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Mudslide detours cause bumper-to-bumper traffic in mountain towns
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STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR) — Road closures caused by mudslides are causing traffic headaches in small mountain communities. Bumper-to-bumper traffic is not something locals are to seeing on their streets in Steamboat Springs. But Mother Nature has changed that. Summer rainstorms have been pouring upon massive burn scars, causing mudslides that reroute traffic through usually less-trafficked areas. “Noise pollution is quite tremendous, and it’s pretty alarming,” Steamboat Springs resident Lara Craig said. Mudslides over the weekend forced traffic to detour off Interstate 70 and into Steamboat. That led to major traffic jams in this normally calm community. “It does happen when these huge tractor trailers are coming through town, and people are trying to cross and people are stuck in the middle of the intersections,” Shannon Lukens said. Mudslides blocked access to portions of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon on July 20, 2021. (Credit: Colorado Department of Transportation) Lukens lives in Steamboat Springs and is a news director for seven mountain town radio stations. Lukens has heard drivers’ complaints and has had them herself. “We were in Craig driving down Highway 40 this weekend. We were behind a semi going 40 miles an hour, and it’s a 65 miles per hour zone in some places, and it’s frustrating and dangerous,” Lukens said. The detour troubles are worsened by an ongoing construction project on U.S. 40 along the Rabbit Ears Pass area. The Colorado Department of Transportation told the Problem Solvers construction is suspended as soon as possible when traffic is detoured toward the project. “I think people are still hitting a slowdown, and they are still pretty frustrated,” CDOT spokesperson Tracy Trulove said. “The (construction) team is making a concerted effort to stop work, which is not even good for the project.”
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Mudslides
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Malaysia's ex-PM Najib starts appeal against 1MDB-linked conviction, jail sentence
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KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia’s Court of Appeal on Monday began hearing a bid by former Prime Minister Najib Razak to set aside his conviction on corruption charges in a case linked to a multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB. Najib, who was voted out in a historic 2018 election, faces several trials over allegations that $4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund he co-founded in 2009. He has plead not guilty to all charges. Last year, Najib was sentenced to 12 years in jail and a $50 million fine after being found guilty of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering for illegally receiving about $10 million from SRC International, a former 1MDB unit. The sentences were stayed pending an appeal. Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, in his opening remarks on Monday, argued that the trial judge had erred by including additional matters in his final ruling which had not originally been part of the case against the former premier. “We will be contending that this was highly improper and in fact, prejudicial towards our client,” Muhammad Shafee said. Muhammad Shafee had earlier requested for the appeal to be adjourned for another month, saying he needed more time to obtain documents relevant to Najib’s defence from the United States and Singapore. The court, however, rejected the request. The court has fixed 12 days between April 5 and 22 to hear the appeal. If Najib loses the bid, he can still appeal at the Federal Court, Malaysia’s highest tribunal. Prosecutors have said more than $1 billion of 1MDB funds made its way into Najib’s personal accounts, over which he faces a total of 42 criminal charges. At least six countries have opened investigations into 1MDB, in a globe-spanning scandal that has implicated high-level officials and major financial institutions. In recent months, Malaysia has recovered more than $3 billion from U.S. bank Goldman Sachs, audit firm Deloitte, and Malaysian banking group AmBank in separate deals to settle claims linked to 1MDB probes. ($1 = 4.1440 ringgit) Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Martin Petty
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence
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Tokyo Olympics: Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali wins steeplechase gold as Hellen Obiri wins 5,000m silver
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Last updated on 2 August 20212 August 2021.From the section Sport Africa
Kenya's dominance of the men's 3,000 metres steeplechase at the Olympics was ended by Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali who won gold ahead of Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma and Kenya's Benjamin Kigen.
Kenya's Hellen Obiri had to settle once again for Olympic silver in the women's 5,000m as Ethiopian-born Sifan Hassan claimed the first of the three gold medals she is hoping to win in Tokyo.
Namibian sprinter Christine Mboma twice broke Allyson Felix's under-20 world and Olympic record as she reached Tuesday's final of the women's 200m on day 10 of the Tokyo Olympics.
Wrestler Blessing Oborududu secured Nigeria's first medal of the Games by reaching Tuesday's final of the women's 68kg freestyle event.
Soufiane El Bakkali won Morocco's first medal of the Tokyo Games as he claimed gold in the men's 3,000m steeplechase.
His victory ended Kenya's dominance of the men's event at the Olympics, the east Africans had won gold at every Games since 1968, apart from 1976 and 1980 when they boycotted the global showpiece.
"I am so used to seeing Kenyans win, it's a big accomplishment for me," the Moroccan said after his win.
"I have been aiming for this for years and this was my opportunity to show that Morocco is capable of winning this prize in front of the Kenyans. "It was not easy for me to be in front of the Kenyans and Ethiopians. I know how hard it is to be first in front of them."
"I have been thinking about being more confident, working on my self-confidence and also trusting that I can win.
"I have tried so many times to compare myself with the Kenyans and Ethiopians to see whether I could reach this gold, and I did." Lamecha Girma, who was a late call-up to the Ethiopian team, won silver with Kenya's Benjamin Kigen claiming bronze and his nation's first medal in Tokyo.
A second Ethiopian Getnet Wale was fourth followed by Eritrea's Yemane Haileselassie in fifth, Kenya's Abraham Kibiwot was 10th and Morocco's Mohamed Tindouft in 13th.
Kenya's double women's 5,000m world champion Hellen Obiri had to settle once again for Olympic silver, as she did in 2016, with Ethiopian-born Sifan Hassan claiming the win as she attempts to win an unprecedented three golds in Tokyo.
Hassan, who fell in her 1,500m heat earlier on Monday, proved to have the better sprint finish over the last 200 metres to win ahead of Obiri with Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay taking the bronze medal.
Obiri's compatriot Agnes Tirop was fourth ahead of two more Ethiopians Ejgayehu Taye (5th) and Senbere Teferi (6th) with a third Kenyan Lilian Kasait Rengeruk back in 12th place.
"To be number 2, it is quite amazing because it is a big achievement," Obiri insisted after the race
"The race was slow, nobody wanted to go in front. I know that Sifan (Hassan) is good over the final 400m and I tried to hold her, but there was nothing I could do. I tried my best.
"I am so happy because I didn't expect the Olympics to happen because of the pandemic. Last year I was in very good shape, but this year I was 80%."
Namibia's Christine Mboma reached Tuesday's final by breaking the under-20 world record for the second time in one day as she finished second in her semi-final of the women's 200m behind Jamaica's defending Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah.
Mboma became the first under-20 athlete to run under 22 seconds as she lowered her own record to 21.97 seconds.
The Gambia's Gina Bass' time of 22.67 in fourth place in the same semi-final was not fast enough for her to progress as a fastest loser.
Moments earlier Namibia's Beatrice Masilingi set her second personal best of the day as she finished second behind the former Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica in her semi-final, as both qualified automatically for the final.
Marie-Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast won the third semi-final to join the two Namibians in the final.
Nigeria's Grace Nzubechi Nwokocha finished fourth in a new personal best and Niger's Aminatou Seyni set a new national record in fifth in the last semi-final but neither was quick enough to progress.
South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk will not be able to defend his Olympic title after he failed to reach the final of the men's 400 metres after he finished fourth in his semi-final.
Van Niekerk has been struggling with injury since he set a world record as he won the 400m gold in Rio in 2016.
Botswana's Isaac Makwala finished third in the same race just ahead of van Niekerk and his time of 44.49 seconds was enough for him to progress to Thursday's final.
Makwala's compatriot Leunog Scotch finished fifth in his semi-final and did not reach the final either.
South Africa's Wanda Nel failed to reach the final of the women's 400m hurdles as she could only finish seventh in her semi-final.
Mboma had broken the under-20 world and Olympic record for the first time earlier on Monday in her heat of the women's 200m.
The 18-year-old's time of 22.11 seconds eclipsed the time set by the USA's six-time Olympic champion Allyson Felix, as she won silver at the Athens Games in 2004.
Her compatriot Beatrice Masilingi also set a personal best to progress to the semi-finals, along with Ivory Coast's Marie-Josee Ta Lou, Niger's Aminatou Seyni, The Gambia's Gina Bass and Nigeria's Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha.
Both Mboma and Masilingi were informed in July by World Athletics that their testosterone levels were beyond the allowed limit for female athletes wanting to run their preferred distance of 400m unless they medically lower their testosterone for a period of at least six months
Nigeria's Tobi Amusan became the third African to finish just outside the medals in a sprint event in Tokyo as she finished fourth in the women's 100m hurdles final. The race was won by Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camacho-Quinn.
Ivory Coast's Ta Lou and South Africa's Akani Simbine both finished just outside the medals in the women's and men's 100m finals respectively.
In the women's 1500m reigning Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon started her title defence by sailing through to Wednesday's semi-finals with a comfortable win in her heat.
"It was hot today and at least I made it to semi-finals. We used a lot of ice because it was hot and we had to stay in normal temperatures, going to the track it was better it was not like we were warming up," she said after her race.
Uganda's Winnie Nanyondo finished second behind Kipyegon to progress along with two more Kenyans - Winny Chebet and Edinah Jebito - as well as Ethiopia's Lemlem Hailu and Freweyni Gebreezibeher.
Jebito was awarded a place in the semi-finals despite finishing 12th in her heat after she fell alongside Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan, who managed to recover and win the heat.
In the men's hammer Egypt's Mostafa Elgamel failed to progress to the final after a managed a throw of 72.76m.
Nigeria's Blessing Oborududu beat Mongolia's Battsetseg Soronzonbold in the semi-finals of the women's 68kg freestyle event to secure at least a silver medal, the first for her country at the Tokyo Games.
She will face Tamyra Marianna Stock Mensah in Tuesday's final to decide who wins gold. It will also be Nigeria's first ever Olympic wrestling medal.
"Words cannot explain how happy I am. I feel so excited to get into the final of the Olympics. It's not easy," Oborududu said after her bout.
"We have been working for the past years with the president (of the Nigerian Wrestling Federation) Daniel Igali.
"He's a world and an Olympic champion (for Canada) and he said his purpose of coming back to Nigeria is to change Nigerian wrestling and see (Nigerian) athletes winning in the world championship and the Olympics."
Nigeria women's campaign came to an end with a third straight defeat, this time losing 102-83 to hosts Japan.
The Nigerians, who also lost to the USA and France, finish bottom of Group B.
Egypt's Mohab Ishak qualified for Tuesday's semi-final of the men's 3 metre springboard event, where 12 of the 18 semi-finalists will compete in the final later on the same day.
Angola's women earned a 31-31 draw with South Korea in their final Group A game but it was not enough for them to progress to the quarter-finals.
South Africa's men lost once again in their final Group A game with hosts Japan winning 24-9. It leaves the South Africans bottom of the group without a single point and a goal difference of -96 over their five matches.
Kenya women's Pool A campaign in Tokyo ended with fifth straight 3-0 loss this time at the hands of the Brazilians - 25-10, 25-16, 25-8.
The Kenyans finish bottom of the pool without a single point and will not advance to the quarter-finals.
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Break historical records
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Ford slugged with record $10m fine for unconscionable conduct over faulty gearboxes
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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
Ford has agreed to pay a record $10 million fine for unconscionable conduct over the auto giant's handling of complaints about faulty gearboxes in more than 10,000 Australian cars. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal action against Ford last year after receiving complaints about Fiesta, Focus and EcoSport vehicles fitted with the "PowerShift" transmission.
The dual-clutch automatic gearbox was meant to improve fuel efficiency and provide smoother gear shifts when driving.
But thousands of drivers complained that their cars shuddered and jerked when accelerating, suddenly lost power or made a lot of noise.
"Despite knowing that shuddering was a symptom of the quality issues with the vehicles, Ford frequently told customers that shuddering was the result of the customer's driving style," ACCC chairman Rod Sims said. "Ford knew that the symptoms of the quality issues with the vehicles were experienced intermittently, but required customers to demonstrate them on demand in the presence of a dealer in order for repairs to be undertaken." About 75,000 Ford vehicles sold in Australia between 2011 and 2016 were fitted with the "PowerShift" transmission. Complaints began to surface in late 2015, but the ACCC said in many cases Ford refused to offer a refund or replacement.
Drivers who wanted a new car were required to make a significant payment towards their replacement vehicle.
"Ford told consumers that refunds and replacement vehicles were not an option, when they may have been legally entitled to these remedies under the consumer guarantees," Mr Sims said. "Buying a new car is a significant financial commitment and Ford's unconscionable conduct caused considerable distress and frustration to thousands of consumers." Ford's $10 million penalty is the highest fine handed out to a car company in Australia. Ford has acknowledged it took too long to identify problems with the gearboxes, and vowed to make things right with its customers. "Accepting the $10 million fine is the first action on our commitment to make right," Ford Australia chief executive Graeme Whickman said.
"We were overwhelmed with the volume of complaints and, while it was not intended, over a 10-month period our processes were inadequate and information provided was either inaccurate or incomplete.
"We let our customers down and for that we are sorry."
Under a deal struck by Ford and the ACCC — and approved by the Federal Court — the car maker will review complaints made by up to 10,500 customers between May 1, 2015 and November 1, 2016. An independent auditor will assess whether those drivers are entitled to a refund or replacement vehicle.
The review process will commence in early July 2018 and run for 12 months. Affected customers can register their details to receive updates on the independent review process.
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Organization Fine
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Kim Kardashian West’s Divorce Lawyer Laura Wasser on What Makes a Marriage Work
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The attorney to Armie Hammer, Angelina Jolie and Britney Spears—who on Friday filed papers for Kim Kardashian West’s divorce from Kanye West—says, “Have the kind of unromantic talk that you would have if you were going to enter into a prenuptial agreement even if you’re not”
Photo: Jessica Sample / Trunk Archive
By
Feb. 22, 2021 8:33 am ET
In our series My Monday Morning , self-motivated people tell WSJ. how they start off the week.
Divorce looks different during the pandemic. One memorable image of this time is the screenshot of Mary-Kate Olsen and Olivier Sarkozy’s Zoom divorce hearing that went viral last month. Seeing such high-profile proceedings unfold on the same video-call software that’s used for office all-hands meetings and conference calls was a novelty for many. But celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles is enjoying the efficiency of it. “The nature of family law has always been a lot of in-person, handholding, meetings face-to-face,” she says. “I can [have] five or six meetings a day on Zoom, which I never could have done [before].”
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Famous Person - Divorce
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NJ Gov. Murphy sets up Afghan Refugee Assistance task force
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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has established a task force to aid Afghan refugees coming into the state. Murphy, a Democrat, signed an executive order Friday creating the Task Force on Afghan Refugee Assistance with the aim of ensuring New Jersey is prepared to receive and assist those coming into the state. New Jersey Gov. Murphy holds on to strong approval ratings New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy still earns high marks for pandemic management and his overall job running the state, according to the latest Monmouth Poll. 3 months ago New Jersey’s Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is currently receiving Afghans, with military officials proposing taking up to 9,500 people for up to a year. Murphy had earlier said the state would assist with refugees. Friday’s order is the first public action taken to address the influx of people. Here’s how legislative and congressional redistricting works in N.J. — and what’s at stake Two commissions are redrawing N.J.’s legislative and congressional district maps. There’s still time for the public to weigh in, so here’s what you need to know. 8 hours ago Trenton approves $10 million overhaul of its emergency radio system After nearly being shut down last month, New Jersey’s capital city will replace its emergency radio system for first responders which had been riddled with service issues. 1 day ago Steve Sweeney has conceded. What does that mean for South Jersey? N.J. Senate President Steve Sweeney has conceded his reelection bid. It’s the end of an era for South Jersey, so what comes next?
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Organization Established
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Where The Sopranos cast are now from tragic death and gas explosion to Mariah Carey video and Friends star
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Over eight years and six series, The Sopranos enthralled viewers as it followed the fortunes of the New Jersey Soprano family and their mobster dad Tony.
Doling out violence and comedy in equal measures, the show began with mob boss Tony, played by James Gandolfini, going to therapy to help deal with his controlling mum.
Soon it branched out into darker territory, changing the way TV shows were made and heralding a new genre of antiheroes.
Now the cult series has been given a movie makeover with a prequel - The Many Saints of Newark - out in cinemas this week.
With Gandolfini’s son Michael in the lead role, the film delves into the gritty backstory of a young Tony Soprano.
But where are the cast from the original TV show today? Here we chart their success to date.
James Gandolfini starred as the troubled New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano through six seasons of the HBO series.
Writer David Chase loosely based the protagonist on real-life gangster Vinny Ocean, boss of the New Jersey DeCavalcante crime family.
Gandolfini won the hearts of viewers with his nuanced turn as the anti-hero.
He scooped three Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and one Golden Globe for his turn.
After the Sopranos ended in 2007, Gandolfini went into producing, but sadly died aged 51 on June 19, 2013 of a heart attack while on holiday in Rome.
Gandolfini was married twice to Marcy Wudarski and then to Deborah Lin.
He has two kids, Michael and Liliana.
Michael will step into his dad’s shoes as he plays the younger Tony Soprano in the upcoming prequel film.
Award-winning actress Edie Falco took up the role of Carmela Soprano, Tony’s soft-spoken but tough-willed wife.
The show became a launchpad for her career, and she took up the lead role in Nurse Jackie in 2009 after The Sopranos had ended.
Falco wowed critics as Jackie Peyton, with one reviewer congratulating her on the “truly breakthrough female character”.
Now 58, she still has a vibrant career as a movie and TV actress.
Her latest role will be Hilary Clinton in the American Crime Story drama Impeachment.
Once voted the “ugliest girl in the sixth grade” at her school in Long Island, Lorraine Bracco embraced fame as a fashion supermodel for Jean-Paul Gaultier in 1974.
But she soon turned her sights to acting, and appeared as wry psychiatrist Dr Jennifer Melfi in The Sopranos.
Bracco, now 66, went on to star in more gangster series, including Law and Order: Criminal Intent and as the narrator of the show I Married a Mobster.
She is also the owner of Bracco Wines, which has appeared on the TV show Top Chef.
The TV star married and divorced twice, first to Frenchman Daniel Guerard and then to actor Harvey Keitel.
Bracco has two daughters, one from each marriage.
Michael Imperioli starred in the mafia movie The Goodfellas before taking on the role of Christopher Moltisanti in The Sopranos.
Moltisanti is Tony Soprano’s protege and a member of the DiMeo crime family.
Throughout the series he rises through the ranks in the New Jersey crime network.
After starring in The Sopranos, Imperioli branched out into the arts, becoming a writer, director and musician as well as appearing in multiple films.
He has appeared in TV shows including the US version of The Office, Californication and Lucifer over the last decade.
Imperioli, now 55, is also the lead guitarist and vocalist for the band Zopa, which released their debut album La Dolce Vita last year.
Drea de Matteo, now 49, joined the show as Christopher Moltisanti's glamorous fiance Adriana La Cerva. It was the New York born actor's first major role on screen - and helped launch her career. Hot on the heels of the HBO drama, de Matteo went on to star in a number of films including Prey for Rock & Role, The Perfect You and Swordfish. From there, she starred opposite Matt Le Blanc as Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina in the Friends spin off Joey. The actress has also had cameo roles in Desperate Housewives and Californication. In 2001, de Matteo began dating musician Shooter Jennings. The couple were engaged in 2009 and have a daughter, Alabama Gypsyrose Jennings, and a son, Waylon Albert Jennings.
However, the pair split without ever getting married.
In 2015, de Matteo lost her New York flat, along with dozens of residents, when a gas explosion destroyed three buildings in East Village, Manhattan. In 2020, she and Chris Kushner began a rewatch podcast of The Sopranos called Made Women.
It was later renamed Gangster Goddess Broad-Cast. Beautiful and smart, Meadow Soprano is Tony and Carmela’s first born.
Played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, 40, Meadow sees through her dad’s claims that he is a waste management consultant, but sticks by her mobster family.
Born in New York, Sigler began acting aged seven when she took part in her first musical.
And the actor’s career didn’t stop after The Sopranos.
She went on to star as Heidi Fleiss, the American upmarket madame, in Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss.
Sigler also had a cameo role in Mariah Carey’s single Through the Rain.
The actress is a passionate spokeswoman for the National Eating Disorders Association, after her own struggles with the illness while starring in the Sopranos.
Sigler married baseball player Cutter Dysktra in 2016.
They have two sons, Beau Kyle and Jack Adam Dykstra.
Actor and filmmaker Steve Buscemi, 63, joined The Sopranos cast as Tony Blundetto in Season Five.
Buscemi is famed for his turn in gangster movies including Tarantino’s Resevoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction as well as major films such as Fargo and The Big Lebowski.
He has gone on to star in major movies such as Monsters Inc and in Armando Iannucci’s satire The Death of Stalin in 2017.
As one of America's most prolific actors, he often stars in about five movies a year.
Looking back on The Sopranos, he said: “I feel really privileged to have been a part of it and to have worked that closely with it, as a director and as an actor. And as an audience member, I'm still in awe of the show.”
Earlier this month it emerged Buscemi quietly joined the 9/11 firefighters to search for survivors in the rubble of the World Trade Center.
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Gas explosion
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Another classroom at Ecole Elsie Mironuck School closed due to COVID
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Another classroom at Ecole Elsie Mironuck Community School has been closed due to numerous cases of COVID-19. On Wednesday, Regina Public Schools announced the school was closing a Grade 3 classroom and moving to remote learning starting Thursday. On Thursday, the division announced a Grade 5/6 English classroom was closing and students were to begin online learning on Monday, since Friday is a professional development day. In-person classes are to resume Sept. 30 if students don’t have symptoms. Parents are to hear from their child’s teacher with more details for remote learning. It’s the third time this week a public school has closed classrooms due to COVID cases. On Tuesday, Henry Janzen School moved to remote learning in a number of classes after multiple cases were reported. The division reported cases had been detected at three other schools as well. Two cases were reported at Henry Janzen School, with one each at Harbour Landing School and Thom Collegiate.
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Organization Closed
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France Has Returned 26 Objects Stolen From an Ancient Palace in Benin, Including a Throne, Altars, and Ornate Doors
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French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Benin’s President Patrice Talon to officially sign an agreement returning 26 objects originally stolen by French forces from the Palace of Abomey. The objects were on display at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris until public pressure led to their return to Benin’s Ouidah Museum of History.
The 26 items from the kingdom of Dahomey are among 70,000 other objects in the Quai Branley’s collection that originally came from countries in Africa. The trove includes the throne of Behanzin, the last king of Dahomey, three totems, four ornate palace doors, several altars, and three warrior dance staffs.
The ceremony took place at the Élysée Palace, which released an official statement noting that the event “marks an important step in building a new relationship between France and Africa.”
This move is seen as an effort to improve France’s image in the eyes of Africans. National and international calls to return the objects culminated in 2020 when the National Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of returning these items, and others from Senegal. Both are former colonies and many French citizens trace their cultural heritage back to these countries.
Quai Branly is in the process of seeking “to identify works believed to have been taken through violence, without the owners’ consent, or as war booty or through the coercion of the colonial administration,” the director of the museum, Emmanuel Kasarhérou, told AFP.
Experts say that between 85 and 90 percent of the cultural heritage of Africa remains outside the continent, according to Le Monde, and that of the 90,000 African cultural objects in French institutions, 46,000 arrived in colonial times.
“Not all objects that are in European collections have been stolen, but what proportion were? Our objective is to find out,” said Kasarhérou.
The items will now make their way back to Benin where they will find a temporary home at the Ouidah Museum of History and go on a tour of the country before being housed at their original home, the royal palaces of Abomey, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Benin is currently building a museum at the site slated for completion in 2026, aided by France which has financed the project with €35 million ($40 million) in loans and grants.
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Sign Agreement
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Donald Trump: Italian brothers arrested after cash machines robbed by men in president masks
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Italian police have arrested two brothers suspected of robbing dozens of cash machines while wearing masks of US President Donald Trump. The brothers, Vittorio and Ivan Lafore, aged 26 and 30, targeted cash machines near the northern Italian city of Turin. In closed circuit footage of one of the robberies, one of the brothers in a Trump mask is seen covering the surveillance cameras in the lobby of a bank and planting an explosive in the cash dispenser. He then ducks around a corner after lighting the fuse, just before a violent blast. The stunt evokes the 1991 film Point Break starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, in which a gang of surfers don masks of former US presidents while robbing banks. But in a statement police said the brothers had been inspired by a different film. "Inspired by the film The Jackal, whose protagonist — played by Bruce Willis — changes the colour of his car because police are in pursuit, the two brothers painted their [white] Mercedes black," the statement said.
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Bank Robbery
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Trump Withdrew From TPP
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In 2011, when President Obama announced his administration’s intent to “pivot” to the Pacific, he did so with China in mind. The Bretton Woods system, the modern foundation of international finance and commerce, was nearly 70 years old. For the first time, that system was being challenged by a serious competitor. China had quickly risen to become the world’s second largest economy under an authoritarian government with a semi-directed economy. America wrote the rules of the modern era, founded upon strong democratic institutions, free-market enterprise, and strategic public-private investment in things like tech, infrastructure, and education. The western system was thrown into question as the world witnessed the meteoric rise of China and a new alternative system. It took the better part of a century to build our western system of international finance and trade. In a democratic society it takes time to build something sustainable. Destruction, however, can happen in the blink of an eye. On just his third day in office, Donald Trump put pen to paper to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This partnership offered the potential for the US to reassert its position as the guarantor of free and fair market policies. The TPP would have protected environmental and labor interests, while opening up the competitive impulses and creativity of a marketplace that was poised to represent 40% of the global economy. With that one act, Trump destroyed decades of work and negotiation. He destroyed the goodwill and partnership of the Pacific Rim economies that offer the United States its best shot at reining in China and guaranteeing a peaceful, open marketplace for decades to come. The TPP promised to give the United States greater leverage in negotiating with China on the sticky issues that have persistently dogged the Trump administration: the theft of trade secrets and intellectual property, economic espionage, trade imbalances, military expansion in the South China Sea, strong-arming Hong Kong and Taiwan, political suppression of its own people, concentration camps in Xinjiang, and more. The United States has been relegated to finger wagging when it could have been offering China a choice between a carrot and a stick: play by our rules, and join the largest free market in the world; go it alone, and risk sanctions. China is far from a rogue state in our otherwise orderly free market system. It is a tempting model for would-be dictators all over the world. While Russia has been the focal point of a rift in values—and their desire to sow chaos and undermine our faith in democratic institutions should not be ignored—it is China that offers the world a more compelling alternative. After spending decades integrating into the global economic system, China has generated enormous wealth for its citizens without any diffusion of political power to the people. Worse still, China has wielded its growing economic clout to wage an increasingly aggressive foreign policy. With one hand China “invests” in developing economies with predatory loans, and with the other hand it offers despots and dictators the technological and policy framework to stay in power and suppress dissent. The appeal of such a top-down, controlled “market economy” is obvious to those who might be in a position to choose between the Chinese system of government and the messier, but more dynamic systems of the west. China continues to use new technologies like facial recognition and artificial intelligence to track its citizens. With One Belt, One Road, China has shown it has not just ambition, but a clear plan for building a coalition that opposes America and its values. Early partners, like Pakistan, even cut into some of the United States’ traditional allies. Trump may talk tough on China, but he’s clearly demonstrated in his first term the lack of political finesse to bring enough friends to the table to effectively contain China. We’re in this fight alone. So much for the art of the deal. The truth is, the TPP alone would not have been a cure-all, but Trump’s thoughtless decision to withdraw from it without any alternatives is telling of his foreign policy doctrine: lone-wolf economic gunslinging, and leaving the mess for someone else to clean up. He has not considered the implications of his decisions. Instead, he has opted for short-sighted “wins” based on catchy campaign slogans rather than strategy and policy. As a result, our future is sold out from under us and the playing field is ceded to China and their allies. These countries don’t value the dynamism and openness of an economy guided by democratic institutions. It serves the interests of the people of the United States to have a president who keeps his word to our allies and stands up for the values we hold dear. Withdrawing from the TPP was an act of senseless self-destruction. Free and fair global trade has brought unprecedented peace to the last 40 years of human history. We deserve a president who can be a standard bearer for the principles that empower people around the world. A cogent foreign policy rooted in our values requires patient, far-sighted leadership. Amid the chaos of a global pandemic, there is an opportunity to strengthen our alliances and lead to a more peaceful, prosperous future. More than ever we need a president who won’t turn their back on the world. We need a president who is willing to look out into the world and extend a hand—or at least a socially-distanced hello.
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Withdraw from an Organization
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Stairfoot rail accident
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The Stairfoot rail accident was a railway accident that took place at Stairfoot, South Yorkshire, England. On 12 December 1870, in Barnsley top yard a rake of 10 goods wagons was standing on a gradient of 1 in 119. A single sprag between the spokes of a wheel was holding them. When two gas tank wagons were shunted against the rake, the sprag broke and the 12 wagons began to move. Two pointsmen made valiant efforts to pin down the brakes to no avail. The wagons rapidly gathered speed as the gradient increased to 1 in 72 and passed three signal boxes, none of which had points under their control to deflect the runaways. Meanwhile, a passenger train which had left Barnsley at 18:15 was standing at Stairfoot station one and a half miles away. The runaways struck the rear of the standing train at a speed of at least 40 mph, killing 15 and injuring 59 more. The enquiry by Lieut-Col F. H. Rich found that the goods guard was gravely at fault for not ensuring the standing wagons were better secured. The layout of the yard was also criticized as there were no trap points to protect the running lines in the event of such a mishap. [1]
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Train collisions
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Russia Withdraws from International Criminal Court, Says It's 'Ineffective'
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed an executive order to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Russia will remove its signature from the founding treaty of the organization, which had been on the papers since 2000 but were not ratified. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the ICC did not serve its purpose effectively and that "during the 14 years of the court's work it passed only four sentences having spent over a billion dollars." The decision by Russia also came a day after the ICC said in a report released this week that Crimea and Sevastopol are in a situation amounting to "an ongoing state of occupation." Recently many African countries have also withdrawn from the ICC. The United States is not a participant of the ICC, even though it had signed the treaty also known as the Rome Statute in 2000. The US withdrew its intent of ratification in 2002. The Obama administration sought to cooperate with the ICC when it sent a US delegation to attend the annual meeting of the Assembly of States Parties in The Hague in 2009. "The U.S. also signed but has not ratified the Rome Statute [just like Russia until recently]. Basically, they will not allow their citizens to be tried by anyone except the American courts," said Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of the Russia in Global Politics magazine. The Rome Statute was ratified by 123 nations. Some of the countries which have not signed or ratified the treaty include India, China, and Indonesia. Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte also stated his intent to pull out of the ICC. "They are useless, those in the international criminal [court]. They [Russia] withdrew. I might follow. Why? Only the small ones like us are battered," Duterte said.
