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Auction being held to support injured New Iberia firefighters

and last updated 2021-09-21 14:57:46-04 The Louisiana State Firemen's Association is helping out a local fire department, raising money for their injured crew. In July, three New Iberia firefighters were injured in a gas explosion at a local business. The association shared a link to an auction with items that can be bid on. Items include gift baskets, travel items, and art. Proceeds will go to the injured New Iberia Fire Department crew members. In August, State Fire Marshal Butch Browning met with Isaac Zamora and Capt. Gary Simone who were two of the injured firefighters.

Gas explosion

1933 Imperial Airways Diksmuide crash

On 28 March 1933, an Armstrong Whitworth Argosy II passenger aircraft, named City of Liverpool and operated by British airline Imperial Airways, crashed near Diksmuide, Belgium, after suffering an onboard fire;[1] all fifteen people aboard were killed, making it the deadliest accident in the history of British civil aviation to that time. It has been suggested that this was the first airliner ever lost to sabotage,[2] and in the immediate aftermath, suspicion centred on one passenger, Albert Voss, who seemingly jumped from the aircraft before it crashed. The aircraft was employed on Imperial's regular London–Brussels–Cologne route, which it had flown for the previous five years. [3] On this leg of the journey the plane was travelling from Brussels to London, which route would take it north from Brussels heading over Flanders before crossing the coast for the 50-mile (80 km) flight across the English Channel and then making the brief traverse over the Kent countryside to land at Croydon Airport in Surrey. The two-hour journey began, slightly delayed, just after 12:30 pm. [4] While flying over the fields of northern Belgium, the plane was seen by onlookers to catch fire before losing altitude and plunging into the ground. [5][6] As the aircraft began its descent, a passenger was seen to exit the aeroplane and fall to earth without a parachute. He was later identified as Albert Voss, a German who had emigrated to the United Kingdom, where he practised as a dentist in Manchester. [6][7] At approximately 200 feet (60 m), the aircraft split into two sections which hit the ground separately, instantly killing all those still on board. [8][9] The subsequent investigation found that the fire had started towards the rear of the plane, in either the lavatory or the luggage area at the back of the cabin. No items recovered from the front portion of the wreckage showed any evidence of fire damage before the impact, nor was there any evidence of fire in the engines or fuel systems. The investigators narrowed the cause down to the firing of some combustible substance, either accidentally by a passenger or crew member or through vibration or some other natural occurrence, or deliberately by bombing. [10] At the inquest into Albert Voss's death at least one witness, his estranged brother, accused him of being culpable,[5] claiming that Voss's business trips to the continent to buy anaesthetics masked a lucrative sideline in drug smuggling. [5] This rumour had followed Voss for some time before his death and was alleged to have been the subject of investigations by the Metropolitan Police. [3] Voss, according to his brother, was travelling aboard the aircraft together with his niece,[11] and they were aware that the authorities were on to them. Under this theory, Voss sought to escape from the authorities by destroying the aircraft using various flammable substances to which his work gave him easy access and then bailing out in the confused circumstances, hoping that in the aftermath no one would notice one fewer body than there should have been. [5][12] An autopsy showed that, other than some minor burns, Voss was unharmed before he exited the aircraft. [13][14] The inquest jury eventually returned an open verdict – indicating that they believed his death may not have been accidental, but that they were unable, on the evidence before them, to come to a definite conclusion – rather than the verdict of accidental death the coroner attempted to direct them towards. [15]

Air crash

1970 Tonghai earthquake

The 1970 Tonghai earthquake (Chinese: 1970年通海地震) occurred at 01:00:41 local time on January 5 with a moment magnitude of 7.1 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). The strike-slip rupture originated on the Red River Fault, which had not experienced an earthquake above magnitude 7 since 1700, and affected Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China. At least 10,000 people were killed, making it one of the deadliest in its decade. The tremor caused between US$5 to $25 million in damage,[note 1] felt over an area of 8,781 km2 (3,390 sq mi). In Hanoi, North Vietnam, almost 483 km (300 mi) from the epicenter, victims left their homes as the rupture rumbled through the city. Occurring during the height of the Cultural Revolution, it was not widely publicized by the Chinese government for well over a decade. The amount of aid and finances distributed was described by the Beijing Morning Post as "pathetically small". [4] Much of the aid provided to survivors was in "spiritual" form,[4] including Mao Zedong badges and condolence letters. Nevertheless, the earthquake was among the first to be studied over a long term by the Chinese government. It was cited as one of the reasons behind creating the largest earthquake monitoring system in China, 25 years later. Yunnan, the epicentral region, is one of the more seismically active Chinese provinces. The earliest earthquake recorded there was in the 9th century; however, moderate to strong ones have been observed since the 15th century. [5] Since the 9th century, 32 earthquakes with a magnitude of 7 or greater have occurred in the province. Shallow strike-slip faulting is a characteristic of Yunnan quakes. [6] Earthquakes in southwestern Yunnan, such as the 1970 Tonghai event, are less frequent than in other parts of the province. The Red River Fault, the fault line on which this quake is alleged to have occurred, has lacked seismological activity as a whole. [5] Red River temblors generally rise at high angles, as shown in a 1962 Ministry of Geology report. [7] Marking in sedimentary rocks indicate that several large earthquakes formed on the fault during the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. [8] Until this quake, no earthquake above magnitude 7.0 on the Richter scale had occurred on this fault since about 1700, and the fault was believed to be "dead". Since the 1970 Tonghai rupture, it is believed that the Red River fault is instead experiencing a long seismic gap similar to that of the Japan Median Tectonic Line, on which no major temblor has formed since 700 but produced massive ones during the Holocene epoch. [5] The epicenter of the quake was about 121 km (75 mi) southwest of Kunming and 97 km (60 mi) northwest of Gejiu;[9] this area was mainly a tobacco-growing region. Effects of the rupture were felt over an area of 8,781 km2 (3,390 sq mi). [4] In Hanoi, North Vietnam, almost 483 km (300 mi) from the epicenter, victims left their homes as the rupture rumbled through the city. [9] The earthquake measured 7.1 on the moment magnitude scale. It may have killed more than 15,000 people, making it the third deadliest in China during the 20th century,[10] and injured an additional 26,783. [11] The tremor caused between US$5 to $25 million in damage. [12] A Reuters news report, the only one in the immediate aftermath, mentioned the recording of a "severe" quake by Hong Kong's Royal Observatory and cited an unconfirmed report that it might have destroyed part of Kunming. [13] It caused 50 km (31 mi) of visible surface faulting on the Tonghai Fault. There was a maximum horizontal offset of 2.5 m (8 ft) and vertical offset of about 0.5 m (1.5 ft). [9] As a result of inversion techniques, scientists were able to decide that several events comprised the surface faulting. This further confirmed that the earthquake, along with a later earthquake in Yunnan in 1973, corresponded to a fault within the area. [2] The earthquake was among the first to be studied over a long term by the Chinese government. More than 40 Chinese seismologists, engineers, and geologists visited the disaster zone to conduct research into the cause and damage of the earthquake; some spending as much as a year collecting soil samples and recording other primary research evidence for future study. Such data was collected over a broad area of almost 1,400 towns within the area. [14] According to the Reuters report, the survivors came together to "fight against the disaster". [15] Much of the aid provided to survivors was in "spiritual" form. [4] The Chinese government sent tens of thousands of Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong books and badges in his honor to victims as part of the relief effort, and survivors also received 14,350 sympathy letters. However, the amount of aid and finances distributed was described by the Beijing Morning Post 30 years later as "pathetically small. "[4] The details of the earthquake were not widely publicized by Chinese authorities until about 18 years after its occurrence. [4] In China's first decades of Communist rule, its policy was to not disclose natural disasters or accidents unless foreigners were injured. [13] While the Chinese official press had not released a comprehensive report, Reuters and the Royal Hong Kong Observatory both released information soon after the disaster. [13] At the time of the quake, the Xinhua News Agency briefly mentioned a smaller magnitude quake but did not provide information on damage or casualties. [10] On 19 November 1988, nearly nineteen years later, Chen Zhangli of the State Seismology Bureau, speaking at a news conference for another earthquake that had recently occurred, estimated the death toll of the 1970 quake to be 10,000. He did not give a reason why his government had not previously disclosed this knowledge. [13] Government officials from China released a different estimate in 2000, putting the death toll at 15,621. [10] China published the estimate after a memorial service for survivors and relatives was held in Yuxi on 5 January. [4] A Yuxi Seismology Bureau official noted that the information had been classified for "political reasons" and the death toll estimate had been known among bureaucrats as early as 1997. [4] Twenty-five years after the earthquake, the largest earthquake-monitoring network nationally was established in Yunnan. It set up earthquake offices in every county to prepare for another large rupture. The 1970 Tonghai earthquake was cited as one of the reasons behind creating the monitoring system.

Earthquakes

Aeroservicios Ecuatorianos Flight 767-103 crash

Aeroservicios Ecuatorianos Flight 767-103 was a scheduled freight flight from Miami in the United States to Guayaquil, Ecuador with an intermediate stop in the Ecuadorian capital Quito. On 18 September 1984 the flight was being operated by a Douglas DC-8-55F jet (registered in Ecuador as HC-BKN). [1][2][3] It failed to get airborne during the takeoff run at Quito Airport, hit an Instrument Landing System (ILS) antenna at the end of the runway and then struck several houses. [2] All four crew and 49 people on the ground were killed. [2] An investigation concluded that the crew failed to notice that the horizontal stabiliser was set at 0.5 degrees nose up when it should have been 8 degrees nose up, this increased the time and distance needed by the aircraft to rotate and the conclusion was the aircraft did not have enough runway length to get airborne. [2] A number of contributory factors were also involved: The investigation made eight safety recommendations. [2] The President of Ecuador declared three days of national mourning. [3] The aircraft was a Douglas DC-8-55F four-engined jet cargo transport that had been built in United States in 1965. [1] First delivered to Trans International Airlines on 18 May 1965 it was bought by Aeroservicios Ecuatorianos in August 1983. [1]

Air crash

IMF Survey: Tuvalu Becomes IMF's 187th Member

Tuvalu joined the IMF on June 24, becoming the institution’s 187th member. Tuvalu’s Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Lotoala Metia, signed the IMF’s Articles of Agreement at IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C. Afelee Pita, the country’s Ambassador to the United Nations also attended the signing ceremony. A Pacific island nation consisting of nine low-lying coral atolls and with a population of about 12,000, Tuvalu becomes the IMF’s smallest member. The next smallest, Palau, has a population of about 20,000. In welcoming Tuvalu, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said that with its size and remoteness, the country “faces a unique set of economic challenges. I am confident that Fund membership will help Tuvalu strengthen its economic footing.” Even with media attention and policy debate today centering on developments in some of the world’s largest economies, the IMF remains focused on all its members. “Tuvalu’s membership is a strong reminder of the importance of multilateralism and international cooperation in today’s dynamic global economy,” Strauss-Kahn said. The IMF, with its near-universal membership of 187 countries, facilitates this cooperation.Tuvalu’s initial quota in the IMF is 1.8 million Special Drawing Rights (about $2.7 million). This will bring the total of members’ quotas in the IMF to SDR 217.43 billion (about $321.2 billion). Each member country is assigned a quota, based broadly on its relative economic size in the world economy. A member’s quota determines its financial contribution to the IMF and its voting power, and also has a bearing on its access to IMF financing. In joining the IMF, Tuvalu will benefit from other services, including macroeconomic policy advice and technical assistance. Tuvalu already receives technical assistance from the IMF’s Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Center, based in Fiji since 1993, which provides technical advice and capacity building to 15 Pacific island countries. A Washington D.C.-based team from the IMF is scheduled to visit Tuvalu later this year to review economic developments and exchange views with the government on policies to help tackle the country’s unique economic challenges in the period ahead. The government and other development partners have identified a range of socioeconomic challenges that the country faces, many of which relate to its small size, geography, limited resources, and reliance on donor resources. The establishment of a new Resident Representative office, covering Pacific islands and based in Fiji, in September will also help provide policy advice and continue this dialogue between visits of Washington-based staff.

Join in an Organization

Dr. Oz and wife's unique marriage revealed - everything you need to know

Hannah Hargrave Dr. Oz and his wife, Lisa, have been married for more than three decades and there are some surprises up their sleeves when it comes to their relationship Dr. Oz isn’t just a much-loved TV doctor, he's a proud father-of-four and a doting husband to his wife, Lisa. The couple have a wonderful life at their beautiful New Jersey home and regularly gush about their relationship. But there's something unusual about the couple's longtime marriage which you may not already know. WATCH: Dr. Oz and wife Lisa experience magial moment during sun-soaked vacation Who is Dr. Oz's wife? Lisa Oz is a celebrity in her own right. The stunning brunette is a radio personality, author and actress. She's been on The New York Times Best Seller list no fewer than six times and is an expert on well-being and relationships. MORE: Dr. Oz shares rare family photo with son and grandson - and they look so alike How did Dr. Oz meet his wife? Dr. Oz - full name Dr. Mehmet Oz - weren't high school sweethearts or a couple who met in a bar. In fact, Mehmet has described their relationship as "sort of an arranged marriage". The Dr. Oz Show star explained what he meant in an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle when he revealed their parents were friends and set them up. Their first date was even with their mothers and fathers present. Lisa didn't know who her future husband was at the time and told the outlet: "I thought he was the maître d. I was like, 'Wow, that waiter is so hot.'" Dr. Oz has described their relationship as "sort of an arranged marriage" How did Dr. Oz propose to Lisa? Even his proposal was unique! The lovebirds were embroiled in an argument seven months into their romance and he told Yahoo Lifestyle that when she stormed off he realised he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Famous Person - Marriage

Trump’s company puts D.C. hotel lease up for sale, again, with many hotels closed by COVID-19

Former president Donald Trump’s company has again hired a broker to sell the lease to its D.C. hotel, according to two people familiar with the discussions, a second attempt to unload the property after the pandemic thwarted a previous effort. The Trump Organization previously listed the Pennsylvania Avenue hotel, in the federally owned Old Post Office Pavilion, in the fall of 2019. When covid-19 struck, many hotels closed either completely or partially due to government shutdowns, and the company pulled the property off the market. Now, with Trump under investigation by prosecutors in New York and the economy beginning to take off, his company is trying again, hiring the brokerage firm Newmark Group to market the lease, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share private business discussions. Representatives for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A representative of Newmark Group declined to comment. The hotel, which Trump’s company leases from the General Services Administration, has suffered financially from both the toll covid has taken on luxury travel and the damage Trump’s brand has endured due to his politics, with many liberal, corporate and international clients unwilling to book rooms or events at the hotel. Rooms were running nearly half empty at the hotel the last time the company put it up for sale, according to marketing documents acquired by The Washington Post. Last year revenue at the property fell by 62 percent, according to Trump’s government disclosure forms. The newly proposed sale comes on the heels of Manhattan’s district attorney convening a grand jury expected to decide whether to indict the former president, other executives at his company or the business itself. The move indicates that District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.’s investigation of the former president and his business has reached an advanced stage after more than two years. Prosecutor in Trump criminal probe convenes grand jury to hear evidence, weigh potential charges It’s unclear whether the D.C. hotel will be a factor in Vance’s investigation into Trump’s business or in a related inquiry by New York Attorney General Letitia James (D). The property has not been named as a target in any public filings related to either Vance’s case or the investigation by James, but the Wall Street Journal reported last week that Vance’s office is investigating the hotel in addition to other properties. Trump called the seating of the grand jury “a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in American history.” “This is purely political, and an affront to the almost 75 million voters who supported me in the Presidential Election, and it’s being driven by highly partisan Democrat prosecutors,” the former president said in a statement last week. Vance’s office declined to comment. Should the hotel sell, it would likely mean the name “Trump” would come down from the building, as industry experts say a new operator would probably want to capitalize on a different hotel brand to grow revenue among a broader swath of clients. In addition to the difficulty of reaching a wide array of guests, hotel management has not reopened the hotel’s outdoor bar seating out of concerns for the comfort and safety of guests. Whether it sells will depend on what price Trump and his family are willing to consider. The Trump Organization put an estimated $200 million into renovating the property, far more than other bidders were willing to offer, and took out a $170 million loan from Deutsche Bank to finance the project. Last time it was up for sale, Eric Trump, the president’s son, said the company was looking for a sales price of around $500 million. Another factor in the sale may be the pool of potential buyers willing to do business with Trump and his company. For months Trump has spread election falsehoods and before leaving office, he urged crowds to march to the U.S. Capitol just before the Jan. 6 attack, prompting some banks, law firms, real estate brokers and other companies to swear off working with him or his company in the future. Trump won the deal to renovate the Old Post Office before he was elected but the hotel became a center of controversy once he entered office. Trump continued to own his business while it served corporations, foreign governments and other clients with business before the U.S. government, leading to allegations of conflicts of interest. David A. Fahrenthold contributed to this report. The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning.

Organization Closed

Marise Payne doesn't expect Beijing to retaliate over the axing of Victoria's Belt and Road deal.

Marise Payne doesn't expect Beijing to retaliate over the axing of Victoria's Belt and Road deal. Australia's foreign minister has defended her decision to tear up Victoria's Belt and Road agreement with China, saying she doesn't expect retaliation from Beijing. Marise Payne announced on Wednesday night the infrastructure deal had been cancelled under the Commonwealth's new veto powers. China's embassy in Australia responded swiftly, expressing "strong displeasure and resolute opposition". "This is another unreasonable and provocative move taken by the Australian side against China," a Chinese embassy spokesperson said in a statement. "It further shows that the Australian government has no sincerity in improving China-Australia relations. "It is bound to bring further damage to bilateral relations, and will only end up hurting itself." Senator Payne on Thursday said the decision to tear up the agreement, along with two older ones between the Victorian government and Iran and Syria, was "very careful and very considered". "It's about ensuring that we have a consistent approach to foreign policy across all levels of government, and it isn't about any one country, most certainly not intended to harm Australia's relationship with any countries," she told ABC Radio National. Advice about the decision had been provided to Chinese authorities in Canberra and Beijing, Senator Payne said, adding that she did not expect the country to retaliate. "I hope that if there are any concerns, they will be raised directly with the government," she said. "But we are not going to move away from our principles, which are about protecting and advocating for sovereignty." The Morrison government in December granted itself the power under the Foreign Relations Act to veto deals between states and foreign powers that "are not consistent with Australia's foreign policy". Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government had simply followed through with its pledge to protect Australia's national interests. "We can advance our national interests of a free and open Indo-Pacific and a world that seeks a balance in favour of freedom," he told reporters in Canberra. At a press conference with her New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta in Wellington, Senator Payne said more state-based agreements will likely be scrapped. Victoria signed a memorandum of understanding in relation to the Chinese regional infrastructure initiative in 2018 and then signed a "framework agreement" with Beijing in 2019. Areas of co-operation included increasing participation of Chinese companies in Victoria's infrastructure program. It was not legally binding. Victorian Employment and Small Business Minister Jaala Pulford said the cancellation of the agreement would not affect work on the state's infrastructure projects. "The Foreign Relations Act is a matter for the Commonwealth government," she told reporters on Thursday. Victoria's Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien, who vowed to scrap the "dud deal" if elected in 2022, welcomed the federal government's decision. He said China gained far more from the Belt and Road Initiative than Victorians. China in the past 12 months has launched a series of damaging trade strikes against Australia after Mr Morrison called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese government also remains furious with Australia over foreign interference and investment laws and a decision to ban Huawei from the country's 5G rollout. "We're worried about cyber attacks and we're worried, obviously, about state governments that enter into compacts with the Communist Party against our national interests," Defence Minister Peter Dutton told 2GB radio. "We're not going to allow our policy, our principles, our values to be undermined. We aren't going to be bullied by anyone, we are going to stand up for what we believe in." Labor's spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said the federal government must now work to diversify trade and economy. "Under Scott Morrison's watch, Australia is more trade dependent on China than ever," she said in a statement.

Tear Up Agreement

Gretchen Whitmer creates Food Security Council with executive order

Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order to create the Food Security Council within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), her office announced in a press release on Friday. The council, created by Executive Order 2020-167, was established by the governor to address food insecurity in Michigan, to ensure all state residents, no matter their socioeconomic status, can put food on the table for themselves and their families. The Food Security Council will be tasked with identifying and analyzing the nature, scope, causes and origins of and solutions for food insecurity in Michigan and with helping the governor address these issues. It will also: identify and assess evidence bases policies to decrease food insecurity both during and after the coronavirus pandemic analyze the return on investment to policies that decrease food insecurity review and make recommendations regarding how resources and efforts can been best coordinated, implemented and effectively supplemented. A report must then be submitted the governor in two stages, with the first stage due in 3 months, focused on short-term findings and recommendations related to food insecurity and COVID-19, and a final report due in 18 months. The council will dissolve 90 days after giving its final report. It is the latest step in Whitmer’s ongoing efforts to improve food security in Michigan. “No one should have to worry about how they are going to put food on the table the next day,” Whitmer said. “Food insecurity is a very real and relevant issue for many Michiganders, and COVID-19 has only made the problem worse,” she said. “That is why, today, I am creating the Food Security Council to Bring together leaders from both sides of the aisle to find solutions on behalf of Michigan families. I am committed to making sure every family and person has access to the quality, nutritious food that they need.” Members of the council will consist of the superintendent of public instruction and the directors of the Departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture and Rural Development and Labor and Economic Opportunity, or their designees. Whitmer is also appointing the following 16 members to the council, including several from the Detroit area: Amy Baker, of Pentwater, is the quality management director at Peterson Farms. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Labor Relations from Michigan State University. Patrice Brown, of Detroit, is a food access manager for Eastern Market. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan. Alex Canepa, of Ann Arbor, is the state policy manager for the Fair Food Network. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Trinity College of Dublin and a Master of Arts in the History of Science, Medicine and Technology from the University of Oxford. Kimberly Schriever Edsenga, of Grand Rapids, is the senior counsel for Meijer, Inc. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan. Juan A. Escareno, Jr., of Detroit, is the director of government and community relations for the Midwest Independent Retailers Association. He previously served as executive vice president and recording secretary for the UFCW Local 876. Phillip B. Knight, Ph.D., of Fenton, is the executive director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan and the radio host of “Food for Thought” on WJR 760 AM. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Wesley College, a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Liberty University, and a Ph.D. from Trinity University. The Governor has designated Dr. Knight to serve as Chair of the Council. Diana E. Marin, of Ann Arbor, is the supervising attorney for farmworkers and immigrant workers rights at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and a Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University. Dawn S. Medley, of Lathrup Village, is the associate vice president of enrollment management and the chief enrollment officer at Wayne State University. She holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Missouri, a Master of Science in Administration from Southeast Missouri State University, and an Education Specialist in Higher Education Leadership from Linwood University. Kenneth P. Nobis, of Saint Johns, is the co-owner and operator of Nobis Dairy Farms, a senior advisor and former president of the Michigan Milk Producers Association, and a current member of the Michigan Dairy Marketing Program Committee. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Biology from Western Michigan University. Delicia J. Pruitt, M.D., of Bay City, is the medical director of the Saginaw County Health Department. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Michigan and a Doctor of Medicine from the Wayne State University School of Medicine. Todd J. Regis, of Flat Rock, is the vice president and director of legislative and community affairs for UFCW Local 951 and the director of their foundation. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Western Michigan University. Tammy A. Rosa, of Gladstone, is a nutrition program quality assurance specialist and caregiver programs manager for the Upper Peninsula Area Agency on Aging. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Administrative Dietetics and Nutrition from Central Michigan University. Michelle M. Schulte, of Suttons Bay, is a program director for the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Teaching from Ferris State University and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from Lake Superior State University. Laurie Solotorow, of Birmingham, is the director of the Michigan Health Endowment Fund Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles Program. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University. Wade Syers, of Muskegon, is a food safety educator for Michigan State University Extension. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Grand Valley State University and a Master of Science in Food Safety from Michigan State University. Pam Yager, of Okemos, is the social mission manager for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan. The Food Security Council will also consist of 4 non-voting, presiding members from the Michigan Legislature, including:

Organization Established

Warrants issued for bank robbery suspects

Arrest warrants have been issued for two men from NSW suspected of recent bank robberies in the Riverland, in South Australia's south-east. Local detectives say the men are wanted over the hold-up of the Westpac Bank at Barmera in January and attempted hold-up in March. The men are also suspects in the robbery of the Renmark branch of the National Australia Bank last month. Detective Senior Constable Geoff Carson says the Riverland CIB is working with NSW police to have the men arrested. "The way the situation works, the warrants have been issued so once these two suspects have been located the interstate detectives will arrest them on our warrants and then we'll go over to NSW and extradite them back to South Australia to face the charges," he said.

Bank Robbery

1 dead, 12 crewmembers missing after boat capsizes in rough seas off Louisiana

The Coast Guard searched for 12 people missing off the coast of Louisiana on Wednesday after finding one dead crewmember and pulling six survivors from rough seas when their commercial platform vessel capsized in hurricane-force winds. Coast Guard Capt. Will Watson said winds were 80 to 90 mph when the vessel overturned and seas were 7 to 9 feet. "It's challenging under any circumstance," he said. Asked about the prospects of the missing crewmembers, Watson said: "We are hopeful. We can't do this work if you're not optimistic, if you're not hopeful." Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson III confirmed the missing crew members were on board the Seacor Power before it flipped over miles south of Port Fourchon. "The hope is that we can bring the other 12 home alive," Chaisson said Wednesday. Time is of the essence in the rescue efforts, as "we have the potential for some rough weather around lunchtime," he added. According to Chris Franklin, chief meteorologist at CBS affiliate WWL-TV, winds hit upwards of 70 mph offshore and with less resistance than a weather system finds on land. However, some social media videos from boats reportedly in the area showed gusts in triple digits on occasion. The search involved at least four Coast Guard vessels, four private ones and Coast Guard airplanes based in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Mobile, Alabama. A Coast Guard helicopter also was being used. Relatives of the missing crew members rushed to the port from their homes nearby, seeking any information they could get, Chaisson said. "We continue to pray for the 18 men who were on that vessel as well as their families," Chaisson said. The company that owns the ship, Houston-based Seacor Marine, set up a private hotline to share information with families of those onboard, Chaisson said. An employee who answered the phone Wednesday morning said he had no immediate information he could share. In a statement, Seacor Marine said it was "deeply saddened" by the incident and was working closely with the Coast Guard and local authorities to support their efforts. The National Weather Service in New Orleans had advised of bad weather offshore, including a special marine warning issued before 4 p.m. Tuesday that predicted steep waves and winds greater than 50 knots (58 mph). The Seacor Power crew sent an emergency distress signal a half-hour later, at 4:30 p.m., according to the Coast Guard, which then issued an urgent marine broadcast that prompted multiple private vessels in the area to respond, saving four of the crewmembers, the agency said. Coast Guard crews in boats rescued another two people. "There was a microburst of weather that came through the area at the time," Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Lally said. Capt. Ronald Dufrene said his offshore trawler Mister Jug was among the shrimp boats that struggled to survive the storm. He said the captain who was on board told him seas rose 15 to 20 feet (5 to 6 meters). "They lost the wind gage at 80 miles an hour," Dufrene said. "They say it blew like that for more than an hour." "People who have been fishing 30, 40 years - the first time they put their life jackets on was yesterday. ... I know three boats for sure said that," Dufrene said. The Seacor Power, a bulky vessel 129-feet (39-meters) long at its beam, is designed to become an offshore platform by dropping three towering legs down to the sea floor. At one point, video showed the massive ship flipped with one of its legs pointed awkwardly skyward as rescuers searched the heaving water. Port Fourchon, Louisiana's southernmost seaport, is a major base for the U.S. oil and gas industry, supporting most of Louisiana's offshore platforms and drilling rigs. The storm also overturned other vessels and damaged property from Louisiana's shore up to New Orleans. The Coast Guard warned in a Facebook post that the storms caused "significant hazards to life and property." "Please join FirstLadyOfLA and me in praying for those who remain missing after yesterday's capsizing off the coast of Grand Isle and for those who are working to rescue them," Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday on Twitter.·

Shipwreck

Potential Consequences of the U.S. Withdrawal from the JCPOA

On May 8, 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision to end the extension of waivers on nuclear sanctions against Iran, in effect, withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), almost a week before the deadline. Under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 2015, the sitting president must suspend various sanctions every 120 to 180 days to allow the nuclear deal to continue. By not extending one of the waivers which was due to expire on May 12, Trump unilaterally withdraws from the deal since other parties, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1), will not follow the U.S. suit unless the Iranian side commits a clear violation of the agreement provisions. Nevertheless, this step increases the risk of the whole agreement being derailed since the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions eliminates key incentives for Iran to stay in. The agreement that was reached almost three years ago has significantly reduced a number of concerns of the international community about Tehran’s nuclear intentions while its breakdown has instead created many uncertainties. The JCPOA, signed in Vienna in July 2015, effectively curbed Iran’s capability to go nuclear, at least until 2025, but has been under the constant threat since Donald Trump came to office in 2017. During his election campaign, Trump heavily criticized the nuclear accord and promised to renegotiate a “better deal” by putting more pressure on and demanding more concessions from Tehran. When the sanction relief was extended last time on January 12, 2018, President Trump warned that he would not renew any subsequent waivers unless “the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal” were fixed while also seeking support from the U.S. European allies to extract a better deal from Iran [Whitehouse, 2018]. In general, he expressed grievances over the following: the presence of the so called “sunset provisions” in the deal that will expire in 10 to 15 years; its failure to address the development of ballistic missiles by Tehran and Iran’s growing influence in the region, as well as the limitations on inspections of its military bases. Months following the January 12 announcement were marked by the diplomatic efforts of the European and other signatory nations to urge the United States to keep the JCPOA alive, with the German and French leaders, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, as well as British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, each separately visiting Washington days before a final decision by Trump was made. During these talks, the Europeans acknowledged their concerns shared with Washington related to Iran’s ballistic missile program and its regional ambitions, but called the White House to consider these issues as separate from the nuclear deal. Perhaps, they were trying to convey the idea that the nuclear agreement despite its imperfections was working and using again the same leverage of economic sanctions and international isolation that previously brought Iran to the negotiating table is unlikely to bear any fruit and, on the contrary, might be destructive. China and Russia have similarly expressed their support for the JCPOA with the reports suggesting that their representatives together with diplomats from Britain, Germany, Britain are planning to meet in Vienna in the nearest future to combine efforts in salvaging the deal. Following Trump’s final announcement on May 8, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif declared that Iran would keep the agreement in place as long as the non-U.S. signatories could ensure full benefits of the deal for Iran. However, under the current circumstances saving the nuclear deal would be difficult. The re-imposition of nuclear sanctions against Tehran by the United States that will come into force by August 8, 2018, will target any country purchasing oil from Iran and financial institutions that have transactions with its banks. On May 16, the European Union (EU) leaders at their summit in Sofia discussed practical ways to keep Teheran’s oil and investment flowing. At present, the EU considers applying the 1996 Blocking Statute, the piece of legislation that bans its companies from complying with Washington-imposed sanctions and envisages compensations for affected firms doing business with Iran. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that this countermeasure is going to be effective in convincing the large European companies with major interests in the United States to continue doing business with Iran under the risk of being cut off from access to the U.S. market. Moreover, the U.S. sanctions are expected to reduce the production of the Iranian oil to 500,000 barrels per day as they would restrain purchases from Japan, South Korea and European nations [Nephew, 2018]. As a result, Tehran may start experiencing a recurrence of the pre-deal sanctions regime when its economy went from 6.6% of economic growth in 2010 to a 1.5% decrease in 2015 when the sanctions were in their full force. These possible implications may significantly reduce Iran’s incentives to remain committed to the JCPOA as one of the main motivations behind its accession to the agreement was breaking the international isolation and reviving its economy. Therefore, there is a fear that the renewed U.S. sanctions might induce the Iranian leadership to withdraw from the agreement. At present, moderate Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is under increased pressure from his domestic political rivals, including the Revolutionary Guard, who have been opposed to the deal since the beginning of the negotiation process with the world’s major powers. A potential collapse of the accord that has helped to constrain Iran’s capability to go nuclear for at least next 15 years and greatly reduced the chances of a direct military confrontation between the United States and Iran might have grave consequences for an already delicate balance of power in the Middle East. On May 10, shortly after Trump’s abandonment of the deal, a direct military exchange between Israel and Iran took place in Syria that if escalated further may inflame the entire region. Moreover, it is expected that, if the nuclear accord breaks down, Teheran could relatively quickly resume the production of highly enriched uranium, the material used for building nuclear weapons [Cordesman, 2018]. On May 21, newly appointed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo presented the U.S. administration’s Iran strategy that envisages putting maximum pressure on Tehran unless it meets Washington’s 12 demands ranging from halting its missile and nuclear program to ending interventions in the Middle East affairs [U.S. Department of State, 2018]. Nevertheless, with the JCPOA derailed and Iranian hardliners gaining an upper hand in Tehran, there is no evidence that Washington’s new strategy of trying to get more with offering less is going to work. As a result, experts warn, the United States may be left with the choice of either letting Iran advance toward the capacity to build a nuclear bomb or going to war in an attempt to stop it [Z. Beauchamp, 2018].   References: White House. (2018). Statement by the President on the Iran Nuclear Deal. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-iran-nuclear-deal/. Accessed on 14.05.2018. Nephew, Richard. (2018). Trump and the End of the Iran Deal: Oil Market Implications. Center on Global Energy Policy. Retrieved from http://energypolicy.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/pictures/CGEPTrumpEndIranDealOilImplications218.pdf. Accessed on 16.05.2018. U.S. Department of State. (2018). After the Deal: A New Iran Strategy. Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/05/282301.htm . Accessed on 22.05.2018. Cordesman, Anthony. (2018). Iran and the May 12th Deadline: Finding Winning Compromises. CSIS. Retrieved from https://www.csis.org/analysis/iran-and-may-12th-deadline-finding-winning-compromises . Accessed on 14.05.2018. Beauchamp, Zack. (2018). Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, explained. Vox.com. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/world/2018/5/8/17328520/iran-nuclear-deal-trump-withdraw . Accessed on 21.05.2018. Note: The views expressed in this blog are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the Institute’s editorial policy. Abulkhairkhan Zhunisbek is a research fellow at the Eurasian Institute of the International H.A Yassawi Kazakh-Turkish University. He graduated from Abylai Khan Kazakh University of International Relations and World Languages with a Bachelor in International Relations. He obtained his master’s degree in Diplomatic Studies at the University of Oxford through the Bolashak scholarship. His thesis “ Political Economy of Oil: the case of Kazakhstan” received distinction mark. Prior to joining the ERI, he worked for governmental and international organizations. Tel: +7 (727) 279 97 94 Fax: +7 (727) 279 24 26 E-mail: info@eurasian-research.org Address: Almaly district, Mametova 48, 050004 Almaty, KAZAKHSTAN To receive the latest updates and latest posts enter your email Name (required) Email (required) Sign me up for the newsletter! 18 Kasım 2021 tarihinde Ukrayna’nın ADASTRA Araştırma Merkezi Direktörü Viktor Karvatskyy “Development Prospects of Ukrainian Gas Sektor” başlıklı online seminer verdi. https://youtu.be/LvH_prDV4QE4

Tear Up Agreement

Altamirano rail disaster

The Altamirano rail disaster occurred in 1964 in the city of Altamirano, Buenos Aires, Argentina, when a passenger train collided head on with a freight train, killing 34 people. [1][2] On the morning of February 1, 1964, a diesel-hauled[1] twelve-carriage holiday excursion train left the seaside resort of Mar Del Plata on its 230-mile journey north to the capital, Buenos Aires. It carried 1040 passengers returning home after their summer vacation. At Altamirano, 65 miles south of the capital the Firefly Express as it was called, travelling at 100 km/h[1] crashed head-on with a steam-hauled[1] freight train with a thunderous explosion. The accident happened 250m from the station at Altamarino. [1] Both locomotives exploded spreading burning diesel fuel over a wide area. Most in the first carriage died quickly and those in the next two carriages were quickly consumed in the flames. Rescue workers were delayed by the muddy condition of the roads in the area following recent rainstorms. Once they arrived though they were unable to approach the wreck for several hours due to the intense heat. The police doctor, who gave an estimate of 34 deaths, admitted that the exact figure would never be known. "There is no telling how many bodies burned up in the fire". The cause of the disaster was thought to be a fault in the points (switch) which diverted the express into the path of the freight train. [3]

Train collisions

United Airlines has placed its largest order ever for a total of 270 Airbus and Boeing jets

United Airlines has placed its largest order ever for a total of 270 Airbus and Boeing jets. (Boeing) United Airlines placed the largest combined order in the Chicago-based air carrier's history for 270 new Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The order includes 50 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, 150 737 MAX 10s, and 70 Airbus A321neos, with a "new signature interior that includes seat-back entertainment in every seat," according to a June 29 press release. "Our United Next vision will revolutionize the experience of flying United as we accelerate our business to meet a resurgence in air travel," said United CEO Scott Kirby. "By adding and upgrading this many aircraft so quickly with our new signature interiors, we'll combine friendly, helpful service with the best experience in the sky, all across our premier global network. At the same time, this move underscores the critical role United plays in fueling the broader U.S. economy – we expect the addition of these new aircraft will have a significant economic impact on the communities we serve in terms of job creation, traveler spending and commerce." A Boeing 737-200 air cargo aircraft operated by Transair made an emergency landing in the Pacific Ocean near Kalaeloa, Hawaii, on Friday, according to a July 2 press release published by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard described it as an all-cargo inter island "transport plane" operated by Hawaiian air cargo carrier Transair, that made an emergency landing "2 miles south of Kalaeloa." "Both people aboard were rescued by an Air Station Barbers Point MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and Honolulu Fire Department rescue boat and brought to The Queen's Medical Center. They are reported to be in stable condition at this time," according to the release. "NTSB sending team of 7 investigators for investigation of Friday's crash of a Transair Boeing 737-200 cargo airplane in the waters off the island of Oahu near Honolulu," the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) tweeted on Friday. Brian West is the new chief financial officer of Boeing. (Boeing) The Boeing Company on June 30 named Brian West as their new executive vice president and chief financial officer effective August 27, 2021. In the new role, West will lead all aspects of Boeing's financial strategy, performance, reporting and long-range business planning. He will also oversee the company's business transformation efforts and will have executive responsibility for the company's global financing arm, Boeing Capital Corporation. West joins Boeing following a diverse career in senior financial and operational roles spanning several industries, including aerospace, manufacturing, infrastructure, healthcare and information services, among others, according to the release. He has served as the chief financial officer of Refinitiv since 2018, and was previously CFO and executive vice president of Operations for Oscar Health Insurance, as well as CFO and COO of Nielsen. Prior to Nielsen, West spent 16 years at General Electric, where he served as CFO of GE Aviation and CFO of GE Engine Services, according to Boeing. "Brian is the ideal executive to serve as Boeing's next CFO given his significant financial management and long-term strategic planning experience in complex global organizations across the aerospace, manufacturing and services industries," Boeing President and CEO Calhoun said in the release. "I have had the pleasure of working with Brian previously, and he is an exceptional leader whose broad operational expertise and commitment to transparency with stakeholders will advance our efforts as we continue our focus on safety and quality, improving our performance and transforming our company for the future." Grazia Vittadini is moving on from her role as CTO of Airbus to pursue other opportunities. (Airbus) Grazia Vittadini served her last day Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Airbus this week, releasing a video message discussing her departure on LinkedIn. Vittadini’s departure comes after more than 19 years with the company, and is part of several leadership changes first announced by the company in April. ZeroAvia is beginning the next phase of its hydrogen-electric aircraft research and development project by dedicating two twin-engine 19-seat Dornier 228 aircraft for HyFlyer II program, according to a June 29 release. The two aircraft will come from the UK and the U.S. and were previously used for regional flights, according to the release. “We are eager and ready to begin testing our hydrogen-electric powertrain technology on a larger commercial-size aircraft and grateful to our investors and grant funders for their continued support of our vision for sustainable aviation,” Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO at ZeroAvia, said in a statement “Various projections indicate that aviation may account for over 25 percent of human-induced climate effects by 2050. We are on the path to helping reverse that trend, first with our successful 6-seater testing and now with the R&D for our 19-seater, and the kick-off of our 50+ seat program. Hydrogen is the only practical solution for true climate-neutral flight, and it will become a commercial reality much sooner than many predict.” ZeroAvia also received $13 million in funding for its 50+ seat engine development program from AP Ventures, Alumni Ventures Group, SGH Capital, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Summa Equity, Shell Ventures, SYSTEMIQ, and Horizons Ventures, according to the release. “We are delighted to welcome ZeroAvia to our existing portfolio of hydrogen-related technologies,” Kevin Eggers, Partner at AP Ventures, said in a statement. “We have been impressed with the progress that ZeroAvia has made over the last 24 months—technically, operationally, and commercially. Furthermore, we have become increasingly confident about the significant role of hydrogen in decarbonizing aviation. We believe that ZeroAvia will pioneer the development of hydrogen-electric powertrains for the aviation space.” Gulfstream completed its final G550 delivery, according to a July 1 press release. (Gulfstream Aerospace) Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. on July 1 announced it has delivered the final commercial G550 aircraft type to an international customer, further increasing the worldwide fleet of more than 600 total G550s already in service. The delivery took place June 30. The G550 first entered service in 2003 as the launch platform for Gulfstream’s PlaneView flight deck. It was also certified with Enhanced Vision System — now known as Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS) — as a standard feature, leading the way for subsequent aircraft to incorporate the pilot safety tool in their array of offerings. “For nearly two decades, the G550 has been exceeding customer expectations,” Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream, said in a July 1 press release. “The G550 set a new standard for performance and reliability and continues to outperform and impress with its wide-ranging capabilities. Given our vast G550 fleet in service, we look forward to continuing to support all G550 customers around the world with Gulfstream Customer Support’s extensive network.” Bombardier has received a firm order for 10 aircraft from an existing customer. The Canadian business jet OEM is keeping the order mix undisclosed at this time, according to a June 30 press release. This agreement represents a total value of $451.8 million U.S., according to current list prices. “We are filled with pride as we announce the year’s largest business jet order,” Éric Martel, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier said in the release. “Our portfolio ideally responds to the growing interest in private aviation, with spacious, high-performing aircraft that are designed to offer the best passenger experience in terms of convenience, comfort, air quality and a smooth ride.” Embraer delivered the first limited-edition Phenom 300E aircraft—part of the Duet collaboration with Porsche—to an undisclosed customer based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to a June 30 press release.The aircraft was delivered at Embraer’s global customer center in Melbourne, Florida. The collaboration pairs the limited edition Phenom 300E with the Porsche 911 Turbo S. “We designed Duet in collaboration with Porsche to introduce a seamless travel experience for those wanting to arrive in something totally original, while holding true to our vision of delivering the ultimate experience in business aviation,” Michael Amalfitano, President & CEO, Embraer Executive Jets said in the release. “The Phenom 300E is already the best-selling light jet in the world, and we continue to push the boundaries to provide even more value and bring new experiences to our customers.” The F-35 Lightning II from Lockheed Martin was chosen by the Swiss Federal Council for its new fighter aircraft competition, according to a June 30 release. "We are honored to be selected by Switzerland and look forward to partnering with the Swiss government, public, air force and industry to deliver and sustain the F-35 aircraft," Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin's vice president and general manager of the F-35 Program, said in a statement. "With the selection, Switzerland will become the 15th nation to join the F-35 program of record, joining several European nations in further strengthening global airpower and security." The German Ministry of Defense is buying five new Poseidon aircraft from Boeing. (Boeing) Germany’s Ministry of Defense signed a letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) on June 30 to procure five Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. According to the German Ministry of Defense, the Bundreswehr, the deal is worth about 1.1 billion Euros or $1.3 billion. This agreement came after the German parliament formally approved the procurement of the five aircraft on June 24. Boeing said this order will make Germany the eighth customer for the P-8A after the U.S., Australia, India., New Zealand, Norway, South Korea and the United Kingdom. “Boeing is honored to provide Germany with the world’s most capable maritime surveillance aircraft. We will continue to work with the U.S. government, the German government and industry to establish a robust sustainment package that will ensure the German Navy’s P-8A fleet is mission ready,” Michael Hostetter, Boeing Defense, Space and Security vice president in Germany, said in a statement. Naval Air Systems Command awarded Lockheed Martin a not-to-exceed $1.8 billion un-definitized contract action (UCA) on June 30 to procure recurring logistics services for delivered F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. The Defense of Department announcement said these services cover delivered F-35s in support of the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy as well as non-U.S. DoD participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. The department said services will include “ground maintenance activities, action request resolution, depot activation activities, automatic logistics information system operations and maintenance, reliability, maintainability and health management implementation and support, supply chain management and activities to provide and support pilot and maintainer initial training.” Work will largely occur in Fort Worth, Texas (61 percent); Orlando, Florida (24 percent); and Greenville, S.C. (8 percent) and is expected to be finished in December 2021. The view from onboard LauncherOne. (Virgin Orbit) Virgin Orbit has kicked off commercial service with a successful LauncherOne mission on Wednesday, June 30. As part of Virgin Orbit’s air-launch system, carrier aircraft Cosmic Girl took off from a flight runway at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California at 6:50 a.m. PDT. Cosmic Girl, a modified Boeing 747, dropped the rocket at 7:47 a.m. PDT, when it had reached about 45,000 feet in altitude. LauncherOne separated cleanly and ignited its first stage engine, then completed stage separation. Satellites for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), SatRevolution and the Royal Netherlands Air Force, were successfully deployed to 500 km Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). The mission deployed three cubesats for the DoD as part of the Space Test Program’s (STP) Rapid Agile Launch (RALI) Initiative. This launch was awarded to Virgin Orbit subsidiary VOX Space by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The mission also carried the Netherland’s first military satellite, a cubesat for Royal Netherlands Air Force called BRIK II, built and integrated by Innovative Solutions in Space. Polish space company SatRevolution launched its first two optical satellites STORK-4 and STORK-5 of the company’s planned 14-satellite constellation on the mission as well. Volocopter unveiled its VoloDrone utility system, which can be remotely piloted or automated. (Volocopter) Volocopter has created a proof of concept for its electric cargo drone, VoloDrone, with the help of its logistics partner DB Schenker, according to a July 1 press release. During a joint static proof of concept (PoC) at Messe Stuttgart, the two companies tested logistic operations including personnel, payloads, automated ground vehicles, and VoloDrones, according to the release. “By developing a blueprint for VoloDrone operations, Volocopter is leading the way into the next dimension of transport logistics with tangible and operational data backing our service claims,” Christian Bauer, Volocopter CCO, said in a statement. “Our work with DB Schenker shows that they are a great investor, a valuable partner, and an enabler for our commercial VoloDrone operations.” The VoloDrones were simulated within a logistics network by studying ground processes, testing the automated supply of the drone through autonomous vehicles, and conducted pre-flight cargo checks, according to the release. “The VoloDrone unlocks new possibilities for the logistics industry, and it represents a key element for DB Schenker’s innovation and sustainability roadmap for logistics,” Erik Wirsing, global head of innovation at DB Schenker, said in a statement. “Volocopter’s leadership in this emerging urban air mobility industry is most evident in their practical solutions, their customer-centric approach, and their commitment to bring UAM to life.” An image of Zipline's flight operations featured on its website. Zipline, the drone logistics company, announced $250 million in new funding in a June 30 release. The company is now valued at $2.75 billion. According to the release, Zipline will use the new funding to advance its autonomy platform, aircraft, fulfillment system, and operations. They will also use the funds to expand into new industries and geographies. “At Zipline, our mission is to create the first logistics company that serves all humans equally. Around the world, our partners are reimagining how patients access care with fast, reliable on-demand delivery,” Keller Rinaudo, founder and CEO at Zipline, said in a statement. “Together, we have completed hundreds of thousands of deliveries of blood, medicines and vaccines, and today Zipline makes a commercial delivery every four minutes. In the past year, we have seen major growth in every market, including the U.S., and we’re continuing to build on our proven track record and technology to bring instant logistics to more partners, communities and people.” American Robotics will be joining the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), the company announced in a June 29 press release. The FAA BVLOS ARC will study how drones are used in BVLOS cases and send recommendations to the FAA on what rules should be created. “American Robotics is excited to participate in pushing forward BVLOS regulations alongside the FAA to develop safe integration of UAS into our National Airspace System,” Reese Mozer, co-founder and CEO of American Robotics, said in a statement. “Our groundbreaking FAA approval in January 2021 was an important and significant step forward for the commercial drone community as a whole. We look forward to sharing our insights with the broader commercial drone community, and the FAA, and providing commercial users better access to the data and insights that are only accessible through an automated drone solution.” The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) said they were committed to making aviation safer and more sustainable during a virtual meeting, last week according to a June 30 press release. “We’ve proven we can accomplish more, with better results, when we work together,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement. “President Biden made this clear on his trip to Europe earlier this month. He reaffirmed the primacy of the U.S.-European alliance. The bonds we have forged through NATO and countless other areas continue to serve the interests of both sides. And nowhere is that more true than our relationship in aviation safety and sustainability.” FAA and DG MOVE officials discussed areas for more safety cooperation, sustainable aviation fuels, more efficient operations, air traffic management, more efficient engine designs, and airframe and propulsion technologies, according to the release. “The EU-U.S. aviation partnership is a cornerstone of international aviation and has proven to be very beneficial for both sides over the years,” Henrik Hololei, Director General of DG MOVE, in a statement. “However, it is important to look ahead and continue to build on this strong, mutually beneficial, and future-oriented partnership. Today, we jointly confirmed our very close cooperation on aviation safety. Importantly, we also agreed that the reduction of emissions is the license to grow for the aviation sector and shared our commitment for the decarbonization of air transport. Together, we will help the sector build back better.”

