KYTHIRA, Greece (AP) — Bodies floated amid splintered wreckage in the water off a Greek island Thursday as the death toll from the sinking of two migrant boats rose to 21, with many still missing.
The boats went down hundreds of miles apart, in one case prompting a dramatic overnight rescue effort, as residents and firefighters pulled shipwrecked migrants to safety up steep cliffs.
The deadly incidents stoked tension between neighbors Greece and Turkey, which are locked in a heated dispute over migration and maritime boundaries.
The coast guard on the eastern island of Lesbos said 16 bodies of young African women and one young man were recovered there after a dinghy carrying about 40 people sank. Ten women were rescued, while 13 other migrants were believed to be missing, coast guard officials said.
“The women who were rescued were in a full state of panic so we are still trying to work out what happened,” coast guard spokesman Nikos Kokkalas told state television. “The women were all from African countries, aged 20 upward. … There is a search on land as well as at sea and we hope that survivors made it to land.”
The second rescue effort was launched several hundred kilometers (miles) to the west, off the island of Kythira, where a sailboat struck rocks and sank.
The bodies of at least four migrants were seen amid floating debris from the sailboat. The deaths would be officially recorded when the bodies were recovered, officials said. They added that 80 people,…
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BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President and head of the ruling Communist Party Xi Jinping is expected to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during a visit the neighboring Central Asian nations of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan this month, in what would be his first overseas visits since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019.
Xi, 69, has participated in global gatherings by video link, but his physical absence and those of other top Chinese leaders has thrown a shadow over Beijing’s global political and economic ambitions. Xi has only left mainland China to make a one-day visit to the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong on July 1 to speak at a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of its handover from British to Chinese rule. Xi has overseen a sweeping crackdown on civil rights in the city since pro-democracy protests in 2019, with opposition voices either imprisoned, forced into exile or intimidated into silence.
According to Russian media, Xi will attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Uzbekistan where he will meet with Putin. The two last met in Beijing in January in Beijing, just weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On that occasion, they issued a joint statement declaring their relationship had “no limits.” Beijing has since refused to criticize Russian aggression or even describe it as an invasion, while condemning sanctions against Moscow and blaming the U.S. and NATO for provoking the conflict.
A brief look…
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ROME (AP) — Pope Francis urged the people and leaders of Congo and South Sudan on Saturday to “turn a page” and forge new paths of reconciliation, peace and development.
Francis issued a video message on the day he had planned to begin a weeklong pilgrimage to the two African countries. He canceled the scheduled trip last month because of knee pain that makes walking and standing difficult.
In the message, Francis said he was “greatly disappointed” to not be able to travel and promised to visit “as soon as possible.”
He urged the people of both countries not to allow themselves to be robbed of hope despite the violence, political instability, exploitation and poverty that he said had pained them for so long.
“You have a great mission, all of you, beginning with your political leaders: It is that of turning a page in order to blaze new trails, new paths of reconciliation and forgiveness, of serene coexistence and of development,” Francis said.
He said political leaders owed the pursuit of such goals to young people who dream of peace “and deserve to see those dreams come true”
“For their sake, above all, it is necessary to lay down arms, to overcome all resentment, and to write new pages of fraternity,” the pope said.
He was joined in issuing separate video messages by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, Right Rev. Dr. Iain Greenshields, who were supposed to have accompanied Francis on the South Sudan leg of the trip. In their messages, they expressed disappointment that the visit had to be postponed but urged South Sudanese to nevertheless keep working for peace.
“Peace requires much more than not being at war. It must be created together, with your fellow leaders and even with your…
The photo has been used for illustrative purposes.
Mohammed Yaseen, Staff Reporter
The Dubai Court of Appeal upheld a judgment issued against two Africans, man and woman, 27 and 36, respectively, sending them to 3 years in prison each to be followed by deportation for luring a compatriot woman and coercing her into prostitution.
The second convict will also serve six months more for the charge of practicing dirty work, the Court ordered.
The details of the case date back to August last year, when an African woman lodged a complaint with the security authorities, stating that she had been locked-up and coerced into prostitution by persons from her country.
During the interrogation, the victim explained that a woman from her home country (her friend) brought her into the country to work as a maid for a family and that she covered the expenses of the visit visa and flight ticket.
“I accepted the offer and agreed to travel and work to help my family and my blind mother,” the victim added.
She continued, “My friend and another person received my at the airport and drove to an apartment, where I found a number of women are dwelling in, but I was shocked by my friend informing me that my work is prostitution. And when I refused, she threatened to let her men beat me up if I continued stubborn and disobedient”
The victim also stated that she managed to escape from those people while she was being transported to another emirate, where she asked a passerby to help her reach the police station to report the crime.
Through the investigations and gathering information, the security team managed to identify the two suspects.
According to a cop’s statement, he set an ambush to arrest the two…
LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization said the escalating monkeypox outbreak in more than 50 countries should be closely monitored but does not warrant being declared a global health emergency.
In a statement Saturday, a WHO emergency committee said many aspects of the outbreak were “unusual” and acknowledged that monkeypox — which is endemic in some African countries — has been neglected for years.
“While a few members expressed differing views, the committee resolved by consensus to advise the WHO director-general that at this stage the outbreak should be determined to not constitute” a global health emergency, WHO said in a statement.
WHO nevertheless pointed to the “emergency nature” of the outbreak and said controlling its spread requires an “intense” response.
The committee said the outbreak should be “closely monitored and reviewed after a few weeks.” But it would recommend a re-assessment before then if certain new developments emerge — such as cases among sex workers; spread to other countries or within countries that have already had cases; increased severity of cases; or an increasing rate of spread.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus convened the emergency committee on Thursday after expressing concern about the epidemic of monkeypox in countries that haven’t previously reported the disease.
