News
Hurricane Oscar Claims Six Lives in Cuba
Hurricane Oscar has tragically claimed the lives of at least six individuals in Cuba, as confirmed by the nation’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel. The storm made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near Baracoa in eastern Cuba on Sunday afternoon, later weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the island.
The province of Guantánamo suffered the most significant damage, with over 1,000 homes impacted by the severe rains and strong winds that accompanied the hurricane. Notably, Oscar hit during a nationwide power outage that left approximately 10 million Cubans without electricity.
As of early Tuesday, President Díaz-Canel reported that certain areas remained inaccessible due to the storm’s aftermath. He emphasized that rescue workers were diligently working to reach those stranded. The president highlighted that the municipalities of San Antonio and Imías experienced extraordinary levels of flooding, marking historical records for the regions.
The six confirmed fatalities were all reported in San Antonio, although no further details regarding the circumstances of their deaths have been released. Meteorologists have issued warnings that Oscar may cause localized flash flooding in the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands as it continues its northeastward trajectory.
In the wake of the storm, some residents in areas still without power expressed their frustrations through rare public dissent, chanting “Turn on the lights” and banging pots and pans in protest. While power outages are not uncommon in Cuba, the recent failure of the country’s largest power plant has exacerbated the situation, leading to widespread darkness across the nation.
President Díaz-Canel attributed the current crisis to the tightening of the decades-long U.S. trade embargo, stating that the Cuban state would persist until power is fully restored. However, frustrations are mounting among residents in neighborhoods still experiencing outages, with many expressing their discontent with the situation.
News
Police Review Private Flights at Stansted Following Epstein File Revelations
Authorities are assessing new information concerning private jet movements at Stansted Airport after fresh scrutiny linked to the activities of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Essex Police confirmed it is examining details related to private flights arriving at and departing from the airport in light of disclosures emerging from the recently published Epstein files.
The review follows calls from former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who urged in the New Statesman that law enforcement should “urgently” revisit whether Epstein’s victims may have been trafficked into or out of the United Kingdom.
A previous investigation identified 87 flights connected to Epstein that either landed at or departed from UK airports between the early 1990s and 2018.
Stansted Airport has maintained that private aircraft operations are conducted independently, noting that it does not oversee passenger arrangements for privately chartered flights.
The police assessment is part of broader efforts to understand any potential connections between flight activity and trafficking concerns raised in the wake of the latest disclosures.
News
DNA Test Yields No Match in Search for Missing Nancy Guthrie
Investigators searching for clues in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie say a glove believed to be linked to the suspect has produced no DNA matches, according to authorities in Pima County, Arizona.
The glove was recovered about two miles from Guthrie’s home in Tucson and appeared similar to one worn by a masked individual captured in doorbell-camera footage on the night she went missing.
DNA extracted from the item was analysed and submitted to the FBI’s national database of known offenders. However, officials confirmed that the test returned no matches in CODIS.
The 84-year-old, who is the mother of television journalist Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since 1 February. Investigators believe she was taken from her home against her will.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the glove was found in a roadside field roughly three kilometres from her residence. Around 16 gloves were collected during the search, though most were later determined to have been left behind by volunteers assisting in the effort.
Earlier, authorities released doorbell footage showing a masked man wearing gloves and a backpack approaching Guthrie’s front door. In the video, the individual attempts to obscure the camera before using yard debris to block its view.
Following forensic review, investigators estimated the suspect to be between 5ft 9in and 5ft 10in tall with an average build.
More than two weeks after Guthrie was reported missing, no arrests have been made. Officials say additional DNA evidence recovered from the home is still being analysed.
Authorities are also working with Walmart to trace the purchase of the backpack seen in the footage, as the investigation continues.
News
Tributes Pour In as Civil Rights Icon Jesse Jackson Dies at 84
Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84, his family has announced, marking the passing of one of the most influential figures in the global struggle for justice and equality.
In a statement, the Jackson family said he “died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family”.
They described his life as one defined by service and purpose, noting that his “unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity.”
The statement paid tribute to his decades-long activism, from his presidential campaigns in the 1980s to his efforts mobilising millions of voters and amplifying the voices of marginalised communities.
Jackson was the founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, an organisation that became a central platform for advancing social and economic justice.
His family said he is survived by his wife Jacqueline and their children Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef and Jacqueline, along with daughter Ashley Jackson and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother Helen Burns Jackson, father Noah Louis Robinson and stepfather Charles Henry Jackson.
“Our father was a servant leader – not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the family said, encouraging people to honour his legacy by continuing the fight for the values he championed.
Public observances are expected to be held in Chicago, with further details of memorial services to be announced by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
While the cause of death has not yet been confirmed, Jackson had faced ongoing health challenges in recent years. He was hospitalised in November and had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare degenerative condition.
In 2017, he revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which he described as a “physical challenge” even as he remained active in civil rights advocacy.
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