Category: 2. World

BEIJING — At least 38 people have died in the Chinese capital region after it was battered by almost a year’s worth of rain in a handful of days, setting off flooding and landslides, cutting off power and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

The heaviest toll was reported in the Chinese capital of Beijing, where 30 people died, followed by its neighboring province of Hebei with eight fatalities, state-run broadcaster CCTV reported Tuesday.

Intense rainstorms started to hit many parts of northern China as early as Friday, according to the country’s Meteorological Administration.

In an order issued on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country was at a “critical” stage of its summer flood season, urging local officials to prioritize saving lives.

The Chinese central government said Tuesday that it had allocated 350 million yuan ($48 million) in disaster relief funds to flood-struck places such as Beijing and Hebei.

The heaviest downpours in Beijing occurred in the mountainous northern districts of Miyun, where 28 people died, and Yanqing, where two people died, officials said Tuesday, calling the extreme weather event “rare and highly destructive.”

By midnight on Monday, parts of Miyun had received up to about 21 inches of rain, state-backed newspaper Beijing News reported, almost as much as the approximately 23 inches Beijing receives all year.

The rain prompted Beijing officials to issue the highest level of rainstorm alert for the first time this year.

The rain damaged over 30 sections of road and cut off power in more than 130 villages, and about 80,000 Beijing residents were evacuated to safety, CCTV said.

A man surnamed Dong, whose home in Miyun district was flooded, said the waters had carried away his washing machine and two cars.

“I’m 70 and I’ve never seen such a big flood,” Dong told Sky News on Tuesday.

“If me and my wife didn’t climb up to the roof, it would be over for us,” he added.

Li Xiaoya, a 27-year-old editor in Beijing, said he was on a weekend trip to Miyun with his friends when they were woken up early Sunday by their homestay host and told to evacuate.

“I stepped outside only to find that the streets were flooded,” Li told NBC News via messaging app on Tuesday. “I waded through the water to reach the main road, where I saw that most of the villagers had already evacuated to higher ground.”

Li and his fellow travelers drove back to the city safely when daylight broke and the water level largely dropped.

As of 7 a.m. Tuesday local time (7 p.m. Monday ET), Beijing had lowered its rainstorm alert, allowing parks and tourist attractions to reopen.

While the extreme weather in the north is set to gradually weaken, heavy rain will shift to eastern China as the coastal region braces for Typhoon Co-may which is expected to land Wednesday, CCTV reported.

Beijing frequently experiences flooding in summer. In 2023, severe flooding in the city left at least 33 people dead, according to the state-run newspaper People’s Daily.

Fred Dufour reported from Beijing, and Peter Guo and Eve Qiao reported from Hong Kong.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said the Israel-Palestine question was a “test case” for the United Nations and the world as he addressed a high-level conference on the two-state solution in New York.

Dar was addressing a rescheduled global conference on “The Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution” at the United Nations headquarters.

The three-day moot, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, comes amid renewed international efforts calling for an end to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza ongoing for over 660 days, with France announcing it will formally recognise the State of Palestine.

“The Palestinian question is a test case for the United Nations and the world. Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering and principled support for the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination, including their right to a viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” Dar told the conference.

“It is high time for credible and enforceable international action,” he stressed, according to a transcript posted on X by Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s offensive against Gaza has killed more than 60,000 and injured 145,870 others, according to the health ministry in the besieged and bombarded territory.

“First, an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire across Gaza and all Occupied Palestinian Territories.

“Resolution 2735 must be implemented. We commend the efforts of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and the United States,” Dar said, referring to a UN Security Council resolution passed last year for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Second, full and unimpeded humanitarian access, especially life-saving food and medicine. Humanitarian teams must be protected,” the deputy premier said, highlighting the need for reinforced political and financial support for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

“International accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Impunity must end,” Dar further said. The International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued arrest warrants last year for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas’s slain military chief Mohammed Deif.

