Millions at risk of floods in China’s Guangdong province after heavy rain

Officials urge municipalities to begin emergency planning after major rivers and reservoirs threaten to overflow

Major rivers, waterways and reservoirs in China’s Guangdong province are threatening to unleash dangerous floods, forcing the government to enact emergency response plans to protect more than 127 million people.

Calling the situation “grim“, local weather officials said sections of rivers and tributaries at the Xijiang and Beijiang river basins are hitting water levels in a rare spike that only has a one-in-50 chance of happening in any given year, state broadcaster CCTV news said on Sunday.

Pope Francis calls for Gaza ceasefire as he leads Easter Mass following health concerns

Pope Francis called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in his traditional Easter message delivered following renewed concerns over the health of the 87-year-old pontiff.

In the message, delivered in front of tens of thousands gathered at St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Francis addressed the conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, condemning war as an “absurdity.”

The Pope has been forced to skip recent events or limit his speaking due to poor health, but on Easter Sunday – the most important day in the Christian calendar – he delivered the “Urbi et Orbi” in full and appeared in good spirits, smiling and waving to the crowd.

Francis had pulled out a Good Friday service at the last minute to “to preserve his health” for the rest of the weekend’s celebrations, according to the…