title
stringlengths 1
7.43k
| text
stringlengths 111
32.3k
| event_type
stringlengths 4
57
| date
stringlengths 8
14
⌀ | metadata
stringlengths 2
205
⌀ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Two soldiers die in north Qld road crash
|
Police were called to a crash in which two soldiers died in a remote part of north Queensland. Two soldiers have died after becoming trapped in their crashed vehicle in a remote part of north Queensland. Police were called to the scene of a single vehicle crash on Dotswood Rd at Dotswood, near Charters Towers, about 1:45pm on Monday. Officers and firefighters found the soldiers unconscious and trapped in the vehicle, and they later died at the scene. The police forensic crash unit is investigating the accident. Defence Minister Peter Dutton told federal parliament there were significant personnel and assets around the Lavarack Barracks in Townsville. "It is a very dangerous task that our troops are involved in, even during training exercises, and the movement of equipment up and down our national highways," Mr Dutton said. "That's very sad news for our country to learn and our condolences and thoughts are with their friends and family." Chief of the Army, Lieutenant General Rick Burr, said supporting the families and friends of the two soldiers was his highest priority. "This is a tragic accident and our deepest sympathies go to the families and loved ones of our soldiers," he said in a statement. Lt Gen Burr said the names of the dead soldiers from the Brisbane-based 7th Combat Brigade would not be released at this time.
|
Road Crash
| null | null |
1966 Hong Kong riots
|
The Hong Kong 1966 riots was a series of disturbances that took place over three nights on the streets of Kowloon, Hong Kong in the spring of 1966. The riots started as peaceful demonstrations against the British colonial government's decision to increase the fare of Star Ferry foot-passenger harbour crossing by 25 percent. One person died in the riots, dozens were injured, and over 1,800 people were arrested during the turmoil. The Star Ferry was an important link between the Kowloon Peninsula and Hong Kong Island before the Cross-Harbour Tunnel was built in 1972. In October 1965, the Government revealed that the Star Ferry had applied to it for fare increases of between 50% and 100%. Star Ferry, which considered this a secret, expressed dismay that the application had been made public. It was further revealed that Star Ferry had solicited the views of the Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry on the increase sought. This sparked public fears that if the increase in fares were approved, other forms of public transport would also raise their prices. [1]
When the Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) approved Star Ferry's fare increase in March 1966, Elsie Elliot, an Urban Councillor and dissenting member of the TAC, created a petition against the fare increase and collected the signatures of 20,000 citizens. A peaceful and rational protest was conducted by two participants. However, it was severely suppressed by the Hong Kong Government. [2] The public was outraged. The 1960s was a period of mounting dissatisfaction over British colonial rule. Living and working conditions of the general population were poor, and corruption in officialdom was prevalent. Citizens were distrustful of the rampantly corrupt police, and the inequity of policing. As with the subsequent Hong Kong 1967 riots, social unrest was reaching a boiling point. In the morning of 4 April, So Sau-chung (蘇守忠), a 27-year-old young man who worked as a translator, began a hunger strike protest at the Star Ferry Terminal in Central District. So wore a black jacket upon which he had hand-written the words "Hail Elsie", "Join hunger strike to block fare increase". He caught the public mood and quickly drew a crowd of supporters. Another young man, Lo Kei (盧麒), joined So in the hunger strike. At 16:10, the Hong Kong Police arrested So Sau-chung on the charges of obstruction of passageway. A group of young "sympathisers" went to Government House to petition the Governor, David Trench. [3]
That evening, over 1,000 people gathered in Tsim Sha Tsui, demonstrating against So's arrest and the government's support for the Star Ferry company's fare increase. Demonstrators marched to Mong Kok, and back again to Tsim Sha Tsui. [3]
So was put on trial in the Western Magistrates' Court, and was sentenced to two months' imprisonment. Crowds started gathering at around 8 pm, and violence broke out among the protesters in Kowloon about two hours later. [3] On the busy thoroughfare Nathan Road, mobs threw stones at buses and set vehicles on fire. The Yau Ma Tei Police Station was also attacked by a crowd of over 300 people. Riot police fired tear gas in response, but people continued to gather in Nathan Road, with the mob almost doubling in size once Hong Kong's cinemas closed at midnight. The rioters looted shops, and attacked and set fire to public facilities including fire stations and power stations. Riot police continued to fire tear gas into the crowds and in some cases fired their carbines at looters. During that night, 772 tear gas canisters, 62 wooden shells and 62 carbine rounds were fired. The British Army was also called into action. Soldiers with bayonets fixed patrolled the streets in Kowloon enforcing a curfew that was imposed after around 1.30 am. The next day the government announced that the curfew would start earlier, at 7 pm, and warned that any rioters risked being shot. But that night rioters still gathered on Nathan Road near Mong Kok. Again, vehicles were set on fire and shops looted. Hundreds of people attempted, unsuccessfully, to set fire to the Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok Police stations. During the course of the evening, 280 rounds of teargas and 218 baton rounds were used. One protester was killed, four injured, and 215 arrests were made. [3]
The next day the government announced that the curfew would start early at 7 pm, and warned that any rioters risked being shot. There were huge queues for public transport when workers went home early, and the city was like a ghost town one hour before the curfew. [3] Some 3,500 police were out patrolling the streets. There were some incidents of stone-throwing in Chungking Mansions and Nam Cheong Street in Sham Shui Po. Raids by plain-clothes police culminated in the arrest of 669 'agitators'. [3]
Some 300 people were brought before the courts, and 258 people received sentences of up to two years' imprisonment. The riots began to die down, and by 10 April the curfew was lifted. [3] The fare increase was approved on 26 April. Damage caused was estimated to be no less than HK$20 million. After the riot, the colonial government of David Trench set up the Kowloon Disturbances Commission of Inquiry, presided over by Justice Michael Hogan, aimed at identifying the cause, in particular, the social elements that underlay the outbreak of violence.
|
Riot
| null | null |
Lakewood high school theater students return to the stage as their teacher fights cancer diagnosis
|
LAKEWOOD, Colo. — As theater students at Green Mountain High School prepare to perform a show for the first time in 18 months, the students are thinking of their beloved theater teacher, who was diagnosed with cancer.
The pandemic hit the theater program hard. High school junior Mazzy Mason said they tried to use Zoom, but it wasn't the same. Recent Stories from thedenverchannel.com
With in-person learning in full force now, Mazzy and her fellow actors finally get to perform again. Their first show since the pandemic is an adaptation of the classic show "A Christmas Carol."
"It's very exciting to be able to do it and have people come and see it," said student director Amy Stong. "It's just so good to be back."
While they feel joy being back on stage, there's also worry over their theater teacher and mentor, Barbara Amberg, as she works through a cancer diagnosis. "To know that somebody that you love so much is struggling with that... you just don't think it's going to happen," said assistant show director Courtney Capek. "She's just resilient. That's the word that comes to mind."
Capek is a Green Mountain High School graduate. In fact, Amberg was her teacher.
"She's my mentor," Capek explained. "She's the reason I'm so passionate about theater. Now, she's family."
Amberg is loyal too. She's been a teacher at Green Mountain High School for 27 years. She graduated from the school in 1987.
"It's the best school in the state in my opinion," Amberg said with a smile.
Even through all the cancer treatments, Amberg still manages to make it to work to do what she loves. Her kids are always there as part of her support system.
"They (her students) make every day not even a challenge," Amberg said, holding back tears. "They give me joy. I have gratitude. They teach me something, and they make this job the best job there is."
|
Famous Person - Sick
| null | null |
Several inches of rain leads to flash flooding & mudslides in a small Virginia community
|
The Buchanan County sheriff’s office reported earlier four people were unaccounted for. They announced Tuesday evening officials had reduced the number to one. Rescue teams searched the area Tuesday morning but those efforts have been suspended. Officials had said they were worried about an elderly woman among the missing. Nearly two dozen homes were ripped from their own foundation. One fatality has now been confirmed. Some drone images from the Sky 5 Drone of the flood damage along Guesses Fork Road in Hurley. According to the Buchanan sheriff’s office, one fatality has now been confirmed as of Wednesday. According to their facebook page, “Officials are estimating at least 30 days for power to be restored, and estimated 1 year for public water to be restored.” Law enforcement is asking for people to avoid this area as the cleanup continues. Total destruction. This house next to the Dollar General is full of mud and debris following the flooding in Hurley. September 1, 2021 This area of southwest Virginia, close to the Kentucky border ended up with about 6-8″ of rain which led to incredible flash flooding and mudslides on Monday. Some rainfall estimates even put rainfall at nearly 10″. The rain started in the early morning hours on Monday and continued with heavy, torrential rain and ending shortly after noon. Here’s a look at the radar from Monday. Hurley is north of Grundy, VA right on the Kentucky line. This was associated with the remnants of Ida but was just ahead of the main batch of rain from Ida which came in on Tuesday and early Wednesday. No additional damage was reported from the rain Tuesday and Wednesday.
|
Mudslides
| null | null |
2008 Weng'an riot
|
The 2008 Weng'an riot (Chinese: 瓮安骚乱) was a riot on June 28, 2008 involving tens of thousands of residents in Weng'an County, Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in the Guizhou province of Southwest China. Rioters smashed government buildings and torched several police cars to protest against an alleged police cover-up of a girl's death. A 16-year-old local girl by the name of Li Shufen (李树芬, born in July 1991[1]) was found dead in a river. She had been earlier spotted with two younger men who allegedly had familial ties with the local public security bureau. [2] Li Shufen's family and friends have alleged that she had been raped and murdered by the son of a prominent Weng'an official and another youth and that her corpse had then been thrown into the river. [3][4]
The subsequent media release denied the claims, and stated the two young men and one young woman involved were of local farmers' families. [5]
The parents were guarding the girl's coffin day and night in fear the local police might attempt to tamper with the evidence. "We won't accept an evil deal," say parents. The parents reported there had already been two attempts to steal the dead body. An additional 100 local residents helped them guard the coffin. The girl's dead body was pulled from the river on June 22, 2008. Initial police report said that the girl was drowned or jumped into the river and committed suicide. [6] A document submitted by the local government stated the girl was unhappy with life because her parents favored her elder brother. [7]
Relatives of the girl blamed the local police for shoddy investigation and possible corruption. [2] One of the parents said a police officer threatened them, telling them: "Don't even try to file a lawsuit; there [is] no justice in this world. "[6]
Guizhou's official media published the first interview with three of the girl's friends (the murder suspects) on July 4, 2008. They were the last people to see the girl alive. [8][9]
About 500 middle school students had gone to protest at the public security bureau, but they were turned away and beaten. [2] Rumors were circulating that the girl's uncle, a local teacher, had been beaten when he questioned the police, and had died from his injuries at the local hospital but this was not confirmed. [citation needed] This roused an angry mob of thousands of people, who began overturning cars and setting fire to government buildings, including the local Communist party headquarters. [6] The Associated Press reported "30,000 angry citizens swarmed the streets". The riot lasted 7 hours with 150 people injured. About 160 office buildings and 40 cars were torched. [11]
Zhou, as well as many other like-minded Chinese netizens, provided on-the-scene information on events like this, as a means to give voice to ordinary Chinese whose stories get overlooked or censored in a country where all the media is under the control of China's Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. [12]
All night and morning, I was clicking on posts about it. First it was there. Then it was gone. Then it was there again. Then gone. Every few minutes it was being deleted, sometimes every few seconds. The site had orders to block it. That was obvious. But they couldn't keep up. Every time they did, we Netizens got angrier and angrier. Roland Soong of East South West North, a well-known website for Chinese-to-English translations, wrote:
For example, the first item says that oveseas media are paying a great deal of attention to the lives of people living in the plateau of the Yunnan-Guizhou area. The second item says that the people of X'an (Guizhou) are lighting an extra large sacred flame to celebrate the Beijing Olympics. The third item just says, "Delete this!! Your mother's c*nt!" The fourth item says that "when the army arrives in southwestern China, I think something big will happen! I believe that our troops(人民子弟兵) have conscience." The fifth item says that the anti-American(反美) posts from the anti-American warriors(反美鬥士) have all met death -- the revolution has not yet succeeded and our comrades need to keep working(革命尚未成功,同志尚須努力, a famous quotation from Sun Yat-sen). What was that last one? The term "American" is being used for "Chinese government"! Authorities rounded up 300 people accused of taking part in the riot. Other sources have said 200 rioters were arrested. Over 1,500 paramilitary and riot police were dispatched to the county. Police detained 59 people for their alleged roles. Photographs as well as comments on the Guizhou protest in chatrooms and forums were quickly deleted by the mainland Internet censors. The government launched a campaign to defuse protest ahead of the Beijing Olympics to continue projecting an image of social harmony and stability. An "Olympics Stability Drive" was announced after the incident.
|
Riot
| null | null |
Tamil Nadu Sees Upward Trajectory Of Daily Covid Infections
|
Daily cases of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu witnessed an upward trend as 1,745 people were found to be infected on Thursday, pushing the overall caseload to 26,52,115. As many as 27 people died of Covid in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 35,427 till date, a medical bulletin said. With Tamil Nadu reporting an increase in the new infections over the last few weeks, the government accelerated its vaccination programme by announcing the third edition of Mega Vaccination camp scheduled to be held on September 26. The first edition of the mega inoculation drive was held on September 12 and the second on September 19. The number of recoveries were less than the new cases recorded today, with 1,624 people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 25,99,567 leaving 17,121 active infections. With the health department focusing more on Covid-19 testing, a total of 1,60,057 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined to 4.59 crore till date. As many as four districts accounted for the majority of new infections with Coimbatore reporting 226 cases, Chennai 222, Erode 116 and Chengalpet 107 while the remaining was scattered across other districts. Five districts registered cases below 10, while there were no fresh deaths in 22 districts. Among the 27 fatalities reported, a 56-year-old man from Thanjavur was the lone victim to succumb without any comorbidity or pre-existing illness, the bulletin said. Meanwhile, Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian said the government plans to hold the third mega vaccination camp on September 26 through 20,000 camps and appealed to members of the public to make use of it by extending their support to the government's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. "On September 12, we conducted the first mega vaccination camp targeting 20 lakh vaccinations and administered vaccinations to 28.91 lakh people over all and during the second vaccination camp 16.43 people received the jabs as against the targeted 15 lakh doses", he said in a press release. "During the third Mega Vaccination Camp on September 26, we have set a target to vaccinate 15 lakh people through 20,000 camps. We urge members of the public to make use of it by extending their support to the government's fight against the virus", he said. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
|
Disease Outbreaks
| null | null |
6 Empowering Breast and Gynecological Cancer Podcasts Hosted by Survivors
|
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women, but 2,300 cases are diagnosed in men each year. Women are about 100 times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer and account for 255,000 cases in the United States annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Another 94,000 cases of gynecological cancers — which include cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer — are diagnosed every year, according to the CDC. Since cervical cancer is the only gynecological cancer that can be detected through routine screening, it’s extremely important to know the signs and symptoms, and to advocate for yourself at the doctor’s office. Cancer podcasts hosted by doctors and medical organizations can be really helpful sources of information, but if you’ve been diagnosed with breast or gynecological cancer, sometimes you just need to level with someone who has been impacted by cancer and understands the nuances. These hosts have been through it and aren’t afraid to talk about the tough stuff — and neither are their guests. When she was just 25 years old, Tamika Felder was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She faced chemotherapy and radiation and surgery to remove her cervix and uterus, along with unsupportive judgment some people showed toward her cancer diagnosis, which was linked to a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Felder founded Cervivor, a global community of patient advocates who organize to increase access to education about cervical cancer, influence decision-makers, and create change in an effort to end cervical cancer. Felder also hosts the organization’s monthly podcast. “This podcast was started out of a need to share our stories. Not only because of the stigma of HPV that is associated with cervical cancer, but for those who think cervical cancer is an easy cancer,” Felder says. According to the CDC, 90 percent of cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), and nearly all cervical cancer can be prevented by the HPV vaccination. A combination of the vaccine and screenings make cervical cancer one of the most preventable types of cancer — but not everyone knows this. Felder hopes that by creating a network of advocates around the world, Cervivor will be able to help people understand how they can prevent and even eliminate cervical cancer. The Cervivor Podcast is for cancer thrivers, clinicians, and even people who haven’t been impacted by the disease. “For patients, I hope they feel supported and seen. For clinicians, I hope that it helps them better serve patients. For the general audience, I hope it spreads awareness and leads to understanding and empathy, as well as increased HPV vaccinations and cervical cancer screenings,” says Felder. The archives are filled with the kind information people with a cervical cancer diagnosis may not even be aware they need. The first episode, “Dry Panties, Depends, and Urine. What Does This Have to Do With Cervical Cancer? !” is a great example. But where the podcast really shines is with its thriver stories. “There is considerable loss and trauma with any chronic illness. With cervical cancer some of the top issues are sexual dysfunction and loss of fertility. That plays not only into the physical issues of a cervical cancer diagnosis, but the emotional well-being of patients as well. Sharing these stories via the podcast provides an additional layer of community, support, and resource sharing,” says Felder. “It's a reminder that you are not alone.”
Where to start Felder recommends season 1 episode 5: “Acceptance of Death: How She Is Making Her Story Matter, With Guest Lisa Moore.” “What seems like a difficult episode to listen to is truly empowering and inspirational,” she says. Moore recorded the interview four months before cervical cancer took her life. “She knew she was dying. There was no miracle happening, and she had accepted that. To this day I am still in awe of her vulnerability. She didn't have to share in that way, but she wanted to. She wanted people to know what cervical cancer had not only done to her but taken away from her,” says Felder. In a video, Moore, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer at age 26, tells Cervivor, “If I can help someone else from going through this, that’s the best I have to offer.”
Carrie Madrid was divorced and raising three children when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2012. She was able to fit in treatment appointments between working from home and being a mother, but relied heavily on her credit cards to make
ends meet. It was then that she understood the shortcomings of the cancer resources offered in her area. While people could access vouchers for prostheses and wigs, there weren’t any funds that helped with the day-to-day expenses that racked up. She spoke
with other people going through cancer treatment and found that some people had to choose between copays and groceries. A year after her diagnosis, Madrid founded the CARE Project, Inc. with her close friend and post-surgery caregiver Christina Gonzalez. In addition to raising funds to help people diagnosed
with breast cancer pay for things like utilities, rent, and copays, the CARE Project started a Survivor Social Club, which led to a podcast. “I would post on social media about the topics we talk about in the Survivor Social Club that others usually do not, and would receive comments like: ‘Thank you for saying what I'm thinking!’ or ‘Say it louder, so my friends and
family can hear!’” says Madrid. She wanted to expand these conversations so she could make others feel heard, inspired, and educated on the cancer topics that don’t always take center stage. As host of Handle with CARE: Cancer & Beyond, Madrid isn’t afraid to dive headfirst
into topics that can be difficult to bring up, including body changes, sexual dysfunction, hormonal changes,
and dating after cancer. “The list goes on,” she says. Other aims of her episodes are to “degenderize breast cancer specifically and shed light on the mental health aspect of cancer,” says Madrid. A cancer diagnosis can be traumatic on its own, and grueling treatments can have a lasting impact on mental health. A study published in July 2020, in the journal Translational Psychology found that more than 23 percent of people who had cancer experienced depression, 18 percent had anxiety, and nearly 10 percent had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Where to start Handle with CARE: Breast Cancer & Beyond has a lot of great content about male breast cancer, which is often
left out of the overall breast cancer conversation. In the third episode of the Whining With CARE series,
Madrid sits down with three men who survived breast cancer. There’s also a heart-wrenching episode from a caregiver’s perspective. “One of my favorite episodes is with Tammy Porter, who lost her husband to male breast cancer. She shares their extremely difficult experience with Mike's breast cancer and she continues to be an advocate with our friends at the Male Breast Cancer Coalition,”
says Madrid. At 32 years old, Alex Massey was told she would never get to experience being pregnant. She had been diagnosed with stage 1 endometrial cancer. The recommended treatment was a total hysterectomy. “It was a devastating surgery for someone who had always looked forward to carrying and giving birth to a baby,” Massey says. Endometrial cancer is the most common type of uterine cancer, and uterine cancer is one of the few types of cancers that’s actually on the rise in the United States. According to the CDC, uterine cancer cases rose by 0.7 percent year over year from 1995 to 2015, and deaths climbed by 1 percent every year. Black women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with uterine cancer in their lifetimes. But regular screening can catch the cancer early, when it’s treatable, and knowing the signs and symptoms increases the chances uterine cancer will be detected early. “I had several very common endometrial cancer symptoms prior to diagnosis and they were all dismissed for an array of reasons, including my weight and family history,” says Massey. More than anything, she recalls being shocked by her diagnosis. “My cancer journey completely interrupted and changed the trajectory of my life. Not that you can ever be prepared for such news, but I felt especially shocked because none of my doctors had ever discussed symptoms or risk factors for endometrial cancer with me,” says Massey. “I had no idea what signs to look for or that endometrial cancer was even a possibility. In fact, I was actually told by a gynecologist that I was too young to get this type of cancer.”
Massey parlayed her shock into action. She wanted to make sure other women knew both the signs of uterine cancer and how to advocate for themselves, and created Down There Aware with her mother and cohost, Mary, in early January 2020 to do just that. The podcast offers a unique multigenerational perspective on all things uterine health and what every person with a uterus needs to know about their risk of cancer. “Since starting the podcast with the goal of spreading the word about endometrial cancer, we have both become increasingly aware of all five types of gynecologic cancers, and the common issues surrounding awareness, research, and funding,” says Massey. “We now consider DTA an advocate for holistic gynecologic health and wellness and we want to open conversations with physicians to help them understand the patient perspective.”
They also want to raise awareness about how data is showing new trends in who is getting diagnosed with uterine cancer, which was previously thought to only impact post-menopausal women, and the importance of advocating for your own health. “If there is one thing we want our listeners to take away from the podcast, it would be the importance of having an annual pelvic exam. Beyond that, it is extremely important for women to advocate for themselves during an annual doctor’s visit and to be prepared. You know your body better than anyone else, so if something seems off, speak up until your questions are answered thoroughly,” says Massey. Where to start The Masseys did an episode titled “Did They Really Just Say That?” in which they discuss the things people said to them and others about cancer and caregiving that made them cringe. For cancer thrivers and caregivers, it’s a source of solidarity, and a good listen for anyone looking for tips on what to say to someone who has recently been diagnosed with any type of cancer. LaTonya Davis lost her sister, Yolonda, to metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in May 2016. Six months later, she was diagnosed with the same disease. She found solace in an unexpected place: an NPR podcast that delves into the stories behind some of the world’s most infamous companies. “During grief and every phase of my cancer journey How I Built This was a caregiver of sorts. It became an inspirational escape for me,” says Davis. During chemotherapy, Davis began searching for products to help with the side effects, like her darkening finger and toenails, hair loss, and loss of taste. She discovered other people who had been through their own cancer journey and had used their entrepreneurial wit to create products that made the grueling process just a bit easier. “I knew I wanted my testimony and advocacy efforts to have global reach and knew a podcast would be a great medium to help achieve that goal, and that’s when my ‘aha’ moment happened,” Davis recalls. She set out to create a cancer podcast based on How I Built This. Sure enough, in 2018, NPR announced a new fellowship for aspiring entrepreneurs and Davis was selected as an inaugural How I Built This Fellow. After some pandemic-related hurdles, Davis launched season 1 of The Breast Talk Ever in fall of 2020 and is currently working on season 2. “It is entrepreneurship meets cancer survivorship. The Breast Talk Ever is the first podcast of its kind to champion brands founded by dope entrepreneurial cancer survivors, previvors, thrivers, and allies through advocacy, lifestyle, and culture,” says Davis. Each episode offers an intimate, behind-the-screens look into the stories of entrepreneurs who were diagnosed with breast cancer or a BRCA gene mutation, identified a product needed in the breast cancer space, and brought it to life. The Breast Talk Ever also outlines business tips for aspiring entrepreneurs
Among the guests Davis has hosted so far are a filmmaker, a financial executive turned children’s book author, and a journalist who used her investigative reporting skills to invent a waterproof postsurgical garment for breast cancer mastectomy patients. Making the podcast fuels her creative and entrepreneurial drive, but has also been a healing process during Davis's own journey. “The podcast has helped me work through the devastating trauma and grief of losing my sister to metastatic triple negative breast cancer six months before my diagnosis,” she says. “There is a lot of work that goes into producing a narrative podcast, but it is worth every sleepless night I spend cutting tape. It is for sure the most meaningful work I’ve done in my career.”
The best part — a portion of the proceeds from Breast Talk Ever merchandise provides mammograms to under- and uninsured women in inner cities and rural communities across the United States. Where to start Start from the beginning, with the first two episodes, in which Davis is interviewed by her best friend, the New York Times journalist Audra Burch. Randalynn Vasel was 36 years old when her doctor told her she had ovarian cancer and that it was aggressive. She was a single mom of two young kids and living in St. Louis when she underwent a six-hour debulking surgery, surgically induced menopause, and found out that she also had endometrial cancer. Nine-hundred miles away, in Denver, Vicki Campana was 37 years old and trying for a baby when she was diagnosed with 3A granulosa cell tumor (GCT) ovarian cancer. After six months of chemo and failed fertility preservation, Campana tested positive for the ATM gene mutation, which put her at a higher risk of breast cancer. She opted to have a preventive mastectomy. Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecological cancer in the United States and causes more deaths than any other type of gynecological cancer, the CDC reports. “Neither of us knew a thing about ovarian cancer before our diagnosis and we don't share the same type of ovarian cancer,” notes Vasel. The two met on Instagram, when Vasel slid into Campana’s DMs back in 2017 asking if she was going to share her story on World Ovarian Cancer Day. “What started as two ovarian cancer survivors chatting back and forth turned into us meeting by chance,” Vasel says, referring to the time, nine months after that initial message, when the thrivers just happened to both be vacationing in Florida and were able to meet in person for the first time. The two kept in touch, and in April 2021, they debuted their podcast, Sips With Survivors. The weekly episodes cover useful cancer information such as “What Is a Chemo Bag?” and topics specifically geared toward caregivers who are looking for insight on how to help their loved one navigate their ovarian cancer diagnosis. They also feature guests who discuss their cancer journeys. The duo’s conversations come so easily, you’d never guess the two have hung out in person only a couple of times. “We hope listeners find that our personalities come through and we make the hard topics a bit easier to listen to,” says Vasel. “By sharing our journey and how we've navigated everything from diagnosis to survivorship, we hope it helps one person feel not as alone.”
Where to start The “It's OK to Change” episode is a great discussion about the ways people change over time, especially after a traumatic experience. It opens up a post-cancer discussion that talks about how cancer can change the way you behave in other areas of your life. At 30 years old, Leanne Pero was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Her diagnosis came just six months after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. Within days, Pero started her first of eight grueling rounds of chemotherapy. She underwent surgery multiple times, for a double mastectomy and later for reconstruction. “During my diagnosis and subsequent treatment, I began to see the gaps in support services for Black cancer patients. The
lack of inclusivity meant that the majority of mainstream support could not offer me what I needed,” said Pero. “There was no adequate advice for hair care during treatment, no wigs or prosthetics tailored for women of color, and, vitally, the mental health support offered was tailored to middle-aged white women.”
Pero began blogging about her experience with breast cancer and realized other Black women had had the same experience.
|
Famous Person - Sick
| null | null |
American Airlines Flight 1572 crash
|
American Airlines Flight 1572 was a flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Bradley International Airport on November 12, 1995. The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 struck trees and an instrument landing system (ILS) antenna during landing, causing $9 million in damage to the aircraft. [1]:1, 11
American Airlines Flight 1572 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois to Bradley International Airport near Hartford, Connecticut. On November 12, 1995, Flight 1572 was operated using a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, a twin-engine, narrow-body jet airliner (registration N566AA). [1]:1 The aircraft was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 engines. [1]:13 The MD-83 had accumulated a total of 27,628 flight hours at the time of the accident. [1]:13
Flight 1572 was scheduled to depart from O'Hare at 21:25 Eastern Standard Time. However, because of bad weather and delayed connecting passengers, the flight was delayed and did not depart until 23:05. While en route to Hartford, the flight crew received an ACARS printout for the weather at Hartford. It noted an altimeter setting (reference atmospheric pressure) of 29.42 inches of mercury (996 hPa), adding that pressure was falling rapidly in the area. The flight cruised uneventfully from Chicago to Hartford, other than changing from 33,000 ft (10,000 m) to 35,000 ft (11,000 m) to avoid reported turbulence. [1]:2
While on descent into Hartford, the pilots received a weather update at 00:30 that included a warning of wind shear and severe thunderstorms at Bradley. [1]:2–3 At 00:32, Flight 1572 was instructed by air traffic controllers to descend to 19,000 ft (5,800 m). [1]:3 At 00:33, controllers advised Flight 1572 to descend to 11,000 ft (3,400 m) and advised the flight to use an altimeter setting of 29.40 inHg (996 hPa) for Bradley. At 00:34, the first officer checked the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) automated weather broadcast for Hartford, and noted to the captain that the most recent ATIS broadcast was about 90 minutes old. For reasons unknown, the first officer entered 29.47 inHg (998 hPa) on the altimeter causing it to read approximately 70 feet (21 m) high. [1]:3 The captain checked the aircraft's weather radar before beginning the non-precision approach to runway 15. Seeing no convective cells on the aircraft's path, he then turned the radar off. [1]:5
At 00:49, while Flight 1572 was beginning its final approach, the crew was advised that the control tower was closing temporarily due to severe weather buckling a window inside the cab. The tower supervisor remained behind to assist the flight. The captain noticed the autopilot was having difficulty maintaining altitude and heading in the buffeting winds. Five miles from the airport the aircraft encountered heavy rain and some turbulence. The flight continued descending to 908 ft (277 m), the minimum descent altitude (MDA) for the approach. As the crew began to look for the airport, the aircraft continued descending. At 00:51, winds at Bradley were measured as 170° at 25 knots (13 m/s), gusting to 40 knots (21 m/s), with an altimeter setting of 29.35 inHg (994 hPa) and falling rapidly. This information was not transmitted to the Bradley control tower until 00:57 and was not made available to the flight crew before landing. [1]:14
At 00:55, the sink rate alarm went off, followed seconds later by a loud thump as the aircraft began shearing off treetops along Peak Mountain ridge. [1]:6 These trees were on a ridge with a ground elevation of 728 ft (222 m), and the first treetop struck was at a height of 770 ft (230 m). The captain advanced the throttles to full power, but the trees had been ingested into the engines causing them to flame out and shut down. The captain immediately lowered flaps to 40° hoping it would momentarily cause the aircraft to "balloon" upwards. While not standard operating procedure, this worked to a limited extent until the aircraft clipped a tree near the end of the runway. It then impacted the runway 33 ILS antenna equipment at the approach end of runway 15 before rolling to a stop. [1]:10
The accident resulted in one minor injury to a passenger; the other 72 passengers and all 5 crew members escaped without injury. The accident resulted in $9 million in damage to the aircraft and over $74,000 in damage to airport equipment. [1]:11
The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the accident. The investigation cited several causes for this accident. It faulted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for designing the approach to runway 15 without taking the ridgeline into consideration. The new approach, which factors in the terrain, has increased the MDA to 1,320 ft (400 m). However it cited pilot error as the primary cause due to an incorrect altimeter setting combined with the crew's failure to level off at the MDA. The report also noted since pressure was falling rapidly, the crew should have requested a more recent altimeter setting from the tower—the ATIS broadcast is normally updated hourly or whenever weather conditions change, and the first officer had noted that the ATIS recording was over 90 minutes old. [1]:63 While turbulence, heavy rain and wind shear affected the aircraft, the crew continued to allow it to descend while searching for the airport. The cockpit voice recording of the incident became part of the script of a play called Charlie Victor Romeo. After the accident, N566AA was repaired and returned to service and continued to fly with American Airlines until being retired and stored in August 2017. [2]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Maybe The Way To Control Locusts Is By Growing Crops They Don't Like
|
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the desert locust situation is serious in Yemen and at the Indo-Pakistan border. "One swarm covering one square kilometers contains 50 million locusts, and this swarm can eat the equivalent of 100 tons per day," said Wajeeh Mutawakel, the director general of the Plant Protection Office in the Houthi rebel-controlled Yemeni capital Sanaa, the Middle East Eye reported. "This may cause disaster not only in Yemen but also in other countries, such as in Saudi Arabia." Small clusters of locusts have been detected in Ethiopia and Somalia. Argentina continues to experience swarms years after major outbreaks in 2017. Locusts have been a threat to food security since biblical times. They are voracious eaters and are difficult and expensive to control. For example, according to a 2005 paper, it cost $450 million to stop the 2003-2005 desert locust plague in Africa that caused $2.5 billion in crop damage. A desert locust sits on a child's arm in Yemen. A desert locust sits on a child's arm in Yemen. That's why scientists at Arizona State University have created the Global Locust Initiative. It seeks to "link partners and ideas and to avoid reinventing the wheel," says Arianne Cease, director of the initiative. The idea is to get people information they need before a plague occurs. Cease first became aware of the devastation locusts can bring while she was in the Peace Corps in West Africa. But it's a problem around the world — and once upon a time in the United States. She says many people are surprised to learn that the largest swarm ever recorded took place over the U.S. Plains states in the 1870s. "[It] was about the size of the state of California," Cease says. "You had swarms flying overhead for four days, and whenever they landed they pretty much ate everything. It was really devastating." At the time, people kept waiting for another swarm to come, but it didn't. Within a few decades, the Rocky Mountain locust, the source of the swarm, was declared extinct. Why it went extinct may never be fully known, but Cease says the best hypothesis is that it had something to do with changes in farming practices. "Bringing in lots of cows for example," Cease says. "Tilling areas that hadn't been tilled before." Children try to catch locusts swarming over Sanaa, Yemen's capital, on July 28. Mohammed Huwais /AFP/Getty Images hide caption Children try to catch locusts swarming over Sanaa, Yemen's capital, on July 28. The fact that human behavior might have contributed to the demise of the Rocky Mountain locust is intriguing. "We're really interested in that connection between people and locusts," Cease says. She says there is no single answer to controlling locusts. For a variety of practical and human health related reasons you can't just spray them into submission with pesticides. You need a multifaceted approach. But first, you have to know your enemy. That's why there's a special lab in the basement of a building on the Arizona State University campus that houses the Locust lab, or "Hopper Town" as it's known. The lab has restricted entry, so you can't just wander in, and there are multiple barriers that make sure none of the locusts wanders out. Lab research director Rick Overson showed me around this spring. He takes me into a room with wire mesh cages filled with locusts. "So this is the locust colony," Overson says. "In this room we have at any given time from four to five different species of locusts." Overson says the lab is studying all aspects of locust life — how they behave, what microbes are in their gut — looking for weaknesses they can exploit. One promising avenue of research involves what locusts like to eat. "It turns out that every locust we've studied to date is very carbohydrate hungry and does well and performs well on carbohydrate- or sugary-based diets," Overson says. That has implications for farmers. The lab also does field research in Senegal, where farmers grow millet. The lab has published research showing that the farmers who grow their millet sustainably — maintaining healthy soil nutrients — tend to produce a crop that's relatively low in carbohydrates. "Fortuitously what we're finding with our research is actually that those are places that locusts tend to not like," Cease says. She's trying to demonstrate experimentally that altering farming practices may be a viable way to combat locusts. "The challenge comes in implementing that," she says. Implementation means getting farmers, agricultural officials and nongovernmental organizations working together on the solution. That's not quite as hard as trying to wrangle locusts, but it's still a challenge.
|
Insect Disaster
| null | null |
Dr. Dre and 29 of the Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces To Rock Hollywood
|
Some of the richest celebrities on the planet have been perfecting their craft for decades. Here are five of the richest celebrities over 70. Celebrity breakups are as much a part of Hollywood as the glamour and fame. And yet, the public is often still shocked and dismayed when a particularly well-loved celebrity power couple splits. What’s even more shocking, though, is how much celebrity divorces usually end up costing. These breakups are expensive, even when compared with some of the most expensive divorces people can go through. Last updated: October 2, 2020
Cost of Divorce: Unknown
Dr. Dre’s wife of 24 years, Nicole Young, filed for divorce on June 29, TMZ reported. The couple has two adult children, so child support would not come into play. However, the couple does not have a prenuptial agreement, sources told TMZ, so Dre’s millions could be on the line. The hip-hop mogul’s net worth is $800 million, according to the latest calculations from Forbes. Young will be seeking spousal support. Cost of Divorce: Unknown
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux announced their split in February 2018 following seven years together and two years of marriage. However, neither has legally filed for divorce, and TMZ reports that there is no evidence that they were legally married. In a conflicting report, Radar Online stated that the couple had signed an “ironclad” prenuptial agreement to protect Aniston’s finances. If there is not a prenup and the pair do move forward with a legal divorce, millions will be at stake. Aniston made $63 million during the years she was married to Theroux, Forbes reported, and Theroux had been making a nice chunk of change on his own, earning $75,000 per episode of “The Leftovers,” according to TV Guide. The couple also purchased a Los Angeles home together for $21 million prior to their marriage, People reported. Cost of Divorce: Unknown
After nine years of marriage, Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan announced they were splitting in April 2018. Dewan officially filed for divorce in October 2018 and asked for joint legal and physical custody of the couple’s daughter, Everly, as well as child support and spousal support, The Blast reported. The amount of support requested is not known at this time. Tatum also has requested joint custody. The couple finalized their divorce paperwork on Jan. 14 and the judge signed off on it in early February. The court documents confirmed shared custody. Both stars have moved on romantically: Tatum has been in an on-and-off relationship with singer Jessie J, and Dewan is engaged to actor Steve Kazee; they recently welcomed their first child together. Cost of Divorce: Unknown
Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt in September 2016, pulling the curtains closed on one of the most famous Hollywood relationships. Their marriage only lasted two years, but the couple was together for more than a decade. The couple had three biological children together during that time: Shiloh Nouvel and twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline. The couple also had adopted children Pax, Maddox and Zahara. Jolie stated that the divorce was for the “health of the family.”
