Europe – Adomonline.com https://www.adomonline.com Your comprehensive news portal Mon, 14 Jul 2025 07:02:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://www.adomonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-Adomonline140-32x32.png Europe – Adomonline.com https://www.adomonline.com 32 32 EU delays retaliatory trade tariffs against US https://www.adomonline.com/eu-delays-retaliatory-trade-tariffs-against-us/ Mon, 14 Jul 2025 07:02:21 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2554809 The EU’s retaliatory tariffs on US exports have been delayed again, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced.

The countermeasures, which were due to start on Tuesday, came in response to US President Donald Trump’s initial import taxes on steel and aluminium.

The EU’s retaliation, which would have hit € 21bn worth of US goods, was first suspended in March. This break has been extended until early August, von der Leyen told a press conference on Sunday.

EU trade ministers are expected to meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss how to respond.

It comes after Trump wrote a letter to von der Leyen announcing his plans to impose 30% tariffs on EU imports from 1 August.

He warned that if the trade partner retaliated with import duties of their own against the US, he would hit back by raising tariffs above 30%.

In a pre-recorded interview with Fox News which aired on Saturday night, Trump said some countries were “very upset now” but he insisted the tariffs meant “hundreds of billions of dollars” were “pouring in”.

Von der Leyen told journalists on Sunday: “The United States has sent us a letter with measures that would come into effect unless there is a negotiated solution, so we will therefore also extend the suspension of our countermeasures until early August.

“At the same time, we will continue to prepare for the countermeasures so we’re fully prepared.”

The European Commission president insisted that the EU has “always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution”.

“This remains the case, and we will use the time that we have now till August 1,” she added.

‘Defend European interests’

EU trade ministers are set to meet on Monday in Brussels to discuss how strong a line to take with Washington.

Germany’s finance minister Lars Klingbeil said on Sunday that “serious and solution-oriented negotiations” with the US were still necessary, but added that if they fail, the EU would need “decisive countermeasures to protect jobs and businesses in Europe”.

“Our hand remains outstretched but we won’t accept just anything,” Klingbeil told daily newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

His comments came after French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday urged the European Commission – which negotiates on behalf of all EU countries – to “resolutely defend European interests”.

As of Saturday, the Trump administration has now proposed tariff conditions on 24 countries and the EU, which is composed of 27 countries.

On 12 April, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro set a goal to secure “90 deals in 90 days”.

So far, the president has announced the outlines of two such pacts with the United Kingdom and Vietnam as negotiations with others continue.

SourceBBC

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EU calls for ‘respect’ after Trump threatens 50% tariffs https://www.adomonline.com/eu-calls-for-respect-after-trump-threatens-50-tariffs/ Sat, 24 May 2025 18:33:11 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2538244 The European Union’s trade chief said the 27-member bloc is committed to securing a trade deal with the US based on “respect” not “threats”.

It comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to slap a 50% tariff on all goods sent to the US from the EU.

“The EU’s fully engaged, committed to securing a deal that works for both,” EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said after a call with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

“EU-US trade is unmatched & must be guided by mutual respect, not threats. We stand ready to defend our interests.”

Earlier on Friday, Trump expressed impatience with the pace of ongoing EU-US trade negotiations, saying his plan to raise tariffs on 1 June was set.

Writing on social media, Trump said: “Our discussions with [the EU] are going nowhere,” adding that there would be no tariffs for products built or manufactured in the US.

“I’m not looking for a deal – we’ve set the deal,” he told reporters later, before immediately adding that a big investment in the US by a European company might make him open to a delay.

The EU is one of the Washington’s largest trading partners, sending more than $600bn (€528bn; £443bn) in goods last year and buying $370bn worth, US government figures show.

Reacting to Trump’s threats, European governments warned that higher tariffs would be damaging to both sides.

“We do not need to go down this road,” said Ireland’s Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin. “Negotiations are the best and only sustainable way forward.”

France’s Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin, said: “We are maintaining the same line: de-escalation, but we are ready to respond.”

German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche said the bloc “must do everything” to reach a solution with the US.

While Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof told reporters that he backed the EU’s strategy in trade talks and “we have seen before that tariffs can go up and down in talks with the US”.

The EU is negotiating with the US as a bloc, though Stephen Moore, a former economic advisor to Trump who works for conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, told the BBC: “What may happen in Europe… is that we may try to negotiate individually with countries in Europe.”

He added that in his opinion Trump’s “ultimate aim is really to decouple not just the US but the whole world from Chinese influence which would be a very good thing if he could pull that off”.

In early April, Trump announced tariffs against a long list of countries, including a 20% tax on most EU goods being sold into the US.

Soon afterwards, the president paused the higher tariffs for three months, until 8 July, to allow for more negotiations, but kept a 10% baseline tax in place against the US’s trade partners.

Higher US tariffs also remained in place against China though they were substantially lowered.

Despite the climbdown from Trump, the US kept a 25% tariff against EU steel and aluminium imports in place.

The EU has threatened – and paused – its own measures against the US. It said it would introduce a 25% tariff on €18bn ($20bn; £15bn) worth of US goods coming into Europe but this has been put on hold.

It is also currently consulting on additional measures against US imports into the US valued at €95bn.

Trump’s complaints about Europe have focused on what he claims is an uneven trade relationship – the EU sells more goods to the US than it buys from America.

Trump blames a trade deficit on policies that he claims are unfair to American companies, and he has specifically raised concerns about policies related to cars and agricultural products.

Trump also warned Apple that he would impose a 25% import tax “at least” on iPhones not manufactured in America, later widening the threat to any smartphone.

Shares in the US and EU fell on Friday after the latest threats, with America’s S&P 500 down about 0.7% and Germany’s Dax and France’s Cac 40 ending the day down more than 1.5%.

 

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Man who helped smuggle more than 3,000 people into Europe jailed https://www.adomonline.com/man-who-helped-smuggle-more-than-3000-people-into-europe-jailed/ Wed, 21 May 2025 06:17:59 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2536729 An Egyptian fisherman who helped organise the movement of more than 3,000 migrants as part of a £12 million illegal boat crossing operation has been jailed for 25 years.

UK-based Ahmed Ebid, 42, was involved in smuggling nearly 3,800 people from North Africa to Italy between October 2022 and June 2023, with some making their way to Britain, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

Ebid is the first person in the UK to be convicted of being involved in people smuggling across the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to Italy.

He arrived in the UK on a small boat in 2022 after spending five years in jail in Italy for attempted drug smuggling. He applied for asylum in the UK but never received a decision.

That meant he had been in legal limbo, neither facing removal nor being granted permission to stay. His sentence means he will almost certainly be deported once it has been served.

Ebid, whose wife and sons are in the UK, had been living in Home Office-funded accommodation in south-west London at the time of his arrest.

At his sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday, the judge said Ebid ruthlessly exploited desperate individuals and his “primary motivation was to make money out of human trafficking”.

“The treatment of migrants was horrifying,” Judge Adam Hiddleston said.

“This was a commercial enterprise, pure and simple. The risk of loss of life was considerable. These were fishing boats, not ferries”.

Ebid “exercised a managerial role at a very high level”, the court heard, bribing officials and ordering threats of violence towards the migrants.

After he was sentenced, Ebid was heard in the dock shouting that it was “unfair” and that he was “saving money to bring my family over”.

While this was happening, a female member of Ebid’s family cried in the public gallery.

He was arrested in 2023 after Italian security services looked into satellite phones being used by migrants on Mediterranean crossings from Libya to Europe, in particular Italy.

They found that some handsets which were being used to call the country’s coastguard had also been connecting during the journey to a British mobile number.

The NCA linked that mobile phone to Ebid and then bugged his home to record evidence.

The agency found he was involved in a number of smuggling operations, transporting thousands of men, women and children, often in dangerously overcrowded fishing vessels.

Ebid even told an associate to kill and throw any migrants caught with their phones into the sea, in a bid to avoid law enforcement, the NCA said.

The smuggler had described himself on Facebook as “Captain Ahmed” and notebooks in his home included Mediterranean Sea navigational details and lists of payments related to crossings.

Ebid had admitted facilitating illegal immigration to the EU – a crime under UK law – but disputed the importance of his role.

The NCA’s investigation revealed he had a management role in the smuggling network.

Jacque Beer, regional head of investigation at the NCA, said: “Ebid was part of a crime network who preyed upon the desperation of migrants to ship them across the Mediterranean in death trap boats.

“The cruel nature of his business was demonstrated by the callous way he spoke of throwing migrants into the sea if they didn’t follow his rules. To him they were just a source of profit.”

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Early turnout shatters record in Canada polls with 7.3m ballots cast https://www.adomonline.com/early-turnout-shatters-record-in-canada-polls-with-7-3m-ballots-cast/ Wed, 23 Apr 2025 07:01:42 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2527676 More than 7 million Canadians have cast their ballots in advance, setting a new record for early voter turnout, Elections Canada says.

Advance polling stations were open across the country for four days, from Friday to Monday, over the Easter long weekend. Poll workers reported long lines, with two million people casting their ballots last Friday alone.

With less than one week to go before election day on 28 April, federal leaders are now in the final stretch of campaigning.

Voters will consider which party should govern the country amid an ongoing trade war with the US and President Donald Trump’s repeated comments about making Canada the 51st US state.

Elections Canada, the organisation which runs federal elections, said 7.3 million Canadians – about a quarter of eligible voters – had cast their ballots, marking a 25% increase from early votes in the previous 2021 election.

Mail-in voting is up as well, with over 754,000 returning their special ballots to the federal agency. That is more than the 660,000 that did so in 2021.

Latest polling suggests Liberals have a 5-point lead over the main opposition Conservative party, as campaigning enters its last stretch.

Liberal leader Mark Carney held events in Prince Edward Island and Quebec, while Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre had a rally in Vaughan, a suburb of Toronto, on Tuesday evening.

Carney, the former central banker of Canada and the UK, has touted his party as the best option to deal with Trump and his tariffs.

“Pierre Poilievre has no plan to stand up to President Trump,” Carney told supporters on Tuesday.

The US president has implemented blanket 25% tariffs on goods from Canada, with an exemption on products covered by the USMCA – a North American free trade deal.

Canada is also hit with global US tariffs on steel and aluminium, and cars.

The northern country does a majority of its trade with the US, and the tariffs have already resulted in thousands of temporary layoffs in Canada’s auto sector.

A win for the Liberals would mark a dramatic reversal of fortune for the party, which had been polling at just 20% when former Liberal leader and prime minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation in late January.

Their main rivals, the Conservatives, have focused their campaigning on Canadians’ desire for change following nine years of leadership under Trudeau.

At rallies and events across the country, Poilievre has honed in on issues like housing, crime and the high cost of living, while criticising the Liberals for government overspending.

“It’s time for the government to start pinching pennies,” Poilievre said on Tuesday as he unveiled his party’s platform, before adding: “We can choose change. We can choose hope. We can choose our future.”

Polls suggest the Bloc Quebecois, a party advocating for Quebec separatism that only runs candidates in the French-speaking province, is in third place, with the left-leaning New Democratic Party trailing behind in fourth.

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Pack of ‘hungry’ dogs kill woman in Italy https://www.adomonline.com/pack-of-hungry-dogs-kill-woman-in-italy/ Fri, 17 Jan 2025 02:27:18 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2493874 Patricia Masithela, a 27-year-old originally from Nigeria, met a horrific fate when she was mauled to death by a pack of starving dogs in Latina, Italy.

The tragic incident occurred late Monday night as Patricia visited a male acquaintance at his derelict villa in the Lazio region, according to the Mirror UK.

Her chilling screams pierced the night as neighbours were alerted to the savage attack.

Patricia, who had relocated to Lazio from Nigeria, had reportedly gone to the house unaware that her friend was not at home.

After being attacked, Patricia was discovered critically injured, lying in a pool of blood with deep wounds across her body.

Police intervened by shooting two of the dogs to allow emergency services to reach the scene. The rest of the pack fled after the gunfire.

Medics provided immediate emergency treatment and rushed her to Santa Maria Goretti Hospital.

Despite their efforts, Patricia succumbed to the severe bite wounds and excessive blood loss.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing as local authorities work to determine how the dogs, reportedly starving, came to be in the area.

This tragedy has sparked discussions about stray animals and public safety, with local residents calling for stricter measures to prevent such devastating incidents.

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Gay men can train as priests but must be celibate – Italian bishops says https://www.adomonline.com/gay-men-can-train-as-priests-but-must-be-celibate-italian-bishops-says/ Sun, 12 Jan 2025 22:12:25 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2492014 Gay men will be allowed to train as priests in Roman Catholic seminaries, so long as they observe celibacy, according to new guidelines announced by the Italian Bishops Conference (CIE).

The decision marks a shift from the view previously held by Pope Francis that gay men should not be admitted to seminaries owing to the risk of them leading a double life.

According to the guidelines, the most important thing for aspiring priests is to show “an orientation towards celibate life”.

“In the formative process, when reference is made to homosexual tendencies, it is appropriate not to reduce discernment to this aspect alone,” the CIE said on Friday, adding that “the objective of the training for priesthood in the emotional-sexual sphere is the ability [to] welcome chastity in celibacy as a gift, to freely choose and to responsibly live it.”

However, it reiterated that while the Catholic Church “deeply respects the people in question”, gay men who are sexually active cannot be admitted to seminaries or any other holy orders.

Pope Francis was forced to apologise in May last year for using an offensive slur during a discussion with bishops about admitting gay men into seminaries.

The rare papal apology followed reports in the Italian press that the pontiff had said there was already too much “frociaggine” in some seminaries. The Italian word roughly translates as “faggotness”. In his apology, the pope said he “never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms”.

After the incident, Il Messaggero newspaper published a letter from Lorenzo Michele Noè Caruso, a 22-year-old who said he was excluded from a seminary for being gay and described a culture of “toxic and elective clericalism”. The pope reportedly responded, inviting the young man to “go forward” with his vocational research.

Since he was elected pope in 2013, Francis has sought to adopt a more inclusive tone towards LGBTQ+ people in his public statements, much to the disdain of conservative cardinals.

Soon after becoming pope, he said in response to a question about gay priests: “Who am I to judge?”

He approved a ruling in December 2023 allowing priests to bless unmarried and same-sex couples, in a significant change of position for the Catholic Church.

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US announces $25m reward for arrest of Venezuela’s President https://www.adomonline.com/us-announces-25m-reward-for-arrest-of-venezuelas-president/ Fri, 10 Jan 2025 22:43:59 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2491767

The US has announced an increased $25m (£20.4m) reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on the day he was sworn in for a third six-year term in office.

The inauguration ceremony was overshadowed by recrimination from the international community and Venezuelan opposition leaders.

Rewards have also been offered for information leading to the arrest and or conviction of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. A new reward of up to $15m for Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino has also been offered.

The UK also issued sanctions on 15 top Venezuelan officials, including judges, members of the security forces and military officials.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said those sanctioned were responsible for “undermining democracy, the rule of law, and human rights violations”.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy went on to describe Maduro’s regime as “fraudulent”.

Also on Friday, the EU said it was extending “restrictive measures” against Venezuela because of “the lack of progress… leading to the restoration of democracy and the rule of law”. The bloc also sanctioned a further 15 Venezuelan officials.

Canada also imposed fresh sanctions in what Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly called Maduro’s “shameless actions”.

Joly said Canada “will not tolerate the erosion of the democratic process or the repression of citizens seeking to express their rights”.

Maduro and his government have repeatedly denounced many of the allegations made by Western countries and opposition leaders.

The reward from the US cites narcotics and corruption charges dating back to 2020.

In 2020, the US charged Maduro, and other senior officials in the country, with “narco-terrorism”.

It accused them of flooding the US with cocaine and using drugs as a weapon to undermine the health of Americans.

Maduro has rejected the accusations. The US also re-imposed oil sanctions last year, after temporarily easing them in the hope Maduro could be incentivised to hold free and fair elections.

The Venezuelan president has blamed an economic collapse in his country on US-led sanctions he calls illegitimate and imperial. His critics blame corruption and economic mismanagement.

On Friday, President Maduro took the oath of office, vowing his third six-year term in office would be a “period of peace”.

“This new presidential term will be the period of peace, prosperity, equality, and the new democracy,” he said.

“I swear by history, I swear by my life, and I will fulfil it,” he added.

The 28 July election results were widely rejected by the international community, including by Brazil and Colombia, some of Venezuela’s left-wing neighbours.

The inauguration itself was a tightly controlled affair. Most accredited Venezuelan media were not allowed inside, and foreign journalists were not allowed in the country.

Maduro has a few allies remaining including Iran, China and Russia but is increasingly isolated on the world stage.

The Cuban and Nicaraguan presidents were the only leaders present at the inauguration.

The 62-year-old was declared the winner of last July’s presidential election, but the opposition and many countries, including the US, rejected the result and recognised the exiled opposition candidate Edmundo González as the legitimate president-elect.

González fled Venezuela in September and has been living in Spain, but this month he went on a tour of the Americas to rally international support.

The Maduro government has issued an arrest warrant for him, offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to his detention.

On Friday, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for the release of all who have been “arbitrarily detained” since the elections.

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Burning old TVs to survive: The toxic trade in electrical waste at Agbogbloshie https://www.adomonline.com/burning-old-tvs-to-survive-the-toxic-trade-in-electrical-waste-at-agbogbloshie/ Mon, 25 Nov 2024 02:19:26 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2475111

You can see thick plumes of smoke rise from the Agbogbloshie dumpsite from miles away.

The air at the vast dump, in the west of Ghana’s capital Accra, is highly toxic. The closer you get, the harder it is to breathe and your vision starts to blur.