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Withdraw from an Organization
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2010 Shanghai fire
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The 2010 Shanghai fire[Note 1] was a fire on 15 November 2010 that destroyed a 28-story high-rise apartment building in the city of Shanghai, China, killing at least 58 people and injuring more than 70 others[5] (with at least one source reporting more than 120 others injured). [6]
An investigation under the PRC State Council was announced on 16 November, the day after the fire, to determine the cause of the blaze. [7] A preliminary finding by investigators concluded that sparks from welding work being done on the building, undertaken by unlicensed welders, ignited scaffolding around the structure, which led to the apartments' destruction. [8] The municipal government also placed the blame on illegal multi-layered subcontracting,[9] and detained four managers from several construction companies. [10] In all, sixteen[11] individuals have been arrested in connection to the fire, as well as four others accused of being unlicensed welders. [8]
The week after the fire, city officials announced a compensation plan for victims of the fire and their families. [12] The fire also prompted the government to pass stricter regulations on the construction industry, as well as increased fire safety inspections. [15] The New York Times reported that China suppressed several building complaints,[16] and several journalists were detained after the fire. The Asia Times wrote that an alleged slow response by the government was criticized. [17]
The fire began at 14:15 local time (06:15 UTC)[18][19] around the tenth floor. [citation needed] The building, constructed in 1997,[1] was located at the intersection of Jiaozhou Road and Yuyao Road in Shanghai's Jing'an District,[20] and was being renovated at the time of the fire. [21] Witnesses said that the fire started with construction materials and spread throughout the building. It took over 80 fire engines and several hours to contain the fire. [21] Shanghai residents were able to see smoke from the fire several kilometres away. [22] Firefighters were unable to hose water on the top of the 85 metres (279 ft)-tall building from the ground. [citation needed]
China Youth Daily reported that the contractor for the construction said the cause of the fire was probably sparks caused by welding work done on the 20th floor. [23] Qiu Jingshu, a worker on the 18th floor, said sparks from welding being done on another building flew over and caused the scaffolding to catch fire. [24] Afterward, it was "established" that the fire "was caused by unlicensed welders improperly operating their equipment", and several welders were arrested. [8]
Firefighters were able to save over 100 people out of the 180[25] families inhabiting the high-rise apartment building. [26] According to Al Jazeera, the fire began at the scaffolding that surrounded the building, but spread to the complex's main building of around 500 apartments. [27][28] Xinhua News Agency said the fire was contained at about 6:30 p.m. local time (10:30 UTC), more than four hours after it began. [18]
Three helicopters had been called in to assist in the rescue,[29] but were prevented by thick smoke generated by the fire. [30] The upper portion of the building was beyond the reach of fire apparatus; the blaze was brought under control only after firefighters set up hoses atop a nearby building. [18] In all, 25 fire stations and over 100 fire appliances were mobilised in response to the incident. [2][7][31]
Television coverage of the event showed people holding on to scaffolding around the building,[21] and some were able to climb down to safety. One worker on the 28th floor said that workers were adding insulation to the building when the fire broke out. [32]
Victims not in hospitals, as well as evacuees from three surrounding city blocks, were sent to public buildings, including a school and a stadium, until their housing situation could be addressed. [18]
The building housed around 440 people,[1] mainly retired teachers. [18][21] An early report showed that the ages of those injured in the fire range from 3 to 85, with the majority (64.5%) over the age of 50. [33] Most of the injured appeared to be elderly residents or children,[18] and it was confirmed that the youngest victim of the fire was 16 months old. [5][34] A firefighter said that 57 of the 58 killed had died inside the building. [citation needed]
Earliest reports put the death toll at eight, but Xinhua later revised the count several times,[18][35] and then confirmed 53 deaths by 16 November. [36] 26 bodies were identified using DNA tests. [37] Some media outlets reported 79 fatalities by adding the number of identified victims to the number of previously reported fatalities,[38] although Xinhua later said that the 26 identified were included amongst the 53. [37]
As of 24 November 58 people (22 males and 36 females) were officially reported dead[3][4] while 56 people remained missing. [39] Of the deceased, 57 were identified by DNA tests early on, while one male, from Japan,[citation needed] was still being identified when the official death count was released. [12]
A doctor at Shanghai's Jing'an Hospital said that over 20 people injured in the fire had been admitted, many suffering from asphyxia caused by smoke inhalation. [32] State media reports said the hospital was treating 55 survivors, including nine in serious condition. [27] At least 70 people,[5] and possibly more than 120 people were reported to have been injured. [6] According to BBC News, people who survived the blaze were searching hospitals for missing family and friends. [21] As of 24 November 66 wounded people, 14 of which were in critical condition, were being treated at seven area medical centers. [3] In all, nine hospitals received victims of the fire. [7]
The list of the dead was not released as the victims' families wanted privacy. [3] Authorities said more than one-third of the families did not want the names of the deceased published. However, several newspapers listed some of the names of the dead. The artist Ai Weiwei compiled an unofficial list of the victims' names by contacting their relatives, along with officials and journalists. [40] He claimed that the actual death toll was two more than the official count, but authorities did not provide access to the list of casualties. [citation needed]
Meng Jianzhu, the Minister of Public Security, went to Shanghai to manage rescue operations. [2] Jing'an officials set up temporary lodging and food at area hotels,[7] and some survivors stayed at a gymnasium overnight. [41] After the flames were extinguished, the Shanghai Municipal Government held a press conference about the damage caused by the fire.
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Fire
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Governor Whitmer Signs Executive Order Establishing Task Force on Forensic Science
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LANSING, Mich. -- Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order No. 2021-04, establishing the Task Force on Forensic Science. "A fair trial is at the core of the American criminal justice system," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "While forensic science is an important tool, misapplication of forensic science can deprive a person of a fair trial. We must ensure that Michigan adheres to the highest standards of evidence, and that practitioners throughout our criminal justice system understand how to apply forensic science properly." "Michigan will always ensure that the highest standards are being met when it comes to justice," said Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist. "The work of the Forensic Science Task Force will ensure that our legal and criminal justice systems can keep up with the times. The Governor and I look forward to their recommendations." The Task Force will be an advisory body nested within the Michigan Department of State Police and be comprised of medical practitioners, legal professionals, government officials, academics, private sector experts, and representatives from the Michigan State Police, Michigan Supreme Court, and Attorney General's office. "I'm honored to take on this important work to ensure that our criminal legal system delivers justice for the people of Michigan," said Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack. "Michigan can be a national leader in better science promoting better justice." "As a national leader in forensic science, the Michigan State Police is committed to further improving the use of forensic science in Michigan through the work of this advisory panel," stated Col. Joe Gasper, director of the MSP. "We look forward to working alongside the other stakeholders to ensure that Michigan continues to set a high bar for forensic science." The task force's mission is to review the state of forensic science in Michigan and deliver their completed findings and policy recommendations to the Governor no later than December 31, 2021. The findings will recommend, among other pieces, methodology improvements, processes to address misconduct, and procedures to update stakeholders on developments in forensic science. The Task Force on Forensic Science will include Director Col. Joseph Gasper of the Michigan State Police and Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack of the Michigan Supreme Court who will serve as Co-Chairs of the Task Force. It will also include Jeff Nye the Director of the MSP Forensic Science Division, Attorney General Dana Nessel or her designee, and Judge Paul J. Denenfeld of the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County who was designated by the Chief Justice. Four members of the Legislature, two from the Senate and two from the House of Representatives, will also participate as non-voting members. The Governor has appointed the following members to the Task Force: Christopher R. Bommarito, of Williamston, is the president and chief forensic scientist of Forensic Science Consultants, Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Criminalistics and a Master of Science in Forensic Science from Michigan State University. Mr. Bommarito is appointed to represent forensic science practitioners with at least five years of experience in the field for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Kent Gardner, of Davison, is the administrator of forensic lab services for the Oakland County Sheriff's Department. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Wayne State University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University. Mr. Gardner is appointed to represent a forensic science practitioner from a county forensic service provider for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Brandon N. Giroux, of Northville, is the president of Giroux Forensic, Inc. and Forensic Assurance, Inc. Mr. Giroux is also a forensic firearm and tool mark instructor and consultant for the National Forensic Science Technology Center and a forensic science instructor at Wayne State University. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan and a Master of Science in Forensic Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Mr. Giroux is appointed to represent forensic science practitioners with at least five years of experience in the field for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Jeffrey M. Jentzen, M.D., Ph.D., of Ann Arbor, is a clinical professor emeritus of pathology for the University of Michigan Department of Pathology. Dr. Jentzen has served as the chief medical examiner for Washtenaw County and deputy medical examiner for Wayne County. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Michigan Technological University, Doctor of Medicine from Wayne State University, and a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Medical History from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Jentzen is appointed to represent a board-certified pathologist with experience in forensic pathology. He will serve for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Barbara O'Brien, Ph.D., of East Lansing, is a professor at the Michigan State University College of Law. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Bowdoin College, Juris Doctor degree from the University of Colorado Law School, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Michigan. Dr. O'Brien is appointed to represent an individual from the private sector or from a university in this state who has published scholarship related to cognitive bias. She will serve for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Jonathan Sacks, of Ann Arbor, is the director of the State Appellate Defender Office. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in European History from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School. Mr. Sacks is appointed to represent a public defender or criminal defense attorney for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Donald Shelton, Ph.D., of Saline, is the director of the criminology and criminal justice program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and program director for their Justice Reform Project, Alternatives to Violent Force. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Western Michigan University, Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan School of Law, Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Eastern Michigan University, and a Ph.D. in Judicial Studies from the University of Nevada. Dr. Shelton is appointed to represent individuals from the private sector or from a university in this state who have earned a doctoral degree in a distinct field relevant to forensic science and who have published scholarship related to the field in a peer-reviewed journal. He will serve for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Ruth Smith, Ph.D., of Okemos, is a professor of forensic chemistry and the director of the forensic science program at Michigan State University. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Ph.D. in Forensic and Analytical Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde. Dr. Smith is appointed to represent individuals from the private sector or from a university in this state who have earned a doctoral degree in a distinct field relevant to forensic science and who have published scholarship related to the field in a peer-reviewed journal. She will serve for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Matthew J. Wiese, of Marquette, is the prosecuting attorney for Marquette County. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Northern Michigan University and a Juris Doctor degree from Vermont Law School. Mr. Wiese is appointed to represent a prosecuting attorney for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. The following members of the Legislature will serve as participants on the Task Force: Sen. John Bizon designated by the Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Stephanie Chang designated by the Senate Minority Leader, Rep. Robert Bezotte designated by the Speaker of the House, and Rep. Laurie Pohutsky designated by the House Minority Leader.
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Organization Established
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Britain Makes Final Economic Break from European Union
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It has finally happened. Years after voters decided to leave the European Union (EU), the U.K. has completed its economic break from its European neighbors at 11 p.m. London time on Thursday. The final economic break happened on New Year's Eve after the U.K. left the single market and customs union and entered into a new trade deal. It was a momentous milestone for Brexit supporters. In Jan. 2020, after a tumultuous three-and-a-half-year exit, the U.K. left the EU and ended its 47-year membership with its European allies. A final deadline of Dec. 31. 2020 was then set for the U.K. to transition away from the EU and negotiate with regulators. After months of tense negotiations, the U.K. reached a free trade agreement on Christmas Eve that allows the U.K. to continue to buy and sell goods with members of the EU and without tariffs or quotas. In a New Year's video message, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the U.K.'s long-awaited economic break "an amazing moment for the country." "11 p.m. on the 31 December marks a new beginning in our country’s history and a new relationship with the EU as their biggest ally. This moment is finally upon us and now is the time to seize it," said Johnson. "This is a big moment for our country, a giant leap forward. Time to raise a glass. #BrexitAtLast," tweeted Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, who spent 27 years campaigning for the U.K.'s exit. When the U.K. officially left the EU earlier this year, Farage gave a speech before the European Parliament in which the Brexiter recalled how he came to oppose what he calls the European project. "I'm hoping this begins the end of this project," Farage told the EU in January. "It's a bad project. It isn't just undemocratic. It's antidemocratic, and it puts in that front row -- it gives people power without accountability. People who cannot be held to account by the electorate, and that is an unacceptable structure. Indeed, there is a historic battle going on now across the west in Europe, America and elsewhere. It is globalism verse populism. And you may loath popularism, but I'll tell you a funny thing. It's becoming very popular. ... I know you're gonna miss us. I know you want to ban our national flags but we're gonna wave you goodbye and we look forward to working with you as sovereign ..." Farage's microphone was then cut as he and others disobeyed Parliament's rules by proudly waving the Union Flag. In a 2016 referendum, almost 52 percent of British voters elected to leave the EU and 48 percent of voters wished to remain. The arduous process of disentangling itself from the yolk of its EU neighbors has taken the U.K. years to complete. The day after the result, then-Prime Minister David Camron resigned. After several failed attempts to negotiate an exit, former Prime Minister Theresa May stepped down in 2019. Current Prime Minister Boris Johnson took over in May 2019 and won a subsequent landslide victory later that year.
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Withdraw from an Organization
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1948 Ashgabat earthquake
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The 1948 Ashgabat earthquake (Turkmen: 1948 Ашгабат ертитремеси – 1948 Aşgabat ýertitremesi; Russian: Ашхабадское землетрясение 1948 года – Ashkhabadskoye zemletryasenie 1948 goda) was on 6 October with a surface wave magnitude of 7.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), in Turkmenistan near Ashgabat. Due to censorship by the Soviet government, the event was not widely reported in the USSR's media. Historians tend to agree that the ban on reporting the extent of the casualties and damage did not allow the Soviet government to allocate enough financial resources to adequately respond. [3]
The Ashgabat earthquake struck at 1:12 a.m. on October 6, 1948. The epicenter of the earthquake was near the small village of Gara-Gaudan, 25 kilometres southwest of Ashgabat. The earthquake caused extreme damage in Ashgabat and nearby villages, where almost all brick buildings collapsed, concrete structures were heavily damaged, and freight trains were derailed. There were damage and casualties in Darreh Gaz, Iran. Surface rupture was observed northwest and southeast of Ashgabat. Media sources vary on the number of the casualties, from 10,000 to 110,000, equivalent to almost 10% of the Turkmen SSR's population at the time. According to memories of survivors, the city's infrastructure was badly damaged, with the exception of water pipes. Electricity was restored six days after the earthquake. The railway station began functioning on the third day. This earthquake killed future Turkmen president Saparmurat Niyazov's mother Gurbansoltan Eje (his father having died during World War II) and the rest of his family, leaving him an orphan. [4] Aid to victims, as well as restoration of basic needs and infrastructure, was provided by the Soviet Army.
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Earthquakes
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Sumner, Robertson P-16 BEST award winners recently named, honored
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The North Central P-16 Council recently named their 2021 Businesses Empowering Students and Teachers award winners for Sumner and Robertson Counties. Winners were presented their awards during the council’s October meeting. Robertson County’s Asailio “Ace” Timmermeir, of the United Way of Greater Nashville, and Sumner County’s Mike and Lindy Gaughan, of RE/Max Choice Properties, were recognized for their shared knowledge, expertise and advocacy. The award also recognizes foster student success in pre-K through postsecondary education. Presented by the P-16 Council, the award celebrates the accomplishments of community leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs. Representatives of local governments, chambers of commerce and economic development agencies, K-12 school systems, higher education leaders and businesses and industries in northern Middle Tennessee make up the council. Led by Volunteer State Community College, it works to promote the relationship between education and the value of work, develop a highly-trained workforce and create a culture of lifelong learning, according to the council. It accomplishes this by positively impacting student success through awareness, advocacy and action. Other 2021 BEST award winners include Marcus Smith, of Modern Structures in Macon County, Charly Lyons, of the Tennessee Central Economic Authority in Trousdale County, and Tom Nelson, of Performance Foodservice in Wilson County.
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Awards ceremony
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Japan Airlines Flight 115 crash
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Japan Airlines Flight 115 was a scheduled domestic Japan Airlines passenger flight from Tokyo's Haneda Airport to Itami Airport, Osaka Prefecture. On June 2, 1978, the aircraft suffered tailstrike damage on landing at Itami, which was incorrectly repaired resulting in a catastrophic failure on a subsequent flight seven years later. The aircraft was a Boeing 747SR, registration JA8119 and had first flown on January 28, 1974. It had flown for 8,830 hours at the time of the tailstrike incident. [1]Template:Rp
The 41-year-old captain had 7,912 flight hours, including 220 hours on the Boeing 747. The 36-year-old first officer had 564 flight hours, with 286 hours on the 747. The 44-year-old flight engineer had 4,070 hours and was the most experienced on the Boeing 747 out of all crew members, having flown 2,780 hours on it. [1]Template:Rp
On June 2, 1978, Flight 115 was carrying out an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 32L at Itami Airport in Toyonaka-shi Province but bounced heavily on landing. The pilot excessively flared the plane, causing a severe tailstrike. There were no fatalities, but 25 people were injured, 23 minor and 2 serious. The tailstrike cracked open the aft pressure bulkhead. The damage was repaired by Boeing technicians and the aircraft was returned to service. [1][2][3]
On August 12, 1985, seven years after the tailstrike incident, JA8119 was operating Japan Airlines Flight 123 on the same route, Haneda to Itami. On ascent out of Haneda, twelve minutes into the flight, the tailstrike repair failed catastrophically. The rear bulkhead burst open, the vertical stabilizer was torn off and all hydraulic systems were damaged, rendering the aircraft uncontrollable. 32 minutes later, the aircraft crashed into Mount Takamagahara near Ueno, Gunma Prefecture, killing 520 out of the 524 people on board. This was the deadliest single aircraft accident in history. [4]
Correct (top) and incorrect splice plate installations
The crash investigation found that the tailstrike from 1978 had been improperly repaired. Boeing's specification for the damaged bulkhead required one continuous splice plate with three rows of rivets but the Boeing technicians carrying out the repair substituted two discontinuous splice plates, placed parallel to the joint. The post-repair inspection by JAL did not discover the defect as it was covered by overlapping plates. [2]
In an unrelated incident on 19 August 1982, while under the control of the first officer, JA8119 suffered a runway strike of the No. 4 engine on landing at Chitose Air Base in poor visibility. This was repaired successfully and the aircraft again returned to service. This incident did not contribute to the Flight 123 accident. Japan Airlines still uses the flight number 115, with the same route, but with a Boeing 787-8. [5]
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Air crash
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An independent researcher along with University of Michigan researchers have identified a 13,000-year-old Clovis camp site
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Thirteen thousand years ago, most of Michigan was covered in a wall of ice up to a mile high. Archaeologists believed this kept some of the continent’s earliest people, a group called Clovis after their distinctive spear points, from settling in the region. But an independent researcher along with University of Michigan researchers have identified a 13,000-year-old Clovis camp site, now thought to be the earliest archaeological site in Michigan. The site predates previously identified human settlements in the Michigan basin and potentially rewrites the history of the peopling—or settling—of the Great Lakes region. Independent researcher Thomas Talbot finds a flake of manufacturing debris, untouched for 13,000 years, at the Belson Clovis Site in St. Joseph County. The site was likely occupied by a small group of people, about six or seven, who briefly lived on a river in southwest Michigan toward the end of the Pleistocene. The finding also suggests this is the northwestern-most Clovis settlement in the Great Lakes region. The researchers describe their findings in a paper published in the journal PaleoAmerica. University of Michigan archeologist Brendan Nash screens excavated soil for manufacturing debris and Clovis tools on the Belson Clovis Site in St. Joseph County. The Clovis people were a Paleoindian culture who lived in the Americas between 13,000 and 12,500 years ago. Identified by their distinctive spearpoints, the culture quickly spread through North and South America. Most Native Americans today can trace their ancestry to these early inhabitants, according to Brendan Nash, a U-M doctoral student and an author of the paper. In the paleoarchaeology world, Clovis technology can be easily identified by two characteristics of their tools: that they primarily used a high quality stone called chert and that they used a distinct method of making these tools. Previously, there was little evidence that Clovis settled in Michigan. The region was nearly uninhabitable at this time: Much of the state, except a triangular swath over southwest Michigan that extended toward the tip of the mitt, was covered by glaciers. “As the glaciers were retreating, they created a predictable ice-front environment that was frequented by early humans’ favorite prey,” Nash said. “Early humans had a wolf model of subsistence: They traveled around in large groups and didn’t stay in any place too long. They were an apex predator and probably doing both hunting and scavenging, perhaps by running other ice age predators such as saber-toothed tigers and short-faced bears off their prey. What we have at the Belson site appears to be a short-term camp by a group that would likely split off from the main group seasonally.” Thomas Talbot, a self-taught researcher, found the first Clovis spear point in 2008, in the fields of a farm in early spring. He often walks the fields at this time of year, after the fields have been plowed, searching for Native American spear points. Independent researcher Thomas Talbot records his findings on the Belson Clovis Site in St. Joseph County. Image credit: Daryl Marshke/Michigan Photography He said there was no mistaking the point’s origin: It was made of a kind of chert preferred by Clovis in this region, and made using the same technological method so distinct to the Clovis people. The stone, called Attica chert, is found in one region in western Indiana and eastern Illinois, 120 miles away from the Belson site. “Paleolithic pieces—not quite this old, but pieces that are similar—have turned up around Michigan, but usually they are pretty scattered, like maybe someone lost it while they were hunting or walking through,” Talbot said. “So although I thought it was really cool, I thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime finding. But other pieces started turning up, and by the end of the spring, it was pretty clear that I had Clovis components at this site.” Clovis tools such as projectile points and hide scrapers have a very characteristic central channel through the length of the tool, called a flute. A Clovis person would have chipped stone outward from this central channel to create a place to attach the projectile point to its spear shaft. Also distinctive to the Clovis people is that they struck large flakes of material off the stone to create their points. The large, detached pieces had razor-sharp edges and would be used as expedient knives themselves. In all, on his own, Talbot found about nine pieces from the Clovis era—including two pieces of the same spearpoint he found years apart. In 2019, Talbot met Henry Wright, U-M anthropologist and archaeologist, to show him the collection. Wright confirmed Talbot’s suspicions. The following summer, in 2020, U-M researchers led by Nash began the dig at Talbot’s site, now called the Belson Site after the family of farmers who own the land. Independent researcher Thomas Talbot and University of Michigan archeologists have found more than 20 Clovis tools and hundreds of pieces of manufacturing and refurbishment debris at the Belson Clovis Site in St. Joseph County. Image credit: Daryl Marshke/Michigan Photography The Belson site is about 25 meters by 15 meters, similar in size to other Paleoindian camping sites. About 1.5 meters beneath the ground’s surface, the researchers found an intact horizon indicating the campsite. They also found more tools as well as flakes of material that indicate the camp’s inhabitants were making tools on site. “Last year, with Brendan’s expertise and Henry’s guidance, we opened up the site and found two distinct artifacts well below the plow zone, which means they’re undisturbed. They’ve laid there for 13,000 years,” Talbot said. “That tells us we have at least a partially undisturbed Clovis component in Michigan, and that’s huge. That’s very big news that changes archaeology for the state of Michigan.” To date, the researchers have found more than 20 tools and hundreds of pieces of manufacturing and refurbishment debris. Nash says there is a caveat to their findings. The Belson projectile points are similar to another set of early projectile points called Gainey, which also have a flute running up the center of the spearpoint. But the Belson projectile points exhibit the large flaking characteristic of Clovis technology, whereas Gainey points are shaped by many strikes that take off smaller flakes of material. “The peopling process of the Great Lakes was always thought to have been later, and that the Great Lakes was really just the northernmost region of a bunch of other group’s ranges,” Nash said. “Michigan culture history has always been thought to be piecemeal of other place’s culture histories that happen to be coming into and out of Michigan periodically. “Now what we’re seeing is that we’ve got a presence that is as early as other sites in North America, and it has the same technology. Now we can not only move Great Lakes culture history back a little bit, but we can also say, ‘Maybe it has its own story that’s not just the butt end of the story of every other region. There might be something really unique about its peopling process.'” Soon, a lab in Colorado will be doing a protein residue analysis that may be able to identify which animals or plants the spear points may have been used on, which could tell the researchers what prey the people were hunting, Nash says.
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New archeological discoveries
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An Australian firm has signed a $60bn (AUS$69bn; £38bn) deal to supply coal to Chinese power stations
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An Australian firm has signed a $60bn (AUS$69bn; £38bn) deal to supply coal to Chinese power stations.
Clive Palmer, chairman of the company, Resourcehouse, said it was Australia's "biggest ever export contract". Under the deal, the firm will build a new mining complex to give China Power International Development (CPI) 30m tonnes of coal a year for 20 years. Analysts say it is further evidence of China's strong demand for resources boosting Australia's economy. Most of China's power stations rely on coal - and demand has risen sharply in recent months after a government stimulus programme re-energised its economy. Knock-on effects
The plan involves building a huge new mining complex in the Australian state of Queensland, and laying 500km (311 miles) of railway line to move the coal to the coast. Resourcehouse's executive director, Phil McNamara, said the "once-in-a-century project" would include open-cast and underground mines, with construction likely to begin later this year.
The complex in the Galilee basin, to be called China First, is expected to start coal production in 2013 and will churn out some 40 million tonnes a year. Queensland state premier Anna Bligh anticipates the project will create tens of thousands of jobs and produce multi-million dollar royalty payments for the state government. But the lucrative Sino-Australian deal will almost certainly disappoint some environmental groups, says the BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney. They believe Australia's reliance on plentiful reserves of coal, both for domestic electricity generation and for export, should be reduced in favour of renewable sources of energy. Analysts say the deal signals a thaw between the two nations, following a string of incidents in 2009 that strained relations, from the arrest in Shanghai of an Australian mining executive from Rio Tinto to the high-profile visit to Australia of Uihgur activist leader Rebiya Kadeer. An attempt by the state-owned resources company, Chinalco, to buy into the Anglo-Australia mining giant, Rio Tinto, also ended in acrimony.
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Sign Agreement
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Shore Road crash causing delays in Newtownabbey
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A two car collision on the Shore Road on Thursday morning is causing significant delays on the road. The crash happened just after 8.30am at the junction between the Shore Road and Glenville Road. The road is down to one lane in each direction, with delays reported heading towards Carrickfergus and traffic backed up to the Rushpark roundabout. Motorists are advised to seek alternative routes. Meanwhile, police said motorists are advised to expect delays during the morning as the Rathbeg Road in Antrim is currently impassable. Police said drivers should seek alternative main routes for their journey. Receive today's headlines directly to your inbox every morning and evening, with our free daily newsletter.
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Road Crash
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1 person dead in apparent gas explosion in western New York, fire official says
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One person is believed to be dead after an apparent gas explosion Tuesday rocked a suburban neighborhood in Buffalo, New York.
Lackawanna Fire Captain Andrew Kaminski told USA TODAY that fire, arson, police and utility crews were at the scene of the explosion Tuesday morning in western New York.
Kaminski said one person, the resident of the home who has not been identified, is believed to have been killed in the explosion. He also said the cause was not yet determined but thought to be a gas explosion.
"Right now, everybody is evacuated from surrounding homes," Kaminski said as investigators secure the area.
Local TV stations reported around 600 customers in the area lost power but it had largely been restored later in the morning. The electric utility National Grid listed 17 customers still without power as of 3 p.m.
Photos shared on social media showed the home leveled with debris around its property and nearby homes with windows broken.
A volunteer firefighter, Michael Salamone, lives across the street and told WBEN he sprang into action after seeing a white flash and debris falling.
"It looked like we had a bomb go off," he told the local radio station.
He said an elderly woman lived in the house and her car was still in the driveway at the time of the explosion.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lackawanna explosion: 1 dead after house leveled in Buffalo, New York
A former NBA player has issued an apology after his daughter was seen at a youth basketball game in Orange County throwing a vicious sucker punch that left another girl with a concussion.
A Chinese professor visiting Los Angeles early this month fought off an attacker using martial arts in an incident that has gone viral across Chinese media. Martial arts hero: Zhou Pigai, a professor at Xiangtan University in Hunan, China, fought off an armed robbery attempt on Nov. 1, according to state-run news outlet China Daily. Pigai came to Los Angeles on Oct. 31 to attend an academic visiting program at the University of Southern California.
Who is Paris Hilton's new husband, Carter Reum? Here's what to know about the venture capitalist and author—including his family history, height, and net worth.
Scottie Pippen: "I didn't realize how much Hakeem (Olajuwon) had diminished in the game. I didn’t realize Charles (Barkley) wasn’t as dedicated as I thought he would be."
Social media is in a frenzy over the dress Kendall Jenner chose to wear to her friend's wedding.
For a hack that seems relatively simple, this little eyeliner trick has gone viral.View Entire Post ›
The rapper also pledged to offer full refunds to everyone who attended the concert.
Sajad 'Iranian Hulk' Gharibi's training is either misguided, innovative or impressive; we're just not sure which
Some cool stuff is coming to Disney+ in 2022
Find out how many millions he's earning now.
Think back to where you were on April 29, 2011. Do you remember the day? It was Kate Middleton and Prince William’s wedding. But the royal couple’s nuptials coincided with another major moment in their relationship, and in their roles as prominent members of the royal family. The same day they exchanged their wedding vows […]
The TikToker is raising eyebrows after sharing the big "culture shock" she faced after relocating to America.
Richard Williams’ days of making a star may not be over. The ambitious father who turned his two daughters Venus and Serena Williams into tennis […]
Paris Hilton and fiancé Carter Reum wed at a private estate in Los Angeles on Thursday
New Adjutant General Thomas Mancino updated the Oklahoma National Guard's COVID-19 vaccine policy in his first full day on the job.
Fox NewsFox News anchor Harris Faulkner had her conspiratorial bubble surprisingly burst on Thursday by Ari Fleischer of all people, who unequivocally told her that President Joe Biden does actually control the White House.After spending an inordinate amount of her Thursday morning interview with the former Bush flack discussing the right-wing outrage du jour—that Vice President Kamala Harris supposedly used a French accent—Faulkner, who has long been touted by Fox News as one of its “straight n
KENOSHA, Wisc. (Reuters) -The judge in the murder trial of Kyle Rittenhouse said on Friday he would allow the jury to consider lesser charges in the shooting of one of two men the defendant is charged with killing during racial justice protests in a Wisconsin city last year. But Kenosha County Judge Bruce Schroeder ruled against the prosecution's request to allow the jury to consider a lesser charge in the killing of a second man. Rittenhouse, 18, is charged in the killing of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and the wounding of Gaige Grosskreutz, 27, in Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020.
The Duchess of Sussex told reporters that she is "always proud" of her husband
The actor — who's featured in PEOPLE's 2021 Sexiest Man Alive issue — opens up about staying fit and growing closer than ever with his kids
While there are no sure bets in the stock market, companies that have a track record for paying and growing their dividends offer one of the best ways to generate passive income. When the market is regularly setting all-time highs, a 2% dividend yield may not seem like much. With that in mind, we asked some of our contributors which blue chip dividend stocks they saw as particularly strong buys now.
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Gas explosion
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12 killed, 150 injured in powerful gas explosion in central China
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Press Trust of India Last Updated at June 14, 2021 02:11 IST
A powerful gas line explosion ripped through a residential neighbourhood in central China's Hubei Province on Sunday early morning, killing at least 12 people and injuring 150 others, including 39 critically.
The blast took place at about 6:30 am local time in the Zhangwan district of Shiyan city in Hubei province, killing 12 people and trapping a large number of people under the rubble of their homes.
Authorities have rescued nearly 150 people from the area, including 39 with serious injuries and rushed them to hospitals, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a thorough probe into the cause of the blast and ordered all-out efforts to rescue the injured.
In light of numerous accidents at companies and on campuses, all must work together to shoulder their responsibilities, strengthen their political comprehension and root out the causes of such hazards," Xi said.
Images and video footages circulating on social media platform Weibo showed rescue workers pulling out people from the wreckage of flattened houses.
The explosion, which took place at a two-story building built in the early 1990s that includes pharmacies, restaurants and other businesses, destroyed and affected residents in nearby buildings, state-run Global Times reported.
People from 913 households close to the explosion site have been evacuated, according to the local government.
"Hearing the loud bang, I immediately scrabbled beneath the table, thinking it was an earthquake," a resident surnamed Liu, who owns a small restaurant some 20 metres away from the explosion site, told the Global Times.
Liu was in his restaurant when the explosion took place. He recalled the scary moment when the floor was shaking and food ingredients on the table in the kitchen being "thrown onto the ground" by shockwaves.
A video of the explosion site published by the media outlet youth.cn showed the horrifying scenes of houses being ruined into big concrete chunks and piles of broken wood, and the air ticking with dust.
The walls of some buildings are blackened by the heat of the explosion.
Gas explosions, especially from poorly maintained pipelines, occur in various parts for China every year. The worst being the 2015 explosions in Tianjin port in which 173 people were killed and hundreds of others injured.
