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2002–2003 Chinese protest movement
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The 2002–2003 Chinese protest movement was General strikes, Occupations, Strike actions, Riots, Wildcat strikes and Picketing in China’s poorer areas against the division between rich and poor, Unemployment, Poverty, Poor living standards and Inequality. Mass protests began as early as January–February 2002, when a tide of protests swept Changping and Tibet. People from all ages, cultures, areas nationwide all came out onto the streets, protesting the government's closures of Factories, Corruption, Low wages and unemployment among young and old people and many more deep issues. Labour protests swept Sichuan, Tibet, Shenyang and Tianjin. The demonstrators were protesting the government crackdown on protests in Liaoyang in 2002, when 30,000 protesters took to the streets protesting the closure of a brick factory for 3 months; it was the biggest labour uprising since 1976. Protesters tactics was nonviolent boycotts, Civil disobedience and Marches while police's tactics was Tear gas, Detain and Live ammunition. In Sichuan in 2004, mass protests against the treatment of workers and civilians in slums occurred by 25,000 Retirees and Students. 1 was killed in a crackdown on public protests in October 2004 there. In the early months of 2003, labour unrest and Wildcat strikes rocked Shenyang by workers in Sit-ins against unemployment and Poverty. Police would fire on demonstrators, arrest and make protesters Detainees. The protests led to the deaths of 1 demonstrator. [1][2][3]
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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1987 FIFA U-16 World Championship
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The FIFA U-16 World Championship 1987, the second edition of the tournament, was hosted by Canada and held in the cities of Montreal, Saint John, St. John's, and Toronto between 12 July and 25 July 1987. Players born after 1 August 1970 could participate in this tournament. The cities of Montreal, Saint John, St. John's, and Toronto hosted tournament matches. For full squad lists for the 1987 U-16 World Championship see 1987 FIFA U-16 World Championship Squads. Asia
Africa
North America, Central America and the Caribbean
South America
Europe
Oceania
Venue: Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Venue: King George V Park, St. John's
Venue: Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard, Montreal
Venue: Jeux Canada Games Stadium, Saint John
Moussa Traoré of Ivory Coast won the Golden Shoe award for scoring five goals. In total, 82 goals were scored by 54 different players, with none of them credited as own goal. FIFA awarded the Golden Boot to Moussa Traoré because Côte d'Ivoire had scored fewer goals than USSR.
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Sports Competition
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2006 Rome Metro crash
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The 2006 Rome Metro crash occurred on 17 October 2006 at 9:37am local time (07:37 UTC), when one train ploughed into another train as it unloaded passengers at the Vittorio Emanuele underground station in the city centre, killing a 30-year-old Italian woman, named Alessandra Lisi, and injuring about 145 others,[1] of which a dozen were reported to be in life-threatening conditions. The whole Line A was immediately shut down and the area above the station, the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, was cordoned off by police as rescue workers erected a field hospital, where dozens of people were treated. The injured were gradually transported to various Rome hospitals for further treatment, with the Complesso Ospedaliero San Giovanni - Addolorata, being the nearest, receiving most of them. While no official cause of the accident has been released, officials have excluded terrorism as a cause for the incident. Several passengers have reported that the driver of the moving train failed to stop at a red signal and that the train had been running strangely at previous stations. A senior driver has disclosed that the moving train had previously had braking problems on a test drive. [2]
A possible explanation of the accident may lie in a misunderstanding between the driver and the control centre, which would have authorized the train to proceed to the "next station", meaning a station closed to the public (Manzoni), the last before Vittorio Emanuele station, while the driver would have understood it to mean the next working station, that is, Vittorio Emanuele itself. [3]
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Train collisions
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WHO, Germany open Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin
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To better prepare and protect the world from global disease threats, H.E. German Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization Director-General, will today inaugurate the new WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, based in Berlin. “The world needs to be able to detect new events with pandemic potential and to monitor disease control measures on a real-time basis to create effective pandemic and epidemic risk management,” said Dr Tedros. “This Hub will be key to that effort, leveraging innovations in data science for public health surveillance and response, and creating systems whereby we can share and expand expertise in this area globally.” The WHO Hub, which is receiving an initial investment of US$ 100 million from the Federal Republic of Germany, will harness broad and diverse partnerships across many professional disciplines, and the latest technology, to link the data, tools and communities of practice so that actionable data and intelligence are shared for the common good. The WHO Hub is part of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme and will be a new collaboration of countries and partners worldwide, driving innovations to increase availability of key data; develop state of the art analytic tools and predictive models for risk analysis; and link communities of practice around the world. Critically, the WHO Hub will support the work of public health experts and policy-makers in all countries with the tools needed to forecast, detect and assess epidemic and pandemic risks so they can take rapid decisions to prevent and respond to future public health emergencies. “Despite decades of investment, COVID-19 has revealed the great gaps that exist in the world’s ability to forecast, detect, assess and respond to outbreaks that threaten people worldwide,” said Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergency Programme. “The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence is designed to develop the data access, analytic tools and communities of practice to fill these very gaps, promote collaboration and sharing, and protect the world from such crises in the future.” The Hub will work to: Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, currently Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, has been appointed to lead the WHO Hub. WHO would like to acknowledge the Nigerian government for its support, which ensures strong leadership for this important initiative. The WHO Hub is currently operating from a centre provided by the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. It will soon move to a permanent campus at the heart of Berlin in Kreuzberg that will provide a collaborative work environment for the Hub’s staff, who will represent a wide range of disciplines. “All the work that goes into pandemic and epidemic preparedness must occur before an outbreak starts,” said Dr Tedros. “Data linkage and analysis, and the ability to better detect and assess risks of disease events in their earliest stages before they amplify and cause death and societal disruption, is what the WHO Hub will focus on. WHO is grateful that partners like Germany and Chancellor Merkel are joining the world on this necessary path.”
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Disease Outbreaks
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2011 Sri Lanka worker protests
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The 2011 Sri Lanka worker protests were a series of violent and non-violent protests involving workers from the Free Trade Zones (FTZ) of Sri Lanka against the government. Approximately 250,000 workers took part in the protest against the Sri Lankan government's Private Sector Pension Bill (PSBP) which lasted two weeks, from 24 May – 6 June 2011. [1] The pension bill was effectively cutting wages and limiting employee benefits, which had a negative effect on the FTZ workers and prompted the mass protest. [2] The protests were the largest that the FTZ had seen since its establishment in 1978. The protests started as non-violent demonstrations in the cities of Negombo and Katunayake, however, they quickly turned violent, as the Sri Lanka Police struggled to contain the large crowds. On 30 May 2011, a 21-year-old man, Roshen Chanaka was killed by police gunfire. The death of Chanaka prompted widespread discontent with the Sri Lankan Police, and as a result, the Sri Lanka Army were deployed to deal with the developing situation. [3]
The protests ended on 6 June with President Mahinda Rajapaksa announcing substantial amendments to the PSBP, which included a revised saving scheme for all workers in the FTZ. In early May 2011, the Sri Lankan government was set to pass a Private Pension Bill that would break down fund contributions into three separate deposits; for employees, migrant workers and the self employed. [4]
While this was the official description provided by the Sri Lankan government, the proposed scheme was in fact formulated around employees allocating a fixed percentage of their income to a membership fund, which would make up their pension. Once this reserved money had been depleted, the employers were longer entitled to any pension and may have even be forced back into the workforce as a result. [5] This was the primary motivation for the subsequent protests, the Sri Lankan Workforce, particularly those working in the FTZ, were disenchanted and demanded a fairer scheme that would ensure that their retirement is secure. [6] The proposed bill would effectively introduce compulsory saving for retiring FTZ workers, a notion that spearheaded the protests to follow. Prathiba Mahanamahewa, a Sri Lankan Lawyer at the time, described the bill as unfair in an interview with AsiaNews; "But once they retire, and the money spent from the individual account is finished the person ceases to be a member of the fund, in short, they are no longer entitled to a pension. This is unacceptable, because everyone should be able to enjoy life after their retirement. "[1]
Both employers and employees expressed disdain for the proposed bill, which would decrease their base salaries by 2%. [2] A female garment worker in the Katunayake FTZ stated during the protest; "They are going to give a pension to us only at the age of 60. The girls come to the FTZ to earn some money for their marriage dowry. After working about five years, they get their provident fund and the gratuity fund for that. We are not prepared to give that money to the government after shedding sweat for years". [2]
FTZ workers began non-violent demonstrations on 24 May 2011 in Negombo and Katunayake. Approximately 200,000 FTZ workers, mostly female garment workers, marched in the streets chanting and expressing their discontent with the government's new pension bill with a number of banners. [3] The protestors tore down a large picture of President Mahinda Rajapaske at the Katunayake Junction. The protestors expressed their discontent with the Rajapaske government with a number of chants which included; "Ask the Great King [Rajapakse] to come here and answer these questions! Ask the labour minister to come and answer these questions!” "Whose force is this! The workers' force!”. [1] While the protests were originally intended to be non-violent, as police attempted to contain the protests in the following days, the large crowds became increasingly more violent. Outnumbered, the police were forced to physically separate the crowds, as they were disrupting traffic and other workers in the area. The police fired intimidation shots to disperse the large crowds, however, they were using live ammunition. [7]
On 30 May, Roshen Chanaka, a 21-year-old FTZ worker, was shot by police on the streets of Katunayake. Chanaka's death sparked widespread outrage amongst the already disenchanted protestors as the level of violence at each protest began to increase dramatically. Police in the areas were now intent on breaking up the protests and were more willing to use violent dispersion tactics. [1]
Retired Sri Lanka High Court judge Mahanama Tilakaratne was tasked with leading a commission into the events of Chanaka's death in 2017. Through his research he contended that the death of Chanaka could have easily been avoided through legitimate orders from Sri Lankan police hierarchy. Tilakaratne's findings also revealed that the police acted with extreme prejudice against the protesting FTZ workers, many of the police officers were using excessive force with weapons that included iron rods, chains and clubs. The police were also accused of beating women and children in the protests, as well as stealing personal items from the protestors. It was also concluded that over 800 police officers failed to wear their identification numbers on their uniforms during the protests. [8]
Tilakaratne described the police's conduct as "deplorable'; "The report further states "In the circumstances, Police Officers acted contrary to the law, the superior officers were indifferent and failed to issue proper orders which enabled those of lower ranks to behave like thugs. Behaviour of the workers inside the Zone was such that Police in the circumstances acted in excess of the powers given to them by law, and deserve to be punished". [8]
Following the death of Chanaka, the Sri Lanka Army were deployed by President Rajapaske to end the protests. The Sri Lanka Army were effective in their ability to diffuse the developing situation. The Army set up multiple physical deterrents including blockades and reinforced patrols which substantially decreased the influx of protestors into Negombo and Katunayake. [8]
Roshen Chanaka's death had a substantial impact on the subsequent events of the protests. The Sri Lankan government issued an apology regarding his death, and soon authorised for the Sri Lankan Army to replace the police force in dealing with the protestors. The Army were substantially more effective in dealing with the situation than the police, crowds were quick to disperse and compliant with the Army's directives. As a result, the protests came to an end on 6 June. A public funeral service was held for Chanaka towards the end of the protests. The funeral was attended by approximately 5000 FTZ workers as well as Chanaka's family and friends. The parents of Chanaka were vocal about their discontent regarding the proposed private pension bill, and spoke about this in depth during the funeral. Towards the end of the service, the funeral had effectively become a non-violent protest of its own, with thousands chanting and rallying against the Rajapaske government.
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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All Nippon Airways Flight 857 crash
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All Nippon Airways Flight 857 was a scheduled flight from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Hakodate Airport that was hijacked by a lone individual on June 21, 1995. The aircraft was boarded by police the next morning following an over-night standoff, in the first instance where force was used to respond to an aircraft hijacking in Japan, led by the Hokkaido Prefectural Police with support from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Special Assault Team (then known as the Special Armed Police). [1]
At around 11:45 a.m., a single hijacker took control of the Boeing 747 aircraft while it was flying over Yamagata Prefecture, and took the 365 passengers and crew hostage. [2]
The hijacker claimed to be a member of the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult, which was then under investigation for its role in the Tokyo subway sarin attacks. [3] The hijacker claimed to be in possession of plastic explosives and sarin gas, and used these assertions to threaten the crew. [4] At the time, Japanese law enforcement and the public were worried that the hijacking may have been part of a plan to conduct terrorist attacks in order to ensure Asahara's post-apocalyptic Japan visions would be fulfilled. [3]
After the aircraft landed in Hakodate at 12:42 p.m., the hijacker demanded the release of Aum Shinrikyo leader Shoko Asahara, and that the plane be refuelled and returned to Tokyo. [5][6] He only spoke through the cabin crew, and refused to allow food or drinks to be brought into the aircraft. [7]
In Tokyo, a task force was established consisting of Chief Cabinet Secretary Kozo Igarashi, Japanese Transport Minister Shizuka Kamei and the Public Security Commission chairman, Hiromu Nonaka to oversee the incident. [3]
As the stand-off progressed that evening, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police led a nationwide background search of each passenger on the flight and concluded that the hijacker was the only suspicious individual on board. This conclusion was supported by communication from the pilot and from passengers with mobile phones, who told police that the hijacker was acting alone. [8] One of the passengers in contact with police was folk singer Tokiko Kato, who was en route to a scheduled concert in Hakodate. [9] The Japanese Self-Defense Forces were placed on high alert throughout the incident. [10][3]
The next day, at 3:42 a.m., at the direction of Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, the aircraft was stormed by Hokkaido and Tokyo police units that had previously been monitoring the aircraft from outside. The hijacker was arrested. One passenger was lightly injured and required an ice pack, but otherwise the occupants were unharmed. [7]
Some of the officers from the Hokkaido Prefectural Police masqueraded as airport employees when they made the arrest. [9]
The hijacker apologized for his actions and said that he had to do it when he was detained by police. [11]
The hijacker initially used the name "Saburo Kobayashi,"[12] but was found to be Fumio Kutsumi, a 53-year-old Tokyo bank employee from Toyo Trust & Banking on leave for a mental disorder. [7][13] The "plastic explosives" in his possession were found to actually be made of clay, and his plastic bag of "sarin" was found to actually contain plain water. [13] The hijacker was ultimately sentenced in March 1997 to imprisonment for 8 years, and ordered to pay 53 million yen in civil damages to All Nippon Airways. On appeal, the Sapporo High Court lengthened the criminal sentence to 10 years. The hijacked aircraft remained in operation with ANA until July 2003 when it switched to a Boeing 747-400D until the airline retired the 747 in 2014. ANA still operates the flight number 857 but it currently operates to Hanoi from Haneda, utilizing a Boeing 787 or Boeing 777. Within a year following the incident, the Special Armed Police, which were then an unofficial unit of the Tokyo police, were upgraded to official status as the Special Assault Team, and similar teams were established in Hokkaido and other prefectures. [14]
The government was criticized in the wake of the incident for failing to disband the Aum group more quickly following the Tokyo subway attacks, on the basis that this may have prevented the hijacking from taking place at all. [15]
The incident generated a great deal of live news coverage within Japan while it was ongoing. [3] Nippon TV carried live coverage following the end of a scheduled baseball game, while TV Asahi pre-empted halftime of a live J-League soccer match for live coverage of the incident. NHK shipped a newly-developed video camera from Tokyo to Hakodate in order to provide clearer news footage of the incident, and provided live footage of the aircraft's landing in Hakodate from a robotic camera positioned at the airport. This was said to be the first live coverage of a landing of a hijacked aircraft. [citation needed]
Several major newspapers published extra editions on the morning of the hijacker's arrest, as it occurred shortly after the deadline for their usual morning editions. F-15 fighters were dispatched from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force Chitose Base to escort the hijacked aircraft to Hakodate. SAP forces were carried from Haneda to the site by JASDF Kawasaki C-1 transport aircraft based at Iruma Air Base. [16]
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Air crash
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Beaumont and Spectrum Health plan to merge, forming Michigan's biggest health system
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Two Goliaths in Michigan health care — Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health — announced Thursday they've signed a letter of intent to unite, forming a new, massive health system that would employ 64,000 people and operate 22 hospitals spanning the state. The deal is to include Priority Health, an insurance plan that enrolls 1.2 million people under the Spectrum Health umbrella and claims to be the fastest growing and second largest in Michigan. "We are — Spectrum Health and Beaumont Health — taking the next step in our bold vision to transform health in Michigan," said Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Spectrum Health, who also will lead the new health care organization if the pact is completed. More:Beaumont psychiatric hospital in Dearborn to be run by company with controversial past More:Deaths connected to Beaumont psychiatric unit in Farmington Hills are most in Michigan "What we've been through collectively in our state and our country over the past year has really solidified why we exist and what we do. And it also tells us what we can do even better. So it is with this in mind that we are really excited about the opportunity to bring together Spectrum Health and Beaumont Health. ... We are coming together for Michigan by Michigan to improve the health of our community." The new health system, which would be Michigan's largest, is to be called the BHSH System temporarily, Freese Decker said. "We're going to take our time to figure out what that new name is while honoring and respecting the legacy names," she said. If the plan passes regulatory reviews, the BHSH System is to have dual headquarters in Grand Rapids and Southfield. The Federal Trade Commission reviews mergers of hospitals and physician groups to uphold antitrust laws, encouraging competition to drive down costs, improve care and foster innovation. The Department of Justice similarly reviews mergers of insurance plans. Both federal agencies have ruled against mergers in the recent past. In 2020, the FTC challenged at least five such deals, Becker's Hospital Review reported. Freese Decker hopes this merger will get regulatory approval by the fall. "There are no overlapping areas in our market, and so there are no intentions right now of any closures for hospitals or services as a result of this integration," Freese Decker said. "In fact, we want to make sure we can continue to grow our services and so I expect things to continue as they are right now. "I'm very confident that this combination to create a new health system would be very favorable to our state," Freese Decker said, noting that the health systems are not competitors based on the markets they serve, and only one health insurance plan will be involved in the creation of the entirely new nonprofit health system within Michigan. "The (state) Attorney General's Office is aware, but because this is two Michigan nonprofit organizations coming together to create a new system ... we do not believe that this is something that the AG needs to approve." Southfield-based Beaumont brings to the merger eight hospitals and about 33,000 employees in southeastern Michigan. It has 3,375 hospital beds, 155 outpatient sites and a net revenue of $4.6 billion. Grand Rapids-based Spectrum Health has 31,000 employees and 14 hospitals in western Michigan. It has 2,573 hospital beds, 150 outpatient sites and a net revenue of $8.3 billion. "We are not exchanging money in this; we are creating a new system," Freese Decker said. She did not answer questions about how big of a share of Michigan's health care market the new hospital system would serve. Julie Fream, the chair of Beaumont Health's Board of Directors, has been tapped to lead a new 16-member board for the joined health system. The board is to include seven people appointed by Beaumont Health, seven people appointed by Spectrum Health, Freese Decker and a new board member to be appointed once the merger is complete. At least three physicians will serve on the board. Current Beaumont Health President and CEO John Fox will see the deal through, and then leave the organization. Fream declined to disclose how much money Fox will receive as an exit bonus. "He does have a change-of-control agreement," Fream said. "That will be part of the total compensation that he receives upon exit from the organization. "We don't make the details of the contract public. Of course, eventually the information does come out in the (Internal Revenue Service) Form 990, but it's not something that we generally make public." This isn't the first time Beaumont has entered talks to merge with other health systems. In 2012, Beaumont and Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System considered melding into a single, $6.6 billion organization that would have included 10 hospitals and 200 patient care sites. Negotiations fell apart in May 2013 when Beaumont doctors threatened to revolt. Two years later, Beaumont merged with the Dearborn-based Oakwood Healthcare System and Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills. Since then, Beaumont leaders have signed at least two other letters of intent to enter talks to merge with out-of-state health systems. In July 2019, Beaumont announced plans to acquire Summa Health, an Akron, Ohio-based nonprofit hospital system that employs 7,000 people at four hospitals and community health centers. Under that deal, Summa Health would have become a subsidiary of Beaumont and would have maintained local leadership and a local board. But the acquisition was called off two months into the coronavirus pandemic when Summa Health's leaders withdrew from the arrangement. A few weeks later, Fox announced Beaumont had once again entered negotiations to merge with yet another out-of-state hospital system. This time, it was with Advocate Aurora, a 28-hospital system based in Illinois and Wisconsin. The deal, which would have resulted in a $17 billion company with 36 hospitals in three states, dissolved in October 2020 as unrest among Beaumont doctors and a no-confidence petition demanded Fox and Chief Medical Officer David Wood Jr. be removed from leadership. This time, the outcome will be different, Fream said. "The initial conversations we've had internally with our senior leadership and with the doctor leaders has been just one of excitement," Fream said. "They understand and know Spectrum Health and so they are very excited to be able to share knowledge and to work together — whether that's in research or in extending to the fields that they are in." "It's a very exciting thing for ... our doctors on the Beaumont Health side. And in talking with Tina, she has indicated that the doctors in her organization feel the same way. "The two organizations have so much in common in terms of our vision and our values. And putting that together, really, will allow us to create a new organization that will move us toward value-based care rapidly for the state of Michigan."
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Organization Merge
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Not Just Virgin: Korean Air Explores Boeing 747 Rocket Launches
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The publicity of the billionaire space race over the last few weeks, along with the abolition of decades-old ballistic regulations, seems to have had an impact on Korean cosmic ambitions. Yesterday, Korean Air announced that it had recently commenced research on the feasibility of using civilian Boeing 747s to launch rockets into space. The Korean national airline says that the research could help Korea overcome its geographical challenges for rocket launches. These only allow for the launch of satellites southward from the Naro Space Center, the country’s spaceport located in the southwest province. Surface-to-air launches are also heavily impacted by weather conditions. Previously, a bilateral agreement between Korea and the US provided ‘guidelines’ that put a cap on the range of ballistic missiles, thus making an air-launch system out of bounds. However, the two parties scrapped the 40-year-old restrictions in late May this year, and Korean Air sees a niche to be filled on a quickly growing market. “To attract the fast-growing, worldwide demand for small satellite launches, it is essential to develop capabilities for air launching, which is not affected by weather or geographical conditions,” Korean Air said in a statement on Tuesday, “We will use our extensive experience operating aircraft and expertise in the aerospace business, which includes aircraft system integration and assembling Korea’s first space launch vehicle, Naro, to develop an air-launch system that is competitive in the global market” the carrier continued. Commissioned by the Republic of Korea Air Force and conducted in collaboration with Seoul National University, the project will follow in the footsteps, or rather, flight path, of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne project. This is a two-stage cryogenically fueled rocket launched from a Boeing 747. Specifically, Virgin Orbit has modified a 747-400 previously flying for its sister company and airline Virgin Atlantic, and aptly named ‘Cosmic Girl’. Cosmic Girl completed its first successful launch in January this year, and a second one followed in June. The latest, which took place on June 30th, was the first commercial operation for the endeavor.
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New achievements in aerospace
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Denmark Place fire
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The Denmark Place fire occurred on 16 August 1980 at 18 Denmark Place in Central London. [1][2] The fire, caused by arson, killed 37 people[1][2][3][4] of eight nationalities,[4] most of whom were Spanish or Latin American,[3] who were patrons of two unlicensed bars in the building. [1][2] At the time, The Sunday Times suggested that it could be "the worst mass murder in British history". [1]
There were two unlicensed bars on the top two floors of 18 Denmark Place: The Spanish Rooms, a late night bar frequented by locals, including Irish and Jamaican immigrants; and Rodo's, also known as El Dandy, a salsa club popular with South American immigrants. [3] Access to both of these bars was obtained by shouting up from the street below in order to obtain a key. The only way into both of these clubs was through a locked front door and up some stairs leading to a landing. Access to the club on the lower floor was via this landing and access to the club on the upper floor was via a fire escape enclosed with plywood. Both bars, being unlicensed, were obscured from the outside world by boarded up windows and the door on Denmark Street that led to the fire escape was bolted shut. The Metropolitan Police were aware of the clubs and were planning to shut them both down on Monday 18 August. [5][6] A farewell party was being thrown over the weekend. On the night of 16 August, John Thompson, a Scottish-born petty criminal aged 42, entered The Spanish Rooms and drank there. He believed that the barman had overcharged him for the drink. After fighting with the barman he was ejected from the building and the door was locked behind him. Thompson found a 2-gallon container outside the club, hailed a taxi and then travelled to a 24-hour petrol station in Camden where he filled the container with petrol. He then returned to 18 Denmark Place, poured the petrol through the letterbox of the front door and put a lit piece of paper through. [7]
Fire quickly took hold in the premises owing to the largely timber construction of the building. Both bars were badly damaged. People could not escape easily due to the boarded up windows, the locked fire escape and general lack of fire safety precautions owing to the bars' unlicensed status. The fire burned quickly through the wooden staircase, destroying the main entrance and exit to the bars. Some patrons tried to escape via the back door but found that this was locked. Others smashed windows and jumped out onto the street below. On Denmark Street there was a music shop that backed onto the clubs and some patrons were found here trapped behind the security shutters. One firefighter managed to rescue six people from this area. When firefighters were called to the fire at around 03:30 they could see smoke seeping from the shuttered windows. When an attempt was made to force the locked front door open they were showered with sparks and embers and were forced to retreat. Once firefighters were able to access the front door it took four minutes to break it down – behind it they found that the staircase was completely on fire. The speed of the fire was so rapid that many of the bar patrons died where they were sitting or standing. [8] An officer from the London Fire Brigade described the scene:
People seem to have died on the spot without even having time to move an inch. Some were slumped at tables. Seven were at the bar and appear to have fallen as they stood, with drinks still in their hands. In May 1981, Thompson was convicted on a specimen charge of murdering one of the victims, Archibald Campbell (aged 63) and sentenced to life imprisonment. [9] He died of lung cancer on 16 August 2008, the 28th anniversary of the fire. [1][2]
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Fire
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‘It’s heart-wrenching’: Drought conditions devastate food producers from B.C. to Ontario
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“This is considerably worse than what we’ve seen in recent memory,” said Erin Gowrluk, executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada. “The drought conditions have increased pest pressures and we see challenges now across the Prairies with grasshoppers. Farmers are having to make difficult choices to either invest in pest control or cut their losses.” Story continues below advertisement Atlantic farmers look to send help to western producers Atlantic farmers look to send help to western producers – Jul 28, 2021 Lac Ste. Anne County in Northern Alberta and Vulcan County in the southern part of the province declared a state of Agricultural disaster this week. Vulcan Country Reeve Jason Schneider, who is also a farmer, says most of the region’s crop has been lost. “This (is) widespread. I haven’t seen many nice crops in southern Alberta, which is surprising. Typically, there is going to be some pockets that have seen good rain but there is really nothing this year,” Schneider said. Food producers are used to battling the elements in Canada. 1:33 49% of Canadians believe climate change must be urgently addressed: Ipsos poll 49% of Canadians believe climate change must be urgently addressed: Ipsos poll – Jul 28, 2021 According to Jim Warren, a social studies professor at the University of Regina who studies drought management on the Canadian Prairies, Canada has seen at least two widespread droughts in the last 40 years. Story continues below advertisement “2000 into 2001 was a very bad year for drought and there were also significant droughts in the late 1980s; 1988 was a bad year,” Warren said. “Climate change projections are that drought could become more severe, more intense and more frequent. We’re in a dry cycle. One would expect conditions have been exacerbated due to climate change, but really it’s hard to tease out how much.”
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Droughts
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1996 Maryland train collision
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On February 16, 1996, a MARC commuter train collided with Amtrak's Capitol Limited passenger train in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, killing three crew and eight passengers on the MARC train; a further eleven passengers on the same train and fifteen passengers and crew on the Capitol Limited were injured. Total damage was estimated at $7.5 million. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the crew of the MARC train had forgotten the indication of an approach signal which they had passed before a station stop, and as a consequence could not slow down in time after encountering a stop signal. The crash led to the creation of comprehensive federal rules for passenger car design, the first in the history of passenger service in the U.S.,[1] as well as changes to operating rules. The two-track railroad line between Brunswick, Maryland, and Union Station in Washington, D.C., is owned by CSX Transportation (save for approaches to Union Station) and is known as the Metropolitan Subdivision. MARC operates commuter services, known as the Brunswick Line, from Washington to Brunswick and points west. Amtrak operates the single daily Capitol Limited, a Washington–Chicago overnight train, over the route as well, though it makes fewer stops. [2][3]:22
MARC No. 286 departed Brunswick at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time on February 16, 1996, traveling eastbound. No. 286 was a Brunswick–Washington, D.C., commuter train with a scheduled arrival at Union Station of 5:30 pm. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) described the conditions that day as a "blowing snowfall", with a 5-inch (130 mm) accumulation. At the time, CSX provided the operating crew for MARC commuter trains under contract to the Maryland Mass Transit Administration; aboard were an engineer, conductor, and assistant conductor. [3]:1 The train consisted of EMD GP39H-2 diesel locomotive number 73, two passenger coaches, and a control car. The train operated in push mode, meaning that the locomotive was on the rear of the train and the locomotive engineer controlled operations from the control car in the front. [3]:6 MARC No. 286 had twenty passengers on board. [3]:1
Amtrak No. 29, the Capitol Limited, departed Union Station at 5:25 pm, traveling westbound towards Chicago. That day the Amtrak train consisted of two diesel locomotives, an EMD F40PHR no. 255 leading and a GE P40DC no. 811 trailing; six material handling cars; a baggage car; a Superliner transition sleeping car; two Superliner sleeping cars; a Superliner dining car; a Superliner Sightseer Lounge car; two Superliner coaches; and a Hi-Level dormitory-coach. The Capitol Limited had four crew, fourteen service personnel, and 164 passengers on board. [3]:1–6
The two tracks of the Metropolitan Subdivision are numbered 1 and 2. MARC No. 286 was on track 2, having made a flag stop at Kensington to pick up two passengers. The Capitol Limited was also on track 2, having passed a stopped freight train on track 1. Both trains were approaching Georgetown Junction, where the Capitol Limited was to switch to track 1. The signal protecting Georgetown Junction indicated "stop" on track 2, which would have the effect of stopping MARC No. 286 and permitting the Capitol Limited to change tracks. Before reaching Kensington MARC No. 286 passed an approach signal. The purpose of that signal was to warn the train's crew that the next signal would be a stop signal and that maximum speed was restricted to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). For reasons unknown, the crew of MARC No. 286 did not obey this restriction, and, after departing Kensington, the train reached 66 miles per hour (106 km/h) before the crew applied the emergency brakes. The Capitol Limited had reached Georgetown Junction and begun crossing over to track 1. MARC No. 286 struck the Amtrak train at approximately 38 miles per hour (61 km/h) at 5:39 pm. [3]:1–6
All three crew members aboard the MARC train were killed, along with eight passengers. 26 people were injured. The collision destroyed both MARC passenger cars and the control car as well as one of the two Amtrak locomotives, EMD F40PHR No. 255. The turnouts at Georgetown Junction were damaged and had to be replaced. The total property damage was estimated at $7.5 million. [3]:7–8
It was clear from the outset that MARC No. 286 had not complied with the speed restrictions of the approach signal and consequently overran the stop signal, making the crash inevitable. [4] The deaths of all three MARC crew members in the collision meant that the reason for the failure would remain unknown; in its report NTSB ascribed it to "the apparent failure of the engineer and the train crew because of multiple distractions to operate MARC train 286. "[3]:vii The focus of the investigators and the public shifted to safety systems that could have prevented the crash and the design of the commuter rail cars themselves. One of the crew members and seven of the eight MARC passengers who died were killed not by the collision itself but by a fire started when the exposed diesel fuel tanks on the Amtrak locomotive ruptured. Emergency responders were unable to open the doors on the lead passenger car.
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Train collisions
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2014 Finland-Sweden Athletics International
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2014 Finland-Sweden Athletics International is the 74th edition of Finland-Sweden Athletics International competition between Sweden and Finland. It was held 30–31 August 2014 in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland. The women's pole vault was exceptionally competed on 29 August at the Narinkkatori square in downtown Helsinki. [1] Sweden won both the men's and women's events, while Finland won the smaller boy's, girl's and walking events. [2]
Points given in each event are, from 1st to 6th place: 7-5-4-3-2-1, in relays 1st and 2nd place are awarded with 5 and 2 points. Points:
Finland's points are shown first
Finland's points are shown first
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Sports Competition
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Bukit Ho Swee Fire
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The Bukit Ho Swee fire (Chinese: 河水山大火; pinyin: Hé shuǐ shān dà huǒ; lit. 'Ho Swee Hill Great Fire'; Malay: Kebakaran Bukit Ho Swee) was a conflagration that broke out in the squatter settlement of Bukit Ho Swee, Singapore on 25 May 1961. This fire killed 4 people and injured another 54. It also destroyed more than 2,800 houses around Bukit Ho Swee area, leaving around 16,000 people homeless. The cause of this conflagration was never established. The Bukit Ho Swee fire was the biggest outbreak of fire in Singapore's history. [1]
The scale of the destruction of property sparked an emergency project to construct accommodation and resettle the people affected by the disaster. This first public housing project, led by the newly formed Housing and Development Board, is considered a pivotal point in the development of public housing of Singapore. After World War 2, many low-income Chinese families were forced to move out of Singapore's city centre. [2] Coupled with the rise in the number of Chinese immigrants escaping from strife such as the Malayan Emergency, this created a huge demand for wooden housing built illegally on the fringes of the city-centre by contractors who sought to profit from the situation. [2] As such, during the 1950s, urban kampongs became commonplace on the Singaporean landscape. [2] One such kampong is located in Bukit Ho Swee. [3] This kampong, seen by the People's Action Party as "an insanitary, congested and dangerous squatter area",[3] saw its population increase drastically from 2,772 people in 1948 to 19,017 people in 1957. [4]
Meanwhile, the British colonial government in Singapore, through the Singapore Improvement Trust, embarked on the biggest public housing development project in the British empire to support Singapore's industrialization process. [5] However, urban kampongs had to be cleared to free up land for the construction of public housing units. [6] Yet, the high rents, small size and acute shortage of Singapore Improvement Trust flats meant that they were not popular with residents of urban kampongs. [7] Many residents chose to remain in urban kampongs,[7] which made kampong relocations politically difficult. [8] Relocations often had to be done under police escort; the city ultimately had to retract its demolition policy in 1955 and designated some kampongs as "attap" areas. [8] However, relocations still took place outside of these designated areas. [8] This public housing development project was later adopted by the Housing Development Board when the People's Action Party took over the city government from the British. [3]
There were many fire hazards lurking within kampongs. These included improperly disposed rubbish, burning of joss sticks and paper in religious rituals and the use of firewood for cooking. [9] As such, major fires often broke out in kampongs. [9] Prior to the Bukit Ho Swee fire, fires had already broken out in Kampong Bugis, Geylang and in nearby Kampong Tiong Bahru. [9] Kampong Bukit Ho Swee itself had experienced a massive fire on 8 August 1934 when fires destroyed 500 houses in the area. [4]
Despite the ever-present threat of fire, the firefighting team in Singapore was ill-prepared to deal with the threat. [10] The firefighting force only had 25 officers, 37 subordinate officers and 370 firefighters to fight fires in the whole of Singapore. [10] They were equipped to deal with fires in permanent structures rather than the temporary shelters that characterize urban kampongs. [10] Traffic congestion in the city also delayed the brigade's response to any fire. [10] Residents distrusted the fire service, which was notorious for pilfering from fire sites. [10] They also associated the fire service negatively with re-development. [10] Thus, people began sabotaging the fire brigade's job and belatedly inform them about fires, which diminished their effectiveness in putting out kampong fires. [10]
However, the fire brigade was not totally inept. [10] It had purchased water tenders which could draw water from sources such as wells and ponds and could safely navigate through narrow kampong roads. [10] Volunteer firefighting squads, consisting of kampong residents and aided by the fire brigade and political parties governing the area, were formed. [11] These squads were credited with helping to put out 15 fires in 1961 alone. [11]
Such incidents of kampong fires provided opportunities for the government to rehouse kampong residents and redevelop the land. [12] In the aftermath of these fires, the Singapore Improvement Trust often rehoused some victims in its flats as a form of emergency housing. [12] However, these attempts at redevelopment were half-hearted in nature,[13] and the challenges of obtaining the necessary land for redevelopment eventually stalled these programmes. [14][15] In addition, the general kampong population did not buy into such resettlement plans as they did not consider such emergency housing to be any different from the wooden housing that they are accustomed to. [13]
At 3:30 pm on 25 May 1961, a fire started in the neighbouring Kampong Tiong Bahru. [4] Favourable wind conditions, the presence of flammable construction materials used by kampong residents to construct their attap houses and the presence of oil and petrol in homes caused the fire to spread quickly. [1] The inferno soon engulfed the kampongs situated along Beo Lane, including Bukit Ho Swee, up until Havelock Road. [16] This area, the most densely populated and developed area of the whole kampong, was where the fire inflicted the most significant damage. [17] It subsequently spread to the Delta Circus area,[16] where Ganges Avenue was sufficiently wide enough to act as a firebreak that prevented the fire from engulfing the government-built housing flats at Delta Estate. [4]
As the fire occurred on the Hari Raya Haji public holiday, many members of the firefighting and police force had to be recalled to their duties through radio broadcasts from 5 pm onwards. [4] The problem was made worse by the fact that many of the firefighters were Malay-Muslims who had taken leave to celebrate the festival. [18] An hour later, the fledgling local military forces and British Army personnel were also called in to assist the police with maintaining order. [4] In total, around 180 firemen, 20 officers and 22 fire engines were deployed to fight the fire, while nearly 1,000 army personnel were deployed to aid in crowd-control. [4]
Firefighters faced many challenges in their attempts to contain the inferno.
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Fire
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PFAS compensation settled for Oakey landowner in Australian first
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The Federal Government has settled its first compensation case over the contamination of land by toxic firefighting foams at Defence Department facilities.
Eric Donaldson, 83, a landowner at Oakey in southern Queensland, has reached an agreement with Defence after groundwater at his property was affected by the chemical PFAS.
The substance, known as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl, has been used in firefighting foams at dozens of bases across the country since 1970, and the chemicals have remained in the soil and groundwater at some Australian airports and defence bases.
Mr Donaldson, whose property adjoins Army Aviation Centre Oakey, said he was relieved the matter has been finalised.
"I first heard the word PFAS in 2012 and it's been an anxiety-provoking period," he said.
"Not only for me, but lots of my close neighbours and people around who have felt threatened about where this thing has been going."
PFAS contamination is emerging as a major ongoing Australian public health issue.
He said reporting of the issue had caused anxiety in the community.
"I'm critical, I must say, of a lot the reporting of this situation which has I think impacted adversely on one of the most liveable and community minded, friendly and resilient little towns in Queensland, and I think that's a tragedy," he said.
"It's the concept that you come to live in Oakey, or you play on the football field, and your kids will get contaminated with PFAS and have a medical outcome. That's absolute nonsense."
His son, Adair Donaldson, who represented his family, said the details of the agreement would remain confidential.
But he said as part the settlement the Defence Department would not be making any admissions of liability.
"It was incredibly personal for me. It was my father and family's property," he said. "To achieve this has been great. It's been great that we've been able to do this to take the pressure off."
Landholders at Williamtown in New South Wales, Oakey in Queensland and Katherine in the Northern Territory have started a class action against the Defence Department over PFAS contamination. Mr Donaldson said their settlement would not affect those cases.
The Federal Member for Groom, Dr John McVeigh, had been helping the Donaldsons with their case.
He said he had concerns about how long it had taken the family to receive compensation.
"This has been a long drawn out process, if anything I'm a little frustrated … that it has taken so long," he said.
Dr McVeigh said Defence is currently dealing with 45 claims for compensation.
The class action against the Federal Government is expected to go to trial this year.
