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L’accident de bus de Hunter Valley fait 10 morts après un mariage en Nouvelle-Galles du Sud

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L’accident de bus de Hunter Valley fait 10 morts après un mariage en Nouvelle-Galles du Sud
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Au moins 10 personnes sont décédées et 25 autres ont été transportées d’urgence à l’hôpital après qu’un bus revenant d’un mariage « conte de fées » s’est écrasé à un rond-point dans une petite ville de Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, car le conducteur est actuellement en état d’arrestation, en attendant des accusations.

L’autocar transportant 39 passagers voyageait depuis le lieu de mariage de la cave Wandin Estate dans la Hunter Valley lorsqu’il a roulé à un rond-point actuellement en construction sur Wine Country Drive près de la bretelle de sortie de l’autoroute Hunter à Greta, à 12 km, à 23h30 dimanche.

Il est entendu que la zone était recouverte d’un épais brouillard au moment de l’accident.

Le chauffeur du bus, un homme de 58 ans, a été transporté à l’hôpital sous surveillance policière pour évaluation. Il est actuellement en état d’arrestation au poste de police de Cessnock et la police a annoncé que des accusations seraient portées contre lui.

L’accident de bus de Hunter Valley fait 10 morts après un mariage en Nouvelle-Galles du Sud

La scène de l’accident de bus à Greta, à 183 km au nord de Sydney, qui a tué 10 invités au mariage et blessé 11 autres. Image: Neuf nouvelles

Le chauffeur du bus, un homme de 58 ans, a été transporté à l'hôpital sous surveillance policière pour évaluation

Le chauffeur du bus, un homme de 58 ans, a été transporté à l’hôpital sous surveillance policière pour évaluation

La police a déclaré que 11 passagers ont dû être transportés par avion ou transportés en ambulance à l’hôpital tandis que 25 autres ont été transportés à l’hôpital avec diverses blessures à la suite de l’un des accidents de la route les plus meurtriers d’Australie depuis des décennies.

On craint que d’autres soient morts et toujours piégés sous l’épave alors que l’opération de sauvetage se poursuit. La police a déclaré qu’aucun enfant n’était à bord.

Les corps de ceux qui sont morts n’ont pas encore été retirés de la scène où le bus est toujours couché sur le côté.

La police travaille toujours pour identifier les victimes de l’accident et contacter leurs proches.

7News a rapporté que le nombre de morts “serait probablement” jusqu’à 15. Les blessés les plus gravement blessés, y compris ceux qui ont perdu des membres, ont été transportés à l’hôpital John Hunter de Newcastle, le plus grand hôpital de traumatologie de la région.

Deux personnes ont été transportées par avion au Royal Prince Alfred Hospital de Sydney pour une intervention chirurgicale vitale.

Les habitants désemparés Kim et John Greko (photo) déposent des fleurs sur les lieux de l'accident d'horreur

Les habitants désemparés Kim et John Greko (photo) déposent des fleurs sur les lieux de l’accident d’horreur

La commissaire adjointe Tracy Chapman a déclaré qu’il y avait “suffisamment d’informations” pour que la police porte plainte contre le chauffeur de bus qui est actuellement en état d’arrestation au poste de police de Cessnock.

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“Il a été le conducteur d’une collision de véhicules à moteur où il y a eu des blessures mortelles et des accusations seront portées”, a déclaré le commissaire adjoint Chapman.

Mme Chapman a déclaré que la police pensait que le bus se rendait à Singleton, pour un hébergement – ​​à environ 34 minutes.

« C’est un concours de circonstances tragique. Le nombre de membres de la famille, mais de la communauté au sens large, qui seront touchés par cela, vous ne pouvez pas compter », a-t-elle déclaré.

Le Premier ministre Anthony Albanese a adressé ses condoléances aux personnes impliquées dans l’accident.

“Tous les Australiens se réveillant avec des nouvelles tragiques du Hunter envoient nos plus sincères condoléances aux proches de ceux qui ont été tués dans cette horrible tragédie de bus”, a écrit Albanese sur Twitter.

“Pour qu’une journée de joie se termine par une perte aussi dévastatrice, c’est vraiment cruel.”

L'autocar transportant 39 passagers voyageait depuis le lieu de mariage de la cave Wandin Estate dans la région viticole de Hunter Valley (photo) lorsqu'il a roulé à un rond-point actuellement en construction sur Wine Country Drive près de la bretelle de sortie Hunter Expressway à Greta, à 12 km, à 11h30. mp le dimanche

L’autocar transportant 39 passagers voyageait depuis le lieu de mariage de la cave Wandin Estate dans la région viticole de Hunter Valley (photo) lorsqu’il a roulé à un rond-point actuellement en construction sur Wine Country Drive près de la bretelle de sortie Hunter Expressway à Greta, à 12 km, à 11h30. mp le dimanche

Un invité au mariage a déclaré à 7News:

Un invité au mariage a déclaré à 7News: “C’était une belle journée, un très bon mariage … des trucs de conte de fées vraiment … et nous sommes allés revenir et nous saouler, et nous avons appris qu’il y avait eu un accident, et nous tout a commencé à paniquer’

On pense que de nombreux invités avaient voyagé depuis l'autoroute avec des invités assistant à un mariage à la cave voisine de Wandin Estate

On pense que de nombreux invités avaient voyagé depuis l’autoroute avec des invités assistant à un mariage à la cave voisine de Wandin Estate

On pense que de nombreux invités avaient voyagé depuis l’autoroute avec des invités assistant à un mariage dans la cave voisine de Wandin Estate.

Un participant a parlé de son incrédulité après avoir été informé de la tragédie.

“C’était une belle journée, un très bon mariage… des trucs de conte de fées vraiment… et nous sommes allés revenir et nous saouler, et nous avons appris qu’il y avait eu un accident, et nous avons tous commencé à paniquer”, un participant a déclaré à 7NEWS.

Le premier ministre de la Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, Chris Minns, a déclaré: “Il s’agit d’un événement profondément tragique. Je sais que toute la communauté de NSW, et en particulier les habitants du Hunter, seront choqués et attristés d’apprendre cette nouvelle aujourd’hui.

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Le ministre des Routes régionales et député de Maitland a qualifié l’accident de “terrible tragédie”.

“Tout le monde se mobilise et il s’agira essentiellement de s’assurer que les familles et la communauté sont soutenues dans une période aussi terrible”, a-t-elle déclaré.

La commissaire adjointe Tracy Chapman (photo) a déclaré qu'il y avait

La commissaire adjointe Tracy Chapman (photo) a déclaré qu’il y avait “suffisamment d’informations” pour que la police porte plainte contre le chauffeur de bus qui est actuellement en état d’arrestation au poste de police de Cessnock.

