Wednesday, March 11

Business

More than a dozen people missing after tourist boat sinks off coast of Egypt | World News
Business

More than a dozen people missing after tourist boat sinks off coast of Egypt | World News

More than a dozen people are missing after a tourist boat sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt, officials have said.The boat, Sea Story, was carrying 45 people, including 31 tourists of varying nationalities and 14 crew.Authorities are searching for 17 people who are still missing, the governor of the Red Sea region said on Monday, adding that 28 people had been rescued.The vessel was part of a diving trip when it went down near the coastal town of Marsa Alam.Officials said a distress call was received at 5.30am local time on Monday.The boat had departed from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday and was scheduled to reach its destination of Hurghada Marina on 29 November.Some survivors had been rescued using a helicopter, officials said.It was not immediately clear what caused the fo...
Israel edging closer to ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon – reports | World News
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Israel edging closer to ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon – reports | World News

Israel is said to be edging closer to a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to reports.Israeli media outlets Haaretz, Walla, Ynet, Kan and American news website Axios reported both parties are getting closer to reaching a deal amid signs of progress in the US-led ceasefire talks. It is suggested Israel has agreed to large parts of a ceasefire deal - but not all of it, yet.An agreement could see an end to fighting that has seen more than 3,500 Lebanese killed and more than 15,000 injured in over a year.Any potential agreement would also reportedly allow hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the border to gradually return home, Axios reported. It follows more airstrikes over the weekend which saw Hezbollah fire heavy rocket barrages at Israel on Sunday.Israel'...
At least one dead after DHL cargo plane crashes into house in Lithuania | World News
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At least one dead after DHL cargo plane crashes into house in Lithuania | World News

At least one person was killed when a DHL cargo plane crashed into a house in Lithuania this morning. One other person was taken to hospital after the aircraft smashed into a two-storey home near Vilnius Airport around 5.30am local time (3.30am UK time), Lithuania's public broadcaster said. All of the residents in the house survived. Image: Pic: AP Image: Pic: AP The cargo plane, which was operated by Madrid-based contractor Swiftair, was flying from Leipzig in Germany, the Lithuanian airport authority said.It posted on X that city services including a fire truck were on site and did not immediately offer a cause for the crash. Flight-tracking data from Fl...
Russian plane catches fire after landing in Turkey but passengers and crew safely evacuated | World News
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Russian plane catches fire after landing in Turkey but passengers and crew safely evacuated | World News

A Russian plane carrying 95 people caught fire after landing at Antalya airport in Turkey on Sunday, but all passengers and crew were safely evacuated.The Sukhoi Superjet 100 type aircraft, run by Azimuth Airlines, had taken off from Sochi and was carrying 89 passengers and six crew members, Turkey's transportation ministry said in a statement. The pilot made an emergency call after the aircraft landed at 9.34pm local time and the engine caught fire. Image: Pic: Hava Sosyal Medya Airport rescue and firefighting crews quickly extinguished the fire and no one was hurt, according to the statement.The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Videos of the blaze show emergency vehicles rushing toward a burning plane.The tran...
Depressed and desperate to die: Has assisted dying in Canada ‘crossed the line’? | UK News
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Depressed and desperate to die: Has assisted dying in Canada ‘crossed the line’? | UK News

Warning: This articles contains references to suicideScott picks up a rifle and walks to an open window that overlooks the fast-flowing river. He takes aim at an invisible target, rests the gun's barrel on the window sill and shakes his head. "I can't do this any more," he says, his voice faltering. The mop of shaggy, grey hair hints at Scott's age. In his 60s, he has a sturdy build and walks with a slight limp. When he was younger he spent his free time shooting, fishing and canoeing. But these days, Scott doesn't have the energy for outdoor pursuits. Instead, he lies on his sofa all day "paralysed with fear"."I'm tortured," he says. "It's a feeling that's always there."Scott's depression and anxiety spirals into suicidal thoughts several times a week. The panic attacks started in 1984, s...
UK in AI arms race with Russia as Putin ‘wants destruction’, minister to warn | Science, Climate & Tech News
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UK in AI arms race with Russia as Putin ‘wants destruction’, minister to warn | Science, Climate & Tech News

