Jumat, 03 Mei 2019

Cyclone Fani Live Updates: Storm Makes Landfall in India - The New York Times

• Cyclone Fani, one of the strongest storms to batter the Indian subcontinent in decades, made landfall near Puri, India, around 8 a.m. on Friday, lashing the coast with winds gusting at more than 120 miles per hour.

• Tens of millions of people are potentially in the cyclone’s path, and more than a million were evacuated this week from coastal areas. Large sections of coastal India and Bangladesh are threatened by storm surges, and heavy rains could cause rivers to breach.

• The fast-moving storm struck the coast as the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane. Soon after it made landfall, meteorologists predicted it would be downgraded within hours to a “very severe” storm from an “extremely severe” storm.

Streets along India’s coast were largely empty as residents heeded warnings from the India Meteorological Department to stay indoors.

“In Bhubaneswar, we are all indoors,” said Jagdish Chandra Rout, head of communications for Gopalpur Port Limited. “Nobody is visible on the road, nothing is moving on the road.”

Mr. Rout said he felt the area was much better prepared for the storm than in 1999, when more than 10,000 people died in a cyclone.

“We feel that yes, we may have some difficult days ahead, but no panic,” he said. “We are prepared, we know what is coming when and where.”

In Puri, winds and rainfall were increasing, said Bishwajit Panda, a 19-year-old college student.

“We fear that our house should not be damaged, our shop should not be damaged, some tree should not fall on house, electric pole should not fall on shop,” he said. “We live in fear. During the days of cyclone it is the life of fear we live.”

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A cyclone relief shelter in Puri on Friday.CreditDibyangshu Sarkar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The Indian authorities evacuated more than a million people from parts of the nation’s eastern coast this week.

Using television, loudspeakers, radio and text messages to warn residents about the dangers of the storm, India’s disaster relief agency and meteorological department warned of the “total destruction” to thatched huts in some districts, major damage to roads, the uprooting of power poles and the potential danger from flying objects.

Cyclone Fani is forecast to drop as much as eight inches of rain on northern parts of the state of Andhra Pradesh and on the state of Odisha.

Schools have been closed, fisherman asked to keep off the water and tourists urged to leave the city of Puri, a Hindu pilgrimage site where an elaborate, centuries-old temple could be at risk of severe damage. Airports in the cyclone’s path were closing and hundreds of trains have been canceled.

Along Odisha’s coast, more than 850 storm shelters have been opened, said Bishnupada Sethi, the state’s special relief commissioner. Each can hold about 1,000 people, along with livestock.

“People are reluctant to leave their homes, though, which is problematic,” Mr. Sethi said on Thursday.

In Bangladesh, as the storm approached on Friday the government said it had evacuated half a million coastal residents to shelters by 11 a.m.

The government there, similarly, suspended fishing operations, closed ports and ordered an early harvest of rice crops.

The cyclone was affecting the weather as far away as Mount Everest, where climbers on their way to the summit turned around after conditions worsened.

At Camp 2, 21,000 feet above sea level, climbers reported an increase in cloud cover and moisture, and high winds tore apart tents. Many climbers from higher up the mountain began making their way down to Base Camp, at 17,600 feet above sea level.

Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs banned helicopters from flying in high mountain areas through the end of the weekend and issued a warning to mountaineers and trekkers on the mountain. More than 1,000 people, including climbers, high-altitude guides, support staff and government officials, have reached Everest Base Camp since the spring climbing season began in March.

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Fishermen pulling a boat to higher ground on a beach in Puri, on Thursday.CreditDibyangshu Sarkar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The Bay of Bengal has experienced many deadly tropical cyclones, the result of warm air and water temperatures producing storms that strike the large populations along the coast.

Officials said Cyclone Fani could be the most powerful to strike India since 1999, when a cyclone lingered for more than a day over India’s eastern coast, flooding villages, blowing apart houses and ultimately killing more than 10,000 people.

