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At least 27 tornadoes were reported in Florida on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton loomed over the state, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The NWS is still working to confirm all of the reports, an activity that will take some time due to storm conditions.

Cumulatively, more than 125 tornado warnings were issued Wednesday by NWS offices in Tampa Bay, Melbourne and Miami. This is the most tornado warnings ever issued in a single day for the state of Florida, crushing the previous record of 69 set on September 10, 2017 (during Hurricane Irma).

A tornado in St. Lucie County proved deadly for some residents of a mobile home retirement community, county sheriff Keith Pearson said. The sheriff declined to provide an exact number of deaths, but said it was 'more than one person.'

Ultimately, hundreds of homes were 'completely totaled' by tornadoes in the county, Pearson said. And that was before Milton had even arrived.

Daytona Beach weather radio transmitter is off the air, National Weather Service says

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio transmitter serving seven central Florida counties is currently off the air, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne, Florida.

The Daytona Beach transmitter, operating on a frequency of 162.400 MHz, serves Lake, Brevard, Orange, Seminole, Volusia, Putnam and Flagler counties, the weather service said in a post on social media early Thursday morning.

NOAA Weather Radio is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from National Weather Service offices across the country. The broadcasts include warnings, watches, forecasts, current weather observations and other hazard information, 24 hours a day, according to the service.

Alternate transmitters that serve the Daytona Beach listening area include: 162.475 MHz in Orlando, 162.425 MHz in Palatka, 162.500 MHz in Sumterville, 162.550 MHz in Melbourne and 162.475 MHz in Gainesville.

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As Florida braces for the arrival of Hurricane Milton, a Category 4 storm with winds of 155 mph, state officials also are warning of severe consequences for looters in the aftermath of the storm.

'We are going to come down hard on you,' Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a briefing Wednesday morning at the state Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. 'We need to maintain law and order.'

DeSantis said 500 law enforcement officers from out of state were being deputized and 300 'auxiliary' state troopers, supplementing the 2,000 troopers already deployed, were being used to help in the storm preparation and recovery efforts, but also to guard against the possible pillaging of homes and businesses once Milton clears the state.

'There is no escape from the resources of the state of Florida,' said Dave Kerner, director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which oversees the Florida Highway Patrol. 'The state of Florida is not going to give you an opportunity to take advantage of Floridians.'

In the lead up to Milton's arrival, state troopers have been helping to escort gas trucks through traffic from ports to gas stations that ran out of fuel as residents sought to evacuate.

DeSantis said FHP had conducted 106 such escorts as of Wednesday morning and would continue until it was no longer safe once the most damaging winds of Milton arrive later Wednesday afternoon.

The effects of Milton were already being felt in different parts of the state as it made its approach Wednesday, with multiple tornados touching down in South Florida and in the Treasure Coast.

The eye of the storm is projected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast late Wednesday or early Thursday morning, moving over the peninsula as a hurricane through all of Thursday. Then, troopers, Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents and local police and sheriffs will turn their attention to cracking down on looters.

FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said his agencies will oversee 500 out-of-state law enforcement officers after the storm clears. About 150 are already on their way to Florida.

'Tomorrow after the storm passes, you may see law enforcement entities from other agencies from out of state that will be coming in to support,' Glass said. 'If you see them, they are going to be law enforcement authority and have power as such.'

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srael's defense minister warned on Wednesday that his country's retaliation for a recent Iranian missile attack will be 'lethal' and 'surprising,' while the Israeli military pushed ahead with a large-scale operation in northern Gaza and a ground offensive in Lebanon against Hezbollah militants.

On the diplomatic front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden held their first call in seven weeks, with a White House press secretary saying the call included discussions on Israel's deliberations over how it will respond to Iran's attack.

'It was direct, it was productive,' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said of the 30-minute call.

The Israeli operation in northern Gaza left dozens of people dead and threatened to shut down three hospitals over a year into the war with Hamas, Palestinian officials and residents said.

The continuing cycle of destruction and death in Gaza, unleashed by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, comes as Israel expands a weeklong ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon and considers a major retaliatory strike on Iran following Iran's Oct. 1 missile barrage.

'Our strike will be lethal, precise and above all, surprising. They won't understand what happened and how. They will see the results,' Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said during a speech to troops. 'Whoever strikes us will be harmed and pay a price.'

Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel on Oct. 1 which the United States helped fend off. Biden has said he would not support a retaliatory strike on sites related to Tehran's nuclear program.

In northern Gaza, there was heavy fighting in Jabaliya, an urban refugee camp dating back to the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation, where Israeli forces have carried out several major operations over the course of the war and then returned as militants regroup. The entire north, including Gaza City, has suffered heavy destruction and has been largely isolated by Israeli forces since late last year.

Hezbollah claimed a rocket attack that killed two people in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. The town's acting mayor, Ofir Yehezkeli, said the two killed were a couple walking their dogs. Separately, six people were wounded in stabbings in the city of Hadera. Police said the attacker was arrested.

In Gaza, Jabaliya residents said thousands of people have been trapped in their homes since the operation began Sunday, as Israeli jets and drones buzz overhead and troops battle militants in the streets.

'It's like hell. We can't get out,' said Mohamed Awda, who lives with his parents and six siblings. He said there were three bodies in the street outside his home that could not be retrieved because of the fighting.

'The quadcopters are everywhere, and they fire at anyone. You can't even open the window,' he told The Associated Press by phone, speaking over the sound of explosions.

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Hurricane Milton's growing wind field will cover nearly the entire Florida Peninsula as the hurricane moves over the state Wednesday night through Thursday morning.

Milton's tropical storm-force wind field of sustained winds of 39 mph or greater has already more than ›doubled in size since yesterday and currently stretches for more than 300 miles from one end to the other.

This view shows Hurricane Milton's projected wind field while over the state Thursday morning.

The wind field will continue to grow Thursday morning and will stretch for 425 miles, reaching from Miami on the southern end to Savannah, Georgia, on its northern end.

Milton's peak wind speeds decreased this afternoon, and the hurricane now has sustained winds of 125 mph, making it a Category 3 hurricane.

The hurricane's category change isn't going to lessen its impacts. Heavy rain, strong winds and a prolific tornado outbreak are underway in Florida with worse conditions and life-threatening storm surge to come.

Hurricane-force winds will start to batter the coast later today ahead of Milton's landfall tonight. The hurricane's most torrential rainfall will also get underway for areas north of its center ahead of landfall.

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The National Weather Service (NWS) in Miami has issued a tornado watch and several tornado warnings for parts of Florida as Hurricane Milton rapidly approaches west-central Florida.

On Wednesday morning, the NWS reported several tornadoes, including one crossing the I-75 highway, and urged residents to seek shelter immediately.

The tornado watch remains valid until Wednesday evening at 9pm ET and covers parts of south Florida including Miami, Key Largo, Tampa, Port St Lucie, Jupiter Farms, Sebring, Sebastian, Sarasota, North Port, Cape Coral and Bonita Springs, according to the agency.

As of 11am ET, three tornado warnings are also in effect. A tornado watch is issued when a tornado is possible, while a tornado warning is issued when a tornado is happening or about to happen, per the NWS.

Videos and pictures posted online showed several of the spotted tornadoes growing in size as they move across south Florida.

The agency also warned that isolated hail up to 0.5in in size is possible, along with isolated gusts of wind traveling up to 70mph (112km/h). Approximately 12.6 million residents face potential exposure to the tornadoes, in addition to 2,424 schools and 170 hospitals.

The tornado watch and warnings come as the Hurricane Milton is expected to double in size as the 'storm of the century' by the time it makes landfall late on Wednesday or early Thursday.

The record storm is expected to bring up to 15ft (4.5 metres) of storm surge along the coast of Florida as the state continues to reel from the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Helene a few weeks ago.

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The celebration, which marked not just Uganda’s history but also its deep ties with Rwanda, was a moment of shared joy and mutual respect between the two nations.

H.E. Rtd. Gen. Robert Rusoke, Uganda’s Ambassador to Rwanda, expressed his deep admiration for Rwanda’s recent achievements and the close relationship that has flourished between the two countries over the years.

“Our history is reflected in our strong ties. Our collaboration extends to addressing regional opportunities, as evidenced by the Joint Permanent Commission that was held in Rwanda in March 2023,” he remarked.

Rusoke noted that the Commission, a key vehicle for fostering cooperation, had resulted in several signed agreements, including those promoting free movement of persons, trade facilitation, and diplomatic consultations.

