标签： Asia

NEW ZEALAND – Emergency response teams across New Zealand’s North Island are conducting critical rescue operations following multiple devastating landslides triggered by extreme weather conditions. The most severe incident occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Beachside Holiday Park, situated at the base of Mount Maunganui’s extinct volcano, where a massive landslide buried portions of the campground under substantial rubble.

Police Superintendent Tim Anderson confirmed that the number of individuals unaccounted for remains in “single figures” at the holiday park site. In a separate but related incident, another landslide struck a residential property in the nearby Bay of Plenty community overnight. While two occupants managed to escape safely, two others remain missing as rescue efforts continue.

Further north near Warkworth, emergency services are searching for a man who was swept away by floodwaters Wednesday morning as torrential rains battered extensive regions of the North Island. The consecutive natural disasters have created a multi-front crisis for emergency response teams.

Fire and Emergency NZ commander William Pike reported that initial responders and civilians heard voices from within the rubble shortly after the Mount Maunganui landslide, but subsequent movements forced the evacuation of rescue personnel from the unstable site. No signs of life have been detected since the initial response.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has issued urgent appeals for residents in affected areas to strictly follow safety directives from local authorities. “Extreme weather continues to create dangerous conditions across the North Island. Right now, the government is doing everything we can to support those impacted,” Luxon stated via social media.

Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell confirmed that rescue operations continue at multiple locations, while Mayor Mahe Drysdale noted that some individuals initially reported missing had subsequently been accounted for after leaving the campground without official notification. The Beachside Holiday Park remains closed indefinitely following the catastrophic event.

Egypt has abruptly terminated its longstanding customs exemption policy for imported mobile phones, implementing new fees that will impact travelers and expatriates entering the country. The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) announced the significant policy shift effective January 21, 2026, at 12 PM Cairo time, marking a substantial change in the nation’s telecommunications import regulations.

The previous framework permitted each passenger arriving in Egypt to import one mobile device every three years without customs charges, provided they registered the device at airport customs desks to ensure compatibility with Egyptian SIM cards. The new regulations eliminate this exemption entirely, subjecting all imported mobile devices to variable customs fees based on brand and specifications.

The policy change has generated considerable concern within Egypt’s expatriate community, with many questioning the rationale behind imposing customs duties on personally owned devices purchased abroad. Egyptian authorities have responded by highlighting the growing domestic mobile manufacturing sector, noting that 15 international brands now operate production facilities within Egypt, manufacturing approximately 20 million devices annually with equivalent technical specifications to imported models.

Tourists utilizing foreign SIM cards remain exempt from the new fees, while those requiring Egyptian SIM cards receive a 90-day exemption per visit. Egyptian expatriates visiting the country can similarly claim a 90-day exemption for personal devices, renewable through official channels including hotline 15380 or designated WhatsApp numbers with appropriate documentation.

Payment mechanisms include the official ‘Telephony’ application, banking institutions, and e-wallet services, with a 90-day grace period from device activation to settle outstanding fees. Authorities have indicated that installment payment options will become available in the near future, though current requirements mandate full immediate payment.

Devices previously registered under the exemption system remain unaffected by the new regulations, according to official statements from both the Egyptian Customs Authority and NTRA. Locally manufactured mobile devices continue to be exempt from customs charges entirely.

A severe healthcare crisis is unfolding in Yemen following the United Arab Emirates’ abrupt military withdrawal and simultaneous termination of humanitarian funding for critical medical facilities earlier this month. The move has severed access to specialized healthcare for thousands of Yemenis who depended on UAE-funded hospitals after more than a decade of conflict devastated the country’s public health infrastructure.

The withdrawal coincided with significant geopolitical shifts in southern Yemen, where the UAE’s separatist allies, the Southern Transitional Council, suffered substantial losses against Saudi-backed government forces. This development prompted Riyadh to strongly oppose continued Emirati influence in the region.

Among the affected facilities is the strategically important 2nd of December Hospital in the port city of Mocha, which opened in late 2024 and quickly became a lifeline for communities along Yemen’s west coast. The hospital now faces a critical shortage of specialized medical staff after the UAE terminated its contract with the Indian company managing specialized services, prompting the immediate departure of surgical teams.

Patients like Lutf al-Qaheri, a 59-year-old kidney patient who traveled five hours for treatment, now face impossible choices. ‘My turn was scheduled for January 5th, but I was informed it was cancelled because the specialized doctors had left,’ he reported. His needed surgery would cost $1,500 at a private hospital—an impossible sum for an unemployed man in Yemen’s devastated economy.

The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) has pledged a $500 million package to support these hospitals and other vital sectors. However, the transition has yet to materialize practically, leaving facilities without the specialized staff needed for complex procedures.

The situation has sparked intense debate about the nature of humanitarian aid in conflict zones. Some Yemenis, like Hussein Ahmed whose wife received free surgery at a UAE-funded facility, express understanding: ‘The UAE is not responsible for us indefinitely. They acted at the request of our government.’

Yet others see more calculated motives. Yemeni journalist Mohammed Sultan characterizes the withdrawal as ‘the militarization of aid,’ stating: ‘The fact that they terminated these contracts the moment they were asked to leave proves they only support us if we allow them to pursue their own agenda.’

Despite the challenging transition, a doctor at the 2nd of December Hospital offered cautious optimism: ‘We have already begun coordinating that transition. Surgeries will soon resume at their previous capacity.’ The medical professional expressed frustration with those attempting to leverage the hospital’s situation for political gain, emphasizing that what matters most is ensuring Yemenis receive quality medical care regardless of political disputes.