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The HMNZS Manawanui, aground in Samoa. Photo: Profile Boats / supplied Residents on the south coast of Upolu in Samoa fear potential oil or chemical spillage from HMNZS Manawanui could be disastarous for the local environment and businesses. Local authorities are conducting environmental assessments after the $100 million specialist survey ship hit a reef on Saturday night and sank Sunday morning. Manager at Coconuts Beach Club at Maninoa, Brian Rose, says they are concerned about the potential impacts of the disaster on their lagoon, which has a sizeable turtle population - a major tourist attraction. "So far it looks like the impact directly on our shores has been minimal, but we know that with tides and currents things change and so we're going to keep an eye out to make sure if ther...

By Daniel Trotta and Bo Erickson, Reuters Pinellas County residents fill sandbags at John Chestnut Park in Palm Harbor, Florida. Photo: AFP / Bryan R. Smith Florida is preparing for the state's largest evacuation since 2017 as Tropical Storm Milton intensified in the Gulf of Mexico on its path toward Florida's western coast, coming on the heels of the devastating Hurricane Helene. Milton was expected to reach hurricane strength by the time of its projected landfall on Wednesday morning (local time), most likely hitting near the heavily populated Tampa Bay area, the US National Hurricane Center said. It had the potential to affect areas already wrecked by Helene, which made landfall further north on 26 September. Tropical storm-force winds could hit Florida's Gulf Coast by Tuesday nig...

A woman reacts while visiting a memorial for the victims killed at or kidnapped from the Supernova music festival during the October 7 attacks by Palestinian militants, at the festival site near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on the eve of the attacks' first anniversary on 6 October, 2024. Photo: MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP By Rami Amichay and Ari Rabinovitch, Reuters One commemoration of the 7 October assault on southern Israel will be a live, public ceremony to be held at a large venue in Tel Aviv. The other will be a pre-recorded televised tribute that leaves little to chance. The first is organised by bereaved families who lost loved ones. It plans to dive deep into the failures as well as the heroism on display that day. The other is set up by the government, which says its recorded cer...

A plume of smoke rises in the sky of Gaza City during an Israeli airstrike on 9 October 2023. Photo: AFP Today marks one year since Hamas militants crossed into Israel and launched a large-scale terror attack, killing more than 1000 people and kidnapping more than 200 others. Days later, Israel announced it was at war, and began a brutal, long-term retaliation on the militant group in Gaza. Tens of thousands of people have died in Israeli strikes in Gaza in the past year. More than 1000 people have also died in Lebanon in recent weeks, as Israel pivots its attacks towards Hamas ally Hezbollah. Some of the Israeli hostages taken in the initial Hamas attack are still believed to be held in Gaza. Millions of people have been displaced and face severe shortages of water, food, medical care ...