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Bordeaux firefighters battle to contain the flames
On Sunday, firefighters battled?wildfires that threatened the French city of Bordeaux while authorities evacuated an increasing number?of residents from its suburbs. Wildfires have swept through the southwestern French region during a heatwave that has affected many parts of Europe. Spain declared a state of emergency after a wildfire near Valencia killed an elderly man. In a Sunday statement, the local authority responsible for the Bordeaux region said that the fire had made rapid progress over the last few hours. Bordeaux is known for its wine and is one of the major transport hubs for tourists who are visiting the nearby resorts along the Atlantic coast. Wildfires that broke out in southwest France earlier this week have forced authorities to evacuate 220,000 people. The fires reached Cap Ferret - a popular holiday destination for summer holidays in Aquitaine. Farmers from the area also offered to assist firefighters. "We came to give a hand because if this were our area, we would want others to do the same." "We think that our efforts are very welcome, especially given the magnitude of the disaster," said Pascal?Roudier, a 65-year old farmer. Climate Monitor reports that so far this July, temperatures in the Aquitaine region have averaged 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit). This is 7.3 degrees Celsius above the normal maximum temperature for July between 1961 and 1990. Reporting by Sudip K. Gupta and Jean-Stephane B. Brosse; editing by Alexander Smith.
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Climate chief at AfDB warns that a'super El Nino' could cause an economic impact of $10-20 billion dollars in Africa.
The African Development Bank's chief climate expert said that an impending "super El Nino" is likely to cause a combined hit of $10 billion to 20 billion dollars on the affected African countries and lead to mass migration out of hard-hit areas. Forecasters warn that El Nino, which is often responsible for severe droughts and flooding in Africa, could become one of the most powerful weather patterns ever if the current Pacific Ocean warming trends continue. Along with the threat to water and food security, the government's finances and banking sector could be affected if disasters cause damage to infrastructure and leave cash-strapped nations struggling to repay loans. Anthony Nyong said that the AfDB director of climate change and green development, Anthony Nyong, stated in an interview, "Just by this event, heavily affected countries will see their GDPs reduced by 1% to 2 percent on average. This is approximately $10 billion to 20 billion dollars across the continent." AfDB's latest forecasts from May indicated that Africa would experience 4.2% growth in economic output this year. This figure will rise to 4.4% by 2027, if the U.S./Israeli war on Iran is eased. This was, however, before predictions of an "super" El Nino or "Godzilla El Nino" were made. Nyong is the first major multilateral bank to estimate the impact of?El Nino' at $10-20 billion. He did not give a breakdown by country of the estimated damage, but warned that it would likely be more than a single event. Mozambique, after experiencing Cyclone Idai, in 2019, showed that it could take many years to recover. The government is also caught in the "climate financing trap", Nyong called it, where they are not able to deal with crises because of a lack of resources and have to take money from infrastructure, health or education budgets. El Nino 2023-2024 caused droughts in Southern Africa, and heavy rains and floods?in East Africa. The conditions caused widespread crop failures and a spike in food prices. They also led to record sea levels along the coasts of Africa. AfDB estimates that Africa's farmers will lose nearly $330 Million in income this year. The fishing industry could also be hard hit due to increasing sea temperatures and storms. Nyong stated that "when these shocks occur, countries take two step back." "We do not want our countries to slip into poverty." SEPTEMBER SEMMINAR In September, the AfDB will intensify its response to El Nino by holding a "seminar", as senior staff evaluates potential impacts on existing and planned investments. Nyong said that it was ready to restructure its projects in order to help countries deal with El Nino’s impacts. It would also work with these countries to access additional multilateral funding, such as the Green Climate Fund – the largest climate fund dedicated to date. He added that other possible sources of assistance could be the Adaptation Funds, Climate Investment Funds, and newer Loss-and-Damage Financing Mechanisms. A report by the United Nations in October estimated that developing countries would need to collectively spend $365 billion a year in order to combat climate change, but international public adaptation financing was only $26 billion as of 2023. Nyong stated that Africa would now require as much as 100 billion dollars this year, given the anticipated strength of El Nino. Nyong, speaking of the next year, said that "the (climate adaption finance) needed was already about $50 billion." "But that's $30 to $50 billion more". MASS MIGRATION Nyong stated that humanitarian pressures will add to the problem, and the bank has identified Sudan, South Sudan Democratic Republic of Congo Somalia Mali Burundi Burundi and Nigeria as countries which could be particularly affected. He said that when El Nino hits, there will be mass migration. The price of maize - a staple food in many countries - is expected to double. "You will not stay where you are, but move," he said. Nyong stated that the resulting shortages of resources and competition over grazing land, water, and other natural resources could 'exacerbate fragility already present in some regions. Nyong estimated that agricultural losses would be around $327million and fisheries productivity will fall by 1%-4%. He added that Africa needs to take more action in order to increase its resilience, before disasters strike. This theme will be at the center of the next round global climate talks to be held in Turkey, in November. He said, "It's cheaper to build fences around precipices than pay for expensive ambulances that wait at the bottom to see if people fall." "Let's build the fence".