Sunday's explosion came a day after eight people died and three others were injured when toxic methyl formate leaked from a vehicle at a chemical handling facility in the southwestern city of Guiyang.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
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Gas explosion
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2016 Niger flood
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Heavy rains during the months of June, July and August 2016 resulted in extreme flooding of various rivers throughout Niger, particularly the Niger River, where the floods caused material damage and loss of life in Niger and other countries along the river's path. [1][2][3][4]
Since 2000, flooding in Niger has intensified,[5] with the most serious threats concentrated in the southwestern part of Niger and along the banks of the Niger River. The worst affected regions were the desert areas of Tahoua in the west and Agadez in the north, and to a lesser extent, the region of Maradi. [1][4] Extremely fast rise of the river levels were recorded. Within a week, a rise of 1.90 m was recorded in the Sirba station in Garbé Kourou. A station on the Gorouol River, a tributary of the Niger River, measured a rise of 2.9 m over a two-week period at the end of July, the highest river level recorded in over 50 years of the station’s operation. [2][10] Water levels continued to rise, reaching their highest mark on 6 September since 1964 in the Inner Niger Delta. [3]
The high river levels could have been exacerbated by uncommon extreme rain events throughout the Niger river basin, such as rainfall exceeding 200mm per day on May 23rd in Niger, lengthy rainy period in Guinea and Mali from August 9th to August 27th, and unusual rains in the Azawagh region, exceeding 200mm on August 13th, and around 50mm on both August 27th and 29th. [11][12][13]
The sub-Saharan region has seen an increase in the occurrence and intensity of floods during the past two decades, with the consequence of destabilizing food supply and health in an area already affected by extreme poverty and rapid population growth. [14][15][16]
According to estimates, the 2016 flood resulted in the loss of at least 38 lives and destroyed around 9.000 homes, leaving thousands of people homeless. Approximately 26.000 livestock were lost. [1] The floods provoked substantial displacement, exacerbated by ongoing attacks by Boko Haram, as well as increasing competition over agricultural land. [17]
As of the end of September 2019, no cases of cholera had been reported, whereas floods in 2014 had affected more than 1,400 people. [17]
Prior to the flood, much of the international humanitarian aid in Niger was concentrated in the Diffa region, due to the high number of Nigerian refugees. [18] Groups like Doctors Without Borders and UNICEF joined the local and federal government response to the floods, primarily in the most-affected states of Maradi, Tahoua, Agadez, and Zinder. [19]
Initial responses focused on limiting the spread of infectious and communicable diseases such as malaria and diarrhea, and providing mental support. [20]
UNICEF was the sole provider of ready-to-use therapeutic foods in the country,[21] distributed water treatment tablets to some regions, and helped rehabilitate wells affected by floods. [22] The agency also supported the Niger government’s response by providing non-food item kits, which were distributed by government authorities under coordination of the UN’s Coordinating Committee on Health. [23]
Doctors Without Borders put mobile clinics out into the field where they could promote hygiene practices, monitor outbreaks of disease and distribute non-food items like blankets, mosquito nets, hygiene supplies, and domestic utensils. They also helped dig basic latrines as a stopgap measure for people sheltering in community schools. [24]
The local government distributed food rations and cooking oil as well as money (2,000 Central African Francs). [20]
After years of repeated flooding, in 2012, the Niger government, with support from the World Bank, launched the PGCR-DU (Projet de Gestion des Risques de Catastrophes et de Développement Urbain). By 2016, the PGRC-DU has begun retrofitting numerous protective dikes and developing tools to better predict areas most susceptible to flooding and weigh various flood mitigation measures in those areas. [25]
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Floods
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India formally invites Australia to join the 2020 Malabar trilateral naval exercise, Australia confirms full participation: Read details
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The Malabar naval exercise finally becomes a Quad event after Australia confirms full participation in the military exercise with India, US and Japan scheduled in November this year. The Malabar naval exercise finally becomes a Quad event after Australia confirms full participation in the military exercise with India, US and Japan scheduled in November this year. The military exercise will now bring together the navies of India, Japan, Australia and the US in the Bay of Bengal at the end of the year. It will be the first time all members of the regional grouping known as the Quad will be engaged at a military level. Australia had last participated in Exercise MALABAR as a non-permanent partner in 2007. Australia confirms full participation in Exercise #Malabar2020 with India, U.S & Japan. Statement just in from ?? Foreign Minister @MarisePayne: Calling it a milestone opportunity for the Australian Defence force, the minister of foreign affairs and minister of women, Senator the Hon Marise Payne said that the exercise builds on the comprehensive strategic partnership, to which PM Morrison and PM Narendra Modi agreed on June 4, 2020. Accepting the invitation the minister called the military exercise an important step in Australia’s deepening relationship with India. The minister said: “It will bolster the ability of India, Japan, Australia and the US to work together to uphold peace and stability across our region”. Seeking to strengthen military cooperation with other Asia-Pacific countries amid rising tensions with China, India had extended a formal invitation to Australia to join the 2020 edition of the military exercise that has so far involved the navies of India, US, and Japan. According to people directly familiar with the matter, the Malabar exercises will be taking place in two stages in the Bay of Bengal; the 2019 exercise took place from September 26 to October 4 off the coast of Japan. The naval exercise featuring the QUAD partners will be held on November 3-6 and November 17-20. The shared objective of all four countries is free and open navigation in Indo-Pacific. India’s inclusion of Australia this year follows a defence agreement and upgrading ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Mutual Logistics support agreement announced in May by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Scott Morrison allows access to each other’s bases and ports. India has a similar agreement with the U.S. W
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Military Exercise
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Meadow Well riots
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The Meadow Well riots were a series of violent protests that took place on September 9, 1991 on the Meadow Well council estate, east of Newcastle, England. The bulk of the Meadow Well Estate was built in the 1930s to accommodate low income residents who were displaced by slum clearances in nearby North Shields. It was originally called The Ridges, but in 1968 the local authority changed its name to Meadow Well in an attempt to improve the image of the dilapidated estate. The estate was considered a no-go area for many non-residents and police alike, long before the riots of 1991 occurred.
The riots themselves were triggered by the deaths of two local youths, Dale Robson and Colin Atkins, who were killed fleeing the police at high speed when the stolen car in which they were joyriding crashed. The prosecution at the subsequent trial of those accused of being involved in the rioting said the rioters were "gripped by a hatred of the police". Ostensibly in response to such reports of police brutality, locals began looting shops on the estate and setting buildings on fire. These included a youth centre, a health centre, and an electricity sub-station, as well as extensive vandalism to numerous buildings and vehicles. Rioters forced Asian shopkeepers out of their homes before setting them on fire shouting, "Let's burn out the Pakis! " Cars and derelict houses were set on fire and a makeshift barrier was erected in the centre of the estate, which was removed by police.
Police and fire crews attending the scene were pelted with bricks. It was estimated that at its height 400 people were involved. At least 50 people were arrested. [2]
The riots were condemned by the Prime Minister, John Major and Home Secretary Kenneth Baker, while the Chief of Northumbria Police, Sir Stanley Bailey said the perpetrators would be caught and charged. Major did not deploy riot police immediately as he wanted the crowd to be contained first. This decision was later criticised for giving the rioters a free hand.
After the riots, £66 million was spent on regenerating the estate. Around 750 properties were demolished and new houses built in their place, while the remaining properties were refurbished. A new community centre, health centre, and police station were established, though the police station has since been closed. The Cedarwood Trust, founded in 1980, has continued to work exclusively in the area and was instrumental in the rebuilding of the community. The trust has operated from a number of sites over the years, but by 2019 it was operating from the Meadowell Centre, in the heart of the estate and an area that had been regarded as a focus of conflict.
Meadow Well-Connected was established in 1993 to enable and support the residents of the Meadow Well and the surrounding area. The charity aims to train local people with new skills and develop confidence by offering training, support and volunteering opportunities.
The Meadow Well riots were one of several waves of rioting which hit parts of Britain during 1991 and 1992. Other areas affected by rioting were Handsworth in Birmingham, Ely in Cardiff, Kates Hill in Dudley and Blackbird Leys in Oxford. These riots were comparable with earlier waves of rioting which had been seen across Britain in 1981 and again in 1985. Rioting on this scale in Britain was not seen again until August 2011.
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Riot
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Sarasota deputies investigate a bank robbery at Wells Fargo
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SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a bank robbery that took place shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday morning at the Wells Fargo at 3625 Bee Ridge Road over in Sarasota. A white male believed to be in his mid 50′s walked into the bank and demanded money before fleeing. The suspect has salt and pepper hair, is approximately 5′9 and weighs around 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing an open plaid button-down shirt with a black undershirt, khaki pants, and black sneakers. If you have any information on this man, call the Criminal Investigations Section at 941-861-4900 or leave an anonymous tip with Sarasota Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-8477.
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Bank Robbery
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Remote Aboriginal community sells art, crowdfunds to have uranium-free water supply
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A remote community in Western Australia's outback is crowdfunding and selling art to raise money to fix its water supply, which has uranium levels more than twice the national health standards.
Buttah Windee is 760 kilometres north-east of Perth on the outskirts of Meekatharra.
Andrew Binsiar, a local Yamatji elder and Indigenous leader, has lived in the community for almost 20 years, raising his five children there with his wife Janine.
About nine and a half years ago, Mr Binsiar discovered the water the community had been drinking was tainted with high levels of uranium.
"I found out because one of my koi fish died and I thought I'd get the water sampled," he said. Mr Binsiar was shocked when the results came back showing Buttah Windee's water supply contained uranium at levels higher than 0.04 milligrams per litre (mg/L). According to WA Water Corporation's drinking water guidelines it should not exceed 0.017mg/L.
Paediatrician Dr Christine Jeffries-Stokes from the Rural Clinical School of WA said ingesting uranium could lead to kidney disease.
"Uranium is radioactive. If it's outside your body, small exposures are of low risk but once it gets inside the body then that becomes a real problem and it's very toxic to kidneys," she said.
"You're born with all the kidney cells you're ever going to have basically and so if you damage them by … exposure to uranium … then they can't regenerate."
At the time, Mr Binsiar contacted the state Housing Department, but was told by officials it would cost about $500,000 to fix the water supply.
And according to Rachael Green, the Department of Communities' assistant director-general of regional and remote services, Buttah Windee's small population did not warrant the financial investment.
"The cost of a suitable water treatment plant was investigated and found to be excessive given the small size of the community," she said.
Instead, the department installed signage, warning against drinking the water and provided bottled water for the residents.
A year later, the department then offered to move residents from their homes into public housing in Meekatharra. But Mr Binsiar said that would have taken residents away from their home and country to a community plagued by social issues such as crime, alcohol dependency and domestic violence.
"I've built a beautiful home for my family away from town and the drug and alcohol problems they have, why would I take my kids back into that?"
The residents declined the State Government's offer, choosing instead to cart safe drinking water from Meekatharra.
"Now we don't drink the water, we still shower in it, but we get our drinking water from town," Mr Binsiar said.
The department stopped providing management services in 2013 and has had no formal relationship with the community since.
Over the past nine and a half years, the community's population has dwindled from 50 to about 12, due to residents' fears for their health.
"Everyone moved away because of the uranium," Mr Binsiar said. "[It] makes you feel sad that you know people who are up in these positions who could fix it, turn their cheek."
Determined to restore the population and bring employment opportunities to younger residents, Mr Binsiar has built an aquaculture farm to grow barramundi.
He hopes one day he will be able to serve the fish to tourists.
"Who would have thought you could grow barramundi in the desert?" Since the project began, Mr Binsiar said it had empowered the community's young people. "One of the young fellas was that far into depression … he wouldn't leave his room," he said.
"Since he's been working with me he's got his licence, he's done a week away in Geraldton by himself; he's an independent young man."
Mr Binsiar's 17-year-old son Raymond began work experience at the aquaculture farm last month.
"It's really exciting. Before Dad started doing all this stuff, besides youth work, I didn't really know what else to do," he said.
"The fish farm will make a big difference; it will make people learn new skills and give them a lot more job opportunities." But the high uranium levels in the town's water has put the project in doubt. "Uranium doesn't carry over to the flesh, but I wouldn't sell a tourist or feed a tourist with a fish that's been grown in contaminated water, it's just not the right thing to do," Mr Binsiar said.
Despite previous estimates by the State Government, Mr Binsiar believes the water supply could be fixed for far less using a new bore that has since been drilled nearby. He said the bore had safe uranium levels and could be used to pump water to the community at a cost of $26,000.
"We need a solar powered bore pump, some piping to get it back here and a pressure pump to disperse it," he said.
Mr Binsiar said he had been left with no choice but to fundraise for the equipment.
"We want to do it in a positive way, we don't want to argue with anyone. We don't want to be pointing the finger at anyone; we just want the water fixed," he said.
About 200 people visited the community recently to attend an art exhibition, with funds raised going towards purchasing the bore equipment. Mr Binsiar has also set up a GoFundMe page.
"We're not looking for a handout we just want this hand up and we'll make everyone proud," he said.
)
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Environment Pollution
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Sambas riots
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The Sambas riots were an outbreak of inter-ethnic violence in Indonesia, in 1999. The conflict started in the regency of Sambas, West Kalimantan Province. The conflict involved Malay allying with the indigenous Dayak people in order to massacre the migrant Madurese from the island of Madura. [1]
The Sambas riots in 1999 were not an isolated incident, as there had been previous incidents of violence between the Dayaks and the Madurese. The last major conflict occurred between December 1996 and January 1997, and resulted in more than 600 deaths. [2] The Madurese first arrived in Borneo in 1930 under the transmigration program initiated by the Dutch colonial administration, and continued by the Indonesian government. [3]
Malays and Dayaks joined together to massacre Madurese in Sambas district. [4] Madurese were mutilated, raped, and killed by the Malays and Dayaks and 3,000 of them died in the massacres, with the Indonesian government doing little to stop the violence. Malays and Dayaks attacked Indonesian troops sent to stop the riots. [5][6][7][8][9][10]
In 2001, Dayaks launched another massacre of several hundred Madurese in the Sampit conflict.
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Riot
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2013 Trappes riots
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Riots broke out in Trappes, a suburb (banlieue) of Paris, France on 19 July 2013 after the police arrested a man who assaulted a police officer, who tried to check the identity of his wife wearing a Muslim veil on 18 July 2013. France officially banned face covering in public places in April 2011. [8] Although disputed by French Muslims, the law remains in effect. On 18 July a 21-year-old Muslim convert was asked by the police to remove her face-covering veil. Her husband tried to choke the officer and was detained. [1] The female was released on 20 July awaiting a court hearing. [1]
The incident is part of the Islamic scarf controversy in France. [9]
On 19 July hundreds of youths throwing rocks, reportedly mainly of North African ethnicity, attacked the local police station. [1]
On 20 July[5] 20 cars were burned in Trappes. [1][2][10]
.
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Riot
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Kolavia Flight 348 crash
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On 1 January 2011, Kolavia Flight 348, a Tupolev Tu-154 on a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Surgut to Moscow, Russia, caught fire and burned down while taxiing out for take-off. Passengers were evacuated, but three were killed and 43 injured. A subsequent investigation concluded that the fire had started in an electric panel for which maintenance was never prescribed. [1][2][3]
On the morning of 1 January 2011, Flight 348 was preparing to depart at Surgut International Airport for a flight to Moscow. At 10:00 local time (05:00 UTC), as the aircraft was being pushed back and was starting its engines, a fire developed in the centre section of the fuselage, quickly spreading inside the passenger cabin. [1]
The engines and the APU were immediately shut down and the emergency slides were deployed for an emergency evacuation. Within four minutes, fire engines reached the Tupolev and started dousing the flames with foam, but were hampered by the presence of survivors near the aircraft. By 10:20, the aircraft was completely ablaze, with aviation fuel leaking and spreading the flames across the apron. [1]
The fire was brought under control at around 10:40; by then, only the tail section and the outer portion of the wings had survived the blaze. Three passengers were killed and 43 were injured, four critically, from smoke inhalation or burns. [4][5][6]
The aircraft involved was a tri-jet Tupolev Tu-154B-2, registration RA-85588, msn 83A/588. The aircraft first flew in 1983. It entered service with Aeroflot as CCCP-85588 and was re-registered RA-85588 in 1993. It then served with Mavial Magadan Airlines between 1994 and 1999, when it began service with Vladivostok Air. Kogalymavia (trading as Kolavia) acquired the aircraft in 2007. [7]
The aircraft was carrying 116 passengers, 8 crew, and 10 off-duty employees of Kogalymavia,[1] although a statement by the Russia's Ministry of Health and Social Development gave figures of 117 passengers and 18 crew. [8] Among the passengers were members of the 1990s Russian boy band Na Na, who managed to evacuate safely from the plane. [4]
Following the accident, Russia's Federal Transport Oversight Agency advised airlines that they should stop using the Tu-154B until the accident had been investigated. [9] This would affect 14 aircraft, all other Tu-154s in service are Tu-154Ms. Kogalymavia pledged to pay compensation of руб 20,000 to those passengers involved in the accident. The Russian insurance company Sogaz stated that those injured in the accident would receive between руб 20,000 and руб 2,000,000 compensation. The families of those killed would receive руб 2,000,000 compensation. Authorities in the Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug – Yugra had allocated руб 10,000,000 to assist the families of those injured in the accident. [10]
Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) opened an investigation into the accident. [11] A separate criminal investigation was opened to investigate allegations of breaching transport and fire safety rules. Both flight recorders were recovered and analysed. [9] Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that the initial investigations pointed towards an electrical short circuit being the cause of the fire, which started in the central area of the fuselage, ahead of the rear-mounted engines. [2][12]
In September 2011, the MAK released its final report in Russian, confirming that the probable cause of the fire was an arc occurred in an electric panel on the right side of the fuselage hosting the generator contactors. Shortly after engine start, the crew connected the generators to the electrical network as usual, but the badly worn out contactors failed to operate properly, resulting in an abnormal circuit configuration that produced currents 10 to 20 times higher than their nominal values, giving rise to an electrical arc. The MAK determined that no maintenance schedule existed for the electric board in question. [1]
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Air crash
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Noyeks fire
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The Noyeks fire was a fatal fire that took place at the Noyeks timber factory on Parnell St, Dublin, Ireland on 27 March 1972, and claimed the lives of 8 people;[1] seven women and one man who died in the inferno. [2]
On the morning of the fire, the central heating was out of order and mobile gas heaters had been hired to provide heat. The fire is believed to have started when, on the Monday afternoon, a can of highly inflammable adhesive used to stick cork flooring was knocked over beside one of the heaters. [3] The volatile fumes ignited and fire exploded into the three-story building. RTÉ One aired a television programme, programme one of its Disasters series, about the Noyeks fire using archive footage with interviews of with eyewitnesses and relatives of the dead. [4]
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Fire
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2016 Malta Fairchild Merlin crash
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On 24 October 2016, a twin turboprop Fairchild SA227-AT Merlin IVC operated by CAE Aviation crashed near Kirkop, Malta, shortly after take-off from Malta International Airport. The aircraft was to operate in the vicinity of Misurata in Libya on a surveillance mission by the French Ministry of Defence. All five people on board the aircraft died in the crash, making it the deadliest aviation accident in Malta since 1985. [1]
The aircraft involved was a Fairchild SA227-AT Merlin IVC, registered in the United States as N577MX. [2] The aircraft, which had been built in 1983,[3] did not have a history of technical issues,[4] and had last undergone an airworthiness inspection in 2011. [5]
The aircraft belonged to Worldwide Aircraft Services[3] and at the time of the crash was leased to Luxembourg-based CAE Aviation, operating on behalf of the French Ministry of Defence. [4]
The SA227 is capable of being flown either by a single pilot or by two pilots. On the accident flight, the aircraft was being flown by a single pilot accompanied by a monitoring pilot. The monitoring pilot was not certified to fly SA227 aircraft, nor was he required to be. [6]
The aircraft took off from Malta International Airport at around 07:20, bound for Misrata in Libya on a surveillance flight; and was due to land back at Malta at the conclusion of the mission. Just after take off, the aircraft pitched up to an unusual attitude, rolled right, and crashed into the ground, bursting into flames upon impact. [7] The wreckage landed on the airport perimeter road within the limits of the village of Kirkop,[8] with some debris falling into a nearby Armed Forces of Malta barracks. All five people on board, three passengers and two crew members, died in the crash. All were French nationals, and the passengers were employees of the defence ministry, while the crew worked for CAE Aviation. [4][9]
Immediately after the crash, the staff at Mater Dei Hospital were placed in major incident mode. The Malta International Airport was shut down for four hours after the crash before reopening at 11:30. Many flights that were bound to Malta had to be diverted to Sicily. [4][10]
The Maltese government issued a statement that the flight was part of a French customs surveillance operation to combat drug- and human trafficking that had been ongoing for five months. [11] However, the French customs department tweeted that none of its officials were on board, and French Minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian later said that three of the dead were defence ministry employees within the Directorate-General for External Security. [4] However, Maltese Minister for Home Affairs and National Security Carmelo Abela stuck to the government's original statement that the aircraft was involved in a customs operation, and the flight's exact purpose was unclear. [2][12]
Aviation experts, as well as Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, stated that the crash was likely a result of a mechanical failure or pilot error. [4][13] Malta's Bureau of Air Accident Investigation had responsibility for conducting an investigation of the accident. [5]
This was the worst aviation accident on Maltese soil since the 1975 Żabbar Avro Vulcan crash that killed six people and injured another twenty. [14]
The aircraft was not fitted with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder. However, the crash was recorded by multiple cameras, several of which also recorded audio. When combined with data retrieved from the memory in a GPS receiver located in the wreckage, a fairly accurate reconstruction of the aircraft's final moments could be created. The takeoff roll proceeded normally, however after leaving the ground the aircraft continued to pitch upwards, reaching a nose high attitude of 34 degrees within four seconds of rotation. At this point, the aircraft rolled to the right, consistent with a power-on stall (due to the direction of rotation of the propellers, the right wing will stall before the left one at high engine power). The aircraft reached a maximum right bank angle of 152 degrees, at which point the direction of the roll reversed. The aircraft struck the ground at a 70 degree right bank and 38 degree nose-down pitch, just ten seconds after lifting off. Analysis of the audio from several security cameras found no evidence of engine problems, nor could any engine issue explain the aircraft's performance. [6]
The aircraft had undergone substantial modifications to its flight control system in 1985; several cables had been re-routed to accommodate the special surveillance equipment installed. The aircraft's stick pusher system, known on the Merlin as the stall avoidance system (SAS), had also been altered for this reason. An examination of the bulb filaments in the cockpit annunciator panel revealed that at some point prior to impact, the SAS FAULT annunciator had illuminated. In addition, recent maintenance had been performed to the aircraft's flight control system, but maintenance instructions for the modified version of the system were not available when this was done. Damage to the wreckage prevented a conclusive analysis of the primary flight controls or the SAS. Based on the performance of the aircraft, the evidence recovered from the wreckage and a study of previous incidents involving aircraft in the same family, the BEA narrowed the cause of the crash to three possibilities. [6]
The most plausible of the three would have been a failure or jamming in the nose down cable of the elevator control system. This scenario would explain why the aircraft continued to pitch up beyond the recommended climb attitude after rotation. In this case, the pilot would not have been able to counteract the upwards moment through pushing forward on the control column. Depending on the nature of the failure, the control column itself would not necessarily have jammed, which would have made the problem more difficult to recognize immediately. The only way to overcome an elevator control failure would be through the pitch trim system, but the aircraft reached a stall situation too quickly for this to be effective. [a] As the aircraft approached a stall, the stick pusher would have activated. As the pusher servo is connected to the same control cabling as the control column, it would have been unable to function correctly, explaining the illumination of the SAS FAULT light. [6]
A less likely but still possible hypothesis was an inadvertent activation of the stick pusher system. This was considered possible due to the relocation of the SAS components to an area near a water evacuation drain on the aircraft. If the pusher servo had activated at the point of rotation, the pilot may have reflexively pulled against it with enough force to disable it, causing an abrupt pitch-up. Inadvertent SAS activation had happened on other SA-227 aircraft. However, the aircraft's flight path did not fully support this scenario. If the stick pusher had activated erroneously and been over-corrected by the pilot, the aircraft would likely have pitched down slightly before rapidly pitching up.
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Air crash
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Kimberley-Clark fined $200,000 over 'misleading' claims flushable wipes were made in Australia
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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 makers of Kleenex flushable wipes will have to pay a $200,000 fine after the Federal Court found they falsely told customers the products were manufactured in Australia.
Kimberly-Clark Australia (KCA) accepted its use of the logo saying they were made in Australia on its websites for the products was false or misleading because the flushable wipes were foreign-made.
The website made the false representations between October 28, 2015 and February 24, 2016, while the products' packaging correctly stated the products were imported.
"The contraventions occurred as part of a desire to promote KCA's Australian made Kleenex Cottonelle toilet paper products without considering that the representations would appear in such a way that it would indicate that all products promoted on the Kleenex Cottonelle website were made in Australia," Federal Court Justice Wendy Abraham said.
"I accept that the contraventions occurred by oversight, that the situation was remedied when brought to KCA's attention and it cooperated with ACCC at an early stage."
A spokesperson for Kimberley-Clark said the logo was mistakenly displayed in the footer of the website as a result of a publishing error.
"The made in Australia website logo was intended only for our Kleenex toilet paper products which are made in Millicent, South Australia," the spokesperson said. "This was an unintentional web publishing error displayed in a static footer of the Kleenex Cottonelle brand website between October 2015 and February 2016, and it was removed as soon as it was brought to our attention."
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Rod Sims said the penalty was a warning to businesses to ensure product information on their websites was accurate.
"We know many Australian consumers place a premium on goods that are Australian-made," Mr Sims said. They can weigh more than 100 tonnes, smell pretty disgusting and cost million each year to remove, so how do they form and how can you avoid contributing to these sewer menaces?
"This penalty should remind businesses of their responsibilities to ensure that representations on their website or packaging about the country of origin are accurate, so that consumers can make informed purchasing decisions," Mr Sims said.
The judgment drew to a close the five-year legal battle between the consumer watchdog and the personal care giant over its flushable wipes.
The ACCC's separate claim that the wipes weren't suitable to be flushed because they caused harm to sewerage infrastructure was dismissed by the Federal Court in 2019.
A later appeal, claiming the wipes "posed" a risk of harm, was also dismissed.
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Organization Fine
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Memphis PD identify the passenger with the woman shot and killed by MPD officer along South 3rd Street in Memphis
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Memphis PD identify the passenger with the woman shot and killed by MPD officer along South 3rd Street in Memphis
Memphis Police Department say that 24-year-old Timothy Morgan admitted to being the passenger and is charged with theft of property $2500-$10000.
Author: Kim Chaney
Published: 3:16 PM CST December 15, 2021
Updated: 8:47 PM CST December 16, 2021
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — UPDATED 12/16/2021:
Memphis Police have identified the passenger of the stolen 2014 Ford Fusion as 24-year-old Timothy Morgan.
According to the police affidavit, he admitted that he was the passenger of the stolen vehicle and has been charged with theft of property $2500-$10000.
Morgan has been set a $5,000 bond.
Credit: Memphis Police Depart
-------------------------------------------
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has identified the woman who was shot and killed by an MPD officer Wednesday as 25-year-old Kayla Lucas.
According to court records, Lucas had a criminal history. Dating back to 2017 and 2018, she was charged with theft of property, possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, fleeing from law officers in DeSoto County. In 2020 she was charged in Bartlett with convicted felon in possession of a handgun. This year she pled guilty to theft of property, and most recently, she was arrested earlier this month for criminal trespass.
The shooting happened Wednesday afternoon just before 2:00 p.m. in the area of South 3rd Street and Mitchell while police were investigating a stolen vehicle.
Credit: Facebook
Kayla Lucas
-------------------------------------------------
12/15/2021: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been called in to investigate after police said a woman was shot and killed by an MPD officer Wednesday afternoon in south Memphis.
Memphis Police said just before 2:00 p.m., officers were in the area of South 3rd Street and Mitchell checking for a stolen vehicle. The TBI said officer spotted the Ford Fusion stolen out of Olive Branch, Mississippi, in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant on South 3rd Street.
The TBI said officers tried to use their patrol cars to block the car, and got out of their cruisers to take the woman driving into custody. They said initial information shows the driver sped toward officers, striking a police vehicle, and that's when an officer fired at her. She died at the scene.
Memphis Police said one other person was detained.
The TBI said it would investigate the officer-involved shooting at the request of the Shelby County District Attorney General. Their findings will be shared with the D.A.
Memphis Police said 3rd Street between Brooks Road and Mitchell was shut down for hours Wednesday due to the investigation.
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
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Biathlon World Championships 2016
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The 48th Biathlon World Championships was held in Oslo, Norway from 3 to 13 March 2016. [1]
There were 11 competitions in total: sprint, pursuit, individual, mass start, relay races for men and women, and mixed relay. All the events during this championships also counted towards the Biathlon World Cup. Oslo was the sole candidate for this championship. Oslo was announced as the host city on 2 September 2012 during the X IBU Congress in Merano, Italy. Two years earlier Oslo lost Biathlon World Championships 2015 to Kontiolahti. [2] This was the sixth time that these World Championships were held in Oslo; the city had previously hosted the event in 1986, 1990 (certain events held in Oslo due to difficult weather in the host city of Minsk), 1999 (certain events held in Oslo due to difficult weather in the host city of Kontiolahti), 2000 and 2002 (only the mass start as it was not on the program for the 2002 Olympics). All times are local (UTC+1). [3]
All athletes with two or more medals.
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Sports Competition
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Full Text: Remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping at Climate Ambition Summit
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Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the Climate Ambition Summit via video link on Dec. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday delivered a speech via video link at the Climate Ambition Summit.
Please see the attachment for the translation of the full text of the speech. Enditem
Full Text: Remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping at Climate Ambition Summit
Building on Past Achievements and Launching a New Journey for Global Climate Actions
Statement by H.E. Xi Jinping
President of the People’s Republic of China
At the Climate Ambition Summit
12 December 2020
Your Excellency Secretary-General António Guterres,
Dear Colleagues,
It gives me great pleasure to join you in this Climate Ambition Summit. Five years ago, world leaders showed utmost political resolve and wisdom and adopted the Paris Agreement on climate change. Since then, the implementation of the Paris Agreement has received extensive international support and participation. At present, the international landscape is evolving more rapidly and COVID-19 is triggering deep reflections on the relationship between man and nature. The future of global climate governance is drawing greater attention. In this context, I wish to make three proposals:
First, we need to close ranks and make new advances in climate governance that features cooperation and win-win. In meeting the climate challenge, no one can be aloof and unilateralism will get us nowhere. Only by upholding multilateralism, unity and cooperation can we deliver shared benefits and win-win for all nations. China welcomes all countries’ support for the Paris Agreement and their greater contribution to tackling climate change.
Second, we need to raise ambition and foster a new architecture of climate governance where every party does its part. Following the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, all countries need to maximize actions in light of their respective national circumstances and capabilities. At the same time, developed countries need to scale up support for developing countries in financing, technology and capacity building.
Third, we need to boost confidence and pursue a new approach to climate governance that highlights green recovery. Mountains and rivers green are mountains of silver and gold. It is important to encourage green, low-carbon ways of life and production, and seek development opportunities and impetus from green development.
China has made important contributions to adopting the Paris Agreement and has made active efforts toward implementing it. I announced in September that China would scale up its nationally determined contributions and adopt more vigorous policies and measures. We aim to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Today, I wish to announce some further commitments for 2030: China will lower its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by over 65 percent from the 2005 level, increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25 percent, increase the forest stock volume by 6 billion cubic meters from the 2005 level, and bring its total installed capacity of wind and solar power to over 1.2 billion kilowatts. China always honors its commitments. Guided by our new development philosophy, we will promote greener economic and social development in all respects while pursuing high-quality development. We will take solid steps to implement the targets just announced, and contribute even more to tackling the global climate challenge.
Colleagues,
As a Chinese poem reads, “Heaven does not speak and it alternates the four seasons; Earth does not speak and it nurtures all things.” Earth is our only and shared home. Let us build on past achievements, work together to make steady progress in implementing the Paris Agreement, and launch a new journey for global climate actions.
