Narbonne: 1.500 hectares de forêt en feu, habitants évacués, A9 fermée
Un incendie d’une rare intensité a brûlé lundi plus de 1.500 hectares de forêt dans les environs de Narbonne, entraîné la fermeture de l’autoroute A9 et contraint les habitants d’un hameau à quitter leurs maisons, finalement atteintes par les flammes.”Le feu est toujours actif et progresse en direction de (la commune de) Bages. Le vent s’est calmé, cela permet aux pompiers de mieux le traiter. Le dispositif s’adapte à l’évolution du feu”, a dit à l’AFP la secrétaire générale de la préfecture de l’Aude, Lucie Roesch.Plus d’un millier de sapeurs-pompiers sont mobilisés pour empêcher les flammes de gagner les quartiers situés au sud de la ville de Narbonne et les bourgs de Bages et Peyriac de-Mer.Dès le lever du jour, les avions Dash et Canadair reprendront leurs rotations.- Ecurie brûlée -A Bages, quelques kilomètres au sud de Narbonne, Nathalie Bueno est catastrophée. La gérante des Ecuries de la Maza raconte que le feu a détruit sa maison et le refuge associatif abritant 43 chevaux. “J’ai tout perdu. Je suis dans ma voiture avec mes six chiens. On a des chevaux qui sont morts dans les flammes, des voisins nous ont aidés à en sauver une trentaine”, confie cette femme de 60 ans. Dans la commune de Bages, qui borde l’A9, des habitants du hameau de Prat-de-Cest ont évacué leur logement par crainte des flammes. “Le hameau a été très fortement touché, avec plusieurs maisons qui ont brûlé. Je ne sais pas si on a des victimes ou pas”, a déclaré à l’AFP le maire, Jean-Louis Rio.”Et là (…) on s’interroge pour savoir si on va évacuer” le reste de la commune, a-t-il ajouté.Des naufragés de la route sont pris au piège de gigantesques embouteillages sur l’autoroute A9 reliant la France à l’Espagne. Certains passent la nuit dans leur voiture, 150 personnes sont hébergées au parc des expositions de Narbonne, d’autres dans des salles ou gymnases à Sigean, Ferrals-des-Corbières et Portel-des-Corbières.Le feu, parti vers 15h00, dans des circonstances inconnues, d’un domaine viticole près de la route départementale D613, dans le massif des Corbières, s’est vite propagé, attisé par une violente tramontane avec des rafales soufflant à 90 km/h, selon le prévisionniste de Météo-France Adrien Warnan.- Tramontane -En outre, la végétation desséchée par un fort déficit pluviométrique atteignant 69% en juin, plus la période de canicule prolongée ces derniers jours, forme un cocktail incendiaire redoutable, a poursuivi M. Warnan.”La lutte continuera toute la nuit et sera difficile”, a estimé dans un message sur X le ministre de l’Intérieur Bruno Retailleau, qui a annoncé que le sinistre avait “légèrement blessé” un enfant.Une enquête a été ouverte par le parquet de Narbonne pour déterminer les causes de l’incendie.Le département de l’Aude était placé lundi en vigilance rouge incendie, comme le Var et les Bouches-du-Rhône.La station balnéaire de Port-la-Nouvelle, à une vingtaine de kilomètres de Bages, a été privée d’électricité pendant deux heures car des lignes à haute tension, menacées par les flammes, ont été coupées pour faciliter l’action des pompiers.”On aperçoit des descentes de flammes au loin, on a de la fumée dans Port-la-Nouvelle alors que l’incendie est à 20 km. C’est assez impressionnant, c’est la première fois que je vois ça”, a expliqué à l’AFP le maire de la station, Henri Martin.Sur le réseau routier secondaire saturé, sur lequel étaient déviés les nombreux vacanciers aux mines désespérées, des poids lourds, camping-cars et véhicules avec vélos sur le toit étaient à l’arrêt dans la soirée, formant des files interminables alors que le ciel était assombri par les fumées, a constaté une journaliste de l’AFP.C’est déjà le troisième incendie en une semaine dans l’Aude.Le 29 juin, un feu a consumé 400 hectares sur la commune voisine de Bizanet, après le passage du véhicule d’un traiteur transportant sur sa remorque un barbecue mal éteint.Le week-end dernier, un nouvel incendie a parcouru 430 hectares à proximité du village de Douzens, parti d’une voiture ayant pris feu sur la bande d’arrêt d’urgence de l’A61 Toulouse-Narbonne.Les premiers grands incendies de la saison ont éclaté ce week-end dans l’Hérault, les Bouches-du-Rhône et l’Aude, provoquant de gros embouteillages en plein week-end de départs en vacances.Si la tramontane devrait faiblir légèrement mardi, le risque d’incendie restera très élevé du fait de “conditions météorologiques (…) assez proches” de celles de lundi, prévient encore Météo-France.