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Officials say that 12 people were killed in an attack on a holiday camp in the Russian-held part Ukraine
Five children were among the 12 people killed in an overnight drone attack on a holiday camp located in a Russian-held area of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Region, local authorities in Russia said. They accused Ukraine of attacking civilians on purpose. Kyiv didn't immediately respond to our request for a comment. Both Russia and Ukraine deny that they are targeting civilians during the war which was launched by Russia's full scale invasion in February 2022. Yevgeny Baltsky, the Russian appointed governor, said that 19 people were injured in the attack at Kyrylivka resort, which is located near Melitopol on the coast of Sea of Azov. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria?Zakharova, said that Ukrainian drones were responsible for the attack against "sleeping" people at the camp. She condemned "inhuman crimes" and also mentioned an attack that took place on a factory on Thursday in Russia's Kirov Region, which resulted in the death of six people. The video of the holiday camp posted online showed shattered building, burnt-out cars and a heap of rubble near a swimming pool. Balitsky reported that crews of the Emergencies Ministry in Russia retrieved two survivors including a child and another body from rubble. He said that the rescue operation was complete. He said that the enemy knew who they were targeting. Balitsky claimed that authorities in Kyiv "ignore any morality" and were "deliberately destroying civilians -- both adults and children". The Russian state news agency RIA reported that the Investigative 'Committee' of Russia opened a terrorism?case in response to the attack. Reporting by Alessandra Prentice; Writing by Ron Popeski, Paul Simao and Kevin Liffey; Editing by Kevin Liffey.
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Tens of thousands of people fleeing French wildfires are filled with disappointment and fear
Mohammed Laabar and his family fled their home in southwest France when wildfires raged on Friday. They grabbed their son, aged three, and a survival kit that they had prepared beforehand. The winds changed within hours and carried smoke and fumes originating from the fires to Bordeaux. Laabar is a 35-year old truck driver from the town of Salaunes. The apocalyptic images that have come to define France’s scorching summer 2026 gave him a sobering look at the future. He said at a temporary evacuation centre in Bordeaux where hundreds of people spent the night Friday. The authorities have evacuated over 197,000 people in southwestern France after fires destroyed the Atlantic Coast peninsula of Cap Ferret. This is a popular tourist destination during the peak of summer. French President Emmanuel Macron has enlisted military support to help exhausted firefighters battle a tapestry of?fires throughout the country. This follows a record-breaking summer heatwave which resulted in almost 6,000 extra deaths. As people waited in the Bordeaux evacuation centre on Friday, they were filled with disbelief and disappointment, while also feeling fearful for the future. Bernadette, 71, was sitting with her husband and her two grandchildren when she worried about her home in Lege-Cap-Ferret. She evacuated it in the middle night of Wednesday, with "very little notice". She said, "I didn't take anything with me, just my two children". "I forgot a lot of things. My eye medication, everything." Her house is located in an area that firefighters have battled to save buildings and houses from flames. Bernadette - who declined to reveal her name - said that she had moved twice more as the fires grew and barely slept. "I was in Lege, then Andernos and finally Bordeaux. "And now, there's a fire here as well," she said referring to the smoke that could be seen and refelted in Bordeaux. "I'm gonna scream." "ASHES FALLING EVERYWHERE!" The Cap Ferret Fire moved inland Saturday, reaching a region about 30 km (19miles) from Bordeaux. The French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that the situation had calmed down on Saturday, although the winds are expected to increase again in the afternoon. Henri Sauter, 37, from Germany was forced to leave Cap Ferret after his extended family consisting of nine adults and five children as well as a dog. He said, "There were ashes floating in our drinks while we were eating dinner. It was a strange feeling." He said that the 'family' hit heavy traffic on Friday after they abandoned their rental when they received a message telling them to leave. He said that they could see flames as they exited the peninsula along 'the only road into and out of it. Fires are becoming bigger and more frequent. Three consecutive heatwaves in Europe this season have helped to scorch more ground than they did last year. Many people who were sheltering in the evacuation centre feared that the wildfire danger was worsening. Jean-Pierre, retired computer engineer, aged 68, of Andernos, said that he had lived in the area for the majority of his life. However, this was the first evacuation he has ever experienced. He said that he had experienced fires when he was a child, but they were rare. In the last eight to nine years, fires have become more frequent. Multiple blazes are often burning at once. "It is catastrophic," he declared. (Reporting and editing by Gabriel Stargardter, Louise Heavens, and Manuel Ausloos)
