Towns in mourning while digging out from deadly US tornadoes

Family members search for jewelry tossed from a nearby home during Friday's tornado on December 15, 2021 in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. (AFP)
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Updated 16 December 2021
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Towns in mourning while digging out from deadly US tornadoes

  • The storms that began Friday night destroyed lives and property from Arkansas to Illinois and in parts of neighboring states
  • In the western Kentucky town of Madisonville, family and friends mourned a couple killed when the twister ripped through nearby Dawson Springs

DAWSON SPRINGS, Kentucky: Tight-knit communities still digging out from the deadly tornadoes that killed dozens of people across eight states in the South and Midwest are turning to another heavy-hearted task: honoring and burying their dead.
The storms that began Friday night destroyed lives and property from Arkansas to Illinois and in parts of neighboring states, carving a more than 200-mile (320-kilometer) path through Kentucky alone. The National Weather Service recorded at least 41 tornadoes, including 16 in Tennessee and eight in Kentucky.
Along the violent storm path, a funeral home in western Kentucky prepared to welcome the families of those who lost loved ones while grieving losses of its own.
Beshear Funeral Home in Dawson Springs was preparing for at least four services in coming days for storm victims and has to catch up on funerals delayed by the massive storm, said funeral home owner Jenny Beshear Sewell, a cousin of Kentucky’s governor.
The storm-related deaths include those of two sisters who had worked at the funeral home, the only one in the small western Kentucky town.
Eighty-year-old Carole Grisham and 72-year-old Marsha Hall decided to “ride it out” in their home as the tornado barreled down in the dark of night, Sewell said by phone Wednesday. The home, which lacked a basement, was demolished.
Hall, a fixture at the funeral home, had a hard day’s work Friday, hours before she died in the storm, Sewell said. As she left work, Hall’s parting words were: “‘Well, I’ll see you.”
As the tornado approached, Sewell texted Hall with an update on the storm’s path and urged the sisters to shelter in the funeral home’s basement or a church basement. Hall replied “OK” to a text — the last she heard from the longtime employee she considered a member of the family.
But the business of laying the dead to rest won’t wait. A service at the funeral home was being planned for Friday for a woman whose funeral was delayed since last Saturday, the day after the storm hit. If the building’s natural gas hasn’t been restored once services resume, “everybody will just need to bundle up. But that’s the best we can do,” Sewell said.
Arrangements were still pending for Grisham and Hall, but a double funeral is expected, Sewell said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has pledged $5,000 payments to each of the victims’ families to help with burial expenses. The state was the hardest hit with 74 deaths reported so far.
In the western Kentucky town of Madisonville, family and friends on Wednesday mourned a couple killed when the twister ripped through nearby Dawson Springs.
Jeffrey Eckert, 70, was remembered as “mysterious and cool” by his nephew, Mike Eckert, who recalled his uncle playing in various bands, always owning a boat and buzzing his home after he’d earned his pilot’s license to let the family know it was time to meet him at the airport.
Many of the mourners wore animal prints in honor of Jeffrey Eckert’s wife, Jennifer Eckert, 69, who loved to wear them and was remembered by her niece, Kathy Moore, for her chocolate merengue pies and the love of her grandchildren.
Moore said her grief was tempered by the memories and the relationships Jennifer Eckert left behind.
“When it’s all said and done, relationships are all that matters,” Moore said. “Life has to end. Love does not.”
The grieving, meanwhile, has extended beyond the states hardest hit and into Florida, the home of a father and son killed while staying at a west Tennessee resort.
Steve Gunn and his 12-year-old son Grayson were staying at the Cypress Point Resort, a popular destination for hunters and anglers. They will be buried in Florida this weekend.
“You couldn’t go to Walmart with him without a hundred people stopping him,” said his sister, Sandy Gunn. “His son was the kid you grew up dreaming to have.”
Her brother-in-law, Jamie Hall, also was part of the hunting group and remains missing.
“Our world has been shattered,” she said. “I’m terrified each time I hear the phone ring. My brother in law was the kindest and most gentle man you would have ever known.”
In Mayfield, a vigil was held earlier this week for the victims of a Kentucky candle factory flattened by a tornado. A deputy jailer, Robert Daniel, who was escorting a group of inmates working at the factory, was one of the eight victims. He will be buried Saturday.
Across town at the heavily damaged courthouse in downtown Mayfield, Makayla Wadkins, 24, helped set up a makeshift memorial. Flyers with color photographs and the names of victims were taped to the fence surrounding the building.
“We’re just going to allow the families to have a place to come where they can grieve and see their loved ones surrounded with flowers and beauty,” said Wadkins, from neighboring Kirksey.


