India monsoon leaves 125 dead
Rescuecrews in India used boatsand helicopters on Saturdayto reach areas hammeredby days of monsoon rains— coming at nearly an inchan hour at one weather station— that submerged homesand triggered landslidesin the latest battle againstextreme weather aroundthe world. At least 125 peoplewere killed, Indian officialssaid.
Emergencyteams confrontedthick sludge and debrisin attempts to evacuate peopleacross hard-hit Maharashtrastate, which includesMumbai. Thousands of truckswere stuck on the partlysubmerged highway betweenMumbai and the technologyhub of Bangalore. Majorrivers were still in dangerof rising further, the Reutersnews agency reported.
Thescenes in India echoed disastersaround the world causedby deadly floods in recentweeks in China’s central Henanprovince and in Germanyand Belgium.
Climatescientists say that theseravaging global floods shouldserve as a wake-up call forleaders to take action on climatechange. While monsoonrains are a regular occurrencein India, a warmer atmosphereretains more moisture,which causes heavy rainfallduring storms, some expertsnote.
Thousands march in Hungary Pride parade
Risinganger over the policiesof Hungary’s right-wing governmentfilled the streets ofthe country’s capital on Saturdayas thousands of LGBTsupporters marched in theannual Budapest Pride parade.
Marchorganizers expectedrecord crowds at the event,and called on participants to express their oppositionto recent steps by populistPrime Minister Viktor Orban’sgovernment that critics say stigmatize sexual minoritiesin the Central
Europeancountry.
BudapestPride spokespersonJojo Majercsik said this year’smarch is not just a celebrationand remembrance of the historical struggles of theLGBT movement but a protestagainst Mr. Orban’s current policies targeting gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgenderand queer people.
“Alot of LGBTQ people areafraid and don’t feel like theyhave a place or a future inthis country anymore,” Ms.Majercsik said.
The march came after a controversiallaw passed by Hungary’s parliament in June prohibited the display ofcontent to minors that depictshomosexuality or genderchange. The measures wereattached to a bill allowing tougher penalties for pedophiles.
U.N. adopts resolution to provide vision care
TheU.N. General Assemblyapproved its first-ever resolutionon vision, calling on its193 member nations to ensureaccess to eye care for everyonein their countries whichwould contribute to a globaleffort to help at least 1.1 billionpeople with vision impairmentwho currently lack eyeservices by 2030.
The“Vision for Everyone” resolution,sponsored by Bangladesh,Antigua and Ireland, andco-sponsored by over 100 countries,was adopted by consensusby the world body.
Itencourages countries to institutea “whole of governmentapproach to eye care.” Andit calls on international financialinstitutions and donorsto provide targeted financing,especially for developingcountries, to address theincreasing impact of visionloss on economic and socialdevelopment.
Accordingto the resolution,“at least 2 billion people areliving with vision impairmentor blindness and 1.1 billionpeople have vision impairmentthat could have beenprevented or is yet to be addressed.”