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Man Convicted in ’81 Brink’s Robbery Wins Release From New York Prison
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David Gilbert, whose 75-year prison sentence was commuted in one of Andrew Cuomo’s last acts as governor, was granted parole. By Michael Wilson and Ed Shanahan David Gilbert, a participant in the politically motivated ambush of a Brink’s armored car in 1981 that left two police officers and a guard dead, has been granted parole after spending 40 years in prison for his role in the armed attack, officials said on Tuesday. Mr. Gilbert, 77, will be released by Nov. 30, officials said. He was granted a parole hearing this month after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo — in one of his last acts before leaving office under a cloud of sexual abuse allegations — commuted his 75-years-to-life sentence.
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Release
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The stagflation of the 1970s will soon meet the debt crises of the post-2008 period
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At some point, this boom will culminate in a Minsky moment (a sudden loss of confidence), and tighter monetary policies will trigger a bust and crash. But meanwhile, the same loose policies that are feeding asset bubbles will continue to drive consumer price inflation, creating the conditions for stagflation whenever the next negative supply shocks arrive. Such shocks could follow from renewed protectionism; demographic aging in advanced and emerging economies; immigration restrictions in advanced economies; the reshoring of manufacturing to high-cost regions; or the balkanization of global supply chains. Recipe for macroeconomic disruption More broadly, the Sino-American decoupling threatens to fragment the global economy at a time when climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic are pushing national governments toward deeper self-reliance. Add to this the impact on production of increasingly frequent cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and the social and political backlash against inequality, and the recipe for macroeconomic disruption is complete. Making matters worse, central banks have effectively lost their independence, because they have been given little choice but to monetize massive fiscal deficits to forestall a debt crisis. With both public and private debts having soared, they are in a debt trap. “Central banks will be damned if they do and damned if they don’t, and many governments will be semi-insolvent and thus unable to bail out banks, corporations, and households. The doom loop of sovereigns and banks in the eurozone after the global financial crisis will be repeated world-wide” As inflation rises over the next few years, central banks will face a dilemma. If they start phasing out unconventional policies and raising policy rates to fight inflation, they will risk triggering a massive debt crisis and severe recession; but if they maintain a loose monetary policy, they will risk double-digit inflation—and deep stagflation when the next negative supply shocks emerge. But even in the second scenario, policy makers would not be able to prevent a debt crisis. While nominal government fixed-rate debt in advanced economies can be partly wiped out by unexpected inflation (as happened in the 1970s), emerging-market debts denominated in foreign currency would not be. Many of these governments would need to default and restructure their debts. At the same time, private debts in advanced economies would become unsustainable (as they did after the global financial crisis), and their spreads relative to safer government bonds would spike, triggering a chain reaction of defaults. Highly leveraged corporations and their reckless shadow-bank creditors would be the first to fall, soon followed by indebted households and the banks that financed them. The Volcker Moment To be sure, real long-term borrowing costs may initially fall if inflation rises unexpectedly and central banks are still behind the curve. But, over time, these costs will be pushed up by three factors. First, higher public and private debts will widen sovereign and private interest-rate spreads. Second, rising inflation and deepening uncertainty will drive up inflation risk premiums. And, third, a rising misery index—the sum of the inflation and unemployment rate—eventually will demand a “Volcker Moment.” When former Fed Chair Paul Volcker hiked rates to tackle inflation in 1980-82, the result was a severe double-dip recession in the United States and a debt crisis and lost decade for Latin America. But now that global debt ratios are almost three times higher than in the early 1970s, any anti-inflationary policy would lead to a depression, rather than a severe recession. “The question is not if but when.” Under these conditions, central banks will be damned if they do and damned if they don’t, and many governments will be semi-insolvent and thus unable to bail out banks, corporations, and households. The doom loop of sovereigns and banks in the eurozone after the global financial crisis will be repeated world-wide, sucking in households, corporations, and shadow banks as well. As matters stand, this slow-motion train wreck looks unavoidable. The Fed’s recent pivot from an ultra-dovish to a mostly dovish stance changes nothing. The Fed has been in a debt trap at least since December 2018, when a stock- and credit-market crash forced it to reverse its policy tightening a full year before COVID-19 struck. With inflation rising and stagflationary shocks looming, it is now even more ensnared. So, too, are the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, and the Bank of England. The stagflation of the 1970s will soon meet the debt crises of the post-2008 period. The question is not if but when.
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Financial Crisis
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1854 Tōkai earthquake
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The 1854 Tōkai earthquake was the first of the Ansei great earthquakes (1854–1855). It occurred at about 09:00 local time on 23 December 1854. It had a magnitude of 8.4 and caused a damaging tsunami. More than 10,000 buildings were destroyed and there were at least 2,000 casualties. [1]
It was the first of the three Ansei great earthquakes; the 1854 Ansei-Nankai earthquake of similar size hit southern Honshu the following day. The southern coast of Honshu runs parallel to the Nankai Trough, which marks the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate. Movement on this convergent plate boundary leads to many earthquakes, some of them of megathrust type. The Nankai megathrust has five distinct segments (A-E) that can rupture independently,[2][3] the segments have ruptured either singly or together repeatedly over the last 1300 years. [4] Megathrust earthquakes on this structure tend to occur in pairs, with a relatively short time gap between them. In addition to the two events in 1854, there were similar earthquakes in 1944 and 1946. In each case the northeastern segment ruptured before the southwestern segment. [5]
Much of central Japan experienced seismic intensities of 5 (on the JMA scale). Damage from this earthquake was particularly severe in the coastal areas of Shizuoka Prefecture from Numazu to Tenryū River, with many houses being damaged or destroyed. [6]
On the east side of the Izu Peninsula, Shimoda was hit by the tsunami one hour after the earthquake. A series of nine waves struck the city, destroying 840 houses and claiming 122 lives. Diana, the flagship of a visiting Russian admiral, Putyatin, in Japan to negotiate what would become the Treaty of Shimoda, was spun round 42 times on its moorings and was so badly damaged that it sank in a later storm. [6]
At Suruga Bay, on the west side of the Izu Peninsula, the village of Iruma was destroyed and a 10 m high sand dome was deposited, on which the village was later reconstructed. [6]
The rupture area, magnitude and epicenter have been estimated from seismic intensity measurements, information about tsunami arrival times and evidence of co-seismic uplift/subsidence. [1][6]
In most of the affected areas, run-up heights were in the range of 4–6 m.
At Iruma, run-up heights of 13.2 and 16.5 m have been measured, much higher than most of the surrounding area. This and the deposition of the unusual sand dome, with an estimated volume of 700,000 m3, is interpreted to have been caused by the effects of resonance in the V-shaped Iruma bay. [6]
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Earthquakes
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Woman dead following wrong-way crash on Highway 281 northbound, SA police say
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The crash prompted a closure on 281 and led to a traffic pileup for several hours July 18, 2021, 2:46 PM Updated: SAN ANTONIO – A 69-year-old woman is dead after driving the wrong way on Highway 281 northbound and colliding with a pickup truck, according to San Antonio police. The crash happened Sunday afternoon and prompted a road closure on 281 past the Hildebrand exit. Police said the woman made a U-turn when she approached Basse Road. She then began traveling southbound in the northbound lanes when she crashed with a Toyota Tundra. The woman had to be extracted from her vehicle with the Jaws of Life, according to police. She was taken to University Hospital, where she died from her injuries, authorities said. The driver of the Toyota Tundra sustained minor injuries but was still taken to University Hospital. Officials closed a portion of 281 northbound and traffic was backed up on the roadway for hours.
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Road Crash
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Trump’s Withdrawal From TPP Points to New Trade Policy
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President Donald Trump wasted no time in taking action and following up on his campaign promises. On Monday, our 45th president signed 3 executive actions, the first of which unravels former President Barack Obama’s signature trade agreement before it ever went into action. With the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, what comes next? Barack Obama signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership to gain a bigger foothold into a region dominated by China’s increasing economic and military control. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement was a deal meant to monitor trade among a dozen Pacific Rim countries – not including China. But the countries the deal does include account for a third of global trade. And while the U.S. has agreements in place with many of the countries, the TPP offered a strong opportunity to build a partnership with Japan and Vietnam. The deal, which focused on lowering tariffs and regulating standards and regulations for service and investments between member countries – was built to take away some of China’s trade advantages. That deal is dead. And China is more than happy to step in and take over the U.S.’s trade role. But as one trade policy dies, another has to take its place. What can we expect from Trump to replace the TPP? Special Update: PRICES JUMP 6.2% as U.S. Inflation Hits 31-Year High in October wth 40% of US Dollars in Existence, Printed in the Last 12 Months. Trump’s plans will now focus on bilateral trade agreements. And that has its pros and cons. A bilateral trade agreement is one in which two nations deal with each other as favored partners, meaning that each gets expanded access to the other’s markets by tariffs and quotas. And while this can benefit the U.S. as far as making it cheaper for companies to produce and export goods and materials to partner countries, it does not necessarily reduce trade deficits for the U.S. There is an equal trade aspect where imports from partner countries have no taxes or tariffs to deal with, making foreign goods cheaper for the U.S., meaning consumers and companies may import more goods. As for any country which doesn’t partner with the U.S., Trump has threatened high tariffs, making the likelihood of those countries shipping goods to the U.S. less likely. Will it work? That remains to be seen. Watch this report from CBS News as President Trump signs executive orders, including withdrawal from TPP: But one thing is clear; Trump is sticking to his campaign promises and reshaping how the U.S. trades to focus on increasing middle-class American manufacturing jobs.
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Withdraw from an Organization
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All Conditions Met for Aker Solutions, Kvaerner Merger
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Two Norwegian offshore energy services firms Aker Solutions and Kvaerner said Monday that all conditions had been met for their proposed merger to proceed. The two companies announced the proposed merger in June. Under the terms, Aker Solutions will absorb all the assets, rights, and obligations of Kvaerner, and Kvaerner will be dissolved. In two separate statements on Monday, Kvaerner and Aker Solutions said that all governmental approvals and other third-party consents required for completion of the merger had been obtained, meaning that all conditions for completion of the Merger have been met. Eligible shareholders in Kvaerner will receive 0.8183 Consideration Share for each share in Kvaerner they own as at the expiry of the date of registration of the completion of the merger, which is expected to occur on or about November 10, 2020. In a joint statement last week, the firms said that the merged Aker Solutions would win projects in the global market, including delivering developments related to renewable energy. "To succeed in being competitive, an important objective is to improve productivity, realize synergies, and cut costs. The structure of the merged company will be simplified, have a leaner and more agile organization, with fewer leaders on every level," the companies said. Already before the merger, both companies have this year implemented cost cuts, including through "rightsizing" of the organization to match activity levels, reduction of overhead costs, reduction of investment levels, optimized footprint in terms of offices and facilities, and increased use of digitalization tools. The new top management group is also reduced by 40 percent, from 17 to 10 positions. "We operate in competitive markets. Our ability to maintain long term development of operations depends on our success with sustaining sound margins and a healthy financial platform," said Kjetel Digre, chief executive officer of Aker Solutions. "This means that we must adapt to a significantly leaner organization for management and administration and have a larger share of the employees in roles for execution of projects for customers." The companies said that they've both already implemented most of the planned workforce reductions, both within administrative functions and other units. The remaining reduction of overhead costs before the end of the year will be around 350 positions. The majority of these will be in Norway.
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Organization Merge
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Xi Jinping calls for more 'loveable' image for China in bid to make friends
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China's president has said he wants the country to "expand its circle of friends" by revamping its image. Xi Jinping told senior Communist Party officials it was important to present an image of a "credible, loveable and respectable China", according to a report by state-run news agency Xinhua.
It marks a possible shift in China's diplomatic approach, which analysts say has become increasingly antagonistic.
The comments came amid deteriorating relations with key global powers.
China has faced criticism over human rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim minority group and the crackdown on Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners, among other issues.
It recently denounced US efforts to further investigate whether Covid-19 came from a Chinese lab, accusing the Americans of "political manipulation and blame shifting".
Mr Xi told officials on Monday it was important for China to tell its story in a positive way.
"It is necessary to make friends, unite and win over the majority, and constantly expand the circle of friends [when it comes to] international public opinion," he was quoted by Xinhua as saying.
He said the country should be "open and confident, but also modest and humble" in its communication with the world. Mr Xi also said the party's propaganda organisations must make it clear that Beijing wanted "nothing but the Chinese people's happiness and good fortune". The China Daily was expected to "stay true to its duty of bridging China and the world for greater communication", the newspaper said of itself. Analysts said Mr Xi's remarks marked a rare admission of Beijing's isolation.
Mr Xi became president of China in 2012, ushering in an era of increased assertiveness and authoritarianism.
The country's diplomats have become increasingly vocal in recent years, deploying sarcasm and aggression against those who challenge its positions. The strategy has been dubbed "Wolf Warrior" diplomacy - named after patriotic blockbuster movies in which elite Chinese special forces take on American-led mercenaries.
Anyone who follows China's diplomats on Twitter will know just how undiplomatic their tone has often become in recent years. They have been encouraged to pursue a "Wolf Warrior" strategy of confrontational and, at times, abusive messaging, even directly attacking foreign governments. So if Xi Jinping really wants his administration to be seen as more "loveable", this will require a sudden, 180-degree change in approach.
From the Philippines to Australia to Europe, popular sentiment towards the Chinese government has been collapsing. At least some of this has been blamed on aggressive public statements.
It's possible that Mr Xi has now been persuaded by those - including Communist Party loyalists - who have been arguing that the, sometimes unhinged, "Wolf Warrior" approach has actually been counterproductive.
The crucial line from Mr Xi to the Politburo was possibly when he said that the Party leadership needs to get a "grip on the tone" of communications with the outside world. Does this mean the tone has been spiraling out of control? Many would say yes.
The problem, of course, is that so much damage has been done that it will take more than just a change in rhetoric to repair it. It would probably require a change in actions.
It's also just possible that General Secretary Xi's speech is being misinterpreted in the tea leaves.
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Famous Person - Give a speech
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Detroit Newspaper Strike
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The Detroit Newspaper Strike was a major labor dispute which began in Detroit, Michigan on July 13, 1995 and involved several actions including a local boycott, corporate campaign, and legal charges of unfair labor practices. The primary action involved around 2,500 members of six labor unions going on strike from July 13, 1995 to February 14, 1997. [1] The unions ended their strike on February 14, 1997, and it was resolved in court three years later, with the journalists' union losing its unfair labor practices case on appeal. [2]
Tension between the unions and management of Detroit's primary two newspapers had been building for several years. Management attempted to force out the unions by attempting to switch from employee distribution to independent contractors. [3] The unions claimed management was engaging in unfair labor practices. Chris Rhomberg, a sociology professor at Fordham University, concludes in his book, The Broken Table, that management provoked the strike and had been preparing for several years. [2] Revolutionary Worker claimed that the owners had been planning as early as 1989 to significantly change the existing labor agreements with the unions. They cite the 1989 "Joint Operating Agreement" (JOA), which combined the non-editorial operations of the newspapers, as one example of those efforts. The agreement resulted in a 29% reduction in the workforce. [4]
On July 13, 1995, about 2,500 members of six different unions went on strike[1][3] after management indicated it would not discuss recent labor practice changes by Detroit News publisher, Robert Giles. [4] The unions included The Newspaper Guild and the Teamsters, along with the pressmen, printers and Teamsters working for the "Detroit Newspapers" distribution arm. The papers lost approximately US$100,000,000 (equivalent to $161,214,760 in 2020) in the first six months of the strike. [2]
The newspapers continued to publish during the strike,[1] and aired commercials depicting "People Behind the Paper". [3] The strikers published a competing weekly newspaper, the Detroit Sunday Journal. [4] By October, about 40% of the editorial staffers had crossed the picket line, and many trickled back over the next months, including Mitch Albom - who wrote a column urging an end to the strike,[3] while others stayed during the duration of the strike. The newspapers hired replacement workers, spent approximately US$40,000,000 (equivalent to $64,485,904 in 2020) on private security, and provided the police department in Sterling Heights, Michigan - where a production plant was located - with US$1,000,000 (equivalent to $1,612,148 in 2020). [2]
Striking workers traveled the United States to draw attention to the conflict and pressure corporate boards of directors of advertisers in the two newspapers. [2][4][5] In Winter 1996, twenty-seven strikers were arrested for blocking Gannett Company's Port Huron, Michigan printing facility for the USA Today regional edition. The company switched printing of that edition to a more secure facility in Toledo, Ohio. In September 1996, columnist and strike supporter, Susan Watson, was terminated from the Detroit Free Press for participating in a sitdown strike at the Detroit Free Press Building. [5]
The unions ended their strike on February 14, 1997. [2] The strike was costly for the labor unions, such as the Teamsters paying about US$30,000,000 (equivalent to $48,364,428 in 2020) toward legal fees and strike benefits. [1]
Following the strike, management indicated they would not fire any of the replacement workers, and would only hire strikers as positions became available. By April 1997, only 200 of the 2,000 striking workers had been rehired. The National Labor Relations Board ruled in 1997 that the newspapers had engaged in unfair labor practices. [2][4] But the newspapers appealed, and the federal courts reversed the NLRB ruling in 2000. [2]
The unions remain active at the papers, representing a majority of the employees under their jurisdiction. [citation needed]
Ten years after the strike, the newspapers had still not recovered the lost circulation from the strike. [1]
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Strike
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1937 Airlines of Australia Stinson crash
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The 1937 Airlines of Australia Stinson crash was an accident which occurred on 19 February 1937. The Airlines of Australia Stinson Model A airliner disappeared during a flight from Brisbane to Sydney, carrying five passengers and two pilots. Both pilots and two passengers were killed in the crash. One of the surviving passengers died while attempting to bring help to the other survivors. The wreckage was found by Bernard O'Reilly of the Lamington Guest House who went looking for the aircraft believing it had failed to cross the border. The aircraft had crashed in the McPherson Range on the border between Queensland and New South Wales. [1][2][3]
The aircraft was one of three new Stinson tri-motor aircraft purchased in February 1936 for Airlines of Australia, 'said to be the most modern and luxuriously equipped and fitted 'planes operating in U.S.A. to-day'. [4] A cruising speed of 165 miles (266 km), they could climb to 8,000 feet (2,400 m), and had retractable undercarriage, variable pitch propellors, and landing flaps. Assigned registration VK-UHH Brisbane, the others were assigned VH-UGG Lismore[note 1] and VH-UKK Townsville. [note 2]
Some of the airline's aircraft on the Sydney–Brisbane mail route were fitted with radios. [5] Prior to the crash, the pilot Boyden and the airline's managing director had discussed the purpose of fitting a radio for emergencies, which was infant technology at the time. [6] It was noted the pilots only had basic proficiency in Morse code, and weather reports might have to be transmitted as slow as five words per minute. [7]
On Friday, 19 February 1937, VK-UKK Townsville had been flown by pilot Shepherd from Sydney to Archerfield, Brisbane, via the coastal route, arriving 11.30 am; with VK-UHH Brisbane flown by Boyden arriving half-an-hour later from Sydney, via the inland route. [8]
The weather conditions over the coastal route was considered 'a little sticky'; while the furnished report from Sydney 'was not bad'. [8] Lismore had been raining, with 'quite a bit of water on the field'; Archerfield was not concerning. Determining whether to fly however was always given to be a matter for the pilot. Taking off from Archerfield after 1.00 pm on Friday, VH-UHH Brisbane flown by Boyden and co-piloted by Shepherd, was meant to arrive in Sydney by 4.30 pm. [8][5] Almost immediately, 'HH' flew into cyclonic weather. It was later indicated the south-easterly winds would strike the southern face of the McPherson Range plateau, rising, and causing extreme turbulence to a considerable height; wind blowing at 40 to 60 miles per hour (64 to 97 km/h) in gusts; a quite rare occasion for that part of Queensland, and would be confined to a very local area. [9]
The aircraft was reported missing by 7.30 pm Friday night. Missing aircraft searches were concentrated mostly north of Sydney, New South Wales, towards Newcastle, and included four Royal Australian Air Force aircraft. [10] Sister Stinson aircraft VH-UKK also left Archerfield on Saturday morning and unsuccessfully checked the McPherson Range area. [8] The highest part of the range is Mount Barney at 1,359 metres (4,459 ft). Separate to reports north of Sydney, and Taree,[11] sound of a possible crashed aircraft was reported by a farmer from Nimbin, New South Wales, and searches were launched from Lismore. [7] Most hope of finding the aircraft was abandoned by Tuesday, 23 February 1937. The aircraft was heard by people in Lamington and Hill View areas south of Beaudesert, Queensland at approximately 2 p.m. on Friday, 19 February 1937. It was circling at low altitude and then headed towards the mountain range. There was heavy rain in the area at the time. After the aircraft was found to be missing, Bernard O'Reilly believed it must have had insufficient height to clear the mountains and subsequently crashed somewhere in the McPherson range. He hiked into the mountains to look for the aircraft on Saturday, 28 February 1937 and, after camping overnight, he found the body of James Guthrie Westray, aged 25, from London. Jim Westray had received major burns and other minor injuries in the accident and went to find help, but died after he fell over a cliff. [12] Then O'Reilly found the crash site with the two survivors waiting by the wreckage: Joseph Binstead who was uninjured, and John Proud who had a broken leg. [13] On seeing O'Reilly, they asked to shake his hand and then wanted to know the cricket scores. They had been able to get water from a creek about a mile from the crash site but had had no food. [14] The other two passengers and the two pilots died from injuries sustained in the crash. [1][2]
The crash site is about 82 kilometres (51 mi) S/SSE of the Archerfield aerodrome. O'Reilly later wrote of his experiences in the book Green Mountains (1940). Crew
Passengers
The Air Accidents Investigation Committee found 'the machine was swept down by a down current', and the Civil Aviation Department control officer, Archerfield Aerodrome stated 'Knowing Pilot Boyden, I will say that he was not negligent'. [23] The coroner of a later inquiry stated 'he could not place any reliance on the Air Accidents Investigation, because the evidence was not taken in public, and he did not know where they got their evidence'. [9]
A coronial inquiry was held in Brisbane concluded on Friday, 16 April 1937. Weather conditions were a strong focus of the investigations, and whether communications equipment would have been beneficial. The airline's flight superintendent discussed the altimeter, discounted the suggestions of the two surviving passengers as lacking experience to determine the aircraft's flying height, and believed the crash cause was 'an abnormal down current of air'. [24]
The coroner Mr J. J. Leahy, while not empowered under the statute to make any findings, noted the airline company had a very good and comforting flying record, 'tragic fatalities should be awaited to provide generating reasons for the institution of improvements to safeguard human life', and the authorities if studying the evidence presented to the inquiry,
A plaque is at the incident site. [26]
An monument was erected at Collins Gap, on the then-Bruxner Highway, Queensland–New South Wales border for Westray. [22][27][28] It was paid by public subscription, and unveiled in 1937. It is 40 kilometres (25 mi) WSW of the crash site. A replica of the Stinson Model A, from the 1987 movie, is displayed outside O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, Lamington National Park. [20]
The Riddle of the Stinson, a 1987 made-for-TV drama film about the crash and rescue, was broadcast in 1988 on Network 10. Directed by Chris Noonan, it starred Jack Thompson as O'Reilly.
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Air crash
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Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706 crash
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Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706 was a Lockheed L-188 Electra aircraft, registration N137US,[1] which crashed on take-off from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport September 17, 1961. All 37 on board were killed in the accident. Flight 706 began its day in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was scheduled to stop at Chicago before travelling to Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami, Florida. It arrived at Chicago in the early morning and left soon afterwards, being cleared for takeoff at 8:55 AM. Takeoff was normal until the aircraft reached the altitude of 100 feet above ground level, when witnesses noticed a slight change in the sound of the Electra's engines. The aircraft began a gentle bank to the right as the starboard wing began to drop. The bank angle increased to 35°; at that point the tower controllers picked up a garbled broadcast believed to be from the pilots. The aircraft climbed to approximately 300 feet but continued to bank, eventually reaching a bank angle of over 50°. At that point, the starboard wing nicked a series of high-tension power lines running along the south boundary of the airport; shortly after that, the aircraft struck an embankment and cartwheeled onto its nose. The forward fuselage broke off, the plane pancaked and skidded, then launched into the air and slammed nose-first into the ground, falling over on its back and exploding into a ball of flame. The accident took less than two minutes from the beginning of takeoff until the final crash. Investigators with the Civil Aeronautics Board determined that the cable physically connecting the first officer's control wheel to the aileron boost unit had disconnected. This had caused the ailerons to put the aircraft in a starboard-wing-down attitude, and had prevented the pilots from being able to correct the bank. The cables attaching the pilots' control wheels to the aileron boost unit had been removed two months before the accident during routine maintenance; a safety cable that held part of the assembly together had not been replaced when the cables were hooked back up. The contact slowly separated, until it completely failed during the takeoff sequence.
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Air crash
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Helikopter Service Flight 451 crash
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On 8 September 1997 Flight 451, a Eurocopter AS 332L1 Super Puma, from the Norwegian helicopter operator Helikopter Service, crashed into the Norwegian Sea, 100 nautical miles (190 km; 120 mi) northwest of Brønnøysund, Norway. The aircraft was en route from Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy to Norne, an offshore Floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO). The accident was caused by a fatigue crack in a spline of a power transmission shaft connector, which ultimately caused the power transmission shaft to fail. All twelve people on board were killed in the crash. The accident aircraft was an AS332 L1 Super Puma helicopter, manufactured by Eurocopter (now named Airbus Helicopters), registration LN-OPG. At 06:00 a.m. local time (UTC+2), Helikopter Service Flight 451 took off from Brønnøysund Airport with two pilots and ten passengers, heading for the Statoil operated FPSO Norne. The route was a daily shuttle due to lack of accommodation on Norne during the busy period when the vessel was under commissioning. [1]
The flight proceeded as normal until 06:50:07 hours when the engine overspeed light was observed for a short time. The co-pilot read out the corresponding information from the emergency checklist, before they continued the approach to land on Norne. At 06:52:41 hours the crew contacted Transocean Prospect, the oil platform that was handling radio communication with helicopters landing on Norne. At 06:54:42 hours they informed Bodø ATCC that they were leaving 2,000 ft., with an estimated time of arrival of 07:05 hours. According to the helicopter's cockpit voice recorder (CVR), the abnormal indications recurred at 06:55:37 hours before "something strange" was observed at 06:55:55 hours. A thud was heard at 06:56:30 hours; then, after a loud crunching sound 1.7 seconds later, the crew lost control over the aircraft. The helicopter fell to the sea from around 1,800 ft. and all on board were killed as a result of the impact. The wreckage sank and came to rest at a depth of 830 meters. [2]
All twelve people on board were killed in the crash. [2]
Following their investigation of the accident, the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board (AIBN) concluded that the cause of the accident was multiple fatigue cracks in the splined sleeve between the high-speed bendix shaft and the right-hand engine, which had caused damage to the engine overspeed protection system. The splined sleeve disintegrated, severing the high-speed shaft, which led to an overspeed of the right-hand power turbine which in turn burst, destroying the left-hand engine as well as to cutting control rods which made the helicopter uncontrollable. [2]
The crew could not be expected to have been sufficiently knowledgeable about the aircraft's control system to understand the seriousness of the intermittent overspeed alarm, and there were no procedures or checklists available that covered this scenario. [2]
The AIBN also found reason to believe that one of the HUMS accelerometers installed in the aircraft would have been able to alert maintenance crew about the change in vibration patterns in time to avoid the accident had it been serviceable since it was configured with a setpoint value. Retrospective analysis of HUMS data showed that vibrations at the location where this accelerometer was mounted were above the setpoint value before the accident. The part of HUMS that was serviceable stored relevant information, but those data had to be retrieved by maintenance staff and analyzed between flights. At the time of the accident, usage of HUMS in offshore helicopters was in an early phase and not required by regulations. The cracks had been developing slowly for several days before the catastrophic failure occurred, and if HUMS data had been systematically retrieved and analyzed between flights the change in vibration patterns might have been discovered by maintenance staff before the fatal flight. Regulation of HUMS in offshore helicopters was one of 18 recommendations in the final AIBN report. [2] The AIBN report and the unrealized potential of HUMS in avoiding this accident was discussed at the 2003 HUMS Conference in Melbourne and was described as "a defining moment" for HUMS in offshore helicopter operations. [3]
Other North Sea helicopter incidents:
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Air crash
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Outbreaks of African Migratory Locust (AML) are threatening the food security and livelihoods of millions of people in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe
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4 September 2020, Accra – Outbreaks of African Migratory Locust (AML) are threatening the food security and livelihoods of millions of people in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned today at the launch of an emergency response effort to control the swarms. Around 7 million people in the four affected countries who are still recovering from the impact of the 2019 drought, and grappling with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, could experience further food and nutrition insecurity. FAO is working with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the International Red Locust Control Organization for Central and Southern Africa (IRLCO-CSA) to support the governments of the affected countries to control the locusts. “Even with the control measures already taken, the locusts are still a threat. Some of the worst-affected areas are very difficult to reach. We need to support the four governments, SADC and partner organisations like IRLCO-CSA to control this pest and protect people’s livelihoods,” Patrice Talla, FAO Sub-regional Coordinator for Southern Africa said. Threatening food security The AML outbreaks in southern Africa are separate to the Desert Locust emergency in eastern Africa. Locusts are among the most destructive pests in the world. One swarm can contain tens of millions of adults - there are currently multiple swarms in the southern region. A single swarm can eat as much in one day as 2,500 people, demolishing crops and livestock pasture in a matter of hours. In Botswana, some smallholder farmers lost their entire crop at the start of the African Migratory Locust outbreak. As the next planting season approaches, the pest threatens the country’s breadbasket region of Pandamatenga, where most of the country’s sorghum staple is grown, unless control efforts are urgently stepped up. In Namibia, initial outbreaks began in the Zambezi plains and hopper bands and swarms have now spread to key farming regions. Similarly, in Zambia, the locust has spread rapidly and is affecting both crop and grazing lands. In Zimbabwe, swarms and hoppers initially infested two sites in the Chiredzi District and have now moved into Manicaland Province. Locust damage to crops will compound existing food insecurity in communities already affected by floods, drought and the impacts of COVID-19. A united effort FAO today launched the Southern Africa Emergency Locust Response and Preparedness Project which is funded by FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme. The project will increase the emergency capacity of SADC and IRLCO-CSA to support the four affected member states in their bid to prevent the pest from causing more damage. The US$0.5 million project will focus on emergency response in the locust hotspots and strengthen coordination and information exchange among the affected countries. It will also enable aerial surveillance and mapping activities in hard-to-reach areas, and provide technical support for national locust surveillance and control units to be established. FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme allows FAO to draw from its own regular programme resources to respond to countries’ most pressing needs for technical assistance.
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Insect Disaster
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Kentex slipper factory fire
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On May 13, 2015, a fire broke out at the Kentex Manufacturing factory in Valenzuela, Metro Manila, Philippines. Seventy-four people were killed in the fire, making the incident the third worst fire incident in Philippine history after the Ozone Disco Club fire in 1996 and the Manor Hotel fire in Quezon City in 2001 killed 162 and 75 people, respectively. [1]
Kentex is a small manufacturer of flip flops and other rubber shoes located in Valenzuela City, a northern suburb of Manila, Philippines. [2][3] It is one of many similar businesses serving the local market in a poor area of town. [3]
On May 13, 2015, a fire broke out when welding sparks ignited chemicals being stored near the entrance of the Kentex Manufacturing factory. [2] It is possible, although unconfirmed, that the weld was being performed on the doors of one of the main entrances to the building. [3] Thick, black smoke engulfed the building as rubber and chemicals burned. The fire spread quickly and few people escaped. Unable to leave, trapped workers retreated to the second floor and attempted to call relatives for help. [2]
It took five hours for the fire department to get the blaze under control. The fire left the building unstable, causing a delay in the retrieval of the dead while engineers secured the building. [2]
At least 74 people were killed in the fire. [3] Most of the victims likely suffocated to death from the smoke. [2] Many bodies were badly burnt, being "reduced to skulls and
bones" in some cases. Seventy-three of the 74 bodies were found on the factory's second floor. The Barangay Maysan village hall was converted into a temporary morgue to store the dead. [3]
On May 14, Valenzuela City fire chief Mel Jose Lagan and senior inspector Ed-Groover Oculam were placed on administrative leave as authorities investigated possible wrongdoing. Before the announcement, Lagan was adamant that local firefighters had not been negligent. He said that the arson unit would look into how the workers became trapped, saying that there were sufficient exits to the building. [3]
Survivors of the blaze claimed that the factory had sweatshop-like conditions and blamed the large loss of life on barred windows. The workers worked for "well below minimum wage" and endured foul smells, according to family of the victims and The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines. Pay was dependent on the number of shoes produced, creating wages as little as 300 pesos (US$6.70) in a 12-hour day (minimum wage is 481 pesos). Other survivors said that the company was not making required social security and health insurance payments. A survivor who escaped from the first floor remarked, "They were screaming for help, holding on to the bars. When we could no longer see their hands, we knew they had died ... they died because they were trapped on the second floor. "[3] Another survivor remarked, "We were running not knowing exactly where to go ... if people had known what to do, it would have been different. "[3]
Acting national police chief Leonardo Espina said, "Someone will definitely be charged because of the deaths," adding that it was only a matter of determining who was negligent in the case. [3] Interior Secretary Mar Roxas promised justice for the victims, and said that he was angered by the apparent cause (welding near flammable materials) and insufficient exits in the factory. The factory's workers had apparently received no safety training. [3] Initial investigations indicated that the factory had no sprinklers and the building was overcrowded during work hours. Additionally, a substantial portion of the work force had been recruited by an illegal sub-contractor. [4]
A September 2014 government assessment found Kentex in compliance with safety requirements. According to the Department of Labor and Employment, the company had an established safety committee. [3]
On 17 May, the welder whose activity caused the fire sought police protection, claiming that he was receiving death threats. The welder said that he had been working on the factory's roll-up door where deliveries are normally received, including flammable chemicals. The chemicals are stored near the delivery point, and thus were ignited by a stray spark from the welding. A statement from Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz the same day said that charges were likely to be filed against Kentex's owners the next week. Roxas said that the inspectors who signed off on the factory's fire safety previously would also face a probe. [4]
In early March 2016, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian and six other city and fire officials for grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty in connection with the factory fire. [5] The ombudsman said that Gatchalian, Padayao, Carreon, and Avendan were liable for issuing business permits to Kentex Manufacturing Corp. in 2015 despite its delinquent status. [5] On his part, Gatchalian has already secured a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Court of Appeals against the dismissal order by the Ombudsman. He also said that, if the order will be implemented, it will have a chilling effect on mayors from the highly urbanized cities who issue provisional business permits to establishments. [6]
As of 2019, the former site of Kentex Manufacturing Company Building still stands but remains unused and currently derelict following the disaster.
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Fire
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Boy, 5, diagnosed with rare childhood dementia after losing ability to walk
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Isaac Tilley was diagnosed with CLN2 Batten Disease in August. The condition is also known as childhood dementia and causes kids to have a shortened life expectancy
Isaac Tilley in hospital (
comments
A five-year-old boy has been diagnosed with rare childhood dementia, with his devastated family now raising awareness of the condition.
Little Isaac Tilley suffered from a range of symptoms including seizures, loss of mobility, and delayed speech for two years.
His mum Aimee Tilley, 34, was devastated when he was diagnosed with CLN2 Batten disease in August.
The rare condition is also known as childhood dementia and causes kids to have a shortened life expectancy.
Isaac's mum, his dad Adrian, 46, and sister Eva, eight, have been warned he may not reach his teenage years, even though his treatment is designed to slow down the progression of the disease.
Isaac lost the ability to play football, run and even walk in just eight months, his mum said.
The boy was diagnosed with Batten Disease in August (
Image:
Caters News)
Aimee, who is now Isaac's full-time carer, said: "When he was three, he had his first seizure and 10 days later after another seizure, he was diagnosed with epilepsy.
"He was also suffering from speech delay and at one point, I thought he may have autism. His private speech therapist had noticed something wasn't right which encouraged me to ask for Isaac to be referred to a neurologist in Oxford.
"It wasn't until January this year that I noticed his hands and legs would shake and he was unsteady on his feet, this got worse over the next few months and his speech still wasn't coming along either.
"He had an MRI, heart tests, blood tests, and a lumbar puncture in February but it wasn't until August, after receiving results from an Epilepsy Panel test, taken the previous November at our local hospital, that we were given the devastating diagnosis of CLN2 Batten disease."
Mum Aimee with her son Isaac (
Image:
Caters News)
The mum added: "We had never heard of Batten disease and were given an out-of-date leaflet and told he wouldn't make it to see his teenage years.
"It's classed as a form of childhood dementia as children progressively lose all their skills and eventually die.
"Isaac has lost the ability to run, play football, ride his bike and scooter, and even walk without support in just eight months.
"It's heartbreaking to watch. In his head he still wants to do these things but physically he can't.
"Before this, Isaac was so athletic so the only warning sign we had was his delayed speech in the beginning but that can be put down to a lot of other things. I was told, boys are lazy, he'll catch up, which was so frustrating.
"I want more parents to know about Batten Disease and to be aware of early symptoms because if it had been diagnosed sooner, Isaac would be having a much greater quality of life than he does currently. The sooner children start treatment, the better."
According to the Batten Disease Family Association, only four children are diagnosed with the juvenile form of Batten disease every year, making it rare and difficult to treat.
Isaac while having treatment for the disease (
Image:
Caters News)
Aimee added: "I'm so desperate to raise awareness because there isn't enough known about it and I've found myself explaining to doctors and other health professionals what Batten disease is.
"Everyone needs to be aware of this vile disease, it may be rare but it can affect anyone.
"When he was having seizures, he didn't fit into a particular group for epilepsy which should have been our first warning sign but this wasn't investigated.
"Isaac is currently on enzyme replacement therapy, given via brain infusions every two weeks at Great Ormond Street, which is currently funded by NHSE but in 2024, it could be taken away as it's costing £500,000 per child per year.
"I understand it's expensive but it works and children are thriving on it! We are still so early into treatment that we are still seeing Isaac decline but I believe like the other children he will gain back some of his lost skills.
"We were told to expect decline for up to 12 months and then he should plateau for a while.
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Famous Person - Sick
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2011 Yunnan earthquake
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The 2011 Yunnan earthquake was a 5.4 magnitude earthquake that occurred on 10 March 2011 at 12:58 CST, with its epicenter in Yingjiang County, Yunnan, People's Republic of China, near the Burmese border. [1] A total of 26 people died and 313 were injured with 133 in serious condition. [2] China's Xinhua reports that up to seven aftershocks, measuring up to a magnitude of 4.7, followed the initial quake, which caused a total of 127,000 people to be evacuated to nearby shelters. [3] It joined over 1,000 other minor tremors that affected the region in the two preceding months. [4] Following damage surveys, officials reported that 1,039 buildings were destroyed and 4,994 more were seriously damaged. [2] The earthquake occurred one day before a much larger earthquake struck Japan that also formed a tsunami. The epicenter was 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) from the center of the county, which has a population of more than 270,000 people and is home to several of China's ethnic minorities. [5] The state news agency reports that an estimate of 1,200 houses and apartments collapsed and that around 17,500 were severely damaged. [3] The surrounding area also suffered through power outages caused by the quake and several aftershocks. [6] It is not known if there were any casualties or damage in Burma. [6] Although there was a power outage telecommunications continued to work after the earthquake. [7] Close to 127,100 people were evacuated from Yingjiang County following the quake, which affected a total of 344,600 people. [8]
China Central Television showed damaged buildings with debris around as police officers directed traffic on a chaotic street. [9] A local reported the extent of the damage to the BBC, saying, "[half] of a supermarket building had collapsed. Three other big buildings nearby were also badly destroyed", and that "the walls of almost all the houses had collapsed. "[6]
Small tremors had been occurring in this region for two months and caused damage to many local buildings. A seismologist explained that the strength of this earthquake was enough to let damaged buildings collapse. [10]
The Chinese media reported that 5,000 tents, 10,000 quilts and nearly 1,000 troops were being sent to the area to aid the rescue efforts. [6][7] The Macao Red Cross also offered 200,000 RMB as a relief fund for the earthquake. [11] Xinhua has described the area as a "Quake Prone belt" as there have been a thousand tremors in the area in recent months. [12] There were multiple aftershocks as rescue efforts got underway by firefighters and other rescuers. [13] The Chinese government allocated 55 million yuan to relief efforts on 11 March while the Ministry of Finance gave 50 million yuan for infrastructure repair. [14] The earthquake forced the delay of a planned 180,000-kW hydroelectricity project in the Nujiang River Valley. [15]
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Earthquakes
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Two children have been rescued after they were found clinging to their dead mother
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NZ Herald Two children have been rescued after they were found clinging to their dead mother - who saved their lives by drinking her own urine so she could breastfeed them after they drifted out to sea. Mariely Chacón was on board the boat Thor on September 3 with her 6-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter, her husband and nanny, for a pleasure cruise in the Caribbean when disaster struck. During a trip to the uninhabited Tortuga Island a wave hit the boat and broke its hull apart. The group were then split and spent four days adrift on a lifeboat in the hot sun, the New York Post reported. While on a cruise, a wave ripped the hull of the boat apart and forced a family to survive on liferafts. Photo / Venezuela's National Maritime According to the report, the Venezuelan mother decided the only way to keep her children alive was to drink her own urine, which allowed her to breastfeed them during their four-day ordeal. After four days, rescuers finally discovered the survivors, including the children, and nanny. The nanny was found hunkering down in an empty icebox to escape the high temperatures. Rescuers found the children clinging to their mum's body. They were treated for dehydration and first-degree burns. Mariely Chacón died after drinking her own urine so she could breastfeed her children, according to reports. Photo / Facebook The other five people on board the vessel, including the father, have not been found according to Newsweek. Chacón suffered organ failure due to electrolyte depletion caused by dehydration, which was possibly accelerated by her breastfeeding, a forensic medicine source told La República, according to the magazine. "The mother who died kept her children alive by breastfeeding them and drinking her own urine," a Venezuela's National Maritime Authority INEA spokesman said. "She died three or four hours before the rescue from dehydration after drinking no water for three days." Chacón 's funeral was streamed on YouTube. Thousands paid tribute to her heroic act that ultimately saved her two children. "The Virgin of Coromoto is watching Mariely Chacón Marroquin in Caracas. Rest in peace," journalist Laura Castellanos tweeted in Spanish, Newsweek reported. Another user wrote: "I did not have the privilege of meeting you. Your last days of life speak a lot about what was in your beautiful heart, you are a being of light in eternity."
