the Cochin Port with 48 tonnes of relief materials.
Several groups have launched an initiative to clean people's houses.
Aravind Sasi, a journalist here, said he had already completed the cleaning of a house in Thiruvalla.
"We have all the cleaning materials and we have an electrician also... Tomorrow we will reach Ranni where we will clean up around three houses," he said.
Vijayan said they would ask the Centre to allow Kerala to increase the market borrowings from 3 per cent of the state's total revenue to 4.5 per cent. As a result an additional Rs 10,000 crore can be raised.
The Chief Minister said he would demand a special package for Kerala from the Modi government.
On Tuesday, the Centre waived of customs and import duty on all materials arriving from abroad.
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Trump launches new effort to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Dubai (AP): US forces on Monday launched an effort to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where hundreds have been stuck since the Iran war began.
Two American-flagged merchant ships have “successfully transited” through the critical waterway, the US military said. Separately, the US military denied Iran's claims that it struck an American Navy vessel southeast of the strait.
Iran handed over its latest proposal for negotiations with the US to mediators in Pakistan, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported Friday. Trump subsequently said he's “not satisfied” with it, but did not elaborate on the proposal's apparent shortcomings. The shaky ceasefire between the US and Iran has lasted for three weeks.
Here's the latest:
European leaders see Trump's troop drawdown from Germany as new proof they must go it alone
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European leaders on Monday said President Trump's snap decision to pull thousands of US troops out of Germany came as a surprise but is a fresh sign that Europe must take care of its own security.
The Pentagon announced last week that it would pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, but Trump told reporters Saturday that “we're going to cut way down. And we're cutting a lot further than 5,000.”
He offered no reason for the move, which blindsided NATO, but his decision came amid an escalating dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the US-Israeli war on Iran, and Trump's anger over European allies' reluctance to get involved in the conflict in the Middle East.
Wall Street hesitates and oil prices climb with uncertainty about the Strait of Hormuz
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The US stock market is holding tentatively near its record heights Monday, while oil prices climb with uncertainty about when oil tankers can resume crossing the Strait of Hormuz and restore the world's flow of crude. Dueling claims about a possible Iranian strike on a U.S. Navy vessel in the strait heightened the tensions.
The S&P 500 slipped 0.1 per cent, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 216 points, or 0.4 per cent, as of 9:35 am Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was up 0.1 per cent.
The action was stronger in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude climbed 2 per cent to USD 110.37 and briefly topped USD 114 during the morning. Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to its war with the United States has kept oil tankers pent up in the Persian Gulf and away from customers worldwide. That in turn has sent the price of Brent soaring from roughly USD 70 per barrel before the war.
Iran stands firm on its grip of the strait
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The disruption of the waterway has squeezed countries in Europe and Asia that depend on Persian Gulf oil and gas, raising prices far beyond the region.
Trump has promised to bring down gas prices as he faces midterm elections this year.
The US has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for paying Iran for transit of the strait. It has enacted a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13, telling 49 commercial ships to turn back, U.S. Central Command said Sunday. The blockade has deprived Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.
US officials have expressed hope the blockade forces Iran back to the negotiation table.
US claims progress in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying two merchant ships have transited
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The US military said Monday that two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz and Navy guided-missile destroyers in the Persian Gulf were helping to restore shipping traffic. It separately denied Iran's claims to have struck an American Navy vessel.
The announcement came a day after US President Donald Trump announced a new initiative to help guide ships through the critical waterway for global energy. Iran has effectively closed the strait since the US and Israel started the war Feb 28, rattling the global economy.
The US-led Joint Maritime Information Center has advised ships to cross the strait in Oman's waters, saying it set up an “enhanced security area.” U.S. Central Command didn't say when the Navy ships arrived or when the merchant vessels departed.
It was unclear whether shipping companies, and their insurers, will feel comfortable taking the risk given that Iran has fired on ships in the waterway and vowed to keep doing so.
