Les inondations au Texas ont fait plus de 100 morts

Les inondations dévastatrices ayant ravagé le Texas, dans le sud des Etats-Unis, ont fait plus de 100 morts, selon un nouveau bilan annoncé lundi par les autorités locales.Le seul comté de Kerr, le plus durement touché, dénombre 84 victimes, dont 28 enfants. Au total, au moins 104 décès liés aux inondations ont été signalés dans le centre de l’Etat.Le gouverneur du Texas, Greg Abbott, a averti lundi dans un communiqué qu’il y avait “toujours une menace de fortes pluies susceptibles de provoquer des inondations”, tandis que les recherches se poursuivent.”Le Texas est en deuil. La douleur, le choc de ce qui s’est passé ces derniers jours ont brisé le coeur de notre État”, a déclaré lors d’une conférence de presse le sénateur texan Ted Cruz.Parmi les victimes figurent 27 enfants et moniteurs du camp de vacances chrétien pour filles de Camp Mystic, sur les rives du fleuve Guadalupe, qui accueillait quelque 750 personnes, ont annoncé ses responsables.Le président américain Donald Trump prévoit de se rendre sur place vendredi, a confirmé la Maison Blanche, fustigeant les critiques selon lesquelles les coupes budgétaires dans les services météorologiques nationaux ont porté atteinte à la fiabilité des prévisions et des alertes.”Tenir le président Trump pour responsable de ces inondations est un mensonge odieux, qui n’a aucun sens en cette période de deuil national”, a dénoncé lundi la porte-parole Karoline Leavitt devant les journalistes.Elle a affirmé que les services météorologiques américains (NWS) — dont plusieurs postes au Texas étaient vacants lors des inondations, selon le New York Times — avaient émis des “prévisions et alertes à la fois précises et en temps voulu”.- “Cauchemar” -Estimant que les inondations étaient “une catastrophe comme l’on n’en a pas vue en 100 ans”, Donald Trump a signé pendant le week-end une déclaration de catastrophe afin de fournir au Texas les moyens du gouvernement fédéral.Plus de 400 secouristes ainsi que des hélicoptères et des drones participent aux recherches, ont précisé les autorités.Dans la localité de Hunt, à proximité de Camp Mystic, les équipes de secours ont tenté toute la journée lundi de retrouver les corps manquants. Des sauveteurs en bateau et des plongeurs fouillent les eaux du fleuve, tandis que des volontaires patrouillent à cheval sur les berges, a constaté un journaliste de l’AFP.Après deux jours de recherches au milieu des arbres déracinés et des décombres du centre de vacances, espérant jusqu’au bout “un miracle”, Michael McCown a confirmé lundi à l’AFP que sa fille de huit ans, Linnie, était décédée. “C’est le cauchemar de tous les parents”, a dit le sénateur Ted Cruz, dont les enfants fréquentent ce camp depuis une dizaine d’années.- Sirène d’alerte -Des habitants de la zone se sont plaints au cours du week-end de ne pas avoir été avertis suffisamment tôt des risques d’inondations.Après la catastrophe, Nicole Wilson, une mère de famille résidant à San Antonio,  et qui a failli envoyer ses filles à Camp Mystic, a lancé une pétition demandant au gouverneur de l’Etat d’approuver la mise en place d’un réseau d’alerte plus moderne.”Une sirène déclenchée, rien que cinq minutes, aurait pu sauver chacun de ces enfants”, a-t-elle déclaré à l’AFP.Les crues subites ont été provoquées par des pluies diluviennes dans le centre de l’Etat très tôt vendredi, jour de la fête nationale américaine, qui ont fait monter les eaux du Guadalupe de huit mètres en seulement 45 minutes. Il est soudain tombé près de 300 millimètres/heure de pluie, soit un tiers des précipitations annuelles moyennes.Le fleuve Guadalupe a retrouvé son lit, mais les rives offraient toujours un spectacle de désolation.Des alertes aux inondations étaient toujours en vigueur lundi dans certains secteurs du centre du Texas jusqu’à 19H00 locales (mardi minuit GMT).Les crues soudaines, provoquées par des pluies torrentielles que le sol asséché ne peut pas absorber, ne sont pas rares. Mais selon la communauté scientifique, le changement climatique provoqué par l’activité humaine a rendu plus fréquents et plus intenses les événements météorologiques comme les crues, les sécheresses et les canicules.

