47 Dead in Heavy Rain, Floods in Northern Afghanistan

People remove debris from a house damaged by the flood in Firozkoh the capital city of Ghor Province, Afghanistan, May 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer
People remove debris from a house damaged by the flood in Firozkoh the capital city of Ghor Province, Afghanistan, May 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer
TT

47 Dead in Heavy Rain, Floods in Northern Afghanistan

People remove debris from a house damaged by the flood in Firozkoh the capital city of Ghor Province, Afghanistan, May 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer
People remove debris from a house damaged by the flood in Firozkoh the capital city of Ghor Province, Afghanistan, May 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer

At least 47 people have died after continued heavy rain and flooding in northern Afghanistan, an official said on Sunday, a day after a similar number were killed in a central province.
Shamsudden Mohammedi, head of the information department for Faryab province in the north, told Reuters at least 300 hundred houses were destroyed, based on initial reports.
On Saturday, at least 50 died in the central province of Ghor, said Mawlawi Abdul Hai Zaeem, the head of the province's information department.
Afghanistan is prone to natural disasters, and the United Nations considers it one of countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Last week, flash floods caused by heavy rains devastated villages in northern Afghanistan, killing 315 and injuring more than 1,600, authorities said on Sunday.
On Wednesday, a helicopter used by the Afghan air force crashed due to "technical issues" during attempts to recover the bodies of people who had fallen into a river in Ghor province, killing one and injuring 12, the defense ministry said.



China Urges Philippines to Return to ‘Peaceful Development’

 Soldiers march during a military parade held to mark the 89th founding anniversary of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Camp Aguinaldo in Manila on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Soldiers march during a military parade held to mark the 89th founding anniversary of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Camp Aguinaldo in Manila on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
TT

China Urges Philippines to Return to ‘Peaceful Development’

 Soldiers march during a military parade held to mark the 89th founding anniversary of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Camp Aguinaldo in Manila on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Soldiers march during a military parade held to mark the 89th founding anniversary of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Camp Aguinaldo in Manila on December 20, 2024. (AFP)

China's foreign ministry on Thursday urged the Philippines to return to "peaceful development", saying Manila's decision to deploy a US medium-range missile system in military exercises would only bring the risks of an arms race in the region.

The US Typhon system, which can be equipped with cruise missiles capable of striking Chinese targets, was brought in for joint exercises earlier this year.

On Tuesday, Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro said the Typhon's deployment for joint exercises was "legitimate, legal and beyond reproach". Army chief Roy Galido said on Monday that the Philippines was also planning to acquire its own mid-range missile system.

Rivalry between China and the Philippines has grown in recent years over their competing claims in the South China Sea. Longtime treaty allies Manila and Washington have also deepened military ties, further ratcheting up tensions.

"By cooperating with the United States in the introduction of Typhon, the Philippine side has surrendered its own security and national defense to others and introduced the risk of geopolitical confrontation and an arms race in the region, posing a substantial threat to regional peace and security," said Mao Ning, a spokesperson at China's foreign ministry.

"We once again advise the Philippine side that the only correct choice for safeguarding its security is to adhere to strategic autonomy, good neighborliness and peaceful development," Mao told reporters at a regular press conference.

China will never sit idly by if its security interests were threatened, she added.

The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, which is also claimed by several Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines.