Latest news with #Hercules
Morocco World
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
Morocco to Send Further Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza
Rabat – Morocco reportedly seeks to send more humanitarian aid to Gaza, asking Israel to allow the aid to enter the Palestinian enclave, which has been subjected to a starvation war and genocide since October 2023. Israel Hayom reported today that King Mohammed VI previously asked Benjamin Netanyahu to allow humanitarian assistance to enter Gaza from Morocco. 'Morocco wants to fly in aid, mainly food, to Ben-Gurion Airport and then transport it by truck to the Kerem Shalom crossing,' the news outlet added. It added that the request has been discussed by Israel's National Security Council to review the feasibility of Morocco's request. The plan reportedly involves the eighth Hercules transport fleet. If confirmed, the news will further reflect Morocco's ongoing commitment to the humanitarian campaign for Gaza. In July, Bayt Mal Al Quds Asharif agency implemented the third phase of Morocco's humanitarian aid campaign, which includes a variety of fresh vegetables among other supplies. In June 2024, Morocco's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said King Mohammed VI had sent urgent directives to deploy a medical aid operation for the people in Gaza. The aid package included 40 tons of medical supplies, with the aim of addressing medical needs amid the IOF's genocide. In March of the same year, Morocco also sent 40 tons of humanitarian aid to alleviate the situation in Gaza. The North African kingdom has consistently called for the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave, as well as the lifting of the blockade and an immediate ceasefire to halt Israel's genocidal war. People have been starving to death as Israel troops continue their relentless attacks on Palestinian homes. According to converging reports, famine has so far killed at least 154 Palestinians, including many children. In the past 24 hours alone, seven people, including a child, succumbed to starvation. To date, a total of 89 children have died of starvation. Tags: Children killed in Gazahumanitarian aid
India.com
15 hours ago
- India.com
These 5 beautiful cities were swallowed by Sea, they submerged due to…, their names are...
These 5 beautiful cities were swallowed by Sea, they submerged due to…, their names are… Submerged Cities: As scientists are going deeper in the sea, more interesting revelations are happening. Ancient cities were found that were submerged in the sea. The actual reason behind the submerging of these cities is still a mystery that has to be solved. Do you know which ancient cities were submerged? These cities have now disappeared into the depths of history, whose stories are shocking. Here are top five ancient cities that got submerged with time. Baia Italian city Baia was once known for its hot springs and luxurious palaces. This was the favourite city of Roman kings. But Baia faced the nature's fury and sank under the sea due to continues volcanic activities. People perform scuba diving to see the remains of the city. Thonis-Heraklion The Egyptian city was famous for its trade and religious faith. It is a belief that It is said that Hercules set foot in Egypt from here. But with time the city was submerged in water due to change in direction of the river, which led to soil erosion. Derwent Once a beautiful city in England, now buried under water. Derwent was not submerged by a natural disaster, but it was deliberately submerged. In 1930s, when cities felt the increasing need for water, Derwent was sacrificed to build a reservoir. It is still visible, but only when the reservoir dries up. Villa Epecuen Villa Epecuen was famous far and wide for its clean water. Due to a massive flood in 1985, the entire city was submerged in 10 meters deep sea water. When the water receded after 25 years in 2009, its remains became visible again. Port Royal This Jamaican city, in the 17th century, was infamous for pirates and black businesses. In 1692, a massive earthquake jolted the city and a tsunami swallowed it in no time. This city is still hidden in the depths of the sea with its dark history.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The West End Hercules is full of wit and energy – but Hades stole the show
I WAS swept headfirst into Ancient Greece like a thunderbolt from Zeus himself - straight into a world of gods, grandeur and glittering choruses. Inspired by the iconic '90s cartoon, this modern revamp of Disney's Hercules was a visual feast packed with sass, sparkle and out-of-this-world vocals. 8 8 8 It's got laugh-out-loud comedy, whip-smart one-liners, and enough feel-good vibes to make even Hades crack a smile. It's a mythological mash-up bursting with energy, attitude and family-friendly fun - no matter your age, you'll leave grinning like Hercules after lifting Mount Olympus one-handed. It had all the songs you loved from the original film - plus fresh new tunes that hit harder than Hades' mood swings. While the show bursts with insane vocals and dazzling visuals - it's the villain who steals the limelight. With a devilish grin, razor-sharp one-liners and show-stopping swagger, Hades lights up the stage like the underworld on fire. Hades gave full pantomime villain - and I was living for it The sass, the sneers, the deliciously devilish energy - it all reminded me of another Disney icon: Scar from The Lion King. You know, the shady uncle with the silky voice, major superiority complex and a flair for the dramatic. So when I clocked that the actor Stephen Carile once played Scar on Broadway, it all made sense – the evil excellence was second nature. Sure, I missed the