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A Ferrari, a Honolulu hideaway, salted duck - top NY official allegedly spied for China
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/04/2024
Posted By:utopia online

A top New York state government aide secretly helped the Chinese government access an official call about Covid-19 while enjoying a lavish lifestyle as an undercover agent for Beijing, according to a US indictment. Over a period of roughly 14 years, Linda Sun rose through the ranks to become deputy chief of staff to the governor. But according to federal prosecutors, the 41-year-old used her position to aid Chinese officials, including by blocking Taiwanese diplomats from contacting the state government and covertly sharing internal documents with Beijing. In return, China allegedly showered Ms Sun and her husband, Christopher Hu, with millions of dollars in kickbacks that helped them buy a $4.1m (£3.1m) house in New York and perks including special home deliveries of salted duck.It's all been taken care of' They also bought a $2.1m ocean-view condominium in Honolulu, Hawaii, and luxury vehicles including a 2024 Ferrari Roma sports car, according to the indictment. The couple pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in a Brooklyn federal court to a range of charges, from failing to register as a foreign agent to visa fraud and money laundering. US law requires that individuals acting for or in the interests of foreign countries or political parties register as foreign agents. Ms Sun never did - and, according to prosecutors, the Chinese-born naturalised citizen "actively concealed that she took actions at the order, request, or direction" of Chinese government officials and representatives. In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic spread through the state, Ms Sun allegedly found ways for Chinese consular officials to gain access to New York leaders. So brazen were her efforts that, in one instance, she surreptitiously added a Chinese official to a private state government call about the public health response to the virus, according to prosecutors. Former New York prosecutor Howard Master told the BBC the charges reflect a "disturbing" trend of senior public officials - including former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez - corruptly receiving gifts from foreign governments. The indictment against Ms Sun lists occasions in which she worked to prevent Taiwanese representatives from either communicating with or meeting high-ranking officials in the US government. "It's all been taken care of satisfactorily," Ms Sun is said to have bragged in one 2016 message to a Chinese consular official after successfully diverting a top New York politician from an event hosted by Taiwan. And when the island's president travelled to New York City in 2019, she was even pictured joining a pro-Beijing protest against his visit. Up until January 2021, she worked behind the scenes to scrub mentions of Beijing's detention of Uyghurs, a mostly Muslim ethnic group in Xinjiang Province. When Chinese officials asked if the governor could record a Lunar New Year video, Ms Sun asked what “talking points” they wanted. "Mostly holiday wishes and hope for friendship and co-operation,” the Chinese officials wrote. "Nothing too political.” Ms Sun later told another Chinese official that she had argued with Ms Hochul’s speechwriter to get a mention of the “Uyghur situation” removed from a draft of the governor’s remarks. In 2023, while working in the New York labour department, Ms Sun obtained a framed official Lunar New Year proclamation from Governor Kathy Hochul and presented it to a Chinese official. The proclamation was produced outside of ordinary channels and even without the permission of Ms Hochul's office. Ms Sun also drafted fraudulent invitation letters for Chinese politicians to travel to the US and wrote an unauthorised letter of employment to add a compatriot to the New York governor's Asian American advisory council. Nanjing-style salted ducks In return, Ms Sun and Mr Hu "received substantial economic and other benefits from [Beijing] representatives”, prosecutors say. The gifts included all-expenses-paid travel to China; tickets to top shows, concerts and sporting events; employment in China for Ms Sun's cousin; and home deliveries of Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a Chinese government official's personal chef. According to the indictment, the duck delicacy was gifted to Ms Sun - and sent directly to her parents' home - on at least 16 different occasions. On Tuesday morning, federal agents entered the couple's Long Island home and detained them on 10 criminal counts. Her lawyer, Jarrod Schaeffer, was quoted by AP news agency as saying: “We’re looking forward to addressing these charges in court. Our client is understandably upset that these charges have been brought.” A judge released the pair on bail, limiting their travel to three US states and ordering Ms Sun to avoid any contact with representatives from the Chinese consulate or mission in New York.


Type:Social
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ዴርቶ ገዳ PART 3
Catagory:Fiction
Author:
Posted Date:09/04/2024
Posted By:utopia online

