International
U.N. monitors head to troubled Ukraine nuclear plant
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A team of international nuclear inspectors was heading Wednesday to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant caught in the middle of the fighting in southern Ukraine amid international concern of a potential accident or radiation leak.
Rafael Grossi, the head of the the International Atomic Energy Agency, said he hoped to establish a permanent mission in Ukraine to monitor Europe’s largest nuclear plant.
“These operations are very complex operations. We are going to a war zone. We are going to occupied territory. And this requires explicit guarantees from not only from the Russians, but also from the Republic of Ukraine,” Grossi said in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv before the monitoring the mission’s departure.
“We have been able to secure that. … So now we are moving.”
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The power plant has been occupied by Russian forces and operated by Ukrainian workers since the early days of the 6-month-old war.
It was recently cut off temporarily from the electrical grid because of fire damage, causing a blackout in the region and heightening fears of a catastrophe in a country haunted by the Chernobyl disaster.
Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said Kyiv is seeking international assistance to try and demilitarize the area.
“We think that the mission should be a very important step to return (the plant) to Ukrainian government control by the end of the year,” Galushchenko told The Associated Press.
“We have information that they are now trying to hide their military presence, so they should check all of this.”
Zaporizhzhia is a vital source of energy for Ukraine and remains connected to its power grid. Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of shelling the wider region around the nuclear power plant and the risks are so severe that officials have begun distributing anti-radiation iodine tablets to nearby residents. Grossi met Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the mission that is expected to last several days. The inspectors from the IAEA, a United Nations body, where due to reach the Zaporizhzhia region, 450 kilometers (280 miles) southeast of the Ukrainian capital, later Wednesday.
AP
International
Nurse punished in UK for addressing convicted transgender paedophile as ‘Mr’
Nurse punished in UK for addressing convicted transgender paedophile as ‘Mr’
A senior nurse in the UK is battling to save her career after facing disciplinary action for refusing to refer to a convicted child sex offender as a woman.
Jennifer Melle, 40, from Croydon, was working at Epsom and St Helier University Hospital Trust when she declined to use female pronouns for a paedophile known as ‘Mr X,’ per report from the London Standard.
The offender, currently serving time in a high-security male prison, was jailed for grooming boys online while posing as a teenage girl.
Following her refusal, Melle claims she was subjected to racial abuse and physical threats.
She was, reportedly, then issued a final written warning and referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for allegedly breaching professional standards.
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NHS lawyers argued that Melle’s Christian belief—that people are born male or female—was “not worthy of respect in a democratic society.”
An internal investigation found she had violated the NMC Code of Conduct by failing to respect the patient’s “preferred identity” and uphold the Trust’s core value of “Respect.”
As a result, Melle has been moved to another ward, which she says is a demotion, and has had her name removed from internal hospital systems, preventing her from applying for additional shifts.
Now, with the backing of the Christian Legal Centre, she has launched legal action against the Trust, alleging harassment, discrimination, and breaches of her human rights.
The case comes amid growing controversy over gender policies in public institutions.
A recent report, the Sullivan Review, revealed that UK police forces have been allowing criminals to self-identify their gender on official records, sparking nationwide debate.
Nurse punished in UK for addressing convicted transgender paedophile as ‘Mr’
International
Gaza: Iran begins talks with S’Arabia, Egypt as Israel renews attacks
Gaza: Iran begins talks with S’Arabia, Egypt as Israel renews attacks
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Saturday exchanged views with his Saudi Arabian and Egyptian counterparts on Israel’s renewed attacks on Gaza.
In a phone conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Araghchi strongly condemned Israel’s attacks in Gaza, and urged other countries in the region to take collective action, said the Iranian Foreign Ministry in a statement.
For his part, Faisal reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of Israeli aggressions and emphasized regional coordination to prevent further escalation.
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In a separate phone call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Araghchi condemned Israel’s renewed attacks on Gaza as well as obstruction of humanitarian aid delivery to the Palestinian coastal enclave “in flagrant violation” of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
The Egyptian foreign minister underscored the need for consultations and diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.
Both Egyptian and Iranian ministers agreed to maintain consultations on regional developments.
Gaza: Iran begins talks with S’Arabia, Egypt as Israel renews attacks
Xinhua
International
Three killed,15 injured in U.S. park shooting
Three killed,15 injured in U.S. park shooting
Three people were killed and 15 others injured in a shooting at Young Park in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Friday night, police said.
The violence erupted during an unauthorised car show that had drawn around 200 people.
Las Cruces Police Chief, Jeremy Story, said officers arrived at the scene around 10 p.m. to find chaos, with 50 to 60 shell casings, all from handguns, scattered across the park.
The shooting involved multiple weapons and appeared to stem from an ongoing conflict between two groups, Story said, adding that several bystanders were caught in the crossfire.
The deceased were identified as two 19-year-old men and a 16-year-old boy. The names of the victims, including those injured, have not yet been released.
The wounded, ranging in age from 16 to 36, were either treated at the scene or taken to area hospitals.
Las Cruces Fire Chief Michael Daniels said seven victims were treated at the spot, including two who died due to their injuries.
Eleven others were transported to hospitals in Las Cruces or the University Medical Center of El Paso, a regional trauma center. By Saturday, four had been released, while seven remained hospitalised. The conditions of the remaining four were unclear.
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The police are working with the New Mexico State Police, Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate the incident.
Authorities are asking for eye witness accounts and any video footage to help identify the suspects.
“This horrendous, senseless act is a stark reminder of the blatant disregard for law and order,” Story said, while vowing to find and hold all perpetrators accountable.
Story acknowledged that illegal car shows at Young Park have been a recurring issue and that police presence had been greater in the past. However, due to staffing shortages, there were “no units available for most of the night” on Friday.
The city has purchased surveillance technology for all its parks as part of a real-time crime center, but it has not yet been installed.
Las Cruces City Councilor and Mayor Pro Tem Johana Bencomo, expressed her grief over the tragedy.
“A tragedy like this feels like a nightmare just waiting to come true at any possible moment,” she wrote on Instagram.
Las Cruces, located along the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico, is about 40 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Police remained at the scene Saturday, keeping the area closed to traffic as the investigation continued.
The incident has intensified discussions about crime and gun violence in New Mexico.
New Mexico Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham recently signed legislation imposing harsher penalties for crimes like vehicle theft and fentanyl trafficking while also banning devices that convert guns into automatic weapons.
The state also expanded its red-flag gun law and increased funding for addiction and mental health treatment.
The New Mexico Senate held a moment of silence late Friday in response to the tragedy.
Three killed,15 injured in U.S. park shooting
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