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Shipwreck
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ESPN
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TOKYO -- Karsten Warholm of Norway obliterated his own world record in the Olympic 400-meter hurdles Tuesday, finishing in 45.94 seconds to break the old mark by .76.
One of the most anticipated races on the program more than lived up to the hype.
Second-place finisher Rai Benjamin of the United States finished in 46.17, also bettering the 46.7 record that Warholm set just last month.
"Sometimes in training, my coaches keep telling me this could be possible with the perfect race," Warholm said of the prospect of breaking 46 seconds. "But it was hard to imagine it because it's a big barrier, and it's something you don't even dream about."
Warholm tore open his jersey when he crossed the line first. He flashed the same mouth-gaping look of amazement as when he announced himself on the world stage with his victory at world championships in 2017.
All the news from the Summer Games in Tokyo on ESPN: Read more »
• Medal Tracker | Results | Schedule
Benjamin -- well, what was there to say?
"If you would've told me that I was going to run 46.1 and lose, I would probably beat you up and tell you to get out of my room," he said. "I'm happy to be part of history."
Alison dos Santos of Brazil finished third in 46.72; he was among the six runners in the eight-man field to break either a world, continent or national record.
That included Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands, whose run of 47.08 left him in fourth.
It took until 1948 for a man to run a flat 400 meters under 46 seconds, and the world record in the 400 flat is 43.03. That's only 2.91 faster than what Warholm did with 10 hurdles in front of him.
"I knew it was possible to do the perfect race at the Olympics," he said. "But I still can't believe it. It's the biggest moment of my life."
All in all, it was a race that more than lived up to expectations on a steamy afternoon at a mostly empty Olympic Stadium.
Amazing but not unexpected.
The hype for this showdown started building at U.S. Olympic trials in June, when Benjamin became only the fourth man to break 47 seconds with a run of 46.83 and pronounced he thought he had a low-46 in him.
Warholm responded a few weeks later by running the 46.70, and breaking the 29-year-old world record held by American Kevin Young since the Barcelona Olympics.
"I made some mistakes on the backstretch that cost me a little," Benjamin said, as he held his thumb and his index finger a tiny space apart. "But he's a great competitor. He runs really fast. You just have to get better."
Starting in Lane 6, Warholm flew out to the lead, and by the midpoint, he had drawn so far ahead of Benjamin that the real race appeared to be Warholm vs. the clock.
Covering the distance between hurdles 13 powerful steps at a time, Warholm never came close to breaking stride. He sped over the line with arms-a-flailing, but that didn't cost him much.
Low-46 had been a long-imagined dream for most of these hurdlers. Now, the mark is in the high-45s.
"Forty-seven would've been a record, or an Olympic record, four years ago, three years ago, eight years ago, whatever the case is," said McMaster, the fourth-place finisher. "But 47.08 doesn't get you a medal" today.
And, this race might have simply been the undercard for the women's battle Wednesday morning in Tokyo.
Warholm's record came 24 hours before Americans Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad were scheduled to square off in the women's 400 hurdles -- a race in which they've broken the world record the last three times they've squared off in a major competition.
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Break historical records
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Burning of Parliament
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The Palace of Westminster, the medieval royal palace used as the home of the British parliament, was largely destroyed by fire on 16 October 1834. The blaze was caused by the burning of small wooden tally sticks which had been used as part of the accounting procedures of the Exchequer until 1826. The sticks were disposed of carelessly in the two furnaces under the House of Lords, which caused a chimney fire in the two flues that ran under the floor of the Lords' chamber and up through the walls. The resulting fire spread rapidly throughout the complex and developed into the biggest conflagration in London between the Great Fire of 1666 and the Blitz of the Second World War; the event attracted large crowds which included several artists who provided pictorial records of the event. The fire lasted for most of the night and destroyed a large part of the palace, including the converted St Stephen's Chapel—the meeting place of the House of Commons—the Lords Chamber, the Painted Chamber and the official residences of the Speaker and the Clerk of the House of Commons. The actions of Superintendent James Braidwood of the London Fire Engine Establishment ensured that Westminster Hall and a few other parts of the old Houses of Parliament survived the blaze. In 1836 a competition for designs for a new palace was won by Charles Barry. Barry's plans, developed in collaboration with Augustus Pugin, incorporated the surviving buildings into the new complex. The competition established Gothic Revival as the predominant national architectural style and the palace has since been categorised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, of outstanding universal value. The Palace of Westminster originally dates from the early eleventh century when Canute the Great built his royal residence on the north side of the River Thames. Successive kings added to the complex: Edward the Confessor built Westminster Abbey; William the Conqueror began building a new palace; his son, William Rufus, continued the process, which included Westminster Hall, started in 1097; Henry III built new buildings for the Exchequer—the taxation and revenue gathering department of the country—in 1270 and the Court of Common Pleas, along with the Court of King's Bench and Court of Chancery. By 1245 the King's throne was present in the palace, which signified that the building was at the centre of English royal administration. [2][3]
In 1295 Westminster was the venue for the Model Parliament, the first English representative assembly, summoned by Edward I; during his reign he called sixteen parliaments, which sat either in the Painted Chamber or the White Chamber. By 1332 the barons (representing the titled classes) and burgesses and citizens (representing the commons) began to meet separately, and by 1377 the two bodies were entirely detached. [4][5] In 1512 a fire destroyed part of the royal palace complex and Henry VIII moved the royal residence to the nearby Palace of Whitehall, although Westminster still retained its status as a royal palace. In 1547 Henry's son, Edward VI, provided St Stephen's Chapel for the Commons to use as their debating chamber. The House of Lords met in the medieval hall of the Queen's Chamber, before moving to the Lesser Hall in 1801. [4][6] Over the three centuries from 1547 the palace was enlarged and altered, becoming a warren of wooden passages and stairways. [7]
St Stephen's Chapel remained largely unchanged until 1692 when Sir Christopher Wren, at the time the Master of the King's Works, was instructed to make structural alterations. He lowered the roof, removed the stained glass windows, put in a new floor and covered the original gothic architecture with wood panelling. He also added galleries from which the public could watch proceedings. [8][9][a] The result was described by one visitor to the chamber as "dark, gloomy, and badly ventilated, and so small ... when an important debate occurred ... the members were really to be pitied". [10] When the future Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone remembered his arrival as a new MP in 1832, he recounted "What I may term corporeal conveniences were ... marvellously small. I do not think that in any part of the building it afforded the means of so much as washing the hands. "[11] The facilities were so poor that, in debates in 1831 and 1834, Joseph Hume, a Radical MP, called for new accommodation for the House, while his fellow MP William Cobbett asked "Why are we squeezed into so small a space that it is absolutely impossible that there should be calm and regular discussion, even from circumstance alone ... Why are 658 of us crammed into a space that allows each of us no more than a foot and a half square? "[12]
By 1834 the palace complex had been further developed, firstly by John Vardy in the middle of the eighteenth century, and in the early nineteenth century by James Wyatt and Sir John Soane. Vardy added the Stone Building, in a Palladian style to the West side of Westminster Hall; [13] Wyatt enlarged the Commons, moved the Lords into the Court of Requests and rebuilt the Speaker's House. [13] Soane, taking on responsibility for the palace complex on Wyatt's death in 1813, undertook rebuilding of Westminster Hall and constructed the Law Courts in a Neoclassical style. Soane also provided a new royal entrance, staircase and gallery, as well as committee rooms and libraries. [13]
The potential dangers of the building were apparent to some, as no fire stops or party walls were present in the building to slow the progress of a fire. [14] In the late eighteenth century a committee of MPs predicted that there would be a disaster if the palace caught fire. This was followed by a 1789 report from fourteen architects warning against the possibility of fire in the palace; signatories included Soane and Robert Adam. [15] Soane again warned of the dangers in 1828, when he wrote that "the want of security from fire, the narrow, gloomy and unhealthy passages, and the insufficiency of the accommodations in this building are important objections which call loudly for revision and speedy amendment." His report was again ignored. [16]
Since medieval times the Exchequer had used tally sticks, pieces of carved, notched wood, normally willow, as part of their accounting procedures. [17][18] The parliamentary historian Caroline Shenton has described the tally sticks as "roughly as long as the span of an index finger and thumb". [19] These sticks were split in two so that the two sides to an agreement had a record of the situation. [20] Once the purpose of each tally had come to an end, they were routinely destroyed. [18] By the end of the eighteenth century the usefulness of the tally system had likewise come to an end, and a 1782 Act of Parliament stated that all records should be on paper, not tallies. The Act also abolished sinecure positions in the Exchequer, but a clause in the act ensured it could only take effect once the remaining sinecure-holders had died or retired. [21] The final sinecure-holder died in 1826 and the act came into force,[18] although it took until 1834 for the antiquated procedures to be replaced. [17][22] The novelist Charles Dickens, in a speech to the Administrative Reform Association, described the retention of the tallies for so long as an "obstinate adherence to an obsolete custom"; he also mocked the bureaucratic steps needed to implement change from wood to paper. He said that "all the red tape in the country grew redder at the bare mention of this bold and original conception. "[23] By the time the replacement process had finished there were two cart-loads of old tally sticks awaiting disposal. [18]
In October 1834 Richard Weobley, the Clerk of Works, received instructions from Treasury officials to clear the old tally sticks while parliament was adjourned. He decided against giving the sticks away to parliamentary staff to use as firewood, and instead opted to burn them in the two heating furnaces of the House of Lords, directly below the peers' chambers. [24][25][b] The furnaces had been designed to burn coal—which gives off a high heat with little flame—and not wood, which burns with a high flame. [27] The flues of the furnaces ran up the walls of the basement in which they were housed, under the floors of the Lords' chamber, then up through the walls and out through the chimneys. [24]
The process of destroying the tally sticks began at dawn on 16 October and continued throughout the day; two Irish labourers, Joshua Cross and Patrick Furlong, were assigned the task. [28] Weobley checked in on the men throughout the day, claiming subsequently that, on his visits, both furnace doors were open, which allowed the two labourers to watch the flames, while the piles of sticks in both furnaces were only ever four inches (ten centimetres) high.
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Fire
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Hundreds of Tigrayans detained in Ethiopian capital in recent weeks, with certain businesses has been closed
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A general view shows activity past a closed Harmony Hotel and Kaleb hotel owned by a Tigrayan businessmen in Bole neighbourhood in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia July 15, 2021. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri ADDIS ABABA/NAIROBI, July 15 (Reuters) - Ethiopian police have detained hundreds of ethnic Tigrayans in Addis Ababa since federal government forces lost control of the Tigray region's capital on June 28, according to some of those who say they were released. The detentions in the Ethiopian capital are the third wave of what dozens of Tigrayans, rights groups and lawyers have described as a nationwide crackdown on ethnic Tigrayans since November, when fighting erupted between the military and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in Tigray, the country's northernmost region. City authorities in Addis Ababa say they have recently closed a number of Tigrayan-owned businesses over alleged links to the TPLF, which was designated by the government as a terrorist organization in May but had dominated Ethiopian politics for three decades until 2018. But Addis Ababa police spokesperson Fasika Fanta said he had no information on the arrests or business closures. Federal police spokesperson Jeylan Abdi said: "People might be suspected of a crime and be arrested, but no one was targeted because of ethnicity." Ethiopia's attorney general has previously said there is no government policy to "purge" Tigrayan officials. He has said he cannot rule out that some innocent individuals might be swept up in arrests but that the TPLF has a big network in Addis Ababa and Ethiopia must err on the side of caution. Officials in the prime minister's office, the attorney general's office and a government task force on Tigray did not respond to requests for comment on the released detainees' reports of a wave of arrests, or on individual cases. Tesfalem Berhe, a Tigrayan lawyer from a Tigrayan opposition party, told Reuters he knew of at least 104 Tigrayans arrested in the past two weeks in Addis Ababa and five in the eastern city of Dire Dawa. The names were provided by colleagues, friends or family members, and most of those detained are hotel owners, merchants, aid workers, daily workers, shopkeepers or waiters, he said. He had not spoken to the detainees directly, and said he was not representing them although he was passing the information to organisations such as the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. "They are not appearing before the court within (the legally mandated period of) 48 hours and we do not know their whereabouts – their family or lawyers cannot visit them," he said. The arrests intensified, he said, after the military withdrew from Tigray's capital, Mekelle, and declared a unilateral ceasefire after nearly eight months of fighting. A spokesperson for the rights commission confirmed it had received reports of detentions and was monitoring them. ARRESTS Nigusu Mahari, a Tigrayan street trader, told Reuters that city police and men in civilian clothes had arrested him and 76 other Tigrayans on July 5. "They beat us all with sticks," Nigusu said. Police asked if he had been sent by the TPLF, he said. The group was taken to a military camp on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, he said, and the number of Tigrayans detained there later passed 100. He said he was held there for two days and given six pieces of bread a day. Reuters could not independently verify Nigusu's account. Police and military officials did not respond to questions about Nigusu's case and other individual accounts. Last week, Reuters visited 10 Tigrayan-owned coffee shops, bars and restaurants in Addis Ababa that had notices posted on their doors saying they had been closed by city authorities. A notice posted at a coffee shop in the Haya Hulet area said it had been closed for "disturbing the area." Another's doors were papered shut by a notice stamped by the Peace and Security Office of Addis Ababa's Bole district. No reason was given. Lidia Girma, deputy head of Addis Ababa City Peace and Security department, told Reuters the government had acted against businesses connected to the TPLF. "It wasn't random and has nothing to do with ethnicity. It was based on investigations," she said. RESTAURANT WORKERS HELD A Tigrayan resident of Addis Ababa told Reuters his family restaurant had been shut down last week, and his younger brother and their 80-year-old father arrested along with 25 employees. They were released after two days, he said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons. A Tigrayan woman said police came to her house in Addis Ababa before dawn on July 1, searched it, and took her to a camp in the city's Kality district that is usually used for vagrants where she said hundreds of Tigrayans were being held. She said they were fed only one serving of bread per day but she was not beaten or questioned. She said she was not told why she was detained, paid 3,000 birr to a policeman and was released five days later. ($1 = 43.8932 birr)
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Organization Closed
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A mine near Minas Gerais collapsed
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The Brazilian State of Minas Gerais has always been considered the heartland of Brazil, evoking images of rural hospitality, hearty food, and rococo colonial architecture nestled between beautiful mountains and rolling hills. Underneath its lush geography is what really keeps Minas Gerais going forward. Literally named “General Mines,” the region was first colonized by the Portuguese for its gold and precious minerals. Now, its main economic activity is the extraction of iron ore and minerals, where it produces over 160 million tons a year of iron ore and is responsible for 53 percent of Brazil’s metal production. However, an uptick in mining-related tragedies, particularly tailing dam failures is threatening both the large portion of the Mineiro population that works in the mining sector and the precious ecology in the surrounding area. On January 25th, a tailings dam in the Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine near the small town of Brumandinho, Minas Gerais collapsed. A wave of mud flooded the region covering houses and businesses, and inevitably people and animals. One month after the incident, the official death toll is at 186 individuals, although over a hundred are still missing. Many of the victims were employees and subcontractors of the mine’s owner, mining giant Vale S.A. Now that the mud has solidified, the consensus among first responders is that it is extremely unlikely that any more survivors will be recovered from the mud. Flooding and aftermath of the Brumadinho dam collapse. Photo: TV NBR/Wikimedia Commons This awful tragedy in Brumadinho is prefaced by a similar incident three and a half years ago, when the mud from a failed mine tailing dam completely overtook the village of Bento Rodrigues near the city of Mariana, Minas Gerais. This incident killed 19 people and had an enormous ecological impact — around 60 million cubic meters of iron waste flowed into the Doce River, which then found its way into the Atlantic Ocean. Scientists say that the thick orange sediment full of runoff from the iron ore will alter the course of streams as it hardens, reduce oxygen levels in the water, and diminish the fertility of riverbanks and farmland where floodwater passed. This mine was a joint venture of Vale S.A. with the Anglo-Australian conglomerate BHP. Mine tailing dams are the most common method of waste disposal for mining enterprises. The extraction of iron ore requires water to grind and process the mineral. The resulting waste takes the form of a slurry with several mineral particles, often toxic. These “tailings” are permanently stored in a reservoir that is held in place by a dam. Most tailings dams are upstream dams which require the least amount of space and materials to store the slurry, and these dams are constructed and raised in stages. Upstream dams, like the one in Brumadinho, are the cheapest and riskiest structures. The Columbia Water Center’s 2017 report on Assessing the Risks of Mine Tailing Dam Failures gives recommendations on understanding and assessing the risk of tailing dam failures. The report points out that the majority of mine tailing dam failures are a result of faulty design or construction, poor management, extreme events, or a combination of these factors. The researchers recommend creating an inventory of existing tailings dams worldwide, including location, construction method, age, height, volume, activity, contents, and downstream surroundings. The researchers also developed a hazard rating index to analyze dangers to people and ecosystems downstream in the event of a failure, and to inform investors about potential risks of tailings dams. In terms of the construction and use of tailings dams, the Columbia Water Center report recommends the following: Since this is the second time in less than four years that a Vale-owned tailings dam has failed, public opinion has been quick to condemn the mining giant and criminal investigations are currently underway. Vale had previously denied having upstream tailing dams before the Brumadinho incident. Vale now has a considerable amount of its assets frozen in anticipation of its pending criminal investigation. In addition, the families of injured, dead or missing victims are expected to file suit for claims, since Vale is financially responsible for those deaths under the Brazilian Federal Constitution. Unfortunately, criminal investigations are just a band-aid solution, because without substantial changes to mining regulation and industry practices, these kinds of accidents will become more and more common. The outlook for regulations that will incorporate the Columbia Water Center’s best practices are slim. Brazil has recently banned upstream dams, but this is not enough to ensure that these kinds of accidents won’t happen again. Recently elected President Jair Bolsonaro has endorsed through his finance minister Paulo Guedes the deregulation of the Brazilian private sector, so it is unlikely that more firm regulations on mining companies will be imposed. In the aftermath of the incident in Mariana a few years ago, the more progressive administration of Dilma Rousseff also failed to pass substantial regulations. The latest estimates suggest that there are more than 15,000 mine tailings dams worldwide, the World Mine Tailings Failures organization predicts that 19 similar accidents could happen throughout the world between 2018 and 2027. So while politicians delay taking action, another tragedy could be right around the corner. Clara Langevin is a Master’s in Public Administration in Development Practice candidate at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and is currently an intern at the Earth Institute. Before starting at SIPA, Clara worked at the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization in Washington, D.C., where she assisted with various information and communications technology-related projects, ranging from rural broadband programs to emergency connectivity initiatives. She is a dual U.S.-Brazil citizen, and is a member of both the Latin American Student Association and Brazil Talk.
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Mine Collapses
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1953 Milwaukee brewery strike
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The 1953 Milwaukee brewery strike was a labor strike that involved approximately 7,100 workers at six breweries in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. The strike began on May 14 of that year after the Brewery Workers Local 9 and an employers' organization representing six Milwaukee-based brewing companies failed to agree to new labor contracts. These contracts would have increased the workers' wages and decreased their working hours, making them more comparable to the labor contracts of brewery workers elsewhere in the country. The strike ended in late July, after the Valentin Blatz Brewing Company (one of the smaller companies in the organization) broke with the other breweries and began negotiating with the union. The other companies soon followed suit and the strike officially ended on July 29, with union members voting to accept new contracts that addressed many of their initial concerns. The city of Milwaukee has a long history pertaining to the brewing industry and has been the home for numerous major breweries. [1] In the early 1950s, the Milwaukee-based Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company was the largest brewer in the world and in 1952 it set a world record by churning out 6.35 million barrels of beer in one year. [2] Several years prior, in 1946, the Brewery Workers (the national labor union representing brewery workers) became affiliated with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). [3] The Local union representing workers in Milwaukee, Local 9, traced its history back to the late 1800s and was one of the most powerful unions in Wisconsin. [3] On May 1, 1953, the labor contract between Local 9 members and Milwaukee brewers (represented by a joint bargaining committee) was set to expire. Subsequently, Local 9 representatives submitted a new proposed contract, with items in the proposal included a $0.25 per hour wage increase, a reduction in working hours from 40 to 35 per week, additional holidays, and improvements to pension and health plans. These provisions were designed to put Milwaukee brewery workers on equal pay and hours as workers on the West Coast and East Coast of the United States. [3] Additionally, the union wanted to raise the weekly salary for workers in the bottling and brewing departments from $80 and $82, respectively, to $90.75. [1] At the time, the base hourly pay for Milwaukee brewery workers was $2. [4] John Schmitt, the local's recording secretary, stated that the reduced number of hours was due to increased productivity from advancements in machinery, with a Chicago Daily Tribune article at the time reporting him as saying "there are not 12 months of work for our people any more. "[1] Finally, on May 14, 1953,[5][6][7][8][note 1] after months of discussions that resulted in no agreement between the union and companies, approximately 7,100 members of Local 9 from 6 breweries performed a walkout, beginning a labor strike against the breweries. [1] According to a later report by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the union members had "voted overwhelmingly" to strike. [6]
The strike affected six brewing companies in Milwaukee: Schlitz, Independent Milwaukee Brewery, Miller Brewing Company, Pabst Brewing Company, and the Valentin Blatz Brewing Company. [1]
While the strike shut down brewing throughout the city, many bars and other drinking establishments in Milwaukee had a stockpile of beer, avoiding a potential shortage early on. [1] On June 1, despite making no concessions to Milwaukee employees regarding working hours, Schlitz offered workers at a brewery in Brooklyn a reduction in weekly hours from 37.5 to 35 and a pay increase of $0.66 per hour more than the base pay rate in Milwaukee. This action increased solidarity among the Milwaukee strikers. [4] As the strike continued into June, drinking establishments in Milwaukee began importing beer from different breweries brewed in places outside of Milwaukee, such as Peru, Indiana. [1] On June 26, Local 9 members voted 6,274 to 348 to reject a $0.15 hourly wage increase that had been offered by the breweries. [4] At the time, the brewing companies were beginning to hurt financially due to the strike. While Pabst and Schlitz had breweries in other locations, the other companies only operated breweries in Milwaukee, causing them to be more greatly affected by the strike. [4]
In late July, Blatz, whose only breweries were in Milwaukee,[4] broke with the other brewing companies and began to negotiate directly with Local 9 regarding a contract. Following this, the other companies followed suit and began to negotiate. [1] With Blatz having already secured an agreement with the union, the other companies were forced to accept the terms of the Blatz agreement, which included an hourly wage increase,[note 2] two additional holidays, improvements to the life insurance and pension plans, and a 30 minute paid lunch, among other things. [4] In total, the strike lasted 76 days,[1][9] ending on July 29. [9][note 3] On that day, union members voted approximately 3 to 1 to accept new labor contracts with the 6 brewing companies. [9]
Following the strike, Blatz was removed from the association representing the Milwaukee brewers for their "unethical" actions during the strike. [5][7][8] At the 1953 Schlitz company Christmas party, Schlitz president Erwin C. Uihlein said the following regarding the strike:[1]
Irreparable harm was done to the Milwaukee brewing industry during the 76-day strike of 1953, and unemployed brewery workers must endure "continued suffering" before the prestige of Milwaukee beer is re-established on the world market. The strike contributed to Schlitz's rival Anheuser-Busch (based in St. Louis[1]) overtaking them in 1953 as the country's largest brewing company. [11][2] Both Anheuser-Busch and Schlitz competed for the top spot throughout the 1950s, and Schlitz had held it in the two years prior to the strike. [2] However, in the years following the strike, Schlitz would rebound and continue to grow, acquiring numerous smaller brewing companies during the 1960s. [11][2] They again held the top spot between 1955 and 1956. [2]
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Strike
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2013 Berlin helicopter crash
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On 21 March 2013, two helicopters of the German Federal Police collided while landing in front of Berlin Olympic Stadium, Germany, in whiteout conditions. One crew member was killed and nine other people, both on board the helicopters and on the ground, were injured. During a large police exercise against football hooliganism on 21 March 2013 at the Olympic Stadium of Berlin, three helicopters of the federal German police force were scheduled to land on the Maifeld sports field in front of the stadium. Their task was the delivery of reinforcements for police at the nearby railway station. The flight comprised two Eurocopter AS332 Super Pumas and one Eurocopter EC 155. [1][2]
Visibility of 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) had been reported at 10:20 a.m. from Tegel Airport, three nautical miles from the stadium. Cloud coverage was broken with winds of 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) from 310 degrees. Air temperature was −1 °C (30 °F), air pressure was 1015 hPa. Investigators measured a layer of snow of 17 centimetres (6.7 in) outside the crash site. During the morning, the air temperature had further decreased, so that the old snow cover was frozen with fresh snow lying on top. The total snow thickness at the crash site was recorded as 15 centimetres (5.9 in). [1]
The final investigation report describes the event as follows: The first aircraft, an EC 155, landed successfully around 10:28 CET but raised large amounts of snow from the ground. This helicopter carried the pilot, an engineer, seven police officers, and one journalist. It was followed by the Super Puma, which approached the landing zone at a steep angle and hovered back and forth above the ground for about 30 seconds, raising ever more snow that fully engulfed the first helicopter. During this manoeuvre, the third helicopter, also a Super Puma, approached the landing zone, carrying the pilot, an engineer, and 13 officers. This third aircraft also raised a large cloud of snow from the ground while landing, causing the pilot to lose sight of the marshalling officer on the ground. The third helicopter then touched the ground which caused the aircraft to roll over. Thereby its main rotor and tail section collided with the EC155's main rotor. The pilot of the EC155 was killed by a piece of rotor blade. Apart from a landing report made by helicopter number one and a brief report on changing positions during the landing approach of aircraft number two and three, no radio communication took place between the three aircraft during the entire landing phase. [3][4]
Helicopter No. 1 (EC 155) was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder. The crashed Super Puma was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder but did not carry a flight data recorder since that was not a legal requirement when the type was first certified in 1989. Voice recorder data did not indicate any warnings about potential technical problems during the landing approach. [1]
After the disaster, the police exercise was criticised by members of the state parliament of Berlin. Delegates of Alliance '90/The Greens and The Left questioned the use of helicopters during the bad weather conditions on the day of the exercise, and called the training scenario "unrealistic" and "disproportionate". [5] Members of the Federal Police and politicians of the SPD and CDU stated that such exercises were useful, since real missions still have to be carried out in bad weather. The Greens and The Left also announced that they would debate the topic in the interior committee of the state parliament. [5][6]
Hans-Peter Friedrich, Federal Minister of the Interior, and Berlin senator of the interior Frank Henkel visited the site of the crash on 21 March and offered their condolences to the victims and their families. [7] Chancellor Angela Merkel announced her commiserations via her press officer Steffen Seibert. [8]
Wolfgang Bosbach, head of the interior commission of the parliament of Germany, announced that the helicopter crash would be added to the list of subjects in a planned debate about the future structure of the federal police forces. [5][9]
The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation and federal attorneys investigated the accident, and a special homicide commission was routinely established at the Berlin State Office of Criminal Investigation. [10][11][12] In the night of 22 March, the wrecked aircraft were hauled to a police facility in Ruhleben [de]. A post-mortem examination of the dead pilot concluded that he had obviously been killed by extraneous causes resulting from the crash. [10] Following these findings, the special homicide commission was dissolved. [5]
A first report by the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation was published in May 2013. It listed the known facts of the accident without identifying a cause. [13] The cause of the accident was still unclear as of September 2013[update]. [14]
The final investigation report was published in September 2014. The investigators stated that all pilots had ample flying experience including landings in snow, dust and sand. The pilot of helicopter No. 2 had also been flying search-and-rescue missions in mountainous areas so he was familiar with landing on unprepared snowy ground. [3]
According to the investigation, a number of circumstances led to the fatal crash: the federal police aviation did not have any distinctive procedure for landings on snowy ground, the distances between the three individual aircraft during the landing phase had been too small, and communication between the personnel involved in the landing operation had been too scarce. The final investigation report also criticised that while the German federal police helicopter squadron was the nation's biggest non-military helicopter operator, it was not bound to the legal framework of similar civilian aviation companies. Notably European Union directive No. 216/2008 was criticised for exempting police aviation from such legal control. Also safety recommendations for police helicopter aviation issued by the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation to the federal ministry of transport in 2006 had not been legally implemented. [3][5]
The president of the German federal police rejected the report and claimed that own investigations had shown different results. The distance between the aircraft had been sufficient, and the communication had been reduced to a minimum according to the planned mission. Police pilots unofficially criticised the chief investigator who is a military pilot and had allegedly used inapplicable standards for the investigation.
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Air crash
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Widerøe Flight 933 crash
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Widerøe Flight 933, also known as the Mehamn Accident (Norwegian: Mehamn-ulykken), was the crash of a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter operated by Norwegian airline Widerøe. The Twin Otter crashed into the Barents Sea off Gamvik, Norway on 11 March 1982 at 13:27, killing all fifteen people on board. The results of the four official investigations were that the accident was caused by structural failure of the vertical stabilizer[note 1] during clear-air turbulence. A mechanical fault in the elevator control system caused the pilots to lose control of pitch; and either a series of stalls or a high-speed gust of wind caused the aircraft to lose altitude without the ability of the crew to counteract, resulting in the failure of the vertical stabilizer. The accident occurred during a NATO military exercise, within a self-declared no-fly zone for allied military aircraft. An extensive search and rescue operation was carried out and the submerged wreck was found on 13 March. The aircraft and all but one of the deceased were retrieved. An official investigation was concluded on 20 July 1984. A conspiracy theory later emerged after the accident investigation was concluded, claiming that the accident was caused by a mid-air collision with a Harrier Jump Jet of the British Royal Air Force. The theory is based on reports which emerged years or decades after the accident. The claims and renewed press interest resulted in three additional investigations, established in 1987, 1997 and 2002. All four investigations came to the same general conclusions and rejected a collision. The accident aircraft was a 19-passenger de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, registration LN-BNK. [1] It was built by de Havilland Canada in 1977, delivered new to Widerøe and registered in Norway on 9 February 1978. The aircraft had been damaged by jet blast from a Douglas DC-9 at Tromsø Airport in March 1980, after which the rudder was replaced. Beyond this, the Twin Otter had not been subject to any other extraordinary incidents. It had met all requirements regarding maintenance and certification and had operated about 10,000 hours at the time of the accident. [2]
Widerøe Flight 933 was a scheduled service from Kirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen to Alta Airport, with intermediate stops at Vadsø Airport, Berlevåg Airport, Mehamn Airport and Honningsvåg Airport, Valan. [3] The Captain was aged 38 and the First Officer was 26 years old. [4] The aircraft had thirteen passengers on board, including two children, when departing Berlevåg. The weather was clear, but with a strong wind from the south. The captain chose to fly with visual flight rules. [1] Other aircraft that passed through the accident area after Widerøe Flight 933 experienced strong turbulence between 1,000 feet (300 m) and 1,500 feet (460 m)[note 2] in altitude. [5]
On 11 March 1982 the Twin Otter left Berlevåg at 13:19 – 11 minutes early, thus causing one passenger to miss the flight. The first officer reported to Mehamn Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) at 13:22 that the aircraft was at 2,000 feet (610 m) altitude over the Tanafjord and had an estimated time of arrival of 13:33. Radio contact ended at 13:22:53. The flight path was monitored by an officer at the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) control and reporting center in Honningsvåg between 13:23:20 and 13:25:25, after which the aircraft no longer appeared on radar. The officer at the RNoAF center presumed that the aircraft had fallen below the radar horizon of 1,200 feet (366 m) in altitude. [1]
Mehamn AFIS radioed Flight 933 at 13:35:52, but received no answer. After several attempts, Mehamn AFIS contacted Berlevåg AFIS and Kirkenes Airport, which also failed to make radio contact. A Widerøe aircraft en route from Honningsvåg to Mehamn also attempted to make contact. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway was informed of the situation at 13:41 and immediately coordinated a search and rescue operation. [5] Three groups of the Norwegian Red Cross Search and Rescue Corps were dispatched and ten ships in the area volunteered to assist in the search. They were supplemented by two search and rescue vessels from the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue (NSSR); the Royal Norwegian Navy diving vessel Draug; and the Norwegian Coast Guard vessel Horten. [6]
Two RNoAF CF-104 Starfighters and a Westland Sea King at Banak Air Station participated in the search along with two other military helicopters, as did a Twin Otter of Widerøe and an aircraft of Norwegian airline Norving. Parts of the crashed aircraft were found about 18:00 on the day of the crash. The breakthrough came at 17:39 on 13 March, when a NSSR vessel found the wreck at 45 meters (150 ft) depth, 1.1 kilometres (0.7 mi) north of Teistbergan. The following day two police divers explored the site and confirmed it was the missing aircraft. [6] One of the divers suffered from decompression sickness, which caused a lifelong brain injury and subsequent disability. [7]
A troop of divers arrived from Ramsund Naval Base that evening and started bringing up the bodies. [6] The last body was retrieved on 20 March. [8] Everyone except the captain was found, although one body was located 300 meters (1,000 ft) from the wreck. As the passengers would have been exposed to a force of 50 to 100 g at the time of impact, they would all have died instantly. [6] Widerøe paid a maximum compensation of 330,000 Norwegian krone (NOK) per casualty, costing the airline between NOK 4 and 5 million. [9]
Investigation of the wreckage showed that, prior to the accident, there were cracks in the torque tube connecting the port elevator to the elevator control system. Widerøe, de Havilland Canada and the initial investigation commission were of an opinion that this was irrelevant for the accident, while Transport Canada and the Swedish National Defence Research Institute were of the opinion that this caused a weakening in the structure. The accident area was suffering from strong clear-weather turbulence up to 6,000 feet (1,800 m) altitude. The wind speed was comparable to the levels used to certify the aircraft. Twin Otter pilots from both Widerøe and the RNoAF confirmed that control of the aircraft's altitude could be difficult in conditions of strong turbulence. [10]
It is possible that the turbulence caused the torque tube driving the port elevator to break; this would allow the port elevator to move freely, but the pilots would still retain approximately half of their attitude control.
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Air crash
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Great Barrier Reef still at risk despite huge spend to improve water quality runoff
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Reef scientists say water quality programs have not achieved sufficient improvements for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), as UNESCO indicates an intention to list the Queensland World Heritage site as 'in danger' at a meeting in China next month.
Billions of dollars have been earmarked in Reef spending programs in the coming decades, but adjunct research fellow with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Townsville, Jon Day said key local and international factors were not being addressed by the Reef 2050 plan designed to protect the unique ecosystem.
"The key one is climate change — that's acknowledged as the number one threat. Until we can get our emissions down to meet the Paris Agreement, we're going to see the continued deterioration in the values of the Reef," he said.
"The government's put a lot of money into addressing the remaining threats, the cumulative pressure of things like water quality issues, but unfortunately not enough has been done."
The report to be examined by UNESCO also points to the decline in GBR water quality, something the Australian Institute of Marine Science's Frederieke Kroon said reflected AIMS research on inner reef areas, found less than 10 kilometres from land.
"What we're finding is over a 15-year time frame there haven't been any clear improvements in water quality and in some cases, further decline," Dr Kroon said.
As part of the sugar industry's commitment to improving practices in fertiliser and pesticide runoff known to damage marine ecosystems, a set of guidelines known as the Smartcane Best Management Practice program was launched in 2014, to reduce the environmental impact of growing sugarcane.
Since 2014, 142,981 hectares of the estimated 350,000 hectares of land growing sugarcane in Queensland has been accredited as meeting the program's minimum practice standards.
Chairman of farm lobby Innisfail Canegrowers, Joe Marano, said many members were suspicious of water quality data since agriculture had borne much of the burden in GBR water improvement measures over the past decades.
"It's not as if researchers come to me directly and see what I've changed, it's modelled outcomes. I firmly believe the system used to measure us is flawed," he said.
"We understand we contribute to [water quality problems] — what level of contribution is yet to be determined."
Mr Marano said any grower accredited under best management practice already farmed at the minimum nitrogen fertiliser levels required to grow a profitable crop, with greater cuts to fertiliser inputs threatening the $4 billion dollar industry.
"It's not just growers, it's the whole value chain and we need to be conscious of the whole value chain or the communities will suffer," he said.
The 2019 report card on water quality released in February 2021 showed a 25.5 per cent reduction in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) flowing from Great Barrier Reef catchments.
State and federal environment ministers hailed the findings as proof of success, but despite a $667 million spend slated for water quality between 2017 and 2023, measures were unlikely to meet the aim of a 60 per cent reduction in DIN by 2025.
With the target only four years away from assessment, Dr Kroon said it would be difficult for the aim to be reached.
"Based on the trajectory it wouldn't be easy to achieve that target, but nothing is impossible," she said.
"I think we'll have to keep reporting on inshore waters and work with catchment managers to progress to that target."
But Mr Marano said the latest report card showed water quality targets under the Reef 2050 plan needed reassessment and recognition of farmers' efforts to address runoff problems.
"The state government has acknowledged that the Paddock to Reef program needs to be reviewed, we need to assess the 2050 water quality targets, sit down, take stock and move forward with growers acknowledged for what they've done," he said.
"There's the growers at one end, the Reef at the other and in between it there's a whole big business, some of these people live off money that goes towards the Reef."
A spokeswoman for the Queensland Department of Environment said an independent review of targets for agricultural practice adoption was underway.
The review will set targets for each farming industry such as sugarcane, grazing, bananas, horticulture and grains production at a catchment scale.
Responding to concerns money was being spent fruitlessly Dr Day, of the Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, said that funding was making a difference, while admitting some programs had not achieved targets or the targets had been poorly defined.
"The targets set in the Reef 2050 plan – some have been met but not all. If we stop spending money on water quality issues we're going to bring on the demise of the Reef," Dr Day said.
"Land clearing isn't being addressed as well as it could be and what I've heard is some water quality targets are being met but others are not."
Dr Kroon said flow-on effects of reducing DIN levels on GBR health would take several years to be accurately gauged, but modelling should take into effect other forms of nutrient pollution too.
"The fact [levels] are declining is good news, whether it has flow-on effects, it's too early to say," she said.
"Other sources of nutrient are related to erosion, we shouldn't focus on one particular source, we need to address all sources that contribute to declining water quality."
Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley has linked the decision to recommend the GBR be listed as 'in danger' with political motivations, despite rebuttals from UNESCO regarding her claims.
The GBR avoided listing as endangered in 2015 but last year, a report from an advisory body to the World Heritage Committee said the GBR's health had worsened from "significant concern" to "critical".
A former director of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Dr Day said research showed all 29 World Heritage-listed coral reefs were threatened by climate change, but it was possible for coral reef systems to be removed from the endangered list with correct management.
