World
EU should arm Ukrainian ports to solve food crisis, Lithuania FM says
![EU should arm Ukrainian ports to solve food crisis, Lithuania FM says EU should arm Ukrainian ports to solve food crisis, Lithuania FM says](https://static.euronews.com/articles/stories/06/78/77/80/1000x563_cmsv2_e88c84a2-c0a7-57e9-a132-4fbe9febcc14-6787780.jpg)
The blockade of Ukrainian wheat by Russian forces could possibly be resolved if the European Union sends navy tools to guard the ports, Lithuania steered on Monday forward of a gathering of EU international ministers.
The impression of Russia’s invasion on meals safety is the principle merchandise on the agenda of the assembly held in Luxembourg on Monday as about 20 million tonnes of wheat and different grains stay caught in Ukraine due to the battle.
Previous to the battle, most of Ukraine’s agricultural merchandise had been exported through its port on the Black Sea however this route has been closed attributable to Russian bombings. Ukrainian authorities have in the meantime mined the ocean route resulting in the important thing port metropolis of Odesa to forestall Russian warships from launching an assault.
Efforts to achieve a compromise have been ongoing for weeks however Ukrainian authorities are cautious of Moscow’s pledge to not assault Odesa if the route is demined.
Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s international affairs minister, informed reporters as he arrived on the gathering on Monday that “navy tools is required” to reopen Black Sea ports.
“If we’re critical about serving to to unravel the meals disaster, we have now to be critical about defending and defending the ports. A number of the tools is already being despatched to Ukraine.
“Sadly, there isn’t any different method. There is not any different approach to open up Odesa and different ports within the south of Ukraine. And there are European international locations, European Union international locations who’ve the tools that’s wanted. And if they supply this, I believe that we will remedy the disaster a lot, a lot sooner,” he added.
“Principally, we want a deterrence. We want that deterrence for Russians in order that they’d not assault and use the chance when the ships are leaving the ports,” he argued.
‘Warfare crime’
Ukraine and Russia are collectively generally known as the breadbasket of the world as they’re the most important exporters of wheat and different meals merchandise together with sunflower oil.
Greater than 400 million folks worldwide, notably on the earth’s poorest international locations, depend on grains from Ukraine for his or her meals provide and a number of businesses together with the United Nations’ World Meals Programme have warned that the battle, launched by Russia on 24 February, may push these folks into starvation and create famine in a number of international locations as meals costs proceed to rise as a consequence.
Ukrainian and EU authorities have accused Russia of intentionally focusing on Ukrainian agricultural and storage services to exacerbate the worldwide meals disaster. They’ve additionally accused Moscow of stealing the grain.
Russia, for its half, has blamed Western sanctions for the meals disaster, a story the EU and US have flatly rejected, emphasising that they haven’t imposed restrictive measures on Russian meals merchandise or fertilizer.
The EU’s high diplomat, Josep Borrell, confused on Monday that Russia’s actions are “an actual battle crime”
“One can not think about that hundreds of thousands of tons of wheat stay blocked in Ukraine whereas the remainder of the world individuals are struggling starvation. This can be a actual battle crime. So I can not think about that it will final for much longer. In any other case, it will be actually one thing that Russia can be accountable for. You can’t use the starvation or the folks as a battle,” he informed reporters.
He referred to as on Russia to “de-blockade the ports” and mentioned that the 27-country bloc is “supporting the United Nations efforts to deblock the exports from Ukraine.”
He was joined in his name for an UN-brokered decision by Eire’s Simon Coveney and France’s Catherine Colonna who flagged the important thing position performed by Turkey, which controls entry to the Black Sea.
“This can be a query that have to be settled urgently. There are too many dangers in leaving Ukrainian cereals blocked, it’s harmful not just for the Center East area however for the steadiness of the world generally. As I mentioned, Russia should cease taking part in with world starvation,” Colonna mentioned
The EU has put ahead a number of options to unblock the state of affairs, together with transporting the grain by freight to neighbouring EU international locations together with Bulgaria and Poland from which they could possibly be dispatched however that is slow-going and costlier.
