Far right wins Austria election
VIENNA, Sept 30: Austrian voters handed a first-ever general election victory to the far-right Freedom Party on Sunday, preliminary results showed, illustrating rising support for hard-right parties in Europe fuelled by concern over immigration levels. The Eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO held a slim lead in opinion polls for months over Chancellor Karl Nehammer's ruling conservative Austrian People's Party (OVP) in a campaign dominated by immigration and worries about the economy. Led by the 55-year-old Herbert Kickl, the FPO won 28.8% of the vote, ahead of the OVP on 26.3%, and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPO) on 21.1%, according to a projection based on nearly all the vote by pollster Foresight for broadcaster ORF. — Reuters
Netanyahu adds a rival to his cabinet
JERUSALEM, Sept 30: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed a former rival, Gideon Saar, as a member of his Cabinet on Sunday, expanding his coalition and strengthening his hold on office. Under their agreement, Netanyahu said Saar would serve as a minister without portfolio and serve in the Security Cabinet, the body that oversees the management of the ongoing war against Israel's enemies across the Middle East. Saar, 57, had hoped to replace Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, another rival of Netanyahu's. — AP
Hurricane claims 30 lives in N Carolina
NEW YORK, Sept 30: At least 30 people have died and scores more are unaccounted for in just one county in North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene tore across the state and caused catastrophic flooding. A clearer image of the damage the storm inflicted after barrelling through Florida and Georgia emerged throughout Sunday, with Buncombe County appearing to be the hardest hit area. "We have biblical devastation," said Ryan Cole, an emergency official in the county, which contains the mountain city of Asheville. "This is the most significant natural disaster that any one of us has ever seen." — BBC
Gaza's two-thirds bldgs damaged in war
GENEVA, Sept 30: Two-thirds of the buildings in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed since the Gaza war began in October 2023, the United Nations said on Monday. Updating its damage assessment, the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) said very high-resolution imagery collected on September 3 and 6 showed a clear deterioration. "This analysis... shows that two-thirds of the total structures in the Gaza Strip have sustained damage," UNOSAT said. — AFP
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