The US military aircraft is set to deliver 200 tons of aid to Venezuela border in Colombia as it increases pressure on embattled President Nicolas Maduro to give up power, according to a State Department email sent to Congress.
The aid will be delivered to Cucuta, Colombia, where other food and medical supplies are being held. The aid comes with the request of Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition leader, to solve the shortage of food and other essentials in economically troubled Venezuela.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said the aid is part of Washington’s political maneuvering to get him out of office, and he has blocked off a bridge needed to bring the supplies into Venezuela.
Lester Toledo, coordinator for international help for Venezuela said, “We came to ask for the solidarity of the governments of the world. We appreciate the diplomatic gestures. We appreciate the letters and the recognition of President Guaidó. But we ask for help, to make the humanitarian aid a reality. That all donations can let us purchase medical supplies that we really need.”
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The Bank of Valletta (Malta) has suspended all of its services in light of a hacking attempt. The bank has officially said in a brief statement that all their banking systems including ATM services and online banking had been shut down temporarily, and all BOV (Bank of Valetta) branches had closed early. The bank’s mobile app was back online on Thursday morning.
The bank added that it local and international police are investigating the attempted hack. The bank said that the client’s funds are safe. The fraudulent transactions had been traced and were “being reversed”, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told parliament later on Wednesday. The attack was detected shortly after the start of business on Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told parliament, when it noted reconciliation problems regarding international transfers.
“Bank of Valletta apologises to its clients for any inconvenience caused and will be keeping its customers and the general public informed of developments,” the bank said in a statement reported by the Times of Malta. It added that customers’ funds “are in no way impacted or compromised” by the breach.
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Five people killed and several got injured in the Aurora mass shooting, that happened when a gunman opened fire at an industrial park in Illinois, USA, police say. The authorities confirmed that the shooter, Gary Martin(45), an employee at the company was killed in a shootout with police. Five police officers were shot and wounded. Of the five officers wounded, two were airlifted to nearby trauma centres. Police said that he was reportedly sacked prior to the attack.
Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman said that Martin was acting alone. The incident is said to have taken place at Henry Pratt Company, a firm that makes valves for large water pipes. Ziman said that the first two officers were shot shortly after arriving.
Officers declined to speculate on a motive for the attack, but the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper is reporting that his family say he was made redundant two weeks ago and had been “stressed out”. The names of the people killed has not yet been sent out by the authorities.
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The thin rounded flat ‘Pancakes’ are always a tempting food. Traditional Swedish variations are exotic. Lets look at the Swedish pancake recipe!
Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups whole milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup and fresh fruit, for garnish
Preparation
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet. Combine the flour, milk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla and salt in a blender; process until smooth.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Warm the same skillet over medium heat until a drop of water bounces and sizzles. Add 1 teaspoon butter; turn to coat the pan with the melted butter.
Pour in a scant 1/3 cup batter and quickly swirl the pan to evenly coat the bottom. Cook until the pancake sets, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, carefully lift the pancake by the edges and flip; cook until lightly golden on the other side, 15 to 30 seconds.
Transfer to a plate; keep warm in the oven while making the others. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter to make about 12 pancakes. If the pancakes seem too thick, thin the batter slightly with warm water. Fold or roll and serve with confectioners’ sugar, syrup and fresh fruit.
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No further proceedings take place in case of UK-born kid, Cheryl Grimmer who disappeared in New South Wales nearly 50 years ago. The trial of the man accused of murdering the toddler stopped as the evidence submitted were not accepted as valid by the court.
Cheryl Grimmer disappeared from Fairy Meadow Beach on January 12, 1970 and her body was never recovered. A 65-year-old man was arrested in March 2017 and had been charged with the murder of the toddler. His name was not revealed since he was underage at the time the kid was found missing.
The man accused of the murder (left) at Sydney airport in March
The man pleaded he was innocent and a murder trial was due to commence in the NSW Supreme Court on May 27 this year, but Justice Robert Allan Hulme on Friday ruled that an interview the man made on April 29, 1971 – when he was 17 – could not be used in the trial. “The Crown accepts that its case cannot succeed without [the interview],” said Justice Hulme.
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The British Prime Minister Theresa May has suffered yet another embarrassing defeat after MPs voted down her approach to Brexit talks. On Thursday the MPs voted by 303 to 258 – a majority of 45 – against a motion endorsing the government’s negotiating strategy, the BBC reported. The lawmakers remain resistant to May’s EU divorce plan. The reason for this situation is that Teresa May has lost the support of many of the long standing leave campaigners in her own party.
The defeat has no legal force. Downing Street said that it would not change the PM’s approach to talks with the EU. “On a point of order, tonight’s vote shows there is no majority for the Prime Minister’s cause of action in dealing with Brexit. Yet again her government has been defeated. The government keep on ignoring parliament or plaving on towards the 29th of March without a co-hearing plan.” said Jeremy Corbyn.
