World
Typhoon Mawar Lashes Guam As Category 4 Storm With Strong Winds, Rain
GUAM, HAGATNA — On Thursday, Typhoon Mawar passed over Guam as a powerful Category 4 storm, lashing the US Pacific island territory with heavy rain, powerful winds, and a dangerous storm surge and knocking out power to many communities where terrified residents hunkered down for the night in homes and shelters.
The center of the typhoon passed over the northern tip of Guam on Wednesday evening, according to the National Weather Service. It is the most powerful storm to strike the territory of more than 150,000 people in decades. According to the meteorological agency, the maximum sustained winds persisted at 140 mph (225 kph) late Wednesday and were expected to increase throughout Thursday.
Social media videos showed downed trees, a flipped pickup truck, solar panels flying into the air, pieces of a multistory hotel wall collapsing and exposing rebar, and storm surges and waves slamming through coastal reefs. The initial extent of the destruction was difficult to determine, with power and internet outages making a connection with the remote island difficult to impossible while the storm dug an excruciatingly slow path.
Late Wednesday, the storm was moving northwest at 8 mph (13 kph), with a minor increase in speed forecast over the next day. It has been a slow-moving typhoon compared to others in the vicinity, which have traveled at speeds ranging from 10 to 15 mph (16 to 25 kph), according to NWS Guam warning coordination meteorologist Landon Aydlett.
According to Landon Aydlett, long-term forecasts locate Mawar deep in the Philippine Sea, bending northward but remaining northeast of the Philippines. He believes the storm might attain super typhoon classification, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 kph) or higher.
The storm brushed the extreme northern tip of Guam, but it was otherwise in the canal between the island and its neighbor to the north, Rota, according to Landon Aydlett. Peak winds reached 105 mph (169 kph) at the weather service office in Guam, but the agency lost its wind sensors afterward, he said. According to him, the building trembled with a “constant, low rumbling,” and its doors and windows swayed.
“We have peak conditions for a couple more hours.” “I think thrashing is the word,” he stated over the phone. “At this point, there are trees everywhere.” Many people will be surprised when daylight returns tomorrow.”
The weather service reported that lightning became a greater hazard as the night progressed. On Thursday morning, a flash flood warning was issued.
The storm might attain super typhoon classification, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 kph) or higher.
Powerful winds ripped a granite countertop from a hotel’s outdoor bar in Tumon, on the island’s northeastern shore, and flung it four feet in the air. As windows buckled and creaked, guests tried to stack chairs against hotel doors that were being blasted in by the gusts.
The storm’s center made landfall on Guam at about 9 p.m. local time Wednesday, which was Wednesday morning in the continental United States. Guam is located west of the International Date Line, ahead of the United States mainland and Hawaii, which are located 3,800 miles (6,115 km) to the east. The Philippine capital, Manila, lies 1,600 miles (1,575 km) west.
A typhoon warning was also issued for Rota, an island in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Tropical storm warnings were issued for Tinian and Saipan in the Northern Marianas. Since Category 5 Super Typhoon Yutu hit in 2018, some individuals in those areas have been living in temporary shelters or tents.
The weather service warned of a highly dangerous and life-threatening condition in Guam, advising residents to seek shelter and stay there for the next few hours.
“This is going to be a long night.” “It’s going to be scary because there’s no electricity unless you have a generator,” Brandon Aydlett, the weather service’s scientific and operations officer and Landon Aydlett’s twin brother, said in a Facebook Live video. “Confidentially reassure your youngsters. It’s going to get a little terrifying as the night progresses. The sounds are audible: the winds are howling and objects are breaking. Simply being together and talking to each other will cause things to slow down towards midnight and continue until Thursday morning.”
He urged people to stay in shelters and get as much sleep as possible before “a long day tomorrow as we start the recovery process.”
By the afternoon, many settlements on the 212-square-mile (549-square-kilometer) island had lost power, and some to the south had lost water service. Forecasters anticipated up to 25 inches (64 centimeters) of rain and a life-threatening storm surge of 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 2 meters), prompting a flash flood alert for the island.
Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero advised coastal, low-lying, and flood-prone district residents to evacuate to higher ground ahead of the storm. Mount Lamlam in the southwest is the highest peak on the island, rising 1,334 feet (406 meters). However, much of Tamuning’s seaside tourism sector, where numerous resorts are located, is close to sea level.
Residents were picked up at island community centers and transported to 11 elementary schools converted into shelters. Village officials advised residents to secure loose objects in their yards and take shelter immediately. Some used a loudhailer to disseminate the word, while others used social media. As the rain and wind intensified, the power flickered intermittently, and officials estimated roughly 900 people were in shelters.
Guerrero stated that an emergency declaration granted by President Joe Biden will help mobilize resources to Guam, which is “especially critical given our distance from the continental United States.”
Reuel Drilon, a resident of low-lying Agat on the southern coast, said practically every home in the community has a mango tree, which officials warned might create obstacles and dangerous flying projectiles.