Dar further noted: “Fifth, the reinvigoration of a genuine and irreversible political process to end the occupation and realise the two-state solution.”

The conference, with 123 countries and global organisations participating, aims to chart a concrete path towards the two-state solution through proposals developed by eight working groups, which have held extensive consultations with UN member states and civil society groups.

During his speech, Dar urged the conference to “ensure universal recognition of the State of Palestine and its full UN membership”, welcoming France’s decision in that regard.

The deputy premier highlighted: “Today, Gaza is a graveyard of international law and humanitarian principles.

“The death and destruction inflicted by Israel, including the killing of over 58,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children — is an unconscionable breach of international humanitarian law, UN resolutions and the binding measures of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).”

The ICJ, in a non-binding ruling, had ordered Israel in January 2024 to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians, but had stopped short of ordering a ceasefire as requested by South Africa. In July that year, it also ruled that Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory was “illegal” and needed to end as soon as possible.

At the moot, the deputy PM also called attention to Israel’s blocking of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which Tel Aviv eased on Sunday.

“The blockade of aid, deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure, including refugee camps, hospitals and aid convoys, has crossed every red line of legality and humanity. This collective punishment must stop now!” Dar emphasised.

“For over 75 years, the Palestinian people have endured occupation, displacement and denial of their fundamental rights, including their inalienable right to self-determination. This prolonged injustice is not just a political failure, but a moral stain — and a persistent threat to international peace and security.”

Detailing Pakistan’s will to support Palestinians, Dar said: “Pakistan stands ready to extend dedicated technical assistance and capacity building support to our Palestinian brothers and sisters in key sectors such as public administration, health, education and service delivery, in coordination with the Palestinian leadership.

“Pakistan is prepared to contribute to the building of institutions, including through participation in the Arab-OIC Plan, and any international protection mechanism,” he added.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. But when justice is denied for generations, the consequences are even graver.

“The question of Palestine has impacted the entire region and beyond. We must give hope to the Palestinian people. The occupation must end, and end now. It is time for freedom, self-determination and statehood, and Palestine’s full membership of the UN. That will be the best guarantee for lasting peace in the region,” the foreign minister asserted.

Speaking on the outcomes of the conference, Dar underscored the “centrality of the two-state solution as the only path to sustainable peace”. He called on the moot to demand Israel’s immediate withdrawal from Gaza and support its reconstruction as envisaged in Resolution 2735 and a plan by Arab countries.

“Four: reject and halt any attempts at the forced displacement or demographic manipulation. Five: Oppose illegal Israeli settlements and annexation, especially in the West Bank and East Jerusalem,” the foreign minister said, addressing the UN member states present.

The deputy premier also supported a proposal by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to “provide international protection for the Palestinian people through the deployment of an international protection mechanism”.

Dar meets with Palestinian PM

On the sidelines of the UN conference, Dar met with Palestinian PM Mohammad Mustafa and held a “detailed exchange on the grave situation in Gaza and Occupied Palestinian Territory”.

“I conveyed deep sorrow over the immense suffering endured by innocent Palestinians, and reaffirmed Pakistan’s full solidarity with them,” the deputy PM said on X.

He reiterated Pakistan’s firm commitment to lasting peace and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders.

“We expressed hope that the conference would lead to concrete outcomes in support of the Palestinian cause and the realisation of the two-state solution,” Dar wrote.

Mustafa also addressed the conference, saying: “What is happening in Gaza is its latest and most brutal manifestation, and we are more than ever compelled to act.”

Dar, Kuwait FM discuss close collaboration at multilateral forums

Separately, Dar also held a meeting with Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya in New York and discussed close collaboration at multilateral forums.

Pakistan established diplomatic relations with Kuwait in October 1963. The two countries maintain strong brotherly relations rooted in shared religion and culture, with the oil-rich Gulf state hosting nearly 100,000 Pakistanis.

Dar met with the Kuwaiti minister on the sidelines of the international conference on the two-state solution.

