News Sports

James McClean: Creggan of Derry provided me with everything I needed to achieve

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James McClean, a football player, has expressed gratitude to his hometown for providing him the courage to pursue his footballing aspirations.

On Monday against Gibraltar, the Creggan-born star earned his 100th cap for the Republic of Ireland.

He is the eighth player in Republic history to win 100 caps.

McClean said to BBC Radio Foyle, “If it wasn’t for what I learned growing up in Creggan, then I wouldn’t be where I am now.

A celebration honouring McClean’s 100 caps will take place later today at the Derry estate, on the street where he originally developed his footballing prowess.

“I’ll be there, and it’ll be lovely to speak with and see the locals again,” he said in an interview with The North West Today show.

“Creggan is my home, and I’m proud of that,” he continued. They are pleased with me too.

They feel invested in my profession, which means a lot to me. I’m one of them, which is a very grounded way to be. I appreciate everything from Creggan.

It’s not the first time Creggan has commemorated one of its famous footballers.

Barcelona has a Messi mural, Naples has a Maradona artwork, and a Central Drive wall in Creggan has a massive McClean mural.

He still thinks the tribute to be surreal.

“I’ll never get accustomed to passing the Creggan mural while walking. I used to kick the ball around the Creggan shops as a child, and now I’m perched on a wall.

“Walking by every day is surreal but also very special for my family.”

McClean, aged 34, has had a long career in England after leaving his hometown club Derry City. He has played for Sunderland, Stoke, Wigan Athletic, and West Bromwich Albion.

It hasn’t been a career without its share of difficulties though; vitriol hurled towards the 34-year-old is widely known.

It’s “different scale” than what other athletes confront, in his perspective. He said that his upbringing had given him the tools to handle the worst of it.

“Most of the time, it’s just water off a duck’s back. You are an outcome of your surroundings. Creggan is resilient and sturdy. I am the same way myself.

Ireland’s newest football centurion is “in a good place right now – and content”.

And he’s not ruling out a return home to where it all started.

“I’ve always been open that I want to end my career at Derry City. At the minute there’s no timeframe for that.”

He added: “You never rule out things because you don’t know what’s around the corner”.

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Accidents International Relations News

According to the EU border agency, Greece rejected an offer to monitor migrant boats

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EU border authorities claim that Greece ignored their offer to send an aircraft to watch over a migrant boat that ultimately sunk with a large number of casualties.

The UN estimates that 500 more people may have perished in the event last week, but at least 82 deaths are confirmed to have occurred.

Greece has come under fire for not doing enough to address the catastrophe.

The BBC also discovered that, contrary to the Greek narrative that the migrant boat was on a safe, steady route, it barely moved in the hours before it capsized.

The overloaded fishing boat had left Libya and was first seen early on June 13 sailing toward Greece in international seas.

It was discovered by a Frontex (the EU’s border agency) jet, which subsequently required refuelling.

The Greek coast guard, according to Frontex, never responded to its offer to send the plane back to the fishing boat to keep an eye on the situation.

The Greek government has refuted accusations that they failed to respond to the disaster as it was unfolding soon enough, maintaining that people on board informed the coastguards they wanted to be left alone so they could travel to Italy.

Contrary to the official story, a BBC study of other ships’ movements on the tragedy day clearly shows the ship barely moved for at least seven hours before it capsized.

The Greek coastguard has not responded to the most recent allegation that it did not accept Frontex’s offer of further aerial assistance.

The boat reportedly capsized about 02:04 on June 14 local time, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) south-west of the seaside town Pylos.

Although more than 100 people were saved, survivors believe that there may have been as many as 750 people on the boat, including about 100 children in the hold.

At least 350 Pakistanis were on board, according to Pakistan’s interior minister Rana Sanaullah, who also noted that “perhaps there has never been such a large toll in any incident before, even in terrorist incidents.”

Syrians and Egyptians are among those thought to be deceased as well.

Nine Egyptian men were charged with negligent manslaughter, endangering life, creating a shipwreck, and people trafficking when they appeared in court in the Greek city of Kalamata on Monday.

All entered not-guilty pleas.

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Accidents News

An 80-year-old pedestrian is killed when an e-scooter hits her

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After an e-scooter hit a pedestrian in Dublin in her 80s, the pedestrian died, and the Irish police, known as Garda, have made a plea for witnesses.

The event, which happened on Eccles Street at around 13:00 BST on June 20, is currently the subject of an inquiry.

