Richard Gere visits migrants stuck at sea in Mediterranean

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Actor Richard Gere, left, talks with migrants aboard the Open Arms Spanish humanitarian boat as it cruises in the Mediterranean Sea. Open Arms has been carrying 121 migrants for a week in the central Mediterranean awaiting a safe port to dock, after it was denied entry by Italy and Malta. (AP Photo)
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Actor Richard Gere, right, talks to a rescued migrant aboard the Open Arms Spanish humanitarian boat as it cruises in the Mediterranean Sea. (AP Photo)
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US actor Richard Gere helps to carry supplies aboard the Open Arms in the Mediterranean sea. (Reuters)
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Actor Richard Gere, center, talks with staff members of the Open Arms Spanish humanitarian boat as it cruises in the Mediterranean Sea. (AP Photo)
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Actor Richard Gere, right, helps serve meals to migrants aboard the Open Arms Spanish humanitarian boat as it cruises in the Mediterranean Sea. (AP Photo)
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US actor Richard Gere surrounded by rescued migrants aboard the Open Arms in the Mediterranean sea. (Reuters)
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US actor Richard Gere talks to a rescued migrant aboard the Open Arms in the Mediterranean sea. (Reuters)
Updated 09 August 2019
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Richard Gere visits migrants stuck at sea in Mediterranean

  • The Hollywood star took food and supplies by boat Friday to 121 people aboard the Open Arms, a rescue ship floating in international waters near the Italian island of Lampedusa
  • The 69-year-old actor carried fruit boxes on board and spoke to several migrants who had fled war-torn Libya on unseaworthy smuggling boats before being rescued

ABOARD THE OPEN ARMS ON THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Actor Richard Gere is visiting rescued migrants on board a humanitarian ship that has been stuck in the Mediterranean Sea for over a week.
The Hollywood star took food and supplies by boat Friday to 121 people aboard the Open Arms, a rescue ship floating in international waters near the Italian island of Lampedusa after being blocked from entering ports in Italy and Malta.
The 69-year-old actor carried fruit boxes on board and spoke to several migrants who had fled war-torn Libya on unseaworthy smuggling boats before being rescued. Gere urged the world to “please support us here on Open Arms and help these people, our brothers and sisters.”
Other European countries have yet to respond to the aid group’s request for a solution to the impasse over the rescue ship.


Lame-duck Biden tries to reassure allies as Trump looms

Updated 8 sec ago
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Lame-duck Biden tries to reassure allies as Trump looms

  • Biden attempted to use the APEC summit in Peru to shore up ties with key Asia-Pacific allies before the potential wrecking ball of a second Trump term

LIMA, Peru: Joe Biden cut a diminished figure on one of his last outings on the world stage Friday, as he admitted that the times are changing with Donald Trump’s impending return to power.
The 81-year-old lame-duck US president attempted to use a summit in Lima to shore up ties with key Asia-Pacific allies before the potential wrecking ball of a second Trump term.
But Biden couldn’t help but strike a valedictory tone after his final meetings with many counterparts who are looking over his shoulder at the Republican’s looming comeback.
“We’ve now reached a moment of significant political change,” a wistful-sounding Biden said as he met the leaders of Japan and South Korea in the Peruvian capital.
“This is likely to be my last trilateral meeting with this important group, but I am proud to have helped be one of the parts of building this partnership.”
Biden insisted, however, that his internationalist approach would survive Trump, saying of the Japan-South Korea alliance: “I think it’s built to last. That’s my hope and expectation.”
A senior US official insisted afterwards that “as a matter of fact, the president-elect’s name did not come up” with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
But that may have been a matter of politeness rather than politics.
Biden prided himself as the man who was able to say “America’s back” after Trump upturned old alliances in his first term and reached out to foreign autocrats like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
Now, it is Trump who is back.
And on what is likely to be his final major foreign swing, including a trip to the G20 in Brazil next week, Biden has been overshadowed by the man who will take office on January 20.

The outgoing president has even seen himself outshone by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Summit host Peru rolled out the red carpet for Xi for a state visit that included the inauguration of the first Chinese-funded first megaport in South America, a sign of Beijing’s increasingly successful battle with Washington for influence.
Peru’s President Dina Boluarte greeted Xi at the Government Palace in Lima, where a brass band welcomed him and soldiers stood at attention in full ceremonial blue and red dress with plumed helmets and flags.
The welcome for Biden was far more muted, with two short lines of soldiers at the airport.
Biden was then kept waiting on Thursday for the start of the summit by other leaders, US officials said.
After he walked in, he extended a hand to the leaders of Thailand and Vietnam, between whom he was sitting, and sat down, his spotlight diminished.
Old friends Justin Trudeau of Canada and Anthony Albanese of Australia later joined him for a selfie, but there was no throng to meet the leader of the world’s top superpower and most powerful military.
Biden is now due to have his last ever one-on-one meeting as president with Xi on Saturday, in what officials say is a bid to build on a historic tension-easing encounter a year ago.
Yet that too will take place in the shadow of Trump and the prospect of fresh tensions and a trade war.
As his political star fades, Biden joked that even First Lady Jill Biden was ready to get rid of him.
Pointing to the head of US space agency NASA during a meeting with Peru’s president, Biden quipped: “Every time my wife thinks I’m getting out of hand, she says ‘I’m going to call him and have him send you to space.’“
 


