The death toll from the devastating twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen above 4,000, according to the country’s government, while thousands of people remain missing.

Parliament chief Jorge Rodriguez said in a Telegram post that at least 4,118 people have died and 16,740 others have been injured in the back-to-back earthquakes. The powerful tremors caused widespread destruction across the coastal state of La Guaira, reducing residential buildings and entire neighbourhoods to rubble.

Twin earthquakes caused widespread devastation

The disaster began with a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, followed just 39 seconds later by an even stronger 7.5-magnitude quake. Authorities described the second earthquake as the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.

The twin shocks caused severe structural damage, with several high-rise apartment buildings collapsing completely. Thousands of people are still listed as missing as families continue searching through the debris for their loved ones.

Although official rescue teams have concluded search operations for survivors, many relatives remain at the disaster sites in the hope of recovering the bodies of missing family members for proper burial.

Recovery efforts face major challenges

The humanitarian response continues to face significant obstacles as Venezuela works to recover from one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters. The scale of rebuilding is expected to be enormous, particularly as the nation continues to grapple with long-standing economic difficulties that have affected public services.

Adding to public concern, a 3.0-magnitude tremor struck central Caracas on Friday, briefly triggering panic and prompting evacuations from several buildings.

The United Nations has appealed for nearly $300 million in emergency funding to support earthquake relief operations.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez has urged the release of frozen national assets held overseas to assist with reconstruction efforts. She also said she had requested King Charles III to release around 30 tonnes of Venezuelan gold frozen under UK sanctions to help finance the country’s recovery.

France captain Kylian Mbappe etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after becoming the first footballer to score 20 World Cup goals before the age of 30 during France’s 2-0 quarter-final victory over Morocco in Boston.

Mbappe broke the deadlock in the second half with his eighth goal of the ongoing tournament. The strike also saw him draw level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot while reaching a milestone never previously achieved in World Cup history.

According to the available records, Messi is the only other player to have reached the 20-goal mark at the FIFA World Cup, having scored 21 goals in the competition.

Mbappe recovers after first-half penalty miss

The France skipper had an opportunity to score earlier in the match after winning a penalty following a challenge from Noussair Mazraoui. However, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou denied him from the spot.

The penalty award sparked debate as television replays appeared to indicate that Mbappe had gone to ground before any contact from Mazraoui.

Despite the setback, Mbappe responded in the second half by opening the scoring and later set up France’s second goal, which was finished by reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele.

France march into World Cup semi-finals

Mbappe was substituted in the 76th minute after appearing to experience some discomfort, with head coach Didier Deschamps deciding not to take any risks.

France’s victory sends Les Bleus into the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, where they will take on either Spain or Belgium in Dallas next Tuesday.

The 2018 world champions and 2022 runners-up remain on course for a third successive World Cup final under Deschamps, who is overseeing his final World Cup campaign as France coach.

Morocco, playing without injured Ismael Saibari, struggled to create enough attacking opportunities as France controlled the contest to seal another place in the last four.

Mbappe once again underlined his reputation as one of football’s leading goal-scorers, adding another historic achievement to his World Cup career.

India and Australia have reaffirmed their growing partnership as Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded high-level talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Melbourne on Thursday. Later, addressing a gathering of around 30,000 members of the Indian community, PM Modi spoke about the close cultural bond shared by overseas Indians with their homeland while highlighting India’s economic and technological progress.

The bilateral meeting expanded the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with both countries announcing 18 outcomes covering areas such as defence, energy, trade and critical technologies.

PM Modi highlights Indian identity abroad

Welcoming the large turnout, PM Modi described the event as a “houseful” gathering and said he had been looking forward to meeting the Indian community in Melbourne after interacting with them twice earlier in Sydney.

Using a light-hearted example, he said that while many Indian families in Australia use Australian milk at home, the tea they prepare remains distinctly Indian. He added that even when vegetables and lentils are sourced locally, the authentic Indian flavour comes from Indian spices, reflecting how the community has preserved its cultural roots while contributing to Australia’s growth.

The Prime Minister also said many Indian families manage two time zones every day, with children following Australian schedules while grandparents in India wait to connect through video calls, showing how closely overseas Indians remain connected to their homeland.

India-Australia partnership continues to expand

Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held wide-ranging discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

In a post on X after the meeting, PM Modi said the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership launched in 2022 has continued to expand and both countries have decided to accelerate work on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation framework.

The leaders announced 18 outcomes that further strengthen collaboration across defence, clean energy, trade, critical technologies and other strategic sectors.

PM Modi highlights India’s progress

During his address, PM Modi said India’s defence capabilities are gaining global recognition and referred to Operation Sindoor as an example of the country’s resolve against terrorism.

He also highlighted the success of the Make in India initiative, saying Indian-made mobile phones, electronics, automobiles and pharmaceutical products are reaching markets around the world.

Speaking about governance reforms, the Prime Minister said India has simplified public services through self-attestation and digital initiatives such as DigiLocker, allowing citizens to securely store, verify and share official documents online.

India’s global role and startup growth

PM Modi said India has earned international trust by extending humanitarian assistance without discrimination, adding that relief operations launched after the recent earthquake in Venezuela reflected India’s commitment to helping countries in times of crisis.

He also highlighted India’s emergence as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem and said an Indian space startup is preparing to launch a satellite using its own rocket for the first time.

Concluding his address, PM Modi said the India-Australia trade agreement continues to deliver benefits for both countries and expressed confidence that cooperation between New Delhi and Canberra will continue to deepen in the years ahead.