After being transported, the woman passed away at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital. A post-mortem investigation is scheduled.

After being detained, a guy was later let go. To the Director of Public Prosecutions was to be forwarded a file.

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News Sports Trending

Victor Wembanyama chosen by San Antonio Spurs as first pick in 2023 NBA draft

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Victor Wembanyama, the 19-year-old French basketball player, has set his sights on winning an NBA championship ring after being selected as the number one overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2023 draft. Standing at 7ft 5in with an 8ft wingspan, Wembanyama is considered one of the most promising prospects in the game since LeBron James in 2003.

Wembanyama expressed his goal of learning as much as possible to achieve his dream of winning an NBA championship. The NBA draft consists of two rounds with 30 picks each, and teams select players based on their performance in the previous season, with the worst-performing teams having the opportunity to choose the best incoming talent.

The draft took place in Brooklyn, with NBA commissioner Adam Silver announcing the picks. Wembanyama was overwhelmed with emotion upon hearing his name called as the first pick. French president Emmanuel Macron congratulated him, recognizing him as the first Frenchman to be selected as the top pick in the NBA draft.

Wembanyama had an impressive season playing for Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 in France, averaging 20.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.0 blocked shots, and 2.5 assists in 44 games. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich expressed his excitement about having Wembanyama on the team, highlighting his talent and maturity.

LeBron James, star player for the Los Angeles Lakers, had witnessed Wembanyama’s skills during an exhibition game in Las Vegas and described him as a generational talent and an “alien” due to his extraordinary abilities on the court. Wembanyama embraced the term “alien” as a compliment, as he aspires to be something unique and original in the world of basketball.

The second pick in the draft was Brandon Miller, a 6ft 9in player from the University of Alabama, who joined the Charlotte Hornets. Scoot Henderson, who had played in the NBA’s developmental G League, was chosen as the third pick by the Portland Trail Blazers. The Thompson twins, Amen and Ausar, rounded out the top five picks, with Amen joining the Houston Rockets and Ausar being selected by the Detroit Pistons.

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Sports

Olympic boxing’s IBA is out, but matches are still scheduled for the Paris Games

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International Boxing Association’s participation in Olympic competitions is no longer recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) has been expelled from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for failing to finish changes including governance, finances, and ethical issues.

On Thursday, 69 members of the IOC voted in support of banishing the IBA, with only one member voting against it. Ten members didn’t participate in the voting.

The executive board, which is led by IOC President Thomas Bach, advocated the IOC’s decision two weeks ago, thus it seemed inevitable that it would be adopted.

However, boxing will continue to be an Olympic event at the 2024 Paris Games.

“We place a great priority on the boxing sport. Because of their administration, we have a very significant issue with IBA,” Bach informed the IOC members during their online meeting.

The IOC had issues with the IBA’s management, which included Russian and Uzbek presidents, as well as its financial support from the Russian government’s energy company, Gazprom, as well as the fairness of the competition and the judging.

“The boxers fully deserve to be governed by an international federation with integrity and transparency,” the IOC president declared.

National boxing federations chose Gafur Rakhimov as their head in 2018, defying IOC warnings. The Uzbek businessman was reportedly connected to heroin trafficking and organized crime. The choice of Umar Kremlev to succeed Rakhimov in 2020 came after yet another series of election-related IOC cautions that went unheeded.

Under Kremlev, the IBA’s debts of close to $20 million were paid off, and the IOC took issue with the boxing federation’s reliance on Gazprom, a Russian energy company.

The IBA was no longer backed by Gazprom, Kremlev said last month during the men’s world championships, and his language towards Olympic authorities became increasingly combative.

As it did for the Tokyo Games in 2021, the IOC is already in charge of organizing boxing competitions at the Paris Olympics without consulting the IBA.

It was unclear if boxers competing for national federations who continue to be IBA members would be considered eligible for the Paris competition.

Boxing’s inclusion in the Olympic program for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, which the IOC and Bach withheld as leverage against the IBA, may now be confirmed as a result of the action. Members were assured on Thursday that boxing is “guaranteed” to take place in Los Angeles.

The IOC may now cooperate with World Boxing, a rival organization founded this year with backing from authorities in the United States, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, as the connection with the IBA has now come to an end.

The IBA may appeal the judgment to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after labelling it a “tremendous error” on Thursday.