In El Salvador, crypto investors cheer Trump-powered Bitcoin rally

Updated 20 min 56 sec ago
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In El Salvador, crypto investors cheer Trump-powered Bitcoin rally

  • Three years ago, President Nayib Bukele made El Salvador the first country in the world to establish Bitcoin as legal tender
NUEVO CUSCATLAN, El Salvador: Bitcoin enthusiasts meeting in El Salvador on Friday said a recent surge in the cryptocurrency’s value since Donald Trump’s US election win has heightened their expectations the price will rise further and it will be adopted more broadly globally.
Dozens of domestic and foreign ‘bitcoiners’ met at the Adopting Bitcoin conference just outside the Salvadoran capital, with the Central American country hyping its status as a hub for the promotion of digital currency trading.
Three years ago, President Nayib Bukele made El Salvador the first country in the world to establish Bitcoin as legal tender, alongside the US dollar. The decision drew criticism from the International Monetary Fund, with whom the country is negotiating a $1.3 billion loan.
Bitcoin, which was trading above $90,000 on Friday, rallied to an all-time high after Trump secured his new term in office, set to begin in January. Investors see the incoming president as a cryptocurrency champion who will slash regulations.
“Trump understands what it’s like to be a capitalist, he’s going to get out of the way and remove regulations that are not necessary,” said Charlie Stevens, a 27-year-old Irishman who has lived in El Salvador for a year and a half.
“Bitcoin is growing very, very fast, in front of the eyes of the whole world. And the whole world has its eyes on El Salvador,” he added.
Bukele’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The world’s biggest cryptocurrency has had a heady if volatile rise, trading at around $8,000 five years ago, and starting this year at around $42,000.
In January, Vice President Felix Ulloa told Reuters that El Salvador would remain committed to the digital currency, despite scarce use of Bitcoin among Salvadorans and some technical issues.

Here’s how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promised to remake the US’ top health agencies

Updated 30 min 2 sec ago
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Here’s how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promised to remake the US’ top health agencies

  • Kennedy, who has said “there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective,” would be in charge of appointments to the committee of influential panel experts who help set vaccine recommendations

