Category: World

A number of people are thought to have died after a mudslide on the island of Ischia, near Naples.

Heavy rains triggered a torrent of mud and debris that covered buildings and swept cars into the sea.

The number of fatalities isn’t clear and emergency services are still searching for survivors.

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Germany has rejected Poland’s call to deliver its US-made MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems to Ukraine. The refusal came after Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak requested that the weapon Berlin had offered to Warsaw be provided to Kiev and deployed in the western part of the country, near the Ukrainian-Polish border.

“These Patriots are part of NATO’s integrated air defense, meaning they are intended to be deployed on NATO territory,” German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Thursday.

“Any use outside NATO territory would require prior discussions with NATO and the allies,” she stated.

Germany offered to enhance Poland’s defenses after a missile fell in the eastern part of the country last week, killing two people. Ukrainian officials and some Western media reports initially claimed that it was fired by Russia. However, Polish President Andrzej Duda later said it was likely launched by Ukraine’s air defense forces and had veered off course while trying to repel a Russian attack.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland’s ruling conservative Law and Justice party and former prime minister, told the news agency PAP on Wednesday that it would be best for Poland’s security if “Germany handed over the [Patriot] equipment to Ukrainians, trained Ukrainian crews with a provision that the batteries would be stationed in western Ukraine.” His comments came while he was campaigning for next year’s parliamentary election.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Thursday that the recent civilian casualties in Kiev were caused by the work of Ukrainian air defense weapons, including those supplied by the West. The New York Times, meanwhile, recently reported that back in September a US-made HARM anti-radar missile fired by a Ukrainian jet had likely gone off course and hit a residential building in the Ukrainian-held city of Kramatorsk, injuring three people.

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Sinopec, China’s largest oil refiner, has discovered a new shale gas field, with a proven reserve of nearly 146 billion cubic meters, in the Sichuan basin in southwest China.

The new shale gas field is located in Chongqing’s Qijiang District and Xishui County of southwest China’s Guizhou Province, according to Ma Yongsheng, chairman of Sinopec.

The latest discovery indicated a great prospect of deep shale gas for exploration and development, and is expected to further contribute to China’s energy security, said Ma.

However, given the great depth and complex crustal stress, it is difficult to explore and develop the shale in the area, Ma said.

Shale gas is mainly methane and is considered a clean new energy resource.

There’s a Canterbury crooner on the loose – a mysterious wannabe saxophonist luring swooning residents to their open windows.

Like a Pied Piper, the mysterious musician has been drawing in a fan club as he learns the timeless George Michael romantic classic, leading one woman attempting to unmask the culprit.

Lauren Gibbs first heard the saxophone when she was out in her garden. At first, it was just scales, but everything changed when she was at her kitchen sink.

With gestational diabetes, and suffering both a respiratory and gastro illness in the final trimester of her pregnancy, Gibbs had been feeling utterly miserable.

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But then the Kaiapoi mum of one heard the first hesitant notes of a tune that was unmistakable to her ears, having always been a favourite.

As George Michael’s Careless Whisper progressed Gibbs’ mood lifted, leading her to thank the unwitting serenader on a community social media page.

“To the saxophone player in the Beach Grove subdivision,” she typed. “You’ve made my day today … hearing you practise that song made me smile.”

Gibbs went on to urge the musician to keep going.

“And when you’ve mastered the song, please feel free to come to our window and serenade my family.”

Wanting to find out who was behind the lilting notes, Stuff investigated and found an unlikely source just one street away – a young tradie better known for picking up tools than a musical instrument.

Ethan Haynes, 21, decided to purchase a saxophone three months ago, as a hobby, and has been learning ever since – although it’s fair to say not all his flatmates find his efforts as amusing as Gibbs does.

He had only just begun to learn the famous 80s hit when his family gave him a ribbing about Gibbs’ social media post at a recent gathering.

“And I was like ‘how the hell did you know about it?’”

Despite being teased by his workmates, Haynes was happy his playing had been acknowledged.

He offered to pelt out the tune publicly, in tradie gear, once he’d accomplished it completely.

“Once I’ve got it down I’ll open up my window and stand on top of the roof,” he quipped.

“It might be a Christmas Day treat.”

 

Madrid (EFE).- Un menor de 15 años ha resultado herido grave tras recibir dos machetazos, uno en la cabeza y otro en una mano, en el distrito madrileño de Villaverde, un suceso en el que las primeras hipótesis apuntan a una nueva agresión relacionada con las bandas juveniles.

Los hechos han ocurrido sobre las 16:45 en las inmediaciones de la avenida de Orovilla, muy cerca del I.E.S Espinillo, del que la víctima es alumno. Allí, dos individuos han perpetrado el ataque y, posteriormente, han huido en dirección a la Caja Mágica, han informado a EFE fuentes policiales.

Los facultativos de Samur-Protección Civil han atendido al menor agredido, lo han estabilizado y trasladado al hospital 12 de Octubre de la capital, han informado a EFE fuentes de Emergencias Madrid.

El menor presentaba una herida profunda por los machetazos

El menor presentaba una herida profunda por machetazo en la mano, que le ha afectado a varios tendones y nervios, por lo que ha sido preciso hacerle un torniquete y necesitará de intervención quirúrgica en el citado centro hospitalario. La lesión en la cabeza es de menor gravedad, y también tenía magulladuras en varias partes del cuerpo.

Según las primeras averiguaciones policiales, todo apunta a que la agresión está relacionada con desavenencias entre miembros de bandas juveniles, aunque la investigación deberá confirmar este extremo.

Han sido agentes de la Policía Municipal de Madrid quienes han intervenido en el suceso, pero por el tipo de ataque deberá ser la Policía Nacional quien se haga cargo de las pesquisas para, en primer lugar, identificar y detener a los autores de los hechos.

Los agentes locales se han visto obligados a cortar uno de los carriles de la avenida Orovilla, que transcurre por debajo de la carretera M-40, para facilitar el trabajo de los servicios sanitarios.