Johannesburg fire: 'Others jumped too, but they didn't make it'
One survivor tells of his escape, another says she was powerless with her children trapped inside.
2023-08-31 22:46
El Salvador's president appoints finance minister Zelaya's replacement
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has appointed a temporary replacement for finance minister Alejandro Zelaya who has taken
2023-07-18 17:47
If Adolf Hitler is the answer, what's the question? Michigan State slammed for beaming Hitler on videoboard
Adolf Hitler's image was featured in a trivia question about his birthplace, Austria
2023-10-22 16:54
Greece fires – live: EasyJet pilot tells tourists flying to Rhodes is ‘terrible idea’ minutes before takeoff
An easyJet pilot has told tourists that flying to Rhodes is a “terrible idea” just minutes before taking off, it has been reported, as wildfires spread across Greece. Journalist Gwyn Loader, who was on the flight to the island to report for BBC Wales' Welsh-language news programme Newyddion, said eight passengers subsequently decided to disembark, including a young boy who was in tears. The pilot told passengers over the Tannoy: “Travelling to Rhodes for a holiday at the moment is a terrible idea.” They continued: “As far as I’m concerned, this flight is being operated on an emergency basis. Return flights are now being managed by the military. If you want to get off the flight, you are welcome to do so.” After the blaze in Rhodes prompted “the biggest evacuation” in Greek history, Crete is at “extreme risk” of raging wildfires, while around 2,500 people have already been evacuated from Corfu, which has been enduring dozens of blazes. Jet2 and Tui cancelled all flights to Rhodes until Friday 28 July, while up to 10,000 British tourists are feared to be on the island, a minister has warned. The Independent has approached easyJet for comment. Read More Where are the fires in Corfu and Rhodes? Map reveals Greece wildfires Wildfires on Greek island of Rhodes force thousands of holidaymakers to evacuate Hiker, 71, dies in Death Valley shortly after being asked by reporter why he was braving heat: ‘Why not?’ July 2023 is set to be world’s hottest month in ‘hundreds, if not thousands, of years’
2023-07-25 14:52
Arab American support for Biden, Democrats plummets over Israel - poll
By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON President Joe Biden's support among Arab Americans, who are crucial voters in battleground election
2023-10-31 23:29
Oklahoma’s Supreme Court struck down two abortion bans. But a 113-year-old law is severely restricting access
Weeks before the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade last year, Oklahoma’s Republican governor vowed to “outlaw” abortion in the state entirely, and pledged to sign any legislation that promised to do just that. Governor Kevin Stitt signed several anti-abortion bills into law, including a measure that outlaws abortion at roughly six weeks of pregnancy, and another banning all abortions with exceptions only to save the patient’s life in a medical emergency or if the pregnancy is the result of rape, sexual assault or incest that has been reported to law enforcement. On 31 May, the highest court in the state struck down both of them. But abortion access remains out of reach for most patients in the state, after that same court upheld a far-reaching abortion ban from more than 100 years ago earlier this year. A state law from 1910 makes it a felony punishable up to five years in prison for anyone to perform or help someone seek an abortion unless to save the patient’s life. “This ruling, while providing clarity in emergency situations, does not change the landscape of care significantly,” Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said in a statement. Oklahoma was the first state in the US to successfully outlaw abortion despite a constitutional right to abortion care that was affirmed by Roe v Wade. But in March, the state’s Supreme Court ruled that the state’s constitution “creates an inherent right of a pregnant woman to terminate a pregnancy when necessary to preserve her life,” though the court declined to weigh in on whether the constitution protects abortion access in other circumstances. The court also ruled that doctors should be able to use their own medical judgment to determine whether to provide an abortion when a patient’s life is at risk “due to the pregnancy itself or due to a medical condition that the woman is either currently suffering from or likely to suffer from during the pregnancy.” But it also preserved the 1910 law, a 113-year-old ban on abortion care that threatens providers with prison. The court’s decision on 31 May reaffirmed its decision recognising a right to abortion care in life-threatening cases, and struck down two the overlapping bans. In the months after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which struck down a constitutional right to abortion care, clinics in Oklahoma have been forced to close, and patients have traveled thousands of miles for legal abortion care in a region surrounded