54 migrants rescued from oil platform, where one woman gave birth
Over 50 migrants were headed to the Italian island of Lampedusa Sunday after a charity ship rescued them from an abandoned oil platform in the Mediterranean, where one woman gave birth, according to a rescue group.
The vessel Astral, operated by the Spain-based NGO Open Arms, rescued the 54 people overnight, the group said in a statement.
The migrants had been trapped on the oil platform for three days after their rubber boat shipwrecked following their departure from Libya on Tuesday, Open Arms said.
On Friday, one of the migrants gave birth to a boy, while another woman had given birth days before. Two other young children were among the group, Open Arms said.
The group released images on social media, showing rescuers helping transfer the migrants from the oil platform to the Astral.
Later Sunday, the charity said that, following the rescue of those on the oil platform, the Astral came upon another 109 people, including four people in the water.
That group, which included 10 children, had also departed from Libya, it said.
Open Arms said they provided life jackets to the migrants before they were rescued by another charity ship, the Louise Michel, which is sponsored by street artist Banksy.
The Louise Michel, a former French navy vessel, was transporting the migrants from Lampedusa to a safe port in Sicily, Open Arms said.
The Italian island has been the sight of migrant tragedies before. In December, more than 40 migrants were feared dead off Lampedusa after a lone 11-year-old survivor said the boat she was on capsized, according to the rescue group Compass Collective.
It is not unusual for migrants crossing the Mediterranean on leaky and overcrowded boats to seek refuge on offshore oil platforms.
As of June 1, some 23,000 migrants had reached Italy by sea this year, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Earlier this year, Spanish coastguards rescued a baby that was born on an inflatable vessel carrying migrants to the Canary Islands. The newborn was recovered safely along with their mother on Monday, the coastguard service said in a message on social media.
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Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Parties and proclamations: Juneteenth across the diaspora
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In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation, which abolished slavery in the states that had seceded during the civil war, though slavery was abolished nationwide when the 13th amendment was ratified on 6 December 1865. News of the proclamation spread varyingly. Some southern enslavers attempted to outrun the order and the Union soldiers who brought news of it, moving the people they had enslaved farther and farther west until the army caught up with them. In Galveston, Texas, it was not until 19 June 1865 that people who were enslaved found out about the declaration. News of that freedom was enshrined in Juneteenth, celebrated annually by Galvestonians and nearby Houstonians. While Juneteenth has become the most famous emancipation celebration, it is far from the only one. 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Whenever and wherever slavery was abolished, formerly enslaved people observed and celebrated the day – this is consistent across the African diaspora. I knew about Emancipation Day festivities in the Caribbean and in Canada, for example, though they are different from those in the US, but I didn't know such celebrations extended to the northern US. In Massachusetts, Emancipation Day, also known as Quock Walker Day, is on 8 July. Quock Walker, born in 1753, sued for and won his freedom in 1781. His case is considered to have helped abolish slavery in Massachusetts. In New York State, the Fifth of July was first celebrated in 1827, an event first held the day after full emancipation was achieved there. After the British empire ended slavery in 1838, many areas in the north began to observe 1 August. 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For Isom, Juneteenth can become a day that the entire country comes together to celebrate freedom, while communities' specific emancipation celebrations can be hyper-local and hyper-specific. 'Even in [places] where there's not necessarily many Black folks at all, they're having the Juneteenth events,' he says. 'And so the local celebrations – like for here, 8 August or 22 September – that's where I feel like communities can showcase and celebrate their own cultures and traditions around Emancipation Day. We need both.' To receive the complete version of The Long Wave in your inbox every Wednesday, please subscribe here.