Around these fumes are dozens of men, who wait for tractors to unload piles of cables before setting them on fire. Others climb up a toxic waste hill and bring down TVs, computers and washing machine parts and set them alight.

The men are extracting valuable metals like copper and gold from electrical and electronic waste – or e-waste – much of which has made its way to Ghana from rich countries.

“I don’t feel well,” says young worker Abdulla Yakubu, whose eyes are red and watery as he burns cables and plastic.

“The air, as you can see, is very polluted and I have to work here every day, so it definitely affects our health.”

A huge pile of e-waste, including large screens, at the Agbobloshie dump. A body of water is visible in the background
Some dealers at the Agbogbloshie scrapyard say they either burn or dump plastics from e-waste because they cannot recycle them

Abiba Alhassan, a mother of four, works near the burning site sorting out used plastic bottles, and the toxic smoke does not spare her either.

“Sometimes, it’s very difficult to breathe even, my chest becomes heavy, and I feel very unwell,” she says.

E-waste is the world’s fastest-growing waste stream, with 62 million tonnes generated in 2022, up 82% from 2010, according to a UN report.

It is electronisation of our societies that is primarily behind the e-waste rise — ranging from smartphones, computers and smart alarms, to automobiles with electronic devices installed, whose demand is steadily on the rise.

Annual smartphone shipments, for instance, have more than doubled since 2010, hitting 1.2 billion in 2023, according to a UN Trade and Development report this year.

Drone shot of the Agbobloshie dump.
When e-waste is burnt for valuable metals, toxic fumes are released mainly from their plastic parts

Most frequently seized item

The UN says only around 15% of the world’s e-waste is recycled, so unscrupulous companies are seeking to offload it elsewhere, often through middle men who then traffick the waste out of the country.

Such waste is difficult to recycle because of their complex composition including toxic chemicals, metals, plastics and elements that cannot be easily separated and recycled.

Even developed countries do not have adequate e-waste management infrastructure.

UN investigators say they are seeing a significant rise in the trafficking of e-waste from developed countries and rapidly emerging economies. E-waste is now the most frequently seized item, accounting for one in six of all types of waste seizures globally, the World Customs Organisation has found.

Officials at Italy’s Naples port showed the BBC World Service how traffickers mis-declared and hid e-waste, which they said made up around 30% of their seizures.

They showed a scan of a container bound for Africa, carrying a car. But when port officials opened the container, broken parts of vehicles and e-waste were stacked inside, with oil leaking from some of them.

“You don’t pack your personal goods like this, much of it is meant for dumping,” says Luigi Garruto, an investigator with the European Anti-Fraud Office (Olaf), who collaborates with port officials across Europe.

Port officials in Naples scan a container carrying e-waste, junk vehicle parts and an end-of-life vehicle
Port authorities in Europe say traffickers even grind up e-waste and mix it with plastic flakes to smuggle it out

Sophisticated trafficking tactics

In the UK, officials say they are also seeing a rise in trafficked e-waste.

At the Port of Felixstowe, Ben Ryder, a spokesman for the UK Environment Agency, said waste items were often wrongly declared as reusable but in reality, “broken down for precious metals and then illegally burnt after they reach the destination” in countries like Ghana.

Traffickers also attempt to conceal e-waste by grinding it down and blending it with other forms of plastic that can be exported with the correct paperwork, he said.

A previous report by the World Customs Organization showed there had been an increase of almost 700% in trafficking of end-of-life motor vehicles – a huge source of e-waste.

But experts say such seizures and reported cases are just the tip of the iceberg.

Although there has been no comprehensive global study that traces all the e-waste trafficked out of the developed world, the UN e-waste report shows countries in Southeast Asia still remain a major destination.

But with some of those countries now clamping down on waste trafficking, UN investigators and campaigners say more e-waste is making its way to African countries.

In Malaysia, officials seized 106 containers of hazardous e-waste from May to June 2024, according to Masood Karimipour, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Abiba Alhassan, a woman wearing a floral dress and a headscarf, sorts out used plastic bottles next to the Agbogbloshie dumpsite in Accra
Toxic chemicals from e-waste and its plastic parts are very harmful for humans and the environment

But traffickers often outsmart authorities with new smuggling tactics and governments don’t catch up fast enough, UN investigators say.

“When ships carrying hazardous waste like e-waste cannot easily offload them in their usual destination, they turn their beacon off when they are in the middle of the sea so that they cannot be detected,” said Mr. Karimapour.

“And the illegal shipment is dumped at sea as part of a business model of organised crime activity.

“There are far too many groups and far too many countries profiting from this global criminal enterprise.”

A worker at the Agbogbloshie scrapyard.
E-waste is now the most frequently seized waste item by customs authorities around the world

Chemicals of high concern

When e-waste is burnt or dumped, the plastic and metals it contains can be very hazardous to human health and have negative effects on the environment, a recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

The WHO says many recipient countries also see informal e-waste recycling – meaning untrained people including women and children are doing the job without protective equipment and the right infrastructure, and are being exposed to toxic substances like lead.

The International Labour Organisation and WHO estimate that millions of women and child labourers working in the informal recycling sector may be affected.

The organisations also say exposure during foetal development and in children can cause neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioural related disorders.

From January 2025, global waste treaty the Basel Convention will require exporters to declare all e-waste and obtain permission from recipient countries. Investigators are hopeful that this will close some of the loopholes that traffickers have been using to ship such waste across the world.

Plastic and other waste including from e-waste are washed back by the sea at the Jamestown seaside area in Accra
E-waste and plastic are carried by lagoons and rivers into the sea which then washes them back to the shore

But there are some countries including the US — a major e-waste exporter — that have not ratified the Basel Convention – one reason campaigners say e-waste trafficking continues.

“As we start to crack down, the US is now more and more shipping trucks across the border to Mexico,” said Jim Puckett, executive director of Basel Action Network, an organisation campaigning to end toxic trade including e-waste.

Back at the Agbogbloshie scrapyard in Ghana, the situation is getting worse by the day.

Abiba says she spends almost half the money she earns from collecting waste on medicines to deal with conditions resulting from working at the dump.

“But I am still here because this is my means of survival and that of my family.”

The Ghana Revenue Authority and Environment Ministry did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

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Expelled the same day: Ireland hardens illegal immigration response https://www.adomonline.com/expelled-the-same-day-ireland-hardens-illegal-immigration-response/ Mon, 25 Nov 2024 02:13:15 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2475108

The three Gardai – Irish police officers – walk down the rows of passengers on the bus, a few kilometres south of the border with Northern Ireland.

Observing this is the head of the Garda National Immigration Bureau, Det Ch Supt Aidan Minnock.

“If they don’t have status to be in Ireland, we bring them to Dublin,” he explains. “They’re removed on a ferry back to the UK on the same day.”

Asylum applications in Ireland have risen by nearly 300% so far this year compared to the same period five years ago. A spike in arrivals from the UK has been driven by various factors, among these the UK’s tougher stance post-Brexit, including the fear of deportations to Rwanda, as well as Ireland’s relatively healthy economy.

Most asylum seekers coming from the UK to the Republic of Ireland enter the country from Northern Ireland, as – unlike the airport or ferry routes – there is no passport control. The Garda checks along the 500km-long (310 miles) border are the only means of stopping illegal entry.

Det Ch Supt Minnock told the BBC that 200 people had been returned to the UK this year as a result of these checkpoints, thought to be only a small fraction of those crossing the porous border illegally.

More than 2,000 people who arrived in Ireland illegally have been issued deportation orders so far this year, a 156% increase on the same period in 2023. However, only 129 of those people (just over 6%) are confirmed to have since left the state. The government has said it will begin chartered deportation flights in the coming months, and free up more immigration Gardai from desk work.

Det Ch Supt Aidan Minnock, with short grey hair and wearing a blue and yellow fluorescent Garda uniform with an "immigration" label, faces the camera while two other Garda officers stand behind him on the road
Det Ch Supt Aidan Minnock says he understands what motivates people to seek asylum

Onboard the coach near the border, the Gardai question a young man about where he lives. He is Algerian – a student, he says. The police are suspicious and he is taken to the detention vehicle while his identity is checked.

A veteran of war crimes investigations in post-war Bosnia – as part of an EU police team – Det Ch Supt Minnock knows well the violence and poverty that drives migration.

“This is growing at such a scale because of the conflict and instability right across the world,” he says.

Public concern over immigration is closely linked to Ireland’s chronic housing problem. The Republic now has the worst record in the EU for housing young people.

The CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, Nick Henderson, says the crisis is a “perfect storm”, created in part by the failure to build enough housing stock over decades, and a government unprepared for the upsurge in asylum seekers – known in Ireland as International Protection Applicants (IPAs) – needing help with accommodation.

“[The government] is only able to provide accommodation through private contractors. That, coupled with an increase in the number of people seeking protection in Ireland, and against the background of a housing crisis has meant, in effect, that Ireland’s asylum reception system has really collapsed.”

In nearly three years, the number of asylum seekers accommodated by the state’s International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) has more than quadrupled – from 7,244 to 32,649 people. Over 100,000 Ukrainians, who were given a separate status, also sought refuge in Ireland during that time.

Tens of thousands of international protection applicants – some already with asylum status in Ireland, others waiting to be processed – have been sent to communities around the country, accommodated in hotels, former schools, apartments, even large tented camps.

Ireland’s housing shortage means that even those granted asylum are struggling to leave the temporary system as others arrive. Nearly 1,000 people are now living in tented accommodation.

Getty Images Two rows of tents - one grey, one blue - are pitched along both sides of a canal, under trees.
Getty Images Rows of tents housing asylum seekers pitched along Dublin’s Grand Canal in May this year

This makeshift response has generated resentment. In the village of Dundrum, County Tipperary – population 221 – a group of locals attempted to block the arrival of asylum seekers at the gates of a former hotel in August.

The proposal to house up to 277 people at Dundrum House, which hasn’t operated as a hotel since 2015, would double the local population. Locals worry that it will be a permanent fixture.

“How can our government not engage properly with us?” asks Andrea Crowe, a local teacher and protester who has frequently spoken in public. She cites concerns over housing, health and education provision for the community.

Andrea Crowe, a woman with short brown hair wears a light puffer jacket, the protest camp with signs and traffic cones in the background
Protester Andrea Crowe feels the government failed to consult with the community before sending the asylum seekers to Dundrum House
A caravan parked by protesters outside Dundrum House, with Irish flags and a variety of posters outside - some handmade, others printed - as well as an independent candidate's election sign. The posters read: "Make Dundrum great again", "No direct provision centre here", and "Now be a good yank and go home"
The protest outside Dundrum House has been there for more than 180 days

Since July, there has been a 24-hour protest outside the hotel. Ms Crowe, whose family once owned the Dundrum House hotel, accuses the government of failing to consult with the community – a common complaint around the country.

“How can we not be concerned?” she says.

The IPAS community currently living at Dundrum House is made up of about 80 women and children. There is also a separate group of Ukrainian families, welcomed after the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Several locals told us they feared that single men – who make up 35% of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland so far this year – would eventually replace the women and children, although there so far is no evidence to suggest this is planned in Dundrum.

Local builder, Martin Barry, cites the housing crisis as a key reason for his protest, particularly the plight of his eldest son. “My own young fella, he can’t afford a place to rent,” he says.

Martin Barry, with short grey hair and beard, arms crossed and wearing a high-visibility jacket, chats to three other protesters leaning on a barricade
Martin Barry is one of a rotating group of about a dozen people who have been protesting outside Dundrum House
But Martin Barry also speaks to deeper fears of change in some rural communities. The dance hall where he met his wife has closed. The local pub is for sale. There were hopes Dundrum House would be reopened and used by the local community.

“It’s just the worry of what’s coming down the line,” he says.

We meet two South African women given refuge at Dundrum House. Both were sent from their accommodation in Dublin – 180km (110 miles) away – to make way for newer arrivals into the capital, some of whom were sleeping in tents on the streets.

The women ask to remain anonymous. “Lerato” had been in Dublin for a year. “I had integrated with society, and made friends. My child was attending school and I was comfortable.” Her friend “Kayla” speaks of being isolated in Dundrum, a farming community with limited transport amenities.

Fergal walks between two South African asylum seekers. Seen from behind, the woman on the left wears a red coat, she has long braids - the woman on the right wears a white sleeveless puffa jacket and red baseball cap over long loose hair
These two women say they were moved to Dundrum from Dublin at five hours’ notice

Far-right parties show scant support in opinion polls. Immigration worries are likely to be expressed in support for independent candidates. But online, far-right agitators stoke fear. There have been violent riots and arson attacks on sites meant to house, or rumoured to house, asylum seekers, and refugees have been attacked in their tents on Dublin’s streets.

A common conspiracy theory is that migrants are being “planted” in Ireland as part of a plot to dominate Irish people and destroy their culture.

We saw two posters referring to a “plantation” at the Dundrum House protest. The now-closed online GoFundMe Page for Dundrum referred to Ireland’s “indigenous” population fighting “for our very existence” and the government “flooding communities with asylum seekers”.

The page – which raised more than €3,000 (£2,500) – was set up by a local businessman. He turns out to have posted antisemitic, Islamophobic and anti-vaccine conspiracist material on social media.

We ask Andrea Crowe, one of the prominent voices of the Dundrum protest, if she is comfortable with such a person being involved? Ms Crowe says she does not “follow social media much” and it is not up to her to manage other people’s reactions. But she says she’s “not comfortable with it”.

A row of four red posters with yellow and white text read: Peaceful protest supported by local business; When will the government listen to the people, Stop the immigration plantation of Ireland; Protect our community support our protest together we have a voice; Protest supported by local golf members
“Stop the immigration plantation of Ireland” reads one poster at Dundrum

Others in County Tipperary welcome asylum seekers. Some 17 groups came together under the slogan “Tipperary Welcomes” after the Dundrum protest began.

John Browne, a member of the community council, says the issue divides people. “I don’t have a problem with it because we’re relatively wealthy, and the situation is pretty bad in parts of Africa and where most of these people are coming from.”

But he disagrees strongly with the numbers involved in small places like Dundrum. “It imbalances the community. And it’s no good for the people coming in, because there’s nothing here for them.”

We caught up with Ireland’s Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman, while he was campaigning in Dublin for the General Election, due to be held on 29 November. He now canvasses votes with two police guards after being assaulted by a man protesting against immigration.

Roderic O’Gorman looks thoughtful while canvassing in the local area, an RTE - Irish radio and TV - radio microphone visible. A man and woman either side of the politician are also listening to the speaker, not pictured
Ireland’s Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman, says the state is engaging more with local communities

Mr O’Connor says many areas welcome asylum seekers.

“There are communities all over the place who are actually embracing and supporting,” he says.

But he accepts some failures. “I recognise in the initial parts of our response, there were times where there wasn’t that level of engagement that we need,” he says.

There are now Community Engagement Teams responsible for liaising with residents, although the protesters we spoke to in Dundrum say they have had only one meeting with a team and are still no wiser about the long-term plans for the hotel.

A run-down, once handsome building with a white facade, boarded up windows and broken signage - the remaining letters read "..OLD...A.."
The dance hall in Dundrum has now closed – the village pub is for sale

Official policy is hardening. Ukrainian asylum seekers who arrived amid widespread public sympathy and were given special benefits, recently saw these slashed from €232 (£190) to €38.80 (£32) per week – a cut of 83%.

South Africans now need visas to enter the country. A visa loophole which allowed Jordanians – at one point the largest group of asylum seekers in Ireland – to enter from the UK has been closed.

Concern over immigration has so far not translated into electoral support for far-right parties. Nick Henderson at the Refugee Council believes this need not be inevitable in Ireland. “Communities want to welcome people, but they need resources. They need communication.”

The Republic’s image as a stable and progressive democracy won’t change in this electoral cycle. But the rise in far-right populism internationally is a warning for the future – of how concern over immigration can be made a focus for other discontents and create turbulent politics.

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Ukraine vows to ‘never submit’ as war reaches 1,000th day https://www.adomonline.com/ukraine-vows-to-never-submit-as-war-reaches-1000th-day/ Tue, 19 Nov 2024 10:57:43 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2473264

Ukraine has said it will never give in to Russia’s aggression as it marks 1,000 days since the Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion of the country.

“Ukraine will never submit to the occupiers, and the Russian military will be punished for violating international law,” the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Zelensky will later address a special session of the European Parliament as the country marks the milestone.

It comes as eight people, including a child, were killed in a drone attack on Ukraine’s northeastern region of Sumy overnight, where 89 were also killed in a separate strike on Sunday.

The drone attack on a residential building in the small town of Hlukhiv injured 12 people including two children, Ukraine’s national police force said.

President Zelensky wrote on X that the building was a dormitory at a local school.

“Russia continues to terrorize our border regions,” Zelensky wrote.

In a video shared by the president, emergency workers could be seen sifting through the rubble as they continued to search for victims on Tuesday morning.

Zelensky said the attack confirmed that Putin “wants the war to continue, he is not interested in talking about peace”.

He will address members of the European Parliament via videolink from Kyiv on Tuesday, 1,000 days on from Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country on 24 February 2022.

It follows US President Joe Biden’s decision to give Ukraine the green light to use long-range missiles supplied by the US to strike Russia on Monday.

Local media earlier reported Zelensky would also unveil an “internal resilience plan” to Ukraine’s parliament on Tuesday.

The country’s military commander in chief wrote on Telegram that the country had faced 1,000 days of “extremely complex, fierce battle for our existence” and “destroying the enemy”.