Since that storm, the authorities in the region have significantly improved disaster preparation and response capabilities, strengthening coastal embankments and preparing evacuation routes, according to a World Bank report. Subsequent major storms have resulted in far fewer deaths.

The state of Odisha was much better prepared for Cyclone Phailin in 2013. About one million people were evacuated, more than twice as many as in 1999, and the storm killed 45 people, the World Bank said.

“All of these efforts bore fruit when Cyclone Phailin made landfall,” the report said.

Cyclone Fani could still bring severe dangers to the region, however, threatening flooding in inland river basins, depending on its path, in the Ganges River delta region, where the Indian city of Kolkata is home to millions.

In 2007, Cyclone Sidr killed at least 3,000 people in nearby Bangladesh, and in 1991, a cyclone killed at least 1,000 there and left millions homeless. In 1970, the so-called Great Bhola Cyclone drove a tidal wave into what was then East Pakistan, in a disaster that killed an estimated 300,000 people, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s World Weather & Climate Extremes Archive.

“Unfortunately this region, especially the delta area, has produced the highest death tolls from tropical cyclones on the planet,” said Mr. Herndon, the storm researcher. “Many people live in regions barely above sea level.”

And Cyclone Fani has already proved “one of the most intense in the past 20 years,” according to Clare Nullis, a spokeswoman for the World Meteorological Organization.

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A road in Puri on Friday.CreditDibyangshu Sarkar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/02/world/asia/cyclone-fani-india-live.html

2019-05-03 05:28:05Z
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Kamis, 02 Mei 2019

Church of Scientology cruise ship quarantined over possible measles case - ABC News

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https://abcnews.go.com/International/church-scientology-cruise-ship-quarantined-st-lucia-due/story?id=62779753

2019-05-02 16:21:00Z
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Venezuela crisis: Defiant Maduro appears with soldiers - BBC News

In a show of defiance against his opponents, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro appeared flanked by soldiers at an army base in Caracas on Thursday.

Mr Maduro called on the armed forces to oppose "any coup plotter", as clashes between opposition supporters and pro-government forces continued.

Opposition leader Juan Guaidó tried on Wednesday to spark a military defection and force Mr Maduro from office.

Mr Guaidó has urged public employees to strike to undermine the government.

But Mr Maduro praised the army's loyalty on Thursday, calling on the military to unite in a defence of the constitution. "No one dare touch our sacred ground or bring war to Venezuela", he said.

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In January, Mr Guaidó declared himself Venezuela's interim leader and he has the support of more than 50 countries including the US, UK and most Latin America nations.

As the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, he invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing that Mr Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate.

But Mr Maduro - who is backed by Russia, China and the leaders of Venezuela's military - has refused to cede power.

The president dismissed a claim by US defence secretary Mike Pompeo that he had been ready to flee the country, and accused the US of directing an attempted coup.

How did the violence unfold?

On Wednesday, both pro- and anti-government supporters held demonstrations in Caracas that were initially peaceful.

There were reports of gunfire in the city, and a local NGO, the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict, said Jurubith Rausseo, 27, had been shot dead during a rally in the opposition stronghold of Altamira.

At least 46 people were injured in clashes between opposition supporters and the security forces.

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On Tuesday, Mr Guaidó posted a video showing him with a number of men in military uniform. He said he had the support of "brave soldiers" in Caracas.

He urged Venezuelans to join them in the streets, and appeared alongside another opposition leader, Leopoldo López, who had been under house arrest after being found guilty of inciting violence during protests in 2014.

Spain's government later said that Mr López and his family had sought safety in their embassy, but said the opposition figure has not claimed political asylum.

Supporters on both sides gathered around the city throughout Tuesday, and there were clashes between Mr Guaidó's supporters and armed military vehicles.

How significant is Guaidó's call for strikes?

In a series of tweets (in Spanish), Mr Guaidó said the final phase of "Operation Liberty" had begun and it was the turn of public workers to join in.

He urged protesters to stay on the streets until Mr Maduro's government would be finally forced to resign.

Mr Guaidó has been courting the public sector for weeks - but winning their support will be difficult, the BBC's Americas editor Candace Piette says.