Narbonne: 1.500 hectares de forêt en feu, habitants évacués, A9 fermée
Un incendie d’une rare intensité a brûlé lundi plus de 1.500 hectares de forêt dans les environs de Narbonne, entraîné la fermeture de l’autoroute A9 et contraint les habitants d’un hameau à quitter leurs maisons, finalement atteintes par les flammes.”Le feu est toujours actif et progresse en direction de (la commune de) Bages. Le vent s’est calmé, cela permet aux pompiers de mieux le traiter. Le dispositif s’adapte à l’évolution du feu”, a dit à l’AFP la secrétaire générale de la préfecture de l’Aude, Lucie Roesch.Plus d’un millier de sapeurs-pompiers sont mobilisés pour empêcher les flammes de gagner les quartiers situés au sud de la ville de Narbonne et les bourgs de Bages et Peyriac de-Mer.Dès le lever du jour, les avions Dash et Canadair reprendront leurs rotations.- Ecurie brûlée -A Bages, quelques kilomètres au sud de Narbonne, Nathalie Bueno est catastrophée. La gérante des Ecuries de la Maza raconte que le feu a détruit sa maison et le refuge associatif abritant 43 chevaux. “J’ai tout perdu. Je suis dans ma voiture avec mes six chiens. On a des chevaux qui sont morts dans les flammes, des voisins nous ont aidés à en sauver une trentaine”, confie cette femme de 60 ans. Dans la commune de Bages, qui borde l’A9, des habitants du hameau de Prat-de-Cest ont évacué leur logement par crainte des flammes. “Le hameau a été très fortement touché, avec plusieurs maisons qui ont brûlé. Je ne sais pas si on a des victimes ou pas”, a déclaré à l’AFP le maire, Jean-Louis Rio.”Et là (…) on s’interroge pour savoir si on va évacuer” le reste de la commune, a-t-il ajouté.Des naufragés de la route sont pris au piège de gigantesques embouteillages sur l’autoroute A9 reliant la France à l’Espagne. Certains passent la nuit dans leur voiture, 150 personnes sont hébergées au parc des expositions de Narbonne, d’autres dans des salles ou gymnases à Sigean, Ferrals-des-Corbières et Portel-des-Corbières.Le feu, parti vers 15h00, dans des circonstances inconnues, d’un domaine viticole près de la route départementale D613, dans le massif des Corbières, s’est vite propagé, attisé par une violente tramontane avec des rafales soufflant à 90 km/h, selon le prévisionniste de Météo-France Adrien Warnan.- Tramontane -En outre, la végétation desséchée par un fort déficit pluviométrique atteignant 69% en juin, plus la période de canicule prolongée ces derniers jours, forme un cocktail incendiaire redoutable, a poursuivi M. Warnan.”La lutte continuera toute la nuit et sera difficile”, a estimé dans un message sur X le ministre de l’Intérieur Bruno Retailleau, qui a annoncé que le sinistre avait “légèrement blessé” un enfant.Une enquête a été ouverte par le parquet de Narbonne pour déterminer les causes de l’incendie.Le département de l’Aude était placé lundi en vigilance rouge incendie, comme le Var et les Bouches-du-Rhône.La station balnéaire de Port-la-Nouvelle, à une vingtaine de kilomètres de Bages, a été privée d’électricité pendant deux heures car des lignes à haute tension, menacées par les flammes, ont été coupées pour faciliter l’action des pompiers.”On aperçoit des descentes de flammes au loin, on a de la fumée dans Port-la-Nouvelle alors que l’incendie est à 20 km. C’est assez impressionnant, c’est la première fois que je vois ça”, a expliqué à l’AFP le maire de la station, Henri Martin.Sur le réseau routier secondaire saturé, sur lequel étaient déviés les nombreux vacanciers aux mines désespérées, des poids lourds, camping-cars et véhicules avec vélos sur le toit étaient à l’arrêt dans la soirée, formant des files interminables alors que le ciel était assombri par les fumées, a constaté une journaliste de l’AFP.C’est déjà le troisième incendie en une semaine dans l’Aude.Le 29 juin, un feu a consumé 400 hectares sur la commune voisine de Bizanet, après le passage du véhicule d’un traiteur transportant sur sa remorque un barbecue mal éteint.Le week-end dernier, un nouvel incendie a parcouru 430 hectares à proximité du village de Douzens, parti d’une voiture ayant pris feu sur la bande d’arrêt d’urgence de l’A61 Toulouse-Narbonne.Les premiers grands incendies de la saison ont éclaté ce week-end dans l’Hérault, les Bouches-du-Rhône et l’Aude, provoquant de gros embouteillages en plein week-end de départs en vacances.Si la tramontane devrait faiblir légèrement mardi, le risque d’incendie restera très élevé du fait de “conditions météorologiques (…) assez proches” de celles de lundi, prévient encore Météo-France.
