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Asia bears biggest climate-change brunt amid extreme weather: WMO

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Asia bears biggest climate-change brunt amid extreme weather: WMO

World Meteorological Organization says floods and storms were leading cause of casualties and economic losses as impact of heatwaves becomes more severe.

Asia was the region most affected by climate change, weather and water-related hazards globally last year, the United Nations weather agency has said.

In a report published on Tuesday, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said floods and storms were the main cause of casualties and economic damage in 2023, while the impact of heatwaves became more severe.

It found that Asia has been warming faster than the global average, with temperature rises in 2023 averaging nearly 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1961-90 average.

“Many countries in the region experienced their hottest year on record in 2023, along with a barrage of extreme conditions, from droughts and heatwaves to floods and storms,” WMO chief Celeste Saulo said in a statement.

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She added that climate change “exacerbated the frequency and severity of such events”, calling the report’s conclusions “sobering”.

The agency said 79 disasters associated with water-related weather hazards were reported in Asia last year. Of those, some 80 percent were floods and storms, with more than 2,000 deaths and nine million people directly affected.

The State of the Climate in Asia 2023 report also found that floods were the leading cause of death in reported events in 2023 “by a substantial margin”.

Hong Kong recorded 158.1mm (6.2 inches) of rainfall in one hour on September 7 – the highest since records began in 1884 – as a result of a typhoon.

The report also highlighted that most glaciers in the high mountain region in Asia had lost significant mass because of record-breaking high temperatures and dry conditions.

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Precipitation was below normal in the Himalayas and in the Hindu Kush mountain ranges in Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2023, while southwest China suffered from a drought, with below-normal precipitation levels in nearly every month of the year.

Particularly high average temperatures were recorded from western Siberia to Central Asia, and from eastern China to Japan, the report said, with Japan having its hottest summer on record.

‘Urgency’ for action

The report comes as a number of Asian countries have been hit by severe floods in recent weeks.

In southern China, more than 100,000 people were evacuated on Tuesday due to heavy rain and floods that have killed at least four people. Meanwhile, authorities in Afghanistan and Pakistan last week declared a state of emergency in some regions after heavy rains and flash floods killed at least 100 people.

The WMO said there was an urgent need for national weather services across Asia to improve tailored information to officials working on reducing disaster risks.

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“It is imperative that our actions and strategies mirror the urgency of these times,” said Saulo.

“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the evolving climate is not merely an option, but a fundamental necessity.”

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No fairytale return to Germany for Lewandowski

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No fairytale return to Germany for Lewandowski
Given Germany is where Robert Lewandowski forged his fearsome reputation, Euro 2024 would have been a fitting arena for the Polish poacher to add significant gloss to an illustrious career and potentially end his international playing days on a high.
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Medical intern surprises would-be sexual abuser with hidden talent: 'Those lessons saved my life'

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Medical intern surprises would-be sexual abuser with hidden talent: 'Those lessons saved my life'

A medical intern in Thailand fought off a drunk nurse who tried to grope her one night, busting out fighting skills that helped her kick her would-be assaulter to the curb. 

“I have been doing Muay Thai boxing since I was a kid,” Petcharaporn Phadungjai, 22, told reporters. “I know how to kick, knee and punch someone. I know how to wrestle with them. It was my instinctive reaction to protect myself.”

“I’m lucky my grandfather taught me self-defense skills when I was a young girl,” she added. “Those lessons saved my life.”

CCTV footage from around midnight shows the 30-year-old male nurse approaching Petcharaporn from behind as she picked up some food before leaving for the night. He first circles behind her as though just wandering around the area aimlessly before turning and reaching for her.

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ANIMAL CARETAKERS IN THAILAND ‘SHOCKED’ AFTER SURPRISE BIRTH OF RARE TWIN ELEPHANTS

Petcharaporn Phadungjai, a 22-year-old medical intern in Thailand, fought off a would-be sexual abuser with Muay Thai.  (ViralPress)

As soon as the nurse’s arms wrap around the intern, she grabs him and drives him back towards the far wall. He keeps a strong grip on her, but as soon as she faces him, she drives her knee into his groin, giving herself a chance to pull free.

