In the Arctic, Russians keep the free press flame alive
Exiled to a place far above the Arctic Circle, a group of Russian journalists are working with Norwegians to break through the strict state controls that have...
2023-07-27 15:27
US Sets Military Talks With China as Priority at Biden-Xi Summit
The White House cited a resumption of US-China military communications as a priority ahead of this week’s meeting
2023-11-12 23:21
Andrew Tate’s thrilling 'would you rather' session with fans ends in tour of his ‘war room’, trolls label it 'cringe'
Andrew Tate said, 'Your decision is very telling of what type of man you are, it predicts your future, some of you want to live rich'
2023-07-22 19:21
Taylor Swift news diary: Singer's friendship with Brittany Mahomes in the spotlight at Kansas Chiefs' latest game
Taylor Swift attended her fourth Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday, October 22
2023-10-23 21:56
Sexual assault claims cast light on Australia's macho politics
Australia has allowed a sexist culture to fester inside its parliament, a prominent lawmaker has told AFP, as sexual assault allegations again ring through...
2023-06-19 15:50
Suspected Brussels gunman who killed two Swedes dies after being shot by police
By Philip Blenkinsop and Benoit Van Overstraeten BRUSSELS A 45-year-old Tunisian gunman suspected of killing two Swedish football
2023-10-17 17:25
White House defends Hawaii wildfire response saying President Biden is ‘deeply concerned’
The White House defended President Joe Biden’s federal response to the devastating wildfires in Hawaii on Monday saying the president is “deeply concerned” and sending federal aid. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spent the first half of Monday’s press briefing focusing on Mr Biden’s federal action to assist officials and residents in Maui. “You’ve heard from [Mr Biden] already on Thursday, certainly you’ll hear from him continuously this week,” Ms Jean-Pierre said. “Look, this is something that the President is clearly deeply concerned about.” Ms Jean-Pierre’s statement was in defence of Mr Biden who has faced criticism for what some believe to be an emotionally indifferent approach to addressing the fires. Despite declaring the fires to be a major disaster last week, Mr Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris have plans to visit Hawaii. Ms Jean-Pierre was joined by Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to answer questions about the federal government’s efforts in Maui. Ms Criswell insisted that the Biden administration has coordinated federal agencies with local and state officials to assist in search and recovery efforts. At least 96 people have died as a result of the outrageous wildfires which swept across parts of Maui and other parts of Hawaii last week. That number is expected to go up, according to Hawaii governor Josh Green, as cadaver dogs and teams search burned buildings for victims or survivors. So far, the cadaver dogs have only searched three per cent of the search area. They are expected to continue that search this week. Hundreds of other Hawaiians are still missing and thousands of people are displaced as many homes and buildings were destroyed. Over the weekend, Mr Biden spent time relaxing at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. When the President was confronted by reporters about visiting Hawaii, he responded vaguely. Some Republicans slammed Mr Biden for not taking physical action to visit Hawaii or appearing to be concerned about the conditions in Maui. Mike Flynn, who served as US national security adviser under Donald Trump, claimed Mr Biden’s predecessor would have faced a “media firestorm” for doing the same thing. Conspiracy theorist and MAGA Republican Kari Lake also joined in the criticism, tweeting: “In Maui: 93 (& counting) Americans are dead. 1,000 are missing. One of the most beautiful places on earth has been reduced to cinders. In Delaware: @JoeBiden can’t be bothered to care. Putting America First means getting this joker out of the White House.” Ms Harris told reporters last week she had no plans to visit Hawaii so as not to take away resources from where they are needed, like increased security measures. Despite the online rhetoric, Mr Green has praised Mr Biden for issuing the major disaster declaration with haste. “We were honored to have the President jump to it so fast,” Mr Green said on MSNBC on Sunday. He added: “In 6 hours, he approved the presidential declaration. It was incredible. Within 6 hours. And so, that opened up, like you said, FEMA and amazing support for recovery.” During Monday’s press briefing, a reporter asked Ms Jean-Pierre if the President’s outward image should reflect his concern for Hawaii. Ms Jean-Pierre responded by directing people to the comments that Mr Green and other Hawaii officials have given. “The president is certainly deeply concerned about the people in Maui,” Ms Jean-Pierre reiterated. “To the point of mobilising a whole of government approach.” Read More Maui wildfires live updates: Hawaii governor predicts death toll will rise by 10 to 20 people each day Lauren Boebert slammed for attacking Biden over Maui wildfires Republicans slam Biden’s blasé response to questions about Maui wildfires Did Hawaii officials botch the response to Maui wildfires? Hawaii fire survivors blast warning system failures and prepare to sue energy firm Family of four identified as some of first victims of Maui wildfires
2023-08-15 03:29
Who are Travis Kelce's parents? Jason Kelce 'confirms' brother is dating Taylor Swift
'I think things are going great and I think it's 100 percent true,' said Jason Kelce
2023-09-21 15:57
Trove of ancient Roman Empire coins discovered by divers off coast of Sardinia
Up to 50,000 Roman coins have been discovered by divers off the coast of Sardinia. The coins, which date back to the first half of the fourth century, were found on the sea bed not far from the north-east shore of the Mediterranean island. According to an initial estimate, made on the basis of the overall weight of the find, the number of large bronze coins - called follis - is between 30,000 and 50,000. Follis coins were introduced around 294 AD by the Roman emperor Diocletian. They were initially discovered by a private citizen who, during a dive, noticed some metallic remains at a shallow depth and later notified authorities. Read More SNP politician criticises ‘pomp’ of King’s speech amid cost of living crisis Palestinian PM sobs at cabinet meeting telling story of children killed in Gaza Hundreds gather at vigil held for Ukrainian soldiers killed in missile attack
