Category Archives: headline

Jamaica’s Billion US Dollar Industry: Lotto Scams, Money Laundering, Cybercrimes, Drug and Firearms Sales

Gleaner- Proceeds from lotto scamming, money laundering, cybercrimes and drug and firearms trafficking have reportedly resulted in the annual flow of at least $US1 billion into Jamaica.  The illicit activities are posing a ‘grave risk’ to the stability of the Jamaican State, declared Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang in his contribution to the Sectoral […]

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US Drops Cuban Flight Restrictions

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Transportation Department on Wednesday made it easier for Americans to travel to Cuba, lifting flight restrictions that were established during the Trump administration. The restrictions had prevented U.S. airline flights and chartered flights from going to Cuban cities other than Havana. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent a letter to […]

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U.S. Embassy Says Trial of Cuban Artist-Activists ‘Neither Free nor Fair’

HAVANA, June 1 (Reuters) – The U.S. Embassy in Havana on Wednesday criticized the trial of two Cuban artist-dissidents as neither “free nor fair” on social media, fueling a growing standoff over human rights just weeks after Washington moved to ease sanctions on the island nation. Activists Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara and Maykel Castillo were […]

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'Gator vs shark': Florida fisherman shocked as creatures square off

A Florida fisherman is reeling after having an encounter with not one, but two, man-eating creatures.

David Zinn was fishing near sunset with his stepdad in Port St. Lucie, a city south-west of Orlando, on May 29, when he felt a tug on his line.

He was shocked to find he had caught a juvenile bull shark.

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After a brief tussle David Zinn, from Port Saint Lucie in Florida, brought his catch to shore. He was shocked to see it was a baby bull shark.

Together the pair rushed down to remove the hook from the shark's "razor mouth".

That's when fishing took a dangerous turn.

"Down by the water, a five foot (1.5 metre) gator lunged at us," Zinn told 9news.com.au.

"We almost fell down the rocks into the water with both of them.

"Took us by surprise. In the end both the gator and shark swam away safely.

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Out of nowhere an alligator launched from the murky depths at the young bull shark.

Florida has, on average, seven unprovoked alligator bites per year, data from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows.

The US state also has the dubious reputation of being the shark attack capital of the world, according to the International Shark Attack File.

While bull sharks are deemed an "aggressive species" that can range from saltwater and freshwater environments, marine biologist Chris Lowe told 9news.com.au in January, blacktip sharks are likely responsible for the majority of bites there.

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Zinn has been left buzzing since his close encounter.

"(It) was a day on the water I will never forget," he said.

"Hope to think this would have made Steve Irwin proud. He is a legend."

U.S. In Talks With Spain, Canada on Taking In More Refugees

By Matt Spetalnick and Ted Hesson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration is in talks with Spain and Canada about taking more Western Hemisphere refugees for resettlement, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, signaling possible commitments that could be announced at next week’s Summit of the Americas. Separate proposals are under consideration by […]

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Biden and Bolsonaro to Have Wide-Ranging Talks at Americas Summit

By Matt Spetalnick and Daina Beth Solomon WASHINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden’s first formal talks with Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro will cover a wide range of issues when they meet at the Summit of the Americas next week, including food insecurity, climate change and pandemic recovery, the White House said on […]

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Queen's jubilee celebrations begin

Four days of celebrations honouring Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years on the throne are underway with a display of British military traditions stretching from the days of horse and cannon to the jet age.

Formal celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee begin with Trooping the Colour, an annual military review that has marked the sovereign's official birthday since 1760.

The Queen is expected to join the working members of her family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at the end of the event when 70 aircraft are set to roar overhead.

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The jubilee is being commemorated with a four-day holiday weekend in the UK.

The celebration of Elizabeth's reign includes a service of thanksgiving Friday at St Paul's Cathedral in London, a concert at Buckingham Palace on Saturday and a pageant staged by thousands of performers drawn from schools and community groups around the country on Sunday afternoon.

Throughout the weekend, neighbourhood organisations and individuals are expected to hold thousands of street parties around the country, repeating a tradition that began with the Queen's coronation in 1953.

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Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee portrait

Australia marks the Queen's milestone

There will be celebrations for the Queen right across the Commonwealth.

In Australia, the Sydney Harbour will bask in purple light at 9pm on Thursday during a "seven minutes for seven decades" celebration of the Queen's reign.

Other landmarks across the nation will also light up in royal purple over the next four days to celebrate the occasion.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will light a beacon in Canberra on Thursday night to honour the Queen.

"Today I have the great privilege of lighting a beacon as part of The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Beacons and to commence Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Australia," Albanese said in a statement.

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Sydney's Government House lit up in royal purple for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

The government also plans to rename Aspen Island in Canberra after the Queen as a show of "appreciation and respect".

"I look forward to officially renaming Aspen Island to Queen Elizabeth II Island later this week as a mark of Australia's appreciation and respect for Her Majesty," Albanese added.

New Zealand has also marked the historic celebrations for the Queen's 70-year reign.

The Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery used four 25-pounder guns to react during their 21-gun salute at Point Jerningham.

The Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery, using four 25-pounder guns, react during their 21-gun salute at Point Jerningham, to mark the 70th anniversary of the coronation of the Queen, Elizabeth II, in Wellington, New Zealand, Thursday, June 2, 2022. (Mark Mitchell/NZME via AP)

In Wellington, similarly to Australia, a beacon will light up in royal purple at 9pm NZST.

It will be the second of 50 Commonwealth capital cities taking part in the Queeen's Platinum Jubilee Beacon event.

Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela: Colombian ‘Chess Player’ Drug Lord Dies in US Prison

By Leo Sands BBC News The former head of Colombia’s once-powerful Cali drugs cartel has died in prison in the United States. At one point, Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela controlled the vast majority of the world’s cocaine trade and was an arch-nemesis of Pablo Escobar. The 83-year-old was even nicknamed the Chess Player for his skill […]

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Pacific Hurricane Agatha: 9 Dead, Dozens Missing in Mexico

By Vanessa Buschschlüter BBC News Nine people are dead and more than 20 missing after Hurricane Agatha struck Oaxaca state in Mexico, the state’s governor says. Agatha made landfall on Monday as a category two hurricane, the strongest to hit Mexico’s Pacific coast in the month of May since records began in 1949. Heavy rain […]

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