Trump unveils first wave of steeper US tariffs, extends deadline
US President Donald Trump unveiled higher tariffs for Japan, South Korea and a dozen other countries in a push for new trade deals Monday — but extended the deadline for the steeper levies to kick in until August.Trump issued similar letters to countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia, saying he would slap duties on their products ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent.These mark a step up from the 10 percent levy the president earlier imposed on almost all trading partners.But the starting date of August 1 marks a delay in Trump’s reimposition of higher duties, originally due Wednesday.In near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders, Trump said US tariff hikes to 25 percent came as their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”He warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against the levies.But the president said he was ready to lower the new levels if partners changed their trade policies: “We will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter.”Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday that he “won’t easily compromise” in trade talks with Washington.Trump originally announced sweeping tariffs on world economies during what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, claiming the United States was being “ripped off.”Amid market turmoil, he then suspended higher duties affecting dozens of economies for 90 days, a deadline that would have expired Wednesday.On Monday, Trump signed an order formally extending the Wednesday deadline, postponing it to August 1.With the delay, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that Trump would set out the “reciprocal tariff rate” for partners in the coming month as negotiations continue.According to letters posted to Trump’s Truth Social platform, products from Indonesia will face a 32 percent tariff, while the level for Bangladesh is 35 percent and Thailand, 36 percent.Most countries receiving letters so far had duties similar or unchanged from threatened rates in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia see notably lower levels.While the Trump administration had signaled hopes of striking dozens of deals by July, there have been limited results so far.Washington has unveiled pacts with only Britain and Vietnam, while the United States and China agreed to temporarily lower tariff levels on each other’s products that earlier reached three-digits.- ‘Change their tune’ -Asked why Trump opted to start with South Korea, Leavitt said: “It’s the President’s prerogative, and those are the countries he chose.””This announcement will send a chilling message to others,” said Asia Society Policy Institute Vice President Wendy Cutler, referring to Trump’s initial letters to Tokyo and Seoul.”Both have been close partners on economic security matters,” she said, adding that companies from Japan and South Korea have made “significant manufacturing investments in the US in recent years.”US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be more deals coming up: “We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours.””We’ve had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers,” Bessent told CNBC.He added that he would meet with his Chinese counterpart in the coming weeks.Both sides have so far held high-level talks in Geneva and London. But Washington and Beijing’s pause on higher tit-for-tat tariffs is due to expire in mid-August.Major US stock indexes fell from records Monday on Trump’s fresh threats. The Nasdaq tumbled 0.9 percent and the S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent.Trump has also threatened another 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of “Anti-American policies” after they slammed his duties at a summit.But partners are still rushing to avert Trump’s tariffs altogether.The European Commission said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a “good exchange” with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.