“In the frozen trenches of Donetsk region and in the burning steppes of Kherson region under shells, hail, and anti-aircraft guns – we are fighting for the right to life.”

He added: “Every dark night, even if there are a thousand of them, always ends with dawn.”

On Tuesday, the Kremlin approved its updated nuclear doctrine – which says that any aggression from a non-nuclear state, if backed by a nuclear power, will be regarded as a joint attack on Russia.

It says Russia can use nuclear weapons in the case of a critical threat to its sovereignty, even if only with conventional weapons, an attack on Belarus, or a massive launch of military aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, or other airborne vehicles crossing Russian borders.

State Emergency Service Of Ukraine A building and car destroyed by a strike in Sumy.
State Emergency Service Of Ukraine A strike on a residential building in Sumy killed 89 people late on Sunday

Eleven children were among those killed by a separate Russian strike on Sumy late on Sunday, which saw the region’s power cut off and over 400 people evacuated.

Russian missiles and drones also targeted power structure across Ukraine on Sunday, killing at least 10 people and causing blackouts.

The EU’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell Fontelles also said on Tuesday the EU continued to stand with Ukraine, but that it “need[ed] to do more and quicker”.

“The European Union will continue to advance support to help achieve victory for Ukraine and to bring peace to our continent,” he said in a video shared on X.

“History will judge us based on our actions and reactions,” read the caption.

The presenter of Ukraine’s United News TV stream, launched at the beginning of the invasion to provide information on the war, said the country was “holding firm – despite the pressure on the front line, the damage to the energy system and the constant bombardment”.

Biden’s move to allow Ukraine to strike Russia with US-made long-range missiles was welcomed as a step that could redress the balance between both countries’ forces.

It is thought that Ukraine was only given permission to use the missiles to defend its forces inside Russia’s Kursk region, where Kyiv launched a surprise incursion in August and an assault from Russian and Korean troops was expected within days.

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Action demanded over surge in illegal meat imports in UK https://www.adomonline.com/action-demanded-over-surge-in-illegal-meat-imports-in-uk/ Sat, 26 Oct 2024 04:17:47 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2464682

The government is under pressure to stop illegal meat being smuggled into the UK, amid warnings of a “foot-and-mouth” level crisis for British farmers.

The amount of meat seized by Border Force officials has doubled in a year, according to data obtained by BBC News.

The data suggests more meat is entering the country in fewer vehicles, which experts say indicates a rise in organised crime.

Meat imports classed as illegal have often not gone through checks to confirm they are disease-free and conform to UK health standards.

An outbreak of the highly contagious African swine fever has been spreading across Europe’s pig herds since last summer.

Farmers and MPs have called on the chancellor to fund more stringent border controls in next week’s Budget to prevent the disease from entering the UK.

The President of the National Farmers’ Union, Tom Bradshaw, told the BBC that he was not confident the government would introduce the measures he believed were necessary.

“We’ve got a line in the Labour manifesto that food security is national security. Now at the moment there’s a very real risk that they are just words on a piece of paper rather than meaningful policy,” he said.

Mr Bradshaw said African swine fever “could spread very rapidly through our pig herd and have huge, huge implications”.

“At a time of such geopolitical uncertainty, making sure that we have the capability to produce the foods that everyone needs, it should be a political imperative,” he added.

The large rise in illegal meat is likely to be down to more stringent restrictions around the import of pork products, an overall increase in the price of meat and more organised criminal activity.

It is understood that red meat makes up the majority of the seizures, but the exact breakdown of beef, pork and lamb is not known.

African swine fever leads to very high death rates among infected pigs and currently has no effective treatment or vaccine.

Conservative MP Dr Neil Hudson, who worked as a veterinary surgeon during the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak, is among those calling for border and health authorities to be given more money.

“If African swine fever comes into the country, that would be as catastrophic as foot-and-mouth,” he said.

“Vets such as myself were deployed into the front line to supervise the culls and I witnessed sights then that I never want to see again in my lifetime.”

He wants the chancellor to fully refurbish the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency at a cost of £2.8bn.

“I know this is a lot of money, but you need to spend money now to prevent catastrophe in the future,” he added.

The National Audit Office estimated that the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak cost the UK economy £8bn, equivalent to around £14.5bn today.

Home Office figures, obtained by the BBC using Freedom of Information laws, show the amount of illegal meat seized by Border Force officials doubled from almost 35,000kg in 2022/23 to more than 70,000kg in 2023/24.

Figures for the first four months of 2024/25 suggest another large increase will be recorded by the end of the financial year.

Getty Images Livestock being burned on a pyre during the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak. Smoke rising from fires watched by man in white hazmat suit and another man, standing next to a tractor
Getty Images The 2001 foot and mouth outbreak decimated the UK’s livestock

It’s understood the actual amount caught is likely to be much higher, as the Border Force figures won’t include some seizures recorded by individual port health authorities around the UK.

The rise in seizures is not believed to be down to increased success at intercepting illegal imports.

“If we’re picking up tonnes of meat, you can imagine how much is coming through that we’re not picking up,” said Dr Hudson.

Additionally, the data shows a general trend towards fewer individual seizures, with more than 5,500 in 2015/16 and fewer than 2,000 in 2023/24, sparking fears of larger shipments and more organised criminal activity.

“That is concerning,” added Dr Hudson, “if there’s a smaller number of individuals being caught, that does imply organisation and we do know that there are organised gangs.”

Officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are understood to have held at least two meetings with representatives from the farming sector in recent weeks to discuss this issue.

A new system of post-Brexit border checks at Dover came into effect in April of this year, but critics have said they leave open the possibility of more illegal meat entering the UK.

Instead of checks taking place at Dover itself, vehicles are ordered to drive 22 miles away to a border control post at Sevington.

Parliament’s Environment Select Committee had been set to look into whether the system was working before the general election was called earlier this year.

“We have the potential now that we’ve left the European Union to have proper border checks, to make sure that biosecurity is protected,” Dr Hudson said.

The government announced £3.5bn of funding for Dover in August, but no additional money for smaller ports has been confirmed.

One Labour MP with a port in their constituency told the BBC there was general concern among colleagues that only shoring up Dover would lead to criminal activity moving elsewhere.

A government spokesperson said that there had never been an outbreak of African Swine Fever in the UK, and it was determined to ensure that remained the case.

“Strict import controls” were in place to manage risk, they said, including restrictions on personal pork imports introduced last month.

They added that the government worked closely with Port Health Authorities and Border Force “to ensure our robust border controls are enforced”.

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UK switches visa application supplier in Ghana https://www.adomonline.com/uk-switches-visa-application-supplier-in-ghana/ Thu, 24 Oct 2024 03:05:38 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2463769 From October 22, 2024, the UK’s third-party visa application centre supplier in Ghana has switched to the outsourcing company, VFS Global from the previous TLScontact, Visa.

The move has been explained to be a new change to improve the services in the visa application centre.

The development means that applicants in Ghana will need to complete their visa applications with VFS Global, even if they began the process with TLScontact as the previous supplier.

In a press statement, the UK government said the new changes would improve the services, including, on average, shorter biometric and application submission times in the visa application centre.

The new location for the UK visa application centre in Ghana is the Mezzanine Floor, Grand Oyeeman Building, South Liberation Link in Accra.

The British global network of visa application centres is managed by third-party suppliers under the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

The UK government emphasised that applicants would be informed if they would be affected by the new changes.

Additionally, applicants will be contacted by email if this change affects them. However, there is no need for concern as it will not affect visa application decisions, processing times, or prices.

UK government’s statement

The improved services mean shorter biometric application submission times in the visa application centres, as well as a new average passport collection time of 20 minutes and more comprehensive information for persons to distinguish free services from paid services.

Subsequently, the UK government has ensured that the recent changes will not affect the visa process, nor immigration rules, or visa fees.

TLS Visa Application Center to close on November 15.

Ghanaian nationals planning to submit new visa applications on the UK Visas and Immigration website will be automatically addressed to the VFS Global company in order to make an appointment for submission of their biometrics.

The current TLScontact visa application centre, located in Accra, will be officially closed on November 15, 2024, with the visa application services transferred to VFS Global.

Applicants that have already submitted their application at the TLScontact centre on or before November 15, 2024, and have not received your decision will have their files and any associated documents securely transferred to VFS Global by the TLScontact centre.

VFS Global in a statement noted that no change to their appointment will be applied to those who booked an appointment with the TLS contact centre for this month.

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Google goes nuclear to power AI data centres https://www.adomonline.com/google-goes-nuclear-to-power-ai-data-centres/ Tue, 15 Oct 2024 03:00:46 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2460467

Google has signed a deal to use small nuclear reactors to generate the vast amounts of energy needed to power its artificial intelligence (AI) data centres.

The company says the agreement with Kairos Power will see it start using the first reactor this decade and bring more online by 2035.

The companies did not give any details about how much the deal is worth or where the plants will be built.

Technology firms are increasingly turning to nuclear sources of energy to supply the electricity used by huge data centres that drive AI.

“The grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies,” said Michael Terrell, senior director for energy and climate at Google.

“This agreement helps accelerate a new technology to meet energy needs cleanly and reliably, and unlock the full potential of AI for everyone.”

Last month, Microsoft reached a deal to restart operations at the Three Mile Island energy plant, the site of America’s worst nuclear accident in 1979.

In March, Amazon said it would buy a nuclear-powered data centre in the state of Pennsylvania.

Nuclear power, which is virtually carbon free and provides electricity 24 hours a day, has become increasingly attractive to the tech industry as it attempts to cut emissions while becoming more energy intensive.

However, critics say nuclear power is not risk-free and produces long-lasting radioactive waste.

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Spacecraft blasts off to hunt alien life on a distant moon https://www.adomonline.com/spacecraft-blasts-off-to-hunt-alien-life-on-a-distant-moon/ Tue, 15 Oct 2024 02:37:32 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2460458

A spacecraft that will hunt for signs of alien life on one of Jupiter’s icy moons has blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Nasa launched the spacecraft at 12:06 local time (16:06 GMT) after hurricane Milton forced the mission to postpone plans last week.

Europa Clipper will now travel 1.8 billion miles to reach Europa, a deeply mysterious moon orbiting Jupiter.

It will not arrive until 2030 but what it finds could change what we know about life in our solar system.

Trapped under the moon’s surface could be a vast ocean with double the amount of water on Earth.

The spacecraft is chasing a European mission that left last year, but using a cosmic piggyback, it will overtake and arrive first.

Getty Images The NASA Europa Clipper spacecraft is viewed during a media tour inside a Spacecraft Assembly Facility clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on April 11, 2024 in Pasadena, California. Getty Images
The spacecraft has been developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California

A moon five times brighter than ours

Years in the making, the Europa Clipper launch was delayed at the last minute after hurricane Milton blasted Florida this week.

The spacecraft was rushed indoors for shelter, but after checking the launchpad at Cape Canaveral for damage, engineers have now given the go-ahead for lift-off at 12:06 local time (16:06 GMT).

“If we discover life so far away from the Sun, it would imply a separate origin of life to the Earth,” says Mark Fox-Powell, a planetary microbiologist at the Open University.

“That is hugely significant, because if that happens twice in our solar system, it could mean life is really common,” he says.

Located 628 million kilometres from Earth, Europa is just a bit bigger than our moon, but that is where the similarity ends.

If it was in our skies, it would shine five times brighter because the water ice would reflect much more sunlight.

Its icy crust is up to 25km thick, and sloshing beneath, there could be a vast saltwater ocean. There may also be chemicals that are the ingredients for simple life.

Image showing the Europa Clipper spacecraft, and an image of a mapping imaging spectrometer used to analyse infrared light
The spacecraft is just longer than a professional basketball court and weighs around the same as an African elephant

Scientists first realised Europa might support life in the 1970s when, peering through a telescope in Arizona, they saw water ice.

Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts captured the first close-up images, and then in 1995 Nasa’s Galileo spacecraft flew past Europa taking some deeply puzzling pictures. They showed a surface riddled with dark, reddish-brown cracks, fractures that may contain salts and sulfur compounds that could support life.

The Hubble space telescope has since taken pictures of what might be plumes of water ejected 100 miles (160 kilometers) above the moon’s surface

But none of those missions got close enough to Europa for long enough to really understand it.

Flying through plumes of water

Now scientists hope that instruments on Nasa’s Clipper spacecraft will map almost the entire moon, as well as collect dust particles and fly through the water plumes.

Britney Schmidt, professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at Cornell university in the US, helped to design a laser onboard that will see through the ice.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute The puzzling, fascinating surface of Jupiter's icy moon Europa looms large in this newly-reprocessed color view, made from images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft in the late 1990s.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute The strange surface of Europa – captured by Galileo spacecraft in the 1990s

“I’m most excited about understanding Europa’s plumbing. Where’s the water? Europa has the ice version of Earth’s subduction zones, magma chambers and tectonics – we’re going to try to see into those regions and map them,” she says.

Her instrument, which is called Reason, was tested in Antarctica.

But unlike on Earth, all the instruments on Clipper will be exposed to huge amounts of radiation which Prof Schmidt says is a “major concern.”

The spacecraft should fly past Europa about 50 times, and each time, it will be blasted with radiation equivalent to one million X-rays.

“Much of the electronics are in a vault that’s heavily shielded to keep out radiation,” Prof Schmidt explains.

The spaceship is the largest ever built to visit a planet and has a long journey ahead. Travelling 1.8 billion miles, it will orbit both the Earth and Mars to propel itself further towards Jupiter in what is called the sling-shot effect.

An illustration showing the route Europa Clipper will take including the slingshot-effect of using the gravitational pull of Mars and Earth to propel itself
Europa Clipper will travel for five and a half years to reach Jupiter

It cannot carry enough fuel to motor itself all the way alone, so it will piggyback off the momentum of Earth and Mars’s gravitational pull.

It will overtake JUICE, the European Space Agency’s spaceship that will also visit Europa on its way to another of Jupiter’s moons called Ganeymede.

Once Clipper approaches Europa in 2030 it will switch on its engines again to carefully manoeuvre itself into the right orbit.

NASA/JPL/DLR This image shows two views of the trailing hemisphere of Jupiter's ice-covered satellite, Europa. The left image shows the approximate natural color appearance of Europa. The image on the right is a false-color composite version combining violet, green and infrared images to enhance color differences in the predominantly water-ice crust of Europa. Dark brown areas represent rocky material derived from the interior, implanted by impact, or from a combination of interior and exterior sources. Bright plains in the polar areas (top and bottom) are shown in tones of blue to distinguish possibly coarse-grained ice (dark blue) from fine-grained ice (light blue). Long, dark lines are fractures in the crust, some of which are more than 3,000 kilometers (1,850 miles) long. The bright feature containing a central dark spot in the lower third of the image is a young impact crater some 50 kilometers (31 miles) in diameter. This crater has been provisionally named "Pwyll" for the Celtic god of the underworld.
NASA/JPL/DLR The left image shows the natural appearance of Europa, and the right image uses colour to highlight the water-ice crust

Space scientists are very cautious when talking about the chances of discovering life – there is no expectation that they will find human-like creatures or animals.

“We are searching for the potential for habitability and you need four things – liquid water, a heat source, and organic material. Finally those three ingredients need to be stable over a long enough period of time that something can happen,” explains Michelle Dougherty, professor of space physics at Imperial College in London.

And they hope that if they can understand the ice surface better, they will know where to land a craft on a future mission.

An international team of scientists with Nasa, the Jet Propulsion Lab and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab will oversee the odyssey.

At a time when there is a space launch virtually every week, this mission promises something different, suggests Professor Fox-Powell.

“There’s no profit being made. This is about exploration and curiosity, and pushing back the boundaries of our knowledge of our place in the universe,” he says.

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Elon Musk reveals Tesla’s Robotaxi and Robovan https://www.adomonline.com/elon-musk-reveals-teslas-robotaxi-and-robovan/ Fri, 11 Oct 2024 04:54:19 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2459295

Elon Musk showed off Tesla’s upcoming driverless taxi at its “We, Robot” on Thursday evening.

The unveiling took place on a lot in Warner Bros. Discovery’s movie studio in Burbank, California. The location allowed Tesla to show off its autonomous driving capabilities without running into any unexpected situations with traffic.

Musk walked into the event and entered a sleek-looking silver Robotaxi, a two-door vehicle that opened upward with butterfly-style doors.

The Robotaxi, also referred to as Cybercab, then took Musk on a ride around the lot before he exited to kick off the event.

Musk said the Robotaxi has no steering wheel or pedals and does not need to be plugged in. Instead, he said the electric vehicle relies on inductive charging and simply needs to drive over the charger to charge.

Elon Musk reveals Tesla's Robotaxi and Robovan
Elon Musk reveals Tesla’s Robotaxi and Robovan

Musk said Tesla had at least 20 Cybercabs, and that there were 50 fully autonomous vehicles at the event, some of which were already driving around without any people in them.

Musk said Tesla would have unsupervised fully autonomous vehicles, the Model 3 and the Model Y, on the road in California and Texas next year and that the Cybercab would be in production before 2027. However, Musk himself noted his tendency to be optimistic on timelines, regularly delivering products later than he initially estimates.

Tesla’s upcoming RobotaxiTesla

He also said the Cybercabs would be available to buy. He expects them to cost less than $30,000.

Tesla provided more details in a post on X, announcing that the Robotaxi service would have no driver fee and that the fully self-driving vehicles would use cameras alone, rather than radar or lidar equipment. The company also said customers could call the Robotaxi once and use it for as long as it’s needed, whether for a short trip or for a full day.

Musk did not share many specifics about the technology behind the Robotaxis or the safety features. Tesla has been scrutinized in the past over the safety of its driver-assistance systems.

