One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said on Wednesday. The pilot had made radio contact about the in-fight emergency shortly after taking off, said Clint Johnson, head of the National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska regional office. They were attempting to return to Fairbanks International Airport when they lost contact, he said. The plane crashed about 7 miles (11 kilometers) outside Fairbanks, hitting a steep hill and sliding down an embankment to the bank of the Tanana River. Alaska State Troopers say no survivors were found. The plane departed Fairbanks just before 10 a.m., loaded with 3,200 gallons (12,100 litres) of heating oil for Kobuk, an Inupiat village of less than 200 people located about 300 miles (480 kilometers) northwest of Fairbanks. Johnson said there was also about 1,200 gallons of aviation fuel aboard the C54D-DC Skymaster plane, a World War II-era airplane that had been converted to a freighter. It is difficult and expensive to get fuel to rural Alaska villages, which are remote and difficult to reach because of the state's limited road system. The Northwest Arctic Borough said heating fuel in Kobuk was USD 15.45 a gallon in 2022. The Alaska Energy Authority said barges usually deliver fuel to coastal communities. But in villages where barges can't run or it's not economically feasible, air tankers will deliver fuel but that is even limited by sea or river ice, water levels or ice road availability. The C54D-DC is a military version of the Douglas DC-4, which was a World War II-era airplane. The website www.airlines.net said standard passenger seating for a DC-4 was 44 during its heyday, but most have been converted to freighters. The NTSB has three investigators on the scene. The plane was registered to Alaska Air Fuel of Wasilla. Phone messages left for the company have not been returned. The pilots' names have not been released. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 April,2024 08:38 AM IST | Anchorage (US) | AP | PTIThe United States on Wednesday started sending much-needed arms and ammunition to Ukraine for it to fight against the Russian invasion, with President Joe Biden alleging that countries like China, Iran and North Korea are helping Moscow in this war. "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin's friends keeping him well supplied. Iran sent him drones. North Korea has sent him ballistic missiles and artillery shells. China is providing components and know-how to boost Russia's defence production," Biden said as he signed the National Security Supplemental USD 95.3 billion aid package to Ukraine and Israel and to strengthen the security of America and its allies in the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan. "With all this support, Russia has ramped up its airstrikes against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, rained down munitions on brave Ukrainians defending their homeland. And now, America is going to send Ukraine the supplies they need to keep them in the fight," Biden said. Hours later, the United States started shipping and airlifting equipment to Ukraine for air-defence munitions, artillery, rocket systems and armoured vehicles. "This package is literally an investment not only in Ukraine's security but in Europe's security, in our own security," Biden said. "We are sending Ukraine equipment from our own stockpiles. Then we will replenish those stockpiles with new products made by American companies here in America. Patriot missiles made in Arizona, Javelins made in Alabama, artillery shells made in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. In other words, we are helping Ukraine while at the same time, investing in our own industrial base, strengthening our own national security and supporting jobs in nearly 40 states all across America," the president said. Secretary of State Tony Blinken announced a new package of weapons and equipment for Ukraine. "This package, which is valued at up to USD 1 billion, includes urgently-needed capabilities, including air defence missiles, munitions for HIMARS, artillery rounds, armoured vehicles, precision aerial munitions, anti-armour weapons, and small arms, equipment and spare parts to help Ukraine defend its territory and protect its people," he said. "We are sending a powerful message today about the power of American leadership as we support Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression. The United States will continue to work with the coalition of more than 50 countries we have assembled to provide critical support for Ukraine's forces," Blinken said in a statement. The Pentagon said this package will surge munitions, weapons and equipment forward to support Ukraine's ability to defend its frontlines, protect its cities and counter Russia's continued attacks. "With the bipartisan support of Congress, Ukraine can count on strong and resolute US leadership to provide consistent security assistance support -- together with some 50 allies and partners -- to ensure its brave defenders receive the critical capabilities needed to fight Russian aggression," the Pentagon said. Biden warned that if Putin triumphs in Ukraine, the next move of Russian forces could very well be a direct attack on a NATO ally. "You all know full well that invoking article five of the North Atlantic Treaty would be the first thing that comes to mind, which declares an attack on one as an attack on all. If Putin attacks a NATO ally like he is attacking Ukraine today, we would have no choice but to come to their aid, just like our NATO allies came to our aid after the September 11 (2001) attacks here," he said. "That is why we are supporting