Storms, heavy rain kill 14 across Afghanistan
Severe storms and a rain-triggered landslide have killed at least 14 people across Afghanistan, officials said, with residents facing further risks on Thursday as heavy snow hit the country.Strong wind and heavy rain in Kandahar killed six children on Wednesday, damaging homes and causing significant financial losses in several districts, the emergency department in the southern province said.An avalanche also killed one person in Parwan province, west of the capital Kabul.In total, “owing to the snow and rain, 11 people” were killed across six provinces in the country’s north, centre and south, including the Kandahar and Parwan incidents, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Authority told AFP.In a separate incident in eastern Nuristan province, a landslide triggered by heavy rain struck a house in Quraish village on Wednesday, killing three members of the same family and injuring two others.”Two 10-year-old girls and a teenage boy were killed,” Nuristan provincial government spokesman Fraidoon Samim told AFP.In central Ghazni province, an AFP correspondent said that around 80 centimetres (31 inches) of snow fell over the past 24 hours, forcing the closure of markets and blocking roads.Heavy snow in many provinces and Kabul has also caused traffic accidents.Afghanistan frequently experiences deadly floods, landslides and storms, particularly in remote areas with fragile infrastructure, leaving communities vulnerable to extreme weather.strs-iw/mjw/md
US touts ‘New Gaza’ filled with luxury real estate
US officials on Thursday presented their vision for a “New Gaza” that would turn the shattered Palestinian territory into a glitzy resort of skyscrapers by the sea, saying the transformation could emerge in three years.The war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, left much of the Palestinian territory damaged or destroyed and forced most of its residents to flee their homes.A US-brokered ceasefire took effect last October, reducing the level of bombing and fighting, but for most Gazans, the humanitarian disaster has endured three months on.”We’re going to be very successful in Gaza. It’s going to be a great thing to watch,” President Donald Trump said while presenting his controversial “Board of Peace” conflict-resolution body in Davos.”I’m a real estate person at heart… and I said, look at this location on the sea. Look at this beautiful piece of property. What it could be for so many people,” he said at the World Economic Forum.His son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has no official title but is one of Trump’s envoys for the Gaza ceasefire, said his “master plan” aimed for “catastrophic success”.With a slide showing dozens of shiny terraced apartment towers overlooking a tree-lined promenade, he promised a Mediterranean utopia rising from the scarred Gaza landscape.”In the Middle East they build cities like this, you know for two or three million people, they build this in three years,” Kushner said.”And so stuff like this is very doable if we make it happen.”He touted investments of at least $25 billion to rebuild destroyed infrastructure and public services.Within 10 years, the territory’s GDP would be $10 billion, and households would enjoy average income of $13,000 a year thanks to “100-percent full employment and opportunity for everybody there”, he said.”It could be a hope. It could be a destination, have a lot of industry and really be a place that the people there can thrive.”- ‘Amazing’ opportunities -Kushner said the so-called National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) had enlisted help from Israeli real estate developer Yakir Gabay.”He’s volunteered to do this not for profit, really because of his heart he wants to do this,” Kushner said.”So the next 100 days, we’re going to continue to just be heads down and focused on making sure this is implemented.”Trump had earlier in the conflict floated his vision of turning Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle East”, sparking outrage around the world.Notably absent from Kushner’s presentation was Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose country had spearheaded in 2025 a reconstruction plan for Gaza supported by Arab nations and welcomed by the European Union.According to a brief statement from his office, Sisi flew home at dawn on Thursday, hours after he and Trump exchanged praise in a tete-a-tete, with the US president calling him “a great leader, a great guy”.Ali Shaath, Gaza’s recently appointed administrator under Trump’s “Board of Peace”, has said the Egyptian plan was the “foundation” of his committee’s reconstruction project.A top UN official warned this month that Gazans were living in “inhumane” conditions even as the US-backed truce entered its second phase.Entire neighbourhoods, hospitals and schools have been heavily damaged or destroyed, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to live in makeshift shelters.Kushner said 85 percent of Gaza’s economic output had been aid for a long time.”That’s not sustainable. It doesn’t give these people dignity. It doesn’t give them hope,” he said.He insisted that the full disarming of Hamas, as called for in the October ceasefire, would convince firms and donors to commit to the territory.”We’ll announce a lot of the contributions that will be made in a couple of weeks in Washington,” he said.”There’ll be amazing investment opportunities.”Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, and 251 people were taken hostage that day, including 44 who were dead.Israel’s retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed at least 71,562 people, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.The ministry also said 477 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect on October 10.