S.Leone islanders despair as rising ocean threatens survivalTue, 08 Jul 2025 05:33:39 GMT

Wading through water up to his knees, Hassan Kargbo points to the vast ocean before him, which is eroding the land and imperilling residents’ survival on his island off Sierra Leone.”Where we are now, it used to be my house, and we used to have a big football field,” Kargbo said, but “the water destroyed …

S.Leone islanders despair as rising ocean threatens survivalTue, 08 Jul 2025 05:33:39 GMT Read More »

Major garment producer Bangladesh seeks deal after 35% US tariff

Bangladesh, the world’s second-biggest garment manufacturer, holds hope to reduce the 35 percent tariff that US President Donald Trump said he will impose, the country’s top commerce official told AFP on Tuesday.Textile and garment production accounts for about 80 percent of exports in Bangladesh and the industry has been rebuilding after it was hit hard in a student-led revolution that toppled the government last year.”There is a hope for getting a reduced rate of tariffs as USTR (Office of the United States Trade Representative) sent another draft document for review,” Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman told AFP.Rahman said the South Asia nation’s national security adviser and commerce adviser were “working on the issue” in the United States.Bangladesh exported $8.36 billion worth of goods to the United States in 2024, while imports from there amounted to $2.21 billion, according to the Bangladesh Bank and the National Board of Revenue.US clothing companies that source products from Bangladesh range from Fruit of the Loom to Levi Strauss to VF Corp — whose brands include Vans, Timberland and The North Face.Trump hit Bangladesh with 37 percent tariffs in an April 2 announcement, but in a letter issued Tuesday, the US leader said it would now be 35 percent.That is more than double the 16 percent already placed on cotton products.Dhaka has proposed to buy Boeing planes and boost imports of US wheat, cotton and oil in a bid to reduce the trade deficit, which Trump has used as justification for imposing painful levies.Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), called it “a big challenge for the garment sector”.”We had expected the tariff imposed on us to be between 10 to 20 percent,” he said, adding he expected Dhaka’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus to “raise the issue with the United States”.Former BGMEA director Mohiuddin Rubel warned the impact as tariffs stand would be dire.”The new tariffs raise worries about job losses in Bangladesh as the US is its main export market,” he said.”Bangladesh needs to act quickly by engaging US importers to push for policy changes, resuming high-level trade talks, and highlighting the importance of its products.”

Major garment producer Bangladesh seeks deal after 35% US tariff

Bangladesh, the world’s second-biggest garment manufacturer, holds hope to reduce the 35 percent tariff that US President Donald Trump said he will impose, the country’s top commerce official told AFP on Tuesday.Textile and garment production accounts for about 80 percent of exports in Bangladesh and the industry has been rebuilding after it was hit hard in a student-led revolution that toppled the government last year.”There is a hope for getting a reduced rate of tariffs as USTR (Office of the United States Trade Representative) sent another draft document for review,” Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman told AFP.Rahman said the South Asia nation’s national security adviser and commerce adviser were “working on the issue” in the United States.Bangladesh exported $8.36 billion worth of goods to the United States in 2024, while imports from there amounted to $2.21 billion, according to the Bangladesh Bank and the National Board of Revenue.US clothing companies that source products from Bangladesh range from Fruit of the Loom to Levi Strauss to VF Corp — whose brands include Vans, Timberland and The North Face.Trump hit Bangladesh with 37 percent tariffs in an April 2 announcement, but in a letter issued Tuesday, the US leader said it would now be 35 percent.That is more than double the 16 percent already placed on cotton products.Dhaka has proposed to buy Boeing planes and boost imports of US wheat, cotton and oil in a bid to reduce the trade deficit, which Trump has used as justification for imposing painful levies.Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), called it “a big challenge for the garment sector”.”We had expected the tariff imposed on us to be between 10 to 20 percent,” he said, adding he expected Dhaka’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus to “raise the issue with the United States”.Former BGMEA director Mohiuddin Rubel warned the impact as tariffs stand would be dire.”The new tariffs raise worries about job losses in Bangladesh as the US is its main export market,” he said.”Bangladesh needs to act quickly by engaging US importers to push for policy changes, resuming high-level trade talks, and highlighting the importance of its products.”

