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2021 Haitian protests
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2021 phase
Protests began in cities throughout Haiti on 7 July 2018 in response to increased fuel prices. Over time, these protests evolved into demands for the resignation of Jovenel Moïse, the president of Haiti. Led by opposition politician Jean-Charles Moïse (no relation), protesters state that their goal is to create a transitional government, provide social programs, and prosecute allegedly corrupt officials. The protests and civil unrest that paralysed Haiti hit hard. Since the 14 January protest, hundreds of thousands have taken part in weekly protests calling for the government to resign. [3][4][5][6][7]
Released in November 2017, a Senate probe of the period 2008–2016 (concerning the René Préval and Michel Martelly administrations as well as the chief of staff of then-sitting President Jovenel Moïse) revealed significant corruption had been funded with Venezuelan loans through the Petrocaribe program. [8]
A new round of protests broke out in February 2021 amid a dispute over Moïse's presidential term. The protesters claimed that Moïse's term officially ended on 7 February 2021 and demanded that he step down. Moïse said that Haitian presidents have five years to serve according to the constitution and he has one more year to serve since he became president in February 2017. Protesters have also expressed concerns about the 2021 Haitian constitutional referendum, a referendum proposed by Moïse which would reportedly scrap the ban on consecutive presidential terms and enable Moïse to run again. [9]
Monique Clesca of the Americas Quarterly described it as "a three-year protest movement led by young people that has its roots in 2018 riots over high fuel prices and a lack of jobs and health care. They have made state corruption and President Jovenel Moïse the target of escalating protests. "[9]
When Venezuela stopped shipping oil to Haiti in March 2018, this led to fuel shortages. With the removal of government subsidies in July, kerosene prices went up over 50 percent, with similarly steep hikes on other fossil fuels. [10] These rises in taxes on gasoline, diesel, and kerosene that went into effect on 7 July 2018 brought Haitians into the streets. Flights were canceled into and out of Haiti by U.S. airlines. [11][12] The government backed down on the tax increases, and the President accepted the resignation of the inexperienced Jack Guy Lafontant as Prime Minister on 14 July 2018, replaced one month later by Jean-Henry Céant. [13][14]
In mid-August 2018, Gilbert Mirambeau Jr. tweeted a photo of himself blindfolded holding a cardboard sign with "Kot kòb PetwoCaribe a ?" ("Where did the PetroCaribe money go?") written on it. The hashtag petrocaribechallenge was soon widely circulated on social media. [15][14]
Anger over the revelations and accusations from the continuing investigation simmered through social media into the autumn and boiled over again, first in October 2018, with tense scenes and violence in Les Cayes, in Jacmel, and in Saint-Marc. [16] A week of protests in November 2018 led to 10 deaths, including several killed when a government car "lost a wheel and plowed into a crowd. "[17]
Significant protests broke out again in February 2019 following a report from the court investigating the Petrocaribe Senate probe. [1][18][19] Economic problems and the increased cost of living helped fuel the protests. [19]
On 7 February, protesters targeted and damaged wealthy Haitians' luxury vehicles. [19] The following day, the mayors of Petion-ville and Port-au-Prince announced the cancellation of pre-Haitian Carnival events. [19] Two days later protestors clashed with police, with demonstrators throwing stones at the home of President Moïse, after one of his allies' security personnel struck a woman's car and began to beat her. [20] On 12 February, protesters burned down a popular market, looted stores and assisted with a prison break in Aquin that freed all of the facility's prisoners. [18][21] In Port-au-Prince, the building housing the Italian and Peruvian consulates was looted by protesters. [22][23]
President Moïse addressed the country on 14 February, saying he would not step down and "give the country up to armed gangs and drug traffickers. "[24] During a funeral procession on 22 February, Haitian police fired tear gas at a crowd of about 200 people carrying the casket of a man killed during protests days earlier. [25] Opposition leader Schiller Louidor called for future protests, though the overall size of protests began to subside that day. [25]
Three days after the lower house voted a censure motion against Prime Minister Jean-Henry Céant's government on 18 March 2019,[26] President Moïse replaced Céant with Jean-Michel Lapin. [27] As of mid-November 2019, this change had not been ratified by the Haitian Parliament. Lacking a government because of the impasse between the President and the Parliament, Haiti has had hundreds of millions in international aid—for which having a sitting government was a prerequisite—suspended. [28]
During escalating protests on 10 June, journalist Rospide Petion was shot in a company car on his way home from Radio Sans Fin in Port-au-Prince, where he had criticized the government on air before leaving the station. [29][30]
On 4 October, thousands protested across Haiti. In Port-au-Prince, the mayor joined the protestors in calling for President Moïse to step down. Two days earlier, the opposition sent a letter by delegation to the UN Secretary General denouncing the sitting President's role in the Petrocaribe affair, and the government's role in a massacre in La Saline. [31][32] Lyonel Trouillot wrote in L'Humanité that "[w]ithout dipping into conspiracy theory, there is something worrying about the international community's silence about the Haitian situation. "[33][34]
On 11 October, Néhémie Joseph, a second radio journalist critical of the government, was found dead in the trunk of his car in Mirebalais. [35][36] On 22 October, thousands of Catholics demonstrated in the capital. Archbishop Max Leroy Mésidor asked Haitian leaders to heed the people who "cannot go on any longer. We are fed up." Energy crises, road blockages, and widespread unrest have led to massive drops in tourism, causing the closure of hotels in Petion-ville, where the Best Western Premier closed permanently,[37] and in Cap-Haïtien, where Mont Joli was closed. [38] Two people were killed in protests in Port-au-Prince on 27 October. Masked police officers were themselves out on the streets demonstrating that day because of low salaries and lack of health insurance. [39]
Although the Haitian constitution calls for legislative elections in October, none were held in October 2019.
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Nationwide outbreak of Salmonella infections
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At least a dozen students at Georgetown University have reported being sick with symptoms that resemble foodborne illness and an official says they may be part of a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella infections. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Ranit Mishori says the school is working to determine the cause of the illnesses. “At this time we do not know the cause of the symptoms, but it is prudent to assume they are related to an infectious process. Please be aware that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a national outbreak of Salmonella from an unknown source,” according to a letter Mishori sent to students and staff. Students have reported symptoms including severe stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea, which are consistent with foodborne illness. The school officials are working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to find the cause of the outbreak and determine if it is part of a 25-state outbreak that has already sickened at least 127 people. The outbreak was reported on Sept. 15. Georgetown University health officials are telling students that if they are experiencing symptoms to limit their contact with others and stay well hydrated. About Salmonella infections Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile, according to the CDC. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others.
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Disease Outbreaks
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1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final
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The 1998–99 season of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup club tournament was the last season of the competition before it was abolished. Lazio won the final against Mallorca to earn their only title in the competition. Chelsea were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the semi-finals by Mallorca. TH Title Holders
Rudar Velenje won 2–0 on aggregate. Helsingborg won 5–0 on aggregate. Lausanne-Sport won 7–2 on aggregate. CSKA Kyiv won 3–2 on aggregate. Apollon Limassol won 5–4 on aggregate. Genk won 9–1 on aggregate. Haka won 3–0 on aggregate. Levski Sofia won 9–2 on aggregate. Liepājas Metalurgs won 4–3 on aggregate. Rapid București won 8–2 on aggregate. Heart of Midlothian won 6–0 on aggregate. Amica Wronki won 5–0 on aggregate. MTK won 10–1 on aggregate. Maccabi Haifa won 3–1 on aggregate. Spartak Trnava won 3–0 on aggregate. Copenhagen won 10–0 on aggregate. Partizan won 2–1 on aggregate. Lokomotiv Moscow won 5–1 on aggregate. Braga won 4–0 on aggregate. SV Ried won 3–0 on aggregate. Maccabi Haifa won 4–3 on aggregate. Panionios won 5–1 on aggregate. FK Jablonec 97 3–3 Apollon Limassol on aggregate. Apollon Limassol advanced after winning the penalty shootout 4–3 (2 Apollon and 3 Jablonec kicks were saved).' Lausanne-Sport 3–3 Lazio on aggregate. Lazio won on away goals rule. Partizan 2–2 Newcastle United on aggregate. Partizan won on away goals rule. Chelsea won 1–0 on aggregate. FC København won 6–1 on aggregate. Vålerenga I.F. 2–2 Rapid București on aggregate. Vålerenga I.F. won on away goals rule. Beşiktaş J.K. won 4–2 on aggregate. SC Heerenveen won 4–1 on aggregate. Varteks won 2–0 on aggregate. The game was played in Brussels as Genk's stadium did not meet UEFA requirements. Genk won 6–1 on aggregate. Before the game the delegate of Hearts complained about the non-standard goal height, and the referee measured it to be one centimetre lower than regulation. Hearts agreed to play the game anyway. Mallorca won 2–1 on aggregate. The game was played in Brussels as Genk's home stadium did not meet UEFA requirements. Lokomotiv Moscow won 3–2 on aggregate. Maccabi Haifa won 5–3 on aggregate. Panionios won 4–2 on aggregate. Lazio won 3–2 on aggregate.
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Sports Competition
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2016 Sri Lankan floods
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Beginning on 14 May 2016, a low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal caused torrential rain to fall across Sri Lanka, causing floods and landslides which affected half a million people. [2][3][4] As of 25 May 2016 the death toll was 101 with 100 missing. [1][5][6]
On 14 May 2016 the Meteorology Department issued a severe weather advisory for twelve hours commencing 11:30 IST. [7][8] Up to 100mm of rain was expected in parts of eastern and southern Sri Lanka with wind speeds up to 70-80 kmh at sea. [7][8]
A depression off south-east Sri Lanka caused torrential rain and minor floods. [9] Nearly 100mm of rainfall was reported in Avissawella, Hambantota and Kurunegala and several parts of the capital Colombo were flooded. [10][11] Seas off Mannar and Trincomalee were expected to be rough. [10] The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) issued landslide and cut slope failure warnings for the Badulla, Bandarawela, Ella, Haliela, Hadummulla, Haputale, Lunugala, Passara, Uva-Paranagama and Welimada areas. [12][13][14]
More than 35 families in Nalluruwa were displaced after a gale hit their homes. [15][16][17] Bad weather forced two flights bound for Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to be diverted to Cochin International Airport. [13][18] A landslide in Hattota near Dehiowita in Kegalle District left four dead and one missing. [19][20]
Between 8.30 am to 5.30pm 137.7mm of rain was recorded in Katunayake, 125.7mm in Trincomalee, 117.2mm in Kurunegala, 106.9mm in Colombo, 98mm in Mahailuppallama, 93.5mm in Ratnapura, 79. mm in Kandy and 74.7 mm in Batticaloa. [16]
A flight bound for BIA was diverted to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport due to bad weather. [13][18] With water levels on the Attanagalu Oya, Kalu Ganga, Kelani River, Maha Oya, Mahaweli River, Nilwala Ganga and Yan Oya rising, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) warned people living on river banks and low-lying areas in Badalgama, Dunamale, Giriulla, Hanwella, Horowpatana, Nawalapitiya, Panadugama, Peradeniya, and Ratnapura to be vigilant. [13][21] The Meteorology Department advised that the low pressure area was moving away from Sri Lanka's rainfall would subside though heavy winds and showers would continue for a few days. [22] Power failures were reported in several villages. [23] Flights leaving Ratmalana Airport were grounded due to heavy rain. [24] The Southern Expressway's exit at Biyagama was closed due to flooding. [25]
Heavy rains and floods affected Chilaw, Colombo, Galle, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura and one person was killed by lightning in Anuradhapura. [26][27] The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) rescued fishermen off Pitipana near Negombo in Gampaha District after their boat capsized. [13][19][28][29]
According to the DMC the death toll stood at three and more than 11,000 people were affected. [26]
A landslide in Ilukkwatta near Kadugannawa in Kandy District buried two homes under 25 feet of mud, rock and rubble, killing seven. [19][30][31] The Road Development Authority waived Tolls on the Southern Expressway between Kottawa to Kadawatha due to the weather. [32] Schools in Central Province, North Western Province, Sabaragamuwa Province and Western Province are closed due to the floods. [33][34][35]
Over 200 people trapped by flooding in Thabbowa in Puttalam District were rescued by the SLAF and Sri Lanka Navy. [19][36][37] A landslide in Samsarakanda near Aranayaka in Kegalle District buried several homes, killing 21 and leaving 123 missing. [19][38] The villages of Elangapitiya, Pallebage and Siripura were buried in the landslide. [39][40][41] A landslide at Kalupahana Estate near Bulathkohupitiya in Kegalle District buried several homes, killing 14 and leaving two missing. [19][42]
According to the DMC the death toll stood at eight with another eight missing and more than 200,000 people were affected. [43][44][45]
The Sri Lanka Army, with the help of villagers, volunteers and medical staff, began rescue efforts at Aranayaka and Bulathkohupitiya. [46][47] Two boys were killed in Wattala due to the floods. [48] The Outer Circular Expressway was flooded at Kaduwela. [49] With roads underwater and impassable, the Wilpattu National Park was closed until 25 May 2016. [50]
As water levels on the Kelani River rose rapidly, the DMC warned those living near its banks to move to safety. [51][52] The Ceylon Electricity Board imposed emergency power cuts on the Colombo suburbs of Kohilawatte, Kolonnawa, Kotikawatte, Orugodawatta, Sedawatta, Sinhapura and Wellampitiya as a precautionary measure. [53] Overnight the army and navy evacuated 26,000 people affected by the floods in Colombo. [54]
According to the Meteorology Department the last four days had seen one of the highest rainfalls in Sri Lanka. [55] 373.3mm of rain fell on Kilinochchi in the 24 hours to 8.30 a.m. on 16 May 2016. [55] Pottuvil recorded the highest rainfall on 15 May 2016 (145.8mm) whilst the highest rainfall on 17 May 2016 (267.8mm) was in Mahailukpallama. [55] 135mm of rain fell on Kalepitimulla in the 24 hours to 8.30 a.m. on 18 May 2016. [55]
According to the DMC the death toll stood at 37 with 155 missing. [56][57][58]
Water levels on the Kelani River, which had peaked at 8 feet, began to fall slowly on 19 May 2016 and had fallen to six feet by 22 May 2016. [59][60] All schools in the country were closed on 20 May 2016. [61] Two people were killed in Ambulgama near Hanwella on 20 May 2016 after the boat they were in capsized in flood waters. [62] A landslide was reported in Kabaragalakanda near Aranayake on 21 May 2016. [63][64]
Prior to the floods Sri Lanka was suffering a drought and consequently power cuts as reservoirs ran dry. [65][66] Following the floods water levels in many of the reservoirs reached 75%, giving uninterrupted power supply according to the Ministry of Power and Energy. [67]
As rescue efforts continued the death toll increased. On 19 May 2016 the DMC gave the death toll as 58 with 132 missing. [68][69][70] On 20 May 2016 the DMC gave the death toll as 64 with 131 missing.
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Floods
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Seven Eastern European countries join NATO
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Seven Eastern European countries join NATO
Tue, Mar 30, 2004, 01:00
Conor O'Clery
NATO fighters from Belgium yesterday began patrolling the airspace of former Soviet republics for the first time yesterday, shortly after USPresident Bush marked the accession of seven Eastern European countries into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation at a ceremony in Washington. Conor O'Clery, reports from New York
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told reporters in Washington that the admission of the three former Soviet republics, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, along with Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, should not cause friction with Russia. The decision to begin NATO air patrols along Russian borders with the Baltic states had been fully explained to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, he said.
Mr Lavrov is expected to attend a second accession ceremony admitting the seven new members at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Friday. "At this very moment fighters are in the air to land at Lithuania airport very shortly," Mr de Hoop Scheffer said.
He claimed Russia understood that NATO had "no ulterior motives" in policing the Baltic airspace and that NATO and Russia shared an interest in developing a strong partnership.
Lithuanian Air Force Commander Edvardas Maziaikis said in Siauliai , Lithuania, yesterday that four of NATO's F-16 fighters would start patrolling the airspace of the Baltic states immediately, according to the Russian Itar Tass news agency.
The Belgian fighters landed on Zokniai's military airfield in Lithuania yesterday morning, the first day of NATO membership. Russia, however, expressed renewed concern about NATO expansion as Mr Bush welcomed the prime ministers of the seven new members to the White House.
"Without doubt, NATO's expansion touches Russia's political, military and, to a certain extent, economic interests," said Russia's foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko, who also protested that agreed reforms in NATO to reduce troops and armaments were happening "slowly and haphazardly".
The seven prime ministers lodged instruments of accession to the 55-year-old NATO alliance at the State Department yesterday, bringing NATO up to 26 member countries. Mr Bush also greeted the prime ministers of Albania, Croatia and Macedonia, which have applied for membership.
"As NATO acts to face the new challenges of the 21st century, the membership of these seven nations in NATO will advance the cause of freedom, and strengthen the Atlantic Alliance, the central pillar of transatlantic relations," the White House said. "These central and east European democracies have already acted as allies through their strong solidarity and actions in the war on terrorism, and in helping to strengthen peace and democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq."
The move could increase involvement of the new members in Iraq later in the year. "Afghanistan is the immediate priority," a State Department official said last week. "In Iraq, as sovereignty is transferred to the Iraqi people this summer, NATO should consider options for a broader role."
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Join in an Organization
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Summit Fire (2008)
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The Summit Fire was a wildfire that started on May 22, 2008 in the Santa Cruz Mountains, near Corralitos, California, United States. The fire was fully contained on May 27, 2008. [2] No injuries or fatalities occurred, with the exception of twelve firefighters who received minor sprains, cuts and strains. The fire prompted mandatory evacuations of homes in the area. Several elementary, middle, and high schools were closed following the fire. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for Santa Cruz County. [3] The cause of the fire was an unattended burn pile
. [3]
The fire has approached the area 2 miles (3.2 km) to the east which was consumed in October 2002 - the Croy Fire. [4]
The fire affected Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties. [1] Approximately 1,400 homes were evacuated. Of them 336 were mandatory. More than 2900 firefighters fought the fire. [4] Residents were ordered to evacuate the area shortly before 3 PM. The fire also affected Maymens Flat, a tiny community of fewer than ten homes. [3]
A state of emergency was declared by Arnold Schwarzenegger. [3] He excused himself during a meeting with presidential candidate John McCain to comment on the fire. [5]
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Fire
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2019 Yamagata earthquake
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An earthquake measuring 6.4 Mw struck primarily the Hokuriku region centered on Tsuruoka, Yamagata in Japan, on 18 June 2019 at 10:22 p.m. JST (13:22 UTC). A tsunami warning was also issued. The event has been officially called the Yamagata-ken Oki jishin (山形県沖地震, "Yamagata Offshore Earthquake"). [1]
The northwestern side of Honshu lies on the southeastern margin of the Sea of Japan, an area of oceanic crust created by back-arc spreading from the late Oligocene to middle Miocene. The extensional tectonics associated with the spreading formed a series of N-S trending extensional faults and associated basins. The crust in this area is subjected to east-west compression associated with the convergent boundary between the Amur Plate and the Okhotsk Plate[A]. As a result of this strain, the north-south trending extensional faults are reactivated in a reverse sense. [6] The 1964 Niigata earthquake, the 1983 Sea of Japan earthquake, and the 1993 Hokkaidō earthquake were all a result of similar processes. [7]
The magnitude 6.4 earthquake triggered a tsunami advisory for three prefectures in Japan. [8][5] A tsunami with a height of 10 cm was reported in Niigata. [9] The earthquake damaged a total of 149 homes in Akita, Niigata, and Yamagata prefectures. [10]
26 people were reported to be injured, mostly by fallen debris. [11]
Sections of the Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway and Yamagata Expressway were closed by the East Nippon Expressway Company. National Route 345 was blocked by fallen debris in Murakami. [12]
Tohoku Electric Power announced that a blackout occurred in parts of Yamagata and Niigata prefectures because of the earthquake, with 1000 customers impacted in Tsuruoka and 200 customers impacted in Sakata. [13] Gas services were interrupted in Niigata Prefecture as a safety measure. [14]
This chart describes the maximum perceived shaking using the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale, or Shindo scale, for the earthquake throughout the impacted area. Explanatory notes
Citations
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Earthquakes
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2014 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
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The 2014 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships took place on March 29, 2014. The races were held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The essentially flat one-loop course was beginning and ending in the city centre by Christiansborg Castle. [1] Detailed reports on the event and an appraisal of the results were given both for the men's race[2][3] and for the women's race. [4][5]
Complete results were published for the men's race,[6] for the women's race,[7] for men's team,[8] and for women's team. [9]
An unofficial count yields the participation of 201 athletes from 56 countries. Although announced,[10] the athletes from Canada and Palestine did not show.
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Sports Competition
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Andrew Yang Promised to Create 100,000 Jobs. He Ended Up With 150.
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Mr. Yang is running for mayor of New York City as a bold thinker and entrepreneur. But his results have been uneven. By Brian M. Rosenthal and Katie Glueck The idea was as simple as it was ambitious: help struggling American cities by recruiting promising college graduates, finding them jobs at start-ups in those cities and training them to open businesses of their own. That plan formed the backbone of Venture for America, a nonprofit organization founded in 2011 by Andrew Yang, who waged an improbably durable campaign for president last year and now has surged to the front of the pack in this year’s race for New York City mayor.
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Organization Established
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Coatzacoalcos nightclub fire
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Events:
Topics:
On the evening of August 27, 2019, a fire started in a nightclub in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico. [1] The fire killed 31 people. It was started by what are believed to be members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, who blocked its exits. [1]
It is believed that unidentified members of the Jalisco drug cartel were angered at the bar owner's refusal to pay extortion demands, and burst into the bar at gunpoint. [2] The unknown assailants then locked the doors and other emergency exits of the club and then doused the building with gasoline and set it on fire. Prior to the attack the owner was kidnapped by the same group of individuals. [3]
Early reports of the attacks claimed that the fire had been started by homemade bombs, although it was later recanted. [4]
Thirty-one people were killed in the attack. [5] Around 24 people died during the initial fire attack and seven more died later in the hospital. Of those dead, there were ten women and sixteen men. Most of those that were killed were Mexican nationals, however two of the deceased victims were Filipino sailors on shore leave. [6]
Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated that the attack "degrades us as a society, as a government, as a nation. "[2] The Governor of Veracruz, Cuitláhuac García Jiménez used Twitter to condemn the attack. [7]
Many were quick to point to the resemblance of a fire started by Los Zetas drug cartel at a casino eight years prior, which killed 52 people in Monterrey, Mexico. [4]
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Fire
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Ara Mina is now married to Dave Almarinez
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Kapuso chef Jose Sarasola was one of Dave's groomsmen while actress Barbie Imperial is one of Ara's bridesmaids. She attended the wedding with boyfriend Diego Loyzaga. Ara's sisters, Cristine Reyes and Heidi Gatmaytan, and friend Jan Marini served as matrons of honor. Also present in the star-studded wedding were Sunshine Cruz, the long-time girlfriend of Ara's half-brother Macky Mathay, beauty queen Samantha Bernardo, Melissa Ricks, JC Parker, and Jenny Miller. Actress Patricia Javier also went to the wedding with husband Dr. Rob Walcher while Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa Zaragoza attended the event with daughter Jayda Avanzado. Ara's ex-boyfriend and the father of her six-year-old daughter Mandy, Bulacan Mayor Patrick Meneses, was also invited to the ceremony. Ara and Dave got engaged in January 2021 and in April, they went to Culion, Palawan for their pre-nuptial pictorial.
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Famous Person - Marriage
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UN calls for more funding to keep Madagascar locust plague ...
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UN calls for more funding to keep Madagascar locust plague in check
UNEP GRID Arendal/Peter Prokosch
The rainbow milkweed locust, in Madagascar.
2 October 2014
Citing efforts to stave off a resurgence of Madagascar’s locust plague, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO ) today stressed the urgency of bridging a $14.7 million funding gap to cover aerial surveys, control operations, equipment and pesticides.
“The effects of this plague could have been devastating, but thanks to strong efforts by the Government, supported by FAO , we have succeeded in preventing these locusts from migrating even further,” said David Phiri, FAO’s Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa.
FAO and the Government of Madagascar jointly launched a three-year locust control programme in September 2013. Since the first campaign, large-scale areal operations have surveyed over 30 million hectares of land and controlled locust populations on over 1.2 million hectares.
Despite those efforts, of great concern, however, is “a new challenge due to a gap in funding,” according to Mr. Phiri.
So far $28 million has been donated by the Governments of Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Japan and Madagascar, through a World Bank loan; Norway and the United States, as well as the UN Central Emergency Response Fund ( CERF ) and the European Union. Donors such as Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco donated pesticides.
Preliminary results of the first anti-locust campaign showed prevention of larger damage to crops and pastures and protection of the large rice producing regions of the country located in the centre and north.
However, current funds are only sufficient to implement the first part of the second locust control campaign, which started in September 2014. With the rainy season approaching, from October 2014 onwards, the locust situation will deteriorate as temperatures and humidity during this period are ideal breeding conditions for the locust.
The second and third campaigns are imperative to respectively support the decline of the plague and the return to a situation of recession.
In this regard, additional support of $14.7 million is urgently needed for aerial surveys, control operations, equipment, pesticides, as well as the recruitment of key staff to carry out the second and third campaigns, according to FAO.
“An immediate food crisis has been avoided,” said Mr. Phiri, stressing that “an economical and humanitarian crisis could still threaten Madagascar if the next two campaigns are not implemented in time.”
Without the extra funding, efforts made during the first campaign will be largely lost and the locust plague will expand again. The context was similar in November 2010 and December 2011, when the funding for two anti-locust campaigns was not made available and as a result, the current plague developed.
“We are in a position to help – we just need one last push to stop this disaster and prevent future plagues,” said Mr. Phiri.
The highly destructive Malagasy Migratory Locust started in April 2012, ravaging crops and pastures from the southwest of the country toward the North. By April 2014, it had spread towards the country’s largest rice crop areas in the northwest and threatened the livelihoods of 13 million people.
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Insect Disaster
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Trump has officially begun to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization as pandemic spikes
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WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has officially begun to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization, even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grip the globe and infections spike in many states across the U.S. Congress received formal notification of the decision on Tuesday, more than a month after President Donald Trump announced his intention to end the U.S. relationship with the WHO and blasted the multilateral institution as a tool of China. The White House said the withdrawal would take effect on July 6, 2021. Democrats said the decision was irresponsible and ill-considered, noting it comes as the pandemic is raging and international cooperation is vital to confront the crisis. "This won't protect American lives or interests – it leaves Americans sick & America alone," Sen. Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, tweeted after receiving the White House's notification. "To call Trump’s response to COVID chaotic & incoherent doesn't do it justice." Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said he would rejoin the WHO immediately if he wins. "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," the former vice president tweeted. Tarik Jasarevic, a spokesman for the WHO, said the organization had received reports of the United States' formal notification. "We have no further information on this at this stage," he said. The formal withdrawal comes as the United States nears 3 million reported coronavirus cases and more than 130,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Globally, there have been 11.6 million cases and almost 540,000 deaths. Trump and his advisers have blasted the WHO for failing to press China to be more transparent about the scope and severity of the COVID-19 outbreak, which began in Wuhan, China. Trump has said that China "has total control" over the WHO, even though it contributes far less than the US to the health organization's budget. The U.S. has contributed approximately $450 million dollars a year. Menendez and other Senate Democrats have introduced legislation to reverse the decision and restore U.S. funding to the WHO. It's unclear how far that could get in the GOP-controlled chamber, although some Republicans have also expressed concern with Trump's decision. Critics said Trump's WHO attacks are an attempt to deflect blame from his own mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak – and one that will end up hurting the U.S. "Deflecting blame onto the WHO won’t reverse the administration’s mistakes or undo the suffering our country has endured," said Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "The president needs to get serious about stopping this pandemic’s lethal spread by restoring our membership in the WHO, ramping up testing, and encouraging everyone to practice social distancing and wear masks.” Amanda Glassman, a public health expert and executive vice president of the Center for Global Development think tank, noted the world doesn't just face today's threat of COVID-19 but also the treat of future pandemics, which are more likely because of increased zoonotic transmission. The probability of a high lethality strain of influenza in the next decade or so is also significant, said Amanda Glassman, a public health expert and executive vice president of the Center for Global Development think tank. She said corrective measures at the WHO are needed but can only happen with the United States staying engaged. “Withdrawal is counterintuitive at best and dangerous to human life at worst. The US Congress should immediately explore what power it has to prevent this from happening,” Glassman said Gayle Smith, president and CEO of The ONE Campaign, an advocacy group focused on improving global health and eliminating poverty, echoed that assessment. "The US should use its influence to strengthen and reform the WHO, not abandon it at a time when the world needs it most," said Smith, who served on the National Security Council and other top positions in the Obama administration. More:Trump formally cuts ties with World Health Organization, says he's revoking Hong Kong's trade perks in rift with China
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Withdraw from an Organization
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Search resumes at Brazil mine disaster site
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Roughly 300 people are missing in Brazil after a dam at an iron mine burst. It's the second major disaster in that country linked to mining company Vale SA in the last three years. Matthew Larotonda reports. Brumadinho (Brazil) (AFP) - Fears of a second dam breach at a Brazilian mining complex receded Sunday, enabling a search to resume for the more than 300 people still missing two days after a dam collapse that has killed at least 58 people. Loudspeakers rang out at 5:30 am (0730 GMT) among homes surrounding the Corrego do Feijao mining complex in southeastern Brazil, warning of dangerously high water levels, according to mine owner Vale. Workers at the complex are still reeling after a barrier at the site burst on Friday, spewing millions of tons of treacherous sludge and engulfing buildings, vehicles and roads. Firefighters halted the search for survivors and immediately began evacuating communities near the dike, which contains at least three million cubic meters (800 million gallons) of water. But several hours later, civil defense officials gave the all clear. "There is no more risk of a break," said Lieutenant Colonel Flavio Godinho, a spokesman for the state civil defense agency, explaining that the high water levels had been drained off. "The search has resumed -- by land, by aircraft and with dogs." Dozens of helicopters were set to be deployed because the thick mud was too treacherous for ground rescuers. The latest official toll from the dam breach was 58 dead and 305 missing, according to Godinho. He said rescuers found a bus full of bodies. Vale, the Brazilian mining giant, said people were being allowed to return to their homes. "I had to leave with my family, my children," Jose Maria Silva, 59, told AFP. "We are upset, tense, because leaving our house is not easy. We've been here 15 years, and now we have to leave everything and run away.' Fagner Miranda, 29, added: "several people ran out, desperate... Those with no car fled on foot, with a backpack on their backs and what they could carry." - Shaken by disaster - So far, 192 people have been rescued alive, 23 of whom were hospitalized with injuries, officials said. President Jair Bolsonaro flew over the devastated zone on Saturday, later tweeting that it was "difficult to not be emotional before this scene." All was being done to care for survivors and "determine the facts, to demand justice and prevent new tragedies," he added. The military said it deployed 1,000 soldiers, including sniffer dogs, to the disaster zone. The disaster was the first big emergency faced by Bolsonaro and his government since he took office in early January, and it may be one of the deadliest disasters in Brazil's history. Vale has been shaken by the disaster, the second in three years it has suffered in the same state. Workers at its mine had been at lunch in an administrative area Friday when they were suddenly swamped by millions of tons of muddy trailings -- a waste byproduct of the iron-ore mining operations. The ruptured dam, 42 years old and 282 feet (86 meters) high, had been in the process of being decommissioned. Vale said it had recently passed structural safety tests. - Vale assets frozen - After overflowing a second dam, the muddy mass barreled down toward Brumadinho but only glanced along the town's edge before roaring through vegetation and farmland, smashing houses and swallowing tractors and roads in its path. Brazilian judicial authorities announced they had frozen $3 billion of Vale's assets, saying real estate and vehicles would be seized if the company could not come up with the full amount. The company also has been hit with fines by the federal and state government totaling some $92.5 million. Vale share prices fell Friday more than eight percent on the New York Stock Exchange. The mining company, one of the world's biggest, was involved in a 2015 mine collapse elsewhere in Minas Gerais that claimed 19 lives in what is regarded as the country's worst-ever environmental disaster. "There used to be people here, houses. I'm just floored by this tragedy," Rosilene Aganetti, a 57-year-old resident in one of the affected villages, told AFP, pointing to an expanse of mud. "Several of my friends who were in the Vale cafeteria are missing," she said, holding back sobs. Another woman, Suely de Olivera Costa, was desperately trying to find her husband, who worked at the mine. She angrily accused Vale of "destroying Brumadinho, and nobody is doing anything -- which will be the next town?" The Brazilian branch of environmental group Greenpeace said the dam break was "a sad consequence of the lessons not learned by the Brazilian government and the mining companies." Such incidents "are not accidents but environmental crimes that must be investigated, punished and repaired," it added. Horrifying.View Entire Post › "I am not a shock artist," Sophira Urista writes in a new apology. Brass Against Singer Apologizes for Peeing on Fan’s Face as NASCAR Permanently Bans Band From Its Venues Alex Young Mercedes asks for Right of Review of Hamilton-Verstappen incident at Brazil. KD had nothing but praise for former teammate Steph Curry after the Warriors' win over the Nets. An NFL Network reporter said former Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins' pregame preparations were questioned by his coaches before Sunday's game. Donald Trump's 2016 election rival had a "restful" response to the former White House chief strategist's arrest. She totally flashed the paps. The security footage is going viral on TikTok. "I don’t need to see you taking a dump from my bed."View Entire Post › Wall Street had a positive day on Tuesday, buoyed by news of strong retail sales figures in the U.S. economy. Consumers have remained strong, having ample financial resources on average and doing their best to maintain their purchasing power despite inflationary pressures. Royal experts have spotted a subtle but "significant" hint suggesting the Duchess of Cambridge may have moved up the royal ranks. Singer Sophia Urista could face charges of indecent exposure. Brass Against Onstage Urination Incident Leads to Police Report as More Details Emerge Spencer Kaufman One creative dad has TikTokers cracking up after his wife 'left' their family for her seeming obsession. Obama famously skewered Trump in 2011 over his aggressive promotion of the racist "birther" conspiracy theory. New Hampshire Attorney General’s OfficeA New Hampshire mother texted a friend about her 5-year-old’s uncontrollable behavior, comparing her son to a couple of prolific serial killers. “I want him gone,” she allegedly wrote. Four months later, the child’s body was discovered in the Abington woods.The haunting messages from Danielle Dauphinais were shared with The Boston Globe by her childhood friend, Erika Wolfe. Though Wolfe said she and Dauphinais had not spoken in years, Dauphinais reached out George Kittle overpowered Rams' Von Miller with a nasty block Monday night. Kyle Rittenhouse could spend the next several decades of his life behind bars or soon walk free from a Kenosha, Wisconsin courthouse. This would be the definition of a quick trigger. British Columbia is grappling with the aftermath of intense rainfall, which has washed away parts of major highways and isolated Vancouver from other parts of the province. A flight attendant revealed the secret meaning behind the airplane chime sounds you hear during a flight.
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Mine Collapses
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Three Kitchener teens arrested in relation to bank, armoured car robberies
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KITCHENER -- Three Kitchener teens have been arrested and charged in connection to an armoured car robbery, a bank robbery and stolen vehicle offences. Toronto police say the incidents happened between Jan. 19 and Feb. 13 in Toronto, Waterloo and Drumbo. On Jan. 19, officials say three male suspects entered a Drumbo bank armed with guns and a knife. They pointed the guns at victims while a fourth suspect waited in a stolen vehicle. They stole cash and fled the scene. On Feb. 2, police said three male suspects stopped two armoured car guards coming out of a bank in the area of Morningside Avenue and Milner Avenue in Toronto. One guard locked himself in the truck, while the other was disarmed and held at gunpoint. They demanded cash from the guards. The alarm was triggered and the suspects fled in a stolen vehicle, taking the guard's gun. Toronto police and Waterloo regional police worked together to identify the suspects. They were arrested on Feb. 13 in an alleged stolen vehicle in Toronto. Police say they also seized a replica handgun, a loaded semi-automatic assault rifle and cash. The gun stolen from the guard was also recovered. Two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old from Kitchener are all facing multiple charges, including robbery, pointing firearms and threatening death.
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Bank Robbery
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1920 French railway strikes
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1920 French railway strikes were a series of strikes which took place in France during 1920. Firstly there was a series of railway strikes from 23 February to 4 March. This included a strike by 26,000 railway workers in Paris. There was a subsequent strike from 4–29 May which resulted in failure as 93,000 strikers returned to work after the strike leaders were arrested and the workers were threatened with being drafted into the Army. In 1920, the Vatican decided to establish its own union to combat the influence of Marxism within the working class: the CFDC, French Confederation of Christian Workers, "French Confederation of Christian Workers". It later split and gave birth to the CFDT (Confédération française démocratique du travail, "French Democratic Confederation of Labour") that became non-confessional. While this CFDT union at a time (up until 1980) had a libertarian streak, its leadership organised massive purged to transform it into a yellow trade union bent on supporting the liberal agenda on the political grounds that “there is no alternative to capitalism” and workers have no choice but to try to limit the damage through social dialogue. [1]
This French railway-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
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Strike
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The Rolling Stones cancel Buffalo concert, reschedule other US tour dates
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FILE - Ron Wood, from left, Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones perform during a concert in Pasadena, Calif. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Western New York rock fans can’t get no satisfaction. The Rolling Stones have officially canceled their Buffalo concert. The Mick Jagger-led rock band announced its rescheduled U.S. tour dates Thursday, and left the Buffalo Bills’ Highmark Stadium off the list. The Stones were originally scheduled to perform at the Buffalo stadium on June 6, 2020, but the show was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. New York state is left off the schedule entirely — likely due to the Bills’ NFL schedule — with the closest stops set for Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Oct. 4, 2021) and Ford Field (Nov. 15, 2021). “We want to thank you all for your patience during this very difficult and unprecedented time,” the Rolling Stones said in a statement. “All previously purchased tickets will be honored at the rescheduled dates, unfortunately, there are a few dates that we were unable to reschedule - Ticketmaster will communicate directly with all purchasers of these tickets with more information. Where feasible, a priority offer for ticketholders will be available for nearby shows.” The tour also includes some new dates added in New Orleans, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Tickets for those shows will go on sale Friday, July 30. The Rolling Stones last played Buffalo in 2015. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, featuring Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood, have released 30 studio albums, featuring hits like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Wild Horses,” “Paint It Black,” “Street Fighting Man,” “Sympathy for the Devil” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” RELATED: Upstate NY concerts: See our huge list of shows from Buffalo to Syracuse to Albany for 2021-2022 St. Joe’s Amp concert tickets won’t get you free admission to NYS Fair this year Elton John’s Syracuse concert nears sellout: Here are the cheapest tickets you can get
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Organization Closed
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Little-Known Statute Could be Key To Getting A Refund For Cancelled Concerts
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Bay Area venues are preparing to host live concerts again very soon. But some fans are frustrated. They are still out of the cash they paid for shows that were cancelled due to COVID-19. Consumer investigator Chris Chmura reports. Back in January of 2020, Benicia resident Janin Griebel bought tickets for her and a few friends to see the singer Beabadoobie in San Francisco at a show scheduled for April of 2020. She spent $319.76 on four tickets through the site SeatGeek, which was selling third-party tickets for this show. It was a big expense for Griebel, who is about to start college in the fall. "I’ve got like three jobs going on right now and that was a lot of money," she said. Like so many ticketholders, she learned the show wasn’t happening as planned due to the pandemic. She even emailed the artist's management in January 2021, who told her all tickets for their tour have been refunded. The manager suggested Griebel contact the agency she purchased the tickets from. But a SeatGeek representative told her they couldn't accept her emails from the artist's management as a reliable source and needed more proof the concert was canceled. "I was going back and forth between the management and the ticket company, I just always thought they should be the ones talking to each other, I shouldn’t have to be the one doing it," Griebel recalled. She’s just one of many ticketholders who contacted NBC Bay Area Responds over the past year in search of refunds for events called off due to COVID-19. We reached out to SeatGeek and a spokesperson replied that they looked into her case and were able to find confirmation that the event was canceled. "The customer should get an email in the coming week with next steps, offering them either a credit for 110% of their order or a cash refund (their choice)," the spokesperson said. He also noted, "as you can imagine, over the past 18 months we have seen an incredible volume of cancellations and postponements (we are talking tens of thousands), so staying on top of each individual one has been a challenge." Griebel said she will certainly be choosing the refund option, she could use the money As we looked into Griebel's case and others like it, we checked the policies for major ticket sales and resale companies when it comes to canceled, postponed, or rescheduled events. We learned they’re generally more likely to offer a refund if your event was canceled, as opposed to being postponed or rescheduled. But not all companies are offering refunds. StubHub, for example, typically provides a credit of 120% of the total amount paid for tickets when an event is canceled (though the company recently announced an expansion of some pandemic-related refund options.) A StubHub spokesperson also noted in an email to NBC Bay Area: "StubHub has always provided customers who live in California, or who purchased tickets to events in California, a cash refund upon request." We asked StubHub to provide the particular California law that prompted this policy, but we were told: "state and provincial laws vary with respect to ticket refunds." Statute 22507 in the California Business and Professions Code does resemble the StubHub policy, it states, "the ticket price of any event which is canceled, postponed, or rescheduled shall be fully refunded to the purchaser by the ticket seller upon request." This statute was added to the state's code in 1986. We asked the California Attorney General's Office if Statute 22507 requires California ticket sellers to refund purchasers the full ticket price of any event that is canceled, postponed, or rescheduled upon request? A spokesperson responded, "Yes, that statute does require refunds under certain circumstances, but please refer to B&P Code section 22503-22504 for the definition of 'ticket seller.'" A ticket seller in that section is defined as "any person who for compensation, commission, or otherwise sells admission tickets to sporting, musical, theatre, or any other entertainment event." The AG's Office noted that whether a company is seen as a "ticket seller" under the eyes of California law depends on a variety of things, like the role of the company involved and the circumstances around the transaction. Several class-action lawsuits have been filed against ticket companies related to pandemic cancellations and refunds, and at least two of those suits from ticketholders cite 22507 as a reason ticket companies should be obligated to refund customers for events that didn't happen as planned. Seth Safier, an attorney representing ticketholders in one such lawsuit against the company Eventbrite, said in an email that the case is still pending. We asked Safier whether 22507 entitles Californians to a refund of their tickets to events canceled, postponed, or rescheduled due to COVID-19? "We think so," he responded. NBC Bay Area Responds has been recommending that California residents in search of ticket refunds to California events try mentioning 22507 as they contact the company who sold them the tickets. We brought 22507 up in an email to ticket resale company Box Office Ticket Sales as we asked about the status of a refund for one of our viewers: Julien Solorzano. Box Office Ticket Sales has not responded to any of our emails or phone calls. Solorzano's husband bought him tickets in the fall of 2019 to see Post Malone at the Chase Center in San Francisco, spending a total of $853. The concert which was scheduled for March of 2020 was postponed when the pandemic escalated, then canceled in September of 2020. While fans who purchased tickets from the official event promoter Ticketmaster/ Live Nation were automatically refunded as the event was canceled, Solorzano did not get a refund. Box Office Ticket Sales emailed him offering a voucher, for 120% of the value of his tickets, which needs to be used by May of 2022. "Due to COVID-19 we are currently not comfortable attending any public function at such a large venue or in the foreseeable future," Solorzano said, as he explained why he has continued to pursue a refund. He noted part of the reason he's so frustrated is, "it's just the fact that they're not transparent and they have all the power." Another avenue if you have a concern about a refund is the California State Attorney General's Office. The AG's Office said it encourages anyone who believes a seller is violating the law to file a complaint with their office.
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Organization Closed
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Athletics at the 1949 World Festival of Youth and Students
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The 2nd World Festival of Youth and Students featured an athletics competition among its programme of events. The events were contested in Budapest, Hungary, between 15 and 21 August 1949. Mainly contested among Eastern European athletes, it served as an alternative to the more Western European-oriented 1949 Summer International University Sports Week held in Merano the same year. [1]
The women's events provided the most prominent top level athletes. Hungary's Olga Gyarmati, the reigning long jump champion from the 1948 Summer Olympics, won her specialist event along with a silver medal in the 80 metres hurdles. The 1946 European Championships high jump silver medallist Aleksandra Chudina also won in her speciality and medalled in four other events as well. Several of the competing athletes went on to compete at the 1952 Summer Olympics three years later. A handful of participants were later among the top in their field, including: Leonid Shcherbakov (1950 and 1954 European triple jump winner), Yevgeniy Bulanchik (1954 European hurdles champion) and 1952 Olympic medallists Vladimir Kazantsev, Yuriy Lituyev and Klavdiya Tochonova.
