World – Goldcoast Newsline

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March 22, 2025
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2 minutes Read

One million malnourished children in Nigeria and Ethiopia risk losing aid- UNICEF says

The United Nations children’s agency said on Friday it will run out of its supply of lifesaving food to treat children suffering from acute forms of malnutrition in Ethiopia and Nigeria within the next two months due to lack of funding exacerbated by Trump administration cuts to foreign aid.

Some 1.3 million children under five suffering from severe acute malnutrition risk losing access to lifesaving support this year in Ethiopia and Nigeria, UNICEF says.

“Without new funding, we will run out of our supply chain of Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic-Food by May, and that means that 70,000 children in Ethiopia that depend on this type of treatment cannot be served,” Kitty Van der Heijden, UNICEF’s deputy executive director, told reporters in Geneva via video link from Abuja on Friday. “Interruption to continuous treatment is life-threatening.”

In Nigeria, UNICEF said it may run out of supplies to feed 80,000 malnourished children as soon as the end of this month. Van der Heijden described recently being in a hospital in Maiduguri with a child who was so malnourished that her skin was falling off.

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International donors have in recent years reduced contributions to UN agencies, including UNICEF. Its funding woes were accelerated when the United States, its top donor, imposed a 90-day pause on all U.S. foreign aid on the first day of President Donald Trump‘s return to the White House in January.

That action, and ensuing orders halting many programmes of the U.S. Agency for International Development worldwide, have jeopardised the delivery of lifesaving food and medical aid, throwing into chaos global humanitarian relief efforts.

“This funding crisis will become a child survival crisis,” warned Van der Heijden, adding that the sudden nature of the cuts did not give the agency the ability to mitigate the risks.

Funding cuts have also hit health programmes offering nutrition and malaria care for pregnant women and children in Ethiopia. Twenty-three mobile health clinics were taken out of operation in the region of Afar, with only seven left operating due to funding cuts, according to UNICEF.

Source: Reuters

World

goldcoastnewsline@gmail.com
March 22, 2025
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4 minutes Read

Heathrow flights resume after fire forced shutdown

Flights have resumed at Heathrow Airport and a full service is expected on Saturday following an “unprecedented” loss of power caused by nearby a substation fire.

About 200,000 passengers were affected as flights were grounded throughout Friday, with inbound planes being diverted to other airports in Europe after flames ripped through the North Hyde plant in Hayes, west London, on Thursday evening.

The airport’s chief executive Thomas Woldbye apologised to stranded passengers and said the disruption was “as big as it gets for our airport” and that it could not guard itself “100%”.

The Met Police confirmed the fire was not believed to be suspicious.

The investigation will focus on the “electrical distribution equipment”, the force said.

British Airways announced eight of its long-haul flights had been cleared to leave Heathrow during Friday evening and it was “urgently contacting customers to let them know”.

Restrictions on overnight flights have also been temporarily lifted to help ease congestion, the Department of Transport said. Passengers have been advised to contact their airlines for the latest updates.

Mr Woldbye said that a back-up transformer had failed meaning systems had to be closed down in accordance with safety procedures so that power supplies could be restructured from two remaining substations to restore electricity enough to power the airport.

Several airlines announced they would restart scheduled flights both to and from Heathrow, including British Airways, Air Canada and United Airlines.

An airport spokesperson said the first flights were focused on “repatriating the passengers who were diverted to other airports in Europe… and relocating aircraft”.

Mr Woldbye said: “I’d like to stress that this has been an incident of major severity. It’s not a small fire.

“We have lost power equal to that of a mid-sized city and our backup systems have been working as they should but they are not sized to run the entire airport.”

Asked if there is a weak point in Heathrow’s power system, he said: “You can say that but of course contingencies of certain sizes we cannot guard ourselves against 100% and this is one of them.

“I mean, short of anybody getting hurt, this is as big as it gets for our airport.”

“This is unprecedented,” he added.

Mr Woldbye went on to say the airport expected to return to “100% operation” on Saturday.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she believed airport bosses “stood up their resilience plan swiftly, and they’ve collaborated closely with our emergency responders and the airline operators; they do have backup energy supplies, they have generators, diesel generators.

“None of that failed on this occasion because that backup supply is designed to protect the critical key systems within the airport and not to provide power to the whole airport.”

Alexander added that she was in close contact with the energy secretary, the home secretary and with Heathrow to “make sure that any lessons we need to learn from the systems that the airport has in place are learned”.

Ofgem, the energy regulator, earlier announced it would commission a review “to understand the cause of this incident and what lessons can be learned”.

Emergency services were first called to the scene at 23:20 GMT on Thursday.

Some 120 aircraft heading to the airport at that time were forced to either divert or return to their point of origin.

