NORTH AMERICA EUROPE AUSTRALIA€¦ · waterways amid threats from Iran after an attack targeting its crucial oil industry. The kingdom’s decision to enter the International Maritime

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SEPTEMBER 18 (GMT) – SEPTEMBER 19 (AEST), 2019

AUSTRALIAEUROPENORTH AMERICA

Bermuda braces for hurricane

People on Bermuda rushed to make final preparations for an expected close brush with Hurricane Humberto, a powerful Category 3 storm that caused authorities on the British Atlantic island to order early closings of schools, transportation and government offices. National Security Minister Wayne Caines said schools, government offices and ferries on the island would close early and bus service would halt.

Emergency landing after fire

Officials say an Air China jet bound for Beijing made an emergency return to Dulles International Airport after reporting an engine fire. In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration says that the Air China flight landed safely in Washington after reporting an engine fire and that its pilot was in contact with air traffic control at all times.

Australians need ‘fair treatment’

Australia is pushing Iran to give “fair and transparent treatment” to three Australian citizens being held under arrest in the Middle Eastern country. Iran has acknowledged for the first time it is holding three Australians, including two with joint British nationality. Iran’s judiciary spokesman said the three had been charged in two separate cases. Perth couple Mark Firkin and Jolie King were detained by Iranian authorities about 10 weeks ago.

No-deal Brexit risk still ‘very real’

The risk of Britain leaving the European Union without a divorce deal remains “very real,” European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker says, as EU lawmakers debated the ramifications of a no-deal Brexit. Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Juncker, who met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier in the week, said a no-deal Brexit “might be the choice of the UK, but it will never be ours”.

Speedboat crash kills three

Three people including two Britons have been killed in a speedboat crash in Venice. Italian firefighters said the trio died when their vessel crashed into an offshore lagoon wall. A fourth person on board was badly injured. Italian speedboat race officials say the boat was trying to set a speed record for the route from Monte Carlo to Venice.

Fire at school ruled accidental

An investigation into the fire which destroyed four classrooms in a Christchurch school indicates the cause was accidental. Fire and Emergency fire risk management officer Wayne Hamilton said investigators finished at Russley School at around midday today. He said the team, which included an electrical engineer, suspect the fire was caused by a faulty electrical multi-box.

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AUSTRALIAUKREST OF THE WORLD

Swine fever outbreak spreads

South Korea has confirmed a second case of African swine fever near its border with North Korea, raising concerns that the outbreak could spread and wreak havoc on the country’s massive pig herds. Officials were planning to cull some 5000 pigs raised at a farm in the town of Yeoncheon after the highly contagious disease was confirmed in tests of a dead pig, a South Korean agriculture ministry official said.

Saudis join maritime coalition

Saudi Arabia says it has joined a US-led coalition to secure the Mideast’s waterways amid threats from Iran after an attack targeting its crucial oil industry. The kingdom’s decision to enter the International Maritime Security Construct came ahead of a planned visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Saudi officials separately planned to share information about the weapons used to attack a Saudi oil field and the world’s largest crude oil processing plant.

PM praises alliance with US

The century-deep relationship between the United States and Australia is far stronger than the personal connection between leaders, but a warmth there doesn’t hurt. Prime Minister Scott Morrison celebrated the long ties with Australia’s closest ally ahead of jetting off to Washington DC where he will be feted by US President Donald Trump. “We are an alliance partner that the United States knows they can rely on, a partner that pulls their weight in the alliance,” he said.

Sturgeon ‘fighting for future’

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says she was “fighting” for a European future as she visited Berlin. Five years on from Scots voting to stay in the UK in the 2014 independence referendum, Sturgeon was in the German capital to talk to government and business leaders there. While the UK is due to leave the European Union at the end of October, Sturgeon stressed that Scotland was an “outward-looking European nation”

Schools quizzed on Brexit prep

Schools and councils have been asked to explain how they are preparing for Brexit, including ensuring food supplies. In a letter, schools minister Lord Agnew said the Government needs “a clearer understanding of school preparedness” for the UK leaving the European Union. It urges schools to contact their food suppliers to ensure they will be able to continue supplying food if Brexit goes ahead on October 31, according to the Times Educational Supplement (TES).