The couple is handling their divorce in a private forum, so the public will not be privy to details. According to Forbes, Jolie and Pitt earned $555 million while they were together, so you can expect the divorce settlement to be costly. Over three years after their split, the couple is still hashing out their divorce settlement. In October 2019, Pitt asked the court for more time to figure out how to split their fortune. Find Out: Celebrities Who Are Not as Rich as You Think
Cost of Divorce: $6.6 million
Guns N’ Roses rocker Slash filed for divorce from his wife of nearly 13 years, Perla Ferrar, in 2014. The divorce was extremely contentious and didn’t settle until 2018. According to the settlement, Slash would pay Ferrar $6.6 million plus $100,000 per month in spousal support and another $39,000 per month in child support, TMZ reported. Slash was able to keep his guitars, music compositions, a Ford F-150 and the couple’s Beverly Hills house. Ferrar received the Los Angeles house, a Range Rover and two Mercedes. She was also granted physical custody of their children. Cost of Divorce: $14 million
Jennifer Lopez has been married and divorced three times, and her second marriage ended up costing her millions. The singer-actress met choreographer Cris Judd on the set of her “Love Don’t Cost a Thing…” music video, and they wed in 2001 — only to divorce after a little over a year of marriage. The exact settlement amount is undisclosed, but reports estimate it was worth $14 million, according to E! News. Lopez became engaged to former baseball player Alex Rodriguez after about two years of dating. The couple announced their engagement via Instagram in early March 2019. Cost of Divorce: $15 million to $25 million
Rock legend Mick Jagger and model Jerry Hall met in 1977 and had two children together before officially tying the knot in 1990 in Bali, Indonesia. Nine years later, Hall filed for divorce after discovering that Jagger had fathered another woman’s child. Fortunately for Jagger, he was able to get an annulment after successfully challenging the legality of the Balinese wedding. Still, Hall received a settlement worth between $15 million and $25 million, Forbes reported. But that’s relative chump change for Jagger, who’s one of the richest performers with a net worth of $500 million. The Rolling Stones frontman hasn’t remarried, but he is dating Melanie Hamrick. Hall is now married to Rupert Murdoch — who himself went through an expensive divorce. Cost of Divorce: $20 million
Former “Today” host Matt Lauer and his wife of nearly 20 years, Annette Roque, finalized their divorce in September 2019, People reported. The couple had separated nearly two years prior, following Lauer’s firing from NBC for alleged sexual misconduct. Although the couple signed a “postnup” after Roque initially filed for divorce in 2006 (the two reconciled that time), Page Six reports that he could be paying Roque up to $20 million this time around. As for their real estate assets, People reported that Lauer agreed to sell their $44 million Hamptons home. Famously Fired: 16 Celebrities Who Lost Big After Huge Scandals
Cost of Divorce: $20 million
Lionel Richie — who’s the richest celebrity from his home state of Alabama — married backup dancer Diane Richie in 1996, and they filed for divorce in 2004. As part of her alimony petition, Diane reportedly claimed a monthly clothing allowance of $15,000; a monthly budget of $50,000 for manicures, massages and other personal services; and a $20,000 annual budget for plastic surgery. She settled for an estimated $20 million, according to Forbes. Cost of Divorce: $20 million
Now-President Donald Trump married Ivana in 1977, and the couple had three children together. In 1992, they split amid reports that Donald was having an affair with Marla Maples. Ivana reportedly received $20 million in the settlement, according to E! News. The businessman-turned-president has been married to Melania Trump since 2005. He’s now one of the richest world leaders. Cost of Divorce: $30 million
“Cheers” star Ted Danson has been married to his current wife, fellow actress Mary Steenburgen, for over 25 years, but his previous marriage was not as long-lasting — and ended in one of the costliest divorces in Hollywood history. Danson tied the knot with his second wife, Casey Coates, in 1977 (he was previously married to his college sweetheart), but the marriage crumbled when Danson had an affair with his “Made in America” co-star Whoopi Goldberg. The divorce ended up costing Danson $30 million, Closer Weekly reported. Cost of Divorce: $30 million
As far as famous divorces go, Kelsey Grammer’s split from his ex-wife Camille is one of Hollywood’s nastiest. Camille, known for her appearance on the reality television show “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” filed for divorce from the “Cheers” and “Frasier” actor in July 2010 after 13 years together. You can say it was a quickie divorce, as Kelsey married his current wife and former flight attendant Kayte Walsh just two weeks after his divorce from Camille was finalized in 2011. According to TMZ, Camille was awarded an estimated $30 million in the divorce settlement — half of the marriage’s total assets. And she’s moved on romantically as well — the reality star married attorney David C. Meyer in 2018. Cost of Divorce: $30 million
Linda Hogan filed for divorce in 2007 after reports emerged that Hulk, real name Terry Bollea, was having an affair. The couple — who are among the richest reality stars of the 2000s — had been married for 25 years and have two children together. The split was anything but simple, and it took four years for the two to reach a settlement. As part of the deal, Linda reportedly received 40% ownership of Hulk’s companies and more than 70% of the couple’s liquid assets. She also received a number of luxury cars and a $3 million property settlement. All in all, Linda was granted $30 million in the divorce, E! News reported. The wrestler moved on romantically before officially signing on the dotted line — Hulk got married again in 2010 to Jennifer McDaniel. Cost of Divorce: $45 million
Michael Douglas was an up-and-coming actor when he met Georgetown student Diandra Luker in 1977 at a Jimmy Carter inauguration party. The two had a whirlwind romance, tying the knot after just six weeks of dating. Though they were married for over two decades, the couple divorced in 1998 amid reports of Douglas’ infidelity and alcohol abuse. Not only did Luker receive an estimated $45 million in the divorce settlement, but she also walked away with homes in Beverly Hills and Majorca, Forbes reported. Douglas married fellow actor Catherine Zeta-Jones two years later in a celebrity wedding with an outrageous price tag. Related: Businesses You Didn’t Know Your Favorite Celebrity Owns
Cost of Divorce: $50 million
Director James Cameron married actress Linda Hamilton in 1997, and the couple got divorced just 18 months later. According to Forbes, Cameron took home $100 million from “Titanic” earnings — and had to give half of that to Hamilton in the divorce settlement. The two remained on friendly terms, and Hamilton appeared in 2019’s “Terminator” reboot, which Cameron produced. Cameron got remarried for a fourth time following his divorce from Hamilton, and he remains married to actress Suzy Amis, whom he met on the set of “Titanic.”
Cost of Divorce: $50 million
Beatles rocker Paul McCartney married nonprofit worker Heather Mills in 2002 after meeting at a charity event. They split in 2006 but didn’t reach an official divorce settlement until 2008. Mills was eventually awarded $50 million, but she originally asked the court for a whopping $251 million, CNN reported. McCartney is now remarried to businesswoman Nancy Shevell. The couple wed in 2011 after four years of dating. Cost of Divorce: $60 million
Kenny Rogers — one of the richest country music stars — has been married five times and ended up having to make a huge payout when he split from his fourth wife, Marianne Gordon. The former couple had one child together and had been married for 16 years when they divorced in 1993. Rogers settled for $60 million, E! News reported. The singer-songwriter married his last wife, Wanda Miller, in 1997. Rogers died in March of natural causes at the age of 81. Cost of Divorce: $76 million to $92 million
Madonna, the eternal “Material Girl,” has a long list of famous beaus, including the late musician Tupac Shakur, retired basketball player Dennis Rodman and retired baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez, who is now engaged to Jennifer Lopez. Madonna married director Guy Ritchie in 2000 at Skibo Castle in Scotland. The couple has one biological child and one adopted child together. Madonna and Ritchie were married for eight years before calling it quits. The couple was reportedly worth nearly $525 million at the time of separation, and the singer had to pay Ritchie between $76 million and $92 million in their divorce, according to the Associated Press. Ritchie remarried in 2015, tying the knot with Jacqui Ainsley. In 2016, Madonna lost the lengthy custody battle for the couple’s biological son, Rocco, who is said to have wanted to live in London with his father. Rocco continues to live in London, away from his famous mother, the Mirror reported. Cost of Divorce: $80 million
Long before Kevin Costner starred as Elliot Ness in the 1987 movie “The Untouchables,” he was a student at California State University, Fullerton, which is where he met Cindy Silva. The couple married in 1978 and had three children together. Costner and Silva divorced in 1994, and Silva received an $80 million payout, according to E! News. Costner married model and handbag designer Christine Baumgartner in 2004. Check Out: The Richest Celebrity From Every State
Cost of Divorce: $85 million to $118 million
Younger generations might not know that actress Calista Flockhart — best known for her starring role in “Ally McBeal” — is not Harrison Ford’s first wife. In fact, the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” actor was married for more than two decades to Melissa Mathison, a Hollywood screenwriter best known for the movie “E.T.”
Ford and Mathison wed in 1983 and had two children together. The couple split in 2001 and officially ended their marriage in 2004. Mathison received between $85 million and $118 million from Ford, according to the Daily Mail. The divorce did not leave Ford in the poor house, though, as he has a net worth of $300 million. Ford and Flockhart have been married since 2009. Melissa Mathison died of neuroendocrine cancer in 2015 at the age of 65. Cost of Divorce: $90 million (estimated)
Singer Adele and her husband, Simon Konecki, announced that they were splitting after seven years together in April 2019, and in September 2019, Adele officially filed for divorce, People reported.
|
Famous Person - Divorce
| null | null |
CanJet Flight 918 crash
|
CanJet Flight 918 (CJA 918, C6 918) was a flight that was on 19 April 2009 to have taken off from Sangster International Airport (MBJ), Montego Bay, Jamaica, bound for Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), Halifax, Canada, but was instead seized before takeoff for hours by an armed, lone hijacker. This was the first incidence of a hijacking on Jamaican soil,[3] and the second time a Canadian airliner has been hijacked. [4]
The flight was operated by a nine year old Boeing 737-800 built in 2000,[1] with the registration of C-FTCZ[2] by the Canadian airline CanJet. Carrying 174 passengers and 8 crew,[5] all Canadian,[6] the plane was originally scheduled to leave MBJ at 11:00pm on 19 April 2009, due for arrival at YHZ at 7:15am the following day. However, at 10:30pm, local time,[7] Flight 918 was boarded by a lone, armed hijacker – 20-year-old Stephen Fray of Montego Bay, calling himself "Rico"[8] – who gained access to the plane brandishing a firearm and demanded to be taken to Cuba so he could defect there. [9] The passengers were soon released, with testimony from them revealing that a flight attendant had convinced Fray to allow the passengers egress in exchange for their money. [10][11][12] The hijacker did, though, continue to hold five crew hostage while negotiations, which included Fray's father and the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding,[13] continued. Following the breakdown of negotiations, the police were ordered to take the aircraft, and, at approximately 6:40am the Jamaica Defence Force Counter Terrorism Operations Group members stormed Flight 918 and took the gunman into custody. [10][11][14][15][16][17] Two special operations operatives entered through the cockpit window and replaced the copilot, while one of the operatives, impersonating the copilot, met with and overpowered the hijacker,[18] who was reported to be "mentally challenged. "[8]
At the time of the hijacking, the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, was in the midst of a visit to Jamaica, and, when informed of the event and release of some hostages, offered the use of his government aircraft to fly the passengers back to Canada. [19]
Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a security analyst for CTV News and former Canadian Security Intelligence Service officer, expressed concern over airport security in Jamaica, given the visit by the Canadian Prime Minister at the time of the hijacking, which he opined should have placed security on high alert. [11] The Jamaica Observer similarly reported on concerns raised in Jamaica over the privatised airport security's quality; the security was managed by a consortium, MBJ Airports Ltd., headed by the Canadian firm Vancouver Airport Services (25% stakeholder),[20][21] with Abertis as a partner. [22]
After CanJet sent an aircraft from its hub Montreal to retrieve passengers from Montego Bay and return them to Canada,[citation needed] Bruce Golding advised Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen to order an investigation into how a gunman was able to board an airliner in Jamaica. The Governor-in-Council further issued an apology to the passengers and crew of Flight 918 and offered a one-week vacation at a Sandals resort in Jamaica. [23] Transport Minister Mike Henry also ordered a security review, which covered both MBJ and Norman Manley International Airport in the capital, Kingston. [24]
The Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) commended the crew for their efforts in thwarting the skyjacking,[25] and on 15 June 2009, the crew of Flight 918 was invited to meet with the Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, at Rideau Hall. [26]
On 1 May 2009, Stephen Fray was officially charged with assault, robbery with aggravation, illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition, shooting with intent, and breaching the Civil Aviation Act in connection with the hijacking. Fray was convicted and sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison. [27]
On 20 May 2011, an appeal of Fray's conviction and sentence was launched in Jamaica's Court of Appeal. [28] Fray's lawyer claimed in court that when Fray committed the offence, he was "suffering from a mental illness as understood in Jamaican law, specifically the Mental Health Act," adding that spending time in jail "would not help Fray or the society at large". [29]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Pawnee Fire
|
The Pawnee Fire was a large wildfire that burned in Spring Valley in Lake County, California, in the United States. The fire started on June 23, 2018, and quickly expanded overnight, destroying 12 structures, and causing the evacuation of the entire Spring Valley area. The fire destroyed 22 structures, damaged six structures, and burned a total of 15,185 acres (61 km2) before it was fully contained on July 8, 2018. The Pawnee Fire was reported on June 23, 2018 around 5:21 p.m. on Pawnee Rd. and New Long Valley Rd. in Spring Valley in California, near Clearlake Oaks. [1] After further investigation, the fire was cited as being off Quail Trail. The fire is located on a ridge, making it hard to access for fire crews. [3] Driven by dry conditions, high temperatures and gusty winds, the fire grew to 2,500 acres (10 km2) overnight and had destroyed twelve structures, including ten homes. Mandatory evacuations were put in place for the Spring Valley community. [1]
By Sunday evening, the fire was described as "out of control" by Cal Fire and by the next morning, June 25, it had grown to 8,200 acres (33 km2) and had destroyed 10 more buildings. [1][4] By the evening of June 25, the Pawnee Fire had expanded to 10,500 acres (42 km2), with five percent contained. Authorities closed select intersections along California State Route 20. [1] On June 26, additional road closures were put in place along Highway 20 and intersections off Brim Road. [1]
On June 30, the fire has burned 13,850 acres (56 km2) and is 73 percent contained. Mandatory evacuations remain in place for Double Eagle and evacuation advisories were put in place for numerous areas off Highway 20. [1]
By July 1, the Pawnee Fire had grown to 14,500 acres (59 km2) and was 73 percent contained. The fire continued to threaten 50 buildings, with over 2,000 crews fighting the fire. Additional road closures were put in place. [1] The fire continue to grow - both in containment and size. Thus far, 22 buildings were destroyed and six` were damaged, with 50 remaining threatened entering into the Fourth of July week. One firefighter was reported injured. [5]
Late on July 8, the Pawnee Fire was fully contained, with the burn area totaling 15,185 acres (61 km2). [6]
The Pawnee Fire impacted residents of the Spring Valley community, who went under mandatory evacuation on June 23, the day the fire was reported. Authorities shut down access to Spring Valley from Highway 20. [4][7] Residents of the Walker Ridge and Double Eagle neighborhoods were under mandatory evacuation for the majority of the time until the fire's containment. [8]
The fire destroyed a total of 22 structures, including 12 homes in Spring Valley. One firefighter was injured. [8]
|
Fire
| null | null |
Baton Rouge police arrest alleged bank robber tied to multiple heists
|
DENHAM SPRINGS - A suspected bank robber was caught in East Baton Rouge within hours of a robbery in another parish. Police said the Pelican State Credit Union in Denham Springs was targeted Monday morning. Staff set off a silent panic alarm, which called police to the scene. Investigators said a man, identified as Shawn Debourbon, entered the building with a gun and demanded the bank tellers give him money. He fled the business before officers arrived but was captured by BRPD a short while later. BRPD believes Debourbon also carried out a robbery at a bank on S Sherwood Forest Boulevard earlier this month. Debourbon was booked in East Baton Rouge Parish and will be turned over to authorities in Livingston Parish to face additional charges there.
|
Bank Robbery
| null | null |
Chinese, Russian Complete Military Exercises Involving 10,000 Troops
|
China and Russia recently completed a series of military exercises called Zapad/Interaction-2021. The drills were conducted at the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in north-central China. They began on August 9 and lasted for five days. The Chinese Ministry of Defense called the activity a “joint planning and field operations” that strengthen interoperability and synergy between the two nations “against the background of jointly safeguarding regional security and stability.” The Zapad/Interaction-2021 involved 10,000 troops — a combined number of the Chinese Western Theater Command and the Eastern Military District of Russia. The activity marked a number of firsts for both countries. It was the first joint military operation hosted by China since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, and the first time for both countries to use a joint command and control system. For Russia, it marked the first time its troops used equipment and combat vehicles provided by the Chinese military. China and Russia, two superpowers that are known to have a common adversary in the United States, have a relationship that is often described as “a political marriage of convenience.” For Artyom Lukin, an associate professor at Far Eastern Federal University in Russia, “it is getting clear that Russia-China military drills are not just symbolic shows of camaraderie, but are increasingly aimed at enhancing battlefield interoperability,” he told the South China Morning Post.
|
Military Exercise
| null | null |
Death toll in Brazil dam disaster nears 60, hundreds missing
|
Brazil dam disaster death toll in nears 60, with hundreds still missing Updated on: January 28, 2019 / 4:42 AM / AP Brumadinho, Brazil — Firefighters are carefully moving over treacherous mud, sometimes walking, sometimes crawling, in search of survivors or bodies left by a dam collapse that buried mine buildings and surrounding neighborhoods with iron ore waste. The confirmed death toll has risen to 58, with up to 300 people still missing, authorities said. In an ominous sign, nobody was recovered alive Sunday, a stark difference from the first two days of the disaster, when helicopters were whisking people from the mud. The slow speed of search efforts was due to the treacherous sea of reddish-brown mud that surged out when the mine dam breached Friday afternoon. It is up 24 feet deep in some places, and to avoid the danger of sinking and drowning searchers had to carefully walk around the edges or slowly crawl out onto the muck. Even those efforts were suspended for about 10 hours on Sunday because of fears that a second mine dam in the southeastern city of Brumadinho was at risk of failing. An estimated 24,000 people were told to get to higher ground, but by afternoon civil engineers said the second dam was no longer at risk. Areas of water-soaked mud appeared to be drying out, which could help firefighters get to areas previously unreachable. Still, it was slow going for the search teams, and residents were on edge. "Get out searching!" a woman yelled at firefighters near a refuge set up in the center of Brumadinho. "They could be out there in the bush." Brazilian searchers got reinforcements late Sunday, when more than 100 Israeli soldiers and other personnel arrived with plans to join recovery efforts. Throughout the weekend, there was mounting anger at the giant Vale mining company, which operated the mine, and questions rose about an apparent lack of an alarm system Friday. Caroline Steifeld said she heard warning sirens Sunday, but there was no alert when the dam collapsed Friday. "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. The carpet 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, courts 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. "Someone is definitely at fault, she said." Dodge noted there are 600 mines in 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 Minas Gerais, resulting in 19 deaths and forcing hundreds from their homes. Considered the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history, that disaster 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. Other residents quietly noted that Vale was the main employer in the area. "The company is responsible for a new tragedy, but it's the principal employer," said Diego Aparecido, who has missing friends who worked at Vale. "What will happen if it closes?" 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, toured the area Sunday. She said Congress should bear part of the blame for not toughening regulations and enforcement. "All the warnings have been given. We are repeating history with this tragedy," she told the AP. "Brazil can't become a specialist in rescuing victims and consoling widows. Measures need to be taken to avoid prevent this from happening again." In an email, Vale told The Associated Press that the area has eight sirens, but "the speed in which the event happened made sounding an alarm impossible" when the dam burst. People in Brumadinho desperately awaited word on their loved ones. Romeu Zema, the governor of Minas Gerais state, said that by now most recovery efforts would 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 from where the dam collapsed. For many, hope was evaporating. "I don't think he is alive," Joao Bosco said of his cousin Jorge Luis Ferreira, who worked for Vale. "Right now, I can only hope for a miracle."
|
Mine Collapses
| null | null |
Tompkins Square Riot (1874)
|
The Tompkins Square Park riot occurred on January 13, 1874, at Tompkins Square Park in what is now the East Village and Alphabet City neighborhoods of Manhattan, New York City. The riot started after the New York City Police Department clashed with a demonstration involving thousands of unemployed civilians. [1]
The riot occurred in the midst of the Panic of 1873, a depression that began in 1873 and lasted for several years. [2] Workers movements throughout the United States had been making demands of the government to help ease the strain of the depression. [3] Organizations rejected offers of charity and instead asked for public works programs that would provide jobs for the masses of unemployed. [4] Formed in December 1873, The Committee of Safety in New York City tried to organize a meeting with city officials but was denied any such opportunity. [3]
Impelling the workers' demands and the subsequent riot was poverty which, as the result of the Panic of 1873, had become significantly more prevalent in the United States, causing great plight to American workers. The Bureau of statistics in Massachusetts had found that the majority of working men then were unable to support their families from their earnings, and depended on the assistance of their children in order not to be in poverty and debt. Meanwhile, workers also had to deal with inflation as prices for rent, fuel and clothing didn't fall to meet decreased wages. [5]
Evictions had become widespread and people roamed the streets looking for food to eat. In New York City, there were over 90,000 homeless workers, almost half of them women, who were forced to sleep in police stations. They became known as "revolvers" because they could only stay in a police station for a few nights a month and therefore had to keep moving. [6]
In response, the committee organized a demonstration for January 13, 1874 to meet in Tompkins Square Park, which had often been used as a gathering point for demonstrations,[7] and planned to march to City Hall. Demonstrators would demand that Mayor William F. Havemeyer establish a public works program to generate employment opportunities[8] by donating $100,000 to a Labor Relief Bureau to be established by the committee. [9]
A separate organization, headed by Patrick Dunn, then called for a more militant demonstration on January 5, urging workers to use direct action if the government did not respond to demands. [9] Members of the Committee of Safety attended the protest, at first trying to discourage workers from marching to City Hall that day but then joining the committee that led the march once it became clear that the demonstration could not be prevented. The demonstrators' demands were turned down by Aldermen at City Hall, and Committee of Safety members encouraged people to return for another demonstration on January 8. [10]
Over 1,000 people showed up for the January 8th demonstration in Union Square. [10] The police also sent one precinct's full reserve force. [11] Dunn proposed for the crowd to march on City Hall again but was outnumbered by Committee of Safety supporters, who instead chose to march to Tompkins Square. At Tompkins Square, several demands, including the 8-hour day, were voted for,[11] and the crowd was then encouraged to return again on January 13 for the original march organized by the Committee of Safety. [10] Another precinct had its reserve force ready in Tompkins Square, but the police did not take any action that day. [11]
The Committee of Safety's attempts to pacify the movement did not bring them any sympathy however. Across the city, newspapers warned of the menace that the Committee represented. It was rumored that weapons had been bought with jewels stolen in Paris by Communards. [12] The Police Board refused to allow the demonstration to come near City Hall, instead advising for the Committee to march to Union Square. [13] When asked, Governor John A. Dix rejected the Committee's pleas to intervene on their behalf in the matter. [14]
In the end, the Committee decided not to have a march at all but simply hold the meeting in Tompkins Square Park[14] for which they had already received the permit from the Department of Parks. At the request of the Police Board, however, the Department of Parks revoked the permit the night before the meeting. [2] The police claimed to have told the Committee of Safety organizer Peter J. McGuire about the change of decision, who claimed to have been out when the message was delivered. [15] The Department of Parks decision certainly was not made known to the masses of protesters in time to cancel the demonstration the next morning. [12]
Over 7,000 workers gathered in Tompkins Square Park on January 13, 1874,[2] including about 1,200 workers from the German Tenth Ward Workingmen's Association. [16] This was the largest demonstration that New York City had ever seen. [8] Roughly 1,600 policemen were stationed in the surrounding area. There were no notices in sight, however, to inform the crowd that the meeting's permit had been revoked. [17]
Shortly after 10 a.m., police entered the square and dispersed most of the crowd from the park, beating people with clubs. [2] Other police on horseback cleared the surrounding streets. [18] Men from the German Tenth Ward Workingmen's Association fought back, attempting to defend the square. One policeman was hit in the head with a hammer. [17] Christian Mayer was arrested for the incident. [18]
Samuel Gompers described the events and his experiences: "mounted police charged the crowd on Eighth Street, riding them down and attacking men, women, and children without discrimination. It was an orgy of brutality. I was caught in the crowd on the street and barely saved my head from being cracked by jumping down a cellarway. "[19]
Panic spread across New York the rest of the day. One school was put under police protection as it was rumored that immigrants were planning to burn it down. [20] City Alderman Kehr claimed that he had to jump off a street car to escape from protesters. [18]
A total of 46 arrests were made in connection with the January 13 Tompkins Square meeting. [20] Bail was set at $1000 for each arrestee. [18] Mayer, along with as his fellow Tenth Ward Workingmen's Association member, Joseph Hoefflicher, received assault charges,[20] and both went to jail for several months. [21][22] Mayer was finally pardoned at the end of the summer by Governor Dix after a campaign led by a socialist newspaper.
|
Strike
| null | null |
2021 Boğaziçi University protests
|
The 2021 Boğaziçi University protests were demonstrations that started on 4 January against the appointment of Melih Bulu by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as rector of Boğaziçi University, which is one of the top academic institutions in Turkey. Melih Bulu, who has ties to the ruling AKP, was appointed as rector by presidential decree on 2 January 2021. According to faculty, Bulu was the first rector chosen outside the university since the 1980 coup d'état. [12] After the coup, Ergün Toğrol, who was an academician in Istanbul Technical University, had been appointed as the rector of Boğaziçi University. [13]
Hundreds began protesting on 4 January following the appointment, chanting slogans such as "Melih Bulu is not our rector" and "we don't want a plagiarist rector". In a shared statement, faculty regarded the appointment as a violation of "academic freedom and scientific autonomy, as well as the democratic values" of the Boğaziçi. [12][14]
Later on the day, one of the university's buildings was sealed off by students who were able to enter the campus. Then, protesters clashed with the police as they tried to break a barricade in front of the entry to the university, causing security forces to use pepper spray to disperse the demonstrators. Two students were detained in the course of protests. [12][15][16] By 6 January, 36 students were in detention. [17] Protests by students and faculty outside the rector's office have continued into February,[18][19] with many other Turkish universities and Boğaziçi alumni associations abroad joining in protest against the appointment. [20]
As part of an art exhibition organised for the protest, an artwork on campus reportedly depicting the Kaaba alongside a LGBT flag and a figure of Shahmaran led to the arrest of four students, who were in the exhibition team. [21][22] Turkish Ministry of Interior Süleyman Soylu referred to the arrested students as "four LGBT perverts", causing Twitter to later restrict his tweet. [23] After this event, Boğaziçi University LGBT Studies Club was closed by order from Melih Bulu. [24] Bulu defended and claimed himself as a LGBT rights advocate. [25]
On 1 February, police blocked the gate of the South Campus to prevent demonstration. Water cannon and barricades were installed. [26][27] Later that night, police stormed the campus and detained 159 students. [28][29][30] Several protestors in İzmir and 69 in Ankara were also detained. [31][32][33] On 2 February, Turkish police arrested and detained 104 near the university in Kadıköy, and responded to demonstrators with tear gas and rubber bullets. [34] Citizens of Istanbul banged pots and pans in many parts of the city to show their solidarity with the protest. [35] On 3 February, 50 people were detained in Izmir. [36]
On 12 March, students were arrested because they were showing rainbow flags during a demonstration. [37][38][39][40] On 26 March, students protested in front of the justice palace in Istanbul for their release. During this demonstration another 50 students were detained. [41][42][43] On 1 April, a demonstration took place in Kadıköy. 35 students were detained and they were released by night. [44]
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that "a routine appointment" was "being used to provoke the universities. "[45] He also named protestors as "terorists" and denounced LGBT youth. [46][47] MHP chairman Devlet Bahçeli stated in his written statement that the rector was appointed by legal means and the issue was closed. Bahçeli added that the protesters should not "strain their chances" and "not get caught up in anarchist projects", describing the protests "a conspiracy that needs to be crushed. "[48] Erdoğan's Secretary of Interior Soylu stated that rector elections do not need to be democratic. [49][50]
The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu from the center-left main opposition party CHP, supported the protests. [51] Canan Kaftancıoğlu, the chairwoman of the CHP branch in İstanbul also spoke in solidarity with the protest and was named by Erdoğan "a terrorist of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front." This led to a criminal complaint against the president by Kaftancıoğlu. [52]
23 days after the nomination of the new rector, no academic from the university had agreed to assist Bulu as vice-rector. [53][54] As of 1 February, Prof. Dr. Gürkan Kumbaroğlu and Prof. Dr. Mehmet Naci had been appointed as two of his assistants. [55] As of 24 March, Prof. Dr. Fazıl Önder Sönmez had been appointed as the last assistant to the rector. [56]
On 6 February 2021, 2 new faculties have been opened by the Turkish Presidency. [57] Protestors have seen this move as a creation of new staff to work with Bulu and giving legitimacy to him. [58][59] In March 2021 around 70 teachers of the university filed a lawsuit to depose Bulu from his office. [60][61] Meanwhile, Bulu appointed the physicist Naci Inci, who also agreed on the vice-chancellor position, to be the leader of the social-scientific center of the university. [62] After 6 months of protest, Bulu was removed by another presidential decree. [63]
In a column of the newspaper İleri Haber, Baran Doğan stated that since the government could not stop the protests through "oppression, violence and threats", they claimed that most of the demonstrators were not students but provocative terror groups in order to overshadow the legitimacy of the protests. [64]
|
Protest_Online Condemnation
| null | null |
Uganda Airlines Flight 775 crash
|
Uganda Airlines Flight 775 was a Boeing 707-338C, registration 5X-UBC, that crashed while attempting to land at Rome-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy on 17 October 1988. [1] Thirty-three of the 52 occupants on board were killed. [2][3][4]
Flight 775 took off from London-Gatwick bound for Entebbe with an intermediate stop in Rome. While descending into Rome, the flight crew was given clearance for an ILS approach to runway 16L. Due to poor visibility, a missed approach was carried out. A second approach was attempted to runway 25. This too had to be abandoned due to weather conditions. The crew requested radar vectoring to runway 34L. The aircraft was established on the localiser but descended through minimum safe altitude. [5] The aircraft impacted with some trees, then crashed, broke into pieces, and burst into flames approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) short of the runway. [6][7][8][9]
One of the 19 survivors was a former Ugandan ambassador to the Vatican. [10]
The probable cause of the crash was determined to be:
"The crew's lack of adequate preparation in the procedure for a Non Precision Approach on runway 34L at Fiumicino Airport, especially in the matter of crew coordination and altitude callouts and their continued descent beyond MDA[5] without having located the runway visual markings." The following factors may have contributed to the cause of the accident:
Part of the Board of Inquiry as well as the representative of the Ugandan CA, disassociated themselves from the majority, during the phase of identifying the factors that may have contributed to causing the accident. "[1]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
2 Ohio C-Store Associations to Merge
|
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association and the Ohio Association of Convenience Stores will merge to create the Ohio Energy and Convenience Association (OECA). The new group will officially debut in January 2022. “We are thrilled the members of the Ohio Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association (OPMCA) endorsed the merger with the Ohio Association of Convenience Stores (OACS). This monumental merger will allow the industry to speak with a single, unified voice about top priorities in a changing paradigm. Together, we will become a more forceful advocate for Ohio’s energy and convenience industry,” said Ryan Howard, chief operating officer of Truenorth Energy and board chairman for OPMCA. The new OECA, he said, will deliver value to both organizations’ members and will build an agile trade association focused on tomorrow’s transportation fuels challenges. “We pulled together key energy and convenience leaders from across Ohio. We rolled up our sleeves and mapped out a modern organization to promote public policy initiatives that will accelerate long-term industry growth,” said Jeff Erb, general manager of Saneholtz-McKarns Inc., president of the OACS Board of Directors and member of the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants Board of Directors. “This new association will have access to the strategic direction and political acumen of the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants and, as a result, will be positioned to become one of the most influential energy and convenience trade associations in the country,” Erb said. The Ohio Energy and Convenience Association will become an affiliate member of the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants. The council will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the association. “The Ohio Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association and the Ohio Association of Convenience Stores were trailblazers,” said Gordon Gough, president and CEO, Ohio Council of Retail Merchants. “Decade after decade, these statewide trade groups distinguished themselves with steadfast advocacy, superior education and valuable research. The energy and convenience industry is vital to our state’s economy and is essential for all Ohioans. The council is eager to serve this new, forward-looking group. “We have great respect for OPMCA and its achievements under the leadership of Jennifer Rhoads. We are humbled to take the reins for OECA.” Rhoads, the longtime OPMCA president and CEO, will pursue other professional opportunities following the initial merger transition. The Ohio Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association aims to advance and protect the interests of Ohio's small businesses in the petroleum and convenience industry. The Ohio Association of Convenience Stores represents issues of importance to independent family-owned enterprises, regional chains and national chains. Both are based in Columbus, Ohio.
|
Organization Merge
| null | null |
Illinois State Police Investigate I-55 shooting Wednesday night
|
According to State Police, around 10:45 p.m., officials were called to investigate the area of Interstate 55 and Martin Luther King Drive for reports of property damage due to an expressway shooting.
No injuries were reported, and I-55 northbound, near MLK Drive, was closed for an investigation around 11:50 p.m. Traffic was diverted off to Cermak Road.
DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 APP
All lanes were reopened around 12:09 a.m. Thursday.
State Police say they have responded to investigate 245 reported expressway shootings in the Chicagoland area, and Cook County expressways.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FOX 32 NEWSLETTER
Advertisement
Anyone who witnessed the shooting or knows anything about it is asked to contact the ISP by phone at 847-294-4400, or email at ISP.CrimeTips@Illinois.gov . Witnesses can remain anonymous.
|
Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
| null | null |
Former FDA Commissioner Gottlieb says U.S. intelligence agencies should investigate virus outbreaks
|
Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said Monday that U.S. intelligence agencies should be tasked with investigating emerging public health threats overseas to combat future disease outbreaks. Gottlieb, who also sits on Pfizer's board, told CNBC's "Squawk Box" that the public has lost trust in U.S. health agencies and called for more funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He said identifying problematic viruses abroad and equipping the CDC with better crisis mitigation resources would improve the nation's ability to counter any new contagions that arise. "I think going forward we're not going to just be able to depend on countries voluntarily sharing information," Gottlieb said in an appearance promoting his book, "Uncontrolled Spread." "We're going to have to go in and have the capacity to collect it and to monitor for these things, and that means getting our foreign intelligence services much more engaged in the public health mission globally." World Health Organization officials have said they weren't sure China disclosed all its data on Covid's origins. Gottlieb suggested that countries today are less forthcoming with disease details because they fear being isolated. He noted that the U.S. has avoided bringing intelligence agencies into international public health issues because the CDC worried that "anyone wearing a white coat overseas would be perceived to be a spy." Read CNBC's latest global coverage of the Covid pandemic: White House says about 900,000 kids ages 5 to 11 got a Covid vaccine in first week After weeks of declines, U.S. Covid cases have stalled at a high level: 'The ERs are packed' NIH director urges Americans to get Covid booster shots to curb breakthrough cases over holidays Labor union representing TSA and other federal workers urges White House to delay vaccine deadline Pfizer asks FDA to authorize Covid booster shots for all adults Besides treating outbreaks as national security matters, Gottlieb said the CDC was ill-prepared at the beginning of the pandemic for the subsequent widespread rollout of Covid tests and vaccines.The CDC's changing messaging around Covid prevention tactics also undermined the public's faith in the agency, Gottlieb said. But the proper resources, competencies and logistical management could help the CDC better handle public health emergencies, Gottlieb said. "I think coming out of this pandemic, a lot of people have lost confidence in the public health officials," Gottlieb said. "They felt that guidance wasn't well informed, it wasn't well articulated, it wasn't distributed in a way that we could assimilate it into our lives." The pandemic has highlighted the systemic bias in health-care facing people of color as well, Gottlieb said, including unequal access to Covid testing and technology. Improving the country's outbreak preparedness doesn't just entail bolstering the CDC and disease surveillance – it involves finding solutions for disparities in health-care and structural disadvantages permeating American society, Gottlieb said. "If we're going to make ourselves more resilient going forward to these kinds of public health crises, we're going to have to address those inequities and do more to make sure that we're getting adequate health care to people who have historically been locked out of those opportunities," Gottlieb said. Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer, genetic testing start-up Tempus, health-care tech company Aetion and biotech company Illumina. He also serves as co-chair of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings′ and Royal Caribbean's "Healthy Sail Panel."
|
Disease Outbreaks
| null | null |
botched armed bank robbery in January 1996
|
Lauretha A. Vaird (August 4, 1952 – January 2, 1996) was an American Philadelphia police officer who was shot dead by the rapper Christopher Roney aka "Cool C" during a botched armed bank robbery in January 1996. Roney attempted to rob the bank with another rapper, Warren McGlone aka "Steady B", and another man, Mark Canty. During the robbery, Vaird was mortally wounded by a gunshot wound in the abdomen and died soon after. Vaird was Philadelphia's first female police officer to be shot and killed in the line of duty. [2]
Vaird was a single mother of two boys. Before she became a police officer, she worked as a teacher's aide at Pickett Middle School in Germantown. She joined the Philadelphia police force in 1986 at the age of 34. [3] Before her death, she was a 9-year veteran with the 25th District. On January 2, 1996, at around 8:20 a.m., "Cool C" and "Steady B", and their accomplice, Canty, attempted to rob a PNC Bank branch in Feltonville, Philadelphia, at 4710 Rising Sun Avenue. [4] The men had stolen a green minivan for the job which was driven by McGlone who acted as the getaway driver. Roney and Canty went into the branch before it was due to open. Canty carried a 9 millimeter semi-automatic handgun and Roney was armed with a .38 caliber revolver. The bank had no security guards, which influenced the men to rob that particular branch. They held three bank employees at gunpoint and demanded access to the bank vault. Within moments of entering the bank, the silent alarm was tripped. Officer Vaird, who was in the area at the time and riding alone in a patrol car, responded to the alarm. [5]
Canty forced two of the bank employees to take him to the vault while Roney stood guard by the bank entrance covering the third employee. As Vaird entered the door to the bank with her weapon drawn, she was shot in the abdomen by Roney. Vaird was wearing a bulletproof vest, but it was without its bullet-resistant panels. After he shot her, Roney left the bank through the front door. Canty fled through a side entrance and left his gun at the scene. Roney then exchanged fire with another police officer, Donald Patterson, who arrived shortly after Vaird. Roney was able to escape and dropped his gun on the sidewalk outside the entrance to the bank. He got into the minivan with McGlone and the two men then fled. None of the three suspects stole anything from the bank. [6] Vaird was taken to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, where she died and was pronounced dead at 9:56 am, having been killed by the single shot to the abdomen. [7]
The two pistols used by the assailants were found separately outside different entrances to the bank. The stolen minivan that Roney and McGlone had escaped in was found abandoned about a mile from the bank. The police also found various items of clothing used as disguises by Canty and Roney. This evidence led to their warrants and arrests. The guns were traced back to both Canty and McGlone. [6] The .38 caliber revolver used by Roney belonged to Anthony Brown, a relative of Canty. It had been stolen from Brown and was last seen in Canty's possession before the bank robbery. The 9mm semi-automatic pistol was traced back to Richelle Parker, a friend of McGlone, who had bought the gun for him. [5]
McGlone was arrested outside his home two days later on January 4, 1996. He was charged with murder in the death of officer Vaird. After questioning McGlone, police issued a warrant for the arrests of Canty and Roney. Canty was arrested during a traffic stop in Maryland at a later date. [1] Roney surrendered to the police on January 6, 1996. [6]
Vaird died at the age of 43 and is buried at Ivy Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On October 30, 1996, McGlone and Canty were both sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. [4] McGlone is an inmate at the State Correctional Institution – Houtzdale and his inmate ID number is DD6864. [8] Canty is an inmate at the State Correctional Institution – Mahanoy and his inmate ID number is DD6842. [8] Roney was identified as the actual killer of Vaird, as he had been the one to fire the gun that killed her. On October 30, 1996, Roney was found guilty of first-degree murder, three counts of robbery, conspiracy, aggravated assault, burglary and possession of an instrument of crime. [5] On November 1, 1996, he received the death penalty for murdering Vaird. [9] He is currently on death row awaiting execution and is an inmate at the State Correctional Institution – Greene. [10] His inmate ID number is DF1973. [8]
On January 10, 2006, Roney's death warrant was signed by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and his execution date was set for March 9, 2006, (Rendell was Philadelphia's Mayor at the time of the robbery/murder). [9] He was granted a stay of execution from Pennsylvania Judge Gary Glazer on February 1, 2006, until all post-conviction litigation was resolved.
|
Bank Robbery
| null | null |
Principality of Andorra becomes IMF’s 190th Member
|
Washington, DC: The Principality of Andorra joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today when Ambassador Elisenda Vives Balmaña signed the IMF’s Articles of Agreement at a ceremony in Washington D.C. Andorra had applied for membership to the IMF in January 2020 (See Press Release 20/5 ).