Le chauffeur de bus de 58 ans a été emmené à l'hôpital sous la garde de la police pour évaluation, a déclaré la police de NSW

Le chauffeur de bus de 58 ans a été emmené à l’hôpital sous la garde de la police pour évaluation, a déclaré la police de NSW

Sur la photo: la cave Wandin Estate

Sur la photo: la cave Wandin Estate

Le son effrayant des radios d’urgence répondant à l’accident révèle l’horreur de la scène.

‘Incident majeur déclaré. Nous avons un bus qui se retourne. Plusieurs patients ”, peut être entendu un premier intervenant dire dans l’enregistrement d’un appel triple-0 partagé par Today.

“A ce stade, nous avons identifié sept, je le répète, sept codes quatre.”

« A ce stade, nous avons identifié sept, je le répète, sept code fours.

«Nous avons un patient étiquette rouge dont les blessures sont graves. Et malheureusement, nous nous attendons à ce que cela passe également au code quatre.

« Code quatre » fait référence à un patient décédé.

La police sur les lieux aurait tenté de comprendre comment un bus aurait pu rouler au « grand » rond-point.

Peta Hughes, propriétaire d’une entreprise locale à Branxton, juste un peu au nord de Greta, a déclaré que le rond-point où le bus s’était écrasé avait été réduit à une voie en raison de travaux de construction.

«Ils ont des barrières et des bornes de sécurité et des choses là-haut. C’est une zone de 40 km / h », a-t-elle déclaré à News Breakfast.

Mais le député fédéral Dan Repacholi a déclaré qu’il ne voyait pas en quoi la réduction de la route à une voie aurait pu être un problème.

«Nous roulons sur les routes Hunter tous les jours de la semaine. Ces routes dans cette région sont de bonnes routes. Je ne vois donc vraiment pas que cela soit un problème », a-t-il déclaré à News Breakfast.

Le maire de Cessnock, Jay Suvaal, a déclaré que les conditions de conduite semblaient être « brumeuses ».

“Il semble également y avoir eu beaucoup de brouillard”, a-t-il déclaré.

“Jusqu’à ce que nous connaissions les circonstances de l’enquête sur l’accident, nous ne savons pas vraiment ce qui a pu y contribuer.”

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Une scène de crime a été établie et sera examinée par la police médico-légale spécialisée et l’unité d’enquête sur les accidents.

Le Premier ministre Anthony Albanese a adressé ses condoléances aux personnes impliquées, déclarant:

Le Premier ministre Anthony Albanese a adressé ses condoléances aux personnes impliquées, déclarant: “Pour qu’une journée de joie se termine par une perte aussi dévastatrice, c’est vraiment cruel”

Après avoir été appelés sur les lieux, la police a déclaré qu’une “ intervention d’urgence à grande échelle avait commencé impliquant des agents du district de police de Hunter Valley, de la police de sauvetage, de la circulation et de la patrouille routière, des ambulanciers paramédicaux de NSW, des pompiers et de sauvetage de NSW, du service d’incendie rural de NSW et de divers hélicoptères pour les transports hospitaliers».

Wine Country Drive reste fermée entre New England Highway et Bridge St, ainsi que les bretelles de sortie en direction nord et sud de Hunter Express à Wine Country Drive.

Les automobilistes ont été invités à emprunter un itinéraire alternatif et à prévoir un temps de trajet supplémentaire.

Un porte-parole du Wandin Valley Estate, d’où venaient les invités, a déclaré qu’ils étaient “profondément attristés” par l’accident.

«Nos sincères condoléances vont à la famille et aux amis des victimes et nous les soutenons de toutes les manières possibles.

“Pour le moment, nous fournissons un soutien aux clients qui ont besoin de notre aide et nous souhaitons préserver leur vie privée et ne ferons plus de déclarations.”

On pense qu’il s’agit de l’un des pires accidents de la route faisant plusieurs morts depuis près de 30 ans.

En 1994, un accident de bus à Boondall, Queensland, a entraîné la mort de 12 personnes.

Un an plus tard, un accident entre un camion semi-remorque et un bus le jour de la Melbourne Cup à Wangaratte à Victoria a entraîné la mort de dix personnes.

La famille et les amis de toute personne qui aurait pu se trouver à bord du bus sont priés de contacter le poste de police de Cessnock au 02 4991 0199.

Les témoins – ou toute personne ayant des informations sur l’accident – sont priés de contacter Échec au crime au 1800 333 000 pour garder la ligne vers le poste de police de Cessnock dégagée pour les membres de la famille concernés.

Le rond-point où le bus s'est écrasé avait été réduit à une voie en raison de travaux de construction au cours des derniers mois

Le rond-point où le bus s’est écrasé avait été réduit à une voie en raison de travaux de construction au cours des derniers mois

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Trump projected to win Arizona in clean sweep of US swing states

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Trump projected to win Arizona in clean sweep of US swing states
Donald Trump has won the presidential election in Arizona, US media projected late on Saturday, completing a sweep of all seven battleground states and locking in a decisive Electoral College victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

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Gorgeous sunny villas cost £300k. Food, bills and healthcare are cheap. And there’s even a ‘golden’ passport. That’s why so many Brits are retiring to Turkey – and our experts reveal how you can too

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Gorgeous sunny villas cost £300k. Food, bills and healthcare are cheap. And there’s even a ‘golden’ passport. That’s why so many Brits are retiring to Turkey – and our experts reveal how you can too
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Darren and Louise Tobia from Poole in Dorset were trying in 2017 to decide whether to buy a home (which they would eventually retire to) in Spain or Turkey, their two favourite places to holiday.

‘Then, on the spur of the moment, I decided to fly to Turkey to view some property,’ says Darren, 62, who took retirement aged 50 after a successful career in boat building.

‘Louise was shocked I was going away without her, but within a morning I had found just what we wanted and purchased outright an amazing two-bedroom, two bathroom duplex apartment in Gulluk, on the Bodrum peninsula.

The apartment on a new development was in an area the couple knew well and, thankfully for Darren, Louise wept with joy when she first saw it a few months later. And so began their shift from life on the English south coast to life in the south-west of Turkey.

Gorgeous sunny villas cost £300k. Food, bills and healthcare are cheap. And there’s even a ‘golden’ passport. That’s why so many Brits are retiring to Turkey – and our experts reveal how you can too

Darren and Louise Tobia live in Dalyan, Turkey, where bills are lower than in UK

They found a five-bedroom, five-bathroom villa with a pool in the small fishing town

They found a five-bedroom, five-bathroom villa with a pool in the small fishing town

Louise, 57, was working as a communication support leader for the deaf community, so only went to the apartment for holidays, but within three years moved there permanently while keeping their house in Poole. The couple transferred some of their savings to Turkey but Darren says: ‘We kept a lump sum in the UK to keep our options open. It was the best thing we have ever done.’

For a full-time retirement home, Darren and Louise were after something a little bigger where they could invite their five grown-up children to stay.

‘We went on a road trip for a week viewing various amazing towns on the coast,’ says Darren.

They found a five-bedroom, five-bathroom villa with a pool in Dalyan, a small fishing town on a river delta famed for its loggerhead turtles.

