Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been sent back to jail after a fresh corruption conviction. The anti-corruption court in Islamabad gave Sharif a seven-year term for investments beyond his declared assets. Sharif, who denies wrongdoing, was jailed in July in a different corruption case but bailed on appeal when the Islamabad High Court suspended his 10-year sentence in September. His party lost general elections in July while he was in jail. Former cricketer Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) won most seats, after running on an anti-corruption platform. Security around the court in Islamabad was tight for Monday's verdict. The former ruling party - the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz - had threatened to start a mass protest movement and disrupt parliamentary business if its leader were sent back to prison. Security personnel fired tear gas and baton charged his supporters outside the court. Sharif has said the charges against him are politically motivated and is expected to appeal against his latest conviction. The accountability court said he could not prove the source of income for ownership of al-Azizia steel mill in Saudi Arabia. It acquitted him in a second case, Flagship Investment, in the UK for lack of evidence. His two sons, Hassan and Hussain, who are not in Pakistan, were declared absconders by the court. Source: BBC AH

A tsunami following a volcanic eruption killed at least 168 people when it slammed without warning into popular beaches around Indonesia's Sunda Strait on Saturday night, cutting a swathe of destruction and triggering mass panic as it swept inland. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the wave, which hit the coast of southern Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 9:30 pm (1430 GMT) following the eruption of a volcano known as the "child" of the legendary Krakatoa, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. Reports AFP. Search and rescue teams were scouring rubble for survivors, with 168 confirmed dead, 745 people injured and 30 reported missing across three regions, he said. Dramatic video posted on social media showed a wall of water suddenly crashing into an open-air concert by pop group "Seventeen" -- hurling band members off the stage and then flooding into the audience. In a tearful Instagram post, frontman Riefian Fajarsyah said the band's bassist and road manager had been killed. Images of the aftermath of the tsunami in coastal areas show a trail of uprooted trees and debris strewn across beaches. A tangled mess of corrugated steel roofing, timber and rubble was dragged inland at Carita beach, a popular day-tripping spot on the west coast of Java. Muhammad Bintang, who was at Carita beach when the wave hit, described a sudden surge of water that plunged the tourist spot into darkness. "We arrived at 9pm for our holiday and suddenly the water came -- it went dark, the electricity is off," the 15-year-old told AFP. "It's messy outside and we still cannot access the road." In Lampung province, on the other side of the strait, Lutfi Al Rasyid said he fled the beach in Kalianda city in fear for his life. "I could not start my motorbike so I left it and I ran... I just prayed and ran as far as I could," the 23-year-old told AFP. - Initial error - Authorities say the tsunami may have been triggered by an abnormal tidal surge due to a new moon and an underwater landslide following the eruption of Anak Krakatoa, which forms a small island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. "The combination caused a sudden tsunami that hit the coast," Nugroho said, but added that Indonesia's geological agency was working to ascertain exactly how it happened. He added that the death toll would likely increase. Video footage posted to social media by Nugroho showed panicked residents clutching flashlights and fleeing for higher ground. Indonesian authorities initially claimed the wave was not a tsunami, but instead a tidal surge and urged the public not to panic. Nugroho later apologized for the mistake on Twitter, saying because there was no earthquake it had been difficult to ascertain the cause of the incident early on. "If there is an initial error we're sorry," he wrote. The wave swamped parts of the coast around the Sunda Strait, but was most damaging in Pandeglang district, on Java's western tip, where at least 33 people died and 491 people were injured. Three people died further north in Serang, while seven were killed in South Lampung, on Sumatra island. Heavy equipment was being transported to badly-hit areas to help search for victims, Nugroho said, adding evacuation posts and public kitchens were being set up for evacuees. Abu Salim, a member of the Tagana disaster volunteer group, said he helped evacuate victims in Banten province. "We evacuated the victims who died and were injured, we took them to health clinics ... Most of them suffered from broken bones," he said, adding he feared more were missing. Although relatively rare, submarine volcanic eruptions can cause tsunamis due to the sudden displacement of water or slope failure, according to the International Tsunami Information Centre. Anak Krakatoa is a small volcanic island that emerged from the ocean half a century after Krakatoa's deadly 1883 eruption which killed more than 36,000 people. According to Indonesia's geological agency, Anak Krakatoa had been showing signs of heightened activity for days, spewing plumes of ash thousands of meters into the air. The volcano erupted again just after 9:00 pm on Saturday, the agency said. An eruption just before 4:00 pm on Saturday lasted around 13 minutes and sent plumes of ash soaring hundreds of meters into the sky. Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide and a large portion of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. Most recently in the city of Palu on Sulawesi island a quake and tsunami in September killed thousands of people. On December 26, 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia. Anak Krakatoa is one of 127 active volcanoes which run the length of the archipelago. AH

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla has been appointed the next Indian Ambassador to the United States of America (USA). He is expected to take up the assignment shortly, said Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday. Reports UNB. Senior Indian diplomat Riva Ganguly Das, now serving as Director General of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), is likely to be the next High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, said a diplomatic source. However, there is no official announcement yet. Shringla was appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh in November 2015. AH  

