Wildfires trap 2,000 people in village in central Portugal

Flames and smoke surround Mação, making it impossible to enter or leave – the latest in country’s deadliest year for fires

Forest fires have cut off a village of 2,000 people in Portugal, as firefighters struggled to control two major blazes in the centre of the country.

“It’s impossible to leave or to enter Mação because of the flames and the smoke,” Vasco Estrela, the mayor of Mação village, told the Lusa news agency.

The fire, which broke out on Tuesday evening, grew stronger through Wednesday and by the small hours of Thursday morning had surrounded the village, he said, adding: “The fire is continuing unabated.”

A major fire had destroyed 80-90% of the village at the end of July, he pointed out.

The emergency services have had to evacuate about 130 people from nearby villages, said Patrícia Gaspar, spokeswoman for Portugal’s civil protection agency (ANPC).

But firefighters were most worried about the fires around Mação which were continuing to advance on several fronts, she added.

Source: Wildfires trap 2,000 people in village in central Portugal | World news | The Guardian

Trump Comments on Race Open Breach With C.E.O.s, Military and G.O.P.

President Trump found himself increasingly isolated in a racial crisis of his own making on Wednesday, abandoned by the nation’s top business executives, contradicted by military leaders and shunned by Republicans outraged by his defense of white nationalist protesters in Charlottesville, Va.

The breach with the business community was the most striking. Titans of American industry and finance revolted against a man they had seen as one of their own, concluding Wednesday morning they could no longer serve on two of Mr. Trump’s advisory panels.

But before Stephen A. Schwarzman, the chief executive of the Blackstone Group and one of Mr. Trump’s closest business confidants, could announce a decision to disband Mr. Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum — in a prepared statement calling “intolerance, racism and violence” an “affront to core American values” — the president undercut him and did it himself, in a tweet.

“Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both,” Mr. Trump wrote. “Thank you all!”

The condemnation descended on the president a day after he told reporters in a defiant news conference at Trump Tower in Manhattan that “alt-left” demonstrators were just as responsible for the violence in Charlottesville last weekend as the neo-Nazis and white supremacists who instigated protests that led to the death of a 32-year-old woman, struck down by a car driven by a right-wing activist.

Five armed services chiefs — of the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, the Marines and the National Guard Bureau — posted statements on social media condemning neo-Nazis and racism in uncompromising terms. They did not mention Mr. Trump by name, but their messages were a highly unusual counter to the commander in chief.

Republicans, too, issued new denunciations of the hatred on display in Charlottesville, although some remained vague about Mr. Trump’s remarks.

Ten-year-old Indian rape victim gives birth after abortion request denied

A 10-year-old who was raped and had her abortion request turned down by India’s Supreme Court has given birth to a girl.

“She gave birth through C-section today (Thursday). Both the girl and her baby are doing fine,” said doctor Dasari Harish, speaking to the AFP news agency from the the northern city of Chandigarh.

“The surgery was uneventful. There were no complications whatsoever. The baby weighed 2.2 kg (4.8 pounds) and is in the neonatal ICU for now.”

The girl was allegedly raped several times by her uncle – who has been arrested.

She is unaware she has given birth, according to the Press Trust of India, and her parents instead told her the surgery was for a stone in her stomach.

Her parents had gone to India’s top court last month to try to get a late-term abortion, but the request was denied.

Source: Ten-year-old Indian rape victim gives birth after abortion request denied

Firefighters still battling to subdue fire at Glasgow fruit market

More than 400 workers evacuated after blaze took hold at around 4am and quickly spread through the building

The fire took hold at Blochairn fruit market in eastern Glasgow at around 4am on Thursday, just as suppliers, traders and customers were starting work. It spread quickly through offices on its upper floor.

At the height of the blaze, the Scottish fire and rescue service was using 12 appliances and four aerial firefighting platforms, and it is still trying to subdue the flames.

One theory is that a fridge caught fire, with local residents and workers at the site hearing loud bangs as gas bottles exploded. Speed restrictions were imposed on the M8 motorway nearby, but later lifted.

Donald Neilson, a fish merchant who witnessed the blaze, told the BBC: “It really was like a raging inferno through there at the far end. I ran back in and shouted to our staff, ‘Everybody get out right now’.”

More than 400 people who work at the market were evacuated and there were no reported casualties. However, the blaze is expected to disrupt supplies of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish for hundreds of shops, restaurants and cafes in the Glasgow area and western Scotland.

Source: Firefighters still battling to subdue fire at Glasgow fruit market | UK news | The Guardian

Apple CEO Tim Cook blasts Trump’s response to Charlottesville, pledges $2 million to anti-hate organizations

The company will also match employee donations to groups battling hate.

In an email to Apple employees late Wednesday, chief executive Tim Cook denounced the deadly violence in Charlottesville last weekend, criticized President Trump’s response and pledged to donate $2 million to organizations battling hate groups.

“What occurred in Charlottesville has no place in our country,” the email said, according to BuzzFeed, which obtained a copy. “Hate is a cancer, and left unchecked it destroys everything in its path. Its scars last generations. History has taught us this time and time again, both in the United States and countries around the world.”

Cook joins a long list of prominent business leaders critical of Trump’s response to the throng of white nationalists, neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan and white supremacy groups that stormed into Charlottesville to protest the planned removal of a Confederate statue. In the chaos, one woman was killed and several injured when a car, allegedly driven by a rally attendee, sped into a crowd of counterprotesters.

The president has said “many sides” were to blame for the violence. So many prominent business leaders took issue with Trump’s position that he was forced to shut down his major business advisory councils after several members resigned.

[Trump’s isolation grows in the wake of Charlottesville]

“We must not witness or permit such hate and bigotry in our country, and we must be unequivocal about it,” Cook said in the email. “I disagree with the president and others who believe that there is a moral equivalence between white supremacists and Nazis, and those who oppose them by standing up for human rights. Equating the two runs counter to our ideals as Americans.”

Source: Apple CEO Tim Cook blasts Trump’s response to Charlottesville, pledges $2 million to anti-hate organizations – The Washington Post

X Factor singer Johnny Ruffo has undergone emergency surgery to remove brain tumour

FORMER Home and Away star and X Factor singer Johnny Ruffo has revealed he has brain cancer.

Last week, Ruffo revealed he underwent emergency surgery to have a brain tumour removed.

The 29-year-old posted images of a dramatic post-surgery scar across his forehead and another of his head bandaged while sitting in a hospital bed.

Ruffo wrote alongsi

de the images on his Instagram: “Some things in life really put things into perspective, hoping for a positive result, keep me in your thoughts x.

Home and Away star Lynne McGranger said she was “shocked” to hear Ruffo’s news.

“All of us in the Bay are shocked to hear of Johnny’s sudden illness,” she said.

“It goes without saying that he is so loved and we wish him a speedy and complete recovery and can’t wait to see him tearing up the stage again soon.”

Johnny Ruffo. Picture: Christian GillesSource:News Corp Australia

Source: Singer Johnny Ruffo has undergone emergency surgery to remove brain tumour

Bournemouth UK flats evacuated in bomb scare as two arrests made

Bomb disposal experts have been called to a block of flats and up to 30 residents have been evacuated, after reports of a man “setting fire to items” in a garden.

Police said the reports led to a search of a flat at Gillam Road, Bournemouth, where “unknown items” were found.

A 42-year-old man and 29-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

Police were called out at about 00:50 BST. A cordon remains in place.

Det Ch Supt Mark Callaghan said: “We are working together with the Military Explosive Ordnance Disposal and partner agencies at the scene to assess the items.”

Bournemouth council confirmed it had provided temporary accommodation for up to 30 people from two residential blocks.

Source: Bournemouth flats evacuated in bomb scare as two arrests made – BBC News

Indian Ocean Drive claimed six lives in eight months + 7 people hospitalised

Locals say they are “sick and tired” of learning about fatalities on Indian Ocean Drive, after another horror crash this morning claimed the lives of a mother, her six-year-old son and an 83-year-old man.

The stretch of road has now claimed six lives in eight months and was also the scene of a shocking Easter smash that saw seven people hospitalised.

“I’m really sick and tired of seeing incident after incident and having to wake up, check Facebook and hope that it isn’t someone in my area that has passed away,” Connor Hicks told Seven News Perth.

Road experts had already planned a meeting next week to determine the cause of a string of crashes on Indian Ocean Drive and today’s deaths will bring the need for that meeting more sharply into focus.

“Whether we look at the road engineering side of things whether we look at speed limits whether we look at more enforcement… education we’ll be looking at everything,” the Road Safety Commission’s Iain Cameron said.

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Government Senator in hot water on business dealings – ANOTHER To Go?

Government backbencher Barry O’Sullivan may have fallen foul of the constitution because of family business dealings.

The Queensland senator’s family’s construction company Newlands Civil Construction is subcontracted to work on a federally funded project – the Toowoomba second range crossing.

The contract, worth $2.5 million, 80 per cent of which comes from Canberra, covers demolition work, sewerage diversion, water mains and site access gates, according to the company’s website.

There are question marks over whether Senator O’Sullivan is in breach of section 44 of the constitution, which states a member or senator can be disqualified where there is “any direct or indirect pecuniary interest in any agreement with the public service of the Commonwealth”.

AAP understands Newlands is subcontracted by another company called Nexus which has an agreement with the Queensland state government.

Senator O’Sullivan denies he “either directly or indirectly, holds a pecuniary interest in any agreement with the public service of the Commonwealth.”

He insists his interests are published publicly, in their entirety, and methodical effort is taken to ensure these details are updated thoroughly.

“Importantly, a review by Newlands Civil Construction has proven that it does not hold any agreement with any company or entity that has an agreement with the public service of the Commonwealth,” he said in a statement.

He pointed the media to his register of interests which was last updated in May.

On the second page under the section shareholdings in public and private companies, Senator O’Sullivan lists his interest in Jilbridge Pty Ltd which is a subsidiary of O’Sullivan and Son Pty Ltd which is a subsidiary of Newlands Civil Construction Pty Ltd.

But he insists he does not currently have a direct interest in Newlands.

Senator O’Sullivan’s son, who is also named Barry, is the managing director of Newlands.

“The O’Sullivan family remains the controlling shareholders of the group,” his Linkedin profile states.

“Newlands has grown from a small family operation to an organisation that now employs in excess of 100 staff with additional management oversight of up to 60 independent subcontractors.”

In April, the High Court found Family First senator Bob Day was ineligible to sit in parliament because he indirectly benefited from the government’s lease arrangement on his Adelaide electorate office.

Source: Senator in hot water on business dealings | Perth Now

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Mourners raise candles during vigil in Charlottesville-chorus of “Love wins.” VIDEO

Mourners raise candles during vigil tonight in Charlottesville before beginning chorus of "Love wins." https://t.co/7HKbjmcwaR http://pic.twitter.com/ZFI8lCdXk9

— ABC News (@ABC) August 17, 2017

US military chiefs condemn racism, stand up for military values after Charlottesville

The heads of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps have weighed in on Twitter in the wake of last weekend’s violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, condemning racism and standing up for military values.

It is rare for the nation’s top military leaders to weigh in on political events because of the Department of Defense’s tradition of remaining apolitical.

Trump lashes out at ‘alt-left’ in Charlottesville, says ‘fine people on both sides’

Lawmakers slam Trump for laying ‘blame on both sides’ in Charlottesville rally

Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations, first posted on Saturday night, calling the events in Charlottesville “unacceptable” and saying the U.S. Navy “stands against intolerance and hatred.”

Earlier that day, a woman was killed and several others were injured after a car rammed into demonstrators protesting against white nationalists. James Alex Fields Jr., 20, is charged with second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding, and one count related to leaving the scene in the incident.

Source: US military service chiefs condemn racism, stand up for military values after Charlottesville – ABC News

Citizenship: Senator Fiona Nash reveals she UK-Australian – ANOTHER ONE, It’s getting CRAZY

NATIONALS deputy leader Fiona Nash is the latest MP to be embroiled in the dual citizenship drama after revealing to the Senate she may be a dual UK-Australian citizen.

Senator Nash has told federal parliament she had received advice from the UK Home Office that she may be a British citizen.

Senator Nash said tonight she sought advice on Monday from the UK Home Office about her citizenship status.

A caseworker advised her she “was of the view” that she was a British citizen by descent through her Scottish-born father.

Like the dual nationality case of Barnaby Joyce, Senator Nash’s case will be referred to the High Court.

Senator Nash said based on the advice of the solicitor-general, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had advised there is no need for her to step down as deputy Nationals leader or resign from cabinet.

The Senate would be asked to refer her case to the High Court when parliament returns on September 4.

Source: Dual Citizenship: Senator Fiona Nash reveals she UK-Australian | Perth Now

Trump adviser Steve Bannon dubs white nationalists ‘clowns’

Trump adviser Steve Bannon dubs white nationalists ‘clowns’

The chief White House strategist Steve Bannon has attacked white nationalists as “clowns” as the fallout from violent protests in Charlottesville continues.

Mr Bannon once headed the far-right Breitbart News, seen as both a major channel for nationalism and key in helping Donald Trump win election.

But he told The American Prospect: “Ethno-nationalism – it’s losers”.

Questions surround Mr Bannon’s future, with President Trump refusing to say if he had confidence in him.

Mr Trump has reportedly been urged to fire Mr Bannon, who in his role has enjoyed direct access to the president and whose influence has been seen in decisions like the US withdrawing from the Paris climate accord.

At a news conference this week Mr Trump would only say “we’ll see” when it came to Mr Bannon’s future.

• Trump fuels speculation on Bannon’s future

Source: Trump adviser Steve Bannon dubs white nationalists ‘clowns’ – BBC News

Emotional Brandis savages Hanson for wearing burka in Senate

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson causes controversy by wearing a burka to Question Time in the Upper House.

An emotional Attorney-General George Brandis has been given a standing ovation in Parliament for slamming One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s decision to wear a burka into the Senate.

Key points:

• Pauline Hanson said she wore burka in attempt to highlight security risks
• George Brandis criticises Senator Hanson for attacking the Islamic faith
• Labor and Greens senators gave Senator Brandis a standing ovation for his response

Senator Hanson caused audible gasps of shock when she wore the full Islamic dress into Question Time, calling for the dress to be banned in Australia.

Photo: Senator Brandis ruled out banning the burka. (ABC News: Jed Cooper)

Liberal senator from Tasmania Jonathon Duniam was heard saying, “oh, what on earth”, before Senate president Stephen Parry said Senator Hanson had been identified before entering the chamber.

Senator Brandis was close to tears while criticising Senator Hanson for attacking the Islamic faith and undermining relations with the Muslim community.

“To ridicule that community, to drive it into a corner, to mock its religious garments is an appalling thing to do,” he said.

“I would ask you to reflect on that.”

Senator Brandis ruled out banning the burka.

Source: Pauline Hanson wears burka to Question Time in the Senate, slammed by George Brandis – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

#BREAKING: Hostage situation at Dutch radio station

Police have confirmed a hostage-taking situation in a building used by a Dutch radio station.

A hostage-taking incident is unfolding at the building used by Dutch radio station 3FM.

Dutch police have cordoned off the building in the city of Hilversum and have confirmed the hostage situation, public broadcaster NOS says.

The NOS says a man forced his way into the building after making threats to a couple outside.

Source: Hostage situation at Dutch radio station | SBS News

Ford Focus mass recall due to fire risk

Ford is recalling nearly 43,000 of its Focus model cars, warning they are at risk of catching fire

Ford Focus models made between April 12, 2011 and September 29, 2015 have a fault in their carbon canisters which means they can be blocked by dust and ignite.

Ford will write to individual owners, but anyone worried about their vehicle is urged to contact their local Ford dealer to arrange an inspection.

Source: Ford Focus mass recall due to fire risk | Perth Now