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- Hazardous materials alert triggers evacuation at Berlin Brandenburg Airport
- Advocates condemn US House vote to cut funding for universities boycotting Israel
- N.S. woman reports loss of hundreds of relatives and friends in Nepal floods
- Hegseth supports Sean Parnell for Army Secretary amid uncertain shortlist
- ‘Godzilla’ El Niño strengthens with potential impacts on the UK in 2027
- Five migrants die attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, say rescuers
- Germany accuses Russia of drone attack at Leipzig airport
- Ontario police oversight report highlights issues with ‘silent’ 911 call response
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Hazardous materials alert triggers evacuation at Berlin Brandenburg Airport
9:00 pm
Hazardous materials alert triggers evacuation at Berlin Brandenburg Airport
Hazardous alert
A hazardous materials alert was triggered at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) following a report of toxic substances carried by a woman, leading to the evacuation of Terminal 1.
A hazardous materials alert was triggered at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) following a report of toxic substances carried by a woman, leading to the evacuation of Terminal 1.
Emergency response
Large-scale deployment of emergency responders at Berlin Brandenburg Airport indicates the heightened measures required to manage hazardous material threats and ensure passenger safety.
Large-scale deployment of emergency responders at Berlin Brandenburg Airport indicates the heightened measures required to manage hazardous material threats and ensure passenger safety.
Emergency Response
“Our teams are actively investigating the situation to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff,” stated a police spokesperson regarding the hazardous materials alert at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
“Our teams are actively investigating the situation to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff,” stated a police spokesperson regarding the hazardous materials alert at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
Berlin airport terminal evacuated after hazardous materials alert
By Johanna Urbancik
Published on
A hazardous materials alert was triggered at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) on Thursday evening. The incident was prompted by a report from a woman who allegedly told federal police she was carrying toxic substances in her handbag.
A police spokesperson confirmed to the Tagesspiegel that Terminal 1 was then evacuated.
Passengers were ordered to leave the building. Flight operations were temporarily suspended. According to the federal police, the woman had mentioned the allegedly dangerous substances at the service desk.
As it was initially unclear what substance was involved, a potential danger could not be ruled out. A hazardous materials alert was therefore declared. Emergency teams are now examining the handbag and the unknown substance.
According to information from the Tagesspiegel, the woman had approached the federal police via an escalator before the incident. There, she is said to have pointed out the substances in her bag. Officers overpowered the woman and took her into custody.
A security cordon was then set up around the handbag. Large numbers of emergency responders were deployed to BER. Alongside the airport fire brigade, several fire services from the Dahme-Spreewald district are also involved in the operation. Personnel are working in protective suits and with specialised equipment.
An emergency coordination centre has also been set up. Such a hub is activated when a complex situation exceeds normal operating procedures.
According to Tagesspiegel and dpa, rail services to the airport were also temporarily suspended.
Advocates condemn US House vote to cut funding for universities boycotting Israel
8:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Advocates decry US House vote to defund universities that boycott Israel
The United States House of Representatives passed a bill penalising universities that boycott Israel in a 237-169 vote on Thursday, with 33 Democrats supporting the measure. The bill aims to prohibit federal funding for institutions that refuse to cooperate with Israeli universities, including those in the occupied West Bank.
The bill requires US academic institutions to annually certify that they allow cooperation with Israeli universities, including those in the occupied West Bank. If the Senate approves the measure and it is signed into law, many universities could face significant challenges in obtaining federal funding, potentially affecting their operational viability and financial aid programmes.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) expressed concerns over the newly passed bill, stating it raises significant issues regarding the First Amendment’s protection of free speech. Following the bill’s passage in the House, it now awaits approval from the Republican-controlled Senate and the signature of President Donald Trump to become law.
What remains unclear — It is not yet known how the Senate will respond to the bill passed by the House of Representatives.
Advocates condemn US House vote to cut funding for universities boycotting Israel
News|EducationAdvocates decry US House vote to defund universities that boycott Israel
Rights groups say the measure infringes on the freedom of speech of Americans for the benefit of a foreign nation.
Published On 3 Sep 20263 Sep 2026
Published On 3 Sep 20263 Sep 2026The United States House of Representatives has passed a bill to penalise American universities for boycotting Israel or its academic institutions, including those located in the occupied West Bank, a move that critics say violates freedom of expression.
Lawmakers approved the measure in a 237-169 vote on Thursday, with 33 Democrats joining the Republican majority. Two Republicans broke ranks with their party to reject the bill.
The proposal will still needs to be adopted by the Republican-controlled Senate and signed by President Donald Trump to become law.
If passed, it would bar universities that boycott “an entity licensed or regulated by, or organised under the laws of” Israel, such as those in illegal West Bank settlements, from receiving federal funds.
Withholding such funding would make it nearly impossible for many universities to operate or provide financial aid to students.
Jenin Younes, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), said the bill raises serious concerns for the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech rights.
“The Supreme Court has made clear that the government cannot condition its funding on suppression of First Amendment-protected activity,” Younes told WTX News. “Courts also recognise that boycotts constitute such activity.”
The legislation would require academic institutions in the US to annually certify that they allow cooperation with Israeli universities. The stipulation raises concerns that the bill not only bans boycotts of schools in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank but could compel US universities to forge relationships with them to fulfil the certification requirement.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, “have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law”.
The bill comes at a time when public support for Israel in the US has nosedived. A Pew Research Center survey in July suggested that 62 percent of Americans have an unfavourable view of the Israeli government.
Still, support for the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which carried out the genocidal war on Gaza, remains strong on Capitol Hill.
“The timing of the bill reflects the Israel lobby’s growing desperation in the face of rising opposition to US support for Israel,” Younes said.
“As Americans’ sentiment turns against our unholy alliance, Israel and its servants in Congress are working overtime to come up with ways to silence dissent and keep Americans’ tax dollars flowing to the genocidal, apartheid state.”
She added that including Israeli colleges in the occupied West Bank in the anti-boycott bill is further evidence there is no real intent by the US “to hold Israel accountable for its unlawful occupation or to pave the way for a Palestinian state”.
Restrictions on BDS
For years, US states and Congress have been passing bills to restrict the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that aims to pressure Israel economically to end abuses against Palestinians.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has been among rights groups who have regularly warned that anti-BDS laws violate constitutional free speech guarantees.
Robert McCaw, CAIR’s government affairs director, called the legislative proposal “a blatant attempt to hold American students’ financial futures hostage in order to shield the Israeli government and entities operating under Israeli law from peaceful economic pressure”.
“Students and faculty have the right to speak, organise and urge their institutions to align investment and purchasing decisions with their values,” McCaw said in a statement.
“Congress should not threaten Pell Grants and student loans simply because lawmakers dislike the outcome of that advocacy,” he said, referring to a federally funded financial aid programme.
Supporters of the bill have argued that the measure aims to regulate commercial conduct, not speech.
“Our universities should not use taxpayer-funded federal programs to discriminate against Israeli students, faculty, institutions, or businesses simply because they are Israeli,” Representative Tim Walberg, the Republican chair of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, said in a statement.
“I’m proud of my colleagues for standing up for that principle today and I hope to see the Senate do the same,” he said.
Some rights advocates have called for academic boycotts of Israel, saying Israeli universities play a role in enabling abuses against Palestinians by developing weapon systems and military strategies.
“For decades, Israeli universities have played a key role in planning, implementing and justifying Israel’s occupation and apartheid policies, and now genocide, while maintaining a uniquely close relationship with the Israeli military,” the BDS movement website says.
The two Republicans who voted against the bill on Tuesday were Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson, who have both been critical of Washington’s policy towards the Middle East.
The 33 Democrats who approved the measure included staunchly pro-Israel legislators Ritchie Torres and Haley Stevens, who recently lost her bid for the US Senate Democratic Party nomination in Michigan to Abdul El-Sayed, a supporter of Palestinian rights.
N.S. woman reports loss of hundreds of relatives and friends in Nepal floods
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Get you up to speed: N.S. woman says her family has lost hundreds of relatives, friends in Nepal floods
A resident of Nova Scotia reports losing hundreds of relatives and friends due to flash floods in Rasuwa, Nepal. The floods have resulted in significant casualties in the region.
