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TONY HETHERINGTON: L’interdiction de HSBC est loin d’être une garantie

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Tony Hetherington est l’enquêteur du Financial Mail on Sunday, combattant les coins des lecteurs, révélant la vérité qui se cache derrière des portes closes et remportant des victoires pour ceux qui ont été laissés de côté. Découvrez comment le contacter ci-dessous.

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Mystère : HSBC a fermé le compte Reader's Flats

Mystère : HSBC a fermé le compte Reader’s Flats

PH écrit : Je suis signataire d’un compte avec HSBC, établi il y a des décennies pour couvrir les dépenses d’entretien de quatre appartements dans la propriété où je vis. J’ai reçu une lettre de HSBC m’informant qu’elle devait confirmer certains de nos « détails commerciaux » dans le cadre d’une procédure appelée « Sauvegarde ».

J’ai soumis les détails en ligne et j’ai été remercié, mais j’ai ensuite reçu une autre lettre qui semblait faire double emploi avec la première.

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Néanmoins, j’ai complété à nouveau les détails, mais la banque m’a alors dit que notre compte serait fermé car, selon HSBC, je n’avais pas fourni les informations requises.

Tony Hetherington répond : HSBC affirme que son examen de la sauvegarde est destiné à protéger les clients contre la fraude, mais à maintes reprises, les lecteurs m’ont dit que peu importe à quel point ils essaient de coopérer avec la longue liste de questions posées et de preuves exigées, HSBC finit par les jeter et fermer leur compte. Les petits comptes appartenant à des clubs et des groupes communautaires semblent particulièrement vulnérables, les clients affirmant que HSBC ne veut tout simplement pas de leur entreprise.

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Les résultats peuvent être malheureux. Vous m’avez dit que vous avez appelé HSBC dans le but de garder votre compte ouvert et qu’on vous a dit que vous recevriez un code à six chiffres par la poste, mais rien n’est arrivé. Vous avez ensuite payé deux factures par chèque, l’une à un entrepreneur de 94 £ et l’autre à l’assureur de l’immeuble de 1 440 £. Les deux ont rebondi, car HSBC avait fermé le compte. Cela vous a laissé, ainsi que d’autres propriétaires d’appartements, non assurés et vous a personnellement embarrassé, car vous êtes un avocat local.

Vous avez ouvert un nouveau compte chez NatWest, mais HSBC a refusé de transférer les 5 000 £ restants bloqués sur le compte fermé. Armé de votre autorisation signée, j’ai demandé à HSBC de commenter, de confirmer les détails de votre appel demandant de conserver le compte et de me laisser une copie du dossier de sauvegarde afin que je puisse voir ce à quoi vous n’avez pas répondu.

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C’était en mai. C’est vrai – mai de l’année dernière. Depuis lors, il y a eu un match de catch virtuel entre moi et HSBC. Une victoire mineure a été que HSBC a publié le solde du compte et a même offert 200 £ “en guise de pardon”. Il a prétendu vous avoir envoyé le code pour conserver le compte, mais HSBC a refusé catégoriquement de me laisser voir les questions de sauvegarde, pour des “raisons de sécurité”. Cependant, la banque a révélé qu’il y avait eu un problème impliquant une entreprise à votre adresse.

J’ai dû menacer HSBC de poursuites judiciaires pour obtenir ses informations vous concernant, avant qu’elle ne vous envoie finalement une copie de son questionnaire de sauvegarde directement, mais pas à moi. Vous m’avez ensuite passé le document de 11 pages et je l’ai scanné pour savoir pourquoi la banque a rejeté vos réponses. Et ce n’était pas le cas : un grand espace intitulé « Raison du rejet HSBC » – complètement vide.

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Cela a laissé le mystère de l’entreprise basée à votre adresse. Quelle était cette société ? Et HSBC voulait-il dire votre adresse personnelle ou l’adresse de votre cabinet d’avocats ? HSBC m’a dit qu ‘«une société distincte non liée s’est avérée avoir une adresse similaire». Mais qu’est-ce que cela avait à voir avec le compte de votre propriétaire d’appartement ?

Pendant que je posais des questions à HSBC, le Financial Ombudsman Service enquêtait également et a dit à HSBC d’augmenter son paiement d’excuses à 300 £, ce qu’il a fait. Mais je dois regarder ce que vous m’avez dit il y a presque un an : “J’ai l’impression que le seul objectif de HSBC était de fermer le compte.” Il est difficile d’être en désaccord.

