Latest news with #EyewitnessNews
Eyewitness News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Removal of DA's Andrew Whitfield from Cabinet tied to insubordination
JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa's office has remained silent on the sudden removal of DA politician Andrew Whitfield from his role as one of the deputy ministers at Trade, Industry and Competition. Eyewitness News understands that Whitfield's dismissal may be linked to insubordination over a DA-led trip to Washington undertaken without the President's approval. Earlier Ramaphosa's office confirmed the removal, saying this was not an indication of a wholesale cabinet reshuffle. History of similar dismissals Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was fired by South Africa's founding president Nelson Mandela in 1995, one of the reasons was she took an unauthorised personal trip abroad. In 2007 – President Thabo Mbeki – Mandela's successor also dismissed then deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge after she attended an HIV/Aids conference in Madrid without his permission.
Eyewitness News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eyewitness News
Refilwe Modiselle's ‘Zizi's World' shines light on life through the eyes of a child with albinism
JOHANNESBURG – Media personality Refilwe Modiselle has taken a huge step in her career, adding the title of author to her list of achievements. The book, set to be released on Saturday, June 28, is a collaboration with leading publisher Lingua Franca. Speaking to Eyewitness News, Modiselle said her new book, 'Zizi's World: Through her Vanilla Eyes', addresses albinism and promotes inclusivity and diversification, aiming to educate parents, educators, and children about albinism and social integration. 'The book is based on Zizi, who is a child with albinism, and her experience of a child who moves from one environment to then is introduced to the next, but with the opening of her reality as a child with albinism', said Modiselle.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Central Florida braces for hot and steamy Friday
Showers and storms are expected to be widespread across Central Florida Friday afternoon and evening, with heavy rain likely along I-4 and to the west. Afternoon temperatures will climb to the upper 80s and low 90s, with heat index values reaching the mid and upper 90s. This weather pattern is part of a larger trend of increasing heat across the country, which is expected to intensify over the weekend and into next week. Residents in Central Florida should prepare for a return to the mid-90s in terms of high temperatures next week. The combination of high temperatures and humidity will result in uncomfortable conditions. Those living along I-4 and to the west should be especially vigilant, as these regions are forecasted to receive the most significant rainfall. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Teen sheltered under a tree to ‘ride out the storm', then lightning struck
A 15-year-old boy is recovering after being struck by lightning while sheltering under a tree in Central Park during a sudden thunderstorm on Thursday afternoon. The incident, which occurred near the East Meadow close to 100th Street and Fifth Avenue, sent shockwaves through the city as emergency crews rushed to the scene. Yassin Khalifa, a high school sophomore, was enjoying a picnic with friends when severe weather rolled in. As rain intensified, Khalifa leaned against a tree, telling his friends, 'Oh, guys, let's ride out the storm, which in hindsight might not have been the best idea,' he later recounted in an interview with Eyewitness News. Moments later, a lightning bolt struck the tree, sending an electrical current through his body and knocking him unconscious for several minutes. Despite the severity of the strike, Khalifa regained consciousness and was alert when paramedics arrived. He was transported by ambulance to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where doctors treated him for second-degree burns on his neck and leg. Speaking from his hospital bed, Khalifa described himself as 'pretty lucky,' noting that his spine had been directly against the tree at the time, but he suffered no nerve damage or loss of motor function. 'So I'm like, not losing any sort of motor function. So I'm pretty happy about that,' he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 23.7% Returns in last 5 years with Shriram Life's ULIP Shriram Life Insurance Undo The lightning strike occurred at approximately 3:40 p.m., according to the FDNY , as a series of intense thunderstorms swept across the Tri-State area. The storms brought strong winds and heavy rainfall, causing widespread disruption, including downed trees and flight delays at local airports. In Ridgewood, Queens , a massive tree fell onto a car, while in Maspeth, toppled trees totaled several parked vehicles. In Cranford, New Jersey, a tree's roots tore up a lawn, leaving behind a large crater. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 90% of people struck by lightning in the United States survive, though lightning remains a leading cause of weather-related fatalities. Data from the National Weather Service indicates that between 2009 and 2018, an average of 27 Americans died each year from lightning strikes. Live Events Khalifa is expected to make a full recovery. His family and friends remain at his side, grateful for his survival. 'I feel lucky to be alive and surrounded by loved ones,' he said.