The Provincial Government of Nova Scotia has initiated an investigation into the impact of the flash floods in Nepal on local residents. Community leaders are expected to meet this week to discuss support measures for those affected by the tragedy.
A Nova Scotia resident has reported the loss of hundreds of relatives and friends in Rasuwa, Nepal, following the recent flash floods. Local authorities are expected to assess the situation and provide updates on recovery efforts as the impacts of the disaster unfold.
What remains unclear — The exact number of relatives and friends lost by the N.S. resident remains unspecified.
N.S. woman reports loss of hundreds of relatives and friends in Nepal floods
One N.S. resident says she has lost hundreds of relatives and friends after Nepal’s deadly flash floods in her home district of Rasuwa.
Hegseth supports Sean Parnell for Army Secretary amid uncertain shortlist
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Get you up to speed: Hegseth favors Sean Parnell for Army secretary, sources say, but it’s unclear who’s on Trump’s short list
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has indicated that Sean Parnell is his top choice for the role of secretary of the Army, as confirmed by several senior officials in Washington. This comes after Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation following tensions with Hegseth.
The White House is conducting an internal search for a successor to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who has resigned amid ongoing tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Sean Parnell, currently the chief Pentagon spokesperson and a former Army officer, has emerged as a strong candidate for the role.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has indicated that Sean Parnell is his top pick to replace Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who has resigned amidst ongoing tensions. The White House, led by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, is reviewing potential candidates to fill the position, with Parnell being a favoured choice among senior Pentagon officials.
What remains unclear — The composition of President Trump’s shortlist for the Army Secretary position has not been disclosed.
Hegseth supports Sean Parnell for Army Secretary amid uncertain shortlist
Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has told people close to him that Sean Parnell would be his top choice for secretary of the Army, several senior officials told WTX US News.
Parnell is currently chief Pentagon spokesperson and a former Army officer.
A Defense Department spokesperson said: “The DOW [Department of War] doesn’t comment on private conversations between administration officials.”
The White House is looking at names for a replacement for Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who has submitted his resignation after months of tension with Hegseth. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is leading the process to name his successor.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images 
It’s still unclear who is on President Trump’s shortlist for the job.
Parnell is a veteran of Afghanistan, and has been honored with the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for valor. He returned home with shrapnel in his leg and a traumatic brain injury that caused vision problems and migraines.
A former U.S. Senate candidate, Parnell is popular with top Pentagon officials. He’s known for pursuing projects to benefit military members that are outside the public affairs unit’s traditional portfolio, and regularly fields phone calls from undersecretaries looking for advice.
Now a staunch supporter of Mr. Trump, Hegseth had once been critical him. In 2015, Parnell posted on social media after the then-presidential candidate criticized John McCain that Mr. Trump’s “attacks against @SenJohnMcCain are the height of arrogance & show that he has no clue what our Vietnam POWs endured.
‘Godzilla’ El Niño strengthens with potential impacts on the UK in 2027
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Get you up to speed: A ‘Godzilla’ El Niño is brewing – how could it impact the UK next year? | News World
The World Meteorological Organisation has reported that a ‘supersized’ El Niño is set to peak, with almost a 100% chance of continuing until February 2027. This phenomenon is expected to lead to increased instances of heatwaves, droughts, and floods globally.
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has confirmed that El Niño is expected to peak at unusually high sea-surface temperatures, reaching up to 3.5°C above normal in the coming months. Historical data indicates that previous El Niño events have led to significant weather changes in the UK, with increased likelihood of a cold snap anticipated from January to March 2027.
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) confirms a “supersized” El Niño is set to peak with a “nearly 100% chance” of persisting until February 2027, which may lead to increased extreme weather events globally. The Met Office has indicated that while the UK may not experience direct impacts, there is an increased likelihood of wet and stormy weather in the coming months, alongside potential disruptions to food supply chains.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain how El Niño’s unprecedented strength will interact with ongoing climate change effects over the next six months.
