China is preparing for Super Typhoon Yagi, a strong Category 4 hurricane, expected to make landfall Friday afternoon. Schools and offices in Guangdong and Hainan are closed for a second day. The storm, which peaked with 155 mph winds, is forecast to weaken slightly but still hit with Category 3 strength. Yagi is the second-strongest storm globally in 2024, following Hurricane Beryl. Local officials anticipate it could be the strongest typhoon in the region in a decade, prompting the highest emergency response level. Penelope Kingsley 06/09/2024 7:30 am
Claude Wehrle, former head of technical sales support at Arconic, denied responsibility for the Grenfell Tower disaster, which killed 72 people. He claimed he didn’t make decisions about selling flammable Reynobond PE cladding. The Grenfell Tower inquiry accused Wehrle of “deliberate dishonesty” to sell the product, including misleading customers and withholding test results. Wehrle refused to testify in person, citing French law. The inquiry criticized him and others for prioritizing French legal requirements over survivors’ interests. Wehrle acknowledged the tragedy but insisted key decisions were made by others at Arconic. Penelope Kingsley 06/09/2024 4:00 am
Super typhoon Yagi, with winds reaching 150 mph, moved toward southern China on Friday, causing school and business closures and travel disruptions. Forecasted to make landfall near Guangdong and Hainan provinces, it is the strongest typhoon to hit Hainan since 2014. Yagi formed in the Philippine Sea, causing significant damage and fatalities in the Philippines. China raised emergency responses, with Hainan suspending transportation and canceling flights. Haikou and Zhanjiang ordered closures of nonessential services. The storm was expected to skirt Hong Kong on Thursday night and Friday. Penelope Kingsley 06/09/2024 4:00 am
The Biden administration and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu are at odds over a Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal. Netanyahu denied a breakthrough was near, while U.S. officials work on a revised proposal. National security spokesman John Kirby acknowledged disagreements on implementation details but remained hopeful. The U.S., alongside Egypt and Qatar, aims to mediate a truce in the 11-month Gaza war, focusing on exchanging hostages taken by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners. Penelope Kingsley 06/09/2024 4:00 am
Nga Wai Hono i te Po was anointed as the new Maori Queen, succeeding her father, King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, who recently passed away. The ceremony, Te Whakawahinga, took place during his funeral. The new queen, aged 27, holds a Master of Arts in Tikanga Maori and has served on various boards. Her anointment comes amid New Zealand’s significant race relations challenges, with the current government reversing policies that supported Maori language and rights. The Maori monarch’s role is largely ceremonial and not necessarily hereditary. Noah Prescott 06/09/2024 4:00 am
Ugandan long-distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei died after being set on fire by her former partner during an argument over land. She succumbed to her injuries at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya, having sustained burns to 80% of her body. Cheptegei, 33, had recently competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her partner, Dickson Ndiema, also sustained burns and is receiving treatment. Uganda’s Athletics Federation and the Olympics Committee condemned the act and called for justice. The incident highlights ongoing domestic violence issues against female athletes in Kenya. Noah Prescott 06/09/2024 12:30 am
German police fatally shot an 18-year-old Austrian man in a shootout near the Israeli Consulate and a Nazi Documentation Center in Munich. Authorities suspect a terrorist motive linked to the Israeli Consulate but have not confirmed it. The shooter, armed with an older carbine, fired multiple shots before being neutralized by police. Residents were advised to avoid the area, and no other suspects were involved. The incident coincided with the anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. A police helicopter and five officers were involved in the operation. Noah Prescott 06/09/2024 12:30 am
Four victims of last month’s Bayesian yacht disaster died from suffocation due to carbon dioxide saturation in an air bubble, not drowning, according to autopsies. The incident, caused by a violent storm off Sicily, claimed seven lives, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah. The yacht sank quickly, trapping victims below deck. Divers found five bodies, including Lynch, in one cabin, and Hannah in another. The findings support the theory that victims sought air pockets, which quickly filled with toxic carbon dioxide. Penelope Kingsley 06/09/2024 12:30 am
The Maori of New Zealand anointed 27-year-old Nga Wai Hono i te Po as their second-ever queen, following a week of mourning for the previous king, Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII. Nga Wai Hono i te Po, his youngest child, was chosen by tribal representatives, not by heredity. She is the eighth Maori monarch and the second queen, following her grandmother. The ceremony, Te Whakawahinga, included placing a historic bible on her head and anointing with sacred oils. The role of the Maori monarch is symbolic, especially significant amid criticism of New Zealand’s government for dismantling indigenous initiatives. Noah Prescott 05/09/2024 9:00 pm
Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, was banned nationwide in Brazil following a clash with Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who imposed a $9,000 daily fine for VPN users bypassing the suspension. As a result, Brazilian users began migrating to platforms like Threads and Bluesky. Shauna Wright’s welcoming post on Threads referenced a famous Twitter post from 2021. Despite Brazil’s primary use of TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, X had significant influence on news and culture. Meta launched Threads in response to Musk’s controversial changes to Twitter after his 2022 acquisition. Ava Sinclair 05/09/2024 9:00 pm
