NORTH AMERICA EUROPE AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND · 10/26/2018 · following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US is withdrawing from the pact. The US accuses Russia of

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OctOber 26 (GMt) – OctOber 27 (AeSt), 2018

AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALANDEUROPENORTH AMERICA

Possible Florida mail bomb link

Investigators hunting for the source of package bombs sent to critics of President Donald Trump suspect that some of the parcels were mailed from Florida. Three more devices were linked to the plot – two addressed to former vice president Joe Biden and one to actor Robert De Niro – bringing the total to 10 as authorities warned there might well be more.

Two dead in Yosemite Park fall

Two visitors died in a fall from a popular overlook at Yosemite National Park that allows people to walk to the cliff’s edge, where there is no railing, an official said.Park rangers were trying to recover the bodies of the pair spotted by another tourist, spokesman Scott Gediman said. Officials are still investigating when the pair fell and from what spot at Taft Point, which is 3,000 feet (900 meters) above the famed Yosemite Valley floor, he said.

Australia ‘appalled’ by murder

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia is “appalled beyond description” at the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and will not rule out imposing economic sanctions on the Middle Eastern kingdom. Australia has already pulled out of a Saudi investment conference in response to the murder in Turkey.

Polls open as Ireland votes

Voting has begun in Ireland to elect the country’s next president. Polling stations across the country opened at 7am and will remain open until 10pm to give people the opportunity to cast their ballot. More than 3.2 million people are entitled to vote in 40 constituencies. The constituency with the single largest electorate in the country is Donegal, with more than 116,000 people registered to vote.

Russia seeks nuke treaty support

Russia is trying to get the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution supporting a landmark missile treaty following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US is withdrawing from the pact. The US accuses Russia of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which eliminates all ground-launched cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 500-5500 kilometers.

Explosion rocks school

Eight students and teachers have been injured – one seriously – after a barbeque exploded at De La Salle College in Auckland. Emergency services were called to the school. Eight people, including two teachers, were injured. The students are between 15 and 16-years-old and one is in a serious condition.

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AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALANDUkREST OF THE WORLD

Uk ‘won’t extradite Assange’

The UK told Ecuador in August that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would not be extradited if he left the country’s London embassy, Ecuador’s top government lawyer says. In a written response to queries from Ecuador, the UK explained it had not received any extradition request and said Assange’s jail time in Britain for violating bail terms by seeking refuge in the embassy would not exceed six months.

korea talks aim to avoid clashes

North and South Korea are holding military talks on their border to discuss implementing a broad-reaching military agreement last month to reduce tensions. South Korean Major Gen. Kim Do-gyun said the discussions at Panmunjom will include establishing a joint military committee that’s meant to maintain communication and avoid crises and accidental clashes.

Labor loses another candidate

A Labor candidate has withdrawn from the state election race, becoming the second in two days to do so. Peter Lockwood announced he would bow out of the race for the seat of Bayswater in the November 24 state poll. “With sadness I announce that I cannot continue as the Labor candidate for Bayswater … I have withdrawn from the 2018 state election,” Lockwood said.

No-deal Brexit threatens growth

A no-deal Brexit could slam the brakes on the UK’s economic growth, wiping out Chancellor Philip Hammond’s hopes of boosting public spending, a think tank said. If the UK fails to reach a withdrawal deal with the EU and moves on to World Trade Organisation rules, GDP growth can be expected to slow sharply from 1.4% this year to 0.3% in both 2019 and 2020, said the National institute of Economic and Social Research.

Tram-train collides with lorry

A tram-train derailed when it collided with a lorry within hours of the launch of a much-heralded new service. Four Stagecoach Supertram passengers suffered minor injuries when the crash occurred in Sheffield, a spokeswoman for the operator said. The tram hit a lorry, pushing it around 30ft sideways at a point where Staniforth Road crosses the tram tracks near to the Woodbourn Road tram stop.

Thousands boycott gas stations

A South Auckland woman who spends $200 a week driving her grandchildren to school is among thousands boycotting petrol stations. Nearly 40,000 people responded to a nationwide plan to boycott all petrol stations because of high fuel prices. Anne Tahitahi is one of them and she is taking it seriously.

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NORTH AMERICA

Taft Point, top left, in California’s Yosemite National Park. - AP

Two hikers dead in Yosemite Park fallTwo visitors died in a fall from a popular overlook at Yosemite National Park that allows people to walk to the cliff’s edge, where there is no railing, an official said.

