'Captain Tom,' 99, raises $15m for NHS as he completes garden challenge - CNN

Moore walked the last 10 lengths of his garden on Thursday morning, aided by a walking frame.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment gave Moore a guard of honor as he completed the final lap.

Moore began the fundraiser on April 8, initially hoping to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together, which raises funds for UK hospitals, including for staff, volunteers and patients affected by the coronavirus crisis.

More than 648,000 individual donations had been made to his JustGiving page at the time of writing, topping £12.7 million ($15.8 million).

Ellie Orton, chief executive of NHS Charities Together, said Moore was a "true inspiration" and thanked those who had donated.

"What he has achieved in bringing people together, and highlighting the appeal, has been remarkable," Orton said in a statement.

Originally from Yorkshire, northern England, Moore now lives with his daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren in Bedfordshire, southeast England, following the death of his wife in 2006.

Moore, who will turn 100 later this month, trained as a civil engineer before being enlisted in the British Army during World War II, where he served in India, Indonesia and Britain. He later became the managing director of a concrete manufacturer.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Thursday he was "inspired" by Moore's efforts.

"He has served his country in the past and he's serving his country now," Hancock told BBC Breakfast TV Thursday. "We all need a bit of cheering up sometimes."

Moore's daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, told CNN earlier this week that her father had been exercising daily following a recent partial hip replacement and she suggested he challenge himself to do it daily in order to raise funds.

Ingram-Moore told CNN that her father was "a hard worker and a grafter" and that he had been "floored" by the donations.

In a statement from the UK's Ministry of Defence, Maj Ian Atkins, officer commanding the troops in the guard of honor, said: "The soldiers, standing apart and yet together in support of Captain Tom, couldn't be prouder to count him as one of their own, and we thank him from the bottom of our hearts for his service to the country, and now his achievements in the name of the NHS.

"The British Army, the NHS and the whole nation has been behind him every step of the way."

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2020-04-16 14:24:46Z
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'Captain Tom,' 99, raises $15m for NHS as he completes garden challenge - CNN

Moore walked the last 10 lengths of his garden on Thursday morning, aided by a walking frame.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment gave Moore a guard of honor as he completed the final lap.

Moore began the fundraiser on April 8, initially hoping to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together, which raises funds for UK hospitals, including for staff, volunteers and patients affected by the coronavirus crisis.

More than 648,000 individual donations had been made to his JustGiving page at the time of writing, topping £12.7 million ($15.8 million).

Ellie Orton, chief executive of NHS Charities Together, said Moore was a "true inspiration" and thanked those who had donated.

"What he has achieved in bringing people together, and highlighting the appeal, has been remarkable," Orton said in a statement.

Originally from Yorkshire, northern England, Moore now lives with his daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren in Bedfordshire, southeast England, following the death of his wife in 2006.

Moore, who will turn 100 later this month, trained as a civil engineer before being enlisted in the British Army during World War II, where he served in India, Indonesia and Britain. He later became the managing director of a concrete manufacturer.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Thursday he was "inspired" by Moore's efforts.

"He has served his country in the past and he's serving his country now," Hancock told BBC Breakfast TV Thursday. "We all need a bit of cheering up sometimes."

Moore's daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, told CNN earlier this week that her father had been exercising daily following a recent partial hip replacement and she suggested he challenge himself to do it daily in order to raise funds.

Ingram-Moore told CNN that her father was "a hard worker and a grafter" and that he had been "floored" by the donations.

In a statement from the UK's Ministry of Defence, Maj Ian Atkins, officer commanding the troops in the guard of honor, said: "The soldiers, standing apart and yet together in support of Captain Tom, couldn't be prouder to count him as one of their own, and we thank him from the bottom of our hearts for his service to the country, and now his achievements in the name of the NHS.

"The British Army, the NHS and the whole nation has been behind him every step of the way."

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2020-04-16 11:33:49Z
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North Korean defector wins seat in South Korean parliament - Fox News

A former senior North Korean diplomat won a constituency seat in South Korea’s parliamentary elections, the first such achievement among tens of thousands of North Koreans who have fled their authoritarian, impoverished homeland.