“A lot of folks are keeping their eyes on trees,” he remarked before the storm arrived.
Guam is a vital Pacific US military center, and the Pentagon controls roughly one-third of the island. Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, commander of Joint Region Marianas, authorized the evacuation of defense personnel, dependents, and employees from affected regions.
The military said it put its ships out to sea as a precaution. It flew its planes off the island or parked them in secure hangars. Any surviving personnel on the island were taking cover. According to the Pentagon, around 6,800 US service troops are stationed in Guam.
SOURCE – (AP)
Slovakia Prime Minister Robert Fico is no longer in critical condition after being wounded in an assassination attempt while leaving a government meeting on Wednesday, a government minister said.
The gunman shot Fico, 59, five times, leaving the prime minister in critical condition and requiring surgery hours later on Wednesday evening.
“I was very shocked… fortunately, as far as I know, the operation went well – and I guess in the end, he will survive… he’s not in a life-threatening situation right now,” Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba told the BBC’s News.
Taraba stated that one bullet passed through Robert Fico’s stomach and another struck a joint. News outlet According to an unidentified source, Fico has recovered from surgery and is in stable condition.
Defence Minister Robert Kalinak told a press conference hours earlier that Fico had suffered “serious polytrauma” as a result of many gunshot wounds. Slovakia’s Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok previously stated that Robert Fico was in a life-threatening condition while still in the surgery room.
“This assassination (attempt) was politically motivated, and the perpetrator’s decision came soon after the presidential election,” Sutaj Estok added, referring to the April election won by a Fico ally, Peter Pellegrini.
The shooting in the central Slovak town of Handlova, which Slovak media reported was carried out by a 71-year-old man, shocked the small central European country and prompted international criticism.
The moments after Slovak PM shot: Screen Capture
Prime Minister Robert Fico’s shooting condemned
Slovakia, a NATO and EU member, has a relatively short history of political violence. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden joined Slovakia’s EU partners in voicing shock and condemnation over the shooting.
The country of 5.4 million has seen polarized political discourse in recent years, including the hard-fought presidential election last month, which helped Fico tighten his grip on power.
Fico has made rapid policy changes since taking office as Prime Minister in October of last year. Opposition critics describe it as a power grab.
His government has reduced its support for Ukraine while engaging in discussions with Russia, attempted to lower corruption punishments and dissolved a special prosecutor’s office, and is overhauling the RTVS public broadcaster amid appeals for media freedom protections.
Fico has long been skeptical of Slovakia’s major media, refusing to talk with certain outlets. Members of his party have recently criticized media and opposition actions. Following the attack, Robert Fico was brought to the hospital in Handlova, where he had been chairing a government meeting.
He was subsequently flown by helicopter to the provincial capital Banska Bystrica for emergency treatment, according to the report, adding that his condition was too bad to be sent to Bratislava.
Shooter a Former Slovakia Security Guard
A witness told Reuters they heard bullets as Fico exited a building to shake hands with a mob of people who had gathered to welcome him. Officers then wrestled a man to the ground.
According to Slovak media, the gunman was a former shopping mall security guard, author of three poetry books, and member of the Slovak Society of Writers. According to Aktuality.sk, his son stated that his father was the lawful bearer of a weapons licence.
“I have absolutely no idea what my father intended, what he planned, or what happened,” the son stated.
According to TA3, the attack hit the Marxist prime minister in the midsection. Fico, Slovakia’s dominant force for two decades, has faced criticism for embracing a more pro-Russian posture in the Ukraine conflict.
In a telegraph to Slovakia’s President Zuzana Caputova, Putin described the shooting as a “monstrous” crime, saying, “I know Robert Fico as a courageous and strong-minded man.” I sincerely believe that these qualities would help him endure this terrible scenario.”
Biden offered US assistance to Slovakia, stating in a statement: “We condemn this horrific act of violence.”
Progressive Slovakia, Slovakia’s largest opposition party, called off a planned rally and urged caution to avoid increasing tensions. Following the attack, parliament suspended debate indefinitely.
Fico’s career has spanned the pro-European mainstream and nationalistic viewpoints opposed to EU and US policies. He has also demonstrated a readiness to modify course based on public sentiment or changing political realities.
Fico, an admirer of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has become increasingly critical of Western support for Ukraine’s struggle against invading Russian forces.
Fico was forced to quit as prime minister in 2018 following huge protests sparked by the contract killing of Jan Kuciak, a journalist who was exposing high-level corruption. These protests exacerbated long-standing social tensions in Slovakia.
Source: CTN News
HONG KONG — YouTube has disabled access to videos of a protest song in Hong Kong only days after a court approved an injunction prohibiting the song in the city.
In 2019, “Glory to Hong Kong” was an anti-government protest anthem. YouTube stated that it would comply with a removal order by blocking access to over 32 YouTube videos of the song that were designated “prohibited publications” under the injunction.