Tesla also announced the Robovan, a large shuttle van that Musk said could seat up to 20 people.

A Tesla Robovan prototype makes its way through a Los Angeles-area setScreenshot

Musk also touted Optimus, a humanoid robot that he said would cost $28,000 to $30,000, but did not share a timeline on when the robot would be available.

“I think this will be the biggest product ever, of any kind,” Musk said, adding, “I think everyone’s going to want their Optimus buddy.”

At the end of the presentation, several of the robots danced on the stage to a light show.

Tesla Optimus robot prototypes walk onto the stage with Elon MuskScreengrab

In a post on X ahead of the reveal, Musk said Tesla created a “futuristic world” at the studio lot, resharing photos of a pamphlet from the event. The photos included a map that showed four separate areas that had been assigned titles that included “TSLA Theater,” “New York,” “Metropolis,” and “Westworld.” The handout said guests could visit the different areas for things like Texas BBQ, arcade games, and a block party complete with street performers.

The event got off to a late start, kicking off nearly an hour later than planned, which Musk said in an X post was due to someone in the crowd having a medical emergency.

The reveal was also live-streamed on X, Musk’s social-media platform formerly known as Twitter, and had over 3 million viewers at one point.

The unveiling of Tesla’s latest vehicle is a major milestone for the company and has been highly anticipated for years. Tesla initially planned to unveil the Robotaxi in August but pushed back the date due to Musk requesting an “important design change to the front” of the vehicle, he wrote in a post on his social media platform, X. He also said the “extra time” would allow the company to “show off a few other things.”

The Tesla CEO has said reaching full autonomy is key to Tesla’s success in the future.

“The value of Tesla overwhelmingly is autonomy,” Musk told investors in July.

Musk, in the last decade, has made repeated predictions about when the technology, which also faces regulation hurdles, will be ready. Tesla’s Autopilot driver-assist software is widely available, but the optional Full-Self-Driving upgrade is still considered beta software and requires constant human supervision and a readiness to take over driving. In 2016, Musk said during a press call that a Tesla vehicle would autonomously drive from Los Angeles to New York City by 2017. In 2019, the billionaire said at a conference that Tesla would have a million Robotaxis on the road in 2020. By 2022, the timeline moved to 2023.

Despite Musk’s optimistic outlook, Tesla’s self-driving technology has faced significant challenges and regulatory scrutiny. A recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report said it was investigating hundreds of crashes where Autopilot was involved, which resulted in 29 fatalities.

While previous Tesla vehicles have Level 2 autonomy, Alphabet-owned Waymo, which has partnered with Uber, has reached Level 4 autonomy, which means the vehicle can drive without anyone behind the wheel in some cities in the US.

Some analysts don’t expect fully autonomous Robotaxis for several more years. In the meantime, regulatory approval for the Robotaxi and its unsupervised full self-driving technology will be a main hurdle for Tesla to overcome in the coming months and years.

Watch the unveiling of Tesla’s Robotaxi and Robovan below: 

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We, Robot nonadult
Man who got on ‘wrong plane’ arrested https://www.adomonline.com/man-who-got-on-wrong-plane-arrested/ Mon, 07 Oct 2024 02:52:27 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2457404 A flight was delayed at Manchester Airport after a man “incorrectly” boarded the plane, EasyJet has said.

The BBC understands an airport passenger had been due to fly on another EasyJet flight but gained entry to the Milan-bound flight on Friday evening in error.

All passengers had to disembark the plane as extra security checks were carried out in line with standard procedure.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said a man had “embarked on a flight without the correct documentation”.

‘Additional checks’

Nothing suspicious was found on board, and there was no suggestion that it was terror-related.

An EasyJet spokesman said that the flight was “subject to additional security checks, in line with procedures, due to a passenger incorrectly boarding the flight”.

“Safety and security is our highest priority, and so we will now work with our ground partner at Manchester Airport to understand how he was able to board the flight.”

On Saturday, a GMP spokesman said a man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of hiding himself with the purpose of “being carried in an aircraft without consent and intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance”.

An EasyJet spokesman said the company was “not able to provide further details while [the investigation] is ongoing”.

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Murder of Paris female student fuels calls for tougher action on immigration https://www.adomonline.com/murder-of-paris-female-student-fuels-calls-for-tougher-action-on-immigration/ Thu, 26 Sep 2024 03:27:23 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2453485

The murder of a 19-year-old female student in an exclusive neighbourhood of Paris is fuelling new calls from the French right for tougher action on immigration.

The body of the young woman, named only as Philippine, was found on Saturday, half-buried in the Bois de Boulogne park on the western edge of the capital.

She had last been seen on Friday lunchtime a few hundred metres away, as she left the Paris-Dauphine university campus where she was studying economics.

The suspected killer was traced to Geneva, where he was arrested on Tuesday and awaits deportation to France.

He is a 22-year-old Moroccan man who was released from detention in France earlier this month after serving five years for raping a student in 2019.

Named by French media as Taha O, he was the subject of an expulsion order from France, which had not been carried out.

For France’s hardline new interior minister Bruno Retailleau, it is a first test after he took office last week promising that his top three priorities would be to “establish order, establish order and establish order.”

“It is up to us as public officials to … change our legal arsenal in order to protect the French,” he said on the X social media platform.

The far-right National Rally (RN) seized on the murder as more evidence of the laxity of the French judicial system.

“This migrant had no right to be here, but he was able to offend again in total impunity. Our justice is too lenient; our state is dysfunctional. It is time for the government to act,” said the RN’s president, Jordan Bardella.

With more than 120 members of parliament, the RN has leverage over the minority government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier because it can decide at any time to support a vote of no confidence and potentially bring it down.

Some left-wing politicians joined calls for greater effectiveness in carrying out expulsion orders.

The suspect “should have gone straight from prison to plane”, said Socialist party leader Olivier Faure.

Currently fewer than 10% of French expulsion orders are carried out, according to government figures.

Sandrine Rousseau of the Ecologists said the murder was a “femicide” which should be “punished severely”. But she warned that the far right would “exploit it to spread its racist and xenophobic hate”.

Philippine’s disappearance led to an alert on a phone app called The Sorority, whose network of members are pledged to come to the help of women in distress.

Philippine did not have the app, but The Sorority said it issued a “missing persons notice” on Saturday to encourage members to join the search.

Philippine was on her way home to her parents’ house west of Paris when she disappeared. She was described as a quiet, model student by her colleagues and was involved in the scouting movement.

Her killing has raised fears about safety in the Bois de Boulogne, which abuts the expensive areas of Paris’s 16th arrondissement (district).

The park has long been a centre of prostitution but local residents say parts have become increasingly frightening in recent years, because of the presence of drug-addicts and other suspicious characters.

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Foreign journalists briefed on Zaparoshe Nuclear Power Plant Europe’s largest and Russia-owned https://www.adomonline.com/foreign-journalists-briefed-on-zaparoshe-nuclear-power-plant-europes-largest-and-russia-owned/ Sat, 14 Sep 2024 17:55:05 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2449119 Foreign journalists were given a rare insight into the operations of the Zaparoshe Nuclear Power Plant, situated just 4 kilometers from the volatile frontline in Ukraine.

This facility, touted as the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, is owned and operated by Russia and boasts a workforce of over 5000 personnel during peak operational periods.

The journalists were briefed on the intricacies of the plant, which consists of 6 energy blocks and a heavily fortified fuel station crucial for supplying the entire complex.

The visit included discussions on the plant’s operational capabilities, safety protocols, and its strategic importance in the region’s energy landscape.

One of the focal points of the briefing was the harrowing incident in 2022 when the plant came under attack.

Ukrainian forces reportedly shelled the facility from their positions, an event that underscored the precarious proximity of the plant to the conflict zone. Despite this, officials emphasized that stringent security measures have been implemented to safeguard the facility against such threats.

During the briefing, journalists were shown the extensive security infrastructure surrounding the plant, designed to prevent unauthorized access and protect against external threats. The plant’s location, just a short distance from active conflict areas, presents ongoing challenges in maintaining operational stability amidst regional tensions.

The Zaparoshe Nuclear Power Plant plays a pivotal role in meeting both regional and national energy demands, generating significant electricity for millions of consumers. Its operational significance has only grown amid broader geopolitical dynamics, making it a focal point for energy security discussions in Europe.

Russia’s ownership of the plant since 2022 has further heightened its strategic importance, intertwining energy production with geopolitical influence in the region. The plant’s capacity and capability were showcased to highlight Russia’s commitment to maintaining operational integrity despite external pressures.

The journalists, however, expressed a mix of awe at the scale of operations and concern over the plant’s proximity to conflict.

The briefing served as a reminder of the complex intersection of energy infrastructure and geopolitical realities in contemporary Europe.

The visit to Zaparoshe Nuclear Power Plant provided a rare glimpse into one of Europe’s most critical energy facilities, shedding light on its operations, challenges, and strategic significance in a volatile region.

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Police minister’s purse stolen at police conference https://www.adomonline.com/police-ministers-purse-stolen-at-police-conference-2/ Sat, 14 Sep 2024 00:33:33 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2448875 Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson had her purse stolen from the hotel where she gave a speech at a conference for senior police officers on Tuesday.

Thieves struck while Dame Diana was giving a speech blaming the Conservatives for an “epidemic of antisocial behaviour, theft and shoplifting,” at the annual Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA) conference at a hotel in Kenilworth.

A member of Home Office staff also had belongings taken. A 56-year-old man from Coventry has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and released on bail in connection to the incident, Warwickshire Police said.

The Home Office said no security risks had been identified.

Dame Diana used her speech to attack the Conservative Party’s legacy and outline the government’s plans to boost neighbourhood policing.

Labour’s mission “is to restore respect for the rule of law on British streets, including restoring respect for the police, which has sadly been eroded over many years,” she said.

“Too many town centres and high streets across the country have been gripped by an epidemic of anti-social behaviour, theft and shoplifting, which is corroding our communities and cannot be allowed to continue,” she added.

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson

Dame Diana announced the government has “agreed initial funding to support the College of Policing in rolling out a specialist new training programme for neighbourhood officers”.

President of the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA) Nick Smart told the conference police have been left at the centre of a storm not of their making due to the early release of hundreds of prisoners.

He complained that inmates are being set free without proper release plans and that the police would be left to deal with the consequences.

Warwickshire Police confirmed it was investigating reports of a burglary at the Kenilworth hotel that hosted the PSA conference.

A police spokesperson said: “The theft occurred some time between 11.00 BST-13.15 on Tuesday.

“Enquiries are ongoing. A 56-year-old man from Coventry has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.”

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Police minister’s purse stolen at police conference https://www.adomonline.com/police-ministers-purse-stolen-at-police-conference/ Fri, 13 Sep 2024 07:39:57 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2448355 Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson had her purse stolen from the hotel where she gave a speech at a conference for senior police officers on Tuesday.

Thieves struck while Dame Diana was giving a speech blaming the Conservatives for an “epidemic of antisocial behaviour, theft and shoplifting,” at the annual Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA) conference at a hotel in Kenilworth.

A member of Home Office staff also had belongings taken. A 56-year-old man from Coventry has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and released on bail in connection to the incident, Warwickshire Police said.

The Home Office said no security risks had been identified.

Dame Diana used her speech to attack the Conservative Party’s legacy and outline the government’s plans to boost neighbourhood policing.

Labour’s mission “is to restore respect for the rule of law on British streets, including restoring respect for the police, which has sadly been eroded over many years,” she said.

“Too many town centres and high streets across the country have been gripped by an epidemic of anti-social behaviour, theft and shoplifting, which is corroding our communities and cannot be allowed to continue,” she added.

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson

Dame Diana announced the government has “agreed initial funding to support the College of Policing in rolling out a specialist new training programme for neighbourhood officers”.

President of the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA) Nick Smart told the conference police have been left at the centre of a storm not of their making due to the early release of hundreds of prisoners.

He complained that inmates are being set free without proper release plans and that the police would be left to deal with the consequences.

Warwickshire Police confirmed it was investigating reports of a burglary at the Kenilworth hotel that hosted the PSA conference.

A police spokesperson said: “The theft occurred some time between 11.00 BST-13.15 on Tuesday.

“Enquiries are ongoing. A 56-year-old man from Coventry has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.”

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Tunisia coast guard recovers bodies of six African migrants https://www.adomonline.com/tunisia-coast-guard-recovers-bodies-of-six-african-migrants/ Fri, 13 Sep 2024 05:20:35 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2448316 Tunisian coast guards recovered the bodies of five African women migrants and a baby in waters off the town of Monastir, a judge said on Thursday.

Judge Farid Ben Jha told Reuters that the bodies had been recovered late on Wednesday and that the migrants had come from sub-Saharan Africa.

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Row over Olympic rings on Eiffel Tower plan https://www.adomonline.com/row-over-olympic-rings-on-eiffel-tower-plan/ Mon, 02 Sep 2024 08:24:12 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2442385 Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has triggered a heated debate by saying she wants to keep the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower after the Summer Games are over.

“The decision is up to me, and I have the agreement of the IOC [International Olympic Committee],” she told the Ouest-France newspaper over the weekend.

“So yes, they [the rings] will stay on the Eiffel Tower,” she added.

Some Parisians backed the move, but others – including heritage campaigners – said it was a bad idea and would “defile” the French capital’s iconic monument.

Reuters Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Photo: 25 August 2024
Anne Hidalgo said “The French have fallen in love with Paris again”

The five rings – 29m (95ft) wide, 15m high and weighing 30 tonnes – were installed on the Eiffel Tower before the Paris Olympics opened on 26 July and were expected to be taken down after the Paralympics’ closing ceremony on 8 September.

But Ms Hidalgo said she wanted to keep the interlaced rings of blue, yellow, black, green and red, symbolising the five continents.

She added that the current rings – each one measuring 9m in diameter – were too heavy and would be replaced by a lighter version at some point.

The Socialist mayor also claimed that “the French have fallen in love with Paris again” during the Games, and she wanted “this festive spirit to remain”.

Some Parisians as well as visitors to the French capital supported the mayor.

“The Eiffel Tower is very beautiful, the rings add colour. It’s very nice to see it like this,” a young woman, who identified herself as Solène, told the France Bleu website.

But Manon, a local resident, said this was “a really bad idea”.

“It’s a historic monument, why defile it with rings? It was good for the Olympics but now it’s over, we can move on, maybe we should remove them and return the Eiffel Tower to how it was before,” he told France Bleu.

Social media user Christophe Robin said Ms Hidalgo should have consulted Parisians before going ahead with her plan.

In a post on X, he reminded that the Eiffel Tower featured a Citroën advert in 1925-36.

The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 for the World’s Fair. The wrought-iron lattice tower was initially heavily criticised by Parisian artists and intellectuals – but is now seen by many as the symbol of the “City of Light”.

Ms Hidalgo, who has been running Paris since 2014, is known for her bold – and sometimes controversial – reforms.

Under her tenure, many city streets, including the banks of the river Seine, have been pedestrianised.

Last year, she won convincingly a city referendum to ban rental electric scooters. However, fewer than 8% of those eligible turned out to vote.

In February, Ms Hidalgo was again victorious after Parisians approved a steep rise in parking rates for sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

But both drivers’ groups and opposition figures attacked the scheme, saying the SUV classification was misleading as many family-size cars would be affected.

France’s Environment Minister Christophe Béchu said at the time that the surcharge amounted to “punitive environmentalism”.

And just before the Paris Olympics, Ms Hidalgo and other officials went into the Seine to prove the river was safe to swim.

But during the Olympics, triathlon events were subject to several delays caused by heavy rain.

And Para-triathlon events – originally scheduled for 1 September – had to be postponed by 24 hours because of poor water quality.

Source: BBC

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Telegram CEO arrested at French airport https://www.adomonline.com/telegram-ceo-arrested-at-french-airport/ Sun, 25 Aug 2024 09:04:36 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2438619

Telegram Chief Executive, Pavel Durov has been arrested by French police at an airport north of Paris.

Mr Durov was detained after his private jet had landed at Le Bourget Airport, French media reported.

According to officials, the 39-year-old had been arrested under a warrant for offences related to the popular messaging app.

Russia’s embassy in France is taking “immediate steps” to clarify the situation, according to Russia’s TASS state news agency.

Durov had been travelling on his private jet, French TV channel TF1 said on its website.

Telegram is particularly popular in Russia, Ukraine and former Soviet Union states.

The app was banned in Russia in 2018, after a previous refusal by Mr Durov to hand over user data.

But the ban was reversed in 2021.

Telegram is ranked as one of the major social media platforms after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and Wechat.

Mr Durov founded Telegram in 2013 and he left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on his VKontakte social media platform, which he sold.

Source: BBC

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Sicily yacht sinking: Who are the missing and rescued? https://www.adomonline.com/sicily-yacht-sinking-who-are-the-missing-and-rescued/ Tue, 20 Aug 2024 18:41:50 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2436490 A rescue mission is under way off the coast of Sicily after the British-flagged superyacht Bayesian sank during freak weather early on Monday morning.

One man, the vessel’s cook, has died and his body has been recovered, according to Sicily’s civil protection agency.

Some 15 people have been rescued from the boat, while six remain missing.

Specialist divers from the Italian fire brigade resumed their search early on Tuesday morning.

Who is missing?

Five of the six people who are unaccounted for have been named.

The six missing include four British nationals and two Americans, according to La Repubblica.

The Italian newspaper Il Giornale di Sicilia reported the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, along with people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Several people on the boat worked on the recent trial of British businessman Mike Lynch, who was recently acquitted of fraud in the US.