Landsbergis confused that “another route (from Ukrainian ports) will not be virtually ample.”
‘Over-reaction and over-compliance’
Moreover, Borrell informed reporters throughout a press convention after the assembly that he’ll write a letter to African international affairs ministers to clarify the sanctions the EU have imposed towards Russia in an effort to fight Russian propaganda that the worldwide gasoline disaster is being brought on by the measures, break down what they aim and what they’re allowed to do.
Some African nations have complained that sanctions towards Russian banks, particularly their elimination from the SWIFT worldwide system, is stopping them from finishing up commerce with Russia and shopping for meals merchandise.
Borrell mentioned the EU is “listening to the issues of some African leaders concerning the penalties of the sanctions” and that “if there’s a drawback, we’ll remedy it however I’ve to know the issue.”
He flagged that these could also be circumstances of “over-reaction, over-compliance by some financial actors” and mentioned the EU may even ship a letter to banks, insurance coverage corporations, exporters, and different financial gamers to resolve “sensible issues associated to over-compliance” to the sanctions.
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World
Federal investigators start probe of bus crash in Mississippi that killed 7, injured dozens more
BOVINA, Miss. (AP) — Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board on Sunday were at the scene of a bus crash in Mississippi that killed seven people and injured dozens of others.
They plan to look at how well the tires were maintained, NTSB member Todd Inman said at a news conference late Saturday. The NTSB previously said the crash was caused by tire failure.
The 2018 Volvo bus was traveling westbound on Interstate 20 near Bovina in Warren County early Saturday morning when it left the roadway and overturned, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol. No other vehicle was involved.
Six people aboard were pronounced dead at the scene and another died at a hospital, according to a highway patrol news release. Thirty-six people were taken by ambulance to hospitals.
The highway patrol did not immediately have an update on their conditions Sunday.
The dead included a 6-year-old boy and his 16-year-old sister, according to Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey. They were identified by their mother. Authorities were working to identify the other victims, he said.
The bus was traveling from Atlanta to Dallas with 41 passengers and two drivers, the highway patrol said.
Inman said the NTSB will also look at the carrier’s safety record and protections for bus occupants.
The bus was operated by Autobuses Regiomontanos. A woman who answered the phone at its Laredo, Texas, office said it was aware of the crash, but she didn’t answer questions or provide her name.
The transit company says it has 20 years of experience providing cross-border trips between 100 destinations in Mexico and the U.S. Its website promotes “a modern fleet of buses that receive daily maintenance,” and offers “trips with a special price for workers.”
World
American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 5 others 'brutally murdered' by Hamas right before rescue: IDF
![American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 5 others 'brutally murdered' by Hamas right before rescue: IDF American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 5 others 'brutally murdered' by Hamas right before rescue: IDF](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/09/hersh.png)
Hamas terrorists killed six hostages Saturday, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, as Israel Defense Forces closed in for a rescue attempt in the tunnels deep below Gaza’s Rafah.
Goldberg-Polin’s family confirmed his death early Sunday. His body was one of six recovered on Saturday. The IDF revealed that Hamas killed the hostages, who had been held for nearly 11 months, just as they were on the brink of freedom.
“According to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them,” IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement.
Goldberg-Polin, 23, was abducted at a music festival in southern Israel during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack against the Jewish State. He lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the attack. His body was recovered Saturday in the tunnels under Rafah, along with Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sergeant Ori Danino.
DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS ISRAEL MUST ‘WIDEN THE GOALS’ OF WAR TO RETURN RESIDENTS TO THE NORTH
Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin has been confirmed dead. (Israel’s Minister of Defense)
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, “He who murders abductees – does not want a deal. We are in a difficult day. The heart of the entire nation was torn.”
“Along with all the citizens of Israel, I was shocked to the core by the terrible cold-blooded murder of six of our abductees.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he “embrace[s] their families with all my heart, and apologize[s] for failing to bring them home safely.”
A dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, Goldberg-Polin immigrated to Israel with his family in 2008 at the age of seven, according to a statement from his family. He leaves behind his parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, and his two sisters.
Goldberg-Polin’s family and friends traveled the world demanding his release and met with world leaders, including officials in the Biden administration.
