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This Is Not a Good Time to Fall Off the College Track. Students Are Doing It Anyway
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Fewer than 2 in 5 students scheduled to graduate high school this spring have so far applied for college financial aid—a more than 9 percent drop from this time last year—increasing concerns that students will be unable to continue on to higher education amid a massive economic recession. Before 2020, financial aid rates had been ticking up slowly following years of state efforts to increase the number of students going to college. Yet even then, students in high-poverty schools were found to have fewer supports and be less likely to apply for financial aid than students in wealthier schools. After the pandemic set in, every state lost ground and the gaps in college access for poor students and students of color have worsened. So far this school year, students in schools with high concentrations of low-income students and students of color saw the biggest drops in completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, according to ongoing analysis by the nonprofit National College Attainment Network. FAFSA allows students to access billions of dollars in federal loans, grants, and work-study programs, as well as qualify for state and college financial aid. (The federal student aid office is expected to release additional data on February and March applications later this month.) High-poverty schools eligible for federal Title I money saw a more than 12 percent decline in FAFSA applications this February compared to the same time last year. The year-to-year decline for non-Title I schools, in comparison, was 7 percent. Likewise, schools with a high percentage of students of color had a 14.6 percent drop in financial aid applications during the same time, roughly three times the decline seen in low-minority schools. That bodes ill for turning around a college-going gap that started in the wake of the pandemic, when 56 percent of 12th graders int the Class of 2020 completed FAFSA by the June extended deadlines, compared to 57.2 percent in 2017-18. NCAN has found students who complete the form are 84 percent more likely to enroll in higher education, and the poorest 20 percent of students are 127 percent more likely to be enrolled in college the fall after they graduate high school. “The COVID pandemic quarantine and recession happened so quickly that it wasn’t as if families could plan ahead or make these decisions about how they were going to balance [higher education and family needs],” said Bridget Terry Long, dean and professor of education and economics at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a longtime FAFSA researcher. “And now ... families are still in crisis, and it just takes up a lot of parents’ and students’ energy to plan.” Individual communities’ responses to the pandemic have affected students’ college planning decisions, too. A new study in the journal Educational Researcher looked at FAFSA applications in California from March to mid-August of 2020. It found that low-income communities and communities of color saw sharper dives in financial aid applications than the country as a whole during that time. But after accounting for demographics, the study found FAFSA applications rose in communities that had higher-than-average unemployment during the first months of the pandemic. Long suggested that these boosts in financial aid interest could suggest that not only graduating seniors but unemployed adults were competing for college financial aid. Similarly, NCAN has found suburban communities had significantly higher FAFSA rates than rural or urban communities. In the near term, competition for money and admission at some highly selective colleges may increase, according to Anthony Carnevale, the director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. “I know at Georgetown that the applications have doubled,” he said, which may worsen equity problems for low-income students. “Rich kids don’t stop going to college, so this is going to play out by race and income.” “The issue now in education, K-12 or higher ed, is everybody is hunkered down in their silos. … We have a youth-to-adult transition for which there are no maps,” Carnevale said. “The only through-line is counseling and student services, because if you supply those along the way you can connect the dots [for students] and move people. … but there is no plan to fund that at all.” Before the pandemic, many schools had started to experiment with online and mobile supports for high school students and recent graduates, but more recent research has raised questions about popular interventions intended to “nudge” students to stay on track to enroll in and enter college. For example, a new federal study looked at 4,800 graduating students in the federal college-access program Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) from 2015 to 2017, before the pandemic. Half of the students were randomly assigned to receive customized text messages reminding them of upcoming deadlines and offering to connect them to an adviser for support. Students did receive the texts and use them to connect with their high school advisers—but the staff had average case loads of 40 students enrolling in and attending eight different colleges. In the end, the study found students who received the texts were no more likely to enroll and attend college in the fall after graduation—or to persist in college if they did enroll—than students who got no “nudges.” “Early studies of low-cost, text-message-based advising generated enthusiasm because of their potential to help improve college access,” researchers concluded. “However, accumulating evidence indicates the messaging is only effective in a small set of situations.” Long said efforts to simplify the FAFSA have improved application rates, but research shows students’ relationships with counselors, teachers, and others who can walk them through the process are more important to completion. As schools have been forced to move away from in-person FAFSA workshops during social distancing, students and their families have found it harder to get questions answered and concerns resolved. “If you think about low-income, first-generation students, having that assistance is quite important for understanding this complicated system, with complicated questions,” she said. “Some of these families aren’t used to having bank accounts and filling out mortgages, and say this is the first time that you’re dealing with this kind of complex financial form, and it’s very high stakes.” The financial aid data do show some reason for optimism once students have matriculated into college. From October through December, the monthly financial aid renewals—applied for by students with existing Pell grants or other aid—were about 9 percent higher month over month than they were for the same period last year, before the pandemic started. That suggests students who entered college committed to pursuing a degree, even though higher education officials have expressed concern that current students have experienced more stress from class disruptions and class format changes. That’s in line with the California study, which found that early declines in financial aid applications among college upperclassmen and graduate students last spring recovered and ended up 8 percent higher by August 2020 than they had been in previous years. Coverage of the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need is supported in part by a grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, at www.jkcf.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.A version of this article appeared in the March 10, 2021 edition of Education Week as This Is Not a Good Time to Fall Off the College Track
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Financial Aid
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A man dead for car accident
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UPDATED: Wed., Aug. 18, 2021 The county medical examiner has identified the 20-year-old man who died after the car in which he was riding rolled Aug. 4 on Cheney-Spokane Road. Nyckolas Davis died after suffering several blunt force traumatic injuries, the Spokane County Medical Examiner said Wednesday. His sister created a GoFundMe to buy a gravestone and to help her family financially. She wrote on the page that her brother was a kind person who had plans to attend the same college that she attends. “He was proud that we were going to be there together,” she wrote. “We are all shocked and devastated at all that he’ll never get to do or experience.” The driver of the car, 19-year-old Rayce R. Kent, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide, according to court documents. He was booked into Spokane County Jail and was held on a $25,000 bond but is not currently listed as an inmate. The crash occurred at around 6 p.m. Aug. 4 after Kent, Davis and a 17-year-old were driving back from Fish Lake Park in Cheney, according to the teenager’s witness statement. Court documents did not reveal the name of the third passenger. The witness told police Kent had picked up Davis and himself in Kent’s car, which also contained two 18-packs of beer. Kent told detectives the three drank at the park and that he consumed five to seven beers, according to court documents. Kent gave a blood sample, which was still being tested at the Washington State Patrol toxicology lab, according to court documents. The trio left, with Kent driving. At one point, the witness reportedly told Kent to slow down. Other drivers on South Cheney-Spokane and South Sherman roads told police they saw the car lose control and roll. Police who responded to the scene believed Kent had been speeding and then failed to account for a bend in the road. The witness was in the front passenger seat of the car and suffered minor injuries, according to court documents. Kent also went to the hospital with minor injuries. Davis died at the scene, according to police. Kent’s parents told detectives Kent suffered from a drinking problem, court documents say. It was unclear in documents if seat belts were worn, though a detective saw marks on Kent’s arms and chest consistent with seatbelt burns from being the driver, court documents say.
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Road Crash
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LIAT Flight 319 crash
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LIAT Flight 319 was a scheduled international flight from Hewanorra International Airport in Saint Lucia to E. T. Joshua Airport in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. On 3 August 1986, the 19-seater de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Series 310 Twin Otter airliner serving the flight, which was operated by Leeward Islands Air Transport (LIAT), disappeared, but is believed to have crashed into the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the deaths of its eleven passengers and two aircrew. The aircraft involved in the accident was a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 310, with manufacturer serial number 785, registered as V2-LCJ. This airliner first flew in 1982. The aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27. [1] It was capable of accommodating 19 passengers. [2]
On Sunday 4 August 1986, LIAT Flight 319 departed from Hewanorra International Airport in St. Lucia, en route to the E. T. Joshua Airport (then called the Arnos Vale airport) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. On attempting to land at its destination the plane encountered difficulties due to a rainstorm. Two initial attempts were made to land the plane. The plane is believed to have crashed into the sea and sunk in water some 6,000 feet (1,800 m) deep during its third landing attempt. [3]
Neither the bodies of the passengers and crew, nor the wreckage were discovered. The government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines declared everyone on board perished, after recovery attempts failed to locate any bodies six days after the crash. [3]
Seven of the passengers aboard Flight 319 were Vincentian nationals. There were also two Americans, two Italians, one Canadian and one Antiguan among the flight's passengers and crew. [3]
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Air crash
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Sam Darnold has been diagnosed with a broken scapula
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Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold has been diagnosed with a broken scapula following an MRI this morning. The scapula is more commonly known as your shoulder blade. Darnold reported shoulder soreness on Monday, causing the team to ask for an MRI. The injury is in his right, or throwing, shoulder and is in the same shoulder that was reportedly sore last week following the win against the Atlanta Falcons . It is the current belief of the Panthers that he broke the bone during the second quarter of the game against the New England Patriots .
Panthers QB Sam Darnold has a fractured scapula. The team believes the injury to his right shoulder occurred in the 2nd quarter versus New England, per a league source.
— Ellis L. Williams (@BookofEllis) November 10, 2021
PJ Walker is expected to start for the Panthers against the Arizona Cardinals this week. Darnold will miss several weeks, at least, though the team has not made an official decision about whether or not he will go on injured reserve.
The nature of this injury—a broken bone in his throwing shoulder—gives the Panthers an easy excuse to both sideline Darnold for now and bring him back to the field later. It is quite possible that Darnold’s awful performance in the second half against the Patriots was influenced by having broken his scapula in the second quarter.
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Famous Person - Sick
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8-year-old recovering after hit and run involving stolen vehicle
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FEDERAL HEIGHTS, Colo. (KDVR) — An 8-year-old girl is recovering in the hospital after police say a driver in a stolen vehicle hit her outside her school. According to her teachers, third-grader Angie Gonzalez-Torres and her two older brothers were crossing Lowell Boulevard at 53rd Avenue Tuesday afternoon following dismissal from their school, Ricardo Flores Magón Academy. “They’re walkers so they were walking home,” teacher Dawn Wimmer said. “They were getting ready to go across the street and a car came driving up going probably 50 miles an hour, swerving in and out of traffic, and her brother tried to pull her back, and she was literally in walking mode and the car hit her and she flew and hit her head pretty hard.” What happened to Baby John Doe? Investigators hope DNA breaks 2002 cold case Wimmer said the girl is awake, talking and expected to be OK. “She’s doing OK. She’s at the hospital still, so they can monitor her, but she is coherent. No brain injuries,” she said. “She flew probably 15 yards and so she’s very lucky. And to not have broken bones or anything, it’s a miracle.” Police are now looking for the driver responsible for the crash . The vehicle involved is believed to be a brown 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe with Colorado license plate AZQ027. Suspect vehicle in hit-and-run that hospitalized a young girl (photo credit: Adams County Sheriff’s Office) According to the Arvada Police Department, it was stolen. Det. Dave Snelling said one of their officers spotted the vehicle earlier in the day at West 67th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard, recognized it as a stolen vehicle and followed it down West 72nd Avenue to Lowell Boulevard. He said the driver in the stolen vehicle ran a red light and turned down Lowell in the direction of the school, but because the officer did not have additional resources, it did not evolve into a pursuit. Wimmer and multiple neighbors nearby tell FOX31 they believe it was only a matter of time before a crash like this happened. “Oh, it was going to happen. There’s no question about it,” neighbor Jim Campbell said. Campbell has lived in the home across the street for 31 years. He said he can recall at least 30 significant accidents during that period, including drivers taking out his neighbor’s fence on nine occasions. What difference does a booster make? State COVID numbers show the real effect “We used to have flashing lights down [Lowell],” he said. “We used to have signs saying ‘School Zone 20 miles an hour.’ They’re gone.” “I know people speed up and down the street all the time. My classroom window faces that street and I see it all day,” Wimmer said. “I’d like to see a stop sign go in there. A crosswalk so that cars are required to stop. And more signage for our schools. We don’t have very many signs and the ones we do have are kind of hidden.” Wimmer started a GoFundMe to help Gonzalez-Torres’ family through her recovery. She said the girl’s mother is the family’s only source of income. She works at a nearby McDonald’s and has had to miss work to be at the hospital with her daughter. “They’ve had a lot of setbacks and she’s a single mom. They struggle. She works really hard but she struggles,” Wimmer said. In addition to helping cover the cost of medical bills, Wimmer said the money will go toward “getting them in a better place to stay, because right now they’re in a small place and we want Angie when she comes home to be set up with a bed of her own and heat and water.”
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Famous Person - Recovered
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World's largest warship in Indian Ocean | India-US in joint Naval excercise
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Amid border tensions with China, Indian warships began conducting an exercise with the US Navy's nuclear-powered USS Nimitz close to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Monday. The USS Nimitz is the world's largest warship. The Indian Navy carried out the exercise to test its capabilities and be battle-ready against Chinese forays in the seas amid the India-China tussle in eastern Ladakh. Assets of the Eastern Naval Command and the Andaman and Nicobar Command of the Indian Navy had been deployed in the war games, sources said. The passing exercise or PASSEX is expected to continue for the next two days as US navy ships pass through the south side of Andaman Nicobar Islands, sailing from Malacca Straits and is on its way to the Persian Gulf. India is looking at strengthening its military diplomacy through the Navy to take on Chinese expansionism in the waters. Watch India First for more. July 21, 2020 TMC minister Bratya Basu claims ‘Dictionary’ dropped from IFFI screening due to ‘political’ reasons PM Modi launches RBI’s retail direct, integrated ombudsman schemes Punjab, Centre at loggerheads over extending BSF's jurisdiction; Lt Col Qazi Sajjad exclusive; more India hosts Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan, Pakistan, China skip meeting Devendra Fadnavis vs Nawab Malik face-off escalates; BJP-Congress Rafale war returns; more Delhi AQI remains 'very poor'; Orange alert issued in Chennai; more Yogi Adityanath visits Kairana: Road to Lucknow via Kairana for BJP? Will Sara Ali Khan get support against rabid trolls? Ayodhya decked up for grand Deepotsav, 12 lakh diyas to glitter on Diwali Is new China land border law a signal to India? The big news stories of the day brought to you by Rajdeep Sardesai. Stay on track with Rahul Kanwal in Newstrack where innovation meets the sharpest reporting. Your one-stop news destination. Preeti Choudhry brings you the top stories with facts that have been ignored. Country above all. Gaurav C Sawant brings you 20 minutes of non-stop election news. Shiv Aroor brings you the five biggest stories, newsmakers and videos of the day. The news you need to know every morning. Top news and reviews from the world of movies. A weekly show that gets you up close and personal with India's weapons, war-fighting machinery and the humans that control them. A passion-driven on-camera dive into India's military might, Battle Cry is fronted by three of India's finest & award winning defence reporters -- Shiv Aroor, Gaurav C Sawant and Sandeep Unnithan The most in-depth & definitive show on global affairs. Jab We Met is India's first truly immersive interview show which takes you to the heart of the matter and gives an insight into the life of some of India's most fascinating thought leaders. Reaching out to the future opinion makers of India, tapping into the thought waves of an intelligentsia in the making... India Today TV's new weekend show. India Today Televison's flagship prime time business show that brings you the latest news and views on business, companies, financial markets, technology and much more...
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Military Exercise
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Old Dominion concert canceled
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The concert with the country music band scheduled by Indigo Road Productions and the Jackson Generals/Jackson Baseball Club for July 17 has been canceled, according to an e-mail sent to those who’d bought tickets and a press release sent from the promoter. “The Generals and Jackson city government situation has become too toxic and uncertain, highlighted by the city locking out the Generals from the facility, for us to continue moving forward on a show of this magnitude," said Indigo Road Entertainment managing partner Denny Baxter in the message to the ticket-buyers. Baxter reiterated in a phone interview on Monday the stand Indigo Road made last fall with a press release saying the Generals staff were the only people they would work with in promoting concerts in Jackson. “There has to be an administrative piece to this,” Baxter said. “These shows we put on have a shared responsibility between that administration and us as the promoters with a focus on the artist and the event’s marketability. “We rely on the venue for administrative staff to operate the facility and concessions. There’s no liability insurance, no liquor license and none of the other administrative stuff that goes into putting on an event like this without them.” And Baxter said the Generals staff are that group for Indigo Road at The Ballpark at Jackson. “We’ve had a great relationship with them with past shows,” Baxter said. “We’ve enjoyed working with them because they’re the reason we were bringing our shows back there in the first place with an artist as big as Old Dominion. “Obviously things have changed quite a bit in those discussions with the toxic situation between the City and the Generals.” The City found the Jackson Baseball Club – owning organization of the Jackson Generals baseball franchise – in breach of contract when they had no team with an A, AA or AAA affiliation related to Major League Baseball. The club signed an agreement to bring the Winnipeg Goldeyes from Canada to play their home games in Jackson, but the City put a lock and chain on all stadium entrances last week after the gameday management agreement between the Generals and Goldeyes had been canceled. “The City had reached out ot me and suggested I sign a lease agreement with them, and I voiced the issues and concerns with them that I had regarding everything going on,” Baxter said. “They sent me a sample lease agreement and said I was free tow ork with whom I wanted to, but when they locked the club out that had just signed a lease with them, that was enough for me. “I don’t want to get involved in legal issues with someone who works like that.” This is the second nationally-known artist who’s canceled a concert at the stadium in less than a month after Snoop Dogg’s concert that was originally postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic was officially canceled, but Baxter said that was all COVID. “Snoop Dogg and his people had issues with COVID and still wanted to come but bring a show that wouldn’t be as big as we wanted to bring here,” Baxter said. “So the City issues had nothing to do with that.” When asked if there’s a possibility for Old Dominion to come to Jackson in the future, Baxter said it’s hard to say. “They usually tour with Kenny Chesney, and he shut his tour down this year because of the pandemic,” Baxter said. “That’s why they were available for this show. “Next year if Kenny goes back out on the road, I assume they would be with him, but we don’t know. Tours like that are hard to predict.” Reach Brandon Shields at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 731-425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at editorbrandon.
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Organization Closed
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17 November 2014 global students protests
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Monday 17 November 2014 saw hundreds of thousands of students participate in demonstrations around the world on the occasion of International Students' Day. [1] On 17 November, students mobilised in more than 40 countries to demand free education. In addition, commemorations were held for the anniversaries of Nazi repression of student activists in Prague of 1939, the Athens Polytechnic Uprising of 1973 and the Velvet Revolution of 1989. The 17 November was first marked as International Students' Day in 1941 in London by the International Students' Council (which had many refugee members) in agreement with the Allies, and the tradition had been kept up by the successor International Union of Students. Following IUS' decline, the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions and the European Students' Union agreed, at the 2004 World Social Forum in Mumbai, to coordinate future observances of the date. [2]
2014 being the tenth anniversary of the occasion's reestablishment, the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU) and the European Students' Union (ESU) decided, ambitiously, to launch a global call for action aiming to bring student organisations around the world. The call was published on 17 October 2014[3] and demanded an education free of costs and fees, free of discrimination, and free of fear. It was initially signed by OBESSU, ESU, United States Student Association and Canadian Federation of Students and called on national governments and United Nations institutions to commit to prioritising free, equal access to education and safe learning environments in the United Nations' Post-2015 Development Agenda. [4] In the weeks up to 17 November more than thirty additional student organisations signed the call, making the final declaration representative of students from a total of ninety-seven countries across every continent. [5]
In Czech Republic and Slovakia thousands of people took to the streets to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, where there were also demonstrations against the Czech President Zeman. [6] In Greece, 20,000 took to the street to commemorate the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. [7] In the weekend leading up to 17 November 100,000 students mobilised across Italy against Matteo Renzi's Buona Scuola reforms and the Jobs Act, demanding instead a free education that guaranteed student rights;[8][9] whilst on the 17 November itself, thousands of students joined occupations and symbolic actions at universities and schools across the country. [10][11] In Macedonia, thousands mobilised against changes to student evaluation [12][13] and in Norway there was a national demonstration against the introduction of tuition fees for non-EU students. [14][15] In Spain and Austria symbolic actions were taken around the country,[16][17][18] in Slovenia student unions drew attention to deteriorating conditions for students[19] and in Serbia school students presented their demands to officials. [20]
In the Philippines, student activists demanded an end to tuition hikes and called for the resignation of President Aquino[21] whilst in Myanmar, students continued demonstrations against a proposed new education law. [22] In India, school students challenged the education minister on a proposed new evaluation system. [23]
In Egypt demonstrations were held across the country to call for the demilitarisation of university campuses. [24] Meanwhile, in Ghana, the All Africa Student Union organised events to promote quality assurance in education[25] and commemorations were held in Uganda. In Cuba more than 50,000 students joined a national day of student celebration. [26][27] In Mexico a large number of activists protested against the 2014 Iguala mass kidnapping, demanding educational environments free from fear. [28] In Uruguay, thousands demonstrated in solidarity with Mexican protesters. [29] In Canada, the Canadian Federation of Students held a national lobby for free education at the Canadian parliament in Ottawa, whilst hundreds of students protested tuition hikes in Alberta. [30]
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Man killed in natural gas explosion at Corpus Christi plant is identified
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The explosion occurred on 3952 Buddy Lawrence Drive at the Calpine Company Generation Plant Friday evening.
One person was killed. The man was identified as 36-year-old Joe Robert Reyes by the Nueces County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday.
More:Natural gas explosion leaves one person dead
A cause of death has not yet been determined, pending an autopsy, the office said.
Calpine operates a plant that provides steam and electricity to Citgo Refining Company and Flint Hills Resources and steam to Elementis Chromium under long-term contracts. It also sells power in the Texas wholesale market.
Details about the explosion have not yet been released.
More:South Texas prosecutors will pursue death penalty in NH couple's killing
More:Mother and her boyfriend arrested in death of 4-year-old Corpus Christi boy
More:Dead woman found in Bay Area home identified
Ashlee Burns covers trending and breaking news in South Texas. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe
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Gas explosion
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Kiss postpones metro Detroit concert, others as Gene Simmons tests positive for COVID-19
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COVID-19 continues to shake up the concert world — this time with another batch of postponed dates for Kiss. Less than a week after guitarist Paul Stanley's diagnosis forced the band to call off several shows, Gene Simmons has tested positive and “is experiencing mild symptoms,” Kiss announced Tuesday afternoon. That’s prompting the group to postpone four more dates, starting with Wednesday's scheduled show at DTE Energy Music Theatre. Concerts in Dayton, Ohio; Tinley Park, Illinois; and Milwaukee are also affected. Kiss said the band and its crew will isolate for the next 10 days, with hopes of restarting Sept. 9. A new DTE date will be announced in coming days, the tour’s promoter said. Existing tickets will be honored for rescheduled shows, and refund information will be available when those dates are announced. More:Guns N' Roses brings bone-rattling concert to Comerica Park More:38 years after death, iconic Motown bass player gets a proper headstone Stanley tweeted Monday that he is clear of COVID-19, and while his symptoms were “mild,” it nevertheless “kicked my ass.” Kiss’s DTE show, part of the band’s End of the Road World Tour, was originally scheduled for September 2020 but rescheduled for this week because of last year’s pandemic shutdown. The band had announced earlier Tuesday that the tour’s Australian leg, set for late this year, has been rebooked for next spring because of ongoing restrictions Down Under.
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Organization Closed
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Quail Fire (2020)
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The Quail Fire was a wildfire that burned during the 2020 California wildfire season southwest of Winters and north of Vacaville in Solano County, California in the United States. Igniting on Saturday, June 6, within the rural confines of Quail Canyon, the fire ballooned to an estimated 1,837 acres (743 ha) and destroyed three structures including one residential property. The fire was fully contained on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 and the cause still remains under investigation. [3]
The fire was first reported on the afternoon of Saturday, June 6, at around 3:30 pm, burning off of Quail Canyon and Pleasant Valley Road just outside the community of Winters. [4] Predominantly fanned by dry vegetation and relatively strong onshore winds from the east that prompted several other smaller grassfires to quickly spread in the greater Solano and bay area that day, the fire was met with an aggressive immediate response by fire officials as it quickly jumped from a second-alarm to a four-alarm-plus vegetation fire. [5][6] Within several hours, the Quail fire expanded from 150 to 500 acres as mandatory evacuations were put in place for over 100 structures in the Pleasant Valley area as the fire blew eastward through Quail Canyon and into the rural subdivisions on the outskirts of Winters. [6] By 9:00 pm the blaze had swelled to 1,200 acres and was 5% contained as mandatory evacuations remained in place overnight for the areas of Quail Canyon Road between Pleasants Valley Road and Highway 128. [7]
Throughout the night, the Quail fire exhibited active fire behavior as it crept through the canyons northeast towards Putah Creek where it briefly threatened the Putah Creek State Wildlife Area as it continued to burn eastward towards the community of Winters. [8] By that time, over 600 fire personnel from Woodland, Davis, Butte County and San Francisco were actively engaging the fire. [9] Overnight the fire would continue to grow to some 1,400 before eventually halting at 1,837 acres (743 ha) by early Sunday, June 7. Later that day, some evacuation orders were lifted for those living in the Quail Canyon area as containment of the fire rose to 40% despite red flag fire conditions that were expected to persist in the area over the coming days. [10] After the next several days, containment was completed on the fire with no additional growth in acreage. Evacuations were ordered Saturday, June 6, on Quail Canyon Road between Pleasants Valley Road and Highway 128 and an evacuation center was set up at Three Oaks Community Center in Vacaville for accommodations. [9] The following day, all evacuation orders were lifted.
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Fire
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15 Beloved, Long-Term Celebrity Couples, Then and Now
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Fast Times at Ridgemont High breakout Phoebe Cates first met Sophie's Choice actor Kevin Kline during the audition process for 1983's The Big Chill. He got the part, she didn't, and that might have been that. But Cates and Kline ended up in each other's orbit again a few years later and by 1989, they were married. The couple are still going strong over 30 years since they walked down the aisle. They have two children, Owen Kline and Greta Kline, and make their home in New York. While Kline is still active in the movie and TV business, Cates has stepped back from acting. Since 2005, she's been running her own boutique. But the couple do walk the occasional red carpet together, like this one, at the 2017 Tony Awards, where Kline won Best Actor for his performance in Present Laughter. Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart made each other's acquaintance at the 2002 Golden Globe Awards, a couple of years after he separated from his second wife, Melissa Mathison. The Ally McBeal and Indiana Jones stars went public a few months later, attending events like the premiere of Ford's movie K19: The Widowmaker (pictured) arm-in-arm. Flockhart and Ford tied the knot in 2010 and live a fairly private life on their 800-acre Wyoming ranch. They have one son, Liam Flockhart Ford, who Flockhart adopted at birth in 2001. Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks were introduced in 1981, when she guest starred on his sitcom Bosom Buddies. Years later, however, Hanks admitted that he'd known of Wilson for much longer, having a crush on her from an episode of The Brady Bunch she'd appeared on back in the '70s. Still, the actors didn't start dating until they starred in the 1985 movie Volunteers opposite each other. After Hanks divorced actor Samantha Lewes, he and Wilson began stepping out together publicly in 1986; the above photo is from the premiere of Three Amigos that year. For more Hollywood nostalgia sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Hanks and Wilson have been married since 1988, after which they welcomed two children, rapper Chet Hanks and Truman Hanks. (Hanks also has two children, including actor Colin Hanks, from his marriage to Lewes.) The couple is still going strong more than three decades later. Auditioning to play your future spouse's significant other on screen is one fateful way to meet. That's how Jada Pinkett and Will Smith crossed paths in 1994, when the former eventually lost out on the role of Lisa on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to Nia Long. Regardless, the sparks were already flying, and the two embarked on a romantic relationship after Will separated from his first wife, Sheree Zampino Fletcher, with whom he has one son, Trey. By 1997, Pinkett and Smith were married, and by 1998, she was pregnant with their first child together, Jaden (as pictured here). Three years after Jaden was born, they had their daughter Willow in 2000. Pinkett and Smith aired out their most pressing issues in a much-talked about 2020 episode of Pinkett's Facebook show with her daughter and mother, Red Table Talk. Despite confirming rumors of affairs and other drama, the actors said they remain committed to each other and their marriage. Speaking to fellow actor Sigourney Weaver for a feature in Interview, Jamie Lee Curtis said of husband Christopher Guest, "I married Chris five months after seeing his picture in Rolling Stone." After learning that she shared an agent with the This Is Spinal Tap star, she left her phone number for him. He didn't call, but soon after, they saw each other across a restaurant. He rang her the next day, and they tied the knot in 1984. With 37 years of marriage under their belts, Curtis and Guest are aspirational for those hoping for a lasting Hollywood commitment. In 2015, Curtis spilled the simple secret to staying together to Today: "Don't get divorced." The couple share two children: 35-year-old Annie and 25-year-old Ruby. When Kyra Sedgwick was 12, she went to see a play and waited outside afterward to compliment one of the actors, who just happened to be 19-year-old Kevin Bacon. The two met again, as adults, in 1987, when they were cast in the movie Lemon Sky. Sedgwick wasn't sure that she wanted to go out with Bacon, but eventually agreed. By 1988, they were married. Here they are attending a Broadway opening that year. One of Hollywood's longest-lasting marriages, Sedgwick and Bacon's is still thriving after 32 years. In 2019, Sedgwick told Glamour that part of the reason they've stayed strong is that they don't take any pleasure in conflict with each other. "We don't hit below the belt," she said of their disagreements. "Neither of us has the constitution for that, and I mean that in a good way. I don't think we could dish it out or take it, frankly. Ultimately, I don't want to fight and he doesn't either." The couple has two kids together: 31-year-old composer Travis and 28-year-old actor Sosie. The Office star John Krasinski and British actor Emily Blunt got lucky by choosing to go to the same restaurant one fateful night in 2008—albeit not with each other. The two were introduced by a mutual friend during that dinner and sparks flew. Blunt and Krasinski have been married since 2010, when they said their vows at friend George Clooney's place in Lake Como, Italy. In 2014, they welcomed daughter Hazel Grace, and another daughter, Violet, followed in 2016. The couple birthed a different kind of baby together in 2018, when Blunt starred alongside her husband in the thriller A Quiet Place, which he also wrote and directed. They teamed up again for the 2021 sequel, proving that working together was no strain on their relationship. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres and Arrested Development star Portia de Rossi had known each other for a few years when they finally took their relationship to the next level in 2004 after their paths crossed again at a photoshoot. De Rossi, pictured here with DeGeneres at the 2006 Daytime Emmys, later told The Advocate that DeGeneres was a catalyst for her coming out publicly. The couple got married in 2008, not long after it was made legal in California. Her wife of 12 years posted in support of DeGeneres when accusations of her talk show's leadership fostering a toxic working environment began to surface last year. The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band is a pretty obscure Disney movie, but the 1966 family flick is notable in Hollywood relationship history for introducing Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. But with Russell being 16 to Hawn's 21 at the time, nothing happened. Their love story didn't actually begin until they worked together again on 1984's Swing Shift, which started filming in 1983, when this photo was taken at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City. Hawn and Russell have basically been together ever since. In fact, they started living together after their first date. Hey, when you know, you know. They have one son together, 34-year-old Wyatt, along with three kids from previous marriages (Boston is Russell's son with actor Season Hubley and Hawn has Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson from her marriage to Bill Hudson.) Russell and Hawn have never married, because they simply don't see it as being that important to their relationship. In a 2020 interview on the British talk show Loose Women (via Elle), Hawn elaborated on their philosophy, saying, "For me, I chose to stay, Kurt chose to stay, and we like the choice." Both huge teen idols at the time, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar hit it off when they starred in the 1997 slasher movie I Know What You Did Last Summer. And it was actually a small inconvenience that brought them together: Gellar didn't have a driver's license at the time, so Prinze chauffeured her around, which is how they realized they had so much in common. Here they are, early in their relationship, at the 2001 Teen Choice Awards. The two actors (and foodies) have been married since 2002 and have two kids together, 11-year-old Charlotte and 8-year-old Rocky. On their 18th anniversary last year, Gellar posted a black-and-white shot of their wedding on Instagram with a sweet caption that shows just how solid these two still are: "You… are my favorite husband." Jay-Z and Beyoncé went the route of many stalwart couples: they were friends first. The music powerhouses, pictured here at the U.S. Open in 2003, started dating in the late '90s/early '00s, which led to some of their early collaborations, like "'03 Bonnie and Clyde" and "Crazy in Love." Despite some snags (as documented by Beyoncé's Lemonade album), she and Jay-Z appear to be tighter than ever. Coming up on 13 years of marriage, they also have three children together: 9-year-old Blue Ivy and 3-year-old twins Rumi and Sir. While the Spice Girls were still going strong, Victoria Adams met footballer David Beckham at a charity match. About a year later, in 1998, the superstar couple announced their engagement at a press conference (pictured here). Married nearly 22 years, the Beckhams are now a family of six. They have 21-year-old Brooklyn, 18-year-old Romeo, 15-year-old Cruz, and 9-year-old Harper. This past Christmas, Victoria posted this cozy shot of the family celebrating together in matching pajamas. Country stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill couldn't deny the chemistry between them when Hill opened for McGraw on tour in 1996—even though she was engaged to someone else at the time. The "This Kiss" singer quickly put an end to that other relationship to pursue something special with her tour-mate, and the two were married before the year was out. This charity gala shot is from their public debut as a couple, just a few weeks before their surprise nuptials. Whatever was in the air on that fateful tour certainly stuck around. The stars have been in wedded bliss for nearly 25 years, and their partnership has yielded three kids—Gracie, 23; Maggie, 22; and Audrey, 19—and several musical collaborations. Despite their 25-year age difference, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas knew their love was the real deal right away. They met at a film festival in France in 1998, introduced through their mutual friends, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith. By the end of 2000, they were husband and wife and had their first son, Dylan, now 20. Three years later, they welcomed daughter Carys, who's 18 now. (Douglas also has 42-year-old son Cameron Douglas, from his marriage to producer Diandra Luker.) Despite weathering illnesses, family legal troubles, and even a separation back in 2013, the stars are still hand-in-hand in 2021. At the start of the year, Zeta-Jones shared a photo of the pair kissing and wrote in the caption: ""I can express no kinder sign of love, than this kind kiss" William Shakespeare……." Sarah Jessica Parker was fresh off a breakup with Robert Downey Jr. when her brothers introduced her to Matthew Broderick, who was directing a play for their New York theater company. A few months later, in 1992, the Ferris Bueller star got up the courage to call and ask her out. Parker and Broderick walked down the aisle in 1997 and have three children together, 18-year-old James Wilkie and twin 11-year-old daughters, Marion and Tabitha. The actors were due to work together on a Broadway revival of the play Plaza Suite (playing three different married couples) in 2020 before the pandemic shut down live theater. Hopefully, when it's safe, fans will be able to see the long-time loves together on stage.
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Famous Person - Marriage
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2010 West African floods
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The 2010 Nigerien floods were floods across Niger which left over 111,000 people homeless. Niger was already suffering acute food shortages following prolonged drought in the Sahel region. As of 24 August 2010, at least 6 to 8 people had died. The Niger river was pushed to its highest levels in 80 years. [1] The floods subsequently spread along the River Niger into Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin over the next few months. Later storms also brewed up in the CAR, Morocco and northern Algeria. It was confirmed on June 2 that at least 24 people were killed across Ghana the previous weekend according to Mr Kofi Portuphy, coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation. Three regions, including the capital Accra had been flooded by heavy on the previous Sunday. [2]
On July 11, CHF 134,948 (USD 124,353 or EUR 101,870) had been selected by the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to support the Ghana's Red Cross Society in delivering primary aid to assistance about 5,000 people. [3]
The International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) was created by the International Federation in 1985 to ensure immediate financial support is available for Red Cross and Red Crescent disasters relief. [3]
On 9 August Ghana's government issued a flood warning for three northern regions because of rising water levels at two dams in flood hit neighbouring Burkina Faso. The UN's Irin news agency said 40 people died in flooding in Ghana during June and July while 14 people had died Burkina Faso last month. [4]
The International Federation of the Red Cross said it was providing aid to flood and rain related landslide victims in the Central African Republic and in Ivory Coast. CAFOD also said it was planning to send aid to Guinea. A rain induced landslide killed at least 13 people (mostly children ) in the Sierra Leoneian capital, Freetown. [4] Heavy rain fell downstream in part of the watershed of the River Niger around Burkina Faso[5] caused floods upstream, along the river bed as far in as in Niamey's Commune 4 precinct August 9, 2010. [5]
On 10 August 2010 the Niger River floods had killed 30,000 animals, destroyed 500 homes and 20,000 people faced homelessness due to heavy rainfall in West and Central Africa according to the UN. [4]
The northern part of the Chad is in the Sahara desert (a nation which was gripped by famine earlier this year) and recorded the heaviest rain in 50 years and hail stones the size of eggs destroyed crops in central Guinea during July, the UN said. [4]
On August 20, the worst floods for 80 years hit the Shale region. The United Nations (U.N.) warned that Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and northern Nigeria were in the grip of the worst regional food crisis since 2006. In the savannah Kano, Nigeria, over 2,000 families were displaced by floods and in the nearby Jigawa region, an entire village was evacuated due to heavy flooding. Heavy flooding was occurring around parts of Lake Chad. [6]
Floods hit Niger which left over 111,000 people homeless. Niger was already suffering acute food shortages following prolonged drought in the Sahel region. As of 24 August 2010, at least 6 to 8 people had died. The Niger river was pushed to its highest levels in 80 years. [7]
Nigeria has seen entire northern villages washed away and aid workers have finally worked out that 200,000 were made homeless in the Niger since the rains started falling in mid-August. [8]
A Mauritania, a child was swept in a flood that have damaged bridges and many homes in the mountain town of Aioun. Heavy flooding was occurring around parts of lake Chad. [6]
On August 31 thousands fled a south Sudan flood. Over 57,135 people were made homeless said Olivia Lomoro, the Sudanese undersecretary for health. The heavy and slightly premature seasonal rains hit the north of Bahr el-Ghazal state and the spread southward, with much of Aweil town surrounding countryside under water due to the near to constant month-long down pour. [9] South Sudan's Health Minister Luka Monoja warned that the rains, which last until October, could force out more people as he toured the disaster zone. [9] Aid agencies were working to support those who were displaced by the floods and the Sudanese health ministry sent medical supplies and the South Sudanese humanitarian ministry is sending tents for emergency shelter and 15,000 bags of grain to replace that lost when local farms and cattle feeding sites were flooded. [9]
Most of the province was flat and covered in virtually insoluble and water resistant soil. The floods would ultimately provide water to feed the River Nile and both Sudan and Southern Egypt prepared for a heavy rise in the Nile's water depth. [9]
On September 1, floods hit the Niger. The districts of Zarmagandaye, Lamorde and Karadje are three districts of the West African country's capital Niamey which were then flooded ruins. It was the worst flood by the River Niger recorded since 1929. An elderly fisherman called Abdou Ganda said he had never seen anything like it in his life. [10]
On September 18–19 in Hadejia, Nigeria, the flood victims sleep wherever they can, the men search for dry spots on the roads while women and children keep piling into their houses still standing as a huge number of displaced people have returned to flood-hit villages in Northern Nigeria. Over two million people were affected by the flood waters and more than 50,000 families were still wandering homeless. Residential areas of the Kararar Rima village was also destroyed in the flood. Most of the houses were made of clay, so they easy dissolved in the flood water. [11] As the rains fell the end of the pending famine looked close. By October 6, CHF 122,297 (USD 124,389 or EUR 92,163) has been allocated from the IFRC's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to the Ghana Red Cross Society for immediate Support for some 3,000 households. [12]
Monsoon floods had been reported in the Brong-Ahafo, Eastern, Western and Northern Regions of Ghana, with many families becoming homeless in the disaster. Western Region had notification that about 6,000 people were affected and two died in the Enchi district, according to the Red Cross' initial assessment. Other badly affected areas were Chereponi, Gusheigu, West Mamprusi, East-2, Mamprusi, East Gonja, and West Gonja Districts. [12]
West Gonja District witnessed more than 900 houses, 11 school buildings, about 832 acres farm land and 3 road bridges destroyed and more than 500 people displaced.