New achievements in aerospace

2005–06 Niger food crisis

The 2005–2006 Niger food crisis was a severe but localized food security crisis in the regions of northern Maradi, Tahoua, Tillabéri, and Zinder of Niger from 2005 to 2006. It was caused by an early end to the 2004 rains, desert locust damage to some pasture lands, high food prices, and chronic poverty. In the affected area, 2.4 million of 3.6 million people are considered highly vulnerable to food insecurity. An international assessment stated that, of these, over 800,000 face extreme food insecurity and another 800,000 in moderately insecure food situations are in need of aid. The crisis had long been predicted after swarms of locusts consumed nearly all crops in parts of Niger during the 2004 agricultural season. [1] In other areas, insufficient rainfall resulted in exceptionally poor harvests and dry pastures affecting both farmers and livestock breeders. An assessment carried out by the government of Niger, the United Nations and international Non Governmental Organizations reached a general consensus that the crisis, while locally severe, had not reached the level of famine according to famine scales. [2] The population of Niger increased more than fivefold between 1950 and 2005, from 2.5 million to 13.5 million. [3] The fertility rate in Niger is the highest in the world at 7.6 children per woman,[4] and the population of the country is projected to increase tenfold in the 21st century to more than 200 million people in 2100. [5] The Sahel region as a whole registered a grain surplus of 85,000 tons. [6][7] However, Niger and Chad suffered grain deficits of around 224,000 and 217,000 tons, respectively. [8] An increase in food prices fuelled the food crisis, especially in Niger, which was the most affected area. Access to food staples became increasingly difficult and severe cases of child malnutrition were reported. The scarcity of water and fodder also adversely affected the health of the cattle, camels, sheep and goats that comprise virtually the only source of food and income for nomadic communities. Competition for limited resources also resulted in some local conflicts. Acute malnutrition rates rose to 13.4 per cent in the southern Niger Maradi and Zinder departments, with 2.5 per cent of this group identified as severely malnourished children under age five, according to UNICEF. The food shortage impacted 3.3 million people —including 800,000 children under age five— in 3,815 villages. Officials estimated cereal deficits at 223,448 tons and livestock feed deficits at 4,642,219 tons. [9][10][11] Although UN's Food and Agriculture Organization already warned of an upcoming crisis in late 2004,[12] donor support came slowly throughout the first half of 2005. [13] In late August 2005, the profile of the crisis was raised after UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan visited President Tandja Mamadou in Zinder. The visit was seen as an attempt to draw attention to the crisis, and also address accusations that the UN had responded slowly. Donors had given less than half of the US$81 million appealed for by the UN. On January 16, 2006, the UN directed an appeal for US$240 million of food aid for West Africa to feed at least 10 million people affected by the food crisis, with Niger being the worst-affected country. [14] Several authorities, including the President of Niger at the time, called into the question the veracity of claims made by international media. They argued that, while chronic malnutrition has been issue for populations of Niger, the media erroneously and deliberately portrayed common local dietary habits as signs of widespread famine to appeal to donors' sympathy. On March 3, 2008 TV2 Norway aired the documentary "Sultbløffen" (The Famine Scam) which voiced the view that there was no famine in Niger in 2005-06, but rather chronic malnutrition no different from the previous years. BBC's Hilary Andersson, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland as well as international media and aid organizations in general were accused of severely overstating and lying about the food situation in the country by misrepresenting the situation. The sources, among them a Norwegian-Swedish foundation of agricultural development and their local assistants, gave a version picturing western media and relief agencies as ignorant towards local agriculture and flora and common dietary habits. They cited so-called "food-racism": the perception that local, traditional food and food plants are useless and poisonous, even though locals have eaten them for millennia. They also denounced the perception that the people of Niger are incapable of living without support from the west, and argued that large food donations overwhelmed the local supply, making it harder for local agriculture to compete. [15] The film was awarded 3rd prize in the Monte Carlo TV festival of 2008, and won Den Store Journalistprisen in Norway in 2009. The BBC claimed to have refuted TV2's allegations unequivocally,[16] and attempted to block the international release of the documentary by withdrawing TV2's license to news footage from the summer of 2005. [17]

Famine

1947 Gisborne earthquakes and tsunami

The 1947 Gisborne earthquakes and tsunami occurred east of Gisborne and offshore from New Zealand's North Island. Both the two earthquakes are estimated to have measured at most 7.1 on the moment magnitude scale. [1] The first earthquake, which struck offshore Poverty Bay on 26 March 1947 at 8:32 am NZST, seemed like a minor earthquake in Gisborne,[2] but was 7.0–7.1 Mw. [3] It generated a tsunami with a maximum measured run-up height of 10 metres that struck the coast from Māhia Peninsula to Tokomaru Bay,[3] swamping the coast between Muriwai and Tolaga Bay 30 minutes after the quake. [2] The tsunami was not observed outside of New Zealand. [1] Four people at the Tatapouri Hotel, 13 kilometres by road north of Gisborne, saw the tsunami coming and rushed up a hill. Two waves swept through the ground floor of the hotel up to window sill height, and retreating water then washed small buildings out to sea. A little further north at Turihaua, a 10-metre high wave hit a cottage, sweeping two men who were outside it inland onto the coast road. Three other people were trapped in the kitchen, which filled with water to head height. Retreating water then destroyed the cottage, leaving only the kitchen. The Pouawa River bridge, a little further north, was swept 800 metres inland. [2] Seaweed was later found in telegraph wires 12 metres above sea level at Pouawa Beach. [3] A house at Mahanga Beach, just north of Māhia Peninsula, was moved off its piles. [2] Seven weeks later, a second earthquake struck offshore Tolaga Bay on 17 May, and was estimated to have been 6.9–7.1 Mw . It also generated a tsunami, which had a maximum measured run-up height of 6 metres. Despite occurring at low tide and being less powerful than the first, the tsunami caused small amounts of damage along the east coast and is noted for washing away construction materials being used to repair damage from the earlier tsunami. [1] No one died in either of the tsunamis, but there could have been a high toll had they struck when beaches were crowded during summer holidays. [2] New Zealand lies along the boundary between the Indo-Australian and Pacific Plates. In the North Island the displacement is mainly taken up along the Hikurangi Subduction Zone, although the remaining dextral strike-slip component of the relative plate motion is accommodated by the North Island Fault System. Both earthquakes are believed to have occurred along the Hikurangi Subduction Zone, in close proximity to each other. Both earthquakes generated tsunami caused by the sudden release of energy from the Earth's crust. Due to the unusually large tsunami that accompanied the earthquake, and the lack of damage due to weak shaking, this event has been identified as a rare "tsunami earthquake". [4]

Earthquakes

Controversial celebrity marriages

It's hard enough to date in Hollywood without choosing a partner who brings the wrong kind of attention to the relationship… Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at some of the most controversial marriages over the years, starting with this whopper: In 1997, Woody Allen married Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his former longtime partner, actress Mia Farrow. The famed film director claims he and Soon-Yi barely knew each other during his relationship with the "Rosemary's Baby" star, which lasted more than a decade — and that they only started seeing each other after his romance with the actress had come to an end. Mia, meanwhile, has maintained that she dumped Woody when she discovered he was having an affair with her daughter, who was in college at the time. Despite their dubious origins — and their 35-year age difference — Woody and Soon-Yi, who turned 50 in 2020, are still going strong. Now keep reading for more… RELATED: Celeb couples with big age gaps In 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis notoriously married his first cousin once removed, Myra Gale Brown — her father was his first cousin — when she was just 13 and he was 22. To make matters worse, Jerry was still legally married to his second wife when he and Myra first tied the knot. Later, following his divorce, they made their union official, but it ultimately wasn't meant to be: After welcoming two children with the Grammy winner, Myra filed to legally end their marriage in 1970. She accused Jerry — who went on to marry four more times — of adultery and abuse. RELATED: Iconic movie couples Kim Kardashian West famously separated from her second husband, Kris Humphries, just 72 days after they tied the knot. The basketball star popped the question after just six months of dating, and three months later, they exchanged vows as "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" cameras rolled. (In other words: Their courtship, engagement and marriage all went down in less than a year.) The breakneck pace of their relationship prompted speculation that Kim only married Kris so that she could film their extravagant nuptials for her reality TV show: E! reportedly banked millions selling advertising spots for the wedding special. In 2017, Kim said she had doubts about marrying Kris leading up to their big day but worried, "If I pulled out now, everyone's going to think I just did it for the show." RELATED: Surprising celeb marriages Another super-short marriage that sparked rumors that were hard to shake? Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney's union. The A-list actress and the country crooner tied the knot in the Virgin Islands in May 2005, mere months after they met at a charity event in January. But as quickly as you can say "I do," they were over. That September, Renee filed to have the marriage annulled, citing "fraud" as the reason for the split. That bit of legalese prompted rumors that Kenny only married the Oscar winner to hide the fact that he was closeted. The buzz about his sexuality grew so loud, Renee released a statement clarifying that "the term 'fraud' as listed in the documentation is simply legal language and not a reflection of Kenny's character." Added the "Chicago" star, "I would personally be very grateful for your support in refraining from drawing derogatory, hurtful, sensationalized or untrue conclusions." But it was too late: The rumors have followed the singer ever since. Mariah Carey's first marriage was extremely toxic. She was in her early 20s when her relationship with Tommy Mottola, who's two decades her senior, turned romantic. At the time, he was the head of Sony Music. In other words, he was her boss and had total control over her career. They married in 1993 and divorced five years later. In 2019, the superstar compared herself to "a child bride." Said Mariah of her time as the music exec's missus, "There was no freedom for me as a human being. It was almost like being a prisoner." She even had a nickname for the home they shared: Sing Sing … as in the New York maximum-security prison. (In his 2013 memoir, Tommy admitted the marriage was "absolutely wrong and inappropriate.") When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot in 2018, their union was widely celebrated in America — especially in Hollywood, where the native Californian and "Suits" starlet has roots. In England, however, it was a different story: Many Brits questioned whether an older American divorcée of humble origins with entertainment industry ties was a suitable match for the royal, who was sixth in line to the British throne at the time. The late Naya River married Ryan Dorsey in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in July 2014 — just three months after she and Big Sean announced that they'd called off their engagement. The whirlwind rush to the altar prompted rumors that the "Glee" star switched grooms, subbing in the actor at the wedding she'd planned with the rapper. "The media eschewed it into this whole thing," Naya later told People magazine. She also insisted that she and Ryan had a lengthy romantic history before her relationship with Sean and that they only reconnected after she and the chart-topper split. (Naya and Ryan split in 2016 and finalized their divorce in 2018, two years before her tragic death.) There's no doubt that Celine Dion and her late husband, Rene Angelil, were deeply in love, but the timeline of their relationship is a little troubling if you consider the details: They met and started working together when the Canadian singer was just 12 and the talent manager was 38. They didn't marry until years later, though — when she was 26 and he was 52. (She's maintained over the years that their relationship only turned romantic after she turned 18.) Nicolas Cage starred in David Lynch's 1990 crime-dramedy "Wild at Heart," which was heavily influenced by Elvis Presley. The film perpetuated the long-standing rumor that the actor is an Elvis superfan. So when he married The King's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, in Hawaii on the 25th anniversary of the iconic singer's death in August 2002, the rumor mill kicked into overdrive. The marriage, which lasted just three months, was plagued by whispers that Nic only married Lisa Marie because of her dad. "There was all this Elvis fascination and Elvis obsession," she said years later, adding that she and the Oscar winner were both "annoyed" by the way the public painted him "as an Elvis freak" because of the David Lynch flick. "We cannot be because you're an Elvis freak," she said. Another marriage that was plagued by popular myths about its origins? Tom Cruise's union with Katie Holmes. There are infinite rumors about the role Scientology played in the marriage. The most popular is that the Church of Scientology auditioned the "Dawson's Creek" alum — along with several other famous faces — to date the superstar. In the years since, there have been whispers that Katie was deeply afraid of the church and due to its influence, felt trapped in her marriage with Tom. The "Mission: Impossible" star began wooing the actress, who's 17 years his junior, in early 2005 — just months after her engagement to Chris Klein came to an end. He proposed just seven weeks later. They married the following year and separated in 2012. It's safe to say that in their early days as a couple, there weren't a lot of people rooting for Jason Aldean and Brittany Kerr. The country star had been married to Jessica Ussery for more than a decade when he was snapped kissing the "American Idol" alum at a bar in Hollywood in September 2012. The scandal didn't immediately break up his marriage: Jason and Jessica, who share two daughters, tried to make it work for seven months after the Brittany photos hit the Internet, but ultimately, the damage had been done. They threw in the towel in April 2013. Less than two years later — in March 2015 – Jason and Brittany tied the knot. Courtney Stodden shot into the spotlight after she married Doug Hutchison in 2011 when he was 51 and she was 16. The duo first connected via email when she reached out in a professional capacity, but things soon turned romantic. After four months of communicating via email and on the phone — her parents monitored their early interactions — they finally met in person. The "Lost" actor then proposed, and with consent from Courtney's parents, they wed in Las Vegas. Their tumultuous off-and-on relationship finally came to an end in early 2020 when they finalized their divorce. Did they do it for love or money? Haters have long questioned the authenticity of Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopras's union. The duo got engaged in July 2018 after a whirlwind courtship of just a few months, and by the end of the year, they'd tied the knot in several extravagant ceremonies featuring prominent branding partnerships. The "Quantico" star's bridal shower was sponsored by Tiffany & Co. Amazon sponsored their registry. Nick's bachelor party featured the scooter startup Lime, Elit vodka and more. And the list goes on! The branding fueled rumors that the pair only wed for clout and a payday. It's been nearly two years, though, and they're still going strong. Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder tied the knot in April 2015 after less than a year of dating … and less than four months after she finalized her divorce from first husband Paul McDonald. The duo seemed like a match made in heaven — with the exception of one glaring detail: He was previously in a long-term relationship with her pal Nina Dobrev. At the time, there were rumors that Nina promptly ended her friendship with Nikki once the "Twilight" star started seeing her ex. According to the rumor mill, Nina also left "The Vampire Diaries" over the romance. Since then, however, the trio have made a show of insisting they're all good. In 2017, for example, Nikki took to Instagram to slam "made up stories about 'friends backstabbing friends,' 'cheating exes' or 'cast members exiting show,'" which she called "baseless rumors." Jelena stans were baffled when Justin Bieber suddenly married Hailey Baldwin in an intimate ceremony at a New York City courthouse in September 2018 — just two months after he popped the question in the Bahamas and three months after they rekindled their off-and-on romance of several years. The real shocker was that Justin and another off-and-on love, Selena Gomez, were said to be working on their relationship that March, making his marriage look like one giant rebound from his childhood sweetheart. In the years since they said "I do," however, Justin and Hailey have made it clear that their relationship was actually much more serious than the public initially believed — they were able to fly under the radar because of the spotlight on his relationship with Selena. In 2008 — after seven years as his No. 1 girlfriend — Holly Madison and Hugh Hefner parted ways over her desire to get married and have children. So fans of "The Girls Next Door" were furious on her behalf when the Playboy founder unexpectedly proposed to Crystal Harris less than two years later. (At the time, she was 24 and he was 84.) Adding insult to injury, the blonde beauty suddenly dumped Hef just five days before they were set to tie the knot in June 2011. At the time, there were rumors that Crystal was having an affair with Jordan McGraw — which she denied. The following year, Crystal and Hef reconciled — even though she publicly bashed his bedroom skills, telling Howard Stern, "I'm not turned on by Hef." They tied the knot on New Year's Eve 2012 and were still together when he died at 91 in 2017. When Ethan Hawke married Ryan Shawhughes, his children's former nanny, in mid-2008, the world assumed they'd had an affair while he was still married to Uma Thurman. But the couple have long maintained that simply isn't the case — that they only took their relationship to the next level long after he separated from the "Kill Bill" star in 2003. "The truth is [that] by the time Ryan and I were falling in love, it had been a long while since I had employed her," he later insisted to The Guardian. In spite of their denials, Ethan and Ryan are often listed among Hollywood's biggest "nanny scandals." In 2008, Shania Twain discovered that her husband of nearly 15 years, Mutt Lange, was having an affair with her married best friend and longtime assistant, Marie-Anne Thiébaud. How exactly did she find out about the affair? Marie-Anne's husband, Frédéric Thiébaud, clued her in. The country queen was reportedly "devastated" by the news. But this story has a twist: Shania and the former Nestlé exec bonded over their mutual heartbreak, fell in love and tied the knot in 2010. A decade later, the singer called her path to finding love with Frédéric "beautifully twisted." Only in Hollyweird! When Johnny Depp married Amber Heard in early 2015, it was kind of a big deal for several reasons. First of all, the duo, who are 23 years apart in age, had been together for just a few years when they exchanged vows. In comparison, Johnny and Vanessa Paradis — who's widely beloved by the A-lister's fans — were together for 14 years and had two children without ever tying the knot. (There were also questions about the timeline and whether or not the two relationships overlapped.) Ultimately, Amber filed for divorce after just 16 months of marriage. Since then, she and Johnny have accused each other of a wide array of abuse. Regardless of who's to blame, one thing is clear: Their marriage was incredibly toxic. In June 2020 — just two months before they wed — "Sister, Sister" alum Marques Houston was forced to publicly defend his romance with his much younger bride-to-be, Miya Dickey, who's nearly 20 years his junior: He denied rumors that he and the 19-year-old beauty started seeing each other when she was still a minor, insisting that they "didn't start dating until she was an adult." The rumors kicked off when fans spotted a credit on Miya's IMDb profile that implies she and Marques worked together — and therefore knew each other — much earlier than they've previously stated. "The fact that she was listed on one of our films was a misprint or someone being messy. Anyone can post on IMDb. And there's no way someone that young could even work on a film set in the position of Art Director because that position requires years of experience," the actor wrote on Instagram, maintaining that he met Miya in 2018 through a mutual friend.

Famous Person - Marriage

April 2011 Fukushima earthquake

The April 2011 Fukushima earthquake (福島県浜通り地震, Fukushima-ken Hamadōri jishin, lit. "Fukushima Hamadōri earthquake"[2]) was a potent magnitude 6.6 Mw intraplate aftershock that occurred at 17:16 JST (08:16 UTC) on 11 April, in the Hamadōri region of Fukushima, Japan. With a shallow focus of 13 km (8.1 mi), the earthquake was centred inland about 36 km (22 mi) west of Iwaki, causing widespread strong to locally severe shaking. It was one of many aftershocks to follow the 11 March Tōhoku earthquake, and the strongest to have its epicentre located inland. The earthquake occurred as a result of normal faulting to the west of Iwaki, and triggered numerous landslides across adjacent mountainous areas. A few fires broke out, and 220,000 households lost electricity. Officials issued localised tsunami alerts, though no significant waves were generated. The earthquake caused little structural damage, but killed four people and injured ten others. The strong ground movements triggered the reactivation of a nearby geological fault, prompting researchers to conduct extensive surveys in the region. The magnitude 6.6 Mw Fukushima Hamadōri earthquake occurred inland on 11 April 2011 at 08:16 UTC at a focal depth of 13 km (8.1 mi), about 36 km (22 mi) west of Iwaki, Fukushima, or 161 km (100 mi) north-northeast of Tokyo. [1] To the east of the epicentre, the oceanic Pacific Plate is subducted beneath the continental Okhotsk Plate, on which much of Honshu's Tōhoku region is situated. Building stress near the resultant plate boundary has led to the development of shallow inland faults through crustal deformation and folding along the east coast of Tōhoku. [3][4] This intraplate earthquake occurred in the vicinity of the Idosawa Fault – a shallow crustal fault in the Hamadōri region near Tabito town, Iwaki city, that had previously been inactive. [5][6] Surveys near the epicentre revealed a surface rupture of about 11 km (6.8 mi) and numerous fault scarps, with general vertical displacements of 0.8 to 1.5 m (2.6 to 4.9 ft); a maximum displacement of 2.3 m (7.5 ft) occurred at the small village of Shionohira. Localised right-lateral slip of 30 cm (12 in) was observed at the subsiding west side of the rupture. The segments of the Idosawa Fault associated with this surface feature were classified as the "Shionohira Fault" in 2011. [7] The nearby Yunodake Fault, a normal dip-slip fault northeast of the Shionohira Fault that had been dormant for 120,000–130,000 years, also ruptured during the quake. [8] These observations indicated that the earthquake occurred as a result of normal dip-slip faulting with some strike-slip component. [7] Although it was centred near a different fault zone, the earthquake was classified as an aftershock of the 11 March Tōhoku earthquake, which occurred offshore about 235 km (146 mi) to its northeast. [1][9] The magnitude 9.0 Mw earthquake triggered widespread seismic activity,[10] and its aftershock sequence includes well-over 67 earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 Mw or greater. [11] Apart from the Fukushima Hamadōri earthquake, four of the aftershocks measured magnitude 7.0 Mw or higher. [12][13] The Fukushima Hamadōri earthquake, however, was the strongest of the aftershocks to have its epicentre located inland. [6][13] Early estimates placed the strength of the earthquake at a magnitude of 7.0–7.1, but the United States Geological Survey (USGS) lowered the magnitude to 6.6. [14][15] The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) assessed a magnitude of 7.0 Mj and a depth of 6.4 km (4.0 mi). [16] The Fukushima Hamadōri earthquake was succeeded by a number of smaller tremors; that same day, at least 11 earthquakes of magnitude 3.5 Mj or higher were recorded near its epicentre. [17] Of the series, the strongest registered at a magnitude of 5.5 Mj and occurred within 3.5 hours after the initial quake. [18] A shallow magnitude 6.0 Mw (6.4 Mj) earthquake and several smaller tremors struck the region on 12 April. [19][20] The earthquake struck in the late afternoon near a moderately populated region of the Fukushima Prefecture, although most structures around the epicentre were resistant to earthquake shaking. [21] Focussed at an unusually shallow depth, the earthquake generated significant shaking throughout many adjacent prefectures. The strongest ground motion registered at severe (MM VIII) in Ishikawa town on the Mercalli intensity scale. [22] Strong shaking (MM VI) spread through Iwaki, Sukawaga, Kuroiso, Ōtawara and Kitaibaraki, with light tremors (MM IV) felt in areas up to several hundred kilometres from the epicentre, including Tokyo and Yokohama. [21] The earthquake cut electricity to about 220,000 households, with most of the cuts reported in Iwaki city. [15] Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant – distanced 70 km (43 mi) from the epicentre[1][23] – evacuated to safety, and external power to the plant was cut. The outage briefly disrupted cooling water injections into three of the reactors, but services to the plant were restored by 18:05 JST. [24] Authorities at Tokyo International Airport closed all runways momentarily,[25] while NTT DoCoMo restricted voice calls in 14 prefectures following the quake. East Japan Railway Company temporarily suspended its services to restart four of five bullet-train lines; other Shinkansen bullet trains in the region were also halted. [15][24] The earthquake sparked several fires in Iwaki, with one fire breaking out in Asakawa town. Fire engines extinguished a blaze in a liquefied natural gas tank at Daiichi Sankyo's Onahama Plant. [15] Most of the structural damage was due to scattered rock- and landslides along hillsides in the vicinity of Iwaki. A landslide crushed two vehicles and buried three homes in the city, trapping a number of the inhabitants. [15][26] The incident resulted in two immediate deaths. Four people were critically injured and taken to hospital; one of them was later pronounced dead. [27][28] The Iwaki Ibaraki Route 14 interchange of the Jōban Expressway, which runs from Misato, Saitama, to Tomiya, Miyagi, was cut off to traffic by a large landslide of 120 m × 100 m (390 ft × 330 ft). [29] In Tabito town, very close to the epicentre, a 170 m × 50 m (560 ft × 160 ft) landslide resulted in the formation of a quake lake – a natural damming of a river by mass wasting – with a water level of 15 m (49 ft) and a storage volume of 1,000–2,500 m3 (35,000–90,000 cu ft). [29] Significant land deformation with traces of uplift was observed in and around town, affecting local roads but largely sparing its structures. [7] A total of seven people from other regions near the epicentre, including southern Ibaraki, Tochigi and Kanagawa prefectures, suffered minor injuries. [15][28] Another person was injured during the magnitude 6.0 (Mw) aftershock of 12 April. [20] In a report from July 2011, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed a death toll of four from the earthquake. [30] The Earthquake Early Warning system was activated upon the detection of primary waves – seismic waves that forego an earthquake's perceivable ground motions – giving residents 6.8 seconds to seek cover before the main shock. [20] At the risk of a tsunami – which reach their destructive wave heights near shallow coastal waters[31] – local fishing boats along coastlines were shown heading out to sea on national news broadcasts.

Earthquakes

Locust invasion warning: China on the brink of ‘disaster’ – officials on alert

A swarm of yellow-spined bamboo locusts have decimated large areas of land in the southern city of Pu’er. The invasion of crop-eating pests embarked on its path of destruction for more than 200 miles from China’s border with Laos. Local officials confirmed up to 26 square miles of fields have already been destroyed. The Pu'er forestry authority fears the worst is yet to come with numbers rising each day and have warned there is a “high possibility of a disaster” in the country up until September. In a notice on Thursday, the Pu’er Government said: “The invasion of the yellow-spined bamboo locusts from abroad is accelerating. “We can detect new clusters invading every day. “Based on initial research and judgement, there is a high possibility of a disaster of yellow-spined bamboo locust escalating in border regions between July to September.” Shocking images show the large swarm moving over the skies in their hundreds of thousands before devouring on fields of vital bamboo leaves. Authorities say the pests were first detected on in the region between Pu'er and Laos on June 28. It is estimated more than 6,500 hectares of land has been destroyed by the species of short-horned grasshoppers. China is responsible for around a fifth of the world’s bamboo and it is extensively used in the country to create houses, roads and medicinal purposes. Locusts are easily identifiable by its bright red wings and can travel more than 70 miles in a single day. The United Nations (UN) estimates a swarm of locusts can contain anything between 40-80 million insects. READ MORE: Coronavirus map LIVE: Fears for more UK lockdowns as R-rate hits 1.0 A swarm in those numbers is capable of digesting the same amount of food in a day as three million people In order to combat the outbreak officials have conducted more than 500 target drone flights. Aerial pest-controllers have since covered an area of more than 3,000 hectares of land. DON'T MISS FTSE 100 LIVE: US stocks and Asian shares plummet after COVID-19 surge [LIVE]UK's critical role in WTO overhaul after no deal exposed [INSIGHT]Tropical Storm Fay MAP: Horror storm to SMASH into New York - NOAA [FORECAST] Over the past two months, locust invasions have struck large parts of southern Asia, including neighbouring India. Last month a swarm of locusts descended on the northern city of Gurgaon before travelling two kilometres towards the capital. The outbreak struck during the vital summer harvest with crops decimated across Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Insect Disaster

Rally death attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning

STURGIS, S.D. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials say the death of a Nebraska man at the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota is apparently due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The Omaha man, who has not been identified, was found dead in his motor home at the rally on Tuesday. The Meade County coroner is investigating. Officials say there has been only one other fatality associated with the rally, which runs through Sunday. A 29-year-old man died in a motorcycle crash Monday south of Lead. The South Dakota Highway Patrol says the man lost control of his bike, slid into the ditch and was thrown from the motorcycle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mass Poisoning

Gunman Robs Bank in Sterling

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an armed robbery of a Sterling bank that occurred Saturday morning. According to the report, the man entered the Bank of America on Dulles Crossing Plaza at approximately10:30 a.m. Jan. 2 and approached a teller. He displayed a firearm and demanded cash. The suspect left the store with an undisclosed amount of money and fled the area in a dark-colored SUV. There were no injuries sustained to anyone inside the bank. The suspect is described as a Black male wearing a blue jacket, blue jeans, and a black mask that was partially concealing his face. Anyone with any information regarding the identity of the suspect is asked to contact Detective S. McCormack at 703-777-1021.Callers wishing to remain anonymous are asked to call Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919or submit a tip through the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office app. Cyclist Mugged at Gunpoint on W&OD Trail2019-08-26In "Public Safety" Sheriff’s Office Investigates Sterling Robbery2020-01-26In "Public Safety" Deputies Search for Sterling Bank Robber2019-02-11In "News"

Bank Robbery

2020–21 Alabama aluminum plant strike

The 2020 Alabama aluminum plant strike is a labor strike that occurred in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States from December 2020 to January 2021. The strike involved approximately 400 members of the United Steelworkers Local 200, over alleged unfair labor practices by Constellium, a multinational producer of aluminum products who operate a manufacturing plant. In January 2015,[1] the company Wise Metals was acquired by French-based multinational aluminum products manufacturer Constellium. As part of the acquisition, Constellium gained ownership of an aluminum sheet metal manufacturing plant in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The plant primarily produces sheet metal for use in drink cans and has contracts with several major companies, including Budweiser. [2] In 2020, the plant was one of 25 operated by Constellium across China, Europe, and North America, with 13,000 employees worldwide. [2][3] A previous labor strike against Constellium involved 700 workers and took place at an aluminum plant in Ravenswood, West Virginia in 2012. [2] In 2020, the Muscle Shoals plant employed 1,200 workers,[4] making the plant the city's largest employer. Many of the workers are union members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 200. [5] On November 1, 2020, after months of failed labor contract negotiations between the union and Constellium, the contract expired. According to the union's district director, safety and seniority were the primary points of dispute, with the director alleging that the contract proposed by Constellium would have given management "unchecked authority" over scheduling. [3] On December 15, 2020, Constellium was notified by USW that local members had voted to reject the most recent collective bargaining proposal, and on midnight, the local members officially went on strike. [5] Strikers are alleging unfair labor practices by Constellium and have picketed the plant. [3] USW President Tom Conway stated that the strike would continue until Constellium "comes to their senses" and, speaking about concessions requested by the company, said "there's no need for what they're asking for. "[4] The strike is occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic. [5] On December 16, strikers began picketing in the parking lot outside of the plant. [6] On January 1, 2021, a mediator held discussions between union and company representatives. [7] On January 12, union members ended the strike and returned to work following the ratification of a five-year contract with the company. [8]

Strike

LifePoint Health purchases post-acute services company Kindred Healthcare, commits to 3-year, $1.5B investment

LifePoint Health is set to acquire post-acute healthcare services company Kindred Healthcare and invest $1.5 billion over three years across the combined organization, the Tennessee-based for-profit provider announced. The purchase adds 62 long-term acute care facilities, 25 inpatient rehabilitation facilities, more than 100 acute rehabilitation facilities and two behavioral health facilities to LifePoint, which already owns and operates 87 hospitals, over 50 post-acute service providers and facilities and a few dozen outpatient facilities. The resulting organization will staff roughly 77,000 employees across the U.S. LifePoint said it expects the deal to go through during the fourth quarter of 2021, pending regulatory review and other customary closing conditions. RELATED: HCA Healthcare CFO outlines M&A growth strategy, post-COVID hurdles facing the health system Although the terms aren’t being shared immediately, the system said it anticipates providing additional information on the acquisition—including financing, organizational structures and staffing updates—prior to the close of the transaction. LifePoint did note that no COVID-19 relief funds were used to finance the purchase. By purchasing Kindred, LifePoint said it will be creating a network capable of treating patients across the continuum of care. The system’s collection of community-based hospitals and other entry points will be positioned to connect patients to Kindred’s long-term acute care, rehabilitation and behavioral health services, the system wrote. LifePoint asserted in the announcement that the combination of their services was not driven by organizational cost savings but instead reflects an effort to “improve healthcare outcomes and access without increasing costs for patients.” The company also noted it would continue Kindred’s growth strategy of partnerships and joint ventures with well-known health systems, payers and other providers as it looks to push into new regions. “Kindred’s focus on healing and hope, provided through its long-term acute care hospitals, rehabilitation centers and most recently its behavioral health services—an important and growing need across the country—is highly complementary to the current LifePoint network,” David Dill, president and CEO of LifePoint, said in a statement. “We are honored to welcome Kindred’s talented group of employees and providers into the LifePoint family. We share a commitment to partnerships to benefit patients, and together, we will advance clinical and quality excellence, make healthcare more accessible and support healthier communities.” RELATED: Optum scoops up post-acute care company NaviHealth The announcement also included word that LifePoint would be investing $1.5 billion over a three-year period across the numerous communities that fall within the combined organization’s markets. More specifically, the money will be going toward technology, digital tools and other equipment that increases local access to services; projects aimed at improving care delivery and adding new access points to care; and professional growth among employees, particularly nurses and other front-line staff, LifePoint said. “Kindred and LifePoint have highly complementary capabilities and together we will be poised to further improve patient care across the healthcare continuum,” Benjamin Breier, CEO of Kindred, said in a statement. “The combination with LifePoint also creates enhanced career development and advancement opportunities for our Kindred teammates who have been the driving force behind our mission of delivering hope and healing to the most medically complex patients. We are excited to move forward and realize the benefits of this combination for our patients and their families, our joint venture partners and our team members.” RELATED: Humana to acquire onehome in bid to expand value-based home care Founded in 1985 as Vencor, Louisville, Kentucky-based Kindred’s history includes time as a public company on the New York Stock Exchange and a slew of mergers and acquisitions to grow its service offerings. The post-acute care company went private in 2018 with its $4.1 billion joint acquisition by Humana; TPG Capital; and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe. Earlier this year Humana exercised its right to break off and purchase Kindred at Home, Kindred’s home health services business, for $5.7 billion while simultaneously divesting its share of Kindred’s remaining post-acute care offerings. Brentwood, Tennessee-based LifePoint Health was similarly taken private in 2018 when it was purchased by Apollo Global Management for $5.6 billion and merged with the private equity firm’s RCCH HealthCare Partners. Apollo said at the time that the merger would create a system with revenues exceeding $8 billion. LifePoint currently operates campuses across 29 states and staffs more than 53,000 employees. It had recently agreed to sell off three of its South Carolina hospitals and other facilities employing more than 2,300 staff to Prisma Health but, due to regulatory challenges, called off that deal in April.

Organization Merge

Golden Ray catches fire off St. Simons Island during salvage effort, no injuries reported

A live video feed of the Golden Ray, a cargo ship that capsized Sept. 8, 2019, off St. Simons Island, shows smoke pouring from the ship on Friday afternoon. The fire began smoldering around noon Friday and increased in intensity around 1 p.m., said Tyler Jones, spokesman for the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. "I was looking at it from my window and you know, smoke's blowing south towards Jekyll Island," Jones said. "But we've got air quality monitoring going on there." All workers were evacuated from the site and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is unknown. More:Golden Ray to weather third hurricane season since St. Simons shipwreck "We don't know why the fire started at this time," Jones said." But before they were doing it, they were doing the initial (guide) cut in it before the real chain goes in." A fire suppression system installed on the wrecked ship was unable to contain the fire. Additional firefighting assets are being brought in, Jones said. The ship's fuel has been removed but vehicles onboard the "roll-on roll off" ship each contain a small amount of gasoline. The Golden Ray was carrying 4,000 Kias and Hyundais, bound for Baltimore when it capsized. A dramatic rescue of the ship's crew followed and all four of the trapped crew members survived. Salvage crews have been using a floating crane to facilitate cutting the crippled ship into parts for removal. Mary Landers is the environment and health reporter at the Savannah Morning News. Contact her at 912-655-8295. Twitter: @MaryLandersSMN

Shipwreck

A mine in the northwest Xinjiang region experienced an underground flood

A mine in the northwest Xinjiang region experienced an underground flood on Saturday evening, affecting 29 workers. Eight workers have been rescued and the remaining 21 are still trapped. The accident occurred at the Fengyuan Coal mine in Hutubi County as upgrades were being conducted. According to the Times, the coal mine’s licence was revoked last year due to safety concerns. The flood occurred around 6:10 p.m. local time Saturday, according to the Xinhua News Agency, with the cause remaining unclear. Power outages ensued as well as the loss of communication lines. As of Sunday morning, eight workers had been rescued and are in good health while another 12 were located on a platform 1,200 metres below ground level. It was not until Monday morning that the remaining nine miners were found; eight were located on a second platform and another worker was found in an escape route. All 21 miners remain trapped by the floodwaters, which are currently being pumped out. The Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday that Ma Xin, director of Changji’s emergency management bureau, “said that the underground environment is very complex and drainage is the foremost concern at present,” citing the difficulties associated with moving heavy machinery in submerged passages. Reportedly, three sets of drainage equipment pumping water out at speeds of 450 cubic meters per hour were installed on Sunday. As of Monday morning, seven pumping stations were installed, with some pumping air into the mine as the floodwaters recede. On Sunday, eight rescue teams comprising 1,484 people from mine rescue, fire, emergency, electricity communications and other departments were assembled at the scene, including 25 ambulances and numbers of medical personnel. Reporting has been limited since Monday and an investigation is currently underway into the source of the flooding. China remains one of the most dangerous countries for mining with explosions and gas leaks a regular occurrence. According to official statistics of the National Mine Safety Administration, there were 434 mining accidents in 2020 with 573 deaths. While there has been a significant drop in accidents and deaths over recent years, this is attributed less to the adoption of stringent safety measures than to the reduction in demand and the consolidation of the industry using larger, mechanized mines employing fewer workers. The flooding in Fengyuan Coal mine is the latest in a long line of mining disasters in which hazardous enterprises have been fined and ordered to resolve safety issues but have failed to do so. The widespread and longstanding safety issues are rooted in the drive for profits and production at the expense of workers. It is also a common occurrence for mines to under-report workplace incidents. In January, an explosion at a gold mine in Shandong was not reported until 30 hours after the fact, which seriously compromised rescue efforts. The blast left 10 dead, one missing and 11 rescued two weeks later. On March 17, authorities in Hebei province were forced to launch an investigation after finally receiving belated reports of six deaths at an iron ore mine in Wuan in the previous month. According to mining.com, the Wuan city government first heard rumours of the incident on the internet, which reported a death toll of only three miners and compensation offered to the family of at least one. Xinhua, the state news agency, reported that the six people died after falling down a shaft, which occurred during an inspection of the mine that had halted production in late 2018. The non-reporting was a crime in an industry with a poor safety record and lax enforcement of regulations, but in this case it is the government’s direct responsibility. The mine, formerly owned by the Tuanchengdong Mining Company, is wholly owned by the Wuan government itself through the Metallurgical Mining Group, according to the data provider Qichacha. Limited reports announced that individuals associated with the mining enterprise had been placed “under control” and were being investigated in the nearby steel producing centre of Handan. In a bid to contain public anger, China launched a year-long series of coal mining safety checks last November, focussing on infrastructure, risk prevention management and response and rescue capabilities. The investigation will also purportedly examine safety checks by local government authorities. China is the world’s largest producer of coal accounting for 47 percent of output in 2019, and the world largest consumer taking 53 percent of the global total. The Chinese coal industry was valued at around $345 billion in 2018. The company’s strikebreaking activity has been facilitated at every turn by the United Mine Workers, which has left the miners isolated and totally vulnerable to physical attacks and the company’s efforts to defeat the strike. The state-orchestrated defeat of the year-long 1984-5 strike paved the way for the privatisation of the pension scheme. The defeat saw the mass closures of pits, the end of the UK mining industry, and the widespread impoverishment of mining communities. The media has blacked out the widespread opposition to the New Zealand Labour Party government’s decision to seal Pike River mine that prevents a thorough investigation and accountability for the deaths of 29 men in the 2010 disaster. To reach the surface, the trapped miners have had to climb two at a time up a ladder system for approximately 2,500 feet.

