About one million people have fled their homes due to ethnic violence in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most-populous country, which could lead to a major humanitarian crisis, an international Christian development organization has warned.

Around 40,000 people were displaced in June alone in southern Ethiopia, as they fled the possibility of disease outbreaks and extremely high malnutrition rates among displaced children, according to World Vision.

The violence began in April fuelled by grievances over land in the ethnically diverse country of 100 million people. Protests due to a sense of marginalization among several ethnic groups had forced Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to resign in February.

Violence is taking place in the border areas of Gedeo in the SNNP, or Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, and in West Guji in Oromia state.

“Survivors have seen their homes burnt and looted, ruining their means of earning an income. Even when security returns, people will struggle to provide food for their families for months, jeopardising their children’s health,” Getahun Mara, World Vision Ethiopia’s Emergency Nutrition Coordinator, says in a statement.

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Source: Christian Post

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Two ambulances were seen Sunday evening leaving a cave in northern Thailand where 12 youth soccer players and their coach have been trapped for more than two weeks, hours after an operation began to rescue them.

The ambulances drove to a nearby helipad, and a helicopter was seen taking off. Officials had said earlier that helicopters were on standby to take anyone rescued from the cave to a hospital.

It was unclear who was inside the ambulances or the helicopter. Officials did not immediately comment.

The operation to rescue the 12 boys and their coach by having them dive out of the flooded cave began in the morning, with expert divers entering the sprawling complex for the complicated and dangerous mission.

Chiang Rai province acting Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn, who is heading the operation, said that 13 foreign and five Thai divers were taking part in the rescue and that two divers would accompany each boy as they’re gradually extracted.

“Divers will work with doctors in the cave to examine each the kids’ health to determine who should get to come out first,” Narongsak said in the morning.

The entire operation to rescue all 13 could last two to four days, depending on weather and water conditions, said army Maj. Gen. Chalongchai Chaiyakam.

The only way to bring the boys, ages 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach out of Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province is by navigating dark and tight passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents, as well as oxygen-depleted air. A former Thai navy SEAL passed out and died making the dive Friday.

Experienced cave rescue…

The evacuation of 12 schoolboys trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand has begun and they could be out by tonight, the rescue commander announced this morning.

An extraction team of 18 international divers started their ‘extremely dangerous’ operation at 10am local time after the boys’ anxious families were informed.

All of the youngsters and their 25-year-old coach are expected to emerge one by one from the cave as early as 9pm if everything goes to plan, Governor Narongsak told reporters on Sunday morning.

Each boy will be accompanied by two divers on the perilous 4km (2.5miles) journey through murky waters and narrow tunnels. It’s understood they will be able to walk most of the way after teams drained the water level by 30cm (12ins) last night.

‘Today is D-Day,’ the governor who has led the rescue announced. ‘The water level has reached the lowest it has been in ten days. We ask to pray that this operation is a success.

‘The boys are physically and mentally fit to come out. All of the families have been told about today’s operation.’

The idea of inserting an inflatable nylon tube into the cave system to create an underwater tunnel for the trapped boys to crawl out of is being tested near the caves.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk mooted the idea on Friday as a possible solution to bring the boys, who can’t swim, to safety without having to be in the water.

Thai rescuers were pictured with the inflatable tube near the cave system as the rescue mission got underway today.

Thai military personnel inside a cave complex during the ongoing rescue operations for…

England fans caused chaos on the nation’s streets last night as they celebrated reaching a World Cup semi final for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Ecstatic supporters scaled traffic lights, rode on bonnets and one even crashed through the glass roof of a London bus stop as a day’s drinking turned ugly.

For many Three Lions’ fans, reaching a semi-final will be a new experience – but sadly the scenes off the pitch took a more familiar tone.

Boozy supporters ran amok in London, after hours of drinking in packed pubs and bars showing the big match.

One lout in Clapham Junction was filmed clambering onto the roof of a double-decker before jumping on to a bus stop.

But he crashed straight through the glass and sent an innocent traveller flying onto the pavement.

It is unclear if the woman was hurt.

Elsewhere, two shirtless men were filmed riding on the bonnet of a car.

The potentially lethal episode is understood to have happened in Folkestone, Kent.

Unable to see, the driver reportedly nearly crashed into a family crossing the street with their dog.

Police are now investigating.

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Source: The Sun

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