Globe and Mail
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
The March to Gaza strides face-first into the complicated reality of the Middle East
Last March, journalist and author Douglas Murray sat down with Jane Dutton of South Africa's Eyewitness News to talk about the war in Gaza. At one point in the interview, when Ms. Dutton noted that Gaza is 'completely sealed off,' Mr. Murray asked her to clarify: 'By who?' 'By the Israelis,' Ms. Dutton replied. 'And who?' Mr. Murray prodded. 'By the Israelis, by the U.S. and whoever else supports the Israelis,' she said. 'And who else?' Mr. Murray asked again. 'Isn't that enough?' she says. 'As you know,' Mr. Murray says after continuing to press her, 'Gaza also has a border with Egypt. Why do you not mention Egypt? Egypt has a stronger fence to fence in the people of Gaza than Israel does.' Ms. Dutton, who has been a broadcaster for at least two decades (notably, most with Qatari-funded Al Jazeera) appears genuinely surprised by the information. She tries to brush it off, though the rest of the interview is punctuated by similar humiliating fact-checks. Canada's UN vote on Israel criticized as departure from past position It's a truly remarkable, yet illuminating, watch; if a journalist paid to report on the topic could be ignorant to such a basic component of the current dynamic in the Middle East, it helps to explain why, for example, university students might feel confident ostentatiously sharing their support for Hamas. The most charitable explanation is that they're only getting part of the story. The ignorance of Western activists to the complicated history of the region was streamed to thousands of cellphones over the last week as people from all around the world arrived in Egypt for an event billed as the March to Gaza, aimed at bringing attention to the plight of Palestinians and demanding that aid be allowed into the region. Instead, Egyptian authorities confiscated passports, forcibly detained activists, and prevented them from making their planned journey to the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. Many seemed surprised that Egyptian authorities so readily cracked down on their peaceful protest; in one video, a man says to an Egyptian police officer, 'We can do it in America – why can't we do it here?' Israeli tank shelling kills at least 59 people awaiting aid trucks in Gaza, medics say In another, a white Welshman confronts a line of Egyptian officers in riot gear, insists that they do not have to follow orders from their superiors and implores them to 'stand with your Islamic peoples.' He goes on: 'We are here for humanity. What are you here for?' On Facebook, a South African participant shared a map of their intended path, which erroneously placed the Rafah crossing by the southern Israeli city of Eilat – nowhere near the Gaza Strip. One requires a precise medley of arrogance, ignorance and hubris to fly to a foreign country and attempt to breach a decades-old barrier to enter an active warzone, all while lecturing the Egyptians about freedom of assembly and their obligations to their Muslim brothers and sisters. The Egyptians' relationship with Palestinians in Gaza is far more complicated than whatever superficial notion might exist in the minds of travelling Westerners; they've long been concerned about Islamic extremism leeching into their country via Hamas, and have enduringly resisted allowing an influx of internally displaced Palestinians to seek refuge in Egypt. Cairo fortified its border to Gaza after militants blew holes in its wall in 2008, and subsequently reinforced it with huge concrete barriers after destroying Hamas's underground tunnels. Though Egypt officially supports Palestinian statehood, its support for Palestinian people has been tepid and cautious. In fact, in the decade prior to Oct. 7, many more Palestinians crossed to or through Israel, according to UN data – not Egypt. Israelis and Palestinians attend Paris Peace Forum in the shadow of war Those marchers would have spared themselves a good degree of angst had they briefed themselves on even the most rudimentary facts. They might have also reflected on a similar march – the Gaza Freedom March in 2009 – during which most participants were denied entry to Gaza, and considered whether this time would be different. Some participants have insisted that trying is better than nothing, when Palestinians are being slaughtered and denied necessary food and medicine. That's an understandable view. But it's also a symptom of a Western saviour complex that assumes that thousands of foreigners flying into Cairo and demanding local authorities allow them passage into Gaza will actually make the situation better, not worse. Indeed, if their presence has any effect at all, it will be to entrench the broad view of Egyptian authorities that they should further tighten their control of the border, lest they inadvertently invite more foreigners to try to cross the passage they've spent decades trying to secure. This is the reality that marchers to Gaza confronted, literally, on their voyage to Rafah. As they have since learned, the situation is not as simple as you might see portrayed on, say, South Africa's Eyewitness News.