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Famous Person - Give a speech
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Asbestos removalist gets suspended sentence for assault but company fined for illegal stockpiles
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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
A South Australian waste removalist convicted of assaulting two environment protection officers has been given a suspended sentence, but his company has been fined $49,000 for illegally storing more than 17 tonnes of asbestos.
The Environmental, Resources and Development Court heard Gavin Piller snatched a camera and audio recorder from the hands of the officers from SA's Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
The court heard he "lost the plot" when he grabbed one of the officers by the shirt, pushing him to the ground and punching him in the head.
After Piller was pulled off the officer, he grabbed a piece of wood before he was disarmed by a worker from behind.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Paul Muscat said Piller's behaviour was "unprovoked".
"[It was] totally out of order and inexcusable in every respect, and nor was it the first time he's been unable to control his behaviour," Judge Muscat said.
The court heard Piller's company, GP and Sons, had a history of complaints dating back to August 2015, when the EPA attended one of the company's sites to discuss concerns over a large amount of dust causing an environmental nuisance.
It was told a warning was issued to the company due to Piller's behaviour, which was "abusive, insulting and threatening".
"It's not as if Gavin Piller comes before this court with an unblemished character," Judge Muscat said.
The court heard one of the EPA officers had suffered physically and psychologically since the incident and sought a transfer to a role that involves less involvement with the public.
Piller was convicted of two counts of assaulting an EPA officer, using abusive language and two counts of hindering an EPA officer. A 12-month jail sentence was suspended, but the court imposed a $500 good behaviour bond and a $2,100 fine.
"In my view this assaultive conduct is so serious the only penalty that can be justified is imprisonment," Judge Muscat said.
"Despite the seriousness of the assault I am satisfied good reason exists to suspend the sentence on the basis of Gavin Piller's guilty plea and his reformed character as demonstrated by his hard working and charitable qualities over the past 36 years."
GP and Sons pleaded guilty to illegally stockpiling seven tonnes of asbestos at its Wingfield depot between January 29 and February 2, 2018, and a further 10 tonnes at its Largs Bay depot between March 27 and May 2, 2018.
Judge Muscat said the offending demonstrated the company's blatant disregard for its responsibilities under the Environmental Protection Act and had "exposed the community and its own employees".
The company was fined $49,000.
EPA chief executive Tony Circelli said Piller's punishment sent a strong message to "anyone attempting to intimidate or assault EPA officers during the course of their duties".
He said the EPA officers were documenting the contents of two skip bins containing wrapped and unwrapped asbestos on April 3, 2018 at Largs Bay when they were abused and attacked.
"This type of illegal activity will not be tolerated — it risks both harm to the environment and the community, and damages confidence for investment and fair play for legitimate waste operators," he said.
Piller wrote a letter of apology addressed to the court, the EPA and its officers, expressing regret and accepting "full responsibility for his poor and unacceptable behaviour that afternoon".
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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20 people taken to hospital after carbon monoxide leak in Vancouver apartment building
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The site of a carbon monoxide leak is pictured the day after, on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021.
VANCOUVER -
More than a dozen people were taken to hospital as a result of a carbon monoxide leak in a downtown Vancouver apartment building Monday.
B.C. Emergency Health Services told CTV News that a total of 20 people were taken to hospital by paramedics due to the leak at a building in the city's West End.
Of those, three people who'd been inside the building at Nelson and Cardero streets were considered to be in serious condition, while the other 17 were stable, BCEHS said.
The call about the leak came in to firefighters at around noon, Asst. Chief Trevor Connolly said. Crews took readings from a number of units in the building, as well as in the parkade and lobby.
According to Connolly, firefighters traced the leak to a broken exhaust pipe on the building's boiler, which had been hit by a vehicle.
BCEHS says it receives more than 100 calls every year about carbon monoxide poisoning. Paramedics have carried monitors since 2017.
Homeowners and renters are encouraged to have monitors on every floor and in every bedroom of their residence, and to regularly check the monitors to ensure they're working.
Anyone who thinks they are being poisoned by CO should go outside and call 911. The gas generally comes from anything that burns, BCEHS says, including gas and propane heaters.
It's a colourless, odourless gas that is undetectable to humans and can be deadly, first responders warn. Symptoms of CO poisoning include headaches, dizziness and nausea.
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Mass Poisoning
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Volkswagen's Audi fined 800 million euros over diesel emissions scandal
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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
German law enforcement authorities have fined Volkswagen's luxury division Audi 800 million euros ($1.3 billion), as the fallout continues after the carmaker sold cars rigged to cheat on emissions tests. The cheating emissions case covered around 4.9 million Audi cars sold in Europe, the US and elsewhere between 2004 and 2018.
In September 2015, parent company Volkswagen admitted rigging around 11 million diesel vehicles with software that enabled them to pass emissions tests even though emissions in real driving were much higher.
Prosecutors in Munich said on Tuesday the fine was imposed because Audi management neglected its oversight duties in selling cars with engines made by it and group partner Volkswagen that did not conform to legal limits on harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides.
The prosecutors' statement said the resolution of the case did not affect a related investigation of individuals.
How did German carmaker Volkswagen rig emissions tests in diesel-powered vehicles and fool US regulators?
Former Audi chief Rupert Stadler remains in jail while prosecutors investigate individual involvement in the diesel scandal, and Volkswagen earlier this month cut ties with him.
Volkswagen has paid more than $US30 billion ($42 billion) in fines, settlements and recall costs since the scandal broke. Former chief Martin Winterkorn and other executives face criminal charges in the United States, though they cannot legally be extradited. Two Volkswagen executives were sent to prison in the US.
Prosecutors said the failure of proper corporate oversight by Audi AG enabled deliberate wrongdoing by individuals.
It said 5 million euros of the fine was imposed for the oversight failure and 795 million euros represented Audi's forfeiture of economic gains from the violation, including profits from selling the cars, competitive advantages, and savings on the costs of producing vehicles that actually would have conformed to legal requirements.
Audi said it would not contest the fine. It said the amount would mean that the division would "significantly undercut" its financial targets for the current year.
"Audi accepts the fine and, by doing so, admits its responsibility," the company said in a statement.
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Organization Fine
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Biden adds measles to list of quarantinable diseases after Afghan refugees’ outbreak
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President Joe Biden signed an executive order adding measles to the list of quarantinable diseases after several Afghan refugees who had recently arrived in the US tested positive for the disease, pictured here, refugee tents in New Mexico, on Sept. 10. (David Goldman/AP) by: Sam Fossum and Kevin Liptak, CNN Posted: Sep 17, 2021 / 04:49 PM EST / Updated: Sep 17, 2021 / 05:25 PM EST (CNN) — President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order adding measles to the list of quarantinable diseases roughly one week after several Afghan refugees who had recently arrived in the U.S. tested positive for the disease, which led to a pause in flights of U.S.-bound refugees. Flights of Afghans, many of which are operated by commercial carriers, have been coming to the United States from military bases in Germany and Qatar. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention directed questions to the National Security Council, which said, “The executive order adds measles to the list of diseases that (Department of Health and Human Services) and CDC have the authority to issue federal quarantine orders for, requiring individuals who have been diagnosed with or exposed to measles to self-isolate to protect public health. “This action was taken at the request of public health officials, who cited the cases of measles among Afghans who recently arrived in the U.S. as well as several previous outbreaks of measles in recent years.” Measles is a highly contagious virus that can lead to serious health complications. It was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. However, travelers have continued to bring the virus into the United States, leading to local spread and outbreaks among people who aren’t vaccinated. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last week that anyone found to have measles had been quarantined and that arriving Afghans were required to be vaccinated for measles in order to enter the country. The vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella is being given to Afghans at military installations in the U.S. The vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella is currently being administered to Afghans at military installations in the United States, Psaki said. She added the administration is exploring measures to vaccinate people at overseas locations. Individuals are also being offered COVID-19 vaccines and tested for the virus. The Biden administration continues to grapple with how it will safely vet and resettle thousands of people who fled the Taliban as it took over Afghanistan this summer. The Department of Defense Inspector General is now evaluating the military’s process for screening and tracking of Afghan evacuees this month, including individuals who are flagged as security risks. The Pentagon last month also acknowledged unsanitary conditions at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — the base where the U.S. military temporarily stationed thousands of evacuees from Afghanistan.
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Disease Outbreaks
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Yemen has “never looked more likely to slide into famine”, Foreign Secretary warns
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New funding announced today takes the UK’s contribution to the crisis to over £1 billion. A baby suffering from malnutrition is fed by his mother in a hospital in Sana’a, Yemen. Picture: UNICEF The humanitarian situation in Yemen is rapidly deteriorating and the war-torn country has never been more at risk of mass starvation, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said today, 17 September, whilst on an official visit to the United States. Speaking at a special meeting convened by the UK, Germany, Kuwait and Sweden ahead of this month’s UN General Assembly, the Foreign Secretary warned that humanitarian funding for non-government organisations and United Nations (UN) agencies is now catastrophically low. This year, the UN has only received just over 30% of what it needs to help those who depend on aid for their survival. In addition to ensuring immediate humanitarian needs are met, the UK remains at the forefront of international efforts to reach a political solution to the conflict, using its role as the lead on Yemen at the UN Security Council to drive political progress to end the conflict. At today’s meeting, the Foreign Secretary stressed the need for the parties to cooperate constructively with the Special Envoy and agree to his proposals to immediately stop the fighting and restart peace talks. The Foreign Secretary is today announcing £5.8 million of new UK aid to help avert a famine in Yemen, taking the UK’s total contribution since the conflict began to over £1 billion. This year, UK support will help at least 500,000 vulnerable people each month to buy food and household essentials including soap and medicines. Speaking at a meeting of the permanent UN Security Council (UNSC) members and key allies, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: The humanitarian situation in Yemen is now the worst it has ever been, and compounded with the threat of coronavirus, the country has never looked more likely to slide into famine. Unless donors urgently act now and follow through on their pledges, hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of dying simply from starvation. We also need to see unwavering support for Special Envoy Martin Griffiths’ plans to secure a ceasefire that ends the suffering. At the launch of the new Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Foreign Secretary appointed the UK’s first Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs, Nick Dyer. Over the coming weeks he will be urgently raising the increasing risk of famine with our allies and partners to spur international action. Speaking about the situation in Yemen, Nick Dyer said: There is no plan B for Yemen. The war-torn country is facing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, with hundreds of thousands at risk, unless world leaders take urgent action now. The Foreign Secretary also expressed concern at the threat posed by the Safer oil tanker, which the UK recently called for a dedicated UNSC session on. With 1.14 million barrels of oil on board, any leaks into the Red Sea would make Yemen’s situation worse. The Houthis must follow through on their promises and allow UN experts to carry out essential work to prevent a regional environmental, economic and humanitarian catastrophe. Restrictions on humanitarian access are stopping aid from reaching those who need it, particularly in Houthi-controlled areas. Humanitarians on the ground are already doing an extremely difficult job, and the Foreign Secretary called on all parties to refrain from hindering them any further. The UK also joined a UN Security follow-up session on resolution 2417 today, to ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations in conflict zones and protect millions of people from extreme hunger in Yemen, the DRC, South Sudan and Nigeria.
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Famine
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2016 United States Elizabethkingia outbreak
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An outbreak of Elizabethkingia anophelis infections centered in Wisconsin [4][5] is thought to have led to the death of at least 20 people in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois. [6][7][1][2]
As of March 2016, it was reported to be the largest outbreak of Elizabethkingia anophelis-caused disease investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [8]
Human infections by E. anophelis involve the bloodstream. [4] Signs and symptoms can include fever, shortness of breath, chills, and cellulitis. [4] Confirmation requires a laboratory test. [4]
Statewide surveillance of the situation in Wisconsin was organized on January 5, 2016. [9] Cases had been reported from Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sauk, Sheboygan, Washington, Waukesha, and Winnebago Counties); Illinois; and western Michigan as of April 13, 2016. [9][1]
Between November 1, 2015 and March 30, 2016, 62 cases of E. anophelis infections were reported to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health. [4]
The severity of the outbreak is reflected in a statement by the CDC that "the agency sees a handful of Elizabethkingia infections around the country each year, but the outbreaks rarely involve more than a couple of cases at a time. To have dozens of cases at once and more than a third of them possibly fatal is startling". [10]
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Disease Outbreaks
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Five killed as gold mine collapses in Ikolomani
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Five people have died after the walls of a gold mine collapsed on them in Bushiagala in Ikolomani Sub-county, Kakamega. Eight miners are nursing injuries at the Kakamega Country Referral Hospital after they were pulled from the rubble. “They suffered various degree of soft tissue injuries and some were critically injured," said a firefighter at the scene. The artisanal mine caved in at around 7pm on Thursday due to the heavy rains that have been pounding the area for the past three weeks. Eyewitnesses say that rainwater went into the mining tunnel causing havoc. War that pushed Boers to trek from S Africa to Eldoret All that glitters is not gold: Miners suffer effects of using mercury MPs from Kakamega want residents paid by mineral mining firms Miners get Sh800 million from UNDP for modern equipment At least 27 people were working at the gold mine when it collapsed. The local chief Zacchaeus Shitandasi, said that majority of the people who were trapped in the mines are youth. “They are majorly from this area and have been working at the site as casual labourers," he said. By 9pm, the villagers were still digging through the rubble, trying to rescue the miners. The rescue efforts were no mean feat as the villagers faced the challenge of refuelling their generators to pump out water from the mines. “We are not sure whether all of the 27 miners in the shaft have been rescued. We (miners) just saved the ones we could lay our hands on. It is regrettable that the county has no structures to respond to such an emergency,” said Michael Magambo. In March last year, Kakamega deputy governor Philip Kutima had ordered all gold mines in the county shut for being a weak link for the spread of the coronavirus. It is not clear how the ban was lifted. According to research done by the Alliance for Responsible Mining in Kenya, artisanal and small-scale mining continues to remain a significant source of employment for Kenyans. “About 146,000 people were working in small-scale mining by 2012 in Kenya as Large-scale mining (LSM) companies employ about 9,000 workers,” said the report published in 2018.
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Mine Collapses
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Israeli, Swedish foreign ministers talk on phone after seven years of silence
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Foreign Minister Yair Lapid announced this morning he had spoken on the phone with his Swedish counterpart, Ann Linde, ending a seven-year diplomatic rift between the two countries. "I spoke with Ann Linde, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden. This phone conversation, the first in 7 years between the Foreign Ministers of our countries, symbolizes the relaunching of relations at this level," tweeted Lapid.
Lapid then said he "appreciates" Linde’s statement "regarding Sweden’s strong and solid commitment to the security of Israel and her recognition in the course of our conversation of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. We discussed Israel’s participation at the Malmo Forum on Holocaust remembrance. I look forward to increased cooperation with Sweden on bilateral and multilateral issues."
A phone call between two foreign ministers might seem a banal affair. Truth is, the diplomatic ties between the two countries had deteriorated significantly in the past few years. In 2004, for instance, Ambassador Zvi Mazel vandalized a Stockholm art exhibit that allegedly glorifies Palestinian suicide bombers. Then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon praised Mazel for his act, saying the "entire government stands behind him."
In October 2014, Sweden was the first European Union member to recognize the state of Palestine. At the time, the move was officially announced by then-Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, but it did not come as a surprise. Then-Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven had announced as much in his inauguration speech. Jerusalem, in reaction, recalled its ambassador to Stockholm, Isaac Bachman. He returned to Stockholm one month later, but the damage was done and relations continued to deteriorate.
But the most spectacular diplomatic row broke out in December that year when then-Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said he would boycott an expected visit to Israel by Wallstrom over the Swedish recognition of Palestine. "It is too bad that the government of Sweden has chosen to adopt the measure that does a lot of damage and has no benefits. Sweden must understand that relations in the Middle East are a lot more complex than the self-assembly furniture of IKEA," noted Liberman. “I think it’s a sign of a sense of humor, and I will be happy to send him a flat pack of IKEA furniture and he will also see that what you need to put that together is, first of all, a partner,” Wallstrom said in response.
Liberman saw little humor in the matter, nor did the foreign ministers that succeeded him. Israeli diplomats serving in Brussels had noted on multiple occasions that Sweden was not only voting in favor of anti-Israeli decisions adopted by the European Union but was actually initiating them and pushing in that direction. With that, Jerusalem considered Stockholm an enemy within Europe.
The first sign of change came in May of this year during the Guardian of the Walls Operation against Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu was still prime minister but already on his way out. European foreign ministers, including Sweden, pushed for a common official declaration to condemn the fighting. That did not happen, because Hungary objected. Then, on May 20, the Scandinavian countries published a Joint Nordic statement. And while the statement condemned the escalation, it also criticized Hamas for firing rockets at Israel. "We continue to strongly condemn the indiscriminate and recurrent firing of rockets into Israel by Hamas or any other group in the Gaza Strip. We recognize Israel’s legitimate right to protect itself and its citizens," read the statement.
On his July trip to Brussels, Lapid did not meet separately with Linde. Rather, he met with German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Holland's Sigrid Kaag. Linde, from her side, expressed openness toward the new Bennett-Lapid government. Speaking to the press before entering the large meeting between Lapid and the European foreign ministers, Linde said she was looking forward to the encounter. "It’s all about having even better relations between the EU and Israel," she said.
Israel has now a new ambassador to Stockholm, Ziv Nevo-Kulman, who strives to find common ground and repair bilateral relations without ignoring the obvious political divide on the Palestinian issue. The phone call between Lapid and Linde established political willingness of both sides to take that road. Nevo-Kulman has already a long list of ideas and initiatives that could further this objective.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog is expected to visit Sweden in mid-October to participate at the Malmo International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Anti-Semitism. Sweden had experienced a sharp rise in anti-Semitism in recent decades, especially on the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but not only. The Swedish government, for its part, had been investing great efforts in trying to tackle this phenomenon. Now, instead of focusing on the diplomatic rift, the visit of Herzog will offer both Jerusalem and Stockholm an opportunity to focus on an issue both governments consider essential.
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Diplomatic Visit
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1981 Chapeltown riots
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The Chapeltown Riots of 1981 took place in the Leeds district of Chapeltown in West Yorkshire, England, during a time when many other areas of the UK were suffering similar problems (such as London, Birmingham and Liverpool). The riots unfolded in July 1981 from a background of racial tension, inner city poverty, poor housing and high unemployment (which was rising rapidly as a result of the recession at the time). [1] This brought high tension, particularly amongst the area's Caribbean community, culminating in attacks on the local police. The Yorkshire Evening Post reported on the events from a 'law and order' perspective, quoting police and council sources. The Leeds Other Paper reported on the social and community aspects of the disturbances, including the root causes. [2]
These were not to be the last riots in the area. In 1987 there was further rioting in Chapeltown and in 2001 there was widespread rioting in nearby Harehills. [3]
Other riots in the UK the same year
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Riot
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Europe’s military presence highlights Asia’s importance
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The British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth docked at Yokosuka Naval Base this week, after holding military drills with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Forces (MSDF) and other navies. European military forces have an expanding presence in this part of the world, a recognition of the ever-larger role the Indo-Pacific has assumed in those governments’ strategic calculations and of emerging threats to regional stability. European attention is welcome but we shouldn’t have outsize expectations of the role it can play. The HMS Queen Elizabeth, a 65,000-ton aircraft carrier and the largest surface vessel ever built in the U.K., is making its maiden voyage through the Indo-Pacific, engaging with 40 countries on its journey. Its strike group includes two destroyers, two frigates and a submarine. Prior to the port call, the strike group held a drill with MSDF forces, as well as exercises with U.S. and Dutch forces. Earlier in the journey, in July, the vessels participated in drills with the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean. A few weeks later, the U.K. ships joined the U.S.-Australia Talisman Sabre exercises, in which Japan, Canada, South Korea and New Zealand also participated, while India, Indonesia, Germany and France were observers. The U.K. will reportedly deploy two patrol vessels to the region on a permanent basis later this year. London isn’t the only European government showing the flag in the region. A French nuclear-powered attack submarine transited the South China Sea early this year. In April, the French led exercises in the Bay of Bengal included for the first time all the “Quad” navies — Japan, Australia, India and the U.S. In May, Japanese, Australian, U.S. and French forces participated in a drill in the East China Sea, the first time France had joined such exercises. Finally, Germany dispatched a warship last month on a six-month deployment that will include a transit of the South China Sea, the first by a German naval vessel in two decades, and which was the result of urging by Japan last year. Those warships are here because of the inescapable significance of this region to their national interests. Governments across Europe have produced strategic documents that make that point. For example, Britain’s recently released Integrated Review of Security, Defense, Development and Foreign Policy has been called “a tilt to the Indo-Pacific,” a region that is “the crucible for many of the most pressing global challenges.” France, Germany and the Netherlands have also written Indo-Pacific strategies and the European Union is developing its own. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace explained that the region’s importance obliges London to work with partners “to defend democratic values, tackle shared threats and keep our nations safe.” That view was echoed by German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who noted that “important decisions on peace, security and prosperity will be made” in the Indo-Pacific region. Her colleague, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas added that “We aim to be involved and to take responsibility for maintaining the rule-based international order.” European governments voiced growing interest in and concern about the region in June meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden. At the U.S.-EU and U.S.-NATO summits, U.S. and European leaders pledged to closely consult and cooperate on the full range of issues as they deal with China. That list includes developments in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, the situation in the East and South China Seas, and specifically mentioned — and opposed — unilateral attempts to change the status quo. They also noted the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. The NATO summit was notable for highlighting that China’s growing influence and international policies can present challenges that need to be addressed “together as an Alliance.” The leaders warned that China presents “systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to Alliance security,” and they endorsed a broad-based response that would “protect critical infrastructure, strengthen resilience, maintain our technological edge and address these challenges to the rules-based international order.” That doesn’t mean that those governments are hostile to China or see it as the enemy. They also pledged to engage in constructive dialogue with Beijing and find areas to cooperate, a view that mirrors that of Japan. They would prefer a forward-looking relationship with Beijing, one that benefits both sides. But those preferences are no substitute for a clear-eyed assessment of Chinese actions and intentions. While we welcome that engagement, caution is in order. Europe remains a world away. If those governments decide to maintain a permanent presence, it will inevitably be small and unable to tip the balance in a crisis. If European governments want to make a truly substantive contribution to Indo-Pacific security, then they should do more to prepare for their own defense, a move that would free up resources that the U.S. could then devote to this region. That should not diminish our readiness to engage European partners. Their presence is another sign of the centrality of this region to global affairs. Efforts, even if symbolic, are valuable and statements of support are a reminder of the larger stakes that regional crises have. Recent events in this part of the world have the potential to do far more damage than shift a few borders; they threaten the very fiber of the global order. In this, Europe has a unique interest. The EU is a different kind of world power. Its standing and influence much depends on its support for norms and principles, and especially the rule of law. The dispatch of warships, no matter how big, doesn’t change that. The Japan Times Editorial Board Washington seeks to establish some mechanisms or rules to prevent conflict with Beijing. With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page. Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Putin pushes confrontation with NATO as hard-liners prevail 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 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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American Airlines Flight 1420 crash
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American Airlines Flight 1420 was a flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Little Rock National Airport in the United States. On June 1, 1999, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating as Flight 1420 overran the runway upon landing in Little Rock and crashed. Eleven of the 145 people aboard were killed—the captain and 10 passengers. The aircraft involved in the incident was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (registration N215AA[2]), a derivative of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and part of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series of aircraft. [1]:12 It was delivered new to American Airlines in 1983, and had been operated continuously by the airline since, accumulating a total of 49,136 flight hours. [1]:12 The aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217C turbofan jet engines. [1]:12
The aircraft was equipped with X-band weather radar, which is susceptible to attenuation during heavy precipitation, and did not have an attenuation alert to warn the flight crew of system impairment during heavy rainfall. [1]:13 The radar weather system had a forward-looking design that offered the flight crew only a limited field of view in front of the aircraft. [1]:116
Flight 1420 was commanded by Captain Richard Buschmann, age 48, a very experienced chief pilot with 10,234 total flight hours, of which about half were accumulated flying the MD-80 series of aircraft. [1]:10 Buschmann graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1972, serving in the Air Force until 1979. He held the rank of lieutenant colonel with the US Air Force Reserve Command, and was hired by American Airlines in July 1979. Experienced at flying the Boeing 727 for American, he transitioned to flying the twin-engined MD-80 series in 1991. [3]
The flight's first officer was Michael Origel, age 35. [1]:10 The first officer had been with the airline for less than a year, and had only 182 hours of flight time with American Airlines as an MD-80 pilot. [1]:11 However, the first officer had trained as a pilot with the United States Navy and had prior commercial flight experience as a corporate pilot, with a total of 4,292 hours of experience at the time of the incident. [1]:11
Flight 1420 was staffed with four flight attendants, all of whom were qualified on the MD-80 and had recently received refresher training on emergency procedures. [1]:11
Flight 1420 was scheduled to depart DFW at 20:28 (8:28 pm) Central Daylight Time and arrive in Little Rock at 21:41 (9:41 pm). [1]:1 The flight crew was advised before boarding that the departure would be delayed, and that the National Weather Service had issued in-flight weather advisories indicating severe thunderstorms along the planned flight path. [1]:2 Adverse weather caused the plane that was intended for Flight 1420 to be delayed in arriving at DFW. [1]:2 Airline policy set a maximum pilot duty time of 14 hours, and Flight 1420 was the flight crew's last flight of the day. The first officer notified the airline's flight dispatcher that the flight crew would, therefore, be unable to depart after 23:16 (11:16 pm). [1]:2 The airline substituted another MD-80, tail number N215AA, which allowed Flight 1420 to depart DFW at 22:40 10:40 pm). [1]:2
At 23:04 (11:04 pm), air traffic controllers issued a weather advisory indicating severe thunderstorms in an area that included the Little Rock airport,[1]:2 and the flight crew witnessed lightning while on approach. [1]:3 The flight crew discussed the weather reports, but decided to expedite the approach rather than diverting to the designated alternate airport (Nashville International Airport) or returning to DFW. [1]:2–3
Air traffic control at Little Rock had originally told Flight 1420 to expect an approach to runway 22L. At 23:39 (11:39 pm) a controller advised the crew of a wind-shear alert and a change in wind direction. [1]:3 As a result, Captain Buschmann requested a change to Runway 4R so the flight would have a headwind during landing, and Flight 1420 was cleared for a visual approach to this runway. [1]:4 Because the plane was already close to the airport, the controller had to direct it away to line it up for a landing on 4R. [1]:116 As a result, Flight 1420 faced away from the airport for several minutes, and because the plane's weather radar had a narrow and forward-facing field of view, the flight crew could not see thunderstorms approaching the airport during their turn. [1]:116 As the aircraft approached, a severe thunderstorm arrived over the airport, and at 23:44, the first officer notified the controller that the crew had lost sight of the runway. [1]:4 The controller then cleared the aircraft to land on 4R using an instrument landing system (ILS) approach. [1]:4
The pilots rushed to land as soon as possible, leading to errors in judgment that included the crew's failure to complete the airline's prelanding checklist before landing. [1]:122 This was a crucial event in the accident chain, as the crew overlooked multiple critical landing systems on the checklist. The flight crew failed to arm the automatic spoiler system, which automatically moves the spoiler control lever and deploys the spoilers upon landing. [1]:15–16 The pilots also failed to set the plane's automatic braking system. [1]:21 The flight crew also failed to set landing flaps, another item on the preflight checklist, but as the plane descended past 1,000 ft (300 m), the first officer realized the flaps were not set and the flight crew set a 40° flap setting for landing. [1]:123
At 23:49:32, the controller issued the last weather report before Flight 1420 landed, advising that winds at the airport were 330° at 25 knots. [1]:6 The reported winds exceeded the MD-82's 20-knot crosswind limit for landing in reduced visibility on a wet runway. [1]:3 Despite the excessive crosswind and two wind-shear reports, Captain Buschmann did not abandon the aircraft's approach into Little Rock, instead deciding to continue the approach to 4R. The aircraft touched down on Runway 4R at 23:50:20. About two seconds after the wheels touched down, First Officer Origel stated, "We're down. We're sliding!" Because the pilots failed to arm the autospoiler, the spoilers did not deploy automatically on landing, and the flight crew did not deploy them manually. [1]:167 Autospoilers and autobrakes are essential to ensure the plane's ability to stop within the confines of a wet runway, especially one that is being subjected to strong and gusting winds. Spoilers disrupt the airflow over the wings, prevent them from generating lift, and cause more of the plane's weight to be borne by the landing gear. About 65% of Flight 1420's weight would have been supported by the plane's landing gear if the spoilers had been deployed, but without the spoilers, this number dropped to only 15%. [1]:134 With the light loading of the landing gear, the aircraft's brakes were ineffective at slowing down the plane, which continued down the runway at high speed. [1]:134–135 Directional control was lost when Captain Buschmann applied too much reverse thrust, which reduced the effectiveness of the plane's rudder and vertical stabilizer. [1]:135–136
The aircraft continued past the end of the runway, traveling another 800 ft and striking a security fence and an ILS localizer array. The aircraft then collided with a structure built to support the approach lights for Runway 22L, which extended out into the Arkansas River.
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Air crash
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NOAA’s tsunami sensors went down ahead of 10th anniversary of Japan’s Tohoku disaster
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This month as Japan commemorated the 10-year anniversary of a tsunami that killed thousands of people, the United States has been reckoning with the vulnerability of its own systems for detecting the massive sea waves. The nation’s main tsunami detection system experienced an outage March 9 when a broken water pipe in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Maryland headquarters knocked out the program’s servers, according to an agency spokeswoman. Ocean monitors positioned around the globe couldn’t send information to the country’s two tsunami warning centers, leaving a critical part the country’s alert system offline, tsunami experts said. The United States wasn’t completely unprotected — weather forecasts weren’t affected, and scientists could still use data on earthquakes to issue early tsunami warnings. The outage lasted nearly a week, until staff devised a workaround allowing monitoring data to reach the warning centers March 15, according to National Weather Service spokeswoman Susan Buchanan. But the system is still under repair. Costas Synolakis, a professor of civil engineering at USC, said that without rapid data from the network of buoys used to confirm the existence of a tsunami, government scientists would likely have struggled to pinpoint which parts of the world were in danger from storm surge and needed to evacuate coastal areas. Advertisement “This means that if a mega thrust earthquake takes place anywhere in the Pacific/Indian/Caribbean,” he wrote in an email, the U.S. would not have had “the benefit of NOAA’s targeted warnings.” Data from the buoys “can make the difference in life or death evacuation decisions.” As agency employees scrambled to create a backup communication system, leaders tried to keep the problems quiet, according to internal emails obtained by the watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. Staff should “avoid discussing the ongoing [Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis] outages on social media,” read an email sent to employees at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii on March 11, the anniversary of the magnitude-9.0 earthquake that generated the Tohoku tsunami in Japan. The tsunami destroyed communities and led to a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Still, frustration spilled out online. On the private Facebook page of the Nation Weather Service’s labor union, employees expressed alarm at the system’s failure, characterizing the outage as one in a series of technological problems that had beset the agency. “I don’t understand why this agency continues to have so many lengthy nationwide outages,” one employee wrote. “It’s embarrassing and negligent.” “Over the past 2-3 years, have we gone one day without some major outage somewhere?” asked another. “WHY WAS THERE NO BACKUP?” an employee wrote in all caps. “Rhetorical question, of course.” Defending the agency’s response, Buchanan said NOAA had been working on a cloud-based backup plan for its tsunami detection system, but had not been able to implement it before the outage. “Our network engineers have been working to expedite the new backup system,” she wrote in an email. In a statement to its members, the union said that the outage had exposed the National Weather Service’s vulnerabilities and described its IT infrastructure as “unstable and fragile.” When a magnitude-7.5 earthquake shook the ocean floor last year near the Russian-controlled Kurile Islands chain, the Washington Post reported that NOAA’s tsunami.gov website displayed inaccurate data and wouldn’t load for some users. No tsunami ever materialized, but even after the “watch” had been canceled, the agency’s website failed to update. A spokeswoman attributed the problem to an issue with the agency’s router settings. This time around, agency officials told the union that some of the problems had resulted from attempts to improve its technology. “We understand that many have asked questions about the number of outages over the last year. We have been making an intentional and systematic effort to increase the robustness of several pieces of our network and dissemination infrastructures with full backups,” they wrote. “Some of the outages have been a result of doing these major efforts.”