Ten fire engines and about 70 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze, LFB said, with the fire being brought under control by 06:30.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the fire involved a transformer containing 25,000 litres (5,500 gallons) of cooling fluid that had been set alight.

A large cordon was put in place as a precaution and about 150 people were evacuated from their homes. Most of those had returned home by 17:00, according to LFB.

Hillingdon Council said it was assisting 12 people with hotel accommodation until it was safe for them to return to their homes.

More than 65,000 homes in the area were left without power as a result, as well as the airport, although the National Grid said power was restored by 14:00.

Source: BBC

World

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March 8, 2025
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2 minutes Read

Body found in floodwaters and troops injured in Australia storm

Australian authorities say a body has been found in floodwaters and 36 military workers injured in a vehicle crash as wild weather from a tropical storm lashes the country’s eastern coast.

Cyclone Alfred was downgraded to a tropical low on Saturday but is due to make landfall near the Queensland capital city of Brisbane in coming hours.

Officials have warned residents to stay indoors and remain vigilant, saying the storm’s threat is “not over”.

Winds have brought down trees and power lines and flooded low-lying roads. More than 300,000 properties are without power in the region.

Police said on Saturday they had discovered a body in the search for a 61-year-old man who went missing on Friday after his car was caught in floodwaters in Dorrigo, northern New South Wales.

Emergency responders witnessed the man escaping his car and climbing onto a tree near the riverbank, but rescuers were not able to reach him before he was swept away.

Police found a body in the area on Saturday and said it “is believed to be that of the missing man”.

In a separate incident on Saturday, 36 military personnel were injured in a convoy crash in Lismore, about 200km south of Brisbane. One truck overturned while driving on a narrow road. A second truck then collided with it.

They had been part of military crews deployed to Lismore, near the Queensland border, to help rescue and response operations.

“Our ADF [Australian Defence Force] heroes were on their way to help Australians in need,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement noting some had been “seriously” injured.

Albanese earlier on Saturday had addressed the nation from the capital Canberra, saying millions of residents were “well-prepared” but “we must remain vigilant.”

World

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March 6, 2025
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2 minutes Read

US ‘destroying’ world order, Ukraine’s ambassador to UK says

The US is “destroying” the established world order, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK has claimed.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi said the White House had “questioned the unity of the Western world” and was “taking more and more steps towards” Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The comments come as the US puts pressure on Ukraine to make concessions ahead of any peace talks, and after a public clash between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his US counterpart Donald Trump.

Zelensky has since said he is “ready to work” under Trump’s “strong leadership”, an apparent cooling in tensions welcomed by Trump – and which comes after the US paused military aid to Kyiv.

But Mr Zaluzhnyi’s remarks at a conference at Chatham House in London on Thursday suggest there remains discontent over the US’s actions.

He told an audience: “We see that it is not only Russia and the axis of evil trying to destroy the world order, but the US is actually destroying it completely”.

The Ukrainian envoy added that talks between the US and Russia – the latter of which was “headed by a war criminal” in President Vladimir Putin – showed the White House was making “steps towards the Kremlin regime, fully realising that in this case Europe could be a new target for Russia”.

Mr Zaluzhnyi, who took over as Kyiv’s ambassador to London in 2024 following three years as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, also suggested that Nato could cease to exist as a result of Washington’s change in posture.

While Zelensky has expressed a wish to bring the war in Ukraine to an end swiftly, Kyiv has voiced concerns about the Trump administration’s handling of talks and the concessions to Moscow that may be made without firm security guarantees for Ukraine.

Source:BBC

World

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March 5, 2025
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2 minutes Read

Florida opens criminal investigation into Tate brothers

Florida has launched a criminal investigation into British-American influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who flew to the state last week from Romania, where they faced rape and human-trafficking charges.

Florida’s attorney general, James Uthmeier, said investigators have issued search warrants and subpoenas as part of a “now-active” inquiry.

In the US, the brothers also face a civil suit from a woman alleging they coerced her into sex work, and then defamed her after she gave evidence to Romanian authorities. They strongly deny all the allegations against them.

A former kickboxer and self-described misogynist who appeared on UK TV show Big Brother, Andrew Tate has millions of followers online.

Andrew, 38, and his brother Tristan, 36, face separate charges in the UK of rape and human trafficking. They deny those allegations too.

Uthmeier, a Republican, said in Tuesday’s statement: “Last week, I directed my office to work with our law enforcement partners to conduct a preliminary inquiry into Andrew and Tristan Tate.

“Based on a thorough review of the evidence, I’ve directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to execute search warrants and issue subpoenas in the now-active criminal investigation into the Tate brothers.”

