Indian drought 'affecting 330 million people' after two weak monsoons

About 330 million people are affected by drought in India, the government has said, as the country reels from severe water shortages and desperately poor farmers suffer crop losses.

A senior government lawyer, PS Narasimha, told the supreme court that a quarter of the country’s population, spread across 10 states, had been hit by drought after two consecutive years of weak monsoons.

Narasimha said the government had released funds to affected regions where a crippling shortage of rainfall had forced the rationing of drinking water to some communities.

As summer hits India, reports of families and farmers in remote villages walking long distances to find water after their wells dried up have dominated local media.

Narasimha gave the figures on Tuesday after an NGO filed a petition asking the top court to order Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to step up relief to the hardest-hit areas.

High temperatures have hit parts of eastern, central and southern India in recent weeks, with scores of deaths reported from heatstroke.

Every year hundreds of people, mainly the poor, die at the height of summer in India, but temperatures have risen earlier than normal, increasing concerns about this year’s toll.

“We had never recorded such high temperatures in these months in more than 100 years,” said PK Mohapatra, the special relief commissioner in Orissa state.

India’s meteorological department on Wednesday issued a heatwave warning for Orissa and two other states, with temperatures forecast to top 45C in the coming days.

All schools in Orissa are closed until next week because of the heat, while there have been protests further north in the West Bengal city of Howrah over water shortages.

“Several hundred residents of the city of Howrah on Monday blocked an arterial road to protest inadequate supply of water,” said Baren Das, an official from Howrah’s municipal corporation.

Politicians have come under fire for water wastage as they travel to drought-affected regions, with footage on Tuesday of water tankers in Karnataka state spraying a dusty road before the chief minister’s arrival sparking outrage.

A court this month ordered the Indian Premier League to move some cricket matches from drought-hit western Maharashtra state over concerns that water would be wasted in maintaining the grounds.

Officials have forecast an above-average monsoon this year, offering hope for struggling farmers who rely heavily on the annual rains. India’s agriculture sector employs about 60% of the population.

EU’s Mogherini admits ‘challenges’ with Iran nuclear deal

The European Union's top diplomat during a visit to Tehran Saturday admitted difficulties in implementing Iran's recent nuclear deal with world powers, but maintained that the agreement was on track.

Federica Mogherini's comments, in a joint press conference with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, underscored tension in Tehran over the accord, which has been in force for three months.

Under the deal, all nuclear-related sanctions were lifted but Iranian officials have accused the West, particularly the United States, of failing to honour its side of the bargain.

Among their grievances is the contention that US government officials are scaring off European banks from investing in Iran for fear of falling foul of regulations that saw massive fines imposed in recent years.

Mogherini, on her first trip to Iran since the nuclear deal came into force in January, said the diplomatic gains of the agreement must now be turned into "benefits in Iranians' daily lives."

But Zarif echoed remarks from other Iranian officials about the deal not producing discernible benefits.

"It is necessary that the other side's cooperation, especially the United States, is made good in practice, not only on paper," Zarif said, alluding to Seif's comments.

"We warned the US and we will put some pressure on them, to pave the way for cooperation between non-US banks and the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Mogherini sought to play down concern, saying that three months of "challenges" on the deal's implementation was nothing compared to the 12 years of diplomacy it had taken to produce the nuclear agreement.

"We obviously have not finished the work on implementing the JCPOA," Mogherini said, referring to the nuclear deal by its official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, describing it as "an ongoing task".

'Doing all that we can'

Put to her by a reporter that the banking issues were obstacles, Mogherini countered: "There are challenges in implementation, it is true."

She cited 50 pages of guidelines that have been issued to European financial institutions that detail how business can now be conducted with Iran.

"We are doing all that we can to reassure our financial and banking system that all the new information on the new system is provided."

Mogherini pointed to other evidence of cooperation, saying the EU has agreed to support Iran's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) for example, and Iran will take part on a joint dialogue on human rights.

But Mogherini also raised with Zarif the EU's concern about recent ballistic missile tests by the elite Revolutionary Guards, which a UN panel said breached Security Council resolutions.

She said the EU did not regard the missile tests as a breach of the nuclear deal.

"We see this as a worrying step. Any step that could pass different messages (other than cooperation) is not welcome."

Mogherini, who personally helped negotiate the nuclear deal between Iran and Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany, was accompanied by other top EU officials.

The six powers led by the United States agreed in July last year to lift sanctions that had locked down much of the Iran's economy for years in exchange for limits on Tehran's nuclear programme.

The move allowed Iran to resume a higher level of oil exports when the deal was implemented, as well as opening up more trade opportunities.

But with the US still maintaining some sanctions, including on what it says is Iran's sponsorship of designated terror organisations, Iran's access to global finance remains limited.

