Nonprofit ship sets sail for Gaza after drone attack setback

Nonprofit ship sets sail for Gaza after drone attack setback

CATANIA (Reuters) -International nonprofit organisation Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said one of its vessels left the Italian port of Catania on Sunday, heading for Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid, after a previous attempt failed due to a drone attack on a separate ship in the Mediterranean. The crew of volunteers, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham, set sail on the Madleen, carrying barrels of what the group called "limited amounts, though symbolic", of relief supplies. Another vessel operated by the group, the Conscience, was hit by two drones just outside Maltese territorial waters in early May. FFC said Israel was to blame for the incident. Israel has not responded to requests for comment. "We are doing this because no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying, because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity," Thunberg told reporters at a conference before the departure. She added that "no matter how dangerous this mission is, it is nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the lives being genocised". FFC said the trip "is not charity. This is a non-violent, direct action to challenge Israel's illegal siege and escalating war crimes". The situation in Gaza is the worst since the war between Israel and Hamas militants began 19 months ago, the United Nations said on Friday, despite a resumption of limited aid deliveries in the Palestinian enclave. Under growing global pressure, Israel ended an 11-week blockade on Gaza, allowing limited U.N.-led operations to resume. On Monday, a new avenue for aid distribution was also launched - the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - backed by the United States and Israel, but with which the U.N. and international aid groups have refused to work, saying it is not neutral and has a distribution model that forces the displacement of Palestinians. (Reporting by Danilo Arnone in Catania and Giulia Segreti in Rome; Editing by David Holmes)

byAlex Perish

in

June 01, 2025

Nonprofit ship sets sail for Gaza after drone attack setback

Nonprofit ship sets sail for Gaza after drone attack setback CATANIA (Reuters) -International nonprofit organisation Freedom Flotilla Coalit...

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People know 'they're going to die': Democrat hits GOP senator over viral town hall exchange

People know 'they're going to die': Democrat hits GOP senator over viral town hall exchange

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, hit back at a Republican colleaguewho went viralafter telling a town hall audience member that "we all are going to die" in response to concerns over Medicaid cuts. "I think everybody in that audience knows that they're going to die," Murphy told CNN's Dana Bash. "They would just rather die in old age at 85 or 90, instead of dying at 40." The comment come after Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, addressedfederal cuts to Medicaid– which Republicans have proposed as part of PresidentDonald Trump'ssweeping tax bill – during a town hall in Parkersburg, Iowa, on May 30. As she was speaking, someone shouted from the audience, "people will die!" Ernst then told the auditorium, "People are not – well, we all are going to die. For heaven's sakes, folks." Medicaid, the program that provides health insurance to more than 71 million low-income Americans, would undergobig changesunder the bill that passed in the House last month. That includes new work requirements for some adults beginning in December 2026, more frequent eligibility checks and disincentives for states to cover unauthorized migrant children, among other provisions. Collectively, the Medicaid proposal would save at least $625 billion and cause 7.6 million Americans to lose their health insurance over the next 10 years, according to initial estimates by the nonpartisanCongressional Budget Office. Still, Ernst shared asarcastic apology videoafter facing criticism from Democrats over her response to the town hall attendees' concerns. "Hello everyone," she said in a video posted to social media. "I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize for a statement that I made yesterday at my town hall." "I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that yes, we are all going to perish from this Earth," she added. "So, I apologize. And I'm really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well." Republicans have said the proposed changes to Medicaid protect the program for those who need it, and their legislation is curbing waste and fraud. Democrats, like Murphy,argue the falloutwill be felt by Americans across the country. "When rural hospitals close because of this bill, when drug treatment clinics close in Iowa and rural America because of this bill, more people will die at a younger age," Murphy alleged in the interview on June 1. Though Republicans control the Senate, the legislation isn't expected to sail through the upper chamber. Several Senate Republicans, including Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rand Paul of Kentucky,argue the billcomes with too high a price tag. "This is our moment," Johnson told CNN's Jake Tapper in May. "We have witnessed an unprecedented level of increased spending ... This is our only chance to reset that to a reasonable pre-pandemic level." House SpeakerMike Johnson, R-Louisiana, and other champions of the legislation argue the legislation is an investment in America's economy. But it's expected to addaround $3.3 trillionto the nation's deficit over the next 10 years and swell the federal government's debt. Contributing: Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register; Riley Beggin This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dem Chris Muphy hits Republican Joni Ernst town hall Medicaid comment

byAlex Perish

in

June 01, 2025

People know 'they're going to die': Democrat hits GOP senator over viral town hall exchange

People know 'they're going to die': Democrat hits GOP senator over viral town hall exchange Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, hi...