ሻጊዝ ገና በልጅነቱ ነበር የተለያዩ ማሽኖችን የመፍታትና የመገጣጠም ፍቅር ያደረበት፡፡ ኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ ቦንጋ ከቀሩት ጣሊያኖች የኤሌክትሪክ ሱቅ ጀምሮ፡፡ የሁለተኛ ደረጃ ትምህርቱን እንዳጠናቀቀ በወቅቱ በሩስያውያን በሚተዳደረው የባህር ዳር ፖሊቴክኒክ ኮሌጅ በሜካኒካል ኢንጂነሪንግ ዘርፍ የእርሻ ቴክኖሎጂን አጠና፡፡ ከባህር ዳር ፖሊቴክኒክ ተቋም በማዕረግ የተመረቀም ሲሆን ውጤቱም በተቋሙ ታሪክ ሁለተኛው ከፍተኛ ውጤት ነው::በኋላ ደግሞ በኢትዮጵያ የአውቶሞቲቭ ሰርቪስና ሴልስ ኩባንያ - የቴክኒካል ዋና አማካሪ ማናጀር በመሆን ለሁለት ኣመታት ሠርቷል፡፡ በ1964 ዓ.ም በጃፓን ኦቨርሲስ ማህበር ባገኘው ነፃ የትምህርት ዕድል ወደ ጃፓን አመራ፡፡ በጃፓን ሄሮሺማ ዪኒቨርስቲ - ኢንዱስትሪና : ኦቶሞቲቭ ኢንጂነሪግን አጠና፣ በኦሳካ ዩኒቨርስቲም የጃፓኖችን የቴክኖሎጂ ምስጢር ለመረዳት ሲል ጃፓንኛ ቋንቋ ለመማር አላቅማማም፡፡ ከጃፓን ወደ አሜሪካ ሲያመራ በጠፈር ምርምር የመሳተፍ ህልሙን እውን ለማድረግ በመቋመጥ ነበር፡፡ አሜሪካም - ከጃፓን የመጣውን ባለ ብሩህ አዕምሮ የቴክኖሎጂ ሰው እጁን ሰማ ተቀበለችው፡፡ ወደ አሜሪካ ከገባ ጊዜ ጀምሮ በተለያዩ - የኤሮስፔስ ኩባንያዎች ሲሰራ ቆይቶ በ1969 ዓ.ም በአሜሪካ የጠፈር ምርምር ማዕከል ናሳ (NASA) ተቀጠረ፡፡በናሳ ቆይታው የመንኮራኩር ሲስተም ዲዛይን ኢንጂነር በመሆን መንኮራኩሮችን ዲዛይን ማድረግ፤ መሥራትና መገጣጠም፣ መሞከርና ማምጠቅ ተግባሩ ሆነ፡፡ በዚህ ወቅት ዝናው እየናኘ አውሮፓ ደረሰ፣፣ ለአውሮፓ ስፔስ ኤጀንሲም በርካታ ተግባራትን አከናውኗል፡፡በስፔስ ሲስተም ከፍል የበረራ ዳይናሚክ ሲሙሌተር እና ኔክስት ጀነሬሽን' ተብሎ የሚጠራው ግሎባል ፖዚሽን ሳተላይት ሲስተም የፈጠራ ባለቤት - ሳይንቲስት ከመሆኑም ባሻገር ስታር ዋርስ' ተብሎ የሚጠራውን የመከላከያ ሲስተም ቴክኖሎጂ ለማጎልበት የሳይንቲስቶችና የኢንጂነሮች ቡድን መሪ በመሆን ሠርቷል፡፡ የአሳዳጊነት መብት ከእስራኤል አሜሪካዊት ባለቤቱ ሶስት ልጆች ቢወልድም ትዳሩ የሠመረ አልነበረም፣ የልጆቹን ለማግኘት በፍርድ ቤት ለመከራከር ሕግ አስገርሟል፡፡ ብዙዎች ለያንዳንዱ ችግሩ የሚማር ብቸኛው ሰው ሻጊዝ እጅጉ ነውማጥናቱ ብዙዎችን ዪኒቨርስቲ ገብቶ ይላሉ፡፡ በጠፈር ሲስተምና በኤሮኖቲካል ምህንድስና በክፍተኛ ውጤት በዶክትሬት ዲግሪ ክረም በተጨማሪ በቢዝነስ ኣድሚንስትሬሽንም የማስተርስ ዲግሪ አለው፡፡ ሳይንቲስት ኢንጂነር ሻጊዝ በ1969 ዓ.ም በአሜሪካ የጠፈር ምርምር ማዕከል ናሳ ውስጥ ኩተቀጠረ በኋላ በአሜሪካ የቴክኖሎጂ ማህበረሰብ ውስጥ ስሙ የገነነው በአጭር ጊዜ ውስጥ ነው፡፡ ግን ብዙም ሳይቆይ የልብ በሽተኛ ሆነ፡፡ ከዚያም በየሁለት ወሩ የልብ ቀዶ ጥገና ማድረጉን ቀጠለ፡፡ ከዚህ ቀዶ ጥገና በስተጀርባ ያለውን ምስጢር እሱም ቢሆን በውል አያውቀውም::በልቡ ህመም ምክንያት ከተወሰነ የአየር ክልል በላይ መውጣትና መብረር ባለመቻሉ የተነሳ እንጂ ጨረቃ ላይ በማረፍ የመደመሪያው ጥቁር መሆን ይችል እንደነበር ሁልጊዜም ይናገራል፡፡ ፊቱን ወደ አፍሪካ ማዞሩና በተለይም የሀገሩን ማዕድንና እምቅ : የተፈጥሮ ሀብት የተማሩ ኢትዮጵያውያንን በማሰባሰብ በሳይንሳዊ ጥበብና በተራቀቀ ቴክኖሎጂ / አማካኝነት - አውጥቶ ሀገሩን ከድህነት አዘቅት ቶሎ መንጥቆ ለማውጣት በተነሳባት በዚህ ወቅት ክትትሉ ከቀን ወደቀን እየጠነከረበት መጥቷል፡፡ ብዙዎች እንደሚሉት ወደዚች ደሀ ሀገሩ ቢሄድ በሌሎች ሀገራት እጅ ላለመውደቁ አሜሪካ ማረጋገጫ የላትም፡፡ እስራኤልም ሲሆን ይህ ሳይንቲስት በአረብ ሀገራትና ፀረ እስራኤልና አሜሪካ አቋም ባላቸው ሀገራት እጅ እንዳይገባ ክትትን _ አጠናክራለች፡፡ _ ይህ ሰው የዓለማችንን ራዳሮች ሳተላይቶችና የመገናኛ አውታሮች በፈለገው ጊዜ መዝጋት የሚችል አእምሮያለው ሰው ነው፡፡ በፕላኔታችን ሰማይ ላይ የተበተኑት ጥቁር ሳጥን ወይም በምህፃረ ቃል ሳሞስ በሚል ምስጢራዊ ስም የሚጠሩት ፀረ- ሚሳዬል መመልከቻ ሳተላይት ስልቶችና ሌሎች በየዘጠና ደቂቃው መሬትን እየዞሩ ሃምሳ ሺህ ወታደሮች በዓመት ውስጥ ከሚሰበስቡት መረጃ እጥፍ የሚበልጥ ጉዳይ የሚሰበሰቡትን ሳተላይቶች ቢዘጋቸው የሚከተለውን መገመት ቀላል ነው። ከዚህም : በላይ : በብሩህ አእምሮው የሰበሰበውን ምስጢር በምንም መልኩ ለጠላቶቻቸው አሳልፎ ቢሰጥ አሜሪካም ሆነች - እስራኤል እንኳን ቦንብ የጫነ አውሮፕላን ማንም ተራ ወንበዴ አሽመድምዶ የሚያፈራርሳቸው ተራ መንደሮች እንደሚሆኑ ያውቁታል፡፡ የአሜሪካን የቴክኖሎጂ ምስጢር እንደውሃ የጠጣው ይህ ሳይንቲስት ጠላቶቻቸው ምድርን የሚንጡ ተምዘግዛጊ ሚሳዬሎች ባለቤት በሆነበት በዚህ ወቅት በጠላቶቻቸው እጅ ቢገባ የሚከፍሉትን ዋጋ ያውቁታል። በመሆኑም ይህንን ሳይንቲስት ከጥበቃው ባሻገር ከአሜሪካ የማያስወጣው ቢወጣ እንኳ ከሁለት ወር በኋላ እያጣደፈ የሚያመጣው የልቡ ጉዳይ ነው። ዶ/ር ሚራዥ የኮምፒውተሩን ቁልፎች ሲነካ ከቆየ በኋላ ተመልሶ ወንበሩን ኢንጂነር ሻጊዝ ወደተኛበት አልጋ አስጠግቶ ተቀመጠ፡፡ ኢንጂነር ሻጊዝም አንዳች መላ ያገኘ መስሎት አይኖቹን በልጥጦ አፍ አፉን ተመለከተው፡ ይህንን ምስጢር እስከምንጩ “ግዴለህም። ለዚህ ጉዳይ ጊዜ ስጠኝ፡፡ በየጊዜው የደረስኩበትን ሁኔታ ሪፖርት አደርግልሃለሁ። ጊዜና ጥብቅ ምርምር የሚጠይቅ ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ ማወቅ ይገባናል” አለ ዶ/ር ሚራዥ አድርጎ፡፡ አንድ ጣቱን ከንፈሩ ላይ ጣል“ግን ቶሎ መሆን አለበት፡፡ የልቤ ጉዳይ ከተስተካከለ አዕምሮው ወደ አፍሪካ ገሠገሠ .... ወደ ኢትዮጵያ፡፡ “ሌላ ጥያቄ የሆነብኝ ነገር....." አለ ዶ/ር ሚራዥ አሁንም ጣቱን ከንፈሩ ላይ ጣል አድርጎ እያሰላሰለ ብድግ ብሎ፡፡ “ጀርባህ ላይ ያለውን ንቅሣት ልብ ብለኸው ታውቃለህ? ሲል ጠየቀው፡፡ ዴርቶጋዳ› የሚለውን የጀርባው ንቅሣቱን ፅሁፍ ከጀርባው ዞሮ እየተመለከተ፡፡ ንቅሳትህ፡፡ “ንቅሣት? “አዎ...” አለው ሚራዥ፣ ዴርቶጋዳ....