Injuries force two changes in South Africa T20 World Cup squadThu, 22 Jan 2026 16:00:58 GMT
Injuries have forced two changes in South Africa’s squad for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month.Batsman Tony de Zorzi and all-rounder Donovan Ferreira were both ruled out. They have been replaced by batsmen Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs – who were both surprise omissions from the original squad.Veteran batsman David Miller …
Niche LR: l’Assemblée adopte une résolution contre les Frères musulmans, après des débats houleux
Dans une ambiance délétère, l’Assemblée a adopté jeudi une résolution appelant au lancement d’une procédure en vue d’inscrire les Frères musulmans sur la liste européenne des organisations terroristes, avec le soutien du camp gouvernemental et du RN, et malgré l’opposition de toute la gauche.Au terme de près de cinq heures de débats houleux, le texte inscrit à l’agenda de l’Assemblée par Les Républicains dans leur journée réservée, a été adopté par 157 voix contre 101.Non contraignant, il appelle la Commission européenne à engager une procédure pour inscrire “la mouvance des Frères musulmans et de ses responsables sur la liste européenne des organisations terroristes”, et demande à l’UE “une évaluation juridique et factuelle du réseau transnational des Frères musulmans”.Le rapporteur Eric Pauget (LR) a défendu un texte contre un “mouvement politique” dont le projet est de “faire triompher la charia sur la loi de la République”, estimant qu’une telle classification permettrait de geler des financements et faciliterait l’échange d’informations entre Etats.Après le vote, le patron du groupe Laurent Wauquiez a estimé que le texte permettrait de sortir “d’un déni”, appelant le gouvernement à relayer l’initiative à l’échelon européen.Peu allant, le gouvernement avait toutefois rendu dans l’hémicycle un avis de sagesse (ni pour, ni contre), la ministre de la Francophonie Eléonore Caroit partageant “l’objectif” d’agir “contre la mouvance des Frères musulmans et son idéologie séparatiste”, mais estimant le texte fragile juridiquement.”Ce texte ne constitue en réalité qu’une diversion politicienne opportuniste, minable, qui risque d’alimenter la stigmatisation d’une partie de nos concitoyens sans faire reculer d’un iota l’influence de celles et ceux que vous prétendez combattre”, a tancé la députée écologiste Dominique Voynet.Face à la presse, M. Wauquiez a aussi dénoncé “un travail d’obstruction” pendant les débats, visant notamment les Insoumis.La séance a été marquée par de nombreux incidents de séance. Comme lorsque Laurent Jacobelli, député RN, a fustigé l’opposition des Insoumis au texte : “les Frères musulmans veulent lapider les homosexuels, et bien, si vous voulez lapider les homosexuels, votez LFI”, a-t-il lancé, suscitant de multiples réactions et demandes de sanction à gauche.La question sera tranchée lors d’une réunion du bureau de l’Assemblée le 18 février, a annoncé Sébastien Chenu, vice-président RN.”Je ne peux un seul instant tolérer que vous insinuiez que mon engagement aille à l’encontre de l’égalité humaine”, a vertement répondu le député Insoumis Pierre-Yves Cadalen, se disant lui-même homosexuel.Un autre épisode a impliqué Sébastien Chenu (RN) et Antoine Léaument (LFI). Il est descendu (vers le bas de l’hémicycle) en hurlant et remettant en cause ma présidence, puis ne se calmant pas il m’a menacé en disant +descendez on va discuter face-à-face+”, a dit M. Chenu. M. Léaument dément toute menace physique : “j’ai dit, +très bien, descendez discuter avec moi+”.Fondé en 1928 en Egypte, le mouvement pan-islamiste sunnite des Frères musulmans a un temps étendu son influence sur le monde arabe, mais a connu un recul ces dernières années sous la pression des grandes puissances arabes.