‘We decided to rent for six months to make sure that we loved the place as much as we thought we did,’ says Darren. ‘Our duplex sold for a good profit and we loved the villa so signed a rental contract until November 2028.’

The buying and selling process is much simpler in Turkey than in the UK. Now that foreign buyers do not need to apply for permission from the government, the conveyancing process can take as little as five working days if both the buyer, their funds and the seller are in Turkey.

On the periphery of Europe, Turkey might not be the obvious choice for British retirees but, after years of political insecurity, the market for UK buyers has returned.

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About 32,000 Britons own property in Turkey, much of it around the Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines, especially Fethiye, known as the ‘Little Britain’ resort with its knock-off stores like Azda and Marc Spenger.

The river delta on the south-west coast is famed for its loggerhead turtles

The river delta on the south-west coast is famed for its loggerhead turtles

About 32,000 Britons own property in Turkey, including in Dalyan

About 32,000 Britons own property in Turkey, including in Dalyan

Darren says they pivoted from looking to retire to Spain to Turkey because properties were ‘much better value for money’, and that remains true of many coastal locations when compared with the Costas.

Their villa costs £1,000 per month to rent, which includes a pool man, gardener, electricity, water and insurance. Across the board in Turkey rent is 60 per cent lower than the UK, according to cost-of-living database Numbeo.com.

‘Turkey isn’t an expensive country, despite inflation, and we find it’s still an awful lot cheaper than the UK,’ Darren adds.

You might pay from £400,000-£450,000 for a five-bedroom villa in the area, according to Julian Walker of the agent Spot Blue. He says that, while prices have increased since Covid, the depreciation of the Turkish lira (TL) means that £1 buys a lot more than five years ago: from 7.5 TL it’s 44 TL now.

Inflation has been problematical, with interest rates propping up the currency, but the upside is you can earn very healthy interest. Currently at 50 per cent, the Central Bank of Turkey’s main interest rate means mortgages are a definite no-no for buyers, but those holding Turkish lira are cashing in.

Darren says: ‘The banks pay an amazing monthly interest rate on your savings – we are getting 48.5 per cent – which you can live on with a relatively small balance.’

So how much does it cost to live in Turkey comfortably?

With the average person in Turkey expected to live on around £460 (20,463 TL) a month without rent, this is 87 per cent less than is needed for a comfortable retirement in the UK, where £43,100 a year (£3,592 a month) is required, according to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA), or £31,300 a year (£2,608 a month) for a ‘moderate’ lifestyle.

In comparison, Turkish retirees can live on around £700 a month (£8,400 a year), according to Lisa Pyle of property consultant Yesilyurt Danismanlik. 

The Essex-born estate agent and developer, who has lived in Turkey for 25 years, has a number of expat neighbours in the port city of Side. ‘One couple, who eat out every night, live on around £1,000 a month.’ 

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In the UK, a couple living a comfortable retirement who eat out twice a week would need £4,917 a month, according to the PLSA. Lisa Pyle adds retirees tend to buy either a two/three-bedroom apartments on a complex for £125,000-£170,000, or a three-bedroom villa with a pool from £250,000. Buying costs are around 7-8 per cent of the purchase price.

Life in Turkey is good for the Tobias, who say they are always busy

Life in Turkey is good for the Tobias, who say they are always busy

An advantage of the Antalya province, including Belek, Side and Alanya, is that the winter climate is mild – around 15-17C (59-63F) – so heating bills are minimal, removing any worries about the removal of the winter fuel allowances.

Although most bills are covered by their rent, Darren keeps an eye on them. ‘The electricity during the summer, with just the two of us, is around £30 per month, water bills are negligible. Council tax is paid monthly – around £100 per year – and it includes our bins being emptied three times a week,’ he says. He adds their ‘slow’ 16Mbps broadband is only £8 per month but sufficient to stream English channels. Their telephone contract is £5 per month. ‘Petrol at £1 a litre and car insurance are on par with the UK but buying a car here is more expensive.’

Inflation means the cost of eating out is variable. ‘Dining out is inexpensive with typical mains costing around £10 but a good steak is approximately £18. Restaurants away from the riverfront are less expensive. A half-decent bottle of wine costs £15, but a pint on draught of the Turkish lager, Efes, is just £2.

‘In an upmarket restaurant for our date nights our average bill is £45, which includes a bottle of wine. Many of the restaurants cater for various allergies, which is great as Louise is gluten intolerant.’

Private healthcare is relatively affordable but expats who have lived in Turkey for over a year can pay into the state-run healthcare, Sosyal Guvenlik Kurumu.

‘We can walk into our local doctor’s surgery and be seen by an English-speaking doctor before you can even sit down in the waiting area, for free. The hospitals are cutting edge with equipment that I have never seen before,’ says Darren.

Having just had a full set of dental implants that cost £9,000 rather than around £25,000 in the UK, he brings up ‘Turkey teeth’ – the gleaming white smile sought by cosmetic surgery tourists. ‘The cost of dentistry here is a fraction of the cost of the UK.’ Vet bills for their rescue dog, Ghost, are also refreshingly low. ‘We had him chipped and vaccinated including a rabies jab – all for £60.’

Travelling by bus or train is also excellent value for money. You can hail a dolmus bus from anywhere with a cost of £2 for a ten-mile trip. ‘We just booked a four-berth sleeper cabin on a train from Ankara to Kars, 26 hours each way for a total of £70.’

Life in Turkey is good for the Tobias, who say they are always busy. ‘What do we do all day? We are always dog walking or helping a friend with some DIY project, whether Turkish or English. Everyone here helps each other, like it used to be in the UK,’ says Darren. ‘This summer has been amazing with family and friends visiting. They’re the only thing we miss about the UK – and a good bath – not a Turkish one as I prefer a relaxing soak than a hammam [steam bath].

‘Our biggest challenge living in Turkey is deciding which restaurant to eat in. We go back to our Dorset house twice a year but, quite frankly, the cost of living in the UK scares me.’

Turkey doesn’t have a visa specifically for retirees, but if you wish to remain in the country for more than three months you need to apply for a short-term residency permit within a month of your arrival. Foreign nationals can apply for a two-year permit, even if renters, like Darren and Louise. After holding a residence permit for eight consecutive years they can apply for a long-term residency permit (if they have not spent six to 12 months living outside Turkey in that time), to be extended indefinitely.

There is also the ‘golden passport’ option: if a foreign national purchases a property in Turkey worth US $400,000 (£307,500) or more, they can get Turkish citizenship. This also offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to more than 110 countries.

But the property must be purchased from a Turkish citizen – or a property developer. At the land registry they must declare they will not sell it for three years, according to Yılmaz Ozdemir of Yılmaz Consultancy, a residency adviser (yilmazdanismanlik.net).

‘Once the residence permit is approved, they can apply for citizenship. If the foreigner already owns a property they purchased for $150,000, they can purchase another property for $250,000.’