For years, state employees have been told that if they did not turn up at government rallies, they would lose their jobs.

So if the opposition leader does win them over, it will be a huge victory against President Maduro, our editor says.

What international reaction has there been?

Tensions are rising between the US and Russia over the crisis.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US may take military action to resolve the crisis, and accused Russia and Cuba of destabilising the country through their support for Mr Maduro.

The US also reiterated its support for Mr Guaidó.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Mr Pompeo that America's influence over Venezuela was destructive and a violation of international law.

UN Secretary General António Guterres has appealed for both sides in Venezuela to avoid violence, while the EU has called for "utmost restraint to avoid the loss of lives and an escalation in tensions".

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Governments who still back Mr Maduro - including Bolivia and Cuba - condemned Mr Guaidó's efforts as an attempted coup.

The Mexican government expressed "concern about a possible increase in violence" while Colombian President Ivan Duque urged the Venezuelan military to stand "on the right side of history" against Mr Maduro.

An emergency meeting of the Lima Group of Latin American countries has been scheduled for Friday.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-48137781

2019-05-02 15:32:20Z
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'Extremely severe' cyclone targets India, sparking evacuation of over 800000 people - Fox News

More than 800,000 people have been forced from India's eastern coast on Thursday as an "extremely severe" cyclone moving through the Bay of Bengal is expected to make landfall within 24 hours.

India's Meteorological Department said that Cyclone Fani is a category 3 storm, with sustained winds of 125 mph that is expected to bring "extremely heavy falls" late Thursday over parts of the state of Odisha and its southern neighbor Andhra Pradesh.

The Meteorological Department warned of "total destruction" of thatched-roof huts, flooding of farmland and orchards, and the uprooting of telephone poles due to the approaching storm.

MIRACLE BABY GIRL IS BORN ON TOP OF A MANGO TREE DURING MOZAMBIQUE CYCLONE

This Wednesday, May 1, 2019 photo provided by NASA shows a satellite view of Cyclone Fani.

This Wednesday, May 1, 2019 photo provided by NASA shows a satellite view of Cyclone Fani. (NASA via AP)

The dire forecast spurred the evacuation of around 800,000 people in the storm's path, which is the largest evacuation ahead of a natural disaster in the country's history, according to the Times of India.

"Evacuation is in progress on a war-footing," a senior official told the news outlet. "Around 30 percent of the targeted people have so far been moved to safe places."

In this satellite image acquired from the Indian Metrological Department, shows Cyclone Fani in the Bay of Bengal on Thursday, May 2, 2019.

In this satellite image acquired from the Indian Metrological Department, shows Cyclone Fani in the Bay of Bengal on Thursday, May 2, 2019. (Indian Metrological Department via AP)

Indian officials put the navy, air force, army and coast guard on high alert, with more than 800 shelters opened and around 100,000 dry food packets ready to be airdropped after the cyclone passes.

"We've been preparing plans for the last few days to ensure that all the people who are vulnerable will be shifted to our cyclone centers," Odisha's special relief commissioner Bishnupada Sethi said.

30 MILLION UNDER FLASH FLOOD WATCHES FROM TEXAS TO ILLINOIS, AFTER SEVERE STORMS KILL 2 IN OKLAHOMA

Tourists have also been urged to leave coastal towns in West Bengal and Odisha, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast along the south coast on Thursday, Sky News reported.

Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated along India's eastern coast on Thursday as authorities braced for a cyclone moving through the Bay of Bengal that was forecast to bring extremely severe wind and rain.

Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated along India's eastern coast on Thursday as authorities braced for a cyclone moving through the Bay of Bengal that was forecast to bring extremely severe wind and rain. (AP Photo)

India's National Disaster Management Authority warns that "high to phenomenal" sea conditions are expected for most of the Indian states along the Bay of Bengal, with a 4.9-foot storm surge was expected to inundate low-lying areas.

Officials are concerned that Fani could be the worst storm since 1999 when a cyclone killed around 10,000 people and devastated large parts of Odisha.

