54 people killed in 24 hours of heavy monsoon rain in Pakistan
Heavy rains have been linked to 54 deaths in the past 24 hours in Pakistan, taking the toll to about 180 since the arrival of the monsoon in late June, the government’s disaster agency said on Thursday.Torrential rain has poured almost without pause across parts of Punjab province since Wednesday morning, causing urban flooding and houses to collapse.Rescue teams used boats to evacuate families from villages along the river further south in the morning, but the water had begun to recede by the afternoon.”Children were screaming for help, and women stood on rooftops, waving their shawls and begging to be rescued,” said Tariq Mehbood Bhatti, a 51-year-old farmer in Ladian village.Residents living in low-lying areas near the Nullah Lai river that runs through Rawalpindi city, neighbouring the capital Islamabad, were ordered to evacuate after a sharp rise in the water level.”Rescue teams are on standby for more evacuations,” a spokeswoman for the disaster agency said.”Residents of vulnerable areas should prepare emergency kits with food, water, and essential medicines for three to five days in case of an emergency,” the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) added in an alert.The Rawalpindi government declared a public holiday on Thursday to keep people at home, with the national meteorological department warning that heavy rain would continue until Friday.- Electrocutions, buildings collapsing -Around 180 people have been killed, including 70 children, and about 500 injured since the start of the monsoon on June 26, according to the disaster agency. “In the last 24 hours, 54 people were killed and 227 injured across Pakistan, with the majority of fatalities reported from Punjab,” the NDMA spokeswoman told AFP, adding that the toll had been counted at 8:00 am (0300 GMT) on Thursday. The majority of deaths were caused by collapsed houses and sudden flash floods, while dozens were also electrocuted.Monsoon season brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, and runs from June until September in India and Pakistan.The annual rains are vital for agriculture and food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers, but also bring destruction.South Asia is getting hotter and has seen shifting weather patterns in recent years, but scientists are unclear on how exactly a warming planet is affecting the highly complex monsoon.Pakistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its 255 million residents are facing extreme weather events with increasing frequency.In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and killed 1,700 people.
Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church kills two
An Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church killed two people on Thursday, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said, as Israel said it “never targets” religious sites and regretted any harm to civilians.Pope Leo XIV said he was “deeply saddened” by the attack, which came as Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli strikes across the Palestinian territory killed at least 20 people.”With deep sorrow the Latin Patriarchate can now confirm that two persons were killed as a result of an apparent strike by the Israeli army that hit the Holy Family Compound this morning,” it said in a statement.”We pray for the rest of their souls and for the end of this barbaric war. Nothing can justify the targeting of innocent civilians.”Gaza civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said “two citizens from the Christian community” were killed in an Israeli strike on the church in Gaza City, with which the late Pope Francis kept regular contact through the war. AFP photographs showed the wounded being treated in a tented area at Gaza City’s Al-Ahli Hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital, with parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli with a bandage around his lower leg.Some of the wounded arrived on stretchers, with one man wearing an oxygen mask.The patriarchate, which has jurisdiction for Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Cyprus, condemned the strike and said it “destroyed large parts of the complex”.”Targeting a holy site currently sheltering approximately 600 displaced persons, the majority of whom are children and 54 with special needs, is a flagrant violation of human dignity and a blatant violation of the sanctity of life and the sanctity of religious sitses, which are supposed to provide a safe haven in times of war,” it said.Israel expressed “deep sorrow” over the damage and civilian casualties, adding that the military was investigating.”Israel never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians,” the foreign ministry said on X.- ‘Serious act’ -Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said attacks on civilians in Gaza were “unacceptable” while her Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called the church attack “a serious act against a Christian place of worship”.Out of the Gaza Strip’s population of more than two million, about 1,000 are Christians. Most of them are Orthodox but according to the Latin Patriarchate, there are about 135 Catholics in the territory.Since the early days of the war which erupted in October 2023, members of the Catholic community have been sheltering at the Holy Family Compound in Gaza City, where some Orthodox Christians have also found refuge.Pope Francis repeatedly called for an end to the war and in his final Easter message, a day before his death on April 21, he condemned the “deplorable humanitarian situation” in the Palestinian territory.- ‘Totally unacceptable’ -Monsignor Pascal Gollnisch, the head of Catholic charity l’Oeuvre d’Orient, told AFP the raid was “totally unacceptable”.”It is a place of worship. It is a Catholic church known for its peaceful attitude, for being a peacemaker. These are people who are at the service of the population,” he said.”There was no strategic objective, there were no jihadists in this church. There were families, there were civilians. This is totally unacceptable and we condemn in the strongest possible terms this attitude on the part of Israel.”More than 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for Gaza’s population, displacing most residents at least once and triggering severe shortages of food and other essentials.The war was triggered by a Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 58,573 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties.burs-acc/phz/kir
French army leaves Senegal ending military presence in west AfricaThu, 17 Jul 2025 11:50:02 GMT
