List of All Articles with Tag 'world'

German tourists have vandalised a 460-year-old landmark with football-related graffiti, police in Italy have said. The Vasari Corridorio in Florence, Italy, had “DKS 1860”, a reference to Munich FC, spray painted on seven of its archways. The tourists, aged 20 and 21, are alleged to have defaced the corridor while staying in an Airbnb with nine others, according to Carabinieri military police. It comes after dozens of Italian landmarks have been vandalised this year, with one man claiming he wasn’t aware of the “antiquity” of Rome’s Colosseum after he was filmed scratching his and his girlfriend’s name into it. The suspects were caught after police raided the Airbnb and found two cans of spray paint and paint-stained clothing in the property. In a statement, the Florentine Carabinieri told CNN: “The Carabinieri of the Operations Unit of the Florence and of the Uffizi Carabinieri Station, analyzing video surveillance footage, managed to identify two individuals who, at 5.20 this morning, damaged the very important artistic site.” Italy’s Culture Ministry said the vandalism would require 10,000 euros worth (£8,570) of repairs, with work to be carried out under the watch of 24-hour armed guards. In June a man was caught by a fuming sightseer engraving “Ivan + Hayley 23” into the 2,000-year-old Colosseum in Rome. Read More Tourists branded ‘imbeciles’ for destroying €200,000 Italian statue Tourist filmed climbing into Rome’s Trevi Fountain to fill her water bottle Tourist who carved name into Rome’s Colosseum claims he didn’t know how old it was

The suspected gunman in Wednesday night’s shooting at a biker’s bar in California has been identified as retired police officer John Snowling. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Snowling, a former officer from the City of Ventura, died during a confrontation with law enforcement. Undersheriff Jeff Hallock said he couldn’t confirm whether Snowling was killed by deputies but said it was “safe to assume” so, local news station KTLA reports. The violence broke out around 7pm at the Cook’s Corner bar. Four people, including the suspected gunman and his wife, were killed. Six others were wounded. This is a developing story ... check again for updates.

Elon Musk’s rebranded social media platform X took two days to suspend the account of a gunman identified by authorities as Laura Carleton’s killer. Travis Ikeguchi, 27, posted hate-filled screeds about the LGBTQ+ community and threatened law enforcement officers on the platform formerly known as Twitter. On 18 August, Ikeguchi fatally shot Carleton, 66, after yelling homophobic slurs about a Pride flag hanging outside her Mag.Pi fashion store in Glen Cedar, California. He was identified as the killer by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office on 21 August, when a spokesperson said a review of his social media accounts on X and Gab showed extremist anti-LGBTQ+ views and intense hatred for law enforcement. Ikeguchi had pinned an image of a burning Pride flag to the top of his X account. After numerous users reported him for violating the platform’s safety standards, X finally suspended his account on Wednesday (23 August). CNN reported that the account was suspended 30 minutes after it contacted the platform seeking comment. After Mr Musk purchased the platform last year, he fired roughly 80 per cent of its employees including most of its content moderators and compliance team. Under previous management, accounts associated with violent incidents were typically suspended straight away. On X, Ikeguchi posted anti-semitic statements, followed and boosted rightwing personalities Jordan Peterson and Matt Walsh, and expressed support for anti-vaxx presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr X did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Independent. Carleton, a fierce LGBTQ+ ally and mother of nine, had faced repeated threats for displaying a Pride flag from her clothing store, family say. The Lauri Carleton Memorial Fund has been set up to support community projects she was involved in in the Lake Arrowhead area. Read More Laura Carleton memorial fund set up to keep LGBTQ+ ally’s ‘spirit alive’ Laura Carleton’s murder over Pride flag captured on store surveillance camera Laura Carleton’s killer was the son of a decorated police officer

At least four people have been killed and others are being treated for gunshot wounds after a mass shooting at a popular bikers’ bar in California’s Orange County. The Orange County sheriff said those killed included the suspected gunman, with local TV station KCAL News reporting that the incident began with a domestic dispute between the gunman and his wife. Local media reports described the shooter as a retired law enforcement officer. California governor Gavin Newsom was monitoring the shooting “and coordinating with local officials as more details become available,” his office tweeted. Cook’s Corner is a popular, longtime watering hole for the biker community in Southern California. Many motorcycle riders and enthusiasts gather there on weeknights and during the weekend for live music, open-mic nights or just a cold beer after a long ride. Hours before the shooting, customers were stopping by for an afternoon drink and meal. Rows of motorcycles and bikes framed the gravel entrance as plaques described the storied history of the bar built in 1884.

