Author: WTX News

Texas braces for Hurricane Beryl Texas is preparing for Hurricane Beryl, which has strengthened again and is expected to bring destructive winds, storm surges, and heavy rain when it makes landfall early Monday. The National Hurricane Center has issued warnings for winds up to 110 mph and rainfall up to 10 inches, prompting the closure of major ports and widespread power outage alerts. Beryl, which previously caused at least 10 deaths in the Caribbean and was downgraded to a tropical storm in Mexico, is set to hit between Galveston and Corpus Christi. Over a million Texans are under a hurricane…

Senior Hamas official killed as Israel orders fresh evacuation An Israeli air strike killed four people, including senior Hamas official Ehab Al-Ghussein, at a school in Gaza City, according to Palestinian sources. Al-Ghussein had been overseeing Hamas government affairs in Gaza City and northern Gaza for three months. The Israeli army says the strike targeted terrorists hiding in the school and aimed to minimise civilian casualties. Witnesses reported the attack hit the Holy Family School, where many were taking shelter. Al-Ghussein, formerly a deputy labour minister and interior ministry spokesman for Hamas, was an important figure in the administration, though…

Highlights The New Chancellor starts work today and says growth is priority along with house building and Bitcoin falls by 222.6 this morning. The FTSE is bracing itself from the fallout from the French Elections. Market Overview Business Briefing The New Chancellors first day at the office Today, the New Labour Chancellor sent a message to businesses something to reassure them that labour are going to be similar to the Rishi Sunak plan. Speaking to business leaders at the Treasury later, Ms Reeves will set out Labour’s plan for the economy and say the era of “chaos and irresponsibility is…

France elections: How likely is a far-right victory?  France is voting in the second and final round of parliamentary elections today and the second-largest EU economy could elect a far-right government – the first since WW2. Today’s election results will have massive implications for France, the EU and Nato.  French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to call a snap election has spectacularly backfired, he faces, at best, a hung parliament with no workable majority where his camp will be relegated to third place behind Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and a left-wing alliance of Socialists, greens and radical leftists. All eyes…

What we know about Starmer’s New Cabinet – 11 women and a peer get the 22 positions in the New Cabinet.

Bodies of 89 migrants retrieved from Atlantic Mauritanian coastguards have recovered 89 bodies from a boat that capsized in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday. Nine survivors, including a five-year-old girl, were rescued, but dozens remain missing. Survivors reported that the vessel, a traditional fishing boat, set sail last week from the Senegalese-Gambian border area with 170 people on board. The tragedy occurred off Mauritania’s southwestern coast, a key transit point for West African migrants heading to Europe. Thousands of boats departed from Mauritania last year, with Spain’s Canary Islands being the most common destination. Nearly 40,000 people arrived there in…

Ecuador police free 49 people held by gang Ecuadorian police have rescued 49 kidnapped individuals from the clutches of the notorious Los Lobos gang in the southern Azuay province. During a joint raid by security forces in a mining area, two suspected kidnappers were arrested. The powerful Los Lobos gang, estimated to have 8,000 members, was identified as the group behind the abduction. Originally a prison gang known for instigating bloody riots, Los Lobos has extended its influence beyond prison walls and is now heavily involved in contract killings, kidnappings for ransom, and extortion. The gang also collaborates with the…

Hurricane Beryl leaves Jamaican homes without power Hurricane Beryl, one of the most powerful storms to ever hit Jamaica, has left hundreds of thousands of homes without power. The category four storm struck the island’s southern coast on Wednesday night, bringing over 12 hours of heavy rain and strong winds. In the aftermath, officials and residents are assessing the damage as the island-wide curfew was lifted early Thursday. Now weakened to a category two storm, Beryl is moving towards Mexico and the Cayman Islands, leaving a trail of destruction across the Caribbean and claiming at least 10 lives. The storm…

Iran presidential election 2024: Hardliner faces reformist in presidential run-off Iranian voters head to the polls on Friday to choose a new president in a run-off election between hardline conservative Saeed Jalili and reformist Dr Massoud Pezeshkian. This follows a first round on June 28, which saw a record-low voter turnout of 40%, and no candidate securing a majority. Dr Pezeshkian, a former heart surgeon, has been vocal against Iran’s morality police and has promised “unity and cohesion,” aiming to end Iran’s international isolation. He advocates for constructive negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which involved Iran curbing its…

Hezbollah fires 200 rockets and drones into Israel Hezbollah has launched more than 200 rockets and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for the killing of senior commander Mohammed Nimah Nasser. The Israeli military reported that one of its officers was killed, and the barrage sparked several fires. In response, Israel targeted Hezbollah military structures and other sites in southern Lebanon. Lebanese media reported one fatality from an Israeli drone strike in Houla. This recent attack, following a barrage of 100 rockets on Wednesday, marks one of the most intense episodes in nine months of cross-border violence, raising fears of…

LABOUR WINS THE GENERAL ELECTION – As Keir Starmer speaks Live from Labour HQ Central London. Speaking in central London, the next prime minister Keir Starmer says “change begins now”. “It feels good, I have to be honest,” he tells a cheering crowd. Addressing the supporters who have stayed awake during the night in central London, Keir Starmer tells them “thank you truly – you have changed our country”. LABOUR WINS THE GENERAL ELECTION Labour has won the UK general election after passing 326 seats. Earlier Outgoing PM Rishi Sunak conceded the election and called to congratulate Keir Starmer. An…

Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak concedes election before the results are confirmed. “On this difficult night, I’d like to express my gratitude to the people of the Richmond and Northallerton constituency for your continued support,” he says. Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak concedes election At the time labour had only won 313 seats, it was inevitable but very unusual. As the PM said”The Labour Party has won this general election, and I’ve called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory. “Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is…

Rishi Sunak holds his seat in Richmond and Northallerton. On a night when the conservative party has been smashed to pieces in the elections, no blue seat was safe. However in reality he won his seat by a comfortable margin. He has already conceded the election, before the results were confirmed, and called Keir Starmer to congratulate him. He will be going to see the King to resign his government later today. He is a Prime Minister for another few hours.

