Summit in Accra of the leaders of a West Africa destabilized by the putschs

The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meet Thursday in Accra, while three countries in this region hit by jihadists, Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso, are led by military putschists and were suspended from its instances. West Africa has been destabilized by four coups in 18 months, two in Mali, one in Guinea and the most recent, less than 10 days ago, in Burkina Faso. This country should occupy an important place during the summit which should begin at 10:00 am (local and GMT), after the visit to Ouagadougou of two delegations - chiefs of staff then ministers of the region - who met the new man strong from Burkina, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. Welcoming Monday "frank discussions", Ghana's Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey found the Burkinabè junta "very open to suggestions and proposals" made by ECOWAS. She and other members of the delegation were able to meet ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who is under house arrest and who they said is doing "very well". They demanded his release.

Weather disasters have killed 140,000 Europeans in 40 years

Extreme weather events such as heat waves and floods, which are set to increase in the years to come as a result of climate change, have cost some 142,000 lives and nearly 510 billion euros in Europe over the past forty years, according to a report released Thursday. In its study, the European Environment Agency (EEA), headquartered in Copenhagen, calls for continued adaptation measures at both individual and state level, with only a quarter of recorded damage being insured. "Climate" events, mainly heat waves, but also cold spells, droughts and forest fires, account for 93% of the total number of deaths and 22% of financial damage, according to the report based on data from the CATDAT organization. If the human losses they caused are much lower, floods were the costliest disasters in money, 44% of the total bill, ahead of storms (34%), according to this report. A few very serious events concentrate the bulk of the balance sheet: 3% of the disasters identified are thus responsible for approximately 60% of the financial cost for the period 1980-2020. The 2003 heat wave alone caused the death of some 80,000 people in the 32 European countries studied, including the 27 members of the European Union as well as Turkey and the United Kingdom. Globally, the World Meteorological Organization estimates that the number of weather-related disasters has increased over the past 50 years, causing more property damage but fewer deaths.

IN SHORT

Several members of the International Olympic Committee were alarmed Thursday by the biennial World Cup football project advocated for several months by Fifa, which risks exhausting internationals and competing with many other sports.

Argentina: At least twenty people died and 74 were hospitalized in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, after massive poisoning due to adulterated cocaine, authorities announced.

The National Butterfly Center in Texas, near the border with Mexico, announced it will close its doors from Thursday for security reasons, saying it is the target of threats from supporters of Donald Trump.