As Russia remains silent following the reported death of Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Independent readers will have the chance to ask questions on what we know so far, what this means for the Wagner group and the war with Ukraine more generally during an ‘Ask Me Anything’ on Thursday 24 August. Tim White, who tweets under the handle @TWMCLtd, is a documentary maker specialising in Ukraine and eastern Europe and will be on hand to answer any questions you may have in the aftermath of this breaking story. To take part in the AMA, post your questions in the comments below. There are many unknowns following Prigozhin’s death. However, we do know the Wagner chief is reported to be among 10 people killed in a plane crash, with footage showing the flaming wreckage after a private jet came down near Moscow on Wednesday evening. The plane carrying three pilots and seven passengers was travelling from Moscow to St Petersburg, according to officials cited by Russia’s state news agency Tass. Prigozhin was on the passenger list for the plane, Russia’s civil aviation authority said. Prigozhin’s fate has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership in late June. Russian president Vladimir Putin addressed a meeting of the BRIC countries on Thursday morning but neither he nor any other Kremlin officials have commented publicly on the plane crash. Tim said readers might have questions including: “Is there any possibility that Prigozhin (and his sidekick Utkin) are still alive? Some hardline Russians are trying to blame Ukraine - is this at all possible? Is it risky for Putin if he has killed Prigozhin? Could Wagner, other regular army members and even the public rise up against the Kremlin? Can Wagner survive? What about the contracts in Africa?” To take part in the ‘Ask Me Anything’, post your questions in the comments below. On Thursday July 24, Tim will join the conversation between 5pm and 6pm to answer as many questions as he can. Register to submit your question in the comments box under this article. If you’re not already a member, click “sign up” in the comments section to leave your question. Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

A former MI6 spy chief has said “all indications” suggest Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was “taken out” by Vladimir Putin, two months after staging a mutiny that dented the Russian president’s authority. Russia's civil aviation agency said that Mr Prigozhin, leader of the private mercenary group, and six top lieutenants were among 10 killed when a jet crashed soon after taking off from Moscow on Wednesday. Mr Prigozhin’s supporters claimed on pro-Wagner messaging channels that the plane was deliberately downed. Numerous opponents and critics of Mr Putin have been killed or gravely sickened in apparent assassination attempts. The Wagner group chief had mounted a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership in June and marched on Moscow with his mercenary fighters, with Mr Putin denouncing the rebellion as “treason” and vowing to punish those behind it. Sir John Sawers, head of the MI6 between 2009 and 2014, said on Thursday that all signs suggest the Russian president had “taken him out”, making it clear to Russians he was not going to “brook any challenge”. Former intelligence officer Christopher Steele also claimed it was an “inside job” and suggested a bomb inside a “wine crate” could have caused the explosion. Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Sir John said: “All the indications point to the fact Putin has taken him out. He has reasserted his control. “He’s making clear to everyone inside and outside of Russia that he’s not going to brook any challenge. If there’s a slim chance that he’s not dead and he wasn’t on that plane, he will be soon.” The plane carrying three pilots and seven passengers was travelling from Moscow to St Petersburg, according to officials cited by Russia’s state news agency Tass. Footage shows the flaming wreckage after a private jet came down. Sir John explained the MI6 “wouldn’t have any extra information’ on Prigozhin’s death yet, but said it was likely there would have been “some device” on board that took the jet down. He said: “If there had been some air defence missile that took him out then there would be traces of that which would be detectable through satellite means. But I would have thought there would have been some device on board that brought the plane down suddenly and killed all those on board. “Of course, those on board were not only Prigozhin but those around him like his military commander Dmitry Utkin, some other long-standing aides, so it’s a way of taking out the entire Wagner leadership all in one go.” Meanwhile, Mr Steele, who was with the Secret Intelligence Service and ran the MI6 Russia desk, claimed a bomb inside a “wine crate” could have caused the explosion. He added that the crash looked like part of a “pattern of state-backed activity” by FSB or GRU forces. He told Sky News: “I think it is unlikely that Wagner commanders were actually behind this ultimately. I would suspect very much that it was an FSB or GRU operation. “Certainly it’s an inside job, the suggestion is that it’s a bomb in a wine crate. That’s a kind of ironic end for Putin’s former caterer.” He added: “[The crash] followed the day after General (Sergei) Surovikin, who you will remember was the commander first of all in Syria and later in Ukraine, was sacked from his job which was to be in charge of the security over the Russian homeland. “He was seen as somebody that was one of the generals who was supporting Prigozhin and was an ally of his. For him to have been removed a day before does rather suggest a pattern of state-backed activity here.” So far, the Kremlin has not commented on the crash. Mr Putin did not mention the incident during a speech in Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Kursk during the Second World War. Read More Ukraine war - live: Wagner chief Prigozhin and co-founder ‘killed’ in Russia plane crash as Putin at concert Minister warns against jumping to conclusions over Wagner chief’s reported death Plane crash believed to have killed Russian mercenary chief seen as Kremlin's revenge The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