"Belize was previously on the endangered list, it managed to address the issues and its reef was removed from that list," he said.
"I want to stress it's water quality, plus unsustainable land practices, dumping of maintenance dredge spoil, all these things together, they're the cumulative pressures that need addressing."
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Environment Pollution
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Ross Kemp to host Shipwreck Treasure Hunter for Sky History
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“Every shipwreck I’ve dived on has had a story to tell, tales that echo from our past into the present. They speak to us of bravery, sacrifice, and progress but also of cruelty and heartbreak. I have discovered the impact the sea has had not only on my own family but also on world history. It’s been challenging; it’s been emotional, but it’s also been lots of fun. There are plenty more shipwrecks in the ocean and I can’t wait to dive on them.” – Ross Kemp The new series, which will be the first UK commission from Honey Bee and Freshwater Films for Sky HISTORY and is due to premiere in Spring 2022, is a very personal quest for Ross. His grandfather, ‘Pop’ Chalmers, was in the Merchant Marines during World War II and was shipwrecked and survived three times. Pop’s two cousins (Ross’ first cousins twice removed) both served and died aboard HMS Hood when it went into battle against the mighty Bismarck. The young brothers were stationed at Scapa Flow and departed on the HMS Hood to intercept the Bismarck before being sunk. His dives to these wrecks is a long-held ambition to reach back into his own familial past, as much as it is a captivating and perilous adventure in its own right. For the series, Ross Kemp will be joined by expert diver Emily Turton and maritime archaeologist and expert diver Mallory Haas on expeditions to the most spectacular shipwrecks in the UK, uncovering hidden treasures and history from Britain’s past. The team travel across the UK to dive in extremely hazardous environments to discover the secrets that lie beneath the sea. Ross will dive on WWI and WWII wrecks like the warship SMS Karlsruhe and SS Tabarka; a British submarine and the Iona II and an American Civil War ‘gun runner’ lost in mysterious circumstances in the Bristol Channel. Mallory will show Ross a recently uncovered wreck, its identity, if proven, will put Ross at the centre of an archaeological discovery that would shed new light on one of the most sinister and suppressed chapters in British history. For Ross to undertake these perilous dives, he had to complete an advanced HSE scuba diving course to become a fully qualified diver in the 2 months leading up to the beginning of filming. “We’re delighted to be working with Ross Kemp, Honey Bee, Motion Content Group and Freshwater Films. The series not only captures the incredible history submerged around the British Isles and waiting to be discovered, but Ross’s passion for and personal connection with the subject matter really shines through.” – Dan Korn, VP of Programming at A+E Networks UK Ross Kemp: Shipwreck Treasure Hunter is co-produced by Honey Bee and Motion Content Group in association with Freshwater Films for the A+E Networks UK channel Sky HISTORY. The programme is in production and is set to broadcast in the Spring of 2022.
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Shipwreck
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Anti-austerity movement in Ireland
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The anti-austerity movement refers to the mobilisation of street protests and grassroots campaigns that has happened across various countries, especially in Europe, since the onset of the worldwide Great Recession. Anti-austerity actions are varied and ongoing, and can be either sporadic and loosely organised or longer-term and tightly organised. They continue as of the present day. The global Occupy movement has arguably been the most noticeable physical enactment of anti-austerity and populist sentiment. An example of countries implementing severe austerity measures is Ireland. Ireland witnessed its housing market completely (rather than, as elsewhere, partially) collapse, and the government eventually had to apply for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), agreeing to an austerity program of economic reform in exchange. The austerity measures and the terms of the IMF bailout became major aspects of the Irish financial crisis, and populist anger over these issues played a major role in the loss of governmental power of Fianna Fáil to opposition parties in the 2011 Irish general election. The loss for Fianna Fáil was so great that many commentators remarked that the results were "historic". Fine Gael and the Labour Party formed a coalition government, and Fine Gael promised to re-negotiate the terms of the IMF bailout end the austerity programme. [1] Sinn Féin, which for the first time won a notable percentage in the election, called for a nationwide referendum over whether the bailout agreement should be scrapped altogether. Labour dismissed this idea. [2] Members of smaller parties, such as the Socialists, People Before Profit Alliance, the WUAG and Independents involved themselves in the Campaign Against Home and Water Taxes. [3]
Since the onset of the economic recession in Europe, the political establishment response has increasingly focused on austerity: attempts to bring down budget deficits and control the rise of debt. [4] The anti-austerity movement has responded by giving rise to a wave of anti-establishment political parties. [5] Opposition to austerity is seen as the force behind the rise of Podemos in Spain, Italy's Five Star Movement and the Syriza party in Greece. [6]
Ahead of the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, the Scottish Government pledged to end austerity in an independent Scotland. [7]
Economist Thomas Piketty welcomed the political reaction to austerity, saying the rise of anti-austerity parties is "good news for Europe". According to Piketty, European countries tried to get rid of their deficits too quickly, resulting in a situation where "their citizens have suffered the consequences in the shape of austerity policies. It's good to reduce deficits, but at a rate that's commensurate with growth and economic recovery, but here growth has been killed off. "[8]
Some economists, like Nobel Prize winning Princeton economist Paul Krugman, argue that austerity measures tend to be counterproductive when applied to the populations and programs they are usually applied to. [53] The fact that the political sphere has been so heavily influenced by a paper known as "Growth in a Time of Debt" based on flawed methodology has led Krugman to argue:[54]
What the Reinhart–Rogoff affair shows is the extent to which austerity has been sold on false pretenses. For three years, the turn to austerity has been presented not as a choice but as a necessity. Economic research, austerity advocates insisted, showed that terrible things happen once debt exceeds 90 percent of G.D.P. But "economic research" showed no such thing; a couple of economists made that assertion, while many others disagreed. Policy makers abandoned the unemployed and turned to austerity because they wanted to, not because they had to. In October 2012, the International Monetary Fund announced that its forecasts for countries which implemented austerity programs have been consistently overoptimistic. [55]
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Panic of 1847
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The Panic of 1847 was a minor British banking crisis associated with the end of the 1840s railway industry boom and the failure of many non-banks. [1]
As a means of stabilizing the British economy, the ministry of Robert Peel passed the Bank Charter Act of 1844. [2] This Act fixed a maximum quantity of bank notes that could be in circulation at any one time and guaranteed that definite reserve funds of gold and silver would be held in reserve to back up the money in circulation. [3] Furthermore, the Act required that the supply of money in circulation could be increased only when gold or silver reserves were proportionately increased. However, in 1847, the Act was suspended when the Bank of England was presented with a letter from the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer indemnifying the Bank for a breach of the Act. [4] The crisis in the money market ended almost immediately, without any breach of the Act. [5]
The panic of 1847 cleared away a vast number of unsound business houses,[citation needed] and trade generally became much more sound and healthy;[citation needed] this lasted until the year 1855. [citation needed] The following explanation by Spanish economist Jesus Huerta de Soto of the Austrian School is based in Austrian Theory of the Business Cycle:
As of 1840 credit expansion resumed in the United Kingdom and spread throughout France and the United States. Thousands of miles of railroad track were built and the stock market entered upon a period of relentless growth which mostly favored railroad stock. Thus began a speculative movement which lasted until 1846, when economic crisis hit in Great Britain. It is interesting to note that on July 19, 1844, under the auspices of Peel, England had adopted the Bank Charter Act, which represented the triumph of Ricardo’s Currency School and prohibited the issuance of bills not completely backed by gold. Nevertheless this provision was not established in relation to deposits and loans, the volume of which increased fivefold in only two years, which explains the spread of speculation and the severity of the crisis which erupted in 1846. [6]
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Financial Crisis
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14 member Presidential Task Force for Green Agriculture established
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It has been emphatically stated in the Policy Statement: “Vistas of Prosperity and splendor” that action would be initiated to build a developed agricultural economy and to create an opportunity for the local and international consumer to obtain toxin-free agricultural products within the next decade as well as to introduce eco-friendly crops. It is the foremost objective of the Government to create an eco-friendly healthy green agriculture through the means of livelihood thereby minimizing the chemical waste materials being added to the soil and water. Attention has been drawn on the possibility of benefits being accrued locally, as well as, internationally, through marching towards a sustainable green agriculture by undertaking eco-friendly organic farming by the adaption of the state-of-the art technology. Taking into consideration the need for unhygienic agro chemicals to be minimized through research and new inventions and for eco-friendly organic fertilizer production that suit the local environmental conditions to be incentivized, President Rajapaksa appointed this Task Force yesterday (15) through an Extraordinary Gazette notification. The Task Force chaired by Mr. Vijith Welikala has 14 members. Mr. Vernon Perera, Additional Secretary to the President, has been appointed as Secretary of the said Task Force. Following is the list of members of the Presidential Task Force for Green Agriculture. 01. Mr. Vijith Welikala, Chairman, Wild Holidays (Pvt.) Ltd. 02. Mr. Lalith Senevirathna 03. Mr. S.K.B. Kasun Tharaka Amal, Director, Biogenic Green Technology Research Institute 04. Mr. Malinda Senevirathna , Director, Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute 05. Mr. R.B. Rasika Thusitha Kumara , Climate Smart Agriculture Co-ordinator, Vavuniya and Mannar Districts, Eco Friendly Farming Training Consultant 06. Dr. B.K.J. Kavantissa , Chief Executive Officer, “Siyapatha” International Education and Training Institute (Pvt.) Ltd. 07. Mr. Samantha Fernando, Kangara Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd. 08. Mr. Samuditha Kumarasinghe, Lanka Bio fertilizers (Pvt.) Ltd. 09. Mr. Ajith Randunu , Green Force Agriculture (Pvt.) Ltd 10. Mr. N.M. Khalid, Lanka Nature Power (Pvt.) Ltd. 11. Mr. Shammi Kirinde, Bio Foods (Pvt.) Ltd. 12. Ms. Nirmala Karewgoda, Hysoung ONB (Pvt.) Ltd 13. Mr. Chaminda Hettikankanamge, R.K.G. Bio Green Farm 14. Mr. Nishan de Silva, Lorance’s Liquid Fertilizer The Members of this Presidential Task Force are responsible for formulating a systematic programme for sustainable maintenance of green agriculture, identifying the organic fertilizer required for various crops and improving the quality of such fertilizer production, producing pesticides and weedicides locally, identifying methodologies and monitoring mechanism for importing the limited scale possible shortages with high standards on the approval of the Sri Lanka Standards Institute in meeting the requirements through local production, enhancing the communication in transmitting to the public the health-related socio-economic benefits to be accrued from organic food production and consumption and enlisting the active support of the Public Service in this process and broadening the organic agriculture extension services at field level. Through the gazette, the President directed the Presidential Task Force for Green Agriculture to liaise with Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation Task Force and the Presidential Task Force for the creation of a Green Sri Lanka with sustainable Solutions for climate Changes. (President’s Media Division)
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Organization Established
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2009 Royal Mail industrial disputes
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The 2009 Royal Mail industrial disputes is an industrial dispute in the United Kingdom involving Royal Mail and members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which began in the summer of 2009. It was the country's first industrial action involving postal workers since 2007 and came about after the Communication Workers Union accused Royal Mail of refusing to enter into dialogue regarding how the implementation of modernisation plans would affect the job security of postal workers. The strike action began on a local level after postal workers at Royal Mail offices in London and Edinburgh accused their bosses of cutting jobs and services, which they claimed broke the 2007 Pay and Modernisation Agreement, the agreement that was struck to end the 2007 strikes, and accused Royal Mail of threatening modernisation of the service. [1] After a series of localised walkouts over the summer months, and after failing to reach an agreement, the CWU opened a national ballot for industrial action in September 2009. On 8 October, it was announced that postal workers had voted three to one in favour of taking strike action over job security and working conditions. [2] It was later announced that a national strike would be held on Thursday 22 October and Friday 23 October. After further talks failed, more strikes were announced to take place on Thursday 29 October, Friday 30 October and Saturday 31 October. Discussions continued throughout the second wave of strikes with proposals being put to both sides, but these were overshadowed by the announcement of a third walkout on Friday 6 November and Monday 9 November. However, on 5 November it was announced that strikes had been called off until the New Year to allow time for fresh talks to take place. A resolution to the dispute was finally reached following lengthy discussions on 8 March 2010, and on 27 April it was reported that postal workers voted to accept the deal. Central to the 2009 dispute was the agreement that ended the 2007 round of strikes. [3] The 2007 Pay and Modernisation Agreement saw the parties involved agree to a four-phase plan, which would be implemented with dialogue between both sides at each stage of the process. However, the Communication Workers Union said that although Royal Mail had carried out three of the phases in this way, it had refused to discuss the final phase, which concerned the government's plans for modernisation, and how these would affect the job security of Royal Mail employees. [3]
One of the key aspects of Royal Mail's modernisation drive involved the introduction of the walk sequencing machine that organises mail into the order the postman will deliver them on his round. The union feared that a national introduction of this equipment would lead to thousands of full-time workers being made redundant and a significant increase in the number of part-time staff. The Communication Workers Union argued that although it had signed up to this part of the agreement in 2007 and that the plans would make it necessary for some jobs to be lost, it had not understood the exact nature of Royal Mail's plan. Furthermore, the union said that when Royal Mail stopped talking to staff about the long-term effects of job security, there had been no choice other than to threaten a strike to restart discussions. Royal Mail, on the other hand, said that it had not stopped talking to the union and continued to involve it in its modernisation strategy. [3]
Localised strike action began in June 2009 when workers at Royal Mail offices in London and Edinburgh staged a 24-hour strike on 19 June over concerns about the impact that modernisation would have on postal workers. This was followed the next day by a similar walkout in parts of Scotland. Speaking about the situation at the time Dave Ward, the CWU's deputy general secretary said, "We are now seeing cuts but not modernisation in the postal industry and there's only so long before this is going have a major impact on services. The CWU does not and has not blocked change. Once again we are seeing Royal Mail working against the union and failing to engage the workforce. "[1] Ward also said that his union would offer Royal Mail and the government a three-month no-strike deal if Royal Mail fulfilled its part of the 2007 agreement. [1]
However, talks between the Communication Workers Union and Royal Mail failed to broker a deal. The CWU criticised Royal Mail's business policy as "chaos management" and in August and September the localised strike intensified. [4] By September it was estimated that there was a backlog of 20 million undelivered letters. [5] On 10 September the CWU announced plans to hold a national ballot on strike action, the results of which were expected to be announced on 30 September during the Labour Party Conference. [6] Royal Mail responded to the announcement by saying that the decision to go ahead with the ballot was "wholly irresponsible" as talks were still ongoing. [6]
Ballot papers proposing a national strike were sent out to union members on 17 September. [7] On 8 October it was announced that postal workers had voted three to one in favour of taking strike action over job security and working conditions. [2] The first round of strikes were later scheduled for Thursday 22 October and Friday 23 October. These would consist of two 24-hour stoppages, with mail centre staff and drivers striking on 22 October and delivery and collection staff doing likewise the following day. Talks between Royal Mail and the CWU continued, but relations were strained by the emergence of a leaked document suggesting that Royal Mail would achieve its reforms "with or without union engagement". [8] CWU general secretary Billy Hayes called the document's contents "an organised attempt to sideline the union" and expressed his concern that Business Secretary Peter Mandelson appeared to be familiar with it. [8] Furthermore, following the first round of strikes, it emerged that both sides had been "tantalisingly close" to brokering a deal on the evening of 20 October, but that Royal Mail had backed away from this the following morning. [9] Consequently, the strikes went ahead as planned. New talks were announced on 24 October, which would be brokered by the TUC and chaired by its general secretary Brendan Barber. [9] Peter Mandelson welcomed the talks, describing them as "an opportunity to break the deadlock". [9] Further strikes were also announced for the last three days of October, which would involve mail centre staff on 29 and 30 October and delivery staff on 31 October. [9] Three days of negotiations aimed at ending the dispute began on 26 October,[10] but although they were described by Barber as having been useful,[11] they ended without agreement and the second wave of strikes went ahead. [12] Royal Mail later blamed a hard core element of London postal union leaders for refusing to endorse a proposal that both sides had agreed to. [13]
Discussions were held during the second wave of strikes, when Brendan Barber announced on the afternoon of Friday 30 October that proposals had been put to both Royal Mail and the CWU for them to consider over the weekend. [14] Talks resumed on the Monday, however this news was overshadowed by the announcement that a further two days of strikes would be held on Friday 6 November and Monday 9 November. [14] It was also announced that these would be all out strikes with everybody walking out at the same time rather than the rolling strike action that had been adopted previously,[14] thus leading to a complete stoppage throughout the course of the action. These were later called off in order for further talks to take place. The strike action led to a backlog of tens of millions of items of undelivered mail, with an estimated 30 million letters and parcels affected after the first wave of walkouts,[15] and rising to in excess of 50 million following the second. [16]
On Tuesday 3 November a YouGov poll conducted for The Daily Telegraph appeared to show that public support for the industrial action had dropped in comparison to a similar poll conducted two weeks earlier. [13]
It was also reported that the CWU had started a fighting fund to help support postal workers who were experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the strike. Postmen lose a day's pay for each day they strike, and although most workers had lost just two days pay so far, many in the London area who had taken part in previous industrial action earlier in the year had lost as much as 18 days of wages.
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Strike
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Twello train accident
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The Twello train accident was a railway accident on 22 December 1900 at 21:00 in front of the Twello railway station, Twello. [1] The express train from Amsterdam (Sneltrein 238; pulled by an NS 1600) collided head-to-head with a regional train (Stoptrein 927; pulled by an NS 1600) from Almelo to Apeldoorn. Normally these trains pass each other at Bathmen, but due to a delay of the express train, the crossing was changed to Twello. The crash happened because the person who takes care of the railroad switch failed to set a switch, allowing two trains on the same track. The express train then collided with the stationary regional train. [2][3][4][5] Two men from Deventer died. Five passengers were seriously injured and two conductors sustained minor injuries. Two station officials were sentenced in January 1901 to six weeks' imprisonment. [6]
A NS 1600 locomotive. A ~two year older version that pulled both trains
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Train collisions
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People wearing disguises rob several banks in Belmont and Gastonia
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BELMONT, N.C. (WBTV) - Police in Belmont and Gastonia are investigating whether two bank robberies and one attempted bank robbery are connected. The incidents took place on Tuesday between 10am and 3pm in Belmont and Gastonia. Belmont police say a black male went into the New Horizon Bank on Wilkinson Boulevard, wearing a long burgundy in color wig, and dark clothing around 10:20 a.m. The unknown man presented a note, demanded money and said he had a gun. Police say the gun was not shown. When the teller told him that she could not get him the money he wanted, he took the note and left the bank without any money. Shortly after, around 12:17 p.m., police say a white male went into the Sun Trust Bank on North Main Street, wearing a disguise which included a fake mustache, dark brown wig and derby hat. He was also wearing a white button up shirt, dark colored blazer, khaki pants and was carrying a dark colored folder. This man gave a note to the teller and said he had a bomb in his pocket. He then fled the scene after getting money from the teller. Then, around 3:11 p.m, Gastonia Police got a 911 call about a bank robbery at the Wells Fargo on Cox Road. Police say a black male in his mid-20s or early 30s, wearing a black curly wig, a black jacket and a Panthers football scarf was behind it. They say a note was passed demanding money, the teller complied, and the suspect fled the scene in a silver SUV. According to the police report, he got away with $1,900 in cash and a $80 bank bag. Belmont Police confirms to WBTV they are working with Gastonia Police to determine if any of these cases are connected. Anyone with additional information about these cases is case is encouraged to contact detectives with the Belmont Police Department at 704-829-4082.
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Bank Robbery
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Empire Exhibition Trophy
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The Empire Exhibition Trophy was a football competition held in 1938 in conjunction with the Empire Exhibition, Scotland 1938 in Glasgow. It was held to commemorate the Exhibition, then underway in Bellahouston Park,[1] and the prize was a solid silver model of the Tait Tower. [2]
Four teams from Scotland and four from England contested the straight knock out competition. Brentford took the place of fellow London club Arsenal, who elected to withdraw. [3] Celtic defeated Everton 1–0 in the final, on 10 June 1938, with a goal from Johnny Crum in extra time. [4] The final was watched by a crowd of over 82,000 at Ibrox Park. [5] This tournament, like the later Coronation Cup, was held in very high regard at the time as it gave teams the opportunity to test themselves against teams from other leagues in the days before European football. Replay[5]
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Sports Competition
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60 Of The Longest Celebrity Marriages And Relationships
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Essentially, it's that their relationships don't last very long. Celebrity marriages have been known to end after a mere 72 days after all and, all too often, relationships that people look to as examples of love (like Channing and Jenna Dewan Tatum and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) dissolve, leaving fans questioning if love exists. However, there are some who have survived, couples who have made it last in Hollywood - where your relationship is open for all to see and air their opinions on, where punishing tour and film production schedules can see you living apart on different continents for months on end and where you have to watch what you say about each other in public before they're turned into news snippets. Who are these couples, you ask? Take a look at these 60 couples for inspiration and reassurance that romance is not dead. Having been engaged (to Alanis Morissette) and married (to Scarlett Johansson) Reynolds met Lively in 2010 on the set of Green Lantern and they married in 2012. The couple have three daughters together, Inez, James and Betty. The Oscar-nominated actor and Kering CEO welcomed their daughter, Valentina together in 2007 and married two years later in 2009. In February 2021, Hayek opened up about her marriage while appearing on Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert, explaining how she responds when people have made unwarranted assumptions and accusations about her relationship. 'When I married him, everybody said, "it's an arranged marriage, she's marrying him for the money". I'm like, "yeah whatever b*tch, think what you want". Fifteen years together and we are strong in love and I don't even get offended.' The private couple met on the set of The Place Beyond the Pines, in 2011 and have two daughters together. Roberts and Mode married in 2002. They have three children together with their daughter Hazel recently making her red carpet debut, with her father, at Cannes Film Festival. The power couple - who are estimated to be worth $1.4 billion - started dating in 2002 and married in a secret ceremony in 2008 choosing not to confirm their relationship or marriage for years. The couple have three children together, Blue Ivy and twins Sir and Rumi. The Spaniards began dating in 2007 though they first met in 1992 on the set of Spanish film Jamón Jamón. They have since starred alongside each other in numerous films includingVicky Cristina Barcelona - for which Cruz won an Oscar in 2008. The couple married in 2010 and have two children, Leo and Luna. The teen film heartthrob and Buffy the Vampire Slayer first met filming I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997. They married in 2002 and have two children together. The funny couple began dating in 2007 and became engaged in 2010. They refused to get married until same-sex marriage became legal in California and tied the knot four months after the legislation passed in 2013. They have two daughters. The supermodel married the businessman and former model in 1998. They have two children together, Kaia and Presley - both successful models too. Fan favourite couple, Teigen and Legend, met in 2007 on the set of his music video and married in 2013. They now have a daughter called Luna and a son called Miles. The couple - who most recently have worked together on A Quiet Place 2 - married in Italy in 2010. The parents of two will celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary this summer. The Boston native married Argentinian actor Lucianna in 2003 while filming comedy Stuck on You together. They married two years later in 2005. After six years of dating, the couple married in 2012 in Texas. Alves, a former model, and McConaughey have three children together. The OC and Gossip Girl alumni are believed to have met in 2010 while starring in romantic comedy The Oranges. They married in 2014 and have two children together having welcomed their son in 2020. The British actor and American director began their relationship in 1986, marrying on New Year's Eve in 1997. The singer and producer knew each other since they were teenagers, but didn't enter a relationship with each other until the late noughties with Swiss proposing in 2009. The couple married in 2010 and they have two sons Egypt and Genesis together. The Bad Neighbours actor and GLOW star were set up by friends at New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebrations in 2011. The couple have been married since 2017. The scream queen of horror movies married the actor and director in 1984. In 2019 Curtis recounted to the New Yorker how 35 years before, she had seen Guest's picture of him in Rolling Stone magazine, told her friend, 'I'm going to marry that guy,' figured out they had the same agent and working her magic. The Big Little Lies star married her talent agent beau in California in 2011, after dating for just over a year. They have a son, Tennessee together, with Witherspoon also being mum to lookalike daughter Ava and son Deacon from her first marriage to Ryan Phillippe. The Australian actor married country singer Keith Urban in 2006. The Drag Race host has been with partner LeBar since 1994, with the couple tying the knot in 2017. The comedic director and actor have been together since 1996, marrying in 1997. The couple regularly work together on films like Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin and Freaks and Geeks and have two children Maude and Iris. Maude is following in her parent's footsteps, having had a breakout role in the hit 2019 teen drama Euphoria. The How To Get Away With Murder actor has been married to her husband Julius since 2003. De Generes and De Rossi met in 2004 and married in 2008. The actors have been married for a (virtually unheard of in Hollywood) 37 years after tying the knot in 1983. They renewed their vows with Archbishop Desmond Tutu officiating in 1995, and are parents to four children - the eldest John David had a star role in last year's Oscar-winning film BlacKkKlansman. Harris and Burtka started dating in 2004 and married in 2014. They have a daughter and a son together. Patrick Harris' How I Met Your Mother co-star Smulders has been in a relationship with Saturday Night Live alum Killam since 2005. The couple married in 2012 and have two children together. The Beckhams met in 1997 and were married by 1999, they have four children together; Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper. Baron Cohen and Fisher met in 2002 and married in 2010 after Fisher converted to Judaism. They have three children together. The Honey actor met her future husband - an assistant to the director - on the set of the 2004 film Fantastic Four. They have now been married for 12 years and have three children together.
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Famous Person - Marriage
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2018–2020 UK higher education strikes
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The University and College Union (UCU), a trade union representing 110,000 staff at UK universities,[1] ran a major series of connected strikes in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The action has been characterised as "something of a milestone" for "impending service sector strikes of the 21st century". In 2018, the dispute concerned proposed changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). [2] In 2019–20, strike action on USS continued, and action on a parallel dispute over pay equality, workload, casualisation, and pay levels was added. [3]
The first strike began in February 2018. This strike escalated over fourteen strike days between 22 February and 20 March, and took place at sixty-four universities across the UK, represented by Universities UK (UUK). [2][4] This was the longest ever strike in UK higher-education history. [5][6] The Office for National Statistics found that in 2018, 66% of all working days lost to strike action were accounted for by the education sector, "due mainly to disputes involving employees of universities". [7] An estimated 42,000 staff[6] went on strike with 575,000 teaching hours being lost. [8] By 28 March, over 700 external examiners had also recorded their resignations in a UCU document. [9] The strikes coincided with an exceptional level of snow and ice from the 2018 British Isles cold wave which added further disruption to education. As of 28 March 2018, more than a million students were estimated to have been affected,[8] with 126,000 students signing petitions calling for fee refunds. [10] Students also occupied campus buildings in support of striking staff at more than a dozen universities. [2][11][12]
From 25 November to 4 December 2019, and on fourteen days between 20 February and 13 March 2020, UCU undertook further strikes, partly in a continuation of the pensions dispute which triggered the strikes in 2018, and partly in a parallel dispute over pay equality, workload, casualisation, and pay levels. In this second dispute, universities were represented by the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA). [3]
During the period covered by this article, strikes also took place on local disputes at individual universities, covered in the table of all strike action below. The United Kingdom has 130 universities. [4] Staff at 68 universities founded before 1992 are members of the USS pension scheme. [4] (Most academic staff at institutions which became universities after 1992 are members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme, which is unaffected by this dispute. )[4] In January 2018, UCU members at 61 universities (initially) balloted in favour of action over the proposed pension changes. [13]
As reporting, both in the UK and abroad, noted, the strikes took place in the context of other tensions over higher education and pension provision in the UK, as follows. [14][15][16][17][18]
The USS scheme was created in 1974 to provide sector-wide pensions for UK university staff (focusing on academic staff). [23] Its terms changed little until 2011, when major reforms were implemented, followed by further changes in 2014–15. [24][25][26] These changes left scheme members markedly worse off: one academic study concluded that the reduced wealth of post-2011 entrants was equivalent to an 11% drop in their total compensation or a 13% drop in their salaries. [27]:25
By 2017, the USS scheme had over 400,000 members. [28]
In July 2017, USS reported a technical deficit (i.e. a gap between the fund's assets and its liabilities) of £17.5 billion, reported as the largest such shortfall in the UK at that time. [28] USS's deficit evaluation was based on suggestions that although the fund's assets had grown (reaching £60 billion, a one-fifth increase on the previous year), its liabilities had also grown (reaching £78 billion, a one-third increase over the previous year). [46] Following negotiations regarding the calculation of the deficit, the USS Joint Negotiating Committee accepted a technical deficit of £6.1 billion in November 2017. The key change proposed by UUK was to close USS's defined benefit scheme (possibly temporarily), replacing it with a defined contribution scheme. [47]
Specifically, the USS Joint Negotiating Committee therefore made the following proposals, to be introduced after 1 April 2019:[48]
The closure of defined benefits was presented as a red line by UCU, which argued in favour of finding ways to sustain defined benefits, or to introduce a collective defined contribution scheme[47][49][50][2] (the primary legislation for which was introduced in the UK in 2015, but which had not as of March 2018 been advanced to secondary legislation). [51]
USS argued that market conditions had simply proven less favourable than previous valuations had assumed, with the chief executive, Bill Galvin, arguing that 'the unavoidable fact is that market conditions have changed since 2014. Real interest rates have fallen since 2014, relative to inflation, and asset prices have soared ... We are now having to pay more – to get less in return – than we expected in the past'. Moreover, USS emphasised that its room for manoeuvre was constrained by the Pensions Regulator. [52]
In theory, the deficit could have been resolved through higher contribution rates. However, UUK argued that defined benefit schemes were becoming prohibitively expensive. [53] They said they had a legal duty to put in place a credible plan to reduce the deficit by the summer of 2018. Otherwise, pension contributions from employers and staff would have to sharply increase, potentially resulting in redundancies and cuts to other areas of teaching, research and student support. [4][54] UUK stated the defined contributions proposal would compare well with private-sector competitors, with employer contributions double the private sector average. [55]
USS had a legal responsibility to satisfy the UK pensions regulator that the scheme was sound, and the regulator was requiring change. [56]
UCU stated that UUK's proposal would "leave a typical lecturer almost £10,000 a year worse off in retirement than under the current set-up",[57][58] with younger staff the worst affected, with some losing up to half their anticipated pensions. [4]
Critics of the changes offered the following main arguments against implementing the changes to the scheme promoted by UUK. On 29 January, UCU announced that 88% of UCU members had voted to back strike action and 93% backed action short of a strike. [13] The turnout was 58%,[57] meeting the 50% minimum set by the Trade Union Act 2016. Shortly after, on 13 February, the trade union UNISON, many of whose members in the Higher Education sector were also USS members, began a consultative ballot on striking alongside UCU. [66] On 20 February, UNISON wrote to vice-chancellors in support of UCU's position. [67]
Strikes commenced on 23 February, whereupon UUK agreed to meet UCU for further negotiations on 27 February. Leaked emails suggested they would not negotiate on UCU's key issue, retaining defined benefits. [68] The meeting led to an agreement to undergo conciliation through Acas, the UK's national industrial dispute conciliation body. UCU tabled and published a set of proposals which it argued was consistent with the majority of UUK members' positions in USS's earlier consultation, but strikes were not called off.
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Strike
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the US and Israel left UNESCO
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At midnight on New Year’s Day, the US and Israel officially withdrew from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) following UNESCO’s approval of Palestine’s membership. For more than a year, the two countries had expressed concern on numerous occasions regarding what they considered to be anti-Israel bias from the organization. “The US and Israel have constantly been attentive regarding any Palestine-related topics,” said Emma Lee (11), MUN club member. “They know that many nations, most of them members of UNESCO, sympathize with the Palestinians, and their decision to withdraw from the organization probably stemmed from this knowledge. I do not necessarily think this conflict should affect UNESCO, though, as the organization is completely unrelated to the two countries’ current disagreements.” Generally, UNESCO oversees and promotes international cultural development, especially in the fields of science and education. The agency has been credited with a wide range of projects, from providing education to Haiti youth to recognizing historically significant locations as World Heritage sites. While the US and Israel both supported many of these previous activities, the two nations clashed with UNESCO whenever the subject of Palestine surfaced. In October 2016, for instance, the agency passed a controversial resolution condemning Israel for restricting religious freedom in the East Jerusalem area and later labeled ancient Jewish sites as Palestinian World Heritage sites, receiving backlash from the US and Israeli government. “The decision to quit UNESCO was inevitable,” said Sean Kim (9), MUN member. “The United States and Israel have had a friendly relationship since the Cold War, which naturally led to an alliance against Israel’s long-time enemy, Palestine. But UNESCO has been very sympathetic toward Palestine in the past few years, and it was clear that the US and Israel were bothered by this type of behavior.” Another, less obvious reason for the timing of this decision can be attributed to the Trump administration. Former President Barack Obama had considerably weaker relations with the Israeli government and was criticized heavily by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the US government’s support for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Netanyahu claimed that the deal would only enhance Iran’s nuclear power and threaten its neighboring states, which include Israel. However, the countries have experienced renewed warmth in their relationship following Trump’s election; in fact, Trump even officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December. “President Obama was one of the first presidents to actively criticize Israel,” said Jonathan Ames, Government and Politics teacher. “But the US, under Trump, is a lot more friendly toward Israel due to the fact that the Trump administration is much more anti-Iran, and they need Israel as a buffer state to counter the growing Iranian presence in Syria.” Though Trump’s administration believes this move to be strategic, there are financial repercussions. The US and Israel stopped paying their member dues since 2011, when Palestine was voted into UNESCO as a full member, and these unpaid funds have piled up considerably. According to Time Magazine, the numbers have reached a grand total of $600 million and $10 million for the US and Israel respectively. Despite the fact that UNESCO does not have to deal with this financial issue immediately, they may face the consequences of the overdue money in the future. “While it is true that the US and Israel do contribute to the UNESCO budget, I think their decision to withdraw is more of a symbolic move,” said Mr. Ames. “UNESCO is just one UN organization, which means this move will not be too impactful, and if there is a change in leadership next election, that president may end up re-joining. The only real effect is that the US is essentially politicizing what should be regarded as a non-political decision because they do not approve of Palestine’s place within the organization.”
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Withdraw from an Organization
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1975 Kinnaur earthquake
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The 1975 Kinnaur earthquake occurred in the early afternoon (local time) (08:02 UTC) of 19 January. It had a magnitude of 6.8 on the surface wave magnitude scale and a maximum perceived intensity of IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale, causing extensive damage in Himachal Pradesh, in northern India. Its epicentre was in Kinnaur district in the southeastern part of Himachal Pradesh and caused 47 casualties. [2] Landslides, rock falls and avalanches caused major damage to the Hindustan-Tibet Road. [2] The earthquake affected many monasteries and buildings in the state and led to an extensive restoration work in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Himachal Pradesh. The Spiti and Parachu valleys in particular suffered the greatest damage being on the north–south Kaurik-Chango fault,[2] causing damage to landmarks such as Key Monastery and Tabo Monastery. The state of Himachal Pradesh lies towards the southern boundary of the Himalayan mountain belt, which was formed by the collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The mountain building that formed the Himalayas is an example of thrust tectonics and is dominated by thrust faulting. [4] There is however, a significant amount of extension along the length of the mountain belt, possibly related to its arcuate form, with the extension accommodating the bulging out of the frontal part of the Himalayas. However, the faulting in the NW Himalayas demonstrates west–east extension, which is at a fairly high angle to the trend of the main thrust structures and may be better explained as partly accommodating the eastward spreading of the Tibetan Plateau. [5] One of the most significant extensional structures in Himachal Pradesh is the Kaurik-Chango Fault Zone. This is interpreted to be seismically active from the presence of thermal springs and gypsum deposits[6] and from studies of soft-sediment deformation structures thought to be seismites. These seismites have been used to suggest eight earlier earthquakes of magnitude greater than 6 in the Sumdo area affecting these Late Pleistocene to Holocene sediments. [7] The estimated recurrence interval for earthquakes along this fault zone is about 10,000 years. [8]
The earthquake rupture is estimated to be about 25 kilometres (16 mi) in length and 575 square kilometres (222 sq mi) in area, with a displacement of about 0.6 metres (2 ft 0 in). The mainshock was preceded by a major foreshock. [3] Ground rupture was observed in the form of a series of small vertical faults, with downthrow to the west, offsetting part of National Highway 22 between Sumdo and Kaurik, with displacements up to 50 cm. [7]
The isoseismal lines for the earthquake are elongated in a north-south direction, parallel to the strike of the Kaurik-Chango Fault Zone. The focal mechanism of the earthquake indicates normal faulting along with a north-south trending, west-dipping fault.
The areas most strongly affected by the earthquake were the districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti. The worst affected villages were in the Parachu and Spiti river valleys. The village of Karauk showed the greatest degree of damage, with no building being unaffected. Buildings sited on slopes or at the base of slopes were not only affected by the shaking but by boulders falling from the hills above them. [6] The performance of the different types of residential buildings varied greatly. Houses made from mud, either directly or as sun-dried bricks showed damage over a wide area (up to 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the epicentre) and those in the epicentral area were often severely damaged. Unreinforced masonry structures were also badly affected, particularly those made of "random rubble stone masonry" (RRSM) with mud mortar, some of them have collapsed completely. The best performing buildings were barrack type houses constructed from corrugated iron covering a timber frame, which generally showed little or no damage. [6]
The many monasteries and temples in the area were mostly badly damaged. They were often constructed with mudbrick or RRSM walls and had heavy roofs. [6] Strong vertical motion during the earthquake led to excessive loads on the upper part of the supporting walls causing them to bulge outwards. [9]
There were many landslides, rockfalls and avalanches triggered by the earthquake. [6] One landslide dammed the Parachu river to a height of 60 metres (200 ft), forming a lake that caused flash flooding when it burst two months later. [10]
Damaged temples and monasteries were repaired or rebuilt immediately after the earthquake. [9] The Guru Ghantal monastery at Tupchiling, which was completely destroyed in the earthquake, was rebuilt using stone masonry and cement mortar. The roof, which was originally wooden, although it had already been replaced by slates by 1975, now consists of corrugated iron sheets. [11] The original design of these earthen buildings had already evolved to contain elements of earthquake resistance before the damage in 1975. The walls were reinforced using ring beams around the whole structure to prevent outward displacement during an earthquake. Further reinforcement was in some cases provided by buttresses of stone or brick at each corner of the building. Initial repairs after the earthquake by the local people involved additional corner buttresses, replacement wooden roofs and repair of the upper walls with stone masonry. Most of these repairs, however, have either caused further problems or may do so in the future. [9]
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Earthquakes
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Anadolu Agency
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Moscow is 'deeply disappointed' by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, said a Russian Foreign Ministry statement on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. Tuesday from its participation in the landmark nuclear agreement world powers struck with Iran in 2015. 'We are extremely concerned that the United States is once again acting contrary to the opinion of the majority of states and exclusively in its own narrow-minded and opportunistic interests, in flagrant violation of international law,' said the Foreign Ministry statement.
'Washington's actions are a serious violation of the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action], they bring international discredit to the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency], which was proving its high professionalism throughout the realization of the JCPOA,' the statement said.
Russia will not abandon the JCPOA and is open to talks with other participants of the Iran nuclear deal, it added.
Trump opted not to extend sanctions relief on Iran ahead of a May 12 deadline, vowing instead to re-impose the U.S.'s nuclear-related economic penalties.
The 2015 nuclear agreement placed unprecedented restrictions on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in relief from international sanctions, but Trump has consistently railed against it since he began his bid for America's highest office, repeatedly claiming it is the 'worst deal' he has ever seen.
All of the U.S.'s negotiating partners -- the U.K., France, Germany, Russia, China and the EU -- had agreed that maintaining the JCPOA was the best way to reign in Iran's program.
