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‘Catastrophe’: Firefighters, Volunteers Battle Blazes in Argentina’s North

By and
Workers repair an electricity transmission line after a wildfire, in a region hit by drought and high temperatures, near Santo Tome, province of Corrientes, Argentina February 21, 2022. REUTERS/Matias Baglietto

A girl walks through a pasture burnt by a wildfire, in a region hit by drought and high temperatures, near Santo Tome, province of Corrientes, Argentina February 21, 2022. REUTERS/Matias Baglietto

ITUZAINGÓ, Argentina, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Luis Candia is battling to put out raging wildfires in Argentina’s northern Corrientes province, which have scarred the region burning over 800,000 hectares of land, more than twice the size of Rhode Island.

With a water pack on his back and his face covered to protect him from the smoke and flames, the volunteer who joined firefighting teams told Reuters that the region that borders with Paraguay was fighting for its future.

“The truth is that the province is experiencing a catastrophe with these fires,” he said, taking a break from trying to douse blazes which have burned farming regions and wetland areas rich with wildlife.

“There is a lot of loss of animals, the issue of flora and fauna. On top of that, this was our source of work. If we lose this, what will become of us tomorrow?” he said.

Images from the area show large swathes of fields burned, smoldering roots of trees, animals fleeing the fire or dead, and exhausted firefighters.

Firefighters, police and volunteers have been trying to put out the fires for weeks, which have taken hold amid drought linked to the La Niña climate phenomenon. They have burned a significant proportion of the province.

“Everything came together: the drought of a year and a half, the high temperatures, the lack of rain and the hydric stress that the plants already have, even the soil itself,” Josefina Piñeiro, a resident of the area, told Reuters.

Reporting by Matías Baglietto; Additional reporting by Walter Bianchi and Lucila Sigal; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Diane Craft

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UN Alarmed at Rising Violence Against Refugees, Migrants in Europe

The Hill- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Monday said it is concerned about rising “incidents of violence and serious human rights violations” against refugees and migrants in Europe.

The warning from Commissioner Filippo Grandi details a growing number of reports of European countries seeking to push back would-be asylum-seekers who have legal right to seek refuge.

“Although many incidents go unreported for various reasons, UNHCR has interviewed thousands of people across Europe who were pushed back and reported a disturbing pattern of threats, intimidation, violence and humiliation. At sea, people report being left adrift in life rafts or sometimes even forced directly into the water, showing a callous lack of regard for human life,” Grandi wrote.

“Equally horrific practices are frequently reported at land borders, with consistent testimonies of people being stripped of their clothes and shoes and brutally pushed back in harsh weather conditions.”

The statement comes as the U.S. has warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine could spur as many as 1 million to 5 million people to flee the country.

Europe has also seen an influx of some Afghan refugees who escaped on charter flights amid the Taliban takeover of the country.

But Grandi specifically points to incidents in Greece, where the UNHCR recorded more than 500 reported incidents of informal returns, including towing boats full of migrants and leaving them in Turkish waters.

Croatia and Romania have been accused of similar pushbacks.

Grandi called the practice “legally and morally unacceptable.”

“We fear these deplorable practices now risk becoming normalized and policy-based. They reinforce a harmful and unnecessary ‘fortress Europe’ narrative. The reality is that the majority of the world’s refugees are hosted by low- and middle-income countries with far fewer resources, often bordering countries of origin in crisis,” he wrote.

Greece denied the reports uncovered by a Lighthouse News investigation last fall.

“Illegal sea crossings are highly dangerous and they should be prevented in accordance with the 2016 Joint Statement, which the EU needs to ensure is properly enforced. Europe remains the target of criminal gangs who are exploiting people who wish to enter the EU illegally,” Greek migration minister Notis Mitarachi tweeted in October.

“We make no apology for our continued focus on breaking up these human trafficking operations, and protecting Europe’s border.”

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Brazil: A Perfect Storm of Weather Extremes and Deep Inequality

By Katy Watson
BBC South America correspondent

When the rainstorm hit Petropolis last week, 41-year-old Carine Santiago was nervous. Brazil is a country used to tropical downpours and people here take rainy season in their stride. But even by Brazilian standards, it was intense.

