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At least 27 people, including a newborn baby, have died after a migrant boat carrying nearly 100 people capsized off the Italian island of Lampedusa early Wednesday. Around a dozen people remain missing, and officials fear the toll will rise.
The Italian Red Cross and UN agencies said 60 survivors were rescued and taken to a Lampedusa reception centre, with four rushed to hospital. The disaster was spotted when an Italian law enforcement aircraft saw the overturned vessel and bodies about 14 miles from the island.
The International Organization for Migration said the group left Libya&rsquo;s Tripoli area in two boats. When one began taking on water, passengers were moved to a single overcrowded fibreglass vessel, which later capsized in international waters.
Rescue crews, using five ships, two aircraft and a helicopter, are still searching. The coastguard said the death toll is provisional.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed &ldquo;dismay and compassion&rdquo; and pledged to step up efforts to stop dangerous crossings and dismantle trafficking networks. She said rescue work alone is not enough and called for action on the root causes of migration.
So far this year, at least 675 migrants have died attempting the central Mediterranean crossing, not including this disaster. In the past decade, nearly 24,500 have died or gone missing on the route, which remains one of the world&rsquo;s deadliest migration corridors. Most vessels depart from Libya or Tunisia, often overcrowded and poorly equipped to survive rough seas.
The tragedy comes a day after UK figures showed more than 50,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel from France since Sir Keir Starmer became prime minister.

27 dead in Lampedusa migrant boat tragedy

Newborn among victims as overloaded vessel from Libya capsizes off Italian coast

Nineteen migrant workers from Jharkhand&rsquo;s Bokaro and Hazaribagh districts are stranded in Cameroon, West Africa, and have issued urgent appeals to the central and state governments for immediate repatriation.
The workers, who travelled through a private agency for jobs in electricity transmission, allege that they have not been paid for the past four months.
In videos shared on social media, they described their worsening condition, saying they are struggling to afford food, water, and basic necessities.
&ldquo;We are surviving on handouts. If anyone falls ill, we can&rsquo;t even afford treatment,&rdquo; one of them said.
Those stranded include Prem Tudu, Sibon Tudu, Somar Besra, Puran Tudu, Ramji Hansada, Virwa Hansda, Mahendra Hansda, and Bablu Soren from Bokaro; and Aghnu Soren, Ashok Soren, Chetlal Soren, Mahesh Marandi, Ramji Marandi, Lalchand Murmu, Phoolchand Murmu, Budhan Murmu, Jiblal Manjhi, Chhotan Baske, and Rajendra Kisku from Hazaribagh.
Social activist Sikandar Ali, who works on migrant labour issues, has urged the government to take immediate diplomatic measures to secure their safe return.
He noted that this is not an isolated case, citing past incidents where Jharkhand labourers, lured by promises of high wages abroad, ended up trapped in exploitative conditions, requiring long negotiations for their release.
Ali also stressed the need to create more employment opportunities within Jharkhand to reduce forced migration.
&ldquo;Without sufficient jobs here, workers will continue to risk their lives and livelihoods overseas,&rdquo; he said.
Earlier, five migrant workers from Jharkhand were kidnapped in Niger, another West African nation, and remain missing. [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

19 Jharkhand workers stranded in Cameroon

Unpaid for months, migrant workers urge urgent govt action for safe return home

The government is introducing a new artificial intelligence-powered platform called &lsquo;SabhaSaar&rsquo;, designed to automate and standardise the recording of gram sabha meetings across India. The tool will debut in Tripura on Independence Day, August 15, before being rolled out to other states.
Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lalan and Minister of State Prof. SP Singh Baghel will officially launch SabhaSaar in New Delhi on the eve of Independence Day.
Built on Bhashini, the government&rsquo;s AI-based language translation platform, SabhaSaar can process video or audio from gram sabha meetings, transcribe them, translate into a chosen language, and produce a concise, structured summary. The system supports all major Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Gujarati,&nbsp;alongside English.
Panchayat officials will be able to log in via their e-GramSwaraj credentials to upload meeting recordings. The tool is aimed at bringing transparency, accountability, and uniformity to panchayat documentation, while also making meeting insights instantly accessible to all stakeholders.
India&rsquo;s Panchayati Raj network is vast, with&nbsp;2,55,397 village panchayats, 6,742 intermediate panchayats, 665 district panchayats, and over 16,000 traditional local bodies. Gram sabhas are required to meet at least four times a year on January 26, May 1, August 15, and October 2.
To strengthen participation and monitoring, the Panchayat NIRNAY portal is already in place, allowing real-time tracking of meeting schedules, agendas, public notifications, and decisions. As per official data, more than 10,000 gram sabha meetings have been held via the NIRNAY platform in FY 2024-25, with the highest activity recorded in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Bihar.
The AI-enabled SabhaSaar is expected to be a game changer for rural governance, ensuring clarity, accessibility, and digital inclusivity in local decision-making.

