PESHAWAR: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai has called for the rebuilding of 11 schools torched by suspected Islamic extremists in northern Pakistan.
No one was wounded in the attacks early Friday as the buildings were closed at the time. Police have yet to arrest any suspects, but local police chief Mohammad Ajmal said his forces were working with intelligence agencies and questioning individuals with links to militant groups.
Yousafzai tweeted about the attack, saying “extremists have shown what frightens them most — a girl with a book.” Yousafzai, 21, was shot and wounded by the Pakistani Taliban in 2012 for promoting girls’ education.
Imran Khan, who is expected to become the next prime minister after his party won the most seats in last month’s elections, also condemned the attack on the schools and vowed to improve security once he takes office.
Human Rights Watch, a New York-based advocacy group, called on Pakistan to take urgent measures to make schools safer and to fairly prosecute those responsible for such attacks.
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Malala calls for rebuilding of schools torched in Pakistan
Malala calls for rebuilding of schools torched in Pakistan
- No one was wounded in the attacks
- Pakistan’s prime Minister-designate Imran Khan also condemned the attack on the schools and vowed to improve security once he takes office
Chile declares emergency after wildfires force 20,000 to evacuate
SANTIAGO: Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency on Sunday for two southern regions where raging wildfires have forced about 20,000 people to evacuate their homes.
Firefighters were battling 19 blazes across the country, 12 of which were in the regions of Nuble and Biobio, south of the capital Santiago.
“In the face of the ongoing serious fires, I have decided to declare a state of natural disaster for the Nuble and Biobio regions,” the left-wing president said in a post on X.
“All resources are available.”
The government has not said whether the fires killed anyone or how many homes had been impacted.
Alicia Cebrian, the director of the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response, told local media that about 20,000 people had been evacuated.
She said most of the evacuations were in the Bibio cities of Penco and Lirquen, which have a combined population of around 60,000 people.
Images broadcast by local television showed the flames in both cities, with charred cars in the streets.
Wildfires have severely impacted south-central Chile in recent years.
In February 2024, several fires broke out simultaneously near the city of Vina del Mar, northwest of Santiago, resulting in 138 deaths, according to the public prosecutor’s office.
About 16,000 people were affected by those fires, authorities said.
Firefighters were battling 19 blazes across the country, 12 of which were in the regions of Nuble and Biobio, south of the capital Santiago.
“In the face of the ongoing serious fires, I have decided to declare a state of natural disaster for the Nuble and Biobio regions,” the left-wing president said in a post on X.
“All resources are available.”
The government has not said whether the fires killed anyone or how many homes had been impacted.
Alicia Cebrian, the director of the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response, told local media that about 20,000 people had been evacuated.
She said most of the evacuations were in the Bibio cities of Penco and Lirquen, which have a combined population of around 60,000 people.
Images broadcast by local television showed the flames in both cities, with charred cars in the streets.
Wildfires have severely impacted south-central Chile in recent years.
In February 2024, several fires broke out simultaneously near the city of Vina del Mar, northwest of Santiago, resulting in 138 deaths, according to the public prosecutor’s office.
About 16,000 people were affected by those fires, authorities said.
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