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Sports Competition
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1999 Blayais Nuclear Power Plant flood
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Coordinates: 45°15′21″N 0°41′35″W / 45.255833°N 0.693056°W / 45.255833; -0.693056
The 1999 Blayais Nuclear Power Plant flood was a flood that took place on the evening of December 27, 1999. It was caused when a combination of the tide and high winds from the extratropical storm Martin led to the seawalls of the Blayais Nuclear Power Plant in France being overwhelmed. [1] The event resulted in the loss of the plant's off-site power supply and knocked out several safety-related systems, resulting in a Level 2 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale. [2] The incident illustrated the potential for flooding to damage multiple items of equipment throughout a plant, weaknesses in safety measures, systems and procedures, and resulted in fundamental changes to the evaluation of flood risk at nuclear power plants and in the precautions taken. [1][3]
The Blayais plant, equipped with four pressurized water reactors, is located on the Gironde estuary near Blaye, South Western France, operated by Électricité de France. Due to records of over 200 floods along the estuary dating back to 585 AD, some 40 of which had been particularly extensive, the location of the plant was known to be susceptible to flooding, and reports of the 1875 floods mentioned that they were caused by a combination of a high tides and violent winds blowing along the axis of the estuary. [4] The area had also experienced flooding during storms in the recent past, on December 13, 1981 and March 18, 1988. [4] An official report on the 1981 floods, published in 1982,[5] noted that it 'would be dangerous to underestimate' the combined effects of tide and storm, and also noted that the wind had led to 'the formation of real waves on the lower flooded floodplain'. [4]
When the Blayais plant was designed in the 1970s, it was on the basis that a height of 4.0 m (13.1 ft) above NGF level would provide an 'enhanced safety level', and the base on which the plant was built was set at 4.5 m (15 ft) above NGF,[4] although some components were located in basements at lower levels. The protective sea walls around the Blayais plant were originally built to be 5.2 m (17 ft) above NGF level at the front of the site, and 4.75 m (15.6 ft) along the sides. [6] The 1998 annual review of plant safety for the plant identified the need for the sea walls to be raised to 5.7 m (19 ft) above NGF, and envisaged that this would be carried out in 2000, although EDF later postponed the work until 2002. [6] On 29 November 1999, the Regional Directorate for Industry, Research and the Environment sent a letter to EDF asking them to explain this delay. [6]
On December 27, 1999, a combination of the incoming tide and exceptionally high winds produced by Storm Martin caused a sudden rise of water in the estuary, flooding parts of the plant. [1] The flooding began at around 7:30 pm, two hours before high tide, and it was later found that at its height the water had reached between 5.0 m (16.4 ft) and 5.3 m (17 ft) above NGF. [6] The flooding also damaged the sea wall facing the Gironde, with the upper portion of the rock armour being washed away. [1]
Prior to the flooding, units 1, 2 and 4 were at full power, while unit 3 was shut down for refuelling. [1] Starting from 7:30 pm all four units lost their 225 kV power supplies, while units 2 and 4 also lost their 400 kV power supplies. [1][6] The isolator circuits that should have allowed units 2 and 4 to supply themselves with electricity also failed, causing these two reactors to automatically shut down, and diesel backup generators started up, maintaining power to plants 2 and 4 until the 400 kV supply was restored at around 10:20 pm. [1][6] In the pumping room for unit 1, one set of the two pairs of pumps in the Essential Service Water System failed due to flooding; had both sets failed then the safety of plant would have been endangered. [1][6] In both units 1 and 2, flooding in the fuel rooms put the low-head safety injection pumps and the containment spray pumps, part of the Emergency Core Cooling System (a back-up system in case of coolant loss) out of use. [1][6] Over the following days, an estimated 90,000 m3 (3,200,000 cu ft) of water would be pumped out of the flooded buildings. [1]
Around two and a half hours after the flooding began, a high-tide alarm for the estuary was triggered in the observation room of plant 4, although those in the other plants failed to activate. This should have caused the control room operators to launch a 'Level 2 Internal Emergency Plan', however this was not done as the requirement had been omitted from the operation room manual;[1] instead they continued to follow the procedure for the loss of the off-site power supply, so failing to shut down the operating reactors at the earliest opportunity to allow the decay heat to start to dissipate. [6] At 3:00 am on December 28, the power plant's emergency teams were called to reinforce the staff already on site; at 6:30 the management of the Institute for Nuclear Protection and Safety (now part of the Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety Institute) were informed, and a meeting of experts was convened at the IPSN at 7:45 am. [6] At 9:00 am the Level 2 Internal Emergency Plan was finally activated by the Directorate of Nuclear Installation Safety (now the Nuclear Safety Authority) and a full emergency management team of 25 people was formed, working in shifts around the clock. [6] At noon on December 28, the incident was provisionally rated at 'level 1' on the International Nuclear Event Scale[7] before being reclassified at 'level 2' the following day. [8] The team was scaled back during December 30, and stood down around 6 pm the same day. [6]
During the morning of December 28, the Institute for Nuclear Protection and Safety estimated that, if the emergency cooling water supply failed, there would have been over 10 hours in which to act before core meltdown started. [6]
On 5 January, the regional newspaper Sud-Ouest ran the following headline without being contradicted: "Very close to a major accident", explaining that a catastrophe had been narrowly avoided. [9]
A report on a number of samples taken after the flooding on January 8 and 9 found that the event had had no quantifiable effect on radiation levels. [10]
The Institute for Nuclear Protection and Safety issued a report on January 17, 2000, calling for a review of the data used to calculate the height of the surface on which nuclear power stations are built. It suggested that two criteria should be met: that buildings containing equipment important for safety should be built on a surface at least as high as the highest water level plus a safety margin (the cote majorée de sécurité or 'enhanced safety height'), and that any such buildings below this level should be sealed to prevent water ingress. [6] It also contained an initial analysis which found that, in addition to Blayais, the plants as Belleville, Chinon, Dampierre, Gravelines and Saint-Laurent were all below the 'enhanced safety height' and that their safety measures should be re-examined. [6] It also found that although the plants at Bugey, Cruas, Flamanville, Golfech, Nogent, Paluel, Penly and Saint-Alban met the first criterion, the second should be verified; and called for the plants at Fessenheim and Tricastin to be re-examined since they were below the level of major adjacent canals. [6] The consequent upgrading work, implemented over the following years, is estimated to have cost approximately 110,000,000 euro. [3]
In Germany, the flooding prompted the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety to order an evaluation of the German nuclear power plants. [1]
Following the events at Blayais, a new method of evaluating flood risk was developed. Instead of evaluating only the five factors required by Rule RFS I.2.e (river flood, dam failure, tide, storm surge and tsunami), a further eight factors are now also evaluated: waves caused by wind on the sea; waves caused by wind on river or channel; swelling due to the operation of valves or pumps; deterioration of water retaining structures (other than dams); circuit or equipment failure; brief and intense rainfall on site; regular and continuous rainfall on site; and rises in groundwater. In addition, realistic combinations of such factors are taken into account. [3]
Among the remedial actions taken at Blayais itself, the sea walls were raised to 8.0 m (26.2 ft) above NFG,[4] – up to 3.25 m (10.7 ft) higher than before – and openings have been sealed to prevent water ingress. [3]
Twelve days prior to the floods, a local anti-nuclear group was formed by Stéphane Lhomme under the TchernoBlaye banner (a portmanteau of the French spelling of Chernobyl and Blaye, the nearest town). [11] The group gained support following the flood and their first protest march of between 1,000 and 1,500 people took place on April 23, but was blocked from reaching the plant by police using tear gas. [11][12] The group continue their opposition to the plant, still under the presidency of Stéphane Lhomme. Due to the remedial works the plant is now believed to be adequately protected from flooding, however the access roadway remains low-lying and vulnerable. Due to this, particularly since the 2011 Fukushima I nuclear accidents in Japan, concerns have been raised over the potential difficulty of getting help to the plant in an emergency. [13][14]
The seawalls at Blayais are now higher than the tsunami that hit Japan, knocking out the cooling systems at Fukushima Dai-ichi. The adequacy of the sea walls has, however, been disputed by Professor Jean-Noël Salomon, head of the Laboratory of Applied Physical Geography at Michel de Montaigne University Bordeaux 3, who believes that, due to the potential harm and economic cost that would result from a future flood-related disaster, the sea walls should be designed to withstand simultaneous extreme events, rather than simultaneous major events. [4]
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Floods
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1930 Dhaka riots
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The 1930 Dhaka riots was an anti-Hindu communal violence involving loot and arson.
On the night of 9 June, a nearly 1,000 strong Muslim crowd cried that the Hindus had tried to set their houses on fire. The revenge against the fictitious attack was taken on the night of 10 June. The miscreants set fire to the timber go-down adjoining the residence of Shyam Chand Basak, a well to do businessman from Nawabpur.
In the neighbourhood of Kayettuli, the residence of Prasanna Kumar Nandi was attacked. Nandi was out of station. His eldest son Bhabesh Chandra Nandi had been arrested a few days earlier by the Imperial British police. At the time of the attack, only the female members of the family were present, barring the youngest son, who was a minor. The attack of a 300 strong armed Muslim mob was staved off for 45 minutes by two minor daughters Amiyabala and Anindyabala.
When rioting started in Dhaka city, the nearby villages were looted as well. The Muslims came from far off villages, in country boats and looted in broad daylight. The families belonging to the Bengali Hindu trading castes were the worst affected. The Hindu men, women and children took refuge in the nearby jute fields to save their lives. In the village of Ruhitpur, Muslim men and women from the neighbouring villages as well as Ruhitpur village itself, took part in looting the Hindu houses. About 200 Hindu households were looted. Hundreds of Muslim men and women and even children aged ten to twelve years took part in the looting. They looted every movable article in the houses, including the wooden doors and in one or two cases, the corrugated iron sheets used for roofing. They dug up the ground and searched the bottom of the ponds, every nook and corner of the homestead, where valuable household articles like bell metal utensils may have been hidden. In one case, a dhenki was looted.
Two independent committees were set up for investigating into the disturbances, one by the government and other by the citizens of Dhaka. Many people, including eminent citizens of Dhaka deposed before the latter committee. The eminent citizens included P. Haldar of Government Women's Teacher Training School, Tapas Ranjan Bandyopadhyay of Dhaka Jana Samiti, Rajani Kanta Basak, the Direct of Dhakeshwari Cotton Mills and Surendranath Bhattacharya, retired police inspector. The witnesses stated that the Deputy Superintendent of Police was seen going around the city in company of 300 to 400 Muslim goons. P. Haldar witnessed Muslims looting shops near her school and saw police constables taking part in the looting. [3]
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Riot
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2009 PDC World Darts Championship
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The 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation. The event took place at Alexandra Palace in London from 19 December 2008 and 4 January 2009. John Part was the defending champion, having won the PDC World Championship for the second time in the previous year's final against Kirk Shepherd. However, he was eliminated by Bill Davis on the opening night. [1] Shepherd's poor form in 2008 continued, as he was also eliminated in the first round, by Dutchman Jan van der Rassel. Eventually, the title was won by Phil Taylor, with a 7–1 victory in the final over Raymond van Barneveld. This was Taylor's twelfth PDC world title, and his fourteenth in all; his average of 110.94 against van Barneveld remains a record for the PDC World Championship final. [2]
The tournament was also notable for featuring the first ever nine-dart finish at the PDC World Championship, completed by van Barneveld in his quarter-final match with Jelle Klaasen. The televised stages featured 70 players,[3] an increase of two from the previous year. The top 32 players in the PDC Order of Merit on 1 December 2008 were seeded for the tournament. [4] They were joined by 16 PDPA members and 22 international qualifiers determined by the PDC and PDPA. The 16 PDPA members were made up from the top eight players who had not already qualified in the PDC Pro Tour events during 2008[5] and eight other qualifiers were determined at a PDPA Qualifying event which was held on 6 December 2008 in Telford. These 48 players were joined by 22 international players who qualified through various means. Some of the players, such as the top American, Australian, Danish and Eastern European players were entered straight into the first round, while others, having won qualifying events in their countries, were entered into the preliminary round. [3][6]
Order of Merit
Pro Tour
PDPA Qualifiers[7]
European Order of MeritFirst Round Qualifiers
International QualifiersFirst Round Qualifiers
International QualifiersPreliminary Round Qualifiers
There were two notable absentees from this year's tournament. Bob Anderson had resigned from the PDC in 2008 to take part in the BetFred League of Legends, thus ending a run of 25 consecutive appearances in a World Championship stretching back to 1984, while Alan Warriner-Little also did not participate, having made 20 consecutive appearances stretching back to 1989. This meant that Phil Taylor now had the longest unbroken run in World Championships, making his 20th consecutive appearance, while Dennis Priestley was the only other remaining player to have played in every WDC/PDC World Championship since the inaugural event in 1994. The 2009 World Championship featured a prize fund of £724,000. The draw for the first round of the championship was made on 8 December on Sky Sports News by Sid Waddell and Eric Bristow. The preliminary round draw was made on the morning of that date. [8]
These matches were played over the course of the first six sessions of the championship, between 19–22 December. The winners enter the main draw, and played their first round matches over the course of 20–23 December. [9] The matches were the best of nine legs, and had to be won by two clear legs unless the score reaches 7–7 in which case the 15th leg would be decisive. The preliminary round draw were as follows:[8]
Scores after player's names are three-dart averages (total points scored divided by darts thrown and multiplied by 3)
This table shows the number of players in the World Championship, the total number including Preliminary round. * In darts, as in many other sports, some non-sovereign sub-national entities of the United Kingdom are treated as separate countries for sport governance purposes. The international contingent for the championship have qualified through various means, detailed here:
The Continental Europe Order of Merit was used to decide four of the international qualifiers for the event, all of whom would be entered in the first round. [10] The top four players in the Order of Merit who had not already qualified via the full Order of Merit or the Players Championship Order of Merit were, from the Netherlands, Co Stompé (who was the top ranked player on the ranking system mainly by virtue of his German Darts Championship win), second placed Jelle Klaasen, and fourth placed Jan van der Rassel. Third place went to the Serbian-born Austrian Mensur Suljović. [6]
Of the four qualifiers, three had played in the 2008 PDC World Darts Championship, with Stompé being the only debutant having joined the PDC in June. [11] Klaasen, on his debut in 2008, fell in the first round (albeit in a sudden death leg) to fellow countryman Vincent van der Voort, having missed ten darts to win the match. [12] Van der Rassel fared better in 2008, beating Colin Lloyd 3–2 in his first-round match before dispatching Denis Ovens 4–1 in the second round; however he fell by the same scoreline to Peter Manley in the last 16. Van der Rassel has made two other appearances in the PDC World Championship – in the 2006 event he lost in the second round and in 2004 he lost in the first round. Suljović is making his second appearance in the tournament – in 2008 he defeated Andy Smith 3–2 in the first round before losing out 4–1 to eventual champion John Part in his second match. Australia qualifiers
The first Australian qualifier was Newcastle-born Paul Nicholson, making his debut in the PDC World Championship. After the William Cross Pro-Am series of events in Shoalhaven, Nicholson took an unassailable lead at the top of the Australian Grand Prix rankings – the top ranked player here would earn a place in the first round of the World Championship. His performances in Shoalhaven also earned him a place in the 2008 Grand Slam of Darts. [13]
The second Australian place was given to veteran Russell Stewart, who made 11 appearances between 1984 and 2002 in the BDO World Championship. Stewart won the Oceanic Masters, an event open to all Australian and New Zealand players, to secure his debut in the PDC World Championship, at the first round stage. [14]
Caribbean qualifier
Sudesh Fitzgerald, of Guyana, won the Caribbean and South American Masters to become the second ever Guyanese player to appear in the PDC World Championship, after Norman Madhoo who qualified for the 2004 event. Fitzgerald is entered in at the preliminary stage of the tournament. [15]
China qualifier
Shi Yongsheng became the Chinese representative at the tournament, making this his third successive appearance in the PDC World Championship. [15] Yongsheng played in the 2008 PDC World Championship, beating Indian qualifier Ashfaque Sayed in the preliminary round but losing to Alan Warriner-Little in the first round. He also played in the 2007 PDC World Championship but fell at the first hurdle in a loss to Andy Smith. Yongsheng won the Chinese National Championship to secure his place in this year's event, at the preliminary stage. Denmark qualifier
For the third year in a row, Per Laursen topped the Danish Darts League to win a third successive place in the PDC World Championship. He was entered in at the first round stage. [16] In 2007, Laursen defeated Colin Monk 3–0 in the first round but narrowly lost 4–3 to third seed Dennis Priestley in the second round, having had eight darts to win the match. [17] In 2008, he lost 3–1 in the opening match of the event to Alan Tabern. Eastern Europe qualifier
The Eastern European qualifier took place on 31 October and was open to players from 14 countries in the area. [18] Hungary's Nándor Bezzeg won the event to become the first ever Hungarian representative at the PDC World Championship, being given a first round place at the tournament.
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Sports Competition
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1981 Schlitz strike
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The 1981 Schlitz strike was a labor strike involving approximately 700 brewery workers of the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. The strike began June 1, 1981 after the labor contract between Schlitz and the local union (Brewery Workers Local 9) expired without a replacement. The strike came at a time when the company was still recovering from financial difficulties it had sustained in the years prior. After almost two months of striking, the company announced that it would be closing its Milwaukee brewery in an effort to stay competitive and reduce excess production capacity. The plant closed on September 30, and Schlitz was acquired by the Stroh Brewery Company the following year. In 1981, the Milwaukee-based Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company was the fourth largest brewing company in the United States. [1] Several years prior, the company was the second largest,[1] with sales peaking in 1976. [2] However, in the years following, the company's market share and overall sales declined, due in part to a change in their beer formula and a nationwide ad campaign which were both poorly received. [2] Additionally, the company had been involved in antitrust action with the Federal government. [1] In 1981, the company was also experiencing a potential issue with organized labor. That year, members of the Brewery Workers Local 9, who represented approximately 700 workers at the company's Milwaukee plant,[note 2] announced they would go on strike if the company and union hadn't come to an agreement regarding new labor contracts by midnight on May 31, when the current contracts were set to expire. According to union representatives, the benefits and wages at the plant were about half what the union had achieved at the Pabst Brewing Company and Miller Brewing Company, both also based in Milwaukee. [1] At the time, the United Press International (UPI) was reporting that some industry experts thought a walkout at the plant could actually help Schlitz to save money and be more competitive. At the time, the Milwaukee plant was the oldest and least efficient plant operated by Schlitz,[1] and the company at the time was operating its facilities at approximately 50% production capacity. [2] UPI also reported speculation that Schlitz would close the plant. [1] On June 1, the local union went on strike, with picketing commencing that day. [1]
The strike began on June 1, 1981. [1] The strike continued through June and into late July,[3] at which time The New York Times reported that Schlitz was discussing being bought out by the G. Heileman Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin. [2] On July 31, Schlitz reported that the Milwaukee plant would permanently close on September 30 of that year. In discussing the rationale behind the closure, Schlitz chief executive officer Frank J. Sellinger stated that the company was carrying excessive production capacity and that the closure would help them to stay competitive. Schlitz would still be headquartered in Milwaukee and would continue to operate a container plant in nearby Oak Creek, Wisconsin. After several striking employees took an early retirement, there were still an estimated 700 strikers who would be directly affected by the closure. [3] At the time of the announcement, the company and union were still in discussions regarding a new contract. [4] Additionally, it was reported that Pabst had submitted a competing offer to acquire the company. [4]
In October, U.S. Assistant Attorney General William Baxter stated that the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division would file an antitrust suit against Heileman if they attempted to carry out the acquisition, which was subsequently dropped. [5] In 1982, Schlitz was acquired by the Stroh Brewery Company. [5][6] Schlitz was eventually acquired by Pabst from Stroh in 1999. [5]
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Strike
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Lori Dengler: Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group turns 25
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| UPDATED: August 3, 2021 at 10:35 a.m. This week, the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group (RCTWG) celebrates a silver anniversary. The RCTWG was founded in July 1996 to help prepare agencies with coastal jurisdictions and the public to deal with a tsunami generated by a great earthquake on the Cascadia subduction zone (CSZ). The first meeting was held at the Redwood National Park Office in Arcata and attended by nine people. I missed the first meeting, but three of the attendees, Vicki Ozaki (Redwood National Park), Linda Nellist (then Humboldt OES coordinator), and Jim Falls (California Geological Survey), are still active members. We were the “Interagency Tsunami Education Task Group” at that first meeting and Vicki Ozaki was the instigator. Vicki, a hydrologist with the National Park, was concerned about how the Park could plan outreach and emergency response to our new awareness of the near-source tsunami threat. The 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake was a sea change in tsunami awareness, not only locally, but nationwide (Not My Fault, April 12, 2017). The M7.2 was a mini version of what we think a Cascadia earthquake will be like — very strong ground shaking, sea floor and coast deformation and a tsunami that arrives at nearby locations only minutes to tens of minutes later. The earthquake spurred state and federal agencies to study impacts of a larger Cascadia earthquake. The report, published in 1995, outlined the double whammy of an earthquake and tsunami together. We had experienced many strong local earthquakes and protocols were in place for tsunamis coming from far away when there was time to issue warnings. But an earthquake quickly followed by tsunami surges was new ground in 1995. We were lucky that the 1992 earthquake struck a rural part of California with no big federal or university research centers. The Cascadia earthquake/tsunami problem had been dropped squarely in our laps and it was up to us to deal with it; we couldn’t rely on the USGS or a State Agency to solve the problem. We had local expertise with geologists at HSU and personnel from local federal/state/county agencies and organizations. But we also had something much more important — personal investment. We all lived here, and a great Cascadia earthquake/tsunami would profoundly affect each and every one of us. From the first meeting in 1996, we made sure the table was large. We soon had representatives from the Eureka NWS, Red Cross, Caltrans, State Parks, Tribes and Rancherias. We were ad hoc in the truest definition of the term — formed for the specific task of building resilience to the Cascadia earthquake and tsunami threat within the three North Coast counties most affected. The RCTWG never had a formal charter or official structure. Everyone has an equal voice. Most of the effort is volunteer and we have no budget or salaries. Grants and contracts are funneled through RCTWG member organizations — the RCTWG serves a coordinating function to make sure that all efforts in the region are consistent. For the first eight years, the RCTWG functioned with little outside interest. We were tied into nascent national efforts at the same time. The National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) also began in 1996, and I served on the NTHMP steering committee in those early days as well. We benefitted from knowing what others in the Cascadia region were doing. After the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, we gained international attention for grass roots efforts. I am amazed that the RCTWG has survived and grown stronger. We have tallied up an impressive number of products — seven editions of the Living on Shaky Ground publication, coordinating at least seven community evacuation drills, developing and staffing 26 county fair displays, 25 community tsunami brochures, preparedness triad magnets in 13 languages, and have been part of at least 75 community meetings and countless workshops. RCTWG members have participated in eight post-earthquake/tsunami field investigations and have presented papers at national and international meetings. Eight North Coast communities/entities have now achieved national TsunamiReady recognition. Two significant tsunamis and a damaging North Coast earthquake occurred in the last 25 years and RCTWG helped in communication both during and after those events. And the partnerships developed through the RCTWG have helped in non-geologic events as well including flooding, winter storms, sneaker waves and wildland fires. Perhaps the most telling example of the group’s value is that at least a dozen RCTWG members, long retired from the position that first linked them to the group, continue to actively participate. I like to remind people that once an RCTWG member, always an RCTWG member. Twenty-five years deserved a party and that was our plan. Ryan Aylward, at the Eureka NWS, came up with a motto — “Party like it’s 1996.” We reserved a space, ordered a cake, and people were coming from far away. For the last two weeks I have been collecting photographs and documents and compiling a PowerPoint presentation. Sadly, it isn’t 1996. As the delta variant emerged and COVID cases climbed, a niggling doubt arose. Many of our members have young children at home and even though we are all vaccinated, there is now worrisome data that vaccinated people can transmit the virus. The RCTWG developed a phrase about a decade ago that has become my mantra, “when in doubt, drill it out.” If you aren’t sure, treat the threat as real. It was time to follow our own advice and postpone the celebration. It was such a hard call —the momentum was surging towards our party and the potential threat was small. Small but still real and if anyone from the party had exposed a child or other vulnerable family member, that was not acceptable. But 25 years in the RCTWG has helped me learn that lesson. It may be months or even years before we can really party like it’s 1996 again, but I am sure the RCTWG will still be going strong and worthy of a celebration.
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Tsunamis
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Mysterious carvings and evidence of human sacrifice uncovered in ancient city
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The stones didn’t give up their secrets easily. For decades, villagers in the dust-blown hills of China’s Loess Plateau believed that the crumbling rock walls near their homes were part of the Great Wall. It made sense. Remnants of the ancient barrier zigzag through this arid region inside the northern loop of the Yellow River, marking the frontier of Chinese rule stretching back more than 2,000 years. But one detail was curiously out of place: Locals, and then looters, began finding in the rubble pieces of jade, some fashioned into discs and blades and scepters. Jade is not indigenous to this northernmost part of Shaanxi Province—the nearest source is almost a thousand miles away—and it was not a known feature of the Great Wall. Why was it showing up in abundance in this barren region so close to the Ordos Desert? Ancient China From Above: China's Pompeii When a team of Chinese archaeologists came to investigate the conundrum several years ago, they began to unearth something wondrous and puzzling. The stones were not part of the Great Wall but the ruins of a magnificent fortress city. The ongoing dig has revealed more than six miles of protective walls surrounding a 230-foot-high pyramid and an inner sanctum with painted murals, jade artifacts—and gruesome evidence of human sacrifice. Before excavations were suspended earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, archaeologists uncovered 70 stunning relief sculptures in stone—serpents, monsters, and half-human beasts that resemble later Bronze Age iconography in China. Even more astonishing: Carbon-dating determined that parts of Shimao, as the site is called (its original name is unknown), date back 4,300 years, nearly 2,000 years before the oldest section of the Great Wall—and 500 years before Chinese civilization took root on the Central Plains, several hundred miles to the south. Shimao flourished in this seemingly remote region for nearly half a millennium, from around 2300 B.C. to 1800 B.C. Then, suddenly and mysteriously, it was abandoned. (Discover a fortress in Sri Lanka that was swallowed by the jungle.) None of the ancient texts that have helped guide Chinese archaeology mention an ancient city so far north of the so-called “cradle of Chinese civilization,” much less one of such size, complexity, and intense interaction with outside cultures. Shimao is now the largest known Neolithic settlement in China—its 1,000-acre expanse is about 25 percent bigger than New York City’s Central Park—with art and technology that came from the northern steppe and would influence future Chinese dynasties. Together with recent discoveries at other prehistoric sites nearby and along the coast, Shimao is forcing historians to rethink the beginnings of Chinese civilization—expanding their understanding of the geographical locations and outside influences of its earliest cultures. “Shimao is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of this century,” says Sun Zhouyong, director of the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology and leader of the dig at Shimao. “It gives us a new way of looking at the development of China’s early civilization.” The first impression of Shimao, even as a partially excavated site in the barren hills above the Tuwei River, is of a city designed to face constant danger. The city was built in a conflict zone, a borderland dominated for thousands of years by warfare between herders of the northern steppe and farmers of the central plains. To protect themselves from violent rivals, the Shimao elites molded their oblong 20-tiered pyramid on the highest of those hills. The structure, visible from every point of the city, is about half the height of Egypt’s Great Pyramid at Giza, which was built around the same time (2250 B.C.). But its base is four times larger, and the Shimao elites protected themselves further by inhabiting the top tier of the platform, which included a 20-acre palatial complex with its own water reservoir, craft workshops, and, most likely, ritual temples. Radiating out from Shimao’s central pyramid were miles of inner and outer perimeter walls, an embryonic urban design that has been echoed in Chinese cities through the ages. The walls alone required 125,000 cubic meters of stone, equal in volume to 50 Olympic swimming pools—a huge undertaking in a Neolithic society whose population likely ranged between 10,000 and 20,000. The sheer size of the project leads archaeologists to believe that Shimao commanded the loyalty—and labor—of smaller satellite towns that have recently been discovered in its orbit. More than 70 stone towns from the same Neolithic era, known as the Longshan period, have now been unearthed in northern Shaanxi province. Ten of them are in the Tuwei river basin, where Shimao is located. “These satellite villages or towns are like moons circling around the Shimao site,” Sun says. “Together they laid a solid social foundation for the early state formation at Shimao.” Shimao’s fortifications are astonishing not just for their size but also for their ingenuity. The defensive system included barbicans (gates flanked by towers), baffle gates (allowing only one-way entry), and bastions (a projecting part of the wall allowing defensive fire in multiple directions). It also employed a “mamian” (“horse-face”) structure whose angles drew attackers into an area where defenders could pummel them from three sides—a design that would become a staple of Chinese defensive architecture. (Here's why ancient fortifications in Europe had melted stone walls.) Inside the stone walls, Sun’s team found another unexpected innovation: wooden beams used as reinforcement. Carbon-dated to 2300 B.C., the still-intact cypress beams represented a method of construction that scholars previously thought had only begun in the Han Dynasty—more than 2,000 years later. The most grisly discovery came underneath the city’s eastern wall: 80 human skulls clustered in six pits—with no skeletons attached. (The two pits closest to the East Gate, the city’s principal entrance, contained exactly 24 skulls each.) The skulls’ number and placement suggest a ritual beheading during the laying of the wall’s foundation—the earliest known example of human sacrifice in Chinese history. Forensic scientists determined that almost all of the victims were young girls, most likely prisoners who belonged to a rival group. “The scale of ritual violence observed at Shimao was unprecedented in early China,” says Li Min, an archaeologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has visited and written extensively about Shimao. The skulls at Shimao foreshadowed the massive human sacrifice that became what Li calls “a defining attribute of Shang civilization” many centuries later (from around 1600 to 1046 B.C.) before succeeding dynasties put an end to the practice. The skulls are just one indication that the East Gate marked the entrance to a different world. Anyone walking across the threshold—above the buried sacrificial pits—would have been awed by more immediately visible signs. Several stone blocks in the high terrace walls were carved with lozenge designs, making them appear like enormous eyes gazing down at the East Gate. Wedged into the stone walls at regular intervals were thousands of pieces of black and dark green jade, shimmering ornaments that served both to ward off evil and to project the power and wealth of Shimao elites. The abundance of jade artifacts suggests that Shimao, with no source of its own, imported large quantities from distant trading partners. Despite its seeming remoteness today, Shimao was not insulated from the outside world. It exchanged ideas, technology, and goods with a wide range of other cultures, from the Altai steppe to the north to coastal regions near the Yellow Sea. “What is significant is that Shimao, along with many other areas, shows that China’s civilization has many roots and does not emerge just from the growth in the Central Plains on the middle Yellow River,” says Jessica Rawson, a professor of Chinese Art and Archaeology at the University of Oxford. “Several features were taken from the world beyond even today’s northern China—for example, stone structures, that have more relation to the steppe than to the Central Plains. Other features are herded animals for subsistence, oxen and sheep and metallurgy. These are actually very important technologies that China adopted and incorporated seamlessly into their culture.” Many artifacts found at Shimao could only have come from distant lands. Besides the jade, archaeologists also found the remains of alligator skins, which must have come from a swampier region much farther south. Alligator-skin drums were likely used during ritual ceremonies, one sign of the vital role music played in Shimao palace life. (A 1,150-year-old tomb in China reveals first evidence for polo—on donkeys.) Another discovery flummoxed Sun and his team: 20 identical pieces of bone, thin, smooth, and curved. The archaeologists guessed that these were combs or hairpins, until a musical scholar deduced that the bones were the earliest examples of a primitive reed instrument known in Chinese as the mouth reed and more colloquially as the Jew’s harp. “Shimao is the birthplace of the mouth reed,” says Sun, noting that the instrument spread to more than 100 ethnic groups across the world. “It is an important discovery that provides valuable clues to explore the early flows of population and culture.” Only a small fraction of Shimao has been excavated so far, so the discoveries keep coming. Along with the stone carvings uncovered last year, archaeologists found evidence of human busts and statues that were once set into the walls around the East Gate. We are only beginning to understand what the carvings might signify, says UCLA’s Li Min, but the anthropomorphic representations are “a very innovative and rare attempt.” So much about Shimao remains cloaked in mystery, including its name. Archaeologists are still trying to understand how its economy functioned, how it interacted with other prehistoric cultures, and whether its elites possessed a writing system. “That would solve a long-standing mystery,” says Sun. There are some clues, however, to why Shimao was abandoned after 500 years. It wasn’t earthquake, flood, or plague. A war might have helped drive them out, but scientists see more evidence that climate change played a pivotal role. In the third millennium B.C., when Shimao was founded, a relatively warm and wet climate drew an expanding population into the Loess Plateau. Historical records show a rapid shift from 2000 to 1700 B.C. to a drier and cooler climate. Lakes dried up, forests disappeared, deserts encroached, and the people of Shimao migrated to parts unknown. The once-distant tongue of the Ordos Desert now laps at the banks of the Tuwei River, just below the entrance to Shimao. The ancient site is shrouded in dust and rocks and silence. Yet, after 4,300 years, one of the world’s oldest cities is no longer lost to history, no longer abandoned. Its stones have given up a precious load of secrets, challenging our understanding of the earliest period of Chinese civilization. Many more revelations are sure to come.
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New archeological discoveries
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A volcano in southwestern Japan has erupted
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TOKYO (AFP) - A volcano in southwestern Japan has erupted, flinging large rocks hundreds of metres from the crater and prompting the meteorological agency to raise its alert level, Kyodo news agency reported early on Wednesday (March 31). There were no immediate reports of injuries after the eruption of Mount Otake in Kagoshima prefecture, according to Kyodo. The report said the Japan Meteorological Agency had raised its alert level to a three on a scale of five, meaning that people should not approach the crater. A first eruption reportedly took place just after 10pm on Tuesday, with a second near 3am on Wednesday. Kyodo said large rocks were projected "nearly 1km" from the crater, and warned that they could potentially reach a 2km radius. Japan, with scores of active volcanoes, sits on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire", where a large proportion of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.
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Volcano Eruption
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6 ways the coronavirus pandemic has forever altered the retail landscape
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Few in retail could have predicted that a newly discovered virus would spread widely beyond China’s borders earlier this year, morph into a pandemic, lead to a recession and change the trajectory of many businesses. When the outbreak began, some companies spoke about Covid-19 but described it as a temporary inconvenience or a supply chain challenge. Best Buy CEO Corie Barry told investors on a late February conference call that the company viewed the coronavirus “as a relatively short-term disruption that does not impact our long-term strategy and initiatives.” In recent remarks, Walmart Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs reflected on the retailer’s expectations in the early months of the year. He noted that in its script for its mid-February analyst day, the world’s largest retailer addressed the coronavirus only once. Roughly one month later, in March, the spread of Covid-19 brought the U.S. economy to a near halt. Americans stayed home for weeks during shelter-in-place orders. Grocery stores, pharmacies and home improvement stores stayed open as essential businesses. Consumers filled up their shopping carts, jockeyed for grocery delivery slots and cleared shelves of staples, from hand sanitizer and toilet paper to ground beef, rice and beans. Shopping malls with apparel stores were temporarily shuttered. Retailers saw a shift toward e-commerce, as it became a safer option — and in some cases, the only option, for shopping. As the global death toll reaches 1 million people, retailers stare down a new reality. The pandemic has altered not only their financial outlook for the year but their long-term direction. Some retailers have filed for bankruptcy, laid off thousands of employees and are in the process of liquidating stores. Others, such as Target, Home Depot, Peloton and Lululemon, have benefited as consumers fix up their homes, look for ways to entertain themselves and adapt their daily routines and wardrobes. Here’s a closer look at some ways that the pandemic has forever altered the retail landscape. Before the pandemic, a big part of shopping was the hands-on experience: Eating samples at the grocery store. Spending an afternoon in the fitting room. Trying a lipstick at the beauty counter. Swiping a credit card on a long-desired purchase. Many retailers are now trying to stand out for the opposite reason: They are making it easier for consumers to avoid shared surfaces and limit interactions with employees or other customers. That’s led to investment and expansion of contactless checkout approaches — particularly by grocery stores. Several grocers, including Price Chopper, have expanded availability of smartphone apps customers can use to scan items and tally up orders. Pittsburgh-based grocery store Giant Eagle is piloting a system that allows customers to skip the checkout line with technology that resembles that of Amazon Go. Lowe’s is installing lockers at its stores where customers can retrieve online purchases by scanning their phone. Walmart’s strategy reflects this newfound eagerness. Two years ago, the retailer expanded its Scan & Go app, which shoppers can use to ring up purchases with a smartphone, to its SuperCenters — only to quietly shut down the project. This month, however, Walmart said access to the app is one of the key perks of its new membership program, Walmart+. Customers shopped online before the pandemic, but a desire to limit trips to stores unleashed new demand and encouraged retailers to roll out new options. The result: new habits. Americans will continue to shop at stores, but they also may schedule curbside pickup or sign up for grocery delivery services. Retailers also ratcheted up their use of stores as fulfillment centers. Gap said it doubled down on turning stores into mini warehouses, particularly when people couldn’t visit malls to shop. Target said it used stores to fulfill more than 90% of its second-quarter sales. In the U.S., over the course of 2020, almost 36% of online nonfood spending will be supported by physical stores, according to research by GlobalData. This is up by 2.6 percentage points since the start of the year. GlobalData also said about 68% of U.S. shoppers say they are going to use curbside pickup at stores more in the future and nearly 60% say they will collect more of their online purchases from inside stores. The shift is redefining how stores use their employees. Both Walmart and Target said they are anticipating increased need for people to fulfill online orders and to ready items for curbside and in-store pickup this holiday season. Both are working to cross-train employees to have more flexible duties that will allow them to pivot as customers’ needs change. Many retailers that have thrived during the pandemic share a commonality: They’re big-box retailers. Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Home Depot and Lowe’s have seen sales soar as many consumers skipped the mall and shopped at the big-box store or website instead. Leaders of Walmart and Target, in particular, have attributed their success to a diverse mix of merchandise. Target CEO Brian Cornell has touted the retailer’s role as a “one-stop shop.” In the early weeks of the pandemic, consumers flocked to stores to stock up on pantry staples and hand sanitizer. But as the pandemic stretched on, they shopped for bikes, puzzles, hair color and other items to help them entertain themselves or adjust to more time at home. And even sales in specific categories illuminate that contrast. Apparel revenue is expected to drop industrywide by 20% to 30% this year, according to McKinsey & Co. Mass retailers such as Target and Walmart, on the other hand, are expected to see apparel revenue grow by 10% to 20% in 2020 compared with last year. That sharp divide between retail’s haves and have-nots will make off-mall and “everything stores” more likely to thrive and specialty retailers more likely to struggle. The coronavirus pandemic has heightened a longstanding wealth disparity among American consumers. The rich are stowing away even more money into their savings accounts — money that they’re saving by not commuting to work, eating out at nice restaurants or traveling. The poor are forced to cut back even more, with some entirely reliant upon unemployment benefits that are running out. “Every year since the dawn of time, the higher-income quintiles spend more ... and that same pattern will continue,” said Craig Johnson, founder of the retail consulting group Customer Growth Partners. “But it’s not just about income right now, it’s whether or not you have a job.” As the rich splurge online, and the poor flock to budget-friendly shops, it’s players in the middle such as department stores and specialty retailers that are struggling the most. A number, including J.C. Penney and Ann Taylor parent Ascena Retail Group, have filed for bankruptcy protection this year. “We view the health of the consumer as ‘bifurcated,’” Cowen & Co. retail analyst Oliver Chen said in a note to clients earlier this month. “Positives include personal savings trending at 18[%] to 19%. ... On the other hand, negatives include a U.S. unemployment rate of ~8%, negative wage growth, and volatile consumer confidence.” The divide is likely to shape holiday spending. Deloitte estimates sales during the November-to-January time frame will rise between 1% and 1.5%, amounting to between $1.147 trillion and $1.152 trillion, compared with growth of 4.1% in 2019. It said its predictions hinge on how much splurging high-income consumers do and how much belt-tightening takes place throughout lower-income households. This will shape up to be especially true if unemployment benefits run out. Some economists are calling for a K-shaped recovery — a scenario where certain types of industries see gains while others are left out. Unlike so-called U- or W-shaped recoveries, growth in a K-shaped rebound is unevenly split between income groups. “We are going to see groups of consumers recover differently,” from the pandemic, said Rod Sides, a vice chairman at Deloitte and its retail and distribution sector leader. Malls were already facing an uphill battle before the pandemic, as shoppers shifted more spending online. But lost sales from weeks of shuttered storefronts made the slog even more challenging. Shops that were deemed nonessential were shuttered in March to help halt the spread of Covid-19. The biggest U.S. mall owner, Simon Property Group, turned its lights out on March 18. Taubman Centers, Washington Prime Group, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and others quickly followed. Simon Property CEO David Simon said it lost roughly 10,500 shopping days, across all its properties on a combined basis, during its fiscal second quarter because of the crisis. Shopping mall owners are now collecting less in rent. Some retailers argued they couldn’t pay their bills after their sales dried up. The pandemic also accelerated the rate of bankruptcy filings by mall-based retailers. Dozens, including Brooks Brothers, J.C. Penney and J.Crew, have wound up in bankruptcy court in 2020. Some of these names plan to close hundreds of stores, as they restructure their business. Others, such as Lord & Taylor, are liquidating entirely. As more and more stores go dark at the mall, some major retail executives are looking to grow outside of it — a tactic they hadn’t touted so publicly before. Macy’s, for example, said in early September it’s planning to open a smaller-format Bloomingdale’s department store away from the mall. It’s also looking to test smaller-format Macy’s stores off-mall. “We continue to believe that the best malls in the country will thrive,” CEO Jeff Gennette explained. “However, we also know that Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s have high potential [off]-mall and in smaller formats.” Even as malls reopen, they aren’t necessarily welcoming huge crowds, with the appeal of eating in a mall food court or catching a movie at a theater waning and new outbreaks reviving concerns. Coresight Research put out a forecast in August predicting 25% of America’s roughly 1,000 malls will close over the next three to five years. The malls most at risk are classified as so-called B-, C- and D-rated malls, meaning they bring in fewer sales per square foot than an A-rated mall. Another trend hitting malls is how Americans are changing their wardrobes and where they’re shopping for apparel. Take a look around, and it seems everyone is living in sweatpants and pajamas now. Walmart spotted the onset of the trend known best as “Zoom dressing” back in March, when it said sales of tops were up but not bottoms. People only cared about their appearances from the waist up — on video calls. Meanwhile, sales of pajamas online surged 143% in April compared with March, according to data from Adobe Analytics, as consumers quickly started to favor comfort over style. The trend has stuck around, prompting marketing messages such as: “Cozy is in,” “Work-from-home wardrobe” and “Zoom-ready styles.” It’s led to the success of some brands — and the peril of others. Jos. A. Bank-owner Tailored Brands, known for its professional menswear such as suits and ties, is on a list of companies that have sought Chapter 11 protection during the pandemic, alongside denim makers Lucky Brand and True Religion. Meantime, consumers have been stocking their wardrobes with new workout apparel, such as leggings and tank tops. Lululemon reported a surprise revenue increase during its latest quarter, as its online sales soared 157%. And teen retailer American Eagle recently reported a smaller-than-expected loss as its Aerie division, known for its soft bras and lounge wear, saw strong demand from tweens, teens and young adults looking for comfortable clothing. Peloton also said its apparel sales were up during the latest quarter, as people stocked up on sports bras and hoodies embellished with the bike maker’s logo. Nike has been another pandemic winner. It said its women’s apparel sales were up nearly 200% during the quarter ended Aug. 31. “Athleisure is more relevant than ever,” Mary Beth Laughton, the president of Gap Inc.’s Athleta division, told CNBC. “Customer behavior continues to evolve every day, but I think [the consumer] has gotten used to wearing comfortable clothes.”
