AFP, New Orleans
US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Barry bears down on New Orleans, as the southern city braces for extreme winds over the weekend.
The weather system is expected to reach hurricane strength Friday or early Saturday when it nears Louisiana’s coast, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), and has already caused major flooding in the low-lying city.
UN agencies seek ‘new approach’ to Libya migrant crisis
AP, Geneva
The U.N. migration and refugee agencies are making a joint call for a “new approach” among countries to solve a migration crisis affecting Libya and the often-deadly route across the Mediterranean toward Europe.
The International Organization for Migration and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees are urging a return of European Union countries’ search and rescue vessels into the Mediterranean, and extra support for the Libyan coast guard so long as it does not return migrants to the instability-wracked country.
Families appeal EU court dismissal of climate case
AFP, Brussels
Families from across Europe, Kenya and Fiji who tried to sue the European Union to impell it to do more to tackle climate change are appealing a decision to throw out their case, activists said Thursday.
The plaintiffs, who say climate change poses a threat to their homes and livelihoods, saw their case thrown out in May by the General Court of the European Union, which said individuals do not have the right to challenge the bloc’s environmental plans.
Air Canada flight makes emergency landing in Hawaii
AFP, Montreal
Shocked passengers described being tossed around an Air Canada passenger jet as it hit a pocket of turbulence on its way to Australia on Thursday and was forced to make an emergency landing.
Flight AC33 from Vancouver to Sydney hit trouble around two hours beyond Hawaii and diverted back to the US island chain’s capital Honolulu, the company said in a statement.
Nepal Airport closed after plane skids off runway
AFP, Kathmandu
Nepal’s only international airport was closed on Friday after a plane skidded off the recently repaired runway, injuring two people, officials said.
The country has a poor flight safety record-Nepali airlines are banned from European Union airspace-and its airports are notoriously difficult to land in. The Yeti Airlines ATR 72-500, arriving into Kathmandu from southern Nepal with 66 passengers, skidded about 15 metres into the grass.