Mine Collapses

Anthracite Coal Strike

The Coal strike of 1902 (also known as the anthracite coal strike)[1][2] was a strike by the United Mine Workers of America in the anthracite coalfields of eastern Pennsylvania. Miners striked for higher wages, shorter workdays, and the recognition of their union. The strike threatened to shut down the winter fuel supply to major American cities. At that time, residences were typically heated with anthracite or "hard" coal, which produces higher heat value and less smoke than "soft" or bituminous coal. The strike never resumed, as the miners received a 10 percent wage increase and reduced workdays from ten to nine hours; the owners got a higher price for coal and did not recognize the trade union as a bargaining agent. It was the first labor dispute in which the U.S. federal government and President Theodore Roosevelt intervened as a neutral arbitrator. [citation needed] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) had won a sweeping victory in the 1897 strike by the soft-coal (bituminous coal) miners in the Midwest, winning significant wage increases. It grew from 10,000 to 115,000 members. A number of small strikes took place in the anthracite district from 1899 to 1901, by which the labor union gained experience and unionized more workers. The 1899 strike in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, demonstrated that the unions could win a strike directed against a subsidiary of one of the large railroads. [3] It hoped to make similar gains in 1900, but found the operators, who had established an oligopoly through concentration of ownership after drastic fluctuations in the market for anthracite, to be far more determined opponents than it had anticipated. The owners refused to meet or to arbitrate with the union; the union struck on September 17, 1900, with results that surprised even the union, as miners of all different nationalities and ethnicities walked out in support of the union. Republican Party Senator Mark Hanna from Ohio, himself an owner of bituminous coal mines (not involved in the strike), sought to resolve the strike as it occurred less than two months before the presidential election. He worked through the National Civic Federation which brought labor and capital representatives together. Relying on J. P. Morgan to convey his message to the industry that a strike would hurt the reelection of Republican William McKinley, Hanna convinced the owners to concede a wage increase and grievance procedure to the strikers. The industry refused, on the other hand, to formally recognize the UMWA as the representative of the workers. The union declared victory and dropped its demand for union recognition. [4] The issues that led to the strike of 1900 were just as pressing in 1902: the union wanted recognition and a degree of control over the industry. The industry, still smarting from its concessions in 1900, opposed any federal role. The 150,000 miners wanted their weekly pay envelope. Tens of millions of city dwellers needed coal to heat their homes. John Mitchell, President of the UMWA, proposed mediation through the National Civic Federation, then a body of relatively progressive employers committed to collective bargaining as a means of resolving labor disputes. In the alternative, Mitchell proposed that a committee of eminent clergymen report on conditions in the coalfields. George Baer, President of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, one of the leading employers in the industry, brushed aside both proposals dismissively: Anthracite mining is a business, and not a religious, sentimental, or academic proposition.... I could not if I would delegate this business management to even so highly a respectable body as the Civic Federation, nor can I call to my aid . . . the eminent prelates you have named. [5] On May 12, 1902, the anthracite miners voting in Scranton, Pennsylvania, went out on strike. The maintenance employees, who had much steadier jobs and did not face the special dangers of underground work, walked out on June 2. The union had the support of roughly eighty percent of the workers in this area, or more than 100,000 strikers. Some 30,000 left the region, many headed for Midwestern bituminous mines; 10,000 men returned to Europe. [6] The strike soon produced threats of violence between the strikers on one side and strikebreakers, the Pennsylvania National Guard, local police, and hired detective agencies on the other. [7] On June 8, President Theodore Roosevelt asked his Commissioner of Labor, Carroll D. Wright, to investigate the strike. Wright investigated and proposed reforms that acknowledged each side's position, recommending a nine-hour day on an experimental basis and limited collective bargaining. Roosevelt chose not to release the report, for fear of appearing to side with the union. The owners, for their part, refused to negotiate with the union. As George Baer wrote when urged to make concessions to the strikers and their union, the "rights and interests of the laboring man will be protected and cared for—not by the labor agitators, but by the Christian men to whom God in His infinite wisdom has given the control of the property interests of the country. "[8] The union used this letter to sway public opinion in favor of the strike. Roosevelt wanted to intervene, but he was told by his Attorney General, Philander Knox, that he had no authority to do so. Hanna and many others in the Republican Party were likewise concerned about the political implications if the strike dragged on into winter, when the need for anthracite was greatest. As Roosevelt told Hanna, "A coal famine in the winter is an ugly thing and I fear we shall see terrible suffering and grave disaster. "[9] Roosevelt convened a conference of representatives of government, labor, and management on October 3, 1902. The union considered the mere holding of a meeting to be tantamount to union recognition and took a conciliatory tone. The owners told Roosevelt that strikers had killed over 20 men and that he should use the power of government "to protect the man who wants to work, and his wife and children when at work. "[10] With proper protection, the owner said that they would produce enough coal to end the fuel shortage; they refused to enter into any negotiations with the union. The governor sent in the National Guard, who protected the mines and the minority of men still working. Roosevelt attempted to persuade the union to end the strike with a promise that he would create a commission to study the causes of the strike and propose a solution, which Roosevelt promised to support with all of the authority of his office. Mitchell refused and his membership endorsed his decision by a nearly unanimous vote. [10] The economics of coal revolved around two factors: most of the cost of production was wages for miners, and if the supply fell, the price would shoot up.

Strike

Happy Olympic Day!

The Olympic men's 100 metres title, property since 2008 of Jamaican icon Usain Bolt, has now passed, most unexpectedly, to Lamont Marcell Jacobs, who clocked a European record of 9.80sec to complete an extraordinary Italian double following his team mate Gianmarco Tamberi's sharing of the men's high jump title. Tamberi was on hand to embrace Jacobs soon after he crossed the line in, with silver going to Fred Kerley of the United States in a personal best of 9.84 and Canada's Andre De Grasse taking a second successive Olympic 100m bronze in a personal best of 9.89. At the start of one of the great Olympic nights of competition Jacobs had lowered the European record to 9.84 in the third of the semi-finals, although that had only been enough to earn him a place in the final as a slowest loser. He had followed home the two automatic qualifiers Su Bingtian of China and Ronnie Baker of the US, both of whom recorded 9.83. Su got the verdict, in what was an Asian record, and for a couple of hours it seemed we might be about to witness the first Olympic men's 100m victory by an Asian sprinter. But the powerful and compact Chinese athlete, despite striving desperately, could not make the same impact on the final and finished sixth in 9.98 as the man who came to wider notice earlier this year by taking the European indoor title rose to the greatest of athletic challenges. Only six men finished the final as fourth place went to South Africa's Commonwealth Games champion Akani Simbine in 9.93 ahead of Baker, who clocked 9.95. Nigeria's Enoch Adegoke pulled up 15m from the line and Britain's Zharnel Hughes was disqualified after a false start. "I don’t know, it's a dream, a dream, it is fantastic," said Jacobs, who has an Italian mother and an African-American father and was born in El Paso in Texas, where he spent his first 18 months. "Maybe tomorrow I can imagine what they are saying, but today it is incredible. "It was my childhood dream to win an Olympics Games and obviously a dream can turn into something different, but to run this final and win it is a dream come true.” Commenting on hugging Tamberi shortly after finishing his race, Jacobs added: "When I got to Gianmarco we support each other. "We all know his story - he could have won in Rio but he had an injury, but being here together is something spectacular. "I believe in him and believed in myself." Kerley second place means there has been an American on the men's 100m podium at every Olympic since Sydney 2000m. The man who has run 43.68 for the 400m but decided to concentrate on shorter sprints this year said: "I executed the race perfectly and I came up with a silver medal.  "I can't complain. "The race was a beautiful race.  "I got a PB [personal best] and a silver medal.  "I am blessed to be at the biggest stage of my career." Asked what he knew about Jacobs, who before 2021 had not broken the 10-second barried, Kerley responded: "I really didn't know anything about him.  "It was my first time racing him at the Monaco Diamond League [in July]. "Here he did a fantastic job." Mike Rowbottom, one of Britain's most talented sportswriters, covered the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics as chief feature writer for insidethegames, having covered the previous five summer Games, and four winter Games, for The Independent. He has worked for the Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, The Sunday Correspondent and The Guardian. Gonzales' controversial comeback on final day of Men's World Boxing Championships Denver were awarded the 1976 Winter Olympic Games ahead of Sion in Switzerland, Tempere in Finland and Vancouver in Canada at the International Olympic Committee Session in 1970. But in a Colorado referendum in November 1972, voters rejected funding for the event. It is the only time a city has been awarded the Olympics but pulled out. The IOC then offered the Games to Whistler in Canada, but they too declined owing to a change of Government following elections. Salt Lake City offered to host the Games, but the IOC, still reeling from the Denver rejection, declined and selected Innsbruck, the 1964 host city, as a replacement. IOC - Senior Olympic Marketing Campaigns Manager - Lausanne, Switzerland Your mission will be to lead in the creation of annual global marketing campaigns, developing an aligned set of communication strategies that will enhance our brand and enable direct relationships with people through all continents. Furthermore, you will lead the creation, design and execution of brand defining campaign moments. More jobs A controversial decision by the International Modern Pentathlon Union to remove the riding element from the sport after the Paris 2024 Olympics has hit the headlines this week, with a host of athletes highly critical of the lack of consultation that took place. Mike Rowbottom speaks to those unhappy with the move and considers where the sport goes next. 

Break historical records

Liverpool dockers' strike (1995–98)

The Liverpool Dockers' dispute was a lengthy dispute between dockers, their employers Mersey Docks and Harbour Company (MDHC) and Torside Ltd, which lasted for twenty-eight months between 1995 and 1998 in Liverpool, England. Although considered a strike, it was strictly a lockout as the employers, Mersey Docks, sacked the dockers for breach of contract when they refused to cross a picket line set up by their sacked Torside Limited colleagues. Initially, five Torside workers were dismissed following a dispute regarding overtime pay, who in turn formed a picket line that other dockers refused to cross in solidarity. Various celebrities and high-profile figures, including Robbie Fowler and Noel Gallagher, expressed and showed their support during the dispute, either through public awareness or financial support. Despite the election success of a Labour government in 1997, this did not help towards ending the dispute, given the new administration failed to reverse anti-trade union legislation enacted by the former Conservative administration. The media's reaction to the dispute was unenthusiastic – the BBC's political correspondent for Liverpool suggested that editors did not find the story appealing while other organisations portrayed the dockers as dinosaurs. The British tabloid press did not start to cover the dispute until the international press became aware via communication over the Internet, which had been used by dockers to engage with worldwide trade unions. The dockers had previously been described by Lloyd's List as "the most productive workforce in Europe". The dispute was never officially recognised by their union due to a ballot not being undertaken prior to the walkout, although the union did offer support financially and helped towards settlement negotiations. Various settlement offers were made by Mersey Docks and subsequently rejected by the dockers during the course of the dispute. By the time a settlement was negotiated and accepted in 1998, the conflict had become one of the longest disputes in labour history. At the heart of the dispute was a belief that Mersey Docks were seeking to reintroduce a casual workforce. [2] The National Dock Labour Scheme had been established in 1947, responsible for defining workers' rights, payment and training within a national dockers register; a National Dock Labour Board was also set up, comprising representatives from the unions and employers in equal measure, although in doing so afforded unions significant control over recruitment. [3] The scheme, which had protected employment terms and conditions as well as wages and benefits, was abolished in 1989, a decision which was opposed by unions who called a national dock strike against the abolition, yet was defeated and followed with many dock unions becoming derecognised. [4] Liverpool was the last port to cease strike action against the dispute. [5] Prior to the scheme's dissolution, dockers had described going to work as "a real pleasure" in a "more relaxed atmosphere", although hard work was still expected and earnings had to be fought for. [6] Following the scheme's abolishment, Mersey Docks assured dockers that casual labour would not return to the docklands and continued, albeit alone amongst ports across Britain, to recognise the dockers' union. [2] An aggressive stance was adopted by Mersey Docks towards its relations with the dockers, with regulations being introduced towards the end of the 1980s requiring dockers to be available for work at all times, including days off. [7] Dockworkers saw their living standards and income gradually eroded in order to ensure that trade union relations with dock companies remained cost-effective. From 1983 to 1989, docker numbers nationally fell to 9,400 from 14,631, while the tonnage workload that each docker handled increased three-fold. [8] As dockers retired, their jobs were typically replaced by sub-contracted workers under different working conditions, typically with Torside Limited. Between 1989–1992, around 80% of dockers left the industry, while the number of employees between 1989–1995 fell by over half, from 1,100 to 500. [9] Although docker numbers decreased, the volumes handled by the port were increasing, from around 20 million tonnes in 1988 to over 30 million tonnes in 1997. The number of Liverpool dockers employed during the 1960s was 12,000, yet this had dropped to 6,000 by 1980. Workers wanting to enter the dock trade, often the sons of established dockers, had to do so via sub-contracted firms due to the lack of jobs available. The conditions of these jobs would ultimately create the conditions that resulted in the dispute. [10] In 1993, Mersey Docks worked towards imposing harsher employment contracts, including more working hours that required dockers to be available "at any time", knowing it would be rejected by the dockers and their union alike. To ensure dockers accepted the revised contracts, Mersey Docks advertised new jobs locally, receiving thousands of applications and interviewing many, yet no single individual was employed on a permanent basis. In a state of confusion and apprehension, dockers accepted the new contracts, despite initially rejecting them outright. From this period through to the start of the dispute, individual dock workers were harassed and intimidated for various reasons and by 1995, 170 faced disciplinary proceedings. [11] Many of the dockers felt their lives were restricted by the unstructured working hours, which may have involved little-to-no notice requirement to work during the night. Surveys of the time showed that the new procedures were taking their toll on the workforce and affecting morale, while over 85% were concerned about the longer working hours. Of those surveyed, over half felt that standards of health and safety were severely compromised, as rates of accidents increased. [9] On 25 September 1995, sub-contractor Torside Limited were in dispute with its workers regarding overtime pay, resulting in five employees being dismissed. [5] The sacked dockers formed a picket line which fellow Torside dockers refused to cross, ultimately resulting in the company dismissing all 80 of its workforce. [12][13] Dockers directly employed by Mersey Docks similarly refused to cross the picket line in support of their fellow dockers. [14] After three days, Mersey Docks declared that the dockers had dismissed themselves by not crossing the picket line, resulting in 300 of the 380 strong work force being dismissed for breach of contract. [15] Labour laws passed by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government of the 1980s and 1990s, such as the Employment Act 1980, made it illegal to take part in secondary action, except in limited circumstances. The Employment Act 1990 made the limited circumstances also unlawful and unions could be taken to court if they organised secondary actions. [16] While picketing, dockers were surrounded by police and private security guards, yet stood firm, buoyed by support from celebrities such as musicians and footballers, defying Mersey Docks' strategy of waiting until the pickets diminished. [4] Within the first few weeks of the dispute, local parliamentary representatives met with Mersey Docks to consider a progressive solution and attempted to instill the importance of what it meant to dockers and their families alike. [15] Robert Parry, Member of Parliament for Liverpool Riverside, was inundated with letters from dockers and their families who were astonished and bewildered at the thought of being unemployed. In October 1995, Member of Parliament for Liverpool Garston Eddie Loyden gave a speech in the House of Commons, in which he said: It is 1995, and we are returning to the dark days of threatened casualisation. I believe that that is a serious threat. I believe that people are entitled to work with dignity under conditions that are human, and to be part of the process of developing the industry in the way that they have. At one time, the dockers were the butt of the jokes of some poor comedians, but they themselves have a sense of humour that no one can match and they are men, in that sense, who are proud to be dockers. They are proud of the work they do and proud of the port in which they work, and so are their families and friends and their communities. [15] Some dockers were offered new contracts, subject to alteration by the Mersey Docks. As a ballot had not been held, the union declared the strike action to be unofficial,[1] meaning the strikers were in breach of contract with Mersey Docks. Mersey Docks terminated contracts and advertised for replacement labour within 24 hours, at lower rates of pay and under different conditions.

Strike

Healthcare Companies and Health Systems Continue to Grow Through Mergers and Acquisitions Despite COVID-19 Pandemic

Consolidation of hospitals and health systems means consolidated medical laboratory services as well, and that impacts laboratory revenue and staff Though COVID-19 shifted many healthcare systems’ priorities in 2020—including quite dramatically altering the priorities of the nation’s clinical laboratories—the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic does not appear to have slowed the pace of healthcare mergers and acquisitions. Many such deals are kept secret until closed by Dec. 31. They are then then announced after Jan. 1, so we may see additional big and surprising healthcare acquisitions announced in coming weeks. Leaving aside the shock waves brought about by COVID-19, transformational changes to the healthcare community have been underway for a while. In his article on HealthManagement.org, healthcare consultant Paul D. Vitale, MPA, FACHE, noted that for the past several years, health systems have set records in the mergers and acquisitions space. In 2017, he noted, there were more than 115 deals, and by 2019, there was a series of “mega” mergers, each worth more than $10 billion. The pattern continued in 2020, even with economic concerns brought about by the pandemic. “According to many health systems, acquiring another organization, or merging with it, holds the key to future success. Faced with intense pressure to cut back on costs, mergers and acquisitions can leverage the economies of scale,” he wrote. Below are several “deals” that closed in 2020 or are expected to close in 2021. Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist North Carolina’s Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health—including the Wake Forest School of Medicine—have completed a merger, Healthcare Finance News reported. The resulting organization will be called Atrium Health and Eugene A. Woods, President and CEO of Atrium Health, will head the combined enterprise. Pre-merger, Atrium Health’s network included 41 hospitals and 900 care locations, while the Wake Forest Baptist Health system was comprised of 42 hospitals and 1,500 care locations. Plans are underway to build a second campus for the school of medicine, where 3,500 students will be trained in more than 100 specialized programs. Doctors Acquire a Controlling Stake of Steward Health Care In June, physicians in Dallas purchased a controlling stake of Steward Health Care through a structured recapitalization transaction. Though not strictly a merger and acquisition, the deal represents a similar transformational change of a health system. The change makes Steward the largest physician-owned-and-operated health system in the country, noted a news release. Harrington Healthcare System and UMass Memorial Health Care In January 2020, Harrington Healthcare of Massachusetts announced it was pursuing a corporate affiliation with UMass Memorial Health Care. The transaction was expected to be finalized by 2021. Will More Announcements Come in 2021? Probably For clinical laboratory managers and pathologists, the healthcare mergers and acquisitions of greatest interest are those that involve hospitals and health systems. When two big health systems merge—such as the transaction involving Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health—one of the first clinical services to undergo rationalization and consolidation is the clinical laboratory. One reason for this is because it is much easier to move more lab test specimens around the system than it is to move patients. So, many healthcare merger and acquisition deals directly affect the medical laboratory professionals employed by the institutions involved in the transaction. Despite the pandemic—or because of the financial stresses created by it—there continue to be strong buyers and financially-weak sellers. For this reason alone, pathologists and clinical laboratory administrators should expect to see a regular flow of merger or acquisition announcements involving major healthcare organizations during 2021.

Organization Merge

Coal-fired power pollution from Ipswich's Swanbank power station a 'toxic time bomb' for nearby residents

Nearly a decade after the Swanbank A coal-fired power station closed, the toxic pollution left behind is yet to be properly dealt with. Experts have raised concern this poses a "ticking time bomb" for nearby residents and local wildlife in Collingwood Park, west of Brisbane. Toxic by-products from burning fuel in the now-decommissioned coal-fired generator have never left the power station site and there is no formal plan to remove it or make the site safe. Collingwood Park resident Wendy Davidson said she wants to see something done about the site but was not holding out much hope. "The people of Ipswich have been totally ignored and they've been environmentally brutalised again and again," she said. Environmental Justice Australia lawyer Bronya Lipski said residents were right to be worried. Ms Lipski authored the 2019 report Unearthing Australia's Toxic Coal Ash Legacy, which raised concerns about the lack of information available and action taken to address ash dams and power stations in Australia. She said there was concern over a range of serious health issues in populations next to decommissioned power stations and ash dams. "A whole range of 'lifestyle impacts' are blamed for a range of health issues which are associated with poor environmental health. "We can't blame the community for not going for enough walks or eating too much Maccas in their lives." UQ Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre's Professor David Cliff said health issues linked to chemicals found in ash dams could include cancers, birth defects and organ damage. However, he said this depends on what chemicals were present in each dam, and different sites had different levels of risk. The bulk of the toxic material sits in the dry ash dam neighbouring the station – what was once a massive pool of sludge has become a mound of dried ash. The site owner, state-owned energy company CleanCo, told ABC News in a statement the dam contains "primarily silicon, aluminium, iron, calcium, manganese, potassium, sodium, titanium" and that "PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) has been detected in the ash dam". The Department of Environment and Science (DES) said the dam contained "fluoride, sulfate, chloride, sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium". DES would not say if it knew the concentrations of the chemicals in the dam. Documents seen by the ABC show the dam has been regularly tested for arsenic, boron, chromium, mercury, molybdenum, selenium and vanadium. All can be toxic to humans and animals. Research in the US found ash can blow from the tops of the dams and poses the most acute risk of respiratory illnesses and cancers. The dam at Swanbank has been capped with pampas grass to mitigate this risk; but before the grass was in place, nearby residents said large amounts of dust would regularly blow into their homes. Ms Lipski said despite the capping, the dam could also be leaching the chemicals into waterways. Bundamba Creek is a short walk from the edge of the dam. It flows into the Bremer River and eventually reaches the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay. Greenpeace has released a report linking coal-fired power stations with a range of health issues, including low birthweights, but the industry says the data is misleading. CleanCo said the dam was lined with compacted coalstone and an "impermeable clay layer". It said there are monitoring sites at the dam and pumps that help to prevent contaminated water leaching into the groundwater. Ms Lipski said clay layers would still allow some water through, depending on the type of clay. She said best practice was to line the dams with a geotechnical layer as well as other measures. Many of the toxic materials are bioaccumulants, meaning they are present in the wildlife that lives in the river and could contribute to making fish and other creatures in the river unsafe for human consumption. Ms Lipski said in the US it sometimes took decades for the impact of burning coal to be detected. "We start to see deformed frogs being born and deformed fish being born. That's not indicative of an ecosystem that's healthy," she said. "If people have not known for some time that they've been eating fish and crabs et cetera that have been accumulating these toxic chemicals, that can lead to poorer health outcomes. "If it's not removed now, will we see a problem in 100 years when people in Brisbane are trying to drink water and they're developing all sorts of health impacts?" Health issues linked to chemicals found in ash dams include cancers, birth defects and organ damage. The Queensland government already warns people against eating fish caught in certain parts of the Brisbane and Bremer rivers, because of the risk of PFAS contamination. Mansour Edraki from the University of Queensland's Sustainable Minerals Institute said coal ash dams needed to be properly managed to eliminate health and environmental risks. "It is absolutely necessary to rehabilitate these sites," Dr Edraki said. "This should largely happen when the power stations are still active, to maximise the use of resources. "The goal is a safe, stable and non-polluting environment after the life of a coal-fired power station." The last coal generator in Swanbank was decomissioned in 2012. CleanCo told the ABC the rehabilitation plan was still being finalised, but it has $57 million set aside to rehabilitate the site. We offer tailored front pages for local audiences in each state and territory. Find out how to opt in for more Queensland news. Ms Lipski said inaction on cleaning up ash dams and power stations was common across the country. "There's no comprehensive remediation plans associated with coal ash dams throughout Australia," Ms Lipski said. "Short of putting a cap over the ash dams when the plant is decommissioned, the dams just sit there. "It's a ticking time bomb as far as environmental degradation is concerned and community health. Ms Lipski said she did not believe $57 million would be enough to rehabilitate the site. State Greens Member for Maiwar Michael Berkman has raised similar concerns in a question on notice to the state government. "Why is there still no plan to rehabilitate this ash dam, nine years after they stopped burning coal?" he said. "I'm very sceptical whether CleanCo has enough money set aside to rehabilitate the dam, because until they develop a plan that's compliant with the environmental authority there's no way of knowing the actual cost. "Ipswich residents deserve better than another big dump at their doorstep with no plan to clean it up." Ms Davidson said she felt like the degraded landscape at Swanbank, once used for mining coal and now dumping waste, would be used as an excuse to let the ash dam and power station sit unrehabilitated. "They won't [clean up the site]. This is Ipswich we're talking about. It's not the Gold Coast, it's not the Sunshine Coast. It's like we don't exist. "We're only 25 kilometres out [of Brisbane] but we're considered our own island of waste and filth." )

Environment Pollution

DOJ announces three indicted on Bissonnet ‘Blade’ sex trafficking charges

Three people were indicted Wednesday for sex trafficking charges involving young runaway minors on the Bissonnet ‘Blade’ in southwest Houston, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice Southern District of Texas. Authorities stated in the release that Chantel Deshay Collins, 28, of Houston, and Asia Monae Hailey, 21, of Galveston, were arrested by local law enforcement Wednesday morning at an unspecified location. Michael Gonzalez, 21, of Houston, who is currently at the Harris County jail on separate charges, is expected to be transferred to federal court and face these new allegations by the end of the week. Collins and Hailey on Thursday are scheduled to appear before a federal court, Wednesday’s indictment of the three brings the total number of suspects in the case to nine. Also named in the federal indictment are Clarence Chambers, 29, Javon Opoku, 20, Damarquis McGee, 23, Jerreck Hilliard, 31, Vanessa Sillabi, 21, and Andres Portillo, 20. Federal documents allege that the suspects trafficked young runaway girls on what it known as the “Blade” or the Bissonnet Track, an area near Southwest 59 Freeway and Bissonnet Street in southwest Houston known for prostitution and sex trafficking. In addition to the sex trafficking allegations, the new charges against the majority of the nine include kidnapping, sexual exploitation of a child, attempted obstruction of justice and attempted coercion/enticement of a child. According to federal court documents, the new indictment said the suspects worked to recruit underage girls and force them to engage in sexual acts for money in hotels and cars around the Bissonnet ‘Blade’. The individuals would allegedly pass around the girls, charged them nightly quotas and severely punished them through beatings and humiliation if the quotas were not met. If convicted, the nine could face a maximum penalty of life in prison. The next court date for the suspects is slated for Dec. 23. According to survivors , the area around the Bissonnet ‘Blade’ has long been seen as a notorious spot for sex trafficking and they are hoping more enforcement and penalties, including a new state law passed on Sept. 1 making the solicitation of sex a felony, will curb the activity in the area. The law is the first of it’s kind in the country. In late August , officials rolled out orange signs warning would-be solicitors of the new law along the main boulevard of the Bissonnet Track.

Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate

1894 Atalanti earthquakes

The first of the 1894 Atalanti earthquakes occurred on 20 April 1894 at 16:52 UTC, with a magnitude of 6.4 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum perceived intensity of X on the Mercalli intensity scale. It was followed seven days later on 27 April at 19:42 UTC by the second, with a magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum intensity of X. These two earthquakes caused widespread damage in the Locris area, causing a total of 255 deaths. [1] More literature on these destructive events can be seen in the references section.

Earthquakes

Klamath Theater Complex Fire

The Klamath Theater Complex Fire, also known as the Bear Wallow Complex Fire, was the largest wildfire of the 2008 California wildfire season. [4][1] The complex fire originated as 11 separate wildfires, before merging into a single massive complex fire that burned 192,038 acres (777.15 km2) in Northern California, and lasted for over 3 months. The progenitor fires of the fire complex were all caused by lightning. As of 2018, the Klamath Theater Complex Fire was the 10th largest fire in modern California history. [5] The complex fire killed a total of two firefighters. ] On June 20, 2008 the Blue 2 Fire was ignited by lightning near the eastern edge of Del Norte County. On the next day, the first fires within the Siskiyou Complex Fire were ignited by lightning further east, in the western fringes of Siskiyou County. [4] On June 21, 2008, at 4:00 PM PDT, the Caribou Fire, the first fire in the Bear Wallow Complex Fire was sparked by lightning, to the east of the Blue 2 and Siskiyou Complex Fires, in Klamath National Forest, in Northern California. [4] Soon afterward, the Anthony Milne Fire was ignited by lighting nearby, with firefighters managing the Caribou and Anthony Milne Fires together. Three other wildfires were subsequently ignited nearby, which quickly combined into the South Ukonom Complex Fire; the South Ukonom Complex Fire gradually expanded towards the other two wildfires. [4] On July 23, the Caribou Fire significantly expanded in size, and also ran towards the Anthony Milne Fire. [4] By August 8, the Caribou, Anthony Milne, and South Ukonom Complex Fires had merged, forming the Bear Wallow Complex Fire. [4] On August 13, to the west of the Bear Wallow Complex Fire, the Blue 2 Fire merged into the larger Siskiyou Complex Fire (which originated as 5 separate wildfires), increasing the size of the Siskiyou Complex Fire to 72,571 acres (293.68 km2). On September 11, the Siskiyou Complex Fire, which had grown to 88,069 acres (356.40 km2), merged with the Bear Wallow Complex Fire to the east, which was at 48,551 acres (196.48 km2), creating a massive complex fire that was renamed to the Klamath Theater Complex Fire. [4] The Klamath Theater Complex Fire continued to expand, reaching a size of 190,601 acres (771.33 km2) by September 22, with containment of the complex fire increasing to 75% by then. [1] The Klamath Theater Complex Fire was finally contained on September 30, 2008, after reaching a size of 192,038 acres (777.15 km2). [3]

Fire

Venezuelan bank robbers arrested, hostages freed

Venezuelan police have swooped on an ambulance used by robbers escaping a bank siege in the town of Altagracia de Orituco, arresting four men and freeing a group of hostages held in the getaway vehicle. The four men had botched a robbery at the bank in the sleepy central Venezuelan farming town early on Monday and seized dozens of employees and customers to avoid capture. Hostages said as many as 60 people were held captive before the assailants negotiated an escape plan on Tuesday and sped away from the bank in a white ambulance with a small group of their captives. State governor Eduardo Manuitt said the ambulance drove to the outskirts of the capital city Caracas before being surrounded by police, who pinned the robbers to the ground. The four men, all in their 20s and carrying pistols and a hand grenade, had threatened to kill hostages if security forces stormed the bank or tried to storm the getaway vehicle. It was not clear if the robbers had stolen money from the bank before boarding the ambulance. The hostages freed from the bank included a pregnant woman, an infant and several other child captives. None were wounded, although a few were carried away on stretchers and more than 20 were taken to the hospital for check-ups.

Bank Robbery

Gibraltar becomes Uefa's 54th member despite Spain's past objections

Gibraltar becomes Uefa's 54th member despite Spain's past objections Application rejected first in 1999 and most recently 2007 Victories in court of arbitration paved way for move Gibraltar should soon be hosting senior football matches after being admitted fully to Uefa. Photograph: Design Pics Inc/Rex Features Gibraltar should soon be hosting senior football matches after being admitted fully to Uefa. Photograph: Design Pics Inc/Rex Features Press Association Fri 24 May 2013 13.52 BST Gibraltar have become Uefa's 54th member nation after the European ruling body voted for its inclusion at its congress in London. There had been opposition from Spain but the Gibraltar FA won a case at the court of arbitration for sport obliging Uefa to accept the British overseas territory as a member. The Uefa president Michel Platini said that Gibraltar would be kept apart from Spain in qualifying for Euro 2016. "Gibraltar will not play qualifying matches with Spain – we also have this situation with Armenia and Azerbaijan,'' he said. "This is a momentous occasion for football in Gibraltar," said Gareth Latin, president of the Gibraltar FA. "Uefa membership means that we can begin the next chapter of Gibraltarian football. "At last we'll be able to show the whole of Europe that we can match the best with football of a high standard and entertaining style. "It will open up a whole new world of opportunities for our highly skilled young footballers. This is one of our greatest sporting moments." Gibraltar's first application, in 1999, had been rejected in the face of intense opposition from Spain, who feared that if Gibraltar were to be admitted to Uefa, it would set a precedent that could inspire similar claims from separatist Basque or Catalan teams. The last vote was in 2007 when only three countries supported Gibraltar's application and Spain threatened to withdraw all its teams from Uefa competition if Gibraltar were admitted. Topics

Join in an Organization

South Sudan: A year after averting famine, ‘food insecurity outlook has never been so dire,’ UN warns

One year after famine was declared in parts of South Sudan, three United Nations agencies warned on Monday that without sustained humanitarian assistance and access, more than seven million people in the crisis-torn country– almost two-thirds of the population – could become severely food insecure in the coming months. “The situation is extremely fragile, and we are close to seeing another famine. The projections are stark,” said Serge Tissot, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Representative in South Sudan. Should this happen, it will be the highest-ever number of food insecure people in South Sudan. “If we ignore them, we’ll be faced with a growing tragedy. If farmers receive support to resume their livelihoods, we will see a rapid improvement in the country’s food security situation due to increased local production,” he added. The period of greatest risk will be the lean season, between May and July. FAO, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that progress in preventing hunger-related deaths could be undone, and more people than ever could be pushed into severe hunger and famine-like conditions during May-July unless assistance and access are maintained. Particularly at risk are 155,000 people, including 29,000 children, who could suffer from the most extreme levels of hunger. “We are alarmed as the lean season, when the harvest runs out, is expected to start this year much earlier than usual. Unless we can pre-position assistance rather than mount a more costly response during the rains, more families will struggle to survive,” said Adnan Khan, WFP Representative and Country Director. “The situation is deteriorating with each year of conflict as more people lose the little they had,” he elaborated. In January, nearly half the population struggling to find enough food each day were in “crisis” or “emergency” levels of food insecurity – according to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report released Monday. This represents a 40 per cent increase in the number of severely food insecure people compared to January 2017. The report comes one year after famine was declared in parts of South Sudan last February. Despite improved access and a massive humanitarian response in containing and averting famine later last year, the food insecurity outlook has never been as dire as it is now. “We are preparing for rates of severe malnutrition among children never before seen in this country,” said Mahimbo Mdoe, UNICEF’s Representative in South Sudan. “Without an urgent response and access to those most in need, many children will die. We cannot allow that to happen,” he warned. Protracted conflict, the result of a political dispute that erupted between South Sudanese leaders and their rival factions in 2013, has led to reduced food production and disrupted livelihoods, has caused hunger levels to rise. This was further exacerbated by and economic collapse that rendered markets and trade unable to compensate for the local food production decrease. Prolonged dry spells, flooding and continued pest infestation also had a damaging impact. In areas like Unity, Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria, riddled by reoccurring outbreaks of violent conflict and displacement, the proportion of people suffering from extreme food insecurity ranges from 52 to 62 per cent – more than half the states’ combined population. The number is expected to increase unless people find the means to receive, produce or buy their own food. Projections for February-April reveal 6.3 million people in “crisis,” “emergency” or “catastrophe” levels of food insecurity, including 50,000 people in the latter. The May-July forecast put 7.1 million in those same levels, including 155,000 people in “catastrophe.” Moreover, 1.3 million children under age five risk acute malnutrition.

Famine

2016 Summer Olympics

The 2016 Summer Olympics (Portuguese: Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016),[c] officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad (Portuguese: Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and commonly known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events in some sports beginning on 3 August. Rio was announced as the host city at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 2 October 2009. More than 11,000 athletes from 207 nations took part in the 2016 Games, including first-time entrants Kosovo, South Sudan, and the Refugee Olympic Team. [2][3] With 306 sets of medals, the Games featured 28 Olympic sports, including rugby sevens and golf, which were added to the Olympic program in 2009. These sporting events took place at 33 venues in the host city and at five separate venues in the Brazilian cities of São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasília, and Manaus. These were the first Olympic Games to be held in South America,[4] as well as the first to be held in a Portuguese-speaking country, the first summer edition to be held entirely in the host country's winter season, the first since 1968 to be held in Latin America, and the first since 2000 to be held in the Southern Hemisphere. [5] These were the first Summer Olympics to take place under the International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidency of Thomas Bach. [3] The United States topped the medal table, winning the most gold medals (46) and the highest number of medals overall (121); the US team also won its 1,000th Summer Olympic gold medal overall. Great Britain finished second and became the first country in modern Olympic history to increase its tally of medals in the Olympiad immediately after being host nation. [6] China finished third in the medal table. Host nation Brazil won seven gold medals and 19 medals, its best result at any Olympics, finishing in thirteenth place. Bahrain, Fiji, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kosovo, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Tajikistan, and Vietnam each won their first gold medals, as did the group of Independent Olympic Athletes (from Kuwait). The process for the 2016 Summer Olympics was officially launched on 16 May 2007. [7] The first step for each city was to submit an initial application to the International Olympic Committee by 13 September 2007, confirming their intention to bid. Completed official bid files containing answers to a 25-question IOC form were to be submitted by each city by the deadline of 14 January 2008. On 4 June 2008, four candidate cities were chosen for the shortlist: Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo, which had already hosted the Summer Olympics in 1964. Three cities—Baku, Doha, and Prague—failed to reach the candidature phase. Doha was not promoted, despite scoring higher than the selected candidate city Rio de Janeiro, because of their proposal to host the Olympics in October, outside the IOC's sporting calendar. [8] Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco headed the 10-member Evaluation Commission, having also chaired the evaluation commission for the 2012 Summer Olympics bids. The commission made on-site inspections in the second quarter of 2009. They issued a comprehensive technical appraisal for IOC members on 2 September, one month before the elections. [9] Many safeguards were put in place to prevent bidding cities from communicating with or directly influencing the 115 IOC members eligible to vote in the elections. For example, cities could not invite any IOC member to visit, nor could they send anything that could be construed as a gift. Nonetheless, bidding cities invested large sums in their PR and media programs to indirectly influence the IOC members by garnering domestic support and backing from sports media and general international media. Ultimately, you are communicating with just 115 people and each one has influencers and pressure groups but you are still speaking to no more than about 1,500 people, perhaps 5,000 in the broadest sense. It is not just about getting ads out there but it is about a targeted and very carefully planned campaign. The final voting was held in Copenhagen on 2 October 2009, with Madrid and Rio de Janeiro considered favorites to secure the Games. Chicago was eliminated after the first round of voting, and Tokyo after the second. Tokyo was eliminated from 2016 bidding but was later awarded the 2020 Summer Olympics on 7 September 2013. Rio de Janeiro took a significant lead over Madrid, heading into the final round; the lead was held, and Rio de Janeiro was announced as host of the 2016 Summer Olympics. On 26 June 2011, it was reported on AroundTheRings.com that Roderlei Generali, the COO of the Rio de Janeiro Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, resigned just one year after taking the job at ROOC. This came just five months after CCO Flávio Pestana quit for personal reasons. [12] Pestana withdrew later during the 2012 Summer Paralympics, and Renato Ciuchin was then appointed as COO. [13] Events took place at eighteen existing venues, nine new venues constructed specifically for the Games, and seven temporary venues. [14] Each event was held in one of four geographically segregated Olympic clusters–Barra, Copacabana, Deodoro, and Maracanã–as was done for the 2007 Pan American Games. [15][16] Several of the venues were located at the Barra Cluster Olympic Park. [14] Nearly half of the athletes could reach their venues in less than 10 minutes, and almost 75 per cent could do so in less than 25 minutes. Of the 34 competition venues, eight underwent some permanent works, seven were totally temporary and nine were constructed as permanent legacy venues. [17] The largest venue at the Games in terms of seating capacity was the 74,738-seat Maracanã Stadium, which served as the ceremonies venue and site of the football finals. [14] The second largest stadium was the 60,000-seat Estádio Olímpico João Havelange, which hosted track and field events. [14] The athletes' village was said to be the largest in Olympic history. Fittings included about 80,000 chairs, 70,000 tables, 29,000 mattresses, 60,000 clothes hangers, 6,000 television sets and 10,000 smartphones. [18] The Barra Olympic Park is a cluster of nine sporting venues in Barra da Tijuca, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The site was formerly occupied by the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet, also known as the Jacarepaguá Formula One circuit. [19] The nine venues within the Olympic Park were:[20][21] As well as the Estádio Olímpico João Havelange and Maracanã and in Rio de Janeiro, football matches took place at five venues in the cities of São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasília and Manaus. Maracanã StadiumRio de Janeiro, RJ Olympic Stadium Rio de Janeiro, RJ Arena da AmazôniaManaus, AM Arena CorinthiansSão Paulo, SP Arena Fonte NovaSalvador, BA Estádio NacionalBrasília, DF MineirãoBelo Horizonte, MG Rio's historical downtown underwent an urban waterfront revitalization project known as Porto Maravilha, covering 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi) in area. The project aimed to redevelop the port area, increase the city center's attractiveness, and enhance Rio's competitive position in the global economy. [22] The urban renovation involved 700 km (430 mi) of public networks for water supply, sanitation, drainage, electricity, gas and telecom; 4 km (2.5 mi) of tunnels; 70 km (43 mi) of roads; 650 km2 (250 sq mi) of sidewalks; 17 km (11 mi) of bike path; 15,000 trees; three sanitation treatment plants. As part of this renovation, a new tram was built from the Santos Dumont Airport to Rodoviária Novo Rio, due to open in April 2016. [23] The Games required over 200 kilometers of security fencing.