The town saw a month’s worth of rain – 240 mm (9.4 in)- in just two hours.

“The rain came down so hard,” Carine says. She was trapped at work, while her daughter was at home. “I had no idea that where I lived it was even worse.”

At home, 13-year-old Mariana had a narrow escape.

“I looked up and my house started shaking,” she says. “I ran up to my neighbour and you could see the entire mudslide from there, it was like a waterfall.”

Their house was destroyed as the mudslide came crashing down the hillside.

In all, the rain caused 26 landslides and killed 176 people. More than 100 are still missing.

Risky living

Carine and Mariana’s home was in the neighbourhood of Morro da Oficina, built on a steep slope in the south of Petropolis. It was one of the worst-hit areas.

Carine
Image caption,

Carine says that despite the danger, she cannot afford to live anywhere else

History has repeated itself for Carine. 26 years ago, her mother was killed in a mudslide.

“When I see that red earth, I feel sick,” she says. “But I have to stay strong for my children, I can’t collapse.”

Why then, if she had experienced such tragedy, did she continue to live in a place known to be risky?

“We can’t afford to live anywhere else,” she says, adding that after her mother died, the family never again lived high up. Instead, they chose to build a home at a lower level, assuming that would be safer.

“Nobody ever imagined it would be so dangerous,” she says.

Mariana
Image caption,

Her daughter Mariana made a narrow escape when the mudslide hit

The day after the mudslides, Rio de Janeiro’s governor Claudio Castro visited Petropolis.

These were the worst rains to have hit the city since 1932, he said, blaming previous administrations for not doing enough to prevent the mudslides.

“May it serve as a lesson so that this time we are different,” he said.

We asked Rio’s state government to respond to accusations that residents in risky areas feel they have little choice in where they can afford to live.

They sent a statement explaining that even before last week’s events, there was a shortage of housing relating back to 2011 when more than 900 people died in the mountain region after landslides and housing was promised to affected families then.

“The building of those houses depends on the freeing up of land by Petropolis municipality,” the state government said. It added that the governor had plans to build 50,000 new units across the state – the biggest project in decent decades.

Petty politics

Professor Antonio Guerra, from the Department of Geography of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, doesn’t have much time for a political blame game.

He’s been studying landslides in Petropolis since 1992 and says authorities know where the risky areas are. He’s handed over landslide risk maps to them, based on his research, but nothing is ever done.

Petropolis recovery effort
Image caption,

Search and rescue teams are still continuing in Petrópolis

‘The authorities are much more concerned about being re-elected than doing something for the people,” he says. “There is money but it’s not been spent on improving the lives of residents.”

According to Professor Guerra, as many as 20,000 people in Petropolis live in areas at risk. Last week, he took measurements of the incline of some of the neighbourhoods and was shocked by his findings. Some houses were built on 55-60 degree inclines.

“When you build at more than 20 degrees you have to be very careful,” he said. “And over 45 degrees is illegal in Brazil.”

But the solution isn’t easy, he admits.

“What the local authorities should do is pull down the house and build it in another place. But that means you lose votes in the next elections,” he says. “Of course, once people start building, you can stop them, but they don’t – authorities turn a blind eye.”

The structural inequalities of Brazil mean that for the vast majority of Brazilians, there are no “safe” options.

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UK: PM Signals End of Restrictions & 4th Shot for Some, Pandemic Alcohol Deaths, Tourists to Australia, Canada Emergency Powers

UK: Johnson says pandemic restrictions will end

 

© AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

BBC- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Monday that COVID-19 restrictions in England would end starting later this week.

Johnson said that starting on Thursday, residents will not be legally required to enter quarantine periods if they test positive for the virus, though they will be advised to stay home, Bloomberg News reported. Johnson also said that universal COVID-19 testing will end on April 1.

Other changes include vaccinated contacts of those who test positive will no longer have to take tests for seven days, guidance that school children be tested twice a week will be ended and employees no longer have to inform their employers about their status if they test positive.

