Trump excursions LA hearth destruction amid worries about catastrophe assist
  • Jan, Sat, 2025

Trump excursions LA hearth destruction amid worries about catastrophe assist

LOS ANGELS, CALIFORNIA : President Donald Trump travelled to California on Friday to survey the destruction from lethal wildfires that devastated a number of communities within the Los Angeles space earlier this month.

The go to, coming on the finish of Trump’s first week again in workplace, befell as he continued to denounce the state emergency response being led by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom – considered one of Trump’s fiercest critics – and worries the president would possibly withhold assist over insurance policies within the liberal state.

Despite the political rivalry, Newsom greeted Trump on the tarmac as he emerged from Air Force One, arriving from North Carolina the place he toured harm from Hurricane Helene, which rocked the western a part of the state in September.



Trump’s go to got here as new fires ignited in southern California, and native officers proceed to cope with dry and windy climate situations that favour hearth development.

Speaking to reporters after shaking arms with Newsom, Trump stated: “I appreciate the governor coming out and meeting me”.

“We want to get it fixed,” he continued, telling Newsom that aftermath appears “like you got hit by a bomb”.

Newsom, who Trump has nicknamed “Newscum”, then thanked Trump for coming to go to, telling him: “We’re going to need your support, we’re going to need your help”.

“You were there for us during Covid, I don’t forget that, and I have all the expectations that we’ll be able to work together to get this speedy recovery,” Newsom continued.

Trump then toured the ruins of Pacific Palisades neighbourhood together with his spouse Melania, after which attended a spherical desk dialogue with native leaders, together with LA Mayor Karen Bass. He vowed to signal an govt order that might pump water from northern components of the state to the south.

He quarreled briefly with Mayor Bass after she stated that residents should be affected person – as a result of clean-up crews want time to clear “hazardous waste” resembling poisonous ash from issues like lead, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and asbestos – earlier than they’ll return to their properties.

“What’s hazardous waste? I mean, you’re going to have to define that,” Trump remarked, including: “I just think you have to allow the people to go on their site and start the process tonight.”

New blazes – named Laguna, Sepulveda, Gibbel, Gilman and Border 2 – flared up on Thursday within the counties of Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura and Riverside – all in southern California.

Firefighters have made progress in bringing the ten,000-acre Hughes Fire in Los Angeles underneath management, containing it by 79% because it broke out on Wednesday, forcing tens of 1000’s of individuals to evacuate.

ALSO READ: Thousands evacuated as new fast-growing fire ignites near Los Angeles

Fires have devastated the US state over the previous few weeks, with the Palisades and Eaton fires scorching a mixed complete of greater than 37,000 acres and killing at the very least 28 individuals. Multiple neighbourhoods have been levelled, leaving greater than 10,000 properties and companies in ashes.

“Unfortunately, it’s a very sad period, but what makes you feel good is I met so many of the homeowners, and every one of them, a lot of them, and every one of them said to me, they want to rebuild,” Mr Trump stated after flying over by helicopter and touring the ruins on foot.

“The federal government is standing behind you 100%,” he advised native leaders.

Governor Newsom on Thursday introduced a $2.5bn (£2bn) state-level assist bundle to take care of the fireplace harm.

Trump has been essential of the response to the California fires, threatening to withhold federal help except the state doesn’t change its water legal guidelines and implement legal guidelines requiring an ID to vote in elections.

“After that, I will be the greatest president that California has ever seen,” Trump stated earlier.

California doesn’t often require ID to vote however does to register to vote.

Newsom’s workplace stated in a press release on social media that: “Conditioning aid for American citizens is wrong”.

 

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Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Go to
  • Jan, Sat, 2025

Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Go to

Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case within the northwestern area of Kagera after a gathering with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The affirmation follows days of hypothesis a few attainable outbreak within the area, after the WHO reported quite a lot of deaths suspected to be linked to the extremely infectious disease.

While Tanzania’s Ministry of Health declared final week that every one suspected circumstances had examined adverse for Marburg, the WHO known as for added testing at worldwide reference laboratories.

“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”Amelia Clemence, public well being researcher

Subsequent laboratory assessments performed at Kagera’s Kabaile Mobile Laboratory and confirmed in Dar es Salaam recognized one constructive case, whereas 25 different suspected circumstances examined adverse, the president informed a press convention in Dodoma, within the east of the nation right now (Monday).

“The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera,” she informed the press convention, distinguishing this outbreak from the earlier one centred in Bukoba district.

Tedros stated the WHO would launch US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to assist efforts to comprise the outbreak.

Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response groups after the WHO raised the alarm about 9 suspected circumstances within the area, together with eight deaths.

The suspected circumstances displayed signs per Marburg an infection, together with headache, excessive fever, diarrhoea, and haemorrhagic problems, in line with the WHO’s alert to member international locations on 14 January. The organisation famous a case fatality fee of 89 per cent among the many suspected circumstances.

“We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO,” Hassan stated.

She stated her administration instantly investigated the WHO’s alert.

“The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams,” she added.

Cross-border transmission

The emergence of this case in a area that skilled Tanzania’s first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised issues about cross-border transmission, significantly following Rwanda’s latest outbreak that contaminated 66 individuals and killed 15 earlier than being declared over in December 2024.

The state of affairs is especially crucial given Kagera’s place as a transport hub connecting 4 East African nations.

Amelia Clemence, a public well being researcher working within the area, says fixed vigilance is required.

“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”

The Kagera area’s ecosystem, house to fruit bats that function pure reservoirs for the Marburg virus, provides one other layer of complexity to illness surveillance efforts.

The virus, carefully associated to Ebola, spreads by contact with bodily fluids and might trigger extreme haemorrhagic fever.

Transparency urged

Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of well being for Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition get together, says better transparency would assist information public health measures.