ስለ ሚለው “በወጣትነቱ ) ነው የተነቀሥኩት አለ ኢንጂነር ሻጊዝ የወጣትነቱን ዘመን እያስታወሰ፡፡ “ማነው የነቀሰህ?" “ማን _ ነበሩ? አዎ - አለቃ : አያሌው ናቸው አለቃ አያሌው ::" “አለቃ አያሌው ማን ናቸው?'' አለ ሚራዥ በጉጉት “አያሌውን የማውቃቸው በልጅነቴ ቦንጋ እያለሁ ነው፡፡ ቦንጋ የከፋ ጠቅላይ ግዛት ከተማ ናት...ኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ ኢንጂነር ሻጊዝ አለቃ አያሌውን በደንብ ለማስታወስ እየጣረ፡፡ ከተማ በልጅነቴ : አለቃ : አያሌው ወደዚያች ከተማ ሲመጡ አስታውሳለሁ፡፡ በጣም ጎበዝ ተረትና ታሪክ አዋቂ ነበሩ፡፡ እኔ እንዲያውም አባቴ ካስተማሩኝ ተረት በላይ የነገሩኝ አለቃ አያሌው ናቸው፡፡ በተለይ በጣሊያን ጊዜ ስለነበረው :: የኢትዮጵያ ሁኔታ አብጠርጥረው የሚያውቁ ሰው ናቸው፡፡ እርሳቸው እንደነገሩኝ ከሆነ ከኢጣሊያ ጦር ጋር ተደባልቀው የውስጥ አርበኛ ሆነው ተዋግተው ነበር፡፡ ጣሊያን ሲባረር የንጉሡን መምጣት ተከትሎ ወደ ቦንጋ ቦንጋ የመጡበትን ምክንያት ማንም በውል የሚያውቅ የለም፡፡ ብቻ ቦንጋ ከቀሩ የጣሊያን ቤተሰቦች ጋር የሚኖር አንድ ዲዎላ የሚባል ልጃቸውን ለመጠየቅ ከባህር ዳር ከተማ ተነስተው እንደመጡ ነግረውኛል፡፡ ጣሊያኖችን ሲያዩ ይደበቁ ነበር፡፡ ከልጃቸው ጋር ስለ ማይስማሙ ከእኔ ጋር ነበር ብዙ ጊዜ የሚያሳልፉት፡፡ ታሪክ ማውራት ይወዳሉ፡፡ ስለማዳምጣቸውም ይወዱኝ ነበር። በተለይ ከጣሊያኖች ጋር ስለምቀራረብና በኤሌክትሪክ ሱቃቸው ውስጥ እውል ስለነበር የልጃቸውን ሁኔታ እየተከታተልኩ እናግራቸውም ነበር። አባቱም በኢጣሊያ-ኢትዮጵያ ጦርነት ወቅት በፀረ ፋሽሽት ዘመቻ ጀብዱ የሠራ ወታደር ስለነበር ስለጦር ሜዳ ውሎው ይተርክልኝ ነበር፡፡ እሳቸውም የአባቴን አይነት ታሪክ ነበር የሚነግሩኝ፡፡ - በጣም የተማሩ ሰው እንደነበሩ ተረድቻለሁ፡፡ የቤተክህነት ትምህርት በጣም ያውቁ ነበር። እንዲያውም የቤተ ክህነት ትምህርት እንድማር ይገፋፉኝም ነበር፡፡ መጽሐፍ ቅዱስእንዳነብና ከአያንዳንዱ ስራዬ በፊት እግዚአብሔርን እንዳስቀድም በሩን የከፈቱልኝ እርሳቸው ናቸው፡፡ ከጣሊያኖችም ጋር ብዙ ሞያ እንደቀሰሙ ነግረውኛል፡፡ ኢንጂነር ሻጊዝ ለኒህ ሰው ልዩ ፍቅር ነበረው፡፡ “እና ለምን ነበር ንቅሳቱን የነቀሰህ?" “በህይወትህ ውስጥ ሊጠቅምህ የሚችል ከባድ ነገር ነው ብለው ነበር የነቀሱኝ፡፡ ለልጃቸው ማድረግ የፈለጉትን ነገር ከልጃቸው ጋር ስለማይስማሙ ለእኔ አደረጉልኝ፡፡ በወቅቱም ተማሪ ስለነበርኩ እንዲያውም ትምህርትን የሚገልፅ መድሃኒት መስሎኝ ነበር።" “ትርጉሙን አልነገሩህም?" “ትርጉሙ... አለቃ አያሌው : ትውስ አሉት . ተናግረው የማይደክማቸው ሰው ነበሩ፡፡ ትርጉሙን ነግረውት ነበር፡፡ ግን ትኩረቱ ትርጉሙ : ላይ : አልነበረም፡፡ መድኃኒትነቱ ላይ እንጂ፡፡ የትምህርት መድኃኒት መስሎት ነበር...ዘኢያገድፍ፡፡ የማስታወስ ብቃትን የሚጨምር መድኃኒት፡ “ዴርቶጋዳ ማለት ምን ማለት ነው?" ብሎ ሲጠይቃቸው ፈገግ ብለው እንዲያ ነው ልጄ፡፡ እንዲያ ነው፡፡ መጠየቅ ያደርጋል ሊቅ፡፡ ጎበዝ ልጅ! ጉንዳኖች ውሃ ሲሻገሩ አይተህ ታውቃለህ?" ብለው መልሰው ጠየቁትና ጉንዳኖች ውሃ ሲሻገሩ አይተህ ታውቅ ከሆነ በውሃው ላይ ተያይዘው ተያይዘው ይቆማሉ፡፡ ጉንዳኖች ተያይዘው በወንዝ ላይ በሚሠሩት መንገድ ሌሎች ብዙ ጉንዳኖች ይሻገራሉ፡፡ ተያይዘው ይሻገራሉ፤ ተደጋግፈው አስፈሪውን ወንዝ ይሻገሩታል፡፡ ባይያያዙና ባይደጋገፉ ግን አይቻላቸውም። አንዲት ጠብታ ዝናብ ለአንድ ጉንዳን ውቅያኖስ ብትሆንም ብዙ ጉንዳኖች አንድ ላይ ከተያያዙ ግን ውቅያኖስ መሻገር ይችላሉ። በመሆኑም ዴርቶጋዳ ማለት..." እስከዚህ የነገሩትን ነግሮት ሌላውን ግን ሊነግረው አልፈለገም። ይህን እሱ ብቻ ሊያውቀው የሚፈልገው ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ “ትርጉሙን ሲነግሩኝ በትክክል አላዳመጥኳቸውም መሰለኝ፡፡ ትኩረቴ አዬህ የመሰለኝ የትምህርት መድሃኒት ነበር፡፡ ብዙ ነገር የማወቅ ጉጉት ስለነበረኝ መማር ነበር የዛ ወቅት ታላቁ ፍላጎቴ፡፡ ለረጅም እመታትም ኣእምሮዬ ንቅሳቱን በመድኃኒትነት ተቀብሎት ነበር፡፡ ልዩ ኃይል አእምሮዬ ውስጥ እንደሚሰራ በማመኔ በራስ መተማመኔን ከፍ አድርጎልኛል፡፡ ሁሉን ነገር ማድረግ እችላለሁ : ለማለት እዳፈር ነበር፡፡ በውስጤ አንድ አጋዥ ኃይል አለ ብዬ በማመኔም በትምህርቱ አለም የተሳካልኝ ሰው እንድሆን አድርጎልኛል፡ ከባህር ዳር ፓሊቴክኒክ ኮሌጅ ከዲፕሎማ ተነስቼ ያለ ማጋነን ለሳተርን...