Mogherini said the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, where the West has been looking for Iran's cooperation with peace efforts, as well as Iran-EU cooperation on energy production and technology were also discussed.

Pakistan polio: Seven killed in anti-vaccination attack

Seven Pakistani policemen, three of whom were guarding polio workers, have been killed in Karachi, officials say.

Eight gunmen on motorcycles fired at a group of three police guards and later at a van containing four officers, officials told the Pakistan Tribune.

Islamist militants oppose vaccination, saying it is a Western conspiracy to sterilise Pakistani children.

In January, 15 people were killed in a bomb attack on a vaccination centre in the south-western city of Quetta.

Reward

Polio workers called off the vaccination drive in Karachi following the attack, despite the home minister's order to continue, the Tribune reported.

According to Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, police have offered a reward of 5 million rupees (£33,000) for information on the killers, and 2 million rupees (£13,000) compensation to the victims' families.

Talking to reporters at the scene, Sindh police Inspector General AD Khawaja said polio drops would be "administered to our children at all costs" and said security for polio teams would be increased.

Pakistan is one of only two countries, along with Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Militants have repeatedly targeted vaccination programmes, killing nearly 80 people since December 2012.

The country recorded more than 300 polio cases in 2014 - its highest number since 1999.

Most of the new infections were in north-west Pakistan, where militants regularly target roving health teams, and health officials blamed the rise in cases on several deadly attacks on police workers that year.

The number of cases fell to just 52 in 2015, largely because vaccination teams could reach areas that were previously off limits because of militancy.

India tests 1st nuclear-propelled ballistic missile submarine

India’s first submarine capable of firing nuclear ballistic missiles, the INS Arihant, is undergoing sea acceptance trials and will be commissioned after their completion, the Navy has announced.

"INS Arihant is now undergoing sea acceptance trails as it had already passed several deep sea diving drills. The submarine will be commissioned after completing all the sea trials," said H.C.S. Bisht, Vice Admiral of the Indian Navy.

Read more

Russian 'Storm' top candidate to be India's new aircraft carrier - report

The 6,000-ton vessel is the first nuclear-powered submarine that can launch nuclear-capable missiles manufactured by India – the first nation to announce it has accomplished this feat after the five original nuclear powers. It was built at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam, one of 13 major ports in India, with some help from Russian specialists and launched in 2009.

The submarine was expected to be commissioned after finishing a round of sea trials in February and participating in the International Fleet Review the same month. On February 23, it was declared ready for operations.

Additional trials were launched in March. The Arihant reportedly fired a dummy K-4 missile on March 7 and later on March 31 test-fired a live K-4 missile from a depth of 20 meters underwater.

The K-4 is an indigenously developed Indian intermediate-range nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile and the designated weapon for Arihant-classs submarines. INS Arihant, the lead ship of the class, can reportedly carry four K-4 missiles or 12 smaller short-range K-15 missiles.

Koh-i-noor: India says it should not claim priceless diamond from UK

The Indian government has told the Supreme Court that it should not try to reclaim the priceless Koh-i-noor diamond from Britain.

The gemstone came into British hands in the mid-19th Century, and forms part of the Crown Jewels on display at the Tower of London.

Ownership of the famous gem is an emotional issue for many Indians, who believe it was stolen by the British.

But the solicitor-general said it was "neither stolen nor forcibly taken".

Ranjit Kumar said the 105-carat diamond had been "gifted" to the East India company by the former rulers of Punjab in 1849.

The case is being heard by the Supreme Court after an Indian NGO filed a petition asking the court to direct the Indian government to bring back the diamond.

The court is still considering the issue, and said it did not want to dismiss the petition as it could "stand in the way" of future attempts to bring back items that once belonged to India.

Image copyrightGetty Images

Image captionDrawings of the Koh-i-Noor diamond dating back to circa 1860

Mr Kumar, representing the Indian government, said he would consult with the foreign minister on the issue and frame a response within six weeks, the Times of India newspaper reported.

Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, said a few years ago that it should be returned as "atonement for the colonial past".

However, successive British prime ministers have refused to do so. Most recently, David Cameron said that returning it would set an "unworkable precedent".

"If you say yes to one, you suddenly find the British Museum would be empty," he told Indian media during a trip to the country in 2010.

The diamond was last worn by the late Queen Mother and was displayed on her crown when her coffin lay in state after her death in 2002.

Who are Pakistan's Chhotu bandits?

Pakistani troops have been using helicopter gunships to try to dislodge a group of bandits from their hideouts in Punjab province. The offensive comes after more than 20 police officers were taken hostage by the gang.

Who are the Chhotu gang?

They are a gang of bandits operating along a stretch of Indus river in the remote south of Punjab province. Led by Ghulam Rasool, nicknamed Chhotu, they have been active in the region for more than a decade. The gang's members run into hundreds - more than 300 according to one account. It is one of the more prominent gangs among dozens operating along a 150km (95 mile) stretch between Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab and Kashmore in neighbouring Sindh province. These gangs are linked and conduct a range of activities including smuggling, gun-running, kidnapping for ransom and highway robberies.