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Will prend des années

Mme MR écrit : Mon oncle a laissé environ 1,2 million de livres sterling dans son testament, et je suis l’un des bénéficiaires.

Il est décédé en février 2020 et W. Davies Solicitors, de Woking, a pris en charge l’administration de la succession en avril de la même année.

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Plus tard, ils ont demandé des informations que j’ai fournies, et ils ont dit que cela devrait être éclairci d’ici décembre 2020, mais ils disent toujours que le domaine est un « travail en cours ».

Tony Hetherington répond : J’ai obtenu une copie du testament de votre oncle auprès du registre des successions, et j’ai fini par sympathiser avec les avocats autant qu’avec vous. Le testament a fait quelques legs spécifiques, après quoi tout le reste – le reliquat – a été légué à sa femme, votre tante.

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Cependant, elle est décédée un an avant votre oncle, son testament stipulant que dans ce cas, le reliquat doit être partagé entre les frères et sœurs de votre tante, et s’ils sont décédés, leurs parts doivent revenir à leurs enfants.

Votre tante avait dix frères et sœurs, mais le testament de votre oncle ne donnait de détails sur aucun d’entre eux, ce qui a donné aux notaires la tâche d’obtenir des lots d’actes de naissance, de mariage et de décès, et de retrouver toutes les personnes impliquées.

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Fin 2021, les avocats avaient identifié 28 bénéficiaires, d’autres à confirmer. Depuis que je les ai contactés pour la première fois il y a plusieurs mois, ils ont accepté de payer la moitié de tous les montants prévus et vous avez reçu plus de 22 000 £. Frustrant, oui, mais les exécuteurs testamentaires seraient imprudents de vider la succession, seulement pour faire face à une réclamation d’un bénéficiaire jusque-là inconnu.

Retard dans le paiement tragique

Mme RM écrit : Ma fille est décédée subitement en avril dernier. Ayant trouvé un relevé de pension personnel de la Financière Sun Life du Canada dans ses papiers, j’ai avisé la compagnie en juin dernier et j’ai fourni un certificat de décès provisoire puisque son décès avait été référé au coroner.

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En août, la société a déclaré avoir un arriéré de réclamations. En octobre, il a demandé le certificat de décès définitif, que j’ai envoyé.

En novembre, je me suis plaint et on m’a dit que je serais contacté dans cinq jours, mais cela ne s’est pas produit.

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Tony Hetherington répond : Vous m’avez contacté après avoir constaté que j’avais signalé un problème similaire en octobre dernier. Ensuite, la société a admis qu’elle était à blâmer, affirmant qu’en 2021, elle avait transféré ses services d’administration des polices vers un nouveau système.

Ce transfert de 470 000 enregistrements n’a pas été totalement réussi, ce qui signifie que certaines valeurs ont dû être calculées manuellement, ce qui a entraîné un arriéré. Cependant, cela ne devrait pas avoir bloqué votre paiement.

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Il m’a dit: “L’exemple de Mme M est particulièrement malheureux car nous aurions dû payer cette créance en juillet 2022.” Il vous a maintenant payé 31 571 £, plus 748 £ d’intérêts, avec 700 £ supplémentaires en guise d’excuses. Vous investissez ceci pour le fils adolescent de votre fille.

Si vous pensez être victime d’actes répréhensibles financiers, écrivez à Tony Hetherington au Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, Londres W8 5HY ou envoyez un e-mail à tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. En raison du volume élevé de demandes, aucune réponse personnelle ne peut être donnée. Veuillez n’envoyer que des copies des documents originaux, que nous regrettons de ne pas pouvoir retourner.

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International

I’m a travel writer – and here’s why during your Easter getaway flight it’s OK to recline your seat and ask to swap seats (and why no, you’re NOT going to get upgraded because you ironed your shirt)

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When did air travel become such a brain-melting minefield?

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These days, even the simple act of flying from A to B leaves many travellers almost paralysed with paranoia, their heads filled with a fog of etiquette anxieties, from whether they can ask someone to swap seats to whether they should or shouldn’t recline their seats and whether they should say something to the parent of the screaming baby.

I’m the MailOnline Travel Editor, and I’m here to remind you that to begin with, holidays are supposed to be fun – and to offer some simple guidance on the do’s and don’ts on your flight.