Park rangers were trying to recover the bodies of a female visitor and a male visitor spotted by another tourist, spokesman Scott Gediman said. Officials are still investigating when the pair fell and from what spot at Taft Point, which is 3000 feet (900 meters) above the famed Yosemite Valley floor, he said.

Railings only exist at a small portion of the overlook, which is popular for its breathtaking views of the valley, Yosemite falls and El Capitan and fissures on the granite rock that plunge to the valley floor.

More than 10 people have died at the park this year, some from natural causes and others from falls, Gediman said.

Last month, an israeli teenager fell hundreds of feet to his death while hiking near the top of 600-foot-tall (180-meter-tall) Nevada fall. The death of 18-year-old Tomer frankfurter was considered an accident, the Mariposa County coroner’s office said.

Taft Point is also where world-famous wingsuit flier Dean Potter and his partner, Graham Hunt, died after leaping from the cliff in 2015. The pair experienced at flying in wingsuits – the most extreme form of BASE jumping – crashed after trying to clear a V-shaped notch in a ridgeline.

BASE jumping – which stands for jumping off buildings, antennas, spans (such as bridges) and Earth – is illegal in the park.

An investigation concluded that the deaths were accidental. Despite video and photos of the jump, officials consider the specific reason why Potter and Hunt died a mystery. ■

A package containing an explosive device similar to what the NYPD safely recovered in

New York City. - PA

NORTH AMERICA

Investigators probe Florida bomb linkInvestigators hunting for the source of package bombs sent to critics of President Donald Trump suspect that some of the parcels were mailed from Florida.

Three more devices were linked to the plot – two addressed to former vice president Joe Biden and one to actor Robert De Niro – bringing the total to 10 as authorities warned there might well be more.

Law enforcement officials said that the devices, containing timers and batteries, were not rigged like booby-trapped package bombs that would explode upon opening.

But they were still uncertain whether the devices were poorly designed or never intended to cause physical harm.

A search of a postal database suggested at least some may have been mailed from florida, one official said.

investigators are homing in on a postal facility in Opa-locka, florida, where they believe some of the packages originated, another official said.

Homeland Security Director Kirstjen Nielsen acknowledged that some of packages originated in Florida.

New details about the devices came as the four-day mail-bomb scare spread nationwide, drawing investigators from dozens of federal, state and local agencies in the effort to identify one or more perpetrators.

The targets have included former president Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, CNN and Representative Maxine Waters of California.

Officials in New York would not discuss possible motives, or details on how the packages found their way into the US postal system. Nor would they say why none of the packages had detonated, but they stressed they were still treating them as “live devices”.

“As far as a hoax device, we’re not treating it that way,” said Police Commissioner James O’Neill.

Details suggested a pattern – that the items were packaged in manila envelopes, addressed to prominent Trump critics and carried US postage stamps. ■

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EUROPE

- EPA

Russia seeks support for nuclear treatyRussia is trying to get the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution supporting a landmark missile treaty following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US is withdrawing from the pact.

The US accuses Russia of violating the 1987 intermediate-Range Nuclear forces Treaty, which eliminates all ground-launched cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 500-5500 kilometers (300-3,400 miles).

Russia presented the draft to the Assembly’s disarmament committee but the US protested that it was after the October 18 deadline for submitting resolutions – but Russia argued that Trump’s announcement came after the deadline, Russian Mission spokesman fedor Strzhizhovskiy said.

The US called for a vote on whether the resolution could be submitted which it lost and the committee chair is now seeking consensus, he said. ■

A Garda officer and irish Air Corp helicopter crewman deliver a ballot box to inishbofin

Island for the Irish presidential election. - PA

EUROPE

Polls open as Ireland votes for next PresidentVoting has begun in Ireland to elect the country’s next president.

Polling stations across the country opened at 7am and will remain open until 10pm to give people the opportunity to cast their ballot.

More than 3.2 million people are entitled to vote in 40 constituencies.

The constituency with the single largest electorate in the country is Donegal, with more than 116,000 people registered to vote.

This is closely followed by Tipperary with some 110,000, and Wexford with more than 108,000.

in Dublin, more than 560,000 people are eligible to cast their ballot in the capital’s 11 constituencies.

The constituency with the smallest electorate is Dublin Central with 40,000 voters.

Six candidates are vying for the highest office in the state.They are incumbent President Michael D Higgins, Senator

Joan freeman, Sinn fein MEP Liadh Ni Riada, and three businessmen – Sean Gallagher, Gavin Duffy and Peter Casey.

Most islanders have already had their say as voting got under way on 12 islands off the coast of counties Donegal, Mayo and Galway a day ahead of the rest of the country.