There have been reports that the yacht trip was a celebration of Mr Lynch’s acquittal.

Mr Lynch is a tech entrepreneur who was once regarded by some as “Britain’s Bill Gates”.

Born in Ireland and raised in Essex, he went on to study at the University of Cambridge, before co-founding software company Autonomy in 1996.

The 59-year-old made his riches by selling the company to US tech giant Hewlett-Packard in 2011 for $11bn (£8.6bn).

Mr Lynch became embroiled in a decade-long legal battle following the acquisition. He was acquitted in the US in June on multiple fraud charges, over which he had been facing two decades in jail.

He told BBC Radio 4 in August that he believed he had only been able to prove his innocence in US court because he was rich enough to pay the enormous legal fees involved.

“You shouldn’t need to have funds to protect yourself as a British citizen,” he said.

Hannah Lynch, student

Mr Lynch was travelling with his daughter Hannah, who is also missing.

The 18-year-old is reportedly the younger of Mr Lynch’s two daughters.

She had just completed her A-levels and secured a place to read English at Oxford University, according to the Times.

Chris Morvillo, lawyer

Chris Morvillo is a lawyer who represented Mr Lynch in his US trial. Since 2011, he has been a partner at the Clifford Chance law firm in New York.

His biography on the firm’s website says that he served as assistant attorney for the southern district of New York from 1999 to 2005.

During his tenure, he worked on the criminal investigation surrounding the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Jonathan Bloomer, Morgan Stanley International chair

Jonathan Bloomer is the chairman of the Morgan Stanley International bank and insurance company Hiscox.

The 70-year-old Briton was educated at Imperial College London and has previously served on a number of company boards.

Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, according to the the Financial Times. Media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

Aki Hussain, group chief executive of Hiscox, which Mr Bloomer has chaired since 2023, said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing.”

Judy Bloomer, charity trustee

Judy, the wife of Jonathan Bloomer, is also among the six people missing.

Ms Bloomer is listed as a former director of property developer Change Real Estate along with her husband.

She has been called a “brilliant champion for women’s health” by a charity she has worked closely with.

Ms Bloomer has been a trustee at gynaecological cancer research charity the Eve Appeal for over 20 years.

The charity’s CEO, Athena Lamnisos, said she was “deeply shocked to hear the news that our very dear friend and her husband Jonathan, are among those missing”.

“Our thoughts are with Judy and Jonathan’s family, as well as all those who are still waiting for news after this tragic event,” she added in a statement.

Who has been rescued?

Among the 15 people who were rescued are nine members of the yacht’s crew.

This means every member of the crew is accounted for minus the chef, who local authorities say has died.

Eight of the 15 who were rescued have been taken to hospital.

A British mother, named locally as Charlotte Golunski, was travelling on the yacht with her partner and baby girl. All three have been rescued from the boat.

In an interview, she described holding her infant daughter above the surface of the sea to save her from drowning.

Ms Golunski is a partner at Mr Lynch’s company, Invoke Capital, where she has worked since 2012, according to her LinkedIn profile.

The Times has reported that she has previously worked for Autonomy, the company at the centre of Mr Lynch’s recent court case.

Another lawyer, Ayla Ronald, was also reportedly rescued.

The New Zealand national works for Clifford Chance, where Mr Morvillo is a partner, and was part of Mr Lynch’s legal team for his June trial.

Her father told the Telegraph that she was “invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case”.

He said she had texted him to say that she and her partner were alive, without elaborating.

Angela Bacares, Mr Lynch’s wife and Hannah Lynch’s mother, is also among those who have been rescued.

On Monday, Ms Bacares was using a wheelchair after suffering ­abrasions on her feet, according to the newspaper La Repubblica.

Source:BBC

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Meet David Tweneboah Koduah, Ghana’s only int’l technical official at 2024 Paralympic Games https://www.adomonline.com/meet-david-tweneboah-koduah-ghanas-only-intl-technical-official-at-2024-paralympic-games/ Mon, 19 Aug 2024 18:37:49 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2435969 David Tweneboah Koduah, a senior university sports coach at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), will represent Ghana as an International Technical Official at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, which will run from August 28 to September 8, 2024.

Tweneboah Koduah plays a pivotal role in the advancement of Para Sports in Ghana. He is in charge of the University Goalball Teams at UCC and serves as the Technical Director of the Ghana Blind Sports Association (GBSA).

Additionally, he represents the Ghana University Sports Association (GUSA) on the National Paralympic Committee of Ghana (NPC-Ghana).

As a National Coach for Para Athletics under NPC-Ghana, Tweneboah Koduah’s expertise in Goalball is widely recognized. He is the only International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Goalball Level 2 Referee in West Africa, and one of only six Level 2 IBSA Goalball Referees across the entire African continent.

His influence extends beyond national borders, as he is also a member of the IBSA Goalball Taskforce, responsible for reviewing the rules and regulations of Goalball under the direction of the IBSA President. Previously, Tweneboah Koduah served as the African representative on the IBSA Goalball Sub-Committee from 2022 to 2024.

His appointment as an International Technical Official for Goalball at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games is a testament to his dedication and expertise in the field of Para Sports.

About Goalball

Goalball is a completely unique, dynamic team sport of skill, speed and accuracy for men’s and women’s teams.

A game for people with visual impairments, players try to score goals by quickly and precisely firing a 1.25kg ball across the court and defending shots from the opposing team using their entire bodies, throwing themselves to the floor in the right position.

At the Paralympic Games, the ball has been measured leaving a player’s hand more than 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph).

Players wear eyeshades to ensure a level playing field where athletes with complete blindness compete with and against those with less severe – but still acute – visual impairments. The ball contains several bells so that players can locate its position. In addition, the goalball court is marked with raised lines so that players can feel their location at any time.

To ensure that players can hear everything that is going on and properly absorb the intensity of the atmosphere, spectators must be completely silent during play.

Each team has three players, with a maximum of three substitutions throughout a match. Games are split into two 12-minute halves and are played on a court that is 18m x 9m wide. Goals span the width of the pitch, and each team member must stay in their half.

The ball must hit in the player’s own landing zone, and anywhere in the neutral zone. So long as it hits each zone, the style of throw is entirely up to the player.

Each player has a unique technique when it comes to throwing – some even release the ball between their legs with their back to their opponents. Most elite players are effective when using multiple types of throws.

A goal is one point and is scored when the ball completely crosses the goal line. The team with the higher score at the end of regulation time is the winner. If regulation time results in a tie, two three-minute overtime periods are played, for a golden goal.

If no goal scored during overtime, penalty throws, and sudden death penalty throws are taken.

If a goal difference of ten is reached during regulation time, a mercy is called, and the leading team is declared the winner.

IBSA Goalball is the global governing body of the sport responsible for rules, development, anti-doping, promotion and the competition calendar.

Men and women play separately at IBSA Goalball-sanctioned competitions, but some play together for training and more local tournaments.

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Ukraine incursion destroys key Russian bridge https://www.adomonline.com/ukraine-incursion-destroys-key-russian-bridge/ Sat, 17 Aug 2024 01:52:16 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2435137

Ukraine has destroyed a strategically important bridge over the river Seym, as it continues its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

Russian officials have been quoted as saying the operation near the town of Glushkovo has cut off part of the local district.

The bridge was used by the Kremlin to supply its troops and its destruction could hamper their efforts.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian troops were strengthening their positions in Kursk, and called the captured territories an exchange fund, implying they could be swapped for Ukrainian regions occupied by Moscow.

Telegram The bridge near the town of Glushkovo has been blown up
Telegram The bridge was used by Russia to supply its troops

Now in its second week, this is Ukraine’s deepest incursion into Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion more than two years ago.

Ukraine’s surprise cross-border operation has resulted in more than 120,000 people fleeing to safety.

But amid Ukrainian claims of territorial gains, Kyiv has repeatedly maintained it does not wish to occupy Russia.

“Ukraine is not interested in occupying Russian territories,” a senior aide to Ukrainian President Zelensky said on Friday.

Mykhailo Podolyak said one of the key objectives they wanted out of their incursion into Russia was to get Moscow to negotiate “on our own terms”.

“In the Kursk region, we can clearly see how the military tool is being used objectively to persuade Russia to enter a fair negotiation process,” he wrote on X, adding Kyiv has proven “effective means of coercion”.

The head of the Ukrainian military, Oleksandr Syrsky, said on Friday that the offensive had made further progress.

“The troops of the offensive group continue to fight and have advanced in some areas from one to three kilometres towards the enemy,” he told President Zelensky in a video posted on social media.

Syrsky said he hoped to take “many prisoners” from a battle in the village of Mala Loknya, about 13km (8 miles) from the border.

As Ukraine’s advance continues, officials in Russia’s Belgorod region bordering Ukraine have said they will evacuate five villages starting on Monday.

“From 19 August, we are closing access to five settlements, removing residents and helping them bring out their property,” Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on the Telegram social messaging app, naming small villages near the border.

However, as Ukraine moves further into western Russian territory, Russian forces are equally making gains in Ukraine’s east.

On Friday, Moscow said its troops had captured Serhiivka, the latest in a string of towns claimed by Russian troops in recent weeks.

The latest advances bring the Russians closer to the city of Pokrovsk, a vital logistics hub that sits on a main road for supplies to Ukrainian troops along the eastern front.

Pokrovsk lies north-west of the Russian-held Donetsk region, which has been under Ukrainian fire since Friday morning, leaving several civilians injured.

A message from the head of the city’s military administration, Sergiy Dobryak, on Thursday, urged people to evacuate as Russia was “rapidly approaching the outskirts”.

Map of eastern Ukraine
Reuters Smoke rises above the burning shopping centre in Donetsk
Reuters Smoke rises above the burning shopping centre in Donetsk

Earlier, Russian-installed officials in the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine’s Donetsk region blamed Kyiv for a strike on a shopping centre that wounded at least seven.

According to the Russia-backed governor of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, the city has been under shelling since midday on Friday.

Reuters news agency reported that over the past 24 hours, three civilians had been killed and five others injured, citing Donetsk’s regional head.

In Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, missiles targeting a bridge built under Russian President Vladimir Putin’s orders were shot down overnight, the defence ministry said on Telegram.

Kyiv has launched multiple attacks and attempted attacks on the Kerch Bridge since Moscow began its military offensive.

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Ukraine sets up military office inside Russia https://www.adomonline.com/ukraine-sets-up-military-office-inside-russia/ Thu, 15 Aug 2024 23:23:57 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2434585

Ukraine has set up a military administrative office in Russia’s western Kursk region, where its surprise incursion into Russian territory continues, according to its top military commander.

Gen Oleksandr Syrsky said the office would “maintain law and order” and “meet the immediate needs” of the population in the area.

In a video posted on social media, Gen Syrsky is seen telling a meeting chaired by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the office has been created “on the territories controlled by Ukraine”.

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov has said Moscow will send reinforcements to “safeguard” the population in the region.

Facebook / Volodymyr Zelensky President Volodymyr Zelensky
Facebook / Volodymyr Zelensky President Zelensky chaired a meeting with top Ukrainian commanders on Thursday

Ukraine also claimed to have made further gains in its incursion on Thursday.

Ukrainian troops were 35km inside the Kursk region, where they control 1,150sq km of territory, including 82 settlements, Gen Syrsky said.

Now on its 10th day, this is Ukraine’s deepest incursion into Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

But Kyiv has said it is not interested in “taking over” Russian territory.

Instead, the incursion is an attempt to pressure Moscow into agreeing to “restore a just peace”, Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhy told reporters on Wednesday.

Map of Ukraine's incursion into Russia

In light of the incursion, Russian officials have prepared plans for “additional measures” to safeguard the population and infrastructure in areas bordering Ukraine.

The measures involve improving the “management of troops” in the Belgorod region, which neighbours Kursk, according to a video published on the Russian defence ministry’s Telegram channel.

Interfax news agency said the plan would also apply to Kursk and Bryansk regions. All three border Ukraine.

Russia has also declared a federal level emergency in the Belgorod region. On Monday, 11,000 people were evacuated from the Krasnaya Yaruga district in Belgorod, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

Despite this, Moscow also claims it has recaptured some lost territory. In a statement, the defence ministry said it had regained control of the Krupets settlement in the Kursk region.

Reuters Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov chairs a meeting on ensuring security in regions bordering Ukraine, in Moscow
Reuters Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov chaired a meeting in Moscow to discuss security in regions bordering Ukraine

The developments came as a UK source confirmed to the BBC that tanks donated by the UK had been used during Ukraine’s Russian incursion.

The UK Ministry of Defence did not officially comment on which specific UK weapons have been used by Ukraine, but the department reiterated that Ukraine had a “clear right” to use UK-supplied weapons for “self-defence against Russia’s illegal attacks”.

The UK was one of the first countries to provide modern Western battle tanks to Ukraine, donating 14 Challenger 2 tanks in the past year. But that was for a Ukrainian offensive to recapture its own territory.

The Ministry of Defence has insisted that there has been no change in policy.

UK-donated tanks used in Kyiv’s Russia incursion

Military equipment supplied by the United States and Germany is also being used for Ukraine’s incursion.

None of those countries have raised objections about their equipment being used for the offensive. But given the secrecy surrounding the operation, few would have known Ukraine’s intentions in advance.

There may still be concerns in the West about what happens next. Not just over whether Ukraine could suffer significant losses and come back asking for more. But more importantly, there will be some who may worry about how Russia responds.

The Kremlin has already accused the West of being behind the attack on its territory. The fact that Western weapons are involved could be seen as evidence for that charge.

Escalation is always a worry when it involves a nuclear armed state, and the Kremlin has not been afraid to occasionally rattle its nuclear sabre.

But it has also set down many red lines that have already been crossed.

It warned the West not to supply Ukraine with tanks in the first place. That warning was eventually ignored.

There is, however, still one big restriction. No Western country has given Kyiv the green light to use their long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia.

Britain, France and the US have all provided some – but with the caveat they must be used inside Ukraine. That includes Crimea, Ukraine’s southern peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

President Zelensky has repeatedly pleaded for those caveats to be lifted.

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Migrants rescued in central Mediterranean [Photos] https://www.adomonline.com/migrants-rescued-in-central-mediterranean-photos/ Tue, 13 Aug 2024 02:53:28 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2432950

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Putin vows to ‘kick enemy out of Russia’ as Ukraine crosses border https://www.adomonline.com/putin-vows-to-kick-enemy-out-of-russia-as-ukraine-crosses-border/ Mon, 12 Aug 2024 22:52:30 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2432913 Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to “kick the enemy out” of his country’s territory after it emerged that Ukrainian troops were in control of dozens of Russian villages and large swathes of land a week into Kyiv’s surprise cross-border incursion.

The scale of the incursion became clearer on Monday when Putin held a meeting with local officials from the border regions as well as some of Russia’s top security, government and law enforcement personnel.

The acting head of the Kursk region, Aleksey Smirnov, told Putin that 28 settlements in his region were now under Ukrainian control, adding that Ukrainian troops had managed to advance some 7.5 miles (12 kilometres) into the territory across a 25-mile (40-kilometre) wide stretch of the border.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Monday that some 386 square miles (1,000 square kilometres) of Russian territory were now under Ukrainian control.

Putin said the incursion was an attempt by Ukraine to “improve its negotiation position.”

“But what kind of negotiations can we even talk about with people who indiscriminately strike at civilians, at civilian infrastructure, or try to create threats to nuclear power facilities. What can we even talk about with them?” Putin said.

CNN cannot independently verify Putin’s claims that Ukraine has struck civilians in the incursion. Over the course of the war, Russia has been repeatedly accused of targeting Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure by Kyiv, its Western allies and by international bodies, including the International Criminal Court and the United Nations. Russia has denied the accusations, despite evidence.

Putin went on to tell his security chiefs to expel the Ukrainian forces: “The main task is certainly before the Ministry of Defense: to squeeze out, knock out the enemy from our territories and, together with the border guard service, ensure reliable protection of the state border.”

The Ukrainian advances have sparked a large wave of evacuations from the border regions. Smirnov said 180,000 people had been told to evacuate and that 121,000 have left already.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the neighbouring Belgorod region in southern Russia, said people living in the Krasnoyaruzhsky district were being moved to safer places.

“We’re having a disturbing morning – enemy activities on the border of Krasnoyaruzhsky district. I am sure that our military will do everything to cope with this threat. But to protect the life and health of our people, we are beginning to relocate people who live in the Krasnoyaruzhsky district to safer places,” he said in a statement posted on his official Telegram channel.

About 11,000 residents from Krasnoyaruzhsky district were evacuated, the head of the district administration, Andrey Miskov, said later.

A photo provided by the government of Russia's Kursk region shows people from the border districts of the region boarding evacuation buses.
A photo provided by the government of Russia’s Kursk region shows people from the border districts of the region boarding evacuation buses.  Government of Kursk/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The incursion, which is now affecting two Russian regions, is seen as something of a game-changer in the conflict. The Ukrainian military has in the past regularly attacked targets inside the Belgorod region with drones and missiles, but until last week, Kyiv had not launched any official ground incursions across the border in the two and half years since the start of the full-scale war.

The extent of the operation remains unclear.

An influential Russian military blog Rybar said on Monday that “apparently the (Armed Forces of Ukraine) is not shying away from plans to stretch our defensive formations, create the maximum number of points of tension, and attempt to break through in the east to cut Belgorod off from the north.”

Ukrainian officials are yet to comment on the current operations in Belgorod and CNN is unable to independently confirm Rybar’s claim.

A video geolocated by CNN posted on social media over the weekend shows Ukrainian soldiers holding their flag outside a rural social club in Poroz, a village that sits in Belgorod region about a mile from the international border.

