Pakistan issues glacial floods alert for northwest, heavy rain forecast
Areas affected include popular tourist destinations, such as Fairy Meadows, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. Pakistan has issued a warning about glacial flooding in the northwest with more rain forecast in the coming week, as the country experiences above-average rainfall this monsoon season and continues to struggle to recover from devastating floods in 2022. Downpours are heavier in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province than the same period last year, prompting weather advisories and alerts for flooding from glacial lake outbursts, said Anwar Shahzad, a spokesperson for the local disaster management authority, on Saturday. The weather advisory alert comes after the authority sent out a letter earlier this month saying “persistent high temperatures may accelerate snow and glacier melt and subsequent weather events” in vulnerable parts of the region, underscoring the ongoing heavy impact of climate change on the country. Spokesperson Faizullah Firaq said on Saturday there was “severe destruction” in some areas and damage to houses, infrastructure, crops, and businesses. Search operations were under way to find missing people on the Babusar Highway, where flooding struck nine villages. Helicopters rescued tourists stuck in the popular spot, Fairy Meadows, he added. Abdul Samad, from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Department, said rescue teams evacuated more than 500 holidaymakers from Naran after a cloudburst overnight Friday caused a road closure. Authorities deployed heavy machinery to remove debris and restore access. In the neighbouring Gilgit-Baltistan region, the government said it had distributed hundreds of tents, thousands of food packets, and medicine to flood-affected communities. Three people died there on Tuesday when a cloudburst caused floods and landslides, stranding more than 200 tourists who were later rescued. Advertisement Zakir Hussein, director general of Gilgit-Baltistan’s Disaster Management Authority, said on Tuesday that while warnings help reduce the presence of tourists in these vulnerable areas, they are not always enough. “Generally, tourists pay attention to our warning notices. Those who still choose to come are either those who did not see the warning or those who have some urgency to visit,” Hussein told Al Jazeera. “At the end of the day, it is weather prediction, but considering the severity of the consequences, people should take it seriously.” The rains are a routine part of South Asia’s climate and are essential for crop irrigation and replenishing water supplies. However, their adverse effect has worsened in recent years due to rapid urban expansion, poor drainage systems, and more frequent extreme weather events linked to climate change. Pakistan’s above-average rainfall this monsoon season has raised concerns of a repeat of the devastating 2022 floods that submerged a third of the country, killed 1,737 people and displaced more than 30 million. Some 260 have died across Pakistan so far this season, which runs through to mid-September. Pakistan, which has a population of about 250 million, is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change, but one of the lowest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. It is also home to more than 7,000 glaciers – the largest outside the Earth’s polar regions. Adblock test (Why?)
Two teens jailed over machete murder of 14-year-old on London bus
Deadly attack on teen reignited concern around the problem of knife crime that has plagued the British capital for years. Two British teenagers have been sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 15 years, for stabbing to death a 14-year-old boy on a London bus in broad daylight earlier this year. Judge Mark Lucraft at London’s Old Bailey court sentenced the pair, who cannot be named due to their age, to life in prison on Friday. He ordered that they be considered for parole after 15 years and 110 days in detention. The teenagers stabbed 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa 27 times with machetes on the bus in the Woolwich area of southeast London on January 7. He later died from his injuries. The attackers – aged 16 and 15 at the time of the time of murder – were arrested later that month. The pair pleaded guilty to murder in May. The attack has reignited concern around youth gang violence and the ongoing problem of knife crime that has plagued the British capital and other cities in the United Kingdom for years. Across Britain, knife crime is up by nearly 80 percent since 2015. Last year, 10 teenagers were fatally stabbed in London alone, after 18 were killed in 2023, according to London’s Metropolitan Police. In September last year, a 15-year-old boy – reportedly a close friend of Bokassa – was also stabbed to death in Woolwich, in what a prosecutor described as gang retaliation. In August last year, in another incident that sent shockwaves across Britain, a teenager carried out a deadly stabbing spree in the seaside town of Southport, which killed three young girls. Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee, whose team led the Met investigation into Bokassa’s murder, said the “harsh reality in London is that violence disproportionately affects young Black men and boys”. Advertisement “The fact we’re seeing so many teenagers like Kelyan die should be at the forefront of the minds of every politician, every policymaker and everyone who wants better for children growing up in London,” she said. Judge Lucraft said one of the perpetrators was himself a “victim of child criminal exploitation” by gangs, adding that he had faced “a history of trauma”. He added that the second boy was also exploited by gangs from the age of 12 and experienced “undiagnosed developmental needs”. “It is sadly an all too frequent senseless loss of yet another young life to the horrors of knife crime”, which “no sentence of a court can ever truly reflect”, Lucraft said. Shortly after the murder, Bokassa’s mother, Marie Bokassa, told the press her son was also exploited by gangs in the Woolwich area of southeast London. Addressing the court on Friday, she asked: “How can children behave like this?” “What have the children been exposed to, to show such behaviour as this?” Adblock test (Why?)
