A lion that escaped from a travelling circus in the Italian town of Ladispoli roamed the streets for nearly six hours on Saturday, sparking panic among residents.
Alessandro Grando, the mayor of the town, announced on Saturday that an animal had escaped and warned people to be careful and not to go out until further notice. He added that the fugitive had been “immediately tracked down” and an operation to capture him was being led by circus staff and police. Ladispoli is north of Rome on the Mediterranean coast.
Meanwhile, shocked locals began posting footage on social media of the lion casually walking the streets, expressing fear and anxiety.
After almost six hours, Grando reported that the predator had been tranquillized and corralled. According to the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, even a helicopter was used to locate the lion.
The animal initially refused to eat meat containing sedatives. Veterinarians later managed to hit it with a rifle shot containing a tranquillizer, local media reported, but this was not enough to stop the lion and it escaped again. After another two hours, the animal was finally found asleep and taken back to the circus.
The mayor pointed out that he had not allowed a travelling circus with animals to come to the town but explained that it was not up to him to make such decisions, adding that he “cannot forbid circuses with animals from coming.” He noted that an attempt to ban them in 2017 failed, as the town lost an appeal to the Regional Administrative Court and also had to pay the plaintiffs’ legal fees. “Until the regulations change, we can’t do anything else,” he concluded
Following the incident, the International Organization for Animal Protection (OIPA) said the lion’s case “highlights the danger of circuses with animals from the point of view of public safety” and the discomfort of “poor creatures forced into captivity to be used for entertainment.” OIPA called for a ban on circuses with animals, pointing out that performances with only acrobats and clowns can be educational and showcase human talent.
Presiden Joko Widodo berfoto bersama para pemimpin negara Islam yang menghadiri KTT Luar Biasa OKI yang diselenggarakan di King Abdulaziz International Convention Center (KAICC), Riyadh, Arab Saudi, pada Sabtu (11/11/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Biro Pers Sekretariat Presiden)
Indonesia merupakan salah satu negara yang diberi mandat oleh Organisasi Kerja Sama Islam (OKI) untuk memulai tindakan atas nama OKI dan Liga Arab guna menghentikan perang di Gaza.
Selain Indonesia, para pemimpin OKI melalui resolusi yang disepakati usai KTT luar biasa di Riyadh pada Sabtu (11/11), juga memberi mandat kepada Arab Saudi, Yordania, Mesir, Qatar, Turki, dan Nigeria untuk membantu memulai proses politik guna mewujudkan perdamaian antara Israel dan Palestina.
“Paragraf 11 (dalam resolusi) ini merupakan pengakuan dari OKI terhadap keaktifan atau kontribusi aktif Indonesia yang terus mencoba menyelesaikan masalah Palestina, terutama akhir-akhir ini adalah situasi di Gaza,” kata Menteri Luar Negeri RI Retno Marsudi, dalam pernyataan tertulis yang dirilis usai mengikuti KTT OKI tersebut.
Menurut Retno, resolusi itu berisi 31 pesan OKI yang bernada kuat dan keras untuk penghentian konflik Israel-Palestina di Gaza.
Selain mengecam kekejian Israel di Gaza, para pemimpin OKI termasuk Presiden RI Joko Widodo, juga mendesak Dewan Keamanan PBB untuk bertindak menghasilkan resolusi sehingga kekejaman dapat segera diakhiri, bantuan dapat masuk, dan pentingnya mematuhi hukum internasional.
OKI turut mengecam pemindahan paksa 1,5 juta warga Palestina dari utara ke selatan Gaza, yang menurut Konvensi Jenewa ke-4 merupakan kejahatan perang.
“OKI juga mendesak DK PBB untuk mengeluarkan resolusi guna mengecam perusakan rumah sakit di Gaza oleh Israel,” ujar Retno.
KTT Luar Biasa OKI mengenai situasi di Gaza diselenggarakan bersamaan dengan KTT Liga Arab.
