Author: Horace Hines

Berlin/London/Brussels (29/2 – 33.33). Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t really want a conflict with NATO because in that scenario Russia would quickly lose, the head of the UK’s armed forces said on Tuesday. Speaking at an event in London, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said that “the inescapable fact is that any Russian assault or incursion against NATO would prompt an overwhelming response.” He said that “the biggest reason that Putin doesn’t want a conflict with NATO is because Russia will lose. And lose quickly.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked new security concerns across Europe, prompting countries to spend more on defense…

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has deployed two of its vessels in the South China Sea after monitoring an “alarming” increase in the number of Chinese maritime militia vessels at a reef within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The number of Chinese boats believed to be manned by militia personnel has increased to more than 135 from 111 in November, scattered within the Whitsun Reef, which Manila calls the Julian Felipe Reef, the PCG said in a statement. “The PCG maintains its unwavering commitment to safeguarding maritime security, safety and the marine environment in the course of protecting the…

A series of murders over the weekend have propelled the United States to a grisly new record: the most recorded mass shootings in a year. Two attacks on Sunday occurring within a couple of hours of each other in Texas and Washington state were the year’s 37th and 38th mass shootings. Authorities believe a murder-suicide was responsible for the death of five family members in Vancouver, a suburb of Portland, Oregon, just across the border in Washington, while in Dallas a 21-year-old with a previous aggravated assault charge shot five people in a house, including a toddler. It is the highest number of…

Vivian Silver, a Canadian Israeli peace activist whose family said they believed was taken hostage from her home in southern Israel when Hamas-led militants carried out a surprise assault on Oct. 7, was killed in the initial attacks, her family confirms. Silver’s son, Yonatan Zeigen, confirmed his mother’s death, telling CBC News on Monday that the 74-year-old’s remains had been found earlier at Kibbutz Be’eri, where she resided, but were only identified now, more than five weeks after the attacks. At least 120 other men, women and children were killed in the community of about 1,100 people located just kilometres from the Israel-Gaza border.…

Heavy snow throughout Southcentral Alaska created dangerous conditions on many of the major roadways across the region, prompting some closures that had been lifted by Thursday afternoon. The Seward Highway was closed for much of Thursday from near Summit Lake through Moose Pass to Crown Point because heavy snow was making it impassable in places from Seward to the Hope Cutoff, the Alaska Department of Transportation said. Deep snow covered the road and disabled vehicles added to the hazardous conditions, Alaska State Troopers said. Snow ranged from 7 to 22 inches across the region, they said. By Thursday afternoon, after…

If critters with lots of legs make your skin crawl, the video that Lake Clark National Park and Preserve posted to their Facebook page on Halloween probably looked like a nightmare come alive. In the 45-second clip, a silent camper shines their light around the interior of their tent; through the translucent fabric, you can see hundreds of spider-like creatures crawling across the exterior and gathering in huge clumps. In the comments, the park’s followers debated what they would do if they woke up to a similar midnight surprise; answers included “die of a heart attack,” throw the tent away,”…

A camper in an Alaskan national park awoke with a fright when an invasion of what looked like spiders crawled and clustered on the roof of their tent. The Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in Alaska shared the footage from the camper to Facebook on Halloween with the eerie caption: “In the remote depths of Lake Clark’s vast, wild landscape, a weary backpacker settles in for a night at camp after a long day of exploring. “Little do they know, creatures of the night lurk in the woods, waiting for the opportune moment to strike fear. “Snuggled into their…

The Pacific Marine Expo kicked off its second day with an educational session, “Alaska Fisheries: Separating fact from fiction.” The panel was moderated by Kate Naughten, Director of Communications at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Panelists included Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator at NOAA, Robert Foy, Ph.D., Director of AK Fisheries Science Center (NOAA), and Jon Kurland, Alaska Regional Administrator (NOAA). Naughten addressed the crowd, “We’re going to start on the present state of Alaska fisheries, the future of the stocks that are in flux, management responses to the changes of climate and markets, how climate change has impacted…

In its attempts to make more land available for housing, Premier Doug Ford’s government is threatening the viability of land where hundreds of thousands of people work, the Toronto Region Board of Trade says in a new report. The report, entitled The Race For Space, looks at what are called “employment lands” – areas exclusively zoned for factories, warehouses, offices, big institutional employers and commercial buildings. The Board of Trade says the availability of employment land is “already under intense pressure” and it’s concerned some of the government’s new land-use reforms will drive down supply and drive up price, putting…

An off-duty pilot has been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, after he allegedly tried to crash a passenger jet during a flight on Sunday night. The suspect was sitting in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight behind the captain and the first-officer, according to an airline statement. A police booking document named the suspect as Joseph David Emerson, 44. The flight was on its way from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, California, with 80 passengers aboard. It was diverted to Portland, Oregon, and the suspect was subdued without incident, officials said. In a statement, Alaska Airlines said…