He also announced that the next Joint Permanent Commission would take place in early 2025 in Kampala to review progress and set new targets for mutual benefit.

Rusoke voiced his heartfelt congratulations for Kagame’s recent victory for the new term of office stating that Rwanda has emerged as a beacon of hope and an example on the African continent.

H.E. Rtd. Gen. Robert Rusoke is Uganda’s Ambassador to Rwanda

The ambassador further highlighted the historical ties between Uganda and Rwanda, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and shared goals and underscored the importance of these collaborations for future generations.

“Our countries remain united with projects that will continue to impact relations and create wealth for both nations,” he stated.

The guest of honor, General James Kabarebe, Rwanda’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation, echoed these sentiments. Kabarebe congratulated Uganda on its milestone anniversary.

“I would like to congratulate all Ugandans as you celebrate the 62nd anniversary. Today, we are not only commemorating Uganda’s journey towards self-determination but also its resilience, unity, and unwavering commitment to Pan-Africanism, which has shaped Uganda into the vibrant country we see today,” he said.

Reflecting on the deep connections between Uganda and Rwanda, Kabarebe noted that the two country’s bonds run so deep, extending beyond a common border.

He said both countries share values rooted in mutual respect and a common vision of peace, prosperity, and regional integration and highlighted multiple areas of successful cooperation, including defense, cyber security, migration, and trade, which have brought the two nations closer together over the years.

Kabarebe expressed optimism for the future of Uganda-Rwanda relations and commended the prosperity both nations have achieved and urged for continued collaboration.

The guest of honor was General James Kabarebe, Rwanda’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation

“Allow me to express my commitment to further strengthen our bilateral relationship, and express our eagerness to explore new areas of cooperation for the mutual benefit of our two peoples,' he said.

“Let us all overcome our challenges and build a future filled with growth and prosperity. May our friendship continue to flourish and grow as we work hand in hand for the future of our two nations,” he added.

The event was a joyful celebration of Uganda’s independence but also a testament to the enduring friendship and growing cooperation between Uganda and Rwanda.

The dignitaries present reflected on the shared history, values, and vision that have cemented the partnership between the two nations, as both look toward a future of continued progress and collaboration.

The celebration was a moment of shared joy

Many Dignitaries attended the celebration including security personnel from different countries.

H.E. Rtd. Gen. Robert Rusoke, Uganda’s Ambassador to Rwanda and Gen James Kabarebe, the State Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation share a light moment at Uganda’s 62nd Independence anniversary held in Kigali.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/uganda-high-commission-celebrates-62nd-independence-in-kigali

The airline confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday morning, identifying the deceased pilot as 59-year-old Ilcehin Pehlivan.

Airline spokesperson Yahya Ustun stated that Pehlivan fainted, prompting the crew of the TK204 flight to decide on an emergency landing while attempting to revive him.

Unfortunately, Pehlivan died before the plane could land in New York City. The cause of death is yet to be revealed.

Pehlivan had worked with Turkish Airlines since 2007. The spokesperson explained that the pilot passed a medical examination in March indicating he had no health issues.

“A periodic health examination was carried out on March 8, 2024, at the Aviation Medical Center authorized by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, and no health problem was detected that would prevent him from working,” the spokesperson wrote in a post on X.

He added, 'As the Turkish Airlines family, we wish God’s mercy upon our captain and patience to his grieving family, all his colleagues, and loved ones.”

A Turkish Airlines spokesperson revealed that the pilot died before the plane could make an emergency landing in New York City after collapsing mid-flight.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/turkish-airlines-pilot-dies-mid-flight

The head of state was speaking at the opening of the second edition of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Business Forum, branded Biashara Afrika 2024.

The event, taking place at the Kigali Convention Centre from October 9-11, 2024, brings together dignitaries including AfCFTA Secretary General Wamkele Mene, Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini of Eswatini, Former President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry Salim Mvurya Mgala, and other prominent figures from African public and private sectors.

Speaking at the forum, the President emphasized the importance of free movement of goods, services, and people across the continent.

“Removing non-tariff barriers should remain a priority as well as facilitating cross-border movement,” Kagame stated.

He highlighted that this would not only promote trade but also allow businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to grow and thrive across Africa.

Kagame acknowledged the challenges faced by the continent in fully realizing the potential of AfCFTA but expressed confidence in Africa’s ability to overcome them.

