Kurdish referendum: Baghdad orders Kurds to ‘cancel’ independence bid or face consequences

Baghdad demands Kurdish authorities cancel the outcome of their independence referendum or face consequences.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has demanded that Kurdish authorities “cancel” the outcome of the independence referendum in northern Iraq, or face the consequences of what is rapidly escalating into a major regional crisis…

MORE: Kurdish referendum: Baghdad orders Kurds to ‘cancel’ independence bid or face consequences – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Hurricane Irma: Storm batters Caribbean islands as Florida emergency declared

Hurricane Irma has roared into the Caribbean with record-setting force, battering the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with powerful winds and rain on a potentially catastrophic path towards the United States.

Key points:

• Irma is the most powerful storm ever recorded in its location
• Has destroyed properties and knocked out communication between islands
• It is expected to rip west through Puerto Rico, Haiti and Cuba towards the US

Irma, the strongest Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever measured and roughly the size of Tasmania, destroyed homes and flooded streets throughout a chain of small islands in the northern Caribbean on Wednesday, passing directly over Barbuda and leaving the island of some 1,700 people cut off.

France has sent emergency food and water rations to the French islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, where Irma ripped off roofs and knocked out all electricity.

Dutch marines who flew to three Dutch islands hammered by Irma reported extensive damage but no deaths or injuries.

The category five storm — the highest hurricane nomination by the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) — had maximum sustained winds of 295 kilometres per hour.

The NHS said winds would likely fluctuate slightly, but that the storm would maintain its monster strength over the coming days.

Source: Hurricane Irma: Storm batters Caribbean islands as Florida emergency declared – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Police fear they will not be able to identify all victims of Grenfell Tower fire

Police have said that some of the dead from the devastating blaze that destroyed a tower block in London may never be identified as officers warned that the painful process of retrieving the victims could take months.

Detectives added that they were combing through scores of reports of missing people who lived in Grenfell Tower block in west London as they attempted to end the agony of those who were waiting for news of friends and relatives.

Among the missing are entire families, a six-month-old baby, a young Italian couple, and a five-year-old boy who lost hold of an adult’s hand as his family struggled through thick smoke to escape the blaze.

Commander Stuart Cundy, of the Metropolitan police, said the absolute priority was retrieving bodies and identifying the dead, as part of an ongoing investigation carried out with the fire service. The death toll of 17 would rise, he said, and some victims may never be formally identified. A further 30 people remain in hospital, 15 of whom are critically ill.

The senior officer said that 5,000 missing person calls had been made to the police casualty bureau, many involving multiple reports concerning one individual; one person was reported missing 46 times. As a result, it was hard to be sure precisely how many remained to be accounted for.

Source: Police fear they will not be able to identify all victims of Grenfell Tower fire | UK news | The Guardian

In photos: Debbie devastation and flooding fallout

Photos capture the sheer scale of Debbie’s might and the resilience of people affected across both states.

The effects of ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie are continuing to be felt across Queensland and northern parts of New South Wales.

Many people are anxiously waiting for the water to recede in their area so clean-up can begin, while other communities spent the past days on edge as rivers and floodwaters continued to rise.

MANY MORE PICTURES HERE Flood fallout from Cyclone Debbie stretches across two states, clean-up efforts begin – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Perth public warned ‘violent’ man should not be approached

Perth public warned ‘violent’ man should not be approached

David Lockyer Harman was last seen Wednesday afternoon at the facility.

Police say Mr Harman requires medication and it is believed he does not have it with him.

He is described as 172 centimetres tall, with a large build, short dark hair, and dark skin.

He has tattoos on his arms and hands, and was last seen a red Chicago Bulls singlet, black UFC beanie and black shoes.

Anyone who sees Mr Harman is asked to call Police immediately on 131 444.

Source: Perth public warned ‘violent’ man should not be approached – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Mug shots of masseuse, 25, and ‘sex’ worker who ‘poisoned Kim Jong-un’s half brother’

A MASSEUSE and an entertainment worker were arrested over the apparent assassination of Kim Jong-un’s estranged half-brother, police have revealed. The women are being questioned over the day…

Source: Mug shots released of masseuse, 25, and entertainment worker who ‘poisoned Kim Jong-un’s half brother’