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Environment Pollution
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Rafting group catches mudslide in Glenwood Canyon on video
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GLENWOOD CANYON, Colo. (KDVR) — A rafting group captured the exact moment on Sunday, when the mudslide poured down the canyon and across Interstate 70 as they paddled past the scene on the water below. “To hear the guys describe it, it was a pretty awesome, powerful event,” said Gregory Cowan, co-owner of Defiance Rafting. “Everyone came off that trip humbled. It was a word I heard from guides and guests after seeing that happen.” Cowan tells FOX31 the group set off just before the warning came in. The company planned on the situation, not surprised by what happened after the Grizzly Creek Fire left devastating burn scars in the area. Monsoon arrives putting Glenwood Canyon at elevated risk for more mudslides this week “It was nothing unexpected after last year’s Grizzly Creek Fire, we all knew it wasn’t a matter of if, but when,” said Cowan. The timing of the mudslide, worked in the favor of businesses in Glenwood Springs, allowing weekend travelers to settle in before the road closures. Many visitors did have to stay additional nights in local hotels to avoid major detours headed east. Lisa Langer, Glenwood Springs Director of Tourism, believes the area will see a busy holiday weekend ahead despite the risk of more mudslides this week. “We are all booked, very busy and excited about a good weekend ahead,” said Langer. “We haven’t seen many cancellations or worries about the holiday, which is great.”
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Mudslides
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1958 Aviaco SNCASE Languedoc crash
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The 1958 Aviaco SNCASE Languedoc crash occurred on 4 December 1958 when a SNCASE Languedoc of Aviaco crashed into the La Rodilla de la Mujer Muerta mountain, in the Guadarrama Mountains, Spain, killing all 21 people on board. The aircraft was operating a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Vigo Airport to Barajas Airport, Madrid. The accident aircraft was SNCASE Languedoc msn 28, registration EC-ANR. [1]
The aircraft departed from Vigo Airport at 15:40 local time on 4 December 1958 bound for Barajas Airport, Madrid. At 17:15, the aircraft was instructed to contact the control tower at Barajas and remain at Flight Level 95. In the next five minutes, the aircraft crashed into the 1,999-metre (6,558 ft) high La Rodina de la Mujer Muertal mountain, in the Guadarrama Mountains. All five crew and seventeen passengers on board were killed. [1] The search for the aircraft was hampered by inclement weather, with fog, snow, high winds and torrential rain reported. [2]
The cause of the accident was that the pilot flew too low whilst trying to descend out of icing conditions. A navigational error may also have contributed to the accident. [1]
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Air crash
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Philippine Airlines Flight 812 crash
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Philippine Airlines Flight 812 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City to Ninoy Aquino International Airport near Manila. On May 25, 2000, an Airbus A330-301 operating on the route was hijacked by a man later identified as Reginald Chua,[2] just before the airplane was about to land. The flight carried 278 passengers and 13 crew members. The hijacker had a gun and a hand grenade. [3] He fired a gun into a bulkhead and demanded to be let into the cockpit. [3] When access was refused, he then demanded the passengers place their valuables in a bag before he commanded the pilot to descend and depressurize the aircraft so that he could escape by a homemade parachute. Since it did not have a rip cord, one was made with a curtain sash on the aircraft. [3] Before he was about to jump, he was not able to overcome the gust of wind from the plane's open rear door, and a flight attendant helped him jump out of the plane. [3]
The hijacker was wearing a ski mask and swimming goggles when he jumped out of the plane together with the valuables he had stolen while the plane was flying at an altitude of 1,800 meters over Antipolo, Rizal. Officials initially identified him as "Augusto Lakandula", based on the name on his ticket. The pilot expressed skepticism that the hijacker would have survived the jump. [3]
Three days after the hijacking, the hijacker was found dead, his body nearly buried in the mud,[4] in the village of Llabac, in Real, Quezon, about 70 kilometres (43 mi) southeast of Manila, near the border with Laguna province. Police authorities stated that he died since he was unable to get his parachute to open. Through his driver's license, "Lakandula" was finally correctly identified as Reginald Chua,[5] who had reportedly suffered financial difficulties. [6]
The incident is referenced in the 2013 British film Metro Manila. The film's protagonist Oscar Ramirez (Jake Macapagal) tells the story of Alfred Santos, a textile factory owner who lost his father to a gang hired by a rival factory. Having forced to shut down his business due to continuous threats by his rival, Santos hijacked an airliner and ordered the passengers to surrender their money and valuables before jumping off the plane to his death.
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Air crash
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Aeroméxico Flight 498 crash
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Aeroméxico Flight 498 was a scheduled commercial flight from Mexico City, Mexico, to Los Angeles, California, United States, with several intermediate stops. On Sunday, August 31, 1986, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 operating the flight was clipped in the tail section by N4891F, a Piper PA-28-181 Archer owned by the Kramer family, and crashed into the Los Angeles suburb of Cerritos, killing all 67 on both aircraft and an additional fifteen on the ground. Eight on the ground also sustained minor injuries from the midday crash. [3]
Blame was allocated equally between the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the pilot of the Piper. No fault was found with the DC-9 or the actions of its crew. The larger aircraft involved, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 with tail number XA-JED,[4] named Hermosillo, was delivered in April 1969 to Delta Air Lines as N1277L before entering into service with Aeroméxico in November 1979. [5] It was en route from Mexico City to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), with intermediate stops in Guadalajara, Loreto, and Tijuana. [6]
N4891F was a privately operated Piper PA-28-181 Archer owned by the Kramer family, which was en route from Torrance to Big Bear City, California. The Piper aircraft, with pilot William Kramer (53), and two passengers aboard, had departed Torrance around 11:40 am PDT. Kramer had 231 flight hours and had moved to southern California within the last year from Spokane, Washington. [7]
The cockpit crew of Flight 498 consisted of Captain Arturo Valdes Prom (46), and First Officer Jose Hector Valencia (26). The captain had 4,632 hours of flying experience in the DC-9 (technically referred to in an accident report as "in-type") and a total of 10,641 flight hours. The first officer had flown 1,463 hours in total, of which 1,245 hours had been accumulated in-type. On Sunday, August 31, 1986 at about 11:46 am PDT, Flight 498 began its descent into Los Angeles with 58 passengers and six crew members on board. At 11:52 am, the Piper's engine collided with the left horizontal stabilizer of the DC-9, shearing off the top of the Piper's cockpit and decapitating Kramer and both of his passengers. [8] The heavily damaged Piper fell onto an empty playground at Cerritos Elementary School. [9][10]
The DC-9, with all of its horizontal stabilizer and most of its vertical stabilizer torn off, inverted and immediately entered a dive. It slammed into a residential neighborhood at Holmes Avenue and Reva Circle in Cerritos, crashing into the backyard of a house at 13426 Ashworth Place, exploding on impact. The explosion scattered the DC-9's wreckage across Holmes Avenue and onto Carmenita Road, destroying four other houses and damaging seven more. [11] All 64 passengers and crew on board the DC-9 and fifteen people on the ground were killed;[8] a fire added to the damage. Thirty-six of the passengers were citizens of the United States. Of the twenty Mexican citizens, eleven lived in the U.S. and nine lived in Mexico. One Salvadoran citizen lived in the Bay Shore area of the town of Islip, New York. Ten of the passengers were children. [12]
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation found that the Piper had entered the Los Angeles Terminal Control Area (TCA) airspace without the required clearance. The TCA included a triangular slab of airspace from 6,000 to 7,000 feet (1,800 to 2,100 m) altitude, reaching south to 33°42′50″N 118°00′25″W / 33.714°N 118.007°W / 33.714; -118.007, across the Piper's intended flight path. The Piper could legally fly beneath this airspace without contacting air traffic controllers, but instead climbed into the TCA. The air traffic controller had been distracted by another unauthorized private flight, a Grumman AA-5B Tiger, entering the TCA directly north of the airfield, which also did not have clearance. The Piper was not (and was not then required to be) equipped with a Mode C transponder, which would have indicated its altitude, and LAX had not been equipped with automatic warning systems. Apparently, neither pilot attempted any evasive maneuvers because neither pilot sighted the other aircraft, though they were in visual range. When an autopsy revealed significant arterial blockage in the heart of the Piper's pilot, public speculation existed that Kramer had suffered a heart attack, causing incapacitation and contributing to the collision;[13] further forensic evidence discounted this, and error on Kramer's part was determined to be the main contributing factor to the collision. [8]
As a result of this accident and other near midair collisions (NMAC) in terminal control areas, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) required that all jets in U.S. airspace be equipped with a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), and required that light aircraft operating in dense airspaces be equipped with Mode C transponders, which can report their altitude. [14]
A jury ruled that the DC-9 bore no fault, instead deciding that Kramer and the FAA each acted equally negligently and had equal responsibility. [15] Federal Air Regulations 14 CFR 91.113 (b) require pilots of all aircraft to maintain vigilance to "see and avoid"[16] other aircraft that might be on conflicting flight paths. The relative positions of both aircraft at the moment of collision showed no sign of any attempt at avoidance maneuvering by either aircraft. One of the lawsuits involving victims on the ground had the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit apply the Supreme Court of California's ruling in Thing v. La Chusa to extend recovery for negligent infliction of emotional distress to Theresa Estrada, whose husband and two of four children were among the fifteen on the ground killed in the crash. Although she did not witness the crash (which was a major requirement for recovery under Thing), she returned minutes after to witness her home consumed by fire and surrounded by burning homes, cars, and aircraft debris. In a separate trial on damages, the Estrada family was awarded a total of $868,263 in economic damages and $4.7 million in noneconomic damages, including $1 million for the negligent infliction of emotional distress. [17]
The flight number has been put back into service. [18] Flight number 498 is now the flight from Mexico City International Airport to McCarran International Airport via Monterrey International Airport, using an Embraer 190 operated by Aeroméxico's subsidiary Aeroméxico Connect. The Discovery Channel Canada/National Geographic television series Mayday featured the accident in a season 4 episode titled "Out of Sight". [19] The accident was featured again during Mayday season 8, in an episode titled "System Breakdown". [20]
A similar accident is seen in the Breaking Bad episode "ABQ". Coincidentally, the air-traffic controller in the real-life accident was named Walter White, the same name as the program's main character. [21][22][23]
On March 11, 2006, the City of Cerritos dedicated a new sculpture garden featuring a memorial to the victims of the accident. [24] The sculpture, designed by Kathleen Caricof,[25] consists of three pieces. One piece, which resembles a wing, commemorates all the victims who perished aboard the Aeroméxico jet and the Piper. A similar, but smaller and darker wing, commemorates all the victims who perished on the ground. Each wing rests on a pedestal that lists the respective victims in alphabetical order. In front of the memorial lies a bench, which commemorates all victims and allows visitors to sit and reflect on the disaster.
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Air crash
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Drought emergency declared in Washington state
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OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday declared a statewide drought emergency because of hot, dry conditions that have plagued the region and water supply. Citing recent record temperature that killed at least 91 people in the state, increased wildfire activity and drought, Inslee called it “the summer of climate change.” “This is not political hyperbole,” Inslee said. “It is a scientific consensus that is jarring the life of every Washingtonian in some way.” A drought emergency declaration is issued when water supply is projected to be below 75% of average, and poses a hardship to water users and the environment. The declaration allows expedited emergency water right permitting and allows the state to aid state agriculture, protect public water supplies and boost stream flows to safeguard fish. The cities of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett areas are not included in the drought declaration, with the governor’s office saying that those areas have enough water storage to get through the summer. The Department of Ecology said that drinking water supplies are holding up, but that the Department of Health is monitoring closely. Laura Watson, director of the state Department of Ecology, said that the drought came as a surprise to many of them because of robust snowpack in the Cascade Mountains. “That led us to believe the water supplies would be adequate,” she said but said that the second driest spring since 1895 plus June’s record-shattering heat wave changed all that. “This is a grim reminder that water supplies do face an increasingly uncertain future because of climate change.” Last week, Inslee declared a state of emergency throughout Washington relating to the growing risk of wildfires, including a statewide prohibition on most outdoor and agricultural burning through Sept. 30. This summer’s fire season is “likely to be the worst of the last five years,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. She implored the public to abide by the burn bans. She said that statewide, there have already been more than 900 fires with an estimated 219 square miles (567 square kilometers) burned, just shy of the total land burned in all of 2019. “If our new normal brings months without a drop of rain and one extreme heat wave after another, there’s no technology or amount of resources that will be able to match the on-the-ground reality our firefighters are facing,” she said. Scientists have long warned that the weather will get wilder as the world warms. Climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years. But special calculations are needed to determine how much global warming is to blame, if at all, for a single extreme weather event. Nearly 60% of the U.S. West is considered in exceptional or extreme drought, the two highest categories, according to the University of Nebraska’s Drought Monitor. That’s the highest percentage in the 20 years the drought monitor has been keeping track. Less than 1% of the West is not in drought or considered abnormally dry, also a record. More than 95% of Washington is either abnormally dry or in official drought with 52.7% of the state being in severe, extreme or exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought monitor. Rain and snow in Washington from April to June was third-lowest in 127 years of recordkeeping with only 3.7 inches (9.4 centimeters), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Both NOAA and NASA show soil moisture levels down to some of the lowest recorded levels for much of the West. Most of California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Idaho are drier than in 99% of other years. ___
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Droughts
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Plan for US Withdrawal from UNESCO Prompts Concern in Scientific Community
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While a few leaders in the scientific community have expressed concern that U.S. withdrawal from the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will obstruct long-term international scientific collaboration, the U.S. plans to continue supporting and participating in UNESCO science programs as well as other international science efforts. (Image credit - U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) On Oct. 12, the Trump administration announced that at the end of 2018 the U.S. will withdraw from the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), citing “mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias.” The U.S. left UNESCO once before during the Reagan administration, and rejoined in 2003 during the George W. Bush administration. Congress stopped funding contributions to UNESCO in 2011 after member states voted to admit Palestine as a UNESCO member state, and the U.S. subsequently lost its voting rights in 2013 due to missed payments. The U.S. remains engaged as a member state and will continue to be on the UNESCO executive board until its withdrawal. After withdrawal, the U.S. will seek to obtain non-member observer status “in order to contribute U.S. views, perspectives, and expertise.” While the action will not have an immediate impact on UNESCO, members of the scientific community have expressed concern that withdrawal could inhibit long-term international scientific cooperation. UNESCO organizes a number of multinational scientific coordination bodies, such as the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and International Hydrological Program (IHP). However, State Department officials say that withdrawal will not affect U.S. participation in these and other UNESCO science programs. UNESCO is the only U.N. specialized organization with a science mandate. Among its many functions, the organization aims to spread a culture of peace worldwide through educational, scientific, and cultural initiatives. With 195 member states and a $667 million budget for the biennium 2016-2017, it has helped establish many international scientific organizations and initiatives, including the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), which hosts the Large Hadron Collider, and the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). Several scientific societies have expressed concern that the current plans to withdraw could inhibit international scientific cooperation. American Physical Society President Laura Greene commented on the decision in an Oct. 13 statement: Through UNESCO, scientists transcend national boundaries and other differences to work together and apply science and technology to global challenges that affect everyone. The withdrawal of the U.S. as a member of UNESCO would damage U.S. participation in critical international efforts. APS hopes that the U.S. remains engaged in UNESCO to help influence international cooperation in UNESCO goals. American Association for the Advancement of Science President Rush Holt similarly observed in an Oct. 12 statement that UNESCO “works to facilitate international science collaboration” and that the “continued retrenchment of the U.S. administration from active participation in international diplomacy efforts and dialogue is deeply concerning to the scientific community.” The U.S. has engaged with or participated in UNESCO’s major scientific initiatives in some capacity throughout its membership history. This includes IOC, which focuses on coastal and ocean issues and coordinates the international tsunami warning system, and IHP which focuses on freshwater resources and management. On its website, the U.S. Mission to UNESCO underscores the national importance of such initiatives and continuing U.S. engagement with these “programs even during our nineteen-year absence from UNESCO.” State Department officials told FYI that although the U.S. will no longer be a UNESCO member, it will continue to engage in many of the organization’s programs: U.S. withdrawal from UNESCO does not alter the U.S. policy of supporting international cooperation in educational, scientific, cultural, communication and information activities. The United States intends to continue to participate in UNESCO science programs, including the [IOC], [IHP], and the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, where there are benefits to the United States. Withdrawal will also not affect U.S. membership in other international scientific organizations, like the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), or the ability of U.S. non-governmental organizations to establish and maintain an official relationship with UNESCO. However, it is uncertain if the partnerships that three dozen U.S. organizations currently do have with UNESCO will continue after 2018. The U.S. has had a longstanding, albeit rocky, history with UNESCO, of which it is a founding member. The U.S. first withdrew from UNESCO in 1984, claiming the organization was becoming too “politicized” and “exhibited hostility toward the basic institutions of a free society” and demonstrating “unrestrained budgetary expansion.” It was not until 2003 that the U.S. officially rejoined, though it continued to engage in the interim in the organization’s international scientific collaborations as a non-member observer state. Then, in 2011, the UNESCO General Conference decision to admit Palestine as a member triggered U.S. laws that prohibit the funding of U.N. entities that admit as a full member any organization or group that does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood. At the time, the $78 million annual U.S. contribution constituted over 20 percent of UNESCO’s budget. After two years of missing its deadline on annual payments, the U.S. lost its voting rights but retained membership status and continued to actively participate in UNESCO initiatives. According to State Department officials, the U.S. government owes approximately $550 million in arrears, which would have to be rectified if the U.S. were to restore its membership status. As a non-member observer, State Department officials say the U.S. plans to “continue to work with many allies, friends, and like-minded states to lobby UNESCO to depoliticize, strengthen its governance, and not to exceed its mandate, without seeing [U.S.] arrears continue to increase in the meantime.” The Trump administration has given little indication whether it will reconsider its intentions to withdraw the U.S. from UNESCO if the organization were to address its concerns. Some policymakers have also questioned whether UNESCO is the right platform for pursuing U.S. foreign science policy interests rather than engaging in initiatives targeted at particular countries. With the recent signing of an umbrella S&T agreement between the U.S. and U.K and this week’s launch of the new U.S.–E.U. Horizon 2020 Work Program for 2018-2020, the U.S. is continuing to pursue international science engagement through bilateral and multilateral agreements. Alexis Wolfe
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Withdraw from an Organization
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75 years ago, the most destructive tsunami in Hawaii’s modern history devastated Hilo
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HILO, BIG ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) - Seventy-five years ago, on April Fools’ Day 1946, the most destructive tsunami in Hawaii’s modern history barreled onto island shorelines. The first waves hit Hawaii Island as the day was just beginning: People were headed to work and to school. And nobody knew what was coming. By the time the waves had receded, 159 people were dead; homes, businesses and roads were destroyed; and there was a new appreciation for the sheer force of tsunami. (Image: NOAA) It was a 8.6-magnitude earthquake off the Aleutian Islands that triggered the 1946 tsunami. Alaska and California were also hit with tsunami waves. (A 100-foot wave crushed a small Alaskan village, killing all five inhabitants.) In Hawaii, waves topped 50 feet, survivors later estimated. (Image: Pacific Tsunami Museum) One wave that hit Hilo was at least three stories tall. And at Laupahoehoe, a schoolhouse was hit with tsunami waves. The teacher and 25 students were killed. Survivors on Hawaii Island recalled waves inundating streets and eating up buildings in what seemed like an instant. ”When I looked up, I couldn’t believe my eyes because here was this huge, huge wave, nothing that I’ve ever seen in my life,” James U.C. Low told oral historians. “It was like a wall of water.” The 1946 tsunami was a wake-up call of sorts, too. And it had a silver lining. (Image: Ted Lusdy) The horror of that day galvanized an effort to create a tsunami warning system that laid the groundwork for what’s in place today. The tsunami also created a permanent imprint on the consciousness of Hawaii residents. They knew to run from the ocean if the water suddenly receded or to head to higher ground on foot rather than trying to flee in a car that could get stuck in traffic.
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Tsunamis
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Thomson Airways Flight 1526 crash
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On 21 July 2017, a Boeing 737-800 belonging to and operated by Sunwing Airlines Inc. and operating as Thomson Airways Flight 1526 from Belfast International Airport and bound for Corfu, Greece with 185 people aboard, suffered a "serious incident" during takeoff, colliding with a runway approach light during departure. The incident was investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and determined to be the result of an incorrect temperature input into the aircraft's flight computer resulting in underperformance at take-off. The area beyond the runway and the terrain beyond were largely unobstructed, and the aircraft eventually climbed away undamaged. The remainder of the flight to Corfu was uneventful. The "serious incident" at take-off was realized and reported when airport staff subsequently observed minor ground damage. The investigation report concluded that the crew could not reasonably have been expected to recognize the anomalously low speed sooner or intervene more effectively. [1] The report listed several examples of aircraft underperformance at takeoff, reviewed the history of relevant industry efforts, and recommended that a Takeoff Acceleration Monitoring System and associated certification standards should be developed without further delay. [2]
The incident aircraft was a Boeing 737-86J(WL) serial number 38124, registration C-FWGH. The aircraft was delivered to Air Berlin in 2011 as registration D-ABMC. The aircraft entered Sunwing Airlines fleet in 2017 following the bankruptcy of Air Berlin. During the time of the incident Thomson Airways had leased the aircraft for the summer season from 29 April until 31 October 2017. The outside air temperature was 16 °C, but the operating crew entered incorrect figures (variously -47 °C and -52 °C) for the airport outside air temperature, into the flight management computer, resulting in miscalculation of the required N1, the engine fan speed (low-pressure compressor speed) required on the take-off run. [3] (Both incorrect figures appeared as OATs on the flight plan: -47 °C at the first waypoint after top-of-climb, -52 °C at top-of-climb. [3] Delays around reporting the incident meant that the Cockpit Voice Recorder information was not available for the investigation. [3][4])
When the co-pilot returned from the exterior inspection, he listened to the ATIS to find out the runway in use and the weather conditions. Using the passenger and baggage figures from the ground handling company, and the weather information from the ATIS, each pilot completed weight and balance, and performance calculations independently on his EFB. These calculations were then crosschecked before the information was entered into the FMC. The flight crew then completed a taxi and takeoff briefing covering items such as the expected taxi and departure routing and including a discussion on the handling of emergencies during the takeoff and departure. At some point during the cockpit preparation, [the first incorrect] figure of -47 °C was entered into the FMC as the outside air temperature (OAT). As the aircraft departed Runway 07, the crew noticed unusually slow acceleration as well as a low climb rate, a fact noted by witnesses on the ground. Shortly after lifting off the runway one of the aircraft's landing gear collided with a supplementary runway approach light. The light was knocked loose from its mounting and crushed while the 737 suffered no damage. Crewmembers were not made aware of the incident until ATC personnel at Belfast airport filed an incident report with the AAIB. [5]
Usage of inaccurate takeoff data can be fatal, as it can lead to runway overruns and possibly collisions with obstructions. One such close call event happened at Melbourne Airport in 2009 when the pilots of an Emirates flight entered incorrect take off data, leading to a too low thrust setting. This led to the aircraft overrunning the runway for some 150m before taking off, and barely clearing the airport perimeter fence. This incident is a case where checklists and other safeguards have failed the pilots. [6] Once airborne the crew checked the take-off performance data: the N1 level was 81.5%, far below the required level of 92.7%. Thrust was only increased when the aircraft reached 800 feet, about 4 km after becoming airborne. [7]
Neither the installed flight management computer software nor the Electronic flight bags (EFBs) in use helped in detecting the data input error. [8] A recent software release had not yet been installed, and the software omitted the cross-check of the pilot input data against the outside air temperature actually measured. The pilot became aware of the aircraft's underperformance late in the take-off run but did not intervene effectively. The Report explored various human-factors aspects of the incident, concluding that the pilots could not reasonably have been expected to respond more quickly to the developing situation, either before or after becoming airborne. It reviews and lists recent incidents of aircraft underperformance at take-off, reviews industry efforts to provide automatic warning in such situations, and calls for closer regulatory attention to pilots' portable computers ('electronic flight bags'). [3]
This incident was included in discussions of proposed new aircraft equipment:
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2017 IIHF World U18 Championship Division II
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The 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship was the 19th IIHF World U18 Championship and was hosted by Poprad and Spišská Nová Ves, Slovakia. The tournament was played from 13 to 23 April 2017. Finland entered the tournament as the defending champions and once again advanced to the final, but this time they lost to the United States. All times are local. (Central European Summer Time – UTC+02:00)
The four best ranked teams from each group of the preliminary round advance to the quarterfinals, while the last placed team from both groups plays a relegation round in a best of three format to determine the relegated team. [1]
List shows the top ten skaters sorted by points, then goals. GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/− = Plus-minus; PIM = Penalties In MinutesSource: IIHF.com
Only the top five goaltenders, based on save percentage, who have played 40% of their team's minutes are included in this list. TOI = Time On Ice (minutes:seconds); SA = Shots Against; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; Sv% = Save Percentage; SO = ShutoutsSource: IIHF.com
Most Valuable Player
All-star team
Source: IIHF.com
IIHF best player awards
Source: IIHF.com
The Division I A tournament was played in Bled, Slovenia, from 7 to 13 April 2017. The Division I B tournament will be played in Bled, Slovenia, from 15 to 21 April 2017. The Division II A tournament was played in Gangneung, South Korea, from 2 to 8 April 2017. The Division II B tournament was played in Belgrade, Serbia, from 13 to 19 March 2017. Australia achieved the unusual distinction of being promoted in consecutive years. The Division III A tournament was played in Taipei, Taiwan, from 21 to 27 March 2017. The Division III B tournament was played in Mexico City, Mexico, from 17 to 19 March 2017.
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Sports Competition
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3 types of financial aid every student should know
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Financial aid would be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that comes in the form of grants, scholarships and bursaries. Source: Javed Tanveer/AFP Money can’t buy happiness but financial aid can buy you a spot at a prestigious university abroad. It’s no secret that getting an education at a highly-ranked uni can burn a large hole through your wallet. UK unis charge from US$29,000 to US$43,000 per undergraduate programme for international students annually. An American degree can be just as steep with an annual fee of US$57,000. Then, there’s a host of other fees to think about: accommodation, books, equipment, food, and so forth . Financial aid will go a long way in covering these costs. They come in many forms, shapes and sizes — here are the three most popular options: Scholarships This covers the biggest range of awards and is given for all sorts of reasons through different types of organisations and institutions. Some of the most popular reasons include academic merit, financial need, sporting achievement, musical talent and companies who want to promote themselves to students. You likely have to compete with many. To stand out, make sure your application highlights your top achievements and qualifications. Popular scholarships for international students include the Fulbright Scholarship, Chevening Scholarship, Schwarzman Scholarship, and Rhodes Scholarship. Bursaries Bursaries are another form of financial aid unis and organisations offer to students from low-income households or underrepresented groups. Generally non-competitive, bursaries are also known as awards and are given as a lump sum at the beginning of an academic year. A popular one is the Royal Television Society Bursary which is given to students studying journalism, broadcast media or tech subjects for the television industry. Recipients had to show they come from a certain household income and an interest in a television career. The Amos Bursary, on the other hand, supports British students of African and Caribbean descent who excel at school. Grants Grants are typically given by charitable organisations for reasons such as supporting people with disabilities, hardships or certain religious backgrounds. A popular grant is the Disabled Students Allowances in the UK which provides support for physical and mental health. You’re also entitled to childcare grants if you’re financially responsible for others, but this is only awarded on a case to case basis.
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Over 30 cultural relics discovered in central China city
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Excavation work involving the ancient tomb cluster was conducted between June and July, and 11 tombs and one building site were found in the area. Chen Bin, head of the archaeological project, said that based on the shape of the tombs, characteristics of the unearthed objects and inscription on the bricks, archaeologists inferred that the tombs were from the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and the building site was constructed in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). So far, artifacts such as pottery, porcelain ware, bronze mirrors, copper hooks and agate beads have been unearthed. The archeologists believe that the building site was used for sacrificial rites, and eaves tiles found there indicate that the owner of the tomb beside the building site was a person of high status. "The tomb cluster provides important archaeological data for the study of ancient cities and the development of social culture in China. Funeral customs of different dynasties can help us further understand the social background and characteristics of that time", – Chen said.
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New archeological discoveries
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Eastern Air Lines Flight 304 crash
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Eastern Air Lines Flight 304, a Douglas DC-8 flying from New Orleans International Airport to Washington Dulles International Airport, crashed on February 25, 1964. All 51 passengers and 7 crew were killed. Among the dead were American singer and actor Kenneth Spencer and Marie-Hélène Lefaucheux, a women's and human rights activist and member of the French delegation to the United Nations. Flight 304, which had originated in Mexico City, left New Orleans International Airport for Atlanta at 2:01 a.m., Central Standard Time, and disappeared from radar at 2:10 a.m. Visibility was good, although there was a light rain. The winds were calm. The Coast Guard and other searchers sighted the wreckage around dawn in Lake Pontchartrain, about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of New Orleans. The subsequent investigation concluded that the jet crashed into Lake Pontchartrain en route due to "degradation of aircraft stability characteristics in turbulence, because of abnormal longitudinal trim component positions. "[2]
At least 32 of the passengers were making the through trip. Fourteen got on in New Orleans, while 14 were pass-riding Eastern employees. The four-engined plane, capable of carrying 126 passengers, was due in Atlanta at 3:59 a.m., at Dulles Airport in Washington at 5:53 a.m. and at Kennedy Airport in New York at 7:10 a.m. The victims included Marie-Hélène Lefaucheux, a member of the French delegation to the United Nations, who was active in women's and human rights activities of the world body. The pilot...with Eastern 21 years, had flown over five million miles. The co-pilot...had almost two million miles on his flight log. Coast Guard recovered parts of the wreckage, clothing, luggage and what was described as bits of bodies from a wide spread area centered 6 miles (10 km) south of the north shore of the lake and about 4 miles (6 km) east of the 23-mile (37 km)-long Lake Pontchartrain causeway. A [United States] Coast Guard pilot said there were indications that the plane had exploded either in the air or on impact. Eastern said that the crew had made the routine checks after take-off and that no alarm had been given. An experienced Eastern pilot said the jet had probably reached a height of 16,000 feet shortly after it had got over the lake. The water was only 20 feet (6 m) deep, yet only 60 percent of the wreckage was recovered because the breakup was so extensive. The flight data recorder tape was too damaged to help the investigation. Instead, investigators used the maintenance records of the crashed aircraft and of other DC-8s, to conclude that the pilots had trimmed the horizontal stabilizer to the full nose-down position, to counter the excessive nose-up attitude that, in turn, was caused by a malfunctioning pitch trim compensator that had extended too far. Once the upset occurred, it was not possible to trim the horizontal stabilizer back to the nose-up position, because of the severe G-forces generated by the crew's pulling back on the yoke after the upset. [3]
American singer Kenneth Spencer was also killed in the crash.
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2005 Loganair Islander accident crash
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On 15 March 2005, a Britten-Norman Islander air ambulance, operated by Loganair, crashed off the coast of Scotland, killing both people on board. The aircraft was en route to Campbeltown Airport in Argyll, Scotland, to pick up a ten-year-old boy with acute abdominal pain, suspected to be appendicitis. After a flight that included many navigational irregularities, the pilot was flying the normal approach, which took the aircraft out to sea before turning back toward the airport. The pilot informed controllers that he had completed the turn, and that was the last transmission received from the aircraft. Investigators conclude the aircraft hit the water a few seconds after that transmission. Both occupants of the aircraft, the pilot and a paramedic seated at his station behind the pilot, were killed. The ensuing investigation concluded that the pilot allowed the aircraft to fly too low, and it descended unchecked into the sea. The pilot was also fatigued, overworked, lacked recent flying practice, and he might have suffered from an undetermined influence, such as disorientation, distraction, or subtle incapacitation, as evidenced by several navigational errors, miscommunications, and mismanagement of his instruments. Although the weather might have precluded a safe landing in Campbeltown, the weather was not a cause of the accident. The patient was eventually driven overland to a Glasgow hospital, where he was treated for a ruptured appendix. The paramedics body was found strapped in to his seat with a severe, possibly fatal, head injury from an impact against the back of the pilots seat in front of him. Despite the death of both occupants of the aircraft, the UKs Air Accidents Investigation Branch, or AAIB, considered the impact survivable by the pilot. Had the paramedic been wearing a shoulder harness, the AAIB concluded it was likely that the paramedic would have survived the impact with the water with little or no injury, though it is possible he might then have succumbed to the cold water. The pilot, whose uninjured body was found nine months after the accident, and who had been wearing a shoulder harness, most likely survived the accident and escaped the aircraft, only to die of hypothermia in the cold water. As a result of this accident, regulations were enacted in 2015 by the European Union EU that require all aircraft of similar size that are used to transport passengers to be equipped with a shoulder harness, or "upper torso restraint system" UTR system, for each passenger seat. Two more recommendations from the AAIB investigators of this accident were under consideration as of the end of 2015 by EU regulators. These recommendations would require two pilots for all air ambulance flights and require a radar altimeter or "other independent low height warning device" such as a GPWS on all single-pilot public transport flights conducted in limited visibility i.e., IFR passenger flights. In 1967, Loganair began operating air ambulances for Scottish Ambulance Service SAS. In 2005, they were using three dedicated Britten Norman Islander aircraft, including the accident aircraft, to transport patients from hard-to-reach locations throughout the Scottish Highlands and the surrounding islands, flying roughly 2.000 ambulance flights per year. In February 2005 months before this accident, SAS announced they would be ending their contract with Loganair in October 2006 and replacing them with Gama Aviation, which would provide two fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopters. Loganair had one previous air ambulance accident, also involving a Britten Norman Islander, on 19 May 1996, in which the pilot was killed, and the two passengers, a physician and a flight nurse, were injured. This 1996 accident bore similarities to the 2005 accident. It occurred at night with a single fatigued and poorly rested pilot making an approach in difficult weather, though in this case it was a strong and gusting crosswind rather than poor visibility that was the primary meteorological challenge. After successfully transporting the patient from Tingwall Airport in the Shetland Islands to Inverness Airport, the pilot, nurse, and physician were returning to their home base in Tingwall. There was a strong and gusting right crosswind at the runway. The pilots approach procedure required him to make right turns to line up with the runway. However, these right turns obscured the pilots view of the runway, and when the pilot made his final right turn, the aircraft had been blown to the left of the runway, too far to make a safe landing. The pilot executed a go-around procedure and attempted another approach. Again, the aircraft was blown far to the left of the runway centreline, and during the final approach turn, the aircraft lost a great deal of altitude, striking the ground 1.5 km short of the runway and approximately 0.3 km to the left of the runway centreline. The AAIB determined that nighttime visibility of the airport environment was inadequate, especially during right crosswind conditions, and recommended the Tingwall Airport add additional ground lighting to aid pilots ability to acquire the runway during nighttime approaches. The aircraft was a British built BN2B-26 Islander manufactured by Pilatus Britten-Norman in 1989, registration G-BOMG. It was a high wing design with two wing-mounted Lycoming O-540-E4C5 piston engines, each delivering a rated 260 horsepower to a two-blade variable-pitch propeller. It had fixed tricycle landing gear, with the two main gear bogies two wheels each mounted on legs that extend down from the wing, just aft of the engines. It made its first flight on 20 March of that year. It was delivered to the original customer in Germany, FLN Frisia Luftverkehr, on 25 May, and re-registered in Germany as D-IBNF. On 14 August 2002, Loganair purchased the aircraft from FLN and registered it in the UK as G-BOMG. Loganairs chief executive, Jim Cameron, described the Islander as "robust" and "well suited to the vagaries of Scottish weather." Summarizing expert opinion of the Islander, Alastair Dalton of The Scotsman said the aircraft "had a good safety record and had proved versatile in operating from the shortest and roughest Highland runways." Loganair converted the aircraft into an ambulance after purchasing it from FLN. It had one stretcher, a paramedic seat behind the pilot, two seats in the back of the cabin, and two cockpit seats. The aircraft had three doors, though the right cabin door was difficult to access because it was blocked by the stretcher. The aircraft was equipped with autopilot, and it was certified for single-pilot operation. The aircraft was equipped with a diagonal shoulder harness for each of the eight passenger seats when it was delivered new to FLN. However, when Loganair converted the aircraft for ambulance use, they installed the same seats and seat belts they used in the rest of their Islander fleet. The shoulder harnesses were designed to attach to a specific type of lap belt, which was different from the lap belts used by Loganair. At the time of the accident, shoulder harnesses were not required for passengers, and Loganair did not retrofit the seat belts or shoulder harnesses to be compatible with each other. The pilot, 40-year-old Guy Henderson of Broxburn, Scotland, had 3.553 hours total flight experience, including 205 in the Islander. His Airline Transport License and Class I Medical Certificate were current. Due to flight scheduling and a family vacation, he had not flown for 32 days before the accident. On the day of the accident, Henderson awoke at 0645 h after eight hours of sleep.
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Shots fired during bank robbery at Mount Pleasant in South Australia
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Shots have been fired during a bank robbery at Mount Pleasant, a town north of the Adelaide Hills region in South Australia. A man went into the BankSA branch on Melrose Street just after 11:30am (ACST) and demanded money, police said. He fired several shots before escaping with cash. No one was injured. Police said he fled in a silver four-wheel drive. It is the third time the bank has been targeted, with police saying there are striking similarities between the robbery and 10 others between 2004 and 2009. The daughter of an employee at the bank said she was shocked to hear of the robbery. "We got a phone call saying that mum had been in a bit of trouble - not her personally, but the bank, so we just spun around back from Gawler and come to see her, and she's a bit shaken up at the moment," the woman said. Police are seeking assistance from the public to find the man. He has been described as 188cm tall, of solid build, with a tanned complexion. He was wearing a black jacket and pants. 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)
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Former Delta execs say they will support police investigation into irregularities
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Former Delta Property Fund executives implicated by the company in financial irregularities – Sandile Nomvete (pictured), Shaneel Maharaj and Otis Tshabalala – on Monday claimed again that they were innocent and said they would support police investigations. Photo: File
Former Delta execs say they will support police investigation into irregularities
By Edward West
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CAPE TOWN - FORMER Delta Property Fund executives implicated by the company in financial irregularities – Sandile Nomvete, Shaneel Maharaj and Otis Tshabalala – on Monday claimed again that they were innocent and said they would support police investigations.
“We are pleased the company has clarified the narrative of an ‘alleged R43.9 million fraud’ that previous communication … had created,” the former directors said.
Last week Delta, upon the re-issue of corrected annual financial statements for the year to end February, said that the executives had “undermined the company’s governance practices, which resulted in non-compliance with internal controls in the company, including unsubstantiated payments, procurement irregularities and other unethical business dealings”.
Delta said that the matters had been reported to the police and other relevant authorities for further investigation and the board was taking legal advice based on the forensic reports and an internal assessment as to any civil claims that may arise.
However, the three former executives claimed that the company’s latest announcement reiterated “unfounded allegations” contained in previous communications.
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Delta Property Fund's lead independent director withdraws resignation
“We wish to reaffirm, unequivocally, our denial of involvement in any accusations of non-compliance with internal controls, unsubstantiated payments, procurement irregularities and other unethical business dealings,” they said.
They said governance at Delta at the time was managed by the board and its sub-committees together with the executives. External and internal auditors had provided further assurances regarding governance practices.
In addition, the company had confirmed publicly in August last year that their departure was to allow the new leadership the space to drive a revised strategy, they said.
“During the separation discussions, we were appraised regarding the first forensic investigation by Mazars, which was reported by a whistle-blower to the company secretary, and that the report found no proof of the executives benefiting from payments of R2.1m made to a consultant as alleged,” they said.
“In respect of the R41.8m commission payments, they said it was curious the board had concluded these payments were identified as related/connected party transactions and apparent conflict of interest situations relating to the then board members. Yet, the same announcement states ‘management has been unable to obtain the shareholding information and thus establish whether such parties constitute related parties for IFRS disclosure purposes’,” the directors said.
On changes to the property valuations, the directors said the investment committee had approved the appointment of the independent valuers and had approved the final valuations.
“For the year ended 2020 a special meeting between the investment committee, BDO Inc and valuers was convened to ensure uniformity regarding the valuation methodology and assumptions. BDO audited the final approved valuations, and one would expect the omission of property-related expenses and ‘alleged’ off-market assumptions used by the valuers would have been identified and considered.”