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And why no, I’m afraid you’re not going to get upgraded because you’ve ironed your shirt.

What’s your pet hate on planes? Vote in the poll at the bottom…

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SEAT SWAPPING

These days, even the simple act of flying from A to B leaves many travellers almost paralysed with paranoia, their heads filled with a fog of etiquette anxieties

These days, even the simple act of flying from A to B leaves many travellers almost paralysed with paranoia, their heads filled with a fog of etiquette anxieties

As with most social interactions in life, being polite and firm is the key.

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It’s perfectly fine to ask someone to swap seats if you’ve been split up from your nearest and dearest – just don’t expect your request to be fulfilled.

You’ve paid for your seat and, in all likelihood, picked out this particular berth in which to enjoy some airborne wine and pretzels. No passenger has the right to remove you from it

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Nuts and bolts – smile, and be calm and unconfrontational. Gently explain your reasons for wanting to swap, give the other person room to say no – and make sure that you’re not brazenly expecting your fellow flyer to downgrade.

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The move being negotiated should be to an equivalent seat, or better. Not, for instance, from a window to an aisle seat or, heaven forbid, from business class to economy or even premium economy.

It’s also acceptable to decline a seat-swapping request.

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You’ve paid for your seat and, in all likelihood, picked out this particular berth in which to enjoy some airborne wine and pretzels. No passenger has the right to remove you from it.

How to say no? The best ploy is to explain politely and with a smile that you’ve paid for your seat and don’t want to move.

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If the requester looks particularly desperate you could offer to talk to the cabin crew on their behalf to see if they can offer a solution.

RECLINING

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Economy-class seats can cause frustrating issues for the person behind when in recline mode – it can make it hard for them to exit, eat their meals and watch the entertainment screen.

But that doesn’t mean reclining is a no-no.

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The recline function is there to be used. The solution? Simply turn around and ask the person behind if they mind you reclining.

And assume that it won’t go down well during meal service.

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NOISY BABIES AND CHILDREN – OFFER TO HELP

'Here's a thought,' says Ted, 'instead of allowing yourself to become filled with rage that other humans have had the audacity to breed, try offering some help to the parent struggling to keep the decibel levels down'

‘Here’s a thought,’ says Ted, ‘instead of allowing yourself to become filled with rage that other humans have had the audacity to breed, try offering some help to the parent struggling to keep the decibel levels down’

Guess what? You won’t be the only one on the plane. So don’t expect the atmosphere to be like a Buddhist temple. Families will be joining you and that means mini-humans will be expressing themselves in a way that may rankle.

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They tend not to favour whispering.

Having said that, yes, screaming babies and children can be irritating.

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But here’s a thought – instead of allowing yourself to become filled with rage that other humans have had the audacity to breed, try offering some help to the parent struggling to keep the decibel levels down. Distract their children. Offer some sympathy.

You’ll feel better, they’ll feel less embarrassed – and believe me, they are embarrassed – and you might end up making a friend or two.

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UPGRADES

'You watched a TikTok video about booking the back row and how that means you're at the front of the queue to leap forward into first class if there's a space? You've been duped,' says Ted

‘You watched a TikTok video about booking the back row and how that means you’re at the front of the queue to leap forward into first class if there’s a space? You’ve been duped,’ says Ted

Those hopes for an upgrade? Let them float away on the jetstream.

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Even if you wear a suit, even if you give the flight attendant a big smile, you’re flying economy.

Suck it up and enjoy the pretzels.

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Wait, you watched a TikTok video about booking the back row and how that means you’re at the front of the queue to leap forward into first class if there’s a space?

You’ve been duped.

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Upgrades are not sweets in a jar for cabin crew to dish out with abandon. Giving one away without authority can result in disciplinary action.

The best way to snare an upgrade is to earn it, to rack up tier status points with an airline. That’s because business and first-class seats are given away as treats in return for loyalty.

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Does all this mean dressing smartly and being nice is a waste of time for those hoping to be given a ride at the pointy end?

Not quite.

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As flight attendant Jay Robert said: ‘When I worked as ground staff for a major US airline, and I was given the authority to provide a free upgrade, and I had no employees or elite passengers waiting, my pick would be elderly passengers, someone dressed nicely, or if I saw someone being a kind human in the gate area.’

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Ukraine downs more than 25 drones in latest overnight Russian strikes

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Ukraine downed 26 drones overnight as Russia launched its latest salvo of aerial attacks, a senior Ukrainian military official said on Thursday.