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Chicken Divan is a chicken casserole usually served with broccoli, almonds, and Mornay sauce. The dish is now commonly prepared with regular Parmesan cheese and remains one of the most classic American casserole dishes today. Lets see how to prepare this delicious recipe!
Ingredients
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 cups broccoli florets, or to taste
3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and ground black pepper to taste
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Preparation
Place chicken breasts into a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a breast should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove chicken from the water. Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, cover, and steam until tender, 3 to 6 minutes. Chop broccoli.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt butter in a deep saucepan over low heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is clear and tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Add garlic salt, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pulse cauliflower in a blender or food processor until it resembles rice. Add cauliflower and chicken broth to the onion mixture; cook and stir until broth is nicely absorbed, about 10 minutes. Add heavy cream and lemon juice. Let simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until well combined, about 10 minutes. Stir in mayonnaise and remove from heat. Let sauce cool until thickened.
Pull chicken apart with 2 forks into bite-size pieces. Add 1/2 the pulled chicken to the sauce. Line the bottom of a casserole dish with the rest of the pulled chicken. Lay steamed broccoli on top; pour the cauliflower sauce over the broccoli. Top with Cheddar cheese. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese at the edges is slightly browned, about 10 minutes more. Let casserole cool for 5 to 10 minutes; slice into 6 even portions.
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Barcelona is the capital and largest city of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. Barcelona is the sixth most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Madrid, the Ruhr area and Milan.
It is a colourful city with fanciful architecture. Barcelona is one of the world’s leading tourist, economic, trade fair and cultural centres. Lets have a look at some of the tourist spots.
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia is a large unfinished Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. The Basilica of the Sagrada Familia was the inspiration of a bookseller, Josep Maria Bocabella, founder of Asociacion Espiritual de Devotos de San Jose. This giant Basilica that has been under construction since 1882, and it’s not expected to be completed for some time yet.
Park Guell
The Park Guell is a public park in Barcelona, designed by famous architect Antonio Gaudi. The Park Guell was not originally planned to be a park, but was meant for a modern housing estate but was officially opened as a public park in 1926. This park is now composed of gardens and architectonic elements located on Carmel Hill.
Casa Batllo
Casa Batllo is a building in the center of Barcelona. It was designed by Antoni Gaudi, and is considered one of his masterpieces. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a legend of architecture and design. While looking at its design, it seems that the goal of the designer was to avoid straight lines completely. Much of the facade is decorated with a mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles of mostly golden orange and greenish blue colours.
The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (National Art Museum of Catalonia) is situated on Montjuic hill. It has an outstanding collection of romanesque church paintings, and for Catalan art and design from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including modernisme and noucentisme. The major attractions are: Romanesque art, Gothic art collection, Renaissance and Baroque art collection, The Cambo Bequest, Thyssen Bornemisza collection, Modern art collection, The Carmen Thyssen Bornemisza collection and the Cabinet of drawings and prints.
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Airbus of Europe has announced on Thursday that they plan to scrap the production of A380 superjumbo, with the last of the jets to be delivered in 2021. This world’s largest airliner, with two decks of spacious cabins and room for 544 people in standard layout, was designed to challenge Boeing’s legendary 747 but failed to take hold as airlines backed a new generation of smaller, more agile jets.
This giant aircraft, having large factories in Bristol and North Wales, is giving up its dream of dominating the skies with the massive cruiseliner after years of lackluster sales.
In a statement, Airbus said that the last A380 would be delivered in 2021. The high-priced aircraft was struggling to compete with more efficient, smaller models. The European company said it would enter talks with unions in coming weeks over the 3,000-3,500 jobs potentially affected. The airbus plans to produce 17 more of the planes including 14 for Emirates and 3 for Japanese airline ANA.
“As a result of this decision we have no substantial A380 backlog and hence no basis to sustain production, despite all our sales efforts with other airlines in recent years. This leads to the end of A380 deliveries in 2021,” said Airbus chief executive Tom Enders.
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As the government of Spain loses the budget vote, the risk of snap election arises. The parliament rejected the government’s 2019 draft budget, and this brings the country to the snap national election. 191 lawmakers voted against the budget, and 158 votes came in favour.
The socialists hold less than a quarter of the seats in the parliament, and need its support from smaller regional parties including the Catalan parties, to get the budget proposal voted through. But the Catalan parties are unhappy with the government’s refusal to consider or discuss an independence referendum for their north-eastern region. The Catalan secessionists had rejected the national budget.
“We have supported the government of Pedro Sanchez for eight months with nothing in exchange. We gave them all the support in the censure motion in exchange for nothing.” said Joan Tarda, the Pro Catalan independence MP. Spanish prime minister’s office says that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez plans to announce whether he will call early election after his government lost their key budget vote.
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