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
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Market Crash Coming in Two to Three Years
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The economy is ‘already dead,’ and another round of stimulus won’t revive it, according to the “contrarian’s contrarian.” By Jane Wollman Rusoff | February 20, 2021 at 04:36 PM | The original version of this story was published on ThinkAdvisor With its “zombie” public companies and small-business failures, the U.S. economy is “dead,” and a second stimulus won’t revive it, argued Harry S. Dent Jr. in a recent interview with Treasury & Risk sister publication ThinkAdvisor . “The contrarian’s contrarian,” as Dent is known, forecasts that the pandemic-afflicted U.S. economy, amid an enormous Federal Reserve-created bubble, won’t bottom out until 2023. He predicts that the stock market will reach bottom late in 2022 or early in 2023. It will be “the lowest stock market of our lifetime.” Dent, 67, accurately called Japan’s 1989 economic collapse, the dot-com bust, and the populist wave that delivered the presidency to Donald Trump. He uses propriety research and bases predictions mainly on demographics and trends. As head of HSD Publishing, the Harvard Business School MBA puts out the monthly “HS Dent Forecast” and “Rodney Johnson Report,” along with free daily insight “e-letters” (see www.harrydent.com ). Dent has also written a number of bestsellers. His most recent title is “ Spending Waves .”
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Financial Crisis
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DR Congo president cuts Europe trip short due to volcanic eruption
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Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi decided to interrupt his stay in Europe and return home to supervise aid to residents threatened by a volcanic eruption, the presidency announced early Sunday. Tshisekedi is closely following the security and humanitarian situations in North Kivu following the eruption of Mt. Nyiragongo that began late Saturday, the presidency said in a series of tweets. The head of state urged authorities to show prudence and solidarity in the face of the natural disaster. Nyiragongo, one of the world's most active volcanoes, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, erupted and forced thousands of residents in North Kivu’s Goma to flee to Rwanda. The city of Rubavu in Rwanda has received more than 3,500 Congolese seeking refuge from the eruption. A national contingency plan is in place to ensure safety and humanitarian services, according to the Rwandan ministry in charge of Emergency Management. The evacuation plan for Goma has been activated. The decision was made during a crisis meeting chaired by DRC Prime Minister Sama Lukonde, according to government spokesman Patrick Muyaya. At least 250 people were killed when Nyiragongo last erupted in 2002 and 120,000 were left homeless after lava flowed into Goma.
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Volcano Eruption
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Overcoming the odds: Surviving childhood lead poisoning
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0 COLUMBUS— There’s a silent danger in Ohio that exists in our pipes, walls and furniture, poisoning children. Lead is a problem all over the map, but Cleveland is particularly impacted.
A study released by the Center for Urban Poverty and Community Development in 2019 found that 93% of students in Cleveland had been exposed to lead. The highest exposure was on the East Side of Cleveland.
Dontavius Jarrells was one of those children.
When Jarrells was a kid growing up in Cleveland, his grandmother would babysit him. The two of them would watch "The Twilight Zone" marathons.
“We would sit and we would never have popcorn," said Jarrells. "So we would sit and my grandmother had this old table, probably built in the 1930s, very old. I would sit there, and pick the paint off that table, and watch sci-fi movies with my grandmother when she would babysit me.”
Because of that table, he and his family entered a twilight zone of their own.
“There were days when I would just have multiple fevers at a time. And my mom was like, you know, 'There's something wrong so let me take you to the hospital,'" recalls Jarrells.
Doctors ran tests that found some of the highest lead levels they had seen in a child.
Any amount of lead is dangerous, but continued exposure can lead to severe cognitive delays, behavioral problems, lower IQ and even death.
Before 1978, lead use was pretty ubiquitous. It could be found in paint, gasoline and the materials used to pave highways.
Jarrells says it didn’t dawn on his grandmother that she was putting him in danger.
“She didn’t know," he said. "I don’t think most families when they come from those communities, you know, lead exists, right? You think about like lead pencils. No one really thought though is the community educated enough about lead to know what to do when they see the signs.”
Luckily for Jarrells, it was caught early. The effects of his poisoning, however, still haunt him.
He says he’s sometimes forgetful and can’t keep track of his train of thought, but he hasn’t let it slow him down.
“I was very fortunate and very lucky that this poison didn’t impact me to the point that I wouldn’t be here talking to you about legislation and what we need to do," Jarrells said.
He now goes by State Rep. Jarrells. Elected in 2020, he now serves one of the poorest districts in Ohio fighting to ensure no child endures what he had to.
He's now pushing for $10 million to fund a program that provides lead abatement to low-income housing.
The program had to stop taking applications last spring because their resources were exhausted by the amount of demand.
Luckily for Jarrells, the governor is in his corner.
“I am for spending more money on lead abatement, it is very very important,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said at a news conference Thursday.
Since taking office, DeWine has made lead abatement a priority of his administration.
“You have two separate problems," DeWine told Spectrum News, "you have lead in houses, old houses, that poison kids, lead paint. Then you have the water lines coming into the houses that are sometimes lead.”
It’s a costly problem that can’t be solved overnight. Jarrells is committed to helping his community, one house at a time.
Some Republican lawmakers have received threatening phone calls for supporting the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.
The amount of unruly passenger fines recommended by the agency this year alone topped $1 million in August. Spectrum News reviewed a copy of his upcoming book.
The joint committee held its first of two hearings Wednesday.
The first lady attended an event with military families at the White House on Wednesday. Nearly 1 million children 5 to 11 will have received their first COVID-19 vaccination shot by the end of Wednesday, the Biden administration said.
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Mass Poisoning
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Thumb Fire
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The Thumb Fire took place on September 5, 1881, in the Thumb area of Michigan in the United States. [1] The fire, which burned over a million acres (4,000 km²) in less than a day, was the consequence of drought, hurricane-force winds, heat, the after-effects of the Port Huron Fire of 1871, and the ecological damage wrought by the era's logging techniques. The blaze, also called the Great Thumb Fire, the Great Forest Fire of 1881 and the Huron Fire, killed 282 people in Sanilac, Lapeer, Tuscola and Huron counties. The damage estimate was $2,347,000[2] in 1881, equivalent to $62,940,066 when adjusted for inflation. The fire sent enough soot and ash up into the atmosphere that sunlight was partially obscured at many locations on the East Coast of the United States. In New England cities, the sky appeared yellow and projected a strange luminosity onto buildings and vegetation. Twilight appeared at 12 noon. September 6, 1881, became known as Yellow Tuesday or Yellow Day because of the ominous nature of this atmospheric event. [3]
August and the first days of September 1881 were hotter than usual,[4] and the Thumb had had a rain deficit since April; in Thornville, this period was the driest registered up to 1969. [5] There were forest fires beginning in mid-August, and on August 31, a fire started in northern Lapeer County. It destroyed several buildings in Sandusky and Deckerville in nearby Sanilac County. On Monday, September 5, the town of Bad Axe, in Huron County, burst into flames. Winds spread the fire to Huron City and Grindstone City. The fire continued to spread through Tuesday and Wednesday, September 6 and 7, consuming most of Huron, Tuscola, Sanilac and Lapeer counties. [6]
In 1881 Clara Barton, at the age of 60, founded the American Red Cross. The organization's first official disaster relief operation was its response to the Michigan "Thumb Fire" of 1881. The Red Cross provided money, clothes and household items. [7] The fire caused more than 14,000 people to be dependent on public aid. It also destroyed over 2,000 barns, dwellings, and schools. After the fires of 1881, people started to organize firefighting plans. By the 1900s the timber barons were suffering huge losses from forest fires, so they developed the Northern Forest and Protection Association to manage forest fires in Michigan; it was superseded by the U.S. Forest Service. [8] However, the Ford Motor Company, which owned large areas of forest, had already established serious conservation and cleanup methods, along with maintaining their own firetowers and timber patrols, in order to discover fires soon after their start. [8] The early settlers used bucket brigades to protect their houses and barns, but they were no match for the raging fires. In 1917, Michigan purchased its first tractor for firefighting.
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Fire
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Nustar Fire
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The Nustar Fire was a fuel storage fire and wildfire at the NuStar Energy facility in Crockett, California, which started about 2:00 PM on 15 October 2019. [1] By 9:00 PM the same evening, the fire was contained, though two tanks of ethanol were still burning. [2] About 15 acres burned. [1]
The ATF and other agencies investigated the cause of the fuel tank explosions. [3] There is some speculation that the event might have been related to a nearby earthquake 15 hours earlier. [4]
On 22 October it was reported that the Nustar Fire was provoking opposition to an expansion of the Phillips 66 refinery tank farm adjacent to the NuStar facility, in Rodeo. [5]
As of 25 October 2019 (10 days after the fire), two ships delivering imported ethanol were stuck without a place to unload, since the NuStar terminal was the only terminal in the San Francisco area set up to receive ethanol, and was shut down by the state while they investigated the fire. [6]
On 27 October, another fire, the Sky Fire, threatened Crockett, burning another 150 acres along Cummings Skyway. Most of the town and the NuStar facility were evacuated. [7] The Sky Fire was extinguished on 28 October. [8]
According to the 30-day interim report on the Nustar fire submitted to the Contra Costa Hazardous Materials Programs by Shore Terminals LLC:[9]
The updated material released quantity estimate during the October 15, 2019 fire incident is approximately 6,664 total barrels of ethanol from the impacted tanks and approximately 3,846 barrels of renewable diesel and 43 barrels of jet fuel from the impacted piping. As previously reported, the cause of the incident is unknown and is under investigation by Contra Costa
County Fire Protection District with support from several agencies, including yours. David LeCount has
been at the site much of the time participating. Shore Terminals LLC submits this as an interim report and
will update this report monthly until the investigation is complete and a final report can be submitted in
accordance with the Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Incident Notification Policy. A final report from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District was completed and presented May 21, 2021. It concluded the first tank explosion was probably caused by an electric fault that ignited an ethanol vapor air mixture in the headspace of the tank. Improper grounding was observed as well as a pallet removed from the vapor line PRV after a 2012 incident. The second tank was damaged by debris from the first explosion. [10]
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Fire
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Egypt announces first major archeological discovery of 2021
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CAIRO — Egypt recently uncovered a significant archaeological discovery that sheds light on secrets in the Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo and on the 18th and 19th Egyptian dynasties. The unearthed artifacts are a major find that could turn the ancient burial site into a major tourist and cultural destination and revise our understanding of region during the New Kingdom era under King Teti, the first pharaoh of Egypt’s Sixth Dynasty. The burial sites being excavated are around his pyramid. Prominent archeologist Zahi Hawass told reporters at the Saqqara site on Jan. 17 that the joint Egyptian mission of researchers from the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Zahi Hawass Institute of Egyptology, unearthed the funerary temple of Queen Nearti, the wife of King Teti, near the pyramid of her husband. The mission also found plans for the temple's construction and three warehouse-like structures built of mud bricks in the southeast side of the funerary temple, used for storing ritual offerings to the deities. In addition, 52 burial wells were found, with depths ranging from 10 to 12 meters and containing more than 50 wooden coffins dating back some 3,000 years during the New Kingdom period — a discovery unprecedented in the Saqqara area. The sarcophagi are carved into human form and bear paintings of several gods as well as funerary writings from the Book of the Dead, which is said to be a guide for the deceased in their journey to the other world. Several other artifacts were also found inside the wells, including statues of deities such as the gods Osiris, Ptah and Seker. The archeological mission also unearthed a papyrus four meters long and one meter wide, bearing excerpts from the Book of the Dead and the signature of its owner, Bu-Khaa-Af. This same name was found on four Ushabti funerary statues. A wooden coffin carved in human form was also found, in addition to other Ushabti statues made of wood and tin-glazed pottery from the New Kingdom era. A set of wooden masks and a shrine to Anubis, a god of the afterlife, were also uncovered, as well as statues of Anubis found in good condition. Several games left for the dead were also unearthed such as senet, which is very similar to today’s chess, and as set for the Game of Twenty Squares bearing the name of its owner. Other artifacts included depictions of geese as well as a bronze ax, indicating that its owner was one of the leaders of the army during the New Kingdom era, and paintings depicting scenes of the deceased and their wives and bearing hieroglyphics. One limestone panel in good condition depicts a man identified as Khu-Ptah and his wife Mut-am-waya. One part of the painting shows the couple worshiping the god Osiris, while the lower part depicts the man seated and his wife sitting behind him with their daughters, one at her mother’s feet holding a lotus flower to her nose. Hawass said that the excavation works continue and new archeological discoveries can be expected as many of Saqqara's antiquities have not been unveiled. Sabri Farag, director of the Saqqara archaeological site, told Al-Monitor that the latest discovery is a very important one in the Saqqara necropolis and that the excavation mission is ongoing. He said, “Saqqara has not revealed all its many secrets yet,” adding that the mission uncovered eight archeological finds in 2020 and this new one already in 2021. He said that more discoveries can be expected over the course of the year. Waad Abu al-Al, director of projects at the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, told Al-Monitor that restoration works are underway in the southern cemetery of King Djoser to open the necropolis for tourists. “Excavations works in the ancient site are also ongoing and once they're completed, Saqqara will take its place on the world’s tourist map,” he said.
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New archeological discoveries
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Elaine Thompson-Herah Breaks 33-year-old Olympic Record To Win Women's 100m At Tokyo
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Thompson-Herah broke Florence Griffith Joyner’s 33-year-old Olympic record in the women’s 100m final as Jamaica swept the medals
Elaine Thompson-Herah, of Jamaica, wins the women's 100m final at the 2020 Summer Olympics on Saturday, July 31, 2021, in Tokyo. | AP Photo/Petr David Josek
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2021-07-31T19:05:31+05:30 Elaine Thompson-Herah Breaks 33-year-old Olympic Record To Win Women's 100m At Tokyo
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Published: 31 Jul 2021, Updated: 31 Jul 2021 7:09 pm
Elaine Thompson-Herah broke Florence Griffith Joyner’s 33-year-old Olympic record in the women’s 100 meters, pointing at the scoreboard even before crossing the line in 10.61 seconds Saturday to defend her title and lead a Jamaican sweep of the medals. Tokyo Olympics | Full Schedule | Sports News
Griffith Joyner set the old record of 10.62 at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Thompson-Herah beat her top rival, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, by .13 seconds. Shericka Jackson, who moved to the shorter sprints for the Tokyo Olympics, won bronze in 10.76.
This was the first Jamaican sweep of the medals since the women did it at the 2008 Beijing Games – a feat somewhat overshadowed that week by the record-setting performance by Usain Bolt.
But really, there is no overlooking the Jamaican women, who actually have a longer history of sprint success than the men in the island country. Fraser-Pryce finished on top in that 2008 race, and completed her Olympic set in the 100, where she now has two golds (′08, ′12), a silver and a bronze (′16).
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Fraser-Pryce and Thompson-Herah are headed for a possible rematch in the 200, where Thompson-Herah is also the defending champion.
This had been shaping up as a fast race for days, if not months. In June, Fraser-Pryce ran the fourth-fastest time in history at 10.63 seconds.
And when the sprinters arrived in Japan, they discovered a fast track at Olympic Stadium. In the semifinals earlier Saturday, the Jamaicans all cracked 10.8 to get on the list of the 10 best times in Olympic history.
Then, it was Thompson-Herah’s turn to make history.
Flo Jo’s records are older than virtually every sprinter in the women’s game, save Fraser-Pryce, who was born about 18 months before the American set the marks. Griffith Joyner’s world record, the 10.49, is still out there, and no other woman has ever broken 10.6.
Fraser-Pryce came in thinking it could be her, and when she crossed the line in second, she flashed a look of disbelief, then stood stone-faced with her hands on her hips looking at the scoreboard.
Thompson-Herah wasn’t surprised. She was looking left toward the clock as she approached the line. She was pointing even before she got there, conjuring memories of Bolt, who celebrated with 10 meters to go when he ran 9.69 to break the men’s world record in 2008.
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Break historical records
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TAME Flight 120 crash
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TAME Flight 120 was a Boeing 727-134 airliner, registration HC-BLF, named El Oro, operating as a scheduled international passenger flight between Quito, Ecuador and Cali, Colombia, with a scheduled stopover at the Ecuadorian border town of Tulcán. The aircraft crashed while on approach to Tulcán's Teniente Coronel Luis A. Mantilla International Airport on January 28, 2002. The pilot flew the approach incorrectly in reportedly foggy conditions, and the aircraft crashed into the side of the Cumbal Volcano, located near Ipiales, Colombia, at 10:23 in the morning. All passengers and crew were killed in the crash. The aircraft involved had first flown in 1967 and was previously operated by Transair Sweden, Air Madeira, and Philippine Airlines before being transferred to TAME. [1]
The captain was 59-year-old Jorge Efrain Noe, one of TAME's flight instructors and most experienced pilots, having logged a total of 12,091 flight hours, including 8,263 hours on the Boeing 727. The first officer was 52-year-old Carlos Alfonso Lopez, who was undergoing training to become a captain. He had 7,058 flight hours with 3,457 of them on the Boeing 727. The flight engineer was 50-year-old Jorge Anibal Burgos Villamar, who had 4,200 flight hours including 3,000 hours on the Boeing 727. [2]
First officer Lopez was the pilot flying on the accident flight and occupied the left seat, while captain Noe occupied the right seat and acted as pilot-in-command. [2]
The Boeing 727-100 departed Quito at 10:03 local time, taking off from Runway 17. The aircraft climbed to a cruising altitude of 18,000 feet (5,500 m) and proceeded north-north-east along the G-675 airway. The first leg, between Quito and Tulcán, was a short one. At 10:15 HC-BLF made contact with the Tulcán control tower, at which point it was positioned 29 miles (25 nmi; 47 km) from the Tulcán NDB. The crew were given permission to descend to 14,000 feet (4,300 m), and were provided with the weather conditions and cleared for the approach. The NDB approach to Runway 23 at Teniente Coronel Luis A. Mantilla Airport would take the airplane directly over the airport, bearing 085 degrees; the aircraft would then make a left-hand turn to heading 233 after 1.5 minutes, flying at 180 knots (210 mph; 330 km/h) IAS, all the while descending to a final altitude of 11,500 feet (3,500 m). [3] The elevation of the runway is 9,679 feet (2,950 m); there are numerous mountain ridges and peaks located in the vicinity of the airport, which is located high in the Andes mountains. The Cumbal Volcano, which rises to an altitude of 15,626 feet (4,763 m), is located less than 20 miles (17 nmi; 32 km) due west of the airport. El Oro entered the approach from the southwest, passing slightly west of the NDB, as opposed to directly over it. The pilot began the turn correctly, but was flying too fast; the aircraft was flying at 230 knots (260 mph; 430 km/h), rather than the required 180. This took the 727 wide of its intended course; by the time it came around to a westerly heading, it was flying not towards the runway, but into the side of the Cumbal Volcano. The aircraft crashed into the side of the mountain at 10:23 AM, after which no further contact was made with the flight. The impact occurred at an elevation of 14,700 feet (4,500 m), some 1,400 feet (430 m) below the volcano's summit. Visibility was very poor at the time of the accident; the wreckage was not found until almost a day later. The investigation committee of the Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics (Colombia) found the probable cause of the accident to be the following:[4][2]
1. The pilot's decision... to initiate and continue the flight towards Tulcán Airport while below minimum meteorological conditions established in the company's standard operating procedure. 2. Inadequate navigation and operation of the aircraft by the pilot in command... consistent with entering the holding pattern at the Tulcán NDB with a velocity of 230 knots indicated and with a bank angle of 15 degrees, exceeding the maximum limit of 180 knots stipulated throughout the procedure, and using a bank angle inferior to the recommended 25 to 30 degrees, thereby departing... holding pattern obstacle protection, leading to a collision against the Cumbal Volcano.
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Air crash
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Trump is ripping up the INF Treaty, ending a key Cold War nuclear arms pact with Russia
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The administration argues that Russia has developed weapons in violation of the agreement, which it says it has stuck to for three decades. The US is officially withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia due to alleged violations of the 1987 pact by Moscow, the Trump administration said Friday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the withdrawal after a series of tense conversations with the Russians failed to save the agreement, which dates from the closing years of the Cold War. "Countries must be held accountable when they break the rules," Pompeo said at the Department of State. "Russia has jeopardized the United States’ security interests. We can no longer be restricted by the treaty while Russia shamelessly violates it." In a statement, the White House said that Russia has, for too long, "violated the [INF Treaty] with impunity, covertly developing and fielding a prohibited missile system that poses a direct threat to our allies and troops abroad." The weapon at the heart of the dispute is the Novator 9M729, which NATO refers to as SSC-8. The US argues that the missile, which US intelligence believes has been deployed to hold most of Europe at risk, violates the range restrictions of the INF Treaty. "These new missiles are hard to detect, they are mobile, they are nuclear capable," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said recently. "They can reach European cities and they reduce the warning time." In a statement on the decision to withdraw, NATO allies said they "fully support" the Trump administration's decision to withdraw. "The United States has fully adhered to the INF Treaty for more than 30 years, but we will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia misrepresents its actions," the White House said in its statement, "We cannot be the only country in the world unilaterally bound by this treaty, or any other." In the same statement, President Donald Trump said the US will "move forward with developing our own military response" to alleged violations of the pact by Russia. Moscow has insisted it will take steps to counter whatever Washington pursues, signaling the start of a new arms race. While the administration remains focused on Russia rhetorically, the move is believed to be a response to China's growing arsenal of intermediate-range ballistic missiles. One example is the DF-26, which China claims could be used to sink a US aircraft carrier or strike US bases in the Pacific.
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Tear Up Agreement
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US withdraws from UN Human Rights Council
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The Trump administration on June 19, 2018, announced the U.S. has withdrawn from the U.N. Human Rights Council. (Photo by sanjitbakshi; courtesy Flickr) U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley told reporters during a press conference at the State Department that Cuba, Venezuela, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries “with unambiguous and abhorrent human rights records” are members of the council. She also accused the council of having a “chronic bias against” Israel. “America has a proud legacy as a champion of human rights, a proud legacy as the world’s largest provider of humanitarian aid, and a proud legacy of liberating oppressed people and defeating tyranny throughout the world,” said Haley. “While we do not seek to impose the American system on anyone else, we do support the rights of all people to have freedoms bestowed on them by their creator. That is why we are withdrawing from the U.N. Human Rights Council, an organization that is not worthy of its name.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also spoke to reporters. “We have no doubt that there was once a noble vision for this council,” he said. “But today, we need to be honest – the Human Rights Council is a poor defender of human rights.” Pompeo added the council “has become an exercise in shameless hypocrisy — with many of the world’s worst human rights abuses going ignored, and some of the world’s most serious offenders sitting on the council itself.” Cuba is among the countries that are members of the U.N. Human Rights Council. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key) The U.N. created the council in 2006. The U.S. joined the council in 2009 after former President Obama took office. The council over the last decade has become an increasingly vocal champion of LGBTI rights. The council in 2011 narrowly approved an LGBTI rights resolution. It adopted a resolution against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in 2014. The council in 2016 approved the creation of the U.N.’s first-ever position to combat anti-LGBTI violence and discrimination. Cuba and Venezuela are among the countries that voted for the resolution. The U.S. last September voted against a council resolution that includes a provision condemning the death penalty for those found guilty of committing consensual same-sex sexual acts. An American official told the Washington Blade the U.S. backed language in the resolution “against the discriminatory use of the death penalty based on an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, while also requesting changes to make the larger resolution in accordance with U.S. law” that says the death penalty is legal. The Human Rights Campaign and the Council for Global Equality are among the organizations that told Pompeo in a letter they are “deeply disappointed” with the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the council. “This decision is counterproductive to American national security and foreign policy interests and will make it more difficult to advance human rights priorities and aid victims of abuse around the world,” they said. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer on Tuesday applauded the decision when he spoke at his embassy’s annual Pride reception in D.C. U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) — who was born in Havana before the 1959 Cuban revolution brought Fidel Castro to power — also praised Haley and Pompeo. Tuesday’s announcement coincides with growing global outrage over the Trump administration’s policy of separating immigrant children from their parents when they enter the U.S. from Mexico. U.N. experts have sharply criticized the U.S. over its response to Hurricane Maria that devastated Puerto Rico last September. Many structures in La Perla neighborhood of San Juan, Puerto Rico, still have temporary roofs — “techos azules” in Spanish — more than eight months after Hurricane Maria devastated the U.S. commonwealth. A panel of U.N. experts have sharply criticized the U.S. response to Maria on the island. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers) The Trump administration’s overall LGBTI rights record also continues to spark outrage among activists. “Without a history of progress on LGBTIQ human rights at the Human Rights Council we would have no progress to speak of within the U.N. system today,” said OutRight Action International, a global LGBTI advocacy group, in a statement. “Withdrawing from the council sends a message to other countries that its acceptable to walk away from the system when it doesn’t suit you to be there.” “Imagine, what would happen if all countries walked away from the U.N. because of disagreements,” asked the organization. Haley at the State Department press conference stressed the administration has “used America’s voice and vote to defend human rights at the U.N. every day, and we will continue to do so.” “Even as we end our membership in the Human Rights Council, we will keep trying to strengthen the entire framework of the U.N. engagement on human rights issues, and we will continue to strongly advocate for reform of the Human Rights Council,” she said. “Should it become reformed, we would be happy to rejoin it.” National LGBT Media Association announces 2018 Ad POP awards Justice Department set to host annual LGBT Pride event on June 26 Transgender Zimbabwean woman in Md. wins asylum case Formula One racing star wears LGBTQ Pride helmet at Qatar Grand Prix Bisexual journey ‘Greedy’ is a book to share on By Despite having President Biden in the White House and Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress, efforts to update federal civil rights laws to strengthen the prohibition on discrimination against LGBTQ people by passing the Equality Act are all but dead as opponents of the measure have contorted it beyond recognition. Political willpower is lacking to find a compromise that would be acceptable to enough Republican senators to end a filibuster on the bill — a tall order in any event — nor is there the willpower to force a vote on the Equality Act as opponents stoke fears about transgender kids in sports and not even unanimity in the Democratic caucus in favor of the bill is present, stakeholders who spoke to the Blade on condition of anonymity said. In fact, there are no imminent plans to hold a vote on the legislation even though Pride month is days away, which would be an opportune time for Congress to demonstrate solidarity with the LGBTQ community by holding a vote on the legislation. If the Equality Act were to come up for a Senate vote in the next month, it would not have the support to pass. Continued assurances that bipartisan talks are continuing on the legislation have yielded no evidence of additional support, let alone the 10 Republicans needed to end a filibuster. “I haven’t really heard an update either way, which is usually not good,” one Democratic insider said. “My understanding is that our side was entrenched in a no-compromise mindset and with [Sen. Joe] Manchin saying he didn’t like the bill, it doomed it this Congress. And the bullying of hundreds of trans athletes derailed our message and our arguments of why it was broadly needed.” The only thing keeping the final nail from being hammered into the Equality Act’s coffin is the unwillingness of its supporters to admit defeat. Other stakeholders who spoke to the Blade continued to assert bipartisan talks are ongoing, strongly pushing back on any conclusion the legislation is dead. Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said the Equality Act is “alive and well,” citing widespread public support he said includes “the majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents and a growing number of communities across the country engaging and mobilizing every day in support of the legislation.” “They understand the urgent need to pass this bill and stand up for LGBTQ people across our country,” David added. “As we engage with elected officials, we have confidence that Congress will listen to the voices of their constituents and continue fighting for the Equality Act through the lengthy legislative process. We will also continue our unprecedented campaign to grow the already-high public support for a popular bill that will save lives and make our country fairer and more equal for all. We will not stop until the Equality Act is passed.” Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), chief sponsor of the Equality Act in the Senate, also signaled through a spokesperson work continues on the legislation, refusing to give up on expectations the legislation would soon become law. “Sen. Merkley and his staff are in active discussions with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to try to get this done,” McLennan said. “We definitely see it as a key priority that we expect to become law.” A spokesperson Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who had promised to force a vote on the Equality Act in the Senate on the day the U.S. House approved it earlier this year, pointed to a March 25 “Dear Colleague” letter in which he identified the Equality Act as one of several bills he’d bring up for a vote. Despite any assurances, the hold up on the bill is apparent. Although the U.S. House approved the legislation earlier this year, the Senate Judiciary Committee hasn’t even reported out the bill yet to the floor in the aftermath of the first-ever Senate hearing on the bill in March. A Senate Judiciary Committee Democratic aide, however, disputed that inaction as evidence the Equality Act is dead in its tracks: “Bipartisan efforts on a path forward are ongoing.” Democrats are quick to blame Republicans for inaction on the Equality Act, but with Manchin withholding his support for the legislation they can’t even count on the entirety of their caucus to vote “yes” if it came to the floor. Progressives continue to advocate an end to the filibuster to advance legislation Biden has promised as part of his agenda, but even if they were to overcome headwinds and dismantle the institution needing 60 votes to advance legislation, the Equality Act would likely not have majority support to win approval in the Senate with a 50-50 party split. The office of Manchin, who has previously said he couldn’t support the Equality Act over concerns about public schools having to implement the transgender protections applying to sports and bathrooms, hasn’t responded to multiple requests this year from the Blade on the legislation and didn’t respond to a request to comment for this article. Meanwhile, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who declined to co-sponsor the Equality Act this year after having signed onto the legislation in the previous Congress, insisted through a spokesperson talks are still happening across the aisle despite the appearances the legislation is dead. “There continues to be bipartisan support for passing a law that protects the civil rights of Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Annie Clark, a Collins spokesperson. “The Equality Act was a starting point for negotiations, and in its current form, it cannot pass. That’s why there are ongoing discussions among senators and stakeholders about a path forward.” Let’s face it: Anti-LGBTQ forces have railroaded the debate by making the Equality Act about an end to women’s sports by allowing transgender athletes and danger to women in sex-segregated places like bathrooms and prisons. That doesn’t even get into resolving the issue on drawing the line between civil rights for LGBTQ people and religious freedom, which continues to be litigated in the courts as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected any day now to issue a ruling in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia to determine if foster care agencies can reject same-sex couples over religious objections. For transgender Americans, who continue to report discrimination and violence at high rates, the absence of the Equality Act may be most keenly felt. Mara Keisling, outgoing executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, disputed any notion the Equality Act is dead and insisted the legislation is “very much alive.” “We remain optimistic despite misinformation from the opposition,” Keisling said. “NCTE and our movement partners are still working fruitfully on the Equality Act with senators. In fact, we are gaining momentum with all the field organizing we’re doing, like phone banking constituents to call their senators. Legislating takes time. Nothing ever gets through Congress quickly. We expect to see a vote during this Congress, and we are hopeful we can win.” But one Democratic source said calls to members of Congress against the Equality Act, apparently coordinated by groups like the Heritage Foundation, have has outnumbered calls in favor of it by a substantial margin, with a particular emphasis on Manchin. No stories are present in the media about same-sex couples being kicked out of a restaurant for holding hands or transgender people for using the restroom consistent with their gender identity, which would be perfectly legal in 25 states thanks to the patchwork of civil rights laws throughout the United States and inadequate protections under federal law. Tyler Deaton, senior adviser for the American Unity Fund, which has bolstered the Republican-led Fairness for All Act as an alternative to the Equality Act, said he continues to believe the votes are present for a compromise form of the bill. “I know for a fact there is a supermajority level of support in the Senate for a version of the Equality Act that is fully protective of both LGBTQ civil rights and religious freedom,” Deaton said. “There is interest on both sides of the aisle in getting something done this Congress.” Deaton, however, didn’t respond to a follow-up inquiry on what evidence exists of agreeing on this compromise. Biden has already missed the goal he campaigned on in the 2020 election to sign the Equality Act into law within his first 100 days in office. Although Biden renewed his call to pass the legislation in his speech to Congress last month, as things stand now that appears to be a goal he won’t realize for the remainder of this Congress. Nor has the Biden administration made the Equality Act an issue for top officials within the administration as it pushes for an infrastructure package as a top priority. One Democratic insider said Louisa Terrell, legislative affairs director for the White House, delegated work on the Equality Act to a deputy as opposed to handling it herself. To be sure, Biden has demonstrated support for the LGBTQ community through executive action at an unprecedented rate, signing an executive order on day one ordering federal agencies to implement the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year in Bostock v. Clayton County to the fullest extent possible and dismantling former President Trump’s transgender military ban. Biden also made historic LGBTQ appointments with the confirmation of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Rachel Levine as assistant secretary of health. A White House spokesperson insisted Biden’s team across the board remains committed to the Equality Act, pointing to his remarks to Congress. “President Biden has urged Congress to get the Equality Act to his desk so he can sign it into law and provide long overdue civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ Americans, and he remains committed to seeing this legislation passed as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said. “The White House and its entire legislative team remains in ongoing and close coordination with organizations, leaders, members of Congress, including the Equality Caucus, and staff to ensure we are working across the aisle to push the Equality Act forward.” But at least in the near-term, that progress will fall short of fulfilling the promise of updating federal civil rights law with the Equality Act, which will mean LGBTQ people won’t be able to rely on those protections when faced with discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Delivery of bill to Congress was held up due to protocols related to Jan. 6 riots Published on By A bill approved unanimously last December by the D.C. Council to ban the so-called LGBTQ panic defense has been delayed from taking effect as a city law because the fence installed around the U.S. Capitol following the Jan. 6 insurrection prevented the law from being delivered to Congress. According to Eric Salmi, communications director for D.C. Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who guided the bill through the Council’s legislative process, all bills approved by the Council and signed by the D.C. mayor must be hand-delivered to Congress for a required congressional review. “What happened was when the Capitol fence went up after the January insurrection, it created an issue where we physically could not deliver laws to Congress per the congressional review period,” Salmi told the Washington Blade. Among the bills that could not immediately be delivered to Congress was the Bella Evangelista and Tony Hunter Panic Defense Prohibition and Hate Crimes Response Amendment Act of 2020, which was approved by the Council on a second and final vote on Dec. 15. Between the time the bill was signed by Mayor Muriel Bowser and published in the D.C. Register under procedural requirements for all bills, it was not ready to be transmitted to Congress until Feb. 16, the Council’s legislative record for the bill shows. Salmi said the impasse in delivering the bill to Congress due to the security fence prevented the bill from reaching Congress on that date and prevented the mandatory 60-day congressional review period for this bill from beginning at that time. He noted that most bills require a 30 legislative day review by Congress. But the Evangelista-Hunter bill, named after a transgender woman and a gay man who died in violent attacks by perpetrators who attempted to use the trans and gay panic defense, includes a law enforcement related provision that under the city’s Home Rule Charter passed by Congress in the early 1970s requires a 60-day congressional review. “There is a chance it goes into effect any day now, just given the timeline is close to being up,” Salmi said on Tuesday. “I don’t know the exact date it was delivered, but I do know the countdown is on,” said Salmi, who added, “I would expect any day now it should go into effect and there’s nothing stopping it other than an insurrection in January.” If the delivery to Congress had not been delayed, the D.C. Council’s legislative office estimated the congressional review would have been completed by May 12. A congressional source who spoke on condition of being identified only as a senior Democratic aide, said the holdup of D.C. bills because of the Capitol fence has been corrected. “The House found an immediate workaround, when this issue first arose after the Jan. 6 insurrection,” the aide said. “This is yet another reason why D.C. Council bills should not be subject to a congressional review period and why we need to grant D.C. statehood,” the aide said. The aide added that while no disapproval resolution had been introduced in Congress to overturn the D.C. Evangelista-Hunter bill, House Democrats would have defeated such a resolution. “House Democrats support D.C. home rule, statehood, and LGBTQ rights,” said the aide. LGBTQ rights advocates have argued that a ban on using a gay or transgender panic defense in criminal trials is needed to prevent defense attorneys from inappropriately asking juries to find that a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression is to blame for a defendant’s criminal act, including murder. Some attorneys have argued that their clients “panicked” after discovering the person against whom they committed a violent crime was gay or transgender, prompting them to act in a way they believed to be a form of self-defense. In addition to its provision banning the LGBTQ panic defense, the Evangelista-Hunter bill includes a separate provision that strengthens the city’s existing hate crimes law by clarifying that hatred need not be the sole motivating factor for an underlying crime such as assault, murder, or threats to be prosecuted as a hate crime. LGBTQ supportive prosecutors have said the clarification was needed because it is often difficult to prove to a jury that hatred is the only motive behind a violent crime. The prosecutors noted that juries have found defendants not guilty of committing a hate crime on grounds that they believed other motives were involved in a particular crime after defense lawyers argued that the law required “hate” to be the only motive in order to find someone guilty of a hate crime. Salmi noted that while the hate crime clarification and panic defense prohibition provisions of the Evangelista-Hunter bill will become law as soon as the congressional review is completed, yet another provision in the bill will not become law after the congressional review because there are insufficient funds in the D.C. budget to cover the costs of implementing the provision. The provision gives the D.C. Office of Human Rights and the Office of the D.C. Attorney General authority to investigate hate related discrimination at places of public accommodation. Salmi said the provision expands protections against discrimination to include web-based retailers or online delivery services that are not physically located in D.C. “That is subject to appropriations,” Salmi said. “And until it is funded in the upcoming budget it cannot be legally enforced.” He said that at Council member Allen’s request, the Council added language to the bill that ensures that all other provisions of the legislation that do not require additional funding – including the ban on use of the LGBTQ panic defense and the provision clarifying that hatred doesn’t have to be the sole motive for a hate crime – will take effect as soon as the congressional approval process is completed. Defendant implicated in three anti-LGBTQ incidents since 2011 Published on By A D.C. man arrested in August 2020 for allegedly threatening to kill a gay man outside the victim’s apartment in the city’s Adams Morgan neighborhood and who was released while awaiting trial was arrested again two weeks ago for allegedly threatening to kill another man in an unrelated incident. D.C. Superior Court records show that Jalal Malki, who was 37 at the time of his 2020 arrest on a charge of bias-related attempts to do bodily harm against the gay man, was charged on May 4, 2021 with unlawful entry, simple assault, threats to kidnap and injure a person, and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon against the owner of a vacant house at 4412 Georgia Ave., N.W. Court charging documents state that Malki was allegedly staying at the house without permission as a squatter. An arrest affidavit filed in court by D.C. police says Malki allegedly threatened to kill the man who owns the house shortly after the man arrived at the house while Malki was inside. According to the affidavit, Malki walked up to the owner of the house while the owner was sitting in his car after having called police and told him, “If you come back here, I’m going to kill you.” While making that threat Malki displayed what appeared to be a gun in his waistband, but which was later found to be a toy gun, the affidavit says. Malki then walked back inside the house minutes before police arrived and arrested him. Court records show that similar to the court proceedings following his 2020 arrest for threatening the gay man, a judge in the latest case ordered Malki released while awaiting trial. In both cases, the judge ordered him to stay away from the two men he allegedly threatened to kill. An arrest affidavit filed by D.C. police in the 2020 case states that Malki allegedly made the threats inside an apartment building where the victim lived on the 2300 block of Champlain Street, N.W. It says Malki was living in a nearby building but often visited the building where the victim lived. “Victim 1 continued to state during an interview that it was not the first time that Defendant 1 had made threats to him, but this time Defendant 1 stated that if he caught him outside, he would ‘fucking kill him.’” the affidavit says.
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Withdraw from an Organization
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'My recovery is down to the emergency services': Darren raises €31k for Air Ambulance service
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While he was recovering at home, he decided to organise a 60km fundraising cycle for the service. The 31-year-old suffered injuries to his head and face and was airlifted to Cork University Hospital after crashing his bike near Schull in July. A WEST Cork man has raised more than €30,000 for the Irish Community Air Ambulance, just 10 weeks after being involved in a serious cycling accident. Darren Lynch, who is from Caheragh, was inspired to organise the Friends of the Air Ambulance Charity Cycle after crashing his bike near Schull in July. The 31-year-old suffered injuries to his head and face and was airlifted to Cork University Hospital by the charity-funded Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Air Ambulance on the day. While he was recovering at home, he decided to organise a 60km fundraising cycle for the service in Skibbereen, which 140 people took part in on October 2. Altogether, the event raised over €31,450 for future air ambulance missions. Darren Lynch from Caheragh presenting a cheque for €31,457 to Irish Community Air Ambulance key relationships manager Lorraine Toner. Mr Lynch recently presented the cheque to the Irish Community Air Ambulance base in Rathcoole and thanked the rescuers. “It was really important for me to turn what could have easily been a negative situation into a positive one,” he said. “I believe my recovery is down to all the emergency services who treated me that day and this fundraiser is a way of saying thanks to them. I was one of five incidents that the helicopter responded to that day in July which really puts into perspective how important this service is. “The cycle was a great success and I would like to thank the participants, over 60 volunteers, supporters, kind sponsors, friends, and family that helped to make the day possible.” The money raised will fund nine future air ambulance missions, which cost the Cork-based service around €3,500 each to complete. Speaking after the presentation of the cheque, CEO of the Irish Community Air Ambulance Mícheál Sheridan thanked all of those who took part in the cycle. “I want to say a big thank you to Darren Lynch, his supporters, the cyclists, and the entire community in West Cork for arranging such a fantastic event,” he said. “Darren and his friends took on the challenge of organising a major fundraising cycle just weeks after he was injured in a similar event. We’re often called to cycling incidents in remote locations like West Cork and it is great to meet former patients and see them doing so well. “We’re not government funded so we rely on donations and fundraisers like this to bring hope to people in emergency situations.”