and surging support now to Ukraine to stop Putin from drawing the United States into a war in Europe and in the future. You know, it seems to me, we should take a little bit of a step back and realise what a critical moment this was for the United States and for NATO. This is a historical moment," Biden said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an interview to Fox News, thanked the US for this aid amounting to USD 61 billion. "The moment when we waited for this six-month decision, 61 billion hopes. So I am thankful to the people of America, what I wanted to say. I am thankful, not the first time. And I hope that you and the Americans will feel the result of their help, a resolve to save Ukraine and Ukrainians," he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 April,2024 08:30 AM IST | Washington | PTIA Peruvian psychologist who had an incurable disease polymyositis that weakened her muscles and left her bedridden for several years died by euthanasia, her lawyer said, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance. Ana Estrada fought for years in Peruvian courts for the right to choose to die, and became a celebrity in the conservative country where euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal. In 2022, Estrada was granted an exception by the nation’s Supreme Court, which upheld a ruling by a lower court that gave Estrada the right to decide when to end her life, and said those who helped her would not be punished. She is the first person to obtain the right in Peru. “Ana’s struggle to die with dignity has helped educate thousands of Peruvians about this right,” her lawyer said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 April,2024 07:53 AM IST | Lima | AgenciesA high-level North Korean economic delegation was on its way to Iran, the North’s state media said on Wednesday, for what would be the two countries’ first known talks since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Embracing the idea of a “new Cold War”, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is pushing to build up cooperation with countries confronting the United States, as his intensified weapons tests prompted the US and South Korea to expand their military drills. Pyongyang’s delegation led by Yun Jung Ho, North Korea’s minister of external economic relations, flew out Tuesday for the trip to Iran, the official Korean Central News Agency said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 April,2024 07:53 AM IST | Seoul | AgenciesChina on Wednesday blasted the latest package of US military assistance to Taiwan on Wednesday, saying that such funding was pushing the self-governing island republic into a “dangerous situation”. The US Senate late Tuesday passed USD 95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the US should be in foreign wars. The package included USD 8 billion for Taiwan, meant to counter the threat of invasion by China, which claims the entire island as its own territory and has threatened to take it by force if necessary. The mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the aid “seriously violates” US commitments to China and “sends a wrong signal to Taiwan”. China to send three astronauts to space China’s space agency is making final preparations to send the Shenzhou-18 crew into low-Earth orbit on Thursday as part of its ambitious space program that aims to put people on the moon by 2030. The astronauts are Commander Ye Guangfu, 43, a veteran astronaut who was part of the Shenzhou-13 mission in 2021; and astronauts Li Cong, 34, and Li Guangsu, 36, Visiting space for the first time. They will relieve the Shenzhou-17 team. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 April,2024 07:50 AM IST | Beijing | AgenciesIsraeli aircraft struck Hamas rocket launchers located in a southern Gaza humanitarian zone overnight, the Israel Defence Forces confirmed on Wednesday morning. According to the IDF, the launchers were loaded with rockets. An image released by the army showed the launchers 15 metres away from the closet shelter tent. “The strike was conducted after taking precautions to mitigate harm to civilians,” the IDF said. On April 8, Israel destroyed Hamas rocket launchers in a Khan Yunis humanitarian zone meters away from an aid distribution area. No civilians were harmed in either strike after being warned ahead of time. Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft struck over 50 Hamas targets throughout the Strip, including an operational tunnel shaft during the past day. In central Gaza, several Hamas terrorists spotted near Israel forces were eliminated by tank fire. At least 1,200 people were killed and 240 were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on on October 7. Apr 8Day Israel destroyed rocket launchers in Khan Yunis Univs-students clash head-on in US Standoffs between pro-Palestinian student protesters and universities grew increasingly tense on both coasts on Wednesday. Hundreds of protesters at an encampment at Columbia University faced a deadline from the administration to clear out, while dozens barricaded themselves inside two buildings on a Northern California college campus for the second night. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 April,2024 07:48 AM IST | Tel Aviv | AgenciesIf the United States stepped off the world stage, who would lead the world, US President Joe Biden asked his fellow countrymen as he slammed his November challenger for making such an argument. "Think of it this way -- if the United States stepped off the world stage, like Trump wants us to do, who would lead the world? Who would lead the world?" Biden asked the gathering at a campaign event in Tampa, Florida. Biden is facing his predecessor, Donald Trump, in the November presidential election, which is a rematch of the 2020 polls. "One of the things that is happening now is that ... every international meeting I attend with other heads of state -- whether it is the G7, the G20, all these international meetings -- before I leave, literally, almost every one will walk up to me and wait to get me in a corner alone and grab my arm and say, 'You have got to win'. Not because of me, but because of the alternative. And they say, 'Because my democracy depends upon it', meaning their democracy," Biden said. "So the whole world is looking, and they are looking to see how we handle ourselves in this election -- not just on whether we win or not, but how we handle ourselves. One of the things that for me, I got involved when I was a kid in electoral politics out of the Civil Rights Movement. It all got down to one person at a time organising," the president said. Biden told his supporters that his campaign is doing great and has raised nearly half a billion USD so far. "I am really excited. We have raised almost a half a billion dollars so far. But here is what excites me -- so far, we have 1.6 million (16 lakh) contributors, 550,000 more than we had last time at this stage of the game. But here is the deal -- of those 1.6 million contributors, 97 per cent contributed less than USD 200. Think of all the numbers that means," he said. The incumbent also said he is ahead of Trump in recent polls. "In the last 23 national polls, I have been ahead in 10 of them, Trump has been ahead in eight and we have been tied in five. More importantly, the momentum is clearly in our favour. For example, we moved eight points in the latest Marquette poll and seven points in the Echelon poll. And the Marist poll now has us up by three nationwide," he said. "The point I am making is, people are beginning to listen. This is a time people begin to focus and listen. They have generic impressions up to now, but now they are listening," he said. At the beginning of his remarks, Biden saw kids in the crowd and approached two elementary school-aged boys who were standing to his right. He lowered the microphone, got close and whispered to them. After that he looked around to his staff and said, "You know what to do, right?" Then he crossed the room over to two similarly-aged girls and whispered to them too. The president apparently whispered to the children about making sure that their parents get them ice cream. At the end of his remarks, he again told the kids to remember what he promised. Biden said Florida is in play nationally. "This election is a basic, old-fashioned election," he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 April,2024 08:30 AM IST | Washington | PTINorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised salvo launches of the country’s “super-large” multiple rocket launchers that simulated a nuclear counterattack against enemy targets, state media said Tuesday, adding to tests and threats that have raised tensions in the region. The report by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency came a day after the South Korean and Japanese militaries detected the North firing what they suspected were multiple short-range ballistic missiles from a region near its capital, Pyongyang, toward its eastern seas. Analysts say North Korea’s large-sized artillery rockets blur the boundary between artillery systems and ballistic missiles as they can create their own thrust and are guided during delivery. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 April,2024 07:35 AM IST | Seoul | AgenciesOn Monday afternoon, the eve of the Passover holiday, Israel Air Force fighter jets attacked a terrorist infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon. Israeli forces also attacked buildings belonging to Hezbollah in al-Adisa and Arzoun in southern Lebanon. The attacks came after about 35 terrorist rocket launches were detected that crossed from the territory of Lebanon to the area of Ein Zeitim in northern Israel. There there were no casualties. ‘More sanctions on Iran’ Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz directed the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ representation to the European Union and the Israeli embassies in Europe to increase the campaign against Iran among the European Union countries in preparation for the Foreign Affairs Council meeting of the European Foreign Ministers to discuss the issue of sanctions on Iran. The main goal is to impose sanctions on Iran’s missile project, including the supply of missiles to all proxy terrorist entities associated with it in the Middle East. The campaign follows dozens of conversations that Minister Katz had with his counterparts in Europe to convince them to promote and support sanctions on Iran with a message: “Iranian aggression will not end with Israel and the Middle East... but will reach you as well, and we must take all measures to curb Iran now.” Israeli human rights abuse in Gaza is ‘troubling’: US The US State Department released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and highlighted Israel, underscoring concerns over human rights abuses in Gaza. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the human rights concerns stating, “The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues to raise deeply troubling concerns for human rights.” He added that the US has condemned the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks while urging Israel to minimise civilian harm in its response. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 April,2024 07:33 AM IST | Tel Aviv | AgenciesThe owner and manager of the massive container ship that took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month should be held fully liable for the deadly collapse, according to court papers filed on behalf of Baltimore’s mayor and city council. The two companies filed a petition soon after the March 26 collapse asking a court to cap their liability under a pre-Civil War provision of an 1851 maritime law--a routine but important procedure for such cases. A federal court in Maryland will ultimately decide who’s responsible and how much they owe in what could become one of the most expensive maritime disasters in history. Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. owns the Dali, the vessel that veered off course and slammed into the bridge. Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., also based in Singapore, is the ship’s manager. In their filing, attorneys for the city accused them of negligence, arguing the companies should have realised the Dali was unfit for its voyage and manned the ship with a competent crew, among other issues. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 April,2024 07:30 AM IST | Baltimore | AgenciesThe UK Parliament has passed the contentious bill, allowing the government to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for their claims to be considered by the East African nation, reported CNN. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's efforts to pass the bill had been stuck between opposition in the Houses of Parliament and challenges in the British courts, as lawmakers and activists have sought to scupper the legislation on human rights grounds. Moreover, Sunak's inability to implement the policy has caused considerable embarrassment, as the British government has sent millions of pounds to Rwanda to fund a scheme that has failed to deliver any results to date, CNN reported. It has been designed to prevent irregular migration into the UK, particularly people travelling on illegal and dangerous small boats from France, arranged by criminal gangs. Meanwhile, in theory, the legislation will see some landing in the UK sent to Rwanda where their asylum claim will be considered. If their claim is accepted, they will stay in Rwanda. If it is declined, the bill says they cannot be deported by Rwanda to anywhere other than the UK, though it is unclear what would ultimately happen in this scenario. The scheme was first conceived in 2022 when, Sunak, who became prime minister then, made it the mission of his government to put a stop to these arrivals by following through on a Conservative pledge to "stop the boats". Two years after the scheme was first conceived, the absence of any deportations so far has been considered a major failure for Sunak, CNN reported. Last year, the Supreme Court of the UK ruled that the policy is unlawful "because there are substantial grounds for believing that asylum seekers would face a real risk of ill-treatment by reason of refoulement to their country of origin if they were removed to Rwanda." Refoulement is the practice where asylum seekers or refugees are forcibly returned to a place where they would face persecution or danger, against important principles of international human rights law. The judges noted that as recently as 2021, the UK government criticized Rwanda for "extrajudicial killings, deaths in custody, enforced disappearances and torture." The government responded by introducing the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill in January of this year, which effectively enshrines in UK law that Rwanda is a safe country, overriding the judges' concerns. Home Secretary James Cleverly, in a video posted on X on Monday, said that "the Safety of Rwanda Bill has passed in Parliament and it will become law within days." He added that the act would "prevent people from abusing the law by using false human rights claims to block removals. And it makes clear that the UK Parliament is sovereign, giving the government the power to reject interim blocking measures imposed by European courts," reported CNN. However, even with the bill passed, the government might face legal challenges in the European Court of Human Rights, as the UK is still a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights. The European court has previously barred it from sending asylum seekers to Rwanda. The bill has suffered long delays because of attempts to amend it. A process colloquially known as "ping pong," where the two parts of the UK's parliament - the House of Commons and the House of Lords - send legislation back and forth, has been going on for months. Every time the House of Lords makes amendments to the bill, the House of Commons, where Sunak has a majority, must vote to remove them, according to CNN. In 2022, the number of people arriving by small boats was 45,744, according to the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford. Moreover, net migration in the same year was 745,000, according to government figures. This is a problem for Sunak and his governing Conservative Party, as they are set to face the public in a general election that must be called before the end of this year. Parties on the right - most notably Reform UK, the new political home of arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage, will push the issue of illegal migration as hard as possible. Notably, the opposition Labour party has already promised to scrap the Rwanda plans if it comes to power at the next general election, which must be held by January next year but is widely expected to take place later this year, Al Jazeera reported. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 April,2024 07:17 AM IST | London | ANIADVERTISEMENT