ለመሬት ለማርስናለጁፒተር ፕላኔቶች ምርምር የሳይንቲስቶች ቡድን መሪ ለመሆን ችያለሁ፡፡ ታላቅ የዳበረ ሥነ ልቦናም ነበረኝ፡፡" "አሁንም በዚህ ኃይል ታምናለህ? ዶ/ር ሚራዥ ተገረመ። "ማመንም _ አለማመንም አልችልም አሁን፤፤ በዚህ ጉዳይ ያደረኩት ሳይንሳዊ ጥናት የለም፡፡ በደፈናው ይሄ ነገር ውሸት ነው ማለት ደግሞ ኢሳይንሳዊ ነው፡፡ ያረጋገጥኩት ነገር እስከ አሁን የለም። ሥነ - ልቦናዊ ተፅዕኖው ግን ቀላል አልነበረም፡፡ ኢንጂነር ሻጊዝ አለቃ አያሌው ከጀርባው የነቀሱትን ንቅሳት በመስታወት ካልሆነ በቀር ዞሮ ማየት ስለማይቻል ከ1960ዎቹ ወዲህ ብዙም ትኩረት ሰጥቶት አያውቅም፡፡ ረስቶታል ማለት ግን አይቻልም፡፡ “ድግምት አሰርቶ ነው ጎበዝ ተማሪ የሆነው ላለመባል ብዙ ጊዜ ጀርባውን ለማንም _ አያሳይም ነበር፡፡ እርሱ ግን እኔ በተፈጥሮዬም ጎበዝ ነኝ፡፡ ይህ ንቅሳት በርግጥ ልዩ ኃይል ሊያጎናፅፈኝ ይችላል፡፡ ሰይጣናዊ ግን ሊሆን አይችልም፡፡ ሰይጣን እንዴት እውቀትን ሊገልፅልኝ ይችላል? ሰይጣን የሰውን ልጅ ትንሣኤና ስልጣኔ የሚደግፍ ከሆነ ሰይጣንነቱ ምን ላይ ነው? አእምሮን ብሩህ አድርጎ የሰዎችን የማስታወስ ችሎታ የሚያበለፅግ ሰይጣን ካለ እሱ እንዴት ጠላቴ ሊሆን ይችላል? ይልቅስ ጥበብ የእግዚአብሔር ነው፡፡ እግዚአብሔር ደግሞ ጥበቡን ጥበብን ለሚፈልጉት ያድላል፡፡ አለቃ አያሌው ደግሞ ፈሪሐ እግዚአብሔር ያደረባቸው ሰው ናቸው፡፡ እሳቸው የሰይጣን ወዳጅ ከሆኑማ እኛ ሰይጣኖች ነን ማለት ነው፡፡ ሰው መጠበብ ሲያቅተው ጥበበኞችን ያጥላላል። ክፉ ስምም ይቀባል፡፡ ጠንቋይ ይላል፡፡ የኛ ሀገር ጥበበኞች ጠንቋይ እየተባሉ ሲወገዙ የፈረንሳይ ብልጣ ብልጦች የኛን ሀገር የጥበብ መፃሕፍት ወስደው በላቦራቶሪ ፈትሸው ዶ/ር ይባላሉ፡፡ ሰው መደንቆር ሲጀምር ጆሮውን ትርፍ ኋላ ይላል፡፡ ቢሆንም ሰው በራሱ ምሉዕ ነው። እግዚአብሔር እኔን ለድንቁርና አልፈጠረኝም፡፡ አለቃ : አያሌው በንቅሳት አአምሮ የሚከፍተውን መድኃኒት ባይነቅሱኝም እኔ ብሩህ አእምሮ የተሰጠኝ ሰው ነኝ፡፡ አለቃ አያሌው ይህን ያደረጉልኝ ስለሚወዱኝ ነው። ሰው መደንቆር ሲጀምር ወሬኛና ሁሉንም ነገር ተቺ ይሆናል፡፡ ወሪያም ሁሉ ይላል ስለንቅሳቱ ሲያስብ፡፡ መልሶ ደሞ “ምን ይሆን?” ይላል፡፡ ዶ/ር ሚራዥ ከኢንጂነር ሻጊዝ ጀርባ ላይ ያለውን ንቅሳት ያየው ቀዶ ጥገናውን በሚደረግለት ወቅት ነበር፡፡ በጊዜው ልዩ ስሜት ተሰምቶታል። ንቅሳቱን ሲያይ፡፡ ረጅም ሰአታት የወሰደው የኢንጂነሩ የልብ ቀዶ ጥገና ከመጀመሩ ከአንድ ደቂቃ በፊት ሰምርምራ የቀዶ ጥገናው ጠረጴዛ ላይ ሲያገላብጠው ነበር ከጀርባው ላይ ካለው ንቅሳት ጋር የተፋጠጠው፡፡ ቀዶ ጥገናው ካለቀ በኋላም ስለንቅሳቱ ሲያስብ ነበር፡፡ ኢንጂነሩ ከሰመመኑ ሙሉ በሙሉ ነቅቶ እስኪያናግረው ትዕግስቱ ቢያልቅም መጠበቅ ግን ግዴታው ሆኖነበር፡፡ አሁን ከኢንጂነሩ ጋር ስለዚህ ጉዳይ መነጋገር ከመጀመሩ በጥቂት ቆይታ ውስጥ መግባባታቸው ስለ ንቅሳቱ ለሚጠይቀው ማንኛውም ጥያቄ መልስ እንደሚሰጠው ተስፋ አድርጓል፡፡ ከኢንጂነሩ ጀርባ ላይ ያለው ዴርቶጋዳ የሚለው የቆየ ንቅሳት ደብዘዝ ቢልም በደንብ ይለያል፡፡ ከጀርባው በኩል ትንሽ ገልበጥ አድርጎ ንቅሳቱን በደምብ ተመለከተው፡፡ “ዴርቶጋዳ ከሚለው የንቅሳቱ ጽሁፍ መሀል ያለው ቶ ፊደል በባስ ጉጥ መስቀል ቅርፅ የተሠራ ነው። በቶ ፊደል የአናት ቀለበት ውስጥ በቀጭኑ የተፃፉ ቁጥሮች ይታያሉ፡፡ 544 9 10 2925 77, 3056 52 33 ፴፬ 97 ከሚለው ትንሽና ትልቅ ሆኖ ኩተፃፈው - ቁጥር ቀጥሎ ‛ “ርያ ኢትዮጵያ" የሚል : በቀጭኑ የተቀረፀ ቃል አለ፡፡ ከዚሁ ቀለበት ውስጥም 98, 9, 10 40 88 3 የሚል ቁጥር ይታያል። ከባለ ጉጡ መስቀል መስቀልያ ላይ ማሔር ሻላል ሐሽ ባዝ የሚል ቃል የተቀረፀበት ሲሆን በክንፍና በክንፉ መጨረሻ የአበባ ዕምቡጥ ከሚመስሉት የመስቀሉ ጫፎች ላይ ቀጠሮ ቃል” እና “መራራ ክንፍ የሚሉና ግራ የሚያጋቡ ቃላት ስፍረዋል፡፡ ከታች ከመስቀሉ ግርጌ ደግሞ ቁልፍ ይመስላል፡፡ መልህቅ ከሚመስለው ጫፍ ሥር ደሞ "ዴርቶጋዳ" ይላል፡፡ ‹የእነዚህን ቃላት ትርጉም አላውቅም ነው የምትለኝ ታዲያ ኢንጂነር ሻጊዝ?›› ሚራዥ ተደምሟል፡ ድንጋይ “የጥንት ወፍ ጠባቂዎችና እረኞች ሰብላቸውን የሚያወድም ግሪሳ አዝመራቸው ላይ ሲያርፍ በወንጭፍ ከመወርወራቸው በፊት ድምፃቸውን ከፍ : አድርገው ኦርያ ይሉታል፡፡ ድምፃቸውን ሰምቶ ያልተነሳውን ተባይ ይወነጭፉበታል፡፡ በድንጋይም ክንፉን ይሰብሩታል፡፡ ስለሆነም ኦርያ ኢትዮጵያ ማለት የኢትዮጵያ ተባዮች ተነሱ የሚል የማስጠንቀቂያ - ቃል - ነው፡፡ ማሔር ሻላል ሐሽ ባዝ የሚለው ደግሞ ምርኮ ፈጠነ ብዝበዛ ቸኮለ! ማለት ነው፡፡ ኦርያ ማሔር ሻላል ሐሽ ባዝ የኢትዮጵያ ተባዮች ተነሱ ምርኮ ፈጥኗል ብዝበዛ ቸኩሏል፡፡ ማለት ነው።...ይህ ለምን እኔ ጀርባ ላይ ተነቀሰ? መልሴ አላውቅም ነው፡፡ ግን ለምን ይህን ያህል ትኩረት ሰጠኸው? ከዚህ የበለጠ በንቅሣት የሚዥጎረጎሩ ሰዎች በሞሉበት አሜርካ ውስጥ ተቀምጠህ የእኔ የደበዘዘ ትንሣት እንዴት ይህን ያህል ሳበህ?" ሲል መልሶ ጠየቀው ሻጊዝ፡፡ የገረመኝ ይሄ አይደል! አስ ዶ/ር ሚራዥ፣ ካንተ ጀርባ ላይ ያሰው ንቅሣት በተመሳሳይ መልኩ እኔ ጀርባ ላይም አለ'' ተመልከት! ነጭ ጋወነን እና ሸሚዙን አውልቆ ጀርባውን አዞረለት፡፡ ሻጊዝ በመገረም የሚራዥን ተመሣሣይ ንቅሣት ከጀርባው ፡ ላይ አነበበው፡፡ “ዴርቶጋዳ...ኦርያ ኢትዮጵያ...ማሔር ሻላል ሐሽ ባዝ፡፡" “እንዴት ተመሳሳይ ነገር ሊኖረን ቻለ?" AUTHOR NAME: yesmaheke werkue