Trump says new tariff deadline ‘not 100 percent firm’

US President Donald Trump reignited his trade war by threatening more than a dozen countries with higher tariffs Monday — but then said he may be flexible on his new August deadline to reach deals.Trump sent letters to trading partners including key US allies Japan and South Korea, announcing that duties he had suspended in April would snap back even more steeply in three weeks.Tokyo and Seoul would be hit with 25 percent tariffs on their goods, he wrote. Countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia were slapped with duties ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent.But in a move that will cause fresh uncertainty in a global economy already unsettled by his tariffs, the 79-year-old once again left the countries room to negotiate a deal.”I would say firm, but not 100 percent firm,” Trump told reporters at a dinner with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when asked if August 1 deadline was firm.Pressed on whether the letters were his final offer, Trump replied: “I would say final — but if they call with a different offer, and I like it, then we’ll do it.”The US president had unveiled sweeping tariffs on imports on what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, including a baseline 10 percent tariff on all countries.But he quickly suspended all tariffs above 10 percent for 90 days following turmoil in the markets. They were due to kick back in on Wednesday and Trump sent the letters in advance of that deadline.Trump’s near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders said he would impose 25 percent tariffs as their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”He warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against the levies.But Trump on Monday also signed an order formally extending the Wednesday deadline, postponing it to August 1.- ‘President’s prerogative’ -The new August date effectively marks a further delay — and Trump’s latest comments threaten to compound the uncertainty over when the deadline really is.According to letters posted to Trump’s Truth Social platform, products from Indonesia will face a 32 percent tariff, while the level for Bangladesh is 35 percent and Thailand, 36 percent.Most countries receiving letters so far had duties similar or unchanged from rates threatened in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia saw notably lower levels.The Trump administration is under pressure to show results after promising “90 deals in 90 days.” So far only two firm deals have emerged, with Britain and Vietnam, plus an agreement to dial back super-high tit-for-tat tariffs with China.Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a cabinet meeting Monday that the announcement of the 25 percent tariffs is “genuinely regrettable,” local media reported.South Korea’s National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac meanwhile met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington, expressing hope that a bilateral summit could soon be held to achieve “mutually beneficial outcomes across key pending issues.”Asked why Trump opted to start with Japan and South Korea, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “It’s the president’s prerogative, and those are the countries he chose.”Thailand’s acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Tuesday he wanted a “better deal” than the 36 percent tariff Trump threatened to impose, adding: “The most important thing is that we maintain good relations with the US.”Malaysia said it was “committed to continuing engagement with the US towards a balanced, mutually beneficial, and comprehensive trade agreement,” its trade ministry said in a statement, after Washington imposed a 25 percent tariff on the Southeast Asian nation.US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be more deals coming up: “We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours.”Major US stock indexes fell from records Monday on Trump’s fresh threats. The Nasdaq tumbled 0.9 percent and the S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent.Trump has also threatened an extra 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of “Anti-American policies” after they slammed his duties at a summit.But partners are still rushing to avert Trump’s tariffs altogether.The European Commission said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a “good exchange” with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.

Trump says new tariff deadline ‘not 100 percent firm’