For all residence permits you need to show proof of adequate assets – a month’s worth of Turkish minimum wage US $498 and public or private healthcare cover.

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Vendée Globe skipper Violette Dorange, 23, is youngest ever to take on ‘Everest of the Seas’

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Vendée Globe skipper Violette Dorange, 23, is youngest ever to take on ‘Everest of the Seas’
French skipper Violette Dorange will make sailing history on Sunday as she sets off on the Vendée Globe round-the-world race, becoming the youngest ever sailor to take on the epic solo event dubbed the Everest of the Seas.

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Florida issues Hurricane Rafael advisory as tracker shows storm is ‘likely to cause life-threatening’ conditions

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Florida’s hurricane center has predicted that Hurricane Rafael is ‘likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions’ over the next few days.

Rafael, currently a Category 2 hurricane, is trekking deeper into the Gulf of Mexico on a northwestward path toward Texas.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) Miami stated that the storm ‘remains a powerful compact hurricane over the central Gulf of Mexico,’ generating swells that will cause the dangerous surf and rip current conditions off the Florida coast.

‘Southwesterly winds feeding into Hurricane Rafael are causing scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms over the east-central and southeastern Gulf, including waters near Key West, Florida,’ NHC stated.

Forecast models predict a significant shift in the Rafael’s path, decreasing its chances of smashing into the US – but a likely path is still unclear.

The NHC shows the storm will be its closest to Texas by Sunday and likely take a sharp motion south and move onto Tabasco, but noted there’s ‘above average uncertainty in the future track of Rafael.’

But what is clear is that Rafael has lost some steam after barreling over Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday, bringing bringing torrential rain and strong winds that reached 105 mph that knocked out the entire country’s power grid. 

‘For the forecast, Hurricane Rafael will see some fluctuations in intensity today. By tonight, a steady weakening trend is forecast and should continue through the weekend,’ shared the NHC.

The unpredictable path has changed dramatically this week.

Spaghetti models – so-called because the lines resemble strands of pasta – on Tuesday showed Rafael possibly reaching Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana by Saturday.

And on Wednesday, the NHC issued an alert for tropical storm conditions in the  Florida Keys and warned locals to secure loose outdoor objects due to strong winds and flooding.

AccuWeather meteorologists then said Thursday that the probability of it making landfall in the US is ‘extremely low.’ 

Friday’s forecast, however, revealed the US will likely be spared – as of now. 

Models released today show one path to Florida, which has the lowest chances, but NHC’s update showed that Rafael is expected to move over the central Gulf of Mexico for the next few days.’

‘Interests in the southern and southwestern Gulf of Mexico should monitor the progress of Rafael,’ the agency continued.

‘Swells generated by Rafael are expected to spread across most of the Gulf of Mexico during the next few days. 

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‘These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.’

The storm's path has been very unpredictable, but NHC believes it will move closer to Texas then take a sharp path south toward Mexico

The storm’s path has been very unpredictable, but NHC believes it will move closer to Texas then take a sharp path south toward Mexico

Models released today show one path to Florida, which has the lowest chances, but NHC's update showed that Rafael is expected to move over the central Gulf of Mexico for the next few days'

Models released today show one path to Florida, which has the lowest chances, but NHC’s update showed that Rafael is expected to move over the central Gulf of Mexico for the next few days’

Rafael is the 17th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, but it is very rare for hurricanes to hit the US in November.

That is due to it being the last month of the season, and favorable conditions for tropical storm formation have decreased.

A total of 287 hurricanes have made landfall in the US since record keeping began in 1851, and of those, only four hit in November.

The most recent one – Hurricane Nicole – hit Florida in November 2022. Before that, the US hadn’t seen a November hurricane since Katie in 1985.

However, Rafael is the strongest hurricane to move through the northwestern Caribbean in November since 2009.

Nine storms – including Rafael – have rapidly intensified in the Atlantic basin this year, fueled by unprecedentedly high ocean temperatures. 

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) held a live briefing in May to discuss the preseason outlook, forecasting 25 named storms that could result in up to 13 hurricanes.

And while we are nearing the end of the season, NHC said last month that three more storms could form in the Atlantic and Rafael was the first to appear.

AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said: ‘We may even see a tropical storm in December this year. It doesn’t happen very often, but the very warm sea surface temperatures could make it possible this year.’ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Live: Pentagon says US warplanes hit Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen

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Live: Pentagon says US warplanes hit Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen
US warplanes staged multiple strikes overnight on Iran-backed Houthi weapons storage facilities in Yemen, the Pentagon said Sunday as the Houthi-run Al Masirah television network reported three American and British raids that targeted Yemen’s capital Sanaa. Follow our live coverage for the latest developments in the war in the Middle East.

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How the Trump triumph can perk up all our portfolios

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So, have you checked your investment portfolio yet? At such a pivotal moment as a US election result, it’s tempting to scrutinise how your nest egg has been affected – and to have a tinker based on what you think lies ahead.

After all, the action may be playing out across the pond, but there is no doubt Donald Trump’s game-changing win will have huge ramifications for all our futures.

Bold investors may spy investing opportunities amid the change and volatility – and take a punt with money they can afford to lose.

Our unparalleled Midas column, overleaf, has some excellent UK company ideas for such investors. Here on Mail+ you can read online some of the global companies that could benefit from a Trump win.

But, if you’re saving for the long term and looking to protect and steadily grow your wealth, stock picking may not be for you.

Here’s how to assess what a Trump win could mean for your portfolio and what – if anything – you need to do to keep yourself on course for the next four years and beyond.

1 Hold US shares– but under 60 per cent of your total

How the Trump triumph can perk up all our portfolios

The US stock market is simply too big to ignore

Whether elated or distraught at the Trump victory you should have a good chunk of US company shares in your investment portfolio.

The US stock market is simply too big to ignore. Its companies make up more than 60 per cent of the global stock market by value. What’s more, much of the recent growth has come from North American firms.

A good strategy to keep a handle on risk in your portfolio is to buy a bit of everything – investments from all around the globe and in all different sectors.

That way, if one area is struggling it shouldn’t have too much of an impact on your returns as it only makes up a small proportion of your total investments.

If you want a portfolio totally free of bias, that simply represents the global stock market, you would have about 60 per cent of shares in US firms. But most UK investors choose to hold extra in UK companies – known as a home bias.

And many investors have more or less in different sectors depending on which they expect to perform best over the long term.

Evangelos Assimakos, investment director at Rathbones Investment Management, explains: ‘How much you should allocate to the US depends on how much risk you want to take.

‘Around a quarter to a third of your exposure to the stock market is a good starting point. Unless you invest in the US, you will miss out on some of the biggest growth areas at the moment, such as technology companies.

‘The UK doesn’t have its own Microsoft, Google parent company Alphabet, or chipmaker Nvidia, for example.’