Sports Competition

The COVID lab-leak hypothesis: what scientists do and don’t know

The Wuhan Institute of Virology has carried out research on coronaviruses for years because these pathogens are endemic to the region where it's located.Credit: Kyodo News via Getty Debate over the idea that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus emerged from a laboratory has escalated over the past few weeks, coinciding with the annual World Health Assembly, at which the World Health Organization (WHO) and officials from nearly 200 countries discussed the COVID-19 pandemic. After last year’s assembly, the WHO agreed to sponsor the first phase of an investigation into the pandemic’s origins, which took place in China in early 2021. Most scientists say SARS-CoV-2 probably has a natural origin, and was transmitted from an animal to humans. However, a lab leak has not been ruled out, and many are calling for a deeper investigation into the hypothesis that the virus emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), located in the Chinese city where the first COVID-19 cases were reported. On 26 May, US President Joe Biden tasked the US Intelligence Community to join efforts to find SARS-CoV-2’s origins, whatever they might be, and report back in 90 days. Divisive COVID ‘lab leak’ debate prompts dire warnings from researchers Australia, the European Union and Japan have also called for a robust investigation into SARS-CoV-2’s origins in China. The WHO has yet to reveal the next phase of its investigation. But China has asked that the probe examine other countries. Such reticence, and the fact that China has withheld information in the past, has fuelled suspicions of a ‘lab leak’. For instance, Chinese government officials suppressed crucial public-health data at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and during the 2002–04 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, according to high-level reports1,2. At the assembly, Mike Ryan, director of health emergencies at the WHO, asked for less politicization of calls for an origin investigation, which have, in many ways, devolved into accusations. “Over the last number of days, we have seen more and more and more discourse in the media, with terribly little actual news, or evidence, or new material,” said Ryan. “This is disturbing.” Nature looks at the key arguments that support a lab leak, and the extent to which research has answers. Scientists don’t have enough evidence about the origins of SARS-CoV-2 to rule out the lab-leak hypothesis, or to prove the alternative — that the virus has a natural origin. Many infectious-disease researchers agree that the most probable scenario is that the virus evolved naturally and spread from a bat either directly to a person or through an intermediate animal. Most emerging infectious diseases begin with a spillover from nature, as was seen with HIV, influenza epidemics, Ebola outbreaks and the coronaviruses that caused the SARS epidemic beginning in 2002 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak beginning in 2012. Scientists found SARS-CoV-2's closest known relative, RATG13, in a horseshoe bat.Credit: Shutterstock Researchers have some leads that support a natural origin. Bats are known carriers of coronaviruses, and scientists have determined that the genome of SARS-CoV-2 is most similar to that of RATG13, a coronavirus that was first found in a horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus affinis) in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan in 20133. But RATG13’s genome is only 96% identical to SARS-CoV-2’s, suggesting that a closer relative of the virus — the one passed to humans — remains unknown. Still, the possibility remains that SARS-CoV-2 escaped from a lab. Although lab leaks have never caused an epidemic, they have resulted in small outbreaks involving well-documented viruses. A relevant example happened in 2004, when two researchers were independently infected by the virus that causes SARS at a virology lab in Beijing that studied the disease. They spread the infection to seven others before the outbreak was contained. In theory, COVID-19 could have come from a lab in a few ways. Researchers might have collected SARS-CoV-2 from an animal and maintained it in their lab to study, or they might have created it by engineering coronavirus genomes. In these scenarios, a person in the lab might have then been accidentally or deliberately infected by the virus, and then spread it to others — sparking the pandemic. There is currently no clear evidence to back these scenarios, but they aren’t impossible. People have made a number of arguments for a lab origin for SARS-CoV-2 that are currently conjecture. The biggest mystery: what it will take to trace the coronavirus source One holds that it’s suspicious that, almost a year and a half into the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2’s closest relative still hasn’t been found in an animal. Another suggests it is no coincidence that COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, where a top lab studying coronaviruses, the WIV, is located. Some lab-leak proponents contend that the virus contains unusual features and genetic sequences signalling that it was engineered by humans. And some say that SARS-CoV-2 spreads among people so readily that it must have been created with that intention. Another argument suggests that SARS-CoV-2 might have derived from coronaviruses found in an unused mine where WIV researchers collected samples from bats between 2012 and 2015. So what do infectious disease researchers and evolutionary biologists say about these arguments? Outbreak-origin investigations often take years, and some culprits remain unknown. It took 14 years to nail down the origin of the SARS epidemic, which began with a virus in bats that spread to humans, most likely through civets. To date, a complete Ebola virus has never been isolated from an animal in the region where the world’s largest outbreak occurred between 2013 and 2016. Origin investigations are complicated because outbreaks among animals that aren't the main hosts of a particular virus, such as civets in the case of SARS, are often sporadic. Researchers must find the right animal before it dies or clears the infection. And, even if the animal tests positive, viruses found in saliva, faeces or blood are often degraded, making it difficult to sequence the pathogen’s whole genome. WHO report into COVID pandemic origins zeroes in on animal markets, not labs Scientists have made some progress since the pandemic began, however. For example, a report, posted to the preprint server bioRxiv on 27 May, suggests that RmYN02, a coronavirus in bats in southern China, might be more closely related to SARS-CoV-2 than RATG13 is4. As for finding an intermediate host animal, researchers in China have tested more than 80,000 wild and domesticated animals; none have been positive for SARS-CoV-2. But this number is a tiny fraction of the animals in the country. To narrow the search down, researchers say, more strategic testing is needed to isolate animals that are most susceptible to infection and those that come in close contact with people. They also suggest using antibody tests to identify animals that have previously been infected with the virus. Virology labs tend to specialize in the viruses around them, says Vincent Munster, a virologist at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories, a division of the National Institutes of Health, in Hamilton, Montana. The WIV specializes in coronaviruses because many have been found in and around China. Munster names other labs that focus on endemic viral diseases: influenza labs in Asia, haemorrhagic fever labs in Africa and dengue-fever labs in Latin America, for example. “Nine out of ten times, when there’s a new outbreak, you’ll find a lab that will be working on these kinds of viruses nearby,” says Munster. Researchers note that a coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan isn’t surprising, because it’s a city of 11 million people in a broader region where coronaviruses have been found. It contains an airport, train stations and markets selling goods and wildlife transported there from around the region5 — meaning a virus could enter the city and spread rapidly. Several researchers have looked into whether features of SARS-CoV-2 signal that it was bioengineered. One of the first teams to do so, led by Kristian Andersen, a virologist at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, determined that this was “improbable” for a few reasons, including a lack of signatures of genetic manipulation6. Since then, others have asked whether the virus’s furin cleavage site — a feature that helps it to enter cells — is evidence of engineering, because SARS-CoV-2 has these sites but its closest relatives don’t. The furin cleavage site is important because it's in the virus's spike protein, and cleavage of the protein at that site is necessary for the virus to infect cells. After the WHO report: what’s next in the search for COVID’s origins But many other coronaviruses have furin cleavage sites, such as coronaviruses that cause colds7. Because viruses containing the site are scattered across the coronavirus family tree, rather than confined to a group of closely related viruses, Stephen Goldstein, a virologist at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, says the site probably evolved multiple times because it provides an evolutionary advantage. Convergent evolution — the process by which organisms that aren’t closely related independently evolve similar traits as a result of adapting to similar environments — is incredibly common. Another feature of SARS-CoV-2 that has drawn attention is a combination of nucleotides that underlie a segment of the furin cleavage site: CGG (these encode the amino acid arginine). A Medium article that speculates on a lab origin for SARS-CoV-2 quotes David Baltimore, a Nobel laureate and professor emeritus at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, as saying that viruses don’t usually have that particular code for arginine, but humans often do — a “smoking gun”, hinting that researchers might have tampered with SARS-CoV-2’s genome. Andersen says that Baltimore was incorrect about that detail, however. In SARS-CoV-2, about 3% of the nucleotides encoding arginine are CGG, he says. And he points out that around 5% of those encoding arginine in the virus that caused the original SARS epidemic are CGG, too. In an e-mail to Nature, Baltimore says Andersen could be correct that evolution produced SARS-CoV-2, but adds that “there are other possibilities and they need careful consideration, which is all I meant to be saying”. Many scientists say no. Just because the virus spreads among humans doesn't mean it was designed to do so. It also flourishes among mink and infects a host of carnivorous mammals. And it wasn’t optimally transmissible among humans for the better part of last year. Rather, new, more efficient variants have evolved around the world. To name one example, the highly transmissible variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported in India (B.1.617.2, or Delta) has mutations in the nucleotides encoding its furin cleavage site that appear to make the virus better at infecting cells8. “This was not some supremely adapted pathogen,” says Joel Wertheim, a molecular epidemiologist at the University of California San Diego. Researchers from the WIV collected hundreds of samples from bats roosting in a mine between 2012 and 2015, after several miners working there had gotten sick with an unknown respiratory disease. (Last year, researchers reported that blood samples taken from the miners tested negative for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, meaning that the sickness was probably not COVID-199.) Back at the lab, WIV researchers detected nearly 300 coronaviruses in the bat samples, but they were able to get whole or partial genomic sequences from fewer than a dozen , and none of those that were reported were SARS-CoV-29,10. During the WHO-led origins probe earlier this year, WIV researchers told investigators that they cultured only three coronaviruses at the lab, and none were closely related to SARS-CoV-2. ‘Major stones unturned’: COVID origin search must continue after WHO report, say scientists Although the investigators didn’t sift through freezers at the WIV to confirm this information, the low number of genomes and cultures doesn’t surprise virologists. Munster says it’s exceedingly difficult to extract intact coronaviruses from bat samples. Virus levels tend to be low in the animals, and viruses are often degraded in faeces, saliva and droplets of blood. Additionally, when researchers want to study or genetically alter viruses, they need to keep them (or synthetic mimics of them) alive, by finding the appropriate live animal cells for the viruses to inhabit in the lab, which can be a challenge. So, for SARS-CoV-2 to have come from this mine in China, WIV researchers would have had to overcome some serious technical challenges — and they would have kept the information secret for a number of years and misled investigators on the WHO-led mission, scientists point out. There's no evidence of this, but it can't be ruled out. Biden asked the US Intelligence Community to report back to him in 90 days. Perhaps this investigation will shed light on undisclosed US intel reported by The Wall Street Journal suggesting that three staff members at the WIV were sick in November 2019, before the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in China. The article claims that US officials have different opinions on the quality of that intel. And researchers at the WIV have maintained that staff at the institute tested negative for antibodies that would indicate SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to January 2020. Last week, Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, asked Chinese officials to release the hospital records of WIV staff members. Others have asked for blood samples from WIV staff members, and access to WIV bat and virus samples, laboratory notebooks and hard drives. But it’s unclear what such asks will yield because China has not conceded to demands for a full lab investigation. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Zhao Lijian, said that US labs should instead be investigated, and that some people in the United States “don't care about facts or truth and have zero interest in a serious science-based study of origins”. As Biden's investigation commences and the WHO considers the next phase in its origin study, pandemic experts are bracing themselves for a long road ahead. “We want an answer,” says Jason Kindrachuk, a virologist at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. “But we may have to keep piecing bits of evidence together as weeks and months and years move forward.” Nature 594, 313-315 (2021) doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-01529-3 The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness & Response COVID-19: Make it the Last Pandemic (Independent Panel, 2021). Huang, Y. in Learning from SARS: Preparing for the Next Disease Outbreak: Workshop Summary (eds Knobler, S. et al.) (National Academies Press, 2004).

Disease Outbreaks

At Least 18 Gas Cylinders Explode in Illegal Refilling Shop, Watch Video

Gonda: As many as 18 cooking gas cylinders exploded in an illegal refilling shop in Umri Begumganj police circle on Sunday. Due to the massive explosion, roof of the shop was blown off and nearby shops had to be evacuated immediately. Meanwhile, a video of the blast where the cylinders can be heard exploding one after another has gone viral on social media.Also Read - Bhopal Hospital Where 4 Infants Died Due To Blaze Never Applied For Fire Allowance: Reports Police and fire department teams were rushed in to control the fire. It took more than three hours to bring the situation under control. A nearby mobile shop was also engulfed in the fire, while goods were also damaged in three shops. Also Read - Bhopal Hospital Fire: 'Staff Fled Instead of Saving Our Babies', Parents Blame Employees For Negligence After 4 Infants Die Watch video: Also Read - BREAKING: 25 Vehicles Gutted as Fire Breaks Out at Police Station in Gujarat's Kheda As per reports, the illegal refilling shop was run by one Babu and 40 cylinders were kept there. The cylinders exploded during refilling. Those working in the shop fled as soon as one cylinder exploded. The police has sealed the area and the route has also been diverted. Circle Officer, Mahavir Singh, said that their priority was to ensure the safety in the area. He said that matter would be investigated and those responsible would be brought to book. District supply officer V.K. Mahan said that gas cylinders were being illegally refilled in the shop which led to the explosion. (With IANS inputs) For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest Uttar Pradesh News on India.com. Published Date: March 21, 2021 5:48 PM IST

Gas explosion

Russian Gold Mine Accident Kills Two

At least two miners died after a rockfall at a Trans-Siberian Gold company-owned mine on Russia’s Pacific coast, emergency officials said Wednesday. Three of the five engineers who were installing ventilation systems at the Asacha deposit in the Kamchatka region climbed out on their own, the Emergency Situations Ministry’s regional branch said in a statement. “Two people who failed to get out of the rubble were found dead,” it said, adding that the governor and administration of the Russian Far East region had expressed condolences to the victims’ families. The regional Emergency Situations Ministry said it ended the rescue operation at the mine some 6,200 kilometers east of Moscow 12 hours after the accident occurred. news Read more Investigators are looking into the cause of the rock collapse. State media, citing Kamchatka’s mining association president Alexander Orlov, said that Trans-Siberian Gold’s subsidiary Trevozhnoye Zarevo had seen “no serious safety violations” in its nine years of operation at the site. Over the past decade, the Trans-Siberian Gold website’s health and safety section showed one of the estimated 650 employees dying and nine others being injured at work. This is the second high-profile gold mining accident in Russia in recent years, after an October 2019 dam collapse killed 15 gold miners in Siberia’s Krasnoyarsk region. Russia, one of the world’s top gold producers, ramped up mining output to over 184 metric tons in January-August 2020 compared to 178 tons in January-August 2019.

Mine Collapses

Carbon monoxide poisoning proving to be main danger in hurricane aftermath; one dead, dozens hospitalized

Updated: 2:11 PM CDT September 1, 2021 LOUISIANA, USA — In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, a silent yet deadly danger creeping up on residents is carbon monoxide poisoning.  In just the two days after Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana, nearly four dozen people have been hospitalized and one person has died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to improper use of generators. The number of those hospitalized is bound to increase as police are reporting multiple calls every hour of people being affected by carbon monoxide.  "It's important to recognize that carbon monoxide is not something that you're going to taste or see," said Dr. Emily Nichols, the head of New Orleans EMS. "It is something that is going to cause very minor symptoms all the way to death." On Wednesday, New Orleans Police Department reported that a 24-year-old man died Tuesday after using a generator that was not properly ventilated. Police said the man was found inside a Freret Street business cold and stiff to the touch.  Jefferson Parish Council Chairman Scott Walker tweeted that Jefferson Parish police are responding to four to five carbon monoxide poisoning calls hourly. ? From JPFD: we’re responding to 4-5 carbon monoxide poisoning calls HOURLY right now. Open windows. Keep air flowing. We have taken TOO MANY people to the hospital. — Councilman Scott Walker (@ScottWalkerJP) September 1, 2021 New Orleans paramedics took 12 people, including seven children, from a home in Gert Town to a hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning Wednesday. Of those 12, officials said three are in critical condition.  St. Tammany Fire officials said nine people were also hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning overnight Monday after using a generator in a garage.  Governor John Bel Edwards said in a press conference Tuesday that the aftermath after a Hurricane is usually the most dangerous time because of incidents with generators.  "Historically, we know that most people are injured and killed because of the response, not the storm itself," Edwards said. "Carbon monoxide poisoning from generators... now is really the most dangerous time over the next week... so we're asking people to be patient, to be careful and to please check on your neighbors." The Orleans Parish Sheriff said from 2005 to 2019, 900 people died from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of portable generators. "I went to Home Depot this morning and everyone that came out had a generator," said Sheriff Marlin Gusman. "There's a lot of people out there not familiar with generators, that don't know how to use them. Read the instruction manual... learn the limitations." St. Tammany fire crews also responded to a person who was flash burned while refueling a generator on Monday and two families were displaced after a generator in between their homes caught on fire and spread to their houses. No one was injured in the fires. Carbon monoxide symptoms It’s important to take precautions when operating a generator because they produce carbon monoxide gas. Breathing in too much carbon monoxide could cause fainting or death. According to the CDC, more than 20,000 Americans visit the emergency room and more than 400 die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning each year. 

Mass Poisoning

Hewa Bora Airways Flight 122 crash

On 15 April 2008, Hewa Bora Airways Flight 122, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 plane crashed into a residential and market area of Goma of the Democratic Republic of the Congo immediately south of Goma International Airport. [1][2] The eastern part of the DRC had been war-torn for decades, as various factions sought control of mineral resources. Goma was a center for the air shipping of cassiterite (tin oxide ore) from Nord-Kivu. The European Union placed all DRC airlines on its List of airlines banned in the EU. HBA has held a single exemption for a single Boeing 767-266ER tail number 9Q-CJD, construction number 193H-1209, but that too had been removed on 11 April 2008. Very similar crashes in the DRC the previous October in the capital, Kinshasa and in 1996 also came down in residential or market areas. Because the DRC has so little passable roadway, most freight is moved by air[3] and markets are common near airstrips. HBA operated a number of different aircraft types, none of them modern. This aircraft was 31 years old. [4] Goma is on the volcanically active Great African Rift Valley. One volcano, Nyiragongo, is so close that its January 2002 eruption destroyed the north end of runway 18/36, leaving just 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) for aircraft operations. [5] Goma International is at 1,551 metres (5,089 ft) elevation, and the mid-afternoon temperature is about 22 °C (72 °F). These factors would reduce the Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) on the 1995 metre runway from 55 tonnes (121,000 lb) to less than 45 tonnes (99,000 lb). [6] Another report states that only 1600 to 1800 m of the runway was usable. [7] If the lower of these figures were correct, then the corresponding MTOW would be reduced another 3 tonnes (7,000 lb). The aircraft was departing Goma bound for Kisangani. According to the director of the RVA, the number one engine caught fire after three hundred meters. The fire developed into an uncontained engine failure. [8] The aircraft subsequently overran the runway and crashed at 14:30 local time (12:30 UTC), impacting concrete homes, shops and market stalls. The crash site was located at the Birere market on l'Avenue du 20 Mai, just beyond the south end of runway 18. [9] There were 86 passengers and eight crew members aboard the flight. Three of the passengers and 37 people on the ground were killed in the accident. A further 40 passengers and 71 people on the ground were injured. [3][10][11][12][13][14][15] Greek Orthodox Metropolitan bishop of Central Africa Ignatios was among the survivors of the crash. [16] Another non-Congolese survivor was an Alcatel engineer named Selami Mordeniz. [17] The fourth day more remains were recovered bringing the toll to 44, while 13 were still missing and 60 were rescued. [18][19] An additional find, coupled with two deaths in hospital, brought the toll to 47 as of 19 April. [20] The Heal Africa clinic treated many of the injured. [21] One of those still missing after 48 hours was an aid worker with the group Médecins Sans Frontières. [22] The airport had no functioning firefighting equipment. [23] The initial crash response involved several international agencies present in Goma, including several organisations of the United Nations (MONUC, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNICEF, World Health Organization) and also Médecins Sans Frontières France and the International Red Cross. [24] Members of the 6th Battalion of the Sikh Light Infantry, Indian Army, who were posted there as part of the North Kivu Brigade of the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC), swung into action to effect a rescue of 6 survivors and retrieve 18 bodies. Indian Army personnel were also involved in initial crowd control and preventing the fire that arose from spreading to thickly populated areas nearby. [25] Both flight recorders were recovered. [26] One Kinshasa paper, Le phare, reports that airports throughout the country are still using fifty-year-old infrastructure from the Belgian colonial era. [27] Two days after the crash, the DRC government committed to making the runway repairs neglected since January 2002. [5][28] A local human rights organization laid the blame on the DRC government: La responsabilité du crash d'un DC 9 de la compagnie Hewa Bora Airways le 15 avril dernier à Goma est d'abord imputable au gouvernement congolais, selon le Renadhoc, Réseau national des organisations non-gouvernementales de droits de l'homme en RDC. (The responsibility for the crash of a Hewa Bora Airways DC 9 on 15 April in Goma, lies completely irrefutably with the Congolese government, according to Renadhoc, the National Network of Non-Governmental Human Rights Organisations in the DRC. )-Radio Okapi 2008-04-21 The German government sponsored a €15 million, three-year project to rehabilitate the 1100 m of buried runway following the Hewa Bora crash, but that work had been suspended when another aircraft, operated by CAA (Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation) overran onto the lava in November 2009. [29][30] The World Bank released US$52 million in 2015 to complete the work. [31] In their 2011 report to Congress, the NTSB classified this accident as a major ongoing investigation in which they were assisting the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [32]

Air crash

Kristen Stewart and Dylan Meyer Are Engaged—Plus, Every Celebrity Engaged Right Now

As far as the love lives of your favorite celebrities are concerned, several A-list couples have made things official by getting engaged in recent months. It seems that nearly every week, a new celebrity couple gets engaged and inspires some major engagement ring envy. So far in 2021, the celebrity proposals have been nonstop. Paris Hilton is engaged to Carter Reum, Shailene Woodley is engaged to Aaron Rodgers—even Bella Thorne has a ring on her finger! Wondering who else is prepping to head down the aisle? Here is your complete guide to every current celebrity engagement. Based on the looks of this list, we have some pretty exciting weddings to look forward to! MEGA / Getty Images Kristen Stewart is getting married! The Twilight alum is officially engaged to screenwriter Dylan Meyer, her girlfriend of two years. The Spencer star shared the exciting news on SiriusXM's The Howard Stern Show. "We're marrying, we're totally gonna do it," she told Stern. "I wanted to be proposed to, so I think I very distinctly carved out what I wanted and she nailed it. We're marrying, it's happening." Stewart has had engagement on the brain for a while. She revealed to Stern in a 2019 interview that she couldn't "f--king wait" to get engaged to Meyer. "I think good things happen fast," she said on the show at the time. She even had a couple ideas for a proposal. "I have a couple plans that are, like, just the coolest things to do. It's pretty undeniable," she told Stern in 2019. Congratulations are in order for the happy couple! Getty Images Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker are officially engaged! After going Instagram official back in February 2021, the pair have documented their whirlwind romance on the app, becoming everyone's favorite pop-punk couple in the process. No surprises here: Kardashian also used IG to confirm their engagement. She captioned a romantic beach photo of her and Barker surrounded by roses and candles, "forever @travisbarker." A source later confirmed the proposal to US Weekly. Congratulations to the happy couple! Getty Images Kate Hudson is engaged to her longtime love Danny Fujikawa. The Almost Famous star and Fabletics founder shared the news to Instagram, captioning the post with a simple "Let’s go!" The couple already has a two-year-old daughter together, Rani Rose, and has been dating since 2017. @naomibiden Naomi Biden is engaged! President Biden’s granddaughter revealed on Saturday that her longtime boyfriend Peter Neal had popped the question. Naomi shared the engagement news on Instagram with a sweet selfie of her and Neal. “Forever ?,” she wrote alongside the photo, which showed off her gorgeous engagement ring. Naomi is the eldest daughter of President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden. She graduated from Columbia Law School last year, while her fiancé is currently studying law at the University of Pennsylvania. Getty Images The Sky costars are engaged! A source confirmed to People that Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus are making things official. The two met on the set of the 2015 movie before officially going public in March 2017. The couple also shares a 2 1/2-year-old daughter, whose name they have kept private. In July, the Walking Dead actor gave a rare glimpse of their little family on his Instagram account. The couple strolled along the sidewalk as Reedus carried their daughter on his shoulders. Reedus also shares a 21-year-old son Mingus, whom he shares with ex Helena Christensen. Getty Images Sophia Bush is engaged to boyfriend Grant Hughes! The One Tree Hill alum shared the news on Instagram alongside a photo of Hughes on one knee during the Lake Como proposal. “So it turns out that being your favorite person’s favorite person is the actual best feeling on planet Earth,” Bush captioned the post, adding an enthusiastic #YES as a hashtag. “Thank you to @comoclassicboats and @bottega53 for helping my favorite human plan the most incredible, moving surprise of my life. My heart. It bursts.” Bush was first linked to the entrepreneur in May 2020 when E! News shared photos of the new couple holding hands in Malibu. They kept a low profile for most of their relationship before surprising fans with news of their engagement during their Italian getaway. Getty Images Frankie Grande and Hale Leon are engaged! The Broadway star and brother of pop star Ariana Grande surprised his boyfriend of two years with a very romantic proposal Tuesday night in Los Angeles with close friends and family, according to People. Grande, who just celebrated four years of sobriety, told Leon they were meeting friends to celebrate his sober anniversary before surprising the actor with a proposal. The two got engaged at one of their first date spots, Dreamscape, an immersive VR adventure venue in L.A. But instead of the usual ending of the experience, Grande worked with the staff to customize the show to end with a "Will you marry me" message and intergalactic virtual fireworks. "It was such a perfect, beautiful moment," Grande told People. "Hale was completely surprised and we both started crying tears of joy. I have been working on proposing to him in virtual reality for over a year and it was absolutely breathtaking for us both." The couple met back in 2019 at a line dancing bar in L.A. Kat Dennings/Instagram Kat Dennings is engaged to singer Andrew W.K.! The 2 Broke Girls star and bride-to-be shared the exciting news on her Instagram on May 13. "Don’t mind if I do," the actress wrote alongside a series of photos showing off her stunning emerald-cut diamond ring off set by two diamonds. In one photo the two are embracing and kissing as W.K. holds up her hand. The singer posted the same three photos to his Instagram with a diamond ring emoji as his caption. The couple just went Instagram official at the end of last month, when Dennings posted a photo of W.K. with a simple black heart as her caption. W.K. was previously married to Cherie Lily in 2008. Jason Tartick/Instagram Jason Tartick and Kaitlyn Bristowe are engaged! The Bachelor alums announced their engagement via Instagram on May 11. "Choosing your forever is the most important decision in the world, @kaitlynbristowe you made that decision so easy!" Tartick wrote alongside a series of photos from the engagement. "Love you to death and forever." The former Bachelorette also posted several photos showing off her gorgeous, 5.09-carat oval sparkler, which Tartick revealed to Entertainment Tonight is from Paris Jewellers a small Canadian business outside of Bristowe's hometown. She captioned her Instagram, "Don't pinch me." Kaitlyn Bristowe/Instagram Tartick popped the question while they were filming an episode of Bristowe's podcast Off the Vine, a full circle moment for the couple, as the two met in 2018 recording an episode of the show with Tartick as the guest. "It was everything I could have asked for," Kaitlyn gushed to ET. "The words that came out of his mouth were insanely beautiful. We've never locked eyes like that in our lives. We were holding hands, so intense, and I was listening to his every word, but still blacked out." Tallulah Willis/Instagram Tallulah Willis is engaged to longtime boyfriend and film director Dillon Buss. The actress posted the exciting news to Instagram on Tuesday, May 4. "With absolute most certainty," she shared alongside photos from the engagement. Buss can be seen down on one knee holding out a ring box in front of a very surprised Willis. She also posted a video of the gorgeous rock, which is a large emerald-cut stone center set in a yellow-gold band. She twisted her hand, showing off the sparkler as sunlight bounced off the stone. "HANDS STILL SHAKIN’ — MOMS SPAGHETTI — I’m FIANCÉNCHED." Buss also celebrated the exciting news by posting to Instagram. "I can finally call you my fiancé. Love you forever Buuski Lu, you are my best friend ❤️," he wrote alongside a series of photos from the engagement. Getty Images Basketball pros Breanna Stewart and Marta Xargay are engaged! The two-time All-Star and 2018 league MVP Stewart added another ring to the collection on Sunday. The Seattle Storm player proposed to her girlfriend Xargay. "Did a thing. Another ring," Stewart wrote alongside a series of photos of the engagement. "She said YES. ?? #wifey" Xargay also posted the happy moment to her Instagram writing, "Life isn’t just about the moments, it’s about who we share them with! I said YES ?#wifey" Bethenny Frankel/Instagram Bethenny Frankel is engaged to boyfriend Paul Bernon! People confirmed the engagement on March 23 after some speculation over the weekend when Frankel was spotted wearing a diamond ring. The entrepreneur and reality TV star started dating Bernon, a film producer and real estate developer, in 2018. In 2019, Frankel told People that her relationship with Bernon was "wonderful." She said at the time, "He's a good person who I love. I don't know if it's a yin to my yang, but he's really relaxed, he's mellow and he's very, very funny." Along with this exciting news, Frankel also finalized her tumultuous eight-year divorce from ex-husband Jason Hoppy in January, according to Page Six. Getty Images After two years of dating, actress Bella Thorne is engaged to Italian singer Benjamin Mascolo. Mascolo proposed to Thorne on March 20 with a pear-shaped diamond ring and announced the news on Instagram. "She said YES," he wrote alongside a series of selfies of the newly-engaged couple. Based on videos Mascolo posted to his Instagram story that evening, the singer proposed to the 23-year-old actress outside in front of a curtain of string lights and a giant red heart emblazoned with the letters "B + B." The couple will also supposedly host two weddings: one in America and one in Italy! Getty Images Jersey Shore's Jenni Farley, otherwise known as Jwoww, is officially engaged to boyfriend Zack Clayton Carpinello. The professional wrestler popped the question to the reality television star on top of the Empire State Building on Feb. 27. "On 2.27 I said yes on the top of the Empire State Building," wrote Farley on Instagram on March 9. She shared two candid moments from the proposal, one of which showed off her blinding engagement ring. Andrew Brown, CEO of WP Diamonds, estimates that the stunner would retail for around $30,000 to $35,000. "Jenni's gorgeous engagement ring appears to be a 2 to 2.5ct oval diamond, set in a rose gold ring with a diamond halo and diamond band," Brown tells Brides. Brilliant Earth’s SVP of Merchandising & Retail Expansion Kathryn Money believes the ring to be around 3 to 3.5 carats coming in at approximately $35,000 to $50,000, additionally noting that the dainty band is very popular at the moment. However, Roxanna Rector, senior buyer for engagement and bridal rings at Blue Nile, estimates a much higher price at $80,000 to $150,000 for the ring, adding that she believes the ring to have a 3 to 4-carat center stone. "Elongated fancy shapes like ovals have been trending for 2021 and look great paired with rose gold, it adds a feminine touch and looks great on all skin tones," she says. The engagement comes two years after the couple got together in April of 2019. They did, however, break up for a week in the fall of 2019—but have been going strong ever since!

Famous Person - Marriage

1889 Kumamoto earthquake

The 1889 Kumamoto earthquake occurred at 11.40 p.m local time on July 28 in the western part of Kumamoto. It was also called the Kinpozan earthquake (or Kinbozan earthquake, since its epicenter was the southern-eastern foot of Mount Kinpu) and its magnitude was 6.3. Twenty people died (5 in Kumamoto City and 15 in Akita Gun, Kumamoto Prefecture) and hundreds of houses and parts of Kumamoto Castle were destroyed. The earthquake was the first[citation needed] major one after the establishment of the Seismological Society of Japan (in 1880), and its waves were recorded as far as Potsdam, Germany. Few houses were affected by fire since the quake occurred at midnight. Aftershocks occurred for five months, and some people had to sleep outdoors. Tadao Shimoma[2] thought that the earthquake was a combination of the Tatsuda fault and unsuccessful volcanic activities, since there were injections of aerosol into the air at many places around Mt. Kinpo, Ninotake and Sannotake. He claimed the Kinpo mountains (now showing no volcanic activities) are similar to Mt. Unzen in petrology. The photographs were considered the earliest earthquake damage photos in Japan.

Earthquakes

1996 Nazca earthquake

The 1996 Nazca earthquake occurred on November 12 at 16:59 UTC (11:59 local time). [1] The earthquake was located offshore near Nazca, Peru. [2] It has a magnitude of Mw 7.7. Fourteen people were reported dead. Four-thousand houses collapsed and 11,000 were partially damaged. Nazca and Acarí were the most affected cities. Liquefaction was observed in the bed of the Yauca River. The intensity was VIII (Severe) in Nazca. A tsunami was triggered by this earthquake. The recorded peak-to-trough heights of the tsunami were 25 cm in Callao, Peru and 35 cm in Arica, Chile. In this area, the Nazca Plate is subducting beneath the South American Plate. This earthquake occurred at the plate interface and is associated with the subduction of the 1.5 km high Nazca Ridge beneath the South American plate. [3] This was a complex event, and there were at least two larger events occurring between 18 and 30 seconds after the onset. [4] This earthquake may have ruptured part of the rupture zone of the earthquake of August 24, 1942. [5]

Earthquakes

August 2018 Venezuela earthquakes

On August 21, 2018 a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck just off the northern coast of Venezuela, near Cariaco, Sucre. [1] The earthquake is thought to be the largest in the country since the 1900 San Narciso earthquake. [2] It prompted evacuations in Caracas, and caused shaking in Colombia, Guyana, Brazil,[3] Grenada, Dominica, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago, the last of which also suffered damage and brief phone and power outages from about 100 miles away. A tsunami was not expected, though the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned of wave potential, and an alert had been broadcast for tsunami waves along coastlines. In terms of damage, concrete fell from the unfinished Tower of David skyscraper, blocking the sidewalk and closing traffic. [9] According to the governor of Sucre State, there were initially no reports of fatalities in the area. [10] Though several sources from the Venezuelan government reported no injuries, there were reports of injuries in a shopping centre in Cumaná, close to the epicentre, when an escalator collapsed. [11] Later, five people were confirmed dead, after heart attacks during the quake from shock. [12] Interior Minister Néstor Reverol maintained that there were no fatalities. [13] The earthquakes follow a series of related earthquakes two weeks earlier in neighbouring Colombia, including brief shakes of 6.1 and 5.8 magnitude on August 7. [14] The epicentre is reported to be just east of Carúpano, and at a depth of 123 km (76 mi). The Venezuelan capital, Caracas, is around 622 km (386 mi) from this site, and still shook,[15] as did Bogotá, the Colombian capital nearly 2,000 km (1,200 mi) away. [4] The United States Geological Survey reported the quake as 7.3 (after an initial report of 6.8[16]), though the Colombian Geological Service reported it as 7.0. The Venezuelan Interior Minister Néstor Reverol reported that the earthquake was 6.3. [15] The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center instead reported the quake as 7.4. [17] Venezuela's coast at Cariaco lies on the El Pilar fault of the Caribbean and South American plates, with the latter subducting under the former when the fault turns perpendicular to the coastline. Though Caracas is a long distance from the epicentre, because it is still on the fault line at the San Sebastian fault the tremor was still quite powerful. [18] A seismologist from the University of Southampton said that the two plates usually experience "horizontal differential motion" (the Caribbean plate moves eastward, the South American plate moves westward, and they strike and catch against each other) but that the earthquake being so deep indicated that it was not "directly related to transform faulting [or] strike-slip faulting", suggesting that the quake may have been caused by the "edge of the South American plate that is subducting under the Lesser Antilles arc" being involved. [19] CNN reported that someone based in Güiria, 43 miles from the epicentre, felt three aftershocks. [20] A seismograph at Virginia Tech, a university in the northern United States, registered the earthquake. [21] The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre recorded aftershocks throughout the region from shortly after the main quake. [8] Witnesses and news sources report that during the quake, people were reluctant to leave some buildings, in particular banks because they were "desperate to withdraw the limited notes they're authorised to claim in the cash-strapped country" so "didn't want to leave". [22] Multiple experts remarked on how the seismological activity that caused the earthquake was unusual. [19][23] Juan Cigala, from the Seismology Department of the Iquique Emergency Center, Mexico, explained that the earthquake was "an exceptional event" and also "expressed surprise" at the subsequent earthquake as well as aftershocks of over 4.0 magnitude, something that "hasn't happened before". He summerised that "the Earth is behaving in a different way". [23] Cigala also mentioned that the direction of the forces from the plates contacting was unusual, explaining why the earthquake was felt for thousands of miles in multiple directions. He added that this, as well as the continual plate movement since the earthquake, means there will "continue to be telluric events in the area", and a likelihood of more quakes. [23] Bogotá International Airport was briefly closed to check for runway damage. [5] The Tower of David, the second tallest building in Venezuela and 11th tallest in South America, is reported to have sustained structural damage and is now leaning. However, according to Randy Rodríguez, national director of Civil Protection, the Caracas fire service inspected the tower and deemed it has no threat of falling. The telephone and internet service in Caracas was also interrupted. [24][25][23] A video surfaced of a landslide in which part of a Caribbean island mountain collapsed into the sea. [26] Temporary power outages were reported in Arima, Valsayn, and other areas in the east of the island of Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago. [27] Several sources questioned if the shaking could have disturbed Venezuela's extensive oil reserves, potentially damaging the industry in the country. [28][29][30] The earthquake was, in its immediate aftermath, judged as negative for the Venezuelan government. Diosdado Cabello, president of the Constituent National Assembly in the country, was giving a national compulsory broadcast at the moment of the earthquake, with his "confused" and "concerned" response being to just stop talking and "look from side to side", as reported by The Guardian, Time, and Associated Press shortly after the event. [15][11][31] The Venezuelan government was also criticised as being unprepared for natural disasters, with "ambulances grounded" in the nation. [5] Edwin Rojas, a PSUV government deputy and Governor of the state in which the earthquake hit, called the earthquake reports and tsunami warning "psychological terrorism". [29] Several people looked deeper into the occurrence of the earthquakes, which was "interpreted as a political metaphor for [Venezuela's] teetering regime". [32] A BBC Caribbean correspondent shared a photo of the Tower of David on Twitter, commenting that the abandoned bank building was "verging on collapse", describing it as an apt "economic metaphor" for Venezuela. [33] Similarly, The Wall Street Journal's Latin America editor joked that the "real earthquake" matched "Venezuela's economic earthquake". [34] The public of Venezuela also reacted in such fashion, with reports that there were many new "'what else could go wrong' memes", adding natural disasters to the list of growing crises of the nation, or comparing the earthquake to the new currency of the nation released that day, one tweet remarking on the devaluation by saying "Colombia: earthquake with a 7.7 magnitude according to the Richter magnitude scale. Venezuela: earthquake of 0.00077 Richter Soberanos" and another saying "Inflation in Venezuela is so bad that the 7.3 magnitude earthquake has turned into 78093.3. The strongest in history". There were also comments despairing that in the social media videos of supermarkets shaking, it didn't look as dramatic as the Trinidadian counterparts where products were falling off shelves — because in Venezuela there weren't any products on the shelves to begin with. [35] The BBC Venezuela correspondent said that the earthquake was actually welcome: that people "were amused by an event, which had distracted them from the tough realities of everyday life". [36] The Governor of the US State of Florida, Rick Scott, said a few hours after the quake that he had spoken with Carlos Trujillo about the earthquake and that "[Venezuelan President] Maduro should allow aid into Venezuela so anyone who may be affected can get the proper help". [37] The Foreign and Commonwealth Office gave travel warnings for Trinidad and Tobago, with the possibility of later adding them for Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyana. Though buildings cracked and shifted in Venezuela, there was more falling debris on the nearby island of Trinidad, which caused more concern. [8] There was also concern for falling glass in both nations.

Earthquakes

Middletown fifth-grader wins top prize in national stock market game

Macdonough Elementary School Investwrite state winner Pusadee (Fiona) Shear shows off her trophy Wednesday on Main Street in Middletown. John Ferrero / Contributed photo MIDDLETOWN — A Macdonough Elementary School fifth-grader claimed first prize in both the year-long and spring sessions of the SIFMA Foundation’s Stock Market Game. Both teams were led by teacher John Ferrero. Winning students received awards for their portfolios, and both teachers and schools were recognized, according to a press release. This year’s Investwrite state winner, Pusadee (Fiona) Shear, was surprised with a trophy on Main Street on Wednesday with the help of her parents, Principal Damian Reardon, her teacher Jackie Goodrich and Ferrero. Shear also received a gift card and other swag from Investwrite. The Stock Market Game is an online academic and life-skills educational program used by teachers across the state to boost students’ math, economics and personal finance knowledge, according to the news release. The game’s curricula, lessons and hands-on student activities combine content knowledge, critical thinking, research and analytical skills in a state-of-the-art real-world simulation. Students enhance their knowledge in core curriculum subjects, including math, language arts, economics and social studies while developing life skills such as financial preparedness, teamwork and business knowledge, Investwrite said.

Awards ceremony

Smoke headed for Metro Vancouver, Stanley Park closed overnight as 241 wildfires burn across B.C.

Wildfire smoke is in the forecast for B.C.'s south coast this weekend, in addition to a heat wave, which in the wake of last month's fatal heat dome prompted warnings Friday from health officials. Metro Vancouver is expected to see smoke roll in this weekend, joining communities across the province that have been blanketed by wildfire smoke for weeks, at levels far above World Health Organization maximum levels. As air quality across B.C. continues to pose a health risk, B.C.'s wildfire service says 241 wildfires are currently burning, down from about 300 last week. A new fire is sparking partial closures in Manning Park, about 200 kilometres east of Vancouver. Heat warnings or special weather statements now cover much of B.C., packing temperatures from the low 30s in the northeast to 40 C in the Fraser Canyon and Boundary regions. Rob Schweitzer, director of fire centre operations with the wildfire service, warns that the heat, along with limited cooling at night, could contribute to severe burning conditions over the next few days. Lightning is also in the forecast for regions already ranked at high to extreme risk of wildfires. FireSmoke Canada says smoky skies could arrive in Metro Vancouver and on the South Coast Saturday morning, but winds from the west will likely push it eastward by Sunday. On Friday evening, Vancouver Coastal Health issued its first wildfire smoke warning of the year. The smoky haze contains fine particulate matter, which can be especially difficult for people with respiratory issues, as well as older adults, infants, young children and pregnant women. Health officials said everyone should "reduce time spent outdoors and reduce strenuous activities" until the smoke clears, but also said the forecasted heat wave puts many people at an even greater risk. "For most people, heat stress is a bigger health risk than smoky air," Vancouver Coastal Health said. "During hot and smoky conditions, it is recommended to prioritize cooling indoor spaces when possible." Environment Canada issued an air quality advisory at 2 p.m. PT for eastern Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley because of high concentrations of ground-level ozone that are expected to persist into the weekend. Much of the province is already accustomed to dangerously smoky air. On Friday, conditions worsened in some areas, particularly in and around Kelowna, which had an air quality rating 42 times the maximum levels recommended by the World Health Organization, with reports of street lights turning on during daytime and low visibility. The wildfire in Manning Park, although just 18 hectares in size, prompted B.C. Parks to briefly close a local lake to boaters on Friday, and to evacuate a backcountry cabin in the area used by hikers. Roads in the park to the north of Highway 3 are also closed until further notice, B.C. Parks said, but the highway remains open. The fire is visible from the highway, but campgrounds in the park are also still open to visitors. "Right now, we're being advised that there is no imminent danger," Vern Schram, general manager of the privately run Manning Park resort, told CBC News on Friday. "That said, we're weighing through the scenarios and looking at what we might need to do should the situation worsen." The fire is labelled a "Rank 4 aggressive fire," and "rapid attack" firefighters have been deployed to start tackling it, as well as aerial crews. July 30, 2021 - 3:20pm: BC Parks has asked us to close the Blackwall and Lookout Road until further notice as a precautionary measure. Access to the lake has resumed for boats and boat rentals. The resort and campgrounds remain open. The Vancouver Park Board announced Friday afternoon it will be temporarily closing all non-essential access to Stanley Park between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. The closure is aimed at reducing fire risk to the park, according to a statement on the city's website. Park rangers will set up temporary overnight access control points at five locations across the park to reduce the number of individuals in the park overnight. Vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians and anyone who does not require access to the park will be turned back at access control points. The Stanley Park Causeway will remain open but access to the seawall will be closed. The temporary closure will be in effect seven days a week beginning July 30 and will extend indefinitely until the fire risk has been significantly reduced. WATCH | Lytton residents still coping with loss a month after devastating wildfire: Emergency Management B.C. says 60 evacuation orders covering just over 3,000 properties remain in effect, while residents of nearly 19,000 other properties must be ready to leave on short notice. Evacuation orders were downgraded to alerts late Thursday for several properties near a 654-square-kilometre wildfire burning northwest of Kamloops. But the wildfire service says that blaze and most of the nearly three dozen listed as fires of note remain out of control and continue to challenge firefighters on at least one flank. "It continues to be a challenge, especially with having aerial resources limited due to the visibility," Forrest Tower, with B.C.'s wildfire service, told CBC News. "That really does put a heavier focus on our ground crews." Around 7:30 p.m. Friday, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District issued a new evacuation order for 43 properties near Tunkwa Lake, west of Kamloops, which is threatened by the Tremont Creek Wildfire. Evacuation orders were also issued in the last day for 125 properties on the Bonaparte Plateau, east of 70 Mile House, due to the Flat Lake wildfire. The TNRD EOC has issued an Evacuation Order for 125 properties in Electoral Area "E" (Bonaparte Plateau) due to the Flat Lake Wildfire. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCWildfire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCWildfire</a><a href="https://t.co/B57wgxBM4e">https://t.co/B57wgxBM4e</a> <a href="https://t.co/dX6Y5AEohk">pic.twitter.com/dX6Y5AEohk</a> The B.C. Wildfire Service says more than 241 wildfires are burning across the province, the largest number of them in the Kamloops region — an increase of 54 fires from last week. The largest blaze remains the nearly 590-square-kilometre Sparks Lake fire, discovered June 28 north of Kamloops Lake; it remains out of control, according to authorities. A total of 4,710 square kilometres have burned so far this year in B.C. — a 36 per cent increase over the past decade's wildfire season average. Experts say climate change is contributing to longer and worse wildfire seasons. Anyone placed under an evacuation order should leave the area immediately. Evacuation centres have been set up throughout the province to assist anyone evacuating from a community under threat from a wildfire. To find the centre closest to you, visit the Emergency Management B.C. website. Evacuees are encouraged to register with Emergency Support Services online, whether or not they access services at an evacuation centre. With files from Rachel Adams, Émilie Warren, David P. Ball, Yvette Brend, and The Canadian Press

Organization Closed

A distress call about a migrant boat sinking in the Mediterranean Sea with 300 people on board has been made to authorities in Rome.