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Tear Up Agreement
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1965 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 crash
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The 1965 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 crash occurred on 11 July 1965 when Avro 748-101 Series 1 G-ARMV, flown during a scheduled international passenger flight from Beauvais Airport, Oise, France, crashed on landing at its intended destination of Lympne Airport, Kent, United Kingdom. The accident was due to the grass runway being unable to support the weight of the aircraft during a heavy landing. This caused the nose wheels to dig in and the aircraft to overturn, losing both wings and the starboard tailplane in the process. All 52 people on board survived. This was the first accident involving the Avro 748/HS 748 that resulted in a write-off. A concrete runway was later installed at Lympne. The accident aircraft was Avro 748-101 Series 1 G-ARMV, c/n 1536. The aircraft was manufactured in 1961 and had flown 3,432 hours at the time of the accident. [1]
The aircraft was deployed as a scheduled international passenger flight from Beauvais Airport, Oise, France to Lympne Airport, Kent, United Kingdom. [1] This flight was part of Skyways Coach Air's coach-air service, in which passengers were taken by coach from Paris to Beauvais, flown to Lympne and then taken by coach to London. [2]
The aircraft departed Beauvais at 15:51 UTC (16:51 local time) carrying 4 crew and 48 passengers. The weather at Lympne at the time the aircraft departed Beauvais indicated that visibility was 2,000 metres (2,200 yd), with wind at 18 knots (33 km/h) from 220° and a cloudbase of 250 feet (76 m). After passing Abbeville, an updated weather report was sent to the aircraft which showed a visibility of 1,000 metres (1,100 yd) in drizzle, cloudbase 250 feet (76 m) and winds of 18 knots (33 km/h) from 220°, gusting to 26 knots (48 km/h). The visibility was below the minimum requirement of 1,100 metres (1,200 yd) for landing, although the captain was later informed that visibility had "improved slightly". At 3.5 nautical miles (6.5 km) from touchdown, an IFR approach was initiated under the guidance of the radar controller at Lympne. When the aircraft was 0.5 nautical miles (0.93 km) from the airport, it was at an altitude of 220 feet (67 m) above airport level. The captain reported that he could see the end of Runway 20 through the drizzle. At 0.25 nautical miles (0.46 km) from touchdown, the aircraft ran into severe turbulence and drifted to the right of the runway centre-line. Full flap was applied and power was reduced. The aircraft crossed the airfield boundary at 92 knots (170 km/h), reducing to 88 knots (163 km/h) as the landing flare was begun at a height of 40 feet (12 m). As the throttles were closed, the starboard wing dropped and the rate of descent of the aircraft increased. The captain attempted to keep the aircraft level, with the result that it landed heavily. [1] The nose wheel dug into the grass runway, flipping the aircraft onto its back, as the aircraft spun through 180° and ended up facing in the direction from which it had approached;[1] the upside-down aircraft then slid for 400 yards (370 m), ripping off both wings and the starboard tailplane, and crushing the tail. [3]
The passengers were left hanging upside-down in their seats. One mother was holding a baby that was not strapped in. All on board escaped from the aircraft, with three people needing to be treated in hospital suffering from shock. A number of passengers were also treated at Lympne. Thirty-six of the passengers continued their journey to London, some with fuel-soaked clothing. [4] The aircraft, with a replacement cost of £250,000, was written off. [5] This was the first Avro 748/HS 748 to be written off in an accident. [6] Skyways Coach-Air leased an Avro 748 from LIAT for two years in 1968 to replace the aircraft lost. [7]
The grass runway at Lympne had previously suffered from waterlogging, leading to the closure of the airport in December 1951,[8] and again in February 1953. [9] A new 4,500 feet (1,400 m) concrete runway was constructed in early 1968, coming into use on 11 April. [10]
An investigation into the accident was opened by the Accidents Investigation Branch. [4] The probable cause of the accident was stated to be "a heavy landing following an incomplete flare from a steeper than normal approach. "[1]
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Air crash
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Court decision allowing Springvale mine to release wastewater into Sydney's catchment appealed
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A conservation group has launched an appeal against a NSW court decision that has allowed a coal mine near Lithgow to release wastewater into Sydney's drinking catchment.
The NSW Land and Environment Court in September upheld a decision to grant Centennial Coal's Springvale mine a 13-year extension.
This also allowed the mine west of Sydney to continue to pump wastewater into a river that flows through the heritage-listed Blue Mountains.
Environment group 4Nature originally challenged the approval using laws designed to protect Sydney's water supply.
Andrew Cox, from 4Nature, said they would be appealing against the judgement because there were "principles at stake".
"This is the first time this water quality law was tested," he said.
"The way it's been applied by the court suggests there can be a very broad application of the law. "It makes a mockery of those important water quality laws."
The Cox's river is part of Sydney's water catchment and the second largest source of flow into the city's Warragamba dam.
Mr Cox said there was not a direct impact on drinking water quality from the wastewater, but there were larger concerns.
"By putting in contaminants and salt it could make it harder to manage water quality in the future," he said.
"By putting metals into the water, it could create health problems.
"We need to progressively improve water quality flowing into the Warragamba dam, and by allowing a mine to increase those pollutants — that's not helping that objective."
Keith Muir, from the Colong Foundation for Wilderness, said the mine water was "quite toxic".
"It's got metal in it, it's got a high level of salinity relative to the surface water, and it really isn't suitable for drinking," he said.
"We know it's killing aquatic life. "It means the food chain in the Cox's river is effectively eliminated in the world heritage area."
There is now a joint plan from Energy Australia and Centennial Coal to pump 24 mega-litres a day of the wastewater to the nearby Mt Piper power plant to be used for cooling.
But Mr Muir said that plan did not go far enough to solve the problem.
"The power station doesn't need it when it's not operating at full capacity, and then that water goes down the Cox's river," he said.
"They have a reservoir, but it's currently storing surface water. "We'd like to see that surface water replaced with treated mine water and that water used in the power plant, and the fresh water sent down the river so that water consumers benefit from drinking fresh water, rather than mine water.
"Centennial Coal and Energy Australia don't want to do it because it will cost money."
Mr Cox said he was not convinced by the recently announced plan and said the flows could stir up polluted sediment in a nearby creek.
"It won't be as good as the mine not operating or having all of the mine's water being fully treated, so it seems like a half-baked solution to a complex problem," he said.
Centennial Coal's external affairs manager Katie Brassil said one of the mine's approval conditions included a new water treatment plant at the power station, which would treat the wastewater before it was used for cooling.
"This project will deliver significant environmental benefits, support the ongoing operations of Springvale mine and Mt Piper power station," she said.
"While both organisations will continue to deliver broader community benefits, including securing more than 600 local jobs."
In a statement Energy Australia, which runs the power plant, said its water treatment project was on public display and as part of that it would consider feedback from the public to ensure any development was "environmentally acceptable".
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
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Environment Pollution
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Japan Air System Flight 451 crash
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Japan Air System Flight 451 was a Japan Air System flight from Nagoya Airport in the Nagoya area of Aichi Prefecture, Japan to New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, with a stopover at Hanamaki Airport in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture. On April 18, 1993, the Douglas DC-9-41 operating the flight crashed while landing at Hanamaki Airport. The aircraft suddenly lost a significant amount of airspeed as it crossed the boundary line of a passing cold front, and encountered resultant windshear while on final approach. The somewhat inexperienced first officer was not able to conduct a missed approach fast enough to avoid a hard landing. The plane then skidded off the runway. [1]
All 72 passengers and five crew members survived, with 19 people sustaining injuries. The aircraft caught fire as the passengers evacuated; it was destroyed and written off. [1][2]
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Air crash
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Dirgantara Air Service Flight 3130 crash
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Dirgantara Air Service Flight 3130 (DIR3130/AW3130) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by Dirgantara Air Service from Datah Dawai Airport, Malinau Regency, East Kalimantan to its provincial capital's airport, Samarinda Temindung Airport, Samarinda, East Kalimantan. On 18 November 2000, the aircraft conducting the flight, a Britten Norman Islander BN-2 sheared tree tops and crashed onto the forest near the airport shortly after takeoff. Search and rescue team immediately found the wreckage of Flight 3130 and the survivors. No one was killed in the crash, but all 18 people on board were injured in the crash; 11 of them were seriously hurt. [1][2]
The final report, published by the National Transportation Safety Committee, concluded that the crash was caused due to multiple factors, which were pilot error, overloading, and lack of safety in the airport (bribery). The wrong perception by the pilot, added with the plane overloading that was caused by bribery, subsequently causing the plane to crash. The airline ceased operations in 2009 and officially went bankrupt in 2013. [3]
The Britten Norman Islander took off at 10:51 local time, carrying a total of 17 passengers, including 2 infants and a 5-month-pregnant woman, and 1 crew member on board. Shortly after takeoff, the airport radio operator noticed that the aircraft disappeared behind the forest. The aircraft contacted the first tree and started to veering to the left. It then hit another tree and began zigzagging. The aircraft then contacted the third tree and started to lose control. The landing gear then struck the last contacted tree and then it crashed upside down onto the forest floor. Both wings were ripped off from the fuselage, with fuels leaking from the right wing tip. This created a dangerous post-impact fire risk, as the soil type in Borneo was often flammable. [4]
A search and rescue party was quickly assembled by Datah Dawai Airport authorities shortly after the crash. The wreckage was eventually found 2 kilometers from the airport. All 18 people on board, including 2 infants and a 5-month pregnant woman, were injured with 11 of them were seriously hurt. The crew of the aircraft, identified as Captain Abdul Hayi, had to be transported to Jakarta due to broken legs. The injured were taken to local hospital and the Wahab Sjachrani Civic Hospital in Samarinda. The aircraft was a total loss, with the front section of the aircraft "totally wrecked". The rudder and the vertical stabilizers were found 7 meters from the main wreckage. The fuselage was crushed and bent severely. Passengers and crews initially trapped inside the wreckage. The seats inside the aircraft had to thrown out from the aircraft in order to evacuate the survivors. [4]
The aircraft involved in the crash was a Britten Norman Islander BN-2, registered in Indonesia as PK-VIY. Manufactured in 1981 in United Kingdom, it had accrued a total cycle of 22.336 hours. It had one crew seat and a total of 9 passenger seats. It had an airworthiness certificate published on 27 September 2000. All passengers and crew on board were Indonesian citizen. The one and only crew, Captain Abdul Hayi, had accrued a total flying hours of 7.560[5]
The aerodrome is owned by the local government and used for pioneer flight operations. The coordinates are 00 47 North, 114 34 East. The elevation is not officially published, only measured from the aircraft altimeter, which is about 650 ft above sea level. The runway designation is 02 and 20. The length of the runway is 750 meter with width of 23 meter. A stopway of 30 meter is provided for runway 02. The runway surface is asphalt and its strength can accommodate up to CASA 212 aircraft. It has an apron, taxiway, but a tower building is not available since the aerodrome is a non-controlled aerodrome. The runway is not equipped with landing direction indicators and, due to local prevailing surface winds at most of the time, the preferred takeoff and landing direction is runway 02. A significant obstacle is the hilly forest in the northerly direction of the extension of runway 02. The first obstacle is about 200 feet high above runway elevation located about 533.3 meters from the end of runway 02, and the second obstacle is about 500 feet above runway elevation 1.262,9 meters from the end of runway 02. Runway slope inclination is 3% from direction of runway 02. [4][6]
Investigators inspected the wreckage of Flight 3130 and found that there was not a single indication of a rotation on the propeller during the crash. Further inspection on the wreckage revealed that the propeller, mixture and throttle levers were all the way back. This indicated that the engine might have not running at the time of the crash. The engine could have been shut down by Captain Abdul. There are three possibilities that caused the shutdown; those are engine fire, engine failure, or an emergency procedure. [4]
The propellers didn't have any indications of an engine fire. The propellers were found in fine pitch and unfeathered position, which indicating an improper engine shutdown procedure. The wreckage indicated that the propeller levers position was not caused by the impact.
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Air crash
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Deutsche Bank fined for allowing Jeffrey Epstein to make 'suspicious' payments
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A Victorian man who flew from Brisbane to Hobart on flight VA702 today has tested positive to COVID-19 and has not been allowed to board a flight to Melbourne
A Watch & Act warning is in place for a fire in the northern parts of Mokine, in WA's Northam Shire. Keep up to date with ABC Emergency
The first fine against a bank for its dealings with registered sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been laid.
Deutsche Bank will pay a $US150 million fine for allowing Epstein to make payments to Russian models and withdraw suspicious amounts of cash during five years as a client.
Tuesday's settlement with the New York State Department of Financial Services is the first such action against a bank related to Epstein. Epstein took his own life in a Manhattan jail in August, a month after his arrest for allegedly sexually exploiting dozens of girls and women.
The fine is also another blow to Deutsche Bank's reputation as it goes through a major restructuring, following five years of losses totalling more than 15 billion euros ($24.4 billion).
"For years, Mr Epstein's criminal, abusive behaviour was widely known, yet big institutions continued to excuse that history and lend their credibility or services for financial gain," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
New York found "significant compliance failures" in Deutsche Bank's dealings with Epstein, who the bank had considered "high-risk".
It also knew of Epstein's history of sex trafficking and abuse, including his 2007 guilty plea to prostitution charges, yet ignored these "red flags" and processed hundreds of transactions "obviously implicated" by his past.
Epstein was a Deutsche Bank client from August 2013 to December 2018, when the relationship ended after further negative press surfaced about his misconduct.
The transactions processed by the German bank included payments to alleged accomplices, lawyers, victims, Russian models and women with Eastern European surnames, and "suspicious" cash withdrawals averaging $200,000 a year.
Emails revealed Deutsche Bank weighed the risks of retaining Epstein as a client but put them aside, enticed by the millions of dollars in annual revenue he might generate.
According to a consent order, two Deutsche Bank employees visited Epstein in his New York home in early 2015 and asked about new allegations of sex with underage girls.
But they appeared "satisfied" by Epstein's response and did nothing to verify the allegations, the consent order said.
The bank also chose in 2017 not to scrutinise payments to a Russian model and a Russian publicity agent.
"Since this type of activity is normal for this client it is not deemed suspicious," a compliance monitor said in an email.
New York said Epstein had more than 40 Deutsche Bank accounts, some of which were for the "Butterfly Trust", whose beneficiaries included co-conspirators in alleged sexual abuse.
This created a risk that payments could be used to "further or cover up criminal activity and perhaps even to endanger more young women", the New York settlement revealed.
Accepting Epstein as a client "was a critical mistake and should never have happened", Deutsche Bank chief executive Christian Sewing told staff in a memo.
The New York regulator said Deutsche Bank was also sanctioned for ignoring warning signs while processing billions of euros of payments for Danske Bank, which it ranked as "high-risk" in 2007, before shortly afterwards identifying alerts on its foreign customers with Russian or Latvian connections.
The German bank ignored internal warnings of the risks until late 2015, transferring at least $150 billion from Russia and other former Soviet states during that time.
Deutsche Bank also acknowledged deficiencies in its monitoring of Danske Estonia and FBME.
"We all have to help ensure that this kind of thing does not happen again," Mr Sewing said.
Reuters
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
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Organization Fine
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Tamworth Regional Council admits negligence after elevated levels of uranium found in drinking water
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A council in the north of New South Wales has admitted negligence after residents of several towns were notified of elevated uranium levels two years after the levels were confirmed.
Hunter New England Health has reviewed Tamworth Regional Council's latest test results of natural uranium in drinking water supplies of Moonbi and Kootingal since testing began in 2014.
It has found while the contamination was almost double the recommended safe level in some of the bores, the health implications were yet unclear.
Tamworth Regional Council Director of Water and Waste, Bruce Logan said the six monthly test results conducted since 2014 should had raised alarm bells sooner.
"Are we negligent in relation to whether we should have taken appropriate action earlier? Well I think the answer to that is yes," Mr Logan said.
The new figures also reveal elevated levels of uranium in Bendemeer's backup supply of drinking water since it was commissioned last year.
The latest results exceeded the recommended safe level since testing began.
Mr Logan said the relevant people within his department had been notified about their negligence.
"Staff are always held accountable so on this occasion necessary measures have been made within staffing and within our processes so staff are fully aware of the failure and the unacceptable nature of that failure and how we can make sure that won't happen again in the future," Mr Logan said.
Mr Logan went on to apologise to residents in all three town for the oversight and said residents deserved better.
"I'm very sorry about that. It's not good enough and it's not the level of service Council should be giving," Mr Logan said. People should be able to be very, very confident that the water they are drinking meets the necessary compliance levels as indicated in the Australian Water Drinking Guidelines," he said.
Hunter New England Health's (HNEH) Public Health Physician Dr David Durrheim said while the drinking water exceeded the recommended safe level the health implications were yet unclear.
"Some of these people will have been using drinking water which may or may not have exceeded guideline levels for a long period of time.
"But again, to stress even those levels appear higher than the drinking water guidelines, they are not at a the level we expect acute, severe health defects," Mr Durrheim said.
He said the results should not alarm people.
"The levels detected are yes above the drinking water guidelines. Those are very conservative guideline levels and really reflect the experience where concern is for a person exposed for their life time at those levels," Mr Durrheim said.
Within the next month, the NSW Health Department will form an expert panel to assess the ongoing and long term health risks.
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Environment Pollution
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Residents reminded to stay prepared as Hawaii marks April as Tsunami Awareness Month
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/ Updated: Apr 2, 2021 / 12:04 PM HST HONOLULU (KHON2) — April is Tsunami Awareness Month in Hawaii, and residents are reminded to stay prepared for the dangers a tsunami can present. While some tsunamis are caused by earthquakes hundreds of miles away and give ample warning, a temblor near the islands could provide only minutes to respond. We’re Hawaii’s weather station, get the latest forecast and radar information here DTRIC Insurance sent a release on Wednesday, March 31, to encourage residents to develop preparedness plans. Hawaii’s hurricane season is also quickly approaching in June. List of resources for Hawaii residents impacted by recent floods “Hawaii has unfortunately been affected by this natural disaster multiple times and we want the public to take steps to ensure they stay safe should another tsunami strike the islands,” said DTRIC Vice President and Chief Claims Officer Mike Mishima. “With the recent tsunami alerts during the past year, being prepared before a tsunami or other natural disaster will not only save you time, but it will also save you from unnecessary stress during an already stressful situation.” April 1 is the 75th anniversary of the 1946 tsunami that struck Hawaii Island, causing major loss of life and property damage. HI-EMA urges residents to stay prepared as Japan marks 10 years since deadly tsunami The American Red Cross provided these tips to help prepare for a tsunami: Determine if your home, workplace, and your children’s school are in tsunami inundation zones by viewing statewide maps here . Know how high your home is above sea level, and how close you are to the coastline, as evacuation orders may be determined by these figures. Plan your evacuation route from work, school, and other frequented locations; emergency planners recommend going inland for at least two miles and getting higher than 100 feet above sea level. In the aftermath of a tsunami, use NOAA radio, or tune to local radio and television stations for the latest updates on the tsunami. Do not return to low-lying areas until given the all-clear. Sometimes a tsunami can go on for a significant time, with waves of various sizes hitting the shoreline in succession.
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Tsunamis
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1961 London Trophy
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The 9th London Trophy was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 22 May 1961 at Crystal Palace Circuit. The race was run over 37 laps of the circuit, and was won by British driver Roy Salvadori in a Cooper T53. This race was run on the same day as the World Championship 1961 Dutch Grand Prix, but since entry to that event was by invitation only, many regular Formula One drivers were attracted to Crystal Palace. This article related to sport in London is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. This motorsport-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
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Sports Competition
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Jharkhand allows shops, malls, offices to open till 4pm; weekend lockdown to continue
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Strap: Govt also reimposes complete weekend lockdown from June 19 afternoon The state government on Tuesday announced to reopen all kinds of shops, malls, departmental stores, government and private offices till 4pm from Thursday across all 24 districts, officials said. With extending the health protection week , or Swasthya Suraksha Saptah, by another week June 24 morning, the government has also decided to reimpose the complete weekend lockdown from 4pm of June 19 till June 21 morning. The current weeklong lockdown ends on Thursday at 6am. During the weekend lockdown, all shops, including fruits, vegetable, grocery and sweets, will remain closed during the said hours. However, medical emergency shops, medical equipment related shops, petrol pumps, LPG outlets and milk stores will remain open. In the last such weekend lockdown, milk stores were not allowed to operate. The decisions were taken at a state disaster management authority’s(SDMA) Covid-19 review meeting chaired by chief minister Hemant Soren at state project building on Tuesday. The state recorded 151 new cases and one Covid-19 death in a day till Monday night. Last week, all kinds of shops, including salons, were permitted to reopen in all districts, excluding East Singhbhum. Garment, cloth, footwear, cosmetic and jewellery shops were not allowed to reopen in East Singhbhum in view of surge in Covid-19 cases. However, the district will now enjoy the same relaxations provided to other districts, officials said. Government and private offices have been permitted to open with 50% working strength of human resources till 4pm. However, multiplexes, cinema halls, banquet halls, bars, clubs, stadium, gymnasium, swimming pools and parks will remain closed, according to the government order. All educational institutions, including schools, colleges, IT, skill development, coaching institutions and training institutions, will also remain closed. The provision of e-pass will remain in place for interdistrict and interstate movement. The restriction on bus movement will also continue. Lockdown-like restrictions have been in place in Jharkhand since April 22.
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Organization Closed
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ESPN
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Mark Ogden recaps Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking goal as well as the winner in Portugal's 2-1 win vs. Ireland. (0:50)
It's official: Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has surpassed Iran legend Ali Daei to become the greatest goal scorer that men's international football has ever seen.
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The 36-year-old, who last month rejoined Manchester United from Juventus in a sensational move late in the summer transfer window, bagged his 110th goal (and, in injury time, his 111th) for his country to seal a dramatic 2-1 win over the Republic of Ireland in Faro on Wednesday in his 180th senior international appearance (stream the replay on ESPN+ in the U.S.).
After having a penalty saved by Ireland's Gavin Bazunu in the first half, Ronaldo notched two almost-identical headers after the 89th minute to turn the game around for Portugal. The first was converted unmarked from a Goncalo Guedes cross, while the second in the sixth minute of injury time was from a Joao Mario delivery, both coming in from the right flank. He was booked for excessive celebration following the second goal.
Ronaldo had drawn level with Daei with the second of his two penalties against France in a Euro 2020 group stage game in Budapest. After that 2-2 draw Daei, who netted 109 times in 149 games during a 13-year international career before retiring in 2007, offered a personal tribute to Ronaldo on social media.
"I am honoured that this remarkable achievement will belong to Ronaldo -- [a] great champion of football and caring humanist who inspires and impacts lives throughout the world," the 52-year-old wrote.
Ronaldo has a long way to go before he is close to the top women's international goal scorer: Canada's Christine Sinclair has scored 187 goals in 304 games, most recently this summer as she helped her country to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics. Still, his latest record is an incredible feat, and it can be added to his ridiculously long list of ground-breaking achievements on the field.
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Ronaldo has enjoyed a phenomenal career, from emerging as a wiry winger at Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United to becoming a formidable goal-scoring machine with Real Madrid and Juventus. But his goals for Portugal have been constant almost from the very start.
After making his senior debut in 2003, Ronaldo's first international goal came against Greece in the opening match at Euro 2004. From that point, he has averaged 6.47 goals per calendar year for his country.
The most he's ever notched during a calendar year was his 14 goals in 2019, which included a hat trick against Switzerland in June, a four-goal haul against Lithuania in September and then another hat trick against Lithuania two months later.
Age appears to be no barrier either, with Ronaldo scoring 59 goals for Portugal in 62 games since turning 30 in February 2015. Before then, he'd "only" scored 52 goals in 118 games.
A breakdown of Ronaldo's international goals proves that he is no one-trick pony when it comes to the ways in which he finds the net, and that he is more effective the closer to the end of a match he gets.
Method of scoring
Right foot: 59 goals
Left: 25
Head: 27
Time of goals
1-15 minutes: 10
16-30: 16
31-45+: 17
46-60 minutes: 12
61-75: 22
76-90+: 34
First half: 43
Second half: 68
Oh, and before you cry foul over the set-piece duties that give him extra chances to score, only 14 of his international goals have come from the penalty spot. He's also scored 10 from direct free kicks, with perhaps his most memorable being the late strike which sealed a 3-3 draw against Spain in their opening group game at the 2018 World Cup. Ronaldo, naturally, scored all three of his side's goals in that thriller in Sochi.
Ronaldo has faced 68 different countries with Portugal during his international career so far, with his first ever goals against Ireland on Wednesday meaning he has scored against 45 different national teams.
The most goals he has scored against a single opponent (Lithuania) is seven, coming in just three games. He has also scored seven goals against Sweden over the years, but spread across seven appearances and against different goalkeepers.
Most goals scored against one team (appearances in brackets):
7: Lithuania (3), Sweden (7)
6: Luxembourg (9), Andorra (3), Hungary (6)
5: Armenia (4), Latvia (4)
Most goals scored against one goalkeeper:
7: Ernestas Setkus (Lithuania)
6: Josep Gomes (Andorra)
5: Roman Berezovskiy (Armenia)
Ronaldo has never scored a goal against England despite facing them three times, while he has also drawn blanks against Italy (2 games), Brazil (1), Mexico (1) and the United States (1).
Goals by international competition breakdown (appearances in brackets): 33: World Cup qualifying (42)
31: European Championship qualifying (35)
19: Friendly (51)
14: European Championship (25)
7: World Cup (17)
5: Nations League (5)
2: Confederations Cup (4)
While the latest addition to his haul is undoubtedly one of the most impressive, there is already a long list of individual records that Ronaldo holds.
Some of the stats involved are scarcely believable as is, and they just seem to go on and on.
- Portugal's all-time top scorer: 111 (Pauleta is second with 47)
- Most goals at men's European Championship: 14 (Michel Platini is second with nine)
- Most goals across both men's World Cups and Euros finals combined: 21 (Miroslav Klose has 19)
- Top all-time scorer in men's Euros, including qualifiers: 45
- Scored at most individual men's Euros tournaments: 5 (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020)
- Most goals by a European player in men's competitive internationals: 91
- Most goals scored in UEFA World Cup qualifiers: 33
- Most men's international hat tricks by a European player: 9 (joint with Sven Rydell of Sweden, 1923-1932)
Goal-scoring records from club football
- Champions League all-time men's top scorer: 134 (Lionel Messi second with 120)
- Only player to score in three Champions League finals
- Only player to score in 11 consecutive Champions League matches
- Scored more Champions League goals against a single opponent than anyone else (10 vs. Juventus)
- First player to be top scorer for a league season in England, Spain and Italy
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Break historical records
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Data Society Enhances Its Innovation Training and Service Offerings With the Acquisition of Restless Creation
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Data Society has acquired Restless Creation, adding offerings for skills-based assessments and human-centered design strategy that enable organizational change. WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Data Society, the leading provider of custom Data Science Training and cutting edge AI Solutions to Government Agencies and Fortune 500 companies, announced today the acquisition of Restless Creation. Restless Creation services will expand Data Society’s existing training academies, furthering Data Society's position as the preeminent provider of training and re-skilling of professional staff to create future-ready employees. "Now with the addition of Restless Creation, our customers will have access to cutting edge assessments for quickly identifying innovative internal teams. The combination of these two offerings will enable faster data-literate skills for our clients." Restless Creation provides skills-based assessments and training to its clients that identify team members with solid innovation abilities that unlock hidden potential and skills. "We have led the way in reskilling professionals with Data Science hard skills that allow for teams to be 4.0 ready," stated Merav Yuravlivker, CEO, Data Society. "Now with the addition of Restless Creation, our customers will have access to the most cutting edge and effective assessments for quickly identifying innovative internal teams. The combination of these two offerings will enable even faster integration of impactful data-literate skills for our clients." Restless Creations' unique approach provides organizational change management strategy and support to help organizations adapt faster than their competitors. "Our team has been extremely successful because of our unique combination of deep government insights, innovation experience, corporate work, and design training and implementation," stated Chris O’keefe, CEO, Restless Creation. Restless Creation’s Core Offerings: This combined approach will enable Data Society’s customers to more quickly manage the complexities of reskilling their teams with vital data science techniques and identify innovative individuals and teams ready to deliver transformational initiatives.
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Organization Merge
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Green Ramp disaster crash
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The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne operation. [1][2][3]
As of 2021, this incident remains the largest loss of non-passenger life in the accidental crash of an aircraft on U.S. soil. It was also the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the division since the end of World War II. The "Green Ramp" is the large north-south parking ramp at the west end of Pope AFB's east-west runway, used by the U.S. Army to stage joint operations with the Air Force. Several buildings sit along its western edge, including Building 900, the building housing the Air Force operations group. A personnel shed ("pax shed," a large open-bay building) sat next to Building 900, which the Army used to prepare troops for parachute drops. A large grassy area, where troops could stage before drops, lay between the two buildings. Behind the area, several concrete mock-ups of the backs of Air Force cargo aircraft had been constructed, where troops could rehearse their drop procedures. On the day of the accident, about 500 paratroopers from adjacent Fort Bragg were in the pax shed, the concrete mock-ups or resting in the grassy area. The personnel came from three division units, the First Brigade, 504th Infantry Regiment, and 505th Infantry Regiment. While the jumpers prepared to board several C-130 Hercules and C-141 Starlifter aircraft parked on Green Ramp, the sky was filled with F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and C-130 aircraft conducting training. [4]
Shortly after 1400 hours on Wednesday, March 23, 1994, a two-seat F-16D Fighting Falcon (AF Ser. No. 88-0171, c/n 1D-25, of the 74th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Operations Group) with two pilots on board was conducting a simulated flameout (SFO) approach when it collided with a C-130E Hercules, (AF Ser. No. 68-10942, c/n 4322, of the 2nd Airlift Squadron, 317th Group). Both aircraft were members of the 23rd Wing, which was the host unit at Pope AFB at the time. The aircraft were on short final approach to runway 23 at an altitude of about 300 feet (90 m) above ground level. The nose of the F-16D severed the C-130E's right elevator. On impact, the F-16 pilot applied full afterburner to try to recover the aircraft, but it began to disintegrate, showering debris on the runway and a road that ran around it. Both F-16 crewmembers ejected, but their aircraft, still on full afterburner, continued on an arc towards Green Ramp. At the same time, the C-130 crew took their aircraft away from the airfield and checked to ensure it could safely land. While the C-130 crew knew they were most likely struck by the F-16, they had no idea how it happened or the extent of the damage. After performing their checks, the crew returned to Pope and landed on the debris-littered runway. By the time the C-130 landed, the F-16 had hit Green Ramp heading west. The aircraft struck the ground in an empty parking place between two C-130s with crews on board preparing the aircraft for departure. When the F-16 hit the ground, its momentum carried the wreckage westward through the right wing of a C-141B Starlifter (AF Ser. No. 66-0173 of the 438th Airlift Wing, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey) parked on the ramp. The C-141B crew was preparing the aircraft for joint Army-Air Force operations; however, no Army troops besides the jumpmaster team had yet boarded it. The wreckage of the F-16 punctured the fuel tanks in the C-141's right wing, causing a large fireball, which combined with the F-16 wreckage and continued on a path taking it between Building 900 and the pax shed, directly into the area where the mass of Army paratroopers were sitting and standing. Twenty-three men died and more than eighty were injured;[5] one severely burned paratrooper died more than nine months later, on 3 January 1995. Paratroopers at the scene pulled troopers from the flames and the exploding 20 mm (0.8 in) ammunition from the F-16. [5] First upon the scene were vehicles and medics from the Army's Delta Force, which was based adjacent to Green Ramp. Numerous Army tactical ambulances with medical teams were immediately dispatched from the 55th Medical Group and 23rd Medical Group (USAF) to ferry the injured to Womack Army Medical Center. These medics were among the first upon the scene and provided assistance after notification to MSG Richard Young of the 44th Medical Brigade Operations at Fort Bragg by a cell phone call from SFC Juan Gonzales at HQ, 44th Medical Brigade who was awaiting an airborne jump at Pope AFB. [6] Others were transported to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, and others were flown to the UNC Hospitals' Burn Center in Chapel Hill. [7]
President Clinton visited the site two days after the incident and met with the injured at Womack at Fort Bragg. [8] Several of the more severely burned victims were taken to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas. [2] Two months after the accident, only one paratrooper remained critical, while the others were either in satisfactory condition or convalescing at home. A subsequent U.S. Air Force investigation placed most of the blame for the accident on the military and civilian air traffic controllers working Pope air traffic that day. [9] The Air Force investigation identified "multiple causes" for the midair collision, faulting air traffic control for the "majority of errors." Although the F-16 pilot was partly to blame because he did not "see and avoid and stay well clear of the mishap C-130," as required by Air Force regulations, there were extenuating circumstances. The pilot testified that he did not see the C-130; however, after the control tower had made him aware of its presence, he began executing a low approach, when the collision occurred. Two Air Force officers involved in the crash were relieved of duty and transferred to other jobs. Three enlisted men also were disciplined. One of the enlisted controllers was later subject to Article 15 action. A later investigation stated that pilot error by the F-16 pilots also contributed to the mishap, but no disciplinary action was taken against the pilots.
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Air crash
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The Netherlands: Preparing for lift-off
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The Covid pandemic has elicited a number of deficiencies in the current global governance framework, most notably its weaknesses in mustering a coordinated response to the global economic downturn. A global economy is not fully “global” if it is devoid of the capability to conduct coordinated and effective responses to a global economic crisis. What may be needed is a more flexible governance structure in the world economy that is capable of exhibiting greater synchronicity in economic policies across countries and regions. Such a governance structure should accord greater weight to regional integration arrangements and their development institutions at the level of key G20 decisions concerning international economic policy coordination. The need for greater synchronicity in the global economy arises across several trajectories: · Greater synchronicity in the anti-crisis response across countries and regions – according to the IMF it is a coordinated response that renders economic stimulus more efficacious in countering the global downturn · Synchronicity in the withdrawal of stimulus across the largest economies – absent such coordination the timing of policy normalization could be postponed with negative implications for macroeconomic stability · Greater synchronicity in opening borders, lifting lockdowns and other policy measures related to responding to the pandemic: such synchronicity provides more scope for cross-country and cross-regional value-added chains to boost production · Greater synchronicity in ensuring a recovery in migration and the movement of people across borders. Of course such greater synchronicity in economic policy should not undermine the autonomy of national economic policy – it is rather about the capability of national and regional economies to exhibit greater coordination during downturns rather than a progression towards a uniform pattern of economic policy across countries. Synchronicity is not only about policy coordination per se, but also about creating the infrastructure that facilitates such joint actions. This includes the conclusion of digital accords/agreements that raise significantly the potential for economic policy coordination. Another area is the development of physical infrastructure, most notably in the transportation sphere. Such measures serve to improve regional and inter-regional connectivity and provide a firmer foundation for regional economic integration. The paradox in which the world economy finds itself is that even as the current crisis is leading to fragmentation and isolationism there is a greater need for more policy coordination and synchronicity to overcome the economic downturn. This need for synchronicity may well increase in the future given the widening array of global risks such as risks to cyber-security as well as energy security and climate change. There is also the risk of the depletion of reserves to counter the Covid crisis that has been accompanied by a rise in debt levels across developed and developing economies. Also, the speed of the propagation of crisis impulses (that effectively increases with technological advances and globalization) is not matched by the capability of economic policy coordination and efficiency of anti-crisis policies. There may be several modes of advancing greater synchronicity across borders in international relations. One possible option is a major superpower using its clout in a largely unipolar setting to facilitate greater policy coordination. Another possibility is for such coordination to be supported by global international institutions such as the UN, the WTO, Bretton Woods institutions, etc. Other options include coordination across the multiplicity of all countries of the global economy as well as across regional integration arrangements and institutions. Attaining greater synchronicity across countries will necessitate changes in the global governance framework, which currently is characterized by weak multilateral institutions at the top level and a fragmented framework of governance at the level of countries. What may be needed is a greater scope accorded to regional integration arrangements that may facilitate greater coordination of synchronicity at the regional level as well as across regions. The advantage of providing greater weight to the regional institutions in dealing with global economic downturns emanates from their greater efficiency in coordinating an anti-crisis response at the regional level via investment/infrastructure projects as well as macroeconomic policy coordination. Regional development institutions also have a comparative advantage in leveraging regional interdependencies to promote economic recovery. In conclusion, the global economy has arguably become more fragmented as a result of the Covid pandemic. The multiplicity of country models of dealing with the pandemic, the “vaccine competition”, the breaking up of global value chains and their nationalization and regionalization all point in the direction of greater localization and self-sufficiency. At the same time there is a need from greater synchronicity across countries particularly in the context of the current pandemic crisis. Regional integration arrangements and institutions could serve to facilitate such coordination in economic policy within and across the major regions of the world economy. From our partner RIAC Do Crises Drive Innovation?February 8, 2021In "Economy" ‘Urgency to act’ for sustainable development, greater than ever as pandemic continuesMay 13, 2020In "News" Leaving the Year of the Pandemic Behind: A Look Ahead to 2021January 11, 2021In "Economy" Economy Contradicts Democracy: Russian Markets Boom Amid Political Sabotage A New Strategy for Ukraine Head of the analytical Department of Sberbank's corporate and investment business (Sberbank CIB) — Sberbank Investment Research, RIAC Member New US sanctions on China: enough is enough Tourism is Australia’s opportunity with India India’s Transition to a Green Economy Presents a $1 Trillion Opportunity The Entrepreneurial Age & Global Pandemic Recovery How South Korean culture became popular in India The future of Arctic is in cooperation How can a nation save itself from repeated mistakes? Why do huge opportunity losses for not having national mobilization of entrepreneurialism as a safety net and not creating highly skilled citizenry occur? The intents are always there but why manage differently? The funds are always spent but in which direction? How long will a trillion dollars relief injected into a money-addicted mentality last? What are some immediately deployable solutions? Erasing micro manufacturing and micro trading; while exporting industrial plants is what dragged once mighty nations to their knees. When numbers do not add up, smashing the calculator is one logical option. Needed today, dedicated formatting of talented productivity colliding with innovative excellence under entrepreneurial wisdom to push out global game-changers out of the garage doors? Is this rocket-science or common sense? Humankind’s problems are now searching for humankind’s solution; to decipher this Babel, deeper studies on such factum already neglected by scared academia are now prerequisites for better fine-tuning of mindsets, a cry of the time. Study the history of the ecommerce revolution. How brains and decorum left loose just to build. Open the garage doors wider. Climate change issues better served by innovative excellence out of job-creator mindsets and not by gazillion dollar PR and case studies proving who is right and who is wrong. They are all confused, while calamity is visible. The entrepreneurial age is once again a forlorn rise, The pandemic recovery is a harsh test on our civilization. Gummies flavored yummy vaccines are not the final answers yet. Fighting progressive business ideas on real tactical battlefields of real value creating enterprises and rolling wildly in sand boxes is where future growth hidden. Nouveau occupationalism as if professional hobbyist on the toboggan slides altering mindsets in real times and going all out adventuring. Of course, this is extremely scary for the traditionalist gold-watch-awaits but extremely fruitful for youthful masses without any direction. Study the last 100 greatest entrepreneurs how they tumbled upon an idea by mistake. Mistakes and failures are non-issues to entrepreneurs, as they never hide it, other mindsets do. Study deeply. After the Second World War, the survivors created the largest ever-entrepreneurial turnaround. Ecommerce revolution was not an academic case study, rather born in garages when thousands of youthful techies of the period like Jobs and Gates toyed with technologies and moved mountains. South East Asian entrepreneurship suddenly began after 2000, when experienced, educated and liberated minded immigrants went back to their own countries as America treated them with suspicious looks at airports, offices and society. This post pandemic assembly of displaced on the march is the largest ever in the history of humankind; most are already out of the box. Most have no idea of the future, an entrepreneurial trait of openness. Now to manage such narratives any academic psycho-mumbo-jumbo will fail. Which nations are bold and smart enough to harness their entrepreneurial powers? Leaving them to migrate from nation to nation, will only break and split host nations apart? Which nation has the frontline teams articulate enough on such agendas? Which nations are busier in acquiring more riot gear? What is stopping national debates and realistic assessment of the calamites? What are the next immediate gateways and pathways? Such advancements are not the intellectualism of political science primarily based on Machiavellian treachery and now morphed into crypto-tyrannies; this is more a common sense revolution based on rebuilding grassroots prosperity in addition, creating real value based economic development models. Despite its random invisibility, entrepreneurialism is far more disciplined behaviors of risky adventure into perfection. Such fine art of business expansion bearing battlefield scars with only straight lines mentality is a serious mistake. These undercurrent entrepreneurial movements are only visible to “job-creators” and now expanding towards “job-seekers” with positive options. Few selected leaderships and regions are aware of such transitions, the rest still on their gong-shows waiting for their moment. The COP26, G&, G20 all speak volumes. Best replay the events. The world economy is ready for a modest change where small business declared as big business, to bring a new perspective at the next Cabinet Meetings. Worshiping big business is good but to give them a full set of keys of the house, not wise. Why Brainwashing suddenly reversed; across the world, leaders of sorts, already believe they have mesmerized the global populace, but how wrong. The garbage-in-garbage-out social-media-education-systems designed for masses of the world are surprisingly now in reverse order dry-cleaning the brains. Finally, the public discovered their weaknesses and limitations but also their own hidden potentials while surrounded by broken systems. The 500-day-isolation created brand new wisdom. The whistle-blower-narratives further verified what the public already knew. Spanning decades, neither the mainstream education, nor the media and political narratives contributed anything significant to unite the citizenry. The bifurcation of all groups of societies, pushed into sequential events to entangle in foolish battles of their own inner sanctums while ignoring the root causes and crumbling realities. The masses are increasingly aware of misguided flamethrowers. Control the words; control the thoughts, actions and results. The billions, displaced, replaced, misplaced on the march are not amused. They now have better words of their own. Today, it is beyond words on coffee-mugs, t-shirt slogans and election buttons. This is also beyond the teleprompter rhetoric and election promises, because this is when humankind faces humankind-size problems. Truth the only sword left to the populace and common sense the only logical wisdom to guide. Duck is no longer the Swan. Degrees and bureaucratic experiences bring little or no value, more personality and attitude tests needed to match skills and capabilities, because now mindsets on fixing the future must demonstrate futuristic literacy. Failed and struggling nations showing their own self-inflicting damages are all queued in their respective lines of winners and losers. Technology did create the hyper-telescopic capabilities to observe and expose nation’s performance levels in the open in real time. It is those bureaucracies still frozen in the old time zone mindsets. The squeeze on performance demands will have skills road tested. Without diversity, tolerance and social justice, the societies will stay standstill under dark clouds. The entrepreneurialism is a proven trajectory for the job-creator mindsets. Job seeker mindsets will grow, build and create harmonious grassroots prosperity. Study deeply how national mobilization of entrepreneurialism creates uplifts on local regions and stabilizes economies. Why is this happening in 2022? Western Economies, the new world of officeless, workless societies now need a new mobilization strategy on how to transform millions once mighty office workers now either depressed or angry, slowly marching on main boulevards of the nations. The dark clouds over downtowns now juggling new working models, while the rise of populism in closed-door discussions a hot topic. There is no mass resignation, it is all about readjusting of mindsets and exploring new options, because Covidians now more experienced to evaluate better alternatives. What will help? As an economic survival strategy, in this vacuum no other than entrepreneurialism must occupy the center stage and fill voids where the art of national mobilization of entrepreneurialism on digital platforms economies turns into a science as a success model. Today, engaging the confused working citizenry with real value creation options with authoritative solutions and entrepreneurial blood to transfuse the lingering economies are the critically missing links. Who needs to understand mobilization of entrepreneurialism? Nations around the world have tried to create entrepreneurialism but frequently failed. However, these same nations were able to create well-trained armies and high-ranking officers because they all trained in tactical battlefield engagements and by veterans with real life experiences. Soldiers do not draw pictures of battlefields on whiteboards and run around with water pistols. They practice real life situations, repeat, practice and live the battles. The job-seekers mind build organizations but it is the job creator’s mindsets that originate the ideas and deployments necessary to create the existence of that organization in the first place. A massive shift towards understanding entrepreneurialism is necessary and as a battlefield and not as a whiteboard post-it dance. This is a war of the mindsets, take it or leave it. Which nations are ready? Are there enough trade-groups, Chambers of Commerce, Trade Associations anxious to play on these digitally advanced and globally friendly market places? Outside a minuscule number, around the world, out-dated trade-groups are in rapid transformation so they too would become shiny butterflies for the new global-age. Urgently needed is a major transformation of extraordinary proportion, to help national imbalance on work-disorder and shifts towards new paths. Needed are openly debated fears of mass upskilling and reskilling and various outcomes. What are the challenges of 2022? What will it take to transform the frontline economic development agencies of the nation to come full circle on job-creators and job seekers’ mindset and discover magic in combinations? Will this remove external trade-wars mindsets toward internal skills-wars to upskill, reskill internal citizenry? Will this bring all trade groups under one large umbrella with global age digital demands and entrepreneurialism as the key driver? Will it transform the old conflict based litigious mindsets?
