Latest news with #disasterRelief
NHK
13 hours ago
- General
- NHK
UN official fears interest in Myanmar waning three months after quake
Myanmar is struggling to recover from a powerful earthquake that struck exactly three months ago. The disaster killed over 3,700 people and injured many more. One official with the United Nations Development Programme fears international concern has waned. The magnitude 7.7 quake rocked central Myanmar on March 28. Many residents still live in tents and other temporary housing. Workers are struggling to clear rubble and restore infrastructure. The country's second-largest city of Mandalay suffered extensive damage. A 35-year-old woman who lives in a tent with her husband and two children said she wants to rebuild their home as soon as possible, but needs financial support. The quake flattened many offices and factories. Smaller firms have been unable to resume operations due to a shortage of funds and workers. A 53-year-old man who runs a sewing business says he has been living off savings and needs money to tear down his damaged factory. Titon Mitra, who heads the UNDP in Myanmar, is calling for continued global support. He told NHK that he worries about the international community losing interest, adding that he refers to Myanmar not as a "forgotten crisis," but a "neglected crisis."
CTV News
4 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Ostrea Lake residents return home after wildfire
Atlantic Watch Residents of the Ostrea Lake area were able to return home following a wildfire in the area that displaced residents.
Al Jazeera
19-06-2025
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
Rainstorms trigger severe flooding in south China
NewsFeed Rainstorms trigger severe flooding in south China Heavy rainfall in southern China has caused severe flooding and landslides, affecting over 300,000 people and forcing nearly 70,000 to evacuate their homes.
News24
18-06-2025
- Politics
- News24
Eastern Cape floods: R1.2bn needed to rebuild homes, govt mulls housing policy reforms
About 4 652 households were affected and at least 90 people killed following flooding in the Eastern Cape, with Mthatha being the epicentre. Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane suggested giving victims building materials rather than waiting for lengthy tender processes. The Eastern Cape government said it was engaging with traditional leaders to secure land away from flood-prone river banks. The government estimates it will require R1.2 billion to build houses for Eastern Cape flood victims. Due to the urgency of the situation, not all parts of the rebuilding process might undergo the normal tender process. On Wednesday afternoon, Eastern Cape Human Settlements MEC Siphokazi Lusithi told News24 that 4 652 households were affected by last week's deadly deluge. At least 90 people were killed. The provincial government said residents might be given building materials to construct their houses - a normal process in the rural Eastern Cape. Even though Mthatha remains the epicentre of the devastating floods, other areas in the province have also been affected. Lusithi and Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane visited flood victims in Butterworth on Wednesday afternoon. The floods have displaced more than 1 000 residents, mostly from informal settlements. Simelane said flood victims who built their houses near riverbanks would be asked to move their structures at the start of the rebuilding process. 'First, we would like to prioritise bereaved families, even if only for a short term, to allow them to pay their last respects to their deceased family members.' She added the government was working towards doing away with temporary accommodation. Simelane said: The MEC [Lusithi] is busy with the intervention regarding land access. Traditional leaders are making a huge promise to us. In Mthatha, we are engaging with the Department of Public Works for land availability. She added the floods were one of the biggest disasters the government had ever faced. 'One of the lessons we are learning as the Department of Human Settlements is that we need to rethink our housing, emergency and grant policies. 'Why are we tendering for RDP houses? People in rural areas build houses for themselves. But if the government can say, 'We know your mud house has collapsed and here is the building material', instead of making them wait for 10 years for the tendering process. 'If we can buy the building materials and have NHBRC [the National Home Builders Registration Council] oversee the people who are building, people would take pride in the idea. They would never sell those houses. 'I am not claiming this would be easy, but we need to reconsider our housing policy,' said Simelane. Lusithi added R1.2 billion would be needed to rebuild the destroyed houses, 'which goes to the point that the minister [Simelane] was making that we need to reconsider how we respond to disasters'. Khangelani Mangisa, 37, has lived in the Skiti informal settlement in Butterworth for the past 17 years. The area was hit hard by the floods, which displaced many residents. 'I would love to go back to a brick-and-mortar house. I lived in a shack because I could not build a house. The idea by the minister to give us land and building materials is a great one,' added Mangisa.