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Floods
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American Airlines Flight 383 (1965) crash
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American Airlines Flight 383 was a nonstop flight from New York City to Cincinnati on November 8, 1965. [1]:1 The aircraft was a Boeing 727, with 57 passengers, and 5 crew on board. [1]:1 The aircraft crashed on final approach to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport located in Hebron, Kentucky, United States. Only three passengers and one flight attendant survived the crash. [1]:5
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 727-100 (registration number N1996), serial number 18901. [1]:7 The Boeing 727 was delivered to American Airlines on June 29, 1965, and had operated a total of 938 hours at the time of the accident. [1]:7
The flight was delayed for 20 minutes in New York. [1]:25 Until the landing attempt, the flight from New York to Cincinnati was uneventful. [1]:2 At 18:45 (6:45 PM) Eastern Standard Time, the crew contacted the airline via ARINC company radio to report a 19:05 (7:05 PM) estimated time of arrival at Cincinnati. [1]:1–2 The weather was fine near the airport except for thunder clouds developing northwest of the airport across the Ohio River valley. [citation needed] At 18:57 (6:57 PM), Flight 383 was cleared by the approach controller for a visual approach to Cincinnati's runway 18, and was advised of precipitation just west of the airport. [1]:2 The aircraft approached the airport from the southeast and turned to a northerly heading to cross the Ohio River. It turned west after crossing to the northern shore of the Ohio River, intending to make a final turn to southeast after crossing the Ohio River (which runs from northwest to southeast) again to the southern shore of the river. After that final turn, the aircraft would line up with the runway 18 of the airport to make the final approach. At 18:58 (6:58 PM), the approach controller transferred Flight 383 to the Cincinnati tower frequency. [1]:2 At 18:59 (6:59 PM), Flight 383 received clearance from the tower controller to land on runway 18. [1]:2
The aircraft flew into thick clouds and a thunderstorm after flying toward the airport from the northwest. It descended more rapidly than it should have, without either pilot in the cockpit noticing. The airport is situated at an elevation of 853 feet (260 m) and the aircraft had descended to the level of 553 ft (169 m) above the airport while it was still about 5 mi (8.0 km) northeast of the airport. It descended to just 3 ft (per altimeter) above the airport while it was about 3 nm north of the airport. Its correct altitude should have been just below 1,000 ft (300 m) at that time. It continued its descent into the Ohio River valley while crossing the river back to the southern shore. When it made its last turn to the southeast to line up with the runway, it flew into the wooded slopes of the valley 3 km north of the runway threshold in poor visibility, at an altitude of 225′ below the runway's elevation. It then exploded and was engulfed in flames. Of the 62 people on board the aircraft, only four people (one flight attendant and three passengers) survived. [1]:5,7 One of the survivors was Israel Horowitz, an American record producer. The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) investigated the accident. [1]:1 CAB investigators concluded that the aircraft was working normally and fully under the control of the pilots at the time of the crash. [1]:18 The aircraft was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder. [2] The flight data recorder showed the aircraft descended through 500 feet (150 m) in the last 42 seconds before impact, a normal rate of descent for the landing phase of operation. The CAB determined that the probable cause of the accident was the pilots' failure to properly monitor their altitude during a visual approach into deteriorating weather conditions. [1]:26
It was later believed that the following factors might have contributed to the crash:[3]
The estate of Samuel Creasy, one of the passengers who died aboard Flight 383, sued American Airlines for wrongful death. American Airlines responded by filing a third-party complaint against the Federal Aviation Administration and the Weather Bureau, in an attempt to shift liability for the crash to meteorologists and air traffic controllers for failure to warn the pilots of inclement weather or revoke the visual approach clearance. American Airlines also alleged that the accident was due to a downdraft rather than pilot error. A jury found American liable for the accident and awarded Creasy's family $175,000 plus funeral expenses, a decision that was upheld on appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. [4]
Two years after the crash of Flight 383, TWA Flight 128 crashed on the same hill while on approach to Cincinnati under poor visibility conditions. [5]
On December 13, 2017, Toni Ketchell, the surviving crew member, died. [6]
American Airlines still uses flight number 383, although it now operates from Los Angeles to Chicago with the Airbus A321 and A321neo. [7]
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Air crash
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US$6 billion to prevent famine for 42 million people
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Executive summary: US$6 billion ask We have encountered a perfect humanitarian storm, so we are making an unprecedented one-time ask to prevent famine for 42 million people. Let me explain. Last year, because of conflict, COVID and climate change, the number of people marching towards starvation doubled from 135 million to 270 million. Of those, we reached 115 million with life-saving food and were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Fortunately, last year our government donors stepped-up in an extraordinary way and we averted famine. We assumed COVID would soon be behind us. But it has recycled — with a vengeance. And now, of the 270 million hungry people, we now have our critical group of 42 million teetering on famine’s edge. Just to reach them alone will cost USS$6.6 billion. Governments are tapped out. Failure to obtain these funds will result in catastrophic consequences. The alternative is take food from one child to feed a starving child, thus creating another starving child. Do not force us to make that choice. To reach those 42 million starving people, we will use our existing WFP systems already working in those 43 countries and around the world and scale them up where needed. This $6.6 billion will help the very neediest of the needy in this way: 1 meal a day, which only costs us 43 cents on average to provide, for 42 million people, for one year as COVID recedes. We have all the data and plans to present a country-by-country breakdown, in hard numbers for all 43 countries, even as the situation on the ground is in flux. Below is a snapshot of just a few countries. We are ready to meet face-to-face. We are ready to fly your teams around the world to see our systems in action. We will show you everything. WE WILL SUBMIT A DETAILED EXTENSIVE PLAN TO YOU IN THE DAYS TO FOLLOW. ---- Global hunger continues to rise at an alarming rate: our latest estimates show that 282.7 million people across 80 countries are experiencing extreme levels of acute hunger. This represents an increase of around 110 percent compared to 2019 (when 135 million people in 58 countries were classified as acutely food insecure), explained by widespread conflicts, growing climate crises and the economic fallout of COVID- 19, disrupting the lives and livelihoods of millions around the world. This plan focuses on assisting around 42 million people (in 43 out of the total 85 countries where WFP operates) who currently fall under Integrated Food Security Phase Classification 4 (IPC 4, emergency) and 5 (catastrophe),* thus being at real risk of famine or famine-like conditions unless life-saving assistance is urgently provided. This is illustrated in table 1 below.**
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Famine
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NRL stands down Manly's Dylan Walker during pending assault case, and fines Sharks, Tigers and Dylan Napa for off-field issues
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NRL stands down Manly's Dylan Walker during pending assault case, and fines Sharks, Tigers and Dylan Napa for off-field issues
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
The NRL has handed out punishments to five clubs for off-field incidents, warning it cannot afford to have an off-season like the current one ever again.
The crackdown has reached a tipping point, with the league sanctioning the Cronulla Sharks, Wests Tigers, Manly, Canterbury Bulldogs and North Queensland Cowboys.
"Our biggest competitor is us, rugby league players need a different attitude to in the past", said NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg.
"We cannot afford to ever have an off-season like this again."
The Dragon's Jack De Belin was stood down on Thursday under the sport's new "no fault" stand down policy and now the NRL has taken similar action against Dylan Walker.
The Manly centre is charged with common assault of his fiancee last December. He will be sidelined until the charges are dealt with in court.
"Matters of violence against women will be treated very seriously," said Greenberg.
The NRL boss said if the 24-year-old is found guilty he could be deregistered, but will otherwise be welcomed back to the game.
Walker's fiancee Alex Ivkovic has given evidence that last December her partner yanked her hair in front of neighbours while she was carrying their infant after an argument.
However Ms Ivkovic later changed her testimony from her account to police, saying she felt like she "overreacted" and that Walker had grabbed her shoulder, not her hair. Walker will next appear in court in May.
Greenberg emphasised that the stand-down was issued under the new no-fault provisions.
"The NRL stresses that we are making no judgement on his guilt or innocence. That is a matter for the courts," Greenberg said.
Greenberg used his press conference to also announce a series of decisions from the NRL regarding issues facing players, coaches and clubs.
Cronulla's finances will be stretched for the coming two seasons with $1.25 million in fines announced.
Former coach Shane Flanagan has had his registration cancelled for breaching his suspension in 2014 over the peptides saga.
The club had already been fined $800,000 but that has been reduced to $500,000 as the club has acknowledged its faults.
Incoming chief executive Barry Russell self-reported salary cap breaches last year dating back to before his tenure.
The integrity unit has found salary cap breaches dated back to 2013, a far wider problem than what was previously understood to be just for the 2015 and 2017 seasons.
The club has been handed a $750,000 fine but that has been reduced to $250,000 (with $500,000 suspended).
"Those people are no longer at the club or in the game so we are unable to make further breaches," said Greenberg.
"But this was a deliberate orchestrated plan to set up a company for third party player agreements."
A $707,000 sanction has also been imposed on the clubs salary cap over the next two seasons.
The NRL has reduced the fine for Wests Tigers for covering up an ambassador deal with Robbie Farah — the penalty has been cut in half to $375,000.
However on top of this the Tigers have been handed a $639,000 fine, covering the value of the Farah agreement which has been spread over the next two seasons.
The club's chief executive Justin Pascoe is still being stood down for his involvement but he will be able to resume the role on June 19 this year.
The Tigers' Zane Musgrave won't be registered to play, despite a plea from the club, as he is facing indecent assault charges.
Canterbury prop Dylan Napa has been sanctioned after several lewd videos of him from years ago were published on social media.
However Napa — who moved from the Sydney Roosters at the end of last season — will not miss any games.
Instead he has been fined 10 per cent of his salary this year.
"I am frustrated by the stupidity, it's idiotic, but leniency has come from the amount of time that's passed," said Todd Greenberg.
"Senior players are embarrassed by the events that have happened whether juvenile or criminal it puts a stain on the game."
North Queensland Cowboys' Scott Bolton has been suspended for five weeks for assaulting a woman in a bar last year.
The penalty was half the amount previously proposed — in addition to the suspension, Bolton will talk to players from all clubs about his experience during the magic round in Brisbane in May.
"He will tell others how things can go poorly quickly, this is the most powerful and instructive learning a player will hear," said Greenberg.
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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Organization Fine
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Naperville train disaster
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The Naperville train disaster occurred April 25, 1946, on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad at Loomis Street in Naperville, Illinois, when the railroad's Exposition Flyer rammed into the Advance Flyer, which had made an unscheduled stop to check its running gear. The Exposition Flyer had been coming through on the same track at 80 miles per hour (130 km/h). 45 people died, and some 125 were injured. The Advance Flyer and Exposition Flyer were diesel-powered high-speed inter-city passenger trains; the Exposition Flyer would be replaced by the famed California Zephyr within three years. Both trains were scheduled to leave Chicago's Union Station at 12:35 PM, the Advance Flyer took a two-minute lead as they both sped west in two sections. On the day of the wreck, the Advance Flyer had 2 EMD E7 units, road numbers unknown, with 8 head-end and 5 passenger cars. The Exposition Flyer had 2 EMD E5 units, 9910A and 9910B, with 9 passenger cars, four of which were sleepers. This was a short train for the run; normally 12 to 16 cars were needed. [2][3][4]
Naperville is a suburb in Illinois' DuPage County 28 miles west of Union Station along the CB&Q's main line from Chicago to Aurora. This well-maintained three-track line, nicknamed "the Racetrack" by locals, had heavy traffic. The outside tracks typically had freight and local commuter trains running in one direction only on each. The center track, signaled in both directions, was used by intercity and express commuter passenger trains. The Flyers normally ran through Naperville on the center track at 80 miles per hour (130 km/h). [5][6]
Just after 1:00 PM on April 25, 1946, a mechanical problem caused the Advance Flyer to stop at Loomis Street in Naperville, just beyond a gradual curve that trains came through at speed. A flagman had just started to back up the tracks when the Exposition Flyer loomed into view. [7][8]
According to engineer W. W. Blaine of the Exposition Flyer, he immediately applied brakes upon seeing the first of two warning signals, but it was still too close to the first train to stop in time. The Exposition Flyer, slowing from 80 mph (130 km/h), was still traveling over 45 mph (72 km/h) when it struck the rear of the Advance Flyer. [8]
When the locomotive hit the last car (#13) of the Advance Flyer, a 68-seat heavyweight coach, the locomotive's front truck detached and the body plowed through three fourths of the length of the car, killing most of its passengers. The locomotive continued for a total of 205 feet (62 m) beyond the point of impact. Car #12, a heavyweight observation car, remained intact and pushed forward into car #11, a lightweight diner. The only car on either train not built to the then-current strength standards, it collapsed into a U-shape, with multiple deaths. Lightweight 52-seat chair car #10 tipped on its side. #9 derailed and was leaning. None of the head-end cars derailed or were damaged. [9]
The Exposition Flyer's locomotives were badly damaged, the all-heavyweight train less so. Cars #1 to #5 all derailed, but the only damage was between cars #2 and #3; the front vestibule of #3 was collapsed about 6 feet (1.8 m). [9]
The Kroehler Furniture company was next to the crash scene; hundreds of employees rushed to help, and an aid station was set up in their warehouse. Fifty North Central College students and countless local residents also helped. Emergency workers came from as far as Hinsdale, more than 10 miles (16 km) away. Most of the wounded were brought to hospitals in Aurora; bodies were taken to local funeral homes. [10] Engineer Blaine of the Exposition Flyer, who stayed at his station, climbed out of the wreckage and made his way unassisted to an aid station, despite a head wound and fractured skull. The fireman, who jumped before the impact, was the only person on the Exposition Flyer who died. [2][8]
The railroad sent a special relief train with doctors and nurses. By late night all injured and most bodies had been recovered. All three mainline tracks were blocked by wreckage. It was 27 hours before trains started to slowly move through the crash site and three days before all wreckage was cleared. [6]
There were four investigations of the wreck. In the first, a DuPage County Coroner's inquest recommended that manslaughter charges be filed against the engineer of the Exposition Flyer. He was charged, but not taken into custody, as he was in the hospital at the time. He would not recover enough to be directly questioned in any of the investigations. [11]
The CB&Q's investigation started on April 28, three days after the wreck. Brake tests showed that the wreck could have been avoided, or less serious, if the engineer had followed the rules, but the overall objectivity of the investigation was questioned. DuPage County District Attorney Lee Daniels said the railroad was "rehearsing the evidence". It was suspended for the grand jury's investigation. [6][12]
An Interstate Commerce Commission report, dated July 30, 1946, made recommendations that would affect railroads across the country. It also compared older heavyweight cars to newer lightweight ones (the Advance Flyer had a mixed consist). [13]
In October a DuPage County grand jury found the railroad and some employees were negligent, but that no single act caused the wreck, it was a combination of many. No indictments were made, and charges against the Exposition Flyer's engineer were dropped. [14]
The engineer of the Exposition Flyer was the center of all the investigations. He said he was going too fast.
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Train collisions
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Eclipsed: Spectacular Photos of Thursday's Annular Solar Eclipse
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Type at least three characters to start auto complete. Recently searched locations will be displayed if there is no search query. The first option will be automatically selected. Use up and down arrows to change selection. Use escape to clear. A rare solar eclipse graced Northern Hemisphere skies early Thursday morning. Stargazers in the eastern half of North America and parts of Europe were able to see the annular solar eclipse, in which the moon's silhouette covered the middle of the sun, leaving a thin "ring of fire" around the outside. Space.com reported that the full annular eclipse was mostly visible over Canada, Greenland, Siberia and a small portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Although not all viewers could witness the full effect, photos show angles of a partial solar eclipse that are nonetheless spectacular, as the eclipse aligned with sunrise in many locations. The next solar eclipse is set to occur on December 4, but totality will only be visible from Antarctica and from the nearby ocean. MORE FROM WEATHER.COM: May's Total Lunar Eclipse
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New wonders in nature
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About 50 people have died after a boat capsized on a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials say.
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About 50 people have died after a boat capsized on a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials say.
The vice-governor of Tshuapa province in the north of the country said the cause of the accident was not clear.
More than 60 people survived when the boat tipped over as it was travelling from Monkoto to Mbandaka.
River transport is common in DR Congo as there are few roads or railways, but vessels are often overloaded and accidents are frequent.
Mbandaka is also currently struggling with an outbreak of Ebola, with fears that it could spread from the city of one million to the capital, Kinshasa, via traders using the Congo river.
Tshuapa Vice-Governor Richard Mboyo Iluka told the AFP news agency that the boat had been travelling at night, which is illegal, and did not have lights.
More bodies are still being found along the Momboyo river, where the accident occurred.
The area is very remote with no access to a mortuary, so the victims are being hastily buried near the river. Last month more than 40 people drowned when travelling to neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville.
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Shipwreck
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Grand Canyon Airlines Flight 6 crash
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The Grand Canyon mid-air collision occurred in the western United States on Saturday, June 30, 1956, when a United Airlines Douglas DC-7 struck a Trans World Airlines Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation over Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. All 128 on board both flights perished, making it the first commercial airline incident to exceed one hundred fatalities. The flights had departed Los Angeles International Airport minutes apart for Chicago and Kansas City, respectively. The collision took place in uncontrolled airspace, where it was the pilots' own responsibility to maintain separation ("see and be seen"). This highlighted the antiquated state of air traffic control, which became the focus of major aviation reforms. Trans World Airlines Flight 2, a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation named Star of the Seine, with Captain Jack Gandy (age 41), First Officer James Ritner (31), and Flight Engineer Forrest Breyfogle (37), departed Los Angeles on Saturday, June 30, 1956, at 9:01 am PDT with 64 passengers (including 11 TWA off-duty employees on free tickets) and six crew members (including two flight attendants and an off-duty flight engineer), and headed to Kansas City Downtown Airport, 31 minutes behind schedule. Flight 2, initially flying under instrument flight rules (IFR), climbed to an authorized altitude of 19,000 feet (5,800 m) and stayed in controlled airspace as far as Daggett, California. At Daggett, Captain Gandy turned right to a heading of 059 degrees magnetic, toward the radio range near Trinidad, Colorado. [3] The Constellation was now "off airways", otherwise known as flying in uncontrolled airspace. [4]
United Airlines Flight 718, a Douglas DC-7 named Mainliner Vancouver, and flown by Captain Robert Shirley (age 48), First Officer Robert Harms (36), and Flight Engineer Gerard Fiore (39), departed Los Angeles at 9:04 am PDT with 53 passengers and five crew members aboard (including two flight attendants), bound for Chicago's Midway Airport. Climbing to an authorized altitude of 21,000 feet (6,400 m), Captain Shirley flew under IFR in controlled airspace to a point[note 1] northeast of Palm Springs, California, where he turned left toward a radio beacon near Needles, California, after which his flight plan was direct to Durango in southwestern Colorado. [note 2] The DC-7, though still under IFR jurisdiction, was now, just like the Constellation, flying in uncontrolled airspace. Shortly after takeoff, TWA's Captain Gandy requested permission to climb to 21,000 feet to avoid thunderheads that were forming near his flight path. As was the practice at the time, his request had to be relayed by a TWA dispatcher to air traffic control (ATC), as neither crew was in direct contact with ATC after departure. ATC denied the request; the two airliners would soon be reentering controlled airspace (the Red 15 airway running southeast from Las Vegas) and ATC had no way to provide the horizontal separation required between two aircraft at the same altitude. Captain Gandy requested "1,000 on top" clearance (flying 1000 feet [300 m] above the clouds), which was still under IFR, not VFR (visual flight rules), which was approved by ATC. The provision to operate 1000'-on-top exists so that separation restrictions normally applied by ATC can be temporarily suspended. An aircraft cleared to operate 1000'-on-top is responsible for maintaining separation from other IFR aircraft – especially useful when two aircraft are transitioning to or from an approach when VFR conditions exist above cloud layers. [5]
Flying under VFR placed the responsibility for maintaining safe separation from other aircraft upon Gandy and Ritner, a procedure referred to as "see and be seen," since changed to "see and avoid." Upon receiving "1,000 on top" clearance, Captain Gandy increased his altitude to 21,000 feet. [3]
Both crews had estimated that they would arrive somewhere along the Painted Desert line at about 10:31 am Pacific time. [6][7] The Painted Desert line was about two hundred miles (320 km) in length, running between the VORs at Bryce Canyon, Utah, and Winslow, Arizona, at an angle of 335 degrees relative to true north – wholly outside of controlled air space. Owing to the different headings taken by the two planes, TWA's crossing of the Painted Desert line, assuming no further course changes, would be at a 13-degree angle relative to that of the United flight, with the Constellation to the left of the DC-7. As the two aircraft approached the Grand Canyon, now at the same altitude and nearly the same speed, the pilots were likely maneuvering around towering cumulus clouds, though flying VFR required the TWA flight to stay in clear air. As they were maneuvering near the canyon, it is believed the planes passed the same cloud on opposite sides. [8]
At about 10:30 a.m. the two aircraft collided over the canyon at an angle of about 25 degrees. [9] Post-crash analysis determined that the United DC-7 was banking to the right and pitching down at the time of the collision, suggesting that one or possibly both of the United pilots spotted the TWA Constellation and attempted evasive action. [10]
The DC-7's upraised left wing clipped the top of the Constellation's vertical stabilizer and struck the fuselage immediately ahead of the stabilizer's base, causing the tail assembly to break away from the rest of the airframe. The propeller on the DC-7's left outboard, or number one engine, concurrently chopped a series of gashes into the bottom of the Constellation's fuselage. Explosive decompression would have instantaneously occurred from the damage, a theory substantiated by light debris, such as cabin furnishings and personal effects, being scattered over a large area. The separation of the tail assembly from the Constellation resulted in immediate loss of control, causing the aircraft to enter a near-vertical, terminal velocity dive. Plunging into the Grand Canyon at an estimated speed of more than seven hundred feet per second (480 mph; 770 km/h), the Constellation slammed into the north slope of a ravine on the northeast slope of Temple Butte and disintegrated on impact, instantly killing all aboard. An intense fire, fueled by aviation gasoline, ensued. The severed tail assembly, badly battered but still somewhat recognizable, came to rest nearby. The DC-7's left wing to the left of the number one engine was mangled by the impact and was no longer capable of producing substantial lift. The engine had been severely damaged as well, and the combined loss of lift and propulsion left the crippled airliner in a rapidly descending left spiral from which recovery was impossible. [4] The Mainliner collided with the south side cliff of Chuar Butte and disintegrated, instantly killing all aboard. The airspace over the canyon was not under any type of radar contact and there were neither homing beacons nor "black boxes" (cockpit voice and flight data recorders) aboard either aircraft. The last position reports received from the flights did not reflect their locations at the time of impact. Also, there were no credible witnesses to the collision itself or the subsequent crashes. The only immediate indication of trouble was when United company radio operators in Salt Lake City and San Francisco heard a garbled transmission from Flight 718, the last from either aircraft. Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) accident investigation engineers later deciphered the transmission – which had been preserved on magnetic tape – as the voice of co-pilot Robert Harms declaring, "Salt Lake, [ah], 718 ... we are going in!" The shrill voice of Captain Shirley was heard in the background as presumably futilely struggling with the controls, he implored the airplane to "[Pull] up! [Pull] up!" (bracketed words were inferred by investigators from the context and circumstances in which they were uttered). [11]
After neither flight reported their current position for some time, the two aircraft were declared to be missing, and search and rescue procedures started. The wreckage was first seen late in the day near the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers by Henry and Palen Hudgin, two brothers who operated Grand Canyon Airlines, a small air taxi service. [12] During a trip earlier in the day, Palen had noted dense black smoke rising near Temple Butte, the crash site of the Constellation, but had dismissed it as the brush set ablaze by lightning. However, upon hearing of the missing airliners, Palen decided that what he had seen might have been smoking from a post-crash fire. He and his brother flew a light aircraft (a Piper Tri-Pacer) deep into the canyon and searched near the location of the smoke.
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Air crash
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Locusts Could be the Next Plague to Hit China
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The voracious insects already have ravaged parts of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. China may be next. How much more can it take? Updated Feb. 22, 2020 8:31AM ET / Published Feb. 22, 2020 5:34AM ET REUTERS HONG KONG—Swarms of desert locusts have devastated crops in East Africa, hit the Middle East and moved into South Asia. They’re breeding fast thanks to changes in global climate patterns that have brought about major cyclones and heavy rains, and they are feeding off human food supplies across continents. So far, India has managed to prevent a swarm of biblical proportions from spilling over into Bangladesh, Burma, and then China—where the coronavirus has already paralyzed much of the country’s activity. But it’s not clear how long that line will hold. Eastern Africa has been hit the hardest by the xanthic bugs, with fields in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia ravaged by 360 billion locusts. Swarms can be city-sized, and one of the largest—located in Kenya—covers about 37 miles by 25 miles . It is so dense that it turns daylight to darkness for anyone caught within. Alarmist headlines are proliferating, too, many of them drawing parallels with the plagues in scripture. “Bible coming to life?” asked the Jerusalem Post. The swarms appear in the Old Testament, most notably in Exodus as one of the plagues Moses calls down on Egypt, which also is referenced in the Quran. In the New Testament locusts are associated with Revelation 9:3, where they emerge in ferocious swarms that also have the sting of scorpions. Allusions to the Apocalypse aside, the real life potential for disaster is huge. A square mile of a swarm can be formed by up to 210 million locusts, which can eat as much food as 90,000 people in a day. In East Africa, the bugs have been tearing through maize, sorghum, cowpeas, as well as vegetation that cattle graze on. Kenya hasn’t seen a swarm this size in seven decades, while Ethiopia and Somalia have managed to avoid these conditions for a quarter of a century. The governments of Kenya and Ethiopia have each dispatched several planes to dump pesticides from the air, which the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says is the only effective way to kill desert locusts. Farmers attempt to chase the bugs off, blasting the claxons on their motorbikes, or rigging contraptions that make loud, metallic noises when shaken. These methods have not made a dent in the locust population. There are simply too many of them. The FAO calls locusts the “ most dangerous migratory pest .” They are highly mobile, able to travel up to 90 miles a day if wind conditions are in their favor, and wreak havoc along the way. Female locusts can lay up to 300 eggs within their life span of three to five months. As many as 1,000 egg pods, each holding up to 80 eggs, can incubate underground within a square meter (10.7 square feet). In the past, desert locusts have been a key factor that aggravated famines in Ethiopia. And in 1915, they stripped Ottoman-era Palestine of nearly all vegetation . Nowadays, desert locusts are still hard to control, chiefly because they tend to breed and thrive in large swathes of remote land, making it difficult for authorities to tackle the problem before it emerges. The countries that are most severely affected also tend to have weaker infrastructure, making them slower to move the necessary supplies and information to parties that need them. In the East African countries where locusts are swarming now, 20 million people already face food insecurity. The bugs multiplied and some swarms went north to Egypt, threatening a nation where food insecurity is a massive concern, particularly outside of the capital and major cities. ( Headline in British tabloid The Express : “‘We are in the last days’ Locust swarm approaching Egypt sparks Bible apocalypse fears.”) But most swarms crossed the Red Sea and made their way to Western Asia, chewing through Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Iran in early January and laying more eggs along the way. The Middle Eastern nations’ pest control operations failed to cull the locusts, so beds of eggs will hatch by mid-March, releasing new hungry bugs. “Global Times has been offering ludicrous consolation to the public, claiming that the desert locusts are 'eaten by ducks, fried for food.'” In the first two weeks of this year, fields in Pakistan and India came under attack too, the swarms intensifying day after day. In India’s Rajasthan and Gujarat—two states in the country’s northwestern quadrant that share borders with Pakistan—more than 380,000 hectares of farmland have been damaged. The season’s harvest of mustard, cumin, and wheat has been consumed by the swarm. What makes the current surge of locusts stand out is not only their numbers and intensity, but also that they are active in the subcontinent during winter months. In the past, swarms typically would dissipate by October. Now it’s February, and they are still going strong. The Indian government was quick to identify the locusts as a major problem, and dispatched experts to work with their counterparts from the FAO in the affected regions. They’re tracking the swarms and destroying beds of locust eggs to limit the bugs’ propagation. And the government has diverted $4.3 million as compensation for farmers who have lost their crops. For now, the Himalayan range is acting as a natural barrier for China, insulating its southwestern border from the scourge that is in Pakistan. But the locusts could bank into Southeast Asia, flowing through Bangladesh and up into Burma, landing in China’s Yunnan province, hitting a country that is already locked down because of the coronavirus’ rapid spread . As fears rise, the state-run media outlet Global Times has been offering ludicrous consolation to the public, claiming that the desert locusts are “eaten by ducks, fried for food,” and “not a threat to China.” And the international arm of state-run CCTV even released a bizarre video of “ duck troops ” amassing at the border. But the species of locust that is on the country’s doorstep emits phenylacetonitrile, a foul-smelling secretion that is meant to deter predators . Birds typically do not seek them out as a food source. Spokespersons for China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs claim that there is a “very low risk” of locust plagues hitting China, but a researcher at the Beijing-headquartered Institute of Plant Protection of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences suggests more caution . The agriculture expert, Zhang Zehua, said that Yunnan province (which borders Burma), Guangxi (an autonomous region east of Yunnan), and Sichuan province (north of Yunnan) could be affected in June or July if the plagues are not brought under control in neighboring countries. Zhang may be right, at least according to India’s Ministry of Agriculture, which issued a notice saying that it expects 200,000 square kilometers (77,200 square miles) of farmland to be blanketed by locusts in June during the onset of monsoon season—when conditions are perfect for ravenous insects to breed. For now, whether the summer may bring another catastrophe to China depends chiefly on Delhi and Karachi’s efforts to exterminate a storm of insects in a race against the seasons.
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Insect Disaster
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Campers' waste spark calls for fee hikes, tighter restrictions at popular Teewah Beach
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There are growing calls for a major overhaul of camping at Queensland's Cooloola Recreation Area after visitors left a trail of filth at the popular Teewah Beach over the weekend.
Camper Melinda Uys said she cleaned up a "disgusting mess" after fellow campers packed up in the middle of the night during a storm on Saturday leaving rubbish, food, beer cartons, and broken marquees behind.
Ms Uys shared photos of the campsite on social media declaring she was done with weekend warriors who were happy to leave their mess for other campers and rangers to clean up.
"We cleaned up one camp site that wasn't ours," Ms Uys said.
"The people next door to us just packed up in the middle of the night and left their site like a rubbish dump," Ms Uys said
"It was just devastating."
Ms Uys said within 500 metres of the camp there were at least 10 abandoned gazebos and mountains of rubbish.
"It's just pure laziness," she said.
"There was another campsite where they had left tents, food, hygiene products, pillows, their whole camp. They just got up and left.
"I can't understand how you couldn't at least try and pick up as much rubbish as you could, but they just left it there."
Col Lawton has been a ranger at the Great Sandy Strait for 20 years.
The Department of Environment and Science worker said his team spent days cleaning up the rubbish using heavy machinery and trucks.
"I had four or five staff there for two days — tractors, trucks, all the rest of it — to clean up this mess," Mr Lawton said.
"People just chose to jump in their car and drive away the next morning and just leave it there for somebody else to clean up behind them."
Mr Lawton said it is not the first time it has happened, with the department spending hundreds of thousands of dollars every year cleaning up rubbish.
"It's a real kick in the guts for everybody," Mr Lawton said.
"People come up to the beach and bring spring mattresses, lounge chairs, sofas, all that sort of stuff, and just leave it on the beach.
"It's a sensitive environment, it's a wonderful place, and it's very disappointing."
Ms Uys' images of the discarded rubbish were shared on social media hundreds of times, renewing calls for tougher restrictions in the area.
Member for Noosa, Sandy Bolton, said recommendations made by the Teewah-Cooloola Working Group to cap numbers and increase fees needed to be implemented by the State Government immediately.
"In December, I talked to the new minister to say this is now not negotiable anymore," Ms Bolton said.
"The outcomes from the Teewah-Cooloola Working Group need to be implemented. It's that simple."
Ms Bolton said if resources at the national park are not increased, campers should be decreased.
"So if those resources aren't going to be provided the numbers during those peak times need to be basically shaved off and fees increased," she said.
Local Dean Beeson headed up to the camp area for a day trip on Sunday morning after the storm and said the site looked like a garbage dump.
"It was just a mess of mangled gazebos, metal, and rubbish everywhere," he said.
"We loaded up what we could, strapped god knows how many gazebos and rubbish to the roof and filled our two cars. It's just disgusting.
"I got a couple of pieces of metal in the side of my leg and cut from broken glass on the bottom of my foot because there was rubbish everywhere."
Tewantin resident Joy Paul, whose house looks out over the road headed to Teewah beach, said there were hundreds if not thousands of vehicles headed to the beach that weekend.
"There was a massive explosion of numbers over to north shore. There where twice as many vehicles as there would normally be on a busy Christmas or Easter," she said.
"At the moment we don't have stats to take to government, it's only anecdotal.
"I don't know how many thousands of vehicles it was but it was way to many for that environment.
"We need a traffic counter to gauge the numbers, we would know how many vehicles are going and if that is a reasonable number."
"It's time we thought of that whole north shore beach area being limited in some way."
With additional reporting by Robert Blackmore
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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Environment Pollution
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Virgin Galactic has conducted two spaceflights
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Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier outlined his long-term goals for the space tourism venture on Thursday, saying he sees the company bringing in up to $1 billion in annual revenue per spaceport in the years ahead. “The first chapter of Virgin Galactic has been to accomplish an incredibly difficult task, creating a spaceflight system that can fly humans to space,” Colglazier said while discussing the company’s third quarter results on a conference call. “The next chapter of Virgin Galactic is to use this system to bring thousands and thousands of people to space and deliver our purpose of opening space to change the world for good. To reach this objective, we are embarking on a multi-year effort that will lead to flights not once a month, or even once a week – but targets flying 400 flights per year per spaceport.” A daily launch tempo is years away still for Virgin Galactic, as the company is working to complete development of its SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. To date, the company has conducted two spaceflights – one in December 2018 and the other in February 2019 – and plans to fly two more test flights to space in the coming months before it flies founder Richard Branson. Additionally, Colglazier noted that reaching 400 flights per year will require multiple spacecraft operating in Virgin Galactic’s fleet. Currently the company has one in testing, spacecraft Unity, and expects to complete manufacturing and rollout its second spacecraft in the first quarter of 2021. Colglazier emphasized the Virgin Galactic second and later spacecraft have been updated “to have a better turnaround time” between flights, saying they have a more “modular” design to improve the efficiency of inspection and maintenace. It’s working on a third spacecraft, with Virgin Galactic in a regulatory filing on Thursday estimating it will cost between $35 million and $55 million to complete manufacturing on the second and third spacecraft. Because of Virgin Galactic’s air launch approach to spaceflight – it uses a jet-powered carrier aircraft to bring the spacecraft up to an altitude of about 45,000 feet for launch – Colglazier also noted that the company is “going to need several motherships” at a spaceport to reach a flight rate of 400 per year. The company says it is “in the early planning stage to develop and build a second carrier aircraft.” “In order to now pivot to be able to supply the demand that we expect, we are going to have to ramp up manufacturing in that regard. But I think it will be on the order of a few motherships, many spaceships and ... a rocket motor for every flight as we go,” Colglazier said. Given that each spacecraft can carry up to six passengers, UBS analyst Myles Walton highlighted in a note to investors on Friday that $1 billion in annual revenue and 400 flights per year implies a ticket price of about $400,000. The company previously sold about 600 tickets, reserved mostly at a price between $200,000 and $250,000 each. Virgin Galactic has not yet confirmed how much tickets will cost when sales reopen, but the company’s leadership has indicated it expects to price tickets higher than before thanks to significant demand. Virgin Galactic is working towards beginning commercial service flights from Spaceport America in New Mexico. But the company’s leadership has had discussions with other countries about setting up more spaceports around the world, including with Abu Dhabi, Italy, the United Kingdom, Australia and Sweden. “I am very bullish on the transformational experience that we intend to deliver and the price points we believe we could command for this one-of-a-kind supply-constrained product,” Colglazier said.
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New achievements in aerospace
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Mudslides on Organ Mountains left drivers stuck for hours
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SAN AUGUSTINE PASS, New Mexico - Marina Gandara and her son Jacob had already spent 16 hours on the road home to Las Cruces when they encountered "mud rivers" running through Organ Mountains on Sunday night. "We got probably halfway up when there were these "mud rivers," recalled Gandara. "We did not know this at the time, but there had been a mudslide. The whole road was covered in mud." RELATED STORY: U.S. 70 in southern New Mexico reopens after mudslides The Gandaras had been visiting family in the Dakotas. Marina and Jacob decided to take the scenic route home, driving south on U.S. 54 through Carrizozo and Alamogordo, intending to travel west through San Augustine Pass to get home to Las Cruces. By the time they had arrived home, they had spent close to 22 hours on the road. Marina thanked the first responders who worked tirelessly to get the road clear so they could return home. "My mom always said, 'We'll take any rain we can get,'" Marina remembered with a smile. "I don't know if I like the mud river portion, but we needed the rain. As long as people weren't injured and they got to a safe spot, that's the priority." WARNING! San Augustine Pass on US 70 is CLOSED. Detours are on US 54 and US 380. Overnight storms in southern New Mexico caused flooding and mud slides on various roadways. Use caution. Do not drive around barricades. Crews are clearing the roadway.
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Mudslides
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2008 PDC World Darts Championship
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The 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 15th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation. The event took place between 17 December 2007 and 1 January 2008 at the Alexandra Palace, London, England. John Part won his third World Championship, beating the qualifier Kirk Shepherd 7–2 in the final. He joined Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, Eric Bristow, and John Lowe as the only people to have won more than two world titles, although they have since been joined by Martin Adams and Michael van Gerwen. He is also one of five players to have won the PDC World Darts Championship more than once, along with Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, and Michael van Gerwen. In addition, he became the first player to have won World Championships in three different venues; the Lakeside, the Circus Tavern and the Alexandra Palace. Raymond van Barneveld was the defending champion having won the PDC World Championship at the first attempt in an epic final against Taylor in 2007. He was knocked out in the third round with a 4–2 loss to Kevin Painter. Taylor failed to reach the final of the competition, for the first time in PDC World Championship history, after losing 5–4 to Wayne Mardle in the quarter-finals. After being staged at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet for 14 years, the tournament moved to the Alexandra Palace in London. [1] The championships had been considered to have outgrown the Circus Tavern whose capacity of 800–900 spectators was considerably smaller than some Holsten Premier League darts events in 2007 which saw crowds reaching 5,000. The Alexandra Palace was the venue of the News of the World Darts Championship between 1963 and 1977 and boasts a capacity for 2008 of 2,500. The televised stages featured 68 players. The top 32 players in the PDC Order of Merit at 12 November 2007 received an automatic place in the World Championship. [2] They were joined by 16 PDPA members and 20 international qualifiers determined by the PDC and PDPA. The 16 PDPA members were made up from the top eight players (who had not already qualified) in the PDC Pro Tour Events during 2007: Jelle Klaasen, Mark Walsh, Tony Eccles, Michael van Gerwen, Steve Brown, Dave Askew, Jason Clark and Matt Clark. [3]
The final eight qualifiers were determined at a PDPA Qualifying event which was held on 17 November 2007 in Wolverhampton – prior to the Grand Slam of Darts tournament. The successful players were Steve Maish, Jan van der Rassel, Colin Monk, Steve Evans, Jamie Caven, Steve Hine, Kirk Shepherd and Jason Barry. Former world champions John Lowe, Eric Bristow, Keith Deller and Richie Burnett all played in the qualifying rounds but failed to reach the televised stages. Order of Merit
Pro Tour
PDPA Qualifiers
PDC North American Pro Tour Order of MeritFirst Round Qualifiers
Dutch/Belgian DDF Order of MeritFirst Round Qualifiers
German Darts Corporation Order of MeritFirst Round Qualifiers
Danish Order of MeritFirst Round Qualifiers
Australia Order of MeritFirst Round Qualifiers
Oceanic Masters WinnerFirst Round Qualifiers
South African Open WinnerFirst Round Qualifiers
International QualifiersPreliminary Round Qualifiers
The 2008 World Championship featured a prize fund of £589,000. The prize money for earlier round losers was increased, whilst the winner and runner-up prize money was unchanged. [4]
(best of nine legs, played Wednesday 19 December and Thursday 20 December)
Highest Checkouts: 170, Mervyn King, James Wade, Wayne Mardle
180's scored : 478
Most 180s Scored, Individual : 34 John Part, 33 Kirk Shepherd, 24 Wayne Mardle, 24 Kevin Painter, 22 Adrian Lewis. Highest Tournament Dart Average (In A Single Match): John Part 99.06 vs Suljovic (Second Round). Scores after player's names are three-dart averages (total points scored divided by darts thrown and multiplied by 3)
This table shows the number of players by country in the World Championship, the total number including the preliminary round. Day Five, Friday 21 December
The tournament went into hiatus for the Christmas period. Third Round (Last 16)
Raymond van Barneveld's reign as PDC World Championship was ended by Kevin Painter in a thrilling match which Painter finished off with a ten-dart leg to clinch the match 4–2. Painter hit seven consecutive treble 20s, en route to a possible nine dart leg before missing a treble 19 before completing a remarkable ten darter to go through to the quarter finals. Earlier, James Wade overcame flu and Mark Dudbridge 4–2 to go through to his first World quarter-final and Kirk Shepherd defeated Barrie Bates 4–2 to be the surprise quarter-finalist. Peter Manley and John Part both had comfortable wins in their last 16 matches. The talking point of the day may have been the Adrian Lewis v Tony Eccles clash. Eccles started in sensational fashion winning the first eight legs, but couldn't close out the third set. He missed two darts at a double for a 3–0 sets lead and then Lewis started a fightback winning the next three sets to lead 3–2. Eccles fought back himself to level the match, but controversy came in the final set when the scores were level at 2 legs each. Lewis took an unscheduled comfort break just minutes after a scheduled one and when he came back he found his rhythm to win the next two legs and make the quarter finals. For the first time in the 15-year history of the event, Phil Taylor failed to make it to the final after losing to Wayne Mardle. Taylor took an early 3–0 lead, but after winning a set Mardle's confidence increased and with the crowd behind him brought it back to 3–3. With the sets tied 4–4 the legs went with throw until 4–4 when Mardle broke Taylor with tops after Taylor missed double sixteen when the dart went the wrong side of the wire. Wayne closed out the match on his own darts with 140 and double 18 to win the final set 6–4 and a 5–4 win. Mardle immediately broke down into tears after the win. After the match Mardle said "it's not being in the semis that's important... it's beating that guy there (Taylor); he didn't play well, but I still had to play at my best to beat him"
Taylor said "When I was 3 sets to nil up, I thought I'm going to beat him 5–0... If he gets his game together now he's got the biggest chance of his life to win it". World Matchplay champion James Wade also went out in the quarter-finals to two-time former World Champion John Part. It was a close match, but Part always stayed in front after establishing a 2–0 set lead. Wade did fight back from 1–3 to level the match. Kirk Shepherd continued his amazing run and for the third time in the tournament survived his opponent having darts to win the match. Peter Manley had two darts to win the final set 3–0, but Shepherd came back to win the final set 4–2. After sharing the first four sets, Kevin Painter beat Adrian Lewis 5–2. Kirk Shepherd's sensational run in the tournament continued as he beat Wayne Mardle in the semi-final to reach the final. Shepherd, the 21-year-old qualifier built up a 3–1 set lead and missed five darts to go 4–1 up only to see Mardle come back to take the lead 4–3. Mardle, who had beaten Phil Taylor the previous night in the quarter finals looked to be on his way to his first world final before Shepherd fought back again to take the next three sets and become the first qualifier to reach the PDC World final.
