Days of devastating flooding across South-east Asia and Sri Lanka have killed hundreds of people, authorities said on Friday.
Heavy monsoon rains across Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia paired with a tropical storm inundated areas, stranding residents on rooftops and cutting off entire communities. More than 300 people have been killed across the three countries.
In Sri Lanka, Cyclone Ditwah swept northwards across the island on Friday, leaving 69 dead and 34 missing.
Rescuers in Indonesia were struggling to reach the worst-affected areas on Sumatra island, while authorities at a southern Thailand hospital brought in refrigerated lorries to store bodies after the morgue exceeded capacity.
In West Sumatra province, 53-year-old Indonesian Misniati described a terrifying battle against rising floodwaters to reach her husband at home.
She said that, returning from early morning prayers at a mosque, “I noticed the street was flooded”.
“I tried to run back to my house to tell my husband, and the water was already reaching my waist,” she said, adding that it was up to her chest by the time she reached home. “We didn't sleep at all last night, we just monitored the water.”
Officials on Sumatra said flooding and landslides this week had killed at least 174 people, with nearly 80 more missing. National Disaster Mitigation Agency chief Suharyanto said the toll could grow as rescuers reach isolated areas.
“There are locations that still cannot be reached … where it is indicated that there may be victims in those areas that are unreachable,” he said.
In Aceh province in Sumatra's north, receding water left behind cars buried in mud almost up to their windows. Further rain is forecast for much of Sumatra island, although the intensity was expected to ease, officials said.
'Clinging to rooftops'
Among the hardest-hit areas in the region is southern Thailand, where residents of Hat Yai were left clinging to rooftops awaiting rescue by boat.
At least 145 people have been killed across Thailand's south, government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said on Friday, as receding floodwaters allowed a clearer picture of the disaster.
Most occurred in Songkhla province, where authorities at a hospital said they had no more room for bodies and were relying on refrigerated lorries.
“The morgue has exceeded its capacity, so we need more,” Charn, a morgue official said.
Two people were killed in Malaysia by flooding caused by heavy rain that left stretches of northern Perlis state under water.
'Worst flooding in decades'
In Sri Lanka, soldiers were racing to rescue hundreds of people marooned by rising floodwaters as weather-related deaths rose to 69.
Helicopters and navy boats carried out multiple rescue operations, picking up residents from treetops, roofs and villages cut off by flooding.
The country's Disaster Management Centre said the toll had climbed with the recovery of more bodies in the worst-affected central region, where most victims had been buried alive from landslides.
The Kelani River, which flows into the Indian Ocean near the capital Colombo, breached its banks on Friday.
“I think this could be the worst flood in our area for three decades,” 56-year-old Kaduwela resident VSA Ratnayake said. “I remember a flood in the 1990s when my house was under seven feet of water.”
The Disaster Management Centre said more rain is forecast, but Cyclone Ditwah is likely to move away from the north towards southern India by Sunday.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
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%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Jay%20Chandrasekhar%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Jo%20Koy%2C%20Tia%20Carrere%2C%20Brandon%20Wardell%2C%20Lydia%20Gaston%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
English Premiership semi-finals
Saracens 57
Wasps 33
Exeter Chiefs 36
Newcastle Falcons 5
Background: Chemical Weapons
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%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Tim%20Mielants%3Cbr%3ECast%3A%20Cillian%20Murphy%2C%20Emily%20Watson%2C%20Eileen%20Walsh%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
