2 Earthquakes Strike Off Coast of British Columbia

Piles of coal awaiting export and gantry cranes used to load and unload containers onto and from cargo ships are seen at Deltaport, in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Piles of coal awaiting export and gantry cranes used to load and unload containers onto and from cargo ships are seen at Deltaport, in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
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2 Earthquakes Strike Off Coast of British Columbia

Piles of coal awaiting export and gantry cranes used to load and unload containers onto and from cargo ships are seen at Deltaport, in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Piles of coal awaiting export and gantry cranes used to load and unload containers onto and from cargo ships are seen at Deltaport, in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Two earthquakes struck off the northern coast of the Canadian province of British Columbia Sunday but there were no immediate reports of damage.
The United States Geological Survey said the first earthquake, measuring magnitude 6.5, happened around 3:20 p.m. local time. It was located off the tip of Haida Gwaii, an archipelago located about 1,720 kilometers (1,069 miles) north of Vancouver and occurred at a depth of 33 kilometers (20 miles).
Natural Resources Canada said a second earthquake, measuring 4.5, occurred about an hour later in the same area.
The US Tsunami Warning Center reported that there was no threat of a tsunami from the quakes. No damage was reported.



UN Names Former British Diplomat Tom Fletcher to Lead Aid Efforts

Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.
Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.
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UN Names Former British Diplomat Tom Fletcher to Lead Aid Efforts

Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.
Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday appointed former British diplomat Tom Fletcher as the new aid chief for the world body amid worsening humanitarian crises in the Gaza Strip, Sudan and elsewhere, largely driven by conflict.

Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.

Fletcher - who is currently the principal of Hertford College, Oxford - was the British ambassador to Lebanon from 2011-2015 and served as the foreign and development policy adviser to three British prime ministers between 2007-2011, the UN said in a statement.

He "has strong experience of leading and transforming organizations and bringing an understanding of diplomacy at the highest levels," the UN said.

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said he did not know when Fletcher would take up the role.

The announcement comes as UN efforts to tackle humanitarian needs around the world are significantly underfunded.

The UN has appealed for $49 billion in 2024 to help 187.6 million of the people in need across 73 countries. But the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which Fletcher will lead, said on Wednesday that so far it has only received $16.21 billion.