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Water-borne diseases have killed at least nine more people in flood-hit areas of Pakistan, officials reported on Tuesday, following Angelina Jolie’s surprise visit to meet people affected by the crisis. In recent weeks, Pakistan received three times as much rain as on average. This led to major flooding that killed 1,559 people, including 551 children and 318 women, according to the disaster management agency. UNICEF described the situation as beyond bleak as officials warn Pakistan risks losing control over the spread of infections. As flood waters recede – which officials say will take two to six months – hundreds of…

Leaders meeting in person for the first time in three years must address conflict and climate catastrophes, rising poverty and inequality, and growing divisions among major powers that have gotten worse, according to the United Nations chief, who warns that the world is in great peril. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking before Tuesday’s leaders’ meeting, cited the “immense” task of saving the planet, “which is literally on fire,” as well as dealing with the continuing COVID-19 epidemic. In addition, he noted that “access to finance for developing countries is limited – an unprecedented crisis” that has affected education, health, and women’s…

It is expected that the Canadian government will drop the requirement for people entering Canada to have a vaccine by the end of September, an official familiar with the matter told the Associated Press on Tuesday. In Canada, as in the United States, foreign nationals are required to be vaccinated upon entry. There is no immediate word from the USA on whether it will follow suit by September 30. Currently, unvaccinated travelers who enter Canada are subject to mandatory arrival tests and a 14-day quarantine. The official stated that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to approve it, but the government…

In Nigeria, floods have killed 300 people this year. The situation could worsen as heavy rains and overflowing water from a dam in Cameroon affect 14 Nigerian states, the disaster management agency reports. A meeting of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was held on Monday to review the flood situation and plan a response. According to NEMA director general Mustapha Habib Ahmed, over 100,000 people have been displaced by flooding since the start of the rainy season. They are now living in temporary shelters. According to Ahmed, Cameroon opened flood gates at its Lagdo dam last week, causing spillover…

As a result of the fighting between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan raging on the border between the two Central Asian nations, Kyrgyzstan said its death toll from the conflict had risen to 36 people, with 129 people hurt during the conflict. Former Soviet republics clashed over a border dispute on September 14-16, with tanks, mortars, rocket artillery and assault drones being used to attack outposts and settlements in the nearby area. There are at least 54 people who have been killed as a result of the conflict. A Reuters report states that Central Asian border issues are mostly a legacy of…

There was severe flooding and landslides across most of Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Fiona on Sunday. This was before the storm barreled its way towards the Dominican Republic, a government agency reported. The storm, hitting Puerto Rico five years after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, tore up asphalt from roads, swept away a major road bridge, closed airports, swamped cars and dumped so much rain that some rivers rose 20 feet in just hours, according to eyewitnesses. At a news conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi said, “This has been catastrophic.” Carmen Yuln Cruz,…

Taitung County in eastern Taiwan was struck by an earthquake of 6.8 magnitude on Sunday, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB). According to data, the earthquake occurred amidst over 60 aftershocks following the quake, without causing any injuries or major damage. Small buildings collapsed, power outages occurred, and water pipes burst as a result of the tremors. According to the Taiwan weather bureau, the quake struck at a depth of 7.3 km (4.5 miles), with its epicentre in Taitung county, a sparsely populated part of the island. The official Central News Agency showed a picture of bottles that had…

There were at least 22 deaths and several injuries in western Nepal as a result of a landslide triggered by heavy rains, officials said on Saturday. As rescue workers searched the disaster site to try to find another ten missing people, police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki told us that rescue workers had pulled the dead and injured from the silt-covered wreckage of five houses that were buried under mud in Achham district, about 450 km west of Kathmandu. During the annual monsoon rains between June and September, flash floods and landslides are frequent in the Himalayan nation’s mountainous terrain. Flash…

A carbon reduction pledge of 43% by 2030 and net zero by 2050 was enshrined in legislation signed into law by Australia’s parliament with the support of the Greens party and independents. Reuters reported that the law is a first step against climate change since the Labor Party won power in May. This defeats a conservative government that had been criticized for being a global laggard. It will be more challenging for the government to pass more environmental legislation. “The passage of climate change legislation sends a message to the world that Australia is serious about driving down emissions, and…

There have been 32 deaths reported as a result of a fire at a karaoke parlor in southern Vietnam. Some parts of the building remain inaccessible more than a day after the blaze broke out. Fire broke out late Tuesday in Thuan An city, Binh Duong province, trapping workers and customers inside the multi-story venue. Despite being quickly contained, the fire continued to smolder the next day. The Vietnam News Agency reported that 32 people had died in the fire as of late Wednesday. At least one karaoke room and one storage room have not yet been accessed due to…