Johnson’s “Living with Covid” plan comes amid the recent decline of daily COVID-19 infections, deaths and hospitalizations, though his critics have argued that the prime minister is moving too fast, Bloomberg noted.

“Restrictions pose a heavy toll on our economy, our society, our mental well-being,” Johnson told the House of Commons. “We do not need to pay that cost any longer.”

Johnson also said the government will have a strong surveillance capability, noting that other mutations of the virus can’t be ruled out, Bloomberg reported.

Read more here.

ANOTHER UK MOVE: FOURTH SHOTS FOR SOME PEOPLE

The United Kingdom will offer a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to certain vulnerable populations this spring, health officials there said Monday.

The U.K will offer the additional shot to people aged 75 and over, as well as people in care homes for older adults and people 12 and over who are immunosuppressed.

“We know immunity to COVID-19 begins to wane over time,” U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said. “That’s why we’re offering a spring booster to those people at higher risk of serious COVID-19 to make sure they maintain a high level of protection.”

Will the US follow? So far, U.S. officials are not recommending fourth doses, except for immunocompromised people, though they say they are still studying the question and gathering data.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study earlier this month found a third shot’s protection against hospitalization waned somewhat from 91 percent after two months to 78 percent after four months.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in an interview on the “In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt” podcast released Monday that 78 percent protection is “still pretty high.”

“We’re still doing pretty well at 78 percent in terms of hospitalization,” Walensky said. “Now, we’re going to continue to follow this. This was our first data point.”

Read more here.

Scotland: Alcohol deaths increased during pandemic

Deaths in Scotland wholly linked to alcohol increased by 9% in 2020, as the pandemic took hold, when compared wtih the annual average for the previous three years, according to Public Health Scotland figures. It said the rise was driven particularly by men and those aged 45 to 64, which already had some of the highest alcohol-specific death rates before the pandemic. Scotland’s Public Health Minister Maree Todd says the government has “taken action to assist those who are drinking at harmful levels”.

Generic image of a man drinking at home

TOURISTS ARRIVING IN AUSTRALIA FOR FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 2 YEARS

Tourists arrived in Australia for the first time in almost two years on Monday after the country lifted its travel restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals.

Australia barred tourists from entering the country in March 2020 in an effort to tame the spread of COVID-19 within the country, according to The Associated Press. Passengers who wanted to visit the country had to submit an application to be exempted from the travel moratorium. Tourism, however, was not a permitted reason for entering the country, according to the AP.

Australia eased its travel restrictions late last year — allowing international students, skilled migrants and tourists from New Zealand, Japan and South Korea in — though the remaining regulations were dropped for fully vaccinated travelers on Monday, according to the AP.

Travelers arriving at the airport in Sydney were welcomed with toy koalas and a variety of the country’s favorite foods, including Tim Tams chocolate cookies and Vegemite spread, according to the AP.

Fifty-six international flights are expected to land in Australia within the initial 24 hours of the border restrictions being lifted, the AP reported, citing Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Read more here.

Trudeau: Emergency powers still needed

 

© Associated Press/Alastair Grant

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said emergency powers are still needed as authorities end border blockades amid a trucker convoy protest of COVID-19 restrictions, The Associated Press reported.

Speaking on Monday, Trudeau said some demonstrators are already planning further blockades along the border, adding his public health minister said there was a report of an effort to block a border crossing in British Columbia over the weekend.

“The situation is still fragile, the state of emergency is still there,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau also said Ottawa residents were harassed for weeks throughout the duration of the protests, adding billions of dollars in trade were stalled by the border blockades, putting people’s jobs at risk, according to the AP.

“A flood of misinformation and disinformation washed over Canada, including from foreign sources,” Trudeau said.

“After these illegal blockades and occupations received disturbing amounts of foreign funding to destabilize Canada’s democracy, it became clear that local and provincial authorities needed more tools to restore order.”

 

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Trail of destruction on Sydney streets as floodwaters recede

Floodwaters have begun to recede on Sydney streets but a trail of destruction has been left behind.

Suburbs across the Inner West saw extensive flash flooding today with reports of some areas experiencing over a metre of water.

Cars have been abandoned after becoming trapped in floodwaters from Sydney to the Central Coast, leaving authorities with a mammoth clean up.