‘Godzilla’ El Niño strengthens with potential impacts on the UK in 2027
El Niños disrupt weather patterns worldwide, often in devastating ways (Picture: Getty/WTX)
El Niño means ‘the little boy’ in Spanish – but this year’s El Niño is anything but small.
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said today that a ‘supersized’ El Niño is about to peak, with a ‘nearly 100% chance’ of dragging on until February.
Heatwaves, droughts, floods, among other extreme weather events, will be more common.
🌡️ El Niño is firmly established and will intensify into a very strong event in the coming months. WMO forecasts show ~100% likelihood that it will persist through February 2027.
A very strong El Niño ≠ same impacts everywhere.
🆕 WMO El Nino Update: https://t.co/KUPq04jjkT pic.twitter.com/PAx1EZTCOH
— World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) September 3, 2026
‘The science leaves no room for doubt: the planet is in uncharted waters, and those waters are heating up,’ said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
So, what does this mean for the UK? WTX spoke with four weather experts to find out.
What is El Niño?
Now and then, for reasons scientists still aren’t sure about, air pressure over the Pacific changes, weakening the winds that blow warm water west.
This leaves the Pacific with a blob of warm water that, as it evaporates, causes heated air to float into the skies and form storms, says Aimee Mook, a curator at the National Maritime Museum in London.
Sea temperatures are rising, WMO said in a press conference earlier today (Picture: AFP)
Toxic haze from El Niño-fueled wildfires is suffocating Malaysia and the Philippines (Picture: EPA)
El Niño has already scorched harvests and caused livestock to die of thirst in Tegucigalpa, Honduras (Picture: AFP)
‘The warmer atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean can lead to more rainfall in some regions near the Americas and less rainfall in places such as Australia, depending on local weather conditions,’ she adds.
An El Niño happens every two to seven years, lasting for the better part of a year, peaking in December.
El Niño is part of a wider system called El Niño-Southern Oscillation, the see-sawing of the surface temperature of the ocean and the pressure of the air above it.
Latest heatwave news and guidance
To get the latest news on the hot weather, visit WTX’s heatwave hub.
So what makes this El Niño ‘supersized’?
Scientists measure how strong the phenomenon is by how high sea-surface temperatures are above normal.
This one will be a whopper. A typical El Niño nudges temperatures by 1°C, but some expect this year’s to peak at 3.5°C, Steve Woolnough, a professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading, says.
‘Whatever you call it, that is massively above anything anyone has ever seen or recorded,’ he adds.
‘Because it’s such a large event we have no precedent for what we might expect.’
Ahead of its peak, data shows that three powerful hurricanes – Lowell, Karina and Marie – are currently churning through the Pacific.
Total water column in the western Tropics from Monday to Sunday, showing hurricanes Lowell, Karina and Marie (Picture: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts)
Jim NR Dale, founder of the British Weather Services, says the worst of this ‘Godzilla El Niño’ has yet to come.
‘Tropical and sub-tropical regions first,’ he says of the ‘unwinding beast’.
‘Droughts, floods, wildfires, crop devastation, a highly likely numerous and potentially catastrophic death toll, particularly in combination with ongoing and record global warming.’
How will it impact the UK?
As much as El Niño gives the Pacific a fever, it usually has the inverse effect in the UK as the isles are just that bit too far to feel its effects.
‘El Niño is just one of several drivers for European and UK weather, but it does increase the chances of wet and stormy weather in this region in the coming months,’ Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon says.
The UK has been singed by repeated heatwaves this summer (Picture: EPA)
Past El Niños also suggest that there will be a cold snap in late winter and into early spring, from January to March.
Supermarket shelves may also be impacted, as Asia and the Indian subcontinent face crop-devouring droughts and wildfires.
I’ve seen some people mention ‘La Niña’. What’s that?
Some forecasters expect that not long after El Niño, a La Niña will unfurl.
La Niña, or ‘little girl’ in Spanish, is the opposite of its sibling weather pattern.
El Niño is predicted to become the strongest ever observed in September, beginning a six-month run at record strength with a peak of +4.15°C.
