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Cyclone Ilsa: Residents flee as intensifying cyclone approaches northwest Australia


Miners, cattle ranchers, tourists and Indigenous locals were evacuating from Australia’s remote northwest coast on Wednesday as an intensifying tropical cyclone approached.
Cyclone Ilsa is expected to peak as a Category 4 storm as it crosses the sparsely populated Pilbara coast of Western Australia state somewhere between the iron ore export town of Port Hedland in the west and the tourist town of Broome in the east late Thursday or early Friday, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said.
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“Any areas … where that system does cross the coast are going to experience some very destructive winds, winds in excess of 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour). They’re going to cause a lot of damage,” bureau manager Todd Smith told reporters.
Abnormally high tides, large waves and flooding were possible, and people should avoid coastal and low-lying areas, Smith warned.
Australia’s meteorology bureau describes cyclones as storms with wind gusts exceeding 90 kph (56 mph) around their center and ranks them on a scale of 1 to 5, with Category 5 the most destructive.
A Category 4 cyclone has a maximum mean wind speed of 160 kph to 199 kph (99 mph to 124 mph) with wind gusts of 225 kph to 279 kph (140 mph to 173 mph). A Category 4 typically causes significant roofing loss, structural damage, dangerous airborne debris and widespread power failure.
A Category 5 cyclone has a maximum mean wind speed exceeding 200 kph (124 mph) with gusts exceeding 280 kph (174 mph). They typically cause widespread destruction.
Ilsa could be the most powerful cyclone to cross the Pilbara coast since Cyclone Christine, a Category 4 storm that struck land halfway between Port Hedland and the town of Karratha to the west in December 2013. Christine brought strong winds and heavy rain, destroying roofs and cutting power. Wind gusts of 172 kph (107 mph) were recorded at Roebourne Airport near Karratha.
Category 5 Cyclone Veronica in March 2019 did not cross the Pilbara coast, but damaged infrastructure and disrupted the region’s mining and offshore gas industry.
On Wednesday morning, Ilsa was a Category 2 cyclone moving south over the Indian Ocean from a position 350 km (217 miles) northwest of Broome, the bureau said.
Department of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said remote Indigenous communities, cattle ranches, mines and tourism operators in the cyclone’s path had been contacted.
Workers at the 200,000-hectare (500,000-acre) Wallal Downs Station cattle ranch, Newcrest’s Telfer gold and copper mine and trailer parks were being evacuated, along with non-critical workers at BHP’s iron ore mining, rail and port operations across the region, Klemm said.
People living in structures that were not built to withstand a Category 4 storm had been told to leave the area, he said.
“It’s been 10 years since we’ve had a Category 4 cyclone impact the coast of W.A. and so many people up in the Pilbara and the Kimberley wouldn’t have experienced that sort of impact,” Klemm told reporters, referring to the adjoining Pilbara and Kimberley coastal regions.
Extra emergency workers, essential supplies and aircraft have also been sent to the region, he said.
The North West Coastal Highway, which runs 600 km (373 miles) between Port Hedland and Broome, would likely close in the coming days due to flooding, Klemm said.
The Port Hedland port facilities were being cleared of shipping, including iron ore carriers, on Wednesday, he added.
“People need to make sure they’re well prepared for winds in excess of 200 kph (124 mph), which is going to be significant,” Klemm said.
Read more:
Western Australia gearing up for biggest cyclone in almost a decade this week
Cyclone death toll in New Zealand rises to nine as recovery continues
Three dead in New Zealand cyclone: Authorities

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Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

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At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

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US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM

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