READ MORE: NSW hit with two severe storm warnings as wild weather continues

Streets across Sydney have been inundated by floodwaters as many of the city's suburbs recorded their wettest day in almost a year.Man tries to remove water from flooded car in Marrickville.

In Marrickville, a man was seen trying to remove water from his car with a plastic container, just one of many beginning the clean up.

Many NSW residents will not be surprised after today's deluge marked the wettest day in almost a year for many of the city's suburbs.

Weatherzone said there has been more than 110mm of rain at Marrickville since 9am, including 98mm in just two hours this afternoon.

In Sydney's west, more than 87mm of rain fell at Toongabbie.

https://twitter.com/SophieUpcroft/status/1496000537137152000

Weatherzone added that today marked the wettest day in 11 months in suburbs including Toongabbie, Baulkham Hills, Prospect, Greystanes, Castle Hill, Bankstown, Canterbury, Sydney Airport, Homebush and Terry HIlls.

Cars and their occupants had to be rescued in Chiswick and Marrickville after floodwaters made it impossible to drive through.

Flooding hits Wolli Creek in Sydney

Wolli Creek has been hit particularly hard by the flash flooding as water can be seen reaching the top of car tyres.

Despite the warning from authorities, motorists are continuing to drive through floodwaters.

Commuters hoping to escape the deluge got wet anyway as a bus was flooded in Wolli Creek.

The floor of a bus travelling through Wolli Creek was flooded.

Other city suburbs including Tempe and Sydenham have also been inundated by flash flooding.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has issued a road weather alert for all Sydney suburbs.

The BoM has also cancelled the severe weather warning for the Mid North Coast, Hunter, Metropolitan, Illawarra, Central Tablelands and Lower Western districts.

Meanwhile, some Chiswick residents have made the most of the floodwaters, using boogie boards to play in a small puddle.

READ MORE: Solar eruption captured in an unprecedented image

Two men play on boogie boards on a flooded Chiswick oval.

NSW State Emergency Service (SES) Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey said there have been more than 460 requests for help across Sydney, the Central Coast and the Hunter region.

There have also been 20 flood rescues.

Mr Storey added the majority of the rescues have been due to people attempting to drive through floodwaters.

"Operational activity is probably highest in western Sydney at this point in time, the majority of flood rescues we're seeing if people driving through flood waters," he said.

"Sydney overall has been heavily impacted by the rainfall today, the city's Inner West, and western Sydney are very, very wet, many roads will be flooded as people finish work for the day."

Mr Storey urged residents to avoid unnecessary driving and not to drive through flooded roads.

"If it's flooded, forget it, turn around and find another way," he said.

He also warned the heavy rainfall is expected to continue through the evening.

Roads have flooded in Marrickville.

Central Coast highway closed due to flooding

A major NSW motorway has been completely flooded after storms and heavy rain lashed the area overnight.

The Central Coast Highway is closed in both directions at West Gosford, prompting warnings for people to avoid the area, especially with more wild weather on the way.

Severe thunderstorms are forecast again today, and the BoM has issued a warning for a large area stretching from Newcastle to Wollongong.

READ MORE: Murder charge after circular saw allegedly used to cut off man's legs

Central Coast NSW Sydney storms floodingCentral Coast NSW Sydney storms floodingCentral Coast NSW Sydney storms flooding

People in the Sydney, Hunter, Illawarra, Central Tablelands, Lower Western and Upper Western Forecast Districts, have been told to brace for rainfall and damaging winds.

It comes after Sydney was hit by a violent storm cell yesterday, which brought flash flooding, lightning strikes and hail to the western suburbs.

A home was set alight in Glenmore Park after it was struck by a bolt of lightning.

Motorists are urged to avoid driving through flooded roads.

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The world's biggest cruise ship is making its debut

It's been three years in the making, but the world's largest cruise ship is finally ready to welcome passengers.

Measuring a staggering 362m, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas was delivered last month and is due to begin its maiden voyage from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to the Caribbean on March 4.

The 18-deck cruise ship was built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, and has capacity for 6988 guests and 2300 crew members.