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Trump’s foreign policy frustrations are piling up

Trump's foreign policy frustrations are piling up

Every president thinks they can change the world – and Donald Trump has an even greater sense of personal omnipotence than his recent predecessors. But it's not working out too well for the 47th president. Trump might intimidate tech titans to toe the line and use government power to try to bend institutions like Harvard University and judges, but some world leaders are harder to bully. He keeps being ignored and humiliated by Russian President Vladimir Putin who is defying the US effort to end the war in Ukraine. Russian media is now portraying Trump as the tough talker who always blinks and never imposes consequences. The president also thought that he could shape China to his will by facing down leader Xi Jinping in a trade war. But he misunderstood Chinese politics. The one thing an authoritarian in Beijing can never do is bow down to a US president. US officials say now they'refrustratedthat China hasn't followed through on commitments meant to deescalate the trade conflict. As with China, Trump backed down in his tariff war with the European Union. Then Financial Times commentator Robert Armstrong enraged the president by coining the termTACO trade— "Trump Always Chickens Out." Everyone thought that Trump would be on the same page as Benjamin Netanyahu. After all, in his first term he offered the Israeli prime minister pretty much everything he wanted. But now that he's trying to broker peace in the Middle East, Trump is finding thatprolonging the Gaza conflict is existential for Netanyahu's political career,much like Ukraine for Putin. And Trump's ambition for an Iranian nuclear deal is frustrating Israeli plans to use a moment of strategic weakness for the Islamic Republic to try to take out its reactors militarily. Powerful leaders are pursuing their own versions of the national interest that exist in a parallel reality and on different historical and actual timelines to shorter, more transactional, aspirations of American presidents. Most aren't susceptible to personal appeals with no payback. And after Trump's attempts to humiliate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office, the lure of the White House is waning. Trump spent months on the campaign trail last year boasting that his "very good relationship" with Putin or Xi would magically solve deep geopolitical and economic problems between global powers that might be unsolvable. He's far from the first US leader to suffer from such delusions. President George W. Bush famously looked into the Kremlin tyrant's eyes and "got a sense of his soul." President Barack Obama disdained Russia as a decaying regional power and once dismissed Putin as the "bored kid in the back of the classroom." That didn't work out so well when the bored kid annexed Crimea. More broadly, the 21st century presidents have all acted as though they're men of destiny. Bush came to office determined not to act as the global policeman. But the September 11 attacks in 2001 made him exactly that. He started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — which the US won, then lost the peace. And his failed second term goal to democratize the Arab world never went anywhere. Obama tried to make amends for the global war on terror and travelled to Egypt to tell Muslims it was time for "a new beginning." His early presidency pulsated with a sense that his charisma and unique background would in itself be a global elixir. Joe Biden traveled the globe telling everyone that "America is back" after ejecting Trump from the White House. But four years later, partly due to his own disastrous decision to run for a second term, America — or at least the internationalist post-World War II version – was gone again. And Trump was back. Trump's "America First" populism relies on the premise that the US has been ripped off for decades, never mind that its alliances and shaping of global capitalism made it the most powerful nation in the planet's history. Now playing at being a strongman who everyone must obey, he is busily squandering this legacy and shattering US soft power — ie. the power to persuade — with his belligerence. The first four months of the Trump presidency, with its tariff threats, warnings of US territorial expansion in Canada and Greenland and evisceration of global humanitarian aid programs show that the rest of the world gets a say in what happens too. So far, leaders in China, Russia, Israel, Europe and Canada appear to have calculated that Trump is not as powerful as he thinks he is, that there's no price for defying him or that their own internal politics make resistance mandatory. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byAlex Perish

in

June 01, 2025

Trump’s foreign policy frustrations are piling up

Trump's foreign policy frustrations are piling up Every president thinks they can change the world – and Donald Trump has an even greate...