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Famous Person - Recovered
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The US isn't doing itself any favors by conducting military exercises in Europe's most tense region
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The joint military exercise known as Sea Breeze recently took place in the Black Sea, where the US conducted exercises with nations including Ukraine. According to the US Navy, the Sea Breeze exercise is an annual joint operation that brings the United States, "most" Black Sea Nations, and NATO allies together to pursue increased capability. Though joint military exercises are not inherently belligerent and unwise, any joint military exercises the US takes part in should align with its strategic national security interests. The recent activities in the Black Sea do not meet that standard. The 2021 iteration was the largest since the inaugural exercise in 1997. Thirty-two countries from six continents participated. Every Black Sea nation was represented except Russia. Russia's exclusion isn't unexpected considering NATO's foundation and current tensions with Ukraine. However, US participation is an unnecessary provocation given that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia remains unresolved, and Russia's absence signals their role as the potential adversary. Sea Breeze raises an important question. How does the exercise align with US strategic national security interests? The most direct answer is that it doesn't. Ultimately, the exercise is counter-productive. The training started just a week after a controversial interaction between the British HMS Defender and Russian fighter jets. Accounts of the exchange are contested, but the Kremlin's statement illustrates that their goal is to produce a narrative in which they face a hostile threat but can respond successfully. The opening ceremony in Odessa made clear the Sea Breeze's mission is to prepare for a Russian conflict. During the opening ceremony, Ukrainian Naval Commander Oleksiy Neizhpapa stated that the exercises send a "powerful message to maintain peace and stability in our region." USS Navy Capt. Kyle Gantt, along with other US commanders, emphasized that their maneuver emphasizes solidarity with Ukraine and sends the message that the Black Sea is an international sea and not the property of one nation. Gantt went on to say the exercises take place "exclusively in Ukrainian and international waters," which aligns with NATO's position regarding Russia's annexation of Crimea as illegal and illegitimate. These statements rest upon significant logical flaws. First, Ukraine's strategic value to the United States is overstated. Ukraine isn't an ally or NATO member, shouldn't be one, and occasional US hints that Ukraine is being considered for eventual NATO admission risk delaying a settlement between Kyiv and Moscow. NATO expansion toward the Russian borders has already stoked tensions in the region. Second, what happens in the Black Sea is not a national security risk to the United States. Given the events of 2014, the most significant risk in the Black Sea is to US reputation if it overinflates its commitment to Kyiv. Joint military exercises are often defended for their contribution to deterrence. In this case, that defense fails to hold water, considering the Sea Breeze exercises are an annual event, yet Russia still annexed Crimea in 2014. The US balked when Russia invaded Crimea. That is not to say the US should have intervened. Balking was a comparatively restrained decision. However, pledging US solidarity with Ukraine seems like an empty promise, given the low chance of the US committing to fight a war to defend Ukraine against the only other nuclear superpower. Other tests of resolve lie on the horizon, namely, Taiwan. If the US hopes to deter Chinese actions in forceful unification pursuits, pledging solidarity and claiming strategic importance in the Black Sea, then reconsidering when the moment arises undermines that message elsewhere. In April 2021, the US and NATO called on Russia to deescalate tensions in the Black Sea and condemned its plan to restrict Black Sea access for military maneuvers. Three months later, Sea Breeze elevates tensions. The United States should make decisions based on strategic national security interests. As in other areas, those decisions should apply to joint military exercises. Securing Ukraine's access to Sea of Azov ports and passage through the Strait of Kerch are not US national security interests. Scott McCann is a Marcellus Policy Fellow with the John Quincy Adams Society and a finalist for the Charles Koch Institute's Koch Associate Program in foreign policy. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Louisiana State University and a master's in international studies with concentrations in international security, intelligence, and conflict resolution from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.
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Military Exercise
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Ancient Roman road and dock discovered in Venice lagoon
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The discovery of the remains of a Roman road and dock submerged in the Venice lagoon could prove there were permanent human settlements in the area centuries before Venice was founded, researchers say. Scuba divers discovered what appeared to be paving stones beneath the lagoon in the 1980s, but only after more recent research were the relics confirmed to have formed part of a road system. “After speaking to those who first found these stones in the 1980s, I understood that it was something significant that could be anthropic,” said Fantina Madricardo, a researcher at the Venice-based Institute of Marine Science (Ismar) whose study was published this week in the Scientific Reports journal. Madricardo and her colleagues used 3D sonar mapping to study the underwater environment, and with the help of a team of divers from the local police force found 12 archaeological structures last summer in the area of the Treporti Channel. “As these stones are completely covered by diverse vegetation, it was not totally clear,” said Madricardo. “So we investigated more than one structure and found they had the same type of stones.” The structures, which were up to 2.7 metres tall and 52.7 metres long, were aligned in a north-easterly direction for about 1,140 metres. They are believed to have formed part of a system of roads in the Veneto region that may have been used by people to travel between the present-day city of Chioggia and the ancient city of Altinum. Previously gathered data shows that the road is located on a sandy ridge that was above sea level during the Roman era. Venice is believed to have been formally founded on 25 March AD421, and marked its 1,600th anniversary this year. “The landscape was very different to what we see today … the sea level was much lower, at least 2 metres lower,” said Madricardo. Meanwhile, Venice narrowly missed being placed on Unesco’s endangered list on Thursday after the government banned cruise ships from the lagoon.
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New archeological discoveries
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Senator Barack Obama won a decisive victory over Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Wisconsin primary on Tuesday night, cutting into Mrs. Clinton’s long-held support among women, union members and middle-aged voters.
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Senator Barack Obama won a decisive victory over Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Wisconsin primary on Tuesday night, cutting into Mrs. Clinton’s long-held support among women, union members and middle-aged voters.
With the two rivals now battling state by state over margins of victory and allotment of delegates, surveys of voters leaving the polls showed that Mr. Obama made inroads with those three groups and continued to win support from white men and younger voters in a performance that yielded grim tidings for Mrs. Clinton as she looked ahead to the March 4 primaries in Ohio and Texas.
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Government Job change - Election
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CNO Creating Unmanned Systems Task Force to Ensure Reliability, Command and Control
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ARLINGTON, Va. — Getting the right mix of unmanned air, surface and undersea vehicles in the U.S. Navy’s future fleet is so critical, the Chief of Naval Operations is creating an unmanned systems task force to sort out nagging issues like scalability, reliability, command, and control. In a virtual appearance Sept. 8 at the Defense News online conference, Adm. Michael Gilday said he was unsatisfied with the Navy’s pace of unmanned development, citing reservations about the reliability of unmanned vessels for long range, long duration missions, as well as command and control issues. “Over the next few months, we’ll be standing up an unmanned task force,” similar in terms of scope and purpose to Project Overmatch, Gilday said. A group of technical experts, along with operators, will focus on problems “to move forward in all three domains, at speed, to make unmanned a reality by the end of this decade.” Gilday likened the new unmanned task force to Project Overmatch, the Navy’s plan to develop a new fleet architecture using artificial intelligence (AI) and manned/unmanned teaming to enable distributed maritime operations. Highly mobile and widely distributed Navy and Marine Corps element are a basic game plan for dealing with near-peer adversaries like China in contested areas of the vast Indo-Pacific region. As the Navy plans future fleet battle problems, “One of the things I’ll be looking for is how we utilize unmanned [systems] at scale into the fleet, because we know that in the future. They’re going to be a significant part of distributed maritime operations,” Gilday said. Gilday said the task force will include both Sailors and Navy civilians. “We have a lot of technical expertise in the Navy today that we can leverage,” including warfighting labs and systems commands, he said. Still in the early stages of planning, Gilday said he would be able to share more details about the task force “by early 2022.” Gilday, and some key lawmakers, have expressed concern about the reliability of unmanned surface and undersea vessels deployed at sea for extended periods of time with little or no maintenance. The CNO said he’s seen progress in that area this year, noting three successful missions by unmanned surface vessels transiting more than 4,000 miles from the Gulf Coast, through the Panama Canal to California, while operating autonomously 98% of the time. However, “we’re not yet satisfied where we need to be with respect to reliability but we are quickly moving in that direction” although it’s still a few years before the Navy can go to the Pentagon and Congress with a plan to produce unmanned vessels at scale. Concerns about command and control over unmanned systems was the genesis for Project Overmatch, Gilday said. With an initial plan to have a third of the fleet unmanned or minimally unmanned “we knew we couldn’t command and control, let’s say well over 100 vessels, without changing the way we were networked,” the CNO said. “I do think as we look at AI applications for unmanned, it’s going to be a journey for us before we talk about an autonomous, unmanned fleet,” Gilday said. Initially, such platforms will be minimally manned or teamed with manned vessels. “The man in the loop is going to be an important piece for a while,” he said. The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) also will establish a new task force to accelerate integration of unmanned systems of all domains and artificial intelligence, the NAVCENT commander said recently. Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander, U.S. Fifth Fleet and commander, U.S. Naval Forces U.S. Central Command, speaking Sept. 8 to reporters by phone conference, said Task Force 59 (TF59) would be established on Sept. 9 in Manama, Bahrain.
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Organization Established
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Music mogul Scooter Braun separates from wife Yael
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Music mogul Scooter Braun has separated from his wife of seven years, Page Six has learned. Sources say Braun — who famously discovered Justin Bieber and even more famously got into an public fight with Taylor Swift over her master recordings — has been through a rocky patch with mining heiress Yael Cohen Braun, and they’ve decided to take a break. But insiders tell us that, in spite of persistent rumors doing the rounds in the music industry, there are currently no plans for them to divorce. “They’re friends,” said an insider. They are still living together at the moment. The pair have been playing happy families on Instagram lately, with Scooter recently posting a picture from their wedding to mark their July 6 anniversary, and showing off shots of them with their kids over the holiday weekend. Scooter Braun and his wife, Yael Cohen Braun, step out for a red carpet event on June 10, 2021. Insiders say the imminent separation has been common knowledge among pals for more than a month. They reportedly began dating in 2013, and have three kids: Jagger, 6, Levi, 4, and Hart, 2. Scooter Braun and Yael Cohen Braun are pictured in 2020 at an event for his client Justin Bieber. Getty Images Scooter, 40, became something of a villain in the music world after he acquired Swift’s masters as part of his company Ithaca Holding’s purchase of her label, Big Machine — apparently against the songstress’s wishes. Swift later called him an “incessant, manipulative bully,” although Scooter has since claimed he offered to sell the tapes to her. He later sold them for a reported $300 million. Scooter, who also manages Ariana Grande, was instrumental in organizing a benefit that raised $13 million after a bomb went off at her concert in Manchester, UK.
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Famous Person - Marriage
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2020 California wildfires
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The 2020 California wildfire season, part of the 2020 Western United States wildfire season, was a record-setting year of wildfires in California. By the end of the year, 9,917 fires[1] had burned 4,397,809 acres (1,779,730 ha),[2][3][3] more than 4% of the state's roughly 100 million acres of land, making 2020 the largest wildfire season recorded in California's modern history (according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection), though roughly equivalent to the pre-1800 levels which averaged around 4.4 million acres yearly and up to 12 million in peak years. [5][6] California's August Complex fire has been described as the first "gigafire", burning over 1 million acres across seven counties, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. The fires destroyed over 10,000 structures[1] and cost over $12.079 billion (2020 USD) in damages, including over $10 billion in property damage and $2.079 billion in fire suppression costs. [4][2] The intensity of the fire season has been attributed to a combination of more than a century of poor forest management[7][8] and higher temperatures resulting from climate change. [9][10]
On August 18, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency,[11] and on August 19, 2020, reported that the state was battling 367 known fires, many sparked by intense thunderstorms on August 16–17 caused by moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Fausto. Response and evacuations were complicated by a historic heatwave and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On August 22, President Trump issued a major disaster declaration (DR-4558), which provides Individual Assistance and/or Public Assistance. In early September 2020, a combination of a record-breaking heat wave and strong katabatic winds, (including the Jarbo, Diablo, and Santa Ana) caused explosive fire growth. The August Complex became California's largest recorded wildfire. [12] The Creek Fire expanded in the Big Creek drainage area, temporarily trapping hundreds of campers near the Mammoth Pool Reservoir. The North Complex explosively grew in size as the winds fanned it westward, threatening the city of Oroville, triggering mass evacuations, and causing 16 fatalities. [citation needed]
Governor Newsom's request for a federal disaster declaration for six major wildfires was approved on October 17 after having been rejected the previous day.
On November 10, 2020, the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) reported that there were around 3,400 firefighters plus personnel fighting the wildfires in the United States. Early in the year, there was a concern for the 2020 fire season to potentially be prolonged and especially grave, due to the unusually dry months of January and February, one of the driest such periods of any calendar year on record. [15] On March 22, a state of emergency was declared by California Governor Gavin Newsom due to a mass die-off of trees throughout the state, potentially increasing the risk of wildfires. [16] However, throughout March and April, rain began to consistently fall in the state, which alleviated the drought conditions. Despite this, Northern California was still expected to have severe wildfire conditions due to the moderate or severe drought conditions in the area, whereas Central and Southern California were expected to have serious fire conditions later in the year due to the late wet season and precipitation. [17]
On June 18, climate scientist Daniel Swain predicted the 2020 Arizona wildfire season was a sign of what was to come in California, due to similar drought and weather conditions between Arizona and Northern California. [18]
The year 2020 was the largest wildfire year recorded in California history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. [2][5] From a historical perspective, the average annual acres burned prior to 1850 were probably significantly larger than years since reliable fire records began. Scott Stephens, a professor of fire science at UC Berkeley, estimated that prior to 1850, about 4,500,000 acres (1,800,000 ha) burned yearly, in fires that lasted for months. Activity peaked roughly every 30 years, with up to 11,800,000 acres (4,800,000 ha) burning during peak years. The indigenous peoples of California historically set controlled burns and allowed natural fires to run their course.
The peak of the wildfire season usually occurs between July and November when hot, dry winds are most frequent. The wildfire season typically does not end until the first significant rainstorm of autumn arrives, which is usually around October in Northern California, and early November in Southern California. [citation needed]
As wildfire becomes more frequent, the wildland–urban interface has increasingly become more dangerous when it comes to property damage and risk to life. [22]
Scientists believe that, prior to development, California fires regularly burned significantly more acreage than has been seen in recent history. [23] Wildfires have been aggressively suppressed in recent years, resulting in a buildup of fuel, increasing the risk of large uncontrollable fires. There is broad scientific consensus that there should be more controlled burning of forests in California in order to reduce fire risk. [23] A 2020 ProPublica investigation blames a combination of climate change and a history of insufficient controlled burning for the increase in "megafires. "[8] A sharp increase in the population and development of fire-prone areas has also contributed to the increase in flammable tinder. [24]
Climate change increases the temperature of wildfires in California, the risk for drought, and potentially also the frequency of such events. [25][9] David Romps, director of the Berkeley Atmospheric Sciences Center summarizes the situation as follows: "To cut to the chase: Were the heat wave and the lightning strikes and the dryness of the vegetation affected by global warming? Absolutely yes. Were they made significantly hotter, more numerous, and drier because of global warming? Yes, likely yes, and yes. "[10]
Similarly, Friederike Otto, acting director of the University of Oxford Environmental Change Institute states, "There is absolutely no doubt that the extremely high temperatures are higher than they would have been without human-induced climate change. A huge body of attribution literature demonstrates now that climate change is an absolute game-changer when it comes to heat waves, and California won't be the exception. "[26] Susan Clark, director of the Sustainability Initiative at the University at Buffalo argues, "This is climate change. This increased intensity and frequency of temperatures and heat waves are part of the projections for the future. [...] There is going to be more morbidity and mortality [from heat.] There are going to be more extremes. "[26]
The National Interagency Fire Center's (NFIC) National Interagency Coordination (NICC) reported that monthly outlooks for the entire country will still drive wildfires across the country but especially California. The main drivers through fall and winter seasons will be La Nina, and drought conditions are going to continue through California, causing the wildfires to continue. The shift will start from Northern California to Southern California as precipitation will lessen the impact of wildfires across northern California. [citation needed][needs update]
In August 2020, a suspect was charged by the Monterey County Sheriff with arson relating to the Dolan Fire; however, this has not been officially determined as the cause of the fire. [27][28] In April 2021, another suspect, already arrested and charged for the murder of a woman, was charged with arson relating to the Markley Fire, one of the wildfires involving in the LNU Lightning Complex fires; according to authorities, the fire was set to cover up the aforementioned murder. [29] Arson has also been suspected as the cause of the Ranch 2 Fire in Los Angeles County. [citation needed]
The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.
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Fire
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2012 Dhaka garment factory fire
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The 2012 Dhaka garment factory fire broke out on 24 November 2012, in the Tazreen Fashion factory in the Ashulia district on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh. [3] At least 117 people were confirmed dead in the fire, and over 200 were injured,[1] making it the deadliest factory fire in the nation's history. [4] The fire was initially presumed to be caused by an electrical short circuit, but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has since suspected that the fire had been arson and an act of "sabotage" due to the occurrence of previous comparable events. This event and others similar to it have led to numerous proposed reforms in workers' rights and safety laws in Bangladesh. [citation needed]
When it opened in 2009 the Tazreen Fashion factory employed 1,630 workers and produced T-shirts, polo shirts and jackets for various companies and organizations. [5] These included the US Marines,[6][7] Dutch company C&A, the American company Walmart and Hong Kong-based company Li & Fung. [5][8] The factory is part of the Tuba Group which is a major exporter of garments from Bangladesh into the U.S., Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. Its major clients include Walmart, Carrefour and IKEA. [9]
According to Tazreen Fashions' web site, the factory was flagged in May 2011 with an "orange" grade by a Walmart ethical sourcing official for "violations and/or conditions which were deemed to be high risk". The notice said that any factory receiving three "orange" grade assessments in a two-year time period would not receive Walmart orders for one year. [10] The orange rating was the first the company had received,[9] and was followed by a "yellow" medium risk rating the next August, which pertained to the factory where the fire occurred. [9] On 25 November, a Walmart spokesman said he was "so far unable to confirm that Tazreen is a supplier to Walmart nor if the document referenced in the article is in fact from Walmart";[10] the company subsequently terminated its relationship with Tazreen, stating that "The Tazreen factory [in Ashulia] was not authorized to produce merchandise for Walmart. A supplier subcontracted work to this factory without authorization and in direct violation of our policies. "[9] Walmart critics claim that the company knew about unsafe conditions and blocked efforts to improve them. [11] Documents found via email show that Walmart had subcontracted multiple clothing production orders through the Tazreen factory. [12] According to The New York Times, Walmart played a significant role in blocking reforms to have retailers pay more for apparel in order to help Bangladesh factories improve their safety standards. Walmart director of ethical sourcing Sridevi Kalavakolanu asserted that the company would not agree to pay the higher cost, as such improvements in electrical and fire safety would be a "very extensive and costly modification" and that "it is not financially feasible for the brands to make such investments. "[13]
The fire, presumably caused by a exposed wires, started on the ground floor of the nine-story factory, trapping the workers on the floors above. [3] Because of the large amount of fabric and yarn in the factory, the fire was able to quickly spread to other floors, complicating firefighting operations. [1] The fire burned for more than seventeen hours before the firefighters extinguished it. [10]
Most of the victims were found on the second floor, where at least 69 bodies were recovered. [14] Witnesses reported that many workers had been unable to escape through the narrow exits of the building. [4] Twelve of the victims died leaping from windows to escape the flames, some of whom would die of other injuries after they had been taken to area hospitals. [15] Some workers who had escaped to the roof of the building were rescued. [15] The fire department's operations manager, Mohammad Mahbub, stated that the factory lacked the adequate emergency exits that would have made it possible to escape from the building, especially since the fire broke out in the warehouse on the ground floor and quickly moved up to higher floors. [14] Of the building's three staircases, all three led through the ground floor, making them extremely dangerous and unusable in the case of a ground floor fire. That left many workers trapped and unable to get safely out of the course of the fire. [14]
A crowd made up of thousands of relatives and onlookers gathered at the scene, causing Bangladesh Army soldiers to be deployed to maintain order. [15] Many of the victims were unrecognizable because of the severity of the burns, which left families with no choice except to wait for DNA test results that could take up to six months. [14]
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated her shock at the death toll and called for thorough search-and-rescue operations. She also stated her suspicion that the fire had been arson and an act of "sabotage. "[16] Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir also alleged that arsonists were responsible, citing fires at other clothing factories, including one incident where employees were filmed on CCTV attempting to set fire to stockpiled cotton. [17] However, the Home Minister later discounted the claim. [18] The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association offered compensation of $1,250 to each of the dead victim's families, which is approximately two years' pay for the average factory worker. [15]
Tazreen Factory owner Delwar Hossain stated that the premises had not been unsafe, adding, "It is a huge loss for my staff and my factory. This is the first time we have ever had a fire at one of my seven factories"[8] Investigators found that the fire safety certificate had expired in June 2012. [19] Three supervisors from the factory were arrested on 28 November on charges of criminal negligence. Police accused them of padlocking exits and preventing workers from leaving the building. [20] According to survivor Mohammad Ripu, who jumped off of the second floor, the factory manager told them "The fire alarm had just gone out of order. Go back to work. "[14]
On 27 November, Walmart America ended its relationship with the Tuba company, which Walmart stated had been contracted by a supplier without its knowledge. The corporation also said that it would be working with suppliers to improve fire safety. [9] Walmart also said it would donate US$1,600,000 to Institute for Sustainable Communities, which would use the donation to set up an Environmental, Health and Safety Academy in Bangladesh. [21] Scott Nova, executive director of Worker Rights Consortium, said the donation is too little to make the industry safe, particularly because many factories do not even have basic safety features such as fire escapes. [22] On 15 May 2013, companies whose clothing was manufactured at the Tazreen Design Ltd. factory met in Geneva to discuss compensation payments for the victims of the fire; Walmart and Sears declined to send representatives to the meeting for unknown reasons. [22]
Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers protested at the site of the fire, calling for better workplace safety. [16][23] The protests continued for three days and blocked a major highway. [17] Two hundred factories closed their doors during the protest to pay respect to the victims. The factory owners wanted to protect the equipment inside since the protests had become chaotic with stone throwing and smashing of vehicles. [14] In addition, the government declared 27 November 2012 a national day of mourning with the country flag flying at half-mast to honor the victims.
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Fire
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Skies light up as spectacular aurora borealis display dances over Manitoba
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Wisps of green light danced across the night sky as a spectacular display of aurora borealis was visible across Manitoba on Monday. "It was by far the best show of 2021 and probably one of my favourites," said Justin Anderson, co-creator of the Facebook group Manitoba Aurora and Astronomy. "It's just an incredible thing to witness." Generally speaking cities aren't great places to take in the natural phenomena because light pollution blots out the aurora borealis. But in rare cases when the northern lights are particularly bright, as they were Monday, people within cities can catch the magic. Anderson watched the show from Brandon, but people from Winnipeg and across western Canadian cities managed to snap photos of the lights from inside city limits. Those outside cities were treated to even more remarkable displays, Anderson said. People from West St. Paul to Plumas, from Birds Hill Provincial Park to Delta Marsh and Garden Hill First Nation all documented the vivid spectacle. The reason so many people took notice has something to do with the three stages of aurora borealis: expansion, break up and recovery, Anderson said. In the expansion phase the initial signs of a green glow appear on the horizon, while recovery is the final stage, which is characterized by pulsating lights. The middle part, or break up, is when the lights start to dance in earnest and when multiple colours emerge. That stage was brighter and longer than some other displays, Anderson said. "It was so bright that as soon as it started to blow up and dance, it was overhead, so the entire sky turned pink and green and blue and just so many colours," he told CBC Up to Speed host Faith Fundal on Tuesday. "The ground was so bright it was almost as if there was a full moon out." Anderson said there was potential to see the lights again Tuesday night. A good place to check for signs of the lights forming (aside from looking up) is to check the Manitoba Aurora and Astronomy Facebook page. If you see posts suggesting the odds are good that night, Anderson recommends heading to provincial or national parks for the best look. Failing that, he said, driving even 15 minutes outside a city can provide an excellent view. And if you miss out on the next show, Anderson says not to fret. Winter is the best season to catch the northern lights, and winter is coming. "Stick with it because you'll get a really good show. It's always a rush to see it, especially when it explodes like it did last night."
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New wonders in nature
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At least 33,000 children in parts of Tigray, Ethiopia, at imminent risk of death as conflict increases famine threat
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“At least 33,000 children in inaccessible parts of Tigray, Ethiopia, are severely malnourished and face imminent death without immediate help. “These children are among more than 2.2 million in northern Ethiopia who are acutely food insecure, including at least 140,000 in Tigray who are already facing famine-like conditions (IPC level 5). In the last month alone, we have seen a four-fold increase in weekly admissions of children for treatment of severe acute malnutrition. UNICEF projects that 56,000 children under five in Tigray will need treatment this year for severe acute malnutrition – almost six times higher than the average annual caseload for the region. “The rates of malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women are consistently above 40 per cent, threatening the lives of newborn babies and their mothers. “Making matters worse, the malnutrition crisis in the region has coincided with extensive damage to essential systems and services on which children depend for their survival. Mobile health and nutrition teams have been attacked and harassed. Health facilities have been looted or damaged and essential vaccination capacity has ground to a halt. Many health workers have not returned to work. Destruction of water infrastructure has caused an extreme scarcity of safe drinking water. “These developments could lead to outbreaks of disease, putting malnourished children at even greater risk of death. Sites hosting displaced children and families are especially vulnerable to disease transmission because of overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. “The situation, while already a catastrophe, could deteriorate further as food insecurity is expected to worsen over the coming months – especially if crops cannot be planted. “UNICEF is making every effort to prevent this from happening. Our aim is to reach every child across the region with critical health, nutrition, water, sanitation, education, and protection services. This includes working with our partners so that all severely malnourished children get lifesaving treatment before it is too late. “But we urgently need strengthened funding support from donors as we expand our critical programmes for children over the coming months to reach all those in need. “It is also imperative that parties to the conflict ensure that humanitarian actors, including UNICEF, have unimpeded and safe access on the ground to stave off widespread famine and to reach those in need. Mobile health and nutrition teams require access to the 21 hard-to-reach districts to serve children, and we must be able to safely carry out the upcoming measles, polio, vitamin A and nutrition campaign across all areas of the Tigray region. “In addition, parties to the conflict have an obligation to keep children safe from harm and to end attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including health care and water facilities. “More than anything, the region’s children and their families need an immediate cessation of hostilities so that they can safely obtain lifesaving services and begin to rebuild their lives.”
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Famine
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The Indian Ocean tsunami
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When the Indian Ocean tsunami struck in 2004, the international community leapt into action. Islamic Relief was there from day one, and has been supporting families and communities affected by the disaster for over 15 years. On 26th December 2004, the world watched in horror as a deadly tsunami struck the Indian Ocean, killing over 230,000 people throughout Southeast Asia and causing widespread destruction. The day after the tsunami hit, Islamic Relief were distributing food, medicine, tents and hygiene supplies. We provided ambulances, mobile health clinics and two cargo planes packed with medical and hygiene supplies – 30,000kg of medical supplies and 28,000kg of hygiene kits. In the days following the disaster, we handed out 48,000 litres of water every day. Over the next year, our work focused on building replacement homes for survivors and providing them with livelihood, education and healthcare support. This included building eight new schools and twelve health clinics, immunising 3,500 children, and running health and hygiene sessions. We began a cash-for-work scheme, and provided long-term care for 300 orphans. We also trained more than 100 midwives, provided food packages to 17,000 families, and donated buses to help the government transport displaced people. We helped orphanages and boarding schools to create reliable living through aquaculture, vegetable and poultry farming activities. The orphanages used the ongoing income to improve living conditions and the learning environment for children enrolled there. During the 10th Commemoration of the Aceh Tsunami the President of Republic of Indonesia, HE Susilo Bambang Yudoyono, awarded Islamic Relief with a certificate of appreciation for our work in supporting those affected by the tsunami. Essential support for Suleiman and his family “Today marks almost 16 years since the passing of our father, a victim of the tsunami disaster. At the beginning just after the tsunami disaster, we lived with serious uncertainty. We had no source of income and we were living in an emergency tent. My siblings and I were very young and my mother was suffering from deep psychological trauma of having lost my father” says Suleiman, describing the struggle his family faced in the aftermath of the tsunami. Islamic Relief intervened and sponsored Suleiman, offering financial support to his family so they could afford essential items, food and allow him to gain an education. We also offered much-needed moral support at an extremely difficult time in the family’s life. “Islamic Relief is really helpful for me in encouraging me to keep moving on and reach a good future. I had become an orphan not by choice, but it is a fact of life. Whenever the thought of living alone and being vulnerable comes, I keep returning to the realisation that Islamic Relief will continue helping me in achieving my life goals”, says Suleiman. “I would like to thank Islamic Relief, who have been helping orphaned children like myself. They have been very helpful and we see a lot of change in our lives, and the prospect of a brighter future. The guidance, assistance and support from Islamic Relief has been very important for us, and the attention we have received from them has been extraordinary”, he says. Resilience to future disasters Indonesia remains extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change, which is now worsened by Covid-19. Since 2004, Islamic Relief has been among the first to respond to disasters in Indonesia including: Islamic Relief also works to build resilience of communities to reduce the impact of future disasters. Two years after the Aceh tsunami, we launched a Disaster Risk Reduction Programme for residents, schools and health facilities. We launched a similar programme after the West Sumatra Earthquake, involving faith leaders and establishing places of worship as centres of preparedness for disasters. Similarly, in Lombok province we involved faith leaders of Muslim, Christian, Catholic, and Hindu communities as leaders of change in community preparedness and protection against disasters. We are currently working in Sulawesi with faith leaders and local governments to build resilience at city and district levels. We work in line with the international framework of Disaster Risk Reduction to reduce the number of people impacted and the economic loss caused by disasters. In March 2019 in Sumbawa Island, we launched a project which is supporting communities in both disaster preparedness and to build livelihoods upon which they can rely. This is just some of the work we have carried out in the years since the 2004 tsunami. We continue to work alongside the people of Indonesia, helping them access education, healthcare, and training to support their livelihoods, as well as building resilience to any future emergencies. Please support us in continuing to help the world’s most vulnerable members in Indonesia and beyond: Donate now
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Tsunamis
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2012 Philippines Piper Seneca crash
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On August 18, 2012, a Piper PA-34 Seneca light aircraft with four people on board, including Philippine Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, crashed in the sea near the island province of Masbate, Philippines, while flying from Lapu-Lapu City to Naga, Camarines Sur. Robredo and two other occupants were killed in the accident. [1]
Interior and Local Government Secretary Robredo and his aide, Police Chief Inspector June Paolo Abrazado, were in Cebu to attend the National Summit of the Community Investigative Support and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. Robredo originally booked an airline flight from Mactan–Cebu International Airport to Manila, but instead chartered an aircraft[2] to take him to Naga so he could be with his family. [3]
The aircraft was a Piper PA-34-200 Seneca I, registered RP-C4431. [2][4][5] In addition to Robredo and Abrazado there were two crew on board; the pilot who was also the CEO of Aviatour Air (the company that operated the aircraft); and the co-pilot, a Nepalese national. En route to Naga the crew of the Seneca requested an emergency landing at Masbate Airport, citing engine problems. [6][7] At around 15:30, Abrazado sent a text message, informing the recipient that they were returning to Cebu due to a problem with one of the propellers [sic]. [2] He also asked to be re-booked for the earliest possible flight out of Mactan. [2] However, at 16:02, Abrazado sent more messages, stating that the airplane was making an emergency landing at Masbate Airport. [2]
The airplane then crashed into the sea off the shores of Masbate Island[7] some 300 meters (980 ft) away from the island's airport. [5] Of the four people aboard the aircraft, the sole survivor, Robredo's aide, said that the airplane broke apart as it hit the water. [6]
More than 200 rescuers together with Philippine military divers and helicopters started searching for the passengers after the crash. [8][9] Assistance was also provided by Korean technical divers and a lone German diver. [10][11] Additionally, the United States Navy sent the USNS Safeguard, a rescue and salvage ship that was undergoing repairs in a dry dock at Subic Bay, to help. [12]
Abrazado was then found about 500 meters (1,600 ft) off the coast, along with the wreckage. [6] The first part of the airplane found was the tip of the right wing. [4] A flight manifest containing the name of Jesse Robredo was also found near the site of accident the next day. [9] On August 20, debris from the aircraft was recovered. [13]
President Benigno Aquino went to Masbate the day after the crash to personally receive updates on the situation. He was accompanied by Transport Secretary Mar Roxas, who said that special sonar equipment was also sent to aid in the search and that "we just want to do everything we can to save him [Robredo]." Aquino also said that Abrazado was conscious and had only a few injuries. [6]
On August 21, Roxas announced that divers had found the inverted fuselage and that Robredo's body was brought to shore by the Philippine Coast Guard. The wreckage was some 800 meters (0.5 mi) from the Masbate shoreline at a depth of about 54 meters (177 ft). [14] On August 22, divers recovered a second body, later identified as that of the pilot, by raising the wreckage to a depth of 21 meters (69 ft). The copilot's body was retrieved by the crew of a passenger ferry the next day after it was seen floating near the crash site. [15]
The government called for a prayer vigil at a chapel in Manila. [6] The company that owns the aircraft suspended its operations without waiting for an official order. [9] Following the retrieval of Robredo's remains, President Aquino declared a national day of mourning and announced that a state funeral would be held, while flags were flown at half-mast. [16] Paquito Ochoa, Jr. was named to Robredo's portfolio in an interim capacity. [17]
President Aquino revealed details of the accident investigation and its findings during a media briefing on November 13, 2012. [18][19] The investigation found that improper maintenance led to the right engine suffering an internal failure, which likely would have caused misfiring and intermittent operation of the fuel pump. [18] The failure was gradual and the aircraft developed engine problems 23 minutes after take off. [19] However, instead of turning back to Cebu, the pilot decided to continue the flight, until the engine failed completely 37 minutes later and the aircraft crashed during the subsequent attempt to land at Masbate. [18] The investigation determined that the pilot didn't use the correct procedure for trying to land a Piper Seneca with one engine inoperative, in that he lowered the undercarriage and flaps too soon; and that during his last flight proficiency test he had not been tested with respect to flying with one engine inoperative. [18][20]
The investigation found that the maintenance of the Seneca had been undertaken by Aviatour Air, but that the company was not authorised or approved to do so. [18] It also found that records relating to a test flight for renewal of the aircraft's certificate of airworthiness in January 2012 had been falsified and that the test flight never took place. [18][20] An airworthiness inspector of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines was suspended from duty as a result, pending the outcome of a separate investigation. [18][21] Representatives of the pilot's family and Aviatour Air disputed the findings. [22]
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Air crash
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Sahel locust invasion threatens crops in Niger and Mali - The ...
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Sahel locust invasion threatens crops in Niger and Mali
Infestations of locusts could destroy farmers' efforts to replenish food stocks in the Sahel, an area suffering drought and hunger
Desert locusts are moving south from their breeding grounds in Libya and Algeria. Photograph: Seyllou Diallo/AFP/Getty Images
Desert locusts are moving south from their breeding grounds in Libya and Algeria. Photograph: Seyllou Diallo/AFP/Getty Images
Global development is supported by
Celeste Hicks
Mon 11 Jun 2012 12.30 BST
Northern Niger and Mali – areas already hit by a devastating food crisis and civil conflict – are facing a new threat in the form of locusts. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is warning that swarms of locusts are moving south from Libya and Algeria , and that early rains across the Sahel have led to the sprouting of vegetation that the insects can feed on. The warning comes as farmers across the Sahel prepare to start their annual crop planting season in the hope that a good harvest could replenish food stocks.
Celeste Hicks spoke to Keith Cressman, FAO's senior locust forecasting officer, about the impending threat.
CH: Which regions are most likely to be affected?
KC: The locusts' breeding grounds are in southern Algeria and southern Libya near the town of Ghat. When the locusts mature, they begin to move south – pushed by the prevailing winds – towards northern Niger, the Arlit and Agadez regions, Air mountains, Tamesna Plains and Djada Plateau regions. They may also end up in northern Mali in the Kidal and Gao regions, north-west Chad in the Borkou, Ennedi and Tibesti areas, and Mauritania. They may move even further south into Sahel farmlands, as they can travel 100-200km in a day. However, their advance eventually gets halted when the winds that carry them south meet the ITCZ [inter tropical convergence zone], which brings the west African rainy season, and the prevailing winds coming from the south. This year, the first groups of locusts were reported in northern Niger around Arlit on 30 May – this is early in the season.
CH: Why is this year different to previous years?
KC: Infestations were reported early in the season in southern Libya near Ghat and in southern Algeria after unusual rains in October and November – they had been able to grow quickly. In addition, it has already started raining in some parts of the Sahel. There have been rains in Iriba in north-east Chad and the Adrar des Iforghas in northern Mali. This means vegetation is already available for the locusts to eat as they move south and this has led to the early formation of swarms. This coincides with the planting season for farmers across the Sahel, and when the locusts are young they are at their most voracious. If the rains continue throughout the season [until October], there is a danger the locusts could have a second generation in one season. They can multiply their numbers 16 times in one generation. The last desert locust swarm came in 2003-05 when up to 80% of the harvest in Mauritania was eaten, and vast numbers arrived in regions as far apart as Darfur and Morocco.
CH: Is this linked to the conflict in Libya?
KC: In a normal year, Algeria and Libya would have been able to control most of the local swarms and prevent their movement south, but insecurity on the border is preventing full access for local teams and FAO experts. Libya's capacity to carry out control efforts has been affected in the last year. Teams that normally monitor the situation are no longer working, and equipment and vehicles have gone missing. And the locusts are moving from one insecure area to another. If they get into northern Mali [where MNLA rebels and the Islamist Ansar Dine groups are vying for control], there is practically no local authority there, and no one left with the experience of dealing with this.
CH: Can the situation be controlled?
KC: The pest control teams in all countries are usually very good: there has been a lot of technical advance and best practice training in recent years, it's just they have not been able to get access. We use generic pesticides to control the desert locusts, usually by spraying large areas from an aeroplane. But obviously this depends on whether the teams can get access or not. In Mali, teams cannot get in at all while in northern Niger they need a military escort. Two things need to happen – we need to mobilise the teams as soon as possible, and increase public awareness of the problem so that local people can tell us when they see swarms approaching, especially in the crop-producing parts of central and south Niger and Mali.