Champion Independent candidate Yvonne Ridley loses Newcastle Central and West to Labour Chi Onwurah. The biggest loss in the general elections has been the independents who were disadvantaged because they didn’t have enough time to prepare. A strategy the Tories used to limit their losses. Despite this Yvonne Ridley made serious strides in denting labour’s dominance in the region by reducing it by 10% in 4 weeks.

Penny Mordaunt loses in Portsmouth North – Election result confirmed The leader of the commons loses her seat to Labour. She is the 16th major Tory member to lose her seat today. She stood for the leadership and lost to Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

Suella Braverman wins in Fareham and Waterlooville in Hampshire for the Conservative party- election result confirmed. She has aspirations to stick it to Rishi Sunak and become the next leader of the Conservative family.

Keir Starmer wins in Holborn St Pancras – Confirmed election Result It will mean Keir Starmer becomes the new Prime Minister After winning his seat in Holborn and St Pancras, Starmer says “the change begins right here…it is time for us to deliver” The Independent candidate did make huge grounds in his protest votes for Gaza, cutting into the Prime MInister’s dominance.

George Galloway loses in Rochdale – election result Labour party focussed heavily in splitting the Muslim vote in Rochdale to oust Galloway. A big blow for the Workers Party.

France’s Marine Le Pen says absolute majority still possible for far right French far-right National Rally (RN) leader Marine Le Pen on Thursday said her party was still capable of winning an absolute majority in the second round of legislative elections this weekend. While the RN was ahead in the popular vote in the June 30 first round, a poll published Wednesday predicted it would now fall well short of an absolute majority in the National Assembly. It comes after the centrist forces of President Emmanuel Macron and a broad-left-wing coalition withdrew more than 200 candidates from the runoff on…

Australian Senator resigns after Gaza vote backlash Senator Fatima Payman has resigned from Australia’s ruling Labor Party after voting against it to support a motion on Palestinian statehood. The Labor Party enforces strict penalties for members who oppose its policies, and Payman was already “indefinitely suspended” from the party’s caucus for her stance. “This is a matter I cannot compromise on,” the 29-year-old said, expressing that the decision was difficult but necessary. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed Payman’s resignation, stating she had thanked him for his leadership and denied any intimidation claims. Payman, Australia’s first and only hijab-wearing federal politician,…

Hurricane Beryl batters south coast of Jamaica Hurricane Beryl, a category four storm with winds up to 130mph (215km/h), has struck Jamaica, causing significant damage. Heavy winds and rain have felled trees and damaged buildings, with photos on social media showing flooded streets and roofs being blown off. So far, Beryl has claimed at least seven lives as it sweeps through the Caribbean. Three people died in Grenada, where the storm first made landfall, one in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and another three in northern Venezuela. About 90% of homes on Union Island in St Vincent and the Grenadines…

Brazil’s Lula cancels visit to avoid Argentine leader Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has cancelled a visit to the southern state of Santa Catarina because Argentine President Javier Milei is there this weekend. Milei is expected to meet Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro at a conservative leaders’ event. Lula recently demanded an apology from Milei, who had called him corrupt, a communist, and a dinosaur. Milei, a right-wing economist, refused to apologise, stating “I haven’t done anything wrong.” The leaders of Brazil and Argentina, South America’s largest economies, have never met in person. Milei, a right-wing economist and…

Child marriage ban welcomed in Sierra Leone Sierra Leone has introduced a new law banning child marriage, celebrated at a ceremony in the capital, Freetown. The event, organised by First Lady Fatima Bio, featured President Julius Maada Bio signing the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act into law, witnessed by dignitaries including first ladies from Cape Verde and Namibia. The new law imposes severe penalties on anyone involved in marrying a girl under 18, with a minimum of 15 years in jail, a fine of about $4,000 (£3,200), or both. This is a significant change in a patriarchal society where forced…

Jamaica braces for Hurricane Beryl as storm thrashes Caribbean and targets US Hurricane Beryl, now a Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds, is heading towards Jamaica after causing devastation in Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines. The storm, which briefly reached Category 5 status, has already destroyed buildings and claimed at least seven lives. According to Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, Beryl hit the Windward Islands on Monday, severely damaging Carriacou Island in just 30 minutes. The hurricane has resulted in three deaths in Grenada, three in northern Venezuela, and one in St Vincent and the Grenadines. One…

French election candidates withdraw in bid to block far right As the deadline for candidate declarations in the French elections passed on Tuesday, numerous left and centre candidates withdrew from the race to prevent the far-right National Rally (RN) from winning. The withdrawals mean around 108 three-way races will occur instead of over 300, with the rest being two-way run-offs. In the first round of voting, Marine Le Pen’s party and its allies secured around 33% of the vote. However, the chances of the RN winning an outright majority in the National Assembly have been reduced by strategic withdrawals from…