Edmunds: Who offers hands-free driving systems for 2023?
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2023-05-24 18:17
Chris Hemsworth opens up about getting injured while filming 'Extraction 2': 'It's all part of the fun'
Chris Hemsworth said that he had been shaky when director Sam Hargrave first introduced the concepts to him, but later the excitement kicked in
2023-06-14 01:48
Elite army unit storms ship to seize Ireland’s biggest drugs haul
A €157 million (£136 million) haul of cocaine was seized when an elite army unit stormed a cargo ship off the Irish coast. It is the largest drugs capture in Ireland’s history, police said. A total of 2,253 kg of cocaine was found on the Panamanian-registered vessel in a major joint agency operation off the south-east coast of Ireland on Tuesday. Members of the highly trained Army Ranger Wing descended from a helicopter onto the MV Matthew as it tried to sail out of Irish waters and evade capture. The elite unit boarded the ship after the Irish Naval Service’s patrol vessel, the LE William Butler Yeats, fired warning shots in its direction after it failed to obey orders. The vessel had been under surveillance since Friday when a multi-agency operation responded to intelligence of a major international drug smuggling operation. Speaking at a media briefing in Dublin on Wednesday, a senior member of the Irish police described the operation as “hugely significant”. Justin Kelly, Assistant Commissioner with An Garda Siochana, said: “I think it’s really important to note this is the largest drug seizure in the history of the state. “This is a hugely significant operation and it shows our unrelenting determination to disrupt and dismantle networks which are determined to bring drugs into our country. “These groups are transnational groups. They are working all across the world and, because of that, we need to work with our international partners.” He added: “This is a huge hit for the people involved in this.” ‘Murderous cartels’ Given the scale of the haul, Irish authorities do not believe the cocaine was solely destined for Ireland. They suspect the drugs were being transported from South America for distribution across Europe. The MV Matthew was escorted to Cork harbour on Tuesday. A fishing trawler that grounded off the coast of County Wicklow late on Sunday was also being monitored as part of the operation, amid suspicions it was en route to rendezvous with the cargo ship. The vessel remains stuck on a sandbank out at sea with poor conditions preventing the authorities from boarding and searching it. It will be treated as a crime scene when it is accessed, police said. Three people, aged 60, 50 and 31, arrested during the course of the operation, remained in custody in police stations in County Wexford on Wednesday. It has emerged that one of those arrested was medically evacuated off the MV Matthew before the military operation to seize it. About 25 remaining crew will be interviewed in Cork and police have said further arrests may follow. The operation involved the Defence Forces, customs officers and the Irish police’s national drugs and organised crime unit. Mr Kelly said the cocaine on the ship originated in South America. “This product was supplied by a South American cartel, one of the murderous cartels that are behind cocaine shipments into Europe,” he said. “A shipment like this into Europe is partly destined for the Irish market. “Obviously, with the size and intelligence we have, we know the organised crime group behind this comprises a number of different elements across Europe.” Asked if those on the cargo ship had tried to dispose of the cocaine by burning it or throwing it overboard, Mr Kelly said more information on this would be provided in the coming days. He said such a large shipment would not have entered the state’s waters without the involvement of an Irish gang. He said there are a number of gangs in Ireland with “direct links to South America”. “There is no large ship like this coming into our waters or our ports or transiting across our country, without an Irish organised criminal group involved in it. “There is an increase in the amount of cocaine available for a number of geopolitical reasons in South America. There is basically a glut of cocaine on the market,” he said. “And when you combine that with the increased consumption across Europe, Europe is now the biggest market for cocaine in the world. “So when you combine those two things together, absolutely, it’s inevitable that we’re going to see organised criminal groups trying to leverage on that, make more money from it, as they always do in situations like this. “It’s inevitable that we’ll see more large shipments.” He said increased large shipments had also been seen in Antwerp and Rotterdam. ‘Great deal of skill’ Commander Tony Geraghty, fleet operations officer of the Irish Naval Service, explained why warning shots were fired at the cargo vessel before the boarding operation. “The merchant ship refused to follow the instructions of our own ship,” he said. “So this was prior to the insertion of the Army Ranger Wing. “There was an escalated use of force used to compel the vessel to follow the instructions of the ship’s captain.” Cdr Geraghty said it had been an extremely complex joint operation involving the Naval Service, the Air Corps, the Army Ranger Wing and Defence Forces headquarters. He said the poor weather made the fast rope aerial boarding more complex. He said there was no evidence of the crew being armed when the Army Rangers boarded and took control of the vessel. “This ship is very large, she’s 190 metres long, with an exceptionally high freeboard. So very difficult to get on,” he added. He said a “great deal of skill” was demonstrated by the Army Ranger Wing and helicopter pilot during high winds. Read More British Airways pilot sacked and banned from cockpit after cocaine binge before flight UK’s first drug consumption room enabling supervised injection approved Teacher arrested after students find meth stash inside hair scrunchie during ‘family fun night’ Cocaine haul worth 157 million euro is biggest drug seizure in Ireland’s history Suspected cocaine worth 157 million euro found in Ireland’s biggest drug seizure ‘Danger to life’ warning activated in Britain - live
2023-09-27 22:27
Football transfer rumours: Man Utd scrap January plans; Liverpool consider Phillips
Tuesday's roundup of transfer rumours includes Man Utd's January plans, Liverpool eyeing Kalvin Phillips, Jadon Sancho's next club, Jamal Musiala's preferred destination and more.
