International

They find a body and continue to look for 6 missing people after the shipwreck of a sailboat in Sicily

The body of one of the seven missing from the sailboat that sank this Monday in front of the town of Porticello, in Palermo, on the Italian island of Sicily, was located by the divers of the Fire Force inside the hull at a depth of 49 meters, while six other people who could be trapped in the cabins are being sought.

The first shipwrecked, initially recovered by a ship present in the vicinity, were brought ashore by 4 ships of the Coast Guard.

According to some media, the body that has been recovered would be the crew member who worked as a cook and has Canadian nationality, although born on the island of Antigua.

The six people who are still missing are British and American tourists.

The sinking occurred at 05.00 local time (03.00 GMT) and according to some witnesses the British-flagged sailboat, called ‘Bayesian’, was anchored in front of the port of Porticello when the strong tornado that hit the area broke the main mast and this would have caused the imbalance of the boat that overturned and sank.

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The sailboat was from a group of tourists who had chosen Sicily to spend their vacations and the survivors who have already disembarked are mostly English citizens, but there is also a New Zealander, an Irishman and another from Sri Lanka

Among the 15 survivors, a mother and her one-year-old daughter were transferred to the Palermo Children’s Hospital for checks, while the father was admitted to another hospital in the Sicilian capital and five other passengers were treated in an outpatient clinic.

The mother of the girl, of whom they have communicated only that her name is Charlotte, explained to the doctors who treated them that at a time when she slept the boat overturned and they found themselves in the water and that for a few seconds she lost the girl at sea, but then immediately picked her up again.

He pointed out that people were heard screaming and that they were saved because a lifeboat launched by another ship that was nearby arrived almost immediately.

“The baby is fine and the mother only has abrasions and a wound that needed to be sutured,” said Domenico Cipolla, director of pediatric admission and emergency and surgery at the “Di Cristina” hospital in Palermo.

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“Yesterday afternoon we saw this boat in the port. He arrived before dusk from the west, from Palermo, and docked about 300 meters from the entrance of the marina,” Giovanni Lo Coco, one of the fishermen of Porticello, a coastal town in the province of Palermo, told the Italian media.

It continues while the search for the divers in the sunken hull of the ship that is 49 meters deep, as well as patrol boats and helicopters of the Coast Guard look for the missing in the area and more reinforcements of divers are arriving from Naples and Rome.

International

Oil prices surge again as Middle East tensions persist

Oil prices climbed again on Friday for a second consecutive session, as markets remained concerned about a prolonged conflict in the Middle East with no tangible diplomatic progress.

North Sea Brent crude for May delivery rose 4.22% to close at $112.57 per barrel.

Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) approached the $100 mark, settling at $99.64, up 5.46%.

The decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to delay by ten days his ultimatum for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz failed to reassure market participants.

“It means there will be ten additional days of disruptions in the Middle East for crude and refined product flows,” said Andy Lipow, of Lipow Oil Associates.

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“For prices to come down, a resolution to the conflict is necessary,” Lipow added. “And even in the event of a ceasefire, it is not certain that Iran would allow oil shipments to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”

International

Young Spanish Woman Receives Euthanasia After Legal Battle, Sparking Debate

A 25-year-old Spanish woman, Noelia Castillo, received euthanasia on Thursday following a prolonged legal dispute with her father.

She passed away at a care center in Sant Pere de Ribes, about 40 kilometers from Barcelona, where she had been living for some time, according to Spanish media reports.

In an interview broadcast a day earlier on Antena 3, Castillo expressed her exhaustion after enduring prolonged suffering. She indicated that her decision was influenced by a combination of personal circumstances and health-related challenges, including family conflicts and a condition of paraplegia following a previous incident that left her with lasting physical consequences.

Spain legalized euthanasia in 2021, becoming one of the few countries that allow patients under strict conditions to seek medical assistance to end their lives in order to avoid what the law defines as unbearable suffering.

The case has reignited debate in Spain over the ethical, legal, and family dimensions surrounding euthanasia, as well as the broader issue of support for individuals in vulnerable situations.

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International

Over 300 U.S. Troops Wounded Since Start of Iran Conflict, CENTCOM Says

More than 300 U.S. service members have been injured since the start of the conflict with Iran on February 28, the United States Central Command confirmed on Friday.

“Since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 303 U.S. service members have been wounded. The vast majority of these injuries are minor, and 273 troops have already returned to duty,” said U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to AFP, indicated that 10 American troops remain seriously injured.

According to the latest figures, an additional 13 U.S. service members have been killed since the conflict began, including seven in the Gulf region and six in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Iran’s armed forces warned on Friday that hotels hosting U.S. troops in the region could be considered legitimate military targets.

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“When U.S. forces enter a hotel, from our perspective that hotel becomes American,” said armed forces spokesperson Abolfazl Shekarchi in remarks broadcast on state television.