President Biden said he is “devastated and outraged” by the news of Goldberg-Polin’s death.
“It is as tragic as it is reprehensible,” he said. “Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.”
Vice President Harris, also the Democratic nominee for president, said her prayers are with Goldberg-Polin’s loved ones as they mourn his loss.
“Hamas is an evil terrorist organization,” Harris said. “With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas’ continued brutality, and so must the entire world. From its massacre of 1,200 people to sexual violence, taking of hostages, and these murders, Hamas’ depravity is evident and horrifying.”
ISRAEL KILLS PALESTINIAN COMMANDER MUHAMMAD JABER ‘ABU SHUJAA’ AS FIGHTING INTENSIFIES: IDF
![Hersh Goldberg-Polin](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/09/1200/675/polin.png?ve=1&tl=1)
Goldberg-Polin, 23, was abducted at a music festival in southern Israel during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. (IDF)
“The threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel — and American citizens in Israel — must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza,” she added. “The Palestinian people too have suffered under Hamas’ rule for nearly two decades.”
“A few hours ago, we informed the families that the bodies of their loved ones had been located by IDF troops in an underground tunnel in Rafah,” IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement. “According to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them.”
Fox News’ Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
World
Photos: Mass polio vaccination drive kicks off in Gaza amid Israeli strikes
![Photos: Mass polio vaccination drive kicks off in Gaza amid Israeli strikes Photos: Mass polio vaccination drive kicks off in Gaza amid Israeli strikes](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/AFP__20240901__36F32UL__v1__Preview__PalestinianIsraelConflictHealth-1725178114.jpg?resize=1200%2C630)
Palestinian health authorities and United Nations agencies on Sunday began a vaccination drive against polio in the Gaza Strip, hoping to prevent an outbreak in the territory ravaged by nearly 11 months of Israeli bombardment.
Authorities plan to vaccinate children in central Gaza until Wednesday before moving to the more devastated northern and southern parts of the Strip, aiming to inoculate about 640,000 children. On Saturday, a few children were vaccinated before the formal start of the campaign.
“This is the first few hours of the first phase of a massive campaign, one of the most complex in the world,” said Juliette Touma, communications director of UNRWA, the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency.
“Today is test time for parties to the conflict to respect these area pauses to allow the UNRWA teams and other medical workers to reach children with these very precious two drops. It’s a race against time,” Touma told the Reuters news agency.
Israel and Hamas, which have so far failed to conclude a deal to end the war, said they would cooperate to allow the campaign to succeed.
The World Health Organization said on Thursday that Israel has agreed to limited pauses in its military operations to facilitate the campaign. There were initial reports of Israeli strikes in central Gaza early on Sunday, but it was not immediately known if anyone was killed or wounded.
Hospitals in Deir el-Balah and Nuseirat confirmed that the campaign had begun on Sunday. Israel said on Saturday that the vaccination programme would continue through September 9 and last eight hours a day.
The vaccinations will be held at some 160 sites across the territory, including medical centres and schools. Children below 10 years of age will receive two drops of oral polio vaccine in two rounds, the second to be administered four weeks after the first.
Gaza recently reported its first polio case in 25 years – a 10-month-old boy, now paralysed in the leg. The WHO says the presence of a paralysis case indicates there could be hundreds more who have been infected but are not showing symptoms.
Most affected children do not experience symptoms and those who do usually recover in a week or so, the UN health agency said. There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented. When polio causes paralysis, it is usually permanent. The disease can be fatal if the paralysis affects breathing muscles.
The vaccination campaign faces a host of challenges, from ongoing war to devastated roads and hospitals shut down by the war. About 90 percent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people have been displaced within the besieged territory, with hundreds of thousands crammed into squalid tent camps.
Health officials have expressed alarm about disease outbreaks as rubbish piles up and the bombing of critical infrastructure has sent putrid water flowing through the streets. Widespread hunger has left people even more vulnerable to illness.
“We escaped death with our children and fled from place to place for the sake of our children, and now we have these diseases,” said Wafaa Obaid, who brought her three children to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah for vaccination.
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