Irish Times
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Toyota's new Land Cruiser: Still apocalypse-ready but now Instagram-approved
The Toyota Land Cruiser, the Motorola radio, the Kalashnikov, and the Ambu bag – the eye-spy staples of disaster bingo. If you spot three, you're in a humanitarian crisis. All four? You're in the news and can expect to see Orla Guerin any minute. In every war zone, every failed state, every biblical catastrophe, as the news cameras pan across the devastation, there'll be a Land Cruiser – likely in white – with its engine ticking gently, the workhorse of a troubled world. It's a link that hasn't been created by marketing hype, influencers, or product placements. This is forged by necessity, not style. These vehicles are there because their occupants must be, and those same occupants want to be sure of getting away again when their job is done. The Land Cruiser has garnered a reputation that's the envy of its rivals. Which is why every new generation is greeted warily by its fan base. READ MORE First up, it's worth noting that not all Land Cruisers across the world are the same. There are three global iterations of this 'car'. In many ways, what distinguishes the different variants is the level of tech and complexity on board, and the engines/emissions. There is the 70, which is pure hard-core, used by various military outfits and the mining industry, boasting all the muscle you need to venture into uncharted territory. The 300 is the big-grilled daddy favoured by the most well-heeled in Asia and the Middle East, a mix of luxury touches and off-road endurance. Then there is the all-rounder 250, which in some markets also carries the Prado name. It's the 250 that represents Land Cruiser in markets like Ireland, and it's the one that has received the latest update. Toyota Land Cruiser: The new 250 is more than just a tool And as we're not in the midst of an emergency or invasion just yet, we get the added creature comforts layered on top of the standard issue off-road capabilities. The most striking detail of the new 250 is the styling. Now, style is not a noun normally associated with Land Cruiser. Past generations had all the charisma of a filing cabinet. They were bought by people who had places to be, not Instagram posts to publish. Don't fret: the new Land Cruiser hasn't become stylish – that would be blasphemy. But it's now more than just a tool. It has acquired a trace of savoir-faire. There's a whiff of nostalgia, a nod towards the motoring world's retro obsession right now, with links back to the classic 1984 LJ70. It hints at a history stretching back to the Toyota BJ Series Jeep it inherited from US occupation after the second World War. But it's subtle: you can completely ignore it if you want. Of more importance to the wary fan is that the latest generation of 250 retains its off-road prowess. While I spent most of my time on tarmac, it did get into the mud during my test and on a previous drive in the Scottish Highlands I got to throw it into muddy dykes, up stony inclines that were unsafe under foot and basically into and out from a stinky bog hole. Toyota Land Cruiser: The latest generation of 250 retains its off-road prowess I'm not going to list the myriad off-road functions on this car, an alphabet soup of abbreviations for titles that don't really reflect the extent of the car's capabilities. Crawl Control sounds like a handy feature in traffic, but in fact this is an amazing bit of tech where this behemoth seems to pause, think about the best approach, and then steadily tackle the most ridiculous off-road challenges, one wheel at a time. Combined with this is a fancy new system that improves wheel articulation – basically, how far the axle can move up and down relative to the chassis. Christened the Stabiliser Disconnect Mechanism, this allows for up to 10 per cent more articulation when off-roading, yet can deliver a more comfortable ride on standard roads. [ Toyota favours slow and steady approach in electric vehicle market Opens in new window ] Then there is the suite of safety features, from your usual suite of traction and stability controls to trailer sway control (the Platinum version comes with a towing hitch), and of course Multi-Terrain Select, though you don't actually have to tell it the conditions under tyre as the car's system will have already figured that out. The last time I tested this car was over a weekend in the Scottish highlands, where 80 per cent of my driving time was over terrain that would challenge tractors, never mind leather-seated SUVs. This time, I stayed out of the effluent and drove it like an affluent buyer. In this terrain, this new generation of Land Cruiser is certainly sharper than it ever was before, and far more refined on a long motorway trip than we've come to expect of Land Cruiser, whose natural habitat is across sand, shale or mud. Toyota Land Cruiser: If you do all your driving on regular roads, then there are better buys out there On the black stuff, its honest and rugged traits remain, which means it can roll quite a bit in the bends, and understeers quite a bit if you take a turn too quickly. But you expect nothing less from a car this size, and these issues are nought when you judge it against its other accolades. In the age of quiet electric power, the 2.8-litre 204hp diesel seems gruff. There is a meaty 500Nm of torque available, and the engine is married to a smooth eight-speed automatic transmission that neatly flicks through the gears to keep the power supply available at the slightest tap of your right toe. But kick down, particularly if you need to overtake, and the cabin – and surrounding countryside – echoes to the Land Cruiser's agrarian heritage. Perhaps the biggest difference in the 250 version is the in-car tech and creature comforts. Toyota Land Cruiser: In-car tech includes a smart 12.3in touchscreen digital display with Apple CarPlay and Android connectivity For the seven-seat passenger version (Land Cruiser is on sale here in this format or else a commercial variant), you get a lot more leather than one might expect. There's also more soft-touch surfacing, a smart 12.3in touchscreen digital display with Apple CarPlay and Android connectivity, and even a panoramic roof. There are some nice practical touches, like the rear window on the tailgate that opens independently, so you can drop stuff in without completely opening the boot, and air-conditioned front seats that can heat and cool. Toyota Land Cruiser: The rear window on the tailgate opens independently, so you can drop items into the boot without fully opening it Fancy it as a family car? Well, you certainly have a big enough cabin, though for small children availing of the third row, they might need a step ladder to get in and out. I have to admit a long-standing love for the Land Cruiser – and for the first time since I got a driving licence, there's now one that looks good as well, approved for the Instagram generation. In my Lotto garage, it will always have a parking spot. Yet, buyers need to consider their real needs. Just like you probably don't need a Motorola radio – or a Kalashnikov for that matter – so you might not require a car that could climb a rock-face. When it comes to off-roading, it puts the dozens of soft-roader SUVs to shame. When the going gets tough, nothing else comes close. But on the road, there are sharper cars to drive. It's also very pricey for the seven-seat passenger version, starting at €140,830, a big leap from the two-seat commercial variant (at €57,192 excluding VAT). Opting for the Platinum version also means you face the hefty annual motor tax bill of €2,400 based on the car's 280g/km emissions rating. It's also relatively thirsty, delivering an average fuel consumption during our test driving of 10.9l/100km (26mpg in old money). That's all hard to justify unless you buy into the premise that disaster is just around the corner, in which case we'll all want one of these. If you're more of an optimist and do all your driving on regular roads, then there are better buys out there. Lowdown: Toyota Land Cruiser Platinum Power: A 2,755cc 205hp 500Nm diesel engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. 0-100km/h: 12 secs. Emissions (motor tax): 280g/km (€2,400). Fuel consumption: 10.7l/100km (WLTP); (10.9l/100km as tested) Price: €71,005 as tested. Tayron from €57,546. Our rating: 3/5. Verdict: The car you want – but unless you need it, hard to justify at this price. Price: €140,830 for seven-seat passenger version (€57,192 excluding VAT for commercial).