“What makes the current outbreak especially concerning is the rapid, continuing spread into new countries and regions and the risk of further, sustained transmission into vulnerable populations including people that are immunocompromised, pregnant women and children,” the WHO chief said.
Monkeypox has sickened people for decades in central and west Africa, but until last month, the disease had not been known to cause…
Sunday, March 27th 2022, 12:22 pm – Difficult travel is expected in parts of southern Ontario Sunday, with localized whiteouts possible in areas experiencing snow squalls.
Despite the end of March in sight, the wintry weather will continue to plague southern Ontario for the foreseeable future. A prolonged period of lake-effect snow squalls have come to fruition, and will cause travel headaches for those on the roads. By Monday morning, some communities may see 10-20+ cm of snow. On top of that, a blast of frigid-cold air will send temperatures nosediving into the minus digits Monday morning. More on the timing and what you need to know, below.
Visit our Complete Guide to Spring 2022 for an in-depth look at the Spring Forecast, tips to plan for it and much more!
SUNDAY: MULTI-DAY, LAKE-EFFECT SNOW CONTINUES TO HAMPER TRAVEL
The lake-effect machine is revved up once again in the traditional snowbelt regions in southern Ontario. The snow will continue Sunday and may last into Monday afternoon. Snow squall warnings may be issued at some point on Sunday. Winter weather travel advisories are in effect for a large portion of southern Ontario at the moment.
MUST SEE: Toronto will be colder than the Arctic Circle this week
The greatest impacts are expected along and near the Huron shores, where treacherous driving conditions are expected to continue at times Sunday.
10-20+ cm of snow is anticipated in the hardest-hit areas, especially near the shores of Lake Huron where the bands could overachieve. Southern shores of Georgian Bay could see similar totals.
Travel impacts could extend into parts of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) at times, with the odd band meandering into the region. It appears likely that the lake-effect snow will intensify overnight Sunday.
“Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. Visibility will be suddenly reduced to near zero at times in heavy snow and blowing snow,” says Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the advisory.
Consider delaying travel plans across the affected areas. Conditions can change rapidly over short distances.
If the squalls weren’t enough of a nuisance, temperatures will plunge to near-record levels Sunday overnight into early Monday morning.
IF SUNDAY MORNING’S SNOW GOT YOU DOWN, JUST STAY IN BED MONDAY
Saturday, March 26th 2022, 9:27 am – Localized whiteouts are possible as bands of lake-effect snow spread over parts of southern Ontario this weekend, persisting into Monday, ahead of a shot of frigid Arctic air.
The first full weekend of spring in southern Ontario is going to feel like we’ve gone back to mid-winter. Northwesterly winds will be the driving force of a multi-day, lake-effect snow squall setup beginning Saturday evening for parts of the region. Travel will not be recommended in areas close to the Huron shores and north of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Meanwhile, the familiar polar vortex will be taking a trip south into the Great Lakes region for early next week with bitterly cold temperatures. More on the snow chances and how cold it’ll get, below.
Visit our Complete Guide to Spring 2022 for an in-depth look at the Spring Forecast, tips to plan for it and much more!
THIS WEEKEND: MULTI-DAY LAKE-EFFECT SNOW SETS UP AMID GUSTY WINDS
Lake-effect snow will develop Saturday evening as cold, Arctic air floods into southern Ontario. The sporadic snow is expected to persist into Monday, with varying degrees of snowfall intensity during this period, depending on the locale. Winter weather travel advisories are in place foe a good chunk of southern Ontario.
The greatest impacts are expected along and near the Huron shores, where we’ll likely deal with treacherous driving conditions at times starting Saturday evening. 5-15 cm of snow is anticipated in the hardest-hit bands. Travel impacts could extend into parts of the GTA throughout the lake-effect duration.
The snow squalls will be more organized in the overnight and early-morning periods versus having a dispersive nature in the afternoons because of the late-March sun angle disrupts their stereotypical shape.
“Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. Visibility will be suddenly reduced to near zero at times in heavy snow and blowing snow,” says Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the advisory.
Consider delaying travel plans across the affected areas. Conditions can change rapidly over short distances.
Folks across southern Ontario will have to deal with these snow squalls on Sunday, too, before temperatures plunge to near-record levels in the overnight period into early Monday morning.
IS THE POLAR VORTEX BACK FOR SPRING?
A small lobe of the polar vortex will dip into the Great Lakes region by Monday.
This surge of chilly Arctic air will push temperatures at least 10°C below normal for the end of March and will likely set new record low temperatures.
The lobe of frigid air aloft will modify slightly on its trip south this weekend, but it is what’s to blame for temperatures being significantly cooler for Monday.
Monday morning’s low temperatures across northern Ontario will dip into the -20s, while parts of southern Ontario will be into the minus double digits and teens.
With some lingering gusty northwest winds, wind chills will make temperatures feel even colder, approaching -20 by early Monday morning. These temperatures will likely be a bit of a shock to the system, as it has been a couple weeks since temperatures have been this cold.
While this sudden temperature dive will prove to be short-lived, chilly temperatures will persist into the beginning of April, with no sustained warm weather in sight.
As well, for next week, another system will track later on Wednesday, as March goes out like a lion. The storm track favours rainfall and a brief warm-up across southern Ontario, but at this point it looks like freezing rain will be possible in some of the same regions that saw the ice on Wednesday.
If this storm takes a track as far to the north and west as the models currently show, then we would see a brief warm-up into the teens in southern Ontario on Thursday.
Be sure to check back for the latest updates on the changing conditions across Ontario.
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