Two shipwrecks occurred on Monday off the Italian coasts, killing at least 11 migrants, while another 66 remain missing, the Italian authorities said.

A search and rescue operation by Italy’s coast guard is ongoing in the Mediterranean as of late on Monday, hours after two migrant boats encountered problems near the Italian coasts, Xinhua news agency reported.

A merchant ship in the area conducted the initial rescue after launching an SOS call as it discovered a wooden sailboat in distress some 120 miles (193 km) off the coast of Calabria in southern Italy.

The merchant ship rescued 12 people and assisted them until an Italian coast guard vessel arrived. One woman died shortly after disembarkation due to severe medical conditions, according to the Coast Guard.

“Searches for possible survivors of the shipwreck of the sailing boat continue,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The Coast Guard specified that two Italian patrol boats and an ATR42 aircraft were currently involved in the search, and another patrol ship with medical teams on board would soon join them in the area. As of Monday evening, no more survivors have been found.

The 66 people who are feared dead include 26 minors, according to local media citing sources among medical staff.

According to the survivors’ statement, the sailing boat departed from Turkey last week, carrying migrants and refugee seekers from Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Afghanistan.

Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into the shipwreck, the latest in a long string of deadly incidents involving economic migrants and refugees attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean.

In an earlier incident, a rescue ship with the German aid group Resqship found 10 migrants dead and managed to save 51 others on board a boat in distress off the waters of Malta, not far from Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost island.

The survivors were mainly from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, and Syria, according to Rai News 24. The ship was ordered by the Italian Interior Ministry to dock in Lampedusa, where survivors would receive assistance.

Migrants travelling by boat through the central Mediterranean Sea face dangerous conditions and high mortality rates due to weather conditions and poor-quality vessels. Nearly one thousand people have died or disappeared crossing the Mediterranean so far this year, and 3,155 in 2023, according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration. AGENCIES

 A fast-moving wildfire has burned over 12,200 acres (about 49.4 square km) overnight in Southern California, forcing at least 1,200 people to evacuate from a popular recreation area, authorities said on Sunday.

The wind-driven wildfire, dubbed the Post Fire, started Saturday afternoon in Gorman, about 100 km north of Los Angeles, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

The blaze was 2 per cent contained as of Sunday afternoon and has damaged two structures.

Cal Fire warned in a Sunday update that “slightly higher temperatures and lower humidity are expected to continue through the weekend, residents are reminded to remain vigilant and be prepared to evacuate if fire activity changes”.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a smoke advisory, urging residents in the area impacted by smoke to limit their exposure by remaining indoors or seeking alternate shelter. AGENCIES

Against the backdrop of the two-day Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland that ended on Sunday, Russia has stepped up its military attacks on Ukraine, according to Kiev.”Throughout the day, the enemy is intensifying its offensive and assault operations, looking for ways to penetrate our defences and try to drive Ukrainian units out of their positions” the Ukrainian General Staff stated in its situation report on Sunday evening.

According to the report, the number of battles has risen to 88. Most of the battles took place in Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine — 36 in total. The report added that 25 of the attacks were repelled but 11 were ongoing.

The Russian military is attempting to make further advances, particularly near the city of Pokrovsk, it said.

The Russian military is also said to have made 10 attempts to storm Ukrainian positions on the front immediately to the north and south – in the Lyman area and around Kurakhove.

Moscow’s air force dropped heavy glide bombs on the defence positions, it said.

The information could not be independently verified.

Since last autumn, Ukraine has been on the defensive due to delayed arms and ammunition supplies from the West.

However, recent resupplies have helped stabilize the front, limiting Russian territorial gains. AGENCIES

Cammie, the camel whose leg was chopped off by a landlord of Mund Jamrao in Sindh’s Sanghar district, has not only been rescued from its owner but also is going to get an artificial limb through the collaboration of the Sindh government and a local NGO CDRS Benji.

Earlier, an Indian national offered to send an artificial leg for the camel however, the Sindh government did not consider the offer.

The name Cammie was given to the camel by CDRS (Comprehensive Disaster Response Service) Benji project, an NGO for stray and injured animals in Pakistan. The NGO took the initiative to reach out to the owner of the camel, whose leg was chopped off, and rescued it, providing the camel with the required treatment and bringing it to Karachi from Sanghar.

“CDRS Benji team took with it a medical team to treat Cammie and make sure its wounds have not been infected. Later, we paid the price of the camel to the owner and brought Cammie to our facility in Karachi,” said Sarah Jahangir, Director of CDRS Benji Karachi.