Sri Lanka’s president on Sunday reappointed as prime minister the same man he sacked from the job nearly two months ago, ending a power struggle that paralyzed the island nation. Ranil Wickremesinghe, whose shock dismissal in late October threw Sri Lanka into an unprecedented constitutional crisis, was sworn in at a closed-door ceremony in the president’s office in Colombo. Reports AFP. The 69-year-old had refused to step aside since being dumped and replaced by controversial strongman Mahinda Rajapakse — leaving the country with two men claiming the premiership and no functioning government. The ousted premier had long asserted his dismissal was illegal, a view supported by Sri Lanka’s parliament which six times voted against Rajapakse’s claim to rule during tumultuous sessions that erupted into brawls. President Maithripala Sirisena had refused to bow to pressure as the country drifted, declaring he would never reappoint Wickremesinghe and deriding his once-ally in public speeches as their alliance imploded. The acrimony between the two was underscored Sunday when Sirisena berated Wickremesinghe and his supporters at length following the swearing-in, one legislator present told AFP. After the frosty reception, which Sirisena closed to the press, the reinstated prime minister thanked parliament and “all those who campaigned to restore democracy”. “The first priority is to restore normality,” he said in a brief address to the nation. “The work we initiated had been brought to a standstill.” There was no immediate reaction from Sirisena or Rajapakse, who stood down Saturday. But Namal Rajapakse, his son and also a legislator, publicly extended his congratulations to Wickremesinghe. India, which like the United States and others in the global community urged the warring factions to resolve their differences, welcomed an end to hostilities. “This is a reflection of the maturity demonstrated by all political forces, and also of the resilience of Sri Lankan democracy and its institutions,” India’s foreign ministry spokesman said Sunday. Wickremesinghe said he will form a cabinet in the coming days. Officials said priority will be given to the 2019 budget — without which Sri Lanka risks government shutdown and defaulting on its sizeable foreign debt. – Bitter end – Sirisena’s resistance became untenable after the country’s highest court last week ruled that he acted outside the constitution when he dissolved parliament on November 9 and called early elections. Some factions within Sri Lanka’s parliament have pushed for Sirisena to be investigated — and possibly impeached — for orchestrating what they say was a coup. Rajapakse, who Sirisena appointed in a sudden, late-night oath-taking ceremony, pressed ahead forming a purported government and naming a cabinet even as parliament cut off state funds to his office. The Supreme Court confirmed Rajapakse could not exercise the powers of a prime minister until he proved his legitimacy — which without enough support in parliament was impossible. On Saturday Rajapakse — who presided over the bloody end to Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009 — backed down, signaling the standoff had come to a bitter close. However, the strongman, whose past administrations were accused of gross rights abuses and whose family still holds considerable sway in Sri Lanka, promised to make a comeback at local elections next year. “There is no doubt at all that the people who stood by us since 2015 (when he lost the presidential election) will continue to support us in the future as well,” he said addressing his close associates. “We will bring the forces opposed to the country down to their knees by organizing the people.” The country has been heading for a government shutdown as parliament failed to approve spending for 2019, and credit rating agencies downgraded its debt amid fears of a sovereign default. There were doubts about the country’s ability to repay $1.5 billion due to bond holders by January 10 without a legitimate administration in power. AH

Sri Lanka’s crisis looked over on Saturday as strongman Mahinda Rajapakse bowed out of a power battle that had crippled the island nation for seven weeks and sent it heading for a possible debt default. Rajapakse held a multi-religious service at his home where he signed a letter backing down from the post of prime minister controversially conferred on him on October 26. Hours after the receiving blessings from the clergy, the 73-year-old ex- president sounded bitter and vowed to make a comeback at local council elections. “There is no doubt at all that the people who stood by us since 2015 will continue to support us in the future as well,” he said addressing his close associates. “We will bring the forces opposed to the country down to their knees by organizing the people.” His aides said he was returning a fleet of limousines he had used since his disputed appointment. President Maithripala Sirisena triggered the political turmoil by sacking premier Ranil Wickremesinghe and replacing him with his flamboyant former foe Rajapakse. But Wickremesinghe refused to step down insisting that his sacking was illegal, leaving the Indian Ocean nation of 21 million people with two men claiming the premiership. Rajapakse was then defeated in a no-confidence motion on November 14. However, the following day, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya ruled that he would recognize neither man as prime minister, leaving Sri Lanka effectively without a government. – Risked sovereign default – The country was then heading for a government shutdown as parliament failed to approve spending for 2019 and credit rating agencies downgraded its debt amid fears of a sovereign default. There were doubts about the country’s ability to repay $1.5 billion due to bond holders by January 10 without a legally constituted administration. Rajapakse’s son Namal had announced Friday that his father — who as president ended Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009 amid allegations of grave rights abuses — would throw in the towel “to ensure stability”. Rajapakse’s decision came after the Supreme Court confirmed that he could not exercise the powers of a prime minister until he proved his legitimacy, which without enough support in parliament was impossible. In a major climb-down, Sirisena agreed on Friday to reinstate Wickremesinghe on Sunday despite previously insisting he would never in his lifetime reappoint him as prime minister. There was no immediate comment from Sirisena or his office on Saturday. But an MP from his party, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, told reporters on Friday night that the president agreed to the latest measures to avoid a government shutdown after December 31. “If the stalemate continued, we would have ended up without a budget for 2019 and the government would not have been able to function,” Abeywardena said. On Wednesday, the legislature had voted overwhelmingly to demand the reinstatement of Wickremesinghe. The leftist JVP, or the People’s Liberation Front, insists that Sirisena should be investigated for orchestrating what they call a coup and that there should also be an impeachment process. On Thursday Sirisena suffered a major blow when the Supreme Court ruled that he had breached the constitution on November 9 by dissolving parliament and calling early elections. His sacking of parliament had earlier been suspended, but the legislature descended into farce on multiple occasions with MPs throwing punches, hurling projectiles and chili powder and boycotting proceedings. Source: AFP AH