Thae Yong Ho, a former minister at the North Korean Embassy in London who resettled in South Korea with his family in 2016, was elected as a lawmaker representing a district in Seoul’s most affluent Gangnam neighborhood, internationally known for rapper PSY’s 2012 hit song, “Gangnam Style.”

“Republic of Korea (South Korea) is my motherland. Gangnam is my hometown,” an emotional Thae said at his campaigning office. “I thank you (Gangnam residents) for selecting me to become the first (defector) from North Korea to win a constituency ... I’ll only uphold your order and work hard.”

NORTH KOREA HAS FIRED SUSPECTED CRUISE MISSILES, SOUTH KOREA SAYS

Thae later bowed deeply and waved his hands with his fingers making V signs. Tears welled in his eyes when Thae started singing South Korea’s national anthem with his supporters.

Thae Yong Ho, former North Korean diplomat, who defected to South Korea in 2016 and a candidate of the main opposition United Future Party, wipes his tear after he was certain to secure victory in the parliamentary elections in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, April 16, 2020. Thae on Thursday won a constituency seat in South Korea’s parliamentary elections, the first such achievement among tens of thousands of North Koreans who have fled their authoritarian, impoverished homeland. (Shin Jun-hee/Yonhap via AP)

Thae ran on the ticket of the main conservative opposition United Future Party, which has called for a harder line on North Korea’s nuclear ambition and its record of widespread human rights abuses.

North Korea wasn’t a main issue for Wednesday's elections, which were overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. The ruling liberal Democratic Party, which espouses rapprochement with North Korea, won landslide victories as South Korea's virus infections slow.

NORTH KOREA GETTING $900G TO FIGHT CORONAVIRUS FROM WHO DESPITE CLAIMING NO CASES

Before the elections, Thae said he decided to run for a parliamentary seat to help South Koreans understand the true nature of North Korea and map a better unification policy. He has said his election would also give hope to North Koreans suffering from the North’s harshness.

Another North Korean defector who became a South Korean lawmaker was a proportional representative of a party, rather than being elected from a district.

It’s unusual for a member of the North’s ruling elite to defect to South Korea. About 33,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea in the past two decades, but most were rural residents escaping poverty.

Thae has said he decided to flee because he didn’t want his children to live “miserable” lives in North Korea and he fell into “despair” after watching North Korean leader Kim Jong Un execute officials and pursue development of nuclear weapons.

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North Korea has called Thae “human scum” and accused him of embezzling government money and committing other crimes.

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2020-04-16 10:23:43Z
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Coronavirus: Capt Tom Moore finishes NHS fundraiser as it tops £12m - BBC News

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A 99-year-old war veteran has walked 100 laps of his garden to raise more than £12m for the NHS.

Captain Tom Moore originally wanted to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together by completing laps of his garden before his 100th birthday.

But he smashed his target after more than 640,000 people made donations to his fundraising page.

As he finished the challenge, he said: "I feel fine, I hope you're all feeling fine too."

Capt Tom told the BBC earlier that the total amount raised so far was "an absolutely fantastic sum of money".

"I never dreamt I would be involved in such an occasion as this," he said at the end of his final lap.

By 11:00 BST, Capt Tom's JustGiving page, which temporarily crashed shortly after he finished the challenge, was showing donations of more than £12.5m.

His daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore said: "We are absolutely floored by what has been achieved but we're so happy, so humbled and so proud.

"He's a beacon of hope in dark times and I think we all need something like this to believe in and it's for such an amazing cause."

'Extraordinary'

Capt Tom began raising funds to thank the "magnificent" NHS staff who helped him with treatment for cancer and a broken hip.

With the aid of a walking frame, he completed 100 laps of the 25-metre (82ft) loop in his garden in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, in 10-lap chunks well before his birthday on 30 April.