The island with the largest number of registered voters is Inis Mor, Co Galway, where 666 people were able to cast ballots.

There were five islands in Co Donegal where voting took place, including the largest, Arainn Mhor.

Ballot boxes were brought by the irish Defence forces to some of the islands by ferry and to others by helicopter.

At inishbofin off the coast of Co Donegal, the ballot box arrived by helicopter before being carried by a Garda officer, accompanied by local presiding officer Carmel McBride, to a community centre to allow islanders their chance for a say in who will become the next president of ireland. ■

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AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND

De La Salle College in Mangere East. - Google Maps

Explosion rocks school, eight left injuredEight students and teachers have been injured – one seriously – after a barbeque exploded at De La Salle College in Auckland.

Emergency services were called to the school.Eight people, including two teachers, were injured.The students are between 15 and 16-years-old and one is in

a serious condition.De La Salle College principal Myles Hogarty said a faulty gas

bottle on a portable barbeque exploded while the students were cooking sausages for an economics project.

Hogarty said parents had been contacted. ■

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. - AAP


Australia ‘appalled’ at journalist’s murderPrime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia is “appalled beyond description” at the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and will not rule out imposing economic sanctions on the Middle Eastern kingdom.

Australia has already pulled out of a Saudi investment conference in response to the murder in Turkey.

The prime minister said he and senior cabinet colleagues are monitoring an investigation into the Istanbul killing “incredibly closely” before deciding its next steps.

“We are appalled beyond description by what has happened, and we expect Saudi officials and others to fully cooperate with what is the process of justice, which is under way,” Morrison said.

“We will be taking any and all necessary steps that we think are needed to pursue that path and pursue that outcome.” ■

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REST Of THE WORLD

North Korea’s Kaepoong town is seen from the unification observatory in Paju, South

Korea. - AP

North, South Korea talks aim to avoid clashesNorth and South korea are holding military talks on their border to discuss implementing a broad-reaching military agreement last month to reduce tensions.

South Korean Major Gen. Kim Do-gyun said the discussions at Panmunjom will include establishing a joint military committee that’s meant to maintain communication and avoid crises and accidental clashes.

The talks come a day after the Koreas and the US-led UN Command completed removing firearms and troops from a jointly controlled area at the border village.

Seoul says the military agreement is an important trust-building step that will reduce border tensions and create more space for larger US-led negotiations to denuclearize the North.

Some experts say the South risks conceding its conventional military strength before the North takes any concrete steps toward relinquishing its nuclear weapons. ■

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

- EPA

REST Of THE WORLD

Lawyer: UK won’t extradite AssangeThe Uk told Ecuador in August that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would not be extradited if he left the country’s London embassy, Ecuador’s top government lawyer says.

in a written response to queries from Ecuador, the UK explained it had not received any extradition request and said Assange’s jail time in Britain for violating bail terms by seeking refuge in the embassy would not exceed six months, inigo Salvador, who represents the Ecuadorean government in court proceedings, said.

Salvador said Ecuador passed on the UK’s response to Assange’s lawyers but noted if Assange stayed in the embassy, Ecuador would put new conditions on his stay.

“Mr Assange had a choice between turning himself in to British authorities with those assurances, or staying in the embassy of Ecuador, but given that the asylum had lasted six years with no signs of immediate resolution we were going to place certain rules,” Salvador said.

it was unclear if the UK’s assurances were still valid. Assange’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The UK foreign Office referred to minister Alan Duncan’s June statement that Assange would be treated “humanely and properly” if he left the embassy.

Assange took refuge in the embassy in 2012 after British courts ordered his extradition to Sweden.

Supporters have said Assange fears he could be extradited to the United States if he leaves the embassy.

WikiLeaks, which published US diplomatic and military secrets when Assange ran the operation, faces a US grand jury investigation.

The relationship between Assange and Ecuador has grown increasingly tense in the past year. Assange filed a lawsuit in an Ecuadorean court last week claiming the new asylum terms, which require him to pay for medical bills and telephone calls and to clean up after his pet cat, violate his rights. ■

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UK

- PA

Tram-train collides with flatbed lorryA tram-train derailed when it collided with a lorry within hours of the launch of a much-heralded new service.

four Stagecoach Supertram passengers suffered minor injuries when the crash occurred in Sheffield, a spokeswoman for the operator said.

The tram hit a flatbed lorry, pushing it around 30ft sideways at a point where Staniforth Road crosses the tram tracks near to the Woodbourn Road tram stop, about half-a-mile from the city centre.

The collision happened on the day the UK’s first tram- train service was launched between Sheffield and Rotherham – a service that utilises both the Supertram system and main rail lines.