“Africa is capable of coming together to solve our own problems. […] We must fix our politics and governance, and it all begins with mindset and clarity of vision,” he remarked.

Kagame emphasized that the freedom of movement within Africa is critical to fostering unity and economic growth.

“Why shouldn’t people of one country freely move across the border to another country across the whole continent? […] Some people don’t move freely within their own borders and it really is all about politics that can be fixed and we must fix it,” he observed.

The President underscored the significant progress made since the launch of AfCFTA project, which began in Kigali six years ago followed by the launch of operational phase a year later in Niamey.

He praised Former President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou for his leadership in driving the initiative forward.

However, Kagame urged for more urgency in addressing challenges such as high freight and logistics costs.

“Reducing freight logistics and logistics costs would also be a game changer. Africa has some of the highest in the world,” he pointed out.

The forum, co-hosted with the Government of Rwanda under the theme “Dare to Invent the Future of the AfCFTA,” provides a platform for dialogue between African public and private sectors, multinationals, and other stakeholders.

Participants are discussing the opportunities and challenges of building regional and continental value chains, aiming to establish reliable supply networks essential to the success of intra-Africa trade.

Kagame called for a focus on supporting small and medium enterprises, which he referred to as the backbone of Africa’s economy.

He stressed that these businesses, often owned by women and young people, need more support to grow beyond their current size. “They shouldn’t remain small and medium; they need to grow,” he said.

Kagame also addressed the Marburg virus situation in Rwanda, reassuring participants of the country’s efforts to control the outbreak.

“I want to assure you that Rwanda is doing whatever we can to contain and control this virus, but our best cannot amount to anything without the solidarity and support we have enjoyed from Africa CDC and other partners,” he said.

In his remarks, expressed appreciation to the Government of Rwanda for co-hosting Biashara Africa 2024, recognising it as a crucial platform for driving Africa’s trade integration under the AfCFTA.

So far, more than 30 countries have ratified the instruments of AfCFTA.

President Kagame has called for removal of non-tariff barriers to boost intra-African trade.

The event, taking place at the Kigali Convention Centre from October 9-11, 2024, brings together dignitaries including AfCFTA Secretary General Wamkele Mene, Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini of Eswatini, Former President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry Salim Mvurya Mgala, and other prominent figures from African public and private sectors.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/president-kagame-calls-for-removal-of-non-tariff-barriers-to-boost-intra

The category 5 Hurricane Milton is expected to double its wind field by the time it makes landfall in the US late Wednesday or early Thursday, with up to 15ft (4.5 metres) of storm surge along a low-lying stretch of the Florida coast that includes the cities of Tampa, St Petersburg and Sarasota.

Described as the 'storm of a century', with sustained winds still registering at 160mph (257km/h), Milton turned north-east overnight about 300 miles (480km) south-west of Tampa, aiming for heavily populated and highly vulnerable communities. It is expected to weaken slightly when it makes landfall to a category 4 with sustained wind speeds of around 130mph.

'Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,' the National Hurricane Center warned.

In an 8am update, the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, said it was not clear exactly where the eye of the storm would come ashore but the impact would be 'broader than that … absolutely every place on the west coast of Florida could get major storm surge.'

'If you are in a single story home that is hit by a 15ft storm surge, which means that water comes in immediately, there's nowhere to go,' said the mayor of Tampa, Jane Castor.

'So if you're in it, basically that's the coffin that you're in.'

Authorities have issued mandatory evacuation orders across 11 Florida counties with a combined population of around 5.9 million people and said anyone choosing to stay behind must fend for themselves.

Before Helene hit, residents staying behind were encouraged to write their name and social security numbers on their bodies for easier postmortem identification.

Under current projections, the surge is expected to hit Fort Myers beach, an area still recovering from Hurricane Ian two years ago that smashed a causeway to outlying islands.

The area was also hit by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, raising concerns that discarded furniture, appliances and debris from that storm will become projectiles in this next one. DeSantis said the state deployed more than 300 dump trucks that had removed 1,300 loads of debris.

One resident said he'd seen bull sharks swimming in the flooded streets after Helene.