Where do the gang live?

Chhotu and the rest of the core of the gang come from a branch of the Mazari tribe which dominates the Rojhan sub-district of Rajanpur. Remote and poor, the area is marked by feuds over land and family honour. It is dominated by politically influential landowners who are accused of paying off both the police and the bandits to protect their own interests.

The Chhotu gang controls some key river islands along Rajanpur district, which are deeply forested. These islands lie between the Punjab regions of Rajanpur and Rahimyarkhan, and Kashmore district in Sindh. This riverine belt lies at the confluence of southern Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. It has served as a hideout of choice for bandits and freedom fighters/militants since the colonial era because it provides easy access into different jurisdictional zones that often lack a co-ordinated response.

Why did troops go on the offensive?

Due to the remoteness of the region, banditry has traditionally attracted little attention. Besides, the Mazari tribal leaders have often been able to prevail on the bandits to reverse actions that might embarrass the government. So in 2005, the Chhotu gang found themselves under considerable pressure after they kidnapped 12 Chinese engineers from nearby Indus Highway. They ended up releasing them without a ransom.

Image copyrightAFP

Image captionMore than 1,500 security personnel have been battling the gang

Many believe the army's current move against the bandits is part of its plans to reassure the Chinese and secure the Indus Highway, which passes through the area and is the main route for the $46bn (£32bn) economic corridor the Chinese propose to build to connect north-western China with the Pakistani port of Gwadar.

The area is also understood to have served as a sanctuary for sectarian militants and Baloch insurgents, with whom the bandits are believed to share economic interests. In a recent telephone interview with Zafar Aheer, a Jang newspaper correspondent based in Multan, Chhotu admitted they were using Indian-made weapons, although he added they had been procured from Afghanistan.

Mr Aheer, who met Chhotu in his island hideout in 2006, says the gang members were armed with both light and heavy machine guns, including an anti-aircraft gun which he said was planted near one of Chhotu's camps.

How badly have the bandits been hit?

During 18 days of police action, the bandits killed seven policemen and took 24 of them hostage. They have lost two men in the fighting so far.

Since the army arrived on the scene there have been reports of shelling of the bandits' hideouts, but no ground action has been reported yet.

One reason may be because the Chhotu gang are using hostages as human shields.

Civilian populations along the riverbank, which may get caught in crossfire, have also not fully vacated the area yet despite several warnings

Who is Chhotu?

The word Chhotu is a pet version of Chhota, meaning a small boy, and was given to him by Baba Lowng, the leader of a gang he joined when he was barely in his teens. His story is typical of any tribal youth from this region.

The son of a small farmer, he served as a table boy at a truckers' tea stall in Kashmore in 1988, when he was 13. He told his Jang interviewer that one of his brothers went to jail because of a tribal dispute, and his father and other brothers went on the run to avoid arrest. A year or so later, he himself was implicated by some policemen in a "false" theft case after he failed to pay them bribes.

In their absence, their family land, some 12 acres in all, was appropriated by their neighbours.

When he came out of jail two years later, he joined Baba Lowng's gang to retrieve his family land. Later his brother also joined him.

Afghanistan violence: Deadly bomb and gun attack hits Kabul

At least 28 people have been killed and 329 injured in a huge explosion in the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul, police and officials say.

A suicide attacker detonated a vehicle and a fierce gun battle followed. Officials say the attack is now over and the area has been cleared.

A Taliban spokesman said the group carried out the attack.

It comes a week after it said it was launching its "spring offensive", warning of large-scale attacks.

• Why are the Taliban resurgent in Afghanistan?

Tuesday's bombing happened during the morning rush hour in Pul-e-Mahmud, a busy neighbourhood where homes, mosques, schools and businesses nestle close to the Ministry of Defence, other ministries and military compounds.

Soldiers and security officers are reported to be among the casualties, but the majority are civilians.

The blast shattered windows up to 1.6km (one mile) away. The Associated Press quoted a police officer as saying it was one of the most powerful explosions he had ever heard, and he could not see or hear anything for 20 minutes after.

Image copyrightReuters

Image captionThe Taliban said it was behind the attack

It appears the initial blast cleared the way for Taliban fighters to enter the area - a commonly used tactic.

"One of the suicide attackers blew up an explosives-laden truck in a public parking lot next to a government building," Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi told AFP news agency.

"The second attacker engaged security forces in a gun battle before being gunned down," he added.

Hours after the assault was declared over, another blast rocked Kabul. Police told a BBC reporter in Kabul it was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED).

"It was as huge as in the morning," said Afghan MP Elay Ershad. "So everyone [is] scared of this situation."