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Organization Closed
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Fine Air Flight 101 crash
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Fine Air Flight 101 was a scheduled cargo flight from Miami International Airport to Las Américas International Airport, operated by McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61F N27UA, that crashed after take-off on August 7, 1997, at Miami International Airport. [1] All 4 people on board and one person on the ground were killed. [2][3]
The aircraft involved in the accident was a 29-year-old McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61F, msn/ C/n: 45942/349, registration N27UA (Transferred by Japan Airlines (JA8058)), operated by Fine Air, with total airframe hours of 46,825 and 41,688 cycles. [4][5][6]
There were three crew members and a security guard on board. The captain, 42-year-old Dale Patrick "Pat" Thompson, had been with Fine Air since 1993. He had a total of 12,154 hours of flying time, including 2,522 hours as a DC-8 captain at Fine Air. The first officer, Steven Petrosky, aged 26, hired on 15 August 1994, had a total of 2,641 hours of flying time, of which 1,592 hours were with Fine Air in DC-8s and logged 614 hours as first officer and 978 hours as a flight engineer, all in the DC-8. The flight engineer, Glen Millington, aged 35, had joined Fine Air in 1996. He had logged a total of 1,570 flight hours, including 683 hours as a DC-8 flight engineer at Fine Air. [4] The security guard on board was 32-year-old Enrique Soto. [7][8][9]
The aircraft, bound for Santo Domingo, lost control shortly after takeoff. It "pitched up quickly into a stall, recovered briefly from the stall, and stalled again". [4]
The McDonnell Douglas DC-8 missed the auto transport loading facility at the south end of the Miami City Rail Yard just north of the end of the runway, and also busy cargo operations facilities along the very busy NW 25th Street feeder to the airport's cargo area just to the south of the end of the runway. The aircraft barely missed two factories, a commercial building, and the Budweiser Distribution Center in unincorporated Miami, Florida between the populated residential suburbs of Miami Springs and Doral. It skidded across the open field and onto NW 72nd Ave, a roadway that is typically full of traffic during the lunch hour and was full at the time of the accident, though the portion Flight 101 struck had red lights at both intersections. The plane's wreckage skidded quickly across the roadway and onto the parking lot of a commercial mini-mall across the street from the empty field; it hit 26 cars in the lot. At that time the mini-mall was a hub of computer parts distributors specializing in South American commerce. [4]
The plane's wreckage fell four feet short of the entrances to three shops. It missed two occupied cars and a truck that was waiting for the traffic signal at the intersection of NW 31st Street and NW 72nd Avenue, less than 30 yards (90 ft; 27 m) away. Inside one of the cars in the parking lot sat a 34-year-old man named Renato Alvarez who had just arrived back at his shop in the mini-mall after picking up lunch for his wife and himself. He was unable to make it out of the car and was caught up in the fireball that engulfed the multi-lane avenue, field, and parking lot. [4][10]
Five people were killed in total: the three aircrew members, a company security guard on the flight, and the man in the parking lot. In the minutes following the crash, police were alerted to a fire at NW 72nd Ave, only to discover it was a plane crash. For nearly 45 minutes, mixed reports claimed the plane was a passenger flight, but within the hour the control tower at MIA confirmed it was Fine Air Cargo Flight 101. FAA Security Special Agents working out of an office on airport property (at that time) responded to the scene and simultaneously to the Fine Air Cargo offices, where they took possession of the flight documentation. Some relevant documentation was recovered from garbage receptacles, causing a criminal investigation to be opened and ultimately leading to charges including destruction and covering-up of evidence. Fine Air and their ground-handling agent Aeromar Airlines pleaded guilty to several of the charges and were fined approximately $5 million. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the airplane's center of gravity was near or even aft of the airplane's limit and the airplane's trim was mis-set. Both resulted from cargo loading irregularities. The severity of the control problem could not be determined because of uncertainty about the cargo weight distribution. It would have required exceptional skills and reactions which could not be expected from the pilots. [4]
The NTSB found that "a significant shift of cargo rearward at or before rotation did not occur and was not the cause of the initial extreme pitch up at rotation". Cargo compression or shifting may have occurred later. [4]
Ground crew interviews found that the flight was routinely full of pallets and the cargo locks were rarely engaged in some opinions, and it was further stated this was because they were thought to be irrelevant if the pallets could not move. Pallets are held by rails at the sides from moving in an upward direction, but only the retractable end locks can stop the forward-and-aft movement. Also, the aircraft was approximately 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg) overloaded, although, given the pallet weighing process, this was believed to be more common than thought beforehand. The NTSB released the accident report on June 16, 1998. The "probable cause" reads:
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident, which resulted from the airplane being misloaded to produce a more aft center of gravity and a correspondingly incorrect stabilizer trim setting that precipitated an extreme pitch-up at rotation, was (1) the failure of Fine Air to exercise operational control over the cargo loading process; and (2) the failure of Aeromar to load the airplane as specified by Fine Air. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to adequately monitor Fine Air's operational control responsibilities for cargo loading and the failure of the FAA to ensure that known cargo-related deficiencies were corrected at Fine Air. [4]
The crash of Fine Air Flight 101 is featured in the 5th episode of Season 19 of Mayday (Air Crash Investigation). The episode is titled "Deadly Pitch". [11]
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Air crash
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After economic sanctions crippled Mali, the AU and EU are trying a new tack
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Colonel Assimi Goita, leader of two military coups, is sworn in as interim president during his inauguration ceremony in Bamako, on June 7. Published June 9, 2021 Long before last week ’s suspension of Mali by the African Union (AU) and other partners over its second coup in nine months, the west African country was already struggling with a failing economy, rampant corruption, and a brutal jihadist conflict. Now the eighth-largest country in Africa risks being shut out from some of the continent’s most promising growth opportunities. The land-locked country of 20 million is one of the poorest in the world, and largely dependent on imports. For now, the country’s military regime has escaped the type of economic sanctions imposed after last year’s August military takeover. But they could be reimposed, unless its military regime heeds to pressure from its trading partners to return to civilian rule. Even without economic sanctions, Mali’s suspension from the AU means that country’s representatives are restricted in their ability to participate in initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the free trade agreement which aims to accelerate intra-African trade and boosting Africa’s trading position in the global market. And even the threat of repeated sanctions could dampen any existing investor interest, says Dr Sanoussi Bilal, a senior executive at the European Centre for Development Policy Management. “The fear of sanctions itself might lead some domestic and foreign investors to think twice before engaging in new businesses in Mali, or trading with the country,” Bilal says. “Social unrest, possible strikes, demonstrations etc. have a negative effect on consumption, and thus trade. [And] when the military takes over the power, the prospects of domestic reforms and openness are reduced.” Mali’s second coup sees different sanctions Both coups in the last year have been led by Colonel Assimi Goita, a 38-year-old special forces commander. Last year’s resulted in the ousting of president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, and followed calls from protestors for his resignation, citing government corruption, mismanagement of the ongoing insurgency, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a failing economy. Immediately after the August 2020 military takeover, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the regional bloc of west African states, imposed tough trade restrictions on the country, including limits on financial flows and commercial trade, with the exception of basic supplies like food, medicines, fuel and electricity. The country’s imports dropped by 30% in less than two months. The restrictions are credited with accelerating the creation of a short-lived civilian-military government, led by the now deposed former defense minister, Bah Ndaw, as interim president. That administration was removed from power last month by the military, citing violation of a political transition charter. (Specifically, not informing Goita about the details of a cabinet reshuffle.) Both the president and prime minister later resigned while in military custody. Amid concerns by the international community, Goita was formally sworn in as interim president on June 7 in the capital Bamako. The AU and ECOWAS had warned that Goita and other members of the transition, including the president and prime minister he ousted, “should not, under any circumstances, be candidates” for the presidential election envisaged in the agreement after the 2020 coup. A focus on Mali’s governance Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, the executive director of the African Center for Trade, Integration and Development said this time around, economic restrictions have been replaced by sanctions related to “democracy and good governance.” These include refusal to support the candidates presented by Mali in international organizations, and blocking the country from hosting any ECOWAS meetings— although the country remains liable for the payment of dues accruing to the regional body for the period of suspension. The country has also been suspended by the International Organisation of La Francophonie, a cooperative body that represents mostly French-speaking states around the world. The UN’s Security Council issued a “firm” denunciation. And on June 3, the French government announced the temporary suspension of its military cooperation with the Malian authorities. “The threat by France to withdraw from Mali should the democratic process be stopped [has] increased uncertainty and risk of chaos in the country, [dampening] business opportunities and prospects,” Bilal says. While Mali’s second coup has seen “very limited hard pressure” on the military junta, prospects of debilitating trade sanctions from ECOWAS, the AU and the EU and other players are not off the table. The EU, for example, has backed the ECOWAS and AU actions while France, which has a strong influence in the country and region has also threatened action against those standing the way of civilian rule. “The EU seems to prefer diplomatic pressure to keep Mali as a strong ally in its fight against terrorism in the region and to keep the stability of the Sahel,” Bilal adds. But in a signal of what may come, the World Bank, which at present finances more than $1.5 billion projects in Mali, halted payments to operations in the country on June 4. The bank said it was closely monitoring and assessing the situation. The primary goal of all the major players appears to force Mali back to some form of civilian rule without allowing the country to fall apart. Trade is key but unlike last year (and in 2012 when a diplomatic, financial, and trade embargo was imposed on the country following a coup), this is a card the players are saving for the last.
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Regime Change
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SpaceX, Planet ink deal to launch Earth-imaging satellites through 2025
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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 143 small satellites, including 48 of Earth-imaging company Planet’s SuperDove cubesats, into orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 24, 2021, on the Transporter-1 rideshare mission. Planet and SpaceX recently signed a deal for more such launches through 2025. Planet has signed another contract with SpaceX , locking it in as the 'go-to launch provider' for the Earth-imaging company through 2025. San Francisco-based Planet operates the world's largest fleet of Earth-observation satellites, most of which are tiny but capable cubesats known as Doves (or, more recently, SuperDoves). SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets have launched 83 Planet satellites on seven missions to date, and the new deal ensures that number will grow. "I'm excited to continue our partnership with SpaceX," Planet co-founder and CEO Will Marshall said in a statement today (Aug. 5). "We've had seven launches to date. But more than that, together we've pioneered rapid planning, manufacturing and launch of satellites that only Planet and SpaceX could together have achieved." Related: Planet satellites' views of Earth (photos) Today's statement doesn't specify the number of planned launches or the value of the contract. It describes the deal as a "multi-year, multi-launch agreement with SpaceX, solidifying them as our go-to-launch provider through the end of 2025." Planet spacecraft will piggyback as "rideshare" payloads on Falcon 9 rockets, as they have done in the past. The first planned launch under the new agreement is scheduled for this December, when 44 SuperDoves will lift off on SpaceX's Transporter-3 mission. Planet satellites have launched atop a number of rockets to date, including India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and Rocket Lab's Electron (which gives small satellites dedicated rides to space). Planet will maintain such diversity in the future despite the new SpaceX deal, company representatives said. "Moving forward, we will continue to operate with a variety of launch providers to ensure that launch needs can still be met in the event of unavailabilities of specific providers," Planet representatives wrote in the same statement. "By engaging with a diversified manifest, Planet can find launches to the right orbit in the right time frame for each evolving satellite project." For example, Planet recently signed a deal with Bay Area startup Astra for a "multilaunch mission" in 2022. Astra has not yet launched any satellites to orbit but will attempt to do so on a mission for the U.S. Space Force later this month .
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New achievements in aerospace
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Georgetown says 2 samples reveal norovirus in campus community, nearly 100 exhibiting symptoms
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The growing number of Georgetown students and staff dealing with a gastrointestinal illness this week appear to have come down with a case of norovirus. On Saturday, Georgetown University confirmed that it began cleaning and sanitizing 46 student rooms, all containing individuals affected by the virus. This after an update Friday evening revealed that the illness was caused by norovirus. The stomach illness can be spread from person to person, as well as touching surfaces or objects contaminated with the virus and by putting your fingers in your mouth, the school said. So far, the university said that more than 90 students have reported symptoms that could be consistent with norovirus. The update continued by saying that fewer than 15 were transported to area emergency departments, and a smaller subset of those individuals received IV rehydration. Anyone experiencing symptoms are asked to limit their exposure with other individuals for 48 hours, or until they stop showing symptoms of the virus. The university said it is taking the following measures to help curb the spread of the norovirus: Increased cleanings and disinfecting of high-touch areas in residence halls, dining spaces, libraries, academic buildings, Yates Field House and all other campus spaces. Deep cleaning and sanitizing of rooms of affected individuals and all common or shared spaces in on campus residential facilities. Extending quarantine meal delivery service to limit student exposure to others. Even students not experiencing symptoms are encouraged to limit social gatherings where the virus can spread. The number of people on the Georgetown campus experiencing symptoms had declined over the past few days, according to an update from Friday morning. That update, which was published at 11 a.m., said the illness has affected both students and staff as well as people living both on- and off-campus. “At this time, we have not identified a common food source among impacted individuals,” the school said in the Friday morning update. Dr. Ranit Mishori, the university’s chief public health officer, first alerted the campus community to the outbreak late Tuesday night. At that time, about 12 students on the main campus were said to be ill. The reported symptoms included severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The university said most students were reporting “short-lived symptoms,” and that no students have been hospitalized, “though a small number have been evaluated and provided with rehydration at local emergency departments.” The number of sick students totaled 40 by Thursday . Earlier this week, the university said it was collecting stool samples to determine potential pathogens and said, preliminarily, it did not appear the illness was caused by person-to-person transmission. When the university alerted the community about the illness, Mishori referenced a possible link to a Centers for Disease Control report about a recent salmonella outbreak that has hit 25 states and sickened more than 120 people.
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Disease Outbreaks
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Creek Fire (2017)
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The Creek Fire was a large wildfire that burned in Kagel Canyon and the Angeles National Forest north of Sylmar, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States, and one of multiple wildfires that broke out across Southern California in December 2017. The Creek Fire has burned 15,619 acres (63 km2) and destroyed 123 structures, including 60 homes, before being contained on January 9, 2018, following heavy rainfall from a winter storm. [5] The fire threatened the communities of Santa Clarita, Glendale, Olive View, Lake View Terrace, Sunland-Tujunga, Shadow Hills, Sylmar, Pacoima, Lopez Canyon, and Kagel Canyon, as well as the Olive View–UCLA Medical Center. During the wildfire, 115,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes. [4]
The Creek Fire was reported on December 5, 2017, at 3:44 AM PST, on Kagel Canyon Road, north of Los Angeles. [1][6] By the afternoon, the fire had jumped Interstate 210 and moved into the Shadow Hills neighborhood, traveling an estimated 15 miles from its starting point in Kagel Canyon and threatening ranches in the area. By the end of the day, a barn in Rancho Padilla burned, killing 30 horses that were trapped inside. [7] The city government of Los Angeles and state governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, due to the Creek Fire and other fires in the area. [8]
By December 6, the Creek Fire had destroyed 15 structures, including 5 homes, and damaged 15 structures, including 8 homes. Mandatory evacuations were put in place for areas north and south of State Route 210 and portions of Kagel Canyon, Lakeview Terrace, Sunland, Sylmar, Pacoima, Lopez Canyon, and Shadow Hills. [1] 115,000 residents were forced to evacuate. [4] Three firefighters were injured. [1][9] One was injured by a propane tank explosion, and another one was injured when a bulldozer rolled over. [9][10]
The rugged, steep terrain where the fire was burning, as well as the heavy Santa Ana winds, caused the fire to grow quickly, and also challenged firefighters. [1] On the evening of December 7, all evacuation orders were lifted except for Limekiln Canyon. [11] The fire had grown to 15,323 acres (62.01 km2) by December 8, as Santa Ana winds continued to pick up across the San Gabriel Mountains, continuing to impact the control of the fire. The Angeles National Forest declared its fire danger level at "extreme" and put in place fire restrictions, including no open flames, no campfires, no BBQs, or grilling. [1] The area of Limekiln Canyon, including Santiago Estates, remained evacuated and closed to the public. Schools remained closed in the area. [12] Later on December 8, the Creek Fire increased in size to 15,619 acres (63.21 km2), while containment of the fire also increased to 70%. [13]
By December 9, 123 buildings had been destroyed, including 60 homes. [14] Evacuations orders were ended and the American Red Cross began providing equipment to people returning to their destroyed homes. Fire crews continue to monitor the area. [14][15] Smoke advisories were declared in the San Fernando Valley and the coastal areas of the county due to the Creek Fire and Skirball Fire. [16] CAL FIRE transferred management responsibilities to the Angeles National Forest, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Los Angeles Fire Department on December 11. [17]
On December 23, the fire was at 15,619 acres (63 km2) and was 98% contained. Crews continued to reinforce containment lines while patrolling, as well as extinguishing hot spots, mopping up, and implementing suppression repair. [2] On December 27, the Creek Fire was still at 98% containment. [18]
On January 9, 2018, a winter storm dropped heavy rainfall across the region, extinguishing the Creek Fire and triggering mudslides in areas heavily burned by the December 2017 wildfires. However, by 10:00 AM PST that day, mandatory evacuations for residents near the Creek Fire burn area were lifted, after the worst of the mudslide threat for the area had passed. [5]
Soon after the Creek Fire ignited, authorities began investigation the cause of the wildfire. Locals reported that around the time that the Creek Fire had started, early on December 5, a steel power pylon near Sylmar had snapped and sent sparks flying, which ignited the Creek Fire. However, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which owns the power lines in the area, denied that there had been any breaks in the power line, though their logs indicated that the power lines were experiencing trouble at around 4:40 AM PST.
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Fire
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Salang Tunnel fire
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The Salang Tunnel fire occurred on 3 November 1982 in Afghanistan's Salang Tunnel during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Details are uncertain and officially the number of casualties was recorded as between 168–176 Soviet and Afghan soldiers and civilians. Despite this, contemporary Western media claimed the incident may have been the deadliest known road accident, and one of the deadliest fires of modern times, with the death toll estimated at 2,700 to 3,000 people. [1]
The Salang Tunnel, which opened the famous Salang Pass (or Kotal-e Salang) to motor traffic, was built by Soviet engineers in 1964 and eased traffic across the Hindu Kush mountain range that separates northern and southern Afghanistan. Prior to this, on 23 February 1980, a similar incident killed 16 Soviet soldiers in the Salang Tunnel. [2]
Very few facts are known about the fire. All information available constitutes little more than hearsay, in part because the Soviet Army was not inclined to reveal massive losses during wartime. Neither the Soviet nor Afghan governments confirmed any incident occurred. [3] Most sources agree that it involved a Soviet Army convoy traveling southward through the tunnel. According to Soviet Army records, on 3 November 1982, two military convoys (2211 and 2212) collided in the Salang tunnel causing a traffic jam. There were no fires or explosions. [4]
Another report from a traveler,[unreliable source?] who has been to the region, sounds very different from this official version: A fuel tanker in a military convoy exploded inside (the cause of the explosion remains somewhat in doubt with the Soviet Union still claiming it was an accident and the Mujahideen still claiming it was a successful terrorist attack) the Salang Tunnel, unleashing an explosive chain reaction. Drivers of cars, trucks, and buses evidently continued to enter the tunnel after the explosion. Soviet troops, fearing that the explosion might have been a rebel attack, closed off both ends with tanks, trapping many inside. Initial reports described fuel and ordnance explosions, and estimates of the death toll were as high as 2,700. [5] Shortly after the event, Western diplomats indicated that a collision with a fuel truck initiated the fire in the tunnel that led to the catastrophe resulting in the death of as many as 700 Soviet soldiers and 400 to 2,000 Afghan civilians. [6] People died either from fire or of asphyxiation. [6] The death toll was subsequently revised downwards many times. 56 to 64 Soviet soldiers and 112 Afghan people were killed by carbon monoxide emitted by idling engines. [note 1][7] US military analysts placed the casualty figure at 100 to 200 Soviet and Afghan soldiers. [6] Some burned to death; others were killed by smoke and by carbon monoxide escaping from vehicles whose drivers kept their engines idling to stay warm in the freezing cold. As many as 700 Soviet troops and 2,000 Afghan soldiers and civilians may have died. [citation needed]
Afghan insurgents said they did not have any role in the explosion in the tunnel. [6]
Coordinates: 35°19′19.91″N 69°1′36.72″E / 35.3221972°N 69.0268667°E / 35.3221972; 69.0268667
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Fire
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Melbourne councils to refund more than $19 million in parking fines after ombudsman investigation
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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
Thousands of parking fines estimated to reach almost $20 million will be refunded by three Melbourne councils after a review by the Victorian Ombudsman found they acted "contrary to law" by using private contractors to settle parking ticket disputes.
From 2006 to at least 2016, Glen Eira, Port Phillip and Stonnington councils were found to have breached the Infringement Act, which requires councils to handle parking fine reviews internally.
The three councils do not believe they broke the law but have agreed to repay the fines out of "goodwill", ombudsman Deborah Glass said.
Ms Glass, who tabled her investigation into the councils' outsourcing of parking fine internal reviews in the Victorian Parliament today, said although the findings had not yet been tested in court, she believed the councils' actions were illegal.
"I can express my opinion, which is that the three councils acted contrary to law," Ms Glass said.
Ms Glass added that the findings also revealed none of the three councils had disclosed who conducted the reviews, with "each of them providing a similar squiggle by an anonymous officer".
Port Phillip will have the biggest bill at $8.8 million, followed by Stonnington at nearly $7 million and Glen Eira with just over $3.5 million to repay.
A statement issued by Glen Eira City Council Mayor Jamie Hyams said details of a refund scheme would be considered by the council this evening.
City of Port Phillip Mayor Bernadene Voss today announced a refund scheme for all motorists who unsuccessfully appealed an infringement from July 2006 to August 2017.
This exempts motorists whose infringement appeals were reviewed directly by council officers or appealed to the Magistrates' Court.
Cr Voss invited motorists to complete a refund application on the council's website.
The City of Stonnington has set up a system so that those whose parking fine appeals were solely dealt with by the contractor, Tenix, can be refunded.
The investigation follows decisions by Monash and Kingston councils in March to refund motorists after being found to have also used private contractors.
The ombudsman's investigation focused on Glen Eira, Port Phillip and Stonnington councils due to their defence of outsourcing arrangements when Monash and Kingston councils made their announcement. All 79 local councils in Victoria can issue parking infringements along with many Victorian Government agencies, such as universities, TAFE institutes, alpine resorts, and public hospitals.
Ms Glass said the investigation revealed other councils and agencies also engaged contractors to assist with internal reviews, but no definitive list exists. "I decided it was in the greater public interest to conclude and table this investigation, than to expand it to other agencies and thus considerably delay its release," Ms Glass said.
Ms Glass will write to the agencies identified in the evidence and request they review their past use of contractors.
Lawyer Adam Cockayne, who calls himself the "Fine Defender", alerted the Ombudsman to the outsourcing issue.
Mr Cockayne, who established an online legal service in 2017 to challenge fines issued to motorists, told ABC Radio Melbourne this morning the issue potentially affected "every council in Victoria". He said it took four years of clients lodging appeals before the investigation began.
He gave credit to Monash City Council who sought legal advice from multiple QCs and then changed their procedures. The advice given to Monash and Kingston by the QCs meant councils were unlikely to lodge an appeal against the finding, he added.
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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Another slide disrupts Bingham Canyon mine
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(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Eight years ago, Rio Tinto Kennecott's Bingham Canyon mine experienced a catastrophic slide, pictured here in April 25, 2013. On Monday, the open pit copper mine outside Salt Lake City experienced another major slide.
| June 2, 2021, 8:45 p.m.
| Updated: June 3, 2021, 2:08 p.m.
A landslide inside Utah’s Bingham Canyon mine on Monday again disrupted operations at one of the world’s largest open pit mines. But officials at Rio Tinto Kennecott anticipated the collapse in the open pit’s southeast corner and were able to keep workers at a safe distance, according to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, or DOGM.
“It was predicted and occurred in an isolated area in the southeast corner in the pit. Because the slide was isolated, mining operations resumed soon afterward,” the agency said in an email. “There were no environmental impacts and no damage to vehicles or structures. The cause is still being determined.”
Highwall Slide at Kennecott Bingham canyon mine! happened yesterday!
Posted by Mining Mayhem on Tuesday, June 1, 2021
In a statement released to Reuters, corporate parent Rio Tinto downplayed the severity of the slide.
“We continue to monitor the situation and will resume work in the area when it is safe to do so. Other parts of the mine and the Rio Tinto Kennecott operation continue to run as normal,” the statement said.
The statement did not state how much earth moved or to what extent it would disrupt production, but the slide was not nearly as severe as the mine’s 2013 wall collapse that greatly slowed output and took at least three years to repair.
Photos posted on Facebook indicate the slide was about 150 feet across and dropped for at least 700 feet, leaving a deep gash in the mine wall and covering the pit bottom with debris.
Last year, Kennecott pulled 62 million tons of ore from the 11,000-acre mine, according to its annual report on file with DOGM. The mine has been in operation since the beginning of the 20th century and is expected to remain in operation until at least 2032 .
Bingham Canyon accounts for all the molybdenum and silver produced in Utah and nearly all the copper and gold. The 415 million pounds of copper it produced in 2019 was worth nearly $1.1 billion, according to the Utah Geological Survey .
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8 Nigerian celebrity divorcees who are yet to remarry (photos)
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Marriage, they say, is not a bed of roses. This explains why many people often choose to walk away when things are no longer working for them.
While many people are living the dream of a happy ever after, there are others who didn't exactly get what they hoped for.
Legit.ng has compiled a list of Nigerian celebrities who are yet to remarry following their divorce.
Below are eight Nigerian celebrities who are divorced:
Opening the list is Nollywood star and philanthropist, Tonto Dikeh. The mother of one's messy divorce with businessman, Olakunle Churchill, made the headlines in 2017. The following years saw the ex-lovers throwing shade at each other.
It's 2021 and although Tonto has hinted on being in a relationship with a mystery man, there have been no talks of remarrying, at least not yet.
The actor and his ex-wife, Maureen Esisi were known for their public display of affection, especially on social media.
Read also
Toni Tones, Falz, 5 other multi-talented Nigerian celebrities (photos)
This is probably why a lot of people were left in shock when the two parted ways. Up until now, neither of them has spoken out about the reason for the separation.
While Blossom is one of the hottest Nollywood actors, it doesn't look like he has plans of settling down again anytime soon.
The actress got divorced from her husband in 2014 - barely 6 years after they got married, and she has remained single ever since then.
Though she has been romantically linked with celebrities in and outside the movie industry, Ini Edo is yet to let fans know where she stands on walking down the aisle a second time.
The actor and his now ex-wife, Sonia Morales, officially divorced in 2019 after a year of speculation about troubles in their marriage.
The father of two may have switched up his look and upped his fashion game, however, it doesn't look like he plans on giving marriage another try.
Read also
Tom Holland's new girlfriend revealed! Find out top details about their romance
Tokstar is another Nigerian celebrity whose divorce with life coach, Maje Ayida, made headlines.
It has been three years since her divorce and Toke has made it known she intends to live life to the fullest.
She has, however, on some occasion, hinted on the possibility of giving marriage another try.
Singer, Dr Sid, got divorced from wife, Simi, in 2020 after five years together.
Simi, who publishes a fashion magazine, ‘Schick’, broke the news on Instagram in January 2020.
Not so much has been heard about Dr Sid's dating life.
The singer's marriage to Teebills crashed after two years and this left social media buzzing.
Although theirs was a bitter divorce over lack of trust and infidelity, they have been serving major co-parenting goals.
Tiwa Savage who was romantically linked with Wizkid at some point is yet to make known her thoughts about remarrying.
Read also
Is Tana Mongeau engaged to Jake Paul? Top secrets about the relationship
The actor and his wife, Jessica got divorced in 2019. However, it appears the actor has picked up the pieces and seems ready to give it another try.
While he is yet to make any direct comments about remarrying, his current relationship with his white girlfriend is one he does little to hide.
Fans are hopeful!
Meanwhile, for many celebrities, living in the spotlight is considered a blessing and a curse as while one enjoys the perks of being famous, it isn't always pretty being subjected to public scrutiny as regards how one should look or dress.
Legit.ng in this article compiles a list of celebrities who decided to take back charge of their lives by putting in the work to get their desired bodies, leaving many fans impressed.
There is no rosy marriage - Zack Orji shares reasons why many marriages end in divorce | Legit TV
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Presidential Task Force held for the creation of a Green Sri Lanka
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President Rajapaksa appointed this Task Force Friday last (15) through an Extraordinary Gazette notification, the President’s Media Division said. The Task Force chaired by Vijith Welikala has 14 members. Vernon Perera, Additional Secretary to the President, has been appointed as Secretary of the said Task Force. Through the gazette, the President directed the Presidential Task Force for Green Agriculture to liaise with the Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation Task Force and the Presidential Task Force for the creation of a Green Sri Lanka with sustainable Solutions for climate Change. It has been emphatically stated in the Policy Statement: “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour” that action would be initiated to build a developed agricultural economy and to create an opportunity for the local and international consumer to obtain toxin-free agricultural products within the next decade as well as to introduce eco-friendly crops.
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Michaela Strachan reveals her dogs suffered suspected crystal meth poisoning in South Africa
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Springwatch and Countryfile star Michaela Strachan says her dogs were twitching and vomiting after apparently ingesting crystal meth through faeces, and that they woke up "confused, disorientated, paranoid and spaced out".
Tuesday 17 August 2021 10:31, UK
TV presenter Michaela Strachan has said her two dogs were left suffering seizures and "hectic trips" after accidentally being poisoned by crystal meth in South Africa.
The Springwatch co-host, who lives in Cape Town, said her pets Rio and Timmy suffered an overdose of the drug, which is known as tik in the country, while out on a walk.
It is suspected they must have eaten the human faeces of someone who had taken it, Strachan said.
Fortunately, after being treated by a vet, both dogs are now "back to their old selves".
The British TV presenter documented their ordeal on Instagram and Twitter, sharing a photo of the dogs and explaining what had happened.
"After walking my dogs through a ruined fort on the mountain yesterday, a few hours later they looked like they were both having seizures and couldn't stand up," Strachan wrote.
"We rushed them to the vet and she recognised the symptoms as an overdose of a drug called Tik, Crystal meth, apparently the ruined fort is where a lot of homeless people hang out and take tik so the dogs must've eaten human poo with tik in it!"
Strachan said she "spent the night nursing them through their hectic trips as they shook, twitched, vomitted and peed", and that the dogs woke up "confused, disorientated, paranoid and spaced out".
In a follow-up post, Strachan shared a video of Rio and Timmy on the beach, and said they were "seemingly none the worse for their guest appearance in Breaking Bad!"
The drug became prominent in the TV series, which launched in 2008. Starring Bryan Cranston as Walter White, it tells the story of a chemistry teacher struggling with a diagnosis of advanced lung cancer who starts to produce and distribute crystal meth in order to save funds for his family before he dies.
Strachan is best known as a wildlife presenter of shows including Springwatch and Countryfile, and former children's series The Really Wild Show.
In 2008, the United Nations said crystal methamphetamine use had "exploded very quickly" in Cape Town, despite being "virtually unknown as late as 2003".
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Stevie Nicks cancels tour over Covid fears: ‘At my age, I am extremely cautious’
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Jason Isbell, Limp Bizkit and Lynyrd Skynyrd also cancel concerts as Covid-19 cases continue to rise in the US Last modified on Wed 11 Aug 2021 10.47 BST Stevie Nicks has cancelled her solo concerts for 2021, citing her fear of catching Covid-19. The Fleetwood Mac star said: “While I’m vaccinated, at my age I am still being extremely cautious and for that reason have decided to skip the five performances I had planned for 2021.” She added: “These are challenging times with challenging decisions that have to be made. I want everyone to be safe and healthy and the rising Covid cases should be of concern to all of us.” Nicks had been due to perform at festivals in California, Colorado, Texas and Louisiana. The last of those events, New Orleans jazz and heritage festival, has been cancelled outright, with organisers citing the “current exponential growth of new Covid cases in New Orleans and the region and the ongoing public health emergency”. Louisiana has one of the lowest rates of vaccine uptake in the US, and experienced 16,000 new cases last weekend. Country singer Jason Isbell has cancelled a concert in Houston, Texas, after the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion venue “was not willing to comply with the band’s updated health and safety standards”. On Monday, Isbell tweeted: “We’re now requiring proof of vaccination or a current negative test to attend all our shows, indoors or out. If the venue won’t allow that, we won’t play.” Speaking on MSNBC, Isbell said of the live music industry: “The problem is they’re just getting so much pushback from some of the governors of certain states who want to kowtow to their political base, and try to make people think their freedom is being encroached upon.” Texas governor Greg Abbott has resisted the mandating of mask wearing and social distancing, despite a spike in Covid hospitalisations that has required him to allow the state’s department of health to recruit medical staff from outside Texas. Isbell added: “I’m all for freedom but I think if you’re dead, you don’t have any freedoms at all. So it’s probably important to stay alive before you start questioning your liberty.” Other artists cancelling US concerts this week due to the pandemic include Limp Bizkit, who cancelled their August tour. Speaking to Billboard, frontman Fred Durst said: “The system is still very flawed. Even if the performers, crews, staff, and promoters do their best to ensure safety on and behind the stage, that doesn’t ensure the safety of the audience as a whole. We are all in this together, and we all – individually and as a whole – have to make our best efforts to be as responsible and proactive as possible moving forward to combat and stop spreading Covid.” Counting Crows have postponed shows due to a member of their touring party contracting Covid, and Lynyrd Skynyrd have cancelled their tour after guitarist Rickey Medlocke was diagnosed with the virus. Earlier this week, Michael Bublé postponed his US tour until October, and dates in Argentina, Brazil and Chile will also be rescheduled.
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Sydney news: Wollongong restaurant fined $100,000 after man dies from allergic reaction
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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
Here's what you need to know this morning:
A Wollongong restaurant has been fined more than $100,000 after a man died from an allergic reaction to food he was served.
Nathan Anderson dined at Samaras Restaurant in Wollongong in October, 2017 when, according to court documents, he told staff he was allergic to peanuts, shellfish, eggs and sesame seeds.
The restaurant agreed to accommodate his needs but served him hommus with tahini, a paste made from toasted sesame seeds.
The young father later had a cardiac arrest and died in hospital three days later.
The restaurant was prosecuted by the state's Food Authority and then pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the food it served was safe.
Broadway's longest running musical, The Phantom of the Opera, is set to call Sydney home for an eight week season later this year.
The Sydney Opera House will host the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical through September and October.
The State Government expects it will attract some 10,000 visitors to Sydney.
The Phantom will be played by Australian actor Josh Piterman who was performing the role in London before the coronavirus pandemic forced theatres to close last year.
Lawyers representing children who have been sexually assaulted in custody have welcomed changes that will let them seek damages from the state.
Laws introduced across the state almost 20 years ago, to cap all types of claims by adult prisoners, inadvertently blocked children in custody from seeking compensation.
NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman has introduced a bill to parliament to remove that restriction.
Solicitor Peter O'Brien said it was unfair to have one system for children in the community and another for those in custody.
"It was a horrendous piece of drafting to begin with to enable the state to avoid compensation payouts to those who'd been abused whilst in custody — in fact, in the care of the state as children," he said.
Police have charged a man who allegedly exposed himself and performed a sexual act in front of a woman.
Police said the 33-year-old woman was walking in Homebush West yesterday when a man drove by and stopped near her.
The woman told police he exposed himself then performed a lewd act before driving away.
Officers later charged a 46-year-old man. He is due to face a Sydney court today.
A five-year-old girl has died and her mother is in hospital after they were struck by a vehicle while walking in Sydney's west.
NSW Police said the pair were walking on Rooty Hill Road North in Plumpton, when they were struck by a Toyota Tarago on Wednesday night.
The 37-year-old woman and her daughter were taken to Westmead Hospital, where the young girl died overnight.
The 64-year-old male driver has been taken for mandatory testing and is assisting police.
Doctors across NSW have dealt with chaos and frustration on day one of the Phase 1b AstraZeneca vaccine rollout.
Patients were left on hold as GPs handled hundreds of calls from eligible members of the public, after 1,104 practice names were listed as available for the rollout on the Federal Government's health website.
Dr Ahmed El Ayoubi runs a practice in Harrington Park and has yet to receive an update on when or how many vaccines will be made available to his medium-sized practice.
“I think it will be about 50 vaccines a week, and it might be some time after Easter, but we really don’t know,” he said.
Residents in the Western Sydney suburb of Toongabbie say their lives are being ruined by the smell coming from an "unauthorised" suburban pet food factory.
"It just smells like raw, rotten meat … a garbage tip is a good way to describe it," said neighbour Matt Chalmers.
The Yummi Pet Food Products warehouse is meant to only be used for storing goods.
A document obtained by the ABC shows Parramatta City Council investigated the popular brand's facility in December, concluding the building's use was "unauthorised".
Yummi Pet Food Products was contacted for comment.
Showers.
CBD
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See our full coverage of coronavirus
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
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Skywest Airlines Flight 1834 crash
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On January 15, 1987, at 12:52 local time, SkyWest Airlines Flight 1834 a Swearingen SA-226TC (METRO II), and a Mooney M20 were involved in a midair collision near Kearns, Utah. The two pilots and six passengers aboard the METRO II and the two pilots aboard the Mooney were killed. NTSB investigators primarily blamed the small plane pilots for wandering into restricted airspace, but a judge later assigned 51% responsibility to FAA air traffic controllers. The SkyWest Airlines aircraft, which was 30 minutes late, was on final approach to Runway 34 of Salt Lake City International Airport. The Mooney M20 took off from South Valley Regional Airport, piloted by a flight instructor and his student. The air traffic controller watching the area failed to recognize the danger when the Mooney pilots wandered into restricted airspace. The controller did not notice the small plane on the radar and directed the SkyWest pilots to turn. Making that turn, the SkyWest plane collided with the Mooney. [3]
Residents below the collision reported a "big boom," and then, "parts were flying everywhere". [4] The main section of the SkyWest aircraft slid through a chain-link fence, stopping in the middle of a suburban street. Wreckage scattered over a one-mile-square area, with body parts hanging from trees. Authorities had to open a temporary morgue at a nearby church as they recovered the victims. The NTSB investigation ultimately blamed the Mooney M20 instructor pilot for straying into the Salt Lake City airport radar service area. The investigation also criticised the lack of a Mode-C transponder and the limitations of air traffic control collision protection. [5]
A Federal judge, however, later ruled FAA air traffic controllers were 51% responsible for the crash and the Mooney pilots were 49% at fault. [6]
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Army fires are at the center of a major NATO exercise — as Russia watches
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The Army this week kicked off a key element of Defender Europe 2021, a series of Army-led military exercises across Europe and Africa, as the United States works out ways to fight battles alongside allies from Estonia to Morocco. This portion of the larger Defender Europe 2021 exercise has been dubbed “Fires Shock,” service officials told reporters in a call Wednesday. The annual Defender Europe exercise, in the works for more than a year, follows a scaled-down version, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that took place last year. But it comes shortly after Russia sent as many as 100,000 troops to its border with Ukraine and Crimea, an area Russia forcibly annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Russia did pull back some of its soldiers, but as of this week 80,000 troops remain. Officials within President Biden’s administration told the New York Times that Russian personnel were kept on sight to show the United States and its NATO allies that Russia can match the number of troops taking part in the Defender Europe exercise. Troops there now would far outnumber the estimated 28,000 soldiers from various countries participating in Defender Europe. Military officials who spoke with the press about the “Fires Shock” portion of the larger exercise declined to discuss Russia specifically, deferring to the U.S. State Department. “(The exercise) is not conducted in direct response to any specific threat or adversary,” said Brig. Gen. Chris Norrie, head of the U.S. Army’s 7th Training Command in Grafenwoehr, Germany. On the same call, Maj. Gen. Indrek Sirel, deputy commander of Estonian defense forces, also waved off specific references to Russia. But did hint at the deterrence factor. Part of Estonia’s role in a potential conflict is to receive Army airborne forces to help them fight off an adversary. “This is a demonstration of allied cohesion, demonstration of our will, as well as improving our skills on all levels,” Sirel said. While there was no special reason for the first of the exercises to start in Estonia, “All of them are signals, all of them are deterrence messages,” he said. The fire direction officer for Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, talks with Estonian soldiers about the complexities of fire missions with allied and partner nations such as Estonia, during the Rail Gunner Rush live-fire exercise in Tapa, Estonia, Sept. 5, 2020. (Maj. Joe Bush/Army) For years, Army officials have pressed to improve long range precision fires capabilities in Europe, especially to counter the out-distancing fires and defenses Russia has developed and deployed along its borders with Eastern European rivals. Soldiers, primarily with the 41st Field Artillery Brigade, will deploy their precision-strike Multiple Launch Rocket Systems to “soften” the area ahead of airborne unit forcible entry exercises this week in Estonia. The unit and other fires elements in U.S. Army Europe and Africa will also bring out the big guns — with a little help from U.S. Air Forces Europe — in Germany and Poland through the rest of May for Exercise Dynamic Front; in Bulgaria for Exercise Saber Guardian in early June; and in Morocco from early to mid-June for Exercise African Lion. This kind of work, especially with other nations’ militaries, helps the Army work out how best to use sensors and shooters, especially when calling for fires with partner or allied forces, Norrie said. “It allows us to best understand how to position sensors and then to test the entire sensor-shooter linkage,” Norrie said. “You’ve got to practice this. It’s critical for us to routinely exercise Army joint fires and integration with our allies.” Col. Daniel Miller, who heads the 41st FAB, told reporters that procedures and digital communications between U.S. and allied systems are the same, regardless of system type or language spoken by the operators. But soldiers still need to do the work of loading gear, hauling it to the site, shooting accurately and moving rapidly to another location. And that has to be done with partner forces. As the Army only forward stationed, organic long-range precision fires rocket unit in Europe, Miller called his brigade the “action arm” of the fires exercises running now through mid-June. By integrating their fires capability with units from Norway to southern Europe, his soldiers and their counterparts will pass targeting data to rocket systems, evaluating the best ways to sense and strike for current and likely future operations. Planning for the operation began more than a year ago. In March, equipment in the United States was loaded aboard ships to arrive in Albania, Croatia, Germany and Greece, officials said. Soldiers with the 41st FAB got a dress rehearsal last year when they transported their missile systems from Germany to Estonia in August for the first time, Sirel said. “These exercises demonstrate our ability to command and control long-range fires across continents, using a variety of networked and multi-domain communications platforms,” Norrie said. Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.
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Brazil dam collapse: Death toll rises to 58, over 300 missing
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Rescue work try to reach a cow that is stuck in a field of mud, two days after a dam collapse in Brumadinho, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019. Brazilian officials on Sunday suspended the search for potential survivors of a dam collapse that has killed at least 40 people amid fears that another nearby dam owned by the same company was also at risk of breaching. (AP) BRUMADINHO, Brazil: Brazilian rescue crews returned to mud-covered flats Sunday to resume the search for hundreds of people missing in the wake of a dam collapse after the operation was suspended for several hours over fears that a second dam was at risk of breach. The Civil Defense office in Minais Gerais state raised the confirmed death toll to 58, with up to 300 people still missing following the avalanche of iron ore waste from a mine Friday. Earlier Sunday, authorities stopped the search and evacuated several neighborhoods in the southeastern city of Brumadinho that were within range of the second B6 dam owned by the Brazilian mining company Vale. An estimated 24,000 people were told to get to higher ground, but by the afternoon civil engineers said the second dam was no longer at risk. “Get out searching!” a woman yelled at firefighters near a refugee set up in the center of Brumadinho. “They could be out there in the bush.” Areas of water-soaked mud appeared to be drying out, which could help firefighters get to areas previously unreachable. Late Sunday, more than 100 Israeli soldiers and other personnel arrived with plans to join rescue and recovery efforts Monday. Even before the brief suspension of rescue efforts, hope that loved ones had survived a tsunami of iron ore mine waste from Friday’s dam collapse was turning to anguish and anger over the increasing likelihood that many of the missing had died. There was also mounting anger at Vale and questions about an apparent lack of an alarm system Friday. Caroline Steifeld, who was evacuated, said she heard warning sirens Sunday, but no such alert on the day the dam collapsed. “I only heard shouting, people saying to get out. I had to run with my family to get to higher ground, but there was no siren,” she said, adding that a cousin was still unaccounted for. Several others made similar complaints when interviewed by The Associated Press. In an email, Vale told the AP that the area has eight sirens in the area, but “the speed in which the event happened made sounding an alarm impossible” in the dam that collapsed. “I’m angry. There is no way I can stay calm,” Sonia Fatima da Silva said as she tried to get information about her son, who had worked at Vale for 20 years. “My hope is that they be honest. I want news, even if it’s bad.” Da Silva said she last spoke to her son before he went to work Friday, when around midday a dam holding back mine waste collapsed, sending waves of mud for kilometers (miles) and burying much in its path. She was one of dozens of people in Brumadinho who desperately awaited word on their loved ones. Romeu Zema, the governor of Minas Gerais state, said that by now most recovery efforts will entail pulling out bodies. The flow of waste reached the nearby community of Vila Ferteco and an occupied Vale administrative office. It buried buildings to their rooftops and an extensive field of the mud cut off roads. Some residents barely escaped with their lives. “I saw all the mud coming down the hill, snapping the trees as it descended. It was a tremendous noise,” said a tearful Simone Pedrosa, from the neighborhood of Parque Cachoeira, 5 miles (8 kilometers) from where the dam collapsed. Pedrosa, 45, and her parents dashed to their car and drove to the highest point in the neighborhood. “If we had gone down the other direction, we would have died,” Pedrosa said. “I cannot get that noise out of my head,” she said. “It’s a trauma … I’ll never forget.” In addition to the dead, 23 people were hospitalized, according to the Minas Gerais fire department. There had been some signs of hope earlier Saturday when authorities found 43 more people alive. For many, hope was evaporating. “I don’t think he is alive,” said Joao Bosco, speaking of his cousin, Jorge Luis Ferreira, who worked for Vale. “Right now, I can only hope for a miracle.” Vanilza Sueli Oliveira described the wait for news of her nephew as “distressing, maddening.” “Time is passing,” she said. “It’s been 24 hours already. … I just don’t want to think that he is under the mud.” The rivers of mining waste also raised fears of widespread environmental contamination and degradation. According to Vale’s website, the waste is composed mostly of sand and is non-toxic. However, a U.N. report found that the waste from a similar disaster in 2015 “contained high levels of toxic heavy metals.” Over the weekend, state courts and the justice ministry in the state of Minas Gerais froze about $3 billion from Vale assets for state emergency services and told the company to report on how they would help the victims. Neither the company nor authorities had reported why the dam failed, but Attorney General Raquel Dodge promised to investigate it, saying “someone is definitely at fault.” Dodge noted there are 600 mines in the state of Minas Gerais alone that are classified as being at risk of rupture. Another dam administered by Vale and Australian mining company BHP Billiton collapsed in 2015 in the city of Mariana in the same state of Minas Gerais, resulting in 19 deaths and forcing hundreds from their homes. Considered the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history, it left 250,000 people without drinking water and killed thousands of fish. An estimated 60 million cubic meters of waste flooded nearby rivers and eventually flowed into the Atlantic Ocean. Sueli de Oliveira Costa, who hadn’t heard from her husband since Friday, had harsh words for the mining company. “Vale destroyed Mariana and now they’ve destroyed Brumadinho,” she said. The Folia de S.Paulo newspaper reported Saturday that the dam’s mining complex was issued an expedited license to expand in December due to “decreased risk.” Conservation groups in the area alleged that the approval was unlawful. On Twitter, new Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said his government would do everything it could to “prevent more tragedies” like Mariana and now Brumadinho. The far-right leader campaigned on promises to jump-start Brazil’s economy, in part by deregulating mining and other industries. Environmental groups and activists said the latest spill underscored the lack of environmental regulation in Brazil, and many promised to fight any further deregulation. Marina Silva, a former environmental minister and presidential candidate, said such tragedies should be deemed “heinous crimes,” and that Congress should bear part of the blame for not toughening regulations and enforcement. AP
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It has been three years since gas explosions rocked Merrimack Valley, but many victims are still without compensation from a class action settlement.