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Sports Competition
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Russia follows US in withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty
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Russia says it will withdraw from an international treaty allowing observation flights over military facilities following the U.S. exit from the pact On Location: November 18, 2021 MOSCOW -- Russia said on Friday that it will withdraw from an international treaty allowing surveillance flights over military facilities after the U.S. exit from the pact, compounding the challenges faced by the incoming administration of president-elect Joe Biden. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the U.S. withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty last year “significantly upended the balance of interests of signatory states,” adding that Moscow’s proposals to keep the treaty alive after the U.S. exit have been cold-shouldered by Washington’s allies. The ministry said that Russia is now launching the relevant procedures to withdraw from the pact "due to the lack of progress in removing the obstacles for the treaty's functioning in the new conditions.” The Russian parliament, which ratified the treaty in 2001, will now have to vote to leave it. The treaty was intended to build trust between Russia and the West by allowing the accord’s more than three dozen signatories to conduct reconnaissance flights over each other’s territories to collect information about military forces and activities. More than 1,500 flights have been conducted under the treaty, aimed at fostering transparency about military activity and helping monitor arms control and other agreements. U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the Open Skies Treaty, arguing that Russian violations made it untenable for the United States to remain a party. The U.S. completed its withdrawal from the pact in November. Russia denied breaching the treaty, which came into force in 2002. The European Union has urged the U.S. to reconsider and called on Russia to stay in the pact and lift flight restrictions, notably over its westernmost Kaliningrad region, which lies between NATO allies Lithuania and Poland. Russia has argued that the limits on flights over Kaliningrad, which hosts sizable military forces, are permissible under the treaty’s terms, noting that the U.S. has imposed more sweeping restrictions on observation flights over Alaska. As a condition for staying in the pact after the U.S. pullout, Moscow unsuccessfully sought guarantees from NATO allies that they wouldn't transfer the data collected during their observation flights over Russia to the U.S. Leonid Slutsky, head of the foreign affairs committee in the lower house of the Russian parliament, said in televised remarks Friday that Russia could review its decision to withdraw if the U.S. decides to return to the pact, but acknowledged that the prospect looks “utopian.” Moscow has warned that the U.S. withdrawal will erode global security by making it more difficult for governments to interpret the intentions of other nations, particularly amid Russia-West tensions after the Russian annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014. The demise of the Open Skies Treaty follows the U.S. and Russian withdrawal in 2019 from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The INF Treaty, which was signed in 1987 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, banned land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (310 to 3,410 miles), weapons seen as particularly destabilizing because of the shorter time they take to reach targets compared with intercontinental ballistic missiles. The only U.S.-Russian arms control pact still standing is the New START treaty that expires in three weeks. Moscow and Washington have discussed the possibility of its extension, but have so far failed to overcome their differences. Biden has spoken for the preservation of the New START treaty and Russia has said it's open for its quick and unconditional extension. But negotiating the deal before the pact expires on Feb. 5 appears extremely challenging. New START was signed in 2010 by U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. It limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers, and envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance. Arms control advocates have warned that its expiration would remove any checks on U.S. and Russian nuclear forces, striking a blow to global stability.
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Withdraw from an Organization
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Flying Tiger Line Flight 282 crash
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Flying Tiger Line Flight 282 refers to the crash of a Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft, N6915C, shortly after takeoff from San Francisco International Airport in the early morning hours of Thursday, December 24, 1964. There were 3 crewmen aboard: pilot Jabez A. Richards, 49, of Bayhead, New Jersey; Daniel W. Hennessy, 33, of Hillsborough, California, as co-pilot, and Paul M. Entz, 37, of North Hollywood, California, as flight engineer. On Wednesday, December 23, 1964, Flying Tiger Line Flight 282 arrived at San Francisco International Airport from Japan. Filled with a cargo of electronic equipment, bolts of fabric, women's scarves, bandannas, purses, and costume jewelry for the Christmas holiday, the craft was refueled and then departed just after midnight with a crew of three, 41,000 pounds (19,000 kg) of cargo, 136 pounds (62 kg) of mail, and 5,000 gallons of high-octane aviation fuel. The weather was heavy fog and rain. A large cold front was moving onshore; it had already caused the loss of a Coast Guard helicopter. [1]
Going northwest from San Francisco Bay, Flight 282 was to head out over the ocean to circle and gain altitude, then travel east toward its destination of JFK International Airport in New York City. Shortly after takeoff, however, the plane veered to the left of its planned course. The pilot subsequently asked the tower for permission to change his radio setting from takeoff to departure frequency. Seconds later, the plane vanished from the tower's radar scope. The "Super Connie" crashed near the top of Sweeney Ridge in San Bruno, very close to the site of a Coast Guard radio station. All three crew members aboard were killed. No one on the ground was killed or injured. The Civil Aeronautics Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was that the pilot, for undetermined reasons, deviated from departure course into an area of rising terrain, where downdraft activity and turbulence affected the ability of the craft to climb.
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Air crash
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Croatia celebrates on joining EU
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Croatia celebrates on joining EU
Published
Media caption,
Most Croatians have supported accession to the EU
Croatia has become the 28th member of the European Union, with crowds joining celebrations in the capital Zagreb.
Fireworks lit the sky as membership became effective at midnight (22:00 GMT), with President Ivo Josipovic describing the event as historic.
It comes almost two decades after Croatia's brutal war of independence.
But correspondents say enthusiasm for the EU in the country has been dampened by the eurozone crisis, and Croatia's own economic problems.
'New chapter'
Celebrations took place in the central square of Zagreb, with fireworks and music including Beethoven's Ode to Joy, the European anthem.
"Welcome to the European Union!" European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in Croatian to the cheering crowd.
President Josipovic said it was "a great and joyful day for our homeland".
"This the day when we open a new chapter in the thick book of our history," he added.
Earlier he told a meeting of EU and regional leaders: "The accession of Croatia to the European Union is confirmation that each one of us belongs to the European democratic and cultural set of values."
Croatian officials then unveiled EU signs and removed customs posts at the borders with Slovenia, the first former Yugoslav republic to have joined the bloc, and with Hungary.
Croatia is the first new EU member since Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007. It is 10 years since it applied.
Croatia's split from Yugoslavia triggered a 1991-1995 war to secure its independence.
But with one in five unemployed and Croatia's national debt officially classed as junk, some Croatians feel joining an economic bloc with its own serious troubles will do little to improve their prospects.
"Just look what's happening in Greece and Spain! Is this where we're headed?" asked pensioner Pavao Brkanovic in a market in the capital.
"You need illusions to be joyful, but the illusions have long gone," he told Reuters news agency.
Long-term view
Concerns about Croatian corruption and organised crime remain among some EU leaders, and Croatia will not yet join the single currency or the free-movement Schengen zone, where most EU citizens are not subject to passport checks.
But advocates of EU membership say despite this, their case remains a persuasive one.
Two-thirds of Croatians voted in favour of accession last year.
"It's important for us primarily for the long term guarantees of political stability and then everything else - the single market too," Croatia's First Deputy Prime Minister, Vesna Pusic, told the BBC.
The EU itself has given Croatia a clean bill of health - and praised reforms which improve the rule of law and tackle corruption.
It hopes the other countries of the former Yugoslavia will be encouraged to join - and secure long-term peace for an historically turbulent region, reports the BBC's regional correspondent Guy De Launey.
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Join in an Organization
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2021 Tunisian protests
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The 2021 Tunisian protests are a series of protests that started on 15 January 2021. Thousand of people rioted in cities and towns across Tunisia, which saw looting, arson, as well as mass deployment of police and army in several cities and the arrest of hundreds of demonstrators. The protests started in the town of Siliana, northwestern Tunisia, following the municipal police aggression of a shepherd. [3]
Young people clashed with police for the fifth straight night on 20 January. “Your voice is heard, and your anger is legitimate, and it is my role and the role of the government to work to realize your demands and to make the dream of Tunisia to become true,” Prime Minister Mechichi said in a fruitless attempt to calm things down. [4]
The government extended its health curfew and banned demonstrations on 23 January. Tunisia reported 103 virus-related deaths on 21 January, the highest figure to date in the country, among the highest rates in Africa. Travel between regions was banned, bars and restaurants were closed except for take-out food, and university classes were transferred online. [5]
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Ballymacarrett rail crash
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The Ballymacarrett rail crash occurred on 10 January 1945 at 7:50am in the Ballymacarrett area of Belfast, County Down, Northern Ireland on the Belfast to Bangor Line of the Belfast and County Down Railway, when a train led by a heavy autotrain driving trailer ran into the back of a stopped passenger train consisting of lightweight wooden coaches. 22 died with 27 injured. It was the worst crash in Northern Ireland since 1889. The cause was found to be carelessness of the driver of the autotrain (also called a railmotor) who was running too fast for conditions. Fog, unsafe railway rules, and possible distraction from passengers all may have contributed to the accident. Old lightweight rolling stock contributed to the great number of injuries and deaths. The accident led to the demise of the railway which was nationalised three years later. The Belfast and County Down Railway operated the very busy line from Belfast to Bangor. The heyday of the railway was in the late 1800s. By the end of the First World War, the railway was facing competition from buses and private vehicles and was facing economic pressures. In the 1920s some economy measures were put in place such as replacing manned signal boxes with automatic signals. In the 1930s there was an economic depression which put the company under even greater financial pressure. By the end of the Second World War, the pressures were even worse. [1]
When this railway implemented the automatic signals on this line, they also introduced a unique "Stop and Proceed" rule. This allowed the driver of a train to proceed cautiously into an occupied block after waiting two minutes and sounding the whistle, but without communicating with a signalman. There were two trains involved. The first was the 7:10 am from Bangor to Belfast. This was a traditional passenger train consisting of 13 six-wheeled coaches, pulled by 4-6-4 steam locomotive Number 25. The coaches were of an old design with steel and oak undercarriages and light wood coachwork. The train had a seating capacity of 724 and was carrying about 600 passengers. [2] The guard's van was the ninth coach on the train. This had side lights, but the rear coach of the train had only a single red light. [1]
The second train was the 7:40 am railmotor passenger train from Holywood to Belfast. This so-called railmotor was three coaches being pushed by a 2-4-2 tank locomotive, Number 5, which was running bunker first. The lead car was apparently a railmotor coach that had been converted to an autocoach. The driver stood in the front of this car and had primitive controls to control the regulator (throttle) and whistle on the steam engine that was in the back of the train, as well as the train's vacuum brakes. The head car was 27 tons with an all-steel undercarriage. The train had a seating capacity of 186. All seats were taken, and there were a number of standing passengers. [2]
The 7:10 was stopped at the Ballymacarrett station at the outer home signal of the interlocking at Ballymacarrett Junction, which was beyond the station. It was while stopped at this signal that the train was hit. The rear of the train was near The Oval football stadium. [2]
The 7:40 stopped at the Sydenham station for passenger service. When the train was ready to leave, the train was held at an automatic signal due to the track ahead being occupied by the 7:10. The railway's "Stop and Proceed" rule permitted the 7:40 to move ahead cautiously after waiting at the stop signal for two minutes and then sounding the whistle. The 7:40 did so, continuing to the next station, Victoria Park. At this station, there was another signal, unrelated to the automatic signals, instead showing caution relating to the fact that the signal where the 7:10 was already stopped was at danger. This signal at Victoria Park did not remind the 7:40 driver that the block was occupied. Also at this time, it was still dark, and there was a very heavy fog. After receiving and discharging passengers at Victoria Park, the train continued. The driver saw the light in the back of the 7:10 train at only 30 yards away and allegedly tried to stop his train, but the lead car of the 7:40 collided with the rear car of the 7:10. [2]
The heavy steel lead car of the 7:40 rode up over the underframe of the rear wooden coach and ploughed through the entirety of its coachwork and ten feet of the next car's coachwork as well. The passengers in the rear two cars of the 7:10 suffered the vast majority of the deaths and injuries. [2]
Thirteen passengers died at the scene with nine passing from their injuries later all from the 7:10. 23 passengers in the 7:10 and one from the 7:40 were injured along with three crew members. [2]
Rescuers came from the neighbourhood of the crash, including many workers from the nearby Harland and Wolff Shipyard. The rescuers built bonfires to help illuminate the scene and included using the roof of the destroyed coach to help feed the bonfires. Buses also illuminated the scene using their headlights. [3]
There were at least three inquiries into the crash, a criminal inquiry against the driver of the 7:40 in April 1945,[4] a collection of several civil cases against the railway,[5] and a Ministry of Commerce investigation by R. Dundas Duncan, the Inspector of Railways for Northern Ireland. The driver of the 7:40, Isaac McQuillan, was charged with manslaughter in April 1945 for the death of a passenger: Samuel Wilson.
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Train collisions
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United Airlines Trip 34 crash
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United Airlines Trip 34 was a scheduled flight departing from San Francisco, California to Los Angeles, California on December 27, 1936. At 7:36 am (Pacific time), the co-pilot requested the UAL localizer beacon at Burbank be turned on. The company radio requested aircraft position, to which the co-pilot replied "just a minute. "[1] The aircraft crashed at the head of Rice Canyon (near Newhall, California) at 7:38 am, killing all 12 passengers and crew. [2] The probable cause was found to be "...an error on the part of the pilot for attempting to fly through Newhall pass at an altitude lower than the surrounding mountains without first determining by radio the existing weather. "[2]
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Air crash
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US Withdrawal from INF Treaty and its Implications on China
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INF treaty is also known as “Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty”. Initially it was a bilateral treaty mainly between US and USSR and entered into force in 1987. The fundamental requirement of this treaty was the dismantling of “Ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with the range of 500-5500 km, their launchers and associated support structure and equipment”. United States decided to withdraw from the INF Treaty on 2nd February, 2019 cited the non-compliance of Russia and Chinese military expansion especially missile system as the justification. President Trump said “if Russia is doing it, and if china is doing it and we are adhering to the agreement, that’s unacceptable”. By assessing the china’s aptness of the missiles capability, United States observed the “new strategic reality” and stated that “INF treaty had become a bilateral treaty in a multipolar ballistic missile world”. The US’ withdrawal from the INF treaty under the umbrella of offensive realism, has several implications on china which are given in this paper. The mammoth “ground-launched missiles” (both conventional and nuclear) has been built by Beijing (approximately 2000 “ballistic and cruise missile” most of them are with the range greater than 5500 km) which is a subject of great concern for US. Such missiles provide deterrence and war-fighting strategies to china against regional powers and US’ military supremacy and to halt the US’ intervention in regional conflicts like Taiwan crisis etc. According to Chinese expert analysts, the main purpose of US’ withdrawal from the INF treaty is to contain china as it is not the part of the treaty and was enjoying the leverage to expand its military and nuclear capabilities. This will make the US’ nuclear policy more aggressive (evident from “NRP 2018”). The aggressive policies of US will compel china to review its policy and transform it from defensive to offensive nuclear policy. This will also affect its “anti-access, area-denial policy (A2/AD)”. The withdrawal from the INF treaty will slacken the advantage of missile arsenals for china because US will deploy its land based ballistic and cruise missile in the territory of its allies in Asia to deter and contain china and also to maintain its hegemony in Asia too. This is compelling china to build its nuclear triad and expand its military technology because of the action-reaction syndrome. In order to tackle aggressive actions of US china can change its fundamental policy of “No-First Use” into a “No-First Weapon use” (including both conventional and nuclear attacks). The acceleration in the building of missile system in china and deployment of land based ballistic and cruise missiles from US will instigate the arms race and will add up strategic instability in the other crisis i.e Taiwan crisis, Indo-Pacific issues etc. The US’ deployment of “ballistic and cruise missile” in Asia will elevate the level of insecurity in the Beijing. This feeling of insecurity will compel china to reconsider its “minimum deterrence” policy as it will no more capable to deal with this situation. There is an ample chance that china will convert its “minimum deterrence” policy into the “maximum deterrence/limited deterrence” policy (nuclear weapons play a crucial role in the “nuclear and conventional wars”) which covers all the spectrum of the threats in order to ensure their security. Withdrawal of US also made Russia free from the INF treaty, which will also lead towards the tension between china Russia because military expansion in Asia is reshaping the balance of power in the region. In order to counter china, Russia will also develop its ballistic missiles with the greater range to create its hegemony. This will force china to change its nuclear posture towards Russia too. The instigation of arms race between the two super will open a gate of vertical proliferation for them because both of them has entangled in the “strategic competition” strategy. This competition will cause great instability in the region and reshape the geo-politics, this will harm the national interest of each other. The economic dependent allies of China may give their territory for the deployment of “ballistic and cruise missiles” which will make the situation more turbulent because both of them are competing for the global hegemony. In order win the competition, both of the state will reshape their nuclear posture and military strategies. The tensions will become deepen globally and balance of power will be reshaped. The aforementioned situation is very uncertain which is giving the glimpse of the new cold war era which will reshape the new world order. Such a precarious situation can be handled only by the method of arms control through the treaties. United States and china should become a part of treaties which refrain them from arms race and aggressive policies because both of them are nuclear states and escalation in their conflict between them will lead to nuclear war which can end the entire life on earth. US Withdrawal from INF: Implications for Nonproliferation Regimes and European States -Part IINovember 28, 2018In "Defense" US Withdrawal from INF Treaty – Part INovember 21, 2018In "Defense" Analysing INF Treaty: US withdrawal and its implications towards Asian AlliesOctober 25, 2020In "Defense" Can Somaliland Be Alternative for Russia’s Troubled Sudanese Naval Base Plans? Shifting Paradigms in Contemporary Security Studies Asma Tanveer is a student of Strategic and Nuclear Studies at National Defence University. She has great interest in international politics, nuclear politics, and strategies of warfare. The Special Economic Zone as a New Model of Economic Development Why will China not give up on its ‘dynamic zeroing’ Covid-19 strategy? Biden’s real destination for the Taliban is China The inking of the AUKUS, a trilateral security pact among Australia, the UK and the U.S. on September 15, 2021, with an effort to counter China in the Asia-Pacific without Indian inclusion has taken back many experts. The AUKUS for the first time will be building nuclear-powered submarines; Canberra will be using technologies provided by Washington. Some analysts are of the view that the AUKUS pact covering Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other sophisticated technologies appear to be the AUKUS members’ biggest defense partnership in recent decades. In such circumstances, the non-inclusion of India, a strategic ally of the U.S., in the containment of China from the pact puts New Delhi in a deep quandary. Within India, among the analysts, there have been mixed feelings as far as the AUKUS is concerned. Some Indian experts who view Australia as a crucial ally of the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) are content with the provision of top-quality nuclear submarine technology from the U.S. and the UK to Canberra, bolstering Australian position in the Indo-Pacific to counter China. However, others regard the AUKUS as the U.S. betrayal of France which New Delhi considers as a crucial partner in the Indian Ocean. Critics have strong remonstrations on the pact arguing that the U.S. should have taken France in confidence before signing the pact. Critics further reiterate that “it would have prevented an unseemly spat between friends, all big players in the Indo-Pacific region.” Opponents of the pact also say that the members of the AUKUS played a double game with France a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the same duplicity is round the corner with India. Indian officials view the AUKUS from a different prism. Their apprehensions over the pact have been serious. The deal is highly likely to trigger a crowding of nuclear attack submarines (SSNs/submersible ship nuclear) in the Eastern Indian Ocean, diminishing New Delhi’s conventional underwater capability and regional supremacy. There is a prevailing speculation within India that New Delhi ought to seek France’s help concerning nuclear submarines. The skeptics say that Canberra’s nuclear submarine capability is likely to surpass India’s in coming years. Indian officials confer that Australia ought to reassess its strategic environment. The AUKUS has been causing a great deal of rift and fissure among the U.S. allies, overshadowing the role of Quad. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the Indian Foreign Secretary, states that the deal is “neither relevant to the Quad nor will it have any impact on its functioning.” New Delhi tends to see Quad as an Asian North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but the former does not have any commitment to collective security. A recent summit of Quad, underlined cooperation on climate change, COVID-19 vaccine distribution, technology, and science. The summit remained absolved of any immediate responsibility to accelerate anti-China security framework. Unlike Quad, the AUKUS is a security pact; the non-inclusion of India intensifies New Delhi’s security dilemma vis-à-vis China. The AUKUS is believed to have set a new precedent for sharing U.S. technology and material of nuclear-powered submarines with other countries. The U.S. sharing nuclear-powered submarines with allies will compel China to follow the same trajectory of providing powered submarines to its allies that probably will further escalate New Delhi’s security dilemma in the region. The U.S., under the Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) offered technology to a state that is a non-nuclear-weapon state (NNWS). Sharing nuclear-powered submarines and technologies in the great power competition between the U.S. and China will, arguably, put India in a disadvantageous position. While the AUKUS has enraged France, the pact has scuttled the $80-billion French-Australian submarine deal. Paris might find new partners in the region in a bid to sell the powered submarines. The nuclear-powered submarine race is likely to engulf the whole region emanating further security challenges for India in the near future. It is a matter of grave concern for the region; some Western nations have war-oriented economies. They flourish enormously by selling expensive weapon systems to non-Western countries. The oceans and seas of Asia will ostensibly become a battlefield for menacing warships and submarines threatening the whole region. The AUKUS seems to be posing a grave threat to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that ultimately disturbs India’s Act East Policy. The Act is aimed at bolstering economic ties, strategic and cultural relations with ASEAN. Against the backdrop of this, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob expressed his fear that the AUKUS would “provoke other powers to act more aggressively in the region, especially in the South China Sea.” Within ASEAN some countries under tutelage of the U.S. have welcomed the pact while those under Chinese umbrella have serious reservations on the pact. The AUKUS has generated new security challenges for many of the ASEAN members, indirectly causing troubles for Indian partners. After abandoning India in the mess of Afghanistan, the non-inclusion of New Delhi in the AUKUS is reckoned to be yet another betrayal by the U.S. The military pact, arguably, minimizes the role of Quad and India. More worrisomely, the pact was inked by three English-speaking countries, deceiving France. The U.S. indeed puts other non-English speaking countries India and Japan in deep consternation. In short, after Afghanistan’s conundrum, the AUKUS has further intensified New Delhi’s worries in the prevailing geopolitical landscape of the region. In the early days of September 2021, Australia, United Kingdom and United States signed a trilateral agreement which they called as AUKUS pact. Under this pact, US decided to provide eight nuclear powered submarines to Australia in the Indo-pacific region. In the political sphere, this proactive move from US has a clear indication of its policy to strengthen its allies in order to curb the growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region. However, apart from the political sight, this trilateral pact has raised serious concerns over global efforts toward nuclear non-proliferation. It is pertinent to note here is that after this trilateral pact, Australia being a non-nuclear weapon state would be the only country to have nuclear submarines. Moreover, Australia after UK would be the first country to whom US has shared its nuclear technology for submarine use. Considering AUKUS pact as reference point, this article analyzes demoralization of overall efforts towards nuclear non-proliferation with a specific focus on Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT)—a treaty which is considered as mother of all Non-proliferation agreements. As the vitality of NPT is considered to be questioned by the AUKUS deal, it is worth writing to explain how this deal has challenged most of the critical articles of NPT. Article I—which strictly prohibits Nuclear Weapons states (NWs) to “transfer” their nuclear weapons to any Non-Nuclear weapon state. It also prohibits NW’s to facilitate any Non-Nuclear Weapon state (NNWs) in developing its own nuclear weapon by any direct or indirect means. So, in this regard, AUKUS pact seems to question the validity of Article I of the NPT because looking at the signatories of the pact; How can US (a nuclear weapon state) share its nuclear technology for submarine to Australia (a non-nuclear weapon state) while both being part of the NPT. Hence, this trilateral pact seems to undermine the basic pledge that NW’s have made in the Article I. Article II—deals with the NNWs, under its provision; Non-nuclear weapon states are obligated not to “accept” nuclear weapon from a NWs. They are also prohibited to accept any sort of assistance for the development of nuclear weapons from NWs. Hence, Australia being a NNWs seems to undermine Article II by accepting nuclear technology for submarine which can nowhere near be considered as used for peaceful purpose. Article III—which deals with the transfer of nuclear materials for peaceful purposes under the safety and security set forth in the statue of IAEA safeguards. However, AUKUS deal seems to provide a gateway to the exploitation of IAEA safeguards by using a loophole in the safety and security measures under IAEA inspection. The loophole is that; IAEA does provide NNWs the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes in the sea under strict inspection of IAEA but in the case of submarine, IAEA inspection has limit to it. Since submarine heavily rely on stealth technology; it can never be under constant inspection so giving Nuclear submarines to a NNWs like Australia is exploitative in nature because it provides a way to country like Australia to extract the nuclear technology from the submarine and later use that technology for the development of nuclear weapon. Article IV—deals with the transfer of nuclear technology for only peaceful purposes. However, AUKUS pact is also seemed to undermine Article IV of the treaty in a way that use of nuclear technology in a submarine can never be interpreted as for some peaceful purpose. Hence, the transfer of nuclear submarines to Australia under AUKUS pact would always be proven as a destabilizing factor to nuclear non-proliferation. Article VI—one of the significant obligation for Nuclear weapon states in NPT which deals with the disarmament of Nuclear weapons. Although this provision has never been implemented by the de-jure NWs since their pledge to the treaty and there has been a lot of criticism on this but AUKUS deal has totally nullified the vitality of this main obligation. Because, US would be providing nuclear submarines to Australia, which is totally opposite to the pledge because instead of disarming its own nuclear weapons, US is keen to proliferate nuclear weapons in the face of Nuclear submarines to its ally. Apart from the demoralizing impact on the Non-proliferation treaty, AUKUS deal is seemingly bound to have serious repercussion on the overall strategic stability in the Asia Pacific region. It would incentivize other non-nuclear weapon states to follow suit and they might demand US for strengthening their security by means of a similar deal. Published on By A country’s prepared military has always been its guarantor of peace, along with the vigilance, wide-range training and preparedness. Thus preparing the state for unforeseeable circumstances and crisis that befalls upon. Pakistan’s tri-forces have conducted numerous exercises in in various regions, nationally and internationally. These exercises basically incorporate the peace efforts, and are not by any means a show of aggressive force posture. The peace time exercises promotes peace by preparing the state for encountering any kind of defensive acts, and creating strong deterrence. The history manifests that deterrence has always been a prime factor in avoidance of wars and establishing peace. Hence, such exercises become a guarantor of peace in the volatile south Asian region. Numerous exercises have been conducted by Pakistan which includes the multinational naval exercises, Aman Exercise and the recent participation in multinational exercise Nusret 2021, with the purpose of strengthening Pakistan Navy’s hold in the Arabian Sea; Pakistan Army exercise Jidar-ul-Hadeed and Tasksheer-e-Jabal, for getting better grip in the desert and mountainous areas, multinational air exercise ACES meet 2021-1 and ACES meet 2021-2. The exercise included the airborne systems, fighter jets, early warning and control aircraft and the military satellites, with the purpose of improving the harmony and coordination between ground and air elements. The numerous exercises conducted by all the three forces of Pakistan helps in attaining perfection and preparedness in the desired areas and prepare the military for exceptional response under the conventional operation settings. More than two decades have passed since overt nuclearization of Pakistan and India, but the importance of conventional deterrence in the maintenance of strategic stability still can’t be ruled out. India has always tried to exploit the threshold under the nuclear overhang, and has always tried to disturb the strategic stability by introducing limited war doctrines and other offensive postures, and through major progression in the offensive military technology. India, in its endeavor to achieve the regional hegemony has always tried to get in the way of strategic stability in the south Asian region. The limited war in south Asia could potentially be the conflict escalator and could lead to a full scale war, which could be disastrous for the two nuclear rivals. Hence, to let go off the chances of such consequences, the stability and credible deterrence at the lower rung is imperative for the peace and stability in the region. Political planning and military preparedness is the key to the credible deterrence of a country. The purpose of deterrence is to delay the attainment of objective of the adversary by elongating the war and making the war unthinkable for the opponent. The conventional deterrence thus precludes the adversary form any misadventure, under the nuclear overhang. In the evolving security situation in in south Asia, Pakistan is compelled to adopt a dual-track strategy for catering to the aggressive designs of the enemy at both conventional and unconventional level.
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Withdraw from an Organization
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L'Express Airlines Flight 508 crash
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On July 10, 1991, a L'Express Airlines Beechcraft C99, flying as Flight 508 originating in New Orleans, and in transit from Mobile to Birmingham, crashed while attempting to make an ILS approach to Runway 5 (since renumbered to Runway 6) at Birmingham Municipal Airport (now Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport) in Birmingham, Alabama. The plane crashed in the Fairview area near Five Points West in the Ensley neighborhood and subsequently injured four persons on the ground, as well as destroying two homes. Of the 15 occupants on board, there were 13 fatalities. The cause of the crash was attributed to the captain's decision to attempt an instrument approach into severe thunderstorms resulting in a loss of control of the airplane. [2] To date it is the deadliest commercial aviation accident in Alabama history. [3]
L'Express Flight 508 was operated with a Beech C99 twin-engine turboprop aircraft. Seating on the plane was five rows of two seats, one on each side of a central aisle. A single seat was located across from the left passenger loading door and a double seat at the rear of the aircraft. Passengers boarded through the rear passenger door. The flight left New Orleans, LA with one passenger, at 4:05 pm CDT, landing in Mobile, AL, at 4:50 pm CDT. After changing crews and boarding 12 passengers, the flight departed for Birmingham Municipal Airport at 5:05 pm CDT. As the flight approached Birmingham, strong thunderstorms developed in the vicinity of the airport. Around the same time four other aircraft either diverted to other airports or delayed their approach and entered a holding pattern until the weather improved. The crew of Flight 508 was aware of the thunderstorm activity but elected to continue the approach. Francis Fernandes, the L'Express captain at the controls of Flight 508, later said the plane experienced a "significant roll to the left" on landing approach. Fernandes told investigators that while he and the first officer tried to level the aircraft, it experienced an "extreme updraft" that pushed the plane's nose into the air. [4] After entering a severe thunderstorm cell southwest of the airport, the crew lost directional control and was unable to recover the aircraft prior to impacting two houses in the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham at 6:11:27 pm CDT. [2] The airplane struck one home, crossed a tree lined residential street, and slammed into a second home, immediately erupting into flames. The lone surviving passenger was encountered in the home by the residents before all fled the burning home. The captain was taken to UAB Hospital, passenger Mabry Rogers to Carraway Methodist Medical Center, and three residents to Baptist Princeton. Twelve passengers and the first officer perished in the crash; the captain, one passenger, and four residents were injured. [5]
The accident occurred during the 6:00 p.m. local evening news broadcasts. Local media reports began around 6:45 pm CDT with local ABC television affiliate WBRC broadcasting live by 6:45 pm CDT. Radio and television coverage continued through the night. Notably, WBRC was recording weather radar images around the time of the crash, these images would later be used in the official NTSB[2] investigation and other crash-related litigation. [6] Coverage of the crash was carried on the front page of newspapers nationwide in the days following the accident. [5]
The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a team to investigate the accident. The focus of the investigation was immediately centered on the weather at the time of the accident. Investigators were surprised by the presence of a cockpit voice recorder in the airplane as such recorders were not required for the involved airplane at the time. [5] Following a detailed investigation, the NTSB issued its final report on March 3, 1992; AAR-92/01. The formal probable cause of the accident was "the decision of the captain to initiate and continue an instrument approach into clearly identified thunderstorm activity, resulting in a loss of control of the airplane from which the flightcrew was unable to recover and subsequent collision with obstacles and the terrain. "[2]
The only survivors of the crash were the captain, Francis Fernandez of Niceville, Florida and passenger Mabry Rogers from Birmingham, Alabama. [5][7]
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Air crash
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Kosovo has been admitted as the 55th member association of UEFA
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Kosovo's national team have played friendlies against nations including Haiti and Turkey in the past.
ARMEND NIMANI/AFP/Getty Images
Kosovo has been admitted as the 55th member association of UEFA following a vote at the European governing body's congress in Budapest, a call that has led to outrage from Serbia with the nation saying it will fight the decision by all legal means.
Twenty-eight of UEFA's members -- the minimum necessary -- voted in favour of Kosovo and 24 against, with neighbouring Serbia, from which it declared independence in 2008, leading the opposition. Two votes were declared invalid.
Serbia's Foreign Ministry said the vote in favour of Kosovo's acceptance "is a warning that we live in the world of interest and politics, and not justice and rules."
The decision means Kosovo could now also join FIFA, with a vote due next week, and take part in 2018 World Cup qualifying, which begins this September.
"I welcome our 55th member," UEFA general secretary ad interim Theodore Theodoridis said in a statement . "It was a very democratic process, and very open discussions [took place] between the national associations. We respect the result of the congress [vote]."
Kosovo has been seeking international recognition through sports since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008.
Serbian officials said they will file a complaint with the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport because, they said, Kosovo's membership is against UEFA's statutes.
"The foundations of European soccer were shaken today. This could lead to serious divisions in the continent's competitions," Serbian ruling party official Marko Djuric said. "They can only dream that our fight is over and that their UEFA membership is definite."
UEFA backed the nation's case after resisting previous efforts by FIFA in 2012 to allow its national and club teams to play opponents from other countries.
Kosovo were permitted to play friendlies with restrictions by FIFA in 2014 and have come up against several nations since then, including Haiti and Turkey.
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci wrote on his Facebook page : "Kosovo in UEFA! The best news for countless fans in our republic. Now we will play in international championships, some games will be won some will be lost but no one will ever keep us out from green fields."
FIFA rules do not allow players to change international allegiance, but there has been speculation that the governing body could permit Kosovar players who have already represented another nation to switch nationalities.
A number of Switzerland players, such as Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri and Valon Behrami, all have Kosovar roots, as does Belgium international Adnan Januzaj.
"We have asked FIFA the question in a very direct way and we would like to receive a clear answer but before we do I can't say anything about this," UEFA legal director Alasdair Bell is quoted as saying by Reuters .
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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Join in an Organization
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Rutherford Bank Robbed Of $2,300
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The black robber – wearing a face mask, dark jacket and a hoodie -- entered the Kearny Bank (formerly Kearny Federal Savings Bank) branch at Park and West Newall avenues at 4:15 p.m., Police Chief John Russo said. He handed the teller a note with specific instructions, demanded the note back, then fled east on foot on West Newell Avenue with $2,300 in cash in a plastic bag, the chief said. No weapon was shown, he said. Rutherford detectives and the FBI were working the case. The Bergen County Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Identification collected evidence. Anyone who witnessed the holdup, saw the robber or has information that could help authorities is asked to contact Rutherford police: (201) 939-6000.
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Bank Robbery
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1975 Kjalarnes helicopter crash
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On Sunday, 17 January 1975, a Sikorsky S-55B helicopter crashed by the Hjarðarnes farm in Hvalfjörður, Iceland, while en route from Reykjavík Airport to Snæfellsnes. [1] Seven people were on board, including two crew members and five employees of RARIK, the Icelandic State Electricity company. [2] Everyone on board was killed on impact. [3] It remains the deadliest helicopter crash in Icelandic aviation history. [4]
The cause of the crash was ruled to be wind conditions at Hjarðarnes. The helicopter was also believed to have been overloaded but the investigative committee stated that the crash would have likely occurred even if it had been correctly loaded. [5]
The Sikorsky S-55B helicopter was built in 1954 and originally used by the United States Army. It was operated by Orlando Helicopter Airways from 1971 until it was sold to Þyrluflug hf. which received it on 1 January 1975. [1][6]
The pilot was 31-year old Lúðvík Karlsson, a well known aviation pioneer in Iceland. [7][8] The second crew member was Kristján S. Helgason, the director of Þyrluflug hf. [3]
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Air crash
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2010 Bangladeshi protests
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The 2010 Bangladeshi protests is a wave of garment worker's demonstrations and strikes across Bangladesh that began on 19 June, when hundreds of workers took to the streets for an 8-day strike over wages and low salaries in Ashulia and lasted for 11 days, smashing windows and burning tyres and trucks. Violent protests and street demonstrations occurred again on 30 July, when thousands rioted against low wages. 15,000 took part in the rioting and demonstrations and was mainly beaten and arrested, including 10 children. The protesters overturned vehicles, burned tyres, smashed shop windows and blocked traffic in the Bangladeshi capital's Mahakhali and Gulshan districts. Several people were injured with scores detained. On 16 August, protesters again marched and held rallies over low pay for workers, 21 were arrested and in Dhaka, demonstrators clashed with the security forces. [1][2][3][4]
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Recipe for disaster: COVID-19 and world hunger
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World hunger is soaring under the shadow of COVID-19. As many as 161 million more people faced hunger in 2020 compared to the previous year – more than the total increase over the past five years combined. Most worryingly, right now more than 41 million people are suffering emergency levels of food insecurity and/or famine-like conditions in large swathes of Africa and the Middle East. Based on current estimates, more people in the world are now dying from starvation than they are from COVID-19. While the drivers of food insecurity and hunger are inherently local – driven by their own unique combination of environmental, economic, and social shocks – there are three common ingredients in the mix, combining to create a ‘recipe for disaster’. The first ingredient is record food prices. In May 2020, global food prices reached their highest levels in a decade. Retail food prices have risen in most countries since COVID-19, but the impact has been greatest in poor countries where food accounts for a larger share of household budgets. Since the pandemic was declared – between February 2020 and July 2021 – Australian food prices rose by an average of 3.5%. This was dwarfed by food price increases in Myanmar (54%), Mozambique (38.3%), Vanuatu (30.9%), Syria (29.2%) and Timor-Leste (17.7%) – among people who could least afford it. Higher food prices are also affecting the work of humanitarian actors, with the World Food Programme forced to pay 13% more for wheat in July 2021 than it did in the previous year. The situation is particularly dire for 47 low-income countries reliant on food imports, classified by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries. These countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Ethiopia, are forecast to see food import costs jump 20% this year alone. But to what extent are these ‘price shocks’ related to COVID-19? The relationship between COVID-19 and food prices is not straightforward. On the one hand, loss of income and rising unemployment from lockdowns and movement restrictions have put downward pressure on food prices as families reduce their expenditure on food. At the same time, COVID-19 and measures to contain the virus have disrupted food supply chains, labour mobility and the availability of inputs such as seeds and fertilisers, which has affected the availability of food and increased the cost of production and transport, placing upward pressure on food prices. The second ingredient is pandemic-related job losses. The sharp rise in food prices comes as the pandemic has triggered job losses and, in turn, the ability of millions to afford nutritious food. Developing countries alone are expected to lose more than US$220 billion in income because of COVID-19. The knock-on effects of the pandemic could plunge 150 million people into extreme poverty by the end of 2021. Seven countries (including Indonesia and Samoa) have dropped entire income categories since the pandemic, according to the latest World Bank classifications. As incomes fall, so does household purchasing power. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021, three billion people (40% of the world’s population) could not afford healthy diets in 2020. A World Vision survey of more than 750 households across the Pacific and Timor-Leste in late 2020 found that one in five households had skipped meals or ate cheaper meals since COVID-19 because they could not afford a healthy diet. The situation was even worse in Asia, where World Vision’s survey of 14,000 households found that 50% of families were relying on cheaper, less nutritious food, 36% reduced their food portions, and 28% skipped meals. Based on these findings, up to 85 million households across Asia have no or limited food stocks. The third ingredient is reduced access to nutrition services. There has been a 40% reduction in the coverage of essential nutrition services in low- and middle-income countries since the pandemic, reaching 75–100% in lockdown contexts. This means that countless people are missing out on potentially life-saving early detection and treatment of malnutrition. School closures meant that 370 million children missed out on an estimated 39 billion in-school meals during the pandemic. For many children, a school meal was their most reliable source of nutritious food. Together, rising food prices, reduced incomes, and disrupted nutrition services are creating a global food emergency. The United Nations has warned that, without large-scale coordinated action, this crisis could have “consequences for health and nutrition of a severity and scale unseen for more than half a century”. One recent study concluded that, by the end of 2022, the nutrition crisis from COVID-19 could result in 13.6 million more children suffering from wasting or acute malnutrition, 2.6 million more children suffering from stunting, and 283,000 more deaths for children under five. It’s not too late to prevent the worst of this nutrition crisis. Organisations like World Vision have already ramped up responses to the hunger crisis, but a multi-sector collective response is required. The upcoming UN Food Systems Summit (23 September) presents a historic opportunity for the international community, and for the Australian Government, to recommit to equitable food systems. Australia has an opportunity to be a leading voice at the summit to build back better and fairer food systems in the wake of the pandemic. In addition to longer-term reform, immediate action is needed to provide life-saving food and cash assistance to those on the brink of famine. The Australian Government should lead by example by delivering an emergency famine prevention package to the Horn of Africa and the Middle East to prevent a crisis from turning into a catastrophe. For a more comprehensive analysis, see World Vision Australia’s report ‘Price Shocks: How COVID-19 is triggering a pandemic of child malnutrition… and how we can stop it’. Dane Moores is the Policy Manager at World Vision Australia where he oversees policy analysis and influencing on child rights, livelihoods and food security, conflict and fragility, and First Nations policy.