2 Market reactions can be misleading

Global financial markets responded rapidly to the news of Trump’s win. The S&P 500 index of the biggest US companies hit a record high, the dollar achieved its highest level in over four months, the gold price fell – and the cryptocurrency Bitcoin rose to a new record.

But don’t assume these initial market reactions are setting the tone for the next four years – they may not be a good indicator of the longer-term trends.

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Damien Fahy, founder of personal finance website Money To The Masses, says: ‘Long-term investors shouldn’t have a knee-jerk reaction to what is happening in markets right now. History and their own experience (they probably invested through Trump’s first term in office), should teach them to cut through the noise surrounding the election outcome.’

Fahy gives the example of the US dollar, which surged on the news of Trump’s victory as it did when he won eight years ago.

‘If we go back to 2016, the pound tumbled against the US dollar after Trump’s first election victory and by January 2017 it was just above $1.20,’ he says. ‘Yet by January 2018 the pound was above $1.40, before ultimately falling back. A Trump victory doesn’t automatically mean the US dollar will strengthen.’ Thomas Becket, co-chief investment officer at Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management, sees a similar trend in the green renewable technology sector, an area that Trump has expressed dislike for. He prefers fossil fuels.

‘Companies in this sector were among the worst performers when the election result came in,’ says Becket. ‘But I wouldn’t necessarily extrapolate that into the future.

‘Under the first Trump administration, the best performing sector was renewable technology. Ultimately, most of these companies are achieving the profits that they said they would, and if investors liked them three years ago, there must be even more to like now because they are cheaper.’

3 Stronger US dollar may give double boost

Darius McDermott, of FundCalibre, advises investors to keep an eye on the US currency

Darius McDermott, of FundCalibre, advises investors to keep an eye on the US currency

A powerful US dollar against sterling is bad news for Britons holidaying in the States.

And there is no guarantee that the recent surge in the dollar will be sustained.

But, if the dollar does remain strong, your portfolio could profit. That’s because if you buy an investment in US dollars and the currency strengthens, you will benefit both from any increase in the investment returns and from its higher value once changed back into pounds again.

Darius McDermott, managing director of investment research agency FundCalibre, says: ‘DIY investors often overlook the implications of currency fluctuations, but they can significantly impact portfolios.

‘For UK investors holding US dollar-domiciled assets, the strengthening dollar against the pound enhances the value of those investments at the point of sale, with a favourable exchange rate when converting back to sterling.’

However, bear in mind that the advantage can reverse if the dollar weakens, making non-UK investments just that bit riskier.

That’s one of the reasons why UK investors tend to have a home bias, so that they are earning income in the same currency that they spend.

4 Check which US companies you hold

If you’ve not checked on your US holdings for a long time, there is a good chance you have massive holdings in a very small number. That is because a handful of companies have driven most of the growth over the past few months.

The so-called Magnificent Seven companies (Nvidia, Microsoft, Alphabet, Apple, Amazon, Meta and Tesla) make up about a third of the value of the top 500 companies in the US.

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It makes sense to hold them in your portfolio – you are likely to by default if you have invested in a US or global fund. But make sure you are holding a proportion that you are comfortable with.

Cannacord’s Becket adds that a broader set of companies may benefit from a Trump government. ‘There could be greater participation in the rally from some sectors that have lagged behind for so long, such as the banks and smaller companies,’ he says.

Becket doesn’t recommend simply buying a large number of bank shares, but says investors should check they have a breadth of US companies. Evangelos Assimakos agrees. ‘Every party comes to an end and the value of these seven companies can’t keep rising for ever,’ he says.

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5 Prepare for higher inflation

We do not know yet which of the policies president-elect Trump has suggested he might bring in, he will actually carry out.

But yields on US and UK government debt – known as Treasuries and gilts respectively – have risen following his election, suggesting that investors think his actions will cause higher inflation in the UK and US.

Measures announced in last month’s UK Budget, such as the increased minimum wage and the National Insurance rise for employers, may also push inflation higher.

It’s worth thinking about how higher inflation might affect your portfolio in the future.

Becket suggests that shorter- dated gilts and Treasuries may be a good option so that you’re not locked in a lower yield if rates do rise. ‘The yield on ten-year gilts is around 4.5 per cent,’ he says. ‘If you lend to the UK government over 30 years instead of ten, you get very little additional premium – around 30 basis points – so I don’t think it is a risk worth taking.’

If you are worried about higher inflation, Becket also suggests investments that have inflation protection, such as Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). These are issued by the US government and are linked to inflation.

6 Hang on to your gold investment

Gold can be a useful element of an investment portfolio – it may not pay any income, but it can work as a store of value.

Its price fell immediately after the election result, but that doesn’t mean that you should ditch your holding.

Assimakos says the investment case remains as strong, and the sell-off may have been driven in part by investors taking profits. ‘Investors may have been following the strategy “Buy the rumour, sell the fact”. In other words, they bought gold on the expectation that Trump would win, which drove up the price, and then sold off to make a profit.

‘Gold works as a long-term preserver of value, especially when governments introduce policies that create inflation, which erodes the purchasing power of their citizens.’

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7 You may not have to do anything

It is a good idea to go through your portfolio every few months to make sure that your goals are on track and your strategy is working.

But Rathbones’ Assimakos warns that ‘getting caught up in the noise and the headlines can lead to your own demise’.

He warns against overtrading, which can lead to higher costs and the risk of making knee-jerk reactions that you live to regret.

‘You may call it right, but you could also, for example, follow the herd and sell gold and then watch as the price rises again and you have to chase it back up again to buy back in,’ he says.

Instead, he recommends holding a portfolio of quality stocks and being reassured that financial markets tend to go up in the long term. You may not have to take any action – and any changes you do make should be carefully thought through to fit your long-term strategy.

Damien Fahy adds that market volatility usually subsides within four days of an election result.

‘History also shows us that ultimately it’s the economic backdrop (whether there is a recession), black swan events (difficult to predict, high-impact situations like the pandemic) and central bank policy – which are likely to have the biggest sway over the direction of stock markets and bond markets, both in the US and globally, during the next presidential term,’ he says.

  • Rachel.rickard@mailonsunday.co.uk

US funds to consider

You may find that US investments already make up a sufficient proportion of your portfolio. If you hold global or tech funds in particular, these will bump up your US holdings. Check before you add any more. However, if you decide you’d like to add some, here are a few options. All feature on investing platform Interactive Investor’s Super 60 list of recommended funds.

1. Vanguard US Equity Index

This is a passive fund that tracks the performance of the whole US market. You’ll have holdings in companies from large to micro, but weighted according to their size.

Ongoing charge: 0.1 per cent. Three-year return: 31.5 per cent. Unique stock market identification code: B5B71Q7.

2. Jupiter Merian North American Equity

An actively-managed fund that invests primarily in US and Canadian companies. Has achieved above-average returns over one, three and five years.

Ongoing charge: 0.95 per cent. Three-year return: 35.3 per cent. Unique stock market identification code: BHBX880.