“The Sindh government has been working closely with the CDRS Benji project for the treatment and rehabilitation of Cammie,” Sarah added.

Since the incident occurred and the matter went viral on social media, the Indian national named Ravindra Bhai offered to send the artificial leg for the camel from India.

“We are not aware of any offer from India and frankly we did not even require to consider it because we have arrangements here in Pakistan. The Sindh government and CDRS Benji have already found BIONIKS Pakistan to prepare an artificial limb,” Sara Jahangir said.

The incident gained global attention when local journalists from Sanghar district reported about the camel and how an influential landlord for trespassing on his land chopped off its leg.

The incident occurred on June 14, when it was reported that a landlord in Mund Jamrao village in Sindh’s Sanghar district chopped off Cammie’s leg for trespassing on his field seeking fodder. As per locals in Sanghar, the camel was first beaten by the labourers of the landlord and later its leg was chopped off.

The incident was condemned widely and action against the brutal act of the landlord was demanded by voices from across the globe.

The owner of the poor peasant named Soomar Behan refrained from lodging a complaint with the police due to the fear of the landlord. However, the local police took action and arrested at least five people involved in the incident.

Later it was confirmed by Sharjeel Memon, Information Minister in the Sindh government, that action was directed by the state against the culprits.

On the other hand, Governor Sindh Kamran Tesoori has announced to give the owner of the camel at least two camels as compensation for Cammie.

Now that Cammie is under the supervision of CDRS Benji, special care and rehabilitation are being provided until the artificial leg is ready.

Cammie will now stay with CDRS Benji in Karachi and its complete care would be ensured in collaboration with the Sindh government.

“The 8-month-old female camel was in acute pain and everyone was coming together to help the camel because the prosthetic would take time as it needed around two months for the wound to heal before proper measurements could be taken. We are trying to heal her infection and soothe her pain with heavy painkillers, antibiotics and other medications,” Sara Jahangir said.

“She is in pain, and it was traumatizing for her to be carried into the shelter. But she is eating now and taking in everything around her with those beautiful, intelligent eyes,” added Sarah Jahangir.

BIONIKS Pakistan cofounder Anas Niaz said they would start working on the artificial limb as soon as Cammie heals.

“We are working on the limb for the camel as right now it needs to heal, which will take around 1-2 months time and after that rehabilitation of the camel will start. As the camel will need replacement from time to time, this will be an ongoing process that we are actively managing,” he said. AGENCIES

Nuclear weapons states are strengthening their nuclear arsenals in the face of numerous conflicts worldwide, a leading Swedish think tank on conflict and defence said on Monday. 

According to a new report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the number of operational nuclear warheads is steadily rising.

“While the global total of nuclear warheads continues to fall as Cold War-era weapons are gradually dismantled, regrettably we continue to see year-on-year increases in the number of operational nuclear warheads,” said SIPRI director Dan Smith.

“This trend seems likely to continue and probably accelerate in the coming years and is extremely concerning.”

The number of nuclear weapons in development is also on the rise, as states bank on nuclear deterrence, the report said.

Of the estimated total of 12,121 warheads recorded worldwide in January, around 9,585 were part of military stockpiles for potential use.

Around 3,904 of these warheads were mounted on missiles and aircraft – 60 more than in the same month a year earlier. According to the report, the rest were kept in centralized storage facilities.

For decades, the global number of nuclear weapons has been steadily declining. However, the decline is mainly due to the fact that discarded warheads are gradually being dismantled by Russia and the US following the Cold War. AGENCIES

At least eight people were killed and three others injured in a landslide on a major road in Ecuador’s central Tungurahua province, local authorities said.

The landslide led to the closing of the roadway in the resort city of Banos de Agua Santa and damaged houses in the area, reported Xinhua news agency, citing the Ecuadorian National Risk Management Secretariat.

“We are coordinating and deploying more machinery to help with the relief effort,” said Ecuadorian Transportation and Public Works Minister Roberto Luque on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Operations at three hydroelectric plants had also been disrupted by the heavy rains, added Luque. AGENCIES

 The Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has announced a strategic plan for the country’s energy transition from traditional fossil fuels to biological, synthetic, and hydrogen fuels by 2050.

The plan’s purpose is to adapt the country’s economic growth to global climatic requirements and modernization, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement issued by the ministry on Sunday.

Under the comprehensive plan, Israel will ensure reliable fuel supply to every economic sector, enhance emergency preparedness in fuel supply, and promote the production and broader application of green fuels.