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Tsunamis
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1930 Costești wooden church fire
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In 1930, a devastating fire destroyed the wooden church in Costești, a small town in Argeș County, Romania, and killed 118 people, mostly primary school and high school students, the youngest of them being an 8-year-old girl. [1] The event was also known in Romanian press as the Black Easter. The fire took place on 18 April 1930, during a religious service on Good Friday, when hundreds of people from the Orthodox community gathered at the wooden church in the town, built in the eighteenth century. [2] The church was no more than 48 square meters and so children, singers and some elders gathered in the narthex while parents listened to service from outside. [3]
The fire broke out during Lamentations, from a candle that reached a wreath braid. The fire was extinguished immediately, but without anyone even noticing, the wreaths housed in the church attic were also ignited. The church door, with an opening width of only 60 centimetres, was locked, trapping inside 130 people. [4] Within a few minutes, dozens of people died from smoke inhalation or burns. The shingle roof also collapsed, crushing to death many still trapped in the church. [5] Only 14 people managed to escape, of which two died a few days later from burns. [6]
After the fire, the Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, at the initiative of Patriarch Miron Cristea, launched a national public offertory, supported by newspaper Universul, headed at that time by Stelian Popescu. From all over the country, but also abroad, from Europe and the United States, tons of aid arrived to the families of those killed. At the funeral of 116 victims Queen Marie and her grandson, King Michael I were in attendance. [7]
Shortly after the tragedy, several parents of those killed committed suicide, feeling guilty for the death of children. [1] Between 1932 and 1934, a new cathedral was built on the site. Parents rushed to the door, trying to get in, to save their children. They were pushing to enter, children were struggling to get out and failed, because of their parents, that blocked their exit. That scrimmage kept them captive, prey to the flames. They all died, 116 children, all youth of the village.
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Fire
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2012 Chiba earthquake
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The 2012 Chiba earthquake (千葉県東方沖地震, Chiba-ken Toho-oki Jishin, lit. "Offshore Eastern Chiba Earthquake") occurred along the northeastern coast of Chiba Prefecture, Japan at 21:05 JST (12:05 UTC) on Wednesday, 14 March. Although its epicentre lay just offshore near Chōshi city, the shallow magnitude 6.1 Mj earthquake produced considerable shaking inland through much of the Bōsō Peninsula and lower Ibaraki Prefecture. It occurred as a result of normal faulting in a seismically quiet region, possibly in response to the magnitude 9.0 Mw 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. [3]
Despite its considerable magnitude the earthquake caused only localised light to moderate structural damage in Chiba, owing in part to Japan's advanced earthquake engineering. The most significant effects occurred in Chōshi and Katori cities, where a few walls collapsed and several buildings sustained damage. In Funabashi city an elderly resident suffered a fatal heart attack during the quake, and a falling object caused one minor injury in Kisarazu city.
A seismically volatile country, Japan frequently experiences natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. [6] The entire archipelago forms a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a massive belt of volcanoes and trenches. [7] The largest of the islands, Honshu is characterised by numerous inland fault systems and large subduction zones which are a result of the interaction between several tectonic plates. [8] At the junction of the continental Okhotsk Plate and the oceanic Philippine Sea and Pacific plates lies the populous Kantō Region, which has had a long history of devastating earthquakes. [9]
Situated on the Bōsō Peninsula in eastern Kantō, Chiba Prefecture is surrounded by a region of complex tectonic settings. [10] To the south the Philippine Sea Plate is subducted beneath Okhotsk Plate creating the offshore Sagami Trench; the Pacific Plate subducts the region from the east, forming the Japan Trench. [11] Despite this Chiba Prefecture has experienced relatively little effects from earthquakes. [12] Since 1923 most events have occurred well offshore, within the magnitude 5.0–6.0 Mj range, at somewhat shallow focal depths. [13] The most significant earthquake, known as the 1987 Chiba-ken Toho-oki earthquake, occurred on 17 December 1987.
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Earthquakes
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17 Wisconsinites Have Had Ivermectin Poisoning. Doctors Urge People Like Ron Johnson to Stop Promoting It.
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Calls to poison control centers across the US are increasing as more people consume a medication used to treat livestock for worms because they wrongly believe it will alleviate COVID-19. The rising number of emergency room visits has doctors in Wisconsin and elsewhere offering an urgent warning to not take ivermectin, no matter which politician, media celebrity, or other non-doctor is suggesting it.
Seventeen cases of ivermectin poisoning have occurred in Wisconsin this year, according to the Wisconsin Poison Center. Health officials in other states also report a rise in ivermectin poisonings in recent weeks after right wing groups and some conservative politicians, including Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, have endorsed its use as protecting against COVID-19. It does not.
Last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an emergency alert noting that cases of misuse of ivermectin are increasing. The US Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19, and the National Institutes of Health also does not recommend using the dewormer to treat the virus.
“As not just a physician but also a resident of Wisconsin, it’s shocking and appalling that any grown person, let alone our elected senator, would promote ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19,” Dr. Bob Freedland, a La Crosse ophthalmologist who is state lead for the liberal group Committee to Protect Health Care, said Monday during a virtual event organized by that organization.
Freedland criticized Johnson and others who have advocated for the use of ivermectin, saying no research shows it to be an effective treatment for COVID-19. In fact, endorsing the medicine’s use to treat the virus is dangerous, Freedland and other doctors said.
Johnson has been a vocal proponent for using ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 despite repeated warnings from health officials that those substances aren’t effective and could lead to adverse health conditions. YouTube suspended Johnson in June after he violated the company’s policy regarding accurate medical information.
Despite evidence to the contrary, Johnson continues to back the use of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, falsely claiming they could provide early treatment for the virus. His approach appears to be rooted in fostering mistrust of a government-endorsed vaccine that is proven effective.
“And that’s what this is all about, is the political goal of having mandated [vaccinations] and probably, eventually, vaccine passports,” Johnson told conservative radio talk show host Vicki McKenna last week.
Given the life-threatening nature of COVID-19, Johnson’s continued misrepresentation of the facts is reckless, said Dr. Scott Walker, a family medicine doctor in Prairie Du Chien.
“With position and privilege comes great responsibility, and time and time again Sen. Johnson has not just shirked his responsibility, but actually spoken quite irresponsibly,” Walker said in a statement.
Julian Emerson A fixture in west central Wisconsin journalism for over a quarter-century, Julian specializes in investigative work, politics, and social justice issues. Our Wisconsin
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Mass Poisoning
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Pakistan claims devastating locust attack brought under control
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The infestation had forced the government to declare a national emergency as the invading insects ravaged crops. Pakistani officials have claimed the country has eradicated swarms of desert locust, months after declaring a national emergency to battle the infestation. “By the grace of God and efforts of all, we can declare today there is no locust in Pakistan,” said Lieutenant General Moazzam Ejaz, head of the National Locust Control Centre. “The swarm started declining from August and we cleared last few hectares of land in two districts this week,” Ejaz said at a ceremony in the capital Islamabad. Pakistan deployed drones, helicopters, hundreds of vehicles and thousands of agriculture workers since declaring an emergency in February. Locust swarms first entered Pakistan in June 2019 from neighbouring Iran and quickly devastated large areas of agricultural land across southwestern districts, ravaging cotton, wheat, maize and other crops. The damage prompted Pakistan, a country of 220 million people, to miss its production target for wheat by about 2 million tonnes, forcing the government to import the grain for the first time in almost 10 years. The low yields have pushed up the price of wheat and other foodgrains, pushing overall inflation to almost 10 percent in September piling political pressure on the government. Despite the government’s claims, officials did not rule out the possibility of another attack by the insects. “There can be a [resurgence] but based on our experience we will be ready to pre-empt that,” said Mohamed Afzal, head of Pakistan’s disaster management agency. China, Pakistan’s close ally and neighbour, had donated drones, thousands of tonnes of pesticides and technical expertise to help the country tackle the crisis.
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Insect Disaster
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2006 Tonga earthquake
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The 2006 Tonga earthquake occurred on 4 May at 04:26:35 local time with a moment magnitude of 8.0 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (very strong). One injury occurred and a non-destructive tsunami was observed. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a warning 17 minutes after the earthquake for coastal areas around the Pacific. An hour later, the center downgraded the warning to only the region within 600 miles of the epicenter, and an hour after that, it canceled the alert. [4]
The event caused very limited damage. The previous large earthquake in Tonga, in 1977, was of a lower magnitude but resulted in more severe damage. A likely cause is that the 2006 quake generated other frequencies that only resulted in resonance in small items. In shops, cans and bottles which contained fluids fell from shelves, while the bigger items and those containing dry goods were largely unaffected. [citation needed] There was very little damage reported in Tonga apart from pictures fallen from the walls or items tumbled down from cupboards and shelves. Since the earthquake occurred underwater, tsunami warnings were issued, but then lifted.
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Earthquakes
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NortonLifeLock and Avast joining forces in $8 billion merger
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NortonLifeLock is planning to merge with Avast in a deal worth more than $8 billion, the enterprises announced Tuesday. Avast, based in Prague, and NortonLifeLock, based in Tempe, Ariz., are competitors in the consumer antivirus industry. Both have antivirus and VPN products at the forefront of their offerings, but there are distinctions. Avast is famous for its free antivirus offering as well as its computer performance software, while NortonLifeLock has a large identity protection presence. According to the announcement, the combined company will serve 500 million users, including 40 million direct customers. Current Avast shareholders will be given two compensation options: a majority cash option and a majority stock option. Depending on shareholder elections, the announcement says, the deal will be valued between $8.1 and $8.6 billion. Moreover, Avast shareholders will own between 14% and 26% of the newly combined company. The name of this combined company is to be determined, and the merger is expected to complete in mid-2022. According to the recommended merger filing available with the press release, the boards of the two companies "believe the merger has compelling strategic logic and represents an attractive opportunity to create a new, industry leading consumer cyber safety business, leveraging the established brands, technical expertise and innovation of both groups to deliver substantial benefits to consumers, shareholders and other stakeholders." When the merger closes, Avast CEO Ondrej Vlcek will join NortonLifeLock as president and join the company's board. In addition, Avast co-founder and board member Pavel Baudiš is expected to join the NortonLifeLock board as an independent director. NortonLifeLock CEO Vincent Pilette and CFO Natalie Derse will remain in their positions with the new company. The combined company will be dual-headquartered in Prague and Tempe, and will be listed on NASDAQ; NortonLifeLock is currently listed on NASDAQ under NLOK. NortonLifeLock has had a complicated corporate history leading up to the Avast merger. The company was previously part of Symantec, which was founded in 1982 and known for its Norton antivirus products. In the early 2000s, Symantec became one of the largest cybersecurity vendors in the industry, though the company struggled more recently with a number of executive changes and corporate restructures. In 2014, Symantec split its company into two publicly traded companies: a data management enterprise and a security enterprise. The enterprise security division was acquired by Broadcom in 2019, while the remaining consumer antivirus and identity production business changed its name that year to NortonLifeLock. Omdia principal analyst Eric Parizo told SearchSecurity that he believes the deal is "mostly about NortonLifeLock expanding its total addressable market." "After selling its enterprise units, [NortonLifeLock's] growth options have been somewhat limited," Parizo said. "The acquisition of Avast gives the company not only a much larger customer base overnight, but also an opportunity to expand its footprint considerably, particularly in Europe, where Avast has long dominated and NortonLifeLock hasn't been nearly as strong." He added that while the price tag is "surprisingly high," NortonLifeLock must be confident in its ability to leverage the combined organization and accelerate growth. "I would anticipate that selling the LifeLock identity theft protection technology into the Avast customer base is a big part of that projection," Parizo said. Dave Gruber, senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group, a TechTarget company, said the merger was likely driven by competitive forces in the antivirus market, specifically Microsoft. "As Microsoft continues investment in its free, embedded Windows Defender solution, market pressure builds for both Norton and Avast, requiring expanded use case support around consumer data privacy and external security services that resonate with consumers as they face continued fears around personal data theft, impersonation and fraud," Gruber said in an email to SearchSecurity. "As a new merged entity, NortonLifeLock has a shot at steering clear of Microsoft with their expanded, cloud-delivered offerings." SearchSecurity asked NortonLifeLock if they could offer more insight into the decision to merge with a competitor that has an overlapping antivirus product. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment beyond referring SearchSecurity to previously released merger announcement and investor materials. In the press release, NortonLifeLock referenced the merger's potential to "strengthen geographic diversification and facilitate expansion into the SOHO [small office/home office]/VSB [very small business] segments."
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Organization Merge
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Aldershot van explosion: Woman hospitalised with burns after leaking gas cylinder causes fire
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A woman has been taken to hospital with burns after a van exploded in Aldershot. Firefighters were called to White Road at 7.50am on Wednesday (September 22) following reports of an explosion. Residents on social media reported hearing a loud bang in the area. READ MORE: The 'disgusting' and 'filthy' conditions British Army families in Aldershot are forced to live in
A spokesperson from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that "a van exploded due to a leaking gas cylinder".
They added that a woman was injured and was cared for by paramedics from South Central Ambulance Service. A SCAS spokesperson said: "South East Coast Ambulance Service was called shortly after 7.45am today to White Road/Coppice Square to reports of an explosion in a van. Ambulance crew attended the scene and one patient, suffering from burns, was assessed and treated at the scene before being taken to Frimley Park Hospital. "We would like to thank everyone who came to the aid of the person prior to our arrival."
North Town Councillor Keith Dibble, of Rushmoor Borough Council, has been on the scene all morning assisting residents. He reported following the fire, glass and debris are now covering the area around White Road.
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Gas explosion
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Tahmoor mine polluting water in Bargo and Nepean rivers with 'cocktail of metals'
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Experts have warned about polluted water running off a mine site and ending up in a major river which eventually supplies some of Sydney's water.
Researchers from Western Sydney University have found a "cocktail of metals" in the Tahmoor coal mine's run-off which flows into the Bargo and Nepean rivers in south-west Sydney.
Testing results show salinity levels, and a range of elements like nitrogen, nickel and zinc, at points on the Bargo and Nepean far exceed Australian water quality guidelines.
An application to extend the life of the mine by more than a decade is currently being considered by the NSW Government.
"This is highly contaminated water. It is full of algae, full of a cocktail of metals, including arsenic, and one of them is uranium," water expert Ian Wright said.
On testing dates in April and May, Professor Wright and his team found huge blooms of bright green algae — which is a sign of high nitrogen levels — choking up the rivers which meet at a junction.
"I'm simply amazed because it's such an important tributary to one of Australia's most important rivers and there's a major pollution problem — with a mine using that as a drain," Professor Wright said.
The Nepean is part of the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment, which is one of the largest coastal basins in NSW.
The Tahmoor underground mine is owned by GFG Alliance and is located a few kilometres upstream of where the Bargo and Nepean rivers meet. In April, the researchers filmed visibly turbid water flowing from the mine site into the clearer waters of the Bargo.
Mermaids Pool, which has significant Indigenous history, can be found nearby. People often swim there despite warnings that it is too dangerous and not suitable for recreational swimming.
Professor Wright is now worried about the future of the waterway if the mine licence is renewed.
"I am concerned that this is going to get rushed through the planning system," he said.
GFG Alliance said if the extension was approved, water assets like the Bargo River would "continue to be carefully monitored throughout the life of the mine".
"The quality of this water is mandated by our environment protection licence issued and monitored by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)," a statement said.
"Typically, the water monitoring results are far better than those limits allowed by the licence."
The EPA is currently investigating the April discharge captured in photos and video from the researchers.
It said Tahmoor Colliery had since made changes to its water treatment and monitoring systems to improve the quality of discharge waters.
But despite this, water tests in May found levels of a number of elements, notably nitrogen, had actually increased compared to the previous month's results.
GFG Alliance said it had committed to the installation of a new water treatment plant, but didn't answer when it would be built.
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Environment Pollution
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United Express Flight 5925 crash
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United Express Flight 5925, operated by Great Lakes Airlines with a Beechcraft 1900 twin turboprop, was a regularly scheduled flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Quincy, Illinois, with an intermediate stop in Burlington, Iowa. On November 19, 1996, the aircraft collided on landing at Quincy with another Beechcraft, a private King Air, that was taking off from an intersecting runway. The crash was known as the Quincy runway disaster. Fourteen people, twelve on board the 1900 and two on board the King Air, were killed as a result. [3]
United Express Flight 5925 had departed from Chicago at 15:25, with Captain Kate Gathje (30),[4] First Officer Darren McCombs (24),[5] and ten passengers. After a stop at Burlington, Iowa, the flight proceeded to Quincy. Two aircraft at Quincy were ready for departure when Flight 5925 was on approach. Both aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air and a Piper Cherokee, were proceeding to Runway 04. As Quincy is a non-towered airport, all three aircraft were communicating on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency. On approach, Captain Gathje inquired as to whether the King Air would hold short of the runway, or depart before their arrival. After receiving no response, Gathje called again, and received a reply from the Cherokee that they were holding short of Runway 04. However, because of a simultaneous sound emitted by the ground proximity warning system in the 1900's cockpit, only part of the transmission was received by the 1900. Contributing to the cause of the accident was the Cherokee pilot's interrupted radio transmission, which led to the United Express crew's misunderstanding of the transmission as an indication from the King Air that it would not take off until after Flight 5925 had cleared the runway. [6]
Assuming that both planes were holding short, Flight 5925 landed on Runway 13. However, the King Air had taxied into position on Runway 04, and had begun its takeoff roll when Flight 5925 landed. Both aircraft collided at the intersection of Runways 4 and 13. The aircraft skidded for 110 feet (34 m), coming to rest alongside Runway 13, and caught fire. All 12 aboard the United Express flight survived the initial impact, but were trapped inside by a jammed door. Several pilots in the vicinity of the crash came to the scene, but were unable to open the doors of the aircraft before both planes were destroyed by fire. All 12 aboard Flight 5925 and both pilots of the King Air, Neal Reinwald (63) and Laura Winkleman Brooks (34), died from smoke inhalation. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the cause of the accident was the King Air pilots' failure to effectively monitor both the common frequency and to scan for traffic. A contributing factor was the Cherokee's transmission at the same time as the United Express transmission. Lack of adequate rescue and firefighting equipment was cited as a factor in the high fatality rate. [3]
The crash was featured in the 15th season of the television documentary series Mayday in an episode titled "Fatal Transmission", which featured interviews with witnesses and accident investigators and a dramatic reenactment of the crash. [7]
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Air crash
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Fly Jamaica Airways Flight 256 crash
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Fly Jamaica Airways Flight 256 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana to Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada. The Boeing 757 aircraft serving the flight suffered a technical fault on 9 November 2018, forcing its return and resulting in a runway excursion on landing. This caused significant damage to the aircraft and one passenger fatality. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 757-23N, registration N524AT, powered by two Rolls-Royce RB211 engines. It was built in 1999 and first flew with ATA Airlines, VIM, Aurela and Thomas Cook before being acquired by Fly Jamaica in 2012. [3]
The aircraft departed from Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana on 9 November 2018 at 02:09 local time, bound for Toronto, Canada. [3] The flight subsequently reported a fault with the hydraulic system; as a result, the pilot aborted the climb and the plane returned to the departure airport for an emergency landing, touching down at 02:53. During the landing, the aircraft overran the runway and hit the airport perimeter fence, sustaining substantial damage in the process to the right-hand main landing gear and the No. 2 engine. [4][5][6][1]
There were approximately 118 passengers and 8 crew members on board the aircraft. Six persons were injured and an 86-year-old female passenger subsequently died on 16 November 2018 due to injuries sustained during the incident. [7][3][8]
The accident is being investigated by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) with assistance from the Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) and the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). [9] Preliminary data suggests a hydraulics failure occurred. [10]
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Air crash
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EuroBasket 1975
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The 1975 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1975, was the nineteenth FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship, held by FIBA Europe. 1. Yugoslavia: Krešimir Ćosić, Dražen Dalipagić, Mirza Delibašić, Dragan Kićanović, Zoran Slavnić, Nikola Plećaš, Željko Jerkov, Vinko Jelovac, Damir Šolman, Rato Tvrdić, Rajko Žižić, Dragan Kapičić (Coach: Mirko Novosel)
2. Soviet Union: Sergei Belov, Alexander Belov, Ivan Edeshko, Alzhan Zharmukhamedov, Mikheil Korkia, Aleksander Sidjakin, Valeri Miloserdov, Yuri Pavlov, Aleksander Boloshev, Aleksander Salnikov, Vladimir Zhigili, Aleksander Bolshakov (Coach: Vladimir Kondrashin)
3. Italy: Dino Meneghin, Pierluigi Marzorati, Carlo Recalcati, Renzo Bariviera, Renato Villalta, Ivan Bisson, Lorenzo Carraro, Fabrizio della Fiori, Marino Zanatta, Gianni Bertolotti, Giulio Iellini, Vittorio Ferracini (Coach: Giancarlo Primo)
4. Spain: Juan Antonio Corbalán, Wayne Brabender, Clifford Luyk, Rafael Rullan, Luis Miguel Santillana, Manuel Flores, Carmelo Cabrera, Cristóbal Rodríguez, Jesus Iradier, Miguel Angel Lopez Abril, Juan Filba, Miguel Angel Estrada (Coach: Antonio Díaz-Miguel)
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Sports Competition
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Police investigate bank robbery on Gold Coast
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Thieves have used a ramming device attached to a van to force their way into a Gold Coast bank this morning. Two men wearing balaclavas drove the white van through plate glass windows at the Commonwealth Bank at Ashmore around 8:30am (AEST). One of the men was armed with a sawn-off rifle. Detective Acting Inspector Chris Toohey says the men escaped with a substantial amount of money from the safe. "The ram raid part was used to gain entry," he said. "It is peculiar - certainly a bank getting robbed outside of actual business hours as well. "The use of the ram bar is rare and certainly different." Inspector Toohey says banks may need to revisit their security systems. "We haven't had a substantial bank robbery for a number of years and that's mainly due largely due to the financial institutions having good security policies," he said. "It's never going to be perfect and we adjust to the trends of the day. "If we would have had a better number of bollards and more spread out evenly certainly the entry couldn't have been made by the van."
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Bank Robbery
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Mornings
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Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
Listen
AAP: David Mariuz
On Mornings
with David Bevan
The Adelaide Crows have been fined $50,000 for breaching COVID-19 restrictions after an image surfaced showing players and staff not wearing masks while on a flight.
All passengers on domestic flights must wear face masks unless eating or drinking.
Adelaide chairman John Olsen told David Bevan it's the club that will pay the fine, not the individuals who broke the rules.
Listen online, on the ABC listen app, on channel 25 on your television, via DAB+ Digital Radio or On Air
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Organization Fine
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Delta Air Lines Flight 1288 crash
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Delta Air Lines Flight 1288 was a regularly scheduled flight from Pensacola, Florida, to Atlanta, Georgia. On July 6, 1996, the aircraft serving the flight, a McDonnell Douglas MD-88, was on takeoff roll from Runway 17 at Pensacola when it experienced an uncontained, catastrophic turbine engine failure that caused debris from the front compressor hub of the number one left engine to penetrate the left aft fuselage. The impact left two passengers dead and two severely injured; the two dead were a mother and son. The pilot aborted takeoff and the airplane stopped on the runway. Three other passengers sustained minor injuries during the emergency evacuation. Most of the passengers were traveling on vacation. [1]
The aircraft involved was an 8-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-88 registered as N927DA. [2] It was built in April 1988 and delivered to Delta in November the same year. The aircraft was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 turbofan engines. It had 22,031 flight hours and 18,826 take off and landing cycles at the time of the accident. [3]:8–13
The 40-year-old captain had been with Delta Air Lines since 1979, having previously flown for a commuter airline. He had 12,000 flight hours, including 2,300 hours on the MD-88. The 37-year-old first officer had been with Delta since 1990, having logged 6,500 flight hours, with 500 on them on the MD-88. The first officer had previously been a United States Air Force pilot. [3]:6–8
During the pre-flight inspection, the first officer noted a few drops of oil coming from the "bullet" or tip of the number one (left) engine, although it was said to be "not that serious". The first officer also noticed a couple of missing rivets on the left wing. The pilot told National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators that both problems were observed as non-threatening and that the aircraft was airworthy; therefore, maintenance was not informed. [3]
At 2:23 pm CDT, Delta flight 1288 was cleared for takeoff on Runway 17. As the first officer was advancing the throttles and reaching an airspeed of 40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph), the cockpit lost lighting and instrumentation. The rear cabin passengers and flight crew heard a very loud bang and experienced a blast-like sensation. The pilot then ended takeoff by bringing the throttle to idle and engaging the brake, which brought the aircraft to an eventual stop without use of reversers or spoilers. [3]
Once the aircraft stopped, the first officer attempted to contact the tower; however, he was unable due to the cockpit's lack of power. The flight crew then activated emergency power, contacted Pensacola tower, and declared an emergency. The cockpit's jump-seat passenger, an off-duty Delta Boeing 767 pilot deadheading with the fellow cockpit crew members, went to inspect the rear of the aircraft. When the first officer saw the over-wing exits open and about half of the passengers missing along with hearing engine noise, he returned to the cockpit and advised the captain to shut down the engines. At 2:27 pm CDT the pilot requested emergency medical assistance due to the jump-seat passenger's report of a large hole in the fuselage, engine debris throughout the cabin, and injured passengers. He then reported there was no evidence of smoke or fire in the cabin, and that the rear cabin door had been opened and the emergency slide was inflated. The flight attendant who initiated the evacuation through that door told the NTSB that she saw fire on the left engine and therefore abandoned evacuation through that door and directed passengers forward. She reported that there were many injuries and possibly two dead, and that therefore she began to evacuate the plane until she was stopped by the first officer. Due to the damage to and danger at the rear of the aircraft, the air stairs built into the MD-88 were found unsuitable to use. The captain then requested portable air stairs to facilitate the disembarkation of passengers, which arrived 25 minutes later. [3]
Two passengers suffered fatal injuries. [4] Five more passengers were injured, one of them was listed in serious condition. [5]
After a total investigation, the NTSB determined the most probable cause of the accident was a fracture in the left engine's front compressor fan hub, which resulted from failure of the airline's fluorescent penetrant inspection process to detect a potentially dangerous crack in the fan which originated from the engine's initial manufacture. The NTSB also attributed the accident to the failure of Delta's maintenance team to discover the problem. [3]
As of April 2018, the FAA reports the aircraft involved in the accident was repaired and returned to service with Delta under the same registration N927DA. [6][7] The aircraft was withdrawn from use by Delta on August 10, 2018. [8]
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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1902 World Figure Skating Championships
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The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. The competition took place on 13 February in London, United Kingdom. It was assumed that only men would compete in the event, and just four skaters participated. However, one of them was a woman, Madge Syers-Cave. After the competition, the winner, Ulrich Salchow, delighted with Syers, presented her with the gold medal he had just won. [1] At the time, the International Skating Union rules did not specify that only men are allowed to participate. In the following year, rules were changed and separate championships for females and males were introduced. However, it was several years before the ladies' event first took place in 1906. The 1902 championships were the first to hold a pairs competition alongside the singles. The title of "world champions" and medals were not awarded, since the only pair to enter were Madge Syers / Edgar Syers of United Kingdom. [2]
Judges:
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Sports Competition
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2019 Albania earthquake
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Northwestern Albania was struck by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake with an epicentre 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) west-southwest of Mamurras, at 03:54 CET (UTC+1) on 26 November 2019. [7][8] The earthquake lasted at least 50 seconds and was felt in Albania's capital Tirana, and in places as far away as Bari, Taranto and Belgrade,[9] 370 kilometres (230 mi) northeast of the epicentre. The maximum felt intensity was VIII (Severe) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. A total of 51 people were killed in the earthquake, with about 3,000 injured. [5][6] It was the second earthquake to strike the region in the space of three months. [10][11] It was the strongest earthquake to hit Albania in more than 40 years, its deadliest earthquake in 99 years[12][8][13] and the world's deadliest earthquake in 2019. Albania lies across the convergent boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the Adriatic Plate, part of the complex collision zone with the African Plate. The structure of the western part of Albania is dominated by active thrust tectonics. The region is seismically active, with several M ≥ 6 earthquakes in the last hundred years. In 1979, the largest of these events struck 70 kilometres (43 mi) further north, in Montenegro, killing 136 people (101 in Montenegro and 35 in Albania). [14][7] A significant earthquake in the area was an M 5.6 event on 21 September 2019 with an epicentre ENE of Durrës, which was at the time the most powerful in 30 years and damaged 500 houses. [15][10] That epicenter was only 15 kilometers away from Tirana to the Northwest. [16] The epicenter of the 2019 Albania earthquake was about 30 kilometers from Tirana to the Northwest. [17] So, it is very probable that the 21 September 2019 event was the largest foreshock of the earthquake, as according to the empirical Bath's Law, the maximum foreshock (or aftershock) is supposed to be smaller than the main shock by 1.2 time. [18] As far as this assumption is valid, most if not all what had recognised as hundreds of aftershock[19] actually were foreshocks of this earthquake. The earthquake had magnitude of 6.4 Mww, according to the ANSS Comprehensive Catalog. The observed focal mechanism is consistent with reverse movement on a NW-SE trending fault, parallel to the known thrust faults in the area. The maximum perceived intensity was VIII (severe) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale (MMI). [7] Modelling using a combination of data from the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and interferometric synthetic-aperture radar (InSAR) provides further constraints on the fault that moved during the earthquake. This suggests that the rupture plane had a dip of 23° to the east-northeast at a depth of about 16.5 km. The estimated displacement on this thrust fault is 0.55 m over a rupture with dimensions 22 km x 13 km. [20] The mainshock was detected also via crowdsourcing by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, where seismologists observed a surge in the LastQuake app launches and lately collected up to 58,125 reports on the event from the earthquake eyewitnesses. [21]
By 1 December, there had been 1,300 aftershocks. [22] As of 02:00 (UTC) 27 January 2020[update] there had been five aftershocks that were greater than M 5.0 and a further forty-five between M 4 and 5. [23][10] The largest aftershock occurred at 07:08 CET (UTC+1), less than four hours after the mainshock, with a magnitude of M 5.4. This event caused shaking of intensity VII (very strong). [24]
The damage was mostly in the large port city of Durrës and the village of Kodër-Thumanë, which are near the epicentre of the earthquake. [59] Two hotels and two apartment blocks collapsed in Durrës. [59][60] Four buildings, including a five-storey apartment block, collapsed in Kodër-Thumanë and the town was hardest hit from the earthquake. [59][60] The town of Laç was extensively damaged. [61] A state of emergency lasting 30 days was declared by the Albanian government for Durrës, Thumanë and Tirana and later extended to Lezhë and Laç. [62][61][63] In accordance with the Albanian constitution regarding an emergency situation, the Albanian parliament granted Prime Minister Edi Rama state of emergency powers to deal with earthquake aftermath. [64] Aftershocks followed that shook structures ruined during the earthquake and caused concern among locals. [10] Subsequently numerous homes were no longer safe to reside in. [63]
Prime Minister Edi Rama converses with a displaced person
EU officials meeting displaced people
Members of the Albanian army involved in relief work
Emergency tents prepared for displaced people at the stadium in Durrës
Displaced people housed in emergency tents
Albanian soldiers, numbering in the hundreds, and some 2,000 Albanian police officers were dispatched to the earthquake affected localities of Thumanë, Durrës, and the nearby wider area. [65] They were tasked to assist with the rescue operation and the installation of shelter facilities for displaced people. [65] Three hundred emergency tents to shelter some 1,000 people were erected at a sportsfield within Thumanë and close to a stadium in Durrës. [66][60] Albanian troops working with limited resources rescued people from debris of collapsed structures and they were assisted by 250 troops from the United States and various European countries. [13]
As the last severe earthquake in Albania was in 1979, it lacked expertise in rescue operations. [67] Subsequently, rescue crews with specialised equipment, sniffer dogs and emergency supplies came to Albania from neighbouring countries and other European nations to help in the search efforts and provide for those left homeless. [68][67] In total, people from foreign countries involved in search and rescue numbered 670. [69] Many homeless people in Kodër-Thumanë spent two nights in tents, refusing to stay in hotels on the Adriatic Sea. Special forces (RENEA) continued searching for several people that were reported missing, and at least 45 individuals were rescued alive from the rubble. [70]
The aftershocks, some of which were quite large, made it difficult for the search and rescue teams. Albania's Minister of Health Ogerta Manastirliu initially announced over 900 injuries, of which 731 were treated at the hospitals in Tirana and Durrës alone. [61] Reports from the Ministry of Health stated that care was provided for 62 injured people who were in a stable condition, with the exception of 3 people in intensive care. [71] Later, official information from the government confirmed 51 people were killed in the earthquake - 25 in Durrës, 25 in Thumanë, and 1 in Lezhë. [5] Among the deceased were 7 children aged between 2-8. [61] Following the earthquake an additional 2 people from Kurbin died, one from their injuries in hospital and another through suicide, due to posttraumatic stress. [5] In the aftermath of the event, 5,200 locals were without any shelter.
