Thousands of residents in eastern Australia have been ordered to evacuate as Tropical Cyclone Alfred moves closer to the coast. The powerful storm has already brought heavy rainfall strong winds, and massive waves cutting off power to thousands of homes and shutting down major airports.
Authorities have warned that the cyclone could bring prolonged rainfall, leading to severe flooding. The storm is expected to make landfall as a Category 2 cyclone north of Brisbane, Australia third-largest city. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli urged residents to have an evacuation plan, emphasizing that evacuation centers should be a last resort.
Wind speeds exceeding 100 kph (62 mph) have already battered Queensland and New South Wales, with over 80,000 homes losing electricity. Brisbane Airport has suspended operations, and public transport in the city has been halted. More than 1,000 schools in southeast Queensland and 280 in northern New South Wales have also been closed.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has deployed 120 defense personnel to assist emergency crews. Officials have described Cyclone Alfred as a rare event, as Brisbane has not been directly hit by a cyclone since 1974.
Trump Musk Layoffs Reshape U.S. Federal Workforce
A massive wave of job cuts is sweeping across U.S. federal agencies as President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk push to reduce the civilian workforce. More than 100,000 government employees have already been laid off or offered buyouts, with deeper cuts expected in the coming months.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is set to cut over 80,000 positions while the Internal Revenue Service is firing 12,000 employees, primarily those hired under the Biden administration. The Defense Department has announced 5,400 job cuts, and USAID is putting non-essential workers on leave while slashing 1,600 jobs.
The layoffs extend across key agencies including the CIA, the Department of Justice, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Social Security Administration plans to cut 7,000 employees, while NOAA, responsible for weather forecasting, is laying off more than 800 workers.
One of the most controversial moves involves the Department of Education where at least 160 employees have been terminated as part of Trump’s broader goal of dismantling the department. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been largely shut down, and the General Services Administration is preparing for deep budget cuts.
Critics argue that these layoffs could weaken essential government services, from national security to disaster response. However, Trump and Musk maintain that the job cuts are necessary to streamline government operations and reduce bureaucracy.