Air NZ drop trademark bid

Air New Zealand has withdrawn its bid to trademark the logo for its in-flight magazine Kia Ora, following talks with Māori leaders. The airline came under fire from Māori intellectual property rights experts earlier this month for filing the application. Chief executive Christopher Luxon said after speaking with iwi leaders the airline will no longer actively pursue the trademark.

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NORTH AMERICA

- AP

Plane makes emergency landing after engine fireOfficials say an Air China jet bound for Beijing made an emergency return to Dulles International Airport after reporting an engine fire.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Air China flight landed safely in Washington after reporting an engine fire and that its pilot was in contact with air traffic control at all times.

A spokesman for the Washington Metropolitan Airport Authority identified the craft as a Boeing 777, which the aircraft maker said seats from 317 to 396 people.

A spokeswoman for Air China said the airline isn’t aware of any injuries and that passengers are being placed on other flights or housed overnight. ■

- AP

NORTH AMERICA

Bermuda braces for Hurricane HumbertoPeople on Bermuda rushed to make final preparations for an expected close brush with Hurricane Humberto, a powerful Category 3 storm that caused authorities on the British Atlantic island to order early closings of schools, transportation and government offices.

National Security Minister Wayne Caines said schools, government offices and ferries on the island would close early and bus service would halt.

Officials expected tropical storm-force winds to begin whipping at Bermuda and warned that hurricane-force gusts would probably last until the following day. Humberto was predicted to pass just north of the territory of some 70,000 people, though a small shift in its path could bring the storm over the island itself.

The US National Hurricane Center said Humberto’s maximum sustained winds strengthened to 115 mph (185 kph) and it would probably remain a Category 3 hurricane through, though there could be some fluctuations in its winds. The storm was centered about 240 miles (390km) west of Bermuda, moving east-northeast at 16 mph (26 kph).

In Texas, the remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda threatened to drench parts of Southwest Texas and southwestern Louisiana with up to 18 inches (46cm) of rain over the next few days. It was the first named storm to hit the Houston area since Hurricane Harvey’s much heavier rains flooded more than 150,000 homes around the city and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage in Texas.

Tropical Storm Jerry also formed, forecast to become a hurricane as it nears the outermost Caribbean islands.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lorena was moving off Mexico’s Pacific Coast, and forecasters now expect it to become a hurricane as it approaches shore. They warned of heavy rains and flooding to resorts from Zihuatanejo to Cabo Corrientes. Lorena had top winds of 60 mph (95 kph) and was centered about 140 miles (225km) southwest of Zihuatanejo, moving northwest at 14 mph (22 kph). ■

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EUROPE

The wreckage of a racing boat that allegedly smashed into a dam at the entrance of the

Venice laguna, Italy. - PA

Speedboat crashes off Venice, three killedThree people including two Britons have been killed in a speedboat crash in Venice.

Italian firefighters said the trio died when their vessel crashed into an offshore lagoon wall.

A fourth person on board was badly injured.Italian speedboat race officials say the boat was trying to set

a speed record for the route from Monte Carlo to Venice.They said the motorboat began the record attempt in the

morning and was allowed one fuel stop under the rules.Officials said an Italian and two Britons were killed, but gave

no further details. The injured man is also Italian.The speedboat is understood to have been capable of

reaching 80mph.The cause of the crash is under investigation. ■

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. - AP

EUROPE

Risk of no-deal Brexit ‘remains very real’The risk of Britain leaving the European Union without a divorce deal remains “very real,” European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker says, as EU lawmakers debated the ramifications of a no-deal Brexit.

Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Juncker, who met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier in the week, said a no-deal Brexit “might be the choice of the UK, but it will never be ours”.