2023-11-08 03:46
Niger loses aid as Western countries condemn coup
NIAMEY The European Union has cut off financial support to Niger and the United States has threatened to
2023-07-29 19:57
Hundreds more feared drowned after 79 killed in Greece’s worst migrant boat tragedy in years
Hundreds of refugees and migrants are feared missing after a fishing vessel carrying them from Libya capsized and sank off the southern coast of Greece. At least 79 were earlier confirmed dead in the accident that occurred early Wednesday, while officials now fear scores more may have drowned as rescue operations continued on Thursday. The exact number of people on the boat has become the subject of speculation, with some Greek officials claiming it carried as many as 600 people. This is the deadliest turn of events off the country’s coast since the height of the 2015 migration crisis. “It’s one of the biggest operations ever in the Mediterranean,” Greek coastguard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told state broadcaster ERT TV. “We won’t stop looking,” he said. Rescuers have so far saved 104 passengers, including Egyptians, Syrians, Pakistanis, Afghans and Palestinians. Mr Alexiou told local media on Thursday that all survivors are men. One of the dead, however, is a woman, said local reports. “No other survivor has been found [besides the 104 rescued yesterday] and the bodies [recovered] also remain 79,” he added. Caretaker Greek prime minister Ioannis Sarmas declared three days of national mourning on Wednesday night and said their thoughts were with “all the victims of the ruthless smugglers who exploit human unhappiness”. “There has been a dramatic rise in the death count, which is climbing by the hour,” one Greek official said on Wednesday. “Speculation is rife that as many as 600 people were onboard but that has not been confirmed. The ship is under the water. It has sunk.” Ioannis Zafiropoulos, deputy mayor of the port city of Kalamata, where survivors were taken, said there were “more than 500 people” on board. ERT TV reported that Charity Alarm Phone, which operates a trans-European network supporting rescue operations, said it received alerts from people on board a ship in distress off Greece late on Tuesday, saying 750 people were on board. However, it said that the spokesman for Greece’s caretaker government, Ilias Siakantaris, said reports that the vessel was carrying 700-750 people could not be confirmed. “We do not know what was in the hold... but we know that several smugglers lock people up to maintain control,” he said. On Thursday morning, Greek coastguard spokesman Mr Alexiou said it appeared the vessel capsized after people abruptly moved to one side – shifting the centre of gravity of the 25-30-metre vessel. “The outer deck was full of people, and we presume the interior [of the vessel] would also have been full. It looks as if there was a shift among the people who were crammed on board, and it capsized.” Eight people had been transferred to the central Port Authority of Kalamata for preliminary investigation by late Wednesday, said reports. In Kalamata on Thursday, there were tents set up for the rescued people and provisions for soup kitchens as well. The ship capsized in international waters, about 47 nautical miles (87km) southwest of Pylos off the Peloponnese coast, as it made its way to Italy. The Greek coastguard learned about the boat’s engine failure shortly before 2am, the shipping ministry said. Coastguard vessels, a navy frigate, military transport planes, an air force helicopter and an array of private craft were searching for survivors on Thursday. Reports said search and rescue efforts were hampered by strong winds. “The engine stopped and it sank in minutes,” one of the survivors was quoted as saying. Greek president Katerina Sakellaropoulou visited the area where rescued migrants were being tended to and political parties called off planned campaign events ahead of national elections later this month. The Italy-bound boat is believed to have sailed from eastern Libya’s Tobruk area. It was spotted heading north at high speed, according to the Greek coastguard. Coastguard officers tried to approach the vessel after receiving a request for help, it said at around 2am, then “saw the boat take a right turn, then a sharp left, and then another right so big that it caused the vessel to capsize”. Repeated calls to the vessel offering help were declined, the coastguard said in a statement. “In the afternoon a merchant vessel approached the ship and provided it with food and supplies, while the [passengers] refused any further assistance,” it said. A second merchant ship that approached it later offered further supplies and assistance which were turned down. About 72,000 refugees and migrants have arrived so far this year in Europe’s frontline countries Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus, according to UN data, with the majority landing in Italy. Meanwhile, it was reported that the rescued people who were taken to the hospital in Kalamata were battling hypothermia, fainting incidents and dehydration. “We are witnessing one of the biggest tragedies in the Mediterranean, and the numbers announced by the authorities are devastating,” Gianluca Rocco, head of the Greek section of UN migration agency International Organisation for Migration (IOM), said on Wednesday. “This situation reinforces the urgency for concrete, comprehensive action from states to save lives at sea and reduce perilous journeys by expanding safe and regular pathways to migration.” The IOM has recorded more than 21,000 deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean since 2014. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Charities say new Italian rules will limit rescues at sea A look at migration trends behind the latest shipwreck off Greece Greece says it's investigating claim migrants were illegally deported back to Turkey After long waits, new pilgrims prepare for Hajj's return, the first major one since COVID-19 Huge search seeks survivors of migrant boat sinking off Greece; hundreds feared missing After long waits, new pilgrims prepare for return of Hajj, the first major one since COVID-19
2023-06-15 17:16
Where is Marc Daly now? Kenya Moore claims her estranged husband visited their daughter only twice in 2 years
Daly had earlier accused Moore of violating a court order that required her to inform him whenever Brooklyn would appear on TV shows or ads
2023-07-27 19:18
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