Type:Social
👁 :
Nvidia plunges almost 10% as global markets fall
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/04/2024
Posted By:utopia online

UK shares dropped on Wednesday morning following falls in Asian and US markets as concerns grow about the world's largest economy. Data showed US manufacturing activity remains subdued, with investors now focussed now on US jobs figures due on Friday. American chip giant Nvidia was hit particularly hard, slumping by almost 10% as optimism about the boom in artificial intelligence (AI) dampened. Despite the sharp fall, Nvidia's shares are still worth double their value a year ago.he FTSE 100 index, which comprises the largest companies on the London Stock Exchange, dropped 0.76% in early trading, with major European indexes also down. Market watchers are now trying to second-guess how the Federal Reserve, the US central bank, will respond when it meets to decide interest rate policy next week. "Growth concerns are dominating market moves," Julia Lee at FTSE Russell told the BBC. In New York on Tuesday, the S&P 500 index closed more than 2% lower, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq fell by over 3%. Nasdaq-listed Nvidia fell by 9.5%, wiping $279bn (£212.9bn) off its stock market valuation. Over the longer term however Nvidia shares are still worth nine times their price in November 2022, when the launch of ChatGPT set off the current bout of interest in AI, prompting a surge in demand for Nvidia's chips. Other US tech giants — including Alphabet, Apple and Microsoft — also saw their shares tumble on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, Japan's Nikkei 225 was down 4.4%, South Korea's Kospi was trading 3% lower and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong dropped by 1.3%. Major Asian technology firms including TSMC, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Tokyo Electron were sharply lower. Asian markets have performed less strongly over the last year, with the Shanghai and Hong Kong indexes lower over the twelve months. Japan's Nikkei is up 12% over the year, however. "Concerns around global growth look to be hitting exporting countries in the region particularly hard," Ms Lee added. As well as next week's interest rate decision in the US, investors will be waiting for Friday's US jobs market report, to provide further signs on the direction the US economy is taking. Swetha Ramachandran, fund manager for Artemis Investment Management in London, said Tuesday's US share falls were a sign that investors were beginning to doubt the Federal Reserve would make a large cut in interest rates. Nvidia’s slide was a matter of “expectations catching up with reality” for the AI giant“[Nvidia] did report results last week where it alluded to a natural and expected deceleration in growth: from having delivered 122% growth in the second quarter it expects to deliver 80% growth in the third quarter,” she said. The fall might also be a reaction to reports that the US Department of Justice had issued a subpoena, requiring the firm to give evidence over anti-trust issues, she added.