Tributes and messages of congratulations have poured in from politicians, celebrities and NHS workers.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak, said what he had done was "extraordinary" and "showed that the British spirit was as strong as it's ever been", while Brig Andrew Jackson, colonel of the Yorkshire Regiment, described Capt Tom as "an absolute legend" who came from "an exceptional generation that are still an inspiration for our Yorkshire soldiers today".

Celebrity judge Judy Sheindlin described the 99-year-old as "remarkable" while former F1 champion Damon Hill congratulated him on the "brilliant idea and for pulling it off".

Nurses on Ward 4 at the Royal University Hospital said: "Thank you so much for all your efforts and how much money you've raised for the NHS."

Capt Tom also received a special message from actor and singer Michael Ball, who described the challenge as "an extraordinary achievement" and sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" to him live on BBC Breakfast.

'It will all be right'

Shortly after he finished the fundraiser, the retired soldier had words of advice for the nation about coping with the coronvirus lockdown.

"You've all got to remember that we will get through it in the end, it will all be right," he said.

"For all those people finding it difficult at the moment, the sun will shine on you again and the clouds will go away."

More than 600,000 people from around the world have donated money to the fundraising page since it was set up last week.

Capt Tom, who is originally from Keighley in West Yorkshire, trained as a civil engineer before enlisting in the Army for World War Two, rising to captain and serving in India and Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Calls for him to receive a knighthood have gathered momentum and a petition has been signed by almost 2,000 people so far.

"It would be marvellous to have such an honour but I don't expect anything like that," Capt Tom said.

NHS Charities Together, which support health service charities and will benefit from the funds, said it was "truly inspired and humbled" by his efforts.

Chairman, Ian Lush, said about 150 charities would benefit from the money.

"It's extraordinary to see the amount of money and the outpouring of goodwill towards the NHS and towards all the NHS charities who will take good care with the money that he's raising," he said.

JustGiving confirmed it is the largest total ever raised in a single campaign on its site and it had itself donated £100,000 to Capt Tom's "amazing campaign".

"This is the largest donation JustGiving has ever made," a spokeswoman said.

"[The campaign is] the largest total raised on JustGiving, the fastest growing campaign on the platform and has attracted donations and media coverage from around the world."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk

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2020-04-16 08:56:10Z
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US Navy claims Iran's Navy taunts ships in Persian Gulf - Fox News

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Six US Navy warships conducting drills with US Army Apache attack helicopters in international waters off Iran Wednesday were repeatedly harassed by 11 Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Navy vessels, the US Navy’s 5th Fleet reported.

IRAN SUSPECTED OF SEIZING, RELEASING HONG KONG-FLAGGED TANKER NEAR STRAIT OF HORMUZ

The Iranian ships repeatedly crossed in front and behind the U.S. vessels at extremely close range and high speeds, including multiple crossings of one ship, the Puller, with a 50-yard closest point of approach and within 10 yards of another ship, the Maui's, bow, a 5th Fleet statement said.

Six US Navy vessels conducting drills with US Army Apache attack helicopters in international waters off Iran Wednesday were repeatedly harassed by 11 Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Navy vessels, the US Navy’s 5th Fleet reported. (5th Fleet, US Navy Photo)

The U.S. crews responded to the infractions by issuing multiple warnings via radio – including five short blasts from the ships' horns and long-range acoustic noise maker devices, but received no response from the IRGCN, the statement said.

After approximately an hour, the Iranian vessels finally responded to the radio queries, before maneuvering away from the U.S. ships and increasing the distance between them, the 5th Fleet reported.

FEINSTEIN URGES TRUMP TO REVERSE PLAN TO BLOCK IRAN REQUEST FOR $5B IN IMF AID, CLAIMS IT IS IN ‘OUR NATIONAL INTEREST’

Besides the Puller and Maui, the Navy reported the following ships were involved in the exercises: USS Paul Hamilton, USS Firebolt, USS Sirocco and USCGC Wrangell.

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The Navy statement said the Iranian's dangerous and provocative actions “increased the risk of miscalculation and collision” and were in violation of international maritime “rules of the road” as well as not in accordance with international law to act safely with other vessels in the area.

The U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Marines and Army have been conducting joint interoperability operations in the North Arabian Gulf since late March.