The Tate brothers’ lawyer Joseph McBride released a statement later Tuesday on the investigation.

“Today, Attorney General James Uthmeier threw ethics law out of the window when he publicly took a side in an ongoing Florida lawsuit where Andrew and Tristan Tate are suing a Florida woman for orchestrating a sophisticated plot to use sex as a weapon to ruin their lives,” the statement read in part.

Mr McBride called the attorney general’s comments “inflammatory” and “biased”.

The Tates were first arrested in Romania in December 2022, with Andrew accused of rape and human trafficking and Tristan suspected of human trafficking. They moved to Romania from the UK several years ago.

They both denied the charges and spent several months under house arrest. A year later, in August 2024, they faced new allegations including sex with a minor and trafficking underage persons, all of which they deny.

Source: BBC

World

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March 5, 2025
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2 minutes Read

China says it is ready for ‘any type of war’ with US

China has warned the US it is ready to fight “any type” of war after hitting back against President Donald Trump’s mounting trade tariffs.

The world’s top two economies have edged closer to a trade war after Trump slapped more tariffs on all Chinese goods. China quickly retaliated imposing 10-15% tariffs on US farm products.

“If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” China’s embassy said on X, reposting a line from a government statement on Tuesday.

It is some of the strongest rhetoric so far from China since Trump became president and comes as leaders gathered in Beijing for the annual National People’s Congress.

On Wednesday, China’s Premier Li Qiang announced that China would again boost its defence spending by 7.2% this year and warned that “changes unseen in a century were unfolding across the world at a faster pace.” This increase was expected and matches the figure announced last year.

Leaders in Beijing are trying to send a message to people in China that they are confident the country’s economy can grow, even with the threat of a trade war.

China has been keen to portray an image of being a stable, peaceful country in contrast to the US, which Beijing accuses of being embroiled in wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.

China may also hope to capitalise on Trump’s actions relating to US allies such as Canada and Mexico, which have also been hit by tariffs, and will not want to ramp up the rhetoric too far to scare off potential new global partners.

Source: BBC

World

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November 7, 2024
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4 minutes Read

Harris concedes election, but not ‘the fight that fueled this campaign’

Vice President Kamala Harris offered an uplifting, positive charge to her supporters as she conceded the 2024 presidential election, acknowledging the stinging loss while committing to a peaceful transfer of power and vowing to “fight” in a much different way than a defeated presidential candidate promised four years ago.

“Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect (Donald) Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power,” she said in remarks at Howard University, her alma mater, in Washington, DC.

In making the remarks, Harris did something her opponent refused to do in the aftermath of the 2020 election: Accept its results.

“A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. … At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God.

“My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say: While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” she said.

One hundred and eight days after her campaign began, the self-described “joyful warrior” spoke about her loss in determined terms as she sought to reassure the American people.

“I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it. But we must accept the results of this election,” she said.

Closing a chapter in the history books after a tense campaign, the vice president offered a call to supporters to “roll up our sleeves” in response to the election results.

“Do not despair. This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize, to mobilize, and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together,” she said in her 12-minute remarks.

She vowed to wage that fight “in the voting booth, in the courts, and in the public square,” as well as in “quieter ways: By treating one another with kindness and respect … by always using our strength to lift people up.”

She also sent messages to her more youthful supporters.

“To the young people who are watching, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be OK. On the campaign, I would often say, ‘When we fight, we win.’ But here’s the thing, here’s the thing, sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. That doesn’t mean we won’t win,” she said.

“The important thing is don’t ever give up. Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place,” she continued. “You have the capacity to do extraordinary good in the world.”

With the glass ceiling still intact, Harris did not directly address the nation’s failure to reach the historic, barrier-breaking outcome of a female president for the second time, something she largely avoided highlighting on the campaign trail, rather letting surrogates do the talking for her.

But she offered a nod to the moment: “Don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before.”

The speech marked a conclusion to a historic and tumultuous election season that included President Joe Biden’s decision to step aside following a catastrophic debate performance. His running mate quickly consolidated the party’s support, ascending to the top of the Democratic ticket.

Harris wore a dark suit late Wednesday afternoon and walked out to Beyoncé’s up-tempo anthem, “Freedom,” as she has throughout her time on the campaign trail, pausing for several moments as the crowd applauded her.

Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, could be seen crying, as well as multiple attendees standing in the front row before her.

Source: CNN

World

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November 6, 2024
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2 minutes Read

Donald Trump elected US president in stunning comeback

Donald Trump has been elected president, capping a remarkable comeback four years after he was voted out of the White House and ushering in a new American leadership likely to test democratic institutions at home and relations abroad.

Trump, 78, recaptured the White House yesterday by securing more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency, Edison Research projected, following a campaign of dark rhetoric that deepened the polarization in the country.