Type:Social
👁 :
France sees Channel migrant deaths as a problem of Britain's making
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/04/2024
Posted By:utopia online

The French rescue workers packed up their gear with well-practised efficiency. The medical tents. The stretchers. The security cordons. Shortly after the last bodies had been driven away from the quayside in Boulogne, the remaining ambulances and red emergency vehicles drove off too, leaving only a handful of officials standing in the fading light beside a few frayed fishing nets near the harbour wall. “It’s so upsetting,” said Frederic Cuvillier, Boulogne’s mayor, reflecting on the way this long, constantly evolving migrant crisis has reshaped - and traumatised - France’s northern coastline. On Tuesday six children and a pregnant woman were among 12 people who died after a boat carrying dozens of migrants sank off the coast here, in the English Channel. “These people flee death and end up dying here. Mothers, children… convinced they will find a better life across the Channel,” said Cuvillier, gesturing west, towards a grey sea. In the immediate aftermath of such incidents there is - I have noticed, after witnessing several already this year - a widening gap between the way the French and British react.In the UK, officials have been quick to focus on - and to condemn - the smuggling gangs. Each incident, each death, is seen as the result of cynical criminal activity. Which, of course, it is. Once again, the smugglers crammed far too many of their paying clients into what appear to be increasingly flimsy boats, with nowhere near enough life jackets. Here in northern France, the police have a similar focus. They are preoccupied with the task of trying to patrol ever larger stretches of their increasingly militarised coastline. They now have more manpower, buggies, night-vision equipment, and special drones that can detect groups of migrants hiding in the dunes. But the police are aware that, as they expand their operations - much of it now funded by British taxpayers - the smuggling gangs are responding, finding new ways to cross, and often putting the migrants themselves at ever greater risk as a result. The gangs now launch their boats inland, from canals, or way down the French coast, meaning far longer journeys to cross a busy stretch of water crowded with commercial shipping and tugged at by powerful tides. The gangs pack more people inside inflatable boats of ever more dubious quality - sometimes 90 people in a boat designed, or barely designed, to hold 40. It’s a problem exacerbated as the authorities succeed in disrupting the supply of boats brought to the coastline from deep within Europe. And, increasingly, the smugglers use violence too. Stones hurled at police on the beaches. Sometimes knives brandished too.I was recently shown footage by police at a local gendarmerie of what looked like another pitched battle on a beach at dawn, with riot-shielded police defending themselves against a hail of rocks. I witnessed a separate battle myself in April. The smugglers’ aim is to buy themselves a few precious seconds to get their boats and their passengers into the water, after which the police - concerned they may be blamed for putting people at even greater risk - rarely intervene. But while the police have their duties and dangers to face, for French politicians and civilians in resort towns scattered along this coastline, the reaction to yet another deadly incident is not to focus on the criminality of the smugglers, but on the motives of the migrants, on what still drives so many of them to attempt this dangerous crossing. And the blunt conclusion, repeated to me so often – by local mayors, by pensioners, by couples out walking their dogs on beaches where they now fear they may come across bodies washed ashore - is that this is Britain’s fault. Having watched this crisis evolve over decades, from the camps around the Channel tunnel and the ferry ports, to this more recent phenomenon of small boats, many French people deeply resent the way their own lives and communities have been transformed by a crisis they see as British-made. France’s interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, spoke of it on Tuesday at the harbour in Boulogne.He did condemn the smugglers, but most of his comments focused on the lure of what he views as Britain’s loosely regulated job market, that acts like a magnet, drawing young Eritreans, determined Sudanese, Afghans, Syrians and Iraqis to this coastline, convinced that they if they can just make it across this last, short stretch of water - or even half way across - they’ll end up in a country where they can find work, even without the right paperwork. Darmanin called, as he has done many times, for a new migrant treaty between Britain and the European Union. In doing so, he touched on a widely-held belief here in France, which is that however much effort is put into tackling the smuggling gangs it will never be enough. That this is a crisis fuelled by the demands of tens of thousands of determined migrants, rather than by the profit-seeking motives of a loose network of criminals. And there is another difference between the way Britain and France react to such moments. You can see it in the newspaper and television headlines. The small boat crisis may be big news in the UK, but in France - a country currently preoccupied by its own political turmoil and, frankly, tired of the situation on its northern coastline - even twelve deaths in the Channel barely make headlines.