AI Tool ‘SabhaSaar’ to Transform Gram Sabhas

Government launches AI tool to automate gram sabha meeting records nationwide

In a significant move to shape the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in India&rsquo;s financial ecosystem, a committee appointed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has unveiled a comprehensive framework aimed at ensuring the responsible and ethical use of AI across the sector.
Formed in December last year, the committee has put forward 26 recommendations, structured around six key pillars, infrastructure, policy, capacity, governance, protection, and assurance.
Central to its proposal is the creation of a high-quality financial sector data infrastructure, envisioned as a form of digital public utility. This platform would support the development of transparent and reliable AI models, and could be linked to the AI Kosh, which is India&rsquo;s national datasets platform under the IndiaAI Mission.
The roadmap also calls for setting up an AI innovation sandbox, encouraging the creation of indigenous AI models tailored for financial services, introducing flexible policies that adapt to evolving technologies, and putting in place an AI liability framework.
To safeguard fairness and accountability, the panel has recommended that regulated entities adopt a risk-based AI audit framework. This would involve board-approved risk categorisation and oversight across the entire AI lifecycle,&nbsp; from data inputs and algorithms to decision outputs.
If adopted, the recommendations could set a benchmark for balancing innovation with accountability, ensuring AI benefits are harnessed without compromising security, consumer protection, or ethical standards.

RBI outlines 26 key steps for safe, ethical and innovative AI adoption in banking

RBI Panel Charts Roadmap for Ethical AI in Finance

Security has been tightened across India ahead of Independence Day celebrations on August 15. In this backdrop, security forces achieved a major success in Jammu and Kashmir&rsquo;s Handwara, where three terrorists were arrested during a joint operation by the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CRPF in the Wajihama area of Kalamabad.
The arrested terrorists have been identified as Mohammad Iqbal Pandit, Sajjad Ahmad Shah, and Ishfaq Ahmad Malik. Security personnel also recovered weapons and ammunition from their possession, including two pistol magazines, pistol cartridges, a pistol, 20 rounds of 7.62 mm bullets, and 11 anti-national posters.
Authorities believe the arrests have foiled an attempt to disrupt Independence Day security arrangements.
Ongoing operations and recent encounters The arrest comes amid intensified counter-terror operations across several parts of Jammu and Kashmir. A day earlier, Pakistani forces allegedly attempted an infiltration along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector. The attempt was thwarted by the Indian Army, but an exchange of fire resulted in the martyrdom of one Indian soldier.
Earlier this week, another infiltration attempt was reported in the Kathua sector. In the Akhal area, an encounter also broke out between security forces and militants. Reports indicate that the gunfight caused panic among locals, with most residents leaving their homes for safety.
Security agencies remain on high alert as the nation prepares for Independence Day celebrations.

Three terrorists held in J&K’s Handwara raid

Army, police and CRPF arrest three militants ahead of Independence Day, seize arms

At a private US dinner, Asim Munir hinted at striking India’s economy and water lifelines

Pakistan’s Chief Targets India’s Heart

Caretaker arrested for Rs 14.35 lakh fraud

Delhi police nab former caretaker for duping 80-year-old woman, recover evidence

New Delhi balances historic trust with Moscow against Washington’s strategic pressure

India, Russia, US: A Delicate Power Triangle

23-year-old Sona Eldhose ends life over alleged abuse, religious conversion pressure

Kerala Woman’s Suicide Sparks Conversion Row

Two men posing as police officers arrested after assaulting a minor in Jharkhand

Minor Gang-Raped in Palamu, Two Arrested

Russian oil tanker (representative photo)

India's Russia oil ties become Trump’s geopolitical chess piece amid tariff drama

Trump Tariffs India, But Is Putin the Real Target?

From public shaming to milk banks, breaking taboos around breastfeeding and its true value

Breastfeeding in Public: End the Stigma

Govt Withdraws Income Tax Bill 2025,New Draft Soon

Revised Income Tax Bill to simplify laws, ease filing, and benefit middle class and MSMEs

India-UK Trade Boosts Mineral Industry Prospects

CETA promises tariff cuts, R&D ties, and market access for India’s aluminium sector

Founded with a vision to bring high-quality tea, the company has grown into a Tea Giant

Wagh Bakri launches Wagh Bakri Royale

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Wednesday condoled the tragic loss of nine Indian nationals in a road accident in Saudi Arabia while assuring full support to the concerned families of the victims. &nbsp;
&ldquo;Grieved to learn of this accident and the loss of lives. Spoke with our Consul General in Jeddah, who is in touch with the concerned families. He is extending fullest support in this tragic situation,&rdquo;&nbsp;EAM Jaishankar posted on X.
Earlier, the Consulate General of India in Jeddah which also covers the cities of Makkah, Madinah, Yanbu, Taif, Tabuk, Qunfudah, AlBaha, Abha, Jizan and Najran, revealed that the accident took place near Jizan, in the western region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
&ldquo;Our heartfelt condolences to the families affected. The Consulate General of India in Jeddah is providing full support and is in touch with the authorities and families. We also wish a speedy recovery to the injured. A dedicated helpline has been set up for further queries,&rdquo;&nbsp;it said in a social media post while detailing four helpline numbers specially set up to help the concerned families.
&mdash;IANS

King Fahad hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (File photo)

EAM Jaishankar mourns deaths, promises support to grieving families