Surviving immigrants lie on the deck of Italian coastguard ship Bruno Gregoretti in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi 1/1 Surviving immigrants lie on the deck of Italian coastguard ship Bruno Gregoretti in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi April 20 2015 11:16 AM A distress call about a migrant boat sinking in the Mediterranean Sea with 300 people on board has been made to authorities in Rome. The International Organisation for Migration said the caller reported about 20 deaths and said another two boats were also in need of help. It comes after at least three people, including a child, died after a wooden boat carrying dozens of migrants from the Turkish shore ran aground off the Greek island of Rhodes. The Coast Guard said at least 83 people were on the boat. Twenty-three people were transported to a hospital for first aid treatment and the others were taken to the local police station. It was unclear what the total number of people on board was, and authorities say a search and rescue operation is ongoing in the area to locate more potential survivors. The nationalities of the migrants was not immediately known. Tens of thousands of migrants attempt to enter the European Union through Greece each year. Video footage and photos of the grounding of the migrant boat show a large, wooden double-masted boat with people packed on board, just metres away from the island. The vessel rocks wildly in the waves and passengers are seen in a photo jumping into the sea and swimming towards the land. In another video, about a dozen migrants sit on a floating piece of wreckage pushed toward the shore. Coast Guard officers and passers-by jump into the waves to rescue the migrants, including a young child wearing a life-jacket. An international aid agency spokeswoman has compared the scale of deaths in recent shipwrecks to the death toll in the sinking of the Titanic luxury liner more than a century ago. Sarah Tyler, a spokeswoman for Save the Children in Catania, Sicily, said more than 1,000 people have died in the waters of the Mediterranean, adding "that is almost as many as died in the Titanic, and 31 times the number who died when the Costa Concordia sank." One survivor's account has put at up to 950 the number of people on board the smuggler's boat that sank off the coast of Libya this weekend, with only a handful rescued. Last week more than 400 people died or went missing in another shipwreck.

Shipwreck

Beijing choked by worst dust storm in decade

The Chinese capital Beijing has been shrouded in thick brown dust due to heavy winds blowing in from the Gobi Desert and parts of north-western China and creating what the weather bureau has called the biggest sandstorm in a decade. Skyscrapers in the centre of Beijing appeared to drop from sight amid the dust and sand. Traffic was snarled and more than 400 flights out of the capital's two main airports were cancelled before midday (local time). The China Meteorological Administration announced a yellow alert, saying sandstorms had spread from Inner Mongolia into the provinces of Gansu, Shanxi and Hebei, which surrounds Beijing. "It looks like the end of the world," said Beijing resident Flora Zou, 25, who works in the fashion sector. "In this kind of weather I really, really don't want to be outside." The National Meteorological Centre forecasted the sand and dust would affect 12 provinces and regions from Xinjiang in the far north-west to Heilongjiang in the north-east and the eastern coastal port city of Tianjin. "This is the most intense sandstorm weather our country has seen in 10 years, as well as it covering the broadest area," the centre said in a post on its website. Neighbouring Mongolia was also hit by heavy sandstorms, with at least 341 people reported missing, according to China's state news agency Xinhua. Flights have been grounded out of Hohhot, capital of China's Inner Mongolia. Around a fifth of the incoming and outbound flights at Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport were also cancelled. Beijing's official air quality index reached a maximum of 500 on Monday morning, with floating particles known as PM10 rising beyond 8,000 micrograms per cubic metre in some districts, according to the city's pollution monitoring centre. The World Health Organization recommends average daily PM 10 concentrations of no more than 50 micrograms. Readings of PM2.5, smaller particles that infiltrate the lungs, were also above 300 micrograms per cubic metre, far higher than China's standard of 35 micrograms. The sandstorms were expected to shift south towards the Yangtze River delta and should clear by Wednesday or Thursday, the environment ministry said. Beijing faces regular sandstorms in March and April due to its proximity to the massive Gobi Desert as well as deforestation and soil erosion throughout northern China. Beijing has planted a "great green wall" of trees to trap incoming dust and has also tried to create air corridors that channel the wind and allow sand and other pollutants to pass through more quickly. This has reduced the storms' intensity, but the expansion of cities and industries has put constant pressure on the environment throughout China. It wasn't clear if the storm was related to a recent general decline in air quality despite efforts to end Beijing's choking smog. Tangshan, China's top steelmaking city and a major source of pollution in Beijing and Hebei, said on Saturday it would punish local enterprises for failing to carry out emergency anti-smog measures. Beijing and surrounding regions have been suffering from high levels of pollution in recent weeks, with the city shrouded in smog during the national session of parliament which began on March 5. The ruling Communist Party has pledged to reduce carbon emissions per unit of economic output by 18 per cent over the next five years. Environmentalists say China needs to do more to reduce dependency on coal that has made it the world's biggest emitter of climate-changing gasses. AP/Reuters )

Environment Pollution

The Irish Times view of famine in Ethiopia: No natural disaster

As famine once again stalks Ethiopia, aggravated, in good measure, by ethnic violence and a deepening economic crisis, voters are going to the polls. Prime minister Abiy Ahmed desperately seeks a popular mandate to bolster his position against growing international and domestic criticism. He will get his mandate easily, but no improvement in international standing for his handling of a humanitarian catastrophe of his own making. Western diplomats, the UN and humanitarian agencies say 350,000 people in the Tigray region are suffering from famine, with several million more threatened by acute lack of food. Unicef says 33,000 children are in imminent danger of death. The tragedy is a terrible echo of the infamous, devastating famine of 1983-85, also manmade. Once again, history is repeating itself in the terrible fallout from an internal war centred on the Tigray province in which, again, food has become a weapon of war and civilians are expendable. All exaggerated, Addis Ababa claims, as it blames hunger on climate change. At the UN Security Council, where Ireland has been among those demanding words and action, the consensus necessary to make Ethiopia a formal agenda item has not even been forthcoming – it is consigned to Any Other Business. Expressions of concern in resolutions on the humanitarian crisis and over food access blocked by armed gangs, and an eventual welcome for a UN human rights investigation, are hedged with language that must avoid any suggestion of a moral equivalence between the government and the “criminal” Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). So no talk of a ceasefire, or any suggestion the famine is manmade. And the belated admission by Addis that, yes, Eritrean troops, accused by human rights groups of massacres, are indeed in Tigray fighting the TPLF is accompanied only by a half-hearted pledge that they will be leaving soon. Cold comfort for the beleaguered and starving Tigrayan people from a UN that the veto powers deliberately leave toothless.

Famine

South Korea, US Prepare to Conduct Joint Military Exercise

Between talks with North Korea and the COVID-19 pandemic, this will reportedly be the third year in a row where exercises are held only via computer simulation. Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, United Nations Commander, Combined Forces Commander, and United States Forces Korea commander; and Gen. Leem Ho Young, Combined Forces Command deputy commander, welcome Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium (PALS) participants to South Korea, Mar. 17, 2017. South Korea and the United States agreed to conduct a nine-day joint military exercise starting on March 8, according to local news reports. The South Korean Defense Ministry has not yet announced detailed information regarding the joint military exercise but it will be conducted as planned, according to statements by Defense Ministry officials. The joint military exercise will be divided into two parts and will be conducted via computer simulations, not as a field training exercise, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The allies have been conducting joint exercises as computer simulations since 2018 to support denuclearization negotiations between the United States and North Korea. Pyongyang has frequently complained about the drills, calling them a preparation for “invasion” of the North. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in his New Year’s press conference on January 18 that the two Koreas might be able to discuss the U.S.-South Korea military drills through a joint inter-Korean military committee if necessary. However, U.S. officials expressed indirectly that it is not a topic for discussion with Pyongyang, and that scaling down the exercises was not desirable. Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, once criticized the new way of conducting the drills, saying that the joint military exercises should not be like a computer game. U.S. Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing on February 22 that he is confident that Abrams will cooperate with counterparts in Seoul to ensure the highest level of readiness of the exercise. Hawks in both Seoul and Washington have been worried about the recent exercises. South Korean and U.S. military forces had previously carried out command post exercises and large-scale field training exercises. But they decided to reduce the existing large-scale joint military exercises in the wake of the inter-Korean summit on April 27, 2018 and the North Korea-U.S summit on June 12 of the same year. Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month. As a result, large-scale field training exercises with troops between South Korea and the United States, such as the previously annual “Foal Eagle” drill, have not been conducted for more than two years. Former military generals and security experts have expressed their opinion that the field training exercises should be resumed, lest it become difficult to maintain the U.S.-ROK alliance’s military posture. “As Kim Jong Un already raised the issue with the joint drill during the eighth party congress of the Workers’ Party in January and demanded Washington to withdraw its hostile policies against the North, there is a possibility that North Korea will provoke after the U.S.-ROK joint military exercise,” Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha University, told The Diplomat. Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific. “If North Korea provokes through short-range ballistic missile launches such as the KN-23 and KN-24, Seoul and Washington are likely to restart conducting joint military exercises normally from the second half of this year,” Park said. To prepare for possible provocations from the North on the basis of what Kim mentioned in January, Seoul and Washington intelligence authorities are going to watch for signs of activity around the birthday of Kim Jong Il, Kim’s predecessor and father, on March 16. However, Kim Young-jun, a professor at Korea National Defense University, told The Diplomat that “the reduction of the joint military exercise does not mean a security threat” and it is important for the drills to be conducted under a strong U.S.-ROK alliance. “The joint military exercise includes not only missile system defense drills, but also all kinds of combined defense systems and power enhancement drills in preparation for all-out warfare and provocations,” Kim said. Just as experts have different perspectives on the function and purpose of the exercises, Seoul and Washington have different goals for the drills. Before the end of Moon’s term, Seoul wants to take back wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington, which had been turned over in 1950. Restoring OPCON to Seoul is one of Moon’s pledges. To reach that goal, military exercises should be conducted with full operational capabilities to evaluate and verify the military’s status, but Washington has said that it would be challenging to do that because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2014, the military authorities of the two countries agreed on three conditions for Seoul to fulfill to take back wartime OPCON. Three stages of verification and evaluation are underway to test the mission performance capabilities of Korean military, and its readiness to assume full control in a hypothetical war situation on the peninsula. Initial operational capability, which is the first stage of this process, was completed in 2019. The second stage is full operational capability, which was scheduled to be evaluated through a joint military exercise in 2020. That could not be done due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even a year later, experts say it is unreasonable to involve U.S. troops stationed not only in South Korea but also in other countries in a large-scale drill at a time when the pandemic is still active. Several military officers of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have tested positive for the coronavirus recently.

Military Exercise

MP calls for urgent review after plain-clothes police fine Roma pub for COVID-19 breach

A Victorian man who flew from Brisbane to Hobart on flight VA702 today has tested positive to COVID-19 and has not been allowed to board a flight to Melbourne A Watch & Act warning is in place for a fire in the northern parts of Mokine, in WA's Northam Shire. Keep up to date with ABC Emergency Federal MP David Littleproud has called on the Queensland Premier to review a fine of more than $6,000 that could send a country pub "broke". Roma's Royal on Ninety-Nine was fined $6,672, after plain-clothes police pointed out several breaches, including failure to collect contact details. Federal Member for Maranoa David Littleproud said he had asked Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to reconsider the severity of the fines. "I’m not condoning the breaches of social distancing that were identified," Mr Littleproud said. "But a fine of $6,672 could send this pub broke. "What is needed here is education," he said. Pub owner Bruce Garvie said plain-clothes police officers were unfairly targeting struggling country pubs, which had already lost significant income due to COVID-19. He said police had "reduced the manager to tears" when they visited his premises on Sunday. A police spokesperson said officers visited the Roma hotel and pointed out areas of non-compliance, the day before the fine was issued. Mr Garvie said his staff would usually record patrons' details, but were particularly busy when officers entered. "I think it was just missed, because we do do it," he said. In a statement, Queensland Police confirmed officers from Brisbane had fined three businesses at Roma, Injune and Wallumbilla, including a hotel that had 200 people inside at the time. Despite officers speaking at length with business owners and providing information regarding compliance issues, the premises continued to breach directions. During the operation it was identified businesses were failing to restrict patron numbers appropriately, [nor] implement social distancing measures, [nor] appropriately maintain guest registries, [nor] restrict people from gathering around bars. - Queensland Police statement Queensland Hotels Association Vice President Brad Fitzgibbons said it might feel like a slap in the face for a country pub, but he could understand the police perspective. "It would be remiss of the government to roll out all these regulations and not police them," Mr Fitzgibbons said. "I feel for the guy. It's a slap in the face, and I urge the police to have an educative approach." Mr Fitzgibbons said country pubs often lacked the staffing required to stay on top of the regulations. "Hotels in particular, under the industry's COVID-safe plan, have so many rules and regulations they need to adhere to, and a lot of the rural and regional hotels just aren't set up for it. Mr Garvie said local police and council officers were already visiting the hotel weekly to ensure it was compliant, but the officers who issued the fine were not from the area. "We have a good rapport with the [local] police," Mr Garvie said. "If we were doing something wrong, they would know and they would come and talk to us. "I don't think the fines should have been issued initially but I think the way it's been handled is atrocious," he said. Mr Garvie said police were "totally out of line" to issue the fine in the manner they did. He said while the state's capital city hosted a crowd of 6,000 for an NRL game, police targeted smaller country pubs. "And they still think it's worth their while driving all the way here to do that," he said. "It's all a bit of a joke to be honest." Mr Garvie said he planned to fight the fine. "A lot of people are doing it really tough, a lot of people are working huge hours, and these people are totally out of line," he said. "We've all bled thousands. There are businesses going broke. "We are a family pub and I find this really, really hard to deal with, the way they've gone about it." See our full coverage of coronavirus We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)

Organization Fine

1944 Ilford rail crash

The 1944 Ilford rail crash occurred on 16 January 1944 when, in darkness and dense fog, an express passenger train passed a signal at danger and collided with another passenger train that was stopped at Ilford railway station in Essex, England. The collision killed nine people, including three United States Army personnel and Frank Heilgers, the Member of Parliament for Bury St. Edmunds. Thirty-eight people were injured. At approximately 19:20 on 16 January 1944, in dense fog and wartime conditions, the 14:38 express train from Yarmouth was stopped at Ilford en route to London Liverpool Street. Due to poor visibility, the driver had not seen several caution signals and subsequently stopped 110 yards (100 m) past a signal at danger. The driver walked to the signal box and after a short wait was given a "line clear" by the signalman. As the driver returned to his train the signalman received a telephone call from a colleague in the adjacent box reporting that the following train, the 14:40 express from Norwich Thorpe had also passed his signals at danger. The Ilford station inspector, who had arrived at the signal box to find out why the Yarmouth express had stopped, was sent to place detonators at the rear of the train,[1] however, before he was able to take any action the Norwich train ran into the rear of the Yarmouth service at a speed of 20–25 mph (32–40 km/h). [2] The Yarmouth train comprised a 4-6-0 steam locomotive hauling nine coaches and a two-coach articulated set. The Norwich service was made up of a 4-6-0 locomotive, an LNER B17 No. 2868 Bradford City, hauling ten coaches and a two-coach articulated set. Both services were busy with passengers. There were nine fatalities as a consequence of the collision, including Frank Heilgers, the Member of Parliament for Bury St. Edmunds. Twenty-eight people were hospitalized and ten others suffered shock or minor injuries. [3] First aid was available immediately as an American doctor and nurse had been travelling on the train; also a member of staff had been ambulance-trained. Ilford civil defence personnel arrived at 19:36 and ambulances and the civil rescue squad followed at around 19:50. A local U.S. Army depot sent a medical detachment. Hampered by a lack of light and the fog, the last of the casualties were only recovered by 21:20. The collision blocked the two through lines to and from London until 14:30 the next day, but the two local lines were not affected and a crossover facility meant the impact on rail traffic was minimal. [4]

Train collisions

Childers Palace Backpackers Hostel fire

The Childers Palace Backpackers Hostel fire on 23 June 2000 killed fifteen backpackers – nine women and six men – at the former Palace Hotel in the town of Childers, Queensland, Australia, which had been converted into a backpacker hostel. [1][2] Robert Paul Long was arrested for lighting the fire and charged with murder (two counts) and arson (one count). He was later sentenced to life imprisonment. [3] Prior to the arson, two guests saw the arsonist Robert Long in the back yard of the hostel. Long had asked them to leave the door open so he could bash (beat up) his former roommate; when they declined, he stated he still had a key. [4] Long had previously been evicted from the hostel. [5] The fire was started at about 1 am, in the downstairs recreation room. A guest recounted how he had woken up during the night around 12:30 to find Long standing by a burning trashcan. After he extinguished it, the guest went back to bed, but awakened again about an hour later to banging sounds, shouting, and black smoke. [6] A survivor recounted how he and his girlfriend went from door to door through their floor of the hostel, crawling on the floor and banging on doors in an attempt to awaken and rescue as many individuals as they could. [7] The Palace Backpackers Hostel, a 100-year-old, two-story timber building,[8] did not have working smoke detectors or fire alarms. It was later reported that the owner had installed fire alarms in the building, but they had been disabled weeks prior to the fire due to the systems malfunctioning. [9] A survivor told reporters he read the fire notes on the wall, which showed the best escape route, and could barely make it 10 yards to a balcony. [6] Local firefighters raised a ladder to allow some people to escape. Firefighters spent four hours battling the fire before it was fully extinguished. The Isis Shire Mayor, Bill Trevor, told reporters that the hostel was not razed to the ground, and that victims either got out alive or did not get out at all. [8] The 70 backpackers who survived the fire were temporarily housed locally at the Isis Cultural Centre. Of those, 10 suffered minor injuries as they tried to escape from the upper level by jumping onto the roofs of neighbouring buildings. [10] Most of the backpackers who died were on the second floor of the hostel. [11] Through an inquest, it was found that in one of the rooms where 10 of the deceased victims were found, a bunk bed blocked an exit door and the windows were barred. [12] Identification of the deceased was hampered due to an incomplete hostel register that recorded check-ins but not departures, and because most of the residents' passports were destroyed or damaged by the fire. [13] Of the fifteen people who died in the fire, seven were British (including two Welsh); three were Australian; two were from the Netherlands; and one each from Ireland, Japan, and South Korea. [14] Robert Paul Long, a fruit picker who had expressed a hatred of backpackers, had earlier threatened to burn down the hostel. After his eviction from the hostel due to rent arrears, Long allegedly told an English couple staying at the hostel they should leave their windows and doors open, as he was planning arson. [13] Long was arrested in bush-land less than 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Childers five days later. During the arrest he slashed a police dog and stabbed one of the officers on the chin. The second officer shot Long in the arm. [14] In March 2002, Long was found guilty of two charges of murder and arson and sentenced to life in prison. Although fifteen individuals died in the fire, Long had only been charged with two deaths in order to expedite the proceedings and to allow for other charges to be brought in the event of an acquittal. [14] He lodged an appeal in 2002, which was denied; in June 2020 he became eligible for parole. [15] Immediately after the fire, residents of Childers knitted blankets and donated food and backpacks for the survivors. [16] A picnic bench in front of the building became a shrine to the deceased, with flowers, notes, and fruit from the local farms; 20 of the survivors held an impromptu memorial service with a local Roman Catholic priest at the shrine. [10] Anne, Princess Royal visited Childers on 2 July, just a week after the blaze, to meet the surviving backpackers and others involved in the disaster. Bill Trevor, the Isis Shire Mayor, travelled to England and the Netherlands in October 2001 to consult the bereaved families about the memorial proposals. He negotiated to rebuild the Palace in its original early 1900s style and the building was restored and turned into a memorial for those affected by the fire. [5] Some 250 invited guests, including many members of the families of the dead from around the world, attended the official opening on 26 October 2002. Frank Slarke, the father of murdered twins Stacey and Kelly, read a poem he wrote as a eulogy. [17][18] In 2006, when it was announced that the coroner had decided not to lay criminal charges against the owner and operators of the hostel, families of seven victims vowed to launch a class action suit against the previously mentioned individuals. [12] The Queensland artist Sam Di Mauro made a 7.7 metre (25 foot) long glass memorial wall that was set into the new building. [19] The Sydney artist Josonia Palaitis was selected to paint portraits of those killed. She said it was "the most technically challenging and emotionally charged portrait I've ever undertaken". [20] The artist's greatest challenge was to suitably portray the youngsters from the photos of them provided by their families: she managed to arrange them while maintaining the precise poses of those photos. The background was researched by her to be typical of the Isis area fields where they had worked picking crops. "The response to the artwork was overwhelming with families ecstatic with the result. "[21]

Fire

Gas explosion at Iran medical clinic kills 19

Gas leak at Sina At’har clinic in northern Tehran kills 15 women and four men, say fire officials An explosion from a gas leak in a medical clinic in northern Tehran has killed 19 people, Iranian state TV has reported. Video posted online appeared to show more than one explosion and thick black smoke rising from the Sina At’har clinic. People in nearby Tajrish Bazaar rushed to the scene, impeding a rescue operation, authorities said. Videos on social media showed people gathered outside of the building. Hamidreza Goudarzi, deputy Tehran governor, told state TV that a leak from medical gas tanks in the building was the cause of the explosion and fire. Authorities initially said 13 people were dead, but Tehran fire department spokesman Jalal Maleki later told state TV the toll had risen to 19. State-run IRNA news agency also quoted Maleki as saying the dead included 15 women and four men. Maleki added that firefighters had rescued 20 people. State TV said there could be more explosions because there were a number of oxygen tanks remaining in the medical center.

Gas explosion

1946 Pilbara strike

The 1946 Pilbara strike was a landmark strike by Indigenous Australian pastoral workers in the Pilbara region of Western Australia for human rights recognition, payment of fair wages[1] and working conditions. [2][3][4] The strike involved at least 800 Aboriginal pastoral workers[2] walking off the large pastoral stations in the Pilbara on 1 May 1946, and from employment in the two major towns of Port Hedland and Marble Bar. [5] The strike did not end until August 1949 and even then many Indigenous Australians refused to go back and work for white station owners. [5][2][3] It is regarded as the first industrial strike by Aboriginal people since colonisation[2][4] and one of if not the longest industrial strikes in Australia,[2][5] and a landmark in indigenous Australians fighting for their human rights, cultural rights, and Native title. [3][5] For many years Aboriginal pastoral workers in the Pilbara were denied cash wages and were only paid in supplies of tobacco, flour and other necessities. [2][6][7][4] The pastoral stations treated the Aboriginal workers as a cheap slave labour workforce to be exploited. [5][6][4] Many tried to leave the stations on which they worked but were met with legal resistance;[2][5] those who were unsuccessful could be whipped[3] and those who escaped were hunted by police and returned. The situation was that "while Aboriginal labour was required, Aboriginal people were treated as if they were expendable". [8] European attacks and brutal shootings of whole family groups of Aboriginal Australians are part of the history of the region, though often not well documented. One attack took place at Skull Creek in the Northern Territory a few kilometers north of Ti-Tree in the 1870s, which resulted in the bleached bones and thus the name for the place. [9] In 1926 the Forrest River massacre was carried out by a police party on the Forrest River Mission (later the Aboriginal community of Oombulgurri), in the East Kimberleys. Though there was a royal commission into the reported killing and burning of Aboriginal people in the East Kimberley, the police allegedly involved were brought to trial and acquitted. [10] As well as proper wages and better working conditions, Aboriginal lawmen sought natural justice arising from the original Western Australian colonial Constitution. As a condition for self-rule in the colony, the British Government insisted that once public revenue in WA exceeded 500,000 pounds, 1 per cent was to be dedicated to "the welfare of the Aboriginal natives" under Section 70 of the Constitution. [5][6] Succeeding colonial and state Governments legislated to remove the funding provisions for "native welfare". [5][6] The strike was coordinated and led by Aboriginal lawmen Dooley Bin Bin and Clancy McKenna; and Don McLeod, an active unionist[6][7] and member of the Communist Party of Australia for a short period. [4] The strike was planned at an Aboriginal law meeting in 1942 at Skull Springs (east of Nullagine),[2][3][5][7] where a massacre had previously occurred. [4] The meeting was attended by an estimated 200 senior Aboriginal representatives representing twenty-three language groups from much of the remote north-west of Australia. [2][5][7][4] 16 interpreters were needed for the meeting. Discussions were protracted with the meeting lasting six weeks. [2][5] McLeod, the only European-Australian present,[7] was given the task of chief negotiator. [5] While not present, Bin Bin was elected to represent the Aboriginal peoples from unsettled desert lands. [5] Later McLeod and Bin Bin chose McKenna to represent those from the settled areas. [5] The strike was postponed until after the Second World War had ended in 1945. [11][4] Peter Coppin, also known as Kangushot, (1920–2006) was another one of the strike leaders. [12] Regarded as a pioneer of the Aboriginal rights movement in the 1940s,[13] he was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1972, and appointed NAIDOC Elder of the Year in 2002. Crude calendars were taken from one station camp to another in early 1946 to organise the strike. [2][5][4] The efforts, if noticed by the white people present, were dismissed and laughed at. [4] The date of May 1st was chosen not only because it was International Workers' Day but also because it was the first day of the shearing season. [2][7] On 1 May 1946, hundreds of Aboriginal workers left the pastoral stations and set up strike camps. [1][5][4] The strike was most effective in the Pilbara region. Further afield in Broome[5] and Derby and other inland northern towns, the strike movement was harshly suppressed by police action and was more short lived. Over the three years, occasionally strikers went back to work, while others joined or rejoined the strike. [citation needed] At the commencement of the strike in 1946, McLeod was an Australian Workers' Union delegate[citation needed] at Port Hedland wharf who motivated support by the Australian labour movement. The Western Australian branch of the Seamen's Union of Australia eventually put a blackban on the shipment of wool from the Pilbara. [citation needed] Nineteen unions in Western Australia, seven federal unions and four Trades and Labour councils supported the strike. [3] The strike stimulated support from the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, who helped establish the Committee for the Defence of Native Rights. [5][14] This organisation raised funds for and publicised the strike in Perth including organising a public meeting in the Perth Town Hall attended by 300 people. [5] Many of the Aboriginal strikers served time in jail;[5] some were seized by police at revolver point[citation needed] and put into chains for several days. [2] At one stage in December 1946, McLeod was arrested in Port Hedland during the strike for "inciting Aborigines to leave their place of lawful employment"; the Aboriginal strikers marched on the jail, occupied it and freed McLeod. [7] McLeod was gaoled a total of seven times during the period, three times for being within five chains (100 metres (330 ft)) of a congregation of "natives",[1][5][4][6] three times for inciting natives to leave their lawful employment, and once for forgery. In one incident during the strike, two policemen were sent out to the Five Mile Camp near Marble Bar. When they arrived they commenced shooting the people's dogs, even when they were chained up between their legs. Shooting the dogs of Aboriginal people was considered by some frontier Europeans as a sport. [citation needed] On this occasion the endangering of human life angered the strikers, who quickly disarmed the two policeman. The local strike leader, Jacob Oberdoo, and other strikers held the policemen until they had regained some composure and then arranged their own arrests, insisting they be taken into custody. [citation needed] Oberdoo was jailed three or four times and suffered humiliations and deprivations of many kinds during the strike, but maintained his dignity and solidarity for the length of the strike. [citation needed] In 1972 he was awarded the British Empire Medal but turned it down. McLeod described Oberdoo's reply to the Prime Minister rejecting the medal: The strikers sustained themselves with their traditional bush skills, hunting kangaroos and goats for both meat and skins. [2][5] They also developed some cottage industry which brought some cash payment such as selling buffel grass seed in Sydney, the sale of pearl shell, and in surface mining.

Strike

1976 Anapa mid-air collision crash

The 1976 Anapa mid-air collision was the collision of Aeroflot Flight 7957 (an Antonov An-24RV) and Aeroflot Flight 31 (a Yakolev Yak-40) on 9 September 1976, off the coast of Anapa in the Soviet Union. All 70 people on the two aircraft were killed in the crash. The primary cause of the accident was determined to be error by the air traffic controller; investigators never recovered the fuselage of the Yak-40. [1] Aeroflot Flight 7957 was an Antonov An-24 registered as CCCP-46518 with 47 passengers and 5 crew members aboard. The aircraft was constructed in Kiev and first flew in 1973. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had sustained a total of 6,107 flight hours and 4,626 pressurization cycles. [1][2] Of the five crew members aboard, the cockpit crew consisted of:[3] Aeroflot Flight 30 was a Yakolev Yak-40 registered as CCCP-87772 with 14 passengers and 4 crew members aboard. The aircraft was constructed in 1970 at the Saratov Aviation Plant and transferred to Aeroflot shortly thereafter. At the time of the accident the aircraft had sustained 6,842 flight hours and 7,174 pressurization cycles. [1][4] The cockpit crew of the Yak-40 consisted of:[3] The Yakolev Yak-40 departed from Rostov-on-Don Airport at 12:47 Moscow time and proceeded on the route to Kerch. The air traffic controller in charge of the Western section of Krasnodar had been working for more than six hours by 13:30:44, the time the Yak-40 entered his sector of airspace while at an altitude of 5,700 meters. After receiving confirmation from the controller the Yak-40 continued the flight path and reported passing the Novodmitrievskaya non-directional beacon at 13:34 and remained at an altitude of 5,700 meters. After passing that point the flight was supposed to decrease altitude in accordance with the flight plan, but the controller was busy managing other flights so he let the flight continue on to the Gelenjik-Kerch part of the route at the 5,700-meter altitude. At 13:43 the Yak-40 reported passing Gelendzhik and stated its altitude to be 5,700 meters, to which the controller responded by granting it permission to proceed with the Anapa transverse but yet again forgot to instruct the aircraft to change altitude. [1] The Antonov An-24 departed from Donetsk Airport at 12:56 for the flight to Sochi. At 13:32 the crew reported entering the Western section of Krasnodar on the Primorsko-Akhtarsk traverse at an altitude of 5,700 meters – the same altitude as the Yak-40 in the same section of airspace. The controller responded by permitting the An-24 to proceed to Anapa and keep the current altitude, then gave permission for the aircraft to continue on to Dzhubga without changing altitude. [1] At 13:51:05 Moscow time, the An-24 and Yak-40 collided in the air at an altitude of 5,700 meters, severing the tail sections of both aircraft. Both aircraft broke apart in mid-air and the wreckage fell into the Black Sea. All 70 people in the two aircraft were killed in the accident. The wreckage of the An-24 and the tail section of the Yak-40 were found in the Black Sea at a depth of 500–600 meters (1,600–2,000 ft). Most of the dead from the An-24 were recovered from the water but no bodies from the Yak-40 were found nor was the fuselage of the Yak-40 recovered. [1][5] The cause of the accident was determined mostly from radio and ground communications. The primary cause of the accident was described as a violation of the rules for maintaining separation between aircraft by the air traffic controller. Secondary causes of the accident were failure of both crews to remain sufficiently alert and a lack of appropriate situational analysis leading up to the accident. [1]

Air crash

Horse graves on the steppes as Kazakhstan is battered by one of worst droughts in living memory

Dead horses are strewn across the arid steppes of Kazakhstan as parts of the country suffer through what has been called one of its worst droughts in living memory. Much of Central Asia, including western Kazakhstan, has been gripped by a months-long drought. A dry winter and spring were followed by a heat wave that started in June, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Meager reserves of food and water have been exhausted, and for much livestock, there is no longer enough grass to graze on. This has led to the mass death of animals, including horses, sheep and cows, the international aid groups said in a July 30 statement. A majority of drought-affected herders are smallholders, and their only source of income is their livestock. Gabidolla Kalynbayuly, a 70-year-old who lives in a village in the country’s west, said he has lost about 20 horses this summer. The remainder of his 150-strong herd are malnourished, making them susceptible to disease, he told Reuters. “When they die out there in the field, we cannot even bring them back to the village to report the death,” he said. As extreme heat events become more frequent and average temperatures rise worldwide, scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about animals’ ability to survive and adapt. “We’re going to have more heat waves, and they’re going to get worse,” said Nerilie Abram, a climate scientist at Australian National University. “Heat waves aren’t just uncomfortable, they’re also deadly to humans, and to animals.” Extreme heat causes significant stress for all animals, according to experts. For horses, prolonged exposure to high temperatures can result in heat stress, heatstroke and dehydration. Extremely high temperatures have triggered mass die-offs in Canada and the Pacific Northwest this summer. An estimated 1 billion small sea creatures — including mussels, clams and snails — died during that heat wave, according to marine biologists. Millions of mussels baked to death in their shells, The Washington Post reported. Crushing heat wave in Pacific Northwest and Canada cooked shellfish alive by the millions Kazakhstan, a major wheat producer, has “suffered reduced crop yields from drought and fires” in recent years, according to the World Health Organization. The United Nations has said that nearly 75 percent of the country, known for its arid steppes and deserts, is at risk of ecological destabilization because of climate change. In the country’s western Mangistau province, civic activist Zhanibek Kozhyk told Radio Free Europe last month that older people in the area have never experienced anything like the current drought. Thousands of animals are believed to have died in that area. Mangistau is primarily desert, but herding is possible in some areas. Kozhyk said some farmers resorted to feeding their animals torn-up cardboard soaked in water, as grass dried up and hay and grain prices soared amid worsening conditions. Last month, the national government imposed a six-month ban on exports of fodder and grain for animal food so that supplies could be redirected to Kazakh farmers. The Mangistau, Kyzylorda and Turkestan provinces in the country’s south and west are among the worst-affected regions, according to aid groups. Dozens of wild horses died during an extreme heat wave in Australia’s outback in January 2019. Rangers found the dead and dying animals in a dried-up water hole, the BBC reported. More than 20,000 fruit bats died a few months earlier as temperatures soared above 107 degrees. Temperatures that summer were well above average even for the typically hot country, with weeks-long heat waves across much of Australia, according to the country’s weather bureau.

Droughts

Pompeii’s fast food joint unearthed in 2019 opens to public

Frescoed relic frozen by ash from Vesuvius eruption reveals snack bar used by poor residents of Roman city An ancient thermopolium, or fast food eatery, that was unearthed in Pompeii in 2019 will open to the public this week. The frescoed relic, which had been preserved by ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD74, was found in Regio V, a 21.8-hectare (54-acre) site to the north of Pompeii’s archaeological park near the Bay of Naples in southern Italy. Archaeologists also discovered a floor made from polychrome marble as well as the remnants of duck bones, pigs, goats, fish and snails in earthenware pots, leading researchers to believe that one of the dishes on the menu was a type of paella. Dozens of other thermopolia have been found throughout the archaeological park. The snack bars were mostly used by poorer residents of ancient Pompeii who rarely had a kitchen in their homes. Typical menus included coarse bread with salty fish, baked cheese, lentils and spicy wine. Alongside a visit to the thermopolium, visitors will be able to get a glimpse of two mansions – Casa di Orione and Casa del Giardino – that were also found in Regio V and are being restored. Regio V, which is not yet fully open to the public, has been the most intensive dig at the site since the 1960s. Other finds at Regio V in recent years include the perfectly preserved remains of two men who are believed to have died as they were fleeing the eruption of Vesuvius. In August 2019, archaeologists discovered a “sorcerer’s treasure trove” with relics including crystals, buttons made of bones, glass beads and mirrors.

New archeological discoveries

2012 South African Air Force C-47 crash

On 5 December 2012, a Douglas C-47TP Dakota of the South African Air Force crashed in the Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa, killing all eleven people on board. The aircraft was on a flight from AFB Waterkloof to Mthatha Airport when it crashed near Giant's Castle in the Drakensberg, killing all eleven people on board. [2] Shortly before the crash at 09:45 hours South African Standard Time (07:45 UTC),[3] the crew reported that they were flying on instruments at 11,000 feet (3,400 m) in instrument meteorological conditions. On board were six crew members and five passengers. [4] Former South African President Nelson Mandela's medical team were initially reported to have been on board the aircraft,[5] but this was later found not to be the case. [6] An initial search by an Atlas Oryx helicopter had to be abandoned due to poor visibility. [4] The aircraft involved was Douglas C-47TP, tail number 6840, c/n 13866. [2][4] It had been built in 1943 as 43-48050 for the United States Army Air Forces and was transferred to the Royal Air Force in 1944 as KG767 before being immediately transferred to the South African Air Force as 6840. In the early 1990s, the aircraft was modified with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A turboprop engines and a fuselage extension. Based at AFB Ysterplaat, Cape Town, it was mainly used in the maritime patrol role but also acted as a support aircraft for the Silver Falcons display team. [2] A Board of Inquiry was convened by the South African Air Force to investigate the cause of the accident. [3]

Air crash

2018 United States gun violence protests

In 2018, protests against gun violence in the United States increased after a series of mass shootings, most notably at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14 that year. An organized protest in the form of a national school walkout occurred on March 14. March for Our Lives was held on March 24. Another major demonstration occurred April 20, 2018. The anti-gun violence group Never Again MSD, formed and led by survivors of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting,[1] held a rally on February 17 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which was attended by hundreds of students. [2] The Fort Lauderdale rally was followed by other protests across the country. On February 19, a group of teenagers staged a "lie-in" outside the White House. [3] Hundreds of students marched to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 20. [4] Students also demonstrated at Florida's Capitol. [5] In Kansas, several hundred high school students protested on February 21. [6] The students from Parkland, Florida began encouraging companies who partner with the NRA — offering perks or discounts to members — to sever ties with the organization. Over a dozen[7] companies dropped their NRA partnership in the days following. [8] The Enough! National School Walkout[11] was a walkout planned by organizers of the Students' March, that occurred on March 14, in response to the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. The protest had students, parents, and gun control students leaving schools for seventeen minutes (one minute for each person who died during the shooting) starting at 10:00 a.m. in their respective time zone. [12][13] The protest was held exactly one month after the Stoneman Douglas shooting. [14][15] The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) supported the student's activism. [16] An estimated 3,000 schools and nearly 1 million students participated in the protest. [17][18][19][20] Thousands of students gathered in Washington, D.C. and observed 17 minutes of silence with their backs turned to the White House. [21] At Greenbrier High School in Greenbrier, Arkansas three students elected to receive corporal punishment in the form of two paddlings on the thighs for their participation in the walkout. This required parental consent, and was administered the same day. [22] [23] Nearly 200 U.S. colleges added their names to #NeverAgain Colleges,[24] including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, and the University of Florida. [25] The colleges would not penalize high school students who face disciplinary action as a result of participating in a peaceful Never Again MSD protest. [25] U.S. broadcaster Viacom expressed support for the protests, including executive Shari Redstone making a $500,000 donation to March For Our Lives, and all Viacom U.S. cable networks (including MTV and Nickelodeon) suspending programming for seventeen minutes at a time at 10:00 a.m. in each time zone, in solidarity for the walkouts. The company also planned discussion and acknowledgement of the movement in programming and other output by its channels. [26][27] March for Our Lives was a student-led demonstration in support of tighter gun control that took place on March 24, 2018, in Washington, D.C., with over 800 sibling events throughout the United States and around the world. [28][29][30] Student organizers from Never Again MSD planned the march in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Everytown for Gun Safety. [31] The event followed the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, which was described by many media outlets as a possible tipping point for gun control legislation. [32][33][34] Protesters urged for universal background checks on all gun sales, raising the federal age of gun ownership and possession to the age of 21,[35] closing of the gun show loophole, a restoration of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, and a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines in the United States. [36] Turnout was estimated to be between 1.2 and 2 million people in the United States,[37][38][39] making it one of the largest protests in American history. On Tuesday, April 10, 2018, hundreds of students walked out of their Miami high school to protest gun violence after four current or former classmates were shot off campus. The students chanted "no justice, no peace" Tuesday and carried "enough is enough" signs outside Northwestern Senior High School. They staged the protest after the weekend shooting deaths of 17-year-old Kimson Green, a 10th-grader who was about to become a member of the National Honor Society, and 18-year-old Rickey Dixon, a former Northwestern student. Two other current or former classmates were wounded. The shooting happened Sunday at an apartment complex in the Liberty City neighborhood, which is plagued by gun violence. [40][41] The National School Walkout[42] occurred nationally on April 20, 2018 which was the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre. [43] The movement was founded and organized by Lane Murdock of Ridgefield High School. [44][45][46] On the day of the walkout, student demonstrators wore safety orange and departed from over 2600 schools to push for legislative action against gun violence. [47]

Protest_Online Condemnation

Experts with Memorial Hermann Warn Against Carbon Monoxide Poisoning During Winter Storm

HOUSTON (Feb. 16, 2021) – Memorial Hermann Health System has seen an increased amount of patients suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning within the past 24 hours due to the unsafe use of generators or grills. There has also been an increase in burns caused by space heaters. “If you’re using generators to supply power, the generator needs to remain outside,” said Dr. Samuel Prater, Associate Professor and Executive Vice-Chair of Clinical Affairs with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. “Also, under no circumstances should barbeque pits be used inside the home to create warmth.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death if inhaled. When power outages occur during emergencies such as hurricanes or winter storms, the use of alternative sources of fuel or electricity for heating, cooling, or cooking can cause CO to build up in a home, garage, or camper and poison the people and animals inside. “If you or a family member is experiencing headache, nausea or muscle aches without fever, it could be carbon monoxide poisoning,” said Dr. Christopher Langan, VP and Chief Medical Officer at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center and Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital. “It’s extremely important to check CO monitors to make sure they are functioning properly. CO rises, so please consider the above floors as well. The best way to stay warm without power is to bundle and layer as if you’re going outside.” Some additional CO tips from the CDC include: Never use a gas range or oven to heat a home. Never leave the motor running in a vehicle parked in an enclosed or partially enclosed space, such as a garage. Never use a generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine inside your home, basement, or garage or less than 20 feet from any window, door, or vent. Use an extension cord that is more than 20 feet long to keep the generator at a safe distance. When using a generator, use a battery-powered or battery backup CO detector in your home. Never run a generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine inside a basement, garage, or other enclosed structure, even if the doors or windows are open, unless the equipment is professionally installed and vented. Keep vents and flues free of debris, especially if winds are high. Flying debris can block ventilation lines. Generators are not designed to run continuously without end. Make sure to check your generator’s instruction manual and give it rest as needed. Never use a charcoal grill, hibachi, lantern, or portable camping stove inside a home, tent, or camper. If conditions are too hot or too cold, seek shelter with friends or at a community shelter. If seeking shelter with friends or family, please keep proper COVID-19 safety precautions in mind, such as mask-wearing and social distancing. If CO poisoning is suspected, call  911  or your local Poison Control Center at  1-800-222-1222  or consult a health care professional right away. Space Heater Safety: Use a space heater that has been tested to the latest safety standards and certified by a nationally-recognized testing laboratory. These heaters will have the most up-to-date safety features; older space heaters may not meet the newer safety standards. An unvented gas space heater that meets current safety standards will shut off if oxygen levels fall too low. Place the heater on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep the heater at least three feet from bedding, drapes, furniture and other flammable materials. Keep children and pets away from space heaters. To prevent the risk of fire, NEVER leave a space heater on when you go to sleep or place a space heater close to any sleeping person. Turn the space heater off if you leave the area. In addition, millions of people across Texas are currently without power. If you’re not experiencing a power outage at home, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) urges you to reduce your power use today to help lessen the overwhelming power demand:

Mass Poisoning

Gas explosion collapses coal mine in Pakistan, 7 killed

16 March 2021 Last Updated at 10:20 pm | Source: PTI The explosion took place Monday night, causing a coal mine to collapse in the district of Harnai in Baluchistan province, trapping several miners, according to a provincial chief inspector of mines, Shafqat Fayyaz. Fayyaz said rescuers retrieved the bodies of the seven miners who were killed. He said an investigation was ordered into the incident, which came five days after six miners were killed in another mine explosion in Baluchistan. Safety standards are commonly ignored in the coal mining industry in Pakistan, leading to accidents and explosions that have killed numerous mine workers in recent years. The Ahmednagar district administration has decided to allow 10,000 devotees per day to take darshan of Saibaba at the famous Shirdi shrine who possess offline passes. Within two months, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) would be launched in Rajathan, said party supremo Asaduddin Owaisi. The state unit of the party is likely to focus on Dalits and Muslims. US Open 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev moved level with Alexander Zverev on a tour-leading 56 wins after a tense tiebreaker in the decisive set. Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal says when he got the role in 'Udham Singh', he was aware who was Sardar Udham Singh, but his journey and emotional aspect was a revelation to him. In Kongthong, parents call their children not by their names, but by tunes assigned to them at birth. Don’t be in a hurry to eat that small dab of chutney at the edge of your thali. It’s supposed to be licked and relished slowly. Tired of the unceasing, ungainly internet entertainment updates? Walk dazzling lanes and by lanes with Outlook. The right tech that defines you. Your aspirations. Your styles. Right in time. Stay on top of the market moves. Analysis and information for you to take smart decisions. Know what's behind the apparent and what doesn't show. Your journey into the myriad shades of truth with Outlook.

