Hundreds of homes have been inundated in and around Australia’s largest city in a flood emergency that was impacting 50,000 people, officials said Tuesday.
In a country that seems to always be on the lookout for a messiah to solve its myriad problems, young social media-savvy supporters have elevated Mr Obi to sainthood and are backing his largely unknown Labour Party against two septuagenarian political heavyweights.
These are mostly urban under-30s who refer to themselves as the "Coconut-head generation", because they are strong-willed, independent-minded and contemptuous of older politicians who, they say, have done little for them.
Many of them, like Dayo Ekundayo from the eastern city of Owerri, were involved in the EndSars protests that forced the disbandment of a notorious police department two years ago and also morphed into calls for better government.
"Which Nigerian politician has ever held office and has his integrity intact? I do not see any other logical option for young people in Nigeria," said Mr Ekundayo.
He has already been involved in a march for Mr Obi, and is providing logistics and mobilising students for the campaign as he did during the EndSars protests.
But opponents say Mr Obi is a political impostor, one of many who spring up at election time with delusions of being a third force that will wrestle power from the traditional parties.
Many supporters of the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) and neutral observers agree he is head and shoulders above the other candidates, but say he lacks the nationwide popularity to win the election and have warned his supporters that they risk wasting their votes.
England (AP) -- Four activists wearing "Where is Peng Shuai?" T-shirts were stopped by security at Wimbledon on Monday and had their bags searched.
Peng is a retired professional tennis player from China who last year accused a former high-ranking member of the country's ruling Communist Party of sexual assault. She has made very few public appearances since then.
A similar episode happened to someone wearing a T-shirt supporting Peng at this year's Australian Open. A spectator in Melbourne was removed from the grounds, but the tournament later reversed its decision and allowed people to wear the clothing as long as they didn't congregate in large groups or cause problems for other spectators.
Jason Leith of the Free Tibet organization said he and his three colleagues put on the white T-shirts after entering the grounds of the All England Club on Monday.
"We didn't have these on when we came in because we worried about not being let in. So we put them on and we were just walking around and a few people wanted selfies with us, so we were taking pictures with people," said Leith, who is British.
Security arrived a short time later when the four men were walking under the big screen at the base of Henman Hill, Leith said.
"(They) started asking, 'Are you planning to do any direct protesting? Are you planning on disrupting things?'" Leith said. "And then they asked, 'Oh, do you mind coming over here so we can search your bags?'
Emergency response teams made 100 rescues overnight of people trapped in cars on flooded roads or in inundated homes in the Sydney area, State Emergency Service manager Ashley Sullivan said.
Days of torrential rain have caused dams to overflow and waterways to break their banks, bringing a fourth flood emergency in 16 months to parts of the city of 5 million people.
The New South Wales state government declared a disaster across 23 local government areas overnight, activating federal government financial assistance for flood victims.
Evacuation orders and warnings to prepare to abandon homes impacted 50,000 people, up from 32,000 on Monday, New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said.
“This event is far from over. Please don’t be complacent, wherever you are. Please careful when you’re driving on our roads. There is still substantial risk for flash flooding across our state,” Perrottet said.
A new generation rise up to fight for the rights of the unborn and their mothers,” was the blurb for the event.
Speirs said on the weekend the event “wasn’t to do with abortion” and accused the “rabid left” of attacking the organisation.
The training day was forced to move at the last minute as abortion rights rallies started around the country in reaction to the overturning of Roe v Wade in the US. Speirs did not attend the event in the end.
On Monday, Howe compared the rallies, which were peaceful, to the US Capitol attack. She also claimed on ABC Adelaide that a counter-terrorism unit was involved.
Rally organisers said there was no violence or threats and demanded proof of her claims. SA Police have confirmed that the protests – both the main one in Adelaide and one at the venue the event was meant to be at – were peaceful. Howe did not respond to Guardian Australia’s request for evidence.
Separately, Howe claims that some parliamentarians pledged “on the record” at the organisation’s inaugural awards ceremony in March to change the laws.
Howe told Christian radio station 1079 Life that after SA decriminalised abortion in March – with the laws will come into effect on 7 July – she and others “felt called” to do something. They decided they needed to get “pro-life” women and men into parliament by making a list, a “coalition of courageous Australians”.
Howe said the launch event honoured 14 “brave MPs” who are against “late-term” abortions in SA, singling out Labor’s infrastructure and transport minister, Tom Koutsantonis, Speirs, the former Liberal MP Steve Murray, Scriven and Nicola Centofanti, the Liberal leader in the Legislative Council, for awards.
The lifting of tariffs and sanctions and the fair treatment of Chinese enterprises are areas of great interest to China, Liu said in the video call with Yellen on Tuesday, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce.
The two sides discussed economic policy and stabilizing global supply chains, agreeing that it’s significant for the US and China to strengthen communication and coordination in those areas for the benefit of both countries and the rest of the world, according to the statement. The talks were pragmatic and constructive, it said.
Read More: Biden Close to Rollback of China Tariffs to Fight Inflation
The comments came alongside reports that President Joe Biden may announce as soon as this week a rollback of some of US tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese goods. Expectations on the Biden administration to ease some of the taxes to help lower the costs of everyday merchandise have increased as inflation in US soared this year.
Tensions between the world’s two biggest economies have continued since former President Donald Trump hit China with the tariffs starting in July 2018 after an investigation concluded China stole intellectual property from American companies and forced them to transfer technology.