U.K News
Greek Transport Minister Resigns Over Train Crash; 36 Dead
TEMPE, Greece — Rescuers combed the burned-out wreckage of two trains that collided in northern Greece, killing at least 36 people and crumpling several carriages into twisted steel knots.
Kostas Karamanlis, the Transport Minister, resigned, saying it was his “duty” to do so “as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly.”
The cause of the crash near the Greek Vale of Tempe, a river valley about 380 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens, was not immediately clear, but the stationmaster was arrested Wednesday in the nearby city of Larissa. His identity has yet to be revealed by the police. Two more people have been arrested for questioning.
It’s unclear how fast the passenger and freight train were traveling when they collided just before midnight Tuesday, but survivors said the impact threw several passengers through train cars’ windows. According to state broadcaster ERT, rescuers discovered some victims’ bodies 30-40 meters (100-130 feet) from the impact site.
THE GREEK TRAIN CRASH WAS LIKE AN EXPLOSION, SAY PASSENGERS.
A teen survivor who did not want to be identified told reporters that he felt sudden braking and saw sparks just before the crash, and then there was a sudden stop.
“Our carriage did not derail, but the ones ahead of us did and were smashed,” he said, visibly shaken. He used a bag to break his car window, the fourth, and escape.
Stefanos Gogakos, who was in a rear carriage, described the crash as “explosive,” He saw flames at the front of the train.
“The windows’ glass shattered and fell on top of us,” he told ERT. “With a jolt, my head hit the carriage’s roof. Because of the carriage’s smoke, some people began climbing through the windows. The doors were closed, but after a few minutes, train personnel opened them, and we could exit.”
Several cars derailed, and at least one caught fire.
“Temperatures reached 1,300 degrees Celsius (2,372 Fahrenheit), making it even more difficult to identify the people in it,” said Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, a fire service spokesperson.
WRECKAGE COMPLICATES RESCUE Efforts For Greeks
On Wednesday, rescuers began moving large pieces of the trains with cranes and other heavy machinery, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains.
“There were many large pieces of steel,” said Vassilis Polyzos, a local who claimed to be one of the first on the scene. “Both passenger and freight trains were destroyed.”
Rescuer Lazaros Sarianidis told ERT that crews were working “very carefully” to disentangle steel, sheet metal, and other materials that had become entangled due to the crash. “It will take a long time,” Sarianidis predicted.
According to Greece’s fire department, 76 people were hospitalized, six in critical condition.
More than 200 people who were unharmed or had minor injuries were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometers (80 miles) north. As they arrived, police took their names to locate anyone missing.
According to Greek Railroad Workers Union President Yannis Nitsas, eight rail employees were killed in the crash, including the two drivers of the freight train and the two drivers of the passenger train.
FROM CARNIVAL TO MOURNING IN GREECE
According to officials, 350 people aboard the Greek passenger train were students returning from Greece’s raucous Carnival. This year marked the first time since the pandemic began in 2020 that the festival, which precedes Lent, was celebrated in its entirety.
From Wednesday, the government declared three days of national mourning, and flags flew at half-staff outside all European Commission buildings in Brussels.
During a visit to the accident site, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that the government must assist the injured and identify the deceased.
“I can guarantee you one thing: We will investigate the causes of this tragedy and do everything in our power to ensure that something like this never happens again,” Mitsotakis said.
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou interrupted her official visit to Moldova to visit the scene, where she laid flowers beside the wreckage.
In a message sent to the president of the Greek bishops conference on his behalf by the Vatican’s secretary of state, Pope Francis expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.
The pope “sends the assurance of his prayers to everyone affected by this tragedy,” according to the message.
SOURCE – (AP)
U.K News
Returning to the UK a “No Go” for Prince Harry and Meghan
A source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claim that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle do not want to return permanently to the United Kingdom. Prince Harry will stay stationed in the United States, where he resides with his wife and their children.
It is known that worries about his and his family’s safety in the UK still exist.
According to the BBC, Prince Harry and Meghan are also unlikely to wish to abandon the business and charitable endeavours they developed while residing in the US.
There have been rumours of a disgruntled prince in California, who is getting close to turning forty and is unhappy with his life among the unrooted rich, trying to re-establish ties with his former life in the UK before he resigned as a working royal.
However, reliable sources have asserted a different story, stating that a return to royal life in the UK is not likely.
They contend that Prince Harry can visit the UK again and is just as capable of funding his charitable endeavours and charities from the US.
He flew back to the US after visiting the UK last week for his uncle’s memorial ceremony.
Claims that Prince Harry and Prince William had not talked throughout the church service in Norfolk, despite their growing frigid distance from one another, accounted for a large portion of the attention around the ceremony.
Prince Harry appeared to have maintained strong ties to the late Lord Robert Fellowes, who was Princess Diana’s brother-in-law on the Spencer side of the family.
The prince was spotted beside his Spencer family members during an Invictus Games service held at St. Paul’s Cathedral earlier this summer. Senior royals were not present at the event.
As soon as it was known that King Charles had cancer, the prince swiftly left for the UK, meeting briefly with his father in London.
There have also been excursions to London’s legal courts, when he fought the tabloids over allegations of illegal information collecting.
His security status in the UK is the subject of a continuing, intricate legal battle with the Home Office that has become a contentious topic in any conversation of a return.
The prince stated that he wouldn’t “bring my wife back to this country” in an interview with ITV because he was afraid for their safety.
But now that the pair has made such a public exit from royal life in the UK—in a Netflix movie and his book Spare—there will undoubtedly be speculative discussions about what will happen to them next.