Niche LR: l’Assemblée adopte une résolution contre les Frères musulmans, après des débats houleux
Dans une ambiance délétère, l’Assemblée a adopté jeudi une résolution appelant au lancement d’une procédure en vue d’inscrire les Frères musulmans sur la liste européenne des organisations terroristes, avec le soutien du camp gouvernemental et du RN, et malgré l’opposition de toute la gauche.Au terme de près de cinq heures de débats houleux, le texte inscrit à l’agenda de l’Assemblée par Les Républicains dans leur journée réservée, a été adopté par 157 voix contre 101.Non contraignant, il appelle la Commission européenne à engager une procédure pour inscrire “la mouvance des Frères musulmans et de ses responsables sur la liste européenne des organisations terroristes”, et demande à l’UE “une évaluation juridique et factuelle du réseau transnational des Frères musulmans”.Le rapporteur Eric Pauget (LR) a défendu un texte contre un “mouvement politique” dont le projet est de “faire triompher la charia sur la loi de la République”, estimant qu’une telle classification permettrait de geler des financements et faciliterait l’échange d’informations entre Etats.Après le vote, le patron du groupe Laurent Wauquiez a estimé que le texte permettrait de sortir “d’un déni”, appelant le gouvernement à relayer l’initiative à l’échelon européen.Peu allant, le gouvernement avait toutefois rendu dans l’hémicycle un avis de sagesse (ni pour, ni contre), la ministre de la Francophonie Eléonore Caroit partageant “l’objectif” d’agir “contre la mouvance des Frères musulmans et son idéologie séparatiste”, mais estimant le texte fragile juridiquement.”Ce texte ne constitue en réalité qu’une diversion politicienne opportuniste, minable, qui risque d’alimenter la stigmatisation d’une partie de nos concitoyens sans faire reculer d’un iota l’influence de celles et ceux que vous prétendez combattre”, a tancé la députée écologiste Dominique Voynet.Face à la presse, M. Wauquiez a aussi dénoncé “un travail d’obstruction” pendant les débats, visant notamment les Insoumis.La séance a été marquée par de nombreux incidents de séance. Comme lorsque Laurent Jacobelli, député RN, a fustigé l’opposition des Insoumis au texte : “les Frères musulmans veulent lapider les homosexuels, et bien, si vous voulez lapider les homosexuels, votez LFI”, a-t-il lancé, suscitant de multiples réactions et demandes de sanction à gauche.La question sera tranchée lors d’une réunion du bureau de l’Assemblée le 18 février, a annoncé Sébastien Chenu, vice-président RN.”Je ne peux un seul instant tolérer que vous insinuiez que mon engagement aille à l’encontre de l’égalité humaine”, a vertement répondu le député Insoumis Pierre-Yves Cadalen, se disant lui-même homosexuel.Un autre épisode a impliqué Sébastien Chenu (RN) et Antoine Léaument (LFI). Il est descendu (vers le bas de l’hémicycle) en hurlant et remettant en cause ma présidence, puis ne se calmant pas il m’a menacé en disant +descendez on va discuter face-à-face+”, a dit M. Chenu. M. Léaument dément toute menace physique : “j’ai dit, +très bien, descendez discuter avec moi+”.Fondé en 1928 en Egypte, le mouvement pan-islamiste sunnite des Frères musulmans a un temps étendu son influence sur le monde arabe, mais a connu un recul ces dernières années sous la pression des grandes puissances arabes.
Ex-marathon record holder Kosgei trades Kenya for Turkey at OlympicsThu, 22 Jan 2026 15:50:23 GMT
Kenya’s ex-marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei told AFP on Thursday that she and four other Kenyans will compete for Turkey at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Kosgei, a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, said fellow runner Ronald Kwemoi, a silver medalist at the Paris Games, will also switch to Turkey along with three others.”Yes, it’s …
Trump engaged in ‘criminal scheme’ to overturn election: ex-special counsel
Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his prosecution of Donald Trump on Thursday, accusing him of engaging in a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.Smith, in remarks to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, said his team of investigators had “developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity.””Rather than accept his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results and prevent the lawful transfer of power,” Smith told lawmakers.He said his decision to bring charges against Trump were taken “without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.”Smith was appointed special counsel in 2022, and charged Trump with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election and mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House.Trump denied both charges and sought to frame them as politically motivated, accusing the Justice Department of being weaponized against him.Neither case came to trial and Smith — in line with a Justice Department policy of not prosecuting a sitting president — dropped them both after Trump won the November 2024 presidential election.- ‘No one’ above law -Smith said his decision to charge Trump was not motivated by politics.”If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether that president was a Democrat or a Republican,” he said. “No one should be above the law in this country and the law required that he be held to account.”President Trump was charged because the evidence established that he willfully broke the very laws that he took an oath to uphold,” he said.Smith’s public appearance before the House panel comes a little over a month after he testified behind closed doors about his investigation and prosecution of Trump.Smith had requested that the initial deposition be delivered in public, but the Republican majority on the House Judiciary Committee declined his request.Since taking office for the second time, Trump has urged the Justice Department to bring cases against Smith and a number of other perceived political opponents.Trump has lashed out repeatedly at Smith over the years and he called him “deranged” and a “sick son of a bitch” at a press conference this week.Cases brought against Trump foes James Comey, a former FBI director, and New York Attorney General Letitia James collapsed last year after a judge ruled that the prosecutor who brought the charges was unlawfully appointed.