After the debate, the European Parliament is set to adopt a resolution laying out its concerns about Britain’s impending departure from the 28-nation bloc on October 31. Johnson has been adamant the UK will leave the EU on that scheduled date with or without a withdrawal agreement.

The main sticking point over a Brexit deal is the Irish border backstop, which would require Britain to retain some EU trade rules in order to avoid a hard border between EU member Ireland and the U.K.’s Northern Ireland.

“I have no sentimental attachment to the backstop,” Juncker said, adding, however, that he remains attached to the purpose it serves, which is not to create border structures that could be detrimental to peace in Northern Ireland.

EU leaders have made clear it is essential that any amendment to the current proposed divorce deal should uphold the Good Friday peace agreement, the treaty that ended decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.

Despite his declaration that Britain will leave on October 31 “do or die,” Johnson he insists he can strike a revised divorce deal with the bloc in time for an orderly departure. European leaders are skeptical of that declaration.

“I asked the British prime minister to specify the alternative arrangements that he could envisage,” Juncker said. “As long as such proposals are not made, I cannot tell you – while looking you straight in the eye – that progress is being made.”

The Brexit agreement made with the EU by Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, was rejected three times by Britain’s Parliament, prompting May to resign. ■

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NEW ZEALAND

Firemen assess the damage at Russley School. - RNZ/Conan Young

Investigators rule fire at school accidentalAn investigation into the fire which destroyed four classrooms in a Christchurch school indicates the cause was accidental.

Fire and Emergency fire risk management officer Wayne Hamilton said investigators finished at Russley School at around midday today.

He said the team, which included an electrical engineer, suspect the fire was caused by a faulty electrical multi-box.

The early morning blaze yesterday gutted a block of four classrooms used by 120 pupils in the final two years of primary school. They lost all their year’s work in the blaze.

The school said due to asbestos contamination the school site is still unsafe to access and will remain closed until it has been given an assurance by health and safety inspectors.

The school will be closed until at least next Tuesday.It’s likely the 120 children who now no longer have a

classroom will be taught in the school hall while a rebuild takes place. ■

Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham. - AAP

AUSTRALIA

Australians in Iran need ‘fair treatment’Australia is pushing Iran to give “fair and transparent treatment” to three Australian citizens being held under arrest in the Middle Eastern country.

Iran has acknowledged for the first time it is holding three Australians, including two with joint British nationality.

Iran’s judiciary spokesman said the three had been charged in two separate cases.

Perth couple Mark Firkin and Jolie King were detained by Iranian authorities about 10 weeks ago.

The travel bloggers are accused of flying a drone near a restricted military zone in Tehran.

The third, University of Melbourne lecturer Kylie Moore-Gilbert, faces charges of spying for another country.

If convicted, Moore-Gilbert could be jailed for 10 years.Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said Foreign

Minister Marise Payne was dealing with the “very serious matters”.

“We have expectations in relation to fair and transparent treatment of citizens, we will continue to advocate very clearly for that,” Senator Birmingham said.

UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, in Canberra to negotiate a potential free trade deal, also addressed the arrests.

“Our foreign secretary Dominic Raab is very concerned about this issue and he’s dealing with it,” she said.

The Australian government has been providing consular assistance to the three Australians, while Senator Payne has raised the issue with her Iranian counterpart several times.

Former foreign minister Julie Bishop has said she is prepared to use her longstanding relationships with Iranian leaders to lobby for the trio’s release. ■

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REST OF THE WORLD

- AP

Saudi Arabia joins maritime coalitionSaudi Arabia says it has joined a US-led coalition to secure the Mideast’s waterways amid threats from Iran after an attack targeting its crucial oil industry.

The kingdom’s decision to enter the International Maritime Security Construct came ahead of a planned visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Saudi officials separately planned to share information about the weapons used to attack a Saudi oil field and the world’s largest crude oil processing plant last weekend.

Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have claimed the attack, but the US and Saudi Arabia say they suspect Iran carried out the assault. Iran denies that, though it comes amid a summer of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency carried a statement quoting an unnamed official saying the kingdom had joined the International Maritime Security Construct.

