News
Fire At New Zealand Hostel Kills At Least 6 People, Officials Say
NEW ZEALAND, WELLINGTON — A fire blasted through a hostel in New Zealand’s capital overnight, killing at least six people and forcing others to flee in their pajamas in what a fire chief described as his “worst nightmare.”
Six victims were discovered, but not all portions of the building had been examined because the roof on the top floor had collapsed, bringing debris down and making the area insecure, according to Bruce Stubbs, Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s incident controller.
Officials reported that 52 individuals had survived the building but were still looking for more.
Tala Sili, a tenant of Loafers Lodge, told RNZ that he observed smoke streaming through his door and opened it to find the corridor pitch-black.
“I was on the top floor and couldn’t go through the hallway because there was just too much smoke, so I jumped out the window,” Sili explained.
He claimed to have fallen onto a roof two stories below.
“It was just scary, really scary, but I knew I had to jump out the window or just burn inside the building,” Sili explained to RNZ. He said paramedics pulled him from the roof and treated him for a sprained ankle.
The Loafers Lodge catered to people of all ages by providing basic, cheap rooms with shared lounges, kitchens, and laundry facilities. Some were placed there by government agencies and were deemed vulnerable due to a lack of resources and support networks.
Around 12:30 a.m., fire fighters were called to the hostel.
The hostel contains 92 rooms, and one side is covered in billboards. The top level of the building in an industrial area near Wellington Regional Hospital had dark smoke streaks that went up the outer walls.
Around 12:30 a.m., firefighters were called to the hostel. According to emergency personnel, the building needed fire sprinklers, which Prime Minister Chris Hipkins stated were not needed by New Zealand’s building code for older buildings that would need to be modified.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, although police believe it was not intentionally set. Police Inspector Dion Bennett said the aim was to launch a full investigation Wednesday once fire officials gave them access to the structure.
Residents informed reporters that fire alarms would frequently sound in the building, potentially due to individuals smoking or too sensitive smoke detectors, so many assumed it was another false alarm.
According to Hipkins, authorities may take some time to confirm the number of deceased. Police stated they did not have a precise figure but believed the death toll was less than ten.
“It’s a total tragedy.” “It’s a terrible situation,” the prime minister told reporters. “Of course, there will be several investigations into what happened and why it happened in due course.” But, for now, the attention must be on dealing with the problem.”
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
According to health officials, two persons in the building were being treated at hospitals and in stable condition. Three other patients had been treated and released, while a sixth had chosen to depart before receiving treatment.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Wellington district manager, Nick Pyatt, said his thoughts were with the families of those who died and the workers who saved those they could and fought to save those they couldn’t.
“This is our worst nightmare,” added Pyatt. “It just doesn’t get any worse than this.”
According to Wellington City Council spokesperson Richard MacLean, city and government authorities are assisting roughly 50 people who fled the fire and are at an emergency center set up by the council near a running track with showers and other facilities.
He claimed several elderly folks had evacuated the premises wearing only their pajamas.
“A lot of people are clearly shaken and bewildered about what happened,” he said.
According to MacLean, the hostel offered both short-term and long-term rents. He needed to have all the facts, but he understood several government entities used it to make essential accommodations to clients.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters he had spoken with Hipkins and offered aid from Australia.
“This is a dreadful human tragedy,” Albanese remarked. “I expressed my condolences on behalf of Australia to our friends in New Zealand at this very difficult time.”
SOURCE – (AP)
News
Britain Must Be Ready for War in 3 Years, Warns New Army Chief
The new head of the Army has stated that Britain must be prepared to fight a war within three years.
Gen Sir Roland Walker has issued a warning about a variety of risks in what he calls a “increasingly volatile” environment.
However, he stated that war was not inevitable and that the Army had “just enough time” to prepare to prevent conflict.
He stated that the Army’s fighting capacity would be doubled by 2027 and tripled by the end of the decade.
Gen Walker warned that the Britain was under threat from a “axis of upheaval” in his first speech as Prime Minister on Tuesday.
Among the primary concerns confronting the Britain in the next years, as noted by the general in a briefing, is an enraged Russia, which may seek vengeance on the West for helping Ukraine, regardless of who wins the war.
He stated: “It doesn’t matter how it finishes. I believe Russia will emerge from it weaker objectively – or completely – but still very, very dangerous and seeking some form of retaliation for what we have done to assist Ukraine.”
Britain’s Government Defence Review and Military Challenges
He also warned that China was determined to retake Taiwan, and Iran was likely to seek nuclear weapons.