These goals would be aligned with the Israeli government’s carbon reduction targets and expected changes in the country’s energy mix. Specifically, the plan aims to shut down the massive oil refineries in Haifa Bay, switch to imports instead of local production of petroleum distillates, and establish six or seven hydrogen fueling stations by 2030.

It will also promote transport electrification and the use of hydrogen power, synthetic fuels, and biofuels, to meet the Israeli government’s target of reducing CO2 emissions from the transportation sector by 96 per cent by 2050. AGENCIES

 Iranian Interim President Mohammad Mokhber and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have reiterated the two countries’ commitment to further improving ties, according to a statement published on the website of the Iranian president’s office.

The two leaders made the remarks on Sunday during a phone call, during which they also discussed bilateral relations as well as regional issues, including the situation in Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.

Aiming to increase their annual bilateral trade to $10 billion in the near future, Iran and Pakistan should make efforts to swiftly remove the obstacles in the field of economic and trade cooperation, said Mokhber.

The Iranian Interim President added Iran always viewed Pakistan as its “strategic companion and partner”, underscoring his country’s commitment to improving their ties in all areas.

The Pakistani Prime Minister, for his part, also voiced his country’s willingness to further cement and strengthen its relations with Iran, particularly in the area of trade and economy, reaffirming his government’s commitment to reaching the trade target, according to the Iranian statement.

Sharif also wished Iran success in its upcoming presidential election, scheduled for June 28, according to the statement. AGENCIES

Nikhil Gupta, who has been accused of involvement in an alleged plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist here has been extradited to the United States and is in federal custody, according to prison records.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate records on Sunday showed him locked up in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, where prisoners due for appearances in federal courts here are kept.

According to a spokesperson for the federal court of the Southern District of New York, quoted by NBC TV network, he is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30 last year and the US had asked for his extradition. His extradition was held up by his appeal to the Czech Constitutional Court earlier this year against his extradition, which was rejected last month clearing the way for him to be sent to the US.

The alleged plot raised concerns in the US because an Indian police officer is accused of masterminding it.

According to court documents, Gupta, who also uses the name “Nick”, is charged with participating in a plot with an unnamed Indian “senior field officer” to assassinate the leader of a “US-based organisation that advocates for the secession of Punjab state” and the establishment of a “Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan”.

The group’s leader, who is not named in the court documents, is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer with US and Canadian citizenships, who lives in New York and runs a campaign for Khalistan.

He is designated as a terrorist by the Indian government.

In a filing in the New York court in January, Gupta’s lawyer Jeffrey Chabrowe said that according to his family’s media interviews he “faces basic human rights violations while in custody in Prague” and was kept in “extended” solitary confinement without consular access.

According to the charging document in the court, Gupta was recruited by the “senior field officer” to “orchestrate the assassination.”

He, in turn, the document said, contacted a person he believed was a “criminal associate, but was, in fact, a “confidential source working with US law enforcement”.

That person introduced him to a “purported hitman” who was an undercover US law enforcement officer who was offered $100,000 to carry out the assassination, the document said.

Gupta arranged for an advance of $15,000 to be delivered by an associate to the presumed “hitman”, who was also given details about Pannun and also told him that a Canada-based Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in British Columbia had been a “target”, according to the document.

The prosecution said that he had himself described his “involvement in narcotics and weapons trafficking” and asked the “senior field officer’s” help in getting cases against him in India dismissed.

Gupta’s lawyer Charbrowe asked the court in January to compel the prosecution to provide more details about the case to the defence to enable it to defend him.

He said that according to Gupta’s Czech lawyer Petr Slepica, the defendant had been interviewed several times by “groups of senior US officials” while the lawyer has not been given any documents about the case except for indictment – the charging document.

Federal Judge Victor Marrero dismissed the request saying that under the Rules of Criminal Procedure, the prosecution has 14 days after Gupta is produced in court to give the information to the defence.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in April that “we have made clear to the government of India that we want to see them conduct a full investigation, and we continue to look forward to the results of that investigation”. AGENCIES

Eight people were found inside a refrigerated lorry in China’s central Henan province, where they are said to have suffocated, Chinese state media reported on Monday.

The lorry’s driver found the eight individuals in the cargo space of his vehicle near a motorway exit some 140 km south of the provincial capital, Zhengzhou, and alerted emergency services, according to the local government.

All eight were reportedly unconscious when they were found. Attempts to revive them were unsuccessful, and they were declared dead early on Sunday morning.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, including into the vehicle’s driver. Further details as well as the identities of the “illegal passengers,” as authorities described them, remained initially unclear. AGENCIES