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Five reasons the New York Knicks lost the Eastern Conference finals

Five reasons the New York Knicks lost the Eastern Conference finals

TheNew York Knickswill have plenty of time to dissect whatwent wrong in the Eastern Conference finals. New York was trying to make its firstNBA Finalssince 1999, and, after being eliminated in consecutive years by theIndiana Pacers, the Knicks must be proactive and honest about changes they will need to make to break through. For one, the team relies so significantly on All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson that he's often tasked with saving New York. But that's just the beginning. OPINION:Small-market Pacers party down in big way with NBA Finals trip MORE:Pascal Siakam named Eastern Conference finals MVP after Pacers down Knicks Five reasons why the New York Knicks lost the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers: Teams simply cannot gift games during the postseason, especially during the conference finals. Game 1, when the Knicks held a nine-point lead with 58.8 seconds left to play, was the epitome of a missed opportunity. The Knicks actually held a 17-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, but they became complacent and could not answer Indiana's pace. It was bad enough for the Knicks to drop the series opener at home, but it was even worse when they dropped Game 2 in the Garden to fall behind 0-2 headed to Indiana. From Game 1, it appeared that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau's preference was to try to match Indiana's speed, rather than to grind games down. It would turn out to be misguided. The Knicks ranked 27th in the regular season in pace, generating 97.64 possessions per 48 minutes. Indiana ranked seventh (100.76). While the Knicks sometimes did have success against theDetroit PistonsandBoston Celticsin the earlier rounds when pushing tempo, New York would've been far better off slowing the game against the Pacers because this was exactly how Indiana wanted to play. The Knicks committed more turnovers than the Pacers in all but one of the games, and New York lost the turnover margin overall, 93-75. In itself, that's pretty bad, but it gets worse. Because of the speed with which the Pacers play, those turnovers turned into easy offense: the Pacers posted a crushing 140-61 advantage in points off turnovers throughout the series. The previous point feeds somewhat into this. But whether it was off of turnovers, missed shots or even out of inbounds passes on made attempts, New York did not sustain precise focus on spotting Pacers leaking out in transition. While physically demanding, Thibodeau could've done more to tweak strategy, insisting that players drop back to prevent fastbreak chances. The Pacers registered more fastbreak points than New York in every game this series. Frankly, that was always going to be the likely outcome; the margin is what was concerning. The Pacers scored 106 fastbreak points across the six games, while the Knicks put up just 48. It wasn't until Game 3 of the series, after the Knicks were already desperate and down 0-2, that Thibodeau tweaked the rotation to match up better with Indiana. Thibodeau has always been a coach set in his ways, and his reluctance to go with fresher legs — against a team that sprints up and down the floor — was baffling. This is magnified further because guards Delon Wright and Landry Shamet are known to be plus-defenders, something New York sorely needed earlier in the series when Indiana's guards were scoring at will. Thibodeau did receive some credit when he eventually extended his rotation; it came far too late. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:New York Knicks: Eastern Conference finals loss explained

byAlex Perish

in

June 01, 2025

Five reasons the New York Knicks lost the Eastern Conference finals

Five reasons the New York Knicks lost the Eastern Conference finals TheNew York Knickswill have plenty of time to dissect whatwent wrong in ...

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PSG set a new benchmark in the Champions League, but can it stay at the top of European soccer?

PSG set a new benchmark in the Champions League, but can it stay at the top of European soccer?

