China allocates another 100 mln yuan to aid flood-hit Guizhou Province

China's top economic planner has allocated an additional 100 million yuan (about 13.96 million U.S. dollars) from central budget funds to support emergency response and recovery work in flood-hit Guizhou Province.

This follows an initial 100 million yuan that was allocated on June 25, raising total funds to 200 million yuan, the National Development and Reform Commission said on Saturday.

The funds will support the post-disaster emergency recovery of infrastructure and public services in Guizhou, particularly in counties that have been severely affected, including Rongjiang, Congjiang and Sandu, to help restore normal life and production as soon as possible.

In the urban area of Leishan County, the water level of rivers rose sharply, and the surging floodwaters flooded the low-lying areas, hitting some houses along river, and putting many slopes at risk of collapse.

"Heavy rain fell throughout the county, and the water levels of rivers of all sizes have risen to varying degrees. So far, the flood has receded somewhat and we have prepared to take all measures available for flood control and rescue," said Zhang Chuanjian, deputy head of the local water affairs bureau.

As of 15:00 on Saturday, a total of 723 households of 2,432 people had been evacuated. More than 2,000 people were dispatched to participate in rescue and disaster relief efforts, and over 40 vehicles, excavators and other large equipment were deployed to repair roads.

Heavy flooding has returned to Rongjiang County, prompting local authorities to re-activate the highest-level emergency flood response, effective from 12:30 Saturday.

Hydrological forecasts indicate that the Duliu River is expected to reach a peak flood level of 253.5 meters around 17:00 on Saturday. This level, which corresponds to a peak flow of 8,360 cubic meters per second, exceeds the guaranteed water level of 251.5 meters.

In response, the local flood control and drought relief headquarters decided to upgrade the flood control emergency response from Level II to Level I, the highest level in the country's four-tier weather warning system.

Local authorities are evacuating residents from affected areas to safer locations.

Since June 24, Rongjiang has been hit by severe flooding due to persistent rainstorms. As of midday on Thursday, six people had died as a result of the floods.

China allocates another 100 mln yuan to aid flood-hit Guizhou Province

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the situation in Iran is "under total control" following violence linked to protests that spiked over the weekend.

Addressing foreign diplomats in Tehran, the foreign minister noted that armed terrorist groups had infiltrated the protests, attempting to divert them from their legitimate course. He claimed that evidence has been gathered showing Iranian security forces being shot at, with the aim of causing further casualties. He accused the United States and Israel of exploiting the unrest to interfere in Iran's internal affairs.

Araghchi further stated that the government is closely monitoring developments on the streets, emphasizing that "the situation has come under control." He also affirmed that internet services, curtailed during the unrest, would be restored after coordination with security agencies.

The government has engaged in dialogue with merchants and protest representatives and initiated reforms to address grievances related to price hikes and currency depreciation. Iran has taken a series of actions and measures to respond to the demands of peaceful demonstrators, the foreign minister said.

Earlier on Sunday, Araghchi said that clear evidence links recent riots and vandalism of public facilities in Iran to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. This came after former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned Mossad agents operating on Iran's streets in a social media post. The Iranian foreign minister asserted that police are being attacked by "terrorists" acting under the direction of Israeli operatives, whom Pompeo publicly acknowledged.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and U.S. sanctions.

Iranian foreign minister says situation "fully under control," accuses Israeli intelligence of stoking unrest