3. Artemis US Smaller Companies

An actively-managed fund that invests 80 to 100 per cent in shares of US companies with a value of less than $10 billion when bought. The remainder is invested in bonds cash and other assets.

Ongoing charge: 0.87 per cent. Three-year return: 2 per cent. Unique stock market identification code: BMMV576.

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

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‘We lost everything that day’: After Cyclone Freddy, Malawi struggles to rebuild

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In March 2023, Malawi was devastated by Cyclone Freddy, the longest tropical cyclone on record. More than 18 months later, villages ravaged by the storm are still feeling the effects: isolation, illness and increased poverty. Meanwhile the country’s authorities, grappling with the cost of reconstruction, have struggled to put in place strategies to adapt to climate change.

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My stay at the ‘best hotel in Wales’ for 2024 to see if it lives up to the hype. It’s VERY good (but here’s why it doesn’t quite get full marks)

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My stay at the ‘best hotel in Wales’ for 2024 to see if it lives up to the hype. It’s VERY good (but here’s why it doesn’t quite get full marks)
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The best hotel in Wales. 

This accolade was bestowed upon The Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff in the 2024 AA Hospitality Awards – an eye-opening stamp of approval for the property, which is housed in the Grade II-listed former head post office building and county court on Westgate Street.

Keen to see for myself what impressed the AA’s inspectors, I climb aboard a GWR express at London Paddington (see fact box for details on its ‘long weekender’ ticket deals, which include Cardiff) with my dear mother and head west to the Welsh capital at 125mph for a stay at The Parkgate, notebook and video camera in hand.

Mother Thornhill is under strict instructions to have a splendidly lovely weekend – but also keep an eagle eye out for any imperfections the AA’s inspectors might have missed.

The challenge was accepted with gusto, 83-year-old Mother T excited to be part of the MailOnline hotel-review team and re-peruse a city she hadn’t visited for 60 years.

When she was last in Cardiff, the Portland-stone post office building, completed in 1897, would have included a grand, double-height entrance hall that housed a public counter area, with counters on three sides, and writing tables in the centre.

The Post Office moved in 1983, but the grand double-height entrance hall remains and makes for an impressive first impression (though it’s a shame the red post box outside is covered in graffiti).

White columns soar to a coffered ceiling, guests at marble tables nibble afternoon-tea sandwiches and the reception staff have their smiles set to beaming.

My stay at the ‘best hotel in Wales’ for 2024 to see if it lives up to the hype. It’s VERY good (but here’s why it doesn’t quite get full marks)

Ted Thornhill checks in to The Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff, declared the best hotel in Wales in the 2024 AA Hospitality Awards. Above is his Deluxe Junior Suite

The Parkgate Hotel has a 'swoon-worthy' spa (above), which has heated loungers and 'amazing' views

The Parkgate Hotel has a ‘swoon-worthy’ spa (above), which has heated loungers and ‘amazing’ views

The property is officially a four-star hotel – but it feels five-star in this glamorous, pristine lobby and already worthy of a ‘best hotel’ gong. A vibe that never really dissipates.

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Our accommodation is on the fourth floor – a Deluxe Junior Suite comprising two separate double rooms (Nos 426 and 427) with a connecting lobby.

Any hotel room worth its salt should be a magnet, pulling you back in whenever you try to leave.

Test passed. I could move in.

Mesmerising views of the skyline, the adjacent national stadium of Wales – Principality Stadium – the castle and the hills beyond can be soaked in via a balcony and floor-to-ceiling black-framed windows that wrap around the space on three sides; step across the parquet flooring to the back of the space to enter a very smart ensuite with rainshower and Elemis toiletries, while lolling opportunities come courtesy not only via the plush king-sized bed but a chic blue sofa.

And the Parkgate Hotel is clearly angling for bonus points with the plug sockets by the bed on each side and the ample tea and coffee-making facilities. There’s a kettle with teabags and coffee sachets – and a Nespresso machine.

Magnet-like though the chambers are – Mother Thornhill and I can’t linger for long, as we’re only here for one night.

So, it’s off through the city for a harbourside lunch at Cote (very friendly staff) and a tranquil boat trip around the harbour and up the river to picturesque Bute Park, home to the engrossing castle complex.

Afternoon teas are available at The Parkgate Hotel in the 'glamorous' lobby lounge (above)

Afternoon teas are available at The Parkgate Hotel in the ‘glamorous’ lobby lounge (above)

The Sorting Room, the hotel's lobby-level two-AA-Rosette brasserie-style restaurant

The Sorting Room, the hotel’s lobby-level two-AA-Rosette brasserie-style restaurant

Ted's Sorting Room Welsh lamb main course

Ted's 'neutron bomb of a dessert' called 'textures of chocolate cake'

LEFT: Ted’s Sorting Room Welsh lamb main course. RIGHT: Ted’s ‘neutron bomb of a dessert’ called ‘textures of chocolate cake’

Then it’s back to the hotel for a pre-dinner trip to the spa, which is swoon-worthy – a sixth-floor haven with amazing views from its pool and heated loungers through yet more floor-to-ceiling glass.

Ma T is bowled over.

We arrive with glowing cheeks at The Sorting Room, the hotel’s lobby-level two-AA-Rosette brasserie-style restaurant that was once filled with hand-written letters and brown-paper packages.

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Now it’s smothered in dark wood, ringed by sumptuous banquettes and full of excited diners eager to see if the cooking lives up to the rosette hype.

It does.

My Monmouthshire reared pork and chorizo Scotch egg starter is as comforting as it sounds, while the main – a ‘celebration of Welsh lamb’ – is definitely worth celebrating. It comprises a tastebud-tickling trio of lamb delights – melt-in-the-mouth slices covered in a herb crust, a mini leg-of-lamb shepherd’s pie and a lamb-belly terrine, accompanied by a salt-baked parsnip puree and red-wine jus.

A dish to write home about – first-class recorded delivery.

And for a p.s, you’d want to mention the ‘textures of chocolate cake’, a neutron bomb of chocolate that defeats me. It’s so intense I manage only half, and I’ve got a sweet tooth or three.

The service, meanwhile, for the most part is prompt and cheery – but here there’s room for improvement.

The waiter who delivers our dishes never knows who’s having what – which in a two-Rosette restaurant and when dealing with a table of two… is a tad shoddy. And as each dish is unceremoniously plonked down there’s never a check to see if there’s anything else we’d like.

One of the fruit-forward, quaffable red wines, for instance (which I summon separately). 

Luxurious: Above is one of the hotel's most premium rooms - the Tower Suite

Luxurious: Above is one of the hotel’s most premium rooms – the Tower Suite

Cardiff Castle (above) is just a few minutes' walk from The Parkgate Hotel and is an 'engrossing' experience

Cardiff Castle (above) is just a few minutes’ walk from The Parkgate Hotel and is an ‘engrossing’ experience

The Parkgate Hotel is housed in the Grade II-listed former head post office building and county court on Westgate Street

The Parkgate Hotel is housed in the Grade II-listed former head post office building and county court on Westgate Street

And at the end comes a moment that leaves a slightly bitter taste – our main waiter urges us to review the restaurant on Tripadvisor and thrusts his name tag at me, practically demanding I take a picture of it so I ‘don’t misspell his name in the review’.

