International news brief: 28 dead as hurricane Julia drenches Central America with rainfall and more

Washington, Oct 11: Former Hurricane Julia has dissipated, but is still drenching Guatemala and El Salvador with torrential rains on Monday after it reemerged in the Pacific following a pounding of Nicaragua.

At least 28 people were reported dead as a direct or indirect result of the storm.

Guatemala's disaster prevention agency said five people died after a hillside collapsed on their house in Alta Verapaz province, burying them. And in Huehuetenango province, near Mexico, nine people died, including a soldier killed while performing rescue work.

Authorities in El Salvador said five Salvadoran army soldiers died after a wall collapsed at a house where they sought refuge in the town of Comasagua, where hundreds of police and soldiers have been conducting anti-gang raids. Another soldier was injured.

In UNGA, India votes to reject Russia's demand for secret ballot on draft resolution on Ukraine
India voted to reject Russia's demand for a secret ballot in the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution to condemn Moscow's "illegal" annexation of four regions of Ukraine, with New Delhi favouring a public vote on the text along with over 100 other nations.

The 193-member UN General Assembly on Monday voted on a motion by Albania that action on the draft resolution that would condemn Russia's "illegal so-called referendums" and "attempted illegal annexation" of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine be taken by a recorded vote.

Indian origin banker issued prohibition order linked to infamous 1MDB scandal of former Malaysian PM Najib Razak
An Indian-origin banker has been issued a 10-year prohibition order and a 24-month conditional warning for his failure to report a suspicious transaction involving the jailed Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's infamous company 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Raj Sriram, the former deputy CEO and head of private banking of BSI Bank Limited's Singapore branch (BSIS), was issued the prohibition and warned on Monday to report the suspicious transaction, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a statement.

Gandhi museum opens up in New Jersey

A museum dedicated to the life and message of Mahatma Gandhi has opened in the Atlantic City of the United States.

Inaugurated this past weekend, the museum has artefacts and digital display screens that are interactive and visitors will be able to interactively see the life events of the apostle of peace.

The event was attended by eminent Indian American community members and India's Consul General in New York Randhir Jaiswal.

Tales of survival emerge as Venezuela landslide toll hits 34

Rescue workers using drones and trained dogs searched for survivors on Monday following a massive landslide in central Venezuela, as the death toll rose to 34 and residents described harrowing tales of escape from the water and mud.

Jose Medina recalled how the water streaming into his home in the town of Las Tejerías on Saturday night had reached waist level. He and his family were trapped, he realised.

So the 63-year-old turned his refrigerator sideways, opened its door and used it as a boat for his granddaughter. Meanwhile he held on to the fridge with his wife, and pinned it to a table so that the strong currents of water would not push them downstream.

(with PTI input)