The tram-train involved in the crash was used for tram-only journeys over the past year and was travelling on a tram section when it collided with the truck on the route between the city centre and Meadowhall shopping centre.

A Stagecoach Supertram spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that a collision took place this afternoon between a lorry and one of our vehicles shortly before 3.20pm on Staniforth Road. No-one has been seriously injured, however a small number of people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

“We are assisting police with their inquiries into the circumstances. Tram services in the area are currently suspended and the latest updates for customers are available via our website and Twitter feed,” she said.

It is understood the tram signal was on green at the time of the collision.

The traffic lights around the junction were not working after the collision, with signs warning motorists of the situation.

But it is not clear whether the lights were working before the crash.

Rhyse Morgan, 27, spotted the tram on his way to work and thought it had derailed. ■

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond. - EPA

UK

No-deal Brexit a threat to growthA no-deal Brexit could slam the brakes on the Uk’s economic growth, wiping out Chancellor Philip Hammond’s hopes of boosting public spending, a think tank has said.

If the UK fails to reach a withdrawal deal with the EU and moves on to World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules next March, GDP growth can be expected to slow sharply from 1.4% this year to 0.3% in both 2019 and 2020, said the National institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr).

This scenario – which assumes that the shift to WTO rules is achieved in an orderly way – would erode almost all of the space available for Hammond to increase spending on services.

Expectations of a boost for public spending in next week’s Budget have been fuelled by Prime Minister Theresa May’s recent declaration that the end of austerity is in sight.

By contrast, Niesr forecast that a “soft” Brexit with a deal with Brussels could see growth rise to 1.9% in 2019 and 1.6% in 2020.

This would give Hammond space to borrow an average of £16 billion a year more between 2019/20 and 2022/23 than was expected in the spring.

“This provides room for the Chancellor to spend an average of around £30 billion more over the same period,” said Niesr.

“Under the no-deal Brexit scenario almost all of this additional fiscal space will be eroded.”

The soft Brexit scenario would allow Hammond to meet his fiscal targets of getting the deficit below 2% of GDP by 2020/21 and seeing debt falling as a proportion of GDP over the same period, while making additional borrowing, said Niesr.

But the think tank added: “All this is not to suggest that a soft Brexit will offer the Chancellor a free rein on spending – it will not.

“Even under that optimistic scenario, the Chancellor will fail to comply with the fiscal objective which is to achieve overall fiscal balance over the medium term.” ■

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Thousands boycott petrol stationsA South Auckland woman who spends $200 a week driving her grandchildren to school is among thousands boycotting petrol stations.

Nearly 40,000 people responded to a nationwide plan to boycott all petrol stations because of high fuel prices.

Anne Tahitahi is one of them and she is taking it seriously.There was little fuel in the car this morning, but taking

children from her home in Māngere to school in Manurewa was no reason to break the boycott.

Tahitahi looks after 11 children, most of them are her grandchildren, but she also cares for some of her nieces and nephews.

She said if she was not paying so much for petrol, she would have money for other things.

“We’re not able to get shoes when the kids need them … we have to put it off and put it off until the holes in the shoes get too big to start packing with cardboard and plastic,” she said.

A family bereavement earlier this year forced Tahitahi to give up work.

She said now after all the bills are paid, she has between $260 to $320 for food.

Since the government implemented the regional fuel tax for Auckland, the family has been struggling, Tahitahi said. ■


- AAP

Labor loses another state election candidateA Labor candidate has withdrawn from the state election race, becoming the second in two days to do so.

Peter Lockwood announced he would bow out of the race for the seat of Bayswater in the November 24 state poll.

“With sadness I announce that I cannot continue as the Labor candidate for Bayswater. Due to the need to spend time with my grandchildren, i have withdrawn from the 2018 state election,” Lockwood said.

“A chronic health condition has flared up and i cannot devote the time required to the campaign, or to the job of an MP should I have been elected.”

The development came after Labor candidate Justin Mammarella withdrew from the safe seat of Melton, citing family reasons.

Retired ambulance union state secretary Steve McGhie says he will nominate for the now vacant Melton seat.

“Will see how we go,” McGhie said.“it should be finalised at some time (on friday). i am not

aware whether anyone else has nominated.”it’s not the first time the Melton electorate has been in the

spotlight after retiring member Don Nardella, a Labor MP turned independent, was forced to resign as deputy speaker after claiming a second residence allowance. ■

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. - AAP


Documents

NORTH AMERICA EUROPE AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND · 10/26/2018 · following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US is withdrawing from the pact. The US accuses Russia of