Mine Collapses

Safety sake cited for Ford’s low-key explosion site visit

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Copy Url Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s unannounced visit to the downtown Wheatley explosion site on Tuesday was kept quiet until after the fact due to safety concerns, according to Chatham-Kent officials. Ford and Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry Greg Rickford surveyed the area of the Aug. 26 explosion along with top municipal and emergency officials. “We didn’t want to create a scene there. Have a lot of people showing up,” says Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff. He says the meeting was positive and is encouraged the province will take action. “We still didn’t get very close to the building, but we got a little closer than what the barricades were, but you get the idea,’ Canniff says. The majority of Chatham-Kent council and the media were not informed of the visit until after it happened. “I have to admit there’s a little bit of frustration there.” says South Kent councillor Trevor Thompson. “I understand from the Premier’s point of view and he has security issues he has to face,” Thompson explains. “I can appreciate that it had to be kept a little quiet. I am frustrated though that I did find out that he was here on Twitter.” Both West Kent councillors were on hand. Councillor Melissa Harrigan says she’s optimistic the province has a better understanding of what the Wheatley community has endured in the days following the blast. “I left the meeting feeling very confident that the premiers office and the minister were now in a better state of awareness of what we’re experiencing here in Chatham-Kent,” she says. Harrigan says some Wheatley residents were brought to tears while sharing their experiences with the Premier, saying Doug Ford gave his personal cell number to the BIA co-chairs and active citizen leads. “People really appreciated that, but it also gives us that direct contact to hold the premier accountable to the commitments that he made verbally to the people of Wheatley,” she says. Fire chief Chris Case says the scene remains stable at this time but history has indicated that could change quickly. “We still have eight firefighters working around the clock. Four of those are from the Provincial Hazmat team,” Case says. On Tuesday, the ministry indicated it had hired the consulting firm Golder Associates to conduct a technical analysis of the area where the explosion occurred. The ministry also continues to fund 24-hour monitoring system in the area. Chief Case says the investigation process to determine the cause of the hydrogen sulphide gas leak that led to the explosion remains slow and methodical but adds it’s being done safe.

Gas explosion

Glenbrook rail accident

The Glenbrook rail accident occurred on 2 December 1999 at 8:22 am on a curve east of Glenbrook railway station on the CityRail network between Glenbrook and Lapstone, in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. Seven passengers were killed and 51 passengers were taken to hospital with injuries[1] when a CityRail electric interurban train collided with the rear wagon of the long-haul Perth-to-Sydney Indian Pacific. The Indian Pacific train was authorised to pass a red signal at Glenbrook and stopped at the next signal, also red. The driver alighted to use the lineside signal telephone to call the signaller for authority to pass the signal at danger; as a component of the phone was missing, he incorrectly believed it to be defective. A delay of approximately seven minutes resulted despite the locomotive having a radio (at that time it was not procedure for the National Rail Corporation to use radio to contact signal boxes). The interurban train restarted with authority after stopping at the red signal at Glenbrook and collided shortly after with the rear of the Indian Pacific train waiting at the second failed signal. A number of factors were involved, from equipment breakdown to poor phrasing of the safeworking rules: the most important was that the interurban picked up too much speed and the driver was not able to see the rear of the Indian Pacific around a sharp curve in a deep cutting in time to avoid a collision. The track was curved to the left, the train was using the left-hand track, the driver was sitting on the left side of the train, and the track was in a narrow rock cutting. These four factors contributed to less than average visibility. A Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice Peter McInerney investigated the accident. [1] The Commission found that the accident occurred after a power failure disabled two consecutive automatic signals: due to their fail-safe design, both exhibited danger (red). Both trains obtained permission from the signalman at Penrith to pass the first signal at danger. The driver of the Indian Pacific obeyed the rule requiring him to proceed with "extreme caution", but the driver of the interurban train failed to do so and caught up with the Indian Pacific. The Commission found fault with a number of procedures, their application by railway employees, and the training those employees had received. Among other factors, it found that: The seven people who died were in the front compartment of the first carriage of the interurban train. The rear carriage of the Indian Pacific was a car transport wagon that did not convey passengers, and, in absorbing the brunt of the collision, was arguably the reason there were not any fatalities on board the Indian Pacific. [2] The impact of the collision was such that the front six metres of the interurban car were compressed into just one metre, while also causing the first six carriages of the Indian Pacific to separate from the rest of the train. [2][3] When the driver of the CityRail train saw the stationary Indian Pacific, he ran from the driver's compartment (the dead-man's brake was automatically activated) to the lower deck of the double-decker carriage warning the passengers to brace themselves. He was badly injured, but survived because of this. As he ran through, a man from the front compartment ran to the upper deck to warn the passengers and thereby also survived the crash. [4] A third train, bound for Lithgow, only narrowly avoided colliding with the wreckage when signallers managed to warn the driver to stop just 60 seconds before it reached the crash site. [5] The train was a standard four-car V set, labelled V21. The first carriage, DIM8067, received critical damage to its front and lower compartments, but it was repaired. To avoid any reference and insensitivity to the victims, it was re-numbered DIM8020 and remained in service until it was withdrawn in 2003 following many problems. [6]

Train collisions

A man sentenced to five years' jail for robbing a bank

SINGAPORE - David James Roach, the Canadian sentenced to five years' jail and six strokes of the cane for robbing a bank of more than $30,000 in 2016, has been spared the cane. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Sunday (July 25) that Roach, who committed the Standard Chartered Bank robbery on July 7, 2016, had his sentence of caning remitted on Saturday. This is because the Singapore Government, in order to secure his extradition, had assured Britain that any corporal sentence on Roach, who had fled Singapore, would not be carried out. MHA said President Halimah Yacob, on the advice of the Cabinet, has exercised her powers under Article 22P(1) of Singapore's Constitution to remit the sentence of six strokes of the cane imposed on Roach. "The Singapore Government has thus fulfilled the assurance given to the United Kingdom government. No alternative punishment will be imposed on Roach in lieu of the remitted sentence of caning." David James Roach, now 31, had fled Singapore soon after the robbery, where he made off with $30,000. He was sentenced on July 7. MHA said Roach fled Singapore to Thailand on the day of the robbery. On Jan 11, 2018, Roach was deported from Thailand and arrived in London on the same day. The authorities here sought assistance from the British authorities to arrest Roach, with a view to extraditing him to Singapore. As part of the extradition proceedings, the Singapore Government undertook to the British government that no form of corporal punishment would be carried out on Roach should he be found guilty here of the offences for which his extradition was sought. "This is because the UK's extradition laws prohibited the extradition of Roach without such an assurance," MHA explained. Roach was extradited from Britain and arrived in Singapore on March 17 to face charges of robbery and money laundering, having exhausted all legal channels for appeal in Britain against his extradition. On July 7, he pleaded guilty at the State Courts to one count of robbery and one count of money laundering. For robbery, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and receive at least six strokes of the cane. MHA noted that it was necessary for the Government to provide this assurance to Britain, or the latter would not have permitted the extradition. "Extraditing Roach to Singapore to face justice for his crimes was our top priority," it said. "The Singapore Government will do whatever is necessary and permissible within our legal framework to seek justice against those who commit crimes in Singapore, regardless of nationality and where they may have fled to."

Bank Robbery

Boeing Machinists Strike of 2008

A strike by about 27,000 machinists at Boeing over outsourcing, job security, pay, and benefits began 7 September 2008. [1] [2] [3] The union, International Association of Machinists, and Boeing appeared unwilling to compromise to settle the strike. The company had 3,700 jets on back order, which union members hoped would put pressure on Boeing to end the strike. [4] In late October 2008, a tentative deal was reached between Boeing and the union, in which Boeing made a number of concessions. [5] Boeing told SPEEA engineers that the company planned less outsourcing on future airplanes, including the next 787 Dreamliner model. [6] On November 1, 2008, members of the union ratified the contract, ending the eight-week strike. The new contract was approved by 74 percent of those voting in favor. This was the longest strike against Boeing by this union since 1995, and the fourth in twenty years. The strike cost the union members an average of $7,000 in base pay and cost the company $100 million per day in revenue and penalties with a postponement of the delivery of aircraft. Boeing has a $350 billion backlog. [7]

Strike

Paul Vaughan complained he was ‘underpaid’ and almost let slip illegal lockdown party hours earlier

Paul Vaughan joked about being ‘underpaid’, whinged about a young teammate earning too much, and nearly revealed his party plans in a radio interview hours before the party that would see his $800,000-a-year contract torn up. The St George-Illawarra Dragons prop was sacked on Tuesday after a board meeting decided to terminate his contract after hosting an illegal lockdown party on Saturday night. In an interview with Triple M on Saturday morning, Vaughan labelled himself a ‘battler’ who was ‘overworked and underpaid’ before saying rising star Zac Lomax ‘shouldn’t be earning that much’. When asking what his plans were for his day off 30-year-old replied ‘I will have a couple of… oh’ before saying he’d ask teammate Ben Hunt for a few coffees.  Paul Vaughan joked about being ‘underpaid’, slammed a young teammate for earning too much and nearly revealed his party plans in a radio interview hours before the party that would see his $1.1million contract torn up Police were called to Paul Vaughan’s Shellharbour home about 9.45pm on Saturday after neighbours complained of an illegal party taking place Paul Vaughan – $50,000, plus eight game suspension  Corey Norman – $50,000 + one match Jack de Belin – $42,000 + one match   Zac Lomax – $31,000 + one match Jack Bird – $25,000 + one match Matt Dufty – $23,000 + one match Blake Lawry – $20,000 + one match Josh Kerr – $18,000 + one match Daniel Alvaro – $15,000 + one match Josh McGuire – $12,000 + one match Tyrell Fuimaono – $12,000 + one match Kaide Ellis – $5,000 + one match Gerard Beale – $2,000 + one match What Vaughan really did was host 12 teammates at his home in Shellharbour on Saturday night, until neighbours called in a noise complaint and got them busted by police about 9.45pm. Fullback Matt Dufty ran 5km home to avoid them, Corey Norman also fled but left behind his wallet and car with personalised license plates. Meanwhile, Jack de Belin cowered under Vaughan’s bed and other players tried to hide in cupboards when police stormed in. Vaughan’s interview with Triple M on Saturday morning underlines the attitude issues that reportedly plagued his time with the club. A Dragons insider told Nine on Tuesday: ‘The fact he’s played State of Origin for NSW and played for Australia, yet isn’t in our leadership group, should tell you something about him.’ In the interview ,Vaughan said he was available for other clubs for 2023, repeatedly claimed to be underpaid and took several shots at 21-year-old Zac Lomax for his salary. ‘I’m off contract next year, so if anyone wants to pick me up?’ Vaughan said. When asked if he would be looking elsewhere, he replied: ‘If Saints give all of our money to Zac Lomax I might have to.’ Lomax was one of the Dragons players at Vaughan’s party.  The NRL gave Vaughan and 12 other Dragons players fines totalling $305,000 for their organisation and participation in the party. Police also handed out $1,000 fines to the St George 13, as well as Vaughan’s wife Elle for breaking lockdown protocol.  According to the Sydney Morning Herald, fullback Matt Dufty ran from Vaughan’s house back to his own home upon hearing police were coming. Corey Norman also fled, embarrassingly leaving behind his wallet and car with personalised license plates. According to the Sydney Morning Herald , fullback Matt Dufty ran kilometres from Vaughan’s house back to his own home upon hearing police were coming Jack De Belin (pictured with partner Alyce) allegedly hid under a bed when the police arrived at teammate Paul Vaughan’s home on Saturday night. There is no suggestion Alyce was also at the party Jack de Belin hid under Vaughan’s bed, according to the report, with players fabricating a story to the club when questioned the next day. The entire roster appeared on a Zoom call with the club where they were asked to party to privately call the football department if they were at the party to avoid shaming individuals in front of the whole team. There were 12 phone calls made to admit their guilt, but de Belin did not, with players clearly communicating before the call to invent a story to protect the controversial star who only recently returned to the team after two rape trials. Pictured: Paul and Elle Vaughan. The NRL star hosted 12 of his teammates at his home while Sydney and the Shellharbour region is in lockdown which saw him sacked from the Dragons A thorough police investigation as a result of witnesses claiming they saw de Belin eventually led to him turning himself in to the club, and getting an extensive $42,000 fine from the NRL as a result. The betrayal is particularly upsetting for the club and its fans given de Belin has only just returned from a three-year absence due to an ongoing legal battle over rape charges. Those charges were dropped in May after two hung juries. The Dragons ripped up Vaughan’s lucrative $800,000-a-season contract over the Covid breach. The club is understood to have considered the party his third strike after a series of indiscretions including another Covid breach. In December 2018, St George Illawarra cautioned the 30-year-old after a woman contacted the Dragons claiming Vaughan sent her explicit messages. The woman wanted to make the photos of the conversation public but then decided against it for legal reasons, The Daily Telegraph reported.   When the text messages came to light, the Dragons gave Vaughan a breach notice but in August 2020 he was fined $10,000 and suspended for two weeks after he broke NRL bubble restrictions by visiting a café in the Illawarra. That Covid-19 breach is understood to have been Vaughan’s second strike.  When police arrived at Paul Vaughan’s house (pictured) they reportedly found some players running down the streets and others hiding in cupboards. Jack de Belin was hiding underneath a bed The alleged breach occurred after St George Illawarra came from 12 points behind to beat the New Zealand Warriors in golden point on Friday night (pictured) The club is understood to have employed its ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy after de Belin was pulled up for the previous Covid bubble breach and sexting scandal. ‘It was a very bad judgement call on my behalf and obviously very stupid,’ the disgraced forward told Fox Sports’ NRL 360 on Tuesday night. ‘I’m deeply remorseful and very sorry for what’s happened. I can’t express that enough. ‘It was a terrible judgement call and and one that I very, very much regret.’   ‘It’s hard to… keep on. I don’t really have the answers,’ the 181-game veteran replied when asked what he was thinking. ‘It wasn’t the right thing to do. In hindsight it was dumb, a very stupid thing to do.’ ‘I love the game so much and it pains me to see the impact it’s had on the game. It’s heartbreaking for me.’ While other players were spared, it is likely they’ll be expected to publicly apologise for their actions, and more financial penalties are expected to be imposed. 

Tear Up Agreement

2019–20 Puerto Rico earthquakes

Starting on December 28, 2019,[4] and progressing into 2021, the southwestern part of the island of Puerto Rico was struck by an earthquake swarm,[5] including 11 that were of magnitude 5 or greater. [6] The largest and most damaging of this sequence was a magnitude 6.4 Mw, which occurred on January 7 at 04:24 AST (08:24 UTC), with a maximum felt intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. [7] At least one person was killed and several others were injured. [8][9] A 5.8 Mw earthquake the previous day caused the destruction of a natural arch, a tourist attraction at Punta Ventana in Guayanilla. [10] A 5.9 Mw aftershock on Saturday, January 11, damaged many structures, including several historical buildings as well as modern high-rises in the city of Ponce. [11] Power was lost Island-wide immediately after the quake, and was increasingly restored over a period of a week. Damage to homes was extensive and, by 14 January, more than 8,000 people were homeless and camping outdoors in various types of shelters, with 40,000 others camping outside their homes, just in the city of Ponce alone. [12] There were refugees in 28 government-sponsored refugee centers spread over 14 municipalities of southern and central Puerto Rico. [13] Damage to government structures was calculated in the hundreds of millions[5] and financial losses were estimated in $3.1 billion. [14] A power plant that supplied over a quarter of Puerto Rico's energy needs was badly damaged and was shut down, with repairs estimated to take at least a year. [15] The day of the main quake, January 7, Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vázquez Garced declared a state of emergency and activated the Puerto Rico National Guard and the Puerto Rico State Guard. That same day, she also made available $130 million in aid to the municipalities affected. [16] The White House also approved $5 million in federal emergency relief. [17][18] On January 12, the day after the January 11 5.9 aftershock, the governor distributed $12 million to six municipalities most affected by the quake. [19][20] Tent cities were set up in five of the hardest-hit towns with space for some 3,200 refugees. Puerto Rico lies at the highly oblique convergent boundary between the Caribbean Plate and the North American Plate. A separate Puerto Rico–Virgin Islands microplate has been identified based on GPS observations. [21] To the north the North American Plate is being subducted beneath this microplate along the Puerto Rico Trench. To the south of Puerto Rico the microplate is being thrust southwards over the Caribbean Plate along the Muertos Thrust system. On the upper slope and shelf the current style of faulting is extensional with a series of WSW-ENE trending normal faults, such as the Ponce Fault and the Bajo Tasmanian Fault. [22] Several faults are also known to cross parts of the main island. [23] The sequence began on December 28, 2019 with a Mw 4.7 earthquake, followed closely by a Mw 5.0 event in the early hours of December 29. Several earthquakes of M <5 occurred over the next few days, followed by a Mw 5.8 event at 10:32 UTC on January 6. The largest event, a Mw 6.4, occurred the next morning, followed by a Mw 5.6 event within 10 minutes and a Mw 5.0 about 15 minutes after that. The Mw 6.4 event had a focal mechanism consistent with normal faulting on a fault trending WSW-ENE. [7][6] A Mw 5.9 event was then logged on January 11 at 12:54 UTC. [24] In the first month of the sequence there were a total of 11 M ≥5 earthquakes and a further 82 in the range M 4–4.9. [6] A Mw 5.4 earthquake occurred on May 2 at 11:13 UTC in the same area as the M 6.4 event and with a similar focal mechanism. [25] As of May 2, after a further two M>4 shocks in the same area, the total number of earthquakes in the sequence of M>3 exceeded 1,000 and there had been 95 of M>4. [26] Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vazquez declared a state of emergency on January 7[27] and mobilized the Puerto Rico National Guard. On January 8, the day after the main quake, the Ponce municipal government registered 1,111 residents in city shelters, "not including hundreds more" who drove to government-designated meeting sites, such as Estadio Paquito Montaner, to sleep in their cars. [28] The parking lot at Auditorio Juan Pachin Vicens was also used as a meeting site. [29] The Bernardino Cordero Bernard Vocational High School was also used as a shelter. [30] The night after the quake, it was estimated that over 40,000 Ponce residents chose to sleep in their cars instead of their homes out of fear of more quakes. [31] By January 13 the number of refugees was estimated at around 3,000 Island-wide, but the municipal officials of some local governments believed that figure was probably about right for refugees in just their own single municipalities. [19] Another estimate out the number of refugees at 5,000. [32] On January 7, the Puerto Rican government made available $130 million in aid. [16] Late January 7, FEMA confirmed that US president Donald Trump had issued a (non-disaster[17]) emergency declaration with a $5 million cap. [18] The $5 million emergency declaration monies were to be spent on emergency services only. [33] On January 12, 2020, Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vázquez Garced made a disbursement of $2 million to each of six municipalities most affected by the quake;[19] the monies came from the Puerto Rico State Emergency Reserve Fund. [20] The government set up a central command center, where all pertinent state and municipal dependencies supporting the relief effort were to set up base and coordinate activities at the Polydeportivo Frankie Colon in Urbanización Los Caobos, Barrio Bucaná, Ponce. It also became a collection center for items for the earthquake homeless. [34] By January 14, over 600 soldiers of the Puerto Rico National Guard had set up five tent cities for the homeless, with at least some tents outfitted with air conditioning for the bed-ridden and the elderly, in the towns of Guánica, Yauco, Guayanilla, Peñuelas and Ponce, with facilities for over 3,200 refugees. [35] A man died in Urbanización Jardines del Caribe[36] in the city of Ponce as a direct result of the January 7 quake, and eight others were injured also in Ponce. [37][38] A woman died of a heart attack in the town of Guayanilla after a 4.36-magnitude aftershock hit overnight during the night of January 9 to January 10. [39] By January 10, two additional people had died of medical conditions attributed to the effects of the earthquakes. [40] There were refugees in 28 government-sponsored refugee centers in the southern and central Puerto Rico municipalities of Yauco, Guánica, Ponce, Peñuelas, Guayanilla, Utuado, Maricao, Juana Díaz, Adjuntas, Sabana Grande, San Germán, Lajas, Jayuya and Mayagüez. [13] The quakes also caused 28 families in Lares to lose their homes. [41] At least three residential high-rise buildings in Ponce were rendered unusable, leaving the residents homeless. [42] On January 13, it was reported that some 3,000 homes had been destroyed or significantly damaged.

Earthquakes

Food security, nutrition & sustainable agriculture

Photo: A mother waits to receive food for her child in drought-affected southern Madagascar. © WFP/Fenoarisoa Ralaiharinony By Thalif Deen* NEW YORK (IDN) — A recent joint press release by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had an arresting headline: Famine Relief Blocked by Bullets, Red Tape and Lack of Funding. But not necessarily in that order. The food insecurity, which has reached new sky highs, has been triggered by several factors, including military conflicts, civil wars, climate extremes, and most recently a 17-month-old global pandemic shut down. The 24 hotspots include Afghanistan, Angola, Central Africa Republic, Central Sahel, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti, Kenya, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Somalia, South Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen, according to a new joint WFP/FAO report released July 30. Bureaucratic obstacles as well as a lack of funding also hamper the two UN agencies’ efforts to provide emergency food assistance and enable farmers to plant at scale and at the right time. In southern Madagascar, people are starving, surviving on locusts, cactus leaves and even mud, as consecutive years of drought have wiped out harvests, hampering people's access to food. This is the first country in the world that is experiencing famine-like conditions as a result of the climate crisis, according to the report. WFP’s Executive Director David Beasley describes the dire situation as “something you see in a horror movie”. The corona virus pandemic, which has accelerated with the recent spread of the new Delta variant, has also undermined the UN’s goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger by 2030. Addressing the pre-food summit in Rome on July 26, Secretary-General António Guterres warned: “Today, we are reminded that we are tremendously off track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030”. “New, tragic data informs us that between 720 and 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020—as many as 161 million more than in 2019. High costs, coupled with persistently high levels of poverty and income inequality, continue to keep healthy diets out of reach for around three billion people, in every region of the world. “Hunger has been on the rise for several years and, now, in 2021, we are failing to provide what is a fundamental right for people around the world,” he noted. And COVID-19 has made things worse, and made clear the linkage between inequality, poverty, food and disease. Despite a 300 per cent increase in global food production since the mid-1960s, malnutrition is a leading factor contributing to reduced life expectancy. Danielle Nierenberg, President and Founder of Food Tank, told IDN there's a perfect storm of events leading to severe insecurity and the threat of famine in areas of the world least prepared to handle it. “Whether it's the climate crisis, conflict, or COVID-19, poor farmers in the Global South are suffering the most--and governments, aid agencies, and research institutions around the globe need to step up to prevent an even worse humanitarian crisis,” she said. And it's not just food aid that's needed, Nierenberg argued, but capacity building and sharing of expertise between and among nations. “The urgency is too great to continue to ignore these problems--we need to act now”, she warned. Emily Farr, Oxfam’s Emergency Food Security and Vulnerable Livelihoods Advisor, warned that hunger and malnutrition are not about lack of food but lack of equality. “While we watch billionaires compete in a modern-day space race, millions are going to bed hungry, and an estimated 11 people are dying from hunger every minute,” she said. In a statement released July 30, FAO and WFP warned that 41 million people were at risk of falling into famine unless they received immediate food and livelihood assistance. 2020 saw 155 million people facing acute food insecurity at Crisis or worse levels in 55 countries (IPC/CH Phases 3 or worse) according to the Global Report on Food Crises, an increase of more than 20 million from 2019—and the trend is only expected to worsen this year. “The vast majority of those on the verge are farmers. Alongside food assistance, we must do all we can to help them resume food production themselves, so that families and communities can move back towards self-sufficiency and not just depend on aid to survive,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “That’s difficult without access, and without adequate funding—and so far, support to agriculture as key means of preventing widespread famine remains largely overlooked by donors, unfortunately. Without such support to agriculture, humanitarian needs will keep skyrocketing, that’s inevitable,” he added. “Families that rely on humanitarian assistance to survive are hanging by a thread. When we cannot reach them that thread is cut, and the consequences are nothing short of catastrophic,” warned WFP Executive Director David Beasley. “The road to Zero Hunger isn’t paved with conflict, checkpoints and red tape. Humanitarian access isn’t some abstract concept—it means authorities approving paperwork in time so that food can be moved swiftly, it means checkpoints allow trucks to pass and reach their destination, it means humanitarian responders are not targeted, so they are able to carry out their life- and livelihood-saving work,” noted Beasley. [IDN-InDepthNews — 03 August 2021]

Famine

Etna: Life beneath the volcanic dust of repeated eruptions

Irene Corsaro will never forget her first driving lesson under a rain of black ash from Mount Etna. Like many Sicilians from Catania, the 18-year-old has learnt quickly how to make her way home on a road covered in volcanic dust during one of the volcano's 11 eruptions in the past three weeks. A 12th eruption was under way on Friday. Every so often, the volcano's four main craters awake with intense, simultaneous blasts. These episodes create a spectacular natural firework display, replete with bubbles, fountains and flows of lava. Within minutes, neighbouring towns and villages are showered with flakes of ash and other debris. 'Lava falling on my roof' Irene's trip with her mother through the deserted streets of her home town of Nicolosi, on Etna's slopes, turned into a nightmare when her Peugeot 107 car was stopped by a sound she had never heard before. "It was like a sudden crackling; like hail pouring down and popping around. I thought it was because of the ash on the street," she said. "Instead, it was fragments of lava (lapilli) falling on both my roof and my windscreen from a giant red cloud right over me." It was 16 February and the sky was already inflamed by the sunset. It was to be the first in an array of violent episodes on Etna, increasing in power each time. Those paroxysms have since come in the middle of the night, at sunrise, during a storm and even under the light of a full moon. Irene Corsaro could feel the stones grinding under the car's tyres and she soon realised how lucky she was to be wearing her anti-Covid facemask. "The red-coloured air was very poor, heavy to breathe in." They rushed home to pack in case they needed to evacuate. Clouds of sulphur dioxide (SO2), visible from space, have reached as far away as China. But the ash and the heavier lapilli stay local. They drape the sides of the volcano and blanket at least 16 towns around Etna's cone. Fornazzo, Giarre and Zafferana are among those affected, and even coastal towns like Riposto and Torre Archirafi. Etna has released some 40 million cubic metres of volcanic material, says volcanologist Boris Behncke, who monitors Etna closely for the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). "It is quite a lot," he tells the BBC. In comparison, the Etna eruption that threatened the town of Randazzo in 1981 released a mere 20 million cubic metres of material. Watching Etna's destructive power From my window, 20km (12 miles) south-east of Etna's summit, I have an unbroken view of the volcano. There is something primordial about being indoors as nature unleashes its energy. It starts with a column of dust that can climb as high as 12km, then lava fountains, pyroclastic flow and even lightning - mainly from the south-east crater, but from the other three as well. Image source, Francesca Marchese The eruptions may be spectacular, but they are a nuisance too. Lava dust falls over my head and over my washing line. I have spent much of the past three weeks of curfew sweeping the floor. My car windscreen is constantly covered by a dark patina of grime, but you must not use water to clear it. This glaze contains sharp glass particles that will scrape it beyond repair. No wonder some people have wrapped up their parked cars in bed-sheets to protect them. People have been using sheets to cover and protect their car windscreens When it rains, the drizzle turns carpets of lava dust into something resembling concrete. It blocks gutters and drainage channels, prompting flooding and water seeping into houses. Etna's explosions generate "infrasonic waves" that the human ear does not pick up because of their low sound frequency, but the glass in the windows does. After so many eruptions, you can now tell what Etna is doing simply by listening to the trembling of the windows. It wakes you up with a jolt in the middle of the night. The sound of a column of ash and dust is different, more of a jingle-jangle. Dramatic photos show Mount Etna erupting Twelve tonnes of dust The damage to the area has been immense and the Sicilian region has declared a crisis for 13 towns on Etna and another 30 surrounding the volcano. Orange groves and other crops have been destroyed and on one occasion the motorway between Fiumefreddo and Giarre was shut to allow dust to be cleared. Motorbikes are banned and the speed limit has been cut to 20km/h. Image source, Reuters Image caption, This message scrawled in the ash in the centre of Giarre reads: "Etna volcano, what a nice gift" Schools in Giarre were shut for three days and the weekly market suspended. Locals have been instructed to collect the dust in transparent bags and not to mix it with ordinary rubbish. "We have to deal with six kilos of volcanic dust in every square metre, with a total of 12 tonnes," Giarre Mayor Angelo D'Anna told the BBC. "The latest black rain lasted just 30 minutes and generated as much rubbish as we usually have in a year. It'll cost up to €600,000 (£510,000) and we are worried because it is going to happen again and again. How can we pay for it?" The regional government is to provide €1m and will ask the Rome government for more help, but there is no regional plan to manage the dust. It may be a natural phenomenon, but it is treated as waste and there is not yet anything planned to remove it. Sacks of ash are stacked up beside the road in the town of Zafferana Etnea Sweeping balconies of black dust has become a regular event for the thousands who live in the towns around Etna. Every roof, terrace, porch, veranda and geranium-adorned balustrade has turned black. Even gardens are barely green any more. How unusual are the eruptions? Etna is no stranger to these episodes. Despite the extraordinary amount of volcanic material that has erupted, experts agree the volcano is merely repeating previous patterns of behaviour. But they also admit that the power released is greater than before. "In the past we witnessed two or three strong events, and others that were weaker," says volcanologist Boris Behncke. "Now every paroxysm is strong. Nonetheless, at the moment Etna is deflating, there is no more magma coming and its system is stable." Living in the shadow of Mount Etna I have sensed a change too. I have always seen an eruption with a flame that goes on and off like a lighter. This time I have seen at least three tongues of flame with lava fountains on both sides of Etna, and a constant wall of flame. As long as the activity remains on the summit there is no danger. More eruptions are likely, but not even the experts can predict when.

Volcano Eruption

2020–2021 Belarusian protests

Coordination Council (since 14 August)[6]National Strike Committee (since 18 August)[7] Belarusian democracy movement[8][9][10] Anarchists:[17] Government: Political parties: Public associations: The 2020–2021 Belarusian protests are a series of ongoing political demonstrations and protests against the Belarusian government and President Alexander Lukashenko. [65][66] The largest anti-government protests in the history of Belarus, the demonstrations began in the lead-up to and during the 2020 presidential election, in which Lukashenko sought his sixth term in office. [67][66] In response to the demonstrations, a number of relatively small pro-government rallies were held. [42] The protests intensified nationwide after the official election results were announced on the night of 9 August, in which Lukashenko was declared the winner. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opponent of Lukashenko, rejected the results as falsified and claimed instead to have received 60–70% of the votes. On 14 August, she announced the creation of the Coordination Council, with membership applications open to all Belarusians who agreed that the official election had been falsified. [5][68] On 12 October, the Coordination Council issued Lukashenko an ultimatum to cease all repression, free detainees and step down from the presidency by 25 October. After Lukashenko failed to comply, nationwide strikes began on 26 October. On 23 September, Belarusian state media announced that Lukashenko had been inaugurated for another five-year term in a brief ceremony which was held privately. [69] The following day, the EU published a statement which rejected the legitimacy of the election, called for new elections, and condemned the repression and violence against the protesters. [70] On 2 October, the EU introduced sanctions against 40 Belarusian officials accused of political repression and vote rigging. [71] Lukashenko himself was not included on the list. The Belarusian government responded by imposing symmetrical sanctions against an undisclosed list of EU officials. [72] Moreover, Lukashenko accused the EU and other "Western organizations" of trying to "harm Belarus" by destabilizing the current regime while supporting the opposition. The protesters have faced violent persecution by the authorities. A statement by the United Nations Human Rights Office on 1 September cited more than 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of detainees, as well as reports of sexual abuse and rape. [73] At the end of 2020, the Viasna Human Rights center documented 1,000 testimonies of torture victims. [74] Alexander Lukashenko has been the head of state of Belarus since 1994, and did not have a serious challenger in the previous five elections, resulting in being referred to as "Europe's last dictator" by media outlets. [75] Under his authoritarian rule,[76] the government has frequently repressed the opposition. [75][76] Lukashenko had faced greater public opposition amid his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which Lukashenko has denied as a serious threat. [77][75] Of the five elections won by Lukashenko, only the first one in 1994 was credibly deemed free and fair by international monitors. [78] The protests, nicknamed the Slipper Revolution[79][80] and the Anti-Cockroach Revolution,[65] were initiated by businessman and blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky when he made a reference to the children's poem The Monster Cockroach (Russian: Тараканище, romanized: Tarakanishche) by Korney Chukovsky. The original story, published in 1923,[81] concerns a dictatorial yet fragile insect and his brief, chaotic reign of terror over all the other animals. It has been compared to The Emperor's New Clothes. [82][83] In his reference, Tikhanovsky compared Lukashenko to the cockroach in the story. In the original poem, the cockroach is eventually eaten by a sparrow; Tikhanovsky refers to a slipper signifying stamping on the cockroach. [84] Tikhanovsky traveled across Belarus and streamed interviews with random people on his YouTube channel Country for life (Russian: Страна для жизни, romanized: Strana dlya zhizni). Most of his respondents expressed disagreement with Lukashenko and the current government. [85] Tikhanovsky was detained in late May 2020 by Belarusian authorities, and was formally accused of being a foreign agent. [86] In June 2020, street protests against Lukashenko took place. [77] Several opposition candidates were registered for the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, but many of them were arrested. [86] During an interview, Lukashenko claimed that the opposition protests were a part of a plot[87] orchestrated by foreigners, whom he suggested might be Americans, NATO members, Russians, or even Ukrainians. [75] On 19 June, Lukashenko announced that he had "foiled a coup attempt", resulting in the arrest of main opposition rival Viktar Babaryka. [88] According to CNN, Babaryka stated that the charges of bribery and corruption were falsified and the arrest was politically motivated to stop him from winning the presidential election. [89] When Babaryka was detained by authorities, people began walking in the streets to show their disapproval. Opposition activists, protesters, journalists, and bloggers were arrested as part of the crackdown. [90] The human rights group Viasna estimated that around 1,300 people had been detained for protesting between early May and early August. [91] Tikhanovsky's wife Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya registered as a candidate in the election after the arrest of Babaryka. [92] Lukashenko insisted the country was not ready for a woman to become president. Unregistered candidate Valery Tsepkalo's wife Veronika Tsepkalo announced that she and Maria Kalesnikava, head of Babaryka's presidential campaign staff, would join Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's campaign and provide support. [86] The protests have led to questions of how long the conflict may last, and whether it will escalate into violence,[93] possibly evolving into a full revolution, akin to how the Euromaidan protests turned into a revolution in Ukraine in 2014. [94] The German Marshall Fund, a US think tank, noted that the protests were more widespread, and more brutally repressed than previous protests in Belarus. [95] The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)[96] reported that it would not be monitoring the 2020 election as it wasn't invited to do so. [97] This was the first time since 2001 that the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) did not monitor elections in Belarus. [98] The OSCE has not recognized any elections in Belarus as free and fair since 1995,[97] and the government has obstructed past OSCE election-monitoring missions in the country. [98] On 24 May, hundreds protested against president Alexander Lukashenko and his decision to run for the 2020 Belarusian presidential election. Anti-government protesters held slippers as a sign of protest against the regime. Rallies and demonstrations continued strongly throughout May and June. On 27 May, protesters marched throughout the country and clashed with police. Slippers were pelted at the police and chants such as "You Cockroach" and "Resign you Rat" were heard.

Protest_Online Condemnation

British European Airways Flight 706 crash

British European Airways Flight 706 (BE706/BEA706) was a scheduled flight from Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom to Salzburg-W. A. Mozart Airport in Salzburg, Austria. The flight was operated by a Vickers Vanguard with a U.K registration of G-APEC. On 2 October 1971, whilst en route at 19,000 ft (5,791 m), 35 minutes after takeoff,[1] the rear cabin pressure bulkhead failed. The resulting pressurisation of the tail section caused the surfaces of the tailplanes to separate, weakening them to the point that they broke off. Without a horizontal stabiliser the aircraft entered an uncontrollable dive. The aircraft crashed near Aarsele, Belgium, killing all 63 passengers and crew on impact. [2] A piece of debris from the aircraft struck a passing car, causing minor injuries to one of its occupants. Investigators, in attempting to determine the cause of the accident, found corrosion in the lower part of the rear pressure bulkhead underneath plating that was bonded to the structure. The bulkhead had been eaten away. Fluid contamination, perhaps from the lavatory, was thought to have been the root cause for the corrosion. [3] The corrosion was not detectable by then-current inspection techniques. The Belgian Civil Aeronautics Administration wrote the report and the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch had accredited personnel assisting the investigation. [4] Flight 706 took off from Runway 28 L of London Heathrow Airport at 09:34 local time with 55 passengers and 8 crew members[5].. After take off, Flight 706 was routed via Epsom, Biggin and Detling in accordance to the "Dover One" standard instrument departure clearance. The crew of Flight 706 later reported over the Dover VOR at 09:54 local time. At the time, Flight 706 was climbing through 14,200 feet. At 10: 01, the communication was handed over to Brussels Air Traffic Control. [6] The crew then reported passing over the Wulpen VOR with the aircraft level at FL190. [5] Five minutes after this communication, the crew of Flight 706 transmitted "we're going down, 706, we are going down" to Brussels Tower. The crew later declared emergency and called "mayday, mayday" several times. The crew also stated the phrase "out of control" several times. At one point, they stated that there was no rudder control. Their calls were accompanied by several background voices. [5][6] The last transmission from Flight 706 was recorded at 10:10:30. Brussels Tower immediately attempted contacting Flight 706 several times. However, there were no answers from Flight 706. [5] Witnesses on the ground saw the tailplane of Flight 706 detached and subsequently Flight 706 entered a nose-dive. The flight kept diving and crashed into farm land near Aarsele, Belgium and exploded on impact. All 55 passengers and 8 crew members were killed. At least one person on the ground was injured after pieces of the debris struck a passing car. [5] Rescue services were immediately dispatched. Investigators were deployed and immediately searched the aircraft's black box. A crisis center was set up in Salzburg for the relatives of the victims of Flight 706. Searchers stated that most of the bodies were not intact. One searcher said “as for the bodies, what we have found so far is barely enough to reconstitute one body. [7]” The aircraft was carrying 55 passengers and 8 crew members. News report stated that there were 37 British passengers on board the aircraft. At least 4 Japanese and 11 Americans were also on board the aircraft. Further reports also confirmed the presence of 8 Austrians on board the flight. [8][9] Two notable fatalities among the passengers were the British hat designer Otto Lucas and an Austrian academic, René Marcic [de]. [10] The Captain was identified as 40 year old Captain E.T Probert. At the time of the accident, he had accumulated a total flying hours of 9,260 hours, in which 1,927 hours were on the type. The co-pilot was 38 year old J.M Davies, who held a Vickers Vanguard rating. He had a total flying hours of 3,386 hours, in which 764 hours were on the type. The aircraft was also carrying a third pilot, identified as 27 year old B.J.S Barnes with a total flying hours of 2,237 hours, in which 1,903 hours were on the type and a supernumerary, identified as Captain G. Partridge. [5] Witnesses on the ground recalled that the Vanguard suddenly exploded in mid-air, lost one of its wings, and plunged onto the ground, with smoke pouring out from one of its wings. They stated that they heard strange noises during the crash. According to them, the aircraft touched down in one field, jumped a road, and plowed through grassland for 500 yards. It gouged into the ground and burst into flames in a pit 15 feet deep. One of the witness stated, “The fire spread from the wreckage like waves," Police said eyewitness reports indicated that Captain Probert had tried to execute an emergency landing.