US President Donald Trump reignited his trade war by threatening more than a dozen countries with higher tariffs Monday — but then said he may be flexible on his new August deadline to reach deals.Trump sent letters to trading partners including key US allies Japan and South Korea, announcing that duties he had suspended in April would snap back even more steeply in three weeks.Tokyo and Seoul would be hit with 25 percent tariffs on their goods, he wrote. Countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia were slapped with duties ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent.But in a move that will cause fresh uncertainty in a global economy already unsettled by his tariffs, the 79-year-old once again left the countries room to negotiate a deal.”I would say firm, but not 100 percent firm,” Trump told reporters at a dinner with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when asked if August 1 deadline was firm.Pressed on whether the letters were his final offer, Trump replied: “I would say final — but if they call with a different offer, and I like it, then we’ll do it.”The US president had unveiled sweeping tariffs on imports on what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, including a baseline 10 percent tariff on all countries.But he quickly suspended all tariffs above 10 percent for 90 days following turmoil in the markets. They were due to kick back in on Wednesday and Trump sent the letters in advance of that deadline.Trump’s near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders said he would impose 25 percent tariffs as their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”He warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against the levies.But Trump on Monday also signed an order formally extending the Wednesday deadline, postponing it to August 1.- ‘President’s prerogative’ -The new August date effectively marks a further delay — and Trump’s latest comments threaten to compound the uncertainty over when the deadline really is.According to letters posted to Trump’s Truth Social platform, products from Indonesia will face a 32 percent tariff, while the level for Bangladesh is 35 percent and Thailand, 36 percent.Most countries receiving letters so far had duties similar or unchanged from rates threatened in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia saw notably lower levels.The Trump administration is under pressure to show results after promising “90 deals in 90 days.” So far only two firm deals have emerged, with Britain and Vietnam, plus an agreement to dial back super-high tit-for-tat tariffs with China.Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a cabinet meeting Monday that the announcement of the 25 percent tariffs is “genuinely regrettable,” local media reported.South Korea’s National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac meanwhile met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington, expressing hope that a bilateral summit could soon be held to achieve “mutually beneficial outcomes across key pending issues.”Asked why Trump opted to start with Japan and South Korea, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “It’s the president’s prerogative, and those are the countries he chose.”Thailand’s acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Tuesday he wanted a “better deal” than the 36 percent tariff Trump threatened to impose, adding: “The most important thing is that we maintain good relations with the US.”Malaysia said it was “committed to continuing engagement with the US towards a balanced, mutually beneficial, and comprehensive trade agreement,” its trade ministry said in a statement, after Washington imposed a 25 percent tariff on the Southeast Asian nation.US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be more deals coming up: “We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours.”Major US stock indexes fell from records Monday on Trump’s fresh threats. The Nasdaq tumbled 0.9 percent and the S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent.Trump has also threatened an extra 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of “Anti-American policies” after they slammed his duties at a summit.But partners are still rushing to avert Trump’s tariffs altogether.The European Commission said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a “good exchange” with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.

Trump says new tariff deadline ‘not 100 percent firm’

US President Donald Trump reignited his trade war by threatening more than a dozen countries with higher tariffs Monday — but then said he may be flexible on his new August deadline to reach deals.Trump sent letters to trading partners including key US allies Japan and South Korea, announcing that duties he had suspended in April would snap back even more steeply in three weeks.Tokyo and Seoul would be hit with 25 percent tariffs on their goods, he wrote. Countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia were slapped with duties ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent.But in a move that will cause fresh uncertainty in a global economy already unsettled by his tariffs, the 79-year-old once again left the countries room to negotiate a deal.”I would say firm, but not 100 percent firm,” Trump told reporters at a dinner with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when asked if August 1 deadline was firm.Pressed on whether the letters were his final offer, Trump replied: “I would say final — but if they call with a different offer, and I like it, then we’ll do it.”The US president had unveiled sweeping tariffs on imports on what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, including a baseline 10 percent tariff on all countries.But he quickly suspended all tariffs above 10 percent for 90 days following turmoil in the markets. They were due to kick back in on Wednesday and Trump sent the letters in advance of that deadline.Trump’s near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders said he would impose 25 percent tariffs as their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”He warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against the levies.But Trump on Monday also signed an order formally extending the Wednesday deadline, postponing it to August 1.- ‘President’s prerogative’ -The new August date effectively marks a further delay — and Trump’s latest comments threaten to compound the uncertainty over when the deadline really is.According to letters posted to Trump’s Truth Social platform, products from Indonesia will face a 32 percent tariff, while the level for Bangladesh is 35 percent and Thailand, 36 percent.Most countries receiving letters so far had duties similar or unchanged from rates threatened in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia saw notably lower levels.The Trump administration is under pressure to show results after promising “90 deals in 90 days.” So far only two firm deals have emerged, with Britain and Vietnam, plus an agreement to dial back super-high tit-for-tat tariffs with China.Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a cabinet meeting Monday that the announcement of the 25 percent tariffs is “genuinely regrettable,” local media reported.South Korea’s National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac meanwhile met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington, expressing hope that a bilateral summit could soon be held to achieve “mutually beneficial outcomes across key pending issues.”Asked why Trump opted to start with Japan and South Korea, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “It’s the president’s prerogative, and those are the countries he chose.”Thailand’s acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Tuesday he wanted a “better deal” than the 36 percent tariff Trump threatened to impose, adding: “The most important thing is that we maintain good relations with the US.”Malaysia said it was “committed to continuing engagement with the US towards a balanced, mutually beneficial, and comprehensive trade agreement,” its trade ministry said in a statement, after Washington imposed a 25 percent tariff on the Southeast Asian nation.US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be more deals coming up: “We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours.”Major US stock indexes fell from records Monday on Trump’s fresh threats. The Nasdaq tumbled 0.9 percent and the S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent.Trump has also threatened an extra 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of “Anti-American policies” after they slammed his duties at a summit.But partners are still rushing to avert Trump’s tariffs altogether.The European Commission said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a “good exchange” with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.