Andorra’s initial quota1 in the IMF is SDR 82.5million (about US$ 116.4 million).
Following the signing ceremony, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva met with Ambassador Vives at IMF headquarters.
“I am very pleased to welcome Andorra as the 190th member of the IMF,” Ms. Georgieva said. “Andorra faces both short-term and long-term challenges common to European and other IMF member countries which have been aggravated by the pandemic. The IMF stands ready to work closely with the authorities and people of Andorra in achieving their post-pandemic growth and development objectives in cooperation with other partners in the international community,” she added.
|
Join in an Organization
| null | null |
National Airlines Flight 470 (1953) crash
|
National Airlines Flight 470 was a regularly scheduled flight between Tampa and New Orleans that crashed on February 14, 1953 after encountering severe turbulence. The crash marked the deadliest accident in the history of National Airlines, killing 46 (5 crew and 41 passengers), among them the widow of the cartoonist Billy DeBeck. The Douglas DC-6, registered N90893, crashed into the Gulf of Mexico 20 mi (32 km) off Mobile Point en route to New Orleans. [1] The USCGC Blackthorn assisted in search and recovery operations. [2][3][4][5] National Airlines did not maintain its own meteorology department, as was standard among airlines at the time, and its pilots were not informed of the strength of the storm into which they were flying. [6]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Mount Etna taller than ever as activity sparks volcanic growth spurt
|
Mount Etna’s south-eastern crater has grown in height after six months of activity, Italy’s volcano monitoring agency has said, making Europe’s tallest active volcano taller than ever. Etna’s youngest and most active crater has risen to a record of 3,357 metres (11,000ft) above sea level, said the National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV), based in the Sicilian city of Catania. “Thanks to the analysis and processing of satellite images, the south-east crater is now much higher than its ‘older brother’, the north-east crater, for 40 years the undisputed peak of Etna,” the INGV wrote in a press release. About 50 episodes of ash and lava belching from the mouth of the crater since mid-February have led to a “conspicuous transformation of the volcano’s outline”. The north-eastern crater reached a record height of 3,350 metres in 1981, but a collapse at its edges reduced that to 3,326 metres, recorded in 2018. The crater has been churning out smoke and ash since February, while posing little danger to surrounding villages. Sicily’s government estimated in July that 300,000 tonnes of ash had been cleaned up so far. The ash has been a nuisance in surrounding areas, dirtying streets, slowing traffic and damaging crops. In Catania, a two-hour drive from the volcano, pensioner Tania Cannizzaro told AFP that Mount Etna was both beautiful and an annoyance, with ash sometimes falling “like rain”. “Depending on the wind, the rumblings of the volcano reach Catania and make the windows shake,” she said, adding that the ashes turned the streets and balconies black. “But there is also the spectacle, especially in the evening, when you see this red plume that moves.”
|
Volcano Eruption
| null | null |
Pan Am Clipper Panama crash
|
Pan Am Flight Clipper Panama, Douglas DC-6B N5026K, was a cargo flight from Frankfurt to New York City. On 22 June 1959 it caught fire on takeoff and was destroyed. All six flight crew and two passengers survived. Pan American Airways Douglas DC-6B registered N5026K, named Clipper Panama[1] was delivered on 28 May 1954. In 1958 it spent some time on lease to National Airlines but was returned to Pan Am. [2]
On 22 June 1959, under charter, Clipper Panama departed Frankfurt for New York with intermediate stops at Heathrow Airport and Shannon Airport. Captain Robert Realm and First Officer Henry R. Hayes were onboard with a crew of four plus two passengers. [3] Having refueled at Shannon, the plane was preparing for take off and on applying takeoff power, a loud noise was heard and the takeoff abandoned. Engine No. 4 had separated from the wing and a fire erupted, destroying the aircraft just after the crew and passengers escaped in 30 seconds via the emergency chute. Six dogs died in the cargo hold, and an airport fire engine fighting the blaze caught fire and was destroyed. [4][5]
According to the Dublin Evening Herald, cargo and some mail were destroyed in the resulting fire but it is unclear where the mail had been loaded. [3]
The No. 4 engine suffered a fatigue failure of its No. 1 propeller blade. According to lab results, the blade had previously been bent which resulted "in the disruption of the compressive stresses in the shot peened area of the propeller blade" being the probable cause because the unbalanced loads on the engine mounts resulted in the separation of the entire engine. [4]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
United Airlines Trip 4 crash
|
United Airlines Trip 4 was a Boeing 247D operating on a scheduled flight from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Cheyenne, Wyoming, on October 7, 1935. The aircraft last contacted Cheyenne at 2:16 or 2:17 a.m. reporting its position as Silver Crown. Cheyenne called the flight at 2:21 a.m., receiving no reply. The weather was virtually clear with ceiling unlimited. The wreckage was located three miles (4.8 km) east of Silver Crown. The aircraft struck the ground in a shallow descent just below a small knoll. Marks on the ground made by the propellers, fuselage, and engine showed the aircraft was in a normal flight attitude. Propeller marks and engine damage established the engines were developing normal power and the aircraft was at cruising speed. An untouched knoll 60 feet (18 m) further back on the flight path and three feet (0.9 m) higher established that the aircraft was descending. The pilot was believed to be flying on instruments. The probable cause was determined to be pilot error in failing to monitor altitude or location. Coordinates: 41°10′44″N 105°15′11″W / 41.179°N 105.253°W / 41.179; -105.253
|
Air crash
| null | null |
UN: Famine is imminent in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region
|
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Famine is imminent in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region and in the country’s north, the U.N. humanitarian chief said, warning there’s a risk that hundreds of thousands of people or more will die. Mark Lowcock said the economy has been destroyed along with businesses, crops and farms and there are no banking or telecommunications services. “We are hearing of starvation-related deaths already,” he said in a statement Friday. “People need to wake up,” Lowcock said. “The international community needs to really step up, including through the provision of money.” No one knows how many thousands of civilians or combatants have been killed since months of political tensions between Ethiopian President Abiy Ahmed’s government and the Tigray leaders who once dominated Ethiopia’s government exploded into war last November. Eritrea, a longtime Tigray enemy, teamed up with neighboring Ethiopia in the conflict. In late May, Lowcock painted a grim picture of Tigray since the war began, with an estimated 2 million people displaced, civilians killed and injured, rapes and other forms of “abhorrent sexual violence” widespread and systematic, and public and private infrastructure essential for civilians destroyed, including hospitals and agricultural land. “There are now hundreds of thousands of people in northern Ethiopia in famine conditions,” Lowcock said. “That’s the worse famine problem the world has seen for a decade, since a quarter of a million Somalis lost their lives in the famine there in 2011. This now has horrible echoes of the colossal tragedy in Ethiopia in 1984.” In the disastrous famine of 1984-85, about 2 million Africans died of starvation or famine-related ailments, about half of them in Ethiopia. “There is now a risk of a loss of life running into the hundreds of thousands or worse,” Lowcock said. He said getting food and other humanitarian aid to all those in need is proving very difficult for aid agencies. The United Nations and the Ethiopian government have helped about 2 million people in recent months in northern Ethiopia, mainly in government-controlled areas, he said. But Lowcock said there are more than 1 million people in places controlled by Tigrayan opposition forces and “there have been deliberate, repeated, sustained attempts to prevent them getting food.” In addition, there are places controlled by the Eritreans and other places controlled by militia groups where it is extremely difficult to deliver aid, he said. “The access for aid workers is not there because of what men with guns and bombs are doing and what their political masters are telling them to do,” the undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs said. Lowcock said all the blockages need to be rolled back and the Eritreans, “who are responsible for a lot of this need to withdraw,” so aid can get through to those facing famine. “Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed needs to do what he said he was going to do and force the Eritreans to leave Ethiopia,” he said. Lowcock said leaders of the seven major industrialized nations -- the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, Italy and Canada -- need to put the humanitarian crisis and threat of widespread famine in northern Ethiopia on the agenda of their summit from June 11-13 in Cornwall, England. “Everyone needs to understand that were there to be a colossal tragedy of the sort that happened in 1984 the consequences would reach far and last long,” he said.
|
Famine
| null | null |
2019 Colombia DC-3 crash
|
On 9 March 2019 a Douglas DC-3 operated by Latinoamericana de Servicios Aereo (Laser Aéreo) crashed near San Carlos de Guaroa, Colombia. [1][2]
[3][4][5] The plane was on a flight from Jorge Enrique González Torres Airport, San José del Guaviare to La Vanguardia Airport, Villavicencio. [1] All 14 people on board were killed, including the mayor of Taraira, Doris Villegas. [1] The crew were attempting to land at Villavicencio and had just declared an emergency. [1]
The Aeronautica Civil reports that the aircraft, registered HK-2494, was built in 1945,[5][6] for the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) as a Douglas TC-47B-DK (USAAF 44-76773 / MSN 16357 / 33105), and converted to a Douglas R4D-7 (USN Bureau Number 99826) for the United States Navy on 14 May 1945. [7][3] Re-designated as a Douglas TC-47K in 1962,[7][3] it was transferred to the University of Texas at Austin on 8 Oct 1971 with civil registration N87611. [7][3]
As the aircraft was cruising, the left engine suffered a failure, which disabled the oil system in that engine. The crew then radioed in a mayday and began a diversion to land at a runway at La Rinconada, a plantation. While they were descending, the crew could not feather the engine like was required in a engine failure, thus they began to lose speed as the engine windmilled, creating drag. At 10:31 am local time, the crew made their final transmission stating they had the runway in sight. Ground witnesses in the area said they saw the aircraft doing several turns while descending. The aircraft then crashed in proximity to a road, coming to rest just over the road, on fire. Plantation workers rushed to help, but they found no survivors.
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Great Chinese Famine
|
The Great Chinese Famine (Chinese: 三年大饥荒, "three years of great famine") was a period between 1959 and 1961 in the history of the People's Republic of China (PRC) characterized by widespread famine. [1][2][3][4][5] Some scholars have also included the years 1958 or 1962. [6][7][8][9] The Great Chinese Famine is widely regarded as the deadliest famine and one of the greatest man-made disasters in human history, with an estimated death toll due to starvation that ranges in the tens of millions (15 to 55 million). [note 1]
The major contributing factors in the famine were the policies of the Great Leap Forward (1958 to 1962) and people's communes, such as inefficient distribution of food due to the planned economy, requiring the use of poor agricultural techniques, the Four Pests Campaign that reduced bird populations (which disrupted the ecosystem), over-reporting of grain production (which was actually decreasing), and ordering millions of farmers to switch to iron and steel production. [3][5][7][12][14][16] During the Seven Thousand Cadres Conference in early 1962, Liu Shaoqi, the second Chairman of the PRC, formally attributed 30% of the famine to natural disasters and 70% to man-made errors ("三分天灾, 七分人祸"). [7][17][18] After the launch of Reforms and Opening Up, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officially stated in June 1981 that the famine was mainly due to the mistakes of the Great Leap Forward as well as the Anti-Rightist Campaign, in addition to some natural disasters and the Sino-Soviet split. [1][2]
Besides the name "Three Years of Great Famine" (simplified Chinese: 三年大饥荒; traditional Chinese: 三年大饑荒; pinyin: Sānnián dà jīhuāng), the famine has been known by many names. The government of the People's Republic of China called it:[1][2][19][20]
Policy changes affecting how farming was organized, with devastating effects, coincided with droughts and floods. As a result, year-over-year grain production fell dramatically in China. The harvest was down by 15% in 1959 compared to 1958, and by 1960, it was at 70% of its 1958 level. [21] Specifically, according to China's governmental data, crop production decreased from 200 million tons (or 400 billion jin) in 1958 to 170 million tons (or 340 billion jin) in 1959, and to 143.5 million tons (or 287 billion jin) in 1960. [22]
The excess mortality associated with the famine has been estimated by various CCP officials and international experts, with most giving a number in the range of 15-55 million deaths. Some specific estimates include the following:
Liu Desheng, guilty of poaching a sweet potato, was covered in urine ... He, his wife, and his son were also forced into a heap of excrement. Then tongs were used to prise his mouth open after he refused to swallow excrement. He died three weeks later. [48]
Due to the lack of food and incentive to marry at that time, according to China's official statistics, China's population in 1961 was about 658,590,000, some 14,580,000 lower than in 1959. [52] The birth rate decreased from 2.922% (1958) to 2.086% (1960) and the death rate increased from 1.198% (1958) to 2.543% (1960), while the average numbers for 1962–1965 are about 4% and 1%, respectively. [52] The mortality in the birth and death rates both peaked in 1961 and began recovering rapidly after that, as shown on the chart of census data displayed on the left. [53][54] Some outlier estimates include 11 million by Utsa Patnaik, an Indian Marxist economist,[55][note 2] as well as 3.66 million by Sun Jingxian (孙经先), a Chinese mathematician. [56] It is widely believed that the government seriously under-reported death tolls: Lu Baoguo, a Xinhua reporter based in Xinyang, explained to Yang Jisheng why he never reported on his experience:[57]
In the second half of 1959, I took a long-distance bus from Xinyang to Luoshan and Gushi. Out of the window, I saw one corpse after another in the ditches. On the bus, no one dared to mention the dead. In one county, Guangshan, one-third of the people had died. Although there were dead people everywhere, the local leaders enjoyed good meals and fine liquor. ... I had seen people who had told the truth being destroyed. Did I dare to write it? Yu Dehong, the secretary of a party official in Xinyang in 1959 and 1960, stated:[57]
I went to one village and saw 100 corpses, then another village and another 100 corpses. No one paid attention to them. People said that dogs were eating the bodies. Not true, I said. The dogs had long ago been eaten by the people. There are widespread oral reports, and some official documentation, of human cannibalism being practiced in various forms as a result of the famine. [58][59]:352[a][60] Due to the scale of the famine, the resulting cannibalism has been described as being "on a scale unprecedented in the history of the 20th century". [58][59]
The Great Chinese Famine was caused by a combination of radical agricultural policies, social pressure, economic mismanagement, and natural disasters such as droughts and floods in farming regions. Mao Zedong, Chair of the Chinese Communist Party, introduced drastic changes in farming policy prohibiting farm ownership. Failure to abide by the policies led to punishment. [46][61][62]
During the Great Leap Forward, farming was organized into people's communes and the cultivation of privately owned plots was forbidden. The agricultural economy was centrally planned, and regional Party leaders were given production quotas for the communes under their control. Their output was then appropriated by the state and distributed at its discretion. In 2008, Yang Jisheng would summarize the effect of the production targets as an inability for supply to be redirected to where it was most demanded:
In Xinyang, people starved at the doors of the grain warehouses. As they died, they shouted, "Communist Party, Chairman Mao, save us". If the granaries of Henan and Hebei had been opened, no one need have died. As people were dying in large numbers around them, officials did not think to save them. Their only concern was how to fulfill the delivery of grain. [57]
The degree to which people's communes helped bring about the famine is controversial. Each region dealt with the famine differently, and timelines of the famine are not uniform across China. One argument is that excessive eating took place in the mess halls, and that this directly led to a worsening of the famine. If excessive eating had not taken place, one scholar argued, "the worst of the Great Leap Famine could still have been avoided in mid-1959".
|
Famine
| null | null |
Haiti sees first African swine fever outbreak in 37 years -OIE
|
CHICAGO, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Haiti has recorded its first outbreak of the fatal pig virus African swine fever in 37 years, the World Organisation for Animal Health said, fueling concerns about the disease's spread in the Americas. An operation in Anse-à-Pitre, near Haiti's border with the Dominican Republic, suffered an outbreak that began on Aug. 26, the organisation known as OIE said in a report on Monday. The detection is "unfortunate" but not surprising due to recent cases in the Dominican Republic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Tuesday. The agency is consulting with animal health officials in both countries. Outbreaks on Hispaniola raise worries that African swine fever could spread to the United States, which has never had the disease, and temporarily cripple U.S. pork exports. Governments often block imports of pork from countries where the disease has been found to prevent transmission. The United States already prohibits Haitian and Dominican pork due to another pig disease there, according to the USDA. Still, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is increasing inspections for illegal pork on flights from Hispaniola and making sure airplane garbage is properly disposed of, the USDA said. The USDA in July reported the Dominican Republic had the Americas' first cases of African swine fever in nearly 40 years. read more Last week, the USDA confirmed Haiti's outbreak through testing at a laboratory on Plum Island in New York, the OIE said. Haiti is conducting surveillance for the disease and imposed a quarantine to control the outbreak, the OIE said. African swine fever is harmless to humans but often fatal to pigs. It originated in Africa before spreading to Europe and Asia and has killed hundreds of millions of pigs. The disease spread rapidly in China starting three years ago and wiped out half the country's hog herd within a year. In Haiti, the outbreak is the latest challenge for residents and the government following an earthquake and the president's assassination.
|
Disease Outbreaks
| null | null |
2020 Icheon fire
|
A major fire occurred on 29 April 2020 at a construction site in Icheon, South Korea, killing 39 people and injuring another 10. [2][3][4] Blood samples taken from 23 victims indicate most had died from carbon monoxide poisoning. [5] Autopsies have been completed on 15 of the 39 people killed, as recommended by South Korea authorities, but has angered victims' families. [5] All killed workers were irregular or subcontract workers. [6]
The building under construction has four floors above-ground and two more underground. The building did not have sprinklers or other obligatory safety measures. [6] The fire broke out when some 78 workers were in the sub-basement working on polyurethane foam. [7] The first explosion occurred around 13:30 (4:30 UTC). [1] At least 10 explosions were heard. [4]
Authorities launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire and what safety regulations were violated. [6]
An earlier fire at a refrigerated warehouse in Icheon on 7 January 2008 had killed 40 workers. [2]
|
Fire
| null | null |
Use caution when sick birds appear at feeders
|
I received an email from Unicoi residents Judy and Bill Beckman about a distressing situation at their feeders. “We sadly took down our feeders early this week,” the email read. “We began seeing house finches with swollen, crusty eyes and ruffled and missing feathers. The email also indicated that some of the Northern cardinals also had a lot of missing feathers and a ruffled look. The Beckmans noted that they are aware that cardinals molt, but added that it seemed like they were seeing more than usual. They’ve also seen some blue jays and a flock of robins with motley appearances and missing feathers. They had received an alert earlier this year from the Elizabethton Bird Club about a mysterious disease that is causing bird die-offs. The alert described the victims having swollen eyes and ruffled feathers. “Any confirmation of that happening here now? Any updates would be appreciated. I answered the email, starting with the more immediate problem of the house finches. Back in the 1990s, house finches were decimated by mycoplasmal conjunctivitis. Humans can get infected with conjunctivitis, which is commonly called “pink eye.” According to the Project FeederWatch website, infected finches have red, swollen, runny or crusty eyes. In extreme cases the eyes become swollen shut and the bird becomes blind. Observers might find an infected bird sitting quietly while clumsily scratching an eye against its foot or a perch. While some infected birds recover, many die from starvation, exposure or predation. Since the early outbreaks, the disease has affected several other wild bird species, including American goldfinch, evening grosbeak and purple finch. I recall seeing both house finches and pine siskins suffering from this disease. I haven’t seen it as often in recent years, which has been a relief. Salmonella is another disease that can affect birds. As most people know, salmonella can also have serious consequences for human health. Finches, especially in the West Coast states of Oregon and California, have been hard hit by salmonella in recent months. “Salmonellosis occurs periodically in pine siskins in some winters throughout their range. When large numbers of pine siskins congregate, the disease can spread rapidly causing high mortality. Most birds die within 24 hours of infection,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife Senior Environmental Scientist Krysta Rogers, an avian disease specialist. Birds become infected with salmonella when they ingest food, water or come into contact with objects, such as bird feeders, perches or soil, contaminated with feces from an infected bird. Sick birds often appear weak, have labored breathing, and may sit for prolonged periods with fluffed or ruffled feathers. Salmonellosis is almost exclusively reported from locations with bird feeders where birds congregate. Rogers advised that residents can help reduce disease transmission by removing bird feeders and bird baths. Allowing birds to feed on natural seeds rather than at bird feeders reduces contact between birds and helps slow spread of the disease. Some of the flocks of finches have been exceptionally large this winter, which is why it’s a good idea to closely monitor the birds at your feeders. At the first sign of illness, take steps to disinfect feeders. It’s a good idea to clean feeders on a regular basis. A spray with a weak bleach water solution followed by a few swipes with a clean towel can help. Once an outbreak is evident, however, the best course would be to stop feeding birds for a short period. Songbirds aren’t the only birds affected by disease outbreaks. Waterfowl are often vulnerable. Like finches, many species of ducks and geese also form large flocks. Some of the diseases that can run rampant in waterfowl populations include avian influenza, avian cholera and avian botulism. According to the Ducks Unlimited website, major avian botulism outbreaks have been reported throughout North America for more than a century. In 1910, avian botulism resulted in the deaths of millions of waterfowl in California and Utah, and another incident in 1952 killed an estimate 4 million to 5 million waterfowl across the western United States. In 1999, the West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne disease, arrived in the United States. This disease is typically a mild nuisance for most infected people, but in some circumstances the virus can be lethal. The virus, which first appeared in the United States in 1999 after being discovered in 1937 in the African nation of Uguanda, also didn’t confine itself to the human population. Soon after its arrival in the United States, the virus began decimating American crows. Two decades later, experts have been able to study the consequences of West Nile virus on both humans and wild birds. According to an article by Hugh Powell published Oct. 15, 2010, on the All About Birds website, the disease afflicted crows more than any other bird species. “West Nile virus hit American crows particularly hard,” Powell wrote. “When the disease first appeared in New York City, in summer 1999, nearly 5,500 crows died in four months. Tests suggested the disease was 100-percent fatal to crows.” Many other species, from jays and magpies to gulls and chickadees, also proved susceptible, according to the All About Birds article. Millions of birds died as West Nile swept across the continent in just five years. An interesting thing happened as the virus spread across the country. As viral diseases often tend to do, West Nile apparently became less virulent. The American crow population did hit frightening lows, but the species appears to have managed to rebound. Where’s the silver lining in regard to all these stories? Here is a sliver of light through the dark clouds. Birds are resilient, just like humans. They can usually overcome anything nature might throw at them. I suspect there could be several different diseases at work that are causing multiple but unrelated die-offs among certain birds. The house finch bacterial disease is a recurring problem for this species. I do think that the cardinals, blue jays and perhaps the robins are simply having difficult molts. Molting, or the process of shedding and replacing feathers, doesn’t always go smoothly for crested birds like jays and cardinals. The bald-headed cardinal is a late-summer fixture. Here’s a significant announcement made on Sept. 13. In a joint statement issued by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. “All states affected by the mysterious bird illness of summer 2021 have lifted their do-not-feed recommendations. No cause has yet been determined, but cases are no longer being reported.” I think the Beckmans made the right decision to remove their feeders. In a couple of weeks, I think they can put the feeders back out, monitor carefully, and see if any signs of disease return. Contagious diseases, particularly among flocking birds, are a fact of life, just like the cold and flu season for humans. We can, however, take steps to mitigate outbreaks. Keep feeding the birds, but play the diligent host. Put out only the amount of seed that visiting birds can eat in a single day. Monitor the flocks for any sign of illness and respond quickly if such signs are detected. Yes, do keep feeding the birds, but be safe and attentive while doing so. The Erwin Record is an award-winning weekly newspaper based in Unicoi County, Tenn., with a circulation of nearly 5,000.
|
Disease Outbreaks
| null | null |
Egyptian farmers fearful as locust threat looms - The New ...
|
Egyptian farmers fearful as locust threat looms
(Amr Emam/IRIN)
العربية
CAIRO
Scattered pockets of locusts in southern Egypt and northern Sudan are a threat to agricultural land, warns the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Countries along the Red Sea should remain on “high alert and make every effort to find and treat all infestations”, it says.
During January, immature locusts known as “hoppers” formed bands and swarms along the coastal plains of the Red Sea, increasing locust numbers significantly in southeastern Egypt, northeastern Sudan, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia, FAO said in its January bulletin .
Despite “substantial” ground control operations in these countries, “more swarms are expected to form in northeast Sudan and southeast Egypt in the coming weeks,” it added in a 17 February update on its website.
“The desert locust is a difficult pest to control,” said Mamoon AlAlawi, secretary of FAO’s Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region, which includes Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Oman and Yemen. “Limited resources for locust monitoring and control, and political turmoil within and between affected countries further reduce the capacity of a country to undertake the necessary monitoring and control activities.”
AlAlawi said this threat was unlikely to turn into a humanitarian crisis, with the winter breeding period coming to a close and the current number of swarms relatively limited. Still, if the rains are strong in the coming weeks, increased breeding could lead to more swarms. “The situation is potentially dangerous,” he said, if swarms reach the interior of Saudi Arabia, a breeding area during the spring.
So far, a small number of locust swarms have appeared in areas near Egyptian tourist resorts in Marsa Allam and in the partially desert area of the New Valley, according to local media reports. Numerous high-density groups of mature adult locusts also laid eggs in the Abraaq area of the southern Red Sea coast in Egypt, and by the end of January, immature adults were also forming groups there, FAO said. In northern Sudan, swarms have invaded cropping areas in the interior in recent days, attacking winter crops and fruit orchards.
Action
Late last year the Ministry of Agriculture sent 14 combat squads to the south, having learned a lesson from tardy action against the 2004 locust invasion , (Arabic). Nearly 11,000 hectares were cleared of locusts in January, with the support of the FAO Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region, which strives to minimize the use of pesticides, through its EMPRES programme .
But despite these efforts, locust numbers increased significantly in January, especially along the Red Sea coast between Egypt and Sudan, FAO said.
AlAlawi said the first warning about the current situation of desert locusts in Egypt was issued at the end of last summer, “so sufficiently in advance”. The control operations were successful in minimizing the threat, but some swarms survived and headed to the Red Sea, where weather conditions were warmer. This encouraged breeding and they were able to lay eggs in December and January.
“As Desert Locusts are always on the move, it is difficult to totally control them in one time,” AlAlawi said.
Others are more critical of the eradication efforts.
"The fact is that locusts had already managed to cross the border into Egypt and this means that they will threaten our fields," said Ahmed Amr, a professor of agriculture from Zagazig University. "This shows that the government did not do its job of combating these insects at the border well. Once these locusts are in, you cannot stop them from ravaging the crops."
Meanwhile, experts like Saeed Al Zeiny, a professor of entomology from Ain Shams University, pin their hopes on the weather. He says if the direction of the wind changes, locusts might be forced to change their course.
"It is not easy to control locust hordes on the move," Al Zeiny said. "Everybody must also know that these locusts keep changing every now and then. This means that the pesticides that proved efficient last year can be inefficient this year."
A lot to lose
Egypt is Africa's biggest wheat grower, with expected output of 8.5 million tons in 2012-2013, according to the International Grains Council. With around 3.6 million hectares of agricultural land in Egypt, there is a lot at stake in the case of a major locust invasion.
The country’s worst locust invasion since the 1950s was in November 2004, when millions of the red desert insects swept into Cairo and the Nile Delta. At the time, the Land Centre for Human Rights, a local NGO devoted to agriculture issues, reported that 38 percent (Arabic) of Egypt's crops had been damaged as a result of the invasion.
Abdurrahman Afifi, a farmer from the town of Al Ayat south of Cairo who lost all his five acres of crops in the 2004 locust invasion, has already started warning neighbours and relatives to scatter poison bait or dust in their fields to combat the insects. "The problem is that most of these people earn their living solely from agriculture. This means that they will lose everything if they lose their crops," he said.
|
Insect Disaster
| null | null |
Sheffield tree felling protests
|
The Sheffield tree felling protests are a series of ongoing protests and unrest happening since 2014 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The protests began as a response to the mass felling of healthy street trees across Sheffield since 2012 as part of the controversial ‘Streets Ahead’ Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract signed by Sheffield City Council (SCC), Amey plc and the Department for Transport. The protests have resulted in many arrests across the city along with threats of legal action against Sheffield City Council and Amey plc in order to help prevent unnecessary felling of street trees in Sheffield. Due to a pause of tree felling in 2018 as part of a new approach developed by Sheffield City Council to maintain street trees, the number of protests have reduced since 2018. Final plans for a peace deal between Sheffield City Council and the tree campaigners are due for Spring 2021. The £2.2 billion ‘Streets Ahead’ Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract was signed by Sheffield City Council (SCC), Amey plc and the Department for Transport. It was planned to be a 25 year contract between 20 August 2012 and 19 August 2037 for highway, pavement and street light renewal, and included the management of Sheffield’s highway trees. [1][2] SCC indicated that up to 10,000 trees would be felled and replaced[3] although wording in the PFI contract indicated a target of 17,500. [4] SCC initially denied that 17,500 was an actual target,[5] however, evidence from an SCC Cabinet Meeting found that in 2010[6] that SCC planned to remove and replant 17,500 trees as part of the PFI contract. At the start of the PFI contract, Acorn Environmental Management Group (AEMG) were sub-contracted by Amey to re-survey Sheffield’s highway trees. A 2012 survey by Acorn stated that around 1,000 trees (dead, dying, diseased, dangerous) would be felled along with raising 6,300 other pruning and maintenance jobs. Steve Robinson, SCC’s Head of Highway Maintenance, stated in an interview by The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation that half of the city’s 36,000 highway trees would be felled and replaced with saplings. [7][8]
Highway officials in February 2013, stated in an interview with the Sheffield Star that 1,250 trees across the city would be felled and replaced, with more than hundred street trees being considered for felling if they were considered to be damaging road surfaces or causing a hazard. [9]
In January 2014, controversy flared in Stocksbridge around the felling of a 450-year-old Melbourne Oak. Despite local protests and an expert survey showing that the tree was ‘uncompromised’ the tree was felled anyway. [10] In September 2014, residents of Heeley campaigned to prevent the felling of 189 mature trees that were to make way for a bus-lane, resulting in those trees being saved. [11]
In May, The first tree campaign group for the city Save Our Rustlings Trees (SORT) was formed before being later renamed ‘Save Our Roadside Trees’. [12] This was then followed by the formation of Sheffield Tree Action Groups (S.T.A.G.) in August. [13] Later in the year, local tree campaign groups were formed in Crookes, Dore, Gleadless Valley, Nether Edge and Rivelin Valley. SCC launched the ‘Independent Tree Panel’ (ITP) in November, whose members would provide advice over whether a tree should be saved or not. [14] Over time, the majority of the ITP’s recommendations to save trees were ignored by Amey and the Council. In November 2015, SCC launched public ‘consultations’ which were hand-delivered to local residents on a street-by-street basis, called the ‘The Independent Tree Panel Household Survey’. Emeritus Professor Greg Brooks, of The University of Sheffield, criticised the validity of the survey method in an expert analysis showing why the ‘Household Survey’ is unrepresentative and undemocratic. STAG carried out door-to-door surveys by speaking to residents, with those figures differing from those carried out by Amey. Some have labelled the ‘Household Survey’ ‘divisive’ and a threat to the strong community bonds of the city. [15]
By the end of 2015, 3,068 trees had been felled across the city. [16]
In February 2016, the High Court issued an interim injunction, ordering the council to halt felling from February to April 2016. [17] In June 2016, once the three-month injunction came to an end, felling recommenced on trees on Bannerdale Road and South Yorkshire Police (SYP) were involved for the first time. [18]
In November 2016, during a peaceful campaign to protect a tree on Marden Road, involving five residents and members of STAG, two people were arrested under Section 241 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act (1992), designed to deal with ‘Flying Pickets.’ The validity of these charges against people exercising their right to peaceful protest was hotly disputed by STAG. [19]
On 17 November 2016, under Julie Dore's leadership, a felling of eight trees took place around 4 am at the Rustlings Road area of Sheffield, leading to the arrest of two peaceful protesters, under section 241 of Trade Union Relation Act. [20]
The tree felling programme sparked the sign-up of over 9,900 members to Sheffield Tree Action Groups (STAG) Facebook group against the mass removal of Sheffield's street trees. [21]
A Green Party councillor and six other protesters were arrested in February 2017, during a protest to prevent a tree from being felled in Chippinghouse Road, Nether Edge. [22]
In August 2017, about 5000 trees had been felled since 2012 and Sheffield City Council won a court battle in order to bring injunctions against protesters considered to take unlawful action to prevent trees from being felled. [23]
In January 2018, a man was arrested for allegedly attacking a police officer during a felling protest at Meersbrook Park Road[24] before another man was arrested five days later for another felling at the same location. [25] Three people were arrested in February 2018 during a protest to stop trees from being felled at Thornsett Road, Nether Edge. [26] In March 2018, two men were arrested for protesting against the tree felling at Kenwood Road, Nether Edge, with one of the campaigners being forcibly removed from under a vehicle. [27] Two women were arrested later in March for protesting against the felling of lime trees in Chatsworth Road, Dore. [28]
Following the controversy, there was a halt to the tree felling since March 2018. [29] The pause lasted throughout the year whilst representatives from Sheffield City Council, Amey and Sheffield Tree Action Group held extended talks, mediated independently by the Bishop of Sheffield. [30] Following this, about 200 trees which were due to be felled were retained. [31] Following the mediated talks an action plan, which supports a new approach to managing the city's street trees, was agreed between the council and Sheffield Trees Action Groups (STAG). The plan claims to identify practical solutions for retaining more street trees as part of a new approach adopted by the council and its wider partners. [32] There have been no widespread protests on this issue since. Under Dore's leadership, SCC committed to a 15-year Woodlands Strategy which will see the planting of least 100,000 additional trees, and replace trees on a 2-for-1 basis in the city's green spaces and woodlands. [33] It was also mentioned in January 2018 that 1,200 new highway trees would be planted during winter 2018, including trees historically felled and not replanted. [34]
In February 2019, seven campaigners who were arrested between November 2016 and February 2017 were awarded a wrongful arrest payout of £24,300 along with a drop of criminal charges. [35] A year-long investigation found that the council deliberately misled residents over the tree felling programme. [36] In December 2019, SCC apologised for the initial strategy admitting that they 'got things wrong', and argued they had a renewed commitment to the city's trees and highway network, whilst promising to continue the collaborative with STAG, which was warmly welcomed by the group's co-chair. [37]
In 2020, it was reported that a peace deal had been drawn up between the protesters and SCC based on a shared vision for the city's trees, helping to shape a final plan due for Spring 2021, potentially ending the eight-year unrest.
|
Protest_Online Condemnation
| null | null |
8 die in New Year's Eve carbon monoxide poisoning in Bosnia
|
Bosnian police say eight young men and women have died in a cottage in southwest Bosnia, apparently from carbon monoxide poisoning during a New Year’s Eve celebration
On Location: November 12, 2021
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- Eight young men and women have died in a cottage in southwest Bosnia, apparently from carbon monoxide poisoning during a New Year's Eve celebration, police said Friday.
Local police spokeswoman Martina Medic told The Associated Press that police responded to a call around 10 a.m. and went to a house in Tribistovo where several people were found dead. The village is 150 kilometers (90) southwest of Sarajevo, the capital.
Regional police Commissioner Milan Galic later told N1 broadcaster that the victims were local residents, four men and four women, aged 18-20.
“They most probably suffocated but more information will be available after the investigation,” said Galic.
The Posusje municipality, where the village is located, in a Facebook post mourned “eight young lives lost,” and urged local cafes and restaurants to close down to honor the victims. Top officials from Bosnia and Croatia offered condolences to their families.