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Famine
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5 things to know about Point32Health
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The entity that resulted from the merger of Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care will officially be known as Point32Health, the insurers announced Wednesday. Here are things to note about the name and the organization's goals: The name is inspired "by the 32 points on a compass" and "represents the role the organization plays in guiding and empowering its members and making a meaningful impact across the health care industry," according to a press release . The health plans, which merged in January, will serve about 2.2 million members across New England. Tom Croswell, the former president and CEO of Tufts Health Plan, is Point32Health's CEO, but... Cain Hayes, the president and CEO of the Pittsburgh-headquartered managed care organization Gateway Health, plans to step into that role July 5 . Despite the new name for the parent organization, the company said both the Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim brands "will continue to appear in the marketplace for the foreseeable future."
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Organization Merge
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The Shortest Hollywood Marriages of All Time
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Romeo and Juliet weren’t the only couple to think themselves fated to be together always. Marriage vows often make mention of “’til death do us part,” and most people take that pledge seriously. That said, most people aren’t celebrities, and celebrities aren't granted the luxury of privacy, space, and a good long think when it comes to their relationship. We’re always rooting for them to work it out, but sometimes it was doomed from the start. Ahead, the shortest Hollywood marriages of all time. Married: 6 hours What Went Wrong: This classic doomed romance perhaps started the trend of fast-paced divorce. Valentino, a famous Italian actor—nicknamed "the Latin Lover"—impulsively married American actress Jean Acker in 1919. She quickly regretted the decision and locked him out of their honeymoon suite. After knocking at the door for 20 minutes, he headed home. In divorce proceedings, she claimed they never consummated their union. Married: 1 day What Went Wrong: Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor married Count Felipe de Alba of Mexico on April 14, 1983 in her eighth and penultimate marriage, and divorced him on April 15, 1983. Gabor came to discover that very same day that she was still married to her seventh husband, Beverly Hills lawyer Michael O’Hara. Married: 2 days What Went Wrong: The pop star wed her childhood sweetheart in a quick Las Vegas ceremony in January 2004. Approximately 55 hours later, the marriage was annulled. She has since referred to their union—for which she allegedly proposed—as a "joke that went too far." Funny! Married: 9 days What Went Wrong: In wedding (and quickly divorcing) the Baywatch bombshell, the Dennis Rodman managed to break the record he'd set with his previous marriage, which lasted a whopping 82 days. After a little more than a week as husband and wife in 1998, the NBA player filed for an annulment, citing fraud and an unsound mind. (His own agent even said he was "deeply intoxicated" during the nuptials.) Wonder what Carmen's excuse was? Married: 9 days What Went Wrong: In 1975, less than a week after her divorce from Sonny Bono was finalized, Cher married Gregg Allman in a Las Vegas hotel room. However, after rumors of Allman abandoning her for a drinking-and-drug binge circulated, Cher filed to dissolve the marriage nine days after their wedding. This one isn't all bad, though. The couple did reconcile a month later and decided not to divorce, had a son, Elijah Blue Allman, and put out the universally panned album Two the Hard Way two years later. The marital bliss finally came to an official close in 1979. Married: 2 weeks What Went Wrong: Perhaps marriage does change things. The couple, who had dated for six years, finally wed in April 2004 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, only to split less than two weeks later. The reason? Landry said she discovered "really strong evidence" of the Saved by the Bell star's infidelity. Married: 4 weeks What Went Wrong: The fact that each had at least two failed marriages behind them didn't stop them from tying the knot in 1964. The Broadway songstress and the Oscar winner's union, however, began unraveling during the honeymoon. Apparently, Borginine garnered more fan attention, which left Merman jealous. "By the time we got home," he once said, "it was hell on earth." How romantic. Married: 8 weeks What Went Wrong: The Saturday Night Live alum wed his model girlfriend in June 2008 in Yosemite Valley, California. "It feels real and honest, and I have more of a continuous smile than I have ever had before," he said at the time. Married: 10 weeks What Went Wrong: You'd think if you spent $10 million on a lavish wedding in which you had three costume changes and enough footage to warrant a four-hour E! television special, you'd try to make it last a little longer than a mere 72 days. That turned out to not be so. “After careful consideration, I have decided to end my marriage," Kardashian said in a statement. "I hope everyone understands this was not an easy decision. I had hoped this marriage was forever, but sometimes things don’t work out as planned. We remain friends and wish each other the best.” This, of course, led to speculation that the whole thing was one big publicity stunt, which both Kardashian and Humphries have denied. It all turned out okay in the end, though—Kim is now one-half of the duo known as Kimye. Married: Two years What Went Wrong: Berry's legal battles with her ex, Gabriel Aubry, made it difficult for the couple to carry out plans to move abroad. Martinez reportedly found Los Angeles a hard place to live (he preferred Europe) while Berry spent much of their marriage working long hours in Hollywood. Married: 2 months, 25 days What Went Wrong: In August 2004, 20-year-old Nicky Hilton made headlines when she wed New York businessman Todd Andrew Meister in a late-night Vegas wedding. Grandniece of Conrad “Nicky” Hilton Jr. (another person on this list), Nicky wore a short aqua halter-neck dress and a crystal wedding veil. The groom wore jeans. Sister Paris, then 23, served as a bridesmaid in a pink dress. Nicole Richie and Bijou Phillips also attended the spontaneous nuptials. Meister and Hilton dissolved the marriage after three months, mostly because they were bi-coastal and because (we're guessing) they'd woken up and just said, “Hey, let’s get married today!” Married: 3 months What Went Wrong: Maybe Elvis' daughter finally learned her lesson? Following their split in 2002, Presley—who was also wed to Michael Jackson for only 20 months—called it "a big mistake," adding, "I'm sad about this, but we should not have been married in the first place." Married: 3 months, 29 days What Went Wrong: The pair married on a yacht in July of 2006 and Anderson filed for divorce in November of 2006. A quick turnaround, right? The reason for the split has never been confirmed—rumors of Kid Rock being upset about Anderson’s appearance in Borat swirled—though they have confirmed that they haven’t spoken since their split. Married: 4 months What Went Wrong: The actress and the country singer seemed like an unlikely pair, but after only four months of dating, they got hitched in a small ceremony on the Caribbean island of St. John in May 2005. Their split was less unlikely, but more confusing. In a joint statement, the couple said, "The miscommunication of the objective of their marriage at the start is the only reason for this annulment." Zellweger later even forgot it happened. When asked, the Oscar-winner told The Advocate, "I forgot about that. It’s a pretty big thing to forget, isn’t it?" Married: 4 months What Went Wrong: J.Lo married the celebrity choreographer in September 2001, but by January they were through. She told Us Weekly that "his love is what I need most of all" just weeks before their marriage ended. Judd reportedly pocketed $15 million in the split, and Lopez accepted a 6.1-carat pink diamond engagement ring from Ben Affleck five months before the divorce was finalized. (And we all know how that turned out...) Married: 4 months What Went Wrong: The Irish playboy never seemed like one to settle down, and he proved that shortly after marrying the 19-year-old actress (he was 25 at the time) in Bora Bora. Although he has a lasting reminder of his bride—in the form of a tattoo that says "Millie" on his ring finger—the marriage was easily dissolved, as it wasn't legally binding. Married: 5 months What Went Wrong: Before the Hangover stud really hit it big, he proposed to Jennifer Esposito in October 2006 and married her in late December. According to his publicist, the breakup was mutual and they'd actually "been separated for quite a while" before the five-month mark. Married: 5 months What Went Wrong: The two met on the set of their CW show One Tree Hill and, shortly after exchanging handwritten vows in April 2005, had to deal with the pains of working with an ex. "I can't say there are no hard feelings," Bush told Us Weekly. "I feel hurt, humiliated, and brokenhearted." The pair's relationship both personally and professionally never recovered—they even refueled their beef last summer when Bush told Andy Cohen she felt "pressured" to marry Murray and Murray...let's just say Murray didn't like that assessment. Married: 5 months What Went Wrong: After two years of dating, the pair married in July 2001, but separated in November 2001. The marriage seemed doomed to fail from the jump—we don't know what caused the breakdown of their relationship, but surely the comedian's testicular cancer diagnosis and the fire that destroyed Barrymore's home didn't help matters much. This isn't Barrymore's shortest marriage, either: The actress wed bartender Jeremy Thomas when she was just 19 years old, and their relationship lasted just 12 weeks in total. Married: 5 months What Went Wrong: In 1993, the Beverly Hills, 90210 star married the son of actor George Hamilton in a DIY ceremony—the 22-year-old barefoot bride wore a silk bathrobe down the aisle—after a two-week courtship. The marriage came to a screeching halt when Hamilton accused the actress of threatening him with a pistol. Married: 6 months, 4 days What Went Wrong: The Teen Wolf actor and the artistic director were set up by Serena Williams and had a storybook romance: a meet-cute in an airport, passed notes on an airplane, an engagement featuring Cher, and a rose-filled wedding officiated by Kris Jenner. Then it was over as quickly as it started. In April 2018, six months after their nuptials, Haynes deleted several photos of the pair from his Instagram, and stopped using his married name, “Haynes-Leatham.” Married: 14 months What Went Wrong: Rose has gone on the record saying that rushing to the altar may have been the reason for her and Wiz's short-lived marriage. The two share time together with their son, Sebastian. Married: 6 months, 21 days What Went Wrong: It was basically destiny for these two, but their quick marriage resulted in a scandal. According to Taylor, the marriage was basically over by the time they’d returned from their two-week honeymoon, and their entire marriage from wedding to divorce, lasted 205 days. But it didn’t deter Taylor whatsoever—Hilton was just the first of Taylor’s eventual nine marriages. Married: 7 months, 3 days What Went Wrong: Can you believe it, girls, it was about Tom all along! In August of 2017, Luann DeLesseps of The Real Housewives of New York City announced she and her husband of seven months, Tom D’Agostino, were divorcing. Their whirlwind relationship was captured by the Housewives cameras before they got married on New Year's Eve 2016 in Palm Beach, Florida, but the pair just couldn’t make it past the trouble in their marriage. After being confronted with multiple rumors of Tom’s infidelity (even before the wedding) and a report that Luann had slapped Tom at a restaurant in New York City, Luann’s “passionate love affair” came to a quick end. Married: 2 months, 7 days (first marriage); 5 months, 22 days (second marriage); 7 months, 29 days (total) What Went Wrong: This one’s a double-whammy because these two made it down the aisle twice, and it didn’t work out…twice. The first go-around, the pair wed on October 6, 2007, between Anderson’s 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. performances in Hans Klok's The Beauty of Magic at the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas. No, really. They basically got married during intermission. In December 2007, Anderson annulled the marriage after 68 days. However, the pair reconciled multiple times in the following years, and married for a second time in January 2014, only for it all to fall apart 173 days later. Their second separation was much worse than the first—the pair accused the other of fraud—and they wound up apologizing to their families for the public nature of their divorce. Married: 8 months, 1 day What Went Wrong: Fred Armisen and Elisabeth Moss met when Moss stepped in as a last-minute replacement for Amy Poehler on Saturday Night Live on October 25, 2008, and married a year to the day later…only to break up after just eight months. Moss filed for divorce in September 2010. Moss has gone on record saying the relationship was “extremely traumatic and awful and horrible,” and “one of the greatest things I heard someone say about him is, ‘He’s so great at doing impersonations, but the greatest impersonation he does is that of a normal person.’” Married: 11 months What Went Wrong: We don’t know a ton about this one, but we do know it went downhill rather rapidly, and it wasn’t pretty. After a January 2014 wedding that was kept secret for months, Pacheco filed for divorce in December, citing irreconcilable differences. Pacheco asked Renner to return the passport, birth certificate, and social security card he allegedly kept from her, as well as physical custody of their daughter, Ava Berlin, who had been born in March 2013. They settled the terms of the divorce, and Ava frequently makes appearances on Renner’s Instagram. Married: 274 days What Went Wrong: Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe share a kiss following their marriage ceremony in a judge's chambers in San Francisco, California. The tumultuous relationship between the New York Yankee and starlet ended in a flash, with Monroe citing "mental cruelty" as the basis for their divorce. Married: 3 years What Went Wrong: Johansson and Reynolds wed in 2008 and divorced three short years later in 2011. Married at the the young age of 23, Johansson explains that her marriage to Reynolds may have been more lust than love. The two had an amiable breakup, announcing in a statement that they still had "love and kindness" for one another. Married: 14 months What Went Wrong: Brandt blamed busy Hollywood schedules for the demise of his marriage to singer, Katy Perry. Friends of the then-couple have reportedly said that the warning signs were imminent before the couple ever got hitched, with Brandt a notorious party boy and Perry 10 years his junior.
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Famous Person - Marriage
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Newcrest Cadia mine's dust report triggers community health investigation request
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Three years after its tailings dam wall collapsed in the NSW Central West, Newcrest's Cadia Valley Operations — the world's second largest gold mine — has released their report into tailings dust environmental health impacts.
The report, titled Tailings dust environmental health assessment and monitoring study review, released this month, sought to assure employees and those living in the mine's neighbourhood that dust lift from the CVO tailings dams posed no risk to public health.
It did this, despite acknowledging the presence of efflorescent salts and regular exceedances of particulate matter (PM)2.5, prompting the community to seek expert advice.
"The Cadia District Protection Group approached independent expert Dora Pearce on the epidemiological impacts of dust emanating from mine waste," mine neighbour Frances Retallack said.
Dora Pearce is a recently retired environmental epidemiologist whose doctoral research investigated the link between soil arsenic concentration and cancer incidence in the Victorian goldfields.
In her experience with mine waste, she said the presence of efflorescent salts was a serious cause for concern.
Efflorescent salts occur on gold mine tailings dams when tailings dry out.
Once any residual moisture evaporates from tailings, a crust of very fine particulate matter can appear on the surface of the tailings, known as efflorescent salts.
Especially subject to wind erosion due to their superfine appearance, efflorescent salts are also likely to be highly concentrated.
"Even when the total metal concentration in tailings is relatively low, a study by Meza-Figueroa et al. in 2009 demonstrated that efflorescent salts accumulated some metals to alarming concentrations," Dr Pearce said.
Since Cadia Valley Operations' northern tailings storage facility embankment slumped in 2018, tailings have been permitted to dry out, given they are no longer contained.
The embankment slump has also coincided with white dust events in the Cadia and Errowanbang valleys, flanking the mine — something the report confirms was likely related.
"Approximately 10 to 20 wt% of deposited dust reporting to DDGs [dust deposit gauges] was in a soluble form, consistent with a theory that highly soluble efflorescent [surface] materials from the tailings would be the most likely to be mobilised as dust in windy conditions and travel the furthest," the report said.
"This suggests, at least to some extent, that deposited dust is influenced by tailings dust."
For Dr Pearce, the dust's white appearance and a resident requiring medical treatment after direct exposure, was cause for serious concern.
"People may be breathing in very fine efflorescent salt particles which are likely to contain elevated concentrations of potentially toxic elements."
The report notes the presence of "highly soluble efflorescent [surface] materials"; that is, particles that dissolve easily on contact with wet surfaces.
For this reason, the report focused on any impact the dust lift might have had on water quality in the mine neighbourhood, such as dams and rainwater tanks.
However, it does not address any respiratory implications of inhaling efflorescent salts.
"Lung linings are wet, corneas are wet. The solubility of these airborne particles increases the risk of pulmonary and eye irritation," Dr Pearce said.
When asked if efflorescent salts were known to cause respiratory complications, the report's author, Paul Harrison, said they could.
"I guess; yes, that would be true," Mr Harrison said.
"But I guess the issue is, for respiratory impact, it doesn't have to be soluble."
Dr Pearce said: "Dust emissions offsite from mining operations are known to have the potential to adversely impact the health and wellbeing of exposed communities."
"But disease severity can also be affected by the solubility, chemical characteristics and size of inhaled particles."
Mr Harrison told the ABC that tailings samples taken for the report fell within health guidelines for chemical components.
"There's nothing particularly toxic about them," Mr Harrison said.
"The results are all very low for metal contaminants."
In the report, a company called Earth Systems provided Newcrest with a sampling protocol for the tailings, including taking five bulk samples from each tailings dam and a minimum of three efflorescence-rich samples from each tailings dam surface.
It also prescribed two windblown dust samples be taken adjacent to each tailings dam.
Overall, Earth Systems recommended a total of 16 tailings samples be taken and analysed.
Only eight were taken by Newcrest staff. Of these eight, only two were surface samples.
For Dr Pearce, these deviations from Earth System's prescribed sampling strategy were intensely problematic.
"How can representativeness of tailings dust, particularly in regards to efflorescence, be justified?" Dr Pearce said.
Inconsistencies between tabulated monitor names and mapped locations of monitors also appear in the report, raising concern over accuracy for both Dr Pearce and those living in the mine neighbourhood.
"Comprehensive and precise dust monitoring data is crucial if the environmental health impact of offsite dust emissions is to be correctly interpreted," Dr Pearce explains.
Monitors – both deposited dust gauges and particulate matter monitors known as TEOMs, were referred to by locations that did not match either their actual geographic location or their listed identification tags.
"Fundamentally, Dr Pearce's point is that the data on which conclusions have been based is flawed from a scientific perspective," resident Mrs Retallack said.
The risk to those living in the mine neighbourhood broadly revolves around exposure to three factors – particulate matter (PM)10, PM2.5 and respirable crystalline silica (RCS).
Despite the report being written to "address community concerns", only one community site was monitored for PM2.5 – and only as an indirect consequence of monitoring for the known lung carcinogen RCS.
As with the tailings, an independent consultant prescribed the sampling protocol for RCS — in this case a company called Todorokski Air Sciences.
However, sampling was not carried out at the two community air monitoring sites recommended by Todoroski, but at other sites chosen by Newcrest.
Exceedances of annual air quality criterion for PM2.5 were frequently observed from July to December 2020 and while the annual criterion for RCS wasn't exceeded during the period, it was elevated as a percentage of the PM10 fraction of tailings samples.
For landholders living in the valleys flanking the mine, the monitor and sampling anomalies, as well as limited or selective in-situ community monitors was further evidence Newcrest was failing to take the environmental health impact of the dust events seriously.
"Ongoing refusal to measure PM2.5, coupled with obfuscation regarding efflorescence only rings more alarms," Mrs Retallack said.
"Our resolve is strengthened to keep pushing for proper dust monitoring, particularly PM2.5."
Following the release of the report, the Cadia and District Protection Group lodged a request for an environmental health impact assessment with NSW Health.
For Errowanbang resident Gem Green, it was about getting a bigger picture.
"There are 280 landholders that are known to be receptors of dust by Newcrest," Mrs Green said.
"When you know of a few neighbours with upper respiratory challenges and a significant number of locals who have experienced cancer in the last three years, there are pertinent questions that warrant investigation from a community health point of view.
"This is about community advocacy."
The move is supported by Dr Pearce, who said the mine's report failed to prove there was no risk to the community's environmental health, given the limited data.
"The commencement of analysis of metals concentrations in PM10 in April 2020, and PM2.5 and RCS concentrations in July 2020, has delayed the availability of environmental health data required to protect the potentially exposed community and instigate mitigation measures," Dr Pearce said.
Dr Pearce believes it should not be the responsibility of a community to ask for environmental studies.
"Requesting a community environmental health assessment is a huge task for a community," Dr Pearce said.
"Surely, social and environmental accountability must be prioritised by the mining company and regulatory government agencies."
Newcrest's Cadia Valley Operations provided the following statement to the ABC in response to an interview request:
"In 2019, Cadia commissioned a tailings dust environmental health assessment and monitoring study review [the Study] through Serinus Health Safety and Environment consultants. The Study required the collection of data over a nominated period, then an extensive assessment and review process, before the public release of the Study in July 2021.
The Study has been developed by reputable, independent specialists who are considered experts in their field. It is a compilation of studies, with the final report peer reviewed, evaluated and consolidated into one final document [referenced as 'The Study'].
While the Study is a highly technical report, it concludes that based on the data and information available from the Study, and the ambient dust levels measured by the Study, there is no current evidence to suggest that dust from the CVO tailings storage facilities or emissions from the mine ventilation system pose a health risk to the community.
The Study has been released publicly, along with a fact sheet which provides a high level summary of the Study's findings. We have also presented the outcomes of the Study at two community meetings over the past six months, where Paul Harrison, the author of the primary Study, presents his findings.
The Study also details a series of recommendations, which has been welcomed by Cadia. Based on these recommendations, we will continue our monitoring program, particularly focussing on ambient air quality sampling around the operation. We will continue to provide regular updates on dust management activities to the community.
We continue to welcome the opportunity to discuss the Study and its findings with the community through our regular community consultation meetings, and at the request of our community members."
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Environment Pollution
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United States announces withdrawal from UNESCO
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WASHINGTON -- With President Reagan's approval, the State Department Thursday formally announced U.S. withdrawal at the end of 1984 from UNESCO because of its 'hostility toward the basic institutions of a free society.' State Department spokesman Alan Romberg read a prepared statement that said the decision was made after a six-month policy review of U.S. membership in the Paris-based U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 'Now, at the conclusion of that review, we have concluded that continued U.S. participation in UNESCO does not serve the interests of the United States,' the statement said. 'The decision to withdraw was made by President Reagan on the recommendation of' Secretary of State George Shultz, the statement said. 'That recommendation was based upon our experience that UNESCO has extraneously politicized virtually every subject it deals with; has exhibited hostility toward the basic institutions of a free society, especially the free market and the free press; and has demonstrated unrestrained budgetary expansion.' The United States and other western countries particularly oppose UNESCO proposals for a New World Information Order, developed in response to objections from Third World nations about reporting from developing countries. The western opposition centers on authority the plan would give governments to control the press, particularly in those states that have government-owned news agencies. The proposal calls for an international licensing system for journalists, controlled by UNESCO and member governments. Advertisement Romberg declined to say whether the decision could be reversed if changes are made in UNESCO during the coming year. Asked if the withdrawal means the United States no longer is interested in the United Nations, Romberg replied, 'That would be an incorrect conclusion.' The decision to withdraw from UNESCO is not unprecedented. In 1977, during the Carter administration, the United States withdrew from the U.N. International Labor Organization because it was 'too politicized,' but rejoined in 1980 after reforms were carried out. UNESCO has grown enormously since its founding in 1946. Even since 1978, its budget has increased from $112.2 million to the 1984 figure of $374.4 million, and staff increased from 2,380 to 3,658. Only the United States, of the 160 members, vetoed the new budget but still will pay its one-fourth share of the total for the next year. Romberg said that on Wednesday, Ambassador Jean Gerard, the U.S. representative to UNESCO in Paris, notified Amadou Mahtar Mbow of Senegal, the organization's director general, of the impending U.S. withdrawal. U.N. rules require a member give a full year's notice of withdrawal from any agency. If nothing happens before Dec. 31, 1984, to change the decision, the United States will be out of UNESCO. Advertisement But the State Department said that, even from outside that organization, the United States 'will continue to further international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication that UNESCO was originally created to promote.' 'With regret,' the statement said, 'we have been forced to conclude that we are not now able to effect the major changes in UNESCO that would permit us to continue to participate as a member. 'Other means of cooperation between governments, however, and various forms of private sector activity also, can serve UNESCO's original objectives. To them we will give our support.' Harold W. Andersen, chairman of the World Press Freedom Committee and president of the Omaha World-Herald, said, 'There have been serious problems at UNESCO. We hope this sends an important message, which, if heeded, might make such a withdrawal unnecessary.' Andersen added his organization will continue to monitor communications issues at UNESCO.
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Withdraw from an Organization
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Marion County's The Centers target of merger deal with Daytona's SMA Healthcare
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After a brief courtship, Daytona Beach-based SMA Healthcare and The Centers announced they plan to merge, potentially forming a six-county strong behavioral health agency. Earlier this year, SMA and The Centers began low-level talks of a possible merger. But after the resignation of The Centers' CEO in September, merger talks cranked up. Dr. Donald Baracskay left the post citing personal reasons after less than three years at the helm of the organization that offers services in Marion and Citrus counties. Despite the announcement, officials warn the process is not complete and if successful probably won't happen before July 1, 2021, the start of their fiscal year. Both organization's boards of directors voted to move forward with the merger in early December. Study: Pandemic could push suicide, drug deaths as high as 150k SMA offers services in Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties. “By working with The Centers, SMA Healthcare will be able to further expand and improve the behavioral health services offered in Central Florida,” said SMA CEO Ivan Cosimi in a prepared statement. The expected merger will not affect the services The Centers is offering at Beacon Point, a campus offering comprehensive drug addiction and mental health treatment, said Curt Bromund, Marion County Hospital District CEO. Beacon Point is an initiative of the hospital district that brings several different providers to one location offering a suite of services to those struggling with drug abuse. "I have been in constant communication with Ivan Cosimi. They know what we are looking for. If they were to take over services it would be seamless," Bromund said. The Centers offers no-cost medication-assisted treatment (MAT) at Beacon Point as well as life stabilization services. The MAT services offer medication that helps with opioid cravings and also blocks their effects. The program is funded through Lutheran Services Florida Health Systems, which oversees the distribution of state and federal funds to more than 50 providers in 23 counties, including Marion. Bromund said SMA comes with a strong reputation. "I met SMAs top management team and I'm impressed with their outcomes in other counties. They have a strong management team," he said. "Their methodologies for evaluating what services are provided are grounded very methodically. That's something we always focus on, outputs and outcomes, and they seem to be in line with how we like to see data." Founded in 1972 as Marion-Citrus Mental Health Center, The Centers remains central to the organization's mission and has its headquarters at 5664 SW 60th Ave. In 2013, the organization announced it would merge with Leesburg-based LifeStream Behavioral Center and Gainesville-based Meridian Behavioral Healthcare. However, that deal fell through. The Centers currently employs more than 400 people, sees about 15,000 clients each year, and has a budget of more than $25 million. SMA dates back to 1960, when the Stewart Marchman Center and Act Corporation combined to form Stewart Marchman-Act.
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Organization Merge
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1997 Punitaqui earthquake
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The 1997 Punitaqui earthquake occurred at 01:03 UTC on October 15. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.1 Mwc. This earthquake was one of the most destructive in the epicentral area compared to other events of subduction of the same size. The extensive damage to structures was the result of an amplification effect on the ground and the poor quality of building materials, this reflects the potential for damage incurred in an intraplate earthquake with vertical fault and how it can be much greater than what which can cause one of interplate of similar magnitude, and caused severe damage in Chilean cities of La Serena, Ovalle, Illapel and Punitaqui. [1]
Chile lies above the convergent plate boundary where the Nazca Plate is subducting beneath the South American Plate, at a location where they converge at a rate of seventy millimeters a year. This quake was an oceanic interplate type, occurred in the downgoing slab of the Nazca Plate and not on the interface between the two plates. This event took place under the area of Chile, between 27° and 33° S, where the slab is nearly horizontal and there is a high degree of mechanical coupling between the plates. The October earthquake occurred in the area of the plate interface that ruptured during the 1943 Ovalle earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.9–8.3 Mw . Other major earthquakes have occurred in the same area like the Valparaíso earthquake of August 1730, of 9.2 Mw and the 1880 Illapel earthquake which registered a magnitude of 8.8 Mw . This entire segment is delimited by the rupture zones of 1965 and 1971 in Aconcagua and 1906 in Valparaíso to the south, while to the north by the 1922 rupture in the Atacama Region. Punitaqui was practically demolished by the quake, which reached an VIII-magnitude seismic Mercalli. Damage ranged from as far north as the Antofagasta Region to the southern Araucanía Region. In Santiago, the quake felt undulating because of the distance from the epicenter. Both Santiago and Valparaíso regions lost telephone service and radio transmission. In La Serena, hysteria broke out, and people went into the streets as a precaution. The quake left 8 people dead, 160 injured and 10,913 homeless, concentrating most of those in the provinces of Elqui and Limarí. [2]
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Earthquakes
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1981 Major League Baseball strike
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The 1981 Major League Baseball strike was the first work stoppage in Major League Baseball since the 1972 Major League Baseball strike that resulted in regular season games being cancelled. Overall, it was the fourth work stoppage since 1972, but actions in 1973, 1976, and 1980 did not result in any regular season games being cancelled. [1] The strike began on June 12 and forced the cancellation of 713 games (or 38 percent of the Major League schedule) in the middle of the regular season. The two sides reached an agreement on July 31, and play resumed on August 9 with the All-Star Game, with regular season play resuming one day later. An estimated US$146 million was lost in player salaries, ticket sales, broadcast revenues, and concession revenues. The players lost $4 million a week in salaries while the owners suffered a total loss of $72 million. The Executive Board of the Major League Baseball Players Association voted unanimously to strike on May 29 due to the unresolved issue of free agent compensation. The deadline was extended briefly, however, after the Players' Association's unfair labor complaint was heard by the National Labor Relations Board. The strike was called in response to the owners wanting to win back the prerogatives over the players. The owners had already lost at the bargaining table and in the courts on the issue of the free agency draft. At issue during the seven-week-long negotiations was the owners demanding compensation for losing a free agent player to another team. The compensation in question was a player who was selected from the signing team's roster (not including 12 "protected" players). The players maintained that any form of compensation would undermine the value of free agency. Although the strike was called by the players, many sportswriters and even fans placed most of the blame on the owners. Sports Illustrated reflected this particular opinion with the cover headline "Strike! The Walkout the Owners Provoked." One of the reasons the owners doled out such hefty contracts from 1978–1981 (43 players each negotiated contracts worth over $1 million during this period) was that they were afraid of losing disgruntled stars in the free agency reentry draft. So the owners paid their players the so-called new going rate in order to keep them from going elsewhere. Jim Palmer observed the impact of arbitrators on the strike. "They [the owners] wanted an end to binding arbitration where the player picks a salary number (a high one) and the owners pick a number (yes, a low one) and the arbitrator has to choose one number or the other and nothing in between. So, since the owners kept paying more and more to mediocre players, the averages kept going up and the arbitrators looked at the averages and usually went with the player's number, which raised the average some more. "[2] He cited as an example of this trend Ed Farmer, an "okay player" who got his salary raised from $70,000 in 1980 to $495,000 in 1981 after an arbitrator sided with him. "The averages keep climbing. "[3]
Palmer also noted the owners' desire to save money. "They said they just didn't have any more money...fast-forward thirteen years and the highest paid players in the game, guys like Cal Ripken Jr. and Kirby Puckett, are now making $6 million a year. Ten times what I made. Where do you suppose the owners who didn't have any more money got that extra $5 million? Lotto? "[4] He faulted both sides for the strike. "The players said it was about freedom. The owners said it was about fairness. The bottom line was it was about the bottom line. "[4]
Reporters used Strat-O-Matic to simulate the delayed 1981 All-Star game inside Cleveland Stadium, with the scoreboard displaying the game's progress; the Strat-O-Matic set went to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Some newspapers used Strat-O-Matic to simulate other canceled games during the strike. [5]
On July 31, 1981, a compromise was reached. In the settlement, teams that lost a "premium" free agent could be compensated by drawing from a pool of players left unprotected from all of the clubs rather than just the signing club. Players agree to restricting free agency to players with six or more years of major league service. [1] The settlement gave the owners a limited victory on the compensation issue. Reportedly, the negotiations were so bitter that when a settlement was finally reached, Players Association representative Marvin Miller and the owners' negotiator Ray Grebey refused to pose with each other for the traditional "peace ceremony" photograph. Major League Baseball resumed on August 9 with the All-Star Game in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. The All-Star Game, which was originally scheduled to be held on July 14, now served as a prelude to play resuming on August 10. The National League beat the American League 5-4. When play resumed, attendance dropped in 17 of 24 cities and television ratings slumped sharply. Despite the disgruntled fans, the All-Star Game, which was played on a Sunday instead of the usual Tuesday, had its largest attendance (72,086), due to the large seating capacity of Municipal Stadium. Due to the two-month strike, the owners tried to create an equitable solution. So on August 6, the owners decided to split the 1981 season into two halves, with the first-place teams from each half in each division (or a wild card team if the same club won both halves) meeting in a best-of-five divisional playoff series (this playoff round, known as the League Division Series was a one-off for this season; it was not until 13 years later in 1994 that the LDS round would become permanent in MLB [it was first played in 1995, as the 1994 season was ended due to another strike], when the league introduced the three-division format). The four survivors would then move on to the two best-of-five League Championship Series. It was the first time that Major League Baseball used a split-season format since 1892. The split-season idea as put into practice (although garnering the league more playoff revenue) seemed to cheapen the results of the regular season. As first proposed, if a team won its division in both halves of the season, then it would play the team with the second best record overall (first and second half).
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Strike
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Harris Fire
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The Harris Fire was a major wildfire in southern San Diego County that began on October 21, 2007, which burned 90,440 acres (366.0 km2) in southeastern San Diego County before it was contained on November 5. Hotspots persisted until the fire was extinguished on November 16, making the Harris Fire the last of the October 2007 California wildfires to be extinguished. [2] As the Harris Fire burned, it traveled in a northwest direction from its starting point at Harris Ranch Road in the town of Potrero, located in the far south of San Diego County, near Tecate, Mexico. The wildfire was the second-largest one of the October 2007 California wildfires, behind only the Witch Fire. [1] The cause of the Harris Fire is unknown. [1] The Harris Fire was the deadliest one of the October 2007 wildfires, killing eight people. [3]
At 9:23 AM PDT on October 21, 2007, the Harris Fire ignited in Potrero, southeastern San Diego County, near the Mexican border. [1]
On October 23, the fire approached eastern Chula Vista. [4]
The fire resulted in the evacuation of some nearby communities, with evacuation centers set up at a nearby high school and a community center. [5]
Thomas James Varshock, 52, of Potrero, died on his property during the Harris Fire on Sunday. His teenage son suffered burn injuries, along with four firefighters of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, who had attempted to rescue them. [6] The fire may also have led to the deaths of four illegal aliens near the U.S.–Mexico border. [7] An estimated 1,210 firefighters battled this fire. [8]
The Harris Fire also burned into northern Mexico, near the city of Tecate. [9]
On November 5, 2007, the Harris Fire was 100% contained. [3] Hotspots persisted within the perimeter of the fire until November 16, when the last hotspot was finally extinguished. [2]
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Fire
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Gaulden was released
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The judge made the ruling from the bench, but Gaulden remained in custody over the weekend because he was still the subject of a hold in California related to the firearm found in the back of a car when he was arrested in Los Angeles in March. When Gaulden appeared before the U.S. Magistrate Judge Tuesday, federal prosecutors said their colleagues in the Central District of California decided not seek further detention, Findling said. Gaulden was released after posting the first $500,000 of his bail. “I’m extremely overwhelmed with gratitude at the result of last week’s hearing and think this was the just decision,” Findling said. The elaborate plan presented in court last week involved Gaulden moving to his residence in Layton, Utah, and paying a private security firm staffed with ex-military to enforce his home detention. The lawyers brought in a woman named Kyrie Oliver who testified that she met YoungBoy while working at a Baton Rouge school and struck up a mentoring relationship with him. Oliver told the court that if it granted YoungBoy bond, she would assist in keeping an eye on him. In a motion obtained by Rolling Stone, prosecutors took aim at Oliver’s testimony, saying Gaulden had paid Oliver nearly $600,000 between January 4th and February 1st for “celebrity assistant” services. They argued the large sum of money “calls into question her suitability to serve as a quasi-custodian” for YoungBoy because challenging him “would risk her and her family losing a substantial financial pipeline.” Prosecutors posed a similar conflict-of-interest argument related to the proposed security firm Bedrock, saying the company stood to earn $21,000 a week for its services. They also urged the court to discount the sympathetic testimony from Atlantic Records Chairwoman Julie Greenwald, saying her company “has more than a $2 million investment” in YoungBoy and intends to build him a home studio. The court allowed the defense to respond Friday and ultimately ruled in Gaulden’s favor. A federal grand jury indicted the “Outside Today” rapper in March, charging him with being a felon in possession of an unregistered Masterpiece Arms 9 mm and a .45 caliber Glock Model 21 pistol when he was arrested September 28th, 2020, by Baton Rouge police before jurisdiction in the case was transferred to federal officials. YoungBoy’s lawyers claim he was the victim of a targeted “dragnet” involving a disputed 911 call about a group of people gathered outside his grandfather’s house shortly before his arrest. Less than two weeks after he was indicted, YoungBoy was arrested in Los Angeles and returned to Louisiana. Findling said Gaulden agreed Tuesday to appear in court for future hearings in his Los Angeles and Baton Rouge cases. Once out of custody, the 21-year-old streaming sensation is expected to continue making music at his home studio in Utah. His most recent album, Sincerely, Kentrell, became his fourth to hit Number One on the Billboard 200 chart and knocked Drake’s Certified Lover Boy out of the top spot last month with more than 186 million on-demand streams, according to Billboard .
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Release
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Volcano erupts near Iceland's capital
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COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - A volcano erupted near Iceland’s capital Reykjavik on Friday, shooting lava high into the night sky after thousands of small earthquakes in recent weeks. The eruption occurred near Fagradalsfjall, a mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula, around 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the capital. Some four hours after the initial eruption at 2045 GMT - the first on the peninsula since the 12th century - lava covered about one square kilometer or nearly 200 football fields. “I can see the glowing red sky from my window,” said Rannveig Gudmundsdottir, resident in the town of Grindavik, only 8 km (5 miles) from the eruption. “Everyone here is getting into their cars to drive up there,” she said. More than 40,000 earthquakes have occurred on the peninsula in the past four weeks, a huge jump from the 1,000-3,000 earthquakes registered each year since 2014. The eruption posed no immediate danger to people in Grindavik or to critical infrastructure, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), which classified the eruption as small. A fissure 500 to 750 meters (547 to 820 yards) long opened at the eruption site, spewing lava fountains up to 100 meters (110 yards) high, Bjarki Friis of the meteorological office said. Residents in the town of Thorlakshofn, east of the eruption site, were told to stay indoors to avoid exposure to volcanic gases, Iceland’s Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management said. The wind was blowing from the west. Unlike the eruption in 2010 of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which halted approximately 100,000 flights and forced hundreds of Icelanders from their homes, this eruption is not expected to spew much ash or smoke into the atmosphere. Located between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates, among the largest on the planet, Iceland is a seismic and volcanic hot spot as the two plates move in opposite directions. The source of the eruption is a large body of molten rock, known as magma, which has pushed its way to the surface over the past weeks, instigating the earthquakes. The number of quakes had slowed down in recent days, however, leading geologists to say that an eruption would be less likely. Reykjavik’s international Keflavik airport was not closed following the eruption, but each airline had to decide if it wanted to fly or not, IMO said. Arrivals and departures on the airport’s website showed no disruptions.