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“On the night of March 28, 2024, the enemy launched a missile air strike against Ukraine using three Kh-22 cruise missiles and an Kh-31P anti-radar missile (from the Black Sea), an S-300 anti-aircraft guided missile (Donetsk) and 28 attack UAVs of the ‘Shahed-136/131’ type”, Mykola Oleshchuk, the head of Ukraine’s air force, wrote on Telegram.

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“Twenty-six attack UAVs of the ‘Shahed-136/131’ type were destroyed within Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions”, he said, without providing details on the missile strikes.

Russia regularly launches air attacks on Ukraine overnight and has escalated the strikes over the past few weeks, targeting key infrastructure, including power stations, in retaliation for fatal bombardments of Russia’s border regions.

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FRANCE 24’s Gulliver Cragg reports from Kyiv



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On Wednesday Russian strikes killed three people in eastern and southern Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Ukraine’s allies to speed up deliveries of warplanes and air defence systems to bolster Kyiv’s air defences.

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 (AFP)

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International

You’re never too old to get an STI! Experts call for over-50s to be taught ‘safe sex’ after rates of gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis in retirement villages soar

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Over-50s should be taught safe sex to combat soaring STIs with rates doubling in the last decade, research suggests.

Rising divorce rates, the emergence of Viagra, dating apps and the growth of retirement villages have combined to mean ‘sexual risk taking is now common among older adults’.

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Rates of disease including gonorrhoea and syphilis have surged by almost a fifth in just four years among UK ‘baby boomers’.

Researchers found that, in England, 31,902 new STIs were recorded in the over 45s in 2015, which rose to 37,692 in 2019 - an increase of 18 per cent

Researchers found that, in England, 31,902 new STIs were recorded in the over 45s in 2015, which rose to 37,692 in 2019 – an increase of 18 per cent

Experts said this is likely an underestimate with embarrassment and lack of access to sexual health services meaning many will not seek help.

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Sex must become ‘normalised’ and part of routine healthcare for older generations, they say, rather than simply focusing on the young.

Professor Justyna Kowalska, of the Medical University of Warsaw, said: ‘People do not become asexual with age.

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‘In fact, with preventive medicine and improved lifestyles people are enjoying a healthy life and sex life for longer.

‘Older people often find greater satisfaction in their sex lives due to experience and known expectations.

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‘We need more role models like Samantha Jones in the TV show Sex and the City to challenge stereotypes around older sexuality.’

In England, 37,692 new STIs were recorded in the over 45s in 2019 compared to 31,902 in 2015 – an increase of 18 per cent.

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The study calls for better sex education in Baby Boomers as rates of diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis in older people are skyrocketing

The study calls for better sex education in Baby Boomers as rates of diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis in older people are skyrocketing

Meanwhile, half of men and almost a third of women aged 70 and over reported being sexually active, in a survey of sexual health in older adults in England.

Similarly, in a Swedish study, 46 per cent of individuals aged 60 years and older reported being sexually active, one in 10 aged 90 and above.

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But for many, a lack of sex education at school, combined with the no risk of unwanted pregnancies, can heighten risky behaviour.

Presenting her findings at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona, Professor Kowalska suggested sex education programmes should be tailored to the over 50s, ensuring any facilities are located within existing community settings.

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She added: ‘Sexual health campaigns are focused on young people and overlook the needs and experiences of those aged 50 and older.

‘Health promotion messages give the impression that condoms and concerns about STIs only apply to young people.

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‘But the dangers of undiagnosed and untreated STIs such as HPV-related cancers and onwards transmission are very real, particularly in this age group who are more likely to have underlying conditions such as heart disease and stroke.’

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International

Blinken and Macron to discuss Ukraine support and Gaza war in Paris talks

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss support for Ukraine during talks in Paris next week with French President Emmanuel Macron, the State Department announced Wednesday.

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France is among the major military suppliers to Ukraine, which is facing an onslaught of Russian attacks.

President Joe Biden‘s request for billions of dollars in new US military aid to Kyiv is held up in the House of Representatives, led by the rival Republican Party.

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“Secretary Blinken will meet with French President Macron to discuss support for Ukraine, efforts to prevent escalation of the conflict in Gaza and a number of other important issues,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

France has advocated for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, whereas the United States, Israel’s main ally, recently let pass a UN Security Council resolution that calls for a ceasefire during the month of Ramadan.