Bosnian and Croatian media said the eight were high school and university students who died from carbon monoxide leaking from a generator they used for heating as they celebrated New Year’s Eve in a holiday cottage.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas that can cause sudden illness and death.
|
Mass Poisoning
| null | null |
UPDATE: Suspect Arrested During Armed Bank Robbery in Gaithersburg
|
by Jordan Lindsay Update (October 8): Officers from both the Montgomery County Police Department and Gaithersburg Police Department arrested and charged 30-year-old Samrat Lama for the armed robbery of a WellsFargo bank in Gaithersburg on Tuesday. An employee called 9-1-1 shortly after 10:00 a.m. and stated that the bank located on the 600 block of North Frederick Avenue was being robbed. Officers arrived approximately two minutes after receiving the call and found Lama still inside; he was taken into custody. An investigation revealed that Lama entered the bank and told an employee he was interested in opening a savings account. According to an MCPD press release, Lama took a knife from his book bag during the interaction and pointed it at the employee and demanded money from the tellers. He then placed the money in a trash bag that he had removed from his book bag. Lama also went to the drive-thru teller and demanded more cash. As Lama returned to the bank lobby, he was met with officers where he was arrested. Lama was transported to the Central Processing Unit and charged with armed robbery. He is being held without bond. Authorities say there were no injuries. Original Post (October 6): Montgomery County Police are investigating an armed bank robbery at a Wells Fargo in Gaithersburg. On Tuesday, police responded to the 600 block of N. Frederick Avenue shortly after 10:00 a.m. Authorities say the suspect is in custody and a weapon was recovered. There are no additional suspects at large. There were no injuries reported. MCPD says additional details about the suspect will be released soon as the investigation continues. MCP investigative armed bank robbery at 607 N. Frederick Rd in Gaithersburg. Suspect is in custody and weapon was recovered. No add’l suspects at large. Initial call rcvd at 10:02am Add’l details provided as info is confirmed. — Montgomery County Department of Police (@mcpnews) October 6, 2020 spotlight-slider Montgomery County Police Gaithersburg video gaithersburg police department mcpd wells fargo Gaithersburg bank robbery N. Frederick Avenue Samrat Lama
|
Bank Robbery
| null | null |
2021 Go North West strike
|
The 2021 Go North West strike was a labour strike involving bus drivers working for Go North West, a bus operator in Greater Manchester, England, that lasted from 28 February to 18 May. The strike involved approximately 500 drivers unionised with Unite the Union and was caused by disagreements over the labour contracts between the company and employees. Starting in March 2020, Go North West began negotiating new working arrangements with Unite with the goal of cutting costs for their Queens Road bus depot. While the union and company negotiated through 2020, neither side could come to an agreement. In August, Go North West began directly negotiating with drivers one-on-one, with Unite alleging that the company was "bullying" employees into excepting deals that would lower the workers' salaries. In addition, the union accused the company of firing drivers and then rehiring them under less favourable contracts. Following protests against this in September, the union and company restarted negotiations, and in December, the union made their final offer to the company with an agreement that would have seen approximately £1.2 million in annual savings. However, the company rejected this offer, instead aiming to cut approximately £1.8 million. Negotiations ended in January 2021, after which Unite began to prepare for possible industrial action against the company. On 9 February, drivers voted in favour of striking, which began on 28 February. From the beginning of the strike, the drivers had support from numerous local activist and trade union groups, such as the Manchester Trades Union Council. Discussions between the union and company were held in late March, but ended without an agreement. Subsequently, the strike continued for several more weeks. During this time, Unite also headed a leverage campaign against the Go-Ahead Group (Go North West's parent company), running national advertisements against the group and soliciting support from several national and international trade union groups. By early May, following several days of discussions between Unite and Go North West, the two came to a formal agreement that was subsequently put to a vote amongst union members. Among the provisions of the deal, the company agreed not to employ any "fire and rehire" practices, with additional provisions including a wage increase and protections to sick pay. Strikers voted to accept the deal on 17 May, with the strike ending the next day. In total, the strike lasted almost two and a half months, making it the longest strike in Unite history and one of the longest strikes in British transportation history. In early 2019, First Greater Manchester (a bus operator subsidiary of British transportation group FirstGroup) announced their intent to sell their Queens Road bus depot in Cheetham, Manchester[1] to the Go-Ahead Group, which would operate the depot under its new subsidiary Go North West. [2][3][4] At the time, Go-Ahead was one of the largest transportation groups in the United Kingdom and the largest bus operator in London, with additional bus operations throughout England. The acquisition of the Queens Road depot marked the company's first entry into Manchester. [4] As part of the £11.17 million purchase, Go-Ahead also took ownership of the 163 vehicles that were operating out of the depot, with former FirstGroup employees at Queens Road retained as Go-Ahead employees. [2]
On 11 August 2020, Unite the Union, the trade union representing workers at the depot, claimed that Go North West had a "bullying culture" and that management were attempting to push a wage reduction of £2,000 per year onto about 500 bus drivers. [note 1] According to the union, management was offering drivers a £5,000 single-time bonus to alter their employment contracts with stipulations that would have included the wage decrease. [6] In addition, Unite stated that the new agreements contained changes to both sick leave and workhours. [7] The union referred to the move by management as "an odious slight of hand" and also alleged that management was using the COVID-19 pandemic as a "smokescreen" for their actions. At the time, union representatives stated that they were going to look into possible actions, including a consultative ballot for industrial action at the depot. [6] Unite also claimed that Go North West was attempting to make these changes while 80 percent of the drivers, including all but one of their union representatives, were on furlough. [8][9] In an article published by local independent media newspaper The Meteor that same month, a representative for Go North West stated that the company had been trying to negotiate new working arrangements with Unite since March 2020, further stating, "These changes are long overdue, are necessary to enable the company to regain profitability, and would bring the depot into line with commonly accepted working practices elsewhere in the bus sector. Our proposals guarantee all driving jobs at Queens Road, with no reduction in take home pay or changes to weekly hours. "[9]
According to Unite, the company gave a deadline of 12 August for accepting the terms of the new employment agreements. [9] However, after labour negotiations between management and union representatives broke down that day, the union began making preparations for the consultative ballot. [9] Following this, Unite accused Go North West of suspending the senior union representative (the chair of that union branch and the only representative who was not currently furloughed) at Queens Road for conducting union activities, with a Unite official later stating that the "allegation against the Unite senior rep was totally without merit and his suspension was an attempt to undermine Unite from representing the legitimate interests of its members". [9] Go North West countered that the representative had been suspended due to a serious complaint lodged by a bus driver against him. [10] Following the suspension, Unite announced that the consultative ballot would be held by the end of the month. [8] On 14 August, Go North West sent Unite a Section 188 notice, which would allow the company to end drivers' contracts and renegotiate new terms, which the union criticized as a "fire and rehire" scenario. While the union criticized the company for attempting to cut wages while having made millions in profits the previous year, a company representative stated, "The alternatives entail making redundancies, cuts to services and having unhappy employees on our hands…Without these changes, the Go North West business and its operation of bus services from Queen’s Road depot, is not viable and ultimately, the business will have to close. "[5] Results from the consultative ballot showed that 94 percent of respondents were in favour of taking industrial action against Go North West. [11]
On 9 September, protestors outside the Queens Road depot caused a disruption in bus services, and additional protesting followed the next day, with police called on the protestors on both days. According to the Manchester Evening News, the protestors were not organized by trade unions, but were local activists displaying solidarity with Unite the Union. [5][note 2] Following the second day of protesting, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham indicated that he would intervene in the protests. [5] On 11 September, about 20 activists from various local left-wing groups were able to block buses from leaving the depot. [7] The same month as these protests were occurring, Unite the Union General Secretary Len McCluskey sent a letter to Go-Ahead Group CEO David Brown stating that industrial action was likely if negotiations did not continue and the Section 188 notice was withdrawn. Following this, on 24 September, Go North West and Unite entered into negotiations. [11] Negotiations between the union and the company lasted for several months until on 21 December, Unite submitted a "final offer" to the company that would have included a £1 million in cost reductions and a one-year pay freeze that would have amounted to £200,000 in savings. However, Go North West rejected these terms as not substantial enough. [11] By comparison, Go North West had been aiming to cut £1.8 million in company costs. [12] On 12 January 2021, the union contacted Go North West's parent company to request that they support talks between Go North West and Unite. However, on 16 January, Go North West officially ended their negotiations with Unite. In total, over 38 meetings were held between the company and the union between March 2020 and January 2021.
|
Strike
| null | null |
Solar storms in recent past may impact power grid
|
Washington: The Sun has since last week fired several rounds of solar flares, all which can lead to potential power grid fluctuations and irregularities in satellite orientation on Earth, media reports said. This week, since November 1, the Sun has produced three of the outbursts that scientists call coronal mass ejections (CMEs), Space.com reported. Happy Kartik Purnima 2021 Wishes, Messages, Greetings, SMS, WhatsApp status Happy National Integration Day 2021 Wishes, Quotes, Messages, SMS, WhatsApp status CME can be defined as a massive eruption of solar particles as a result of intense flares from the Sun aimed directly at Earth. CMEs shoot globs of gas and magnetic fields out into space, often from sunspots, which are knots in the Sun’s magnetic field. On November 1 and 2, a sunspot designated AR2887 unleashed two of these outbursts. Then, later in the day on November 2, a second sunspot called AR2891 produced a CME as well. That third outburst, called “cannibal”, is moving more quickly than its two predecessors, so it swept through all of one previous CME and part of the other, according to monitors at SpaceWeather.com. All three CMEs have been headed more or less toward Earth, and scientists predict that the resulting large CME will arrive at Earth and produce geomagnetic storms beginning Thursday, the report said. The US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which tracks CMEs and similar events, has declared a minor geomagnetic storm watch for Wednesday and a moderate watch for Thursday. As a result of these storms, SWPC has warned of potential power grid fluctuations and irregularities in satellite orientation. The storms may also trigger stunning aurora displays of the northern lights as far south as New York, Wisconsin and Washington, the prediction noted. The sun’s activity is governed by an 11-year cycle; currently, the sun is in what scientists have labeled “solar cycle 25.” This cycle is expected to peak in 2025, and early predictions suggested it would be a fairly moderate cycle, much like its predecessor. Last week, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured “significant solar flare” erupting from the Sun, which resulted in disruptions in GPS signals on Earth as well as supercharged Earth’s northern lights. The Sun emitted an X1-class flare, the most intense so far, NASA said in a statement on Friday. “POW! The sun just served up a powerful flare,” the US space agency said in a tweet. The X1-class flare caused a temporary, yet strong radio blackout across the sunlit side of Earth centred on South America, according to SWPC. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Sambad English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
|
New wonders in nature
| null | null |
2013 Argentina floods
|
Between 1 and 3 April 2013, the northeastern section of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, experienced several flash floods that claimed the lives of 101 people. Greater La Plata was hardest hit with 91 reported deaths,[1] and Greater Buenos Aires reported 10 deaths. [2][3] The flooding was the result of extremely heavy rainfall and is said to be the worst flooding in La Plata's history. Three days of national mourning were declared on 3 April. Two days later, government benefits for flood victims were announced. On the evening of Monday, 1 April 2013, a severe storm moved into the northeast of Buenos Aires Province. It began to rain heavily, peaking between 3:00am and 5:30am. [4] During the storm's peak, visibility was only 500 metres (1,600 ft). [4] In total the storm dumped between 160 and 190 mm (6.3–7.5 in) of rain on Buenos Aires, the heaviest April rainfall on record. [4] Buenos Aires city typically averages 96 mm (3.8 in) of rain for the entire month of April. [5] In nearby La Plata, the capital city of Buenos Aires Province, approximately 400 mm (16 in) of rain fell over a two-hour time span on Tuesday evening. [6]
The heavy rainfall led to flash floods and widespread power outages. In Greater La Plata, an estimated 3,000 people were evacuated, many after waiting hours for rescue in trees and on roof tops of flooded homes. [7][8] Half of the city lost power and vast portions were underwater. [5][6] TV footage of the disaster showed people wading through waist-deep water and cars almost completely underwater. [5] The city's oil refinery caught fire due to "an extraordinary accumulation of rainwater and power outages" and was shut down. [7] Flood waters encircled the La Plata suburb of Tolosa, rendering 50 vehicles immobile. [6] Santiago Martorelli, cabinet chief of La Plata partido (department), called the storm "a catastrophe without precedent. "[8]
In Buenos Aires, more than a quarter of a million people were without power by Wednesday. [5] Key transportation routes were submerged, and mass transit services disabled. [4] A local reporter described the situation in Buenos Aires: "A record torrential rainstorm unleashed all its might ... turning the city into a macabre version of Venice rather than the dry capital of Argentina. "[4]
Rain continued to fall throughout the region on 3 April, worsening the situation. [4]
In Buenos Aires city, power shortages lasted as long as 15 hours in at least 11 Barrios (neighborhoods), affecting 70,000 households at its peak. Two hospitals were among those who lost power in La Plata. [11] Buenos Aires Metro and rail systems were halted or limited. [12]
The Chief of Government of Buenos Aires (city mayor), Mauricio Macri, was on vacation at the time of the flood, and returned in the evening. [4] The same situation was for La Plata's city mayor Pablo Bruera, who first falsely claimed that he was assisting the evacuated people during the floods. [13] President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner visited the affected area on 3 April surveying the damage by helicopter and meeting with victims in Tolosa, Greater La Plata, where she was born and raised; and Barrio Mitre, a villa miseria (slum) in Buenos Aires city northside. [14] Rescue efforts focused on finding victims still trapped in their homes to prevent further fatalities. Local charities sought donations of food, water, diapers and mattresses. [5] Hepatitis shots were available at evacuation centers, and four mobile hospitals were set up to treat victims and distribute food and water. [11]
At that time, at least 51 people were known to have died in Greater La Plata, and six deaths had been reported in Buenos Aires. [5][15] Two additional deaths were reported in Greater Buenos Aires. [4] Many victims died by drowning, while others were electrocuted by downed power lines (including a Metro worker who was electrocuted in Los Incas station). [7][12] Many deaths in La Plata were not discovered until after the flood waters started to recede. "The bodies began to appear as the water subsided," said the Governor of Buenos Aires Province, Daniel Scioli. [6] Numerous families lost all their possessions in the floods, while shopkeepers reported losses of their merchandise. [5] Business losses were estimated at 530.6 million pesos (US$104 million). [16] Schools and government offices were closed across La Plata. [6] As of 4 April, there were reportedly still 20 people missing and 1,200 evacuated in La Plata. [17] More than two months later, it was officially reported that 78 was the number of deaths in Greater La Plata. [1]
Politicians were quick to blame one another for the disaster. The Minister of Federal Planning and Public Utilities, Julio de Vido, claimed that Buenos Aires city officials knew that the rains were coming and had failed to prepare for them. [5] Macri, a vocal opponent of President Kirchner, accused the national government of preventing the city from getting World Bank loans to finance infrastructure improvements. According to official data, the government of the City of Buenos Aires Mauricio Macri had not implemented any development works in stormwater infrastructure, while related works Brook Maldonado, had only 14 percent of budget execution. [18][5][4] Residents of Barrio Mitre blamed the drainage system of a large shopping mall built nearby in 2009 for the heavy damage in their area. [19] On Wednesday afternoon and on Thursday morning, Kirchner met with Scioli to coordinate the rescue and emergency efforts in Greater La Plata. [15] Fear remained high as reports of looting and clashes with police officers spread. [11] The Argentine army mounted an industrial kitchen and ten field kitchens to prepare hot meals 8000 and 1500 cold rations per day. [20]
Three days of national mourning were declared on 3 April.
|
Floods
| null | null |
House devastated by fire after 'huge explosion' heard in Scots town
|
Emergency services were called to Goremire Road in Carluke at about 9.20pm after a blaze was reported.
The burnt out remains of a garage sits on Goremire Road, Carluke. (Image: Victoria Stewart Reach PLC)
Get the latest Lanarkshire news sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter
Invalid EmailSomething went wrong, please try again later.
Subscribe
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Thank you for subscribingWe have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice
A "huge explosion" was heard in a Scots town as fire crews raced to garage fire.
Emergency services were called to Goremire Road in Carluke at about 9.20pm last night after a blaze was reported.
Locals reported hearing a "loud bang" followed by a glow in the sky in the town.
Four fire appliances rushed to the incident, with firefighters attempting to extinguish the blaze overnight.
Pictures taken this morning at the scene show a garage connected to the house completely burnt out, with the house also severely damaged by the flames.
Three cars sit in the drive which look to be smoke damaged, and the area has been cordoned off by the fire service.
|
Gas explosion
| null | null |
Deadly earthquake rocks Indonesia’s Java, no tsunami warning
|
A 6.0 magnitude quake hits off Java, killing at least seven people in the second disaster to strike the nation this week. A house destroyed by an earthquake in Malang, East Java province [Antara Foto via Reuters] A strong earthquake killed at least seven people and damaged buildings on Indonesia’s main island of Java and shook the tourist hotspot of Bali without prompting tsunami warnings. The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.0 quake struck on Saturday off the island’s southern coast at 2pm local time (07:00 GMT). It was centred 45km (28 miles) south of Sumberpucung town of Malang District in East Java province, at a depth of 82km (51 miles). “Our latest data shows that seven people died, two are seriously injured and 10 others sustained minor injuries,” said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Raditya Jati. Rahmat Triyono, the head of Indonesia’s earthquake and tsunami centre, said in a statement the undersea earthquake did not have the potential to cause a tsunami. Still, he urged people to stay away from slopes of soil or rocks that have the potential for landslides. A man cleans up a damaged courtroom in Blitar, East Java [Antara Foto/Irfan Anshori via Reuters] Falling rocks killed a woman on a motorcycle and badly injured her husband in East Java’s Lumajang district, said Jati. He said dozens of homes were damaged across the district, and rescuers had retrieved two bodies from the rubble of collapsed homes in the district’s Kali Uling village. Two people were also confirmed killed in an area bordering Lumajang and Malang districts, while one person was found dead under rubble in Malang. “I had just finished praying and was changing my clothes when suddenly the quake struck,” Malang resident Ida Magfiroh told the AFP news agency. “It was pretty strong and went for a long time. Everything was swaying … My heart was racing.” Television reports showed people running in panic from malls and buildings in several cities in East Java province. Damage to a ward is seen at the Ngudi Waluyo hospital in Blitar, East Java [AVIAN/AFP] Indonesia’s search and rescue agency released videos and photos of damaged houses and buildings, including a ceiling at a hospital in Blitar, a city neighbouring Malang. Authorities were still collecting information about the full scale of casualties and damage in the affected areas. It was the second deadly disaster to hit Indonesia this week. On Sunday, a downpour triggered by Tropical Cyclone Seroja killed at least 165 people and damaged thousands of houses. Some were buried in either mudslides or solidified lava from a volcanic eruption in November, while others were swept away by flash flooding. ‘Ring of Fire’ Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 270 million people, is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the “Ring of Fire”, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In January, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake killed at least 105 people and injured nearly 6,500, while more than 92,000 displaced, after striking Mamuju and Majene districts in West Sulawesi province. In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island left more than 4,300 people dead or missing. On December 26, 2004, a devastating 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 throughout the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.
|
Tsunamis
| null | null |
Justice News
|
U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Two Iranian Nationals For Cyber-Enabled Disinformation And Threat Campaign Designed To Interfere With The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election
Conspirators Crafted Unique Messaging Themes For Each Side of the U.S. Political Spectrum to Capitalize on the Perceived Fears of the Targeted Audiences
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Bryan Vorndran, the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cyber Division (“FBI”), and Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging Iranian citizens and residents Seyyed Mohammad Hosein and MUSA KAZEMI (سید محمد حسین موسی کاظمی), a/k/a “Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazem,” a/k/a “Hosein Zamani,” and SAJJAD KASHIAN (سجاد کاشیان), a/k/a “Kiarash Nabavi,”for their involvement in a cyber-enabled campaign to intimidate and influence American voters, and otherwise undermine voter confidence and sow discord, in connection with the 2020 U.S. Presidential election. As part of this campaign, the conspirators obtained confidential United States voter information from at least one state election website, sent threatening email messages to intimidate voters, created and disseminated a video containing disinformation pertaining to purported but non-existent voting vulnerabilities, attempted to access, without authorization, several states’ voting-related websites, and successfully gained unauthorized access to a U.S. media company’s computer network that, if not for successful FBI and victim company efforts to mitigate, would have provided the conspirators another vehicle for further disseminating false claims after the election. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Kazemi and Kashian were part of a coordinated conspiracy in which Iranian hackers sought to undermine faith and confidence in the U.S. Presidential elections. Working with others, Kazemi and Kashian accessed voter information from at least one state’s voter database, threatened U.S. voters via email, and even disseminated a fictitious video that purported to depict actors fabricating overseas ballots. The United States will never tolerate any foreign actors’ attempts to undermine our free and democratic elections. As a result of the charges unsealed today, and the concurrent efforts of our U.S. government partners, Kazemi and Kashian will forever look over their shoulders as we strive to bring them to justice.”
Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division Bryan Vorndran.said: “The FBI remains committed to countering malicious cyber activity targeting our democratic process. Working rapidly with our private sector and U.S. government partners and ahead of the election, we were able to disrupt and mitigate this malicious activity – and then to enable today’s joint, sequenced operations against the adversary. Today’s announcement shows what we can accomplish as a community and a country when we work together, and the FBI will continue to do its part to keep our democracy safe.”
Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen said: “The Department is committed to using all tools at its disposal, including criminal charges, to expose and disrupt malign foreign influence efforts and bring the responsible actors to justice. The indictment reveals that Iranian actors sought to sow discord by targeting Republicans with messages claiming voter fraud, and Democrats with ‘false flag’ threats from the Proud Boys. Its detailed allegations provide unadulterated facts that will help further inoculate the U.S. public, regardless of political affiliation, from future tailored and targeted disinformation campaigns.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment [1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
The 2020 Election Interference Campaign
Starting in approximately August 2020, and proceeding until November 2020, KAZEMI, KASHIAN, and other co-conspirators began a coordinated, four-stage campaign to undermine faith and confidence in the 2020 Presidential Election (the “Election Interference Campaign”) and otherwise sow discord within U.S. society. The campaign had four components:
In September and October 2020, members of the conspiracy conducted reconnaissance on, and attempted to compromise, approximately eleven state voter websites, including state voter registration websites and state voter information websites. Those efforts resulted in the successful exploitation of a misconfigured computer system of a particular U.S. state (“State-1”), and the resulting unauthorized downloading of more than 100,000 State-1 voters’ information.
In October 2020, members of the conspiracy, claiming to be a “group of Proud Boys volunteers,” sent Facebook messages and emails (the “False Election Messages”) to Republican Senators, Republican members of Congress, individuals associated with the Presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump, White House advisors, and members of the media. The False Election Messages claimed that the Democratic Party was planning to exploit “serious security vulnerabilities” in state voter registration websites to “edit mail-in ballots or even register non-existent voters.” The False Election Messages were accompanied by a video (the “False Election Video”) which purported, via simulated intrusions and the use of State-1 voter data, to depict an individual affiliated with the Proud Boys hacking into state voter websites and using stolen voter information to create fraudulent absentee ballots through the Federal Voting Assistance Program (“FVAP”) for military and overseas voters. [2]
Also in October 2020, the conspirators engaged in an online voter intimidation campaign involving the dissemination of a threatening message (the “Voter Threat Emails”), purporting to be from the Proud Boys, to tens of thousands of registered voters, including some voters whose information the conspiracy had obtained from State-1’s website. The emails were sent to registered Democrats, and threatened the recipients with physical injury if they did not change their party affiliation and vote for President Trump.
On November 4, 2020, the day after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, the conspirators sought to leverage earlier September and October 2020 intrusions into an American media company’s (“Media Company-1”) computer networks. Specifically, on that day, the conspirators attempted to use stolen credentials to again access Media Company-1’s network, which would have provided them another vehicle for further disseminating false claims concerning the election through conspirator-modified or created content. However, because of an earlier FBI victim notification, Media Company-1 had by that time mitigated the conspirators’ unauthorized access and these log-in attempts failed.
Background on Kazemi and Kashian
SEYYED MOHAMMAD HOSEIN MUSA KAZEMI and SAJJAD KASHIAN are experienced Iran-based computer hackers that worked as contractors for an Iran-based company called Eeleyanet Gostar, now known as Emennet Pasargad. Eeleyanet Gostar purported to provide cybersecurity services within Iran. Among other things, Eeleyanet Gostar is known to have provided services to the Iranian Government, including to the Guardian Council.
As part of his role in the Election Interference Campaign, KAZEMI compromised computer servers that were used to send the Voter Threat Emails, prepared such emails, and compromised the systems of Media Company-1. KASHIAN’s role was to manage the conspirators’ computer infrastructure used to carry out the Voter Threat Email campaign, and to purchase social media accounts in furtherance of the Election Interference Campaign.
* * *
KAZEMI, 24, and KASHIAN, 27, are both charged with one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of voter intimidation, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison; and one count of transmission of interstate threats, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. KAZEMI is additionally charged with one count of unauthorized computer intrusion, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of computer fraud: knowingly damaging a protected computer, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the assigned judge.
Concurrent with the unsealing of the indictment, the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) designated Emennet Pasargad, KAZEMI, KASHIAN, and four other Iranian nationals comprising Emennet Pasargad leadership pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13848, “Imposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Interference in a United States Election.” Additionally, the Department of State’s Rewards for Justice Program , is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on or about the KAZEMI and KASHIAN ’s activities.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, including the work of the Cleveland FBI Field Office and the FBI Cyber Division.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Dina McLeod and Louis A. Pellegrino are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Adam Small of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
[2] In actuality, the computer intrusions depicted in the False Election Video were simulated intrusions created by members of the conspiracy using their own server and data obtained during the State-1 exploitation. Further, the FVAP could not actually be leveraged in the manner implied by the False Election Video.
|
Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
| null | null |
2018 Tunisian protests
|
Tunisia
The 2018 Tunisian protests were a series of protests occurring throughout Tunisia. Beginning January 2018, protests erupted in multiple towns and cities across Tunisia over issues related to the cost of living and taxes. [9] As of January 9, the demonstrations had claimed at least one life, and revived worries about the fragile political situation in Tunisia. [9]
The Popular Front, an alliance of leftist opposition parties, called for continued protests against the government's "unjust" austerity measures while Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed denounced the violence and appealed for calm, claiming that he and his government believe 2018 "would be the last difficult year for Tunisians". [12]
After the 2011 Revolution, Tunisia was widely seen as the only democratic success story in the Arab Spring, a model "for democratic progress, with free elections and a modern constitution. "[13][14][15][16][17] However, the country has subsequently had nine governments, none of which were able to tackle the country's growing economic problems. [13]
Labor strikes took place in 2012. [18]
The protests began in response to a new law that took effect on January 1, and raised taxes on gasoline, phone cards, housing, internet usage, hotel rooms and foods such as fruits and vegetables. [9][12] Import duties on cosmetics and some agricultural products were also raised. [19]
Opposition leader Hamma Hammami stated that several opposition parties would meet in order to coordinate their efforts on Tuesday, January 9. [12] The opposition then called for a mass protest to be held in the capital city of Tunis on 14 January to mark the seventh anniversary of the Arab Spring uprising which toppled President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. [20]
On 8 January a Jewish school on the Tunisian island of Djerba was firebombed, while there were no protests on the island, locals reported the assailants had exploited the fact that there was lower security presence as police were elsewhere dealing with the protestors. [11][21]
By the evening of 10 January over 2100 troops had been deployed to "protect sovereign institutions and vital facilities” such as "banks, post offices and other government buildings in the country's main cities" according to Defense Ministry spokesman Belhassen al-Waslati. [22]
On January 11, witnesses said that Tunisian protesters "burned down a regional national security headquarters near the Algerian border" as the government deployed security forces and said it will "not revise austerity measures in the 2018 budget. "[4]
Mass protests erupted, mostly by public sector workers, against the regime and its failure to keep the economy thriving in November 2018. Anti-government protests swelled from workers into a broader movement. The movement became popular within the nation. Workers demanded an end to police brutality, poverty and unemployment. University students protested with the workers demanding free education and better wages. Police tried to disperse the stone-throwers by tear gas and rubber bullets but police officials stopped using force and soon joined the demonstrations, demanding an end to the regime. It was confirmed in a statement by the Ministry of the Interior on 8 January that a man had been admitted to a Tebourba hospital with symptoms of dizziness and later died. His body had shown no signs of violence and a forensic doctor has been tasked with determining the man's cause of death. The government stated that the likely cause was due to inhalation of tear gas. [9][12] Five others were injured in the demonstrations according to a report published by Tunis Afrique Presse. [12]
Interior ministry spokesman Khelifa Chibani said about 50 policemen were wounded and 237 people were arrested on 9 January. [11] This was echoed by BBC which said on January 10 that "more than 200 people have been arrested" across the country, and at least 49 police officers injured "during clashes with demonstrators. "[6] As of January 12, 778 people had been arrested by police in response to the protests. [23][24]
On January 12, the Spokesperson for OHCHR, Rupert Colville, said the United Nations is closely "watching the demonstrations across Tunisia and the authorities’ response to them" concerned about the "high number of arrests" and asserted that "authorities must ensure that those exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are not prevented from doing so. "[25][2] Mr. Colville added that "peaceful demonstrators must not be held responsible or penalised for the violent acts of others" and urged all "sides to work together towards resolving, with full respect for human rights, the economic and social problems underpinning the unrest." The governments of Britain, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Belgium have warned "their citizens about potential rioting" while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke with Tunisian leaders about the protests, saying he believed that when the country "stands united" Tunisia would "overcome its problems. "[26][27][28] The embassy of the United States in the country put out a statement as well, reminding U.S. citizens "residing in and visiting Tunisia to exercise caution, avoid demonstrations and crowds, and monitor local media for breaking events. "[29]
Ennahdha, a party in the governing coalition of Tunisia condemned the "exploitation of citizens' legitimate demands by certain anarchist groups" and stressed "the legitimacy of demands for development and employment and citizens' full right to peaceful protest without violating the safety of others or attacking private and public property" while the opposition alliance, Popular Front, called for "all Tunisian people [to] go out to the streets for a peaceful protests country wide for one clear goal, which is to bring down these actions that destroyed the Tunisian country and its people. "[30] The Prime Minister of Tunisia also condemned the "vandalism" of protesters and claimed that while the country is "having difficulties...we believe that 2018 will be the last difficult year for the Tunisians. "[31][32]
The Trotskyist WSWS, a website supportive of the protests, argued that in Tunisia, like Egypt, elements of the old regime "managed to reconsolidate power in the interests of the native ruling elites and international capital," further saying that the reforms imposed by the government are pushed to "meet the conditions demanded by the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. "[33] Iranian state media outlet, Press TV said that Tunisia had "been hailed for its relatively smooth democratic transition, but it is still experiencing economic and political turbulence" in their description of the protests. [34] Other supportive websites said that these "brave Tunisians...[are] courageous people rebelling long into the night [who] will continue on with or without our support. "[35]
|
Protest_Online Condemnation
| null | null |
Sabena Flight 503 crash
|
The crash of Sabena Flight 503 was an accident involving a Douglas DC-6 of the Belgian airline company Sabena which crashed into Monte Terminillo near Rieti, Italy, 100 km north east of Rome on 13 February 1955, killing all 29 people on board. [1]
The Douglas DC-6 involved was built in 1947 with serial number 43063/60 and registration OO-SDB and was used by the Belgian airline company Sabena until its destruction in 1955. [2]
Sabena Flight 503 was a Douglas DC-6 which departed from Brussels, Belgium at 17:17 GMT en route to Leopoldstad, Congo with stops at Rome-Ciampino, Italy and Kano, Nigeria under the command of pilot Stephan Stolz and co-pilot Patrick McNarama. It's raining hard, but I think...
Last words from Captain Stolz heard by Ciampino International Airport, 13 February 1955. The aircraft made contact with Ciampino International Airport according to plan at 19:29 GMT, at which time the aircraft had passed over Florence, Italy at 17500 feet. The weather conditions however kept getting worse with heavy rain and snow fall. At 19:48 Ciampino control asked the aircraft whether it had passed over Viterbo. Instead of answering this question directly, the crew inquired whether the Viterbo NDB (Non-directional beacon) was on full power. The controller replied that another aircraft had overflown Viterbo shortly before and had found it to be operating properly. At 19:51 GMT the aircraft stated that it had passed over Viterbo one minute previously and requested clearance to descend to 5500 feet which was granted. One minute later it inquired whether the Ciampino ILS were operating and received an affirmative reply. At 19:55 co-pilot McNamara contacted Ciampino and stated that the crew would prepare for the landing procedure but that the visibility had worsened; the connection was very weak due to the severe storm and heavy snow and rain fall. At 19:56 Flight 503 called Rome control for the last time when suddenly the communication was cut off. [3]
The aircraft had crashed somewhere in the mountains of Rieti, Italy 100 km (54 nmi; 62 mi) North-East of Rome and was now missing. Sabena itself got notified about the missing aircraft that same night at 23:15 but would not make an official statement until the morning of the following day. The airplane had crashed somewhere in the mountains of Rieti, Italy 100 km (62 mi) North East of Rome which were known for being difficult to access and also lay in a nature reserve where wolves roamed. The Italians immediately started a search and rescue mission to locate the missing aircraft and rescue its occupants. They knew the harsh conditions in the mountains and if there were any survivors that they wouldn't last long on top of the freezing mountain. However, because the weather didn't clear, the searchers could only investigate the lower parts of the mountains. Two days after the disaster, Belgian investigators arrived in Rieti and helped their Italian colleagues to locate the crash site. On 16 February the weather finally cleared and helicopters could be used in the search, sadly nothing was found. In a last effort to locate the aircraft in time for anyone to survive, experts calculated how much fuel the aircraft had left and extrapolated the distance it could have traveled. Their calculations stated that the aircraft should be in a 100 km (62 mi) range from Ciampino. Finally after an 8-day search on 21 February 1955 at 10:15, the aircraft was located on Monte Terminillo at a site so remote it could only be reached the next day on 22 February after the rescue teams walked and climbed the mountain for over 2 hours. When they finally reached the crash site, there was devastation. It was freezing −11 °C (12 °F) and visibility was only 15 to 20 m (49 to 66 ft), sometimes even less. The snow lay 1 m (3 ft 3 in) thick and hid part of the aircraft. The aircraft lay in big pieces in the snow and looked as if it had crashed nose down after hitting a number of trees on the mountain side. Only the tail of the aircraft aft of the rear door was relatively intact. The engines had been torn off and only 2 of the 4 were ever found, one of them had clearly hit the trees because there were tree branches stuck in it. The forward section of the fuselage was shredded and the wings were completely destroyed as well, torn main-wheel covers indicated that the landing gear was extended when the aircraft hit the trees and seconds later the mountain. [4]
The first bodies were found shortly after, completely frozen. One of the victims even had a four of diamonds card in his hand. The rest of the bodies were found in or near the aircraft and it became clear that there were no survivors. It however became clear after autopsies and other evidence that everyone had died on impact. All bodies were recovered by 25 February 1955 and transported to a temporary morgue in the church of San Antonio in Rieti. After determining the angle of impact with the mountain, it was discovered that Flight 503 was 150° off course. After investigators calculated the flight path, the final moments of Flight 503 could be reconstructed from the moment it passed Viterbo. A number of watches found standing still at the crash site together with the radio messages and the speed of the aircraft, investigators could make a clear image of Flight 503's flight path. It shows that the pilots kept following their flight schedules and kept flying in a straight line. However the crew never noticed that the bad weather and the wind that was blowing from the west had blown the aircraft off course and straight to the mountain range. On certain points in the Italian mountains the wind can be so strong that the aircraft was blown on a different course and that the radio-navigation tools on the medium wave couldn't offer the usual assistance which also explained the weak radio signals. In the end, the severe storm together with faulty navigation and a crew which were unfamiliar to the terrain proved to be fatal and send Flight 503 on a direct collision course with the mountain range without anyone realising it. [5]
Most of the aircraft was left on the mountain since constant changing weather cycles made it nearly impossible to retrieve the debris, most of it has now been washed away into deeper parts of the mountain range. 28 of the 29 bodies were taken back to Belgium for burial. Amongst the victims was Miss Italia Marcella Mariani who was buried in Rome, Italy, her intended destination. Family of the victims placed a cross supported by rocks in 1964 on the crash site in remembrance of those lost on that stormy night in 1955. A new monument depicting the intact tail section was unveiled on the crash site in 2010. [6]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Dad who lost kids to post-Ida CO poisoning wants all generators to include life-saving detectors
|
Save
Craig Curley Sr. suddenly couldn’t get a hold of his two children or their mother, so he went by their place in Marrero and knocked on the door Thursday, four days after Hurricane Ida’s punishing landfall.
He noticed their cars were there, and the gas generator they were using to run some small appliances during an extended power outage was off. But no one answered, he said, so he drove off, hoping they had just made a supply run and would be back when he checked later.
Then, an ad warning of deadly carbon monoxide poisoning from improperly ventilated generators started playing on his car radio, and his blood curdled. He swung around to return to the home where his ex and children lived and called firefighters to check on them. He arrived at the home and confronted his worst nightmare coming true.
3 killed by carbon monoxide poisoning from generator use in Marrero
Family was operating unit against exterior wall of house instead of 20 feet away, coroner says
His 23-year-old daughter, Dasjonay, his 17-year-old son, Craig Jr., and their 54-year-old mother, Demetrice Johnson, were dead, having inhaled a fatal amount of carbon monoxide given off by the generator.
Curley Sr. spent the next several days grieving in private, trying to wrap his head around the fact that Dasjonay’s ambitions of moving to Houston to go into business for herself and Craig Jr.’s dreams of mastering the craft of boxing had been eternally dashed.
And on Sunday, Curley Sr. decided to speak out and make a public plea for all vendors to begin including detectors of carbon monoxide — a colorless, odorless gas — with every generator.
Such a device could have saved his family’s lives, but often, people have to get detectors separately.
“It’s a $20 object, and their generator was $800,” Curley said. “If they had that, my children and their mother would still be here.”
The story of Dasjonay, Craig Jr., and Johnson is perhaps the most tragic of the nearly 300 carbon monoxide-related calls that officials say first responders in Jefferson were called to in the days following Ida, as thousands of people turned to generators to keep the lights on, run fridges or supply cool air.
One of the most painful things for Curley Sr. is that his family had evacuated to Florida to get out of Ida’s way as it crashed onto Louisiana’s coast Aug. 29, packing Category 4 winds of 150 mph.
Yet after the storm blew through, Johnson wanted to return to the comfort of her home.
Curley Sr. rode out the storm at the downtown hotel where he cooks because it had backup power. But he pleaded for the others to stay put in Florida, knowing how harsh the heat could be without power to run the AC.
His own provisions, including drinking water, were also running low. Restocking was difficult with so many businesses shut down, so he was getting ready to leave for Texas for a few days.
|
Mass Poisoning
| null | null |
Eight countries have signed an international pact for moon exploration called the Artemis Accords
|
Eight countries have signed an international pact for moon exploration called the Artemis Accords, NASA announced on Tuesday as the U.S. space agency tries to shape standards for building long-term settlements on the lunar surface.
The accords, named after NASA’s Artemis moon program, seek to build on existing international space law by establishing “safety zones” that would surround future moon bases to prevent conflict between states operating there, and by allowing private companies to own the lunar resources they mine.
The United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates signed the bilateral agreements during an annual space conference on Tuesday following months of talks in a U.S. bid to cultivate allies under its plan to return astronauts to the moon by 2024.
“What we’re trying to do is establish norms of behavior that every nation can agree to,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters. He said the accords are consistent with a 1967 treaty holding that the moon and other celestial bodies are exempt from national claims of ownership.
“We are operationalizing the Outer Space Treaty for the purposes of creating the broadest, most inclusive, largest coalition of human spaceflight in the history of humankind,” Bridenstine said.
The Trump administration and governments of other spacefaring countries see the moon as a strategic asset. The moon also has value for long-term scientific research that could enable future missions to Mars - activities that fall under a regime of international space law widely viewed as outdated.
In 2019, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence directed NASA to return humans to the moon by 2024 - cutting the agency’s previous timeline in half - and build a long-term human presence on the lunar surface.
The NASA program, expected to cost tens of billions of dollars, will send robotic rovers to the surface of the moon before an eventual human landing. NASA also plans to build a Lunar Gateway, a space station orbiting the moon. Plans call for it to be constructed by a mix of NASA contractors and international partners.
|
Sign Agreement
| null | null |
2014 Meerut riots
|
On 10 May 2014, a scuffle between two communities over construction of fence around well escalated into riots in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, a northern state of India As of 11 May, 3 people were killed and 50 injured, including a top police officer and two media persons.
Two local groups in Meerut were staking claims in a well which has been directed by court to be maintained at status quo. But, in-charge of nearby mosque had started to construct concrete fence around the well. The incident started at around 2 pm on 10 May in the Teer Gehran area of Meerut. There have been various theories regarding the cause of violence. While Times of India reported that this construction of fence paved way for riots, the New Indian Express reported that installation of water facilitation centre was objected by members from Jain community arguing that it would affect their temple, which started the riots.
While the cause of riot was uncertain, the argument between the two communities escalated into shouting of slogans against each other. Soon violence erupted and vehicles were set fire. Stone pelting and firing of arms were done by members of both communities. Few police personnel who tried to control the mob faced injuries.
One person succumbed to bullet wound, while other injured were being taken to local hospitals. ]
Police sources stated that patrolling has been intensified. Six companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary and Eight companies of Rapid Action Force has been deployed to restore peace Shops were closed in the area due to rioting.
Criminal Cases were registered against 200 people in connection with the riots and Nauchandi Mela has been wound up before its scheduled end. [10] According to Meerut SP Om Prakash Singh, the police have identified some criminals from a video footage.