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Wildfires in Bordeaux force evacuation of suburbs
Wildfires in the area around Bordeaux, southwest France, showed no sign of stopping. Sophie Brocas, the head of the local administration for La Nouvelle-Aquitaine et de la Gironde which includes the Bordeaux region, has said that the areas of Le Haillan and?Eysines are being cleared. Bordeaux is known for its vineyards, and the city of Bordeaux is a major 'transport hub' for tourists who are visiting the nearby resorts along the Atlantic coast. Sebastien Lecornu, Prime Minister of France, said that more than 141,000 people have been evacuated so far from the Gironde and Landes region near Bordeaux where wildfires erupted this week. The region was advised not to be driven in. Lecornu posted on X Saturday that "the fires that have hit our country are at a level never before seen." To?help, the army has been called in. Smoke from wildfires was seen and felt in the Haute-Vienne area north of Bordeaux. Local authorities asked people to close their doors and windows. Climate Monitor data shows that temperatures in the Aquitaine region have averaged 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) so far this month. This is 7.3C (13.1F), compared to the norm for July 1961-1990. Reporting by Camille Raynaud and Stephane Mahe; editing by Susan Fenton, Kevin Liffey and Elizabeth Howcroft
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Wildfires in Bordeaux force evacuation of suburbs
The French authorities evacuated a large number of people from the suburbs around 'Bordeaux' on Saturday, as wildfires remained active in those areas. Sophie Brocas, the head of the local administration for La Nouvelle-Aquitaine et de la Gironde, which includes the Bordeaux region, stated on X, that the areas of Le Haillan, Eysines, and Merignac are being cleared out. Sebastien Lecornu, the French Prime Minister, said that so far more than 141,000 residents have been?evacuated? from the Gironde?and Landes?regions?which are?close to Bordeaux and where the fires first broke out?this week. Lecornu, writing on X Saturday, said: "The fires that are ravaging our country have reached a?level never before seen." French troops have also been called in to assist. Climate Monitor data shows that temperatures in the Aquitaine region have been on average 32.2 degrees Celsius this month. This is 13.1 degrees Fahrenheit (7.3 degrees Celsius) higher than normal for July between 1961 and 1990. Reporting by Camille Raynaud and Stephane Mahe; editing by Susan Fenton
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Trump refuses to proceed with nuclear agreement unless Saudis sign Abraham Accords
On Friday, President Donald 'Trump said he wouldn't go ahead with a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia unless?Saudi Arabia agreed?to a re-normalization of relations with Israel in accordance with the Abraham Accords. The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that Energy Sec. Chris Wright and Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, his Saudi counterpart, had signed an accord on the development of commercial nuclear reactors in oil rich Saudi Arabia. It said that Congress would review it. Since his first term, Trump has worked on a deal to build a nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia. Joe Biden, the former president of the United States, also wanted a deal to be tied to accords that would normalize Saudi Arabia-Israel relations. Saudi Arabia, however, has not signed the accords because it is seeking an irreversible route to a Palestinian State before recognizing Israel. Trump added a condition to the agreement on Thursday. He said in a social media post that Saudi Arabia had to sign the accords. Trump made this point Friday at the Oval Office. Trump told reporters that they must be Abraham Accords members to get the deal. Trump claimed he did not discuss the Abraham Accords with Wright prior to the Cabinet member signing the deal. Trump stated that "but it was always understood and Chris knew and Saudi Arabia knew." Saudi Arabia hasn't responded to any requests for comment on the additional conditions to?the deal. Trump was confident it would all come together eventually. Trump stated that at some point, they would join together and "do their civil nuclear, to repeat it," they will do. Westinghouse, owned by Canadian companies Cameco & Brookfield Asset Management, is a beneficiary of a deal between the U.S. & Saudi Arabia. (Reporting and editing by David Ljunggren, Alistair Bell and Timothy Gardner)
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Gold edged up as Brent eased, Mideast developments on the agenda ahead of Fed meeting
