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Workers board a window in Tampa, Florida, on October 8, 2024, ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall. Photo: MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO / AFP Milton is expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast of Florida overnight NZ time as a dangerous major hurricane, the second huge storm to hit the US in a fortnight. The storm has exploded in strength as it nears the Tampa region. "It's a matter of life and death, and that's not hyperbole," US President Biden said from the White House, urging those under orders to leave to "evacuate now, now, now." Across the southeastern United States, emergency workers are still struggling to provide relief after Hurricane Helene, which killed at least 230 people across several states. Follow RNZ's live updates: Source link

Hurricane Milton approaches Florida. Photo: Screenshot / Weather Channel Storm-battered Florida braced for a direct hit from Hurricane Milton which strengthened back to a Category 5 storm Tuesday, as US President Joe Biden begged residents to flee what he warned could be the worst natural disaster to hit the state in a century. As the second huge hurricane in as many weeks rumbled toward Florida's west coast, a sense of looming catastrophe spread as people raced to board up homes and flee. "It's a matter of life and death, and that's not hyperbole," Biden said from the White House, urging those under orders to leave to "evacuate now, now, now." Biden's warning came amid a bitter pre-election quarrel, with his Democratic vice president Kamala Harris castigating her rival Donald Trump for...

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in 2019. Photo: AFP Then-president Donald Trump secretly sent Covid-19 test kits to Vladimir Putin despite a US shortage during the pandemic, and spoke multiple times with the Russian leader after leaving office, Bob Woodward says in an explosive new book. The famed reporter's opus also chronicles some of President Joe Biden's own acknowledged missteps and his struggle to prevent escalation of conflict in the Middle East, including exasperation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over futile efforts to get Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire. In excerpts of War published Tuesday local time by The Washington Post, where Woodward is an associate editor, he says Trump retains a personal relationship with Putin even as he campaigns for another term and t...

John Farnham, pictured here in 2002, has a new memoir out next month. Photo: GREG WOOD A short audio trailer of Australian legend John Farnham reading his memoir The Voice Inside has been released. It's the first time the 75-year-old singer's voice has been heard since he was diagnosed with throat cancer 2022. "I don't enjoy talking about myself, I really don't. Don't get me wrong, I'm an egomaniac," he says in the audio clip released by the book's publisher Hachette ahead of its release later this month. "But dredging up the past and picking through what has and hasn't been is just not something I've ever really enjoyed. I'll try to share as much as I can, but that's not easy because I've never really been that open. I guess there are reasons for that. Reasons for my reluctance." The m...

Kaya Awhitu hasn't been heard from since Sunday. Photo: Supplied / screenshot The whānau of a young Kiwi woman who went missing while on holiday in Bali say she has been found by tourists, after having not heard from her in days. Kaya Awhitu, a young woman from Papamoa in the Bay of Plenty, travelled with her partner to the Indonesian holiday destination last Thursday, but her family said on Wednesday they had not had any contact with her since Sunday. Concerned whānau took to social media, describing Awhitu's disappearance as "out of the ordinary." "We know there's activity on her Messenger, but we feel that isn't her. She might just be having some downtime, but this is still unusual. Kaya, please just let us know you're okay, mama," a family member wrote. Awhitu was reportedly last se...

Kaya Awhitu hasn't been heard from since Sunday. Photo: Supplied / screenshot The whānau of a young Kiwi woman who has gone missing while on holiday in Bali are calling for answers, having not heard from her in days. Kaya Awhitu, a young woman from Papamoa in the Bay of Plenty, travelled with her partner to the Indonesian holiday destination last Thursday, but her family said they have not had any contact with her since Sunday. Concerned whānau have taken to social media, describing Awhitu's disappearance as "out of the ordinary." "We know there's activity on her Messenger, but we feel that isn't her. She might just be having some downtime, but this is still unusual. Kaya, please just let us know you're okay, mama," a family member wrote. Awhitu was reportedly last seen at the Udara Hid...