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The Greens have won their first outright majority on a UK council in what it hopes cements a coming of age moment as a mainstream party.

Mid Suffolk fell from a minority Conservative administration to sole control of the Greens as they made inroads elsewhere during the local election results on Friday.

The left-wing environmentalists have controlled local authorities in minority and coalition administrations before, but this is the first time they will have outright control.

With eight more results to be declared, the Greens victory was declared when they won 18 of the East Anglia councils 34 seats.

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay told the PA news agency: For the first time anywhere outside Australia weve seen the Greens take the majority control of a council.

Its enormous because what weve seen over the last four sets of election since 2019 is the Green party really coming of age as a mainstream party in this country.

Mr Ramsay said the Greens have been part of around 20 local administrations in the past but capturing overall control is a really significant moment that paves the way for success at the general election.

He said his party is picking votes from both Labour and the Conservatives across rural and urban areas.

Caroline Lucas has been the partys sole MP, but Mr Ramsay hopes to enter the Commons in the new Waveney Valley constituency, which includes much of Mid Suffolk.

Carla Denyer, who shares the Green leadership, plans to run in Bristol Central, where she will change strong Labour support.

But doing so would edge out another left-wing candidate, putting at risk Sir Keir Starmers chances of winning a general election.

Mr Ramsay said: Getting more greens elected will hold other parties feet to the fire and will raise the issues that need to be challenged in terms of the climate emergency but also cost of living and growing inequality.

The Greens were also behind the Conservatives losing overall control of East Hertfordshire, where no party won a majority. Seventeen Green candidates won spots on the council on Thursdays votes.

In Mid Suffolk, Mr Ramsay vowed to be responsive to local concerns and focus on housing which is currently far too expensive for local people and outside their reach.

He said the Green-run council plans to advocate for more social housing and being tougher with developers on affordable housing.

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Greens win sole control of a UK council for the first time - Kalkine Media

Editors note: Images available via Hightail.

The AFP has helped enhance the law enforcement capabilities of Samoa Police with the opening of a new police training facility and the launch of a first-of-its-kind First Responders Handbook.

The new training centre made possible with funding support from the AFP-led Samoa Australia Police Partnership (SAPP) will provide Samoa Police with the necessary facilities and resources to learn and develop their skills.

It will broaden the scope of training on offer and includes a room specifically for the Cyber Safety Pasifika program, an AFP-led program aimed at increasing cyber safety awareness and education across the Pacific.

Samoa Police recruits will also be trained at the facility, equipping the next generation of police officers with the skills and knowledge they need to serve their communities effectively.

The new First Responders Handbook offers a comprehensive guide to first response and procedures. It will serve as a tool for officers who attend crime scenes, enabling them to secure and control the scene, assess medical needs, determine facts and circumstances and ensure potential evidence is not tainted or compromised.

Detective Superintendent and Senior Officer SAPP Daniel Evans said the AFP was dedicated to collaborating with Samoa Police to enhance its policing capability.

The AFP, through the SAPP initiative, works closely to build the capability and capacity of Samoa Police to ensure effective law enforcement and community safety, Detective Superintendent Evans said.

The opening of the Samoa Police training facility is a significant milestone in this ongoing effort.

Over the past five years, the AFP has invested over WST $3.5 million (AUD $1.84 million) in Samoa Police training which includes equipment, training development and delivery.

We will continue to fund training through regional mechanisms including the Pacific Faculty of Policing, Pacific Police Development Program, Cyber Safety Pasifika and the Pacific Transnational Crime Network, Detective Superintendent Evans said.

Honourable Minister of Police, Faualo Harry Schuster said the new facility and handbook marked another important milestone in Samoa's law enforcement efforts.

"This training facility will provide our officers with space to learn and develop the skills they need to carry out their duties effectively, Minister Schuster said.

The First Responders Handbook is a valuable resource that will help our officers respond to incidents in a professional and systematic way, ensuring the safety of the public and the preservation of evidence.

"The SAPP is a vital partnership that has contributed significantly to the development of our police force over the years. We appreciate the continued support of the AFP and Australia Government in enhancing the capabilities of our police force and improving the safety and security of our communities."

Media enquiries:AFP Media: (02) 5126 9297

Connect with us:Follow our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube pages to learn more about what the AFP does to keep Australia safe.

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New training facility and First Responders Handbook to boost ... - Australian Federal Police

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. Officials are urging residents and others to evacuate the areas surrounding two out-of-control wildfires in northeastern British Columbia near the Alberta border, in response to reports that some have stayed behind or ventured toward the blazes.

The Peace River Regional District said it has received reports that some residents living in areas under an evacuation order due to the Boundary Lake and Red Creek wildfires have "decided to stay behind" for unspecified reasons.

District board chair Leonard Hiebert said there has also been reports of others driving into the wildfire area, located about 1,300 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.

"This is impeding the response and putting their lives and the lives of firefighters at risk," Hiebert said. " I personally don't know why they are driving in there, and I don't know how many are."

In a statement issued Saturday, the district said that strong winds were "expected to contribute to the continued growth" of both the Boundary Lake and Red Creek wildfires for the next 24 to 48 hours.

On Sunday, the Boundary Lake wildfire near Goodlow, B.C., grew from 1,900 to 3,000 hectares, while the Red Creek blaze encompassed 1,550 hectares near Fort St. John, B.C.