READ MORE: Concerns over when cruise industry will restart as safety protocols debated

"We're excited to introduce guests across the world to Wonder of the Seas and its world-class features after a six-year-long process," Mark Tamis, senior vice president of hotel operations at Royal Caribbean International tells CNN Travel.

"From planning to delivery, we've utilised our expertise across Royal Caribbean, as well as incorporating our guest's suggestions and travel partner feedback to create something truly awe-inspiring." 

The ship will begin operating five- to seven-night cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to the Caribbean in March before launching western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona and Rome in May.

Wonder of the Seas comprises eight neighbourhoods, one of which contains more than 20,000 real plants, and its on-board features include what's described as the "tallest slide at sea," as well as a 10-deck-high zip line and a huge poolside movie screen.

Covid disruptions

"We've always prided ourselves on offering guests the best and most innovative ships to give them a truly extraordinary experience. Wonder encompasses all of that," adds Tamis.

The ship was originally scheduled for delivery in 2021, but this was pushed back due to delays brought about by the global pandemic.

The cruise line industry has faced constant disruption over the past two years as a result of COVID-19.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention pushed cruise travel up to the highest-risk level in late December, indicating that the risk for COVID-19 was "very high" due to an increase in infections among cruise passengers and crew after the emergence of the Omicron variant.

In January 2022, the health agency's COVID guidance became optional for a large number of cruise ships.

This month, the CDC lowered the risk level from level four to level three, which means that its advice is now that people should be fully up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations before traveling.

The rules under the CDC's conditional sailing order, which ended on January 15, required 95 per cent of both passengers and crew to be fully vaccinated to sail in most circumstances, while some cruise lines required vaccination for all passengers and crew.

Royal Caribbean paused operations on some of its ships, including Symphony of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas, in January due to "COVID-related circumstances around the world."

The cruise line currently requires all guests aged 12 and over to be fully vaccinated, while those aged over two must submit a negative COVID-19 test before sailing.

All guests aged two and up are required to be masked in most public indoor spaces.

The fifth and newest of Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class vessels, Wonder of the Seas is one of several brand new cruise ships that are set to hit the waters in the coming weeks and months.

Discovery Princess, the newest addition to the Princess Cruises fleet, was handed over at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

Meanwhile, Disney Wish, the first new cruise ship Disney has built in 10 years, is due to be delivered this summer, while Silversea Cruises' new luxury cruise ship Silver Dawn is scheduled for a spring debut.

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Amateur footballer jailed over on-field coward punch during a game

A footballer has been jailed after he coward punched another player, breaking the man's jaw, during a game in Adelaide's south.

Mark Harrison, 34, has been sentenced to one year and 10 months' jail before Adelaide District Court over the punch, which occurred back in September 2018 during the B-Grade grand final between Christies Beach and Flagstaff Hill in the Southern Football League.

During the game, Christies Beach player Harrison struck an opponent, causing the Flagstaff Hill player to fall to the ground unconscious with a broken jaw.

READ MORE: Good Samaritan hit with one-punch attack after breaking up fight

Flagstaff Hill former president Brett Charlesworth has told 9News the punch was a cowardly move, which significantly affected the victim.

"He suffered a very, very nasty injury," Mr Charlesworth said.

"It affected him in many ways… He's bounced back from it but it's something that he'll carry for the rest of his life."

The former football club president said Harrison being jailed over the punch was "a really important step forward" in discouraging violence on the field.

"The more we can do to stamp out this sort of behaviour, the better," he said.

Lawyer Greg Griffin has also praised the custodial punishment handed to Harrison.

READ MORE: Locals 'fed up' after one-punch attack at popular nightspot

"It sends a really strong message to anyone that plays social suburban sport that you cannot assault people on the sporting field," he said.

"And if you do, you put your reputation, livelihood and even freedom at risk.

"One stupid act on a football field is a life-changing event for you and you can go from having everything that you want in life to having that taken away."

Harrison had a history of one-punch attacks and was on a good behaviour bond at the time of the incident.

He was sentenced to a non-parole period of 11 months.

He could also now face a lifetime ban from the football league, with the matter to go before its board.