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Three years after the gas explosions in the Merrimack Valley, many are still waiting on their checks from a class action settlement with Columbia Gas.
It has been three years since gas explosions rocked Merrimack Valley, but many victims are still without compensation from a class action settlement.
The Massachusetts communities of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover were impacted. About 8,000 people were displaced, and 18-year-old Leonel Rondon was killed.
Columbia Gas was forced to pay more than $56 million in fines and was barred from operating in Massachusetts after a lawsuit from Attorney General Maura Healey.
The utility also settled a class action lawsuit for $143 million. But while 11,000 residents have received checks from that settlement, Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra has learned that many are still waiting for them.
"I got a call from my wife saying that there was an explosion close to the house," Jose Frias recalled. "Everyone was nervous, panicking and everything. When I got home, my kids were crying."
"My daughter was nervous and screaming, asking me where I was," Eunice Acevedo said in Spanish.
Residents of low-income neighborhoods were left without power or gas for weeks.
"I had nowhere else to stay because I have no family here," Evarista Maria said in Spanish.
Maria said she and her neighbors spent the first few nights sleeping outside their homes in the dark. She recalled having to spend $60 for food each day after the explosions.
When they learned they could be compensated for their losses through the class action, she and her neighbors say they filed immediately.
But she and others were denied.
"Almost a year later, I received a letter in the mail that I filled out my application too late and I don't qualify," said Frias. "That's all they said."
John Roddy, one of the lead attorneys on the class action lawsuit, says thousands of people lost out on the money because they missed the March 2020 deadline.
"We've got 2,700 people who missed that, and a lot of them said because of COVID," Roddy said. "We don't want them to be penalized, we would like to distribute that money to them."
Of the $143 million, $80 million has been distributed. After legal fees, $11 million is left over and will now be paid out.
"Each claimant, even if they were late, would get a check for approximately $904," Rody said.
The last round of checks will be sent out this fall. Those who placed their claims on time received between $700 and $20,000, depending on their circumstances, and will now receive an additional $900 along with the late claimants.
"We take responsibility for this tragic event and the hardships it brought. We witnessed the heart, strength and resilience of the residents, heroic efforts of first responders and compassion of community partners," NiSource, which owned Columbia Gas, said in a statement. "While we no longer operate in Massachusetts, NiSource remains committed to continue to support the community through the NiSource Charitable Foundation Fund for Merrimack Valley."
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Gas explosion
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an additional €119 million for Yemen
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Today the Commission announced an additional €119 million in humanitarian and development aid to alleviate vulnerable Yemenis' suffering from over 6 years of conflict. Yemen is the country with the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with close to 70% of the population in need of humanitarian assistance. The crisis has also set back human development in the country by more than 20 years, impacting national institutions, public services and infrastructure. The funding announced today on the side-lines of United Nations General Assembly brings EU support to Yemen to €209 million in 2021. Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said: "Humanitarian needs in Yemen are unprecedented and rising, while the response is only half-funded. Thousands are starving, and millions more are on the verge of famine. The EU is committed to continuing its assistance to Yemen. We call on the parties to the conflict to grant unrestricted humanitarian access and allow the flow of basic commodities such as food and fuel. The EU supports the UN-led political process. Only peace can bring Yemenis' suffering to an end.” Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships, said: “Human suffering and the looming famine in Yemen must be stopped. We are using all instruments at our disposal and todays' strengthened development funding, as part of the EU pledge, will address the economic drivers that fuel the increasing humanitarian needs on the ground. The EU's strong signal to other donors is that Yemen's developmental gains for post-conflict recovery must be preserved. This will help vulnerable families put food on the table and access vital services across Yemen. Our support will put a strong emphasis on women economic empowerment, as their contribution is key in building the future of the country.” Humanitarian funding announced today amounts to €44 million. It will support displaced populations as well as vulnerable communities affected by food insecurity, poor nutrition and other health crises. EU funding will help to deliver food as well as financial assistance, and provide healthcare, protection and nutrition assistance to those affected. The rest of EU pledge, €75 million in development funding will improve the resilience of conflict-affected populations, by helping to reduce the negative effects of the deteriorating economic situation on rising humanitarian needs. EU funding will help local authorities to deliver and sustain basic services – including health, education, water and energy supply from sustainable sources. It will help generate income for vulnerable households by providing them with livelihoods opportunities in the cultural heritage preservation sector and supporting private entrepreneurship. Yemeni youth and women will be at the forefront of this approach, as crucial contributors to the design of an economic base that could underpin post-conflict economic development. Background The humanitarian needs in Yemen have reached an unprecedented scale. The socio-economic situation and the coronavirus pandemic are making matters even worse. The deteriorating economic situation across Yemen continues to eradicate people's livelihoods, reducing their ability to afford food and basic commodities, further driving up the scale of humanitarian needs. Conflict across Yemen continues to endanger civilians, trigger displacement and damage infrastructure such as hospitals and schools. Imports of food, fuel and medicines are restricted, leading to shortages and high prices while humanitarian and development aid continues to face serious impediments. The continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched health services to the limit and restricted access to the markets. For the first time in two years, pockets of famine-like conditions have been identified in Yemen, and the number of people exposed to starvation reached almost 50,000 people. An estimated 16.2 million people face severe food insecurity.
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Financial Aid
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POSTPONED: Tonight’s Incubus concert at the Rose canceled because of COVID case
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UPDATED SEPT. 5: The Incubus concert scheduled for tonight, Sept. 5, at Rose Music Center in Huber Heights has been postponed, because a member of the tour has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the venue’s website. The Rose posted the following message from Incubus on its website: “To our fans in Ohio and Indiana, we regret to announce that there has been a confirmed COVID-19 case within the Incubus touring party. The safety of our fans, crew, venue staff and band is our top priority, so out of an abundance of caution we are postponing our shows in Huber Heights and Fort Wayne this weekend. We appreciate your love & support throughout these unprecedented times and we’ll keep you posted with more info soon. Much love <3” A new date for the show will be announced soon, according the the Rose website, and tickets for the original date will be honored for the rescheduled date. For more information, visit rosemusiccenter.com . A new date will be announced soon. Tickets for the original date will be honored for the rescheduled date. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Like most groups, Incubus had its summer concert plans sidelined by the COVID-19 shutdowns in March 2020. The multiplatinum-selling band, performing at Rose Music Center in Huber Heights on Sunday, Sept. 5, didn’t let the pandemic completely silence its music. That April, Incubus went forward with plans to release “Trust Fall (Side B).” The five-song EP is the official follow-up to its eighth album, “8” (2017), and the thematic sequel to the 2015 EP, “Trust Fall (Side A).” Incubus bassist Ben Kenney recently answered a few questions over the telephone, just days before the California-based act launched its late summer tour. Q: What was happening with Incubus when everything shut down in March 2020? A: We had a whole summer tour lined up that we were excited to do. We were getting ready to do that and then everything started to get scarier and scarier, and then the rug kind of got pulled out from underneath us. We spent the time like everyone else, just watching the news in fear. Q: What did you do to occupy yourself during that time? A: I did a lot of camping, hiking and other outdoor stuff. Some of that was displacing my wanderlust. I was just finding a new home for it. I also worked on my solo music. I’m always doing that. That’s kind of the constant background thing for me. I don’t have anything on deck yet but we’ll see. Q: Were you able to work on music remotely with the other guys in Incubus during that time? A: Actually, we didn’t work on anything over the pandemic because we had just released ‘Trust Fall (Side B).’ We had the tour lined up, so we were just hoping to get to go out and play those songs and promote that stuff. Explore FROM THE ARCHIVES: 31 historic photos of the Oregon District Q: Are you playing many songs from the new EP on these dates? A: We’ve played a bunch of them in rehearsals but I don’t know what the setlists are going to be like because each show is a different environment. We have our own shows and we’re also doing things like the Bonnaroo Festival. I don’t know what to expect as far as the setlists go, but we would love to sneak in some of the new songs. A lot of them were born in a live environment and we’re really proud of them so it would be fun to play them for people. Q: Many acts returned to live shows in May. Was it a tough decision to wait until late August? A: Yeah, because it was just so hard to tell what was happening. It’s a bizarre time, which goes without saying, but we’re moving as quick as we can. Some people were a little bit more anxious to get out there but we’re saddling up now and we’re ready for it. Explore WORTH THE DRIVE: 5 fall music festivals you won’t want to miss Q: When did you start rehearsing? A: I feel like it’s been about two months but I don’t know for sure, I kind of stopped looking at the calendar. Rehearsals have been going really good. It’s fun to be in a room playing music after all of this time. Now, we’re just excited to get back on stage again. It’s probably going to be pretty emotional for all of us because this is what we’ve spent our whole lives learning how to do. This is everything to us. To get back out there and share it again is going to be magic. Q: What’s up for the group after these dates? A: It’s hard to commit to anything right now because we don’t know what the world is going to do next. If it’s up to us, we’ll start writing music and start recording more music to be released whenever that is finished. Then, hopefully we’ll get to do a real full tour next year.
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Organization Closed
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1976 UEFA Cup Final
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The 1976 UEFA Cup Final were association football matches played over two-legs between Liverpool of England and Club Brugge of Belgium on 28 April 1976 and 19 May 1976 at Anfield, Liverpool and the Olympiastadion, Bruges, respectively. It was the final of the 1975–76 season of Europe's secondary cup competition, the UEFA Cup. Liverpool were appearing in their second final; they had won the competition in 1973. Brugge were appearing in their first European final and were the first Belgian team to reach the final of a European competition. Each club needed to progress through five rounds to reach the final. Matches were contested over two legs, with one at each team's home ground. Liverpool's ties varied from comfortable victories to close affairs. They beat Spanish team Real Sociedad 9–1 on aggregate in the second round, while they beat Spanish team Barcelona 2–1 in the semi-finals. The majority of Brugge's ties were close. Their biggest margin of victory was by two goals, which occurred in both the first and third round against Lyon of France and Italian team Roma, respectively. Watched by a crowd of 50,188 at Anfield, Brugge took a two-goal lead in the first half of the first leg when Raoul Lambert and Julien Cools scored. Liverpool recovered in the second half; three goals in seven minutes from Ray Kennedy, Jimmy Case, and Kevin Keegan secured a 3–2 victory in the first leg for Liverpool. A crowd of 29,423 at the Olympiastadion saw Brugge take the lead in the 11th minute of the second leg. Liverpool equalised four minutes later when Keegan scored. The scores remained the same throughout the remainder of the match, resulting in a 1–1 draw. Thus, Liverpool won the final 4–3 on aggregate to secure their second UEFA Cup. Liverpool qualified for the UEFA Cup by finishing as runners-up in the 1974–75 Football League First Division. Their opponents in the first round were Scottish team Hibernian. Liverpool lost the first leg at Hibernian's home stadium Easter Road 1–0, but recovered in the second leg at their home ground, Anfield, winning 3–1 courtesy of a John Toshack hat-trick. They thus won the round 3–2 on aggregate. [1] For the second round Liverpool were drawn against Spanish team Real Sociedad; they won the first game 3–1 in Spain. A 6–0 victory in the second leg meant Liverpool won the tie 9–1 on aggregate. [2]
Liverpool's opponents in the third round were Śląsk Wrocław of Poland. The first leg at Wrocław's home ground the Stadion Oporowska was won 2–1 by Liverpool courtesy of goals from Ray Kennedy and Toshack. A Jimmy Case hat-trick in the second leg at Anfield secured a 3–0 victory for Liverpool, which meant they progressed to the quarter-finals with a 5–1 aggregate victory. [3] Liverpool's next opponents were East German team Dynamo Dresden. The first leg in East Germany ended in a 0–0 draw, after Liverpool goalkeeper Ray Clemence saved a penalty from Peter Kotte. A 2–1 victory in the second leg courtesy of goals from Case and Kevin Keegan meant Liverpool progressed to the semi-finals courtesy of a 2–1 aggregate victory. [4]
Spanish team Barcelona were the opposition in the semi-finals. The first leg was held at Barcelona's home ground the Camp Nou. Liverpool won the match 1–0, after Toshack scored in the 13th minute. The second leg at Anfield saw Liverpool go ahead in the 50th minute when Phil Thompson scored. Barcelona equalised a minute later but were unable to score again before the final whistle. The match ended 1–1; Liverpool progressed to their second UEFA Cup final courtesy of their 2–1 aggregate victory. [5]
Club Brugge gained entry to the UEFA Cup by finishing fourth in the 1974–75 Belgian First Division. [6] Lyon of France were the opposition in the first round. The first leg, at Lyon's home ground Stade de Gerland, ended in a 4–3 defeat for Brugge. They won the second leg at their home stadium, the Olympiastadion, 3–0 to secure their place in the next round courtesy of a 6–4 aggregate victory. [7]
Their opponents in the second round were English team Ipswich Town. The first leg, at Ipswich's home ground Portman Road, was won 3–0 by the English team. Brugge needed to score at least three goals to have any chance of staying in the competition. They won the second leg 4–0, to win the tie 4–3 on aggregate and progress to the third round. [7]
Roma were the opposition in the third round. Brugge won the first leg in Belgium 1–0 courtesy of a Julien Cools goal. Another 1–0 in the second leg at Roma's home ground, the Stadio Olimpico meant Brugge progressed to the quarter-finals courtesy of a 2–0 aggregate victory. Brugge were drawn against another Italian team, A.C. Milan in the quarter-finals. They won the first leg 2–0 in Belgium thanks to goals from Ulrik le Fevre and Eduard Krieger. Brugge lost the second leg 2–1, at Milan's home ground the San Siro, but still qualified for the semi-finals as a result of a 3–2 aggregate victory. [7]
Brugge's opposition in the semi-finals were German team Hamburger SV. The first leg, at Hamburg's home ground the Volksparkstadion, ended in a 1–1 draw.
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Sports Competition
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‘Climate Change Famine’: Madagascar Prays For Rain
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“The situation in the south of the country is really worrying,” said Alice Rahmoun, a spokeswoman with the United Nations’ World Food Programme in Madagascar. “I visited several districts… and heard from families how the changing climate has driven them to hunger.” Rainfall patterns in Madagascar are growing more erratic, they’ve been below average for nearly six years, said researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara. “In some villages, the last proper rain was three years ago, in others, eight years ago or even 10 years ago,” said Rahmoun. “Fields are bare, seeds do not sprout and there is no food.” Temperatures in southern Africa are rising at double the global rate, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says. Cyclones, already more frequent in Madagascar than any other African country, are likely getting stronger as the earth warms, the U.S. government says. Conflict has been a central cause of famine and hunger in countries such as Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen, when fighting stopped people moving to find food. But Madagascar is at peace. “Climate change strongly impacts and strongly accentuates the famine in Madagascar,” President Andry Rajoelina said while visiting the worst-affected areas earlier this month. “Madagascar is a victim of climate change.” The country produces less than 0.01% of global carbon dioxide emissions, the World Carbon Project says. News Rain Nigeria gathered that half a million children are expected to be acutely malnourished in southern Madagascar, 110,000 severely so, the U.N. Children’s Fund says, causing developmental delays, disease and death. Nutriset, a French company that produces emergency food Plumpy’Nut, opened a plant in southern Madagascar last week. It aims to annually produce 600 tonnes of therapeutic fortified food made of peanuts, sugar and milk for malnourished children. The Malagasy government is also giving parcels of land to some families fleeing the worst-hit areas. Two hundred families received land with chickens and goats, which are more drought-resilient than cows. They were also encouraged to plant cassava, which is more drought-resilient than maize. “”It’s a natural disaster,” said Tsimamorekm Aly. “May God help us.” Some days, all Aly eats is sugary water. He’s happy if there’s a handful of rice. But with six young kids and a wife to support, he often goes without. This is the fourth year that drought has devastated Aly’s home in southern Madagascar. Now more than one million people, or two out of five residents, of his Grand Sud region require emergency food aid in what the United Nations is calling a “climate change famine.” “In previous years there was rain, a lot of rain. I grew sweet potatoes and I had a lot of money… I even got married because I was rich,” said Aly, 44. “Things have changed,” he said, standing on an expanse of ochre dirt where the only green to be seen is tall, spiky cacti. Prince Charles has revealed that he has an unusual car, a vintage Aston Martin that has been converted so that it now runs on cheese and wine. He talked about his unusual car in a new interview with the BBC, where he chats about the environment and climate change, after…
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Famine
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2018 Kerala floods
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On 16 August 2018, severe floods affected the south Indian state Kerala, due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season. [3] It was the worst flood in Kerala in nearly a century. [4] Over 483 people died, and 140 are missing. [5] About a million people were evacuated, mainly from Chengannur,[8] Pandanad,[9] Edanad, Aranmula, Kozhencherry, Ayiroor, Ranni, Pandalam, Kuttanad, Malappuram, Aluva, Chalakudy, Thrissur, Thiruvalla, Eraviperoor, Vallamkulam, North Paravur, Chellanam, Vypin Island and Palakkad. All 14 districts of the state were placed on red alert. According to the Kerala government, one-sixth of the total population of Kerala had been directly affected by the floods and related incidents. [12] The Indian government had declared it a Level 3 Calamity, or "calamity of a severe nature". It is the worst flood in Kerala after the great flood of 99 that took place in 1924. Thirty-five[15] out of the fifty-four[16] dams within the state were opened, for the first time in history. All five overflow gates of the Idukki Dam were opened at the same time, and for the first time in 26 years 5 gates of the Malampuzha dam of Palakkad
were opened. [17] Heavy rains in Wayanad and Idukki have caused severe landslides and have left the hilly districts isolated. The situation was regularly monitored by the National Crisis Management Committee, which also coordinated the rescue and relief operations as the dam got opened it has disrupted many lives living nearby .
Kerala received heavy monsoon rainfall, which was about 116% more than the usual rain fall in Kerala, on the mid-evening of 8 August, resulting in dams filling to their maximum capacities; in the first 48 hours of rainfall the state received 310 mm (12 in) of rain. [20] Almost all dams had been opened since the water level had risen close to overflow level due to heavy rainfall, flooding local low-lying areas. For the first time in the state's history, 35 of its 54 dams had been opened. The deluge has been considered an impact of the global warming.
Independent scientific studies conducted by Hydrology experts from IIT Madras, Purdue University, and IIT Gandhinagar concluded that it was the heavy downpour that resulted it the floods, and not the dam management. Based on a computer-simulation of flood storage and flow patterns by a team of researchers from IIT Madras and Purdue University, it was found that the devastation wrought by the floods cannot be attributed to the release of water from dams. Further, the scientists added that the odds of such floods were “0.06%” and no reservoir management could have considered such scenarios. [26] Hydrology expert from IIT Gandhinagar, Prof. Vimal Mishra, identified four major factors for the floods. Unexpected above normal downpour, extreme rainfall events occurring almost across Kerala during the season, over 90% reservoir storage even before the onset of extreme rainfall events, and finally, the unprecedented extreme rainfall in the catchment areas of major reservoirs in the State led to the disaster. [28] The prime reason for the anomalous rainfall in 2018 is the High-Frequency Mixed Rossby-Gravity Waves in the Mid-Troposphere triggered by the synoptic disturbances of the tropical Pacific. [29] These high-frequency waves manifested as cyclonic and anticyclonic circulations and dilated the wind field to establish zones of convection in the tropics, as they propagated across the Indian Ocean basin. Although the Madden-Julian Oscillation phase with 20–40 days period has favored convection in the tropics, the high-frequency mode correlates better with the anomalous precipitation during the intervals of extreme events. [30]
Expert bodies like the Central Water Commission has corroborated the findings by scientists from IIT Madras, Purdue University and IIT Gandhinagar.
A report by Adv. Jacob P. Alex, an amicus curiae appointed by the Kerala high court, alleged that the devastating floods of 2018 was the result of bad dam management by the state government. [34][35][36][37] All 79 dams in the state were maintained with the objective to generate hydroelectricity or irrigation and controlling flood wasn't their purpose, amicus curiae Jacob P Alex's report highlighted. "The major concern of the dam operators was to maximise reservoir levels, which conflicted with the flood control purpose for which the dams could be utilised. The 'flood cushion' of reservoirs – the storage space earmarked in dams to absorb unanticipated high flows – needed review as per the latest guidelines," Alex wrote in his report. "Sudden release of water simultaneously from different reservoirs, during extreme rainfall aggravated the damage,"it said adding that various alerts —blue, orange and red—had been issued not in accordance with the EAP guideline. "No proper follow-up action and effective precautionary steps (especially for evacuating people and accommodating them in safe location) were taken after issuance of Red Alert," it said. However, Honorable high court of Kerala cleared on 20 August 2019 that the amicus curiae report is not accepted and court cannot be used for political battles and arguments. [38]
The Government of Kerala argued in the Supreme Court that the very sudden release of water from the Mullaperiyar Dam by the Tamil Nadu government was one of the reasons for the devastating flood in Kerala. [12] The Tamil Nadu government rejected the argument, saying that Kerala suffered the deluge due to the discharge of excess water from 80 reservoirs across Kerala, spurred by heavy rains from within the state; It also argued that the flood surplus from the Idukki dam is mainly due to the flows generated from its own independent catchment due to unprecedented heavy rainfall, while the discharge from Mullaperiyar dam was significantly less. Though it is difficult to attribute any single event to climate change, its possible role in causing the heavy rainfall event over Kerala cannot be ruled out.
Over 483 people died, and 140 are missing,[41] while The Economic Times reported that 33,000 people were rescued. [42] The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has placed the state in a red alert as a result of the intense flooding. [43] A number of water treatment plants were forced to cease pumping water, resulting in poor access to clean water, especially in northern districts of the state. [44]
Over 3,274 relief camps[6] have been opened at various locations to accommodate the flood victims. It is estimated that 1,247,496 people[6] have found shelter in such camps. ] The flooding has affected hundreds of villages, destroyed an estimated 10,000 km (6,200 mi) of roads and thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed. [43] The Government cancelled Onam celebrations, and the allocated funds have been reallocated to relief efforts. [47]
On 12 August, Cochin International Airport, India's fourth busiest in terms of international traffic, and the busiest in the state suspended all operations until 29 August, following runway flooding. [10] All schools throughout the state except Sainik School Kazhakootam have been closed, and tourists have been dissuaded or banned from some districts due to safety concerns. [48] Kochi Metro was closed briefly on 16 August, and later offered free service to aid those affected by the flooding. [49] Due to heavy rain and rising water levels the southern railway had suspended train services on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kottayam-Ernakulam and Ernakulam-Shoranur-Palakkad sections. [50]
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Floods
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Air France Flight 296 crash
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Air France Flight 296Q was a chartered flight of a new Airbus A320-111 operated by Air France for Air Charter. [1] On 26 June 1988, the plane crashed while making a low pass over Mulhouse–Habsheim Airport (ICAO airport code LFGB) as part of the Habsheim Air Show. Most of the crash sequence, which occurred in front of several thousand spectators, was caught on video. The cause of the crash has been the source of major controversy. This particular flight was the A320's first passenger flight (most of those on board were journalists and raffle winners). The low-speed flyover, with landing gear down, was supposed to take place at an altitude of 100 feet (30 m); instead, the plane performed the flyover at 30 ft (9 m), skimmed the treetops of the forest at the end of the runway (which had not been shown on the airport map given to the pilots) and crashed. All the passengers survived the initial impact, but a woman and two children died from smoke inhalation before they could escape. Official reports concluded that the pilots flew too low, too slow, failed to see the forest and accidentally flew into it. The captain, Michel Asseline, disputed the report and claimed an error in the fly-by-wire computer prevented him from applying thrust and pulling up. In the aftermath of the crash, there were allegations that investigators had tampered with evidence, specifically the aircraft's flight recorders ("black boxes"). This was the first fatal crash of an Airbus A320. The accident aircraft, an Airbus A320-111, registration F-GFKC, serial number 9, first flew on 6 January 1988 and was delivered to Air France on 23 June, three days prior to its destruction. It was the third A320 delivered to Air France, the launch customer. [2]
Captain Michel Asseline, 44, had been a pilot with Air France for almost twenty years and had the following endorsements: Caravelle; Boeing 707, 727, and 737; and Airbus A300 and A310. He was a highly distinguished pilot with 10,463 flight hours. [1] A training captain since 1979, Asseline was appointed to head the company's A320 training subdivision at the end of 1987. As Air France's technical pilot, he had been heavily involved in test flying the A320 type and had carried out maneuvers beyond normal operational limitations. Asseline had total confidence in the aircraft's computer systems. [3]
First Officer Pierre Mazières, 45, had been flying with the airline since 1969 and had been a training captain for six years. He was endorsed on the Caravelle, Boeing 707 and 737, and had qualified as an A320 captain three months before the accident. [3] Mazières had 10,853 hours of flight time. [1]
At the time of the incident, only three of the new aircraft type had been delivered to Air France, and the newest one (in service for two days) had been chosen for the flyover. [3]
The aircraft was to fly from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Basel–Mulhouse Airport for a press conference. Then, sightseeing charter passengers would board and the aircraft would fly the short distance to the small Habsheim aerodrome. The captain would make a low-level fly-pass over Runway 02, climb up and turn back, and repeat the fly-pass over the same runway in the reciprocal direction (Runway 20). This would be followed by a sightseeing trip south to Mont Blanc before the passengers would be returned to Basel–Mulhouse Airport. Finally, the aircraft would return to Paris. [3]
The pilots had each had a busy weekend and did not receive the flight plan until the morning of the flight. They received no verbal details about the flyover or the aerodrome itself. [3]
The flight plan was that as they approached the airfield, they would extend third-stage flap, lower the landing gear, and line up for level flight at 100 feet (30 m). The captain would slow the aircraft to its minimum flying speed with maximum angle of attack, disable the "alpha floor" (the function that would otherwise automatically increase engine thrust when the angle of attack reached 15°) and rely on the first officer to adjust the engine thrust manually to maintain 100 feet. After the first pass, the first officer would then apply the takeoff/go-around switch (TOGA) power and climb steeply before turning back for the second pass. "I've done it twenty times!" Asseline assured his first officer. [3] The flyover had been approved by Air France's Air Operations Directorate and Flight Safety Department, and air traffic control and Basel tower had been informed. [3]
Habsheim aerodrome was too small to be listed in the aircraft's flight computer, thereby requiring a visual approach; both pilots were also unfamiliar with the airfield when they began their descent from 2,000 feet (610 m) only 6 nautical miles (11 km) from the field. This distance was too short for them to stabilise the aircraft's altitude and speed for the flyover. [3] Additionally, the captain was expecting from the flight plan to do the pass over runway 02 (3,281 feet (1,000 m) long, paved) and was preparing for that alignment. But as the aircraft approached the field, the flight deck crew noticed that the spectators were gathered beside runway 34R (2,100 feet (640 m) long, grass). This last-minute deviation in the approach further distracted the crew from stabilising the aircraft's altitude and they quickly dropped to 40 feet (12 m). [3]
From higher up, the forest at the end of 34R had looked like a different type of grass. But now that the aircraft was performing its flyover at only thirty feet, the crew noticed the aircraft was lower than the now-identified hazard that they were fast approaching. [3] The cockpit voice recorder recorded the first officer's call:
Followed by:
The crew applied full power and Asseline attempted to climb. However, the elevators did not respond to the pilot's commands because the A320's computer system engaged its "alpha protection" mode (meant to prevent the aircraft from entering a stall). Less than five seconds later, the turbines began ingesting leaves and branches as the aircraft skimmed the tops of the trees. The combustion chambers clogged and the engines failed. The aircraft fell to the ground. [3]
Traditionally, pilots respect the inherent dangers of flying at low speeds at low altitude, and normally, a pilot would not attempt to fly an aircraft so close to stalling with the engines at flight idle (minimum thrust setting in flight). In this instance, however, the pilots involved did not hesitate to fly the aircraft below its normal minimum flying speed because the purpose of the flyover was to demonstrate that the aircraft's computer systems would ensure that lift would always be available regardless of how the pilots handled the controls. Asseline's experience of flying the aircraft type at the outer limits of its flight performance envelope may have led to overconfidence and complacency.
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Air crash
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US Navy’s 5th Fleet sets up unmanned systems task force
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The US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) has established a one-of-a-kind task force that will be tasked with rapidly integrating unmanned systems and artificial intelligence with maritime operations in the 5th Fleet area of operations. Inaugurated on September 9, Task Force 59 is the first US Navy task force of its kind and leverages the US 5th Fleet region’s unique geography, climate, and strategic importance. “The bottom line on why we’re doing this is so that we can develop and integrate unmanned systems and AI as a means to do two things,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of NAVCENT, US 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. “One, enhance our maritime domain awareness, and two, increase deterrence.” Cooper also stated the task force would rely heavily on regional and coalition partnerships. “The launch of Task Force 59 really invigorates our partnerships around this region as we expand our common operating picture.” Cooper appointed Capt. Michael D. Brasseur, an expert in maritime robotics, as Task Force 59’s first commodore during a commissioning ceremony onboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Thursday. Brasseur served as a founding member of the NATO Maritime Unmanned Systems Initiative prior to arriving in Bahrain. “It’s an honor to be named commander of this historic and innovative task force,” said Brasseur. “As we continue to adapt and implement cutting edge technology, I fully expect our talented team will enrich and enhance the 5th Fleet mission.” Brasseur’s staff includes experienced operators with region-specific expertise, including directors for unmanned systems; unmanned exercises; task force integration; cyber, AI and space; and partnership opportunities. In the coming weeks, the task force aims to build trust and confidence in human-machine teaming through a series of operations at sea. International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 22, slated for next year, will provide NAVCENT a real-world opportunity to demonstrate the resiliency and scalability of human-machine teaming technologies. IMX-22 will include more than 60 nations and international organizations and features the extensive use of unmanned systems in various operational scenarios designed to challenge the technology in a dynamic environment and ultimately enhance partner capabilities through manned and unmanned teaming.
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Organization Established
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La Bourdonnais – McDonnell chess matches
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The sixteenth chess game in the fourth match between Alexander McDonnell and Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais played in London in 1834 is famous for demonstrating the power of a mobile central block of pawns. Its final position is one of the most famous in the history of the game. [1]
It was one of the earliest games in master chess to employ the Sicilian Defence and was instrumental in popularising the defence. [2]
Alexander McDonnell from Ireland was a wealthy merchant who was regarded as one of the leading chess players of the time. Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais from France was regarded as the unofficial World Chess Champion. The two played a series of six matches in London over the summer of 1834. Of these matches, La Bourdonnais won the first, third, fourth and fifth, McDonnell the second, while the sixth was abandoned with McDonnell leading. In all they played 85 games, of which La Bourdonnais won 45, McDonnell 27, and 13 were draws. This game was the 62nd of the series. [3]
In the game, La Bourdonnais set up a powerful mobile pawn centre very much in the spirit of his predecessor François-André Danican Philidor, who once remarked that pawns were "the soul of chess". He then made an exchange sacrifice at 23.Bxf8?! fxe4! to set these pawns in motion, leading to a series of complicated tactical threats involving the promotion of the pawns that ultimately overwhelms his opponent. [1]
Garry Kasparov observed that this remarkable game remains forever the "French master's visiting card". [4]
White:[a] McDonnell Black: La Bourdonnais Opening: Sicilian Defence, Kalashnikov Variation (ECO B32)
[Comments in quotation marks are Howard Staunton's original comments in the Chess Player's Chronicle. [6]]
1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4
4... e5!? 5. Nxc6?! (diagram)
5... bxc6
6. Bc4 Nf6 7. Bg5?! 7... Be7
8. Qe2?! (diagram)
8... d5 9. Bxf6? 9... Bxf6 10. Bb3 0-0 11. 0-0 a5
12. exd5 cxd5 13. Rd1 d4 14. c4?! (diagram)
14... Qb6 15. Bc2 Bb7
16. Nd2 Rae8! (diagram)
17. Ne4 Bd8
18. c5 Qc6
19. f3
19... Be7
20. Rac1 f5! (diagram)
21. Qc4+ Kh8! 22. Ba4 Qh6
23. Bxe8?! 23... fxe4! (diagram)
24. c6 exf3! 25. Rc2
25... Qe3+?! (diagram)
26.
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Sports Competition
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1998 CONCACAF Women's Championship
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The 1998 CONCACAF Women's Championship was the first staging of the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup, the international women's association football tournament for North America, Central America and Caribbean nations organized by CONCACAF. The final stage of the tournament took place at Etobicoke and Scarborough in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Canada took the sole automatic qualifying place for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup by finishing first. The runner-up, Mexico, qualified after defeating Argentina in a two-leg playoff in December 1998. The tournament was originally planned to take place in Haiti, but was moved due to disputes between the Haitian government and the Haitian Football Federation. [2]
This event was the final staging of CONCACAF's Women's Championship under that name. It would be renamed the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup in 2000. This was the only edition of CONCACAF's Women's Championship or the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup in which the traditional superpower of CONCACAF women's football (soccer), the United States, did not participate. The US team directly qualified for the 1999 Women's World Cup as hosts of the event. The 1998 UNCAF Qualifying Tournament took place in Guatemala City between 19 July and 25 July 1998. It was won by the hosts Guatemala after defeating Haiti 1–0 in the final match. Guatemala, Haiti and Costa Rica qualified for the 1998 CONCACAF Women's Championship. The CFU Qualifying Round consisted of home-and-away ties. It is not clear whether Martinique and Puerto Rico received a bye to the finals, or whether their (unknown) intended opponents withdrew. 1 Haiti were to play Bahamas but apparently the latter withdrew. Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti, Martinique, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the final tournament.
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Sports Competition
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North Fire (2015)
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The North Fire was a wildfire that occurred in the Mojave Desert near the towns of Victorville and Hesperia, north of San Bernardino and south of Bakersfield, California. The fire began on July 17, 2015. The areas most impacted were adjacent to Interstate 15, where the Cajon Pass passes through the San Bernardino National Forest. The fire spread to 4,250 acres, and burned homes and other buildings, as well as numerous vehicles stranded on the interstate. Seventy-four passenger vehicles and trucks were burned along the highway or in neighboring communities due to the fire. [3] The fire closed Interstate 15, the main highway connecting Southern California with Las Vegas, Nevada, during the first day of the blaze. [4]
One-thousand fire fighters battled the blaze during the height of the fire, which as of the evening of July 17 was five percent contained. [5] Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the towns of Phelan and Baldy Mesa, which were threatened or impacted by the fire. [6] Two-hundred-four people utilized an emergency shelter set up at Serrano High School, in Phelan. [1] The evacuation orders were lifted as crews worked to contain the fire. On the evening of July 18, the fire was reported to be 45% contained, after a rain storm from the remnant moisture of Hurricane Dolores brought cooler temperatures to the chaparral fueled fire. [7] By the following morning, the fire was reported to be 60% contained. [8] On Monday, July 20, the fire was reported to be 75% contained, but had also grown from 3,500 to 4,250 acres. [9] The fire was fully contained on July 21, and fire fighters remained on scene to douse hot spots in the burn area. [3]
The presence of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones) in the area that interfered with fire fighting efforts has renewed discussion of legislation to limit the operation of drones in the United States. In response to the drone activity over active wildfires, San Bernardino County, the California State Legislature and the Congress of the United States have all proposed restrictions on privately owned drones. Efforts at fire suppression were complicated by the presence of drones (UAVs) in the air space being used by fire-fighting helicopters and airplanes, and by a shooting at the command center. On Sunday, July 19, aerial suppression of the fire was temporarily halted by the presence of drones flying in the vicinity. Three of the five drones detected in the area left the scene, but the presence of two others interfered with the fire fighting operation. After a delay, the fire fighting operation resumed. [10]
On Monday, July 20, a US Forest Service officer fired his weapon outside the headquarters of the fire fighting effort, located at the fair grounds in Victorville. A man allegedly became "uncooperative" and tried to flee, dragging the officer with his car. The officer fired several rounds into the vehicle, but there were no injuries. [11]
United States Representative Paul Cook, Republican-Yucca Valley, introduced legislation known as the Wildfire Airspace Protection Act of 2015, (H.R. 3025) one week prior to the North Fire which would make it a federal offense to fly a UAV in a manner that interferes with fire fighters in the vicinity of a wildfire on federal lands. [12] The legislation has garnered renewed interest in the aftermath of the North Fire. [13]
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors discussed UAV activity in the county at its meeting on July 28, 2015. Prior to the meeting, Board Chairman James Ramos stated, regarding UAVs in the area of fire fighting operations, "When you are inhibiting the response of the first responders, then you infringe on the safety of the residents of San Bernardino County. "[13] At the meeting, the county approved monetary rewards of US$25,000 for each incident for information leading to the arrest of individuals who piloted UAVs over recent wildfires in the county. [14]
Both houses of the California State Legislature have either introduced legislation or otherwise acted regarding UAVs operating over state wildfires. Senate Bill 168 would give immunity to first responders who damage or destroy privately owned UAVs operating over wildfires. And some members of the California House of Representatives are urging the Federal Aviation Administration to consider geo fencing of commercially available UAVs, which could be used by authorities to keep them out of restricted areas. [14]
In October, 2015, the US Federal Aviation Administration announced that UAVs flying within the United States must register their aircraft with the federal government. This new policy will apply to both new vehicles, as well as UAVs already owned and operated. The new policy imposes penalties on UAV owners who do not comply. [15]
Authorities have not determined the cause of the fire. The first call firefighters received was of a vehicle in flames on Interstate 15. [8]
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Fire
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2016 United States Marine Corps helicopter collision crash
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UPDATED: The full report has been publicly released. The collision that claimed 12 lives in Hawaii highlights systemic problems that have plagued the Marine Corps’ heavy-lift helicopter program in recent years. Editor’s Note: This story, exclusive to Civil Beat and HuffPost Hawaii, is being published with permission from the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California, Berkeley. A Marine investigation of a deadly 2016 helicopter collision off Oahu found that pilot error, lack of training and command problems were to blame. The findings are contained in a report obtained by the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley. The families of the 12 victims were recently notified of the Marines’ conclusions. The two CH-53E Super Stallions, the oldest and largest Marine helicopter, were conducting a complex nighttime training mission, flying in formation, when the trailing aircraft slammed into the lead. Witnesses ashore heard and saw a fireball over the water, about one and a half miles from the town of Haleiwa. The impact of the two Super Stallions resulted in a violent explosion with forces “estimated at hundreds of times the force of gravity” and “instantaneously” killed all aboard, according to the report. The crash, which occurred just after 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 14, was one of the deadliest non-combat military accidents in Hawaii history and was deemed “non-survivable.”
Months of salvage operations, forensic investigation, interviews and data analysis determined the cause of the accident to be pilot error. The investigation into the Hawaii crash found no evidence suggesting that either aircraft suffered a mechanical failure. But the report highlights a squadron with significant problems including low morale and complacency. On Tuesday, Marine officials released a brief statement via email that said “low aircraft readiness leading to inadequate pilot efficiency, human factors, and the squadron’s lack of focus on basic aviation practices” were the main factors that contributed to the crash. UPDATE: On Thursday, the Marine Corps publicly released the full report on its crash investigation. It includes hundreds of pages of backup material, including hundreds of photos. The report is available here. The pilots from Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay hadn’t flown enough in the weeks leading up the crash to be proficient, according to the investigation. The four pilots had flown for “4, 5, 4, and 13 hours” in the 30 days preceding the mishap. The Marines’ goal for CH-53Es is 15.1 flight hours per month, according to Capt. Sarah Burns, a Marine spokesperson. Many pilots in the squadron felt unprepared, concerned that they were not logging enough flight training hours to be confident to execute basic tasks. Two pilots were not “adequately proficient” in the use of night vision devices. One of them had only flown 2.8 hours at night in the preceding 90 days, with two of those hours coming the night before the fatal crash. The other had logged zero night hours in the previous three months and had not worn night vision goggles in the “local flying area” in over a year. “For an aviator with only 2.8 hours of NVD flight in the last 90 days to be put on a nighttime tactical formation flight using NVDs is extraordinarily irresponsible, bordering on criminal negligence,” Chris Harmer, a senior naval analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said in an interview with the Investigative Reporting Program. “Those numbers are far too low for basic proficiency, let alone advanced proficiency for a physically and mentally demanding mission like nighttime formation flying using night vision devices.”
According to the report, by January many pilots in the squadron felt unprepared, concerned that they were not logging enough flight training hours to be confident to execute basic tasks, such as safely landing a helicopter at night. Marines use the Super Stallion to carry troops and haul heavy equipment. Radar data showed that the follow aircraft, known as Pegasus 31, fell behind the lead aircraft, Pegasus 32. In an attempt to maintain proper formation, Pegasus 31 accelerated toward Pegasus 32 just as the lead aircraft was making a sharp left turn. The two aircraft collided approximately 1,500 feet over the water. The report points out that for pilots who wear night vision devices, “objects will appear further away than they actually are.” Without proper training, “it is challenging to recognize an excess closure rate during low light level conditions.”
While the report found that the pilots met qualifications, it concluded that they may have been better equipped to avoid the crash had they logged more recent night vision flight hours. The investigation also highlighted the effects of a leadership shakeup at Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron HMH-463 that took place three days before the accident — the firing of commanding officer Lt. Col. Edward Pavelka. It said his dismissal was a disruption from the “daily routine and a distraction.” Among the reasons for his relief of command was a “loss of confidence, stemming primarily from (Pavelka’s) inability to improve aircraft readiness.”
Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Timothy Irish told newspapers shortly after the crash that Pavelka’s separation was “not due to misconduct.”
However, the colonel’s sacking is said to have “significantly disrupted the Squadron and was a contributing cause to this mishap,” according to a letter attached to the investigation from Commanding General of III Marine Expeditionary Force Lawrence D. Nicholson to Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Lt. Gen. David H. Berger. An exchange between Pavelka and Brig. Gen. Russell A. Sanborn mentioned in the report highlighted the outgoing colonel’s concerns. At the time of his dismissal on the morning of Jan. 11, Pavelka told Sanborn that “his relief for readiness was a dangerous precedent to set.”
The report notes that Pavelka said he warned, “‘If the General wants up aircraft, the Marines will get him up aircraft,’ implying that readiness reporting will be inflated and corrupted.” He went on to say that his dismissal would put Marines at risk. The investigation notes that Sanborn acknowledged that Pavelka said his ouster was a mistake, but he maintained that Pavelka never said anything to him about safety. In his April interview with investigators, Sanborn reflected upon the decision to dismiss Pavelka. “In November 2015, I thought — how long am I willing to sleep on whether to relieve (Pavelka)? By relieving this CO, I think I’m going to prevent a mishap.”
The new commanding officer, Lt. Col. Eric D. Purcell, formally assumed command of HMH-463 on the morning of the crash. The report said that a break in operations could have mitigated the risks that contributed to the accident. Purcell’s superior officer “underestimated the risk to flight operations” after Pavelka’s dismissal and “failed to recognize the need for an operational pause due to the disruption of command,” according to a letter from Gen. Nicholson, attached to the report. The tragedy in Hawaii highlights systemic problems that have plagued the Marine Corps’ heavy-lift helicopter program in recent years. One reason these pilots were short on flight hours was that not enough aircraft were fit to fly. The investigation stated that the squadron’s inability to increase the number of aircraft ready to fly was, among other things, due to “inadequate resources and support secured for fleet-wide CH-53E maintenance.”
The 53E has consistently ranked among the military’s most crash-prone aircraft.