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It will be the first visit in nearly two years to France by Blinken, a fluent French speaker who grew up partly in Paris. Macron paid a state visit to Washington in December 2022.

After Paris, Blinken will head to Brussels for talks of NATO foreign ministers ahead of the alliance’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington in July.

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Blinken will also hold a three-way meeting in Brussels with EU leaders and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has been seeking to branch out from his country’s historic alliance with Russia.

Blinken and the European Union will address “support for Armenia‘s economic resilience as it works to diversify its trade partnerships and to address humanitarian needs,” Miller said.

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Armenia was angered last year by Russia’s failure to prevent Azerbaijan from retaking the Nagorno-Karabakh region from ethnic Armenian rebels.

(AFP)

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International

Deadly Israeli strikes hit Gaza as fierce fighting takes place in north, south

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Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The health ministry does not report how Palestinians were killed, whether from Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages or errant Palestinian rocket fire. It describes all casualties as victims of “Israeli aggression”.

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The ministry also does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. 

Throughout four wars and numerous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, UN agencies have cited the Hamas-run health ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers.

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In the aftermath of war, the UN humanitarian office has published final death tolls based on its own research into medical records. The UN’s counts have largely been consistent with the Gaza health ministry’s, with small discrepancies. 

For more on the Gaza health ministry’s tolls, click here.

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(FRANCE 24 with AP) 

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International

Aussie NBA great Andrew Bogut makes shocking claim about what AFL stars get up to in pubs and clubs: ‘If you’re surprised, you believe Santa Claus is real’

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  • Andrew Bogut was typically blunt on Channel Nine’s Today program
  • Claimed AFL stars dabbling in illegal drugs is nothing new
  • Comes as the AFL has been rocked by illicit drugs scandal
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Australian basketball great Andrew Bogut has claimed that plenty of AFL stars dabble in illegal drugs in Melbourne pubs and nightclubs – and that nobody should be shocked by allegations that the league has covered up positive results.

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It follows the code being rocked on Tuesday after a whistleblowing doctor once employed by the Melbourne Demons revealed allegations of secret illicit drugs tests which saw footy stars able to avoid detection on game days.

Others were allegedly told to fake injuries to avoid testing from World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) representatives.

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Federal MP Andrew Wilkie used his parliamentary privilege to drop the bombshell, with the AFL’s controversial three-strike policy for illicit drugs now firmly in the spotlight.

Speaking on Channel Nine’s Today program on Thursday morning, Bogut was typically blunt when quizzed about the supposed anti-social habits of AFL stars.

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Australian basketball great Andrew Bogut has made the shocking claim that plenty of AFL stars dabble in illegal drugs in Melbourne pubs and nightclubs

Australian basketball great Andrew Bogut has made the shocking claim that plenty of AFL stars dabble in illegal drugs in Melbourne pubs and nightclubs

Bogut's claim follows the AFL being rocked when a whistleblowing doctor revealed allegations of secret illicit drugs tests that enabled footy stars to avoid detection on game days

Bogut’s claim follows the AFL being rocked when a whistleblowing doctor revealed allegations of secret illicit drugs tests that enabled footy stars to avoid detection on game days

The AFL declared it's 'unapologetic' about steps taken to ensure players with illicit substances in their system do not take part in matches (pictured, CEO Andrew Dillon)

The AFL declared it’s ‘unapologetic’ about steps taken to ensure players with illicit substances in their system do not take part in matches (pictured, CEO Andrew Dillon)

Federal MP Andrew Wilkie used his parliamentary privilege to drop the illicit drugs in AFL bombshell (stock image)

Federal MP Andrew Wilkie used his parliamentary privilege to drop the illicit drugs in AFL bombshell (stock image) 

‘If you are surprised [by these revelations] you’d be shocked that Santa Claus isn’t real,’ the NBA championship winner with Golden State Warriors said. 

‘I mean, you know, anyone that’s gone out, anyone that’s gone out in Melbourne and visited nightclubs has seen for themselves what goes on.

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‘Put two and two together.’

Bogut said he has no time for performance-enhancing drug cheats in professional sport and believes those caught should be banned for life.

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He added modern day players indulging in recreational drugs such as cocaine ‘happens at some places’, where if you look hard enough, you can ‘see everything you want to see.’