classic flaming blue hair - but the menacing energy was spot on and he owned that stage! The actor took Hades to a whole new level – becoming the ultimate scene-stealing baddie we love to hate. From the moment the Muses belted their first note - I was hooked Those talented ladies lit up the stage with god-tier vocals, sparkling stage presence and storytelling. They delivered powerhouse performances packed with soul, sass and serious talent. You felt like witnessing something truly magical. Pure vocal perfection - and easily the highlight of the whole night. Meanwhile, Hercules (Luke Brady) had the god-like charm and vocals to match - but let's just say emotional depth wasn't exactly his superpower. Meg (Mae Ann Jorolan), on the other hand, was a total scene-stealer. She brought back all the iconic sass we loved from the original - but dialled it up with killer sarcasm and added one-liners about dating that had the crowd howling. The sets were bigger and bolder than you can imagine They whisk you from the moody depths of the underworld to a rose garden so romantic it would make Cupid blush. It was a full-blown visual feast – a riot of colour, dazzling lights and eye-popping textures. The special effects were pure magic as mythical beasts were brought to life. And the character costumes? On point. Hera finally gets her moment Unlike the film - where she barely gets a word in - the stage version lets the queen of the gods strut her stuff. Dressed to slay, she delivers some brilliant banter with Zeus and even dishes out the advice that sets her son Hercules back on track. About time, eh? Meanwhile, Zeus is as helpful as a sunbed in the Sahara. Why not 5 stars? As a Disney superfan, I love it when an adaptation is faithful to the original story, but there were a couple of major moments from the animated classic that were nowhere to be seen in the stage show. Some of the magic got left behind - including the flying favourite Pegasus. The mythical winged horse is a huge part of the 1997 film, and I was hoping to see him soar above the stage. But no such luck. Sure, I get that it's tricky - but Wicked manages to levitate a broom, and Back To The Future has a flying DeLorean. They could've made it work. Also missing? The epic Titans battle, which was completely scrapped - despite being one of the film's most jaw-dropping sequences. It would've been a visual knockout - but instead, it felt like the show fizzled out just when it should've peaked. So, if you're expecting every magical moment from the film, prepare to be a little underwhelmed. The plot also felt a little rushed - sprinting through scenes faster than Hermes on a caffeine high. Although it was action-packed and bursting with brilliant one-liners, there was barely a second to breathe – or laugh – before we were hurtling into the next big moment. The pace was so full-on, I was scared to blink in case I missed something golden. The story missed those quiet, soul-searching moments where the characters could reflect and reveal more of their inner worlds. Still, if you like your theatre like a double espresso - quick, punchy and full of flavour - this one's for you. Disney might've hit pause on their live-action remakes, but thankfully, that rule doesn't apply to gods or stage shows - because Hercules was an absolute musical feast for the ears and eyes. Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London ★★★★ 8 8 8 8 8
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
This trickle of aid is down to the public, not our hard-hearted PM
Some aid was delivered by landing the Hercules on dirt strips. About half was delivered by air drop: flying 15ft above the ground and pushing pallets of grain out of the rear door. Both methods carried significant risk to both the starving on the ground and to the aircrew, and neither could deliver more than a few truckloads of aid each day. But both delivered much more aid than para drop could. Delivering aid by air is difficult, dangerous and extremely expensive; it's appropriate only when there is no other option. In Gaza, the so-called safe area of Al-Mawasi is only 10 miles by road from the Rafah crossing from Egypt; just north of Gaza is a major Israeli port with road access to Gaza just a few miles away. This is one of the worst aspects of the famine in Gaza: unlike in Ethiopia, where access to the famine areas was extremely difficult, in Gaza there is a mountain of aid sitting close by, but kept inaccessible by Israel's actions. The fact that Benjamin Netanyahu is now allowing a trickle of aid into [[Gaza]] is a sign that international pressure on his government has an effect. Most of the pressure here has come from the public and I'm grateful to [[The Herald]], BBC and other media outlets for giving voice to the outrage and despair felt by so many. It's a pity the UK Government is too timid to challenge [[Israel]]. It appears that Mrs Thatcher was more compassionate and more of a leader than Sir Keir Starmer. Doug Maughan, Dunblane. • Instead of the ineffective, totally inadequate, dangerous and distracting air drop of aid, I would suggest that there should be an air drop of EU and UN troops who could then securely – and peacefully – ensure safe passage for the recognised international agencies to deliver the aid waiting at the Gaza border. It's time to call a decisive halt to the atrocities this Israeli Government is perpetrating and to show we mean business by meaningful action. Our Government's mealy-mouthed words won't save lives. William Thomson, Denny. Read more letters William Thomson, Denny. An appalling juxtaposition It is beyond words that the people who knew suffering, as no others did, should starve to death their neighbours – babies, children, mothers, young