Australia, Bahrain and the United Kingdom already have joined the mission.

“The kingdom’s accession to this international alliance comes in support of regional and international efforts to deter and counter threats to maritime navigation and global trade in order to ensure global energy security and the continued flow of energy supplies to the global economy and contribute to maintain the international peace and security,” the news agency said.

US military officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The coalition aims to secure the broader Persian Gulf region. It includes surveillance of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s oil travels, and the Bab el-Mandeb, another narrow strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden off Yemen and East Africa. Smaller patrol boats and other craft will be available for rapid response. The plan also allows for nations to escort their own ships through the region. ■

Quarantine officials wearing protective gears place barricades as a precaution against

African swine fever at a pig farm in Paju, South Korea. - AP

REST OF THE WORLD

Soutg Korea confirms 2nd case of swine feverSouth Korea has confirmed a second case of African swine fever near its border with North Korea, raising concerns that the outbreak could spread and wreak havoc on the country’s massive pig herds.

Officials were planning to cull some 5000 pigs raised at a farm in the town of Yeoncheon after the highly contagious disease was confirmed in tests of a dead pig, a South Korean agriculture ministry official said.

Officials culled nearly 4000 pigs and stepped up quarantine efforts after confirming the country’s first case of the disease at the nearby city of Paju.

African swine fever is harmless to humans but very contagious and fatal for pigs. It has decimated herds in China and other Asian countries and there is no known cure.

There are about 6300 farms in South Korea that raise more than 11 million pigs.

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said wild animals, vehicles or even human travel may be causing the virus to spread. Officials are looking into the possibility that the disease was introduced by wild boars following an earlier outbreak in North Korea.

“I urge you to quickly respond and do whatever you can,” Lee said.

The agriculture ministry said officials also were stepping up disinfection of farms and vehicles and restricting movements of farmers, animals and visitors to contain the disease.

“We will obviously cull the 4700 pigs raised at the Yeoncheon farm and could cull more pigs at farms in neighboring areas if needed,” said the ministry official, who declined to be named, citing office rules.

The outbreak in South Korea comes after months of heightened monitoring efforts at border area farms after the disease spread to North Korea in May. ■

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UK

- PA

Schools asked to explain Brexit preparationsSchools and councils have been asked to explain how they are preparing for Brexit, including ensuring food supplies.

In a letter, schools minister Lord Agnew said the Government needs “a clearer understanding of school preparedness” for the UK leaving the European Union.

It urges schools to contact their food suppliers to ensure they will be able to continue supplying food if Brexit goes ahead on October 31, according to the Times Educational Supplement (TES).

The letter also said schools should raise any concerns they have about meeting their legal duties to pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, pupil health and safety or safeguarding, with their local authority or academy trust.

And it asks councils, and multi academy trusts (MATs), which run chains of state schools, to “reach out” to school leaders to make sure that guidance on food supplies, medicine and data protection is followed, the TES, which has seen the letter, reported.

The TES reported that the letter said: “The Government is already engaging with a wide range of school food stakeholders, including working directly with suppliers, to support industry preparedness and ensure continuous supply ahead of 31 October.

“Schools should contact their food supplier(s) if they procure food directly (and the same goes for local authorities and academy trusts where they arrange food on behalf of schools) to ensure they are planning for 31 October.

“This is to ensure that suppliers are making the necessary arrangements to continue the supply of food to schools, and to make sure that schools can continue to meet nutritional standards, accommodate special dietary needs and manage allergies, for example when introducing any substitute products.” ■

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon. - AP

UK

Sturgeon ‘fighting for European future’Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says she was “fighting” for a European future as she visited Berlin.

Five years on from Scots voting to stay in the UK in the 2014 independence referendum, Sturgeon was in the German capital to talk to government and business leaders there.

While the UK is due to leave the European Union at the end of October, Sturgeon stressed that Scotland was an “outward-looking European nation” – as she pledged to do “everything” in her power to try to halt a possible no-deal Brexit.