Topics
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Insect Disaster
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Railroad Fire
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The Railroad Fire was a wildfire that burned in between the communities of Sugar Pine and Fish Camp in the Sierra National Forest in California in the United States. The fire was reported on August 29, 2017. The cause of the fire is currently unknown. The fire has burned 12,407 acres (50 km2), before it was fully contained on October 24. The fire has threatened communities in the area, historic buildings in the Nelder Grove Historic Area, Tenaya Lodge Resort, and Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, which the fire was named after. It also impacted tourism and air quality in the forest and Yosemite National Park. The Railroad Fire was reported on August 29, 2017 in the area between the communities of Sugar Pine and Fish Camp the Sierra National Forest. The cause is unknown. [1] On September 3, mandatory evacuations were ordered for the Sky Ranch Road area due to the fire spreading towards residential areas after a storm, including the Cedar Valley Subdivision. [3] On Labor Day crews wrapped historic structures in the Nelder Grove Historic Area, including cabins dating back to the late 1800s, in protective, heat-shielding material. [4]
As of September 7, Pacific Gas & Electric began working to re-establish electricity in the fire area and increased humidity overnight helped slow the fire. By September 10, the fire had burned 12,358 acres (50 km2) and was 70% contained, with 1,035 personnel fighting the fire. [1] Crews were pulled from the fire lines on the evening of September 11 due to thunderstorms that brought a quarter inch of rain into the area. [5] On October 24, the wildfire was fully contained. [1]
The air quality in the area has declined rapidly due to the fire, which is burning along with two others in the region. Yosemite National Park reported that air quality was "unhealthy" in the park as of September 6. Additionally, the US Forest Service reported that air quality was "hazardous" in Wawona. [6] That same day, Yosemite High School released students early from school due to poor air quality. [7]
Three Sierra National Forest campgrounds are closed: Summerdale, Big Sandy and Nelder. [1]
As of June 9, 2018, Big Sandy and Nelder campgrounds are open. The Shadow of the Giants loop trail in Nelder Grove is closed by order of the Forest Service due to hazard trees, burned bridges, destabilized trail soils, and two large open holes where pit toilets burned. (order No. 05-15-51-18-01, dated May 22, 2018, by Dean A Gould, Forest Supervisor)
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Fire
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Beaumont race riot of 1943
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Texas State Guard Texas Highway Patrol Texas Rangers
The 1943 race riot in Beaumont, Texas, erupted on June 15 and ended two days later. It related to wartime tensions in the overcrowded city, which had been flooded by workers from across the South. The immediate catalyst to white workers from the Pennsylvania Shipyard in Beaumont attacking black people and their property was a rumor that a white woman had been raped by a black man. This was one of several riots in the summer of 1943 in which black people suffered disproportionately as victims and had the greatest losses in property damage. [1][2] The first took place in the largest shipyard in Mobile, Alabama in late May; others took place in Detroit and Los Angeles in June (the latter was a different situation, in which white servicemen attacked Latinos in the Zoot Suit Riots), and Harlem in August. They were related to social competition and tensions arising from the wartime build-up. Some cities were struggling to accommodate the influx of black and white defense workers, dealing with shortages in housing and strained services. Beaumont had become a destination for tens of thousands of workers in the defense industry; from 1940 to 1943 the city had grown from 59,000 to 80,000 persons, with African Americans maintaining a proportion of roughly one third of the total. [2] Workers were attracted to the buildup of high-paying jobs in the defense industry, concentrated at the shipyard, as Beaumont was located on the Neches River northeast of Houston on the Gulf Coast. A presidential Executive Order 8802 was issued to prohibit racial and religious discrimination among defense contractors, and African Americans sought a share of opportunities in the high-paying jobs. New residents in Beaumont competed for jobs and housing in the crowded town, where whites had imposed segregated facilities, as was common across the South. In 1942, socioeconomic conditions worsened as wartime shortages affected more people. This aggravated interracial tensions in Beaumont. Economic restrictions limited the availability of consumer goods, but defense workers were making good money and were ready for some goods after the privations of the Great Depression. [clarification needed] President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced a policy to end discrimination in employment in the defense industries through his Executive Order 8802 of 1941; he wanted to encourage all American citizens to support the war effort. From 1940 to 1943, Beaumont had grown more than 33% from 59,000 to 80,000 persons; both African Americans and whites flocked to the city for the industrial jobs. As the population grew, African Americans maintained their proportion of roughly one third of the total population. [2]
Although public facilities were racially segregated under state law and African Americans had been disenfranchised by Southern states since the turn of the century, they sought the high-paying defense jobs at the shipyards, as had thousands of white workers. The yards employed thousands of workers; Pennsylvania Shipyard was one of the largest, with 8500 workers. [1][2]
Racial animosity and friction during the Jim Crow era were not unusual, but wartime conditions made matters worse. More serious than the economic restrictions were service problems in the city caused by the huge increase in population. The city transportation could not keep up, and crowds added to the tensions between passengers on the segregated system. On June 30, 1942, there were confrontations on four separate buses: blacks were forced to stand or take inferior seats under Jim Crow practices. In one altercation on July 27, Charles J. Reco, a black military policeman, was shot four times and clubbed by Beaumont police as they removed him from a bus following a minor complaint of his knees sticking into the 'white section. '[3] His military unit protested to the United States Department of War over the treatment by local police. [1]
Four unrelated events amplified the mounting racial tensions in Beaumont. [clarification needed] In the months before the riot, numerous atrocities were exacted upon African Americans in Houston, Texas, and the surrounding counties. [1][4]
In the immediate event, starting June 15, 1943, a white woman in Beaumont said she had been raped by a black man. [5] Learning of the charge, white workers confronted blacks at the Pennsylvania Shipyard and violence erupted. About 2,000 white workers, joined by 1,000 more whites, advanced on the jail where suspects were held. By the time they reached the jail, the mob numbered 4,000. The woman was unable to identify any prisoner as her alleged assailant. Breaking into small groups, white mobs attacked and terrorized black neighborhoods near the jail in the central and north parts of the city, and destroyed 100 homes. [2]
The mayor requested assistance from the Texas Defense Guard (Later known as Texas State Guard). Adjutant General A. B. Knickerbocker of Texas sent one battalion of Texas Defense Guard from Beaumont and two battalions from Port Arthur,[6] and acting governor A. M. Aikin Jr., speaker pro tem of the State House, established a curfew and martial law. A total of about 1,800 guardsmen, 100 state highway police, and 75 Texas Rangers were ordered in to the city. The state highway police closed it off to prevent whites from outside entering the city to join the violence. The armed forces declared the city off limits for all military personnel. [2] Black workers were banned from going to work, although the curfew was lifted by the end of June 16. Mayor Gary closed liquor stores, parks, and playgrounds to prevent any gathering of large crowds. After the mayor ended the curfew on June 16, the guardsmen left town. [7]
Martial law was maintained by state units until June 20, during which more violence took place. By the end of the violence, one black man and one white man were dead, 50 persons were injured, and more than 200 were arrested. Another black man died from his injuries months later. [1]
By June 20, a military tribunal had reviewed the cases of the 206 arrested. Twenty-nine cases were turned over to police authorities on charges of assault and battery, unlawful assembly, and arson. The remainder of suspects were released. No one was prosecuted for the deaths that occurred during the riots. Gradually blacks were allowed to return to work and defense production was resumed.
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Riot
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Wingfoot Air Express crash
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The Wingfoot Air Express was a non-rigid airship (i.e. blimp) that crashed into the Illinois Trust and Savings Building in Chicago on Monday July 21, 1919. The Type FD dirigible, owned by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, was transporting people from Grant Park to the White City amusement park. [1] One crew member, two passengers and ten bank employees were killed in what was, up to that point, the worst dirigible disaster in United States history. The airship's flammable hydrogen caught fire for unknown reasons at about 4:55 pm while cruising at an altitude of 1,200 ft (370 m) over the Chicago Loop. [2] When it became clear the dirigible was failing, pilot Jack Boettner and chief mechanic Harry Wacker used parachutes to jump to safety. [3] A second mechanic, Carl Alfred Weaver, died when his parachute caught fire, while passenger Earl H. Davenport, a publicity agent for the White City Amusement Park, had his parachute get tangled in the cables which suspended the gondola from the envelope, leaving him hanging fifty feet below the burning craft; he was killed instantly when the airship crashed. [4] The fifth person who parachuted from the dirigible, Chicago Daily News photographer Milton Norton, broke both legs on landing and later died in hospital. [5]
At the Illinois Trust & Savings Bank[6] building at the northeast corner of LaSalle Street and Jackson Boulevard, 150 employees were closing for the day in and around the main banking hall, which was illuminated by a large skylight. The remains of the Wingfoot struck the bank's skylight, with flaming debris falling through to the banking hall below. Ten employees were killed and 27 injured as a result. In addition to causing the city of Chicago to adopt a new set of rules for aviation over the city, the crash led to the closing of the Grant Park Airstrip and the creation of Chicago Air Park.
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7 Former Communist Countries Join NATO
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7 Former Communist Countries Join NATO
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By Thomas E. Ricks
March 30, 2004
President Bush welcomed seven former Communist countries into NATO yesterday, pressing the alliance's boundaries farther into what once was Warsaw Pact territory and emphasizing its post-Cold War rebirth as a partnership aimed increasingly at fighting terrorism in Europe and beyond.
The expansion -- the second time the alliance has added members since the Soviet Union fell -- comes as a changing NATO prepares to send more forces into Afghanistan, considers a future role in Iraq, and works with nations in North Africa and elsewhere to thwart terrorist organizations.
"Terrorists hate everything this alliance stands for," Bush said in a White House ceremony with representatives of the seven nations. "They despise our freedom. They fear our unity. They seek to divide us. They will fail. We will not be divided. We will never bow to the violence of a few."
The relatively young democracies that joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization yesterday included three former Soviet republics -- the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- and three members of the former Warsaw Pact: Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia. The seventh, Slovenia, was part of the former Yugoslavia. The invitation to join the alliance was extended at the NATO summit in Prague in November 2002 and was approved unanimously by the U.S. Senate last May.
The expansion of NATO from 19 to 26 countries tips the balance of the Atlantic alliance further eastward -- and tends to make the group as a whole more sympathetic to U.S. foreign policy. The seven, for example, backed Bush's move toward war in Iraq early last year, even as original NATO members France and Germany opposed him.
Bush pointedly noted in his remarks that all seven nations are playing supporting roles for U.S.-led military operations in Iraq or Afghanistan. Bulgaria, he said, provided refueling facilities for aircraft during the 2001 Afghan campaign and also has sent more than 400 soldiers to Iraq. Military engineers from Estonia and Latvia are helping clear explosives in Iraq, and forces from Lithuania and Slovakia also have served there, he said. Romanian and Slovenian troops have deployed to Afghanistan, he added.
"They understand our cause in Afghanistan and in Iraq because tyranny for them is still a fresh memory," said Bush, whose statements included a dose of Reagan-era anti-Soviet rhetoric. "When NATO was founded, the people of these seven nations were captives to an empire."
The alliance's growing roster has been eyed warily by Russia, which also expressed alarm at NATO's first expansion in 1999, when the alliance welcomed the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told a group of reporters Monday that fighter planes would begin "air policing" over the Baltic states at the moment their NATO membership took effect -- and that he explained the policy to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov two weeks ago.
"I think that the Russian Federation has very well understood that NATO has, of course, no ulterior motives by air-policing its airspace," de Hoop Scheffer said, according to the Associated Press, adding that NATO has a solid relationship with Russia. "I think that NATO and Russia will further build on this partnership."
Russian officials have said they will respond if NATO's eastward expansion begins to look threatening. "If NATO believes that there is any need for such protection in the Baltic region, Russia reserves the right to draw its own conclusions from it and, if necessary, to act accordingly," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass, the AP said.
James Steinberg, a former deputy national security adviser, called yesterday's milestone "really quite a remarkable moment, because it is the completion of a project that dates back to the 1940s, when the Iron Curtain came down," cutting off Eastern Europe from the West.
Former Pentagon policy official James Bodner said the day was especially significant because it was part of a U.S. effort to provide incentives to eastern and southeastern European states to act democratically. Having the states adjoining the Balkans become peaceable and stable was by no means guaranteed when NATO began to contemplate expanding, he said. "A decade ago in Southeast Europe we almost had things unravel," he said.
Bush hinted at a third round of expansion of the 55-year-old security organization, noting that the prime ministers of three NATO aspirants -- Albania, Croatia and Macedonia -- also were in attendance yesterday. All three "are also contributing in Afghanistan or Iraq, proving their mettle as they aspire to NATO membership," Bush said. "The door to NATO will remain open until the whole of Europe is united in freedom and in peace," he added.
NATO might play a greater role in Iraq if authorized to do so by the United Nations Security Council, Scheffer told reporters yesterday before the ceremony. Currently the alliance provides some logistical and communications support to the Polish-led multinational division in southern Iraq, but otherwise it has steered clear of involvement.
"I think that the NATO allies would enter that discussion with a positive attitude, which could mean that NATO, as far as command is concerned, could participate or could take over a certain part of the stabilization force."
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Join in an Organization
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R. Kelly Found Guilty Of Racketeering And Sex Trafficking
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In this illustration drawn from a video feed, the prosecution presents its closing argument in the federal trial against singer R. Kelly on Sept. 22 in New York. Elizabeth Williams/AP hide caption In this illustration drawn from a video feed, the prosecution presents its closing argument in the federal trial against singer R. Kelly on Sept. 22 in New York. After more than 25 years of accusations and a federal court trial in New York that lasted seven weeks, R&B singer R. Kelly has been found guilty of charges including sexual exploitation of a child, bribery, racketeering and sex trafficking involving five victims. Kelly faces a possible sentence of 10 years to life in prison. Kelly sat absolutely still as the foreperson gave the jury's verdict to Judge Ann Donnelly. Fourteen alleged underlying acts were associated with the racketeering charge. The jury found that the government had proved 12 of those acts, which involved five victims: the singer Aaliyah as well as women named Stephanie, Jerhonda Pace, Jane and Faith. Two acts associated with an alleged victim named Sonja were not proved. (Most alleged victims went by their first names or pseudonyms.) The government needed proof of only two of the racketeering acts for a guilty charge. Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York successfully proved to a jury of seven men and five women that Kelly had been the head of a criminal enterprise whose purpose was to lure girls, boys and women to the R&B singer for his sexual gratification. On top of awaiting sentencing in this New York case, Kelly will face a second federal trial on charges of child pornography and obstruction of justice in Illinois. Some of those accusations are related to a 2008 child pornography trial in Chicago in which he was acquitted of all charges. Additionally, Kelly faces outstanding criminal charges in both Cook County, Ill., where he was indicted by the state attorney in February 2019 for aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving four victims (three of them minors), and in Minnesota, where Kelly was charged in August 2019 with engaging in prostitution with a minor. Sentencing in New York is scheduled for May 4.
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence
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1946 American Overseas Airlines Douglas DC-4 crash
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On October 3, 1946, an American Overseas Airlines (AOA) Douglas DC-4 aircraft named Flagship New England crashed soon after take-off from Stephenville, Newfoundland, killing all 39 people on board. It was, at the time, the deadliest aircraft crash on Canadian soil. [1]
Flagship New England was a Douglas C-54E-5-DO military transport aircraft that had been converted to a Douglas DC-4 civilian airliner; and was registered N90904. It had first flown in 1945 and had logged a total of 3,731 flight hours during its career. On 24 October 1945, it was with Flagship New England that American Overseas Airlines (AOA) launched international flight services. On the accident flight, the aircraft carried thirty-one passengers and a crew of eight. Most of the passengers were wives and children of U.S. servicemen stationed in Allied-occupied Germany. [1]
At 12:14 PM EST on 2 October, Flagship New England departed New York-LaGuardia Airport for a transatlantic commercial flight to Berlin, with stops in Gander, Newfoundland and Shannon, Ireland. However, poor weather conditions at Gander forced the flight crew to land at Stephenville Air Base in Newfoundland instead. In order to let the crew rest, the flight stopped at Stephenville for the next twelve hours. [1]
At 4:45 AM on 3 October, Flagship New England left the gate and was initially cleared to depart from runway 30; however, apparently unfavorable wind conditions prompted Stephenville Air Traffic Control to clear it for runway 07 instead. Overcast skies blocked out light from the moon and stars, rendering the terrain ahead unlit. Flights departing from runway 07 were supposed to make a right-hand turn immediately after take-off so as to avoid hilly terrain in line with the runway. However, the pilots of Flagship New England instead allowed the aircraft to continue going straight ahead after lifting off. At about 5:03 AM, some seven miles from the end of the runway, the aircraft hit a ridge at an elevation of about 1,160 feet and crashed, killing everyone on board. The investigation into the accident indicated the pilots' failure to change course, which led the aircraft across terrain over which sufficient clearance could not be gained, led to the crash. [1]
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Collapse of Bear Stearns
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The Bear Stearns Companies, Inc. was a New York-based global investment bank, securities trading and brokerage firm that failed in 2008 as part of the global financial crisis and recession, and was subsequently sold to JPMorgan Chase. The company's main business areas before its failure were capital markets, investment banking, wealth management, and global clearing services, and it was heavily involved in the subprime mortgage crisis. In the years leading up to the failure, Bear Stearns was heavily involved in securitization and issued large amounts of asset-backed securities which were, in the case of mortgages, pioneered by Lewis Ranieri, "the father of mortgage securities". [1] As investor losses mounted in those markets in 2006 and 2007, the company actually increased its exposure, especially to the mortgage-backed assets that were central to the subprime mortgage crisis. In March 2008, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York provided an emergency loan to try to avert a sudden collapse of the company. The company could not be saved, however, and was sold to JPMorgan Chase for $10 per share,[2] a price far below its pre-crisis 52-week high of $133.20 per share, but not as low as the $2 per share originally agreed upon by Bear Stearns and JPMorgan Chase. [3]
The collapse of the company was a prelude to the risk management meltdown of the investment banking industry in the United States and elsewhere that culminated in September 2008, and the subsequent global financial crisis of 2008–2009. In January 2010, JPMorgan ceased using the Bear Stearns name. [4]
Bear Stearns was founded as an equity trading house on May 1, 1923 by Joseph Ainslie Bear, Robert B. Stearns and Harold C. Mayer with $500,000 in capital. Internal tensions quickly arose among the three founders. The firm survived the Wall Street Crash of 1929 without laying off any employees and by 1933 opened its first branch office in Chicago. In 1955 the firm opened its first international office in Amsterdam. [5]
In 1985, Bear Stearns became a publicly traded company. [5] It served corporations, institutions, governments, and individuals. The company's business included corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, institutional equities, fixed income sales & risk management, trading and research, private client services, derivatives, foreign exchange and futures sales and trading, asset management, and custody services. Through Bear Stearns Securities Corp., it offered global clearing services to broker dealers, prime broker clients and other professional traders, including securities lending. [6] Bear Stearns was also known for one of the most widely read market intelligence pieces on the street, known as the "Early Look at the Market. "[citation needed]
Bear Stearns' World Headquarters was located at 383 Madison Avenue, between East 46th Street and East 47th Street in Manhattan. By 2007, the company employed more than 15,500 people worldwide. [7] The firm was headquartered in New York City with offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Irvine, San Francisco, St. Louis; Whippany, New Jersey; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Internationally the firm had offices in London, Beijing, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Lugano, Milan, São Paulo, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. In 2005–2007, Bear Stearns was recognized as the "Most Admired" securities firm in Fortune's "America's Most Admired Companies" survey, and second overall in the securities firm section. [8] The annual survey is a prestigious ranking of employee talent, quality of risk management and business innovation. This was the second time in three years that Bear Stearns had achieved this "top" distinction. By November 2006, the company had total capital of approximately $66.7 billion and total assets of $350.4 billion and according to the April 2005 issue of Institutional Investor magazine, Bear Stearns was the seventh-largest securities firm in terms of total capital. A year later Bear Stearns had notional contract amounts of approximately $13.40 trillion in derivative financial instruments, of which $1.85 trillion were listed futures and option contracts. In addition, Bear Stearns was carrying more than $28 billion in 'level 3' assets on its books at the end of fiscal 2007 versus a net equity position of only $11.1 billion. This $11.1 billion supported $395 billion in assets,[9] which means a leverage ratio of 35.6 to 1. This highly leveraged balance sheet, consisting of many illiquid and potentially worthless assets, led to the rapid diminution of investor and lender confidence, which finally evaporated as Bear was forced to call the New York Federal Reserve to stave off the looming cascade of counterparty risk which would ensue from forced liquidation. On June 22, 2007, Bear Stearns pledged a collateralized loan of up to $3.2 billion to "bail out" one of its funds, the Bear Stearns High-Grade Structured Credit Fund, while negotiating with other banks to loan money against collateral to another fund, the Bear Stearns High-Grade Structured Credit Enhanced Leveraged Fund. Bear Stearns had originally put up just $25 million, so they were hesitant about the bailout; nonetheless, CEO James Cayne and other senior executives worried about the damage to the company's reputation. [10][11] The funds were invested in thinly traded collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). Merrill Lynch seized $850 million worth of the underlying collateral but only was able to auction $100 million of them. The incident sparked concern of contagion as Bear Stearns might be forced to liquidate its CDOs, prompting a mark-down of similar assets in other portfolios. [12][13] Richard A. Marin, a senior executive at Bear Stearns Asset Management responsible for the two hedge funds, was replaced on June 29 by Jeffrey B. Lane, a former Vice Chairman of rival investment bank Lehman Brothers. [14]
During the week of July 16, 2007, Bear Stearns disclosed that the two subprime hedge funds had lost nearly all of their value amid a rapid decline in the market for subprime mortgages. On August 1, 2007, investors in the two funds took action against Bear Stearns and its top board and risk management managers and officers. The law firms of Jake Zamansky & Associates and Rich & Intelisano both filed arbitration claims with the National Association of Securities Dealers alleging that Bear Stearns misled investors about its exposure to the funds. This was the first legal action made against Bear Stearns. Co-President Warren Spector was asked to resign on August 5, 2007, as a result of the collapse of two hedge funds tied to subprime mortgages. A September 21 report in The New York Times noted that Bear Stearns posted a 61 percent drop in net profits due to their hedge fund losses. [15] With Samuel Molinaro's November 15 revelation that Bear Stearns was writing down a further $1.2 billion in mortgage-related securities and would face its first loss in 83 years, Standard & Poor's downgraded the company's credit rating from AA to A. [16]
Matthew Tannin and Ralph R. Cioffi, both former managers of hedge funds at Bear Stearns Companies, were arrested June 19, 2008. [17] They faced criminal charges and were found not guilty of misleading investors about the risks involved in the subprime market. Tannin and Cioffi were also named in lawsuits brought by Barclays Bank, which claimed they were one of the many investors misled by the executives. [18][19]
They were also named in civil lawsuits brought in 2007 by investors, including Barclays Bank, who claimed they had been misled. Barclays claimed that Bear Stearns knew that certain assets in the Bear Stearns High-Grade Structured Credit Strategies Enhanced Leverage Master Fund were worth much less than their professed values. The suit claimed that Bear Stearns managers devised "a plan to make more money for themselves and further to use the Enhanced Fund as a repository for risky, poor-quality investments." The lawsuit said Bear Stearns told Barclays that the enhanced fund was up almost 6% through June 2007—when "in reality, the portfolio's asset values were plummeting.
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A “New Nobel” – Computer Scientist Wins $1 Million Artificial Intelligence Prize
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Whether preventing explosions on electrical grids, spotting patterns among past crimes, or optimizing resources in the care of critically ill patients, Duke University computer scientist Cynthia Rudin wants artificial intelligence (AI) to show its work. Especially when it’s making decisions that deeply affect people’s lives.
While many scholars in the developing field of machine learning were focused on improving algorithms, Rudin instead wanted to use AI’s power to help society. She chose to pursue opportunities to apply machine learning techniques to important societal problems, and in the process, realized that AI’s potential is best unlocked when humans can peer inside and understand what it is doing.
Cynthia Rudin, professor of electrical and computer engineering and computer science at Duke University. Credit: Les Todd
Now, after 15 years of advocating for and developing “interpretable” machine learning algorithms that allow humans to see inside AI, Rudin’s contributions to the field have earned her the $1 million Squirrel AI Award for Artificial Intelligence for the Benefit of Humanity from the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI). Founded in 1979, AAAI serves as the prominent international scientific society serving AI researchers, practitioners and educators.
Rudin, a professor of computer science and engineering at Duke, is the second recipient of the new annual award, funded by the online education company Squirrel AI to recognize achievements in artificial intelligence in a manner comparable to top prizes in more traditional fields.
She is being cited for “pioneering scientific work in the area of interpretable and transparent AI systems in real-world deployments, the advocacy for these features in highly sensitive areas such as social justice and medical diagnosis, and serving as a role model for researchers and practitioners.”
“Only world-renowned recognitions, such as the Nobel Prize and the A.M. Turing Award from the Association of Computing Machinery, carry monetary rewards at the million-dollar level,” said AAAI awards committee chair and past president Yolanda Gil. “Professor Rudin’s work highlights the importance of transparency for AI systems in high-risk domains. Her courage in tackling controversial issues calls out the importance of research to address critical challenges in responsible and ethical use of AI.”
Rudin’s first applied project was a collaboration with Con Edison, the energy company responsible for powering New York City. Her assignment was to use machine learning to predict which manholes were at risk of exploding due to degrading and overloaded electrical circuitry. But she soon discovered that no matter how many newly published academic bells and whistles she added to her code, it struggled to meaningfully improve performance when confronted by the challenges posed by working with handwritten notes from dispatchers and accounting records from the time of Thomas Edison.
“We were getting more accuracy from simple classical statistics techniques and a better understanding of the data as we continued to work with it,” Rudin said. “If we could understand what information the predictive models were using, we could ask the Con Edison engineers for useful feedback that improved our whole process. It was the interpretability in the process that helped improve accuracy in our predictions, not any bigger or fancier machine learning model. That’s what I decided to work on, and it is the foundation upon which my lab is built.”
Over the next decade, Rudin developed techniques for interpretable machine learning, which are predictive models that explain themselves in ways that humans can understand. While the code for designing these formulas is complex and sophisticated, the formulas might be small enough to be written in a few lines on an index card.
Rudin has applied her brand of interpretable machine learning to numerous impactful projects. With collaborators Brandon Westover and Aaron Struck at Massachusetts General Hospital, and her former student Berk Ustun, she designed a simple point-based system that can predict which patients are most at risk of having destructive seizures after a stroke or other brain injury. And with her former MIT student Tong Wang and the Cambridge Police Department, she developed a model that helps discover commonalities between crimes to determine whether they might be part of a series committed by the same criminals. That open-source program eventually became the basis of the New York Police Department’s Patternizr algorithm, a powerful piece of code that determines whether a new crime committed in the city is related to past crimes.
“Cynthia’s commitment to solving important real-world problems, desire to work closely with domain experts, and ability to distill and explain complex models is unparalleled,” said Daniel Wagner, deputy superintendent of the Cambridge Police Department. “Her research resulted in significant contributions to the field of crime analysis and policing. More impressively, she is a strong critic of potentially unjust ‘black box’ models in criminal justice and other high-stakes fields, and an intense advocate for transparent interpretable models where accurate, just and bias-free results are essential.”
Black box models are the opposite of Rudin’s transparent codes. The methods applied in these AI algorithms make it impossible for humans to understand what factors the models depend on, which data the models are focusing on and how they’re using it. While this may not be a problem for trivial tasks such as distinguishing a dog from a cat, it could be a huge problem for high-stakes decisions that change people’s lives.
“Cynthia is changing the landscape of how AI is used in societal applications by redirecting efforts away from black box models and toward interpretable models by showing that the conventional wisdom—that black boxes are typically more accurate—is very often false,” said Jun Yang, chair of the computer science department at Duke. “This makes it harder to justify subjecting individuals (such as defendants) to black-box models in high-stakes situations. The interpretability of Cynthia’s models has been crucial in getting them adopted in practice, since they enable human decision-makers, rather than replace them.”
One impactful example involves COMPAS—an AI algorithm used across multiple states to make bail parole decisions that was accused by a ProPublica investigation of partially using race as a factor in its calculations. The accusation is difficult to prove, however, as the details of the algorithm are proprietary information, and some important aspects of the analysis by ProPublica are questionable. Rudin’s team has demonstrated that a simple interpretable model that reveals exactly which factors it’s taking into consideration is just as good at predicting whether or not a person will commit another crime. This begs the question, Rudin says, as to why black box models need to be used at all for these types of high-stakes decisions.
“We’ve been systematically showing that for high-stakes applications, there’s no loss in accuracy to gain interpretability, as long as we optimize our models carefully,” Rudin said. “We’ve seen this for criminal justice decisions, numerous healthcare decisions including medical imaging, power grid maintenance decisions, financial loan decisions and more. Knowing that this is possible changes the way we think about AI as incapable of explaining itself.”
Throughout her career, Rudin has not only been creating these interpretable AI models, but developing and publishing techniques to help others do the same. That hasn’t always been easy. When she first began publishing her work, the terms “data science” and “interpretable machine learning” did not exist, and there were no categories into which her research fit neatly, which means that editors and reviewers didn’t know what to do with it. Cynthia found that if a paper wasn’t proving theorems and claiming its algorithms to be more accurate, it was—and often still is—more difficult to publish.
As Rudin continues to help people and publish her interpretable designs—and as more concerns continue to crop up with black box code—her influence is finally beginning to turn the ship. There are now entire categories in machine learning journals and conferences devoted to interpretable and applied work. Other colleagues in the field and their collaborators are vocalizing how important interpretability is for designing trustworthy AI systems.
“I have had enormous admiration for Cynthia from very early on, for her spirit of independence, her determination, and her relentless pursuit of true understanding of anything new she encountered in classes and papers,” said Ingrid Daubechies, the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and Electrical and Computer Engineering, one of the world’s preeminent researchers in signal processing, and one of Rudin’s PhD advisors at Princeton University. “Even as a graduate student, she was a community builder, standing up for others in her cohort. She got me into machine learning, as it was not an area in which I had any expertise at all before she gently but very persistently nudged me into it. I am so very glad for this wonderful and very deserved recognition for her!”
“I could not be more thrilled to see Cynthia’s work honored in this way,” added Rudin’s second PhD advisor, Microsoft Research partner Robert Schapire, whose work on “boosting” helped lay the foundations for modern machine learning. “For her inspiring and insightful research, her independent thinking that has led her in directions very different from the mainstream, and for her longstanding attention to issues and problems of practical, societal importance.”
Rudin earned undergraduate degrees in mathematical physics and music theory from the University at Buffalo before completing her PhD in applied and computational mathematics at Princeton. She then worked as a National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow at New York University, and as an associate research scientist at Columbia University. She became an associate professor of statistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining Duke’s faculty in 2017, where she holds appointments in computer science, electrical and computer engineering, biostatistics and bioinformatics, and statistical science.
She is a three-time recipient of the INFORMS Innovative Applications in Analytics Award, which recognizes creative and unique applications of analytical techniques, and is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics.
“I want to thank AAAI and Squirrel AI for creating this award that I know will be a game-changer for the field,” Rudin said. “To have a ‘Nobel Prize’ for AI to help society makes it finally clear without a doubt that this topic—AI work for the benefit for society—is actually important.”
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November 14, 2021
Phthalates and other plasticizers found in cheeseburgers, chicken burritos, and other popular foods purchased at fast-food restaurants. Chicken nuggets, burritos, and other popular items consumers…
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2017 Aerogaviota Antonov An-26 crash
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On 29 April 2017, an Antonov An-26 of Aerogaviota crashed northeast of the city of San Cristobal in the Loma de la Pimienta Mountain Range in the area near Las Terrazas, Cuba, killing all 8 people on board. The aircraft departed Baracoa Airport and at the time of the accident there were no adverse weather conditions prevailing. The accident aircraft was an Antonov An-26. [1]
The aircraft was on a military flight from Playa Baracoa Airport, Havana. It crashed into the Loma de la Pimienta mountain,[2] near Candelaria, Artemisa Province. [3] Initially reported as a civil flight with 39 people on board, Cuban officials later confirmed that the flight was a military flight that had crashed, killing all eight people on board. [1]
The Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces set up a commission to investigate the accident. [2]
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A Calif. elementary school teacher took off her mask for a read-aloud. Within days, half her class was positive for delta.
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A previous version of this article misstated the name of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory group Julie Morita worked on. Morita was a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The article has been corrected. The Marin County, Calif., elementary school had been conscientious about following covid-19 protocols. Masks were required indoors, desks were spaced six feet apart, and the students kept socially distant. But the delta variant found an opening anyway. On May 19, one teacher, who was not vaccinated against the coronavirus, began feeling fatigued and had some nasal congestion. She dismissed it as allergies and powered through. While she was usually masked, she made an exception for story time so she could read to the class. By the time she learned she was positive for the coronavirus two days later, half her class of 24 had been infected — nearly all of them in the two rows closest to her desk — and the outbreak had spread to other classes, siblings and parents, including some who were fully vaccinated. “The mask was off only momentarily, not an entire day or hours. We want to make the point that this is not the teacher’s fault — everyone lets their guard down — but the thing is delta takes advantage of slippage from any kind of protective measures,” Tracy Lam-Hine, an epidemiologist for the county, said in an interview. The case study, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and highlighted by CDC director Rochelle Walensky during a briefing on Friday, highlights the potential danger for children under the age of 12 — the only group in the United States ineligible for coronavirus vaccines as a hyper-infectious variant tears across the country. Just this month in Brevard County, Fla., 1,623 children were infected and more than 8,000 students were quarantined. And in the Atlanta area, thousands of positive cases were confirmed in schools with 23,000 students and staff have been quarantined. The situation has turned the nation’s schools into ideological battlegrounds — with one angry parent ripping off a mask from a teacher’s face in a Texas school this month, and parents both for and against masks filing lawsuits against their children’s school districts. Without concerted efforts to curb delta’s transmission, things are likely to get worse in coming months. A simulation posted this month by a CDC-funded lab predicted that in elementary schools without either masks or regular testing, more than 75 percent of children might be infected with the coronavirus in the first three months. The delta variant-fueled surge has put new pressure on the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the vaccine for younger children as soon as possible. It has thrown school reopening plans into disarray, with some officials scrambling to impose vaccine mandates for staff, as well as universal mask mandates. And it has frightened and bewildered many parents, unsure how to protect their kids. “It’s hard to put our heads around this,” said Julie Swann, an expert in mathematical modeling at North Carolina State University who leads the team that published the school transmission study and a mother to a 10-year-old. “As parents, we are having to wrestle with these really hard notions of expected risk.” Vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 had been widely expected to be available in the early fall, but to the surprise of many, federal regulators asked vaccine companies in late July to double the number of trial participants to include several thousand more children. The FDA is seeking to better understand the vaccines’ link to a rare but potentially serious inflammation of the heart muscle known as myocarditis and pericarditis that has predominantly affected younger males, and to learn whether it might affect younger children as well. National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins and vaccine makers have indicated that the expansion of the pediatric testing means a vaccine for younger children is unlikely before the end of the year, or perhaps even early 2022. That forecast has spurred alarm among some public officials and health providers, with more than 180,000 new child covid-19 cases confirmed in the week ended Aug. 19 — an up to 20-fold increase over weeks in June when summer breaks began. This past week, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) called on regulators to expedite approval for 5- to 11-year-olds. “Getting our children vaccinated is critical to giving parents greater peace of mind, but we are being told approval is still months away,” he said. The American Academy of Family Physicians warned that “the risk for severe and long-lasting impacts on health outcomes in unvaccinated children is increasing.” And the American Academy of Pediatrics has urged the FDA to use a two-month follow-up time frame for safety studies rather than six months, which would “significantly hinder the ability to reduce the spread of the hyper infectious covid-19 delta variant among this age group.” “In our view, the rise of the delta variant changes the risk-benefit analysis for authorizing vaccines in children,” AAP President Lee Savio Beers wrote in a letter, urging the agency to make the shots available for younger children “as swiftly as possible.” The FDA said it could not comment on its discussions with manufacturers but stressed that it is working to “ensure the number of participants in clinical trials are of adequate size to evaluate a product’s safety and effectiveness in the intended population.” The fourth wave of the coronavirus is hitting children and families faster and harder than before, raising new questions for doctors and researchers. In Southern states, pediatric ICUs are at or near capacity with record numbers of severely ill children. They include newborns just weeks or months old and previously healthy children — almost unheard of in previous waves — reinforcing the idea that this is a virus that can strike anyone. “Is it that we have more cases overall and this is a more transmissible virus? Or is it something about delta? It’s too early to tell, and if anyone is making assumptions, they are not basing it on rigorous data, as there are not rigorous data,” said Adrienne Randolph, a researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital who is leading a nationwide study on covid-19 in children. “However my colleagues in ICUs have reported many more severe cases.” Doctors are also speculating about anecdotal reports of unvaccinated young parents getting seriously ill, and what that might say about transmission in families. In Arkansas just outside Little Rock, Tate Ezzi, 44, and his pregnant wife, Christine, 39, parents to five young children, have been urging the vaccine-wary to revaluate their stance since both were hospitalized and she lost the pregnancy after attending a birthday party at a skating rink. In Texas, Lydia Rodriguez, 42, died this month of covid-19, two weeks after her husband Lawrence’s death from the same disease, orphaning their four children. A recent technical paper out of Britain suggested the delta variant does not cause more serious illness than its predecessors, but the analysis did not specifically break out children. David Rubin, a researcher at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who has been studying U.S. hospitalization data, said that in recent weeks, 1,200 to 1,400 children were inpatients at the peak, and while those numbers may be large, the rate of hospitalization remains the same as in the past at 0.8 to 0.9 percent. “What you are seeing is many more kids are getting covid now because our country is open, and they are being exposed,” he said. What is indisputable is that the virus can spread like wildfire in settings where children are unmasked and unvaccinated, such as schools and homes. And there are fresh worries about the impact the initial dose of exposure may play in disease severity for parents and caregivers, who may be more vulnerable to severe illness. One early paper, published in August 2020 in the Journal of Pediatrics, found that the viral load of some children in the first two days of symptoms could be higher than in severely ill adults, implying a high degree of potential infectiousness. Another found that the virus was detectable for a mean of 6.7 days in infected children — regardless of whether they had symptoms. More recently, researchers found that people are testing positive for the delta variant at a peak of 3.71 days after exposure, as compared with five to six days for previous variants — showing the illness can hit very quickly. An important new study published in JAMA Pediatrics on Aug. 16 found that infants and young children appeared to spread the coronavirus more aggressively than those in their early teens — likely because of how they and their caretakers interact. Researchers note that babies cannot cover coughs or wash their hands themselves, and they require more touching. Preschoolers and early elementary children may be more likely to be in close contact with each other, whether it’s whispering during circle time, holding hands in the hallways or wrestling at recess. “Our interactions with young children are physically very different than [with] others, even in the same family,” Randolph said. “You hold them and cuddle them, and they are usually not masked.” Swann, the North Carolina mom and scientist, set out to try to simulate what could happen with so many children mixing in one building breathing the same air. As part of one of six CDC-funded simulation groups that are designed to help local school officials make decisions, she teamed up with Pinar Keskinocak, a systems engineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and others to look at transmission over time. Many of the assumptions they made were conservative based on the extent of spread in many parts of the United States today. They assumed that when school began, there were already a few kids and teachers with asymptomatic infections, that masking might drop the infections by 50 percent, and that in elementary schools, most of the children were vulnerable to the virus. Each week, they imported one new case, which they imagined might come from a sibling, or perhaps from a student who had been at soccer practice, church or with another community group. They used a transmission rate of four — which means that each infected person would spread it to four others, a number that is lower than the six to seven some studies have estimated for the delta variant, but which they felt was reasonable given that children are only in school for part of the day. The models showed that more than 75 percent of susceptible students — meaning those who were not vaccinated and did not have previous immunity from natural infection — would become infected within three months. With masking, the infection rate would decrease to 50 percent for elementary schools, 35 percent for middle schools and 24 percent for high schools, based on average vaccination rates. Testing further drops infections to 22 percent, 16 percent, and 13 percent. “Parents in California are freaking out that my model shows that, even with masks, there would be a lot of infections,” Swann said. But she also emphasizes that “we have an incomplete picture of what’s happening,” and different communities have widely different levels of susceptibility based on vaccination rates and levels of natural immunity. She also said she has had to remind herself that the relative risk of coronavirus complications in children is low. With about 73 million children and adolescents in the United States, public health officials and researchers believe the pandemic will not end until coronavirus vaccines are approved for all ages. The FDA’s rollout of the vaccines for adults occurred in record time, but there are additional steps involved for children, and for good reason. Younger children’s immune systems tend to be more robust and vary greatly in size — think of a 5-year old vs. a 15-year-old. Medical historians point to cautionary tales about rushed approvals: In the 1960s, thousands of children in the United States who got a vaccine developed atypical measles, which resulted in lung inflammation that often sent them to the hospital. That vaccine was later recalled. Several years ago in the Philippines, a school-based vaccination program for dengue fever had to be stopped after the drugmaker discovered it could lead to more severe illness in some children. Clinical trials typically involve looking separately at children in various age groups, moving from oldest to youngest — ages 16 and up, 12 to 15, 5 to 11, and under 5. Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is currently available for those 12 and above, and Moderna’s vaccine is open for those 18 and older. Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of pediatrics and population health at Stanford University who heads the AAP committee on infectious diseases, said one big challenge for the 5- to 11-year-old group has to do with titrating down, or reducing, the dose. This isn’t necessary for all vaccines, she said, but it is something that is being studied for the messenger-RNA shots. The cardiac complication in some adolescents and young adults after receiving the second shot has been well publicized. But Maldonado, an investigator on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine trials for children, said the issue is so rare that adding a few thousand more children to the studies is unlikely to provide insight, and that the study would probably need to add millions to be able to identify those patients with the reaction. She said researchers have not seen signals of other concerning side effects, and she and her colleagues were not informed the FDA’s authorization might be delayed — until they heard it from the media. “If there had been a valid reason to slow down the authorization, we want to understand that,” she said. “But based on what we’ve seen and heard there’s no specific other issue.” Julie Morita, a vaccine expert who was on the Biden transition team on covid-19 and a former member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the CDC, said that as the delta variant has surged, the calculus for public health officials should change. “If delta wasn’t making children sick and hospitalizing them, it might make sense to take more time to look at the safety profile,” said Morita, executive vice president for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “But when you have a virus that is surging, expediency may become more important.” The outbreak at the school in Marin County is the first delta case in young children published by the CDC in the United States. Epidemiologist Lam-Hine remembers that as the cases mounted, he and his colleagues commented how “this strain is really different” — even before they had confirmed it was delta. Among the most puzzling aspects, he said, is how the virus jumped from the initial class to a second class three grades apart, where six children also tested positive. The school, which has 205 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, had taken multiple measures to combat viral spread. All the classrooms contained portable air filters, and doors and windows were kept open. The two rooms in question were separated by a large courtyard, which had been blocked by lunch tables with yellow tape on them. The students in the two classes did not seem to share siblings, carpools, sports teams or other extracurricular activities, he said. Yet sequencing showed their virus was genetically indistinguishable. Perhaps, Lam-Hine speculated, the kids had passed each other in the hallway or had some other close contact. The contact tracing team also found five additional people in the community who had infections with the same virus, but they were unable to find a link with the school cases. The findings included some good news: While more than 80 percent of the infected children, or 22 out of 27, had symptoms such as fevers, coughs, headaches and sore throats, none were hospitalized. And the county saw no obvious further spread. Lam-Hine speculated the county’s mask compliance and vaccination rate — the highest in the state — made the difference. “This is not a story about a teacher and her class,” he said. “It’s about the need for all of us to be super vigilant.” The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning.