Air crash

2006 Oaxaca protests

The Mexican state of Oaxaca was embroiled in a conflict that lasted more than seven months and resulted in at least seventeen deaths[1]:195 and the occupation of the capital city of Oaxaca by the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO). The conflict emerged in May 2006 with the police responding to a strike involving the local teachers' trade union by opening fire on non-violent protests. It then grew into a broad-based movement pitting the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO) against the state's governor, Ulises Ruiz Ortiz. Protesters demanded the removal or resignation of Ortiz, whom they accused of political corruption and acts of repression. Multiple reports, including from international human rights monitors, accused the Mexican government of using death squads, summary executions, and even violating Geneva Conventions standards that prohibit attacking and shooting at unarmed medics attending to the wounded. [1]:197 One human rights observer claimed over twenty-seven were killed by the police violence. The dead included Brad Will, Emilio Alonso Fabián, José Alberto López Bernal, Fidel Sánchez García, and Esteban Zurita López. [1]:280 After the police fired on non-violent protesters, the teacher's union fought back and were able to force the police out of the city and establish a citywide anarchist community for several months. [2] The teacher's union and other worker's and community groups form the APPO which created large democratic assemblies for citizens. According to one activist who helped to found the APPO: So the APPO was formed to address the abuses and create an alternative. It was to be a space for discussion, reflection, analysis, and action. We recognized that it shouldn’t be just one organization, but rather a blanket coordinating body for many different groups. That is, not one ideology would prevail; we would focus on finding the common ground among diverse social actors. Students, teachers, anarchists, Marxists, churchgoers — everyone was invited. The APPO was born without a formal structure, but soon developed impressive organizational capacity. Decisions in the APPO are made by consensus within the general assembly, which was privileged as a decision-making body. In the first few weeks of our existence we created the APPO State Council. The council was originally composed of 260 people — approximately ten representatives from each of Oaxaca’s seven regions and representatives from Oaxaca’s urban neighborhoods and municipalities. The Provisional Coordination was created to facilitate the operation of the APPO through different commissions. A variety of commissions were established: judicial, finance, communications, human rights, gender equity, defense of natural resources, and many more. Proposals are generated in smaller assemblies of each sector of the APPO and then brought to the general assembly where they are debated further or ratified. [1] There was deep tension in the group between the more radical and libertarian elements who rejected representative democracy and wanted to create a permanent self-organised society against the more conservative and moderate elements who wanted elections. Ultimately, the radicals were more successful and the elections were boycotted by most of the population. [2] The APPO was also able to organise festivals, defensive measures, radio stations and a neighbourhood watch. The festivals, the 'Guelaguetza' thousands of people attended for free to see indigenous culture, dresses and dancing whilst graffiti artists packed the streets and covered the walls of the towns in anti-government and anti-capitalist messages. The APPO also used 'topiles' as a method of keeping the peace. These were neighbourhood watches that also doubled as a militia which fought off government soldiers often with little more than rocks and fireworks. If a criminal was found to be disturbing someone, a bell would be used to alert the nearest topile, who would either give them a minor fine or perhaps hold them for the night. The topiles were successful in organising first aid centres and garbage collection. [1] In May 2006, a teachers' strike began in the Zócalo in the Mexican city of Oaxaca. 2006 was the 25th consecutive year that Oaxaca's teachers had struck. Previously, the protests had generally lasted for one to two weeks and had resulted in small raises for teachers. The 2006 strike began in protest of the low funding for teachers and rural schools in the state, but was prompted to additionally call for the resignation of the state governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz after 3000 police were sent to break up the occupation in the early morning of June 14, 2006. A street battle lasted for several hours that day, resulting in more than one hundred hospitalizations but no fatalities. Ortiz declared that he would not resign. In response to the events of June 14, representatives of Oaxaca's state regions and municipalities, unions, non-governmental organizations, social organizations, cooperatives, and parents convened to form the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO, from its Spanish name, Asamblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca). On June 17 APPO reestablished encampments in the zocalo and declared itself to be the governing body of Oaxaca, plunging the city into a state of civil rebellion. Barricades were constructed across some streets in an effort to prevent further police raids. APPO began to seek country-wide solidarity with their movement and urged other states within Mexico to similarly organize popular assemblies at every level of social organization: neighborhoods, street blocks, unions, and towns. Various municipality offices across the state closed in unity. A popular mantra was, “No leader is going to solve our problems”. Though APPO did not boycott the Mexican national elections on July 2, Ulises Ruiz's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) suffered electoral defeat in Oaxaca, a state they had ruled for seventy years. APPO did agree to boycott the annual Guelaguetza festival in the final weeks of July. Protesters blocked access to the auditorium in which the festival is held using burned buses and miscellaneous trash, thus preventing the finalization of renovations to the facility. This action drew criticism due to the damage that some individuals did to the auditorium by starting fires and spray painting graffiti. Some of the graffiti said: "Tourists, go home! In Oaxaca we are not capitalists". As a result of the boycott, the government cancelled the celebration of the festival – in its stead the APPO held an alternative version of the cultural festival over the course of several days. [3] The action marked the lowest point of government for Ulises Ruiz, who subsequently left the State. He resided in Mexico City for a few months.

Protest_Online Condemnation

Kraft State Bank robbery

The Kraft State Bank robbery occurred on October 20, 1931 in Menomonie, Wisconsin when Charles Preston Harmon, Frank Webber, Francis Keating and Tommy Holden stole US$90,000 ($1,421,094.08 in 2016[1]) dollars from the Kraft State Bank. [2] At 9:15 am, the three men drove up to the Kraft State Bank in a 1928 Phaeton model L Lincoln, and Charles Preston Harmon, Francis Keating and Tommy Holden walked into the bank. They forced all the people at the bank to lay down on the floor while the money was taken being taken from the vault. In the process, the bank's proprietor, William F. Kraft, and Charles Preston Harmon were wounded. [3] Their robbery was ended when guard Vernon Townsend tripped the alarm. The robbers fled with $90,000 and two hostages, James Kraft and Mrs. A.W. Schafer. However, Mrs. Schafer was left behind when she tripped and fell. [4] They sped off, coming under fire by restaurateur Winfield Kern, Vernon Townsend, and Farmers Store clerk Ed Grutt (also spelled Grudt), with Frank Webber returning fire. In the firefight, Frank Webber was killed. As the robbers fled down U.S. Route 12, pursued by armed vigilantes and the sheriff, Ike Harmon, they paused on Suckow Road to throw Webber's dead body onto the road and kill James Kraft. Shortly afterwards, they threw Charles Preston Harmon onto the road, where he died soon after. The two men disappeared soon after. [3] In the ensuing hunt, District Attorney A. W. Galvin accused Richard Newman and Leonard Hankins of being the robbers, but they were found innocent. [5] Richard Newman, when asked "Have you been through Menomonie, Wisconsin? "replied, "I have been through Menomonie, yes, sir." Then the prosecutor asked "Isn't it a fact that on Oct. 18, 1931, you and Hankins entered the Kraft State Bank at Menomonie, Wisconsin with guns in your hands?" Newburn attempted to answer, "Mr. Compton, I…" Compton yelled, "Answer that 'yes' or 'no'!" To which Newburn replied, "It is not a fact, no sir, I never robbed a bank in my life in no town or no place." At which point they were found innocent. [4] The hunt finally ended eight months later, when the last two robbers, Francis Keating and Tommy Holden were apprehended on a Kansas City, Missouri golf course and sent to Leavenworth Prison. [2]

Bank Robbery

CZU Lightning Complex fires

The CZU Lightning Complex fires were wildfires that burned in Northern California starting in August 2020. The fire complex consisted of fires in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties,[1] including fires that had previously been separately tracked as the Warnella and Waddell fires. [2] The firefighting effort was primarily administered by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). [1] The fires started at 6:41 AM on August 16, 2020, the result of a thunderstorm that produced close to 11,000 bolts of lightning and started hundreds of fires throughout California. [1][3] These lightning strikes initially started fires separately known as the Warnella Fire, near Davenport and the Waddell Fire, near Waddell Creek, as well as three fires on what would become the northern edge of the CZU Complex fire. Two days after the fires began, a change in wind conditions caused these three northern fires to rapidly expand and merge, growing quickly to over 40,000 acres. [4] The fires destroyed 1,490 buildings,[1] including those in the communities of Boulder Creek,[5] Bonny Doon,[6] Swanton,[7] and along Empire Grade Road. [8] Fires burned in both Butano[9] and Big Basin Redwoods state parks, where a number of historic buildings were destroyed, including the visitor's center at Big Basin. [10] On September 22, Cal Fire reported that the complex, which had covered 86,509 acres (35,009 ha), had been fully contained[1] On December 23 Cal Fire announced that the fire was controlled, stating that the fire was fully extinguished and has no risk of reignition. [11] However, it was later discovered that the fire was not quite completely extinguished; redwoods continued to smolder well into 2021. The abbreviation "CZU" refers to the Cal Fire designation for its San Mateo–Santa Cruz Unit, the administrative division for San Mateo, Santa Cruz and San Francisco counties. [14] One person died in the fires, and one other was injured.

Fire

USGS Raises Volcano Alert Level to WARNING; Color Code RED

After a day of exhibiting unrest, satellite data has confirmed the presence of a plume of ash at the Semisopochnoi Volcano, prompting the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) to elevate the previous color code / alert level from ORANGE / WATCH to RED / WARNING. A continuous cloud of ash now extends more than 200 miles from the volcano and is as high as 20,000 feet above sea level. Of the 169 potentially active volcanoes the USGS monitors in the United States, Semisopochnoi now bears the highest color code / alert level of all, including Kilauea Volcano which has continued to erupt on the Big Island of Hawaii since December 2020. Based on its location on the globe at 179°46′ East, Semisopochnoi is the easternmost land location in the United States and North America, located just 9.7 miles west of the 180th Meridian in Alaska. Semisopochnoi is part of the Aleutian Islands, a chain of 14 large volcanic islands and 55 smaller other islands. These islands, with their 57 volcanoes, make the northernmost part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is a region around the rim of the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. Caused by plate tectonics, lithospheric plates under and around the Pacific Ocean move, collide, and/or are destroyed, creating the seismic activity the Ring of Fire is famous for. Volcanoes in this portion of the Ring of Fire are monitored by the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), which is a joint program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAFGI), and the State of Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (ADGGS). The AVO is similar to the Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO) which monitors Hawaii’s three active volcanoes: Kilauea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai. In the case of AVO, they monitor Cleveland, Semisopochnoi, and Veniaminof; while Semisopochnoi is now under a warning, Cleveland is under an Advisory while Veniaminof is under a Watch. Alaska is home to many volcanoes, though; there are more than 130 volcanoes and volcanic fields which have been active within the geologically young last 2 million years. 50 have been active since the mid 1700s and AVO studies those too. In the case of Semisopochnoi, the volcano is monitored by satellite data, regional infrasound, and lightning detection instruments. AVO is responsible for issuing Aviation Codes and Volcanic Activity Alert Levels. Aviation Codes are green, yellow, orange, or red. When ground-based instrumentation is insufficient to establish that a volcano is at a typical background level of activity, it is simply “unassigned.” While green means typical activity associated with a non-eruptive state, yellow means a volcano is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest above known background levels. When a volcano exhibits heightened or escalating unrest with the increased potential of eruption, it jumps to orange. Finally, when an eruption is imminent with significant emission of volcanic ash expected in the atmosphere or an eruption is underway with significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, the code becomes red. Volcanic Activity Alert levels are normal, advisory, watch, or warning. As with aviation codes, if data is insufficient, it is simply labeled as “unassigned.” When the volcano is at typical background activity in a non-eruptive state, it is considered normal. If the volcano exhibits signs of elevated unrest above background level, an advisory like the one now in effect for Cleveland is issued. If a volcano exhibits heightened or escalating unrest, a watch is issued while a warning is issued when a hazardous eruption is imminent. Beyond the AVO status, the VAAC has also issued its own advisory for this volcano. The United States, in partnership with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), operates two Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAACs) within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA.) While the Washington VAAC is busy tracking La Soufriere and the tremendous amount of material being ejected into the atmosphere there, the center located in Anchorage is tracking the Semisopochnoi Volcano and other regional volcanic threats. Volcanic ash can create significant harm to jet engines that fly through them or boat and automobile engines that ingest ash-filled air. Volcanic ash is hard and abrasive, and can quickly cause significant wear to various airplane parts such as propellers, turbo-compressor blades, and even cockpit windows. Because volcanic ash particles have a low melting point, it can melt in the combustion chamber of a jet engine, creating a ceramic or glass-like glaze that then sticks to turbine blades, fuel nozzles, and combustors. A jet engine that ingests just a small amount of ash could suffer from total engine failure. Overheating and engine failure is also possible in cars and trucks since volcanic ash can infiltrate nearly every opening in a vehicle. Ash is also very abrasive; ash caught between windshields and wiper blades will scratch and permanently mark the windshield glass, and windows are susceptible to scratching each time they are raised, lowered, and cleaned. Volcanic ash rising from the Aleutians could be problematic for trans-Pacific aircraft traveling between Asia and North America.

Volcano Eruption

Air Algérie Flight 5017 crash

Air Algérie Flight 5017 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to Algiers, Algeria, which crashed near Gossi, Mali, on 24 July 2014. The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 twinjet with 110 passengers and 6 crew on board, operated by Swiftair for Air Algérie, disappeared from radar about fifty minutes after take-off. There were no survivors. The French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA), assisting the Malian authorities, published an investigation report in April 2016, concluding that, while the aircraft was cruising on autopilot, ice accretion on the engines caused a reduction of thrust that led to a high-altitude stall. The crew was unable to recover from the stall, and the aircraft crashed to the ground. The BEA issued several recommendations to Air Algérie, the US Federal Aviation Administration, and the Governments of Burkina Faso and Mali. Flight 5017 departed from Ouagadougou Airport at 1:15 local time (UTC) on 24 July 2014. [1] It was scheduled to land at Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers, at 5:10 local time (4:10 UTC). [2] The aircraft reached cruise altitude, flight level 310 (FL310), 22 minutes after departure and attained its target speed of 280 knots (IAS). About two minutes later, it began to gradually lose speed, and, though the speed did eventually drop to 200 knots, the aircraft maintained FL310. After an unspecified length of time had passed, the aircraft began to descend, and the speed dropped to about 160 knots. Afterwards, the aircraft entered a left-hand turn and began to lose altitude more rapidly, thus spiralling down. The flight data recording stopped at 1:47; at the time, the aircraft was at an altitude of 1,600 feet (490 m) and a speed of 380 knots. [1] It crashed into the ground at 270 m above sea level about a second later. [3][4] On 28 July, it was revealed that the flight crew had asked to return to Burkina Faso, after first requesting to deviate from course because of bad weather. [5] There was a mesoscale convective system in the area at the time,[6] and the aircraft had deviated to the left of its course to avoid it. [3] Satellite images apparently identifying the light flare from the aircraft impact at the margins of the storm were captured. [7] Initially there were conflicting reports of the location of the crash. The aircraft's flight route took it over Mali, and it was reported to have disappeared between Gao and Tessalit. [8] French forces reported detecting wreckage of the aircraft in an area between Gao and Kidal, in a desert region that is difficult to access. [9] France sent a military unit to secure the wreckage of the Air Algérie plane. [10] Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta said wreckage had been found in the country's northern desert, between Aguelhok and Kidal. [11] There were also reports of wreckage being found near the town of Tilemsi in Mali, with officials from Algeria, Burkina Faso, and France having issued conflicting details. [12] A memorial stele was erected at the crash site. The aircraft involved in the accident was a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, MSN 53190, line number 2148. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D engines and first flew in June 1996 and was 18 years old at the time of the accident. [2] The aircraft was acquired by Swiftair, a charter flight operator, and re-registered EC-LTV in 2012 after being used by several airlines since it was delivered in 1996. [13] It was wet-leased to Air Algérie in June 2014 to provide additional capacity during the summer 2014 season. [2][13][14][15] At the time of its loss, EC-LTV had flown 32,000 cycles. [a] The director of the Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC) of France, Patrick Gandil, said the plane had been checked in France "two or three days ago" and that it was "in good condition". [16] There were 110 passengers on the plane; of those, 52 were French citizens, at least 33 of whom were French military personnel serving in Africa and Mali including three senior intelligence officials. [18][19] A senior Hezbollah leader who had been posing as a businessman in Senegal and Burkina Faso was also on board. [18][19][20] Others came from Burkina Faso, Lebanon, Algeria, Spain, Canada, Germany and Luxembourg. [17] An Air Algérie representative in Burkina Faso, Kara Terki, told a news conference that all passengers were in transit to Europe, the Middle East, or Canada. [21] All six crew members were Spanish. [22][23] The number of persons holding multiple citizenship onboard was apparently high. The Lebanese embassy in Abidjan estimated the number of Lebanese citizens on the flight, some of whom had dual nationality, was at least 20. [24] One Chilean had dual French nationality. [25] Some news outlets reported that Cuban President Raul Castro's daughter, Fidel Castro's niece, Mariela Castro, was on the doomed flight, but this was later shown not to be true. There were also some "controversies" about the number of French citizens and number of passengers on board. [26][27] On 25 July, French President François Hollande stated that there were no survivors. [28] The crew members of the Flight 5017 were Captain Agustín Comerón Mogio, First Officer Isabel Gost Caimari, and four flight attendants. All crew members were Spanish. All of the victims had been identified by 19 November, nearly 4 months after the accident. [29][30] Captain Mogio had accumulated a total flying experience of 12,988 flying hours, including 8,689 as a captain, in which 10,007 flying hours were on the type. From 1989 to 1994, he became a co-pilot on a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 with Centennial. From 1997 to 2012, he became a co-pilot, and subsequently promoted to a captain on an MD-80 in Spanair. He finally joined Swiftair as a captain on an MD-80. He also had served for the UN mission in Africa based in Khartoum, Sudan. He had flown an aircraft to various places in Africa including to Ouagadougou.

Air crash

5 Biggest Splits of South Celebs Till Samantha Akkineni and Naga Chaitanya's Divorce

Many celebrity splits have rocked the South film industry over the years. This past weekend, Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu announced that they were parting ways as husband and wife after four years of marriage. Samantha and Chaitanya had tied the knot in 2017; they first met back in 2010 on the sets of Gautham Menon’s Telugu film ‘Ye Maaya Chesave’. “To all our well-wishers, after much deliberation and thought Chay and I have decided to part ways as husband and wife to pursue our own paths," the joint statement from Samantha and Chaitanya read. The couple’s separation is, of course, not the first time a South celebrity split has dominated the headlines. This decade has given us some of the greatest romances, as well as some of the most devastating splits. Here, a look back at more high-profile South celebrity splits in recent history: Nayanthara and Prabhu Deva Nayanthara and Prabhu Deva were the It couple of the late 2000s, so it shocked everyone when they parted ways in 2013. The pair fell in love while Prabhu was still married to Ramlath. It was barely a few years after their marriage that rumours of Prabhu being more than “just good friends" with Nayanthara started surfacing. When Prabhu Deva’s then-wife found out about his rumoured affair with Nayanthara, she reportedly filed several petitions alleging that the director-actor was not helping the family financially and emotionally because of his “extra-marital affair" with Nayanthara. On July 2, 2010, Prabhu and Ramlath parted ways legally. While many thought that Prabhu and Nayanthara would get married post his divorce, the duo’s relationship couldn’t survive the test of time and they called it quits, within a year of living-in together. Samantha Akkineni Has Craziest Reaction to Jr NTR and Ram Charan's 'Naatu Naatu' Song from RRR Samantha Akkineni Eyeing Big Budget Films After Split With Naga Chaitanya? Rashmika Mandanna and Rakshit Shetty Rashmika Mandanna and Rakshit Shetty fell head over heels in love during the shoot of Kirik Party in which they played the lead roles. After a whirlwind romance, the duo got engaged in July 2017 in a grand ceremony. However, in 2018, Rashmika and Rakshit broke off their engagement which led to heartbreak for their fans. The couple was apparently facing compatibility issues and hence decided to part ways mutually. Several people had blamed Rashmika for their split. But Rakshit, via an official statement, had urged fans to let the actress be in peace. Amala Paul and AL Vijay Amala Paul and AL Vijay are not just two of the most popular stars of the south film industry but they were also once a favourite couple. It was while working on the 2011 film ‘Deiva Thirumagal’ that Amala and Vijay came close to each other. Almost after three years, the duo made their relationship official. They got married in June 2014 in Chennai. However, soon their marriage hit a rough patch. The two eventually got divorced in 2017 due to a disagreement between them. In 2019, Vijay got married for the second time to Dr Aishwarya. Vijay had earlier claimed that Amala and he got separated due to trust issues. During a television interview, Vijay’s father and ace South producer AL Alagappan had also blamed Dhanush for Amala and Vijay’s divorce. However, Amala had refuted the claims. Pawan Kalyan and Renu Desai In 2012, Renu Desai grabbed many eyeballs after her separation from actor and politician Pawan Kalyan. Pawan Kalyan married Renu Desai back in 2009 and parted ways after three years. The duo had a very public divorce that was in the headlines for months. Opening up about her marriage with Pawan Kalyan, she had earlier said, “I went into depression after the divorce and had to undergo counselling. It was a very stressful period for me. Being single for the last eight years and raising two children alone is depressing. But I had the support of my friends and family. It just goes to show that a woman doesn’t need a man to complete her." The ex-couple shares two children together- Akira Nandan and Aadya. Pawan Kalyan is now married to Anna Lezhneva. Renu was Pawan Kalyan’s second wife. He was previously married to Nandini. Priyadarshan and Lissy Former Malayalam actress Lissy had confirmed her separation from director Priyadarshan in 2014. They had been married for 24 years and the news sent shockwaves in the south film industry. In 2016, the duo had filed for divorce by mutual consent. They have two children from the marriage, daughter Kalyani and son Siddharth. When asked about why they got divorced, Priyadarshan had reportedly told Grihalakshmi magazine that it was “ego" that drove them apart.

Famous Person - Marriage

Whitmer establishes Food Security Council

A council that examines causes of food insecurity in Michigan and suggests policy solutions to combat them has been created within the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS), according to a Friday executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Established through EO 2020-167, the Food Security Council is “tasked with identifying and analyzing the origins of and solutions for food insecurity in Michigan” and with assisting Whitmer in making sure Michigan residents can access food. “No one should have to worry about how they are going to put food on the table the next day,” Whitmer said in a news release. “Food insecurity is a very real and prevalent issue for many Michiganders, and COVID-19 has only made the problem worse.” The council is tasked with identifying what causes food insecurity in Michigan. It will also examine policies to work against food insecurity, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and assess returns on investing in such policies so councilmembers can make recommendations to the governor. In three months, the body is required to turn in a report on short-term findings of how food insecurity has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A conclusive final report needs to be turned in to Whitmer in 18 months. The Food Security Council will dissolve 90 days after that. https://www.michiganadvance.com/blog/350k-mich-families-will-get-additional-snap-benefits-during-pandemic/ Phillip Knight — whom Whitmer appointed as chair of the Food Security Council — called combating Michigan’s food insecurity a “non-partisan challenge.” “Creating food security is the first step towards self-sufficiency, and while it starts in the field, it is sustained in the workplace,” Knight said. “Our hungry neighbors are worthy of our investment in them as we seek to fulfill the directives given to the council.” In May, Whitmer extended Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to 350,000 households in Michigan — some of whom had already received the maximum benefits allocated by DHHS. Close to 1.5 million people are already receiving SNAP dollars through the state’s Food Assistance Program. Appointed to the council is Michael Rice, the state superintendent of public instruction, plus Robert Gordon, director of DHHS; Gary McDowell, director of the state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD); and Jeff Donofrio, director of the state Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO). The council consists of 16 members, all who represent “various sectors” affected by food insecurity in the state, according to Whitmer. They are listed: State Sens. Kevin Daley (R-Arcadia Twp.) and Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) and state Reps. Pauline Wendzel (R-Watervliet) and Angela Witwer (D-Delta Twp.) were also nominated to the council as non-voting members.

Organization Established

China Airlines Flight 120 crash

China Airlines Flight 120[2] was a regularly scheduled flight from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan County (now Taoyuan City), Taiwan to Naha Airport in Okinawa, Japan. On August 20, 2007, the Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating the flight caught fire and exploded after landing and taxiing to the gate area at Naha Airport. Four people—three from the aircraft and one ground crew—sustained injuries in the accident. The China Airlines aircraft, registration B-18616, had been delivered in July 2002. Like other Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, it was equipped with CFM56-7B26 engines. There were 157 passengers on board the aircraft, including 2 infants. Of the number, 110 passengers were from Taiwan, 23 were from Japan, and 24 were from other countries. The crew of eight were mostly Taiwanese, with one Japanese flight attendant. [3] The plane landed normally at 10:26 a.m. local time and taxied to the gate area by 10:34. Ground crew noticed flames coming from engine number 2 as Captain You Chien-kou shut it down in anticipation of gate connection. Informed about the situation by air traffic controllers, the captain ordered an emergency evacuation. All passengers and flight attendants managed to leave the aircraft safely through the four hatches using slides. After the last flight attendant had fled from the right aft hatch, Captain You and First Officer Tseng Ta-wei, the last two people onboard, exited the aircraft through the cockpit window. The pilots attempted to use the cockpit escape rope to climb to the ground, but the first officer was knocked off the rope when the number 2 engine and right wing fuel tanks exploded, triggering a large fireball that consumed much of the fuselage. The captain subsequently leapt from the window without using the rope. Both pilots were uninjured and managed to run away from the plane. A statement from the airline confirmed that all passengers and crew members were evacuated safely. [4][5] A 57-year-old Taiwanese man suffered from hypertension and an 8-year-old girl from Hong Kong felt unwell; both were sent to a hospital nearby. An airport ground crew member was hurt during evacuation on the ground, and a flight attendant, who was the last person to leave the cabin, fell over on the ground when the aircraft exploded. [citation needed] It took about four and a half minutes from when the fire was reported to the airport fire service until the start of fire fighting actions. Japanese regulations require a response time of three minutes or less. The delay was in part because the tower controller could not hear the fire crews' radioed requests for permission to use the taxiways to reach the fire. With no response, the fire crews decided to use the taxiways anyway without permission. [6](pp31–39) The taxiways of Naha Airport were closed until 11:03 a.m. because of the incident. According to Naha Airport air traffic control, the status of the aircraft was normal in that there was no report of any abnormal situation during cruising or landing. Following the accident, the Republic of China Civil Aeronautics Administration grounded all 14 remaining Boeing 737-800s of China Airlines, Mandarin Airlines and the Republic of China Air Force for inspection of the fuel systems. The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau asked Japanese operators of 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft to similarly inspect their aircraft. No anomalies were found and the aircraft returned to service. The cause of the accident was investigated by the Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission of Japan. The crew, as confirmed by the recording in the cockpit voice recorder, did not observe any abnormalities before the incident. The investigating team confirmed that the aircraft caught fire in the gate area and there was no sign of fuel leakage during taxiing to the gate. The investigation focused on the possibility that a fuel leak led to the fire. At a news conference on August 24, investigators revealed that a bolt, which had come loose from the slat track, had punctured the right wing fuel tank, creating a hole 2–3 centimetres in diameter. China Airlines stated they would compensate passengers NT$1000 for every kilogram of luggage lost, for a maximum of NT$20,000 for checked-in pieces of luggage and another NT$20,000 maximum for carry-on luggage. [7] In the stock trading after the accident, China Airlines stock fell along with Taiwan Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Due to the accident, on August 25, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered emergency inspections of wing leading-edge slat tracks on all Next Generation Boeing 737 aircraft. The Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) from the FAA requires operators to inspect the slat track downstop to check for missing parts, ensure proper installation, and check the inside of the slat can for foreign object debris and damage. The directive requires operators to inspect within 24 days and every 3000 flight cycles thereafter. Following feedback from completed inspections revealing loose parts in several other aircraft and one with a damaged slat can, the FAA issued a new emergency airworthiness directive on August 28. Airlines were then required to perform the inspection on Next Generation Boeing 737 aircraft within 10 days instead of 24 days. In addition, the AD required a one-time torquing of the nut and bolt in the downstop assembly for the slat track within 24 days. On 28 August 2009, the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) published the results of the investigation. It is considered highly probable that this accident occurred through the following causal chain: When the aircraft retracted the slats after landing at Naha Airport, the track can that housed the inboard main track of the No. 5 slat on the right wing was punctured, creating a hole. Fuel leaked out through the hole, reaching the outside of the wing. A fire started when the leaked fuel came into contact with high-temperature areas on the right engine after the aircraft stopped in its assigned spot, and the aircraft burned out after several explosions. [6](p64) With regard to the cause of the puncture in the track can, it is certain that the downstop assembly having detached from the aft end of the above-mentioned inboard main track fell off into the track can, and when the slat was retracted, the assembly was pressed by the track against the track can and punctured it. With regard to the cause of the detachment of the downstop assembly, it is considered highly probable that during the maintenance works for preventing the nut from loosening, which the company carried out on the downstop assembly about one and a half months prior to the accident based on the service letter from the manufacturer of the aircraft, the washer on the nut side of the assembly was omitted, following which the downstop on the nut side of the assembly fell off and then the downstop assembly eventually fell off the track. [8] It is considered highly probable that a factor contributing to the detachment of the downstop assembly was the design of the downstop assembly, which was unable to prevent the assembly from falling off if the washer is not installed. With regard to the detachment of the washer, it is considered probable that the following factors contributed to this: Despite the fact that the nut was in a location difficult to access during the maintenance works, neither the manufacturer of the aircraft nor the company had paid sufficient attention to this when preparing the service letter and engineering order job card, respectively. Also, neither the maintenance operator nor the job supervisor reported the difficulty of the job to the one who had ordered the job.

Air crash

After 162 years, department store stalwart Robinsons is throwing in the towel

SINGAPORE - After 162 years, department store stalwart Robinsons is throwing in the towel. It said on Friday (Oct 30) it is closing its last two department stores here at The Heeren and Raffles City Shopping Centre. The retailer said the decision to liquidate its stores was prompted by a range of factors, including changing consumer tastes and cost pressures such as rent. “The overarching business model of department stores is outdated,” it said in a statement. Robinsons also said decision to liquidate came after the stores' "inability to continue operations due to weak demand at department stores". While the retailer’s e-commerce platforms are no longer operational, shoppers can continue to visit its bricks-and-mortar stores for the time being. The last day for the two physical stores is not clear. Robinsons said the appointed liquidators are in negotiations with the landlords but “we hope that the stores will stay open for the coming weeks”. Robinsons stores in Malaysia, located at Shoppes at Four Seasons Place and The Gardens Mall, will also be liquidated. But other retailers under the Al-Futtaim Group, which include Marks & Spencer and Zara, will not be affected, a spokesman has confirmed. Mr Danny Lim, Robinsons' senior general manager, said: "We regret this outcome today. Despite recent challenges in the industry, the Robinsons team continued to pursue the success of the brand. "However, the changing consumer landscape makes it difficult for us to succeed over the long term and the Covid-19 pandemic has further exacerbated our challenges. "We have enjoyed success over the years, and it has been an honour for Robinsons to serve the Singapore market. I am grateful for the dedication of our team, and for the support shown by our customers over the years." Robinsons said changing retail trends brought about by the rise of e-commerce and lower demand for department stores are to blame for slumping retail sales, a problem that has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Robinsons was bought by the Dubai-based Al-Futtaim Group in 2008 for $600 million. In 2016, the Al-Futtaim group, which owns Robinsons and other franchises such as John Little and Bebe, announced that it would be closing 10 or more stores in Singapore, citing the challenging retail environment. Robinsons suffered losses for at least the last six years from shrinking sales, The Business Times reported. In 2018, the chain sank $54.4 million into the red after revenue fell to $153.8 million. In comparison, turnover was $257.3 million in 2014. Its Raffles City store opened its doors in 2001 and the retailer later opened its flagship store at The Heeren in 2013, occupying six floors and 186,000 sq feet. Then in 2016, Robinsons launched its first e-commerce website and also closed the last John Little outlet in Plaza Singapura at the end of the same year. In the third quarter of this year, Robinsons closed its Jem outlet in Jurong East, which had opened in 2013. Following Robinsons’ announcement on Friday, OCBC Bank said it is cancelling its OCBC Robinsons Credit Card from April 15 next year. Mr Vincent Tan, head of cards business at OCBC, said: “We are grateful to have been able to partner Robinsons in a successful co-branded credit card platform in Singapore over the past 18 years.” Robinsons also encouraged all customers holding on to Robinsons gift cards and vouchers to redeem them as soon as possible. “The stores in Singapore will accept Robinsons...gift cards and vouchers during the liquidation process and for as long as the stores remain open,” it said. Customers at Robinsons stores here were also told on Friday that vouchers can be used only for purchases at least double the value of the vouchers. This means that a $20 voucher, for example, can be used only with a minimum spend of $40. Corporate advisory and restructuring firm KordaMentha's Mr Cameron Duncan and Mr David Kim have been appointed provisional liquidators, said Robinsons on Friday. The provisional liquidators will now take control of the company's assets and assess options to realise value in order to maximise returns to creditors. "Subject to confirmation, the liquidators are hoping the stores will remain open for the coming weeks to facilitate final sales for customers before they are shuttered," Robinsons added in the statement. The retailer said that its employees were informed on Friday by management and the provisional liquidators of the liquidation, adding that they have been assured that the liquidators will now work to maximise returns to creditors, including employees. The company employs 175 staff here. Robinsons said its management has ensured that employees are supported with payments in keeping with the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act. They will be made to workers in the next payment cycle. “(This) is well in advance of the usual liquidation process timing which would usually take months,” the company added. The payments will be on top of employees’ salaries, which will be paid in full in line with the number of hours worked, said Robinsons. “All store operations staff under Robinsons Singapore and Malaysia will remain in the employment of Robinsons until further notice,” the company said. “Any staff movement will depend on the circumstances. We are doing our best to see how we can accommodate Robinsons staff in other brands.” KordaMentha will now aim to work with the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers’ Union, the National Trades Union Congress' Employment and Employability Institute and the NTUC Job Security Council to ensure that employees are supported. The liquidators will also leverage existing government schemes such as SkillsFuture Singapore's SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package. For the liquidation of Robinsons’ two stores in Malaysia, Datuk Robert Teo Keng Tuan of RSM Malaysia was appointed on Friday as interim liquidator. When contacted, Raffles City Singapore said it is in discussions with Robinsons on the smooth handover of the premises. “Shoppers can look forward to a refreshed Raffles City tenant mix with the introduction of exciting offerings. More details will be shared in due course,” it added. Some shoppers like housewife Suyan Hong, 48, were "totally stunned" when told that Robinsons was in provisional liquidation. "I knew that they were downsizing after they announced the closure of their (Jem) outlet. But usually when downsizing happens it's a cost-cutting measure that will help the business’ margins improve. I didn't expect them to shut down," she said. Ms Hong said that the department store introduced her to brands such as Jigsaw, Whistle and Trucco which she frequently buys from. "I will miss the spontaneous experience of being able to find anything from clothes, homeware and children’s items in one place at Robinsons," she said. "Robinsons is where I would go for last-minute shopping during the holiday season."

Organization Closed

Los Alfaques disaster

The Los Alfaques disaster was a road accident and tanker explosion which occurred on 11 July 1978 in Alcanar, near Tarragona, in Spain. The tanker truck was loaded with 23 tons of highly flammable liquefied propylene. 217 people (including the driver) were killed and 200 more severely burned. Most of the victims were vacationers (both Spanish and foreign tourists) in the Los Alfaques seaside campsite. The campsite is located at km 159 on the N-340 national road, 2 km south of the town of Sant Carles de la Ràpita. It has been renovated since and still exists today. The truck, consisting of a Pegaso[1] tractor unit registered M-7034-C and a Fruehauf semi-trailer tanker registered M-7981-R, was owned by Cisternas Reunidas S.A. At 10:15 that day, the truck, driven by 50-year-old Francisco Imbernón Villena, arrived at the state-owned Enpetrol refinery, located at La Pobla de Mafumet, 9 km north of Tarragona, to be loaded with propylene for another state-owned company, Paular (now Repsol), in Puertollano. At 12:05 the truck left the refinery carrying 25.87 short tons (23.47 t; 23,470 kg) of propylene,[2] more than 4 tons over the maximum design load of 19.35 tons. The tanker drivers were under instructions to take the smaller N-340 national road instead of the larger A-7 motorway when carrying cargo to Barcelona, in order to avoid the motorway toll. [citation needed] At the time of the disaster, the N-340 was a narrow and winding coastal road that carried drivers directly through several densely populated areas. On a summer day with temperatures from 20 to 35 °C (68–95 °F), the pressure in the tank would have been 1,200–1,700 kPa (170–250 psi). [3] The disaster occurred at ca. 14:35, while the truck was moving past the Los Alfaques campsite after having travelled 102 km (63 mi). [4] The driver's watch, which was found still attached to the driver's burned wrist, had stopped at 14:36, the time of the explosion. [4] There are several different witness reports as to the events directly preceding the blast, all of which are more or less equally plausible. Some reported the tank was already leaking as it approached the site, or sprang a leak with a loud bang while passing the site, and was then stopped by the driver. Others reported the bang being caused by a blown tire which caused the truck to swerve out of control and crash into the wall separating the campsite from the roadside, possibly overturning in the process. [4] In either case, the leaking tanker formed a cloud of gaseous propylene that partially entered the campsite and also drifted on the wind towards a discothèque to the northeast. The white cloud attracted the attention of campsite patrons, who approached the cloud with curiosity as it continued to spread. As the cloud began to permeate the crowded discothèque, it reached a spark, or other ignition source, and instantly flashed back into the tanker, causing a fire that almost instantaneously caused the weakened tank to explode and ignited the entire load of gas. At that time the campsite to the south was crowded with nearly 1,000 vacationers, mostly German and other foreign tourists, packed tightly in trailers and tents. The blast and fireball (which was estimated at over 1,000 °C (1,830 °F) left a 20 by 1.5 metres [65 ft × 5 ft] crater[citation needed]), destroyed everything – cars, trailers and buildings – within a 90 m (300 ft) radius, charred everything within a 300 m (980 ft) radius, gutting over 90% of the main camping area. The 400 m2 (4,300 sq ft) discothèque to the northeast, which was later determined to be the likely source of the ignition, was also razed, killing all the staff members inside. Additionally, 34 vehicles and 21 tents were charred, a restaurant partially collapsed, and the tanker truck was broken into three main pieces. [2] The explosion and fireball instantly killed the driver and other people within the area. A total of 157 people died on site as a result of the initial explosion and the subsequent fires and explosions of cars and gas cylinders used by the tourists. Victims were seen with their hair and clothing on fire, fleeing into the sea in an attempt to put out the flames. In the first 45 minutes after the disaster, the wounded were removed in an uncoordinated fashion with the help of other survivors using their own cars and vans. Locals also provided help and took the wounded to the hospitals. Ambulances and other emergency forces gradually arrived. The Civil Guard and the armed forces searched the devastated camp for survivors. It took three hours until the last wounded was removed and taken to hospital. The burning tanker blocked the road, dividing the injured into two groups, one being taken northwards and the other southwards. On the road to the north, the injured received adequate medical care, once they had reached either the hospitals at Amposta or at Tortosa. At this stage, the final destination of 58 severely burned patients was the Francisco Franco Hospital in Barcelona. Eighty-two severely burned patients were taken south to the La Fe Hospital in Valencia. In most cases no medical steps of any importance were taken during the journey. Several of the injured developed severe shock on the journey and had no measurable blood pressure on arrival. Many of the patients had burns covering more than 90% of their bodies, and most of them died during the following days. Contributing to the high mortality figure was the inappropriate medical care given en route to the hospital. [5] In the week following the disaster, the patients from France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands were evacuated to their own countries. 300 people were wounded, some of them severely. 217 people died as a result of the disaster, while the total number of people who died over the following months as a result of their injuries was at least 270. Among them, four were Spaniards, and all the others were foreigners. The official figure for the number of victims is 215. [6] Many of the victims were burned beyond recognition. Most of them were wearing only swimming suits, and the building where their documents were stored was destroyed in the explosion. There was no DNA test available at that time. As a result of the work done by the forensic teams from the tourists' home countries, all the victims were eventually identified. Seven of the victims remained unidentified until some time later, and they were interred at the cemetery of Tortosa, Tarragona.