and old. It is, in fact, beyond comprehension unless you know that the government of [[Israel]] wants the land of Palestine, [[Gaza]], for itself as it always has. It needs the land devoid of population – hence the genocide. All the while, it's mantra has been 'Israel has the right to self-defence'. Since when did starving children, babies, war-weary mothers create a threat to Israel? Sadly, Israel will now go down in history, not for what its people suffered but for the suffering they have inflicted on their neighbours and by their side, Israel's allies, the US and the UK are a party to the war crimes Israel has committed. [[Gaza]] is a wasteland. Its people have been decimated with 60,000 dead and meanwhile Donald Trump plays golf in Scotland and [[Keir Starmer]] and John Swinney drop in for a chat. The juxtaposition of these colliding worlds and the reality of those in Gaza, who are literally starving to death is, indeed, beyond words. Flora Komori, Edinburgh. Onus now on both sides I recently listened to a very moving and blunt speech made by the late former Labour minister Gerald Kaufman in 2009 on the Israel-Hamas conflict. It must have taken a lot of courage to come out and condemn the actions of the side that you effectively belong to. We need more people like him, from both sides, to start speaking out properly and we need a more forceful input from the UN. The first steps are glaringly obvious and must happen immediately to enable proper talks to start. Hamas must release all hostages and the Israelis must cease bombings and allow the food and water supplies to be distributed, immediately. My empathy with Jewish people following the Holocaust is burnt into my soul. As a boy in the 1950s it was truly horrendous to see footage of the camps and realise a so-called civilised nation could carry out the atrocities on such a huge scale over such a short period of time, without any intervention from neighbouring countries. The pictures of starving children in Gaza is the final straw and must surely move all of the western and neighbouring Arab governments to focus on helping to put an end to this horrendous war. They have the means, they need the will to do it now. John Gilligan, Ayr. Thank you, Scotland I would like to applaud the Scottish people for their visible stand against the visit of US President Donald Trump. He is not the type of person that I like representing me as a citizen of the United States. We are better than that. I have never been able to figure out how so many people here could possibly think that he would make a good president. He lies, he cheats, he's a misogynist and a racist. For a country that was supposedly made great by its diversity and equity, he has dismantled every DEI initiative ever put in place. And now he's threatening to defund one of the greatest universities in the world over 'antisemitism'. Being pro-Palestinian has nothing to do with being against the Jewish people. It's about being against the genocide of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government. Donald Trump is fully supportive of Benjamin Netanyahu's government. He is in fact, just a terrible person. Thank you, Scotland, for your unwelcoming stance towards the worst president in US history. Su Joffrion, Grand Junction, Colorado, USA. Former Labour minster Gerald Kaufman (Image: PA) Wind power no benefit to Scotland I am in favour of renewables power, but Alan Simpson has a valid point about the proliferation of onshore wind farms in Scotland ("Rural Scots are right, it is time to pause onshore wind farms. There are more than enough already", The Herald, July 28). Scotland led the way on renewables, especially wind, and for many of us Scots it pointed toward a future of a self-sufficiency of cheaper home-grown power. Given the demise of regional electricity pricing, there is now zero benefit in this for Scotland and the whole thing seems to have been taken over by England's energy needs. Scots will also have to pay extra for the nuclear generators being planned for England. How will the foreign energy companies who are making billions out of Scotland's huge energy potential try to sell this in the future? Their only motive appears to be profit for them, and their Scottish customers are left, literally, out in the cold. Perhaps they could explain why the costs for people who live adjacent to these turbines in rural Scotland are always higher than people in the far south, who have no power generation at all. GR Weir, Ochiltree. • How much research did Alan Simpson do for his column on wind farms? Wind turbines are not made of plastic but steel. They don't necessarily involve disturbing peat either. For example, the wind farm development at Stronelairg near Fort Augustus also includes an extensive peat restoration project. Perhaps Mr Simpson should go and look at it. He might learn something useful that he could share with us. Jackie Kemp, Leith. NatWest folly I was disgusted when I read the headline that NatWest was giving £1.5 billion back to shareholders ("Natwest gives £1.5bn to shareholders as profits boosted by acquisitions", The Herald, July 26) and that the UK taxpayer, who had bailed out the bank (as RBS) 17 years ago to the tune of £45.5bn, was to miss out as the Government had already sold back our shares for around £35bn – a loss to the UK taxpayer of £10.5bn. Think how far that money could have gone to help our infrastructure, schools, hospitals, NHS etc. Who gave the OK to sell off when they did? The bank had turned the corner and if they had waited a few more years we could have recouped the full amount. Fraser Hamilton, Balfron.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
KEVIN SORBO: What if Hercules ignored his gut?