Trump unveils first wave of steeper US tariffs, extends deadline
US President Donald Trump unveiled higher tariffs for Japan, South Korea and a dozen other countries in a push for new trade deals Monday — but extended the deadline for the steeper levies to kick in until August.Trump issued similar letters to countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia, saying he would slap duties on their products ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent.These mark a step up from the 10 percent levy the president earlier imposed on almost all trading partners.But the starting date of August 1 marks a delay in Trump’s reimposition of higher duties, originally due Wednesday.In near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders, Trump said US tariff hikes to 25 percent came as their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”He warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against the levies.But the president said he was ready to lower the new levels if partners changed their trade policies: “We will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter.”Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday that he “won’t easily compromise” in trade talks with Washington.Trump originally announced sweeping tariffs on world economies during what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, claiming the United States was being “ripped off.”Amid market turmoil, he then suspended higher duties affecting dozens of economies for 90 days, a deadline that would have expired Wednesday.On Monday, Trump signed an order formally extending the Wednesday deadline, postponing it to August 1.With the delay, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that Trump would set out the “reciprocal tariff rate” for partners in the coming month as negotiations continue.According to letters posted to Trump’s Truth Social platform, products from Indonesia will face a 32 percent tariff, while the level for Bangladesh is 35 percent and Thailand, 36 percent.Most countries receiving letters so far had duties similar or unchanged from threatened rates in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia see notably lower levels.While the Trump administration had signaled hopes of striking dozens of deals by July, there have been limited results so far.Washington has unveiled pacts with only Britain and Vietnam, while the United States and China agreed to temporarily lower tariff levels on each other’s products that earlier reached three-digits.- ‘Change their tune’ -Asked why Trump opted to start with South Korea, Leavitt said: “It’s the President’s prerogative, and those are the countries he chose.””This announcement will send a chilling message to others,” said Asia Society Policy Institute Vice President Wendy Cutler, referring to Trump’s initial letters to Tokyo and Seoul.”Both have been close partners on economic security matters,” she said, adding that companies from Japan and South Korea have made “significant manufacturing investments in the US in recent years.”US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be more deals coming up: “We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours.””We’ve had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers,” Bessent told CNBC.He added that he would meet with his Chinese counterpart in the coming weeks.Both sides have so far held high-level talks in Geneva and London. But Washington and Beijing’s pause on higher tit-for-tat tariffs is due to expire in mid-August.Major US stock indexes fell from records Monday on Trump’s fresh threats. The Nasdaq tumbled 0.9 percent and the S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent.Trump has also threatened another 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of “Anti-American policies” after they slammed his duties at a summit.But partners are still rushing to avert Trump’s tariffs altogether.The European Commission said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a “good exchange” with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.