Two persons were held [11] after the victim succumbed to injuries.
|
Riot
| null | null |
The US withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council leaves ally Australia in an awkward, lonely position
|
The US withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council leaves ally Australia in an awkward, lonely position It was close to midnight in Geneva when Nikki Haley got to her feet in Washington and announced that the United States was pulling out of the United Nations Human Rights Council. If there were any Australian diplomats still up at that hour at the council's headquarters in Switzerland, they would have been watching with dismay. Their lives are about to become more difficult. The announcement from the US ambassador to the UN surprised no-one. Donald Trump's lieutenants have made it clear they hold the council in contempt, accusing it of "chronic bias" against Israel. Ms Haley declared that the council's "disproportionate focus and unending hostility toward Israel" was "clear proof that [it] is motivated by political bias, not by human rights". She also pointed out that many countries with appalling human rights records — including Venezuela, China and Democratic Republic of Congo — are comfortably ensconced in the council. Australia actually has plenty of sympathy for both of these arguments. But the Federal Government maintains that whatever the council's flaws, quitting the field achieves nothing. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop issued a terse statement this morning, making it clear she'd urged her US counterparts to stay, but to no avail. "It was our strong preference for the US to remain a member of the UNHRC and I had made this known to senior members of the Trump administration" she said. The Foreign Minister's frustration is understandable. The Trump administration's decision to pull up stumps could put our officials in Geneva in an excruciating position. Particularly when it comes to Israel. Last month Australia and the US were the only two countries on the council to vote against an independent investigation into the killing of Palestinians in Gaza. Both argued that the inquiry's terms ignored the role Hamas played in inciting the violence. And like the US, Australia believes that the council's preoccupation with Israel is steeped in anti-Semitism. But the debate over Gaza will inevitably flare up again as the council forges ahead with the investigation. There will be more resolutions on Israel, and more votes. But this time, the United States won't be there. If Australian diplomats hold the line, we could be the only country on the council voting against further investigations into Israel, or opposing resolutions condemning their conduct. Donald Trump has reversed decades of US policy on the status of Jerusalem. But you might be surprised that Barack Obama once said similar things. That leaves us terribly exposed, in the heart of a bitter and emotionally charged debate about one of the world's most intractable conflicts. Israel's opponents normally focus their fire on the US and Israel itself, but if they're out of the room then the anger coursing through the debate will inevitably be redirected towards us. The consequences of that are difficult to predict. But we'd rather not find out. Our best hope will be to convince some of the 14 countries that abstained on the last vote to join us in the trenches, but that's an uncertain bet at best. While the debate over Israel will seize media attention, the Trump administration's deepening isolationism could have more subtle and lasting consequences for the Human Rights Council. China has been quietly working to fundamentally reshape the way the council approaches human rights. In the last session it introduced a harmless sounding motion called: Win-Win Cooperation for the Common Cause of Human Rights. The language sounds anodyne and unthreatening. It emphasises "dialogue on an equal footing" and "mutual benefit to encourage multilateral human rights institutions". But human rights groups warn that China is focusing on "dialogue and cooperation" because it wants to draw attention away from specific allegations of human rights abuses. Australian officials also believe China's fundamental aim is to make it harder for the council to investigate what Beijing calls "the internal affairs" of individual countries. The risk is that the Human Rights Council — already an imperfect body — could be defanged entirely. Australia and our allies have been pushing back against this shift in language, but the United States provided the most muscular resistance. Now it's gone. America Alone means Australia is a little more lonely as well.
|
Withdraw from an Organization
| null | null |
Ariana Grande-Dalton Gomez, Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma, Sophie-Joe and more celeb couples who got married secretly
|
Singer Ariana Grande got married to real estate broker Dalton Gomez in a secret ceremony this weekend at her home in Montecito. Her representative confirmed the news to Us Weekly and shared that less than 20 people were in attendance. Many other celebrities have also chosen to keep their big days private. Take a look: John Abraham and Priya Runchal: A post shared by Priya Abraham (@priyarunchal) John Abraham and Priya Runchal successfully kept their low-key wedding in 2013 hidden from the media. The world found out only when he signed his New Year post off as ‘John and Priya Abraham’. “Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed 2014! May this year bring you love, good fortune and joy. Love, John and Priya Abraham,” he had written on Twitter, sharing the news of his marriage. Aditya Chopra and Rani Mukerji: Before Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone, Aditya Chopra and Rani Mukerji got married in Italy, away from the public eye. Their secret wedding was attended by only 12 people, and announced the following day, via a statement. The couple has a daughter named Adira, whom they keep away from the limelight as well. Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma: A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma) Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma wanted their wedding to be a private affair, instead of a glamorous celebrity wedding, and chose to get married in Italy. They took measures to keep things hush-hush, even using fake names while booking the caterers. Only 42 guests were a part of the ceremony, with no celebrities on the list. Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas: A post shared by Sophie Turner (@sophiet) Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas got married on May 1, 2019, in an impromptu ceremony at a chapel in Las Vegas, officiated by an Elvis impersonator. Everyone found out about the secret nuptials when DJ-record producer Diplo posted visuals of the ceremony on social media. Almost two months later, the couple later had a grand wedding in France. Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta: Juhi Chawla secretly married Jay Mehta in 1996, when she was at the top of her career. She kept the news under wraps initially, with only a few close friends and family in the know. In an earlier interview with Rajeev Masand, she said that she was able to keep things hush-hush because there were no camera phones at the time. “I was just about established and doing well. That’s the time Jay was serenading me and I was afraid of losing my career just when I had kind of got there. I wanted to carry on and this seemed the midway,” she said. Urmila Matondkar and Mohsin Akhtar Mir: A post shared by Urmila Matondkar (@urmilamatondkarofficial) Urmila Matondkar and Mohsin Akhtar Mir tied the knot in a private ceremony in 2016. Designer Manish Malhotra, who was the only celebrity guest at the wedding, had told Hindustan Times, “Urmila is a dear friend and I’m so happy for her. She met Mohsin at my niece Rridhi’s wedding in Mumbai in December 2014 and they just hit it off. He used to be a model long back but now does the business of Kashmiri embroidery.” Preity Zinta and Gene Goodenough: A post shared by Preity G Zinta (@realpz) Preity Zinta and Gene Goodenough got married on February 29, 2016. Their secret leap year wedding in the US was attended by only a few friends and family members. The news was confirmed only when Sussanne Khan posted a picture on Instagram. Angad Bedi and Neha Dhupia: Best decision of my life.. today, I married my best friend. Hello there, husband! @Imangadbedi ❤️ pic.twitter.com/a2ePsaXUNN Angad Bedi and Neha Dhupia got married on May 10, 2018, in an Anand Karaj ceremony at a gurdwara in Delhi. To announce the news, she shared a picture from the wedding and wrote, “Best decision of my life.. today, I married my best friend. Hello there, husband!” Six months later, the couple welcomed their daughter, Mehr.
|
Famous Person - Marriage
| null | null |
Emma Willis' husband Matt makes shock marriage confession
|
Emma Willis's husband, Matt Willis, has revealed that he joined the Church of Scientology during his recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. The Busted musician admitted to the Sun that he was "fully invested" in the movement and had attended the church everyday – until, he said, they tried to separate him from his wife. MORE: Emma Willis gets a major Easter makeover from daughter Trixie – fans react "What I was taking from it was that your environment, your friends and the people you're closest to are the problem," Matt, 37, said. WATCH: Emma and Matt Willis unveil major home change "They were like, 'There's someone in your life who's actually draining you, who's a negative force, and it's normally the person closest to you.' And it's like, 'I think they're trying to split my marriage up now'." The star said that the realisation prompted him to leave and never go back. READ: Emma Willis and husband Matt share some big news with fans MORE: Emma Willis stars with her children in incredibly rare family video Emma, 45, and Matt have been married since 2008 and have one of the strongest celebrity marriages. Emma and Matt have been married since 2008 The couple are also proud parents to three children – Isabella, 11, Ace, nine, and four-year-old Trixie. Matt popped the question to The Voice star in 2007 after two years of dating, and they renewed their wedding vows in July 2018 to celebrate ten years of marriage. MORE: Emma Willis' daily diet revealed: what the presenter eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner Emma previously revealed that she very nearly ruined Matt's surprise proposal when he whisked her away to Venice for a romantic break. The couple share three children together Speaking on Shopping With Keith Lemon, Emma said that during the holiday Matt "went all weird". "He stopped talking to me for about a day,” she shared. "I thought that maybe he regretted taking me away and was probably going to break up with me. Then I started thinking, 'Maybe there's something more to this.' MORE: Emma Willis designed much of family home herself - and it's stunning "Anyway, we walked up to the Rialto Bridge and he pulled this box out of his pocket," she continued. "He went to get down [on one knee] and I just looked at him in the eye and went, 'Don't you dare!'" Keith appeared stunned by Emma's brutal response, but Emma quickly explained: "It's because it's full of tourists. I felt a little bit silly!"
|
Famous Person - Marriage
| null | null |
Controversial Brexit legislation set to return with trade talks on a knife edge
|
UK PRIME MINISTER Boris Johnson will press ahead with plans allowing ministers to tear up the Brexit divorce deal despite the current round of UK-EU talks being at a critical stage.
The Government confirmed it will ask MPs to reinstate controversial legislation giving ministers the power to break international law by ignoring provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement relating to Northern Ireland.
MPs will vote on the UK Internal Market Bill on Monday, potentially throwing talks on a UK-European Union trade deal into crisis unless an agreement can be reached by then.
The EU has already taken the first steps in a legal action over the legislation.
The Government will also introduce the Taxation (Post-Transition Period) Bill, which reportedly includes measures to override parts of the divorce deal struck by the Prime Minister and the EU in 2019.
The developments came as talks on a post-Brexit deal were continuing, led by David Frost and the EU’s Michel Barnier.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Intensive talks are continuing in person in London as they have throughout the week, with the negotiating teams continuing to work hard to resolve the differences that remain.
“Our focus remains, and will continue to be, on trying to secure a free-trade agreement, as it has throughout the negotiations.”
MPs will be asked to reinsert the controversial Northern Ireland provisions into the UK Internal Market Bill after the Lords voted to remove them.
The spokesman said: “We have been clear that those clauses represent a legal safety net to protect the integrity of the UK’s internal market and to protect the huge gains of the peace process.”
The Taxation Bill will include “measures which are required to prepare for the end of the transition period”.
Asked if that would include the power to waive tariffs on goods crossing the Irish Sea, the spokesman said the details would be set out next week.
Speculation in Westminster suggests that the Government could draw back from the controversial measures if a trade deal can be agreed with the EU.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney suggested a deal could be reached within days as he urged European Union members to “hold our nerve”.
The negotiating teams talked late into the night on Wednesday, fortified by a delivery of pizzas, as efforts continued to thrash out the deal which needs to be in place by the end of the month.
“It’s the time to hold our nerve, to trust Michel Barnier, who has done a phenomenal job to date,” Coveney told Newstalk.
“I believe, if we do that, there’s a good chance that we can get a deal across the line in the next few days.”
But the Irish minister indicated the scale of concern in the EU about the UK Government’s controversial legislation.
Your contributions will help us continue
to deliver the stories that are important to you
Coveney said he believes the UK wants a deal but added “they don’t always behave like that”, highlighting the bills scheduled for next week.
Downing Street sources played down the prospect of an imminent breakthrough.
“I haven’t seen any white smoke,” one insider told the PA news agency.
Businesses are frustrated with the uncertainty around trading arrangements once the UK leaves the single market and customs union at the end of the year.
Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy told Sky that the supermarket giant was preparing for a no-deal scenario.
“The biggest challenge we face really is the movement of product between borders, the movement of product between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and, of course, between mainland Europe and the UK,” he said.
“That’s the one area where we really would urge the Government to give us some clarity and to allow us to prepare even better for the end of December.”
Fishing and the so-called “level playing field” aimed at preventing unfair competition on state subsidies and standards remain the main issues to be resolved in the talks.
Reports have suggested that the UK has watered down its demands for control of fishing rights, by asking EU fishing fleets to hand over up to 60% of the value of stocks currently caught rather than the 80% previously sought.
But this falls short of EU demands in one of the most symbolically important aspects of the negotiations.
Meanwhile, Labour is split over how to respond to a deal if it reaches the Commons, with senior figures at odds over whether to support it or abstain.
Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed there are differing opinions within the party on its approach to voting on a Brexit deal, but stressed that a trade agreement with the European Union was “in the national interest”.
The comments come after reports suggested there is a split at the top of the party over whether Labour should vote for any negotiated deal in the Commons or abstain.
Sir Keir said: “Of course there are different opinions, as you would expect, but we will pull together, discuss it as a team and be united.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
600px wide
<iframe width="600" height="460" frameborder="0" style="border:0px;" src="https://www.thejournal.ie/https://www.thejournal.ie/brexit-legislation-trade-talks-5287870-Dec2020/?embedpost=5287870&width=600&height=460" ></iframe>
400px wide
<iframe width="600" height="460" frameborder="0" style="border:0px;" src="https://www.thejournal.ie/https://www.thejournal.ie/brexit-legislation-trade-talks-5287870-Dec2020/?embedpost=5287870&width=400&height=460" ></iframe>
300px wide
<iframe width="600" height="460" frameborder="0" style="border:0px;" src="https://www.thejournal.ie/https://www.thejournal.ie/brexit-legislation-trade-talks-5287870-Dec2020/?embedpost=5287870&width=300&height=460" ></iframe>
Brexit is like a middle-aged man deciding that faraway hills are green, dumping the wife, buying a sports car, getting hair plugs and hanging out in trendy bars trying to crack on to young women.
The point he’s at now is closing time of the bar in the early hours. The staff are trying to clear up around him as he sways drunkenly from side to side arguing with anyone and everyone.
At some level he knows that he’s made a colossal mistake. His wife is going to take him to the cleaners, his kids don’t want to see him and all for what?
To recapture the past? At least he has taken back control…
@Phil O’ Meara: Do middle-aged women ever get to do these things? Seems a bit sexist and very unfair if they don’t…
@Phil O’ Meara: Well Phil, that’s put me right off dumping the Mrs, buying a sports Car, and getting the noggin done. I’ve been saving up all lockdown for an Audi TT and a trip to Turkey!!
What’s the point of signing a deal with a party that’s threatening to break a deal if you don’t sign?
@Mick Tobin: It’s called politics. Countries and alliances break deals, laws and regulations all the time when it’s expedient for them to do so…
https://reaction.life/the-new-brexit-storm/
If they knew what they wanted 4.5 years ago we could have been ready by now. Britain still waiving the rules and messing it up for everyone.
@Paul Furey: a former imperial power unable to accept their place in 21st century world order, embarrassing themselves every step of the way.
@How is it only Wednesday?: very true! And the amount of misguided nostalgia that was sold to your average brexiteer…..and they swallowed every single word. They get what they deserve.
Throw them out on their ear, the arrogance is off the charts with them, a couple of months of Brexit reality and a collapsing economy should humble them
Wonder why the UK decided to fast track the Covid vaccine yesterday, are they looking for cover so they can go ahead with these 2 bills and breach the Northern Irish protocol…wouldn’t be surprised.
If so the talks will be in crisis, and we’re really looking at no deal, the EU won’t deal with them any longer – trust and goodwill will be completely gone.
The unfortunate thing is that we’ll be caught in the crossfire
This bill is a threat to EU negotiators. Give us what we want , on our terms , or you’ll be sorry. The Brexit eers(tories) believe that if they take it to the wire the EU side will crack.A bit of old divide and conquer technique. It always worked swimmingly back in the good old days of the empire, old boy.
Wanna have hot-lovin’ conversations? You’re on the right way! – chatie.club/xxx
Facebook
Twitter
Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user
Notify me of followup comments via e-mail
TheJournal.ie supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1890 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie
Please note that TheJournal.ie uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising. For more information on cookies please refer to our cookies policy.
News images provided by Press Association and Photocall Ireland unless otherwise stated. Irish sport images provided by Inpho Photography unless otherwise stated. Wire service provided by Associated Press.
|
Tear Up Agreement
| null | null |
Australian Outlook
|
The Australian federal government recently resolved to scrap the Victorian state government’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The timing of this decision needs to be contemplated as ongoing developments may trouble bilateral relations between Australia and China.
In the last five years, the relationship between Australia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been on a significant decline – its grimmest in decades. The fractious tension between the two countries has seen their core interests considerably challenged.
For Australia, they included escalated trade issues with its beef, barley, cotton, lamb, resources, seafood, sugar, timber, and wine exports to the PRC, with China inflicting more than $20 billion of tariffs on Australian exports, the deterring of Chinese students to study at Australian universities, the cyber-attacks coming from China on an array of Australian entities, and Beijing’s efforts to interfere in the Australian political system.
For the PRC, it was the banning of Huawei and ZTE to participate in the building of the 5G network in Australia over security concerns, Canberra’s call to lead an independent inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, the strengthening of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (encompassing Australia, India, Japan, and the US), Beijing’s frustration towards Canberra on its oppositional policy stance in the South China Sea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Xinjiang province, and the Australian federal government’s opposition of Victoria signing the BRI Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and “framework” agreement. In addition, in August 2020, Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg opposed a proposed $600 million dairy deal with Lion and China Mengniu “on food security grounds,” which aggravated tensions with China.
Subsequently, Prime Minister Scott Morrison made a major announcement which pledged that Australia would propose new foreign interference legislation that allows the federal government the power and authority to regulate all agreements made with foreign countries, including those initiated by state and territory governments, local councils, and public universities. This provides the government with “exclusive responsibility for conducting Australia’s foreign affairs.” The legislation allowed the foreign minister to review, “prevent from proceeding or terminate” any agreements proposed or already put in place.
Australia’s Decision to Scrap the Initiative
The implications of the fallout of bilateral relations have, to a great extent, shaped Australia’s decision to tear up Victoria’s BRI agreement. The amalgamation of economic and security policy in Canberra evolving over the last few years was missed or ignored by Victoria. Contributing to the cancellation was also a lack of consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and federal oversight from the Victorian state government upon the “framework” agreement prior to its signing in October 2019.
The prime minister indicated that Victoria’s BRI agreement was “inconsistent with the Australian government’s policy” and not “consistent with Australia’s national interest.” Canberra deems that the deal is employed by Beijing in an effort to expand its influence in the region and to bypass the federal government. To preclude such a scenario, the foreign interference legislation served two key objectives. The first is to provide the Australian federal government with the mechanism to end the Victorian state government’s BRI agreement as it expressed geostrategic concerns. The second is to deter the engagement of foreign governments by Australian sub-national government and actors.
In December 2020, both Australian major political parties, the Coalition and Labor, supported and passed the Foreign Relations Bill in federal Parliament. In April 2021, the Australian federal government acted, with Foreign Minister Marise Payne directing the dissolution of Victoria’s BRI agreement, concluding that it was “inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy or adverse to our foreign relations.” The enactment of the Commonwealth’s new foreign veto laws is the first of its kind, in that it empowered a country to cancel a signed BRI agreement.
The embassy of the PRC responded by characterising the move as “unreasonable and provocative,” outlining that “it further shows that the Australian government has no sincerity in improving China-Australia relations. It is bound to bring further damage to bilateral relations, and will only end up hurting itself.” China observed that cancelling its BRI agreement with Victoria will not only have a negative impact on the state’s economic development, but additionally on the deteriorating economic and trade relations between Canberra and Beijing.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews maintained that the deal was focused on Victorian employment, economic prosperity for the state, and building Australia’s relationship with China. However, since the cancellation of Victoria’s BRI agreement, the Victorian state government has not come out to defend it. Employment and Small Business Minister Jaala Pulford asserted that the state’s pipeline of infrastructure projects will not be adversely affected and it was “a matter for the Commonwealth government.”
What Next?
Canberra’s dismissal of Victoria’s BRI agreement is emblematic of Australia’s resolve to defend the national interest by pushing back against Chinese Communist Party leadership when doing so is deemed necessary. With Beijing responding in resentment, bilateral relations between Australia and China will remain frosty in the short term, with further trade sanctions to come.
The PRC’s relative power and influence will continue to ascend in the Indo-Pacific. Like Australia, most countries in the region face similar challenges of striving to build upon their economic and security interests while simultaneously managing their relations with China and the US. Canberra is in an inopportune situation as its relationship with Beijing is at rock-bottom, making it more difficult for to traverse its way through diplomatic tensions between the major powerhouses.
Australia will look at additional opportunities to harness alternatives to China’s BRI. In November 2019, Canberra signed onto the “Blue-Dot Network” (BDN), partnering with Japan and the US, while India agreed to join in February 2020 as part of the Joint Statement for a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The BDN was established to counteract the BRI and certify infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world. At the moment, the BDN has not evolved beyond a formalised scheme, but as a geopolitical mechanism, it has the potential to mobilise federal governments and private capital to meet the vast need for infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific region.
The enactment of the Foreign Relations Act will prompt other sub-national government agreements to come to light for review. Most recently, a 2017 agreement between the Victorian state government and the PRC is being examined to ascertain if it undermines Australian foreign policy. Its objective is to facilitate public-private partnerships between the state government and Chinese companies which are mostly state-owned. Despite the cancellation of Victoria’s BRI deal, such agreements through Beijing that have the possibility of undermining Australian foreign policy interests will continuously face scrutiny by the Australian federal government.
John Varano is a Senior Manager at nbn™ Australia. John has advised and supported C-suite and senior executives at ASX companies and government departments. His professional experience extends across multiple geographies, including Australia, the EU, UK, and US. John is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an Associate Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders. He holds a Master of Science from the University of Oxford, a Master of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University, and a Master of Arts from The University of Melbourne with First Class Honours. He completed his undergraduate studies with Honours at Monash University.
This article is published under a Creative Commons License and may be republished with attribution.
In this episode, Allan and Darren discuss the role of honesty and integrity in international diplomacy.
As relations between China and Thailand grow closer, Thai elites attempt to moderate Beijing’s influence.
Strident anti-China political and media exchanges limit reasoned public debate on Sino-American relationship issues. It is important to remember that many of the institutions that characterise China’s rise can trace their origins to the Asian Financial Crisis.
|
Tear Up Agreement
| null | null |
Willamette Valley flood of 1996
|
The Willamette Valley flood of 1996 was part of a larger series of floods in the Pacific Northwest of the United States which took place between late January and mid-February 1996. It was Oregon's largest flood event in terms of fatalities and monetary damage during the 1990s. The floods spread beyond Oregon's Willamette Valley, extending west to the Oregon Coast and east toward the Cascade Mountains. Significant flood damage also impacted the American states of Washington, Idaho (particularly the north of the state) and California. The floods were directly responsible for eight deaths in Oregon, as well as over US$500 million in property damage throughout the Pacific Northwest. Three thousand residents were displaced from their homes. [1]
An unusual confluence of weather events made the floods particularly severe. The winter preceding the floods had produced abnormally high rainfall and relatively low snowfall. The heavy rains saturated ground soil and raised river levels throughout January 1996. In late January, a heavy snowstorm padded snow packs throughout the region. This was followed by a deep freeze that lasted for six to ten days. The new layer of snow was quickly melted by a warm subtropical jetstream which arrived on February 6. The jetstream brought along further rains. The combination of the additional rain, the saturated ground, and the melting snow packs engorged dozens of streams and tributaries, which in turn flooded into the region's major rivers. [2]
The Willamette River, which flows through downtown Portland, crested at 28.6 feet (8.7 m), some 10.6 feet (3.2 m) above flood stage. [2] The river came within inches of flowing over its seawall and flooding a large portion of Portland's downtown Tom McCall Waterfront Park. A major sandbagging effort involving civilians as well as the Oregon National Guard was launched throughout downtown Portland and was maintained until the floodwaters began to recede on February 9. At least five rivers in Oregon crested at all-time highs during the floods. [2]
The downtown areas of Oregon City and Tillamook suffered particularly heavy damage from the floods, and both were submerged for several days. Several houses in SW Portland were also damaged by the heavy rainfall and a landslide caused one stretch of SW Fairmount Boulevard to be closed for several weeks.
|
Floods
| null | null |
Notorious bank robbery suspect coordinated our operations from prison — Gang members
|
Four years after a notorious bank robbery kingpin, Clement Abanara, alias Millions, was arrested by operatives of the Force Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, charged to court and remanded in Ikoyi Correctional Center for coordinating bank robberies in Lagos State, his gang members have disclosed how he had continued to coordinate more armed robberies across the country while still serving his term in prison. Seven members of his gang identified as Sunday Solemu, Alfred Robinson, Abuchi Alfred, Emeka Ilo, Ekene Igbanifore and two dismissed soldiers, Ayeni Samuel and Emeka Ariston, were arrested by operatives of the IRT, as they were planning to rob a commercial bank in Asaba area of Delta State while a GPMG, six AK-47, 51 magazines, 1,620 rounds of live ammunition, two vehicles, breaking instruments and charms, were recovered from them during the raid. Police source disclosed to Vanguard that the IRT operatives, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, swooped on the suspects after they launched a manhunt for members of the gang who carried out the Ebonyi State bullion van attack and they discovered that the robbery operation was coordinated by Millions, a notorious armed robber serving time in prison. A source disclosed that IRT operatives arrested a cousin to Millions, Alfred Robinson, based in Asaba Delta state who revealed how Millions had been coordinating their operations from his detention in Ikoyi Correctional Centre, Lagos. He disclosed that Millions, who took part in the 2015 bank robberies in Lekki, Ikorodu, Festac and Agbara (all in Lagos), where millions of naira were carted away, brought in the soldiers who assisted them in organizing their operations. It was also gathered that the two vehicles used in the Ebonyi State bullion van robbery attack, a Toyota Lexus and a Four Runner, SUV, were robbed from their owners, who were kidnapped in Owerri, Imo State and a ransom of N5million was paid for their release. vehicles were taken to Onitsha Anambra State, where their trackers were removed before the suspects proceeded to Ebonyi state for their operation. Alfred Robinson disclosed during his arrest that Ebonyi bullion van robbery would have been successful if the van had appeared at the location and time they were expecting it adding that the four policemen escorting the van were killed because they took members of the gang unaware. He said that after the operation failed, they proceed to Akwa, Anambra state and robbed a recharge card dealer of the sum of N7.5million, cash and other valuables. He, however, led the IRT operatives in arresting six members of his gang including the dismissed soldiers and the recovery of the gang’s arms and ammunition. During his interview, Robinson, who is a father of four disclosed that he also took part in the 2015 Lekki bank robbery in Lagos State. He said his cousin, Millions invited him for the operation, after which he got N5million as his share. In his confession, Alfred Robinson, 45, said; “I am from Gelegele Local Government Area of Edo State and I am married with four children. I was a wood logger before I went into oil bunkering. “It was my cousin, Millions who introduced me to the oil bunkering business. Millions also got me involved in armed robbery. I made the N5million invested in oil bunkering from the 2015 Lekki bank robbery. “That was the business I was doing before my friend, Sunday Soyemi, brought this Ebonyi state bullion van robbery. I called my cousin in prison who gave me all the expertise I needed for the operation. “He was the person who linked me to the soldiers I used for the operation, he also advised that we should not use our vehicles for the operation, but we should use robbed cars. “We followed his instructions. Soyemi brought the guns and dynamite we used for the operation but the operation failed because we weren’t prepared at the time the bullion van came to our spot. We exchanged fire with the police escort and the van escaped,” he stated. On his part, Sunday Soyemi, 46, a native of Bayelsa state said the bullion van robbery failed because the police escort following it noticed their presence and opened fire on them. “We weren’t prepared when the bullion van and the escort approached our location. They opened fire on us and we weren’t prepared. We shot back but the van escaped. “We killed four of the policemen and left Ebonyi state immediately. We proceeded to Akwa, Anambra State and robbed a man of the sum of N7.5million, then we were in Asaba, strategizing on bank to rob when the police swooped on us.” The dismissed soldiers, Ayeni Samuel and Emeka Ariston said they got involved in robbery because they were looking for money to fix their lives and support their families. They said they knew Millions through their friend serving at the Ikoyi Prison and Millions promised to assist them if they worked for him. Ayeni said; “I joined the Nigeria army in 2003 and I was dismissed because I took part in illegal duty. After my dismissal in 2014, I have no job, then I was linked to Millions who is in prison. “He was the person that linked me to his cousin, Alfred, that they needed my coursemate and me to give them military cover. “We went for the operation with our uniforms but we were unlucky the bullion van escaped from the scene. I also took part in the Akwa Ibom robbery the next day where I got N150,000 as my share but I was arrested while we were making plans to rob another bullion van in Asaba,” he stated.
|
Bank Robbery
| null | null |
Barnes rail crash
|
The Barnes rail crash, in which 13 people were killed and 41 were injured, occurred at Barnes railway station late in the evening of Friday 2 December 1955. [1]
The Southern Region of British Railways 23:12 electric passenger train travelling from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside and Chertsey collided with the rear of a LMS class 8 2-8-0 hauled freight train from Herne Hill to Brent at about 35 mph. The wreckage from the passenger train short-circuited the third rail; an electrical arcing started a fire in the wooden coach frames, and the leading coach of the passenger train was burnt out. The coaches were classified as 2-NOL and were converted in the 1930s from old London & South Western Railway steam carriages. [2]
The accident was caused by irregular operation of the block apparatus by the signalman at Barnes Junction. The signals were interlocked so that they could not be freed to show clear unless the block ahead was clear. A manual release key could be used to circumvent this interlocking if, for example, a broken mechanical link or track circuit gave a false indication of a train on the line. The signalman for Point Pleasant, the block behind Barnes, offered the passenger train forward improperly, without waiting for the "Train out of section" acknowledgement from Barnes. The Barnes signalman had forgotten about the freight train and used his release key to clear the signals. A contributory factor was the failure of the circuit breakers supplying the traction current to the section to trip when the collision occurred – the subsequent arcing and fire caused most of the fatalities. The official report concluded that the current drawn by the short-circuit (approx 5700 A) was only slightly higher than the trip current (5000 A), and the breakers failed to trip due to poor response speed and stiffness of operation. One of the passengers killed was Bernard Crouch, an England table tennis international and world championship medallist. [3]
|
Train collisions
| null | null |
Man to receive sentence after walking from Columbiana County prison in 1999
|
Updated: Oct 21, 2021 / 10:25 AM EDT SHARE YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Sentencing is set for Wednesday for a man accused of walking out of the federal prison in Columbiana County in 1999. Ernesto Corral, 65, is set to be sentenced before Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. in the U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio on a single charge of escape from the custody of the United States Attorney General. Corral pleaded guilty on June 28 to the charge. Cows dead in tractor-trailer rollover crash in Trumbull County The indictment in the case said Corral, while an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution Elkton, walked away from the prison July 26, 1999. According to a sentencing memorandum filed in the case by his attorney, Corral was serving a 135-month prison sentence out of the Eastern District of Wisconsin on a charge of conspiracy with intent to distribute a controlled substance when he escaped. The memorandum termed the escape a “walk away” and said Corral had served five years and nine months of his sentence before he escaped. The memorandum did not give further details on the escape. Corral was arrested in April of 2001 in Peru and served a 20-year prison sentence there. When his sentence was completed earlier this year, he was extradited to the United States. The memorandum notes that while Corral was in prison in Peru, the United States tried numerous times to have him extradited to the United States but was not successful until he was released from prison there. The memorandum does not say what charge Corral served his time for while in Peru. Corral has been in the Mahoning County Jail since he was sent back to the United States. The memorandum asks the court to sentence Corral to below the guideline sentence for the charge. The memorandum notes his age, the horrific conditions he faced while in prison in Peru, his numerous medical conditions and the fact that he has gone several years without seeing close family members. The guideline sentence for Corral is between 12 and 18 months in prison, the memorandum said. A family member also owns a business and has a job for Corral once he is released from custody, the memorandum said.
|
Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence
| null | null |
Two killed in Bengaluru blast at crackers warehouse: K’taka Home Minister
|
Bengaluru: Two people were killed in the explosion in a Bengaluru warehouse, due to the firecrackers stocked there, on Thursday, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said.
“This is a huge tragedy. The police, fire force, emergency services personnel have rushed to the spot. They are investigating how the incident has taken place. The police are taking all precautions but these incidents are happening,” he said.
“I think it is the result of crackers. Since, Deepavali festival is around the corner and crackers are being stocked,” he added.
Earlier the police, after preliminary investigations, had said that three persons had been killed but was it was difficult to ascertain as body parts were strewn around. Four persons suffered serious injuries in the explosion and the condition of one of them is said to be critical as he has suffered 72 to 75 per cent burns.
The deceased were identified as Muralidhar, and Aslam. Fayaz, who was earlier suspected to be dead, is being treated at the hospital and his condition is said to be serious.
Meanwhile, V.V. Puram police have arrested the warehouse owner Babu and are questioning him. Sources said that one part of the building was used to stock crackers, and three boxes exploded, while 80 boxes each containing 15 to 20 kg remain intact.
However, the exact cause of the blast is yet to be ascertained. It was so strong that windows of houses located up to a distance of 200 metres were shattered.
Bengaluru’s DCP, East, Harish Pande, had earlier clarified that the blast was not due to a gas cylinder explosion, gas compressor or an electricity short circuit. “The blast seems to have been triggered by an unstable explosive. We have to investigate it,” he had said.
“The cracker consignment in the warehouse is intact and the exact cause of explosion needs to be investigated. It is a transport warehouse and how the crackers are stored, from where they have been brought will be investigated,” he said.
Revenue Minister R. Ashok stated that considering the fire tragedy incidents in the city, action will be initiated to ensure safety in residential areas. “I will hold a meeting in this regard with officers of BBMP,” he stated.
Meanwhile, former minister and Congress MLA Zameer Ahmad Khan visited the spot and announced Rs 2 lakh for the family of the deceased and also said that he would take care of the expenses of those injured.
|
Gas explosion
| null | null |
Basin Complex Fire
|
The Basin Complex Fire was a massive wildfire near Big Sur that ignited on June 21, 2008, and was the result of a lightning strike. It eventually grew to 162,818 acres (658.90 km2), becoming the second-largest wildfire of the 2008 California wildfire season, and burning most of the Ventana Wilderness. State and federal officials spent more than $120 million to fight the fire, making it is the most expensive fire in California history up to that time, and the second most expensive in U.S. history, exceeded only by the Biscuit Fire in 2002. [3] Eventually, the Thomas Fire surpassed the Basin Complex Fire in firefighting costs as well. The fire forced the evacuation of Big Sur prior to the July 4 holiday weekend. [4] Camp Pico Blanco was forced to evacuate the camp and diverted its Scouts to Boulder Creek Scout Reservation in Santa Cruz. The camp lost only one building, an outlying ranger's cabin. [5] Big Sur residents were permitted to return on July 9. [6]
As of 2021[update], the fire is the twentieth-largest wildfire in California, since accurate records began in 1932. This wildfire-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
|
Fire
| null | null |
Super blue blood moon is coming
|
Space enthusiasts will be delighted to know that, after the excitement of the New Year's Day super moon, a super blue blood moon is now heading our way. The last one happened around 150 years ago, so it's a rare event for space gazers. Super moons happen when a full moon is closest to the Earth, appearing bigger and brighter than normal - up to 15% brighter and 30% bigger than regular full moons. Check out these amazing pictures from one in December 2017. The space experts over at Nasa have said we have a 'super moon trilogy' coming in January 2018, and the third and final one could be the most beautiful and rare - a super blue blood moon. Well, we know what a super moon is. A blue moon is what you call the second full moon in one month. So a super moon expected on 31 January will also be the second full moon of that month, which means it's a blue moon. They happen every two and a half years, on average. It's actually nothing to do with the Moon appearing blue! A blood moon is the name given for a view of the Moon during a total lunar eclipse. Because of the way light passes through the Earth's atmosphere during an eclipse, red light from the Sun is reflected onto it and gives it a reddish colour and the nickname blood moon. The best view of the lunar spectacular will be had from western North America across the Pacific Ocean to east Asia. But don't feel bad if you can't see it with you own eyes, because if you check the Newsround website on 1 February we'll bring you some amazing pictures of it from around the world!
|
New wonders in nature
| null | null |
Massive mudslide in Red River halts traffic, backs up river
|
Updated: November 16, 2021 @ 4:04 pm An employee of 4K River Ranch attempts to clear mud so water doesn’t back up into the nearby campground in Red River on Friday (July 30). Nathan Burton / Taos News Brian Garcia, Deputy Marshall with the Red River Marshalls Office helps to direct traffic following the mudslide on State Highway 38 in Red River on Friday (July 30). Nathan Burton / Taos News Cars are intermittently allowed through after a mudslide blocked traffic on State Highway 38 in Red River on Friday (July 30). Nathan Burton / Taos News The mudslide occurred right near the Red River Town limits on Friday (July 30). Nathan Burton / Taos News Bulldozers try to removed mud from the roadway on State Road 38 near Red River on Friday afternoon (July 30). Bulldozers push mud off the roadway. Cars were backed up along State Road 38 near Red River because of the mudslide. Mud can be seen all over the road and down into a campground off of State Road 38 near Red River. ATV's can be seen crossing the road after bulldozers cleared most of the mud. The mudslide occurred right near the Red River town limits. Bulldozers dump mud on the side of the road. Updated Nov. 16 at 1:20 p.m.The FBI and Taos Pueblo Departme… Frank McAleer, a 72-year-old wanted in connection to an Oct.… Reporter An employee of 4K River Ranch attempts to clear mud so water doesn’t back up into the nearby campground in Red River on Friday (July 30). Nathan Burton / Taos News Brian Garcia, Deputy Marshall with the Red River Marshalls Office helps to direct traffic following the mudslide on State Highway 38 in Red River on Friday (July 30). Nathan Burton / Taos News Cars are intermittently allowed through after a mudslide blocked traffic on State Highway 38 in Red River on Friday (July 30). Nathan Burton / Taos News The mudslide occurred right near the Red River Town limits on Friday (July 30). Nathan Burton / Taos News Bulldozers try to removed mud from the roadway on State Road 38 near Red River on Friday afternoon (July 30). Bulldozers push mud off the roadway. Cars were backed up along State Road 38 near Red River because of the mudslide. Mud can be seen all over the road and down into a campground off of State Road 38 near Red River. ATV's can be seen crossing the road after bulldozers cleared most of the mud. The mudslide occurred right near the Red River town limits. Bulldozers dump mud on the side of the road. (Updated Thursday, Aug. 5) A mudslide blocked a section of State Road 38 near Red River last Friday (July 30) after a heavy rain downpour caused mud to flow down the hill and into the road. The road was closed for approximately two hours, with traffic halted in both directions as multiple agencies tended to the situation, just near the Red River town limits. Red River Public Works, the Red River Fire Department, the Taos County Sheriff’s Office, the Red River Marshal’s Office and the New Mexico Department of Transportation all assisted with the event. Several bulldozers were brought in to help move the massive amounts of mud around, and much time was spent pushing the mud off the roadway and into the river. However, this quickly led to problems for the 4K River Ranch, which is located just down the hill from where the mudslide took place. As bulldozers pushed the mud into the river, it quickly began to back up, causing the RV campsite to flood, and forced them to evacuate several people. Luckily, the team at the campground was ready, and they sprung into action, using chainsaws and pickaxes to clear up the mud and debris clogging the river. “If our guys weren’t out there clearing it, it would have flooded our property and continued to flood into the town,” said 4K River Ranch manager Todd Worrell. “We had three guys down there with shovels and picks clearing out the river so the water could continue to flow.” Worrell said the campground is still not back to normal yet, and that excavators will be brought into the clear out the river because “it’s still not flowing properly… and so part of our property is still flooded.” Deke Willis, Red River fire chief, said “during monsoon season, the ground is so saturated, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before today.” He added there are three locations along State Road 38 that are prone to mudslides and are watched regularly. Red River EMS Division Supervisor Ed Saint said they had been watching through the rest of the weekend for additional slides. “We’ve been watching because we had pretty heavy rain on Saturday, but it was obviously not in that area,” he said. “It all depends on where that rain concentrates.”
|
Mudslides
| null | null |
Ian Borg's ministry to appeal €100k fine for uprooting trees with no permit
|
The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) said last week it had issued the hefty fine after works at Ta’ Qali were carried out without environmental authorisation.
It did not name who was behind the works but said they were related to the development of “a new concert area” in the vicinity of the park.
Times of Malta is informed that the fine was dished out to an entity falling under the Infrastructure Ministry, headed by Transport Minister Ian Borg.
Valletta Cultural Agency head Jason Micallef, who is coordinating the project, said when contacted that an appeal would be filed by Borg’s ministry in the coming days.
Micallef defended the project saying it would have a positive environmental impact once completed.
Sources at the ERA said that entities falling under Borg’s ministry have been slapped with several fines for uprooting trees and other acts of “environmental vandalism” without the necessary permits in recent years.
The ERA board said that during its last sitting earlier this month it had been presented with an application to uproot trees at Ta’ Qali to develop a new concert area. However, the green watchdog said that works on the site had already begun by the time the board came to review the application.
ERA granted the project an environmental permit for the remaining works subject to a bank guarantee of €174,000. It also ordered that some 675 trees be planted as compensation along with the hefty fine.
Borg’s ministry has come under scathing criticism for the way it has uprooted trees in the last few years, especially since the government announced the Central Link roadworks project.