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Financial Crisis
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Madagascar facing famine after climate change brings damaging drought
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A worse than usual drought in Madagascar has left much of the country’s population facing famine as the “hunger season” looms large. Madagascar is facing crop failure after a damaging drought Madagascar could be facing famine, after crop failures brought about as a result of climate change left large proportions of the population staring down the barrel of hunger this Autumn. Issa Sanogo, the UN Resident Coordinator in Madagascar, visited the south of the island recently and explained just how grave the situation is for many Madagascans.“We then moved further south to Amboasary and Ambovombe, two areas located in arid lands, where we encountered populations dealing with crop failures. Here, almost three million people are suffering the consequences of two consecutive extreme droughts. In the town of Amboasary Atsimo, about 75 percent of the population is facing severe hunger and 14,000 people are on the brink of famine,” he said. “This is what the real consequences of climate change look like, and the people here have done nothing to deserve this.” Madagascar faces a so-called “hunger season” every year in the period before the annual harvest, yet this year conditions are particularly bad thanks to a worse than usual drought affecting the country. In addition, sandstorms have made farming difficult, with many crop fields now full of silt to add to the problems. The situation is getting desperate already for Madagascans, with the BBC reporting that some families have turned to eating locusts and cactus leaves to sustain themselves during the crisis. Madagascar can experience droughts regularly and is often at the mercy of the changing weather patterns thanks to the El Niño, but scientists are claiming that climate change is undoubtedly a factor in this year’s drought. “With the latest IPCC report we saw that Madagascar has observed an increase in aridity. And that is expected to increase if climate change continues. In many ways this can be seen as a very powerful argument for people to change their ways,” Dr Rondro Barimalala, a Madagascan scientist working at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, told the BBC.
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Famine
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Kapp Putsch
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The Kapp Putsch (German pronunciation: [ˈkapˌpʊt͡ʃ] (listen)), also known as the Kapp–Lüttwitz Putsch (German pronunciation: [kapˈlʏtvɪt͡sˌpʊt͡ʃ] (listen)), named after its leaders Wolfgang Kapp and Walther von Lüttwitz, was an attempted coup against the German national government in Berlin on 13 March 1920. Its goal was to undo the German Revolution of 1918–1919, overthrow the Weimar Republic, and establish an autocratic government in its place. It was supported by parts of the Reichswehr, as well as nationalist and monarchist factions. Though the legitimate German government was forced to flee the city, the coup failed after a few days, when large sections of the German population followed a call by the government to join a general strike. Most civil servants refused to cooperate with Kapp and his allies. Despite its failure, the Putsch had significant consequences for the future of the Weimar Republic. It was one of the direct causes of the Ruhr uprising a few weeks later, which the government suppressed by military force, after having dealt leniently with leaders of the Putsch. These events polarized the German electorate, resulting in a shift in the majority after the June 1920 Reichstag elections. After Germany had lost World War I (1914–1918), the German Revolution of 1918–1919 ended the monarchy. The German Empire was abolished and a democratic system, the Weimar Republic, was established in 1919 by the Weimar National Assembly. Right-wing nationalist and militarist circles opposed the new republic and promoted the stab-in-the-back myth, claiming that the war had been lost only because the efforts of the undefeated German military had been undermined by civilians at home. [1]
In 1919–20, the government of Germany was formed by the Weimar Coalition, consisting of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), German Democratic Party (DDP, left-of-centre liberals), and Zentrum (conservative Catholics). President Friedrich Ebert, Chancellor Gustav Bauer, and Defence Minister Gustav Noske were all members of the SPD. According to the constitution, the president was the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, represented in peace time by the Minister of Defence. The most senior officer of the land forces was called Chef der Heeresleitung, a post held in early 1920 by General Walther Reinhardt. Gustav Bauer was obliged to sign the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, even though he disagreed with it. The treaty had been dictated by the victorious Allies of World War I; it forced Germany to assume sole responsibility for the war, reduced the area of Germany and imposed huge reparation payments and military restrictions on the nation. [1] In early 1919, the strength of the Reichswehr, the regular German army, was estimated at 350,000, with more than 250,000 men enlisted in the various Freikorps ("free corps"), volunteer paramilitary units, largely consisting of returning soldiers from the war. The German government had repeatedly used Freikorps troops to put down Communist uprisings after the war. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which came into effect on 10 January 1920, Germany was required to reduce its land forces to a maximum of 100,000 men, only professionals, not conscripts. The initial deadline was set for 31 March 1920 (later extended to the end of the year). [2]:25 Freikorps units were expected to be disbanded. Since the reason for their creation—internal repression—had become obsolete with the crushing of the leftist uprisings, they were becoming a threat to the government. [3]:216 Some senior military commanders had started discussing the possibility of a coup as early as July 1919. [4]
Although the Putsch has been named after Wolfgang Kapp, a 62-year-old nationalist East Prussian civil servant, who had been planning a coup against the republic for a while, it was instigated by the military; Kapp played a supporting role. [3]:217[5]:50 On 29 February 1920, the Defence Minister Noske ordered the disbandment of two of the most powerful Freikorps, the Marinebrigade Loewenfeld and Marinebrigade Ehrhardt. The latter numbered from 5,000–6,000 men and had been stationed at the Truppenübungsplatz Döberitz, near Berlin, since January 1920. [3]:217[6] An elite force, it had been created from former Imperial Navy officers and NCOs, boosted later by Baltikumer (those who had fought the Bolsheviks in Latvia in 1919). During the civil war in 1919, the brigade had seen action in Munich and Berlin. It was extremely opposed to the democratic government of Friedrich Ebert. [3]:217
Its commander, Korvettenkapitän Hermann Ehrhardt, declared that the unit would refuse its dissolution. [5]:51 On 1 March, it staged a parade without inviting Noske. [3]:218 General Walther von Lüttwitz, in command of all the regular troops in and around Berlin (Gruppenkommando I), the highest ranking general in the army at the time and in command of many Freikorps, said at the parade that he would "not accept" the loss of such an important unit. Several of Lüttwitz's officers were horrified at this open rejection of the government's authority and tried to mediate, by setting up a meeting between Lüttwitz and the leaders of the two major right-wing parties. Lüttwitz listened to and remembered their ideas but was not dissuaded from his course of action. [3]:218 Noske then removed the Marinebrigade from Lüttwitz's command and assigned it to the leadership of the Navy, hoping that they would disband the unit. Lüttwitz ignored the order but agreed to a meeting with President Ebert, suggested by his staff. In the evening of 10 March, Lüttwitz came with his staff to Ebert's office. Ebert had also asked Noske to attend. Lüttwitz, drawing on demands by the right-wing parties and adding his own, now demanded the immediate dissolution of the National Assembly, new elections for the Reichstag, the appointment of technocrats (Fachminister) as Secretaries for Foreign Affairs, Economic Affairs and Finance, the dismissal of General Reinhardt, appointment of himself as supreme commander of the regular army and the revocation of the orders of dissolution for the Marinebrigaden. Ebert and Noske rejected these demands and Noske told Lüttwitz that he expected his resignation the next day. [3]:219
Lüttwitz went to Döberitz on 11 March and asked Ehrhardt whether he would be able to occupy Berlin that evening. Ehrhardt said he needed another day but in the morning of 13 March he could be in the centre of Berlin with his men. Lüttwitz gave the order and Ehrhardt began the preparations. It was only at this point that Lüttwitz brought the group known as Nationale Vereinigung into the plot. These included German National People's Party (DNVP) member Wolfgang Kapp, retired general Erich Ludendorff and Waldemar Pabst, who had been behind the murder of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg in January 1919 and Traugott von Jagow [de], the last Berlin head of police in the old Reich. [2]:25[3]:219[5]:50–51 Their goal was to establish an authoritarian regime (though not a monarchy) with a return to the federal structure of the Empire. [7] Lüttwitz asked them to be ready to take over the government on 13 March. The group was unprepared but agreed to the schedule set by Lüttwitz. One factor making them support quick action was that sympathetic members of the Sicherheitspolizei in Berlin informed them that warrants for their arrest had been issued that day.
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Strike
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In Japan, man diagnosed with ‘restless anal syndrome’ after recovery from Covid-19
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In what is possibly the first such case of a post-Covid complication, a 77-year-old man in Japan reported “deep anal discomfort” just days after recovering from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Doctors at the Tokyo University Hospital diagnosed him with “restless anal syndrome.”
According to Business Insider, which reported the case citing BMC Infectious Diseases, doctors noted that the symptoms shown by the man were consistent with those shown by patients with restless leg syndrome (RLS). Additionally, in yet another feature common with RLS, he was able to get some relief via exercise, the report noted.
Tests, however, concluded that except a few haemorrhoids, the senior citizen was absolutely fine. There were no issues such as brain abnormalities, bladder disturbances etc. Restless feeling, anxiety and insomnia were the only health issues that he faced after recovering from Covid-19, the Business Insider report said.
The “anal discomfort” was resolved through a course of Clonazepam, a drug used to treat seizures, it further stated.
Earlier, the man was hospitalised with mild Covid-19 that included sore throat, cough and fever. He received treatment for mild pneumonia after developing low-grade fever for 10 days. He was discharged after his respiratory functions improved to normal 21 days after hospitalisation.
Restless leg syndrome:
BMC describes restless leg syndrome as a “common neurological, sensorimotor” disorder, caused by the dysfunction of the central nervous system. An urge to move is perhaps the most common symptom of this disorder. The symptoms worsen if the body is at rest.
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Famous Person - Sick
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Faraday Future Announces New Global Online-to-Offline (O2O) Direct Sales Organization and the First FF U.S. Sales Partner Following the Recent Signing of its Merger Agreement with Property Solutions Acquisition Corp. (PSAC)
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Faraday Future Announces New Global Online-to-Offline (O2O) Direct Sales Organization and the First FF U.S. Sales Partner Following the Recent Signing of its Merger Agreement with Property Solutions Acquisition Corp. (PSAC) Christian Gobber, Former Regional CEO at Maserati, leads Faraday Future’s Global Sales Strategy Faraday Future Signs Florida-based Jolta as First Sales Partner in the U.S., Establishing the First EV-Exclusive Retail Network FF will also Utilize China Harmony Group, a Leading Comprehensive Automobile Service Group in China Faraday Future will Bring to Market its FF 91 Using a Direct Sales Model Leveraging its Online Platform (APP, FF.com), Company-Owned Stores, as well as Partner-Owned Stores and Showrooms April 14, 2021 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time LOS ANGELES--( BUSINESS WIRE )--Faraday Future (“FF”), a California-based global shared intelligent mobility ecosystem company, today announced its new global online-to-offline (O2O) direct sales organization, strategy, and sales partners, which will be led by Christian Gobber, Vice President, O2O Sales, User Ecosystem. Mr. Gobber is responsible for developing and executing the online to offline commercial strategy of FF. Mr. Gobber will be supported in China by FF China Chief Marketing Officer Morris Gao, former head of product and sales of Maserati China. FF will go-to-market using a direct sales model leveraging its online platforms (APP, FF.com), FF-owned stores, as well as partner-owned stores and showrooms for an asset-light sales network expansion. Having its own distribution network will allow FF to provide a seamless user experience and enable the company to deliver the highest level of price transparency to its users. As an FF distribution partner, Jolta locations will support FF’s online-to-offline direct sales model, vehicle delivery, charging, service, and other user operations activities. FF is targeting a future retail presence in the 20 top cities around the world. To date, the company has signed memoranda of understanding with sales partners including Jolta in the U.S., and China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding Limited (Harmony Group) in China, among others. Jolta is the first-ever electric vehicle “EV” dealership in the U.S., and Jolta’s EV dealership network plans to cover 15+ major U.S. cities by 2025 and 30+ by 2030. Harmony Group is a leading comprehensive automobile service group in China, which specializes in luxury and super luxury car brands sales and after-sales service, including Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, BMW, Land Rover, etc. As of June 2020, Harmony Group has a total of 75 dealership outlets, covering 36 cities across China. As a testament to its confidence and commitment to FF, Harmony Group has also been a part of the PIPE investment group supporting FF along with other key mobility players in China. To provide FF users with a high level of after-sales and service resources, FF has also partnered with Formel D, one of the leading global after-sales providers, which has more than 10,000 employees and considerable experience in the industry. Mr. Gobber will be responsible for developing and executing the O2O commercial strategy of FF. Mr. Gobber is a luxury automotive executive with extensive experience in key global markets. Notably, he introduced Maserati to the Chinese market and in a nine-year period, turned it into the second largest market by volume and the first by profit. He later moved to the U.S. where he served as CEO of Maserati America during the introduction of the Levante SUV. In addition to the regional CEO roles in China and the U.S., Mr. Gobber held the position of global head of sales and after-sales, overseeing all commercial operations of Maserati’s subsidiaries. Prior to Maserati, he started his career in marketing at P&G and worked at Ducati. “I’m excited to lead the global O2O direct sales team as the company redefines the luxury EV market with the launch of our FF 91 flagship model,” said Gobber. “We expect to exceed our competition across every EV category, and our unique sales model allows us to fully capitalize on our U.S.-China dual-home market strategy.” “Christian and Morris bring their remarkable luxury automotive experience in the global markets which will be instrumental in driving sales for FF,” said Dr. Carsten Breitfeld, Global CEO of FF. “Establishing the new global O2O sales organization will be an important milestone to the FF sales system, which will effectively promote the realization of our unique and industry-leading sales concept.” FF is currently preparing to merge with Property Solutions Acquisition Corp. (“PSAC”) (NASDAQ: PSAC), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The previously announced merger agreement, expected to close in the second quarter of 2021, will result in the combined company listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the new ticker symbol “FFIE.” FF’s flagship electric vehicle (“EV”) – FF 91 – is planned to be launched within 12 months of the closing of the merger. As the only next-gen intelligent internet EV product, FF’s flagship EV, FF 91 will deliver a unique intelligent Internet electric mobility experience which combines extreme technology, ultimate user-experience, and a holistic ecosystem. Featuring an industry-leading 1,050 horsepower, and a 130-kWh battery with submerged liquid cooling technology, FF 91 achieves 0-60 mph in less than 2.4 seconds. Combined with a unique rear-seat intelligent Internet system, FF 91 delivers internet connectivity at high speed via its super mobile AP, achieves the industry's largest reclining seat angle of 60 degrees through its zero-gravity rear seats, and provides a revolutionary user experience designed to create a mobile, connected, intelligent, and luxurious third Internet living space and user mobility ecosystem platform.
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Organization Merge
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The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in North Kivu province
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Hundreds of thousands of people have been left displaced, and over half a million in the city of Goma have been left without access to clean drinking water, following the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While teams from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are responding, other humanitarian organisations should urgently step in to help meet people’s basic needs. “We are assisting the immediate needs of displaced people, but it is not enough,” says Magali Roudaut, MSF head of mission in DRC. “More clean water should be urgently provided; cholera is endemic in the area and poses a huge threat to people, including to the host communities.” “There are urgent needs that are still unmet such as food, latrines, shelters, blankets, and jerrycans for water,” says Roudaut. “We demand urgent support of other humanitarian organisations to assist people.” Mount Nyiragongo, considered the most dangerous volcano in Africa, erupted on 22 May near Goma. So far, 31 people have been reported dead after the eruption as a direct or indirect consequence of it, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Several buildings have been severely damaged or have collapsed, including health structures and water and electricity supply systems in some areas of the city. More than 500,000 people have been deprived of access to drinking water, as Goma’s main reservoir and the pipes were damaged during the eruption. Around 400,000 people have been displaced and are on the move, fearing the continuous seismic and volcanic activity. “We have seen a steady flow of people leaving Goma carrying mattresses and other belongings,” says Roudaut. “They go either by car or on foot towards Sake, a city 25 kilometres west of Goma, as well as towards Rutshuru and Minova, or by boat to Bukavu.” Some people have also crossed the border into Rwanda. Although movements of people had slowed down at the start of the week, the authorities’ order for the partial evacuation of Goma on 27 May led to the departure of hundreds of thousands of more people. MSF teams are providing assistance to displaced people in Sake, where between 100,000 and 180,000 people are gathering in churches, schools, mosques, and on the streets, looking for food, water, shelter and healthcare. We are focusing on preventing cholera from spreading and treating patients with the disease. Our teams are also undertaking epidemiological surveillance, as well as providing drinking water, scaling up storage capacity to 125,000 litres, which can be refilled by trucks depending on people’s daily consumption. We are also providing medical care to people in health centres and hospitals supported by MSF, with our teams having provided 202 consultations on just the first day of our emergency response in Sake. Three people from the internally displaced people’s settlement were admitted in the cholera treatment centre with suspected cases, but all test results came back negative. Nonetheless, this illustrates the risk of cholera for the people of Sake. MSF is also providing access to hygiene and sanitation facilities in Goma, where our teams are building latrines for the displaced people. We have donated 100 mattresses to the Goma provincial hospital in order to improve hospital conditions. On the road between Goma and Rutshuru, MSF is supporting existing clinics and has set up an additional emergency ward some six kilometres from the lava flow. In Rutshuru, North Kivu, which hosts some 25,000 displaced people, our teams are supporting the hospital and two health centres in the neighbourhood. MSF teams are providing basic healthcare and referring more complicated cases to Rutshuru’s hospital. Most medical emergencies are related to road accidents which have occurred while people are trying to flee, but also cases of intoxication from volcanic gasses. Some people have reported symptoms such as headaches, eye soreness and respiratory problems. We are also working to limit the impact of the disaster on the patients we assist in the 12 projects we support in coordination with the Ministry of Health in North Kivu, South Kivu and Maniema provinces. Ituri province, where MSF is present in four health zones, is also affected by the consequences of the volcanic eruption, since it depends on Goma airport. The closure of Goma’s airport is forcing us to reconsider supply routes for equipment and medicines, but also for the movement of our teams. They are constantly reassessed in order to ensure the continuity of the healthcare we provide in these health zones.
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Volcano Eruption
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Watsonville riots
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The Watsonville riots was a period of racial violence that took place in Watsonville, California, from January 19 to January 23, 1930. Involving violent assaults on Filipino American farm workers by local residents opposed to immigration, the riots highlighted the racial and socioeconomic tensions in California's agricultural communities.
As U.S. nationals, Filipinos had the legal right to work in the United States, and as early as 1906 they were working on Hawaii's sugar and pineapple plantations as full-time laborers. Assuming the Filipino workers' unfamiliarity with their rights, employers paid sakadas the lowest wages among all ethnic laborers; and Filipinos were introduced as strikebreakers as part of a divide and rule strategy to prevent cross-ethnic mobilization and thereby ensure smooth production processes .
The Immigration Acts of 1917 and 1924, which targeted non-whites of Asian descent, allowed Filipinos to answer the growing demand for labor on the U.S. mainland. From the 1920s on, "overwhelmingly young, single, and male" Filipinos migrated to the Pacific Coast, joining Mexicans in positions previously filled by Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and Indians. In California, Filipinos were the dominant Asian farm labor force during the next two decades.
Filipino laborers' resilience in harsh working conditions made them favorite recruits among farm operators. In California's Santa Clara and San Joaquin Valleys, Filipinos were often assigned to the backbreaking work of cultivating and harvesting asparagus, celery, and lettuce. As in Hawaii, the industry and perceived passivity of these "little brown brothers" were used to counter the so-called "laziness" of working-class whites and other ethnic groups.
Due to gender bias in immigration policy and hiring practices, of the 30,000 Filipino laborers following the cycle of seasonal farm work, only 1 in 14 were women. Unable to meet Filipinas, Filipino farm workers sought the companionship of women outside their own ethnic community, which further aggravated mounting racial discord.
In the next few years, white men decrying the takeover of jobs and white women by Filipinos resorted to vigilantism to deal with the "third Asiatic invasion." Filipino laborers frequenting pool halls or attending street fairs in Stockton, Dinuba, Exeter, and Fresno risked being attacked by nativists threatened by the swelling labor pool as well as the Filipino's presumed predatory sexual nature.
In October 1929, Filipinos at a street carnival in Exeter were shot with rubber bands as they walked with their white female companions. In response to the knifing of a heckler, a mob of 300 white men led by then Chief of Police C. E. Joyner burned the barn of a rancher known to hire Filipinos; and Joyner ordered the shutdown of a nearby labor camp. According to local press, the riot was caused primarily by Filipinos' insistence on equal treatment by white women.
Two months later, in the morning of December 2, 1929, in Watsonville, a coastal town 189 miles (304 km) away, police raided a boardinghouse and found two white girls, aged 16 and 11, sleeping in the same room with Perfecto Bandalan, a 25-year-old lettuce grower. The Watsonville community was outraged and remained so even after learning that Bandalan and 16-year-old Esther Schmick were engaged, and that they were caring for Esther's sister Bertha at her mother's request.
Near midnight on January 18, 1930, 500 white men and youths gathered outside a Filipino dance club in the Palm Beach section of Watsonville. The club was owned by a Filipino man and offered dances with the nine white women who lived there. The mob came with clubs and weapons intending to take the women out and burn the place down. The owners threatened to shoot if the rioters persisted, and when the mob refused to leave, the owners opened fire. Police broke up the fight with gas bombs. Two days later, on January 20, a group of Filipino men met with a group of white men near the Pajaro River bridge to settle the score. A group of Hispanic men then arrived and took sides with the whites. The riot began and continued for five days.
Hunting parties were organized; the white mob was run like a "military" operation with leaders giving orders to attack or withdraw. They dragged Filipinos from their homes and beat them. They threw Filipinos off the Pajaro River bridge. They ranged up the San Juan road to attack Filipinos at the Storm and Detlefsen ranches; at Riberal's labor camp, twenty-two Filipinos were dragged out and beaten almost to death. A Chinese apple-dryer that employed Filipinos was demolished; shots were fired into a Filipino home on Ford Street; and 22-year-old Fermin Tobera died after being shot in the heart when he was hiding in a closet with 11 others, trying to avoid the rounds of bullets fired at a bunkhouse in Murphy Ranch in San Juan Road on the 23rd.
The police in Watsonville, led by Sheriff Nick Sinnott, gathered as many Filipinos as they could rescue and guarded them in the City Council's chamber while Monterey County Sheriff Carl Abbott secured the Pajaro side of the river against further riot.
The violence spread to Stockton, San Francisco, San Jose, and other cities.A Filipino club was blown up in Stockton, and the blast was blamed on the Filipinos themselves. In Gilroy, masked men warned a Japanese farmer to discharge his Filipinos. Fifty unemployed whites and Filipinos were hustled out of town by police, trying to preempt possible fighting. Many Filipinos fled the country. News of the riots spread to the Philippines, where there were protests in solidarity. The body of Fermin Tobera was sent to the Philippines, where he is considered a martyr, a symbol of the Filipinos' fight for independence and equality.
The five days of the Watsonville riots had a profound impact on California's attitude toward imported Asian labor. California's legislature explicitly outlawed Filipino-white intermarriage following 1933's Roldan v. Los Angeles County decision. By 1934, the federal Tydings–McDuffie Act restricted Filipino immigration to fifty people per year. As a result, Filipino immigration plummeted, and while they remained a significant part of the labor in the fields, they began to be replaced by Mexicans.
Yet, seven months after the Watsonville riots, Filipino lettuce pickers carried out a successful strike in Salinas for better treatment. These strikes were repeated again in the Salinas Lettuce Strike of 1934 and in 1936. In addition, although their relationships were frowned upon, white women and Filipino men continued to meet and marry.
On September 4, 2011, California apologized to Filipinos and Filipino Americans in an Assembly resolution authored by Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Salinas. "Filipino Americans have a proud history of hard work and perseverance," Alejo said in a statement. "California, however, does not have as proud a history regarding its treatment of Filipino Americans.
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Riot
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Historic Judean archeological discoveries a 'wake-up call'
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Updated: APRIL 8, 2021 14:13 Israel Hasson, director of the IAA, in the desert The recent discovery of rare archaeological finds hidden untouched by human beings for thousands of years, in barely accessible caves in the Judean desert is the stuff Indiana Jones movies are made of: a race against time using modern technology and conducting excavations of extreme complexity to rescue antiquities before they fall prey to looters who destroy important antiquity sites in their quest to find priceless historical artifacts. The new finds include dozens of fragments of a biblical scroll from the Bar-Kochba period (132-136 CE), a 6,000-year-old skeleton of a child and possibly the oldest complete basket in the world. Read More... The oldest complete basket in the world found at the Muraba’at Cave (Photo Credit: DAFNA GAZIT/ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY) The discoveries come 70 years after the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls , which contain the earliest known copies of the Biblical Books and are considered to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. The climatic conditions inside the Judean Desert caves have enabled the exceptional preservation of scrolls and ancient documents, allowing archaeologists – and thieves – to find them almost two thousand years later. Uncovering the recent finds, said Eitan Klein, deputy director of the Israel Antiquities Authority Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Theft, co-director of the four-year operation, was like seeing history come alive before his very eyes. “It is the dream of all archaeologists (to make such a discovery) and it is not something that happens every day,” he said. “Finding something significant like this connects you directly to the people who were there. You start to think about them, and how they reached (the caves), who put the (artifacts) there and why, what situation they were in. It really connects us to the people who walked this land thousands of years before us.” The new historic discoveries were made 60 years after the last discovery of biblical scrolls in archaeological excavations. Verses from Zechariah 8:14-17 written in Greek were found on the dozen of parchment fragments: These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to one another, render true and perfect justice in your gates. And do not contrive evil against one another, and do not love perjury, because all those are things that I hate – declares the Lord. Other fragments from portions of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets, which in addition to the book of Zechariah also includes the book of Nahum, were also found. The scroll fragments were retrieved from the “Cave of Horror” in the Judean Desert reserve’s Nahal Hever. The cave, roughly 80 meters below the cliff top, is flanked by gorges and can only be reached by rappelling down the sheer cliff. The archaeologists received special training for the excavation, and two went through a medics’ first aid course. “This is a very dangerous and challenging excavation. We are also in touch with the IDF helicopter unit and rescue units in the area, in case we need rescuing,” Klein said. Dozens of youth took part in the Israel Antiquities Authority excavations in caves in the Judean Desert (Photo Credit: Dozens of youth took part in the Israel Antiquities Authority excavations in caves in the Judean Desert) The Jewish rebels who took the scrolls into the inhospitable “Cave of Horror” – where more than 30 skeletons were uncovered in an excavation in the 1960s and where the child’s skeleton was also now found buried – were most likely sure they were living in the time of the redemption and the messiah would arrive to rescue them, he said. “The story behind the find is very emotional. There they were, sitting in the cave, with a Roman encampment above them, not letting them come out. And (the rebels) sat reading from the Prophets expecting the messiah to come save them as is written in the Book of Prophets,” said Klein. “It is very dramatic. It connects you to the last moments of their lives. It connected me to Jewish history.” In addition to the fragments, a cache of rare coins engraved with Jewish symbols from the days of the Bar-Kochba Revolt such as a harp and a date palm, some woven fabric, sandals, and lice combs were uncovered. Much older remains including a 6,000 year-old skeleton of a child – believed by the archaeologists to be female – wrapped in a cloth and mummified, and a large complete basket dating back 10,500 years and likely the oldest in the world, were also found. The discovery of the carefully wrapped child’s skeleton was especially poignant, said Klein. “You realize you are witness to a…very dramatic and traumatic story,” he said. “You don’t know what the situation was, but you know it was a very emotional event for the people burying the child, who may have died in their arms.” Most likely the child died of starvation, along with the other ancient occupants of the cave, he said. “They probably hid in the cave from someone and couldn’t get out of the cave to re-escape,” he conjectured. “They ran out of food and they all died in the cave. Then later, during the Bar-Kochba Revolt, people also ran to the same cave.” Though they are waiting for lab results to pinpoint the exact period the skeleton is from, it is clear that it is at least 5,000 years old, he said. “It is pre-historic so there is no written account of what happened, but we know there was some event, maybe some war between two tribes in the Southern Land of Israel and people escaped to the desert,” he said. Since 2009, the Israel Antiquities Authority’s anti-theft department had been embroiled in a cat-and-mouse chase with antiquities looters, as rare antiquities from the Bar-Kochba and First Temple period (7th century BCE) began to appear for sale on the antiquities market. The final alarm came in 2013 when the same gang of thieves tried to sell a rare First Temple period papyrus and a certificate from two jars of wine. “We understood that we have to catch this gang who were stealing from Judean Desert caves but we didn’t know exactly from which caves,” said Klein. “That’s when we began the mission to find out from where they were stealing and to catch the gang.” Continuing with surveillance and using informants, their luck took a turn for the better at the end of 2014 when they caught members of the gang digging in a cave where they had first discovered the Bar-Kochba-era parchments in 2009, said Klein. The thieves were sentenced to two years in jail. In 2016, the IAA initiated an excavation in a cave known as the “Cave of Skulls,” where archaeologists found eight skulls inside a basket in the 1960s. Joined by 400 volunteers, among the finds discovered in the cave was a bundle of textiles wrapped around a cache of jewelry hidden some 5,000 years ago, said Klein. The discovery, however, of small fragments of Hebrew script from the Second Temple period led them to believe that despite the 70 years of looting, important artifacts could still remain hidden in remote Judean Desert caves. A year later, IAA Director Israel Hasson launched the current operation to survey all the Judean Desert caves and ravines, a mission which involves complex cave rappelling and flight drones used to map out the caves in remote areas. “He decided that instead of running after thieves we would initiate a mission where we would reach the artifacts before the thieves got to them,” said Klein. In an IAA press release, Hasson called the finds “a wake-up call” to the government and asked that funds be allocated to complete the project. “We must ensure that we recover all the data that has not yet been discovered in the caves, before the robbers do,” he said. Klein said that the excavations have encompassed going from cave to cave which have been mapped out by drone technology, to tell the full story of the Judean desert, not just of one cave. So far, he said, they have excavated in some 500 caves. “We document every and all items that are connected to humans, to understand the activity beginning from prehistory... the Islamic Period... to the modern period – including the garbage that antiquities thieves left in cave two years ago,” Klein said. “We document the actions of the Bedouin antiquity thieves because that is also the story of the Judean Desert, and we want to understand the general story of the Land of Israel.” Aware of the controversy often surrounding archaeological digs with some people maintaining that non-Jewish time periods are overlooked, particularly those in contested areas of the West Bank such as parts of the Judean Desert, Klein holds that archaeologists do not serve politics, but rather conduct their research unaffected by one ideology or another. “We find items and we research them,” he said Scrolls have also been found in the Negev Desert, Klein noted, but less so than in the Judean Desert which has always been the “backyard” of Jerusalem. The cave-by-cave scanning, which was not possible before, has helped archaeologists identify previously unknown cave openings, he said. “There is no 100 percent but we think our scanning is about 90 percent of the caves. I expect us to get to 95 percent of the caves, though there will be some we will miss,” he said. “Thefts still occur but our control of the area is much stronger now. We will have a catalogue of all the caves in the Judean Desert and today I can look at a cave and know if there are antiquities there or not, which I couldn’t know before. Before I would look at a cliff and see a black hole.” Now if they hear about looters digging at a cave, they first look to see which cave it is. “If they are digging in a cave that has nothing, then we don’t worry. We will still try to catch them, but we are assured that they won’t hurt any antiquities,” he said. They have about another 40 kilometers of cliff still left to excavate, he said, and it will probably take another two to three years to complete their mission.
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New archeological discoveries
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Pan Am Flight 6 crash
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Pan Am Flight 6 (registration N90943, and sometimes erroneously called Flight 943) was a round-the-world airline flight that ditched in the Pacific Ocean on October 16, 1956, after two of its four engines failed. Flight 6 left Philadelphia on October 12 as a DC-6B and flew eastward to Europe and Asia on a multi-stop trip. On the evening of October 15 the flight left Honolulu on a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser Clipper named Sovereign Of The Skies (Pan Am fleet number 943, registered N90943). The accident was the basis for the 1958 film Crash Landing. The aircraft took off from Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, at 8:26 p.m. HST on the flight's last leg to San Francisco. After passing the point of equal time, the flight received permission to climb to an altitude of 21,000 ft (6,400 m). When that altitude was reached, at about 1:20 a.m., the No. 1 engine began to overspeed as power was reduced. The first officer, George Haaker, who was flying the plane, immediately slowed the plane by further reducing power and by extending the flaps, and an attempt was made to feather the propeller. The propeller would not feather and the engine continued to turn at excessive RPM. Captain Richard Ogg decided to cut off the oil supply to the engine. Eventually, the RPM declined and the engine seized. The propeller continued to windmill in the air stream, causing drag that increased the fuel consumption. As a result, the plane was forced to fly more slowly, below 150 knots (280 km/h), and lost altitude at the rate of 1,000 feet per minute (5.1 m/s). Climb power was set on the remaining three engines to slow the rate of descent. The No. 4 engine subsequently began to fail[1] and soon was producing only partial power at full throttle. At 2:45 a.m. the No. 4 engine began to backfire, forcing the crew to shut it down and feather the propeller. [2]
The crew calculated the added drag left them with insufficient fuel to reach San Francisco or to return to Honolulu. Captain Ogg radioed a message: "PanAm 90943, Flight 6, declaring an emergency over the Pacific". [3] In the 1950s and 1960s the United States Coast Guard maintained a cutter at Ocean Station November between Hawaii and the California coast. This ship was able to provide weather information and passed on radio messages to aircraft in the vicinity. It was located at the "point of no return" and intended to provide assistance to aircraft in distress. On that night, the ship was the 255-foot USCGC Pontchartrain. Captain Ogg's message was relayed to the Pontchartrain[3] and the plane flew to the cutter's location, leveled off at 2,000 feet (610 m), and flew above it in eight-mile circles on the two remaining engines until daylight. [4]
Captain Ogg had decided to wait for daylight, since it was important to keep the wings level with the ocean swells at the ditching impact. That would be easier to achieve in full sunlight, improving the odds that passengers could be rescued, but he became concerned that the ocean waves were beginning to rise. As the plane circled the Coast Guard cutter, it was able to climb from 2,000 to 5,000 feet (610 to 1,520 m). At that altitude several practice approaches were made to see that the plane would be controllable at low speed (the goal was to have the lowest speed possible, just before touching the water). Delaying the ditching also ensured that more fuel would be consumed, making the plane lighter so it would float longer and minimizing the risk of fire in the event of a crash landing. [1]
Aware of the Pan Am Flight 845/26 accident the year before, in which a Boeing 377's tail section had broken off during a water landing, the captain told the flight's purser to clear passengers from the back of the plane. [1] The crew removed loose objects from the cabin, and prepared the passengers for the landing. As on other flights of the era, small children were allowed on their parents' laps, without separate seats or seat belts. [5]
At 5:40 a.m. Captain Ogg notified Pontchartrain that he was preparing to ditch. The cutter laid out a foam path for a best ditch heading of 315 degrees, to aid the captain to judge his height above the water. After a dry run the plane touched down at 6:15 a.m., at 90 knots (170 km/h) with full flaps and landing gear retracted, in sight of the Pontchartrain at 30°01.5'N, 140°09'W. [2] On touching the water, the plane moved along the surface for a few hundred yards before one wing hit a swell, causing the plane to rotate nearly 180 degrees to port, damaging the nose section and breaking off the tail. [1] All 31 on board survived the ditching. Three life rafts were deployed by the crew and passengers who had been assigned to help. One raft failed to inflate properly, but rescue boats from the cutter were able promptly to transfer the passengers from that raft. All were rescued by the Coast Guard before the last pieces of wreckage sank at 6:35 a.m. Crew on the cutter filmed the landing and the rescue. [6] A ten-minute film was later produced, including a re-enacted recording of the radio conversation between the pilot and the Coast Guard. [4]
The passengers were housed in the ship's officers' quarters and returned to San Francisco several days later. [5] There were a few minor injuries, including an 18-month-old girl who bumped her head during the impact and was knocked unconscious. Forty-four cases of live canaries in the cargo hold were lost when the plane sank. [5]
Some time later, the crew received awards for their work on the flight, having prevented any fatalities. [7] Pilot Richard Ogg was the first recipient of the Civilian Airmanship Awards presented by the Order of Daedalians. [8]
An investigation report summarized the incident: "An initial mechanical failure which precluded feathering the No.