The UK is in a "new AI arms race" with countries like Russia and North Korea, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will say on Monday.  Minister Pat McFadden will be speaking at the NATO Cyber Defence Conference at Lancaster House, warning the UK and its allies that "cyber war is now a daily reality". "Be in no doubt: the United Kingdom and others in this room are watching Russia. We know exactly what they are doing, and we are countering their attacks both publicly and behind the scenes," he will say."Putin is a man who wants destruction, not peace." Read more: Russia ready to hit UK with wave of cyber attacks Image: Pat McFadden. Pic: AP In a bid to keep up with adversaries, Mr McFadden will announce a new Laboratory ...
Russian forces capture ‘former British soldier’ fighting for Ukraine – reports | World News
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Russian forces capture ‘former British soldier’ fighting for Ukraine – reports | World News

Russian forces have reportedly captured a British man while he was fighting for Ukraine.In a widely circulated video posted on Sunday, the man says his name is James Scott Rhys Anderson, aged 22. He says he is a former British Army soldier who signed up to fight for Ukraine's International Legion after his job.He is dressed in army fatigues and speaks with an English accent as he says to camera: "I was in the British Army before, from 2019 to 2023, 22 Signal Regiment." He tells the camera he was "just a private", "a signalman" in "One Signal Brigade, 22 Signal Regiment, 252 Squadron"."When I left… got fired from my job, I applied on the International Legion webpage. I had just lost everything. I just lost my job," he said."My dad was away in prison, I see it on the TV," he added, shaking h...
COP29: A climate deal so bad that the host nation had to force it through | Science, Climate & Tech News
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COP29: A climate deal so bad that the host nation had to force it through | Science, Climate & Tech News

Don't be fooled by the applause.After two weeks of deadlock over a climate finance deal, when it finally came, it was a standing ovation of relief, not rejoicing. This was a deal so bad, and so unpopular, that this year's COP host Azerbaijan was forced to gavel it through without allowing objections.Read more: COP29 strikes last ditch deal on funding for climate Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:24 COP29 strikes last minute deal Quite how they managed to do this within the arcane "consensus" rules of the United ...
Alaa Abd el Fattah: Mum’s plea after hunger strike over son’s imprisonment in Egypt – ‘I don’t want to die’ | UK News
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Alaa Abd el Fattah: Mum’s plea after hunger strike over son’s imprisonment in Egypt – ‘I don’t want to die’ | UK News

A mother who has gone on hunger strike after her activist son was detained in Egypt is calling on the foreign secretary to act fast - with time, she says, "running out".Laila Soueif told Sky News her son, Alaa Abd el Fattah, who has been in prison for most of the past decade, "has to come out now" as she fears her health will deteriorate if she has to carry on starving herself over his ongoing detention. The 68-year-old has been living on water and rehydration salts since 29 September, the day after Mr Fattah was meant to be released following a five-year prison sentence for "disseminating false news" after retweeting a report in 2019 that another prisoner died in custody. Image: Alaa Abd el Fattah with his mother. Pic: Family handout ...
COP29 delegates leave summit with a bad aftertaste | World News
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COP29 delegates leave summit with a bad aftertaste | World News

In Azerbaijan, the oil is cheap, the skyscrapers are shaped like fire and donuts, and the ruling elite have got rich quick from its abundant fossil fuels. It could be the Dubai of the Caspian Sea.This former Soviet state is blessed with such abundant fossil fuels it oozes out of the soil, and in some places has been burning for decades. On a still day, the smell and taste of oil from the dozens of oil wells engulfing Baku catch in the back of your throat. Image: A beach on the Caspian Sea in Baku, Azerbaijan, with Soviet era oil platforms in the background. Pic: AP Delegates at the COP29 climate summit are now leaving the country with a bad aftertaste for another reason.Rich countries that have done far more to cause clima...