Environment

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 15 (PTI) Marking its first 'state partnership' in India, the World Bank will extend a USD 250 million loan for the Resilent Programme in Kerala, which had been devastated by worst floods in a century last Augst.

The Centre, state government and the World Bank had last month signed the loan agreement of US

250 million for the programme, which aims at enhancing the state's resilence against the impacts of natural calamities and climate change.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tropical Depression Barry spared New Orleans and Baton Rouge from catastrophic flooding, but even as it weakened and moved north through Arkansas, its trailing rain bands swamped parts of Louisiana with up to 17 inches (43 centimeters) of rain and transformed part of the Mississippi Delta into “an ocean.”

As of Monday evening, with the center of the storm about 105 miles (170 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock, the National Weather Service said flash flood watches remained in effect in southeast Texas through the lower Mississippi Valley.

Tura, Jul 15 (PTI) Incessant rain across Meghalaya for the last seven days and rising waters of two rivers flooded the plains of West Garo Hills district, affecting at least 1.14 lakh people, officials said on Monday.

A total of 57,700 people, residents of 50 villages in Demdema block and over 66,400, residents of 104 villages in Selsella block have been affected due to the floods, they said.

Rising waters of the Brahmaputra and the Jinjiram rivers, both flowing from Assam, submerged the low-lying areas of the district, an official said.

Agartala, Jul 14 (PTI) At least 10,000 people of two districts of Tripura were rendered homeless and forced to take shelter in relief camps following floods caused by incessant rain for the last two days, officials of the state revenue department said Sunday.

State Project Officer of Disaster Management, Sarat Das, said personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and secureity forces of the state rescued a number of stranded people from Khowai and West Tripura districts.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tropical Depression Barry dumped rain as it slowly swept inland through Gulf Coast states Sunday, sparing New Orleans from a direct hit but stoking fears elsewhere of flooding, tornadoes, and prolonged power outages.

MOSCOW, July 14. /TASS/: An increase in water levels has been registered in the Oka, Iya and Uda rivers in the flood-stricken Irkutsk Region, the regional department of the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported on its website on Sunday.

"According to the Irkutsk Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Department, on July 14, rising water levels ranging from 15 to 45 centimeters were registered in the Oka, Iya and Uda rivers," the ministry said. "Fluctuations ranging from 10 to 40 centimeters are expected within the next 24 hours, which is below a critical level."

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Latest on Barry (all times local):

5:45 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm embedded in one of Barry’s outer bands began rotating over Mississippi before dawn Sunday, prompting a tornado warning.

There were no immediate reports of any injuries or damage.

The National Weather Service in Jackson says the storm early Sunday morning was capable of producing a tornado near the small town of Ellisville, Mississippi.

Ellisville is about 85 miles (137 kilometers) southeast of Jackson.

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4:45 a.m.

Kathmandu, Jul 14 (PTI) At least 43 people, including 18 women, were killed and 20 others injured in floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains in various parts of Nepal, police said.

Twenty four people have been reported missing in the rain-related incidents that displaced settlements and disrupted vehicular traffic, the Himalayan Times reported on Sunday.

Heavy rainfall since Thursday hit more than 25 districts in the hills as well as the southern plains of the country, affecting 10,385 households.

HONG KONG, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A magnitude-6.6 earthquake jolted 202 km W of Broome, Australia at 05:39:24 GMT on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 18.202 degrees south latitude and 120.3368 degrees east longitude.

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Police in Nepal say flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall have killed at least 43 people in the past few days, with more deaths reported across the Himalayan border in India.

At least 24 others are missing in Nepal, either swept by swollen rivers or buried by mudslides since rains began pounding the region Friday. Roads and highways have been blocked in parts of Nepal while communication towers are knocked down.