When the plans for the project were published it was revealed that trees that lined the road between Attard and Rabat would be torn down to make way for new asphalting.
This was met with opposition by both environmentalists and residents.
However, the government still steamed ahead with the project.
In March, the Planning Authority approved the construction of an open-air concert and recreational space in Ta’ Qali where a concrete plant stood.
The government project forms part of an overhaul of the national park that will see it double in size. The project is set to include a performance stage, shops for refreshments and music bands’ merchandise, a clinic and water reservoirs.
|
Organization Fine
| null | null |
1949 New York City brewery strike
|
The 1949 New York City brewery strike was a labor strike involving approximately 7,000 brewery workers from New York City. The strike began on April 1 of that year after a labor contract between 7 local unions of the Brewery Workers Union and the Brewers Board of Trade (which collectively represented 14 city-based brewing companies) expired without a replacement. The primary issue was over the number of workers on board delivery trucks, with the union wanting two workers per truck as opposed to the companies' standard one person per truck. Additional issues regarded higher wages and reduced working hours for the union members, among other minor issues. The strike saw production at the New York City-based breweries immediately halted, and a beer shortage in the city soon began. Beer from outside the city, including New Jersey and the Midwest, was soon shipped in as the strike continued for several weeks. During the strike, three of the breweries resumed production after agreeing to independent deals with their workers, while the Brewery Workers Union was joined by two other local unions. On June 21, the strike ended with the workers and companies agreeing to a new labor contract that addressed many of the workers' concerns. The strike had an immediate economic impact on the New York City-based breweries, costing the companies approximately $75 million in gross sales. The strike and subsequent lack of local beer also allowed other American brands to gain a foothold in the New York City market, and local brewers increased their advertising to stay competitive. By 1952, there were only 4 local breweries left in the city, which at one time was one of the major brewing center of the United States. New York City historically was a major center of beer production in the United States. In 1898, the borough of Brooklyn was home to 48 breweries, and during their height, two of the largest Brooklyn-based brewing companies (the F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Company and S. Liebmann & Sons) both annually produced over 2 million barrels of beer. [1] In 1949, approximately 7,000 brewery workers in the city were members of the United Brewery, Flour, Cereal and Soft Drink Workers Union (also simply known as the Brewery Workers Union[2]), an affiliate union of the Congress of Industrial Organizations. [3] According to a union representative, the workers represented included all levels of workers except salesmen and white-collar workers. [4] These union members, organized into 7 different local unions,[5] worked for 14 major brewing companies in the city and were collectively part of a labor contract between the union and the Brewers Board of Trade, of which the brewing companies were members. [3] These companies included the 10 following breweries:[6]
Additionally, four distributors for the companies Anheuser-Busch, Ballantine, Schlitz, and West End were a part of this board. [6] Many of these companies were located in Brooklyn. [10]
The contract between the union and companies was set to expire at midnight on March 31 of that year, and in the month leading up to that, representatives from both sides met in several rounds of negotiations to discuss the contents of a new deal. However, these talks were bogged down, as the two sides could not agree to the provisions of the contract. [3] In particular, union officials were pushing for an $8.50 weekly raise to the base $71 weekly pay. Workers also wanted a five-hour reduction to their 40-hour work weeks, the addition of an extra man on delivery trucks operated by only one person, and a pension plan. [10] Additional points of contention concerned job security and workplace safety. [10] According to union counsel Paul O'Dwyer (brother to then-New York City Mayor William O'Dwyer[11]), the main issue concerning the union members was that "there are too many injuries because the men are forced to move the machines too fast and to handle excessive weights without aid on delivery". [4] O'Dwyer also claimed that 20 brewery workers had been killed on the job in New York City over the previous four years and that injuries and workplace hazards had increased. [12] However, a representative of the brewers objected to these claims, arguing that the brewery workers had a good safety record. Additionally, he alleged that the $8.50 raise was unrealistic and that the union had not submitted a counterproposal to the Brewers Board's $2 per week raise counteroffer. [4]
On March 25, union members voted on whether or not to perform a strike action sometime after April 1 if a contract were not agreed to by then. [3] Additionally, on March 27, union members voted by acclamation to request approval from the union's international officials to call a strike after the contract expired. [13] Following this, a vote to approve strike action was held in a closed meeting on March 31. [10] As the expiration date loomed, company and union officials continued to meet and discuss contract proposals,[13] and immediately prior to the contract's expiration, the two parties had been engaged in a 12-hour long Federal mediation session which still failed to achieve a new deal. [4] The strike action would be the second in 5 months for the New York City brewers,[5] as the union led a 29-day strike in October and November 1948 after several delivery drivers were suspended and fired for not meeting company-imposed delivery schedules. [3] As no deal had been reached by the current deal's expiration, the strike commenced at 2:05 a.m. on April 1, 1949. [14]
Picketing commenced on the first day of the strike, with approximately 50 strikers picketing outside Schaefer's plant and an equal number at the Liebmann brewery (the producers of Rheingold Beer[15]). Several strikers also picketed at the Edelbrew Brewery and the George Ehret Brewery. Representatives of both Liebmann and Edelbrew announced they would not be shipping out their products that day, and police were informed to be alert for any disturbances at the city's breweries. [10] In total, production at all 14 breweries was shut down. That same day, approximately 3,000 brewery workers in nearby New Jersey, organized under the American Federation of Labor (AFL), were also threatening strike action after their contract had expired the same day, similarly without a replacement agreement between them and five major breweries in the state. [4] On April 2, the Brooklyn Eagle reported that a beer shortage could be expected in New York City within 10 days. [4] Union officials argued that this number was closer to a week, while company representatives claimed it would be two weeks before a shortage. [12] That same day, the New Jersey Brewers Association, during negotiations with the New Jersey union (Bottled Beer Drivers and Beer Bottlers Local 843) agreed to grant them the same terms as any agreement reached between the New York City union and brewers association. [12] As a result, strike action in New Jersey was postponed. [7]
On April 3, strikers stationed at the Holland Tunnel and George Washington Bridge talked to beer truck delivery drivers coming into the city from New Jersey and convinced them to turn around, honoring their strike. [12] That same day, shop stewards and the executive boards for the 7 local unions in New York voted to allow beer distribution in the city only if there were two people on each truck, that their work weeks consisted of 35 hours, and that they weren't transporting beer from any of the breweries affected by the strike. On April 4, union and company representatives met in Manhattan as part of negotiations overseen by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services. [2] While the negotiations did not lead to an agreement between the Board of Trade and the union, a separate agreement was made the following day with 200 unionized workers at the Ebling Brewing Company in the Bronx. As part of the agreement, Ebling agreed to the 35 hour work week and the two workers per truck rule and further agreed to incorporate any further agreements made between the union and board. [7] A news article published after the agreement stated that 6,750 brewery workers in the city remained on strike. [16]
Federal discussions resumed on April 6. [17] On April 7, Brewery Workers officials announced that they would cease picketing at the Holland Tunnel and George Washington Bridge and allow trucks from the P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company (described by the union as New York brewers' "largest competitor") to deliver beer into New York City.
|
Strike
| null | null |
Closed the boarding schools and opened up CPS
|
Updated: November 26, 2021 @ 2:35 am Claremore, Oklahoma STILLWATER – Oklahoma private applicators still have time to… BARTLESVILLE – Free public health services will be offered t… Kim Duncan’s three adopted daughters, from left, Shalyn, Shyanne and Shelbi, sit smiling with their watermelon in the summer heat. Cetan Sa Winyan, director of the American Indian Movement’s Indian Territory Oklahoma chapter, said all tribes – not just the four already petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court – should stand together against potential changes to the Indian Child Welfare Act in a case the court has been asked to review. “They closed the boarding schools and opened up CPS (Child Protective Services), but it’s the same thing – they’re still coming in and taking our children,” Winyan said. The ICWA was enacted in 1978 to help keep Indigenous children in Indigenous homes. In ICWA cases, the first preference for placement is that the child go to an extended family member, even if the relative is non-Native. Second preference is someone within the child’s tribe; third preference is another tribe. The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians of California and the Quinault Indian Nation of Washington are petitioning the Supreme Court to request that the bill remain intact. The state of Texas is challenging the constitutionality of ICWA, claiming it’s a race-based system that makes it more difficult for Native kids to be adopted or fostered into non-Native homes. Another argument is that the law commandeers states too much, giving federal law imbalanced influence in state affairs. A Supreme Court response to the tribes’ petition and the petition filed by the plaintiffs is due Oct. 8. Tribes and advocates argue that ICWA is culturally- and politically-based, not race-based, because tribal nations have political status as sovereign governments under federal law. Cherokee Nation Deputy Attorney General Chrissi Nimmo said the tribe will put all the resources it has into making sure ICWA is protected. “ICWA attempts to keep children connected to their tribe ... and an attack on that is absolutely an attack on tribal sovereignty,” Nimmo said. The bill was enacted to quell the disproportionately high rate of Indigenous children’s removal from their traditional homes, culture, language and dress. Before ICWA passed, 25% to 35% of all Indigenous children were being forcibly “assimilated” from intact Indigenous family structures to predominantly non-Indigenous homes. “There was this bias that would lead to children being placed in foster care for things that weren't abuse or neglect but things mainstream social services didn't understand,” Nimmo said. Te’Ata Loper, partnership grant coordinator for the Oklahoma Indian Child Welfare Association, said ICWA is “vital to the continuation of our tribal nations and tribal families” and is optimistic the court will maintain tribal sovereignty given the legal precedent found “in countless Supreme Court case decisions.” The Oklahoma Indian Child Welfare Association is a nonprofit supporting Indigenous families and children by providing advocacy, education, training and collaboration with Oklahoma tribes and partner agencies. AIM Indian Territory also provides a support system for tribal families trying to navigate the child welfare system. Winyan said the organization has been working to educate Oklahoma tribes about what’s been happening with ICWA in the courts. She knows some don’t understand the politics of it, or the severity, but Winyan said many can understand ICWA’s impact when it’s compared to the boarding schools era. “It’s just another form of saying, ‘Kill the Indian, Save the Man,’”she said. “It hasn't changed.” One mother from the Cherokee Nation has seen the impacts Indigenous children face when raised in non-Indigenous homes. Kim Duncan adopts and fosters children through the tribe. She and her husband, also an enrolled Cherokee member, became certified to foster and adopt in December 2017 and shortly thereafter took in two girls who were also Cherokee. The girls, then ages 9 and 10, had gone through six different non-Indigenous homes between Dec. 13 and Dec. 28 of that year, by the time Duncan and her husband became their seventh and final home. “The other six homes before us completely shut down and said, ‘we don't want any more kids,’” Duncan said. “That's how traumatic it was … They were probably the hardest two we've ever taken in and we ended up adopting them, and they are totally different kids now.” Duncan said leaving the Indian Child Welfare Act as it is would mean that Indigenous children like hers would still get to grow up in homes where they are surrounded by people that not only sometimes look like them but speak their language, understand their culture. A non-Indigenous home, she said, just can’t provide those needs to Indigenous children. Duncan said when they made a home for their two girls, they were immediately drawn to Duncan’s husband because he was perhaps a familiar – darker – face. “They just related to him more,” Duncan said. “My children are darker-skinned, most of them, and they related to them.” Duncan has fostered 14 children since 2017 and adopted three of them. “People that are non-Indian are not as passionate about keeping the language strong, the culture strong,” Duncan said. “If we allow our Indian children to be adopted by non-Indian homes, we're going to lose it.” ICWA applied in the adoption of Jennifer Bailey’s now 7-year-old Cheyenne daughter. Bailey is a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. The birth mother, Bailey said, walked away from the adoption agency and chose she and her husband to raise her child because the child and Bailey were of the same tribe. Bailey said she’s concerned that changing ICWA would lead potentially to long-term impacts on culture and language preservation, because it will keep Indigenous children from staying connected to their history and ancestry. Nimmo said if ICWA is ruled as unconstitutional, as “race-based,” it would open the door to dismantling other Indigenous laws using that argument. “Nothing else that we deal with as tribal people – land doesn't matter, money doesn't matter, language doesn't matter, artifacts don't matter if we don't have future generations,” Nimmo said. Nancy Marie Spears, a Gaylord News reporter based in Washington, is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories from Gaylord News visit GaylordNews.net. We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story. Avis "Darlene" Searan, age 75, formerly of California, passed away at Restwell Home Plus in Oskaloosa, KS, on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. She was born the daughter of Leo Abraham and Avis Amelia (Gabbert) Searan in Claremore, OK, on June 25, 1946. Darlene loved watching baseball, especially,…
|
Organization Closed
| null | null |
1954 Adelaide earthquake
|
The 1954 Adelaide earthquake had its epicentre at Darlington, a suburb of the city of Adelaide in South Australia, some 12 km (7.5 mi) to the south of the Adelaide city centre. The quake took place at 3:40 am in the early morning of 1 March 1954 and had a reported magnitude of 5.6. [1] An area of more than 700 km2 sustained an intensity greater than V on the Mercalli intensity scale. As Australia lies in the middle of a tectonic plate, South Australia is relatively stable geologically. However, South Australia is the second most earthquake-prone of the Australian states with around 3–4 tremors each day. Most tremors are of a magnitude below 2.5, and so noteworthy only to seismologists. Since they are dispersed fairly evenly across the state, most occur well away from centres of human population. The 1954 Adelaide earthquake differed because of its magnitude, which made it the fourth most intense earthquake reported in the state since settlement in 1836, and because it occurred in an area of dense human settlement. The quake is thought to have started along the Eden-Burnside fault line, which is essentially the Hills face zone, at a depth of 4 km. However, due to a lack of instruments at the time, this is uncertain. [2] Due to the Adelaide plains being primarily heavy clay, amplification of the tremor was reduced, resulting in less damage than a quake of this size would be expected to cause in a metropolitan area. There were no reported fatalities, and 16 reported injuries. [2][3]
The total cost of the damage was estimated at around £17 million (2017: $578 million), but only £3 million (2017:$104 million) was paid out in insurance for 30,303 claims, covering around 22% of the damaged buildings. Adelaide in 1954 was still subject to wartime rationing, and most damaged property was uninsured. [3] The earthquake was the most destructive earthquake in recorded Australian history until 1989, when it was eclipsed by the 5.6 Richter magnitude Newcastle earthquake, which caused $4 billion damage, killed 13 people, and injured 160. One of the settlement's earliest buildings, the Victoria Hotel in Hindley Street, suffered partial collapse. Other major buildings severely damaged included the local Catholic cathedral, St Francis Xavier Cathedral, the General Post Office clock tower, and a newly completed hospital in Blackwood which sustained major damage in all its wards and offices (though an operating theatre survived). [2] The Wakefield Street Private Hospital was damaged to the tune of £600, which was not covered by insurance. [4]
The Britannia statue in Pirie Street, Adelaide was badly damaged, and since it had also been similarly damaged in the 1897 Beachport and 1902 Warooka earthquakes, the clock in the statue was permanently removed. [5]
Outside of Adelaide there was little damage. The Troubridge Island Lighthouse off the south east corner of Yorke Peninsula, 83 km west of Adelaide across the Gulf St Vincent, shut down after the quake damaged its generator, while the Cape St Albans Lighthouse on Kangaroo Island began flashing irregularly. [5]
|
Earthquakes
| null | null |
UFC 190
|
UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia was a mixed martial arts event held on August 1, 2015, at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. [3]
The event was headlined by a UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship bout between former UFC Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and #5 contender Bethe Correia. [3]
The lightweight and bantamweight finals of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4 also took place at this event. [4] The finale was initially planned to take place on June 27, 2015 in São Paulo, Brazil. [5] However, on May 15, the event was moved to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. [6] It was expected to be the first time an Ultimate Fighter Brazil Finale would take place outside of Brazil. However, as the event approached, several international fighters experienced potential travel restrictions due to technical issues within the Bureau of Consular Affairs division of the U.S. State Department which produces visas. This led to a situation in which several participants might have been barred from being able to compete. [7] Subsequently, the divisional finals of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4 were shifted to this event. [8][9]
The event featured a potential UFC Women's Strawweight Championship title eliminator bout between Cláudia Gadelha and former WSOF Women's Strawweight champion Jessica Aguilar. [10]
The event fared well, receiving 900,000 pay-per-view buys. Rousey dedicated her fight to
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper who had died the day before. [11]
[12]
The following fighters were awarded $50,000 bonuses:[13]
|
Sports Competition
| null | null |
EU offers to scrap most checks on food and drink entering Northern Ireland
|
The EU has offered to cut the majority of checks on British food and drink moving into Northern Ireland, in the latest bid to resolve concerns over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The proposals come in response to the UK’s demands for a radical rewrite of the protocol, agreed last year to prevent a return of a hard border on the island of Ireland.
The new plan would remove about 80% of checks and around half of all customs paperwork compared with if the protocol were implemented in full, the EU said.
EU officials said the measures would particularly benefit Northern Irish supermarkets that are transporting large, mixed consignments of food products from GB. These retailers will only need to file customs declarations once per month, it added.
Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said it was a “major intervention” by Brussels to try and ease the tensions between the two sides.
The EU has moved to resolve many of the worst problems surrounding groupage, proposing that just one certificate will be needed for a mixed lorry heading across the Irish Sea. This would mean that a lorry containing potentially hundreds of product lines can travel with just a single certificate stating the items meet EU standards, rather than dozens as is currently required.
However this will not apply to certain meat and plant products, the EU said. It did not specify which ones.
SPS documentation will still have to be uploaded electronically prior to shipment, though there will be minimal physical checks upon arrival in Northern Ireland.
These measure would help create an “express lane” to facilitate faster movement of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
In return, however, the EU wants market surveillance information from both the UK government and British businesses to allow it to keep a better eye on goods flowing into the region. This will be a new burden for supermarkets, which will be required to provide full supply chain traceability and comprehensive product data.
It’s potentially good news for the British banger, however, as Northern Ireland will be exempt from the EU ban on the import of chilled meats, including sausages, from Great Britain. This is conditional on those products remaining aligned with EU standards.
Smaller businesses also look set to benefit from a widening of scope of an existing scheme to waive customs controls on “goods not at risk” of entering the Republic of Ireland.
The proposals were cautiously welcomed by Northern Irish trade groups. “If these proposals are to work then they must meet the tests that have been set out by the NI business community, namely that they must provide stability, certainty, simplicity and affordability,” said a spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group.
“Some of the solutions being mooted go some way towards meeting those tests. However, we will reserve judgement until we have seen both legal and technical texts.”
|
Tear Up Agreement
| null | null |
Chandler, AZ - Four Injured and Building Destroyed Following a Possible Gas Leak Explosion
|
According to 3TV/CBS 5, a possible gas leak injured four men as the explosion collapsed the Platinum Printing building located at 4940 W Ray Rd Suite 1, Chandler, AZ 85226.
Around 9:30 a.m on Thursday, August 26, 2012, an explosion near Rural and Ray Roads destroyed the Platinum Printing building, injuring four employees. Two of the owners of the business were included in the injured. They were all rushed to the hospital to treat their injuries that included burns across their bodies ranging from 16% to 30%. Two men are in ICU, and one is in a coma, but all men are said to need surgeries for their injuries.
Witnesses and local residents described buildings shaking blocks away and a big bang noise that some related to a bomb or a truck crashing through their home.
As many as 15 businesses and Maxwell Preschool Academy were evacuated following the explosion. Between 20 and 30 residential homes were also evacuated, but officials have since allowed them to return. Crews are still working in the area to determine the cause of the explosion, but many suspect a gas leak under the parking lot.
Update September 7, 2021:
According to AZ Family, the explosion has been confirmed by Southwest Gas to have been an error on their end. The gas company released a statement that explained how premature degradation in the specific pipe type is more susceptible to leaks. Southwest Gas installed the pipe in 1999, and prolonged periods of pressurized inactive pipes along with elevated temperatures can produce risk. An internal investigation has begun to determine how the company missed the replacement of the pipe.
Arizona attorney Kevin Biniazan is an experienced gas explosion lawyer who represents victims suffering from injuries caused by negligence. During an interview, Kevin shared some insight on the legal options of victims affected by gas explosions.
Natural gas companies have a responsibility to ensure their businesses are safely maintained. These companies should implement regular maintenance and safety inspections making sure their communities are safe. If gas pipeline systems are not in safe working conditions or poorly maintained, an explosion can occur. These explosions can result in property damage, injuries, and sometimes death.If a victim is affected by natural gas explosions, they may have grounds to file a lawsuit against the gas company. The victim could have a claim if the explosion proves to have resulted from the company’s negligence. Compensation may be awarded for property damage, medical bills, and evacuation costs.
Determining the cause of a gas explosion is a complicated process. Depending on the events that caused the explosion, more than one party may be responsible, including the utility company. Victims suffering from severe or fatal injuries are encouraged to speak with an experienced gas explosion lawyer.
|
Gas explosion
| null | null |
2015 Ogasawara earthquake
|
2015 Ogasawara earthquake is an earthquake caused on May 30, 2015. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck offshore of Japan 189 km (117 mi) west northwest of Chichi-jima in the Ogasawara Islands on May 30 at a depth of 664.0 km (412.6 mi). [3] The Associated Press agency reported "twelve people suffered minor injuries", and TEPCO claimed that 400 customers lost electricity in Saitama Prefecture. [4] There were no deaths, but elevators stopped one after another, in Tokyo and elsewhere. The shaking of the earthquake was observed almost all over Japan. [8] It is believed that this was due to a deep-focus earthquake. This earthquake was one of the largest deep-focus earthquakes in the world.
|
Earthquakes
| null | null |
U.S. college admissions scam tipster's prison sentence reduced to 4 months in stock fraud case
|
Los Angeles financier Morrie Tobin (R) arrives at the federal courthouse for a hearing in a nationwide college admissions cheating scheme, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., August 12, 2020. REUTERS/Brian Snyder BOSTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Friday reduced a one-year prison sentence imposed on a California businessman who tipped prosecutors off to a vast U.S. college admissions fraud scheme to just four months plus another eight of months home confinement. U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton in Boston cited a law allowing defendants to receive sentence reductions for assisting the government as he shortened Morrie Tobin's time in prison for trying to deceive investors out of $15 million through "pump-and-dump" schemes. His lawyers in June had sought to delay when he would report to prison, citing "confidential" efforts to assist authorities. A lawyer for Tobin did respond to a request for comment. Register now for FREE unlimited access to reuters.com Register To date, 57 people have been charged over a scheme in which wealthy parents conspired with California college admissions consultant William "Rick" Singer to fraudulently secure college placement for their children. The "Operation Varsity Blues" investigation stemmed from an unrelated stock fraud probe into Tobin, 58, who prosecutors said told investigators he was involved in a bribery scheme with Yale University's women's soccer coach, Rudolph Meredith. Investigators subsequently secretly recorded a meeting in which Meredith sought $450,000 for designating Tobin's daughter as a soccer recruit. Prosecutors said investigators learned about Singer during that meeting. Meredith then agreed to record phone calls with Singer, helping prosecutors build their case against him. Meredith pleaded guilty in 2019. Singer pleaded guilty in 2019 to facilitating cheating on college entrance exams and using bribery to secure the admission of students to universities as fake athletic recruits. Two parents, former Wynn Resorts Ltd (WYNN.O) executive Gamal Aziz and private equity firm founder John Wilson, are currently on trial. Closing arguments are expected next week. Gorton said last year that Tobin would have deserved eight years in prison but for his assistance in not just the stock fraud probe but also the "infamous" college fraud case.
|
Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence
| null | null |
Recovery to falter if debt limit fails
|
Young man who has been out of work for a long time is waiting to be called into an interview The pandemic has led to the loss of around 22 million jobs in wealthy countries and 114 million across the world. A report from the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental economic organization dedicated to stimulating progress, warns of the risk of a rapid rise in long-term joblessness. It's a disturbing trend. The number of unemployed people who’ve been out of work for at least six months or more was 60% higher than its pre-pandemic level at the end of 2020. That figure continued to escalate in the first quarter of 2021, and disproportionately adversely affects already vulnerable groups. To make matters worse, the OECD contends that jobs won’t return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023. Despite the swift change of fortunes in the United States with hiring rebounding, the OECD is concerned that “hours worked in low-paying occupations fell by over 28%,” which is almost 20% greater than the decline among high-paying occupations. A frighteningly large number of young people are not employed, pursuing education or training, an increase of around 3 million, reversing the trends of the past decade. It's problematic that young adults are without jobs or a solid education. As time progresses, they have fewer options available to them. It's a recipe for discontent, drug and alcohol abuse, and a tendency to commit crime. To ameliorate this problem, the OECD calls for governments to “roll out their recovery plans,” as it deem it “essential to continue supporting families most in need, while better targeting fiscal policy measures designed to boost growth toward firms and jobs that have a viable future in the new post-Covid-19 environment, providing the right incentives for business investment leading to the restoration and creation of more new jobs.” Another significant source of concern is “the labor market also remains vulnerable to a rapid build-up of long-term unemployment. Many who lost their job in the first phases of the pandemic have been jobless since then and may find it increasingly difficult to compete with those whose jobs have been previously sheltered.” The group calls for investments in “effective skills policies,” as it's essential to “help businesses, startups, as well as workers cope with transitions to occupations and sectors with high growth potential, including those relying on green technologies.” The OECD calls for additional efforts to “promote a culture of lifelong learning and linking training to individuals rather than jobs.” In June 2021, the number of long-term unemployed, which is defined as those jobless for 27 weeks or more, stood at nearly 4 million in the U.S., accounting for roughly 32.5% of the total unemployed. This doesn’t include the people who gave up and left the job market, are woefully underemployed or decided to retire early due to lack of work options. The effects on the long-term unemployed are devastating. Many families run through their life savings and emergency funds. Unemployment benefits help, but doesn’t make up for the loss of a white-collar salary. It shouldn’t be this way; however, a person feels their self-worth is diminished. Tensions flare within the family. There’s a tendency for the person in between jobs to withdraw from social activities out of embarrassment and the awkwardness associated with having to tell people of their predicament. To compound the challenges, job seekers face unconscious biases and discrimination in the job search process. Interviewers act as if it's the applicant’s fault and make unfounded judgements as to why they haven’t procured a new position after months of trying to find a job. There’s an undercurrent of presumption that there must be an unspoken reason why they were selected for downsizing and couldn’t quickly line up a new opportunity. The large gap in unemployment is sadly seen as a red flag. When finally presented with the opportunity to interview, the applicant brings baggage along with them. A hiring manager desires to extend an offer to a candidate who is positive, upbeat, enthusiastic and motivated. They want to feel that the applicant will be a fast-tracker, someone who gets things done and will make their life easier. It's hard for a long-term, out-of-work person to summon up the confidence to win over the interviewer. I’ve seen this story play out far too many times. The interviewee can’t suppress their resentment, bitterness and anger over having been laid off and left unemployed for such a long period of time. The supervisor notices this tension and becomes uncomfortable and concerned. When you’ve lost your confidence, it takes a toll. You may avoid eye contact, squirm in your seat and stumble with your answers. The pressure to get a job becomes overwhelming—bordering on debilitating. They expect to fail, since it keeps happening. Nervousness makes them lose focus and the interview doesn’t end well. The keys to combating long-term unemployment discrimination includes accepting what has happened, forgiving yourself and the people who let you go. You also need to develop a new job-search strategy. Tap into your network. Politely and persistently ask for help. It may feel uncomfortable, but you’ll have to be a little pushy at times. Ask people you know to offer job leads and to put in a good word for you or make introductions at companies you’d like to work at. You have nothing to lose, so pull out all of the stops. Go on LinkedIn and other social media sites to let the world know you’re out of work and actively search for a new job. Remind yourself that there’s no shame in being out of work. Digitally connect with people at your target companies. Comment on their postings and add your own content so you get noticed. Reach out to top recruiters that specialize in your area of expertise. Review and update your résumé. Practice your elevator pitch and go over all of the frequently asked interview questions. Cultivate a mental comeback plan. Find some hobbies to get your mind off of the job search. Work out at the gym. Go for a run. Take up a sport. Join some clubs. Do something that you are good at to build back your confidence. Take care of your mental, emotional and spiritual self. Talk yourself into success. Stop all of the negative noise in your head. Replace it with positive mantras, in which you constantly remind yourself of all of your past victories. We all have transferable skills. Use your talents to pivot toward a sector that's growing. You may have to put aside your pride and accept a lower-level job to get back into the game. A steady income and health benefits will help you feel better about yourself. The new position could be a stepping stone. You’ll make new contacts, rebuild your self-esteem, advance with the organization and stealthily keep an eye open for a better opportunity.
|
Financial Crisis
| null | null |
Trump claims trade victories with revised NAFTA, China deal
|
Donald Trump Warren backs expanding the Supreme Court Trump allies urge McCarthy to remove Kinzinger, Cheney from House GOP conference Agency managing Trump's DC hotel lease failed to probe ethical conflicts: report MORE claimed victory on two fronts of his global trade war this week after securing a preliminary deal with China and a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The Senate approved Trump’s NAFTA rewrite, dubbed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), by a resounding margin Thursday, one day after the president signed a “Phase One” trade deal with China’s Vice Premier Liu He. Trump celebrated the two deals as promises kept to his supporters less than a year before Election Day. “The farmers are really happy with the new China Trade Deal and the soon to be signed deal with Mexico and Canada,” Trump declared in a Thursday tweet, “but I hope the thing they will most remember is the fact that I was able to take massive incoming Tariff money and use it to help them get through the tough times!” Each deal gives Trump an arsenal of big numbers and lucrative concessions to tout on the campaign trail with a strong economy at his back. Even some of Trump’s fiercest critics — and potential replacements — backed his NAFTA reboot after securing unprecedented protections for laborers. But trade experts say the deals may do more to boost the president’s reelection campaign than the U.S.’s trade relationships, particularly with China. Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the China deal “represents an encouraging truce,” but doesn’t touch the “big issues about the structure of the Chinese economy and the distortions that causes in world trade.” “If you think back to what really started to increase U.S. concerns over China,” Alden added, “this deal does nothing about that.” Trump stormed into the White House in 2017 on a promise to rip up NAFTA and crack down on China after decades where members of both parties argued Beijing’s policies bilked U.S. businesses and farmers. Trump’s scorn for bipartisan free trade agreements helped him endear him to voters in blue-leaning industrial states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that lost millions of factory jobs after NAFTA’s 1994 enactment. All three of those states broke for Trump in 2016 after supporting Democratic presidential candidates for more than two decades and are key to his 2020 prospects. Trump has touted his new deals as a crucial step toward stopping the bleeding of U.S. jobs, saying Wednesday that the U.S. and China “are righting the wrongs of the past and delivering a future of economic justice and security for American workers, farmers and families.” But the agreement with China does not address the forces driving the decline in U.S. manufacturing jobs and Beijing’s open ambition to dominate the production of essential technology by 2025. The deal also doesn’t address China’s long-running practice of pouring subsidies into domestic companies to produce an oversupply of industrial materials, such as steel, to price out American competitors. “There are a long running series of challenges for the US and China this deal doesn't even scratch,” Alden said. “There's a whole technology war going on alongside this trade war, and that is going to continue in force this next year and beyond, even as we have this trade truce.” Trump and his top advisers acknowledge that the current deal leaves a lot to address with China in a proposed “Phase Two” agreement. The president is keeping 25 percent tariffs on $250 billion and 7.5 percent tariffs on $120 billion in Chinese goods to ensure Beijing remains at the negotiating table. “The other half, it’s not that we didn’t get it, it’s just incomplete,” said Larry Kudlow Larry Kudlow MORE , director of the White House National Economic Council, in Wednesday remarks to reporters. The centerpiece of Trump’s deal with China is a commitment from Beijing to boost purchases of U.S. goods and services by $200 billion over the next two years, including $77.7 billion for manufactured goods and $32 billion for agricultural products. While the president may be eager to boast of a new contract with Beijing, trade experts say it’s unlikely that China can meet such high demands. U.S. farmers may also be wary of devoting their entire crop to Chinese buyers and leaving their bottom lines at the mercy of Beijing. “Do you want to put all your soybeans in one basket?,” said Bill Reinsch, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Do you want to have one single giant customer who buys everything,” knowing that they have “a long record of turning the spigot on and off depending upon how they feel about you at the moment?” Forcing China to buy such vast quantities of U.S. crops could also require Beijing to cut off business with other agricultural exporters, which may spur lawsuits and challenges before the World Trade Organization (WTO). ADVERTISEMENT “There are almost certainly WTO challenges in it because you can't specify import requirements,” said Rachel Pierson, a senior research analyst for Beacon Policy Advisors. “You can’t have quotas of amounts to buy from someone in this way, as I understand it.” Neither Trump’s trade deal with China nor USMCA drastically change the terms of trade between the U.S. and those nations. But both pacts do include some significant changes that could yield benefits across the U.S. economy. The USMCA increases the threshold of North American parts an automobile must have to avoid tariffs, opens Canadian markets up to U.S. dairy farmers and sets new rules for digital trade practices unheard of when NAFTA was written. The phase one deal with China codified Beijing’s commitments to respect and protect the intellectual property of U.S. businesses, cease forced technology transfers and allow foreign banks, credit card companies and insurers into domestic markets. The agreement also requires China to scrap excessive regulatory reviews and health testing for U.S. products used to halt American exports from entering the country under the pretense of food safety. China has a track record of shirking on trade commitments, though the pain of U.S. tariffs could induce Beijing to cut its losses. Alden said that China is known for finding subtle ways around trade rules that are tough to prosecute. “The commitments on paper are not that different from what the Chinese have said in the past,” Alden said. But he added that “the will to enforce may be greater now than it was in the past.”
|
Tear Up Agreement
| null | null |
Woman, four kids die in gas explosion
|
Four children and a woman were killed and 12 other people injured after a gas leak caused an explosion in Burki, Lahore area.
Two houses collapsed due to the explosion. The Punjab chief minister also sought a report on the incident.
According to police, a call was received on the emergency number at 6:30am on Tuesday that a loud explosion had been heard in Pangali village on Burki Road.
Station House Officer (SHO) Qamar Abbas told The Express Tribune that when he reached the spot, two house covering about 14 marlas had collapsed and there was smell of gas in the area.
Locals told police that Farhad and Tasawur were living with their families in the two houses and their wives and children were trapped under the debris.
The SHO said a rescue team started removing the debris and the police also helped it. The rescuers and police rescued 12 people, including four children and three women, from the rubble.
However, 40-year-old Abida was killed on the spot, while six-year[1]old Hadi and three-year-old Hurriya Fatima died later in Mayo Hospital and eight-year-old Ali Musa and six -year-old Sherry at Services Hospital.
Read more: Apartment building near Vienna partially collapses after apparent explosion
Ramzan Bibi, Minhaj Bibi, Narjis Batool, Tasawur and Faryam are undergoing treatment in the hospitals, while seven injured people were discharged after medical aid.
SHO Qamar Abbas said that according to the initial investigation and the statement of the injured Tasawur, Farhad and Tasawur went to sleep with their families at 11pm.
A gas leakage occurred in a house during the night. The gas accumulated in rooms due to closed doors and when someone woke up in the morning and turned on the light of a washroom, a spark in the switch caused an explosion, due to which the roof of the house collapsed.
An eyewitness, Saifullah, said his house was half a kilometer away from the spot of the accident. The explosion was so severe that the windows of his house were shattered.
Saifullah said that he thought after the blast that some nearby place might have come under attack.
He went to the roof and saw that the house of Tasawur had collapsed, from where screams could be heard.
Investigation in-charge Naveed Awan said the police took the bodies from the hospitals and handed them over to the heirs.
DSP Burki Rashid Tahim asked the heirs if they wanted action against someone, but they said it was an accident, upon which the police com[1]pleted the documentation.
The funeral prayers of the victims were offered in the evening in a ground of Pangali village and they were buried in a nearby graveyard.
A large number of area residents and several police officers attended the funeral prayers. SP Cantonment Saeed Aziz forwarded the initial report on the incident to the CCPO for its submission to Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.
Similar explosions took place two years ago in the Defence area and six months ago at a bank near Chauburji. No casualties were reported but nearby buildings were damaged and panic spread in the areas after the earlier incidents.
COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
|
Gas explosion
| null | null |
2018 protests in Iran
|
The 2018 protests in Iran is mass protests and a popular uprising conspiring of peaceful demonstrations calling for better economic justice in June 2018 in Iran, the biggest wave of anti-government demonstrations since the 2017-2018 Iranian protests. [1]
The 2017-2018 Iranian protests is a wave of protests against the government after egg prices soared and a new budget law was passed, triggering deadly anti-government uprisings across the nation, leaving 23-25 killed in 11 days of mass protests. The 2018 Dervish protests is protests against discrimination that has left 1 dead. The protests was against economic hardships and failures to keep the country thriving. [2]
March 28-March 31:
The 2018 Khuzestan protests erupted in the southern region of Khuzestan, leaving 1-2 killed in demonstrations against discrimination of Iranian Arabs. Clashes with police ensued into crackdown. On 29-31 March, after weeks of protests across the country, mass protests against wate shortages erupted throughout Isfahan, leading to clashes with the security forces, protesting polluted water and water shortages (Water crisis in Iran). Protesters and angry farmers rallied and demonstrated on 10 April and fight the security forces, who responded with Tear gas. [3][4][5]
April 14-June 2:
A wave of truckers strikes was launched after truckers went on strike in Baneh and Isfahan, where shopkeepers closed their stores and shops and went on strike to protest economic failures and worsening conditions. [6] The strike actions continue for 20 days. From 24 May till 4 June, a wave of popular strike campaigns was launched after truckers didn't receive their demands and demanded wage increases despite economic teeters in Isfahan. After the campaigns, police crackdown hard on protesters. Over the next 4-6 weeks, hundreds of merchant and trader unions went on strike, protesting against economic turmoil, demanding better wages and unemployment to stagnate. 25 June:
On 25 June 2018, shops were shut and thousands gathered in the Bazaar area of Tehran to protest the economic situation. [7] This was met with security forces firing tear gas at the protestors. [8] Protests against the economic situation also occurred in Shahriar, Karaj, Qeshm, Bandar Abbas, and Mashhad. [9] Some of the stores were closed enforcedly by unknown individuals. [10][11]
26 June:
People in Tehran took to the streets for the third straight day on 26 June, with many shops in Tehran's Bazaar remaining closed. [12] Videos from social media showed the crowd in downtown Tehran chanting "Death to the dictator" and "Death to Palestine". [13][12] Security forces clamped down on the protesters once again, arresting a large number of people. [14]
Strikes and protests were also seen in Kermanshah, Arak and Tabriz. [15]
27 June:
Protests continued for a third day in Tehran, despite a heavy security presence,[16] Reuters referred to the three days as "the biggest unrest since the start of the year". Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, addressed the protests for the first time and called on the judiciary to punish those who disrupted economic security. [17] Many of the protests involved traders in the Grand Bazaar in Tehran, who complained that the devaluation of the Iranian rial had forced them to stop trading. [18]
28 June:
On 28 June, sources told Radio Farda that merchants had closed down the Bazaar in the city of Arak. [19] Tehran's prosecutor general stated that a large number of protesters had been arrested and would likely face trial. Jafar Dolatabadi also stated in an interview that the protesters grievances are not only economic, and that "people are grappling with political and social concerns". [20]
July:
A new protest movement erupted across Iran by tens of thousands of protesting teachers and students, called “No to Pay Slips and Salary Policies” over unpaid and unfair wages for teachers, that lasted for nearly three weeks, teachers are now deprived of an “appropriate salary budget, and as a result, the quality of education has also been lowered for students”. The protests began online but after a couple of days of online protests, marches and large demonstrations began on the streets in 15 July, the protests resulted in no achievement in Fars and Qazvin. [21]
|
Protest_Online Condemnation
| null | null |
1964 Trampoline World Championships
|
The 1st Trampoline World Championships were held in Royal Albert Hall, London, England on 21 March 1964. The competition was on knock out basis, with 10 jumps each in a routine and 5–7 judges involved in the judging. The competition attracted twelve countries from around the globe. This gymnastics competition article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. This article related to sport in London is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
|
Sports Competition
| null | null |
At least 17 people have been killed after an explosion and fire at a coal mine in western Turkey
|
At least 17 people have been killed after an explosion and fire at a coal mine in western Turkey, officials say.
