Page 53 - Tehelka Issue 14E

AROUND THE W RLD Here is a round-up of international news to update our readers on everything

important that’s happening in different parts of the world.

World unites to rescue minors from coach were miraculously rescued, former Navy Seal diver second democratic
Saman Gunan, 38, who was one of many volunteers to
transition after military
Thai cave in miraculous operation have rushed to help in the rescue, died. rule, but a number
of terrorist attacks
targeting candidates
and a growing sense
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif along of political unrest
with his daughter Maryam were arrested on July 13 on and turmoil threaten
alive. The international rescuers were the US air force their return to the country after they were convicted in to undermine the
rescue specialists, and cave divers from the UK, Belgium, a corruption case, less than two weeks before the country credibility of the
Australia, Scandinavia, and many other countries. goes to polls. The two election. Four such
Some had volunteered, and some were called in by Thai were convicted on assaults have struck
authorities. The divers faced a tough time as they had to July 6 in the Evenfield in the past few weeks alone, with two candidates among
fight constant battles such as swimming against strong properties case linked those killed. The Islamic State claimed responsibility
currents and being forced back by rising floodwaters. On to the Sharif family’s for the attack. More such deadly attacks are feared as
July 2, over a week after the boys had gone missing, they ownership of four elections approach.
were finally discovered by two British divers. The boys luxury flats in London.
and their coach were quickly joined by a military medic Both Sharif, 68, and
and Navy SEAL divers who stayed with them for the rest Maryam, 44, have
of the ordeal. been sentenced by an US President Donald Trump courted controversy yet
They were put on a special diet of medicated liquid accountability court to again, this time during his first visit to the UK after
food and mineral water infused with vitamins. Rescuers 10 and seven years in becoming President. His arrival was marked by massive
TWELVE MINOR BOYS and their 25-year-old football set to work in figuring out how to extract 13 people — prison respectively. Officials from Pakistan’s anti-graft protests as thousands of Britishers took to the streets to
coach, who went exploring on June 23 in Thailand’s some of whom couldn’t swim — from a winding, flooded body, who were present at the airport, took them into express their disapproval of Trump’s unpopular policies.
Chiang Rai province and ended up getting trapped deep 4km-long stretch of caves that even experienced divers custody as they came out of the plane. They were both There was also a huge
inside a flooded cave underneath a mountain, were would struggle with. Finally, on July 10, over two weeks shifted to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi in separate armoured balloon resembling
rescued in a monumental operation conducted by the after they were trapped, rescuers took them out in vehicles escorted by police. The Sharifs’ return could shake an angry baby Trump
Thai Navy SEALs along with divers from across the batches of three over three days in what is being called up an election race increasingly marred by accusations wearing a diaper
world. The boys, members of a local youth football team a “superhuman” mission. While all the boys and the that Pakistan’s powerful military is working behind the with a phone in his
called the Wild Boars, and their assistant coach, scenes to skew the contest in favour of ex-cricket hero hand, symbolic of the
Ekkapol “Ake” Chantawong, went exploring inside Imran Khan, who describes Sharif as a “criminal” who President’s constant
the Tham Luang cave, a favourite haunt for them deserves no support. irresponsible tweets,
in the mountain range towering over their village which activists flew
Mae Sai. They would often venture deep inside the over Parliament
cave, sometimes as far as eight kilometres, and Square in London. In a
would return after spending a couple of hours there. At least 130 people, including a top nationalist leader, controversial interview
However, this time they were trapped inside for two were killed and more than 180 others injured as powerful to a newspaper, Trump
weeks as the cave got inundated with rain waters bomb blasts targeted two separate election rallies in said that his host, British PM Theresa May, had “wrecked
when they were inside. They were caught off-guard Pakistan, the deadliest in a string of attacks on candidates Brexit” and had praised her foe and fellow conservative
by a flash flood and needed to get out, but instead ahead of the July 25 polls. Militants targeted a gathering Borris Johnson who recently quit as Britain’s foreign
had no choice but to scramble even deeper into of the 55-year-old Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader secretary over his disagreement with May’s ‘soft Brexit’.
the cave. While it was known that the group had Siraj Raisani in Mastung area of Balochistan province. He He also raised eyebrows when he twice broke with
ventured inside the cave, it took several days to find was the brother of former Chief Minister of Balochistan etiquette within minutes of meeting the Queen at Windsor
out where exactly they were and that they were all Nawab Aslam Raisani. Pakistan is preparing for its Castle.
— Compilation and analysis by Ridhima Malhotra

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