Two years after Scots rejected independence, voters backed keeping the UK in the EU – however the UK as a whole voted to leave.

Sturgeon tweeted: “In #indyref [independence referendum] UK politicians told us that independence would see us thrown out of the EU.

“Today, five years on, I’m in Germany fighting for an EU future that we stand to lose because we are not independent. Scotland’s future belongs in Scotland’s hands.”

The First Minister, who is meeting the German Europe minister Michael Roth as well as members of the German Council on Foreign Relations and the German Chambers of Commerce, insisted that Scotland’s “desire for continued EU membership is about far more than self-interest”.

The SNP leader added: “The EU’s fundamental values are ones we cherish – freedom, democracy, the rule of law, equality, and respect for human dignity and human rights.

“Scotland clearly benefits from EU membership.“It is good for our businesses, our universities, and our

people – who have the freedom to study, live and work across the continent.

“Scotland has also been enriched by the many EU citizens who have done us the honour of making Scotland their home.

“There is still a very real risk of the UK leaving the European Union without a deal. That would damage our economy and communities and I will do everything in my power to stop that happening. ■

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Air New Zealand drop trademark bidAir New Zealand has withdrawn its bid to trademark the logo for its in-flight magazine Kia Ora, following talks with Māori leaders.

The airline came under fire from Māori intellectual property rights experts earlier this month for filing the application.

Chief executive Christopher Luxon said after speaking with iwi leaders the airline will no longer actively pursue the trademark, and will urge the government to review the rules for trademarking words from the Māori language.

“The current trademark situation does not reflect the sometimes differing and legitimate views of both the Māori and legal communities.”

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu chief executive Arihia Bennett commended Air New Zealand for seeking the views of Māori leaders.

She said the iwi was also urging the government to better protect Māori intellectual property.

The Māori Council executive director Matthew Tukaki said he was pleased Air New Zealand had finally come to its senses.

“I think it’s great news, we started the campaign less than a week ago.

“The shame of it is, let’s just admit it Air New Zealand, you were concerned about the hit to the hip pocket after CNN and the BBC and a range of international news agencies picked it up.

“My message is, why did you do it in the first place? You should have listened to everyday Māori instead of these iwi leaders that you keep on talking about that nobody knows who they are. More importantly, we as a country were celebrating Māori Language Week.

“It was a despicable act for all of this to emerge during that week.” ■

NEW ZEALAND

- AP

Morrison praises alliance with USThe century-deep relationship between the United States and Australia is far stronger than the personal connection between leaders, but a warmth there doesn’t hurt.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison celebrated the long ties with Australia’s closest ally ahead of jetting off to Washington DC where he will be feted by US President Donald Trump.

“We are an alliance partner that the United States knows they can rely on, a partner that pulls their weight in the alliance,” he said.

The US is pulling out all the stops for the visit, including Trump hosting just his second state banquet in honour of a foreign leader in the three years of his term.

The leaders have met on a number of occasions in the year since Morrison became prime minister and Trump – well known for loving a winner – applauded his surprise election win when they dined together on the eve of the G20 in Japan in June.

“Of course, there is a good personal relationship between leaders, but it is far more than that,” Morrison said.

“This is a relationship that has been forged in the crucible of our collective action together over more than a century.”

Strategic and economic cooperation are expected to be the twin strands of Morrison’s week-long trip, which will take him to Washington DC, Ohio, Chicago and New York.

Earlier, Morrison said Australia never took the relationship for granted.

“I take it seriously and it is bigger than prime ministers and presidents, it’s about our people, it’s about our shared values,” he said.

He also revealed he has a unique gift picked out for Trump, but wouldn’t say what it was. ■

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. - AAP

AUSTRALIA

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NORTH AMERICA EUROPE AUSTRALIA€¦ · waterways amid threats from Iran after an attack targeting its crucial oil industry. The kingdom’s decision to enter the International Maritime