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Disease Outbreaks
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Brazil mining dam collapse death toll rises with hundreds still missing
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The death toll from the collapse of a dam holding back mine waste in southeastern Brazil rose to at least 40 on Saturday. Hundreds were still missing and authorities expected the death toll to rise. Officials from the Minas Gerais fire department released the latest number on Saturday night. Searches were suspended at nightfall and expected to begin again at 4 a.m. local time on Sunday. Rescuers in helicopters had searched for survivors while those on the ground had laboured in deep mud to uncover bodies. Romeu Zema, the governor of the state of Minas Gerais, warned that those responsible "would be punished." Daily Folha de S.Paulo newspaper reported Saturday that the dam's mining complex, owned and operated by Brazilian mining company Vale, was issued an expedited licence to expand in December due to "decreased risk." Preservation groups in the area say the approval was unlawful. In addition to the bodies recovered, 23 people were hospitalized, said authorities with the fire department. There had been some signs of hope earlier Saturday when authorities found 43 more people alive. Company officials also had said that 100 workers were accounted for. But the company said in a statement Saturday afternoon that 251 workers were still missing, while fire officials estimated 296 were still unaccounted for. Scores of families in the city desperately awaited word on their loved ones. For many, hope was fading to anguish. "I don't think he is alive," said Joao Bosco, speaking of his cousin, Jorge Luis Ferreira, who worked for Vale. "Right now I can only hope for a miracle of God." Israel was sending a mission to help with rescue operations and provide aid, according to a statement Saturday from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. Netanyahu made the help offer during a call with President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been an enthusiastic ally of Israel. Bolsonaro, who assumed office Jan. 1, did a flyover Saturday of the area affected by the dam collapse. Vale workers were eating lunch Friday afternoon when the dam collapsed, unleashing a sea of reddish-brown mud that knocked over and buried several structures of the company and surrounding areas. The level of devastation quickly led Bolsonaro and other officials to describe it as a "tragedy." "It's distressing, maddening," said Vanilza Sueli Oliveira, who was awaiting news of her nephew. "Time is passing. It's been 24 hours already. Time is passing. I just don't want to think that he is under the mud." The rivers of mining waste raised fears of widespread contamination. According to Vale's website, the waste, often called tailings, is composed mostly of sand and is non-toxic. However, a UN report found that the waste from a similar disaster in 2015 "contained high levels of toxic heavy metals." Vale CEO Fabio Schvartsman said he did not know what caused the collapse. About 300 employees were working when it happened. "The principal victims were our own workers," Schvartsman told a news conference Friday evening, adding that the restaurant where many ate "was buried by the mud at lunchtime." After the dam collapsed Friday afternoon, parts of Brumadinho were evacuated, and firefighters rescued people by helicopter and ground vehicles. Several helicopters flew over the area on Saturday while firefighters carefully traversed heavily inundated areas looking for survivors. Rooftops poked above an extensive field of the mud, which also cut off roads. The flow of waste reached the nearby community of Vila Ferteco and a Vale administrative office, where employees were present. On Friday, Minas Gerais state court blocked $260 million US from Vale for state emergency services and is requiring the company to present a report about how they will help victims. On Saturday, the state's justice ministry ordered an additional $1.3 billion US blocked. Another dam administered by Vale and Australian mining company BHP Billiton collapsed in 2015 in the city of Mariana in Minas Gerais state, resulting in 19 deaths and forcing hundreds from their homes. Considered the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history, it left 250,000 people without drinking water and killed thousands of fish. An estimated 60 million cubic metres of waste flooded rivers and eventually flowed into the Atlantic Ocean. Schvartsman said what happened Friday was "a human tragedy much larger than the tragedy of Mariana, but probably the environmental damage will be less." Sueli de Oliveira Costa, who hadn't heard from her husband since Friday, had harsh words for the mining company. "Vale destroyed Mariana and now they've destroyed Brumadinho," she said. "I need answers. I am desperate." On Twitter, President Bolsonaro said his government would do everything it could to "prevent more tragedies" like Mariana and now Brumadinho. The far-right leader campaigned on promises to jump-start Brazil's economy, in part by deregulating mining and other industries. Environmental groups and activists said the latest spill underscored a lack of regulation, and many promised to fight any further deregulation by Bolsonaro in Latin America's largest nation. The latest spill "is a sad consequence of the lessons not learned by the Brazilian government and the mining companies responsible for the tragedy with Samarco dam, in Mariana, also controlled by Vale," Greenpeace said in a statement. "History repeats itself," tweeted Marina Silva, a former environmental minister and three-time presidential candidate. "It's unacceptable that government and mining companies haven't learned anything."
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Mine Collapses
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1948 Fukui earthquake
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The 1948 Fukui earthquake (福井地震, Fukui jishin) occurred in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The magnitude 6.8 quake struck at 5:13:31 p.m.(JDT) on June 28. The strongest shaking occurred in the city of Fukui, where it was recorded as 6 (equivalent to the current 7) on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale. The shock occurred near the town of Maruoka. [6]
This earthquake was caused by a strike-slip fault that was unknown until this earthquake. The fault stretches from Kanazu to Fukui,[7] 25 km (16 mi) long, and was later named the "Fukui Earthquake Fault". Shaking was felt as far as Mito in the east, and Saga in the west. Damage was most reported in the Fukui plain, where the building collapse rate was more than 60%, since shaking became larger due to it being an alluvial plain, and many of the buildings were just built after the war and a little unstable. At the time many people were cooking so after the earthquake many fires spread. Since the roads and the waterworks were damaged it took 5 days to put out the fires and so the fires caused devastating damage. Even though the Daiwa Department Store collapsed, the Fukui Bank building right next to it had no significant damage. It is thought to have been because the Fukui Bank building had about 500 deep foundation pipes 10 meters deep in the ground. Almost all of the farmers' houses in the epicenter area collapsed, but most of the farmers were outside so there were not many casualties. At the time, it was the deadliest earthquake after the Pacific War (now superseded by the Great Hanshin earthquake and the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami). This earthquake killed 3769 people, mainly in Sakai City (then part of Fukui City), where the death rate was more than 1%.
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Earthquakes
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Continental Charters Flight 44-2 crash
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Continental Charters Flight 44-2, a domestic non scheduled passenger flight from Miami, Florida to Buffalo, New York, crashed on December 29, 1951 near Napoli, New York. The twin engine C-46 Commando, registration N3944C, crashed approximately 10:25 pm in adverse weather conditions. Of the four crew and 36 passengers on board, three crew members and 23 passengers perished. [1] The flight crew's poor judgment in attempting a flight by visual reference during instrument weather conditions was the cause of the accident. [2]
Continental Charters (no connection to the former Continental Airlines) Flight 44-2 originated in Miami, Florida where the airline was based. Continental Charters operated without a regular schedule and was equipped with military surplus aircraft, allowing the company to offer discounted fares. After a seven-hour delay due to mechanical problems, Flight 44-2 departed Miami and arrived safely but late into Pittsburgh's Allegheny County Airport. The flight carried a crew of four, 24 passengers bound for Pittsburgh, and a backup crew of three who were to fly the plane back to Miami. The plan was to stop in Pittsburgh, deplane the 24 passengers, then go to Buffalo, return to Pittsburgh, and the return to Miami. The crew opted to board 29 passengers waiting in Pittsburgh for the flight to Miami, fly to Buffalo and then return directly from Buffalo to Miami to make up lost time. The crew also opted to fly VFR direct to Buffalo from Pittsburgh instead of filing a flight plan under instrument flight rules that would take them in a less than direct route to Buffalo. Flying under instrument flight rules would also have required an additional delay for refueling in Pittsburgh. When the crew filed their VFR fight plan, they were advised that stations along the proposed route (Bradford, Pennsylvania and Jamestown, New York) were reporting ceilings and visibility below VFR minimums. The weather briefer further stated that VFR flight was not recommended over their intended route due to low ceilings and poor visibility. [3][4]
Continental Charters Flight 44-2 left Pittsburgh at 9:47 pm. The direct course to Buffalo (heading 018 degrees true) would take the flight slightly east of Jamestown, New York and into Buffalo. Reports of witnesses on the ground located by accident investigators after the crash indicated that the aircraft began drifting east of the direct route soon after takeoff. The plane was also reported to have been flying very low and that the weather was very poor, with zero ceiling and visibility along the route. The plane's flight path, miles east of the direct course, resulted in the aircraft flying over significantly higher terrain, the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, than the flight would have encountered on the direct route. [3]
The only surviving crew member, a flight attendant, later recounted that the two relief pilots went forward into the cockpit just before the crash. Loud discussion and cursing was heard among the pilots. Moments later, the crash sequence began. [4]
The crash sequence began about 38 minutes into the flight. The aircraft first struck the top of a tree 60 feet above the ground located about 100 feet below the top of wooded ridge. The ridge, called 'Bucktooth Ridge,' is 2375 feet in elevation. Forward movement continued for 933 feet as the aircraft struck other trees and disintegrated from the impact. All major parts of the aircraft were accounted for. The only part of the aircraft that was not destroyed was the aft passenger compartment, which rolled to a stop at the far end of the debris field. All 14 survivors were seated in this section. There was no post crash fire. The aircraft was later written off as a total loss. [3]
The ordeal had just begun for the survivors of Flight 44-2. The 14 survivors spent two days and two nights at the crash site in below freezing temperatures waiting to be rescued. Snow was chest high in the area. Two men tried to walk out to get help on the day after the crash but had to turn back. On the second day, one of the men was able to get to a farm house several miles away and get help. All 14 survivors had injuries of varying severity and were taken to hospital. [4]
The crash was investigated by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). The investigation found that the crew, the aircraft and the carrier were properly certified and that the aircraft was properly loaded and fueled. They found that there was no malfunction of the aircraft and the engines were operating properly. The investigation also found that the crew filed a VFR flight plan when instrument weather conditions prevailed over the proposed route and that flight was conducted below the prescribed minimum altitude for VFR night operations. The probable cause was determined to be "the captain's poor judgement in attempting a flight by visual reference during instrument weather conditions. "[3]
The accident occurred just as passenger airline service was developing in the United States. To control public perceptions that air travel was unsafe, the CAB Chairman Donald Nyrop visited the crash scene on January 1, 1952 and reassured the public that the crash had not been caused by a mechanical failure of the airplane. The loss of Flight 44-2 also led to new airline safety rules. The CAB issued a draft regulation on March 10, 1952, requiring that night visual flights on passenger planes in large aircraft be conducted only on designated routes and between airports equipped with radio communications. [4]
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Air crash
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El Al Flight 402 crash
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El Al Flight 402 was an international passenger flight from London to Tel Aviv via Vienna and Istanbul. On 27 July 1955, the flight, operated by a Lockheed Constellation registered as 4X-AKC, strayed into then-Communist Bulgarian airspace and was attacked by two Bulgarian MiG-15 jet fighters, crashing near Petrich. All 7 crew and 51 passengers on board the airliner were killed. The crash took place amid highly strained relations between the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc and was the deadliest involving the Constellation up to that time. The Constellation originated its scheduled weekly flight from London and departed Vienna's Wien-Schwechat International Airport (VIE) at 02:53, bound to Tel Aviv's Lod Airport (since renamed to Ben Gurion Airport) via Istanbul. As the flight was to approach hostile airspace over the People's Republic of Bulgaria, the airplane was instructed to stay on the Amber 10 airway over friendly Yugoslav and Greek airspace en route to Istanbul. The aircraft's crossing of the Western Bulgarian border was registered by an observation post of the Bulgarian military near the town of Tran. Air Defence scrambled two MiG-15 jets with pilots Petrov (pair leader) and Sankiisky by order of Deputy Commander in Chief of Air Defense, Gen. Velitchko Georgiev. [3]:314 The MiGs took off from Dobroslavtsi airport and were responsible for the defense of the capital city of Sofia. According to pilots Petrov and Sankiisky, Sankiisky first attempted to warn the El Al plane that it was in violation by shooting signal rounds in front of the Constellation's nose. Petrov then repeated the warning. The Constellation initially pretended to follow the instructions and deployed its flaps and landing gear but then sharply retracted them and changed course to Greece in a bid to escape the fighters. The pilots' account has subsequently been disputed as the location of the crash on the slopes of Kozhuh hill near the village of Rupite, Petrich Municipality, only a few kilometers away from the border with Greece, suggests that the El Al flight had been followed without being shot at until its very last minutes over Bulgarian territory. The final shoot-down order was given by Georgiev who said: "If the plane is leaving our territory, disobeying orders, and there is no time left for more warnings, then shoot it down. The airliner was hit by the MiG-15's guns and then descended, breaking apart at 2,000 feet (610 m), and crashed in flames north of the town of Petrich, Bulgaria, near the Yugoslav and Greek borders killing the 7 crew and 51 passengers. [1]
At first, however, it was speculated that the aircraft was not brought down by fighters but by anti-aircraft guns from the ground. The next day, the Bulgarian government admitted to shooting down the airliner. It expressed regret and arranged an official inquiry but would not allow a six-man investigative team from Israel to take part. This was criticized both by the Israeli and Bulgarian sources within the investigation.
The accident was investigated and the following probable cause statement was issued:
The aircraft sustained a hit or hits which caused loss of pressurization and a fire in the heater compartment. The aircraft broke up in mid-air due to explosion caused by bullets hitting the right wing and probably the left wing together with a projectile or projectiles of large calibre in the rear end of the fuselage. Why the plane veered off its intended route was never established with highly conflicting opinions from Israeli and Bulgarian investigators. One possibility is that, using NDB navigation, thunderstorm activity in the area[5] might have upset the navigational equipment so that the crew believed they were over the Skopje radio beacon and turned to an outbound course of 142 degrees but this version is not supported by any factual evidence of thunderstorms in the area and is disputed by both the Bulgarian military and current historiographers of Bulgarian aviation. [3] It is firmly established only that the El Al flight, flying at FL180 (an altitude of approximately 18,000 feet (5,500 m) above mean sea level), strayed off the Amber 10 airway over Yugoslav airspace into Bulgarian territory. Bypassing the town of Tran, the El Al plane traveled a total of 200 km (120 mi) over Bulgarian territory at a 120 km (75 mi) distance from the Yugoslav-Bulgarian border before being shot down.
As a follow-up/safety action, it was recommended that more VOR stations be used on airway Amber 10 instead of just one at the time of the accident. [1]
Mail carried on this flight is known to have originated in Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and the USSR. A small amount of the mail was salvaged from the crash. As noted in Kibble,[6] when the surviving mail arrived into Tel Aviv, it was stamped with a Hebrew instructional marking prior to being forwarded on to its final town destination within Israel. The boxed violet instructional marking reads (translated from the Hebrew):[6]
"This piece of mail survived in El-Al airplane that was shot down over Bulgaria on 27.7.55." The Hebrew text is 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) in size while the outline of the boxed instructional marking is 19 mm × 36 mm (0.75 in × 1.42 in) in size. [6]
The incident took place during the Cold War with each side interpreting the other's actions as serious provocation. The Bulgarian Communist government saw the accident as eroding the détente in East/West relations that had been achieved in talks in Geneva earlier the same year. Both pilots were considered for demotion and threatened with prison terms by Minister of the Interior Georgi Tzankov but the pilots were determined to have been following orders. Although the Bulgarian government at first refused to accept responsibility, blaming the Israeli airliner for penetrating its airspace without authorization, it eventually issued a formal apology stating that the fighter pilots had been "too hasty" in shooting down the airliner and agreed to pay compensation to the victims' families. [7]
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Air crash
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Manufacturers of counterfeit DuPont PPE receive jail sentence
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The prosecution noted that supplying fake PPE was a particularly severe offense when the world struggles to stop the spread of COVID-19 A criminal group responsible for manufacturing and selling fake DuPont PPE in Morocco has been sentenced to up to five years in prison. The fraud was uncovered when staff at a cosmetic clinic in Casablanca raised concerns about the quality of the protective garments they had received. As the police investigated the products seized from the clinic, they discovered face masks carrying the DuPont Oval logo and DuPont Tyvek trademarks. DuPont had previously reached out to law enforcement to help them understand which products are manufactured from Tyvek so investigators were aware that the material is not used in face masks. With the products verified as fake, the police were able to track down the five men responsible for manufacturing the goods. The investigation found that the group had produced the counterfeit protective garments locally and then distributed them across the country. The men were charged with selling counterfeit goods that threaten the health and safety of the medical teams. During the trial, the prosecution noted that supplying fake PPE was a particularly severe offense when the world struggles to stop the spread of COVID-19, and there is a global shortage of PPE. To make a stand against counterfeiting and to further highlight the issue, DuPont joined the local prosecutor’s case to seek compensation for the damages relating to the unauthorised use of its trademark. The judge gave the verdict in DuPont’s favor, awarding the company 100,000 Moroccan dirhams (the equivalent of around $11,000) damages. The counterfeit garments were destroyed. “Fake PPE is a serious health risk, and it is our collective responsibility to do everything we can to tackle the issue,” said David Domnisch, Global Business Director, DuPont Personal Protection. “By actively working with authorities to train on spotting counterfeit PPE, by identifying and investigating reports of suspicious products, and by prosecuting offenders to the full extent of the law, we can work to eliminate these dangerous goods from the market. DuPont Personal Protection is committed to ensuring that PPE products bearing our brands meet the high standards of quality and protection that our customers have come to expect and trust.” DuPont to provide nearly five million coveralls to COVID-19 frontline workers
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence
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Whitmer establishes Task Force on Forensic Science
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An executive order was signed Friday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, establishing the Task Force on Forensic Science. The task force, created under Executive Order 2021-04, will be an advisory body within the Michigan Department of State Police, made up of people in the medical, legal and academic professions, government officials, private sector experts and representatives from the Michigan State Police, Michigan Supreme Court and Attorney General’s office. “A fair trial is at the core of the American criminal justice system,” Whitmer stated in a news release. “While forensic science is an important tool, misapplication of forensic science can deprive a person of a fair trial. We must ensure that Michigan adheres to the highest standards of evidence, and that practitioners throughout our criminal justice system understand how to apply forensic science properly.” Added Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist: “Michigan will always ensure that the highest standards are being met when it comes to justice. “The work of the Forensic Science Task Force will ensure that our legal and criminal justice systems can keep up with the times. The Governor and I look forward to their recommendations.” Chief Justice Bridget McCormack of the Michigan Supreme Court said that, with the task force, “Michigan can be a national leader in better science promoting better justice.” McCormack and Director Col. Joseph Gasper of the Michigan State Police will serve as co-chairs. “As a national leader in forensic science, the Michigan State Police is committed to further improving the use of forensic science in Michigan through the work of this advisory panel,” Gasper stated. “We look forward to working alongside the other stakeholders to ensure that Michigan continues to set a high bar for forensic science.” As stated in the news release, the task force’s mission is to review the state of forensic science in Michigan, then deliver completed findings and policy recommendations to Whitmer by the end of the year. Recommendations could include “methodology improvements, processes to address misconduct and procedures to update stakeholders on developments in forensic science.” The task force will also include Jeff Nye, director of the MSP Forensic Science Division, Attorney General Dana Nessel or her designee and Judge Paul J. Denenfeld of the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County. Four members of the Legislature, two from the Senate and two from the House of Representatives, will also participate as non-voting members. Task force members appointed by Whitmer, for terms running April 2-Dec. 31, 2021: * Christopher R. Bommarito of Williamston. Bommarito is president and chief forensic scientist of Forensic Science Consultants, Inc. He holds a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and criminalistics and a master of science degree in forensic science from Michigan State University. Bommarito is appointed to represent forensic science practitioners with at least five years of experience in the field. * Kent Gardner of Davison. Gardner is the administrator of forensic lab services for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. He holds a bachelor of science degree in business from Wayne State University and a master of science degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University. Gardner is appointed to represent a forensic science practitioner from a county forensic service provider. * Brandon N. Giroux of Northville. Giroux is president of Giroux Forensic, Inc. and Forensic Assurance, Inc. He is also a forensic firearm and tool mark instructor and consultant for the National Forensic Science Technology Center, and a forensic science instructor at Wayne State University. He holds a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry from the University of Michigan and a master of science degree in forensic science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Giroux is appointed to represent forensic science practitioners with at least five years of experience in the field. * Jeffrey M. Jentzen, MD, Ph.D of Ann Arbor. Jentzen is a clinical professor emeritus of pathology for the University of Michigan Department of Pathology. Jentzen has served as the chief medical examiner for Washtenaw County and deputy medical examiner for Wayne County. He holds a bachelor of science in biology from Michigan Technological University, doctor of medicine degree from Wayne State University, and a master of science and Ph.D in medical history from the University of Wisconsin. Jentzen is appointed to represent a board-certified pathologist with experience in forensic pathology. * Barbara O’Brien, Ph.D of East Lansing. O’Brien is a professor at the Michigan State University College of Law. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Bowdoin College, juris doctor degree from the University of Colorado Law School, and a Ph.D in psychology from the University of Michigan. O’Brien is appointed to represent an individual from the private sector or from a university in this state who has published scholarship related to cognitive bias. * Jonathan Sacks of Ann Arbor. Sacks is director of the State Appellate Defender Office. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in European history from the University of Pennsylvania and a juris doctor from Columbia Law School. Sacks is appointed to represent a public defender or criminal defense attorney. * Donald Shelton, Ph.D of Saline. Shelton is director of the criminology and criminal justice program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and program director for their Justice Reform Project, Alternatives to Violent Force. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in social science from Western Michigan University, juris doctor degree from the University of Michigan School of Law, master of arts degree in criminology and criminal justice from Eastern Michigan University, and a Ph.D in judicial studies from the University of Nevada. Shelton is appointed to represent individuals from the private sector or from a university in this state who have earned a doctoral degree in a distinct field relevant to forensic science and who have published scholarship related to the field in a peer-reviewed journal. * Ruth Smith, Ph.D of Okemos. Smith is professor of forensic chemistry and the director of the forensic science program at Michigan State University. She holds a bachelor of science degree and a Ph.D in forensic and analytical chemistry from the University of Strathclyde. Smith is appointed to represent individuals from the private sector or from a university in this state who have earned a doctoral degree in a distinct field relevant to forensic science and who have published scholarship related to the field in a peer-reviewed journal. * Matthew J. Wiese of Marquette. Wiese is prosecuting attorney for Marquette County. He holds a bachelor of science from Northern Michigan University and a juris doctor degree from Vermont Law School. Wiese is appointed to represent a prosecuting attorney. Legislative members serving as task force participants include Sen. John Bizon, Sen. Stephanie Chang, Rep. Robert Bezotte and Rep. Laurie Pohutsky.
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Organization Established
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News | Toronto & Local News - GTA News Headlines - Canada News
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Emergency crews rushed to the area of Talbot Road East and Elm Street around 6:30 p.m.
The explosion heavily damaged at least two buildings.
The cause of the explosion is unknown, but officials said a monitoring device at the building detected the presence of a gas two hours before the explosion.
Officials said the three victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Homes and businesses in the area were evacuated as a result of the explosion.
"This huge blast-sounding kaboom happened. Things fell off the wall. The glass on the window exploded and rattled. The building shook," Kathryn Parent, who was sitting at a nearby restaurant when the explosion happened, told CTV News Windsor.
In June, an evacuation was ordered, and a state of emergency was declared after hydrogen sulphide, a toxic and flammable gas, was discovered in the vicinity where the explosion was reported.
A second state of emergency was declared a month later when the gas was detected again.
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Gas explosion
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1989 Tiananmen Square protests
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The Tiananmen Square protests, known as the June Fourth Incident in China (Chinese: 六四事件; pinyin: liùsì shìjiàn), were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing during 1989. In what is known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre (Chinese: 天安门大屠杀; pinyin: Tiān'ānmén dà túshā), troops armed with assault rifles and accompanied by tanks fired at the demonstrators and those trying to block the military's advance into Tiananmen Square. The protests started on April 15 and were forcibly suppressed on June 4 when the government declared martial law and sent the People's Liberation Army to occupy parts of central Beijing. Estimates of the death toll vary from several hundred to several thousand, with thousands more wounded. [2][3][4][5][6][7] The popular national movement inspired by the Beijing protests is sometimes called the '89 Democracy Movement (Chinese: 八九民运; pinyin: Bājiǔ mínyùn) or the Tiananmen Square Incident (Chinese: 天安门事件; pinyin: Tiān'ānmén shìjiàn). The protests were precipitated by the death of pro-reform Communist general secretary Hu Yaobang in April 1989 amid the backdrop of rapid economic development and social change in post-Mao China, reflecting anxieties among the people and political elite about the country's future. The reforms of the 1980s had led to a nascent market economy that benefited some people but seriously disadvantaged others, and the one-party political system also faced a challenge to its legitimacy. Common grievances at the time included inflation, corruption, limited preparedness of graduates for the new economy,[8] and restrictions on political participation. Although they were highly disorganized and their goals varied, the students called for greater accountability, constitutional due process, democracy, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech. [9][10] At the height of the protests, about one million people assembled in the Square. [11]
As the protests developed, the authorities responded with both conciliatory and hardline tactics, exposing deep divisions within the party leadership. [12] By May, a student-led hunger strike galvanized support around the country for the demonstrators, and the protests spread to some 400 cities. [13] Among the CCP top leadership, Premier Li Peng and Party Elders Li Xiannian and Wang Zhen called for decisive action through violent suppression of the protesters, and ultimately managed to win over Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping and President Yang Shangkun to their side. [14][15][16] On May 20, the State Council declared martial law. They mobilized as many as 300,000 troops to Beijing. [13] The troops advanced into central parts of Beijing on the city's major thoroughfares in the early morning hours of June 4, killing both demonstrators and bystanders in the process. The military operations were under the overall command of General Yang Baibing, half-brother of President Yang Shangkun. [17]
The international community, human rights organizations, and political analysts condemned the Chinese government for the massacre. Western countries imposed arms embargoes on China. [18] The Chinese government made widespread arrests of protesters and their supporters, suppressed other protests around China, expelled foreign journalists, strictly controlled coverage of the events in the domestic press, strengthened the police and internal security forces, and demoted or purged officials it deemed sympathetic to the protests. [19] More broadly, the suppression ended the political reforms begun in 1986 and halted the policies of liberalization of the 1980s, which were only partly resumed after Deng Xiaoping's Southern Tour in 1992. [20][21][22] Considered a watershed event, reaction to the protests set limits on political expression in China, limits that have lasted up to the present day. [23] Remembering the protests is widely associated with questioning the legitimacy of Communist Party rule and remains one of the most sensitive and most widely censored topics in China. [24][25]
Chinese conventionally date events by the name or number of the month and the day, followed by the event type. Thus, the common Chinese name for the crackdown is "June Fourth Incident" (Chinese: 六四事件; pinyin: liùsì shìjiàn). The nomenclature is consistent with the customary names of the other two great protests that occurred in Tiananmen Square: the May Fourth Movement of 1919 and the April Fifth Movement of 1976. June Fourth refers to the day on which the People's Liberation Army cleared Tiananmen Square of protesters, although actual operations began on the evening of June 3. Names such as June Fourth Movement (六四运动; liù-sì yùndòng) and '89 Democracy Movement (八九民运; bā-jiǔ mínyùn) are used to describe an event in its entirety. The Chinese Communist Party has used numerous names for the event since 1989, gradually using more neutral terminology. [26] As the events unfolded, it was labeled a "counterrevolutionary riot", which was later changed to simply "riot", followed by "political storm". Finally, the leadership settled on the more neutral phrase "political turmoil between the Spring and Summer of 1989", which it uses to this day. [26][27]
Outside mainland China, and among circles critical of the crackdown within mainland China, the crackdown is commonly referred to in Chinese as "June Fourth Massacre" (六四屠殺; liù-sì túshā) and "June Fourth Crackdown" (六四鎮壓; liù-sì zhènyā). To bypass internet censorship in China, which uniformly considers all the above-mentioned names too "sensitive" for search engines and public forums, alternative names have sprung up to describe the events on the Internet, such as May 35th, VIIV (Roman numerals for 6 and 4), Eight Squared (i.e. 82=64)[28] and 8964 (i.e. yymd). [29]
In English, the terms "Tiananmen Square Massacre", "Tiananmen Square Protests", and "Tiananmen Square Crackdown" are often used to describe the series of events. However, much of the violence in Beijing did not actually happen in Tiananmen, but outside the square along a stretch of Chang'an Avenue only a few miles long, and especially near the Muxidi area. [30] The term also gives a misleading impression that demonstrations only happened in Beijing, when in fact, they occurred in many cities throughout China. [15]
The Cultural Revolution ended with chairman Mao Zedong's death in 1976 and the arrest of the Gang of Four. That movement, spearheaded by Mao, caused severe damage to the country's initially diverse economic and social fabric. The country was mired in poverty as economic production slowed or came to a halt. [citation needed] Political ideology was paramount in the lives of ordinary people as well as the inner workings of the Communist Party itself. In September 1977, Deng Xiaoping proposed the idea of Boluan Fanzheng ("bringing order out of chaos") to correct the mistakes of the Cultural Revolution. At the Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee, in December 1978, Deng emerged as China's de facto leader. He launched a comprehensive program to reform the Chinese economy (Reforms and Opening-up). Within several years, the country's focus on ideological purity was replaced by a concerted attempt to achieve material prosperity. To oversee his reform agenda, Deng promoted his allies to top government and party posts. Zhao Ziyang was named Premier, the head of government, in September 1980, and Hu Yaobang became General Secretary of the Communist Party in 1982. Deng's reforms aimed to decrease the state's role in the economy and gradually allow private production in agriculture and industry. By 1981, roughly 73% of rural farms had been de-collectivized, and 80% of state-owned enterprises were permitted to retain their profits.
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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B-52 bombers, Army I Corps on Guam to support dual training exercises
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Guam is supporting two simultaneous U.S. military exercises by hosting Air Force bombers and Army soldiers, vehicles and weapons over the coming weeks. A group of B-52 bombers arrived Wednesday on Guam from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to support Pacific Air Force’s Bomber Task Force, according to an Air Force news release. The bombers will also take part in the Talisman Saber exercise, which runs through the end of the month, with the Australian Defense Force. The Air Force did not disclose the number of B-52s sent to Guam. Four B-52 Stratofortress bombers deployed there in April from Barksdale Air Force Base, La. Meanwhile, I Corps, based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, is leading the Army’s Pacific Forager 21 exercise from Guam. The exercise, which runs through Aug. 6, is designed “to test and refine the Theater Army and the Corps’ ability to deploy landpower forces to the Pacific, execute command and control, and effectively conduct multi-domain operations throughout Oceania,” according to an Army news release. About 4,000 U.S. personnel are directly participating in Forager, the Army said. Training scenarios include an 82nd Airborne operation; a bilateral airborne operation with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and 1st Special Forces Group; a live-fire exercise with Apache attack helicopters; and multi-domain operations involving the transport over land, air and sea of Strykers, the Avengers surface-to-air missile system and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, the Army said. “Forager 21 allows us to dynamically employ forces to the Pacific to practice our response to a full range of security concerns in support of our regional alliances and international agreements across all domains, land, air, sea, space and cyber,” Maj. Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of I Corps, said in the news release. The tiny U.S. territory of Guam, which lies 4,000 miles west of Hawaii and 2,500 miles east of the Philippines, is of growing strategic importance to the American military as it grapples with China’s expansion in the region. The island’s Andersen Air Force Base routinely hosts deploying bombers, which are used to project U.S. air power throughout the Indo-Pacific with an eye toward China, Russia and North Korea. Naval Base Guam is the homeport for four Navy submarines, and the Coast Guard operates a trio of the service’s new 154-foot Sentinel-class fast-response cutters from the island.
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Military Exercise
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Australian swimmers break national records, reach finals at Tokyo Olympics
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Australia has enjoyed a productive opening session of the swimming program at the Tokyo Olympics, with two national records falling and several swimmers qualifying for finals.
Brendon Smith and Emma McKeon set new Australian marks in the heats of the men's 400m individual medley and women's 100m butterfly respectively.
Their performances were backed up by Elijah Winnington and Jack McLoughlin, who dead-heated in their heat of the men's 400m freestyle to qualify for Sunday morning's final.
Australia also qualified fastest for the women's 4x100m freestyle relay final as it looks to win a third straight gold medal in the event.
With Cate Campbell and McKeon rested from the heat, Australia's quartet of Mollie O'Callaghan, Meg Harris, Madi Wilson and Bronte Campbell still easily advanced to the final with the fastest qualifying time of 3 minutes and 31.73 seconds.
Australia holds the world and Olympic records in the 4x100m freestle relay.
Earlier, Smith showed no signs of nerves in his Olympic debut, topping the qualifying times for the men's 400m individual medley.
The 21-year-old produced a stirring freestyle leg to win his heat, breaking his national record in the event with a time of 4:09.27.
Smith's teammate Se-Bom Lee, also making his Games debut, was second in his heat with a time of 4:15.76 but did not progress to the final.
McKeon dipped under her national record in the opening preliminaries of the women's 100m butterfly, stopping the clock in 55.82.
The 27-year-old, who was sixth in the event at the Rio Olympics, dead-heated with China's Zhang Yufei in their heat, with both being the fastest qualifiers for the semi-finals.
Social media reaction, however, suggested McKeon — a two-time world championships medallist in the 100m butterfly — had been short changed in the official result in her heat.
Footage appeared to show her touching the wall first, clearly ahead of her Chinese rival.
The Tokyo Paralympics are starting. Stay up to date with all the action from the Games.
Fellow Australian Brianna Throssell, who competed in the same heat as McKeon, scraped through to the semi-finals as the 16th fastest qualifier via a time of 58.08.
Winnington and McLoughlin arrived in Tokyo with the two fastest times in the men's 400m freestyle this year.
They showed they were not overawed by the occasion in Tokyo, with Winnington leading the field at the 300m mark, while McLoughlin was in third place.
A frantic sprint in the final 100m saw the pair touch the wall together, with Kieran Smith of the US only 0.05 behind in third.
Winnington and McLoughlin, who beat defending Olympic champion Mack Horton at Australia's Olympic trials last month, were the equal fourth fastest qualifiers for Sunday morning's final.
They will be striving to win Australia's seventh gold medal in the event.
Australia's Matthew Wilson and Zac Stubblety-Cook were eliminated in the heats of the men's 100m breaststroke.
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)
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Break historical records
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A report on the second Lisbon Treaty has been published suggesting the reasons that people voted for and against the treaty
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A report on the second Lisbon Treaty has been published suggesting the reasons that people voted for and against the treaty. Irish people voted by a margin of two to one in favour of ratifying the Lisbon Treaty in October last year.
The 58% voter turnout was the highest in a European referendum since the original vote on joining the then EEC in 1972.
Ireland had rejected the Treaty in the first referendum in 2008.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said: 'This represented a significant reversal of the result of the first referendum in June 2008.
'The findings suggest that the reasons underlying the different outcomes were complex and should not be oversimplified.
'What is clear, however, is the belief of most Irish people that the European Union is good for Ireland and that Irish economic wellbeing is linked to our membership of the union.'
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Sign Agreement
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Police investigate fatal shooting north of Valpo
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The Porter County Sheriff’s Department and Coroner’s Office are investigating a Sunday night shooting in Center Township north of Valparaiso in which two men died.
On Tuesday, authorities identified the deceased men as Andrew L. Howell, 32, and Adam G. Pritchard, 30, both of Valparaiso. Additional details on the incident were not available.
The two men are the only people involved in the incident, Cpl. Ben McFalls, public information officer for the department, said in a release.
“This is an isolated incident and there is no threat to public safety,” he said. “Please keep the families of the deceased subjects in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
At 11:02 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a call of shots fired in the area of the 600 block of Grandview Avenue in Center Township. Police found two male subjects dead from gunshot wounds, McFalls said.
The coroner’s office was dispatched to the scene at 2:32 a.m. Monday, according to a release from Coroner Cyndi Dykes. Autopsies and toxicology tests are pending for both individuals.
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
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President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the TPP
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President Donald Trump officially withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal on Monday. The move was expected. Even before he announced his candidacy for president 18 months ago, Trump said the trade deal was bad for American workers. The president signed an anti-TPP executive order at the White House, as reporters watched. "We’ve been talking about this for a long time,” Trump said. “A great thing for the American worker, what we just did." During his campaign for the presidency, Trump said some trade deals with other countries cost America jobs. He said they lead employers to move operations outside the United States to save on labor costs. Obama administration negotiated TPP The United States negotiated the TPP during the administration of former President Barack Obama. But the U.S. Congress never approved the trade deal. The agreement would have lowered tariffs on trade involving the U.S. and 11 other countries, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile and Japan. The others are Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The TPP would have been the biggest trade deal in history, covering nearly 40 percent of the world economy. China did not take part in the negotiations. But it appears ready to sign its own trade deals with Southeast Asian countries that would have been part of the TPP. Former President Obama said the trade agreement would be good for the United States. Without a deal, he said, China would write the rules for the global economy. Last Friday, Trump was sworn-in as president. He was elected last November after defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Both she and Obama are members of the Democratic Party. Trump was the Republican presidential candidate. After being sworn-in, Trump said his administration would work to put “America First,” signaling a move to more isolationist policies. TPP would have cut more than 18,000 tariffs, including taxes on all goods made in the U.S. and almost all American farm products. The deal sought to end child labor abuses and set better conditions for workers on pay, hours of work and safety and health. At the start of talks with business leaders on Monday, Trump said he would reduce government rules on businesses by 75 percent or more. And he said the U.S. government would be streamlined. By streamlined, he meant there would be fewer government workers. “The regulations are going to be cut massively and the taxes way down," he said. But he also warned the business leaders not to move operations to other countries. He said businesses would pay a heavy price if they make products in other countries, and then try to sell them in the United States. The new president said he also wants to change the terms of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada. On Sunday, Trump announced he will discuss NAFTA, immigration and border security when he meets with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto at the end of January. The Trump administration said he also plans to meet soon with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "I think we're going to have a very good result for Mexico, for the United States, and for everyone involved," Trump said. Japan approved TPP Friday Last week, Japan’s Parliament approved the TPP. But Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that without the United States, the trade deal would become “meaningless.” Japanese stock prices fell on Monday. Market watchers said it showed investors’ reaction to Trump’s “America First” speech and the U.S. rejection of the TPP. South Korea is not part of the TPP, but has a free trade agreement with the United States. Some American companies noted that South Korea tries to get around the agreement by putting strong non-tariff rules on U.S. imports. On Monday, South Korea’s Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said the South Korean government has been in contact with the Trump administration. He said the government told Trump officials that it has lived up to the trade agreement. Also on Monday, Trump signed executive orders suspending the employment of new federal workers, except for the military. His spokesman said the only exception would be workers in national or public security positions. Another order banned U.S. non-governmental organizations that receive federal money from providing abortions outside the United States. The organizations had received government funding during the Obama presidency.