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Earthquakes
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Trump administration notifies U.N. of withdrawal from World Health Organization
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by: Associated Press, Kareen Wynter The Trump administration has formally notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, although the pullout won’t take effect until next year, meaning it could be rescinded under a new administration or if circumstances change. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said he would reverse the decision on his first day in office if elected. The withdrawal notification makes good on President Donald Trump’s vow in late May to terminate U.S. participation in the WHO, which he has harshly criticized for its response to the coronavirus pandemic and accused of bowing to Chinese influence. The move was immediately assailed by health officials and critics of the administration, including numerous Democrats who said it would cost the U.S. influence in the global arena. Biden has said in the past he supports the WHO and pledged Tuesday to rejoin the WHO if he defeats Trump in November. “Americans are safer when America is engaged in strengthening global health. On my first day as president, I will rejoin the WHO and restore our leadership on the world stage,” he said. Trump is trailing Biden in multiple polls and has sought to deflect criticism of his administration’s handling of the virus by aggressively attacking China and the WHO. The withdrawal notice was sent to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday and will take effect in a year, on July 6, 2021, the State Department and the United Nations said on Tuesday. The State Department said the U.S. would continue to seek reform of the WHO, but referred to Trump’s June 15 response when asked if the administration might change its mind. “I’m not reconsidering, unless they get their act together, and I’m not sure they can at this point,” Trump said. Guterres, in his capacity as depositary of the 1946 WHO constitution, “is in the process of verifying with the World Health Organization whether all the conditions for such withdrawal are met,” his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said. Under the terms of the withdrawal, the U.S. must meet its financial obligations to the WHO before it can be finalized. The U.S., which is the agency’s largest donor and provides it with more than $450 million per year, currently owes the WHO some $200 million in current and past dues. On May 29, less than two weeks after warning the WHO that it had 30 days to reform or lose U.S. support, Trump announced his administration was leaving the organization due to what he said was its inadequate response to the initial outbreak of the coronavirus in China’s Wuhan province late last year. The president said in a White House announcement that Chinese officials “ignored” their reporting obligations to the WHO and pressured the organization to mislead the public about an outbreak that has now killed more than 130,000 Americans. “We have detailed the reforms that it must make and engaged with them directly, but they have refused to act,” Trump said at the time. “Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating the relationship.” The withdrawal notification was widely denounced as misguided, certain to undermine an important institution that is leading vaccine development efforts and drug trials to address the COVID-19 outbreak. The Republican chairman of Senate health committee, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, said he disagreed with the decision. “Certainly there needs to be a good, hard look at mistakes the World Health Organization might have made in connection with coronavirus, but the time to do that is after the crisis has been dealt with, not in the middle of it,” he said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned the move. “The President’s official withdrawal of the U.S. from the World Health Organization is an act of true senselessness,” she said in a tweet. “With millions of lives at risk, the president is crippling the international effort to defeat the virus.” And the top the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, said calling Trump’s “response to COVID chaotic and incoherent doesn’t do it justice. This won’t protect American lives or interests — it leaves Americans sick and America alone.” UN Foundation President Elizabeth Cousens called the move “short-sighted, unnecessary, and unequivocally dangerous. WHO is the only body capable of leading and coordinating the global response to COVID-19. Terminating the U.S. relationship would undermine the global effort to beat this virus — putting all of us at risk.” The ONE Campaign, which supports international health projects, called it an “astounding action” that jeopardizes global health. “Withdrawing from the World Health Organization amidst an unprecedented global pandemic is an astounding action that puts the safety of all Americans and the world at risk. The U.S. should use its influence to strengthen and reform the WHO, not abandon it at a time when the world needs it most,” ONE president Gayle Smith said.
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Withdraw from an Organization
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WHO is setting up a hub in South Africa
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World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference in Geneva Switzerland July 3, 2020. Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via REUTERS GENEVA, June 21 (Reuters) - The WHO is setting up a hub in South Africa to give companies from poor and middle-income countries the know-how and licenses to produce COVID-19 vaccines, in what President Cyril Ramaphosa called an historic step to spread lifesaving technology. The "tech transfer hub" could make it possible for African companies to begin manufacturing mRNA vaccines - the advanced technology now used in shots from Pfizer and Moderna - in as little as 9-12 months, the World Health Organization said. It announced two companies had signed up so far, and said it was in talks with Pfizer and Moderna about participating. "Through this initiative we will change the narrative of an Africa that is a centre of disease and poor development," said Ramaphosa, speaking by video link at the WHO press conference where the programme was launched. The WHO has long been calling for rich countries to share vaccine technology. The initiative to help African countries produce vaccines is especially urgent at a time when cases and deaths on the continent have increased by almost 40% over the past week. "Today I am delighted to announce that WHO is in discussions with a consortium of companies and institutions to establish a technology transfer hub in South Africa," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference. In a statement, the WHO described the hub as a training facility, "where the technology is established at industrial scale and clinical development performed. Interested manufacturers from low- and middle-income countries can receive training and any necessary licenses to the technology." The two South African companies participating so far were Afrigen Biologics, described as a development company, and Biovac, described as a manufacturer. WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said the WHO was in negotiations with Pfizer (PFE.N) and Moderna , which have both produced vaccines widely used in rich countries using new mRNA technology, which sends instructions into the body to make proteins that trigger an immune response. "We could even expect to see within 9 to 12 months vaccines being produced in Africa, in South Africa," Swaminathan said. Ramaphosa said the development was "historic", but South Africa was also still pushing separately for a waiver to intellectual property rules governing COVID-19 vaccines.
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Organization Established
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Desert locust attack in Abu Dhabi controlled
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The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) surveyed 200,967 donums to monitor and track the migration of desert locusts across border regions adjacent to the UAE during 2020. India: Kamal Haasan ‘recovering well’ from Covid-19 infection, says da... ADAFSA’s control teams sprayed about 85,948 donums of infested regions using the recommended pesticides, to reduce desert locust’s impact on crops and production. For nearly two-and-a-half months, ADAFSA’s control teams continued efforts in controlling desert locusts since spotting it in Dalma Island’s farms, on February 22, 2020. This put ADAFSA on high alert to combat any swarms coming from locust breeding areas in the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea coasts. Groups of locusts have been detected entering several areas in Al Dhafra (Al-Sila - Ras Mushaireb - Ras Ghamis), Ghayathi (Al Nazrah), and Ghweifat (the border strip with KSA). Meanwhile, control teams also monitored locusts’ first existence in Al Ain region (border strip with the Sultanate of Oman - Umm Zmul - Al-Dhahirah - Al-Arad - Al-Wagan - Al-Awya - Al-Qou` - Boukariya - Al-Ain Al-Faida). In addition to controlling locusts in the western regions (As-Salamat - Siraa - Al-Anka - Al-Dumtha- Sweihan), ADAFSA’s teams also surveyed the northern areas (Umm Ghafa - Al-Hayer - Masaken - Al-Shuwaib). According to the desert locust situation report 2020, about 107,285 donums were surveyed in Al Ain, accounting for 53.4 per cent of the total surveyed area at the emirate level, while control operations covered 73,930 donums, 86 per cent of the total area on which locusts were combated. Meanwhile, about 83,439 donums were surveyed in Al Dhafra region (41.5 per cent), and locusts were controlled in 74.27 donums (8.6%). For Abu Dhabi regions, the total surveyed area reached 5.1 per cent, while areas witnessed control operations represented 5.4%. Additionally, 125 engineers and 144 workers participated in control operations, while 72 vehicles used in spraying locusts. Aside from the pre-emptive survey, ADAFSA received 1,813 reports from farm owners to provide assistance in controlling locusts, including 1,618 reports from Al Ain farms, 126 reports from Al Dhafra farms, and 69 reports from Abu Dhabi farms. Advertisement In this regard, Mubarak Ali Al Qusaili Al Mansouri, Executive Director of Agricultural Affairs Sector at ADAFSA, said, "Upon the migration of locusts from breeding areas on the coast of the Red Sea, ADAFSA tracked swarms movement to control their spread. Therefore, ADAFSA has coordinated with various government entities to reduce desert locust’s impact on crops and production." Al Mansouri noted that ADAFSA is just responsible for combating locusts in farm areas, especially across border regions, while Abu Dhabi municipalities conduct control operations in forests and other areas. He stressed that locusts’ survey and control operations are carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, the Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center – Tadweer, and municipalities of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra. "Desert locusts pose a threat to crops and farm production, as their swarms can devour large amounts of vegetation. Therefore, controlling locusts is a shared responsibility between relevant government entities and farm owners," Al Mansouri stated. Last year, ADAFSA has succeeded in controlling the spread of locust swarms in cooperation with various relevant government entities, by intensifying control efforts and increasing farmers' awareness about the safe ways to combat these insects, Al Mansouri indicated. Furthermore, Al Mansouri highlighted the important role played by ADAFSA’s 27 agricultural extension centres in controlling locusts, by providing support and technical guidance for farmers to apply the best practices for eliminating such insects. Moreover, the centers have coordinated with relevant government entities in detecting any locust swarms migrating to Abu Dhabi borders. Al Mansouri added that ADAFSA’s control teams supported efforts of about 1,813 farm owners, who reported the existence of locusts in their farms, in controlling these insects. He expressed happiness for farmers’ confidence in ADAFSA’s efforts to protect their farms from locusts and develop the agricultural sector. Desert locusts come to the UAE from the Red Sea coasts, where they migrate in swarms extending for several kilometers to Saudi Arabia, and then to the UAE, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and India. These insects are characterised by superior ability to fly and move from one continent to another, as they attack agricultural areas during their migration. In addition, locust swarms can devour large amounts of vegetation and crops, thus causing severe crop damage.
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Insect Disaster
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Funding for students during the COVID-19 pendemic
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Wittenberg University will disburse $2,257,383 million in total funding to students as part of the Higher Education Relief Fund III & the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 through the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The funds that were allocated for immediate student distribution were provided to offset any costs that students may have incurred during the global health pandemic. They were released beginning Sept. 20. This funding, as per federal guidelines, is provided to students who are eligible for Title IV federal financial aid as defined by the FAFSA and is provided to offset any costs that may have incurred in this new learning environment. The formula that the U.S. Department of Education used to determine the funds available for Wittenberg students is based on the number of Pell-eligible students enrolled and the University’s total enrollment. Based on student eligibility parameters, awards ranged from $325 to $2,850. Wittenberg-based award determinations used the following parameters: enrollment status, FAFSA filing status, and Pell grant eligibility. All currently enrolled students were reviewed for funding consideration. For additional details click here. Wittenberg will disburse funds to qualifying students automatically in the next few days via the refund preference selected through BankMobile on the Wittenberg OneCard managed through Student Accounts. Once the funds have been disbursed, students will receive a confirmation email from BankMobile. Students were also able to elect to use the funds to pay current student billing account balances. Copies of the student authorizations to maintain funds on student accounts is held within the Office of Student Accounts. No funds were set aside for future use. “Wittenberg University has spent the last several weeks preparing for the release of funds from the U.S. Department of Education,” said Amy Barnhart, director of financial aid. “We reviewed every enrolled student for funding consideration, and we wanted to be sure that awards from this round of federal funding would have an immediate impact on our students and their families.” This is a one-time funding being made from federal funds and is not considered financial aid. The disbursement is designed to prioritize students with the greatest demonstrated need and ensure that funds are distributed as widely as possible. The ARP Act is one of the many ways that Wittenberg is addressing the needs of students during this health crisis. During an assessment of student eligibility, Wittenberg determined that 1,301 currently enrolled students met the criteria set by ARP/ED. FAFSA data as of Sept. 17, 2021, was used to determine demonstrated financial need. Additionally, the following metrics were used to determine student eligibility: The global health crisis presents a challenge unlike anything Wittenberg has faced in modern times – an unprecedented challenge that changes daily and has no definitive end. Tigers coming together as one can help Wittenberg continue to serve the needs of the campus community. To stay up-to-date on Wittenberg’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, click here. Wittenberg's curriculum has centered on the liberal arts as an education that develops the individual's capacity to think, read, and communicate with precision, understanding, and imagination. We are dedicated to active, engaged learning in the core disciplines of the arts and sciences and in pre-professional education grounded in the liberal arts. Known for the quality of our faculty and their teaching, Wittenberg has more Ohio Professors of the Year than any four-year institution in the state. The university has also been recognized nationally for excellence in community service, sustainability, and intercollegiate athletics. Located among the beautiful rolling hills and hollows of Springfield, Ohio, Wittenberg offers more than 100 majors, minors and special programs, enviable student-faculty research opportunities, a unique student success center, service and study options close to home and abroad, a stellar athletics tradition, and successful career preparation.
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Financial Aid
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Harald Reichenbach is preserving ocean waste in cubes to keep the issue in sight
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Marseille, Colombia, Vanuatu, Galapagos: the list of places to where Harald Reichenbach has travelled to salvage ocean waste could fill an atlas.
In each location he has collected some unusual souvenirs.
The Swiss artist has been collecting marine waste, strewn over beaches or blanketing oceans, and converting it into cubes. It's part of a worldwide mission to shift attitudes towards a global problem, tracing the production of plastic in industrialised cities to the marine areas it winds up.
"It's very, very frustrating and tiring to see that all the romanticism of going to a beach, for me, has gone," he said.
Today, his efforts to raise awareness about ocean waste have brought him before an audience several dozen schoolchildren in Darwin.
He hopes the cubes, smooth relics of compressed trash, will become tools of change among younger generations. "As long as we look at it being trash, you can't use it, then it will remain everywhere," Mr Reichenbach said.
"But as soon as they realise that you can do something with worth out of it, then they have a different approach to garbage."
The students have taken to local beaches to help Mr Reichenbach gather aluminium, domestic and plastic waste.
The local beaches were too clean to make the 10 cubes they've set about creating, so more was brought in from the Whitsundays.
Mr Reichenbach said this was part of a pattern he had noticed in his travels.
Remote areas — even those with organised rubbish management systems, such as the Galapagos Islands — are incapacitated by waves of waste that isn't theirs.
"It was thrown away for years and it's travelling long, long ways in the seas by currents and winds," Mr Reichenbach said.
"It ends up, especially, on these remote islands where no trash is produced itself."
The collected trash is melted and compressed; the jagged objects are then filled in with resin until they are smooth, perfect cubes.
Mr Reichenbach will ship some of them overseas to be assembled into a larger work that will contain 1,000 cubes of garbage from around the world. "It will be a cube of one cubic metre of garbage — one tonne," he said.
"I will show it together with the photos of the beaches where it comes from to show where the problem really is."
"I think it's good because they're putting all the rubbish together and making good use out of it," Olly, one of the students, said.
"It's quite important to clear the beaches because the animals and sea life will eat the rubbish and that will damage the animals," another added.
Bubbling away beneath Mr Reichenbach's plan is a desire to highlight problems that are out of sight and mind for humans.
"It's a symbol as well: the conservation of this shame that is happening," Mr Reichenbach explained.
"I go to get garbage from lonesome beaches, where it comes from far away, and that means when I go with the show back to London, for instance, then I can tell young people, 'Look, your grandfather threw that 40 years earlier into the sea'.
"I went to get it, to bring it back and say, 'You are responsible'." We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
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Environment Pollution
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Ebola Resource Center
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A genetic analysis has linked a new Ebola outbreak in Guinea to the West African Ebola epidemic that ended in 2016. “It's been 5 years since the outbreak occurred in West Africa, and this shows us a lot about what we need to learn about the dynamics of transmission, and also further understanding how Ebola virus disease works or understand the pathogenesis of the virus,” Krutika Kuppalli, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at the Medical University of South Carolina, vice chair of the Infectious Diseases Society of America Global Health Committee, and emerging leader in biosecurity fellow at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Healio. “We don't know if the person who got it was exposed to someone who previously had it or if maybe they had been previously infected and had a reemergence of the disease. Maybe they had a mild infection before,” Kuppalli said. “I think it shows us that there is a lot that we still need to learn about the disease, the pathogenesis and the transmission dynamics of it.” According to a pre-publication post on Virological.org, the current outbreak was caused by the Makona strain of Zaire ebolavirus — the same one that caused the West African epidemic, which infected more than 28,000 people and killed more than 11,300 in the largest outbreak of the disease ever. In the post, researchers reported discovering shared mutations between the virus at the center of the current outbreak and the one that caused the epidemic years ago, “mak[ing] it unlikely that the new cases are a result of a new spillover from the animal reservoir, but instead are directly linked to human cases in the 2013-2016 West Africa Ebola virus disease outbreak.” The first potential cases in the new outbreak were reported in late January, and health officials declared an outbreak shortly after. It was the first outbreak in the region since the West African epidemic. Around the same time last month, WHO declared a separate outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Feb. 7. As of March 14, 18 cases and nine deaths have been reported in the Guinea outbreak, and 12 cases and five deaths in the DRC outbreak. According to WHO, vaccinations have been ongoing in both outbreak zones, with 3,176 people vaccinated to date in Guinea and 1,475 in the DRC. Kuppalli said flare ups linked to past outbreaks can stir up issues among Ebola survivors. “This has huge implications in terms of potential stigma for them. This could lead to kind of a new round of stigma if people are worried about being around people who previously had Ebola and getting it from them,” Kuppalli said. “That's something we have to think about as well and be very cognizant of. That's another reason why we need to really understand what happened here.” Kuppalli said the results of the analysis further demonstrate just how much more research is needed on Ebola and other emerging diseases. “There's always going to be a curveball, there's always going to be new information,” Kuppalli said. “It’s another example of why it's so important to invest in understanding these infections and why it's important to invest in developing these survivor cohorts and other similar things.”
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Disease Outbreaks
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Air West Flight 612 crash
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Air West Flight 612 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by Air West between Khartoum, Sudan and Al-Fashir. [3] On January 24, 2007, with 103 people on board, the flight, operated by a Boeing 737, was hijacked shortly after takeoff by a male individual. [3][4] The plane landed safely at N'Djamena, Chad, where the hijacker surrendered. [3]
On the day of the hijacking the plane had an entirely Sudanese passenger complement, the only exceptions being a British citizen and an Italian military attaché. Mohamed Abdu Altif (also referred to as Mohamed Abdelatif Mahamat[5]), a 26-year-old from Al-Fashir, in North Darfur, entered the cockpit of the aircraft at 09:00 local time (0600 UTC), approximately half an hour after takeoff from Khartoum International Airport. He ordered the pilot to fly to Rome, Italy and then on to London, England. [4][6] It was originally mistakenly reported that his weapon was an AK-47 assault rifle,[7] but subsequent reports stated that the weapon was in fact a handgun. [6]
After the pilot explained that there was not enough fuel on board to reach London, he agreed to fly to Chad. [6] He made no threats or other communication to the passengers, none of whom became aware the aircraft had been hijacked. [6] When the aircraft entered Chadian airspace it was met by French Mirage F-1 fighter jets stationed in N'Djamena,[8] which escorted the plane until it landed at N'Djamena International Airport at 0830 UTC, where it was immediately surrounded by Chadian troops. [4] Twenty minutes of negotiations followed,[4] after which the hijacker allowed all the occupants of the aircraft to leave before surrendering. [8]
The passengers and crew subsequently re-boarded the aircraft, which then returned to Khartoum International at 22:00 local time (1900 UTC). [8] The Sudanese Minister of Justice requested that Interpol hand over Muhammed, a Sudanese national, so that he could be charged with terrorism, posing a threat to passenger safety, and illegal possession of arms. [9] Chad further announced an intention to prosecute him. [6]
Chad's infrastructure minister, Adoum Younousmi, later said: “Chad is not a terrorist haven. He is a terrorist and we will take him to court”. [10] A Chadian official subsequently identified him as being “close to” the Justice and Equality Movement rebel group. [8] Sudan's Civil Aviation Authority also formed a separate committee specifically to investigate how Muhammed was able to pass through security undetected. [8]
After Mohammed's arrest, he was taken to the headquarters for the National Security Agency for interrogation. [8] There, he revealed his motives for the hijacking. He wanted to draw attention to the conflict in Darfur, stating: “I wanted to attract national and international opinion to what's happening in Darfur." He said that wanted to go first to Rome, and then to the United Kingdom to seek asylum. [8] “I'm neither a rebel nor in the opposition, but the Sudanese government is exterminating the population by creating conflicts among different communities and saying that it's just an internal, communal problem,” he said. [8]
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Air crash
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The Liangzhu archeological site, hailed as one of the most important relic sites of the Neolithic Age in China
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Among the exquisite jade objects unearthed at the Fanshan site, there is a unique type, shaped like trident. The Liangzhu archeological site, hailed as one of the most important relic sites of the Neolithic Age in China, is a window to one of the world's oldest civilizations. Named after the locale where its evidence was first discovered, Liangzhu Culture dates back as much as 5,000 years and is thought to have lasted about 1,000 years. In Yuhang District of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, the core area of Liangzhu Culture, the Archeological Ruins of Liangzhu City are listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The ancient culture showcases the significance of Yangtze River basin in the origin of Chinese civilization. Experts believe that Liangzhu is an early regional state with a unified belief system based on rice cultivation. The site was initially excavated by Shi Xingeng who worked at West Lake Museum in Zhejiang Province, predecessor of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, in 1936. Shi was not a professional archeologist, but an assistant at the department of natural science. In May 1935, Shi participated in the excavation of a site in the Gudang area of Hangzhou. A stone axe with holes found there captured Shi's attention as he had seen similar ones in his hometown Liangzhu Town. Grave-robbing was prevalent in his hometown. Many stone and pottery shards were scattered around the holes dug by grave robbers. With the support of Dong Yumao, curator of the West Lake Museum, Shi led three rounds of excavation in Liangzhu Town from December 1936 to March 1937. A large number of relics including stoneware and pottery shards were found, proving the existence of an ancient civilization. The Lugou Bridge Incident, a battle between the Chinese army and Japanese invaders on July 7, 1937, suspended his research. After many setbacks, Shi published the book "Liangzhu" in Shanghai in 1938. However, he died of scarlet fever one year later. In 1959, the term "Liangzhu Culture" was proposed by distinguished archeologist Xia Nai. The discovery of Liangzhu Culture gives solid physical evidence that Chinese civilization extends back 5,000 years. Experts divide the Archeological Ruins of Liangzhu City into three areas: The central area is a palace site that spans 30 hectares, which was surrounded by the walled area spanning around 300 hectares. Outside of the walled area, remains are found over about 800 hectares. To the north and west lies the ancient hydraulic system, which comprised 11 dams. Archeologists also found sacrificial altars on Yaoshan Mountain and Huiguan Mountain. Liangzhu Culture is considered one of the most important Neolithic jade cultures in China. Tremendous jade artifacts have been unearthed. They were designed into various forms, such as cong, or tube, bi, or disc, and yue, or axe. Instead of practical utensils, the objects are closely associated with burial rites. The sacrificial vessels were often buried with the dead. On the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Liangzhu site, archeologists found 11 tombs, which experts suggested belonged to the nobility, at the Fanshan site in Liangzhu Old City. The tombs were about 3 meters long, 2 meters wide and 1.3 meters deep. More than 3,500 relics were unearthed, including pottery, stoneware, ivory artifacts, lacquerware and jade objects. The number of jade objects accounted for more than 90 percent. Among the exquisite jade objects, there is a unique type, shaped like trident. They were often placed on the occupants' heads. Experts believe the trident was a headpiece placed on the crown or attached to hair. They always coexisted with jade yue. It suggested the instruments were used to memorialize the ruling class, which revealed Liangzhu Culture was highly stratified. The lower end of the jade trident plaques is arc-shaped whilst the middle prong is parallel to or lower than the prongs on two sides. Some jade trident plaques are carved with the highly stylized patterns of birds and beasts on one side and a few are carved on two sides. Relic M14:135, for example, is embellished with finely engraved zoomorphic masks, which feature a pair of eyes detailed by swirls encircling two sockets, on the middle part. On its left and right sides are the patterns of birds, which are also incised with spiral lines. The plaques has attracted much speculation. Some experts like Liu Bin, director of Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology, think that the object is an embodiment of a bird, which Liangzhu people worshiped. People can get a look at the unique cultural relics at the Liangzhu Museum and the Zhejiang Provincial Museum.
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New archeological discoveries
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Turkish Airlines Flight 301 crash
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The 1974 Turkish Airlines Izmir crash occurred on January 26, 1974 when a Turkish Airlines Fokker F28-1000 Fellowship airliner, registration TC-JAO, named Van, on a domestic flight in Turkey from Izmir Cumaovası Airport (IZM) to Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport (IST/LTBA), stalled shortly after takeoff due to over-rotation and frost accretion on the wings, crashed, and caught fire. [1]
At around 7:30 local time (5:30 UTC), the aircraft took off on Runway 35, and became airborne. At a height of 8–10 m, it suddenly yawed left and pitched nose-down. The Fokker F28 struck the ground, hit a drainage ditch, skidded, disintegrated, and caught fire. [1] Clear pilot error in deciding to depart with an airframe having ice accumulation on the wings and vertical stabilizer caused the accident. [2]
It was the worst accident involving a Fokker F28 and second deadliest aviation accident in Turkey at that time. [1]
The aircraft had five crew and 68 passengers on board. Four crew and 62 passengers were killed in the accident. One crew member and six passengers survived. [1]
The aircraft, a Fokker F28 Fellowship 1000 with two Rolls-Royce RB183-2 "Spey" Mk555-15 turbofan jet engines, was built by Fokker with manufacturer serial number 11057. It made its first flight on September 5, 1972 and was delivered on January 13, 1973. [3]
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Air crash
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Kimberley teenager released from detention after spending 'weeks' in confinement
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A Kimberley boy who is believed to have spent "weeks at a time" in a confined cell at Western Australia's only juvenile detention facility has been released. The 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was first jailed in August over a violent crime wave across Broome, which saw him lead a group of children on a ram raid on the local post office, and a home invasion where a woman was threatened with a pair of scissors. Since June 2020, the boy has accrued a 15-page criminal history and most recently was charged with criminal damage while he was behind bars. The court heard the boy was in detention serving his latest sentence when the hours he spent in Banksia Hill's intensive supervision unit took its toll. His lawyer Paul Tobin told the court the boy was only allowed out for one hour a day, and he spent "weeks" locked in the unit. "It's extreme what he's been through over these five months … it's confinement of up to 23 hours a day," he said. "He's asking and asking, 'I need to get out', and he cracked." The boy climbed onto the roof of the detention centre with a friend in protest, and caused about $25,000 worth of damage to air conditioners, windows and aerial antennas before the riot was brought under control. Mr Tobin said the boy had since served his full sentence in detention, and had hoped he'd be allowed to return to his community of Djarindjin to live with his family. He said it was a credit to the boy he hadn't participated in a recent crime wave in Broome while out on bail, where there had been around 50 burglaries in a two-week period. During sentencing, Magistrate Stephen Sharratt said anyone with the boy's criminal history and tendency to re-offend needed to be looked at extremely closely before any decision was made about releasing him into the community. "I've jailed [the boy] in the past so people don't get their houses busted into," he said. "It's always been inevitable he'll do it again." Magistrate Sharratt pointed to the boy's diagnosis of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and said his level of comprehension registered as a six-year-old, meant it was difficult to sentence him over his reaction to his solitary confinement. "For reasons unknown, the staff put him virtually in isolation," he said. "I've been asked to sentence him over breaking up the prison … you can't have prisoners riot and them just getting nothing for it. "But for the first time I've got a bit of hope for [him]." The boy's aunty and nan had since volunteered to ease him back into the community, and his uncle, who Mr Tobin characterised as "extremely strict", said he was willing to take him under his wing. The boy would be away from the town centre of Broome, which Magistrate Sharratt recognised as being crucial to his rehabilitation. "[Going to Djarindjin] it's your country, it's your place, you've got a strict uncle, they're good for you, strict uncles," he said. "Get back to what you like, chasing turtles and dugongs, and get out of here instead of hanging around young thieves." He released the boy on a three-month supervision order, where he will need to report to police and stay within his family's care. "Don't run amok – live quietly," Magistrate Sharratt said.
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Release
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Seguin rallies around Navarro High senior diagnosed with testicular cancer
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But one Navarro High School football and baseball player had no idea his body was dealing with something serious until he was checked for an unrelated injury. Now, the City of Seguin has rallied around him as he fights testicular cancer.
Triston Brashears Cervantes donned #8 for the Navarro Panthers for his senior year, playing tight end, as well as occasionally filling in at defensive tackle and center. All of his life he was a strong, healthy kid.
During a football game this season, he was hit in the testicles. It hurt, but he didn’t want to go to the doctor. He felt fine.
A month later, he was hit again in the same area. This time it felt painful, but they didn’t go to the doctor. The next day, the 18-year-old sustained a concussion during football practice.
“That’s actually why I ended up taking him to the doctor,” Triston’s mom, Amber Brashears, tells KENS 5.
The teen's CT scan was clear, but a doctor who examined his testicles sent him to get an ultrasound.
“It’s certainly a shock. You go in (to get checked) for a concussion and you leave with testicular cancer," Brashears said. "It’s really rocked our world."
Her son had surgery to remove the mass in his left testicle, although cancer had already spread to lymph nodes in his abdomen and nodules in the right lung.
“My football season is over, but right now, obviously, (there are) more important things to worry about, like getting through chemo and making sure I’m healed and recovered,” Brashears Cervantes said.
His doctors said his strong health is both a blessing and a curse.
“(The doctor) said if he wouldn’t have been in such great shape, then we would’ve found the cancer sooner before it spread, so that part’s not great," Brashears said. "But they also said his body will handle the chemo much better."
The entire town is rallying around the teen. Purple ribbons have been tied to the football signs planted outside Navarro High School, with a sign reading “Strong” with a capital "T." T, or "T-Bone," are Triston’s nicknames.
Word of the diagnosis also spread to first responders at Fire Station No. 2, including Capt. Kevin Rhea. He says Amber Brashears was like a little sister to him growing up, and watched as her son grew up into the young man he is today.
“It’s his senior year, and to be dealt with something like this, we just are trying to show our support,” Rhea said. “He’s busted his tail, he’ll get through this. He’s strong and tough as nails but he needs to know we’re all rallying around him."
Brashears’s friend, Asst. Chief “Rusty” Suarez at the Seguin Police Department, decided to start a No Shave November campaign in hopes to raise money for the family.
“With treatment comes any cost and expense, whether it be travel, lodging or meals, so, you know, just to make their load a little easier is what we want to accomplish,” Suarez said.
The healthy competition between the departments is generating some friendly smack talk between them.
“(Seguin) PD can grow a beard, but they can’t grow a mustache like we can,” Rhea said.
“They’re in it to win it; they have some good-looking mustaches,” Suarez responded by saying.
The Brashears family says they want to thank the departments for their contributions.