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Volcano Eruption
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A violent offender who stalked his ex-partner has had his home-detention sentence slashed in half on appeal
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Otago Daily Times By Rob Kidd A violent offender who stalked his ex-partner has had his home-detention sentence slashed in half on appeal. Joshua William Moffatt, 40, of Dunedin, received a nine-month term when he was sentenced in August on two charges of trespass and two of assault in a family relationship. Counsel Sarah Saunderson-Warner argued Judge David Robinson had failed to give her client credit for a range of mitigating factors and the Crown conceded the end sentence had been manifestly excessive. Justice Rachel Dunningham agreed and replaced the sentence with one of four months' home detention. In 2019, Moffatt was sentenced to community work and intensive supervision after repeatedly showing up at his partner's home and berating her. When she shunned him, during one seven-hour period, he bombarded her with 17 calls and 87 text messages; and he continued trying to reach her when she left the country for a holiday. Despite Moffatt being barred from contacting her and trespassed from her property in July 2020, in just days he transgressed. Twice in August he peered through the kitchen window, the second time only leaving on hearing the victim calling police. By May this year, Moffatt was having a relationship with another woman, but things swiftly deteriorated. After an argument, he pushed the woman across the kitchen, sending her to the floor; then a week later he held her in a headlock for several minutes while he drove. At a restorative justice conference, Moffatt apologised to the victim and expressed remorse, the court heard. "I also accept that Mr Moffatt has been making significant strides towards his rehabilitation," Justice Dunningham said. "During his time on electronically monitored bail he conducted himself well, he had engaged with his GP, had attended an assessment for a Stopping Violence programme ... and had obtained his forklift ticket which boded well for his future employment." That, she said, had not been factored into sentencing by Judge Robinson. How to get help If you're in danger now: • Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours or friends to ring for you. • Run outside and head for where there are other people. Scream for help so your neighbours can hear you. • Take the children with you. Don't stop to get anything else. • If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay. Advertisement Where to go for help or more information: • Women's Refuge: Crisis line - 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843 (available 24/7) • Shine: Helpline - 0508 744 633 (available 24/7) • It's Not Ok: Family violence information line - 0800 456 450 • Shakti: Specialist services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and children. Crisis line - 0800 742 584 (available 24/7) • Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga: National Network of Family Violence Services • White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence
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Great Ellensburg Fire
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The Great Ellensburg Fire, also known as the Independence Day Fire, was a fire that destroyed homes and the business district of Ellensburg in 1889,[1] during the same summer that major fires damaged Spokane, Vancouver, and Seattle, all major cities in the Washington Territory. [2]
The fire began on July 4 in the late evening. [3] The flames were first noticed by people attending a Knights of Pythias dance at the Johnson House Hotel. [4]
The fire department responded promptly, but strong northeast winds prevented them from halting the advance of the conflagration. [5]
The fire lasted from 10:30 P.M. to 3:30 A.M. the next morning,[4] and destroyed over 200 homes and buildings, including 10 blocks in the heart of the city of 4,000. [6] Nearly half of the destroyed buildings had been constructed in the previous two years. Observers who had toured Seattle after its recent fire said the Ellensburg fire destroyed more property in less space. Losses were estimated to be more than $2,000,000 (equivalent to $52,084,906 in 2018). [7][8]
The sole surviving building in the downtown area was the Lynch block. [4] Built by John Nash in 1888 for $20,000, it is still standing. [9] The city courthouse survived, being upwind from the flames. [4] The city rebuilt the downtown area rapidly in the following months. [10]
The timing led to suspicion that it was related to the holiday fireworks,[11] although the owner of the grocery store where the fire began speculated that it was started by Indians in revenge for a white man beating an Indian woman. [8] A contemporary news account claimed local citizens found red cards with "You have no pity – we show no mercy" written on them in their yards the next morning. The director of the Kittitas County Historical Museum says the list of possible causes for the fire includes "errant fireworks, insurance fraud, faulty electric lights, striking miners, vagrants displaced by the Seattle fire, disgruntled Native Americans, disgruntled Chinese, even a disgruntled circus that had tried and failed to set up their tent on the edge of town in the high winds that were blowing that day. "[12]
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Fire
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Ramsgate boy who swallowed magnets needed surgery at Evelina London Children's Hospital
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A dad is warning other parents not to buy toys with magnets after his son swallowed them and ended up requiring surgery. Two-year-old Jimmy Bui, from Ramsgate, had to be taken to Evelina London Children's Hospital for the operation and spent three weeks recovering there. Two-year-old Jimmy Bui, from Ramsgate, required open surgery in June after swallowing three fridge magnets. His dad Hung Bui said: “Jimmy swallowed tiny magnets used to stick a note onto the fridge. "He started to get tired and then stopped eating and going to the toilet, so we took him to our local A&E. “We had no idea that he had swallowed three of the magnets until we saw it on the x-ray. “The magnets had stuck together causing a hole in Jimmy’s bowel." Following the ordeal in June, the 33-year-old is warning other parents of the dangers of the toys. Two-year-old Jimmy's dad Hung Bui is now warning other parents “We are always very careful, but this still happened, so I want to warn other parents out there to be very vigilant," he said. "I would urge them not to buy toys containing these magnets. "We don’t have any of these magnets in our household anymore.” His warning is echoed by paediatric surgeons after cases of children swallowing magnets shot up five-fold. The Children’s Surgery Foundation issued the warning as research over the last five years has revealed a huge increase in such incidents - and they say some of these are down to TikTok viral videos. The three magnets two-year-old Jimmy Bui swallowed. Picture: SWNS Mr Hemanshoo Thakker, a consultant paediatric surgeon at Evelina, said: “This year alone Evelina London has seen 15 new cases of children swallowing magnets and have operated on seven of them, a couple of whom were very unwell.” Research carried out by four major hospitals situated in the south east of England found that like Jimmy, 251 children were admitted after swallowing ‘foreign objects’ between 2016 and 2020. Of these objects, 37 percent were coins, 21 percent were magnets, and 17 percent were small, button batteries. Although only 2% of children who swallowed button batteries required surgery to remove them, a staggering 42 percent of those who swallowed magnets, required either keyhole surgery or more invasive procedures like incisions in the abdominal wall to gain access to the gut. Mr Thakkar explained the extent of the threat: “If children swallow one magnet it will probably pass through their body harmlessly but if they swallow two or more magnets, especially at different times, the magnets, which are increasingly very powerful, are forced together in the intestines, squeezing the tissue so that the blood supply is cut off. “Significant damage can be caused within hours with holes being made in the children’s intestines which cause the children to be unwell, and sometimes seriously ill, with many requiring complex operations to remove the magnets and requiring long periods of recovery time in hospital.” Miss Caroline Pardy, a paediatric surgeon at Evelina, said that she had spoken to parents who were "very angry" that their child had swallowed magnets whilst at school. She said: "Such magnets are sometimes used as ’sensory’ toys for children with additional needs. In other circumstances, the magnets have been brought into school by other children.” Miss Pardy is urging schools to “ban such magnets, regardless of the age of the children”. The surgeons said that even teenagers are at risk of suffering terrible consequences. Social media trends on TikTok are driving these accidents. Mr Thakkar added “We are seeing some children who follow influencers on TikTok who use magnets to create false piercings on their tongues and cheeks and when the children have copied them, they have accidentally swallowed the magnets.”
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Famous Person - Recovered
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Bollywood couples we wish to see get married in 2021
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The end of 2020 saw some scintillating wedding shenanigans of celebrity couples like music sensation Neha Kakkar and Rohanpreet Singh and actress Gauhar Khan got hitched to Zaid Darbar - calling it a romantic end to 2020. Seems like the beginning of 2021 is about to look a lot like the end of 2020 in terms of the celebrity weddings that might unfold. As the world is all set to get back to the normalcy that is setting in, a little birdie has already been creating a buzz about the first wedding of the year. As, Bollywood heartthrob Varun Dhawan is all set to get hitched to his childhood sweetheart Natasha Dalal this weekend, here is a list of all the power couples we hope and wish to see get married this year. Their love story is what dreams are made of. They met and fell in love on the sets of their upcoming film Bhrahmastra and the rest is history. Even though Ranbir Kapoor is not present on social media, Alia Bhatt is often seen uploading pictures of her beau or giving credits to him for his photography. From baking birthday cakes to making an adorable public confession in award shows, these two have given their fans really strong and enviable couple goals. Recently Ranbir also made a revelation that they would have already gotten married had it not been for the pandemic. Maybe this year is the year for new beginnings? The multi-talented star Farhan Akhtar and the resplendent Shibani Dandekar are very vocal about their relationship on their social media handles. From exercising to singing to spending all major occasions together, these two are #couplegoals award-worthy to their fans. It’s been quite some time since they started dating. Hopefully, they will take the plunge this year. The Most wanted Munda of Bollywood has had tough family relations, however, he is all for strong family institutions. It took a long time before these two lovebirds made their relationship official to the public. Even though they have repeatedly been quoted saying they don’t want to rush things and want to take things slow, their dreamy vacation pictures make us want to see them get hitched soon. One of the sexiest Bollywood couples ruling our hearts right now. Both of them share an unquenchable passion for fitness. They are often spotted in the city going out on lunch and dinner dates. Their entire affair is quite low-octane as they don’t share many details in public, however, their public appearances make us want to see them in their wedding ensembles. It is a match made in heaven between the Kapoor stud and the doe-eyed beauty. Tara Sutaria has been spotted several times attending Kapoor family celebrations with Aadar Jain. These two have become a favourite in no time with their mushy Instagram posts for each other and dreamy Maldives vacations. We hope to see these two making headlines soon with their wedding announcement. These two childhood sweethearts are all set to tie the knot this month on the 24th and they are the first ones on this list as we hoped for this and it came true. Pre-wedding rituals are already said to be in full swing. Earlier they had plans of having a big fat Indian wedding in Vietnam last year. However, their plans were cut short and now they are all set to get married in Alibaug in the attendance of their close friends and family. Guess the cat is out of the bag and 2021 is the year for these two lovebirds to get hitched.
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Famous Person - Marriage
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Tara Air Flight 193 crash
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Tara Air Flight 193 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Pokhara to Jomsom, Nepal. On 24 February 2016, eight minutes after take-off, the aircraft serving the flight, a Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter went missing with 23 people on board. [1][2][3]
Hours later, the wreckage was found near the village of Dana, Myagdi district. There were no survivors. [4] It was Tara Air's deadliest accident. [5]
The DHC-6 Twin Otter was a Series 400 version built in 2012 by Viking Air with manufacturer's serial number 926. [6] In September 2015, it was delivered to Tara Air and registered 9N-AHH. [7][6][8]
Of the 20 passengers on board, 18 – including 2 children[9] – were from Nepal, one was from Hong Kong, and another was from Kuwait. [10]
The aircraft took off from Pokhara at 7:50 am local time. The normal flight duration on the route is 18 minutes. The control tower officers at Pokhara lost contact with the aircraft 10 minutes after takeoff;[10] the wreckage was found at Tirkhe Dhunga, Dana VDC of Myagdi district at 1:25 pm by a police team deployed from Dana Police Post. [9] Tara Air reported that the weather at both origin and destination airports was favourable. [10]
During the flight, the co-pilot acted as the Pilot Flying and the captain as Pilot Monitoring. En route, the flight deviated to the left and climbed to 12,000 feet (3,658 m) to avoid clouds. Over the Ghorepani area, the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) began to sound. The aircraft was flying through clouds with a little visibility between clouds. A descent to 10,000 feet (3,048 m) was initiated and at 10,200 feet (3,109 m) the GPWS sounded again, but the captain responded not to worry about it. The captain was accustomed to hearing GPWS warnings in normal flight, so it became a habit to disregard the warnings. About one minute before the accident the captain took over control and initiated a climb. The aircraft impacted a mountainside at 10,700 feet (3,261 m) and came to a rest at 10,982 feet (3,347 m) near Dana village, Myagdi district. Aviation Safety Network gives the probable cause as a loss of situational awareness when entering clouds while flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). [11]
Helicopters were used to search the route for hours, but rescue efforts were slowed down by poor weather conditions, including dense fog and heavy rain. [12] The wreckage was found burning after impacting a mountainside, with charred bodies visible inside. [13] Bishwa Raj Khadka, the district Chief of Police,[14] stated that personnel involved in the rescue operations had recovered 17 bodies from the crash site. [15]
A "high level probe panel" was formed to investigate the crash. [2] The wreckage of the aircraft was found "in an area of some 200 meters [660 feet]",[16] in Solighopte in Myagdi District, a part of Dhaulagiri Zone. [17][18]
The final report of the accident was released after 1 year and 5 months, the probable cause was the following "The Commission concludes that the probable cause of this accident was the fact that despite of unfavourable weather conditions, the crew's repeated decision to enter into cloud during VFR flight and their deviation from the normal track due to loss of situational awareness aggravated by spatial disorientation leading to CFIT accident. "[19]
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Air crash
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Allegheny Airlines Flight 853 crash
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Allegheny Airlines Flight 853 was a regularly scheduled Allegheny Airlines flight from Boston, Massachusetts, to St. Louis, Missouri, with stops in Baltimore, Maryland, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana. On September 9, 1969, the aircraft serving the flight, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, collided in mid-air with a Piper PA-28 light aircraft near Fairland, Indiana. The DC-9 was carrying 78 passengers and 4 crew members, and the Piper was leased to a student pilot on a solo cross-country flight. All 83 occupants of both aircraft were killed in the accident and both aircraft were destroyed. [1]
Allegheny Airlines Flight 853 was a regularly scheduled flight departing Boston for Baltimore, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. Captain James Elrod (47) and First Officer William Heckendorn (26) were at the controls. Elrod was a seasoned veteran with more than 23,800 flight hours. [1] The flight left Cincinnati at 3:15 pm en route to Indianapolis. They were flying under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) clearance to Indianapolis, and Approach Control instructed them to descend to 2,500 feet after passing the Shelbyville VOR at 6,000 feet. The flight was then vectored to a 280 degree heading. [1]
Meanwhile, the private Piper PA-28 piloted by Robert Carey (34) was on a southeasterly heading. It was operating under a filed visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan which indicated a cruising altitude of 3,500 feet. It was not in communication with Air Traffic Control and was not equipped with a transponder,[2] and there was no evidence that it appeared as a primary radar target on the radarscope. [1]
The two aircraft converged at a relative speed of 350 mph (560 km/h). The initial point of impact was at the top front right section of the DC-9's vertical stabilizer, just underneath the horizontal stabilizer. On the Piper, the impact point was just forward of the left wing root. [3] The impact severed the entire tail assembly of the DC-9, which inverted and plowed into a soybean field at an approximate speed of 400 mph (640 km/h) about 100 yards north of the Shady Acres mobile home park. [3]
The National Transportation Safety Board released the following probable cause in a report adopted July 15, 1970:[1]
The Board determines the probable cause of this accident to be the deficiencies in the collision avoidance capability of the Air Traffic Control system of the FAA in a terminal area wherein there was mixed instrument flight rules (IFR) and visual flight rules (VFR) traffic. The deficiencies included the inadequacy of the see-and-avoid concept under the circumstances of this case; the technical limitations of radar in detecting all aircraft; and the absence of Federal Aviation Regulations which would provide a system of adequate separation of mixed VFR and IFR traffic in terminal areas. The NTSB and FAA realized the inherent limitations of the "see and be seen" principle of air traffic separation in visual meteorological conditions, especially involving aircraft of dissimilar speeds or cloud layers and other restrictions to visibility. [1] Over a period of years, following similar incidents and taking advantage of technological advances, the two agencies drove a number of corrective steps for the aviation industry, including:
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Transportation Safety Board.
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Air crash
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1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquake
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The 1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquake (also known as Nuweiba earthquake) occurred on November 22 at 06:15 local time (04:15 UTC) and registered 7.3 on the Mw scale. The epicenter was located in the central segment of the Gulf of Aqaba, the narrow body of water that separates Egypt's Sinai Peninsula from the western border of Saudi Arabia. At least 8 people were killed and 30 were injured in the meizoseismal area. The earthquake occurred along the Dead Sea Transform (DST) fault system, an active tectonic plate boundary with seismicity that is characterized by long-running quiescent periods with occasional large and damaging earthquakes, along with intermittent earthquake swarms. It was the strongest tectonic event in the area for many decades and caused injuries, damage, and deaths throughout the Levant and is also thought to have remotely triggered a series of small to moderate earthquakes 500 kilometers (310 mi) to the north of the epicenter. In the aftermath of the quake, several field investigations set out to determine the extent of any surface faulting, and the distribution of aftershocks was analyzed. The Gulf of Aqaba is situated along the southern portion of the Dead Sea Transform (DST) fault zone, a 1,000 km (620 mi) transform fault that forms the barrier between the African Plate and the Arabian Plate (Arabian-Nubian Shield). The left-lateral strike-slip fault connects the spreading center that forms the Red Sea in the south with the East Anatolian Fault in Turkey in the north. Although there is much that is not known about the DST, it is accepted that its transform motion began around 12–18 million years ago. Geologist A. M. Quennell, who is credited with first recognizing the movement along the fault in 1958, estimated the total displacement to be 107 kilometers (66 mi) while a similar study that included more regional influences resulted in an estimated slip of 100 kilometers (62 mi). [2] That broader kinematic model translates into a slip rate of 8–10 mm/year for the portion of the fault south of the Dead Sea. [8]
Along the length of the Dead Sea Transform (also known as the Levantine fault) there are several pull-apart basins that have resulted in the formation of the Dead Sea as well as the Gulf of Aqaba. The 180 km (110 mi) gulf comprises three distinct pull-apart basins that were formed by individual segments of the fault and are known as (from north to south) the Elat Deep, Aragonese Deep, and the Dakar Deep. At 25 km (16 mi) wide, the gulf is relatively narrow, but is up to 1,800 meters (5,900 ft) deep, with the nearby mountains near 2,600 meters (8,500 ft) in height. This difference in elevation suggests that the tectonic activity outpaces the erosive processes in the area, but the background seismicity is infrequent and is marked by earthquake swarms. [9]
The earthquake was the largest event to occur on along the DST during the 20th century and was felt up to 600 km (370 mi) away. The period of aftershocks carried on for over a year with many exceeding magnitude 5. Within several hours of the mainshock a number of small earthquakes occurred along the DST 500 km (310 mi) north of the epicenter. Analysis of these earthquakes suggest that they may have been remotely triggered by the Gulf of Aqaba mainshock. Much attention has been given to remotely triggered earthquakes since the 1992 Landers earthquake in southern California. [3]
The Dead Sea fault system runs from the Red Sea north to a triple junction in south-central Turkey and consists of a main fault and several secondary faults. The fault system is at its widest and deepest in the gulf where a transition from proto-oceanic rifting to transform faulting occurs. Moving northward through Lebanon and Syria, where the DST is known as the Yammouneh fault, the trace follows a restraining bend and splits into several strands that include the Serghaya and Rachaya faults. These strands are believed to be the source of the Near East earthquakes of 1759. The increased seismic activity following the Aqaba earthquake was detected by the Syrian National Seismic Network (SNSN) and occurred in the area of the Serghaya and Rachaya faults within a 25 km × 25 km (16 mi × 16 mi) area near the restraining bend in southwest Syria. The SNSN consists of twenty vertical-component seismometers, but only nine instruments recorded the swarm. [10][11]
This small area in southwest Syria situated 500 km north of the Gulf of Aqaba mainshock had almost no activity during the two previous months then, beginning two hours and 47 minutes after the event, a swarm of 21 small earthquakes occurred. The average background seismicity was .5 to 1 events per day preceding November 22, and during the swarm 21 small earthquakes with a peak magnitude of (Md = 3.7) were recorded in three and a half hours. Randa Mohamad (from the Syrian National Seismological Center) and other seismologists determined that the abrupt increase of activity was due to remote earthquake triggering from the Gulf of Aqaba mainshock, and reported the results of their investigation in a journal published by the Seismological Society of America. [12]
The epicenter was located 60 kilometers (37 mi) south of the head of the Gulf of Aqaba where the countries of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia converge. Damage to buildings occurred in the coastal cities of Eilat, Israel and Aqaba, Jordan and a small tsunami was observed by witnesses there. Farther down the coast and closer to the epicenter in the Egyptian city of Nuweiba several well-built, modern, concrete reinforced homes were completely destroyed. [2]
The earthquake's effects were felt as far north as Lebanon and Syria and it was the strongest event in the Jordan Rift Valley since the 1927 Jericho earthquake which was centered near the Dead Sea. The heaviest damage occurred in the resort town of Eilat where seven hotels and 50 other buildings were damaged, and cracks formed in the sidewalks. Fifteen people were treated there for injuries or shock and one man died of a heart attack in Aqaba. In Saudi Arabia two women were reported dead and five deaths were reported in Egypt, with three of them occurring in the gulf resort town of Nuweiba. Eight buildings collapsed in Cairo where, just several years before, the much smaller 1992 Cairo earthquake had a much more destructive impact. [13] One person was killed and two were injured slightly at Al-Bad', Saudi Arabia and damage was reported there as well as the towns of Al-`Ula and Haql. [7]
The Gulf of Aqaba lies between the Sinai Peninsula and the Arabian Peninsula, both mostly desert regions with very few permanent settlements. The seismologists who work with historical events gather macroseismic data from written records from cities that may not have been anywhere near the epicentral area. This can result in the mislocation of events when significant damage was reported in a particular location which were not actually where the earthquake occurred. The records of these events have been influenced by the distribution of the population (where the people were) and this has caused difficulty in creating a complete and accurate index of historical events. Several studies in the 80s and 90s indicate that there were two or possibly three large earthquakes in the region in the last 2000 years with magnitudes estimated to be 6.5–7.0 based on macroseismic data. [14]
The countries surrounding the gulf have been actively monitoring the seismicity there since the 1980s and have found a consistent low level of activity, but a primary characteristic of the activity is that there are multiple sequences of earthquake swarms. Three swarm events, beginning in the north and ending in the south gulf, have been observed beginning in 1983 when more than 1,000 events occurred over a three-month period near the northeastern boundary of the Elat Deep (in the northern gulf) with the largest three events approaching 5 on the Richter magnitude scale. A less pronounced swarm occurred in 1990 with the largest event reaching 4.3 in the central gulf near the Elat Deep and the Arogonese Deep. The last significant swarm happened in 1993 in the southwestern Arogonese Deep (in the southern gulf) with the highest magnitude of 6.1 and more than 300 larger than magnitude 3 in the following weeks. [14]
During several independent field studies cracks and other ground deformations were observed on both the Egyptian and Saudi Arabian sides of the gulf. During a field survey that was done there in 1996, a series of cracks were discovered between 28°35' N and 29°05' N on the Saudi Arabian coast. A field investigation was also done in Egypt in 1996 by seismologist Yann Klinger and others along with the Egyptian Geological Survey and Mining Authority.
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Earthquakes
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Fire in N.Macedonian COVID-19 hospital kills at least 14
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PRISTINA, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Fourteen people were killed and 12 seriously injured when a fire broke out in a makeshift hospital for COVID-19 patients in the North Macedonian town of Tetovo late on Wednesday, the Balkan country's health ministry said on Thursday.
The prosecutor's office said DNA analyses would be needed to identify some of the victims, all of them patients in a serious condition. No medical staff were among the victims.
The total of 26 patients were accommodated in the COVID-19 hospital at the time of the fire, said Health Minister Venko Filipce.
"The remaining 12 patients with life-threatening injuries are being taken care at the Tetovo hospital," Filipce said on Twitter.
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said the fire was caused by an explosion, and that the investigation was under the way. Local media said that a canister with oxygen or gas may have exploded.
People gather outside as emergency services attend a fire at a hospital for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, in Tetovo, North Macedonia, September 9, 2021. REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski
Local media showed images of a huge blaze which broke out around 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) at the hospital in the town's west as firefighters raced to the scene. The fire was extinguished after a few hours.
The accident occurred on the day when North Macedonia marked the 30th anniversary of its independence from the former Yugoslavia. All official celebrations and events were cancelled on Thursday, said the office of President Stevo Pendarovski.
Coronavirus cases have been on the rise in North Macedonia since mid-August, prompting the government to introduce stricter social measures such as health passes for cafes and restaurants.
The country of 2 million reported 701 new coronavirus infections and 24 deaths in the past 24 hours.
The town of Tetovo, mainly inhabited by ethnic Albanians, has one of the country's highest number of coronavirus cases.
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Gas explosion
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‘Accountability’ Marine gets light sentence; judge blasts command
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CAMP LEJEUNE, North Carolina — When Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller walked into a Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, courtroom Friday morning, he looked relaxed and was smiling. The infantry Marine had been fired from his job, and later charged with six violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, for a series of viral social media posts that criticized senior leaders over their handling of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. “I feel good,” Scheller said as he walked in to learn his sentence. He came back outside to add, “we’ll see what they do.” Less than an hour later, he walked out without a word after Col. Glen Hines, the Marine Corps judge who decided his sentence, rejected the prosecution’s requested punishment and sharply criticized the Corps’ handling of the case. Hines said Scheller’s videos in their full context showed a man who appeared “to be in pain,” “confused” and “significantly frustrated,” rather than a rogue and potentially-violent Marine, that his lawyers argued was depicted in the charge sheets. The judge described alleged leaks to the press and the command’s pretrial confinement order as raising the “specter of unlawful command influence.” It was not officially argued or determined in court, however, whether senior Marine Corps leaders were responsible for the media obtaining these documents. The previous day, Scheller had pleaded guilty to all charges against him as part of a plea agreement with the Corps, concluding a saga that began when he took to social media Aug. 26 to demand accountability from senior leaders for their perceived failures in Afghanistan. He continued to make social media posts and videos against the wishes — and later orders — of his chain of command, ultimately finding himself locked in the brig. Scheller was convicted of violating Article 88 (contempt toward officials), Article 89 (disrespect toward superior commissioned officers), Article 90 (willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer), Article 92 (dereliction in the performance of duties), Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation) and 27 specifications of Article 133 (conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman). Hines directed a forfeiture of $5,000 pay for one month, noting the mitigating circumstances. He would have taken two months of pay, but the judge awarded Scheller credit for his nine days in the brig. The forfeiture of the pay was the only aspect the judge had power over, due to the pretrial agreement. Prosecutors had requested that Scheller forfeit $5,000 of pay a month for six months, in addition to a letter of reprimand. Scheller will also resign his commission under the agreement and receive an honorable discharge or general under honorable conditions as part of the agreement, so long as Navy Secretary Carlos del Toro signs off on the character of the discharge, prosecutors said. Tim Parlatore, Scheller’s attorney, said that the judge’s decision sends a message to senior leaders. “When senior leaders [or] certain people decide to take certain actions like leaking medical records, like putting somebody in pretrial confinement [when there is] no risk of flight, there should be consequences,” he said. The Marine Corps confirmed the letter of reprimand and forfeiture of pay. Training and Education Command Spokesman Capt. Sam Stephenson declined to comment on the outcome of the case. The money is unlikely to be an issue for Scheller despite him losing his retirement benefits through the resignation. He has raised more than $2.5 million through controversial former Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher’s Pipe Hitter Foundation. That money, according to the foundation’s website, is to be used not only for his legal defense, but also emergency relief funds, relocation expenses and transition out of the military, possible loss of military benefits and retirement, and family support for his wife and three children. The judge, who said he had not seen Scheller’s viral videos before the trial, did not completely absolve the Marine of culpability for his actions, though. Hines singled out Scheller’s violation of Article 88 for contempt of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in his Aug. 26 video. Article 88 — which criminalizes “contemptuous words” against certain civilian leaders — is extremely “serious” and “corrosive,” Hines said, and can “degrade public trust” in the military and its civilian authorities. Scheller’s historic conviction appears to be only the second known court-martial for Article 88 since the Uniform Code of Military Justice was adopted in 1950, based on a review of legal literature by Marine Corps Times. Most officers who toed the line of Article 88 receive corrective action other than punitive. During the Vietnam War, an Army lieutenant was convicted of violating Article 88 after carrying a sign calling then-President Lyndon B. Johnson a fascist. The Marine also deserves blame for the saga playing out in the public sphere, resulting in a media circus that doesn’t occur for “99 percent” of other courts-martial, the judge said. But the Corps’ proposed punishment for Scheller’s transgressions, for which everyone in the courtroom agreed he should be held accountable, paled in comparison to the mitigating factors, Hines explained. In a trial where post-sentencing time in the brig was not even an option, the command’s decision to lock Scheller up while awaiting trial was “a very rare thing,” Hines said. He also revealed that the Marine signed his plea agreement while in the brig. Hines blasted apparent leaks of documents that included Scheller’s medical records, as attorney Parlatore claimed at trial, as “very disturbing,” “unfair” and “illegal.” Scheller didn’t comment as he left the courtroom, but Parlatore was pleased, as were his co-counsel, Brian Ferguson and Jeremiah Sullivan. “I think that the judge’s decision was very fair — he definitely considered all of the facts,” Parlatore told gathered reporters after Hines pronounced the sentence. “I think that this is a good adjustment [to the prosecution’s recommended sentence], and so we’re very pleased with the result here.” Davis Winkie is a staff reporter covering the Army. He originally joined Military Times as a reporting intern in 2020. Before journalism, Davis worked as a military historian. He is also a human resources officer in the Army National Guard.
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence
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Canadian pensioners fighting more than $12K in fines for refusing to quarantine in a hotel
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Canada's controversial hotel quarantine requirement for international air passengers has been scrapped. But it remains a thorn in the side of those who defied the rules, got fined and plan to fight their fine in court.
Thelma Perry, 80, and her husband, Glen, 87, of Barrie, Ont., are anxiously waiting for their day in court.
On July 4, the fully vaccinated couple got hit with $12,510 in fines at Pearson International Airport in Toronto for refusing to quarantine in a hotel. They were ticketed about two hours before the federal government ended the hotel quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated travellers.
"That was outrageous," Thelma Perry said. "We're going to fight it. I want the judge to hear me out, because I don't think this ticket is fair."
The couple flew to Toronto after spending about six months doing missionary work with several interdenominational churches in Jamaica.
Perry said she and Glen didn't know about Canada's hotel quarantine requirement before they travelled home. When they were informed at the Toronto airport they must check into a hotel, the couple refused.
Perry said they felt safer doing their full 14-day quarantine at their house, especially after hearing from other passengers at the airport that some quarantine hotels had been hit with COVID-19 outbreaks.
"I have my nice home here," Perry said. "I want to stay safe, and I don't want to go to the hotel and mix with that crowd."
Thelma and Glen were each fined $6,255: $5,000 for the violation, plus added fees.
Their daughter, Joan Trensch of Barrie, said the fines total roughly half her parents' yearly combined pension income.
"How can they live on what they live on and then pay this fine?" Trensch said.
From Feb. 22 to July 4, the government mandated that all non-essential air passengers to Canada take a COVID-19 test upon arrival and spend part of their quarantine in a designated hotel — at their own expense — to wait for their test results.
According to government data, Ottawa issued more than 4,000 fines to travellers who refused to quarantine in hotels.
CBC News interviewed four other Canadians who were also fined and are waiting to fight their fines in court.
"The reason we refused to go [to a hotel] was because no one had been living at our house for six months. So we were going home to an empty, clean house," said snowbird Lori-Lynn Marvin of Minesing, Ont.
Following a flight home from Mexico on June 12, Marvin and her husband each received a $6,255 fine at the Toronto airport. She said they are contesting their fines.
"I don't feel like I did anything wrong."
The federal government introduced the hotel quarantine requirement to help stop the spread of COVID-19, including more contagious variants. But the rules quickly sparked criticism.
Several travellers complained to CBC News about what they considered lax COVID-19 safety measures at the quarantine hotels, including crowded waiting areas and quarantining guests freely leaving their hotel rooms.
The hotel quarantine mandate fell under additional scrutiny in May when CBC News reported that several travellers who refused to quarantine in a hotel said they had never been fined.
That same month, a government advisory panel report concluded that the hotel quarantine program was flawed and unnecessary and recommended it be scrapped.
On July 5, the government began allowing fully vaccinated travellers to skip quarantine, including the quarantine hotel. On Aug. 9, Ottawa ended the hotel requirement for all travellers.
Despite nixing the hotel quarantine requirement, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said travellers who had defied that rule must still pay their fines.
"Payment remains due for tickets that are not contested, or for contested tickets that result in a guilty finding," PHAC spokesperson Eric Morrissette said in an email.
"The consequences for non-payment vary by province but can include different [debt] collection mechanisms."
Morrissette said PHAC ended the hotel quarantine program because of a steady increase in Canada's vaccination rate and people's continued adherence to COVID-19 public health measures.
In July, Trensch contacted the family's MP in Barrie, Conservative John Brassard, to ask for help with her parents' case.
Brassard, who is currently seeking re-election, sent a letter to Health Minister Patty Hajdu on July 13 requesting that Glen and Thelma's fines be dropped. He said he never received a response.
PHAC told CBC News it couldn't comment on the Perrys' case, except to say that their only recourse is to contest their fines.
Brassard said he also alerted a local publication, Barrie Today, about the couple's situation. He said that following media coverage of their plight, more than a dozen people contacted Brassard's office offering to either pay the couple's fines or set up a GoFundMe site to raise the necessary funds.
"I was overwhelmed by the amount of support that they were receiving from right across the country: people offering to step up — pay it," Brassard said.
While they were touched by the offers of support, Thelma and Glen decided they didn't want to take other people's money. Instead, they want to have their day in court.
"I want to prove a point to [the government]," Perry said. "They have their rights, and I have my rights, too."
Business reporter Sophia Harris covers business and consumer news. Contact: sophia.harris@cbc.ca Your weekly look at what’s happening in the worlds of economics, business and finance. Senior business correspondent Peter Armstrong untangles what it means for you, in your inbox Monday mornings.
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Organization Fine
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Dutch journalist targeted in Molotov cocktail attack
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A Dutch journalist has been targeted in a Molotov cocktail attack in the northern city of Groningen.
Police said that "burning material" had been thrown through the window of the home of Willem Groeneveld, who writes for the Groningen blog "Sikkom".
Groeneveld and his partner were woken by breaking glass on Wednesday night and managed to extinguish the flames and throw the material outside.
Police officers later found flammable material in front of their upstairs flat in the Tuinwijk neighbourhood of the city.
The suspected attack comes just over a month after Dutch investigative reporter Peter De Vries was fatally injured in a shooting in Amsterdam.
The attack sparked a wave of emotion in the Netherlands and calls for more protection for journalists.
"The police are conducting an extensive investigation into an incident where burning material was thrown into and towards a journalist's home," a statement read.
"Fortunately no one was injured, but the journalist and his partner were very shocked."
"The cause is not yet known, but the police are taking the matter very seriously. Regardless of the motive, it is clear that journalists must be able to do their work freely."
The authorities have launched an investigation into the Groningen incident and are appealing for witnesses.
According to Dutch public television, Groeneveld has previously been intimidated, and stones were thrown through the windows of his home two years ago.
In an interview with a journalism website last week, the journalist said he was "looking over his shoulder more often when walking around the city".
"After the attempted murder of Peter R. de Vries, this is the second attack on a Dutch journalist in a short period of time," said Thomas Bruning, secretary-general of the Dutch Journalists Association.
"Unbelievable, this could have ended so horribly," Bruning added on Twitter.
Dutch police said that they take "severe action" when journalists are attacked and said the investigation will be given "high priority".
"The penalty for aggression and violence against journalists will be doubled by the Public Prosecution Service," the statement added.
"Journalists have to be able to do their work in all freedom."
Additional sources • AFP
At least 16 people have died and two others are in intensive care in Lithuania after consuming homemade alcohol.
The poisonings have all occurred in a district of the country’s second-largest city Kaunas. The deaths were reported within 10 days of each other and the ages of the victims, both men and women, ranged from 30 to 60 years.
"The pre-trial investigations were initiated after receiving information from Kaunas medical institutions that over the past month, people who consumed strong home-made alcoholic beverages were found dead or died soon after being brought to a medical institution," prosecutor Aukse Lipkeviciene from Kaunas Regional Prosecutor's Office told journalists on Tuesday.
A total of 17 pre-trial investigations have already been launched.
Searches were carried out in several locations of Kaunas' Aleksotas district. Officials did not disclose the exact number but, according to them, there was more than one distribution point of the homemade alcohol.
The fluids found are still being investigated, but according to the initial medical assessment, people died of poisoning with methyl alcohol.
Jonas Surkus, a toxicologist at the nephrology unit of Kaunas Clinics says it‘s probably the most poisonous surrogate of alcohol.
"It’s insidious because in terms of its characteristics -- taste and smell -- it almost does not differ from ethanol - from usual alcohol. One female suspect has been detained, accused of a negligent deprivation of life after a man in her neighbourhood died of alcohol poisoning.
Another person was also suspected of illegal distribution of alcohol but he died of poisoning on Monday night.
Additional sources • EBU
On August 19, 1991, the world held its breath as hundreds of tanks and other armoured vehicles rolled into Moscow in a massive show of force. Communism had crumbled across eastern Europe, but the Soviet top brass seemed determined not to let the USSR go down the same path.
Mikhail Gorbachev, the president of the Soviet Union, was at his holiday home on the Black Sea, his communications with the outside world cut off by his own officials. He had refused their demands for a nationwide state of emergency.
That morning, Soviet citizens had switched on their TVs to a broadcast of "Swan Lake" by the Bolshoi Theatre. Presenters read out a terse statement saying the president was unfit to govern for health reasons. A new State Committee on the State of Emergency was set up to save the country from "chaos and anarchy".
Gorbachev had paved the way for liberal reform, via glasnost and then perestroika at home. Inadvertently he had lit a fuse that saw opposition movements topple the old regimes from Warsaw to Bucharest, and most symbolically, the wall in Berlin.
Now Soviet power was about to be siphoned off to the USSR's 15 republics via a new union treaty, that the president hoped would stop the country from breaking up. But for the coup's plotters, the document sealed its demise.
Memories came flooding back, of brutal repressions in previous decades when Soviet bloc countries dared to defy Moscow: Hungary in 1956, Prague in 1968. Were Soviet troops about to be used in similar fashion in the USSR's own capital?
On the streets, thousands of people gathered in front of the headquarters of one of the Soviet republics, the Russian Federation. Its leader, Boris Yeltsin, was a popular head of pro-democracy forces.
The politician had recently won Russia's first presidential election. He had been increasingly critical of the Soviet Politburo even as Gorbachev tried to open up the country, and had resigned from the Communist Party the previous year.
These were crucial moments. The KGB's Alpha commando unit was dispatched to surround Yeltsin's residence near Moscow. But the KGB chief Vladimir Kryuchkov, also the coup's mastermind, held back from giving the order to detain him.
Yeltsin was allowed to drive to his headquarters, which his team decided was worth the risk. Upon arrival, his top associate Gennady Burbulis tried to dissuade him from making his next move, believing it might be too provocative and dangerous.
But the politician went ahead, and climbed onto a tank deployed to block the building. There, he delivered an impassioned speech, urging his supporters to stand up to the coup.
"It was in Yeltsin's character to resolutely and unabashedly defend what he considered right," Burbulis said.
The Russian government's HQ, in a high-rise riverside block, was dubbed the "White House" by Muscovites. Now it became a rallying point for the coup's opponents. Some troops surrounding the building even joined the protesters. By late afternoon, most of the armoured vehicles had left.
At the Soviet news agency Tass, there was reported feuding between pro- and anti-coup factions. But Yeltsin's condemnation of the coup attempt was reported.
That night on state TV, the images of the pro-democracy champion contrasted sharply with the nervous, indecisive coup instigators who had appeared sweating and stuttering before the cameras at a news conference.
Now the world was watching. Yeltsin was backed by leaders of two other Soviet republics, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. There were reports of a crackdown in the breakaway Baltic republics. US President George Bush cut short his holiday, joining other Western leaders in condemning the coup. American aid to the Soviet Union was put on hold.
Already those behind the attempted overthrow had shown signs of hesitancy. The momentum now swung behind the anti-coup protesters. The next day, up to 200,000 converged near the Russian government building, building barricades and defying a curfew.
"There was a lot of excitement, enthusiasm, resolve and a strong belief in our consolidation and eventual victory," Gennady Burbulis said.
Associated Press writer Ann Imse covered the failed coup, and described the atmosphere at the time:
In the rain-soaked streets of central Moscow, many of the protesters engaged in shouting matches with Soviet soldiers.
“We won’t stand for it!” cried Muscovite Alexander Muzhin.
“It’s our army. They will support us,” said Gasha Kolchin, a 20-year-old medical student at Moscow State University, as he rode on a tank in a downtown street, clutching a red-white-and-blue, pre-revolutionary Russian flag.
“We are not afraid. We are sure that democracy will win in our country,” he said.
In a key development, 1,000 armed police cadets were deployed to Moscow to defend Yeltsin's headquarters by Andrei Dunayev, another ally. He said that helped discourage the coup plotters from using force.
"They decided there would be too much blood," he said.
But blood was spilt: three protesters were killed and others wounded in a clash between troops and protesters in a tunnel near the Russian HQ. Demonstrators blocked the streets with buses, fearing an armed convoy was heading to storm the building.
However, hours later, Soviet Defence Minister Dmitry Yazov ordered the troops to pull out of the capital.
Associated Press photographer Alexander Zemlianichenko covered the coup, from the moment he recognised the sound of tanks in the streets, to the exultant celebrations that followed its collapse.
"There was an uplifting and joyous feeling because the coup had failed. Even now, saying these words, I feel those emotions again," he recalled.
His capture of the moment when demonstrators pulled down the statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky, the founder of the Soviet secret police, in front of the KGB main headquarters, was a watershed moment that symbolised the collapse of the repressive Soviet system.
On August 21, some of the coup's organisers went to see Gorbachev, still by the Black Sea, to try to negotiate. He refused to see them.
The plotters were arrested and Gorbachev flew back to Moscow the next day. But the president's power was sapped. Boris Yeltsin was now calling the shots.
Andrei Grachev was Gorbachev's spokesman in 1991. "He was kept prisoner for three days by the organisers of the coup, but when he was freed and had the possibility to return to Moscow, he was already the hostage of Yeltsin, because he owed to him his liberation," he said.
"Yeltsin became the number one political actor on the Soviet scene."
Within months, Gorbachev had stepped down and Yeltsin and the other republic leaders had declared the Soviet Union defunct. The coup organisers were put on trial but were granted amnesty in 1994.
Now 90, Mikhail Gorbachev has spoken with bitterness about the coup, describing it as a fatal blow to the Soviet Union. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the former president said the coup organisers "bear a large share of responsibility for the country's breakup".
Another prominent figure who lamented the USSR's demise was appointed in 1998 by Boris Yeltsin as head of the new Federal Security Service (FSB), the KGB's domestic successor. Vladimir Putin has described the Soviet collapse as the "greatest political catastrophe of the 20th century".
But far from championing the democracy that protesters in 1991 had called for, today's Russian president has been accused by critics of steadily rolling back post-Soviet freedoms during his two decades in power. Opposition has been stifled and key opponents jailed, some killed.
In the last few months, Russian authorities have intensified a crackdown on opposition activists and independent media ahead of the country's parliamentary election in September, which is widely seen as a key part of Putin's efforts to cement his rule for years to come.
Gennady Burbulis, Yeltsin's former aide, regrets his country's failure to get rid of its authoritarian past.
"Thirty years later, we are still stuck in the post-imperial mindset,” Burbulis said. "Power has become the ultimate value for some, along with restrictions of freedoms and controls over civil society, not to mention direct restrictions of freedom of election."
Every weekday, Uncovering Europe brings you a European story that goes beyond the headlines. Download the Euronews app to get a daily alert for this and other breaking news notifications. It's available on Apple and Android devices.
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Mass Poisoning
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Katy Perry's ex-husband Russell Brand makes confession about their failed marriage
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Hannah Hargrave Singer Katy Perry's ex-husband Russell Brand has opened up about their doomed marriage in a new interview to reveal he really loved her
Katy Perry is in a happy, healthy relationship with her fiancé, Orlando Bloom , but long before they were a couple, she was married to Russell Brand , and now he's opened up about their marriage.