The former president’s victory in the swing state of Wisconsin pushed him over the threshold. As of 5:45 a.m. ET (1045 GMT) Trump had won 279 electoral votes to Harris’ 223 with several states yet to be counted.

He also led Harris by about 5 million votes in the popular count. “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” Trump said early on Wednesday to a roaring crowd of supporters at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in Florida.

Trump’s political career appeared to be over after his false claims of election fraud led a mob of supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a failed bid to overturn his 2020 defeat.

But he swept away challengers inside his Republican Party and then beat Democratic candidate Kamala Harris by capitalizing on voter concerns about high prices and what Trump claimed, without evidence, was a rise in crime due to illegal immigration.

Harris did not speak to supporters who had gathered at her alma mater Howard University. Her campaign co-chair, Cedric Richmond, briefly addressed the crowd after midnight, saying Harris would speak publicly later.

Republicans won a U.S. Senate majority, but neither party appeared to have an edge in the fight for control of the House of Representatives where Republicans currently hold a narrow majority.

Major stock markets around the world rallied following Trump’s victory, and the dollar was set for its biggest one-day jump since 2020.

His diatribes were often aimed at migrants, who he said were “poisoning the blood of the country,” or Harris, whom he frequently derided as unintelligent.

Despite legal woes and controversies, Trump is only the second former president to win a second term after leaving the White House. The first was Grover Cleveland, who served two four-year terms starting in 1885 and 1893.

World

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October 14, 2024
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2 minutes Read

Man arrested near Trump rally had two guns and fake passports

A man in illegal possession of a shotgun and a loaded handgun was arrested at an intersection near Donald Trump’s rally in Coachella, California, on Saturday, police said.

The 49-year-old suspect, Vem Miller, was driving a black SUV when he was stopped at a security checkpoint by deputies, who located the two firearms and a “high-capacity magazine”.

Mr Miller was then taken into custody “without incident”, the Riverside County Sheriff’s office said, and booked on possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine.

The US Secret Service said Trump “was not in any danger”, adding that the incident did not impact protective operations.

A local sheriff called the suspect a “lunatic” and his office added the encounter did not affect the safety of Trump or the rally’s attendees.

Many questions remain unanswered. While Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said it was impossible to speculate about what was in the mind of the suspect, he said he “truly believed” that his officers had prevented a third assassination attempt.

He added that it might be impossible to prove that this was the man’s intent. A federal law enforcement official told CBS News there was no indication of an assassination attempt connected to this incident.

Federal authorities say they are still investigating the incident, and it would be up to them to pursue any additional charges.

Mr Bianco is an elected official and a Republican who has previously expressed support for Trump. He is also acting as a surrogate – a representative – for Trump’s re-election campaign.

The incident – which police said took place at 16:59 local time on Saturday (00:59 GMT on Sunday) – highlights, once again, the intense security operation around Trump, and the dangers facing the former president, with just over three weeks to go until the election. It follows two high-profile alleged assassination attempts on Trump earlier this year.

Mr Miller was charged with two misdemeanour weapons charges and was released on a $5,000 (£3,826) bail. No federal charges have been filed.

World

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October 13, 2024
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2 minutes Read

Israel: Over 60 injured in drone attack on Binyamina

More than 60 people have been injured in a drone strike targeting the Binyamina region of northern Israel, medics have said.

The Israeli ambulance service, Magen David Adom (MDA), said 61 people had been injured in the attack – including three critically. It added 37 of them had been taken to eight regional hospitals, either by ambulance or helicopter.

Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for the attack, which it said targeted a training camp of the Israeli Defence Forces’ (IDF) Golani Brigade in the area, which is based between Tel Aviv and Haifa.

The armed group’s media office said the strike was in response to Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and Beirut on Thursday.

The group said it targeted the camp in northern Israel using a “swarm of drones”.

In a statement, MDA said that alongside the three critically injured, 18 of the victims were in a moderate condition, 31 sustained mild injuries and nine people were “suffering anxiety”.

Israeli censorship rules prevent media outlets saying exactly where or what was targeted, but some media outlets say the location was hit by a low-level drone launched from Lebanon – a relatively unsophisticated weapon that appears not to have activated early warning alarms.

Footage carried by Israeli media showed those wounded being helped into emergency vehicles, including helicopters.

Many of the wounded have been evacuated to Hillel Yaffe Medical Centre in nearby Hadera – with others being taken to hospitals in Tel Hashomer, Haifa, Afula and Netanya.

Details are still scarce but many of the injured appear to have been in a communal canteen at the time and were caught completely by surprise. Images circulating on social media appear to show an empty mess hall with a hole in the roof.

Source: bbc.com