Palestinian lives are “not seen as equivalent” to others
[unable to retrieve full-text content] EU MP Lynn Boylan says the EU’s inaction on Gaza shows it doesn’t see Palestinian lives as equal to Ukrainian ones.
Death toll in Thailand-Cambodia border clashes hits 32, over 130 injured
The death toll on both sides now stands at 32, as fears grow of a larger conflict breaking out between the neighbours. Cambodian officials have reported another 12 people killed as a result of the ongoing border dispute with Thailand, with the death toll on both sides now standing at 32, as fears grow that the Southeast Asian neighbours may become engulfed in an extended conflict. Cambodian Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Maly Socheata told reporters on Saturday that seven more civilians and five soldiers were confirmed dead. One other Cambodian man was earlier reported killed when Thai rockets hit the Buddhist pagoda he was hiding in on Thursday. At least 50 Cambodian civilians and more than 20 soldiers have also been injured, the spokesperson said. Thailand has reported 13 civilians – including children – as well as six soldiers killed over the past two days of fighting. An additional 29 Thai soldiers and 30 civilians have also been wounded in Cambodian attacks. Cambodian newspaper The Khmer Times, quoting officials in Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province, said about 20,000 residents have so far been evacuated from the country’s northern border with Thailand. More than 138,000 people have also been evacuated from Thailand’s border regions, with about 300 evacuation centres opened, according to Thai officials. On Friday, Thailand declared martial law in eight districts along the border with Cambodia. The decades-old conflict – centred around a contested section of the Thai-Cambodian border – re-erupted on Thursday after a landmine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Advertisement Tensions spilled over on Thursday with Thailand and Cambodia carrying out direct attacks on one another’s territory, with both sides accusing the other of opening fire first. Thailand said the Cambodian military launched long-range rockets at civilian targets in the country, including a strike on a petrol station that killed at least six people. The Thai military then scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to bomb targets in Cambodia, including the reported strike on the Buddhist pagoda, which resulted in one civilian casualty. Cambodia has accused Thailand of using a large number of cluster munitions – a controversial and widely condemned weapon – calling it a clear violation of international law. Phumtham Wechayachai, Thailand’s acting prime minister, said on Friday that Cambodia may be guilty of war crimes due to the deaths of civilians, as well as damage caused to a hospital. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held an emergency meeting focused on the clashes behind closed doors late on Friday in New York, but did not issue an official public statement after the meeting. The Associated Press news agency, citing an unnamed council diplomat, reported that all 15 UNSC members called on the parties to de-escalate fighting, show restraint and resolve the dispute peacefully. Adblock test (Why?)
