Foreign News
Morocco earthquake death toll rises above 2,000
The death toll from a powerful earthquake in Morocco has soared to more than 2,000, with a similar number of injured.
The interior ministry says more than 1,400 have serious injuries, and the heaviest casualties are in provinces just south of Marrakesh.
King Mohammed VI declared three days of national mourning and ordered shelter, food and other help for survivors. Many people are spending a second night out in the open.
The magnitude 6.8 quake hit Marrakesh and many towns on Friday night. In remote mountain areas, entire villages are reported to have been flattened. The epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh – a city with world heritage status which is popular with tourists. But the tremors were also felt in the capital Rabat, some 350km away, as well as Casablanca, Agadir and Essaouira.
The interior ministry says Al Haouz province has the highest death toll, followed by Taroudant province. There are far fewer deaths in Marrakesh, though the Unesco-protected old city has suffered considerable damage. It is believed that many simple mud brick, stone and timber homes in mountain villages would have collapsed, but the scale of devastation in remote areas will take some time to assess.
(BBC)
Millions of people in South Asia celebrated Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, by smearing each other with brightly coloured powder, dancing to festive music and feasting on traditional sweets prepared for the occasion.
The raucous spring festival sees Hindus take part in a kaleidoscopic celebration of the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil. The festival is a national holiday in India, while in Nepal it’s a two-day event that began on Thursday. It’s also observed in other South Asian countries as well as among the Indian diaspora.
Holi has its origins in Hindu mythology and celebrates the divine love between the Hindu god Krishna and his consort Radha, signifying a time of rebirth and rejuvenation.
Across the country, people dressed mostly in all-white clothes celebrated the festival by hurling coloured powder at each other. Children, perched on rooftops and balconies, flung water balloons filled with coloured pigments at passersby.
Groups of young men also used water guns to chase people down in public parks and on the roads, while others danced on the streets to music blaring from speakers.
In some places, people hurled marigolds, roses and jasmine petals instead of coloured powder.
[Aljazeera]
A British man has been killed in a hit-and-run incident involving a vehicle in the motorcade of Kenyan President William Ruto.
The man, who has been named as 79-year-old Edgar Charles Frederick, died on Thursday after being struck in the accident on a main road in the capital, Nairobi.
Police detained a driver, who has since been released on bail.
They say he was driving a support vehicle that was travelling as part of President Ruto’s official convoy of cars.
Police spokesman Michael Muchiri told the BBC that Mr Frederick had been visiting Kenya to see his sister and nephew who are residents of the country.
The victim’s next-of-kin have been informed, and a post-mortem is likely to be conducted later on Friday.
The police said the driver, who failed to stop after the incident, would appear in court following an investigation.
A spokesperson for the UK High Commission said officials were aware of the reports and were seeking more information.
Videos posted on social media show a man in blue jeans and a light-coloured shirt lying bleeding on the road outside a busy shopping area.
Other pictures show the victim covered in a checked shawl, known locally as a Maasai Shuka.
Mr Muchiri told the BBC the vehicle belonged to the regional administration and was providing support to the presidential detail.
President Ruto held events in the vicinity of the scene on Thursday as part of ongoing political engagements with the public in the capital.
[BBC]
China’s biggest hotpot chain Haidilao has offered to compensate more than 4,000 diners who visited one of its Shanghai branches, where two teens urinated into their hotpot broth.
A video of the boys peeing into their broth pot while dining in a private room was widely shared online last month. It is not clear who might have filmed the incident.
Police said the 17-year-olds, who were drunk at the time, were detained soon after the incident.
There is no suggestion anyone consumed the affected broth. Haidilao has apologised to customers, saying it has replaced all hotpot equipment and dining utensils, as well as disinfecting other crockery and utensils.
The incident happened late in February, though the company’s management only found out about it days later, after videos circulated on social media.
Haidilao said the staff on duty at the time had failed to stop the teens.
It took another week to find out which outlet it was, the company said, as it has dozens of outlets in the city.
Diners in Haidilao use their own personal hotpot equipment to cook their food, and broths are not re-used again for other customers. However, it is unclear in this case if the hotpot in question was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before it was used by the next customer.
“We fully understand that the distress caused to our customers by this incident cannot be fully compensated for by any means, but we will do our utmost to take responsibility,” the company said in a statement.
Haidilao said customers who dined at the outlet between 24 February and 8 March will receive a full refund, followed by cash compensation that is 10 times the amount they were billed.
The company has expanded quickly since it opened its first restaurant in Jianyang in Sichuan province. It now operates more than 1,000 restaurants across the world.
Haidilao is known for its customer service and family-friendly atmosphere, where ladies can receive manicures and kids are treated to candy floss while waiting for a table.
[BBC]
Our government has reaffirmed its commitment to breaking barriers that limit women’s full participation in the economy, recognizing their vital role in national development. – Dr. Harini Amarasuriya
Delhi Capitals hope to be third time lucky as they eye first WPL title
South Asia erupts in colour for vibrant Holi celebrations
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