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Air crash
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2005 Guatemalan protests
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The 2005 Guatemalan protests was mass street protests and violent anti-United States of America protests after the president Óscar Berger signed the Central America Free Trade Agreement with the United States of America in March-April 2005. [1][2]
Protests occurred against it, and the opposition vowed to step up protests calling for the resignation of Óscar Berger. The protesters claimed it will harm farmers and businesses from running, and sparked nation-wide protests, leaving police to disperse crowds of protesters in Guatemala City. Demonstrations intensified on the 4th day of daily street protests, when nonviolent demonstrations turned violent after protesters banged pots and pelted stones at the Riot police in Guatemala City, who responded with killing one protester. [3]
Weeks of street protests swelled. The protesters want a referendum on the Central American Free Trade Agreement (Cafta), as well as the resignation of the interior minister and police chief. One more protester was killed during the sixth day of protests after Riot police used tear gas and water cannon to dispel the marchers, some of whom were throwing rocks and bottles at them. The participants in the protest movement and street demonstrations was indigenous farmers, trade unions and students. [4]
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Nine workers found dead in China gold mine explosion, pushing toll to 10
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Chinese rescuers have found the bodies of nine more workers killed in explosions at a gold mine, raising the death toll to 10, officials said Monday. Eleven others were rescued a day earlier after being trapped underground for two weeks at the mine in Shandong province, in eastern China. One person is still missing. The cause of the accident at the mine, which was under construction, is under investigation. The Jan. 10 explosions released 70 tons of debris that blocked a shaft, disabling elevators and trapping workers underground. Rescuers drilled parallel shafts to send down food and nutrients and eventually bring up the survivors Sunday. Chen Yumin, director of the rescue group, said there were two explosions about an hour and a half apart, with the second explosion causing more damage. He said the nine workers whose bodies were recovered Monday died more than 1,300 feet below ground. Search efforts will continue for the remaining miner until he is found, said Chen Fei, the mayor of Yantai city, where the mine is. “Until this worker is found, we will not give up,” he said at a news conference. World & Nation Trapped for 2 weeks, 11 workers rescued from China gold mine Eleven workers trapped for two weeks inside a Chinese gold mine were brought safely to the surface on Sunday. Jan. 24, 2021 Chen and other officials involved in the rescue effort held a moment of silence for the victims. “Our hearts are deeply grieved. We express our profound condolences, and we express deep sympathies to the families of the victim,” Chen said. Authorities have detained the mine’s managers for allegedly delaying in reporting the accident. Such protracted and expensive rescue efforts are relatively new in China’s mining industry, which used to average 5,000 deaths per year. Increased supervision has improved safety, although demand for coal and precious metals continues to prompt corner-cutting. A new crackdown was ordered after two accidents in mountainous southwestern Chongqing last year killed 39 miners.
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Mine Collapses
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Donors pledging billions in aid to Afghanistan face a challenge: Navigating the Taliban
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One month after the fall of its U.S.-supported government to the Taliban, Afghanistan faces crises of astronomical levels: millions facing starvation, a nationwide liquidity crunch, suspension of aid and freezing of assets by international donors and fears of brutal human rights abuses. Policymakers in the West are grappling with whether to engage with Afghanistan’s new government of hardline Islamist extremists — which includes wanted terrorists — as the country approaches economic collapse. Prior to the Taliban takeover, 80% of the Afghan government’s budget was funded by the U.S. and other Western donors. Forty percent of its GDP came from international aid. Roughly half of the country lived below the poverty line. Out of its population of 40 million, 14 million in Afghanistan are food insecure. The U.N.’s World Food Programme says $200 million is needed to sustain its operations in the country until the end of this year. The Taliban leadership has already outlined policies regarding aid agencies accessing the country. This would be overseen by an authority called the Commission for the Arrangement and Control of Companies and Organisations, which deals with both business and aid organizations. “This commission will oversee the registration of all aid agencies and will enforce the Taliban code of conduct for these organizations which include aspects like taxation, political neutrality (ensuring that aid workers are not spies), and respect of Afghan culture,” according to Amer Alhussein, an economist and economic advisor for the post-conflict development initiative Plant for Peace. Earlier this week, international donors at a U.N. conference in Geneva including the U.S. and European states pledged more than $1 billion in aid to war-ravaged Afghanistan. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that “the people of Afghanistan are facing the collapse of an entire country — all at once.” He warned that food supplies in the country could run out by the end of September, and stressed that engagement with the Taliban government would be necessary. “It is impossible to provide humanitarian assistance inside Afghanistan without engaging with the de facto authorities,” Guterres told the press. But this presents a fresh dilemma for donors, amid fears of widespread and violent human rights abuses by the Taliban, infamous for their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, and amid concerns over new opportunities for corruption and misuse of donation funds. That potential for corruption is “a huge risk,” said Alex Zerden, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and former Treasury Department financial attaché at the U.S. embassy in Kabul. “The Taliban control customs, they control taxation. They were in the extortion business a month ago, I don’t think they’re going to change,” he told CNBC via phone on Wednesday. A quarter of the country’s banks are state-owned, as is the central bank, meaning those vehicles for moving money around the country are all now under control of the Taliban. Anyone doing business with these banks then also faces the risk of U.S. sanctions. And while aid organizations may choose to deploy their funds via independent institutions on the ground, those “may not have the absorptive capacity to responsibly transfer or use a huge influx of funds,” Zerden said. Corruption in Afghanistan is anything but new. The billions poured into the country over the last two decades, especially from the U.S., fueled a class of Afghan millionaire contractors, politicians and warlords whose corruption crippled the country and pushed many into the arms of the Taliban, who have pledged to do away with such behavior. But the Taliban funded themselves until now via the opium trade, extortion, and illicit mining activities in the country. The group’s yearly revenues reached into the hundreds of million, which funded their insurgency over the years — but it falls far short of the more than $5 billion required annually to fund the Afghan government. Instead of being eradicated, corruption may just take on a different flavor, Alhussein said. “Given the lack of resources combined with the Taliban’s urgent need to stabilize the country and win over the loyalty of local tribal leaders, I believe that a new form of corruption — similar in nature to the one that the country suffered from over the past 20 years, but different in terms of recipients and distribution — is bound to emerge,” he said. But donors do have some mechanisms that can go some way in preventing the misuse of funds. One is delivering food, medicine and other basic goods rather than money, which is what states like Qatar, China, Iran and Pakistan have done or pledged to do so far. Another is working through the U.N. as opposed to the Afghan central bank, or using private banks to deploy capital instead of state banks, Zerden said. The U.S. will continue to deliver aid to Afghans, but not through the Taliban and despite its own sanctions on the group, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week. “The U.S. Treasury Department has issued specific licenses to allow U.S. government agencies, contractors, and grant recipients to continue to provide critical and lifesaving humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan, despite sanctions on the Taliban,” he said in a statement. “Consistent with our sanctions, this aid will not flow through the government, but rather through independent organizations.” The World Food Programme also told CNBC in a statement: “We have robust monitoring systems in place, guided by global monitoring standards, and we conduct routine monitoring activities to ensure accountability and improve the quality of our programmes.” It says it is “100% focused on helping local communities” and has a network of local partners that enables it to do its work. Despite the oversight mechanisms tied to aid funds, however, “foreign and humanitarian aid donated to states will get into the wrong hands,” warned Andreas Krieg, an associate professor at King’s College London. “Under the [previous Ashraf] Ghani government much of these funds were expropriated to fund a kleptocratic regime.” “In the developing world funds usually get misused by regimes. The Taliban are just another of these regimes,” Krieg said, adding, “The answer is not ‘no foreign aid’ because that will undermine any effort to reign the Taliban in and moderate them.”
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Financial Aid
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Penistone rail accidents
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Over the latter years of the 19th and early years of the 20th centuries, Penistone in Yorkshire gained a name as an accident black-spot on Britain's railway network; indeed, it could be said to hold the title of the worst accident black-spot in the country. The main line through the town was the Woodhead route of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway between Sheffield Victoria and Manchester, London Road. The line was heavily graded with a summit some 400 yards inside the eastern portal of the Woodhead tunnel. During a parliamentary committee meeting to debate the building of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, George Stephenson was asked if it would not be awkward should a train hit a cow. His now classic reply, given in his broad Northumbrian dialect, was to state "Oo, ay, very awkward for the COO!". [1]
On the evening of 6 October 1845 this assumption was dramatically put to the test. Shortly after leaving Dunford Bridge the Sheffield bound train struck a cow, which a drover from Penistone market had been unable to remove from the line. The impact caused the locomotive and carriages to derail and the cow was killed instantly. Such was the force of the accident that the cow was almost entirely cut in half. [2]
None of the passengers suffered any injuries other than some minor bruising, although the guard was more severely injured. A replacement train was dispatched from Sheffield and the passengers all completed their journey by two o'clock the following morning. [3]
The first major accident occurred on 16 July 1884, a few miles to the west of the town, near Bullhouse Colliery. The accident is often referred to as being at "Bullhouse Bridge", where the road to Huddersfield passes below the line. An express passenger train, the 12:30 pm from Manchester London Road to London King's Cross, with through carriages for Grimsby Docks in connection with the evening steamer sailing, had left Woodhead Tunnel and was gathering speed on the downhill gradient towards Penistone. The locomotive was 4-4-0 No. 434, built at Gorton Locomotive Works. [4]
As it entered the curve at Bullhouse, the driver felt the engine develop an uneasy roll, but before he could apply the brakes, he heard a crack. A driving wheel axle on the locomotive had snapped, and the resulting spread of the driving wheels distorted the track. The axle fracture was probably caused by metal fatigue. A Cheshire Lines Committee horsebox coupled behind the engine was derailed but remained upright. The coupling between the horsebox and the following carriages failed, and the first five GNR carriages (the London portion of the train) ran off the rails and down the embankment on the outside of the curve. The last five MS&L carriages (the Grimsby portion) were also derailed but suffered less damage. Nineteen passengers were killed at the scene. Five more later died in hospital, the last on 6 August. [4] Many of the dead were women[5] and the toll also included railway mechanical engineer Massey Bromley. The Inspector's report allowed that the accident "could not have been foreseen or prevented". It did however question, among other matters, the use of inside cranked axles, and the use of iron rather than steel for these important components. [4]
The second unfortunate incident took place on the other side of Penistone Station, between Huddersfield Junction and Barnsley Junction, within six months. On 1 January 1885 a special excursion train from stations in the Sheffield area to Liverpool (9 coaches) and Southport (9 coaches) was climbing towards Penistone. At the same time a train of empty coal wagons travelling in the opposite direction to return the wagons to collieries in South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire was descending the gradient and had just passed the Huddersfield Junction signal box when one of the wagons derailed. The driver of the locomotive applied his brakes and this wagon, Shireoaks No. 218, jumped forward and became buffer-locked with the wagon in front, Shireoaks No. 1, which also came off the rails, and struck the locomotive of the excursion. The wagon was brushed aside by the locomotive but rebounded after the first four of the excursion's carriages passed. The fifth, sixth and seventh carriages were wrecked and the following three were brought off the track. One person was killed in the accident and two others died as a result of amputations. On examination, Shireoaks No. 218 wagon was found to have a fractured axle with two flaws in the metal, a problem again caused by metal fatigue. Unexpected catastrophic failure of axles (and wheels) was a problem on all railway vehicles at the time, owing to the lack of understanding of the causes, especially fatigue crack initiation and growth. Crack initiation was usually caused either by defects or poor design, with stress concentrations raising the local stress to failure. The small crack so created would then grow slowly under repeated loading from usage until the axle could no longer withstand imposed loads. (It was noted that the day of the Barnsley Junction accident was very cold and the ballast under the railway sleepers was frozen, increasing the loads on the wheels and axles.) Although the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire railway could not be held directly responsible for this accident, the enquiry recommended more thorough inspection of all rolling stock. [6]
The next serious accident occurred four years later on 30 March 1889. This was the day of the F.A. Cup Final. Preston North End, then considered the best team in the country, were due to play Wolverhampton Wanderers at Kennington Oval, and the University Boat Race was to take place over the Thames Tideway between Putney and Mortlake in London. The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway ran an excursion with portions from Liverpool, Southport and Wigan to London, Kings Cross. Although it was not intended as a football excursion, many people from Lancashire took advantage of it to watch Preston play. The Southport portion of the train was joined to the main train from Liverpool at Warrington Central and the Wigan portion was picked up at Glazebrook.
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Train collisions
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1969 Tulbagh earthquake
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The 1969 Tulbagh earthquake occurred at 20:03:33 UTC on 29 September. It had a magnitude of 6.3 Mw and a maximum felt intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. It caused widespread damage in the towns of Ceres, Tulbagh and Wolseley and led to 12 deaths. [1] The earthquake was a result of strike-slip faulting along a NW-SE trending near vertical fault plane, as shown by the focal mechanism and the distribution of aftershocks. [2]
The Western Cape lies on the Cape Fold Belt, which is characterised by many thrust faults. Some of these thrust faults were reactivated during Cretaceous rifting as extensional faults, such as the Worcester Fault, which comes to the surface close to the epicentral area, but does not appear to be active. [1]
The earthquake was estimated to have a magnitude of 6.3 ML. [1] The ISC-GEM catalogue records it as 6.3 Mw. The focal mechanism shows that the earthquake was a result of strike-slip faulting, either sinistral movement on a NW-SE trending fault or dextral movement on a NE-SW trending fault. As the zone of aftershocks was elongated in a NW-SE direction, the NW-SE plane is regarded as the fault responsible. There is no evidence of a surface fault trace and it has not been possible to tie the earthquake to movement on a known fault structure. However, faults of similar orientation are known from nearby areas. [1]
The main-shock was followed by a long series of aftershocks. The largest aftershock occurred nearly six months later on April 14 1970 and had a magnitude of 5.7 Mw . [1]
Damage was particularly severe in the towns of Ceres, Tulbagh, Wolseley and Prince Alfred Hamlet. There was also significant damage in Porterville and Worcester and the villages of Gouda, Saron and Hermon. [3]
The earthquake severely affected Church Street in Tulbagh, which was renowned for its 18th to 20th-century buildings in Cape Dutch, Victorian and Edwardian styles. [4]
The buildings in Church Street were restored, initially by the National Committee for the Restoration of Historic Buildings in Tulbagh and its Environment, and later by the Tulbagh Valley Heritage Foundation. [4]
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Earthquakes
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Hundreds of billions of locusts swarm in East Africa - BBC News
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Hundreds of billions of locusts swarm in East Africa
Published
Hundreds of billions of locusts are swarming through parts of East Africa and South Asia in the worst infestation for a quarter of a century, threatening crops and livelihoods.
A man attempts to fend off a swarm of desert locusts at a ranch near the town of Nanyuki, in Laikipia county, Kenya
Men try to repel locusts flying over grazing land in Lemasulani village, Samburu county, Kenya
The insects, which eat their own body weight in food every day, are breeding so fast numbers could grow four hundredfold by June.
A swarm of newly hatched desert locusts are seen on a tree as men look on, near the town of Archers Post, Samburu county
In January, the UN appealed for $76m (£59m) to tackle the crisis.
That figure has now risen to $138m.
A man walks by locusts in the region of Kyuso, Kenya
But so far, only $52m has been received, $10m of which has come this week from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Uganda Peoples Defence Forces soldiers spray trees with insecticides in Otuke
The main threats are in East Africa and Yemen, as well the Gulf states, Iran, Pakistan and India.
A stalk of sorghum seeds partially eaten by locusts (left) is held next to an undamaged stalk in Nairobi, Kenya
Swarms feed on shea trees, an important source of food and income for local farmers, in Otuke
Most recently, locusts have been seen in the Democratic Republic of Congo and swarms have arrived in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar and along the coast of Iran.
A UPDF soldier prepares pesticide equipment in Katakwi
A UPDF soldier sprays plants with insecticides in Otuke
Aerial and ground spraying combined with constant tracking of the swarms are viewed as the most effective strategies.
But Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa head Stephen Njoka told BBC News aircraft were in short supply.
Currently, Ethiopia was using five and Kenya six for spraying and four for surveying, he said.
A woman holds a plastic bottle filled with locusts in Lopei, Uganda
But the Kenyan government says it needs 20 planes for spraying - and a continuous supply of the pesticide Fenitrothion.
A UPDF soldier holds a locust in Otuke
A desert locust is held in Katakwi
Kenya has trained more than 240 personnel from affected counties in monitoring of locust swarms.
A man runs through a desert locust swarm in the bush near Enziu, Kitui county, about 200km (124 miles) east of the capital, Nairobi
The Chinese government announced in February it was sending a team of experts to neighbouring Pakistan to develop "targeted programmes" against the locusts.
,
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Insect Disaster
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Rumsey Fire
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The Rumsey Fire was the largest fire of the 2004 California wildfire season. [1] Destroying 39,138 acres (158.39 km2) of land, the fire burned from October 10 through October 16, 2004. [2] Four days after the fire broke out, officials confirmed that it has been the work of an arsonist. [3] Of the structures destroyed by the fire, 4 were unoccupied mobile homes and the fifth was the CAL FIRE Berryessa lookout tower. [4]
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Fire
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Scott Morrison rejects French president’s claim he lied over US nuclear submarine deal
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French President Emmanuel Macron’s accusation Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison lied to him about a torn-up $90 billion submarine deal has torpedoed the countries’ already strained relationship to new depths. Morrison rejected the French president’s claim he was lied to before Australia announced it was ditching the submarine contract in favour of US and UK nuclear-propulsion technology. Macron told Australian journalists on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome “I don’t think, I know” the Australian prime minister lied to him. “I have a lot of respect and a lot of friendship for your people,” Macron said. “I just say when we have respect, you have to be true and you have to behave in line and consistently with this value.” Morrison did not agree with suggestions he lied to the French president. “No,” the prime minister told reporters in Rome when asked if Macron’s claim was true. He added he would “always stand up for Australia’s interests”. Morrison maintained Australia was in the process of repairing its relationship with France. “We’ve begun it, we’ve spoken several times over the last couple of days. I’m sure we’ll speak a bit more before I head back to Australia,” he said. Australia in September announced it was cancelling its 2016 contract to acquire conventional Attack Class submarines from French company Naval Group. Instead, the government would look at the feasibility of acquiring technology for nuclear-powered vessels from the US and UK under an AUKUS pact. The shock announcement was kept under tight wraps and infuriated France, which responded by temporarily recalling its ambassadors from Australia and the US. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg defended Australia’s actions as necessary to protect its strategic interests. “He’s (Scott Morrison has) made very clear that he hasn’t (lied),” Frydenberg told the Nine Network on Monday. He also stressed he understood France’s deep disappointment. “It’s a difficult time in the bilateral relationship. There’s no secret in that. But at the same time, we are looking for opportunities to rebuild it,” the treasurer told reporters from Melbourne. “The AUKUS relationship is a groundbreaking one and a very significant moment, I think, for Australia’s national security posture.” Meanwhile, Acting Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce wanted everyone to move on from the submarine issue. “We didn’t steal an island. We didn’t deface the Eiffel Tower. It was a contract,” he said from Moree in northern NSW. “I hope that President Macron understands that, ultimately, Australia and France have got so much more in common and so much into the future than a contract which is now in the past.” Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Morrison had contradicted himself about what Macron was told and when. “What you need when you deal with international relations and with diplomacy, is honesty and integrity,” Albanese said. “The fact is that President Macron has said very clearly and unequivocally that Scott Morrison did not tell him, he can’t have made it any clearer.” US President Joe Biden earlier conceded the way the decision had been handled was “clumsy” and “not done with a lot of grace”.
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Tear Up Agreement
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Cinnamon Spice in Eureka Place, Ashford named 'Best Regional Restaurant of the Year' by Bangladesh Caterers Association
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A curry house in Ashford has been named the 'Best Regional Restaurant of the Year' by the Bangladesh Caterers Association (BCA) beating hundreds of others across the South East. Cinnamon Spice in Eureka Place found out it was shortlisted just two weeks ago having been nominated by its loyal customers. Staff at Cinnamon Spice collecting their award presented by MP Damian Green. Picture: BCA Judging on innovation, presentation of food, hygiene standards and customer service, the restaurant which opened in 2009 took the top spot alongside 10 winners from other regions. The team was presented with a certificate and a trophy by Ashford MP Damian Green at a special ceremony in London on Sunday night. Owner Ash Miah said the prize 'means the world' considering how tough the past 18 months have been for his industry. He said: “It means everything to know our customers believe in us. "Winning this Award is a proud moment, it recognises the talent of our chefs and the contribution we are making to this industry. Cinnamon Spice in Ashford has been named Best Regional Restaurant of the Year "We are thrilled to be ‘Curry Champions’ and we have worked hard to win and now we need people locally to come and experience our food and restaurant. "A big thank you to all our staff and customers because without them, this wouldn’t be possible." Cinnamon Spice has a 4.5 rating on Trip Advisor and is rated number four out of 111 restaurants in Ashford. During the pandemic, staff provided more than 5,000 meals to NHS staff, key workers and homeless shelters. Earlier this year was also presented with a 5* food hygiene award for the 12th consecutive year from Ashford mayor Callum Knowles who also attended the ceremony. Owner Ash Miah with wife Sume and mayor Callum Knowles The BCA Awards, which celebrates the best of British curry, is now in its 15th year. The ceremony at the weekend was co-hosted by Samantha Simmonds, BBC News Presenter and Gary Newbon, Sky Sports Presenter. Mr Miah says he is looking forward to putting the certificate and trophy proudly on display in the restaurant for everyone to see.
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Awards ceremony
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Locust attack: China to help Pakistan with effective pest ... - Mint
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“Pakistan is suffering from a severe locust plague. In order to help Pakistan, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs have put together a task force which travelled to Pakistan from February 23 to March 5," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told media here.
He said the Chinese experts had an exchange with the relevant authorities in Pakistan and put forward plans to tackle the situation.
“Considering the urgency, China has also sent emergency supplies and equipment. The first batch of these supplies arrived in Pakistan this morning (Monday). China and Pakistan have a good tradition of mutual assistance", he said.
China transported a batch of locust control materials to Pakistan, including 50,000 litres of pesticides and 15 high-powered spraying equipment, he said.
“In accordance with the need of Pakistan, we will provide as much assistance as possible in personnel training, technical safeguard and share our experience to help them build and improve their pest control systems and thereby deal with this biological disaster. We will continue to help Pakistan in combating this epidemic," he said.
Also, a new batch of coronavirus test kits were sent on the same plane that transported locust supplies to Pakistan, he said.
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Insect Disaster
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2019 Lebanon forest fires
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Lebanon Wildfires 2019 is a series of about 100 forest fires according to Lebanese Civil Defense, which broke out on Sunday 13 October at night, and spread over large areas of Lebanon's forests. It came on large areas of forests and residential areas in both the Chouf, Khroub and other areas to the south of Beirut, while four houses were completely burned. Residents were directed to evacuate their homes for fear of suffocation and threatening their lives. At least one civilian reportedly died in the Chouf area while volunteering to help firefighters extinguish a fire. The intensity of smoke clouds caused by the fires reached a limit covering the entrances of Beirut, Chouf and Saida. [4][5]
According to preliminary reports, the fires started on Sunday evening, October 13,[6] Because of high temperatures that reached 38 degrees Celsius and gusts dry winds helped spreading fires in forests and green areas. But many officials said it was too early to know the cause of the fires and that would be investigated. The Lebanese Civil Defense confronted the fires for two days, but the lack of equipment and the large-scale expansion of fires led to its inability to resist fires. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri confirmed his contact with a number of countries to send assistance via helicopters and firefighting planes,[7] In response to these calls, Cyprus rushed to send two planes that participated with Lebanese army helicopters in the suppression operations. [8] Jordan, Turkey and Greece also participated in firefighting. According to press reports on Tuesday (October 15), fire has decreased in different places due to rains
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Fire
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2017 French riots
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France
The 2017 French riots refer to two separate unrelated incidents of unrest in France following claimed abuse of power by police. The first of these riots began on 4 February 2017, in suburbs of Paris, following the alleged rape of a black man named Théo L. by police with a baton. These protests continued until 15 February. The second set of riots began late March when a Chinese man was fatally shot by police officers in Paris. These riots ended the next day.
On 2 February 2017, four police officers approached a group of young people at 4:53 PM in the Rose-des-Vents neighborhood of Aulnay-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis), a Paris suburb.
According to 22-year-old Théodore Luhaka (aka Théo),[4] a local educator,he went with a friend of his sister and had just visited friends in the neighborhood. He said police approached him and ordered him to stand against a wall to be frisked. He said that one of the men the police accosted asked why he was being threatened with a fine of 450 Euros, and one of the policemen responded with a "big slap". Theo L. says he then defended the victim of the slap, and was beaten and insulted as he struggled back.
The police account of the incident differs. They said the man had intervened violently against an officer arresting a drug dealer, who could, as a result, have run away. According to this account, the young man was restrained after, among other things, punching the policeman in the face.
The operating account by the IGPN videos are temporally consistent with the officer's testimony, but the IGPN fails to settle the question of who started the altercation. Luhaka was restrained by three police officers and a fourth showered the group from a distance with teargas. Following the incident, Luhaka suffered from a longitudinal 10 cm wound to his anal canal and sphincter muscle, probably caused by the insertion of a telescopic stick, which resulted in a temporary disability (ITT) of sixty days.
Luhaka said also he was the object of racist insults (including the word "bamboula"), suffered new blows in the police car, and claims to have been photographed in a humiliating position by policemen using Snapchat.
At the hearing for the policeman indicted for rape, the police stated that they only hit Théo's legs and they have no idea how Luhaka was injured. The use of tear gas (forbidden in these circumstances, according to Le Dauphiné Libéré) was, according to police, accidental. The prosecutor of Bobigny opened a criminal investigation for "violences volontaires en réunion par personnes dépositaires de l'autorité publique"(willful violence in a group by persons vested with public authority). The Inspection générale de la Police nationale (IGPN) favored the account that the injury to the anal canal was nonintentional, however, the judge in charge of the case placed under examination the policeman who had used his telescopic baton, and placed the other three under examination for aggravated intentional violence. The four officers were placed under judicial review, and three were banned from official police activity. Minister of the Interior Bruno Le Roux also suspended the four policemen immediately as a precautionary measure.Three of the officers involved in the arrest were charged with aggravated assault and the fourth is being investigated for rape.
On 14 February 2017, L'Obs published the testimony of Mohamed K. who says he had been a victim of violence of the same officer who is the primary accused in the Théo case, a week earlier — a policeman nicknamed "Red Beard". He said he received numerous blows from this policeman and his colleagues, and had also been the object of racist insults. The IGPN was also seized for this case at the request of the police headquarters and the Interior Minister, Bruno Le Roux. Éric Dupond-Moretti, already a lawyer in the Théo case, was appointed to represent Mohamed K as well.
French daily L'Humanité has reported that the Police Commissioner of Aulnay-sous-Bois in 2008 was sentenced to one-year suspended sentence and one year disqualification for not preventing a crime. A police officer had placed a trim between the buttocks of a person who had committed a road offense, who then had accused the police of having "threatened to sodomise." The commissioner, who had arrived at the scene, had remained passive in the face to the actions of his subordinates.
Following the initial reports of the assault on Théo, there was unrest for two nights in Aulnay-sous-Bois. Several cars were set on fire, bus shelters had windows smashed and suburb had its street lighting knocked out. Five people were arrested. The unrest later spread to other suburbs of Paris. On Saturday 11 February, a crowd of people gathered to protest police brutality in Bobigny. While the protest was mostly peaceful, a small group of protestors began throwing objects at police and setting cars on fire. Police responded by deploying tear gas and arresting 37 people. The next night, 12 February, around 50 youths gathered in Argenteuil and began throwing objects at police. They also set cars and garbage bins on fire and attacked a public bus. The group assault the bus's driver and also assaulted a journalist. 11 people, eight of them minors, were arrested. A group of South Korean tourists were mugged on a coach bus by rioters in Paris.
More clashes occurred in Paris on 15 February, with police deploying tear gas. On the night of the 15th, 49 people were arrested around Paris after engaging in similar behaviors with most of the unrest occurring near the Gare du Nord and Place de la République. 21 people were also arrested in Rouen the same night.
French president François Hollande visited Théo in the hospital on 7 February. A policeman told Le Parisien that events were similar to the 2005 French riots.Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, called for better law enforcement on 7 February 2017, saying "I know how exposed the police and gendarmes are in the fight against terrorism and violence, but they must be absolutely exemplary at every moment. "[22][23] An SGP Police Unit union official said on C dans l'air, 9 February, that "The insult is more or less appropriate."
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Riot
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Šakvice train collision
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The Šakvice train disaster occurred on 24 December 1953 in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). A local train was standing at the Šakvice station near Brno, when the Prague-Bratislava express ran into it, resulting in 103 deaths and a further 83 injured. The Ministry of the Interior said there was gross negligence by a number of railway men who had since been arrested. Other reports said that the express train crew had consumed a number of bottles of wine. Other sources have over 100 or 186 deaths. This rail accident was one of the 20 most serious rail accidents by death toll to 1953. [1]
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Train collisions
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President Trump announced today the United States’ withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
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President Trump announced today the United States’ withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and initiated plans to re-impose nuclear-related sanctions that had been suspended under the terms of the 2015 nuclear agreement.
President Trump ordered the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury to prepare immediately for “the re-imposition of all of the U.S. sanctions lifted or waived in connection with the JCPOA,” making clear that the snap-back of sanctions will be comprehensive and not, as some commentators had predicted, in piecemeal or partial fashion.
The announcement has significant effects for non-U.S. persons, who will again find themselves subject to the possibility of secondary sanctions for engaging in a wide variety of business dealings with Iranian counterparties. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published initial guidance establishing wind-down periods for activities involving Iran that were commenced pursuant to JCPOA sanctions relief.
Non-U.S. persons (including non-U.S. subsidiaries of U.S. persons) engaging in activity undertaken pursuant to the U.S. sanctions relief provided for in the JCPOA should take steps necessary to wind down those activities by either August 6, 2018 or November 4, 2018, as applicable, to avoid exposure to restrictive measures under U.S. law.
Wind-Down Periods
Non-U.S. persons conducting sanctioned transactions with Iranian counterparties after the wind-down periods could face penalties including restriction from accessing the U.S. financial system and capital markets; blocking of all property and interest in property that are in the U.S. or under the control of a U.S. person; and prohibition from importing goods, technology, or services into the U.S.
Under the JCPOA sanctions relief, U.S. persons remained broadly prohibited from engaging in transactions with Iranian entities. However, the JCPOA also contained provisions suspending certain primary sanctions, permitting U.S. persons to engage with Iranian counterparties in a few specific contexts, including the importation of Iranian-origin carpet and foodstuffs, and the case-by-case exportation of commercial aircraft and related goods and services. Per OFAC guidance, these authorizations will likewise be revoked following a 90-day wind-down period.
In addition, OFAC announced that it would be revoking two General Licenses issued pursuant to the JCPOA: General License H, which permitted foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies to engage in certain business activities with Iran, and General License I, which permitted U.S. persons to enter into contingent contracts for activities permitted under the JCPOA. In addition, OFAC announced that it was removing from its website its Statement of Licensing Policy that reflected a favorable approach to licenses for passenger aircraft sales.
OFAC clarified that it would permit non-U.S. persons “to be made whole for debts and obligations owed or due to them for goods or services fully provided or delivered or loans or credit extended to an Iranian party prior to the end of” the applicable wind-down period.
OFAC stopped short of specifically prohibiting new Iran-related activity by non-U.S. persons, but noted that such activity must cease by the applicable wind-down period. OFAC further suggested that in the event of a potential enforcement action, the initiation of new Iran-related business following today’s announcement could serve as an aggravating factor.
This is a developing story, and we expect OFAC and other U.S. agencies to issue additional regulations, orders, and guidance in the coming days and weeks. In addition, of course, there were other parties to the JCPOA, and it remains to be seen whether those parties, particularly the E.U., will seek to preserve the JCPOA and push back against the threat of U.S. secondary sanctions by invoking their own sanctions, trade, and enforcement powers. As always, please feel free to contact any of our sanctions partners or your relationship partner at Shearman & Sterling if you have any questions.
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Tear Up Agreement
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Three children recovering after being submerged in vehicle in Black River
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Three children who were in a submerged vehicle in the Black River are recovering from the incident that also killed their mother. Lilah, 7, and Rosie, 3, are recovering in the University of Michigan's Hospital in Ann Arbor, while Gunnar, 5, is recovering in Detroit Children's Hospital, said Gunnar and Rosie's father, Joshua Albert. Albert said Monday all three children are showing signs of improvement. Lilah and Rosie are off ventilators, while he was hopeful Gunnar could get off a ventilator on Tuesday. He was uncertain of what their recoveries will look like. Corey Pratto, a 26-year-old Port Huron resident and mother of the three children, died following the incident at McLaren Port Huron. "Corey was full of life. She lit up any room she walked into with her contagious smile and personality. Her greatest joy in life was her 3 children, Lilah, Gunnar and Rosalee. Corey also loved spending time with her family, visiting her sisters, nieces and nephews, and taking her kids on trips to see their family in West Virginia. She loved doing arts and crafts, drawing, and listening to Machine Gun Kelly," her obituary said. "Corey was truly one of a kind. She was always full of life and would do anything for anyone. She had a heart of gold and could always put a smile on your face. Corey was nothing short of an amazing mother, sister, aunt and friend. She will be greatly missed." More details on the incident Emergency crews responded to the parking lot west of 10th Street, off of Glenwood Avenue at about 4 p.m. on Nov. 30 for a report of a car driving through a parking lot and entering the Black River. Pratto and her children were rescued by the Port Huron Fire Department's rapid divers, while the St. Clair County Dive Team assisted with the third and fourth extrications. A 26-year-old male passenger, who is reported to be Pratto's boyfriend, told police Pratto was unable to stop the vehicle when she was having trouble with the brakes prior to the crash. He tried to put the gear shift into park, but was unsuccessful, according to the Port Huron Police Department. The passenger jumped out of the moving vehicle before it entered the water, police said. Port Huron Police Assistant Chief Marcy Kuehn and Chief Joe Platzer said it is not yet known why the car entered the water. The department is waiting for test results to return on the vehicle and is collecting evidence. The investigation is ongoing.
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Famous Person - Recovered
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2011 Trans Air Congo Antonov An-12 crash
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Updated on 4th June 2011
The Antonov AN-12 cargo, operated by Trans Air Congo, took off from Brazzaville, Congo, bound to Pointe Noire, Congo. Four crewmember were onboard. The plane crashed while approaching Pointe Noire airport, killing all the 4 people onboard, and 19 people on ground. The cargo plane had been largely empty, only carrying about 750 kg of beef. It slammed into a working-class residential area of Pointe-Noire port city as it was coming in to land, killing 23 people (including the 4 crewmember and 19 fatalities on ground), and injuring 14 people on ground, and razing around a dozen houses and causing a fire that raged many hours. Images of the aircraft's last seconds show it diving steeply and rolling to the right, crashing inverted. The video appears to show exhaust trails coming only from the two port engines. It suggests the fatal roll was caused by the impossibility to counter with the rudder the loss of both engines on the same side. Pictures from the scene show the burnt-out remnants of the aircraft amid buildings in the suburbs of the city, with little remaining except the fin and tailplane.
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Air crash
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Karsten Warholm sets new world record of 46.70s in 400m hurdles at home race in Oslo
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The Norwegian broke a men's record that was set by USA's Kevin Young at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics, and had stood for 29 years.
Karsten Warholm broke the world record in the men's 400m hurdles in front of a home crowd at the Diamond League track and field athletics meeting in Oslo, Norway, on Thursday (1 July).
The 29-year-old record of Kevin Young was finally broken with an official time of 46.70s.
The American’s mark of 46.78 seconds was set at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.
It sets up an intriguing match up at the Monaco Diamond League meeting where both Warholm and rival Rai Benjamin of USA are scheduled to go head-to-head on July 9.
The record comes after the women’s 400m world record was also recently broken by the USA’s Sydney McLaughlin at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.
Mondo Duplantis of Sweden took the win in the men’s pole vault with a height of 6.01m.
He had three tries at a new world record height of 6.19m but didn’t manage to clear it.
Duplantis finished ahead of American Sam Kendricks.
The reigning world champion posted a season best height of 5.91m with 5.81m enough to secure France’s Renaud Lavillenie a third place finish.
Kenya’s Hellen Obiri ran a pacey season best of 14:26:38 in the women's 5,000m. Her time was fractionally quicker than her winning run at the 2019 World Championships where she defended her world title from 2017.
Obiri is looking forward to a fast race at the Olympics in Japan.
"It will be tough out there as there are a lot of very fit women. The faster the pace in the race the better for me," she said according to the official Diamond League Twitter account.
Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia posted a world leading and personal best time of 7:26.25 in the men's 3,000m.
Elsewhere, Germany’s Christin Hussong took victory with 60.95m in the Final 3 women’s javelin in a field that included world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber of Australia.
Marie-Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast won the women’s 100m in 10.91s and Canada’s Andre de Grasse came first in the men’s 200m with a time of 20.09s.
The Netherlands Femke Bol broke her national record and set a personal best with a time of 53.33s in the women’s 400m hurdles.