The Lausanne-based IBA said in a statement that the expulsion was “catastrophic for global boxing” and “blatantly contradicts the IOC’s claims of acting in the best interests of boxing and athletes.”

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Accidents

In the Canary Islands catastrophe, at least 30 migrants are thought dead

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According to two NGOs, more than 30 migrants may have perished after their boat capsized in the Atlantic Ocean off the Canary Islands.

Alarm Phone and Walking Borders reported that the boat was carrying about 60 passengers.

Authorities in Spain said that 24 people were saved, but they did not know how many passengers were on board. They also reported that rescuers discovered the dead of a man and a kid.

After a boat capsized off the coast of Greece last week, the tragedy has renewed attention focused on Europe’s handling of immigration.

While Alarm Phone reported 35 individuals missing, Helena Maleno Garzon of Walking Borders said that 39 people, including four women and a baby, had drowned. Both organizations keep an eye on migrant boats and take calls from passengers or their loved ones.

On Wednesday, the boat capsized around 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Gran Canaria.

“It’s torture to have 60 people, including six women and a baby, waiting for a rescue for more than 12 hours in a flimsy inflatable boat that can sink,” said Ms. Garzon.

According to Reuters, quoting Spanish official news agency EFE, a Spanish rescue service ship, the Guardamar Caliope, was just about an hour’s sail from the dinghy on Tuesday evening.

The mission had been taken over by Moroccan officials, who sent a patrol boat that arrived on Wednesday morning, 10 hours after it had been detected by a Spanish rescue plane, thus the ship did not assist the dinghy, according to Reuters.

The interior ministry of Morocco has received a request for response from the BBC.

The governor of the Canary Islands, Angel Victor Torres, termed the occurrence a “tragedy” and urged the EU to create a migration strategy that “offers coordinated and supportive responses” to the issue of migration.

The Canary Islands located off the western coast of Africa but are a part of Spain, and many migrants from Africa sail there in the aim of travelling to mainland Europe.

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News Trending

British packages delivered to Ireland have decreased by 68%

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Since Brexit, the postal service in the Republic of Ireland reports a 68% decrease in parcels from the United Kingdom.

The problem has been made worse by stricter EU regulations intended to stop tax evasion in e-commerce.

A Post claims that because of Ireland’s trade with the UK, no other EU nation experiences the same volume of non-EU shipments.

The UK Post Office’s intention to implement “the necessary IT for customs” has been hailed as “excellent news”

Prior to this, An Post said that well-known British retailers like M&S and River Island had partnered with them to offer a clear and straightforward “duty paid” option at the online checkout where customers could pay all VAT and customs fees up front.

However, it claimed that small businesses and private individuals were having problems because they were not aware of the “new complex data and tax requirements” that were in effect as of July 2021.

With regard to the new regulations, “An Post has no simple way of advising the personal customers or small businesses posting parcels to Ireland from outside the EU,” the corporation stated. “In contrast to parcels which are posted in bulk from large non-EU retailers, An Post can advise and assist with the new rules.”

Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, Northern Ireland would have had comparable issues, but because of a grace period, EU regulations were never applied to GB-NI shipments.

This grace period is basically made permanent by the Windsor Framework, albeit there will be some obligations for logistics businesses.

To monitor and control any risks of smuggling into the EU market, authorized parcel operators will be required to exchange data with the government.

By September 2024, such data-sharing procedure need to be established.

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News Trending

Trucks become stalled in Sible Hedingham while travelling to the proposed asylum centre

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Three lorries suspected to be transporting movable structures for a potential refugee centre became stalled in an Essex village for almost five hours.

Between 07:30 and 13:30 BST, the cars were unable to pass at a pinch point near Sible Hedingham.

The Home Office aims to house 1,700 adult male migrants at MDP Wethersfield, and the locals were informed that the buildings were headed there.

According to a local, it demonstrated that the location was “inappropriate” for such a venture.

One of the lorry drivers said the constructions were a proposed health clinic and office space for the refugee complex, according to Alan MacKenzie, head of The Fields Association, a group that has fought against the exploitation of rural north Essex for government developments.

They were “poking out quite some distance” from the vehicles they were on and were roughly 4.2m (13.7ft) wide, he claimed.

The drivers became aware that a choke point was approaching that they would be unable to pass.

If the route was free of parked automobiles, Mr. MacKenzie said they “might have just made it through,” but it “would be tight.”