The fires, which were discovered Friday, have placed 164 properties in total 103 for Boundary Lake, 61 for Red Creek under mandatory evacuation order. Another 397 properties are on alert for evacuation on short-notice, district officials said.

The regional district's area that covers both Boundary Lake and Red Creek has declared a state of local emergency to allow it to respond quicker to the wildfires.

Hiebert said it is understandable that residents in the fire area may be reluctant to leave because they also raise livestock on their properties. Those who evacuate their properties usually have to leave livestock behind, he said.

The regional district, Hiebert said, is working on creating permits to facilitate emergency personnel re-entry into the fire zone to check on the welfare of the animals but only if the wildfire situation allows.

"At this time, it is not safe to do so," he said.

Those who decide to stay behind despite the evacuation order, Hiebert said, must be 19 or older and must remain on their properties.

Natural Resources Canada's fire danger map for western Canada improved significantly on Sunday, with Alberta no longer covered almost entirely under the extreme danger zone as it was on Saturday.

A third wildfire 700 kilometres to the south of the Peace River region blazes, at Teare Creek, also continued to burn on Sunday.

The BC Wildfire Service, however, said the blaze was under control and unlikely to spread, while the evacuation orders and alerts for residents near the village of McBride have been rescinded.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2023.

Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press

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Out-of-control wildfires in northeastern B.C. expected to worsen due ... - Times Colonist

A new roundabout will open at the intersection at Old Bathurst Road and Smith Street from Thursday 18 May, weather permitting.Road signage will be updated to reflect this change as the roundabout replaces the T-intersection.

Nightwork will also progress through May to continue essential work on the Emu Plains Commuter Car Park project.

A section of Old Bathurst Road between Great Western Highway and Smith Street will be closed for night work between9pm and 5am from Monday 15 May to Friday 19 May for finishing work on the new roundabout, weather permitting.

A detour will be in place via Russell Street and workers will be on site to set up from 6pm each night. To minimise impacts to motorists,Old Bathurst Road will be reopened as soon as work has been completedeach night.

Utility work will also take place over the weekend of 20-21 May. Minor traffic flow changes will be made as required, and traffic controllers and signage will be in place for the safety of motorists and workers.

Further night work is required during May and June to undertake finishing work for the roundabout including concreting, road surfacing, line marking, utility relocation and other activities.

Road users are advised to observe roadside signage for up-to-date information regarding the latest closure information, drive to the conditions and follow the directions of signs and traffic control.

Transport for NSW thanks the community for their ongoing patience during this time.

For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.

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Changed traffic conditions on Old Bathurst Road at Emu Plains ... - Transport for NSW

California Gov. Gavin Newsom immediately criticized the Republican controlled Congress after a deadly mass shooting at a mall in suburban Dallas, Texas killed at least 8 and injured 7 others on Saturday afternoon, slamming Congress for not passing gun control reform.

"This is freedom?? To be shot at a mall? Shot at school? Shot at church? Shot at the movies?" the Democrat governor wrote in a Twitter post shortly after police confirmed the causalities. "We have become a nation that is more focused on the right to kill than the right to live."

"We have become a nation that is more focused on the right to kill than the right to live."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference on October 06, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Police chief Brian Harvey said during an evening presser that on Saturday, May 6 a police officer was on an unrelated call nearby when gunshots erupted at Allen Premium Outlets at 3:36 p.m. The officer "engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat," police said. A law enforcement source told Fox News Digital that the suspected shooter is dead and that they believe he acted alone.

TEXAS AUTHORITIES CONFIRM 8 DEAD IN ALLEN PREMIUM OUTLETS SHOOTING NEAR DALLAS, SEVERAL MORE INJURED

Nine people died in total, including the suspected shooter - seven were found dead at the scene, and two other later succumbed to their injuries after being transported to the hospital.

Texas police responded to reports of a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday afternoon. (FOX 4 Dallas)

The two term governor has previously called out Republicans for inaction on the issue of gun control, doubling down on the need for federal gun control reform.

"This is not what the American people want," Gov. Newsom continued.

CALIFORNIA REPARATIONS PANEL TO RECOMMEND 'DOWN PAYMENTS' TO BLACK RESIDENTS, ABOLISHING CASH BAIL

According to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in a partnership with Northeastern University, 2023 is shaping up to the most mass shootings since the database began it's tracking in 2006. There has been 22 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2023, not including the shooting at the Texas mall on May 6.

"Do your d*mn job, Congress," Newsom said.

An hour following the governors initial post, he slammed Texas Governor Greg Abbott for cutting mental health funding.

"This is your reminder that @GregAbbott_TX cut $211 million in mental health funding," Newsom wrote.

In April, Abbott announced he would be moving $465.3 million from state agencies to, "support border operations." Of that amount, $210.7 million was from Texas Health & Human Services, which oversees public mental health programs.

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In response to what the Republican governor has described as the federal government's inaction on border security, the governor has launched several initiatives aimed at addressing the border crisis as illegal migrants continue to stream across the southern border.

Governor Newsom and Governor Abbott's offices did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News' Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.

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Gavin Newsom slams Congress following Texas mass shooting: 'More focused on right to kill than right to live' - Fox News