International News
Rhodes Fires: Brits Flee Homes For Safety As Greek Fires Intensify
As fires rage on the Greek island of Rhodes, British holidaymakers continue to shorten their vacations.
Tuesday saw an increase in the number of planes leaving Greece for the UK.
The Foreign Office modified its advice, advising travelers to make sure they had “appropriate insurance” before entering potentially affected areas.
To assist with travel insurance claims, the Liberal Democrats have encouraged ministers to warn against visiting Rhodes unless absolutely necessary.
On Tuesday, Jet2 had nine planes planned to leave Rhodes, some of which had extra seats to accommodate additional travelers attempting to leave the island.
EasyJet said extra seats were available on Wednesday’s flights.
Earlier, one of the airline’s pilots flying British tourists to Rhodes urged passengers at Gatwick to get off the plane before take-off.
“I don’t know in what capacity you are travelling, but if you are travelling for leisure, my sincere recommendation is that it’s a bad idea,” the pilot told passengers on board.
Women embrace as holidaymakers fleeing Greek wildfires arrive at Gatwick Airport
On Monday morning, Foreign Office Minister Andrew Mitchell said up to 10,000 Brits were on Rhodes in total – this number includes tourists in unaffected parts of the island.
Jet2 – which ran repatriation flights to Manchester, Leeds-Bradford, Glasgow and Stansted overnight – said “approximately 1,000 customers” had either been flown back to the UK or moved to hotels in unaffected areas.
EasyJet has cancelled outbound package holidays to Rhodes until Saturday, while Tui has cancelled its packages going to the south of the island until 11 August.
The view from Rhodes airport
Instead of formally advising holidaymakers not to travel to the affected Greek islands, the Foreign Office said people should check with their hotel and travel operator before travelling, and explained how to sign up for emergency alerts.
Updated advice said the fires were taking place “in populated areas on the mainland and a number of islands” and were “highly dangerous and unpredictable”.
The Foreign Office advised those visiting the affected areas to make sure they had “appropriate insurance”, and directed travellers towards a number of resources they could use if they were near the wildfires.
It could be recall that Biztellers earlier reported that two Greek air force pilots died after a water-bombing plane crashed on the island of Evia while fighting wildfires on Tuesday afternoon.
They were named as 34-year-old Cdr Christos Moulas and his co-pilot, 27-year-old Pericles Stefanidis.
In the last week, more than 35,000 hectares (86,500 acres) of forest and other land has been scorched by fire in Greece, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature said.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told his cabinet the next three days “will be difficult” but he hoped conditions will ease from Friday.
“Let me state the obvious,” he said. “That in the face of what the entire planet is facing, especially the Mediterranean, which is a hotspot for climate change, there is no magic defence.
“If there was, obviously we would have implemented it.”
President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to take sweeping actions against what he described as “transgender lunacy,” signaling a push to reverse policies protecting transgender individuals in schools, sports, and the military.
Speaking at the AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Trump outlined his administration’s priorities, stating, “I will sign executive orders to end child sexual mutilation, get transgender out of the military, and out of our elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools.”
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He also vowed to “keep men out of women’s sports” and asserted, “It will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.”
The president-elect’s remarks come amid growing national debate over transgender rights, with states divided over issues such as gender-affirming medical care and the inclusion of books addressing transgender topics in schools.
The controversy escalated last week when Congress passed a defense budget provision blocking funding for certain gender-affirming care for the children of service members.
Trump’s speech drew strong reactions, with critics warning that his policies could strip essential protections from transgender individuals.
Civil rights advocates have raised concerns about the implications of these proposals on marginalized communities.
In addition to his focus on cultural issues, Trump used the event to outline his vision for the nation under his leadership.
He described his presidency as a turning point, promising to address international conflicts and restore American dominance.
“On January 20, the United States will turn the page forever on four long, horrible years of failure, incompetence, national decline, and we will inaugurate a new era of peace, prosperity, and national greatness,” Trump declared, referring to his upcoming swearing-in.
He pledged to end the war in Ukraine, stabilize the Middle East, and avert global conflict. “I will stop the chaos in the Middle East, and I will prevent, I promise, World War III,” he said.
The president-elect also reiterated his commitment to reclaiming control of the Panama Canal and combating crime linked to illegal immigration.
“I can proudly proclaim that the golden age of America is upon us,” Trump concluded.
A Madrid court on Friday handed down a sentence of more than four years in prison to Rodrigo Rato, the former chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Spain’s ex-economy minister.
Rato was convicted of multiple charges, including tax crimes, money laundering, and corruption.
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The court found Rato guilty of “three offences against the treasury, one offence of money laundering, and one offence of corruption between individuals,” according to an official statement.
Details shortly………..
South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol has been banned from leaving the country, the Justice Ministry confirmed Monday, following a week of political chaos triggered by his brief declaration of martial law.
The ban marks the first time a sitting president has faced such a restriction in the nation’s history.
Recall that on December 3, Yoon ordered special forces and helicopters to the National Assembly in an attempt to impose martial law.
RELATED NEWS: Martial Law: South Korea Opposition Files Impeachment Motion Against President Yoon
Lawmakers swiftly overturned the decree, forcing Yoon to rescind the order. Although he survived an impeachment motion on Saturday, public anger has continued to mount, with large protests demanding his resignation.
Authorities are now investigating Yoon and his close allies for their roles in last week’s events, including allegations of insurrection.
Among those facing travel bans are former Defense Minister Kim Yong-Hyun, who is in custody, and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.
General Park An-su, who led the martial law operation, and Defence Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung have also been barred from leaving the country.
General Park was questioned by investigators on Monday as the probe intensified.
Yoon’s impeachment failed after members of his ruling People Power Party (PPP) walked out of the National Assembly, denying the opposition the required two-thirds majority.
In exchange for their support, Yoon reportedly agreed to delegate his powers to the prime minister and the PPP chairman.
“This is an unlawful, unconstitutional act of a second insurrection and a second coup,” said Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the opposition Democratic Party.
Critics argue that Yoon’s decision to hand power to unelected officials violates the constitution.
“It seems to resemble an unconstitutional soft coup,” said Kim Hae-won, a constitutional law professor at Pusan National University.
“Their attitude of placing themselves above the constitution mirrors that of insurrectionist Yoon Suk Yeol,” added Park Chan-dae.
Despite Yoon’s apology for the “anxiety and inconvenience” caused by his martial law order, his approval rating has plummeted to 11%, according to a recent Gallup poll.
Opposition leaders have announced plans for a second impeachment vote on Saturday, with massive protests expected outside the National Assembly.
The PPP’s claim that Yoon can remain in office while delegating his powers to party officials has also been widely criticized.
“If there are issues with the president, the constitution lays out clear procedures, such as suspension or impeachment,” said Professor Kim Hae-won.
The ongoing crisis has raised concerns about South Korea’s leadership amid tensions with nuclear-armed North Korea.
The Defense Ministry confirmed Monday that Yoon remains the official commander in chief, despite questions about his authority.
“Legally, (control of military forces) currently lies with the commander in chief,” said Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-Kyou.
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