Trump unveils Board of Peace, ‘New Gaza’ plans at Davos
US President Donald Trump unveiled his new Board of Peace at Davos on Thursday, casting himself again as a global peacemaker despite widespread scepticism over a plan that aims to rewrite the world order.Trump officials also unveiled ambitious plans for a “New Gaza” during the ceremony at the World Economic Forum, with the US leader describing the devastated Palestinian territory as “great real estate.”Trump later met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with both leaders describing their talks as good and the US leader saying Russia’s nearly four-year-old war with Kyiv “has to end”.The Board of Peace was created after Trump expressed frustration at failing to win the Nobel Peace Prize and ramped up his accusations that the United Nations had failed to resolve a host of international conflicts.”Well this is exciting,” Trump said as he was joined on stage by leaders and officials from 19 countries to sign the board’s founding charter in the Swiss ski resort.”This board has the chance to be one of the most consequential bodies ever created,” he said.The Board of Peace, of which Trump is the chairman, was initially designed to oversee the Gaza truce and the reconstruction of the strip after the war between Hamas and Israel.But its purpose has since morphed into resolving all sorts of international conflicts, sparking concerns that the US president wants to create a rival to the UN.Countries have been asked to pay $1 billion for permanent membership of the board.And the invitation for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country invaded Ukraine in 2022, has sparked controversy.- Gaza ‘master plan’ -Key US allies including France and Britain have expressed doubts, with London saying Thursday it would not attend the ceremony.Trump told the gathering of the global elite in the Swiss mountain resorts that the organisation would work “in conjunction” with the United Nations.A large part of the ceremony was devoted to talking about its plans for shattered Gaza.Gaza’s newly appointed administrator said in a video message that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip will reopen in both directions next week.Then Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, like the president a former property developer, showed slides of what he billed as a “master plan” for Gaza’s reconstruction.The slides included maps of new settlements in the Gaza Strip and artist renderings of gleaming seafront hotels and apartments under the caption “New Gaza”.”It could be a hope. It could be a destination,” Kushner said.Trump told Hamas to disarm under the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire accord or it would be the “end of them”. He added that he was ready to “talk” with regional foe Iran.- ‘Not so popular’ -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over the Gaza war, had said he would join, but was not at the ceremony.The representatives of the 19 countries on stage with Trump included two close populist allies, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Argentine President Javier Milei, and officials from a host of Middle Eastern monarchies keen to curry favour.Trump joked that they were “in most cases very popular leaders, some cases not so popular”.”That’s the way it goes in life,” he said.He said he expected around 50 countries to join, but the full extent of the board’s membership remains unclear.Egypt said President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had accepted Trump’s invitation to join, but he was not on stage.Trump said Putin had also agreed to join, though the Russian leader said he was still studying the invite.Zelensky has also been invited, but has said that he could not envisage working alongside arch-foe Putin.Trump said Thursday he was hopeful of a deal soon to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — which he admits he thought would be the easiest conflict to resolve but has proved the hardest.Zelensky told the World Economic Forum that documents being drafted with Washington to end the war were “nearly, nearly ready”.While Zelensky said his meeting with Trump was “positive”, the Ukrainian leader conceded that dialogue with the US president was “not simple”.Zelensky has voiced fears that Trump’s push to seize Greenland — which dominated Davos on Wednesday — could divert focus away from Russia’s invasion.Tensions over Greenland eased, however, after Trump announced a “framework of a future deal” over the Danish territory and dropped his threat to hit European allies with new tariffs.burs-dk-lt/jhb