U.K News
10,000 People Are Missing And Thousands Are Feared Dead As Eastern Libya Is Devastated By Floods
CAIRO, Egypt – On Tuesday, emergency personnel discovered hundreds of victims in the debris of Libya’s eastern city of Derna, and it was feared that the death toll could rise further, with 10,000 people still missing after floodwaters crashed through dams and carried away entire neighborhoods.
The unexpected mortality and damage caused by the Mediterranean storm Daniel revealed the storm’s ferocity and the vulnerability of a nation torn apart by anarchy for more than a decade. The country is divided by competing governments, one in the east and one in the west, and as a result, infrastructure in many parts needs to be addressed.
On Tuesday, more than 36 hours after the accident, outside assistance was only beginning to arrive in Derna. The floods damaged or destroyed many access roads to the seaside city of 89,000 people.
Several victims were seen covered in blankets in the yard of one hospital. Another image depicted a mass cemetery overflowing with bodies. More than 1,000 bodies were gathered, with at least 700 buried so far, according to the health minister for eastern Libya. According to the ambulance authorities, the current death toll in Derna is 2,300.
According to Tamer Ramadan, Libya envoy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the death toll is expected to be in the thousands. He told a United Nations briefing in Geneva via videoconference from Tunisia that at least 10,000 individuals were unaccounted for.
Ramadan described Libya as “as devastating as the situation in Morocco,” alluding to the tragic earthquake that struck near the Moroccan city of Marrakesh on Friday night.
On Sunday night, the destruction descended on Derna and other sections of eastern Libya. Residents of Derna said they heard tremendous booms as the storm hit the coast and realized dams outside the city had collapsed. Flash floods swept down Wadi Derna, a river that flows from the highlands through the city and into the sea.
Libya envoy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Local emergency responders, including troops, government personnel, volunteers, and citizens, sifted through the wreckage on Tuesday in search of the deceased. Inflatable boats were also used to recover bodies from the water.
Many dead were reported to be trapped under rubble or washed out into the Mediterranean Sea, according to Othman Abduljaleel, the health minister for eastern Libya.
“We were stunned by the amount of destruction… the tragedy is very significant, and beyond the capacity of Derna and the government,” Abduljaleel said by phone from Derna to The Associated Press.
On Tuesday morning, Red Crescent crews from other parts of Libya arrived in Derna, but extra excavators and other equipment had yet to arrive.
Flooding occurs frequently in Libya during the wet season, although rarely with this much devastation. A crucial concern was whether the rains could break through two dams outside Derna due to inadequate maintenance or the sheer volume of rain.
According to Karsten Haustein, a climate scientist and meteorologist at Leipzig University, Daniel quickly poured 440 millimeters (15.7 inches) of rain on eastern Libya.
“The infrastructure could probably not cope,” he said, adding that human-caused rises in ocean surface temperatures likely contributed to the storm’s ferocity.
Local officials have ignored Derna for many years. “Even the aspect of maintenance was simply missing.” “Everything kept getting pushed back,” said Jalel Harchaoui, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies in London specializing in Libya.
Many dead were reported to be trapped under rubble or washed out into the Mediterranean Sea, according to Othman Abduljaleel, the health minister for eastern Libya.
Factionalism is also a factor. For many years, Islamic extremist groups ruled over Derna. After months of hard urban battle, military leader Khalifa Hifter, the strongman of the east Libyan government, conquered the city in 2019.
Since then, the eastern government has been wary of the city and has worked to exclude its citizens from decision-making, according to Harchaoui. “This mistrust could be disastrous during the upcoming post-disaster period,” he said.
Hifter’s eastern administration, based in Benghazi, is at odds with the western government, headquartered in Tripoli. Each is supported by formidable militias as well as international forces. Egypt, Russia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates back Hifter, while Turkey, Qatar, and Italy back the west Libya authority.
Nonetheless, the first reaction to the calamity resulted in some division crossing.
The Western Libyan administration, based in Tripoli, dispatched a plane carrying 14 tonnes of medical supplies and health staff to Benghazi. It also stated that it had set aside $412 million for rehabilitation in Derna and other eastern municipalities. Airplanes delivering humanitarian aid and rescue teams from Egypt, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates landed in Benghazi on Tuesday. Egypt’s military chief of staff also met with Hifter to discuss relief coordination.