France on Thursday formally handed back its last two military bases in Senegal, leaving Paris with no permanent camps in either west or central Africa.The pull-out, which ends the French army’s 65 years in Senegal, mirrors similar withdrawals across the continent, where ex-colonies are increasingly turning their backs on their former ruler.The move comes as …
Stocks, dollar gain as Trump weighs future of Fed boss
Leading European and Asian stock markets mostly rose Thursday, tracking more record highs on Wall Street.Investors assessed the outlook for US interest rates, fuelled by news that President Donald Trump was considering whether to sack Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell.The dollar rose against main rivals, also as developments over US tariffs and the earnings season influenced market direction.”US futures are pointing to a mixed open after markets see-sawed on Wednesday after Trump suggested he could fire… Powell but later went back on the idea,” noted Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor.”Earnings continue to dominate with Netflix kicking off results from the tech sector” Thursday.Tokyo-listed shares in the Japanese owner of convenience store giant 7-Eleven plunged after its Canadian rival pulled out of an almost $50 billion takeover bid.Investors have walked a cautious line this week as they ascertain the trade outlook. Trump has unveiled a flurry of fresh tariff threats, with the latest being letters to scores of countries notifying them of levies of up to 15 percent.All three main indices in New York ended in the green Wednesday, with the Nasdaq at another record high, following a brief sell-off after it emerged Trump had raised the idea of firing Powell.The markets recovered after the president denied he was planning such a move.The news caused a spike in US Treasury yields amid fears over the central bank’s independence and came after Trump spent months lambasting Powell for not cutting interest rates.The Fed’s “Beige Book” survey of economic conditions has meanwhile indicated increasing impacts from the tariffs, with many businesses warning they had passed along “at least a portion of cost increases” to consumers.- Key figures at around 1115 GMT -London – FTSE 100: UP 0.5 percent at 8,969.29 pointsParis – CAC 40: UP 0.9 percent at 7,792.21Â Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.8 percent at 24,196.72Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.6 percent at 39,901.19Â (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.1 percent at 24,498.95 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 3,516.83 (close)New York – Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 44,254.78 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1584 from $1.1641 on WednesdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3397 from $1.3414Dollar/yen: UP at 148.62 yen from 147.80 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 86.45 pence from 86.72 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.2 percent at $68.63 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.5 percent at $66.70 per barrel
Le gouvernement britannique va abaisser l’âge du droit de vote à 16 ans
Le gouvernement britannique a annoncé jeudi qu’il allait abaisser l’âge du droit de vote de 18 à 16 ans pour toutes les élections au Royaume-Uni.”Les jeunes contribuent déjà à la société en travaillant, en payant des impôts et en servant dans l’armée. Il est normal qu’ils puissent s’exprimer sur les questions qui les concernent”, a déclaré la numéro 2 du gouvernement, Angela Rayner sur X.Ce changement, qui doit encore être approuvé par le Parlement, permettra que “plus de personnes puissent s’engager dans la démocratie britannique”, a-t-elle ajouté dans un communiqué.Cette nouvelle mesure permettra aux jeunes de 16 ans de voter à toutes les élections, notamment les  élections législatives prévues en 2029.Présentée comme une mesure de “modernisation de la démocratie britannique”, elle faisait partie du programme électoral du travailliste Keir Starmer, arrivé au pouvoir en juillet 2024.La réforme devrait aussi permettre de voter en s’identifiant avec une carte de crédit britannique. Les électeurs au Royaume-Uni peuvent déjà voter en présentant un passeport, un permis de conduire, une carte de transport pour personne âgées, et depuis l’an dernier une carte d’ancien combattant.Il faut “aider le plus grand nombre de personnes à exercer leur droit démocratique”, précise le communiqué du gouvernement. Selon Mme Rayner, “beaucoup trop de personnes” ont été découragées à cause de “règles” trop rigides.La participation aux élections législatives britanniques l’an dernier avait été de 59,7%, la plus basse depuis 2001.A ce jour, seuls quelques pays autorisent les jeunes de 16 ans à voter aux élections nationales. Parmi eux, l’Autriche, qui fut le premier pays de l’Union européenne à avoir abaissé l’âge du droit de vote à 16 ans en 2007.
Le gouvernement britannique va abaisser l’âge du droit de vote à 16 ans
Le gouvernement britannique a annoncé jeudi qu’il allait abaisser l’âge du droit de vote de 18 à 16 ans pour toutes les élections au Royaume-Uni.”Les jeunes contribuent déjà à la société en travaillant, en payant des impôts et en servant dans l’armée. Il est normal qu’ils puissent s’exprimer sur les questions qui les concernent”, a déclaré la numéro 2 du gouvernement, Angela Rayner sur X.Ce changement, qui doit encore être approuvé par le Parlement, permettra que “plus de personnes puissent s’engager dans la démocratie britannique”, a-t-elle ajouté dans un communiqué.Cette nouvelle mesure permettra aux jeunes de 16 ans de voter à toutes les élections, notamment les  élections législatives prévues en 2029.Présentée comme une mesure de “modernisation de la démocratie britannique”, elle faisait partie du programme électoral du travailliste Keir Starmer, arrivé au pouvoir en juillet 2024.La réforme devrait aussi permettre de voter en s’identifiant avec une carte de crédit britannique. Les électeurs au Royaume-Uni peuvent déjà voter en présentant un passeport, un permis de conduire, une carte de transport pour personne âgées, et depuis l’an dernier une carte d’ancien combattant.Il faut “aider le plus grand nombre de personnes à exercer leur droit démocratique”, précise le communiqué du gouvernement. Selon Mme Rayner, “beaucoup trop de personnes” ont été découragées à cause de “règles” trop rigides.La participation aux élections législatives britanniques l’an dernier avait été de 59,7%, la plus basse depuis 2001.A ce jour, seuls quelques pays autorisent les jeunes de 16 ans à voter aux élections nationales. Parmi eux, l’Autriche, qui fut le premier pays de l’Union européenne à avoir abaissé l’âge du droit de vote à 16 ans en 2007.