Hundreds were reported to be trapped underground at the mine in Soma, Manisa province, but Turkish media suggest as many as 157 have died. A huge rescue operation has begun and some 20 people are reported to have been brought out so far. Turkish President Abdullah Gul has ordered the regional governor to deploy all resources to rescue the miners.
They are thought to be 4km (2.4 miles) from the entrance, at a depth of 2km.
While it is estimated that 580 workers were underground at the time of the blast, it is thought many of them managed to escape. Union officials said as the blast occurred at shift changeover time, there was uncertainty about how many miners were still inside, Reuters news agency reports.
Large crowds of worried family members gathered near the privately-owned mine.
A senior local official, Mehmet Bahattin Atci, said thick smoke was hampering rescue efforts. Energy Ministry Taner Yildiz said it was a "serious accident" and that he was going to Soma to oversee the rescue operation. He told reporters that the fire had been triggered by an electrical fault.
He also said that four separate rescue teams were currently working in the mine. "The fire creates a problem but oxygen is being pumped into the mine shafts that weren't affected," he added.
Before leaving for Manisa, Mr Yildiz told journalists it was too early to be precise about the extent of casualties: "I don't want to give any numbers. We first have to reach our workers underground," Analysts say the safety record of Turkey's coal mining industry lags behind that of most industrial nations.
The country's worst mining disaster was in 1992, when 270 miners were killed near Zonguldak, on the Black Sea.
|
Mine Collapses
| null | null |
Full text of Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks at the 27th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting
|
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the 27th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting via video link, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)
BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech titled "Working Together for an Asia-Pacific Community with a Shared Future" at the 27th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on Friday in Beijing via video link.
Please see the attachment for the translation of the full text of the speech.
Full text of Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks at the 27th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting
Working Together for an Asia-Pacific Community with
A Shared Future
Remarks by H.E. Xi Jinping
President of the People’s Republic of China
At the 27th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting
Beijing, 20 November 2020
The Right Honorable Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin,
Dear Colleagues,
It gives me great pleasure to join you via video link. I wish to thank Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the Malaysian government for hosting the meeting.
The past 30-plus years since the inception of APEC has seen rapid evolution of the international landscape and profound transformation of global governance. It has also witnessed a sea change in the Asia-Pacific region.
Over the past three decades and more, APEC cooperation has kept deepening and made substantial progress on many fronts. Guided by the Bogor Goals, we have steadily enhanced regional economic integration. We have advanced trade and investment liberalization and facilitation in tandem with economic and technical cooperation, with a view to realizing mutual complementarity and balanced development of the “two wheels” of APEC cooperation. We have advocated open regionalism and developed an APEC approach of voluntarism, consensus-building, flexibility, pragmatism and incremental progress. Over the years, the Asia-Pacific has weathered two financial crises and lifted over one billion people out of poverty. It has become a leading and most dynamic powerhouse of the global economy, playing an active role in building an open world economy, upholding the multilateral trading system, and spearheading economic globalization.
Three decades on, both the world and the Asia-Pacific are experiencing profound changes, a process further accelerated by COVID-19. The world economy is in the doldrums. Economic globalization is encountering headwinds. Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise. Balancing equity and efficiency, growth and distribution, and technology and employment is getting more difficult. The wealth gap remains a common sight. The global governance system faces new challenges. For the first time in decades, the Asia-Pacific as a whole registered negative economic growth. Protecting people’s health and reviving the economy are two formidable tasks we have to take on. Where should Asia-Pacific cooperation be heading? The answer bears on the development of our region, the well-being of our people, and the future of the world at large.
One priority on this year’s APEC agenda is to unveil the post-2020 vision, a pathway toward our goal of building an Asia-Pacific community. This should be taken as a new starting point for us to begin another phase in Asia-Pacific cooperation, sustain the strong momentum of development in our region, and embrace a future of shared prosperity. Together, we can build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future featuring openness and inclusiveness, innovation-driven growth, greater connectivity, and mutually beneficial cooperation.
First, we need to stay open and inclusive. The world economy is like the Pacific Ocean around us — It admits water from various rivers, and connects different parts of the world. As such, it has acquired a vast magnitude and enormous vitality. The approach of pursuing cooperation as equals and resolving differences with mutual respect is what essentially makes economic development and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific possible. Throughout the years, APEC has committed itself to deepening regional economic integration and made significant progress in implementing the Bogor Goals. It has also played an important role in steering the evolution of the multilateral trading system. Yet it must be noted that free and open trade and investment cannot be achieved overnight. It is important that the Asia-Pacific should remain the bellwether in safeguarding peace and stability, upholding multilateralism, and fostering an open world economy. We must stay as determined as ever to support the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, promote free and open trade and investment, and make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all. Continued efforts are needed to press ahead with regional economic integration for the early realization of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). China welcomes the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and will favorably consider joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
As we continue to work on free and open trade, we should pay no less attention to economic and technical cooperation. We need to further implement the APEC Strategy for Strengthening Quality Growth and the Action Agenda on Advancing Inclusion, and accommodate the concerns of developing members. We need to address in particular the special needs of women and some other communities, and support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Such efforts will contribute to inclusive and sustainable growth. China will host a seminar on advancing economic inclusion through trade and investment to look for suggestions on how trade and investment policies could deliver broader benefits to people. China looks forward to working with all parties to follow up on those suggestions.
Second, we need to pursue innovation-driven growth. The digital economy represents the future direction of global development, while innovation has fueled the economic takeoff of the Asia-Pacific. We need to proactively seize the opportunities of our times and fully harness our region’s abundant human resources, solid technological foundation, and enormous market potential to gain a new competitive edge and open up new possibilities for the betterment of our people’s lives. The APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap should be implemented in full to spur the dissemination and application of new technologies, strengthen digital infrastructure, and close the digital divide. We need to improve economic governance and foster an open, fair, equitable and non-discriminatory environment for businesses. This year, China has conducted an APEC case study on smart cities, which we hope will contribute to the formulation of guidelines on smart cities and offer an example for innovative urban development across the region. China calls for experience sharing among APEC members on how to control COVID-19 and achieve economic recovery with digital technologies. China also calls for improving the doing-digital-business environment, energizing market players, and tapping the potential of the digital economy. Such efforts will bring fresh impetus to economic recovery in our region. Next year, China will host a workshop on digital technology-enabled poverty alleviation, in a bid to unleash the role of digital technologies in eradicating poverty in our region.
Third, we need to enhance connectivity. Connectivity is a vital basis of regional economic integration and an essential underpinning for interconnected development of the world. The ongoing pandemic further highlights the importance of connectivity. We need to continue to implement the APEC Connectivity Blueprint to facilitate the smooth, safe and orderly flow of people, goods, capital and data and achieve a seamlessly connected Asia-Pacific. China has opened “fast tracks” with fellow APEC members like Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore to facilitate the movement of people during the pandemic, and more will be done to complete a network of such arrangements. In this connection, it is important to promote the mutual recognition of the COVID-related health information of international travelers. China is ready to take active and well-thought-out steps with all other parties to set up “green lanes”, which will help make customs clearance more efficient, unclog bottlenecks, and reconnect disrupted links. We may also promote the creation of international cooperation platforms on industrial and supply chains to ensure the safe and smooth operation of industrial and supply chains in our region and beyond. We need to pursue greater complementarity among the development plans and connectivity initiatives of different parties to forge a bigger synergy. On China’s part, we hope to work with all partners in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, which we believe will set up a bigger platform for connectivity in the Asia-Pacific and inject a stronger impetus into the economy of our region and the wider world.
Fourth, we need to promote mutually beneficial cooperation. The Asia-Pacific economies have a high degree of mutual complementarity and enjoy deeply intertwined interests. Our economic cooperation has never been a zero-sum political game in which one gains at the expense of the other. Rather, our cooperation has provided us with a development platform to ensure what we each do can be mutually reinforcing and beneficial to all. There is a Malay proverb that goes, “bukit sama didaki, lurah sama dituruni”, which means to climb the hill together and go down the ravine together. It aptly captures the spirit of our Asia-Pacific family. COVID-19 serves as another reminder that only solidarity and cooperation can enable us to prevail over challenges. We need to deepen the Asia-Pacific partnership featuring mutual trust, inclusiveness and mutually beneficial cooperation and follow the approach of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. We need to keep raising the level and scope of our regional cooperation to achieve shared prosperity for the whole region. It is important that we advance practical cooperation on the basis of consensus, properly manage differences and disagreements, and keep Asia-Pacific cooperation in the right direction to ensure APEC’s sound development in the long run.
At this very moment, fighting COVID-19 is the most pressing task for us all. We must step up research and development of vaccines and related exchanges, and work harder to make the vaccines a global public good to improve their accessibility and affordability in developing countries. For that purpose, China has joined the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX). We support APEC in strengthening policy exchanges and capacity building in the areas of public health and MSMEs. China has made a telemedicine initiative to give people in poor and remote areas access to timely and quality medical services. We hope these efforts will contribute to anti-epidemic cooperation and economic recovery.
China highly values the role of APEC. We will continue to support the organization’s development, and with our root struck deep in the Asia-Pacific, we will continue to serve its development and prosperity.
Colleagues,
This year, the Chinese people have exerted strenuous efforts to score a major strategic achievement in controlling COVID-19. Working with other countries in these trying times, China has contributed its wisdom and resources to the global fight against the coronavirus. It has shared with various parties full experience on containment and treatment and done its best to assist other countries and international organizations. All these are among the concrete actions we have taken toward building a global community of health for all. At the same time, we have coordinated COVID-19 control with economic and social development at home, and scaled up macro policy response so that the Chinese economy could stabilize, pick up, and steadily upgrade. In the first three quarters of this year, China’s GDP grew by 0.7 percent, on course to register positive growth for the whole year. It is also worth noting that by the end of this year, we will have lifted out of poverty all rural residents living below the current poverty line.
The recently concluded Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee adopted recommendations for formulating China’s 14th five-year plan. The plenum underscored that China will finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects within the set time frame, and will embark on a new journey next year toward fully building a modern socialist country. Based on a scientific analysis of the new stage of China’s development, we will stay committed to the new development philosophy, and actively foster a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. China will build a new system of open economy of higher standards and create a more attractive investment and business environment.
To conclude, China is ready to work with all other parties in the Asia-Pacific to build and share a brighter future of peace and prosperity for our region and get ever closer to the goal of a community with a shard future for mankind.
|
Famous Person - Give a speech
| null | null |
One million people died for a devastating famine
|
Scientific analysis of dental calculus -- plaque build-up -- of the Famine's victims found evidence of corn (maize), oats, potato, wheat and milk foodstuffs. Surprisingly, they also discovered egg protein in the calculus of three people -- more associated with diets of non-labouring or better off social classes at the time. Researchers analysed calculus on teeth from the human remains of 42 people, aged approximately 13 years and older who died in the Kilkenny Union Workhouse and were buried in mass burial pits on its grounds. The workhouse pits were discovered in 2005 and were found to contain the remains of nearly 1,000 people. In the mid-19th century an estimated one million people died when a devastating famine hit Ireland after the potato crop failed in successive years. Potato and milk was virtually the only source of food for a vast proportion of the population. Many people were forced to seek refuge in the workhouses during the Famine, where they received meagre rations of food and shelter in return for work. Researchers examined samples of calculus for microparticles and protein content linked to foodstuffs. The microparticles showed a dominance of corn, as well as evidence of oats, potato and wheat. The corn came from so-called Indian meal, which was imported in vast amounts to Ireland from the United States as relief food for the starving populace. Analysis of the protein content identified milk, as well as the occasional presence of egg. The study is a collaboration between researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh, Harvard, Otago in New Zealand, York, Zurich, and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany. One of the lead researchers, Dr Jonny Geber of the University of Edinburgh's School of History, Classics and Archaeology, said: "The results of this study is consistent with the historical accounts of the Irish labourer's diet before and during the Famine. It also shows how the notoriously monotonous potato diet of the poor was opportunistically supplemented by other foodstuffs, such as eggs and wheat, when made available to them. "The Great Irish Famine was one of the worst subsistence crises in history but it was foremost a social disaster induced by the lack of access to food and not the lack of food availability." The study is funded by the Royal Irish Academy in partnership with the National Monuments Service, Wellcome, Johan and Jakob Söderberg's Foundation, the US National Science Foundation and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
|
Famine
| null | null |
Parole board grants release to terminally ill child killer
|
Zvi Gur, who kidnapped and murdered Oron Yarden in 1980, is reportedly suffering from terminal cancer; prosecutors seek stay on order Print Zvi Gur (c), serving a life sentence for the murder of Oron Yarden, in the Supreme Court on July 6, 2009. (Miriam Alster/Flash90) The Israel Prisons Service parole board granted a request on Wednesday for early release on medical grounds of a man who has served 41 years in prison for the kidnapping and murder of a young boy. Prosecutors, however, filed an urgent appeal to delay his release by at least a week. Zvi Gur, now 74, was ordered released on Wednesday due to his medical condition, as he is said to be terminally ill with cancer. Gur had been in the care of the hospital inside Maasiyahu Prison in Ramle, but was transferred to Shamir Medical Center south of Tel Aviv on Tuesday, still as a prisoner, due to his worsening condition. His attorney said in a statement that Gur “lost consciousness” on Tuesday and is on life support. He is “in the last moments of his life,” his lawyer added. Gur was arrested in 1980 for kidnapping and murdering 8-year-old Oron Yarden. He kidnapped the child near his home in Savyon and demanded a hefty ransom, which he received from the Yarden family. Gur was captured two weeks later when he deposited the money in a bank account and a teller recognized the serial numbers on the bills, which had been marked. After his capture, Gur showed police where he had buried the boy’s body in Netanya. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and an additional 34 years for kidnapping and blackmail. In 1985, Gur was allowed to paint unsupervised on the outer walls of the prison, and managed to escape. He was captured six days later after a massive manhunt. In 1999, Gur’s sentence was commuted to a total of 45 years by then-president Ezer Weizman, and he would be up for release in 2025.
|
Famous Person - Commit Crime - Release
| null | null |
Authorities say Borroloola drinking water is safe — but many residents don't trust them
|
Indigenous residents living in the Northern Territory mining town of Borroloola said they do not believe assurances from the Health Department that water they were warned not to drink in April is now safe.
The Territory Government's Power and Water Corporation found elevated lead and manganese levels during routine sampling in the Garawa 1 and Garawa 2 town camps.
After more testing, the corporation has said the water bore supplying Garawa 1 and 2 camps does not contain lead or manganese, and "it is suspected that legacy infrastructure within Garawa contributed to the elevated levels of lead".
It suspected corroded plumbing fittings in the town camps had raised lead levels, so it replaced some of them, and flushed the system.
The corporation said two tests of the drinking water supply in the town camps in May and June returned readings for lead and manganese below Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
The NT Health Department lifted its advice not to drink the water in June.
But residents are concerned the Power and Water Corporation was not able to say conclusively that aging infrastructure caused the contamination.
"How can so much lead and manganese come out of one silly pipe? We still don't trust drinking that water," Garawa 1 resident Gadrian Hoosan said.
He and other Borroloola residents held a protest outside Glencore's Sydney office on Wednesday, accusing it of causing the drinking water contamination.
The company has contaminated fish in McArthur River tributaries since 2014. "Our people were drinking that toxic water, we're still worrying about it," Borroloola resident Nancy McDinny said.
"I don't believe it's the lead pipe. I think it's coming from the river."
Residents' concerns about the mine were also raised in 2014 when it was revealed Glencore had underestimated the amount of reactive pyritic rock it was mining out, and its waste rock dump was spontaneously burning.
The company has tried to smother the waste rock fire, but it was still smouldering in some areas when the ABC visited the site in May 2017.
After the lead was found in the Garawa town camp's drinking water, Glencore said there was no evidence "this incident is in any way related to McArthur River Mining's operations".
"McArthur River Mining undertakes monthly water quality testing in a number of locations in and around the site, including from the McArthur River near the Borroloola community," the company said.
"These results have consistently shown lead levels to be significantly below the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines."
The Health Department told the ABC it thinks blood tests are not needed for the Garawa camp residents.
"The risk to the 110 residents at Garawa is considered low, due to historical sampling results indicating that the community's water supply complied with Australian Drinking Water Guidelines," it said.
"Given the considered low risk of this incident, there is no requirement to test residents for lead levels in their blood."
Speaking at the protest outside Glencore's office, Borroloola resident Scott McDinny said no-one was taking responsibility for health risks to the community.
"We don't know how long our water was contaminated. Power Water told us at a meeting that we can let the water run for five minutes before drinking it," he said.
A spokeswoman for Power and Water Corporation said it will be up to the NT Housing Department, which has responsibility for essential services in Indigenous communities, whether water systems to the town camps can be upgraded.
The residents also appealed to the Northern Territory and federal governments not to approve Glencore's plan to double the size of the mine.
In its Environmental Impact Statement application in March last year, the company outlined a plan to leave more than half a billion tonnes of reactive waste rock on the McArthur River bank in perpetuity, rather than returning it to the mine pit.
The company also said it planned to flood the mine pit, once mining was complete, and reconnect it to the McArthur River.
"We want that Glencore mine to be stopped. That's why we are here, nobody has been listening to us," Nancy McDinny said at the protest outside Glencore's office.
"Because of the big dollar sign, they want to keep on mining. We are very angry about that."
The NT and federal governments will decide whether to approve the expansion based on the Environmental Impact Statement Supplement report Glencore submits in response to comments on its EIS.
)
|
Environment Pollution
| null | null |
Hindawi affair crash
|
The Hindawi affair was a failed attempt to bomb El Al Flight 016,[1] from London to Tel Aviv in April 1986 by Nezar Nawwaf al-Mansur al-Hindawi (Arabic: نزار نواف منصور الهنداوي, born 1954), a Jordanian. On the morning of 17 April 1986, at Heathrow Airport in London, Israeli security guards working for El Al airlines found 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb) of Semtex explosive in the bag of Anne-Marie Murphy, a five-month pregnant Irishwoman attempting to board a flight to Tel Aviv with 375 other passengers. In addition, a functioning calculator in the bag was found to be a timed triggering device. She claimed to be unaware of the contents, and that she had been given the bag by her fiancé, Nezar Hindawi, a Jordanian. Murphy maintained that Hindawi had sent her on the flight for the purpose of meeting his parents before marriage. A manhunt ensued, resulting in Hindawi's arrest the following day after he surrendered to police. Hindawi was found guilty by the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales and was sentenced to 45 years' imprisonment by Justice William Mars-Jones, believed to be the longest determinate, or fixed, criminal sentence in British history. [2]
Hindawi appealed. The Lord Chief Justice upheld the sentence, saying "Put briefly, this was about as foul and as horrible a crime as could possibly be imagined. It is no thanks to this applicant that his plot did not succeed in destroying 360 or 370 lives in the effort to promote one side of a political dispute by terrorism. In the judgment of this Court the sentence of 45 years' imprisonment was not a day too long. This application is refused. "[3]
When Murphy met Hindawi in 1984, she was working as a chambermaid at the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane in London. [4] When she became pregnant with his child, Hindawi convinced her that they should go to Israel to get married. He also insisted that she should go on ahead since, as an Arab, it would take longer for him to obtain a visa. Unknown to Murphy, he intended her to take an explosive-laden bag on board an El Al flight from Heathrow Airport to Tel Aviv on 17 April 1986. He escorted her to the airport and instructed her not to mention his name, since Israeli security would interrogate her about their relationship. Immediately after leaving Murphy at the airport at 8 am, Hindawi returned to London and then boarded the Syrian Arab Airlines bus to return to the airport to catch a 2 pm flight to Damascus. Before the bus set off, however, he heard the news that a bomb had been discovered in Heathrow. He left the bus, went to the Syrian embassy and there asked for assistance. The ambassador passed him to the embassy security men, who took him to their lodgings, where they tried to change his appearance by cutting and dyeing his hair. For an unknown reason, early the next morning, 18 April, Hindawi fled from the Syrians and gave himself up to the British police. He was interrogated intensively for a number of days, during which his sleep was interrupted. During his interrogations and later trial he described two conflicting stories leading up to the incident. During the interrogation, Hindawi claimed to have arranged the plot with high-ranking officers in Syrian Air Force intelligence a year earlier in Damascus, where he was given Syrian papers and instructions for operating the explosive. He supposedly conducted a training run back in England before returning again to Syria for final details and preparation. As for the explosive itself, Hindawi said that it was delivered to him in the Royal Garden Hotel in London on 5 April, less than two weeks prior to the attempted bombing. This story is supported by the fact that Hindawi had first sought refuge in the Syrian embassy after learning of the failed bombing, and that Syrian officials were in the process of altering his appearance before he fled again. Also, British intelligence had previously intercepted Syrian communications with Hindawi's name, Hindawi was using genuine Syrian documents although he was not Syrian, and Hindawi's original escape plan involved leaving England with Syrian agents working on Syrian Arab Airlines. [5]
During the trial Hindawi retracted his confession and claimed that he was the victim of a conspiracy, probably by Israeli agents. He claimed that the police forced him to sign the statements attributed to him unread, threatened to hand him over to the Mossad and told him that his parents were also arrested in London. [6]
In attempting to construct a credible defence for their client, Hindawi's legal counsel proposed during the trial an alternative interpretation of events, suggesting that Hindawi was being manipulated by Israeli intelligence, which wished to damage and embarrass the Syrian government. The jury was unconvinced by this version of events, and subsequent appeal judges have dismissed such interpretations as entirely lacking in evidence. [6] Historian Benny Morris and journalist Ian Black (Middle East editor of The Guardian) similarly dismissed this interpretation of events. [5]
After the court found Hindawi guilty, the then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher broke off diplomatic relations with Syria. Following this, the United States and Canada recalled their ambassadors from Syria. The European Community also imposed minor sanctions. [citation needed]
The Helsinki Warning of the Lockerbie disaster almost exactly matched Murphy's circumstances, except that the woman carrying the bomb was Finnish. [7]
On 10 November 1986, French prime minister Jacques Chirac said in a recorded interview with the Washington Times, that German chancellor Kohl and foreign minister Genscher both believed that "the Hindawi plot was a provocation designed to embarrass Syria and destabilize the Assad regime ... 'by' ... people probably connected to Israeli Mossad". Chirac added that he tended to believe it himself. [6][8] The German government denied the conversation and privately requested that Chirac retract his statement. Chirac was also criticised by the French president Francois Mitterrand. [8][9] A few days later, Chirac changed his opinion and said to Pierre Beregovoy during French National Assembly debates that Israel was innocent. [10]
In his interview with Time magazine on 20 October 1986, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad said that the Israeli intelligence agency planned the Hindawi operation. [11] According to Seale, sources in Syrian intelligence told him that they "had fallen in to Israeli trap" and were penetrated and manipulated by Mossad to smear Syria with terrorism and isolate it internationally. Colonel Mufid Akkur, whom Hindawi named in court, was arrested in Damascus on suspicion of working for Israel. [12]
Israeli intelligence operative Ari Ben-Menashe wrote in his memoir in 1992 that the Hindawi affair was an operation which had been conceived by Israeli intelligence. The organizer of the plot was Rafi Eitan who led Israeli intelligence's anti-terrorist group. The operation was meant to implicate the Syrian embassy in London as involved in terrorism and have all the Syrian diplomats expelled from England. Jordanian Mohammed Radi Abdullah, a paid Israeli agent, offered his cousin Hindawi $50,000 to place explosives by way of his girlfriend on the flight.
|
Air crash
| null | null |
2013 Pakistan–Afghanistan floods
|
In August 2013, Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan experienced heavy rain that led to flash flooding. More than 180 died as a result of the floods. [1]
Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan are frequently hit by flooding during the monsoon season. Since 2010, the region has suffered devastating floods that have left hundreds dead each year. [2] The worst flooding in the past 80 years occurred in 2010, when flooding in Pakistan resulted in more than 1,700 deaths and widespread damage. [3]
Beginning 31 July 2013, Pakistan and parts of eastern Afghanistan experienced unusually heavy rainfall that caused widespread flash flooding. Flood waters began to recede on 5 August, but more heavy rain was expected later in August and September, the heart of monsoon season. [3] All but one area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan was flood-free by 5 August, as the waters receded almost as quickly as they had risen. [4]
In Pakistan 80 deaths were reported as of 5 August; more than 30 other people were injured. [1] The death toll rose to 83 as of 13 August with more than 94 injured. Casualties spanned the country, with the city of Karachi in south Pakistan being the hardest hit. In the northwest, 12 deaths were reported in the tribal region, eight in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and three in the Kashmir region. [6] Fast moving water washed away many houses in the region. [2] In central Pakistan, 12 deaths were reported in Punjab province. In the south, eight deaths were reported in Sindh and ten in Baluchistan. [6] Across Pakistan, more than 66,000 people were affected by the rain and resulting floods. [3] Many of the deaths were the result of collapsed houses or by electrocution from downed power lines. In Karachi, poor neighbourhoods experienced waist-deep flooding and widespread power outages. [1] Drainage and sewage systems in the city were clogged, causing the streets to fill with water. [3]
Mountainous regions in eastern and southeastern Afghanistan were the main areas hit by floods. In the rural Surobi District 61 people were killed, and around 500 mudbrick homes were washed away across more than a dozen villages. In the provinces of Khost and Nangarhar, flooding destroyed 50 houses and thousands of acres of farm land. 24 deaths were reported in the area. In the province of Nuristan at least 60 homes were destroyed across three districts, but no casualties were reported. [1] On 10 August, at least 22 more people killed in the flash flood near Kabul[7] As of 14 August death toll rises above 90 in the country. Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan's Prime Minister, sent three cabinet ministers to survey affected areas. National Disaster Management Authority chief Muhammad Saeed Aleem blamed global climate change for the floods. [3] In eastern Pakistan, 100 trucks carrying relief supplies were dispatched, and 30 medical camps were established. [4] Officials in Karachi said it would take at least two days to clean up after the floods receded. [3] The army was deployed to Karachi where army engineers worked to pump out the blocked drainage systems. [4]
Officials in Afghanistan said they were unable to deliver aid to some hard hit areas due to the access roads being controlled by the Taliban insurgents. [1]
On 5 August, United Nations spokesperson Martin Nesirky said UN and its humanitarian partners are ready help Afghanistan and Pakistan if required. [8]
|
Floods
| null | null |
Tatjana Schoenmaker storms to record-breaking victory in the women's 200m breaststroke
|
Schoenmaker wins South Africa's first Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020 whilst Team USA's Lilly King and Annie Lazor clinch second and third place
Tatjana Schoenmaker erupted in tears when she won the women's 200m breaststroke with a stunning world record time of 2:18.95, breaking Denmark's Rikke Moller Pederson's 2:19:11 mark set in 2013.
The 24-year-old South African also made history today by winning South Africa's first Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and her second medal at the Games after already bagging a silver in the women's 100m breaststroke last Tuesday 27 July.
At first, Schoenmaker lagged behind USA's Lilly King who was already swimming in world record time at the first quarter of the race. But midway, the South African rebounded and didn't relinquish momentum to dash ahead to win gold.
Moments after watching the scoreboard, Schoenmaker was in tears and still couldn't believe she topped the podium in record time as she was congratulated by Team USA's Lilly King who placed second, Annie Lazor who picked up bronze and South African teammate Kaylene Corbett who finished at fifth place.
During the victory ceremony, Schoenmaker welled up in tears after receiving her gold medal.
"It still hasn't sunk in," Schoenmaker said.
"I don't wish my Olympic dream over, but I am excited to go and celebrate even just being at the Olympics with my parents."
Teammmate and training partners Lilly King and Annie Lazor took second and third place for Team USA.
"We go to practice every day together, we went through trials together, we're here together. That's kind of the way we've always planned it - no matter how much we fight," King said about standing on the podium together with Lazor.
"Just really excited at this moment."
King who was dominant in the first 100m came so close to winning gold and was just a .97 seconds behind Schoenmaker. But instead of being disappointed, she was only in praise of the South African for her record-breaking win.
"She is swimming really well. Honestly, I've been shocked the world record hasn't been 2:18 until this point. She has been swimming so, so well. I'm so genuinely excited for her and to see the stroke evolve."
Meanwhile teammate Lazor was equally ecstatic about their double victory. "We had two great swims and I am so happy to do it with her (Lilly King). Just like practice every day.
|
Break historical records
| null | null |
2008 protests in Burkina Faso
|
The 2008 Burkina Faso protests was rioting and violent mass demonstrations against food prices hikes in Burkina Faso in 2008, leading to the deaths of 3 demonstrators, who stormed government buildings amid drought and violence with troops. 7 days of protests and violent resistant explosions occurred in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso, where demonstrators clashed with government troops demanding an end to inflation and the decrease of food prices as part of the 2007-2008 world food price crisis. Protesters were also angry about low wages and unemployment skyrocketing, but euro win demands was an end to price rises, which led to the withdrawal of the plan set by president Blaise Compaore. A wave of student protests rocked the country as countrywide anti-government sentiment for the next couple of months was taking place. Protesters attacked buildings and set fire to cars, being close to killed by the military as they fired into the air to quell protesters. The unrest was eventually crushed, leading to the deaths of 3 protesters. No concessions were made apart from price decreases. However, 2 months of general strikes and nonviolent protests occurred. [1][2][3]
|
Protest_Online Condemnation
| null | null |
1983 World Figure Skating Championships
|
The 1983 World Figure Skating Championships were held in Helsinki, Finland from March 8 to 13. At the event, sanctioned by the International Skating Union, medals were awarded in men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. The ISU Representative was Hermann Schiechtl and the ISU Technical Delegate Elemér Terták. The original dance was part of the competition for the first time. Referee:
Assistant Referee:
Judges:
Substitute judge:
Referee:
Assistant Referee:
Judges:
Substitute judge:
Referee:
Assistant Referee:
Judges:
Substitute judge:
Jayne Torvill / Christopher Dean got 5.9 scores from all nine judges in their third dance, the Argentine tango, of the compulsory portion of the event. [1]
Referee:
Assistant Referee:
Judges:
Substitute judge:
|
Sports Competition
| null | null |
1994 Bolivia earthquake
|
The 1994 Bolivia earthquake occurred on June 9, 1994. The epicenter was located in a sparsely populated region in the Amazon jungle, about 200 miles from La Paz. [2]
The Harvard CMT Project assigned it a focal depth of 647 km and a magnitude MW of 8.2,[2] making it, at the time, the largest earthquake since the 1977 Sumba earthquake, later superseded by more recent larger events (e.g., 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake). It is also the second largest earthquake ever recorded with a focal depth greater than 300 km, along with the 2018 Fiji earthquake,[3] the largest currently being the 2013 Okhotsk Sea earthquake. South America also experienced the then second and third largest earthquakes at focal depths greater than 300 km: Colombia, 1970; and northern Peru, 1922. [2]
The rupture was located within the Nazca plate where it is being subducted beneath the mantle of the South American continent. [3] It shook the ground from Argentina to Canada and its oscillations were the first to be captured on a modern seismic network. [3] Such deep events are known as intraplate earthquakes because they occur within a tectonic lithosphere rather than at the boundary of two. The earthquake involved a particularly small slip area of only 30 km by 50 km. In 22 seconds, the rupture propagated with a velocity of 1.5 km/s, which is slower than the average rupture velocity of earthquakes. [4]
The quake also disproved scientists' opinions on deep earthquakes. According to the squeeze theory of earthquakes, pressures and temperatures at the depth of 200 to 400 miles should be so great that rock should not undergo frictional sliding. Most geologists had believed that the crushing pressures and increasing heat, below a certain depth, compressed rocks into deeper forms, creating huge cracks in the Earth's surface. [5] The Bolivian earthquake was 395 miles below sea level and, according to geologist Paul G. Silver, the earthquake "looks and acts and talks like these shallow earthquakes. But it shouldn't exist. "[5]
There are unconfirmed reports that five people were killed in Peru's Arequipa and Cuzco provinces. Three deaths from Arequipa Province were attributed to a landslide while the other two in Cuzco Province died from falling debris or a heart attack. Many more were left injured due to landslides in other parts of Southern Peru. [6] In Cochabamba, La Paz and Oruro, the windows of many tall structures shattered. Light damage to buildings was reported in Arica, Chile and Manaus, Brazil, although all these claims have not verified. Limited damage to buildings was reported in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada as well. [5] In Chile, the tremors caused panic among residents of major cities, driving them out of buildings. The earthquake also disrupted power and communication services. [7]
Due to the earthquake's great depth, it was felt at places extremely far from its epicenter. According to the Los Angeles Times and US Geological Survey, the earthquake was described as very gentle. Similar effects were observed in Sioux Falls, Sioux City, Minneapolis, and Omaha in the United States.
|
Earthquakes
| null | null |
Six coal miners killed in blast in Pakistan's southwest
|
QUETTA, Pakistan, March 12 (Reuters) - Six miners have been killed in a blast at a coal mine in southwestern Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, officials with the provincial Directorate of Mines told Reuters. They were among eight miners trapped about 1,000 feet underground when accumulating methane gas exploded at the coal field in Marwar in the province of Balochistan, the officials said. “Six bodies have been retrieved by the rescue team from the affected mine this morning,” a senior official of the Directorate of Mines said. "(The) mine has been closed and an inquiry has been ordered by the Chief Inspector of Mines into the incident." In the past year, 102 coal miners have been killed in Balochistan in 72 different incidents, Sultan Muhammad Lala, president of the Balochistan Coal Mines Workers Federation, told Reuters. Lala said the government and mine owners were not ensuring safe working conditions at the sites. An explosion caused by methane gas at another coal mine in Marwar in May 2018 killed 20 workers. In August that year, another methane-fueled explosion in the city of Quetta killed seven. In 2011, 45 coal miners were killed by a methane gas explosion, also in Balochistan. Sparsely populated and impoverished Balochistan is home to large deposits of coal, natural gas, copper and gold, many of which are being extracted by Chinese-backed operations. Separatist militants often target workers and security forces.
|
Mine Collapses
| null | null |
2011 Southern Thailand floods
|
The 2011 Thai floods occurred at the end of March 2011, normally the latter part of the dry season (Thai: ฤดูแล้ง, romanized: reutdu lang or หน้าแล้ง nah lang) in tropical Thailand. Heavy rain fell in the southern region, with over 120 centimetres (47 in) of rain falling in certain areas. [5]
At least 53 people have died and almost nine million people have been affected by the floods after localized heavy rains[3] The flooding has affected 50 of Thailand's 76 provinces. [6] Close to 160,000 ha (400,000 acres) of land have been submerged. [2] Around 5,000 households have been evacuated,[7] in addition to hundreds of tourists. Nakhon Si Thammarat Province has been worst-affected, and a state of emergency was declared in several provinces. [8]
The floods hit during a typically dry season, and were triggered when a record cold wave moved south from East Asia and produced persistent flooding in combination with near-normal sea surface temperatures, still warm enough to support strong convectional precipitation. [9] However, Thailand's Deputy Chief Negotiator for the UNFCCC stated that the floods were likely caused by climate change, as over 2,200 mm (87 in) of rain had fallen in parts of Southern Thailand for the four months leading up to the beginning of April while the year of 2010 saw a total of 270 cm (110 in). [10]
|
Floods
| null | null |
Nine dead in Philippines bank robbery: police
|
Nine people have been found dead in a bank outside the Philippines capital in an apparent armed robbery, police said. Bank clients alerted police when they found a bloodied body at the door of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. branch in Cabuyao, south of Manila. Police found nine bodies inside the bank, while the bank manager was in critical condition at a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound to the head, national police spokesman Nicanor Bartolome said in a statement. Two of the dead were women who have not been identified, he added. Police later recovered an abandoned vehicle at a nearby area which they believe the suspects used to escape, Chief Superintendent Bartolome said. The crime took place at a light industrial park and the bank branch serves export-oriented electronics manufacturers. Police believe the bank was attacked by robbers, possibly working with insiders, who fled its usual opening time of 9:00am (11:00 AEST). It was not immediately known if any money was stolen. "This is not the handiwork of humans. This was perpetrated by animals," regional police chief Ricardo Padilla told ABS-CBN television. Mr Padilla said investigators were looking for two missing bank security guards who he said could have been involved in the attack. Police have erected roadblocks in the region and the identities of certain motorists are being checked, Supt Bartolome said.
|
Bank Robbery
| null | null |
2013–2014 Bulgarian protests against the Oresharski cabinet
|
The 2013–2014 Bulgarian protests against the Oresharski cabinet was a series of demonstrations that were held in Bulgaria, mainly in the capital Sofia, against the left-wing coalition cabinet of Oresharski (coalition between Bulgarian Socialist Party and Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), supported by the ultra-nationalist party Ataka). The demonstrations started on 28 May 2013,[68] but actual large-scale protests did not emerge until 14 June. [69] While the trigger factor for the demonstrations was the controversial appointment of Delyan Peevski as head of DANS in June 2013, the public discontent stemmed from a variety of causes, to a large extent connected to the general nature of the BSP-MRF governing coalition and perceived legitimacy issues surrounding political processes in Bulgaria. They ended in July 2014 with the resignation of the Oresharski government. Following the 2013 Bulgarian protests against the Borisov cabinet of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov over government austerity measures encouraged by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund during the recession[70] and high utility bills, the Borisov government resigned and brought forward the Bulgarian parliamentary election, 2013, which saw a very low voter turnout. [71] Though Borisov's party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) won a plurality with 97 deputies in the National Assembly, it could not form a government and gave up its mandate. The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) led the government under technocratic Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski. [72] The left-wing government of Plamen Oresharski was approved by the 120 members of the BSP and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. [73] Outside support to the Oresharski Government was also given by nationalist party Ataka,[74] dubbed by some sources as the "hidden coalition partner",[75] or Siderov's "golden finger",[76] and regarded as a key instrument for allowing the Parliament to proceed with its functions,[77] until June 2014. [78]
On 12 May 2013, a group of more than 100 demonstrators alleging electoral machinations were involved in confrontations with police close to the National Palace of Culture after election day polls indicated that GERB was the projected winner. [79][80] Mass protests for political causes are relatively uncommon in Bulgaria, but have become more frequent since the mid to late 2000s,[81] with environmental issues such as the demands for the preservation of the Strandzha Mountain nature areas on occasions also triggering anti-establishment activism and discontent against governments. [82][83] In Badzhakov's contention, these were the third notable protests against the post-communist status quo in Bulgaria, the first ones encompassing the period between 1989-1991 and directed against the collapsing communist regime and the first democratically elected government that was formed by the Bulgarian Socialist Party, with the second ones opposing the Zhan Videnov government (as well as the possibility of another Socialist successor to it) and occurring as a result of an economic and political crisis between December 1996 and February 1997. [84][85] Student occupations of universities had previously been considered in the autumn of 2010 (due to the Borisov government's policy in the realm of education) and in February 2013 (because of proposed increases in tuition fees for the semesters). [86]
Initially the demonstrations started as a protest by environmentalists and green activists against the nomination of Kalin Tiholov as Investment Planning Minister. Tiholov has been involved in the controversial "Dyuni-gate" affair, whereby he had invested in a major building project at the Dyuni ("dunes") nature spot on the Black Sea coast. [87][88][89] Due to the protests Tiholov withdrew his candidature. [90][91] Protests arose for a variety of topics, with most important the restart of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant and construction in protected areas. [citation needed][92][93][94]
On 30 May 2013, there was also public discontent against a government proposal (supported by Attack) to remove the smoking ban in restaurants and eateries. [95] In December 2013, the Parliament voted against reversing the prohibition on smoking in enclosed spaces. [96]
The second series of protests had a far more political scope. These protests started on 14 June, as response to the election of Delyan Peevski as a head of the Bulgarian security agency DANS (State Agency for National Security). [97][98][99] Peevski, an MP for the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), is also head of Alegro Capital LTD, a big communications company which includes the TV7 network. [100][101] The decision to elect Peevski has also been linked to the Corporate Commercial Bank ("CCB" or "KTB", Bulg: КТБ), wherein much funding for state development projects is invested. The bank's largest shareholder, Tsvetan Vasilev, has been repeatedly linked in the public sphere to the media holdings of Peevski and his mother Irena Krasteva. [102][103][104] The process of concentration of media ownership in Bulgaria in the hands of business and political oligarchies is believed to have really started in 2007, in part influenced by the economic crisis. [105]
Peevski was approved by parliament within an hour of being nominated by the ruling coalition of Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and DPS. He was praised by Oresharski for "being outside the system" and thus likely to be effective in working for the interests of Bulgaria. [106] His surprising election immediately provoked nationwide protests the same evening (10,000 in Sofia alone), organized through Facebook. [107][108][109] Over 80,000 people joined the "ДАНСwithme" group on Facebook between 14 and 15 June. [110] Peevski initially subscribed to the viewpoint that the protests were not attributable to genuine popular level sentiments, but were orchestrated by forces that had reasons to fear future investigations by him. [111][112]
Although the election was a surprise for the public, later investigations by newspaper Capital made clear that the appointment was not as spontaneous as claimed by BSP. In fact, it was carefully orchestrated and prepared long before BSP was able to form a cabinet. [113] The appointment of Peevski caused widespread indignation. Even president Plevneliev spoke out against it and stated that the Cabinet of Prime Minister Oresharski has lost credibility. [114] On 14 June 2013, Plevneliev cancelled his intended visit to Vidin for the unveiling of the Danube Bridge 2 due to his disagreement with the Peevski nomination. [115] He has received praise for being the only governing politician to come out publicly in support of the protesters. [116] Political scientist Ivan Krastev commented that the Peevski appointment made sense only if the government had taken a decision for the country to leave the European Union. [117] In the early phase of the protest, center-right politician and poet Edvin Sugarev began a hunger strike, though he was persuaded to discontinue it by family members after 22 days, as his worsening health condition necessitated a hospitalization. [118]
Public anger was exacerbated by the fact that in the weeks and days leading up to Peevski's election, the parliament had approved major changes in the legal framework of DANS structures, which gave its head unprecedented powers - beyond purely analytical capabilities. [119] The changes included:[120]
Although Peevski wrote on 15 June that he will be withdrawing from the post,[121] the protests stemmed from general discontent with the government as a whole. [122][123] The release of Peevski from his position as head of DANS was confirmed on 19 June and his status as a National Parliament deputy remained in limbo until 8 October. [124]
The demonstrations started on 28 May 2013,[68] but actual large-scale protests did not emerge until the controversial appointment of Delyan Peevski as head of the State Agency for National Security on 14 June. [69] The eruption of the demonstrations on 14 June caught the members of the cabinet by surprise, with only a small number of police officers deployed on the first day of the protests. [125] Despite the government's decision to reverse the appointment, protests continued, raising new demands, including Mr Oresharski's resignation[126] and putting an end to the "Peevski model" (referring to the issue of oligarchic control over the actions of the Bulgarian governments). [127] Demonstrations have been noted for their use of social networks[109] such as Facebook[128] and emphasis on digital slang,[129] with the social networking opportunities being recognized by some commentators as a contributing factor to the rejuvenating of the protests on a number of occasions. [130] It has also been suggested that the eruption of the 2013 demonstrations in Turkey played some part in energizing the anti-Oresharski protest movement. [131]
The protests were still ongoing weeks after the reversal of Peevski's appointment, attracting a steady number of 10,000 to 15,000 people without any signs of attenuation. [132] Because of the lack of response from the government, the demonstrators resorted to other means of expressing their anger over the presumed corruption of the government, including protesting every morning in front of the parliament, as part of the morning initiative to "drink coffee" with the politicians, and blockading different roads at random. Despite such demonstrations, the government largely ignored the protesters and dismissed their claims. [133] Although at first largely ignored by the world press, the demonstrations soon started to receive more significant worldwide attention both by the media and the general population via the use of social networks.
|
Protest_Online Condemnation
| null | null |
The greatest race ever part II: Sydney McLaughlin wins 400m hurdles gold in world record time
|
Another day. Another extraordinary 400m hurdles final. Another dizzying world record. And another urgent question: was this the greatest ever track and field race … since, erm, Tuesday?