Trump says new tariff deadline ‘not 100 percent firm’

US President Donald Trump reignited his trade war by threatening more than a dozen countries with higher tariffs Monday — but then said he may be flexible on his new August deadline to reach deals.Trump sent letters to trading partners including key US allies Japan and South Korea, announcing that duties he had suspended in April would snap back even more steeply in three weeks.Tokyo and Seoul would be hit with 25 percent tariffs on their goods, he wrote. Countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia were slapped with duties ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent.But in a move that will cause fresh uncertainty in a global economy already unsettled by his tariffs, the 79-year-old once again left the countries room to negotiate a deal.”I would say firm, but not 100 percent firm,” Trump told reporters at a dinner with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when asked if August 1 deadline was firm.Pressed on whether the letters were his final offer, Trump replied: “I would say final — but if they call with a different offer, and I like it, then we’ll do it.”The US president had unveiled sweeping tariffs on imports on what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, including a baseline 10 percent tariff on all countries.But he quickly suspended all tariffs above 10 percent for 90 days following turmoil in the markets. They were due to kick back in on Wednesday and Trump sent the letters in advance of that deadline.Trump’s near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders said he would impose 25 percent tariffs as their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”He warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against the levies.But Trump on Monday also signed an order formally extending the Wednesday deadline, postponing it to August 1.- ‘President’s prerogative’ -The new August date effectively marks a further delay — and Trump’s latest comments threaten to compound the uncertainty over when the deadline really is.According to letters posted to Trump’s Truth Social platform, products from Indonesia will face a 32 percent tariff, while the level for Bangladesh is 35 percent and Thailand, 36 percent.Most countries receiving letters so far had duties similar or unchanged from rates threatened in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia saw notably lower levels.The Trump administration is under pressure to show results after promising “90 deals in 90 days.” So far only two firm deals have emerged, with Britain and Vietnam, plus an agreement to dial back super-high tit-for-tat tariffs with China.Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a cabinet meeting Monday that the announcement of the 25 percent tariffs is “genuinely regrettable,” local media reported.South Korea’s National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac meanwhile met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington, expressing hope that a bilateral summit could soon be held to achieve “mutually beneficial outcomes across key pending issues.”Asked why Trump opted to start with Japan and South Korea, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “It’s the president’s prerogative, and those are the countries he chose.”Thailand’s acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Tuesday he wanted a “better deal” than the 36 percent tariff Trump threatened to impose, adding: “The most important thing is that we maintain good relations with the US.”Malaysia said it was “committed to continuing engagement with the US towards a balanced, mutually beneficial, and comprehensive trade agreement,” its trade ministry said in a statement, after Washington imposed a 25 percent tariff on the Southeast Asian nation.US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be more deals coming up: “We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours.”Major US stock indexes fell from records Monday on Trump’s fresh threats. The Nasdaq tumbled 0.9 percent and the S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent.Trump has also threatened an extra 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of “Anti-American policies” after they slammed his duties at a summit.But partners are still rushing to avert Trump’s tariffs altogether.The European Commission said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a “good exchange” with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.