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Air crash
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Our Lady of the Angels School fire
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On Monday, December 1, 1958, a fire broke out at Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago, Illinois, shortly before classes were to be dismissed for the day. The fire originated in the basement near the foot of a stairway. The elementary school was operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and had an enrollment of approximately 1600 students. A total of 92 pupils and 3 nuns ultimately died when smoke, heat, fire, and toxic gases cut off their normal means of egress through corridors and stairways. Many more were injured when they jumped from second-floor windows which, because the building had a raised basement, were nearly as high as a third floor would be on level ground (c. 25 ft.). [1]
The disaster was the lead headline story in American, Canadian, and European newspapers. Pope John XXIII sent his condolences from the Vatican in Rome. The severity of the fire shocked the nation and surprised educational administrators of both public and private schools. The disaster led to major improvements in standards for school design and fire safety codes. Our Lady of the Angels was an elementary school consisting of kindergarten through eighth grade. It was located at 909 North Avers Avenue in the Humboldt Park area of Chicago's West Side, on the northeast corner of West Iowa Street and North Avers Avenue (some sources describe the school as "in Austin"). [2] The neighborhood had originally been heavily Irish-American, but gradually developed in the first half of the twentieth century into a largely Italian-American middle-class community. The area was also home to several other first, second, and third-generation immigrant groups, including German Americans, Polish Americans and other Slavic Americans. Most of the families in the immediate neighborhood were Roman Catholic. [citation needed]
The school was one of several buildings associated with the large Roman Catholic parish; others included a church, a rectory, which was adjacent to the church, a convent of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was across Iowa Street from the school, and two buildings one block east on Hamlin Avenue referred to by the parish as Joseph Hall and Mary Hall respectively, which housed kindergarten and first-grade classes. The Hamlin Avenue buildings were not involved in the fire, and aside from some minor smoke inhalation problems (no deaths or serious injuries), neither were the first floor of the north wing, the entire south wing, or the annex. [3]
The total of the devastation was confined to the second floor of the north wing. The north wing was part of a two-story structure built in 1910, but remodeled several times over the years. That wing originally consisted of a first-floor church and a second-floor school. The entire building became a school when a new, much larger church was opened in 1939. [3] A south wing also dating from 1939 was built and was connected in 1951 by an annex to the north wing. The two original buildings and the annex formed a U-shape, with a narrow fenced courtyard between. [citation needed]
Due to a grandfather clause that did not require schools to retrofit to a new standard if they already met previous regulations, the school legally complied with the State of Illinois and City of Chicago fire codes of 1958 and was generally clean and well-maintained; nonetheless, several fire hazards existed. Each classroom door had a glass transom above it, which provided ventilation into the corridor but also permitted flames and smoke to enter once heat broke the glass. The school had one fire escape. The building had no automatic fire alarm, no rate-of-rise heat detectors, no direct alarm connection to the fire department, no fire-resistant stairwells, and no heavy-duty fire doors from the stairwells to the second-floor corridor. At the time, fire sprinklers were primarily found in factories or in new school construction, and modern smoke detectors did not become commercially available until 1969. In keeping with city fire codes, the building had a brick exterior to prevent fires from spreading from building to building as in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. However, its interior was made almost entirely of combustible wooden materials—stairs, walls, floors, doors, roof, and cellulose fiber ceiling tiles. Moreover, the floors had been coated many times with both flammable varnish and petroleum-based waxes. There were only two (unmarked) fire alarm switches in the entire school, and they were both in the south wing. There were four fire extinguishers in the north wing, each mounted 7 feet (2.1 m) off the floor, out of reach for many adults and all of the children. The single fire escape was near one end of the north wing, but to reach it required passing through the main corridor, which in this case rapidly became filled with suffocating smoke and superheated gases. Students hung their flammable winter coats on hooks in the hallway (there were no lockers). There were no limits to the number of students in a single classroom, and because of the post-World War II baby boom this number sometimes reached as many as 64 students. The school did not have a fire alarm box outside on the sidewalk, the nearest one being a block and a half away. With its 12-foot (3.7 m) ceilings and a basement that extended partially above ground level, the school's second-floor windows were 25 feet (7.6 m) above the ground, making jumping from them extremely risky, exacerbated by the fact that the grade surface under all windows was concrete or crushed rock. The fire began in the basement of the older north wing between about 2:00 p.m. and 2:20 p.m CST. Classes were due to be dismissed at 3:00 p.m. Ignition took place in a cardboard trash barrel located a few feet from the northeast stairwell. The fire smoldered undetected for approximately 20 minutes, gradually heating the stairwell and filling it with a light grey smoke that later would become thick and black, as other combustibles became involved. At the same time, it began sending superheated air and gases into an open pipe chase very near the source of the fire. The pipe chase made an uninterrupted conduit up to the cockloft above the second-floor classrooms (see "Evacuation" below). The smoke began to fill the second-floor corridor, but remained unnoticed for a few minutes. At approximately 2:25 p.m., three eighth-grade girls, Janet Delaria, Frances Guzaldo, and Karen Hobik, returning from an errand, came up a different staircase to return to their second-floor classroom in the north wing (only Delaria would survive the fire). The girls encountered thick grayish smoke, making them cough loudly. They hurriedly entered the rear door of Room 211 and notified their teacher, Sister Mary Helaine O'Neill. O'Neill got up from her desk and began lining up her students to evacuate the building. When she opened the front door of the classroom moments later to enter the hallway, the intensity of the smoke caused O'Neill to deem it too dangerous to attempt escape down the stairs leading to Avers Avenue on the west side of the building. She remained inside the classroom with her students to await rescue. The fire continued to strengthen, and several more minutes elapsed before the school's fire alarm rang.
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Fire
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ILWU 1971 Strike
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The ILWU 1971 strike began on July 1, 1971, when members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) walked out against their employers, represented by the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA). The union's goal was to secure employment, wages, and benefits in the face of increased mechanization, shrinking workforce, and the slowing economic climate of the early 1970s. The strike shut down all 56 West coast ports, and lasted 130 days, the longest strike in the ILWU's history. [1]
The ILWU had lost membership and power in the decade leading up to the strike, under two five-year Mechanization and Modernization contracts that reduced the need for labor and decreased union membership. The old 'break bulk' style of loading and unloading, which required a large number of workers, was dangerous, and expensive for employers, and had become obsolete. Increased imports and exports added incentive for more efficient port operations. The introduction of containerization increased port productivity, and required fewer laborers to load and unload cargo. [2]
The Mechanization and Modernization contracts (M&M), one from 1960 to 1965, and another from 1966 to 1971 respectively, forced lay-offs and took recruitment power away from the local unions at each port and gave it to a committee of top union and PMA officials. Prior to the first agreement, this committee introduced non-union laborers to the ports. This was the first time since 1934 that workers who paid union dues and worked under ILWU jurisdiction were allowed to have full-time employment without being granted membership to or benefits from the union. Only the port of Los Angeles resisted the employment agenda early on with organization, but their efforts were squashed as the cargo ships were diverted to other ports (where other longshoremen who were unaware of the Los Angeles port's struggle unloaded the shipments, which were then delivered by truck to the Los Angeles area). [3]
The second M&M was met with further, much larger-scale opposition by laborers. Steadily through the late 1960s, the hiring process became a matter of rank and file; with a growing number of workers skipping the former usual hiring process and being sent straight to a job. These were, for the most part, crane operators and other skilled labor positions. It was considered honorable among union members to say that they had turned down a job that wasn't a fair hire. [4]
When negotiations did not come to agreement at the end of the second M&M on July 1, 1971, longshoremen walked out of every port on the West coast. This was the first fully organized strike by the union since 1934, and the first time the entire coast was shut down in opposition to union leaders. Caught in the crossfire were shipments to military personnel in Vietnam. The first phase of the strike lasted until October 4, when President Nixon set up a Taft-Hartley Board of Inquiry. When the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) went on strike for four days, it was decided that Taft-Hartley must be invoked in order to avoid further damage to the economy. Ports reopened and the 80-day 'cooling-off' period lasted from October 6, 1971 to January 17, 1972. The ILWU was still not satisfied with the terms offered by the PMA, so they went on strike for the second time. Because of fear that it would extend the strike by giving the longshoremen work, the PMA stopped shipment of military equipment to Vietnam, prompting Congress to pass arbitration legislation on February 7, 1972. But the following day, before arbitration could take place, the two sides reached an agreement and the strike ended. While there were still some demands that went unmet after the strike, the longshoremen got most of what they wanted. They received a pay increase (although the Nixon administration cut the wage increase nearly in half because it was disproportionate with "the general wage and salary standard. "),[5] broadened medical benefits to include dental and prescription medicine for workers and their families, as well as pensions, life insurance, and a lowered retirement age from sixty-nine years old with twenty-five years in the union, to sixty-five years old and twenty-five years in the union. The strike was covered by the Seattle P.I. and the Seattle Times, as well as the ILWU's own publication, the Dispatcher. [6]
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Strike
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Zoe Kravitz files for divorce, more celeb splits of 2020
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Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the celeb couples who called it quits or whose splits came to light in 2020, starting with this parting of ways… It's over for Zoe Kravitz and Karl Glusman after 18 months of marriage. The "Big Little Lies" actress filed for divorce from the "Love" actor on Dec. 23, People magazine confirmed via court documents days later on Jan. 2, 2021. Zoe and Karl married in June 2019 at the Paris home of her father, rocker Lenny Kravitz, two-and-a-half years after they were first linked. Now keep reading for more celeb splits of 2020…
RELATED: Notorious celeb cheating scandals
On Dec. 31, "The Bachelor" season 24 lead Peter Weber took to Instagram to reveal that his 2020 romance with contestant Kelley Flanagan, an attorney, was over. "Love is a funny thing. It can make you feel on top of the world and it can make you feel a pain you wish didn't exist. I'm here to share that Kelley and I have decided to go our separate ways," the pilot wrote. "While our relationship was filled with countless beautiful memories, our relationship simply didn't work out in the end. Kelley is someone I will always have a special love for. Someone I have learned more from than she will ever understand. Someone I am so thankful came into my life and someone who I will always wish all of life's greatest blessings on. These moments in life always hurt, but in my opinion that shows you it was worth the time you spent together. Thank you Kelley." RELATED: New celebrity couples of 2020
On Dec. 29, "Fast & Furious" franchise star Tyrese Gibson announced on Instagram that he and wife Samantha Lee Gibson were ending their marriage. "We have decided to make a statement of a painful and significant development in our lives. After much thought, consideration, and prayer, We unfortunately have made the difficult decision to officially separate & divorce," he wrote in a lengthy post . "Our intention is to remain the best of friends & strong coparents. We feel incredibly blessed to have found each other and deeply grateful for the 4 years we have been married to each other." RELATED: Quick celebrity engagements
On Dec. 29, Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn took to Instagram to announce that she and hockey star P. K. Subban recently called it quits. "Over the past 3 years PK and I have had some incredible times together. He is a kind, good man, and someone I respect a great deal. However, after much consideration we have decided to move forward separately. We will always remain friends and love each other immensely. We ask that you please respect our privacy during this time," she captioned a selfie with the Canadian professional hockey player, who proposed in August 2019 . The duo originally intended to tie the knot in the summer of 2020 but put their wedding plans on hold amid the coronavirus pandemic . On Dec. 28, "Punky Brewster" star Soleil Moon Frye and producer Jason Goldberg released a joint statement announcing that they "quietly separated this year" following 22 years of marriage. "Their priority will continue to be their four beautiful children as they move forward with love and compassion," read the statement released to multiple media outlets. On Nov. 13, People magazine broke the news that Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis called it quits earlier this year, ending their engagement of seven years. "It's been amicable and they've transitioned into a great co-parenting routine. The children are the priority and the heart of the family's relationship," said a source of the former power couple, who share a son and a daughter. The actress-director and the "Saturday Night Live" alum were first linked in 2011 and got engaged the following year. Kelly Clarkson and music manager Brandon Blackstock split over the summer after nearly seven years of marriage. On June 11, The Blast broke the news that the pop star and talk show host filed for divorce in Los Angeles on June 4. As the year went on, things got more contentious for the exes, who share daughter River Rose, 5, and son Remy, 4. In November, a judge awarded Kelly primary custody . "The level of conflict between the parents has increased. The parties have a difficult time coparenting due to issues of trust between them," court documents revealed. Reports further indicated that Brandon was seeking $436,000 in monthly support from Kelly — $301,000 in spousal support and $135,000 in child support — as well as $2 million to cover his attorney's fees. His father's management company, for which he works, also sued Kelly for unpaid commissions. She countered that Brandon and the firm defrauded her out of millions. On July 10, People magazine broke the news that Rachel Bilson and Bill Hader amicably called it quits six months after they debuted their relationship at the 2020 Golden Globes in January. Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers took to Instagram on July 10 to release identical statements announcing that — less than two months after celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary — they were calling it quits . A divorce filing followed. After many months of speculation that their marriage was in trouble — and after they raised eyebrows by quarantining in different states amid the coronavirus pandemic — Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich announced on May 19 they'd split after nearly three years of marriage. "We have lovingly and carefully taken the time we have needed to arrive at our decision to separate," they told People magazine in a joint statement. "We share an abundance of love and respect for one another and will continue to lead with our hearts from that place." A source further told People, "It's over, it's been over for a while, and it's time to just call it what it is — and it is over. There is honestly no ill will. He loves her. She loves him. … But they both understand they are not meant to go through their lives as husband and wife to each other." The source added that realizing they were "perfectly happy and fine being apart" during COVID-19 lockdown helped convince the dancer-actress and the former hockey star that it was time to end things. Over the summer, the duo attempted to give their marriage another shot , but ultimately, their efforts were futile: Julianne filed for divorce on Nov. 2. On Nov. 30, People magazine reported that "The Big Bang Theory" star Johnny Galecki, 45, and girlfriend Alaina Meyer, 23, had parted ways after more than two years as a couple — and less than a year after welcoming son Avery. After a decade together and nearly seven years as husband and wife, Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler filed for divorce in April. The "Very Cavallari" stars announced their split with matching Instagram messages indicating the breakup was amicable, though within days, it had emerged that it was anything but . Court documents revealed the pair were fighting over everything from money the Uncommon James designer wanted to purchase a new home — she claimed the former NFL quarterback was preventing her from buying it — to custody of their three kids. In early May, they managed to compromise on custody. Jay also released marital funds so the "The Hills" alum could move forward with her property purchase. On Aug. 13, TMZ broke the news that sometime "within the last few weeks," Miley Cyrus and Cody Simpson had called it quits after nearly a year of dating . Later that day, the singer-actress confirmed the breakup news on Instagram Live. On May 18, following weeks of speculation about the state of his marriage — photos had revealed he and his wife appeared to be quarantining separately amid the COVID-19 pandemic — Brian Austin Green confirmed that he and Megan Fox had indeed split after nearly 10 years of marriage and more than 15 years as a couple. The "Beverly Hills, 90201" alum explained on his "…With Brian Austin Green" podcast that late last year, after Megan returned home from filming "Midnight in the Switchgrass," she confirmed what he was already feeling — that there was a growing distance between them. "She said, 'I realized when I was out of the country working alone that I feel more like myself and I liked myself better during that experience and I think that might be something worth trying for me,'" he recalled on the episode titled "Context." "We talked about it a little more and said, 'Let's separate for a bit…' and so we did." Brian, who shares three boys with Megan, also addressed seeing photos of his estranged wife spending time with co-star Machine Gun Kelly earlier in May and insisted that "cheating" was not a factor in their split. "I don't want people to think that [they] are villains or I was a victim in any way with any of this — because I wasn't," he said. Megan previously filed for divorce in 2015, then in April 2019 she filed to have her first petition for divorce dismissed . But in November 2020, she once again filed for divorce from Brian . After nearly two years of dating , Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson broke up in early April , a source told People magazine on May 6. "[They] always had their ups and down before but it's over now," said the source, adding that "their relationship just ran its course." On Dec. 17, The Daily Mail reported that actress Gillian Anderson and "The Crown" creator-writer Peter Morgan had split after four years of dating. The couple worked together on the acclaimed Netflix series' most recent season in which Gillian played British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. On May 13, TMZ reported that Mary-Kate Olsen and husband Olivier Sarkozy had split after less than five years of marriage . The webloid revealed that the actress-turned-fashion designer had asked a judge for an emergency court order to allow her to file for divorce so that she could prevent her ex from disposing of her property — but it was denied. It also came to light that the former child star had tried to legally end their marriage on April 17 but was told New York City courts were not accepting filings due to the COVID-19 pandemic . "She claims [he] is trying to force her out [or their apartment, because he terminated their lease without her knowledge," TMZ explained, citing court documents. In her legal paperwork, Mary-Kate also requested their prenuptial agreement be enforced. On May 25 — the first day courts reopened — she was finally able to lodge her divorce filing electronically. On Aug. 6, In Touch broke the news that Jennifer Garner and her boyfriend of about two years , businessman John Miller, quietly called it quits earlier this year . A source attributed the split to the coronavirus pandemic and said that "there's a possibility" they could rekindle their romance somewhere down the line. On June 29, DailyMail.com published exclusive photos of Ryan Seacrest holding hands with a mystery blonde while vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, four days earlier. The photos were the first indication that the "American Idol" host and his off-and-on love of several years , Shayna Taylor, had recently called it quits for the third time . His rep later released a statement confirming the news: "Ryan and Shayna decided to end their romantic relationship amicably some time ago. They remain good friends, each other's biggest supporters and will always cherish their time together as a couple," read the statement. On July 3 — a day after she filed for divorce — Kacey Musgraves and her husband of less than three years, Ruston Kelly, released a joint statement announcing that they'd called it quits . On May 25, Page Six broke the news that "Riverdale" co-stars and real-life loves Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse had quietly ended their three-year romance before coronavirus lockdowns began. "Cole and Lili split before the pandemic hit and have been quarantining separately," a source told the New York Post's gossip column, adding that the co-stars — who briefly split last summer before reconciling — "remain good friends." In mid-August, Cole revealed on Instagram that he and Lili "initially separated in January of this year [before] deciding to more permanently split in March." On Nov. 3, E! News published a statement from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Erika Jayne announcing that she's divorcing her husband of more than 20 years , attorney Tom Girardi. Later, an Us Weekly source attributed the split to the former couple's " unconventional marriage " and the fact that they spent "a lot of time apart" — often "several months" at a time. The insider went on to imply that Erika was ready to move on after she gained financial independence and fame from her gig on the popular Bravo reality show. In the wake of the breakup, there were rumors she was already seeing someone new . Then Erika accused Tom of being unfaithful . On Dec. 23, Evan Bass and Carly Waddell — who fell in love on season 3 of "Bachelor in Paradise" in 2016, married in 2017 and welcomed kids in 2018 and 2019 — released a joint statement to People magazine revealing they'd "made the difficult decision to separate." RELATED: Bachelor Nation romance report of 2020
On Dec. 16, Hollywood mogul Tyler Perry revealed that he and girlfriend, Gelila Bekele — who were together for 14 years and share a son together — had split . The news emerged when the actor-producer-writer took to Instagram to tell fans he was trying to figure out his future. "This is what a midlife crisis looks like . I'm 51, single and wondering what the next chapter in my life will look like," Tyler wrote. "Whatever it looks like I'm going to walk with God, be the best father and man I can be, hold my head up high, and try to look my best doing it!! In a world with so much sadness, please try and stay in the good! Merry Christmas and let's look forward to 2021 bringing us peace!" On July 16, Danica Patrick's rep confirmed rumors that she and Aaron Rodgers had recently called it quits after two years of coupledom . The race car driver and the NFL star are, in fact, "no longer together," the rep told E! News . Multiple media outlets reported on Jan. 17 that Rihanna and Saudi Arabian billionaire Hassan Jameel had recently called it quits after nearly three years of coupledom . Later in the year, she moved on with rapper A$AP Rocky. "Descendants 2" stars Dove Cameron and Thomas Doherty have called it quits. Dove confirmed the split to fans via Twitter in December, noting that she and the Scottish actor, who's one of the stars of the upcoming "Gossip Girl" reboot, actually "decided to part ways" in October. The couple, who started dating in 2017 after meeting on the set of the Disney Channel flick, hadn't been spotted out together since August. On May 21, Us Weekly reported that, according to a source, Scott Disick and Sofia Richie were "on a break" as he "straightens himself out more" in the wake of recent mental health issues . "Scott is in an OK place right now and is trying to get better and focus on work, but he has to prove himself," said the source, adding that "a big part of why" the father of three went to rehab earlier in May "was because Sofia wanted him to work on himself." But less than a week later, multiple media outlets reported that the couple of nearly three years had officially called it quits . On May 27, Page Six reported that, according to a source, the relationship simply "ran its course," although other issues — like Scott's "past traumas" — contributed to the breakup. "Scott had gone back to his old ways, and Sofia got fed up," said the source, adding that Scott's relationship with ex Kourtney Kardashian — the mother of his three kids with whom he'd just celebrated his 37th birthday , sans Sofia — also played a role in the split. Scott and Sofia briefly reconciled in July, but by late August, they were over again . Sofia's next 2020 romance — with Cha Cha Matcha founder and Hard Rock Cafe scion Matthew Morton — only lasted a few months and cooled down by December . Six months after they took their romance public, it's over for former "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Meghan King and Christian Schauf. The Uncharted Supply Company CEO confirmed their breakup to Page Six on Nov. 30.
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Famous Person - Divorce
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A dam holding back iron mining waste burst in Brazil—again
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A dam collapsed Friday near Brumadinho, Brazil, leaving at least 60 people dead and hundreds missing. About a hundred survivors were found as of Saturday afternoon, but the possibility of finding more beneath feet of mud had grown “minimal,” according to the governor of the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, where Brumadinho is located, the Guardian reports. The dam, owned by mining company Vale, was holding back tailings from iron ore mining. It collapsed as some workers were eating lunch in a nearby restaurant that was quickly buried under mud. The disaster is a repeat nightmare for the region: Another mining dam burst three years earlier, just 75 miles (121 km) away in the same state of Minas Gerais, killing 19 people and causing what is considered the worst environmental disaster in Brazil’s history. That dam, near the city of Mariana, was owned jointly by Vale and the Australian multinational BHP Billiton. On Nov. 5, 2015, millions of liters of mining waste from extracting iron ore were unleashed from that dam, burying close to 400 homes. Documents reported by the Guardian suggest the dam’s owners knew about the possibility of a catastrophic collapse as much as six months earlier. The Brazilian environmental agency Ibama has fined Vale (link in Portuguese) $66 million for violations caused by Friday’s collapse, including contaminating the local water supply, making the area unfit for habitation, and for causing pollution that “may result in damage to human health.” Newly inaugurated Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro called the collapse a “grave tragedy” on Twitter yesterday (link in Portuguese). Bolsonaro ran his presidential campaign on a radically pro-industry platform, promising to weaken environmental protections in the Amazon rainforest and to open more indigenous lands to mining. Bolsonaro likened indigenous reserves in the Amazon to “chickenpox” and promised that “there won’t be a square centimeter demarcated as an indigenous reserve” under his leadership.
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Mine Collapses
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Reserve Board approves sponsorship of COVID-19 Student Relief Fund legislation
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The University of Wisconsin Reserve Board voted to sponsor legislation to create a COVID-19 Student Relief Fund on Wednesday following debate about legality concerns. The five-member Reserve Board unanimously voted in favor to sponsor the COVID-19 Student Relief Fund legislation up for approval by the Associated Students of Madison student council on Jan. 26. Over a dozen students attended the meeting, with a majority of speakers voicing their support during a public comment period and in the Zoom chat section. ASM to propose COVID-19 Student Relief Fund for direct student aidUniversity of Wisconsin student leaders announced plans Friday to create a COVID-19 Student Relief Fund dedicated to aiding students financially The proposed fund would allocate between $2 million and $4 million to aid students facing housing insecurity with rent and utilities costs during the pandemic. The legislation for the fund is currently sponsored by five city council representatives, State Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison) and several ASM representatives. The COVID-19 Relief Fund was the only item up for discussion at the Reserve Board’s first meeting in months. Dane County District 5 Supervisor Elena Haasl — who helped draft the legislation — said the proposal lays out the use of the funds in a way that will easily and effectively aid students. “I think we are presented a unique opportunity to give back to students, give back to our friends … during this extremely uncertain and difficult time,” Haasl said. “So I really ask the Reserve Board to consider co-sponsoring this, to consider supporting this and really stand by students and use these idle funds to give back and to help out our community.” While the fund would be available to all students, priority would be given to students who demonstrate unexpected financial burden as well as those not eligible for funds from the federal CARES Act — including undocumented students, DACA recipients and international students. Several students also noted the fund would alleviate stress from the community because federal funds currently going to eligible students would be freed up for other community members. Students also discussed the need to address housing insecurity, especially amid the pandemic. A UW Climate survey found 12% of students face housing or food insecurity on campus. ASM alumna Brooke Evans said at the meeting she experienced homelessness as a student and urged the Board to help students facing these livelihood insecurities as she once did. “I have lifelong trauma that I’m unsure I’ll ever be able to recover from, as well as student debt that has sunk me to the point of not being able to afford housing anymore,” Evans said. “One of the most progressively accountable things you can do is to act on the principle that college should not be inaccessible to folks who were born poor.” ASM Chair Matthew Mitnick provides insight on spring semester plansAssociated Students of Madison Chair Matthew Mitnick discussed the student council’s progress on past legislation, future action items for the Read… Student Services Finance Committee Chair Tessa Reilly and SSFC Vice Chair Grace D’Souza voiced their support for the legislation, though they raised concerns about the legality and logistics of the fund. Many of their questions revolved around the UW System Administrative Policy 820 on the allocation of segregated fees and the amount of money that must be left in the reserve funds. Former SSFC Chair Jordan Paisburg said during the public comment section that he looked into allocating reserve funds in a similar manner last spring amid the pandemic, but encountered difficulties with UW System policies that dictate segregated fees may not be allocated as “gifts and donations” individually to any student. While the Board did vote and pass the proposal by the end of the meeting, Reilly and D’Souza advocated for insurance that the legislation was legal and feasible before they sponsored it. “I think everyone’s on board with the situation and what’s going on, and everyone wants this to pass, but I would feel negligent in my duties if I pass this legislation, and then we hear from Bascom that it’s actually not allowed,” D’Souza said. “I think if we can use this time to really collaborate and make sure this is solid, and we can get this through Bascom.” In the comment section, other student observers rebuked the concerns of D’Souza and Reilly. Some individuals urged them to consider the needs of students first, specifically student populations already marginalized on campus. Others asked the Board to sponsor the legislation immediately and allow issues of legality and policy to be solved when it reached UW administrators. Mitnick also said the current sponsors of the legislation believe concerns about the segregated fees policy are addressed in their argument. Since funds from the COVID-19 Student Relief Fund would be administered through an existing contract with the Tenant Resource Center directly to landlords and housing agencies, Mitnick said this interpretation adheres to the UW System policies referenced by the SSFC members. UW to reverse policy barring compensation for international telecommuting student workersAfter months of advocacy from students on campus and across the globe, the University of Wisconsin will reverse its decision Read… In a written statement to The Badger Herald, Mitnick said the next step in the approval process will be at ASM on Jan. 26. UW administrators have not yet signaled their official stance on the fund, Mitnick said. If the legislation passes, ASM will ask for Chancellor Rebecca Blank’s official approval at their meeting on Feb. 9. “I am disappointed with some of my colleagues for debating students’ lives and questioning the validity of the proposal, but am glad we got the Reserve Board to support this,” Mitnick said in the statement. “If Christina Olstad, Lori Reesor and other administrators claim to want to uplift and help their students, then we look forward to their future support.” This article was published Jan 20, 2021 at 3:58 pm and last updated Jan 20, 2021 at 3:58 pm
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Financial Aid
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2011 Silk Way Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 crash
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On 6 July 2011, a Silk Way Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft on a flight from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, crashed into a mountainside at an altitude of 3,800 metres (12,500 ft) while descending at night towards Bagram. All nine people on board were killed. [1]
Despite initial claims by Taliban rebels that they had shot down the aircraft, no evidence was found of external interference, while analysis of the flight recorders suggested the crash was a case of controlled flight into terrain. [2][3]
The Il-76 had taken off from Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku at 21:26 local time (16:26 UTC) on 5 July, with 18 tonnes of cargo destined for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Bagram. It was scheduled to land at Bagram at 01:40 local time on 6 July (21:10 on 5 July UTC). [4][5]
Shortly before arriving at Bagram, the aircraft disappeared from radar. An air traffic controller in the Afghan capital Kabul, around 40 km (25 mi) away from Bagram, reported seeing a flash in the sky at an altitude of about 4,000 m (13,000 ft) some 25 km (16 mi) away. [5]
It was later confirmed that the aircraft had struck a mountainside at around 3,800 metres (12,500 ft) of altitude. No distress call was received from the crew before contact was lost. [5] The same aircraft had recently flown from Kuwait to Baku without any problem. [6]
The wreckage of the Il-76 was located the following day in the Ghorband District, around 50 km (31 mi) north-west of Kabul. All nine people on board had perished. [4][6][7]
The aircraft involved was an Ilyushin Il-76TD with Azerbaijani registration 4K-AZ55, serial number 2053420680. [8] Built in 2005, it was operated by Silk Way Holding, a company linked to Azerbaijan Airlines. The aircraft received its last full technical inspection in February 2011 and had passed a regular technical inspection one month prior to the crash. [5]
Reports on the nationality of the crew varied, with some reporting five Azerbaijanis and four Uzbeks,[9][10][11] while others six Azerbaijanis and three Uzbeks. [12][4] The captain had logged over 4,500 flying hours at the time of the accident. [5]
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid stated that the aircraft had been shot down by Taliban rebels who believed it was carrying a shipment of weapons,[4] but Afghan local authorities denied any Taliban involvement. [5]
Despite ISAF stating that no Taliban activity had been reported in the affected area at the time of the crash, several attempts to reach the crash site were met with gunfire. [5][13] The Azerbaijani ambassador to Afghanistan and Pakistan considered that reports indicating technical problems with the aircraft were not true, and that in his opinion the Taliban were responsible for its loss. [14]
Silk Way Airlines temporarily halted its operations to Afghanistan following the accident, resuming them on 21 July. [15][9]
An investigative commission was set up by the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority, assisted by Azerbaijani authorities and by Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC). [13][2]
On 25 July, the remains of the crew members were delivered to the Association of Forensic Medical Examination and Pathological Anatomy of the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan in Baku. [3]
On 15 August, the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was sent to Moscow. Members of the IAC and representatives of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan successfully downloaded the recorded information. Analysis of the CVR suggested that at the time of the crash, the aircraft was under the captain's command, and that contrary to normal practice, he was flying visually and without assistance from Bagram air traffic control. [3]
The vice-president of the investigative commission also stated that the aircraft had deviated from the established route. [3]
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Air crash
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2003 IIHF World Championship
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The 2003 IIHF World Championship was held between April 26 and May 11, 2003 in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku, Finland. It was the 67th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Canada won the gold medal after defeating Sweden 3–2 in a tightly fought final. Over 14 minutes into the overtime, Canadian forward Anson Carter beat Swedish goaltender Mikael Tellqvist with a wraparound goal. The goal was contested for several minutes before replays confirmed that Tellqvist had stopped the puck behind the goal line. It was Canada's first World Championship win in five years. Sweden surrendered five consecutive goals against Finland in their quarterfinal to trail 5–1 seven minutes into the second period, at which point Swedish goaltender Tommy Salo was swapped for Mikael Tellqvist. This proved to be the Swedish team's necessary wake-up call as the Swedes went on to score five unanswered goals before the end of regulation and ultimately win the game 6–5. The Far Eastern Qualification was played as a single game during the 2003 Asian Winter Games on February 4, 2003 in Hachinohe, Japan. South Korea had opted to not play as they believed it more beneficial to focus on training and developing for their Division II tournament. [1] During the games Japan also beat the Koreans eleven to two in the semi-finals. All times local
In the First Round, the top 3 teams from each group progressed to the Second Round, whilst the last placed team progressed to the Consolation Round. All times local
All times local
All times local
All times local
In the Second Round, the top 4 teams from each group progressed to the Final Round, whilst the bottom 2 teams are eliminated. Tables and scores below include meetings between teams during the First Round. Tables and scores below include meetings between teams during the First Round. As the Far Eastern qualifier, Japan avoids relegation. Therefore, Belarus and Slovenia are relegated to Division I for the 2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
All times local
The final standings of the tournament according to IIHF:
List shows the top ten skaters sorted by points, then goals, then (fewer) games played. Source: IIHF.com
Only the top five goaltenders, based on save percentage, who have played 40% of their team's minutes are included in this list. Source: IIHF.com
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Sports Competition
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Lady Southern Cross crash
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The Lady Southern Cross was a Lockheed Altair monoplane owned by Australian pioneer aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. In this aircraft, Kingsford Smith made the first eastward trans-Pacific flight from Australia to the United States, in October and November of 1934. In April 1934, Kingsford Smith ordered an aircraft from Lockheed for use in the MacRobertson Air Race in October of that year. The aircraft was rebuilt from a Lockheed Sirius originally built for George R. Hutchinson in 1930. [1]
The aircraft was delivered by ship to Sydney, Australia in July 1934, bearing Kingsford Smith's requested blue livery and the name 'ANZAC'. However, before it could be flown in Australia, the Government objected to the commercial use of ANZAC (the use of which remains restricted in Australian law today[2]), and Kingsford Smith was forced to remove it. [3]
After finally getting the machine, now named Lady Southern Cross, out of Customs, Kingsford Smith and copilot Patrick Gordon Taylor set several speed records flying between Australian cities as they prepared to fly to England for the race. With all paperwork finally complete, they began the flight to England on 29 September 1934, with a first leg planned to end in Darwin. However, dust storms and stress failure of the engine cowling turned them back to Sydney, and they were forced to withdraw from the race. [4] The race was subsequently won, and a new speed record set, by a British de Havilland DH.88 racing aircraft. Now in financial trouble, and with the Lady Southern Cross facing withdrawal of its airworthiness certificate if it did not leave Australia, Kingsford Smith decided to attempt the first eastward crossing of the Pacific Ocean by aircraft, from Australia to the United States. Kingsford Smith and Taylor departed Archerfield Airport on 21 October 1934, for the reverse journey from that the Southern Cross had made in 1928; Brisbane-Fiji-Hawaii-Oakland. Bad weather in Fiji and the need for extensive repairs to the fuel and oil systems in Hawaii meant the flight took considerably longer than the 1928 flight - 15 days vs 9 - despite the Altair being a much faster aircraft than the Fokker. After arriving safely in Oakland on 4 November 1934, the Lady Southern Cross was left in the care of Lockheed at Burbank, California for repair, overhaul and storage. [4]
With the Lady Southern Cross substantially repaired and rebuilt in Burbank, Kingsford Smith flew cross-country to New York in September 1935 and had the Lady Southern Cross put on a ship to England. After obtaining a British airworthiness certificate, and having been turned back once by a hailstorm over Italy, Kingsford Smith and co-pilot Tommy Pethybridge left Croydon Airport in London on 6 November 1935 in an attempt to break the England to Australia speed record set during the MacRobertson Air Race. [5]
Kingsford Smith and Pethybridge were flying the Lady Southern Cross overnight from Allahabad, India, to Singapore (c.2200 mi. ), while attempting to break the England-Australia speed record, when they disappeared over the Andaman Sea in the early hours of 8 November 1935. Aviator C.J. Melrose claimed to have seen the Lady Southern Cross fighting a storm 150 miles from shore and 200 feet over the sea with fire coming from its exhaust. [6]
Eighteen months later, Burmese fishermen found an undercarriage leg and wheel (with its tyre still inflated) which had been washed ashore at Aye Island in the Gulf of Martaban, 3 km (2 mi) off the southeast coastline of Burma, some 137 km (85 mi) south of Mottama (formerly known as Martaban). Lockheed confirmed the undercarriage leg to be from the Lady Southern Cross. [5] Botanists who examined the weeds clinging to the undercarriage leg estimated that the aircraft itself lies not far from the island at a depth of approximately 15 fathoms (90 ft; 27 m). [7] The undercarriage leg is now on public display at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia. [8]
In 2009 a Sydney film crew claimed they were 100% certain they found the Lady Southern Cross. [9] The location of the claimed find was widely mis-reported as "in the Bay of Bengal" - the 2009 search was at the same location where the landing gear had been found in 1937, at Aye Island, in the Andaman Sea. However, this claim was treated with scepticism by well-known businessman and pilot, Dick Smith, while Kingsford Smith's biographer, Ian Mackersey, described it as "complete nonsense". [10]
15°18′0″N 97°42′35″E / 15.30000°N 97.70972°E / 15.30000; 97.70972
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Air crash
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SpaceX’s private Inspiration4 mission splashes down safely in Atlantic Ocean
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SpaceX safely returned its Crew Dragon spacecraft from orbit on Saturday, with the capsule carrying the four members of the Inspiration4 mission back to Earth after three days in space. Crew Dragon capsule Resilience splashed down off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida in the Atlantic Ocean. “Thanks so much SpaceX, that was a heck of a ride for us and we’re just getting started!” Inspiration4 commander Jared Isaacman said from the capsule. In less than an hour after splashdown, SpaceX loaded the capsule onto its recovery ship and the crew exited, each giving waves and thumbs up after disembarking. The crew will then be helicoptered from the ship to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, a short flight away from the splashdown site. Inspiration4 mission director Scott Poteet joined a post-splashdown call with reporters, speaking from the SpaceX recovery ship. “The group is in great spirits, they’re having a blast and everyone’s looking forward to reuniting with their families,” Poteet said. Elon Musk tweeted his congratulations to the crew shortly after splashdown. The historic private mission — which includes Isaacman, pilot Sian Proctor, medical officer Hayley Arceneaux and mission specialist Chris Sembroski — orbited the Earth at an altitude as high as 590 kilometers, which is above the International Space Station and the furthest humans have traveled above the surface in years. A free-flying spaceflight, the capsule did not dock with the ISS but instead circled the Earth independently at a rate of 15 orbits per day. SpaceX human spaceflight programs senior director Benji Reed told reporters after splashdown that the company’s sales and marketing teams saw an “increased” number of inquiries from people interested in purchasing a private spaceflight. He said that SpaceX can fly “five or six” private missions per year. “If demand is there, then we’ll want to look at what we can do to continue to grow that” capability, Reed said. Reed also noted that there were “a couple of issues” that SpaceX resolved during the spaceflight, including with the waste management system, or toilet, onboard the spacecraft. Inspiration4 mission director Todd Ericson added that the toilet had “an issue with a fan that’s part of the system” but a workaround was implemented without significant trouble. Inspiration4 shared photos from the crew’s time in orbit, giving a look at the expansive views from the spacecraft’s “cupola” window. This is the third time SpaceX has returned astronauts from space, and the second time for this capsule – which previously flew the Crew-1 mission for NASA on a trip that returned in May. Both prior SpaceX astronaut missions splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, making this the first that returned in the Atlantic Ocean. The mission also comes with multiple other milestones for Musk’s company, including: The first private SpaceX spaceflight, the first entirely nonprofessional crew to become astronauts, the first Black female spacecraft pilot, the youngest American astronaut to date, and the first person to fly in space with a prosthesis. Inspiration4 was paid for by Isaacman for an undisclosed amount, with the main goal of the spaceflight to raise $200 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur, donated $100 million personally, with the mission having raised another $53.8 million in donations as of Saturday evening, according to the mission’s website.
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New achievements in aerospace
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US withdraws from UNESCO, cites ‘continuing anti-Israel bias’
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"This decision was not taken lightly, and reflects US concerns with mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO," the State Department said in a Thursday statement cited by Reuters. Washington will remain in the organization "as a non-member observer state in order to contribute US views, perspectives and expertise," the statement said. There has been no immediate comment from the US government. Israel too announced it was leaving the body a few hours after the Americans made their statement, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing UNESCO of distorting history. "This is a brave and moral decision, because UNESCO has become a theater of absurd. Instead of preserving history, it distorts it," he said. Earlier, Washington officials told AP that the United States is withdrawing from UNESCO after repeated criticism of resolutions that the Trump administration perceived as anti-Israeli. UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said she received official notification from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, adding she expressed "profound regret at the decision of the United States of America to withdraw from UNESCO." Washington's move was "a loss for multiculturalism and the UN family," she added. In a statement released later on Thursday, Bokova said: "At the time when the fight against violent extremism calls for renewed investment in education, in dialogue among cultures to prevent hatred, it is deeply regrettable that the United States should withdraw from the United Nations agency leading these issues." She added that in 2011, when the US stopped funding the organization, "I was convinced UNESCO had never mattered as much for the United States, or the United States for UNESCO." Vladimir Tolstoy, the Russian president’s cultural adviser, said that the United States’ withdrawal from the body was a bad sign. “It seems to me this is a bad sign in either case, one that looks worse on the United States rather than UNESCO.” The US stopped financing UNESCO after the organization moved to admit the Palestinian Authority as a member in 2011. However, the State Department has maintained a mission at the agency’s Paris headquarters. I deeply regret the decision of the United States of America to withdraw from @UNESCO.Official statement: Americans played a pivotal role during UNESCO's formation. Archibald MacLeish, the first US member of UNESCO’s governing board, authored the preamble to its 1945 Constitution, according to the State Department. The constitution's spirit gained fame due to its opening lines: "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed." The US joined UNESCO as a founding member but pulled out in 1984 because of "a growing disparity between US foreign policy and UNESCO goals." After 19 years, Washington rejoined the organization in October 2003. The State Department gave several reasons for the US withdrawing from UNESCO, such as debt and organizational mismanagement. But the US may also be affirming its support for Israel, according to Haaretz senior correspondent and columnist Amir Oren. “There have been several [UNESCO] resolutions which contended with the Israeli, or more accurately the Jewish version of the status of Jerusalem, and one can indeed quarrel with the question whether its cultural, religious, political… there are many layers to Jerusalem of course,” Oren told RT. “Israel considers UNESCO to be anti-Israel, and therefore when the United States wants to show that it’s pro-Israel, it becomes anti-UNESCO.” But the withdrawal of the US from other international bodies and treaties, such as the nuclear deal with Iran, also sets a worrying precedent, said fellow Haaretz journalist Gideon Levy. “If a signed agreement by the biggest superpower is just worth the paper it is signed on, then we really face a much broader problem,” he told RT. “If the word of the United States is not its word, then it’s still a problem." What’s more, while organizations such as UNESCO have their flaws, that is no reason to simply leave them and stop working with the international community. “What Donald Trump is doing now with the assistance of Israel is very, very regrettable and will damage the international community. It’s very destructive.”
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Withdraw from an Organization
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North Macedonia Officially Joins NATO
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North Macedonia Officially Joins NATO
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North Macedonia has officially become NATO's 30th member, the military alliance says.
North Macedonia became NATO's newest member with the presentation of its "instrument of accession" to the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C., NATO said in a statement from its headquarters in Brussels.
North Macedonia was granted a protocol on accession to NATO membership in February 2019 after a 2017 agreement with Greece that changed the former Yugoslav republic's name from Macedonia, resolving a decades-long dispute between Skopje and Athens.
Since then, all NATO-member parliaments have voted to ratify the country's membership, and Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski on March 20 signed the final accession document for the country's entry into the alliance.
"North Macedonia is now part of the NATO family, a family of 30 nations and almost 1 billion people. A family based on the certainty that, no matter what challenges we face, we are all stronger and safer together," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.
Pendarovski said his country could not appropriately mark the event given the current coronavirus pandemic.
"But this is a historic success that after three decades of independence finally confirms Macedonian security and guarantees our future," he said. "Congratulations to all of you! We deserve it!"
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the country's membership "will support greater integration, democratic reform, trade, security, and stability across the region.”
It also reaffirms that NATO's door remains open "to those countries willing and able to make the reforms necessary to meet NATO's high standards, and to accept the responsibilities as well as benefits of membership," Pompeo added.
North Macedonia's flag is to be raised alongside those of the other 29 member states at NATO headquarters in Brussels and at two other commands simultaneously on March 30.
After resolving its name dispute with its neighbor, Greece has also agreed to drop objections to North Macedonia's eventual European Union membership.
The country came closer to joining the bloc on March 26 when EU leaders gave it the green light to begin membership talks.
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WTO agrees on membership terms for Yemen
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On 26 September 2013, the WTO announced that members of the Working Party on the Accession of Yemen agreed on the terms of WTO membership for Yemen. The accession package will be presented to the 159 WTO members and subsequently to the 9th Ministerial Conference in Bali, 3-6 December, for a formal decision by ministers.
In the 11th meeting of the Working Party, WTO members concluded 13 years of negotiations. Yemen’s terms of membership, contained within its accession package, include reforms to Yemen’s trade laws, commitments on market access for goods and services, a draft decision for adoption by the General Council, and Yemen’s draft Protocol of Accession.
Yemen would become the seventh least-developed country to join the multilateral trading system since 1995. During the accession process, WTO members have worked with Yemen to adapt its trade laws to WTO rules and have trained its government officials. Members said they would continue to provide Yemen with required technical assistance in its post-accession process.
Yemen has signed bilateral agreements on market access for goods and services with Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, El Salvador, Honduras, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Ukraine and the United States.
For goods, Yemen has committed to bind its tariffs to an average of 21.1 per cent for all products — 24.9 per cent on average for agricultural products and 20.5 per cent for other products. In services, Yemen is committed to opening its markets to 11 sectors, covering 78 sub-sectors. Yemen has made commitments in customs valuation, price controls, state enterprises, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures and other areas.
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2009 Aviastar British Aerospace 146 crash
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The 2009 Aviastar British Aerospace 146 crash occurred on April 9, 2009, when a British Aerospace 146 (BAe 146) crashed into Pikei Hill during a ferry flight from Sentani Airport to Wamena Airport, both in Indonesia's Papua province. Due to the force of the impact the aircraft was totally destroyed and all 6 crew members were killed. The aircraft was carrying voting paper to Wamena as well as several other goods, as a parliamentary election was held in the month. The wreckage was found in Pikei Hill, Tengah Mountain, Tangma, Yahukimo District. [1]
The accident was the first fatal crash for Aviastar and was the second airliner crash in Indonesia within a week, after an Indonesian Air Force Fokker 27 crashed into a hangar at Bandung on 6 April, killing all 24 people on board. A final report by the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) concluded that the crash was due to Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) resulting from pilot error. The Captain ignored the ground proximity warning after the First Officer had warned him many times as he became anxious about how the Captain was handling the aircraft. [2]
The BAe 146-300, registered PK-BRD, was being operated by Aviastar on a ferry flight from Sentani Airport, Jayapura to Wamena Airport, Wamena. The crew consisted of two pilots, two flight attendants, a flight engineer, and a load master. Captain Sigit Triwahyono was the handling pilot and First Officer Lukman Yusuf was the support/monitoring pilot. [1][2](p2)
The flight was being operated under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) from Sentani, and a visual descent, approach, and landing at Wamena, because there was no published instrument approach procedure at Wamena. There was low cloud on the final approach track to Runway 15 at Wamena. The aircraft was observed conducting a low altitude go-around over the runway: it then climbed to a low height along the extended centre-line to the south east, before making a right turn onto the downwind leg of the circuit. As it began its second approach it hit Pikei Hill in Tengah Mountain at 07:43 local time (10:43 UTC). All on board were killed instantly. [1][2](p2)
The aircraft involved in the accident was a BAe 146 Series 300. It had been manufactured in 1990 and was delivered to Thai Airways International as HS-TBO with the name Lahan Sai. Subsequently, it was sold to Jersey European Airways in 1998 as G-JEBC. It was later transferred to British European in June 2000 then with Flybe after the merger in 2002 and later in 2007 it was finally bought by Aviastar and was registered in Indonesia as PK-BRD. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 22,200 flying hours. The aircraft had an airworthiness license issued in January 2009. Originally built as a passenger aircraft, Aviastar modified the aircraft into a combined passenger and cargo configuration in September 2008. [2](p5)[3][4][5]
The aircraft was in the 42-passenger and cargo configuration. However, the weight chart used for the accident flight was for the aircraft in a 110-passenger configuration. That was therefore the incorrect chart. [2](p6)
Because the aircraft was conducting a ferry flight there were no passengers; on board were six crew members which all were Indonesian. The Captain was 56-year-old Sigit Triwahyono, who had a total flying experience of more than 8,300 hours, of which 1000 were on the BAe146. The First Officer was 49-year-old Lukman Yusuf, with a total flying experience of over 12,400 hours, 200 on the BAe146. [6][2](p4–5)
The investigation was conducted by the National Transportation Safety Committee. At the time of the accident the weather in Wamena was calm, with slight haze and broken clouds surrounding the area. Visibility was 8 km. The weather was not a factor in the crash. Investigators retrieved both the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder. Both had good quality data. Based on the analysis of the flight recorders, investigators then reconstructed the chronological order as follows:[2](p12–14,19–20)
At its first attempt to land, the runway in Wamena was obscured by low clouds. Knowing that they couldn't fly the aircraft to the established flight path for an approach, the crew abandoned the approach and started a go around to the right at a low height, approx 46 m (150 ft). While on the right circuit down-wind leg, the enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) warning sounded, eight of them were "Don't sink", two "Too low terrain", two "Bank Angle" and one "Terrain Terrain" voice aural alerts. The flight crew did not respond to any of those alerts. First Officer Lukman became really concerned with Captain Sigit's handling of the aircraft. He later said "be careful, Sir" to Captain Sigit. [2](p12–14,19–20)
The aircraft then increased its bank angle to the right. First Officer Lukman became really anxious, saying "Sir Sir Sir open Sir left left". Shortly afterwards Captain Sigit banked the aircraft to the left. The "Don't sink" alert sounded for the second time. The bank angle to the left became extreme, exceeding 40°. The aircraft also entered a 10-degree nose down pitch attitude. First Officer Lukman then warned Captain Sigit "don't sink". In repeating the words "don't sink", First Officer Lukman was alerting Captain Sigit to comply with the EGPWS voice aural alert "Don't sink, don't sink". Captain Sigit immediately responded "ya, ya". [2](p12–14,19–20)
Three seconds later, Lukman urgently commanded "left turn".
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2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident crash
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On August 10, 2018, a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 was stolen from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (Sea–Tac) in SeaTac, Washington. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. Sea–Tac air traffic control made radio contact with Russell, the sole occupant, who described himself as a "broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess." About 1 hour and 15 minutes after takeoff, Russell died by intentionally crashing the aircraft on lightly populated Ketron Island in Puget Sound. The incident aircraft was a Bombardier Q400, owned by Horizon Air (and operating for Alaska Airlines) with the registration N449QX[2][3][4] and serial number 4410. It had first flown in 2012 and was delivered new to Horizon Air in the same year. [4] It landed at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport at 13:35 local time the afternoon of the incident, after an in-service flight from Victoria, British Columbia. [5] It was not scheduled to fly again that day. [6]
The aircraft was stolen from Plane Cargo 1 at the north end of Sea–Tac Airport[6] and maneuvered to runway 16C via taxiways. [5] Seattle Tower tried several times to get the pilot of the aircraft to identify himself on frequency, but received no response. [5] A nearby Alaska Airlines jet on the ground reported that the aircraft began a takeoff roll with its wheels smoking,[5] and an unauthorized take-off was made at 19:32 local time (02:32 UTC, August 11). [1][7][8][9] In response, two McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagles of the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing under the command of NORAD[10] were scrambled at around 20:15 local time[11] from Portland Air National Guard Base to intercept it. Both were armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles[12] and went supersonic, generating sonic booms on the way to the Puget Sound area. [4][13] A KC-135R Stratotanker refueling tanker was also scrambled from Fairchild Air Force Base to support the F-15 flight. [12] Flights in and out of Sea–Tac Airport were temporarily suspended. [7]
Seattle–Tacoma air traffic control (ATC) maintained radio contact with the occupant. [14] The transmissions were on an open frequency, thus were recorded and quickly posted on social media websites. [15] He said he was a "broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. Never really knew it until now. "[16] When ATC suggested that the plane be landed at Joint Base Lewis–McChord, the occupant refused: "Those guys will rough me up if I try and land there. I think I might mess something up there, too. I wouldn't want to do that. "[17] He asked ATC if he could get a job as a pilot with Alaska Airlines if he successfully landed the aircraft. ATC said, "they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off," to which he replied "Yeah right! Nah, I'm a white guy. "[18]
He spoke of wanting to do "a couple maneuvers to see what [the aircraft] can do," and requested the coordinates of an orca that had been brought to national attention, saying, "I want to go see that guy." He stated that he did not want to hurt anyone,[17][19] and in the final minutes of the communication apologized to his friends and family. [15] Near the end of the flight, the aircraft was seen performing a barrel roll over Puget Sound, recovering a mere ten feet (three meters) over the water. [20] A veteran pilot said the maneuver "seemed pretty well executed, without either stalling or pulling the wings off. "[21] When an air traffic controller requested he land the plane after this maneuver, he said "I don't know. I don't want to. I was kind of hoping that was gonna be it, you know? "[16][19] He added that he "wasn't really planning on landing it. "[22]
The two F-15s attempted to direct the aircraft toward the Pacific Ocean, and did not fire at it. [23] The Q400 ultimately crashed at 20:43 local time[1] on Ketron Island in Puget Sound, Pierce County, Washington, killing the occupant and destroying the aircraft. [4][6][9] A tow boat crew was the first to respond. [24] Firefighters from West Pierce Fire and Rescue and other nearby departments arrived on the island about an hour and a half after the crash, due to waits for the Steilacoom–Anderson Island ferry, and contending with thick brush when crews arrived on scene. The fire burned a 2-acre (0.81 ha) area,[23] but was extinguished by the following morning. [25][26] No injuries were reported to residents of the sparsely populated island despite the crash site being in close proximity to at least one cabin, which was occupied at the time of the incident. [27]
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office both thanked the public for its accurate information, and acknowledged on August 11 that federal agencies would be leading the investigation, primarily the Seattle office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). [28] It described the perpetrator, identified as 29-year-old Richard Russell,[29][30] as suicidal and said his actions did not constitute a "terrorist incident". [19] Alaska Air Group CEO Brad Tilden announced on the same day that the airline was coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI, and the National Transportation Safety Board, and was "working to find out everything we possibly can about what happened". [31][32] On August 12, the FBI said that it had recovered the flight data recorder along with components of the cockpit voice recorder. The equipment was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing. [33]
On November 9, the FBI stated that it had completed its investigation. Terrorism was ruled out, and Russell was found to have acted alone. The final descent at Ketron Island was determined to be intentional, and suicide was listed as the manner of death. [34][35] The FBI stated, "Interviews with work colleagues, friends, and family—and review of text messages exchanged with Russell during the incident—did not identify any information that would suggest the theft of the aircraft was related to wider criminal activity or terrorist ideology. Although investigators received information regarding Russell's background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russell's actions.
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Rock Hill PD Investigate Afternoon Shooting
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ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – Rock Hill police are investigating a shooting from Thursday afternoon.
According to police, officers responded to the 700 block of Jefferson Avenue for a shooting with a victim around 2:37 PM.
When officers arrived they located a 43 year old victim in the back yard of a residents suffering from a gunshot wound.
Officials say officers helped the victim until Rock Hill Fire Department and EMS arrived. The victim was transported to Piedmont Medical Center for Treatment.
The Rock Hill Police Department Criminal Investigations Division, Forensic Services Unit, and K-9 Tracking Team responded to the scene to continue the investigation.
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
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San Bruno pipeline explosion
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The San Bruno pipeline explosion occurred at 6:11 pm PDT on September 9, 2010, in San Bruno, California, when a 30-inch (76 cm) diameter steel natural gas pipeline owned by Pacific Gas & Electric exploded into flames in the Crestmoor residential neighborhood 2 miles (3.2 km) west of San Francisco International Airport[4] near Skyline Boulevard and San Bruno Avenue. [5]
The loud roar and shaking led some residents of the area, first responders, and news media to initially believe that it was an earthquake or that a large airplane had crashed. It took crews nearly an hour to determine it was a gas pipeline explosion. [6]
As of September 29, 2010, the death toll was eight people. [7] The United States Geological Survey registered the explosion and resulting shock wave as a magnitude 1.1 earthquake. [8][9] Eyewitnesses reported the initial blast "shot a fireball more than 1,000 feet (300 m) in the air". [10][11][12][13]
At 6:11 pm PDT on September 9, 2010, a huge explosion occurred in the Crestmoor residential neighborhood of San Bruno, near Skyline Boulevard and San Bruno Avenue. [8] This caused a fire, which quickly engulfed nearby houses. Emergency responders from San Bruno and nearby cities soon arrived at the scene and evacuated surrounding neighborhoods. Strong winds fanned the flames, hampering fire fighting efforts. [14] The blaze was fed by a ruptured gas pipe, and large clouds of smoke soared into the sky. It took 60 to 90 minutes to shut off the gas after the explosion, according to San Bruno Fire Chief Dennis Haag. [15] The explosion and resulting fire leveled 35 houses and damaged many more. Three of the damaged houses, deemed uninhabitable, were torn down the following December, bringing the total to 38. [16] About 200 firefighters battled the eight alarm fire that resulted from the explosions. [17][18] The explosion excavated an asymmetric crater 167 feet (51 m) long, 26 feet (7.9 m) wide[19] and 40 feet (12 m) deep along the sidewalk of Glenview Drive in front of 1701 Earl Avenue (a corner house), but many of the destroyed homes were eastward in the 1600 block of Claremont Drive. [15]
The fire continued to burn for several hours after the initial explosion. The explosion compromised a water main and required firefighters to truck in water from outside sources. Firefighters were assisted by residents who dragged fire hoses nearly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) to working hydrants. [20] Ordinary citizens drove injured people and burn victims to the hospital. Mutual aid responded from all over the Bay Area, including the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection who sent 25 fire engines, four airtankers, two air attack planes, and one helicopter. [21]
The fire was only fifty percent contained by 10 pm PDT and continued to burn until about 11:40 am PDT the next day. [22][23]
As of September 29, 2010, the death toll was eight people. [7] Among the eight deaths was 20-year-old Jessica Morales, who was with her boyfriend, Joseph Ruigomez, at the epicenter of the fire (his home) on the corner of Earl Ave. Despite his proximity to the epicenter of the fire, Ruigomez survived but spent nearly five months recovering in the Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Burn Center. Two other people at the Claremont address close to the explosion were among those killed: Jacqueline Greig, 44, and her daughter Janessa Greig, 13. Greig worked for the California Public Utilities Commission, in a small unit that advocates for consumer rights pertaining to natural gas regulations. She had spent part of the summer evaluating PG&E's expansion plans and investment proposals to replace out-of-date pipelines. [24][25] Also killed in the blast were Lavonne Bullis, 82, Greg Bullis, 50, and Will Bullis, 17. [26]
View of the fire on Sep. 9, 2010 at 11:31 pm PDT
Destruction after fire and explosion in San Bruno
A Red Cross shelter was set up at the Veterans Memorial Recreation Center in San Bruno,[27] and the Blood Centers of the Pacific issued an emergency appeal for blood donations. [28] Some people were evacuated to Tanforan and Bayhill Shopping Centers. [29][30] All elementary schools in the San Bruno Park Elementary School District, as well as Parkside Junior High, were closed on September 10. However, Capuchino High School remained open. [31] Some residents who were evacuated from their homes were allowed to return to those undamaged on Sunday, September 12. [32]
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is the owner of the pipeline. On September 10, 2010, PG&E's president, Christopher Johns, said the company was not able to approach the source of the explosion to investigate the cause. [33] An official press release issued by PG&E on September 10 reported the pipe was a 30-inch (76 cm) steel transmission line. [34]
Shares of PG&E stock fell eight percent on the Friday after the explosion,[35] reducing the company's market capitalization by $1.57 billion. [35]
PG&E also reduced their operating pressures by 20 percent after investigations revealed the pipeline may have been improperly installed. [36]
After the San Bruno pipeline failure, PG&E was required to re-evaluate how it determines the maximum operating pressure for some 1,800 miles of pipeline throughout its system. Specifically, the California Public Utilities Commission asked PG&E officials to show their lines had been tested or examined in a way that could prove the pipeline can withstand the current maximum operating pressure. At the March 15, 2011 deadline for this report, PG&E was unable to provide documentation for details of some of its gas transmission pipelines. [37]
In response to the disaster and a subsequent decision (D.11-06-017) by the California Public Utilities Commission, PG&E unveiled a plan in August 2011 to modernize and enhance safety of its gas transmission operations over several years, including automation of over 200 valves, strength-testing over 700 miles (1,100 km) of pipe, replacing 185 miles (298 km), and upgrading another 200 miles (320 km) or so to allow in-line inspection. [38] The plan was divided into two phases. The first phase, scheduled to end in 2014, targeted pipeline segments in urban areas, those not built to modern standards, and those that had not been strength-tested. Project funding of $769 million was the subject of a PG&E application (R.11-02-019) for a three-year increase in gas rates starting January 2012. [39]
On November 6, 2011, an explosion occurred near Woodside, California during strength testing of PG&E pipelines. The explosion caused a mudslide in the area; however, no casualties were reported. [40]
Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado made a state of emergency declaration and signed an executive order to provide aid to victims. [18]
State regulators ordered PG&E to survey all natural gas lines the company controls in California.
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28 Celebrities Who Married Normal, Non-Famous People
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Julia Roberts, Zoë Saldana, and Matt Damon are among the stars who aren't with another A-lister. We all have our favorite Hollywood couples—not to mention the breakups we still mourn. But as fun as it is to watch from afar as two superstars meet-cute and then build a life together, there's something even more magical about those relationships where one party is a little bit more like us. Celebrities do marry non-famous people sometimes, and those romances can last. All of the couples on this list have their own unique love story, and not one started with being set up by an agent. So read our list of NUMBER celebrities who married normal people, and keep dreaming. You never know when you might run into your own Hollywood crush. And for stars who ended up with their admirers, here are 22 Celebrities Who Married Their Biggest Fans. Oscar winner Christian Bale first met his future wife, Sibi Blažić, through his friend Winona Ryder. But the circumstances weren't all that glamorous on Blažić's part. At the time, she was working as Ryder's personal assistant, though also pursuing a career in modeling. She and Bale have been married since 2000 and have two children, but don't expect to hear many more details about how they fell in love or what their day-to-day life is like. The couple are extraordinarily private. For stars who took their on-camera love off-screen, here are 15 Onscreen Couples You Totally Forgot Dated in Real Life. If you've got a mom who's always reminding you to look your best when you run errands because you never know who you'll see, don't let her find out about Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery's love story. The Grey's Anatomy star and music producer hit it off at the grocery store and struck up a friendship that eventually turned romantic. It seemed like fate that their paths crossed, since Pompeo and Ivery are both from Boston but didn't meet until they were living in L.A. Their wedding was similarly low-key to their meet-cute. They tied the knot in a City Hall wedding in New York in 2007 and now share three kids. Who says rock stars can't be faithful? Jon Bon Jovi and his high school sweetheart Dorothea Hurley have been together for 40 years and married for 31. Speaking to People in 2020, the Bon Jovi frontman called "mutual respect" the key to their successful relationship, which includes four children. For her part, Hurley said she had an inkling that international fame was to come, even when they were just teenagers. "″I always said I was good at spotting potential too," she told the magazine. "I have a gift." And for more celeb couple trivia sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Matt Damon was filming the 2003 comedy Stuck on You in Miami when he first encountered his future wife. Luciana Barroso was a bartender at the spot where he and some castmates were hanging out; Damon told Ellen Degeneres in a 2011 appearance on her talk show that he "literally saw [Barroso] across a crowded room," and that their meeting felt like fate at work. The couple have four children and celebrated their 15th anniversary in 2020. One of the secrets to their healthy relationship, Damon has shared, is that he and Barroso have a pact to never be apart for more than two weeks, which is a feat of scheduling. Like his wife Meryl Streep, Don Gummer is an artist. The three-time Academy Award winning actress married the sculptor in 1978. They met when Streep was grieving her actor boyfriend John Cazale, who died of lung cancer. According to Michael Schulman's Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep, Streep had to vacate the apartment she and Cazale shared, which led to a romance that would span decades. To help her move, Streep's brother brought along a friend: Gummer, her future husband. Though her family worried that she'd moved on too quickly, Streep and Gummer have been married for 43 years and have four children, all of whom are also in show business. For star duos who surprisingly haven't made it official, here are 16 Celebrity Couples You Didn't Realize Aren't Married. Reese Witherspoon told Elle that she met her current husband, talent agent Jim Toth, when he swooped in to save her from a drunk admirer at a house party (and to save his friend from embarrassing himself further). Toth proposed to the actress within the year and they were married in 2011, with her children from her marriage to actor Ryan Phillippe participating in the ceremony. They welcomed their son, Tennessee James, in 2012 and are still going strong. Now known as much for her production company as she is for her acting work, Witherspoon has credited Toth's confidence in her as the push she needed to branch out in Hollywood. Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot has been married to Yaron Varsano, a real estate developer, for 13 years. In an interview with Glamour, she revealed that they met "at this very strange party in the Israeli desert"—all about wellness and holistic healing. They weren't into the overall vibe, but they were into each other. On their second date, Varsano told Gadot that he knew he wanted to marry her eventually. Varsano couldn't be more proud of his superhero wife (the evidence is all over Instagram), with whom he has two daughters. And for stars in the honeymoon stage, here are 18 Photos of Celebrity Couples When They First Got Together. The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies told Ellen DeGeneres in 2011 that the connection between her and lawyer Keith Lieberhal was "immediate." And it all happened because of an event she wasn't even really in the mood to attend. "I met my husband at a dinner party that I wasn't going to go to through an agent I didn't sign with," the E.R. actor recalled to the host, as reported by People. "I just started a Broadway show so I didn't want to stay out late. Famous last words. I went, and there was Keith." The couple got married in 2007 and have one son, Kieran, who they welcomed in 2008. Before making audiences laugh on Community and Dr. Ken, Ken Jeong was making his patients feel better. He was a general practitioner before Hollywood started to recognize his comedic talents. It was in his first career that he met his wife, Tran Ho, who's also a physician, at a happy hour for single doctors. Speaking to NPR, Jeong said that he was offered his role in The Hangover while Ho was being treated for Stage 3 breast cancer, and that she encouraged him to do it and not feel guilty about it. She's been cancer-free for a decade, and the couple have two children. For famous folks who kept their nuptials quiet, here are Celebrity Couples Who Had Top-Secret Weddings. Alec Baldwin and his wife of nine years, yoga instructor Hilaria Baldwin (née Thomas), met while out to dinner with different friends in New York City. They took it slow at first, with Hilaria lamenting later that Baldwin didn't kiss her for the first time until six weeks after they started seeing each other. They were married in 2012, though Alec confessed to The New York Times that, prior to meeting Hilaria, he thought he'd stay a bachelor forever. Now, they have four children together and have hinted that they'll be trying for a fifth. America's Sweetheart Julia Roberts has been lighting up screens since the '80s, so it's fitting that the love of her life is a behind-the-scenes artist responsible for framing some iconic performances. Now a cinematographer, Danny Moder was brought into the spotlight when his relationship with Roberts—who he met when he was a camera operator on The Mexican—became public. After three children and 19 years of marriage, the couple still manages to mostly keep their private life private, however. The beginnings of the relationship between Jerry Seinfeld and Jessica Seinfeld (née Sklar) provided gossip fodder for many a New York City society party. Jessica met Jerry a few months before she married theater producer Eric Nederlander, and began dating him after she came back from her honeymoon. Both parties have said over the years that the reality of the situation is far less scandalous than it sounds—and that Jessica's prior relationship was already over—but no matter what happened, the Seinfelds' romance was certainly not a fling. They've been married since 1999 and have three children, who have provided inspiration for Jessica's popular cookbooks aimed at helping parents get their kids to eat healthy. Blind dates can be awkward, but sometimes the uncertainty is worth it. Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart found that out when he was set up with veterinary technician Tracey McShane (now Stewart), who he'd go on to marry (proposing via New York Times crossword puzzle) and have two children. An animal activist, Tracey runs an animal preserve in upstate New York and wrote the book Do Unto Animals: A Friendly Guide to How Animals Live, and How We Can Make Their Lives Better. The love story of comedian and writer Wanda Sykes and her wife, Alex Niedbalski, sounds a little bit like destiny. Sykes first spotted her future partner on a ferry and took notice. Soon after, a friend introduced her to a French woman who could help Sykes find the right granite countertops for her kitchen remodel: Niedbalski. The pair got married in 2008, and Sykes came out to the public just one month later. Together, they have 11-year-old twins. Joe Jonas married Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner, and Nick Jonas calls international star Priyanka Chopra his spouse, which sets Kevin Jonas apart from his younger brothers and bandmates. He was the first to walk down the aisle, wedding hairdresser Danielle Deleasa in 2009. Of course, bagging a Jonas Brother made the Jersey girl instantly recognizable, and she'd eventually give up her anonymity entirely by costarring with Kevin in the reality series, Married to Jonas. Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul and his wife Lauren (née Parsekian) have a pretty magical first kiss story. The actor told Jimmy Kimmel that it happened on a Ferris wheel at Coachella, the Indio, California music festival where they met. In 2018, they welcomed their daughter, Story Annabelle, and her proud dad is already planning for more kids. In her work life, Lauren co-founded the Kind Campaign, a non-profit organization that combats bullying among young girls. Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband, lawyer Justin Mikita, have two first meeting stories. Ferguson admitted that, though they've used the answer "through mutual friends," they actually hit it off at the gym. They've been married since 2013, in a ceremony officiated by playwright Tony Kushner. But then, this is a couple who doesn't do things by halves. The star-studded baby shower for their son Beckett included a performance by a male synchronized swimming troupe. Talk about a slow burn: Eddie Redmayne and his wife Hannah Bagshawe were friends for 12 years before taking their relationship to the next level. They met at a charity fashion show in 2000 when both were still in boarding school, but it wasn't until Redmayne invited his pal, who's now a PR exec, to visit him during the shooting of his film Les Misérables that they fell in love. They said their vows in 2015 and have welcomed two children. slidetitle num="19"]Pierce Brosnan and Keely Shaye Smith[/slidetitle] The beaches of Cabo San Lucas seem like as good a place as any to meet your soulmate. That's where Bond actor Pierce Brosnan and TV presenter Keely Shaye Smith, who became free when an interview fell through, first laid eyes on each other. They've been husband and wife since 2001 and have two children together. The actor frequently expresses his enduring love for his partner on his Instagram, including in this sweet Valentine's Day tribute. Vanity Fair describes the wife of Star Wars creator George Lucas as "an investment guru," which may be an understatement. Mellody Hobson is the president of Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based financial firm, and sits on the board of a plethora of companies and charities. She's also mother to their daughter, Everest, who was born in 2013, the same year that the couple wed. Doing a favor for someone can have unforeseen rewards. In 1995, an on-the-rise Paul Rudd came to New York and went straight to the office of his new publicist. Julie Yaeger, who worked in the same firm, offered to store his luggage so he wouldn't be late for an audition. Eight years after that, they got married, and 26 years and two kids later, they're still deliriously happy. Yeager has also branched out from publicity into screenwriting, penning the 2017 comedy Fun Mom Dinner. America's Got Talent host and Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Terry Crews has been standing alongside his wife Rebecca King-Crews throughout his rise to fame. The pair got married in 1989 (in a magnificently 1989 wedding) and have five kids. King-Crews is a musician, so she knows firsthand what the entertainment industry is like. Their shared experience as well as their commitment to marriage maintenance (including a 90-day "no sex" pact to reconnect in other ways) has kept their bond strong for over 30 years. In 2008, human rights lawyer Alexi Ashe accompanied her sister, who worked in set design on Saturday Night Live, to former cast member Chris Kattan's wedding. That's where the show's one-time head writer Seth Meyers, another guest, first laid eyes on her. The comedy writer and late-night host put a ring on it in 2013, and the pair balance their intense schedules (Ashe fights human trafficking as a Brooklyn district attorney) with caring for their two young boys. An Academy Award isn't all Natalie Portman took away from her experience starring in the 2010 psychological drama Black Swan. She also got a husband out of the deal. She and dancer Benjamin Millepied, who choreographed her routines and also appears in the film, hit it off on set. In 2011, she dedicated her Oscar to her "beautiful love" and their then-newborn son, Aleph. They married in 2012 and welcomed their daughter Amalia in 2018. Millepied continues to direct the L.A. Dance Project, a company that he founded. An injury prevented Marco Perego-Saldana from a professional soccer career, which allowed him to find his other passion: art.
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Famous Person - Marriage
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Massive solar storm may hit Earth soon, likely to cause global internet blackout
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Solar storms are probably one of the most amazing phenomenons that one can witness. However, now new research has said that the solar storm which hits Earth next could potentially destroy the infrastructure and cause an 'internet apocalypse'. The internet blackout will last for months. The research was conducted by Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi of the University of California, Irvine, and VMware Research. She presented her paper at the SIGCOMM 2021 data communication conference. In the new research titled "Solar Superstorms: Planning for an Internet Apocalypse", it is stated that there is a 1.6 to 12% chance of a solar storm to exist which can cause an internet blackout and will transform our digital world completely. Jyothi also said that the massive storm could actually be a solar superstorm, and compared it to a black swan event. It is important to note that for the undersea cables that connect continents, things are dangerous even if most of them are connected via fibre optic cables because the repeaters that amplify the current at regular intervals are highly susceptible to failure, and hence pose a risk during a solar storm. Has the Earth ever faced a solar storm before? Notably, before this, severe solar storms have been recorded and had occurred back in 1859, 1921, and the most recent one in 1989. The solar storm that occurred in 1989 took down a Hydro-Quebec power grid causing a nine-hour power blackout in northeast Canada. In her research paper, Abdu Jyothi also warned that we are not well prepared to face any consequences if another solar storm strikes the Earth.
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New wonders in nature
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World Airways Flight 802 crash
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On September 8, 1973, a Douglas DC-8 operated by World Airways as World Airways Flight 802 crashed on high ground while on approach to Cold Bay Airport, Alaska, killing all six people on board. [1]
The official accident investigation concluded that the probable cause was the captain's non-adherence to published instrument approach procedures for the destination airport. Flight 802 was a contract cargo flight for the US Military Airlift Command from Travis AFB, California, to Clark AFB, Philippines; Cold Bay was the first planned stopover. The flight crew consisted of three members, while on board were also three non-revenue passengers, including two company employees. The aircraft operating flight 802 was a four-engine Douglas DC-8-63CF jetliner, registration N802WA,[2] which had entered service two years earlier, in 1971. Maintenance records for the aircraft did not highlight any significant problem. [3]
After an uneventful flight from Travis, the aircraft descended in cloud towards Cold Bay Airport, straying significantly off-course and into an area of poor radio navigation reception, until at 05:42 AKDT it struck Mount Dutton at an altitude of 3,500 ft (1,100 m). [3]
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Air crash
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Security guard killed in attempted bank robbery
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A security guard has been shot dead in an attempted bank robbery in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. The shooting happened just before 1pm AEDT at the Commonwealth Bank at Blackburn North Shopping Centre in Springfield Road. Ambulance officers tried to revive the man but he died at the scene. Witnesses say they heard the shot, followed by screams. "We just heard the shot and when I ran out I just saw the other security guard [come] up and the other one was already down," a female witness said. "I just stood back and when I went to have another look, I just saw him on the ground - I could see that he was shot in the head." A shocked bank customer says there were gunshots followed by screams for help. "People were standing around and everyone was nervous you know, you could tell," the witness said. "I was shaking like a leaf - I'd only been in the bank for a minute before and when I came out I went around to the teller machine and I heard people were saying something was wrong and I went inside and saw the gentleman laying down." Susanne, who works in a nearby Pharmacy, tried to help the security guard. "Basically I had to get blankets and gloves and that, but no one could actually do much until the ambulance arrived," she said. "It's such a great centre and the people around here are so great and lovely and you can't believe that something like this would happen - it's just such a big shock to everyone." Several other people in nearby shops watched on in horror. "I was serving a customer at the time - we just heard a gun go off and just heard a man yelling," a female shopkeeper said. "Basically there was a lot of screaming and yelling and someone crying out for 'help, help'," another woman said. Another man says he saw the security guard laying down on the ground as paramedics tended to him. "They [the paramedics] said he wasn't too good," he said. Victorian police have begun searching for two men. Detective Senior Sergeant Jeff Maher says it was a brazen offence. "It's a shopping centre, it's in the middle of the afternoon, it's suburban Melbourne and a security guard going about his business has been shot dead in front of members of the public, outside of a bank," he said. "So you know it's a very, very tragic and unfortunate incident."
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Bank Robbery
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Noakhali riots
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The Noakhali riots were a series of semi-organized massacres, mass rapes, abductions and forced conversions of Hindus to Islam and looting and arson of Hindu properties perpetrated by the Muslim community in the districts of Noakhali in the Chittagong Division of Bengal (now in Bangladesh) in October–November 1946, a year before India's independence from British rule. It affected the areas under the Ramganj, Begumganj, Raipur, Lakshmipur, Chhagalnaiya and Sandwip police stations in Noakhali district and the areas under the Hajiganj, Faridganj, Chandpur, Laksham and Chauddagram police stations in Tipperah district, a total area of more than 2,000 square miles.
The massacre of the Hindu population started on 10 October, on the day of Kojagari Lakshmi Puja and continued unabated for about a week. It is estimated that 5,000 were killed hundreds of Hindu women were raped and thousands of Hindu men and women were forcibly converted to Islam. Around 50,000 to 75,000 survivors were sheltered in temporary relief camps in Comilla, Chandpur, Agartala and other places.Around 50,000 Hindus remained marooned in the affected areas under the strict surveillance of the Muslims, where the administration had no say. In some areas, Hindus had to obtain permits from the Muslim leaders in order to travel outside their villages. The forcibly converted Hindus were coerced to give written declarations that they had converted to Islam of their own free will. Sometimes, they were confined in others' houses and only allowed to be in their own house when an official party came for inspection. According to Dinesh Chandra, Hindus were forced to pay subscriptions to the Muslim League and jiziyah, the protection tax paid by dhimmis in an Islamic state.
Haran Chandra Ghosh Choudhuri, the only Hindu representative to the Bengal Legislative Assembly from the district of Noakhali, described the incidents as "the organized fury of the Muslim mob". Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta and the former Finance Minister of Bengal, dismissed the argument that the Noakhali incidents were ordinary communal riots. He described the events as a planned and concerted attack on the minority community by the majority community.
Mahatma Gandhi camped in Noakhali for four months and toured the district in a mission to restore peace and communal harmony. However, the peace mission failed to restore confidence among the survivors, who could not be permanently rehabilitated in their villages. In the meantime, the Congress leadership accepted the Partition of India and the peace mission and other relief camps were abandoned. The majority of the survivors migrated to West Bengal, Tripura[10] and Assam.
When elections were held in the provinces of India in 1937, the provincial power of Bengal come into the hands of the Muslims. But during the long British rule, Hindus were mainly in the seat of ruler (control of zamindari). They were also ahead in education and economics. As a result, Hindus did not take the rise of neo-Muslim politics well. Educated and financially advanced Hindus were forced to obey many new laws of the new Muslim government in various ways. One of which is manifested in many places including Noakhali. Just as Hindus were concerned about the political rise of Muslims, a section of Muslims was also looking for an opportunity to vent their old grievances against Hindu zamindars (Local rulers). And that was the opportunity they got at the end of British rule in India.
Most of the school teachers were Hindus and they gave low marks to Muslim students' scripts for their communal mentality, attempts to bar Hindus from entering jobs, poor status of Muslims in Hindu-majority provinces, partition of Bengal, and the preposterously fanatic provocations by the Muslim League led to such a gruesome incident. The relationship between the Hindus and Muslims was very delicate. After this, the false news of a joint Hindu attack on Muslims in the Hindu-dominated Calcutta in retaliation to the attacks by Muslims on Direct Action Day spread exaggeratedly, adding fuel to the fire of previous accumulated anger. The Hindu-Muslim riots in Noakhali are believed to have been caused mainly by the resentment of Muslims against Hindus when the British rule was ending and the false news of massacre against Muslims in Calcutta and its outrage.
Communal tensions in Noakhali started soon after the Great Calcutta Riots between Muslims and Hindus. Though it was quiet, the tension had been building up. During the six weeks leading up to the disturbances in Noakhali, Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata received reports indicating tension in the rural areas of Noakhali and Chittagong districts. Village poets and balladeers composed anti-Hindu poems and rhymes, which they recited and sang in market places and other public gathering places.
On 29 August, the day of Eid al-Fitr, the tension escalated into violence. A rumour spread that the Hindus had accumulated weapons. A group of Hindu fishermen were attacked with deadly weapons while fishing in the Feni River. One of them was killed and two seriously injured. Another group of nine Hindu fishermen from Charuriah were severely assaulted with deadly weapons. Seven of them were admitted to hospital. Devi Prasanna Guha, the son of a Congressman of Babupur village under the Ramganj police station, was murdered. One of his brothers and a servant were assaulted. The Congress office in front of their house was set on fire. Chandra Kumar Karmakar of Monpura was killed near Jamalpur. Jamini Dey, a hotel worker, was killed near Ghoshbag. Ashu Sen of Devisinghpur was severely beaten up at Tajumiarhat at Char Parvati. Rajkumar Choudhury of Banspara was severely assaulted on his way home.
All the properties of six or seven Hindu families of Kanur Char were looted. At Karpara, a Muslim gang armed with deadly weapons entered the house of Jadav Majumdar and looted properties worth Rs. 1,500. Nakul Majumdar was assaulted.
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Riot
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7 Safe Ways To View This Week’s Spectacular Solar Eclipse
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taffers and tourists crowded the east front of the U.S. Capitol during the partial solar eclipse on ... [+] Monday, Aug. 21, 2017. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call) A solar eclipse is coming—don’t be scared of it! Whether or not you’re on a place on Earth that will see it at sunrise (Canada and northeast U.S), as a “ring of fire” (Canada, Greenland and Siberia) or high in the sky as a small eclipse (Europe), nowhere will all of the Sun be blocked by the Moon. That makes this “annular” (ring-shaped) and partial solar eclipse potentially dangerous. You can get excellent advice on how to safely watch a partial solar eclipse from Sky & Telescope and from an online guide and video on how to safely view the eclipse from the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), the Society for Popular Astronomy (SPA) and the British Astronomical Association (BAA). Here’s the official warning from the RAS: Although annular and partial eclipses of the Sun are spectacular events, they should NOT be viewed with the unaided eye. Even though a large part of the solar disc will be covered, looking at the partially eclipsed Sun without appropriate protection can cause serious and permanent damage to the eyes. PROMOTED So here are 7 ways to safely observe this week’s solar eclipse: People watch a partial solar eclipse from the roof deck at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge on August 21, ... [+] 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. While New York City isn't in the path of today's total solar eclipse, thousands of residents and tourists alike participated in the excitement by using special glasses to view the unique occurrence when nearly 72 percent of the sun is covered by the moon during the partial eclipse. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) With one very specific exception (see below) the only way to safely observe this eclipse while directly observing it is through solar eclipse safety glasses. They must be ISO-certified. If you have some leftover from 2017’s “Great American Eclipse” then do a brief check that they’re not damaged or have any tiny holes in (if they do, don’t use them—even dropping them on a lawn can spike them). You’ve lost your solar eclipse glasses and there’s no time to get new ones. What to do? Don’t use sunglasses. EVER. One answer is to make a pinhole camera, which will allow you to follow the progress of the Moon across the Sun safely without having to directly observe it. Here’s how NASA says you should make a pinhole camera … but the image of the Sun is pretty small. There is another way. Photo of images of the solar eclipse on 8/21/17 projected by a colander. The solar eclipse is at ... [+] 80% and show up as little crescents. This one’s my favourite. Instead of making holes you use something with small, well-defined holes already—like a kitchen colander. It will project shadows onto the floor, or on to a wall, which when close to the peak of the eclipse where you are should resemble “crescent Suns.” You can even see them on walls, floors and even on the sides of vehicles: A total solar eclipse creates crescent shadows on car, Monmouth, Oregon, August 21, 2017 (Photos by ... [+] David Hume Kennerly/GettyImages) For a larger projection you can use optical equipment you might have in your home to make a Sun projector. You’ll need a pair of binoculars, and some patience to line it up (and adjust it as the eclipse progresses—after all, the Sun and Moon will move a lot during the few hours of the eclipse). A sturdy tripod will help. Just don’t ever be tempted to look at the Sun through the binoculars. A projected image of a partial eclipse. You should never look at a partially eclipsed Sun through optical devices such as binoculars or telescopes. Remember when you were a kid using a magnifying glass to burn grass using sunlight? Yeah, THAT. The only exception is if you put professional solar filters or solar film from the brands like Thousands Oaks and Baader over the objective lenses. Just be sure that you don’t put solar filters on the eyepieces, and do not wear a pair of solar eclipse glasses while looking through any optical device. You should never view the Sun with the naked eye … with one very specific exception. If you are going to watch the sunrise—as with any sunrise, regardless of an eclipse taking place—it can briefly be safe to take brief glances with your naked eyes, but ONLY when it’s on the horizon and looking very orange. “While the Sun near the horizon may be bright, the spectral content of its radiation has relatively little short-wavelength light and thus the risk of retinal injury is much lower,” said Dr. Ralph Chou, Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science at Ontario, Canada, and an world-renowned expert on eclipse eye safety. “Once the Sun is more than a fist-width above the horizon … it greatly increases the risk for photochemical retinal injury.” There is a caveat; on a perfectly clear, haze-free day even a rising Sun can be too bright to look at. So you’re going to have to use your judgement on the day, not mine. Think about the clarity of the sky, and think about the color of the Sun. It’s must be orange. If it’s above the horizon and turning yellow, forget it. If you don’t trust your own judgement, then forget it. Err on the side of caution. A partial solar eclipse as seen during sunrise in the coastal town of Gumaca, Quezon province, ... [+] southeast of Manila on May 21, 2012. Thousands turned their eyes to the sky on both sides of the Pacific to gaze excitedly as a partial eclipse occluded the sun at dawn in Asia and at dusk in the western United States. An annular eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun, but is too far from the Earth to block it out completely, leaving a "ring of fire" visible. AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE (Photo credit should read TED ALJIBE/AFP/GettyImages) This, of course, is the completely safe—though rather dull—option. Strictly for those who are in parts of the world where the eclipse is not observable—or if you’re struck by clouds just at the wrong time—there are plenty of places to stream the eclipse. Try TimeAndDate.com and CosmoSapiens. Disclaimer: I am the Editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com and the author of several eclipse travel guides. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes. I'm an experienced science, technology and travel journalist and stargazer writing about exploring the night sky, solar and lunar eclipses, moon-gazing, astro-travel, astronomy and space exploration. I'm... Read More I'm an experienced science, technology and travel journalist and stargazer writing about exploring the night sky, solar and lunar eclipses, moon-gazing, astro-travel, astronomy and space exploration. I'm
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New wonders in nature
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2016 Scottish Open (snooker)
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The 2016 Coral Scottish Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament that began on 12 December and ended on 18 December 2016 at the Commonwealth Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. It was the eleventh ranking event of the 2016/2017 season. [1]
The Scottish Open returned as a full-ranking event, being held as part of a new Home Nations Series introduced in the 2016/2017 season with the existing Welsh Open and new English Open and Northern Ireland Open tournaments. [2][3] The winner of the Scottish Open is awarded the Stephen Hendry Trophy which is named in honour of Scottish seven-time World Champion Stephen Hendry. Ding Junhui was the defending champion but he decided not to compete this year. Marco Fu captured his third ranking title by beating John Higgins 9–4, having trailed 1–4. [4]
The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:[5]
The "rolling 147 prize" for a maximum break stands at £5,000. [6]
[citation needed]
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Sports Competition
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Childhood kidney cancers continue to be diagnosed at later stages in the UK and Ireland
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Children with kidney cancers continue to be diagnosed with larger and more advanced tumors in the UK and Ireland than in other Western European countries, according to research presented at the NCRI Festival.
As a result, a leading childhood cancer expert has called for all staff providing primary healthcare for children in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) to be trained in pediatric medicine so that diseases such as kidney cancer can be detected earlier.
Mrs Reem Al-Saadi, a senior translational research manager at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK, presented findings from the first study to look systematically at how children are diagnosed with kidney cancer in the UK.
Reporting on 603 out of 712 children registered with kidney cancer between 2012 and 2018 from 20 treatment centers in the UK and Ireland (about 90% of all children diagnosed with kidney cancer in these countries), she said that 86% had Wilms tumor (the most common type of kidney cancer in children) and 14% had non-Wilms kidney tumors. Computerised tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans that create detailed images of the inside of the body were reviewed centrally as part of the investigations to ensure consistency of diagnosis.
"We found that spread of the kidney cancer to the lungs was detected in 24% of children; this was definite in 18% and detected only by the CT scan in 6%, which means the nodules were so small that there is uncertainty about whether they are cancerous or not," she said.
"The majority of children were only diagnosed once they had started to show symptoms: 77% had symptoms specific to tumors at diagnosis, such as abdominal mass, abdominal pain or blood in urine; 16% had non-specific symptoms; 5% were diagnosed as a result of genetic screening and 2% as a result of a child health check. This means that only a few cancers are being picked up incidentally before symptoms start to show."
The average (median) size of tumors was 547ml in volume, with one quarter being larger than 901ml.
The tumor volumes we saw are not significantly different to those from an analysis of children diagnosed in 2002-2011 when tumor volumes were shown to be larger than those found at diagnosis in Germany. The median volume then was 572ml in the UK compared to 382ml in Germany."
Mrs Reem Al-Saadi, senior translational research manager at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK
The findings come from the IMPORT study (Improving Populations Outcome of Renal Tumours of childhood), which has since been expanded to include international research groups and has become the UMBRELLA study. With the exception of work in Germany, it is the only initiative in the world to collect standardized data on the route to diagnosis for a child with kidney cancer.
Kathy Pritchard-Jones, Professor of Paediatric Oncology at Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, is chief investigator of the IMPORT and UMBRELLA studies. Speaking before the NCRI Festival, she said: "We only have very early comparative data for about 1,000 cases diagnosed from 2019 onwards, but this early analysis from the UMBRELLA study found that 75% of children in the UK and Ireland are diagnosed with tumor-related symptoms, which is higher than in most other European countries. This confirms similar findings from an international trial conducted between 2001 and 2011."
She continued: "We know that in European countries where children have smaller tumors at diagnosis, the primary care provision is done by trained pediatricians working in the community. They may be more likely to examine a child all over when they come in with vague symptoms and, therefore, are more likely to pick up that something isn't quite right in the abdomen.
"Efforts are required to achieve earlier diagnosis of kidney cancers in children in order to improve survival rates in the UK and Ireland. We believe that frontline primary healthcare for children should be provided by staff trained in children's medicine. The problem of late diagnosis for kidney cancer is part of a wider problem of late diagnosis of serious diseases in childhood in the UK that has been highlighted by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health."
The findings reported today include two years of follow-up of the children after 2018. During this time 78 (13%) relapsed and 44 (7%) died.
Prof Pritchard-Jones said: "Treatments haven't changed in the past decade, and we expect the UMBRELLA study to show overall survival rates to remain similar at just over 90%. The study will enable us to make international comparisons to see how the UK is performing in terms of early diagnosis and treatment for children with abdominal tumors, and it will help us to monitor improvements."
Childhood kidney cancer is a rare disease. Wilms tumor is diagnosed in about 87 children each year in the UK. Treatment is one of the success stories in childhood cancer in recent years, with more than 90% of children surviving. However, there are some sub-groups that have a poor outcome, suffering recurrences of their cancer and, in some cases, dying. Early diagnosis before cancer has started to spread, combined with improved treatments, could help improve outcomes in these children.
