Mexico’s Colima volcano erupts,
Mexico’s Colima volcano erupted on Friday, spewing a large plume of ash and thick black smoke into the sky and provoking the evacuation of two nearby villages. The volcano is located in western Mexico between the states of Colima and Jalisco and is one of the country’s most active. Luis Felipe Puente, head of national emergency services, told Reuters that some 350 villagers living in the shadow of the volcano in the towns of La Yerbabuena and La Becerrera have been evacuated to a nearby shelter.Media agencies
Hurricane Matthew strengthens to Category 5 storm
Hurricane Matthew strengthens to Category 5 storm headed for Jamaica, Cuba
Hurricane Matthew surged in power on Friday to become the Caribbean’s strongest storm in nine years as it moved towards Jamaica and Cuba with winds of up to 160 miles per hour (260 kph) powerful enough to wreck houses, forecasters said. Matthew was about 430 miles (690 km) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) designated it as a Category 5, the strongest on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity. The strongest hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean since Felix in 2007 was forecast to make landfall as a major storm on Monday on Jamaica’s southern coast, home to the capital and Jamaica’s only oil refinery. It could affect the island’s main tourist areas such as Montego Bay in the north.Media agencies
Typhoon Megi hit China, Taiwan
Thirteen people have been confirmed dead in two landslides after a major typhoon lashed southeastern China, with the prospect of the toll rising further as rescue crews continued Saturday to search for 20 missing people. The landslides Wednesday in Zhejiang province, south of the financial hub of Shanghai, followed Typhoon Megi, which brought heavy rains and high winds to China and Taiwan this past week. Eight people were confirmed dead in Sucun village, according to a government statement published Saturday. Video published by the official Xinhua News Agency shows fast flood waters carrying rocks and debris down a mountain and into the adjacent hamlet, destroying homes and sending people fleeing.The statement says 19 people are still missing three days later. The second landslide in Wencheng county killed five people, with one person still missing, an official at the county’s flood control office said Saturday
5.4 magnitude earthquake strikes Pakistan – USGS
An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 has struck Pakistan, 117km east of the Swat Valley city of Mingaora, at a depth of 43.4km, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), cited by Reuters. There have been no reports of damage or casualties.
Dutch MH17 investigation doomed due to bias
The Dutch-led investigation into the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 over Ukraine will not establish the truth because the investigators have ignored versions of the shoot-down that are not politically acceptable to them, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview. “You cannot investigate on the basis of a paradigm voiced by several countries minutes after the tragedy – that Russia is guilty. An investigation based on that is doomed to be biased, doomed to fail,” he said. Earlier, Russia criticized a preliminary report of the Joint Investigation Team, which said that the Malaysian plane was shot down by a missile that came from Russia and was fired from rebel-held territory.
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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE 2 October 2016
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE
2 October 2016
Message of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Every year on the International Day of Non-Violence, we re-commit ourselves to the cause of peace, as exemplified by the life of Mahatma Gandhi who was born on this day 147 years ago.
We know that a culture of non-violence begins with respect for others, but it does not end there. To nurture peace, we must respect nature. I am pleased this year’s International Day of Non-Violence puts the focus on sustainability and the environment.
In all he did, Gandhi honoured our obligation to all living things. He reminded us that “Earth provides enough to satisfy everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed.” Gandhi also challenged us to “be the change we wish to see in the world”.
Today that commitment is reflected in a momentous way. India is depositing its instrument of ratification to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. What better way to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi and his legacy for people and planet.
I warmly congratulate India for its climate leadership, and for building on the strong momentum we see from all corners of the globe for the agreement to enter into force as quickly as possible this year. India’s ratification of the agreement moves the world an important step closer toward achieving that goal.
I urge all countries to complete their domestic processes for ratification and also strive in all activities to achieve progress through non-violence. This is essential to building a safer, healthier and more peaceful world.
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