Philippines invites Saudi partnerships in halal industry, renewables

Updated 12 sec ago
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Philippines invites Saudi partnerships in halal industry, renewables

  • Govt wants renewables to contribute 35% to energy mix by 2030
  • It launched strategic plan to develop domestic halal industry in January

MANILA: The Philippines says it is open to expanding partnerships with Saudi Arabia in its top priority sectors, including renewable energy and the halal industry.

The use of renewable energy was announced as the main issue in the country’s climate agenda during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first state of the nation address in 2022.

Renewable energy contributes about 30 percent to the Philippines’ energy mix, which is dominated by coal and oil. The government seeks to increase it to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040, and make renewables more accessible to the public.

“Given the Kingdom’s role in the supply of conventional and renewable energy, the Philippines is open to possible partnerships in the field of renewables,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo told Arab News this week.

An agreement to enhance cooperation in the field was reached in October, during President Ferdinand Marcos’ visit to the Kingdom at the invitation of Saudi Crown Mohammed bin Salman.

A business delegation accompanying the president signed investment agreements collectively worth more than $4.26 billion with Saudi business leaders.

“With Saudi Arabia’s role as a regional business and political hub, we wish to increase investments,” Manalo said.

“Further, amidst the region’s changing landscape and economic diversification initiatives, we aspire to expand our partnership in the fields of agriculture, tourism and the halal industry.”

In January, the predominantly Catholic Philippines — where Muslims constitute about 10 percent of the almost 120 million population — launched its Halal Industry Development Strategic Plan to tap into the global halal market, which is estimated to be worth more than $7 trillion.

The plan aims to double the industry’s output in the next four years, create 120,000 new jobs and attract $4 billion in investments by 2028.


Greece to bring in Egyptian farm workers amid labor shortage

Updated 5 min 7 sec ago
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Greece to bring in Egyptian farm workers amid labor shortage

  • Greece will take in around 5,000 seasonal farm workers under the 2022 deal signed with Egypt

ATHENS: Greece will start bringing in workers from Egypt this summer to take on temporary farming jobs under a deal between the countries to tackle a labor shortage, the migration ministry said on Friday.
After a decade of pain, the Greek economy is forecast to grow nearly 3 percent this year, far outpacing the euro zone average of 0.8 percent.
But an exodus of workers during Greece’s economic crisis, a shrinking population and strict migration rules have left the country struggling to find tens of thousands of workers to fill vacancies in farming, tourism, construction and other sectors.
Greece will take in around 5,000 seasonal farm workers under the 2022 deal signed with Egypt.
The countries have discussed expanding the “mutually beneficial” scheme to the Greek construction and tourism sectors, the Greek Migration Ministry said in a statement.
Migration has long been a divisive issue in Europe, but the plan had won broad support from employers groups keen to find workers.
Greek Migration Minister Dimitris Kairidis met Egyptian Labour Minister Hassan Shehata in Cairo this week and said the countries should also step up cooperation to fend off illegal migration flows in the region.
Egyptian officials have said their country deserves recognition for largely stopping migrants setting off from its northern coast across the Mediterranean to Europe since 2016.
The European Union this year announced a multi-billion euro funding package and an upgraded relationship with Egypt, part of a push to cut down on the number of migrants crossing over from North Africa.
Rights groups have criticized Western support for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who came to power a decade ago after leading the overthrow of Egypt’s first democratically elected leader.


India says Canada has shared no evidence of its involvement in killing of Sikh separatist leader

Updated 28 min 16 sec ago
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India says Canada has shared no evidence of its involvement in killing of Sikh separatist leader

  • Three Indian nationals who had been temporarily living in Canada were arrested on Tuesday in the June slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
  • PM Trudeau set off a diplomatic spat with India in Sept. when he cited ‘credible allegations’ of India’s involvement in the Sikh’s murder