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Withdraw from an Organization
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Katherine branch of Bendigo Bank allegedly robbed by two unidentified men
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An alleged rural bank robbery saw two would-be crooks walk away with four $5 notes and others "likely" covered in pink ink which exploded from three dye detonators. Northern Territory Police say the thieves robbed the Katherine branch of the Bendigo Bank in the early hours of Saturday morning. Police say the men forced their way into the closed bank after smashing the glass front door at about 3:45am. NT Police put out a statement on the incident calling for information to help identify the intruders who "stole a number of items including three security dye packs which were hidden between $50 notes and appeared to be bundles of money". "Four $5 notes were also stolen," police said in the statement. Superintendent Daniel Shean branded the attack as "opportunistic", as opposed to a planned robbery, and said a forensic team was now working to gather evidence. "The CCTV has been viewed in relation to trying to track movements prior to and after the incident," he said. "It's probable that's there's going to be some forensic evidence at the scene that will also assist us in the investigation … we'd be looking at DNA and fingerprints." Police said the alleged offenders would likely have "unwittingly detonated" the hidden dye packs, "which release a fine pink powder that stains upon contact". "The staining will have the appearance of pink ink and is extremely difficult to remove from skin and clothing," the statement said. "The men, and the stolen money notes, are likely to have significant visible staining." The two men had their faces and heads concealed during the alleged robbery, and were wearing dark clothing. "As soon as they make attempts to separate the notes, the dye does explode over the person that is handling that cash," Superintendent Shean said. Superintendent Shean said the alleged robbers would have been "very frustrated" with their minimal haul. "It is a lot of effort they've gone to for not much gain," he said. "Ultimately at the end of the day, the cash amount they've gotten away with was very, very minimal, and the fact that they're going to be sustaining a pink dye on them … they'd be very frustrated in their efforts." After the incident, police said the pair fled in the direction of Katherine's central Ryan Park. "Anyone with information, or persons who may have witnessed this incident, are urged to notify police on 131 444," police said. Last December, a Bendigo Bank branch in rural Victoria was subjected to extensive damage after thieves used an excavator to break through the front wall to steal cash. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
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Bank Robbery
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Bank robbery was ‘crime of despair’ after years in prison, attorney says
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A 48-year-old man was sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for robbing a Grand Rapids bank. (MLive File Photo) GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A man who has spent much of his adult life locked up was sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for robbing a Fifth Third Bank in Grand Rapids. Kimatha Roderico Smith, 48, of Grand Rapids, was on supervised release in an earlier holdup when he robbed the bank at 700 Bridge St. NW, on Nov. 2. He was desperate for cash. After finishing a lengthy prison sentence, he wasn’t equipped for a return to society, his attorney said. “Mr. Smith recognizes that this is not his first bank robbery,” James Stevenson Fisher, an assistant federal public defender, wrote in court documents. “However, the fact and circumstances of his offense conduct demonstrate that this was a crime of despair committed by a person who has become utterly institutionalized after decades in prison.” Smith was convicted in a 2000 bank robbery and sentenced to six years, eight months in prison. Eight years later, he was sentenced to 12 years, 7 months in a second bank robbery. U.S. District Judge Janet Neff in Grand Rapids on Friday, April 16, sentenced Smith to 12 years, 7 months in the 2020 robbery. Once his sentence ends, he has to serve three years on supervised release. Neff set restitution at $791. Smith told his probation officer he was “drunk and high” in the latest holdup, a federal prosecutor said. Smith grew up in a rough, poor neighborhood, his attorney said. “Mr. Smith never really had a chance to excel in life. He grew up in a community in Southeast Grand Rapids where poverty and violence were all he knew and witnessed almost daily,” Stevenson wrote. “While in school, he was a victim of what is now labeled as the school-to-prison pipeline, often disciplined harshly, suspended, or expelled because of behavioral problems.” He said his client “did not envision a world where he could overcome his surroundings. He was taught from a young age, especially by his school, that reaching out for intervention and help by acting out only got him kicked out of school, thus driving him deeper into a cycle of bad behavior and punishment.” After spending nearly 20 years in jail or prison, Smith hasn’t learned how to be a productive member of society. When he last left prison, he was overwhelmed. During the pandemic, he couldn’t find a job or housing. He was facing eviction from a hotel when a “friend” offered money to stay another week, his attorney said. The “friend,” however, threatened Smith if he didn’t repay immediately, the attorney said. “He felt he had no choice but to come up with the money quickly; his life literally depended on it,” Stevenson said. He said Smith confessed the crime to his probation officer but didn’t think of sharing his struggles before the robbery. “The entire episode demonstrates Mr. Smith’s institutionalization,” Stevenson said. Read more: Man pleads guilty in 3rd bank robbery Alleged drink tampering at Kalamazoo bar prompts thousands to sign online petition Golf course, dentist, Kroger, Blue Cross Blue Shield fined for COVID-19 violations Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.
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Bank Robbery
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Malaysian Airline System Flight 653 crash
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Malaysian Airline System Flight 653 (MH653) was a scheduled domestic flight from Penang to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, operated by Malaysian Airline System (MAS). On the evening of 4 December 1977, the Boeing 737-200 aircraft flying the service crashed at Tanjung Kupang, Johor, Malaysia, while purportedly being diverted by hijackers to Singapore. [1] It was the first fatal air crash for Malaysia Airlines[2][3] (as the airline is now known), with all 93 passengers and 7 crew killed. [4][5] The flight was apparently hijacked as soon as it reached cruise altitude. The circumstances in which the hijacking and subsequent crash occurred remain unsolved. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-2H6[note 1] registered as 9M-MBD. It had been delivered new to MAS in September 1972 with registration 9M-AQO. [6]
Flight 653 departed from Runway 22 at Penang International Airport at exactly 19:21 for Kuala Lumpur's Subang Airport (now known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport). [7]
Captain GK Ganjoor and First Officer Karamuzaman Jali were making landing preparations at 19:54, while at an altitude of 4,000 feet (1,200 m) over Batu Arang and descending toward Runway 33 at Subang Airport, when the crew reported to Subang Tower that an "unidentified hijacker" was on board, after someone knocked on the cockpit doors. [8] Subsequently, the pilots were forced to cut off all communications by a group of hijackers who suddenly barged into the cockpit. The tower immediately notified the authorities, who made emergency preparations at the airport. [9]
A few minutes later, the crew radioed: "We're now proceeding to Singapore. Good night. "[10] In the last few minutes of the tapes from the cockpit voice recorder, investigators heard conversation between the pilots and the hijackers about how the aircraft would run out of fuel before it could make it to Singapore, followed by a series of gunshots. They concluded that both the pilot and co-pilot were fatally shot by the hijacker, which left the plane "professionally uncontrolled". [11] At 20:15, all communication with the aircraft was lost. At 20:36, the residents of Kampong Ladang, Tanjung Kupang in Johor reported hearing explosions and seeing burning wreckage in a swamp. The wreckage was later identified as the aircraft; it had hit the ground at a near-vertical angle at a very high speed. There were no survivors. [4]
The full circumstances of the hijacking and crash were never solved. However, airport officials at Kuala Lumpur said pilots had radioed that members of the Japanese Red Army had hijacked the plane. [4][12] In 1996, CNN reporters wrote that the hijackers were in fact identified as Red Army members,[13] but this has not been confirmed. [citation needed] All recovered remains were x-rayed in an attempt to discover evidence of a projectile or weapon, but no such evidence was ever found. The remains of the victims were interred in a mass burial. [14]
After the incident, the Aviation Security Unit of the Airport Standard Division of the Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia was established. [15]
Passengers included the Malaysian Agricultural Minister, Dato' Ali Haji Ahmad; Public Works Department Head, Dato' Mahfuz Khalid; and Cuban Ambassador to Japan, Mario García Incháustegui. [1][16][17]
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Air crash
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United Airlines Flight 736 crash
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United Airlines Flight 736 was a scheduled transcontinental passenger service flown daily by United Airlines between Los Angeles and New York City. On April 21, 1958, the airliner assigned to the flight, a Douglas DC-7 with 47 onboard, was flying over Clark County, Nevada in clear weather when it was involved in a daytime mid-air collision with a United States Air Force fighter jet crewed by two pilots. Both aircraft fell out of control from 21,000 feet and crashed into unpopulated desert terrain southwest of Las Vegas, leaving no survivors. The loss of Flight 736, one of a series of 1950s mid-air collisions involving passenger aircraft in American skies, helped usher-in widespread improvements in air traffic control within the United States, and led to a sweeping reorganization of federal government aviation authorities. Among the United 736 passengers were a group of military personnel and civilian contractors involved with sensitive Department of Defense weapons systems. Their deaths triggered new rules prohibiting similar groups engaged in critical projects from flying aboard the same aircraft. The official investigation report cited cockpit visibility limitations and high closure speeds as contributing to the accident. While the report did not assign blame for the collision to either flight crew, it faulted military and civilian aviation authorities for not reducing well-known collision risks that had existed for over a year within the confines of airways, even after numerous complaints from airline crews. A series of lawsuits were filed following the collision. In one case a judge stated the Air Force pilots did not use "ordinary care" in operation of the fighter jet, and should have yielded the right of way to the DC-7 airliner, despite the investigation assigning no blame to either flight crew for the collision. The judge also criticized the Air Force for not coordinating their training flights with civilian traffic, and for failing to schedule their flights to minimize traffic congestion. In another case, a settlement was reached where the U.S. Government paid United Airlines $1.45 million in compensation. The Flight 736 aircraft was a four-engined DC-7 propliner that entered the United Airlines fleet in early 1957 registered as N6328C. [1] On April 21, 1958 it departed Los Angeles International Airport at 7:37 a.m. on a scheduled transcontinental flight to New York City, with stopovers in Denver, Kansas City, Missouri, and Washington, D.C. The flight crew were Captain Duane Mason Ward, age 44, First Officer Arlin Edward Sommers, 36, and Flight Engineer Charles E. Woods, 43. [2][3] Of the 42 passengers on the flight, seven were military personnel and 35 were civilians. [note 1]
Soon after taking off, the airliner was directed about 50 miles east through controlled airspace to a waypoint over Ontario, California, where a turn to the northeast towards Las Vegas allowed it to merge with the "Victor 8" airway. [note 2] The United Airlines crew–using radio call sign "United 7-3-6"–flew the DC-7 under instrument flight rules (IFR), controlled by Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) ground stations, at an authorized cruise altitude of 21,000 feet toward the first stopover at Denver. Approximately eight minutes after the DC-7 departed Los Angeles, a U.S. Air Force F-100F-5-NA Super Sabre jet fighter, serial number 56-3755, took off from Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas at 7:45 a.m. on a training flight with two pilots on board. In the front seat of the tandem cockpit was flight instructor and safety pilot Captain Thomas Norman Coryell, 28. [8] Behind him was his trainee, First Lieutenant Jerald Duane Moran (misnamed Gerald in early reports), 23. [9] As part of his IFR training, Moran would spend the flight under a sliding hood that blocked his view outside the aircraft, but allowed him to see his instrument panel. [2] The purpose of the hood was to force the trainee pilot to fly using instruments alone, simulating flight in darkness or in clouds which can deprive a pilot of external visual clues. The duties of the front-seat pilot were to maintain a lookout for other aircraft while instructing and monitoring the performance of the trainee in the rear seat. The F-100F had dual pilot controls that allowed the instructor at any time to take over flying the jet. Part of the training flight involved a descent and approach to Nellis Air Force Base from an altitude of 28,000 feet, with an extended speed brake, under simulated instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The descent was to follow a "teardrop pattern," with the Las Vegas commercial radio station KRAM as the navigational fix, a process the Air Force called the "KRAM procedure." [note 3] The prescribed descent angle for the KRAM procedure was about five degrees. [11]
At about 8:14 a.m. CAA controllers received a routine position report from Flight 736 while it was flying over a navigational radio beacon east of Daggett, California; the report estimated an 8:31 a.m. arrival time over McCarran Field near Las Vegas. [12] At 8:28 a.m. the F-100F crew requested and received clearance from the military controller at Nellis Air Force Base to begin a procedural "jet penetration" descent to 14,000 feet. As the fighter descended in a southerly direction, the airliner was approaching Las Vegas air space at about 312 knots (359 mph, 578 km/h) on a north-northeasterly heading of 23 degrees, flying straight and level within the confines of its designated "Victor 8" airway. [13][14] The CAA stations controlling the airliner were unaware of the fighter jet; the Air Force controller at Nellis Air Force Base directing the jet was unaware of the airliner. [15]
At 8:30 a.m., in clear weather with excellent visibility of over 35 miles (56 km), the flight paths of the two aircraft intersected about 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Las Vegas. [16] The converging aircraft collided nearly head-on at an altitude of 21,000 feet at an estimated closure speed of 665 knots (765 mph, 1,232 km/h). [14]
The descending Air Force jet, flying at 444 knots (511 mph, 822 km/h), had sliced through the airliner's right wing with its own right wing, immediately sending both aircraft out of control. [14] At the moment of collision the F-100F was in a 90 degree bank to the left at a down angle of approximately 15 to 17 degrees. One eyewitness to the collision said the wings of the F-100F "dipped" about two seconds before the collision; another eyewitness said that just before the impact, the fighter "swooped down. "[17] The witness descriptions and the extreme 90 degree bank of the fighter jet—far more than the 30 degrees outlined in the KRAM procedure—indicate an unsuccessful last-second evasive action by the Air Force crew. [18]
Moments after the two planes collided, the only mayday distress call radioed by the United Airlines crew was heard at 8:30 a.m. plus 20 seconds. The message as recorded by a ground station was "United 736, Mayday, mid-air collision, over Las Vegas. "[16][19] The crippled airliner—now missing about eight feet (2.5 m) of its right wing—trailed black smoke and flames as it spiraled earthward in an unrecoverable spin. The high aerodynamic forces resulting from the spin exceeded the DC-7's stress limits, causing the engines to be wrenched from their mounts, and seconds later the remainder of the aircraft began breaking apart. [20] The airliner and its associated debris fell onto a then-empty patch of desert outside the town of Arden, in what is now the unincorporated town of Enterprise, about 2.6 miles (4.2 km) northeast of the estimated collision location. [21] The nearly vertical descent and subsequent explosion made the crash unsurvivable. The fighter jet—its right wing and right tailplane torn away by the collision—left a trail of fragments as it arced steeply downward, rolling as it fell. [21] One of the Air Force pilots called out an unrecorded mayday message that was eventually determined to be "Mayday, Mayday, this is seven-five-five, we're bailing out". [note 4] The out-of-control jet crashed into a hilly area of uninhabited desert, 5.4 miles (8.7 km) miles SSW of the DC-7 crash site. [21] At least one of the Air Force pilots was still in the jet when it hit the ground, but contemporary news reports differ on whether the other pilot attempted an unsuccessful low-altitude ejection, or stayed with the jet all the way to the ground. [23][24][25]
Witnesses reported seeing a parachute drifting away from the falling F-100F, leading to the hope that a pilot had ejected, but when the parachute was located it was determined to be a detached drag parachute that normally would be used to help the fighter slow down shortly after landing. [25]
At the request of the local sheriff and United Airlines, the Federal Bureau of Investigation sent fingerprint experts to help identify the human remains.
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Air crash
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2009 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister helicopter crash
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The 2009 Andhra Pradesh helicopter crash occurred on 2 September 2009 near Rudrakonda Hill, 40 nautical miles (74 km) from Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India. The helicopter was a Bell 430 helicopter owned by the Andhra Pradesh Government, and registered VT-APG. Fatalities included Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
The Bell 430 helicopter took off from Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad, and soon encountered bad weather. The official accident report states that the aircraft's weather radar was red, meaning that the weather was extreme. The flight crew decided to fly slightly left of their planned route. The pilots soon noticed that the weather was getting worse, and agreed that they would turn left after crossing Krishna River. Begumpet and Shamshabad Air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at 9:02 am IST while it was passing through the dense Nallamala Forest area. Shortly after 09:20 am IST, the flight crew encountered a problem with the transmission oil pressure. The pilots became engaged in finding out emergency checklist procedures for the transmission oil pressure, but were unsuccessful. Soon after, the co-pilot continually called out "go around", likely indicating that he thought the aircraft would soon crash into something. During the last 14 seconds, the rate of descent was extremely high. Thereafter the helicopter crashed due to loss of control resulting in high rate of descent in down draught. The helicopter impacted the ground in a steep left bank and all occupants on board died due to crash injuries. [3]
The state government of Andhra Pradesh and the Government of India launched one of the largest search and rescue operations in the history of the country. The state's security officials mentioned that bad weather was hindering the search and rescue efforts. [4] The Home Ministry of India dispatched 5000 CRPF soldiers for the operation while the Defence Ministry of India ordered the Indian Air Force to comb the area using low altitude planes and the Sukhoi-30MKI equipped with thermal imaging systems. [7] In addition, police personnel from six districts were involved in the ground search. Andhra Pradesh's elite anti-Naxal troops, Greyhounds, were also deployed in the area, owing to their extreme familiarity with the jungle terrain of the area. Local tribal residents from this part of the state assisted with the search mission. Patrol parties also combed the Krishna river for the remains of the helicopter. [8] ISRO's RISAT-2 satellite was also deployed to search the area,[9] but the 41 high-resolution images of the area were unable to trace the helicopter. [10]
The wreckage of the helicopter was finally spotted by an IAF Mi-8 helicopter at 08:20 am IST the following day, less than 24 hours after contact was lost with the aircraft. [11]
The Indian Prime Minister's Office confirmed the helicopter's crash on the morning of 3 September and the death of all aboard, including that of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. The Director General of Police said that the bodies of Reddy and others were charred beyond recognition and had to be identified on the basis of clothing. [14] The autopsy of all the bodies was carried out at Kurnool Medical College. [15]
Although the sparsely populated forest area is considered to be stronghold of the outlawed Naxal communist insurgents, the National Security Advisor of India ruled out the possibility of the Naxals bringing down the helicopter. [16]
The investigation eventually concluded that the factors that caused that crash included the fact that the crew became fixated for more than six minutes in trying to find the reason behind the problem with their transmission oil pressure system, and they became distracted from the worsening weather. They also noted that the flight crew was flying in Instrument meteorological conditions whereas the flight plan was cleared for VFR flying, and the flight crew never discussed the bad weather, diverting, or returning to base. [3]
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Air crash
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Kenya Airways Flight 431 crash
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Kenya Airways Flight 431 was an international scheduled Abidjan–Lagos–Nairobi passenger service. On 30 January 2000, the Airbus A310-300 serving the flight crashed into the sea off the Ivory Coast, shortly after takeoff from Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport, Abidjan. [1]:10 There were 179 people on board, of whom 169 were passengers. Only ten people survived in what was the first fatal accident for Kenya Airways and the deadliest crash involving the Airbus A310. [2]
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Airbus A310-304, registration 5Y-BEN,[1]:10 named Harambee Star. [2] With c/n 426, the airframe entered service with Kenya Airways in September 1986 (1986-09). The aircraft had logged 58,115 flight hours at the time of the accident. [3] It was powered by two GE CF6-80C2A2 turbofan engines. The port and starboard engines' serial numbers were 690,120 and 690,141, respectively; before the crash, they had accumulated 43,635 and 41,754 flight hours, respectively. [1]:13,15–18
The flight was under the command of 44-year-old Captain Paul Muthee,[4] an experienced officer who had logged 11,636 flying hours at the time of the accident, 1,664 on an Airbus A310. He qualified as an A310 pilot on 10 August 1986, and also held ratings for Boeing 737-300, Boeing 737-200, Fokker 50 and Fokker 27, as well as various small aircraft. The first officer was 43-year-old Lazaro Mutumbi Mulli,[4] who had 7,295 hours of flight time, 5,768 in an A310. Both pilots had performed four landings and four takeoffs on the type at Abidjan Airport; their last takeoff from the airport took place on the day of the accident. First officer Mulli was the pilot flying on the accident flight. [1]:13,15–18
The flight originated in Nairobi as Flight KQ430, and was due to land in Abidjan after a stopover in Lagos. [2] Many Nigerians who travelled to Dubai for duty-free shopping used this flight. [5] On this day, after being held over Lagos, the flight continued directly to Abidjan because of poor local weather conditions. [1]:13[6][7] More specifically, harmattan winds blowing southwards from the Sahara made skies over Lagos unusually hazy on that day, and all incoming flights at Lagos Airport were halted. [8][9] After a three-hour layover, the plane took off for Lagos at 21:08 GMT. However just seconds after takeoff, at the moment when first officer requested the landing gear to be retracted, the stall warning sounded in the cockpit. The landing gear remained down. In response, the crew put the aircraft into a controlled descent. The first officer told the captain to silence the stall warning. The Ground proximity warning system (GPWS) then sounded briefly, though the radio altimeter sent out warnings seconds after, cutting off the GPWS warning. The master warning then sounded indicating that the aircraft was overspeeding, at which point the captain shouted, "go up," but the aircraft was descending too quickly to recover. The aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi; 1.1 nmi) east of the airport, off the Ivory Coast. [8] The airframe was completely destroyed by the impact. [1]:15 After the accident, the airline set up a crisis centre at the InterContinental Hotel in Nairobi. [7][10]
This was Kenya Airways' first fatal accident. [11][12]
There were 169 casualties, out of 179 people on board the aircraft. [1]:10,15 Most of the passengers and crew were reported to be Nigerians. [13][14] Two of the crewmembers on board worked for KLM. [13] The 168 people who lost their lives whose nationalities are known came from 33 countries; the nationality of one additional deceased victim was not determined. Following is a list of the nationalities of the deceased:[1]:103
Powerboat operators and fishermen extracted at least seven of the survivors from the water. Of those survivors, three were Nigerians, one was a Kenyan, one was a Gambian, one was an Indian, and one was a Rwandan. One survivor, a Frenchman, swam almost 2 kilometres (1.2 mi; 1.1 nmi) to the shore. [10][15][16] Of the 12 initial survivors, two died in the hospital. Of the ten ultimate survivors, nine received serious injuries and one received minor injuries. Four survivors received first-degree burns from contact with jet fuel in the water. [1]:36 The entire crew of ten died in the accident. [1]:10,15
The University Hospital Medical Center at Treichville in Abidjan examined the deceased. The center identified 103 of the bodies and was unable to identify the other 43. Of the deceased, the following causes of death were established: 108 died from serious poly-traumatic injuries, 22 died from a combination of drowning and serious poly-traumatic injuries, and 15 died solely from drowning. The hospital could not determine the injuries sustained by one of the 146 bodies. According to the autopsy reports, a violent deceleration or a twisting or cutting action resulted in the injuries. Forty-three of the deceased received first-degree burns due to contact with the jet fuel spilled in the water. The pilots died from poly-traumatic injuries; they also received first-degree burns from the jet fuel. [1]:36–37
The Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), the accident investigation authority of France, assisted in the search for the flight recorders. [1]:32 The Transportation Safety Board of Canada analysed the flight safety recorders. [1]:32 The Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire published the original French-language accident report.
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Air crash
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2019 Bahraini protests
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The 2019 protests in Bahrain was mass protests and civil unrest and popular disturbances that culminated into an uprising and violent demonstrations after mass protests against the executions by the authorities of 2 Shia men for terrorism-related charges in Bahrain in July 2019. Rioting erupted after thousands of civilians participated in popular rallies, marches, rioting, demonstrations, strikes, unrest, protests, picketing, clapping and chanting slogans against president and the Sunni-led regime, reviving the same demands of the 2011 Bahraini uprising. 1 was killed after two days of nonviolent protests after he inhaled Tear gas and canisters was fired directly at him in Manama from the Police. Protesters used placards, slogans and participated in civilian-led opposition strikes to the government. Demonstrations was suppressed on July 30. On the anniversary of the 2011 Bahraini uprising, nationwide protests occurred in support of the movement and held marches like they do annually. The unrest and movement would be the largest and bloodiest since the 2017 uprising. [1][2][3]
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Man dies after equipment collapse at mine
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BOONE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A man has died after an equipment collapse at an inactive mine in Boone County, according to Danville Fire Chief Justin Chafin.
According to Chafin, the victim is James Simpkins, 73.
Chief Chafin says Simpkins owned a recycling company from Logan that was doing work at the Hobet silo when the incident happened Wednesday evening. It was reported around 5:45 p.m.
A recycling crew was working to tear down old silos when one fell on an excavator. Crews from across the region worked for hours to get into the rubble and recover Simpkins body.
According to Chafin, the Charleston and South Charleston Regionalized response teams were on the scene, along with Danville VFD, Madison VFD, Boone County Sheriff’s Department, West Virginia State Police, and state mine inspectors.
It is not clear what caused the collapse, but Chafin said it appears to be an accident.
The mine is not currently active. It’s unclear who’ll investigate the incident because the site’s no longer active.
Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest information.
ORIGINAL STORY
BOONE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A man is trapped Wednesday evening after an equipment collapse at a mine in Boone County.
A man is trapped after an equipment collapse at a mine in Boone County. Emergency response crews from across the region are here on scene. @WSAZnews pic.twitter.com/C8dhkttsOy
— Brendan Tierney (@BTierneyWSAZ) April 28, 2021
According to dispatchers, it happened when a silo fell. That silo hit another piece of equipment and trapped the man.
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Mine Collapses
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Afghan healthcare system at risk of collapse, aid agencies warn
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Wounded Afghan men receive treatment at a hospital after explosions went off outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan [Reuters] Published On 30 Aug 202130 Aug 2021 Afghanistan’s healthcare system is at risk of collapse, two major aid agencies have told the Reuters news agency, after foreign donors stopped providing aid following the Taliban takeover. After the United States withdrew the bulk of its remaining troops last month, the Taliban accelerated its military campaign, taking control of the capital Kabul on August 15. International donors including the World Bank and European Union froze funding to Afghanistan shortly afterwards. “One of the great risks for the health system here is basically to collapse because of lack of support,” said Filipe Ribeiro, Afghanistan representative for Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF), one of the largest medical aid agencies in the country. “The overall health system in Afghanistan is understaffed, under-equipped and underfunded, for years. And the great risk is that this underfunding will continue over time.” Necephor Mghendi, Afghanistan head of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), said the healthcare system – which was already fragile and heavily reliant on foreign aid – had been left under additional strain. “The humanitarian needs on the ground are massive,” he said. Both aid agencies said that while their ground operations were broadly unaffected, they had seen a significant increase in demand as other facilities are unable to fully function. Mghendi said closures of Afghan banks had meant almost all humanitarian agencies have been unable to access funds, leaving vendors and staff unpaid. Compounding the issue, medical supplies will now need to be restocked earlier than expected. “Supplies that were supposed to last for three months will not be able to last three months. We may need to replenish much earlier than that,” Mghendi said. Ribeiro said MSF had stockpiled medical supplies before the takeover but that with flights disrupted and land borders in disarray, it was unclear when more might reach the country. Shipment of health supplies arrives The World Health Organization said on Monday that a plane carrying 12.5 tonnes of medicines and health supplies had landed at Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, the first such shipment since the Taliban took control. The WHO said that the plane, which flew from Dubai will deliver supplies to 40 health facilities in 29 provinces across the country. The supplies – which include trauma and emergency kits – are enough to cover the basic needs of more than 200,000 people, provide 3,500 surgical procedures and treat 6,500 trauma patients, WHO added. “After days of non-stop work to find a solution … we have now been able to partially replenish stocks of health facilities in Afghanistan,” WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean Ahmed al-Mandhari said. “Humanitarian agencies such as WHO have faced enormous challenges in sending life-saving supplies to Afghanistan in recent weeks due to security and logistics constraints,” al-Mandhari added. He further thanked Pakistan, which provided the plane for the delivery. It was the first of three flights planned with Pakistan International Airlines, and the WHO said it is working to ensure “this week’s shipment is the first of many”. Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride reporting from Kabul said that the flight from Dubai “does open the wider potential for air routes into Afghanistan. “Mazar-i-Sharif is a big important city in the north, it has a big, important airport. Before the collapse of the government there were international flights there, so this is a confirmation that they have restored air traffic control, which does seem to pave the way forward for Kabul,” McBride said. “Once the US departs, they take with them air traffic control and the Taliban will have the job of not only restoring the airport but restoring their air traffic control. “It does offer a way forward which everyone here it seems wants to see – the government, the aid organisations, and of course the population – because that would mean the return eventually of commercial flights,” McBride said. The WHO has warned that Afghanistan could soon face a shortage of medical personnel as staff are among those fleeing the country and women health workers are staying away from work out of fear. During its period in power from 1996-2001, the Taliban had an uneasy relationship with foreign aid agencies, eventually expelling many, including MSF, in 1998. This time, the group has said it welcomes foreign donors, and will protect the rights of foreign and local staff – a commitment that has so far been upheld, Ribeiro said. “They actually ask us to stay, and they asked us to keep running our operations the way we were running them before,” he said. “The relations are, so far, pretty reassuring.” Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies
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Regime Change
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2008 South China floods
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The 2008 South China floods began on 26 May 2008. Four rounds of torrential rains with landslides and flooding lasted for 20 days and affected fifteen provinces in Eastern and Southern China. [3]
The first round of floods affected twelve provinces in South China and killed 93 people as of 30 May. [4] A new round of floods began on 6 June and swept nine provinces in southern China killing 55 people with 7 missing and forcing 1.3 million to evacuate as of 14 June. [5] China's National Meteorological Centre has said that heavy rain would continue and that precipitation in the provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan would be 30 to 70% greater than in the same period last year. Mainland provinces affected include Anhui, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong. [6]
China Daily that torrential rains caused by Cloud seeding in the southern provinces killed 64 people in May. [7] According to State Flood Control and Drought Relief headquarters, floods have claimed 59 lives up to this point of the year. [8]
From 28 May to 2 June, some places in Guangdong experienced heavy rainfalls. After 7 days, flood situations were investigated by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on 3 June. [9] The State Flood Control and Drought Relief headquarters and National Meteorological Centre (NMC) both raised emergency levels expecting more torrential rain and thunderstorms. [7] On the weekend of 7–8 June, Guangzhou Daily reported it to be the heaviest rain storm in 50 years for Guangdong province. [7][10] Wuzhou was struck with their worst flooding in 100 years. [11] In two days the rainfall in some areas measured more than 400 millimetres (15.7 inches). [10]
On 14 June, the Ministry of Water Resources said close to 1 million hectares of farmland have been affected with the worst hit provinces being Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei. [8] From 25 May to 14 June, up to 18 people have died, including 2.22 million people were affected in 17 cities in Guangdong. The average rainfall of 415 mm (16.3 in) was double the long-term level, with the media reporting it as "Freak rain". [12]
On 15 June, more than 300 places in Shenzhen were submerged underwater. [6] Floods have forced more than 1.66 million people to evacuate, caused 67,000 houses to collapse, and killed 63 people. [1][13] Three days later officials in Guangdong warned of a "black June" as high tides, rain and rivers threatened levees. Across the region, 169 were reported killed in the floods. [2]
On 21 June, the main precipitation areas include the Huai River valleys, Guizhou, Sichuan and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Heavy rain follow in Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia. [14] At the end of the month, 252 people were killed in the rainstorms and flooding. [15]
On 7 June, more than 400 mm (16 in) of rain fell on Lantau Island and more than 300 mm (12 in) fell on Hong Kong Island. [16] By noon, almost 40 landslides and 156 floods were reported. [17] In Tsim Sha Tsui, the 124-year record of rainfall per hour was smashed, with 145.5 mm (5.73 inches) of rainfall being recorded. The North Lantau Highway was blocked, for the first and so far the only time since its opening in 1997, by a landslide. [16] Land traffic to the villages of Tai O was cut off, forcing the government to increase the frequency of ferries to and from the villages. Newspaper vendors in the streets reported that the water came very fast, flooding the area within five minutes to thigh-deep level (over-the-knee). One of the landslides killed two people in Tuen Mun. The Hong Kong Observatory thus changed the "amber rainstorm" warning to a "black rainstorm" warning. [16]
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Floods
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Yōwa famine
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The Yōwa famine (養和の飢饉, Yōwa no kikin), was a famine which affected Japan at the end of Heian period. Famine is considered to have begun in 1181, and lasted until 1182. It was named after the Yōwa era (1181–1182), during the reign of Emperor Antoku. The shogunate system was not established in Japan yet. The famine was most severe in western Honshū (including Kyoto) and Kyushu islands. The famine was caused by an alternating, untimely drought and flood. [1]
During the same period as the famine, there was also the Genpei War (1180-1185), partially caused by famine itself. In 1181, the Taira clan food requisitions in Yamashiro Province for the needs of starving Kyoto city have cost them popular support, while Minamoto no Yoritomo supplied rice for the starving provinces in exchange for grants for independent rule in Kamakura. The famine become worse in 1182, as epidemic was superimposed on scarcity of food. The food prices rose to such levels, what man`s load of processed timber was not worth the amount of food to survive a day. The riverbanks were lined with the deceased. According to Kojiki, the number of dead in Kyoto was 43200, and shrines were overwhelmed, resulting in improper burials. Many corpses were left to rot, resulting in foul smells in several districts of the city.
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Famine
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Conflict keeps people from farming, drives some to brink of famine
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Conflict is driving four countries — Yemen, South Sudan, Burkina Faso and northeastern Nigeria — into famine, the World Food Program warned. While the land is suitable for growing crops in rural northeastern Nigeria, people there are close to starving because of ongoing violence, said a Catholic Relief Services official. Daniel Thompson, who works for Catholic Relief Services in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, said the desperation of the children begging on the streets of Maiduguri, and their growing numbers, is shocking. "And if the destitution here, in the biggest city in the northeast, is so bad, then just imagine how devastating it is in the smaller towns and rural areas," he said. The Boko Haram insurgency, which began more than a decade ago, has killed more than 36,000 people and displaced 2 million in northeastern Nigeria. Violence there and in Yemen, South Sudan and Burkina Faso puts about 155,000 people at risk of starving, said the World Food Program. Other countries facing severe food insecurity, or worse, include Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Congo, Sudan, Venezuela, Haiti, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Honduras and Uganda. More than 30 million people in over 30 countries are "just one step away from a declaration of famine," U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told a March 11 Security Council meeting on conflict-driven hunger. Famine and hunger "are concentrated in countries affected by large-scale, protracted conflict," he said. Thompson said more than 2.1 million people have sought safety by moving into the cities and towns of Borno state. He said that, "with armed insurgents moving freely outside the towns, farmers cannot cultivate their crops." As well as COVID-19-related restrictions on movement, the government does not allow fertilizer to be brought into the area because it can be used to make explosives, and this ban makes growing crops even harder for those still trying, he said. People who have been "cut off from making a living from farming and fishing" and moved into urban areas "are unable to find productive livelihoods there and don't have money to buy food," Thompson said. Also, food prices have risen steeply during the coronavirus pandemic, he said. The number of food insecure people in Borno state is projected to rise to 2.7 million by August, he said. Many families have been separated and almost 80% of displaced people in northeastern Nigeria are women and children, he said. In many cases, the men have been killed or recruited into the armed groups, but sometimes families decide that the women and children should seek safety in the towns while the men stay and try to recover their livelihoods, he said. While it may be comparatively safe in the towns, women and children who arrive there without knowing anyone are particularly vulnerable to sexual assault and kidnapping, Thompson said. Nigeria has seen many kidnappings in recent years, the most notorious in 2014, when jihadist rebels abducted 276 girls from the secondary school in Chibok. More than 100 of those girls are still missing. In parts of Yemen, plagued by years of civil war, "many children are starving," said Bishop Paul Hinder, who heads the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He told Catholic News Service March 9 that while "many people try to escape" the conflict and the severe lack of food, water and health care, they take with them the problems "they hoped to get rid of" as they move to other parts of the country in far western Asia. Finding "secure transportation corridors in order to bring the aid to the places where it is needed" is very difficult for international agencies, and negotiations are taking place to improve this, he said. While "the mutual mistrust of all the parties involved in the conflict has not yet been overcome ... every now and then there are rays of hope," Hinder said. The people of Yemen are "tired of the war" but are trapped by "those who are not interested in peace," he said. People trying to eke out a living through farming in West Africa's Burkina Faso face problems similar to their counterparts in nearby Nigeria, said Amidou Traore, who works for Catholic Relief Services in Burkina Faso. They have been forced to stop growing cereal crops such as sorghum and millet because "armed insurgents are able to hide in the fields and then come into the villages and attack," he said March 11. Recurrent droughts and floods have added to the crisis, Traore said. "We did a small assessment recently in the northern part of Burkina Faso to see how serious the damage is for livelihoods, and most people said food insecurity is a major problem," he said. From this, "we saw that we need to ensure that people eat before we focus on income-generating programs." Farmers had ripe tomatoes, onions and potatoes ready for market in early 2020 when the local markets suddenly closed along with international borders in response to COVID-19, Traore said. "They usually take the income gained from selling this produce" to buy staple foods for their families, he said, noting that "if they can't sell, then they aren't able to buy food to eat." While many markets have opened again, "it is difficult to catch up, and food prices have risen steeply," Traore said. Guterres told the U.N. meeting that in war-torn South Sudan, food prices are so high that "just one plate of rice and beans costs more than 180% of the average daily salary — the equivalent of about $400 here in New York." In South Sudan and in neighboring Sudan's Nuba Mountains, "most people get one meal a day if they can find it," Bishop Macram Max Gassis, retired bishop of El Obeid, Sudan, told Catholic News Service in February. The malnourished people in the Nuba Mountains are "moving skeletons," and their compromised immune systems expose them "to all kinds of diseases, not just COVID-19," he said. In Ethiopia, more than 8 million people need food assistance, Argaw Fantu, regional director of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, told Catholic News Service March 12. Most are in the northern Tigray region, where Ethiopian government troops began an offensive against Tigray's former ruling party after regional forces attacked federal army bases in November. Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Also, severe locust invasions have disrupted farming, Fantu said. In Zimbabwe, more than 3 million people in rural areas will need emergency food assistance through March, Catholic Relief Services said in a March 10 statement. A locust invasion, consecutive droughts and political upheaval have plunged the southern African country into disaster and "families are struggling to grow food while food prices are soaring," it said.