KTT itu dinilai sangat penting untuk menunjukkan soliditas negara-negara OKI dan untuk menemukan upaya tambahan agar kekejaman Israel terhadap bangsa Palestina dapat segera dihentikan.
Since the beginning of the special military operation, the Russian Armed Forces have skillfully used artillery to accomplish the tasks assigned to them.
The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage showing Russian artillerymen with Msta-B howitzers hitting the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporozhye region during a special military operation.
The Msta-B howitzer is a powerful artillery weapon used by the Russian military. It is 152mm caliber and capable of firing a variety of projectiles, including high-explosive, smoke and illumination rounds. The Msta-B has a range of up to 24 kilometers and is highly mobile, able to move quickly across all types of terrain.
Kiev Military Leadership Abandons Soldiers – Captured Ukrainian Marines
Ukrainian soldiers captured on the Dnepr river have claimed their commanders were nowhere to be found as their unit was landing there.
Ukrainian commanders gave their soldiers the wrong coordinates and quit the combat mission on the left bank of the Dnepr, captured Ukrainian Marines have told Sputnik.
"They picked us out and then put us on the boats to cross the river. They said we had to cross the road where our guys were waiting for us, and we had to evacuate the wounded. So, we crossed the road and ended up in an ambush. The boats just took off. They dispatch the soldiers and then immediately set sail," said one of the captives, Yaroslav Nikiforov.
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) earlier reported on a mission carried out by a unit from the Dnepr battlegroup. The Russian unit, led by Senior Lieutenant Zolto Arsalanov in the Kherson region, destroyed troops belonging to Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade that attempted to gain a foothold on the left bank of the Dnepr.
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) earlier reported on a mission carried out by a unit from the Dnepr battlegroup. The Russian unit, led by Senior Lieutenant Zolto Arsalanov in the Kherson region, destroyed troops belonging to Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade that attempted to gain a foothold on the left bank of the Dnepr.
Arsalanov, who was wounded in the battle, and the military personnel of the unit, were presented with state awards by Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation and General of the Army Sergei Shoigu for the courage and heroism shown during the successfully conducted operation which resulted in 11 Ukrainian marines being captured.
Maxim Solovyov, another Ukrainian serviceman, shared that their officers were in the rear as the landing was taking place. There were no concrete tasks for the soldiers; the commanders simply gave out the drop-off location as the soldiers were on their way across the river.
"I got to the left bank on a motor boat. We were captured because of the wrong locations they gave us. The officer was not around when we were crossing the river," captured Mikhail Zolin said in a video shared by Moscow's MoD.
Zolin added that the unit he used to serve in had a single grenade launcher and a few rifles. However, the weapons often ran short of munitions.
All the Ukrainian soldiers in captivity claim that the training process before being sent to the front is very brief, lasting about a month. For the most part, the training involves digging up trenches and taking theory classes. There are about two firing practices, though not all new fighters manage to partake in it.
Germany to Double Military Aid for Ukraine to $8.6Bln in 2024 - Reports
Western allies began pouring weapons and ammunition into Ukraine shortly after Russia launched its military operation in the country in February 2022. Germany is one of the most active European countries to support Ukraine.
Germany’s governing coalition plans to double military assistance to Ukraine to $8.6 billion next year, Bloomberg reported, citing sources.
The German parliament’s Budget Committee will approve the extra $4 billion in military funding for Kiev at a meeting next week, which would increase German defense spending to 2.1% of GDP in 2024, the agency reported, citing information it obtained from the Defense Ministry.
Earlier, the top European diplomat, Josep Borrell, said that US aid to Ukraine might be cut and that EU countries should be politically ready to take up the slack.
On 10 October, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced a $1.1 billion military aid package for Ukraine, including Patriot SAMs and the IRIS-T missile system.
In 2022, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the €100 billion ($107 billion) fund, which includes the procurement of F-35 fighter jets to replace aging Tornado jets, Israel's Arrow air defense system, and Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.