Fox News' Louis Tomlinson contributed to this report.

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2020-04-16 07:44:04Z
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WHO boss Tedros says he’ll face coronavirus inquiry, vows to ‘learn’ from deadly ordeal - Fox News

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Facing global scrutiny and the potential loss of hundreds of millions in funding from the United States, the embattled leader of the World Health Organization said Wednesday his performance in combatting the coronavirus pandemic will be assessed “in due course.”

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Ethiopian politician who has led the United Nations-backed health body as director-general since July 2017, added he intends to “learn” from the outbreak that as of early Thursday had sickened more than 2 million people worldwide and killed more than 130,000.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Tedros said he would be subjected to a public inquiry once the global crisis of COVID-19 has passed, Sky News of Australia reported.

SOURCES BELIEVE CORONAVIRUS ORIGINATED IN WUHAN LAB AS PART OF CHINA'S EFFORTS TO COMPETE WITH US

“In due course, WHO’s performance in tackling this pandemic will be reviewed by WHO’s member states and the independent bodies that are in place, to ensure transparency and accountability. This is part of the usual process put in place by our member states,” Tedros said.

"In due course, WHO’s performance in tackling this pandemic will be reviewed by WHO’s member states and the independent bodies that are in place, to ensure transparency and accountability."

— WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

“No doubt areas of improvement will be identified,” he added, “and there will be lessons for all of us to learn. But for now my focus is on stopping this virus.”

Tedros, 55, has come under fire, particularly in the United States, over the global spread of the virus, which has infected people across the globe in recent weeks after being largely confined to China in January. Critics have accused Tedros and the WHO of allowing China to underreport the impact of the virus in that country, thus hindering other nations’ ability to prepare for its spread.

"No doubt areas of improvement will be identified and there will be lessons for all of us to learn."

— WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Since then, the U.S. has become the nation hardest-hit by the virus, suffering more than 600,000 cases and nearly 27,000 deaths as of early Thursday.

On Tuesday, President Trump announced the U.S. would immediately halt its funding of the WHO, saying the global body had placed “political correctness over lifesaving measures.” Trump said the U.S. contributes roughly $400 million to $500 million to the WHO each year while China chips in about $40 million.

"We have deep concerns over whether America's generosity has been put to the best use possible," Trump added, accusing the WHO of failing to adequately keep the international community apprised of the threat of the coronavirus.

"We have deep concerns over whether America's generosity has been put to the best use possible."

— President Trump

"The WHO failed in this duty, and must be held accountable," Trump continued. He said the WHO had ignored "credible information" in December 2019 that the virus could be transmitted from human to human.

A British study found that if WHO had asked countries to close their borders one week sooner, as many as two-thirds of the deaths would not have happened, Sky News reported.

On Wednesday, Tedros told reporters he hoped the U.S. would reconsider its decision to halt funding, calling the U.S. a “longstanding and generous friend” of the organization but said the WHO would evaluate the potential impact of the loss of U.S. support and “work with our partners to fill any financial gaps we face and ensure our work continues uninterrupted.”

Republicans in Congress have also targeted Tedros from criticism.

Last week a group of GOP members of the House Oversight Committee wrote to Tedros, demanding that he disclose the precise nature of his relationship with Chinese officials.

“Throughout the crisis, the WHO has shied away from placing any blame on the Chinese government, which is in essence the Communist Party of China,” the Republicans wrote. “You, as leader of the WHO, even went so far as to praise the Chinese government’s ‘transparency’ during the crisis, when, in fact, the regime has consistently lied to the world by underreporting their actual infection and death statistics.”

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Other Republicans who have spoken out against Tedros’ leadership have included Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., and Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz.

Tedros is also the target of a petition on Change.org calling for his resignation. As of early Thursday the petition had more than 960,000 signatures.

Fox News' Gregg Re and Barnini Chakraborty contributed to this story.

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2020-04-16 06:16:14Z
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Seventeen bodies found piled into small morgue at NJ’s largest nursing home complex: report - New York Daily News

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2020-04-16 02:35:02Z
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