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Break historical records
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Pedestrian, passenger killed and driver with critical injuries in separate SA road crashes
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A pedestrian and a passenger have died, and a driver has suffered critical injuries, as South Australia records four separate road crashes within 24 hours — two of which involved trucks. A 24-year-old driver suffered critical injuries in a head-on collision with a road train near Port Arthur, at the northern tip of Gulf St Vincent in South Australia's Mid North, early this morning. The car was travelling east on the Yorke Highway and collided with the truck travelling west just before 5:00am, about 4 kilometres west of the Copper Coast roundabout. The Burton man was trapped in the car's wreckage for more than an hour before being treated at the scene by paramedics, police said. He was later airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The truck driver, a 47-year-old man from Henley Beach, was treated for minor injures. The Yorke Highway was closed for most of the day, but reopened to traffic around 3:00pm. The crash was one of four serious incidents on South Australian roads in the last 24 hours. Hours earlier, three men were involved in a single-car rollover in South Australia's Riverland that left a passenger dead. Police were called to the rollover about 2:45am, near the intersection of the Sturt Highway and Lindsay Point Road at Paringa. Two men — the driver and another passenger — were taken to the Riverland General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said. The Sturt Highway was closed for several hours as Major Crash investigators examined the site, but reopened around 11:00am. Police investigations into the crash are continuing. Around 10:30am this morning, emergency services were called to a two-storey holiday home at Carrickalinga, on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, where a truck had slammed into the house. Neighbours said they were forced to dive for cover just before the out-of-control truck crashed into the house on Forktree Road. Nobody was inside the house at the time of the crash. The vehicle's two occupants were trapped in the wreckage for nearly an hour before State Emergency Service workers freed them. They sustained non-life threatening injuries. Major Crash investigators are also investigating a fatal incident on the Port River Expressway, in which a pedestrian was hit by a truck last night. Emergency services attended the scene just after 7:00pm last night at Gillman, in Adelaide's north-west, and police said the pedestrian died at the scene. "Police are still working to identify that person," Senior Constable Rebecca Stokes said. "The truck driver wasn't physically injured in the crash but he and other drivers at the scene all needed to be treated for shock. "Major Crash officers attended that scene again last night and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash." The Port River Expressway has since re-opened. Anyone who witnessed the incident or saw the pedestrian in the area has been asked to provide details to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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Road Crash
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People — Not Just The Megadrought — Are Driving The West’s Water Crisis
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The shrinking Colorado River is becoming an urgent water crisis for millions of people in the West. “The question is, how intense does that crisis get?” one river scientist said. By Caitlin Ochs Posted on August 3, 2021, at 5:50 p.m. ET A woman sunbathes next to a swimming pool overlooking a golf course and Lake Powell in Arizona. This is the first part of a series on the Colorado river. For Part 2, click here Bob Martin’s floor-to-ceiling office windows overlooking Lake Powell have become a constant source of stress. For the past seven years, the Glen Canyon Dam field division manager has had a front-row seat watching the water levels of the nation’s second-largest reservoir rapidly shrink. “People need to realize that this is not like the national deficit where we can just say, 'Well, we’re going to print more money,'” Martin said. “You’re talking about a tangible, finite commodity. It is out of our control to make it rain, or make more water. We need to do something.” For decades, the Lake Powell and Lake Mead reservoirs, which bracket the Grand Canyon, have been the major savings accounts for water in the Western United States. Built on the Colorado River, the country’s two largest reservoirs have enabled Western farms and cities from Los Angeles to Denver to have a stable water supply throughout a relentless 21-year megadrought. But today, Lake Powell and Lake Mead are hovering at close to 33% of their full capacity, historic lows not seen since the dams were first built. If water levels drop to 22% and 15%, respectively, the dams can no longer generate hydropower. If they fall to 8%, they will become "dead pools," meaning water cannot continue being delivered. This would trigger an urgent water crisis for the 40 million people who depend on the Colorado River. “If, in your personal financial life, your outflow exceeds your inflow, your upkeep will be your downfall,” said Martin. “We're kind of getting to that point now in the system.” Left: People swim at a pool surrounded by palm trees in Las Vegas. Right: Exposed white rock in Lake Mead leading into the Hoover Dam shows where the water levels have dropped to 33% capacity. But the current water crisis isn’t only being driven by the megadrought. A century of basing policies and development on an overestimate of how much water was actually in the Colorado River to begin with — and betting on more years with heavy snow and rainfall — started us on the path toward our current water shortages. And the last two decades of megadrought in the Southwest — amplified by a warming climate — have hit the fast-forward button. River managers and policymakers have until 2026 to replace temporary drought contingency plans with a long-term plan for the river that replenishes, rather than drains, the reservoirs. What they decide has implications for almost every major Western city, 30 Native American tribes, 5.5 million acres of farmland, and northern Mexico. For most people, the deepening white bathtub rings around Western reservoirs have come to symbolize the drought. For Martin and a growing number of scientists, policymakers, and water managers working to solve the crisis, the rings are a reminder of how people are failing to acknowledge that we are collectively using water in a way that is causing the Colorado River to run dry. Golf courses just outside the Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell in Arizona Crops are irrigated in Cochise County, Arizona, where the agriculture industry has taken advantage of the few regulations on groundwater pumping. Groundwater is a limited resource that is increasingly relied on as an alternative to the Colorado River. Over 70% of the Colorado River's water is used for irrigating crops. Ninety-nine years ago, seven Western states came to an agreement to share the Colorado River. Known as the 1922 Colorado River Compact, the plan split the river at Lees Ferry, a point just north of the Grand Canyon, into the “upper basin” states of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico and the “lower basin” states of Nevada, Arizona, and California. But the compact failed to include water allocations for the 30 sovereign Native American tribes that have inhabited the Colorado River Basin for centuries, for Mexico, whose northernmost states depend on the river for agriculture, or for the wild plants and animals that rely on the river water to survive. Perhaps most dangerously, because it calculated the river's volume using data collected during an abnormally wet historical period, the compact effectively promised the people of the Colorado River Basin more water each year than would actually exist. While temporary drought contingency plans have recently been implemented, for the last 100 years, the core assumption of how much water is available has not been altered to reflect reality, setting the seven states that share the river on a path where people’s demand for water would inevitably outpace supply. “Politicians have overpromised how much water could be developed in the basin since the 1920s,” said Eric Kuhn, who coauthored a book chronicling how policymakers have ignored scientific assessments of the Colorado River when findings did not support proposed development projects. “This is a crisis that would have happened without climate change — climate change is just adding insult to the injury.” In the 20th century, building infrastructure projects to move Colorado River water to cities and farms and relying on water collected during years with more precipitation took precedence over making difficult decisions to curb water usage. That trend continues today, with the 2020 US census showing that Utah, Nevada, and Arizona — which all rely on river water — are in the top 10 fastest-growing states in the country, even though they’re also among the driest. A canal outside of Phoenix. The aqueduct diverts water from the Colorado River to allow for more development in one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. Snowpack in the Rocky Mountains, where the Colorado River starts, is lower than average, impacting reservoir levels across the west. The white sandbanks show the previous water level around an island in a reservoir on the Colorado River. That there is less river water to divide in reality than what is allocated on paper is not a message residents in desert climates or their politicians want to hear, since access to water enables development. But some scientists argue the megadrought is not temporary and is instead a sign of a longer-term drying out of the region. That raises questions about how much the river will shrink in the future, and exactly how much — and where — we need to curb demand. “Given the fact that the reservoirs are a third full, you’re asking for a really hard, difficult, unprecedented conversation with a ticking clock,” said Jack Schmidt, a river scientist at Utah State University. “We are in a crisis now. Let’s not kid ourselves. The question is, how intense does that crisis get? Everything we are seeing suggests there may not be enough time for the incremental approach to change, which has always worked in the past.” Roughly 50% to 80% of the Colorado River’s water comes from snowpack that accumulates high in the Rocky Mountains. To figure out how much snow there is each year, hundreds of snow monitoring sites are set up throughout the mountain ranges, which are maintained by a network of snow surveyors who hike, snowmobile, ski, and snowshoe hundreds of miles collecting critical data. “What we do is based on the simple fact that the majority of water in the Western US comes from mountain snowmelt,” said USDA snow surveyor Brian Domonkos, who has observed mountain snowpack for 17 years. (Domonkos loves the river systems he monitors so much, he’s in the process of getting them tattooed on his arm.) The data collected by Domonkos and his colleagues allows researchers to generate water forecasts to estimate how much water will be available for use throughout the year. “If ebbs and flows in basin snowpack over the long term are below normal, you’re going to have an overall deficit of water,” said Domonkos, explaining how consecutive dry years lead to dry soil and low stream flows, which make it hard for the river to bounce back. “We’re finding that even if you were to have normal snowpack years back to back, it’s probably not going to wipe away that deficit.” While the Colorado River has cycled through wet and dry years, the last two decades are the driest the basin has seen in 1,200 years. “We can look back thousands of years with tree rings and see that this drought is exceptional,” said Kevin Anchukaitis, a paleoclimatologist at the University of Arizona’s Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, where researchers have reconstructed historical flows of the river dating back to the 1100s. “We know there is a lot of natural variability in rainfall within the Colorado River Basin. But knowing the range — how wet can it get? How dry can it get? How long can it be dry? — is important for models they're using to predict the future of the river.” Drought years are visible at the cellular level in tree rings. Left: Wide rings grew in a pine tree along the Colorado River Basin in the 1940s, when water was plentiful. Right: The same tree, shown at the same scale, has smaller rings between 2000 and 2013, during the dry years of the megadrought. This is part of the Colorado River Delta, a formerly lush landscape that once stretched for thousands of miles. Water stopped running consistently through the delta long before the drought due to overallocation and damming of the river upstream. Other studies looking at the future suggest climate change is only going to make the West hotter and drier. “As warming continues, the Colorado River will continue to shrink,” said Colorado State University senior water and climate scientist Brad Udall, who has spent years studying how hotter temperatures are impacting natural inflows of water to the Colorado River. His research indicates that for every degree Celsius that the temperature increases, the Colorado River loses 3 to 10% of its natural inflow. A 2020 study by US Geological Survey hydrologists was more grim, setting losses at 9.3% per degree Celsius of temperature increase. “Stabilizing this system during a period of declining flows is going to involve reducing our demands and having robust plans in place,” said Udall. “Specificity is where it gets tough.” From 1906 to 2019, the average annual natural flow of the Colorado River was 14.8 million acre-feet a year. (That’s a lot of water. Each acre-foot is roughly equal to 326,000 gallons.) The 1922 compact assumes at least 15 million acre-feet of water will be available each year, apportioning 7.5 million acre-feet to the upper and lower basins each. Importantly, the agreement also states that the upper basin cannot deplete the river’s flow to levels that prevent delivery of the lower basin’s share. But now that math is getting harder. In the last two decades, the river’s natural flow has averaged closer to 12.4 million acre-feet per year. The problem gets worse when you add a 1944 treaty that guaranteed Mexico 1.5 million acre-feet of water each year and the 3.2 million acre-feet of water that states must legally share with Native American tribes within the basin, a majority of which have water rights that predate the compact under a 1908 Supreme Court ruling. “You’re in the highest-stakes poker game you ever could imagine,” said Schmidt, explaining mounting tensions among states over water rights. Newly exposed white rock shows how much the water levels have dropped at the Hoover Dam: nearly 140 feet in the past 20 years. Left: Kids play in a water park in Phoenix, which will be one of the last places affected by water cuts as it relies on multiple water sources besides the Colorado River. Right: Jugs of water are used by residents of rural Cochise County, who have already started to see their wells run dry as a result of drought and large-scale irrigation operations. While the upper basin states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming collectively use an average of just under 4 million acre-feet of water annually, the lower basin states of California, Arizona, and Nevada are already using their full 7.5 million acre-feet allotment. Many tribal water rights remain unused due to prolonged legal battles and a lack of infrastructure. “When you’re talking about cutting water coming out of somebody’s spigot, or cutting somebody’s hopes and dreams, something's got to give,” said Schmidt. “That means really hard-nosed negotiations are going to have to be made to redistribute water.” The crisis raises difficult questions. What is a fair way for the upper and lower basins to share the burden of less water? Within states, how will we decide the “best” or most “beneficial” use of water — is growing crops more important than expanding major cities? How will states honor water rights of Native Americans who have largely been excluded from water deals? In July, federal officials took unprecedented emergency action to stabilize water levels at Lake Powell, releasing water from smaller upstream reservoirs. This allows Powell to continue generating hydropower, but it’s a temporary solution: Releases are only scheduled through December. Deeper cuts for 2022 are expected to be announced in mid-August, which will affect Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico, all states that signed agreements to cut their water use. But some worrisome projections suggest we could hit reservoir levels that are within 5 feet of triggering even deeper cuts that would affect residents in major cities such as Phoenix. The only other major water source for most desert states sharing the river is groundwater, a nonrenewable resource. In Arizona, groundwater levels in many counties are already stressed by drought and growing demand. Cochise County, where wells are running dry, provides a glimpse of the types of disruptions that may soon become far more widespread across the West. “If we’re not properly prepared, this falls on us. This doesn’t fall on nature,” said Udall, who is concerned people aren’t taking the worst-case scenarios seriously. “Because we have the knowledge and we have the data to know a grim future is possible. Failure to plan for this would be a failure of very large proportions.” ● Aerial photography with the help of Lighthawk Flights. This is the first part of a series on the Colorado river. For Part 2, click here Lake Powell, the reservoir for the Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona, is at 33% capacity.
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Droughts
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Sutton Wick air crash
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The Sutton Wick air crash occurred on 5 March 1957 when a Blackburn Beverley C Mk 1 heavy transport aircraft, serial number XH117, of 53 Squadron Royal Air Force crashed at Sutton Wick, Drayton, Berkshire,[notes 1] England, following a shut-down of one engine and partial loss of power on another. [1] Shortly after take-off, No. 1 engine was shut down as a precautionary measure then whilst on final approach back to RAF Abingdon, No. 2 engine failed to respond to throttle inputs. The aeroplane struck cables and trees 18 minutes after lifting off. Of 17 passengers and five crew aboard, all but four were killed in the accident. [notes 2] Two people on the ground were also killed. An investigation found that a non-return valve in the fuel system had been installed the wrong way round causing two of the engines to be starved of fuel. [1] The technician found responsible for incorrectly fitting the valve was charged under the Air Force Act. [2] Following the accident, the non-return valve was re-designed so it could not be installed incorrectly. [3]
Two RAF officers who took part in the rescue after the crash were highly praised for "refusing to give up while there was hope of finding survivors among the wreckage. "[4]
The Secretary of State for Air, George Ward, described the crash to the House of Commons. The Beverley took off from RAF Abingdon near Abingdon-on-Thames[5] bound for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. It was carrying cargo, a relief crew, eight RAF police dog handlers and eight police dogs. There was low cloud at 500 feet (150 m), visibility was less than 1,000 feet (300 m), and an easterly wind of 10 knots (19 km/h). [6]
As the aircraft climbed, No. 1 engine on the port wing developed a fuel leak. The flight crew responded by shutting down the engine and feathering its propeller. [2] The flight crew declared an emergency and requested a blind approach to RAF Abingdon. The controller alerted emergency services on the ground. [2] A short time later, cockpit instruments alerted the flight crew to a large loss of fuel from No. 2 fuel tank, the second of four such tanks in the port wing. [2] In an effort to stop the leak, the crew de-activated the fuel cocks and boosters for the No. 2 tank, but left them on for the No. 1 tank. [2] As the Beverley turned on to final approach for RAF Abingdon the crew attempted to increase power from the remaining three Bristol Centaurus engines but No. 2 engine – also on the port wing – failed to respond and the aircraft began to lose speed and height. Knowing he could not reach the airfield, the captain tried to land in a field. However, the aircraft became uncontrollable and struck a number of high tension cables and a group of elm trees that tore the port wing from the fuselage. [2] On impact with the ground, the aircraft destroyed a caravan and a prefabricated house before somersaulting and crashing upside down. [7] John Dawson was in the garden of the Red Lion at Drayton and described what he witnessed:
The plane came towards me flying low when one wing hit a tree. It dived to the ground immediately, crashed through an ordinary brick house and a pre-fab, slid along the ground for about 100 yards and burst into flames. The flames were terrific. It was so hot we could not get near to help those inside, but four of the occupants of the plane were thrown clear... If the plane's wing had not hit the tree it would have cleared the buildings and could have landed in the fields even if it could not have reached the airfield. [8]
The aircraft crashed at 11:00 am,[1] 18 minutes after take-off,[2] near Sutton Wick, 2 miles (3 km) south of Abingdon. [5] 50-year-old Muriel Binnington lived in the prefabricated house. Eyewitness Eric Webb said it was "swept away", and she must have been killed instantly. A 19-year-old called J Maltravers from the Southern Electricity Board was in one of the houses to read the electricity meter and was also killed. [8] The tail section of the aircraft crashed on a farmhouse near the main wreckage, trapping and seriously injuring Margaret Stanton in the kitchen of the house. She was later freed by emergency workers. [8]
The distance by air from Abingdon to Akrotiri is at least 2,067 miles (3,327 km). At the Beverley's cruising speed of 173 mph (278 km/h) the flight could be expected take about 12 hours. The plane was therefore carrying a large amount of fuel, and on impact this rapidly caught fire. [4]
A newspaper reported: "Wreckage was scattered over three-quarters of a mile and the force of the explosion sent the main part of the fuselage and tailplane tearing back over the field into the farmyard, carrying with it an inferno fuel and debris. "[9] Emergency workers worked for several hours to free survivors and bodies from the charred fuselage[9]
In all, two civilians on the ground,[7] three crew, 15 passengers[1] and a number of RAF Police dogs[4] were killed in the initial impact and ensuing fire. Two crew, two passengers[1] and one RAF Police dog survived. [4]
Local farm workers were first on scene. Eric Webb was stacking hay. When he realised that the aircraft was about to crash he ran to help.
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Air crash
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Aeroflot Flight 20 crash
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Aeroflot Flight 20/101[a] (Russian: Рейс 20/101 Аэрофлота Reys 20/101 Aeroflota) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Moscow to Alma-Ata with a stopover in Omsk that crashed in low visibility conditions on 4 January 1965, killing 64 of the 103 people on board. [1]
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Ilyushin Il-18B registered CCCP-75685 to the Kazakh Civil Aviation Directorate of Aeroflot. The aircraft had sustained 6802 flight hours. [2]
Eight crew members were aboard the flight. The cockpit crew consisted of:[3]
Flight attendants Stanislav Valentinovich Port and Augustina Yakovlevna Kuzmenykh worked in the cabin. [3]
The flight was scheduled to depart from Domodedovo airport at 07:30 on January 4, but was delayed by necessary engine repairs. The flight did not depart from Domodedovo until 10:20 and arrived at Omsk airport at 15:52 Moscow time. The flight was supposed to depart from Omsk thereafter for a short flight to Alma-Ata. At the same time, head of the Kazakh aviation division R. Azakov had just returned from investigating a Mil Mi-4 crash and inspected the undercarriage of the Il-18 before it was cleared for the next leg of the journey. The flight's destination was delayed for 2 hours 28 minutes because visibility at Alma-Ata airport was less than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), which meant that the airport had to close for safety reasons. At 19:30 Moscow time the flight departed from Omsk en route to Alma-Ata and maintained a cruising altitude of 7,000 metres (23,000 ft). [4]
At 20:15 Moscow time the weather at Alma-Ata was reported to have a visibility of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft), wind was weak, and atmospheric pressure was 710.5 mmHg. At 20:32, a different Il-18, registered CCCP-75689, landed the runway with a 230° bearing after twice failing to land on the runway at a bearing of 50° and having to execute a go-around. After landing while taxiing at the airport the operations manager asked the Il-18 if it would be safe for another Il-18 to land in the same weather. The pilot responded by categorically denying that any Il-18 could safely land in the current conditions. The controller then to told Flight 20/101 to proceed to the alternate airport, Sary-Arka Airport; but five minutes later the operations manager reversed the previous instruction and told Flight 20/101 to start decreasing altitude to 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) and then to 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) to land at Alma-Ata. In violation of procedures the controller did not inform the flight of visibility conditions or the altitude of the lower cloud boundary. [4]
At an altitude of 3000 meters the flight contacted air traffic control and received permission to descend to an altitude of 700 metres (2,300 ft). The landing was to be carried out on a bearing of 230°. The controller did warn of the presence of fog at the airport, but said that it had subsided a bit and it probably he did not expect visibility to go below the minimum safe level. The crew began to execute the approach as planned, but by the fourth turn the aircraft was 500 metres (1,600 ft) to the right of the center of the runway. When the flight was 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away from the runway, the controller instructed the flight to decrease altitude to 300 metres (980 ft) and warned that visibility was starting to worsen. When the aircraft was 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) from the end of the runway it entered the glidepath and continued decreasing altitude for the landing. [4]
The visibility at the airfield had reached 800 metres (2,600 ft), well below the minimum safe distance; the controller did not inform the flight or the operations manager of the situation. The current conditions required the flight to be switched to the alternate airport but it was not. The non-directional beacon lights pulsed, but the aircraft began to deviate to the left slightly. The controller notified the crew of the deviation and instructed them to correct course by 2° and follow the lights to approach the runway. The crew confirmed hearing what the controller said and stated that they saw the beacon lights. The controller then instructed the flight to change course by 3°; the aircraft went from being slightly to the left of the runway to slightly to the right. The controller advised the crew to abort the landing and do a go-around, but the crew ignored the instruction and continued with the landing. [4]
During the approach, check captain Azakov instructed the pilot-in-command Artamonov to conduct and instrument approach, while Azakov took on other landing duties. There was confusion among the crew at decision altitude (130 meters) because the controller told them to go-around due to visibility but both the navigator and inspector told the captain they saw the runway lights, leading the captain to continue the landing. Shortly thereafter the crew lost sight of the lights, but the captain was not aware that the rest of the crew lost sight of the lights; the captain then drew his attention away from his instruments to look for the lights, causing the aircraft to fly off course. When the controller commanded the flight to do a go-around, the inspector was looking for the lights while the pilot-in-command waited for him to instruct him to proceed with the go-around. Seconds before crashing the captain saw that the plane was about to crash and tried to avoid the collision with the ground, and only then did the Azakov command him to do a go-around. [4]
At 21:01 Moscow time the flight crashed 210 metres (690 ft) to the right of the runway at a speed of 300 kilometres per hour (190 mph). The landing gear was torn off and the right wings separated from the rest of the plane. The left wing and fuselage were broken into several pieces, and a fire ignited, partially burning the wreckage. The radio operator, two flight attendants and 61 of passengers (including six children) were killed in the accident. Seventeen of the survivors sustained injuries. [4]
The causes of the accident were described as follows:[4]
A secondary cause of the accident was the failure of METAR to provide weather reports at 20:00, 20:15 and 20:30 when the bad weather intensified, which would have helped assist the flight to determine if it should have continued with the approach. [4]
It was also noted that the head of the Kazakh Civil Aviation Directorate was not supposed to assist the crew on the flight, as he had already worked fifteen hours that day and did not have a medical certificate to fly. [4]
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Air crash
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'Paddle' portion of Louisville mayor's 'Hike, Bike and Paddle' event canceled
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Updated: November 16, 2021 @ 3:25 pm Participants in Mayor Greg Fischer's annual Hike, Bike and Paddle event paddle down the Ohio River. The Mayor's Hike, Bike and Paddle event. (WDRB File) Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said his upcoming budget proposal… LMPD is treating the case as a death investigation. Participants in Mayor Greg Fischer's annual Hike, Bike and Paddle event paddle down the Ohio River. The Mayor's Hike, Bike and Paddle event. (WDRB File) LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Now it's just the "Hike and Bike." Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced Wednesday that the "Paddle" component of his annual Labor Day "Hike, Bike and Paddle" event has been canceled this year, due to dangerous conditions on the Ohio River caused by Hurricane Ida. According to a news release, federal agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) all weighed in on the decision. They say "an anticipated increased flow from the McAlpine Locks, combined with high water concerns, have the potential to create problems for paddlers," the news release states. Aftereffects of Hurricane Ida are expected to cause the river level to rise. The hiking and biking portions of the event are still scheduled to take place as planned, but at a new location at the Community Boat House at 1325 River Road. Biking will start at 9 a.m., and yoga and Zumba will begin at 8 a.m., adhering to social distancing guidelines. "One of the great things about Hike, Bike and Paddle is that it's outdoors and allows for social distancing, mask-wearing and other COVID precautions, so having to cancel this portion is disappointing," Fischer said, in a statement. "However, it's clearly necessary to keep our paddlers safe." Additionally, the Tai Chi component of Hike, Bike and Paddle has been canceled due to the inability of participants to practice social distancing.
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Organization Closed
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Aeroflot Flight 2230 crash
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Aeroflot Flight 2230 was a Soviet domestic passenger flight from Yekaterinburg (then Sverdlovsk) to Tashkent. On 16 November 1967, the Ilyushin Il-18 aircraft serving the flight crashed after takeoff, killing all 107 people aboard (including twelve children). [1] At the time it was the deadliest aviation accident in the Russian SFSR and the worst accident involving the Il-18. [2]
The flight was serviced by an Ilyushin Il-18V turboprop airliner, manufactured on 25 March 1964 with a serial number 184007002. [3] The aircraft made its maiden flight and commenced operations in the same year. On the day of the accident it had 5,326 flight hours, or 2,111 flight cycles. [3]
The crew consisted of the pilot in command Yuri Abaturov, co-pilot Nikolai Mikhaylov, navigating officer Anatoly Zagorsky, flight engineer Viktor Ospishchev and radio officer Yuri Yefremov. [1]
The aircraft was cleared for takeoff from Koltsovo Airport at 21:02 local time. [1] When an engine caught fire and its propeller would not feather, the amount of drag it caused resulted in a sharp right turn while climbing at a speed of 340–350 km/h (180–190 kn), at an altitude of 140–150 m (460–490 ft) and began to rapidly descend,[1] striking the ground, with a horizontal velocity of 440 km/h (240 kn) and a vertical speed of 20 m/s (66 ft/s), in a ploughed field, with a 37-degree right bank. [1][2] The aircraft completely disintegrated, complicating the subsequent accident investigation. [1] There were also fire outbreaks at the crash site. The investigation said that the crash resulted form a wrong indication of the main artificial horizons and the compass system due to an electrical failure and that the flight crew was unable to determine the correct altitude. [4]
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Air crash
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British European Airways Flight 548 crash
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On the 18th of June 1972, British European Airways flight 548 took off from London’s Heathrow Airport, bound for Brussels. But just minutes into the flight, something went terribly wrong. The Hawker-Siddeley Trident stalled and fell from the sky, crashing to earth in a field in the quiet town of Staines; none of the 118 people on board survived. Although the public clamored for answers over what was then the deadliest plane crash on British soil, investigators had little evidence to work with. But there was plenty of intrigue: an old captain and young first officer; a critical lever pulled at the wrong time; a safety system overridden; a mysterious note making fun of the captain; a heated argument over a strike. After gathering all the evidence, investigators were faced with an unprecedented possibility: that the accident was indirectly linked to an ongoing union dispute at British European Airways. In 1972, the airline we now know as British Airways had not yet been formed. In its place were two separate airlines: British Overseas Airways Corporation, which specialized in international long haul flights; and British European Airways, which operated shorter international routes within Europe. Among British European Airways’ fleet were numerous Hawker-Siddeley Trident medium range jets. The Trident was the pride of Britain’s domestic aerospace industry, and while it struggled to compete in some respects with the similarly designed Boeing 727, it was beloved by those who flew it. At the time, British European Airways was experiencing significant turmoil in the workplace. Many younger pilots wanted to organize a strike to demand higher wages and better working conditions, while older, traditional pilots generally opposed the action. The proposed strike exposed a generational divide between those who viewed flying as a passion versus those who viewed it as a career. Lively arguments became commonplace. In 1972, some of the more experienced first officers took coordinated action, refusing to serve as observer pilots on training rides for new second officers being trained as flight engineers. At BEA, second officers on the Trident were trained to fulfil the roles of both copilot and flight engineer; with a lack of qualified first officers to observe them, however, many were stuck with only a copilot’s certification and couldn’t complete flight engineer training. This upset many captains, who preferred to have the copilot and flight engineer swap places after every flight, but were unable to do so when assigned second officers who were only partially qualified. At one point, a senior captain on a flight to Nicosia, Cyprus was assigned a crew that included an inexperienced second officer without flight engineer training, which would force him to fly in the copilot’s seat. The captain feared that bad weather could materialize near Nicosia and preferred a more experienced copilot to handle it. The captain asked the airline to change the roster, but was rebuffed; as a result, he became angry at the second officer, berating him and insinuating that he would be useless in an emergency. The second officer was so shaken by the encounter that he mistakenly deployed the flaps when he was supposed to retract them, and the flight engineer had to step in to reverse his input. News of the Nicosia incident spread rapidly among pilots by word of mouth, fueling the ongoing generational conflict. One of the first to hear about it was one Second Officer Jeremy Keighley, a roommate of the second officer involved in the incident. Himself a second officer with incomplete flight engineer training, he would certainly have sympathized with his compatriot. It was this same Jeremy Keighley who was assigned to the crew of British European Airways flight 548 from London to Brussels on the 18th of June 1972. Making up the rest of the cockpit crew were another second officer, Simon Ticehurst, who would act as flight engineer; and 51-year-old Stanley Key, an experienced Captain with over 15,000 flying hours. Stanley Key was known as one of the most ardent anti-strike old guard captains, and it had made him more than a few enemies at BEA. Unflattering rumors about him were passed among the younger pilots, and graffiti messages insulting Key had begun to crop up on tray tables at flight engineers’ stations on several of BEA’s Tridents. Whether Key was aware of the graffiti was an open question. On the day of flight 548, Keighley and Key were both hanging out in the BEA crew lounge at Heathrow Airport along with several other pilots when an argument broke out. One First Officer Flavell is said to have asked Captain Key about the progress of his efforts to gather other senior captains in opposition to the strike, to which Key responded with a violent outburst, informing Flavell that this was confidential information, before transitioning to a loud, one-sided rant. The outburst didn’t last particularly long, but one witness described it as “the most violent argument he had ever heard.” Immediately afterward Key apologized to Flavell and they went their separate ways. One can only imagine the impression Keighley must have gotten from this incident, considering that he was about to fly with Captain Key for the first time. Unknown to anyone, including Key himself, he suffered from atherosclerosis — a buildup of fatty tissue within major arteries that can restrict their diameter by 50–70%. While prosecuting the heated argument with Flavell, it is thought that Key suffered a blood pressure spike that caused weak blood vessels within the fatty buildup to burst, tearing open a piece of his arterial lining. Although he might not have noticed at first, the injury would have caused his level of pain to escalate noticeably as he finished pre-flight activities, boarded the Trident, and prepared for the flight to Brussels. Keighley and Ticehurst soon joined him in the cockpit, as did one Captain Collins, who would ride along as a passenger in the cockpit jump seat. Perhaps they made note of the graffiti, scrawled on the flight engineer’s tray table, proclaiming that “Key must go.”
After all 112 passengers and 6 crew had boarded the Trident, BEA flight 548 took off from Heathrow at 4:08 p.m. With Key as the pilot flying and the 22-year-old Keighley as pilot monitoring, the takeoff was initially normal, but that quickly began to change. Key commanded the autopilot to hold a speed 7 knots slower than normal, and their speed began to bleed off further throughout the climb. To reduce noise over the London suburbs, planes climbing out of Heathrow were required to reduce engine power for a specified time beginning 90 seconds after takeoff. Authorities monitored the power reduction to make sure the timing was perfect, putting significant pressure on pilots to get it right. It is thought that Keighley would have been keeping track of the time until power reduction. Meanwhile, several radio calls took place in which Key responded tersely, leaving out required readbacks and other important information — perhaps due to his increasing pain. 93 seconds into the flight, Key reduced power for noise abatement and retracted the flaps, causing the speed to drop to 20 knots below the optimal 177-knot climb-out speed. The way the rest of the climb procedure was supposed to work was that normal climb power would be restored at 3,000 feet, the pilots would accelerate to 225 knots, and then they would retract the droops. Droops, which are similar to slats, are control surfaces on the leading edges of the wings that can be extended to increase lift during low-speed flight. The position of the droops is controlled by a lever next to the throttles. As the plane climbed through 1,770 feet at a speed of 162 knots (300km/h), Captain Key inexplicably pulled the lever to retract the droops.
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Air crash
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United Airlines Flight 863 crash
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As the United Airlines jumbo jet lifted off from San Francisco
International Airport one night last summer, one of its four engines lost
power. Because of poor flying techniques, the co-pilot who was at the
controls slowed and nearly stalled and crashed the plane. "Push [the nose] down" to pick up speed, shouted two extra pilots
sitting in the rear of the cockpit. The co-pilot did, but now the jet was
off course and heading toward San Bruno Mountain northwest of the airport. The jet's ground-proximity warning sounded, and the extra pilots shouted,
"Pull up, pull up!" Carrying 307 passengers and crew, the plane cleared the hill by only 100
feet. The jet also barely missed apartments and houses with hundreds of
sleeping residents. A crash of the jet, which was heavily loaded with fuel,
would have been one of the worst aviation accidents in history. The captain finally took control and flew over the ocean, dumping fuel
before returning safely to the airport. But the incident -- just now being
publicly disclosed -- has rocked the world's biggest airline and spurred
the Federal Aviation Administration to force changes in United's
pilot-training techniques. The jumbo's low flight also has alarmed local
residents, with one man declaring in a call recorded by an airport hotline:
"I thought the damn thing was coming in on my roof." United, a unit of UAL
Corp., based near Chicago, acknowledges the incident and says that it has
spurred the carrier to take a series of steps, ranging from a safety audit
of all its 9,500 pilots to a major shakeup in its pilot training. Edmund
Soliday, vice president for safety, says the airline hasn't lost a plane
because of poor piloting for 20 years, "and we are taking this incident
very seriously." He says the airline aims to improve its margin of safety
"so we won't have to look at a hole in the ground someday." We are delighted that you'd like to resume your subscription. You will be charged
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Air crash
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La Palma volcano eruption update: new eruptive fissure opens, followed by strong magnitude 3.8 quake
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The Volcanological Institute of Canary Islands (INVOLCAN) revealed the first measurements of SO2 concentrations in the atmosphere and a lava flow discharge rate of the current eruption at the La Cumbre Vieja volcano that began yesterday. ... Read all Mon, 20 Sep 2021, 10:23 La Palma volcano update: Surface continues to deform, uplift reaches 19 cm The scenario of new eruptive fissures opening might be not that unlikely at all. The surface continues to inflate, which is a sign that more magma is being stored underground that (can erupt) erupts at the surface - the existing paths are not large enough. The volcano might choose to either enlarge them or create new ones. ... La Palma volcano eruption update: lava flows destroy houses, might reach the sea The eruptio in the Cabeza de Vaca area, in El Paso municipality, continues from at least 8 active vents along the two eruptive fissures that opened yesterday at about 200 m distance from each other. The lava has already entered the municipality of Los LLanos de Aridane when crossing the LP2 highway, and is directed towards the centers of La Bombilla and Puerto Naos on the coast. ... Read all
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Volcano Eruption
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Egyptian archaeologists make the 'biggest discovery of 2020'
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The discovery was announced at a press conference last week © Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt Egyptian archaeologists have announced the discovery of more than 100 painted coffins at the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, just south of Cairo. The coffins are sealed and intact, and were found along with funerary masks, canopic jars—used to store mummified internal organs—and statues, says Khaled El-Enany, Egypt’s minister of tourism and antiquities. The wooden coffins and other objects were buried during Egypt’s Late and Ptolemaic Periods, which together lasted from 664 to 30BC. This is “the biggest discovery in 2020”, says Mostafa Waziry, the secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. The coffins and objects were found in three burial shafts, each nearly 12 metres deep, which were hidden beneath an almost five-metre-high mound of debris, Waziry says. The collection will be sent to the Egyptian Museum, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation and the New Administrative Capital Museum, which will open within five or six weeks, El-Enany says. The mummy within the coffin being X-rayed © Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt During the press conference, one coffin was opened and the mummy within X-rayed, revealing the remains of a man with his arms crossed in the manner of the Egyptian god Osiris, with all of his internal organs removed except for his heart. The man probably lived at the beginning of the Ptolemaic Period, Waziry says. It has been a busy year for the Saqqara necropolis. This new announcement comes only one month after the same team uncovered 59 coffins in other burial shafts. More discoveries are set to be announced in the coming months, El-Enany says. “We still have a lot to reveal.” One of the many artefacts discovered at an ancient necropolis in Egypt © Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt
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New archeological discoveries
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Uranium discovered in water supply for Moonbi and Kootingal in northern NSW
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Elevated levels of uranium have been discovered in groundwater supplies for two small towns in northern New South Wales.
The amount of uranium discovered in the water that goes to Moonbi and Kootingal, both located about 20 kilometres north-east of Tamworth, in July during routine bore water testing, were higher than those outlined in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
The elevated levels were confirmed in August.
Now both towns are being supplied with water from Tamworth.
But independent water expert, Professor Peter Coombes from Swinburne University, has called for calm.
"From a health perspective, a one off, small exceedance of most elements is not a drinking water guideline exceedance, you need continuous exceedance of the guidelines for uranium or any other element," Professor Coombes said.
"We hear these alarming stories for alternative water sources every now and again, but we have to realise water contains a range of elements at quite low levels."
The tests found uranium levels of 0.032 milligrams.
Australian Drinking Water Guidelines list the safe level for human health at 0.017 milligrams, and the World Health Organisation lists the safe level at 0.03 milligrams.
Professor Coombes said there was no point "rushing to alarm until we are sure" and multiple tests were needed to gauge consistency of the levels.
"We've got a number of cases throughout Australia and internationally where the water companies have not told communities of [elevated contamination] levels for a long time," Professor Coombes said.
"Background levels of these elements are natural and are expected so there is no reason for alarm or concern because they are just normal."
Tamworth Regional Council's director of water, Bruce Logan, said he did not know if there had been an impact on residents.
"We're speaking to the Department of Health to try to get their advice on what the implications for the levels have been," Mr Logan said.
"I don't want to speculate at this stage, we'll see what the Department of Health has to say and then we'll let the community know."
It is believed the uranium is from a naturally occurring source.
"Uranium occurs in geology and we understand what's happened is one of the supplies, water has infiltrated through some rocks that contain uranium and that's got into the ground water supply."
"It's not unusual, uranium is naturally occurring but the levels that we're seeing are elevated at the moment."
Mr Logan said under the guidelines testing for uranium was required every six months, and as far as he knew, that testing regime had been adhered to.
He has defended the amount of time it took the council to inform the community about the elevated uranium levels, saying that they wanted to wait until they had more information.
"We felt that trying to get some answers would be a better idea to what the community might ask, rather than going and telling them something and not having the answers to the questions that might ask," Mr Logan said.
"The Department of Health will tell us what they want.
"We've given them information, they may say: 'we need more information', that might include going back and testing some of the bores, the water that's in the bores now, I don't know what they will say.
"But essentially, because we're no longer supplying Moonbi [and] Kootingal there is no risk to anyone out there now."
)
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Environment Pollution
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2018 Baku fire
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On 2 March 2018, a fire broke out at the Republican Narcological Dispensary in Baku, Azerbaijan, a drug rehabilitation facility for patients with opiate addiction. Around 200 people including patients and members of the clinic staff had to be evacuated from the area, while 34 had to be rescued from the blazing building. [3] At least 26 people died,[1] and another four were hospitalized. [2] Although the fire was initially blamed on faulty wiring, it later emerged that the fire had actually started when a patient tried to commit suicide by self-immolation. The individual had second thoughts and tossed his burning blanket into the wooden ward, igniting the early morning inferno. Two days after the incident the authorities arrested former patient Mahammad Mammadov and charged him with murder and arson, among other crimes. Civil rights activists blamed government corruption for lax fire safety measures in the facility that may have led to the accident. In the aftermath, President Ilham Aliyev created a commission to investigate the underlying causes of the accident and announced plans to build a fully equipped Rehab centre nearby. Azerbaijan's proximity to both Afghanistan and Iran and its location on the drug route known as the "Balkan Route"[4] make it an easy drug corridor, and due to lax border control most of the illegal drugs (around 90%) are able to get through. [5] It has been estimated that around 1,000 tonnes of drugs are smuggled through the country each year. [6] According to estimates registered drug addicts in the country numbered 7,000 in 1996, however by 2006 this number had risen to 20,000, while some estimates put it at around 30,000. [5] There is a severe shortage of personnel when it comes to treating drug addiction. According to the head of the working group for the Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking State Commission Araz Aliguliyev, "there are too few psychologists, social workers and almost no NGOs" working in the field of addiction rehabilitation. [7]
Azerbaijan spends around $2.00 on a single treatment, as opposed to the Western nations where the mean expenditure is around $100.00. There is a distinct lack of drug rehabilitation centres in the country with only 53 state-funded clinics and dispensaries in the entire country. [5][8] These centres are usually established in Soviet-era barracks like buildings that are derelict to begin with. The Republican Narcological Center was built as a dispensary in 1986, and was further enlarged in 2011 to cater for 250 patients. [9]
According to reports, the dispensary was housed in an old, one-story, wooden building dating from the 1900s. Buildings with materials such as these are fire hazards and Azerbaijan has a history of large-scale fires in residential buildings. [10][11] According to sources, the victims relatives have stated that the facility was "decrepit", paint was peeling from the walls, that had been constructed with plywood, and the equipment used by the facility was outdated as well; having been bought in 1991 before the Soviet Union collapsed. [12] Former head physician at the Respublika Narkoloji Mərkəzi, Araz Aliguliyev stated that during his tenure (which ended in 2006) the building in question had been used only for housing archives and for "some accounting purposes". He said that patients were never housed in the building as it was an old and decrepit building dating from the 1990s. He said "I don't know why they were using it to treat patients". [citation needed]
The government reported that the fire broke out at around 06:10 local time. [13] A security guard stationed outside the facility was able to open the doors when he smelled smoke and started the evacuation. However the fire soon engulfed the building. Ten ambulances and 10 squads of firefighters with 43 fire engines were dispatched to the site. It took the 160 personnel of the State Fire Protection Service around three hours to successfully extinguish the blaze. [14][15][16]
It was originally believed to be caused by an electrical fault in the one-story, wooden ward, but the government later stated that arson was the cause. [17] There was no automatic fire suppression system in the building. [18] The building's wooden frame acted as the principal fuel source for the fire, and firefighters described the building burning intensely for over three hours due to strong winds. [19] According to relatives of the patients, it was routine for the patients to be locked inside during the night. [17] Some reports claim that the victims who were burnt alive may have been tied to their beds as a routine procedure and therefore they may have been unable to escape when the fire spread through the building. [20] The building's windows had been barred with steel frames that could only be opened from the outside to prevent addicts from running away, and at least 55 of them were bedridden when the fire broke out. [18] However, despite the barred windows, responding firefighters were able to rescue dozens of people from the fast-spreading fire. It was reported that by 8.20 am local time firefighters had brought the fire under control[21] and it had been completely extinguished by 9:13. [22]
According to the Ministry of Healthcare, around 200 patients and staff were safely evacuated from the hospital, with 34 needing rescue. [23] Twenty-five dead bodies were found in the ruins after firefighters extinguished the blaze. [24] Four of the injured had to be hospitalized. Three were admitted to the Toxicology Department of the Clinical Medical Center No 1 and one was moved to the City Clinical Hospital No 3. [25] The bodies of the deceased were moved to the mortuary, but it was reported that the charred remains were not yet recognizable. [26]
President Ilham Aliyev visited the scene and an official investigation was ordered. [23][27] A hotline was established to the offices of the Prosecutor General, Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Emergency Affairs so that relatives of the patients and staff, as well as witnesses could contact the authorities. [28]
On March 3, a former patient of the rehab center named Mahammad Mammadov was arrested and charged with premeditated murder, multiple murders, and damaging property. [17]
It was reported that Mammadov was being treated at the centre but wished to leave. In a suicide attempt he set fire to his blanket, but changed his mind when the flames started to engulf him. He then threw off the blanket, and left the building when the fire started to spread and the wooden infrastructure of the ward caught fire. [29] The arrest of Mammadov contradicted earlier reports of the fire being caused by a short circuit. [30] After the arrest Mammadov was subject to psychological and psychiatric evaluations. [29]
President Ilham Aliyev created a state commission chaired by Abid Sharifov, the deputy president.