The US and its allies increased their military aid to Kiev shortly after Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly warned that supplying arms to the Kiev regime will only prolong the conflict.
Demonstrators marched in support of Palestine and demanded a cease-fire in Gaza in one of Britain’s largest protests in recent years. Credit Credit... Alberto Pezzali/Associated Press
Hundreds of thousands of people marched through central London in a huge pro-Palestinian demonstration on Saturday, a tense day in which the police battled with a small right-wing group to keep order on some city streets.
The large march in support of the Palestinian cause coincided with Armistice Day, when Britain commemorates those who fought in World War I and subsequent conflicts, and followed days of debate about whether the protest should be allowed to go ahead.
A spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan Police Service said by phone on Saturday afternoon that about 300,000 people had attended the march, making it one of the largest protests in Britain in recent years.
Earlier in the day, a right-wing group clashed with the police near the Cenotaph, a war memorial close to the prime minister’s official residence, shortly after a two-minute silence was held to mark Remembrance Day. Videos showed some people bursting through a cordoned-off area.
Demonstrators marched in support of Palestine and demanded a cease-fire in Gaza in one of Britain’s largest protests in recent years
By late Saturday, the police said that 126 people had been arrested.
“The extreme violence from the right-wing protesters toward the police today was extraordinary and deeply concerning,” the police said in a statement, noting that a group had assembled early on “stating they were there to protect monuments, but some were already intoxicated, aggressive and clearly looking for confrontation.”
They directed abuse at officers protecting the Cenotaph, the police said, and were “largely football hooligans from across the U.K. and spent most of the day attacking or threatening officers who were seeking to prevent them being able to confront the main march.”
Tensions were running high over the march after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who is responsible for policing in the country, argued this past week that its timing was “provocative and disrespectful.” Ms. Braverman called for the march to be banned and caused a political furor by writing an opinion article — which the prime minister disowned — that accused the police of bias over their handling of protests.
On Saturday evening, Mr. Sunak made it clear that he condemned both the violence of far-right groups and statements of fringe groups that he said were antisemitic or had shown sympathy for Hamas.
“The despicable actions of a minority of people undermine those who have chosen to express their views peacefully,” he said in a statement. He said he planned to meet with London’s top police official in the coming days.
“What we have seen today does not defend the honor of our armed forces, but utterly disrespects them,” he said, alluding to Armistice Day events. That is true, he said, for far-right “thugs attacking police officers and trespassing on the Cenotaph, and it is true for those singing antisemitic chants and brandishing pro-Hamas signs and clothing on today’s protest.”
The police later said in a statement that nobody was able to reach the monument itself, “which was protected at all times.”
Dozens were arrested after skirmishes broke out between far-right demonstrators and the London police near a pro-Palestinian march that coincided with Armistice Day. Credit Credit... Jeff Moore/Press Association, via Associated Press
On the past several Saturdays, tens of thousands of people have marched in London to denounce the rising civilian death toll in Gaza, which Israel has bombarded in response to the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.
People traveled by bus and train from around Britain to attend the latest march, which began at Hyde Park in central London and then made its way to the U.S. Embassy. As the event got underway, people in the park waved large Palestinian flags in the bright sunshine and carried placards reading, “End the siege” and “Cease-fire now.”
Police officers detaining a man in central London on Saturday close to the demonstration route. Credit... Justin Tallis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
The demonstrators represented a broad cross-section of the population: families with babies in strollers, teenagers chatting and laughing with flags draped over their shoulders, an older man who walked slowly but joined the mass of people as it progressed down the park’s main avenue.
Mary Robertson, 39, had come from her home in South London with her partner and 2-year-old daughter. “We want to show Palestinians that we see what’s happening to them,” she said, carrying her daughter while her partner pushed a stroller decorated with a sign reading, “Armistice in Gaza Now.”
