标签： Europe

BARCELONA, Spain — A devastating tidal surge on Spain’s Canary Islands has claimed the lives of three individuals and left 15 others injured, according to emergency services. The incidents occurred on Saturday along the coast of Tenerife, where powerful waves swept people into the Atlantic Ocean. Among the victims were a man and a woman who were pulled into the sea in the municipalities of La Guancha, Puerto de la Cruz, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. A third man was discovered lifeless in the waters near a beach in Granadilla. Authorities had previously issued warnings about the hazardous conditions, urging the public to avoid coastal paths and refrain from photographing or filming the turbulent seas to prevent unnecessary risks.

In a renewed effort to solve a decades-old mystery, Gardaí (Irish police) have issued a fresh appeal for information regarding the disappearance of Josephine “Jo Jo” Dullard, who vanished 30 years ago. The 21-year-old was last seen on November 9, 1995, in Moone, County Kildare, after hitching a ride from Naas. Her case, initially treated as a missing persons investigation, was upgraded to a murder inquiry in 2020. Gardaí are urging anyone who may have encountered Jo Jo or has any relevant information to come forward, particularly those who may have offered her a lift or were hitchhiking in the area at the time. The investigation has been a long and painful journey for Jo Jo’s family, who have endured decades of uncertainty. Jo Jo’s last known interaction was a phone call to her friend, Mary Cullinan, at 23:37 on the night of her disappearance, during which she mentioned a car had stopped to offer her a ride. She was reported missing the following morning by her sister, Kathleen. Over the years, her sister Mary Phelan has tirelessly campaigned for answers, and in 2008, a €10,000 reward was offered for information. Despite numerous appeals and searches, including recent efforts along the Wicklow-Kildare border, the case remains unsolved. Gardaí have emphasized that any piece of information, no matter how small, could be crucial in bringing closure to Jo Jo’s family.

In an unexpected twist of fate, 15-year-old Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux became an international sensation after an Associated Press photo captured him at the Louvre during the infamous crown jewels heist. Dressed in a vintage three-piece suit, fedora, and a restored Russian watch, Pedro’s appearance sparked widespread intrigue and speculation. The image, which garnered millions of views, led to theories ranging from him being a detective to an AI-generated figure. Pedro, a fan of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, chose to remain silent, allowing the mystery to unfold. In an exclusive interview with AP, he revealed that his style is inspired by 20th-century history and black-and-white imagery of statesmen and fictional detectives. Despite the viral fame, Pedro remains grounded, embracing his unique fashion sense and the unexpected spotlight. His story highlights the power of imagery and the allure of mystery in the digital age.

JERUSALEM — Walter Bingham, now 101, vividly recalls the horrors of Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass,” when he was just 14. On November 9, 1938, Nazis unleashed a wave of violence across Germany and Austria, destroying Jewish businesses, synagogues, and lives. This marked a pivotal moment in the escalating persecution that culminated in the Holocaust, where six million Jews were systematically murdered. Bingham is among the dwindling number of Holocaust survivors commemorating the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht, a somber reminder of history’s darkest chapter. Today, as antisemitism surges globally, particularly in the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas war, survivors like Bingham are sounding the alarm. Recent attacks on Jewish symbols, from synagogues in Australia to Israeli sports teams in Europe, evoke painful memories of the past. “We live in an era equivalent to 1938,” Bingham warned, emphasizing the urgent need to combat intolerance. Kristallnacht saw the Nazis kill at least 91 people, vandalize 7,500 businesses, and burn over 1,400 synagogues. Up to 30,000 Jewish men were arrested, many sent to concentration camps like Dachau and Buchenwald. Bingham, who escaped to England via the Kindertransport, lost his father in the Warsaw Ghetto and never saw his mother again. Alongside fellow survivors George Shefi and Paul Alexander, Bingham shared his story at Jerusalem’s Great Synagogue, a symbol of Jewish resilience. Shefi, 94, recounted his childhood in Berlin, where he witnessed the chaos of Kristallnacht and later fled to England alone. Alexander, 87, was sent to England as a baby, one of the few children reunited with his parents. Survivors stress the importance of educating younger generations to prevent history from repeating itself. Bingham, a Guinness World Record holder as the oldest working journalist, remains vocal in his fight against antisemitism. “If we see it, we have to hit back,” he declared. With approximately 200,000 Holocaust survivors remaining, their testimonies are more crucial than ever to ensure the lessons of the past are not forgotten.

Lisbon witnessed a massive wave of protests as tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets to oppose proposed labour reforms by Portugal’s centre-right government. The reforms, which aim to enhance job flexibility and productivity, include measures that would simplify the process of firing employees, allow greater outsourcing of work, and reduce certain types of compassionate leave, such as bereavement leave for women who experience miscarriages. Critics argue that these changes severely undermine workers’ rights and job security. Tiago Oliveira, general secretary of Portugal’s largest union, CGTP, condemned the reforms as ‘one of the greatest attacks ever made against workers’ and announced a general strike scheduled for December 11. The bill is expected to pass in parliament with backing from the far-right party Chega. Protesters, including medical device worker Miriam Alves and archive technician Madalena Pena, expressed concerns that the reforms would reverse decades of progress in labour rights and worsen job security. Additionally, demonstrators demanded higher wages, citing official data showing that over 50% of workers earned less than 1,000 euros per month in 2023, with the minimum wage set at just 870 euros. The protests highlight growing discontent over economic inequality and the government’s perceived disregard for workers’ welfare.