Prince Harry and Meghan could reside anywhere in the virtual world if they didn’t have a royal duty; currently, that’s WFC (where they work from California).
In addition to their charitable endeavours, Meghan has teased a lifestyle cooking business on social media.
Though it is difficult to imagine they won’t want to stir up more than pots of jam given the impending US presidential election and the likelihood that topics they have brought up, including internet disinformation, would likely be debatable.
There have been other visits as well, most notably to Colombia, but they had so many of the hallmarks of a royal visit that it made one wonder whether they were actually travelling back to the world of the royals they were trying to leave behind.
There will be more inquiries about Prince Harry’s long-term future job as his 40th birthday draws near and there is a great deal of public curiosity.
Related News:
Prince Harry Opens Up About Emotional Distance in Royal Family
Prince Harry Opens Up About Emotional Distance in Royal Family
U.K News
Uk Weather: Thunderstorm warning for England and East Wales
Uk Weather: Forecasters have issued warnings for thunderstorms and heavy showers for Sunday, protecting a significant portion of England and portions of eastern Wales from the potential for severe weather.
According to the Met Office, the phenomenon could cause “a small chance of flooding and disruption” in some regions. At four o’clock British Summer Time, the yellow warning that urges people to “be aware” goes into effect, encompassing significant portions of southern England, the Midlands, and the north.
Forecasters are warning that thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected to develop in the southern region of England on Sunday morning and move northward during the day.
In England, the warning applies to a region located in the middle of the nation, stretching from the Isle of Wight to Newcastle upon Tyne. The warning has been issued for the counties of Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen, and Wrexham, which are located in the eastern part of Wales.
The Metropolitan Office has warned of flooding and stated that “frequent lightning strikes and hail will be additional hazards” across the southern and central regions of England.
The BBC Weather predicts that the United Kingdom will see a swarm of warm and humid air coming from the south-eastern direction until Sunday. In addition, a series of intense rainstorms will sweep northward over the central spine of England and east Wales.
In the event that these thunderstorms do materialize, there is a possibility that they will be accompanied by intense, gusty winds, lightning, and heavy rain. However, it is also possible that they may be fairly sporadic.
In spite of the fact that pinpointing the precise areas of these showers is rather difficult, it is recommended that you remain current with the most recent prediction since it is subject to change, as stated by BBC weather.
There is a possibility that temperatures may reach as high as 27 degrees Celsius in some regions of south-eastern England as a result of the warmer and more humid air. Temperatures will range from the low to the middle of the 20s Celsius in many locations.
Source: BBC
U.K News
UK Immigration Raids Increase Risks of Exploitation for Undocumented Migrants
In a growing chorus of concern, over 80 charities, including prominent organizations like Care4Calais, City of Sanctuary UK, and Anti-Slavery International, have called on the Home Secretary to overhaul the UK’s immigration policies.
Their joint letter, coordinated by Migrant Voice, criticizes the government’s recent intensification of immigration raids and deportations, arguing that these measures are exacerbating the risks faced by undocumented migrants.
The letter, sent on Friday, highlights the increasing danger of exploitation faced by migrants who are driven further underground by aggressive enforcement actions.
These policies, they argue, not only fail to address the root causes of undocumented status but also make migrants more vulnerable to abuse by unscrupulous employers and human trafficking gangs.
On August 27, the Home Office announced the results of a week-long “intensive operation” targeting illegal working, which saw 275 premises investigated and 135 issued notices for employing undocumented workers.
Despite the government’s assertion that such operations aim to protect vulnerable individuals, the raids led to the detention of 85 “illegal workers.”
The situation has been compounded by a recent record-breaking deportation event. Earlier this month, the government deported over 200 individuals to Brazil, marking the largest single deportation flight on record.
Since the Labour government came to power, there have been at least nine such deportation charter flights.
Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice, criticized the government’s approach, stating, “Immigration raids and deportations do not address the fundamental issue that many individuals become undocumented through no fault of their own.
Errors in paperwork or poor communication from the Home Office can result in people losing their status overnight.”
Ramadan advocates for a policy shift towards regularisation, arguing that it would be more cost-effective and beneficial for the economy than current detention and deportation practices.
“Rather than penalising people for their undocumented status, the government should simplify the process for them to regain documented status,” Ramadan suggested.
Many undocumented individuals have established lives and families in the UK, having lived in the country for years or even decades.
The letter contends that regularisation would not only reduce the financial burden of detention and deportation but also boost economic growth by enabling these individuals to contribute more fully to the economy.
“The raids are very traumatising,” Ramadan added. “People who are already vulnerable are becoming more so, retreating further underground. This policy has been tried and failed by many governments.
Regularisation offers a better solution, allowing people to come out of the shadows and live normal lives.”
The Home Office has been contacted for comment on the letter’s allegations and the ongoing concerns raised by the charities.
-
Business4 weeks ago
Are You A Cash App User? You May Be Eligible For A Piece Of This $15 Million Settlement
-
Celebrity4 weeks ago
Liza Minnelli Is ‘Mad As Hell’ And Writing New Memoir
-
Business4 weeks ago
Susan Wojcicki, Former YouTube CEO And Longtime Google Executive, Has Died At 56
-
Sports4 weeks ago
Lydia Ko Finally Gets Her Olympic Gold. It Puts Her Into The LPGA Hall Of Fame
-
News4 weeks ago
Travis Scott Is Arrested At A Paris Hotel After Altercation With A Security Guard, Prosecutors Say
-
Entertainment4 weeks ago
Samsung Is Recalling 1 Million Stoves To Prevent Pets From Setting Your Home On Fire