Given the realities on the ground, it was unclear how quickly supplies could be delivered to Derna, 250 kilometers (150 miles) east of Benghazi. Derna municipal administrator Ahmed Amdourd has called for a sea corridor to transfer relief and supplies.
U.S. Special Envoy for Libya Richard Norland stated on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter that the U.S. is cooperating with the U.N. and local authorities to determine the best way to target official U.S. support.
The storm also hit other parts of eastern Libya, notably Bayda, where 50 people were killed. According to footage released by the Medical Centre of Bayda on Facebook, the main hospital was inundated, and patients had to be evacuated.
According to the administration, other towns that suffered included Susa, Marj, and Shahatt. Hundreds of people were uprooted and sought refuge in schools and other government buildings in Benghazi and other parts of eastern Libya.
Northeast Libya is one of the country’s most fertile and green areas. According to the World Bank, the Jabal al-Akhdar region, which includes Bayda, Marj, and Shahatt, has one of the highest average annual rainfalls in the country.
SOURCE – (AP)
(VOR News) – Inflation in the United Kingdom stayed constant at the target rate of 2% that was established by the Bank of England in the year leading up to June, as indicated by official figures that were issued on Wednesday.
It is possible that this result will be sufficient for policymakers to accomplish their goal of lowering the cost of borrowing money the following month.
The Office of National Statistics reports that the hospitality business, which includes establishments such as hotels and restaurants, was responsible for the most substantial upward contribution to the annualized inflation rate.
A number of analysts are of the opinion that the increased pricing can be attributable to the fact that Taylor Swift is now on tour in the United Kingdom.
The clothing and footwear business, which had extensive sales throughout the month, was the sector that made the most substantial contribution to the fall in sales.
When the flat number was compared to June of the previous year, it was slightly higher than what was projected to be the case. In the majority of instances, analysts had anticipated a modest fall to 1.9% of the total economy.
July 2021 was the last time inflation reached 2%.
Before the price increase began. As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, supply chain concerns initially occurred. The increase in energy costs was attributed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The situation was exacerbated by both of these factors.
The financial markets are anticipating that the decision about whether or not the Bank of England will decrease its main interest rate from 5.25% on August 1 will be something of a close call. Both of these decisions are expected to be made on August 1.
There are a number of policymakers who continue to voice concern regarding the extent of price rises in the vital services sector as well as the rate of wage increases. Both of these factors significantly increase the likelihood of a return in inflation in the event that interest rates are decreased too recently.
The deputy chief economist of abrdn, which was formerly known as Aberdeen Asset Management, stated that “Today’s inflation report will keep the Bank of England’s August rate decision on a knife edge because of the uncertainty surrounding it.”
Abrdn employee Luke Bartholomew made this inflation statement.
“More fundamentally, the persistent stickiness of service inflation will leave the Bank wondering how long inflation will remain at the 2% target,” according to the official statement.
In order to battle the quick development in inflation, which reached a peak of more than 11% in late 2022, the Bank of England, along with the Federal Reserve of the United States and other central banks, swiftly increased interest rates in late 2021 from near zero. This was done in order to counteract the rapid growth in inflation.
The British economy, on the other hand, has been slowed down by increased interest rates, which have contributed to the reduction of inflation by making it more expensive to borrow money.
There has been very little improvement in the economy of the United Kingdom since the recovery from the epidemic.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, has underlined that the key purpose of his Labour government would be to increase the pace of economic growth in the United Kingdom.
This is the primary objective that he desires to achieve. An statement addressing the goals that his government has for the coming year is going to be made later on Wednesday and will be made public.
According to Starmer, the measures that were disclosed in the King’s Speech to Parliament will “create wealth for people up and down the country” and “take the brakes off Britain” by stimulating economic growth. This is what Starmer believes will happen.
SOURCE: USN
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An exit poll indicated that, following 14 years of political and economic turmoil, voters would punish the governing Conservatives by handily electing the UK’s Labour Party to a landslide victory in Friday’s parliamentary election.
Moments after the polls closed, the results of the survey showed that Keir Starmer, the head of the center-left Labour party, will become the next prime minister of the nation. He will confront a jaded public that is eager for change in the face of a depressing economy, growing institutional mistrust, and a deteriorating social cohesion.
The Conservatives were in shock by their historic setback, which would leave the party in disarray and probably lead to a leadership contest against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Thousands of election workers were tallying millions of ballot papers at counting stations across the nation.
In the last hours before voting closed, London voter James Erskine expressed optimism for change, saying, “Nothing has gone well in the last 14 years.” “I just think there could be a huge change here, and that’s what I’m hoping for.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stokes controversy
Though many of the same populist undercurrents flow in Britain, the proposed result seems to defy recent rightward electoral changes in Europe, especially in France and Italy.
With his party’s anti-immigrant “take our country back” stance, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has stoked controversy and undermined support for the Conservatives, who already faced bleak chances.
The exit poll indicates that Labour will take around 410 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, while the Conservatives will hold 131 seats. The Tories would have the fewest seats in their almost 200-year history, which would leave the party in chaos.
Some smaller parties, such as the moderate Liberal Democrats and Reform UK, seemed to have done well, which may be an indication of the unstable public mood and dissatisfaction with the system. One significant unanswered question was whether Farage’s hard-right party would be able to leverage its popularity to win more than a few seats in Parliament.
Labour Party politicians wary
The survey revealed “a catastrophic result in historic terms for the Conservative Party,” according to former Conservative leader William Hague. Nevertheless, Labour Party politicians were wary due to years of disillusionment.
Deputy leader Angela Rayner told AP News, “The exit poll is encouraging, but obviously we don’t have any of the results yet.”
Ipsos, a pollster, asks participants at a number of polling places to complete a duplicate ballot that represents their voting behavior. Typically, it offers a trustworthy but imprecise forecast of the result.
British voters cast paper votes, writing their selections in pencil, which are subsequently tallied by hand. We anticipate having final results by Friday morning.
A series of stormy years in Britain, some of which the Conservatives created and some of which they did not, have left many voters with doubts about the future of their nation.
The COVID-19 epidemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union all hurt the economy, yet lockdown parties hosted by then-prime minister Boris Johnson and his staff infuriated the public.
Source: AP
U.K News
Former Top Northern Irish Politician Jeffrey Donaldson To Stand Trial Over Alleged Sex Offenses
Jeffrey Donaldson, the former head of Northern Ireland’s most famous pro-union party, will face trial on charges of previous sex offenses, including one of rape.
Donaldson went before a preliminary inquiry on Wednesday, which agreed to proceed with a trial set for September 10, according to a statement issued to CNN by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS).
Donaldson | CNN image
Former Top Northern Irish Politician Jeffrey Donaldson To Stand Trial Over Alleged Sex Offenses
The lawmaker has since been charged with an additional seven counts. The 18 alleged acts include one allegation of rape, 13 charges of indecent assault on a female youngster, and four counts of gross indecency toward a kid.
Donaldson was asked in court whether he wanted to speak about the charges, according to PA Media. “Not at this stage,” he said, according to the news agency.
Eleanor Donaldson, his wife, is also scheduled to stand trial in September. She has been charged with one count of helping and abetting rape, three counts of aiding and abetting assault on a female child, and one count of cruelty to a person under 16.
Donaldson led the DUP from 2019 through much of the contentious Brexit process, frequently expressing his opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, a vital component of the Brexit withdrawal agreement that ensured there would be no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Donaldson and his wife have already denied all claims, according to Irish national network RTÉ on Wednesday.
Jeffery Donaldson | CNN Image
Former Top Northern Irish Politician Jeffrey Donaldson To Stand Trial Over Alleged Sex Offenses
Donaldson’s trial was announced as Northern Ireland residents prepared to vote in the UK general election. Northern Ireland, one of the UK’s four devolved nations, has 18 members in the Westminster parliament. Northern Irish politicians can run for a seat in Westminster or the devolved legislature, the Northern Ireland Assembly. Sinn Féin, the leading nationalist party, does not take up their seats in Westminster if elected.
Donaldson was set to run again in the Lagan Valley constituency, but former DUP party colleague Jonathan Buckley has replaced him.
SOURCE – (CNN)
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