Trump unveils first wave of steeper US tariffs, extends deadline
US President Donald Trump unveiled higher tariffs for Japan, South Korea and a dozen other countries in a push for new trade deals Monday — but extended the deadline for the steeper levies to kick in until August.Trump issued similar letters to countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia, saying he would slap duties on their products ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent.These mark a step up from the 10 percent levy the president earlier imposed on almost all trading partners.But the starting date of August 1 marks a delay in Trump’s reimposition of higher duties, originally due Wednesday.In near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders, Trump said US tariff hikes to 25 percent came as their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”He warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against the levies.But the president said he was ready to lower the new levels if partners changed their trade policies: “We will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter.”Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday that he “won’t easily compromise” in trade talks with Washington.Trump originally announced sweeping tariffs on world economies during what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, claiming the United States was being “ripped off.”Amid market turmoil, he then suspended higher duties affecting dozens of economies for 90 days, a deadline that would have expired Wednesday.On Monday, Trump signed an order formally extending the Wednesday deadline, postponing it to August 1.With the delay, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that Trump would set out the “reciprocal tariff rate” for partners in the coming month as negotiations continue.According to letters posted to Trump’s Truth Social platform, products from Indonesia will face a 32 percent tariff, while the level for Bangladesh is 35 percent and Thailand, 36 percent.Most countries receiving letters so far had duties similar or unchanged from threatened rates in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia see notably lower levels.While the Trump administration had signaled hopes of striking dozens of deals by July, there have been limited results so far.Washington has unveiled pacts with only Britain and Vietnam, while the United States and China agreed to temporarily lower tariff levels on each other’s products that earlier reached three-digits.- ‘Change their tune’ -Asked why Trump opted to start with South Korea, Leavitt said: “It’s the President’s prerogative, and those are the countries he chose.””This announcement will send a chilling message to others,” said Asia Society Policy Institute Vice President Wendy Cutler, referring to Trump’s initial letters to Tokyo and Seoul.”Both have been close partners on economic security matters,” she said, adding that companies from Japan and South Korea have made “significant manufacturing investments in the US in recent years.”US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be more deals coming up: “We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours.””We’ve had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers,” Bessent told CNBC.He added that he would meet with his Chinese counterpart in the coming weeks.Both sides have so far held high-level talks in Geneva and London. But Washington and Beijing’s pause on higher tit-for-tat tariffs is due to expire in mid-August.Major US stock indexes fell from records Monday on Trump’s fresh threats. The Nasdaq tumbled 0.9 percent and the S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent.Trump has also threatened another 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of “Anti-American policies” after they slammed his duties at a summit.But partners are still rushing to avert Trump’s tariffs altogether.The European Commission said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a “good exchange” with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.
Medical groups sue US health secretary over Covid-19 vaccine change
Several leading medical groups filed suit against US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday, accusing him of endangering public health with new Covid-19 vaccine recommendations.At the end of May, Kennedy announced via social media that federal authorities would no longer recommend Covid-19 vaccines for children and pregnant women, resulting in blowback from health experts.In the lawsuit, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Physicians (ACP) and other leading medical groups are calling on the court to stop Kennedy’s “unilateral, unscientific” directive and restore the Covid-19 vaccine to immunization schedules.”It is really unconscionable to take away a parent’s ability and choice to protect their children through vaccination,” said Tina Tan, a pediatrician and president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, one of the plaintiffs. Since taking office, Kennedy — who spent decades spreading vaccine misinformation before becoming President Donald Trump’s top health official — has worked to overhaul American vaccination policies.In June, he fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and appointed his own panelists, under the banner of “Make America Healthy Again.”Monday’s complaint also highlighted the controversial new appointees to ACIP.”We are on a dangerous path,” warned Susan Kressly of the AAP, denouncing what she described as misinformation spread by Kennedy while citing the concerns of her peers and parents of patients. “Pediatricians cannot stay silent as the system we rely on to support life-saving vaccines is chiseled away piece by piece, with Secretary Kennedy leading efforts to sow doubt and distrust in the American success story of vaccines,” Kressly said.The problem isn’t limited to parents and children, as misinformation about vaccines undermines a long-standing trust between doctor and patient.Increasingly, medical professionals are finding that adult patients are “hesitant to get their vaccines. They are not trusting the system anymore,” said Jason Goldman, president of the ACP.The issue of vaccines extends beyond Covid-19 in the US. Johns Hopkins University released a count Monday finding the US has recorded its worst measles epidemic in more than 30 years, with 1,277 cases confirmed since the beginning of 2025, and illness recorded in 40 of 50 states.The total US figure is the highest since 1992.The joint complaint was filed in Massachusetts, a northeastern US state.Federal health officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP.