Fast-moving wildfire destroys homes in Northern California

A fast-moving wildfire destroyed several homes and forced the evacuation of residents in Northern California on Tuesday, local media and fire officials said.

The fire started at 1.15 p.m. and burned 1,000 acres (405 hectares) in Butte County, about 85 miles (135 km) north of Sacramento, according to information on the Cal Fire website. At least nine houses were destroyed, local media reported.

Photos on social media showed the fire turning houses into ash as smoke billowed into the sky and flames ripped through trees and vegetation.

“My grandparents’ house is gone. Everything on their road burned and it feels like losing my grandma all over again,” said a Twitter user.

A mandatory evacuation order was placed on residents who live in the remote area. It is unclear how many residents were evacuated. Two shelters were opened for displaced residents, local media reported.

Cal Fire officials were not immediately available for comment.

Northern California is facing a heatwave over the next few days with temperatures expected to top 105 degrees Fahrenheit, the National Weather Service said.

Since the beginning of the year, wildfires in the U.S. West have burned more than 6.8 million acres, about 50 percent more than during the same time period in 2016.

Source: Fast-moving wildfire destroys homes in Northern California

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Not just Texas. Asia Floods Caused More Than 1,200 Deaths 41 million people are affected

More than 41 million people are affected in India, Bangladesh and Nepal

Severe flooding across South Asia has caused at least 1,200 deaths this summer, aid workers say, with huge swaths of the region still inundated as monsoon rains continue.

The death toll continues to rise amid concerns that disease and food insecurity could claim even more lives, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Most recorded deaths were in India, but many also died in neighboring Bangladesh and Nepal.

A spokesperson for the IFRC tells TIME that nearly a million houses have been damaged or destroyed in the three most affected countries. The U.N. estimates that more than 41 million people have been affected by the downpour. The monsoon season typically lasts from June to September.

Poor areas of Nepal have been particularly hard-hit; more than 210,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed by floods or landslides, and 143 people have died. In Bangladesh, roughly 8.6 million were affected, 142 died and enormous areas of farmland suffered damage, the IFRC said.

About a third of the country has been submerged by this year’s rains, according to the New York Times.

In India, the flooding has affected more than 30 million people, while the financial capital Mumbai is reportedly paralyzed by the waters. The Times reports that schools were shut Tuesday and transportation ground to a near standstill.

Source: South Asia Floods Caused More Than 1,200 Deaths This Summer | Time.com

Derryn Hinch’s Senate eligibility under a cloud

CROSSBENCHER Derryn Hinch is reportedly considering referring himself to the High Court over links to the United States that could disqualify him from the Senate.

Senator Hinch told the Herald Sun he still held a social security card from when he lived in the US, making him eligible for a pension.

“I plan to raise the issue with the Solicitor-General and, if necessary, will refer myself to the High Court acting as the Court of Disputed Returns,” he told the newspaper on Wednesday.

Section 44 of the constitution disqualifies dual-nationals and those “entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or a citizen of a foreign power”.

“I paid a special social security tax for 10 years, on top of regular income tax, which makes me entitled to a pension,” Senator Hinch said.

“I did write to the US Social Security Department instructing them not to pay that pension because I was now a senator.”

Another five members of parliament, including Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, face a High Court test in October of their eligibility to serve as MPs.

An additional two MPs, including cabinet minister Fiona Nash, are set to be referred to the court by parliament next week…

Source: Derryn Hinch’s Senate eligibility under a cloud

WC Eagles new home in Lathlain which they say will be the best in the AFL VCLIP;

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66-million-year-old dinosaur skull has been uncovered in Colorado VCLIP;

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— CNN International (@cnni) August 30, 2017

New mine 1000k north of Perth is offering fresh start + prospects for hundreds more jobs

A new mine 1000 kilometres north of Perth is offering a fresh start for our mining industry, and prospects for hundreds more jobs #7News http://pic.twitter.com/GHXVwscmZS

— 7 News Perth (@7NewsPerth) August 30, 2017

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More than 1.8m arrive for Hajj festival

More than 1.8m people have arrived in Saudi Arabia from around the globe for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

Some 1.6 million pilgrims arrived in the kingdom by air, according to the Saudi Passports Department on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia is home to the holy city of Mecca, Islam’s most sacred site, where Muslims go each year to perform the Hajj, which begins on Wednesday.

Devout Muslims are expected to perform the Hajj, one of Islam’s five pillars, at least once in their lifetime, provided they are fit enough and have the financial means to do so.

The pilgrimage has long been entangled in Saudi Arabia’s politics.

This year, the dispute between Qatar and four Arab nations, led by Saudi Arabia, prompted Doha to accuse Riyadh of creating obstacles for Qatari pilgrims after it cut economic and transport links with its smaller neighbour.

Saudi Arabia later opened its border crossing with Qatar, allowing 1300 Qataris to perform the annual ritual.

The pilgrimage has seen several accidents over the years.

In 2015, 769 pilgrims died in a stampede during the symbolic stone-throwing ritual near Mecca, according to Saudi official figures.

A DPA tally and other independent reports, however, indicated that around 2,000 pilgrims died in the incident, making it the worst Hajj tragedy on record.

In 1990, 1426 pilgrims died in a stampede inside a tunnel after its ventilation system broke down.

Source: More than 1.8m arrive for Hajj festival

NBN plans, rollout: Things to consider when switching to the NBN

WITH all of the negative press about Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN), consumers who have the option to switch to the NBN from a working broadband connection might be forgiven for being cautious.

After the NBN is made available in an area, residents have up to 18 months to switch from their current plans to one provided on the NBN. Once it is available in an area however, residents are usually deluged with offers from various internet service providers (ISPs) about switching, making it hard to ignore.

MOVING TO NBN ON HFC

In my area in Western Australia, I have had HFC (hybrid fibre coaxial) from Telstra for many years and so changing to the NBN does not involve a change in the underlying technology. Although some researchers have classified HFC as being an inferior technology to Fibre to the Node, it is actually capable of delivering speeds of 100 Mbps down and 40 Mbps up.

ALL THE INFO HERE: NBN plans, rollout: Things to consider when switching to the NBN

Australia v Bangladesh: National team suffers historic first loss to cricket minnows

AUSTRALIA has succumbed to a despairing first ever loss to Bangladesh after a David Warner century was not enough to save them from collapsing in an epic Test match thriller in Dhaka.

With a stirring comeback story within reach, Australia’s middle order batsmen fell in a heap to deliver cricket’s ninth-ranked minnows a stunning result that will go down as one of the all-time great upsets, but at the same time an abject failure for Steve Smith’s men.

Pat Cummins almost pulled off a miracle for Australia with a six-hitting 33 not out, but Josh Hazlewood was trapped lbw 20 runs short of victory to spark raucous celebrations on the pitch and in the stands.

Warner smashed a superb drought-breaking hundred in the sub-continent – an innings full of spirit ad fight and arguably the finest of his decorated career – but his dismissal opened the floodgates as Australia capitulated to lose 6-41 in the space of just 16 overs.

Cummins and Nathan Lyon raised final hopes that a miracle was still possible when they put on 29 in 10 overs, but in the end not even the sight of the big bowler smashing two sixes into the crowd could stop Bangladesh from celebrating a moment in history – just their 10th victory in 101 Tests.

Chasing 265 to win in the fourth innings on a treacherous pitch was always going to be a huge challenge, and despite the fight shown by some, Australia’s middle order made a complete meal of the chase to be bowled out for 244 and lose by 20 runs.

When Glenn Maxwell was bowled by 10-wicket hero Shakib Al Hasan the very first ball after lunch, it was virtually curtains with Australia still 66 runs from home and only the bowlers left.

Source: Australia v Bangladesh First Test score and scoreboard; result and highlights Australia lose to Bangladesh | Perth Now

Hurricane Harvey: Trump accused of shunning victims of deadly disaster

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has been slammed for not meeting or mentioning any storm victims on his first visit to survey the widespread damage caused by deadly Hurricane Harvey in Texas.

Trump arrived Tuesday in the southern state after the catastrophic natural disaster claimed at least 12 lives and forced tens and thousands of people to flee deluged homes.

The president was greeted with cheers and jeers from 1000 supporters and protesters who had gathered on a rural highway near Corpus Christi. Many were chanting, “USA! USA! USA!”. and, “We love Trump”.

“Thank you, everybody,” he said as he addressed the crowd.

“I just want to say: We love you. You are special … What a crowd. What a turnout.”

Trump praised his Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, Brock Long, for becoming “famous” during his frequent TV appearances, spoke about the historic nature of the storm and marvelled at adoring Texas supporters who greeted him.

As of late Tuesday local time, Mr Trump had yet to mention those killed, visit those affected or call on other Americans to help or directly encourage donations to relief organisations.

That, combined with the white “USA” hat he wore (which is advertised for $40 on his site shop.donaldtrump.com) during the address prompted backlash from those who accused him of gratuitous marketing.

It was the third time in four days that Mr Trump wore on-sale campaign merchandise to Harvey-related events.

Watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) spokesman Jordan Libowitz told CNN the president’s decision to wear the hat in official White House photos “even removed from the hurricane, (is) pretty inappropriate”.

According to CREW, the main issue was that it subsequently meant “free advertising for Trump products”. But he said there was no suggestion the president had done anything illegal by wearing the hat.

“There is a difference between what is technically legal and what is ethically right,” he said.

Source: Donald Trump, Hurricane Harvey: POTUS slammed for not meeting victims

Harvey: ‘He could hear the kids screaming’: 6 family members swept away trying to flee Harvey

Manuel and Belia Saldivar and their four great-grandchildren were last seen in a submerged van.

HOUSTON — Manuel and Belia Saldivar lived for many decades in a house off one of the bayous that threads through northeast Houston. It wasn’t a big house, and it wasn’t a wealthy neighborhood, and Manuel earned a diesel mechanic’s salary most of his life — but the Saldivars prospered nonetheless.

They raised five sons in that house on Lake Forest Boulevard. Some of those sons had children, and some of those children had children. And so in their ninth decade on earth, Belia and Manuel lived a few minutes walk from three separate generations of descendants, the youngest member being a 6-year-old great-granddaughter who loved to dance.

All are gone now, said Ric Saldivar, the 53-year-old son of Manuel and Belia. His mother and father and their four great-grandchildren had not been seen since they sank beneath the bayou’s swollen waters, trapped in a van as they tried to flee their home…

Source: Harvey deaths: ‘He could hear the kids screaming’: Six family members swept away trying to flee Harvey – The Washington Post

‘Well Heeled’ Melania Trump [Barbie] mocked for wearing stilettos to Hurricane Harvey

THE First Lady is being mocked for wearing stilettos as she visited a disaster zone in Texas, with some even calling her a Barbie.

“Melania over here looking like Flood Watch Barbie,” writer Maria Del Russo tweeted.

Television writer-producer Brad Wollack quipped: “Help is on the way, Texas! Don’t worry, Melania has her special storm stilettos.”

Added comedian Jessica Kirson: “Brilliant idea @FLOTUS. You can pick up debris with your heels.”

Others teased she was “pulling up the straps of her stilettos” to lend a helping hand…

MORE: Melania Trump mocked for wearing stilettos to Hurricane Harvey Houston disaster zone | Perth Now

Unpaid super: Australian workers ripped off by $17 billion, ATO reveals

IT’S the safety net that is supposed to ensure our financial security for years to come.

But it turns out that Australia’s compulsorary superannuation system has a great big hole in it — one worth $17 billion.

That’s how much super employers have dodged paying in the past eight years, according to new figures released by the ATO this week.

Now the Federal Government is cracking down on employers caught short-changing staff by failing to contribute the mandatory 9.5 per cent of employee earnings to a super fund of their choice.

The ATO analysis found that employees had likely missed out on $2.85 billion of their super guarantee payments during the 2014/15 financial year, because employers dodged their obligations, with small business owners among the worst offenders.

Revenue Minister Kelly O’Dwyer slammed the shirkers, saying employers who deliberately avoided paying their workers’ super entitlements were essentially “robbing” their staff of wages.

“This is illegal and won’t be tolerated,” Ms O’Dwyer said.

TAX OFFICE CRACKDOWN

The government is bankrolling an ATO superannuation task force to crack down on employer non-compliance.

It comes alongside legislation to close a legal loophole used by some “unscrupulous” employers to short-change employees who make salary-sacrifice contributions to their superannuation, Mr O’Dwyer said.

Employers may also be forced to make monthly contributions, making it easier for the tax office to detect non-compliance.

The ATO will be grated power to seek court-order penalties where employers are caught repeatedly failing in their super obligations.

The current annual gap between the amount of super employers are required to pay, and their actual contribution, is estimated to be 5.2 per cent of the $54.78 billion of superannuation guarantee obligations, the ATO analysis found.

“We encourage people to report instances of non-payment to us and we respond to every one of the approximately 20,000 reports of possible non-payment of SG from employees or former employees we receive each year,” ATO deputy commissioner James O’Halloran said.

$17 BILLION A ‘CONSERVATIVE’ FIGURE

Source: Unpaid super: Australian workers ripped off by $17 billion, ATO reveals

Weather-related disasters are increasing

‘Hit man Arthur “Neddy” Smith paid $5000 to fly to Perth + kill brothel madam Shirley Finn’

Darwin homes left without power

Thousands of properties across Darwin are without power after an explosion at an electricity substation that’s reportedly injured a worker.

A Northern Territory Power and Water Corporation spokeswoman says crews were investigating the explosion at the Berrimah substation that happened on Wednesday morning, and local media is reporting a man has been taken to Royal Darwin Hospital with minor burns.

The suburbs of Anula, Holtze, Berrimah, Leanyer were left without power but the corporation said a majority of customers had since had their services restored.

Source: Darwin homes left without power | Perth Now

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A madman has moved into our lives. How soon will he disappear?

A madman has moved into our lives. How soon will he disappear?

I suppose it’s necessary for every boy to horrify his father, swagger, read trash, listen to deafening music, get ugly tattoos, but it doesn’t lead to much that’s worth the trouble, whereas learning a useful trade — carpentry, math, raising tomatoes, baking bread, reporting, cleaning hotel rooms — leads you out into the world beyond your ego and into unexpected friendships and discoveries, valuable experiences, an enduring respect for laws and limits and for the energy of optimism, and eventually you can learn to be a good person.

This is common wisdom, shared by stubborn conservatives and airy liberals alike, and no wonder we are all fascinated by the raging alien who is president of the United States. The smirk, the scowl, the New Yawk con-man talk — so-and-so is a “great, great guy,” it was a “beautiful meeting,” the “incredible support,” “fantastic,” “unbelievable” — the compulsive bragging, the inability to admit mistakes, the blindness to ethics. What is this jerk doing in the White House? How soon will he disappear?

Garrison Keillor is an author and radio personality.

Source: How did we get here anyway? – The Washington Post