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Famine
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West Side initiative hopes to revitalize closed school in Austin
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A $120 million effort, led by the Westside Health Authority, would turn the vacant Robert Emmet Elementary School into a hub for job development, housing and retail opportunities. In 2013, Mayor Rahm Emanuel shut down 50 schools across the city. Now, eight years later, one of those schools will be transformed into a multi-use resource facility for West Side residents. Four years after it was closed, Austin’s Westside Health Authority acquired the Robert Emmet Elementary School through a CPS auction. According to Morris Reed, the Health Authority’s CEO, they were up against one other group who wanted to turn it into a medical facility. But the community rejected the idea, Reed said, and asked for something that could be built with residents’ suggestions. The Health Authority, which uses community input to promote community wellness and development, saw an opportunity to provide what many were asking for. “The community always felt like the school was a very visible symbol of our failures to meet the needs of our young people and to put youth on a path to have careers, to be employed, to improve the quality of life for young adults in the city of Chicago, particularly in Austin and on the West Side,” said Reed. Now, Reed and his organization plan to generate economic growth through their Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, to be built in the former elementary school at 5500 W. Madison St. Plans call for work to start next spring. “We’re at a critical time in our community,” said Reed. “But now we have an opportunity for the rebirth of the West Side. So what’s really important for us is to make sure that there’s the infrastructure and structural mechanisms where ordinary people can take a part of this new economic growth.” The Health Authority will renovate the existing building, then lease space in it to other groups that provide services such as workforce development, job placement, banking, or helping residents find affordable housing. The center is the spearhead of a larger initiative, one that would use several community organizations to bring a multitude of resources to the West Side. By The Hand Club For Kids, Austin Coming Together and the Austin College and Career Academy are the Health Authority’s partners for the initiative. That effort calls for expanding to other sites in central Austin where other services could be offered, such as early childhood education, or help with buying a home. It also wants to help bring other retail businesses to the area. The Health Authority met with Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th), whose ward covers most of Austin, to discuss the project on Sept. 10. Taliaferro said later that he’s looking forward to the project. “Now we’ll have a project that will help build up the West Side,” Taliaferro said. “Historically, we’ve been disinvested. This is an opportunity for the community to come together with education, jobs and other resources.” Westside Health Authority has also sent their proposal to U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., whose congressional district includes Austin. “It’s not easy to redevelop communities that are old, that are distressed,” Davis said. But, he added, bringing jobs back into the community is one of the best ways to spur redevelopment. “We’ve got to track jobs back to the inner city, where the large Black population is,” Davis said. The Health Authority hopes to get some funding from President Joe Biden’s infrastructure proposal, if it passes Congress, Reed said. Taliaferro estimated the project could cost about $25 million, but added it was impossible to be too precise on the final price tag. The overall Aspire Initiative is expected to cost $120 million over the next 10 years, Reed said. Besides potential federal funding, it will raise money from private investors and grants and seek other capital support from the city. It also could qualify for tax credits. Reed said the state already has awarded his organization a $10 million grant for the Aspire Center project, and he also hopes to secure some funding from the city. Cheyanne M. Daniels is a staff reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times via Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster the paper’s coverage of communities on the South and West sides. Kevin Tinker was shot to death while standing on a sidewalk Sunday evening in the 200 block of West 110th Place, Chicago police said. Sure it was the Lions, but a win is a win. The Bears benched starting cornerback Kindle Vildor in favor of Artie Burns, and more. After the verdicts were read, Wanda Cooper-Jones thought of her son’s supporters at the Glynn County Courthouse who shouted "Justice for Ahmaud!" every day. "I finally got a chance to come out of those courtroom doors and say, we did it, we did it together." The city reached that goal a month early, but many neighborhoods on the South and West sides still lag behind.
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Organization Closed
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Host Protein Required for Rift Valley Fever Virus to Enter Cells Indicates Potential Therapeutic Strategies
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Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Pittsburgh Center for Vaccine Research and School of Public Health have discovered how the mosquito-borne virus responsible for Rift Valley fever gets inside cells, by taking advantage of a protein called Lrp1, which is normally involved in taking up low-density lipoproteins (LDL) from the blood. The discovery, the team suggested, could lead to therapies that prevent Rift Valley fever or reduce its impact by interfering with the ability of the virus to get into cells. “This finding is the key to understanding how Rift Valley fever virus spreads not only throughout the human body but also how it is able to infect mosquitoes and different species of mammals, said Amy Hartman, PhD, an associate professor of infectious diseases & microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh. “Knowing how the virus spreads will help us develop targeted therapies, which currently do not exist for Rift Valley fever. This discovery opens up new opportunities to study virus-host interactions at the cellular and organismal level and enriches our understanding of the basic biology of mosquito-transmitted emerging viruses.” Hartman is co-senior author of the team’s published study, in Cell, which is titled “6Lrp1 is a host entry factor for Rift Valley fever virus.” The mosquito-borne Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) causes economically devastating outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever in livestock such as sheep, goats, and cattle. These outbreaks can also lead to infection in people, especially among those working with dead or dying animals, who are infected by mosquito bites. Outbreaks can sometimes cause hundreds of human cases and dozens of deaths. “RVFV is zoonotically transmitted from animals to people, and human infections can result in severe health consequences, including hepatitis, hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, and retinal vasculitis,” the authors noted. There is no specific treatment for RVFV, which to date has been limited to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. But mosquitoes capable of transmitting the virus can be found all over the world, necessitating a need to understand and control the virus. The geographic range of RVFV includes most of Africa, Madagascar, and the Saudi Arabian peninsula,” the investigators noted. “Importantly, competent mosquito species are found in North America and Europe, and climate change is rapidly altering the natural habitat of RVFV-competent mosquito and reservoir species.” The World Health Organization has listed Rift Valley fever as a prioritized disease likely to cause epidemics in the near future. “For people in areas where Rift Valley fever is endemic, an outbreak threatens not only their livelihood but their health,” said co-senior author Gaya K. Amarasinghe, PhD, a professor of pathology & immunology and of biochemistry & molecular biophysics at Washington University. “People have a 1% to 2% chance of death if they get infected with this virus, which doesn’t sound like much, but it’s about the same as COVID-19. The disease is much more severe in domesticated animals, especially young animals, which get very ill and die in large numbers. This virus has been flying under the radar, but given that it’s transmitted by mosquitoes that are found everywhere, it could spread into other parts of the world and become a serious issue.” To find out how the virus invades cells, first author Safder Ganaie, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher who works with Amarasinghe, grew the virus in mouse cells, and carried out an unbiased, genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen to identify which host factors that were either proviral or antiviral. By systematically disrupting normal mouse genes, Ganaie and colleagues found that the virus failed to infect mouse cells that lacked certain genes, notably the gene for LDL receptor-related protein 1 (Lrp1). Further experiments showed that the virus requires the LRP1 protein to infect mouse, hamster, cow, monkey, and human cells, indicating that the virus uses the same protein across distantly related species. The finding constitutes an opportunity to explore potential therapeutic approaches. If the virus needs LRP1 to infect cells, then temporarily taking LRP1 out of commission may limit its ability to spread in the body, thereby reducing disease. The researchers tested this strategy using a protein, RAP, which attaches to LRP1 and so blocks anything else that tries to attach. “RAP is an important molecular chaperone of Lrp1 that universally inhibits ligand interaction to ensure passage of Lrp1 from the ER to the cell surface,” they explained. The researchers infected a group of mice with the virus and simultaneously treated them with murine RAP (mRAP). A second group of mice also was infected but was left untreated for comparison. Most of the treated mice survived, while all of the untreated mice died. Further, the treated mice had lower levels of virus throughout their bodies on the third day after infection compared with the untreated mice. Mice treated using a mutant form of RAP that displays only reduced binding to LRP1 also succumbed to RFFV infection. “Important controls including a mutant mRAP that shows reduced Lrp1 binding were not able to rescue mice from lethal infection,” the authors noted. “These results provide further support for a role for Lrp1 as a major cellular factor required for RVFV infection in a rodent model.” And while RAP itself is not a good prospect for drug development, because the protein plays a role in many important biological processes, the study findings nevertheless suggest that targeting LRP1 may lead to therapeutics for Rift Valley fever. “The discovery of Lrp1 as a major cellular factor for RVFV provides a framework to better understand the molecular basis for RVFV attachment and internalization,” the investigators further concluded. “Although the exact mechanism by which Lrp1 mediates RVFV entry requires further study, our findings provide a foundation for answering many open questions related to RVFV, including mechanisms associated with zoonotic transmission, tropism, spread, and pathogenesis. Knowledge gained from these studies positions us to explore Lrp1, a conserved cell-surface protein, as a target for prophylactic and therapeutic development of RVFV infections.” The discovery that Rift Valley fever virus uses LRP1 to get inside cells is also interesting because the protein is better known for its role in cholesterol metabolism. It also is thought to play a role in Alzheimer’s disease and possibly in infections by the intestinal bacterium Clostridium difficile. It’s not clear why these disparate biological processes are linked, but Amarasinghe, Hartman, and their collaborators already have several projects underway to explore these connections.
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Disease Outbreaks
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Timeline of the 2018 Nicaraguan protests
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The 2018–2021 Nicaraguan protests began on 18 April 2018 when demonstrators in several cities of Nicaragua began protests against the social security reforms decreed by President Daniel Ortega that increased taxes and decreased benefits. After five days of unrest in which nearly thirty people were killed, Ortega announced the cancellation of the reforms; however, the opposition has grown through the 2013–2018 Nicaraguan protests to denounce Ortega and demand his resignation, becoming one of the largest protests in his government's history[9] and the deadliest civil conflict since the end of the Nicaraguan Revolution. [10] On 29 September 2018, political demonstrations were declared illegal by President Ortega. [11] More than 2,000 protests were part of this significant mobilization. [12]
The 2013–2018 Nicaraguan protests began in June 2013 when some elderly people with only a small contribution (less than 750 weeks) demanded a reduced pension from the Nicaraguan Social Security Institute. [dubious – discuss] Soon, students and young people joined their protests. [13] After a week of demonstration, the peaceful protesters were attacked by paramilitary groups associated with the Sandinista Youth,[14] while police had moved back only moments before. [15] Later, to calm down the protests, concessions to the pensioners were made by president Daniel Ortega to supply a reduced pension. [16]
Over a year later protests started again, this time opposing the construction of a proposed Chinese-funded inter-oceanic canal through Nicaragua, with environmental impact, land use, and indigenous rights, as well as Nicaraguan sovereignty among the chief concerns of demonstrators. [17] By February 2018, the project was widely viewed as defunct,[18] though a 60% absent vote to revoke the 2013 legislation creating the project, the Chinese company (HKND) granted the concession to develop the canal maintains legal rights to it as well as to ancillary infrastructure projects. [19]
In early April 2018, demonstrators marched in Managua, the country's capital, to protest what they regarded as an insufficient government response to forest fires that burned 13,500 acres (5,500 hectares) of the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve,[20] a tropical nature preserve that is home to Rama and Kriol indigenous people, as well as significant biodiversity and endangered species. There were suspicions that the government had an interest in the fire, as it is the largest natural reserve through which the Nicaraguan Canal is planned to make. Counterprotests also occurred at the time in support of the Sandinista Front government. [21]
In 2013, the Nicaraguan Social Security Institute was in a deficit situation that had been grown annually, reaching 2,371 million Nicaraguan córdobas by the end of 2017. [22] This deficit has increased by over 50% annually for the last two years. [22] The IMF alerted Nicaragua in 2017 that in the absence of the reform, the cash reserves would be depleted by 2019. [23] The government of Daniel Ortega prepared a reform plan for the INSS based on the IMF's report. The government rejected some of the proposed remedies, such as increasing the retirement age, arguing that older people have fewer possibilities of finding employment, and that the urgency of the reform required fast results to ensure the INSS's viability, as some measures suggested by the IMF would not yield results for three or four years. [24]
In early April 2018, the Superior Council for Private Enterprise (COSEP) announced the start of negotiations with the government to reform the INSS, declaring that the solution must include an increase to the contribution of the employers and employees, as well as fiscal reform. [25] These negotiations excluded small and medium-sized enterprises. [26]
The reforms were announced on 16 April 2018, and published by presidential decree in March 2018 in La Gaceta (official government record) on 18 April 2018. The reform included an incremental increase of 0.75% (from 6.25% to 7%) on the employee contribution and 2% (from 19% to 21%) on the employers, starting July 2018. The employers' contribution would increase annually until reaching 22.5% in 2020. Pensions would also be taxed 5%. [27] The 5% tax has been criticized as unconstitutional, since only the National Assembly has the power of taxation, and Law 160, signed by Ortega, indicates that pensions are not subject to any retentions. [28]
The government-aligned unions Workers' National Front and the Employees National Union supported the reform,[29][30] while the COSEP rejected it, indicating it did not have consensus and filed a writ of amparo in an attempt to reverse it. [31]
Citizens protest on 18 April after already being angered by the handling of the fires in response to the Ortega administration's announcement of social security reforms that raised income and payroll taxes while reducing pension benefits by 5%. [32] Demonstrations involving mostly elderly individuals,[33] university students,[34] and other activists[35] broke out in Managua and six other cities, which were repressed by authorities reporting to President Ortega. [36] Authorities were seen using live ammunition on protesters while also arming Sandinista Youth members with weapons. [37] At least 26 people were killed, including journalist Ángel Gahona [es] of the news program Meridiano, with Gahona being shot to death outside of the city hall in Bluefields while streaming on Facebook Live. Various forms of independent media were censored during the protests. [36][38]
The following day on 19 April, Vice President and first lady Rosario Murillo made a speech mocking the demonstrators and labeling them of "small groups, small souls, toxic, full of hate", bent on the destruction of the country, assaulting peace and development. She also labeled the demonstrators that had been attacked as "aggressors" and the attack by pro-Ortega groups and police as "legitimate defense". [39] Protests began to intensify with confrontations occurring in León, Managua, Granada, Boaco, Carazo, Estelí, Rivas, Matagalpa and Masaya. [40][41] TELCOR ordered the suspension of transmissions of four independent TV channels that were reporting the news: channels 12, 23, 51, and 100% Noticias. [42] Also the Catholic Episcopal Conference's TV channel. [40] The suspension lasted several hours, except for 100% Noticias, who was off the air until 25 April. [43] Murillo accused the protesters of being manipulated and trying to "destabilize" and "destroy" Nicaragua. [44]
Two days after the beginning of protests and the subsequent crackdown by authorities, Ortega made his first public appearance on 21 April and announced he would hold negotiations for a possible revision of the reforms, planned to take effect on 1 July 2018; however, he stated he would meet only with business leaders and alleged that demonstrators were being manipulated by gangs and other political interests. Demonstrations increased in response, with protesters objecting to the repression of demonstrations and the exclusion of other sectors from the negotiations, as well as the reforms themselves. The COSEP business chamber announced it would only participate in the negotiation if police violence ceased, detained protesters were released and free speech were restored. [36] Nicaragua's Roman Catholic Conference of Bishops also called for an end to the police violence and criticized unilateral reforms; Pope Francis subsequently added his call for peace in the country. [45]
As the press began to describe the unrest as the biggest crisis of Ortega's presidency,[36][46][47] Ortega announced the cancellation of the social security reforms on 22 April,[46] acknowledging they were not viable and had created a "dramatic situation". [32] He again proposed negotiations on the issue, which would now include Catholic Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes as well as the business community. [32]
On 23 April, marches of citizens, businessmen and students were held in Managua demanding the end of violence in the country, the release of students arrested by the police, the cessation of censorship of television media, and a response from the government about the students who died during the protests. [48] The protests were the largest seen during the Ortega administration, with tens[9] to hundreds of thousands of demonstrators participating and calling for the president's resignation. [9] The next day on 24 April 2018, detainees were released by Nicaraguan authorities as a result of dialogue between the government and other organizations. [49]
Nicaraguan Attorney General Inés Miranda announced on 26 April that a formal investigation into the deaths during the protests. [50] On 27 April, President of the National Assembly Gustavo Porras announced a truth commission to examine the deaths and violence during the unrest. [51] Head of the National Police Aminta Granera announced her resignation in face of the criticism of her handling of the unrest and alleged police repression of protests.
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Orissa famine of 1866
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The Orissa famine of 1866 affected the east coast of India from Madras northwards, an area covering 180,000 miles and containing a population of 47,500,000;[1] the impact of the famine, however, was greatest in Orissa, now Odisha, which at that time was quite isolated from the rest of India. [2] In Odisha, one third of the population died due to famine. [3]
Like all Indian famines of the 19th-century, the Orissa famine was preceded by a drought: the population of the region depended on the rice crop of the winter season for their sustenance; however, the monsoon of 1865 was scanty and stopped prematurely. [2] In addition, the Bengal Board of Revenue made incorrect estimates of the number of people who would need help and was misled by fictitious price lists. Consequently, as the food reserves began to dwindle, the gravity of the situation was not grasped until the end of May 1866, and by then the monsoons had set in. [2]
Efforts to ship the food to the isolated province were hampered because of bad weather, and when some shipments did reach the coast of Odisha, they could not be moved inland. The British Indian government imported some 10,000 tons of rice, which reached the affected population only in September. [2] Although many people died of starvation, more were killed by cholera before the monsoons and by malaria afterwards. In Odisha alone, at least 1 million people, a third of the population, died in 1866, and overall in the region approximately 4 to 5 million died in the two-year period. [2]
The heavy rains of 1866 also caused floods which destroyed the rice-crop in low-lying regions. Consequently, in the following year, another shortfall was expected, and the Government of British India imported approximately 40,000 tons of rice at four times the usual price. [2] However, this time they overestimated the need, and only half the rice was used by the time the summer monsoon of 1867, followed by a plentiful harvest, ended the famine in 1868. In the two years of the famine, the Government of British India spent approximately Rs.9,500,000 on famine relief for 35 million units (i.e. one person per day); a large proportion of the cost, however, was the high price of the imported grain. [2]
Lessons learnt from this famine by the British rulers included "the importance of developing an adequate network of communications" and "the need to anticipate disaster". [4] Indian Famine Codes were slowly developed which were "designed to be put into place as soon as a failure of the monsoon, or other warning-signal, indicated a probable shortage". [5] One early success of this new approach was seen in the Bihar famine of 1873-74 when the famine relief under Sir Richard Temple resulted in the avoidance of almost all mortality. [6]
The famine also served to awaken educated Indians about the effect that British rule was having on India. The fact that during the Orissa famine India exported more than 200 million pounds of rice to Great Britain even while more than one million succumbed to famine outraged Indian nationalists. Dadabhai Naoroji used this as evidence to develop the Drain Theory, the idea that Britain was enriching itself by "sucking the lifeblood out of India". [3]
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Famine
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Santiago Fire
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The Santiago Fire was a wildfire located near Santiago Canyon in Orange County, California, U.S., and one of thirty California wildfires of October 2007. The fire was intentionally started. [2]
The blaze originated near Santiago Canyon Road at the border of Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon at 5:55 p.m. on October 21, 2007,[3] and burned approximately 28,445 acres (115 km2). [3] The flames threatened roughly 750 homes located throughout canyons in the area, including both Santiago and Silverado Canyon, Live Oak Canyon, Holy Jim Canyon, Modjeska Canyon, and Trabuco Canyon, among others. Twelve houses were destroyed in Santiago Canyon. In Foothill Ranch, the Santiago Canyon Estates, and Portola Hills, the fire reached the back yards of houses, but no homes were destroyed in those three neighborhoods. The fire was fully contained on November 9, after reaching 28,400 acres (115 km2). [1][3] According to Mike Rohde, a battalion chief with the Orange County Fire Authority, controlling the fire depended solely on the wind, saying at the time, "If the wind stays normal, everything will be fine." Had it not, it would have been a "totally different story. "[4]
The fire moved into the Cleveland National Forest and crossed the path of the Santa Ana Mountains, singeing the slopes. According to the 1,100 firefighters who battled the blaze, the air conditions changed from the tumultuous Santa Ana winds to lower temperatures, more humidity, and more gentle onshore winds. The fire affected Irvine, Santiago Canyon, Silverado Canyon, Modjeska Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Foothill Ranch, and Portola Hills. [4]
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in several California counties where fires were ongoing. [5] President George W. Bush furthered the response effort in the state by ordering federal assistance to aid with state and local efforts. [6] The firemen were aided by units of the United States Armed Forces[7] and United States National Guard. [8]
A $250,000 reward is offered to anyone with information on the suspected arsonist(s), as the fire has been confirmed as being initiated by arson with two separate points of origin. [9] According to Fire Authority Chief Chip Prather, "The person or people who did this are exceptionally lucky or they have some knowledge of when they can do the most damage when you set a fire. "[4]
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Fire
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California Geological Survey releases new tsunami hazard maps
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and last updated 2021-07-29 19:05:07-04 After 12 years and a pause because of the pandemic, the California Geological Survey released new tsunami hazard area maps so people can plan their evacuation routes ahead of time if a tsunami were to hit the Central Coast. More than 150 tsunamis of varying sizes have hit California in the last 200 years. After a particularly powerful one, the California geological survey updated the way tsunami hazard maps are drawn. “Two o'clock in the morning. That's not the time to try to figure out where to go and what to do, so you want to have that pre-planned,” said Scott Jalbert, San Luis Obispo County's emergency services manager. The California Geological Survey released the new maps showing people whether they live in a tsunami hazard area or an area where flooding could occur from extreme tsunami events. The maps also help people plan safe evacuation routes. Jalbert explained, “After the Japan earthquake, they learned a lot more about how tsunamis work and they actually increase the, the threshold to 50 feet, which compelled them to change their maps.” That tsunami happened in 2011 and according to the California Geological Survey, it was the costliest disaster in modern history. It damaged harbors in California including Morro Bay. After that, the geological survey increased the threshold for tsunami hazard areas. Rick Wilson, the senior engineering geologist and lead of the Tsunami Unit at the California Geological Survey, said, “Tsunamis are generated by what’s going on underneath the water, big earthquakes, big landslides.” Experts say to immediately head to higher ground. Sometimes counties will have a warning hours before a tsunami hits, and other times, just minutes. The last tsunami advisory in San Luis Obispo County happened in 2015 after an earthquake in Chile. The advisory spanned from San Luis Obispo County to Orange County. Experts recommend compiling a go-bag with medication, pet supplies and important documents ahead of disasters like tsunamis. For people who do not have access to cars and other vehicles, they recommend coordinating with a neighbor ahead of time.
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Tsunamis
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2006 anti-NATO protests in Feodosia
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Anti-NATO protests (including one riot) took place in the Ukrainian port city of Feodosia from late May to early June 2006, partially disrupting a joint Ukrainian-U.S. military exercise, which was canceled 20 July 2006. [1]
The military Ukraine-NATO Partnership for Peace military exercise Sea Breeze 2006 exercise (in Crimea) was scheduled to take place in Ukraine starting 17 July 2006. [2][3] Its aim was to "simulate the defence of a peninsula caught between a totalitarian state and a democratic one. "[3] "Sea Breeze" manoeuvres had been held annually since 1997. [3] Another British-Ukrainian war-game called "Tight Knot" was scheduled to start on 14 June 2006 (near Mykolaiv). [3]
On 4 June 2006, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree on preparations of the two war-games. [4] The approval for the exercises by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) was still pending early June 2006 because after the parliamentary election of March 2006 it resumed its work on 7 June 2006. [5] In February 2006 the Verkhovna Rada elected before the 2006 election rejected a presidential bill on allowing foreign troops to take part in the maneuvers planned for 2006. [5] The Verkhovna Rada was due to vote on the same bill on 7 June 2006, but decided to adjourn until 14 June. [2][6]
On 6 June 2006 the Crimean legislature declared Crimea a "NATO-free territory". [3][6]
On 27 May 2006 the United States (U.S.) cargo ship Advantage anchored in Feodosia, bringing what Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko described as U.S. "technical aid. "[5] Unarmed[3] seamen offloaded construction materials to build barracks for Ukrainian sailors at a training range near the town of Stary Krym, not far from Feodosia. [5] Two days later, Feodosia residents, mobilized by local chapters of the Party of Regions, the Nataliya Vitrenko Bloc, and the Russian Community of Crimea, began to picket the port,[5] displaying anti-NATO slogans written in Russian and blocking U.S. cargo from getting to its destination. [5]
Together with Advantage 200 U.S. Marine Corps reservists arrived to Feodosia. [2][7] Their mission was to take part in the Sea Breeze 2006 military exercise from 17 July. [2][3] When the Marine reservists tried to reach the training facility that they were assigned to renovate[7] protesters surrounded their bus, rocking it and trying to smash the windows, eventually forcing the vehicle to head to a military sanatorium, where the reservists remain. [3] Protesters reportedly harassed Marine reservists if they stepped outside their military base. [6] The marines were advised against going into nearby towns for fear of provoking noisy confrontations. [8] On 4 June 2006 U.S. marines began leaving Crimea. [8] American and Ukrainian officials stated because their contract was ending. [8] Associated Press reported that no repair work was done at the base they were assigned to renovate. [7] On June 8 Ukraine and United Kingdom postponed Tight Knot. [7] On 20 July 2006 the United States cancelled Sea Breeze, "due to the situation in the Middle East". [1]
Reportedly the group of protesters rarely consisted of more than a few hundred demonstrators. [5][8] They accused NATO and the United States of seeking a foothold in Ukraine. [8] The Ukrainian defense ministry stated 2 June 2006 that the planned exercises were not connected with NATO. [4]
On 5 June 2006, Serhiy Yevtushenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, was stopped at the Moscow airport and sent back to Ukraine. [9] The following day, Russian Duma vice-speaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky and member Konstantin Zatulin were banned from entering Ukraine (were declared persona non grata) based on the Ukrainian law concerning foreigners’ status, "foreigners are prohibited to enter the country if they violated Ukrainian legislation during their previous stay. "[9][10] In the case of Zatulin, Ukrainian government accused him of trying to invoke ethnic violence and work against territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state. [9] For example, Zhirinovskiy stated: “Ukraine does not exist. Russian governors must sit in Kyiv and Minsk. True Russian borders are the borders of September 1917.”[10] The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced the ban as unfriendly. [11]
The 2006 Crimean anti-NATO protests did not impact foreign military units to participate in multinational military exercises in Ukraine. [12] Various military exercises (including ones with NATO troops) were held in Crimea since 2006. [12][13]
According to a poll by Razumkov Center in March 2011 some 51% of the Crimean residents considered NATO a threat, while across Ukraine this rate was 20.6% on average. [14]
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Crews complete final cut of Golden Ray shipwreck demolition
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Salvage crews have finished cutting apart the last two sections of a cargo ship that overturned along the Georgia coast two years ago, officials said Sunday. The multiagency command overseeing demolition of the South Korean freighter Golden Ray said in a news release that the final cut was completed Saturday. Both massive chunks are awaiting removal by barge from the waters off St. Simons Island about 70 miles south of Savannah. The Golden Ray capsized soon after leaving the Port of Brunswick with 4,200 vehicles in its cargo decks on Sept. 8, 2019. Wednesday will mark two years since the ship overturned. Crews spent the past 10 months using a towering crane straddling the shipwreck to cut it into eight giant sections — using anchor chain to tear through the hull like a blunt-edged saw. Progress was slowed several times, most notably when the shipwreck caught fire in May and at the end of July when large amounts of oil gushed from the vessel’s remnants and fouled the shoreline. Even after the last big pieces are gone, there’s still extensive cleanup to be done of debris that fell into the water during cutting and lifting of the larger sections. The Golden Ray had more than 4,200 cars and vehicles inside its cargo decks when it capsized on Sept. 8, 2019, shortly after departing the Port of Brunswick. The entire crew was rescued safely. All cutaway segments of the ship have been loaded onto barges for transport to a scrapyard in Louisiana.
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Shipwreck
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Russian authorities say 18 dead in suspected alcohol poisoning in Yekaterinburg
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MOSCOW, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Russia's Investigative Committee said on Saturday that 18 people have died from alcohol poisoning in the city of Yekaterinburg.
The investigators found the victims had drunk liquor containing methanol, a poisonous alcohol usually used for industrial purposes.
"As a result, 18 people died from consuming mentioned liquid," the committee, which looks into major crimes, said in a statement.
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The incident follows the opening of an inquiry last week into a suspected mass poisoning linked to illegal alcohol in southwest Russia in which 34 died. read more
The probe in Yekaterinburg found the victims had bought alcohol between Oct. 7-14 from a group of people, two of whom have been detained, the investigative committee said.
Cases of alcohol-related mass poisoning have shocked the country in the past. In 2016, 77 people died in Siberia from drinking bath oil laced with methylated spirit.
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Mass Poisoning
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5km sprint home, personalised plates, ‘sexting scandal’: Wild fallout of ‘dumb’ party
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Paul Vaughan hosted the most expensive BBQ in history after having his $800,000 per year contract torn up by the Dragons on top of a $50,000 NRL fine.
Vaughan has played his last game for the Dragons, with his future discussed at a board meeting on Tuesday where officials decided to axe him from the last 15 months of his deal.
It has since been revealed that fullback Matt Dufty ran five kilometres to his house when police cars arrived, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The Herald added an alleged sexting scandal was the first strike the club held against Vaughan in determining his future.
Vaughan was reportedly issued a formal warning over the scandal 18 months ago. He’s since had two COVID strikes against him, including attending a cafe in 2020 in breach of strict biosecurity rules.
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The Dragons also confirmed Tuesday in a press conference held by Anthony Griffin CEO Ryan Webb that Jack de Belin’s future is safe.
De Belin was caught lying about the incident and it’s since been revealed he was hiding under a bed when the police visited Vaughan’s residence. He was fined $1000 by police in addition to a $42,000 fine and one-match suspension from the NRL.
“There were a lot of things discussed, but no, I don’t think that got to that level,” Webb said when asked if de Belin’s dismissal had been considered.
Griffin revealed his disappointment and apologised to the fanbase.
“It’s been a disappointing few days,” he said.
“As a member of the club just gutted that we’re in this situation but we’ve dealt with it now. On behalf of the club, as the coach of the club, I apologise to our fans and our member and sponsors.”
The board approved a termination of Vaughan’s contract with immediate effect after he hosted a party at his house last Saturday, the day after the club’s win over the Warriors, before lying to club officials. “The St George Illawarra Dragons have handed down additional club-imposed sanctions to the 13 players who breached NRL biosecurity protocols and state government public health orders on Saturday night,” the club said in a statement. “The remainder of Paul Vaughan’s playing contract has been terminated, effective immediately, as a result of now a number of breaches that include and predate the current matter.
“Vaughan was contracted to the Dragons until the end of the 2022 season.
“The remaining 12 players will be issued with individual breach notices containing a confidential monetary fine that will be forwarded to selected local charities as well as compulsory extracurricular club service.”
“The board haven’t taken any of the 13 players’ actions lightly and reinforced this on Tuesday morning by taking these additional actions including the termination of Paul Vaughan’s contract,” Dragons CEO Ryan Webb said.
“The club maintains it holds no reservations over the punishments already handed down by the NRL Integrity Unit and New South Wales Police.
“These additional penalties have been determined in such a way that the beneficiaries will be those affected by the players’ misconduct.”
The Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) released the following statement regarding Vaughan.
“The RLPA has been advised that St George Illawarra has issued immediate contract termination papers to Paul Vaughan today,” the statement read. “The RLPA has been in contact with Paul and St George Illawarra officials following this decision.
“With any player integrity matter, but particularly one with such serious consequences for the player, it is fundamental to ensure that the appropriate steps have been taken and due process has been afforded.
“The RLPA will work through this matter with Paul and his management to ensure he is well-informed of his options moving forward.
“The RLPA will also ensure Paul is aware of wellbeing support available to him and his family.
“On a separate note, the RLPA will advocate for the introduction of a clear and consistent sanctioning framework relating to NRL biosecurity breaches to assist with future player and club compliance.”
Earlier Webb claimed on Tuesday Morning that nothing would be “off the table” as the club’s board met to discuss handing out their own punishments. Webb told SEN he wouldn’t rule out taking the most severe action after the NRL handed down $305,000 worth of fines.
“There was a lot we had to talk through as a group, so I don’t think anything is off the table,” he said. “I don’t know where the discussion will go, there’s a lot to sift through.
“We’ve got to make sure the board is aware of all the intricacies of how this played out and the reaction to everything by each of the players.
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“Then we’ll make some decisions of what we want to do as a club.
“There’s a lot of people right now that have lost a lot of trust in our club and we’ve got to try and earn that back.” The Dragons are yet to make decisions on additional punishments for the other players present at Vaughan’s party. .
Among those in attendance were off-contract duo Matt Dufty and Corey Norman, who were both informed by the Dragons that they wouldn’t be offered new deals beyond this season.
Jack de Belin — who is only four games into his NRL return - was reportedly hiding under the bed. That came after he told the club he was walking his dog, while Norman left his wallet and his car with personalised number plates outside Vaughan’s house. Dufty told The Sydney Morning Herald last week that not knowing where he will playing next season is “stressful.”
He reportedly was out the front of Vaughan’s property when police arrived and ran five kilometres to his nearby home.
The 25-year-old was linked to the Raiders and even toured their facilities, however the Green Machine went cold on him. He is not keen to head overseas to the Super League yet and over the weekend News Corp reported that the Waratahs rejected an approach from Dufty’s camp to make the code-switch.
It seems options are slim for the pair and their involvement in this Covid breach could scare off any interest from NRL clubs.
As for de Belin, the Dragons have shown an extraordinary amount of loyalty and support to the 30-year-old. He is signed until the end of 2024 with an option in his favour for 2025. The club re-signed him on a four-year deal while he was sidelined under the NRL’s no-fault stand down policy.
And now, as revealed on NRL 360, he not only was present at the party, but also reportedly hid under a bed when police arrived to avoid being caught.
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Tear Up Agreement
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North Adelaide fined $10,000 and docked points over 19th man, but will play in SANFL grand final
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North Adelaide fined $10,000 and docked points over 19th man, but will play in SANFL grand final
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
North Adelaide has been fined $10,000 and docked four premiership points for next season but will be allowed to play in the SANFL grand final against Norwood at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
Michael David QC, sitting as the SANFL tribunal, found the Roosters were "grossly negligent" in having 19 players on the field during the early stages of the fourth quarter of the preliminary final.
Earlier on Monday, the league confirmed that North Adelaide did have 19 players on the field and it's believed the extra player was on the oval for about five minutes and during that time, North Adelaide kicked a total of eight points.
The matter was then referred to the SA Football Commission, which in turn referred the decision to the tribunal.
In Sunday afternoon's game, North Adelaide beat Woodville-West Torrens by five points, 15.10 (100) to 14.11 (95).
The Eagles were up by 47 points in the third quarter before North Adelaide hit back, setting up an enthralling game.
"Their various explanations as to how this came about were unsatisfactory and confusing," Mr David said.
"However, I find the decision that they indulged in was not deliberate. It was due to negligence."
North Adelaide beat the Eagles by five points, after being down by as much as 47 points in the third quarter, and scored eight points while having the extra man on the field.
"I have looked at the video of those minutes and it is almost impossible, having looked at it on a number of occasions, to say whether that extra man affected the scoring and therefore the result."
Mr David announced his decision at the end of a five-hour hearing in which both clubs made extensive submissions on what unfolded in the game and the solution.
Until his findings, the result of the match, and just which club would play in the grand final, had been in doubt for more than 30 hours after the final siren.
"I make it clear at the outset I do not have the power to order a re-match or annul a score," he said.
His options were a fine not exceeding $10,000, loss of premiership points for next year and reversal of the result.
Mr David said he found the laws regarding a team's captain being forced to ask the umpires for a head count in this situation were "anachronistic".
"That really doesn't apply today and has been overtaken by technology because there is no doubt that there were 19 men on the field," he said.
"To me, a re-match would seem to be the most superficially appropriate penalty but I have no power to do so and would of course cause potential prejudice to the Norwood Football Club, who are waiting to play the grand final.
"Faced with this dilemma, I am of the view that if this was not deliberate the reversal of the result is too savage a penalty and the matter should be dealt with by way of fine and the loss of premiership points next year."
Mr David then issued the maximum fine available of $10,000 "because this was grossly negligent". He also by way of deterrence docked the Roosters four premiership points — the equivalent of two wins — for next season.
After hearing the findings, SANFL chief executive Jake Parkinson said the process involved in the decision was a "full and diligent one".
"We have that outcome and it's now time to start thinking about what happens on Sunday," he said.
"This has been unprecedented and that's shown out in the amount of time it's taken us to reach our decision."
He said there was no avenue for appeal for he was confident there would be no further legal action from the Eagles.
Mr Parkinson said the SANFL would review its laws and regulations regarding having extra players on the field.
The NEAFL grand final had a similar controversy on Sunday, as the decider between Southport and the Sydney Swans was stopped early in the final quarter for a head count.
Southport, who were leading by 60 points, were found to have had 19 men on the field for a 20-second period, during which no points were scored.
Southport went on to win 14.6 (90) to 5.5 (35).
NEAFL officials said in a post-match statement that the breach of the rules had "no material impact on the outcome of the game and the score should stand".
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Organization Fine
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Man killed in accident at central Queensland mine
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A 33-year-old man has been killed in a workplace accident at a mine in central Queensland, police have confirmed. Emergency services were called to the Curragh coal mine, 30 kilometres north of Blackwater, just before 4:30pm (local time) on Sunday. Queensland Ambulance Service said it responded to reports that a patient had become trapped in machinery. At 8:30pm, crews were still at the scene. The police will now prepare a report for the coroner. Mining company Thiess, which has operated the mine site since 2004, has been contacted for comment. The death is the seventh fatality the state's mining industry has seen in the past two years. Five Queensland mine workers died at work during 2019. CFMEU district president Steve Smyth said he understood the man had been working as a Thiess contractor. He said the past two years had been the worst period for mining safety in recent history. "I'm lost for words, a fatal accident in the mining industry a couple of weeks into the new year … this appears to be a continuation of what occurred last year, it's absolutely terrible," he said. "Since about 1994 to be honest, this is the worst, statistically and unfortunately fatality-wise, this is the worst time we've seen. "I'm really at a loss. "Something's got to occur, we had a safety reset last year. We said one reset wasn't going to fix it, but there's certainly going to be a deep dive into why this is happening. "We've got to stop this spate of fatalities. We've got to take more firm action. If that means walking off the job we've got to do it." Mr Smyth said the casualisation in the resource industry was contributing to the increase in fatal accidents. "We used to walk off the job when we lost one of our comrades at the workplace for 24 hours as a show of respect, that's what should be happening as a minimum across the industry then people will take notice. "Workers are even too concerned to do that for fear of getting fines or sacked. "The industry is in a really terrible state of affairs when it comes to pressure on people on the job." The mine is owned by Coronado Coal LLC, a privately held company Energy and Minerals Group (EMG), based in Texas, USA. Acting Mines Minister Mark Ryan said inspectors were on-site investigating the accident. "My thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of the mine worker," he said. "I do not want to make any comment about this particular incident, both out of respect for everyone affected, and in light of the independent investigation. "Any death in our resources workplaces is unacceptable, and this Government is committed to working with employers, unions and peak bodies to continue to improve protections for our workers. "This Labor Government has already extensively reformed mine safety and health over the past five years." He said Queensland now has the toughest mine safety and health laws in the world. "There is further reform to come," he said.. "We will introduce legislation this year to make industrial manslaughter an offence, as it is in other Queensland workplaces, and we have legislation before the Parliament to establish an independent resources health and safety authority."
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Mine Collapses
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Officials rule out explosion at Fort and Dearborn streets in Detroit, cause of damage still unknown
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Officials rule out explosion at Fort and Dearborn streets in Detroit, cause of damage still unknown
Residents complain of natural gas odor for weeks
Published:
September 13, 2021, 8:09 PM
Tags: Detroit , Wayne County , News , Local , Local News , Fort Street , Dearborn Street , DTE Energy , DTE , Gas , Natural Gas , Methane , Damage
Cause of southwest Detroit incident under investigation
DETROIT – Officials still don’t know what caused the road at Fort Street and Dearborn Street in Detroit to rise nearly eight inches.
Residents said they smelled a natural gas odor for weeks. DTE said methane is leaking from the cracks but that the incident is not the result of a natural gas explosion.
“We’ve talked to a lot of experts. Never seen anything like this. It is very intriguing to us, can’t wait to see what caused this,” Hakim Berry, COO of the City of Detroit, said.
The EPA, EGLE, Great Lakes Water Authority, and DTE are among the agencies trying to figure out what happened.
“At this point, there is no indication that this was a result of a natural gas leak or our infrastructure not operating as it should be,” DTE Gas Vice President Renee Tomina said.
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On Saturday (Sept. 11) the owner of Stash Detroit said he felt an explosion and then smelled gas.
“The ground began to swell slowly for about 20 to 30 minutes to the state it is now and the building shifted as well,” Berry said.
People who live near the mostly industrial area have been complaining about a natural gas odor for weeks. DTE said it was contained, but that methane is now leaking from the cracks on Fort Street.
“We do have the natural gas leak in the area so our crews have been working to make sure we get that stopped immediately,” Tomina said.
“We’ve never seen this before” - officials don’t know why the road at Fort/Dearborn in SW Detroit rose nearly eight inches. Neighbors have complained about a natural gas odor for weeks. DTE says methane is leaking from cracks but this was not the result of a natural gas explosion
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Gas explosion
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