Major wildfires burning for days in northeastern Greece and on the fringes of the country's capital have incinerated more tracts of forest and forced additional evacuations Thursday as firefighters struggled against strong winds and arid conditions to bring the multiple fronts under control. The wildfires have left 20 people dead over the last week. Eighteen of those, including two boys aged between 10 and 15, are believed to be migrants who crossed the nearby border with Turkey. Their bodies were found by firefighters near a shack in a burnt forest area in northeastern Greece. Sixty firefighters have been injured battling the flames, fire department spokesman Ioannis Artopios said Thursday. Elsewhere in Europe, fires on Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, northwestern Turkey near the border with Greece, Portugal and Italy were being brought under control, officials said. In Greece, dozens of firefighting aircraft, including from other European countries, assisted hundreds crews on the ground trying to beat back multiple fires raging across the country. On Wednesday alone, firefighters battled 99 separate blazes across the country, authorities said. In Greece’s northeast, a major fire in the Alexandroupolis area that forced numerous evacuations, including of the city’s general hospital, was burning for a sixth day with few signs of abating. According to the European Union’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service, the Alexandroupolis fire had scorched more than 723 square kilometers (280 square miles) by Wednesday, making it one of the largest on European soil in several years. Copernicus is the EU space program’s Earth observation component and uses satellite imagery to provide mapping data. On the outskirts of Athens, a major fire that destroyed homes in the foothills of Mount Parnitha on Wednesday was racing across the mountain’s forested slopes and threatened the heart of a national park that's one of the last wooded areas near the Greek capital. Evacuation orders were issued for several outlying suburbs overnight into Thursday, while other neighborhoods were put on standby for possible evacuation. With firefighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece has asked other European countries for assistance. Germany, Sweden, Croatia and Cyprus have sent aircraft, while dozens of Romanian, French, Czech, Bulgarian and Albanian firefighters have been helping on the ground. Artopios, the Greek fire department spokesman, said 260 firefighters, including more than a dozen from France, were battling the Parnitha fire supported by a multinational force of 10 planes and 11 helicopters. Bulgarian, Albanian, Romanian and Czech firefighters with vehicles were helping in the Alexandroupolis fire. With their hot, dry summers, southern European countries are particularly prone to wildfires. European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017. Gale-force winds combined with hot, dry weather to whip up the flames over the past week in Greece, making the blazes exceptionally difficult to bring under control. Weather conditions this summer have been “the worst since meteorological data have been gathered and the fire risk map has been issued in the country,” Greece’s Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said Wednesday. Extensive parts of the country have been placed at Level 5 - the highest for fire risk - seven times this year. Kikilias said that was double the number of 2021, four times that of 2019 and seven times more than in 2012. In Spain’s Tenerife, a fire that has scorched 150 square kilometers (58 square miles) was being brought under control by Wednesday night. “It’s a very tough battle that the firefighting teams are winning,” Canary regional government counselor Manuel Miranda said Wednesday evening. In Turkey, firefighters in the northwestern Canakkale province on Thursday brought a wildfire under control less than 48 hours after it erupted amid high temperatures and strong winds, Turkish Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said. Yumakli said the fire, which had forced the evacuation of 11 villages, had affected 40 square kilometers (15 square miles) including 14 square kilometers (5.4 square miles) of agricultural land. A firefighting volunteer who was injured and six other people who suffered from smoke inhalation were being kept under observation in hospitals, Yumakli said. “We are extremely happy that there was no loss of life,” Yamukli said. “However, we are heartbroken for other creatures of the ecosystem that were affected.” Shipping traffic through the Dardanelles Strait, a major maritime thoroughfare linking the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara, was being partially restored to one lane only, after being completely suspended as fire-dousing aircraft use the waterway to pick up water. Yumakli said another fire in central Turkey has also been brought under control and there were no other active wildfires in the country on Thursday. Two large fires in Portugal and a smaller one in Italy were brought under control by Thursday, those countries' authorities said, but temperatures - and the risk of new fires - remained high. ____ Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal and Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide From Europe to Canada to Hawaii, photos capture destructive power of wildfires Tropical storm hits Caribbean, wildfires rage in Greece. What to know about extreme weather now ‘Frustrated’ British Museum boss says dealer did not mention more missing items