Prof Pritchard-Jones and colleagues are investigating ways to personalize treatment to each child based on biological signals that could be used to identify the intensity of treatment needed. They are also testing the use of artificial intelligence to assess the nodules seen in CT scans for their likelihood of being cancer that has spread (metastasized) from the primary tumor.
Richard Neal, member of the NCRI Screening, Prevention and Early Diagnosis (SPED) Group and Professor of Primary Care at the University of Exeter, UK, who was not involved with the research, said: "It's disappointing to see that there has been very little progress in the past 20 years in diagnosing this disease at an earlier stage, when the tumors are smaller and easier to treat successfully. This works also demonstrates the difficulty in picking up these tumors at an early stage. There may be additional challenges in diagnosis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with fewer patients, including children, being seen face to face and having physical examinations. We urgently need work to explore what interventions might work to improve the situation."
National Cancer Research Institute
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Posted in: Child Health News | Medical Research News | Medical Condition News
Tags: Abdominal Pain, Artificial Intelligence, Blood, Cancer, Child Health, Children, CT, Genetic, Healthcare, Imaging, Kidney, Kidney Cancer, Lungs, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Medicine, Oncology, Paediatrics, Pain, Pandemic, Primary Care, Rare Disease, Research, Tomography
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Famous Person - Sick
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Cowden rail crash
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The Cowden rail crash occurred on 15 October 1994, around 400 yards (365 m) southeast of Cowden Station in the English county of Kent. There was a head-on collision between two trains in heavy fog after a northbound train passed a signal at danger without authority and entered a single line section. The 08:00 Up Uckfield-Oxted DMU train, 2E27 consisting of Class 205 three-car units 205018 and 205001 crewed by driver Brian Barton and guard Jonathan Brett-Andrews. Brett-Andrews had ambitions to become a driver and was in the driver's cab at the time of the collision; this was in breach of the operating rules. It is thought that his presence may have contributed to the accident and there were even suspicions that he might have been at the controls; he had been reprimanded twice before for driving trains[1] when he should not have. 2E27 departed from Ashurst at about 08:25 and entered a single-track section of line at danger, which ran from Ashurst to Hever station, the signal was meant to be held at danger for 2E27 to await the passage of a Down train. This Down train was the 08:04 Down Oxted-Uckfield DMU train 2E24, consisting of Class 205 three-car units 205029 and 205032, crewed by driver David Rees and guard R. Boyd. It had just departed Cowden station, already located within the single-line section between Ashurst and Hever, and because of a lack of communication with the train crews, the Oxted signalman was unable to prevent the collision which occurred at around 08:27. In the ensuing collision, the lead car of 2E27 was telescoped by the lead car of 2E24. Both drivers, Barton and Rees, along with guard Brett-Andrews and two passengers, Raymond and Maura Pointer, were killed, the cabs so badly damaged that it was impossible to determine who had been driving 2E27 at the time of impact. There were several other contributory factors; it was conjectured that the AWS may have been inoperative (though the official report considers this unlikely), the signal was dirty and the light intensity was low, and there were no trap points to prevent a train wrongly entering a section against the signal. However the official report blamed the driver of the northbound train, Brian Barton. It was noted that the Oxted signalman, who was aware of the situation, had no direct means of alerting either driver. He attempted to contact the driver of the down train on the signal post telephone, but to no avail (presumably the driver never heard it above the noise of the engine immediately behind him). The signalman did alert the emergency services to the collision while the trains were still one mile apart. The reason for cancelling the contract to fit Cab Secure Radio to this line prior to the incident, as mandated in the wake of the previous Clapham disaster and Hidden report recommendations, remains unclear; however it seems likely that the changes occurring at the time, such as the channel tunnel and privatisation of the rail network, took priority over funding. Radio began to be installed across the railway immediately following the incident, and an inquiry was started. The accident was exacerbated by the age and design of the multiple units involved. The separate-chassis construction of the elderly British Rail Class 205 stock, based on the BR Mk1 design, led to overriding of one carriage by the next. The weight of the diesel engines above the frames of the coach probably did not help. These trains, unpopular with users of the line because of their age, were replaced in 2004 by Turbostars. The Wealden Line Campaign, which lobbies for service improvements and extensions to the Uckfield line, had previously predicted in its newsletter Missing Link and via the local press that the line's rationalisation - the reduction to single line sections - could lead to such an event. They continue to campaign for the re-doubling of the route and its development within their BML2 project. A plaque on the station buildings at Cowden commemorates the accident.
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Train collisions
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France steps up dual education as EU announces Erasmus for the unemployed
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The IRS has given 169 million payments in the third round of direct stimulus aid. In this aid, more than 2 million people will be receiving the $1,400 checks in the month of July. But some officials are still pushing for the fourth round of stimulus aid. This fourth round would help in getting payments until the pandemic ends. As of now, due to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus, the federal has paid out $3,200 to all the adults who were eligible, $1,200 to people for Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act. $600 will be provided in a December relief measure; and $1,400 under the American Rescue Plan Despite that, millions of Americans are facing unemployment, and the spread of the Delta variant is creating new economic problems. Almost one-quarter of Americans have been struggling to pay their household expenses, according to new Census survey data for the last two weeks of August. The unemployment rate is still at 5.2% and is higher than the pre-pandemic level of 3.5%. Economists have reported over the spread of the Delta variant, has been grown to 5.9% from 6.4%. At the same time, 9.1 million people lost their jobs, when the federal benefits ended. That means about $5 billion in weekly benefits that had been given to unemployed workers aid that had helped those workers in paying for groceries, rent, and other important things. Meanwhile, few states are creating their own form of checks. About two-thirds of California residents are eligible for the check. That checks will give $600 for residents with lower or middle income who have filed their 2020 tax returns. Texas Doctor Who Provided Abortion In Violation Of New Texas Law Says I Have A Duty Of Care The letter from the U.S. senators did not make it clear how much amount will be provided, but a separate effort from Democratic lawmakers in January pushed for $2,000 monthly checks until the pandemic ends. Instead, the American Rescue Plan helps the people by providing $1,400 for each eligible adult and dependent. Eligible families will receive $1,800 in December, and the amount will be given out in equal installments over the six months from July through December. The aid is done because of the expanded CTC, which is part of President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Families who are eligible will receive $300 per month for each child under 6 and $250 for children between 6 to 17 years old. Families might also get more relaxation of a tax break in the coming years if Mr. Biden’s American Families Plan is taken ahead. Under that plan, the Child Tax Credit’s expansion would last till 2025, giving families an additional four years of bigger tax breaks for children. As of now, people who have received their stimulus payments said they’re using most of the funds to pay down debt or invest the money in savings, according to a report by the Federal Bank of New York. That indicates that people are using their funds to pay down the debt they incurred during the pandemic and kept it as an emergency fund in case of another shock. Almost 7 in 10 Americans who have received, a third payment said it’s important for them to control their finances. About 8 in 10 people in March 2020, when the pandemic was at its peak unemployment, but overall the share of people who need extra financial support remains elevated more than a year later. $100 Donald Million Trump Tower Loan Placed On Bank Watchlist Over Vacancies: Just In The News About 1 in 3 people said the stimulus aid will help them for less than one month, according to the survey. Millions of Americans were eased out of hardship due to the three rounds of stimulus payments. But when the stimulus failed, in the last fall when Congress was deadlocked on another round of aid. Unemployment increased a lot during the month of November and December, according to Census data from the University of Michigan. Many people never applied for unemployment benefits that came along with stimulus check 4th as they were not aware if they were eligible, while others might have given up due to long waits and other issues. If u going to give seniors don’t forget senors being claimed on families income tax. We need it too our meds and bills continue to go up People who are on medicate are stuggling with costs of electric and gas opayments and groceries Well while leople wait and llay along with keeling peoples constant up and down yo yoing msgs just contradict our minds on when will this stop… Noone likes a tease’ in any shape or form… Duh??? What r u saying? Seems like youre stuck on ifs’. If they r gonna do whats right ? I know keeping everone mixed up they do thT well…. Flip a coin thats fair isnt it??? Senior citizens need help also – another stimulus check would help us survive Amen not only young adults with dependents should be what child tax credit is for the grandparents are who or other family members to help and work middle class always hit hard with higher taxes while helping our kids and grandkids going further in debt but not offered any BIDEN HELP ONLY PAYMENT OF HIGHER TAXES STUDENT LOAN DEBTS STACKING UP BC PRIVATE OWNED COMPANIES DIDN’T GIVE A PENNY DROP COUNTY I LIVE IN COST OF LIVING IS 30-50% higher than wages always has been and is getting worse GRAYSON COUNTY TEXAS IS A POVERTY COUNTY AND THE MIDDLE CLASS ARE SUFFERING LIKE HELL AND GET NO HELP UNLESS YOU STILL HAVE A FREAKIN DEPENDENT I AM A SENIOR PARALEGAL with a college degree still having $20k student loan debt bc here minimum wage at a freaking gas station with benefits is more than what some make with a career self employed or business owner AND AFTER over 25 years I personally am considering walking away it has become so bad!!! IT STARTS TO BURN YOU OUT THE STRESS ALONE THEN SICKNESS NO HEALTH COVERAGE BC WE HAVE NO YOUNG KIDS SHOULD WE RUN AND ADOPT??? No but when will the government wake the hell up We definitely need a 4th stimulus check. And for the child tax to go threw 2025 If u stop.these stimulates check to these lazy people that dont want to work and pay more more to the people who is working and need more money these lazy people laying on the couch will have to go get a job ,stop paying these lazy people that are to lazy to get a job ,this is bull crap , The stimulus haven’t helped much bc the price of meat have went up so high and lots of other foods we need to live has also . It’s the seniors that are hurting now. Those of us that are on social security needs help to. If we get it will get it stop worrying about it God’s Got Us We need help the kids is died people are died the hospital is full my husband owns his own business he is a Moving we are having a hard time because people is not Moving because of they don’t have the money we need help please! ?????? Why doesn’t the politicians try helping the people on Social Security for a change. They think that the .02% raise or anything lower is sufficient for seniors and the disabled to live on. That raise only averaged out to $15.00/month which gets eaten up by the new increase of Medicare payments due each month, so people on Social Security end up with squat as usual. Back around 1963-64 the Democrats under Johnson were the 1st to borrow funds from the Social Security fund & since then it’s been a habit but they never paid the money back into the fund, that’s one reason amongst a few more why Social Security is running out of money. I am a disabled person in my early 60’s , that is having financial problems due to the inflation of gas and food prices . I think that we seniors and disabled people should get extra help like you are doing for the families you are helping now . Just because we are unable to work like normal people should be doing , doesn’t mean that we should be left out of money to help us out ! I think I am speaking for all elderly and disabled people in this United States of America . No they do not deserve a check, our disabled and seniors need. Shame on everyone who has not helped us. Will Indiana get this? Nothing for the aged as usual who are really suffering. Here in Michigan I had to wait 14 weeks then my old claim ran out tried to do a new claim and then I had to wait another 8 weeks so here to come to find out I had to prove my identity well listen nothing has changed same thing same place same address same everything and I have to prove who I am that’s fine but will it just me and my wife and helping out our kids as best we could I don’t ever want to have to deal with something like that again that was the hardest winter I’ve ever ever had to go through and then let’s get on to this $362 a week really the only reason they don’t raise it in Michigan and another important thing they took six weeks away from us which was wrong lot of us workers depend on that unemployment for the winter cuz some of us are seasonal and then oops made a mistake try to fix it try to get it fixed nope they took the money Michigan screwed me out of 4 weeks and that includes my extra $300 so where did that money go I know where the money went to all them jackasses and Lansing What about the.elderly or disabled that are trying to keep their homes and handle the rising food cost. Social Security pay barely enough take ends meet. The USA is in a real crap hole. No one cares about the low or poor class of people. Only money for the rich and that to me is anyone over $30,000. My social security is no where near that. I get less then $1,000 a month and have to live with my daughter or I would be homeless. There are people who have not received there stimulus check yet..I have three disabled children and I still don’t have mine ‼️ now they saying my ss#was used some where across seas ..I’m from Columbus Ohio.. really !!! It’s so many people not received there money..they only care about people who work …but they have money .. I am a 77 year old and I live off of my Social Security and a small SSI check I get to figuring and my social security is going to go up $4 and my SSI goes up 7 so I get a total of $11 how the hell is that going to help me it cost me more than that to go to the grocery store I have worked all my life and you got people out here having more kids just so they can get that damn stimulus check and you got people who have been offered jobs they won’t take it because they get more from their unemployment then they do for working then you have people collecting money from the government for having kid they sit back and put out kids just to get money from the government these people make more money than someone who’s worked all their damn life that is crazy and it’s not right I have been out of work because of the pandemic I have been back and forth with unemployment about my payments every two weeks I call for my weekly benefits I would get payments for a little while like for a month. Then all of a sudden stop I would call and call sometimes I was call and it would always be busy and trying to keep calling all day. I am a busy mother of 3 kids this has been very hard telling my kids they have to where a mask so they don’t get sick or I have to tell them they can’t play with there friends. And only that but very hard Financially That’s my only income and not even what to pay my bills and almost getting my electric and water shut off and trying to explain to them on why I’m not getting money from unemployment and sometimes they don’t want to hear it. Now since March I haven’t got any of the extra pandemic money from unemployment I haven’t gotten unemployment money since july of this year even before the payment in July that was back payment from May and June so I’ve been with no money and behind my bills have been behind I mean I get it that they have a lot of people that are calling but but now they have me under review and I’m not getting any money still and it’s now going into October and they still owe me from july up to now September 27 2021 and no pandemic money at all have left messages they gave me ticket numbers they have not call me back I get a letter stating that I have to go on the career link to go on for the job search and I do that and I still don’t get no money and I get no answer nothing not a single word still And I keep very close track on date weeks that I don’t get paid so that way say that I owe them mo money. NO Americans are having n extreme hardship. Why give OUR money to others. I’m ,66 worked my whole life The answer is NO. Everyone wants to come to American for a free ride. I believe our govt. Should stop it NOW. Thank you Seniors are not getting stimulus now nor health care workers but people with kids are because parents are lazy and I know for a fact not looking for a job I think maybe you should consider single mothers or single fathers out there that are struggling themselves some have medical conditions to where they cannot work as I do and I have three children not getting child support not getting any money coming in money taken from us and we’re scrimping and screaming taken in metal and other things just to have money to pay our house payment not including our bills so I mean that’s very discriminative what you’re saying you’re not considering what single families are going through just because you see it as they were not working because we don’t want to work or we’re not looking for a job maybe some of us have medical conditions to where we can’t work so I think maybe you should give a little slack right there and quit being so discriminated against people I’m not saying this to be mean to you I don’t know you you don’t know me so let’s not pass judgment to each other thank you! My name is Melinda Symons I’m grateful for the assistance we received over the years with the stimulus help but I feel it’s very discriminatory at this moment but if I don’t have a children I’m single I’m getting no help and I barely make it just above the poverty level for my annual income and it’s just me I’ve been here my entire life born in the United States worked all my life do not understand why the average single American struggling cannot get any kind of stimulus assistance I am also a healthcare worker which I do not understand why healthcare workers also do not get an extra stimulus but if you’re a teacher work in the food industry and etc. you do and it is not fair there’s many people that Are essential workers and had to be out there and work through the first round and we’re face-to-face with these people sick I wish somebody would please explain the reason behind that thank you In regards to Food Stamps not only the stimulus program helping people out being single and barely making it paycheck to paycheck and Food Stamps were a blessing to me and many people and there was to be an increase and I have gotten a major decrease and I don’t even make near what the limit is listed as I wish I had some answers and could understand there are people that have children that make three figures receiving a stimulus check for themselves and their children I’m by myself amongst and many people I know without children struggling and born in the United States worked all my life paying taxes and I’m getting nothing in return I’m sorry but that’s how I feel please pass this on somebody read it i’m not the only one in this position.The papers I received regarding Maya and with my income and my snap benefits and from the state says there are non-discriminatory people they do not discriminate I feel I’m being discriminated as a white American born here working paying taxes barely getting bye to me that’s discriminatory I can’t even have Food Stamps somethings wrong Why don’t people on SSD or SSA get a stimulus check they have just as much problems paying their bills as those with young children they live in a fixed income but the cost of living goes up but their checks remain the same to me it not seem fare please think about that when it your parents standing in the food line or getting their water or lights turned off cuz they been playing the game of which ever one I pull out of the hat gets paid and justhopefor the rest of the things they need Help me with the Bills and food for the family Americans are having a rough time and if it ever gets gets money too and they don’t live in this country how can Americans live cuz I need some rent money they need money who are their children when I can’t take what is right anything’s right if you do it by God’s word food to help those that are in need no matter where they come from you said whatever you do on your mission is my brother you done it unto me tell Reed to buy when you find out what you can do to help the immigrants have a nice day and God bless you Don’t have the money right now Mr.President, people who are receiving SSI/SSDI,have waited and waited for extra help and ALL YOU have to do is sign the stimulus so we will not have to choose between buying groceries or buying our meds!!!! When wr recieve the monthly check, it will not buy grocery, gas,and medicine you KNOW how the cost of living has went sky high. There is a NEED for us and it dosent need to be months from now!!! You need to just sign the paper, I know you probably haven’t ever had to do with out, but we need to pay electricity grocery, medical needs!!!! Or make those business’ LOWER THE COST OF LIVING ALOT!!! It’s on you!!!! What about help now for the seniors; they seem to be a lost group for the stimulus package?? I just live on Social Security and does not cover much when budgeting! Yes, families with children come first; our children need to be healthy. Then I think us seniors! I so appreciate what I have received so far; I am very grateful for any amount! It’s a damn shame that slot of other ppl get help. We on Social security get left out in the cold, it’s just unfair we surely could use another stimulus check, everything has shot sky rocket and yes we have to go without on a lot meds, food and other bills . I am thankful for all the state and government has done for us. However, it really hurt our finances, home and bills as the WV Workforce suddenly took our unemployment as we are medically unable to work, social security took my son’s check even though I was not able to move to get there for evaluation, no child support so as you can see my family is selling personal and sentimental items, metal scraping just to pay our house payment not including bills in termination. I also have a lot of anger in turn for what they are doing now, I can’t provide for my children and my dog just became ill with no way to help him. Please pray for our family as it looks as we will loose everything we worked for in just a year buying our first home, money spent, sweat, blood and tears literally we put into it. I just hope something good would happen.
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Financial Crisis
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Highway 44 crash sends four to the hospital, causes no serious injuries
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A car crash on Highway 44, near Island Road, sent four people to the hospital Thursday, after a vehicle failed to stop for a school bus. A car crash on Highway 44 — near Island Road — sent four people to the hospital Thursday, after a vehicle failed to stop for a school bus, according to town of Ripon Police Capt. Howard Stibb. Around 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Stibb says a school bus stopped near Island Road to pick up students, a semi stopped behind the bus and another car stopped behind the semi. A fourth vehicle did not stop and rear-ended the car that was stopped behind the semi, Stibb noted. He said neither the school bus, nor the semi were involved in the accident. Initial police scanner reports said a semi had been involved, but once first responders arrived, they discovered it was not part of the accident, Stibb said. The car that was hit had three female passengers from Ripon, who were transported to the hospital, he noted. The driver of the vehicle that hit the car was not local and declined to be transported to the hospital by ambulance, but had a friend take him instead, according to Stibb. He added that there were no serious injuries and the four individuals were evaluated for "possible injuries." “It could have been a lot worse,” the town of Ripon police captain said, noting there were no children on the school bus at the time of the accident. “The bus had just stopped to pick up the kids.” Stibb said the driver who caused the accident wasn’t distracted, but also “wasn’t paying close enough attention.” He believes the accident serves as a reminder that drivers should always focus on the road and watch out for school buses, especially before and after the school day. “It's important that you look farther down the road to see what's going on, rather than just the front of your car. There's always something that's going to be going on,” Stibb said. “You've got to stay attentive, especially at that time in the morning, and in the afternoon because you're going to have buses either picking kids up or dropping them back off at home.”
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Road Crash
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A locust fighting force assembled by countries in East Africa to combat an invasion of the crop-devouring pest
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Nairobi/New York/Rome, 19 January 2021 - A locust fighting force assembled by countries in East Africa to combat an invasion of the crop-devouring pest is at risk of seeing its activities grind to a halt as funding to sustain its operations dries up, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned today. Without additional financing for fuel, airtime, and pilot hours, the 28 anti-locust aircraft which are now patrolling the skies to spot and spray locust swarms could cease operations in March, the Organization told partners at a virtual briefing event today. "The locust fighting machine that has been assembled in East Africa is now fully equipped and able to contain, suppress and we believe, eventually end this record-breaking upsurge," said FAO Deputy Director-General Laurent Thomas. "Governments have built up capacity in record-time. Swarms have been massively reduced in number and in size. It would be tragic to throw these achievements away just as the nations of East Africa are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel," Thomas said, adding: "There is a real possibility they could bring this upsurge to an end this year, but they need to be able to continue doing what they are doing, without faltering." Some $33.8 million in additional funding will be needed to allow that to happen through June, FAO informed humanitarian partners at today's briefing, urging them to help East Africa and Yemen get through the last mile of their desert locust marathon. A quantum leap in readiness When the first wave of locusts first exploded across East Africa in early January 2020, fuelled by heavy rains dumped by an abnormally late season cyclone, many countries had little or no capacity to monitor movements of the pest or mount control activities at scale. Indeed, most had not seen a locust incursion of such magnitude in over 50 years. Now, one year on, with FAO support they have succeeded in fielding a locust fighting force in the air and on the ground that involves 28 airplanes and helicopters, 260 ground units, and some 3,000 newly trained spotters and control operators. Over 6,000 hours of air sorties have been flown to spot and spray infestations of the pest. New innovations such as the eLocust3 digital tools, satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, and trajectory models have been harnessed to report locusts in real-time and deliver maps of infestations, breeding areas, and migration routes. More than 1.5 million hectares of land have been treated in East Africa and Yemen since the start of the campaign in January 2020. FAO estimates these efforts helped avoid crop and dairy losses worth an estimated at $1.2 billion, safeguarding the livelihoods of 28 million people. 2021 is not 2020 all over again While the locusts remain a threat, East Africa is starting off 2021 on a much better footing. The upsurge that started last January has been sustained by consistently favourable weather conditions ever since, causing a cascade of reproduction that saw an unusually large population of the pest disperse and persist across the region, notwithstanding the successful large-scale control operations that were scaled up to meet the threat. And in recent months, heavy rains and another late-season cyclone sparked a new round of breeding, causing more swarms to form. As a result, Kenya and southern Ethiopia are currently being re-invaded, after having beat back the first incursion last year. Even the United Republic of Tanzania recently witnessed a swarm in the northeast. But despite this renewed activity, the situation today is not at all the same as it was 12 months ago, thanks to generous donor support, according to FAO. For one, the countries of the region are now prepared, equipped, and ready. Secondly, the numbers of Desert Locusts are much reduced, with fewer swarms of decreased density and size. For instance, one mega-swarm detected last year in Kenya covered 240 000 hectares of land, an area the size of Luxembourg. Today, however, control teams are treating smaller swarms of 100-1 000 hectares or so at a time. "The last time Africa saw an upsurge of locusts approaching this scale, in the Sahel, it took two years and more than $500 million to bring under control. This upsurge was even bigger, but East Africa is poised to end it -- provided governments can keep those aircraft flying," said FAO's Thomas.
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Insect Disaster
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J.T. Burnette sentenced to 3 years in prison for role in City Hall corruption
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Tallahassee businessman J.T. Burnette was sentenced to 3 years in prison on Tuesday for his role in corruption at Tallahassee City Hall. Sentencing was previously scheduled for Oct. 28, 2021, after Burnette was found guilty of extortion, honest services mail fraud, Travel Act and lying to the FBI. Five character witnesses spoke at the sentencing hearing, including Burnette himself and his wife Kim Rivers. He is due to begin his prison sentence on Jan. 9, 2022, and has a year of supervised release once he gets out as well. Burnette was also ordered to pay a $1,250,000 fine and $20,000 in restitution. The defense has until Nov. 23 to appeal. BACKGROUND: Corruption at city hall, it's the scandal the FBI released on February 5 of 2018. Recent Stories from wtxl.com That's when Scott Maddox, who was serving as a Tallahassee City Commissioner and Paige Carter-Smith, who was serving as the Downtown Improvement Authority Director, was named in search warrant affidavits. Those documents say through a consulting company named Governance, they were paid to vote in favor of various groups lobbying to move into Tallahassee. Maddox called the claims untrue a week later. In December of that year, federal prosecutors found enough to charge him with 44 counts including bribery, extortion, bank fraud, and racketeering. Just one day later, Former Governor Rick Scott suspended Maddox. Carter Smith stepped down from her role as well. Not done with the players at hand, prosecutors indicted Tallahassee businessman J.T. Burnette on May 9, 2019. In August of that year, Maddox and Carter Smith entered guilty pleas. The plea agreement only dealt with three charges: two for extortion and one for tax fraud. Thirty-nine of the charges were dropped because of that plea deal. That same day, the US Attorney's Office launched a new statewide division made up of the US Attorney's Office, FBI agents, the IRS, and the Department of Justice to crack down on any form of corruption in government. Scott Maddox was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment, followed by 1-year supervised release. In addition, Maddox was ordered to pay restitution to the IRS of $76,763.00, and forfeiture of $70,000 jointly and severally with codefendant(s). Paige Carter-Smith was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, followed by 1-year supervised release. In addition, Carter-Smith was ordered to pay restitution to the IRS of $115,619, and forfeiture of $70,000 jointly and severally with codefendant(s).
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Release
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Pharmaceutical giant Mundipharma hit with hefty fine over misleading opioid drug information
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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 pharma giant has been slapped with a hefty fine for misleading doctors about its opioid pain relief products.
Mundipharma has been fined $302,400 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for a series of ads it distributed to doctors and other health professionals.
The regulator issued the company with 24 infringement notices over claims relating to nine types of its oxycodone-based drug Targin.
Targin is a slow-release oxycodone medicine that is blended with a second drug called naloxone to relieve some of the constipation that comes with taking an opioid. Earlier this year, the ABC reported concerns Mundipharma was falsely advertising the purported benefits of their products to general practitioners.
Pain specialist Simon Holliday said in order to promote their drugs, the company had been misrepresenting the position of two major doctors' groups on how to prescribe medicines to those with chronic pain.
Experts now believe opioids should be avoided when treating chronic pain and there is emerging evidence that, in some cases, the medicines may actually make patients more sensitive to the pain. The TGA agreed with concerns that the company was falsely advertising, finding that its marketing to GPs was "misleading, imbalanced and otherwise inaccurate".
A condition of having TGA registration for medicines is that companies abide by an industry code of conduct that is written by Medicines Australia. Art Van Zee's medical centre has become an unlikely rallying point for a class action against OxyContin's manufacturer.
The TGA found Mundipharma's promotional material did not accurately reflect the medical guidelines from the Faculty of Pain Medicine that it had quoted in an attempt to encourage the prescription of its medicine Targin. "The TGA considers that opioids should not be represented as a core component of the management of chronic non-cancer pain, and the decision to prescribe opioids should be approached with significant caution," it said in a statement. The fines are part of a push by the regulator to crack down on opioid misuse in Australia.
This has included strong restrictions around the sale of codeine products so that they are no longer available over the counter. In a statement, the regulator said prescription opioids were now responsible for more deaths and poisonings in Australian than their illegal counterpart, heroin. "Every day in Australia, nearly 150 hospitalisations and 14 emergency department admissions involve opioid harm, and three people die from drug-induced deaths involving opioid use," the statement said.
"The TGA is currently implementing a suite of reforms in the area, including the significant tightening of the 'indications' (the appropriate circumstance for use) to restrict the use of opioids in chronic non-cancer pain."
States including Victoria and Tasmania also now have real-time prescribing at pharmacies to crack down on doctor shopping, but a national scheme is yet to be enacted.
When Heather Fotiades died, 26 years after a car accident that left her needing multiple surgeries, more than 50 boxes of prescription medication were found in her bedroom. Now, her father wants action to combat the opioid curse.
Mundipharma is the Australian arm of Purdue Pharma, the United States company behind Oxycontin, which is facing multi-million-dollar legal challenges because of allegedly deceptive marketing practices.
Those practices have been blamed for contributing to the opioid crisis in that country.
Dr Holliday, who raised the Targin issue with regulators, said the fines would amount to little more than a slap on the wrist for the multi-national.
"I think this will come out of their petty cash tin," he said. "Now, they've actually been pinged for misleading and aggressive advertising, hopefully, this will lead the TGA to reflect on how commercial influences can corrupt excellent health care.
"Companies are not interested in patient outcomes, they're interested in profits."
Dr Holiday said the only solution was to better fund independent medical education services like the National Prescribing Service. "All pharmaceutical companies are day-to-day sailing close to the wind. They will push the envelope to get maximum bang for their buck," he said.
In a statement, a spokesman for Mundipharma said the breaches related to a single sentence quoted in several pieces of marketing material that related to different dosages for the same drug.
"Mundipharma respectfully disagrees with the TGA's assessment of the statement but respects the important role of the TGA in regulating the pharmaceutical industry along with Medicines Australia," he said.
"Mundipharma's intent was to proactively and voluntarily urge caution when healthcare professionals chose to prescribe an opioid and to clarify that this should only be considered in specific circumstances and as part of an overall treatment program."
The spokesman said the statement was no longer in use, "but we will continue to caution healthcare professionals on best practice in the prescription of opioids".
"Mundipharma will continue to strengthen its robust processes to ensure strict compliance with the promotional requirements of the Code and the TGA legislation," he said.
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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Yarımburgaz train disaster
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The Yarımburgaz train disaster was a head-on collision of two trains that occurred near Yarımburgaz, Küçükçekmece, west of Istanbul in Turkey on October 20, 1957. With 95 dead and 150 wounded people, it is the worst train accident so far in the country. [1][2]
At 22:45 hours local time on October 20, 1957, two passenger trains collided head-on on the single railway line at 35 km (22 mi) west of İstanbul Sirkeci Terminal between the railway stations Yarımburgaz and Ispartakule. The east-bound motor train with the train number 3, composed of three diesel multiple unit (DMU) cars, departed from Edirne railway station at 16:00 hours local time heading for Istanbul. The west-bound train, the Simplon-Orient Express with train number 8, left Istanbul Sirkeci Terminal at 21:50 hours local time heading for Paris, France. It was composed of ten cars consisting of sleeper cars, couchette cars and saloon cars, and was pulled by a 2-8-0 steam locomotive, number 45501 of TCDD 45171 Class. [1]
The signalman at Yarimburgaz railway station, Baki İnözü, cabled the movement of the west-bound train number 8 to the signaller at Ispartakule railway station, Cahit Fırat. As Fırat received the message, he knew immediately that both trains were in the same occupied block section, and a head-on collision would be inevitable, because he had just allowed the east-bound motor train to pass. Both signalmen hastily informed authorized officials around by phone about a possible collision, and requested sending of rescue teams to the railway line position at 34–35 km (21–22 mi). [1]
The collision occurred at 35 km (22 mi) on the railway line from Istanbul Sirkeci Terminal, and caused the motor train wrecked almost completely. The cars meshed and bent accordion-like, and overturned. The express train suffered damage only in the front part of its first car. The crash was heard by a guard of the munition depot in the nearby 213th Infantry Regiment. [1]
All the deaths and injuries were among the crew and passengers of the motor train. The passengers of the express train sustained relatively less harm. 95 people including five crew members of the motor train were killed and 150 passengers were injured. [1]
The operation management at Sirkeci Terminal ordered a rescue train to the accident scene as soon as they received the information about the accident. Fire engines were deployed from nearby Bakırköy Fire Department for fire risk on the spot. The fireman of the steam locomotive prevented a possible fire by removing the ember from the accident scene. The governor of Istanbul Fahrettin Kerim Gökay, Istanbul Chief of Police Hayrettin Nakipoğlu, Bakırköy District Prosecutor and Sirkeci Terminal Operations Deputy Director arrived at the crash scene right after the midnight to administer the rescue efforts. The prosecutor and the commander of the local gendarmerie started with investigation works. Both signalmen were arrested and sent to Bakırköy Court, charged for the main responsible persons of the accident. [1]
Military units from around were ordered to take part in the rescue efforts. The smashed train wreckage had to be cut apart by oxy-fuel welding in order to recover the bodies of the dead and injured. The corpses were lined up beside the railway to enable their identification by the relatives. People with severe and less severe injuries were picked up and transported to the next Halkalı railway station by a train, which was specially sent to the accident scene at 23:30 hours local time. They were then advanced in ambulances to ten different major hospitals within Istanbul. 50 passengers, who received outpatient treatment, were released soon. The day after the accident, the newspapers published the names of the dead and injured. Some of the severely injured people died later in hospital. [1]
Following the completion of the works for wreckage removal, the railway line was re-opened to traffic at 20:00 hours local time the next day. [1]
An inspector of the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) prepared an accident investigation expertise for the court, in which the following failures were outlined:
On March 26, 1959, the First Criminal Court in Istanbul found the signalmen Cahit Fırat 60% and Baki İnözü 40% of guilty, and sentenced them to three years and two-and-half-years in prison respectively. In addition, they were punished to fines of 2,250 ₺ and 2,000 ₺ respectively. The court ruled further that the TCDD pay compensation to the injured and relatives of the dead. [1]
The steam locomotive number 45501, which was involved in the deadliest train accident in Turkey, is exhibited at the outdoor Çamlık Railway Museum in Çamlık village of Selçuk district, Izmir Province. [1]
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Train collisions
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Egypt unveils 3000-year old coffins in latest archaeological discovery
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CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt has unveiled a significant new archaeological discovery at the Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo, including 54 wooden coffins, many of which can be traced back 3000 years to the New Kingdom period. The funerary temple of Queen Neit was also discovered near the pyramid of her husband, King Teti of Egypt’s 6th dynasty which dates back 4200 years, said famed archaeologist Zahi Hawass, who headed the archaeological mission. The coffins, or sarcophagi, include the first dating back to the New Kingdom to be found at Saqqara, a UNESCO world heritage site that is home to the Step Pyramid, the tourism and antiquities ministry said in a statement. Carved in human form and painted in bright colours, many of them are still intact. Ancient games, statues, and masks were also found. “All these discoveries will rewrite the history of Saqqara and the New Kingdom,” said Hawass. Officials are keen to show off newly discovered artefacts as they try to revive visitor numbers after the tourism industry received a painful blow during the coronavirus pandemic. The number of tourists visiting the country dropped to 3.5 million last year from 13.1 million in 2019.
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New archeological discoveries
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WHO setting up hub to make COVID-19 vaccines in South Africa
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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 a 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. South Africa to write to CAF, FIFA seeking replay of Ghana World Cup qualifier Ghana beats South Africa to qualify for African World Cup playoffs War that pushed Boers to trek from S Africa to Eldoret De Klerk’s lessons on selfless leadership and quest for peace 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. Government sets aside Ksh 7 billion for vaccines to acquire two different types of Covid-19 vaccines W.H.O recommends use of first antiretroviral vaginal ring as additional HIV prevention choice One on one with Sun-El a South African DJ who is a multi-award winning producer | Celebrity Chat
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Organization Established
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The scary real science behind Snow White’s poison apple
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A strange fact is like something out of a fairy tale. Apples hold a powerful place in folklore and religion — from Eden’s forbidden fruit to Johnny Appleseed’s benevolent bounty to Snow White’s ill-fated bite of a poison apple. Yet despite all the mythology surrounding apples, Islamiyat Bolarinwa, a senior lecturer of food science at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Nigeria, tells Inverse there are still grains of truth wrapped up in these tall tales — especially when it comes to the toxicity of apple seeds. While these seeds won’t grow an apple tree in your stomach (as your chiding older sibling may have told you) they aren’t exactly harmless either. And if you’re not careful, an overzealous apple habit may just put you in the hospital, Bolarinwa warns.
Like many natural materials, apple seeds are primarily made of fiber and hold inside them the recipe for sprouting new apple trees, Bolarinway explains. However, they also hold a poisonous secret.
“Apple seeds are not safe for consumption because they contain a component called cyanogenic glycosides,” she says. “Apple seeds contain a specific cyanogenic glycoside called amygdalin.” Hidden deep inside the cells of the apple seed, this compound can be broken down by the body's enzymes and transformed into a form of poison called cyanide. In its other forms, cyanide can be used as a chemical weapon (e.g. hydrogen cyanide) or can be inhaled near fires or metal polishing.
“While cyanogenic glycosides are harmful to human beings, it acts like a soldier — a natural protector — for plants from external forces,” Bolarinwa adds.
Although these seeds contain cyanide (only about 0.5 - 3.5 milligrams of toxin per 1 kilogram of body weight), that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll poison you, Bolarinwa explains. First of all, apple seeds have to be crushed up pretty thoroughly to actually release amygdalin into the gut. If you’re just casually chomping through an apple core, there’s a possibility you might swallow the seeds whole (which would be harmless) instead of crunching them up.
But even if you do end up mashing up some apple seeds with your molars, Bolarinwa says that the risk of cyanide poisoning is proportional to the eater’s weight. For example, an adult weighing 60 kilograms (or about 132 pounds) would need to eat 25 apples — seeds and all — to experience any poisonous effects.
A child on the other hand who might weigh only 25 kilograms (or about 55 pounds) would be more susceptible to cyanide poisoning and could become ill after only 10 whole apples. Smaller animals, like dogs or goats, are also extra susceptible to cyanide poisoning if they were to eat apples fallen from a tree or get into the groceries. But before you ban apples from your grocery list, Bolarinwa says that the risk of ever reaching this level of toxicity is pretty remote. After all, when’s the last time you sat down to eat 25 apples at once? Meanwhile, in a 2015 paper published in Food Chemistry, Bolarinwa found that processed forms of apples (e.g. apple juice) are safe to consume — even if a few seeds do slip in.
“These seeds are not totally removed [during processing,]” Bolarinwa says. “Some of the seeds get disintegrated and then they come out with the juice... However, the dosage is very very low.” That said, what would happen if you did one day consume that many apples? Bolarinwa says there are some key signs to look out for with cyanide poisoning that would likely occur within hours of consuming your 25th apple (stomachache aside.)
These symptoms include:
If detected early, Bolarinwa says cyanide poisoning can be treated in a hospital with something like activated charcoal (which, when used medically, can draw out toxins) or a cyanide “antidote” which involves both inhaling and having an IV of a chemical cocktail.
In some extreme or untreated cases, though, Bolarinwa says cyanide poisoning from apple seeds could lead to death.
Part of what keeps the risk of apple seed poisoning low is that apples are not usually a staple food in the human diet, Bolarinwa says. We don’t eat apples like we consume rice or potatoes. Similarly, apricots or peaches (which also carry this poisonous compound in their pits) are often eaten more sparingly.
This is the opposite story when it comes to cyanide poisoning from cassava in Nigeria, says Bolarinwa. This starchy, root vegetable can be ground into flour, stir-fried, put in soups, or eaten as a mash. It also contains a compound similar to amygdalin that can create cyanide in the body. This staple vegetable is poisonous only when eaten raw but it can take as little as two cassavas to be poisonous. Cassava is also a popular food in parts of Asia as well, including India and China.
The big takeaway: Consumers shouldn’t stop eating these fruits in vegetables, but they should be mindful of how much they are eating. Meanwhile, Bolarinwa says, increased care processing this food (and even alternative methods, like fermentation) can help decrease its poisonous risk.
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Mass Poisoning
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'Super Flower Blood Moon': Re-watch this morning's total lunar eclipse
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The next total lunar eclipse is in May 2022. In case you missed Wednesday morning's total lunar eclipse, you can re-watch it now from cameras around the world. Author: Douglas Jones, Andrew Weil Published: 4:48 PM CDT May 25, 2021 Updated: 9:15 AM CDT May 26, 2021 WASHINGTON — There was quite a spectacle in the sky early Wednesday morning as a total lunar eclipse combined with a super "blood" moon. The cosmic show on May 26 also happened to feature the closest supermoon of the year. But depending on where you live, you may not have been able to see all the action in-person. The super "blood" moon total lunar eclipse was only visible from the western half of North America, the bottom of South America and eastern Asia, according to NASA . However, the partial eclipse was visible in the eastern United States and Canada just before the moon set Wednesday morning. And while the total lunar eclipse only lasted about 15 minutes as Earth passes directly between the moon and the sun, the entire eclipse went about five hours from beginning to end. But even if you don't live in a spot where you could see the eclipse, a number of observatories and organizations around the world captured live video of the celestial show. What time is the lunar eclipse 2021? According to NASA's Scientific Visualization studio, the moon reached the outer edge of Earth's shadow (called the penumbra) at 1:47 a.m. PDT and the partial eclipse began at 2:45 a.m. PDT. The total eclipse went from 4:11 a.m. PDT to 4:26 a.m. PDT. The rest of the eclipse action wrapped up with a partial eclipse ending at 5:53 a.m. PDT and the moon left the penumbra completely at 6:51 a.m. PDT. Unfortunately for those hoping to catch a glimpse of the total lunar eclipse from the eastern half of North America, the moon had set before totality began. As Space.com points out , while a full moon is always exciting, this full moon will be slightly larger than average, and the red coloring will appear temporarily, so it's important to know where and when to view it. Colorado's view of the lunar eclipse Super blood moon and lunar eclipse over Houston Lunar eclipse over Chile The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles streamed their view of the eclipse and super "blood" moon starting around 4:45 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 26. A little further east in Flagstaff, Arizona, the Lowell Observatory live streamed their view of the eclipse and blood red moon at about 5:30 a.m. EDT. The Virtual Telescope Project partnered with several photographers to capture remarkable sights of the eclipse for a live stream that began at 6 a.m. Eastern. Time and Date, which features live broadcasts from eclipses worldwide, kicked off its coverage at 5 a.m. Eastern. Can you look at a lunar eclipse? Unlike a solar eclipse, it is safe to look right at a lunar eclipse . So no need to make any specialty glasses this time around! How long with the total eclipse and the "Super Flower Blood Moon" last? The total lunar eclipse is expected to last about 15 minutes, so it's going to be quick. The entire spectacle with both phenomena combining will last about five hours though, as the Earth's shadow slowly creeps over the moon, and then starts to ebb. Where will be the best place to watch the super blood red moon? According to NASA, Hawaii was one of the best places on Earth to watch the event. California, and those in the Pacific Northwest also had a chance at a a great view. Those in New Zealand and Australia also got a very good seat to the show, according to Noah Petro, project scientist for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. In one week, a full Moon near its closest point to Earth in its orbit will cross into Earth's shadow. That makes a super lunar eclipse, or if you will, a super blood Moon!
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New wonders in nature
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Aldwych bus bombing
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The Aldwych bus bombing occurred on 18 February 1996 when an improvised explosive device being carried by Irish republican Edward O'Brien detonated prematurely on a number 171 bus in Aldwych, in the West End of London. [1][2] The 2 kg (4 lb) Semtex bomb detonated as he sat near the door of the bus. The bomb killed O'Brien instantly and injured people both inside and outside the bus, including the driver who became permanently deaf. The victims were brought to St Thomas's Hospital and University College Hospital. Three of them were in two cars in front of the bus at the time. The blast could be heard from 5 miles away. Police said they received no warning about the bomb. The incident also forced the closure of Charing Cross railway station. [3]
The bus bombing came just nine days after the Docklands bombing in east London, which marked the end of the IRA's ceasefire and the resumption of its armed campaign in England. [4][5] On 16 February, an IRA bomb planted in a telephone box on Charing Cross Road, near Leicester Square tube station, was destroyed by a police remote controlled robot after a telephone warning. [6]
It was initially reported by some media that three people were killed, but it then became clear that only one, the perpetrator, had died. [7]
A subsequent police search of the London address of Edward O'Brien, a Provisional IRA volunteer, discovered 15 kg (30 lb) of Semtex, 20 timers, 4 detonators and ammunition for a 9 mm Walther revolver, along with an incendiary device. The Walther pistol was discovered on him after his death. [8] The police said they were also almost certain that O'Brien was the person who planted the telephone box bomb three days before the bus bombing. [9]
Another Irishman, Brendan Woolhead, who was in the area at the time of the explosion and suffered a fractured skull, was briefly suspected and accused of involvement. His name was cleared and he subsequently won around £200,000 in damages for libel. Woolhead died in October 1996 due to drug detoxification treatment for addiction to heroin. [10]
The destroyed bus was a Leyland Titan double-decker bus - fleet number T990, registration WLT 990, originally registered as A990 SYE in 1984[11] - operated by London Central and travelling its route from Catford to Holborn. The bus had travelled across Waterloo Bridge and just passed Somerset House and the Strand intersection when the explosion happened. In February 2021, in Dáil Éireann, the Tánaiste criticised Sinn Féin for organising a commemoration for O'Brien. The commemoration was organised by Wexford Sinn Féin councillor Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin, and was cancelled on 19 February 2021, "at the request of the family, due to significant online abuse targeting the family". [12][13]
Category
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Road Crash
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Teenager killed by fumes from faulty heater in holiday cottage
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A teenager died at a holiday cottage after being poisoned by carbon monoxide from a faulty heater in the bathroom.
Thomas Hill, 18, was on holiday with his girlfriend and her family at the house in Angus when he was killed by gas from the appliance.