UK’s Starmer faces mounting pressure to recognise Palestinian state
More than 200 lawmakers in the United Kingdom have called on the British government to recognise a Palestinian state, as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to take concrete action amid Israel’s war on Gaza. Some 221 MPs from across the political spectrum signed an open letter on Friday calling on Starmer’s Labour government to recognise a Palestinian state in advance of a United Nations conference on Palestine next week. “We are expectant that the outcome of the conference will be the UK Government outlining when and how it will act on its long-standing commitment on a two-state solution; as well as how it will work with international partners to make this a reality,” the letter reads. “Whilst we appreciate the UK does not have it in its power to bring about a free and independent Palestine, UK recognition would have a significant impact due to our historic connections and our membership on the UN Security Council, so we urge you to take this step.” Parliamentarians from nine political parties were among the signatories, Labour MP Sarah Champion said, including Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, SNP, and the Greens. The letter comes as public anger is growing in the UK and around the world over Israel’s continued bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has spurred a deadly starvation crisis. 221 MPs, from 9 parties, have sent a joint letter to the Prime Minister & Foreign Secretary urging them to recognise Palestine as a state now pic.twitter.com/b2hbX2XCGR — Sarah Champion (@SarahChampionMP) July 25, 2025 Advertisement It also comes a day after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognise the State of Palestine at the UN in September. “Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine,” Macron said in a social media post on Thursday. “I will make this solemn announcement before the United Nations General Assembly this coming September. The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and to bring relief to the civilian population.” Macron’s announcement drew the ire of Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the move “rewards terror”. But Netanyahu has faced widespread condemnation for Israel’s continuing assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians since it began in October 2023. Israel’s blockade of the enclave has caused a deepening humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations and top human rights groups reporting that many Palestinian children are now suffering from severe malnutrition and at risk of death. In a statement on Friday, Starmer said “the appalling scenes in Gaza are unrelenting”. “The continued captivity of hostages, the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel’s disproportionate military escalation in Gaza are all indefensible,” he said. But Starmer stopped short of announcing plans to recognise a Palestinian state, instead saying he was working “on a pathway to peace in the region”. “That pathway will set out the concrete steps needed to turn the ceasefire so desperately needed, into a lasting peace,” he said. “Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis.” Reporting from a protest outside Starmer’s residence in London on Friday afternoon, Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic said demonstrators expressed “outrage” at the British government’s stance amid the dire situation in Gaza. “Many of them feel powerless, so one of the only things they can do is gather here, make as much noise as they can, and hope that it will be noticed by the people in power,” she said. “They want Keir Starmer to do more with the power that he has, and with the influence that he has, to put an end to this.” In addition to recognising a Palestinian state, the British government has faced growing calls to sanction Israel and impose an arms embargo against the country. Advertisement Veselinovic said Starmer is in “a difficult diplomatic situation” as he prepares to meet United States President Donald Trump, who was travelling to Scotland on Friday. She explained that Macron’s announcement added pressure on the UK, which is a close ally of both France and the US, to also recognise a Palestinian state, but noted that Trump has criticised the French president’s move. “It does seem like a gulf is emerging here over what the European stance is overall, which is much more aligned with what UN aid agencies are saying is going on on the ground in Gaza, and the American position, which seems to nearly 100 percent back whatever is the Israeli government’s version of events is,” she said. “And in the middle of that is Keir Starmer, who wants to maintain good relations with both sides.” Adblock test (Why?)
US military expands enforcement role at Mexican border under Donald Trump
United States troop deployments at the border with Mexico have tripled to 7,600 and include every branch of the military – even as the number of attempted illegal crossings plummets. In addition, President Donald Trump has authorised funding for an additional 3,000 Border Patrol agents, offering $10,000 signing and retention bonuses. The military mission at the border is guided from a new command centre at a remote Army intelligence training base located alongside southern Arizona’s Huachuca Mountains. There, a community hall has been transformed into a bustling war room, where battalion commanders and staff use digital maps to pinpoint military camps and movements along the nearly 3,200-kilometre (2,000-mile) border. Until now, border enforcement had been the domain of civilian law enforcement, with the military only intermittently stepping in. But in April, large swaths of the border were designated militarised zones, empowering US troops to apprehend immigrants and others accused of trespassing and authorising additional criminal charges that can mean prison time. The two-star general leading the mission says troops are being untethered from maintenance and warehouse tasks to work closely with US Border Patrol agents in high-traffic areas for illegal crossings – and to deploy rapidly to remote, unguarded terrain. “We don’t have a [labour] union. There’s no limit on how many hours we can work in a day, how many shifts we can man,” said Army Major-General Scott Naumann. “I can put soldiers out whenever we need to in order to get after the problem, and we can put them out for days at a time. We can fly people into incredibly remote areas now that we see the cartels shifting [course].” Advertisement The Trump administration is using the military broadly to boost its immigration operations, from guarding federal buildings in Los Angeles against protests, to assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Florida. There are also plans to hold detained immigrants on military bases in New Jersey, Indiana and Texas. Dan Maurer, a law professor at Ohio Northern University and a retired US Army judge advocate officer, said that Trump is aiming to follow through on his campaign promise to crack down on undocumented border crossings. “It’s all part of the same strategy that is a very muscular, robust, intimidating, aggressive response to this – to show his base that he was serious about a campaign promise to fix immigration,” said Maurer. “It’s both norm-breaking and unusual. It puts the military in a very awkward position.” Adblock test (Why?)