In this Wednesday, May 1, 2019 photo, Indian fishermen attempt to bring their boat ashore amid strong winds at Chandrabhaga beach in Puri district of eastern Odisha state, India.

In this Wednesday, May 1, 2019 photo, Indian fishermen attempt to bring their boat ashore amid strong winds at Chandrabhaga beach in Puri district of eastern Odisha state, India. (AP Photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Cabinet ministers and weather and disaster-response officials for a briefing on the measures being taken.

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After striking India, Fani is also forecast to hit Bangladesh, tracking north through ports including Cox's Bazar, the coastal district where more than a million Rohingya refugees live in refugee camps.

The cyclone season in India typically runs from April to December, with storms often creating massive flooding and widespread deaths in India and Bangladesh, according to Sky News.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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https://www.foxnews.com/world/cyclone-fani-india-severe-wind-evacuation-rain-surge-warning

2019-05-02 13:51:51Z
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Julian Assange Appears in Court for U.S. Extradition Hearing - The New York Times

LONDON — Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, appeared in a British court on Thursday for an initial hearing on whether he will be extradited to the United States to face prosecution in connection with one of the most serious leaks of classified material in American history.

Mr. Assange, 47, made a brief appearance by video link in Westminster Magistrates Court in London from Belmarsh Prison in another part of the city. A day earlier, he had been sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for bail-jumping.

The hearing on Thursday lasted a just a few minutes, in which Mr. Assange told the judge that he did not wish to surrender himself to be prosecuted in the United States for what he called “journalism that has won many awards,” according to The Associated Press. His next hearing, in what promises to be a long extradition fight, is scheduled for May 30.

The American indictment against him stems from a leak in 2010 of hundreds of thousands of classified documents, mostly related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that proved damaging and embarrassing for the United States and its allies. Mr. Assange faces a charge of conspiring with the former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pentagon computer network, a crime punishable by up to five years in an American prison.

Around two dozen activists gathered outside the court to protest against his potential extradition, waving signs that read “Free Julian Assange” and “Is this all just about shutting us all up?” as they demanded his release.

The case has fueled debate about whether the prosecution of Mr. Assange infringes on the American Constitution’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech. He says that he acted as a journalist in publishing material leaked by Ms. Manning to WikiLeaks and that he had nothing to do with the hacking.

But the Justice Department says Mr. Assange helped Ms. Manning break a code to gain access to the classified network.

Ms. Manning was convicted of espionage in an American court and received a 35-year prison sentence. She spent nearly seven years behind bars before her punishment was commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017.

Julian Assange Indictment

The indictment of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, filed in federal District Court in Virginia. (PDF, 7 pages, 0.22 MB)

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Supporters of Mr. Assange outside the court in London where an initial hearing into his extradition case was held on Thursday.CreditFrank Augstein/Associated Press

Legal experts say that Mr. Assange could face additional charges if extradited but that the extradition process could take years. The WikiLeaks founder has long fought against being transferred to the United States, citing comments from officials in Washington calling for the death penalty to be considered for his crimes.

Mr. Assange holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for seven years to avoid being extradited to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations. He called himself a political refugee, claiming that Sweden would send him to the United States.

Swedish prosecutors have not closed the door on charges there.

Mr. Assange was arrested last month after the government of Ecuador suspended the asylum and citizenship that it had granted him.

Speaking outside the courtroom on Wednesday, a day before the hearing on Mr. Assange’s potential extradition to the United States, Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks’ editor in chief, called it the start of a “big fight.”

“What is at stake there could be a question of life or death for Mr. Assange,” he told reporters. “It is also a question of life and death for a major journalistic principle.”

Cristina Navarrete, 66, was among the crowd of supporters outside the court on Thursday. She called the hearing “a mockery” because no members of the public were allowed into the courtroom, though some journalists were admitted.

“They chose a small court on purpose, it’s basically a secret trial,” Ms. Navarrete said in the packed foyer outside the guarded doors of the court.