The student at Stirling University died after the incident at Glenmark Cottage, by Edzell, in October 2015 and was pronounced dead en route to Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.
The cottage is owned by Burghill Farms which, at the time of Mr Hill’s death, was run by the Earl and Countess of Dalhousie with their son Simon Ramsay, Lord Ramsay. The partnership is now run by Lord Ramsay and trades as Dalhousie Estates.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, Burghill Farms and 76-year-old Piers Le Cheminant, who was sub-leasing the building, pled guilty to breaches of gas safety and health and safety regulations. Members of Mr Hill’s family and Lord Ramsay were present in court.
The court was told how the four gas cabinet heaters fitted throughout the cottage should never have been installed, due to the small sizes of the rooms. Ten days before the teenager died, a family staying at the same cottage encountered problems with the bathroom heater making “putt-putt” noises and causing a woman’s eyes to sting.
Le Cheminant instructed a gas engineer to replace the gas bottle and found no issues. However, the engineer was not qualified to undertake work on the heaters.
Fiscal depute Gavin Callaghan said: “On October 28, 2015, Mr Hill went to take a bath during the afternoon. Around an hour later, his girlfriend went to check that he was OK.
“The bathroom door was locked and receiving no response, entry to the room was ultimately forced, whereupon Mr Hill was found sitting, resting against the door.
“There was a smell of gas emanating from the gas heater in the room, which was noted to be making a buzzing sound. This was turned off and CPR was commenced.
“Extensive efforts were made to resuscitate Mr Hill by various persons, including his girlfriend’s family, estate workers and ambulance personnel.”
A post-mortem examination confirmed Mr Hill, a first-year student and animal rescue worker, had died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Burghill Farms sub-let the cottage to Le Cheminant and the four gas heaters were already within the property.
Callaghan added: “The bathroom heater was tested at the Health and Safety laboratory at Buxton and was found, at five minutes of testing there, to emit a loud roaring sound and to emit significant levels of carbon monoxide.”
Burghill Farms, a partnership having place of business at Dalhousie Estates, Brechin, pled guilty to failing to ensure that gas cabinet heaters were maintained in a safe condition so to prevent risk of injury to holiday residents, between March 1, 2008 and October 28, 2015.
The partnership admitted the heaters were within the cottage without a suitable and sufficient system of maintenance and that they were of an insufficient size, whereby persons were exposed to risk of injury or death as a result of exposure to carbon monoxide.
Le Cheminant, of Dorset, admitted a similar charge while acting as a self-employed person and operating a holiday let and place of work by failing to maintain safe conditions so as to prevent risk of injury. Sheriff Gillian Wade QC deferred sentence until October 28.
She said: “May I extend the court’s sympathies and my own personal sympathies and condolences to the members of Mr Hill’s family and wider family.”
After yesterday’s court hearing, Lord Ramsay issued a statement, saying: “We offer our deepest condolences to Thomas Hill’s family and friends for their tragic loss and hope that today’s proceedings and the fatal accident inquiry will give them some comfort.
“As the owner of the property, Burghill Farms believed matters regarding safety were being attended to, with a gas engineer attending to maintenance at the property.
“It became evident during the complex investigation into this case that what was required of us went beyond that and we have admitted to our share of responsibility in court today.”
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Mass Poisoning
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Cargolux Flight 7933 crash
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Cargolux Flight 7933 was a cargo flight which was involved in a serious incident on 21 January 2010 in which it landed on a vehicle that was on an active runway. The vehicle suffered major damage while the aircraft had damage to a tire. Three investigations were launched into the incident. The cause was found to be errors by Air Traffic Control. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 747-4R7F (SCD) LX-OCV, c/n 29731,[1] line number 1222. The aircraft first flew on 25 June 1999 and was delivered to Cargolux on 13 July 1999. [2]
Flight 7933 departed Hong Kong International Airport on 20 January 2010 bound for Luxembourg Findel Airport via Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Baku, Azerbaijan and Barcelona–El Prat Airport,
Barcelona, Spain. On the final leg, there were two crew and one passenger on board. [3] On arrival at Luxembourg the aircraft was cleared to land on Findel Airport's runway 24. [4] The weather at the time was foggy, with visibility reduced to 330 feet (100 m) and a runway visual range of 1,150 feet (350 m). [1] At 12:53 local time (11:53 UTC), one of the aircraft's tires
came into contact with the roof of a van which was on the runway while maintenance of the runway lighting was performed. The driver of the van was shocked as a result of the collision. The van was severely damaged, with the roof pushed in and a lighting bar destroyed. A tyre on the aircraft was also damaged. [4]
On 9 February 2010, disciplinary action was started against the controllers on duty at the time the incident occurred. The need for the van to be on the runway at a time of low visibility is also being investigated. [4]
Luxembourg's Ministry of transport stated that three investigations into the incident had been launched. It did not state whether the van had permission to be on the active runway or not. [4] The investigations are being carried out by Luxembourg's Administration Des Enquêtes Techniques, Directorate of Civil Aviation and Administration of Air Navigation (AET). [5] A preliminary report revealed that the van had been given permission to be on the active runway. The clearance had been issued before Flight 7933 started its approach. Flight 7933 also had permission to land on the runway that the van was on. Representatives from the NTSB and the Association Luxembourgeoise des Pilotes de Ligne assisted the AET in their investigation. [3][4] The event was initially classed by the AET as an accident but was downgraded to a serious incident as the damage to the aircraft involved was not structural. [3]
The AETs final report into the incident was released on 10 December 2012. The report revealed that the cause of the incident was errors by Air Traffic Control (ATC). The van had been instructed to vacate the runway but ATC had failed to confirm that the instruction had been received and executed before giving the aircraft permission to land. The van and aircraft were using different radio frequencies and therefore each was unaware of the other. A failure to use standard radio phraseology was found to have been a contributory factor in the incident. The van had been seen by the crew just before they landed but it was assessed that a collision would still have occurred had a go-around been initiated. Twelve recommendations were made in the AETs final report. These included the installation of equipment that was capable of recording ATC communications with at least the previous 24 hours recordings being retained. [3]
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Air crash
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San Mateo college district announces new round of federal funds for student assistance, including debt relief
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The San Mateo County Community College District will use more than half of the $23 million it is receiving in a third round of federal pandemic relief funding toward student financial aid and debt relief. The district’s three colleges – Cañada College, College of San Mateo and Skyline College – have collectively been allocated $23,248,192 from the recent third round of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), authorized in American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Of those funds, nearly $12 million will go directly to student aid and more than $700,000 to student debt relief, the college district said. “Direct aid to students will range from $1,250 – $1,625 for non-Pell-eligible students (non-need based) to $2,000 – $2,750 for Pell-eligible (need based) students, depending on the number of academic units in which each eligible student is enrolled,” the district said. The district said it will also “relieve $678,000 in outstanding student debt incurred as a result of the pandemic for a total of 3,719 students between the summer 2020 and summer 2021 academic terms.” The average per student debt is $182 and relieving it will enable students to register for classes for future semesters without any holds on their records, the district said. “We are proud that, for the third time, we are allocating more than the minimum required by the federal COVID-19 relief funds program, to directly support students.” SMCCCD Chancellor Michael Claire said in a statement. “This round of federal funding allows us to put much-needed financial resources directly in the hands of students and also clear them of unintended debts at our colleges that have occurred during this extraordinary time.”
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Financial Aid
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2020–2021 Bulgarian protests
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The 2020–2021 Bulgarian protests were a series of demonstrations that were being held in Bulgaria, mainly in the capital Sofia, as well as cities with a large Bulgarian diaspora, such as Brussels,[17] Paris,[17] Madrid,[17] Barcelona,[17] Berlin[17] and London. [17] The protest movement was the culmination of long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and state capture, particularly associated with prime minister Boyko Borisov's governments, in power since 2009. Spontaneous demonstrations were triggered by the 9 July 2020 raid on the Presidency of Bulgaria by police and prosecutors in what was perceived as an attack against President Rumen Radev, a vocal critic of Borisov's rule. [18]
Borisov has refused to resign, insisting that the "mafia wants to overthrow him" and that "no alternatives" to his rule have been presented. [19] His ministers, deputies and parliamentary allies have labelled protesters "scum",[20] "apes"[21] and a "herd" which must be "put back in its place". [22]
The protests ended on 16 April 2021, as the 4-year term of Borisov's cabinet has ended, and the formal resignation of the 3rd Borisov government has been accepted by the new parliament. [23]
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and his populist GERB party have been in power since 2009, with a one-year interruption in 2013, when his government lost power following similar protests. Borisov's cabinets have seen persistent corruption in all branches of government; a 2017 assessment of the United States Department of State described the presence of selective justice and a lack of judicial independence. The report stated that Bulgarian government officials were engaging in bribery, procurement violations and embezzlement with impunity. [24] Bulgaria has consistently ranked as the most corrupt European Union member in the Corruption Perceptions Index, and has remained last in 2019, ranking 74th globally. [25] As a result of corruption and oligarchic rule, Foreign direct investment collapsed from 28% of GDP in 2008 to a largely remittance-based 2% of GDP in 2018. [26][27]
Corruption has been described as "endemic", especially in large infrastructure and energy projects, and within public procurement with taxpayer and EU funds. [28] A report by the Centre for the Study of Democracy, a Bulgarian think-tank, found that local businesses perceive at least 35% of public tender contracts to involve corruption. [29] Many of the public tender contracts are awarded to a handful of large companies amid widespread irregularities, procedure violations and tailor-made award criteria. [30] Furthermore, infrastructure projects are often poorly made on purpose in order to extract continuing maintenance contracts for the companies involved. [31] In an infamous case, a poorly renovated road led to a bus crash near Svoge in 2018, resulting in 20 deaths. [32][33][34] In 2019 alone, the Borisov government signed public procurement deals worth 16.4 billion leva ($9.93 billion) largely for infrastructural projects, more than three times the government budget for the nation's "collapsing" healthcare system. [35][36]
In the 2018-2020 period, Borisov and his ministers have also been involved in a series of corruption scandals: guesthouses built with EU funds have been used as private villas for government officials; millions in agricultural subsidies have been diverted to livestock existing only on paper; and Borisov himself was implicated in a possible money laundering scheme investigated by police in Catalonia. [31][37][38]
This has been complemented by a steep decline in media freedom. Bulgaria dropped from 59th[39] to 111th globally in the Press Freedom Index between 2008 and 2019, the lowest score of any EU member or candidate state; Reporters Without Borders reported worsening harassment of journalists and continuing government control over the media through financial means, including EU funding. The organisation expressed particular concern over the Borisov government's candidate for Chief Prosecutor, Ivan Geshev, who had made scathing remarks about media which were "not to his liking". [40][41] Geshev also opposed the concept of separation of powers, calling it "a far-right idea". [42] Former US ambassador to Bulgaria, James Pardew, said in 2019 that a "political environment with little government or criminal accountability and no serious opposition to challenge the current government" is in place in Bulgaria. Pardew further named Delyan Peevski as a "media kingpin" with a virtual monopoly on private media in Bulgaria, controlling as much as 80% of the local market. [43]
Following the defeat of GERB's candidate for president in the 2016 Bulgarian presidential election, Bulgarian Air Force general Rumen Radev was elected to the mostly ceremonial post of President of Bulgaria. [44] Radev, an independent, was nonetheless backed by the Bulgarian Socialist Party – Bulgaria's largest opposition party. Radev frequently criticised the prime minister over what he alleged was corruption, mismanagement and authoritarianism inherent in Borisov's rule. Consequently, Radev frequently vetoed legislative proposals by GERB and vocally opposed Borisov's government. [45][46][47][48][49] In turn, Borisov accused Radev of sabotaging the government's work, dividing the nation and compromising his independence in favour of the opposition. Bulgaria's parliamentarist constitution holds the Prime Minister responsible to the National Assembly instead of the President and allows for the parliament to overrule presidential vetoes via a simple majority. As such, Borisov was able to maintain power in the country despite the president's objections and criticisms, as the latter lacked any legal mechanism to sack or seriously obstruct the government. [50][51]
This inter-institutional conflict[52] escalated significantly in late 2019, as the President attempted to block the appointment of Ivan Geshev to the post of Chief Prosecutor. Radev cited Geshev's nomination by the Supreme Judicial Council, a procedure where Geshev was the sole candidate. [53] However, the Supreme Judicial Council constitutionally forced President to accept Geshev as Chief Prosecutor,[54][55][56] which Radev reluctantly did after noting that further refusals could amount to a violation of the constitution. [57] The newly appointed Chief Prosecutor released what he described as wiretaps of the president shortly thereafter, which allegedly implicated him in criminal activities. [58][59] Radev, who was at this point criticising Borisov over the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country,[60][61] strongly rejected the allegations and accused the Prime Minister of having the nation's security service illegally spy on him and fabricate evidence. [62]
Shortly before the start of the protests, photographs emerged that purported to show what appeared to be Prime Minister Borisov laying half-naked on a bed, next to a nightstand featuring a handgun and stacks of 500 euro banknotes. Borisov confirmed that the room in which the photos were taken was his, but denied the gun and money, stating that the images could have been manipulated. Borisov accused President Radev of flying a consumer drone into his residence in order to take the picture. He also accused former Ombudswoman Maya Manolova, TV star Slavi Trifonov and his own former second in command Tsvetan Tsvetanov (who had just left and condemned the ruling party) of involvement in a plot to take photos of him while he was sleeping, in a "KGB-Style" kompromat operation. Radev condemned the leaks and called it an "insane" invasion of the prime minister's privacy. He added that he owns a drone, but that the accusation that he personally piloted it into the prime minister's residence to take pictures was part of Borisov's "fantasy and paranoia". [63][64][65][66]
Around that time controversial voice recordings were leaked on the Internet. The voice in the recordings, which strongly resembles the voice of the Prime Minister Borisov, insults fellow GERB member and chairman of the National Assembly Tsveta Karayancheva and European leaders. [67][68][69] On 24 July, socialist MEP Elena Yoncheva stated that American experts had allegedly proven the authenticity of the recording. EU Parliament head David Sassoli stated that Yoncheva had pledged to provide the findings to Belgian police. [70]
One of the events that provoked a strong public reaction was an action of activists of Yes, Bulgaria!, broadcast live on social media. The activists, led by Hristo Ivanov, reached a coastal beach in front of the residence of Bulgarian oligarch Ahmed Dogan, located near the port of Rosenets in Burgas by boat. Their purpose was to check whether the regime of exclusive state ownership of the surrounding beach is actually observed and whether as such it is accessible to Bulgarian citizens. There they were intercepted by security guards, which pushed them out, insisted that the beach was privately owned and called the police, which assisted them.
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Taiwan Sees Record Jump in Jobless as Covid Batters Services
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Rashida Tlaib and AOC are rolling out a plan to help create public banks across the country. A public option, but for banking. That’s what Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are proposing in a new bill unveiled on Friday. The Public Banking Act, first shared with Vox, wouldn’t create those options by itself, but would foster the creation of public banks across the country by providing them a pathway to getting started, establishing an infrastructure for liquidity and credit facilities for them via the Federal Reserve, and setting up federal guidelines for them to be regulated. Essentially, it would make it easier for public banks to exist, and it would give some of them grant money to get started. While it sounds a little wonky, the basic idea is to make it possible for state and local governments, local businesses, and people to do business with public banks, which theoretically would be more motivated to do public good and invest in their communities than private institutions, which are out for profit. One public bank exists in North Dakota, and there is a growing movement to create more of them across the country. California recently passed a law allowing cities and counties to create and sponsor public banks. “Economic stability is really, truly tied in with access to this type of banking,” Tlaib said in an interview with Vox. “It’s to try to create stable neighborhoods and communities.” The proposal lands in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has shed light on many inefficiencies in the American system, including banking. Take the Paycheck Protection Program, for example: It used the regular banking system as an intermediary, which ultimately meant that bigger businesses and those with preexisting relationships with those banks were prioritized over others. Some smaller businesses missed out, with many owners saying they were denied loans for even a few thousand dollars. The discrepancy hit Black-owned businesses particularly hard. The intent of the proposal is to try to guarantee a more equitable recovery by providing an alternative to Wall Street banks for state and local governments, businesses, and ordinary people, and by ensuring such banks provide services to historically excluded and marginalized groups. The public banking bill also does double duty as a climate bill: It would prohibit public banks from investing in or doing business with the fossil fuel industry. “Public banks are uniquely able to address the economic inequality and structural racism exacerbated by the banking industry’s discriminatory policies and predatory practices,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement. She said that she also believes public banks could facilitate the use of public resources to construct “a myriad of public goods,” including affordable housing and local renewable energy projects. “Public banks empower states and municipalities to establish new channels of public investment to help solve systemic crises.” Other countries have various forms of public banking in operation and have different regulatory schemes set up for them than commercial banks do, said Rohan Grey, a law professor at Willamette University. But, he said, this proposal is particularly comprehensive and supportive. Getting the bill passed, the regulatory scheme and grant program set up, and public banks chartered and operational in time to actually shape America’s recovery from the pandemic may not be possible on a broad scale, timing-wise. But the bill is a signal of what’s possibly to come. If Democrats keep control of the House come 2021 and manage to flip the Senate and win the White House, they’ll be able to take some big legislative swings, including and perhaps especially on issues related to the economy. It is worth noting that both Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez sit on the powerful House Financial Services Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA). “I look at economic justice and the issues around economy right now, that many of our working families, from farmers to the middle class to front-line essential workers, all of them know that, with the corporate bailouts, at some point it’s just hitting a wall where it doesn’t carry them along and they’re looking for options,” said Tlaib, who represents Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, the third-poorest congressional district in the country. “So I’m putting this on the table as an option.” To be clear, the Public Banking Act isn’t creating a federal public bank. Instead, what it does is encourage and enable the creation of public banks across the US. It provides legitimacy to those who are pushing for more public banking, and it also includes regulators as key stakeholders who can support and provide guidance for how those banks should operate. “It’s not that tomorrow you’re going to see 1,000 of these across the country; it’s still going to be a hill-by-hill, city-by-city battle,” Grey said. There is a spectrum of services public banks would offer; many would be a lot like what commercial banks do, though different public banks would likely have different areas of emphasis. At least at the outset, some banks could serve as depository institutions for state and local governments, meaning those governments would put their money in the local public bank, not JPMorgan. Or they might partner with community banks or other institutions to help boost lending capacity and offer lower debt costs to the businesses and cities they lend to. They could also facilitate easier access to funds for state and local governments from the federal government or Federal Reserve. “It’s basically a way to finance state and local investment that doesn’t go through Wall Street and doesn’t leave the community and turn into a windfall for shareholders,” said Porter McConnell, the campaign director of advocacy group Take On Wall Street. “This is more about community development.” They could engage in retail banking as well. The legislation creates a framework for public banks to interact with postal banking, where the Postal Service serves as a bank, or FedAccounts, where everyone gets an account with the Federal Reserve through which they could receive direct payments from the government, for example, during an economic crisis. “This bill is saying whatever you come up with, there’s a place for that to be recognized and be plugged in at the federal level,” Grey said. Tlaib recalled hearing from her constituents when the $1,200 coronavirus stimulus checks went out this spring — people waiting days and weeks for direct deposits, or getting a check in the mail only to lose a substantial portion of it cashing it at the store down the street. “I’d rather them have access to a bank that’s for them, that’s not focused on for-profit schemes,” she said. The Public Banking Act allows the Federal Reserve to charter and grant membership to public banks and creates a grant program for the Treasury secretary to provide seed money for public banks to be formed, capitalized, and developed. It also instructs the Fed to establish an incubator program for those who want to create a public bank, and it instructs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to establish regulatory schemes around them. One other important element, McConnell explained, is how the legislation would change the FDIC’s reticent approach to public banks. Public banks need the FDIC to provide assurances that it will recognize them in accordance with the bond rating of the city or state they represent. For example, Los Angeles is a large municipality and has typically maintained a strong bond rating. McConnell said the FDIC issuing guidance that it recognizes the city’s — and the state’s — public banks as an AAA rating would send a clear direction to the state financial regulators that the public bank is considered low risk. “The FDIC needs to be convinced not to discriminate against public banks, and they need to be convinced legislatively that they should be given the same facilities, the same rights, as private banks,” she said. The bill would also provide a road map for the FDIC, which insures bank deposits of up to $250,000, to insure deposits for public banks, so people feel assured they won’t lose all their money by choosing to open an account with their state bank instead of, say, Wells Fargo. The legislation has multiple co-sponsors in the House, including Reps. Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), and Ilhan Omar (D-MN). This isn’t a panacea for fixing banking in America, and whether this is the right approach can be debated. The government isn’t always perfect at providing services (see: the unemployment system, or Flint, Michigan). Columbia University law professor Katharina Pistor noted for Worth in 2019 that “the global and historical experience with public banking suggests that, just as in the private sector some public banks will achieve most of their goals most of the time, while others will underperform or even fail.” She also points out that there is a question of whether in the long run, public banks will be able to stay on mission. Aaron Klein, an economic fellow at the Brookings Institution and former Treasury Department aide in the Obama administration, noted in an email to Vox that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has historically been charged with chartering national banks in the US, not the Fed, meaning this is a fairly novel idea. He also noted what he saw as a potentially thorny part of the bill: It prohibits the Fed and Treasury from considering the financial health of an entity that controls or owns a bank in grant-making decisions. “The lack of matching funds for federal grants and the specific prohibition against considering the financial health of the bank owner are also major changes. It has been a bad idea to give money or regulatory forbearance to failing banks,” he said. Still, he commended the message at the heart of the proposal: “The problem that the bill responds to is sound — banking is too expensive for working people.” Tlaib’s office clarified that the goal of the bill is to prevent the Fed and Treasury from discriminating against or rejecting public bank applications because the controlling entity — say a city or a state — has budget problems, not to force them to prop up banks that are failing. It is also worth noting that part of the point of proposal is to reach communities, specifically, that might not have the resources for matching funds, which would act as a barrier to entry. So here is the thing about private companies, including, yes, banks: The point of them is to make money, and that drives their decisions. It’s not necessarily evil (though sometimes it kind of is), but it’s just how they work. For example, many people in America don’t have access to affordable internet because it’s not lucrative for telecom companies to get it to them. The idea behind public banking isn’t that Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and Morgan Stanley go away; it’s that they have to compete with a government-owned entity — and one that’s a little fairer and more ethical in how it does business. “The potential around taking private ownership out of banking, even just a little bit, is huge considering that we are depositors and we deposit $15 trillion in the commercial banking industry, and we get what? Redlined? Ethical violations in Malaysia? Fraud? Coal? Fossil fuels? All of these things that are driving us toward catastrophe,” said Emma Guttman-Slater, director of policy advocacy and field building at the Beneficial State Foundation, a nonprofit focused on making the banking system more equitable. Public banks, as imagined in the Tlaib/Ocasio-Cortez proposal, would provide loans to small businesses and governments with lower interest rates and lower fees. They would potentially be better at avoiding the short-term thinking private institutions tend toward and be more willing to lend to projects with a slightly longer time horizon. “There’s a disinclination to believe you can make money without making money hand over fist,” McConnell said. “A lot of this gets at market failures.” In the US, North Dakota is the only state to have a public bank, which it established more than a century ago. And it works pretty well, as Will Peischel explained for Vox in 2019. The bank — which isn’t FDIC-insured — initially was supposed to protect the state’s farmers, but now it’s good for a lot of people: Student loans are facilitated directly with BND, but other loans, called participation loans, go through a local financial institution — often with BND support. For example, if someone wants to take out a business loan for $20,000 with a local bank, BND would lend half of the money, $10,000, and minimize the risk for that bank. The result: The individual and local bank or credit union are supported by BND through a single transaction. According to a study on public banks, BND had some $2 billion in active participation loans in 2014. BND can grant larger loans at a lower risk, which fosters a healthy financial ecosystem populated by a cluster of small North Dakota banks. The benefits of these loans are kept local, and the banks are protected from risk with BND support. If this bill were to become law, it would open up a lot of doorways in public banking. It would make life a lot easier for those working on forming public banks in California after the state gave the rubber stamp allowing it in late 2019. In New York City, advocates have long been pushing for a public bank that would make equitable investments, foster growth and prosperity in the local community, and be more transparent about where money is going. Beyond the ins and outs of this specific piece of legislation, there is a broader message: Democrats have a lot of ideas, and if they take power come January 2021, there’s a lot they can do. Tlaib, for example, is a proponent of universal basic income and has proposed multiple pieces of related legislation. In response to the pandemic, she and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) proposed the Automatic BOOST to Communities (ABC Act), which would provide a $2,000 payment to every American during the Covid-19 crisis, plus $1,000 monthly payments for a year after the outbreak ends. “I hope we have a serious conversation about the [ABC Act] … that’s important,” Tlaib said. “Right now, people need us to put them first and to have a people’s bailout, and so I hope that we’re looking at reoccurring payments at the beginning of next year. I think there’s going to be a door to having a conversation about it, because right now, there’s a wall around the White House.” The Public Banking Act is meant to complement ideas such as the ABC Act and postal banking. And, of course, it’s linked to the Green New Deal, not only because it would bar public banks from financing things that hurt the environment, but also because the idea is that public banks would play a major role in financing Green New Deal and climate-friendly projects. There’s no guarantee moderates will get on board, but there’s a plethora of ideas for making the American economy and people’s financial lives better. Klein pointed to proposed legislation from Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Reps. Pressley and Garcia proposed in 2019 that would authorize the Fed to build a real-time payments system to get people money safely and fast. How likely some of these proposals are to make it into law is an open question — and much of it hinges on Tuesday’s election. If former Vice President Joe Biden wins the White House and Democrats control both the House and the Senate come 2021, the talk around these ideas becomes a lot more serious.
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Financial Crisis
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Governor, electricity commission chief clash over Coahuila coal mine collapse
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Rescue workers during the last night of the search for bodies at the Micarán mine in Múzquiz, Coahuila, on Thursday.
Governor, electricity commission chief clash over Coahuila coal mine collapse
The state chief executive and CFE head hurled accusations of price rigging, neglect of mine safety
Published on Tuesday, June 15, 2021
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The director of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and the governor of Coahuila have clashed on Twitter over the partial collapse of a coal mine that killed seven miners earlier this month.
CFE chief Manuel Bartlett and Governor Miguel Riquelme blamed each other for the disaster at the Micarán mine in Múzquiz.
Bartlett acknowledged that Riquelme last week apportioned “moral responsibility” to him for the mine collapse, which occurred on June 4 after heavy rain, “for having lowered the price” the CFE pays for coal extracted in Coahuila.
“According to him, that caused the mining entrepreneurs to neglect the maintenance of their mines,” the CFE director wrote.
In another Twitter post, Bartlett asserted that Riquelme should have avoided the disaster by imposing safety measures at the mine through the Labor Ministry.
Governor of Coahuila Miguel Riquelme.
“Therefore, the person responsible for the lack of safety is Governor Miguel Riquelme,” he wrote.
The governor countered that mining — and therefore mine safety — is a federal responsibility rather than a state one.
“Mr. Manuel Bartlett, you should know better than anyone that mining and electricity are the exclusive purview of the federal government; state governments can only intervene on the request of federal authorities,” Riquelme wrote in a Twitter post that included an image of a relevant page of the constitution.
“Your ignorance is a very serious matter, and your shamelessness in allocating these responsibilities to those who don’t have legal authority over this sector is even more serious. #TheLiesOfBartlett,” the Institutional Revolutionary Party governor added.
Riquelme also accused Bartlett of provoking “a serious crisis in the coal mining region of Coahuila” that has left hundreds of families without income.
The CFE chief “has favored a few companies” for the state-owned utility’s coal purchases, he wrote.
Head of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) Manuel Bartlett.
“From Tony Flores’ [companies], for example, the brother of then Morena party candidate now mayor-elect for the municipality of Múzquiz, [Tania Flores] … they’ve benefited from the purchase of more than two million tonnes [of coal] without a tendering process,” Riquelme wrote.
“Who allows and protects the coal monopoly? You or me?” the governor added, referring to a tweet Bartlett posted in which he accused Riquelme of “cynically protecting those who want to monopolize the purchase of coal, to the detriment of small producers.”
“Mr. Manuel Bartlett, as [federal] interior minister, the [vote-counting] system failed,” Riquelme wrote, referring to the 1988 presidential election won by Carlos Salinas amid widespread accusations of electoral fraud.
“As CFE director you invent fires to justify your blackouts . What lies will you come out with tomorrow?”
After a power blackout that affected over 10 million customers last December, the CFE claimed a wildfire in Tamaulipas was responsible and issued a document to support the claim. It later turned that the commission had forged the document, but it insisted nonetheless that the fire actually occurred. Bartlett dismissed the forgery as a minor issue.
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Mine Collapses
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Diligent to Become Largest Global GRC SaaS Company through Galvanize Acquisition
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Diligent’s Acquisition of Galvanize, in Addition to its Planned Acquisition of Steele Compliance, Unites GRC Leaders and Creates Only Modern GRC SaaS Platform that Brings GRC into the Boardroom NEW YORK & VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Diligent Corporation (“Diligent” or the “Company”), the modern governance company with a platform used by nearly 700,000 board directors and leaders, across 19,000 clients, today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Galvanize, a global leader in SaaS governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) software. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Galvanize transaction follows Diligent’s planned acquisition of Steele Compliance Solutions, Inc. (“Steele”) a leader in ethics and compliance SaaS, which the Company signed in February 2021. Both transactions are expected to close in March. With the acquisition of Galvanize, Diligent will become the largest SaaS GRC provider. The combined solution with enrichment from Steele will enable an integrated GRC picture – from Audit, Risk, Information Security, Ethics and Compliance across the organization directly to the CEO, CFO and Board. Customers will benefit from a powerful operating system that enables governance programs organization-wide, backed by trusted concierge level customer support with NPS scores over 50. Galvanize, the only company with comprehensive “Leader” recognition from both Gartner and Forrester analysts, brings the only integrated cloud GRC platform powered by robotic data automation across security, risk management, compliance, and audit software for 6,000 global customers in 130 countries, including more than half of the Fortune 1000 and S&P 500. As a FedRAMP-authorized cloud service provider, Galvanize is trusted by more than 900 government agencies worldwide, including most large agencies in the U.S. federal government, to advance their missions transparently and efficiently. Diligent plans to enhance its modern governance platform with Galvanize’s 11 integrated risk and compliance solutions, bringing new insights to its leading board and leadership application and operational governance solutions. Galvanize’s flagship cloud-based platform – HighBond – aggregates risk and compliance concerns to top-level strategy across the organization, with real-time dashboards of comprehensive business metrics to the C-Suite and Board. “We are on the cusp of a new era. Executives and their boards are navigating incredible challenges and opportunities across all of their stakeholders. More than ever, they need an integrated view of data and information, as well as clear visibility and confidence for decision-making, to effectively maximize performance and mitigate risk,” said Brian Stafford, CEO of Diligent. “Risk and Compliance data traditionally sits in disparate systems across audit, compliance and risk functions and make it difficult and laborious to combine into one view for the CFO, CEO and Board. Together with Galvanize and Steele, we are excited to drive even greater impact for our clients through a completely integrated GRC platform so they can run more effective, equitable, sustainable, and successful organizations.” Laurie Schultz, president & CEO of Galvanize said: “This transaction fast forwards our vision as the operating system of conscious organizations and furthers our mission to make GRC today’s mission-critical enterprise platform. Joining forces with Diligent, the clear market leader in the governance space, represents an immediate, material and meaningful redefinition of the $41 billion GRC market. With Diligent’s presence in thousands of boardrooms across the globe, our combined offering ensures all levels of an organization will have the real-time insight they need to manage risk and optimize performance.” Credit Suisse served as the exclusive financial advisor, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as the legal advisor to Diligent. For Galvanize, Evercore served as the financial advisor, and Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP served as the legal advisor. About Diligent Corporation Diligent powers modern governance, enabling transformational leaders to help their organizations do the right thing. Our governance platform provides new ways for leaders to digitally transform their governance practices, from increasing board and executive effectiveness to proactively managing risk and compliance practices to integrating real-time industry and company data like cyber risk scores and board composition. Diligent empowers leaders and teams to stay connected, informed, and ahead of what’s next so they can run more successful, equitable, and sustainable organizations – and create positive change in the world. Today, nearly 700,000 governance leaders from over 19,000 organizations and 90 countries rely on the Diligent modern governance platform. With more than 1,000 employees globally, serving both public and private sectors, we are helping organizations digitize their governance practices and transform effective governance into a long-term, competitive advantage. Learn more at Diligent.com. About Galvanize Galvanize is the leading provider of award-winning, cloud-based security, risk management, compliance, and audit software for some of the world’s largest organizations. The integrated HighBond platform provides visibility into risk, makes it easy to demonstrate compliance, and helps grow audit, risk, and compliance programs without incurring extra costs. More than 6,000 organizations in 130 countries rely on HighBond to meet their objectives, including over half of the Fortune 1000 and S&P 500 companies, hundreds of banks, manufacturers, healthcare and government organizations. Whether managing threats, assessing risk, measuring controls, monitoring compliance, or expanding assurance coverage, HighBond automates manual tasks, blends organization-wide data, and broadcasts it in easy-to-share dashboards and reports. Learn more at WeGalvanize.com. About Steele Compliance Solutions, Inc. Steele is the global leader in Ethics & Compliance Management. We partner with the world’s largest, most respected companies to deliver compliance products and services that help organizations embrace a culture of compliance while protecting their brand. Learn more at SteeleGlobal.com.
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Organization Merge
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2005 Fukuoka earthquake
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The Fukuoka earthquake struck Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan at 10:53 am JST on March 20, 2005, and lasted for approximately 1 minute. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) measured it as peaking at a magnitude of 7.0 (6.6)[1] and named it and its subsequent aftershocks the Fukuoka Prefecture western offshore earthquakes (福岡県西方沖地震, Fukuoka-ken Seihō Oki Jishin). The quake occurred along a previously unknown fault in the Genkai Sea, North of Fukuoka city, and the residents of Genkai island were forced to evacuate as houses collapsed and landslides occurred in places. Investigations subsequent to the earthquake determined that the new fault was most likely an extension of the known Kego fault that runs through the centre of the city. Fukuoka is not as seismically active as many other parts of Japan, and was known prior to the earthquake as one of Japan's safest locations in terms of natural disasters; the previous earthquake, a magnitude 5, had occurred over a hundred years ago and it had been centuries since the city had experienced a serious earthquake. Fukuoka is located in the northern Kyushu, Japan, and it is in the center of Fukuoka plain. Fukuoka is the most populous and developed prefecture in Kyushu. In geographically, Fukuoka is close to mainland east Asia, and the nearest megacity to Fukuoka is Seoul, South Korea, rather than a domestic Japanese city, and Fukuoka is about as far from Shanghai as Tokyo. As a result, Fukuoka has been the window of east Asian culture flowing into Japan since ancient times, and now there are many direct routes to Korea, mainland China and Taiwan. The strong earthquake occurred at 10:53 am in the Kyushu region, about 70 km west of Shimonoseki city in Yamaguchi prefecture. The depth of the earthquake was extremely shallow, with a presumed Richter scale of 7.0. The Japan meteorological agency said that quake's epicenter was in the sea of Japan, northwest of Fukuoka prefecture, and the epicenter was about 9 kilometers under the sea. As of 6 p.m. local time, the earthquake has caused 381 people injured and one dead. Kyodo news agency, citing Japan's meteorological agency, said it was the strongest earthquake to hit kyushu since May 1997, and the first to exceed magnitude 6 since 1898. Earthquake experts in Japan said it is rare for a strong earthquake to strike the area. A quake measuring about seven on the Richter scale struck three hundred years ago, but no major quake has struck after that. Fukuoka's most famous major fault, the Kego fault, runs northwest to southeast, roughly parallel to Nishitetsu's Ōmuta train line, and was thought to be 22 km long, terminating at Hakata Bay. It is estimated to be able to produce earthquakes as strong as magnitude 7 at the epicenter approximately once every 15,000 years. When a center is located at a depth of 10 km, it would cause an earthquake of a lower-6 magnitude (similar to the March 20, 2005 earthquake) in downtown Fukuoka. The probability of an earthquake along the known length of the Kego fault occurring within 30 years was estimated at 0.4% prior to the March 20, 2005 earthquake, but this probability has been revised upwards since. According to a National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology presentation April 12, 2005 [2], supposing the last Kego earthquake had occurred 13,000 years ago, the probability of major activity within 30 years had been revised to 7%, or it were 7,000 years ago, the probability had been revised to 4%. Suppose that an earthquake had occurred along the Kego fault within the last 2000 years, the risk would be unchanged. An aftershock hit at 6:11 a.m. April 20 on Japan's southern main island of Kyūshū, the Central Meteorological Agency reported. Although considerable time had passed since the first quake, the aftershock was not unexpected. The quake, which swayed buildings and shattered some outer walls, was measured to have magnitude of 5.8. 2 and 56 people were severely and slightly injured and treated at a hospital in Fukuoka due to the quake and there were temporary closures of major highways, railway services and Fukuoka's airport. Following reports that the city has only prepared for earthquakes up to a magnitude of 6.5, the aftershock renewed fears that the quakes might cause the Kego fault to become active again beneath Fukuoka, leading to an earthquake as big as, or bigger than, the March 20 quake. In order to more accurately estimate the risk of ongoing or increased seismic activity, teams from Tokyo University, Kōchi University, Hiroshima University and Ōita University surveyed Hakata Bay to determine how far the Kego fault extends. Preliminary results, announced May 1, 2005 indicated that the fault extends nearly as far as Nokonoshima, 2.5 km out into the bay, though no sign of recent activity along the fault was uncovered. The teams also discovered a new fault in the Higashi-ku portion of Hakata Bay. Later findings indicated that the fault responsible for both the March 20 and April 20 quakes was likely an extension of the Kego fault, making its total length approximately 40 km. After the main shock of the Fukuoka earthquake, several smaller aftershocks happened around the source. By 9 p.m. Tuesday, 85 aftershocks had been recorded. Within a month of the quake, there were four aftershocks with a magnitude of more than 5, including the largest one of M5.8 on April 20. Within half a year the size of aftershocks continued, a total of several thousand times, but the overall trend gradually reduced[2]
During this earthquake, more than half of the 225 residential buildings on the Genkai Island in the western part of Fukuoka city, near the epicenter, suffered serious damage. The island was particularly hard hit because it near to the quake and traditional Japanese homes are less vulnerable to earthquakes than "mansions" that are built by engineers. In Kaido, about 120 homes were destroyed and another 55 damaged partially. Traditional Japanese houses, particularly in the areas of Daimyō and Imaizumi, were the most heavily damaged and many were marked for demolition. Insurance payments for damage were estimated at approximately 15.8 billion yen. In Tianjin, many windows were smashed and concrete cracked. Temples and shrines were also damaged a lot. More than half of the 225 residential buildings on the Genkai Island in the western part of Fukuoka city, near the epicenter, suffered serious damage
According to public broadcaster NHK, local rail services were suspended after the tremors triggered an automatic safety mechanism. The operation of the San'yō Shinkansen between Shin-Yamaguchi and Hakata was temporarily suspended. The cracks appeared on sidewalks in residential areas. Officials reported water and gas breaks and power outages. Telephone service in the southern prefecture was jammed after an automatic safety mechanism was triggered by the tremors. The quake also caused 103 gas leaks. The meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning after the strong earthquake, but lifted it at noon. Landslides occurred around Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki prefectures. Kyushu, which is separated from South Korea by a narrow strait, was felt about 130 miles from the South Korean port city of Busan, where it briefly shook buildings.
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Earthquakes
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Mendocino Complex Fire
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The Mendocino Complex Fire was a large complex of wildfires that burned in northern California for more than three months in 2018. [9] It consisted of two wildfires, the River Fire and Ranch Fire, which burned in Mendocino, Lake, Colusa, and Glenn Counties in the U.S. State of California, with the Ranch Fire being California's single-largest recorded wildfire at the time. The Ranch Fire burned eight miles northeast of Ukiah, and the River Fire burned six miles north of Hopland, to the south of the larger Ranch Fire. First reported on July 27, 2018, both fires burned a combined total of 459,123 acres (1,858 km2), before they were collectively 100% contained on September 18,[1] though hotspots persisted until the complex was fully brought under control on January 4, 2019. [3] The Ranch Fire alone burned 410,203 acres (1,660 km2), making it the largest wildfire in modern California history at the time. [3] The Ranch Fire also surpassed the size of the 315,577-acre Rush Fire, which burned across California and Nevada,[10] as well as the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889, which was previously believed to have been California's all-time largest wildfire. [11][12][a] It was surpassed by the August Complex in September 2020. [13]
The fires collectively destroyed 280 structures while damaging 37 others;[1] causing at least $257 million (2018 USD) in damages, including $56 million in insured property damage and $201 million (2018 USD) in fire suppression costs. [4][5] The city of Lakeport, communities of Kelseyville, Lucerne, Upper Lake, Nice, Saratoga Springs, Witter Springs, Potter Valley, and Finley, parts of Hopland, and the tribal communities of Hopland Rancheria, Big Valley Rancheria, and Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake were evacuated. The smaller River Fire was the first fire in the complex to be contained, reaching full containment on August 13,[14] while the Ranch Fire continued to burn for more than a month after that, with flames on the northern flank of the Ranch Fire pushing eastward from the Snow Mountain Wilderness into Glenn County. [15] The Ranch Fire finally reached full containment during the evening of September 18. [1][16] However, the Ranch Fire continued to burn deep within containment lines until November 7, when the fire was declared to be inactive. [1]
The Mendocino Complex comprises two vegetation fires that burned within miles of each other near Clear Lake, in Northern California. The first of the two fires reported was the Ranch Fire, which was reported on July 27, 2018 at 12:05 PM PDT, off Highway 20 near Potter Valley. Within hours of being reported, the fire had injured two firefighters. [17][18] Approximately one hour later, the River Fire was reported on Old River Road, six miles north of Hopland, located south of the Ranch Fire. By the evening, the River Fire had burned 4,000 acres (16 km2) and destroyed two buildings, including a home. [19] According to a 2019 report, the Ranch Fire was started by a rancher who had inadvertently sparked dry grass while hammering a metal stake while trying to find a wasp nest. [6][20]
The fire threatened the University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center. [19] High heat, low humidity, and rugged terrain challenged control of the fires, with gusty winds causing both to grow. Overnight, five more firefighters were reported injured. By the next morning, the two fires were organized under the "Mendocino Complex" name. The River Fire had grown to 3,500 acres (14 km2), the Ranch Fire had burned 6,000 acres (24 km2), and both were at two percent containment, with 386 structures being threatened. With Red Flag Warnings in effect, the first mandatory evacuations began in Hopland and with residents along Highway 175. Mendocino College was named an evacuation center. [21] By the afternoon, the community of Lakeport and additional areas of Lake County were placed under mandatory evacuation and, later that evening, Potter Valley and parts of Upper Lake were evacuated. [22][23]
By the morning of July 29, three more structures had been destroyed, all houses. Dry and windy conditions persisted, and the lack of available firefighters due to other fires burning in the state slowed attempts at containment. [24] The communities of Witter Springs, Finley, Saratoga Springs, Nice, Bachelor Valley, Scotts Valley, and Big Valley Rancheria were evacuated. [25][26] The fires rapidly grew overnight, with the Ranch Fire totaling 35,076 acres (142 km2) and the River Fire reaching 20,911 acres (85 km2) by the morning of July 30, with the fires at 10 percent containment. [27][28] Later in the afternoon of July 30, evacuation orders were lifted for Hopland, the Hopland Rancheria, and the area just north of Largo, while evacuation orders were put in place for Kelseyville and Finley. [29][30] Containment of the fire declined to five percent as the fires grew in size. One more home was destroyed and one damaged. [31]
Evacuation orders were lifted for Potter Valley in the afternoon of July 31. [32] By the evening of July 31, the fires had burned a combined total of 80,408 acres (325 km2) and were 12% contained. [33]
The two fires continued to burn into August, with the Ranch Fire at 59,014 acres (239 km2) and the River Fire at 31,898 acres (129 km2) on August 1. The Ranch Fire remained at 15 percent containment, while the River Fire was at 38 percent containment. Containment line improvement remained the focus of fire crews, with some crews directly fighting the fire when conditions permitted. Additional crew support arrived from the US Forest Service. [34] Throughout the day, both fires grew, with the Ranch Fire burning into the Mendocino National Forest and south of Lake Pillsbury. [35] Overnight, the fires remained most active in higher elevations. By the morning of August 2, the two fires had burned a combined total of 110,168 acres (446 km2) and were 39 percent contained. [36] Mandatory evacuations were put in place in Western Lake County, particularly for areas west of Lucerne and north of Clear Lake. On the evening of August 4, the combined acreage was 229,000 acres. [37] By the morning of August 5, the combined acreage was 271,172 acres (1,097 km2), with 152 buildings destroyed. [38] On the morning of August 6, the combined acreage was 273,664 acres (1,107 km2), with 169 buildings damaged or destroyed. By the night of August 6, the combined acreage of the Mendocino Complex Fire was 283,800 acres (1,148 km2), thus surpassing the Thomas Fire to become the largest wildfire complex in modern California history. [39]
On August 7, 2018, officials announced that they predicted the Mendocino Complex would last through August and into early September, compared to the earlier prediction of mid-August. [40] By then, the fire complex had destroyed 143 structures, 75 of them residences. [41] By late August 7, the fire complex was 34% contained.
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