That’s according to the new CanSIPS model update, which also suggests that La Niña is possible during the second half of 2027. pic.twitter.com/3lEagOZH4S
— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) August 31, 2026
It strengthens the winds, flushing the Pacific of warm water. This, in turn, dries the southern US while soaking Australia and Asia.
Dale, however, says they won’t happen back-to-back.
‘There would be a gap as the Pacific swaps horses,’ he says. ‘We here in the UK remain on the periphery; increased colder spells being the only likely direct effect from La Niña.’
What about climate change?
Scientists aren’t sure how El Niño and La Niña will change, if at all, as the planet warms because of human-caused climate change.
Six of the strongest El Niño events since 1950 have happened in the last 11 years, a stat that some scientists say wouldn’t be possible without humans burning fossil fuels.
Yet they also stress that El Niños are notoriously complex, and it might just be a spell of very bad luck that we’re getting so many revved-up El Niños.
Or, at the least, it will make the extreme weather that climate change is already causing that much worse.
Regardless of the answer, a double-whammy of El Niño and climate change isn’t a good thing.
‘This unique combination, along with the unprecedented direction of the El Niño,’ Dale says, ‘takes the world into unknown territory for the next six months or so.’
Are you worried about more extreme weather?
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Five migrants die attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, say rescuers
2:00 pm
Five migrants die attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, say rescuers
Migrant Tragedy
Five African migrants died while attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, as Spanish rescuers rescued 44 others from a boat drifting 120 kilometres southwest of Gran Canaria.
Five African migrants died while attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, as Spanish rescuers rescued 44 others from a boat drifting 120 kilometres southwest of Gran Canaria.
Migration Crisis
In 2024, arrivals at the Canary Islands dropped to 5,163 migrants, marking a 57% decrease, underscoring the perilous nature of this primary migration route from West Africa.
In 2024, arrivals at the Canary Islands dropped to 5,163 migrants, marking a 57% decrease, underscoring the perilous nature of this primary migration route from West Africa.
NGO Statement
“We fear that 83 migrants may have perished attempting the journey, highlighting the urgent need for improved safety and rescue efforts at sea,” stated Helena Maleno of Caminando Fronteras.
“We fear that 83 migrants may have perished attempting the journey, highlighting the urgent need for improved safety and rescue efforts at sea,” stated Helena Maleno of Caminando Fronteras.
Five migrants die on boat en route to Canary Islands
Published on
Five African migrants died while attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, Spanish rescuers said on Thursday. An NGO said dozens more may have died.
Spain’s maritime rescue service, Salvamento Maritimo, said it rescued 44 men from sub-Saharan Africa from a boat drifting around 120 kilometres southwest of Gran Canaria on Wednesday night.
Three survivors were immediately evacuated by helicopter to a hospital on the island. The remaining 41 migrants were brought to safety by boat and disembarked early Thursday in the port of Arguineguin, where they were cared for by the Red Cross.
“Adverse weather conditions”, including strong winds and 2.5-metre waves, initially prevented rescuers from recovering the five bodies on board before the vessel was taken to the port, Salvamento Maritimo said.
All survivors were men, some underage, and came from Mali or Senegal, said José Antonio Rodríguez Verona, a spokesperson for the Red Cross in the Canaries.
Helena Maleno, a spokeswoman for Spanish migrant aid NGO Caminando Fronteras, said on X that 83 migrants, including three women and a baby girl, had died on a boat that left Gambia 27 days earlier – although it is unclear if the two reports refer to the same incident.
The NGO compiles its figures using information from migrants’ families and official rescue statistics, and its death tolls are often higher than those reported by authorities.
A Salvamento Maritimo spokeswoman told AFP that the other alleged victims “have not been found or rescued” and that the alternative death toll could not be confirmed.
The Canary Islands are a major entry point to Europe for migrants travelling from West Africa, a route considered particularly dangerous because of strong currents and often overcrowded vessels.
After exceeding 46,000 in 2024, arrivals have fallen sharply. Some 5,163 migrants reached the islands by sea between 1 January and 31 August, down 57% year-on-year, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry.
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