The I Kissed a Girl hitmaker and the British comedian divorced just one year after their nuptials in 2010 when he filed the paperwork.
But despite their short-lived romance, Russell insists he really did try to make it work.
Loading the player...
WATCH: Katy Perry pushes baby Daisy in a pram
He made the confessions during a live Q&A with fans on TikTok when he was quizzed about his ex-wife.
Rather than skirt the issue he said: "I really tried in that relationship. I have nothing but positive feelings for her."
At the time of the break-up, Katy revealed her husband had told her he was planning to divorce her via a text message and that they didn't speak after that.
MORE: Katy Perry tweets about the 'trauma of family Christmas' - and fans react
Katy and Russell were only married for a year
In her heartfelt documentary, Katy Perry: Part of Me, the singer admitted their hectic work schedules and her not being ready for children had led to the demise of their relationship.
They have both gone on to become parents with their partners. Russell has two children with his wife, Laura, and Katy is a new mum to her baby girl Daisy Dove, who she shares with Orlando.
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Famous Person - Divorce
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Indian Airlines Flight 440 crash
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Indian Airlines Flight 440 was a flight on 31 May 1973 that crashed while on approach to Palam Airport killing 48 of the 65 passengers and crew on board. Flight 440 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu to New Delhi. A Boeing 737 named Saranga was used for the flight. As Flight 440 approached Palam International Airport in driving dust and a rainstorm, the aircraft struck high tension wires during a NDB approach with visibility below minimal. The aircraft crashed and caught fire. [1] 48 of the 65 passengers and crew on board Flight 440 perished in the accident. [2] Rescue officials said the survivors were in the front of the aircraft,[3] although one survivor reported sitting in the back row. [4]
The survivors included three Americans and two Japanese. The dead included four Americans, three people from the United Kingdom, and one woman from Yemen. [3] Among the dead was Indian Minister of Iron and Steel Mines, Mohan Kumaramangalam, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha and Communist Party of India politician K. Baladhandayutham and former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Indian National Congress politician Devaki Gopidas. Investigators determined the Indian Airlines Flight 440 crash was caused by the crew descending below the minimum decision height. [5]
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Air crash
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Covid-19: 14,345 new cases bring total to 2,112,175
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PETALING JAYA: Malaysia recorded 14,345 new Covid-19 cases on Monday (Sept 20), bringing the cumulative total to 2,112,175. Sarawak recorded the highest number of cases at 3,611, followed by Johor (1,598) and Selangor (1,365). Out of the 14,345 new cases reported on Monday, 43 were imported while the remaining were local infections. Out of all the new cases, 212 or 1.5% were under categories three, four and five while the remaining 14,133 cases or 98.5% were under categories one and two. Also out of the 14,345 new cases, a total of 1,167 cases required intensive care, whereby 906 were Covid-19 cases and the remaining 261 were either suspected, probable or cases that are under investigation. A total of 636 cases required ventilatory assistance, of which 407 were Covid-19 cases and the remaining 229 cases were either suspected, probable or cases that are still under investigation. Malaysia also saw the emergence of 23 new clusters, bringing the cumulative number of clusters logged to 5,305, of which 3,970 had already ended, meaning there are now 1,335 active clusters. A total of 16,814 recoveries were also recorded, bringing the total number of recoveries since the Covid-19 pandemic began to 1,880,736, or 89% of cases.
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Disease Outbreaks
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Utah ghost town reappears as a result of drought
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An aerial view of Rockport Reservoir taken earlier this month. The reservoir's low levels allow people to see remnants of the ghost town that once existed in the area. (Devon Dewey) Editor's note: This article is a part of a series reviewing Utah and U.S. history for KSL.com's Historic section. _ PEOA, Summit County — As Utah's reservoir levels have dropped this year, there have been some interesting discoveries in areas that have been covered by water. Glen Canyon has reappeared as a result of declining Lake Powell levels in southern Utah. In northern Utah, several old cars were discovered at the bottom of Hyrum Reservoir . But what about remnants of a ghost town? That's exactly what's happened at Rockport Reservoir this summer as its water levels have now fallen to just a quarter of its total capacity. As the reservoir, which was constructed in the 1950s, has dropped in water volume, pieces of an old town that once existed between Park City and Coalville are visible again. "It was really interesting to be standing at an overlook for the reservoir and to see faint traces of foundations of old homes and a road all below where the water would normally be," said Devon Dewey, a Utah drone aficionado who recently captured images of the ghost town. "The whole area is pretty flat and uniform, so even though the foundations are old and mostly gone, you can still see them clearly if you know where to look," he added. "Using a drone to get a higher perspective helped to see where structures once stood over 70 years ago." The town of Rockport was first settled by European-American settlers in 1860, according to a history of the town compiled by Utah State Parks . The settlement went through a couple of other names early on, including Crandall and Enoch City. But many of the settlers fled north to Wanship, a settlement north of present-day Rockport Reservoir, in 1866 as a result of the Black Hawk War. Park historians wrote that settlers returned to the area in 1867 and built a large wall to prevent any future battles. At that point, it was renamed Rock Fort — and when the war ended in the 1870s and the wall was taken down, they reused the wall materials for different structures and renamed it Rockport. The town was never very large, with its population possibly topping out at 200 over the next several decades. Park historians said there were about 27 families still living in the area when the federal government circled the area for its Wanship Dam project in the early 1950s. The dam itself was approved in 1952 along with improvements to Pineview Reservoir, a new canal and an aqueduct in northern Utah, t he Davis County Clipper reported at the time . They called it the "first step on a major reclamation project in Utah" since the Deer Creek Reservoir was approved in the 1930s. After the federal government purchased the land that year, some of the buildings were removed so they could be preserved for history. Those include the Rockport Coop and the Rockport School House, which were moved to Pioneer Village at Lagoon Amusement Park, according to state park historians. An old town chapel was also moved to the Rockport State Park campgrounds. By 1957, everything else was submerged by the 156-foot tall and 2,010-foot wide dam. Utah State Parks says the reservoir lake has a total capacity of 62,100 acre-feet with a surface area of 1,080 acres. The Bureau of Reclamation still owns the reservoir but contracted Utah State Parks to manage it, leading to the creation of Rockport State Park in 1966. All these years later, tracings of that town have reappeared as a result of Utah's drought, which has severely impacted Rockport Reservoir as well as other large reservoirs in the state. The Utah Department of Natural Resources lists Rockport as currently at 26% capacity and park officials closed the main boat ramp this summer because of the low levels. Only small boats and personal watercraft are currently allowed to launch, although officials advise people to do so "at your own risk." Even though water levels have declined, the ground may be muddy from years of being underwater so it's best to check out the tracings of an old ghost town from above. Park officials at Yuba State Park , in central Utah, reminded people last month about the dangers of walking or driving on dried reservoir areas after a truck got stuck in the mud there.
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Droughts
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Search location by ZIP code
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Sydney McLaughlin broke her world record Wednesday and won the Olympic 400-meter hurdles gold, finishing in 51.46 seconds in yet another close victory over U.S. teammate Dalilah Muhammad.
McLaughlin came from behind after the last hurdle to top the defending Olympic champion. Muhammad's time of of 51.58 also beat McLaughlin's old record of 51.9, set at Olympic trials last month.
Femke Bol of the Netherlands finished third.
For McLaughlin, it was a muted celebration. She sat on the ground, gave a serious look toward the scoreboard, got up and sanitized her hands, then accepted a congratulatory hug from Muhammad.
Amazing as it was, this world record didn't really surprise anyone.
McLaughlin and Muhammad have been trading the record, and the wins, for two years. Muhammad first broke the mark at U.S. Nationals in 2019, then lowered it again. to 52.16, at the world championships in Doha.
McLaughlin broke that record earlier this summer at Olympic trials, running her 51.90 to become the first woman to crack 52 seconds.
It felt inevitable that the mark would go down again on a fast track in perfect, hot-and-humid running conditions in Tokyo.
The day before, Karsten Warholm crushed his old world record, finishing the men’s race in 45.94, and runner-up Rai Benjamin’s 46.17 also beat the old mark.
It was a lot to live up to for the women, whose race was even more eagerly anticipated. They lived up to the hype.
Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites.
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Break historical records
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1972 Qir earthquake
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The 1972 Qir earthquake occurred at 05:36 local time (02:06 UTC) on April 10, 1972. It had a magnitude of 6.7 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum perceived intensity of IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale. The epicentre was in the province of Fars in southern Iran. The earthquake caused the destruction of Qir and serious damage to towns and villages in the surrounding area. The estimated number of deaths is 5,374, with a further 1,710 injured. The earthquake occurred in the Fars Domain of the Zagros fold and thrust belt, which forms part of the collisional zone between the Arabian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The Fars Domain lies at the southeastern end of the Zagros and is part of the 'simply folded belt', which is characterised by detachment folding over the late Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian Hormuz salt layer. Most earthquakes have epicenters beneath the salt layer and are thought to represent reverse faulting in the underlying basement, possibly involving the reactivation of older rift faults. [1]
The earthquake is thought to have been caused by rupture along a WNW-ESE trending reverse fault. [4] The focal mechanism suggests that the reverse fault is moderately-dipping to either south or north. [1]
The earthquake was preceded by a series of foreshocks in March 1972, which caused some of the inhabitants of Hingam and Karzin to move out of their houses. [2]
Initial casualty reports (compiled on April 28, 1972) showed that there were 3,399 deaths in Qir (two-thirds of the population), with a further 889 injured. [3]:127 There were 400 deaths in Gavakei (almost half of the population) and a further 300 in Bian (a third of the population) and 150 in Sekehravan (about a quarter of the population). The total number of deaths based on initial reports was 5,374 with a further 1,710 injured. [3]:127
The methods of construction used in that affected area led to the high levels of damage. [3]:72 Most buildings were built of adobe brick with a relatively heavy flat roof of thick date palm beams resting directly on the brick walls. The addition of layers of mud and straw for waterproofing increased the load on the walls. [3]:10 These structures have a very low resistance to earthquake shaking and most of the deaths occurred due to the collapse of such buildings. [3]:73 More modern types of construction generally fared little better, as they were not properly engineered and lacked many of the elements that would have made them more resistant. [3]:35 Even some of the engineered buildings were badly damaged due to poor design and construction techniques, such as a lack of anchoring between the steel roof I-beams and the reinforced concrete tie-beams on which they rested. [3]:40 One structure, the Shahabad bridge that was well-engineered and constructed using modern techniques, was almost undamaged, compared to the adobe houses in a neighbouring village, all of which collapsed. [3]:54
The earthquake caused damage to qanats (water tunnels), with the destruction of 180 wells. The flow of some springs was disrupted. [2]
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Earthquakes
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TWA Flight 903 crash
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TWA Flight 903 was a regularly scheduled flight from Bombay International Airport, India to New York-Idlewild Airport, via Cairo-King Farouk Airport and Rome-Ciampino Airport. The Star of Maryland, a Lockheed L-749A Constellation, flew the route on the night of 31 August 1950. It departed Cairo at 23:35 for Rome with 55 persons aboard, (48 passengers and seven crew members), in good weather. As Flight 903 was climbing at 10,000 ft (3,000 m), the crew reported that its number three engine was on fire and that they needed a priority return to Cairo. As the plane was returning to Cairo, the engine separated from the aircraft, forcing the crew to attempt a forced landing in the desert about 65 miles NNW of Cairo. The airliner went down near the village of Ityai el Barud at the rim of the Western Desert, killing all 55 on board. Searchers found the wreckage strewn over 500 yd (460 m) after trekking 15 mi (24 km) over hot sands to reach it, where the aircraft wreckage was found almost completely burnt out. The bodies of the victims were badly charred, delaying identification. A United Press International correspondent reported that the plane had smashed into a narrow-gauge railway in hitting the ground and had plowed up a considerable stretch of track. Among those killed were Egyptian film star Camelia; Polish architect Maciej Nowicki, who had been working on the design of the new city of Chandigarh; and Indian mathematician S. S. Pillai, who was on his way to participate in the International Congress of Mathematicians at Harvard University. After an intensive investigation, the probable cause of the crash was cited to be failure of the rear master rod bearing on the number three engine. The failure caused the rear crankpin to overheat and fail, whereupon all the rear connecting rods failed, tearing through the cylinder walls and crankcase. In the process, oil lines were torn open, which caused the fire. Sludge buildup in the crankpins, blocking oil flow was thought to be the root cause, which resulted in improved oil screens and the implementation of a crankpin plug, as well as revised oil change intervals. [1]
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Air crash
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Northwest Airlines Flight 253 crash
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Northwest Airlines Flight 253 was an international passenger flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands, to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in the United States. The flight was the target of a failed al-Qaeda bombing attempt on Christmas Day, December 25, 2009, in which a passenger tried to set off chemical explosives sewn to his underwear. There were 290 people on board the aircraft—an Airbus A330-323E operated by Northwest Airlines, which had merged with Delta Air Lines the year before. Had the attempt succeeded, it would have surpassed American Airlines Flight 191 as the deadliest aviation occurrence on U.S. soil and tied Iran Air Flight 655 as the eighth-deadliest of all time. The incident was also the second in 2009 involving an Airbus A330, after the crash of Air France Flight 447 on June 1. This was also the final accident/incident involving Northwest Airlines as it closed down a month later when it merged with Delta Air Lines. The convicted bomber in the "Christmas Day bombing attempt"[3] was 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian man who had concealed plastic explosives in his underwear but failed to detonate them properly. A Dutch passenger, Jasper Schuringa, tackled and restrained him and put out the fire that the bomber had ignited with the aid of others. Abdulmutallab was handcuffed while the pilot safely landed the plane. In all, three people were injured: Abdulmutallab, Schuringa, and one other passenger. Upon landing in Detroit, Abdulmutallab was arrested and taken to a hospital for treatment of his burns. On December 28, 2009, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed responsibility for the attempted bombing. On January 6, 2010, a federal grand jury indicted Abdulmutallab on six criminal charges, including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted murder. Reports indicated that the U.S. had received intelligence regarding a powder bomb planned attack by a Yemen-based Nigerian man. While describing security measures taken by U.S. and foreign governments in the immediate aftermath of the attack, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, said, "once the incident occurred, the system worked." She cited "the actions of the passengers and the crew on this flight" to show "why that system is so important. "[4] After heavy criticism, she stated the following day that the system "failed miserably", this time referring to Abdulmutallab's boarding the flight with an explosive device. [5] U.S. President Barack Obama called the U.S.'s failure to prevent the bombing attempt "totally unacceptable", and ordered an investigation. [6]
On April 6, 2010, it was reported that President Obama had authorized military action that took out Anwar al-Awlaki, a Muslim cleric who was accused by the Obama administration of being a Yemen-based al-Qaeda commander behind the plot. [7] Al-Awlaki was killed on September 30, 2011. On Christmas Eve, December 24, 2009, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian, boarded Virgin Nigeria Flight 804 at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana and arrived at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, Nigeria. Eight days earlier at the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines office in Accra, Ghana, he had paid $2,831 in cash for his Lagos-Amsterdam-Detroit round-trip ticket with a January 8, 2010 return date. [8] Kevin Drum, a political blogger for Mother Jones, said that Ghana and Nigeria were then largely cash-based economies, so it would be normal for someone to buy an airplane ticket with cash in those countries. [9]
Abdulmutallab left Lagos on Christmas Eve at 23:00 aboard KLM Flight 588, a Boeing 777 bound for Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. [10] In Amsterdam, on Christmas Day, Abdulmutallab checked in for Northwest Airlines Flight 253 to Detroit with only carry-on luggage. On March 24, 2011, the Associated Press reported that Abdulmutallab chose to attack Detroit because the plane ticket there was the least expensive of tickets to potential U.S. targets, which included Chicago and Houston. Initially, some media rumored that Abdulmutallab tried to fly to Detroit because it was a major hub of the U.S. automotive industry. [11]
Kurt and Lori Haskell, an American couple, said that while waiting to board Flight 253 at Schiphol Airport, they saw a "poor-looking African-American teenager around 16 or 17," who Kurt Haskell claims was Abdulmutallab, with a second man, who was "sharp-dressed", possibly of Pakistani descent, around 50 years old, and who spoke "in an American accent similar to my own. "[12][13]
According to Lori Haskell, the second man told the ticket agent: "We need to get this man on the plane. He doesn't have a passport." The ticket agent said nobody was allowed to board without a passport. The well-dressed man replied: "We do this all the time; he's from Sudan. "[14][15] Lori Haskell said the two men were directed down a corridor, to talk to a manager. "We never saw him again until he tried to blow up our plane," Lori Haskell said of Abdulmutallab. [13]
Only U.S. citizens are permitted to board international flights to the U.S. without passports, and even then only if the airline confirms their identity and citizenship, said a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). [16] A CBP official and spokesman confirmed there were not any Sudanese refugees on the plane. [16] The Dutch counter-terror agency said that Abdulmutallab presented a valid Nigerian passport and U.S. entry visa when he boarded Flight 253. [17]
Haskell suggested authorities should, "Put the video out there to prove I'm wrong. "[18] Federal agents later said they were trying to identify and find the well-dressed man. U.S. authorities had initially discounted the passenger accounts, but agents later said there was a growing belief that the man played a role in ensuring Abdulmutallab "did not get cold feet". [19]
Flight 253, a Northwest Airlines Airbus A330-323E twinjet, registered N820NW, with 279 passengers, 8 flight attendants, and 3 pilots aboard, left Amsterdam around 08:45 local time. [20] The plane was scheduled to arrive in Detroit at 11:40 EST,[21] and was painted in Delta Air Lines' livery, as Northwest was a subsidiary of Delta at the time. [2]
Witnesses reported that as the plane approached Detroit, Abdulmutallab went into the plane's lavatory for about 20 minutes. After returning to his seat at 19A (near the fuel tanks and wing, and against the skin of the plane),[22] he complained that he had an upset stomach. [23] He was seen pulling a blanket over himself. [24]
About 20 minutes before the plane landed, on its final descent, he secretly ignited a small explosive device consisting of a mix of plastic explosive powder[25] and acid. [26] Abdulmutallab apparently had a packet of the plastic explosive sewn to his underwear,[27] and injected liquid acid from a syringe into the packet to cause a chemical reaction. [28] While a small explosion and fire occurred, the device failed to detonate properly. [24][29] Passengers heard popping noises resembling firecrackers, smelled an odor, and saw the suspect's pants, leg and the wall of the plane on fire. [24]
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Air crash
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Underwater Volcano Fukutoku-Okanoba Explodes
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The eruption of an underwater volcano near South Iwo Jima sent a plume soaring into flight paths and created an expansive raft of floating rock. Over the past decade, the Japan Coast Guard has occasionally spotted patches of milky blue water about 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of South Iwo Jima island. The discolored water has been a subtle reminder that the summit of an active volcano—Fukutoku-Okanoba—lurks about 25 meters (80 feet) below the water surface. On August 13, 2021, there was much more than just discolored water. A photograph taken by a Coast Guard aircraft flying near the volcano showed a towering plume of gas rising several kilometers into the air—a sure sign that explosive “Surtseyan” eruptions were happening. Satellite observations and follow-up flights filled in more details. The Japanese geostationary satellite Himawari 8 was among the first satellites to observe the eruption, showing its beginning stages at about 21:00 UTC (6 a.m. local time) on August 12, 2021. When NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor on the Terra satellite acquired its first image of the event on August 13, it showed a bright plume—likely steam and volcanic gases—streaming from the vent and stretching hundreds of kilometers to the west. The longevity and vigor of the plume surprised some scientists. “What was remarkable about this eruption is that it went straight from being a submarine event to an eruption cloud reaching the lower boundary of the stratosphere,” explained Andrew Tupper, a meteorologist with Natural Hazards Consulting and a specialist in hazards to aviation. “That is not very common for this type of volcano. We normally see lower-level plumes from submarine eruptions.” August 17, 2021 On August 14, NASA’s Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) sensor detected the plume reaching as high as 16 kilometers (11 miles) above the surface, according to Ghassan Taha, an atmospheric scientist based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The amount of water in the vicinity of the vent plays a key role in determining the explosivity of submarine eruptions. “Explosivity is linked to the proportions of water and the erupting ‘stuff’—volcanic gases, ash, and lava,” explained Erik Klemetti, a volcanologist at Denison University. “Volcanoes with lots of water relative to erupting stuff are less explosive. Volcanoes with less water relative to the erupting stuff are more explosive. If this eruption was in shallow water, say just a few meters, then the presence of that water would have enhanced the explosivity.” Scientists and aviation groups track volcanic eruptions closely because ash can pose a risk to aircraft. Volcanic ash is made up of tiny, jagged rock and glass particles that can damage jet engines and even cause them to fail. Ash poses a particular threat when it rises above the normal cruising altitude of jets—about 10 kilometers (6 miles). “The problem with fresh eruptions is that it can be very difficult to work out if it is safe for pilots to fly underneath due to the risk of falling ash,” said Tupper. In this case, the Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center at the Japan Meteorological Agency issued an ash advisory to pilots within a few hours of the eruption. Multiple Philippine Airlines flights to Japan were canceled as a result. Fukutok-Okanoba left its mark on the sea surface as well. In the Landsat 8 image above, the sides of a new parentheses-shaped island outline the volcano’s caldera. It is unclear how long these features will last; the volcano has created ephemeral ash and pumice islands in the past that eroded away not long after their formation. According to Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program, the volcano’s most recent island formed in 1986. August 17, 2021 Landsat 8 imagery also show several floating rafts of pumice drifting northwest of the eruption site. The satellite’s Operational Land Imager (OLI) captured a remarkable image (above) of expansive gray pumice rafts on August 17, 2021, a few days after the eruption began. Pumice is one of the only types of rock that can float due to a combination of surface tension and the many air-filled holes and cavities found within the rock. Rafts of the rock can drift in the ocean for months or even years. As they drift, the volcanic rocks often pick up various forms of life, ranging from bryozoans to barnacles to crabs. But what is home for marine life can be hazardous to ships. In addition to scratching hulls and propellers, floating chunks of pumice can clog cooling systems and engines. “Aviation and marine warning systems for remote submarine volcanoes are still very much developing,” said Tupper. “Combining cutting-edge satellite data with surface observations gives us the best possible chance to respond in time.”
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Volcano Eruption
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State Attorney Melissa Nelson, left, arrives to the scene of a multiple shooting at the Jacksonville Landing Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018, during a video game competition in Jacksonville, Fla. A gunman opened fire Sunday during an online video game tournament that was being livestreamed from a Florida mall, killing multiple people and sending many others to hospitals, authorities said.
Police investigate the scene of a multiple shooting at the Jacksonville Landing after a mass shooting during a Madden Championship Series competition at the Good Luck Have Fun video game bar inside Chicago Pizza at The Jacksonville Landing. Reports say there are four dead including the shooter and 7 other victims at the Jacksonville, Florida location Sunday, August 26, 2018.
CORRECTS YEAR TO 2018 - Law enforcement patrols the St. Johns River by boat just outside the Jacksonville Landing where an active shooter was reported Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018 in Jacksonville, Fla. after a gunman opened fire Sunday during an online video game tournament that was being livestreamed from a Florida mall, killing multiple people and sending many others to hospitals. (AP Photo/Laura Heald)
Florida Highway patrolmen block the entrance to the Main Street Bridge near the scene of a mass shooting at Jacksonville Landing in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018. Florida authorities are reporting multiple fatalities at the riverfront mall that was hosting a video game tournament
Bomb squad police prepare a robot to enter a parking garage a block away from the scene of a multiple shooting at the Jacksonville Landing Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018, during a video game competition in Jacksonville, Fla. A gunman opened fire Sunday during an online video game tournament that was being livestreamed from a Florida mall, killing multiple people and sending many others to hospitals, authorities said.
Police barricade a street near the Jacksonville Landing in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018. Florida authorities are reporting multiple fatalities after a mass shooting at the riverfront mall in Jacksonville that was hosting a video game tournament. (AP Photo/Laura Heald)
A police officer directs a pedestrian away from a blocked-off area near the scene of a mass shooting at Jacksonville Landing in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018. Florida authorities are reporting multiple fatalities at the riverfront mall that was hosting a video game tournament. )
Police investigate the scene at the Jacksonville Landing Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018, after a mass shooting during a Madden Championship Series competition at the Good Luck Have Fun video game bar at The Jacksonville Landing in Jacksonville, Fla. A gunman opened fire Sunday during an online video game tournament that was being livestreamed from a Florida mall, killing multiple people and sending many others to hospitals, authorities said.
Law enforcement patrols the St. Johns River by boat just outside the Jacksonville Landing where an active shooter was reported Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018 in Jacksonville, Fla. after a gunman opened fire Sunday during an online video game tournament that was being livestreamed from a Florida mall, killing multiple people and sending many others to hospitals. (AP Photo/Laura Heald)
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams, right, holds a news conference, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018, in Jacksonville, Fla., after a gunman opened fire Sunday during an online video game tournament that was being livestreamed from a Florida mall, killing multiple people and sending many others to hospitals
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said authorities believe 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore carried out the attack using at least one handgun at the Jacksonville Landing, a collection of restaurants and shops along the St. Johns River. He said the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot, adding authorities were still making final confirmation of his identity with the FBI assisting them in Baltimore.
Nine other people were wounded by gunfire and all were in stable condition Sunday evening after going to hospitals, Williams said. He added that two others were hurt as people sought to flee the gunfire in the panic and chaos that ensued.
Katz was in Jacksonville for the “Madden NFL 19” video game tournament, authorities said. The games maker, EA Sports, lists a David Katz as a 2017 championship winner.
Thee competition was held in a gaming bar that shares space with a pizzeria. Viewers could watch the games online and see the players.
Investigators were looking into online video that appeared to capture the scene right before the shooting began, Williams said. A red dot that appears to be a laser pointer is visible on the chest of a player seconds before the first of about a dozen gunshots rings out.
Marquis Williams, 28, and his girlfriend, Taylor Poindexter, 26, both from Chicago, were ordering pizza at the bar when they heard the first shot.
“Initially we thought it was a balloon popping, but there weren’t any balloons in the room,” said Williams, who had taken part in the tournament earlier. “Then we heard repeat shots and we took off running.” Williams added: “The first shot everybody just turned and looked. After the second, third and fourth shots, everybody took off and ran for the exits.”
Taylor Poindexter, an aspiring gamer, said she had hoped to gain some experience at the tournament. She said she never saw the face of the man who was shooting. But she recalled, “We did see him with two hands on a gun walking back just popping rounds.”
He said the two ran to a nearby restaurant where workers were waving people in, hiding in a bathroom until police arrived.
Jason Lake, the founder and CEO of compLexity, a company that owns professional e-sports teams, said on Twitter that one of his players, 19-year-old Drini Gjoka, was shot in the thumb.
Gjoka tweeted: “The tourney just got shot up. Im leavinng and never coming back.” Then: “I am literally so lucky. The bullet hit my thumb. Worst day of my life.”
On Sunday evening, an FBI official in Baltimore confirmed that its agents were searching the family home of the man authorities said they believe was behind the attack. An FBI spokesman, Dave Fitz, said agents had gone to the house of the man’s father in Baltimore. He declined to release specifics, citing the ongoing investigation.
In Washington, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the attack and the White House was monitoring the situation.
The Jacksonville Landing, in the heart of the city’s downtown, also hosts concerts and other entertainment. It was the site of a Trump rally in 2015, early in his campaign for the White House.
The sheriff’s office used Twitter and Facebook immediately after the shooting to warn people to stay far away and to ask anyone who was hiding to call 911. Police also barricaded a three-block radius around the mall and police boats patrolled the nearby river. Police also took up positions on a bridge overlooking the river.
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Riot
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Plague of locusts invades France | Science | The Guardian
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Plague of locusts invades France
Record numbers of the voracious insects are devouring crops
Alex Duval Smith in Paris
Sun 17 Jul 2005 01.56 BST
In a devastating new twist to the severe drought hitting southern Europe , France is now fighting a plague of hundreds of thousands of locusts which are devouring everything from crops to flowers in village window boxes.
The worst invasion by the voracious insects is centred on Saint-Affrique in the Aveyron region where, for the first time since 1987, hundreds of thousands have hatched in the last week.
An Aveyron cattle and ewe breeder Gérard Laussel expected them to destroy his crop of lucerne which he uses to feed his livestock.
'At the beginning they seem small, insignificant insects but they grow very quickly. They eat everything that is green, leaving only stalks, and when they have finished they leave some kind of scent so the cattle do not want to graze on what is left.'
Aveyron Chamber of Agri culture says the locusts have hatched as a result of a drought that effectively began in 2003 and has never lost its grip due to insufficient winter rainfall.
Farmers thought this summer's first locust invasion, at the end of June, would be controlled by thunderstorms. But when rain came earlier this month, the locust larvae simply lay dormant, and the insects have reappeared in record numbers since the beginning of last week.
The chamber's development director, Patrice Lemoux, said: 'There is nothing we can do for the 700 or 800 farmers affected. The locust has no known predator and the only insecticides which might make a difference are banned.'
Farmers in the region, many producing Roquefort cheese, are already furious with their government. A group of them led by anti-globalisation campaigner José Bové - himself a cheese producer - led 150 ewes on to the landmark Millau viaduct last Wednesday, blocking tourist traffic for three hours.
The shepherds only moved their animals after securing a meeting this week with the Ministry of Agriculture to discuss improved compensation payments for losses caused by the drought last year.
The locust infestation has come amid the serious drought, although ministers insisted yesterday that it was not as bad as during the heatwave in August 2003 when 15,000 people died.
Although the problem in France is not yet as critical as in Spain, Portugal and Italy, by last night most départements had introduced water restrictions, ranging from domestic hosepipe bans to limits on watering crops.
The environment ministry said last week that the effects of the drought could be 'felt across most of France', and the impact of poor rainfall was most worrying from the Atlantic to the Paris region - the Loire-Atlantique, Poitou Charentes and the Oise.
Tomorrow, as part of the 30th anniversary commemorations of the Conservatoire du Littoral, a French version of the National Trust, which buys up coastal land to protect it from development, President Jacques Chirac will attend an emergency drought meeting in Poitou Charentes. Experts fear forest fires in high-risk areas such as Provence, Corsica and the Languedoc-Rousillon, which were devastated in 2003.
Jean-Marc Billac, a woodlands campaigner in Aquitaine, said: 'All it takes is a sudden change in the weather - a mistral or a temperature rise - for the situation to become critical.'
In August 2003, when the temperature in Paris exceeded 35C for three weeks, 15,000 people - most of them elderly - were reported to have died across the country. This prompted widespread criticism of ministers, who failed to interrupt their holidays, and of low summer staffing levels in the health profession.
The government has since provided incentives for old people's homes to install air-conditioning. This can save lives but increases electricity consumption.
Forecasters say the heat, with temperatures of between 32C and 37C, will continue well into this week. Prefects in all major cities have announced level three - out of four - alerts that allow them to reduce speed limits, cutting pollution, and raise medical staffing to levels used in winter flu epidemics.
The first short heatwave of the summer hit France in the last fortnight of June, killing two elderly people - a 74-year-old man in Paris and a woman of 84 in Lyon. Residents of Marseille were advised to avoid going outside at midday, and people on the Riviera were prohibited from filling their swimming pools with mains water.
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Insect Disaster
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Five active volcanoes on my Asia Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ watch-list right now
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In Indonesia, more than 197 million people live within 100km of a volcano, including more than 8.6 million inside a 10km radius. The country has a record of some of the most deadly volcanic eruptions in history, and right now there are ongoing eruptions at the Agung, Sinabung and Dukono volcanoes. But other volcanoes in the region are active too , including Kadovar in Papua New Guinea, Mayon in the Philippines, and Kusatsu-Shiranesan in Japan. Although it all seems to be happening at once, it’s normal for the Asia-Pacific region to have frequent earthquake and volcanic activity. But we still need to keep a close eye on things, and local volcanic authorities are monitoring activity to manage risks and evacuations adequately. Here are the volcanoes on my Asia-Pacific watch list this week. Agung, Bali, Indonesia Mount Agung in Bali has been highly scrutinised for the past few months, largely because of Bali’s popularity as a tourist destination. After a series of volcanic earthquakes (more than 1,000 per day at its peak), eruptions began on November 21, 2017. Read more: Mount Agung continues to rumble with warnings the volcano could still erupt Since then we’ve seen frequent explosive eruptions emitting gas, steam and volcanic ash reaching thousands of metres above the volcano. Drones used by the Indonesian Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation ( CVGHM ) show an estimated 20 million cubic metres of new lava in the crater, filling roughly one-third of it. In the evening of January 19 an explosion of fire (known as a “strombolian” eruption) ejected glowing rocks up to 1km from the crater . The alert level remains at the highest level, with an exclusion zone in place. There have been very few issues for tourists visiting Bali so far, apart from a temporary closure of Denpasar airport in late November 2017. However, thousands of Agung’s local residents are still displaced from their homes, with many still stationed in evacuation centres. It remains uncertain when those living closest will be able to return home. Many evacuated pregnant women have given birth to babies since leaving their homes in places such as the Bumi Sehat’s community health center and birthing clinic in Ubud, which relies on donations to keep running. As a mother of a one-year-old and a three-year-old, I can’t imagine having a newborn baby and not being in the comfort of my own home. Read more: Tourists are stuck at the airport, but erupting Mt Agung has a deeper significance for the Balinese Sinabung, Sumatra, Indonesia Sinabung volcano awoke in 2010 after a 400-year sleep, and is currently one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia. It has been pretty much in constant eruption since September 2013, and there are still frequent volcanic earthquakes . Eruptions have produced ash plumes reaching as high as 11km into the atmosphere, as well as ash fall and lava flows. There have also been volcanic mudflows (“lahars”) and fast-moving, hot flows of gas, ash and rock fragments (“ pyroclastic flows ”), which have killed 25 people . The initial activity in 2010 saw around 30,000 people evacuated. In August last year the Indonesian National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) reported that there were 7,214 people displaced, and a further 2,863 living in refugee camps. For the locals, life seemingly goes on in the midst of eruptions. The alert level currently remains at 4 (on a scale of 1-4), with exclusion zones of 3-7km around the volcano. Read more: Why do people still live next to an active volcano? Mayon, Luzon, Philippines Mayon, around 330km southeast of Manila, is a picture-perfect volcano with its steep-sided conical cone, typical of stratovolcanoes . It is one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, with 24 confirmed eruptive periods in the past 100 years. Mayon’s most violent eruption in 1814 killed more than 1,200 people and destroyed several towns. The recent eruption began on January 13, 2018, and is continuing, with several episodes of dramatic lava fountaining, one lasting 74 minutes. Mayon volcano spews ash and lava on January 26 2018. Francis. R. Malasig/AAP Eruptions during January 23-29 generated 3-5km-high ash plumes and multiple pyroclastic flows, which travelled more than 5km down drainage channels. The alert is at level 4 (on a scale of 1 to 5) and an 8km danger zone is in place. Lava flows have currently made their way up to 4.5km down river valleys from the summit crater. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) estimated on January 27 that the total volume of material deposited from ash fall and pyroclastic flows amounted to 10.5 million cubic metres. Remobilisation of this loose volcanic material by rainfall to form volcanic mudflows is a major concern. According to news articles, more than 75,000 people have been evacuated, along with the temporary closure of Legazpi airport around 15km away. Kadovar, Papua New Guinea Until January 2018, when it began erupting, I hadn’t heard of Kadovar. It’s a 2km-wide, 365m-high emergent summit of a stratovolcano off the coast of Papua New Guinea. Kadovar island off the coast of PNG is currently an active volcano. Samaritan Aviation The volcano had no confirmed historic eruptions before 2018. However, it is possible that William Dampier, a 17th-century pirate and later maritime adventurer, witnessed an eruption at Kadovar during a voyage in search of Terra Australis. Activity began on January 5, 2018, with rising plumes of ash and steam from the volcano. The island’s inhabitants, some literally living on the crater rim, began evacuating at that time. People were initially taken by boat to neighbouring Blup Blup island but then to the mainland along with other nearby islanders, due to the close proximity of the eruption and logistics of providing people with supplies. The Rabaul Volcano Observatory reported that activity significantly escalated on January 12, with a large explosive eruption and volcanic rocks ejected to the south. Large amounts of sulfur dioxide have been detected since January 8, and continue to be released along with ash and steam plumes. A lava “dome” has been observed glowing at night. The impact from the eruption is not just confined to those on Kadovar and nearby islands, with satellite imagery tracking an ash plume from Kadovar travelling over tens of kilometres. Identified volcanic risks at Kadovar include further potential explosive activity, landslides, and resulting possible tsunamis . Kusatsu-Shirane, Honshu Japan On January 23, 2018, an eruption occurred at Kusatsu-Shirane volcano without any prior warning, catching Japan’s Meteorological Agency and volcanic experts, not to mention the skiers on the volcano, by surprise. According to agency’s volcanology division, there had been no volcanic activity at the apparent site of the eruption (Kagamiike crater), for about 3,000 years . The eruption ejected a black plume of ash and larger volcanic material that damaged a gondola and the roof of a mountain lodge. The ejected volcanic rocks, which landed up to 1km away from the vent, injured several people. A member of the Ground Self-Defence Force who was skiing in a training exercise was killed. The Japan Meteorological Agency has since analysed the deposits of the eruption and state that there was no new magma erupted on January 23. Volcanic rocks were ejected from the Kusatsu-Shirane volcano. Japan has more than 100 active volcanoes, with many monitored 24/7 by Japan’s Meteorological Agency. Living near volcanoes Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan have the greatest numbers of people living within 100km of their volcanoes. The populations of small volcanic island nations, such as Tonga and Samoa, almost all live within 100km. The top 10 countries for population within 100 km of a volcano (left) and the top ten countries (area over 31,415 km²) for percentage of the total population (right). Sarah Brown and co-authors. Indonesia has the greatest total population located within 10km (more than 8.6 million), 30km (more than 68 million) and 100km (more than 179 million), and a record of some of the most deadly volcanic eruptions in history. The eruption of Tambora in 1812-15, was the largest eruption in the last 10,000 years and killed around 100,000 Indonesians (due to the eruption and the ensuing famine). The infamous eruption of Krakatau (Krakatoa) killed an estimated 35,000 people , almost all due to volcanic-generated tsunamis. Volcanic mudflows (lahars) generated by the eruptions of 1586 and 1919 at Kelut (Kelud) in Java took the lives of 10,000 and 5,000 people, respectively. Keeping watch on the world’s volcanoes is a big job for the local volcanic agencies. This is particularly true when volcanoes erupt for the first time in history (Kadovar is a good example) or there were no warning signals before eruption, as at Kusatsu-Shirane.
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Volcano Eruption
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Stephen Curry lands second $200 million contract of career with Warriors
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry has landed the second $200 million-plus contract of his career, reaching agreement on a $215 million, four-year extension with the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday that takes him through the 2025-26 season.
Curry’s agent, Jeff Austin of Octagon, confirmed the new deal for the star point guard, who would have been entering the final season of his previous contract. Curry will earn $48 million for the 2022-23 season, then $51.9 million in ’23-’24, $55.7 million in ’24-’25 and $59.6 million in the final year of the deal.
For this extension — first reported by ESPN — it was only a matter of when it would get done after the 33-year-old Curry produced one of his best seasons.
He averaged 32.0 points, 5.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds and shot 42.1% from 3-point range for the Warriors, who lost in the play-in tournament to Memphis. The two-time MVP shined despite injured Splash Brother Klay Thompson’s absence for a second straight season.
After the season ended, Curry thanked his teammates for all they did to allow him to be at his best night after night, even when he had to spend long hours in the trainer’s room to keep his body healthy and fresh. He was limited to five games during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season primarily because of a broken left hand, then played 63 games last season while missing time because of a bruised tailbone that bothered him down the stretch.
Stephen Curry's agent, Jeff Austin of @OctagonBsktball, confirms the two-time MVP's $215M, four-year extension with Warriors as reported by @wojespn. Curry will earn $48 million for 2022-23 season, $51.9M in 23-24, $55.7M in 24-25 and $59.6 million in the final year of the deal.
“I appreciate everybody out there committing to how we play, and that’s really unlocked what I do best,” Curry said. “That was huge, but God is good. I’ve been blessed to be back healthy and be able to just play night in, night out at a high level and the work that goes into it, it pays off, and it’s something that I really, really rely on, especially at this point in my career. As the years go on, that is the difference maker for me.”
In December, Curry noted he wanted to play until he’s 40 if possible and do so the whole way for the Warriors. Discussions had already begun then on an extension, he said, and now he has a new deal in hand well before he begins his 13th season.
In July 2017, Curry received a $201 million, five-year deal that initially was the richest ever, until James Harden topped it with a $228 million extension from the Rockets.
Considered overlooked and undersized after being drafted seventh overall out of Davidson in 2009, Curry has repeatedly proven the doubters wrong. He led the Warriors to five straight NBA Finals and championships in 2015, ’17 and ’18.
“I’m really proud of what I put in to it, and the team, they know who they are, that help me and push me and motivate me,” he said. “I’m going to keep doing that until I can’t anymore. I don’t know how long that’ll be but that’s the difference-maker for me.”
Golden State’s other moves in free agency so far include agreements with Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica.
Keep track of every reported move before deals can be officially signed starting on Aug. 6.
DeMar DeRozan and Andre Drummond were among the names reportedly moving on in another busy day of roster reshuffling.
NBA free agents from Kyle Lowry to Mike Conley go straight to social once the negotiation period opened at 6 p.m. ET on Monday.
The former All-Star big man heads to the Philadelphia 76ers to play alongside Joel Embiid.