The two leaders “discussed close collaboration at multilateral fora, including at the UN and OIC”, a statement by the Foreign Office said.

“The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen Pakistan–Kuwait relations, with a focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, energy, food security and defence.”

Both sides agreed to undertake high-level exchanges soon to deepen bilateral engagement, the FO added.

The two foreign ministers also expressed their “deep concern at continuing Israeli acts of aggression against Palestinians and worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza”, stressing the urgent need for a just and lasting resolution.

Pakistan, Bangladesh reaffirm aim to boost ties

Dar also met with Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain on the sidelines of the conference, which the FO noted was their fourth meeting since October 2024.

“The two leaders reviewed bilateral ties, reaffirmed commitment to deepen political, economic and cultural cooperation, as well as boost connectivity and people-to-people exchanges,” the FO said on X.

“Both agreed to undertake high-level visits in the near future,” it said, adding that the two diplomats also expressed their concern over the “grave humanitarian crisis and ongoing Israeli aggression” in Gaza.

A lone attacker armed with an assault-style rifle killed four people, including a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer, before fatally shooting himself inside a skyscraper in New York’s Manhattan area, according to the police.

The shooting is still under “active investigation”, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters at a news conference late on Monday. Police said the motive behind the shooting was still unknown.

The rampage happened at the skyscraper – home to the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL) and Blackstone, one of the world’s largest investment firms, among others.

So, who were the victims of the latest mass shooting in the United States? Who was the suspect, and what was his motive?

What more do we know about the shooting?

The incident took place after 6pm local time (22:00 GMT) on Monday at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.

Police Commissioner Tisch said surveillance video showed the man exiting a BMW just before 6:30pm carrying an M4 rifle, then marching across a public plaza into the building.

Then he started firing, killing a police officer working a corporate security detail and then hitting a woman who tried to take cover as he sprayed the lobby with gunfire.

The man made his way to the lift and shot a guard at a security desk, and shot another man in the lobby.

He then took the lift to the 33rd-floor offices of the company that owned the building, Rudin Management, and shot dead one person on that floor.

The bloodshed came to an end when the attacker fatally shot himself in the chest.

Local TV footage showed lines of people evacuating the office building with their hands above their heads in the hours after the killings.

“It felt like it was a quick two shots and then it was rapid fire,” Nekeisha Lewis told The Associated Press news agency.

Windows shattered, and a man ran from the building saying, “Help, help. I’m shot,” Lewis, who was eating dinner with friends on the plaza, said.

This shooting is the 254th mass shooting in the US this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive – a nonprofit that tracks gun-related violence.

The group defines a mass shooting incident as one in which four or more people, excluding the attacker, are killed or injured by firearms.

Where in Manhattan did the shooting occur?

“What we know so far,” said Tisch, is that “surveillance video shows a male exit a double-parked black BMW on Park Avenue between 51st and 52nd streets, carrying an M4 rifle in his right hand.”

He then walked into the 44-storey skyscraper at 345 Park Avenue, which is home to several big firms, including KPMG and Deutsche Bank.

The building, about a block east of St Patrick’s Cathedral, is located near Rockefeller Centre, just a few blocks south of Central Park.

The shooting took place at the end of a workday, in the same part of Manhattan where the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare was shot dead outside a hotel late last year.

What do we know about Shane Tamura, the suspect?

“The shooter is believed to be Shane Tamura, a 27-year-old male with a Las Vegas address,” Tisch said.

“His motives are still under investigation. We are working to understand why he targeted this particular location,” she added.

Preliminary checks of the suspect’s background did not show a significant criminal history. However, he did have a history of mental illness.

Investigators searched the suspect’s car at the scene and found a rifle case with rounds, a loaded revolver and ammunition, as well as a backpack and medication prescribed to the attacker, Tisch said.

She said an initial investigation shows Tamura’s vehicle travelled across the country, passing through Colorado on July 26, then Nebraska and Iowa on July 27.