Several Russian military bloggers reported an attempt by Ukrainian armed forces to attack a border crossing in the Belgorod region Monday morning, in the district that Russian authorities say is being evacuated.

CNN has reached out to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry for comment.

The operation, which started last Tuesday, has been shrouded in mystery. Ukrainian officials for days remained silent, refusing to comment on reports of Ukrainian troops operating inside Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky finally confirmed Kyiv’s troops had crossed into Russia on Saturday, saying in his nightly address to the nation that “Ukraine is proving that it really knows how to restore justice and guarantees exactly the kind of pressure that is needed – pressure on the aggressor.”

On Monday, he said “Russia must be forced into peace if Putin wants to continue waging war so badly.” Zelensky reiterated that it is “only fair” and beneficial to destroy the Russian positions that are used to launch strikes at the Ukrainian territory, and reminded that thousands of strikes have been launched from the Kursk region alone since June 1.

“Therefore, our operations are purely a security matter for Ukraine, the liberation of the border area from the Russian military,” he noted.

Diversionary tactic?

The reason for the attack is also unclear. Ukraine has been under increased pressure along the 600-mile front line as Moscow continues its slow, grinding offensive, inching towards several strategically important towns and roads in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian General Staff said Russia was targeting Toretsk, a strategic town just north of Donetsk. Toretsk lies on the southern end of a key road that connects Kostyantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, three Ukrainian cities that form the backbone of Ukraine’s defenses of the region.

According to two Ukrainian military bloggers, Russian forces are pushing into Toretsk from several locations, trying to outflank Ukrainian forces. One blogger said Russian forces were already operating within the city. Russian military bloggers suggested a similar strategy, claiming Moscow’s armies had advanced in several locations around the town.

CNN could not independently verify their accounts but video geolocated by CNN showed Russian forces operating just south of the city.

The Ukrainian cross-border attack could be an attempt by Kyiv to divert Russian resources elsewhere. Given the spate of more negative developments from the front lines, the news of a successful incursion may help Kyiv boost the morale of its troops and civilian population.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based conflict monitoring group, say the situation at the front in the East remains largely unchanged, with Russian forces still retaining momentum and continuing on the offensive despite Ukraine’s push in the Kursk region.

Putin accused Ukraine of trying “to destabilize” his country, according to the Kremlin, adding that “a primary military objective” of the incursion is “to halt the advance” of Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

He said currently “the pace of offensive operations” in the East “has actually increased by 50%” and the Russian troops are advancing “along the entire front.”

Moscow has been scrambling to contain the attack. Russian authorities imposed a sweeping counter-terror operation in three border regions – Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk – but stopped short of declaring the incursion an act of war.

The ISW said this was likely an attempt by the Kremlin to deliberately downplay the assault to prevent domestic panic or backlash over the fact that Russia was unable to defend its own borders.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has refrained from officially declaring a state of war, has repeatedly demonstrated his unwillingness to transfer Russian society fully to a war-time footing, and has forgone declaring general mobilization as part of wider efforts to prevent domestic discontent that could threaten the stability of (his) regime,” the ISW said in its update.

The counterterrorist regime officially gives Russian authorities wider powers, including the ability to monitor telephone conversations and restrict communications and limiting the movement of people.

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Thousands turn out for anti-racism demonstrations, thwart far-right protests across UK https://www.adomonline.com/thousands-turn-out-for-anti-racism-demonstrations-thwart-far-right-protests-across-uk/ Thu, 08 Aug 2024 15:25:44 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2430938 Thousands of anti-racism protesters have taken to the streets across the United Kingdom to counter a spate of far-right rallies planned to target immigration centres, seeming to thwart what looked set to be another day of rioting.

After days of violence spurred by disinformation around a deadly stabbing attack, police had braced for another night of unrest on Wednesday. Far-right groups on social media had called for protests to target visa processing centres and immigration lawyers’ offices at more than 100 sites around the country at 8 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET).

But by the early evening, thousands of counter-protesters had gathered at more than a dozen cities to guard the immigration centres and prevent them being targeted by the far right.

“There are many, many more of us than you,” crowds chanted at the anti-racism demonstrations across the country, bolstered by a markedly stronger police presence than over the weekend, and with virtually no sign of any far-right supporters.

Whether Wednesday’s counter-protests represent a turning point is not yet clear, but fears of another night of unrest have abated for now. The fizzling out of the planned protests will come as a major relief for the new Labour government, and for communities that had prepared for the worst.

It may also be a sign that many have been deterred from taking to the streets, after previous far-right protests turned violent and hundreds of rioters were arrested over the weekend, with some already receiving prison sentences.

Businesses in Walthamstow had boarded up earlier Wednesday, in preparation for planned far-right protests.
Businesses in Walthamstow had boarded up earlier Wednesday, in preparation for planned far-right protests.  Rob Picheta/CNN

In Walthamstow, east London, the immigration centre was entirely boarded up, protected by a heavy police presence and surrounded by around three or four thousand counter-protesters.

“We today have got such brilliant numbers in our community,” an organizer shouted through a megaphone to a hastily organized crowd. “We have shown them whose streets these really are. These are our streets.”

Ahmed Hussain, 31, said he had come out to support the counter-protesters because “when you don’t, the fascists feel emboldened.”

The worst of the past week’s violence was concentrated in the north of England. In Rotherham on Sunday, far-right rioters set fire to a hotel used to house asylum seekers as more than 200 people cowered inside. Large crowds of people shouting “enough is enough” and “get ’em out” were also seen clashing with police in several other cities.

In Sheffield, a city a few miles south of Rotherham, residents told CNN they had felt terrified by the outbreak of violence, which they said they felt had emboldened racist behaviour.

“I normally walk through this city centre all the time,” said Nadeem Akhtar, 18, who has lived in Sheffield his whole life. “But now, recently, even my mum’s been saying to me, don’t be going out so much, because you never know what could happen.”

Akhtar had gathered with friends midday Wednesday in the city centre to demonstrate against a planned far-right protest. Unlike last week, where protests across the country were allowed to boil over into racist violence, the Sheffield demonstration was overseen by a huge police presence separating the protesters and counter-protesters.

At least three right-wing demonstrators were arrested during altercations between the two groups. As one man was escorted away by police, he called out: “I ain’t done nothing. Double standards.”

CNN heard this nickname repeatedly in Sheffield and Rotherham. It has even been echoed by Elon Musk in a post on X, the website he owns. Musk claimed that “civil war is inevitable” in response to a post blaming the violent demonstrations on the effects of “mass migration and open borders.”

At the counter-protest in Sheffield later Wednesday evening, one of the speakers criticized Musk’s comments. “The richest man in the world is stirring the pot for a race war,” he said.

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Two dead and several trapped after hotel collapses in Germany https://www.adomonline.com/two-dead-and-several-trapped-after-hotel-collapses-in-germany/ Wed, 07 Aug 2024 16:17:40 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2430521 Two people have died and others remain trapped after a hotel collapsed in a village in the heart of Western Germany’s Mosel wine-growing region.

There were 14 people in the building in Kröv at the time of the collapse, a fire department spokesperson told CNN Wednesday.

A man and a woman have died, and three people are trapped, Trier Police said at a news conference Wednesday. One of the bodies had not yet been recovered.

The trapped people have been able to contact police by phone, so authorities know where in the building they are located and what condition they are in.

A badly damaged wall at a partially collapsed hotel.
A badly damaged wall at a partially collapsed hotel.  Harald Tittel/dpa/AP
A crane is set up after a hotel partially collapsed overnight.
A crane is set up after a hotel partially collapsed overnight.  Alex Kraus/Reuters

While the building is still partially intact, it is moving by 4 millimetres (0.16 inches) an hour, so rescue operations are proving to be difficult.

As the ceilings of the hotel have collapsed, police said, a core drill is being used from above to try and access the people in the rubble.

Around 250 firefighters, paramedics, police and technical relief workers, including special forces, rescue dog teams and drone units, are on site.

Police said the cause of the collapse is not yet known.

The lower part of the building dates from the 17th century, while the two upper floors were added in 1980, according to Trier Police.

Construction was being carried out on the building until Tuesday, police said, adding that three houses in the immediate vicinity of the hotel have been evacuated.

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GMA Europe 2024 nominees unveiled at star-studded event in Accra https://www.adomonline.com/gma-europe-2024-nominees-unveiled-at-star-studded-event-in-accra/ Thu, 01 Aug 2024 01:26:52 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2428266 The nominees for the 3rd edition of the Ghana Music Awards Europe (GMA Europe) have been announced, ahead of the main event scheduled for September 7, 2024, in Amsterdam.

The announcement party, held at La Vila Boutique Hotel in Osu, Accra, was attended by prominent musicians, up-and-coming recording artists, talent managers, critics, media personalities, and other music industry professionals.

The awards aim to celebrate the hard work and artistic achievements of Ghanaian music talents, both in Ghana and those based in Europe.

The 2nd edition of GMA Europe, one of Ghana’s notable music award schemes, took place in Toulouse, France, in September 2023.

The upcoming 3rd edition will be held in Amsterdam on September 7, 2024.

Music legend Amandzeba Nat Brew, highlife star Samuel Owusu, and MUSIGA President Bessa Simons were present at the event and praised the organizers of GMA Europe for their efforts in promoting Ghanaian artists internationally.

Vida Adutwumwaa Boateng, the head of PR for the scheme, reaffirmed the organizers’ commitment to delivering a credible awards show and entertaining patrons with quality performances on September 7.

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Southgate resigns after England’s Euro 2024 loss https://www.adomonline.com/2422270-2/ Tue, 16 Jul 2024 10:38:47 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2422270 England manager Gareth Southgate has resigned after a second consecutive European Championship final defeat.

The Three Lions lost 2-1 to Spain in Berlin on Sunday, having been beaten on penalties by Italy at Wembley three years ago.

The 53-year-old managed his country for 102 games in eight years in charge.

“As a proud Englishman, it has been the honour of my life to play for England and to manage England,” said Southgate.

“It has meant everything to me, and I have given it my all.

“But it’s time for change, and for a new chapter.”

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We don’t have to repay UK for axed deal – Rwanda https://www.adomonline.com/we-dont-have-to-repay-uk-for-axed-deal-rwanda/ Thu, 11 Jul 2024 03:19:01 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2420637 Rwanda has said it is not required to refund the UK after a multi-million-pound migrant deal between the two countries was scrapped.

New UK Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer announced at the weekend that the plan to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda was “dead and buried”.

The scheme was forged by the previous Conservative government, which since revealing the plan in 2022 has paid Rwanda £240m ($310m).

Legal challenges meant the scheme never took off and the UK expressed hope on Monday that some money from the deal could be recouped.

The following day, a spokesperson for Rwanda’s government told the country’s state television: “Let this be clear, paying back the money was never part of the agreement.”

Alain Mukuralinda said the agreement “did not stipulate” money should be refunded and that the UK had approached Rwanda and requested a partnership, which was “discussed extensively”.

Partly built accommodation for asylum seekers who were meant to be deported from the UK to Rwanda.
Workers building accommodation for the asylum seekers are concerned they will now be left jobless

In January, after 21 months of the scheme being stalled, Rwandan President Paul Kagame suggested some money could be returned if no asylum seekers were sent to the country.

But Rwanda’s government later specified there was “no obligation” to refund the UK.

In Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, workers hired months ago to build housing for the asylum seekers expressed concern about Mr Starmer’s decision.

The scheme’s death could “badly affect our lives”, a worker at the Gahanga site told the BBC.

Employees on the site get paid between £1.80 and £6 per day – relatively good wages for construction workers in Rwanda.

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (L) and Rwandan President Paul Kagame (R) were proponents of the controversial scheme

Resident Mariya Nyirahabimana said the value of houses in her neighbourhood had increased significantly since construction started, but she feared that “poverty could come back” to Gahanga.

Since his party won last week’s election in a landslide, Mr Starmer has labelled the Rwanda scheme an expensive “gimmick” and pledged to instead focus on launching a new Border Security Command to tackle people-smuggling gangs.

Opposition to the bill has also came from other quarters over the past two years – the UK’s Supreme Court ruled the plan unlawful, human rights organisations branded it cruel and draconian, while dissenters within the Conservative Party pushed for amendments that would better protect the scheme from legal challenges.

The previous government said the scheme was aimed at deterring people from crossing the English Channel in small boats.

Illegal migration is one of the major challenges facing the UK government.

So far this year, more than 13,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats.

The figure is higher than numbers for the same period last year, although in 2023 as a whole there was a drop compared to 2022.

Denmark had been mulling a similar deal with Rwanda, but it put the discussions on hold in January last year.

It said it wanted a more unified approach within Europe to tackle illegal migration.

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France’s former first lady charged with fraud, evidence concealment in Gaddafi funding case https://www.adomonline.com/frances-former-first-lady-charged-with-fraud-evidence-concealment-in-gaddafi-funding-case/ Thu, 11 Jul 2024 01:32:30 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2420627 France’s former first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, has been charged over an election funding scandal dating back to 2007 involving cash from the then Libyan dictator, Col Muammar Gaddafi.

According to French media, Ms Bruni-Sarkozy, 56, was charged with hiding evidence and associating with wrongdoers to commit fraud.

She was placed under judicial control and barred from being in contact with all those accused except her husband, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Ms Bruni-Sarkozy is also suspected of concealment of witness tampering and involvement in an attempt to bribe Lebanese judicial personnel, among other violations.

Her lawyers told AFP that Ms Bruni-Sarkozy was determined to assert her rights and challenge the “unfounded decision”.

Mr Sarkozy, who was the president of France from 2007 to 2012, is due to go on trial next year over allegations he took money from Gaddafi to finance his successful election bid.

He is accused of corruption, illegal campaign financing, benefiting from embezzled public funds and membership in a criminal conspiracy. He has always denied all the charges.

The investigation into the allegations was opened in 2013, two years after Saif al-Islam, son of the then leader Gaddafi, first accused Mr Sarkozy of taking millions of his father’s money for campaign funding.

The following year, Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, who for a long time acted as a middleman between France and the Middle East, supported the claims.

He told judges he had written proof that Mr Sarkozy’s campaign bid was “abundantly” financed by Tripoli, and that the €50m (£43m) worth of payments continued after he became president.

Years later, Mr Takieddine told French media that in 2006-07 he had personally handed over suitcases stuffed with banknotes to Mr Sarkozy and his chief of staff, Claude Guéant, who later denied this.

But in 2020, Mr Takieddine suddenly retracted his statement about handing over large amounts of money.

This raised suspicions that Mr Sarkozy and his allies – including his wife – might have paid him to change his mind.

In June, Ms Bruni-Sarkozy was found to have deleted messages exchanged with a French businesswoman who was questioned by police over accusations of witness tampering.

Since losing his re-election bid to socialist François Hollande in 2012, Mr Sarkozy has been targeted by several criminal investigations.

In 2023, he was given a suspended prison sentence for trying to bribe a judge, and earlier this year, he was found guilty of illegally funding his 2012 re-election campaign.

He and Ms Bruni-Sarkozy, an Italian-born former supermodel and singer, married in 2008. They had a daughter, Giulia, in 2011.

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Pope Francis’ critic excommunicated by the Vatican https://www.adomonline.com/pope-francis-critic-excommunicated-by-the-vatican/ Sat, 06 Jul 2024 09:17:42 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2418475 An Italian Archbishop and staunch critic of Pope Francis has been excommunicated by the Vatican, its doctrinal office has said.

Carlo Maria Vigano was found guilty of schism – meaning he has split from the Catholic Church – after years of fierce disagreement with the pontiff.

The 83-year-old ultra-conservative has previously called on the Pope to resign, accusing him of heresy and criticising his stances on immigration, climate change and same-sex couples.

Archbishop Vigano was a senior figure in the Church, serving as papal envoy to Washington from 2011 to 2016.

In 2018 he went into hiding after alleging that the Pope had known about sexual abuse by an American cardinal and failed to act. The Vatican rejected the accusation.

Over time, the archbishop became associated with US conspiracy theorists, criticising Covid vaccines and alleging a “globalist” and “anti-Christian” project by the UN and other groups – both familiar conspiratorial themes.

On Friday, the Vatican’s doctrinal office said his refusal to submit to Pope Francis was clear from his public statements.

“The Most Reverend Carlo Maria Vigano was found guilty of the reserved delict [violation of the law] of schism,” the statement said, adding that he had been excommunicated – or banished from the church.

Responding by a post on X, the archbishop linked to the decree that was emailed to him and said:

“What was attributed to me as guilt for my conviction is now put on record, confirming the Catholic Faith that I fully profess.”

Archbishop Vigano was charged with schism and denying the pope’s legitimacy last month. At the time, he write on X that he regarded the accusations against him as “an honour”.

“I repudiate, reject, and condemn the scandals, errors, and heresies of Jorge Mario Bergoglio,” he said, using the Argentine Pope’s given name.

Pope Francis has put himself at odds with traditionalist Catholics by making overtures towards the LGBTQ+ community, championing migrant rights and condemning the excesses of capitalism.

Last year, he took action against another ultra-conservative critic, dismissing Bishop Joseph E Strickland of Texas when he refused to resign after an investigation.

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Bodies of 89 migrants retrieved from Atlantic https://www.adomonline.com/bodies-of-89-migrants-retrieved-from-atlantic/ Fri, 05 Jul 2024 08:39:00 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2418003 Coastguards in Mauritania have recovered 89 bodies of migrants from a boat that capsized in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday.

Nine people – including a five-year-old girl – were rescued, but dozens more are missing.