2023-10-24 16:26
Lawrence Shankland earns Scotland call ahead of June double-header
Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland and his Hibernian counterpart Kevin Nisbet have both been included in the Scotland squad for the next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Georgia. The Edinburgh-based pair take the places of Stoke’s Jacob Brown, who missed the end of the Championship season with a hamstring issue, and Southampton forward Che Adams, who recently suffered a recurrence of the ankle injury he sustained in Scotland’s win over Cyprus. Shankland, who previously made four appearances in 2019 and 2020, was called back into the fold for the Spain game in March and he has kept his place at the end of a season in which he has scored 28 goals for Hearts. Nisbet, who won all of his 10 caps in 2021, is recalled for the first time since damaging his anterior cruciate ligament in February 2022. The 26-year-old has scored 12 goals for Hibs since returning to action in December. Rangers defender John Souttar is recalled after missing much of the season through injury. The 26-year-old, who has not played for the national team since last summer’s Nations League defeat in Ireland, takes the place of Norwich City centre-back Grant Hanley, who has been sidelined with an Achilles problem since early April. Blackburn centre-back Dom Hyam has retained his place after earning a late call-up for the last camp in March, while Steve Clarke has opted for consistency in the goalkeeping department with Angus Gunn, Zander Clark and Liam Kelly again called up in the absence of Craig Gordon, who remains sidelined as he tries to fight back from a double leg-break sustained on Christmas Eve. Scotland, who are top of Group A with two wins from their two games so far, face Norway in Oslo on Saturday, June 17 before welcoming Georgia to Hampden three days later. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-05-29 19:51
Does Mary Lou Retton have insurance? Former Olympic gymnast's Colonial Penn commercial resurfaces as she 'fights for life' in hospital
Former gymnast Mary Lou Retton is currently battling a rare form of pneumonia in the ICU
2023-10-11 18:24
Kenya plans 40% police pay rise over three years
The salary boost is designed to increase morale as well as tackle corruption and improve security.
2023-11-17 20:29
DeSantis kicks off presidential campaign in Iowa, calling for 'revival of American greatness'
Florida Gov_ Ron DeSantis has kicked off his presidential campaign in Iowa with a call for “a revival of American greatness.”
2023-05-31 08:49
Mega Millions jackpot soars to potential record after no winner Friday, lottery says
A record Mega Millions jackpot may be in play after no ticket matched all winning numbers in Friday night's drawing, the lottery said.
2023-08-05 14:23
Nevada GOP Senate candidate raised money to help other candidates -- the funds mostly paid down his old campaign's debt instead
Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown created a political action committee to "help elect Republicans" but most of its funds were spent paying down debt from his failed previous campaign. The group donated less than 7% of its funds to the candidates it was set up to support, according to campaign finance records -- a move one campaign finance expert likened to using the PAC as a "slush fund."
2023-08-12 22:27
iShowSpeed provides health update after being hospitalised with cluster headache
YouTuber iShowSpeed has provided an update on his health after being hospitalised with a cluster headache. The internet personality shared on Sunday (30 July) that he was in an ambulance on his way to hospital. In a video, he told fans that he was unable to open his eyes and was experiencing a “deadly” headache. In the early hours of Monday, the 18-year-old, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., posted an update on his health and asked his fans to pray for him. Speed tweeted a picture of himself in which he appeared to be laying in a hospital bed with monitors attached to his chest. His left eye looked swollen shut and he had what appeared to be a cooling pad across his forehead. Alongside the image, he wrote: “Please pray for me I beg of y’all I need it.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter In the comments, many fans posted their well-wishes and told Speed to get well soon. Others were also shocked by how rapidly his health had deteriorated due to the cluster headache after the influencer had posted pictures of himself with footballer Neymar Jr. just days prior. What is a cluster headache? According to the NHS, cluster headaches are “excruciating attacks of pain in one side of the head, often felt around the eye”. They can come on quickly with no warning and cause severe pain that can feel like a sharp burning or piercing sensation on one side. Anyone can get them, though they are typically more common in men in their 30s and 40s. Symptoms can include severe pain around the eye, swelling of the eye/eyelid, watery eye, and a smaller pupil on the affected side. How are they treated? The NHS states that cluster headaches are not life-threatening but can cause severe pain that can affect a person’s life quality. Treatments for cluster headaches include using Sumatriptan – a medicine to treat migraines. This can be administered in a nasal spray or injections. In addition, oxygen treatment (breathing in 100 per cent oxygen through a mask) can also help. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-31 15:23
Trial begins for Canada 'Freedom Convoy' organisers
Tamara Lich and Chris Barber face mischief charges related to the 2022 truck protests in Ottawa.
2023-09-05 20:17
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