The car was in Columbia, New Jersey, as recently as 4:24pm on Monday. He drove into New York City shortly thereafter, she said.

Tisch also said there were no indications that Tamura had prior connections to the city.

What do we know about the victims and the officer who was killed?

NYPD officer Didarul Islam, who was among the victims, was hailed as a hero. The 36-year-old was an immigrant from Bangladesh who had served as a police officer for the past three and a half years, Tisch said.

“He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He put himself in harm’s way. He made the ultimate sacrifice,” she said. “He died as he lived – a hero.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams described him as a “true blue” hero.

“He was saving lives, he was protecting New Yorkers,” Adams said. “He loved this city, and everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God.”

Islam was married, with two young boys. “His wife is pregnant with their third child,” Tisch said.

Authorities offered few details about the three other victims killed by the suspect – two men and a woman.

The final victim was struck in Rudin Management’s office. It is one of the oldest real estate firms in New York, and owns the entire building.

A third male was gravely wounded by the gunfire and was “fighting for his life” in a nearby hospital, Mayor Adams said.

Later, the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, identified an employee of the league as the injured victim.

“As has been widely reported, a gunman committed an unspeakable act of violence in our building at 345 Park Avenue. One of our employees was seriously injured in this attack. He is currently in the hospital and in stable condition,” Goodell said in a message to employees.

Commissioner Tisch said the names of the victims were being withheld until their families were notified.

Is the area safe now?

After the shooting, a large police presence converged on the area around the tower, according to the Reuters news agency.

But by the early hours of Tuesday morning, police were allowing some 345 Park Avenue office workers back into the building to collect their belongings.

Heavy rain has killed at least 30 people and forced authorities to evacuate tens of thousands after swaths of northern China were lashed by torrential downpours that prompted landslides, according to state media.

Weather authorities have issued their second-highest rainstorm warning for the capital Beijing, neighbouring Hebei and Tianjin, as well as 10 other provinces in northern, eastern and southern China, state news agency Xinhua said on Tuesday.

The rains are expected to last into Wednesday, it added.

As of midnight on Monday, “the latest round of heavy rainstorms has left 30 people dead in Beijing,” Xinhua said, citing the city’s municipal flood control headquarters.

More than 80,000 people have been evacuated in the Chinese capital alone, local state-run outlet Beijing Daily said on social media.

The death toll was highest in Miyun, a suburban district northeast of the city centre, it said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged authorities late on Monday to plan for worst-case scenarios and rush the relocation of residents of flood-threatened areas.

Beijing Daily said local officials had “made all-out efforts to search and rescue missing persons … and made every effort to reduce casualties”.

The government has allocated 350 million yuan ($48m) for disaster relief in nine regions hit by heavy rains, state broadcaster CCTV said on Tuesday.

They include northern Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, northeastern Jilin, eastern Shandong and southern Guangdong.

A separate 200 million yuan ($27m) has been set aside for the capital, the broadcaster said.

No 10 sees Trump’s language on Gaza as a toughening of his outlookpublished at 08:12 British Summer Time

08:12 BST

Chris Mason
Political editor, reporting from Aberdeenshire

Donald Trump is on his first trip to the UK since his re-election, visiting his new golf course north of Aberdeen.

Yesterday Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer spent more than half an hour talking one on one, before a classic of the Trumpian genre – a rolling, free-wheeling question-and-answer session with reporters, lasting more than an hour.

Both leaders agreed on the need for more aid to enter into Gaza, with Trump saying there is “real starvation” in the territory.

Downing Street is pleased that the president’s language on Gaza amounts to what they see as a toughening of his outlook and what they hope might be an alignment with the discussions the UK, France and Germany have been having in recent days.

Let’s see.

Later today, the cabinet will gather at 14:00 for a rare summer meeting, some ministers attending in person in Downing Street, others joining remotely.

The focus will be on Gaza – and the latest move from many to see if, collectively, the beginnings of a solution can be found to the horrific pictures we’re currently seeing from the Middle East.