Players hits back at FIFA and Infantino after Club World Cup
FIFA and its President Gianni Infantino have been criticised for the expanded Club World Cup in the domestic off season. The global football players’ union has hit back at FIFA and its President Gianni Infantino, saying their autocratic style of leadership was harming the rights of its members. “Football needs responsible leadership, not emperors,” the FIFPRO network said on Friday after a meeting of 58 national player unions responded to FIFA pursuing its agenda with unofficial player representatives. “It needs fewer autocratic monologues and more genuine, inclusive and transparent dialogue,” the union added. FIFA announced two weeks ago that it reached a consensus on key issues after Infantino hosted a group of mostly non-recognised officials in New York before the Club World Cup final. The latest rift between soccer’s governing body and its players’ unions flared while the European Commission in Brussels is considering a formal complaint against FIFA. It was filed by FIFPRO’s European division and national leagues in Europe against FIFA’s style of governance and decision-making. FIFPRO said FIFA’s core agenda included an overloaded global match calendar with too many games for elite players, a lack of physical and mental recovery periods and extreme playing conditions. Players at the monthlong Club World Cup in the United States, who played in the heat of daytime games to appeal to worldwide TV audiences, reported feeling dizzy and unwell. The 63-game tournament backed by Saudi Arabian money was lucrative for clubs, especially in Europe, though FIFA added it to the schedule without formally consulting players. Advertisement The tournament, FIFPRO said, was “celebrated by President Infantino despite being held under conditions that were extreme and inappropriate for any human being, demonstrating a troubling insensitivity to human rights, even when it concerns elite athletes. “FIFPRO reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of men and women players – rights which are being seriously undermined by commercial policies imposed by its autocratic system of governance,” the Netherlands-based union said of FIFA. “This is a model that puts the health of players at risk and sidelines those at the heart of the game,” FIFPRO said, adding it was “unacceptable for an organization that claims global leadership to turn a blind eye to the basic needs of the players”. FIFA was approached for comment. FIFPRO has not had a formal working agreement with FIFA since the previous one expired in 2023. Adblock test (Why?)
Meta to suspend political advertising in the EU as transparency law looms
The social media giant follows Alphabet, Google’s parent company, which made a similar decision in November. Meta will suspend political and social issue advertising on its platforms in the European Union starting in October. Facebook and Instagram’s parent company announced the new policy change on Friday, citing legal uncertainty about the bloc’s new rules on political advertising. The Silicon Valley-based social media giant is following in the footsteps of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, which made the same decision in November. The EU legislation, called the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation, which will apply from October 10, was prompted by concerns about disinformation and foreign interference in elections across the 27-country bloc. The law requires Big Tech companies to clearly label political advertising on their platforms, who paid for it and how much, as well as which elections are being targeted, or risk fines up to 6 percent of their annual turnover. “From early October 2025, we will no longer allow political, electoral and social issue ads on our platforms in the EU,” Meta said in a blog post. “This is a difficult decision – one we’ve taken in response to the EU’s incoming Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation, which introduces significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties,” it said. Meta said the EU rules would ultimately hurt Europeans. “We believe that personalised ads are critical to a wide range of advertisers, including those engaged on campaigns to inform voters about important social issues that shape public discourse,” it said. Advertisement “Regulations, like the TTPA, significantly undermine our ability to offer these services, not only impacting effectiveness of advertisers’ outreach but also the ability of voters to access comprehensive information.” Meta’s Facebook and Instagram are currently being investigated by the European Commission over their suspected failure to tackle disinformation and deceptive advertising in the run-up to the 2024 European Parliament elections. The EU probe is under the Digital Services Act, which requires Big Tech to do more to counter illegal and harmful content on their platforms or risk fines of as much as 6 percent of their global annual turnover. ByteDance’s TikTok is also in the EU crosshairs over its suspected failure to tackle election interference, notably in the Romanian presidential vote last November. Meta’s political advertising has long been a concern in the United States, as well. Last week, CEO Mark Zuckerberg settled a lawsuit brought on by shareholders over alleged privacy violations. The suit alleged that the company failed to comply with a Federal Trade Commission settlement in 2012 in efforts to protect consumer privacy. The lawsuit came amid the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal in which the social media giant gave user data to the firm – without their consent – for political advertising purposes. Adblock test (Why?)
Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba avoid sanctions over MLS All-Star snub
Former Barcelona duo Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba could have been banned for one match after sitting out All-Star match. Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba have not been sanctioned for skipping Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game in Austin, Texas, their coach confirms. Both players were voted into the showcase by fans and the media, but neither featured in the MLS squad’s 3-1 win against Mexico’s Liga MX All-Stars. League rules stipulate that players who choose to opt out of the All-Star Game without an approved medical reason can face a one-match suspension. Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano pointed out on Friday that his team had “played the most games so far this semester by far” and Messi “showed normal fatigue from the number of games and minutes he’s been playing”, according to ESPN. “Look, players always have discomfort, especially when they play every three days. But luckily, [Messi] is returning today,” Mascherano said on Friday. “Let’s hope he can train alongside the group so we can count on both of them for tomorrow’s game. We haven’t received any [sanction].” Inter Miami host FC Cincinnati on Saturday night at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mascherano said Messi, 38, and Alba, 36, will be available for the match depending on their fitness levels. Messi shares the MLS top scorer honours with 18 goals and has 10 assists in 17 league matches this season. The Argentinian forward also made six starts in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and four in the FIFA Club World Cup. Alba has one goal and eight assists in 18 MLS matches. The Spanish defender made seven starts in the Champions Cup and one in the Club World Cup. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
India’s Modi pledges $565m to Maldives to boost infrastructure
Prime Minister Narendra Modi says India will also support the Maldives in ‘strengthening its defence capabilities’. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a $565m credit line and launched free trade talks with the Maldives during a visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago. Modi’s two-day trip, which began on Friday, is aimed at boosting India’s development partnership with the Maldives, where India competes with China for influence. The Indian prime minister said the credit line was central to that goal. “This will be used for projects linked to infrastructure development in line with the priorities of the Maldivian people,” he said, adding that the two countries would also finalise a bilateral investment agreement. Modi, who is making his first official visit to the Maldives since winning a third term last year, also stressed that India will remain the “first responder” for the country, which has a population of approximately 525,000 people. “India will continue to support the Maldives in strengthening its defence capabilities,” he said. “Peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region are our shared goals.” India had been concerned that the Maldives was drifting towards the orbit of its rival China following the 2023 election of President Mohamed Muizzu on an anti-India platform. Since coming to power, Muizzu broke tradition by choosing to travel to China before visiting India. He also secured the withdrawal of a small contingent of Indian military personnel, who operated two search-and-rescue helicopters and a fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft based in the archipelago. Advertisement Muizzu’s moves briefly soured relations with New Delhi, before India helped to prevent the $7.5bn economy from defaulting on its debt as the Maldives struggled to get tourists to its white-sand beaches and luxury resorts. Muizzu has since visited India and toned down his anti-India rhetoric. He also met Modi twice last year in New Delhi, with both leaders pledging to begin a “new chapter” in bilateral ties. On Friday, Muizzu said the credit line from India would be used to strengthen the Maldives’ security forces, as well as improve healthcare, housing, and education. “India’s continued assistance to the Maldives through the export of essential commodities is a key facet of our bilateral cooperation,” he said. Modi is due to leave the archipelago on Saturday after attending the country’s 60th Independence Day celebrations in the capital, Male. The Indian prime minister will also remotely inaugurate an expansion of the international airport on the island of Hanimaadhoo, which India is helping to finance. Adblock test (Why?)