No matter exactly where Milton comes ashore, the damage is is expected to be extensive, with seawater funneling up through coastal channels inland. Cody Fritz at the US National Hurricane Center storm surge team told NBC News: 'Florida's west coast is very sensitive to storm surge. It doesn't take much to push water over land that would be dry. It's extremely vulnerable.'

Kara Doran, a US geological survey scientist, said the risk of permanent change to the coastline 'cannot be overstated as I believe communities are more vulnerable to this storm's impacts due to the erosion that occurred recently from Helene'.

Residents trying to leave have been faced with gas shortages and gridlocked roads. There are few hotels to shelter in and no flights out of the area. Ashley Khrais, a resident of Holiday, Florida, just inland from the coast, told NBC 'it seems very, very scary, but there's no way to leave.'

Mark Prompakdee, 71, a resident of a trailer park near St Petersburg, said he planned to sit the storm out in a in minivan parked on higher ground at a high school. 'They're saying, 'Get out of here,'' he said. 'Where?'

But many people appeared to have heeded the warnings. 'If there's any good news here, we toured Fort Myers beach yesterday [and] it looks like people have listened to those warnings, said Jay Gray of NBC News.

Efforts to protect property with sandbags and by boarding up windows had been done 'with the knowledge that this could be the most powerful storm many in this area have ever seen, and they've seen plenty', Gray said.

The National Weather Service warned that as Milton began moving onshore on Wednesday 'conditions will be favorable for tornado development, even far away from the expected landfall'.

With area airports now closed, operators said they will not re-open until damage has been assessed. A spokesperson for Tampa international airport told Scripps News that safety is critical for their operations and it can not act as a shelter for travelers stuck there since it is located in an evacuation zone.

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Two scientists at Google DeepMind and an American biochemist have been awarded the 2024 Nobel prize in chemistry for breakthroughs in predicting and designing the structure of proteins.

Demis Hassabis, DeepMind's British founder, and John Jumper, who led the development of the company's AI model AlphaFold— which predicts the structure of proteins based on their chemical sequence— share half of the prize.

The other half was awarded to Prof David Baker, of the University of Washington, whose computational research has led to the creation of entirely new kinds of proteins, with applications in vaccines, nanomaterials and tiny sensors.

The winners were announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, and will share the 11m Swedish kronor (£810,000) prize for computational protein design and protein structure prediction.

Heiner Linke, the chair of the Nobel committee for chemistry, said: 'One of the discoveries being recognised this year concerns the construction of spectacular proteins. The other is about fulfilling a 50-year-old dream: predicting protein structures from their amino acid sequences. Both of these discoveries open up vast possibilities.'

Speaking at a press briefing immediately after the announcement, Baker said he had been woken by a phone call from the academy telling him he had won, and described how the ambition to create entirely new proteins began as a dream more than 20 years ago. Advances in computing and scientific understanding in the intervening years had paved the way for this vision to have a meaningful impact in the world, he said, including in the design of novel vaccines for coronavirus.

'We glimpsed at the beginning that it might be possible to create a whole new world of proteins that address a lot of the problems faced by humans in the 21st century,' Baker said. 'Now it's becoming possible.'

Proteins control and drive all the chemical reactions that are the basis of life. They function as hormones, antibodies and the building blocks of different tissues. Baker's mission was to design new proteins that do not exist in nature, and in 2003, he succeeded. Since then, his group has produced novel proteins with wide-ranging applications in medicine and materials science.

Proteins generally consist of 20 different amino acids, which are linked together in long strings that fold up to make three-dimensional structures. It is these structures — as well as the chemical composition — that determine how proteins will interact and whether, for instance, they will bind to a drug in the body. Since the 1970s, scientists have been working on predicting proteins' three-dimensional structures from their chemical sequences, but the problem was notoriously difficult and progress was slow.

Four years ago, there was a breakthrough. In 2020, Hassabis and Jumper announced the development of an AI model called AlphaFold 2. With its help, they have been able to predict the structure of virtually all the 200m proteins that researchers have identified. Since their breakthrough, AlphaFold 2 has been used by more than 2 million people from 190 countries in applications such as understanding antibiotic resistance and developing enzymes that can decompose plastic.

Dr Annette Doherty, the president of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: 'The benefits of this research are remarkable, as we can all look forward to applications improving our health and wellbeing. I am sure that their work will prove as inspirational to future generations as the discoveries of their predecessors who have been awarded this most prestigious honour.'

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