Brent crude oil fell from over $100 per barrel on Friday, while investors assessed the Middle East conflict to determine its impact on inflation in advance of next week's U.S. rate decision. Gold spot was up by 0.1% to $4,052.78 an ounce at 4:10 pm EDT (2010 GMT) after a 2% drop in the previous session. Prices are up 0.9% this week, thanks to dip-buying early in the week. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery settled 0.5% higher at $4,070.80. "Gold and Silver are carving out bases around $3,950 each and $55, separately, despite the relentlessly rising yields. Gold feels ready to move higher. While a stop-loss below $3,950 can't be excluded, a sharp war escalated, a?Fed on hold next weekend would help, said Tai Wong. Brent crude oil?fell more than 4% after rising by over 7% in the previous session to reach above $100 for the first since May. This was after Iran-aligned Houthis claimed they had struck two Saudi oil tanks in the Red Sea. Bullion is down about 23% in the last few months since the U.S. war against Iran began late February. This has been a result of expectations that inflation due to war could keep interest rates high for longer. Gold is often seen as an inflation hedge, but higher interest rates can be detrimental to the metal. Investors are now awaiting the outcome of a U.S. Federal Reserve policy meeting next week. It is widely?expected that it will?keep rates unchanged. According to the CME?FedWatch Tool, traders are pricing in an approximately 82% chance that a U.S. interest rate increase will occur in September. The recent strength in bullion seems to be largely driven by dip-buying, and short covering. The sharp decline in gold prices from the record highs of earlier this year has been followed by a recovery. Silver spot rose by 0.8% per ounce to $58.11, platinum dropped 0.8% at $1,587.17 and palladium fell by 1.4% to $1.239.20.
Poor Afghans who were deported to Pakistan are hit by a new wave of earthquakes
Nazar Shah, who was deported from Pakistan last June, was trying to rebuild his life when a nighttime earthquake struck. Six of his relatives died, his stepmother was injured, and his stone-and mud house was destroyed.
The 40-year old Shah and 20 family members sleep under a tarpaulin by a river in the path of potential floods and feel daily aftershocks.
Shah, a Masud farmer in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province, which borders Pakistan, said, "We lost our shelter." Pots, bedding, and a few wheat bags were stacked outside on wooden beds.
Since midnight on Sunday, two earthquakes have struck the war-ravaged country of the Taliban, killing more than 2,200, injuring over 3,600 and destroying thousands of homes.
Rescue and relief have been made difficult by a lack of resources, the decline of foreign aid after the Taliban took over in 2021, and the slow and meager help from the rest.
Shah, an Afghan deported this year from Pakistan and Iran, is one of the hundreds of thousands who have suffered a particularly severe blow.
Pakistan has expelled thousands of Afghans under its new laws. These Afghans had fled to Pakistan in the 1980s from war and poverty back home.
Plan for the Repatriation of Illegal Foreigners
Launched in 2023
Shah claimed that he worked security guard shifts in Pakistan for two years with his brothers to pay rent and bills. Deportation forced him back to Masud where his extended family was packed into three small rooms.
When Shah spoke with him on Thursday, he said that "life there wasn't too bad." Even if we were forced to buy food on credit and eat less, we still managed.
He rushed to get his children, livestock and himself out of the house when the earthquake struck. But he forgot about his mother.
He said, "When I realized, she'd already made some distance. But then, a rock from the mountain fell and hit her leg." It was pitch black. "You couldn't even see your hands."
DOUBLE CRISIS
Aid groups claim that it has taken a long time to provide relief for victims like Shah and his family, as mountain roads have been blocked by landslides and money is scarce.
The crisis is exacerbated by the return to Afghanistan of Afghans who were expelled from Iran or Pakistan. They are flooding back into border regions such as Kunar, with very little else.
Deportations and natural disasters are straining an already fragile aid effort.
Hazrat Gul, a 30-year-old doctor who volunteered to help the family of Shah finally arrived with bandages and medications from his own pharmacy. Rad Bibi's wound had been left untreated for 4 days.
The doctor who had rushed to the area from Nangarhar after burying his six relatives, said "These people still suffer." If it rains hard, God knows what's going to happen. Tents are not able to withstand storms."
Jamal Naser (43), a driver, suffered a similar fate.
He was in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, when the earthquakes struck. He hurried home to Masud, leaving behind his family, but found his house in ruin. He said that he was lost, having already received a notice of deportation from Pakistani authorities.
"With winter fast approaching, what will I do?" he asked. Reporting by Mohammed Yunus Yawar, Jalalabad; and Sayed Hassib, Mazar Dara. Writing by Ariba Shehid. Editing by YPrajesh and Mark Heinrich.
(source: Reuters)