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Maktub Paulo Coelho Dedicated to Nha Chica PART 15
Catagory:Fiction
Author:
Posted Date:09/04/2024
Posted By:utopia online

much of an extent because of God, or we feel we are renouncing God too much because of life. This apparent conflict is a fantasy: God is in life and life is in God. One has only to be aware of this in order to understand fate better. If we are able to penetrate into the holy harmony of our daily round, we will always be on the right path, and we will complete our task.” The phrase is from Pablo Picasso: “God is an artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the ant. Actually, he never sought for a style -he was simply doing everything that he wanted to do.” The master says: “When we begin along our path, a great fear arises. We feel obligated to do everything right. In the end, since we have only one life to live, who was it that invented the standard of “Everything right?” God made the giraffe, the elephant and the ant -why do we have to follow a standard? A standard serves only to show us how others define their own reality. Often we admire the models of others, and many times we can avoid the errors committed by others. But as for living well -only we know how to do that for ourselves.” Several devout Jews were praying at the synagogue when, during the prayer, they heard a child's voice saying: “A, B, C, D.” They tried to concentrate on the scripture, but the voice repeated, “A, B, C, D.” They interrupted the service, and, when they looked around, saw a boy who continued with the same chant. The rabbi spoke to the boy: “Why are you doing that?” “Because I don't know the holy verses,” the boy said. “So I was hoping that if I recited the alphabet, God would use the letters to form the right words.” “Thank you for this lesson,” said the rabbi. “And may I give to God my days on this Earth in the same way that you have given him your letters.” The master says: “The spirit of God that is present in us can be described as being the screen in a movie theater. On the screen, various situations occur -people love, people separate, treasures are found, distant countries are discovered. It is not important which film is being shown. The screen is always the same. It is not important if tears fall or blood runs -because nothing can stain the whiteness of the screen. Just as with the movie screen, God is there -behind every one of life's agonies and ecstasies. We will see them all when our film ends.” An archer was walking in the woods near a Hindu monastery known for the severity of its teachings, when he saw the monks in the garden, drinking and enjoying themselves. “How cynical are those who seek the path to God,” said the archer aloud. “They say that discipline is important, but there they are getting drunk!” “If you shoot one hundred arrows in a row, what will happen to your bow?” asked the eldest of the monks. “My bow would break,” answered the archer. “If someone exceeds his limits, their will is also broken,” said the monk. “He who is unable to balance work with relaxation loses his enthusiasm, and cannot go far.” A king sent a messenger to a distant country with a peace agreement that was to be signed. Wanting to take advantage of the journey, the messenger informed some of his friends that had important business dealings in that country. They asked that he postpone his trip, and -since a peace agreement was to be signed -they wrote new orders, and changed their business strategies. When the messenger finally made the trip, it was already too late for the agreement he was to deliver; war broke out, destroying the king's plans and the business arrangements of the men who had delayed the messenger. The master says: “There is only one important thing in our lives: to live our personal destiny -the mission that was fated for us. But we always wind up loading ourselves down with useless concerns that then destroy our dream.” The wanderer is in the port of Sydney , looking out at the bridge that connects the two parts of the city, when an Australian approaches him and asks that he read an ad in the newspaper. “The letters are quite small,” he says. “I left my glasses at home, and I can't make them out.” The wanderer is also without his reading glasses, and apologizes to the man. “Well, I guess I'll just forget about the ad,” says the man. And, wanting to continue the conversation, he says, “It's not just the two of us. God's vision is also clouded. Not because he is old, but because he wants it that way. Then, when someone close to Him commits an error, He is unable to see it clearly. Not wanting to be unfair, he forgives the person.” “And what about the 'good things,'” I ask. “Well, God never leaves his glasses at home,” laughs the Australian as he moves on. “Is there anything more important than prayer?” asked the disciple of his master. The master asked the disciple to go to a nearby bush and cut off a branch. The disciple obeyed. “Is the bush still alive?” asked the master. “Just as alive as before,” answered the disciple. “Now go and cut the roots,” said the master. “If I do that, the bush will die,” said the disciple. “Prayers are the branches of a tree, whose roots are called faith,” said the master. “There can be faith without prayer. But there can be no prayer without faith.” Saint Teresa d'Avila says: “Remember: the Lord invited all of us, and -since He is the pure truth -we cannot doubt his invitation. He said: 'Come to me all who are thirsty, and I will give you to drink. ' “If the invitation were not for each and every one of us, the Lord would have said: 'Come to me all who wish to, because you have nothing to lose. But I will provide drink only for those who are prepared. ' He imposes


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Pope Francis begins historic Asia Pacific trip
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/03/2024
Posted By:utopia online

