September 24, 2024

Hurricane John struck Mexico’s southern coast on Monday night after rapidly strengthening into a major Category 3 storm, triggering warnings of ‘life-threatening’ floods and mudslides. Packing maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (193 kph), the storm made landfall south-southwest of the city of Marquelia in Guerrero state at around 9:15 p.m. local time, according to the National Hurricane Center. Just a day ago, the storm was pacing at 35 mph (56 kph), but it underwent two rapid intensifications in a 24-hour period, ramping up speed by more than three times. “This heavy rainfall will likely cause significant and possibly catastrophic, life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides to the Mexican States of Chiapas, Oaxaca, and southeast Guerrero, particularly in areas near the coast,” the center said. Oaxaca state is a popular tourist spot known for its beautiful landscapes and beaches. Fishermen return to shore ahead of the arrival of Hurricane John in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca State, Mexico, on September 23, 2024. Rusvel Rasgado/AFP/Getty Images Oaxaca’s governor said the state government had evacuated 3,000 people and set up 80 shelters, while authorities had suspended classes in several costal zones on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. Businesses in Puerto Escondido, a tourist destination in the southern part of the state, have closed after authorities ordered the suspension of all work on the area’s main beaches, the news agency reported. Ana Aldai, who works for a restaurant there, told AP she was “a little bit distressed” because notice from authorities came quickly. The Salina Cruz Port is seen closed ahead of the arrival of Hurricane John in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca State, Mexico, on September 23, 2024. Rusvel Rasgado/AFP/Getty Images “There was no opportunity to make the necessary purchases,” she said. Torrential rainfall of 10 to 20 inches, with isolated totals near 30 inches, could pummel areas along the Oaxaca coast to southeast Guerrero until Thursday. The coastal areas of Chiapas are also expected to be hit by rainfall of six to 12 inches, with isolated totals around 15 inches, during the same period. The rainfall could cause a life-threatening storm surge, producing significant coastal flooding near the landfall location, the National Hurricane Center said. The surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves in coastal areas, it added. Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/24/americas/hurricane-john-mexico-landfall-intl-hnk/index.html

Case lodged against suspects and they have been handed over to anti-human trafficking circle for legal action The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration authorities on Monday arrested three Afghan women at the Karachi airport for trying to go to Germany on counterfeit documents. “The arrested pax have been identified as Zahra Sultani, Mehria Rehmani and Aziza Mohammadi,” said the immigration officials. They said medical and business documents of all three women were forged, adding that a case was lodged against the suspects and they were handed over to the anti-human trafficking circle for further legal action. As per the officials, Aziza came to Pakistan on a medical visa. The documents furnished by her apparently showed she had been admitted to a hospital for treatment in Islamabad between April 27 and May 20, 2024. While, upon investigation, it was revealed that she never visited Pakistan since obtaining her passport, the immigration authorities said. Similarly, documents with Mehria, who arrived in the country on a business visa, insisted that she was on a business trip to Pakistan with her spouse Iqbal Hakimi. When inquired about her husband, the woman claimed she was unmarried and knew no one named Iqbal Hakimi, the FIA officials added. They said, as per documents provided by Zahra, she arrived in Pakistan on September 2 with a female patient, Marman Parveen, as an attendant. Investigation revealed that she deceptively took a Pakistani visa pretending to be the patient’s attendant. It should be noted that the immigration authorities at the Karachi airport recently arrested at least nine other such foreigners going abroad on forged documents. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1233051-fia-arrests-three-afghan-women-for-using-fake-documents-to-travel-abroad

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/9/24/israel-attacks-lebanon-live-global-calls-for-restraint-as-492-killed