According to him, after police instructed locals to relocate their cars, additional people began to do so in order to “make a point,” and all of the lorries were halted in Rectory Lane to “await instructions.”

They eventually turned around and left.

“It is a medieval road network full of B roads and unclassified roads which are narrow and all terrible for getting wide loads through,” Mr MacKenzie said.

“The situation has just demonstrated what local residents have been saying to the government about the road system here.

“It shows it is inappropriate trying to put a very large operation on a remote airbase, the infrastructure around here cannot support such a large asylum centre.”

The Home Office said that it will construct a facility in Wethersfield, with the first immigrants coming in this summer. They would be housed in temporary housing while awaiting a verdict on their claim.

A spokesman said: “Delivering accommodation on surplus military sites will provide cheaper and more orderly, suitable accommodation for those arriving in small boats whilst helping to reduce the use of hotels.

“We are continuing to work extremely closely with local councils, the local NHS and police services, to manage any impact and address the local communities concerns, including through substantial financial support.”

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News Trending

Titanic Sub Crew Dead After “Catastrophic Implosion”: US Coast Guard

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The recent incident involving the missing submersible, known as the Titan, and its crew members has resulted in a tragic outcome. According to the US Coast Guard, the five crew members aboard the Titan died due to a “catastrophic implosion” of their vessel. This conclusion was reached after examining debris found underwater, approximately 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the Titanic.

The missing craft, Titan, had garnered global fascination as numerous ships and aircraft were involved in the search efforts across an area of the North Atlantic twice the size of Connecticut. The submersible had lost contact with the Canadian research vessel Polar Prince on June 18, raising concerns about the crew’s diminishing oxygen supply.

During the search, unidentified sounds were detected, but they were not connected to the missing craft. The crew members aboard the Titan were identified as Hamish Harding of the UK, Paul-Henry Nargeolet of France, Stockton Rush of the United States, and Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood of Pakistan. They were described as passionate explorers who had a deep love for the oceans.

The Titan, a 6.7-meter-long craft constructed from carbon fiber and titanium, was designed to carry a pilot and four crew members to a maximum depth of 4,000 meters (13,120 feet). It had systems in place to monitor the crew’s health and provide early warning in case of any issues during the dive.

OceanGate Expeditions, the operator of the mission, expressed their condolences to the families of the crew members and acknowledged their significant contributions to ocean exploration and conservation. The company offers expeditions to the Titanic site, allowing qualified explorers to join as mission specialists and support the scientific exploration of the historic shipwreck.

The loss of the Titan and its crew members is a tragic event, and the global community mourns their passing.

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News Trending War

Ukraine strikes Chonhar bridge to Crimea, says Russia

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According to Russian officials, Ukraine has launched an attack on a bridge that connects southern Ukraine to the Crimean peninsula using long-range British missiles. The two Chonhar bridges were both damaged, but there were no casualties reported. The governor of occupied Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, claimed that the attack was likely ordered by London and carried out using British Storm Shadow missiles. The bridge is a crucial route from Crimea to the front line in the south and serves as a significant link to the occupied city of Melitopol. Photographs shared by Vladimir Saldo revealed a significant hole in one of the bridges, but he assured that repairs would be made promptly and temporary alternative routes would be provided for vehicles.

Russia relies on this road as a land connection to Crimea, and Melitopol is believed to be one of the targets of Ukraine’s counter-offensive, which commenced in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia earlier this month. In 2014, Russian forces seized the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and subsequently invaded Ukraine’s southern coastal region in February of the following year. Last autumn, Ukraine recaptured the Kherson region situated north of the Dnipro river. However, this month, the Kakhovka dam on the river was destroyed in a suspected Russian sabotage attack, which has impeded a Ukrainian offensive across the Dnipro.

Ukraine’s offensive has been progressing slowly, with the recapture of eight villages thus far. Russian forces have continued targeting Ukrainian cities, including residential areas in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyih Rih and the southern port of Odesa. President Zelensky informed the Ukrainian people that intelligence services had received information about Russia planning a “scenario of a terrorist attack” on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which was seized during last year’s full-scale invasion. The plant, the largest in Europe, has all its reactors shut down; however, the United Nations’ atomic energy agency warned about the “extremely fragile” safety and security situation there. Water levels in the channel used to cool the reactors have decreased due to the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, and tensions have risen around the plant amid reports of Ukraine’s counter-offensive. The Kremlin swiftly dismissed President Zelensky’s comments as “another lie.”

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