Survivors say the vessel – a traditional fishing boat – set sail last week from the Senegalese-Gambian border area with 170 people on board. It capsized off Mauritania’s south-western coast.

Mauritania is a key transit point for migrants trying to reach Europe from West Africa, with thousands of boats departing from the country last year.

The most common destination on the perilous route is Spain’s Canary Islands.

The Spanish government says nearly 40,000 people arrived there last year – double the number from the previous year.

Desperate to get to Europe, migrants often travel in overloaded boats.

More than 5,000 migrants died while trying to reach Spain by sea in the first five months of 2024, the Ca-minando Fronteras charity estimates.

In April, the EU granted Mauritania €210m (£177m; $225m) in aid – almost €60m of which will be invested in the fight against undocumented migration to Europe.

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Princess Diana’s gowns and accessories smash auction estimates https://www.adomonline.com/princess-dianas-gowns-and-accessories-smash-auction-estimates/ Sat, 29 Jun 2024 03:09:31 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2415229 One of the largest ever collections of Princess Diana’s possessions to hit the market smashed estimates and sold for a total of $5.5 million, alongside other royal memorabilia, Los Angeles auction house Julien’s Auctions announced.

Composed of more than 50 items, the collection featured several of Diana’s evening gowns, suits, shoes, hats and handbags, as well as personal letters and photographs. Memorabilia that belonged to other members of the British royal family, such as Queen Victoria, Princess Margaret and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, also formed part of the auction, which closed Thursday.

Several of Diana's hats were sold at the auction.
Several of Diana’s hats were sold at the auction.  Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images

A magenta silk and lace evening gown, featuring an off-the-shoulder bodice and tiered skirt, worn by Diana twice in 1987, proved the most expensive lot of the night, selling for $910,000, more than four times its estimate of $200,000. Its designer, Victor Edelstein, also created the famous off-the-shoulder, midnight blue velvet evening gown Diana wore while dancing with John Travolta at the White House.

A pair of Diana’s emerald green satin Kurt Geiger pumps, featuring bejeweled bows on their vamps, sold for $390,000 – far above its estimated $2,000-$4,000 – while a midnight-blue tulle diamante star gown she wore several times, including to the premiere of “The Phantom of the Opera,” sold for $780,000.

Diana wore this tulle gown to the premiere of "The Phantom of the Opera."
Diana wore this tulle gown to the premiere of “The Phantom of the Opera.”  Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

It was not just the late princess’ clothes that sold for thousands of dollars. A handwritten letter thanking Maud Pendrey, a former housekeeper at the Spencer family home, for a wedding anniversary card sold for $44,450. Sent while she was pregnant with Prince Harry, Diana mentions that “with the baby arriving soon, our lives seem to be very busy, but we’d have it no other way!”

Meanwhile, a diamond watch pendant given by King George VI to his daughter Princess Margaret fetched $78,000 at the auction. It bears cipher of his father, King George V, and was made by Garrard – the jewelers who have produced several pieces for the royal family, including Diana’s sapphire engagement ring.

Some of Diana's shoes and purses were also on offer.
Some of Diana’s shoes and purses were also on offer.  Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images

A pair of the Duke of Windsor’s dark green slippers, complete with needlepointed monograms, sold for $5,850, while one of Queen Victoria’s embroidered silk handkerchiefs, dating from 1840, sold for $1,625.

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Former KNUST Publishing Studies Head honoured by German State Parliament https://www.adomonline.com/former-knust-publishing-studies-head-honoured-by-german-state-parliament/ Fri, 28 Jun 2024 04:15:45 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2414634 The German State Parliament has honoured the former head of the Department of KNUST Publishing Studies for his immense contribution to the promotion of Ghana-German cooperation for more than two decades.

The German-trained academic and researcher, Dr Ralph Nyadu-Addo for 24 years has led Ghanaian businesses, entrepreneurs and students to connect and form synergies with the German business culture and academics.

His contribution has raised more than twenty million dollars for KNUST, supported especially student entrepreneurs and initiated several projects in the school.

Dr Nyadu-Addo has coordinated one impactful entrepreneurial training and empowerment program in Africa known as the Africa Centre for Career Enhancement and Skills Support (ACCESS) program.

He coordinated the 3.7 million euros worth of ACCESS Project 1.0 while coordinating the upcoming ACCESS 2.0 which involves 5 million euros, meant to empower students and businesses.

President of the German State Parliament for North Rhine Westphalia, André Kuper did the presentation during a visit by a delegation from KNUST including students and alumni from the Department of Publishing Studies in Dusseldorf.

“North Rhine-Westphalia and Ghana are partner countries and maintain close relations on a political and economic level. In particular, the cooperation between people in schools and universities promotes the exchange of science and study, which characterizes the partnership between the two countries”.

There has been an official partnership between North Rhine-Westphalia and Ghana since 2007.

The focus of the latest extension of this partnership is on university cooperation and migration management.

Following the discussion, the delegation exchanged views with former Minister of State Lutz Lienenkämper and other members of the State Parliament.

Other Achievements

For more than twenty years, he has been the main coordinator for many German-funded projects which include Intelligence for Innovation (256,000 Euro), the African German Entrepreneurship Academy (580,000 Euro), and the African Centre for Career Enhancement and Skills Support (ACCESS) projects.

His contribution has led several academic and business delegations to Germany since 2004 to strengthen both academic and business linkages between both countries.

Dr. Nyadu-Addo also birthed the KNUST Centre for Business Development and Kumasi Business Incubator using the experience he had in Germany.

He had his Masters and PhD at Leipzig University and has worked with several institutions in Germany which spans 2000-2024.

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How German podcast tracked down fugitive militant after 30 years https://www.adomonline.com/how-german-podcast-tracked-down-fugitive-militant-after-30-years/ Wed, 26 Jun 2024 02:59:05 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2413444 Daniela Klette lived quietly. She walked her dog and gave maths tuition to her neighbours’ children.

But when she was arrested in late February, the police found tens of thousands of euros in cash in her Berlin flat and five weapons, among them a Kalashnikov assault rifle and a replica rocket launcher.

Klette, 65, had been on the run for more than 30 years. She was wanted for crimes connected to the left-wing militant Red Army Faction (RAF), which was active in Germany from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Known in its early days as the Baader Meinhof group, the gang pursued their political aims through the kidnap or murder of senior members of the business and industrial communities.

The RAF’s notoriety had led to a podcast team in Berlin trying to track Klette down using a facial recognition tool.

Getty A criminal investigation unit technician leaves a building believed to be the site where a German activist of the notorious far-left Red Army Faction (RAF) wanted for more than 30 years for attempted murder and other crimes has been arrested in Berlin, on February 27, 2024
German police arrested Daniela Klette in February
Getty Images

The RAF’s crimes are not forgotten in Germany, even if a generation has passed since they were committed.

They continue to exercise the imaginations of film and television producers, who have been making high-budget drama and documentary series that recall the assassinations of the 1980s and 90s.

“The RAF is deeply rooted in the collective memory, at least in western Germany,” says Petra Terhoeven, an expert in the history of political violence at Göttingen University.

In 2020 the first Netflix original series for the German market, A Perfect Crime, examined the assassination of Detlev Rohwedder. He was the head of the Treuhandanstalt, the organisation established after German reunification to privatise all state-owned industry in the former East Germany.

Rohwedder was killed by a shot from a sniper’s rifle through an upstairs window at his home in Düsseldorf in the spring of 1991.

In neither case have the perpetrators been caught.

Georg Tschurtschenthaler
Georg Tschurtschenthaler said the period of RAF attacks still resonate today in Germany

A Perfect Crime, while acknowledging the letter found at the crime scene in which the RAF claimed responsibility for Rohwedder’s murder, presents a number of different scenarios as to who may have killed him. For Tschurtschenthaler the background to the murder is what matters – the rapid closure of much of East German industry and the loss of millions of jobs.

“It’s a dark period that resonates until today,” he says.

Petra Terhoeven, the historian, warns of the dangers of a trivialisation of the crimes committed by the RAF. She detects too great a focus on the perpetrators, too little consideration for the victims.

The victim who has received perhaps most attention is Alfred Herrhausen, a charismatic and influential banker and a personal friend of then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl. A new documentary will accompany the four-part television drama later this year. Herrhausen has also been portrayed in fiction, by the writer Tanja Langer.

“When I was writing my novel it was important for me to create an homage to this person,” she says of her book. The novel, an account of a relationship between a young woman and an older man, a banker, is written from personal experience. Langer and Herrhausen had a close friendship for several years until his death.

Even though the RAF claimed responsibility for Herrhausen’s murder, Tanja Langer thinks the truth may not be as simple. She did several years’ research for her novel and spent a lot of time in the archive of the former East German secret police, the Stasi.

“In the end my conclusion was that even if the RAF carried out the murder, maybe there were others that were also part of it,” she says.

Tanja Langer
Tanja Langer was a close friend of Alfred Herrhausen

It’s that uncertainty, in part, that fuels the continued interest. There are still many unsolved murders from the 1980s and it’s possible that Daniela Klette, now behind bars, knows something about them.

Not long before she was arrested, a podcast company in Berlin, Undone, set out to find her. They had been contacted by a listener who said he’d been at a party where a woman had claimed to be Klette.

“It was a crazy story,” says Patrick Stegemann, who worked on the series.

Undone brought in an AI expert who deployed facial recognition software to search the internet for pictures that matched one of Klette on an old “Wanted” poster. It came up with a match for a woman living as “Claudia” not far from where the podcasters operate out of an old industrial premises in Berlin. But when they went to look for her, she was nowhere to be found.

Two months later, when Daniela Klette, was arrested, it became clear that they had identified the right woman. Patrick Stegemann remembers hearing the news of the arrest. “It was a wild mixture of feelings,” he says.

Prosecutors are currently going through dozens of boxes of evidence and are yet to bring charges against Klette.

Petra Terhoeven is sceptical she will offer any help.

“The majority of former members of the RAF don’t speak about the past,” she says. “It’s like a political sect, it’s a kind of cartel of silence. And so probably she will remain silent.”

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Russia blames US for Crimea deaths and vows response https://www.adomonline.com/russia-blames-us-for-crimea-deaths-and-vows-response/ Mon, 24 Jun 2024 23:07:56 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2412835

Russia has blamed the US and vowed “consequences” for a Ukrainian missile strike on Sevastopol in occupied Crimea on Sunday, which officials say killed four people – including two children.

Around 150 more were injured in the attack as missile debris fell on a beach nearby.

Russia’s defence ministry said the missiles used by Ukraine were US-supplied ATACMS missiles, and claimed they were programmed by US specialists.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the strike “barbaric” and accused the US of “killing Russian children”.

He pointed towards comments by President Vladimir Putin, who recently vowed to target countries supplying weapons to Ukraine.

Moscow said Sunday’s deaths and injuries were caused by falling debris, after its air defences in Crimea intercepted five missiles loaded with cluster warheads launched by Ukrainian forces.

Footage carried on Russian state TV showed chaos on the beach in the Uchkuyevka area, as people ran from the falling debris and some injured people were carried away on sun loungers.

Russia’s defence ministry claimed on Sunday that all ATACMS missiles are programmed by US specialists and guided by American satellites.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated the claim during a meeting in Minsk on Monday, saying that the system “cannot be used without the direct participation of the American military, including satellite capabilities”.

The US has been supplying ATACMS missiles to Ukraine for over a year. The system allows Ukrainian forces to strike targets up to 300km (186 miles) away, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

Moscow illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and just a handful of countries recognise the peninsula as Russian territory. It therefore does not fall under the US demands that Ukraine refrain from using Washington-supplied weapons to strike Russian territory.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council told the BBC: “Ukraine makes its own targeting decisions and conducts its own military operations.”

But Mr Peskov told reporters in Moscow on Monday that the “involvement of the United States, the direct involvement, as a result of which Russian civilians are killed, cannot be without consequences”.

“Time will tell what these will be,” he added.

The Russian foreign ministry summoned the US Ambassador Lynne Tracy on Monday, with Mr Lavrov claiming that US involvement in the attack was “not in doubt”.

Moscow has repeatedly threatened to target countries supplying weapons to Ukraine, claiming that they are legitimate military targets.

Earlier this month, Mr Putin vowed to target countries arming Ukraine during a meeting with international news agencies.

“If someone thinks it is possible to supply such weapons to a war zone to attack our territory and create problems for us, why don’t we have the right to supply weapons of the same class to regions of the world where there will be strikes on sensitive facilities of those (Western) countries?” he said.

“That is, the response can be asymmetric. We will think about it,” he added.

Ukrainian officials have defended the strike in the wake of the attack, calling Crimea a legitimate target.

Mykhailo Podolyak – a top aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – said the peninsula was in effect “a large military camp” which he said held “hundreds of direct military targets, which the Russians are cynically trying to hide and cover up with their own civilians”.

The UN’s human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine says at least 10,000 civilians have been killed since Russia invaded in February 2022. The real figure, officials say, is likely to be far higher.

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Why did the Pope cross the road to host over 100 comedians? https://www.adomonline.com/why-did-the-pope-cross-the-road-to-host-over-100-comedians/ Fri, 14 Jun 2024 12:58:48 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2409153 A global gathering of comedians is due to take place Friday in an unlikely venue: the Vatican.

Pope Francis is hosting the equivalent of a “conclave of comedians” by inviting Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien and others to Rome. Over 200 people are expected at the audience, with more than 100 comedians from 15 countries.

The 87-year-old pontiff is known for his sense of humor. He likes to crack jokes with people he meets, often telling them with a smile: “please pray for me… not against me!” He has repeatedly emphasized the importance of having a sense of humor, saying it is something that he prays for each day.

“A sense of humor lifts you up, it shows your life is short and to take things in the spirit of a redeemer,” Francis once said in an interview. “It is a human attribute, but it is the closest to God’s grace.”

Francis’ meeting on Friday with “artists from the world of humor” is part of his latest attempt to engage with contemporary culture, with the Vatican explaining in a statement that the meeting underlines how the “art of comedy can contribute to a more empathetic and supportive world.”

It follows on from his landmark visit to the Venice Biennale and his meeting last year with artists and directors in the Vatican.

The meeting also comes with the pope facing question marks over his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics after reportedly using a homophobic slur at private meetings.

Others from the US contingent include Tig Notaro, Jim Gaffigan with several Catholics among them: both Gaffigan and Colbert identify as Catholics while Fallon and O’Brien were both raised in the Catholic Church.

Also due to attend is Julia Louis-Dreyfus who told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that she had “no idea” what to expect.

Fr. James Martin, a Jesuit priest sometimes dubbed “The Colbert Report’s Chaplain,” will also attend the meeting and Colbert talked about the upcoming papal audience on his show.

“Pope Francis is going to meet me at the Vatican!” he joked. “Am I excited? Is the pope Catholic?”

Colbert then gave a jokey warning to Chris Rock, referring to the incident when Rock was hit by actor Will Smith during the Oscars.

“Chris, please for safety’s sake I would just keep Mary Magdalene’s name out of your mouth. Because the pope wears a big ring!”

He also made reference to the controversy over the pope’s reported use of an anti-gay slur asking: “Why Pope Frankie, why?”

Meanwhile, Whoopi Goldberg, the star of “Sister Act,” has already met the pope during an audience in the Vatican last year.

At that meeting, Goldberg said she offered Francis a cameo in “Sister Act 3,” the film series about a singer who joins a convent.

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Photos from Adom FM/ Asempa FM UCL 2024 https://www.adomonline.com/photos-from-adom-fm-asempa-fm-ucl-2024/ Sun, 02 Jun 2024 07:31:31 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2403360 The 2024 edition of the Adom FM and Asempa FM UEFA Champions League final ended spectacularly on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at T- Havana in Tema.

It was the media giant’s own way of climaxing the 2023/2024 Champions League season finale between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at the Wembley Stadium, London..

It was a fun-filled event that attracted football fans and patrons from all over Accra and Tema.

Aside the commentary by the Adom and Asempa sports team, guests had the opportunity to connect and partake in fan activities such as playing computer games, Arm Wrestling, 5 aside, Jama section, and others.

After several minutes of play, Dani Carvajal’s and Vinicius Junior’s strike won Real Madrid it’s fifteen Champions League title which got their fans excited.

The 2024 Adom UEFA Champions League final was a resounding success courtesy T-Havana, DSTV, 22Bet , Jama , Franko Phone, Global lighting Center Limited, Jwango Energy drink, and Sintex Tank

Adomonline.com’s Joseph Odotei was on the ground to capture these exciting scenes:

 

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China retains position as Ghana’s largest import partner, Russia displaces UK in top 5 category https://www.adomonline.com/china-retains-position-as-ghanas-largest-import-partner-russia-displaces-uk-in-top-5-category/ Fri, 31 May 2024 14:47:28 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2402962 China has retained its top spot as the largest import partner of Ghana in 2023, surpassing big western countries like the United States of America and the Netherlands.

According to fresh data from the 2023 Trade Vulnerability report by the Ghana Statistical Service, in 2023, “China retained its position as Ghana’s largest import partner, increasing from GH₵26.4 billion in 2022 to GH₵33.9 billion.”

The Russian Federation emerged as a significant contributor, “replacing the UK in the top five, with imports primarily consisting of mineral fuels and oils.” The Netherlands remained a major player, with Ghana primarily “importing mineral fuels and oils, standing at GH₵17.3 billion,” the report stressed.

Notably, gold was exclusively exported via air, while mineral fuels and oils and cocoa beans and products rely on sea transport, with a share of 98.5 percent and 98.9 percent respectively. Plastics (93.0%) and iron and steel (92.4%) on the other hand, were mainly exported via road.