Pope Francis has arrived in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, kicking off the longest and farthest trip of his tenure to the Asia Pacific region. He is expected to highlight environmental concerns and the importance of interfaith dialogue during the 12 day trip, which will also see him travel to Papua New Guinea, Singapore and Timor-Leste - the only one of the four countries that is predominantly Catholic. It's a particularly challenging journey for a man who turns 88 in December and has been battling a spate of health issues. Asia Pacific is one of only a few places in the world where the Catholic Church is growing in terms of baptised faithful and religious vocations. Parts of the Pope's trip, which was originally scheduled in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic, will retrace the steps of St John Paul II, who also visited the four nations during his 27-year pontificate. "Today I begin an Apostolic Journey to several countries in Asia and Oceania," he wrote on X on Monday. "Please pray that this journey may bear fruit." Since his election in 2013, the Pope has urged the Catholic Church to bring God's comfort "toward the periphery" - referring to communities who are marginalised or far away. He is only the third pope to visit Indonesia, which has the largest population of Muslims globally.During his four days there, he is expected to visit the Indonesian capital's main mosque, meet with outgoing president Joko Widodo and hold a mass for some 70,000 people, according to the Vatican News. Nasaruddin Umar, the grand imam at the Jakarta mosque, told news agency AP he hopes the visit will offer opportunities to "discuss the common ground between religious communities and emphasise the commonalities between religions, ethnicities, and beliefs". Observers say the visit to Indonesia highlights the Pope's interest in deepening dialogue between Christian and Muslim communities. "For the longest time, there [have been] tensions. [Both groups have had] misunderstandings over the course of history," said Jonathan Tan, a religious studies expert at the Case Western Reserve University in the US. "I think what the Pope wants to do is to do a new way forward, a new way of relating to one another, not a defensive way," he said. In Papua New Guinea, the Pope will travel to the remote city of Vanimo to meet with missionaries from his native Argentina who have been reaching out to tribal communities. Miguel de la Calle, an Argentine missionary in Papua New Guinea's north-western-most city, said he hoped the Pope's visit would "significantly boost" ongoing evangelisation efforts in the territory. People have been travelling from all Papua New Guinea - and even across the border from Indonesia - to see the Pope, he told Vatican News. "Some have been walking for days due to the scarcity of transportation," Father Miguel said. In Timor-Leste, the Pope will officiate mass in the capital Dili, on the same seaside esplanade where John Paul II spoke in 1989 to comfort local Catholics who suffered under Indonesia's occupation of the territory. Timor-Leste gained independence in 2002. The sheen of Pope Francis's visit to the country has dimmed in recent days, however, following revelations that hundreds of homes in the area were bulldozed. Nearly 90 residents were told to find somewhere new to live before he arrives. Francis will wrap up his trip with a visit to Singapore, where he will celebrate Mass at the 55,000-seater National Stadium.For the past decade, the Pope has been increasing his engagements with Asia. Early in his pontificate, he made four long-distance trips to the region: to South Korea, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Japan. Only 0.5% of Japan's population identified as Catholic at the time. He has also visited Bangladesh, Mongolia, Myanmar, and Thailand. No pope, however, has been able to visit China to date, as relations between the Vatican and the Chinese Communist Party have been strained by disputes over who can appoint bishops in the country. Both sides are believed to have reached a deal on this in 2018, which gives the Vatican a say on such appointments. During his trip, Francis will be accompanied by a doctor and two nurses. Concerns have been raised over the impact of such an ambitious itinerary on his ailing health. Francis, who has had part of one lung removed in his younger days, had been struggling with respiratory and mobility problems of late - some of which have led him to miss his weekly Sunday blessings. In November last year, he cancelled his trip to Dubai for the annual United Nations climate meeting because of a lung inflammation.


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Prince Harry not planning to move back to the UK
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/03/2024
Posted By:utopia online

The Duke of Sussex is not planning a permanent move back to the UK, according to well-placed sources. Despite reports that Prince Harry could be seeking a phased return, sources suggest he will continue to be based in the United States, where he lives with his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, and their children. It is understood that concern over his and his family's security in the UK remains an issue. Prince Harry and Meghan are also said to be unlikely to want to give up on the philanthropic and business projects that they have built while in the US. There have been reports of a prince restless in California, approaching his 40th birthday discontented with a life among the rootless wealthy and seeking to rebuild links with his old life in the UK, before he stepped down as a working royal. Why did Harry and Meghan leave the Royal Family? But a different narrative has been claimed by well-placed sources, who say such a return to royal life in the UK is not on the cards. They suggest Prince Harry is equally able to support his charities and projects from the US and can return to the UK for visits. He travelled to the UK last week for his uncle's memorial service - and has since flown back to the US. Much of the attention over the event was focused on claims Prince Harry hadn't spoken to Prince William while at the church service in Norfolk, in what has become an icy distance between the brothers. The service was for the late Lord Robert Fellowes, brother-in-law of Princess Diana, on the Spencer side of the family, to which Prince Harry seems to have remained well connected.At an Invictus Games service in St Paul's Cathedral earlier this summer, the prince was seen close to his Spencer relatives at an event not attended by senior royals. The prince was quick to return to the UK when it was revealed King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer - with father and son having a brief meeting in London. There have also been trips to the law courts in London, including his battle with the tabloid press over claims of unlawful information gathering. There is an ongoing, labyrinthine legal wrangle with the Home Office over his security status in the UK - which has become a thorny issue in any discussion about a return. In an interview with ITV, the prince said that anxiety over safety was a reason he wouldn't "bring my wife back to this country". But having made such a well-documented departure from royal life in the UK - in a Netflix film and his book Spare - the couple are now inevitably facing speculation about what comes next. Without a royal role and in an online world, Prince Harry and Meghan could live anywhere - and at present that means WFC (working from California). They have charities and causes, and Meghan has put out social media teasers for a lifestyle cookery brand. Although with the presidential election looming in the US, it is hard to think they won't want to stir more than pots of jam when issues they've raised, such as online misinformation, are likely to be up for debate. There have been trips too, most recently to Colombia, but with so many of the trappings of a royal visit, that raised questions about whether they were recreating the royal world they wanted to escape. With the big milestone of his 40th birthday fast approaching, and with such intense public interest, there will be more questions about where Prince Harry sees his long-term future role.


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Operation under way to prevent oil spill after Houthi tanker attack
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/03/2024
Posted By:utopia online

Efforts are under way to prevent a tanker targeted by Houthi rebels from spilling around one million barrels of oil into the Red Sea. The Greek-owned and flagged MV Sounion was abandoned by its crew off the coast of Oman after being struck on 21 August by the Yemeni rebel group. Private companies under the protection of European Union military forces will attempt to salvage the vessel, which has the potential to trigger one of the largest ever oil leaks from a tanker and was still on fire as of Monday. The Houthis have targeted several ships in the Red Sea over the last 10 months, a campaign which the Iran-backed group says is in support of Hamas in Gaza. US military central command said late on Tuesday that the stricken tanker “threatens the possibility of a major environmental disaster”, and accused the Houthis of “reckless acts of terrorism”. It said a salvage operation was "under way", although it is not clear if salvage vessels have yet reached the Sounion. On Monday, the EU’s military operation in the region said several fires were continuing to burn on the tanker’s main deck, though there were no visible signs that an oil spill was already occurring.The Houthis - who have falsely claimed to only target Israeli, US and UK ships - attacked the Sounion with gunfire, before hitting it with three unidentified projectiles, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said last week. Its 25 crew members were rescued by a European warship. The tanker was later attacked again, with footage released by the group showing Houthi militants boarding the ship and lighting fires on its deck. The leader of the Houthis called the attack “brave and bold” in a recent address. The US State Department has previously warned a spill from the Sounion could be almost four times as large as the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989. That incident saw 2,100km (1,300 miles) of coastline contaminated after a tanker ran aground off Alaska. The Houthis have continued to target crude oil tankers in the Red Sea in recent days. On Monday, US military command said two vessels carrying oil were hit with ballistic missiles and a drone, including the Saudi-owned and flagged MV Amjad, which is said to be carrying around two million barrels of oil. A US-led military operation has carried out strikes in Yemen, where the Houthis control much of the country, in an attempt to disrupt its ability to strike vessels passing through one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.


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