Habib Siddiqui

  The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Indonesia has risen to 442, according to a tally published by the national disaster agency, as desperate people hunt for food and water. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Sunday said 402 others were still missing as authorities raced to reach parts of hardest-hit Sumatra island, where thousands of people were stranded without critical supplies. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Indonesia death toll rises to 303 after catastrophic flooding in Sumatra list 2 of 4 Flood deaths rise to 174 in Indonesia, surge across Southeast Asia list 3 of 4 ‘Neighbourhoods buried under mud’: Sri Lanka floods death toll reaches 334 list 4 of 4 The human cost of the Philippines’ flood-control corruption scandal end of list Another 402 people are missing in Indonesia’s three provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh, according to the agency. At least 600 people have died across Southeast Asia as heavy monsoo...

  Devastating floods have swept through parts of capital Colombo as Sri Lanka reels from the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, with the death toll reaching 193 and 228 people still missing, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC). The cyclone’s weeklong heavy rains triggered widespread flooding and mudslides across the island, with the full extent of destruction in the central region only now becoming apparent as relief workers clear blocked roads. “Although the cyclone has left us, heavy rains upstream are now flooding low-lying areas along the banks of the Kelani River,” a DMC official said, as northern parts of the capital faced rising floodwaters. In Wennawatte, a Colombo suburb, 46-year-old Selvi fled her flooded home carrying what possessions she could salvage. “My house is completely flooded. I do not know where to go, but I hope there is some safe shelter where I can take my family,” she told the AFP news agency. As floodwaters receded in Manampitiya, 250km (155 miles)...

  Senegal is at loggerheads with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over a bailout it urgently needs to plug a gaping hole in its public finances. While the IMF wants the West African nation to undertake a painful restructuring before it will agree to a bailout, Senegal, which was recently downgraded to deep within “junk bond” status, is resisting this plan. Earlier this month, credit rating agency S&P lowered Senegal to CCC+, citing the fragile country’s poor government finances. “Despite actions taken to boost growth and tax collection, the level of debt and size of the interest bill mean Senegal’s public finances remain precarious, particularly in the absence of a comprehensive official support programme,” S&P said on November 14. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 G20 fails to deliver on sovereign debt distress list 2 of 4 Why the Global South needs a ‘Borrower’s Club’ list 3 of 4 ‘Buckle up’: IMF chief warns of economic uncertainty list 4 of 4 France wi...