Flight data shows the path taken by the plane reported to have been carrying Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin before it crashed, killing all those on board. Russia’s civil aviation authority said that Mr Prigozhin, who led a failed coup against the Kremlin two months ago, was one of 10 people on board when the aircraft came down near the village of Kuzhenkino, northwest of the capital, Moscow on Wednesday. Flight data shows the plane was first tracked northwest of Moscow at an altitude of 12,275ft. It continued travelling northwest and was last tracked northwest of the Tver region at 28,000. The plane, an Embraer Legacy 600, registration number 02795, then crashed some time later near the village of Kuzhenkino, northwest of Moscow, during a flight from the capital to St Petersburg. There was no official comment from the Kremlin or the Russian defence ministry on the fate of Mr Prigozhin, a self-declared enemy of the army’s leadership over what he argued was its incompetent prosecution of Russia’s war in Ukraine. A Telegram channel linked to Wagner, Grey Zone, pronounced him dead and hailed him as a hero and a patriot. It said he died at the hands of unidentified people it called "traitors to Russia." Body bags were seen being carried away from the crash site early on Thursday morning and Russian state media said all those onboard had been recovered. Part of the plane’s tail and other fragments lay on the ground near a wooded area where forensic investigators had erected a tent. Mourners left flowers and lit candles near Wagner’s offices in St Petersburg early on Thursday. Amid fevered speculation and an absence of verifiable facts, some of Mr Prigozhin’s supporters pointed the finger of blame at the Russian state, others at Ukraine which was due to mark its Independence Day on Thursday. Whoever or whatever was behind the crash, his death would rid Putin of someone who had mounted the most serious challenge to the Russian leader’s authority since he came to power in 1999. Read More Plane crash believed to have killed Russian mercenary chief seen as Kremlin's revenge What was Vladimir Putin doing as Wagner chief rival ‘killed’ in plane crash? Prigozhin has made plenty of enemies – including Putin. This is the result The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed to have been killed in a plane crash Wednesday two

A mother was killed and her two children critically injured after they were attacked with a hammer in their apartment in New York city. The police responded to a report of an assault in progress around 3pm on Wednesday, where they found the mother and her children in critical condition. The 43-year-old was pronounced dead after being shifted to NYU Langone hospital, said New York city police department chief of patrol John Chell. “The incident I’m about to describe to you is a horrific and senseless act of violence which took the life of a married mother of two,” Mr Chell told reporters. “I think I can speak for all New Yorkers when I say our community, all our prayers are with this family at this time.” “The 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter are fighting for their lives,” he said, without publicly divulging the identity of the people involved in the incident. “On behalf of New York City, everyone here, our hearts go out to this family.” While the suspect, a 47-year-old man, was arrested as he tried to leave the building at 52nd Street near 5th Avenue, it isn’t clear what charges he may face. Describing the accommodation as “tight quarters”, Mr Chell said: “Don’t know what the dispute was about but we’ll figure it out.” The victim along with her two children occupied a room in the three-bedroom apartment that she shared with the suspect and his nine-year-old son. The third room is occupied by a single person, said Mr Chell. Read More Police investigating claim that missing South Carolina woman was last seen with Gilgo Beach murders suspect Betty Tyson dies at 75, spent 25 years in New York prison before murder conviction was overturned Woman, 28, pleads guilty to fatally shoving Broadway singing coach, 87, avoiding long prison stay

Emerging Asia ex-China bonds have beaten their developing-nation peers this quarter, and this outperformance looks set to continue

Watch live footage as Ukraine parades destroyed Russian tanks and other military hardware in Kyiv's main street to mark the country's Independence Day on Thursday 24 August. Residents of Kyiv are expected to flock to see a kilometer-long display of captured Russian hardware on Khreshchatyk Street, the main boulevard that runs through Maidan Square and terminates on the bank of the Dnipro River. While no mass event will take place in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv due to the threat of Russian missile attacks, organisers expect approximately 20,000 people to attend. Ukraine’s parliament declared independence from the Soviet Union on 24 August 1991. The decision was backed by 92 percent of Ukrainian voters in a referendum in December of that year.