Keep track of every reported move before deals can be officially signed starting on Aug. 6.
DeMar DeRozan and Andre Drummond were among the names reportedly moving on in another busy day of roster reshuffling.
NBA free agents from Kyle Lowry to Mike Conley go straight to social once the negotiation period opened at 6 p.m. ET on Monday.
The former All-Star big man heads to the Philadelphia 76ers to play alongside Joel Embiid.
Breaking down stats and film on key storylines throughout the league after the 1st month of the season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's dominant showing Wednesday against the Lakers has L.A. flustered as its road trek begins.
Philadelphia has dealt with plenty of adversity this season, from the absence of Ben Simmons to players missing games due to health and safety protocols.
The Lakers are 4-6 overall this season without James, who has missed the last eight games with an abdominal injury. Sheppard's offseason moves have helped the Wizards to their best start since 1974-75.
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Sign Agreement
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2011 Chilean Air Force C-212 crash
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On 2 September 2011, a CASA C-212 Aviocar military transport of the Chilean Air Force (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea de Chile, FACH) on a flight from Santiago to Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile, crashed into the sea while manoeuvring to land. All 21 passengers and crew on board were killed. The aircraft was transporting a crew from Chile's national TV, and among the victims were presenter Felipe Camiroaga and journalist Roberto Bruce. [1]
The aircraft was on a relief flight in support of operations in the wake of the 2010 Chile earthquake. It was operated by the 10th Transport Group of the Chilean Air Force. It departed from the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, Santiago at 13:52 local time (16:52 UTC), bound for Robinson Crusoe Airport, with four crew members and seventeen passengers on board. [2]
The flight lasted almost three hours, hampered by adverse weather and strong winds. On arriving over the airfield, the plane overflew the entire runway and positioned itself for a landing in the opposite direction. However, due to strong crosswind, the approach was discontinued and the twin-engine went around for a second attempt. [2]
At 16:48, personnel at the airfield observed the aircraft performing a wide turn at low altitude; it then disappeared from view behind a hill without re-emerging. The C-212 had crashed into the sea between Robinson Crusoe and Santa Clara islands, killing all on board. [2]
Local fishermen and inhabitants later found the bodies of a man and two women floating in the sea. [3] On 7 September, four more bodies were recovered. The accident was the deadliest suffered by the FACH since 1977, and the second deadliest accident in FACH history. [4]
The aircraft involved was a twin-turboprop Casa C-212 Aviocar 300DF with tail number 966. It was manufactured in 1994 with serial number 443. [2]
One of the victims was Felipe Camiroaga, a presenter with Televisión Nacional de Chile (National Broadcasting of Chile), who was traveling to the island for the Buenos Días a Todos show (Good Morning Everyone), to report on the reconstruction after the 2010 earthquake. He was accompanied by journalist Roberto Bruce and three other members of the TV channel. [3]
Investigators concluded that, while flying the downwind leg around the airfield at 650 ft above the sea, a sudden loss of control caused the aircraft to roll almost inverted, lose altitude and strike the surface of the water. [2]
The loss of control was attributed to the adverse weather conditions prevailing at the time, characterized by strong, gusty winds arising from a weather front passing through the area. Turbulence in the wake of surrounding terrain and wind shear were also cited as factors in the loss of control. [2]
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Air crash
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‘Let the children live’: UN prepares to ramp up food aid to Yemen as famine risk grows
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As the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) prepares to ramp up aid to Yemen, in the face of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, David Beasley, Executive-Director of the agency, issued a heartfelt plea for all warring parties to end “this horrible war.” Mr. Beasley was speaking on his return from a three-day visit to the country, which included Hudaydah, a port town critical to the humanitarian effort in Yemen, as the gateway for 70 per cent of the food, fuel and medicine imports on which the majority of the population depends. @WFPChief makes it clear why #Hodeidah #Yemen port must stay open. "...we need to protect this port at all costs to function at the highest capacity because if we don’t then people are going to die.” The relief efforts of the WFP are severely hampered by severe fighting around Hudaydah, and Mr. Beasley saw first-hand the heartbreaking consequences effects on Yemenis when he was shown around a hospital in the city and saw “small children, so malnourished they’re little more than skin and bone, lying there with hardly the strength to breathe. Let the children live and let the people start to rebuild their lives.” WFP is already reaching seven to eight million people with food assistance every month, in the face of rapidly rising hunger, the agency is preparing to scale up even further to provide food and cash-based assistance for as many as 12 million people. Speaking in Hudaydah, Mr. Beasley emphasized the essential role that the port plays in ensuring this aid reaches those in need: “I am here to send a clear message to the world that we need to protect this port at all costs, make sure that it can function at the highest capacity, because if we don’t then people are going to die.” The WFP chief added that the economy, which has collapsed as a result of the conflict, must be restarted so that people can have the money they need to buy food and other basics, but that this will only be possible once there is peace. UN humanitarian agency the World Food Programme (WFP) has appealed for access to a key storage facility in the port of Hudaydah, which is now under the control of a Saudi-led military coalition that supports the internationally recognized Government. “Outraged” by the “unconscionable toll” caused by the escalation of hostilities in Yemen, the UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, on Saturday, urged the warring parties and those supplying them with weapons, to take immediate steps to end the suffering of civilians.
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Famine
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Spain shed 622,600 jobs and unemployment reached 16.13% in 2020
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WHEN THE pandemic struck it was natural to fear that the world economy would stay in the doldrums for years. America is defying such pessimism. Having outrun gloomy growth forecasts from last summer, it is adding fiscal rocket fuel to an already fiery economic-policy mix. President Joe Biden’s $1.9trn stimulus bill, which he was poised to sign into law after The Economist went to press, takes to nearly $3trn (14% of pre-crisis GDP) the amount of pandemic-related spending passed since December, and to about $6trn the total paid out since the start of the crisis. On current plans the Federal Reserve and Treasury will also pour some $2.5trn into the banking system this year, and interest rates will stay near zero. For a decade after the global financial crisis of 2007-09 America’s economic policymakers were too timid. Today they are letting rip. The probable result is a bounce-back that was unthinkable in the spring of 2020. In January America’s retail sales were already 7.4% higher than a year earlier, as most Americans received $600 cheques from the government, part of the previous round of stimulus. Stuck at home and unable to spend as much as they normally would in restaurants, bars and cinemas, consumers have accumulated $1.6trn in excess savings during the past year. Mr Biden’s stimulus gives most Americans another $1,400 each. Unusually for a rich country, a big chunk of the cash pile is held by poor households that are likely to spend it once the economy fully reopens. If vaccines continue to reach arms and America avoids a nasty encounter with new variants, the unemployment rate should fall comfortably below 5% by the end of the year.
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Financial Crisis
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1963 Ankara mid-air collision crash
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The 1963 Ankara mid-air collision occurred on Friday, 1 February 1963 over Ankara, Turkey when Middle East Airlines Flight 265, a Vickers 754D Viscount completing a flight from Cyprus, came in for landing and collided in the air with a Turkish Air Force Douglas C-47A; after which both planes fell directly onto the city below them. In total, 104 people died in the accident, including 87 on the ground. [1]
Middle East Airlines Flight 265 was a passenger flight en route to Ankara from Cyprus, carrying eleven passengers and three crew. The aircraft involved was a Vickers 754D Viscount, registered OD-ADE and owned by Middle East Airlines. The aircraft involved was initially registered G-APCE, ordered by the British Overseas Airways Corporation. The plane was initially planned to be transferred to one of the subsidiary airlines of BOAC - Lebanese Middle East Airlines (MEA), but in April 1957 it was decided to be sent to another — Cyprus Airways, where it was to serve the London-Cyprus route. The final assembly of the airliner did not start until 11 June, and in September it was finally finished, painted in the livery of Cyprus Airways and given the name "Buffavento". However, by that time the flight from Cyprus to London was already served by British European Airways, so Cyprus Airways found it unnecessary; hence on October 31, 1957 the plane was re-registered, giving it the new registration OD-ADE and on November 24, it finally made his first flight. On December 12, OD-ADE was transferred to the initial customer — MEA. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had 13,187 flight hours and 5,515 pressurization cycles. [2][1] The crew on board the fatal flight consisted of two pilots and one flight attendant:[3]
The other aircraft involved in the accident was a Douglas C-47A Skytrain registered as CBK-28, belonging to the Turkish Air Force. The aircraft was built in 1944 and at the time of the accident it had 2340 flight hours. [3] The crew consisted of two pilots, an instructor and a trainee, as well as a radio operator. The pilot-in command and instructor was 33 years old, had been a pilot since May 1955 and had a total of 1,452 hours flying time on the C-47. The pilot in training was 22 years old and had a pilot's license since July 1962; he had 36 hours flying time on the C-47. [3] On the day of the accident, CBK-28 was carrying out a training flight, which departed from Etimesgut Air Base. The trainee was sitting in the left seat and wearing blue glasses. An orange plexiglass panel was placed in front of him on the left side of the windshield to prevent seeing outside as part of instrument training. The supervising instructor was on the right. [4]
According to meteorological data, at 15:00 the sky over Ankara, clouds were present with a lower boundary of 3000 feet (910 m), visibility was 10-20 kilometers. [5] The flights collided over Ankara at 7,000 feet in good weather. [5]
The C-47 departed Etimesgut at 11:22 GMT; the instrument training flight flew a route southeast of the Golbashi radio beacon for lasted an hour and a half, after which the pilots headed back to Etymesgut, following visual flight rules. The flight was intended to last 1 hour and 30 minutes. [4]
Flight 265 radioed Esenboğa at 13:04 GMT to inform air traffic control it would descend from flight level 185 to 105 and would pass Golbasi at 13:07. Flight 265 was given permission to descend to 6500 feet at 13:05. Air traffic control ordered Flight 265 to report when they began descent for landing on runway 03. The altimeter setting was 1015.5 mb. Flight 265 reported descending to 6,500 ft and would radio when reaching the Ankara beacon; it was descending from flight level 125 intended to radio when reaching flight level 105. At 13:07 GMT the aircraft reported altitude at flight level 100, and asked it they needed to enter a holding pattern; they had not checked in with Ankara air traffic control but would soon. The flight was 8,000 ft over the Ankara at 13:09 and continued descent to flight level 65. Air traffic control expected to hear from the plane again but never did; the controller made multiple attempts to contact the plane starting at 13:13 but never heard from the plane again. [4]
The Viscount, flying at a heading of 283°, collided into the C-47 flying on a heading of 243°, both at 7,000 feet. It was noted that the Viscount attempted to avoid crashing by pulling up but failed. [6]
Investigation showed the aircraft collided at a 40° angle. Eyewitnesses to the collision reported that there were clouds where the planes collided. The ICAO laid blame on the Viscount pilot for: incorrectly estimating the distance between Golbasi and Ankara; failing to comply with international standards for radio communications; and failing to follow the flight plan by flying under VFR instead of planned IFR conditions. [7]
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Air crash
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6 *Lovestruck* Celeb Couples Who Got Married In 2020
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If there's one thing that 2020 proved, it's that you needn't have a grand wedding to celebrate your love with your S.O. Even before the pandemic hit in March, intimate and low-key weddings were already the trend in the Pinoy showbiz scene. Here, we have six celeb couples that held the most ~understated yet beautiful~ weddings this year. Ever the quiet couple, Megan Young and Mikael Daez surprised the public with their two weddings in January: an intimate church ceremony in Caleruega on January 10 which was followed by a laidback rustic wedding in Subic on January 25. On February 20, Sarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidicelli got married in a secret ceremony in Taguig. The wedding was overshadowed, though, by reports of a physical altercation between Matteo and Sarah's bodyguard. On March 12, Sarah Lahbati and Richard Gutierrez announced that they were postponing their grand wedding due to the pandemic. They then held a simple civil ceremony on March 14 with only 20 guests present, including their two sons, Zion and Kai. Musicians KZ Tandingan and TJ Monteverde held a secret garden wedding on August 28 in Batangas. News of their nuptials was only made public in October. Bettina Carlos and fiancé Mikki Eduardo got married in a beautiful outdoor wedding on December 2 in Tagaytay. The night before the wedding, Mikki ~proposed~ to Bettina's nine-year-old daughter Gummy and gave her an engagement ring similar to her mom's. On December 7, YouTuber Anna Cay married her longtime boyfriend Geloy Villalobos in an outdoor ceremony in Quezon City. Geloy surprised Anna during the nuptials by ~formally~ proposing to her, something he was never able to do before the wedding.
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Famous Person - Marriage
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Health of Tamar River takes a dip under the impact of pollutants stirred up by 2016 floods
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Health of Tamar River takes a dip under the impact of pollutants stirred up by 2016 floods
The 2016 Launceston floods are partly to blame for a decline in the health of the Tamar Estuary in Tasmania's north, according to environment authorities.
Natural Resources Management (NRM) North released the Tamar Estuary Report Card on Friday which showed the system's health had worsened in all but one section.
The only area that remained unchanged was the estuarine zone between Launceston and Legana, which retains its D score, the poorest of all five zones.
The findings are based on a year's worth of data collected from 16 sites.
The river has suffered for decades from Launceston's combined stormwater-sewerage system, which can cause raw sewage to be discharged into the river, and the regular build-up of silt and sediment.
But NRM North's operations manager, Amanda Locatelli, said the biggest factor in the drop in water quality was pollution from the 2016 floods.
"[They] delivered high loads of pollutants into the system, followed by a very dry and warm season, allowing the persistence of those pollutants in the system," she said.
The deluge pushed sediment containing heavy metals, pathogens and nutrients into sections of the Tamar that were usually healthier than the Zone 1 area between Launceston and Legana.
Even without the flood, Zone 1 takes a heavy toll.
"The North and South Esk Rivers combined represent about 15 per cent of Tasmania draining into the Launceston area, so they transport a high range of pollutants from a very large and mixed land use area," Ms Locatelli said.
"Added to that is the location of the sewage treatment plants and Launceston as an urban area — both transport heavy loads of pollution into the system."
Improving the river's health has long been the subject of lobbying and political promises.
The State and Federal Governments committed almost $95 million in February for infrastructure upgrades and other changes, with one of the project's aims to reduce sewage outflows by 70 per cent.
The cost of separating Launceston's stormwater and sewerage systems is considered prohibitively expensive, with authorities estimating it could cost $435 million.
Ms Locatelli said for the river's health to be improved long-term, governments needed to invest in improving the sewer system and working with farmers and the agricultural sector to reduce their contribution to river pollution.
She said that could take 10 to 20 years to see change.
"It does take time for systems to respond to change, and significant investment will be required to actually undertake enough of the recommended actions to actually see that shift in ecosystem health," she said.
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Environment Pollution
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China invites four European foreign ministers to visit in diplomatic push
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An attendant walks past EU and China flags ahead of the EU-China High-level Economic Dialogue at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China June 25, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee
BEIJING, May 28 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Ireland, Poland, Hungary and Serbia will visit China from Saturday, the Chinese foreign ministry said, in a sign of a push to strengthen ties with Europe after an investment treaty was frozen.
The European Parliament this month halted ratification of the investment pact with China until Beijing lifts sanctions on EU politicians, deepening a dispute in Sino-European relations and denying EU companies greater access to China. read more Beijing's sanctions were a response to Western sanctions against Chinese officials accused of the mass detentions of Muslim Uyghurs in northwestern China.
The four ministers will visit China from May 29 to 31 at the invitation of Foreign Minister Wang Yi, ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular news conference in Beijing on Friday.
During the visit Wang will separately meet the four ministers and discuss bilateral and China-Europe relations, said Zhao. China hopes the visit can help deepen cooperation and "promote the post-epidemic economic recovery," he said.
EU members Poland and Hungary, as well as Serbia, which is not in the bloc, belong to the China-led "17+1" grouping of Central and Eastern European countries. The grouping recently lost a member when Lithuania pulled out.
Lithuania's parliament in May described China's treatment of its Uyghur minority as genocide, and the country also said it would open a trade representative office this year in Taiwan, which China considers its own territory, prompting anger in Beijing. read more None of the ministers invited to China are from countries whose parliaments have branded its treatment of the Uyghurs as genocide, a label Beijing strongly rejects.
Serbia and Hungary have also both approved and administered Chinese vaccines against COVID-19.
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After cash-strapped developer China Evergrande Group once again averted a destabilising default this week, investor focus is shifting to other Chinese developers with offshore payments coming due, especially Kaisa Group .
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Diplomatic Visit
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Red fire bugs invade Utah from Europe | News | hjnews.com
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Red fire bugs invade Utah from Europe
Kim Burgess
(Courtesy Utah State University Extension)
Support Local Journalism
A European relative of the Box Elder bug has taken up residence in Salt Lake City, its first appearance anywhere in North America.
The red fire bug is slightly smaller than its local cousin and has striking black and red markings along its body and wings.
Since April, it?s been found in the Sugarhouse and Cottonwood Heights neighborhoods of southeastern Salt Lake City 8 but a Utah State University insect expert thinks it?s likely to spread to Cache Valley and beyond.
BI feel like anywhere Box Elder bugs can live, they have a good chance of surviving,C said Erin Hodgson, USU?s extension entomologist.
The critter?s migration could be a slow process. Hodgson describes it as Bmore of a walker than a flier.C
No one is certain how the red fire bug first got to the Beehive State, though Hodgson hypothesizes that it arrived on imported plant material.
Those hoping that competition from the newcomers will reduce the number of Box Elder bugs are probably out of luck. The two species feed on different types of seeds, putting them in separate niches. Red fire bugs favor mallow, linden and lime seeds, while Box Elder bugs prefer the seeds of their namesake tree.
Hodgson imagines most likely there will be plenty of food to go around for both bugs.
The good news 8 red fire bugs are harmless and unlikely to damage gardens.
Like Box Elder bugs, the new insects can be irritating, gathering by the thousands in backyard and invading homes.
BThey will probably be just a nuisance,C Hodgson said.
For more information on the red fire bug or to report a sighting of the insect, contact Hodgson at 797-5689 or erin@biology.usu.edu .
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Insect Disaster
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November 2007 strikes in France
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The 2007 strikes in France were a series of general strikes, mostly in the public sector, which started on 13 November 2007. [1][2] The strike was over President Nicolas Sarkozy's and Prime Minister François Fillon's attempt to reduce early retirement benefits for 500,000 public employees. Sarkozy had stated that pension reform is the first in a series of measures designed to roll back protections for trade unions in France, and both unions and Sarkozy saw the pension strikes as a key political test. [3]
France's national labour law permits workers in certain hazardous or difficult professions to retire with full pension benefits after 37.5 years rather than 40 years. The Sarkozy administration claims the current pension system allows some public sector workers to retire as early as age 50. [4] The government calculated the cost of these early-retirement benefits at $7 billion a year. [5]
President Nicolas Sarkozy felt that his victory in the 2007 presidential election gave him a mandate to carry out labour reforms, stating "I said before I was elected what I would do," and "we will do these reforms because they have to be done. "[6] He declared the strikes a test of political will. "I will pursue these reforms to the end," he said in a speech to the European Parliament. "Nothing will blow me off course. "[5]
Prime Minister François Fillon attacked the unions for depriving millions of French people "of their fundamental freedom—the freedom of movement and even perhaps to work. "[5]
Bernard Thibault, the secretary of the Confédération générale du travail (CGT), France's second-largest labour union, compared the strikes to the 1995 strikes in France, saying, "The general discontent is as strong as then," and "We're not trying to copy 1995, but the strike could last. "[6]
On 13 November 2007, SNCF rail workers and Paris Métro personnel became the first group of workers to commence their strike. [2] Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand met with union leaders on 14 November 2007 to try to find a resolution. [7] On the first day of the strike, only 90 out of 700 TGV trains were running, and other rail services were reduced sharply. [7] In Paris, the Métro was only running at 20% capacity and bus services only at 15%. [7] However, some Métro lines experienced fewer disruptions than expected, leading some observers to conclude that support for the strike was not as strong as unions claimed. [3]
30% of the workers of the 70% state owned Gaz de France and Électricité de France went on strike on 13 November, reducing the national electricity production by 8000 MW (roughly 10%). There were no fears of power outages. [4] The Opéra National de Paris, a group subject to the special retirement plan (régimes spéciaux de retraite), also cancelled performances. However in a short interview granted to the BBC the director claimed these cancellations were due to insufficient customers because of travel difficulties incurred by the strikes. [This quote needs a citation]
In addition, some university students demonstrated and blocked the entrances to their campuses in opposition to plans to allow private funding of Universities. [3][5] In the University of Nanterre students were forcefully removed by riot police, however this was censored on the national news. [citation needed] On 13 November the newspaper Le Figaro (which is owned by Sarkozy supporter Serge Dassault[8]) and the cable news channel LCI reported that a survey found that about 7 out of 10 people said the strikes were unjustified. [5]
Minister of Employment, Social Cohesion and Housing Xavier Bertrand, whose portfolio includes labor relations, held several negotiating sessions with the unions throughout the day on 13 and 14 November. [5][9] Bertrand told the unions that pension reform was non-negotiable, but proposed a month-long period of negotiations between the unions and each state-controlled agency to discuss ways to minimize the effects on existing workers. [9]
Some improvements in mass transit also occurred on 14 November. The main Métro commuter lines remained shut, while other lines ran between 20 and 50 percent of normal capacity. However, only a third of Paris buses were running. The Associated Press reported that 150 of the 700 high-speed TGV trains were running, an increase of 60 over the day before. [9]
On 18 November, a demonstration was held by pro-reform and anti-strike organizations in Paris. They gathered between 8,000 and 20,000 protesters against public transportation strikers, calling them "hostage takers". [10]
20 November marked the 7th day of striking and strikers were joined by other civil servants including teachers, postal workers and newspaper printers. The printers were also protesting against reorganisations within the printing industry. [11] Air traffic control employees were also on strike, causing delays of 45 minutes on flights from the Parisian airports according to ADP. During the night from 20 November to 21 November, the TGV network was sabotaged by fires, further adding to the delays. Approximately 30 kilometres of track were damaged, both the unions and the President condemned these acts. [12]
On 21 November, the CGT called for the strikes to stop as the government has allegedly agreed to negotiate. An opinion poll published in the Figaro estimates 2/3 of the French are against the strike, and the Ministry of Economy declared that the strike was costing the French economy €400 million a day and SNCF €100 million a day. According to the SNCF, the operator of the national train lines 23% of their staff were still on strike, while the RATP operating the Paris Métro, and some suburban trains claimed 16% of their staff were on strike. However the service on the Parisian trains and Métro was still below 25% because most of the strikers were train drivers. [13]
On 21 November the number of strikers continued to diminish, and talks were engaged in-between the government and the unions. Strikes continued on 22 November with the numbers of strikers still diminishing, and public transport was still heavily affected. Following a day of ongoing talks with the government, 42 of the 45 union committees voted to stop the strike, and the RATP and SNCF announced almost normal levels of service for 23 November, with in-between 70 and 100% of public transport services running. It is said talks could last for a month. [14]
Several additional strikes were also planned. Among them are:
Telecommunications workers and bankers have also scheduled strikes. [5]
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Strike
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China conducts military exercises southwest of Taiwan
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China announced Saturday that naval and aerial military exercises were conducted in areas southwest of Taiwan a day earlier for the second time in a month. Combat ships, early-warning aircraft and bombers were among the forces that joined the exercises “to improve integrated operational capability” in territory southwest of Taiwan, Shi Yi, spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement Saturday, without saying how close to the democratically ruled island the drills were. Shi said military exercises will be “conducted regularly” based on the situation in the Taiwan Strait and the need to maintain sovereign security. They came the day after Taiwan announced a $9 billion boost to military spending to counter the threat from China. Shi described repeated collusion between the U.S. and Taiwan had become “the largest source of trouble” for security and stability in the area. The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said in a statement Friday that ten Chinese military aircraft, including two Y-8s, two J-11s, and six J-16s, were detected in Taiwan’s southwestern air defense identification zone. The Chinese patrols and drills also coincided a transit by a U.S. destroyer in the Taiwan Strait on Friday, which the U.S. Navy called a “routine” passage through international waters. The Eastern Theater Command, which overseas Chinese military in eastern China, said on Saturday in a separate statement that the USS Barry was monitored on its entire course. Speaking Friday, Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang said the government had to take the threat from China seriously. “The Chinese Communists plot against us constantly,” he said. Taiwan’s defense spending “is based on safeguarding national sovereignty, national security, and national security. We must not relax. We must have the best preparations so that no war will occur,” he added. China’s government, for its part, criticized Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu on Friday for comments this week in which he said Taiwan was a “sea fortress “blocking China’s expansion into the Pacific. Wu’s “aim is to deceive public opinion, to rope in and collude with anti-China foreign forces,” China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement. The voyage, the 11th declared freedom of navigation exercise of the year, "demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," the 7th Fleet said in a statement. How fake news on Facebook helped fuel a border crisis in Europe Calm and cool Adam Jones came up big when the Orix Buffaloes needed him most If the Internet were a toy, it would look like this. Would you let your kid play with It? Freedom needed for commerce to flourish, says Japan's new economic security minister Mud could help decide timing of any move by Russia against Ukraine DEEP DIVE Episode 106: What did Japan bring to the COP26 climate summit? In search of Japan’s lost wolves Is this enigmatic beast — said to be extinct since 1905 — still out there? In a five-part series, we track an enduring mystery that has captivated the imaginations of many.
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Military Exercise
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2 die, 2 suffer critical injures in carbon monoxide poisoning near Omaha, Ark.
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NEAR OMAHA, Ark. (KY3) - Boone County, Ark. investigators say a man and a child died and two women suffered critical injuries from carbon monoxide poisoning after using an alternative heating source.
Deputies responded to the home Monday (February 22) after a call for unresponsive individuals found at a home off of New Hope Road.
Deputies found Eston Warren, 59, dead inside a small storage structure where the family was living.
Deputies also found Betty Warren, 50, Amber Watts, 29 and a nine-year-old girl alive, but unresponsive.
The child later died at a hospital.
The two women survived, but remain in critical condition at a Springfield hospital.
Investigators determined the family suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning due to the kerosene heaters being utilized within the small space.
“This incident is a tragic case that has occurred to this family and is not intended to spread shame,” said Sheriff Tim Roberson. “It needs to be emphasized as a reminder to take reflection on your own family’s safety during difficult times due to weather.”
Sheriff Roberson reminds you during times of extreme cold or power outages to use caution when using generators and alternate heat sources in confined living spaces.
Carbon monoxide is produced from these heat sources and combustion engines that prevents the body from getting oxygen.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, chest pain, confusion and shortness of breath.
The sheriff encourages you should take stock by checking fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
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Mass Poisoning
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2001 IIHF World U18 Championships
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The 2001 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Heinola, Helsinki, and Lahti, Finland. The championships ran between April 12 and April 22, 2001. Games were played at the Heinolan Jäähalli in Heinola, the Helsinki Ice Hall in Helsinki, and the Lahden Jäähalli in Lahti. Russia defeated Switzerland 6-2 in the final to win the gold medal, with Finland defeating the Czech Republic 2-1 to capture the bronze medal. Note: The following matches from the preliminary round carry forward to the relegation round:
Ukraine was relegated. However with Canada entering the tournament for 2002, Ukraine was re-instated to top level as the tournament was expanded to 12 teams for a year. Ukraine were supposed to be relegated to Division I for the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships, however with the late addition of Canada it was decided to temporarily expand the tournament to twelve teams. [1]
(Minimum 60 minutes played)
Belarus were promoted to the top level, and North Korea were relegated to Division II for the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships. Slovenia were promoted to the Division I, and Lithuania were relegated to Division III for the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships. Netherlands were promoted to the Division II, and Israel were relegated to Division III Qualification (which was not played, Israel returned to competition in 2003) for the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships.
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Sports Competition
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Cananea Strike
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The Cananea strike, also known as the Cananea riot,[1] or the Cananea massacre,[2] took place in the Mexican mining town of Cananea, Sonora, in June 1906. Although the workers were forced to return to their positions with no demand being met, the action was a key event in the general unrest that emerged during the final years of the regime of President Porfirio Díaz and that prefigured the Mexican Revolution of 1910. In the incident twenty-three people died, on both sides, twenty-two were injured, and more than fifty were arrested. The Cananea Copper Company was founded by American entrepreneur William Greene in 1896. Greene was receiving allowances from Porfirio Díaz's government. They enabled Greene to build the mine into one of the most essential mines in Mexico, and to also gain control over land and cattle, transportation networks, and lumber mills. This gave Greene infinite sovereignty over a large amount of Mexican land, as well as the laborers who worked in his various enterprises. These concessions, and the history of the company itself, epitomized Díaz's betrayal and unfaithfulness to Mexico's resources. Díaz was extremely corrupt and only wanted to benefit himself, his close supporters, and his foreign resources. [3]
In 1906 Cananea was a company town with a population totaling 23,000. Of these 21,000 were Mexican and the remainder American. Senior Cananea Consolidated Copper Company positions were held by non-Mexicans, who in 1906 were more commonly former frontier acquaintances of the U.S. proprietor William Greene rather than professional book-keepers and managers. [4] Order was kept by a private police force maintained by the company and labour relations were strained. The only source of foodstuffs and other commodities was a company store, which reportedly sold its goods at high prices. [5]
By 1906, the Nogales-based Cananea Consolidated Copper Company had some 5,360 Mexican workers employed at its Cananea copper mines, earning three and a half pesos per day while the 2,200 American workers there were earning five pesos for the same job. Organised strike action against the company by the American employees had occurred in 1903, setting an unintended example for the Mexican workers. [6] Conditions in which the Mexican employees worked were deplorable. During the celebrations of Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican employees made public their complaints while the local authority applied martial law to avoid further conflicts. On June 1, most of the Mexican miners went on strike. Led by Juan José Ríos, Manuel Macario Diéguez and Esteban Baca Calderón, their demands were the removal of one foreman named Luis, the pay of five pesos for eight hours' work, the employment quotas ensuring seventy-five percent of the jobs for Mexicans and twenty-five percent for foreigners, the deployment of responsible and respectful men to operate the cages and that all Mexican workers to be entitled to promotions, in accordance with their skills. The company executives rejected all of the petitions and the workers decided to march and gather people from other towns in the municipality. The population supported the workers and the crowd numbered more than 3,000 people. While they were marching in front of the wood shop of the company, the American employees in charge of that department, the Metcalf brothers, turned hoses on them and then fired shots, killing three people. The angry mob set the building on fire, burning four American occupants to death. [7] When the crowd approached the government building of the municipal president they were received by a 275-man American posse led by an Arizona Ranger acting against the Governor's orders. [8] Other workers were killed while the strike leaders were sent to prison. Contemporary news reports in The New York Times on June 3, 1906 reported that on June 1, strikers destroyed a lumber mill and killed two brothers who were defending the mine. Eleven casualties were reported among the Mexican "rioters". About half of the company police avoided involvement in the disturbance. Responding to a telegraphed plea from Colonel William Cornell Greene of the Greene Consolidated Copper Company, a posse of 275 volunteers from Bisbee, Douglas and Naco, Arizona, commanded by Captain Thomas H. Rynning of the Arizona Rangers, entered Mexico against the orders of Joseph Henry Kibbey, Governor of Arizona Territory. At the order of Rafael Izabal Governor of Sonora, forty Rurales (mounted police) were despatched from Hermosillo to reinforce a detachment under Colonel Emilio Kosterlitsky already present. Mexican Federal troops were also sent to Cananea. [9] Four troops of the U.S. 5th Cavalry en route from Fort Huachuca were held at Naco, Arizona, on the border on the orders of President William Howard Taft. A tense confrontation between striking miners and approximately 200 Americans ensued. Many participants were armed and shots were exchanged. At Colonel Kosterlitsky's orders the American interventionists left the town by rail, to return across the border. Mexican Rurales and Federal soldiers then disarmed the strikers and made arrests. [10]
According to Colonel Green the "trouble was incited by a Socialistic organization that has been formed by malcontents opposed to the Díaz government. "[11][12][13][14] Shortly before the strike, a political party called the Partido Liberal Mexicano (PLM) had been established with wide support. The PLM quickly became involved in aggressively pressing for industrial and rural reform. At both the French-controlled Rio Blanco textile factory and the American-owned Cananea Copper Company mine, PLM literature was subsequently to be found distributed through the workers' settlements. [15]
The presumed strike leaders were arrested by the Mexican authorities and sentenced to jail terms of up to fifteen years. They were released in May 1911, in the course of the Mexican Revolution. [16]
Although the government forces present had behaved with relative restraint, the entry of armed foreigners into national territory caused Mexican outrage against the Diaz administration. Diaz had sent orders to Governor Izabal not to accept any American involvement in restoring order in Cananea but the telegram had arrived after the trainload of Arizona Rangers and civilian supporters had crossed the border. [17]
The incident became linked with the Río Blanco strike of January 1907 as two symbols of the Porfirio Díaz administration's corruption, subservience to foreign interests and civil repression. They became "household words for hundreds of thousands of Mexicans". [18] The local impact was however more limited. A new company manager, Dr Louis D. Ricketts, with extensive mining experience was
appointed and introduced enlightened wage and employment practices. By 1912 the foreign element in the company workforce had been reduced to 13% of the total.
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Strike
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US-led war games in Africa wrap up after two weeks of exercises
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A military exercise involving more than 7,000 U.S., African and NATO troops wrapped up on Friday in northern Africa. Known as the African Lion war games, the two-week drill — the continent’s largest — took place in Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal and involved participants from nine nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Italy and the Netherlands. The drills usually take place annually but were canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, the head of Africa Command, said at the start of the drills that COVID-19 “has not changed our focus on engaging with our Africa partners.” “We understand how important this training is to our forces and our partners and how to better operate in a degraded COVID environment,” Townsend said in a statement. That goal appeared to be achieved on Friday, when Maj. Gen. Andrew Rohling, leader of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, said it had been an “exceptional” exercise, according to The Associated Press. “It has helped our interoperability, our joint capabilities, and provided readiness and a good opportunity to build cohesion across the forces,” he told reporters Friday. The exercise, meant to focus on bolstering readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces, took place as Africa is facing persistent Islamic State, al Qaeda and Boko Haram fighters in the Sahel. To quell such threats, the Pentagon is mulling sending dozens of Special Forces trainers back to Somalia to help local forces fight al-Shabab, the terrorist group affiliated with al Qaeda, The New York Times reported this week. Such a move would partly reverse former President Trump Donald Trump Warren backs expanding the Supreme Court Trump allies urge McCarthy to remove Kinzinger, Cheney from House GOP conference Agency managing Trump's DC hotel lease failed to probe ethical conflicts: report MORE ’s decision to withdraw almost all of the 700 U.S. troops there in January. Asked about the Pentagon’s plans on Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Lloyd Austin Overnight Defense & National Security — Senate passes sweeping defense bill GOP governors urge Austin to drop vaccine mandate for National Guard Air Force discharges 27 people for refusing COVID-19 vaccine MORE would not confirm the Times report, only allowing that the department is in the midst of a force posture review to better inform officials on where to place troops across the globe. “The Somalia issue and other issues will be a part of that,” Austin said during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. “The focus will be to make sure that, you know, whether it's in Somalia or some other place in the world, that terrorists don't have the ability to threaten our homeland from an ungoverned space.”
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Military Exercise
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1997 Aisin fire
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The 1997 Aisin fire was a fire which shut down one of the production facilities of the Toyota-subsidiary Aisin Seiki Co. on February 1, 1997,[1] a Saturday. The event was notable as the factory was the main supplier of a motor part for Toyota cars. Due to the just in time stock keeping philosophy of the Toyota Production System (TPS), Toyota's car factories reportedly only kept four-hour stocks of the part. [1]
However the event also provided an example of successful business relationships between Toyota and its suppliers, allowing the company to quickly manufacture replacement parts and limit the halt in production of its cars, thereby minimizing the losses from this event. The fire started before dawn on February 1, 1997, at Aisin Seiki Co.'s Factory No. 1 in Kariya, Japan. [1] The cause of the fire was reportedly unknown. [1]
The factory produced brake fluid proportioning valves (P-valves) which help prevent skidding by controlling the pressure on rear brakes, and are used in the braking system of all Toyota vehicles. [2]
99% of Toyota's P-valves were made at this plant, with Nissin Kogyo Co. producing the remaining 1%. [1] The production of P-valves was complicated, and required specialised tools. Furthermore, different varieties of P-valves were in production. With the factory out of production, it was estimated that Toyota would have to halt car production for weeks. The economic impact of this would have been huge for Toyota, the local economy and for Japan. It was estimated that each day Toyota production was halted would lead to a 0.1% decrease in Japan's industrial output. [1]
Aisin, along with Toyota, set up a crisis room to deal with the problem of manufacturing new P-valves. Toyota managed to get many of its suppliers to bring in additional engineers, and work overtime shifts, to help build machines to produce P-valves, as well as increase production of the components. Some of Toyota's suppliers, and their subcontractors, were persuaded to give priority to the production of P-valves. Even a sewing machine manufacturer was persuaded to help provide valves for Toyota. The first usable valves were delivered to Toyota on the Wednesday (February 5) following the fire, allowing production of cars to resume. [1] While observers initially predicted that Toyota would have to halt production for weeks, the incident ultimately set Toyota's production back only five days. [1]
The fire and the subsequent production crisis held many lessons for Toyota. It showed them that their implementation of the Just In Time production system worked, and that they had "the right balance of efficiency and risk". [1] Toyota also learned to reduce the number of variations in its parts to make production easier as well as to reduce risk. Toyota's suppliers also had the benefit of increasing efficiency in their production as well as learning the lessons of building redundancy into their production methods. The efficiency with which production was re-established also showed the value of the Japanese keiretsu system, where businesses have "interlocking" relationships with each other. The loyalty shown by Toyota's suppliers to the company showed it the value of long-term business relationships: the suppliers reportedly did not ask what they would be paid for rushing out the valves; Aisin and Toyota later reimbursed them for the work, including the valves, overtime and re-tooling of their machine, as well as providing a $100 million bonus to the suppliers involved. [1]
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Fire
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Illinois Central shopmen's strike of 1911
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The Illinois Central shopmen's strike of 1911 was a labor action in the United States of a number of railroad workers unions against the Illinois Central Railroad, beginning on September 30, 1911. The strike was marked by its violence in numerous locations. At least 12 men were killed in shootings across the country, and in March 1912, some 30 men were killed when a locomotive boiler exploded in San Antonio, Texas. The strike was judged a failure within months, long before its formal ending on June 28, 1915. The railroads hired strikebreakers, often from African-American and immigrant minorities, which added to the social and economic tensions associated with the strikes. [1]
The Illinois Central and the eight affiliated Harriman lines had recognized and successfully negotiated with individual shopcraft unions for some time. But in June 1911, these unions [2] sought additional leverage by negotiating together as the "System Federation". The railroad simply refused and replaced the strikers. The first day of the strike was relatively peaceful, with a reported 30,000 strikers [3] walking out at 10:00 a.m. in at least 24 cities. Most were in the South and Midwest in the main areas served by the railroad, but men struck as far west as Seattle, Washington, and San Francisco and Los Angeles, California. [4]
Because of its geography, the state of Mississippi was dependent on Illinois Central lines. Violence flared there first, on October 3. When a train carrying strikebreakers pulled in to McComb, Mississippi, a railroad center, it was met by an armed and waiting crowd of 100 strikers. The crowd and passengers exchanged gunfire and thrown bricks, then the badly shot-up train fled. Reports of high casualties were not accurate. A striker named Hugh Montgomery was reported as killed by a brick, but he was documented as later testifying for an investigating committee, and nobody on the train was killed. But as many persons were wounded by the hundreds of shots exchanged in the space of 20 minutes, the incident was serious enough for Governor Edmond Noel to call out the state guard. [5] Also on October 3, a striking switchman named Robert Mitchell was killed by a strikebreaker in Cairo, Illinois. In Denison, Texas an angry mob chased 35 strikebreakers out of town. [6]
The same day, a "special guard" named J.J. Pipes was killed at the Southern Pacific yards in Houston, perhaps from the friendly fire of other strikebreakers, and other men were wounded. [7] At one o'clock the following morning on the shop grounds in Houston, a strikebreaker named Frank Tullis was shot and killed, most likely by a striker or sympathizer. [8] Also on October 4, in McComb a striker named Lem Haley was fatally shot by other strikers, even as the governor ordered four more companies of state militia to counter "hundreds of heavily armed men" reported to be pouring into the town. [9]
On October 5, strikebreakers arriving in New Orleans were met with two separate riots, with women "prominent in several of the mobs". [10]
On October 6, violence similar to that in McComb broke out in Water Valley, Mississippi, causing Governor Noel to send the state guard there as well. From October 2 through at least November 29, a steady pattern of strike-related shootings and assaults plagued downstate Illinois, centered in Carbondale, Centralia, Mounds, and East St. Louis. [8] Striker J.S. Coldereau was fatally shot in a saloon fight by a strikebreaker in Bakersfield, California on November 25, 1911. [8] On December 5, in Salt Lake City, John G. Hayden, a striking carman of the Oregon Short Line, was shot by two Italian strikebreakers, Frank Malazia and R. Pucci. [11] Hayden died days later of his injuries. Malazia was indicted for murder but ultimately acquitted. [12] On December 16 there was a third related fatality in Houston, when a non-striking shop worker named Thomas Lyons was reportedly shot while feeding his cats. Despite the numbers of strikers and the level of conflict, the unions were in a poor bargaining position. By the end of the year, the railroads had been able to replace the strikers and were operating normally. [13]
The strikers' position had been undermined by an economic slowdown in rail traffic, which increased the available labor pool. [14] In addition, the union engineers, firemen, and brakemen cooperated with the company and strikebreakers, keeping the railroads functioning. These were dubbed "union scabs", a phrase that inspired the Joe Hill song Casey Jones—the Union Scab, written for this strike. [15]
Resistance continued. Back in McComb, Mississippi, on January 17, 1912, five black strikebreakers were shot while walking down a road. Three were killed. On January 25, a striking car inspector named Ed Lefevre was shot to death in Mojave, California; several guards were arrested but no one charged. [8] There were at least seven incidents of attempted sabotage with dynamite, and elevated numbers of accidents along the lines. The boiler of locomotive #704 exploded in San Antonio, Texas, killing 30 men on March 18, 1912. [16] Sabotage was suspected but never proved in that incident. [8]
Lastly, on December 30, 1913, Carl E. Person, an official of the union System Federation, was lured to an inter-urban station in Clinton, Illinois and assaulted by a strikebreaker named Tony Musser. Person shot him to death. Defended by Frank D. Comerford, Person was acquitted on grounds of self-defense. As replacement workers became more proficient, public awareness of the strike waned.