WASHINGTON: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist and environmentalist, for years gained a loyal and fierce following with his biting condemnations of how the nation’s public health agencies do business.
And that’s put him on a direct collision course with some of the 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials who work for the Department of Health and Human Services, especially with President-elect Donald Trump tapping him to head the agency.
If confirmed, Kennedy will control the world’s largest public health agency, and its $1.7 trillion budget.
The agency’s reach is massive. It provides health insurance for nearly half of the country — poor, disabled and older Americans. It oversees research of vaccines, diseases and cures. It regulates the medications found in medicine cabinets and inspects the foods that end up in cupboards.
A look at Kennedy’s comments about some of the agencies that fall within the HHS arena, and how he has said he plans to shake them up:
Food and Drug Administration
— “FDA’s war on public health is about to end,” he wrote on X in late October. “If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags.”
The FDA’s 18,000 staffers include career scientists, researchers, and inspectors responsible for the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs, vaccines and other medical products. The agency also has broad oversight of a swath of consumer goods, including cosmetics, electronic cigarettes and most foods.
HHS has legal authority to reorganize the agency without congressional approval to maintain the safety of food, drugs, medical devices and other products.
And Kennedy has long railed against the FDA’s work on vaccines. During the COVID-19 epidemic, his nonprofit group, Children’s Health Defense, petitioned the FDA to halt the use of all COVID vaccines. The group has alleged that FDA is beholden to “big pharma” because it receives much of its budget from industry fees and some employees who have departed the agency have gone on to work for drugmakers.
His attacks have grown more sweeping, with Kennedy suggesting he will clear out “entire departments” at FDA, including the agency’s food and nutrition center. The program is responsible for preventing foodborne illness, promoting health and wellness, reducing diet-related chronic disease and ensuring chemicals in food are safe.
Last month, Kennedy threatened on social media to fire FDA employees for “aggressive suppression” of a host of unsubstantiated products and therapies, including stem cells, raw milk, psychedelics and discredited COVID-era treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.
In the case of hydroxychloroquine, for example, the agency halted its emergency use after determining it wasn’t effective in treating COVID and raised the risk of potentially fatal heart events.
Consuming raw milk has long been regarded as risky by the FDA because it contains a host of bacteria that can make people sick and has been linked to hundreds of illness outbreaks.
If confirmed, Kennedy in principle could overturn almost any FDA decision. There have been rare cases of such decisions in previous administrations. Under both George W. Bush and Barack Obama, HHS overruled FDA approval decisions on the availability of emergency contraceptives.
Unwinding FDA regulations or revoking approval of longstanding vaccines and drugs would likely be more challenging. FDA has lengthy requirements for removing medicines from the market, which are based on federal laws passed by Congress. If the process is not followed, drugmakers could bring lawsuits that would need to work their way through the courts.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
— “On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all US water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy wrote on social media in November.
The CDC’s fluoride guidance is just one recommendation the agency has made as part of its mission to protect Americans from disease outbreaks and public health threats.
The agency has a $9.2 billion core budget and more than 13,000 employees
Days before Trump’s victory, Kennedy said he would reverse the agency’s recommendations around fluoride in drinking water, which the CDC currently recommends be at 0.7 milligrams per liter of water.
The recommendations have strengthened teeth and reduced cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear. Splotchy teeth patterns have occurred with higher levels of fluoride, prompting the US government to lower its recommendations from 1.2 milligrams per liter of water in 2015.
Local and state governments control the water supply, with some states mandating fluoride levels through state law.
Kennedy, who has said “there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective,” would be in charge of appointments to the committee of influential panel experts who help set vaccine recommendations to doctors and the general public. Those include polio and measles given to infants and toddlers to protect against debilitating diseases to inoculations given to older adults to protect against threats like shingles and bacterial pneumonia as well as shots against more exotic dangers for international travelers or laboratory workers.
National Institutes of Health
— “We need to act fast,” Kennedy was reported to have said during an a Scottsdale, Arizona event over the weekend. “So that on Jan. 21, 600 people are going to walk into offices at NIH and 600 people are going to leave.”
The agency’s $48 billion budget funds medical research on cancers, vaccines and other diseases through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. The agency also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at NIH labs in Bethesda, Maryland.
Among advances that were supported by NIH money are a medication for opioid addiction, a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, many new cancer drugs and the speedy development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
In the past, Kennedy has criticized NIH for not doing enough to study the role of vaccines in autism.
Kennedy wants half of the NIH budget to go toward “preventive, alternative and holistic approaches to health,” he wrote in the Wall Street Journal in September. “In the current system, researchers don’t have enough incentive to study generic drugs and root-cause therapies that look at things like diet.”
Kennedy wants to prevent NIH from funding researchers with financial conflicts of interest, citing a 2019 ProPublica investigation that found more than 8,000 federally funded health researchers reported significant conflicts such as taking equity stakes in biotech companies or licensing patents to drugmakers.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
— “If a doctor’s patient has diabetes or obesity, the doctor ought to be able to say, I’m going to recommend gym membership, and I’m going to recommend, good food and Medicaid ought to be able to finance those things the same as they would Ozempic,” Kennedy said during a Sept. 30 town hall in Philadelphia.
Kennedy has not focused as much on the agency that spends more than $1.5 trillion yearly to provide health care coverage for more than half of the country through Medicaid, Medicare or the Affordable Care Act.
Even as Trump and other Republicans have threatened some of that coverage, Kennedy has remained mum.
Instead, he’s been an outspoken opponent of Medicare or Medicaid covering expensive drugs that were developed to treat diabetes, like Ozempic, now also sold for weight loss as Wegovy. Those drugs are not widely covered by either program, but there’s some bipartisan support in Congress to change that.
Speaking during a congressional roundtable in September, Kennedy admonished some for supporting that effort, noting it could cost the US government trillions of dollars. An exact price tag for the US government to cover those drugs has not been determined.
Kennedy has said Medicare and Medicaid should, instead, provide gym memberships and pay for healthier foods for those enrollees.
“For half the price of Ozempic, we could purchase regeneratively raised, organic food for every American, three meals a day and a gym membership, for every obese American,” Kennedy said.


Zelensky says Ukraine war will end ‘sooner’ with Trump in office

Updated 16 November 2024
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Zelensky says Ukraine war will end ‘sooner’ with Trump in office

KYIV: Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky said Friday that Russia’s war against his country will “end sooner” than it otherwise would have done once Donald Trump becomes US president next year.
“It is certain that the war will end sooner with the policies of the team that will now lead the White House. This is their approach, their promise to their citizens,” Zelensky said in an interview with Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne.

Russian air defenses down Ukrainian drones in different regions

Updated 16 November 2024
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Russian air defenses down Ukrainian drones in different regions

Russian air defense units intercepted a series of Ukrainian drones in several Russian regions, officials said, many of them in Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops launched a major incursion in August.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 15 drones in Kursk region on the Ukrainian border. It said units downed one drone each in Bryansk region, also on the border, and in Lipetsk region, further north.
The ministry said one drone was downed in central Oryol region.
And the governor of Belgorod region, a frequent target on the Ukrainian border, said a series of attacks had smashed windows in an apartment building and caused other damage, but no casualties were reported.