Gas explosion

1971 RAF Hercules crash

On 9 November 1971, a Royal Air Force Lockheed Hercules C.1 crashed into the sea off the coast of Livorno by Meloria shoal, Italy, killing all 46 passengers and 6 crew. [1] At the time it was described by Italian officials as the worst military air disaster in Italy in peacetime. [2] The Hercules serial number XV216, from RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, was due to carry out an early morning parachute drop at Cagliari, Sardinia, as part of a large-scale joint training exercise called Coldstream. Ten aircraft were to be involved;[I] nine Hercules and one Hawker Siddeley Andover. Their order of takeoff was marked by a serial number, chalked onto the fuselage of each aircraft. [3] The Hercules known as Chalk 4 was the fourth of the 10 aircraft due to depart at fifteen-minute intervals from San Giusto military airport in Pisa, Italy. [2][4] The aircraft crashed near the Meloria rocks, four miles west of Livorno. [2] At Pisa, the stream take-off was cancelled, another four aircraft had followed XV216 into the air but the last two were prevented from departing. [2] All 52 on board were killed, they included five British aircrew from 24 Squadron, a British parachute jumping instructor from No. 1 Parachute Training School at RAF Abingdon and 46 Italian paratroopers from the Folgore Parachute Brigade. [2][5][6] It was at first difficult to find the wreckage due to a persistent wind and low clouds. [2] The wreckage was found lying in 200 feet (61 m) of water, although small fragments had already been recovered, the salvage operation, which was hindered by the bad weather, was led by the Italian Navy. [7] The cause of the accident was not found. [8] A memorial plaque was erected in Livorno in 2003 to commemorate the accident. On 21 November 2006, a memorial service was held in Pisa, attended by a delegation from No. 24 Squadron, current operators of the C-130J Hercules, and relatives of the lost crew members. [6]

Air crash

1953 Yenice–Gönen earthquake

The 1953 Yenice–Gönen earthquake occurred at 21:06 local time (19:06 UTC on 18 March in the province of Çanakkale and Balıkesir in the Marmara Region at western Turkey. It had a magnitude 7.5 on the surface wave magnitude scale and a maximum felt intensity of IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It caused widespread damage, killing 1,070 and causing damage that was estimated at US$3,570,000 repair value. [2] The tectonics of northern and eastern Turkey are dominated by the two strike-slip fault zones that accommodate the west to southwestward movement of the Anatolian Plate relative to the Eurasian Plate and the Arabian Plate as it is effectively being squeezed out by convergence between them. The quake occurred along the Yenice–Gönen Fault, which is a southern extension of the North Anatolian Fault Zone. [3] The quake had a surface wave magnitude of 7.3 and it killed at least 1070; 998 of those deaths were in Yenice, with another 50 in Gönen, 20 in Çan, and 3 in Manyas. The cost of repair was estimated at US$3,570,000. Several thousand buildings were affected in the Can-Yenice-Gonen area. Damage of intensity VI occurred at Sakarya (Adapazari), Bursa, Edirne, Istanbul and Izmir. The quake was felt throughout the Aegean Islands and in much of mainland Greece, with damage occurring as far away as Crete. Shaking was also recorded in Bulgaria. [2] Although officials predicted the earthquake would cause only 265 deaths, it multiplied with a death toll seven times the number as expected. [4] Approximately 70 km (43 mi) of surface faulting occurred, with as much as 4.3 m (14 ft) of strike-slip (horizontal) faulting was observed by geologists east of Yenice. [2] The damage caused by this earthquake led to a new national reconstruction law in Turkey. [5] In Greece the damage was severe enough that new building codes were introduced. [6] Trenching and other fieldwork along the trace of the Yenice–Gönen Fault has identified three earthquakes before the 1953 event, about 1440 AD, between 620 and 1270 AD, and another event of uncertain age. These past events give a mean recurrence interval for large earthquakes of 660±160 years. This indicates that there is no significant current threat from ruptures along this fault zone. [3]

Earthquakes

1984 Biman Bangladesh Airlines Fokker F27 crash

On 5 August 1984, a Biman Bangladesh Airlines Fokker F27-600 crashed into a marsh near Zia International Airport (now Shahjalal International Airport) in Dhaka, Bangladesh while landing in poor weather. [1] The aircraft was performing a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Patenga Airport, Chittagong and Zia International Airport, Dhaka. [1] With a total death toll of 49 people, it is the deadliest aviation disaster to occur on Bangladeshi soil and also the airline's worst accident. [3][4] The aircraft, a Fokker F27-600 registered S2-ABJ, was manufactured in 1971. [1] It first flew for Indian Airlines but it was given to Biman in 1972, as a part of all the support given to Bangladesh by the Government of India following Bangladesh's Independence. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had flown more than 24,000 cycles and more than 15,500 airframe hours. [1] The captain of the flight was Kayes Ahmed Majumdar, an experienced pilot who had logged 5,000 flying hours. The first officer was Kaniz Fatema Roksana, who was the first female commercial pilot of Bangladesh. [5][6][7] The weather conditions in Dhaka were poor on the day of the accident; there was turbulence and heavy rain made visibility very poor. [2] Amid these conditions, the crew first attempted a VOR approach to Zia International Airport's runway 32. As the runway was not spotted by either crew member, a missed approach was executed. The crew then tried an ILS approach on runway 14 of the same airport, but a missed approach had to be executed again as both pilots had failed to spot the runway once again. On the crew's third approach (second on runway 14), the plane got too low while it was still several hundred meters from the runway but neither crew member realized this (due to the poor visibility) and the plane crashed into a swamp about 550 meters short of the runway. [a][1] There were a total of 45 passengers and 4 crew members on board the flight, all of whom perished in the crash. There was one Briton and one Japanese among the passengers, and the rest were Bangladeshi. Thirty-three of the passengers were traveling to Dhaka to catch connecting flights to the Middle East. [3]

Air crash

Federal government tears up four Victorian government deals with foreign nations leading to rebuke from Chinese embassy

Federal government tears up four Victorian government deals with foreign nations leading to rebuke from Chinese embassy The federal government has torn up four deals between Victoria and foreign nations, including the state's controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement with China — prompting a strong rebuke from the Chinese Embassy. It is the first time the Commonwealth has used new powers that allow it to cancel agreements that state and territory governments, local councils and public universities strike with other countries. The BRI is a massive network of Chinese-funded infrastructure projects — including new ports, pipelines, railways and highways — stretching from Asia to Europe. In response to the news, the Chinese embassy in Australia branded the move as "unreasonable and provocative".  "It further shows that the Australian government has no sincerity in improving China-Australia relations," the embassy said.  "It is bound to bring further damage to bilateral relations, and will only end up hurting itself." Speaking on Thursday morning, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne defended the government's decision and said she did not expect China to retaliate through measures such as trade sanctions. "I think Australia is acting in our national interest, we are very careful and very considered in that approach," she told AM. "It's about ensuring that we have a consistent approach to foreign policy across all levels of government. "And it isn't about any one country, most certainly not intended to harm Australia's relationships with any countries." Senator Payne noted the embassy's statement and said advice about the decision had been provided to Chinese authorities in Canberra and Beijing. "I also think that as many countries around the world, Australia [and] China included, are clear about our prosecution of our own national interests, then these matters should be considered in the light of that sort of approach," she said. The BRI has been controversial since its inception, with critics saying recipients later become tethered to China via debt-trap diplomacy. Australia has become increasingly anxious that it has been used as a vehicle for cementing the Chinese government's influence and commercial interests across a vast swathe of the globe. Victoria's BRI agreements did not commit the state government to specific projects and were not legally binding. But federal government ministers privately complained the agreements allowed China's government to split the Australian domestic consensus on the BRI, handing Beijing an easy public relations win. They also warned it might dilute Australia's attempts to press other regional countries to tread warily before signing investment deals under the BRI, and complained federal officials were not shown the final version of the agreement before it was signed by the Victorian government. When the federal government introduced the veto legislation last year, Prime Minister Scott Morrison denied the laws were aimed primarily at Victoria's BRI agreement with China. But the two other agreements scrapped are both relatively obscure. One is an agreement between Victoria's Department of Education and Training and an Iranian government agency, while the other is a 1999 Memorandum of Understanding designed to encourage scientific cooperation between Syria's Ministry of Higher Education and the Victorian Ministry of Tertiary Education and Training. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said all four agreements signed by Victoria's government were unfavourable to Australia's foreign relations. "I consider these four arrangements to be inconsistent with Australia's foreign policy or adverse to our foreign relations," she said in a statement. Senator Payne said the federal government had already scrutinised more than 1,000 agreements with foreign nations. "I will continue to consider foreign arrangements notified under the scheme. I expect the overwhelming majority of them to remain unaffected," she said. A Victorian government spokeswoman said: "The Foreign Relations Act is entirely a matter for the Commonwealth government." "Victoria will continue to work hard to deliver jobs, trade and economic opportunities for our state." The Chinese Government is inviting world leaders to Beijing to sell them its hugely ambitious, signature One Belt One Road project. Shadow Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government had to help state governments deal with the financial impacts of the new regime.     "When they asked the Parliament to pass the Foreign Relations Bill last year, the Morrison government asserted they had sole responsibility for Australia's foreign relations," Senator Wong said. "It's now time to actually deliver on that by diversifying our trade and economy." "Under Scott Morrison's watch, Australia is more trade dependent on China than ever. The Morrison government should now engage constructively with states to manage the impacts of these new laws." We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)

Tear Up Agreement

Thorpe rail accident

The Thorpe rail accident occurred on 10 September 1874, when two trains were involved in a head-on collision at Thorpe St Andrew in the English county of Norfolk. [1] [2] The accident occurred on what was then a single-track rail line between Norwich railway station and Brundall. The two trains involved were the 20:40 mail from Yarmouth and the 17:00 express from London to Yarmouth. The latter had left Norwich Thorpe at 21:30 and would normally have had a clear run on its way to Yarmouth, since the mail train should have been held on a loop line at Brundall to allow the express to pass. On this occasion trains were running late. In such circumstances, when the timetable was upset, drivers had to have written authority to proceed further. Due to a series of errors (primarily, the telegraph clerk sending the authorization message before it had been signed by the appropriate official), both drivers received their authority, and anxious to make up for lost time, set off at speed along the single track. The accident, when it occurred around 21:45, resulted in both locomotives rearing into the air, and carriages reduced to wreckage. Both drivers and firemen were killed, as were 17 passengers with 4 later dying from their injuries. [3] 73 passengers and two railway guards were seriously injured. Prompted by the accident, engineer Edward Tyer developed the tablet system in which a token is given to the train driver; this must be slotted into an electric interlocking device at the other end of the single-track section before another train is allowed to pass. [3] The Canoe River train crash in Canada in 1950 also involved two trains, controlled by telegraphed orders, authorized to enter the same single-track section in opposite directions.

Train collisions

UC San Diego physicist who ‘lost’ the Nobel Prize tells us what to expect in this year’s winners

The glow of cellphones will shine before dawn in bedrooms all over La Jolla this week in a ritual that helps define San Diego as a mecca for science and medicine. Everyone from physicists to bioengineers will go online for the announcement of this year’s Nobel Prizes , six of which will be given out over an eight-day period, starting Monday. There have been many local winners in the past, from UC San Diego chemist Roger Tsien, who won for his contributions to medicine, to Scripps Research geneticist Bruce Beutler, who won for his insights about the immune system. It’s possible that this is the year Barry Sharpless of Scripps wins a second Nobel, this one for developing a technique to more efficiently build molecules, a key to drug discovery. Many people also have long thought that geneticist Ron Evans of the Salk Institute deserves the prize for discovering a family of molecules that are important to battling cancer and asthma. There are few locals who understand the Nobels as well as Brian Keating, a UCSD physicist who, for a brief time, was a strong candidate for the prize. He was a key member of an international team of scientists that claimed in 2014 that it had discovered the first tremors of the Big Bang. A physicist’s search for the Big Bang As news was about to break last week that scientists had made an historic discovery about the universe, UC San Diego physicist Brian Keating was asked, “On a scale of one to 10, where does this rank?” The researchers later withdrew the claim after realizing that the signal they picked up with a powerful telescope was just as likely to represent material from our own galaxy. Keating wrote a well-received book about it, titled “Losing the Nobel Prize: A Story of Cosmology, Ambition, and the Perils of Science’s Highest Honor.” The 50 year-old Keating, who refers to the Nobels as “Christmas for nerds,” just published a second book about the honor, titled: “Into the Impossible: Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner.” The book includes interviews with nine laureates. He spent time with the Union-Tribune over the past week talking about the type of person who usually wins the Nobel and how it can affect their lives. Q: Do the people who win this prize tend to have much in common? A: Not necessarily. We’ve had iconoclastic laureates like chemist Kary Mullis, a flamboyant figure who couldn’t have been more different than UCSD physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer, a quiet person who said the work she did was more interesting than winning the prize. She was almost dismissive of it. There’s no template for the type of person who would be worthy of a Nobel. Kary Mullis answers questions outside his beachfront La Jolla apartment after hitting the waves to celebrate learning that he won the 1993 Nobel Prize for chemistry. Q: Did you know that Mayer was minimized, in a way, when she won in 1963? The headline in the San Diego Evening Tribune said, “S.D. Mother Wins Nobel Physics Prize”. A: Yes, I have a microfilm of that page. You’d think that would never happen again. But three years ago Frances Arnold won the prize in chemistry and the headline on a NASA website said, “Caltech Mom Wins Nobel Prize, Son Is JPL Mars Flight Tech.” Q: We’ll talk more about the gender issues in just a moment. Before we do, can you tell me if there are any commonalities in the way these laureates think and work? A: The No. 1 character trait is curiosity. The winners also tend to be tenacious. There’s a dogged inquisitiveness. They never stop until they get an answer. It could be the wrong answer. Doesn’t matter. They pursue something for the sake of it. Winning the Nobel usually isn’t their motivation. There’s this notion among the public that science is done by special people using special equipment in special locations. It’s mostly done by curious people who are dogged. I think of curiosity as being different than passion. Q: Are you saying the winners tend to be dispassionate? A: That’s what I found among the physicists in the book. I can’t say that about myself. For personal reasons, the Nobel was a huge motivation for me. It played into the rivalry I had with my father (the late James Ax), who was a great scientist. I’m animated by the ultimate chicken or egg question: Which came first, the universe or the Big Bang? Was there another universe that existed before our own? That has philosophical and theological overtones. I can’t be dispassionate about it. A bust of the Nobel Prize founder, Alfred Nobel, at the Concert Hall during the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm. (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Q: In your book, you describe physicists as “Swiss army knives, or (a) cerebral Seal Team Six.” You’re basically calling them superheroes. Is that what you mean? A: No. I think of them as being a jack of all trades, in a sense. They’re very good at solving problems. The problems may not have solutions. But they don’t shy away from them. Another thing you’ll find in the great ones is intellectual courage. They can admit when they are wrong. They even embrace their critics. Some look at critics with joy, almost. They feel a sense of gratitude. Q: I was surprised to read in your new book that Barry Barish experienced imposter syndrome when he won the Nobel in 2017. He doubted his own abilities. Is that something you’re likely to find in the people who win the prize this coming week? A: A journalist asked Albert Einstein what he would have done if his prize-winning research about the gravitational bending of starlight by the sun had turned out to be wrong. He replied, “I would have felt sorry for the good Lord because my equations are correct.” Richard Feynman was asked to explain why he won the Nobel and said, “Look, if I could explain it to you, it wouldn’t be worthy of a Nobel.” But others are not like that. It can be a double-edge sword. The prize can lead to insecurity and a sense of inadequacy. But it also can inspire people to journey deeper. Like the author Joseph Campbell said , “The very cave you are afraid to enter turns out to be the source of what you’re looking for.” Q: I’m a bit surprised that you wrote a second book about the Nobels. Your first book characterized the prize as a kind of toxic competition involving fame and, to some extent, money. Have you changed your mind about how you feel about the Nobels? A: I still think it is a form of secular idolatry — something that we can worship and feel good about. It’s mostly harmless. But some prize winners have used it to promote less-than-scientific agendas, like physicist William Shockley , who promoted eugenics, and biologist James Watson , who has made sexist and racist remarks. Q: In 2015, the Swedish Royal Academy asked you to be one of the scientists who nominated people for the Nobel in physics in 2016. When you were doing that did you keep in mind that very few women, and no Blacks, have ever won a Nobel in that discipline? A: Yes. I believe that if the Nobel Academy doesn’t change the rules and rectify past injustices, eventually they’ll have no choice and it will be forced on them. Q: Can such advocacy result in someone who should have gotten a Nobel in a particular year to be overlooked? A: Possibly. But often they’ve given out Nobel prizes to just two scientists when they can be won by up to three individuals. So they could even go back and correct the mistakes of previous committees. In doing so they would not only rectify the past history for the better, but also improve the future: through proper recognition of the broad panorama and diversity of modern science. Q: Who would you like to see win the Nobel in physics this year? A: I would very much like to see Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the British scientist who, as a graduate student in the 1970s, discovered pulsars. These are brilliant radio stars — beacons that pulse regularly — which were initially misinterpreted as signatures of intelligent alien life! Her discovery was heralded around the world as one of the greatest discoveries of all time. It was indeed worthy of a Nobel Prize. But it went to her Ph.D. adviser, not her. Giving it to her in 2021 would be a wonderful way to properly account for the contributions of a brilliant, bypassed scientist. Q: Will you be awake before dawn Tuesday when the Nobel in physics is announced? A: Yes. I set my alarm clock for that every year. I might be lucky enough to know one of the winners or had them on my podcast .

Awards ceremony

Ladhowal train fire

The Ladhowal rail disaster on 23 May 2003, was a flash fire which began at 4am on the Frontier Mail train service in India, and engulfed three carriages before it could be extinguished. 39 people lost their lives and another 15 were hospitalised with severe burns. The train service from Mumbai to Amritsar, had just passed the station at Ludhiana Junction and was approaching Ladhowal, travelling at over 100km/h. Eyewitness A. D. Singh reported that he had seen the fire begin as a result of a dropped cigarette, whilst Safi Pitoliwali claims he saw electrical wiring in the toilet of the fourth carriage catch alight, but what ever the cause, the speed of the train combined with the open windows during the Indian summer to create an inferno, as air carried the fire back through three carriages in a massive burst of flame. Most of the dead were killed in this initial burst, as doors were slammed shut by the gust, trapping the commuters inside, where they burnt to death. Those that could dived under seats or leaped from the speeding train, but over fifty people were killed or critically injured in the first few seconds of the fire. 34 of the dead were in carriage five, and five more in carriage four, whilst those in carriage three escaped with mild burns, although all three carriages were later gutted. Four minutes after the fire had begun, the train had stopped, thanks to the emergency cord, which had alerted the driver. The train's crew detached the un burnt carriages and they with fellow passengers attempted to rescue the many injured people caught in the fire, or who had leaped from the train to escape the flames. When emergency services did arrive, there was no water available due to a local drought, so the wreckage had to be left to burn itself out. Most of the dead were only identifiable by dental records. Some remained unidentified and were being buried in a mass grave. The cleanup operation involved over 100 soldiers, as well as police and medical personnel from as far as New Delhi. It was the second major train accident in India of the new year, and provoked extensive criticism of the Transport Ministry, who were claiming vast improvements in safety standards on Indian railways, following a string of appalling accidents. Officials later ruled out terrorism or sabotage, often the first suggestion in situations like this, instead reporting that a spark lit some spilled flammable liquid in the toilet of carriage number five, which was caught by the wind and ripped down the train. A later report claimed the fire originated in a bag of 'combustible materials', but did not elaborate on how it caught fire.

Fire

2020 Yemen flood

The 2020 Yemen flood was a flash flood that killed at least 172 people in Yemen and damaged homes and UNESCO-listed world heritage sites across the country, officials said. [1] In the mainly government-held Maʼrib Governorate east of the capital Sanaa, 19 children were among 30 people killed by the floods, a government official said. By 7 August, the Ministry of Public Health and Population in Sana’a reported that 131 people had died and 125 had been injured across northern governorates, and 106 homes and private and public facilities had been destroyed and 156 damaged. [6]

Floods

Drought in parts of Kenya is declared a national disaster

On 8 September 2021, President Uhuru Kenyatta officially declared drought in parts of Kenya a national disaster. A collective group of national and international NGOs has been following the worsening drought conditions and predicted below average rainfall for the short rains in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) with great concern and is planning to undertake a response to support affected households and prevent further loss of lives and livelihoods. Crop and livestock production has been undermined by below average rain seasons in affected areas with failures of both the 2020 short rains (Oct-Dec) and the 2021 long rains (March-May) in some counties. For farming households, harvests were largely below average resulting in reduced household income, making it difficult for families to purchase food although they are increasingly relying on market supplies as household food stocks decline. In pastoral areas, below average rain has led to reduced livestock productivity and thus reduced milk availability for sale or consumption for pastoral households. Households across the affected regions are employing reduced to stressed coping strategies. These include reduced frequency of food consumption, reduced portion of size of meals and reliance on less preferred food. Affected households have experienced a series of shocks in recent years in addition to drought conditions, including a desert locust invasion and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Reduced household income to purchase non-food items and lack of water for handwashing is also undermining efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and crowding near water sources increases risk of COVID19 community transmission. The East Africa region has a fair prediction skill for the October-November-December (OND) rain season, which is important for food growing and pasture rejuvenation. From the available forecast information, which is more reliable for the short rain season, particularly the Northern and Eastern ASAL regions in Kenya will receive below average rains. Accordingly, it is unlikely that farming communities in these regions will harvest sufficient food, and, although pasture and browse is expected to rejuvenate, the resultant pasture will not last long enough for livestock populations to recover. The forecast thus points to a possible severe drought and rising food insecurity level into 2022 with over 2 million people already at Crisis level (IPC 3 or above). The most immediate needs are: • Food assistance/CVA • Water for household use and livestock, including rehabilitation of strategic water points and provision of water harvesting systems and storage

Droughts

PM postpones visit to Britain

The UK govt wanted to limit premier’s visit to the cricket match and a meeting with Boris Johnson Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to postpone his visit to Britain scheduled for the next month, indicating that the two governments could not agree on the schedule, sources said on Monday. Sources in the PM office told The Express Tribune that the premier’s visit to the UK would be rescheduled after taking into consideration several important factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic. The premier was expected to leave for the UK on the invitation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the first week of July. According to sources, the prime minister decided to postpone the visit in view of the pandemic. “No agreement over the meeting could be reached,” they added. The British government wanted to limit PM Khan’s visit to the cricket match and a meeting with his British counterpart Boris Johnson. However, PM Imran Khan had expressed his interest in several activities during the visit “which could not be fulfilled due to Covid-19 pandemic,” the sources added. Read PM Imran may visit UK next month On June 7, PM Johnson held a telephonic discussion with his Pakistani counterpart and invited him to visit the UK. Earlier, sources told the Express Tribune that the prime minister’s visit might take place alongside the Pakistan cricket team’s tour of England in July to play three One Day Internationals (ODI) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20I). The sources revealed in a frank conversation both the prime ministers addressed each other by their first names, ‘Imran’ and ‘Boris’. “This is hugely reflective of the close personal relationship between the premiers, while also accentuating the strategic relationship between the two countries,” said a source. “It was not only a frank telephonic conversation but also the avid endorsement of the British prime minister of the Pakistani prime minister’s 10 Billion Trees Tsunami.” COMMENTS (1) PMIK wants to talk on Kashmir. UK PM said nothing doing. Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ

Diplomatic Visit

1967 Plainfield riots

The Plainfield riots was one of 159 race riots that swept cities in the United States during the "Long Hot Summer of 1967". This riot was a series of racially charged violent disturbances that occurred in Plainfield, New Jersey, which mirrored the 1967 Newark riots in nearby Newark. Two days after some African Americans began protesting and rioting in Newark in 1967, the Plainfield riots began. Plainfield is located about 18 miles southwest of Newark, and about a third of Plainfield's 48,000 citizen were African Americans then. Tensions remained high that summer through the night of Friday, July 14 when a fight broke out at a local diner, The White Star. Afterwards, about 40 young black men left the diner and marched back to their housing project in the West End section of Plainfield. They vented their anger along the way by smashing store windows and throwing rocks at police cars. When the local police showed up in force, the group dispersed. The White Star Diner, which still stands today, was depicted by artist Casey Ruble in 2015. On Saturday night trouble started again. Many long time residents of Plainfield claimed that "outside agitators" who did not live in Plainfield came into the city to provoke violence and to "rile up" the community. Some were white men and some were black men and the hatred they fanned was infectious. Rioting and looting increased and Molotov cocktails were thrown at fire trucks responding to calls. Police from surrounding jurisdictions were called in and the crowds finally dispersed when a heavy rain started to fall early Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon several hundred people gathered at Green Brook Park to hear the local Director of Human Relations talk about the situation in the city. The Union County, New Jersey Park Police, who had jurisdiction over the park, declared the meeting unlawful and ordered the crowd to disperse. Some reported that the police dismissively referred to the gatherers as "boys" in urging them to leave the park, which was taken as racially inflammatory and may have led to anger. The crowd broke up and reformed in the West End section of Plainfield where widespread rioting started again. The city police were caught off guard and did not respond quickly enough to quell the disorder. Later that evening a white police officer, John Gleason, was manning a checkpoint. Members of the white motorcycle gang known as the Pagans entered the area and a confrontation between a large group of young black men and the white members of the Pagans was brewing. Police Officer John Gleason placed himself between the two groups and the Pagan motorcycle gang left. The remaining crowd refused to disperse and Officer Gleason became surrounded by the crowd which began to threaten him and close in on him. Officer Gleason fired a shot and wounded Bobby Lee Williams. When the officer tried to leave the area to get help, he was overtaken by a mob and was beaten with a steel grocery store cart, stomped and eventually shot and killed with his own service revolver. That same night in nearby Middlesex an arms factory was broken into and 46 automatic weapons were stolen.The Plainfield Machine Company was a small manufacturing company owned by William Haas and William Stork that, among other things, produced M1 carbines for the civilian market. The stolen guns were passed out to the men on the streets of Plainfield that very night. The police were anxious because of the large number of guns now on the streets and the Plainfield Fire Department Station was under constant gunfire for five hours. The bullet holes in the brick facade of the building remain to this day. Finally, New Jersey National Guardsmen, in armored personnel carriers relieved the station. Police tried to arrange a truce and have residents turn in the stolen carbines. Black residents felt that having the guns in the community kept the police at bay and that they now had power over the police. When none of the stolen firearms were returned, the area was cordoned off and 300 heavily armed New Jersey State Police and National Guardsmen started a house-to-house search for the stolen weapons. After about an hour and a half, with 66 homes searched, the operation was called off. The police felt that since Governor Hughes had declared a State of Emergency, no search warrants were needed. By July 21, things had calmed down to the point where National Guard troops and state police could be pulled out of the city. Dozens of black residents later filed suit against the government claiming that their constitutional rights had been violated during the search for the stolen carbines. Even several weeks after the riot, the local police and FBI were still looking for the stolen weapons. No arrests had been made in the theft and only a few of the guns had been recovered. More than 100 people had been arrested for looting and rioting during the disturbance. Officer Gleason was the only person killed during the riot and in December 1968, a jury convicted two people, a man and a woman, of murder in his death. They were both sentenced to life imprisonment. Seven others were acquitted and one case was declared a mistrial because of a deadlocked jury. Like many cities, Plainfield suffered a decline from the stigma of the riots, and many of the burned and looted businesses remained vacant for over four decades.Several residents decamped for neighboring towns like Edison, Scotch Plains, Watchung, Warren, Westfield and Bridgewater. Many residents abandoned their houses after leaving, as the massive number of people selling their property resulted in people being unable to sell them (or at massively reduced prices). After leaving, since the owners did not want to live there anymore but could not sell, they sometimes let them fall into foreclosure. After a while many of them ended up derelict. Many of the houses were also turned into multi family homes.

Riot

UNANIMOUS ASSEMBLY DECISION MAKES TIMOR-LESTE 191ST UNITED NATIONS MEMBER STATE

UNANIMOUS ASSEMBLY DECISION MAKES TIMOR-LESTE 191ST UNITED NATIONS MEMBER STATE Angola, Chile, Pakistan, Germany, Spain Elected Non-Permanent Members of Security Council from 1 January 2003 By unanimous decision of the General Assembly, Timor-Leste became the 191st United Nations Member State this morning. While acknowledging the contribution of the United Nations and the international community, the President of Timor-Leste, Xanana Gusmão, said that the core of his country’s successful accession to independence was its people.  They had proved themselves worthy of respect by rejecting violence, by exercising their rights in a democratic and civic manner, and by looking to the future for the certainty of freedom.  He represented a people who had already defined their vision for development in the next 20 years, addressing the need to eradicate poverty and illiteracy and to enhance standards of living for all.  The people of Timor-Leste yearned for peace and stability after decades of independence struggles and suffering, he said.  Yet only tolerant and just societies could create climates of peace and stability.  His country had embarked on the path to national reconciliation with the intent to honour justice and to eradicate all sentiments of hatred and revenge.  The East Timorese destiny was to live in peace; this necessitated the creation of a society built upon harmony, tolerance and solidarity. Welcoming Timor-Leste as the newest member of the United Nations, Jan Kavan (Czech Republic), President of the General Assembly, saluted the courage and determination of the East Timorese whose struggle had brought about the success celebrated today.  Timor-Leste had been the first independent State to emerge in the twenty-first century.  Within that independence process, the United Nations had played an integral role.  Independence, however, did not mark the end of the United Nations involvement in Timor-Leste.  Instead, a new phase had begun -- one in which previous achievements should be consolidated and built upon.  Introducing the draft resolution to admit Timor-Leste into the United Nations, Portugal’s Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durão Barroso proclaimed Timor-Leste a “triumph of the human spirit”.  Though it was only now being admitted to the United Nations, the country had, for some time, belonged to the family of nations.  Timor-Leste’s achievement was a reminder of the faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.  Portugal, he pledged, would continue to lend a friendly hand to Timor-Leste. Following the unanimous adoption of the resolution, the representatives of Côte d’Ivoire (on behalf of the African States), Iran (on behalf of the Asian States), Ukraine (on behalf of the group of Eastern European States), Suriname (on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean Group), Portugal (on behalf of the West European and other States), and the United States (on behalf of the Host Country) were among those who congratulated Timor-Leste on its admission today to the membership of the United Nations.  The representatives of Australia, Indonesia, Brazil (on behalf of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries) and Saint Lucia (as Chairman of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples) also offered their congratulations and support to the newest member of the international community. In other action this morning, Angola, Chile, Pakistan, Germany and Spain were elected to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on 1 January 2003.  They will fill the seats vacated on 31 December by Colombia, Ireland, Mauritius, Norway and Singapore.  Bulgaria, Cameroon, Guinea, Mexico and Syria will continue to serve as non-permanent Council members during 2003 for the second of their two-year terms. In addition, acting on the recommendation of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the Assembly decided to permit the Comoros, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Moldova, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia and Tajikistan to vote in the Assembly until 30 June 2003.  The Assembly also decided to permit Burundi to vote in the Assembly until the next substantive session of the Committee on Contributions, scheduled to be held from 2 June 2003.  The Assembly will meet again on Thursday, 3 October, to appoint a member of the Joint Inspection Unit and elect 18 members of the Economic and Social Council. Background As the General Assembly met this morning, it had before it a draft resolution on the admission of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the United Nations (document A/57/L.3), by which the Assembly would decide to admit Timor-Leste to membership in the Organization. The text is sponsored by:  Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia and Zambia. Also before the Assembly is the report of the Fifth Committee on scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations (document A/57/429), which contains a draft resolution recommended for adoption by the Assembly.  By the terms of the draft, the Assembly would decide that the Comoros, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Moldova, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia and Tajikistan should be permitted to vote in the Assembly until 30 June 2003.  The Assembly would also decide to permit Burundi to vote in the Assembly until the next substantive session of the Committee on Contributions, scheduled to be held from 2 June 2003. Statements Introducing the draft resolution (document A/57/L.3) to admit Timor-Leste into the United Nations, JOSE MANUEL DURÃO BARROSO, Prime Minister of Portugal, hailed Timor-Leste as a “triumph of the human spirit”.  Though it was only now being admitted to the United Nations, the country had, for some time, belonged to the family of nations. He said Timor-Leste’s achievement was a reminder of the faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.  He paid tribute to the United Nations for its role in Timor-Leste.  He also praised the General Assembly for its part. “Portugal”, he pledged, “will continue to lend a friendly hand to Timor-Leste, with which we are also associated within the community of Portuguese-speaking countries since the Brasilia summit.  Thousands of Portuguese have served in the United Nations operations in Timor-Leste and the bilateral cooperation programmes that we began even before its independence.” He considered it a great honour to be speaking for the Timorese people.  Having introduced the resolution, he welcomed Timor-Leste into the United Nations. JAN KAVAN (Czech Republic), President of the General Assembly, welcomed Timor-Leste as the newest Member of the United Nations.  He saluted the courage and determination of the President, Minister for Foreign Affairs and the other East Timorese whose struggle had brought about the success celebrated today. Timor-Leste had been the first independent State to emerge in the twenty-first century, he said.  Though the country’s path to independence had not been easy, the country and its people had succeeded.  Within this independence process, the United Nations had played an integral role.  The United Nations peace-building mission to East Timor (UNAMET) and the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) had, despite numerous difficulties and barriers, shown the way forward for United Nations participation in helping Timor-Leste to achieve the status of an independent, sovereign State.  The Security Council and the United Nations had demonstrated their ability to respond promptly and decisively to pressing issues. Independence, however, did not mark the end of United Nations involvement in Timor-Leste, he said.  Instead, a new phase had begun -- one in which previous achievements should be consolidated and built upon.  The establishment of the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) provided an example of this continued engagement.  The United Nations and its Member States should be prepared to increase their support in helping Timor-Leste and the region to address some remaining issues.  For instance, Timor-Leste would need to develop a fully functioning infrastructure which earned enough revenue to obviate the country’s need for continuous aid. JOHN DAUTH (Australia) said the fact that Timor-Leste stood here today was, more than anything, a testament to the strength and courage of the East Timorese people.  It pointed also to the exceptional work of the Organization.  “This has been a great success story for the United Nations.”  Australia would continue to play a role within UNMISET and as a friend and partner.  Australia and Timor-Leste would be neighbours forever. MOCHAMAD SLAMET HIDAYAT (Indonesia) said that four months ago, on the eve of Timor-Leste’s Independence Day, President Megawati Soekarnoputri had visited Dili to help cement the new and promising relationship between their two countries.  Likewise, the State visit of President Xanana Gusmão to Jakarta in early July greatly helped to strengthen that growing bond.  Since those two milestone visits, he said, the two countries had embarked on a path of reconciliation and partnership, which was evident in an increasing number of concrete and mutually beneficial achievements.  One such event was the establishment of the Joint Commission, a forum for discussing pertinent issues through dialogue and searching for mutually beneficial answers to issues of common interests.  Steps such as those were part and parcel of a number of tangible efforts to build stronger bilateral and regional relations between Indonesia and Timor-Leste that augured well for the future.  The courage of the leaders and peoples of both countries in stepping forward to construct a future of shared objectives should be applauded.  However, he continued, the people of Timor-Leste were facing daunting challenges, especially in capacity building, education, health and other basic services.  To that end, Indonesia was ready to extend its assistance, including through South-South cooperation.  GELSON FONSECA (Brazil), on behalf of the Portuguese-speaking countries, described the East Timorese people as “brave” and their struggle for self-determination as “heroic”.  He said their admission to United Nations membership was one more accomplishment in a success story for which the United Nations was responsible. Referring to the occasion as a special moment for the United Nations, he said it rekindled the wishes and hopes vested in the Organization as an effective instrument for the resolution of the challenges that lay ahead of the community of nations, especially those that could only be adequately addressed through multilateral channels. Its role in bringing about the independence of that country showed what could be accomplished once the Organization had mustered the political will and harnessed the necessary financial and human resources.  That example should serve as an inspiration for the other challenges that remained on the international agenda. He also called for continued assistance to Timor-Leste.  “In this context, it becomes even more pressing to continue to bring on stream income-generating projects, maintain the flow of international aid, and create the conditions for sustainable development.” EARL HUNTLEY (Saint Lucia), representing the Special Committee of 24, recalled the efforts of East Timor before the Committee to promote its decolonization.  He anticipated that its future contributions would also enrich the work of the United Nations. In his address, which focused on the political fate of those countries that had not yet gained their independence, he pointed out that Timor-Leste was still very much in its infancy and needed assistance to create the conditions for sustainable development.  In the same way that they had helped East Timor to achieve its independence, the international community and the United Nations now had to assist the country with its development process. What Timor-Leste now enjoyed he hoped for those other countries that had not yet gained their independence.  Quoting the Secretary-General, who said there should be no room for colonialism in the twenty-first century, he said the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories, small though they might be -- and at risk of being forgotten because of their size -- should not be prevented from peacefully exercising their right to self-determination. “What must be of cardinal importance”, he stressed, “is that the freely expressed wishes and interests of the peoples of those Territories must always be paramount in determining their future mode of governance.”  To react otherwise would be to sow the seeds of conflict. XANANA GUSMÃO, President of Timor-Leste, said he represented a people who had already defined their vision for development in the next 20 years, addressing the need to eradicate poverty and illiteracy and to enhance standards of living for all.  Aware of the need for an elementary basis of democracy as a precursor to economic and social development, the people of Timor-Leste intended to build a participatory democracy at the local government level to ensure social justice and citizen’s rights.  The people of Timor-Leste yearned for peace and stability after decades of independence struggles and suffering, he said.  Yet only tolerant and just societies could create climates of peace and stability.  For this reason, the increasing violence in the Middle East was of concern.  The Palestinian people had the right to self-determination, independence, peace and dignity; it was neither moral nor ethical to deny them their rights.  Just as Timor-Leste had established diplomatic relations with Israel, it was ready to recognize the State of Palestine and establish diplomatic relations with the legitimate authority of the Palestinian people. The situation of Western Sahara was also of concern to Timor-Leste, he said.  Noting that the United Nations had recognized the right of the Saharawi to self-determination eight years before it recognized that right for the East Timorese, he urged the resumption of the United Nations plan to hold a referendum for self-determination in Western Sahara.  The people of Timor-Leste also expressed their solidarity with Afghanistan and President Hamid Karzai. Timor-Leste needed to increase its participation within the groups of developing countries with which it shared common problems, advantages and backgrounds, he said.  In spite of its Pacific ties, Timor-Leste was geographically close to Asia and felt proud to be part of the Asian region, whose countries had assisted in rebuilding Timor-Leste.  His country had also recently joined the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, he said. Expressing his commitment to opposing cultural and religious intolerance, terrorism and trafficking in humans, drugs and arms, he said Timor-Leste joined the international community in its commitment to work for democratization, respect for civic and political rights and good governance and in its struggle against the misery, hunger and disease that affected more than half the world’s population.  His country had embarked on the path to national reconciliation with the intent to honour justice and to eradicate all sentiments of hatred and revenge.  The East Timorese destiny was to live in peace; this necessitated the creation of a society built upon harmony, tolerance and solidarity. His Government was aware, he said, that the best interests of his people would be served by honouring international commitments and being a signatory to the relevant conventions and treaties.  The Maubere people were committed to social and economic development, to strengthening its culture and traditions and to being actively engaged in a policy of dialogue, cooperation and friendship with all the peoples of the world.  The East Timorese people believed in a future where peace ruled the world, and in that context, he put forward a proposal to declare a World Peace Week, from 21 to 27 September, each year. Finally, while acknowledging the United Nations and the international community’s contribution, he said that the core of Timor-Leste’s successful independence was its people.  They had proved themselves worthy of respect by rejecting violence, by exercising their rights in a democratic and civic manner and by looking to the future for the certainty of freedom. The Assembly then turned to the election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council. Elections The five non-permanent members were to be elected according to the following pattern:  two from Africa and Asia, one from Latin America and the Caribbean and two from Western Europe and other States.  There was an understanding to the effect that, of the two States to be elected from Africa and Asia, one should be from Africa and one from Asia. The meeting suspended at 11:45 a.m. and resumed at 12:25 p.m.  The results of the balloting were as follows: African and Asian States Number of ballot papers:                             183 Number of invalid ballots:                              0 Number of valid ballots:                            183 Abstentions:                                            1 Number of members voting:                             182 Required majority:                                    122

Join in an Organization

Eastern Air Lines Flight 45 crash

Eastern Air Lines Flight 45 was a domestic commercial airline flight that had a mid-air collision with a USAAF A-26 Invader bomber over northeastern South Carolina on July 12, 1945, forcing an emergency landing in a field by the airliner, and resulting in the crash of the bomber. One airline passenger and two bomber crewmen were killed. On July 12, 1945, a US Army Air Forces A-26C-35-DT Invader, 44-35553, on a training flight out of Florence Army Air Field, had a mid-air collision with Eastern Air Lines Flight 45 from Washington, D.C. to Columbia, S.C., a DC-3-201C, NC25647, c/n 2235, at ~3100 feet, 11.9 miles WNW of Florence, South Carolina over the community of Lamar, South Carolina, at 1436 hrs. The A-26 vertical fin struck the port wing of the airliner, displacing the engine of the DC-3, which then cut into the fuselage. The A-26 tail sheared off and two of the crew parachuted but only one survived. [1] The crew of the bomber who died were Cpl. Robert B. Clapp and Cpl. Raleigh B. Allbaugh Jr., both of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The surviving crew member's name was not released due to wartime censorship. The DC-3 pilot belly-landed in a cornfield after a 20-to-30-second descent. Only one passenger of the 20 total on board was killed: a two-year-old boy who suffered head injuries. [2] He died while being transported to a hospital in Florence, South Carolina. His mother and two other persons were reported to be very seriously injured and were also taken to the Florence hospital. According to "The State" newspaper on July 13, 1945 (page 1) the public relations office of the Florence Army Air Field last night issued the following statement: An Eastern Air Lines DC-3, bound for Miami from Washington miraculously escaped destruction at 2:45 this afternoon when its senior pilot, G. D. Davis, of Miami, Fla., brought his crippled ship in for a safe landing after a mid-air collision with a twin-motored military craft. There were three fatalities, two of them military personnel, but except for the masterful handling of his plane by Pilot Davis, it is almost certain that the 17 passengers and three crew members of the airliner would also have perished. Until the next of kin have been notified, names of the casualties have been withheld. The accident occurred approximately ten miles west of Darlington in the community of Syracuse. From eye-witness accounts, including testimony by Davis and N. L. Martindale, co-pilot of the airliner, the two planes collided when in flight at an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet with the airliner letting down preparatory to a landing in Columbia. Mr. Davis said that neither he nor his co-pilot saw the bomber until just before the mid-air crash. Passengers of the plane also failed to see the ship. In the collision the left engine of the airliner was torn off and the fuselage was badly cut just aft of the pilot's cockpit. Despite this damage to his plane, Davis maintained full flight control and brought his ship in for an emergency landing. The bomber, according to witness accounts, plunged to the earth with only one of the three occupants parachuting to safety. Although not seriously injured, the one member of the bomber who parachuted was unable to be questioned this evening. One occupant of the airliner died. [3]

Air crash

1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships

The 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (1991 WJHC) was the 15th edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was held in various communities in Saskatchewan, Canada. Canada won its second consecutive gold medal, and fifth overall, while the Soviet Union won silver, and Czechoslovakia the bronze. The 1991 tournament was a round-robin format, with the top three teams winning gold, silver and bronze medals respectively. Norway was relegated to Pool B for 1992. Eight teams contested the second tier in Tychy and Oswiecim Poland from December 27 to January 5. It was played in a simple round robin format, each team playing seven games. Germany was promoted to Pool A and Denmark was relegated to Pool C for 1992. Eight teams contested the third tier in Belgrade Yugoslavia from December 27 to January 5. It was played in a simple round robin format, each team playing seven games. Greece's national junior team made their debut this year. North Korea was promoted to Pool B for 1992.

Sports Competition

2009 Workington floods

During the twenty-four hours before Friday 20 November 2009, rainfall of over 300 mm was recorded in Cumbria. Flooding along the Borrowdale and Derwent Valley meant that some areas were up to 8 feet (2.44 m) deep in water. The surge of water off the fells of the Lake District which flowed into Workington down the River Derwent washed away a road bridge and a footbridge. PC Bill Barker was killed when Northside Bridge collapsed. The cemetery at Camerton, historically the burial ground for the community of Seaton, was badly damaged with many gravestones being damaged or upturned. Shortly after the town was divided, Network Rail announced the construction of a new railway station, Workington North railway station, to be completed within a week on land owned by the local council, to enable access across the river for residents. [1] As a result of the floods the central arch of Workington (or Calva Bridge) (built 1840) was left unsound and ready to collapse. As a Grade II listed structure, the bridge was analysed by structural experts after the floods, with the aim of being able to repair and reopen the bridge. [2] Workington Bridge reopened to pedestrians on 11 February 2011, Now the bridge is open to vehicles. [3] Navvies Bridge, was a former railway bridge, built in 1878 by the Cleator and Workington Junction Railway Company. After the railway line was closed, it was used as a footpath and cycle way, linking the Northside community on the north of the river, to Workington's town centre. Navvies Bridge collapsed in the early hours of 20 November 2009. Work on designing replacement bridge began in May 2011, and the new bridge was officially opened to the public, four months later on 10 September. New Bridge (built 1904) collapsed on the morning of 20 November 2009: it carried a major road from the Low Cloffocks to the north side of the river. PC Bill Barker was directing traffic away from the bridge when it collapsed into the river. The bridge had been the subject of a Local Government Board Inquiry in 1903, which raised issues relating to its construction. [4] Work on a permanent replacement bridge began on 15 August 2011. After completion in October 2012, the bridge was opened by HRH Princess Anne on 22 October 2012. A road bridge over a disused railway line in the village of Camerton collapsed due to floodwaters on the railway line. The bridge was the only vehicular access to the church yard of St Peter's Church in Camerton. [5] The bridge has not been replaced, instead the gap has been filled in and levelled up. Dock Bridge carried a single track railway and footpath linking the steelworks and the docks. It had two sections with one span over the South Gut from the South Quay to the Merchant's Quay and the other from Merchant's Quay over the River Derwent to the north side of the river. The end of Merchant's Quay, built of sandstone blocks, was swept away by the floods. The bridge was demolished. Royal Engineers from 3 Armoured Squadron and 170 Infrastructure Support Group, Royal Engineers installed a footbridge (200 m) upstream of Calva Bridge. Seventeen pre-fabricated bridge sections were assembled and dropped into place on the newly established foundations. [6] The 170 ft (52m) bridge across the River Derwent took a week to build, opening 7 December 2009 Barker Crossing was opened. It was named after Bill Barker who was killed when the flood washed the old bridge away. [7] The crossing was taken down in February 2011, after the nearby Calva bridge was repaired and reopened to pedestrians.

Floods

Native trees deliberately poisoned along Hobart's Bellerive beach

A southern Tasmanian council is investigating the deliberate poisoning of almost a dozen trees that authorities suspect were targeted to improve the coastal view. The Clarence City Council said the trees at Second Bluff, on Hobart's eastern shore, were found drilled with holes of varying sizes for the purpose of administering poison. The trees are now dying and the council has referred the incident to police. An arborist report estimates the total amenity value of the trees, which are all native species, to be $185,257. Clarence Mayor Doug Chipman said whoever was responsible had clearly gone to a lot of trouble. "We're absolutely dismayed," he said. "They've got into the area with an electric drill, they've drilled holes and then filled them with poison. "The fact they've gone to so much trouble is really concerning," he said. Mr Chipman said the council and police were both investigating the incident. "It's very hard to imagine why somebody has been so vicious and malicious in vandalising this patch. I suspect that views could be involved," he said. He said the penalties for vandalising trees were not known as the issue was unusual. He said the council was in discussion with police. "It's important that we deter vandalism in the area," he said. "We will be not only removing [dead limbs] and re-vegetating, but putting up signage that the area's been vandalised and we need to care for the dunes and the area around it." Jean Gray, a local resident and part of the Coastcare group, was the one who spotted the dying trees. "We'd noticed that they were deteriorating in their health and so we had a closer look and realised that they'd been poisoned," she said. "[Then we] just walked around the area and realised how extensive it was." She said losing the trees was devastating. "The whole ecosystem is out of balance," she said. "Some of these trees we estimated are 70 years old." Ms Gray said she thought many in the community would be saddened by the news. "People need to realise that you can't do selfish acts like that. You can't remove trees just to get a better view or because you think they're a bit tall and a nuisance," she said. The council has urged anyone in the community who knows more about the incident to contact police.  We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)

Mass Poisoning