International
Fifty People Die In Pakistan Monsoon Floods
At least 50 people, including eight children, have been killed by floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains that have lashed Pakistan since last month, officials said Friday.
The summer monsoon brings South Asia 70-80 percent of its annual rainfall between June and September every year.
It is vital for the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security in a region of around two billion people — but it also brings landslides and floods.
“Fifty deaths have been reported in different rain-related incidents all over Pakistan since the start of the monsoon on June 25,” a national disaster management official told AFP, adding that 87 people were injured during this period.
The majority of the deaths were in eastern Punjab province, and were mainly due to electrocution and building collapses, official data showed.
In northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the bodies of eight children were recovered from a landslide in the Shangla district on Thursday, according to the emergency service Rescue 1122’s spokesman Bilal Ahmed Faizi.
He said rescuers were still searching for other children trapped in the debris.
Officials in Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, said it had received record-breaking rainfall on Wednesday, turning roads into rivers and leaving almost 35 percent without electricity and water this week.
The Meteorological Department has predicted more heavy rainfall nationwide in the days ahead and warned of potential flooding in the catchment areas of Punjab’s major rivers.
The province’s disaster management authority said Friday it is working to relocate people living along the waterways.
Scientists have said climate change is making seasonal rains heavier and more unpredictable.
Last summer, unprecedented monsoon rains put a third of Pakistan under water, damaging two million homes and killing more than 1,700 people.
Storms killed at least 27 people, including eight children, in the country’s northwest early last month.
Pakistan, which has the world’s fifth largest population, is responsible for less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to officials.
However, it is one of the most vulnerable nations to the extreme weather caused by global warming.
International
China’s Foreign Minister visits four African countries on annual tour
Beijing has sent hundreds of thousands of workers and engineers to the continent and gained strategic access to its vast mineral riches, including copper, gold and lithium.
China’s top diplomat kicks off a New Year trip to Africa on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said, seeking to boost trade on a four-country circuit that includes several recent political hotspots.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s tour of the continent’s east and south will take him to Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania and Lesotho, concluding on Monday, the ministry said in a statement.
The visits are in keeping with the Chinese diplomatic convention of recent decades, whereby the foreign minister’s first overseas trip of the year is to Africa.
The current tour “aims to deepen political mutual trust with all parties… (and) strengthen exchanges and mutual learning”, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Wednesday at a regular news conference.
China is Africa’s top business partner, with trade reaching $296 billion in 2024, according to Chinese state media.
Beijing has sent hundreds of thousands of workers and engineers to the continent and gained strategic access to its vast mineral riches, including copper, gold and lithium.
International
Trump Announces Venezuela to Turn Over Up to 50 Million Barrels of Oil to United States
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that interim authorities in Venezuela will turn over between 30 and 50 million barrels of high-quality sanctioned oil to the United States, following the recent U.S. military operation that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated: “I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 Million Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America.
This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!
“The president added that he has directed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute the plan immediately, with the oil to be transported via storage ships directly to U.S. unloading docks.
The announcement comes amid ongoing developments in Venezuela, where the oil—previously held in storage due to U.S. sanctions—is estimated to be worth up to $2.8 billion at current market prices around $56 per barrel.
Analysts note that this volume represents a modest addition to global supply but could divert exports previously destined for China.U.S. crude futures dipped slightly following the news, closing lower by about 1.3%. Major U.S. oil companies, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips, are reportedly monitoring the situation, with meetings planned between industry representatives and the administration to discuss future investments in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
The deal marks a significant step in Trump’s stated goal of revitalizing Venezuela’s oil sector, which holds the world’s largest proven reserves but has seen production decline sharply in recent years due to sanctions, underinvestment, and mismanagement.
International
Nicolas Maduro, wife plead not guilty in New York court
Maduro, 63, told a federal judge in Manhattan that he had been “kidnapped” from Venezuela and said, “I’m innocent, I’m not guilty; I’m still the president of my country.”
Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to charges of narco-terrorism in a New York court on Monday, two days after being snatched by US forces in a stunning raid on his home in Caracas.
Maduro, 63, told a federal judge in Manhattan that he had been “kidnapped” from Venezuela and said, “I’m innocent, I’m not guilty; I’m still the president of my country.”
Maduro’s wife Cilia Flores likewise pleaded not guilty.
The pair were snatched by US commandos in the early hours of Saturday in an assault backed by warplanes and a heavy naval deployment.
(AFP)
CBN: 60 newly recruits staff laments three years of waiting without engagement
Money-for-marks scandal rocks Rivers State medical college
KPMG, NRS settle rifts over new tax laws
Tech Expert, Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions, Adesanya, Alexander
Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu bags 10 years in UK prison
SAINT OBI: Between his marriage and his death
-
Health2 days agoEuracare Hospital replies Chimamanda Adichie, Clarifying Nkanu’s Death
-
News3 days agoLASG Announces Traffic Diversion Tonight At Fadeyi, Ojuelegba Bridge
-
Crime3 days agoTragic: Husband’s Body Found Days After Wife’s Killing
-
Sports2 days agoSuper Eagles beat Algeria 2–0, Atiku,Obi applaud the team
-
Health23 hours ago
Chimamanda Drags Euracare Hospital to Court Over Son’s Death
-
Sports2 days agoAFCON 2025: Billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu promises Super Eagles Over USD1.5m if they win Semifinal
-
Crime3 days agoChimamanda Ngozi Adichie blames Euracare Hospital for son’s death
-
News2 days ago
Dr. Esege Nwandu Challenges Euracare Hospital’s Statement over Nephew’s Death