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I’m not allowed to pen anything for Tripadvisor, but that’s not the moan here because the waiter wouldn’t know that – it’s that this kind of pressure is tacky, unbecoming in a classy hotel like The Parkgate.

One of the housekeepers we pass in a corridor also urges us to name-check her in a review when we comment on our ‘lovely room’, and from her we learn the staff are financially incentivised to garner mentions. So I understand the compulsion, but it’s a slightly intrusive practice.  

Though in the grand scheme of the stay, a quibble.

The next day, after returning to The Sorting Room for a highly satisfying buffet breakfast, we saunter around the engrossing castle, which is just a few minutes’ walk away, returning to the lobby to pick up our bags before our train back to London.

The smiles are still beaming at the front desk.

Best hotel in Wales? Considering that rooms at The Parkgate Hotel cost from just £85 a night, according to Google, hoteliers will need to push the envelope out to knock it from its perch.

TRAVEL FACTS 

Ted and Mother Thornhill were hosted by The Parkgate Hotel, part of the Celtic Collection portfolio, where room prices start from around £85 a night.

Visit www.theparkgatehotel.wales. 

Pros: Historical building, friendly staff, classy restaurant with expertly prepared dishes, dreamy spa with a great pool, chic and comfortable rooms, inexpensive considering the glamour.

Cons: Pressure to name-check staff in reviews a tad intrusive and tacky – and room for improvement with the restaurant service. So half a star off.

Ted’s rating out of five: 4.5 

Mother Thornhill’s rating out of five: 4.75 

GETTING THERE

Ted travelled to Cardiff using GWR from London Paddington.

Cardiff can be reached using GWR’s money-saving ‘long weekender’ tickets – Leave on a Friday or Saturday, return on a Monday and save over 50 per cent compared to an ‘anytime return’.

Visit www.gwr.com/your-tickets/ways-to-save/long-weekender for more information.

Prices correct at the time of writing. 

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‘Elon Musk’s recurring contact with Russia raises concerns about Putin’s access to Trump’s circle’

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Although foreign policy was a minor issue for American voters, Donald Trump’s election has enormous consequences on international issues. At a summit of the European political community in Hungary, discussing security, French president Emmanuel Macron told fellow leaders to wake up and face the new reality to protect European interests. Analysis by Alexandra Filippenko, Political Analyst in Vilnius, Lithuania.

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Researchers pinpoint alarming possible cause for surge in heart attacks in young people – and how one decision has left 20-somethings with the ‘heart age’ of 60-year-olds

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Researchers pinpoint alarming possible cause for surge in heart attacks in young people – and how one decision has left 20-somethings with the ‘heart age’ of 60-year-olds
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Emily, a part-time receptionist at a cardiology centre in a small New South Wales town, wasn’t used to seeing people her age at the clinic where she worked.

So when a 21-year-old – pretty, stylishly dressed, in towering heels and carrying a pricey tote – announced she had an appointment with the specialist, her first thought was that she had come to the wrong place.

She was having heart palpitations, the young woman said, and her GP referred her.

When Emily registered some surprise at this – palpitations are typically associated with older people with high blood pressure or heart disease – the patient uttered six words that took her breath away.

‘Yeah, I do coke on weekends.’

It was a join-the-dots moment for Emily, whose other job is a weekend bartender at a lively country pub where the sight of young people ‘doing lines’ in the bathrooms has become so commonplace it hardly raises an eyebrow.

Since then, Emily has begun to notice more and more young people reporting heart problems at the clinic. She recognises some from the pub.

Australia holds the unenviable distinction of having the most cocaine users per capita in the world, which is attributable to the enormous number of weekend users who don’t think twice about spending up to $350 on a bag every Friday night. 

Researchers pinpoint alarming possible cause for surge in heart attacks in young people – and how one decision has left 20-somethings with the ‘heart age’ of 60-year-olds

Researchers have found a worrying link between the rising number of young people suffering heart problems and the use of cocaine (stock image)

The National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022–2023 found cocaine was the second-most used illicit drug in Australia behind cannabis. In that year, 4.5 per cent of Australians used cocaine, equating to roughly a million people. 

While it’s no secret our appetite for cocaine is fuelling the bloody international drug trade, what is less often discussed is the drug’s dire effects on our heart health.

The surge in casual cocaine use in recent decades coincides with data showing sudden cardiac death (SCD) as one of the biggest killers of Australians under 50.

Researchers at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute last year found almost a third of young adults in Victoria who died of sudden cardiac issues between 2019 and 2021 had been users of illicit drugs, including cocaine.

Cannabis was the most common illicit drug found in the deceased’s toxicology reports, but coke – along with amphetamines and heroin – wasn’t far behind.

The study’s lead investigator and cardiologist Dr Elizabeth Paratz says there’s nothing new about drugs wreaking havoc on young people’s bodies, but the correlation between drug use and SCD has been alarming.

Dr Elizabeth Paratz (pictured) warned many young people suffer heart problems due to drug use, but some damage could be reversible

Dr Elizabeth Paratz (pictured) warned many young people suffer heart problems due to drug use, but some damage could be reversible

‘We certainly found that a very high number had toxicology that was positive for illicit substances, such as cocaine and methamphetamine,’ says Dr Paratz, who has since moved to the St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research. 

‘As clinical cardiologists, we’ve definitely noticed we have more young patients who’ve had issues with their heart. If people don’t have a genetic issue or a structural issue, it tends to be that they’ve been using illicit drugs.

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‘We’ve certainly seen people who are in their twenties who’ve wound up requiring transplants and things for heart failure. That’s purely caused by illicit drug use – so it’s an avoidable cause. 

‘It’s something that doesn’t need to happen and it’s pretty tragic when it does happen.’

Cocaine increases the risk of both heart attacks and SCD. A heart attack is caused by a blockage and can often be remedied by a stent or surgery, explains Dr Paratz, but SCD occurs when the heart stops completely and requires CPR.

‘Cocaine speeds up your heart rate, increases blood pressure and thickens the heart muscle so if you’re using it regularly it can be associated with all sorts of issues,’ she adds.

‘It’s important to note the increased heart rate is different from the high heart rate you get from exercising as drugs are affecting all the movement of your electrolytes, like sodium and potassium, and it throws your body out of balance.

‘We’ve personally seen people’s heart rates reach 250bpm. We say about 60 to 100bpm is healthy. It’s a similar story with blood pressure.

‘Serious heart damage is typically seen in people who are using illicit drugs regularly but there’s so many variables – like how much they’re taking and the drug’s purity. Some drugs are cut with actual poisons on the street. You never really know what you’re having.’ 