NEW DELHI: India said Thursday that Canada has shared no evidence to back its allegation that the Indian government was involved in the slaying of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada last year, despite the recent arrests of three Indian men in the crime.
India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal also reiterated India’s longstanding allegation that Canada harbors Indian extremists.
Three Indian nationals who had been living in Canada temporarily were arrested on Tuesday in the slaying last June of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had set off a diplomatic spat with India last September when he cited “credible allegations” of India’s involvement in the slaying of the Sikh separatist. India rejected the accusations.
Canadian Mounted Police Superintendent Mandeep Mooker said after the men’s arrests that the investigation into whether they had ties to India’s government was ongoing.
Jaiswal said the two governments are discussing the case but that Canada has forwarded no specific evidence of the Indian government’s involvement.
Meanwhile, Jaiswal said New Delhi has complained to Canadian authorities that separatists, extremists and those advocating violence against India have been allowed entry and residency in Canada. “Many of our extradition requests are pending,” he said.
“Our diplomats have been threatened with impunity and obstructed in their performance of duties,” Jaiswal added. “We are having discussions at the diplomatic level on all these matters,” he said.
The three Indian men arrested in Canada haven’t yet sought any access to the Indian diplomats there, Jaiswal said.
The three — Kamalpreet Singh, 22, Karan Brar, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28 — appeared in court Tuesday via a video link and agreed to a trial in English. They were ordered to appear in British Columbia Provincial Court again on May 21.
They were arrested last week in Edmonton, Alberta. They have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.


Spain, Ireland to recognize Palestinian state on May 21 — EU’s Borrell

Updated 31 min 46 sec ago
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Spain, Ireland to recognize Palestinian state on May 21 — EU’s Borrell

  • Calls for end to Palestinian-Israeli conflict have grown along with the death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza
  • Spain, others agreed to recognition of Palestinian state, seeing a two-state solution as essential for peace

MADRID: Spain, Ireland and other European Union member countries plan to recognize a Palestinian state on May 21, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said late on Thursday ahead of an expected UN vote on Friday on a Palestinian bid to become a full member.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in March that Spain and Ireland, along with Slovenia and Malta, had agreed to take the first steps toward recognition of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, seeing a two-state solution as essential for lasting peace.
Asked on local Spanish radio station RNE if May 21 was when Spain, Ireland and other EU countries would recognize a Palestinian state, Borrell said yes, mentioning Slovenia as well.
“This is a symbolic act of a political nature. More than a state, it recognizes the will for that state to exist,” he said, adding that Belgium and other countries would probably follow.
Previously, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares had said the decision on recognition had been made, although he did not give a date.
International calls for a ceasefire and permanent end to Palestinian-Israeli conflict have grown along with the death toll from Israel’s offensive in Gaza to rout out Hamas after the militants’ deadly cross-border attack on Oct. 7.
Israel has said plans for Palestinian recognition constitute a “prize for terrorism” that would reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the Gaza conflict.
On Friday the United Nations General Assembly is set to back a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and sending the application back to the UN Security Council to “reconsider the matter favorably.”
Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE said on Thursday that Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta had been waiting for the UN vote and were considering a joint recognition on May 21.
A spokesperson for the Spanish Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There was no immediate comment on the date from the other countries.
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said earlier this week his country would recognize Palestine’s statehood by mid June.
Since 1988, 139 out of 193 UN member states have recognized Palestinian statehood.


Spain, Ireland to recognize Palestinian state on May 21 — EU’s Borrell

Updated 10 May 2024
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Spain, Ireland to recognize Palestinian state on May 21 — EU’s Borrell

  • Spain and Ireland, along with Slovenia and Malta, had agreed to take the first steps toward recognition of a Palestinian state alongside Israel

MADRID: Spain, Ireland and other European Union member countries plan to recognize a Palestinian state on May 21, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said late on Thursday ahead of an expected UN vote on Friday on a Palestinian bid to become a full member.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in March that Spain and Ireland, along with Slovenia and Malta, had agreed to take the first steps toward recognition of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, seeing a two-state solution as essential for lasting peace.
Asked on local Spanish radio station RNE if May 21 was when Spain, Ireland and other EU countries would recognize a Palestinian state, Borrell said yes, mentioning Slovenia as well.
“This is a symbolic act of a political nature. More than a state, it recognizes the will for that state to exist,” he said, adding that Belgium and other countries would probably follow.
Previously, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares had said the decision on recognition had been made, although he did not give a date.
International calls for a ceasefire and permanent end to Palestinian-Israeli conflict have grown along with the death toll from Israel’s offensive in Gaza to rout out Hamas after the militants’ deadly cross-border attack on Oct. 7.
Israel has said plans for Palestinian recognition constitute a “prize for terrorism” that would reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the Gaza conflict.
On Friday the United Nations General Assembly is set to back a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and sending the application back to the UN Security Council to “reconsider the matter favorably.”
Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE said on Thursday that Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta had been waiting for the UN vote and were considering a joint recognition on May 21.
A spokesperson for the Spanish Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There was no immediate comment on the date from the other countries.
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said earlier this week his country would recognize Palestine’s statehood by mid June.
Since 1988, 139 out of 193 UN member states have recognized Palestinian statehood.