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Fire
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1968 uprising in Senegal
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The 1968 Senegal uprising was a nationwide revolutionary uprising that broke out after Strikes led by young students in Dakar against a proposed scholarship law in universities and high schools turned into an anti-ruling class protest movement that led to a full-scale protest movement nationwide and large-scale violence and chaotic scenes in popular demonstrations, Looting and Riots was witnessed during national protests and civil disobedience movement across the nation. [1]
Students have been angry at the government and it's handling over the conditions and spiralling lifestyle conditions in Senegal and many have been comparing it with other nations. Rallies and marches is rare in Senegalese history, but this time, they won't let the government continue. [2]
Pretests, fuelled by recession and economic downturn, turned into sustained street rallies, battles and Occupations. Bloody protests against the ruling-class Senegalese in power turned violent as echoes of student unrest and mass civil dissent spread nationwide from Dakar. [3]
Powerful demonstrations echoed throughout news media and working places; protesters rallied in violent protests and demonstrations demanding the fall of the regime. The student demonstrations that rocked Senegal was short-lived but intense as they used similar demands from the May 68 uprising in France. [4]
Major protests against the military forces and the government continued and Riots was erupting. After the killing of 28 demonstrators in June, protests were dispersed and uprisings sprung up nationwide. Nationwide and countrywide protests were taking place in early June, after 2 weeks of intense violence and deadly demonstrations. The movement was forcibly quelled by excessive amount of force. [5]
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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A six-nation joint military exercise called “Sword of Arabs” kicked off at the largest military base in Egypt
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MARSA MATRUH, EGYPT - FEBRUARY 18: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi visits pilots working at military base in Marsa Matruh district of Egypt near the border with Libya on February 18, 2015. MARSA MATRUH, EGYPT – FEBRUARY 18: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi visits pilots working at military base in Marsa Matruh district of Egypt near the border with Libya on February 18, 2015. (Photo by Pool / Egyptian Presidency/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) A six-nation joint military exercise called “Sword of Arabs” kicked off at the largest military base in Egypt, the Egyptian Armed Forces announced on Sunday. The military exercise, participated by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, and Sudan, will last till Thursday, said a statement released by the Egyptian forces. The land, air, and naval drills will be carried out at the Mohamed Naguib military base in the Mediterranean province of Matrouh as well as the areas of the northern military command, the statement added. The training is meant to develop and strengthen military relations between Egypt and other Arab countries, the statements said, adding that the exercise is considered one of the most sophisticated exercises carried out at the level of the Arab world.
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Military Exercise
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Shirley Towers fire
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The Shirley Towers Fire occurred in a tower block on 6 April 2010 in Southampton, Hampshire, England. Two firefighters were killed when a fire developed and spread from the 9th floor. [1] The investigations and inquiries following the fire led to changes in fire safety rules nationally, particularly the regulations around electrical wiring. [2]
Shirley Towers is a 15-storey concrete tower block of 150 apartments located in the Shirley area of Southampton and is home to about 400 people. [1] The building dates from the mid-1960s and is of the unusual scissor section construction where each apartment is spread over several floors in an interlocking design. The fire started when curtains in the lounge of the flat caught fire from being on top of an uplighter lamp (light fitting.) Emergency crews were called at 20:10 on 6 April 2010. [1] The fire response teams were confused by the complex layout of the building and of the flat itself. The flat was very smoky with zero visibility and firefighters did not locate the fire in the lounge. The flat rapidly became very hot - more than 1,000°C. [3] The firefighters tried to escape through the flat's fire exit on the 11th floor. Two firefighters managed to escape but needed hospital treatment for burns. Firefighters James Shears and Alan Bannon were overcome by sudden exposure to intense heat and died at the top landing of the flat. [3] The escaping firefighters got tangled in cables that fell from the roof, both inside and outside the flat,[4] after the heat from the fire melted the plastic trunking they were contained in. [1]
The Coroner's inquest highlighted the "extremely difficult and dangerous" conditions in the fire, but noted that "numerous factors" led to the eventual tragedy which could be addressed to stop a similar future tragedy. [3] After the inquest the coroner issued a "Rule 43 letter. "[5] This is a letter to other statutory authorities designed to prevent future deaths. The Rule 43 letter made nine recommendations to the Government and fire services. [6] These included:
Changes to the British Standards electrical wiring regulations finally came into force in July 2015 following the Shirley Towers tragedy, and the previous Harrow Court fire, where similar problems were a factor in firefighter deaths. [2]
Sprinklers were only fitted into Shirley Tower's a few weeks after the devastating fire in London at Grenfell Tower's in 2017. We were having new central heating systems fitted, and our windows replaced when the fire happened. The biggest drama however, was we were also having new external cladding fitted, and people were terrified it was as flammable as Grenfell's cladding was. This was quickly proven to not be true. But the arrangement and installation of the sprinkler systems happened within only a few weeks. The Coroner also insisted that metal clips be added to all the wiring to prevent any more possible entanglement issues. They put the main corridor wires up in metal cages in 2015/2016, and did the internal clips in 2016. In 2020 they replaced all the doors (2 doors, a front door and a back door that serves as an emergency fire exit to each unit) in the block. They are not fire proof as there is daylight under each door, but are much safer now (being like hotel doors with turning locks, rather than key locks from the inside) and the firemen can breech these doors much easier now if they are locked.
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Fire
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Protests against the Sri Lankan Civil War in Canada
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The protests against the Sri Lankan Civil War in Canada, often referred to as the Tamil protests by the media, consisted of a series of demonstrations which took place in major Canadian cities with a significant Tamil diaspora population during the year 2009 protesting the alleged genocide of Sri Lankan Tamil people in the Northern Province and Eastern Province of the island nation Sri Lanka. It was part of a global outcry by the Tamil diaspora to end the Sri Lankan Civil War, investigate acts of war crimes by the Government of Sri Lanka, and restore civil rights for Tamils in Sri Lanka. The aim was also to create awareness and appeal to leaders, notably the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, the President of the United States, Barack Obama and the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Canada, Bandula Jayasekara, to take action in ending the conflict. Several Tamil Canadian citizens and business-owners from different parts of Canada and the United States took part in major protests set up in Toronto and Ottawa, while smaller scale demonstrations took place in Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. The first notable demonstration took place on 28 January 2009 in front of the Sri Lankan Consulate in Toronto involving a few hundred people. The following day, several thousands gathered in front of the Consulate of the United States in Toronto to appeal to the Government of the United States to take action on ending the civil war. A 5-kilometre (3.1-mile) human chain of several thousands of citizens took place the next day along major streets in Downtown Toronto. There after, demonstrations began to escalate in size and occurred on Parliament Hill in Ottawa for sometime, until returning to continue in Toronto. Other tactics by protesters included, sit-ins, hunger strikes, Internet activism and occupation of major streets. In the Greater Toronto Area, local Tamil communities and organizations began to set up demonstrations by January 2009, following similar movements in the United Kingdom and India regarding the large civilian casualties from the Sri Lankan Civil War. Tamil Student Associations at the University of Toronto and Ryerson University staged demonstrations on campus to promote awareness of the ethnic conflict to fellow students. During the week of 25 January, several Tamil media outlets announced a strike, requesting all Tamils to not attend work or school during the week and take part in the protests that would happen in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. [1]
On 28 January, several Tamils gathered in front of the Consulate of Sri Lanka in Toronto to protest, with hopes to meet the consulate general. However, the consulate general, Bandula Jayasekara, reportedly termed the protesters as "terrorists" and refused to admit them. [2] The protest resumed until the evening. The following day, 29 January, several protesters gathered in front of the Consulate of the United States throughout the day, appealing to the consulate general of the United States to pressure its government to take an action on ending the war. The next demonstration took the form of a human chain on 30 January in Downtown Toronto, comprising thousands of protesters along parts of Yonge Street, Front Street and University Avenue. [3] Slogans such as "We want justice", "Sri Lanka, end the war" and "Canada help us" were chanted by the protesters across the streets. According to a Toronto Police Service spokesperson, "the protest took place in a very peaceful and orderly manner. "[3]
The first major protest in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, took place on 4 February 2009 at Parliament Hill in an effort to attract the attention of Canada's parliament members. Thousands of Tamils gathered in front of the Peace Tower, subsequently drawing out a few politicians from inside, notably Bev Oda and New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jack Layton. Layton announced that he would call parliament to an emergency debate at the House of Commons. Oda announced that the government would provide financial aid to the affected civilians, with the help of World Vision and Médecins Sans Frontières. [4]
On 6 April 2009, a non-stop, continuous demonstration began at Parliament Hill, organized by Tamil Student Associations and the Canadian Tamil Congress. The protest, similar to non-stop demonstrations that were contemporaneously held elsewhere in the world, such as London and Sydney, saw bus-loads of protesters joining. Ottawa Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) oversaw the protests, which were deemed "peaceful. "[5] On 7 April 2009, Albert Street was blocked when Tamil demonstrators surrounded a Société de transport de l'Outaouais bus in the intersection at Elgin Street, which caused major detours of transit buses. [6] As of 20 April, the non-stop protest took its fourteenth consecutive day. A few streets in the vicinity of Parliament Hill had closed down to make way for demonstrators. The protest was the decision by several Tamil organizations after the Government of Sri Lanka ruled out a ceasefire and allegedly forced an attack in Northern Sri Lanka with an unknown chemical warfare substance, claiming the lives of nearly 2,000 civilians. [7] Five protesters of varying ages also began fast-unto-death hunger strikes, but were forced to end ten days later due to deteriorating health. [8] The protest was expected to continue until the Government of Canada forced negotiations with the Government of Sri Lanka. After a climactic protest with an estimated 30,000 protesters at Parliament Hill on 21 April, the "non-stop protest" in Ottawa came to an end. [9] Ottawa City Councillor Eli El-Chantiry announced the policing costs for the protest to be nearly C$800,000 which the federal government was expected to pay. [10]
A week after the non-stop protests in Ottawa ended, non-stop protests began on the evening of 26 April in front of the Consulate of the United States in Toronto, urging Barack Obama to call for an immediate permanent ceasefire. Protesters sat down on University Avenue, occupying a large portion of the street. [11] On the third day of the non-stop protest (29 April), fifteen arrests were made while one woman was injured after a brief scuffle with police. This incident was the first one to happen among these protests in Canada. [12][13] The protests later shifted to Queen's Park with a diminished number of protesters. Another major human chain, which was expected to occur 5 May, was abruptly postponed the previous night by organizers because of the impact of previous demonstrations. [14] The cancellation was reported throughout Facebook, Twitter, Tamil television and radio stations and word of mouth. Some thought the cancellation was because of the recent swine flu outbreak. [15] The postponed human chain demonstration instead took place on 9 May through Downtown Toronto, reminiscent of the one that occurred on 30 January. [16]
On 10 May, an immediate vigil and protest was launched in light of international reports of the shelling of Tamil civilians in the Sri Lanka Army-declared safe zone in which 378 civilians had been killed, while protesters claimed it to be nearly 3,000. [17][18][19] The protest began on Spadina Avenue but abruptly spread past police cordons onto the Gardiner Expressway, a busy freeway in the city, bringing all vehicular traffic to a halt. The protesters, including women and children in strollers, said they would not stop blocking the Gardiner Expressway until they met with a representative from Premier Dalton McGuinty's office and got a promise for a clear course of action to stop the civil war in Sri Lanka. Police subsequently shut-down the Gardiner Expressway and Toronto's Don Valley Parkway, causing heavy traffic congestions throughout other Toronto streets and highways. [20][21]
York Regional Police, Peel Regional Police and the OPP were called in for back up policing. It was the first time a major highway was unlawfully occupied in the city. CP24 aired the protest live as breaking news coverage throughout the evening.
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The Biden administration is currently dealing with the backlash over the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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I have been covering President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s trip to New York, where he attended the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 76th session, for the past three days. The General Assembly will follow the theme “Building resilience through hope – to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainability, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people and revitalize the United Nations.” This year’s event is particularly important because world leaders are meeting in person amid the global pandemic. Yet, New York is notably calmer than in the past.
The Biden administration is currently dealing with the backlash over the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Republicans criticize the country’s Democratic president, on whose watch 13 American soldiers were killed during the retreat.
At the same time, AUKUS, a new trilateral security pact between the U.S., the United Kingdom and Australia, caught the world’s attention. Australia’s decision to cancel a $90 billion (TL 779 billion) submarine order from France, and to buy American nuclear submarines instead, was not just a “stab in the back” – as the French called it. Obviously, AUKUS unequivocally responds to China’s military presence in the Indo-Pacific region. Yet the involvement of three English-speaking nations in that agreement conveys a critical message regarding the trans-Atlantic alliance and Washington’s renewed claim to global leadership. American allies must think long and hard about France losing the “sale of the century” as well as the exclusion of Europe and Canada from AUKUS.
Everyone expected Britain to turn to unilateralism and to seize opportunities more aggressively after Brexit. It seems, however, that the Biden administration’s “America is Back” policy is about narrowly defined national interests – as opposed to repairing trans-Atlantic ties. Add the European Union’s ongoing attempt to establish new rules of engagement with China, and it becomes possible to fully appreciate the changing nature of the global system during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Against that backdrop, Erdoğan can be expected to talk about the global order in his address to the U.N. General Assembly.
Erdoğan’s current visit to the U.N. is distinguished by two facts. First, the Turkish president recently authored a book that calls for radically reforming of the U.N. At a time when the global system witnesses fresh competitions and realignments, Erdoğan published that book, which focuses on the U.N., to build on his country’s motto: “The world is bigger than five.” In truth, that book also shows that Turkey’s leader has not entirely given up on the U.N. system.
Another sign of the importance that Turkey attaches to the U.N. was the opening of Türkevi, or Turkish House, the country’s “largest public investment abroad.” The groundbreaking ceremony for that project, which is located across the U.N. headquarters and is notable for its original architectural style, took place in 2017. The construction of such an ambitious building for its diplomatic mission reflects the importance the U.N. holds in Turkey's eyes. Following yesterday’s opening ceremony, Turkey became the second country (after the United States) to own a permanent representation office across the U.N. Indeed, Erdoğan held most of his meetings at Turkish House.
Moreover, at Sunday’s Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) meeting, he stressed that the Muslim American community was welcome to use the new building. Ahead of Erdoğan’s address, which was titled “A Fairer World is Possible,” one of the participants made a concise yet striking speech: “You are the leader of a country with 83 million citizens. That is a big job. But, in my opinion, you are the leader of the entire Muslim world.”
I have repeatedly witnessed Muslims around the world utter those words – and mean it. As such, I found the views of Muslim Americans hardly surprising. Erdoğan’s willingness to take initiative regarding pressing problems, such as Islamophobia and the refugee crisis, which hurt Muslims most deeply, and his vocal criticism – and proposals – regarding the global order consolidate his image as a leader.
At the same time, let me stress the following point: Erdoğan’s call for justice is addressed to all of humanity. His emphasis on values in this chaotic universe of vested interests attests to that fact.
Bu web sitesinde çerezler kullanılmaktadır. İnternet sitemizin düzgün çalışması, kişiselleştirilmiş reklam deneyimi, internet sitemizi optimize edebilmemiz, ziyaret tercihlerinizi hatırlayabilmemiz için veri politikası ndaki amaçlarla sınırlı ve mevzuata uygun şekilde çerez konumlandırmaktayız. "Tamam" ı tıklayarak, çerezlerin yerleştirilmesine izin vermektesiniz. Çerez ayarlarınızı daha fazla öğrenmek veya değiştirmek için ayarlar bölümünden devam edebilirsiniz.
Çerezler, web-sitelerinin, kullanıcıların deneyimlerini daha verimli hale getirmek amacıyla kullandığı küçük metin dosyalarıdır.Yasalara göre, bu sitenin işletilmesi için kesinlikle gerekli olan çerezleri cihazınıza yerleştirebiliyoruz. Diğer çerez türleri için sizden izin almamız gerekiyor.Bu site farklı çerez türleri kullanmaktadır. Bazı çerezler, sayfalarımızda yer alan üçüncü şahıs hizmetleri tarafından yerleştirilir.Web sitemizde Çerez Beyanından kabulünüzü dilediğiniz zaman değiştirebilir veya geri çekebilirsiniz.Kim olduğumuz, bizimle nasıl iletişime geçebileceğiniz ve kişisel verilerinizi nasıl kullandığımız hakkında daha fazla bilgiyi Gizlilik Politikamızda öğrenebilirsiniz.
İzniniz aşağıdaki alanlar için geçerlidir: www.dailysabah.com
Onay kimliğiniz: Onay tarihi: Çerez beyanı en son 11/7/21 tarihinde Cookiebot tarafından güncellenmiştir: Gerekli (54) Gerekli çerezler, sayfada gezinme ve web-sitesinin güvenli alanlarına erişim gibi temel işlevleri sağlayarak web-sitesinin daha kullanışlı hale getirilmesine yardımcı olur. Web-sitesi bu çerezler olmadan doğru bir şekilde işlev gösteremez.
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Please
click to read our informative text prepared pursuant to the Law on the Protection of Personal Data No. 6698 and to get information about the
cookies
used on our website in accordance with the relevant legislation.
6698 sayılı Kişisel Verilerin Korunması Kanunu uyarınca hazırlanmış aydınlatma metnimizi okumak ve sitemizde ilgili mevzuata uygun olarak kullanılan
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Diplomatic Visit
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TAESA Flight 725 crash
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TAESA Flight 725 was a scheduled flight originating in Tijuana International Airport and ending at Mexico International Airport with intermediate stopovers in Uruapan and Guadalajara, that crashed shortly after departure on November 9, 1999, killing all 18 passengers and crew on board. [1] The crash led TAESA to ground its fleet and suspend operations a year later in 2000. [2]
Investigators determined that the crew did not use the appropriate checklists prior to departure, and during the climbout, the pilots were confused about which heading to follow. Spatial disorientation was also believed to be a factor in the crash. [3]
The aircraft operating the flight was an McDonnell-Douglas DC-9-31, manufactured by McDonnell-Douglas, and first entered service with Trans Australia Airlines in February 1970. It was 29 years old at the time of the accident and accumulated more than 59,000 takeoff/landing cycles and 58,000 flight hours. Before being delivered to TAESA Lineas Aéreas, it previously operated for Australian Airlines, Sunworld International Airlines, Midway Airlines, NASA and Aeroméxico. [3][4]
The captain was 36-year-old Jesús José Graciá. He had 5,368 flight hours. The first officer was 22-year-old Héctor Valdez, who had 250 flight hours at the time of the accident. [5][additional citation(s) needed]
There were 18 people on board the DC-9 at the time it crashed, with 13 passengers and 5 crew members. [6]
The aircraft departed Uruapan for Mexico City at 18:59 local time. After rotation the aircraft pitched up abnormally high, entered a stall, nosed over and crashed into an avocado field 3.3 miles south of the runway on a heading of 110 degrees. All 18 people on board were killed. [3]
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Woman diagnosed with breast cancer at 26 urges others to 'listen to your body'
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Kelsey Summers was getting dressed on a fall morning last year when she felt a lump in her breast.
She was 26, an age when most women wouldn’t think about the possibility of breast cancer, but her mother was diagnosed with the disease at 28, so Summers had already been eager to get a mammogram before that day.
Still, she wasn’t too concerned at first.
“I totally did not take it seriously at the beginning because I had had lumps that came and went with my menstrual cycle. So I was just thinking that's what this is — it's nothing,” Summers, who lives in Atlanta, told TODAY.
“It was something I could really feel, but it was not painful whatsoever. … I think in your 20s you have this kind of arrogance that nothing bad could happen to you.”
She mentioned the lump to her brother and a friend, who both encouraged her to get it checked out. When the friend’s mother found out, she immediately booked her an appointment with a doctor. A biopsy revealed stage 1 HER2-positive breast cancer.
It was October 2020 and with the availability of COVID-19 vaccines still months away, Summers was facing medical treatment in the midst of a pandemic. She’d have to undergo chemotherapy, surgery and more regular intravenous infusions afterwards to make sure the disease was completely gone.
“It was a little bit scary because they do really (emphasize) the fact that your immune system is suppressed,” she recalled.
“I had conversations with my roommate and my boyfriend — since those were the two people who really would go out in the world and come back to see me — that they had to be super careful.”
Summers stayed at home most of the time, venturing out only for doctor’s appointments and relying on others to do grocery shopping. Like many cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, she struggled with losing her hair, which was a big part of her identity, she said.
The first time Summers saw locks of hair stay on her brush one morning on a Christmas trip with her father, she rushed to him in tears.
“It was fine after seeing everybody's initial reaction. I think that's what I was most nervous about, not my own feelings, but everybody's reaction to how I was going to look. And once I saw that, I was fine,” she said.
Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older, but 9% of cases are reported in women under 45, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Risk factors for this younger group include having a close relative who was diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 45, having mutations in breast cancer genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, and having Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.
While lumps in the breast are a more common sign of cancer, there are other symptoms to be aware of: dents or dimples in the breast, red or flaky rash, swelling, nipple discharge or an inverted nipple.
Summers’ mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in her late 20s, so Summers wanted to get her first mammogram at 21, but was turned away even after sharing her family history.
“I wasn't really even, I felt like, taken seriously until I was seen by a doctor who had done a biopsy and said yes, this is 100% cancer,” she said.
The lump she felt was about the size of a golf ball, though the tumor itself ended up being less than a centimeter across — it was all the tissue surrounding it that made it feel so big.
When Summers underwent genetic screening, she tested negative for the BRCA gene mutations so she opted for a lumpectomy. She hasn’t yet been screened for other gene variants that can also raise breast cancer risk.
Doctors haven’t been able to say for sure why she and her mother were diagnosed with breast cancer at around the same young age. Her mom is doing well and has been cancer-free since her diagnosis and treatment, Summers noted.
Summers’ last infusion treatment is Dec. 7th. Follow-up care may include taking a hormone blocker and getting regular mammograms. She’s doing well and getting normalcy back into her life, she noted.
“I’ve said a million times you don't have to be 30-plus to get this cancer. Cancer doesn't discriminate,” Summers cautioned other women.
“Listen to your body and be an advocate for yourself. Your doctors only know so much, but when it comes to how you are feeling with your own body, you have to be the biggest advocate. You have to be the squeaky wheel in the process.”
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Famous Person - Sick
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Argentina battles locust plague after farmlands hit by dozens ...
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Argentina battles locust plague after farmlands hit by dozens of outbreaks
Farmers say they first noticed infestations in middle of 2015 and government is only now taking action
Argentina’s government has been slow to act on a locust infestation, say farmers.
Argentina’s government has been slow to act on a locust infestation, say farmers.
Associated Press in Buenos Aires
Argentina’s agricultural inspection agency has said it is keeping up efforts to control a locust infestation threatening crops in at least three states.
The agency said it had controlled 31 new outbreaks of the insect in the states of Catamarca, Santiago del Estero and Cordoba.
The plague affected about 700,000ha (1.7m acres), said the Rural Confederations of Argentina in an emailed statement. It is the worst infestation since 1954, according to Juan Pablo Karnatz, president of a farmers’ association in Santiago del Estero.
The farmers warned the government of the first signs of the infestation in July 2015 but authorities did not respond adequately, said Karnatz. Only after new officials took charge of the inspection agency did the government begin to attack the problem head on, he said.
Read more
“Before the farmers were combating the plague on their own,” Karnatz said.
Time is of the essence, the farmers say. If the fumigators don’t find the young insects before they mature in 10 days they form swarms of locusts in search of food. The other challenge is discovering unsighted pockets of locusts.
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Insect Disaster
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Sutton Tunnel railway accident
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The Sutton Tunnel railway accident occurred in the Sutton tunnel between Frodsham and Moore in Cheshire, England on 30 April 1851. As a result of it nine people died and between 30 and 40 were injured. On 18 December 1850 a new railway was opened between Chester and Warrington[1] by the Birkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway. [2] This halved the distance by rail between Manchester and Chester as trains could travel via Warrington rather than via Crewe. An early attraction to be served by the new line was Chester Races, in particular the Chester Cup on 30 April 1851. The line was advertised as The Direct Route to Chester Races and it is estimated that 4,000 people gathered at Manchester Victoria station during the morning of that day. The trains struggled to get the passengers to Chester, with one train arriving 2½ hours late and passengers from another train of 50 carriages having to walk part of the way. [1]
After the races, by 6 pm one train had already left Chester General station and soon after another train carrying about 430 passengers departed. [1] A further train was standing in sidings with a notice "Manchester via Warrington" on its side. People crossed the line and completely filled the train. It was estimated that 900 passengers were crowded into 18 small carriages. The train left the siding at about 6.50 pm hauled by the locomotive Druid. It was assisted up the incline from Chester station by another locomotive, No. 16, pushing at the back. [2] No. 16 returned to Chester to collect its own train and the train pulled by Druid made "good speed"[1] to Frodsham where some passengers left it. By then it had begun to rain, this had turned to sleet, and the driving wheels had started to slip. From Frodsham station to the Sutton Weaver Viaduct there is an adverse gradient of 1:240 and the fireman and a local platelayer sanded the rails. Despite this the train made only slow progress, even on the level viaduct. Beyond the viaduct the tunnel also had an adverse gradient of 1:264 and it was a struggle to keep the train moving. By this time the train hauled by No. 16 had left Chester with only 430 passengers and was catching up with Druid's train. By the time it arrived near Sutton tunnel it was only 60 yards (55 m)–70 yards (64 m) behind it. Druid's guard signalled to the following train to come behind and push his train. This it did but then No. 16's wheels also began to slip. In the middle of the 1.25 miles (2 km) tunnel the two trains came to a virtual or complete halt. [1][2]
By now the next train, pulled by Albert, had arrived in Frodsham station and it was allowed to leave two minutes later. This was 14 minutes after No. 16's train had left and 24 minutes after Druid's train; the company's rules allowed trains to pass intermediate stations at intervals of five minutes. Albert's train entered the tunnel at 15–20 miles per hour. The driver noticed a lot of steam in the tunnel and stated that he slowed, but his train collided with the rear of No. 16's train. The guard from No. 16's train walked back with a red light and stopped the next train on the viaduct. Two doctors were called from Frodsham and one from Halton village. In the accident five people had been killed outright and four died later. Between 30 and 40 people were injured. About 1,600 people were crowded inside the tunnel in complete darkness. [1]
An inquest was held in Preston Brook and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death. The jury also added their unanimous opinion that the company should accept "great blame" and that "there was a want of prudence and discretion" on the part of the "officers and servants" of the company. [1] A report was prepared by Captain R. M. Laffan who was appointed by the Commissioners of Railways. Captain Laffan was critical of the secretary of the company, the locomotive superintendent, the three drivers, two of the guards and the Frodsham station master, but in particular he blamed the executive committee of the railway company. He made six recommendations: a station should be built at each end of the tunnel and that the stations should be connected by an electric telegraph; two guards should be provided on each train rather than one; the locomotive stock and number of carriages should be increased; a more efficient staff should be engaged; all passenger carriages passing through the tunnel should be provided with lights; the interval of five minutes between trains should be increased. [3] The stations were built. At the Frodsham end the station went first by the name of Runcorn, then Runcorn Road, and finally Halton; it is now closed. At the other end was Norton station, which has been replaced by Runcorn East station. [1]
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Train collisions
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Google fined $22m for Safari privacy breach
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Google has been fined $US22.5 million for violating the privacy of millions of people who use Apple's Safari web browser.
The fine, announced by the US Federal Trade Commission, is the biggest imposed against a company for violating a previous agreement with the Commission.
Last October Google signed an agreement that included a pledge not to mislead consumers about privacy practices. But Google was accused of using cookies to secretly track the habits of millions of people who used Apple's Safari internet browser on iPhones and iPads. Google has said its tracking was not deliberate and it did not collect personal information such as names, addresses or credit card details. Google has agreed to pay the fine, which is the largest penalty ever placed on a company for violating an FTC order.
But it is still a drop in the bucket compared to Google's second-quarter revenues of $US12.21 billion.
David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, acknowledged the penalty may seem small, but said it sends a clear message to protect privacy in the future.
"We have Google under order for another 19 years ... and if there's further violations, one could anticipate that the Commission would insist on increasingly higher civil penalties," he said. Companies such as Google rely on collecting user data for a large part of their revenue, but privacy advocates have argued that tech companies are generally not doing enough to safeguard customer privacy.
ABC/Reuters
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
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Organization Fine
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2007 Balad aircraft crash
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The 2007 Balad aircraft crash was an airplane incident involving an Antonov An-26 airliner, which crashed on 9 January 2007 while attempting to land at the Joint Base Balad in Balad, Iraq, which was at that time operated by the United States Air Force. [3] The crash killed 34 people aboard and left one passenger critically injured. Officials claim the crash was caused by poor weather conditions, but other sources claim that this is a cover-up and the plane was actually shot down by a missile. [2][1][4]
The aircraft was an Antonov An-26B-100, registration number ER-26068. [5] It made its first flight in 1981, and was powered by two Ivchenko AI-24VT engines. [5] An-26s are a twin-engined light turboprop transport aircraft derived from the Antonov An-24, with particular attention made to potential military use. It has a modified rear fuselage with a large cargo ramp. The aircraft, which took off from Adana, Turkey,[6]
at about 0400 UTC,[7]
was owned by the Moldovan company AerianTur-M, and on the day of the accident had been chartered to a Turkish construction company, Kulak,[3] who had been contracted to build a new hangar at the air base. [8] The aircraft hired by BSA Aviation Ltd (charterer) was carrying both cargo and passengers; a total of 1,289 kg (2,842 lb) of cargo was on board, compared with the 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) capacity. [9] Turkish authorities told CNN Türk television that of the passengers, there were 29 Turkish workers, three Moldovans, a Russian, a Ukrainian, and an American on board, even though this totals one more than the number of people known to be on board. [10] Later, the Russian consul general in Antalya said the Russian and the Ukrainian also had Moldovan citizenship. [2] Most of those on board were construction workers who worked at the base. Brig. Gen. Robin Rand, commander of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, said "These brave civilian-contract employees were in Iraq helping us accomplish our mission, and their loss is a tragedy," adding "Our condolences go out to the families in their time of loss. "[11]
The plane crashed at 0700 UTC,[12] about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) away from Balad Air Base, the main hub of US military logistics in Iraq, while attempting to land. [13] An anonymous ministry official told the Associated Press that the pilot had already aborted one landing attempt due to poor weather conditions. [14] Although the aircraft was said to have crashed due to fog, one eyewitness, a relative of one of the deceased, said that he watched a missile strike the right hand side of the fuselage while standing just 300–400 meters (1000–1300 ft) from where the aircraft went down. [2] The man also said that multiple other eyewitnesses also saw the aircraft get shot down. İsmail Kulak, a partner in the ownership of the Kulak Construction Company, was among the dead. [15]
Because the aircraft crashed in a military base, the emergency response was supplied by the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. Ground ambulance response was by the 206th Area Support Medical Company, which is a US Army National Guard from Missouri. Eight ambulances responded with support from the base QRF. The QRF was the 1-134th LRS(D) from Nebraska. Helicopters from the Air Force's 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron transported the dead from the scene. [11] Of the 35 passengers and crew members on board the flight, two individuals were pulled alive from the wreckage. One died after being transported by an Army ground ambulance to the Air Force Theater Hospital. [16] The other survivor, a Turk named Abdülkadir Akyüz,[17] was carried by an Army ground ambulance to the Air Force Theater Hospital, where he received life-saving emergency surgery. [11]
The day after the accident, the insurgent group Islamic Army in Iraq, using a web site known by authorities to be used by the group, claimed that they shot the plane down. The statement said that their members had "opened fire on a plane trying to land at an American base near Balad from different directions, using medium-range weapons... With the help of God, they were able to shoot it down. "[4]
After the wreckage was photographed in situ, the army hauled it away on flatbed trucks to the base, where it is presently secured[dubious – discuss]. [11] As well as the ongoing question of fog, Ahmed al-Mussawi, spokesman for the Iraqi transport ministry, said one day after the crash that "It must have been technical failure or a lack of aviation experience (on the part of the crew),". [18] The crash is under investigation by the Iraqi government, American government and Moldovan government, but the Turkish government has been denied permission to join the investigative team. [19] The Air Force and the Army say they are willing to help with the investigation. [4][11][20] Ali Ariduru, deputy head of the Turkish aviation authority, said initial information indicated there was no technical malfunction on the plane. [20] Eyewitness from the shift in one of the base towers did not see or hear missile or gunfire. There is confusion as to the whereabouts of the aircraft's Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder (FDR and CVR, commonly referred to as "black boxes"). The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated they have been shipped to Antonov's Kiev headquarters, but Turkish Minister of Transportation Binali Yıldırım claims they are still in Iraq, with the rest of the debris. [19] All that is confirmed is that they have been recovered, which occurred on 30 January. [21]
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Air crash
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1 December 2013 Euromaidan riots
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A series of riots occurred in several locations of downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on 1 December 2013 in response to a police crackdown on Euromaidan's protesters and journalist on the night of 30 November. The day saw the highest numbers of journalists injured by police in a single event since Ukraine's independence regain in 1991. Also, 1 December became the first instance of a public building being occupied by protesters in modern history of the country. On the night of 30 November 2013 at 04:00, armed with batons, stun grenades, and tear gas, Berkut special police units attacked and dispersed all protesters from Maidan Nezalezhnosti while suppressing mobile phone communications. [1] The police attacked not only the protesters (most of whom didn't or failed to put up resistance) but also other civilians in the vicinity of Maidan Nezalezhnosti, when the Berkut forces chased unarmed people several hundreds of meters and continued to beat them with batons and feet. [2] Initially, 35 people were injured as a result of the militia raid, including a Reuters cameraman and a photographer. [3][4] Other protesters were detained. [1] Most of the protesters were students. [4] At 09:20 Berkut besieged the St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery where approximately 50 Euromaidan activists, including the injured, found sanctuary. [1][5] Police spokeswoman Olha Bilyk justified the police raid by saying that protesters were interfering with preparations to decorate the square for the Christmas and New Year's holidays, and accused them of throwing stones and burning logs. [6] Minister of Internal Affairs Vitaliy Zakharchenko later apologized and claimed "riot police abused their power" and promised a thorough investigation. [7] Via state television he added "if there are calls for mass disturbances, then we will react to this harshly". [7]
In an official statement, Ukrainian Deputy Prosecutor General Anatoliy Pryshko confirmed that 79 people were injured during the raid, including 6 students, 4 reporters, and 2 foreigners; 10 people were hospitalized. In addition, 7 policemen were also injured. [8]
On 30 November 2013 by 13:00 another spontaneous meeting was taking place at St. Michael's Square near the St. Michael's Monastery as Maidan Nezalezhnosti continued to be guarded by the Berkut formations. [9] Ambassadors from some ten countries of the European Union, among which was the Ambassador of the European Union in Ukraine, Jan Tombiński, visited protesters at the meeting. [9] According to Hromadske.TV, by 16:00 the meeting gathered some 5,000 people who were shouting "Won't forgive", and "Revolution". [10] At St. Michael Square protesters started to form units of self-resistance. [11] Approximately 10,000 protesters remained in the evening of the 30th,[12] with an estimated 10,000 more from Lviv travelling to Kyiv on Saturday night. [13]
On 30 November opposition parties Batkivshchyna, UDAR and Svoboda set up "Headquarters of National Resistance" throughout Ukraine. [14][15]
On 1 December, Kyiv's District Administrative Court banned further protests in downtown Kyiv at both Maidan Nezalezhnosti and European Square, as well as in front of the Presidential Administration and Interior Ministry buildings, until 7 January 2014. [19] Opposition forces planned the rally on the 1st to take place at St. Michael's Square, which is not among the banned rally locations, with a march towards Maidan Nezalezhnosti. [20] During 1 December rally, protesters followed through and defied the ban and marched form St. Michael's Square to re-take Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Protesters broke several windows in the city council building, followed by crowds spilling out of Maidan Nezalezhnosti to the Presidential Administration building at Bankova Street and the Cabinet building (Hrushevskoho Street). [21] People chanted "Out with the thugs" and sang the Ukrainian anthem. The opposition party Batkivshchyna claimed as much as 500,000 protesters turned out for the rallies, and opposition leader Petro Poroshenko claimed 350,000 were on Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Other news agencies reported over 100,000 in Maidan Nezalezhnosti alone,[22] and the total number of protesters to be from 400,000 to 800,000. [23][24][25][26][27] One poll had 70% of the surge in protesters attributable to the violence of 30 November. [28]
At around 14:00, a group of protesters commandeered a bulldozer (LongGong CDM 833)[29] from Maidan Nezalezhnosti and attempted to pull down the fence surrounding the Presidential Administration building. [30] People threw bricks at Internal Troops guards. At least three people were injured outside of the presidential administration building, receiving head injuries from flying debris. AFP reporters saw security forces outside the Presidential Administration building fire dozens of stun grenades and smoke bombs at masked demonstrators who were pelting police with stones and Molotov cocktails. [31] The opposition stated that the aforementioned confrontations with police forces were organized by provocateurs and that the opposition has nothing to do with the conflict at Bankova street. They confirmed that the protests of opposition are peaceful. [32] Number of activists including People's Deputy of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko attempted to stop the tractor. [33][34]
Radio Stolytsia reported that Berkut riot police stopped a motorcade of protesters from heading towards the presidential mansion in Mezhyhirya, a suburb north of Kyiv. [34]
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry reported that more than 300 members of the radical Bratstvo (Brotherhood) organization were involved in unlawful actions committed outside the Presidential Administration building, who acted under the direction of its leader, Dmytro Korchynsky. [35]
The opposition occupied the Kyiv City Council (City Hall) and the Trade Unions' Building. They still remain under control of the protesters. [36] At the city council building, protesters broke windows to get inside the building and occupy it. They chanted "Kyiv is ours" and hung a Ukrainian flag in a window. [22] The city police warned the protesters in City Hall that they will "undertake measures" to clear the building if they do not leave it, without specifying. "The capital's police warns that in case of non-compliance with the lawful demands, the law enforcers will undertake corresponding measures to free the building from violators of law. "[34]
Secretary of the Writer's Union of Ukraine Serhiy Pantiuk took a dozen women to shelter inside the Union building. After other protesters fleeing Berkut police took refuge in the building as well, police broke in though the rear windows and started beating everyone in the building, including women, journalists, and building security. There were up to 50 people hiding inside. [37]
The official websites of Ukraine's presidential administration and interior ministry that controls more than 300,000 law enforcement personnel had been down for most of the day. Local media reports claim that hackers are the cause, although no group has taken responsibility for it. [34]
At 20:00, an angry mob of thousands attacked Berkut riot units who were guarding the statue of Vladimir Lenin. [34] The crowd attacked with rocks, ladders, and other objects, while troops responded by deploying tear gas and making random attacks at the crowd.
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Riot
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2009 Tonga undersea volcanic eruption
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The 2009 Tonga undersea volcanic eruption began on March 16, 2009,[1] near the island of Hunga Tonga, approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from the Tongan capital of Tongatapu. [2] The volcano is in a highly active volcanic region that represents a portion of the Pacific Ring of Fire. It is estimated that there are up to 36 undersea volcanoes clustered together in the area. [3]
The initial March 16–17 eruption sent ash and smoke up to 20 kilometres (12 mi) into the atmosphere and an initial inspection reported that the volcano has breached the ocean surface. [4][5] Authorities suggested at that time that the eruption did not yet pose any threat to the capital's population, and an inspection team was sent out to evaluate the volcano. [6]
Between March 18–20, a number of Surtseyan eruptions sent ash plumes as high as 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to 5.2 kilometres (3.2 mi) into the atmosphere, with prevailing winds pushing the ash cloud about 480 kilometres (300 mi) east-northeast of the eruption site and widespread and significant haze reported at Vavaʻu 255 kilometres (158 mi) away. [7] Steam plumes on March 20 were measured at 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) above sea level. [7] But on March 21, an eruption sent steam and ash just 0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) into the sky. [7] On March 21, Tonga's chief geologist Kelepi Mafi reported lava and ash from two vents, one on the uninhabited island Hunga Haʻapai and another about 100 m (330 ft) offshore, had filled the gap between the two vents, creating new land surface that measured hundreds of square metres. [8][9] The eruption devastated Hunga Haʻapai, covering it in black ash and stripping it of vegetation and fauna. [9]
Two Air New Zealand airline flights into Tonga were delayed due to safety concerns caused by the volcanic ash, but flight schedules returned to normal shortly thereafter. [10]
Tongan officials also expressed concern that the eruption could significantly harm the country's fishing industry. [11]
Four days after the start of the eruption a strong earthquake measuring 7.6 Mw(ISC) also struck the region. Ken Hudnut, a geophysicist for the United States Geological Survey, stated that "The association with the volcanic activity seems to be an interesting added dimension to this. It's not clear at this point that there is a direct association, but it seems suggestive at this point.". [2] Keleti Mafi, the Tongan government's chief seismologist, also suggested that the earthquake was likely to have a direct impact on the volcanic eruption, stating that the "strength of the earthquake could crack the volcano's (undersea) vent and allow more magma to be ejected". [4]
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Volcano Eruption
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