“We’re very grateful for them stepping up and wanting to do this for us, it’s just unimaginable how the community has rallied around us, my son and his father,” she says.
Triston wants others in his shoes to stay strong.
“Don’t give up. Once you give up it’s over, you never want to give up with something like this.”
Brashears Cervantes says that he’s looking forward to getting back to playing sports and sharing his story of survival once he’s done with treatment.
At the end of the month, Seguin Police officers and firefighters will post the pictures of the contestants.
They encourage people to vote for their favorite mustache while donating to the family. You can read more about the fundraiser on the GoFundMe page.
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Famous Person - Sick
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Iowa Department of
Public Safety
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On Thursday, November 25, 2021, the Algona Police Department requested the assistance of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to investigate an officer-involved shooting which had occurred on the corner of Highway 169 and Norwood Drive in Algona.
The Algona Police Department responded to a disturbance call at the Super 8 Motel when officers encountered an individual, identified as Juan Cavazos, age 30. Cavazos failed to comply with officer’s commands and drove his vehicle toward an officer which resulted in the officer firing one round at Cavazos.
A pursuit then ensued with Cavazos, resulting in Cavazos losing control of his vehicle and crashing in rural Kossuth County. Cavazos was not injured as a result of the shooting incident however, sustained injuries due to the vehicle accident.
The officer has been identified as Algona Police Officer Grant Smith, who has been serving with the Algona Police Department since 2011.
Cavazos is currently facing the following charges and is being held at the Kossuth County Jail:
• Assault on a Peace Officer Using a Dangerous Weapon Class D Felony 708.3A(2)
• Attempted Burglary in the Second Degree Class D Felony 713.6
• Assault with Intent to Inflict Serious Injury Aggravated Misdemeanor 708.2(2)(1)
• Eluding – Injury, OWI, Drugs or Participate in Felony Class D Felony 321.279(3)(a)
• Operating While Under the Influence 1st Offense Serious Misdemeanor 321J.2(2)(a)
Upon completion of the investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the results of the investigation will be forwarded to the Kossuth County Attorney’s Office.
ABOUT THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the largest law enforcement agency in the state. It includes six divisions and several bureaus, all working together with local, state and federal government agencies and the private sector, to keep Iowa a safe place by following our core values: leadership, integrity, professionalism, courtesy, service and protection. Divisions within the Iowa DPS: Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa State Fire Marshal Division, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, and Administrative Services Division. The Department of Public Safety is led by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Governor.
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
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Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team plane crash
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The Oklahoma State University Cowboys basketball team plane crash occurred on January 27, 2001, at 19:37 EST, when a Beechcraft Super King Air 200, registration N81PF, carrying 2 players on the Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team along with 6 OSU broadcasters & members of the OSU coaching staff, crashed in a field 40 miles (64 km) east of Denver,[1] near Strasburg, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The pilot had become disoriented in a snow storm. [2] The plane was flying from Jefferson County Airport to Stillwater Regional Airport after the team's loss to the Colorado Buffaloes. The plane was carrying 2 crew members (pilot Denver Mills, and co-pilot Bjorn Fahlstrom) and eight passengers involved with Oklahoma State basketball. All ten individuals died. [1] Oklahoma State has a memorial erected to them, entitled "Remember the Ten", inside Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The ten victims were
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Air crash
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NIOSH: Prohibited Drilling Led to 2018 WI Blast in LODD
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According to the report, crews were called concerning a natural gas leak about a block away from the fire station. Once there, they encountered resistant civilians who were unwilling to leave the area, and the incident commander requested additional personnel.
Barr and several other firefighters entered a building near the suspected leak in an effort to control utilities in the basement. Just as the firefighters were leaving, the building exploded, killing Barr and injuring two others.
The NIOSH report listed the following factors that contributed to the explosion and line-of-duty death:
Prohibited directional boring by a sub-contractor for an underground utility
Natural gas leak caused by the boring that led to the explosion
Firefighters evacuating civilians lingering in the blast radius
Captain and crew entering a building previously evacuated during a primary search to control utilities.
The report also outlined the following recommendations:
Departments should consult 2020 Emergency Response Guidebook (USDOT 2020) and operate outside of a hot zone once civilians are clear.
Incident commanders should continually evaluate the risk versus gain when making operational decisions during evacuations.
Firefighters should be trained in situational awareness, personal safety and accountability.
Department members—especially those on hazmat teams—should be trained in the latest tactics and equipment for detecting and responding to hazardous material incidents, including gas leaks.
The report also recommended that municipalities should work with civilians to educate them on the dangers of gas leaks and the need to immediately evacuate when first responders direct them to do so.
Go to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's website to read the full report .
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Gas explosion
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First Nation's negotiations with Enbridge collapse over 2018 northern B.C. gas pipeline explosion
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Talks between the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation and Enbridge, over an October 2018 northern B.C. pipeline explosion, have collapsed.
Lheidli T'enneh Dayi (Chief) Clay Pountney says the First Nation's civil lawsuit against Enbridge, filed in Prince George Supreme Court in February 2019, will now proceed.
"The Enbridge brand has become synonymous with danger and mishap in our community," he said. "Enbridge says it is committed to safety and world-class standards, but we learned post-explosion and during the negotiations that these are empty promises."
The lawsuit seeks damages related to the pipeline rupture. The Lheidli T'enneh First Nation (LTFN) is also seeking an injunction ordering Enbridge to dismantle and remove approximately 140 kilometres of pipeline from Indigenous territory.
It says negotiations ended at Enbridge's request.
In a statement, Enbridge claimed the LTFN walked away and rejected offers of an impartial mediator.
"We have made several generous offers to the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation ... over the course of many months of negotiations," Enbridge stated. "However, the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation is looking for a settlement from Enbridge on matters beyond the incident itself and that aren't in our control or involve other parties."
In a statement of claim filed in court, Enbridge argued the entire lawsuit lacks merit.
In October 2019, a 36-inch (92-centimetre) diameter gas pipeline burst in the community of Shelley, B.C., sending a fireball into the air that could be seen from Prince George 15 kilometres to the southwest. Approximately 100 Lheidli T'enneh residents in the community fled their homes as a precaution after the explosion.
No injures were reported. But the Lheidli T'enneh say residents remain traumatized by the incident.
The Enbridge pipeline supplies 60 per cent of the natural gas consumed in B.C.'s Lower Mainland. The explosion created significant natural gas supply disruptions.
The Transportation Safety Board ruled the explosion was caused by stress cracks in the pipe, and found the company had improperly delayed a scheduled hazard management inspection that may have detected issues, and prevented the fiery blast from happening.
The Canada Energy Regulator handed Enbridge a $40,000 fine for failing to properly monitor the line.
with files from Nicole Oud
Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6 Toll-free (Canada only): 1-866-306-4636
TTY/Teletype writer: 1-866-220-6045
It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges.
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Gas explosion
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Robbinsville, NJ parents hold protest after COVID school closing
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Parents protesting the closure of Robbinsville High School because of a COVID-19 outbreak (Dennis N. Symons Jr) About 30 parents carried signs to protest the weeklong closure of Robbinsville High School and a temporary return to remote learning because of a COVID-19 outbreak. The school was closed on Friday afternoon and activities were abruptly canceled after a meeting with state health officials, according to superintendent Brian Betze. The school was expected to reopen after a week. Betze said Robbinsville has the most number of positive cases in Mercer County, including 22 at the high school. That's a spike from five cases at the school during the first week of classes. "After reviewing our numbers and the overall situation, they strongly advised us to close our high school for five school days immediately," Betze said in a message to the district. All other schools in the district are still open. This also led to the cancellation of some athletic contests mid-game, for which Betze apologized. "While we intended to ensure the safety of everyone involved, we should have been more sensitive to the impact of these actions. The buck stops with me, and you have my word that we can - and will - do better," Betze said. The games that were canceled will be rescheduled, according to the superintendent. Betze said that the high school will reopen on Monday. Some parents, however, are upset with the way Betze handled the situation and do not see the need for a closure. "This is about holding our district accountable to higher standards and better protocol when dealing with COVID and contact tracing, etc," Rich Ferm, one of the organizers of the protest, said in an email. "We are not against vaccination. We are also vaccinated. We are not against quarantining. We want proper protocol and proper leadership and accountability. We want awareness for the mental health of our children. We never want what happened on Friday to happen again to our kids." Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried in a statement said that he understands that some parents are upset and acknowledges execution and communication failures in the closing of school on Friday. "None of us are perfect. Owning your mistakes, apologizing, and learning from them so it doesn’t happen again is the professional thing to do," Fried said about the schools chief. "We have made tremendous improvements in our schools and we will continue to work together to make our schools the best they can be, which includes the mental health of all our students. Let’s remember we are all in this together." At his COVID-19 briefing on Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy said 22 districts are reporting in-school transmissions with 23 outbreaks and 82 student cases reported. Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ 7 reasons why you need to kill the spotted lanternflies infesting NJ 8 ways to battle the spotted lanternfly in NJ Best NJ corn mazes, pumpkin patches, hayrides for 2021 Whether you're searching for your own "great pumpkin" this fall, or just to navigate a fun corn maze and eat some cider donuts, the Garden State has you covered. In each region of New Jersey, farms are offering a large range of fall festivities and attractions — here's a roundup.
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Organization Closed
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Vietnam Airlines Flight 474 crash
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On November 14, 1992 Vietnam Airlines flight 474 crashed during a tropical cyclone as it approached Nha Trang. The Yakovlev Yak-40 aircraft was carrying 25 passengers and six crew. Only one person, a passenger, survived. The sixteen year old Soviet-built aircraft had departed Ho Chi Minh City. As it neared Nha Trang Airport, it descended below its expected altitude. It hit trees and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. There was a search and rescue effort, but it was harrowing. Eight days after the crash a Vietnamese military helicopter flew out of Hanoi with rescue workers, but it too crashed killing all seven people on board. Ho Chi Minh City Airport
That same day though the wreckage of the aircraft was discovered – along with the sole survivor of the crash, Annette Herfkens. Several passengers survived the initial impact of the plane, but died before they could be rescued. Her fiance’, though, died immediately in the crash. She lived for 8 days prior to the rescue with nothing but rainwater she collected using bowls “from insulation padding in the plane’s wings.”
She says she grabbed her fiance’s hand as the plane went down. He had only booked the flight for them the day before on a whim. After 50 minutes, as the plane cruised over the mountainous Vietnamese jungle, it dropped. This time it was a confident Willem who was nervous. “There was the sound of accelerating motors,” Annette told Vice. “Then there was a gigantic drop and everyone started screaming. We looked at each other, he stretched out and grabbed for my hand, I grabbed his, and then everything went black.”
The plane hit some trees on a ridge during the descent close to Nha Trang. It lost one of its wings and struck another mountain, flipping upside-down. Vietnam Airlines in Ho Chi Minh City
She wasn’t wearing her seat belt. The seat belts, she says, are what injured other passengers making “their ribs go into lungs.” When she woke up after the crash one of the plane’s seats was on top of her, holding the body of another passenger. There were moans from other Vietnam Airlines flight 474 passengers, but most didn’t last long. A Vietnamese businessman is the only one she found alive, but he too died. She had “12 fractures in her hip and two in her leg, a broken jaw — she could see bone through the wound in her chin — and a collapsed lung” which she used yoga breathing techniques to deal with. She thought she was dying six days in. She says she had “this beautiful near-death experience and I was really happy to go.” Her kidneys were failing. She tried not to cry, knowing it would make her weak. She had stayed in the same spot, hoping that would be her best chance of rescue in the jungle, but was nearing the point she told herself she’d need to look for food. Discovered by a local police officer on the eighth day, he thought she was a ghost. She was the first white woman he’d ever encountered. After recuperating in Singapore the Banco Santander employee returned to work months after the crash and became a Managing Director in the bank’s New York office. The sole survivor of the 2010 Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771 crash on approach to Tripoli convinced her to tell her story, and she published a memoir called Turbulence: A True Story of Survival in 2014. VietJet learned “from its experience with the opening of a route to Malaysia” that you can’t staff planes with bikini-clad flight attendants to all destinations. The airline’s ability to fly to Jakarta, Indonesia has been contingent on two things: “halal food for Muslim passengers” and that flight attendants can’t wear…
In "General"
It's tough to be an airline in Vietnam. VietJet Air was the first private airline to gain approval to operate in Vietnam in November 2007. And yet it didn't actually begin operations until December 2011, with regulatory issues contributing to the delay. They expected AirAsia to take a 30% stake,…
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Air crash
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Regina police investigating after downtown bank robbery
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Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Copy Url Police are investigating after a mid-morning bank robbery in downtown Regina on Friday. According to the Regina Police Service, officers were sent to a bank in the 1900 block of Hamilton Street around 11:10 a.m. after a report of a robbery. In a press release, police said a man entered the bank armed with what appeared to be a gun. He demanded money and left with cash. RPS said no one was injured. Anyone with information is asked to call Regina police at 306-777-6500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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Bank Robbery
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2015 United Steel Workers Oil Refinery Strike
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On February 1, 2015, United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (United Steelworkers or USW) announced that "more than 5,200 USW Oil Workers at 11 refineries in California, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Texas and Washington are on strike against the industry’s unfair labor practices". [1][2] The list of charges alleged by NSW filed with the NLRB included: bad-faith bargaining over the companies’ refusal to negotiate over mandatory subjects, impeded bargaining for the companies’ undue delays in providing information, threatening workers if they join the ULP strike and others. As of March 3, 2015, about 6,550 workers were on strike at 15 plants, including 12 refineries with a fifth of U.S. capacity. [3] It was the first time since 1982 that U.S. oil workers have walked off their jobs to protest working conditions. [4] The National Oil Bargaining talks began in 1965 and are part of the U.S. oil industry's Pattern bargaining process. [5]
The USW announced a strike on February 1, 2015, at the following refineries:[6]
The strike was expanded on February 6, 2015, when workers at BP Plc-operated refineries in Indiana and Ohio were told to begin a work stoppage the following day:[7]
In a text message (Saturday morning; date TBD), the USW announced plans to expand the strike to Motiva facilities at Convent, La., and Norco, Louisiana, and to the Shell Chemical Plant at Norco. [4]
The U.S. refinery strike widened on February 20, 2015, with workers at the nation's largest refinery walking off jobs. Shortly after talks between union and oil company representatives ended on the night of the 20th, the union notified Motiva Enterprises of a strike by its members at the company's 600,250-barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. [7]
Shell alleged (according to a letter to employees from Aamir Farid, VP Manufacturing, Americas) that it has been training “relief employees” to operate its Deer Park refinery as well as its Norco chemical plant in Louisiana. [8] By March 3, 2015, up to 180 employees, out of 800, at Royal Dutch Shell Plc's Deer Park, Texas, refinery decided to return to work. [3]
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Strike
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Garley Building fire
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The Garley Building fire took place on 20 November 1996 in the 16-storey Garley commercial building (Chinese: 嘉利大廈) located at 232–240 Nathan Road, Jordan, Hong Kong. [3][2][4] It was a catastrophe that caused 41 deaths and 81 injuries. [2] It is considered the worst building fire in Hong Kong during peacetime. The fire damaged the bottom two floors and the top three floors of the building, while the middle floors remained relatively intact. The building was built in 1975 before the government introduced laws requiring all commercial buildings to install sprinkler systems. [5] The land lot was bought by Kai Yee Investment Company Ltd in 1970 at a cost of HK$1.56 million (US$200,000). [6] A subsidiary of China Resources, Chinese Arts & Crafts, acquired half the building –from the basement to the ninth floor –for HK$35.5 million in 1989. [6]
Welding was revealed to be the source of the fire. At the time of the fire, the Garley Building was undergoing internal renovation, during which new elevators were to be installed. One had been completely refurbished, with another almost completed; the other two elevator shafts in the building had had their elevators removed, and bamboo scaffolding installed within the shaft. The fire-resistant elevator doors were also removed to allow light into the elevator shaft for the welders. [2]
The welding activity routinely triggered alarms from the building's smoke detectors, so much so that staff at the China Arts & Crafts store that occupied the bottom three floors had wrapped plastic around the fire alarms to muffle the sound. Furthermore, workers were found to have cut metal with a welder, contrary to building codes. Thus, when a stray piece of hot metal fell from the thirteenth floor, sparking a fire in the second floor lift lobby, no one paid much attention, believing that it was part of the normal welding activity. A welder discovered the fire, and alerted the fire department. A second emergency call was made one minute later, when a dental assistant on the 13th floor discovered dense smoke in the hallway. When firefighters first arrived at the scene ten minutes after the lower fire had started, the fire was rated at one-alarm. It was almost immediately raised to three-alarm at 4:59PM when heavy smoke impeded firefighters' process up higher floors. By the time reinforcements arrived, it was upgraded to four-alarm at 5:17PM because the 15th floor was on fire, and was upgraded again to five-alarm—the highest level in Hong Kong, at 7:15PM on that day. The fire consumed the bamboo scaffolding; the open elevator shaft provided a source of fresh air, creating a chimney effect that eventually rose to the 13th floor, starting another fire there. Charred human remains were found on the 13th and 14th floors. A workshop run by Chow Sang Sang Jewellery that occupied two rooms on the 15th floor had 22 bodies. [2]
All in all, over 200 firemen and 40 engines were deployed. [7] A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was also deployed to rescue people trapped on the roof, but quickly left after rescuing four people as it was feared that the rotating helicopter blades were making the fire worse. The role of the helicopter was later studied. [8]
With the elevators unusable and the staircases impassable due to the smoke, firefighters had difficulty reaching the upper levels of the building, relying on four rescue ladders to rescue occupants who had opened the windows for fresh air. The flame was finally put out after 20 hours. [2] In total 41 people had died; one firefighter was killed after plunging down an elevator shaft. Another person died several months later, never recovering from a coma resulting from the fire. Another 80 people were injured, including 14 firemen. Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten urged legislators to speed up the passage of a bill aimed at upgrading the fire safety standards of some 500 premises across the territory. [2] A special police team of 229 officers was brought in for the first time in 10 years to help with identifying the bodies. [2][4]
A census was completed days after the incident and found there were 60,000 private buildings in the Hong Kong territory at the time, half of which were more than 20 years old. Of these, 723 were commercial. It was reported that more than 700 office blocks built 20-plus years earlier, when safety laws were more lenient, were potential deathtraps. [6]
Much of the blame for this incident fell on the welders and occupants, who were not properly trained in fire drills and knew little about building evacuation procedures. As a result of the fire, building regulations were quickly revised to prevent this sort of disaster from occurring again. Since the revisions, there has not been a single year in which more than ten people have died from fires. The Chow Sang Sang Jewellery Company, which lost 22 employees on the 15th floor, increased its relief fund to $8+ million. Each victim's family received an initial $180,000 and another sum equivalent to 17.8 months' basic salary. [9]
The Discovery Channel series Blueprint for Disaster documented the events of the fire and subsequent investigation, labeling it the Hong Kong Inferno. The Garley Building was abandoned after the fire, but was not demolished until 2003, due to the difficulty of finding the owners of the businesses within. The original landlord of the building, China Resources Enterprise, originally intended to construct a "Ginza-style" shopping mall at the site, but later changed plans to build a new office building. Work on the building was completed in 2007. Coordinates: 22°18′17″N 114°10′18″E / 22.304833°N 114.171723°E / 22.304833; 114.171723
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Fire
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Trove of Nazi Artifacts Found Stashed in Wall of German House
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Likely hidden as the Allies advanced on the city at the end of WWII, the cache includes gas masks, a revolver and boxes of documents Last month, a history teacher cleaning his aunt’s house in Hagen, Germany, after severe flooding discovered a trove of Nazi artifacts hidden behind a wall, reports David Crossland for the London Times. “I got goosebumps,” Sebastian Yurtseven told local media, as quoted by the Times. “I didn’t think it would turn into such a huge discovery.” When Yurtseven pulled out a rotten piece of plasterboard, he spotted a foot-wide space behind the wall containing a newspaper dated to 1945, writes Insider’s Sophia Ankel. Investigating further, he found a cache of World War II–era artifacts, including a portrait of Adolf Hitler, a revolver, gas masks, Nazi Party badges, brass knuckles, letters and documents. As it turns out, the building housed the local headquarters of the National Socialist People’s Welfare organization (NSV) during the Nazi era. Yurtseven and his aunt say the family had no idea of this history when they purchased the property in the 1960s. Ralf Blank, manager of the Hagen city archive, tells Frankfurter Allgemeine that NSV members probably hid the documents and other materials in the wall when Allied troops marched into the city in April 1945. “That must have happened very hectically,” he says. Many contemporary accounts describe this kind of rapid disposal of sensitive materials—but it’s unusual to find an intact trove. According to Blank, the find may help historians learn more about the NSV and its role in the Nazi regime. The organization ran relief operations and kindergartens. It also benefited from donations of assets and goods seized from Jewish groups and individuals. “We hope, for example, to come across files on the distribution of so-called Jewish furniture,” Blank says. Andreas Korthals, an archivist at Stadtarchiv Hagen, a state-run government agency, tells Live Science’s Tom Metcalfe that Nazi stormtroopers probably used the brass knuckles in street fights against communists. The NSV most likely kept them in a “memory corner” of the office alongside badges bearing images of eagles and swastikas. In addition to the Nazi-era materials, a 1905 love letter sent to a 17-year-old girl named Hedwig Wiedey was found hidden in the hoard, reports Mike Fiebig for Die Westfalenpost. Archivists were able to find more information about Wiedey in the city records, including the fact that she married in 1913 and had two children, but were unable to track down much about her apparently unsuccessful suitor. Archivists have recovered 12 boxes of materials from the site and are in the process of examining them. “The amount of material found in the wall is overwhelming,” the city archive said on Facebook on Monday. “For 1.5 weeks, employees ... have been in the process of viewing and sorting the recovered material.”
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New archeological discoveries
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Juventus offices raided as club investigated for financial irregularities
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Italian police visited the Italian club’s offices in Turin and Milan on Friday where they took documents about transfers, invoices and financial statements.
The investigation is regarding profit from transfers and agents fees between 2019 and 2021.
Article continues below
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Six Juve officials as well as the club itself are under investigation, including president Andrea Agnelli and vice-president Pavel Nedved.
Former sporting director Fabio Paratici, who joined Tottenham in the summer, is also among those in the spotlight.
Italian football watchdog COVISOC and finance regulator Consob have already opened their investigation.
A statement released by the Turin Public Prosecutor's Office read: “Since this afternoon, on the orders of this Public Prosecutor's Office, soldiers of the Guardia di Finanza have been carrying out local searches at the Turin and Milan offices of Juventus Football Club Spa.
“The financiers of the Turin Economic-Financial Police Unit, delegated to the investigations, were instructed to find documentation and other useful elements relating to the company financial statements approved in the years from 2019 to 2021, with reference to both the purchase and sale of rights to the sports performance of the players, and the regular formation of financial statements.
“At present, the activities are aimed at ascertaining the crime of false communications from listed companies and issuing invoices for non-existent transactions, towards the top management and the managers of the business, financial and sports management areas.
"Under consideration there are various transfer operations of professional players and the services rendered by some agents involved in the relative intermediaries.”
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, 42 transfers - including deals involving Miralem Pjanic, Arthur, Danilo and Joao Cancelo - are under the microscope.
Juventus' response
Juventus have released an official statement confirming that they will cooperate fully with prosecutors as the investigation continues.
"Juventus Football Club S.p.A. acknowledges that the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Court of Turin has started investigations against the Company and some of its current officers," the statement reads.
"The Company is cooperating with the investigators and with CONSOB and trusts that it will clarify any aspect of interest to it as it believes to have acted in compliance with the laws and regulations governing the preparation of financial reports, in accordance with accounting principles and in line with the international practice in the football industry and market conditions.
"In connection with the capital increase, which was resolved upon by the Shareholders’ meeting on October 29, 2021, the Company hereby confirms the timing disclosed in the press release dated November 22, 2021 and, accordingly, that the period for the exercise of pre-emptive rights and trading of such rights will commence on November 29, 2021."
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
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Sriwijaya Air Flight 62 crash
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Sriwijaya Air Flight 62 (SJ62/SSY62) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight, operated by Indonesian airline Sriwijaya Air from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta to Sultan Thaha Airport, Jambi. On 27 August 2008, the aircraft operating the flight, a Boeing 737 series 200 registered as PK-CJG, overran the runway and crashed onto a house during its landing attempt at Jambi. Due to the accident, 26 people were injured, including 3 people on the ground. One person later succumbed to his injuries. Everyone on board the aircraft survived the crash. It was the first fatal crash in Sriwijaya Air's operational history and was the only fatal accident until Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 crashed in 2021. [1]
Investigation carried out by the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) concluded that hydraulics failure were the cause of the crash of Flight 62. According to the NTSC , the failure of the hydraulics system A caused several systems on the aircraft to be inoperative. No definitive cause of the failure of the hydraulics were found by the NTSC. The NTSC also noted about the CRM failure of the crew on board. [2]
The aircraft involved in the accident was a Boeing 737-200 with an Indonesian registration of PK-CJG. The aircraft was manufactured in 1985 and had a serial number of 23320. From 1985 to 1993 the aircraft was operated by Malaysia Airlines. It was later sold to Bouraq Airlines, Tuninter, WFBN, Star Air and later to Sriwijaya Air. It had a flying cycle for over 54,700 cycles and its last major inspection was on November 2007. [3]
The captain was 36-year old Mohammad Basuki. According to a Sriwijaya Air spokesman, Basuki was a very experienced pilot with a total of 7,794 flight hours, including 6,238 hours on the Boeing 737. The First Officer was 34-year old Eri Radianto. According to Sriwijaya Air, Eri was also an experienced pilot with a 5,000 flight hours with 4,100 hours of them on the type. [2]:4–5
Flight 62 was operated by a Boeing 737-200 registered as PK-CJG. The aircraft was carrying 124 passengers and 6 crews consisted of 4 flight attendants and 2 pilots. The flight was a one-hour flight and was dispatched with a fuel endurance of 4 hours. The number one electrical engine driven generator was unusable and thus the crews had to use the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). Captain Basuki acted as Pilot Flying. [2]:1
At 16:18 local time, Flight 62 contacted Thaha Tower and stated its intention to land at Sultan Thaha Airport. Before the contact the aircraft had been cleared by Palembang Tower to descend to 12.500 ft. The First Officer then asked about the weather information at the airport. The weather was reported to be calm, with rain over the air field. The crew then configured the aircraft for landing by extending the landing gear and the flaps. [2]:1–2
13 seconds after the extension, the crew noticed the hydraulic system A low pressure warning light illuminated, and also the hydraulic system A quantity indicator showed zero. Captain Basuki asked First Officer Eri to check their landing configuration. After the check, the crew decided to continue its landing attempt. Captain Basuki then decided to fly the aircraft slightly below the glide slope. [2]:2
At 16:30 local time, Flight 62 touched down the runway. The crew then tried to apply the thrust reversers, however the thrust somehow became too heavy and became too difficult to be pulled by the crew. Captain Basuki then applied maximum brake, however the aircraft didn't decelerate. Fearing that the aircraft might overrun the runway, the Captain then asked First Officer Eri to assist the braking. However, the aircraft didn't significantly decelerate. [2]:2
Flight 62 then drifted to the right and overran the runway. The aircraft then hit a house where one family were resting. All of them were waiting for the rain to stop when suddenly the aircraft came from nowhere. The farmers didn't have enough time to react and the aircraft slammed onto them. The right engine and the left engine detached from the aircraft. [2]:2[4]
Immediately after the crash, the flight attendants waited for the evacuation order from Captain Basuki. However, the passengers immediately evacuated themselves before the order from the Captain. The flight attendants then immediately executed the evacuation process without the order from the Captain. [2]:2 Rescue services then arrived at the crash site and sprayed the aircraft with foam agents. At least 26 people were injured,[5] with most of them suffered shock and skin laceration. All of them were transported to the Asia Medika Hospital. [6] The three people who were struck on the ground were seriously injured.
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Air crash
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The launch of the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observatory is now targeting December 13, 2021
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The launch of the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observatory is now targeting December 13, 2021, onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The IXPE X-Ray observatory is the latest spacecraft in NASA’s historic Small Explorers (SMEX) program. The IXPE mission was first selected as a part of the Explorers program in January 2017. NASA awarded the IXPE team $188 million for the spacecraft and mission, including the cost of the launch vehicle, post-launch operations, and data analysis. The spacecraft will be used to study Black Holes and other cosmic X-ray mysteries. Built by Ball Aerospace at facilities in Boulder, Colorado, the IXPE spacecraft is based on the Ball Configurable Platform (BCP)-100 satellite bus. The BCP-100 is one of Ball Aerospace’s offerings for a modular satellite bus for low-Earth orbit (LEO) operations. It was most recently used by NASA’s Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) to test a new type of Green propellant for space operations. IXPE is not the only space observatory Ball Aerospace has built. Ball built the Kepler space telescope, instruments for the Hubble and Spitzer space telescope. Ball also made the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), now named Near-Earth Orbit (NEO)WISE, which is also a part of the Explorers program. Using the BCP-100 satellite bus, IXPE will weigh a total of ~325kg. When launched, the spacecraft will be 1.1 meters in diameter and 5.2 meters tall when the spacecraft is fully extended. The solar array will be 2.7 meters when fully deployed. IXPE will have a two-year primary mission while in orbit. The IXPE spacecraft is separated into two different parts. The first is the main spacecraft with the solar array, attitude control, and communication systems. The second part is attached with a deployable payload boom with its X-Ray shield and main Mirror Module Support Structure (MMSS) deck. Artist impression of the IXPE spacecraft. The MMSS will consist of three separate mirror-based telescopes, all with a focal length of four meters. The focal length will be achieved by the deployable boom. The telescopes will focus X-rays seen from space onto a polarization-sensitive imaging detector developed in Italy. The telescopes will have a 2-8 keV range, an 11-arcminute field of view, and ≤30-arcsecond angular resolution. IXPE’s detectors will be two orders of magnitude more sensitive than those on the Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO)-8 mission. Using these three telescopes, IXPE will study X-ray Polarization. X-Ray Polarization is a specific area of X-Ray astronomy that allows scientists to study matter distribution, the spin of black holes, and more. IXPE is the first of its kind to study polarized X-Rays from extreme objects like neutron stars, stellar and supermassive black holes. IXPE completed its Critical Design Review (CDR) in July 2019. From there, the spacecraft underwent construction and assembly. In September 2020, the Mirror Module Assembly (MMA) was delivered to Ball Aerospace in Boulder. A month later, the MMA was installed on the MMSS deck. In December 2020, the extendable boom arm underwent a deployment test. By the end of January 2021, the spacecraft was completed and began environmental testing. In August 2021, IXPE completed a 21-day thermal vacuum test with its boom extended. By the end of August, the arm was stowed and was back in its cleanroom. Next up for IXPE is the completion of all of its pre-launch testing. Soon it will be delivered from Ball’s facilities in Boulder to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for its launch. IXPE is currently set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9, likely from historic Launch Complex 39A. In 2019 NASA awarded SpaceX $50.3 million to launch IXPE. IXPE was originally designed to be launched on an air-launched Northrop Grumman Pegasus-XL launch vehicle, but SpaceX ended up winning the contract to launch IXPE. Falcon 9 (B1059-5) launching from LC-39A with the NROL-108 mission. (Credit: SpaceX) Originally targeting May 2021, it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic to late-2021. The launch is currently scheduled for no earlier than (NET) on December 13, 2021. The Falcon 9 will launch IXPE in a circular 590km orbit by 0.2 degrees inclination. Also, given IXPE’s size and weight, it may conduct a Return-To-Launch Site (RTLS) landing at SpaceX’s Cape Canaveral Landing Zone-1. Once separated from the Falcon 9, it will extend its solar array and payload boom to begin its mission. Explorers Program IXPE is the latest in a very long list of satellites in the Explorers program. The Explorers program started in the 1950s as a US Army program to launch the first artificial satellite to orbit. The first US satellite, Explorer-1, was launched via a Juno-1 rocket in January 1958, before the program was taken over by NASA when it was founded in October 1958. Over time the program evolved to what it is today. The program is now separated into three main different classes and one minor class. There is a Medium-Class Explorers (MIDEX), the SMEX (which IXPE is a part of), the University-Class Explorers (UNEX), and Mission of Opportunity (MO). Some of the active MO missions include the Two Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral-Atom Astrometers (TWINS), which is a pair of instruments on the USA-184 (NROL-22) and the USA-200 (NROL-28) missions. Another mission is the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-Ray telescope which was launched on the SpaceX CRS-11 mission to the International Space Station. The most recent mission to fly is the Global-scale Observation of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission currently onboard the Airbus-built SES-14 spacecraft. The ACE spacecraft, which has currently been in operation for about 24 years, is one of the longest operating NASA missions ever. ACE is currently being used to study particles and magnetic fields in space. Today, along with NOAA’s DSCOVR spacecraft, it is currently being used to observe space weather and be used as early detection for solar activity. ACE will remain in operation until 2024, when it will run out of fuel. THEMIS is a mission comprised of five spacecraft, of which three are in highly-elliptical Earth orbit and two in a Lunar orbit. The two in Lunar orbit were renamed ARTEMIS P1 and P2. THEMIS and ARTEMIS are both working in tangent with each other and other spacecraft to help study the Sun and its effect on the Earth’s magnetosphere. Their mission will continue until all spacecraft run out of fuel. THEMIS in pre-launch testing. (Credit: NASA) NEOWISE is currently in a Sun-synchronous orbit on a mission to detect Near-Earth objects. In July 2021, its mission was extended until June 2023. A future spacecraft, NEO Surveyor, will replace NEOWISE when it launches in 2026. It is currently in Phase B of program development. The Explorers program allows opportunities for heliophysics and astrophysics science areas. The program still has several more missions coming up for future missions. The next SMEX missions following IXPE are the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) and the Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) missions. Both will launch together on an unassigned launch vehicle in October 2023. The two are currently in Phase B and are undergoing design and technology completion. In 2024, several more Explorer missions will launch, including the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ice Explorer (SPHEREx), as well as the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) mission. SPHEREx is currently in Phase C, which means it is now in Final Design and Fabrication; it will launch in September 2024 on a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. SunRISE just entered Phase B of its development in September 2021. The six spacecraft will launch onboard a Maxar-built satellite to geostationary orbit, currently planned for some time between April 2024 and September 2025.
