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At least three people killed as Storm Amy batters Europe with strong winds and rain

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People struggle against the wind and rain in Malmö, Sweden, after a storm reached southern Sweden, Saturday Oct. 4, 2025. (Johan Nilsson/TT via AP) Johan Nilsson/TT

Three people were killed across Europe this weekend as Storm Amy raged across the continent with strong winds and rain, impacting critical infrastructure and disrupting power for tens of thousands.

Authorities in Ireland reported a man died in Letterkenny, northwest Ireland, on Friday in what police called a weather-related incident, while in France, at least two men were reportedly killed by the storm, local officials said on Saturday.

On Saturday, road, rail and sea travel faced major disruption as a storm walloped the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia with heavy rain and high winds.

London’s famed Royal Parks shut their gates as Britain’s Met Office weather agency gave updates on the weather after it recorded a gust of 154 kph on Friday on the island of Tiree off Scotland’s west coast.

More than 200,000 properties in Ireland and Northern Ireland were left without power, while in Scotland, many ferry services were suspended and roads and railway lines were blocked by fallen trees.

Fraser Wilson of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said engineers were working to restore power to about 62,000 customers.

France

On Saturday afternoon, Storm Amy’s powerful gusts, which claimed two lives in France, prompted parts of Northern France to issue an orange alert.

“Storm Amy is moving across the British Isles, causing strong gusts of wind in the departments near the English Channel coast and in the northern inland departments of the country,” French weather service Meteo France said.

France’s northern coast recorded its strongest winds since the beginning of the week, with gusts reaching 131 kilometres and up to 110 kph inland.

According to French authorities, two males, ages 18 and 48, went swimming in the water at Étretat on Saturday morning, which is close to Le Havre, despite bad weather.

The older man did not return to land, while later in the afternoon, a large tree branch fell onto a vehicle that had been driving on a road in the northern Aisne region, killing a 25-year-old man.

Up to 5,000 Normandy homes were without power on Saturday morning due to the storm. According to power supplier Enedis, the number decreased to 2,000 by noon, but since then, more outages have been reported.

Belgium

In Belgium, Storm Amy was also clearly felt, causing some damage with strong winds of speeds reaching over 100 kilometres per hour. As a result, authorities declared a Code Orange weather warning for the entire country.

As a precaution, the breakwaters in Ostend will be closed for the entire weekend, officials said, while also announcing that telephone number 1722 for non-urgent requests for assistance from the fire brigade had been activated.

Amy also wreaked havoc on Sweden, Denmark, and Norway from late Friday into Saturday. Tens of thousands of homes lost power as strong gusts brought down trees and power lines throughout Scandinavia, as heavy rainfall and high tides pummeled the coastal areas.

Norway

Roofs were blown off houses, trees fell, and over a hundred roads were closed in Norway, where extreme amounts of rainfall are now expected.

So far, Western Norway has had the worst storm, causing around 100 road closures in the region as of Saturday morning.

Emergency officials said they expected the Vestfold coast to experience the strongest winds before it calms down. It will continue to blow strongly in Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, and Nordland throughout the day. In parts of Vestfold and Telemark, it is expected that “Amy” will bring up to 100 millimetres of rain in twelve hours.

As of Saturday morning, around 120,000 households were left without electricity, mostly in Trøndelag, Agder, and Vestland, according to a count by NRK, the Norwegian broadcaster.

Sweden

Strong winds and heavy rain were recorded on Saturday across southern and central Sweden. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) issued orange alerts for the West Coast, the southern coast of Skåne, and the Skagerrak area.

Out at sea off northern Halland, hurricane-force gusts have already been recorded. In addition, several yellow warnings are in place for large parts of the country.

Storms with the potential to cause serious disruption or damage are given names jointly by the UK, Irish, and Dutch weather agencies.

The current storm, called Amy, is the remnant of Hurricane Humberto, which formed over the Atlantic Ocean last week.

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Kidnappers Took Loan With My Phone – Victim Recounts Ordeal

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A woman has shared a disturbing account of her abduction in Abuja, detailing how kidnappers allegedly exploited her personal information during captivity.

According to her, she was kidnapped while going home in a bus and kept blindfolded for two days as her captors demanded a ransom of ₦5 million from her family and friends.

She further alleged that while she was still in captivity, the abductors accessed her phone and used it to download a loan application.

With her ATM card and identification documents in her possession at the time, they reportedly secured a loan of ₦148,000 without her knowledge.

The victim said she remained unaware of the transaction throughout her ordeal, as she was blindfolded and focused on pleading for her life.

She revealed that when she later found out and wrote to the loan app, they insisted she must pay off the loan.

“I was kidnapped in a bus in Abuja. They blindfolded my eyes for two days. Even after asking for ransom of 5 million from my family and friends, they took a loan. They downloaded a loan app on my phone, and I always carry my ATM card and my ID cards in my bag, so they used it to up the loan app and took a loan of 148 thousand Naira. I didn’t even know about the loan all the time I was there cause I was blindfolded and just begging for my life….” she partly said.

 

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Man Ends His Marriage After Finding Photographs Of His Wife With Another Man While Browsing Google Maps

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A husband was left shocked and reportedly had to end his marriage after discovering photos of his wife with another man while using Google Maps.

The man was using Google Maps to plan a route before setting off on a journey when he noticed an image of his wife sitting on a bench, stroking the hair of another man whose head rested in her lap.

Captured by a Google camera vehicle in Lima, the Peruvian capital, the stunned husband said the photograph grabbed his attention because the woman pictured seemed to be wearing identical clothing to pieces his wife owned.

Although the photo dated back to 2013, the furious husband challenged his wife with proof of her previous betrayal.

The pair, whose identities remain anonymous, subsequently divorced after the woman confessed to having an affair.

In a twist of fate, she was photographed with her lover on a bench near the city’s Puente de los Suspiros de Barranco (Bridge of Sighs of the Ravine).

 

The husband recently posted the photographs on Facebook where they sparked considerable reaction amongst users.

One social media commenter, San Pateste, said: “What a small world it is… It would have been enough if she said to her husband that she did not love him any more.”

Guillermo Sanchez added: “Out of 100 women, 90 per cent are not loyal, the rest are loyal and only have one eye (hahaha) or are immortal (hahaha).”

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Explosion injures soldier, NSCDC personnel in Imo

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An Improvised Explosive Device, IED, explosion injured a soldier and a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.

A counter-insurgency and security expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, made this disclosure on X.

Makama disclosed that the incident occurred at about 8:35am on March 18 during a joint operation by troops of 34 Artillery Brigade in the Orsu general area.

According to the source, the personnel were operating around a suspected hideout of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, ESN, when they stepped on a concealed pressure-activated IED.

It noted that the device detonated, leaving both operatives injured.

“They were immediately administered first aid and subsequently evacuated to a medical facility for further treatment.

“Operations are ongoing in the area to dismantle criminal hideouts and enhance safety,” the source said.

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