As a kid, I loved books. Comics, especially. I stayed up late, flashlight under the covers, flipping through pages and stories of action heroes who lived larger than life and filled my little mind with big dreams. Somehow, I felt their muscle and strength were all pointing me somewhere. It is funny to look back now and realize those late-night pages were the tiny seeds of a much bigger calling. While Mom was often calling from the next room, "Kevin, lights out, go to bed," a tiny itch inside me made me a late-night rebel who stayed up way past my bedtime. All those years ago, it was as if there was a Herculean nudge in a little kid's body. I could not name it back then, but I felt it in my bones. Years later, pages and pictures would turn into a real costume, playing Hercules on a soundstage in New Zealand for what would become one of the most-watched shows in the world. But long before that break came, there were a thousand moments when I could have walked away and shut the book altogether, so to speak. I could have stayed in Minnesota. I could have let rejection wear me down. I could have believed the voices that said, "Be realistic." And in doing so, I would have ignored something sacred: that quiet pull toward something more. Something that lacked certainty but overflowed with purpose. That is what this reflection is really about. It is not Hercules or fame. It is about the power of listening to those internal nudges, the "what ifs" we all feel and too often dismiss. Because the truth is, "What If…," the film I made 15 years ago with a then-little-known director named Dallas Jenkins, was born out of the same kind of nudge. A new one. A deeper one. After years of success, I began to sense a shift that I could no longer ignore. Believe me, I tried to for years. Yet, deep down, I wanted my work to reflect not just action, but conviction. Faith. Hope. Something eternal. And that desire, quiet at first, grew louder. But it was following my gut as a kid that led me to Hercules, which gave me the evidence to trust the itch. And it led me to a small script from a guy named Dallas Jenkins. The story? A man is shown the life he could have had if he had made different choices. Think modern-day, "It's a Wonderful Life." We made "What If…" on a not-so-Herculean budget and mighty load of heart. We had no idea what it would become. And now, 15 years later, both of us call it our favorite film we have ever made. Since then, of course, Dallas has gone on to create "The Chosen," a global phenomenon and one of the most successful faith series of all time. But before that, before "The Chosen" ever existed, there was "What If…" "What if" Dallas had ignored his nudge? "What if" he had played it safe and never made that first faith-based film? What if I had forgotten mine? That film marked a new chapter in my life. It was my first faith-based role, and it remains the one I am most proud of, not because of what it did for my career, but because of what it does for others. I still hear from people who were moved by its message. A reminder that it is never too late to change course, to say yes to the life you were meant to live. People are hungry for meaning. For second chances. For faith that leads them somewhere beyond the noise. I do not take my career for granted. I know it is a gift and a responsibility. But I also know it is not the spotlight that matters, it is the voice and calling inside. We all get nudges. Some are quiet, some are disruptive. Some pull us toward a different job, a challenging conversation, a new beginning. The question is: Will we listen? Or will we spend our last days asking, What if I had? Will you find yourself saying, "What if I had not done _______? I am so glad I did." Rather than, "What if I only had done _______? I sure wish I had." As someone who did—I can tell you: I am glad I did.