The majority of imports were through sea transport. Apart from sea transport, a portion of vegetable products and mineral fuels and oils were also imported via road, with shares of 25.1 percent and 10.2 percent, respectively.

 

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Biden allows Ukraine to hit some targets in Russia with US weapons https://www.adomonline.com/biden-allows-ukraine-to-hit-some-targets-in-russia-with-us-weapons/ Fri, 31 May 2024 14:05:23 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2402940

US President Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to use American-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia, but only near the Kharkiv region, US officials say.

One told BBC News his team had been directed to ensure Ukraine was able to use US weapons for “counter-fire purposes” to “hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them”.

Russian forces have made gains in the Kharkiv region in recent weeks after a surprise offensive in the area, close to the border with Russia.

On Friday, Ukrainian officials said three people had been killed and 16 injured in Russian shelling of a residential building in a suburb of Kharkiv city.

The US official also told the BBC: “Our policy with respect to prohibiting the use of Army Tactical Missile System [ATACMS] or long-range strikes inside of Russia has not changed.”

When asked by CBS, the BBC’s US partner, whether the new policy included attacking Russian aircraft, an official said: “We’ve never told them [Ukraine] they can’t shoot down a Russian airplane over Russian soil that’s coming to attack them.”

The White House and state department had no immediate comment.

The UK earlier signalled that it was open to an easing of restrictions on how Ukraine could use weapons supplied by the West.

Despite concerns that such a development could further escalate the conflict, several European leaders also recently called for restrictions on the use of such weapons to be relaxed.

But Washington, which provides the bulk of Ukraine’s weaponry, had resisted easing these restrictions over fears of escalation.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted at the shift during a visit to Moldova on Wednesday.

“At every step along the way, we’ve adapted and adjusted as necessary,” he said.

“And so that’s exactly what we’ll do going forward.”

Russian forces appear to have recently taken advantage of a window of opportunity to push deeper into Ukrainian territory in Kharkiv as Kyiv waits for further Western weapons to arrive at the front.

At least 12 people were killed and dozens more were wounded last week after Russian forces hit a supermarket in the city of Kharkiv with two glide bombs.

Early on Friday, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram that Russian shelling had struck a five-storey apartment block in the Novobavarskyi District of Kharkiv, destroying part of the building and causing a fire.

At least three people were killed and 16 were injured, including a 12-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, both of whom were taken to hospital, he said.

The Ukrainian official accused Russian forces of targeting “exclusively civilian infrastructure” and using a “double-strike tactic”, hitting the site for a second time after paramedics and rescue workers had arrived.

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China hits back at US and EU as trade rows deepen https://www.adomonline.com/china-hits-back-at-us-and-eu-as-trade-rows-deepen/ Mon, 20 May 2024 12:33:55 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2397273 China has launched an anti-dumping probe into imports of widely used plastic from the US, EU, Taiwan, and Japan.

The announcement from the Ministry of Commerce that Imports of polyoxymethylene copolymer -which is used in electronics and cars – is a signal that China will hit back in its trade disputes with the US and Europe.

The announcement comes as China’s trade rows with the US and the EU have deepened in recent months.

Less than a week ago, Washington sharply increased tariffs on Chinese goods, including electric vehicles (EVs), solar panels, and computer chips.

The new US moves also expanded on sweeping border taxes that were imposed on Chinese goods under the Trump administration.

In response, China’s commerce ministry said the new moves would “severely affect the atmosphere for bilateral cooperation”, and criticized what it characterized as the politicization of economic issues.

Ahead of the heavily-trailed White House announcement, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said it would “take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests”.

Separately on Monday, China sanctioned three American defense firms over their sales of weapons to Taiwan, state media said.

The announcement that General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Boeing Defense, Space & Security are barred from “import and export” business in China came as the self-ruled island inaugurated a new president.

Senior executives of all three companies are banned from entering, working, or living in China, the commerce ministry said.

Meanwhile, Europe has launched a series of probes into Chinese imports.

On Friday, the EU said it would launch an investigation into Chinese tinplate steel.

And last month, Brussels said it was probing two Chinese solar panel makers, that it says benefit from government subsidies.

The European Commission (EC), which oversees the EU’s trade policies, has also given itself a 4 July deadline to decide whether to impose measures against imports of Chinese-made EVs.

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Vatican releases new guidance for alleged supernatural phenomena https://www.adomonline.com/vatican-releases-new-guidance-for-alleged-supernatural-phenomena/ Sat, 18 May 2024 19:45:20 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2396843 The Vatican has tightened up its guidance on recognizing supernatural phenomena such as apparitions of the Virgin Mary and seemingly blood-soaked crucifixes.

The new guidelines replace rules drawn up in 1978 and say that bishops should no longer act independently over such sightings but instead consult the Vatican.

The changes made by the Vatican’s doctrinal office (DDF) aim to to bring the church up to date in responding to the swift spread of claims of apparitions online.

According to the document released by the Vatican Friday, the new procedure will allow for “faster decisions while respecting popular devotion” when it comes to assessing claims of supernatural phenomena, which could include the appearance of stigmata and other purported miracles.

Under the previous guidelines, a local bishop could rapidly declare a phenomenon’s supernatural nature, the Vatican said, “only for the Holy Office to express a different decision later.” In other instances a bishop might decide whether or not an occurrence was supernatural only for his successor to conclude the opposite, the statement continued.

The new Vatican guidelines say “as a rule” bishops and church officials will not declare whether alleged phenomena are supernatural or not, leaving this decision to the Pope.

The head of the DDF, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, told reporters that often these events “have led to a great richness of spiritual fruits, growth in faith, devotion, fraternity, and service. In some cases, they have given rise to shrines throughout the world that are at the heart of many people’s popular piety today.”

Speaking at a Vatican press conference, the cardinal cited Lourdes, the Marian shrine in the southwest of France visited by those with physical and spiritual ailments, as a positive example.

However, he went on to add that some alleged events which derive from the pursuit of “profit, power, fame, social recognition, or other personal interest” may harm the faithful, potentially even to the extent of “exerting control over people or carrying out abuses.”

Bishops will now generally be expected to issue a “nihil obstat” which will allow for worship but will leave open the issue of formal recognition of “supernatural” activity to the Vatican. However, Fernandez said that this recognition would be “very exceptional”.

Other options available to the bishops include the option to formally reject an experience as supernatural, as well as steps to ban or limit worship of phenomena regarded with suspicion. The guidelines state that those spreading false claims can face sanctions, including formal church penalties.

Positive criteria that will be considered by the Church when making a conclusion include the credibility and reputation of those reporting the occurrence, while negative criteria include possible errors, overt pursuit of personal interest, and “any psychosis (or) collective hysteria.”

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Police shoot dead armed attacker trying to set fire to synagogue in France https://www.adomonline.com/police-shoot-dead-armed-attacker-trying-to-set-fire-to-synagogue-in-france/ Fri, 17 May 2024 13:38:40 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2396243 Police have shot dead an armed attacker who was trying to set fire to a synagogue in the northern French city of Rouen, according to authorities.

A male suspect entered the building early Friday morning and threw what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail, the local mayor said.

The man climbed on top of a trash bin and got to the second floor of the synagogue, then threw the projectile into the building causing a fire, Rouen mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol told journalists at the scene.

“He was [quickly] brought down by security forces before trying to wrestle with them. He then tried to assault security forces with a knife, a long knife,” the mayor said, adding it was then when security forces opened fired and killed the suspect.

Why this French island in the Pacific is being roiled by violence over a vote held 10,000 miles away.

No one was hurt during the attempted attack, according to Mayer-Rossignol. Police arrived very quickly, partially because they saw the suspect on security cameras, he said.

The local prosecutor’s office has launched two inquiries, one into the arson and the other into the police firing of arms, Mayer-Rossignol said.

Chmouel Lubecki, a rabbi at the synagogue, told CNN affiliate BFMTV on Friday morning: “Unfortunately, we were expecting this.”

“We all have this worry inside of us, but when it actually happens, it is still shocking,” he added.

France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted his support for the police who intervened.

“Early this morning, police officers in Rouen killed an armed individual clearly intent on setting fire to the city’s synagogue. I congratulate them on their responsiveness and courage,” Darmanin said.

Rouen authorities had increased police presence at the city’s synagogue following the October 7 attacks in Israel.

Security measures have ramped up at Jewish institutions across France in response to tensions around the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. Darmanin last month announced additional security at synagogues and Jewish schools.

“As Passover approaches and given the current international situation, I have told local officials to significantly step up security at places visited by our Jewish compatriots, especially with regard to synagogues and Jewish schools,” the minister wrote on X.

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All the controversies: Inside the turmoil at Miss USA https://www.adomonline.com/all-the-controversies-inside-the-turmoil-at-miss-usa/ Sat, 11 May 2024 21:22:45 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2393367 During their year of service, pageant queens are highly visible, making appearances at major events, advocating for important causes and speaking at public engagements, all in an official capacity.

But following the shocking double resignation of Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava this week, just days apart, insiders are painting a picture of national titleholders kept absent from their usual duties, their organization in disarray, and key players who appear to be unable to voice their experiences — and concerns.

The Miss USA organization, which runs both pageants, has come under fire amid accusations of mismanagement, a hostile work environment, and conditions that led, in particular, to Voigt’s resignation on the grounds that her role was impacting her mental health.

While Srivastava, 16, who represented New Jersey at Miss Teen USA, released a statement on Instagram saying that her personal values “no longer fully align” with those of the organization, Voigt, 24, who represented Utah at Miss USA, wrote a long but cryptic post, citing her mental health. Soon, however, it went viral for an apparent hidden message — the first letter of the first 11 sentences spelled out “I am silenced.” (Voigt has not subsequently addressed this speculation.)

“We respect and support Noelia’s decision to step down from her duties,” the Miss USA pageant said in a statement following Voigt’s announcement. “The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time.” The organization has not returned CNN’s request for further comment.

In response, a number of current state titleholders who competed alongside Voigt for Miss USA — including Miss North Carolina USA 2023 Jordyn Ashlee McKey, Miss Wisconsin USA 2023 Alexis Loomans and Miss New York USA, Rachelle di Stasio — shared social media messages in support of Voigt, asking the organization to “release Noelia from the confidentiality NDA clause of her contract, in perpetuity, so that she is free to speak on her experiences and time as Miss USA.”

Denise White, a PR representative for both Srivastava and Voigt — and the 1994 Miss Oregon USA — alleged that both winners are restricted by “ironclad” non-disclosure agreements in their contracts.

To date, neither Voigt or Srivastava has publicly revealed more about what led them to quit. But in a resignation letter provided to the Miss USA organization and obtained by CNN, Voigt outlined a number of concerns, ranging from frustrating managerial issues to more serious allegations. In it, she described a “toxic work environment” that “at best, is poor management and, at worst, is bullying and harassment.” She accused the pageant’s CEO, Laylah Rose, of “slandering” her character in conversations with people inside and outside of the organization, including calling Voigt “mentally ill.” Rose is an entrepreneur and CEO of the VIP Pageantry Network, who took over the brand in 2023.

Voigt says Rose’s communications to her were “cold and unnecessarily aggressive,” and that she never received a formal meeting about her responsibilities. Despite the lack of communication about her role, she was “constantly… threatened with disciplinary action, including taking away my salary,” according to the document.

The organization failed to arrange travel accommodations for Voigt on multiple occasions, she wrote, and did not provide her with an apartment and car for months, as had been outlined in her prize package. Nor did she have an “effective handler,” she claimed, the latter leading to an instance where Voigt says she was sexually harassed during a Christmas parade event in Sarasota, Florida, while alone with an unnamed person in a car.

According to Voigt’s letter, Rose is “actively building a culture of fear and control, the antithesis of women’s empowerment, that is…unsafe for future titleholders and employees.”

Nor, she wrote, can she publicly voice her concerns, saying she is “silenced contractually from being able to speak up for myself.”

‘Things are falling apart’

Voigt and Srivastava’s respective resignations were not coordinated, according to White.

“That I’ve witnessed and seen is harassment, a toxic work environment and bullying,” White said in a telephone interview with CNN. “It’s just not conducive to a women’s organization that uplifts women and is supposed to promote using your voice. It’s quite the opposite.”

Both pageant winners sought out support from management at Miss Universe, which owns the Miss USA organization, without success, she added.

“Both young ladies were always trying to resolve any issues quietly behind the scenes,” she explained. “The fact that Miss Universe Organization has not even responded to Noelia’s resignation at this point is just stonewalling… No wonder things are falling apart. Because nobody knows what to do.”

The Miss Universe organization and Rose, through Miss USA, did not immediately respond to CNN’s requests for comment.

Voigt’s pageant coach, Thom Brodeur, who has worked with Miss USA contestants since 1991 and began working with Voigt while she was preparing for Miss Utah, emphasized new and ominous territory for the organization under Rose. “No woman has ever resigned as Miss USA or as Miss Teen USA, and she’s lost both of them in 48 hours,” he said.

Even before Voigt and Srivastava stepped down, there was turmoil in the organization, according to White, Brodeur and Miss USA’s former social media director, Claudia Engelhardt, who also resigned in recent days. Engelhardt claimed on Instagram that she had worked without pay for two months after being hired, and that she had seen a “decline” in Voigt’s mental health, and witnessed “disrespect” toward Srivastava and members of her family.

And according to Engelhardt, they were far from the only members of the Miss USA organization to depart. When she began her role in January, she was part of an already small team of five employees. Now, she says, after multiple firings and resignations, the team is down to Rose and one other employee. Multiple sources said the turnover has been constant.

“This is not a state pageant. This is not a local pageant. You need… a whole team,” Engelhardt said in a phone call with CNN.

Engelhardt said she believed she was applying for a freelance role, and was surprised to find she was being hired as staff. Still, she claimed, she received no employee contract, no onboarding and no guidance. There was no one else to help her manage the day-to-day social media needs of the national brand, she said, and often came up against what she framed as Rose’s overbearing approach to their social accounts.

“She would block Instagram accounts with people that she had personal discrepancies with. She would censor comments, and she would leave comments for the Miss USA page as if she was Noelia,” Engelhardt claimed.

White also alleged that Rose impersonated the two pageant winners on their official accounts. Weeks before Voigt resigned, she announced in a now-deleted Instagram post on her personal account that she “no longer had access” to her Miss USA pages.

An uneasy path forward

Engelhardt said she witnessed firsthand the impact of the role on Voigt, who she considers a friend as well as a former colleague. “(I saw) how stressed out she would get when the owner would constantly bombard her with emails,” she recalled. “She was constantly living in an anxious state.”

But despite the day-to-day stressors, Voigt alleged that she only made few public appearances. She said in her letter that, aside from a handful of press interviews in Los Angeles following her win and subsequent ones in Utah, the state she had represented at the Miss USA pageant, she had “yet to make an appearance outside of Sarasota, Florida,” where she was living. This was due to a “lack of communication” that she found “baffling,” she wrote.

“Our Miss USA, who should have been booked and busy (with) endless opportunities was sitting around doing nothing, and it’s not because she didn’t want to, but because of mismanagement,” Engelhardt said.

On May 9, the Miss USA pageant announced that Savannah Gankiewicz, Miss Hawaii USA 2023 and first-runner up to Voigt at the 2023 Miss USA pageant, would be taking over the national title and its responsibilities. She will be officially crowned on May 15.

“We are proud to crown Savannah Miss USA 2023, A true representation of vision, intelligence, and compassion,” Rose said in a statement. “Her dedication to empowering women through self-love and confidence is inspiring, and we look forward to her impactful reign as Miss USA.”

“I fully support and respect Noelia’s decision to step down, and I stand in solidarity with mental health awareness,” Gankiewicz added. “To my fellow Miss USA sisters, I believe it’s crucial for us to stand united for the future of the organization and the incoming class of 2024 and beyond.”

Though many have offered their public support for the two resigned pageant winners — including Shanna Moakler, who oversaw Voigt’s win in her role as the state director for the Miss Utah USA pageant, and Cindy Provost and Debbie Miller, who oversaw Srivastava’s win in their role as state directors for the Miss New Jersey Teen USA pageant — Engelhardt and White both hope that others will step up to reveal more about what they see as a stifling culture, as well as potential legal ramifications, that are keeping the titleholders quiet.

“They need somebody else to speak up for them,” White said.

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April breaks global temperature records for 11th month in a row https://www.adomonline.com/april-breaks-global-temperature-records-for-11th-month-in-a-row/ Thu, 09 May 2024 12:06:13 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=2392223 EU scientists said April 2024 was the 11th month in a row with record-breaking global temperatures.

It was also the first recorded April with a global average temperature of over 15 degrees Celsius, according to data from the EU climate change service Copernicus.

According to Copernicus boss Carlo Buontempo, the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases “will keep pushing the global temperature towards new records.”

The air temperature at the surface averaged 15.03 degrees Celsius in April, 0.67 degrees Celsius higher than the April average for the years 1991 to 2020, the service said on Wednesday.

In Europe, April was 1.49 degrees Celsius warmer than the comparable period. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), Europe is heating up the fastest out of all the continents.

The global average temperature for May 2023 to April 2024 is the highest since records began and is 1.61 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.
However, this does not yet mean that the 1.5-degree-Celsius target of the Paris Agreement has been missed, as longer-term average values are used for this purpose. If the temperature trend of the past 30 years continues, this will happen in 2033, Copernicus recently wrote.
The EU service regularly publishes data on the Earth’s surface temperature, sea ice cover and precipitation.
The findings are based on computer-generated analyses that incorporate billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations around the world. The data used dates back to 1950, with some earlier data also available.

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