Once separated, she kicks him again, striking him in the stomach before setting into a defensive stance and yelling at him to back off. 

DOZENS ARRESTED AS THAI POLICE DISMANTLE CRIME NETWORK THAT FACILITATED LONG-TERM STAYS FOR FOREIGNERS

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Medical intern assault

A petite Thai medical intern used Muay Thai kicks to fight off a drunk male nurse assaulting her in a hospital. Speaking out publicly for the first time since the incident, Petcharaporn Phadungjai, 22 (pictured) said she was working a nightshift when the colleague crept up behind her and groped her in Samut Prakan, Thailand. But he was unaware that her hobby is Muay Thai boxing, and she kneed him in the crotch then kicked him in the stomach to subdue the alleged attacker. 

The hospital reported the incident to the police and fired the nurse as allegations that he had similarly harassed other female interns emerged, ViralPress reported. 

Petcharaporn said she had ordered dinner but could not pick it up herself, so the nurse, who was drinking at a neighboring food stall, offered to bring it to her. She had to go to the general ward, because men are not allowed in the women’s ward. 

THAI TOWN OVERRUN BY WILD MONKEYS LAUNCHES CAPTURE AND RELOCATION OPERATION

Bangkok tournament fighters

Muay Thai fighters warm up ahead of a Rajadamnern World Series Muay Thai tournament at Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on March 9, 2024.  (Valeria Mongelli/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“When he arrived, he told me to scan the QR code to pay for the food,” Petcharaporn said. “I placed the phone on the desk, and that’s when he grabbed me from behind.”

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She alleged that the nurse had flirted with her during her internship, often calling her “darling” or indicating he liked her, but she had treated it as teasing. She also revealed that she feared that he would try to rape her if she didn’t fight him off. 

Thailand suffers a significant sexual violence problem, with at least seven women sexually assaulted or abused per day, according to a report from the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC). 

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Houthis claim attack on ship that docked in Israel

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Houthis claim attack on ship that docked in Israel

Houthis say the commercial vessel was targeted for using an Israeli port as they step up their campaign in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

The Houthis in Yemen say they launched attacks on a commercial vessel after it used an Israeli port, and on a US aircraft carrier ordered home after months of responding to sea attacks launched because of the war on Gaza.

Yahya Saree, the military spokesman of the Iran-aligned group, said in a televised announcement on Saturday the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Transworld Navigator was directly hit by ballistic missiles in the Arabian Sea.

“The ship was targeted because the company that owns it violated the ban of entry into the ports of occupied Palestine,” he said, alluding to an earlier threat that all ships docking at Israeli ports would be considered targets.

The attack came after the sinking this week of the ship MV Tutor, which appears to mark a new escalation in the campaign against commercial vessels in vital maritime corridors.

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Saree also claimed an attack using ballistic and cruise missiles on the USS Eisenhower, which has led US Navy operations in the region since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.

Saree said “the operation has achieved its objectives successfully” without elaborating. One unnamed US official told Reuters news agency the claim “is incorrect”.

The Houthis and social media accounts supporting them have repeatedly falsely claimed to hit or even sink the aircraft carrier in the Red Sea.

The announcement came shortly after US officials reportedly ordered the USS Eisenhower to return home after more than eight months of deployment, with another aircraft carrier operating in the Pacific set to replace it.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Friday that a vessel was attacked 126 nautical miles (233km) east of Aden in Yemen. It said the master reported “explosions in the vicinity of the vessel” and the crew is safe.

The Houthis pledged to continue their military operations, which they have said are in support of Palestinians and will only stop when the siege of Gaza is lifted.

The group has launched more than 60 attacks, sunk two commercial ships, seized another, and attacked dozens more since the start of the war.

In March, the Houthis killed three people after one of its antiship ballistic missiles set the Barbados-flagged True Confidence on fire.

The US and United Kingdom militaries have launched air raids across Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen to weaken the group’s military capabilities.

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