Attempts to access the YouTube videos from Hong Kong on Wednesday proved unsuccessful. A warning stated, “This content is not available on this country domain due to a court order.”
AP – VOR News image
YouTube Blocks Hong Kong Protest Anthem After Court Injunction Bans Song In The City
The court approved the government’s application to ban the song, recognizing that it could be “weaponized” and used to foment secession.
“We are disappointed by the court’s decision, but we are complying with its removal order by blocking access to the listed videos for viewers in Hong Kong,” YouTube, controlled by Alphabet Inc., said in an emailed statement.
“We’ll continue to consider our options for an appeal, to promote access to information,” the business said, adding that it shared human rights organizations’ concerns about the ban’s stifling effect on free expression online.
George Chen, co-chair of digital practice at Asia Group, a Washington-based business and policy firm, believes it is worth monitoring how forcefully Hong Kong authorities order internet platforms to delete music.
Chen, the former head of public policy for Greater China at Meta, stated that if the government started giving platforms hundreds of links to remove daily, investor trust in Hong Kong would surely suffer
One – VOR News Image
YouTube Blocks Hong Kong Protest Anthem After Court Injunction Bans Song In The City
“That will hurt Hong Kong’s reputation as a leading financial center because we know how important a free flow of data and information means to a financial center,” he stated. “So the government should be very careful and be aware of some unintended consequences that may impact its economic recovery and investors’ confidence.”
Internet and social media services, such as YouTube, often have protocols to address government removal demands.
Demonstrators frequently sang “Glory to Hong Kong” during large anti-government rallies in 2019. The song was then incorrectly played as the city’s anthem during international athletic events, rather than China’s “March of the Volunteers,” causing confusion among city officials.
According to local media, authorities previously arrested several individuals who sang the song in public for other infractions, such as playing a musical instrument in public without a permit.
Pc Mag – VOR News Image
YouTube Blocks Hong Kong Protest Anthem After Court Injunction Bans Song In The City
Critics argue that barring the song’s broadcast or distribution further restricts free expression in the former British colony since Beijing initiated a crackdown following the 2019 demonstrations. They have also warned that the prohibition will disrupt the operations of major digital companies and harm the city’s appeal as a commercial hub.
SOURCE – (AP)
ROME — In an uncommon public challenge to Pope Francis’ leadership, 49 Vatican Museums employees have launched a class-action complaint with the Vatican administration, asking for higher seniority, leave, and overtime benefits.
The complaint, dated April 23 and published this weekend in Italian newspapers, also claimed that staff faced health and security hazards as a result of cost-cutting and apparent profit-generating activities at the museum, such as congestion and fewer security guards to keep tourists at bay.
pixabay – VOR News Image
Vatican Museums Staff Challenge The Pope With A Legal Bid For Better Terms And Treatment
An email seeking comment received no response from the Vatican spokesman or Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, chief of the City State administration that oversees the museums.
The complaint is the latest judicial challenge highlighting how the Vatican’s laws, regulations, and procedures frequently conflict with Italian and European principles. Recently, civil and criminal cases have revealed how employees, particularly lay Italian nationals, have little or no legal recourse outside the city state’s unique court system, an absolute monarchy in which Francis wields supreme executive, legislative, and judicial power.
Museum employees cited the Catholic Church’s social teaching and Francis’ appeals to employers to respect workers’ dignity when requesting better treatment in the class-action complaint that senior Vatican attorney Laura Sgro filed and signed on behalf of the 49 employees.
Pixabay – VOR news Image
Vatican Museums Staff Challenge The Pope With A Legal Bid For Better Terms And Treatment
They sought, among other things, greater transparency about how staff might develop, the reinstatement of seniority bonuses, and the Vatican’s adherence to Italian sick-day policies. According to the complaint, employees are currently required to stay at home all day, rather than just a few hours, to await a potential visit to ensure that they are not simply taking the day off.
According to Vatican labor standards, Verzaga has 30 days to react to the allegation. If no talks commence, Sgro can take the claims to the Vatican’s labor office in an attempt to reach a negotiated settlement, which might lead to a tribunal. However, the office can refuse to hear the case, and lawyers say this happens frequently, leaving the employees with no other options.
In recent instances before the Vatican tribunal, lawyers have indicated that they may seek to take employees’ grievances about the system to the European Court of Human Rights. The Holy See is neither a member of the court nor a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights. However, some lawyers believe the Vatican committed to maintaining European human rights standards when it ratified the European Union Monetary Convention in 2009.
CNN – VOR News Image
Vatican Museums Staff Challenge The Pope With A Legal Bid For Better Terms And Treatment
The Museums are one of the principal sources of money, funding the Holy See bureaucracy, which serves as the official authority for the Catholic Church. The museums, which have experienced significant financial losses as a result of COVID-19 closures and limitations, raised the price of a full-price ticket to 20 euros ($21.50) at the beginning of the year, up from 17 euros.
SOURCE – (AP)
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