Australia holds the unenviable distinction of having the most cocaine users per capita in the world, which is attributable to the enormous number of 'weekend users' who don't think twice about spending up to $350 on a bag every Friday night (stock image)

Australia holds the unenviable distinction of having the most cocaine users per capita in the world, which is attributable to the enormous number of ‘weekend users’ who don’t think twice about spending up to $350 on a bag every Friday night (stock image)

Fortunately, if young cocaine users become aware of any heart issues early on and dedicate themselves to quitting, some of the damage can be reversed.

‘It really depends on how established the damage is at the time it’s picked up and how motivated you are to stop,’ Dr Paratz says.

‘There have certainly been cases where a person has stopped using and fully reversed the damage to their heart. They go on to lead a very normal life. We’ve had some real success stories there.

‘That’s why this is such an important public health message, because it’s a health issue you didn’t need to have and it’s something you, hopefully, can reverse if you stop early enough.’

People who suffered SCD after using drugs often died while sedentary or sleeping. Patients were more likely to be male, smokers and excessive alcohol drinkers.

Other common traits included a psychiatric diagnosis, lower body mass index and lower rates of high blood pressure.

Dr Paratz is pushing for more research to be done in the area to determine exactly what drugs and dosages are having the worst effects on heart health.

However, those familiar with the nightlife in major cities like Melbourne and Sydney will tell you exactly what the drug of choice is: cocaine.

‘I think the take-home message in the meantime is, don’t wait for researchers to tell you what the safe dose is – there is no safe dose of drugs,’ Dr Paratz adds. 

‘The simplest thing is to just not use them. If you do use them, stop. There’s quite a good chance damage can be reversed.’

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It’s not the first time researchers have raised the alarm.

A 2012 Australian study found that young people who used cocaine at least once a month ‘had up to a 35 per cent increase in aortic stiffening, higher blood pressure than non-users and an 18 per cent greater thickness of the heart’s left ventricle wall’. These factors all increase the risk of cardiac arrest.

Lead researcher and cardiologist Prof Gemma Figtree remarked: ‘It’s so sad. We are repeatedly seeing young, otherwise fit individuals suffering massive heart attacks related to cocaine use.

‘Despite being well-educated professionals, they have no knowledge of the health consequences of regularly using cocaine.

‘It’s the perfect heart attack drug.’ 

Data from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute found sudden cardiac death (SCD) is one of the biggest killers of Australians under 50

Data from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute found sudden cardiac death (SCD) is one of the biggest killers of Australians under 50

That research from 12 years ago was prompted by a surge in otherwise healthy cocaine users presenting at hospital with heart problems. Crucially, it marked one of the first studies of social users, rather than addicts.

There were 884 cocaine-related deaths in Australia between 2000 and 2021, another study from 2022 found, citing data from the National Coronial Information System.

That study’s lead author, Prof Shane Darke, a world expert on drug deaths, said of the findings: ‘These deaths are largely due to more widespread use of cocaine.’

Tellingly, his research showed a significant increase in cocaine-related deaths among people who had no history of substance use problems. 

‘Twenty years ago, 90 per cent of cocaine deaths had a history of substance use problems. Now that figure is much lower at 50 per cent,’ said Prof Darke, who also noted casual users tended to be unaware of the heart disease and stroke risk.

Emily – the bartender and cardiologist receptionist – isn’t remotely surprised by the statistics on Australia’s cocaine use. She tells me almost half her customers at the bar are under the influence by 10pm on a Friday or Saturday night.

‘It’s not always coke but often you can just look at people and see something’s not right,’ she says.

‘Every weekend we’re cleaning little plastic baggies off the bathroom floors – all used and ripped open for any remains.’

Almost a third of young adults in Victoria who died of sudden cardiac issues between 2019 and 2021 had used illicit drugs, including cocaine (stock image)

Almost a third of young adults in Victoria who died of sudden cardiac issues between 2019 and 2021 had used illicit drugs, including cocaine (stock image)

Cocaine has become so common many pubgoers don’t even care to hide their usage. One patron even asked Emily while she was in her uniform where they could buy a bag. Another ordered a round of drinks and ‘looked like he’d just smashed his nose into a plate of flour’.

Efforts were recently made to limit the number of flat surfaces in the pub toilets, but patrons have resorted to racking up and snorting drugs off toilet lids. Pub management can’t easily prevent this because cameras are banned in bathrooms.

Emily tells me that while the cocaine epidemic hit regional New South Wales hard and fast, a new wave of drugs is already taking hold. 

‘There was a real phase with coke but now people have gone back to pills. I think people find them more convenient,’ she said.

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‘No matter what it is, the drug problems are never going to go away.’

A large part of the problem is how readily accessible drugs are once revellers are already drunk and open to suggestion.

‘People will offer laced cocaine for free in the bathrooms and it could be mixed with anything from GHB [a common date rape drug] to meth. Free coke is not just going to be coke,’ Emily says.

‘Then that person will either get hooked or, more often if it’s a girl, they’ll get attacked.

‘Other people will spend hundreds of dollars on coke when they’re blind. They get even more desperate when the pubs shut. I’ve heard of bags being sold for $800.’

While pub workers are usually quick to spot dealers in venues, they often face trouble kicking users out. 

‘Most of the time you’re just going off suspicion. You don’t want to kick someone out because their pupils are the size of dinner plates, only to find out they have a medical condition,’ Emily adds.

A person caught selling or supplying a prohibited drug, other than cannabis, can face fines up to $385,000 and/or 20 years behind bars in NSW.

If a person in NSW is convicted of dealing or supplying cannabis, they can face up to $385,000 in fines and/or 15 years behind bars.

If cocaine is affecting you or a loved one, help is available at the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.

The service offers free and confidential advice, information and counselling. 

How popular is coke in Australia?

Cocaine is an illicit drug that stimulates the central nervous system.

While the drug is most commonly snorted in the form of a powder, it can also be injected or rubbed into the gums. It can also be smoked when in crystal form – a type often associated with a higher risk of impurity.

The effects of cocaine are usually felt in the first 10 minutes if snorted and last about 90 minutes. It can typically be detected in a user’s saliva and blood for two days after ingestion, in urine for up to four days and hair for up to three months.

Signs of an overdose can include nausea and vomiting, extreme anxiety, chest pain, agitation, hallucinations, tremors, changes in breathing, seizures or stroke.

 A survey of Australians over the age of 14 found 4.5 per cent (one million people) had used cocaine in the last 12 months and 13.5 per cent (2.9million people) had used cocaine in their lifetime.

The people most likely to be using cocaine were those aged between 20 and 29 with most users typically trying the drug at 24 years old.

Of those who had ingested cocaine in the last 12 months, 15.4 per cent use it monthly or more often.

If cocaine is affecting you or a loved one, help is available at the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.

The service offers free and confidential advice, information and counselling. 

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