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Heavy rains hamper recovery as death toll from floods in Asia exceeds 1,750
Rescue teams and volunteers have been struggling to assist millions of people affected by floods and landslides in parts of Asia, as the official death toll from the ongoing climate-fuelled disaster has climbed to more than 1,750 people in the worst-affected countries of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
In Indonesia, at least 908 people were confirmed dead and 410 were still missing, according to the latest data on Saturday from the island of Sumatra, where more than 800,000 people have also been displaced.
In Sri Lanka, the government has confirmed 607 deaths, with another 214 people missing and feared dead, in what President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called the country’s most challenging natural disaster.
The floods also caused at least 276 deaths in Thailand, while two people were killed in Malaysia and two people died in Vietnam after heavy rains triggered more than a dozen landslides, according to state media.
On Indonesia’s Sumatra, many survivors were still struggling to recover from the flash floods and landslides that hit last week as Indonesia’s meteorological agency warned Aceh could see “very heavy rain” through Saturday, with North and West Sumatra also at risk.
Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf said response teams were still searching for bodies in “waist-deep” mud.
However, starvation was one of the gravest threats now hanging over remote and inaccessible villages, he said.
“Many people need basic necessities. Many areas remain untouched in the remote areas of Aceh,” he told reporters.
“People are not dying from the flood, but from starvation. That’s how it is.”
Entire villages had been washed away in the rainforest-cloaked Aceh Tamiang region, Muzakir said.
“The Aceh Tamiang region is completely destroyed from the top to the bottom, down to the roads and down to the sea.
“Many villages and sub-districts are now just names,” he said.
In Sri Lanka, where more than two million people – nearly 10 percent of the population- have been affected, officials warned on Friday of continuing heavy rains causing new landslide risks.
Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said more than 71,000 homes were damaged, including nearly 5,000 that were destroyed by last week’s floods and landslides.
The DMC said on Friday that more rain was expected in many parts of the country, including the worst-affected central region, triggering fears of more landslides, hampering cleanup operations.
Last week’s flood came as two typhoons and a cyclone swept through the region at the same time, causing heavy rains, which experts told Aljazeera are becoming more likely due to climate change.
Illegal logging, often linked to the global demand for palm oil, also contributed to the severity of the disaster in Sumatra, where photographs of the aftermath showed many tree logs washed downstream. Indonesia is among the countries with the largest annual forest loss due to mining, plantations and fires, and has seen the clearance of large tracts of its lush rainforest in recent decades.
Indonesia’s Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said on Friday that his office was revoking the logging licences of 20 companies, covering an area of 750,000 hectares (1.8m acres), including in flood-affected areas in Sumatra, Indonesia’s Antara news agency reported.
Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq also “immediately” halted the activities of palm oil, mining, and power plant companies operating upstream of the disaster-hit areas in northern Sumatra on Saturday, according to Antara.
The Batang Toru and Garoga watersheds are strategic areas with ecological and social functions that must not be compromised,” Hanif said.
Febi Dwirahmadi, Indonesian programme coordinator for the Centre for Environment and Population Health at Griffith University in Australia, told Al Jazeera that rainforest cover “acts like a sponge” absorbing water during heavy rainfall.
Following deforestation, which is also contributing to making climate change worse, there is nothing to slow down the heavy rainfall as it enters waterways, Dwirahmadi said.
[Aljazeera]
The United States Navy’s USS Canberra (LCS 30) arrived at the port of Colombo for replenishment purposes on 12 Jun 26.
The visiting ship was welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy
in compliance of naval traditions.
USS Canberra, a Littoral Combat Ship, is commanded by Commander J McLaughlin.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the appointment of a Committee, chaired by Senior Presidential Advisor on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, to conduct a strategic review and restructuring of SriLankan Airlines.
The other members of the committee are as follows:
• Senior Presidential Economic Advisor Duminda Hulangamuwa
• Financial and corporate strategy expert Deshal De Mel
• Transaction and investment banking, mergers and acquisitions expert Dumith Fernando
• The Secretary to the Ministry of Finance or his Representative
• The Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development / a representative of the Civil Aviation Authority
• The Chairman of SriLankan Airlines
• Legal experts with specialised knowledge in corporate, aviation and public law
• Aviation industry experts to be appointed
The Government has recognised the urgent priority of undertaking a comprehensive strategic review of SriLankan Airlines, taking into account the broader macroeconomic context.
The main objective of this exercise is to establish a financially sustainable and commercially efficient national carrier, while reducing the long-term fiscal burden on the Government.
Accordingly, it has been deemed appropriate to establish a dedicated committee to carry out the strategic review and restructuring process in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which is serving as the Transaction Advisor.
The committee will be responsible for:
• Conducting an independent review and assessment of the airline’s strategic direction and future course of action
• Recommending restructuring requirements and possible restructuring models
• Evaluating specific strategic options and identifying the most suitable course of action aligned with the Government’s overall objectives
• Providing oversight, guidance and support for the implementation of the selected strategy and execution framework determined by the Government
The committee will function for the duration of the strategic review and restructuring process, or until it is formally dissolved by the Government of Sri Lanka.
(PMD)
Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has retired from all international cricket with immediate effect.
The 35-year-old featured in the first Test against England at Lord’s, registering a duck and 18, but will play no further part in the three-match series, which will resume at The Oval on 17 June.
Williamson retires as New Zealand’s leading all-format run-scorer, with 19,346 runs, including 48 centuries and six double-hundreds, in 378 appearances between 2010 and 2026.
As the Black Caps’ most prolific Test batter, he scored 9,515 runs at an average of 54.06, including 33 centuries, in 110 matches.
Williamson captained New Zealand on 206 occasions between 2012 and 2024, leading the side through their golden period when they won the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021 and reached the finals of the 2019 World Cup and 2021 T20 World Cup.
Explaining his decision, Williamson, who retired from T20Is in November, said: “I’ve thought about it for a while, but over the last few days it’s become clear now is the right time.
“I’ve always felt a strong drive and hunger for international cricket, and I take pride in knowing I’ve given it my all in every match I’ve played for New Zealand.
“Continuing with anything less wouldn’t be right and I feel fortunate to step away on my own terms.
“I leave feeling optimistic about where this group is heading. There’s a huge amount of talent, and a real desire to do something special with this New Zealand team.
“It’s a team I love, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of it for so long. It will continue to be dear to my heart.”
Head coach Rob Walter paid tribute to Williamson’s “legacy” and impact on the Black Caps, stating he will “remain embedded in its DNA”.
“Anyone who’s had the privilege of working with Kane understands he is a very special player and person,” Walter said.
“His numbers and batting skills speak for themselves, but it’s what he means to this Black Caps team, as well as world cricket – that will be his legacy.
“His impact on the culture and standards of this team will remain embedded in its DNA.
“Kane’s always put the team first and although we’re disappointed to see him go, we’re happy to know he’s content and at peace with his decision.
“An incredible player, awesome team-mate, a wonderful leader and a fantastic ambassador for our sport.”
Former New Zealand all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee described Williamson as a “wonderful player” and an “unflappable leader”, who was the “architect of some our of greatest moments in cricket”.
[BBC]
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