MUNICH (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain's ascent to the top of European soccer is complete. Staying there is another matter entirely. Saturday'sChampions League triumphconfirmed what many observers had suspected for some time - that PSG's moment had finally come. Years of frustration in European club soccer's elite competition was blown away in one glorious and historic night in Munich. Not only did PSGend its long wait for the trophyit prized most of all but it produced a statement performance and set a new benchmark for what it is to win the Champions League title. The 5-0 rout of Inter Milan was officially the biggest winning margin of any final in the competition's 70-year history. And it could have been so much more emphatic had Bradley Barcola been clinical in front of goal, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia taken more than just one of his chances or Désiré Doué stayed on the field for longer than 67 minutes having scored two and set up another. Star striker Ousmane Dembele didn't even get a goal to his name. As impressive as PSG's victory was, it could have been even better. In other words, this is a team that is yet to reach its peak. Work in progress With an average age of 24.8 years old, PSG's starting lineup was packed with youth, which was in stark contrast to an Inter team with an average age of over 30. At 31, captain Marquinhos was PSG's only starter over 30, while Doué was one of three teenagers to play, along with substitutes Senny Mayulu and Warren Zaire-Emery. "We have a lot of young players - players who need to develop and I'm one of them," Doué said. "We are always going to strive to get better." Keeping young teams together is easier said than done when Europe's biggest clubs come calling. That should not be a concern for Qatar-backed PSG, which is one of the richest clubs in the world and in recent years has focused on picking up the best young talent - from France in particular. Ambition It seems there is little danger of PSG settling for just one Champions League title. "We are ambitious, we are going to continue to conquer the football world," a triumphant Luis Enrique said Saturday night after winning the trophy for the second time as a coach, 10 years after leading Barcelona to the trophy. He sounds like a man who has his sights set on building a new era of dominance and quickly turned to adding to the treble of trophies already won this season. Next up is the newly expanded Club World Cup. "I think it is an incredible competition. Maybe not now in its first edition, but it will become an incredibly important competition to win," he said of the tournament that kicks off in the United States this month. "We want to finish the season in style with the cherry on the cake." Luis Enrique The 55-year-old Luis Enrique has established himself as one of the finest coaches in the world after winning a second Champions League title. PSG has entrusted him to build a team in his image, rather than a selection of superstars and it has paid off. He has turned PSG into a Champions League winner while playing arguably the most exciting soccer in Europe, with Barcelona possibly the only team to rival it in the entertainment stakes. Yet while Barcelona was picked off by a wily Inter in the semifinals, the Italians were blown away by PSG. Liverpool, which ran away with the Premier League title this season, was eliminated in the round of 16, while Manchester City and Arsenal were beaten as well. Luis Enrique's brand of soccer has simply been too good for the rest in Europe, which is now playing catch up. Transfers It is difficult to see where PSG needs to add to a squad with so much depth, but its rise to the top has come on the back of spending billions on some of the world's best players. The era of Galactico signings is over for now, but the arrival of Kvaratskhelia from Napoli in January was evidence of president Nasser Al-Khelaifi's ongoing willingness to go big in the transfer market. The Georgian forward sparked a dramatic turnaround in PSG's form in Europe, which saw it go from near elimination at the league phase to Champions League winner. The rivals Manchester City might have thought its Champions League title in 2023 would spark a new era of success in Europe, but the opposite has been true and Pep Guardiola's team was eliminated in the playoffs this season. The Champions League is notoriously difficult to defend, with Real Madrid the only team to retain the trophy in the modern era, having won three in a row from 2016-18. The difficulty is largely due to the wide spread of talent among Europe's elite. PSG will come up against a Liverpool team that topped the league phase of this year's competition and is already making ambitious moves in the transfer market. Madrid with a new coach in Xabi Alonso and signings such as Trent Alexander-Arnold should be a contender again. So too Barcelona after falling short in the semifinal. City, meanwhile, is undergoing a rebuild of its own. PSG, however, will likely start next season as the team to beat, with a bright young squad that finally knows how to get over the line. ___ James Robson is athttps://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson ___ AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

byAlex Perish

in

June 01, 2025

PSG set a new benchmark in the Champions League, but can it stay at the top of European soccer?

PSG set a new benchmark in the Champions League, but can it stay at the top of European soccer? MUNICH (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain's asce...

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