Less than 24 hours after a men’s 400m hurdles slugfest for the ages, with Karsten Warholm going toe to toe with Rai Benjamin, it was the women’s turn – and they duly delivered and then some.
Such was the staggering pace that after 300m, three athletes – Dalilah Muhammad and Sydney McLaughlin of the United States, and Femke Bol of the Netherlands – were yards clear and chasing down gold and a world record.
Bol was the first to fall off the scorching pace with 60m to go. At that point Muhammad looked a clear favourite but when she hesitated before the final hurdle, McLaughlin pounced.
It was desperately close, but in the final strides McLaughlin overtook her great rival to win in 51.46sec – a time that was not only faster than the best 400m flat time until 1970 but crushed her own hurdles world record by 0.44s.
“You need somebody who’s going to push you to be your best, and I think that’s what we do so well,” she explained. “It’s iron sharpening iron. Every time we step on the track it’s always something fast.
“I saw Dalilah ahead of me with one to go. I just thought: ‘Run your race.’ The race doesn’t really start till hurdle seven. I just wanted to go out there and give it everything I had. I’m absolutely delighted.”
Muhammad, who finished just 0.12 back to take silver, was left ruing her stutter at the last hurdle. “I was coming at it fast and I could have gone right or left leg and I chose to go on my right leg. I had to shorten my strides but that is just how it goes.”
With Bol taking the bronze in 52.03 it meant that for the second day in a row, the top two finishers in the Olympic 400m hurdles final had destroyed the world record – while the athlete in third would have been under the world record as of six weeks ago.
Coming so soon after Warholm’s record, the conversation soon turned to what could be causing the fast times – be it super spikes, perfect conditions, the lightning quick Tokyo track. Regarding the track, its designers, Mondo, claim it contains small pockets of air which not only provide an element of shock absorption but create a trampoline effect which gives a 1-2% performance advantage to athletes.
“It definitely feels fast,” said Muhammad. “I can feel that energy return. A lot of people talk about the shoes, but I think it’s one of those tracks that gives you that energy right back and pushes you and propels you forward. Especially when you go into hurdle eight and feel that death. Today I didn’t feel like I was going into death.”
McLaughlin agreed. “It’s one of those tracks that gives you that energy right back and pushes you forward,” she said. “Every time you step on the track there seems to be some sort of record broken and it’s really cool to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”
Such developments have raised concerns about the integrity of the competition, but the president of World Athletics, Sebastian Coe, said he was relaxed about what was happening – within reason. “Of course there is a balance,” he said. “We do need to make sure we’re not allowing designs or materials that really transform the sport into something we don’t recognise. But I also don’t want to strangle the innovation that the shoe companies or track manufacturers are bringing to the table.
“At this moment I think we’re in about the right place. We’re not going to be leaving here with thousands of records having been smashed.”
After her victory McLaughlin also praised her coach Bobby Kersee, who guided the career of Florence Griffith Joyner, having switched to train with him last year. Under Kersee’s direction, McLaughlin focused on her form and running shorter hurdles courses to improve her technique. Training alongside Allyson Felix also helped.
“It’s just about trusting your training, trusting your coach, and that will get you all the way round the track,” she said. “We’ve practised the last 40m so many times, so it was nothing unfamiliar for me. I just knew I had to go and give it everything I had and dip at the line.”
Muhammad, the reigning world champion, had given it her all too – and that seemed to soften the blow of breaking the previous world record yet coming away with silver. “The perfectionist in me looks back and thinks: ‘Ugh, could have done that, could have done this,’ but I did all that I could,” she said. “There are little things that I’m probably going to beat myself up about but now I’m truly happy too.”
|
Break historical records
| null | null |
2020 Kerala floods
|
On 7 August 2020, due to heavy rainfall in the monsoon season, severe floods affected Kerala, India. The floods resulted in the death of at least 22 people. Kerala was also flooded in 2018 and 2019. [1] Heavy rains in Idukki have caused severe landslide in Munnar in which at least 52 people died and nearly 19 were reported missing. [2] As a security measure during the prevailing situation of heavy rains, the India Meteorological Department issued a red alert for the 3 districts of Wayanad, Kozhikkode and Idukki. An orange alert was also issued for five districts. [3] On the same day, the Air India Express Flight 1344 carrying 191 people crashed in Kerala, resulting in the death of 18 people and the wounding of several others. This was because the runway of Calicut airport was flooded and visibility was less because of heavy rain. [4] On 9 August 2020, 49 people died during a landslide at a tea plantation in Rajamala. [5] The state is reeling under damage to property worth Rs 19,000 crore, death of people, livestock and heavy loss to agriculture, especially in Kuttanad, Alappuzha, also known as ‘Kerala’s Rice Bowl’ and the state has submitted a comprehensive plan to Central government to improve the disaster management capacity of the state. [6]
The unnatural increase in rainfall was caused by a monsoon surge, which was aided by a strong Somali Current or Somali Jet and a low-pressure on the Bay of Bengal which dragged strong monsoon winds towards the Western Coast of India. Westerly winds were exceptionally strong at the 850 hPa level, which helped the monsoon currents to penetrate into the ghats. Though the normal rainfall for Kerala for the entire month of August is only 427mm, the state received 476mm in the first ten days of August itself. [7]
Kerala's State Disaster Management Authority, Kerala police along with the Indian Air Force, civilians, volunteers, fishermen from coastal Kerala are actively taking part in the rescue operations in flood-affected regions. 545 Relief Camps were opened by the Government of Kerala and 12121 inmates were admitted into these relief camps. As part of humanitarian response from NGO's - IAG Kerala, RedR India and Sphere India conveyed a meeting on Palakkad for the preparedness and response plan with respect to the ongoing heavy rainfall situation and all districts Inter Agency Group (IAGs) are activated in the State on August 8th.
|
Floods
| null | null |
Fry Street Fire
|
On June 27, 2007 the Historic Fry Street area of Denton, Texas was burned down. The area referred to as "Fry Street" is the area between Fry St/Welch St and Oak St/Hickory St. The Tomato, a local pizza place frequented by University of North Texas and Texas Womans University students, was the primary target damaged by the fire but the entire block was demolished by police and firefighters before the next morning. The fire took place the day before the scheduled date for the building's demolition. The area had been at the center of a contentious battle between Save Fry Street and United Equities Inc.[1]
Houston based developer United Equities Inc. bought most of the commercial lots on and around Fry Street, with plans to raze them in exchange for "upscale" businesses including the anchor store for the project, a CVS Pharmacy.On May 10, 2006 word began to spread around town of the purchase, and students began to organize a group called Save Fry Street with flyers and the Internet. [2] Protests by residents and current and former University of North Texas students angered by plans to raze and redevelop the area began and would last over a year until the fire. The Tomato restaurant closed on May 13, 2007 along with Bagheri's Italian Restaurant, Java Flakes, Texas Jive, Naranja Cafe, the Spirit Station and Andy's Hair Spot. [3] On June 22–23, Habitat for Humanity of Denton County hosted an auction of building materials salvaged from buildings slated for demolition. Overnight, vandals defaced a 1980s-era mural, portions of which had been auctioned off for $1,600. [4][5] On June 25, workers began to clear the buildings, ripping out the insides. [3] Local protesters began to squat inside the emptied-out Tomato, despite the organization "Save Fry Street" asking protesters not to do so. The Fry Street Fire was set around 11 p.m.[6] Hundreds of students were at the bars in the area, and watched the fire. More students gathered after the news had reached them. The 22-year-old man accused of torching The Tomato in protest of the redevelopment surrendered to fire marshals and posted bail on July 11, 2007. In 2007, Christopher Largen produced and directed The Burning of Fry Street, an award-winning documentary about an arts community protest that evolves into arson and economic terrorism. Save Fry Street is a group of concerned citizens who mobilized to try to stop the demolition of Fry Street. [7] This is part of their mission statement, which is available online:[7]
We are not against improvement, or even growth. But we are against the destruction of a historical cultural center of Denton–one with deep roots in the college community. A large percentage of Denton is made up of small, local stores and restaurants. Many tenants of Fry Street have wanted repairs to the buildings but found the landlord unwilling to maintain the general upkeep required. Most had to rely on themselves to improve their rental property. We want improvement, but don't need demolishing. Norah Jones, Grammy Award-winning artist, was named the Honorary Chairwoman of Save Fry Street on December 21, 2006. [3]
Video and pictures of the Fry Street Fire were on the Internet within 3 hours of the fire starting. Popular sites such as MySpace.com and YouTube.com were used to spread the footage to more people. YouTube Video
|
Fire
| null | null |
1931 Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F-10 crash
|
On March 31, 1931, a Fokker F-10 belonging to Transcontinental and Western Air crashed near Bazaar, Kansas after taking off from Kansas City Municipal Airport, Kansas City, Missouri. The scheduled flight was from Kansas City to Los Angeles, with a stopover in Wichita. [note 1] On this first leg, the wooden structure of one wing failed, causing the plane to crash, killing all eight people on board, including Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne.
The investigation found that the wooden wing became moist over time, causing the glue connecting the wing to the body to weaken, allowing the wing to separate. The crash brought about significant changes in airplane safety, the airplane industry, and was of cultural significance, due to the death of Rockne and the public perception of the safety of aircraft.
The Transcontinental and Western Air flight was a Fokker F.10 Trimotor en route from Kansas City to Los Angeles on March 31, 1931. [2] On the first leg of the flight to Wichita, the airplane crashed into an open field[note 2] a few miles southwest of Bazaar; all eight on board died, including famed football coach Knute Rockne, of the University of Notre Dame.
Questions have been raised about the exact sequence of events in the crash, and eyewitness accounts raise further questions about the exact sequence of events and the associated technical analysis.
Numerous factors complicated the subsequent investigation, resulting in difficulty establishing, with certainty, the cause of the crash. The investigation was initially undermined by a severe shortage of evidence: When government investigators first arrived at the crash site, they found that most of the wreckage had been taken by souvenir hunters and scavengers, leaving only engines, wings and propeller. [7]
Among the issues speculated is that the craft may have been dealing with turbulence, or icing on the aircraft, or both—which could have resulted in flying conditions that may have led to control difficulty, and an overstressing of the wing. (As evidence, some cite the co-pilot's radio call to Wichita, an hour into the flight, saying, "The weather here is getting tough. We're going to turn around and go back to Kansas City.") [5] Later theories conclude that the pilots thought their difficulty controlling the plane was due to clear-air turbulence, and the transmission was sent before they were aware of the wing's deficiency, if indeed they ever knew before the wing failed. [citation needed]
It is often claimed that the flight went down in or shortly after a thunderstorm, but meteorological records show that there was no significant convective activity at the time. [citation needed]
The late morning accident was arguably caused by the composition of the aircraft. The wings of Fokker Trimotors were manufactured out of wood laminate; in this instance, moisture had leaked into the interior of one wing over a period and had weakened the glue bonding the structure. One spar finally failed; the wing developed uncontrolled flutter and separated from the aircraft. [8] In any case, the structural condition of the wooden wing is widely agreed to have been at least a significant contributory factor.
Although the accident is best known for causing the death of Rockne, it also led to major changes in American aviation that radically transformed airline safety worldwide. Other comparable crashes had occurred before, but this one, which killed a popular national hero, brought a national outcry for getting "answers to the mystery" as the public demanded solutions that might prevent such disasters in the future.
The most notable person aboard was Knute Rockne, head football coach at the University of Notre Dame and a national hero. Revered as more than simply the football coach with the most wins to his credit of all time, Rockne—famed for coaching his players towards both victory and morality—was a beloved figure at the start of the Great Depression. Despite his Norwegian immigrant origins, he was regarded as the "All-American" icon of virtuous strength and honorable success. Rockne, 43, was on his way to Los Angeles to participate in the production of the Hollywood motion picture The Spirit of Notre Dame (released October 13, 1931). A father of four,[10] Rockne had stopped over in Kansas City to visit his two eldest children, sons Bill and Knute, Jr., in boarding school there at Pembroke Hill.
The sudden, dramatic death of Rockne startled the nation, and triggered a national outpouring of grief, comparable to the deaths of presidents. President Herbert Hoover called Rockne's death "a national loss. "[12][13] King Haakon VII of Norway (Rockne's birthplace) posthumously knighted him and sent a personal envoy to the massive funeral, held at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the Notre Dame campus. [14] Thousands from around the world gathered at the funeral,[10] which was broadcast around the globe.
Driven by the public feeling for Rockne, the crash story played out at length in nearly all of the nation's newspapers and gradually evolved into national demand for a public inquiry into the causes and circumstances of the crash.
At first, the accident brought changes to the operations of both TWA and the Aeronautics Branch of the US Department of Commerce, forerunner of the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). All Fokker Trimotors in U.S. airline service were temporarily grounded, and they were henceforth required to undergo more frequent and rigorous inspections and maintenance. [6][19] The expense of this, compounded with the bad publicity associated with Rockne's death, almost sank TWA, while aircraft manufacturer Fokker suffered a serious blow to its reputation and sales. The intense public interest in the cause of the accident forced the Department of Commerce to abandon its policy of keeping the results of aircraft accident investigations secret.
Many references claim that the accident was also the impetus for the formation of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), an independent investigative organization and the predecessor of the National Transportation Safety Board, but the CAB was not formed until 1940, five years after an accident involving US Senator Bronson M. Cutting underlined the department's conflicts of interest with respect to their associations with airlines and their provision and maintenance of navigational aids. [20]
Nevertheless, the Rockne crash created a public expectation for the U.S. government to provide objective reviews of crashes and public release of the findings, beginning the tradition of public air crash investigation reports, which began to pinpoint and publicize blame for accidents, forcing safety improvements by both government and industry.
The disaster discredited wood-framed aircraft, and it effectively forced airlines to adopt all-metal aircraft. The result was a leap forward in aircraft design quality and safety, as manufacturers developed advanced all-metal designs under pressure from the airlines. Various aircraft safety innovations were proposed and promoted, largely in response to the crash. [18] Overall, the success and/or development of three key aircraft in aviation history were driven largely by the Rockne crash:
With these superior, safer aircraft matched to greatly increased and more public government inspection and regulation of aviation, crash rates plummeted to a tiny fraction of those of the wooden airliner years. [20]
Today, the legacy of the crash is simply that the most dangerous way to travel in 1931—airlines—radically transformed into what has now become the safest way to travel. [6]
The Knute Rockne Memorial[note 3] at the crash site[note 4] near Bazaar, Kansas, memorializes Rockne and the 7 others who died with him. [note 5] The tall, engraved-granite marker,[note 6] a memorial dedicated to the victims and topped with the name "Rockne", stands surrounded by a wire fence with wooden posts; it was maintained for many years by James Easter Heathman, who died in 2008, who, at age 13 in 1931, was one of the first people to arrive at the site of the crash. [13]
Now part of the Heathman family estate, the memorial and crash site are on private property, off-road, and accessible only by arrangement[note 7] with the landowners, or during memorial commemorations. A memorial ceremony is held at the crash site memorial (and at a nearby schoolhouse) every five years since the crash, drawing relatives of the victims, and Rockne / Notre Dame fans, from around the world. In 2011, on the 80th anniversary of the crash, over 150 people gathered, including former Football Hall of Fame director Bernie Kish. Speeches were made, a bagpipe played, and a small plane flew over the crowd at the crash site, on the exact minute of the crash. [6]
The Matfield Green rest stop and travel plaza on the Kansas Turnpike near Bazaar and the crash site used to have a large, glassed-in exhibit on the west side of its center foyer commemorating Rockne (chiefly), as well as the other crash victims, and the crash. [6]
The passengers and crew of the flight were K. Rockne, H. J. Christansen (Chicago), J. H. Hooper (Chicago), W. B. Miller (Hartford, Conn.), F. Goldthwaite (New York), C. A. Lobrech (Chicago), Pilot Robert Fry, and Co-Pilot Jess Mathias.
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Air India Flight 112 plot crash
|
In May 1986, five Canadian Sikhs were charged with plotting to blow up Air India Flight 112 in New York City. [1][2] Ostensibly members of Babbar Khalsa, two were convicted and given life sentences, while three others were released. [3] However, years later, the courts overturned the sentences and freed the remaining two men noting that the government had failed to disclose "crucial evidence" about the alleged plot,[4] and defence lawyers argued that the men had been entrapped by police agents who invited them to a meeting, then suggested the crime, and arrested them for showing signs of agreement. [5]
With the arrests coming shortly after the Air India bombing that killed more than 300 Canadians, the Solicitor General Perrin Beatty urged Canadians not to spread fear of terrorism. [6]
The government claimed that the idea for the alleged plot was hatched on April 4, and was targeting an Air India jet leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport on May 30 in New York. [7] Each of the five men were from Montreal, Quebec,[7] and it was later revealed that Khelsa had been under surveillance by Canadian Security Intelligence Service since at least May 1985, when they recorded a phone call he made to Tarwinder Singh Parmar. [8]
A petty criminal codenamed "Billy Joe", with a record for drug trafficking, use of a firearm, kidnapping and assault, approached the Sûreté du Québec and told them that he'd gotten Maninder Anand to agree to buy a stolen Cadillac, and claimed that he'd heard colleagues talk about blowing up an Air India flight. With a long record of informing on his colleagues for the past 12 years, "Billy Joe" offered to get evidence against these Sikhs in exchange for the police dropping charges against one of his friends who was facing life imprisonment. [9]
The case was largely built around an FBI mole, Frank Miele, who spoke to Khela and Dhillon in a bugged Montreal hotel room on May 19 and May 22, offering his services to them under the name of "George" at the urging of "Billy Joe", who had told them he was a member of the Mafia. [9][10][11][12]
Dhillon was worried because Khela had given the American $6,500 for an ostensibly stolen Cadillac, and agreed to attend the meeting to try to make sure that his friend either had his money returned or got legitimate ownership papers on the car. [13] Dhillon later recalled that the American began talking about "crazy things, like bombing an airplane, bombing embassies and buying arms", and that at their only other meeting three days later, he wrote a note insisting that Miele, who was now claiming to be an explosives expert as well as a car thief, not refer to any criminal activities, instead using code words to discuss his ideas, since he was suspicious this was a police sting operation. [13] Miele later claimed that the men had indicated they were willing to pay 20 kilograms of heroin in exchange for him downing a plane. [14]
On May 28, a week after meeting with Miele, Dhillon was recorded phoning Khelsa to express relief that the stranger seemed to be leaving them alone now, saying "we have nothing to do with him, we don't damn well know him". [12] On the same day, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and FBI claimed to have received a "tip" about a possible bombing plot by Montreal Sikhs,[7] and the suspects were all arrested by the RCMP. [7] However, although they were charged with possession of explosives,[15] no sign of any explosives was found. [16]
All five were held in the Parthenais Detention Centre,[7] and entered no plea before judge Jean Pierre Bonin at their preliminary hearing in the Court of Quebec at which they were represented by Robert Beaudet. Although the Sikh community rallied to present $2 million in bail for the arrested men, the request was denied at the urging of prosecutor Pierre Garon. [7][17][18]
A month into the proceedings, three of the men were released, partially after it was revealed that several of the recorded conversations had been mistranslated by officials; when Saini telephoned Anand asking to purchase a 12-volt battery to build a light, the RCMP translators suggested he had asked for 12 pounds of explosives to build a bomb. [9] Charges were simultaneously upgraded against Khela and Dhillon. [19] The defence complained that "Billy Joe" was never called to testify, or be cross-examined, noting that he had started the entire process in motion. The RCMP claimed that he had disappeared, but that his alleged contact with them was simply to be taken for granted. [9]
At trial, where they were represented by Michael Code,[20] Khela was confronted with a recorded conversation he'd had with Miele, in which he was asked "...you want a 747?" and replied "yeah". He told the court that he was confused by the question and believed Miele was referring to a type of truck, and that his curt reply reflected the fact he did not understand much of what was going on since he spoke comparatively little English, and Miele was shouting "all the time". Dhillon later explained that Miele looked like a "pretty dangerous type of guy", and both men maintained that they understood the meeting was to discuss brokering a deal for stolen vehicles from the United States. [13][14]
Dhillon was likewise confronted with a paper he had written entitled "Objects of the Sikh Youth of North America" which described his belief that all Sikhs should be trained in martial arts per the group's illustrious history. [14]
In December, prosecutor Claude Parent was criticised for a "racist" question in which he demanded to know whether Khela "takes orders from his God". [21] On December 12, the pair were both found guilty of conspiracy to commit mass murder, and shortly thereafter justice Claire Barrette-Joncas sentenced them to life imprisonment. [8]
On March 6, 1992, their convictions were overturned by the appeals court; the government chose to appeal the overturn, and a new trial was ordered in November 1995. Ten months later, the charges were stayed by the Quebec Superior Court when it was revealed the government had failed to disclose crucial materials. [8]
As of 2002, Khelsa claims he is still harassed by CSIS, that the Canadian spy agency disrupted his business and pushed him to give them inside information on Babbar Khalsa's activities in Canada. [11]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests
|
Saudi Arabian opposition groups
Saudi Arabian government
Independent Opposition leaders
King AbdullahKing of Saudi Arabia
Prince SalmanCrown Prince of Saudi Arabia
Prince NayefCrown Prince of Saudi Arabia (until June 2012)
The protests in Saudi Arabia were part of the Arab Spring that started with the 2011 Tunisian revolution. Protests started with a self-immolation in Samtah[33] and Jeddah street protests in late January 2011. [34][35] Protests against anti-Shia discrimination followed in February and early March in Qatif, Hofuf, al-Awamiyah, and Riyadh. [36] A Facebook organiser of a planned 11 March "Day of Rage",[37][38] Faisal Ahmed Abdul-Ahad,[23] was allegedly killed by Saudi security forces on 2 March,[23][24][25] with several hundred people protesting in Qatif, Hofuf and al-Amawiyah on the day itself. [39] Khaled al-Johani demonstrated alone in Riyadh,[39] was interviewed by BBC Arabic Television, was detained in ʽUlaysha Prison,[40][41] and became known online as "the only brave man in Saudi Arabia". [40] Many protests over human rights took place in April 2011 in front of government ministry buildings in Riyadh, Ta'if and Tabuk[42][43] and in January 2012 in Riyadh. [44] In 2011, Nimr al-Nimr encouraged his supporters in nonviolent resistance. [45]
Anti-government protests demanding release of prisoners held without charge or trial continued in April and May 2011 in Qatif, al-Awamiyah and Hofuf in the Eastern Province,[36][27][46] and extended to calls for the Peninsula Shield Force to be withdrawn from Bahrain[11][47][48] and for the Eastern Province to have a constitution and a legislature. [14] Four protesters were shot dead by Saudi authorities in late November in Qatif region protests and funerals,[49] two on 12/13[50][51] and two on 9 and 10 February 2012. [52][53][54] In the early 2012 demonstrations, protesters chanted slogans against the House of Saud and Minister of Interior, Nayef,[55] calling Nayef a "terrorist", "criminal" and "butcher"[56] and throwing an effigy of Nayef at tanks. [56] Police described two of the fatal shootings as responses to unidentified gunmen who had shot first. [53][57] Eastern Province protests intensified after Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was wounded in the leg and arrested by police on 8 July. [58] Four men were killed in a protest immediately following the arrest,[59][60] with several funerals and protests following,[61] including calls for the downfall of the House of Saud. [62][63] While detained, al-Nimr was tortured and started a hunger strike, he was later executed in the 2016 mass execution. [64] Protest organisers insisted on the use of nonviolent resistance[65] and called for all Shia and Sunni detainees to be freed. [66] A protester and a soldier were fatally shot in Qatif during a 3–4 August protest,[67] leading to more protests. [68]
Protests and sit-ins calling for political prisoners[69] to be released spread beyond the Eastern Province to protests at the Ministry of Interior in Riyadh on 20 March[70] and in Riyadh and Buraidah in December 2011,[49] and in July and August 2012 near al-Ha'ir Prison. [71][72][73]
Women organised a Facebook women's suffrage campaign called "Baladi", stating that Saudi Arabian law gives women electoral rights. [74] In April 2011, women in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam tried to register as electors for the 29 September municipal elections despite officials stating that women could not participate. [74][2] In May and June, Manal al-Sharif and other women organised a women's right-to-drive campaign, with the main action to take place on 17 June. [3][75] In late September, Shaima Jastania was sentenced to 10 lashes for driving in Jeddah, shortly after King Abdullah announced women's participation in the 2015 municipal elections and eligibility as Consultative Assembly members; King Abdullah overturned the sentence. [76][77] Al-Sharif and Samar Badawi filed lawsuits against Saudi authorities in the Grievances Board, a non-Sharia court,[78] because of the rejection of their driving licence applications. [79] Women university students protested in King Khalid University (KKU) in Abha in March 2012[80] and were attacked by security forces, leading to one death. [81] Other university protests followed in Taibah University in Medina[82] and Tabuk University in March and April. [83][84] KKU students called for the university president to be dismissed. He was replaced on 1 July 2012. [21]
Protests started with a 65-year-old man's self-immolation in Samtah, Jizan on 21 January[33] and protests of a few hundred people in late January in Jeddah, triggered by flooding,[34][35] and several times throughout February and early March in the cities of Qatif, al-Awamiyah, Riyadh, and Hofuf. [36] A "Day of Rage" was planned for 11 March. [37][38][85] One of the main organisers, Faisal Ahmed Abdul-Ahad[23] (or Abdul-Ahadwas[24]), was alleged to have been killed by Saudi security forces on 2 March,[24][25] by which time one of the Facebook groups discussing the plans had over 26,000 members. [28] On 11 March, several hundred people protested in Qatif, Hofuf and al-Amawiyah. [39] Khaled al-Johani demonstrated in Riyadh despite a massive police presence,[39] was interviewed by BBC Arabic Television, and has since then been detained in ‘Ulaysha Prison. [40][41] Al-Johani became known online as "the only brave man in Saudi Arabia". [40]
The Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) and the Saudi organisation Human Rights First Society called for ACPRA co-founder Mohammed Saleh Albejadi to be released following his arbitrary arrest in Buraidah on 21 March by Mabahith, the internal security agency. [86][87] In April, several small protests over labour rights took place in front of government ministry buildings in Riyadh, Ta'if and Tabuk. [42][43] Protests, made up mainly of Shia protesters, continued in late March and April in Qatif and smaller cities in the Eastern Province such as al-Awamiyah, and Hofuf. [36][27][46] The protesters called for the release of prisoners, for the Peninsula Shield Force to be withdrawn from Bahrain,[11][47] for equal representation in key offices and for reforms in political positions, as they feel marginalised. [46]
In response to the 22–23 March announcement of men-only municipal elections in late September 2011 to elect half the members of local councils,[17][18] women organised a Facebook women's suffrage campaign called "Baladi", stating that Saudi Arabian law gives women electoral rights. [74] In April, women in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam tried to register as electors for the 22 September municipal elections despite officials stating that women could not participate. [74][2]
In May and June, motivated by the Arab Spring,[88] Manal al-Sharif and other women organised a women's right-to-drive campaign, with the main action to take place on 17 June. Al-Sharif drove a car in May and was detained on 22 May and from 23‒30 May. [3][75][89] Other women also drove cars, including actress Wajnat Rahbini, who was arrested after driving in Jeddah on 4 June and released a day later. [90] From 17 June to late June, about seventy cases of women driving were documented. [91][92][93] In late September, Shaima Jastania was sentenced to 10 lashes for driving in Jeddah, shortly after King Abdullah announced women's participation in the 2015 municipal elections and eligibility as Consultative Assembly members. King Abdullah cancelled the sentence. [76][77]
From 17 June to late June, more than seventy cases of women driving were documented. [91][92][93] In October protests, police shot live ammunition at protesters. [14] The protesters called for Eastern Province to have its own constitution and legislative assembly, and for their association Society for Development and Change to be legally registered. [14] In late November, Nasser al-Mheishi, Ali al-Felfel, Munib al-Sayyed al-'Adnan and Ali Abdullah al-Qarairis were shot dead by security forces in the Qatif region in successive protests and funerals. [49][94][95][96]
Hundreds of people protested in Riyadh and Buraidah in December, calling for the release or trial of prisoners. [49]
A protest for labour rights took place in Riyadh on 14 January[44] and a sit-in calling for the Syrian Ambassador to be expelled occurred on 5 February in Jeddah.
|
Protest_Online Condemnation
| null | null |
2014–15 Men's FIH Hockey World League Semifinals
|
The 2014–15 Men's FIH Hockey World League Semifinals took place in June and July 2015. A total of 20 teams competing in 2 events took part in this round of the tournament playing for 7 berths in the Final, played between 5–13 December 2015 in Raipur, India. This round also served as a qualifier for the 2016 Summer Olympics as the 6 highest placed teams apart from the host nation and the five continental champions qualify. 11 teams ranked between 1st and 11th in the FIH World Rankings current at the time of seeking entries for the competition qualified automatically, in addition to 9 teams qualified from Round 2. [1][2] The following twenty teams, shown with final pre-tournament rankings, competed in this round of the tournament. All times are Argentina Time (UTC−03:00)[3]
Below are the 11 umpires appointed by the International Hockey Federation:
All times are Central European Summer Time (UTC+02:00)[5]
Below are the 10 umpires appointed by the International Hockey Federation:
The following goalscorers list comprises players from both events. There were 299 goals scored in 66 matches, for an average of 4.53 goals per match. 7 goals
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
Source: Buenos Aires Antwerp
|
Sports Competition
| null | null |
Florida man gets 8 months in prison in first felony sentence from Capitol riot
|
WASHINGTON – A Florida man was sentenced to eight months in prison Monday, marking the first felony sentence from the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Paul Allard Hodgkins, 38, of Tampa, was arrested in February after the FBI received a tip identifying him carrying a large “Trump 2020” flag on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Hodgkins pleaded guilty in June to a single felony count of obstructing an official proceeding. The felony carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Following his prison sentence, Hodgkins will be placed under two years of supervised release. Hodgkins is the third person to be sentenced for being part of the mayhem at the U.S. Capitol. In June, an Indiana woman was given three years probation after pleading guilty to a charge of illegally demonstrating in the Capitol. Last week a Florida man was sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge. Read more of CNBC’s politics coverage: More than 500 people have been charged with federal crimes for their role in the Jan. 6 Capitol invasion. “Although you were only one member of a larger mob, you actively participated in a larger event that threatened the Capitol and democracy itself,” U.S. District Court Judge Randolph Moss of Washington, D.C., said during the two-hour court proceeding. Moss called the events that unfolded at the Capitol “extraordinary” and an “assault on democracy.” Hodgkins described his actions on Jan. 6 as the result of a “foolish decision” and told the court that he was “caught up in an emotional protest.” “I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I am truly remorseful and regretful for my actions, not because I face consequences but because of the damage that day’s incident caused and the way this country that I love has been hurt,” Hodgkins said Monday. The riot that broke out in Washington forced Congress to recess from the joint session that was scheduled to formally announce Joe Biden’s victory in November’s election. After the Capitol had been secured, Biden’s victory over then-President Donald Trump was confirmed by Congress. Trump, during a rally outside the White House, encouraged thousands of supporters to march to the Capitol to protest what historically have been ceremonial proceedings. Trump returned to the White House after his speech. During the subsequent rioting, he told supporters in a tweeted video “you have to go home now,” but he didn’t condemn the violence and continued to falsely claim he won the election. Twitter later removed that tweet and locked the president’s account. On Monday, Vanity Fair published an excerpt of the new book “I Alone Can Fix It,” in which Trump says his desire was the same as the rioters’ on Jan. 6 – overturning Biden’s election. “Personally, what I wanted is what they wanted,” Trump said of the rioters, according to the book’s authors, Washington Post journalists Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker.
|
Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence
| null | null |
Fighting a Pandemic, While Launching Africa’s Health Revolution
|
Public health in Africa has been a story of neglect and dependency, says John Nkengasong, the first director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control. But he’s on a mission to turn things around. By Ruth Maclean When Dr. John Nkengasong took the job as the first head of Africa’s new Centers for Disease Control in 2017, part of the continent had just emerged from a devastating Ebola outbreak. Less than three years later, Covid-19 hit. Dr. Nkengasong is now trying to bring together the governments of a vast, diverse continent to anticipate and fight public health threats and make them less reliant on institutions like the World Health Organization or the International Committee of the Red Cross. He has helped Africa speak with a unified voice, particularly about what he calls “vaccine famine,” with rich countries buying up millions of doses they do not need while Africa goes wanting.
|
Disease Outbreaks
| null | null |
1905 Kangra earthquake
|
The 1905 Kangra earthquake occurred in the Kangra Valley and the Kangra region of the Punjab Province (modern day Himachal Pradesh) in India on 4 April 1905. The earthquake measured 7.8 on the surface wave magnitude scale and killed more than 20,000 people. Apart from this, most buildings in the towns of Kangra, Mcleodganj and Dharamshala were destroyed.
The calculated epicenter of the earthquake lies within the zone of thrusts along the front of the Himalayas formed by the continuing collision of the Indian plate into the Eurasian plate. [9] Underthrusting of the Indian subcontinent beneath Tibet along a 2,500 km long convergent boundary known as the Main Himalayan Thrust has resulted in the uplifting of the overriding Eurasian Plate thus, creating the long mountain range parallel to the convergent zone. [10]
The magnitude 7.8–7.9 earthquake struck the western Himalaya in the state of Himachal Pradesh at an estimated depth of 6 km along a very shallow dipping thrust fault, likely on the Main Himalayan Thrust detachment. The rupture area is calculated at 280 km × 80 km. [11] The rupture did not reach the surface, therefore, is considered a blind thrust earthquake. [11] A more recent study in 2005 estimated the rupture zone at 110 km × 55 km while still not breaking the surface. [12]
The earthquake reached its peak Rossi–Forel intensity of X in Kangra. About 150 km away from this zone to the southeast, an area of increased intensity reaching VIII was recorded. This unusually high intensity away from the earthquake in the Indo-Gangetic Plain included the cities Dehradun and Saharanpur. It was felt VII in towns like Kasauli, Bilaspur, Chamba, and in neighboring Pakistan including Lahore. [13]
As many as 100,000 buildings were reported to have been demolished by the earthquake. At least 20,000 people are estimated to have been killed and 53,000 domestic animals were also lost. There was also major damage to the network of hillside aqueducts that fed water to the affected area. The total cost of recovering from the effects of the earthquake was calculated at 2.9 million (1905) rupees. [1]
|
Earthquakes
| null | null |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.