“If he is extradited, we’ll be very disappointed in the British justice system,” she added.

Ben Brandon, a prosecutor working for the United States government who was in the Westminster court on Thursday, said that even if Mr. Assange were to complete his British prison sentence before a decision on the American extradition request, he would remain in custody. In that situation, he could apply to be released on bail until a final decision on extradition, Mr. Brandon said.

After the hearing, Jennifer Robinson, Mr. Assange’s lawyer, said the American charge would cause a “massive chill on investigative journalism.”

“No democratic nation would behave this way,” she said.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/02/world/europe/julian-assange-us-extradition.html

2019-05-02 12:00:00Z
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Julian Assange doesn't consent to US extradition, court hears - BBC News

Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has said he does not consent to being extradited to the US over charges related to leaking government secrets.

His extradition hearing came a day after he was sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for breaching the Bail Act following his arrest last month.

The 47-year-old appeared by video link at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The court heard that the "extradition process will take many months". The case was adjourned until 30 May.

Assange told the court: "I do not wish to surrender myself for extradition for doing journalism that has won many awards and protected many people."

He took refuge in Ecuador's London embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations, which he has denied.

The UK will decide whether to extradite Assange to the US in response to allegations that he conspired with former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to download classified databases.

Australian-born Assange faces up to five years in a US prison if convicted.

Wikileaks has published thousands of classified documents covering everything from the film industry to national security and war.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48134901

2019-05-02 11:19:10Z
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King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand announces marriage to now-Queen Suthida, his former security chief today - CBS News

King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his consort, General Suthida Vajiralongkorn named Queen Suthida attend their wedding ceremony in Bangkok
King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his consort, General Suthida Vajiralongkorn, named Queen Suthida, attend their wedding ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand, May 1, 2019. HANDOUT/REUTERS

Bangkok -- Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has appointed his consort as the country's queen ahead of his official coronation on Saturday. An announcement Wednesday in the Royal Gazette said Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya was legally married to the 66-year-old king, and was now Queen Suthida.

Although she has been in the public eye for about three years, there has been little official information released about her and the news was a surprise to many Thais. She is reported to be 40 years old and to have previously worked as a flight attendant for Thai Airways International. The two reportedly met on a flight.

Suthida joined the palace guard in 2013 and became commander of the king's security unit, currently holding a general's rank. The new queen also has several top royal decorations.

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Vajiralongkorn has had three previous marriages and divorced his previous wife, with whom he has a son, in 2014. He became king after the death in October 2016 of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Bloodless coup: Thailand military takes control of country without violence

Thai television, which broadcast the royal order Wednesday evening, showed a video of Suthida prostrating herself before the king. According to the announcer, she presented the king with a tray of flowers and joss sticks, and in return was bestowed traditional gifts associated with royal power.

TV showed the king in a white uniform and his bride in a pink silk traditional dress formally registering their marriage on Wednesday in his palace residence in Bangkok. The couple was seen signing a marriage certificate book, which was also signed by the king's sister, Princess Sirindhorn, and Privy Council head Prem Tinsulanonda as witnesses. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and other senior officials were also in attendance.

Thailand is ruled by a military government and the royal family still wields significant influence as an embodiment of power.

Insulting the monarch, queen or heir apparent is punishable by three to 15 years in prison under Thai law. In practice, however, the rules are more widely interpreted, and the military government has been criticized for its frequent use of the law to silence critics since it seized power in May 2014.

The "lese majeste" law has been widely condemned, including by rights groups and the United Nations, which has called for it to be revoked. Some 100 cases of lese majeste have been prosecuted since the 2014 coup, according to the legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his consort, General Suthida Vajiralongkorn named Queen Suthida attend their wedding ceremony in Bangkok
King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his consort, General Suthida Vajiralongkorn, named Queen Suthida, attend their wedding ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand May 1, 2019. HANDOUT/REUTERS

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vajiralongkorn-king-thailand-marries-queen-suthida-former-security-chief-today-2019-05-02/

2019-05-02 08:56:00Z
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