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Strike
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2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships
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The 10th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) were held in the Budapest Arena, Hungary between March 5 and March 7, 2004. A total off 139 countries were represented by 677 athletes at the championships. [1]
It was the second visit of the championships to Budapest having previously visited there 15 years earlier in 1989. The newly built 13,000 capacity arena was built on the site of a former stadium that was destroyed by fire in 1999. This was the last World Indoor Championships where the 200 m event was contested. The event was discontinued as the tight bends involved in running indoors left athletes drawn to run on the inside lanes with minimal or no chance of winning. 2001 | 2003 | 2004 | 2006 | 2008
2001 | 2003 | 2004 | 2006 | 2008
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Sports Competition
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Most expensive celebrity divorces
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Kim and Kanye's split is set to be one of the most expensive celebrity divorces ever.
The rapper and reality star have an estimated combined wealth of $3.5 billion.
According to TMZ, the couple signed a prenup before tying the knot and neither of them are contesting it.
In addition to their many homes, the couple also own a fleet of luxury cars and two multimillion-dollar global companies, KKW Beauty and West’s fashion brand, Yeezy.
Here are some other celebs who had to part with a lot of money in their divorce settlements.
JEFF BEZOS AND MACKENZIE BEZOS
The Amazon CEO’s 26-year marriage to MacKenzie Bezos came to a screeching halt in January 2019 when his romance with Lauren Sanchez was made public.
Jeff left his wife, who has since changed her name to MacKenzie Scott , a quarter of their joint Amazon stocks, representing a four per cent stake in the internet giant, worth around $US38 billion.
Even after the hefty payout, Jeff still had more than $US100 billion to his name, meaning he retained the title of the world’s richest man (which he has since lost to Elon Musk).
Jeff Bezos and former wife MacKenzie in happier times. Picture: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
MEL GIBSON AND ROBYN MOORE GIBSON
When Mel Gibson and his wife of 31 years settled their divorce in 2011, it made history as the biggest ever celebrity divorce payout.
The couple didn’t have a prenuptial agreement meaning Robyn was entitled to half of everything the actor earned during their marriage.
Robyn, who has seven children with Mel, walked away with $US425 million.
“I did a pretty good hatchet job on my marriage myself, you know,” Gibson later told chat show host Jay Leno. “I’m to blame.”
Robyn Moore and Mel Gibson.
MICHAEL JORDAN AND JUANITA JORDAN
Michael and Juanita were married at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas in 1989.
In 2002, Juanita filed for divorce from the NBA star only to withdraw her petition a month later.
But they called it quits for good in 2006 when they got divorced citing irreconcilable differences.
Juanita walked away with $US168 million in the settlement.
A year after the divorce, Michael met a Cuban-American model named Yvette Prieto who he married in 2013.
Michael Jordan with Juanita in 1999.
NEIL DIAMOND AND MARCIA MURPHEY
Neil and Marcia divorced in 1994 after 25 years of marriage.
The singer took full responsibility for the split in 1996, telling People magazine: “Twenty-five years on the road, working in studios all night. I think a woman needs more attention than I was able to give. I blame myself, absolutely.”
It was reported Marcia walked away with $US150 million, but Neil denied that in an interview with the Daily Mail in 2014.
He wouldn’t reveal exactly how much Marcia got in the settlement, instead saying: “She got enough to live on for the rest of her life.”
Neil Diamond and Marcia. Picture: Gary Lewis, Photonet
HARRISON FORD AND MELISSA MATHISON
In the early 2000s Harrison Ford got divorced from his second wife, Melissa Mathison.
It was rumoured that Melissa, a screenwriter who wrote E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, walked away with $US90 million in the settlement.
Sadly, Melissa passed away in 2015 from neuroendocrine cancer.
Harrison has been married to Ally McBeal star Calista Flockhart since 2010.
Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison with the Dalai Lama.
TIGER WOODS AND ELIN NORDEGREN
In 2009 Tiger’s affair with Rachel Uchitel was revealed by the National Enquirer, and it quickly became apparent she wasn’t the only person he’d cheated on his wife with.
In 2010 his divorce settlement was finalised and Elin Nordegren pocketed $US110 million with the couple sharing custody of their two children.
Tiger later opened up about his extramarital affairs , saying: “I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself.
“I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them.”
Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren in 2009.
GREG NORMAN AND LAURA ANDRASSY
Greg and Laura married in 1981 and had two children.
During their marriage, Laura allegedly discovered Greg was having an affair with a woman named Kirsten Kutner.
“It was a very rough time,” Laura said about the discovery in a 2010 interview.
The couple eventually split and in the 2007 divorce settlement Laura walked away with $US103 million.
The following year Greg married tennis champ Chris Evert but the couple separated after just 15 months.
Then in 2010, Greg married Kirsten Kutner, the woman Laura accused Greg of having an affair with during their marriage.
“I don’t care what he does. I’ve moved on,” Laura said when Greg’s engagement to Kirsten was announced. “It’s just that my children have to be around a woman who almost destroyed our family.”
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Famous Person - Divorce
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1961 Western Australian bushfires
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In early 1961, a series of bushfires burned in the south-west region of Western Australia. [1] The devastating fires burned large areas of forest in and around Dwellingup from 20 to 24 January, at Pemberton and in the Shannon River region between 11 and 15 February,[1] and in the Augusta-Margaret River area in early March. There were also major fires which burned in the Darling Scarp around Kalamunda. The towns of Dwellingup and Karridale were largely destroyed by the fires, as were a number of smaller railway and mill settlements. There was no loss of human life. Whilst the 1960 rainy season over the affected region had not been excessively dry, rainfall had been below average over the region affected by the fires ever since August of that year - thus the forests were perhaps even drier than they would normally be by January. However, the underlying cause of the Dwellingup fires lay far to the north in the Pilbara, where a tropical cyclone had formed on 15 January northeast of Darwin had followed a trajectory along the north west Western Australian coast and intensified north east of Onslow and then moved steadily southwards, hitting that town on 24–25 January while having a central pressure of 920 hPa. Hurricane-force winds demolished several buildings and storm surge inundated the town with 1.8 metres water. With a strong high pressure system to the east of the cyclone remaining almost stationary for some days, hot north-easterly winds developed and became so intense that by the 20th maximum temperatures throughout the south west were uniformly above 40 °C (104 °F) and remained at that level for the following five days. During this period, as the cyclone moved slowly along the coast it drenched Onslow and the neighbouring district, but only dry thunderstorms occurred in the south-west, which started fires that spread extremely rapidly in the hot, windy conditions. The first fires were reported from Dwellingup, 110 kilometres (68 mi) south of Perth, on 19 January and the following day fires erupted in the timbered country of the Darling Scarp around Mundaring and Mount Helena. Although as the cyclone tracked down the west coast some rain came around 25 January to ease the fires,[2][3] not all were fully extinguished. Moreover, as the normal dry summer weather evaporated further moisture from the forests, when another severe cyclone hit Onslow on 12 February it caused even stronger winds (sustained at up to 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph) with much stronger gusts) and as this cyclone moved inland, lost intensity and produced no rain in fire-affected areas, decaying bushfires were re-ignited. The fire from Dwellingup consequently moved downslope toward the major town of Pinjarra where it burned a significant portion of the town's buildings—500 people were left homeless. As the forests surrounding began re-igniting, the entire population of a number of other mill towns was relocated to Dwellingup in the following days. The fires continued to burn owing to the strong winds, and many tiny timber towns were completely burnt out - Holyoake, Nanga Brook, Marrinup and Banksiadale; and were never re-built. The 2 March saw Onslow’s third cyclone in five weeks, which like the second did not produce any rain in the affected areas and led to temperatures reaching in Perth 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) on the first two days of March for the first time. Fires spread southward to Augusta-Margaret River Shire, though some in that area were thought to have been deliberately lit, and continued to rage within 25 kilometres of Perth city. [4] Although rain was predicted,[4] it did not eventuate. Despite the dryness of the cool change, an easing of the winds allowed fire fighters to finally bring the flames under control. However, in all it is estimated that the fires burned a total of 4,400 square kilometres (1,700 sq mi) of bushland, and property damage far exceeded this. Following the fires, a Royal Commission was conducted to investigate causes and in following years many recommendations were made to improve controlled burning in the tall eucalypt forests of the south-west.
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Fire
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1893 Quchan earthquake
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The 1893 Quchan earthquake occurred at about 19:30 local time (15:06 UTC) on 17 November. It had an estimated magnitude of 6.6 on the surface wave magnitude scale and a maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It caused severe damage in Quchan County, particularly to the town of Quchan itself and there were an estimated 18,000 casualties. The Kopet Dag mountain range lies at the northern edge of the complex zone of deformation caused by the continuing collision of the Arabian Plate with the Eurasian Plate. To the west it links with the Caucasus Mountains through the Caspian Sea. There is currently about 3 mm per year of shortening across the Kopet Dag as a whole. [2] The Quchan Fault zone, trending NNW-SSE, is one of a set of active right lateral strike-slip faults that accommodate part of the shortening across the Kopet Dag and extension along its length. It has an estimated displacement rate of about 1.5 mm per year. The damage areas of the sequence of earthquakes that affected the Quchan area between 1851 and 1895 follow the projected path of the Quchan fault and its likely continuation as a thrust fault in the Atrak valley, where it forms a surface anticline. [3]
The shock was felt over a wide area, including all Turkmenistan and as far away as Tehran. It was preceded by a strong foreshock on 20 October. There were damaging aftershocks on both 18 and 19 November, with the latter being the most severe. [1]
The city of Quchan was almost completely destroyed, with only a few houses strengthened with wooden braces following the 1871 earthquake surviving. [1]
The winter that followed the earthquake was unusually severe, causing many further deaths. Just over a year later, on January 17, 1895, Quchan was again devastated by an earthquake, although the death toll was lower, as very few houses of adobe construction had survived the 1893 event and new houses were generally of wooden construction. [3]
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Earthquakes
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Biden says Afghanistan war was a lost cause, vows to continue aid and diplomacy
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WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Monday afternoon defended his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, his first remarks since the Taliban ousted the Afghan national government on Sunday.
“I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces,” Biden said in a memorable speech delivered from the East Room of the White House.
“I am president of the United States of America. The buck stops with me,” he added.
The president’s remarks came amid mounting criticism of his administration’s handling of the situation, as chaos engulfed parts of Kabul and the civilian government collapsed.
“The truth is, this did unfold more quickly than we anticipated,” Biden said of the lighting offensive by the Taliban, which captured the entire country in less than two weeks.
Still, Biden said his resolve had not wavered, and the past week has effectively proven that 20 years of war have not produced an Afghan army that can defend the government, or a government willing to remain in the country as the Taliban approached.
“American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves,” Biden said. “We gave them every chance to determine their own future. We could not provide them with the will to fight for that future,” he added.
“I know my decision will be criticized, but I would rather take all that criticism than pass this decision on to a future president,” Biden said.
The president also spoke directly to the American veterans and diplomats who feel the withdrawal has rendered their sacrifices pointless.
“I want to acknowledge how painful this is to so many of us. The scenes we’re seeing in Afghanistan, they’re gut-wrenching, particularly for our veterans, our diplomats, humanitarian workers, anyone who has spent time on the ground working to support the Afghan people,” he said.
At one point, Biden invoked the military service of his own son — Beau Biden, who deployed to Iraq for a year and later died of cancer in 2015.
“For those who have lost loved ones in Afghanistan, and for Americans who have fought and served in the country, serve our country in Afghanistan. This is deeply, deeply personal. It is for me as well,” he said.
Despite being vastly outnumbered by the Afghan military, which has long been assisted by U.S. and NATO coalition forces, the Taliban carried out a succession of shocking battlefield gains in recent weeks.
As the Taliban moved closer to the capital over the weekend, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and Western nations rushed to evacuate embassies amid a deteriorating security situation.
Biden ordered the deployment of approximately 5,000 U.S. troops to Kabul to evacuate U.S. Embassy staff throughout the weekend.
The State Department confirmed Sunday evening that all U.S. diplomatic staff at the embassy had been safely transported to Kabul’s international airport.
Thousands of Afghans swarmed the tarmac at the airport, desperate to escape a country now completely overrun by the Taliban.
Elsewhere in Washington on Monday, U.S. officials began to paint the outlines of future American engagement with the new Taliban government.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the decision whether to formally recognize the Taliban leadership as the legitimate government of Afghanistan will be informed by events in the coming weeks and months.
“It will depend upon the actions of the Taliban,” said Price. “We are watching closely ... the world is watching closely.”
“A future Afghan government that upholds the basic rights of its people, that doesn’t harbor terrorists and that protects the basic rights of its people, including the basic, fundamental rights of half its population, its women and girls, that is a government that we would be able to work with,” he said.
A Defense Department spokesman said U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth McKenzie met with Taliban leaders in Doha, Qatar.
“The message was very clearly put to the Taliban, that these operations and our people will not be attacked or there would be a response,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. “As you and I speak there has been no attack on our operation or on our people at the airport,” Kirby said
The Taliban seized Bagram Air Base on Sunday, a development that comes less than two months after the U.S. military handed over the once-stalwart airbase to the Afghan National Security and Defense Force.
The Taliban began emptying out Parwan prison there, which has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 prisoners, including hardened Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, according to the officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
In 2012, at its peak, Bagram saw more than 100,000 U.S. troops pass through. It was the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan.
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Famous Person - Give a speech
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1983 British Airways Sikorsky S-61 crash
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On 16 July 1983 a British Airways Helicopters commercial Sikorsky S-61 helicopter, Oscar November (G-BEON), crashed in the southern Celtic Sea, in the Atlantic Ocean, while en route from Penzance to St Mary's, Isles of Scilly in poor visibility. Only six of the twenty-six people on board survived. It was Britain's worst helicopter civil aviation accident at the time. An investigation was promptly carried out by the Accidents Investigation Branch (AIB), though calls for a public inquiry were dismissed. The AIB found that the accident was caused by pilot error, in failing to notice and correct an unintentional descent when attempting to fly at low altitude in poor visibility. Other contributory factors were found to be a failure to monitor flight instruments adequately, and a lack of audio height warning equipment. The crash sparked a review of helicopter safety, and eight recommendations were made by the AIB. Of these, seven were adopted, most notably that it was mandatory for there to be audible height warnings on passenger helicopters operating off-shore. It remained the worst British civilian helicopter accident until 1986, when the Boeing 234LR Chinook helicopter G-BWFC crashed in the North Sea, with 45 fatalities. The Sikorsky S-61N helicopter Oscar November (registered G-BEON) was owned by British Airways Helicopters, configured to seat 24 passengers, and typically operated between Aberdeen and the oil platforms of the North Sea. On 24 June 1983, Oscar November was assigned to act as a replacement for the British Airways Helicopters commercial passenger service between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly. The helicopter that usually operated the service, a Sikorsky S-61NM fitted with 32 passenger seats, was out of action while it was being repaired. On 3 July 1983, Oscar November received its annual certificate of airworthiness. Manufactured in 1977, Oscar November's airframe had flown a total of 7,904 hours, 49 of which had been since the last certificate of airworthiness. [1]
The crew consisted of pilots Captain Dominic Lawlor (37 years old) and Captain Neil Charleton (30), along with cabin attendant Robin Lander (22). [2][3] Lawlor was designated as the commander for the flight, while Charleton acted as co-pilot. Lawlor had flown a total of 3,970 pilot hours prior to the flight, of which 2,820 had been in an S-61N helicopter, and although he was based in Aberdeen, he had flown the Penzance–St Mary's route over 50 times before. Charleton was based in Beccles, but had also flown the route before, over 100 times. He had a total of 3,737 pilot hours, of which 2,280 had been in an S-61N. [4] The 20-minute Penzance–St Mary's route was flown regularly during the summer; with 12 scheduled return flights running six days a week. [5]
Oscar November was one of two flights scheduled to fly from Penzance Heliport to St Mary's Airport on the Isles of Scilly on the morning of 16 July; the other was G-BDDA (Delta Alpha), another S-61 helicopter. Delta Alpha had been scheduled to depart at 7:50 am (GMT),[a] while Oscar November was due to leave at 8:15 am, but both flights were delayed by poor visibility. [2] The weather forecast from the Plymouth Meteorological Office that morning warned of fog from 7:00 am until 5:00 pm, with visibility typically between 1–4 kilometres (0.62–2.49 mi), but as low as 100 metres (330 ft) in fog banks. The actual visibility recorded at St Mary's Aerodrome increased from 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) at 9:30 am to 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) by 11:30 am. [6] Delta Alpha departed at 10:46 am, and landed at St Mary's at 11:06 am. With the possibility of the weather worsening, Lawlor waited for confirmation that Delta Alpha had landed and flown the entire journey according to visual flight rules (VFR). The minimum requirements to conduct a VFR flight were 900 metres (3,000 ft) of visibility, with a cloud ceiling of 200 feet (61 m). Having received confirmation, Oscar November departed Penzance at roughly 11:10 am, with 23 passengers on board,[2] on flight BA 5918. [7]
Oscar November climbed to a height of 2,000 feet (610 m), and as they passed by Longships Lighthouse, about 1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of Land's End, the visibility was recorded as being between 0.5 and 0.75 nautical miles (0.93 and 1.39 km; 0.58 and 0.86 mi). During the investigation into the crash, Lawlor and Charleton reported that they received a verbal weather report from the crew of Delta Alpha, who were passing on their return flight. According to the pair, they were told that visibility was 0.5 to 0.75 nautical miles (0.93 to 1.39 km; 0.58 to 0.86 mi) at 300 feet (91 m). However, the crew of Delta Alpha did not recall talking to the Oscar November crew at any time during their flight. Based on this information, which he interpreted to mean that the cloud base was at 300 feet, Lawlor descended to 500 feet (150 m), to be able to analyse the situation better on their approach. For his part, Charleton had interpreted the message differently, believing that 300 feet had referred to the height at which Delta Alpha had been when they made the observations, but the pair did not discuss the report. [2]
At 11:30 am, Charleton communicated with St Mary's, indicating that they were level at 500 feet, and were halfway through their crossing. They maintained good visibility with the sea below them, and although haze limited their forward visibility so that they could not see the horizon, they were confident it was in excess of the VFR minimum of 900 metres. Roughly 6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) from St Mary's, Lawlor began to descend to 250 feet (76 m), the minimum height permitted, as he expected the cloud base to be at 300 feet. Both pilots confirmed with their instruments when that height had been attained, and thereafter Charleton concentrated on his radar and communicating with St Mary's. Lawlor then reduced speed, during which the vertical gyro indicator gave a brief warning of an attitude failure; however Lawlor checked the instruments, which appeared normal. Confident that the weather had improved, Lawlor stopped monitoring his instruments, and flew by visual aids only. [8]
At roughly 11:35 am, following a string of communication between Charleton and St Mary's, the last message was sent from the aerodrome; "Oscar November is clear to land 300 degrees at 5 knots. "[9] When Oscar November was roughly 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) from the coast, the helicopter crashed,[10] hitting the sea three successive times. [11] Both Lawlor and Charleton thought that the aircraft was still at 250 feet,[10] though one of the passengers, Lucille Langley-Williams, said that the cabin attendant had told her they were flying at around 100 feet (30 m) shortly before the crash. [12]
The Sikorsky S-61 was fitted with floats on either side, known as "sponsons", and the base was designed to be like the hull of a boat, so that the helicopter could float. [13] However, the heavy impact broke both sponsons off and broke the floor, letting water into the helicopter. Lacking the stability that the sponsons would provide, the fuselage rolled over, letting water in even quicker, and sank. [10]
Only 6 of the 26 people on board escaped from the helicopter; Lawlor exited through the emergency exit window by his seat, while Charleton and a child got out through the forward freight bay. Another child managed to escape via the rear freight bay, and two adults exited through the starboard airstairs door. [14] In addition to the two pilots, the survivors were Howard Goddard (age 12), Ellen Hanslow (15), Lucille Langley-Williams and Megan Smith (both 60). [15] Ellen spotted Goddard struggling in the water, and she swam to help him.
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Air crash
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Kamloops mom seeks Christmas cards for son still recovering from 2016 baseball bat attack
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Jessie, however, has had a much more significant sentence, she said. He suffered catastrophic injuries to his skull and face, requiring that his skull be surgically replaced. He was in a coma for more than 10 months, had 11 surgeries, and had to learn how to eat and speak again. He’s even had to re-learn how to joke around and laugh. But he will never walk again. “I’m inspired by Jessie, absolutely inspired since Day 1 with him. He’s fought to live, to be here with us,” she said. “He said he fought for me. I’m just lucky he’s here.” Kamloops teen in hospital with life threatening injuries Kamloops teen in hospital with life threatening injuries – Jun 21, 2016 So Simpson fights for him in different ways, all the time. In recent months, she’s been working to make her home a safe place. In March, she plans to bring him home for the first time since the attack, and has spent months investing in everything from ramps and a safer, screened-in porch, to a van. She’s also planned to bring in the medical support he needs. Story continues below advertisement Until then, though, he’s still in the care home. To help lighten his mood, Simpson is turning to her hometown, Kelowna, in the hope of bringing her son some Christmas cheer. “I’m asking for some cards,” she said. “Jessie loves people. He’s a huge people person and cards are a way to cheer him up.” She did the same last year and said the cards, with personal stories penned inside from points across North America, would make him laugh and smile. She said she knows people often want to give gifts and said they are appreciated. She also has a GoFundMe up and running to help with the transition ahead. She’s also started a “Justice for Jesse” sticker campaign. She’s hoping one day, she can make it so that people who do what was done to her son face a more significant penalty.
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Famous Person - Recovered
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Auroras expected tonight in New York, Washington and Wisconsin as solar storm barrels toward Earth
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The sun lobbed four enormous blobs of plasma toward Earth, and we will soon see their effects. An aurora spotted from the International Space Station. A moderate solar storm will slam into Earth today (Sept. 27), potentially causing auroras to dance in the sky at much lower latitudes than usual. As a result, the Northern Lights may be visible tonight in the northern United States, including New York, Wisconsin and Washington state, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) . The storm — which is made up of charged solar particles oozing across space — may also cause satellite disruptions and some "power grid fluctuations" at high latitudes (particularly above the 55th parallel north, a line that runs through Canada, Northern Ireland and much of Russia), NOAA said. However, the storm will remain relatively weak, ranking as a level G2 storm on a five-level scale where G5 is the most severe. Only in category G4 storms and above are widespread power outages expected, according to NOAA . Related: Where to see the northern lights: 2021 aurora borealis guide Solar storms are a common form of space weather, occurring when coronal mass ejections (CMEs) belch out of the sun's outermost atmosphere and slam into Earth's magnetic shield . CMEs are enormous blobs of plasma (electrically charged gases that make up all the stars in the universe) that escape the sun's atmosphere and soar through space at hundreds to thousands of miles a second. According to NOAA, it takes a CME about 15 to 18 hours to reach Earth after leaving the sun. As many as four CMEs could be bound for Earth right now, NOAA said. What happens next depends on each CME's strength. Benign storms, like the one predicted for today, crash into Earth's magnetic shield, compressing it slightly. During the collision, charged solar particles skitter along our planet's magnetic field lines toward the poles, bumping into atmospheric molecules along the way. These agitated molecules release energy as light, glowing in stunning red, green, blue and yellow bands. This is how auroras happen. Generally, the stronger a storm is, the more widely visible the resulting auroras are at low latitudes. But the really strong, category G5 storms can do so much more. One infamous 1859 geomagnetic storm known as The Carrington Event disrupted Earth's magnetosphere so severely that telegraph wires burst into flames. Another storm, which hit in March 1989, blacked out the Canadian province of Quebec for nine hours and caused power outages across North America.
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New wonders in nature
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Troubling cases involving California inmates: Water intoxication death, brutal stabbing
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Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter . It’s Thursday, Dec. 16. I’m Justin Ray.
California prides itself on being a progressive state.
For instance, the state intends to support women who want to obtain an abortion, should Roe v. Wade get overturned next year. Also, Gov. Gavin Newson wants to use the evil genius legal structure of the Texas abortion ban to restrict assault weapons .
However, when it comes to incarceration, the state is not living up to its professed ideals. California has an incarceration rate of 549 per 100,000 people, according to The Prison Policy Initiative . That figure includes people in prisons, jails, immigration detention, and juvenile justice facilities. Each year, at least 368,000 different people are booked into local jails in the state.
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I want to bring up this issue because I have heard about three troubling cases involving inmates that deserve attention:
Inmate dies from drinking too much water
Lester Daniel Marroquin was in San Diego’s Central Jail for nearly six months, according to an autopsy report viewed by The San Diego Union-Tribune . During that time, he attempted suicide multiple times by submersing his head underwater in a cell toilet or by hitting his head against the cell wall.
In May, he died by suicide when he consumed too much water . The medical examiner determined that Marroquin died from acute water intoxication, meaning he had intentionally consumed enough water to cause the sodium in his bloodstream to drop to a lethal level. Marroquin is the third person in the last decade to die from water intoxication in a San Diego jail.
“We continue to evaluate additional strategies to maintain safe jails. The Sheriff’s Department is committed to the safety, security, health and well-being of people in our custody,” a department spokesperson told The Times.
Guards didn’t stop inmate slaying, lawsuit claims
A Sacramento-area inmate was allegedly stabbed to death by three other inmates, according to The Sacramento Bee
A lawsuit over the death of Luis Giovanny Aguilar, 29, says guards at California State Prison, Sacramento, were complicit in the slaying and allowed the attackers to make a “practice run” the week prior,” according to the Bee.
The lawsuit alleges that Aguilar was “brutally stabbed” while “he was handcuffed to the chair unable to run or escape the danger,” The Bee reported. The lawsuit was filed by the dead inmate’s mother, and names the prison, Warden Jeff Lynch and other unnamed guards as defendants.
In a statement to The Times, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesperson Dana Simas said: “CDCR is committed to identifying and responding to any potential safety and security issues throughout the Department, including thoroughly reviewing all allegations of staff misconduct and ensuring people are held accountable if allegations about their actions are found to be true. The circumstances surrounding this incident are currently under investigation so further details cannot be discussed.”
Former deputy accused of throwing scalding water on mentally ill inmate
A former Orange County sheriff’s deputy is facing felony charges for allegedly throwing scalding water on a mentally ill jail inmate who allegedly didn’t receive treatment for his burn injuries for more than six hours, Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer said in a statement.
Guadalupe Ortiz, 47, is facing felony counts of assault or battery by an officer and battery with serious bodily injury. He was fired recently after 19 years with the sheriff’s department. His attorney has denied the criminal allegations, according to the O.C. Register .
The inmate suffered first- and second-degree burns to his hands, according to the DA’s office.
“As district attorney it is my responsibility to hold sheriff’s deputies and other jail staff accountable when they fail to properly protect those in their care,” Spitzer said in a statement. “And now a deputy is throwing away a 22-year-career for inflicting unnecessary harm on a mentally ill inmate out of frustration.”
And now, here’s what’s happening across California:
Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing.
A new newsletter about money management. I make terrible decisions with my money, like paying for two gym memberships and drinking Starbucks despite having coffee at home. If you are like me, you will benefit from a new newsletter called “Totally Worth It.” Over the course of eight weeks, it will cover how to start budgeting and keep at it; how to pay down debt and spend less money; how to save for big things like weddings, trips and houses; and more. Los Angeles Times
The number of people moving to California from other states has dropped significantly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study released Wednesday. The study also found “no evidence of a pronounced exodus” from the state. “The public’s attention has been focused on the so-called ‘CalExodus’ phenomenon, but the reality is that the dramatic drop in ‘CalEntrances’ since the pandemic began has been a bigger driver of recent population changes in the state,” Natalie Holmes, research fellow at the California Policy Lab, said in a statement. Los Angeles Times
The Golden Gate Bridge is seen in this 2020 photo.
(Peter DaSilva/Peter DaSilva/For The Times)
L.A. STORIES
Three companies face federal charges for their roles in causing the October oil spill off Orange County, authorities said Wednesday. A federal grand jury accused Amplify Energy Corp. and two subsidiary firms, Beta Operating Co. and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Co., of illegally discharging oil from a pipeline they operated off Huntington Beach. The pipeline takes oil from an offshore platform onto shore. The indictment alleges six instances in which the firms were negligent in the spill. They face a misdemeanor count of negligent discharge of oil. Amplify Energy workers both offshore and onshore tried to troubleshoot the leak detection system, which they believed was sending false alarms, company spokeswoman Amy Conway said Wednesday in a statement. Los Angeles Times
One woman helped move the needle on Black vaccination in South L.A. Tsega Habte is an “Eritrean immigrant, pharmacist and concerned community member who channels her curiosity and frenetic energy into things that matter, like global pandemics. It makes her not just an organizer but an especially effective one,” Donovan X. Ramsey writes. Through Kedren Community Health Center in South L.A., Habte helped create a clinic for L.A.’s East African community. What resulted was a community experience that included food, beverages and vaccinations for over 3,000 people. Los Angeles Times
Tsega Habte an Eritrean-American organizer who helped get thousands of Black Angelenos vaccinated.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
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If you’re a fan of this newsletter, you’ll love our daily podcast “The Times,” hosted every weekday by columnist Gustavo Arellano, along with reporters from across our newsroom. Go beyond the headlines. Download and listen on our App , subscribe on Apple Podcasts and follow on Spotify .
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
House bill would hold EDD accountable for backlogs by withholding funding. Through the pandemic, the California Employment Development Department was so understaffed and unprepared that by the fall of 2020 there was a backlog of over a million claims, unpaid, unprocessed, or simply in limbo. However, nobody has been held accountable. Rep. Josh Harder (D-Modesto) wants to change that with a new bill he has introduced in Congress. The bill “says anytime that there are tens of thousands of families in the backlog, EDD has to fix it, or they risk losing their administrative funding,” Harder says. KCRA
Mayor London Breed launched an emergency police intervention in San Francisco’s crime-ridden Tenderloin neighborhood. Breed didn’t hold back in a press conference about the escalation in policing: “It’s time the reign of criminals who are destroying our city, it is time for it come to an end,” she said. “And it comes to an end when we take the steps to be more aggressive with law enforcement. More aggressive with the changes in our policies and less tolerant of all the bullshit that has destroyed our city.” Three other crime initiatives were announced: securing emergency police funding for needed resources, amending surveillance ordinances so law enforcement can interrupt crime in real time, and disrupting the illegal sales of stolen goods on the street. CBS San Francisco
CRIME, COURTS AND POLICING
The truth about retail theft. Organized retail theft has been a hot topic in the state. In June, the issue made headlines due to a viral video of a man’s brazen theft at a San Francisco Walgreens. But it appears that the issue is not as bad as it seems. “There is reason to doubt the problem is anywhere near as large or widespread as they say. The best estimates available put losses at around 7 cents per $100 of sales on average,” Sam Dean writes. Also, numbers tossed out amid the debate are questionable. The president of the California Retailers Assn., told a local paper that in San Francisco and Oakland alone, businesses lose $3.6 billion to organized retail crime each year. “Can that be right? In a word: no,” Dean writes. Los Angeles Times
A security guard watches the entrance to a Louis Vuitton store.
(Ethan Swope/Getty Images)
Marisol García Alcantara, whom an unidentified Border Patrol agent shot in the head in Arizona in June, on Tuesday filed a claim with Customs and Border Protection seeking compensation for the life-altering injuries she says she sustained. The claim is a required step before García Alcantara, represented by San Diego attorney Eugene Iredale, can file a lawsuit in federal court against the agency and the agent who shot her a couple of miles north of the border in Nogales. “I am asking for justice so they don’t keep doing this,” García Alcantara, 37, said in Spanish. “I am also asking for a public apology from the person who did this. I’d like to know why he did this to me since I didn’t do anything to him.” When asked about the claim, CBP, the agency that includes Border Patrol, said its policy is not to comment on pending litigation. San Diego Union-Tribune
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CALIFORNIA CULTURE
bell hooks, the influential writer, feminist, poet and cultural critic who popularized intersectionality with works such as “Ain’t I a Woman,” “All About Love,” “Bone Black,” “Feminist Theory” and “Communion: The Female Search for Love,” died Wednesday. She was 69. Gloria Jean Watkins, known professionally by her lowercase pen name, died at home in Berea, Ky., after an extended illness, according to a family statement. hooks’ oeuvre included 40 books published in 15 languages, and the author consistently challenged conventional ways of thinking and being while attempting to illuminate the everyday lives of women. She earned a master’s in English at the University of Wisconsin and a doctorate in literature at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Los Angeles Times
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CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
Los Angeles: 57 San Diego: The whole family came out! 60 San Francisco: 54 San Jose: 55 Fresno: Rainy 54 Sacramento: 54
AND FINALLY
Today’s California memory is from Paul Roberts:
In 1961 our San Pedro scout troop went on several local adventures. We camped in the Portuguese Bend area of Palos Verdes and spent the day in the tide pools collecting abalone that we cooked over a campfire. We took the ferry to Catalina where we had special permission to camp on private land owned by the Wrigley chewing-gum family. We were too excited to sleep, so our leaders took us on a hike – the shadows of the cactus were so distinct and beautiful in the moonlight! One scout snuck off, suddenly appeared in an arch on the hill above us and let out a blood-curdling scream! (The arch was part of Mr. Wrigley’s mausoleum!).
If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us . (Please keep your story to 100 words.)
Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com .
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
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Central Coast residents say Kincumber Creek allegedly contaminated with toxic waste from concrete manufacturing plant
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A Central Coast concrete manufacturer has been told it has until the end of the month to provide evidence it is not polluting a local creek. Residents say Kincumber Creek, a popular recreation spot for children and fishers, has been contaminated with toxic concrete waste via a stormwater outlet linked to the manufacturer. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has issued Hymix, the company allegedly responsible, with a prevention notice amid an ongoing investigation.
It has until the end of the month to provide a Water Management Report.
But locals say heavy rainfall in recent weeks has resulted in another pollution incident, with pools of thick, grey discharge seen floating on the creek bed.
Jenny McCulla from the Davistown Progress Association is advocating for change and says the creek is frequented by children and families. "I see children coming down to the wharf locally where I am daily," Ms McCulla said. "There are so many of our members that are fishermen and women.
"There are people out on boats everyday catching fish in Cockle Channel and I've actually seen the white bloom of water wash up." Ms McCulla said the waste was not just impacting water quality but wildlife in and around the creek.
"It's extremely important to the birds, sea life and the fish and small mammals that feed off the creek," she said. "I've actually seen a bloom of water wash up along the shore in front of my property."
Adam Gilligan from the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) said the community had raised concerns over alleged wastewater runoff from the property. "We've been working with residents who've been, to some degree, our eyes and ears on the ground," he said. "When there's been heavy rainfall, they've contacted us [and] we've had officers attend and take samples and that's allowed us to establish that more work was required by Hymix." Environmental activist Cori Hopper runs the Daily Urban Punish Facebook group where he provides regular updates about the issue and says the pollution has been happening for years. "Every bit of loose, fine or unsecured amount of concrete waste captured inside the facility is flushed into the Central Coast waterways each time it rains, creating an illusion that the facility is cleaner than it truly is," he said.
"At the same time, polluting our sensitive mangrove habitat with hazardous and toxic concrete waste.
"They know but they don't care and so it continues."
In a statement, Hymix said it was undertaking an independent environmental audit assessment of the site to "demonstrate compliance".
It is the second time the Kincumber site has been issued with a notice from the EPA. Last month the company was handed a Draft Prevention Notice and given until October 23 to respond. "We've ordered them to stop the discharge of any water that's been in contact with concrete products … and that they get an expert in to assess and improve their water management system," Mr Gilligan said. )
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Environment Pollution
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Japanese ship MV Wakashio breaks up on Mauritius reef after causing oil spill
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A Japanese bulk carrier has broken apart after running aground on a reef in Mauritius last month, threatening a marine ecological disaster around the Indian Ocean island, authorities say.
The condition of the MV Wakashio was worsening early on Saturday (local time) and it split by the afternoon, the Mauritius National Crisis Committee said.
"At around 4.30pm, a major detachment of the vessel's forward section was observed," it said in a statement. "On the basis of the experts' advice, the towing plan is being implemented."
The vessel struck a coral reef on July 25, spilling about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and endangering coral, fish and other marine life in what some scientists have called the country's worst ecological disaster.
On Friday, some residual oil from the ship leaked into the ocean, Mauritius Marine Conservation Society president Jacqueline Sauzier said.
Authorities deployed booms on Saturday to help with oil absorption around the vessel.
The Crisis Committee said special attention was being given to sensitive sites such as the Blue Bay Marine Park, Ile aux Aigrettes and the Pointe D'Esny National Ramsar site.
The weather is expected to deteriorate over the next few days with waves of up to 4.5 metres (15 feet), authorities said.
Most of the oil being transported by the vessel had been pumped out, the Mauritian Government said on Thursday, but there was still 166 tonnes of fuel oil inside and authorities were working to remove it.
Japanese Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Saturday that Tokyo planned to send a team of officials from the ministry and other specialists to assess the damage. The MV Wakashio is owned by Japan's Nagashiki Shipping and chartered by Mitsui OSK Lines.
Scientists said the full impact of the spill was still unfolding, but the damage could affect Mauritius and its tourism-dependent economy for decades.
Removing the ship is likely to take months. Former colonial power France has said it will assist with the clean-up.
Reuters
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Environment Pollution
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Charles Martin vs. Anthony Joshua
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Charles Martin vs. Anthony Joshua was a professional boxing match contested between the undefeated and newly crowned IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin, and undefeated Olympic gold medalist Anthony Joshua. The bout took place on 9 April 2016 at The O2 Arena, London. Joshua defeated Martin via second-round knockout (KO) to claim the IBF heavyweight title. On 12 December 2015, Anthony Joshua fought fellow British contender and rival Dillian Whyte in a grudge match for Joshua's WBC International, and Commonwealth titles with the vacant British title also on the line. The bout took place at The O2 Arena in London, with Joshua winning via seventh-round technical knockout (TKO). [1]
Following the IBF's decision to strip newly crowned unified champion Tyson Fury of their version of the heavyweight championship for failing to agree terms for a fight with mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Glazkov, due to contractual obligations to face former unified champion Wladimir Klitschko in a rematch,[2] the IBF ordered a fight between Glazkov and #2 ranked contender Charles Martin. [3] The bout took place on 16 January 2016 at the Barclays Center, New York, with Martin winning via third-round TKO after Glazkov suffered a knee injury and was unable to continue. [4] One month after Martin's win over Glazkov, it was announced that Martin would make a voluntary defence of his newly acquired title against Joshua—who was the IBF's #4 ranked contender—with the bout scheduled to take place on 9 April at The O2 Arena in London. It was reported that Martin would earn a career high purse of £3.46m with potential total earnings in excess of £6m after PPV sales. [5]
Round one saw Martin on the back foot, only throwing a handful of punches and landing even less. Joshua applied minimal pressure, throwing probing jabs to the head and body and the occasional right hand. In the final 30 seconds, Joshua grazed Martin with a straight right hand which appeared to cause the champion to momentarily stumble. However, the instant replay between rounds showed Martin had tripped over one of the ringside advertisements. Martin began standing his ground in the first minute of round two, throwing more punches in that minute than the previous three. One minute into the round, Joshua slipped a right hand jab from southpaw Martin and landed a solid counter straight right to Martin's chin, dropping the champion to the canvas. Five seconds after Martin rose to his feet, he threw another jab which Joshua once again slipped and landed the same counter straight right hand to floor the champion for the second time. Martin was still down on one knee as referee Jean-Pierre Van Imschoot reached the count of nine. Martin quickly rose up to his feet as Van Imschoot waved off the fight at 1 minute and 32 seconds, giving Joshua a second-round knockout win to secure the IBF heavyweight title. [6]
With Joshua's win, he became the first British super-heavyweight Olympic champion to win a professional heavyweight world title; the fourth boxer in history to win a professional heavyweight world title as the reigning Olympic champion;[6] and the fifth-fastest to win a heavyweight world title at two years and six months. [7] Martin also made the heavyweight history books by having the second-shortest reign as a heavyweight world champion at just 85 days. [8]
^Note 1 For IBF heavyweight title
^Note 2 For IBF featherweight title
^Note 3 For vacant WBA International super-middleweight title
^Note 4 For WBA bantamweight title
^Note 5 For IBF Inter-Continental middleweight title
^Note 6 For vacant English lightweight title
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Sports Competition
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