“What’s happening in Gaza is so shocking — nothing feels OK if you’re not doing something,” Ms. Robertson added.
The mood was calm and cheerful early in the afternoon, though a helicopter hovered overhead and police officers were scattered on the edges of the crowd and in nearby subway stations. Every so often, someone would lead a chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” although not everyone joined in.
Nazish Aqayyum, a doctor and mother of four from Birmingham, had wrapped a Mickey Mouse toy belonging to her youngest son in a white sheet that she had painted with red stains to mimic blood. “The Palestinians are having to see babies in sheets all the time,” she said. “So I’ve come without a placard, with this. Everyone with kids can relate to it. I just want a cease-fire.”
The Metropolitan Police Service said that about 2,000 officers were on duty across central London throughout the weekend, double the usual number, as officials feared that violent elements, including from the far right, would surface on the fringes of the march.
The police acknowledged that while the large-scale pro-Palestinian march “did not see the sort of physical violence carried out by the right wing, we know that for London’s Jewish communities, whose fears and concerns we absolutely recognize, the impact of hate crime and in particular antisemitic offenses is just as significant.”
Hours after the demonstration ended, the police noted that they had detained a breakaway group of around 150 people who were firing fireworks and wearing face coverings.
Protesters at the “National March for Palestine” on Saturday in central London. Credit... Henry Nicholls/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
ommy Robinson, an anti-Islam agitator, was in London on Saturday and urged supporters to take to the streets, calling for an “uncontrollable mass of men who are willing to stand for their country.” Mr. Robinson had been barred from X, formerly known as Twitter, but has since been reinstated.
The police had allowed the main march to proceed despite resistance from some political circles.
Under British law, the police can apply for a ban if there is a risk of serious public disorder, but Britain’s most senior police officer said that threshold had not been met in this case. “The laws created by Parliament are clear,” Mark Rowley, the Met Police’s chief commissioner, said in a statement on Tuesday. “There is no absolute power to ban protest; therefore there will be a protest this weekend.”
After meeting with Mr. Rowley and seeking assurances that the police would safeguard the remembrance events, Mr. Sunak issued a statement saying he accepted that the march would go ahead. But the following day, Ms. Braverman wrote an opinion article that accused the police of bias and described attendees of previous protests as “hate marchers,” “Islamists” and “mobs,” even though past demonstrations had been mostly peaceful.
Mr. Sunak’s spokesperson said that Downing Street was investigating the circumstances surrounding the publication of the article, which drew fierce criticism.
Ben Jamal, the director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, one of the British groups that has organized the weekly rallies, called Ms. Braverman’s language “reckless” and “deeply irresponsible.” Mr. Jamal, who is of Palestinian and British descent, said the group had been in touch with the police since the earliest demonstration because of the number of protesters involved, “and we need to know we can do that safely.”
On Saturday, some at the march said that they had been motivated by the home secretary’s comments.
Holding flares and a Palestinian flag during the rally in London. Credit... Alberto Pezzali/Associated Press
“I’m here partly because of Suella Braverman,” said Nick Hann, 67.
“I just felt a sense of outrage that we were all being branded as a mob,” he said. “It’s absurd and divisive and clearly an attempt to create tension.”
He carried a cardboard placard that read, “I’m part of the hate mob marching for peace.”
After the counterprotesters’ scuffles with the police on Saturday, some politicians and commentators denounced Ms. Braverman’s statements as divisive. Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s first minister, called for her resignation, saying on X that her position as home secretary was “untenable.”
Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, wrote on the same platform that “the scenes of disorder we witnessed by the far right at the Cenotaph are a direct result of the home secretary’s words,” adding, “The police’s job has been made much harder.”
Megan Specia reports on Britain, Ireland and the Ukraine war for The Times. She is based in London. More about Megan Specia
Stephen Castle is London correspondent, writing widely about Britain, including the country’s politics and relationship with Europe.