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
New program at Anderson Humane in South Elgin lets you ‘try out' a pet before you adopt
A new program at the Anderson Humane animal shelter lets people take a potential pet for a 'test drive' before formally adopting them. Foster to Adopt is a win-win for all involved, said Dean Daubert, CEO of the South Elgin-based nonprofit. The pet gets to live with a family rather than in a cage at the shelter, the shelter has more space to take in another animal and the foster family has time to make sure the cat or dog is a good fit for them. The deal sweetener for those who are part of the program is they get first pick of the animals that come into the shelter, Daubert said. 'Many large organizations have foster-to-adopt programs,' he said. 'It's a great way for folks that want to try a dog or a cat in their home first. (They) aren't sure whether it's going to be a good fit (so they) get to try it out and fall in love with an animal. 'We've taken it a step further and have said, why don't we let folks know which animals are coming into the shelter and hopefully divert them from ever having to spend a night in the shelter.' The program started June 1, and so far they've had one animal placed in a home through the initiative. The goal is to get the word out to people who might be interested in adoption. They can take 'advantage of fostering and seeing if the animal is right for them before they adopt,' he said. Anderson posts photos of available animals on its website, and every animal gets a vet exam before being sent to a foster home, Daubert said. If someone ends up adopting a foster animal, Anderson covers the the cost of the initial set of required vaccines and spaying/neutering. Adoption fees range from $75 to $400, Daubert said. While the program is new, it's not unheard of for a foster family to adopt a pet to whom they initially thought they were giving a temporary home. 'They hadn't planned to adopt at first but they … fell in love with their (animal) during the foster period,' Daubert said. Bartlett couple Kim and Jim Saxton did just that, Kim Saxton said. They initially agreed to take in Jenny — now called Yennifer — between November 2023 to January 2024 so the dog didn't have to stay in the shelter over the holidays, she said. 'Our sons visited from Phoenix and Portland and met her at Christmas. Everyone loved her,' Saxton said. '(The dog) charmed everyone she met so we decided to adopt her in late January 2024.' What her family did can be seen as a prototype for the program Anderson has started, Saxton said. When someone lets a pet into their home, the animal has time to decompress and show its personality and the family gets to see if it fits into their day-to-day life, she said. 'It's so much better for the animal to be out of the noise of the shelter,' Saxton said. 'People looking for a way to help should consider fostering. It helps the animal and clears a space at the shelter for another animal to get saved.' Kelly Rakunas, of St. Charles, has been Anderson Humane's volunteer engagement coordinator for two years. Her family, which includes husband Eric and sons Charlie, Bryce and Mack, had fostered older dogs for several years before taking in a puppy last October, she said. One month later, they wound up adopting Wiggles. 'She turned out to be the missing piece to our family,' Rakunas said. Rakunas agreed with Saxton assessment — Foster to Adopt program is a great way to find out if pet ownership is for you and if one particular animal fits in with your family. 'It allows a pet to be away from a shelter and allows people to see if a pet is the right fit for them. It's a win-win situation,' Rakunas said. For more information on the Foster to Adopt program, go to or call 847-697-2880.
Business Insider
a day ago
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I moved 22 hours away to start a new job. A couple I met by chance took me in, and now they're like family to me.
When thinking about family, whether they are distant relatives or close loved ones, we rarely would consider outsiders, let alone strangers. But that hasn't been my experience. While it may sound like a lot of work, making new genuine connections can be easy; sometimes it's as simple as finding a common interest with a person. As random as it might sound, that's exactly how I was able to meet a lovely couple at a cable store in Nebraska. For someone who had just moved 1,500 miles away from my hometown of Virginia to work as a journalist for the local news station, the last thing I ever expected I'd do is talk to strangers. But in retrospect, everyone was a stranger, including my new coworkers. Leaving my family was harder than I expected After a 22-hour drive from Virginia Beach to Kearney, my parents and I had finally made it to our destination, and all that I could think about the entire way, as we reached each city limit sign was "What have I done?" My parents were about to drop me off in the middle of nowhere. "Why aren't they stopping me?" I thought as we got closer. It was bittersweet — celebrating a huge accomplishment, stepping into my career, all while getting emotional at each restaurant during the road trip. It wasn't until then that I realized the importance of spending time with family. The smallest things made me cry: watching my dad go up to the breakfast buffet at Shoney's for seconds and thirds, and seeing my mom ask for French vanilla coffee creamer. I contemplated telling them just to take me back home, but I had to commit to my decision. We worked together to get me settled in my new town Picking up my keys from the apartment leasing office seemed to be the only thing that could cheer me up — sure, I was sad, but who wouldn't feel accomplished moving out of their parents' house? They were set to fly back home that following Monday, so helping me get settled was our main goal for the next few days. Everywhere we went, it felt as though we stood out as a Black family in Kearney. But like most talkative dads, mine didn't care, and he'd have small talk about sports with random people to get a feel of the environment. Setting up my cable service was a priority. Little did I know, it would be a turning point for me. As we were choosing cable plans, my dad started chatting with a white couple who were also setting up their services. They began telling us the ins and outs of living there — helpful information that I needed to know. A few people shared insights with me on the area, but to hear it from actual residents made a huge difference. As a Black woman in her early 20s moving to a strange place, the couple made me feel welcome. They were aware that I relocated for work and shared that their daughter had also just moved for college, so we had something in common. Assuming that the connection was just a one-off situation where I'd never hear from them again, they proved me wrong. My mom and the man's wife became Facebook friends, which made me even more comfortable with the idea of reaching out. After all, the connection was completely normal, just two mothers posting about how much they love their kids. Eventually, our relationship blossomed After months of living in Kearney, finally accepting that I needed a wholesome bond to make me feel at home, I decided to take the couple up on an offer to go to church together. And there I was on a Sunday morning with people I met at a cable store. Was I nervous? Of course. But about 20 minutes into the service, it hit me that there are genuinely good people in the world. So when they invited me out for brunch afterwards, there was no hesitation in my mind — I even rode with them to the restaurant. On the ride, they shared more details about the area, helping me to become more acquainted with my environment. They made me feel comfortable, and at home, something I needed at the time. Since moving back to Virginia, our relationship has been limited to Facebook updates, but at least I know that I will always have family in Nebraska.