He stated that the threats they posed may become particularly acute in the next three years, and that these countries had formed a “mutual transactional relationship” since the war in Ukraine, sharing weaponry and technology.
However, he stated that the path to conflict was not “inexorable” if the UK re-established credible land troops to assist its deterrent strategy for avoiding war.
In his speech, he described his force of slightly over 70,000 regular troops as a “medium-sized army” and made no direct call for additional resources or men.
However, he pushed the British Army to adapt swiftly, focussing on technology such as artificial intelligence and weaponry rather than numbers.
His ultimate goal is for the Army to be capable of destroying an opponent three times its size.
This would entail firing quicker and farther, he said, aided by lessons learnt from the Ukraine war.
The general’s speech at the Royal United Services Institute land warfare conference comes only one week after the government began a “root and branch” defence review to “take a fresh look” at the challenges facing the armed services.
Defence Secretary John Healey launched the assessment, describing the existing status of the armed forces as “hollowed-out” and stating that “procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue”.
According to the most recent Ministry of Defence (MoD) numbers from April 2024, the Britain’s regular Army forces total 75,325 troops (excluding Gurkhas and volunteers).
That figure has been declining in recent years, as recruiting has failed to match retention. The previous Conservative administration lowered the planned headcount from 82,000 to 72,500 by 2025.
Members of the NATO military alliance have agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence by 2024, but several countries are unlikely to fulfil this goal.
The Britain presently spends 2.3% of its GDP on defence. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously stated that the defence review will include a “roadmap” for increasing this to 2.5%, however he has yet to provide a date for this promise.
Source: BBC
News
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
PARIS — Katie Ledecky is looking for clean Olympic races. On Wednesday, Hope had pretty much reached her limit.
The American swimmer hopes to add to her six gold medals as she competes in the 400, 800, and 1,500 meters at the Paris Games. Her program starts with the heavy 400 on Saturday, featuring Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
The 27-year-old Katie is competing in her fourth Summer Olympics, but the first since a doping scandal involving almost two dozen Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned chemical before the Tokyo Games — yet were permitted to compete with no consequences. The controversy has raised serious worries regarding the effectiveness of anti-doping initiatives.
Katie Ledecky | Vogue Image
“I hope everyone here is going to be competing clean this week,” Ledecky claimed. “But what truly counts is, were they training cleanly? Hopefully this has been the case. Hopefully, there has been worldwide testing.”
The International Olympic Committee has expressed concern over the ongoing US investigation into possible doping by Chinese swimmers. While awarding the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, the IOC urged Utah officials to do whatever they could to stop the FBI investigation.
“I think everyone’s heard what the athletes think,” Katie added. “They seek transparency. They want more answers to the remaining questions. At this point, we are here to race. We are going to race whoever is in the lane next to us.
“We are not paid to conduct the tests, so we trust those who follow their regulations. That applies both today and in the future.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
SOURCE | AP
News
London Heatwave Alert: High Temperatures Set to Soar to 29C Next Week
As the summer holidays begin, London may experience an official heatwave with temperatures reaching up to 29 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office predicts a long period of sunny and dry weather for London after a soggy spring and summer.
After a cloudy day on Saturday, temperatures are expected to reach 27C on Sunday, with lots of sunlight.
On Monday and Tuesday, temperatures are forecast to peak at 29 degrees Celsius. Monday is forecast to offer more sunlight, while Tuesday may see some gloomy weather.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the high 20s next week, with lows of approximately 18C.
According to the Met Office, a heatwave is “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity.”
In the United Kingdom, a heatwave is proclaimed when daily temperatures meet or surpass a certain level for at least three consecutive days.
In London, the heatwave threshold is 28 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office reported that the UK is experiencing hotter and wetter weather on average due to climate change.
The UK experienced its warmest May and April on record this year, despite damp and dismal conditions in many areas.
According to the Met Office’s State Of The UK Climate 2023 report published on Thursday, the UK experienced historic levels of extreme weather last year.
In the United Kingdom, 2023 was the second warmest year on record, bringing storms, flooding, strong heatwaves, and rising sea levels; only 2022 was warmer.
It was 0.8°C higher than the average from 1991 to 2020, and 1.66°C higher than the 1961 to 1990 average.
However, 2023 will be a “cool year” in comparison to 2100, based on the planet’s warming trajectory.
The government’s plan to adapt to the hazards presented by climate change is currently being challenged in the High Court by campaigners who allege the Tory administration’s July 2023 National Adaptation Programme (NAP) fails to adequately address 61 concerns.
Source: The Standard
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