by states where abortion is severely restricted or effectively outlawed. Even in cases of emergencies, there appears to be no hospital in Oklahoma that provides “clear, consistent policies for emergency obstetric care to pregnant patients,” according to an April report from Physicians for Human Rights, Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice and the Center for Reproductive Rights. Oklahoma hospitals “offered opaque, contradictory, and incorrect information about abortion availability and approval processes in obstetric emergencies, as well as little reassurance that clinicians’ medical judgment and pregnant patients’ needs would be prioritized,” according to the report. Only two out of 24 hospitals described providing legal support for providers in such situations, and representatives for three hospitals claimed their facilities do not provide abortions at all, the report found. Abortion rights advocates welcomed the court’s decision on 31 May, which abortion rights advocates said will at least allow doctors to clearly rely on their own medical judgment to provide care when a patient’s life is in jeopardy. “After months of uncertainty and chaos, Oklahomans should finally be able to access the life-saving care they need in their home state,” according to Dr Alan Braid, an abortion provider and plaintiff in the case challenging the overlapping abortion bans. “Heartbreakingly, we were forced to close our Tulsa clinic due to Oklahoma’s abortion bans, but I will continue to serve patients in the region at clinics in Illinois and New Mexico,” he added. “While we are relieved the court upheld the right to abortion in medical emergencies, this does not diminish the fact that care remains out of reach for the majority of Oklahomans,” according to Ms Wales. Following the state Supreme Court decision on 31 May, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond clarified that “except for certain circumstances outlined in that statute, abortion is still unlawful in the state of Oklahoma” because of the 1910 law. Governor Stitt accused the court of using “activism to create a right to an abortion in Oklahoma.” “This court has once more over-involved itself in the state’s democratic process, and has interceded to undo legislation created by the will of the people,” he said in a statement. Within the last year, more than a dozen states – including most of the entire US South – have outlawed abortion care for most pregnancies. Read More ACLU sues Nebraska over combined law targeting abortion and gender-affirming care: ‘Egregious overreach’ South Carolina judge halts six-week abortion ban as state Supreme Court set to review new law Doctor who provided abortion care to 10-year-old rape survivor reprimanded in case that drew national scrutiny Anti-abortion laws harm patients facing dangerous and life-threatening complications, report finds
2023-06-01 07:22
Canada sees record CO2 emissions from fires so far this year
Wildfires raging across Canada, made more intense by global warming, have released more planet-warming carbon dioxide in the first six months of 2023 than in any full year...
2023-06-28 02:25
Chinese Stocks in US Surge Most Since January on Stimulus Hope
Shares of Chinese companies traded in the US recorded their biggest one-day advance since early January after top
2023-07-25 03:15
EU takes aim at countries helping Russia to avoid sanctions
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is urging EU member nations to take trade measures against countries that help the Kremlin circumvent the bloc’s sanctions against Russia
2023-05-09 21:57
23 Fascinating Facts About 'The Wire'
It took a slow-but-steady climb for 'The Wire' to emerge as a cultural phenomenon, but the show that challenged every cops-and-robbers television trope has permeated just about every corner of our culture.
2023-09-10 21:56
Where is Nancy Salzman now? NXIVM co-founder seeks immediate release from prison following breast cancer scare
Salzman, 69, claimed to have undergone a 'worrisome ultrasound', and her attorney argued that officials had neglected to address her medical issue
2023-07-18 16:25
Who is Ryan Speakman? Ohio officer placed on paid leave after unleashing K-9 on unarmed surrendering truck driver
An Ohio cop who was using a police K-9 to attack an unarmed Black man is currently on paid leave while the incident is being investigated
2023-07-26 16:21
You Might Like...
How did Bob Barker die? Legendary host who rose to fame through 'Price is Right' show was 99
Hurricane Lee strengthens to Category 5 storm in Atlantic as East Coast impact still uncertain
Biden admits using sleep apnoea treatment device
Pittsburgh synagogue shooter sentenced to death by judge
Ukraine Russia news – live: Putin’s forces ‘caught in trap’ in Bakhmut as Kyiv’s troops advance
Time4Fun: Brazilian officials launch investigation into company behind Taylor Swift Rio shows after fan's death
Congress close to deal before breaking for holiday, reports say
Kavion Brown Godfrey: NY teen who jumped into river on a dare still missing amid calls for widening search