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New achievements in aerospace
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1958 Syerston Avro Vulcan crash
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The 1958 Syerston Avro Vulcan crash was an aviation accident that occurred in England on 20 September 1958 during an air show at RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire when a prototype Avro Vulcan bomber crashed. All four crew on board and three people on the ground were killed. [1]
On the day of the accident VX770 was flying from the Rolls-Royce airfield at Hucknall, with four crew on board, including a flight test engineer from Avro, carrying out performance tests on the Rolls-Royce Conway engines that had been fitted in place of the Sapphires and Avons originally fitted. During the course of the test-flight VX770 diverted to RAF Syerston to participate in the Battle of Britain day air show. [2]
The Vulcan flew along runway 07 then started a rolling climb to starboard. During this manoeuvre the starboard wing disintegrated, resulting in a collapse of the main spar and wing structure. [3] The Vulcan went into a dive with the starboard wing on fire and struck the ground. Three occupants of a controllers' caravan were killed by debris, all four of the Vulcan crew were also killed. Three servicemen who were in an ambulance were also injured by debris from the crash. [1]
The official primary cause for the accident was a gross structural failure of the aircraft's main spar, which was confirmed by amateur footage, photographs and eyewitness accounts. The reason for the failure was not determined by the Board of Inquiry (BoI), but it was suggested by an accident investigator called in by Rolls Royce[4] that the main cause was that the pilot, upon performing the planned aerobatic display, exceeded the prototype's briefed speed and turning rate limits. [1]
The accident investigator submitted a statement[5] to the BoI, but did not give evidence under oath. The BoI was apparently not informed that the aircraft manufacturer considered the basis for the statement to be invalid. [6]
The Technical Officer of the Board of Inquiry (BoI) identified a suspected fatigue failure of the inboard arm of the front bottom wing attachment main forging, and suggested vibration from the high airflow volumes required by the RR Conway 11 engines as a possible cause. [7]
The Royal Aircraft Establishment carried out a structural analysis of the wreckage and produced a report on 21 April 1960,[8] but no copy has been found in the public record. Avro's then Chief Test Pilot, Tony Blackman, argued that the maintenance crew failed to properly inspect the aircraft for known issues with stress damage to the aircraft's leading edges and structural ribs, which had been observed in another prototype he had flown earlier. [9]
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Air crash
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2005 New York City transit strike
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The 2005 New York City transit strike, held from December 20 through 22, 2005, was the third strike ever by the Transport Workers Union Local 100 against New York City's Transit Authority and involved between 32,000 and 34,000 strikers. In December 2005, the TWU Local 100 called a strike in New York City. Negotiations for a new contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) broke down over retirement, pension, and wage increases. The strike began at 3:00 a.m. EST on December 20. Most New York City Transit Authority and MTA Bus Company personnel observed the strike, effectively halting all service on the subway and buses, except for routes operated from the Spring Creek Depot, where workers represented by ATU Local 1181/1061 had a contract in force after striking against the predecessor operator, Command Bus Company, the previous year. Millions of commuters were affected. The strike officially ended at 2:35 p.m. EST on December 22, 2005. Service was restored overnight, with all transportation systems fully operational by the morning commute of the 23rd. [1]
On December 27, 2005 the executive board of Local 100 of the TWU accepted a 37-month contract offer from the MTA. The 37-month length was crucial, as the last contract ended on December 15, causing disruption of the New York City economy in the middle of the holiday season. The next contract would expire in mid-January. (However, the union workers rejected the new contract by 7 votes – 11,234 to 11,227 – on January 20, 2006, but overwhelmingly approved it three months later, even though the offer had been legally retracted.) This was the third strike ever against New York City's Transit Authority. The first was a 12-day walkout in 1966 which prompted the creation of New York's Taylor Law. The second was the 11-day 1980 strike. The 2005 strike, which took place during the busiest shopping week of the year, significantly affected the local economy temporarily, at an estimated total of $80 million. On April 10, 2006, Justice Theodore T. Jones sentenced Local 100 President Roger Toussaint to ten days in jail[2] and a week later, the union was fined $2.5 million and the automatic deduction of dues from all members was suspended. [3]
Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union (TWU), Local 726 (Staten Island) and Local 1056 (Queens) of the Amalgamated Transit Union walked off the job around 3:00 a.m. EST on Tuesday, December 20, 2005, after contract talks broke down during the night, and union negotiators left the bargaining table. TWU members returned to work after an apparent breakthrough in negotiations on December 22, 2005 at 2:35 p.m. EST. The strike was illegal under the provisions of an addition to New York State Civil Service Law called the Public Employees Fair Employment Act, more commonly called the Taylor Law, which has been in effect since September 1, 1967. It was passed largely in response to the 1966 transit strike. It prohibits municipal workers from striking and provides alternative means for dispute resolution. The law provides for criminal penalties including imprisonment of union officials, and fines against the union and individual striking workers. On December 20, state Supreme Court Justice Theodore T. Jones ruled that the Transport Workers Union was in contempt of two court injunctions, ordering it not to strike and imposing a US$1 million per day fine against the union. [4]
The International TWU issued a statement demanding that Local 100 TWU members return to work immediately, in light of the court injunction and the illegality of the strike. This statement would legally remove culpability from the International TWU in regards to fines levied by the courts. Additionally, International TWU leaders stated publicly that they believed that the strike should not have taken place as they believed that the talks were progressing, and that the last offer made by the MTA was fair and a show of willingness to compromise. No formal negotiations were held from the stoppage of talks on the night of December 19, 2005 until December 21, 2005, although various news articles have cited anonymous sources that informal talks were continuing. During this period of time, both sides went to court to argue their cases. The MTA suggested binding arbitration as a possible solution, but that possibility was rejected by the local union representatives. Such a resolution could have been imposed if the state's Public Employment Relations Board had declared a formal impasse between the union and the MTA. At 1:00 a.m. EST on December 22, 2005, the TWU leadership and the MTA were both present in the Grand Hyatt hotel in Manhattan, talking individually with the state mediation panel. At this time, it is unclear whether the TWU and MTA conversed face-to-face. However, the two sides agreed to resume contract talks and the TWU agreed to direct its membership to return to work. Both parties agreed to a press blackout during contract talks. The previous contract between MTA and its workers expired at 12:01 a.m. EST (05:01 UTC) December 16, 2005. The MTA and the Transport Workers Union, led by Roger Toussaint, were negotiating to settle a new contract. As they were unable to reach an agreement, the TWU extended the deadline to December 20, 2005, but since the 12:01 a.m. EST (05:01 UTC) December 20, 2005 deadline was not met, the union decided to strike. A "limited strike" began on two private bus lines, (Jamaica Buses Incorporated and Triboro Coach Corporation), on Monday, December 19, 2005, when their 750 drivers walked off the job. Private carriers were chosen for this "limited strike" because they are not covered under New York state law. However, when these private lines were integrated into MTA Bus on January 9, 2006, their workers became public employees subject to the Taylor Law. It was unclear at the time whether negotiations with the MTA would cover these employees. Full strikes on subways and buses began on Tuesday, December 20, 2005. The strike was announced by the union and took effect at 3:00 a.m. EST (08:00 UTC) December 20. At the time, Roger Toussaint declared: "The Local 100 Executive Board has voted overwhelmingly to extend strike action to all MTA properties effective immediately." After the announcement, it took approximately 1.5 hours for trains to finish their runs and return to the storage yards. In the days leading up to the transit strikes, critics and supporters alike contended that any labor action would affect mainly low-income minorities, and the limited strike indeed turned out to be a real hardship for low-income Queens residents. The local union's official reason for the strike was the transit workers' grievances over the hardships that were increasingly being placed on them by the MTA, specifically the issue of pensions. Among other things, the MTA called for the retirement age to be increased seven years (from 55 to 62) and for the amounts received at retirement to be reduced dramatically through the creation of a new "tier" (Tier V) of workers. Most importantly, the MTA had insisted on requiring negotiation of pensions as a condition of negotiating of a new contract although the Taylor Law prohibits this.
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Strike
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2003 IBF World Championships
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The 2003 IBF World Championships were held in the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, United Kingdom, between 28 July and 3 August 2003. The championships had originally been planned to take place from 12 May-18 May, but were rescheduled following the international outbreak of SARS. [1]
This edition also rewarded the points for the players to collected for the qualification to 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. International Badminton Federation decided to split the IBF World Championships and the Sudirman Cup as separate tournaments starting from 2003. Canada, China, England, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands were the countries interested in hosting the tournaments. [2] England later announced as host for the first standalone world championships. [3]
* Host nation (England)
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Sports Competition
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African Union and EDCTP sign Memorandum of Understanding to promote new paradigm in health
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ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA, and THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS, September 14, 2021 – The African Union (AU) through the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at establishing a framework to serve as a firm basis for cooperation in their shared goals to promote a new paradigm in health. Through the MoU, the Africa CDC and EDCTP express their commitment towards joining efforts and maintaining a close and continuous relationship for the achievement of their common objectives. The scope of the MoU is defined through the following themes: Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, epidemic intelligence and capacity building for preparedness and outbreak response. The MoU also covers implementation and public health research, the one health approach, and data management. AU and EDCTP will cooperate to implement a programme of work for the execution of activities within these themes. “The COVID‐19 pandemic represents an unprecedented challenge to health systems, the economy and society across Africa. The partnership between Africa CDC and EDCTP will allow African Union Member States to build back better and stronger from the pandemic. It will take Member States a step closer to a strong and resilient health systems that can prevent, detect, and efficiently respond to infectious disease threats, wherever and whenever they may occur on the continent.” Dr John Nkengasong, Director of Africa CDC. “The Africa CDC and EDCTP have already been working as a team to fight diseases and epidemics on the African continent for close to 5 years. We have closely collaborated on a strategic level as well as in organizing concrete activities to accelerate clinical development and strengthen health research infrastructure. The MoU provides a firm basis to further strengthen this relationship and push the boundaries of improving global health. I look forward to this renewed collaboration and to putting the right policies and infrastructures in place.” Dr Michael Makanga, EDCTP Executive Director. “The challenge of improving the health conditions of every African requires the joining of efforts, knowledge and resolve from different partners, acting in synergy and complementarity. That is precisely what this MoU intends to consolidate taking stock of the fruitful work the Africa CDC and the EDCTP have been doing together over the recent past. I’m confident new and higher successes will be jointly attained for the benefit of Africa”, Dr Leonardo Simão, EDCTP High Representative for Africa.
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Disease Outbreaks
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Implications Of The U.S. Withdrawal From The TPP
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CEO of Country Risk Solutions and widely published author on current affairs and risk management. New book: "Virtual Terror". President-Elect Trump's threat to withdraw the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) should be taken seriously, despite how mercurial he has already proven to be in failing to follow through on a variety of other campaign promises. Withdrawal from the trade pact is a critical part of the core commitments Trump made to his constituency. Given that he has the Congress in his pocket for the next two years (at least), and that they will be similarly anxious to be seen as delivering on that particular promise, it should be expected that the U.S. will indeed be withdrawn from the pact. If the pact had not been negotiated in such secrecy, and if the perception on the U.S. street was not that it benefitted big business at the expense of the average working person, perhaps momentum would not be on Trump's and the Republicans' side. But the truth is that the way the pact was negotiated and kept in total secrecy left a rightfully sour taste in many peoples' mouths. That has only exacerbated the economic nationalism, isolationist tendencies, and rise of the right that were already well underway in the U.S. and much of the rest of the world prior to Trump's rise to power. Assuming that the U.S. withdrawal occurs in the early part of 2017, what are some of the political and economic implications that may be expected? First and foremost, the U.S. will succeed in shooting itself in the foot by making it more difficult and costly to export its goods to the rest of the world, but also by ceding the ability to have a primary role in shaping the coming 21st century global trade architecture. The knee-jerk reaction Trump is succumbing to and promoting is simply self-defeating in the long term. Second, while economic nationalism and isolationism ultimately end up hurting the nations that embrace them, it just so happens that what the U.S. does (or doesn't do) still matters to the rest of the world, so we should expect that if TPP were to die as a result of Trump and the U.S. Congress' actions, scores of other nations will seek bilateral alternatives or other multilateral alternatives. The world is already far too reliant on bilateral trade agreements and although agreeing on an alternative multilateral structure will surely prove difficult (as all others have), that will presumably not stop other nations from seeking to do so -- with or without the U.S. Third, China stands to gain -- a lot -- in the process. Just as Beijing was able to portray itself as a bastion of fiscal conservatism during the Great Recession, it is already in the process of portraying itself as the guardian of trade multilateralism and transparency by pushing its existing alternative to the TPP - the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Along with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (China's creation) and the BRICS Bank (both headquartered in China), Beijing is already well along the way to creating its own 'alternative' trade and investment reality. While the U.S. is busy tying itself up into knots on the global stage politically and economically, China is eating its lunch, and many nations in Asia and around the world are happily drinking the Chinese kool-aid. The U.S. withdrawal from the TPP should work out about as well for the U.S. as the Asia Pivot has, with China likely to reap the rewards for having been prepared and foresightful enough to present alternatives to Asia and the rest of the world -- even though it naturally benefits in the process. Perhaps in response to those who are already warning him of some of the consequences of withdrawing from the TPP, Trump will develop an ambition to create another alternative to the TPP -- but in his name and selling it so that the American worker will be "sold" as a primary beneficiary. Even nationalistic American workers presumably wouldn't oppose a new trade pact negotiated in broad daylight, rather than under cover of darkness, where the potential benefits to be derived from export-oriented trade transactions at the worker level are easily seen. The same can also be said of the potential benefit of negotiating a new trade pact transparently for all other participating nations. If that were to be the case, the U.S. withdrawal from TPP could turn into a net positive for all nations concerned. Of course, that would be many years and painful negotiations down the road, and Trump would probably need to remain in power for eight years to have a hope of accomplishing that under his watch, even if he were to begin in 2017. Given everything else that is on his plate, and the mood of the U.S. Congress, only an initiative driven by Trump's ego can make that happen. Daniel Wagner is Managing Director of Risk Cooperative and co-author of the new book "Global Risk Agility and Decision Making." CEO of Country Risk Solutions and widely published author on current affairs and risk management. New book: "Virtual Terror".
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Withdraw from an Organization
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Milwaukee Marathon canceled for 2021
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and last updated 2021-09-24 15:55:17-04 MILWAUKEE — Amid speculation over cancellation concerns, the Milwaukee Marathon officially announced Thursday that it has canceled the event for 2021, for a second year in a row. Organizers said in a social media post that like most canceled events these days, the COVID-19 pandemic was partly to blame. Also problematic was scheduling security for the marathon with the Milwaukee Police Department, which normally secures the route for the runners around traffic and the event's audience. MPD also provides crowd control for the Milwaukee Brewers - a team that is doing quite well this season. The marathon, originally scheduled for April 10, was postponed earlier this year for Oct. 23 - a date that organizers say became logistically impossible. "We can honestly say we tried everything we could to make this race happen, yet for the second year in a row, we won’t be able to host an in-person event. We can’t begin to express how sorry we are that this is how everything transpired," the Milwaukee Marathon said. As eyes look toward 2022, organizers said that they have to wait until Spring "for a chance at redemption." A hard date will have to wait until then. For participants of the race, organizers released a number of options: Defer your registration to the 2022 Milwaukee Marathon (Spring 2022 date to be announced). Transfer your registration to the Hot Chocolate 15k/5k – Chicago (November 7, 2021): hotchocolate15k.com/city/chicago Transfer your registration to any other Ventures Endurance event: venturesendurance.com/find-your-race Receive a full refund for your 2021 registration. "We know none of these options compare to being able to run together in this city that we all love. All we can say is, we are deeply sorry for this, and we hope we will see you down the road. Thank you for your understanding during this challenging time," organizers said. However, the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon is still on, set for Sunday, Oct. 3. The Lakefront Marathon is an all volunteer run. There are pre-race events on Saturday, Oct. 2 at the UWM Union. Masks are required in the Union.
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Organization Closed
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Authorities warn of vandalism risk as 'time capsule' shipwreck re-emerges on NSW beach
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The shipwreck of the Buster on Woolgoolga Beach, north of Coffs Harbour, has been exposed by recent storms and wild weather. Parts of the shipwreck are regularly exposed but many locals said they had never seen so much of the hull. The director of operations at Heritage NSW, Tim Smith, said there had been reports of sightseers damaging the wreck. "We have noticed some unfortunate impacts to the site from people walking through and interacting with the wreck and some of that has involved some removal of timbers from the hull," he said. "We're aware of one of the planks, which has dislodged and has been recovered and we're safely storing that. "There is some evidence that people have been trying to remove another timber and that kind of activity is illegal activity. This is a protected heritage site. "We urge everybody to recognise that – enjoy it but it's on a look but no touch principal." He said fires had also been spotted close to the wreck. "There is some evidence around the site that some people might have been having some fires at night," Mr Smith said. "That has been an activity we've observed in years past when it's been uncovered. "Fire and timber shipwrecks are a bad combination, and that can do some catastrophic damage to the remains. "That is absolutely an activity that cannot take place, these sites are too fragile and too irreplaceable to have any damage of that sort." In recent years, some planks had fallen off the wreck due to natural degradation and were collected and re-attached. If anyone has recovered parts of the wreck, including hull planks, they are asked to report their location to Heritage NSW or Solitary Islands Marine Park staff. Anyone with information about damage to the Buster is urged to contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000. The 39-metre, 310-ton Buster ran aground on Woolgoolga Beach in 1893, when it was visiting the area to load timber to take to New Zealand. During a storm, it lost its anchor and was washed onto the beach where it has remained ever since. Mr Smith said the wreck had been uncovered almost annually in recent years and the current uncovering was a "remarkable opportunity" to see the wreck – but you'll need to get in quick. "Within a week or two it should be completely covered again and then we'll just wait for the next opportunity to see this time capsule emerging out of the sand," he said. "We just urge any visitors to the site to be respectful of the archaeological heritage, look at Buster, photograph it, enjoy it, but treat it for what it is: a remarkable piece of our archaeological heritage."
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Shipwreck
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Bend man killed in Highway 20 SUV crash in Malheur County
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BURNS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Bend man was killed Thursday when his SUV left U.S. Highway 20 east of Burns and crashed into a tree, Oregon State Police reported Friday. OSP troopers and other emergency personnel responded around 10:45 a.m. to the reported crash near Milepost 181, in the area of Drinkwater Pass in Malheur County, troopers said. A preliminary investigation found that John Lawrence, 51, was heading west at the wheel of a Hyundai Santa Fe when the SUV left the westbound road shoulder and struck the tree. Lawrence sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene, troopers said. The crash and investigation partially closed Highway 20 for about three hours. OSP was assisted at the crash scene by the Oregon Department of Transportation. How many times have we fallen for this? The Milepost there is 181, rather than 81. That’s just east of the border with Harney county and barely in the Mountain time zone.
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Road Crash
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United Kingdom officially leaves the European Union with Boris Johnson calling it 'the dawn of a new era'
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United Kingdom officially leaves the European Union with Boris Johnson calling it 'the dawn of a new era' The United Kingdom has officially left the European Union, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling the moment "the dawn of a new era." As of 11:00pm (local time), the drawn-out Brexit process formally entered a transition period, where current EU rules and regulations will remain in place while the two sides negotiate a new relationship on a wide range of issues from trade to security. Mr Johnson has ruled out extending the transition period beyond 2020. Supporters of Brexit see the move as the country regaining full control over its destiny. But opponents say it is a big setback for peace and prosperity in Europe. Mr Johnson addressed the country in a pre-recorded message an hour before formal departure, saying Brexit was not an ending, "but a beginning" for the UK. "For many people, this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come," Mr Johnson, one of the leaders of the "Leave" campaign in the 2016 referendum on EU membership, said. "And there are many, of course, who feel a sense of anxiety and loss. "And then there's a third group, perhaps the biggest, who had started to worry that the whole political wrangle would never come to an end. "I understand all those feelings and our job as the Government, my job, is to bring this country together now and take us forward." He described the UK's exit from the EU as "a moment of real national renewal and change", where "we no longer accept that your life chances, your family's life chances, should depend on which part of the country you grow up in." "This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act in our great national drama." The cogs of Brexit are turning again. It's been such a saga that you'd be forgiven for forgetting what this was all about in the first place. In London, red, white and blue lights illuminated government buildings and a countdown clock projected onto the Mr Johnson's Downing Street residence as pro and anti-Brexit supporters gathered in the city. In Parliament Square, arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage gathered a crowd of several thousand who belted out the patriotic song Land of Hope and Glory as they awaited a moment that even Mr Farage sometimes doubted would ever come. Londoner Donna Jones said she had come to "be part of history". "It doesn't mean we're anti-Europe, it just means we want to be self-sufficient in a certain way," she said. But Britons who cherished their membership in the bloc — and the freedom it bought to live anywhere across of 28 countries — were mourning. "Many of us want to just mark our sadness in public," said Ann Jones, who joined dozens of other remainers on a march to the EU's mission in London. "And we don't want trouble, we just want to say, well you know, 'We didn't want this'." Earlier, a Brexit supporter burned a European Union flag beside Downing Street as others jeered at pro-EU demonstrators in the final hours before the UK left the bloc. About 200-300 pro-European Union supporters were mocked by pro-Brexit supporters as they walked from Downing Street to the office of the European Commission in London. Police formed a line to keep the two groups apart. The pro-Brexit supporters were singing "shame on you, shame on you", "losers, losers" and "bye, bye EU" to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. "Happy Brexit Day! … At last, the day comes when we break free," Mr Farage tweeted. "A massive victory for the people against the establishment … 11 pm tonight marks the point of no return." "Britain's place in the world will change. The question is what direction we now take," Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said before the official exit. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is demanding an independence referendum. Can UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson say no? "We can build a truly internationalist, diverse and outward-looking Britain. Or we can turn inwards, and trade our principles, rights and standards to secure hastily arranged, one-sided, race-to-the-bottom trade deals with Donald Trump and others." Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called it a "moment of profound sadness for many of us across the UK". "Here in Scotland, given that it is happening against the will of the vast majority of us, that sadness will be tinged with anger," she said. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "heartbroken" about Britain's departure from the EU and wanted to reassure European citizens living in the British capital they are valued friends and family members. "I'm of the generation who has seen our European neighbours as friends and allies," he said. "The key thing I'm determined to make sure happens is, going forward, we will carry on as a city being open-minded, out-looking, pluralistic and welcoming to our EU friends," Mr Khan added. Mr Khan has long argued that Britain would be better off remaining inside the EU and said that he was proud Londoners overwhelmingly voted to remain in the 2016 referendum. He also rebuffed speculation that London would work to become a lightly regulated tax haven in the post-Brexit era. The head of Gibraltar's Government, meanwhile, said it would "forever live in history as a very sad day". Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabien Picardo said the speck of British territory on Spain's southern tip is departing the EU "with a heavy heart, with sadness." In the UK's 2016 Brexit referendum, 96 per cent of voters in Gibraltar supported remaining in the EU. Mr Picardo attended a brief midnight ceremony on the border with Spain, when the EU flag will be lowered and the British Commonwealth flag raised. In Brussels, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen lamented that "as the sun rises tomorrow a new chapter for our union of 27 will start". She warned Brexit day would mark a major loss for the UK and said the island nation is heading for a lonelier existence. The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michael Barner said: "My thoughts go the millions of British citizens who are sad, as we are sad today". German Chancellor Angela Merkel said negotiations on Britain's future relationship with the bloc will not be easy and vowed to help make the EU successful after Brexit. Ms Merkel said in a video message released by her office that Britain's departure "is a deep break for us all, the 27 European Union member states and for Germany." She stressed that "Germany wants to remain a close partner and friend of Britain because we are united by common values." Nevertheless, Ms Merkel said that "the European Union is going into these negotiations in good spirit but also representing its own interests, and Britain will do the same". French President Emmanuel Macron called Brexit a "historic alarm signal" that should force the EU to improve itself. "It's a sad day, let's not hide it," he said in a televised address. "But it is a day that must also lead us to do things differently". AP/Reuters
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Withdraw from an Organization
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2012 Northern Italy earthquakes
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In May 2012, two major earthquakes struck Northern Italy, causing 27 deaths and widespread damage. The events are known in Italy as 2012 Emilia earthquakes, because they mainly affected the Emilia region. The first earthquake, registering magnitude 6.1, struck in the Emilia-Romagna region, about 36 kilometres (22 mi) north of the city of Bologna, on 20 May at 04:03 local time (02:03 UTC). The epicentre was between Finale Emilia, Bondeno and Sermide. Two aftershocks of magnitude 5.2 occurred, one approximately an hour after the main event[3] and another approximately eleven hours after the main event. [4] Seven people were killed. A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck the same area nine days later, on 29 May, causing an additional twenty deaths and widespread damage, particularly to buildings already weakened by the 20 May earthquake. [5] The epicentre was in Medolla: the quake itself occurred at a depth of about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)[6]
The Po Plain, a foreland basin formed by the downflexing of the crust by the loading of the Apennine thrust sheets, overlies and mainly conceals the active front of the Northern Apennines fold and thrust belt, across which there is about one millimeter (0.04 in) per year of active shortening at present. Information from hydrocarbon exploration demonstrates that the area is underlain by a series of active thrust faults and related folds, some of which have been detected from anomalous drainage patterns. These blind thrust faults are roughly WNW-ESE trending, parallel to the mountain front, and dip shallowly towards the south-southwest. Several damaging historical earthquakes, such as the 1570 Ferrara earthquake, have occurred in the area. [7]
The 20 May earthquake sequence began with a magnitude 4.0 foreshock at 01:13 local time (23:13 UTC 19 May). Less than three hours later, at 04:04 local time (02:04 UTC) the biggest of these earthquakes occurred with magnitude 6.1 between Finale Emilia (province of Modena) and Sant'Agostino (province of Ferrara). This strong quake destroyed all the churches and many of the factories in the area. Seven people were killed. In San Carlo more than 350 families lost their houses. Within the next nine days, there were six aftershocks exceeding magnitude 5, 28 of magnitude 4–5 and 139 of magnitude 3–4. [8] The mainshock could be felt as far away as Switzerland. [9] The focal mechanism indicates that the earthquake was a result of thrust faulting,[10] with a north-south direction of compression, on a fault plane trending west-east. This type of faulting is consistent with the regional tectonic setting. [11]
On 29 May (about 09:00 CEST, 07:00 UTC), a magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit the same area. The hypocentre has been estimated at 5–10 kilometres (3–6 mi) below Mirandola. [12] A series of two or three, according to different sources, strong aftershocks with magnitudes larger than 5 occurred at between 12:55 and 13:02 local time. [13][14] The 09:00 shock and the 13:00 shocks were felt throughout Northern Italy, up to the Aosta province. [15] The 09:00 earthquake could be felt in Austria, Switzerland,[9] and Croatia,[citation needed] with reports of swaying buildings in Austria. The two large aftershocks at 12:55 and 13:02 could also be felt in Austria. [14] This earthquake had a similar mechanism to the 20 May shock. This earthquake, like the previous earthquake of 20 May, was distinctly felt in Trentino Alto Adige. It was especially felt on the upper floors of buildings both in Trento and Bolzano, and created some concern among residents. [16]
On 6 June at 06:08 local time, a magnitude 4.5 earthquake hit 50 km further east with an epicenter off the coast of Ravenna in Romagna at a depth 25.6 km. [17]
The earthquake was felt strongly and distinctly in Ravenna and Rimini, then less in Pesaro and Ancona, and very slightly in the province of Modena, in areas already affected by earthquakes in recent days. [18] This earthquake was generated by a fault other than that responsible for the earthquakes of 20 and 29 May in Emilia, although part of the same group of geological structures. Initial reports after the 20 May shock listed seven dead, including four workers at a factory in Ferrara,[1] and about 5,000 people left homeless. [19] At least 100 structures of historical significance have been damaged or destroyed. Many churches in towns around the epicentre suffered damage. [19][20] One of the towers of Castello Estense, a moated medieval structure in the centre of Ferrara, was damaged in the earthquake. [citation needed] Half of a clock tower in Finale Emilia dating from the 13th century (known as the torre dei modenesi) fell down in the mainshock and the remaining part collapsed completely during an aftershock later that day. There was also significant damage to factories and agricultural land in the region. [21]
Production of Grana Padano and Parmigiano-Reggiano hard cheeses was badly affected; approximately 300,000 wheels, with an estimated value of €200 million, were destroyed. [22]
Five of the deaths were caused by the collapse of recently constructed factory buildings. Stefano Gresta, president of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, deemed it "unacceptable that modern constructions such as warehouses and industrial sheds have collapsed in an earthquake which was strong, but not exceptional". [23] The area was not included in seismic hazard maps until 2003, when, after a reassessment, it was classified as "medium risk", with a 10% likelihood of such an earthquake in the next 450 years. A law introduced in 2006 imposed building standards appropriate for the seismic hazard classification, but few of the older buildings have been upgraded to meet these requirements. [23]
The 29 May magnitude 5.8 earthquake left 18 people dead, more than 350 injured, and more than 15,000 homeless. [24] The 15th-century cathedral of Mirandola, already damaged on 20 May, collapsed after the 29 May shock. [citation needed] The earthquake was felt in most of Northern Italy, triggering evacuation of schools and other buildings. Some buildings in the Modena province and neighbouring areas, already damaged in the first earthquake, collapsed. [12]
After the main shock of 20 May, inspections were underway to determine which buildings were safe to reenter. The 29 May earthquake occurred during the daytime, when many people were working. As in the mainshock of 20 May, many of the dead in the 29 May earthquake were workers inside huge warehouses and factories.
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Earthquakes
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