The father of two wasn’t finished, pointing to Federal Government funding the AFL receives – and that as a result, the ‘code doesn’t want star players getting pinged for drug tests’.

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Bogut’s strong views come as the AFL declared it is ‘unapologetic’ about steps taken to ensure players with illicit substances in their system do not take part in matches.

It evoked a furious reaction from respected AFL identities such as former Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse, Port Adelaide chairman David Koch and Melbourne Demons great Garry Lyon.

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International

Two bodies recovered from submerged truck in Baltimore bridge collapse

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The bodies of two construction workers were found in the cold waters of Baltimore harbor Wednesday, trapped in their red pick-up truck after a giant cargo ship slammed into the bridge they had been filling potholes on, causing a thunderous collapse.

Maryland police announced the grim discovery at a press conference, adding that sonar shows what they believe are more vehicles trapped within the concrete and twisted steel debris of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

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Six of the eight-man construction crew are believed to have been killed, with four bodies yet to be found.

Warning that it was not safe for divers to try to penetrate the wreckage, police told a press conference that they were shifting to a salvage operation, removing the superstructure and then sending divers back in to recover the rest of the bodies.

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“Based on sonar scans, we firmly believe that the vehicles are encased in the superstructure and concrete that we tragically saw come down,” Colonel Roland Butler, the superintendent of Maryland’s state police, told a press conference.

Federal investigators also gave a detailed timeline of the tragedy based on preliminary findings from the ship’s voice data recorder.

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Marcel Muise, lead investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, told a separate press conference that the container ship Dali, about 1,000 feet (300 meters) long and piled high with cargo, left dock at 12:39 am Tuesday en route to Asia.

At 1:24, alarms began sounding on the ship with indications of power trouble and the pilot soon radioed the port authority that the vessel was headed for the bridge, requesting tug boats.

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The call for help was heard by two Maryland Transportation Authority units on the bridge because of the roadwork, and they shut down all lanes of traffic, likely saving lives.

Muise told reporters that at 1:29 the voice data recorder captured “sounds consistent with the collision.”

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Nearly the entire steel structure — crossed by tens of thousands of motorists each day — collapsed within seconds, cascading over the bow of the ship, blocking one of the busiest US trading ports.

There was no chance to evacuate the eight workers filling potholes on the interstate directly above the oncoming ship.

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Butler named the two victims found Wednesday as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, a 35-year-old who had lived in Baltimore but was originally from Mexico, and his 26-year-old colleague Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, who lived in the suburb of Dundalk but came from Guatemala.

They were found in 25 feet of water, he said.

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Two others were pulled from the water alive in the moments after the collapse early Tuesday. One was uninjured, while the second was released from hospital Wednesday, Butler said.

Four more workers are presumed dead, vanished into the swirling currents and crumpled tangle of wrecked girders and pylons.

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‘Hard-working’ men

The vessel, which remained entangled in the debris Wednesday, was “stable,” Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier told reporters at the White House, adding that the mostly Indian crew remained on board and were “very much engaged” in the investigation.

The NTSB said that at the time of the crash there were 23 crew on board including the two pilots.

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The agency said the ship held 56 containers of hazardous materials, some of which were breached after the bridge fell, leaving a sheen on the water.

Gautier insisted the ship did not present an environmental danger. Two other containers — of the total 4,700 — were lost overboard, he said.

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Officials said the missing workers were from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

“They are all hard-working, humble men,” said Jesus Campos, a colleague of the eight workers, all employed by contractor Brawner Builders.

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One of those now presumed dead was father-of-three Miguel Luna, according to the nonprofit Casa, which serves immigrant communities.

Luna, from El Salvador, had left for work at 6:30 pm on Monday and never returned, Casa said.

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His wife, Maria del Carmen Castellon, told Telemundo 44 that she was “devastated” by the wait for any information.

Busy harbor blocked 

The ship had passed two overseas inspections in 2023, the maritime authority for Singapore, where the ship is flagged, said Wednesday, adding that a fault monitor gauge was fixed in June.

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The Port of Baltimore is the ninth-busiest major US port in terms of both foreign cargo handled and foreign cargo value, and is directly responsible for more than 15,000 jobs, supporting almost 140,000 more.

The effect on supply chains “clearly will not be trivial,” US Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, adding it was “too soon” to know when the port might reopen.

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“Rebuilding will not be quick, or easy, or cheap,” he cautioned.

(AFP)

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